Back to Hanlan's Point

Sunday afternoon was spent on Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands. A delicious picnic for three, but I forgot to take photographs - how unusual.

Bark...



































































It's always there... Dave took the next two shots.





































Laying under trees...





































Then things got exciting as a huge deluge came down. First I was convinced we'd stay dry under the trees. By the time the monsoon-like rain had been falling for about five minutes, we realized we might as well be out in it. By the time we'd reached the ferry we were soaked to the skin but having a great time, as was everyone else, splashing in puddles and enjoying the relief from the heat! As the ferry pulled up, the skies cleared and we saw a beautiful rainbow.

Apsley Country Bakery

Remember this bread?

Well, the excellent bakers of Apsley Country Bakery have an updated website and I urge you to visit it and then them, in person, if you're within, say, a day's drive. :)

Reading their pamphlet I see that their breads are naturally leavened and they use local, organic, stone-milled flour. As usual we bought the ciabatta (shown below), heavenly dipped in melted butter.

The seed bread was as amazing as ever and it's my personal favourite.

This time we tried the E49, so named for Ezekial, 4:9: "Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches [spelt], and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof." A delicious way to consume some protein.

We also bought a large scone, scored to be cut into individual pieces. The rest of the party consumed it with whipped cream and jam. I had mine with butter and good, aged cheddar.

Yum!

Some Cottage Pictures

QUIXOTIC... not

There's no television at the cottage and, two laptops in tow, we still avoid watching movies or anything else related that might remind us of the real world. But there's a lot of music. And usually Backgammon.

But this time it was Scrabble. A LOT of Scrabble.

We spelt out "QUID", "QUIT", and "QUIZ", but no-one got to spell out "QUIM" which always makes a game worth playing, in my coarse opinion.

 

What in Sam Hill..?!

 I had these tiles, but... DIDN'T GET TO USE THEM BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE PUT THEIR FLAMING WORD IN BEFORE MINE AND THE OPPORTUNITY WAS GONE. But, I'm pretty sure I won that round. Heh heh... Did you know that if you can spell out one word using all seven tiles, you get a 50 point bonus? I did in a later game, with "NOXIOUS."

 

The Last few Days of Vacation

Vacation has been wonderful.

I went north (plenty of posts about that coming up!)

I spent time in my study...

















I saw friends and was reminded that Trattoria Nervosa has the best grilled calamari in Toronto: that little taste of char, and then meltingly slippery and redolent of ocean. It's not on the menu, but they'll make it for you...





















I saw a pile of movies (see other posts)...

And for my back to school back to work treat, a new mug for my desk from Anthropologie in my favourite blues and greens...
 

Cheekiness

I spent a lot of time laying in the sun, so was at chipmunk level with my camera handy.

In Which the Film Student I Never was gets Indulged

I've already been teased that I'm in my Ingmar Bergman phase. Well, this video is moody and gentle, and takes me back to that happy place I always find in the Kawarthas.

As for the music, I first listened to the Schindler's List soundtrack while driving through Muskoka (remember that, Dave?) and so the connection is strong for me. I can imagine it might not work for others.

Quote of the Day

"There's no sense in nonsense, especially when the heat's hot."

Aubrey Plaza as Darius in Safety not Guaranteed (2012).

Easily my favourite film of the year so far. More in the next post.

BPG Summer Movie Awards 2012, Part One

The Best Picture of the Summer So Far in a not Very Impressive Competition

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Laura Bishop: "Does it concern you that your daughter has just run away from home?"

Walt Bishop: "That's a loaded question."

(Frances McDormand as Laura and Bill Murray as Walt.)

This is the Peter Pan story retold in Wes Anderson's distinctively quirky way. I'm so happy film makers like this are around to tell and retell stories in ways that move and delight. The story revolves around a young boy and girl who run away to be together. The cast is richly populated with names, but - more importantly - with talent and range. Bruce Willis wipes the slate clean with a fresh and unexpected portrayal that I think (ok, as much as I hate awards shows) will have him up for a supporting Oscar next year. Afterwards at dinner (at Amore, north of Eglinton on Yonge), we agreed that the kids were great, and we loved how everyone looked real, as in not particularly good looking. Favourite moment: Bill Murray with his naked tummy hanging over his pyjama bottoms. I just saw him today again in Lost in Translation. What can I say, I sort of fancy him. And for the music lovers out there, Moonrise Kingdom's score relies heavily on Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Its gravitas matches the earnestness of the young would-be lovers perfectly.


