Film Review: "Precious"

Happy (belated) New Year, all!

The film "Precious," based off of the novel Push by Sapphire, tells the story of Claireece Precious Jones, a young girl in high school who is barely reading at a 3rd grade reading level and is pregnant for the second time by her father. Her mother, in turn, is a tyrant who inflicts severe physical and mental abuse on Precious. However, she somehow finds escape through the amazing strength of spirit that, through some miracle, exists deep inside of her. Her thoughts divert to an alternate life of celebrity, where the only screaming she hears is of fans lined up outside the door to get a photo of her and her "light-skinned boyfriend."

Her life, already full of turmoil and abuse, takes a sharp turn when she is suspended from school for becoming pregnant with her second child. The principal takes things into her own hands and enrolls Precious in "Each one Teach one," an alternative school for young women who have found themselves in exceptional circumstances that otherwise prevent them from continuing their high school education.

When we first walked into the theater, we were focused on finding our seats and settling in for a bumpy ride of a movie. There had been talk of the film's high level of intensity, and the fact that Oprah was backing it, I'm sure helped bring in the crowd.

The acting was brilliant. Gabby Sidibe, who plays Precious, immediately grabs your heart by the reigns. People may think the actress' abilities are overstated, but I will not back down from my exclamation (point). Alongside Sidibe was the actress who played her teacher Ms. Rain, Paula Patton, whose compassion (although a bit hard to believe at first) is overwhelming and simply beautiful. Her love for Precious does not remain constant, but grows exponentially throughout the film as she unearths the genuine life of her student.

Aside from the acting, controversy has surrounded the film and its portrayal of the "black american family" in the eyes of the white majority. When the lights came on and we looked up at the people sitting around us, it was mostly middle-aged or older white men and women. Did these people come to see a work of art on the big screen? Did they come to educate themselves about the "black experience?" Either way, you see these sixty and seventy-year-old couples walking out whispering to each other, "Oh, wasn't that awful? I cannot believe a mother would do something like that?" What would Oprah say to these remarks? After all, she did heavily promote the film.

There is a gripping statement to be made by "Precious." Not one of hate and despair, but a message that speaks to the power of the human spirit. The spirit of a black woman who, despite all that is thrown at her, rises up more powerful than any man or white person who may have hurt her in the past. The message is one of hope and triumph in the face of all that is shitty in this world (not just against the black community, but against any and all who have been stepped upon by the society we have built for ourselves today).

However, this is not the message that people are leaving with from the theater. Rather, they are throwing it away with their leftover popcorn and high fructose corn syrup soda, and instead saving the images of a black woman who loses her virginity to her father and must go through hell to save her children, only to hear that in the end she is struck down again by a nasty fate.

When you see this film, please make sure to leave with the right message in mind, and the movie will certainly be the success that it is made to be.

Restaurant Review: Woodberry Kitchen (take 2)

The second time we went to Woodberry was for Sunday brunch. Our previous savory meal was immediately complemented by this sweet array of breakfast delicacies.
Ricotta pancakes with cybee honey, and pear crepes with Grand Marnier and fresh vanilla whipped cream. Freshly brewed, french-press coffee (one full french press allows you two full cups of bold brew) and buttery cranberry scones.

Salman's taste is more favorable of savory foods. However, I was in heaven with the sweet breakfast spread we had before us. The crepes were extremely light and fluffy, making it that much easier to consume every bite that was on my plate. The ricotta pancakes, however, were much more heavy, and it took both of our powers combined to finish them.




Side story: When we first walked in to take our seat, a blonde haired, blue eyed middle-aged man sitting in the corner booth with a likewise attractive woman immediately caught my eye. As Salman and I sat down, I motioned behind us and said, "Who is that? He looks familiar." Salman's face suddenly dropped and said, "Oh my God, that's Cal Ripkin." Sure enough, Mr. Ripkin and his wife were sitting in the same booth we had occupied on our first trip there. Despite the hype, his star-presence was short-lived for the both of us: after receiving his check, which couldn't have been less than $90-$100 with the amount of morning cocktails and meat that they had purchased, Mr. Ripkin left a measly $10 tip.

