Up with Geography: France

Country Name:
France

Capital:
Paris

Continent:
Europe

Maps:

European continent. France outlined in dark ink.

A close-up of France & its neighbors.

Neighbors:
Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, Spain

Water Borders:
English Channel, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Lion, Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay

Total Area:
246,201 square miles

Five Largest Cities:
Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice

Famous Geographical Point:
Seine River

Famous Person:
Coco Chanel, fashion designer

Book Set In/About:
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Set in rural 19th century France, Emma Bovary, obsessed with a life she can’t have, ruins the one she has.

Movie Set In/About:
“Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amélie)” (2001), directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Set in a fantastical Paris, a shy young woman tries to fix the lives of others  even though her own could use some improvement.

Headline of the Day:
“France Will Not Back Down on Digital Tax Despite US Legal Threats” in The Guardian.

Top 50 Actors, #40 - James Dean: "East of Eden" (1955)

Movie Stats:
Released 1955 (USA)
American, in English
Director - Elia Kazan
Stars - James Dean, Raymond Massey, Julie Harris

Plot Summary:
Set in California during WWI, young Cal Trask (Dean) struggles to earn love and acceptance from his religious father Adam (Massey) after spending his life in the shadow of his “golden child” brother Aron (Richard Davalos). Harris co-stars as Aron’s girlfriend, Abra.

Warnings:
Minor violence; very minor gore.

Bad Stuff:
I found it a bit boring.

A lot of the acting is so overblown that it’s difficult not to have a little chuckle about it.

Aron is woefully underdeveloped. It’s been a long time since I’ve read the book, but I’m going to guess that he had better characterization in that medium.

Good Stuff:
While I didn’t care for his character, I thought Massey did a fantastic job of playing Adam, a man who is, in some ways, a great deal less righteous than he thinks he is.

It explores a couple of topics in a way that I really enjoyed: nature vs. nurture and fate/destiny. It asks the question: Is Cal destined to be the “bad one” because everyone believes he was born to be? I liked that even Cal himself spends most of the story uncertain of the answer to that.

I admire its openness in regards to a topic typically danced around in that era of film (prostitution), although I can’t say that it was particularly progressive about it.

About the Performance:
Not my favorite of Dean’s. I saw this film many years ago & remembered not being very fond of it (although I liked the book). I wasn’t keen to see it again, but I had no choice, as James Dean only starred in three feature films and I’ve reviewed the other two. Looking at his filmography, I see that his three films were released in this order: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, Giant. That’s also my exact order of how much I enjoy Dean, from least to most. IMO his craft improved with each film. Too bad we never got to see how much he could grow.

Other performances of Dean’s I’ve reviewed: Giant; Rebel Without a Cause.

The Verdict:
I honestly didn’t hate it. I definitely enjoyed the themes. I’m neutral about a lot of the other stuff: costuming, score, cinematography, etc. I think my problem with this film is that it assumes you’ve read the book/remember enough of it to cover the movie’s shortcomings. I wish Aron had gotten more screen time, in order to make his actions later in the film make more sense. Also, I wish Dean and Harris had dialed down the acting a notch or two.

I give it 3.25 stars.

Music Love: "Kathy's Song" by Simon & Garfunkel

Recently, a friend adopted a new dog & was soliciting name recommendations, because she didn't like the name the dog came with (the name is associated with an annoying ear worm). Did we have any suggestions, she asked, perhaps based on a song? That got me thinking about my favorite songs that feature a woman's name, which thus reminded me of my love for Simon & Garfunkel.

Nowadays, I wouldn't say they get a lot of rotation on my playlist. I still listen to them; there's just so much new stuff to discover, I don't listen to older stuff as much. Back when I was in college, however, a roommate and I used to listen to them all the time. We even had a nickname for them: Petey & Arty. It took us YEARS after college to realize we referred to Paul Simon as "Petey." I don't know why we did; it was a simple brain fart.

Anyway, while there are many songs of theirs I love, "Kathy's Song" was always a favorite. I love Paul Simon's voice here. He's an amazingly talented songwriter; with simple language, he sets the scene of this song in such a way that you can picture it perfectly. His love and admiration for Kathy* shine through: "The only truth I know is you"; "There before the grace of you go I." It speaks to such a wistful, romantic, all-encompassing view of love.

However, I think Kathy is a terrible name for a dog.


