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Shopgirl by Steve Martin

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is quickly becoming recognized as a "gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic" (Elle). Beautifully written, this novella reveals a different side of Martin, one that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life and profoundly wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart.

Mirabelle is the "shopgirl" of the title, a young woman, beautiful in a wallflowerish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus "selling things that nobody buys anymore..."

Slightly lost, slightly off-kilter, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still, there is something about her that is irresistible.

Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy businessman almost twice her age. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love -- with consequences that are both comic and heart-breaking. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness.

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Dancer In The Dark

Director Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves) delivers a provocative mix of drama and musical theater in this acclaimed movie that won both the Palme d'Or for Best Picture and the Best Female Performance award (for lead actress Björk) at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Recording star Björk is "miraculous" (The New York Times) as Selma, a factory worker in rural America and single mother who is losing her eyesight from a hereditary disease. Determined to protect her 10-year-old son from the same fate, Selma is saving her money to get him an operation.

In the evenings, Selma escapes into a world where "nothing dreadful ever happens," rehearsing for a production of The Sound of Music with her best friend, Kathy (Catherine Deneuve). But when a neighbor (David Morse) betrays her trust, Selma's life spirals out of control. The lines between reality and fantasy blur, and Selma begins to believe that her life has actually become a Hollywood musical -- as she inexorably heads toward the film's unforgettable finale.

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I grew up in a "dog family," one where dogs make the only sensible pets. Feel free to argue, as I am sure my sister-in-law will, that it is only because I like to be different, but somehow, over my short tenure on our little planet I have developed an incredible affinity for cats. One of my favorite animals - if not my single favorite - is the tiger. For my money, a more majestic creature does not exist. I believe my preference for cats over dogs stems from this. I consider them to be little miniature, domestic (hopefully litter-trained) versions of their wild bretheren.

I have lived alone for the last three years and not until recently have I had a voice in my head (sounding strangely like one of my sisters...) suggesting how nice it would be to have a little furball around. It was nearly a capital crime to suggest we get a cat while I lived with my parents, but now I had the freedom to do as I pleased.

For the last few months I have had a few discussions with Alison (the sister alluded to above) wherein she has provided me with links to adoption pages for various cats. I cannot speak to her motivation, but from my perspective this was done entirely in fun. "Look at this one!" "CUTE!" And so on; you get the idea. I never really considered anything she sent me.

What I want, and have wanted was a Bengal Cat. They are only a few generations removed from the wild and have many lingering instincts other cats do not. None of the cats she sent me were bengals, so I never thought much about them.

Out of curiousity one Sunday night not two weeks past I decided to try a search on www.petfinder.com for bengals in my area. I was just curious to see if any were available and if I were serious, which I wasn't, it would be better to get a cat that had been rescued. There are many noble reasons for getting a rescued cat, but in case you're curious, bengal cats from a breeder are EXPENSIVE.

Playing around, I came across many cats, but one stuck out. Over the next few days it became increasingly apparent that I did NOT want a cat. I wanted THAT cat. He was skinny and would need to be fattened up, but he was adorable. I tried to tell myself how good I would be for him, to give him a permanent home, but the excitement came when I thought of how good he would be for me.

If you know me well, you know that I a) don't get excited about anything and b) have relatively low motivation. For the cat I found, I became very excited and somehow found the motivation to actually contact the mission which had rescued my cat. BIG STEP FOR ME.

I had it all planned out. Don't tell anyone. Contact the mission. Get the cat. Have people over. Show off my new furry little friend. SURPRISE!

However, it went more like this. E-mail them inquiring about the availability of the cat (Wednesday). Don't hear back. Call them (Thursday). Don't hear back. Call them again (Friday). Don't hear back. E-mail again (Tuesday). Find out he had been adopted by someone else via the internet (Thursday). E-mail them as a meager attempt to mitigate how crushed I was (Thursday). Don't hear back.

So I am sorry to all of you who didn't know I was going to get a cat. The surprise that was to-be has become the surprise that never-was. I'm less crushed now; I move on. But I am certainly disappointed. I would have liked to get this cat. I am also sorry to those of you who did find out I was taking steps to adopt this guy, and I appreciate your excitement on my behalf and your kind words of consolation.

I want to say that if I decide to look for a different cat - since the plan wasn't to get a cat but rather I fell for one unexpectedly - I would not deal with these people, but I cannot. (If you really need the name of this Southeast Michigan rescue shelter, e-mail me. Otherwise I really see no point in dragging their name into it.) I am doing my best to not blame the cats in the mission for how I was ignored by the people who run it. The cats just need permanent homes. I had hoped to provide that for one of them, but it didn't work out this time. Maybe I'll try again one day.

Anyway, that is the story of the cat I didn't get.