His waitress also just happened to be ours as well, and needless to say, we tipped her a bit extra to make up for the baseball player's foul.

FYI

Hi everybody-

Just to let you all know, Salman has been away for a few weeks, so this is the reason for our "hiatus" on posts. However, we will have a fresh one for you coming on Tuesday/Wednesday of this week reviewing the play "The Exonerated," which is coming to the Everyman Theater...so stay tuned.

In the meantime, look out for my post on our previous TWO visits to Woodberry Kitchen, tonight!

-Jackie

Restaurant Review: Woodberry Kitchen (take 1)

Have you ever had an absolutely euphoric experience, and the only thing you wished for afterwards was to experience it over and over again?

When we walked in the first time, it was a cool fall night, but warm enough for people to be seated outside on the terrace of the former steel mill-turned-restaurant. The singular lightbulbs were dangling over a swarm of people sitting with their husbands, wives, girlfriends and boyfriends as they seemed at peace with what life had brought to them in this tiny Baltimore town.

We opened the heavy, wooden door to enter into the warm glow of the high-ceiling restaurant. Woodberry Kitchen was created from an old steel mill in a town that had once collapsed after the recession in the 80's, but was now being revived by a new audience of starving artists and young townies looking for a chic place to live without the price tag.

Our waitress sat us down in the corner booth, which gave us the opportunity to view the entire space at a unique angle. The upstairs of Woodberry wraps around the perimeter of the restaurant's ceiling-high stone walls. The music that softly reverberated throughout the space was a classy mix of Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae-esque tunes to keep the atmosphere vibrant, but relaxed.



FROM FARM TO TABLE:

Woodberry is known for its dedication to LOCAL cuisine. Much like Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA (where the "local food movement" began with the help of Chef Alice Waters), Woodberry doesn't over-do their dishes and maintains the simplicity while garnishing only to enhance the natural flavors that are unique to local, organic produce.

Our first trip was an other-worldly experience of soft flatbreads and zucchini dip, with a monk fish entree for myself, and rockfish for Salman. The monk fish was lay like fallen dominos across the plate, with a moist piece of fried sweet bread holding it up at the end. The fish fell apart as soon as it hit my lips and just melted in my mouth immediately.

For dessert, we couldn't help but order something for each of us, since the menu doesn't really afford dessert-lovers to just choose one. Salman ordered a small blackberry pie with a double crust, while I took the advice of several online reviewers and chose the Market Sundae. The pie was a sweet, tarte experience of sugary crust with a moist berry center. The sundae was...well...beyond words. I've never had basil ice cream, but Woodberry pairs it with a sweet peach sorbet and a sugary tea cake, garnished with fruit and a dark rasberry sauce.

Now, for an entry-level employee at the School of Public Health and a full-time med school applicant, money is not easy to come by. However, for some unknown reason, we manage to scrounge up as much as we can each month and out do ourselves...and this was thoroughly worth every cent. But was it worth going back a second time?....

Film Review: "Crude"

As we bolted from Wholefoods to The Charles Theater in my friend's car, all I could think about was the fact that I was missing the previews, one of the most cherished parts of any good movie is their previews. If the previews are good, I automatically deem that the movie will be stellar...which it was.

The film, "Crude," is based on the clash of two worlds: Capitalist-driven "Goliath" oil giant Chevron, and the "David"-esque indigenous people of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.

When the opening screen appears and the English subtitles immediately flashed, I will admit, a bit of frustration raced through my mind. At times during the film, I desperately wished that I could understand Spanish; the tragic poetics of the Ecuadorian struggle expressed through their humble, yet deeply anguished words barely peeked out through the print at the bottom of the screen. The legal proceedings of a fearless Ecuadorian lawyer versus the "suits," juxtaposed with the heart wrenching stories of mothers, daughters, husbands and brothers who are loosing one another to the oil-slicked cancer that has continually encroached onto their land and lives has combined in this film to form a tragic narrative of how the North's exploitation of the South is finally receiving the repeated bludgeoning it has deserved for centuries.

