adventures of a tired coder

Sheep movie aside, I’m on a roll for depressing movies this week. I pretty much lived at the Uptown, either volunteering or watching films. Film Count: 6. Volunteer Vouchers: 13.

Jin
(also: Jîn)
Turkey, 2012
Genre: Social Issues, Drama
Watched: SIFF 2013, Uptown
Rating: **** (out of 5)

I was worried that I wasn’t going to get to watch any films during my volunteer shifts this year! But I finally did, and it was one that was on my tentative list, so that was great. I must not have watched the trailer beforehand, and from the description, the parts that stood out to me were “vivid and visually stunning,” “forges relationships with animals,” and “evokes… beautifully illustrated fairy tales.” Yeah, that was shattered pretty quickly. Not to say that those descriptions aren’t accurate, but it’s hard to get too settled in the beauty when loud gunshots and bombings interrupt the serenity constantly. The film did probably too good of a job of putting me in this freedom fighter’s shoes. I was so affected by it that it took me awhile to calm down enough to go to sleep afterwards. I did really love the beauty of the scenery, the magic that was found in the woods and in interactions with animals. However, the violence was so jarring and constant that it was hard to describe the whole thing as an enjoyable experience. Watching this brought me back to memories of Future Lasts Forever at last year’s SIFF, which also was about the Kurdish conflicts in Turkey, but it focused on the survivors and their grief. This time, I experienced it from the perspective of the fighter.

Paradise: Love
(also: Paradies: Liebe)
Austria, 2012
Genre: Drama, Black Comedy
Watched: SIFF 2013, Uptown
Rating: **** (out of 5)

Ulrich Seidl’s trilogy is not for everyone. Though I didn’t expect it going in, Love ended up being my favorite of the three. It’s challenging subject matter, Austrian women who go to Kenya and become sex tourists, sleeping with young locals who are eager to milk as much cash out of them as possible. So much nudity in this film, and it’s the squirmy, discomforting kind where the camera stays still on images that you don’t necessarily want to see. I liked the ambiguity about who was exploiting and who was being exploited. Margarethe Tiesel does an amazing job as the main character, and the film is a beautiful feast for the eyes (in the shots when it’s not trying to make you uncomfortable).

The Last Shepherd
(also: L’Ultimo Pastore)
Italy, 2012
Genre: Documentary
Watched: SIFF 2013, Uptown
Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5)

I was so bummed about missing Winter Nomads last year that when I saw that there was a sheep moving on the SIFF schedule this year, I was determined to make it happen. Sadly, my expectations may have been a little too high for this one. The main problem was that the characters and plot were too thin to carry the movie, and that’s a pretty significant statement when the film is only 76 minutes long! Still, it’s a charming film. The mountain scenes are beautiful, and it’s pretty funny to see all the sheep surrounding cars on the roads of Milan. Really, it’s the sheep that make the film, not the shepherd. This stood out as the one non-depressing film of the week.

Act of Killing
Denmark, 2012
Genre: Documentary, Social Issues
Watched: SIFF 2013, Uptown
Rating: **** (out of 5)

The person introducing the film read a lovely letter from the director that talked about how good and evil only exist in movies, that evil deeds were carried out by human beings, and that this documentary sought to show why they do them. That sets a pretty high bar for what to expect, and sadly, I don’t think it reached it. We don’t see why humans do horrible things, but we do get a glimpse at how they live afterwards. Though in the beginning of the film, all of them seem cheerful and boisterous about their acts, it’s soon clear that they are coping in different ways. One convinces himself that he did no wrong. One turns to drugs to clear his head. One seems genuinely fine with his actions. But as these men perform their reenactments of the violence for the camera, some of the defenses start to break down. For certain, this is film is unique, shocking, and disturbing. There’s a lot to talk about afterwards. But what’s the point? If it were simply to raise awareness of the historical events themselves, the documentary would have been made completely differently. There doesn’t seem to be a lesson – I think all of the viewers already understand that we shouldn’t commit genocide. Instead, we just get a glimpse at how twisted people’s minds can be, people who are still unpunished for their actions and free to redo them at anytime. Pretty horrifying.

