Is It 1984 Yet?

"Who controls the past controls the future.
Who controls the present controls the past."
Big Brother is Watching You.

I saw a small theatre company's adaptation of George Orwell's famous novel tonight and the experience has caused many thoughts to swirl in my mind. The thought police would have a field day with me! In the first place, the play itself. It was all right. I find it fascinating to attend independent theatre because of its no-frills nature. This makes the performance less-thrilling but more focused on the actors. This presentation was no exception. There was no stage, art direction was bare, and seating was improvised.

The adaptation was original and you could see that in the effort of the players. They really wanted the experience to work. But the script fell short in achieving the critical subtext that makes the novel so intriguing. The play moved through static plot points but never achieved a cohesiveness of theme. One of the films greatest strengths was the use of video to create the INGSOC news bulletins and to model the ever-watching telescreen. This tool was effective and communicated most of the important information from the novel. It was clear that the presentation was made for fans of the book but not as an artistic interpretation in its own right. If you've never read 1984 then you would not leave the play with an understanding of its commentary. You would, however, get a good grasp of the major activities of the story.

So leaving the play I pondered this idea. There appears to be a return to political commentary in popular culture. And as I perused the internet to find an image for this post I encountered many political cartoons and pictures that connected the current US administration with Orwell's Big Brother. But then I also found a multitude of images from that other Big Brother - the shameless reality TV one - and realized that entire generation probably doesn't know why that show is called what it is. And if this is the case, then there are more people who haven't read the novel (or its brethren - the works of Huxley and Vonnegut for example) and I feel that the scary prophecies of the 1940s are moving closer to reality.

There is much to say about the book but it is not one of my favourites. I took me three tries before I could get into it enough to get all the way through the story. But it has stayed with me. And I found that during the play I would nod at the touches, the comments, the references as the story came flooding back to me. The performance was not as riveting a I had hoped. I also felt that it missed the opportunity to present the overall feeling of the book. But I will also concede that the adaptation is a challenge and I am just thankful that such obstacles are tackled in the arts scene here.

My Closet

THIS is my closet. I love it. It's the best thing I've had for a closet in a long time. It has no doors but that's fine by me. I can actually lay in bed and figure out what I want to wear. What could be better? OK - an entire walk-in would be better - but this is good for now. And when I took this pic (a couple of months ago) my closet was in prime shape. I had filled with a solid collection of work, school, social, and fun options. My particular "looks" had colour options and flattering combinations. I was very happy with my closet. And this month, I got a bit smaller. As in, I lost an inch off my waistline. And as much as I am excited to be digging into those last few inches around the middle, the change has ruined my closet. My pants hang low and baggy. My skirts are about to fall off. My tailored blouses have become boxy. And now that I have a job for which to wear all my great outfits I lay in bed and struggle over what to wear. I knew it was too good to last forever.

A Real BIRTH Day

In an obvious attempt to one-up my plant acquisition - my friends Scott & Katrina welcomed their son into the world yesterday. I stole this pic from Scott's site so I hope he doesn't mind. It is all in the name of spreading the news afterall. So Maxwell Hunter Carefoot arrived on the 23rd of April to say "Happy Birthday" to his very own father. Can you believe that? To be born on the SAME day as one of your parents? I thought it was nifty when Taggart was born on his great-grandfather's bday but this one takes the cake (so to speak!). I'm gonna go water my plant now.

Lily-Livered No More

This is my new plant. I bought it today - it's called a Peace Lily which is the perfect name for my current frame of mind. I bought it because I need to work on keeping something alive. I have always been down on my green-thumb potential but I figured I have to start somewhere. I bought it because I need to work on peace of mind and part of that is about speaking up and clearing up my life. I have come to realize that the only way to "let someone go" is to be honest that you want to hold on to them in the first place. For me, this has always been the hard part. Admitting what I really want and then putting that into words with respect to other people has not been one of my strengths. But I worked on it today when I finally took control of one of my emotional drains. And then I bought my lily. The plant is the first step in re-affirming my right to have positive things in my life - and who knows - maybe this one will flourish.

Thank you for Smoking - movie review

I have been waiting to see this film ever since I caught the trailer on one of my weekly visits to my fave trailer site a couple of months ago. And then I missed it during the festival circuit. And then all the press about it after Sundance had to do with "the missing Katie Holmes sex scene". And then I forgot about it. And then it opened in Halifax and I had to go. Well, it was worth the wait. Best comedic satire of the year (sorry American Dreamz).

Smoking is short and sharp. Like most solid movies it comes from written source material (the novel by Christopher Buckley) and you can see it in the structure. At 92 minutes, the film might sound like a waste of your $10-13 but if people will dish out for The Benchwarmers @ 85mins. or Scary Movie 4 @ 83!mins. then the commentary-packed time of Smoking is money well spent.