*Unfortunately, in reading up about this song, I discovered that Kathy was 16 to Paul's 22 when they met. I know those were different times, but ick. Sometimes I think it's better to enjoy things without researching them, haha.

Top 50 Actors, #41 - Gene Kelly: "On the Town" (1949)

Movie Stats:
Released 1949 (USA)
American, in English
Directors - Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
Stars - Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller

Plot Summary:
In the 1940s, three sailors on 24-hour leave in NYC - Gabe (Kelly), Chip (Sinatra), and Ozzie (Munshin) - meet and fall for three women, respectively - Ivy (Vera-Ellen), Hildy (Garrett), and Claire (Miller).

Warnings:
None.

Bad Stuff:
There’s one song/dance routine that I found to be pretty racist (“Prehistoric Man”) & a couple of other, milder, racist bits.

I didn’t care for the dinosaur bones plot line. It felt superfluous.

Hildy comes off really quite rape-y in the beginning. Like, no means no, lady.

Good Stuff:
With an exception or two (including the one mentioned above), all of the song/dance routines are amazing & so much fun.

I love, love, loved the women’s costuming.

I liked how it played with tropes, making Hildy & Claire much more “manly” in that they were both forward, forceful, and savvy in a way that none of the men were.

About the Performance:
I feel the same way about Gene Kelly as I do other performers of his ilk/genre, such as Fred Astaire or Bing Crosby. I enjoy him immensely, I think he was very talented, and I completely understand his importance within the history of film. However, I would never add him to my own personal list of “great actors” because what he does doesn’t fall within the range of what’s important to me for great acting. I’ve never seen him play any character that was truly different from the rest. That said, I loved him in this.

Other performances of Kelly’s I’ve reviewed: Xanadu; What a Way to Go!; Singin’ in the Rain; An American in Paris.

The Verdict:
It’s certainly a movie of its time, so one has to overlook a bit of racism, misogyny, and antiquated ideals of romance to enjoy it. However, I was able to do so. It’s fun and breezy. From the opening number (“New York, New York”), I thought to myself, “Oh, this is going to be a blast!” I thought it was very clever to open with that; I could easily see how it hyped the audience up for the rest of the show because that’s how it made me feel. This isn’t the kind of film that’s going to make you think. My husband, who watched most of it with me, thought it was cheesy, but I didn’t mind that. Sometimes you just need to have a good time. A film like this can help you in that endeavor.

I give it 4 stars.

Up with U.S. Geography: Minnesota

Minnesota is the fifth of the eight states I've lived in to make the list! I lived there for one year, fresh out of college, while I was working an AmeriCorps program.

State Name:
Minnesota

Capital:
Saint Paul

Date of Entry:
May 11, 1858

Maps:

Map of USA. Minnesota outlined in dark ink.

A close-up of Minnesota & its neighbors.

Neighbors:
Canada, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota

Water Borders:
Lake of the Woods, Rainy River, Rainy Lake, Lake Superior, St. Croix River, Mississippi River, Red River

Total Area:
86,936 square miles

Five Largest Cities:
Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington

Famous Geographical Point:
Mille Lacs Lake

State Nickname:
The North Star State. It’s derived from Minnesota’s state motto which, from the French, translates to “the star of the north.” I was honestly surprised to learn that “the land of 10,000 lakes” isn’t the official motto; I’ve never heard it called “the north star state.”

Famous Person:
Prince, singer, songwriter, and actor

True story. Shortly after I moved to Minnesota, while visiting Minneapolis with a friend who was traveling through (I lived outside the Twin Cities in a rural area), my car broke down. Through a series of random circumstances, we were rescued by a woman who drove us the 60 miles back to my place. She was basically a Deadhead for Prince, which until that moment I never knew existed. It was a weird night.

Book Set In/About:
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

The first book of the beloved childhood series about two little girls, Betsy and Tacy, who become lifelong best friends. I chose this book in honor of my friend P, who loves the series.

Movie Set In/About:
“Fargo” (1996), directed by Joel & Ethan Coen

A man’s crime goes horribly awry, aided by his own ineptitude & the tenaciousness of a small-town police chief. This movie was a million times funnier to me after I lived in Minnesota.

Headline of the Day:
“Minnesota Families in Need Celebrate Long-awaited Boost in State Aid” in Minnesota Public Radio News.

