Wednesday, 28 May 2014

New Video: When Harry Met Sally - Fools

I just had to make a video using this song because I love it so much and it really lends itself to a lot of different relationships in movies and on TV shows. But ultimately Harry & Sally were the perfect match for this song as it's all about the transition from friendship to romance and the issues and feelings that come with that. 

Enjoy!


Monday, 26 May 2014

Feature Movie of the Week: 500 Days of Summer


File:Five hundred days of summer.jpg

A mighty pain to love it is,
And 'tis a pain that pain to miss;
But of all pains, the greatest pain
It is to love, but love in vain
- Abraham Cowley

I am a very strange kind of person who loves movies where the couple doesn't end up together. I guess I'm not really a sucker for 'happily ever afters' because I think in reality, there are far fewer 'happily ever afters' than there are in the movies. So on that pessimistic note, 500 Days of Summer is one of my favourite films, for the reason mentioned above, and so many more.
Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber and directed by Marc Webb 500 Days of Summer follows the relationship between Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon- Levitt) and Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) and it's aftermath when Summer breaks up with Tom, who was still very much in love with her.

NARRATOR
Tom meets Summer on January 8th. 
He knows almost immediately she 
is who he has been searching for. 
This is a story of boy meets girl,
but you should know upfront, 
this is not a love story.

The film goes through the couple's good and bad times as Tom, alongside the audience, tries to retrace their relationship and see what, where and when it went wrong. But don't expect any huge epiphanic answers, the film stays grounded and raw all the way to the end as it presents a very realistic portrait of two very human situations; when the person you love doesn't love you as much as you love them and when the person you love just doesn't love you anymore. 
It turns the typical romantic comedy formula on it's head as boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, and then girl leaves boy.



Standout Performances
  • Joseph Gordon-Levitt- This guy is a seriously good actor. I know that seems like a very general statement but I honestly don't know how else to describe him, he is just good at what he does. He stands out in everything I have seen him in (even his much younger self in 10 Things I Hate About You!) but his performance as Tom in this film is simply extraordinary. Gordon-Levitt's performance really allows the audience to feel how much Tom loves Summer, and how heartbroken he is when she dumps him. But what stands out most for me is his portrayal of a much more complicated emotion, where he still loves Summer, despite her breaking up with him, but at the same time he hates her for breaking his heart, but he doesn't want her to know either of these things, and he still wants her to be happy, but he also wants her back and it is this all of these confusing, stream of consciousness-esque emotions that Gordon-Levitt superbly bottles up in the subtlest of glances or gestures.
  • Zooey Deschanel- She is as lovable and charming as always, from singing "Sugar Town" at karaoke to screaming 'penis' in a park. But Summer also has her slightly less lovable moments, namely when she breaks up with Tom and later gets engaged to another man, but Deschanel plays the role with the perfect balance of compassion, nonchalance and oblivion so that you can never really hate Summer, and nor can Tom, despite really wanting to. 
Memorable Scenes
  • The conversation between Tom, Summer and their co-worker McKenzie that takes place at the bar after Summer sings karaoke. It starts out reasonably awkward (SUMMER: I named my cat after Springsteen, TOM: Okay, what was his name?, SUMMER: Bruce...) but then gets rather prolific. This is where we really learn about who Summer is and her perspective on love.
SUMMER
There's no such thing as love, it's fantasy 
  • I always found something disturbingly funny about the scene in the park where Tom and Summer are both screaming 'penis', each time louder than before
  • Tom and Summer's final scene together sitting on a park bench looking out over Los Angeles. It is really heartbreaking as it is the first real confrontation they have had since Summer's wedding and Tom actually gains the confidence to ask her what happened, why she all of a sudden changed her whole perspective on love and commitment. Her response is rough, and I'm sure that no matter what she said, Tom would have been hurt regardless, but ultimately I love her brutal honesty, it's not something you often hear in romance films. There's no, "I still love you no matter what" or "There will always be a special place for you in my heart", the conversation simply goes like this:
TOM
You never wanted to be anybody's 
girlfriend and now you're somebody's wife
SUMMER
It surprised me too
TOM
I don't think I'll ever understand that. 
I mean it doesn't make sense.
SUMMER
It just happened
TOM
That's what I don't understand, 
what just happened?
SUMMER
 I just woke up one day and I knew
TOM
Knew what
SUMMER
What I was never sure of with you

Music Moments
This movie has some wicked tunes so get ready for an overload.
  • Us- Regina Spektor
  • Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap
  • Quelqu'un m'a dit- Carla Bruni

  • You Make My Dreams- Hall & Oates


  • She's Got You High- Mumm Ra

Thursday, 22 May 2014

An ode to the Dream Cuisine Salted Caramel Macaron

 

Dream Cuisine is a gorgeous little cafe located in Fyshwick (which is in Canberra, Australia if anyone wants to make a pilgrimage from overseas) that serves great food and coffee. But what I would say is one of the best things about Dream Cuisine is one small, round, French confection...

