Watched: Maleficent

SO MANY GLAMOR SHOTS OF LA JOLIE. I liked the sentiment of this movie (in the same vein of Frozen, the idea that platonic and familial love can and should be just as potent as romantic love, as well as the value of sisterhood) and yet this movie wanted so badly to be a small, old-school Disney story but still have the new-school aura of CGI 'extravaganza' and endless battle scenes that it kind of felt like watching a movie that fell down the Disney tree and hit every branch along the way. In the end, I think maybe I'm too old for the intended audience as I found it pretty predictable. But I can see how 6-year-old Emily might have loved it.

Watched: Mr. Nobody

I like the kernel of the idea that drives this film, about the staggeringly endless roads we possibly could and yet never do walk down. The ensuing thought experiment: what if we did? is interesting. The execution leaves something to be desired at times; the movie feels a bit like a very well-produced and overly long montage and Jared Leto's face often irritates me. Still there are enough interesting visuals to make it worthwhile and the first hour moves at a pretty good pace; it's only in the second hour when the movie really starts hopping around between possibilities that things start to get irritating.

Watched: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

I remember reading the reviews of this film when it came out, which complained that it deviated wildly from the short story which inspired it. But, I don't know, I kind of liked it. I think it had the soul of a quiet character piece, observing Walter slowly grow more confident and able, inside a larger film that wanted to be some kind of adventure film. So the stakes got a bit jumbled somewhere in the middle of the film, and it felt like we weren't sure if we were rooting for Walter to find true love, get his supposed mission accomplished and return home, or ride off into the sunset with his new-found lust for adventure.

Anyway, it had some beautiful shots of Iceland and Nepal and although Ben Stiller's face is not my favorite, I liked all the supporting performances enough to enjoy it overall. Probably will never watch again, but don't regretting sitting through it.

Watched: Guardians of the Galaxy

Irreverent. Silly. Fun. Classic soundtrack. Not too shabby, Marvel.

Daytripping around Hà Nội: Huu Tiep Lake (Hồ Hữu Tiệp)

Late one sunny afternoon Laura (housemate) gave me a lift over to Hữu Tiệp Lake, where the remains of a downed B-52 sits slowly decomposing. It's surprisingly close to my house! Only about a 5 minute ride away.

In all its wrecked and symbolic glory.

The sky was clear yet dramatic.

It's a strange thing to see a monument like this, where I am so clearly reminded that at one time the country I am currently living in and the one that is my point of origin were locked in a bitter land war that had resulted from an even bitterer ideological war. I don't think there are too many places in Hanoi where you can still see the scars of these events. A lot of people died and it certainly changed the political and cultural landscape of America forever. I think it had a pretty serious effect on Vietnam as well although obviously I am lot better versed in American history (and perspective) than I am Vietnamese. The Vietnam war (or American war as it is usually called here) happened before I was ever born, and by the time I got around to making my grand debut America had moved onto more pressing concerns in the Middle East. Growing up in the 90's I mostly remember conflicts from that part of the world, interspersed with flare-ups in Eastern Europe and South America. So to me, seeing things like this and visiting museums around Hanoi reminds me more of the movies I've watched about the Vietnam war than of any actual events I can relate to.