It Must Be Great To Be.......

Angelina Jolie. She is everywhere these days with her "bump" and her kids and her Brad Pitt, who by the way, is not nearly as hot as he used to be. But I digress.

Apparently Angelina has now taken her family to England so she can get some peace and quiet. I don't blame her.

But in the meantime, I find I have become somewhat enchanted, enthralled, curious and mystified by her. And it doesn't have anything really to do with her celebrity and the Jen/Angelina thing. I am captivated by her beauty. And while I do want to hate her because of the whole Jen thing, I just can't.

Last night I was watching "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and due to the extreme boringness of the movie, found myself studying Angelina. Today I was flipping through the cable lineup and came across the move "Gia" starring, yes you guessed it, Angelina Jolie and I just couldn't stop watching it. Especially since the whole movie was about beauty.

And here's what I was thinking. I was thinking about how much easier my life would be if I looked like Angelina Jolie. Even if I wasn't an actress or a model, I just know life would be easier if I possessed the perfectly put together features of Angelina Jolie. Things just come easier to beautiful girls. They don't have to work as hard. People want to do things for them and give them things all to make their lives easier.

Now don't get me wrong. I don't think I'm ugly and I know I am probably more in the pretty category than not. But I'm no Angelina Jolie. And I seem to be one of those people that women appreciate my looks more because they are not usual while men, not so much.

But Angelina Jolie has unusual looks the kind of features that if one thing on her face was a tad different, she'd probably not be so exquisite. But all of the planets aligned for her physically and she gets to look like, well, like Angelina Jolie.

And just to be clear, this is not a whine. I do appreciate that not having things thrown at me and having to work hard for everything has probably built character, however, when the going gets tough, it's just interesting to contemplate what life would be like if I looked like Angelina Jolie.

"Munich" - Not So Much

Steven Speilberg has been criticized for both making an anti-Israel movie and an anti-Palestinian movie, depending on which side of the fence your politics falls on.

I have read both critiques and was keeping a semi-open mind. I couldn't imagine Speilberg making and anti-Israel, anti-semitic movie, yet from the trailer I saw, it looked like the movie could be borderline.

Well, today I finally went to see it to find out for myself. And no, Speilberg did not make an anti-Israel, anti-semitic movie. Nor did he make an anti-Palestinian movie. Basically he kept politics pretty much out of it, as much as you can with this topic, and his message seemed to be about the pointlessness of everyone killing each other because it only breeds more hatred and more desire for revenge. A pretty good and valid message I would say.

What was not so good was the movie itself. In a word this film was BORING. Yes, boring. At one point, probably around 2 hours into the almost 3 hour movie, I was wishing someone would assassinate me so I wouldn't have to sit through anymore of this long-drawn out movie. I didn't leave because I kept hoping the movie would take a turn for the better but it never did.

It's a shame because there are some very excellent aspects of "Munich." The cinematography is wonderful, shot in such a way that the filmmakers appeared to be using 1970's technology, not 2005 technology giving the film an older looking patina.

There are also some wonderful performances my favorite being that of Michael Londsdale who played information broker "Papa." He was by far the most interesting character, selling information to whomever would pay and making millions in the process. He took what he considered the moral highground though, by refusing to work with governments. I would have loved to see a movie based around him and his family business.

Eric Bana as Avner, the Mossad agent with a conscious was very good as was the whole "Strike" team particularly Ciaran Hinds who played Carl, the cleaner. And as Avner's wife, Ayelet Zurer, made good use of her small part telling Avner she would put up with it until she didn't.

If screenwriter Tony Kushner had been a little less long-winded and Speilberg had directed his editor to be a bit more vigilante, this could have been a masterpiece. Unfortunately, it is just another movie that is trying to make a good point but goes off track and never bothers to come back again, missing a great opportunity.

Maybe Speilberg should study "Syriana" before he tries to tackle such a topic again.

My Two Cents

I had forgotten what a wonderful movie "Central Station" is until I caught it on IFC this evening. The story is original and the acting is superb. I remember when Fernando Montenegro, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance, walked down the red carpet it was hard to believe she was the same woman in the film. It was also interesting in the film how her features became softer and prettier as she opened her heart to Josue and let go of her malice and bitterness.
I wonder what ever happened to that little boy in real life. He was so cute and a great crier.

