Moonrise Kingdom

Movie:  Moonrise Kingdom
Like/Don't Like:  Lovely

Dream job: be on Wes Anderson's design team - felt division. Just think of all the hours I could spend making little felt accessories for his movies.  Because there are always loads of them.

That's not the only reason why I loved this movie. Although it has a lot to do with it.  I just love his singular vision.  His characters have these crazy, quirky dreams that they just go for.  And they do it in style.  This time it's teenagers running away together and it's kind of magical what happens. It's a pretty simple story told in a very grand and precise way.  It's right up my alley.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Part I: The Pox Party

Book:  The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Part 1:  The Pox Party
Author:  M.T. Anderson
Like/Don't Like:  this was kind of mind-blowing

I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up at the library.  I just saw the cover and thought it looked interesting.  I didn't even read the inside flap. So when I started reading it I was immediately blown away because I just didn't have a clue what I was in for. It surprised me from the very first page.  I was not prepared for how gripping it would be. To tell you the premise would mean giving away most of the story so I'll just say that it's part historical novel (set in Boston just before the Revolutionary War began), part coming of age tale (Octavian is a teenager through most of the book - it's a YA novel in case you decide to look for it), and part vocabulary lesson (you're going to need a dictionary). It was not an easy book to read because of the subject matter but I flew right through it because it was such a great story.  Loved it.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Book:  The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Author:  Neil Gaiman
Like/Don't Like:  I loved it.

I have very few childhood memories.  There is an overarching feeling of love and well being - I know it was a good childhood and that I was a happy child - but when specific memories come to mind they are often dark. Writhing in pain in the back seat of the van as I'm being driven to the hospital; seeing on the news that someone had escaped from the prison a few miles away; being chased by some teenage boys on my walk home from school. This story deals with the scarier side of childhood, how it can be confusing and uncertain and dark.  How could it not be? When you're small your world consists of very few things so the alteration of any one of them amounts to a tragedy. And any out of the ordinary occurrence (in this case, an unexpected death) can rip a hole in your world, exposing you to new and sometimes terrifying things.

As usual, Neil Gaiman shows that he gets being a kid, like those feelings of finding joy in the simplest things, being powerless against adults, not really understanding all that is going on but desperately wanting to.  He shows that sometimes bad things happen when you let go of some one's hand.  And sometimes you have to let go in order to be brave. 

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Book:  The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Author:  Jacqueline Kelly
Like/Don't Like:  Enchanting

You know how much I love a plucky young heroine.  Someone who breaks against the norms and is figuring out how to stand out in the world.  Calpurnia fits the bill.

Calpurnia Tate, or Callie Vee as everyone calls her, is the middle child of seven and the only girl. It is the summer of 1899 and she discovers 1. that her grandfather isn't as intimidating as she always imagined and 2. she has the mind of a scientist.  A little reminiscent of Girl of the Limberlost.

There isn't that much of a story, it's mostly little vignettes from a few months of her life that show her relationship with her family and how she deals with the expectations put on young girls at that time - knitting and cooking and such - even though all she really wants to do is look at plants and bugs with her grandpa.  The real joy of this book is that the voices are so, so clear.  Each character is distinct and real.  Each scene could have happened exactly as it was written.  Because there wasn't a story to follow I would put it down for a few days without thinking about it.  But each time I would pick it back up I would be sucked in.  It's just one of those really pleasurable books to read because you like everyone and everything about it.

I'm putting it into the category of books I wish had been around when I was a young girl. 

The River Between Us

Book:  The River Between Us
Author:  Richard Peck
Like/Don't Like:  I hugged it at the end so you know I loved it.

This is exactly the type of book that I love the most.  A great story, beautifully told, simple and thoughtful, not too long, and it very much carries you away.

It's about Tilly, a girl from southern Illinois, who meets two mysterious women from New Orleans just as her brother is about to leave for the Civil War. Ugh, war books, am I right?  But no, give this a chance.  Because it's so lovely.

Anyone who has read Richard Peck (A Year Down Yonder, A Long Way to Chicago) will know what a powerful writer he is without being show-offy.  He's not grand in anyway, but his words and phrases and pacing have such a way of putting your right there.  There were many times while reading that I forgot that it wasn't real. This book is meant for people who love to read.

