If anything can make 40something perfectly okay for me, it's watching Juliette Binoche continue to be stunning, charming, and disarming. And, of course, fantasizing that I resemble her as I demurely go about my day. I would affect a French accent if I didn't think people would laugh out loud at me.
This evening we went to see Dan In Real Life and may I say (demurely), it is the best thing I've watched in months. I loved the second Elizabeth and 3:10 to Yuma, good cowboy Lord, but for sheer life-is-grand poignancy, this movie is it. Steve Carrell may yet make my second husband list (perhaps I'm onto the third husbands) with his perpetual wit mixed with slight self-deprecation and humble affability. There is laughing and crying and it's so good. Then we have Juliette, whom we desperately desire to hate for her impossible beauty and overall loveliness but we CANNOT. It's like she's surrounded by an invisible shield of goodness, repelling any cattiness we feel welling up. We must love her; I don't know if it's the Frenchness or the fact that she has been the love interest of Daniel Day-Lewis (sigh), Johnny Depp (double sigh), Jeremy Irons, Ralph Fiennes, and possibly Liam Neeson (super sighs) yet never gloats. It's so ridiculous, but I CAN'T HATE HER! C'est la vie. I want to be her best friend.
La Binoche lovefest aside, I'd like to also say I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Dane Cook, which did not make me want to stab him in the eye with a fork. I have previously had that desire (see Employee of the Month - or don't; I almost hated him more than Jessica Simpson, it was that annoying). But here he was bolstered by the brilliant actors around him, not to mention the script that was clearly written by someone older than 15 (not likely the case in most of his previous efforts). Interestingly, however, he did not get to make out with Juliette Binoche. Just saying.
I'm going now to buy the soundtrack because 1) the music was moving & dreamy throughout and 2) I drank about half a bottle of Riesling during the movie.
Next on the feel-good-sobfest movie list: Juno, featuring my new favorite man-boy (okay, whatever, just a boy) Michael Cera. Rest assured I will not write a love letter post to him; I'd probably be arrested.
Au revoir, mes amis. (Did that sound demure? Do I hear Johnny Depp calling??)