The macaron.

But not just any macaron, I'm talking about the salted caramel macaron.


Salted caramel is one of those things that seems to appear more and more on cafe and restaurant menus in cakes, chocolates, milkshakes, the list goes on. But I have never had anything with the proclaimed 'salted caramel' flavour that tastes as amazing as the Dream Cuisine macaron.

When you bite into it's crisp, beige exterior and that rich salted caramel flavour hits you, I guarantee you will be a convert and from then on anything else that is supposed to taste like 'salted caramel' will not even compare.

Also, you can even buy the filling in a jar for a very reasonable $5 (let's be honest, I would pay a million) and then everything you eat, toast, fruit, crackers, even salad, can be enhanced with this extraordinary salted caramel flavour. 

Dream Cuisine Patisserie & Cafe
9/18 Whyalla St, Fyshwick
Mon- Fri 6.30am - 4pm
Sat 9.00am - 2.00pm
Closed Sundays and public holidays

Monday, 19 May 2014

Feature Movie of the Week: Lost in Translation


 


"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves"
-Henry David Thoreau 

Lost in Translation is the second film of writer/director Sofia Coppola, who also happens to be one of my favourite directors in the entire world. I love all of Coppola's films, but there is something particularly special about Lost in Translation. I'm not going to lie, when I first watched this at around age 13/14, I wasn't a fan. The subtleties of the film were lost on me and quite frankly I was just bored (I would refer to this stage in my life as the 'Twilight' years so you can say that my taste in film wasn't very mature). But upon a second viewing a few years later, I fell in love. 

The film follows 2 main characters, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) and Bob (Bill Murray) and their separate journeys and coming together in Tokyo, Japan. Charlotte, a university graduate in philosophy, is there with her husband of two years who is working in Tokyo as a celebrity photographer. She spends her days in their hotel room at the Park Hyatt or wandering around the city alone, contemplating the direction of her life and her emotionally distant marriage. Bob is an ageing actor, sent to Tokyo to film an advertisement for Suntory Whiskey. Also staying at the Park Hyatt, Bob receives regular phone calls from his wife who seems to be so concerned with decorating his office that she does not notice his grave unhappiness. 

Bob
The more you know who you are and what you want, 
the less you let things upset you.

As the title suggests, Bob and Charlotte are both “lost”, in literal and metaphorical senses. The film contains many scenes in which messages are not effectively communicated due to a literal loss in translation, as well as the fact that they are both in a foreign country with a different time zone and culture.  But in more metaphorical senses, they are each at points in their lives where they feel lost and aimless. They are searching for themselves as much as they are looking to make some sort of emotional connection to someone or something, and it is this mutual sense of confusion and purposelessness that brings them together.  

The overall message of the film can be best summed up in a quotation by Sofia herself, 
“The unexpected connections we make might not last, yet stay with us forever.”


Standout Performances
  • Bill Murray- As a comedic actor, Murray never fails to bring the laughs to the lighter moments in Lost in Translation, but he really shines in the moments of drama and melancholy as well. Murray perfectly portrays Bob's dissatisfaction and sense of aimlessness and he...

  • Scarlett Johansson- Young, charming and beautiful, you can see how Bob falls in love with Charlotte, but Johannson brings so many more layers to the role of this lonely, lost woman. From interacting with her husband (Giovanni Ribisi) to wandering the streets of Tokyo alone and especially in her scenes with Bob, Johannson is utterly captivating throughout the whole film.

Memorable Scenes
  • When Bob is trying to shoot his commercial for Suntory Whiskey and he is receiving very confusing instructions from the Japanese director through his translator and hilarity ensues.  
  • When Bob and Charlotte lie on his hotel room bed and have a conversation that ranges from the trivial to the existential. A particularly moving part of the scene is when the two are starting to drift off to sleep and Bob slowly touches Charlotte's foot.
  • When Bob and Charlotte go out for lunch towards the end of their time together and emotions are running high. There is a real sense of underlying tension and a disruption to the equilibrium of the narrative, and for some reason there is something about it that always struck me. 
  • The final scene of the film as Bob is departing Tokyo and he gives his final farewell to Charlotte, the two embrace, Bob whispers something inaudible in Charlotte's ear and they share a kiss, ending the film on an equally entrancing and ambiguous note.


Music Moments
  • The whole karaoke scene, which is also one of my favourites in the film, especially the songs Brass in Pocket by The Pretenders & More Than This by Roxy Music
  • Just Like Honey- The Jesus and Mary Chain
 

Saturday, 17 May 2014

Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts

http://img.tedcdn.com/r/images.ted.com/images/ted/b542b1ddd2e40cfcf9db3430598bc37cebfec8c1_1600x1200.jpg?ll=1&quality=89&w=800 

I was recently given a project at work to research YouTube and TED videos around a particular topic (#winning) and I came across this great one.