Bitterblue

Book:  Bitterblue
Author:  Kristen Cashore
Like/Don't Like:  Liked.  A pretty fitting end.

This is the last of the Graceling series and it finished pretty well.  Although not as strong as Fire, it fit with the series perfectly.

The last time we saw Bitterblue she was a kid hiding from her murderous father in Graceling.  In the 9 years between then and this book she has been crowned the queen and is trying to come to terms with what that means - a very common theme throughout the series.  Each of the women in the three books have unique positions and powers and are fearful of using them to their full capacity because they are all easily abused.  I loved this idea of emboldening young women to be conscientious of their powers and to use them.  I think that's what the series is so strong. 

But as a finale I thought Bitterblue could have been stronger.  It carried over the theme beautifully and most of my favorite characters were back but the story kind of plodded along at times.  There were a lot of extra characters that you didn't know what they were there for until the very end so they seemed to get in the way.  But the end did clear everything up nicely.  And I love these characters and places a lot.  I think I would love it a second time around.

Thai Peanut Sauce

I'm going to give you this recipe for Thai peanut sauce because I love you. I think you're wonderful and you're a hard worker and you deserve something delicious in your life. I've made a few different recipes in the past and all of them have been unsatisfactory. Too peanuty or too spicy or too sweet or too thick or not thick enough. So when I came across this one through Pinterest (on this site) I was skeptical but willing. You guys, it's so good that when I took my first taste I jumped up and down for joy. And then I dipped a cucumber in it and passed out. And then I made chicken tacos with this slathered all over it and I licked the plate clean of any that dripped out.

Here.  Enjoy.

• One 13.5-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk (I used the light coconut milk because they were mysteriously out of full-fat. It turned out great.)
• 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
• ¾ cup unsweetened (natural) creamy peanut butter (if you have to use regular peanut butter cut back on the sugar)
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• ½ cup water

Throw everything into a pot. Bring it to a boil then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 3-5 minutes and then let cool. Pour it on everything. Brush your teeth with it. Just stick a straw in a big vat of it and go to town.  (While you're shopping for these ingredients you should also get some shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, scallions, cilantro, and cucumbers as you will need these to go with anything that you're putting it on.

 

Last night at book club I had some out with a bunch of sliced cucumbers and near the end I just took the whole tray and put it on my lap and finished them off. It makes a lot so I just keep it the fridge in glass jars and supposedly it will keep for weeks but I promise you I will not find that out. Tonight I'm going to make Thai pizza with it. Tomorrow it will probably be Thai noodles. I think it would be great on a salad.

Fire

Book:  Fire
Author:  Kristen Cashore
Like/Don't Like:  Wow! Loved!

This is the second book in the Graceling series, even though it has very little to do with Graceling.  It's more of a companion piece than a sequel.  It's set in a different land with different people (except for one carry-over character) but it has the same feel.  Mostly because, I'm pretty sure that Kristen Cashore is a genius. There is something about her writing style that I really appreciate and respond to. She tells a great story without a lot of fluff.  And she thinks you're smart.  I've read too many books where the author thinks you're an idiot and you won't pick up on anything so they tell you everything.  Cashore does not do that.  She expects you to go along for the ride and I love that about her.

First, a brief synopsis. Fire is a human monster, the last of her kind in a land that is filled with other monsters.  So there are humans and human monsters, and mice and mice monsters, etc.  Her monster powers include having really awesome hair and the ability to connect to other creature's minds. She can reach out and read other's thoughts and insert thoughts of her own.  Handy.  But it she sees the potential for abuse and tries very hard to not let anyone use it for evil, including herself. She has to come to understand what it means to be a monster and a human, and you know, help save the kingdom.  It was a fantastic story.

I was really struck by how womanly it was.  Fire isn't just a monster she is also a young woman with all the emotions (she's a big crier.  I loved her for it.), problems (periods, cramps, leering eyes), and power (motherhood, sisterhood, intuition, nurturing) that comes with being a woman. I didn't really even pick up on it until about halfway through so it's not so in your face about it.  But it deals with being a woman in a very refreshing and honest way.

