Movie review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Crazy, Stupid, Love is not a romantic comedy…it’s a comedic-romantic.  And yes, that translates to something different.  Since this flick will universally be considered a rom-com though, this is by far the most intelligent & jovial piece in the genre this year (though the competition isn't anything to brag about).

Now the 118 minutes do tread over some roll-your-eyes/“why is this necessary?” moments.  A few select punch lines - that attempt to showcase pop-cultural awareness - are also met with dead silence.  Thankfully, the dialogue and directing are sharp-n-wild (slightly higher than PG-13) enough to work through them; leading to laughs derived from a cast that refused to let the entertainment levels drop.  It’s almost as if everyone wanted to challenge themselves by being placed in the typical rom-com blueprint, with the idea of trying to update and/or put a different spin on the genre.  Believe it or not, this risky approach paid off for once.  And it’s one of those rare times that the trailer perfectly captures the tone of this story (watched it after the screening).

 

When Emily (Julianne Moore) tells Cal (Steve Carell) that she wants a divorce after twenty-five years of marriage, the guy who hasn’t updated his wardrobe in years, is shell-shocked.  To the point that he breaks the news to his 13 year-old son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) in front of his babysitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton) - who Robbie has a crush on.  The awkward situation leaves Jessica kind of hopeful, for she has a crush of her own on Cal.  Sulking Cal immediately gets out of the typical middle-class home, for the tipping point is when Emily confesses that she cheated on him with a co-worker named David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon doing slightly more than cameo work).

 

Cal grabs a one-bedroom apartment and starts spending his nights at an upscale lounge bar, where the trendy lady-killer Jacob (Ryan Gosling) also frequents.  It’s no secret Cal is out of place here (tennis shoes, baggy-blue jeans, etc.), and for whatever reason, the tailored-made suit wearing Jacob offers to help re-introduce Cal to bachelorhood.  More specifically, how to bed a different girl every night.  After the Jacob makeover/training (one of the funnier extended-sequences), Cal begins to embrace his new look.  Meanwhile, his bold son Robbie is multi-tasking with bluntly trying to win the 17 year-old Jessica’s heart, and find a way to bring his parents back together, for he needs to believe that not giving up on your “soul mate” can prove fruitful.

 

The main focus of this tale is on Carell and Moore’s happenings during a year of separation.  With that angle acting as the movie‘s backbone, the opening showcases a few more characters in the twenty-something couple Hannah (Emma Stone) and Richard (Josh Groban).  Hannah’s a girl who plays it safe for the most part, except when her cocky socialite friend Liz (Liza Lapira) forces her to frequent posh clubs, in the hopes of driving a wedge between Hannah and the bland Richard.  Even though there’s multiple storylines flying across the screen, directing duo Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (wrote Bad Santa, co-directed I Love You Phillip Morris) keeps this scattered telling together all the way up to the hilarious climax.

Amateur Shopper Hits Pro Circuit at Nordstrom

I was in Chicago last week. While my boys dreamed for days of the sharks they’d see at Shedd Aquarium and the stars they’d reach at Adler Planetarium, their mother daydreamed of something quite different.

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

I spend time on a few fashion forums on the web, and the Nordies sale has been the hot topic of conversation for who knows how long. It wouldn’t be far fetched to believe it’s been plugged into the digital calendars of girls everywhere for weeks. Maybe even years – since the 1960s, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has been a legendary ritual for shopaholics. It’s never been a ritual of mine – in fact, I’ve never gone before. So, I delighted in the fact that, since my digs in Chicago were mere minutes from the Nordstrom store on the Magnificent Mile, I’d finally get to experience the frenzy.

And what a frenzy it was.

Throngs of women filled the store, shopping totes slung over both arms, filled with all the sale goodies they’d found. I started in the footwear department, where pumps, boots, sandals and flats flew -– every seat and every sales associate occupied. A woman beside me tried on a Michael Kors wedge on one foot, a strappy, color block Jessica Simpson pump on the other. If I’d wanted something from that department, I may still be there -– it felt as if for every single sales associate, there were 15 women waiting for a size to be delivered from the back room.