Walter Salles, who wrote and directed the movie, last year (or was it the year before?) made "The Motorcycle Diaries," another great movie starring especially because it stars that cutie patootie Gael Garcia Bernal.
If you haven't seen "Central Station," rent it. It's so touching without being sweet - a great buddy/road film with the twist that the buddies are an old woman and a young boy on the road in Brazil.

Brand New Diet Plan

So, remember when I said earlier that I had ordered a Chi flat iron and couldn't wait for it to arrive. I was certain it would change my life.
Well, little did I know it would also help me to lose weight! This is a great example of perception v. reality.
My flat iron arrived one day before I left to go home to Charleston for a couple of weeks. I quickly tried it out, loved it, and stuck it in my bag.
While home, I wore my hair straight most days. If I had a quarter for every person that said to me, "You look great. You've lost so much weight. LA certainly agrees with you," I could buy two Starbucks Vente nonfat vanilla lattes AND maybe even a slice of the lower fat lemon pound cake.
At first I said, "No. I haven't lost weight. In fact, I feel like I've gained some." But then I decided just to go with it and simply say "Thank you."
Needless to say I am now wearing my hair flat most of the time although I do feel a bit disloyal to my curly roots. What's wrong with curly hair anyway? All my life I've noticed that whenever fashion magazines do a hairstyle story, ALL of the models have straight hair. If by some remote chance they feature curly hair, generally, it is a straight haired girl who has just had her hair curled briefly for the photoshoot.
When I was a little girl, I hated my curly hair. I used to fight with it and cry to my mother that it was her fault I didn't have straight hair like all the other girls in my class. (I was the only Jewish kid in a class full of straight, swinging haired girls until fifth grade.)
Then as I got older I was convinced by hairdressers, friends and the various stranger who told me I had great hair that curly hair was special and exotic but apparently I have been deluding myself. Unfortunately, it's a straight hair world and I've finally had to succumb to that dictum.
I should have seen this coming with the advent of "revolutionary" hair straightening techniques that cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars becoming all the rage and these super-duper irons that cost a pretty penny but are flying off shelves. (By the way, I've heard that the Thermal Reconditioning makes your hair fall out and I can only hope that happens to the evil woman I recently worked for.)
I resisted the straightening craze as long as I could but a girl can only hold out for so long. I broke down and bought the iron and when people started telling me I looked thin...well, here's where the story ends.

Vacation Hangover

I have been on vacation for the past two weeks. I love vacation, unlike my microfamous friend who can't wait until her vacations are over. I love vacation, and while I'm very good at leaving it all behind, when I come home, the anxiety hits.

Especially when it's the start of a new year and there's so much to think about and so much to prepare for the coming year. It's double hard for me because the beginning of the year is also my birthday so I feel I have to set goals not only because it is a new calendar year but also because I have aged another year as well.

So instead of making resolutions that I will not keep, such as not eating carbs, exercising everyday, yadda yadda, I have made a very simple vow.

I vow not to sell myself short anymore.

To this end, I'm going to explore my creativity and do everything in my power to make a living doing something that feeds my soul, as well as my bank account. I know this will include getting back to writing and finding freelance outlets for my pieces. I hope it will also entail some sort of artistic endeavor. We'll see. I'm already working on it.

If I learned anything at all in 2005, it is that I don't have to work for evil beings that are simple-minded, unimaginative, insecure and downright cruel. There is a story here but I can't go into it until the negativity surrounding it has left my being. I am working hard to release the poison that the evil, sick woman that I worked for infected me with and day by day it is slowly but surely leaving my system.

I have a feeling 2006 will be a good year although I tend to greet each new year optimistically so I'm going into this one a little tentatively. But just by the simple fact that I made the decision to change my life so very drastically, makes me feel that I also have the power to make the change be a phenomenal step in the right direction.

After all, it is the year of the dog and that's what this blog is all about. Lucy's Adventures in La La land.