Population 436

Last week I had to take a break from biking due to an illness. It was frustrating, as I was really cruising. I was at the point that I had cut 12 minutes off my time. I was stepping up the resistance and feeling great. Unfortunately, a combination of the time off and the effects of being sick has really set me back. I have had 2 workout sessions this week and they were both difficult and unenjoyable. The only thing that motivates me is knowing that I will regain my past level and also keeping off the 5 pounds I lost while being sick!! I have logged in 30 miles so far this week. I am hoping to pedal another 20 tomorrow morning.

I am so far behind on my movie reviews and will try to catch up over the next few days.

Population 436 is a typical perfect small town with a creepy secret type thriller. Directed by Michelle Maxwell MacLaren, this movie featured Limp Bizkit frontman, Fred Durst. Overall the movie was well acted by a mostly unknown cast.

This thriller focuses on a Rockwell Falls, a seemingly perfect tucked away town with a population of 436. The town secrets unravel when Steve Kady, a US census worker is sent to investigate the fact that the population has not changed since 1860. Although much of the movie followed the basic creepy small town horror movie format, there were some twists that I did not see coming. Overall, this movie does it's job and keeps the interest of this chick, with an attention span of a gnat.

My grade...a B-

Journey Update

Last week I fell short of my goal by 10 miles again. I have to keep this in perspective, this is a journey with no finish line. The only failure is not seeing the journey through to the very end. I am resetting the goal again and learning from mistakes. Although my weekdays are very busy, they seem to be better for me in sticking to my goal. I have to have the minimum miles done by Friday, knowing the weekend does not work for me in regards to catching up on miles. Weekends are my family catchup moments. So I did complete 20 miles yesterday and will shoot for another 15-20 this afternoon. I had planned on biking this morning, but got to bed way too late. Hence another lesson I need to learn, for the journey to move forward I need to change bad habits, including late night tv watching.

I did not watch a movie yesterday, but will this afternoon during my workout. I am noticing so many changes since I began this ride. My energy level is increased and I find myself antsy unless moving. I do find myself dead tired at times, but overall energy level is higher. I find it easier to follow healthier eating habits. When you know how hard you have to work to burn off calories, you tend to be more selective! I do have to rearrange eating patterns when I do 2 rides in a day, as yesterday I crashed and burned before noon and was starving at night. I am also drinking more water than ever before. It comes naturally for me now and I prefer water to other beverages for the most part.

So looking at the big picture I am well on my way to a successful journey!

I am Dina (2002)

This is the last review I am behind on! I will be all caught up, only to fall behind again this week I am sure!


Based on Herbjørg Wassmo's book, Dina's Book, I am Dina (2002) is set in Norway during the 1860's. The film opens up with the death of Dina's mom due to an accident directly linked to Dina(Maria Bonnevie). She is shunned by her father who never forgives her for the loss of his wife. Dina is cared for by the house staff and soon becomes unmanageable and wild. Upon the recommendation of a family friend, Jacob (Gérard Depardieu), a tutor named Lorch (Søren Sætter-Lassenis) hired. He is able to "tame" Dina with music, however, her wild streak never fully leaves her. During this time she also develops a connection with the dead and a pathological dislike of separation.


When Dina reaches the age of marriage, she is married to Jacob. Although much her senior, he is tolerant of her wild streak initially. Soon he seeks peace and ultimately pays the price for leaving Dina alone. She continues on running Jacob's port with her 2 adult stepsons. Passion and Death continue to follow Dina throughout this entire movie.


I am Dina (2002) was nominated and won numerous awards throughout Europe and Canada, including Best Actress for Maria Bonnevie at the Amanda Awards. This dark drama as a rich storyline, with a stellar cast. The scenery was spectacular, as was the editing.

My grade...A-.

Arranged (2007)

I have had a great week of workouts. I will complete my weekly minimum tomorrow with a 10-20 mile ride. My times have been excellent and I am experimenting with resistance and speed. Some days I am fatigued the first three miles, but I know if once I pass the 3 mile mark it gets easier. I also have been breaking up the workouts into 10-15 mile segments, rather than 20-25. This has helped with fatigue as well. I am really enjoying this part of my day.

