Comments on: Diffusing self-importance http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:11:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: turandot http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-459545 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:47:40 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-459545 I actually like <i>The Royal Tenembaums</i> better. It had a bit more story fleshed out, and the characters were screwed up, but you still could care for them. I didn't like Francis (Wilson's character) he was so obnoxious that when you find out he got into an accident on purpose and lived you sort of wish it had worked out better for him. No, really. With Peter (Brody), you also get annoyed at how callous he was towards his wife ("I was expecting us to get divorced eventually" "I never wanted a baby"), and Jack.... Well, I'm still wondering why the damn man went around barefoot most of the time. Note I have said nothing about the story, because there really wasn't much of one. Perhaps a skeleton of one. I'd love to say that <i>The Darjeling Express</i> was a disappointment to me, but I sort of had gone through the disappointment stage with <i>Life Acquatic</i>. Nowaydays I'm sort of starting to come to accept the fact that you don't really get much more than "a collection of assorted freakish characters go around doing weird things for flimsy reasons" as a plot point in a Wes Anderson movie. At least not until he grows out of whatever phase he is in now. Hopefully. I actually like The Royal Tenembaums better. It had a bit more story fleshed out, and the characters were screwed up, but you still could care for them. I didn’t like Francis (Wilson’s character) he was so obnoxious that when you find out he got into an accident on purpose and lived you sort of wish it had worked out better for him. No, really. With Peter (Brody), you also get annoyed at how callous he was towards his wife (”I was expecting us to get divorced eventually” “I never wanted a baby”), and Jack…. Well, I’m still wondering why the damn man went around barefoot most of the time.

Note I have said nothing about the story, because there really wasn’t much of one. Perhaps a skeleton of one. I’d love to say that The Darjeling Express was a disappointment to me, but I sort of had gone through the disappointment stage with Life Acquatic. Nowaydays I’m sort of starting to come to accept the fact that you don’t really get much more than “a collection of assorted freakish characters go around doing weird things for flimsy reasons” as a plot point in a Wes Anderson movie. At least not until he grows out of whatever phase he is in now. Hopefully.

]]> by: zuzu http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-458068 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:48:35 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-458068 Damn, I never realized how tiny Jason Schwarzman was. Or how tall Owen Wilson was. Damn, I never realized how tiny Jason Schwarzman was. Or how tall Owen Wilson was.

]]> by: rowmyboat http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-458005 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:03:49 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-458005 Oops... that above post about grad students was me, not Grolby. I'm using his computer and forgot, so direct all ire at me, not him. Oops… that above post about grad students was me, not Grolby. I’m using his computer and forgot, so direct all ire at me, not him.

]]> by: grolby http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-458004 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:02:05 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-458004 Wait, my family is supposed to pay my rent and credit card bills? (I'm 23 and a half-time grad student.) Can I give you my mom's phone number so you can let her know? I understand that it's harder for older folks -- I'm in a Library Science program designed for career changers and other older-than-me folks (I'm very literally the youngest person in the program), so I don't have a chance to forget it. But it's not all sitting around eating bon-bons for anyone, and plenty of young folks are financially responsible for their own lives. Wait, my family is supposed to pay my rent and credit card bills? (I’m 23 and a half-time grad student.) Can I give you my mom’s phone number so you can let her know?

I understand that it’s harder for older folks — I’m in a Library Science program designed for career changers and other older-than-me folks (I’m very literally the youngest person in the program), so I don’t have a chance to forget it. But it’s not all sitting around eating bon-bons for anyone, and plenty of young folks are financially responsible for their own lives.

]]> by: The Other Daughter http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-458003 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:01:19 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-458003 My positive feeling as I left the theater may have been influenced by the shirtless and pantsless shots of Adrien Brody, however. Seriously. I was a diehard Brody fan long before "The Pianist." Most unconventionally gorgous skinny leading man ever. My positive feeling as I left the theater may have been influenced by the shirtless and pantsless shots of Adrien Brody, however.

Seriously. I was a diehard Brody fan long before “The Pianist.” Most unconventionally gorgous skinny leading man ever.

