Lists, lists and more lists.
Ohmigod, you guys! I saw Minna Haapkylä yesterday and she was, like, within a metre of me at one point. *fangirly flailing* For the non-Finns on my flist, you might remember her playing Venla in Producing Adults. Wah, my life is just a tiny bit more complete now. ♥
Anyway. baggy7 gave me a variety of top list topics in a recent Top 5 meme (could there be a more perfect meme for me? I think not) and, finally, here they are. In a nutshell: Comment to this entry & I'll give you a topic for a Top 5 list which you then need to post in your own journal.
Top 5 Rom-Coms at the Moment
1. I Can't Think Straight (UK, 2007) || Trailer
Who: Lisa Ray, Sheetal Sheth, Rez Kempton
What: Leyla and Tala, two women from completely different worlds & with completely different backgrounds, meet each other in London and soon realise that their lives will never be the same again.
Why: I've raved about this movie already before. Everything just works: the chemistry between the protagonists, the writing, the atmosphere of the film... The love story is believable, and the movie avoids all the ridiculous love triangle clichés which are my biggest pet peeve in terms of rom-coms.
2. Definitely, Maybe (USA, 2008) || Trailer
Who: Ryan Renolds, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks
What: A political consultant tries to explain his impending divorce and past relationships to his 11-year-old daughter, learning a thing or two about himself along the way.
Why: This film is intelligent for a rom-com. It's a breath of fresh air among the genre that has a tendency to recycle ideas a bit too much. Also, the casting really couldn't be better: Rachel Weisz, Isla Finsher and Elizabeth Banks in the same movie? Hell, yeah!
3. Sliding Doors (UK, 1998)|| Trailer
Who: Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah, John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn
What: A London woman's love life and career both hinge, unknown to her, on whether or not she catches a train. We see it both ways, in parallel.
Why: This is probably my all-time favourite rom-com, it simply never goes out of fashion. Seriously, I must've seen this movie more than ten times. The plot is interesting and different, and the ending...ahh! Many people hate Gwyneth Paltrow, but she's actually really wonderful in this one - in my mind, the word "wanker" will be forever associated with Sliding Doors.
4. Imagine Me & You (UK, 2005) || Trailer
Who: Lena Headey, Piper Perabo, Matthew Goode
What: Rachel is about to get married to Heck when she sees Luce. Love at first sight causes a bit of a stirr in Rachel's life.
Why: Another one of those movies that I could watch over and over and over again. Lena Headey as Luce does weird things to my insides. Looking at this list, I think it's safe to say that, when it comes to rom-coms, the British know their stuff!
5. The Ugly Truth (USA, 2009) || Trailer
Who: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Bree Turner
What: A romantically challenged morning show producer is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.
Why: Well, Katherine Heigl is cute, let's get that out of the way first. I was a little surprised that I liked this movie so much, but the writing is just outstanding! The jokes are funny; the language they use is true to the way people actually speak in real life, which is truly refreshing. Plus, Katherine Heigl's facial expressions = comedy gold.
Top 5 Books
1. Gabriel García Márquez: Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) (1967)
What: The novel chronicles a family's, the Buendías', struggle and the history of their fictional town, Macondo.
Why: I don't think I've ever been more blown away by a book in my life. I actually read this in Finnish & the translation is so incredibly fantastic that I can only begin to imagine how amazing the original Spanish version is. The humour and drama are perfectly entwined, and the book just sucks you in completely.
2. Sarah Waters: Fingersmith (2002)
What: Sue Trinder, an orphan and a thief, raised in a not-so-lovely part of London by her adoptive mother, Mrs. Sucksby, is sent to help Richard 'Gentleman' Rivers seduce a wealthy heiress. Posing as a maid, Sue is to gain the trust of the lady, Maud Lilly, and eventually persuade her to elope with Gentleman. Once they are married, Gentleman plans to commit Maud to a madhouse and claim her fortune for himself. But there's a surprise or two along the way.
Why: I love Sarah Waters' writing style; it's detailed without going ridiculously overboard with the adjectives, and her characters are vivid & real. Fingersmith is my favourite book of hers, simply because the plot is absolutely gorgeous, and the ending doesn't disappoint either.
3. Frank McCourt: Angela's Ashes (1996)
What: Angela's Ashes is a memoir by Irish-American author Frank McCourt, and tells the story of his childhood in Brooklyn and Ireland.
