The Dark Knight

The movie is as awesome as everyone says it is. Unlike most comic book spin-offs, it does not give up on having ideas. The story line is solid and does not rely on great special effects and fight scenes.
In many ways, it is the accompanying cast that make the movie. Ledger's Joker, Olodman's Gordon, and Eckhart's Dent overshadow the Knight. This is both good and bad. It makes the movie more watchable. However, it does make it a little harder for the audience to feel the struggle going on inside Wayne.
The only real concern was the Batman voice.....

Like Greek food?

It had been a very long while since I had seen any of the movie group clan so tried to corral people for dinner. I managed to meet up with a few of the group on Friday night. I was kind of craving Greek food but had bit of a challenge finding a place that was near a T stop in Cambridge that wasn't too pricey. I managed to discover Greek Corner II which is actually a mini knockoff of the Greek Corner Restaurant in Porter Square. The place was small - looks like it caters more to the take out crowd - but it met my needs. The food was basic but yummy (I had souvlaki) and the price was right. I would definitely recommend this place for take out or if you want a quick bite. But if you want a bit more atmosphere for during your dinner, would suggest you look elsewhere. However, the best part of the night was spending some time catching up with a few friends who I hadn't seen a while.

War, Inc.

I was excited to see a John Cusack film that harkened back to his golden age. War, Inc. had the potential to be witty and cutting. It also had the potential to be a complete disaster.
The truth was somewhere in between. Like his early films, War, Inc. is very uneven. The premise takes a poignant relevant issue and takes it to it ridiculous extreme. There are many scenes that are excellent. The space between the excellence range from mediocre to painful.
Largely this is the fault of the script. The main characters do an admirable job. Cusack plays the troubled assassin with his usual aplomb. Joan plays his corporate assistant in her typical harried, slightly crazy manner. Tomei is cute as the love interest. Most surprising is Hillary Duff. She does a great job of playing a twisted version of herself.
The best way to sum up the movie is this: Gross Point Blank with a preachy message.

Lions for Lambs

In a word: Preachy.

It is incredibly boring, self-absorbed crap full of common place high mindedness.

Iron Man

Another excellent Marvel adaptation. Downey is excellent as Tony Stark. The CGI is fantastic.

Places to Eat in VA

Last week H and I traveled to Colonial Williamsburg for a vacation. I expected that we'd find loads of great places to eat, but was a little disappointed. Most of the places we found were OK, but not great.
There were, however, a few that stood out:
The Blue Talon Bistro in Williamsburg is one of the best places I have ever eaten. It is located on the outskirts of the historic district and looks pretty regular from the outside. Inside, the atmosphere is pleasant and relaxed. The wait staff was attentive without being in your face. We ate at the Blue Talon twice. The first time we stopped for a late dessert and coffee. The desserts were the perfect size - enough to be filling but not overwhelming. I got a chocolate torte with banana ice cream. The chocolate was lush and bitter. The banana ice cream added a nice balance. I could have done without the sauce added as a garnish, but it was subtle enough to not detract from the dish. The coffee was served in a French press and was also excellent. The following day we went for dinner. The dinner menu is small and interesting. I ordered the Mac & Cheese. As with the desserts, the portion size was ideal. The mac and cheese was superb. The pasta was just a tad al dente. The cheese was flavorful and creamy. The side of asparagus was perfectly steamed and peppered. They were firm with just a bit of bite.
Aromas, across the street from the Blue Talon, was also very good. The iced coffee was a little watery, but the other drinks were fine. They serve a diverse menu of food. I got a salad with chicken that was quite nice. H ordered a scallop dish that she enjoyed. Aromas is always busy and full of college kids.
Pierce's Pit, also in Williamsburg, is a great BBQ joint. It looks like a dive and is off the beaten path, but is worth finding.
The last find is a coffee place in Mechanicsville. We were on the drive down to Williamsburg I was jonesing for a coffee, so H fired up the GPS and located Coffee Lane Cafe in Mechanicsville, VA. The store was closing in 30 minutes and we were about 30 minutes away. We arrived with minutes to spare and the staff was cheery and made us great drinks. It was so good we stopped on the way home also. This time the owner and a jolly assistant helped us out. I got a non-fat, sugar-free caramel latte that was most excellent.

Rendition

We rented Rendition over the weekend on the recommendation of a friend. I don't feel like I wasted five bucks, but I feel like I could have spent the money better.
The movie had a number of problems:

• Meryl Streep's character was too cynical to be believable.


• Jake Gyllenhaal


• Reese Witherspoon's character was too earnest. Don't even get me started on the fact that she was pregnant also.


• The time phased love subplot was disconnected from the main action of the movie.

To sum it up: The movie was two movies. One was a trope about the out of control US security agencies in the age of Terror. This one was populated by transparently stock characters. They are either boring or over the top.
The second movie, which could have been a good movie, is a mystery about a father trying to solve a crime and find his daughter. The character's in this movie were sympathetic and interesting. If it had been pull away from the sad "message: movie and allowed to stand on its own two feet, this movie would have been an excellent movie.
Sadly, it was not.