Writer Susan Cain, who has a preference for introversion, speaks about the value of introverts in a world that appears to place more value and emphasis on being extroverted. And of course as a person who falls very much on the more introverted side of the spectrum I'm thinking PREACH IT SISTER!

It is 19 minutes long but if you can make it to the end, here are my main take-aways:
  • Let introverts be introverts- people need to stop telling those who have a preference for introversion to "put away the books" and "be more outgoing"
  • Incessant group work is not helping anyone. Yes, both introverts and extroverts need to learn how to work with other people but by forcing introverts to constantly work in groups we are going to struggle to come up with great, creative ideas- we need alone time!
  • If you have a preference for introversion, it's okay! Living in a society that wants you to conform to it's extroverted standards sometimes makes it hard to remember this important fact but the truth is, introverts really do have a lot to offer the world.

Friday, 16 May 2014

New Video: Danny & Mindy - Surround You

 http://media.portable.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Mindy-Project-Season-2-Finale-Recap-Portable-3.jpg

I mean how could I not make a video after that finale?!

DANNY AND MINDY WOOOOO!

 

 
 TV Show: The Mindy Project
Couple: Danny & Mindy
Song: Surround You by Echosmith

Thursday, 15 May 2014

5 Places for Breakfast in Canberra


 French toast from Maple and Clove

Breakfast is my favourite meal to eat out. Something about starting the day with a big, hearty meal in a fresh location makes me very happy and I find that after I eat breakfast out I always feel really good and my day is instantly brightened.

Yep, simply eating breakfast out has that effect on me.

So if you share my enthusiasm for eating breakfast out, or if you just want a good morning feed, here are 5 places around Canberra that serve a very yummy breakfast.

Disclaimer: This is in no way a definitive list, there are many other Canberra cafes that do great breakfasts and others I am looking forward to trying but these are just a few I've been to recently. 




Nestled in the Hotel Realm precinct in Barton, Maple and Clove is in a lovely area, with great decor, welcoming, accommodating staff and an overall warm atmosphere. Their menu includes french toast, pancakes and porridge made with ingredients like quinoa, chia seeds and spelt flour, so you know you're getting some nutrients from your breakfast. But alongside these you can still get your standard eggs on toast, egg and bacon sandwich and even just plain old toast with Vegemite or peanut butter (of course the toast is made with spelt flour though so it's still got the Maple and Clove touch)
It's also worth noting that their range of smoothies is to die for and it is the sort of place that you leave after eating a big meal and you actually feel good, like you've just eaten something both yummy and not terrible for you, and really, what more could you want?

Dobinsons

Dobinsons is located on the outside of the Canberra Centre and it is definitely the sort of place I would recommend if you're looking for a cheap, easy, simple but very satisfying breakfast. Their servings are very generous, the food tastes great and for what you pay it is great value. Their breakfast menu isn't huge but it has all of the options you need like eggs, bacon and egg rolls, cinnamon toast and breakfast wraps not to mention their wide range of baked goods, sweet and savoury, in the display windows which work great either as a post breakfast snack or even just as breakfast itself (I mean come on, if a custard tart is an option for breakfast, why not?!) 


Bean and Grain

Bean and Grain is situated in the Fyshwick Markets and it is the perfect place to start the day before a morning of market shopping. It is a bakery as well as a cafe so you can bet that their bread is darn good and their breakfast menu is full of lovely, simple options such as eggs in various forms, waffles, granola and bagels. I've had both scrambled eggs on toast and waffles with maple syrup and whipped butter and both were excellent. As Bean and Grain is within the markets they are only open Thurs-Sun but let me tell you, it is worth the wait!

The Cupping Room

The Cupping Room is located on University Avenue in the city so, as you can guess, it has a definite hipster/university vibe, but this is in no way a bad thing. I loved it there, the staff were really lovely, the food was exciting (and at times confusing because of the wide range of eclectic ingredients on the menu, but once again, no complaints here) and, although it may not be the most important thing, the music they were playing was awesome. 
I ordered banana pancakes which came with salted caramel sauce, peanuts and banana chips (and yes it was as delicious as it sounds) and I have to say that as a frequent drinker of super sweet coffees, my mocha was one of the nicest I've ever had. 




Don't be put off by the fact that 5 Senses is situated in the Tuggeranong Hyperdome, perhaps not a particularly enticing place for breakfast, but I'm a Tuggeranong local so I appreciate it's accessibility, and it's location within the shopping centre makes it easy to forget where you are anyway. They make good coffee and their breakfast menu leaves little to be desired, you've got quinoa, eggs, french toast, pancakes, waffles, muesli and more. I particularly enjoyed the fact that they have put a twist on a lot of the standard breakfast meals,  for example their scrambled eggs come with toast, homemade baked beans and ricotta, something I have never had before, and let me tell you it was scrumptious.