Equinox Flower

Docile diminutive barren lotion

studious encouragement insipid lounging,

sheer dedication bedouin brow

prosperous journey windswept stealth.

Falcon festoon petrified viaduct

vital tradition newfound trajectories,

versatile threshold fecund elaboration

hybrid harangue embroidered conniption. 

Derelict diminuendo indignant stampede

cozy caprice byzantine verse,

shutterbug 'slaw coca-bifocola

lumberton lunette fiesty gargantuan.

Intellect industry cerebral artistry 

ludicrous variance spiritual rhythm,

sacre bluebellrung piccolo plasma

fisher fiesta mink arug'. 

Doting disintegrate vaporous swirl

steam-engine whistle fluid cascade,

disarming allegiance earnest distraction

vacant obscurity wholesome void.

Nautical nebulae veline vedette

laidback seclusion storefront stroll,

intuitive browse discerning homage

clandestine collage emotive fuel. 

Heralded harken kraken cadre 

zodiak zephyr tenacious teddy,

spontaneous sharing gushing glare

erudite script fervid eccentricity. 

Rigid resilience lithe determinacy 

opaque shadow furtive blush,

conception pillar plush exhibition

indicative throb shimmering sheath. 

Glib infatuation harnessed extraction

unbridled feather carefree flakes,

recalcitrant meadow recrudescent glade

contumelious dell frenetic afield. 

Enigmatic instinct tempestuous glob

globular glisten deciduous dew,

frosty discrepancy drifting dalliance

rustling reverie sojourn breeze.

Flip hibernation transient torpor 

eclectic dream impassioned variables,

slumbering forest cavernous mountains

blithe somnambulism joyous fragility. 

Why do some animals sleep throughout the winter while others struggle to find food?

Was it through the defiance of a jaded divinity?

Or as the climate shifted, did they simply not move away?

Feel bad for local deer anyway.

They be strugglin'.

Big time.

The Flavour of Green Tea Over Rice

Relaxing excursion convivial break exotic dispersal elastic filiblust, campfire calibration seasoning salts magnanimous muddle rejuvenut bath. 

Imposing dialogue informal chat catty charisma bold independence, atemporal misgivings eternal qualms disengaged impertinence freeform infusion.

Standardized nutrients neophyte nestle cozy conception laidback latitude, down-to-earth domicile unwound domesticity lightning Jack jingle-jang adept vacillation. 

Consistent composed calisthenic complementary constituent chex dissolved declamation, readymade robust flexible convenience auspicious quotient propitious drive.

Dismissive dachshund querulous cosign indisposed floater accolade anchor, extracurricular mingling magpies extraneous augers vigilant vows. 

Concrete compression abstract illusion synthetic soluble exhaustive grove, burgundy bannock prevalent diphthong jeremiad junction jocose discretion. 

Incorrigible stamina inveterate votive brazen bombast fortuitous fathoms, interminable grumble gargantuan hoodwink styrofoam flange formica magnum. 

Molten mimosanguine cherubimplosion decadent parlance cynosure snuggle, sedulous saccharine sinuous stature old fashioned broth intuitive scripture. 

Cuneiform creed archaic lime insolent belfry chatterboxspring, prosaic ineptitude stigmata blossom roseate reticence laconic luge. 

Honest deciduous bay leaf honeysuckle saturnine rings ineffable clemency, sandlot satyari engrained oscillation undulating embers swamplified soda.

Varmint Venetian vestibule vestige ricochet reverie armadanone, esophagus intel eccentric enigma storytime stealth narrative nurture.

Piggybank formulae catatoned down comatotiose slumber grouchy siesta, tourniquet traction inductive dalliance interactive construct innocent chime.

With the definitive closure of the cinema, a struggling marriage is saved.

Not to be critiqued and lambasted. 

Keen dissemination. 

Charitable reckoning. 

*I can't eat rice. Keto diet.     

Aladdin

With the situation in the Middle-East becoming worse and worse every day, I have to ask myself, what would I do if I had three wishes regarding the region?

First wish: a long-lasting truce between the Palestinians and the Israelis. 

It's sad because it seemed like one was developing before the Palestinians butchered the 1,200 Israeli settlers. Now, after Israel's over-the-top reaction, it seems like peace is a long long long ways off, although there was a time when it seemed like England and France would never stop going to war.

Second wish: moderate life-affirming governments replace the bloodthirsty rulers of Israel and Iran.

I imagine most people in Israel and Iran just want to do what most people everywhere just want to do, that is, work a solid day and then relax with friends and family afterwards. Unless they're extremist nutjobs, they likely don't want to fight in a war that will only profit other extremist nutjobs. So it goes decade after decade in the Middle-East. Israel exists. And it's quite the cool place I hear. 

Third wish: the countries of the Middle-East forge a lasting peace through the creation of an interconnected trade union whose continuous maintenance benefits everyone.

If only they could do what most of Europe has already done. It's not too late for Russia to join. After signing a lasting peace deal with Ukraine. 

