Dear White People - Justin Simien

I went to see this film and it really made me laugh.  This is Justin Simien's first feature (written and directed), a satire set at a fictitious ivy league college. It takes a hard look on the different experiences of being black in college.  What makes this film so interesting is that it moves into a more complicated place about race and at time an uncomfortable place as well.  Samantha White played by Tessa Thompson has some of the best lines when she schools her white peers on ways to avoid racist microaggressions: your weed dealer doesn't qualify as your 'black friend,' knowing rap lyrics doesn't mean you're black.  I enjoyed watching this film altho' I didn't really love the ending but it's worth watching with a mix of friends.  


All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2014 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Jackie of all Trades, Master of None

I spent the weekend helping my father renovate our bathroom. Which means I assisted him to cut copper pipes, passed tools while he soldered them into elbow joints, helped cap the open pieces, and held the fire extinguisher when he fired a pipe that was inside the wall.  Eesh.  I have one small burn from melted metal, ouch.  We are not done yet tho', not by a long shot.  There is still so much more left to do and after 11 hours of work on Saturday...I already want to quit. 

On Sunday, I had the day off from being an assistant which means I cleaned house and some laundry. Also unpacked boxes now that I've cleared out my storage space. Trying to figure out what I should keep and what I should chuck.  

Tomorrow, will be more assistant duty.  I just don't know how far we'll get with the work.  More pipes to run across the basement. Not to mention resurfacing the wall, and retiling the floor.  It's going to take us another two weeks before we finish.  

Writing has been put on hold in the meantime.  Ergh.  I am always much moodier when I don't have time to write. I'm going to have to sneak some time in during the week.  I may just get up early again and start writing first thing in the morning.  Might be the tonic I need to face the rest of my day.

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2014 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard

This is the blurb about the play:
Ewan McGregor plays Henry, a playwright not so happily married to Charlotte (Cynthia Nixon), the lead actress in his play about a marriage on the verge of collapse. When Henry’s affair with their friend Annie (Maggie Gyllenhaal) threatens to destroy his own marriage, he discovers that life has started imitating art. After Annie leaves her husband so she and Henry can begin a new life together, he can’t help but wonder whether their love is fiction or the real thing.

This play was directed by Sam Gold.  He's one of my favorite directors.  Alas, this was not one of my favorite plays.  Even tho' the humor was very British.  Even tho' Ewan McGregor can do no wrong.  This is supposed to be one of Stoppard's more heart-felt plays but the emotional content just wasn't there. The heart was missing from this play. Henry and Maggie talked around and around about their love for each other to the point where I just wanted them to shut up.  It felt as if they were playing at love and perhaps that is the point.  No, no, that wasn't the point. The material felt as dated as the 60's music they played in-between scenes. 

Once the curtain came down, I couldn't get out of the theater fast enough.  


All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2014 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.