the Dalaverse

Woohoo, Curtain Panel #1 is done! And it turned out beautifully, if I may say so, especially since it was all by hand. I didn't accomplish much else today except successsfully making a cheese omelette. I had to google "omelette directions" first, but the omelette, she was made, and she was heartily enjoyed by all and sundry, namely -- me.

Went to see "The Da Vinci Code" with Sara, and it was decidedly underwhelming. I don't know. It wasn't terrible, but it was hard to separate my problems with the book from my problems with the movie. Also, its parts were superior to its sum; it was full of great actors with roles too small for them, thanks to the multiple plotlines (even Tom Hanks seemed rather diminished, and while normally I like that quality in him, it failed to make Robert Langdon compelling). That applies to Ron Howard and Hans Zimmer, too. The score was good, but the same urgent, climax-building cue seemed to be repeated over and over again. Actually, that was the movie's biggest problem overall: the pacing that made the book so damnably un-put-down-able didn't translate to Hollywood at all. The many revelations (::rolls eyes:: but we won't go there right now) and mini-resolutions and cliffhangers were jarring. The characters were always racing somewhere at breakneck, admittedly exciting speed, and then...they would sit around and talk for what seemed like hours. There was just too much exposition. Exposition ate the movie.

Also, it seemed to me that Sophie was less instrumental in solving clues and in the overall plot than she was in the book (and she wasn't a great character even then, so to lose what little dimension she has, despite Audrey Tatou's solid performance, well...) And didn't the guy at Roslyn turn out to be Sophie's brother in the book? They left that out of the film. Well, I suppose it is terribly cheesy. At least there was no forced romance.

I'm meant to be writing a Film essay due tomorrow (on "Star Wars," and no, I am totally not making that up), but I'm watching "The Birdcage" for the umpteenth time. You want to know why? It's AMC's Movie of the Month, and their commercials for it state frankly, after various clips including Albert's opening freakout in the dressing room: "Gay marriage is just like straight marriage." And for just this moment in time, AMC rocks my world.

Hee. "Don't you get it? They're gay. They own the drag club downstairs. They're two men." "...What? I don't understand."