Rosaline

Agile independence forthrightly attuned to romantic longing, haplessly falls for a gifted poet intuitively enamoured with fiery discipline. 

Her father desperately seeks someone for her to wed at the same time however, arranged marriages still diplomatically sought at that time in Europe and elsewhere.

Rosaline chooses to marry for love and pines obsessively for the legendary Romeo, not making things easy for him at times, yet still compulsively coveting his distinct verse.

A potential suitor arrives one day whom her father objectively approves of, and they head out in his seductive boat to challenge the sea with nautical bravado.

The suitor tries his best to valiantly please her but is wholeheartedly forsaken, her heart belonging to ye olde Romeo who has thus far requited her advances. 

Rain suddenly descends in torrential buckets thereby delaying their return home, an enchanting masquerade ball ethereally awaiting that includes the coveted Shakespearian in attendance.

Rosaline indeed arrives too late but not after her cousin Juliet has been formerly introduced. 

Romeo having fallen for her indivisibly. 

Encouraging bitter fury enraged!

Love seeing comedic reimaginings of classic tales continuously told, with new characters and emboldened situations absurdly redefining stray narrative elements.

Romeo doesn't mean to be a cad he just accidentally finds himself playing the role, his honest unattached unbetrothed feelings awkwardly lamented throughout the movie. 

Patient Dario steals the show with his courageous resolve and humble cunning, embracing Rosaline's chaotic feelings with resourceful energy and lithe accommodation. 

How Romeo could have overlooked her immaculate bearing inherently overflowing with genuine artistry, her very existence each elegant breath a slow motion incarnate natural wonder.

Alas, in that natural possession of what many desire to stunningly diversify, the majority find her too incredible to risk their cherished sanity through bold proposal. 

I thought the film was for the young ones but mom assures me it was far too mature.

Alternative takes, imposing reanimation.

If you're still interested in that kind of thing. 

Brave

Traditional gender roles are set ablaze in Disney Pixar's Brave, the magical tale of young Princess Merida's (Kelly MacDonald) coming of age.

Disillusioned by her culture's tradition of demanding that a mate be selected from a tiny prestigious feudal stock, and the rather strict regimen of feminine codes of conduct to which she must adhere, while the men train for battle, the feisty Princess shelves her mother's (Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor) strategic plans and rides off into a forested nexus.

Wherein resides her destiny.

And a witch who provides her with a treacherous tasty treat which turns her mother into a bear upon her return home. 

August insurmountable accumulative wisdom having been startlingly transformed into the wild unknown, little Merida must find a way to relax the resulting tensions and restore order throughout the land. 

As a product of adrenaline.  

The film's piecemeal approach to socio-cultural structural modifications presents a practical framework within which transfigurations can be cunningly concocted, considering the myriad factors which need to be balanced when tempering historic-ideological architectures.

Wasn't impressed by its top-down approach however.

The bears are pretty cool though. 

Not the ferocious bear.

Suppose the other bears aren't really bears either.

There are moments of playful grumpy bearness nevertheless.  

Bears.   

Arthur

Not sure what to make of Jason Winer's Arthur. Apart from a commercial they ran on the Comedy Network for a couple of weeks, I'm completely unfamiliar with Russell Brand so this was my first encounter with his work. He's made a bold career move in Arthur, overtly suggesting that he is the inheritor of Dudley Moore's legacy, a move that must be followed up by an exceptional performance to be even remotely legitimized. I haven't seen many Dudley Moore films but I remember he was revered enough to be positively and negatively criticized in the mainstream media for a lengthy period while I was growing up, meaning that he likely has supportive and passionate fans remaining. Will they see Brand's reworking of Arthur as an homage to a great comedian by an up and coming artist who respects his entourage, or as an assault on a solidified characterization already firmly canonized within specific pop cultural histories/theorizations?

They're probably not concerned with either of these possibilities as they have better things to do.

But I don't, so I'm mentioning them in an indirect salute to the phenomenon of potential.

I thought Arthur lacked depth and the story simply recycled basic romantic class conscious true love narratives to produce another feel good romantic-comedy without innovating within corresponding traditions. Difficult subjects like arranged marriage, social barriers, child rearing, and corporate management are introduced and brought to the forefront, but Arthur's happy-go-lucky carefree nature euphemizes the constructive discourses delegated by their presence. At the same time, Brand's portrayal of Arthur is enlivening and revitalizing, cheerfully demanding that attention be paid. He's obviously multi-talented and the depth he instills in Arthur's character is striking. Helen Mirren is not to be bested, however, and she delivers a multi-talented characterization of her own, exemplified by the way in which she states the word "chimpanzee." The writers also provide her character with one of the most sublime of pastimes/interests which was sincerely appreciated by this commentator.

I suppose films whose performers subvert the greater cultural evaluations their director is trying to make by destabilizing them by displaying their talents function as prominent symbols of capitalist individuality. And Arthur is the product of successful capitalists who have amassed an enormous fortune, so, Arthur's form is working hand in hand with its content on one level anyways.

