Play

Pic of my (brave?) lil' sis jumping off a waterfall into 5ft of water

In my early years of elementary school I learned two things. I would be taught how to mail a letter and how to tell time.

Around middle school, I learned that in a few years I would be taught how to drive.

These three lessons stick out in my mind because, for whatever reason, I had this tremulous conviction that I would be terrible at all three things. Nothing real led me to believe this would be the case, but I approached all three tasks with dread, certain I was doomed for failure, wondering if I would be less of a person if I didn't try at all.

Thankfully, I can send mail without trouble. I can tell time. I can also drive reasonably well (and only occasionally get sympathetic stares when parallel parking).

A few months ago, my piano teacher informed me that there would be a recital for all of her students. Surely I was not part of this inclusion, I said to her with my eyes and my face. Not hearing me in this mode of conversation, she told me I could do a duet with the husband AND I could do the left side of the duet so people wouldn't even see me!

I thought this through, and immediately regretted acquiescing to her request.

Today was the recital, and though the husband and I were the only students over the age of fourteen, we did pretty well. Only two pretty negligible mistakes from me and one even less noticeable mistake from the husband.

There has been a lot of change going on in my life these past few months. I have been afraid. I have been anxious. I have wondered how things will possibly turn out okay.

And then they just do. Not always in the way I want. Not nearly as successfully as I hope. But they just do.

Surprise

I had every intention of posting sooner, even sooner TODAY than right now, but one of my favorite bloggers, Liz of the The Park Bench has returned from a two year hiatus and I pretty much had to stop everything I was doing and read every post she had up until today. Also, I've been listening to "These Words" by Jill Andrews on repeat and it's created a weird kind of sad/happy/wistful/sleepy feeling in me.

On principle, I hate surprises and their dumb tendency to sneak up on a person completely unawares. But these are nice surprises. (Song starts at 3:40)

Moonrise Kingdom

Source: ggariba.blogspot.com via Riana on Pinterest

I've been enjoying Vulture's feature called "The Toughest Scene I Wrote" where the screenwriters of some of the most notable films in 2012 explain the backstory on what they considered the most difficult scene to write of their film.

I was happy to see today's installment was Roman Coppola discussing Moonrise Kingdom. I watched the film with my sisters last week. When it was over, I asked them if they liked it and their response was, "We know you did since you were grinning like a dope for, like, the whole movie."

It is true. There was a lot of grinning. The production values alone were enough to emit an upward turning of the mouth. Add a cast that includes a 12 year old Lana Del Rey-esque loner who knows her way around a pair of safety scissors, Ed Norton in khaki shorts, husband and wife attorneys: Francis McDormand and Bill Murray, SWINTON, Max Fischer flashbacks in scout uniform, an officiating Jason Schwartzman, a non irritating narrator and Bruce Willis.

So many things to love.

New Shoes

I felt weird and blue today. In this situation, I tried the obvious tactics to cheer me up. I went to 6AM yoga. I came home and pestered the husband until he woke up to make me breakfast. I wore my favorite striped shirt. I did my hair. I put make up on my face. I ate a bunch of fun size Laffy Taffys. I wandered the mall testing out perfume and eating a pretzel. I filed my taxes. I am currently listening to Janet Jackson Pandora. And still...

All these years of introversion have created a false sense that if I sit very still, if I am very quiet, bad things will pass by me equally quiet, work schedules and responsibilities won't notice I am there and go away or absorb through me, gradually and without pain.

These past few days, I've had She and Him's "Brand New Shoes" stuck in my head.
I am reminding myself that the dread of the future isn't ever as terrible as I think it will be. The stillness that I cling to is sometimes only the bad part of it.

Austenland

Source: austenlandmoviefans.tumblr.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Our last Sundance screening was last Saturday's Austenland. It was a perfect cap to our Sundance year. Fun, light and (since we waitlisted) a healthy mix of anxiety and excitement. The movie was funny and silly and Keri Russell emotes so well with just a flicker in her eye. Tyra, what? It was also great to see the little bit they did during the credits.

The movie will be released in the summer and I can't wait to see Jennifer Coolidge, Bret McKenzie, James Callis, Georgia King and ofcourse Keri again.

Before Midnight

Source: movieline.com via Riana on Pinterest

Before Midnight was the most anticipated movie on my Sundance roster, and it did not disappoint. The third chapter of Richard Linklater's Before series brings back Celine and Jesse (Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke) this time in Greece. It's been nineteen years since they first met on that train. They're still the same people, reacting to different events. Growing older. Adjusting to the passage of time differently in their early 40s than they did in their early 30s (I was slightly surprised this one came with more humor than the first two films combined, surprised and pleased). 

Spoilers after the jump...

Breathe In

Mike Birbiglia describes love as having a secret, special skill that no one knows about and eventually you meet someone who's like "You have a secret special skill!" And you're like, "I know! So do you!" And they're like, "I know!" And then you're like, "we should eat pizza ice cream together". And that's what love is, a mountain of pizza ice cream and delusion.

I think this also applies to movies. Sometimes you watch a movie and it speaks to you in a way you can't quite describe. Like Crazy was kind of like that for me. For days after I watched the film, I couldn't quite conceptualize why I liked it, only that I did. I could only say, "I just got it."

Breathe In is a follow up to Like Crazy. Kind of. Different film, but with contributions from Drake Doremus (director), Felicity Jones (star), Ben York Jones (writer) and Dustin O'Halloran (composer). The plot is different, but the tone is similar as well as the style.

Sophie (Felicity Jones) is a foreign exchange student, spending a semester of her senior year in upstate New York with the Reynolds family, dad (Guy Pierce), mom (Amy Ryan) and daughter, Lauren (Mackenzie Davis). The decision to come is an impetuous one and Sophie begins her trip homesick and stoic. After a few days, she connects with Guy Pierce's character and they realize they're both wishing for a different life.

There's a strong musical element that played like another character in the film. Guy Pierce learned to play the cello and it was astonishing how comfortable he was. Felicity played the piano and though it wasn't confirmed in the Q&A, it seemed like the playing was all her. Impressive.

It's alluring to have a cute 18-year old Brit talk about wanting to choose her life. Not doing something out of necessity. Not being an idle player. When Guy is talking to Amy about moving into the city if his cello audition goes well, it's obvious that they both have very different ideas about their future. Life is hard enough without our own intervention, but sometimes the silence of not doing something because we're fearful is the greater tragedy. I was absolutely sucked in.