Here we go again! Unlike SIFFs in the past, I don’t have any out of town weekends this year! However, I have enough non-SIFF plans already on the calendar that I’m not sure I’ll be hitting as high of a film/voucher count as previous years. I did more of the specific position training pre-SIFF so that’s padding my voucher count for now. Film Count: 2. Volunteer Vouchers: 9.

Opening Night Gala this year was a big deal, Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing, with Mr. Whedon and some actors in attendance. It sold out a few hours after the announcement was made. I considered picking up tickets because I was interested in the film, but I decided against it because I knew I could catch it another time without all of the crowds. I also chose not to work the movie portion of the night because the shifts started so early. Instead, I signed up for a later shift bussing tables at the party. I tell people that these types of shifts are my “genuine volunteering,” where I feel like I’m putting in way more effort than the volunteer vouchers justify. The first part of the shift was really uneventful, and then a ton of people came in and it got crowded and busy. This is the first opening night party I’ve worked, and it seemed like people had a lot of fun, staying even once all the lights went on at midnight. Ten minutes before our shift was scheduled to end, they took us out to the back and had us unload cases of alcohol from a truck. They wanted us to load them back into another truck, but it was past midnight at this point and I needed to go to sleep.

I volunteered Friday night instead of seeing films. To satiate the Whedonverse members who weren’t able to get tickets for Opening Night, SIFF posted a secret screening for Friday night with Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof in attendance. It made everything that evening a little crazier because the line was really long (and started forming hours before the screening) and were let into the theater late due to timing of the screening before. We got some excitement right before the screening started when a crazy fan trying to get Alyson’s autograph ended up starting a fight with a passholder right in front of the theater. Haven’t seen that before!

Closure of two lanes on Mercer and full closure of a segment of 99 around Queen Anne caused disastrous traffic the whole weekend. I had a full hour between my Saturday morning volunteer shift and when I wanted to be at my next film in Capitol Hill, and it took more than that to get up there. Part of it was because the bus arrived 20 minutes late due to traffic, then the rest was sitting in that traffic. Delightful.

Five Dances
USA, 2013
Genre: Drama
Watched: SIFF 2013, Harvard Exit
Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5)

This one appealed to me right away because of the subject matter, but I’d put it on my tentative list because I was afraid that the acting wasn’t going to be that great. After a few press screening reviews went favorably, I decided to go. In the end, I think my original expectations were correct. The dancing was lovely. For some people, this was enough to form an emotional connection and carry the movie – in fact, this was the director’s intent. I do like the idea of having less dialogue and more communicated in the dances, but the actual execution didn’t fully resonate with me. However, there were some really beautiful emotional moments that did click, and Ryan Steele was wonderful as the lead. I was only able to catch a few minutes of the Q&A because I had to rush down the hill for my next film.

Frances Ha
USA, 2012
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Watched: SIFF 2013, Pacific Place
Rating: ****1/2 (out of 5)

Maybe it was a little silly to see Frances Ha at SIFF, given that it’s releasing in mainstream theaters in the Seattle area tomorrow. But I don’t regret it. I thought this was a delightful gem of a film. Greta Gerwig was really fun to watch, and I felt like it was right on target emotionally. Fresh, fun, and non-clichéd. Perfect for a group of girlfriends to watch together. It speaks well to my age group, where we’re searching for intimacy, feeling a little lost sometimes, but still trying to achieve our dreams.

The Third Son by Julie Wu

Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5)
Recommended for: fans of Lisa See
Received ARC copy through NetGalley.

