where: CENTURY 16 DOWNTOWN PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when: Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
show: 4:20 p.m.
costs: $7.50 Ticket + $4.25 medium Zero Coke + $9.33 lunch at Great Wall Chinese Buffet ( + $1.67 Tip ) + $4.00 Bridge Toll = $26.75
auditorium: 4 ( I think--I had to surrender my ticket in order to get a free movie pass--see note below in Tidbits )
seat: 5th row, 10th column
synopsis: A corporate down-sizing expert, Ryan Bingham ( George Clooney ), who loves racking-up "frequent flyer miles" and hooking-up, whenever possible, with a sexy fellow frequent flyer, Alex ( Vera Farmiga ) feels his job is threatened when a young new-hire, Natalie ( Anna Kendrick ) comes up with a streamlined and efficient plan to fire people.
noteworthy scenes: 1.) Firing people; 2.) Cancer?; 3.) Motivational speech; 4.) Concierge key; 5.) Coordinating schedules; 6.) Our moment; 7.) Glocal; 8.) Luggage; 9.) Asians; 10.) Rebirth; 11.) The "flyer miles" goal; 12.) The cut-out picture; 13. ) Suicidal lady; 14.) Near-empty office; 15.) Heaviest components in life; 16.) Selling marriage; 17.) The break-up; 18.) "Ideal man"; 19.) Party crashers; 20.) Saving the cut-out picture; 21.) Natalie's first video conference; 22.) The chalet; 23.) Pictures on the map; 24.) Ryan's old school; 25.) Cold feet; 26.) Wedding dance; 27.) Job training; 28.) Change of plans; 29.) Surprise!; 30.) A parenthesis; 31.) 10,000,000 miles; 32.) The bad news; 33.) Video conferencing nixed; 33.) The interview; and 34.) The "Up in the Air" song during the ending credits.
audience reaction: The audience enjoyed this even with the two black-outs.
recommendation: I liked this, too, although the claim that this is George Clooney's best performance yet is but a stretch in my own opinion. Go see this movie, anyway, especially since it reflects on the reality of today's economic downturn.
spoiler alert! When Ryan and Natalie walked into one of the downsizing companies, a yellow ( ? ) Union sticker was prominently displayed in the background, suggesting that that company in particular is a Union company so they had no business being there in the first place--lawsuit, anyone? If Ryan only did a "White Directory" search on Alex with his computer, then he would have been spared the surprise.
fyi: Supposedly, most of the people in this movie who were shown being fired are plain ordinary folks who actually were let-go by the companies that they worked for.
I had a dream once in which I was at an altar about to get married. As the veiled bride walked toward me, I asked myself, Is this it. Is she the right one for me. How can I be sure that she's the right one. So I did the smart thing: I woke up! That has got to be one of THE MOST Scariest Nightmares that I've ever had in my whole life! Had I not awakened, I probably would've died in my sleep. ( True story. )
word of advice: To your employer, you're just a number.
tidbits: Since I still had about two hours before the movie started, I decided to have lunch first at China Wall Chinese Buffet at the Willows Park and Shop in Concord, CA. As I entered the place, an SUV dropped off an Hispanic guy who then proceeded to follow me into the restaurant holding a cute little brown puppy against his right cheek. I looked at him with just one question in mind: Did somebody order a special dish? And the hostess looked at him as if to say, "This has got to be an SPCA sting operation!" She talked to a male co-worker in Chinese and went to get a box from a service nook. The Hispanic guy left. She came back to give me the box. She thought that I was with the guy just because I look Hispanic--the nerve of her! I told her that I wasn't with him and, relieved, she ushered me to my table. Tip for the day: If you see Hot Dogs--or Hush Puppies, especially--at this place, go have a vegetarian meal at Namaste, the Indian Buffet, next door, instead!
On my way to the cinema, I drove by Harvest House Health Food Store. It's still open.
The movie blacked-out twice! Can you believe this? Two days in a row! The same theatre chain. I got another unrestricted movie pass, so I shouldn't complain. As I walked out of the auditorium, I told an elderly lady that the same thing happened in Vallejo yesterday when I went to see INVICTUS.
The movie blacked-out at 6:03 p.m. ( The picture came back on four minutes later. )
It blacked-out for a second time at 6:20 p.m. ( The picture came back on about one minute later. )
( Did I do that ...? )
After the movie, I called my eldest sister in Michigan to wish her and her family a happy and safe trip since they're leaving tomorrow to spend the Holidays in the Philippines.
Then I went to the Borders bookstore across the street to buy a raw food cookbook for $17.43, EVERYTHING RAW FOOD Recipe Book. I waited in line a long time before I finally paid for it at 8:33 p.m. Boy! was it too warm in there. When I stepped out, I took my jacket off right away.
As I walked to the parking garage, I decided to ride the elevator instead of walking up the staircase to get to my car since my left heel started to hurt again. My car was parked on the 2nd level so I pressed "2". When I stepped off, I looked at the far left where I had parked my car, only to notice that the dimly-lit spot was empty! Sh-t! somebody stole my car, I said to myself. What kind of idiot would want to steal an Hyundai Accent, I asked. I bought the Accent knowing that no self-respecting carnapper would want to steal it. I've got to tell security, I said, as I started walking down the stairs. When I got to the lower level, I thought it odd that I was not on the ground floor. So I looked up and---Yup! there was my car ... in the far left corner ... where I had parked it! Whatever idiot who planned this parking garage and decided that the level immediately above the ground floor level is the first floor level must either be a dumb-ass or a lousy practical joker! ( Speaking of practical jokes, you guys should pull this stunt on some of your friends. You didn't hear this from me, though. )