One of the movies this week was Arranged. This flick was directed by Diane Crespo
Stefan C. Schaefer (also the writer).

This is drama/comedy/romance was delightful to watch. However, it was a bit Kum-ba-Yahish. The movie focused on two women, one an Orthodox Jew and the other a Muslim. It follows the women's first year of teaching in a Brooklyn school, where they form an unlikely friendship. The friendship deepens when they discover they are both entering into arranged marriages. They are also both secure with their religion and have found a balance between the modern world and the traditions of their religion. They viewer can easily see the similarities of these opposing religions. The message is clear, however, I question if it is realistic.

Zoe Lister Jones (Roshel Meshenberg) and Francis Benhamou (Nashira Khaldi) did a marvelous job portraying these characters. It was easy to bond with both characters and their lives. One other character that deserves mentioning is the principal (Principal Jacoby), played by Marcia Jean Kurtz. Principal Jacoby comedically added the obvious stereotypes and misunderstanding of both religions. Kurtz delivered this in a lovable "Archie Bunker" type fashion that added humor to this feel-good flick.

It is hard to grade this movie, as it was really a delight to watch. However, it lacked the realism one would expect with this type of conflict. It may be too "Happily Ever After" for some viewers. My grade will fall into a range of B+ to a C-. If your not looking for depth, it is a definate must see for the female audience.

Uncertainty (2009)

Last week I set a goal to do a minimum of 75 miles a week for a month. Well, on my first week of the goal I fell short by 10 miles. Considering I was a single mom and the amount of illness that was running through our house, I will forgive my shortcoming and reset the goal. Everyone's health is restored and Meryl is home from his trip...I have no excuses this week. I am 35 miles into the goal so I am on may way. I have decided to split up the workout. I will be on the bike at 5am and log in 10 miles and then 15-20 miles in the afternoon, depending on my schedule. It was nice to workout this morning, as I find it easier to concentrate throughout the day.

I started watching the movie, Uncertainty, last week and finally finished it up yesterday afternoon. It was really one of the better Indies I have watched so far. This drama was written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel If I could sum up this film in one word, it would be Clever.

Uncertainty opens up on the Brooklyn Bridge with a young, attractive couple trying to make a decision, what the decision is is not disclosed. They flip a coin and run in different directions. The movie then splits into the 2 scenarios of that coin flip. As the 2 separate decisions play out there are parallel realities.

I am a character type of movie watcher. I need to be able to identify with the characters to enjoy a film. The two main actors, Lynn Collins and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, do an excellent job of developing the characters, Kate and Bobby. It is easy to become involved in the action and the developing love story in each reality.

The editing and camera work was also above average for an Indie film. The viewer really got a sense of the insanity on the streets of NYC, as well as the diverse cultures that make up the Big Apple.

My grade for Uncertainty is a solid A.

My Secret Vice

I had a busy day yesterday, so I did not have a chance to work out until 9pm. I am going to wonder off the path on this blog a bit and chat about one event I attended today.

Our operations manager has an adorable 3 year old son (will call him VK) who went to baseball camp this week. I have not had the chance to snap pics lately, so I attended to capture the moment for her. On my way I was upset about a few things that occurred throughout the day/week. However, once I opened the door to the East Gate Building in Marathon Park, all negativity was lost. In this huge open room were about a dozen 3-5 year olds wiggling around as they were given instructions from the "coach". Next it was station time...batting, catching, mirroring, etc... The energy of this little guy was contagious, as was his smile. I snapped the pics and felt all the crap from the week disappear. Next came "game time". VK started out in the outfield. The ball came to him, as well as all the other kids on the field! Another little boy was quicker and stole VK's moment. This prompted VK to take off his glove and slam it on the ground like a true pro! I could not help but laugh. The kids were all adorable and worked so hard to please the crowd. At the end, they all received a certificate and their very own baseball. VK posed with his coach as I snapped away. He came up to his fan club (5 of us...) and announced "This is my favorite ball". Ahh, the healing power of children...

