What Do You Think About...

Casino Royale

Normally I'm not an advocate of James Bond. As alluring as he can be, every single one of his films loses me once he starts rolling into bed with women named such things as Pussy Galore or Honey Ryder. But Casino Royale, despite it's flaws, is a stunning film. The cinematography is incredible....it's stark, yet rich, incorporating lots of high-exposure, light drenched shots in with the more moody settings you'd expect. When Bond is whiping the blood off of his face after killing a man, the frantic, shaking camera angles do as much to propel the story along as the acting. The movie opens in harsh black and white, more like moving, artistic mug shots than traditional black-and-white-films. But the scene that will stick with me the most was, in my opinion, sheer brilliance. Bond comes to check on his partner, Vesper Lynd, after they've just killed a man. He finds her sitting in the shower, still in her evening gown, silently crying over the thing she has just done. Bond simply sits in the shower with her and holds her. It was such a wonderful moment. It's moments like that that make great movies.

Photography

Normally, I'm not into Vogue. Too stuffy. But the photographs of Keira Knightley in this issue are stunning. Even though the thought of wearing couture on safari is absurd.

Photography

Photo from TeenVogue. I love the whole mood of this photograph.

Ballet

There is something so soft and yet so strong about a ballet dancer. They can move as if they are made of nothing, as if they can float on the air. Then you see how solid and muscular they are, and you know that you are looking at some of the greatest athletes in the world. These are photographs of dancers from the NYC ballet. I love their poses and how the shapes that their bodies create are both fluid and firm. I always wanted to be a dancer. I'm good at most types of dance, but I never had the right turnout to become a professional ballet dancer. Oh well. One of my favorite things to do, now, is draw them. I've made a really cool sculpture of a dancer.