Top 50 Actors, #42 - Fred Astaire: "Top Hat" (1935)

Movie Stats:
Released 1935 (USA)
American, in English (minor, non-translated Latin & Italian)
Director - Mark Sandrich
Stars - Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton

Plot Summary:
When dance star Jerry Travers (Astaire) goes to work for producer Horace Hardwick (Horton), he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Dale Tremont (Rogers) without ever telling her his name. Unfortunately, she comes to believe he’s Horace, who’s married to her friend Madge (Helen Broderick). Hijinks ensue.

Warnings:
Very minor violence.

Bad Stuff:
I think the worst part of old romance movies is how bad the romances are. Like, I don’t consider kidnapping someone to be a romantic gesture. Also, domestic violence isn’t funny.

I don’t care for stories that rely on miscommunication as a central means to create drama/comedy/interest. It’s so frustrating. I spend the whole time thinking, “Just talk to each other, Jesus!”

I know this is a lighthearted comedy, so I really shouldn’t expect much in the way of character development, but I felt like people’s reactions in this made no sense. [SPOILER-y] For example, when Horace, Madge, and Beddini (Erik Rhodes) are adrift at sea, and Jerry & Dale — who presumably care about them — are like, “Lol, let’s go to a party!” Instead of, you know, sending them help before they’re lost forever. [SPOILER]

Good Stuff:
Of course, the song & dance routines are awesome. If you can believe it, I’d actually never seen Astaire in one of his singing/dancing roles before.

I loved the costuming & set design. The feather dress Rogers wore in her big dance routine was absolutely stunning.

Something about manservant Bates (Eric Blore) was so intensely entertaining. I enjoyed every scene that he was in.

About the Performance:
Astaire is quite likable in this. If I ignore the whole kidnapping thing (which is frankly light-hearted), Jerry is a sweet, innocent, kind-hearted guy who falls in love and puts his all into it. He’s cute. He’s got a great singing voice. His dancing is sublime. Would I watch this movie and think, “That’s a man with immense acting talent”? Probably not, but I’ve seen Astaire in some more serious films where I thought he was fantastic, so I understand why he earned himself a place on this list.

Other performances of Astaire’s I’ve reviewed: On the Beach.

The Verdict:
I feel kind of neutral about it. As comedies go, I didn’t find it particularly funny. At the same time, I didn’t hate it either. I enjoyed the spectacle of it. All of the actors were entertaining. I guess I just wasn’t particularly big on the story. I definitely would’ve liked to see a better script, I think that would’ve made me enjoy it a great deal more.

I give it 3.25 stars.

Out and About: Staycation Pics

My husband and I never go on vacations together, mostly because we can't afford it. (I have realized in recent years that traveling simply isn't a priority of mine and that's ok but I probably would travel more if I had the money.) Recently, we decided to take a week off of work at the same time so we could have some fun before the busy season starts at my job. We didn't go anywhere, but we did take a few day trips around San Diego County.

First, we drove out to Julian in the mountains. We'd been there once before, to visit the California Wolf Center, loved the area, and wanted to go back. Julian is a fairly small town. There's not a ton to do there. After a little research, I decided on a hike. I chose the Upper Santa Ysabel Creek Trail. It was cold, very windy, and a bit rainy. I absolutely loved it!

Clouds low enough to kiss the mountains.

Santa Ysabel Creek (presumably).

Loved the colors inside this felled tree.

I read that the cows are friendly & usually greet hikers
but they didn't move when we saw them.

After the hike, we went into the town of Julian, walked around, and shopped. I insisted on visiting the old cemetery, much to my husband's dismay. I love cemeteries.

I'm guessing J.M. died in childbirth.

I liked this headstone, which seems to have been carved
by a non-professional.

A couple of days later, we drove down to La Jolla, a well-to-do community on the ocean within the city of San Diego. It's famous for the sea lions that like to chill in the cove there. After we saw these local celebrities, we stopped by a coffee shop a friend had recommended for its scones (which were excellent). I wanted to go to a local museum but directed us to the wrong part of town. Next time!

Lastly, over the weekend, we drove out to Pala to visit Gems of Pala, where we panned for gemstones. Afterward, we stopped by the casino to hit up their buffet, confirming my dislike of buffets because 1. I can never eat enough to justify the price and 2. The food never impresses me. Still, I enjoyed the visit to this part of the county, where I'd never been before.

View from Gems of Pala.

My relatively small haul of tourmaline: green, pink, and black.

It was nice to take some time off work. I'm feeling refreshed & ready to get back into the swing of things!