You had me at hello

Romance, or my idea of it anyway, is built from bits and pieces of mushy speeches and memorable moments from some of the greatest romantic flicks, recent and not so recent. Moments that touched the very core of my mushy bone and ruined every romantic moment I would ever have.

Not to say that life is devoid of poetry and romance. In fact, it is everywhere. It’s poetic that we are who we are, where we are in this moment. It is poetic that we make connections that make a meaningful impact in our lives. There’s poetry in moments, there's poetry in spaces, there's poetry in the chaos and the plan. and it extends from a second to an eternity.

But back to the best romantic speeches and moments in celluloid of all time:

In no particular order, (as long as Chasing Amy is number 1) here some of my favourites:

Chasing Amy (where Amy is the one that Silent Bob let get away):

Scene, Alysia and Holden are driving home in the rain after having a meal where Alysia buys Holden a painting to mark their friendship and their moment, Holden can't stand it anymore and says:

I love you. And not, not in a friendly way, although I think we're great friends. And not in a misplaced affection, puppy-dog way, although I'm sure that's what you'll call it. I love you. Very, very simple, very truly.

You are the epitome of everything I have ever looked for in another human being. And I know that you think of me as just a friend, and crossing that line is the furthest thing from an option you would ever consider.

But I had to say it. I just, I can't take this anymore. I can't stand next to you without wanting to hold you. I can't, I can't look into your eyes without feeling that, that longing you only read about in trashy romance novels. I can't talk to you without wanting to express my love for everything you are.

And I know this will probably queer our friendship - no pun intended - but I had to say it, because I've never felt this way before, and I don't care. I like who I am because of it. And if bringing this to light means we can't hang out anymore, then that hurts me.

But God, I just, I couldn't allow another day to go by without just getting it out there, regardless of the outcome, which by the look on your face is to be the inevitable shoot-down. And, you know, I'll accept that.

But I know...I know that some part of you is hesitating for a moment, and if there is a moment of hesitation, then that means you feel something too. All I ask, please, is that you just, you just not dismiss that - and try to dwell in it for just ten seconds.

Alyssa, there isn't another soul on this fucking planet who has ever made me half the person I am when I'm with you, and I would risk this friendship for the chance to take it to the next plateau. Because it is there between you and me. You can't deny that.

Even if, you know, even if we never talk again after tonight, please know that I'm forever changed because of who you are and what you've meant to me, which - while I do appreciate it - I'd never need a painting of birds bought at a diner to remind me of.

My other favourite is from the English Patient

ALMÁSY: I claim this shoulder blade - oh no, wait - I want this! He turns her over, kisses her throat, then traces the hollow indentation.

This - what's it called? - this place, I love it - this is mine! (Katharine doesn't know)I'm asking the King permission to call it the Almasy Bosphorous.

And of course Brokeback Mountain:

Jack Twist: Tell you what, we coulda had a good life together, fuckin' real good life! Had us a place of our own. But you didn't want it, Ennis! So what we got now is Brokeback Mountain! Everything's built on that, that's all we got boy, fuckin' all. So I hope you know that, if you don't never know the rest! You count the damn few times we have been together in nearly twenty years and you measure the short fucking leash you keep me on, and then you ask me about Mexico and tell me you'll kill me for needing somethin' I don't hardly never get. You have no idea how bad it gets! I'm not you... I can't make it on a coupla high-altitude fucks once or twice a year! You are too much for me Ennis, you son of a whoreson bitch... I wish I knew how to quit you.

Ennis Del Mar: Well why don't you? Why don't you just let me be, huh? Because of you, Jack, that I'm like this. I'm nothing... and nowhere.

Before Sunrise

Jesse: [stops Celine and positions her in front of him at arm's length]
Celine: What?
Jesse: Uh... I'm gonna take your picture. So I never forget you or, uh, or all this.
Celine: Okay. Me too.

Neither has a camera…

Eat Pray Love

I don’t like making fun of people; I only like making fun of the characters they play. And the characters they play aren’t real so their feelings can’t be hurt except within the realm of the piece of work they are in. And we are not in the realm of eat pray love. Although it is based on real people and experiences…. Hhhmmm. I declare that as soon as memoirs and autobiographies are portrayed in a movie by actors, it is okay to make fun of those characters as comment on the delivery and not the people they portray. (makes sense right?)

