Since we're heading toward our upcoming focus on arts criticism, I wrote this in my head this afternoon, and am posting it for you now. It remains to be seen whether my password privileges will be revoked as a result.Deb
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Today was the perfect rainy day, and we made full use of it, getting in touch with the great indoors. After yoga, les toilettes, and lunch at Zumbro, we headed to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to see the Arts of Japan. It's a really lovely show, about 100 objets, and particularly rich in textiles. Fascinating to see the focused interests of a single enthusiastic collector (Dr. John C. Weber) plus his curator, within the context of the broad and excellent Asian collection at the MIA.
This jumped out at me:
Aristocratic men and women of Japan's Heian period (794-1185) were required to compose impromptu verse for all occasions. A favorite pastime was competing in poetry contests; judges determined how well courtiers and ladies improvised verse on set topics. The winning poems from the competitions were preserved in imperial poetry anthologies.
Just like here at G40.
They wrote 36-syllable poems called "waka" and had virtual poetry slams between the Thirty-six Immortal Poets of early times, and the One Hundred Immortal Poets of later times.
I guess waka is the historic Heian limerick form.
We also learned about The Tale of Genji, a 54-chapter novel written by the 11th century court lady Murasaki Shikibu.
Son of the emperor and an imperial concubine, Prince Genji was the ideal Heian-period man: handsome, politically adept, kind to the many women in his life, and artistically accomplished.
Just like here at G40?
There were too many guards loping around, so I didn't get a picture from the special show, but I did get a nice candid of cherry blossoms in a Hiroshige woodcut from the permanent collection, up at the top. (I wanted to put it here in the post, but I just found out that's waaaaaay too advanced for me.)
Next, some things to know about Iron Man:
1. Two thumbs up.
2. Robert Downey, Jr. is very very very smart. And pleasant to look at, too,
3. The violence is all comic book-style and easy to watch. The occasional moment that might be too icky is telegraphed well in advance so you (I) can look away.
4. You're going to see a lot of t-shirts with a blue circle of lights on the chest. I gotta say, it looked cool.
5. Product placement included Burger King, Audi, Dell, Apple, Vanity Fair, Jim Cramer (the idiot money guy).
6. Chemistry between Tony and Pepper was quite believable.
7. Question for Eric M/StyleGuru: Any idea what Robert Downey Jr. uses for skin care? He looks fabulous even in close ups, particularly for a guy who spent a couple decades debauching. If he's had work done, I can't tell.
8. Note to all men: No one, not even Robert Downey Jr., looks good in that stupid over-trimmed mustache and beard. I'm not kidding. Don't ever do that.
9. If you sit through the credits, there's a little plum at the end.
10. P.S. The Japan show closes May 25.
Nighty night.
FORMER BLOGGER'S NOTE: Obviously I am no longer needed here. It has been swell. Stephanie, Eric M, Sean, Ann, Eric, Angie, and Tom: I hope you'll be as generous with Deb, I mean Going50Something, as you have been with me.
7 comments:
O irreplaceable Scooter, have you felt inexplicably drawn to ancient Japanese culure? Is this a past life of yours that RSB (Rogue Sous-Blogger) has casually discovered? The parallels are almost too similar for mere coincidence. Oooh, it gives me chills just to consider this link to your epic origin!
I was just about to send an e-mail to a couple of friends asking for opinions on potential titles for the hypothetical blog I've been casually considering maybe (yes, I have commitment issues) starting on the topic of my transition from France to the U.S./my mid-life crisis. It's nice to think that I won't have to go to all that work and can just use this space instead.
Although, since I'm never turning 40 (and probably not 50, either), the title doesn't really work for me. We may need to rethink that.
How about "Trespassing toward 60?"
phil
I think someone famous once said "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us."
I'm off the hook.
On the Iron Man comments: Agreed.
I'd add...
11. Watch for the Hitchcockian moment when Favreau places himself (momentarily) in the shot.
12. Although darker than most kid-fare, there was precisely one swear word (a quick "damn", which was immediately repeated by the 3 year old sitting directly behind me) and just one naked moment (of the surprisingly fabulous Leslie Bibb). So, a 12 year old could watch it (according to my sister, who is a mom in good standing).
13. It bears repeating: the beardy thing is distractingly awful.
responses to RSB
1-5. agreed
6. Too bad that the most interesting thing about Pepper was her name. Why couldn't they write a more interesting character?
7. I wish I knew, especially since he is 17 days older than me but looks quite a bit younger. Bastard!
8. Okay, here's where I have to disagree with you. I generally dislike those kind of beards but I think it was perfect for his character. I'm bringing in some big guns to support me: David Denby, in the New Yorker, said
"Sporting a neat, dark Vandyke beard that cuts the air like a knife and complements his glittering black eyes, Downey plays Tony Stark, a billionaire arms manufacturer and playboy."
I read his review a day before seeing the movie and thinking during the film, "Wow--his eyes DO match his beard. Cool!"
9. Doh! Missed the plum! Too busy trying not to fall while exiting theater...
10. Must get there. Thanks for the tip.
Back to the beard.
I agree it fit his personality.
And it may very well match his eyes.
The point is, one is not supposed to spend significant time thinking during the film, "Wow--his eyes DO match his beard. Cool!"
One is not supposed to spend most of one's time staring at the beard instead of watching the action, one's eyes drawn to it like the scrapnel in Stark's chest are drawn to the magnetized do-hicky tunneling through his chest. One is not supposed to stop listening to dialogue while voices in one's head scream: How does he keep that thing so neatly trimmed? It must take a razor unlike those I've seen, which cut a full one inch or more swath through the stubble... And so neatly trimmed while/after spending three months in a cave. What, did he create some sort of special genetic mutation that only allows beard growth in Aztec patterns?
There are other weirdly distracting hair problems in the world of film. Tom Hanks' hair in The DaVinci Code comes to mind. Anyone have more for the list?
Who am I kidding? This comment is lost at the bottom of the comment haystack.
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