Being Julia
Mood:  happy
Topic: Movie choices

Tale of amorous folly and revenge set in the world of the London stage in the late 1930's. Reigning diva Julia Lambert's success and fame grow suddenly wearisome. She falls head over heels for a young American, Tom, and begins a passionate May - December affair. When she realizes that Tom is just a young social climber whose real passion is ambitious young starlet Avice Crichton, Julia begins to plot a delightful revenge.Although Julia is at least as shallow as any actor in history, she does have ability and imagination, which she uses to rewrite her role on the fly, with comic results.

Whine 411
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Sideways, at Lady's Island
Topic: Movie choices
This movie begins with the protagonist suffering from the wrath of grapes, and lurches mostly forward for a painful and protracted interlude. Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti), who spends his days teaching middle school English, (and his nights drinking top quality wine) links up with his buddy Jack (Thomas Haden Church), who plays an actor in real life, to stage a pre-nuptial road trip in California's Santa Ynez Valley. That's wine country, son. Red gold. Sometimes Gold gold. This show is one more reason to feel sorry for Californians. I mean all that good stuff they have and nobody smiles unless they get paid to do so.

An oenophile loves wine... really loves wine. But our boy loves it ju-ust a little too much. Slow-starting and long on the set-up the story finally hits its stride during a well-acted and well-edited restaurant scene, in which oenophile meets oenophess and budding horticulturist Maya (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, Jack is sidetracked by Stephanie (Sandra Oh), a motorcyle-riding, helmet-swinging, very modern woman.

Jack turns the week into an extended panty raid, while Miles, the neediest character in western literature, awaits the fate of his great american novel, the two-volume set of which makes War and Peace look like a pamphlet. Miles and Maya are about the only cast members to keep their clothes on for much of the film's duration. If you are keeping score, Jack loses Stephanie, Cammie (Missy Doty), his wallet, his clothes and nearly his nose, but gains his Armenian intended. Miles loses the book contract, his, uh... geez, I guess that was his car... but as the lady or the tiger ending implies, may gain entry to the Mayan form of civilization. After all that: recommended. Guess we can stop moaning about the dearth of thinking movies for another week.

Hooray for Siberia!
Mood:  special
Topic: Movie choices
Some Dataws are worried that Beaufort may be a sort of cultural Siberia when it comes to movies.

Actually, it's more of a cultural Austria since H'wood is more interested in the type of films popularized by 'Ahnult' Schwarzenegger. They make tons of money, don't require actors and appeal to those who shell out for sex and violence.

If you prefer violins to violence, however, there is one venue that will please: The Beaufort Orchestra holds eight performances a year (soon to be nine). Your feet won't stick to the floor, you won't bump into any Terminator fans and if good writing is your pleasure, just slip across the border to Salzburg and try Johannes Crisostomos Wolfgang Amadeus (Gotlieb) Mozart on for size. (Good 'ol Mo.)

Hasta la Vista, Baby