Why: Although this book is essentially a memoir, it could easily work as fiction due to the way & format in which it's written. Although the events described in the book are often sad and downright dark, the narrative never loses its humour and optimism; McCourt's grandmother lamenting how there's God in her backyard is one of the most memorable things I've ever read.
4. Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (14th century)
What: The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century. The tales are contained inside a frame tale and told by a collection of pilgrims on a pilgrimage from Southwark to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
Why: My fascination with the Middle Ages only deepened once I read this. Some of the stories (the fabliau ones) are absolutely hysterical, and, all in all, the surviving stories are a wonderful window into the medieval way of life.
5. Margaret Atwood: Good Bones (1992)
What: The collection explores the sinister side of classical myths, traditional Anglo-European folklore and literary archetypes. Through the stories, Atwood gives voice to the "bad girls": the stupid, ugly or wicked stepmothers and stepsisters who feature as antagonists in the archetypes she explores.
Why: I have always been very fond of Atwood's short stories. Her writing succeeds in combining feminism and literature without being hateful towards men or downgrading them in any way. Truly, I'm yet to read anything by her that wasn't good and wonderfully insightful.
Top 5 Dog Breeds
1. Parson russell terrier
2. Pyrenean mountain dog
3. Golden retriever
4. Border terrier
5. Leonberger
Top 5 TV characters
1. Emily Prentiss (Criminal Minds)
Who: Paget Brewster
Why: Emily Prentiss is the most perfect TV character I've ever had the pleasure to see. She has all the attributes I adore: she's a nerd, she's brilliant at languages, she carries a gun & kicks ass. And, well, the fact that she's gorgeous doesn't hurt either. What's not to like, really?
2. Helen Stewart (Bad Girls)
Who: Simone Lahbib
Why: Oh, my first real TV crush. We totally dated in my mind for years. I just loved Helen from the beginning because of her lovely combination of independence, girl!power and Scottish accent. Helen really should've been the one bringing Fenner down. She deserved the honour.
3. Macarena 'Maca' Fernandez-Wilson (Hospital Central)
Who: Patricia Vico
Why: Oh, God. Where to begin? I think I first fell in love with Maca's confidence - she's practically oozing it. Once her character was developed further, she became a delicious mix of attributes, from the utterly gay ones to the ridiculously guy-like ones. Then again, Maca only needs to open her mouth and I'm totally spellbound.
4. Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Who: Alyson Hannigan
Why: Willow was the reason I got addicted to Buffy in the first place. A character that, perhaps, began as the comic relief of the show was brilliantly developed into a complex character with a dark side.
5. Silvia Castro (Los Hombres de Paco)
Who: Marián Aguilera
Why: Silvia embodies such a lovely mix of attributes. She's happy on the outside, but wounded on the inside, which is why the way she discovers herself once Pepa enters the picture is one of the most beautiful things I've witnessed on television. Silvia is a character you simply can't help loving.
Top 5 Finnish Films
1. Lapsia ja Aikuisia (Producing Adults) (2004) || Trailer
Who: Minna Haapkylä, Minttu Mustakallio, Kari-Pekka Toivonen
What: After years with Antero, Venla wants to start a family, but her boyfriend, worried that parenthood will stifle his speed-skating career, secretly gets a vasectomy. Determined to have a child, Venla seeks help from a female fertility doctor, a decision that breeds various new possibilities for the prospective mother.
Why: At the time of releasing, Producing Adults was such a wonderful exception in Finnish cinema which tends to be either über artsy or angsty, or both. It was also one of the first Finnish films to deal with a lesbian relationship in an ordinary way, and the script made it possible for the palpable chemistry between Venla and Satu to truly shine.
2. Tuntematon Sotilas (The Unknown Soldier) (1955) || The ending
Who: Pentti Siimes, Åke Lindman, Matti Ranin
What: A movie about a machine gun company in the Continuation War against the Soviet Union. It's based on a book written by Väinö Linna.
Why: I've only seen this once in its entirety, because I can't bring myself to watch it again. But the impact that one time had on me couldn't be greater - the ending especially, when "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius starts playing, makes me nothing short of emotional. 100% patriotic pride.
