Action Jackson

finally (now can we get a trailer sometime soon, hmmm?)

not so pointed observation

you know how in warmer climates (aka any country south of the Channel) the first day you know summer is close is when girls' hemlines get mysteriously shorter? Well here in the UK that day is the first time someone tells you "my God it is boiling today" when in fact it's at most 13°C. And the way you know you've integrated in that country is when you start having those thoughts yourself. If that weren't enough, I actually spent half the weekend in shorts and flip-flops, when the weather probably dipped above 17°C for all of three minutes. Now if only I could elevate my British accent skills to a level above that of Don Cheadle's...

spring hopes eternal

while I'm always ready to argue about Opening Day being the best sports day of the year, it really doesn't get any better than the first day of the NCAA basketball tournament. Actually it's really the first four days, as the tournament holds its first two rounds, aka 48 games, from Thursday to Sunday every year, giving very little time to reflect or catch one's breath. With the single-elimination format the games generally live up to the hype every year, which is why March Madness is pretty truthful, contrary to so many other overcooked sports marketing terms (okay for once with this year's Superbowl Super Sunday was an apt description, but usually it's flatter than a four-day old souffle).

Having to follow it from an ocean away does take away some of the excitement, what with litterally no one around here being aware of the event. I guess I could head over to one of the bigger sports bars, like the Sports Cafe, but with some many games going on I might as well enjoy the hoopla from the comfort of my home, beer, chips and other instruments of culinary depravity in hand. Official broadcaster has been showing the games live online for the past few years, and this time the coverage has been improved even more, with HD quality streaming for every single game. I remember the "old days" of insufferable buffering and their oh-so -fun virtual waiting lines, so all this added technological boost is a godsend.

But really anyone who's lived in the US knows that at the heart of this massive three-week affair is the opportunity for everyone and their third-cousin to make predictions on the games, no matter how little they know about the game. ESPECIALLY if they know little about it. Office pools get filled up, online banter heats up, and for once everyone is pretty much acting like a graduate of Michael Scott University, work ethics-wise. Even if the current economic climate will put a damper on some celebrations, the tradition of playing hooky to go watch some ballgames will be as tempting as always to many. Being 4 hours ahead will spare me this issue, but I guess the lack of sleep due to late games will be the karmic counterpoint to that. But hey, that's where my extensive experience will come in handy. Not to mention my affinity for late-night snacking.

pub humor, Irish style

photo.jpg, originally uploaded by lematt.

The Reader (USA, 2008)

while Winslet's performance does justice to the Oscar she was awarded on Sunday, her character's story often seems way too unconscionable. Perhaps the book goes into things more, but there's a form of heartlessness here that had me more than a little uncomfortable (not the good kind), to the point it affected my opinion of the whole movie.

*1/2

and all that jazz

Michael Yada/EPA) @ TimesOnline

thoughts from this year's surprisingly breezy (by usual standards) Oscars telecast:

• for all the talk about toning it down in the face of the recession, the ceremony lost no luster at all. Though it seems the producers went for timeless class rather than gaudiness, the moon-sized chandelier setting spoke louder than any speeches about "the times we live in".

• good job by Hugh Jackman in a number of dance numbers that aren't easy to pull off in a live show. Not as good during the joke segments, but he was more than honest.

• funniest bit of the night: Steve Martin/Tina Fey presenting the screenplay awards ("...and I'm Steve Martin"). Close second: Seth Rogen/James France/Janusz Kaminski laughing at sad movies, and Ben Stiller's Joaquin Phoenix impersonation. Too bad he didn't rap though.

• despite Slumdog Millionaire being a good movie, winning this many awards seems destined to push it into "overrated" territory. More diversity in the nominations on a regular basis would be nice, instead of having one "little indie that could" become a juggernaut simply because it's likable enough. For all its flaws, The Wrestler should have had a nod, and The Dark Knight definitely should have too.

• while my vote would have gone to Robert Downey Jr for his incredible performance in Tropic Thunder, Heath Ledger's Joker was acting at its very best. And his family gave a very dignified speech that was one of the more moving moments of the ceremony.

