Reviews and a Love Letter

Lolita? Phenomenal. I had the best drink of my life there--ginger-infused vodka with something and something else, and a hunk of lime on the rim, in a lovely copper tankard, no weenie cocktail glasses for me! Appetizers included scallops (yum), spinach phyllo pies (ditto), and greek sausage (delicious). Dinner for me was the macaroni and cheese featured so prominently in the book, which definitely lived up to its reputation. Others ordered the salmon, pork chop, or chicken, all of which I tasted and all of which I would order for myself, should I be so fortunate as to return. As for dessert, our table ordered one of everything on the menu; the rose-raspberry tart and the Turkish coffee stand out as particularly memorable. In general: highly recommended, not far from campus, and if you're looking for a place to impress a date for around $30-40 a person (depends on drinks) then this is a great idea.

We caught the sneak preview of Superman Returns last night. The first time Brandon Routh spoke, I elbowed R and said "oh, he sounds just like Christopher Reeve." He did. He also walked like him, pushed his glasses up like him, and kept a goofily sincere expression on his face while flying like him. I thought he was an excellent casting choice.

Speaking of excellent casting choices, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor? Nothing short of brilliant. I love Kevin Spacey anyway, but his Luthor was an especially interesting update of the old slapstick villain into a still wacky yet menacing threat.

It's a very, very violent movie. Not that there's a lot of blood and guts, or a higher violent minutes/running time ratio than most comic book movies, but in the sense that you really feel the weight of what's going on. People get thrown around rather brutally. People get shot at, and you feel both the visceral punch of that and the emotional overtones (and I think this adds to Spacey's performance)--you really understand what it's like to live in a world with people this bad.

It's a beautiful movie. Lois Lane still can't spell. Perry White is still grumpy. The Daily Planet still has lots of glass. Everyone still dresses like it's the Forties.

I'll be seeing it again.

And finally: Dear Universe:

Thank you for people who cheer in movie theaters for Superman. Thank you for Christopher Reeve's spectacular grace. Thank you for my beloved friends who have taught me that you don't have to be a cynic to be a realistic person, and that wide-eyed adoration is sometimes not to be laughed at.

And thanks for the lovely clean data this afternoon. I appreciate it.

Love,
Leigh