Some more stuff to log!
MOVIES
#5: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. This thing could have been twice as long and I wouldn’t have minded. Lean and brisk despite the running time might tell you, sometimes to its detriment; the central mystery wraps up awfully neatly and predictably because, really, who else could it have been? I’m not sure what else to say here other than “typically great,” which is higher praise than it sounds like, but not the highest praise around.
And then there’s the rape scene. I get that the film is about the strong abusing the weak, and the weak retaliating with surprising force; the dueling rape scenes are just one of many examples of this karmic balance throughout the film. But… but I thought of that quote often attributed to Truffaut, that there is no such thing as an anti-war movie; in the process of filming something you must in some way glorify or beautify it, if only to meet the baseline entertainment (or simple coherent narrative) required to stitch together a story for audiences.
I have trouble with this rape scene for the same reason. To call it misogynistic is to misuse the word and thus lessen its power. But I can’t say I know what was gained by portraying it in all its terrible glory, either. Same goes for the retaliation. Fincher, I think, did a good job not portraying Salander as a badass vigilante, but… nonetheless, there it is.
Anyway. A-
#6: No Strings Attached. Spontaneous watch with my wife, thanks to Watch Instantly. I had some interest in seeing this movie as people I trust (namely Eugene) said they liked it more than its somewhat entertaining doppelganger, Friends With Benefits.
This.. it just didn’t interest me. I was bored. It was not an offensive movie, but I honestly just can’t find any traction with the heightened reality of your average romantic comedy.
This is also another example of wealth creep I see in a lot of entertainment. Everyone in this movie is fabulously wealthy and no one seems to care, mind or comment. It’s just how it is. I don’t know what it means, but I don’t like it. C
BOOKS
#2: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling. For reasons that are hard to identify, this was way more fulfilling than Simon Pegg’s book, despite being altogether more list-y and scattershot. I think Kaling paints a better picture of her life from A to B, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s a really sharp, clever writer who never seems like she’s trying too hard. Not a meaty read by any stretch, but a lot of fun, and educational in terms of what “the life” is like. B
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