Larry Crowne

    One might pass Larry Crowne off as an unimportant romantic comedy made for lonely middle-aged women to fantasize about, but it in all reality, it is a well thought out and put-together film. I think Tom Hanks deserves a gold star for his first time directing a feature film he not only acted and directed in, but also produced and co-wrote. The movie incited a genuine laugh from the audience, not a pitiful "chuckle-laugh"that murmurs through the audience during an especially awkward scene; it's safe to say that Larry Crowne is a laugh out loud film in an appropriate, family-friendly way.
    Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks), a middle-age man working and enjoying his steady job at U-Mart, finds out one day that U-Mart's corporates are firing him due to his lack of a college education. Larry is devastated at first, but soon picks himself up and starts his search for a job that would accept him for the education he was not able to have while in the navy. Thanks to his witty, cunning neighbor (played by Cedric the Entertainer), Larry finds himself at his "first day of college ever," surrounded by the young, bustling, nervous life of freshman year. He is convinced by the dean of student services to take the class Speech 217- the study of informal remarks, which would supposedly "change his life." The rest of the movie consists of Larry Crowne making a new circle of young friends and meeting a woman, Mercy Tainot (Julia Roberts), that he falls in love with. The movie documents the funny moments Larry experiences through his first ever college experience, and the results of his mixing with a younger generation. Essentially, Larry's college experiences are almost like a reawakening of the soul, giving him the freedoms he did not have before.
     Crowne exudes a charismatic, revitalized personality throughout the film: he dresses well, thanks to one of his college friends, rides around in a light blue scooter (the same one used for the movie poster), and has his house reorganized in an attempt to rearrange his life, and change the monotonous traditional life he led before. Crowne's loss of his steady job was the true eye-opener for him, it was the moment of his life in which he realized that he must find someone to spend the rest of his life with, that he must make the most of his life, in fear of dying a lone man.
      In all, Larry Crowne subconsciously appeals to the worry of aging, the desire to preserve youth. Larry Crowne decides to embrace his life and enjoy those things that could help him live his life to the fullest and allow him to "age graciously."

The Five Dime Driftwood House Restaurant (Taiwan)

    Out of all the extreme restaurants I have eaten at, the Five Dime Driftwood House Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan is by far the most original and beautiful I have ever been to. For those foreign culture-curious people, the Chinese name for the restaurant is 伍角船板 (Wu Jiao Chuan Ban). The restaurant is characterized for its beautiful architecture, as you can see from the pictures above, but the catch? The entire building is constructed from driftwood (http://www.flickr.com/photos/advcity/4293811910/ , http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6RzpD2hmcxEy9cJbpsMwNA) that the artist, Hsieh Li-Shiang, personally collected on the beach. The building itself took about US $6 million to construct, but the end result is something beyond belief, and is an example of how anything can be used to create art and build something truly glorious and transcendent of the horrible things man is capable of doing. The restaurant provides a cool, stress-free environment to escape to, especially during the hot, humid summer days Taiwan experiences. The driftwood provides a comfortable climate for people to sit in and enjoy their meal.The beauty and peacefulness one experiences as soon as one steps into the building is astounding; tranquil music plays from hidden speakers dotted throughout the restaurant and a piano sits in the middle of a pond situated in the exact center of the restaurant. A man plays piano soulfully as you dine, adding to the atmosphere of mystery and wonder at the magnificence of the building. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ReviewPhotos-g293913-d807530-r89036485-Five_Dime-Taipei.html#28925067) **The links posted above are pictures of the interior of the restaurant.
    The greatness definitely does not stop there. The food is amazing, traditional Taiwanese food is served, and Li-Shiang has made it clear that not only does her restaurant provide an awe-inspiring structure, the food served must be scrumptious and delectable. No matter what you order from the menu, expect it to fit your taste buds exactly and leave you aching for more. I myself am a fan of food (I LOVE FOOD), and from personal experience, I can say that the food is, like the restaurant, beyond belief.
   
    Artist Hsieh Li-Shiang says her inspiration grew from her childhood. Li-Shiang grew up on a small farm in small town Hsikang in Taiwan's Tainan county (known for its gorgeous natural views) and was always close to nature. Her childhood was surrounded by the beautiful, tropical environment Taiwan so carefully maintains, and thus inspired her to work with products of nature, in this case driftwood. Thank goodness she was inspired, so that we now have magnificent works of art to admire (Li-Shiang has established a chain of these restaurants throughout the small island of Taiwan).
    The Five Dime Driftwood House Restaurant is one I most definitely recommend for you to experience, and is just one of the many places in Taiwan I will be blogging about in the future. Here's to another piece of driftwood added to my Framework for Life.

Speech Evaluation

Ah, the critically acclaimed motion picture that not only won Best Picture, but Best Actor at the 2011 Academy Awards, and for good reason. I was recently able to experience the royal Majesty of this film, and I must say, it was one of the most visually stunning and heart-warming documentaries I have ever watched. The film documents the daily life of Prince Albert, Duke of York (Colin Firth), during the 1930's, the time between World War I and the fastcoming second World War. The British royal family is caught in a conflict when heir to the throne, David, Prince of Wales (Guy Pearce), embroils himself in a controversial relationship with a twice-divorced American socialite, Wallis Simpson. Prince Albert could easily take over the throne, but is hindered by his infamous speech impediment. The film follows his discovery of Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) and the baby steps Logue takes with the prince to fix his speech impediment once and for all.
   The broad, sweeping views the director, Tom Hooper, uses to express his film accurately characterizes the film with a feeling of elegance and royalty. Numerous close-ups and headshots are used to emphasize the actors' use of facial expression to convey a certain scene's mood and importance. Hooper's use of wide, panning motions gives the film an added sense of wonder at the private, quiet lives the royal family lives behind closed doors.
    Hooper expresses the future King George VI's speech impediment truly and historically accurate; the use of the real Logue's diaries and notes further confirms the almost-accuracy of the film's plot. The picture seamlessly presents the dilemma of a king dealing with a stutter that has haunted him throughout his life. Speeches are vital and may be the only connection of a king to his subjects, and for a king to grab hold of his people and allow them to place their trust in him to do their nation's work, he must be eloquent and moving in his deliverance of his speech. The film demonstrates the angst and urgency of the king's need to cure himself of his disability, and thus turns what might have been a dry, historical documentary into something all people can relate to; the fear of public speaking. The pressure heaped upon Prince Albert is nasty and brutish; quickly and unexpectedly ushered into the position of King, of the Ruler of the Land, of Leader, he must maintain the relationship between ruler and ruled while also upholding the reputation of the monarchy.
     Overall, The King's Speech was a definite eye-opener for me, and made me realize what a hassle being king might be, that being king does not mean lying on comfortable couches all day, eating grapes fed to you by beautiful women. It is the ultimate job, the one that requires 24/7 commitment and dedication, a job one can not just retire from and leave whenever one wants. It is a job often forced upon the next in line, and is one the heir must uphold for the rest of his life. In all, The King's Speech was a impressive, and I might say, imperial movie that will definitely be another Janga block added to my Framework for Life.