Laundry Mats Suck, Even in France

I hate going to the laundry mat. Like, more than I hate going to the ob/gyn and going to the dentist combined, is my hate for laundry mats. Even in France, the laundry mats are grundy and gross. Whatever. I'm out of clean undies, so it is an evil necessity.

Today was the first day of classes, and the festival wrapped yesterday. I got to walk the red carpet yesterday for the closing ceremony, and walked right near Kirsten Dunst. That was very cool and a moment I will never forget, though I am far from glamuorous and was obviously kinda out of place. Whatever. i was there.

So, two more review were due today. Below, are mine on "Swinging with the Finkels" and "Of Gods and Men."

Enjoy!

Review 4: “Swinging with the Finkels”
By Anna Ferguson

Director: Jonathon Newman
Starring: Mandy Moore, Martin Freeman

Romantic comedies often get a bad rap for being too sappy, too unrealistic, too predictable. And that’s not without reason. Over the years, the ratio of well made to disappointing rom-coms is not working in the genre’s favor.
Which is why, when an enjoyable, entertaining and thoughtful romantic comedy does comes to the big screen, it deserves to be noted with a gentle pat on the back.
Sometimes, romantic comedies come along that break away from the typical formula to present a creative take on films of love. Richard Curtis’ 2004’s “Love Actually” was one such film, as under his direction, it showcased the various degrees and way of expressing love. Director Nicholas Stoller’s more recent “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” too, deserves the accolades and box office pay-off it received, for not only showing the warm and fuzzy side of a fresh relationship, but also depicting the often darkly humored underbelly of heartache.
Now, a new title can be jotted down on the “well-done” romantic comedy’s list: “Swinging with the Finkels,” a British comedy aiming to tackle the seemingly inevitable seven-year itch that plagues so many marriages.
Martin (Martin Freeman) and Sarah (Mandy Moore) Finkel have found themselves in a slightly slow lull in their union. They have been married for years, and are just bored with the routine of being man and wife. It’s not that they have fallen out of love, per se; they have just fallen out of like. Routine and a lack of communication have extinguished their spark, with bedtime being just that: a time to sleep with no hint of anything more.
The couple is not alone. It appears that their friends- or at least the one other couple introduced into the film- are also suffering from the curse of wandering eyes.
On the suggestion of her best gay buddy, Sarah decided to spice up her marriage by bringing in a some fresh faces. Maybe becoming swingers could help the two avoid the dreaded idea of adultery or divorce.
As you might expect, however, the majority of the film follows, if not somewhat loosely, the regular rom-com ideologies. Boy and girl fight, boy and girl separate, boy and girl get back together. I’m not giving anything away by telling you that. You all knew it was coming.
For however generic “Swinging with the Finkels” may be, it too offers aspects that are nonpareiled and wholly original, enough so to bring it above most other romantic comedy films.
You have to give it to director and writer Jonathon Newman (“Mustang Drift,” “Father’s Day”), for bringing a fresh idea to the relationship movie table. Here is a genre that usually plays it safe, offering audiences canned and formulaic plots, wrapping up the story with a safe, sweet storyline. Introducing swinging into the otherwise canned script kept the movie from feeling as generic as it otherwise would. While the swinging sensation comes and goes rather quickly, it nonetheless opens the door for the film to be a bit edgier than its rom-com cousins.
Take, for example, Moore’s little cucumber ordeal. While rehashing her troubles of sparklessness with a group of girlfriends, she is questioned on why she hasn’t taken matters into her own hands, literally. Offered a few solutions on ways to help herself out, Sarah becomes curious, and peruses the produce aisle looking for a proper stand in. What plays out is an interesting, hilarious and ballsy experience between Moore and a salad accoutrement. Needless to say, you will never look at a cucumber the same way again.
Whereas aspects of the script make viewers take note, the performances themselves are nothing special. Moore plays her usual, loveable self, that same character she has become known for playing, sans that twisted humor she tapped into in the under-rated “Saved.”
Freeman embodies that same goofy, sweet Brit chap he played in the aforementioned “Love Actually”, touting his cushy sweaters and undistinguished style. He doesn’t stretch his acting chops in this film, but then, he doesn’t really need to. He’s found his niche, and it works well for him.
The two formulaic and well-mannered characters together on screen make for the ideal rom-com couple, embodying the safe, sweet box set viewers would have anticipated. The trouble with “Finkels” is not that the players were simply average; the problem is their lack of believability. While playing a couple that has misplaced their chemistry, the two seem rather jolly, jovial and compatible, in that brother/sister kind of way.
No fits of passion, no fits of rage; no deep emotion is ever on display. And it seems that it has been that way all along, not some new development.
Their close friend couple, who is also experiencing martial strife, hold on to the same mundane sense of connection. Moore’s gal pal, Janet, played by Melissa George, never reaches far into her acting hat to present a great performance. She merely says her lines, makes her facial gestures, and moves on.
And though her counterpart cheating spouse Peter (Jonathan Silverman), is by no means a model husband or actor, he is able to bring up a laugh or two from viewers, with his less than stellar golf game and interesting choice of words.
For its first half, “Swinging with the Finkels” delivers an outside-the-box plot and script that sets the stage for high expectations. Yet it looses its energy, following flat by the finish like a runner who forgot to drink his Gatorade before the big race.
Ultimately, “Swinging with the Finkels" is worth a gander if only for its interesting take on how to fix a broken relationship. British relationship flicks, as compared to American ones, tend to take on and tackle edgier agendas, and this one was no different. For some viewing audiences, it may come as a welcome surprise into the rom-com market. Tossed with higher expectations, however, and it may lead to disappointment.
My advice? Walk into the theater expecting a mediocre romantic comedy, that way you’ll be left with a smile on your face and positive impression in your head come the ending credits.

