Amelie, Mon Ami

Greetings from Amelie-land - Monmartre itself - arrondisement of a thousand steps, and almost as many tourists.

A short diversionary story. Just after the Baron and I were married (oh so many, many moons ago), one of his clients gave him some indispensible advice. He said that even though there may be some amazing meals where the Baron and Baroness would sit down together, to talk over their days, and make their plans, there should also be times when we would just "drop the fork", and just sit and look and live in that very moment. There would always be time for dinner, said the sage client - but you had to make time to "drop the fork".

We have been having many of these moments - moments where, rather than being obsessed with finding the right street corner, or the exact patisserie, we just stop and look and smell at the wonder that swirls all around us. This little pause begins to etch those indelible memories in our brains. But, just as one must drop the fork from time to time, one must also pick up the spoon, and have a demitasse of motor oil/decaf coffee.

On this day, I had mine here:

Cafe Deux Moulins

(where part of the interiors for the movie "Amelie" were filmed)

The only thing that still remains of the movie are the Polaroids of the Roaming Gnome ( I guess the film company let them keep them:)

Oh, and this:

I think this coffee may have been around since the film was made in 2000.

I drank it anyway.

Wanderlust Wednesday

2 more sleeps, and this will be MOI!!

(clique sur la picture pour une photo grande...)

Forum #1 - Movies I Have Loved

Hello. My name is Baroness, and I'm a movie whore.

Hello, Baroness.

The oh-so-lovely Countess AG over at Is My Cape Fluttering? suggested that I talk about my favorite movies - the ones I keep watching over and over.

While on the surface this should be a fairly straightforward request, it is indeed challenging to me. Because, for the most part - I love almost all movies that I see, and can find some redeeming quality in each and every one. Thus sunketh any possible foray into being a movie critic.

It might be a line, a look, an exquisite performance in a ho-hum storyline. It might be the quality of the light or the cinematography.

Usually, though, it's the humour. And may I explain here (note here that I did not say "apologize") that my gut laughs, by and large, come from the lowbrow.

Without further ado, a smattering of my lovelies and some justifications:

1. Zoolander. Hands down. Having spent some time in the modeling world a hundred lifetimes ago, I am afraid to say that Ben Stiller's portrayal of Derek Z. is not so far off the mark. Ah, where do I begin? Derek's roommates? Jacobim? The David Duchovney cameo?

Favorite lines:
"That Hansel - he's so hot right now"
"What is this? A Center for Ants?"
" Mer-man, Pop. Mer-MAN!"
"Is everyone here taking crazy pills?"

2. Orange County. Colin Hanks is that delicious apple who has not fallen far from the tree. And Jack Black? Whoa. Love his commitment to his character and his predilection for walking around in his tighty whiteys with no modesty whatsoever. John Lithgow. Catherine O'Hara.

Favorite line:
"Got any beer, Coyote Ugly?"

3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Growing up in Canada, we were brought up with many BBC imports on television, and I enjoyed the absurdity of it all from a wa-a-a-ay back. I must have seen this 30 times as a teen, and our recent attendance of Spamalot during the 20-year-anniversary-renew-our-vows-at-a-Las-Vega-drive-through-wedding-chapel-weekend made me fall in love with it all over again. Pure nostalgia.

4. Malibu's Most Wanted. While I did not love Jamie Kennedy on his tv show, I found this to be an amazing send-up on all of those foolish little rich white boys who seem to feel the need to hike down their pants and get their (idea of) "Black Experience" on. Plus, I saw Ryan O'Neal and Bo Derek in a light I hadn't before.

5. Amelie. Charming. Sweet. French. And above all, quirky. What's not to love? Oh, and the gnome schtick? Killer.

6. Elizabethtown. Have I ever told you how for some cougar-ish reason, I find Orlando Bloom absolutely beautiful? My kids tell me that I should get one of those hairless cats, call it Orlando, and be done with it. This movie is chock-full of appeal for me - good music, Susan Sarandon as a nutjob, a all-night phone call, dealing with relatives, death. There is just something about the end road trip that makes me incredibly wistful.

7. Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino at his absolute best. And, of course, the coolest man in the world, Samuel L. Jackson. Gory, yes, but somehow within the context of it all, not as gratuitous as you might think. I love that it presented a world (I'm hoping accurate) that most of us would never in a million years find ourselves a part of.

8. So I Married An Axe Murderer. Mike Myers, pre all the Austin Powers explosion craziness. Cool, sweet, extremely funny. And apparently shot just down the block from my blend Write Procrastinator's house in San Francisco. Small world, non?

9. Raising Arizona. Coen Brothers. Holly Hunter. Need I say more?

10. Withnail and I. Bizarre, drug-and-booze addled. An 70's-ish road movie in the English countryside. With Richard E. Grant, whom I love (and have seen in real life, from afar. Sigh. Another hairless Englishman).

11. Babe. The original. Clever, sweet, metaphorical. A kid's movie I was only too happy to sit and watch over and over.

12. Under the Tuscan Sun. The golden tones of this whole movie are stunning to me. It's sweet and charming, and anytime I'm feeling a little blue, I pop it in and grab my chenille blankie. And Oh. I love Sandra Oh.

13. Rivers and Tides. A documentary which is stunningly quiet and beautiful about an artist with such vision. Truly inspirational.

14. Monsoon Wedding. One of the loveliest love scenes I have ever seen. It just about broke my heart with its simple beauty.

15. Bull Durham. A nod to the Baron, and to all things baseball. Kevin Costner at his hunky best, and a very gawky Tim Robbins. Loved the mid-game discussion at the pitcher's mound.

So, there's but a few.

Eclectic, but that's just me... Thanks again to AG for the great suggestion.

Tomorrow: Reading Material.