Slick Las Vegas illusionist Buddy "Aces" Israel isn't playing nice. Turns out, he's telling mob secrets to the FBI. After a $1 million contract is put on him, Aces tries to pull his greatest disappearing act before a rogues' gallery of ex-cons, hit men and smokin' hot assassins tries to rub him out in this edgy action comedy that takes no prisoners.

Believe it or not, this movie was actually relatively entertaining. Even when some pretty small parts are involved, I am always interested in seeing a movie with a cast like this. Let me list a few people who made appearances in Smokin' Aces: Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Peter Berg, Common, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, "that girl from Hustle & Flow," Jason Bateman and Matthew Fox.

The movie was completely ridiculous. Ryan Reynolds started to go a little overboard at the end, but other than that the movie does not take itself seriously at all. If you try to take this movie seriously, you will be grossly disappointed. Smokin' Aces combined just about every possible stereotype into a murder-for-hire movie, but did it to be satirical and did not come across as cliché. It was so ridiculous, in fact, that I considered it almost on par with a Quentin Tarantino flick.

Call me crazy, but I liked Smokin' Aces...for what it was. I was looking for an off-the-wall, shoot-'em-up, action movie and that is exactly what I got. I was even impressed with the creativity behind the story (though the end was somewhat of a let down).

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I have posted just a few pictures from my last two weekends.

Two weeks ago I went back up north for a relaxing golf weekend. As I like to do, I took a few pictures of the sunset from the back porch.

http://www.privatjokr.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=45

Last week was the Motor Musters car show at Greenfield Village. I hadn't been there since whatever grade kids in Michigan go there for a field trip. Some pictures were of cars, others were from the village; one might expect a few more pictures of cars from a car show, but...I just didn't feel like taking pictures of cars. Sorry.

http://www.privatjokr.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=46

Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who hants the girls' bathroom. But then the real trouble begins -- someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry Potter himself!

With a book written about magic, especially one so centered on a world full of magic, the author could easily abuse his or her creativity. One thing for which I applaud Ms. Rowling is how well she maintains her focus in this series. While it is easy for us to get lost in her world, she never seems to miss a beat.

I love one of the minor themes addressed in these books: magic is everywhere, but as long as you believe it does not exist, you will never see it.

The Chamber of Secrets is the second book and thus Harry's second adventure. The main characters, who will comprise the nucleus of the plot going forward, are back. There are also enough new names and faces to keep the story fresh.

I like Book 2 more than Book 1. I surely give credit where it is due, so I appreciate Book 1 introducing Harry Potter, but I feel that Book 2 is more exciting. In Book 2 Ms. Rowling was able to delve more deeply into the magical world rather than spend time building up to it like she did in Book 1.

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Debi: So, is there a Mrs. Mysterio? Martin Q. Blank: No, but I do have a very nice cat. Debi: Not the same. Martin Q. Blank: Well, you don't know my cat, it's very demanding. Debi: It? You don't know if it's a boy or girl? Martin Q. Blank: I respect its privacy.

Set in a not-too-distant future where America has lost its "war" on drugs, Fred, an undercover cop, is one of many people hooked on the popular drug, Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred is obsessed with taking down Bob, a notorious drug dealer, but due to his Substance D addiction, he does not know that he is also Bob. Based on a classic novel by Philip K. Dick. Starring Keanu Reeves ("Constantine," "The Matrix" trilogy), Academy Award-nominee and Golden Globe-winner Winona Ryder ("Girl, Interupted," "Mr. Deeds"), Academy Award and Emmy-nominee and Golden Globe-winner Robert Downey Jr. ("Good Night, And Good Luck" "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"), and Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominee and Emmy-winner Woody Harrelson ("North Country," "The People vs. Larry Flynt"). Directed by Academy Award-nominee Richard Linklater ("Before Sunset," "Dazed and Confused"). Filmed in live-action, and then animated using the same critically acclaimed process that Linklater used in his previous film, "Waking Life."

Keanu Reeves is Bruce...no wait, he's Bob...or is he Fred? Well whatever his name was, here is a movie in which his much-maligned acting ability was able to shine. Have him play a confused, drug-addicted, undercover agent and he is rock solid.

Robert Downey, Jr. is one of the most enjoyable actors to watch these days. His personality was worked expertly into his character. He was certainly the highlight of the film.

This may not be the highest praise, but Woody Harrelson was incredibly believable as the burnt out friend who crashes at your place and brings nothing to the table. He was hysterical; it was great.

This was one of the most intelligently written movies I have ever seen. From the overall plot line to the dialogue, I am still impressed by it. I give credit to both Richard Linklater for his screenplay and direction and Philip K. Dick for birthing the story in the first place.