Last night I had to pass on an Indie flick for my secret vice. With my head hanging low, I shamefully admit I watch The Real Housewives of New York City (as well as the Jersey version). I would like to excuse this disgraceful habit with some intellectual fascination with the shallow lives of these ladies, but I can't. I could justify wasting an hour (or two) with the excuse that "my brain just needs to rest", but I won't. I will admit, I love watching these over indulged, shallow women bicker over the most trivial things. I love watching these ladies try to find their value in the world by having charity events, such as Luann's attempt to help the homeless by hosting a party where the guest donate last years Gucci and Chanel apparel to sell at a thrift store! The highlight of last night was Alex (the nice one) reaching her limit and taking out the mean girl, Jill. Let's here it for the underdog! My only redemption is that I biked 20 miles through this reality rubbish.

My goal for the week is a minimum of 75 miles and I am 40 miles into the goal. I am hoping for another 20 tonight. I will finish watching 2 Indies that I started but did not finish...reviews to follow. Hope you all have not lost all respect for me!

Monsoon Wedding

I finally had the time to finish this movie. I was up most of last night with a bad stomach bug, but began to feel better as the day went on. I was able to get on the bike today as well. I was planning on taking it easy and do only 10 miles, but could not stop...it is becoming a sickness. I completed 20 miles and really felt good afterward. I am behind on my movie reviews, but not on the miles...this is a good thing.

Monsoon Wedding (2001) was directed by Mira Nair. Monsoon Wedding is a dark version of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". This film centers on the Verma family and the arranged marriage of daughter, Aditi, to Hement Rai. Aditi's father, Lalit, stresses over the financing of this large affair, as well as argues constantly with the slacker wedding planner, P.K. Dubey. While Dubey plans the Verma wedding, he finds love as well.

As the celebrations unfold conflicts of tradition and modern ways arise, as well as dark family secrets...including the secret affair the bride was having with a married TV Producer. Set in India, this movie allows the viewers insight into a culture rich in tradition. The ceremonies were beautiful and the dancing was very entertaining. It was difficult to connect with the characters, as the characters were not fully developed. The exception to this was Lalit Verma (bride's father) and P.K. Dubey. It was easy to become endeared to Lalit. He is a family man, who has a quiet manner that may be seen as weakness. As the movie unfolds, his quiet strength becomes apparent. P.K Dubey provides comedic relief in an otherwise dark movie. His bumbling ways and facial expressions are what this movie needed.

My favorite scenes of this movie were the celebrations. The music and dancing were very entertaining to watch. My grade for this movie is a B-. It is no "Slumdog Millionaire", but it is worth a watch.

Goal Achieved!!

Yesterday, I achieved my goal of 100 miles in 7 days! I feel great and the fit of my clothes are beginning to show my efforts. I learned this week to never bike 20 miles at 10:30pm, as I did not get to sleep until after 3am! I really had to do a great deal of self-talk and motivation to get through the final 20 miles yesterday, but I did it! The biking has really brought about new good habits as well, like drinking water. I drink about 10 cups of water throughout my ride alone. This is a far cry from the massive amounts of diet soda I used to drink a few years ago. I truly believe that Diet Soda destroyed my health and is the cause of the auto-immune issues that continue to plague me today. I was not a fan of water, but have grown to like it and actually crave it now.

When I can actually see the amount of work it takes to burn off a specific amount of calories I have become aware of every single thing I ingest now. I started a food diary and found that this holds me accountable for what I eat. I have stopped what I call "blind eating". I have become so aware of serving sizes. I really am beginning to feel better overall. I do still feel fatigue in my legs on a daily basis, but am hoping this stops in a few weeks.

I know I will not be able to do 100 miles every week, so I have set a new goal. For the next month, I will bike between 75-100 miles EVERY week. I am hoping this blog and the encouragement of my friends and family will keep me on this path. My schedule seems to be getting more and more hectic, so I need to be in top shape to juggle it all.

I have 2 movies I need finish watching before writing reviews. I am hoping to finish them both tonight...

Sweet Land

Yesterday was another busy day, probably my busiest of the week. However, I am proud to say I fit in another 20 miles. I could not achieve the resistance level I did yesterday and it took me about 3 minutes longer. Usually that would bother me, however I am not going to focus on the little things but the whole picture. I am finding my "Zone" and once that hits I have no trouble making it to the end.

