Lost In Translation

The Handmaiden

Chan Woo Park's (Old Boy) latest film, The Handmaiden (2016) is a masterpiece. It is the adaptation of Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith, which is set in London during the 19th century, but the film is set in Korea in the 1930s, under Japanese colonial rule. The film is about the convoluted relationship between a clever Korean pickpocket (Tae-ri Kim), a Japanese heiress (Min-hee Kim), and the swindler (Jung-woo Ha) who seeks to use them both for his own gain. There are some very sensual scenes between the characters as a love triangle develops. Much of the success of the film is due to the the strong performances from these three main actors. The film has several twists, turns, and surprises. So much so that is so its 144 minute runtime feels much shorter. It was thrilling in the sense I  didn't know how it was going to end after I thought I had worked out what was gong on. I suppose much of the credit must be given to the source material, but there's no doubt that Park, best known for his violent revenge thrillers, is at the top of his game as he brings this period tale to vivid life. The art direction and cinematography only adds to the beauty and sense of displacement in this compelling film.

St. Michael's College

This year I was asked to evaluate the study abroad program at St. Michael's College, a small Catholic liberal arts school in Colchester, Vermont (population 17,000) near Burlington, the biggest city (population 42,000) in Vermont (the second least populated state ahead of Wyoming). It feel really small, people are very friendly saying "Hi" to strangers, etc. The program is specially designed for TWCU and gives the students ample opportunity to have "authentic" experiences with local people.

San Francisco Day Two

In the Mission District.

La Taqueria, a San Francisco institution.

Chorizo burrito.

Silver Stone Cafe.

Noise Pop Block party in the Mission district.

A variety of oysters and prosciutto at Hogs and Rocks.

Kentucky style cured ham.

Cocktails at ABV.

Mezcal.

San Francisco Day One

In the Mission district in San Francisco-I've got two days here before I fly out to Burlington, Vermont to evaluate the Saint Michel's College summer exchange program for TWCU.

My Air B'n'B Victorian townhouse rental.

Bear Vs. Bull in the New Mission Theater.

Inside the theater, there's a DVD rental shop as well.

The Rincon Center is a converted Post Office with some really cool historical murals in the atrium.

Ferry Building Marketplace

The Bay Bridge

Woodbury, a cool bar that is my friend Marc's local hangout.

 

Logan Lucky

I'm a big Stephen Soderbergh fan so I was looking forward to his return to cinema with Logan Lucky (2017). Given the rave reviews, somehow I felt that it didn't quite live up to my expectations, but I still enjoyed it, but it was not his best outing. It is a heist film, the genre of his greatest success with the Ocean series, but set in Virginia and North Carolina. It deals with poor white culture via NASCAR, etc. It has an all-star cast with Tatum Channing, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig (one of the over the top performances), Katie Holmes, and Hillary Swank among others. I've read the way that Soderbergh financed the film was revolutionary by selling the overseas rights and streaming rights in advance to finance the film and avoid the middle man studio interference. I hope this model is effective, there are more than enough tent pole super hero blockbusters being made every year-I would like to see more auteur-like small films for adults being made. Hopefully this trend will be successful and generate a new generation of independent film makers.

Food And Drink in Davis 2017

Lunch at Ike's Love & Sandwiches was a turkey and bacon sandwich on toasted whole wheat with Monterey Jack cheese-good stuff.

Every Wednesday is the Davis Farmer's Market with local goods and food stalls set in the Central Park with music. First off, a pork tamale with sauce for $4.

Followed by a Hot Link with mustard and onions for $7.

A scoop of Rocky Road ice cream $2 for dessert.

I was happy to see that Burgers and Brews had the elusive Russian River Pliny the Elder Double American IPA on tap-only available in half pints-it is the top ranked American beer and hard to come by.

Smoked Aged Cheddar Burger with smoked cheddar cheese and smoked bacon with salad for $11.50. I think this is my favorite Davis restaurant with the outdoor seating, great burgers, and good craft beer selection.

Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine is a local favorite.

Today's special-chicken kabob in a pita with free drink (water) $7.99. Cheap and tasty.

Afternoon beer at Three Rivers Brewery Taproom. #6 IPA and many other selections available-nice outdoor seating area where I read.

Chorizo scramble at the Black Bear Diner on my last day.

Norwood (Film)

I wasn't aware of the film version, Norwood (1970) directed by Jack Haley Jr., of Charles Portis' classic first novel until I came across this article from The Paris Review. It is not available for purchase, but I found it on YouTube here. I suppose it makes sense, since the film adaptation of True Grit was such a success. So they brought the lesser actors from that film into this one-the recently deceased Glen Campbell and Kim Darby. It also has Joe Namath's film debut and I was pleasantly surprised to see Dom Deluise as well. The film version bears little resemble to Portis' sleek rural comedy unfortunately. It is something of a time capsule showing us what America was like in the year 1970.

Detroit

I didn't know much about Kathryn Bigelow's latest film, Detroit (2017), except that it took place during the 1967 Detroit riots. And that seemed to be enough since I very much like films set in historical contexts-despite the liberal licenses many directors take with the facts. I was to learn later that the film is based on factual events that took place at the Algiers Hotel where three African American men were killed by police officers under dubious circumstances-of course the cops were not charged with any crimes. I also later found out that John Hersey (famous for his book Hiroshima) wrote a book about the incident. But screenwriter Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) did his own research interviewing survivors of the incident. It is a gripping thriller that resonates in the racially charged America of today where blacks are routinely gunned down by police who often go unpunished for these acts. I felt that the subject matter is utterly relevant and a very bold act from Bigelow and Boal. They also team with effective Hurt Locker cinematographerBarry Ackroyd. There's a pretty terrific ensemble cast and I won't be surprised if Algee Smith (Larry Cleveland) is nominated for an Academy Award. On the other hand, the weaselly-looking Will Poulter seems specifically cast for his evil features-it seems to me they would have been too young to lead the incident, but perhaps it is historically accurate-these things were taking place during a riot without the usual checks and balances. Overall, it is a timely, thought provoking, and strangely entertaining. 

Big Little Lies

I have to admit at first I was a little reluctant to watch HBO's Big Little Lies (2017), which was based on a novel by Australian Liane Moriarty. I suppose I thought it was a "woman's" show, but it got a lot of critical praise and has three excellent actresses (Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Laura Dern) in lead roles. So I decided to give it a chance and am glad I did, because I thought it was very well-made. It plays out as something of a thriller, because we know that someone was killed but the viewer doesn't find out until the final episode-and red herrings are spotted throughout. The cinematography (it is set in majestic Monterrey on the California coast)  and the use of music enhances the experience overall.

The Big Sick

I'm a bit wary of romantic comedies, but I am a fan of Kumail Nanjiani from Silicon Valley and I heard that The Big Sick (2017) is based on his life. And to be honest most of the jokes fall flat, but it is an interesting story. I'm glad that he decided to cast real actors as his family unlike Aziz Ansari in his TV series Master of None. I suppose it was given such good reviews because so many comedies are poorly made, and this one also has an original story.