I realize I haven't done any movie reviews in a very long time, but I will soon, I promise. I've actually WATCHED a lot, so I will get to those soon. But I wanna talk about something different today.
I had applied Early Decision to Rice University, and I got my decision today. I was, of course, denied. Now, I'm going to be honest and say that I'm heartbroken. I can't really imagine myself at any other college. Rice is beautiful and amazing and easily my first choice by light-years. Also, and I wouldn't even tell my friends this, but between you and me, I had actually built up hopes of getting in. I know I shouldn't have, I'm not nearly a strong enough applicant in ANY way to warrant my having thought I could get in, but... I don't know, I couldn't help myself. I guess I suffered from delusions of grandeur, albeit very cautiously and warily the whole time.
So now I've been denied. It feels like every insecurity I've had that I thought might be true has suddenly been confirmed. What to do, what to do...? I don't know.
I also got an acceptance to University of Houston, but that was my safety school and I believe I had guaranteed admission anyway because of my GPA and SAT scores, so that's small consolation. Not that it's a bad school by any means at all, but... *Sigh* Hopefully I at least get into UT Austin, which is a high second choice and the only other school I've applied to.
To anybody else out there who's waiting on application decisions, I wish you better luck than I had.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Movie of the Day (Part 2): Lincoln
Watched this in theaters yesterday, my thoughts follow. (I also watched Argo, that'll be part of my next post.)
Basic Premise: The story of the last few months of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's life, including his family life, the passage of the 13th Amendment, and the end of the Civil War.
Verdict: This is a Spielberg-directed movie starring everyone from Daniel Day-Lewis to Joseph Gordon-Levitt to to Sally Fields to Tommy Lee Jones. Is there any way this movie could not be great? Daniel Day-Lewis's acting is absolutely phenomenal, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't at least get a nomination for Best Lead Actor this year. He completely disappeared into the role, I couldn't even recognize him. Also notable is the dialogue. This is a period piece, obviously, and accents aren't enough to convey that. Also, this is the story of political backdoor dealings and personal family troubles, so this needs some very exciting and involving dialogue to carry it. This movie does that for sure; the dialogue is fast-paced to the point of almost losing me at times, so keep your ears open. The fashion and sets and directing were all wonderful, of course, as well as everything on a technical level, and the acting was tres fantastique from everyone involved. 9/10
Favorite Line: Tommy Lee Jones's character was just awesome, by the way. "The greatest measure of the 19th century passed by corruption aided and abetted by the purest man in the nation." Wonderful.
Basic Premise: The story of the last few months of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's life, including his family life, the passage of the 13th Amendment, and the end of the Civil War.
Verdict: This is a Spielberg-directed movie starring everyone from Daniel Day-Lewis to Joseph Gordon-Levitt to to Sally Fields to Tommy Lee Jones. Is there any way this movie could not be great? Daniel Day-Lewis's acting is absolutely phenomenal, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't at least get a nomination for Best Lead Actor this year. He completely disappeared into the role, I couldn't even recognize him. Also notable is the dialogue. This is a period piece, obviously, and accents aren't enough to convey that. Also, this is the story of political backdoor dealings and personal family troubles, so this needs some very exciting and involving dialogue to carry it. This movie does that for sure; the dialogue is fast-paced to the point of almost losing me at times, so keep your ears open. The fashion and sets and directing were all wonderful, of course, as well as everything on a technical level, and the acting was tres fantastique from everyone involved. 9/10
Favorite Line: Tommy Lee Jones's character was just awesome, by the way. "The greatest measure of the 19th century passed by corruption aided and abetted by the purest man in the nation." Wonderful.
Movie of the Day (Part 1): You've Got Mail
One of the best examples of romantic comedies that most people have never seen, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. I'd seen this one before, but it was on TV a few days ago, so hey, I rewatched it, and it was great as before!
Basic Premise: Two people (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks) are opposing book store owners and professional nemeses in the workplace, where they hate each other, but at home they carry on an anonymous online relationship, where they fall in love. Zaniness ensues.
Verdict: This is really a charming little twist on the romantic comedy genre, if you think about it, and it's certainly due in great part to the late, great Nora Ephron, the director and screenwriter of this movie. Has anyone else taken such strides to elevating the romantic comedy from a guilty pleasure to an art form? I doubt it. The characters are very personal and well-developed people, and the crackling dialogue, between emotional monologues or pleas and witty and comedic repartee, is brilliant at times. Also, the premise itself has dramatic irony built into it, such comedic potential that's used so well. Every interaction between Tom Hanks's character and Meg Ryan's character, online or oflline, is wonderfully twisted and complex while being simply hilarious. I recognize that it's a little cheesy, as romcoms are wont to be, but it might be the better for it. Romantic comedies are one of my favorite genres, and this is one of the best. Check it out, check it out. 9/10
Favorite Line: All the best dialogue moments in this movie are full conversations with layers of meaning behind them, and it's all very wonderful. As far as a single wonderful line goes, this one is wonderful. "The odd thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings. So, thanks."
