things on the last day of the year

[hafital]

I finally went to see this last night. I lack really intelligent things to say about it, however. I was nervous because I knew it was a sad story, and I'm not fond of that broken feeling you get when you become too invested in a story and characters and it ends badly. But, I think being so worried about it helped because I was all braced for impact, so to speak. *g*

It was beautiful, and I've been thinking about it ever since. I've read some of the commentary on LJ about it, which I find interesting and some of what's being said, both pro and con, rings true for me. My only meta-esque comment on the movie and the underlying short story is that, having read a fair number of stories that are published in the New Yorker as well as in other literary magazines, I've never read one with a happy ending. Not really. It's just not an aesthetic that's very popular in those circles, I find. I could be wrong, or have gotten the wrong impression. What that says about the topic of the short story? *shrug*. I liked it for what it is, tragic and flawed and not perfect.

Visually? The movie was GORGEOUS. Raw, sometimes, but always beautiful.



Resolutions for the New Year:

to write more this year.
to take better care of my sleep habits.
to finish decorating my bedroom and other parts of my apt. (seriously. *g*)
to figure out what to do with the piles of paperwork and filing I always ignore. If that means dumping them, so be it.
to do some traveling.
to find that oh so elusive balance between fannish life and RL.
to stay in better touch with friends.
to not let my email get so out of hand that I have 3000+ unread emails. (sheepish look)
to pamper myself. to spend money on myself.
to find some courage for the little things.
to not let school overwhelm me.
to not let fear of finances overwhelm me.
to take that leap.



These are my bare bones recommendations for Yuletide 2005. There's still a number of stories I'd like to read, but tempus fugit, and all that.

Yuletide Recs:

Candles and Chemistry -- 21 Jump Street
The Gods Have Smiled Upon Us -- Alexander (The Movie)
Thinking To Do -- Brokeback Mountain
Passions of a Man -- Batman Begins
Birth -- Constantine
Grown Men Do Things Together -- Coupling UK
Dear Friends and Ruin -- The Little Princess
"Twas a victory, yes; but it cost us dear" -- Gone With the Wind
We Go Together -- Grease
Ghosts -- Minority Report
What Happens In Vega$ Stays in Vega$ -- Moonlighting
Mr. and Mrs. Smith Go To New Hampshire -- Mr. and Mrs. Smith
I Coulda Been a Defendant -- Night Court
The Deal -- Ocean's 11
Under a Clear Agean Sky -- Ocean's 11
Unanswered Riddles -- Riddle-Master of Head books
Fairly Rare and Very Unstable -- Real Genius
Qui Tacet Consentit -- Rome
semper hic erro -- Rome
My match -- Scrubs
Not To Yield -- Shackleton (tv)
Observed of all Observers -- Hamlet
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) -- Singin in the Rain
Midnight Dances -- Singin in the Rain
Blue Velvet to Moon River -- Twin Peaks

And as a bonus, NYR 2005 stories I hadn't read before:

Not Gay -- The Office (UK)
Undiscovered Country -- Hamlet (I can't recommend this story enough. Achingly beautiful.)