Sure, you have your star-studded cameo appearances by Sting and his wife, Trudy, along with the likes of Vanity Fair magazine. As the first world begins to slowly meet up with the third world, it seems that there is a glimpse of hope for humanity, after all. However, it is not these big names that ultimately come to save the day. Rather, it is the driving force of an explosively passionate (yet humble) Ecuadorian lawyer (Fajardo) that sets the wheels in motion and begins the legal and humanitarian showdown of the past 40 years.

We will not ruin the ending. However, know this: the film will rock you to your very core. It will make you question the past 20, 30, 40 years of your life and what you have been living for.

Jackie's rating: 5 stars
Salman's rating: 4.5 stars

Restaurant Review: The Chameleon Cafe

For Salman's birthday, I decided to keep him in the dark about where we were going to dinner...

I've been to The Chameleon Cafe (4341 Harford Rd) a couple previous times and have never been disappointed.  Far from it, in fact.  The chic graffitied facade of the small restaurant is located next to a Safeway, which gives it a very Baltimore-esque feel as a gem in the middle of a lesser-known neighborhood.

The cuisine is French meets American traditional.  We both ordered from their Prix Fixe Menu, which is currently being offered every Tuesday and Thursday Night.  For $30 you can purchase a 3-course meal, and for 4-courses, it's only an extra $5.  (The extra course is an additional appetizer.)

Salman ordered a grilled lettuce salad with parmesan, garlic dressing and walnuts.  I ordered the pumpkin and leek soup, which was quite possibly the most rich, creamy, bowl-licking soup I've ever tasted.  (Hence, the picture of an already-consumed dish.  sorry about that.)

For our entrees, Salman had a steak and potato dish.  This is not just your average "meat n' potatoes."  The potato gratin was flaky and crispy on the outside, with softer layers following as you sank your teeth into it.  I'm not a meat eater, but Salman claims that the steak was thick, yet very lean and was prepared well-done (you are able to choose the preparation, though.)  The last time he ate good steak was in the 6th grade, so I'm assuming it was divine.

My entree was basically an upscale version of a vegetable pot pie.  Think 10 notches up from the best pot pie you've ever had, with a flare of creamy deliciousness in every bite.  The crust was a fine french pastry.

Dessert consisted of a german cheesecake and a flourless dark chocolate walnut torte.  The cheesecake was different from any other New York cheesecake.  Not as rich and overpowering, it still had a thick and creamy consistency.  With a cookie-like crust at the base and cinnamon sprinkled on top with a raspberry sauce garnish, it melted in our mouths.

As a dark-chocolate lover and self-proclaimed aficionado of the stuff, I have to say that this was the best dark chocolate dessert I've ever had.  It may sound like I frequently praise the bittersweet delectable, but it is actually very rare to encounter such a dessert that stays true to the essence of dark chocolate.  The raspberry sauce and homemade whipped cream was the perfect compliment.    

To summarize:  The Chameleon Cafe's seasonal menu with local produce falls in with the elite restaurants of Chez Panisse and Woodberry Kitchen, while managing to stay true to its own culinary style.

Salman's rating:  5 stars

Jacqueline's rating: 4.75 stars (the hostess seemed to be having a slightly off night.  However, our Server, Josie, was delightful!  Very sweet and attentive.)

**Make sure to ask for a Birthday coupon!  $15 off your meal if you eat there on your birthday!  (Who I believe was) one of the owners (it's a couple who owns the restaurant) approached us after our meal and was kind enough to strike up a conversation and give us two coupons for our next visit. 

***Note: Just make sure to have enough cash on hand to grab a cab back home.  There aren't many taxis driving around Harford road, particularly late at night.  It's also best to keep their phone number in your cell...and spell "Harford" to the telephone operator...the first time I called they thought I said, "Hartford."  Woops.

Restaurant Review: XS

XS is a Baltimore City restaurant and bakery that does everything "excess" except their food. The music was blaring, making it rather difficult to carry on a conversation with two of our best friends sitting right across the table from us. The lights were so XS-ively dim, that we could hardly find our plates of XS-ively luke-warm fried rice and pan-fried noodles. The music was an XS of incoherent phrases from the DJ.