Book 13 of 52 in the “Around the World” Challenge

Back-cover summary:
It’s 1943. As air-raid sirens blare in Japanese-occupied Taiwan, eight-year-old Saburo walks through the peach forests of Taoyuan. The least favored son of a Taiwanese politician, Saburo is in no hurry to get home to the taunting and abuse he suffers at the hands of his parents and older brother. In the forest he meets Yoshiko, whose descriptions of her loving family are to Saburo like a glimpse of paradise. Meeting her is a moment he will remember forever, and for years he will try to find her again. When he finally does, she is by the side of his oldest brother and greatest rival. Set in a tumultuous and violent period of Taiwanese history—as the Chinese Nationalist Army lays claim to the island and one autocracy replaces another—The Third Son tells the story of lives governed by the inheritance of family and the legacy of culture, and of a young man determined to free himself from both.

My review:
It seems common in Chinese historical fiction for a female main character to go through a great amount of suffering. I suppose it was a “nice” change in this piece of Taiwanese historical fiction for a man to have the suffering instead. And he certainly had to face a lot of difficult challenges in this novel!

I really enjoyed the setting of this novel, much of it taking place in a Taiwan that many people in American don’t know about. I showed a friend the description of the book, and she remarked, “Saburo doesn’t sound like a very Chinese name to me.” The Japanese occupation of Taiwan isn’t often studied in schools here, but it’s important because the influences remain very strong in the country to this day. I enjoyed reading about the Taiwan of the Japanese, followed by what happened when the Chinese Nationalists took over.

Another bright spot in The Third Son is the main character of Saburo. He is an untraditional scholar, a hands-on self-learner instead of a proper student. He is rebellious and speaks his mind, and he is forced to aim for success in unconventional ways. It brought a smile to my face each time his true intelligence managed to win over politics or trickery. His character is one that is very different from the Asian male stereotype.

Though I was constantly rooting for Saburo to succeed, I didn’t feel a strong emotional connection, especially in relation to the love story between him and Yoshiko. This was the main thing that kept the book from being one that I absolutely loved. However, I still enjoyed it a lot, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5)
Recommended for: Epic historical fiction fans

Book 12 of 52 in the “Around the World” Challenge

Back-cover summary:
The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in villages just a few miles apart. At the turn of the last century, when Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished from his village and sent to hide in America as an apprentice to a shoemaker in Little Italy. Without explanation, he leaves a bereft Enza behind. Soon, Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America with her father to secure their future.

Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America, Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job in Hoboken until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza, determined to forge a life without him, begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of the international singing sensation, Enrico Caruso.

From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill, to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy, to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until, finally, the power of their love changes both of their lives forever.

My review:
I was craving an epic story when I picked up The Shoemaker’s Wife for book club, and I didn’t even realize it until the end. I loved the stories of Ciro, Enza, and their families and friends, weaving in and out of each other’s lives. I loved how the saga moved from location to location, sweeping me into a different world each time.

My favorite parts of the book were the parts set in the Italian Alps (what a beautiful setting!) and New York City. When the setting switched to Minnesota, the story was less enchanting, and the pace seemed to speed up at that point.

At book club, I found myself saying, “I don’t know why they called it The Shoemaker’s Daughter. That wasn’t even a big part of the book.” Fortunately, the rest of my book club was paying attention and corrected my misreading of the title. Still, I feel like the title didn’t properly sum up the book. While I’m glad the title gave Enza the credit as the main focus, she was so much more than a shoemaker’s wife, and her story was bigger than that, too.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Rating: ****1/5 (out of 5)
Recommended for: people who enjoy psychological thrillers, anyone looking for a page-turner

Back-cover summary:
Marriage can be a real killer.

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

My review:
I’m not generally a thriller reader. It’s not that I dislike the genre as a whole, but I’m the type of reader who won’t be satisfied with a good plot if I have no interest in the characters. Too many of the thrillers I read end up with flat characters. Not this one. This is a psychological thriller – a lot of the mystery is who to trust, what the motives and personalities of the characters really are. Perfect type of book for me.

It seems like half of the world has read this book by now, but I managed to go into it with no preconceptions or spoilers. I read no reviews, only looked at overall ratings. This definitely made the reading experience better. So this review will be vague and short because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone else by being specific about what I liked. It’s masterful how everything unfolds.