Smoking centers around lobbyist Nick Naylor and follows his path from "Sultan of Spin" for Big Tobacco to, well, "Sultan of Spin" for other ethically flexible enterprises. If this journey sounds short it's not. The movie navigates through ethical debate, logical argument, and corporate responsibility. It introduces us to the MOD = Merchants of Death (tobacco, alcohol and guns), the consumers, and the consequences with a razor-sharp and intelligent approach. The film succeeds at illuminating the tobacco industry as criminal even as the central character is extolling its virtues. It's completely clever.

Acting is crucial in a film like this one. Thankfully, Aaron Eckhart is leading the way on this crusade. If you don't know him (or only know him from Erin Brokovich or The Core) then I suggest you take a look at Neil LeBute's early films In The Company of Men and Friend & Neighbors which were the launchpads for Eckhart's career. They also show that he is potentially the best actor in Hollywood to portray moral ambiguity in a character and not appear utterly villainous (i.e. John Malkovich or Willem Dafoe). In Smoking, he is in his element. He is all charm and grin and wit and eloquence. And his eyes tell you everything that he's not saying. It's wonderful to watch and makes you root for Naylor even at his worst. The supporting cast is strong with Maria Bello, Robert Duvall, William H. Macy and Rob Lowe (!) turning in convincing performances with the requisite amount of wink for a film of this kind. Sam Elliot IS the Marlboro Man - seriously. Adam Brody and Katie Holmes try their best but both are easily replaceable. Oh - and that sex scene? It's there - and its entertaining but I've never belived Holmes as a sexpot and she doesn't sell it here either.

Many things work well in Smoking. The direction and pacing are on target and keep the film hopping along. Creative set-ups and smart editing take advantage of what the film medium allows and weave the various smoking viewpoints together with style. But the best element is the character of Nick Naylor's son. As a mild Jiminey Cricket figure, the son follows Naylor on his journey and pushes the father to explain, defend, and support his actions. The interaction between the two characters is the core of the Smoking debate - one about choice. It also emphasizes the need to question assumptions and to educate ourselves (and our children) because the choice is empty if it is not an informed one. In the end, I think that Thank you for Smoking might be the best film to watch for anyone struggling with the convergence of ethics, business and health. All that in an hour and half - they must have had a smoker's needs at heart!

Girl Crush

Can I admit to having a girl crush on Mandy Moore? It's been a slow, creeping, steady buildup to this crush and I succumbed to its reality when one of the reasons I wanted to see American Dreamz is because she is in it. And she doesn't disappoint. She may have began her career singing sugar-coated ballads and tossing her blonde curls but that has all changed. At 22-years-old, Moore has evolved into the refreshing opposite of new millenium pop-starlet-ness. She actually became a brunette. She has created a line of flirty Tshirts (company name: Mblem) that I would actually wear! She dates intelligent dork Zach Braff. She seamlessly moves between films and albums without either feeling like a vanity attempt. She shows up on red carpets in demure, classy, elegant, and stylish ensembles that make her lovely rather than lewd. She has never appeared to have an eating disorder. She has never made the front page of "Scoop" in a blurry, post-bar drunken photo. And yet, this potential goody-goody-ness is not annyoing. If anything, it makes her more likable. And as the door swings open for a new girl-next-door (now that Katie Holmes has, you know, gone crazy) I feel more than justified in supporting Moore for that title. Squeeee - crushes are so girly!

Me & T and Nancy Makes Three

I was fortunate enough this year to make the acquaintance of two spectacular ladies in the accelerated stream of the MBA program. My twosome with Tanya became a threesome in the second semester with Nancy. We are fun, fearless and fantastic. And tonight we celebrated the end of the academic year. Here's a look back ... it only paves the way for a fricken awesome future.

SEPTEMBER - Whitepoint Beach Retreat & Crystal Crescent Cleanup

OCTOBER - Halloween & DECEMBER - Ten Mile House at the Pogue

JANUARY - MBA Games & Second Semester Pub Crawl

FEBRUARY - Spring Break Party

MARCH - Greg's Bday & MY Bday

APRIL - MBA Formal & Post-Case Competition Pub

A Good Catch

Finally saw the 1970 movie version of the classic book by Joseph Heller. What can I say? It was excellent. Mike Nichols manages to take the schizophrenic joyride of Heller's novel and turn it into a solidly entertaining political romp through WWII. The cast is a full-on who's who of soon-to-be movie regulars with Alan Arkin sealing the deal as Cpt. Yossarian. Although much is still left on the pages, the movie achieves an enormous feat by matching the book's clarity and confusion all at once. Well worth the watch.