• creativity,  fiction,  film,  reviews

    In Defense of Gatsby

    I went to see the The Great Gatsby a couple of weekends ago, and I loved every over-the-top second of it. (No spoilers here, by the way, even if you’ve never read the novel). I know it’s been skewered in reviews. The Washington Post gave it two stars. Ouch. CNN called it garish, and The Independent said it lacks subtlety. Well, yes. I don’t know about you, but I don’t expect subtlety when I see movies directed by Baz Luhrmann. I mean, this is the director who gave us the epic Australia. He gave us Prince tunes and drag queens in his 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet. The whores’…

  • art,  design,  fiction,  film,  storytelling

    Moonrise Kingdom: A Study in Styling and Storytelling

    Over the weekend, I went to see the new Wes Anderson movie, Moonrise Kingdom. It was delightful in every way–a study in styling and storytelling. First, there’s the story itself. There’s nothing unusual about the plot, and I mean that as a compliment. The story is a straightforward one, of friendship and family. Of community and outsiders. Of innocence and coming-of-age. But, in its very simplicity, the story is extraordinary because of the way it is told. Wes Anderson is a master of setting. Moonrise Kingdom takes place in the summer of 1965 on a fictional island called New Penzance. And, from the opening to the closing credits, every detail…

  • fashion,  film,  style,  vintage

    Red Vintage on the Red Carpet

    For most of us, life calls for few occasions where we can’t show up in jeans or at least some shade of business casual. That’s what makes the Oscars so intriguing. The annual fashion frenzy that surrounds the awards show is one of our society’s last bastions of true glamour. I peruse the red carpet pictures like any other fashion blogger, and I always like to figure out who wore vintage gowns. This year, there were two red vintage stunners that stood out on the red carpet: a 1954 Dior gown worn by Natalie Portman and a fringed Versace dress worn by Kate Hudson. I can’t find details anywhere about…

  • fashion,  film,  style,  vintage

    Whatever Happened to Fancy Hats?

    As I approach my due date, I’ve been spending more and more time on the couch watching movies. My husband and I have long since burned through the new releases on our Netflix queue, so we’ve been working our way through some oldies but goodies. This past weekend, we watched the “The Maltese Falcon,” which I am ashamed to admit I had never seen. There’s a lot to be said about the film. It’s a noir classic. It’s based on a mystery by acclaimed American mystery writer Dashiell Hammett. What really stuck with me, though, was the abundance of fabulous hats on screen. Why don’t people wear fedoras or other fancy…