The movie I chose yesterday was "Sweet Land", directed by Ali Selim. This romance had a few big names such as Elizabeth Reaser ( Twightlight Series), Tim Guinee, Alan Cumming, John Heard, Ned Beatty and Alex Kingston (ER). The experience of these actors were evident, as the quality of the acting was above average. I love the pairing of Reaser (Inge) and Guinee (Olaf). Alan Cumming added a nice quirkiness to his character, Frandsen. Elizabeth Reaser was nominated for the 2007 Independent Spirit Award for her role in this film.

Set in the 1920's, this is a love story between a Inge, a mail order bride, and Olaf, a Norwegian-American farmer. Inge travels to rural Minnesota to marry a farmer she has never laid eyes on. She comes with hopes and dreams but is met with prejudice and rejection from the townspeople who see her as a political and social threat. This is a story of love, strength, prejudice, perseverance and human nature. The subplots of friendship, family ties and the love of land only add to the quality of this movie and storyline. The writer and director successfully incorporated so many subplots without losing the integrity of the main storyline.

The camera work was wonderful and allowed the viewers to enjoy the beauty of the Midwest. The editing enhanced the ability of the viewer to connect with the characters of the film.

I found myself comparing the time of the 1920's to the political/social issues of today. I also found myself warming up to the characters early in the movie, especially Inge. This movie may have borderline slow and slightly boring if it had not been for Alan Cumming's portrayal of the loveable Frandsen.

Ebert & Ropert gave this a 2 thumbs up. My grade is a solid A. Simply loved it...

Godspeed (4/26/10)

I did not come close to meeting my goal last week. I am disappointed in myself, but also have to consider my schedule. We had a huge surprise party for the boys and that took a lot of time, energy and planning. I planned to make up some miles on Sunday, but just could not get myself off the couch. Monday started a new week, with the same goal...100 miles.

I was going to start out slow and log in 15-18 miles considering the few days off. However, I felt pretty good as the "ride" progressed, so I went for 20. I also increaded the resistance for part of the ride. I mix it up to keep it interesting. The highest resistance to date is 5. It felt good to be able to push it again.

The movie I chose was Godspeed directed by Robert Saitzyk. This movie falls under the Indie Suspence & Thriller category.

Godspeed is a slow moving story of vengeance and murder. Set in Alaska, this movie provides decent camera work allowing the viewer to enjoy the beauty of this state. The acting was on the better side of average. This movie lacked a decent storyline, however. It appears the writer attempted to combine all that makes for great thriller and crammed it into this film without rhyme or reason. The overt religious themes was not complete enough for it to have an impact. The initial crime of vengeance had the potential to make for a great thriller, but one important ingredient was missing, the suspense. There was nothing in this movie that needed to be "figured out" Everything was given to you as the movie slowly played out.

Long story short, Charlie (Joseph McKelheer) was a cheating "faith healer" who wife and son were murdered while he was with a hooker. The crime was carried out by Luke (Cory Knauf) and his mentally incompetent follower. The murders were carried out to avenge the death of Luke's mother, who went to Charlie to be "healed" and died shortly after of cancer, which lead to the suicide of his father. The majority of the movie is set 6 months after the murders when Luke's sister, Sarah (Courtney Halverson) brings Charlie to their rural compound. As the movie unfolded I kept waiting for something big to happen, something to tie everything together. It never came.

The only redeeming value of this movie was the acting skills of Cory Knauf. My grade for this movie is a C-. If you have a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do, it may be worth a watch.

Fetching Cody (2005)

Today I set the goal for 25 miles. I expected the first three miles to be difficult, but expected to be securely "in the zone" by mile 6. Mile 6 never came. I struggled through each and every mile. I have to say there was nothing enjoyable about the ride. I usually have a great sense of euphoria after such an accomplishment, but that was not the case today. I pretty much had the "I am glad it is over" kind of feeling. I am hoping this will change. I did make it to the 25 mile mark, but it took about 10 minutes longer than yesterday. My legs felt weak throughout the ride and I just felt palin worn out. I know I may be pushing it, but a I have this goal in mind and I am bound and determined to meet it. I just kept reminding myself of the words I told a friend last night "Just push through it..."