So I moved on to designer shoes, which was carefully guarded by security personnel. There, it was somewhat quieter. I humored myself by trying on a gorgeous pair of red Valentino d’orsay pumps, but my attention was quickly stolen by another pair of shoes beside them: a towering, magnificent pair of glitter-covered, stacked platform, leather Christian Louboutins. As I reached for them to admire the whimsical design, impeccable craftsmanship and smooth red sole, doing everything I could to keep myself from drooling all over them (and then having to skip a mortgage payment to pay for them) an amused security guard said to me, “Now those are what I call sittin’ down shoes.” I thought to myself that if I’d ever bought these, I’d never sit down while in them – there may never be another opportunity for my 5 foot, 2 inch self to get to 5’7.

I migrated over to bags. The handbag selection at Nordstrom is absolutely, delightfully, ridiculously fabulous. Halogen satchels, Marc by Marc Jacobs crossbodies, Prada totes, Kate Spade wallets, Longchamp bags. This section of the store was even more of a madhouse than the shoe department. Girls furiously rifled through stacks of handbags and clutches, some squealing at their fabulous finds. In my own arms I held a Longchamp Le Pliage medium tote in black, as well as a Chloe satchel in a beautiful elephant grey. From my fingers dangled a pair of brown gradient, oversized Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses. While I wasn’t so sure I’d actually purchase any of the items in my hands, I knew I’d have to hang on to the things I wanted, or risk losing them to the ravenous shoppers who circled around me.

I lasted only an hour and a half, and never made it past the first floor. More and more shoppers filed in, and I was soon shoulder to shoulder with other excited, exhausted women. The heat wave hadn’t yet reached Chicago, yet it began to feel unbearably hot and sweaty inside this packed North Michigan Avenue department store. I knew I’d be missing out on the chance to preview all the fall items that had just come in – all those sweaters and jackets and scarves in comforting fall colors like taupe, cognac, chestnut and gray – but not even the promise of slashed prices could bring me to keep going.

I never did buy a single item, but I was satisfied walking out of there anyway, thoroughly amused at my first experience at this famous sale. Seeing all those women stocking up on their fall wardrobes, snatching up fragrance and beauty exclusives, tripping over themselves trying to get to the last pair of whatever it was they so desperately had to have, cash and credit cards flying -- I realized that next to these women, these hardcore, heavy duty shoppers, I am but an amateur.

Danger: summer shoes Susan Swarbrick

Granted, as someone who favours 70-denier black tights 365 days a year, my options are somewhat limited, but to my eye almost every type of shoe designed for sunny weather has its drawbacks.

Take flip-flops. Or rather schlip-slops as they should be more aptly called on account of the awful squelching noise they make as sweaty foot slaps loudly against plastic. Get caught in a rain shower and they are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. When wet they become death traps, the wearer slipping and sliding around as though their feet had been greased with butter, every toe straining to grip on.

Wedges? Balancing precariously on two odd-shaped blocks of wood like an apprentice Geisha just doesn't appeal. I've lost count of number of women I've seen teetering like badly stacked Jenga towers before going over painfully on their ankles.

I saw one die-hard wedge-wearer limping along, teeth gritted, the elasticated support bandages on each leg brazen testament to past war wounds. It wasn't a great look.

Then there are those weird-looking contraptions that are half hiking boot, half sandal and involve about a thousand complicated Velcro straps. Fine if you are exploring the wonders of Petra, but overkill, perhaps, for picking up bread and milk from the local newsagent.

Not to forget the downright odd. The other day I spotted a woman in miniscule Daisy Duke-style denim cut-offs and a spaghetti-strapped vest. On her feet were a pair of clumpy sheepskin Ugg boots, never mind that the mercury was nudging 25˚C.

Even traditional strappy sandals, which look pretty, are a potential Molotov cocktail when you throw perspiring feet into the mix. You need to re-mortgage your home just to afford the blister plasters for the angry-looking welts that spring up.

I'm fast running out of options here. Can someone take me shoe shopping?

Abortion a Grit election distraction

The hypocrisy of the Liberals' attempt to turn abortion into a campaign issue is shameful--but understandable.

In the wake of the disastrous HST, their ecofee mess and their horrendous eHealth boondoggle, the Liberals know they can't run on a record of good government. Because they don't have one.