3. Helmiä ja Sikoja (Pearls and Pigs) (2003) || Trailer
Who: Mikko Leppilampi, Laura Birn, Amanda Pilke
What: When their bootlegging father ends up in jail, four twenty-something brothers need money to pay his debts to local crooks. Next, their 9-year-old half-sister is dumped on their doorstep by her prostitute mother. A karaoke set helps reveal that the little girl is quite a singer, just as a talent contest for children is coming up on national television, offering more than enough money to the winner. If only the kid wasn't so hopelessly shy...
Why: The 21st century brought with it a slightly less serious form of Finnish cinema, Helmiä ja Sikoja being a wonderful example of just that. This movie makes me laugh like nothing else. The characters are hysterical, and suddenly you realise that you're fully invested in their lives & weather they make it to the competition or not. Also, more eye candy in the form of Laura Birn. Yum!
4. 8 Päivää Ensi-Iltaan (8 Days to Premier) (2008) || Trailer
Who: Mikko Leppilampi, Laura Birn, Elina Knihtilä
What: Vilma is a female prompter at a theater-production of "Romeo and Juliet". She's used to remain in the background, but when the female leading actress injures herself, Vilma must take on the role of Juliet in the theater-piece. With only a few days to premiere, she's pulled into a love affair with her actor-opponent who plays Romeo.
Why: Mikko Leppilampi + Laura Birn = ♥ This is the first straightforward Finnish romantic comedy that I've seen, which is probably why I like it so much. Again, the chemistry between the main couple is perfect, and the movie happens to have a really well-done lesbian couple as well. Just a nice feel-good movie.
5. FC Venus (2005) || Trailer
Who: Minna Haapkylä, Petteri Summanen, Laura Malmivaara
What: A comedy about men, women and football (soccer). Fed up with their men devoting their entire life to football, the wives & girlfriends set up a team of their own and bet that they'll be able to beat the men's team only after a summer of practicing. Hijinks ensue.
Why: My Minna Haapkylä galore continues. But really, women playing football. In the rain. There's nothing better than that. Besides, this movie is funny with a capital 'F'. Take the following, for example: "So, the offside?" // "Yeah, what about it?" // "Well, which one of us is going to play in it???"
Aaaand, last but not least, Castle bloopers! Is it insane that I'm tempted to get the Region 1 DVDs just for the gag reel alone? Yeah, thought so.
LOVE. ♥
Anyway. baggy7 gave me a variety of top list topics in a recent Top 5 meme (could there be a more perfect meme for me? I think not) and, finally, here they are. In a nutshell: Comment to this entry & I'll give you a topic for a Top 5 list which you then need to post in your own journal.
Top 5 Rom-Coms at the Moment
1. I Can't Think Straight (UK, 2007) || Trailer
Who: Lisa Ray, Sheetal Sheth, Rez Kempton
What: Leyla and Tala, two women from completely different worlds & with completely different backgrounds, meet each other in London and soon realise that their lives will never be the same again.
Why: I've raved about this movie already before. Everything just works: the chemistry between the protagonists, the writing, the atmosphere of the film... The love story is believable, and the movie avoids all the ridiculous love triangle clichés which are my biggest pet peeve in terms of rom-coms.
2. Definitely, Maybe (USA, 2008) || Trailer
Who: Ryan Renolds, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks
What: A political consultant tries to explain his impending divorce and past relationships to his 11-year-old daughter, learning a thing or two about himself along the way.
Why: This film is intelligent for a rom-com. It's a breath of fresh air among the genre that has a tendency to recycle ideas a bit too much. Also, the casting really couldn't be better: Rachel Weisz, Isla Finsher and Elizabeth Banks in the same movie? Hell, yeah!
3. Sliding Doors (UK, 1998)|| Trailer
Who: Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah, John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn
What: A London woman's love life and career both hinge, unknown to her, on whether or not she catches a train. We see it both ways, in parallel.
Why: This is probably my all-time favourite rom-com, it simply never goes out of fashion. Seriously, I must've seen this movie more than ten times. The plot is interesting and different, and the ending...ahh! Many people hate Gwyneth Paltrow, but she's actually really wonderful in this one - in my mind, the word "wanker" will be forever associated with Sliding Doors.
4. Imagine Me & You (UK, 2005) || Trailer
Who: Lena Headey, Piper Perabo, Matthew Goode
What: Rachel is about to get married to Heck when she sees Luce. Love at first sight causes a bit of a stirr in Rachel's life.
