(M) Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Grade: B

My interest in viewing this movie was due to the fact that it is played out during the reign of Mao. Two well-to-do boys have been sent away to be re-educated in the hillside. Upon arrival some of their possessions are destroyed and a violin is almost destroyed until one of the boys plays a song by Mozart but he has to rename the song to ‘Mozart thinking of Mao’. What really comes across is the ignorance of the people during re-education. Mao really must have wanted an ignorant servant class. What happens is the two boys take a liking to one of the girls and the boys are able to get their hands on some banned books and through it they read to the girl and teach her to read and the impact of the books changes her future. Part of the focus of the film does deal with how something as simple as a book can drastically alter the course of one’s life. My complaint is that out-of-nowhere the movie jumps twenty years into the future and then wraps everything up in ten or fifteen minutes which bothered me.


(M) The Double Life of Veronique
Grade: B+/A-

I don’t really know how to grade this film because I didn’t know it was going to be so deep. I finished the movie and was like, what the hell just happened???? So of course I went and did the next logical thing, I went out today and bought the Criterion Collection of the film so I can re-watch and then re-watch it again with commentary and then watch all the extras. Most people see something they like and buy it, I seem to see something that confuses me and delve into it without abandon, I’m a marketing persons nightmare. So, perhaps I’ll give this a proper review after I re-watch the film a few times. In-sight to the movie provided here.


(G) Ratatat / 120 Days
Grade: B+

I love me some Ratatat. This was my third time seeing them and I enjoyed it. The show was at the Fonda which is a nice looking venue with a great rooftop view of Hollywood Blvd. But it’s really hard to see the stage and I’m 5’11” and the person I was with is 5’6” and she couldn’t see anything until we went to the side of the building where we could finally see. Okay so, at the last concert I went to two “confused” lesbians were making out and rolling on the ground and stuff. This time I had these three guys next to me who were sharing a girl. They basically were all up on her, grinding on her, and basically just passing her around between them like a piece of meat. I don’t know what’s going on these days when I go to concerts but I question what I will see next.

Side Note: There’s an article in this week’s Newsweek magazine where atheist Sam Harris and Pastor Rick Warren debate the existence of God. I have yet to read it but I just wanted to let people know in case they wanted to check it out.