Bears.

Tulpan

Set in the wild and barren steppes of Kazakhstan, Sergei Dvortsevoy's Tulpan chronicles the hard times facing romantic Asa (Tolepbergen Baisakalov) and his sister Samal (Samal Esljamova). Asa served as a sailor before moving to his sister's yurt in order to learn the ins and outs of sheep herding and go into business for himself. But Samal's husband Ondas (Ondas Besikbasov) won't give him any land until he's found a bride, and, unfortunately, the only girl fit for marriage in the region, Tulpan, wants nothing to do with him. Tulpan's intransigence combines with the belittling treatment 'city-boy' Asa receives from his in-laws to cause him to consider abandoning the pastoral life. But a miraculous birth and the strength of his family ties may just be enough to let him hold on to his dreams.

Jolanta Dylewska's cinematography is mesmerizing as is the introduction to Kazakhstanian culture. While the problems faced are somewhat universal, the particular contours of each situation are informed by local custom. Definitely bucolic and definitely remote, Asa's frustrations, foibles, and fantasies are delicately displayed amidst the unforgiving landscape, the vast plains reflecting his adventurous spirit, the isolated intimacy of farm life his sense of helplessness. There's also a quirky veterinarian who arguably steals the show (with Lynchian reverberations) and a pesky goat who clandestinely complicates things.

Brick Lane

Sarah Gavron's Brick Lane overtly and covertly deconstructs the age old tradition/progression dialectic in a multidimensional manner. The story begins in a small Bangladeshi village where Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee) prepares to travel to London's Brick Lane (also known as "Banglatown") and marry her arranged husband, Chanu Ahmed (Satish Kaushik). Nazneen's incomparable beauty is matched by her bucolic charm and her traditional devotion is eventually challenged by fiery young delivery boy Kirim (Christopher Simpson), who, after 9/11, becomes tired of the resultant bigotry, and believes the solution to Bangladeshi segregation is militaristic. The older and wiser Chanu understands the folly of his ways, or the inevitable beastly consequences of militant communal activism, having lived in Pakistan during a revolution where 3 million Muslims died, Muslims killing Muslims in order to valorize Islam (Catholics killing Protestants in order to valorize Ireland, . . .). Chanu's life is difficult: he devoutly upholds the principles of his faith and acts according to its tenants. He firmly believes that an educated man should find work, will be able to find work, and thereafter, support his family. However, after quitting his job due to the fact that another was promoted when he felt that he deserved the esteem, he cannot find another.

On the surface, it appears as if Brick Lane is predominantly concerned with chronicling Nazneen's staggering transition, however, her adjustments are matched by those of Chanu as he tries to coordinate his lifestyle into an alien frame. In the beginning, it seems as if Chanu is being set up as the same old 'traditional male' who brutalizes the female members of his family as they seek freedom from servitude. But this isn't the case. Certainly, he enjoys all the privileges of having a docile, supple wife who takes care of his home, children, and has his meals ready upon his return home. This is how he was brought up to believe things should naturally be. But as his search for work becomes desperate, and his oldest daughter's petulant cheek more derisive, he doesn't take to drink or brutality; when he discovers his wife is having an affair, he doesn't react violently; when presented with an opportunity to join an organization which seeks 'justice' against the racist components of the system within which he can't find work, he criticizes them and will not sign-up; when his wife decides to remain in Brick Lane rather than move to Bangladesh with him, he breaks down, shedding tears that his code no doubt forbids him to expel; and he leaves without his family, a firm, solid Man, because, even though he has lost everything, his faith has remained in tact, and continues to provide his constitution with tranquil resolutions, through which he radiates peace (whose example provides a stoic representation of a strong religious individual who finds solace through faith). As the currents of Nazneen's affair flow more recklessly, he wisely tells her that "the thing about getting older, is you don't need everything to be possible anymore, you just need some things to be certain." This statement firmly establishes the ways in which his imaginary world has been destabilized by his culture's symbolism, in order to force him to accept its reality. Concurrently, when his daughter (Naeema Begum) ridicules their poverty, he poignantly reminds her, that outside their brick walls, her spoilt attitude will find no quarter.

Nazneen's life is difficult as well, torn between youthful passion and wizened old age, forced to mitigate her appetites. After she arrives in London, her banal existence is balanced by childhood memories of the village where she grew up (and wishes she had never left). Hence, even though part of her desires to stay with her husband, she remains in London, thereby ensuring that her daughters will not suffer as they mature from an equivalent sense of loss.

Brick Lane is a powerful film with a poignant message that liberally revitalizes the vibrant strength maintained by right of centre progressive conservatives. Moving to another country in order to cultivate a life certainly isn't easy, and Gavron's film gracefully portrays the perennial hardships associated with youth and age, the feminine and the masculine, the domestic and the foreign, the present and the future.