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Last night while watching the commentaries to Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood provided some good advice. He'd been asked why he wanted to make the movie, what appealed to him or motivated him. Clint, being a minimalist, said:"I liked the story. It's the same reason I made the movie Mystic River, I read a synopsis of the book, then the book in two sittings and thought, I like this, I think it would make a great movie and did so." He went on to state:"I'm not interested in analyzing why I like certain things and don't like others...I just like them and that's that." There's something to be said for just liking something or not liking something and not caring why. I know I' overanalyze things. Critical/Analytical brain has its uses, sure, but also its flaws - this being one of them. Can't help but think the Clint Eastwoods of this world are happier. Learning to turn of that component, is proving to be quite the challenge.

That said saw two good movies this weekend. [Also saw Battle Star Galatica - which continues to be in my opinion the best show on television, hands down. I know why I like it - it's completely character driven and every single character no matter how minor is well-rounded and examined. Some of my favorites are actually minor supporting characters. Also one of the few shows on TV that plays with gender role reversals without blinking an eye or making an issue out of it - last one that did this was Farscape.]

The two movies were:
Million Dollar Baby and surprisingly enough Little Black Book which Wales had recommended.

She told me - "this was good, I really enjoyed it, you should try it." Me, staring at the synopsis, uncertain - a woman working in daytime tv is prompted by her colleagues to check out her boyfriend's background by delving into his little black book or palm pilot. Yet, it appeals to my mood a little more than Hide and Seek which I'm weighing in my other hand. Also it's a light comedy, need light comedy. So I rent it. Wales:"Don't blame me if you hate it, but I really liked it. Also word to the wise don't rent Meet The Fockers - I've seen it, really didn't like it." Knowing that Wales usually likes the type of comedy seen in Meet The Fockers better than I do and that she loved Meet The Parents, I take her advice. Not expecting much more than a light fluffy by-the-numbers girl meets guy, loses guy, gets guy again...as depicted on the cover, I'm pleasantly surprised by the film. It's not that story at all and actually well written, the characters all nicely rounded out, we get backstories, we have an idea who they are, and unlike most of these comedies - the focus is on what they do for a living, their careers, their hopes, dreams, not just the sex or romantic entanglement. Also, the ending was not what I expected but definitely what I wanted. It's a great rental for single women. One of the few I've seen in which well...that would be telling the ending.

Million Dollar Baby is also a surprise.

( Million Dollar Baby review with spoilers )

A bit of poem that touched me today...

The last poem in Adrienne Rich's The Dream of a Common Language.

...we take on
everything at once before we've even begun
to read or mark time, we're forced to begin
in the midst of the hardest movement,
the one already sounding as we are born.
At most we're allowed a few months
of simply listening to the simple line
of a woman's voice singing a child
against her heart. Everything else is too soon,
too sudden, the wrenching-apart, that woman's heartbeat
heard ever after from a distance,
the loss of that ground-note echoing
whenever we are happy, or in despair.

Someone sent it to me over the weekend. The poem hit me oddly, emiting one of those awe sounds that comes when something strikes a chord.
Life is overwhelming even at the beginning. Amazing we muddle through.