The Picture of Dorian Gray - a very modern literary novel

Despite being written 120 years ago and being set in the19th century, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a very modern novel.  Today, it serves as an excellent reflection of our self-centered generation, obsessed with everlasting youth and beauty. Vanity as the original sin, hedonism as art, and art as a mirror are just a few of the themes explored by Oscar Wilde in his only novel.

The novel offers much more than retelling of the story of Faust selling his soul or Narcissus myth of youth and beauty. This form of literary novel brings forth the idea of leading a double life, a theme that is most interesting to intellectual and artistically inclined readers. The primary focus of this work is the complexity of relationships between art, beauty, youth, life, superficiality and sin.

Wilde invites his readers to consider the inevitability of vanity in their own association with art.  According to him, "it is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors."  Wilde explains that all art exists solely to communicate beauty, but is otherwise “useless."  As such, he warns against over thinking any artwork: "Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril." At the same time, he agrees that the "only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely."

Salt - a film review

Directed by Phillip Noyce, Phillip Noyce, with the skilled cinematography of Robert Elswit, "Salt" is an excellent spy thriller with some great Russians villains.

The plot is not worth the mention because it is gloriously ridiculous, yet it is wound tight enough to keep the suspense ticking continuously with the clock for 100 minutes. The movie has many chase scenes, shoot outs and explosions. Somehow, Salt comes unscathed out of most of them, but her immunity does not seem to bother the audience because she looks great doing it. Not only does she look incredible with blond and black hair, she also makes jumping out of cars, sliding down elevator shafts and single handedly saving the world from nuclear annihilation seem like a walk in the park.



Jolie plays a CIA spy, who is accused about being a Russian spy. Whether or not she is a Russian or American spy does not really matter, but the supporting actors Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor keep you guessing as to the real motives of her character until the end. Jolie plays Salt with conviction and brutal energy of a female superhero, who looks beautiful despite sometimes getting bloody, wet or dirty.


My favorite scene involved Salt making a rocket launcher out of office furniture and cleaning supplies. My least favorite scene involved Salt dressing up as a man in order to get into the White House.


Despite the suspended disbelief of everything that happens in the film, Salt is a smart and very entertaining thriller.

Eat, Pray, Love – a feel good chick flick

Directed by Ryan Murphy and starring Julia Roberts, Billy Drudup, James Franco and Javier Bardem, Eat Pray Love is an accurate film adaptation of the memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert of the same title.

An international bestseller, the book conveyed Gilbert’s personal and slightly self indulgent journey through crisis and self discovery towards an emotional balance.  The story begins with Gilbert, a successful writer and wife, being wholly unhappy in her marriage to a nice and loving husband.  After a painful separation, followed by a gruesome divorce and a short lived romantic relationship with an actor, Gilbert decides to spend a year traveling Italy, India and Indonesia. This journey is funded by an advance to write the book about her experience, which is the story of Eat, Pray, Love.  

The film is based solely on Gilbert’s yearlong journey, at the end of which she finds everything she ever wanted. It’s a fairy tale with a happy ending, except this fairy tale is real and actually happened to Gilbert, who has since been nicked “the lucky girl.”

 The largely female audience waited for this film with enthusiasm, hungry for an emotionally rewarding entertainment that has a ring of truth, no matter how far fetched.  The film is rightfully branded a chick flick, for it touches the hearts and nerves of women, wishing for a fairytale ending after enduring loss of love, loss of self and loss of balance. 

And the film delivers just that – a delightful voyage to splendid places, filled with succulent meals, spirited messages, romantic scenes and a happy ending.  It is a solid piece of Hollywood amusement that is charming and enjoyable throughout.

Julia Roberts devoted herself wholeheartedly to portraying Gilbert on film, making it one of her best performances.  The film's supporting cast is equally excellent, with  Javier Bardem adding icing to the cake of already pleasing scenery.

Although not as inspirational or heartfelt as the original Gilbert prose, Eat, Pray, Love the movie provides women with renewed hope and confidence the way a Disney cartoon fuels idealistic dreams of little girls. 

The masterpiece (an excerpt)

"To influence a person is to give him one's own soul”

--Oscar Wilde

Philip stood up from his chair and sat next to Rob on the couch, leaning in with a look of discontent. He rather liked Rob and felt compelled to share his knowledge with the young man. At 33, Rob was still a cub, an innocent man, lost in the world of ideals that no longer moved Phil. 

"There is no such thing as a good relationship, Robert. Companionship is not going to make you feel better about yourself. A woman will not complete you. In fact, living with another human being under the same roof is the worst thing a man your age could do.

Todd White

Todd White is is a San Antonio native, whose figurative style is best known as “Rat-Pack meets Picasso”.  Below are some of his works on display at the Galerie d'Art Francais, located on 541 Royal St. in New Orleans (French Quarter):

NOLA at night

NOLA - a few pics