Unfortunately, I picked a bomb of a movie. This movie did not make this ride any easier, in fact it added to the torture. Directed by David Ray, this Canadian movie was a cheap rip off of "The Butterfly Effect". This movie was based on a young man's (Art) desperate attempt to save his girlfriend (Cody) after life on the streets catches up with her and she ends up in a coma. Art attempts this by traveling back in time on a time travel recliner to change the course of events. I should have known this movie was going to suck when Art travels back to Cody's gym class to give her a tampon to prevent an embarrassing gym class moment. The movie did not get better, only cheesier. It was obviously a cheap rip off of "The Butterfly Effect", which was released a year prior. It even had a very similiar resolution at the end.

The acting was poor overall. However, the lead male, Jay Baruchel did go on to appear in several bigger flicks (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder, and She's not that into you).

I would grade this movie a D. It was not the worst movie I have ever seen, but it was definately in the bottom 25. I would not waste my time on this movie.

Brick Lane (4/20/10)

Today it was my goal to log in 25 miles on the bike. I really want to hit my goal of 100 miles this week. Of course it is a very busy week. I realistically only have 4-5 days to bike. Prior to today, I have pedaled 20 miles maximum. I am finding that the first 3 miles are the hardest. Once I hit 5 miles, I get into a zone. Today I reached 25 miles!! I also reached a resistance of 4 for the first time. I try to vary the resistance to give my legs a workout and breaks throughout my ride. I did struggle the last 3 miles, but logged in the 25 miles I wanted!! I was surprisingly not as tired as I thought I would be afterward.

The movie of the day was Brick Lane (PG-13). If I were to give this movie a grade, it would be an A-. This movie was produced in the UK and was never a box office hit in the US.

This movie is about a beautiful child bride from Bangladesh, Nazneen. Her marriage to a middle-aged man was arranged by her father and she was sent to reside in London with her new husband. She left behind her younger sister, a very important relationship in her life. This movie struck a cord with me, as my sisters are intertwined in my soul. Throughout the movie, letters are exchanged between the sisters. The letters demonstrate the vast differences in their lives and spirit. However, as the movie progresses these differences lessen.

The movie rapidly fast forwards to about 20 years into Nazneen's life in London. There are so many minor plots interwoven into this drama. There is the story of raising 2 daughters in a culture that conflicts with the parents. There is the story of an arranged marriage of 2 strangers (even 20 years later) and a forbidden love. Nazneen speaks of these 2 loves, one that is so strong, but burns quickly and one that develops so slowly over time that you do not realize it exists. There is the story of a woman coming to terms with the many conflicts in her life. The ending was actually unexpected and touching.

The lead actress in this movie is Tannishtha Chatterjee (Nazneen) is incredibly beautiful. She embraced the quiet nature of her character. Satish Kaushik pakyed the role of Chanu, Nazneen's sometimes bumbling husband. It was hard not to feel sorry for this man. He was not the love of Nazneen's life, but he was a good husband and tried to be a good provider. Christopher Simpson played the role of Karim, a young Eastern Indian struggling to be a Muslim in a very turmuluous time.

Brick Lane may move slowly at times, but is well worth watching from beginning to end. I strongly reccomend it for a lazy Sunday afternoon. If I would compare this to another movie it would be the Eastern Indian "The Color Purple"

Introduction

Recently I set a goal for myself to log in 75-100 miles a week on my exercise bike. I want to regain my figure and simply get into shape. Staying motivated is the most difficult part of this journey. I have a long history of beginning on the road to fitness, by always fall off the path.

Shortly after beginning this biking routine, I began catching up on movies (mostly Indies) to help distract my mind from exertion of my body. It helped! I found myself recommending more and more movies to others. Blogging is the perfect way to reccomend (or not) the movies I have seen. It also will keep my accountable for my journey to fitness.

I have changed my work schedule, going in bright and early. I leave mid afternoon and pedal until the boys get home. Over the past few weeks I have gone from biking 5 miles to reaching up to 25 per day. I have yet to reach the 100 mile mark in a weeks time. I am close this week, currently at 50 miles. Although the scale has not moved in the downward direction as fast as I would like, it is going down. However, I am beginning to see changes in my body shape...for the better. I am struggling with tiredness and fatigue, but am determined to push through it.

I hope my readers will find value in my movie reviews and my journey. I also hope you all will hold me accountable as I "Pedal Through the Indies"!!