Blog Archives
The Scars of Getting Brûlé
Bradley Cooper.
Now that I have your full attention, the increasingly dynamic actor has literally learned new tricks for his most recent film: Burnt.
The heat of a world-class kitchen and its painful wounds with and without knives and boiling water has produced challenges for his character that requires laser-focus, street smarts and determination as strong and ambitious as the Eiffel Tower. Mr. Cooper, once again sharing the silver screen with the entertainingly beautiful Sienna Miller (American Sniper) and a supporting cast of wonderful up-and-comers (Alicia Vikander, Daniel Brühl), is the movie industry’s response to the latest top-shelf food craze in America (Food Network, Top Chef, celebrity chefs and their many shows, cooking competitions, etc.). An added bonus is the film takes place in Paris, which instantly adds an alluring quality to the story.
As Nelly would say, “It’s gettin’ hot in here…”
Like any delicious dish, the most minute details make all the difference between something sizzling and memorable and something lukewarm and forgettable.
How will Burnt’s fantastic cast mix together?
We’ll find out when the movie is served October 23rd.
Midnight in France
When living and breathing in the midst of the impossible transcends into a reality of playful imagination and limitless possibilities, then there’s not only a story there, but a delightful tale exposing the ambiguity and magical nature of love and life.
Throw in France nearly a century ago (a “golden age” to some) and a short guy with thick, black glasses from the Bronx and we can all take pleasure in traveling back to a time and place that will reveal something profound about ourselves today. Woody Allen is an iconic writer and director, while simultaneously defined as a controversial figure. However, taking the latter aside for a moment, it should be noted how he expanded his audience with his inspired 2011 hit Midnight in Paris. It seems as though Mr. Allen discovered a way to feature his usual band of intellectually obnoxious characters, but this time with a sense of humor that is well contrasted with a “normal,” romantic protagonist.
Ironically, the protagonist in Midnight in Paris (played by the free spirit Owen Wilson) appeared to be a younger, wide-eyed version of Woody himself.
Nonetheless, that was then and this is now.
Magic in the Moonlight comes to theaters (wait, don’t tell me…) on July 25th.
From Owen Wilson to Colin Firth.
Wait, forget that. This movie stars the beautiful, wonderfully amusing Emma Stone.
Okay, no need to explain the title.
Rain, it’s Your Turn
Yesterday, at some point during the afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, there were snow flurries blowing around like its hair was on fire (talk about fire and ice). Snow can be fun and an incredible sight, but not this kind of snow and cold. I had the shades drawn in my office, so it was a genuine shock looking out my co-workers window as I was preparing to leave. “What in the world? I thought Winter was ‘technically’ over?”
Driving home, there was no visibility beyond 15 feet in front of my car. Didn’t Spring kick-off on March 20th? Of course, it is Ohio, so…
Still, the calendar is only days away from flipping into April. This means that instead of relentless snow we shall (surely) now endure relentless rain. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s certainly better than any Polar Vortex!
Occasional rain reminds me of a couple things, which includes singing and splashing around in puddles like a child, as well as…
(Skip to 1:37 for the rain)
Even though it’s usually better to wish for no rain as opposed to rain, it has the potential to bring with it a fun, magical purpose.
It’s like traveling back in time to our childhood when we just went with things as they came about, which can certainly be a good thing every once in a while in between the daily grind.
If nothing else, at least there’s no frost with rain!
We All Have an Ocean View
Information is addicting. Plain and simple. Those NBC commercials titled, “The More You Know” always spark an internal curiosity in me. Watching those brief messages on the weekend from NBC personalities is like taking a swig of Knowledgeade.
I’m ready to go Mr. Lauer!
Aside from these brief, uplifting messages are a myriad of other outlets before us that present nearly unlimited opportunities for discovery and insight. The access to information on a daily basis is astonishing in the 21st century. It’s even borderline mesmerizing considering the world once existed and functioned well before a printing press was invented, let alone the pre-Internet era. Consider this: a phone is actually a computer first, with its calling capabilities down to probably third or fourth on the priority list of preferred functionality.
We all know it’s true. And if you think that’s an exaggeration, perhaps you are forgetting about the camera, your wide array of cool apps and your digital music player. Plus, don’t neglect the GPS (seriously, don’t neglect it).
Even the term “iCloud” has altered our perspective of the sky above us. No longer do we glance up into the open sky and blankly ponder the open space with imaginative daydreams. Instead, we look up and visualize data points and infinite transfers of structured and random information moving from Point A to Point B with a diagonal cut to Point S.
Is this a good evolutionary trait?
There are some nights when I look forward to relaxing and taking a break from writing papers and participating in the daily grind. Laying comfortably on a couch with a favorite show playing on the television in front of me, the urge becomes too overwhelming. I instantly (while simultaneously regretting it) open up my MacBook Pro that was closed and start searching for witty articles by a specific author or funny interview clips from a talk show.
On the one hand, it’s good that we are a people that is anxious and excited to seek and find new bits of information. Expanding our horizons should be viewed as a positive characteristic.
Still though, is it really positive that we’ve developed a never-ending quest for knowledge (traditional and non-traditional alike) that prevents us from taking necessary mental breaks?
On the knowledge front, we’ve all moved to the beach with a beautiful ocean view. Everyday, we look out into the vast blue, shimmering openness with the ambition to learn something new, knowing full well that complete knowledge is impossible. We take the dive regardless. On Wednesday, it’s waves hitting a bunch of rocks we see far to the right that stirs our inquisitiveness. On Thursday morning, we see surfers, which makes us want to learn about the history of surfing. Friday evening shows us fun being enjoyed on the boardwalk. Something clicks in our minds that we find too irresistible not to explore.
The rocks, surfers and people on a boardwalk represents something different to each of us. Regardless, these are topics we now find ourselves searching about…virtually nonstop.
While we may be exhausted, we are still seeing things we may never be able to or think to see again.
It’s a classic dilemma.
Speaking of classic…
Jimmy's Daily Planet 