Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

As we are still early in the new year there isn't a lot to gush about yet. I predict next week is when things get back to normal with annoucements being made.

 

You may have noticed this is also day late. I, once again, postponed it due to not having any books or goodies arriving this week.

 

Just one small thing to share this week! It is a pretty awesome one though!

OTHER

A Twitter user named Shannon came up with this AMAZING reading challenge for us Muderinos out there. I am definitely taking part and hope to complete this and my Goodreads goal this year.

 I have my Anne Rule book picked out (obviously going to be reading The Stranger Beside Me) but am open to suggestions for the other squares. Leave them in the comments.

What are you obsessed with this week?

A Glass Of Wine At The Movies - Call Me By Your Name

Call Me By Your Name

Rating: 14A

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Language: English

Length: 132 minutes

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg

Viewing Method: Regular Theatre Screening

Synopsis: In the summer of 1983, in the north of Italy, Elio Perlman, (Timothée Chalamet) a 17-year-old American spends his days in his family's 17th century villa lazily transcribing music and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). One day Oliver (Armie Hammer), a 24-year-old graduate student working on his doctorate arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio's father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture. Soon, Elio and Oliver discover a summer that will alter their lives forever. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory, is based on the novel by André Aciman.

**purchased ticket to review on my own**

Call Me By Your Name is a lot of things. It's a summer romance. It's a coming of age story. It's a story of the whirlwind of firsts that you experience. It's a story that is richly crafted and brought to life by director Luca Guadagnino.

The movie itself is stunning to look at. The setting so lovingly shot that you feel as if you're spending the summer in Italy with Elio and Oliver. The colours used are so vibrant and lush. The attention to detail makes even the littlest element hold significance. It's a truly beautiful film to watch and one you could easily lose yourself in over and over again.

The most incredible part of this movie is, perhaps, the complete lack of the punishment trope that is often found in art and media that feature LGBTQ+ characters. The 'bury your gays' trope that is always so prevalent. The message that LGBTQ+ desire, once acted upon, is something that demands a swift punishment. This 'punishment' can take many forms with the most often one being the death of one of the characters. This 'consequence' is nowhere to be found within this movie. It is simply a love story. It was a refreshing change and hopefully a step forward in the types of stories that are told for the LGBTQ+ community.

This is a quieter movie. The dialogue that is being spoken really tells only part of the story. Much of this movie is expressed through facial expressions and silent communication. Timothée Chalamet, in particular, is capable of expressing complex emotions using only his eyes and facial expressions, many of which are subtle. There is also a physicality to the role that Chalamet captures perfectly. The excitement and exuberance of his youth is in every leap and bound his character makes. It is in the awkward, but breathless, way Elio climbs all over Oliver. All of these elements together make for an incredibly compelling performance that showcases just what a talent Chalamet is.

Armie Hammer has, in my opinion, one of the harder acting roles to pull off. He plays this cool, self assured 'golden boy' and makes it look effortless. His effortlessly delivered "Later" as he leaves the room. The ease in which he carries himself. There isn't a false note in his portrayal of Oliver. The fleshing out of the character as the movie goes on adds layers, but that initial Elio tainted view is something that stayed with me, even as I saw the character's vulnerability.

If I had to pick a theme for this movie I would immediately say longing. The longing to communicate and the desperation that is felt when that connection doesn't seem to be happening. A longing for a person so fiercely that you ache. This is a movie that makes you ache with these characters. You can feel their longing. You want them to be together as much as they want to be together.

The closing moments of Call Me By Your Name are perfection. They are some of the best cinematic moments I can recall experiencing. Chalamet shines the brightest in these moments (I urge you to stay seated as the credits run). He and Armie Hammer both unravel you with nothing more than an utterance of a name, and Chalamet makes you feel every emotional beat using nothing more than the expressions that pass over his face. It's dizzying, breathtaking and demands to be rewatched for it's simplistic beauty.

This review, of course, would not be complete without a mention of the age difference between Elio and Oliver. Elio is seventeen. Oliver is twetny four. The movie (and the book from what I understand) takes great care to show that Elio is mature for his age. He is Oliver's intellectual equal. His agency is never in question. Elio is making choices on his own. The fact that Elio is still a minor is not directly dealt with in the narrative of the story but it is felt throughout. It's one of the (many) reasons Oliver is hesitant to get involved with Elio. It is part of what makes their relationship messy. The feelings you may have about this element of the story are part of what makes this story what it is. It's a deliberate choice and one that I think works in this particular case.

