Crossings

Crossings by Chuang Hua was a surprisingly quick read for a modernist novel. I wouldn’t exactly recommend this for a spring break read, but I did finish the book a lot sooner than expected. Time jumps back and forth in Crossings, and it is often difficult to identify the speaker, but this confusion added to my understanding of Fourth Jane, the main character. Fourth Jane, a young Chinese American woman, struggles with her desire to be independent and her feeling of loyalty to her family’s expectations and gender norms. She is also a badass who cooks amazing meals for her mediocre, self absorbed, emotionally unavailable, married boyfriend when she lives in France. First Jane bounces back and forth between breaking free of her father’s expectations and unknowingly living them through her actions, opinions, and ideals. I found myself applauding First Jane one minute, then screaming at her for bending to all the men in her life the next minute.  I loved the book’s style. The feeling of insecurity and confusion that I felt while trying to sort out all the details in Crossings complimented my analysis of Fourth Jane and the book as a whole. The book does a great job of illustrating a split between wanting to adhere to society’s expectations and desperately wanting to be free to be the maker of meaning. Though I had to do some re-reading, the story flowed really well and I found myself really invested in Fourth Jane’s life. It’s somewhat of a challenge and will require you to throw  chronology to the wind, but Crossings was well worth the read. I recommend this book for people interested in Asian American fiction, modernist or experimental novels, or feminist novels.

My rating: 7/10

Beautiful Daughters

Yesterday I attended a screening of Beautiful Daughters, a 2006 documentary about the first completely transgender production of The Vagina Monologues. The film, directed by Josh Aronson and Ariel Orr Jordan, beautifully tells the story of a few of the women in the cast of this particular production. Calpernia Addams, a trans actress, performed and directed the production and was fantastic. I really enjoyed this film also because it follows Eve Ensler (the writer and creator of The Vagina Monologues) as she interviews many of the women for the transgender monologue that she was writing at the time. The film focuses on the women’s individual stories weaved in to the story about the production. Beautiful Daughters did a good job (in my opinion) of explaining the trans experience from trans women’s perspectives. Instead of an obnoxious tell-all documentary revealing the “inside-scoop” on being a trans woman, this film showed these women in the context of their lives, and focused on the fact that they were women facing a lot of discrimination that essentially comes from misogyny. The Vagina Monologues aims to address violence against women, and the film did an excellent job of showing that a lot of violence against trans women has to do with the fact that they are feminine. The expression of femininity and what exactly it means to be a woman or to be feminine comes into play a lot in the film, which is very interesting. The film argues that being a woman isn’t about biology or genitalia, it’s about identity. The idea of sisterhood comes up a lot, which I really enjoyed as well. After all, ostracizing trans women goes against the idea of feminism because it condemns the expression of femininity.

On a lighter note, the women in this cast were hilarious and so impressive. One of my favorites was Valerie Spencer, an unapologetic, funny, beautiful woman dedicated to her mother’s health and her own personal happiness. Lynn Conway was another favorite. Conway is a badass engineer who started from the bottom after being fired for being trans and managed to work her way to the top. She is now in the National Academy of Engineering and basically proved (twice) that women can do whatever they want. Anyway, I think people should watch this film. If you’re interested or confused by transfeminism, watch this movie. I’m still confused about it but I’m definitely willing to learn more. So my dear feminists, unite and watch this! It also presents an interesting version of The Vagina Monologues, and proves that women need to stick together instead of ostracizing each other in the fight for equality. Also, I hear the movie is only two dollars on iTunes.

