got milk?

Happy Monday...as I come off an enjoyable holiday weekend I am overwhelmed with the influence of this minute's hottest pop culture.
I've breached the cover of Junot Diaz's wildly popular novel starring nerd-galore, Oscar. While I am only 49pgs into The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - I am enthralled by the blend of Dominican-geek-teenager despair that makes up the self-deprecating main character. I'll provide a more comprehensive commentary when I've finished the story - for now, I can say that I was hooked by the comic/"speculitive genre" refrences, but have stayed for the eerie insights into universal adolecence that Diaz has proposed.
Two pieces of art I can fully commnet on are but the new Bond film, and the indie - Milk.
22 films strong, the Bond franchise is something I grew up on. Coupled with Jean-Luc Picard, Bond was the epitmity of cool at age 12. (X-Men was another childhood infactuation, so you can imagine the excitment my inner/very much outer kid experienced watching Patrick Stewart portray Professor Charles Xavior in not one, but three X-films.) Bronsan (Goldeneye) was the first Bond I saw, Connery, the best. Though my favorite film would have to be Licence to Kill starring Timothy Dalton.
Quantum of Solace brought Bond back for revenge...and as a revenge film, it hit all the marks. But as Bond film, we were missing some serious plot-points, things you come to expect from 007. (One of which not being The Dame Judy Dench reprising her role as M...a show-thief if I've ever seen one.) Not a once, did we hear those immortal words, "Bond, James Bond." Gadget Extrodinare, Q was no where to be found, and the "shaken, not stirred" emphasis was minimal at best. Though, we did have our Bond girls...no complaints there.
Daniel Craig has brought a personallity to the character in the sence that Bond is invested in his missions as more than mere assignments, thought without the Bond traditions, expectations are sorely not met. Again, good revenge flick, but as a modern instlament of the MI6 architype...I'm left wanting to pop in the dvds just to rekindle my faith in 007.
Milk...a film I knew very little about, always a tight-rope situation. Until last night, I would adamantly claim Fast Times at Ridgemont High to be Sean Penn's greatest film...what can I say, I have a soft spot for Mr. Hand, piano key scarves and Forrest Whitaker. Portraying Harvey Milk, Penn truly captured the essence and energy of the politcal figure. The entire casting was spot on, it was nice to see James Franco do something a bit more interesting than his as-of-late-slapstick, and Emile Hirsch is becoming one the most versitile actors of my generation (note- Alphadog.) The splicing of actual footage with what was filmed for the picture was done well, and Danny Elfman's music brought the final project together.
So what am I thankful for? Good art, inspiration, the beautiful day here in Boston that is allowing me to keep the door open at work, Spicoli, El Triunfo...the greatest tacos in town, and they've just arrived - cheers. --d