What's left is the tried and true Grit strategy of implying the Tories have a hidden agenda.

Their latest hideous attempt to smear PC Leader Tim Hudak is not only the depths of political cynicism, it reeks of a government so desperate to divert attention from its record, it'll scrape their shoes for whatever muck they can find.

Fair enough, Hudak flubbed his answer on Monday, when he was asked if he'd signed a petition calling for an end to abortion funding.

"I may have signed a petition from my riding in that respect, but listen, let me be clear, we are not re-opening this debate," he said.

Abortion is a personal issue that individuals view through their own moral, ethical and religious prisms. And, yes, it's possible for a political leader to hold the personal view abortion is wrong while publicly supporting his party's policy that abortion should be funded.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has always done so.

And while Premier Dalton McGuinty said Tuesday he thinks voters are looking for "clarity," on abortion, he's been less than clear himself over the years. McGuinty answered a 1995 Campaign Life Coalition questionnaire saying life begins at conception. Surely if one believes that, it logically follows one believes terminating a pregnancy is killing a life.

McGuinty's father was pro-life and the premier, a Catholic whose wife teaches in the Catholic school system and whose children attended Catholic schools, can hardly be totally averse to the Catholic church's teaching on abortion.

This week, though, he was prodding Hudak over the petition.

"I think as aspiring premiers, all the party leaders owe clarity to voters, on that issue in particular," he told reporters.

What's revolting is the Liberals' deliberate attempt to take what is an emotional personal issue and turn it into a political football.

Heck, some Liberal MPPs are pro-life and support the de-funding of abortions--and certainly I respect that view.

As someone who gave birth to a very premature baby, who saw tiny babies struggling for life, I know life doesn't begin after 40 weeks of gestation. But I also remember a time when women's lives could be destroyed by unwanted pregnancies, or their health put at risk by botched backstreet abortions.

There's no black and white on this issue. Some believe abortion is murder. Others say it can be justifiable homicide.

Either way, it predominantly affects only women and should concern only two people-- a woman and her doctor.

That's why it's appalling that the men in the Liberal party (Finance Minister Dwight Duncan also opined on it this week), who'll never have to decide on terminating a pregnancy, would casually use it as a wedge issue to win votes.

Last election was all about faith schools. The Liberals want to make this one about abortion.

It's a nasty, mean-spirited campaign tactic. But it works.

You want to talk hidden agenda? What about the HST? Soaring hydro bills?

Eco fees? Remember that debate last election? No you don't. Because the Grits didn't tell us about them. Guess with hidden agendas you have to have one to know one.

Fashion Trends: Summer sandals for wide feet

When else can you get your pinkies out if not the summer time! So, get a pedicure and flash those toes in this years summer sandals! Plus Size and Tall take a look at some of the retailers offering wider fitting summer sandals.
Evans

Evans has an amazing 96 styles of summer sandals to choose from in a wide fitting. Styles range from your traditional flip flops and espadrilles, to wedge and platform sandals. And nothing says summer like floral prints! I love the Flower Print Wedge Sandals in sky blue with an English garden floral print and fabric flower on the bar. These sandals would look fantastic with a flowing maxi dress or skirt. And at £10.00 (reduced from £22.00) they are a fantastic price too!  The Silver Jewel Sandals are great for summer evenings out. The jewel embellishment is very bling! A sparkling summer sandal at £25.00.

OneStopPlus

OneStopPlus has a respectable selection of wide fitting sandals at very reasonable prices. The Flat Leather Sandals with Wide Studded Strap from Soft Grey are very trendy with a thin bar over the toes and wide cross over straps at the ankles encrusted in jewels. They are really eye catching in emerald green but are also available in nude at £13.65, reduced from £39.00. These sandals are great for day into evening wear but for the perfect evening summer sandals, the Mock Croc Sandals from Laura Clement really stand apart. These sandals are available in neutral but I think they are best in fuchsia! The 9cm heel will certainly make you stand out in a crowd. These sandals have been reduced from £39.00 to just £23.40.

iva La Diva

At Viva La Diva you can shop for summer sandals in wider fittings E, EE, and EEE. They have a good selection in many different styles. I really like the colours and the styling of the Comfort Plus Wedge Sandal. I can see myself wearing these around town with a dress or jeans and in the evening on a casual night out. These sandals in shades of pink and purple are £25.00. I also love the simple yet effective styling of the Shoe Tailor Buckle Detail Mule which has a wide bar over the toe and large buckle. These summer sandals are available in black, olive, brown or tan for £15.00.

