If I could make one really solid movie recommendation right now, it would be Lost in Translation. I bought the DVD without seeing the movie in the theaters or renting it first, which is something I never do anymore. But with all that I was reading and seeing about this movie, I figured I'd take the gamble and buy it outright, hoping that it would be worth it.

It totally is.

There was something about the film that I just couldn't put my finger on. It wasn't the acting, though Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson both do a phenomenal job, and Giovanni Ribisi is true-to-form quirky. It wasn't the directing or writing, though Sophia Coppola definitely proves that she's not just her daddy's girl. It wasn't the cinematography, which is heart-achingly beautiful. Janet finally verbalized it for me: it's the understated aspect of the story. It's a quiet film in many ways, though there are some big-time conflicts in there. Some scenes were shown without background music, and the camera tends to linger on things, like the Tokyo cityscape, or a Kyoto garden walkway.

Ditto everything Jon says. This is a wonderful piece of filmmaking, and it amazes me that it was shot in less than a month. If you haven't seen it, please do.

***

After threatening to snow several times last week, we've gotten the white stuff twice in three days. There was only an inch of the powder on the ground this morning, nice and light and fluffy. There are small drifts along the sides of the road, but not enough to be a problem. This is the kind of snow I would like to see more often, not the stuff mixed with ice or sleet or freezing rain which turns the entire city into a skating rink. We're supposed to get more tonight, while I'm in class. Hope I get home all right.

School, work, and wedding are still all hectic, but none of that stuff bothers me as much now that Janet's here. It suprises me a little that I love her just as intently as when we first started dating. I'm sure part of it is being away for so long, but I just can't get enough of her right now. I miss her when I have to go to classes or work, even though I know she's only at my apartment. I just can't wait to get back to her and tell her about my day, and talk, and frolic, and snuggle, and bask in her beauty. I'm so damn happy right now.

Now Reading:
Ugetsu Monogatari: Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari

Stories Out to Publishers:
4

Books Read This Year:
8

Zines/Chapbooks/Fiction Mags Read This Year:
4