Right, having said that, it gives me license to nominate and award blathering-idiot-scene-of-the-year to the roof top scene where Richard from Texas spills his guts to Liz about why he is in India. Personally, I think that scene should have been played straight. It should have been, I am here because blah blah blah. Instead, you have this build up and build up and build up and expect a really horrifying story because of the emotion put into the telling of it. But it turns out it isn’t. I was so irritated and annoyed because I too had invested in the scene only to be let down by a stupid almost moment.

I fought with this movie, I avoided the book because motivational books are just not my cup of tea. We all have our paths and one person’s beaten track may not necessarily be our own. So I fought and fought and won. I don’t like the movie. I don’t like its message, I have little in common with Liz and I don’t think I like her as a person (the character of her that is).

But the book did resonate with a lot of women and I can understand that. My ‘eat pray love’ moment (if I have one) is captured in an interview Oprah did with her:

"I had so given up on that. I mean, I was in Rome, I was in Italy where people are, like, making love on the sidewalks," she says. "And I just remember looking at them and thinking, 'This is not for you. You're going to have a different kind of life. Like, other people get this. You don't get this. But that's okay.' And then I got it."

Liz fell in love with a Brazilian man named Felipe. In the book, Liz writes, "Felipe finally put his palm against my cheek and said, 'That's enough, darling. Come to my bed now.' And I did."

Liz's eyes water as she talks about Felipe. "I loved what he said when he said, 'That's enough,'" she says. "Because we'd been courting for weeks. And he didn't say, 'That's enough of you not giving me you.' You know? What he said was,

'That's enough of you on your own in this world. Now I'm with you. Come on. Let's go together now. That's enough. You proved it. You can do it on your own. And now you get to have that and me. So let's go.'"

Type type type type type…..

Some times to get into the rhythm of writing, like they did in Finding Forester, you just have to start writing, continue from a previous piece of writing to find your own inspiration.

I have a technical piece to write but my head is not there yet so instead, I will ramble...

I was shocked yesterday when I read a BBC Breaking News tweet that Omar Sharif is in support of the protests. I was ready to tweet back at the BBC that Omar Sharif was dead and that they should check their source who was an imposter. I also thought that maybe bbc was making a joke of some kind even though I had not seen any evidence of this kind of sense of humor. I also thought maybe Omar Sharif was representative of the western view of Egypt and the reference was symbolic. In any case, I was ready to retweet and correct the BBC, yes me correct the BBC on the blatant mistake they had made. Good thing I second guess myself as a matter of course, and went off to Google.
I swear I thought he was dead! I am sure I heard something to that effect a few years ago, that the Dr Zhivago had passed. Anyway, the dude is alive and well and maybe 150 years old.

So today is the million man march in Egypt. I find this perpetuating the station that woman hold in that country. Far from me to make judgments about a country I know little about but the little I saw, had very few women in it. At night time driving through Cairo, all the bars were patroned by men smoking their shisha. In all the hotels and museums and historic sites, few women, many men.

I suppose there could be fewer women in the tourist and retail industry than in other industries. Our tour guide also explained that the women in Egypt are free to do as they wished. If you see them adorned in a black Hijab, even in 40 degree weather, it is because they choose to and it is practical.

Now I wonder if this million man march is meant literally. Will women be present? Are they allowed to be present? Can they participate in the revolution of their own country and of themselves?

Egypt

The perfect picture only exists in our minds...

Even a sphinx has a sphincter ...

Breathtaking from afar...

...and breathtaking from 'anear', Abu Simbel. Would like to erect something like this for my borders.

Mixed feelings about the Obelisk remain...

A sunrise on the river Nile...

Through the eyes of one's companions...

I now know what it means to be Nubian

Nubia means the place of gold. And Nubians are an Egyptians race who have kept their bloodline pure by not marrying outsiders. They also have their own secret language that is not written and anyone that is an outsider is not allowed to be taught it.

Before the trip to Egypt, I had no idea of a Christian religion called Copt. Of course following the bombing of the Coptic Church in Alexandria a few days ago, I now know that such a religion exists and so much of its history and its origins are in Egypt.

Egypt and Egyptians touch a lot of the world’s history. Jesus, Mary and Joseph spent three years in Egypt, I saw a few days ago the place where they hid ( a church of St Sergius and St Bacchus in Cairo) when Herod(?) was killing all the first borns.

These are just miniscule pieces of information that one gathers traveling around Egypt. It is rich and I do not have the mental capacity to absorb (never mind relate) all the stories I’ve been told about this rich place. All I can do is connect the pieces of information to movies and books I’ve read. I try to connect some of Cairo to the African settings of the English Patient. And so on and so on.


