My earlier post today was so negative and whiny. I'm embarrassed. And people are still friending me, despite my Charlie-Brownish moroseness and Lucylike crabbiness. The hell?
Taking a break from habit, I went and saw The Italian Job tonight, instead of coming straight home from work. It was a tight, fun, beautifully edited heist film. It's what Ocean's Eleven wanted to be and wasn't. It had an emotional core--I really believed Charlie's and Stella's driving hatred and cared about it (as much as you can care about any such thing in a popcorn flick), the way I didn't care at all about Danny Ocean's cool "heartbreak" and casual desire for revenge.
Also, Seth Green was funny and adorable, and got most of the movie's laughs. I'm so glad he's finally been given a real role. I was worried for him. All those Austin Powers movies.
The ending bothered me a little.
Because there was no gravitas to Steve's fate. I mean, yeah, he deserved what he had coming, but it's hard to laugh with all the others, to feel good for their collective success and their individual futures, when they've just sent a guy off to certain torture and death. It was really the only off note to the movie, but it was kind of a big one for me, weakening what had gone before. I mean, *Steve* was forced to deal with the consequences of what he'd done, but there wasn't the tiniest sour note or moment of self-reflection from the others.
Yeah, I know. Whatever. The first nine-tenths of it were awesome though.
Edited to add: You know, I can't let it go--I have to say something about the car stuff too, because it bugs me. At a key point in the plot, the team has to drive three cars onto the sidewalk, down a flight of steps, and into the *subway*, in front of a moving train. All without hitting pedestrians. How convenient that no one was on the stairs. And they didn't hit a single person even while flooring it all the way. And I liked a lot of the tricky driving, but I'm kind of over this shit--you can't help but think, "Yeah, right." Also, all that fun with traffic lights? Causing car crashes left and right throughout the city? Hello? Can that be any more fucking dangerous for innocent people? I must be getting old or something when I can't suspend disbelief anymore.
To contrast against the Minis driving into the subway, think of the classic baby-carriage-on-the-stairs scene in The Untouchables, where the inconvenience of innocent bystanders isn't cheated, but raises the suspense to such an intensity that I'm literally tearing up right now thinking about it.
Of course it should be noted that I'm also on the rag.
I've been meaning to say how useful everyone's suggestions were for clothing alternatives. I did end up going shopping locally at Ross, because I was desperate. They had some good stuff though--I got a lot for the money I spent, eight pieces. And then I spent an equivalent amount of money on just two items from Flax. On sale, even. Life is too expensive. The dinner I grabbed after the movie tonight: a diner ham sandwich, fries, and a coke. Thirteen bucks, with tip.
This is when I start worrying that I sound like Andy Rooney.