My rating: 7.5/10

Black Swan

I re-watched Black Swan, one of my favorite movies, the other day with my housemates. I’ve seen Black Swan four or five times, but I still find myself finding new pieces to dissect. The 2010 psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky revolves around Nina, a ballerina who seeks perfection. She is cast as the Swan Queen in her company’s production of Swan Lake, but Nina must learn to embody the virginal white swan and the conniving, dangerous black swan. Nina, played by the beautiful Natalie Portman, has everything she needs for the white swan, but desperately tries to find the black swan within her, and eventually does. The movie also stars Mila Kunis, who does a fantastic job of playing Lily, Nina’s fellow dancer and frenemy. This time around when I watched the movie I particularly focused on Nina’s mother, played by Barbara Hershey, who lives vicariously through Nina and obsesses over doing everything for her to the point where it was unclear whether Nina knew how to wipe her own ass. Hershey did an excellent job of embodying the ultimate crazy, protective mother.

“My sweet girl” said in the creepiest voice she could muster.

Highlights include Nina masturbating without realizing that her mother was asleep in the room with her, and Nina’s mother threatening to throw an entire cake in the garbage. Portman does an amazing job of capturing Nina’s desperation and desire to be perfect and to prove herself. She actually won an Academy Award for the performance. My favorite part of the movie has always been the ending, particularly because it is one of the only movies that really makes me feel anything new at the end. Though Nina ends up literally driving herself insane, she accomplishes her goal (to the expense of her life) and manages to do what she must to achieve perfection and nail the role as Swan Queen. I would also be angry at myself if I didn’t mention Winona Ryder’s work as Beth, or as I like to call her, the bad bitch. You should definitely watch this movie if you like ballet, psychological thrillers, or if you want to watch a Mila Kunis spike someone’s drink.

My rating: 9.5/10

Watch the trailer!

Living History

During winter break I told myself that I would probably read six or seven books. Sure enough, I read one book and it was Living History by Hillary Clinton. Though the book was published in 2003, I had wanted to read it for a long time. I’m a big fan of Hillary, but I realized that I didn’t know that much about her. Though I may agree with a lot of what she’s done and where she stands on issues that are important to me, I wanted to learn more, especially from a personal perspective. This is how I ended up finding the copy of her book in my parents’ basement. It took me a surprisingly long time to finish the book, but I really enjoyed it for the most part. This particular memoir focuses mostly on her time as First Lady, but also touches on Hillary’s childhood and life before becoming the famous woman she is now. I was very surprised to learn that Hillary had been raised in a Republican household and had been president of the Wellesley Republicans (until she stepped down after beginning to question her beliefs).

My father’s reaction when I told him Hillary was a former Republican. (Source: http://noyoureoutoforder.tumblr.com/)

The book touches on her time in law school and her participation in the Watergate investigation. It was very interesting to learn about her accomplishments and failures before and during becoming First Lady. There were some very funny and touching parts of the book as well, such as when she moves Chelsea into college. I really enjoyed learning more about Hillary’s personal life and getting a chance to understand her side of a lot of events that happened during the Clinton Administration. Hillary was a very controversial First Lady and broke many traditions such as extending her staff into the West Wing, heading the health care reform initiative, and traveling more around the world on behalf of women’s rights. Of course ten years later she has done so much more than that, but even at the time Hillary was a very impressive woman and I enjoyed learning more about her. One chapter I love focused on Hillary’s decision to run for Senator of New York.

A younger Hillary with her family. Bill’s hair and Chelsea’s dress though. I mean Hillary shouldn’t take all the heat for poor fashion choices.

She talked about “daring to compete” as a woman and as someone who was usually on the sidelines in comparison to her husband. Political beliefs aside, Hillary has done so much for women in terms of example and through her actions which are elaborated on in Living History. I would recommend this book in general, especially to people who enjoy memoirs or are interested in female leaders. I met Hillary once in high school when I lived in Chile and she was Secretary of State. I can’t even remember what I said to her because we basically just introduced ourselves and took a photo. I always think about that day and wish that I had made more of an effort to learn about her prior, not only because she was visiting and I had the rare opportunity to meet her, but also because she has been a very important voice for women in the United States in my lifetime.  Obviously Living History does not stand alone as adequate research on Hillary Clinton, especially since it is outdated and written in first person by Hillary herself. However, I found it very interesting and enjoyed learning about the different roles Hillary played as First Lady and in her life. 

