PoP, Edition 20

Because I'm in Austin and insist on nurturing my hipster tendencies, I jumped at the opportunity to see the 2011 Oscar Shorts last night at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Regular reviews follow.

Short Reviews of the Oscar Nominated 2011 Shorts
The Confession--Super creepy and supremely well-made. Will probably win the Oscar.
Wish 143--Surprisingly sweet film about a boy with cancer that has an unconventional request for the wish foundation.
Na Wewe--Never loses its tension for the sake of the message that we're all alike.
The Crush--Kids are cute. Also, they can be kind of freaky. Especially if you're a grade school teacher.
God of Love--Hysterical look at love from the viewpoint of a modern-day mythology. If I were in the Academy, this is the one I'd vote for.

Books
Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel
I'll be honest, I like Kenneth Oppel much better as a fantasy mastermind than as a slightly preachy YA writer. As the cover implies, Half Brother is the story of a family that "adopts" a chimpanzee as part of a language experiment. The book is narrated by Ben, who is thirteen and figuring out his personality, social status, and hormones. He has a strained relationship with his father...(his father, by the way, is a complete tool). The story itself is interesting enough to keep you read...moreI'll be honest, I like Kenneth Oppel much better as a fantasy mastermind than as a slightly preachy YA writer. As the cover implies, Half Brother is the story of a family that "adopts" a chimpanzee as part of a language experiment. The book is narrated by Ben, who is thirteen and figuring out his personality, social status, and hormones.The story itself is interesting enough to keep you reading, but I never connected with any of the characters. One detail about the book is that it takes place in 1973, but is written so that it could be applied to any day and age. Only a few scattered pop culture references serve to remind you that it doesn't take place today, but that the message of acceptance and respect is the same for everyone in every time. I'd have to say that the two redeeming factors were...
1) Zan, the chimpanzee, is by far the most amusing and endearing character, which was probably the point. You'll learn a lot about chimp behavior by reading this book. (And I know this wasn't the author's objective, but oh my gosh do I ever want a baby chimp now!)
2) It took place in Victoria, BC in the EXACT SAME NEIGHBORHOOD where I lived for six months on my mission. So this was more for personal reasons...
You know what's intriguing? I predict that of all of his books, this is the one that will be remembered 50 years from now.
Matched by Ally Condie
While I was in the middle of reading Matched, I enjoyed it. I liked Cassia's inner monologue as she struggled with the confines set by the Society. I liked how the control that the Society had over its citizens was illustrated through simple things, like how Cassia had never eaten pie. Pie, people! How horrible would that be? I liked the creepy, Big Brother mood that was so pervasive through the whole book and I LOVED Ky. (This might be a controversial statement, but I think the book would be a million times better from Ky's POV.) But since I finished, the book feels like it's lacking--like we haven't actually gotten to the real story yet. Condie has set herself up for some major action in the next book and since Matched wasn't terribly action-packed, I'm concerned for how she's going to handle it. I will certainly read Crossed when it comes out, but color me skeptical.


Music
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
New favorite album of the moment, all thanks to Jorge and Alexa and their ubiquitous video cover of  "Home." The rest of the album isn't quite as pop-sounding as that song, but man, is it ever resonant. The songs have this ability to sink in and stay with you even after you're finished listening.
 Movies
Leap Year
About 15 minutes into this movie,  I started keeping a list of "Romantic Comedy Tropes!" that Leap Year shamelessly used. No joke, guys, by the end I had a list of 48 and that's not counting multiples like "a weather problem stands in her way" (three strikes) and "klutzy moment that's supposed to make her seem more endearing" (a whopping six strikes!). To be fair, I also made a list of "Things That Worked For Me" and came up with seven. Two of them shouldn't even count because 1) you could see the Lucky Charms line coming from an ocean away but it still made me genuinely laugh and 2) her first travel outfit was so freaking adorable that I couldn't help but write it down, even if it was insanely impractical. Maybe I'll start a blog where I watch rom-coms and rip them apart. Doesn't that sound like fun?

TV
Parks and Recreation, Season Two
I know I had this on my list for last week, but I just had to tell you that Parks and Recreation is seriously the funniest thing on TV these days. Season One nearly turned me off completely, but then I watched Season Two. And there was something there wasn't there before! ("She glanced this way...I thought I saw. And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw!") Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope turned into less of a Michael Scott knock-off and more of a goofy, hopeful, and likable public servant. Each and every cast member really comes into their own as they're made more human all without sacrificing the opportunities for humor. (In my ever-so-humble opinion, the only weak link is Mark Brendanawicz and by the end that isn't even an issue.) I don't know what it is about Greg Daniels, but when you take Parks and Rec and The Office, that man has the Midas touch when it comes to second-season-shows.