Basic Premise: Two people (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks) are opposing book store owners and professional nemeses in the workplace, where they hate each other, but at home they carry on an anonymous online relationship, where they fall in love. Zaniness ensues.
Verdict: This is really a charming little twist on the romantic comedy genre, if you think about it, and it's certainly due in great part to the late, great Nora Ephron, the director and screenwriter of this movie. Has anyone else taken such strides to elevating the romantic comedy from a guilty pleasure to an art form? I doubt it. The characters are very personal and well-developed people, and the crackling dialogue, between emotional monologues or pleas and witty and comedic repartee, is brilliant at times. Also, the premise itself has dramatic irony built into it, such comedic potential that's used so well. Every interaction between Tom Hanks's character and Meg Ryan's character, online or oflline, is wonderfully twisted and complex while being simply hilarious. I recognize that it's a little cheesy, as romcoms are wont to be, but it might be the better for it. Romantic comedies are one of my favorite genres, and this is one of the best. Check it out, check it out. 9/10
Favorite Line: All the best dialogue moments in this movie are full conversations with layers of meaning behind them, and it's all very wonderful. As far as a single wonderful line goes, this one is wonderful. "The odd thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings. So, thanks."
Play of the Day: The Laramie Project
I don't know much about theatre, so this should be a quick note with just my thoughts on the play. I went last week and saw my school's performance of the play The Laramie Project.
Basic Premise: The Laramie Project is a play about the reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming.
Verdict: I thought this was quite an interesting play. Obviously, it brings to attention the issue of anti-homosexual discrimination, which I strongly believe should be ended immediately. It does a really good job of showing that the goal isn't even necessarily that everyone should be completely okay with homosexual relationships and such, it's more... Live and let live. Some really cool techniques that I hadn't seen in a play before, such as multiple reporters talking at the same time or one person singing while the narrator speaks. I also thought the format of interviews of the townspeople was really inventive. Some scenes were also really moving, certainly. Certainly worth watching if you can see a performance, and I hear it's a movie too, so you might check that out. I'd say this was an... 8.35/10. (Yay for arbitrary and oddly specific scores!)
Basic Premise: The Laramie Project is a play about the reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming.
Verdict: I thought this was quite an interesting play. Obviously, it brings to attention the issue of anti-homosexual discrimination, which I strongly believe should be ended immediately. It does a really good job of showing that the goal isn't even necessarily that everyone should be completely okay with homosexual relationships and such, it's more... Live and let live. Some really cool techniques that I hadn't seen in a play before, such as multiple reporters talking at the same time or one person singing while the narrator speaks. I also thought the format of interviews of the townspeople was really inventive. Some scenes were also really moving, certainly. Certainly worth watching if you can see a performance, and I hear it's a movie too, so you might check that out. I'd say this was an... 8.35/10. (Yay for arbitrary and oddly specific scores!)
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Movie of the Day: Ratatouille
I've seen this one before, of course, but this, my friend's favorite Pixar movie, was on TV yesterday, so I had to record it and sit down and watch it. (My favorite is probably Finding Nemo, for the record, with The Incredibles being a close second.)
The Basic Premise: A rat in Paris wants to be a chef and finds a human to help him out, and chaos ensues.
The Verdict: Do I even need to say how great this movie is? The action/chase sequences are some of the most exciting ever, especially considering that they're animated. The emotions and characters and themes are all beautiful, of course. (The scene of Anton eating Ratatouille comes to mind. <3 ) Also, the animation is visually astonishing (like wide shots of Paris at night are gorgeous to an absurd degree, and ethereal Gusteau is impressive). Also, can we take a minute to acknowledge the soundtrack and score, please? What BEAUTIFUL music. Listen to this.
The Basic Premise: A rat in Paris wants to be a chef and finds a human to help him out, and chaos ensues.
The Verdict: Do I even need to say how great this movie is? The action/chase sequences are some of the most exciting ever, especially considering that they're animated. The emotions and characters and themes are all beautiful, of course. (The scene of Anton eating Ratatouille comes to mind. <3 ) Also, the animation is visually astonishing (like wide shots of Paris at night are gorgeous to an absurd degree, and ethereal Gusteau is impressive). Also, can we take a minute to acknowledge the soundtrack and score, please? What BEAUTIFUL music. Listen to this.
How beautiful is this music? And how fitting to the atmosphere of the movie? And I love that the melody is incorporated into the score itself in key scenes of the movie.
All in all, this is an absolutely wonderful movie, a truly immersive experience. Pixar delivers a movie enjoyable by all once again. 9.7/10
Favorite Line: "Anyone can cook!"
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
College Hopes and Plans
I think I suggested a long while back that I would post about my college plans at some point, so I figure now's as good a time as any.