Review 5: Of Gods and Men
By Anna Ferguson

Directed by: Xavier Beauvois
Starring: Lambert Wilson, Olivier Rabourdin, Philippe Laudenbach, Jacques Herlin, Michael Lonsdale
Running Time: 123 minutes

It’s a question of faith, really. What does it mean to have faith? Is faith a mere tool to avoid making decisions? Where does faith lead even the holiest of men?
These inquiries are a mere overview of the faith-filled questions director Xavier Beauvois asks in his latest historical character study, “Of Gods and Men.” Delving into the true story of seven Cistercian monks, forced to push their own faith to the breaking point, Beauvois provides viewers with a lens through which they must examine their own struggles with a higher calling by first witnessing the trials experienced by these men of God.
For as long as anyone could remember, the small Algerian monastery had watched over the town below, providing counsel, medical care and spiritual guidance for the impoverished peoples. In 1996, terrorists descended upon the sparse town, uprooting the daily securities and freedoms of the community’s residents. Government officials and local authorities urged the monks to seek out a new shelter, abandon their flock and take solace in a different monastery. Surely, the brotherhood was a prime target for the fundamentalist militia filtering into the region.
As news spread about worsening conditions and ever-more frequent slayings, the monks were forced to decide whether to save themselves and carry on God’s work elsewhere, or stay in their simple monastery home, full well knowing they were risking their lives.
Throughout the two-hour film, the daily rhythms of monastery life were brought to the forefront under Beauvois direction. Showing the brothers undergoing their daily rounds of chants, chopping wood, making honey and aiding villagers in the medical clinic, Beauvois is able to capture the often monotinous, simple livelihood that these men experience. It would have been easier for Beauvois to speed through the tedious chores of these men’s lives, but instead he carefully takes his time, depicting their routines with a gentle hand and sharply crafted eye.
Some viewers may wish Beauvois had edited more, taken less time in building his case for why the brothers should stay or go. But in lingering on the men’s community-minded agenda, Beauvois is able to reflect the pace of living as a monk- slow, steady, consistent- as well as display the individual personalities and communal entities that make up the monastery.
Portraying monastery leader Christian, actor Lambert Wilson has rendered a multi-dimensional sketch of a patient, persistent and loyal man longing to live his life for God. Taking on a role based upon a real person, Wilson had to deliver a par on performance to win over moviegoers and hold their attention during the film’s slower scenes. And deliver he does. Whether it is when he is providing sage advice for a fellow brother, or holding a steady hand to ward off the militia, Wilson comes across as a caring yet assertive soul who is versed in religion of all forms.
In one particularly chilling scene, Wilson spouts off quotes from both the Bible and the Koran to an armed, dangerous killer, who has come to the monastery looking to highjack its already limited medical supplies. Collected and calm, brother Christian takes control of the situation without anger or concern, displaying a man so full of faith, he needs not have fear.
Within the brotherhood, resident doctor Luc (Michael Lonsdale), too displays true acts of faith, but does so with the light, airy ways of a humored man. He refuses to abandon his flock of followers and leave them for the wolves, holding tightly to his sense of convictions without ever taking himself too seriously. While his character was not the center of the story, any scene with Lonsdale is one of delight, even in the wake of a serious situation.
Though the ending of the film is perhaps the climax, Beauvois never lets that panic be the focus of his piece. What could have been a suspenseful thriller is instead a heavy, thought-provoking work that folds religion and human nature into the great scheme of a true story. Acquiring a mass audience for a religious-based film, especially one that takes its time to build toward an unresolved ending, is a challenge in and of itself.
Yet director and co-writer Beauvois, along with co-writer Etienne Comar and cinematographer Caroline Champetier, have brought together a tragically beautiful story of fine performances, keen landscape shots and masterful storytelling to offer audiences one of the most touching, soul-stirring films to hit screens in a long time. There is certainly a reason why this project took home the Cannes Grande Prix award.


In other news, my mom ordered my wedding cake. It's beautiful! See here (it won't load, sorry): http://www.publix.com/food/catalog/ProductDetail.do?id=112

I can't believe we are already halfway through the trip, and in less than 3 weeks, I'll be a married woman. What a big few weeks, dude. Big few weeks, indeed.