Rome

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls

 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls does not suffer from lack of action.  This Cold War combat flick is packed with gunfire, car chases, fist and sword fighting with the evil Russian commies. Those evil Russians - they always make the best villains! 

The main villain is brilliantly played by Cate Blanchett, who has no trouble embodying the role of a cold blooded Soviet agent with a heavy Russian accent.  Her Russian was good, but her comrades' Russian was even better (I have no doubt they were played by the native speakers). 

Harrison Ford is still charming as Indi.  His character is older, but just as witty and intelligent as the younger Jones.  Ford never loses his cool or his fear of snakes.

My daughter and I give it two thumbs up, and she adds: "those Russians really like shooting".

Pink Martini - "Hey Eugene"

Pink Martini album "Hey Eugene" continues where "Hang on Little Tomato" left off, taking listeners back to the age of innocent romance and nostalgia. Pink Martini mixes upbeat jazz with romantic retro, sprinkled with Japanese and Russian, resulting in a compilation worthy of any musical connoisseur. 

Each song on the album is performed in a different fashion, ranging from sultry samba tunes to more somber classical elements.  The lead singer, China Forbes, never ceases to amaze with her dazzling vocal chords and ability to sing flawlessly in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese and other languages. 


As with every other Pink Martini CD, I have my favorite song - the hypnotic Japanese-language track "Taya Tan."  

The Sex and the City - a film review

Although the film was not as tightly wound as the original TV series, it touched on more than just sex in the city.  Dealing with the many facets of love, the film exposed human emotions in a rather raw manner, showing that love is only peachy when you are Charlotte.

Charlotte is presented as the emblem of happiness throughout the film. In fact, she is so happy, she gets scared that something bad will happen to her because she witnesses too many bad things happening to her girlfriends. While starting on an upbeat note, the film dives deep into the mire of sadness and misery which Carrie, Samantha and Miranda have to face in a way that is entirely their own. Each of them deals with a set of trials and tribulations that is unique to her character and handles it in her own distinctive manner.

One of the themes explored by the film is a way in which women react to unexpected and unforeseen events. Deep shock is the common denominator, which leads all three to getting angry, hurt, and scared. They act out fast, without thinking straight, only to feel numb and dumb later.

The film also deals with selfishness and pride, which make the characters’ relationships fall apart in a most heart-wrenching way. Each woman has many redeeming qualities that outweigh her self-gratification scheme, yet each makes the man in her life suffer because of it. The catalyst to the happy ending is love, mingled with the ability to apologize and forgive. In the end, redemption rules the day and misery turns sweet (albeit in a slightly bitter way).

Despite the sad notes, this film was an enjoyable experience for an old fan like me. The intimate secrets of female bonding, fabulous fashion and grown-up sexuality are all there to make it fresh and entertaining.

I have chosen the following character quotes to sum it all up:

Samantha Jones: The good ones screw you, the bad ones screw you, and the rest don't know how to screw you.

Charlotte York: Because! Nobody gets everything they want!

Miranda Hobbes: The only two choices for women: witch and sexy kitten.

Carrie Bradshaw: It wasn't logic, it was love.

As always, I agree with Carrie - when it comes to love, logic and reason fail. And when it comes to reason and logic, love may not be enough. I would never marry anyone whom I loved madly because madly is psychotic and "in love" is temporary.