Shut Up And Deal

Thoughts on the movies I saw and book I finished over the last couple of days:

• One Hundred Years of Solitude: I couldn't get over this feeling that something significant was missing in the translation of this book. I don't know exactly why I felt this more than I did with other translated books, but at times the English prose just felt like it was trying to capture some quirk of the original Spanish but wasn't quite doing it. But, the book was still very enjoyable, with a lot of memorable moments and an ending that made me want to read the book again, knowing its rhythm and where it is heading.


• The Manchurian Candidate (the remake): I thought this movie worked really well as a thriller. There are a lot of close-up shots with faces right in the center of the frame that are especially disturbing and effective. I felt like the political stuff was a little heavy-handed, but hey, at least it was on the right side :). All I remember about the original is that I liked it a lot, so I should probably see it again.


• The Apartment: A great movie for the whole family! Seriously, I was looking to rent a movie that my parents and I would both enjoy, and this one worked well. The directing, Jack Lemmon's acting, and the screenplay are all great. Check it out if you're looking for a good comedy that won't have your mom commenting on its depravity every 5 minutes.


• Before Sunrise: I've been trying to see more of Richard Linklater's movies because I absolutely love Dazed and Confused. This movie didn't quite meet that bar, but it was relaxing and feel-good in sort of the same way. Maybe it's because it also has a relatively consequence-free setting where the characters don't really have anything stressing them out. There was some annoying philosophizing that reminded me of Waking Life, which I couldn't even get through. But in the end I think Julie Delpy made up for it :).