true grit

After a lovely Christmas dinner with my family, in which my sister and I whipped up lemon and garlic roasted pork tenderloin, savory green beans, and the most beautiful mashed potatoes I've ever seen (I'm pretty sure it's because I kept tossing in generous splashes of half and half), we decided to venture out to the movies. My parents don't get to see them much, and we were all excited about True Grit, being from a western ranching family and all. Of course we'd all seen the original.

Since I find it impossible not to share my opinion about pretty much everything in the entertainment world, I had to post about True Grit-it's easily my favorite movie of the year. It was a delightful combination of witty, fast-moving dialogue (much more intelligent than The Social Network in this way), an absolutely fabulous young actress who clearly held her own, the surprising amiability and comedic timing of Matt Damon, and the wonderful, HUGELY appealing Jeff Bridges. I should disclose that I kind of have a thing for Jeff Bridges, despite my earlier-than-appropriate viewing of The Vanishing*, in which he plays a terrifying psycho killer. He's a man of many talents! The Coen brothers are big in Hollywood, definitely Oscar darlings, so I'm confident the film itself will snag a nomination or two, though the Best Actor/Supporting Actor categories are simply too crowded for a repeat for JB. Either way, it's completely worth a trip to the theater.

I cannot believe my meager, pathetic list of December postings, and am feeling particularly guilty about Top Chef, especially considering that it's already raised quite a bit of ire with controversial eliminations. WILL WRITE SOON! I blame the holidays!

*This movie, though on the older side, is quite entertaining and a good selection for those of you who stream Netflix. It's one of Sandra Bullock's first roles (though minor), and stars Kiefer Sutherland, who spends the movie attempting to find out what happened to his missing girlfriend.