Inception

There hasn't been much of interest at the movies this summer. Gene and I saw The Joneses and Ironman 2 earlier this summer. Charlotte has also been to see the latest installment of Twilight and The Sorcerer's Apprentice. She recommends both of those. I really usually don't like action movies, but make concessions for Gene. So after reading in the pool the last two mornings while Gene painted his music room, we decided that it was the perfect afternoon for a movie. Gene chose Inception and I agreed as the 2.5 hour length in a cold, dark theatre seemed the perfect remedy for the heat of the afternoon.

Inception was loud, so much that it kept me from going to sleep the first half hour or so. It got better in that the plot variations began to make sense. I am still having difficulty understanding whose dream was the third level. Overall, it was thought provoking and a movie I will recommend. Was it great ? No. Worth seeing a second time? Yes, when it comes on HBO. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

I am looking forward to the new Wall Street movie as well as Eat,Pray, Love. The last is a book I finally read earlier this spring. The narcissim of the narrator was overwhelming at first. It took me a week to wade my way through the entire thing. That is pretty slow for me, but I really enjoyed the food decriptions in Italy. I thought I was stuck on the ashram way too long in India,and the manipulation of the natives in Bali was ridiculous. I have seen the previews of the movies and hope the producers find a way to pull the best of the book into the movie.

One last note. I have been listening to a recording of Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides over the last week as I drove back and forth to Columbia and Beaufort. It remains one of my favorite books, certainly a favorite of the late 20th century. I still think the movie version (Barbara Streisand) was horrible. You just can't change the focus of the story from primary to a supporting character and maintain the integrity of the story. Pat Conroy reads the introduction to the recorded books version of the Prince of Tides. He relates a story in which he was fired as the screenwriter for the movie after his first screenplay submission. He said he was called into a meeting with Ms. Streisand and other producers only to be told he was being fired as he "did not understand the story." He said that was his favorite movie story ever. Yes, he didn't understand how turn a modern day southern tragedy into a starring vehicle for Ms. Streisand.