Ah, Life...

It's a little better than the "Updates" or "More Updates", no? :)



Kevin Spacey photo of the moment: a poster shot from Horrible Bosses, the dark comedy which has done surprisingly well at the box office, sparking rumours of a possible sequel.

As usual, yet another KS film fails to hit local theatres, so I'm waiting for the online version. Promises to be a hoot, but I'm no fan of Jennifer Aniston's.

On a related note, my seats for The Bridge Project's Richard III have been confirmed. 3rd row centre. You can't beat that! :D



My current bedtime companion is Steve Martin's latest novel, An Object Of Beauty.

If you're a fellow fan of Martin's films, but are as yet unfamiliar with his literary works, then I highly recommend The Pleasure Of Your Company, which had me in stitches. :)

An Object Of Beauty is the polar opposite of Company, more in the style of Shopgirl - leisurely, almost aimless at times, but rewards the patient reader in spurts of inspired prose and sparkling plot developments that keep you turning the pages.

I've read my fair share of "leisurely" novels, since John Berendt is my favourite author ( Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil, The City Of Falling Angels ) and another fave, Thomas Hardy, also writes in a similar manner ( Jude The Obscure was a challenge! ).

Martin can't quite compare to either writer, of course. And I think, out of his 3 fictional tales I've covered thus far, this is the weakest.

While insights about the world of art-dealing and art-collecting are intermittently fascinating, it's difficult to identify with characters who seem totally self-absorbed and frivolous, spending tens of millions of dollars on paintings ( or 1.2 million bucks on what looks like an unfolded kitchen sink, mounted on a wall ).

Perhaps Martin intended for his readers to feel alienated? I hope not.

I will, however, praise him for a few well-written chapters, especially one situated near the end, where an eclectic group of art lovers gathers for an evening of fine food and animated chatter.

The best - and also worst - thing about art is how it may be interpreted, regardless of genre and period. The photos of selected works will either make you gasp with pleasure, scratch your head in confusion, or wince in disgust. Someone paid XX dollars for that piece of CRAP?!, you ask.

I'm no conoisseur of modern artists, preferring more conventional masterpieces - portraits, landscapes, and oooh, exquisitely rendered sculptures of beautiful homo sapiens or majestic creatures! I guess that's why the Louvre, Metropolitan and Egyptian Museums left me awestruck. Besides, straightforward concepts are so much easier to understand, and less likely to induce a migraine.

I almost gave up on finishing the book, but since I'm less than 30 pages from the final paragraph, I shall endeavour to complete it, then move on to my next reading assignment, Shakespeare's Richard III.



Next, a couple of new TV series I'm sampling.

First, The Killing, a crime drama revolving around the investigation of a young girl's murder in Seattle.

May not sound like much on the surface, but the pilot episode was riveting, and I am hooked.

Much credit goes to Mireille Enos, whose name I can't even pronounce, who plays the lead character, the quiet but whip-smart detective, Sarah Linden.

Already nominated for an Emmy, she exudes strength and class without the need for any over-the-top antics. Since I haven't seen the subsequent episodes, I can't comment on whether she deserves the nomination, but compared to other new shows which try way too hard to please, to the extent of being ridiculous ( Body Of Proof, The Glades ), The Killing looks much more promising.

[ Available online, not sure if or when it will be on local cable. ]



Another interesting new series is Teen Wolf, which just premiered on AXN Beyond on Monday.

Touted as "based on the movie" of the same name, it couldn't be any further from the truth.

The film, starring the adorably boyish Michael J. Fox, had a cheesy plot and bad makeup. The TV show, starring the darkly handsome and super-buff Tyler Posey, is actually quite scary, with convincing visual effects to boot.

Posey, whom I clearly remember from Maid In Manhattan ( he played Jennifer Lopez's cute young son - how he's grown! ) shows potential. He may not be that great an actor - peers Shia LaBeouf and Anton Yelchin beat him hands down - but there's a lot of room for improvement, and I hope he makes an effort to hone his craft.

I just hope there won't be crazy plot twists like The Vampire Diaries, which made my head spin. I tend to stop watching when I stop understanding what's going on.



Also on my must-watch list: The Closer season 7. I can't praise this show enough, having followed it from the very beginning until its peak in seasons 5 and 6, culminating in Kyra Sedgwick's Emmy win in 2010.

There're A LOT of crime dramas in TV Land, but The Closer rarely disappoints. The writers never take the viewers for granted, so each standalone story is complex yet plausible. Twists and turns abound, resulting in shocking conclusions which also, somehow, make perfect sense.

I've also grown very fond of the entire cast, who make up the squad at Priority Homicide / Major Crimes. The early seasons are especially funny, as the detectives grudgingly learn to accept, then respect, their new leader, then forge strong bonds as they successfully solve one complicated crime after another.

Such a pity Season 7 will be the last. But hey, it's always better to bow out when you're at the top, right?

I will miss you terribly, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson.