*Eat, Pray, Love

I have a difficult time appreciating books that are made into movies. Not sure if it's because when I read a book, I am actively engaged and my imagination creates vividly the cast of characters, scenery, etc. If I already have a vision for what the visual interpretation should look like, the actual movie would then conflict with the movie in my imagination and then I don't like it. Also, I think part of it too is that the movies don't have enough time to tell the full story so pieces, ones that I may have really liked, are cut out so the movie is not a faithful true adaptation of the book. This goes for EPL and for the Twilight movies.

Overall, I thought EPL (the book) was entertaining because when I picked it up, I was unemployed, thinking about my next move (stay in NYC, move to Asia or SF), etc. I found it inspiring - shouldn't we all take an introspective journey and develop ourselves in different aspects of our lives? She took it to an extreme but it was entertaining.

Quote: Tis' better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else's perfectly.

It's a Wonderful Life

You might be asking yourself, why did you watch this classic American Christmas film in the late summer/early fall? Well, quite honestly - it was the next movie in the queue but this movie couldn't come at a better time for me - just like James Stewart's character, George Bailey, I too have been thinking about finances and dreaming about traveling the world. In this movie, Stewart's character, George Bailey, desires to travel the world but is tied down to his hometown to run the family business. After one particularly stressful Christmas Eve, George is driven to kill himself. A guardian angel who helps George see the true richness of his life and all ends well.

The following points struck me about this movie:
1) Even though this movie did not do well when it was first released, it has since been well received. The plot and theme of this movie has been copied in modern day movies - ie. Family Man.
2) The raven, Billy's pet in the movie, is in many of Frank Capra's other movies!
3) Many of Frank Capra's other movies follow a similar and sentimental theme of championing the common man.

Definitely a Christmas movie and definitely a must-see.

Memorable line: [In book inscription] Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.