My rating: 7/10

Her (2013)

I finally saw Her while in DC for the day. I had wanted to see it for a long time and finally found myself inside the theater sitting in front of a big family of tourists who must have gotten bored. In general I really enjoyed the movie. Joaquin Phoenix was great, and I couldn’t help wondering what it must have been like to film so many solitary scenes and still making it believable. The plot revolves around Theodore Twombly, an emotional man who falls in love with his operating system, Samantha. They live in a world slightly more modern and updated than ours, and Samantha has thoughts and feelings and is able to learn a lot very quickly. This type of movie could have fallen very flat, especially because on the surface it’s about a man who falls in love with his computer. The convincing acting and pure display of emotions challenged ideas about the possibilities of love and legitimacy of intimacy with unordinary people (or operating systems).

Best friends Theodore and Amy (Amy Adams) chatting about rude video games and ex-lovers.

While it showed the ability to connect with a non-human, yet understanding and intelligent being, the movie also presented many scenes of people completely engrossed with their technology. Theodore works for a company that writes handwritten letters (that aren’t actually handwritten or original) for their clients, so that even the most traditional and emotional form of communication (at least in my opinion) is tainted by technology and a third party. Her, directed by Spike Jonze, had an amazing cast that definitely helped the movie succeed. Amy Adams and Rooney Mara along with Phoenix did a great job of showing different sides of real people amidst all the technology and operating systems in the movie. Scarlett Johansson was the voice actor for Samantha, and despite complaints that her voice was too recognizable I appreciated her raspy contribution.

Theodore spinning around like a madman IN LOVE

I definitely emerged from the movie with different conclusions, and have since changed my mind a few times. At first I felt that the movie challenged traditional relationships and proposed legitimate intimacy in unorthodox places, which it does. On the other hand, though, the ending also seemed to suggest that eventually a relationship with technology can and will inevitably fail for a variety of reasons. I haven’t really sorted everything out here in case you couldn’t tell, so I will instead talk about the subtle but entertaining fashion in the movie. Every man dawns a mustache and these weird little cloth pants that I actually really liked. They reminded me of these gray slacks that I would wear as my uniform in Catholic school. Everyone has a little earpiece to chat with their OS systems, which while extremely antisocial also seemed pretty fun. Go see the movie! It’s not too happy and not too sad, so it’s perfect for a rainy or sunny day. I watched it on a cloudy day with a milkshake that I smuggled into the theater in case you want the same experience I had.

My rating: 8/10

Detachment

Adrien Brody looking especially aloof in this poster for the movie.

Last night I watched Detachment, a 2011 movie starring Adrien Brody and Christina Hendricks about the American high school education system. The story revolves around Henry Barthes (Brody), a substitute teacher, and his peers at the public school where he teaches for a while. This complicated movie also delves into Henry’s personal life, including a touching relationship with his grandfather. Though Henry’s general personality often seems detached (ha-ha) or aloof, he possesses a surprising amount of compassion, which shows when he takes in a very young prostitute and helps her get back on her feet. This movie, directed by Tony Kaye, is a heavy one, and difficult for me to wrap my mind around. The story is extremely sad, and most of the characters seem very distressed despite sometimes showing signs of life and happiness. Most of the characters are falling apart and just trying to get through life.  There was one teacher who was on my suicide watch the entire movie, and the picture the film painted of the average American high school was very disheartening.

Preaching to the choir in this part from what I could tell.

Lucy Liu’s character, Dr. Parker, was an example of a character who tried so desperately to try to make things work with her job and within the school system and just couldn’t. Though the movie was not the uplifting midnight feature I had anticipated, it did lead to a lot of thoughts and questions about the school system and about teachers. I have often thought about the fact that people in the United States often look at teaching as a “backup” or fallback career, but really I think it takes a lot of passion and strength, especially at schools with difficult students.

Henry and Erica, a young prostitute who won’t leave him alone.

The movie seemed to suggest a kind of hopelessness to the current system, in which neither the teachers nor the students were getting much out of anything. They seemed to just float through their lives, (sometimes) trying and (mostly) failing keep a positive attitude. Whether or not I enjoyed the movie, I recommend it. The different characters come together to create touching, if brief, moments, and to question things as they are. The actors helped create a raw and rich story about a group of people struggling to be alive and happy within the walls of a school.

Don’t let my melancholy talk keep you from seeing the movie yourself. Personally, I think people could arrive at different ideas and conclusions after watching. There are also some great moments where teachers come across as strong and important people in the movie, so there’s definitely a mixture of impressions one can take away. I do think it was an interesting look from a teacher’s perspective and provided me with a lot to think about long after the movie had ended.

My rating: 7/10

Here is the trailer in case you would like to see:

The Short Game

I am not a fan of any kind of sport and believe me, I have tried most of them. When I was younger I was convinced that sports led to friendship. Memories include warming many a bench (when there was a bench like in softball or basketball) or shivering in my too-tight swimsuit while cursing the gods for holding back rain on swim meet days. Since then I have moved far from the world of sports, though admittedly my only exposure to golf growing up was the occasional trip to Woody’s Mini Golf Range. However, when I heard that there was a documentary about seven-year-old golf prodigies, I couldn’t resist. This Netflix original documentary focuses on eight young golfers from around the world preparing to compete in the world championship of junior golf in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Sky being fresh and teaching the audience golf terms (which I didn’t really appreciate).

It was hard to believe that some of these kids were so young. Though the occasional temper tantrum (Amari) occurred, all the children seemed much older than second graders. One personal favorite was Allan Kournikova, the famous tennis player‘s younger brother. His plentiful words of wisdom provided me with a lot of entertainment. Another favorite player of mine was South African Zama who was very funny and ended up improving a lot in the tournament. He also had a small belly that resembled his father’s which for some reason really amused me. I am always amazed by people who are passionate about sports, especially golf, because they always seem so boring to me (mostly because I am incapable of succeeding in any physical activity of any kind).

The friendship between Allan and Alexa is real. Alexa’s weird little friends tried to paint it as a romance, but I stand by platonic rival-friends.

Watching these kids pouring their little seven-year old hearts into golf confirmed that I lack a lot of ambition, and also encouraged me to consider going to the gym at least twice next semester which would be two more times than I went last semester. At the beginning of the film I chose a few kids that I didn’t like because they seemed entitled, but by the end I decided that they were all crazy and talented and that it’s understandable for them to be rude as long as it’s on camera. I do love a good tantrum scene, whether it be from miniature golfers or from real housewives. Except for Jed. Jed was this young golfer from the Philippines who was flawless in my eyes and will probably remain that way until my untimely death. The Short Game kept me hooked from the beginning, and by the end of the film I was dying to find out who won the tournament. I recommend this to all humans, especially if you need something to motivate you to not eat that piece of chocolate cake for breakfast (which I still did).

My rating: 8/10

Rosemary’s Baby

Rosemary and her smart pixie cut. Source: Athenacinema.com

I had heard a lot about Rosemary’s Baby, and finally decided to watch it on Netflix the other day. By a lot I mean that I knew it was a horror and that it got a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. I sat down to watch the psychological horror movie and braced myself for a lot of blood and gore, only to find that there was only one really terrifying scene. The movie, directed by Roman Polanski and released in 1968, managed to scare me without flooding the screen with blood or making me jump every few seconds.

This is me when a movie makes me jump more than twice. (Source: http://imalwaysconfusedtho.tumblr.com)

I hate movies that make me jump all the time. I find it kind of rude actually unless there is enough music to prepare me. The plot revolves around Rosemary  who moves into a new building filled with elderly tenants with her husband. Rosemary gets pregnant and begins to suspect her husband and neighbors of plotting to steal her baby from her and sacrifice it to the devil. I could definitely use another watch to get all the details straight but in general I really enjoyed it. Mia Farrow did a great job as Rosemary, and as I suppose most people know, ended up sparking quite the movement with her pixie cut. She also looks extremely haggard for most of the movie, so I got some tips on how to make the dark circles under my eyes (sort of) work.