Richard Linklater's use of the animation overlay on the live-action was so effective in this story about drugs set in the future. But please do not think this is a movie about drugs...set in the future. This is a story about one man's struggle within himself. The inner reflection by Reeve's character, as it developed and delved ever deeper, was very entertaining.

I put off watching A Scanner Darkly for a long time, hesitant. I feel silly for having done so. I really really enjoyed this movie.

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V: Would you... dance with me? Evey Hammond: Now? On the eve of your revolution? V: A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having!

| Dreamworks SKG | Pixar |

1. A Bug's Life

2. Shrek 2

3. Toy Story 2

4. Finding Nemo

5. Monsters Inc.

(Honorable Mention: Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit)

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Fly: Hey, waiter, I'm in my soup.

"A child embarrassed by his mother," she said, "is just a child who hasn't lived long enough."

Will Ferrell stars as Harold Crick, a lonely IRS agent whose mundane existence is transformed when he hears a mysterious voice narrating his life. With the help of Professor Jules Hibbert (Dustin Hoffman), Harold discovers he's the main character in a novel-in-progress and that the voice belongs to Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), an eccentric author famous for killing her main characters in creative ways. Harold must quickly track down Eiffel and stop her before she conjures up a way to finish him off.

Will Ferrell is Harold Crick, an auditor for the IRS whose life could hardly be more routine and mundane. As he adheres strictly to that routine he begins to hear a woman's voice. She does not tell him what to do, but rather she offers a detached, third-party narration as he goes about his day. With the help of a professor of literature, who is deemed to be more helpful than his psychiatrist, Harold is able to solve the mystery of the voice's origin. But what he finds may not be what he wants to hear.

I was skeptical -- at the very least -- of Will Ferrell's involvement in this movie. While not altogether a "serious" movie, I still felt that this role might be too much for him. As it turns out, I was wrong. I was worried that he would try too hard to shun his class-clown nature to be more adaptable to a wide range of film. He was very likeable in this role, but I would not say that he was great. I just don't think the part was that strong, but he did well enough in it.

Emma Thompson was excellent in her neurosis as she was deconstructed by her writer's block.

Maggie Gyllenhaal has been a tough nut to crack for me. In the few performances of hers that I have seen, she has seemingly played the same character over and over. I felt she brought that same character to Stranger Than Fiction, but it just fit better here than in other movies. Because of that, or whatever else, Maggie was at her most charming in Stranger Than Fiction.

With all of these performances from a cast of notable names, the highlight was Dustin Hoffman. Looking back at the film's credits I guess I can't be too surprised that Hoffman stole the show, but I guess I hadn't expected it. He was funny, intelligent, mysterious, compassionate, quirky...he was all over the place. And he was great.

There was an arguably unnecessary visual effect used for most of the movie. To really hammer home how Harold Crick's mechanical and mathematical mind worked, the movie continuously featured on-screen effects to show protracted angles, measurements and percentages. The movie probably didn't need these effects, but I loved them. They were an added emphasis on the attention to detail which I appreciate so much.

I am not sure if it was in any way related to my expecting so little from this movie, but I really loved Stranger Than Fiction. The story was incredibly creative and everyone who contributed, both cast and crew, made it an enjoyable movie to watch. I have already been recommending this movie to others and now I recommend it to you.

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Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleanic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain's defense by taking to the skies...not aboard aircraft but atop the might backs of fighting dragons.

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future -- and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarefied world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France's own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte's boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

I loved Naomi Novik's dragons. It is always interesting to see a different author's take on the fabled creatures. She wrote hers with grace. Novik's dragons are strong, intelligent (well some are anyway) and incredibly charming. However, I feel like she spent so much time creating these dragons who interact in this war-time environment that....well, she didn't have enough time left over for other development. We get to know both Captain Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, well. Beyond them, there is little-to-no character depth. The fight scenes are slightly hard to follow in the minute military details, but they are still exhilirating. It is such a fresh perspective to imagine dragons used as legitimate means of war. I also felt that those same fight scenes were over as quickly as they began. I am not sure I would actually want them to be any longer, but the feeling I had was that they were very abrupt encounters.

I thought that the rigidity with which Laurence adhered to codes of honor was beginning to get old, but seemingly at the right moment it was brought up less often. He was hard to enjoy for how quick he was to defend his honor and that of others, but he does relax some.

I feel like Ms. Novik wanted to write Temeraire as a female dragon, but for her self-imposed limitation that female dragons want female riders, and a male protagonist had been chosen. Too often I felt like I read exchanges between Temeraire and Laurence as male-to-female interaction only to be reminded of Temeraire's gender a moment later. It might have been how frequently Laurence called him "My dear."

It may just be the dragon lover within me that enjoyed this new take, but the book was still entertaining. It is the inaugural installment in a series that I will continue to read. I am hoping for additional character development and maybe some closure in my battle scenes, but I won't hold my breath.

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