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Thornhill Cafe. Delectable Thai/French fusion on a quiet street near
Montclair Presbyterian. My chicken, artichoke, and cheese ravioli were
bathed in a creamy coconut milk sauce with enough spice that I was sniffling
by the time I licked the last drop of broth off my plate. A little pricey,
but the nice waiter didn't sniff at me when I only ordered a main course
without appetizer or wine. Good atmosphere, too (Billie Holiday crooning in
the background).
Sexy Beast. Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone star in this slick story
of a happily retired gangster who receives an unwelcome visitor sent to lure
him back for one final caper. Directed by first-timer Jonathan Glazer, the
thoroughly standard plot is made interesting by editing and camerawork
reminiscent of Soderbergh and a great soundtrack. Kingsley is brilliant as
the thug everyone fears. He is funny, terrifying, and vulnerable, often all
at the same time. The inevitable words came out of my mouth as I exited the
theater: "Yes, that was the same man who played Gandhi." Also, I saw
Sexy Beast with Aimee at the Parkway Speakeasy Theater in Oakland, an
establishment which really deserves a paragraph all to itself. Couches,
beer and pizza with your movie, a well-edited selection of films. Love it.
n:CODE. The newly reopened DNA Lounge gets my full approval. I had one of
those blissful raver moments as I stepped into the club where the music was
already going full speed and I could barely wait to get my coat off and my
ass onto the floor. It helped that there was a particularly good pack of
DJs spinning Friday night: Amber, Plateshifter, Terrac, and SirNod.
Excellent vibe and no stripsearch at the door! I'll go back in a couple of
weeks to make sure it wasn't a one-time phenomenon.
Rush Hour 2. Jon and I had some time to kill while my car was taking
forever to get smogged. We made the right choice in what movie to see.
After a shaky start Rush Hour 2 hits its stride and just keeps
going. Damn funny, with plenty of awesome stunts from Jackie Chan and
goddess Zhang Ziyi (too bad she was eeeeevil). Chris Tucker was
delightfully over-the-top as well. May Hong Kong movies continue to exert
their influence on Hollywood.
I really should have made it out Saturday night, either to Rant N Rave or to
see Stellavision playing in the city. I failed.
Thornhill Cafe
Sexy Beast
Parkway Theater
DNA Lounge
Rush Hour 2
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Heidi J. De Vries