The Film Most Likely to Make me Laugh, Then Make me Want to Come Home and Take a Shower

Ted (2012)

John: "Hello, 911? It's an emergency, my teddy bear's been kidnapped! Hello? Hello?"

(Mark Wahlberg as John Bennett)

Well, you probably already know this is Seth Macfarlane's first film. And, if you know that, you already know that it's incredibly vulgar, and - if you're a fan - very funny. My cheeks are still hurting from laughing. What the story basically comes down to is the difficult feelings we have when our partner has a friend who seems more trouble than they're worth. How do you handle it? What do you do? In Mila Kunis's place, your boyfriend's troublesome friend is his childhood teddy bear who miraculously came to life when the eight-year-old boy wished it. Ted is now a coarse, hooker-picker-upper, pot-smoking, filthy stuffed toy. Awkward to say the least. I spent half the film putting my hand over my mouth thinking, he didn't just say that, and the other half laughing my head off. Sort of like a long Family Guy episode. And it features some really wickedly funny cameos from some real talent.


The Award for Excellence in Giving Arty Movies a Bad Name

The Woman in the Fifth (2011)

What I heard intrigued me. A spiritually broken American professor/writer shows up in Paris looking for his estranged wife and daughter. He ends up living in a dive and living a risky existence. He goes to a literary party and meets a mysterious woman with an exotic accent. He's played by art film hunk, Ethan Hawke, complete with really grubby RayBans (oh, I wanted to clean those glasses), and the mystery woman is played by Kristin Scott Thomas. It's directed by Pawel Pawlikowski and based on a novel by Douglas Kennedy, which is reviewed in this link by the Guardian.

Kristin Scott Thomas starts out doing what she shouldn't: being coy. I wish I knew where this saying came from: "A woman over 30 can never be coy, but she can certainly be arch." The first coy scene was like a spoof of a pretentious European art film. You just can't play this kind of seriousness without eliciting sniggers. Where's the irony? God, I need irony to dilute this sort of thing. Fortunately, after that, she settles down and becomes a sort of Muse, being basically whatever Ethan Hawke's character needs her to be. What a stunner she is. My favourite film of hers is I've Loved you so Long (2008). Try and see it if you can. But regarding The Woman in the Fifth, I won't say any more, in case you go to see it. I'm sure some people loved it. Actually one of my companions after dinner really liked it. I didn't.



Most Recommended for Pyschology Majors

Dark Horse (2011)

I'd have sworn I'd seen a Todd Solondz film before, but I guess I was just familiar with the name. I must have read it somewhere. I visited the TIFF Lightbox, Toronto's cinematheque. It's a fine location to see a film. The screening rooms are comfortable, with very low lighting during screenings and great seating and perfect temperatures. This was an afternoon show and there were only three other people there. Dark Horse is about a big, spoiled man-child with a deeply neurotic sense of entitlement. He takes injustice-collecting to incredible heights. He's awful and hysterical and he's brilliantly played by Jordan Gelber. His parents? Get this casting: Mia Farrow and Christopher Walken (the latter was the reason I decided to see the film). Selma Blair is the "girlfriend," and you'll know why I use the quotation marks if you decide to see the film. The first half was strong and funny. After that you get into some scenes where reality and fantasy or delusion intermingle and I didn't so much get lost as lose why certain delusions were occurring. And whose were they? I'm glad I saw it. It's definitely one for students of human nature.



Most Impressive yet Unarousing Male Bottoms

Magic Mike (2012)

Paige: "I was hoping this was all a joke."

(Cody Horn as Paige)

Believe it or not, I wasn't interested in this film. Male strippers, in this case played by some hot Hollywood bods, are so not my bag, baby. In the pictures I'd seen, the leads look like they were inflated by a bicycle pump. But, then I read that Steven Soderbergh had directed it, and I thought, hold it, this might be interesting... and so I went.

The plot is simple and predictable. I wouldn't want to know any of these people. They live ugly lives and spew ugly thoughts at each other. There is scarcely a moment of honesty, so busy are the men with posing on and off stage. At the end there seemed to come a sort of quasi redemption, but even that gets trampled on. Only to be watched if you need to see ripped men humping furniture and hysterical women. Oh, and you know what? You could just save the money and look for something similar on YouTube.