Josef Seibel Brings the European Comfort Shoe to Walking on a Cloud

Walking on a Cloud invites customers to try a pair of shoes sandals, clogs or boots from the Josef Seibel Spring & Summer 2011 collection, and experience why they are known worldwide as 'the European Comfort Shoe'. The German-based, family-run business integrates old-fashioned care with advanced modern technology to construct footwear embodying outstanding comfort and quality.

Each pair of Josef Seibel shoes is hand sewn on an anatomic foot bed, built with an air channel system, and finished with perforated leather lining and soles to provide consistent and even foot climate. Josef Seibels also feature a patented foot massage system of moss rubber nodes lining the insole which promote circulation and relaxation for tired feet. Fine leather uppers and classic styling in this season's offerings also allow wearers to look as great as their feet feel.

Josef Seibel is one of the world's most reputable brands, and can be found at affordable prices at Walking on a Cloud. To view their selection of Josef Seibel men's shoes and Josef Seibel women's shoes Spring & Summer 2011 sport and work footwear at exceptional value, visit walkingonacloud.com or any of their retail outlets in Ontario.

GooDoo Retains aLine Media For Public Relations

aLine media public relations announced today it has been retained by GooDoo, a handcrafted men's footwear line. aLine media will provide publicity, celebrity outreach, and promotional services for GooDoo.

“We could not be more pleased to announce the partnership between aLine media and GooDoo,” said President and Owner, Eric Jin. “aLine's respect and influence in the industry will provide GooDoo with the opportunity to take the brand to the next level as we continue to design unique and fashion-forward footwear. The partnership will also support our effort to create a strong marketing and brand awareness campaign to expand our customer base substantially. Our collaboration with aLine will assist in positioning GooDoo in the forefront of customer's minds as a premier men's footwear.”

Christian louboutin expansion fast

In Las Vegas, Caesars Palace the French designer launched it's latest Christian louboutin boutique on June 30th.

designer shoes Eric Clough who is the colleague and assistant of Mr.Louboutin develop the store's design and concept. This time is the men's collection.

A number of styles exclusive to brand boutiques will be available for both men and women, from the glitter and calf leather men’s Alfie flat to a ladies’ Madame Butterfly pump crafted from sumptuous python.

Christian Louboutin expansion very fast. In this year, opened a store in Brazil, Brasilia. And it is the second store in the capital city.

Designer shoes sale online, Designer Shoes To You, Up To 75% On Designer Brand. Variety of designer shoes including Boots, Pumps, Sandals,flats, wedges and other High Heels with top quality.

2011 latest handpicked, save your money up to 75% from our online stores.

Best soles in Seoul

The benefits of a high-quality shoe are both tangible and necessary, not only for style, but also for longevity and health, says Retro Zimmermann, owner of Cheongdam-dong classic gentlemen's shoe shop Zimmermann & Kim.

“Good shoes are made from natural materials inside and out,” he says. The natural leathers, dyes and glues offer better “breathability” for the foot, which make for a better “foot climate” and “better feeling.”

According to Zimmermann, arch support is also crucial, while food-beds made of cork allow the insole “to mold to one's feet” for cushioning.

The proprietor's passion for well-made shoes beats Carrie Bradshaw's hands-down; the former consultant quit his job at a high-profile management consulting firm in Switzerland last year to open Zimmermann & Kim in Seoul with his wife, Ji-Yoon Kim.

Zimmermann initially noted the lack of quality soles for men in Seoul when he accompanied his wife on holiday trips here after the pair met in Germany when they were students.

“There seemed to be almost no good shoes around for men, and the few that we could find were hugely overpriced compared to Europe and often not available in sizes only slightly above the Korean average,” says Zimmermann, on why he decided to open his store.
World's best

Zimmermann & Kim carries men's shoes from two independent European shoemakers, Gaziano & Girling and Vass.

