Juno is not a city in Alaska?

It never ceases to amaze me that filmmakers are able to put a fresh spin on an old concept. Take the old we-had-sex-and-SURPRISE!-I’m-pregnant genre. We’ve seen different takes on this since the old Degrassi days, but when you place the concept in the capable hands of Jason Reitman (son of Ivan) as director, with Diablo Cody manning the screenplay, you’ll find the movie is no demon.

With this new film that defines the word offbeat, Fox Searchlight has shown a talent for quirky dysfunctional family movies (see “Little Miss Sunshine.”) And like Little Miss Sunshine before it, “Juno,” was swept off its feet by a charming young woman. Instead of Abigail Breslin, however, we have quirky Ellen Page, rocking out as someone unexpectedly expecting with the ever-deadpan Michael Cera as her unwitting baby-daddy. Set in an unnamed fictional town (and filmed in British Columbia), the setting lends a graying sadness, buoyed by the soft music of composer Matt Messina.

But to talk about anything in this movie without first mentioning the dialogue, which bubbles and fizzes from character to character, would be a sin. And the characters are the fresh-yet-familiar variety we love in our movies: people we relate to; people we recognize, but never people who bore us, as does Bob in accounting.

I don’t want to say much else about this film other than to say: 1) go see this film; 2) once you get used to it, you will love the quirky dialogue; 3) no one could have delivered the dialogue with better timing and efficacy than soon-to-be-nominated-for-an-oscar Ellen Page (also a Canadian!); and 4) go see this film.

Sometimes Words are better than Pictures

Here's my Christmas breakdown:

On Christmas Eve, Dara and I wanted to see some lights and so, hearing about the infamous boat parade in Newport Beach, decided to go there. Unfortunately, the parade wasn't going, and almost every community by the beach is xenophobic, er, I mean gated.... so most of the lights we saw were from afar. But Dara and I had a lot of fun driving around, singing songs and wishing we owned some beachfront property.

That night we went home, Dara slept, and I baked butter tarts until 1:30 am. (American friends: look them up. Anyone else who wants to tease me for baking... screw you!)

Dara woke up early because she saw some big boxes in the livingroom. No, they weren't flat-screen TVs. But the side tables (the final piece in our bedroom set) were a hit. So was the "Flight of the Conchords" DVD (though we were disappointed to learn there were no special features included.

After presents, we went to friends Harrison and Laird (and soon-to-be Oliver)'s place to exchange stockings, be goofy, play Wii and have a good time. Mission Accomplished.

After that, it was off to see our neices and nephews (and of course their parents). We were there to steal food, exchanging gifts, be goofy, to find out what all the fuss is about with this Guitar Hero game and to have fun. There was also an appearance by Ed of Donna and Ed fame.

After this, we rushed off to have dinner with Hilary, which was surprisingly hectic (busy restaurant for a Christmas Day). Then it was off home to put in about four hours of work, and then sleep (which I desperatedly needed. Did I mention the butter tarts?)

How Enchanting

With a story recycled from scraps of the Disney canon, like Cinderella might fashion a pretty dress out of a set of old drapes, this movie is fun for several reasons. For starters, it shows that Disney isn't afraid to poke fun at itself, with a fun wink-and-nod irony normally reserved for broadway. The characters are familiar, and the story is heartwarming and fun. The ending is no less enjoyable for having been predictable, and the casting is spot on. This one is more appropriate for the kiddies.

The Golden Compass

Last night our friends Harrison and Laird convinced us to see the movie The Golden Compass. Although Dara was not interested in seeing that movie in the least, preferring instead to see Enchanted, we caved, owing mostly to Laird's pregnant-and-ready-to-burst condition. To all pregnant ladies out there: this is your time to dominate and get anything you want. Please use your powers for good and not evil!

The movie falls on the heels of a recent, post-LOTR/Harry Potter trend of fantasy movies based on hit books. (See also: Narnia, Eragon, Arthur and the Invisibles, etc....) But whether the failure in this movie was in the book itself (which I've heard is quite good), or the way it was transferred to celluloid, remains a mystery (at least until I read the Philip Pullman trilogy which, after this experience, won't be any time soon).

