Updates!
Wow - that was a long break between posts! I blame vacation, an overinduglence in sleep and the cold slap of too much work when it all came to an end. Anyway, I did end up finishing the Sarah Waters' book a couple of days after I posted about it originally. It definitely held my attention. The only thing is that the dogged obsession with finishing it may have had more to do with an intense desire for something to happen versus simple adoration of prose. It was a good book with an interesting premise, but I felt a bit cheated at the end. It's strange that I left it like that. I honestly thought that I would give it a few days to suss out my reaction, but weeks later I still feel that the build up led to a sort of anti-climactic come down. I don't usually do numerical ranking, but if I had to I would probably give it a 6.5-7 out of 10 - so clearly not a waste of time, just a tad disappointing. The Ghosh book is promising, but I admit I had to set it aside during the xmas frenzy and what with the renewed work sched. I haven't had time to pick it up again...more on that soon.
Avatar was interesting. Went to see it 3d/Imax and enjoyed the spectacle factor. Was also bemused by the righteous outrage of some of my friends who took some time to dissect the diverse impolitic aspects of the narrative. I don't actually disagree. BUT...what do people expect from a mainstream, big budget, Hollywood blockbuster?!?! Yes, the politics are superficial, the white man's burden theme is carried forward and through that process the protagonist somehow finds a way to 'other' himself...BUT IT"S MAINSTREAM HOLLYWOOD...DUH. Where are you going to find subversive politics in the machinery of capitalist spectacle production? The very machinery of the Hollywood production machine is inextricably linked to the system. Ergo, Cameron may try to inject some quasi-progressive niceties, but he's not going to bite the hand that feeds him.
Might go see Kieslowski's Double Life of Veronique (La Double Vie de Veronique) next week. Not sure if it will happen as I have a meeting that evening that may conflict, but hope to do so. Director Krzyztof Kieslowski was a genius. He made movies that linger in your thoughts long after having screened them. I still remember A Short Film About Killing and A Short Film About Love as though I had seen them yesterday (it's been a while, and likely time for a re-screening). Those two films expand upon shorter productions that he made for his Decalogue, originally released for Polish television. Get thee to a video store and dig up some Kieslowski...love it or come back here and fight me over it, lol!