Minnie, Rosemary’s neighbor who tries to steal her devil baby. I love this photo because it shows the true essence of “bad bitch.”

The movie also stars John Cassavetes as Guy, Rosemary’s selfish and irritating husband. I really wanted to kick him for the entirety of the movie which means he did his job. This movie made me want to watch other older horror movies. My favorites are Carrie, It, and Misery, so clearly I need to expand past movies based off Stephen King books. One part of the movie I did not enjoy was probably the ending, when Rosemary didn’t kill her baby. When someone walks around for a while with a knife, I expect it to be used. Also I feel compelled to say that despite really enjoying the movie, I think Roman Polanski is gross and do not condone his behavior.

My rating: 9/10

Frozen

Yesterday I went to the movies with my sister and a few of our friends to see Frozen. I was especially excited to see it because it has been in theaters for so long, and because I knew it was a movie about sisterhood. The Disney story revolves around Elsa and Anna, two sisters and princesses. Elsa, the older sister, possesses special ice powers. She is able to move and create snow, ice, and other winter-themed creatures. According to Wikipedia these are called cryokinetic powers. I’m just going to call them her ice powers because I don’t like the word “cryokinetic” and think that it takes away from the magic of the situation.

Elsa after she flees and gives herself a makeover. (Source: bozorgrah.net)

Anyway after she accidentally reveals her powers to the entire kingdom on her coronation day, Elsa flees to a mountain to live in isolation as a beautiful spinster. As an older sister, I definitely sided with Elsa at the beginning of the movie and made a lot of excuses for her behavior. However, after the second time she almost killed Anna via freeze ray, then proceeded to send a giant monster to chase her away and also nearly kill her, my loyalty began to waver. I found myself wondering when Elsa was going to get it together and pull through for all us older sisters. Despite Elsa’s flattering makeover and eventual realization that love conquers all, I had to eventually give up on her and rely on Anna to save the day (which she basically did). Idina Menzel‘s voice was featured for Elsa, which made me very happy, especially during the songs. Kristen Bell also did a great job as Anna. I also really loved the initial relationship with Anna and her fiancé. Though Hans ended up straying from the path of excellence, I appreciated his awkward interactions with Anna that were all too recognizable. Many parts of the movie were very funny, and it actually randomly reminded me of The Incredibles a little bit. Despite my identity crisis while watching the movie, I thought it was very sweet and funny and I recommend it, especially for the younger crowd. 

My rating: 8.5/10

Also I think the trailer is adorable so here it is:

Funny Books Exist

I sometimes find that when I tell people that I love to read, they instantly put me or my books into a serious and somber category. People look to movies and television first when finding something to make them laugh.  Classics like Jane Eyre aren’t exactly for everyone, according to my pre-med housemates. Luckily, not all books center around orphans turned governesses turned runaway-almost-brides. I’ve read my fair share of serious books that send me into a fit of tears, but I also have read books that put me in the awkward situation of snorting from laughter in public places (think silent nail salon). Some of these have given me the ab workout I thought I would never muster the energy to put myself through, and others were less aggressive, but equally entertaining reads. I’ve left out a few of the more obvious choices (everyone knows Bossypants is funny, okay?) and tried to include some less well known options too.

Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne

I think everyone should read this book, especially high school or even college students. One thing I love about Youth in Revolt is that its length seems extremely daunting, yet it manages to entertain throughout.  This book  is a great coming of age story about Nick Twisp, whom I lived vicariously through for a while. His alter ego forces him to do everything he secretly wants to do, and it sort of works out. This is a good book for people who “don’t like to read” because it’s an entertaining story about a boy who does what he wants when he wants. It’s certainly possible that I just liked the book so much because I’ve always had a dream of letting my alter ego take over my life, but just read it. It’s definitely a lighter (if physically heavy) option amidst all the textbooks and other assignments for college and high school students. A movie version of this book exists and I do not recommend it, which is part of the reason the picture I have included features the original book cover. I also really dislike when books-turned-movies update their book covers to reflect the movie, but I will save that rant for another time.

Is that an arm or a saxophone? We will never know.

A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell

This book is interesting because the story actually gets quite serious and even sad sometimes, but the characters are all ridiculous and funny in their own ways. A Time to be Born has a cynical humor to it, exposing the characters’ selfishness and greed in an entertaining and humorous way. The basic premise involves a kind of pathetic woman who moves to New York City after her boyfriend betrays and leaves her. She reconnects with an old friend from her hometown who is now a best selling author and a royal bitch.

All of the sass. Source: The Library of America

I read A Time to be Born for an American Fiction class my sophomore year of college and loved it. Powell narrates the story beautifully and managed to keep me laughing at very  unexpected times. The humor here is more of a product of the writing and situations in which the characters find themselves, and I wouldn’t necessarily call the book a comedy. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the funniest and most entertaining books I’ve read. If my love-hate relationships with the characters in this book aren’t real, then I don’t know what is. An interesting note about the author: Dawn Powell’s work actually didn’t become very popular until after her death. She was also known to be a pretty wild alcoholic according to one of my professors, so that should throw in another excitement factor.

Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

The title plays off a bestselling Judy Blume book that I am embarrassed to say I still haven’t read

I love this book and have recommended it to almost all my friends. This is the one work of non-fiction I included in this list. Though I’m sure some of the stories are exaggerated, Handler kept me laughing from beginning the end. The book itself is just a simple book of different events in Handler’s life. Stories range from a trip to Costa Rica with her father to her experiences as a waitress in LA. I especially love Handler’s descriptions of the people she interacts with and her commentary on everything. Chelsea Handler sometimes gets written off as “too raunchy,” but I think she’s great and applaud her ability to hold her own in the comedy world. I think this book and her other work dispel the common notion that women aren’t as funny as men, or that women can’t joke about the same topics that men can. This book can definitely be read in a day or two, and always proves to be a good addition to a vacation or trip. Definitely take it with you for spring break. I actually picked up my copy in an airport. I have also enjoyed her other books, but Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea is my favorite.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

Here lies another example of a book that isn’t an explicit comedy but includes many humorous and recognizable scenes. Set in New Jersey and the Dominican Republic, Díaz tells the story of Oscar, an awkward Dominican-American boy trying to live a fulfilling life and avoid being a loser. It’s impossible not to root for Oscar and his happiness as he faces a series of uncomfortable, dangerous, and embarrassing situations.  If you’re Latino American like I am, you will probably love this book. Though I’m not Dominican, I found myself relating a lot to Oscar’s experience identifying with his culture and heritage on top of just trying to be a normal, functional human being. The book includes a lot of words and phrases in Spanish, but don’t let this stop you from reading if you don’t speak the language. The story is well worth looking up a few words in my opinion.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I decided to end with a (perhaps) more well known book that I believe tends to get overlooked sometimes. The Hitchhiker’s Guide can be found in the science fiction section of the bookstore or library, but don’t think that you have to be obsessed with the genre to enjoy this book. I found this short read to be very refreshing and funny. The basic plot involves Arthur Dent’s journey through space after Earth has been destroyed. I also recommend this read to people who “don’t like to read” because it’s short, light, and very funny. This book definitely helped encourage me to take things less seriously and dial back my dramatic reactions to everything from a 10/10 to a 9.5. I also think The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy proves that books can be accessible and easy to read and still be enjoyable and rich. Read it! I enjoyed the movie version of this book more than I did Youth in Revolt, though I still recommend reading the book first.