Why: Another one of those movies that I could watch over and over and over again. Lena Headey as Luce does weird things to my insides. Looking at this list, I think it's safe to say that, when it comes to rom-coms, the British know their stuff!
5. The Ugly Truth (USA, 2009) || Trailer
Who: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Bree Turner
What: A romantically challenged morning show producer is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.
Why: Well, Katherine Heigl is cute, let's get that out of the way first. I was a little surprised that I liked this movie so much, but the writing is just outstanding! The jokes are funny; the language they use is true to the way people actually speak in real life, which is truly refreshing. Plus, Katherine Heigl's facial expressions = comedy gold.
Top 5 Books
1. Gabriel García Márquez: Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) (1967)
What: The novel chronicles a family's, the Buendías', struggle and the history of their fictional town, Macondo.
Why: I don't think I've ever been more blown away by a book in my life. I actually read this in Finnish & the translation is so incredibly fantastic that I can only begin to imagine how amazing the original Spanish version is. The humour and drama are perfectly entwined, and the book just sucks you in completely.
2. Sarah Waters: Fingersmith (2002)
What: Sue Trinder, an orphan and a thief, raised in a not-so-lovely part of London by her adoptive mother, Mrs. Sucksby, is sent to help Richard 'Gentleman' Rivers seduce a wealthy heiress. Posing as a maid, Sue is to gain the trust of the lady, Maud Lilly, and eventually persuade her to elope with Gentleman. Once they are married, Gentleman plans to commit Maud to a madhouse and claim her fortune for himself. But there's a surprise or two along the way.
Why: I love Sarah Waters' writing style; it's detailed without going ridiculously overboard with the adjectives, and her characters are vivid & real. Fingersmith is my favourite book of hers, simply because the plot is absolutely gorgeous, and the ending doesn't disappoint either.
3. Frank McCourt: Angela's Ashes (1996)
What: Angela's Ashes is a memoir by Irish-American author Frank McCourt, and tells the story of his childhood in Brooklyn and Ireland.
Why: Although this book is essentially a memoir, it could easily work as fiction due to the way & format in which it's written. Although the events described in the book are often sad and downright dark, the narrative never loses its humour and optimism; McCourt's grandmother lamenting how there's God in her backyard is one of the most memorable things I've ever read.
4. Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (14th century)
What: The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century. The tales are contained inside a frame tale and told by a collection of pilgrims on a pilgrimage from Southwark to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
Why: My fascination with the Middle Ages only deepened once I read this. Some of the stories (the fabliau ones) are absolutely hysterical, and, all in all, the surviving stories are a wonderful window into the medieval way of life.
5. Margaret Atwood: Good Bones (1992)
What: The collection explores the sinister side of classical myths, traditional Anglo-European folklore and literary archetypes. Through the stories, Atwood gives voice to the "bad girls": the stupid, ugly or wicked stepmothers and stepsisters who feature as antagonists in the archetypes she explores.
Why: I have always been very fond of Atwood's short stories. Her writing succeeds in combining feminism and literature without being hateful towards men or downgrading them in any way. Truly, I'm yet to read anything by her that wasn't good and wonderfully insightful.
Top 5 Dog Breeds
1. Parson russell terrier
2. Pyrenean mountain dog
3. Golden retriever
4. Border terrier
5. Leonberger
Top 5 TV characters
1. Emily Prentiss (Criminal Minds)
Who: Paget Brewster
Why: Emily Prentiss is the most perfect TV character I've ever had the pleasure to see. She has all the attributes I adore: she's a nerd, she's brilliant at languages, she carries a gun & kicks ass. And, well, the fact that she's gorgeous doesn't hurt either. What's not to like, really?
2. Helen Stewart (Bad Girls)
Who: Simone Lahbib
Why: Oh, my first real TV crush. We totally dated in my mind for years. I just loved Helen from the beginning because of her lovely combination of independence, girl!power and Scottish accent. Helen really should've been the one bringing Fenner down. She deserved the honour.
3. Macarena 'Maca' Fernandez-Wilson (Hospital Central)
Who: Patricia Vico
Why: Oh, God. Where to begin? I think I first fell in love with Maca's confidence - she's practically oozing it. Once her character was developed further, she became a delicious mix of attributes, from the utterly gay ones to the ridiculously guy-like ones. Then again, Maca only needs to open her mouth and I'm totally spellbound.
4. Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Who: Alyson Hannigan
Why: Willow was the reason I got addicted to Buffy in the first place. A character that, perhaps, began as the comic relief of the show was brilliantly developed into a complex character with a dark side.
5. Silvia Castro (Los Hombres de Paco)
Who: Marián Aguilera
Why: Silvia embodies such a lovely mix of attributes. She's happy on the outside, but wounded on the inside, which is why the way she discovers herself once Pepa enters the picture is one of the most beautiful things I've witnessed on television. Silvia is a character you simply can't help loving.
Top 5 Finnish Films
1. Lapsia ja Aikuisia (Producing Adults) (2004) || Trailer
Who: Minna Haapkylä, Minttu Mustakallio, Kari-Pekka Toivonen
What: After years with Antero, Venla wants to start a family, but her boyfriend, worried that parenthood will stifle his speed-skating career, secretly gets a vasectomy. Determined to have a child, Venla seeks help from a female fertility doctor, a decision that breeds various new possibilities for the prospective mother.
Why: At the time of releasing, Producing Adults was such a wonderful exception in Finnish cinema which tends to be either über artsy or angsty, or both. It was also one of the first Finnish films to deal with a lesbian relationship in an ordinary way, and the script made it possible for the palpable chemistry between Venla and Satu to truly shine.
2. Tuntematon Sotilas (The Unknown Soldier) (1955) || The ending
Who: Pentti Siimes, Åke Lindman, Matti Ranin
What: A movie about a machine gun company in the Continuation War against the Soviet Union. It's based on a book written by Väinö Linna.
Why: I've only seen this once in its entirety, because I can't bring myself to watch it again. But the impact that one time had on me couldn't be greater - the ending especially, when "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius starts playing, makes me nothing short of emotional. 100% patriotic pride.
3. Helmiä ja Sikoja (Pearls and Pigs) (2003) || Trailer
Who: Mikko Leppilampi, Laura Birn, Amanda Pilke
What: When their bootlegging father ends up in jail, four twenty-something brothers need money to pay his debts to local crooks. Next, their 9-year-old half-sister is dumped on their doorstep by her prostitute mother. A karaoke set helps reveal that the little girl is quite a singer, just as a talent contest for children is coming up on national television, offering more than enough money to the winner. If only the kid wasn't so hopelessly shy...
Why: The 21st century brought with it a slightly less serious form of Finnish cinema, Helmiä ja Sikoja being a wonderful example of just that. This movie makes me laugh like nothing else. The characters are hysterical, and suddenly you realise that you're fully invested in their lives & weather they make it to the competition or not. Also, more eye candy in the form of Laura Birn. Yum!
4. 8 Päivää Ensi-Iltaan (8 Days to Premier) (2008) || Trailer
Who: Mikko Leppilampi, Laura Birn, Elina Knihtilä
What: Vilma is a female prompter at a theater-production of "Romeo and Juliet". She's used to remain in the background, but when the female leading actress injures herself, Vilma must take on the role of Juliet in the theater-piece. With only a few days to premiere, she's pulled into a love affair with her actor-opponent who plays Romeo.
Why: Mikko Leppilampi + Laura Birn = ♥ This is the first straightforward Finnish romantic comedy that I've seen, which is probably why I like it so much. Again, the chemistry between the main couple is perfect, and the movie happens to have a really well-done lesbian couple as well. Just a nice feel-good movie.
5. FC Venus (2005) || Trailer
Who: Minna Haapkylä, Petteri Summanen, Laura Malmivaara
What: A comedy about men, women and football (soccer). Fed up with their men devoting their entire life to football, the wives & girlfriends set up a team of their own and bet that they'll be able to beat the men's team only after a summer of practicing. Hijinks ensue.
Why: My Minna Haapkylä galore continues. But really, women playing football. In the rain. There's nothing better than that. Besides, this movie is funny with a capital 'F'. Take the following, for example: "So, the offside?" // "Yeah, what about it?" // "Well, which one of us is going to play in it???"
Aaaand, last but not least, Castle bloopers! Is it insane that I'm tempted to get the Region 1 DVDs just for the gag reel alone? Yeah, thought so.
Click to view
LOVE. ♥