I wish I could post some the pictures of my trip so far but the camera doesn’t have the connection. I and a cute couple from Pretoria did a trip to Abu Simbel. (80% of the tour party is from Durban and a little on the elderly side, but this is a story for another time). As an ignorant person of Egyptology, I felt a little that this trip was wasted on me. Abu Simbel is a temple that Ramses II built to show his might. It is one of the must sees next to the Pyramids. The temple’s entrance is flanked by four huge statues of Ramses II himself at various ages. To put it into scale, a hand of the statue is about as tall as an average sized person. A smile is about a meter long. These are huge statues and inside the temple itself are more statues and Egyptian ancient writing that a more enthusiastic amateur Egyptologist would go nuts for. I felt a little like someone who acquires a precious thing but has no idea how to begin to appreciate it.

On a more personal note, very little can be spoilt by a visit to Egypt, the place is awe inspiring, BUT being a woman travelling alone comes close. It is a Muslim country (80% Muslim, 10% Coptic) and women are covered up. I am not Muslim and I am travelling alone. This for some reason gives an impression to Egyptian men can try their luck. Ordering room service was an experience that I can laugh about now but was ready to put my kata-box skills to work a few days ago. And as open as I am to new experiences, invading my personal space and telling me I have a good body will not make me readily take my clothes off and want to get it on, I don’t care how good looking you are. And the men in Cairo are above average good looking. But Ninja please!

I love my country

I am this person. I am the kind of person that would go to the greatest places in the world and still long for the familiar surroundings that I call home, that I call South Africa. The familiar and friendly faces of the people of the south. I will romanticise of what a great country I live in and how unthreatening and welcoming we are to visitors and how other places around the world fail miserably at this. I am that person. I am a melancholic traveler. I am not proud of this and will try to change it.

First day in Egypt, in Cairo and I am amazed at how filthy this place is. I am shocked that the Sheraton would put their name to the Hotel I am staying at. I am horrified at the aggression of the people here and I can not wait to move out of Cairo and into hopefully more serene setting of Egypt.

Do not get me wrong, the Egypt and the Pyramids are awe-inspiring and beautiful and rich with history, probably the richest place on earth in terms of History? But one cannot help but be discouraged by some of the history, like that of the pyramids, these were built for vanity and ego's sake and not the greatness of someone else or to commemorate greatness but to make sure that I as a king am buried in a tomb that is bigger and better than the previous one.

Pictures (and a more thoughtful post hopefully) to follow tomorrow…

Just Wright

With: Queen Latifah as Leslie Wright, Common as Scott McNight, Paula Patton as Morgan, Pam Grier, Phylicia Rashad, James Pickens Jr
Directed by: Sanaa Hamri


Heartwarmer, your cries have been heard and they’ve been answered! Just Wright, the cute romantic flick that is Just Wright has been made.

Now we know the Queen has manic skills. She rocks! She rocked with Jimmy Fallon in Taxi, she kinda rocked in that holiday movie. She totally boulders! in this most satisfying romantic comedy that pulls all the rights strings and does not totally demonise or vilify black woman and their gorgeous black men.

It does not vilify the gold digger. It does not stereo type the over protective ball player’s mother. There are no cat fights and ho calling and bitch and skank. Just good fun with some refreshing incites that are Just Wright.

This can easily make it to the list below under best romantic flick and alternative romantic flick.

Now you know I had to be biased about this movie given the lead male charater, but I tried my damndest to not drool over the TV screen when Common was doing his sit ups with his shirt off. Can I just say, he is thee most beautiful man alive today? Can I? Can I? He is beautiful.

The scenes with the dad were one of my favorites.

I want to shout from the roof tops about how great this movie is, but since I live on a middle floor, I will resort to gushing over the keyboard.

Love love love this movie.

Four spoons!

It loses one spoon because I think the way they eventually get to kiss was not quite the right moment. Although I understand why there, I just think t should have happened at a less glamorous setting. No shiny ball gown and tuxedo. Just them on the couch watching Romancing the Stone!

Disclaimer: the lunar cycle may have something to do with this post.

Not the Golden Globes - recent film greats

Okay so clearly we did not see enough films in 2010 that would qualify for this so I suggest that we expand to 'recent film greats'.

Sci fi vs action differentiation - action takes place on earth with no aliens, sci fi takes place in outer space or on earth with aliens. If Super Man made it on to the list, we’d invent new definition ;)

Heartwarmer, please add more.

