April wasn't as big a media month as usual, what with finals and... uh, finals. But I still managed to get 3 As, 1 P (in Volleyball, for "Perfection," I assumed), and ALL OF THIS done. Aren't you impressed?
Movies:
La Bamba: I actually started this last year and never got around to finishing it. I liked it, though. The music still plays through my head occasionally - especially the "Wellhhhhhhh....." before the song actually starts.
Osama: Not a satisfactory film, but raises some unfortunately necessary questions that deserve answers. Not a good film to see if you're feeling bitter at men.
Heima: I was wary of this film since it was rumored to be a lot of music (and we all know how I feel about that after February, the jazz movie month catastrophe), but I was surprised. It was really good. The songs and the scenery were really beautiful and breathtaking at times. It was pretty long, but I probably would have appreciated it more if I hadn't been watching it along with two others in a single day.
The Kebab Connection: It was goofy, silly, funny, comical. I really can't think of anything else to say about it.
Bruce Almighty: Cleverer and more entertaining than Evan Almighty. Also naughtier.
Woman of the Year: I always enjoy Katharine Hepburn, and this role seemed to fit her especially well. The story was also nice. And the ending - so satisfying!
Funny Farm: I yawned the whole way through it. I think my own life is more exciting than this movie.
Peter and the Wolf: A very charming and enjoyable silent (well, not counting the music, which speaks volumes) film. It's like horror for kids!
Apollo 13: After hearing Captain James Lovell speak to us in a BYU forum and seeing the trailer for this movie in said forum, I knew I had to see it. I was not disappointed. What an interesting, important, scary, roller-coaster story and film!
O Brother, Where Art Thou?: I love just about everything about this movie: George Clooney, the Southern setting (and accents - hilarious!), the ridiculous humor, the nods to the Odyssey), the music, and so on.
Tom Jones: Another one of my BBC Romances, and definitely the oddest of the lot. Ay, ayayayay..... It's a thoroughly entertaining and skillfully constructed film (starring once again that lady who played Jane Eyre and Harriet Smith in the same collection), but quite scandalous. QUITE.
The Holiday: This movie is better than it deserves to be. And Jude Law is really more handsome than anyone deserves to be.
How to Train your Dragon: I saw this with Daniel and the twins in a REAL THEATER. I KNOW!!! Anyway, perhaps it's just the comfy chair and popcorn smell talking, but I liked this movie a lot. It was creative, funny, clean, exciting, and satisfying. Maybe not epic, but nobody's perfect, right?
State of Play: Russell Crowe is one of my favorite actors and Rachel McAdams is one of my favorite actresses, so I can't imagine why I wasn't particularly impressed by this movie. Maybe they distracted me.
Airplane: Hehehehehe. That's the first reaction I ever heard to the "Airplane" films, and that's the only one I'm going to give here. Except I'm also raising my eyebrow, but you can't see it.
Becket: I LOVED this movie. Fantastic story, marvellous acting, wonderful dialogue, music, scenery, etc.
The Lion in Winter: See how much I loved Becket? Enough to see this film that I had skipped over for years in the Provo Library! It wasn't quite as great as Becket but still enjoyable. It left me wanting to see more, especially of the interaction between the brothers Richard, Geoffrey, and John.
The Wind in the Willows: I never really enjoyed this film as a child, but watching it as an adult somehow makes it so much funnier and cuter.
Evil: A truly inspirational and authoritative film that speaks very powerfully and directly on issues of violence, abuse of power, and transition into adulthood. I was greatly impressed both by the performances and the message of the film. Thanks for recommending it to me, Joseph!
Spartacus: A pretty good film that rides heavily on its individual performances, which seems to work. Sometimes Kirk Douglas is too much for me, but I think he hit just about the right level of passionate sincerity and blustering heroism in this. I also liked Tony Curtis (whom I usually dislike, for some reason) in the character of Antoninus. And that Laurence Olivier makes a mean villain, for sure. And Jean Simmons is pretty. And that's about it.
Luther: Another great film, a la Becket. I loved the character of Luther and the story really is gripping and inspirational. My only complaint is that it was TOO SHORT!
The Gods must be crazy: Not a serious film in any way, but definitely one worth watching. So funny. And crazy. And cute.
The Gods must be crazy, II: A little wilder and wackier, but still sweet (and still worth it).
Theater:
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: The story is so funny, and interesting, and clever, and cute. And the actors were really great - so much energy and commitment to their delightfully weird characters! It was a Mask Club performance rather than an official BYU production, so maybe it's not "real" theater, but it was possibly the best Mask Club I've ever seen, and it's my blog, so I'm putting it down anyway. Nyah.
Books:
Fablehaven 3: I was able to enjoy the details of this book more the second time going through it. And the story is just so fascinating and creative, it makes up for almost any flaws.
Fablehaven 4: My favorite of the series after number 2. I think Brandon Mull is at his strongest writing creative, unexpected plot twists and turns, or writing about the adventures which characters have in traveling to new locations or overcoming obstacles to acquire an artifact, and this book has plenty of both types of greatness.
Fablehaven 5: Probably the most anticipated book of my year. I read through it in record speed - not even finals could prevent me! - and thoroughly enjoyed every minute, although I experienced the usual disappointment and despair after finishing it and realizing that there was no more. Still (fiercely, pointing finger emphatically), don't let that stop you from reading it!
The Sable Queane: Hooray for Brian Jacques books! Even when they aren't published around Christmastime and you just can't wait another 7 months for next Christmas to read them! I have been resigning myself for some time to the fact that Jacques' later Redwall books are becoming less original and less exciting, but this book was surprisingly different. There's actually a rather respectable villain, and a respectable hero as well (none of this barely-older-than-a-Dibbun business), and an unconventional switching of roles in several instances which I found quite enjoyable. I particularly liked the unusual change of events accompanying the climactic battle between the hero and villain - bravo, Jacques! Or should I say, Eulaliaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
