“Hello all! Ready to tune in for another uber weekend of movies? First off that NYC trip I mentioned I was taking went infinitely better than I coulda possibly imagined. (Follow that previous link for a recap). Short version, I met Zachary Quinto and OMFG Billie Joe Armstrong !!!!!
Getting a later than usual for a Friday night start today. Here’s why. Yep, I spent the early evening getting that done. Yay! I briefly contemplated skipping tonight’s movie. First off, there was a new Entertainment Weekly that featured a cover story that this hag absolutely had to read immediately. After reading that, I had 30 pages left in The Hunger Games which I’d been devouring this week. I was so into it, that I thought I might get a jump on Catching Fire, but it didnt end as cliff hanger-y as I feared, so I ultimately decided to save it for next week’s commutes.
Now to the task at hand. Im trying the running-commentary-blog-as-Im-watching thing tonight. The theory is it will keep me awake, give more content to my write up, and keep me more focused on the film. That third point is being tested already but maybe now that Im talking about the film itself it will work better.
Also, typing on my laptop without being able to rest my left wrist on the keyboard is a bitch.
Why do I love Blood Diamond? Short answer is Leonardo DiCaprio. From that first scene where he’s haggling with that guy, I was hooked. The accent and the slang, arrow right thru my heart. I was really rooting for him to win the Oscar that year. While Forrest Whitaker did have a fully transformitive performance, I felt DiCaprio had a more impressive arc and a much deeper character. And I could just listen to him speak with that accent all day and still never get enough. Djimon Hounsou also gives an incredible beyond all reason performance.
Side note. I always wanted to buy this poster Wow today’s entry has a lotta links
Besides the cast, I just think the story is brilliant. I typically dont like films that have some sorta big political message, unless the characters and the tale are compelling enough that you dont even notice you’re being “”preached”” to. That’s the case here. I know I tend to overuse the word intense to describe films, but its very apt here.
Obligatory antecdote: My daddy and I had a history of watching recently released DVD’s whenever I’d go home (when we weren’t watching 24). I took this with me one time. He \m/ loved it, thought it was as brilliant as I did. Few films have illicited such as strong response from him as this one did, at least that I’ve witnessed. Anyways, the end credits start to roll and my mom wanders by. My daddy calls out to her “”That’s it, dear. We just watched Blood Diamond, and I’m not going to buy you diamonds any more”” My mom then goes into a long almost screaming rant about how he never actually does buy her diamonds or anything really (not true, he got her lots of jewelery…it was the only thing she ever liked). Dad cowers as his sarcasm backfires. I laugh hysterically.
Well the movie’s nearing the end and Im bout ready to crash. While I may not have blogged throughout, I do think this plan worked. I know this because Im posting the write up now, instead of postponing this til morning”