:: love doesn't make the world go around. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile :: franklin p jones
Remember how I said tea is good for you? {of course you do} Well now you have no excuse not to make tea wherever you are with this handy little tea package. Love the design and packaging – I'll say it again, but I wish I got design projects like this. Oh, I really like the design of the logo + site too. Check'em out.
Oh, and aren't these lovely teacups?
Last night Nicole, a friend, and myself attended a screening for "the good german". Nicole received three free passes to the Lowes in town next to the Ritz for being a subscriber to Condé Nast. {she being the world traveler} After the movie we were invited to a cocktail reception at JER-NE restaurant & bar. Sweet.
The movie was directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, and Tony Maquire. Sounds promising, no? Well, it was. Would I have thought that if I paid ten dollars to watch? Probably not so much :) But today, I find I am still thinking about the movie.
Overall, I was interested, involved, and did care about some of the characters, but in the end, I felt... a bit cold. It's a thought-provoking film, and the main theme that ran rampant throughout was: self-preservation, but at what cost?
It's definitely a homage to film noir, as the entire movie is shot in black + white. The film starts with a news correspondant {Clooney, looking oh so handsome} coming to Berlin at the end of the war to cover the Potsdam Conference. {note to self, start watching more of the history channel... I know nothing about this war, except what i have learned from watching "band of brothers". Oh, I guess I could read more too :) } George, who's curious {he he, I think I watch way too much curious george cartoons} finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery, and comes face to face with his old flame, Lena.
Cate plays Lena, a {you guessed it} hooker, with a heart of gold. {she succumbed to prostitution to survive} She looked lovely during the film. Her clothing was gorgeous. Is it bad that during a lot of her scenes I kept thinking, "mmm, love those buttons on her coat. What a nice cut on that dress." Does this mean I watch too much Project Runway?
Ok, before I digress further, Cate's husband is presumed dead by many, but he's actually in hiding. He's also "the good german" – it only took me 1.5 hr into the film to realize this. Her husband was an assistant to a scientist who designed + built rockets during the war using Jewish and other
POW's slave labor. The Americans wanted to find these scientists + their cronies to keep them away from the Russians. {so they wouldn't build rockets for them – remember Russia + Communism was the next great evil}
So that's basically the plot. Find these Nazis bastards, and keep them away from the Russia at all costs, overlooking their crimes against humanity for the good + preservation of America.
Ok, so why call him "The Good German"? Well, Lena's husband wants to tell the truth, and expose what happened during the war. So she helps hide him till they can find someone to trust to tell the truth to.
During the entire movie everyone is trying to find these scientists. {the americans, the germans, the russians} I think the story is a bit convoluted, but then again the last three movies I have seen in the theaters were: Happy Feet, Cars, and Curious George. So I'm not use to following such complex plots.
Lena and her husband do find someone they believe they can trust. A lawyer + pal of George Clooney's character. {for the life of me, I can't recall the actor's name, or where I have seen him before} He's big on researching the Nuremberg Trials and persecuting those evil Nazi doers. But alas, he can be compromised too. Boo.
Toby Maquire's character, Tully, was assigned to be George Clooney's driver when he arrived in Berlin – and he just so happened to be Lena's boyfriend. Tully is mean – a real son of a bitch. Sure, he's just trying to survive, make a life for himself. {like so many americans he was involved in the black market.} But you hate Tully. Not sure if that's a credit to Maquire's acting or what... {personally, I'm not a fan of Toby Maquire. I don't care for his high voice, or his boyish looks, they just don't work for me. I found his performance jarring + amaturish.}
So, as the plot unfolds – murder, lies, love, and intrigue all come together to create a rather
provocative study of moral ambiguities and tough choices during war. Yup, you heard me. It's all that.
Sound a bit like... Casablanca? Seriously, I'm not sure if this was also a homage to that film or what, but the end of the movie takes place on a tarmac. George + Cate are talking in front of a twin propeller airplane. Talk ensures and the reality of one's choices are confronted.
After the movie we all headed over to JER-NE. I think we would have talked more about the film, but we were too busy trying to decide what to drink + eat. :) What a great time we had. Food was delicious. Drinks bubbly. Company good. Seeing that I was driving, I had a glass of red and then drank coffee.
We started with dessert first :) {The line for the buffet was extremely long and we were hungry.} All I could think was how much Neal and the kids would love all the sweets. So, like any good mother, I wrapped up a few goodies!
Nicole's scarf caught on fire while in the buffet line. Seriously. For those who read my previous post about the woman's hair catching on fire at the charity event we attended in November, are probably thinking I am some kind of "fire-starter" {cue prodigy's song... does anyone know how to link to itunes?}
So the next time you see me {hopefully Sunday, the 17th} and there are candles involved, you might not want to stand too close to me. Really. I think I'm dangerous. :)