As you may be able to tell, I thought this movie was a flop. The storyline was a confusing mess, with much ado about some cosmic dust that seems important, but is as compelling asit sounds (meaning, not at all). There is an epic battle between two giant bears, which is interesting and also somewhat disturbing as it reaches its climax. (Note: this movie is not for children 10 years or younger). The characters are more two-dimensional than the original novel pages it was printed on; and the ending--a setup for the next two movies to come--was a cheat. Fans of Daniel Craig may as well stay home, for all his 6 minutes of screen time, and Nicole Kidman's watery-to-the-point-of-tears eyes are hardly enough to carry a film. Rotten tomatoes gave it a 43% rating. As always, that website is right on the money!

Celebrity sightings

Oh, and I forgot to mention our celebrity sightings this weekend:

Friday we saw a few I-know-your-face-but-not-your-name C-listers at the Largo show with Jon Brion, and Sunday at the "Wicked" show, we saw Heavy D and Ricky Schroeder... both relics of the 80s. But it was still a laugh. That is all.

Time to catch up on some blogging

This past few weeks has been very busy, so I have to do a marathon session to catch up on what's happened since the 22nd, when Dara and I flew to Toronto. That seems like a good place to start:

On the 22nd, Dara and I took a bumpy flight to Toronto to visit friends and family. The primary reason for our visit was to see Dara's Grandpa John, whose smiles and hand-holding alone was worth the price of admission. And on top of that, we got to see our great friends and family, had plenty of dinners, and lots of good times. Of course the only complaint with trips like these is always how short they have to be. But we will see our good friends again. I picked up a cold in Toronto, grabbed some Xanax for the flight home and arrived with a fresh new cold and a cough that persists to the present day.

The week that followed our trip was just as frenzied, but involved a lot of trying to catch up on sleep and working hard.

In the meantime, my little bro Cat turned 23 (Happy Birthday Cat!) Cat was born in the very Orwelian year of 1984, and although I'm the big brother, I think Cat is proof that there is something to be paranoid about. Just joking, bro. Love you. Happy Birthday!

Finally, this weekend was an L.A. weekend. For our Christmas Party, the president of my company (Steve) bought his employees tickets to see the play "Wicked." So Dara and I got a hotel (Westin, downtown L.A. Cool elevators, too much ambient noise, and paper-thin walls), and had a great time. Friday night was a trip to The Largo, my favourite music club/cabaret/piano bar/place in the world. Here we listened to the sublime comedy of Paul F. Tomkins, and some lesser-known emcees who entertained us in the "Shark-a-thon," fundraiser, for the house sound technician, who found himself on the business end of a tiger shark (and survived). The evening was comprised of surprisingly funnny shark jokes, aquatic-themed music (played by my favourite musical savant, Jon Brion) and some good times. I was excited because this was Dara's first live exposure to my all-time favourite artist, JB, and although she was looking forward more to the "Wicked" show than the Jon Brion one, his brilliance, and the general fun of the night turned her opinion. We also made believers out of good friends Anthony and Rosio, who also had a great time. Anthony approached Jon Brion and, as always, I shook hands, said hello, told him I'm a huge admirer, then ducked out shyly. I want to listen to his music, not to be friends with him. But he is a very nice guy.

Anyway, back to the hotel to sleep (or try to). This persistent cough of mine has been keeping me awake at night. I had a difficult time falling asleep, especially in the too-loud Westin Bonadventure. We woke up, had some room service, then drove over to see "Wicked." Although Dara has turned my opinion of musicals (which was previously low), I have read the book on which this play is based, and was thoroughly unimpressed. In short, I hated the book. But the play turned my opinion around. Everything the book wasn't (concise, well written, entertaining), the play was. It was essentially the same story, but tighter. For those who don't know, "Wicked," is a play detailing the life of the Wicked Witch of the West (nee Elphaba, performed with brilliance by Eden Espinosa). The play is an etiological play, showing how the world of Oz came about, as well as an essay about moral ambiguity. It was entertaining, and we had a great time.

Then it was time to come home and sleep. So now you're all caught up. If you care.