And Fire is just really great. She's seems like such a real character; she thinks and acts like an 18 year old woman probably would, even with her supernatural abilities.

The story takes a lot of twists and turns and there's a lot of coming and going but it's well worth the effort of keeping up.

Graceling

Book:  Graceling
Author:  Kristin Cashore
Like/Don't Like:  Loved!  I couldn't put it down.  Hooray!

This was what I needed.  It's been a lackluster year of reading for me.  I just haven't been taken with a book in a long time.  So this book was the perfect thing to read at the end of the year to leave me with the Blue Bird of Happiness in my literary heart.

Katsa lives in a land where a small percentage of the people are born with special talents or skills - graced.  Hers happens to be that she can kill people.  She doesn't relish in it. In the course of the book she meets another graceling who helps her understand her skill better and they go off and save a few people.  The writing is fantastic.  It zips along and keeps you wanting more. The characters seem believable enough - especially for a fantasy novel, which I often times find hard to stomach. And it was a great story told well, which all I ever want from a book.

Les Miserables

Movie:  Les Miserables
Like/Don't Like:  Really liked, with just a few exceptions

Like just about everyone else on the planet, I love this musical. I've seen it on the stage 3 times.  I grew up listening to the soundtrack over and over and over again.  I once went to a show tunes singalong and the moment of belting out I Dreamed a Dream with a few hundred other nerds holds a very special place in my memory.  I also love the book a lot.  I think it's a perfect story.  So I was excited for this movie to come out and naturally I have a lot to say.  To the list!

1.)  I didn't hate Anne Hathaway.  Everybody knows that she's not my favorite actress, and when I found out that she was playing Fantine my initial reaction was, "Ugh. Of course she is! I'd like to spit now, please." but I went in with an open mind because I genuinely wanted to like her so that I could like the movie on a whole.  So I think that it shows real growth that there were only a few moments when I thought, "Oh, GIVE ME A BREAK ANNE HATHAWAY!" She sang her song, and all in one long shot and on key, which you have to give her props for, and then she died and we all moved on.  Side note: I think the short hair suits her.  It has turned her into the edgy waife she's always wanted to be.

2.)  Do not see this with expectations of awesome singing.  These are not trained singers who can act, like you would see on the stage.  These are trained actors who can sing.  Nearly all of them are outmatched by the songs. So just be prepared for Marius to sound like Kermit the Frog at times.  And Javert to be so understated that you wonder if someone should check for a pulse.  That being said - they all sang well.  And live.  They were not recorded in the studio and then dubbed in but actually recorded live as they were filming, and that takes a lot of skill. And what they lack in vocal power they make up for in performance.  Except for Russell Crowe.  They could have put epaulets on an animatron and you would have seen the same performance.

3.)  Be prepared to see a lot of pores because this was shot almost entirely in close-up.  Which was great for the really intimate songs but dreadful for the big numbers when all you want to see are waving flags and rifles being thrust in the air and not actors with their mouths wide open sustaining a note. I mean, I love Hugh Jackman but I don't need to see how many freckles he has on his nose.

4.)  So I would have made different casting and directorial decisions.  But I can't complain too much because it's Les Miserables.  The story is so powerful and the music is so breathtaking that even if it was nothing but close-ups of Anne Hathaway's nostrils (which sometimes it was) I still would have loved it. What I'm saying is it's hard to go wrong with this.  And it's hard to not get swept up in the whole thing. I wept like a baby at the end.  And at the beginning.  And parts in the middle.  And I had to stop myself from singing along with Do You Hear the People Sing. I really appreciated the authenticity they were going for and I felt like they captured the drama grandness of the stage production while still giving us an intimate film.

Gone With The Wind

Book:  Gone With The Wind
Author:  Margaret Mitchell
Like/Don't Like:  Like.  Although I would have liked it more if were half the length.

