The Tourist

I saw The Tourist last month and while beautifully shot (hard to make Italy look bad) the movie was pretty dull. The acting was wooden and I was surprised at how flat Johnny Depp came across. Angelina Jolie was pretty and her clothes were gorgeous but she is so thin that it is distracting. You want someone to give her a sandwich or something. If you like these actors, I would wait until it comes out on DVD or HBO to see it.

True Grit

We saw the new version of True Grit over the holidays. It was really well done and Jeff Bridges especially did an outstanding job. Although I don't usually admit it, I like the original movie with John Wayne, too. I did not even think about it once while I viewed the new one....except once during the scene in which Rooster puts the reins in his teeth and goes after the bad guys with both guns blazing. I did not recognize Matt Damon at first - his LeBoeuf character was interesting, and the young actress portraying Maddie Ross was strangely engaging. If you like westerns, and if you like the original movie, you should see this movie. I recommend it.

Happy 2011!?

I haven't written in a while because so much has been going on. There is a lot happening at work and at home. One of the ultimate "brand stalwarts" - Starbucks - changed its logo today and created a lot of consternation in the marketing world. Even my company has pointed to Starbucks as the epitome of a great logo. The fact that they would change it unilaterally is somewhat startling. What brands do you respect?

It is hard to believe it is 2011 already. When I was little, I thought I would be pretty much dead by 2000. What a surprise that I am still here and feeling young in 2011!

Let's all have a good year, shall we?