Another quick recapitulation of our recent activities

Where to begin?
Robby & I have been settling back into life away from family. We're starting to cook again. We've been more adventurous in exploring our surrounding areas, like venturing to the Whole Foods in Santa Monica. It's an expensive supermarket, but Robby likes the healthy options. We have been riding our bikes around town for the past three days, meandering through unfamiliar neighborhoods and finding short cuts to our favorite places. It's amazing how much more one notices when she is on a bicycle.

What else?...

Movies! We love movies. Here are a few movies we've seen in the past month:

1. Public Enemies: BOOOOOO. It's a typical movie that glorifies the gangster, like Al Pacino's Scarface. Unfortunately, positive reviews in the N.Y. Times and New Yorker led me to suggest this movie. The cinematography is gorgeous, the costumes & 1920s setting are consistent & detailed (this is what the critics loved most about the movie), but the story & characters were flat.

2. Persepolis: I'm a big fan of the graphic novel. The film is very good; I cried a few times. It's tragic, humorous, dark, somber, touching. Plus, it's educational. I highly recommend it.

3. (500) Days of Summer: Zooey Deschanel is absolutely charming! This humorous break-up film is unconventional compared to the cookie-cutter Hollywood romances. It's a romance that is bound to topple. As a viewer, you see the signs early on, but since the film is from the point-of-view of the sappy, romantic male protagonist, you have to spend a few hours watching him step closer and closer to the epiphany that his girlfriend doesn't love him & does whatever she wants. It's got a fabulous soundtrack. & I love Zooey Deschanel's 1950s wardrobe.

4. Funny People: This is a serious movie about stand-up comedians. It's funny, but it's more serious than funny. I think that's probably why it received mediocre reviews in the N.Y. Times; it doesn't quite fit into a specific genre. Like all Apatow movies, the female roles are rough and shallow sketches of possibly complex characters. The male characters are given much more depth and sympathy. Seth Rogen is a likable actor, whereas Adam Sandler will never come across as down-to-earth and sincere. We were impressed that the opening footage of Sandler's crank calls were done when he and Apatow were roommates. All in all, I give it a B.

I think that's it for now.