Movie Madness

What I did the three days following Shakerag...recliner, Netflix, cookies...a brief rundown


Day 1
The September Issue
Every Little Step
New York, I Love You

The September Issue is about Anna Wintour and her reign at whatever magazine she runs (I really don't remember...is it Vogue...yes, it is Vogue). I recommend this film just so that you can study the various facial expressions of Ms. Wintour. They range from bored to pissed to very bored indeed. She reminds me of a woman I used to work for who called me into her office one morning to order me to empty her filing cabinets onto the floor and reorganize everything...but wait, she wanted me to do all of this while her assistant watched so that the poor crying assistant could learn how to file correctly. Compared to that experience, this film is quite a treat. I'm kidding of course. Definitely watch to see Grace Coddington doin her thing. She is amazing.

Every Little Step follows the ups and downs of auditioning for A Chorus Line on Broadway. Hmmm, a film about auditioning for a musical about...auditioning for a musical. It was okay but don't put it at the top of your netflix list. The most entertaining part was watching Tyce Diorio go on a crazy rant after being rejected. Tee hee...it brought me joy.

New York, I Love You...but the film was meh. One segment stands out in my memory and that is the one with Shia LeBeouf and Julie Christie (who I adore). I can't
explain why it stands out except that I liked the music, the violets, the white curtains and the potentiality of a May December romance.

Day 2
Sisters or the Balance of Happiness
Antonia's Line
Disco Pigs
Rosenstrasse

Two films that made me cry when I didn't expect to (Sisters and Antonia's Line) and two that wanted to make me cry (Disco Pigs and Rosenstrasse) but didn't realize how tough skinned I'd become watching the previous two.

Sisters or the Balance of Happiness (Schwestern oder die Balance des Glucks) is about the extreme codependency between two sisters. We come in to the lives of the two sisters as one cares for the other during her apparent psychological breakdown. We soon learn that other factors were at play all along as the story acts itself out through a third person. I'm afraid to give too much away, but stream it this weekend, you won't regret it.


Antonia's Line is a quirky film about the family in a Dutch village after WWII. I found it hilarious and sweet with the occasional interruption of tragedy. Very nice.


Disco Pigs is an Irish film about two kids who have an unusually strong bond and the destruction that occurs when they are forced apart. Be prepared for blood and violence. There is nothing light or funny about this film and I did on occasion have that "holy hell" look on my face but I loved Cillian Murphy's performance so I kept on a'watchin.

Finally, Rosenstrasse is about the lives of the non-Jewish spouses of Jewish prisoners in Germany toward the end of WWII. The dichotomy between the women and the prison is amazing to watch and of course I loved the film but as Netflix is CONSTANTLY recommending films about women and WWII to me it will eventually become lost in the sea of strife that is the "Emotional Foreign Dramas with Strong Female Leads" section of my Netflix mind.

Day 3
We Live In Public
Paper Heart

We Live in Public chronicles a decade in the life of Internet pioneer Josh Harris, who instigated an "artificial society" experiment in which more than 100 artists lived under 24-hour surveillance in an underground compound in New York City. After FEMA broke up the project, Harris turned the cameras on himself and his girlfriend.[Netflix] This documentary grossed me out, made me paranoid, and prompted a personal purge of all social networking tools. That is why you don't see me on Facebook any more. You have to get through a lot of being totally disgusted by Mr. Harris to figure out in the end what role you are currently playing in his drama. Beware.

Paper Heart, Paper Heart, how I love thee Paper Heart. This is a scripted documentary by Charlyne Yi where she hits the road looking for the definition of love. It was definitely a welcome break and turned out to be incredibly sweet AND entertaining! Yi is so cute and fun to watch. Even if her awkwardness is a put on, I don't care...I love it.