Compliments worth sharing, however, were the spicy wasabi mayo sauce and the tempura-style calamari appetizer. XS-ively addictive. And to their credit, the dishes themselves tasted rather good, if only they were a bit hotter.

Pricewise, the bill was fairly manageable. The only complaint we would file is the XS-ive over-pricing of the sushi menu. ($3 for one piece of yellowtail.) On the upside, all of the entrees were priced at or around $8 per dish.

All-in-all, the initial feel was an exciting XS of eclectic art and people, but quickly dissolved by the end of the night.

...I guess what they say really does hold true: It doesn't matter where you are, but who you're with. Reconnecting with two lovely ladies made the Xperience anything but XS-ive.

Rating:

Salman: 3 stars
Jackie: 2 stars
Overall: 2.5 stars

Moorenko's Pumpkin Ice Cream

With fall festivities in full swing, there is nothing better than discovering pumpkin-flavored goodies in every nook and cranny. We recently came upon the most wonderful pumpkin ice cream the world has ever known at Whole Foods supermarket in Baltimore. This is our second time going back JUST for the ice cream. However, another pumpkin "affectionato" must have buried the much-treasured delicacy from us in the sea of Moorenko's choices, since we found the last pint disguised within the coconut almond (another sinful pleasure) and honey lavender (one we have yet to try, but are dying to do so) shelves.

It's not only the most divine pumpkin-flavored dessert we've ever tasted, but in the realm of ice cream, it reigns supreme. Imagine a spoonful of frozen pumpkin pie that melts in your mouth, only leaving behind an aftertaste you don't want to rob your mouth of.

Moorenko's also makes a host of different flavors, and they are all locally produced in Silver Spring, MD! Their original location is in McLean, VA. Check out their website.


Rating:

Jackie: 6 stars (out of 5)
Salman: 5 stars
Overall: 5.5!

A little on the rating system...

So we were thinking about how to rate the movies, recipes, restaurants, books, biking paths, etc. that we will rate and came up with a few different scales: thumbs, pumpkins, smiley's--all very cute. I think in the end we will (for now) stick with a simple 5 star rating method. Both of us will rate things (if we've both done it) and provide you folks with each of our ratings and an average.

1 star = don't waste your time

2 stars = missed the mark

3 stars = average

4 stars = definitely worth it

5 stars = absolutely must try

Sorry that the rating system came out after our first review, but please read Jackie's review of Where the Wild Things Are, and follow us on Twitter so you can be up-to-date on everything we review!

Film Review: "Where the WIld Things Are"

Friday, October 16th, was the opening day for "Where the Wild Things Are," the movie-adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's book. Directed by Spike Jonze and co-written with Dave Eggers, this film is the epitome of young-meets-old...grandchild meets grandmother, young hipster meets long-time professional, son meets mother, daughter meets father...it's a beautiful clash of all emotional ages into one imaginative time and place. The movie makes you want to climb mountains, explore the desert, forests and everything in between; and who cares if you haven't showered? I'm sure the monsters won't mind one bit. The scenery simply compliments the friendships made and broken between Max and the monsters along his journey, which all-together provide an emotional roller coaster ride that you cannot bear to leave. The soundtrack by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, with the clanging of children's voices in the chorus, only makes your heart pump that much more in rhythm with their colorful chants to run and have fun.

Some have questioned the maturity level of the film and whether or not it is appropriate for children to see. NPR recently brought up the movie craze that has been created amongst a more mature audience of the young adults persona. To this I say the following: we are all children at heart, and if it attracts just as many adults as it does children, then all the better. Isn't it always a good things when adults are able to recapture their inner child and learn to appreciate (if only for a couple hours in a dark theater) the purity and innocence that they still maintain deep within themselves?

However, it is not all about making snow forts and starting mud-clot wars. "Where the Wild Things Are" oh-so-delicately examines the harsh realities that children must face in a grown-up world: divorce, hatred, loss, love and forgiveness.

In the end, it's a wonderful montage of lifelong lessons from a child's perspective.

Jacqueline's Rating: Five stars! (out of five)