Call Me By Your Name is a story of longing, lust, loss and the bittersweet ache of experiencing them for the first time. It's a powerful love story filled with some stunningly brilliant performances from its highly talented cast. It deserve all of the praise it has been getting and I cannot wait to watch it again and fall in love with not only Italy but, Elio and Oliver's love story all over again.

Waiting On Wednesday ..... The Cheerleaders

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.

There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.

This sounds creepy and twisty! It sounds like more of a thriller summer read that is perfect for the beach. I love the mystery aspect and cannot wait to dive into this one!

This comes out right in time for beach season as well as it comes out right in the middle of summer!

Expected release date - July 31, 2018

What I Am Excited About For 2018

Happy New Year everyone! With the start of a new year comes a lot of things to look forward to. Many of those are upcoming book and movie releases. I have shared which 2018 books are on the top of my must read list so I thought I would also share what else I am excited about that will release in 2018.

MOVIES

Avengers: Infinity War

It should be no surprise to anyone following this blog that Avengers: Infinity War is on the list. I am excited to see what Marvel has been building up to since Iron Man was released in 2008. If the trailer is any indication it is going to be incredible. I am just preparing myself for, what I assume, are the multiple deaths that are going to happen to close out this chapter of the Marvel Universe. This one comes out May 4th.

Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile

I hope this movie gets a new title at some point during production, however, my excitement for this one is pretty high. Zac Efron is going to be playing Ted Bundy in a movie told from the perspective of the girl he was dating at the time of his arrest. The script made the Blacklist and I have heard good things about it. The rumoured release is Fall 2018, which puts it out right around award show contention time.

Black Panther

See my above mentioned love of all the previous Marvel movies and this jaw dropping trailer and it should be obvious why this one is on my list. I am excited that this one is releasing February 16th because that doesn't seem so far off this side of the new year.

Ocean's 8

Ladies being badass is always exciting and this trailer just looks like so much fun! I am looking forward to seeing all of these ladies interact and pulling off a heist! It's the type of movie you want to go with a group of female friends with to see and just bask in the awesomeness. It releases June 8th.

Love, Simon

This trailer won my heart with the entire 'I like your boots' scene. How charming is Nick Robinson?! This is going to be a fun rom-com like movie that I cannot wait to see on March 16th.

Crazy Rich Asians

I've heard incredible things about this book series (and they are on my list of books to read this year). The cast looks amazing (did you see the Entertainment Weekly photos?!) and it looks like a glitzy, decadent, drama filled good time. The trailer should be releasing in the next few months as it hits theatres August 17th.

TELEVISION

Jessica Jones Season Two

I LOVED the first season of Jessica Jones. LOVED! I loved Jessica as a character and have been eagerly awaiting the second season of the show. It's finally here (or will be on March 8th)! This trailer is everything I wanted and the Spiderman reference made me laugh out loud.

American Crime Story: Versace

It is no secret that I have been on a true crime kick as of late. It is also no secret that I love Ryan Murphy's shows. I especially loved the first season of American Crime Story. The second season will look at the murders committed by Andrew Cunanan, but most specifically the assassination of Gianni Versace. This trailer looks great, and Darren Criss is CHILLING. I'll be watching on January 17th when it premieres.

Waco

Cults are part of the whole true crime fascination and this show looks like it has some amazing performances. Taylor Kitsch seems to almost disappear into the role of David Koresh who was the leader of this particular cult. It premieres on January 24th and I am looking forward to watching this as I expect it might be talked about around awards season.

Mosaic: Miniseries 

According to the press release Mosaic is going to a VERY different form of storytelling. Through the official website/app viewers will have the chance to select which character's perspective they view the story through and that dictates the story experience they get. In order to get the full picture the audience will have to watch each of the perspectives. It'll also have extra content such as voicemails, emails, and etc for you to view or listen to. It certainly sounds ambitious and the fact that there is a mystery at the centre only makes me more curious to check it out.

The official press release states:

MOSAIC lets viewers experience the story from multiple perspectives, going deeper to see the big picture:
– Film view: Watch the film in full-screen, immersive mode.

– Choice moments: Select which character’s perspective you want to adopt to continue your journey.

– Discoveries: Dive deeper into the story through additional content, including voicemails and emails between the characters, police reports, news clippings, and more.

– Look again: Go back and view the perspectives you missed to get the full picture.

Sounds intriguing right? I am super excited to check this out on January 22nd.

What are you looking forward to in 2018? I am always eager to find new movies, and shows (and etc) so let me know in the comments.

Happy New Year

It is officially 2018! Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a wonderful start to 2018!

