Stubborness With Age, and Midnight in Paris

At what age do you become too stubborn to look at other sides of an argument? When is it that whatever you've learned is the only way that things can be learned? I ask this because lately I've started to notice that my dad doesn't really like anything new. When we go to a movie, he only ever thinks it's okay. Everything is simply "okay". I also gave him a book that he might find interesting, because I know how he likes history. It's about the history of the United States, but it's told from the views of the natives, the slaves, and all of those who aren't in command. Now, I'm pretty sure that my dad was taught the way of Christopher Columbus being the most amazing guy out there, and just discovering America like he meant to. (Fact: He wasn't, and he didn't.) This book happens to show another side of that story, and I don't think he wants to think about it. Is that just his personality? Or do we get to an age in our lives where we simply think that all of the things we currently like are the only things we can like for the rest of our days? It's probably the former, but I can't help but think otherwise.

Today I went to the movies with my sister, and we saw Midnight in Paris. It made me want to go into movie review mode, so here we go.

I have never seen a Woody Allen movie before today. I'd always been told that he filmed "more artistically than others", so I braced myself for whatever was to come, perhaps being a movie that drags on far too long. However, as the movie progressed I became intrigued with his unique film style. Maybe he doesn't do this for all of his films, but I'd need to see them to know for sure. For instance, one of the things I found interesting was during the times people talked to each other. In most movies, you'll see the camera flip from one person to another, to however is talking or perhaps have them in the same frame. That was not the case here. There were some scenes where the main person was having a conversation with someone a few feet off camera, or have the action focused on another situation as the two characters we were listening to conversed in the background. Were there lingering camera shots? Of course there were, the whole beginning is five minutes of shots of Paris while a song played.
One thing that Allen does not have is subtlety. When he wants you to not root for a certain person, he definitely makes sure you won't root for them. Rachel McAdams plays the fiance, who is the antagonist of this story. She plays Regina George in Mean Girls, right? Well picture that... only 100 times more unlikeable. Really, is it so hard for people today to agree with the idea of Romanticism that you have to make the fiance and her parents that unlikeable?

Now, about the movie itself. The movie is about Gayle (or however you spell the male version of that name). He goes off to Paris with his fiance and his fiance's parents, and it's a city he adores. He moons over the city and the 1920s, while Miss I-hate-anything-my-fiance-says bickers at him about having stupid dreams, and how his novel probably won't pan out. Better to do something in a city you hate that makes you completely miserable than at least try to do something you like, right? She also happens to have the hots for one of her guy friends that's there with his wife as well. The guy friend happens to be one of those people who will ramble off information about EVERYTHING, because he's an expert in EVERYTHING.
One night, while walking the streets alone and taking a seat on some stairs, Gayle hears the chimes indicating midnight, and discovers a whole new world. Or, old world actually as he gets transported to the 1920s.

The magical situation in which Gayle finds himself is whimsical, and I was completely drawn into it. Still, with all of the magic and wonder of the past, it's nice to see that we actually end up learning a lesson that doesn't completely throw away common sense. It's wonderful to get caught up in the moment, but one must take a step back and look at the big picture as the hero experiences for us. I suppose that it's good to know who to not like in the situation, but the setting in the past is so exciting that it's not really necessary to push their nastiness to the extreme.
Despite there being a few irritating things, the movie left me with a serene smile glued to my face. The magic, wonder and Romanticism made me want to dream a little more of things that make me happy. Also, I'd never really been a fan of Paris (I simply didn't care), but now I realize just what a beautiful city it is.

Class tomorrow? Blah. I guess every week started is that much closer do being done, right? Eh.

If you could live in any city, where would you live? This movie made me think about this. I don't know where I'd want to live, but there's still a lot of cities that I want to visit.

Winter Break, Christmas Songs and Positive Pessimistics

Ah, it's good to be home.

I am officially done with my first term of college. What a feeling eh? Actually, I don't know how to feel. I don't feel... different? I feel like it should feel bigger. Eh.

Now that winter break has begun, I feel like I should be able to talk about holiday things. Well, the real reasoning behind talking about holiday things is because of something that's been on my mind or the last two days, and that's Christmas songs.

All of these thoughts about Christmas songs began earlier in the week when my Christmas-obsessed hall began becoming more musical with their spirit. I like most Christmas songs, but there is one specific Christmas song that crushes my soul. That song is Last Christmas by Wham! Guess what song is the most loved by my hall mates. Oh yeah.

Yes, Last Christmas is a song that is loved by many. Just not me. I think the thing that bugs me about the song is that it just doesn't flow. I have trouble explaining it, but that's the best I can do. Just, no. I can't do it.

So what type of Christmas songs tickle my fancy? That brings us to the last episode of Glee. One of the songs that I have been listening to over and over from that episode was the song Baby It's Cold Outside sung by Kurt and Blaine. I love songs that remind me of 1920s/1930s, and this is one of those types of songs. If you use old fashioned words in your songs, points for you. Like swell. Swell is... well, a swell word.

Okay, I could just be on a Glee high. That was a good episode though.

One to a different subject, but another thing that has been on my mind. I was talking to a class mate about view on grades, and he said,
"I usually think that I'm gonna get bad grades, but then they turn out better than I think. It feels pretty awesome."
This made me wonder about the downside of thinking positively. I try to think I'm going to get a good grade, but then it turns out that my grade isn't what I think. I've also been terrified that a grade will be atrocious, but happily my grade is a lot better.

So here's my question. Is it better to be pessimistic about a grade and have it turn out better? Or, is it better to be optimistic about grades and then have them turn out worse?

Before I go, What's your favorite Christmas song? What's your least favorite Christmas song?