Off to the Lake for 10 Days

Me and my 10 toes and three of the best companions are off to the lake, the same cottage as in many years gone by. There'll be a gazillion trees to hug. City life is great, but - oh - how I need this too. I hope you enjoy this video I made. The sunset at the end is real. Such is the joy of a westerly view over water.

It Looks Like I Picked the Right Month to buy my Dalek

It's been steamy and scorched here. I looked out on the park below my building today, and - where I am used to seeing lush tropical greenness in the summer - I saw scorched yellow grass between the trees. Yet, it's also been incredibly humid.

I HEART my dalek.

Ever Seen Cuter Hubcaps?

Lovely Ladies

Currently appearing at Jet Fuel Coffee Shop at 519 Parliament...

A delicious exhibition of photographs entitled "The Garden of Earthy Delights." The excellent Toronto photographer, Chris Hutcheson, has captured a range of Burlesque performers, and what earthy delights they are. I think what makes this exhibition so special is that they are all captured live in performance, with that thrill of excitement and danger that goes along with all that. I loved it. Among the subjects is Miss Nude Universe 1975 (still got "It"). My favourite, amongst several, was titled "Waiting." If you visit it, please let me know in your comments what your favourite was.






















And look here! This might be worth catching too.

 

Happy July 4th, Neighbours!

Yes, I've used this picture before. And will again.

A bit More Theatre

I went back to see Frankenstein, having seen both cast options broadcast on the big screen from the National Theatre last spring. This time I made sure to see Benedict Cumberbatch as the creature and Jonny Lee Miller as Victor Frankenstein. I'm a big fan of Cumberbatch. Have you seen his Sherlock series? There have been two seasons of three long episodes each, each telling in contemporary form one of the tales. It's one of the best things I've ever seen on television, each one a gem.

Then, on Father's Day eve, I took my dad to see Soulpepper's winning You Can't Take it With You. This company continues to engage me. I must get off my arse and subscribe. Their regular company of actors is always excellent and one touch I appreciate is having one of the performers add an artist note to the program. This time it was Eric Peterson, who was playing Grandpa. I won't transcribe the whole thing, but I loved this:

"I start to realize this is the first old guy I've played, since I started playing old guys, that isn't grouchy, and angry; who is happy and brave. A bit of a stretch for me." 

Soulpepper performs in the Distillery District (a five-minute walk), but, the restaurants were experiencing water shortages or something, so we preceded the play with dinner at one of this blog's favourites, Mangia e Bevi. Yum.

Post-show, the actors invited the audience (first-come, first-served) to an adjoining space where they often have Saturday night cabarets, with a bar. Most of the cast was there, Mike Ross on piano and vocals, with some comely back up singers, doing numbers by John Lennon and Neil Young, between actors interviewing actors and having a good time. Soulpepper founding member William Webster also got a four-minute slot (he was stop-watched) where he got to talk about... opera!

I HEART Soulpepper.

A Good Way to Wake up

Mad Men

Time flies and I never blogged about the final part of the Mad Men season. The third-last and second-last episodes were brilliant. In the first, it was all about the women and the price they might choose to pay to get where they want to be.

***SPOILER ALERT!!!***

Peggy was wooed by another agency for a particlar sum of money. The final scene where she tells Don she's leaving was so well done. The writing, the acting... I think this is one they'll be playing at next year's Emmys. Don, in turn resentful, cruel, respectful, loses his protégé. Peggy knows it's time for her to move on. That can be such a difficult decision to make (I know!). I liked her smile at the last moment. Meghan was asked to parade her figure in an audition for a play, in a manner that made her uncomfortable. And then there was Joanie. Oh Joanie. She basically prostituted herself to help the agency get a client, and to get herself a partnership. I don't sit in judgement, but dread for her what will come. Do you think Pete Campbell's never going to use that against her? Every other partner knows what she did, and, as much respect as she naturally wields, it's disturbing how undisturbed they were about what transpired.

In the second-last episode we had the death of Lane. The internet had been a-buzz with what was dubbed the Mad Men Death Watch. References and hints to death were bringing us closer to something, and this seemed to be the only continuum, the only arc, in the entire season. I thought Lane had to die... his tragic pride, his background, his powerful neuroses, his gift for self sabotage... all had me convinced that he would be the one to die and that he would take his own life. I liked Lane a lot.