This book totally deserves to be as popular as it is. C’mon, book industry… more psychological thrillers, fewer vampire teen romances, okay?

The Affair by Colette Freedman

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Chick Lit
Rating: **** (out of 5)
Recommended for: fans of Emily Giffin, people looking for chick lit that deals with serious issues

Back-cover summary:
After eighteen years of marriage, Kathy Walker has settled into a pattern of comfortable routines—ferrying her two teenagers between soccer practice and piano lessons, running a film production business with her husband, Robert, and taking care of the beautiful Boston home they share. Then one day, Kathy discovers a suspicious number on her husband’s phone. Six years before, Kathy accused Robert of infidelity—a charge he vehemently denied—and almost destroyed their marriage in the process.

Now Kathy must decide whether to follow her suspicions at the risk of losing everything, or trust the man with whom she’s entwined her past, present, and future. As she grapples with that choice, she is confronted with surprising truths not just about her relationship, but about her friends, family, and her own motivations.

My review:
This book tells the story of an affair -- or more specifically, a crucial week of an affair -- from the perspectives of the wife, the husband, and the mistress. It doesn't break any new ground, but the storytelling is still very satisfying to read. The different perspectives are believable and realistic, and I enjoyed seeing how things that would seem so clear from one perspective ended up being completely different from another. There are no true heroes or villains in this story, only people who love and hurt each other as years of choices reach a point where they can no longer be ignored.

P.S. Don't have an affair.

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5)
Recommended for: People who enjoy magical realism and fairy tale retellings, lovers of Shakespeare and poetry

Back-cover summary:
In the ancient Scottish ballad "Tam Lin," headstrong Janet defies Tam Lin to walk in her own land of Carterhaugh . . . and then must battle the Queen of Faery for possession of her lover’s body and soul. In this version of "Tam Lin," masterfully crafted by Pamela Dean, Janet is a college student, "Carterhaugh" is Carter Hall at the university where her father teaches, and Tam Lin is a boy named Thomas Lane.

My review:
This month, I’m reading books that other people have recommended to me as their favorites. It is definitely taking me out of my reading comfort zone, but it’s an enjoyable change. Tam Lin is one of those books. Genre and description wise, it isn’t too far from my standard reading, but the writing style did end up being a departure from the norm.

It took me awhile to warm to the author’s writing style. From the description and genre, it seems like it would be a fast read, but it ended up not being the case for me. At over 400 pages, it was a thick book, and I didn’t read through them quickly. It seemed like some things dragged on slowly, but other times, I found myself having to reread passages because I didn’t quite follow where a transition happened. The most common example would be in conversation where suddenly it would mention that someone was furious, but I couldn’t understand from the dialogue when it went from normal conversation to anger. This and other character reactions that I didn’t understand showed some amount of emotional disconnect between me and the author.

If you’ve ever dreamed of being enrolled in an elite liberal arts college and having a group of well-read friends to have sophisticated intellectual conversations with, this could be a great book for you. It’s hard not to be immersed into the setting, and I enjoyed feeling like I was sitting with Janet and her roommates in their dorm room or listening to lectures in English class. The conversations constantly make references to works of Shakespeare, Keats, and more. Enough of the references are clarified so that you won’t be completely lost if you don’t recognize them. However, a reader with absolutely no interest in English literature might find all of this extremely boring or possibly even pretentiously annoying.

I enjoyed the mystical elements of the story, especially the ghost who threw books out of the window, the tradition of the piper, and the horse riders. The action of the fairy tale retelling was a little odd, but I felt that way about the traditional version of the fairy tale, too. Overall, I felt like the fairy tale was a good way to wrap up the story and also helped set the mood for the novel, but the other interactions between the characters were more prominent. This is one of eight in a Fairy Tale Series. I read Snow White and Rose Red as a teen, and now this has me interested to read some of the others.