Much like Sherman's march to Atlanta, reading this book was a long slog. But it in the end it was mostly worth it. There's always something rewarding in reading a grand and epic novel.  Because it's so vast I'm going to need a list to capture most of my opinions:

1.)  Scarlett O'Hara is a moron.  And I spent 900 pages wishing she would just shut it because every time she opened her mouth she said something dumb.  She was selfish and conniving and dumb as a box of nails.  She was also spirited and brave and quick, which saved her a bit in my eyes.  I wish that she had evolved a little throughout but she stayed the same almost the whole way through. It wasn't until the very end that I started feeling sympathy for her and that still wasn't enough to make me wish for a different ending.  She got what she deserved.

2.)  Rhett Butler is the best kind of anti-hero.  Confident, unapologetic, roguish, handsome, mustachioed.  If he weren't such a cad he'd be a dream.

3.)  I thought the writing was effortless.  Margaret Mitchell knew this world perfectly and it was fascinating to read about a time and place from such a insider point of view.  I never got tired of reading about it, which is saying something. I especially loved how she treated her characters.  She never blamed nor excused her characters flaws. Because of that she had some truly profound insights into human nature. 

4.)  Oh, those Yankees.  Always coming around to burn something down.  Like all wars, the Civil War was much more complicated than we think it was.  So I appreciated getting the South's side of the story.  However, the most tedious part of the book was all the history thrown in.  It kind of got in the way of the story.

5.)  I had to keep reminding myself that this was a book written by a southerner in the 1930s about the Civil War from a southerner's point of view.  So I had to kind of gloss over the INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE ideas about blacks and women.  I cringed a lot.

6.)  As far as an epic goes, this was a good one.  When things were winding down I could think back to the glorious early days at Tara with fondness and see how far all the characters had come.  It was a satisfying read.

Fahrenheit 451

Book:  Fahrenheit 451
Author:  Ray Bradbury
Like/Don't like:  It was kind of eerie.  In a good way.

When Ray Bradbury died in June I found myself feeling nostalgic.  Which is weird because (shameful admission forthcoming) I have only read one of his books.  And it was not this book.  It was Something Wicked This Way Come and it was maybe 25 years ago. But he's one of those writers that I admire.  The stuff he says about his life of writing is inspiring.  Not just because he was a writer but because he was happy about it.  Writers are notorious for complaining about how hard their lot is.  He always struck me as being so cheery about it.  So I felt a little sad that he was gone and decided that I needed to start working my way through his stuff.

When I tell people that I've never read this book they aways look a little bewildered.  Because it's weird right, that I've never read this?  I mean, it's a book about books.  And it's a classic that nearly everyone read in high school.  But I didn't.  I read Moby Dick, which, I learned while reading the obituary on his website, Ray Bradbury wrote the screen adaptation for. Do you see how books are the circle of life?

In a way, I'm glad that I didn't read it until now, because it is eerily telling of the world we live in.  I'm not too worried about us burning books, but Bradbury got it right about everyone walking around with ear buds embedded, and giant TVs taking up our living spaces, and war happening and people just kind of shrugging their shoulders about it.  There is always some truth in dystopic literature but this was really spooky how close he came to describing us.  To say that I enjoyed it would be strange, but it definitley struck a chord.

Nickel Diner

Restaurant:  Nickel Diner
Location:  524 S. Main Street, Los Angeles
Like/Don't Like:  Holy Cats!  If it were a rich, single, non-weird Mormon man I would marry it.

We was looking for a place in downtown LA to have my birthday dinner because we were going to be down there for a sing-along (natch). I already love a few places in that area but I wanted to go someplace new.  So I got onto Yelp and found this gem. It's right in the heart of downtown, a few blocks from City Hall, the area looks a little sketchy in the dark, but let me tell you, it may actually be worth getting mugged if you can have their root beer creme brulee.

I was with a bunch of people who like to eat and want to share, which is the best group to be with when you're going out to eat, and we each ordered something different and passed the plates around.  I had the skirt steak with chimichurri (perfect), there was some mac and cheese which was out of sight, spicy pulled pork, cat fish with brussel sprout hash (I don't even like cat fish very much but I would have cuddled with this after hours), stuffed artichoke and a pork chop with some kind of jam sauce that made me want to weep. So delicious.  And then we couldn't pass on the desserts.  We tried the smore cake, the surprise cupcake (surprise! Pop Rocks!), and the aforementioned root beer creme brulee.  You know how most creme brulee that you get when you eat out is kind of grainy?  This was so silky and delicious and root beery.  I wanted to lick the ramekin. And here's the kicker - they're really known for their breakfast.  I can't wait to try it.