Here are some categories and nominations:

Best sci fi flick

Star Trek

War of the worlds

Knowing

Avatar

Moon – Sam Rockwell

Contact

Best traditional romantic flick

Chasing Amy

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Bend it like Beckam

Love Actually

Brokeback Mountain

The Notebook (just for you heartwarmer)

Spanglish

Best alternative romantic flick

Brokeback Mountain

A Single Man

Short Bus

Gray Matters

Best Drama – ugly cry

Revolutionary Road

Brokeback Mountain

Everybody’s Fine – surprisingly touching and yes I did the ugly cry for it

Angels in America

Best Comedy – pee in your pants funny

Funny People – Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan

Hot Fuzz – Simon Pegg ripping off Bad Boys

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

East is East

Kung fu Hustle

Accepting nominations for best puke inducing 'romcoms', I've tried that with my friend 'bromance', the call is coming from inside 'horror', and 'animated'.

WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO

I really know how to pick them huh.

So, here's another black movie. What is it about black movies (note: I love us) that they just fail to inspire.

I mean seriously. Tyler Perry. C'mon guy.

We need you to do better.

Thing is, I suppose, to some extent, on some level, he did have us all going. The story was as tight as tight can be which in the bigger universe of movies is tight-ish - but then he just lost it completely. Its like he just suddently lost his mind and decided he was just too tired to develop a decent enough ending. And all we are left with is sand in our eyes, ears, mouth...

Like seriously, WTF?


Okay, so you have these four married couples.

Janet Jackson, the doctor, with her hubby Malik Yoba. They have problems but never want to tell.

Jill Scott with her unemployed sheriff husband who goes all I AM MAN on her. But she should have known better. I mean that Soul Food movie wrote that part first. She should have known. You know the scene. Current husband/boyfriend can't seem to find a job so girlfriend/wife decides to intervene and calls on ex boyfriend/husband to make a few calls and get him a job. Current boyfriend/husband gets job, but its only a matter of time till he finds out the truth...and then ITS ON! Jill should have known better. AND TYLER SHOULD NOT HAVE REPEATED THIS SCENARIO!


Then there's the crazy couple. Even though her husband has cheated on her numerous times, she still finds it in her heart to forgive him. Even when he flirts with youngens in broad daylight, right in her view and her friends view - she forgives him, ghetto-ly - but forgives none the less.

Its like, what are you trying to teach us here Tyler? Huh? What is your point exactly! ARGH!


Couple number three is Tyler and his wife who fantasise about 'doing it' with some colleague of hers while she's doing her husband...imagine that...she imagines another man when doing her husband? She never really cheated I guess. Just dresses for him everyday when she goes to work. Puts on a little extra perfume, them sexy spaghetti straps...pencil skirt...whatever.

At first they all seem happy. And then all become mad at each other. And then all make up again. How do they make up, you ask. Well during Janet and Malik's fight - he ends up in an accident (later dies - boo hoo, a year later Janet finds herself another potential lover...eish) and Janet literally tells everybody...in exactly these worlds...well almost, "don't end up like me, make up'. And they all walk over to each other and just like that...they are all hugs and kisses and made up.

WHUT!

COME ON MAN!

BESIDES THE SUPER WEAK STORY DEVELOPMENT AT THAT POINT, I'm sick of these same ol' same ol' black stories man. I mean it was fun for a little while Tyler. That Diary of a Mad Black Woman was 'fun'. But come on. Can we move beyond this TYPE! Please.

2011 Golden Globe Nominations

Golden Globe Nominations are out, time to go back to the cinema, yay!

1. Best Motion Picture – Drama
A. Black Swan
B. The Fighter
C. Inception
D. The King’s Speech
E. The Social Network

2. Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama
A. Halle Berry Frankie And Alice
B. Nicole Kidman Rabbit Hole
C. Jennifer Lawrence Winter’s Bone
D. Natalie Portman Black Swan
E. Michelle Williams Blue Valentine

3. Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama

A. Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network
B. Colin Firth The King’s Speech
C. James Franco 127 Hours
D. Ryan Gosling Blue Valentine
E. Mark Wahlberg The Fighter

4. Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
A. Alice In Wonderland
B. Burlesque
C. The Kids Are All Right
D. Red
E. The Tourist

5. Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
A. Annette Bening The Kids Are All Right
B. Anne Hathaway Love And Other Drugs
C. Angelina Jolie The Tourist
D. Julianne Moore The Kids Are All Right
E. Emma Stone Easy A

6. Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
A. Johnny Depp Alice In Wonderland
B. Johnny Depp The Tourist
C. Paul Giamatti Barney’s Version
D. Jake Gyllenhaal Love And Other Drugs
E. Kevin Spacey Casino Jack