The last episode felt a bit anti-climactic. I was moved by Pete's verbalization of his issues, as he perceives them. I was relieved to see Peggy again. Truly, if Peggy disappeared, so would I. Her journey is the most interesting of the series, and, as a smart woman, she is living through a fascinating time. I don't always like Peggy, but I would love to know where she ends up. Where would Peggy be right now?

What do you think?

And now... we wait for Walking Dead to return. Eek!

Vintage Score!

My search for the perfect red bag continues, but in the meantime I scored a great find in a vintage shop, an all leather box bag for $45. I love box bags! I cleaned it, polished its brass (never going to be shiny though) and am very happy with it. So looking forward to toting it around this fall!











































Bruce!

Luminato, the Iffy and the Great

I got back to Toronto from my NY/Montreal trip for the Luminato Festival. I saw two works. The first was La Belle et la Bête: A Contemporary Retelling, created and directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon.

It played at the Bluma Appel Theatre, so I walked there. I wish I'd kept walking. I was really intrigued by the subject matter and what I'd read about the production. Three actors worked against a clever backdrop with stunning projections, both still and moving. What I'd seen in pictures was compelling.

The weak point was the actual script. It was, as advertised in the title, an updating of the story. I didn't mind the ugliness or the violence, as that is part of life, and very much a part of this fable. My problem was I didn't buy any of the redemptive ideas of love, or even that there was a kind of love. The message was incohesive. It was earnest, overly philosophical and convoluted.

The lesser problem was the balance between the actors. Diane D'Aquila (as a sort of chorus/muse), one of Canada's finest actresses, was powerful and charismatic, but - to paraphrase a movie review I read decades ago - her effort was like an Everest in in a Sahara. I don't blame the other two actors but they had zero chemistry, and I suspect that the man, in particular, a French-speaking actor, could not deal with the ryhthms and emphases of English. His interactions with the other actress were devoid of... anything really. I stress, I don't believe this was the actors' faults. What I do blame is the material and the directors' choices.

Ninety minutes lasted an eternity.

The next show was three hours, with no intermission. It could have gone on for three days. I was blown away yet again by the genius that is Robert Lepage. Again, I walked to the theatre (lucky girl). But this time my walk lasted five minutes. I would have walked five hours for this show.




It's called Playing Cards 1: Spades... well, you can tell by the title that we have three more parts to come. I will try my best to see all of them.

Set in Las Vegas and the desert outside Las Vegas, and - I think - at the beginning, Baghdad, it told the stories of a slew of different characters, all battling their demons as they resist - or don't resist - a persona who surely was the Devil.

Unlike La Belle et la Bête, the actors for whom English wasn't their first language were superb in English. I don't know what the difference was, but there wasn't a false moment. And, get this, all the characters (I don't recall how many) were played by just six performers. One character in particular, a gambling-addicted, class-concious, middle-aged Englishman, made me think of Lane, in Mad Men. The vicious seargent and his sexual abuse of the gay soldier made me remember an elderly friend of mine and the story he told me of his youth as a cadet in the British navy, and how it was an older gay man who protected him from the twisted sexual intimidation of a straight senior officer. The Mexican chambermaid recalled a hard-working woman I know, one who makes me marvel at her strength and drive to provide all she can for her three children. All the characters were unforgettable. I'm thinking of them still.

Like all great art, it made me think beyond the characters and the many stories, each of which was told like a little gem. This piece took me places I didn't expect to go, made me remember things, imagine things, dream of things, that were unrelated to what was happening on stage. And Lepage, in his brilliance, let it all happen at an unrushed pace. I would watch it again. I hope you get a chance to!

There was much more in Luminato's excellent line up this year and I wish I could have seen more.

Fat Evening

It was a fat evening, the first night of my 24-day vacation.

The solstice has passed, but even as the days shorten, I welcome July, with all its heat and sunshine. Deep summer has me veering between cravings for spicy food, and what I term my biblical foods: pistachios, figs, dates, etc.

My bedroom has evolved in its look, less Persian boudoir now, but it still bears the copper pots, the Bedouin rifle, the hookah, etc. I delighted in watching the sun set, making beautiful patterns on my bedroom walls. The new lamp, which holds candles, gave an exotic glow as darkness descended. I ate pistachios and figs for supper... in bed. The next morning I woke just before dawn, but there are no photographs. There's a time for taking pictures, and a time for not taking pictures.

Oh Canada!