First choice school, to which I've applied Early Decision, is Rice University. Oh, that campus! That atmosphere! Those academics! Everything is so perfect there.
Second choice school, to which I will probably be accepted, is University of Texas at Austin. If this is where I end up going, I won't be too disappointed at all. It's a great school, great city, and I have friends there, so that'll be fine.
The only other school to which I am applying is the University of Houston (the main campus). Good school as well, and rapidly improving, but this is my safety school, so obviously not my first choice.
I'd like to study Physics, is the plan, and I would also really like to take some film courses, depending especially on the school I end up going to.
*Crosses fingers* Wish me luck!
First choice school, to which I've applied Early Decision, is Rice University. Oh, that campus! That atmosphere! Those academics! Everything is so perfect there.
Second choice school, to which I will probably be accepted, is University of Texas at Austin. If this is where I end up going, I won't be too disappointed at all. It's a great school, great city, and I have friends there, so that'll be fine.
The only other school to which I am applying is the University of Houston (the main campus). Good school as well, and rapidly improving, but this is my safety school, so obviously not my first choice.
I'd like to study Physics, is the plan, and I would also really like to take some film courses, depending especially on the school I end up going to.
*Crosses fingers* Wish me luck!
Movie of the Day: Being John Malkovich
After Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which I loved, I was really looking forward to whichever Charlie Kaufman-penned movie I would watch next. My two options were Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. This one seemed more interesting and was the one I knew less about, so I decided on this.
The Basic Premise: Puppeteer Craig Schwartz finds a portal which takes you literally into actor John Malkovich's body and mind. Chaos ensues. (Now, don't let this mislead you. There's a good half an hour of movie before Craig ever finds the portal. This is a very character-and-conflict-driven movie. Very hard to explain all of the crazy things that go on in this movie.)
The Verdict: This is possibly the oddest film I've ever seen. Like, the craziness of premise, of gags and jokes, even of third-act plot devices, is off the charts. This is a fantasy/sci-fi dramedy (emphasis on the comedy) at its core, and it does all of these things well. It is absolutely laugh out loud funny at some points, emotionally compelling at others, sometimes just on the verge of both with dark situational humor. It's really a bizarre movie.
Now, it's also hailed as one of the greatest screenplays ever written, and I think I'd have to disagree, given the insertion of several third act plot points to resolve the story how it should be and a lot of on-the-nose dialogue. On the other hand, the shoehorning of plot points almost adds to the weirdness of the movie, which may be the end goal. Also, I tried explaining the basic plot of this movie to a friend today, and it would probably take me longer than the length of the movie to sort out all of the insane character relationships and stuff in a retelling, so maybe it was more concise than I thought.
Regardless, it's a movie that's almost too weird to judge. As far as enjoyability and achieving the writer's and director's vision goes, I'm gonna give this an 8.8/10.
Favorite Line: "You don't know how lucky you are being a monkey. Because consciousness is a terrible curse. I think. I feel. I suffer. And all I ask in return is the opportunity to do my work. And they won't allow it... because I raise issues." Sittin' at home alone, talking to his pet monkey about how his whole life is a paradoxical failure... Pretty effectively shows that Craig's both pathetic and discontented with his life.
The Basic Premise: Puppeteer Craig Schwartz finds a portal which takes you literally into actor John Malkovich's body and mind. Chaos ensues. (Now, don't let this mislead you. There's a good half an hour of movie before Craig ever finds the portal. This is a very character-and-conflict-driven movie. Very hard to explain all of the crazy things that go on in this movie.)
The Verdict: This is possibly the oddest film I've ever seen. Like, the craziness of premise, of gags and jokes, even of third-act plot devices, is off the charts. This is a fantasy/sci-fi dramedy (emphasis on the comedy) at its core, and it does all of these things well. It is absolutely laugh out loud funny at some points, emotionally compelling at others, sometimes just on the verge of both with dark situational humor. It's really a bizarre movie.
Now, it's also hailed as one of the greatest screenplays ever written, and I think I'd have to disagree, given the insertion of several third act plot points to resolve the story how it should be and a lot of on-the-nose dialogue. On the other hand, the shoehorning of plot points almost adds to the weirdness of the movie, which may be the end goal. Also, I tried explaining the basic plot of this movie to a friend today, and it would probably take me longer than the length of the movie to sort out all of the insane character relationships and stuff in a retelling, so maybe it was more concise than I thought.
Regardless, it's a movie that's almost too weird to judge. As far as enjoyability and achieving the writer's and director's vision goes, I'm gonna give this an 8.8/10.
Favorite Line: "You don't know how lucky you are being a monkey. Because consciousness is a terrible curse. I think. I feel. I suffer. And all I ask in return is the opportunity to do my work. And they won't allow it... because I raise issues." Sittin' at home alone, talking to his pet monkey about how his whole life is a paradoxical failure... Pretty effectively shows that Craig's both pathetic and discontented with his life.
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