Cheers to what is hopefully going to be a great year ahead!

Do you make any resolutions for the new year? Let me know in the comments. I, personally, tend to skip that because I always end up breaking them but I think my motto for 2018 is going to be to find more happiness.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

Last one of these before 2018! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with their family!

Here are a few items that have made their way into my house in the last little bit. I am so excited about all of these and cannot wait to read these books in the new year.

First up is my gift from our Ottawa Blogette Secret Santa. Katie had me this year and she basically got me the most perfect gift ever. Love the My Favorite Murder bracelet so much!

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule (goodreads)

Next is a book from Raincoast Books and one that I got at our Blogette Christmas. I am excited for both of these. Thank you to Raincoast Books for sending the new Brigid Kemmerer book!

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer (goodreads)

Wilder by Rebecca Yarros (goodreads)

Lastly, I have a new Funko Pop that has joined my rapidly growing collection. This one is Jughead Jones from Riverdale (who happens to be my favourite character). I love that they included the pins on his beanie and the 'S' shirt! 

What books/bookish items made their way into your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Best Of ... Every Else

Yesterday I shared the books that were the best I read in 2017. Today I wanted to highlight some other things I thought were standouts of  2017.

TELEVISION

Stranger Things Season Two

It was no secret that I was eagerly anticipating season two of this amazing show, and luckily season two delivered in so many ways.

Who would have guessed we'd all love Steve by the end of season two? Or that the final ten minutes of the second season would be so perfect? I am already eagerly awaiting my return to Hawkins and cannot wait for season three.

Mindhunter Season One

I was excited about this right from the moment I knew David Fincher would be directing. They added Jonathan Groff to the cast and I was even more intrigued.

Mindhunter turned out to be an incredibly cast and addicting season of television. It also helped feed my true crime obsession this year. Cameron Britton, who plays Ed Kemper, gave one of the best performances of the year in this.

Big Little Lies Season One

I wasn't sure how much I was going to like Big Little Lies going in. I knew that I was excited abiut the actresses involved and that was enough for me to give it a chance. 

It ended up being an incredible series that showcased so many amazing performances from the women involved. The female characters in this were complex and given so much development. I also appreciated the beautiful final few moments of this series. 

Bates Motel Final Season

Saying goodbye is hard to do, and even harder when the show has a stellar final season like Bates Motel did. It was everything I wanted it to be and more.

From the brilliant (and poignant) twist on the shower scene to the strangely beautiful final moments this show gave us stunning performances and the best ending we could have hoped for.

MOVIES

Get Out

This is of those movies that I feel a list like this would be incomplete without. Get Out is a smart and innovative take on the horror genre that boasts some great performances.

This is one of those movies that captured the attention of everyone and defined pop culture this year. I expect it will be part of the discussion for years to come as people are inspired by it and new art is created from that inspiration. 

Call Me By Your Name

There is a lot of awards season buzz surrounding this movie, and it is justified. This is a beautifully shot movie that is filled with incredible performances from not just Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer but the supporting cast as well.

My review will be up on the blog soon so I don't want to say too much, but this is a vivid exploration of love, lust, longing, and loss and how deeply each of these is felt. 

My Friend Dahmer

Ross Lynch gives an unforgettable performance as a young Jeffrey Dahmer in this adaptation of Derf Backderf's graphic novel. The movie was a showcase of his stunning performance and that alone makes it with the watch. 

This movie also fed into my true crime addiction this year and for that I am thankful.

Wonder Woman

This female superhero movie that boasts a female director was one of my favourite things about 2017. I love how well received it was and that it was celebrated for what it is. I hope it continues to open doors and that this is just the beginning of female directed movies.

The action sequences in this movie made plenty of women and girls cry from joy because of the gaze in which they were shot. It is not something we are used to seeing on movie screens and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

OTHER

My Favorite Murder Podcast

This podcast is mainly responsible for bringing my true crime obsession back to the forefront. I am now completely hooked and eagerly anticipate each new episode.

Karen and Georgia have created a podcast that has resulted in a pretty awesome community. It may sound funny but this podcast helps my mental well being and I love that it exists.

#Gallavich (aka Ian and Mickey from Shameless)

While I couldn't include the show on my list (because I do feel that the later seasons are just not as strong) I have to include one of my new ship obsessions - Ian and Mickey.

I'll fully admit they were probably not the most healthy for each other, but everything about them made me ship them. There relationship, particularly in the later seasons, just had so many good moments that you couldn't help but fall in love with them.

What are some of the things that would make your own best of 2017 lists? Let me know in the comments.