Ah, Christmas Eve. A day of activity, but not. I didn't leave the house much because it rained all day. Instead, I got up, and began the wrap-a-thon. All while watching the grand Christmasy film...The Thin Red Line. Well, it's so beautiful, I love it. Then I watched Anchorman (***1/2). What appears to be a standard spoof succeeds as one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while. There's ample joking to be made at sexism in the 70's and the pompous self-adulation of TV stars. But such elements, while abounding in this film (highlight: the overdone coverage of a panda birth), are simply one layer beneath a fascinatingly screwy and inventive battle of wits. Will Ferrel and Christina Applegate prove adept at presenting an appealing Hepburn-Tracy prototype. They embody a nice balance between professionally competent and viciously offbeat. The supporting cast can be freer in their quirks, including Steve Carrell as a weatherman who hasn't a clue, David Koechner as a raunchy/emotional sportsman, and Paul Rudd as a self fashioned ladies man, but most of all, a dog who speaks wisdome and a little bit of Spanish. The screenplay has a deft ability to launch into absurdly funny scenarios with great ability, such as a rumble between rival news gangs, and a superheroish call-to-action. The actors take their roles seriously enough to make parody work its best, but also are willing to play the most out of every situation. The effect is a memorably crafted, often hilarious send-up of both newsrooms and of the imaginative characters themselves. After that, I cleaned my room, listened to Nickel Creek, and then company arrived for idle chatter, and foodage. Then, gift opening from Dad and Cindy. I got a book light. I don't quite understand...it's like a flashlight but bendier. It's something I've never thought about, and honestly the more I think about it, the less I can figure out how to use it. I mean, it's not like I read with the lights off. If I'm reading, the object is to stay awake. What they have succeeded in doing is find a gift that requires more thought on the receiving end than the choosing end, which is kind of amazing.
12:16 AM
