She & Him

I've always been a fan of Zooey Daschanel. The first time I saw her was in the television version of "Once Upon a Mattress" as Lady Larken alongside Matthew Morrison. Her voice is like pure silk and I really like her quirkiness. Some people find it annoying, I find it kind of adorable. She has a real vintage quality to her and most of her influences are similar to mine. She recently said in an interview that her hero growing up was Judy Garland. I can totally see that. Her show, "New Girl", on Fox is absolutely hilarious and lots of fun! It's probably me and Andrew's favorite comedy this season.

At any rate, I recently discovered her band, "She & Him" with M. Ward. I've been playing their Christmas album for about two months and loving it! So, I finally decided to get the other two albums (She & Him Volumes I & II). Being mainly a showtunes and standards guy, I'm not usually a huge fan of bands, but I LOVE these two! The original songs are really good and relaxing. Even the upbeat ones can be played while sipping a nice hot cup of tea or a martini (whatever mood you happen to be in). They also do some great covers like "Gonna Get Along Without You", a 50's tune that was also covered by Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams on the lp, "Laverne & Shirley Sing". It brought back a lot of childhood memories for me! One of my favorite songs by "She & Him" so far (aside from the entire Christmas album... it's flawless), is "Brand New Shoes" which I'll post under this. I haven't heard any music like this in a while. At least, I haven't heard any really modern music that pulls me in the way this has. Check them out if you haven't already! Also, I defy anyone not to develop a huge crush on Zooey ;)

My Week With Marilyn

Last week, Andrew took me to see "My Week With Marilyn". I've been very anxious to see it and it was well worth the wait! As a huge Marilyn Monroe fan, I was unsure and admittedly a little skeptical about the casting of Michelle Williams, even though she's a marvelous actress. I just didn't get Marilyn from her. However, she pleasantly surprised me! She was a perfect choice! She has that sex appeal mixed with an intoxicating vulnerability essential to anyone trying to evoke Marilyn. I've seen many actresses play her and some were brilliant, others, a cheap imitation, but Michelle managed to put her own spin on Marilyn's personality. I really enjoyed and appreciated the understanding and respect she had for the character and the lady herself.

Of all the Marilyn Monroe movies, I think I like this one the most because it's not a bio-pic. It doesn't start in the Norma Jean days, it doesn't focus on men or drugs or any of the other typical subjects. It focuses on the brief period in Marilyn's life when she was in England shooting "The Prince & The Showgirl" with Lawrence Olivier at Pinewood Studios. What's even more intriguing is that Marilyn really isn't the main character. The story is about Colin Clark, a young aspiring director. He lands a job as the 3rd assistant director on "Showgirl" alongside a cast of theatrical pros. The script is based on Colin's memoirs which he published after Marilyn's death. The two had a very brief and somewhat innocent affair that lasted a week during the filming. At the time, Marilyn was married to author, Arthur Miller. The cast is stellar. Judi Dench and Emma Watson have some standout supporting roles and Kenneth Branagh is a perfect Olivier! All in all, I'd say it's a very enjoyable, well acted, and most importantly (to me anyway) respectful portrait of people and a time. We all have periods of time in our life that we often reflect on that have a profound effect on us. This film portrays that nostalgic feeling beautifully and really hits home. You really get a sense of how much the people making the movie put into it and I think you get a glimpse of a side of Marilyn that's criminally underplayed.