• despite a frenzied movie-viewing slate in the past few weeks that had me feeling at times I was watching The Curious Case of Slumdog/Nixon Getting Married, I didn't get around to catching a few of the front-runners like Milk or The Reader. With the releases for so many of these movies jammed up together in a couple of months, it would be nice if they moved the show back to March, like it used to be.
  

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make my 14th cup of tea of the morning.

Tokyo Sonata (Japan, 2008)

Though the subject (a man loses his job but does not tell his family) was tackled in the excellent L'Emploi Du Temps by Laurent Cantet a few years back, this film is praiseworthy in its own right, commenting about social success and the role of each within the family with a mix of violence and restraint. Inowaki Kai, who plays the youngest son, is a true revelation, and helps make some difficult scenes into an unqualified success.

***1/2

Rachel Getting Married (USA, 2008)

Featuring no less than four stellar acting performances (of which only Anne Hathaway got an Oscar nod), this delightful little movie doesn't do much, except show what family can be like. Which is in many ways one of the hardest things to do well. This will bore many people, but if you're into that sort of material, dive right in.

***

but I don't wanna go home

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (USA, 2008)

though Fincher proves here that he is one of the top directors working today (also, the movie is absolutely gorgeous, to the nth degree), he must've forgot to schedule some time for the editing room, as this feels too long by at least 20mins. Still there are some knockout scenes, and a mesmerizing last 1/2 hour, that justify at least some of the hype that's been bestowed on this potential Best Picture winner.

**1/2

Frost/Nixon (USA, 2008)

supremely satisfying effort from Ron Howard, helped by some truly standout performances. The fake-real interview portions are a bit gimmicky, but they're short enough for that not to matter, and you won't find a better example of ensemble acting this year. Even knowing the ending to the story shouldn't deter from enjoying the experience, proving once more that good movies are about so much more than getting from point A to point B.

***

best commute ever

squares and circles

here's a sequence of events:

• go see a concert in a church
• do not drink (see above)
• get home before 10:30pm
• make a salad for lunch the next day

Which begs the question: is this behavior so far from rock n'roll that it actually is totally rock n' roll?

resistance is futile

Revolutionary Road (USA, 2008)

going into it I was confident that there was no way it would compare to the incredible Richard Yates novel, one of my favorite books. Especially now, after two fantastic seasons of Mad Men. Still, the outstanding acting and Roger Deakins' typically gorgeous cinematography are worth the trip.

***

Wendy And Lucy (USA, 2008)

like a non-idealistic, credit-crunch version of "Into The Wild". Michelle Williams is heartbreaking, the storytelling stark and simple. There are no big moments, but all is said during these quiet 80 minutes. So far that's 2/2 for Kelly Reichardt.

***

Valkyrie (USA, 2008)

a lot has been made of this movie being a flop before it even came out, but it's actually a very solid, if by-the-numbers, historical thriller. Knowing the ending in advance takes away some of the tension, but by no means is it as bad as the advance buzz could have made it seem. Even with Tom Cruise wearing an eye-patch.

**1/2

holiday cheer

Cult movie alert! Five is showing underrated classic Bad Santa tonight at 9pm, and though I don't often advocate staying in on a Thusday night (Thursday = new Friday = new Saturday, blablabla), this is as good an excuse as you'll find. Featuring the dry comic genius of Billy Bob Thornton and a whole cast of incredible supporting roles, this is possibly the only, and ever, Xmas to which you can play drinking games. Which means, of course, that's is totally awesome and should not be missed.

the curious case of the self-cancelling credit card

one of the first thing you notice after moving to the UK is how prevalent credit is in everyday life. Ads in the tube, constant mail from your bank and of course the ubiquitous store cards are there you remind one that it doesn't matter when you pay for it, as long as you keep shopping. As Sarah Palin might say, "charge, baby, charge". Of course with the current economic downturn we have a reminder of how quickly that can change once banks and financial establishments decide to turn off the spigot, but overall you still get the sense that much of the growth of UK's economy is aided by future income, since that is in essence what credit is. In fact the Guardian reported this year that debt growth was higher than GDP growth, a fact that highlights how systematic the recourse to credit has become for consumers. In comparison, the level of household debt stands at 47% in France, or less than half that of the UK, which has the highest such level among the major European economies.

