weekend recap

I'm so tired this morning and I don't know know why as I had plenty of sleep... But I'm here at work, on Monday, and we're finally finished with that boring job that took over two weeks to complete (though the overtime was definitely worth it). So now I feel like I can finally breathe and take my time and work on all my other jobs (and catch up on blogging! Shh!).

My weekend was good, in case you want to know. I dog-sat, learned to hem dress pants for the first time (the hand sewing is actually the easiest part), and watched lots of movies. Here's my Netflix summary for the past couple of weeks:

The Sweet Hereafter - Very good but also very sad. I highly recommend it, though I warn that it will leave you with a very unsettling feeling. (Be prepared to watch a happier movie right after.)
Dangerous Beauty - Set in sixteenth century Venice and based on the true story of Veronica Franco, a courtesan who is prevented from marrying her lover because of their stations. This was a very good film which ended happily for once!
The Garden of Earthly Delights - Based around one of my favorite paintings, the plot was very original and had much potential but didn't quite make it. It seemed fake, contrived and overacted at times. I'd skip it if I were you.

Somewhere - I love Sofia Coppola so I can't not like this movie. It's a soft, simple look at the everyday interactions of a father and his daughter. It's done in the same way as Lost in Translation, though I didn't like it as much. 

The Other Woman - This one starring Natalie Portman may not be "exciting" or "thrilling" but it was a wonderfully realistic look into the relationship of a man and his second wife.

Conversations with Other Women - Very very good. It's filmed with a split screen so if you can get used to that, it's very worth it. The split screen allows you to see the characters' reactions in "real time" rather than switching back and forth.
Hilary and Jackie - Another unsettling, but very good, movie. Perhaps more unsettling because it's based on the true story of cellist Jacqueline du Pré and her inevitable illness.
La Bamba - Another sad but true story based on the short career of singer Ritchie Valens. We all know how it ends, so it's not a "surprising" sort of sad. In a way, it actually allows you to enjoy the rest of the movie.
Hannah and Her Sisters - Wonderful acting all around by Michael Caine, Barabara Hershey, Dianne Wiest and Mia Farrow. I thought it would be really boring, but I surprisingly liked it! (At first I had my usual thought of how Woody Allen is usually the worst part of his own movies, but then I changed my mind about halfway through.)

Source: Anna Adén