THE ARTIST * LOOK AT ME * THE DISAPPEARING SPOON

The Artist - Finally! My friend Amalia got me out for a walk the other day, and then we went to see the winner of this year's Best Picture Oscar. It's a silent movie in Black and White which is funny if you think too much about it, so you don't. It's entertaining, thoroughly watchable, and for me, that day, just a tiny bit tiring. Of course I'd been on that cold walk, and there is constant background music in the movie, and hardly any word boards. Even so, with the little naps, it was easy to follow, a great little riches to rags and back story, completely charming. So happy that movie-wise, we don't live in the silent movie era, though. The combined experience of watching and listening is what we know movies to be all about. Hurry to see it because it's probably easier to experience in the theater than at home.

Look At Me by Jennifer Egan - I enjoyed Goon Squad, liked Invisible Circus well enough, but Look At Me was a drag. I must confess that about 150 pages into it, I skipped to the last chapter and got it over with. I immediately felt a weight lift off me. Sometimes when a book isn't working, one must cut her losses and move on.

The Disappearing Spoon and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of he world from The Periodic table of the Elements by Sam Kean - Last summer I happened to be talking about Chemistry with my good friend Susan and her amazing daughter Alice, and I mentioned that I'd had a glimpse of the Periodic Table, and there were about 40 new elements on it since I'd taken Chemistry in 10th grade. Oh, they thought that was so funny and so wrong. For Christmas they surprised me with a beautiful coffee table book of the elements, as well as this little book of short stories. Just like Chemistry, it starts out easily enough with a little story about the Disappearing Spoon and how kids used to play with Mercury. Then, just like Chemistry, it started not being as interesting until finally it ended. I think I got a C in Chemistry, and I give it a C, too. I still can't get that every single thing is made up of atoms and stuff, and that it has equations. One minute you're memorizing abbreviations, and the next minute you're doing complicated math. Give me art and reading and writing any day over science and math. The author loves his subject and tries to make it palatable for a person like me. I appreciate his efforts, but I'm hopeless when it comes to Chemistry.

Jane By Design - The season has ended on my favorite new show, and I can't wait for the story to pick back up. I love this little show about high school, mistaken identity, fashion and growing up. It continues to be immensely entertaining.

Cartier Commercial - During Celebrity Apprentice last week, there was a commercial for Cartier Jewelry that was like a movie short. I loved it. The jeweled Cartier Leopard comes to life and roams around a mystical world.