7. Best Animated Feature Film
A. Despicable Me
B. How To Train Your Dragon
C. The Illusionist
D. Tangled
E. Toy Story 3

8. Best Foreign Language Film
A. Biutiful (Mexico/Spain)
B. The Concert (France)
C. The Edge (Russia)
D. I Am Love (Italy)
E. In A Better World (Denmark)

9. Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture
A. Amy Adams The Fighter
B. Helena Bonham Carter The King’s Speech
C. Mila Kunis Black Swan
D. Melissa Leo The Fighter
E. Jacki Weaver Animal Kingdom

10. Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture
A. Christian Bale The Fighter
B. Michael Douglas Wall Street: Money Never
Sleeps
C. Andrew Garfield The Social Network
D. Jeremy Renner The Town
E. Geoffrey Rush The King’s Speech

11. Best Director – Motion Picture
A. Darren Aronofsky Black Swan
B. David Fincher The Social Network
C. Tom Hooper The King’s Speech
D. Christopher Nolan Inception
E. David O. Russell The Fighter

12. Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
A. Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
B. Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
C. Christopher Nolan Inception
D. David Seidler The King’s Speech
E. Aaron Sorkin The Social Network

13. Best Original Score – Motion Picture
A. Alexandre Desplat The King’s Speech
B. Danny Elfman Alice In Wonderland
C. A.R. Rahman 127 Hours
D. Trent Reznor, The Social Network
E. Hans Zimmer Inception

14. Best Original Song – Motion Picture
A. “Bound To You” — Burlesque
Music By: Samuel Dixon
Lyrics By: Christina Aguilera, Sia Furler
B. “Coming Home” — Country Strong
Music & Lyrics By: Bob Dipiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges
C. “I See The Light” — Tangled
Music By: Alan Menken
Lyrics By: Glenn Slater
D. “There’s A Place For Us” — Chronicles Of Narnia: The
Voyage Of The Dawn Treader
Music & Lyrics By: Carrie Underwood, David Hodges, Hillary Lindsey
E. “You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me” — Burlesque
Music & Lyrics By: Diane Warren

15. Best Television Series – Drama
A. Boardwalk Empire (Hbo)
B. Dexter (Showtime)
C. The Good Wife (Cbs)
D. Mad Men (Amc)
E. The Walking Dead (Amc)

16. Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Drama
A. Julianna Margulies The Good Wife
B. Elisabeth Moss Mad Men
C. Piper Perabo Covert Affairs
D. Katey Sagal Sons Of Anarchy
E. Kyra Sedgwick The Closer
17. Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama
A. Steve Buscemi Boardwalk Empire
B. Bryan Cranston Breaking Bad
C. Michael C. Hall Dexter
D. Jon Hamm Mad Men
E. Hugh Laurie House

18. Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
A. 30 Rock (Nbc)
B. The Big Bang Theory (Cbs)
C. The Big C (Showtime)
D. Glee (Fox)
E. Modern Family (Abc)
F. Nurse Jackie (Showtime)

19. Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series –Comedy Or Musical
A. Toni Collette United States Of Tara
B. Edie Falco Nurse Jackie
C. Tina Fey 30 Rock
D. Laura Linney The Big C
E. Lea Michele Glee
20. Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
A. Alec Baldwin 30 Rock
B. Steve Carell The Office
C. Thomas Jane Hung
D. Matthew Morrison Glee
E. Jim Parsons The Big Bang Theory

21. Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
A. Carlos (Sundance Channel)
B. The Pacific (Hbo)
C. Pillars Of The Earth (Starz)
D. Temple Grandin (Hbo)
E. You Don’t Know Jack (Hbo)

22. Best Performance By An Actress In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
A. Hayley Atwell Pillars Of The Earth
B. Claire Danes Temple Grandin
C. Judi Dench Return To Cranford
D. Romola Garai Emma
E. Jennifer Love Hewitt The Client List

23. Best Performance By An Actor In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
A. Idris Elba Luther
B. Ian Mcshane Pillars Of The Earth
C. Al Pacino You Don’t Know Jack
D. Dennis Quaid The Special Relationship
E. Edgar Ramirez Carlos

24. Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
A. Hope Davis The Special Relationship
B. Jane Lynch Glee
C. Kelly Macdonald Boardwalk Empire
D. Julia Stiles Dexter
E. Sofia Vergara Modern Family

25. Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
A. Scott Caan Hawaii Five-O
B. Chris Colfer Glee
C. Chris Noth The Good Wife
D. Eric Stonestreet Modern Family
E. David Strathairn Temple Grandin


Source: HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION media relaese