According to the owners, these brands are the best in the world.

Owning such classic shoes, says Zimmermann, is like owning “a piece of history.” The centuries-old shoemaking heritage “represents a history and tradition … a time when our clothes were made by artisans to the highest level of craftsmanship.”

Seoul fashion bloggers and connoisseurs seem to agree, as they have been flocking to the store since its opening, despite the store's hefty prices. And while many would balk at paying around ₩1 million ($940) for a pair of shoes, Zimmermann insists that other shoes of comparable or even inferior quality are sold at twice his prices, especially from brands owned by luxury conglomerates.

“We want to have fair prices, which reflect our products' quality and honesty,” he says. “Sometimes customers don't know this, and ask for big discounts … like at a department store where everything is marked-up by about 50 percent and then ‘graciously' discounted 10 percent.”

Cummings' Williamson returns to college basketball roots

Drew Williamson isn't ready to give up on basketball.

So one of the most distinguished athletes to come out of Alamance County in decades is back at his alma mater by joining the Old Dominion men's basketball staff.

The former multi-sport standout at Cummings High School is the new director of operations for the Old Dominion program, returning four years after he graduated.

"I always knew I wanted to get into coaching or back into the game somehow," Williamson said last week. "I kind of knew that when I was in college. I didn't know how long I was going to play after college. I knew this was the path I wanted to take.

"The opportunity came a little sooner than I expected."

Williamson spent three seasons playing professionally in Germany after a four-year playing career at Old Dominion, where he earned a degree in sports management.

At the end of his high school career, Williamson was named the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's Male Athlete of the Year in 2002-03. He was one of the most prolific passers in state history as a quarterback for Cummings' football team and he was part of two state championship teams in basketball.

Williamson said he envisioned a professional career of seven or eight years coming out of college. He played for three different teams in Germany, making stops at Weissensels (Mitteldeutscher BC), Jena (Science City Jena) and Bayreuth (BBC Bayreuth).

The final season overseas came after he was married in August 2009.

"I still wanted to get it out of my system a little bit," he said. "It was great to continue to play a game. When I grew up, it was just a game. (Then it was pretty neat) to classify it as a job and to get paid to play. ...

"I think I'm hanging the shoes up.You might see me in a YMCA league."

Since last October, he spent time working for Hertz rental car in Raleigh before learning of the Old Dominion opening.

"I was still trying to figure out my path. I knew what I wanted to do and the path to get back into basketball."

Under coach Blaine Taylor, Williamson played in a school-record 130 consecutive games for the Monarchs and he's third alltime at the school with 215 steals and he ranks seventh at Old Dominion with 55 career assists. He's one of two Monarchs to rack up more than 200 steals and 500 assists.

"Drew is one of our own who helped the transition of our program at a critical time as we entered the Constant Center and pushed our status even higher as a basketball program," Taylor said. "... He now crosses the bridge into contributing from a different vantage point."

Williamson, 26, said his familiarity with the Norfolk, Va., campus and Taylor is a plus as he enters this new phase.

"I kind of know the system and how everyone responds to him," Williamson said. "He helped me grow up when I first came in and now I'm hoping he can help me grow into a coach someday."

In his new job, Williamson will be involved in administrative tasks and helping communicate things going on within the Monarchs program.

"It's a good opportunity for me to kind of see the background of everything else other than what goes on for game day," he said. "To see if this is a career (path) I want to go down."

Williamson replaces Joel Hines, who spent three seasons in the role of director of basketball operations.

The Monarchs went 93-37 while Williamson played, twice competing in the NCAA Tournament and reaching the National Invitation Tournament semifinals another year. His impact was immediate as he started 15 games as a freshman.

As a senior, he was an All-Colonial Athletic Association second-team selection. As a junior, he led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio for the second season in a row. Twice, he received CAA alldefensive team honors.

A game-winning basket against George Mason in the 2005-06 season is regarded as one of the most memorable moments in Constant Center history, according to Old Dominion observers.

"It's going to be interesting the first game sitting on the bench and not getting ready to check into the game," he said. "I still feel young."