As a new-arrivant here it is awfully tempting to participate in this real-life Monopoly (side-note and top 5 WTF of the year: is Ridley Scott really directing a movie based on the board game?), but as I've found out, it's not at all that easy. Having opened a current account (Barclay's) within the first few days of my arrival, I was still using my French-based card for most expenses and, focused on starting a whole new life, didn't feel the need to go beyond the basic debit card provided by Barclay's. Over the next few months I thought about it from time to time, but never felt a need to take the plunge. In late 2007 I took a trip to Brittany, where I'd booked a rental car from the Nantes airport. This is where I found out that none of the major car-rental chains accepted debit cards, or even any alternatives I suggested (getting my mom's CC number over the phone, paying cash for the deposit...). With a 150km journey still to go to my destination, I had to improvise, which resulted in 1 cab ride, 2 trains and a 11:30pm pickup from my grandma at the train station. My grandma's in her late 80s, so let's just say driving late at night isn't her favorite thing to do. Once back in the UK, I decided to apply for a credit card at last.

This is where the main sticking point happened: in the UK, if you want to get a credit card, companies look at your credit score. If you've just moved here for the first time, you don't have a score. So you need one to get one, but if you don't have one you won't get one. Clear? Having got rejected from online applications to Amex and Barclays, I realized this might be a bit trickier than I thought. Yearning to stay away from the cold automated rejection letters (and complete lack of explanation from the associated helpdesks), I decided to stop by my bank branch a few months ago to see if my application could be processed by a real-live person, who could perhaps look at my situation and at least explain to me why I wasn't authorized to join the splurging masses. Going through my salary and current financial situation with the advisor, I was told there was no reason why I wouldn't get approved and that we'd do the application together to ensure success. And sure enough, two weeks later, I got a shiny new credit card in the mail, with a humongous £250 credit limit. Really nothing to brag about, but I figured it was a start, and at least I'd have one if necessary.

Needing to activate the card, I called the number stamped on it, thinking that it was pretty good timing, since i had my trip to Australia in a few weeks and would definitely be able to use it there. But when I called the number, I was told the card was already activated. Thinking that was a tad weird, I called the Barclayscard helpdesk and asked if there was a problem. After a few minutes of looking around on the system, the helpdesk operator explained to me that in fact the card had been cancelled, since Barclays had realized I wasn't fit to hold one after all. By this point I was wondering if I was stuck in a personal-finance episode of the Twilight Zone, and asked for more explanations. Unfortunately the calculations made to authorize or reject people are all automated, so no one can really tell you what is wrong when you're not accepted. All the person on the line was able to tell me was that I could cut up the card since I wouldn't be able to use it. Now there's some sound advice, not sure I would've thought of it on my own.

This happened over the summer, and since then I'd kind of resigned myself to being credit-less for a few years. Indeed through my application processes I'd noticed that they always ask for 3 years' addresses history in the UK, which I obviously do not have. Was it possible that my lack of credit score, and recent arrival in the country was the thing blocking all my applications? Too bad I couldn't ask the giant robot running the process, that guy's pretty heartless if you ask me.

Then last week I saw an ad for Capital One, and remembered how in the US they were known for giving out credit cards to pretty much anyone. Despite knowing that each negative application can adversely affect you credit rating, I decided to try once more, figuring that it was worth a shot, having done my last one five months prior. Upon completing the grueling two-minute online form, I got the usual "we'll let you know" message and figured they were just cordial and preferred to send the rejection letter through the mail instead of telling me straightaway. Because nothing says courtesy like a mass-reproduced letter of denial. Only thing is I actually got accepted for the basic card, apparently, and sent back my signed agreement yesterday. So theoretically in 7 to 10 working days I should be the (oh-so) proud possessor of a Capital One credit card, with a minimum credit limit of £100, and a sweet 34.9% APR. Unless they decide to go for the sneaky Barclays-style now-you-see-it, now-you-don't technique. Either way I'm not sure I'll have a better understanding of how logical the process is, having seen so many shows on TV about uni students being able to get into £40,000 of debt while I'm stuck with my junior-high debit card.

After these various ups-and-downs I don't think I've become any savvier to the credit card scene here, but I do know one thing: my next salary falls on the 16th (hooray for Xmas early payment dates), on the 17th my primary bank account won't be at Barclay's.