]]> by: Mezosub http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457977 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:49:41 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457977 <blockquote>My favorite expression for people like this (keeping in the spirit of the baseball playoffs currently going on) is, “He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.” </blockquote> I enjoy this expression as well. I find myself using it when I'm trying to explain how much more difficult it is to go to graduate school when you're mid-thirties, with a full-time professional job and two mortgages to pay than when you're mid-twenties, have few responsibilities, and have family members paying your credit cards and rent.

My favorite expression for people like this (keeping in the spirit of the baseball playoffs currently going on) is, “He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.”

I enjoy this expression as well. I find myself using it when I’m trying to explain how much more difficult it is to go to graduate school when you’re mid-thirties, with a full-time professional job and two mortgages to pay than when you’re mid-twenties, have few responsibilities, and have family members paying your credit cards and rent.

]]> by: Tom http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457967 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:22:15 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457967 <blockquote>The movie sets out to cover the same territory as The Royal Tenebaums, basically how having everything handed to you on a platter can cause people to think they’re the center of the universe, creating in turn a spiritual emptiness, a total lack of grip.</blockquote> My favorite expression for people like this (keeping in the spirit of the baseball playoffs currently going on) is, "He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple."

The movie sets out to cover the same territory as The Royal Tenebaums, basically how having everything handed to you on a platter can cause people to think they’re the center of the universe, creating in turn a spiritual emptiness, a total lack of grip.

My favorite expression for people like this (keeping in the spirit of the baseball playoffs currently going on) is, “He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.”

]]> by: Leia http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457948 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:25:02 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457948 And as I re-read my comment I realize that it might be taken as dismissive of the stuff Amanda points out, like someone saying "it was just a joke!" after someone points out privilege. That was not my intent. I don't disagree with most of what Amanda wrote, I just didn't even bother giving the film that type of analysis because I wasn't thinking of it as serious art. And as I re-read my comment I realize that it might be taken as dismissive of the stuff Amanda points out, like someone saying “it was just a joke!” after someone points out privilege. That was not my intent. I don’t disagree with most of what Amanda wrote, I just didn’t even bother giving the film that type of analysis because I wasn’t thinking of it as serious art.

]]> by: Leia http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457947 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:21:08 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457947 Mostly, I just thought it was funny and best taken as a light-hearted comedy mocking people's pretensions. I didn't even mind the way the funeral scenes focused mostly on the three brothers because when it focused on them, it was to highlight their absurdity, whereas when it focused on the Indian family it was to highlight their very serious grief. Basically I thought it could be summed up as "funny bunch of pretentious twits try to find deeper meaning and fail hilariously, but maybe learn something from the experience anyway." My positive feeling as I left the theater may have been influenced by the shirtless and pantsless shots of Adrien Brody, however. Mostly, I just thought it was funny and best taken as a light-hearted comedy mocking people’s pretensions. I didn’t even mind the way the funeral scenes focused mostly on the three brothers because when it focused on them, it was to highlight their absurdity, whereas when it focused on the Indian family it was to highlight their very serious grief. Basically I thought it could be summed up as “funny bunch of pretentious twits try to find deeper meaning and fail hilariously, but maybe learn something from the experience anyway.”

My positive feeling as I left the theater may have been influenced by the shirtless and pantsless shots of Adrien Brody, however.

]]> by: Judy Brown http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457938 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:53:37 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/10/12/6171/#comment-457938 Although I'm a Wes Anderson fan, Rushmore remains my favorite and the best of his films, in my opinion. With subsequent movies moving increasily toward more quirks and ticks and even less of an emotional center than his first. Saw a screening of Darjeeling, and the audience did their best to find comedy in it, but the laughter was strained. Frankly, it seemed an excuse for the Anderson stalwarts to take a trip to India, one of those films where the cast and crew had a blast vacation together, which doesn't translate into an equally enjoyable experience for the audience. Although I’m a Wes Anderson fan, Rushmore remains my favorite and the best of his films, in my opinion. With subsequent movies moving increasily toward more quirks and ticks and even less of an emotional center than his first.

Saw a screening of Darjeeling, and the audience did their best to find comedy in it, but the laughter was strained.

Frankly, it seemed an excuse for the Anderson stalwarts to take a trip to India, one of those films where the cast and crew had a blast vacation together, which doesn’t translate into an equally enjoyable experience for the audience.

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