The review on Yelp said the ambiance was "Hipster Casual", which was initially a deterrent.  And it was also dead on.  But it was also kind of legit.  It didn't look like it was trying too hard. And the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.  They kept the water coming and they joked with us without being obnoxious and made really good suggestions.  After I finished my dinner I told our server that I just wanted to hug everyone, it was so good.  So on my way out she gave me a big hug.  You know you have a winner when you leave with a hug.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

Book:  The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
Author:  Aimee Bender
Like/Don't Like:  Mmmm...lemon cake.  Oh, wait, yes.  I liked it.

It took me a bit to form a solid enough opinion on this novel before writing anything and I've decided that I liked it.  Even though I felt uncomfortable through the whole thing. 

Rose is about 9 when she realizes that she can taste emotions in the food that people cook for her.  It starts with her mother's despair and her brothers confusion.  And this starts a lifetime of trying to avoid anything but food that is made in a factory because she can't process all the bad emotions that others struggle with and hide.  It was a pretty interesting premise.  But her family was so awkward.  I cringed every time they would have a conversation because they just had no idea how to communicate.  So the whole time I was reading it I just wanted to yell, "Will someone just give this girl a hug!"

The bulk of the blame goes to the author for this very drawn out style of writing.  A conversation of just a few sentences could last pages and pages because she kept interrupting with thoughts.  And that's a fine technique but it felt overplayed at times.  Also, it felt a little sloppy at places, like time had no meaning.  But I cannot deny that the story lingered with me long after I finished.  I think she captured the confusion and fear in Rose nicely.  Overall it was a good read.

Midnight in Paris

Movie:  Midnight in Paris
Like/Don't Like:  Yeah, I liked it

I never quite get the allure of a Woody Allen film.  I think my west coast, non-neurotic sensibilities makes him sort of just okay in my book.  But I aside from the usual unrelatable characters that are always in his films, I thought this one was totally charming.  Mostly because it's set in Paris, partly in the 1920s which means it's filled with Hemingway and Gertrude Stein and Picasso and Cole Porter.  And the whole thing was warmly lit and had lovely jazz music in the background and, well, I watched it like 2 weeks ago which means that it has completely slipped out of my mind.  But it counts if I remember that I liked it, right?

Unbroken

Book:  Unbroken
Author:  Laura Hillenbrand
Like/Don't Like:  Like, if only to learn that you should never go to war against the Japanese.

You should read this book, because it's a ridiculously good story told by an amazing writer and you'll be so grateful that you have never 1.) been lost at see for 40+ days, 2.)  been captured by the Japanese and put into a POW camp, 3.) what, you need more to be grateful for than that?

It's the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic mile runner and WWII vet whose plane went down in the Pacific, which he and a fellow crewman survived, only for the current to sweep them right into enemy territory.  You will want to shut the book when you get to the part about all the torture they went through in those camps. Those Japanese were hard core when it came to brutality.  There were several times I had to shut the book and  breathe slowly and imagine fields of daisies because it was just so horrific.  But it is a testament to how resilient the human spirit is.

And I have to give it up to the author.  Laura Hillenbrand wrote Seabiscuit and I was floored by how much a story about a horse sucked me in.  So I wasn't surprised by what a gripping story-teller she is.  I generally stay away from non-fiction because all I really care about is a good story told well and most non-fiction writers have the good story but forget that they are not in a lecture hall.  Hillenbrand moves things along and gives you just enough facts and data to keep you feeling like you're actually learning something while being entertained.

And if none of that has piqued your interest you should know that somewhere in the south Pacific, while they're floating along, exhausted and starving, Louis decides to get even with the sharks who have been stalking them the whole time.  So he kills one with his bare hands.

Brave

Movie:  Brave
Like/Don't Like:  Like.  I was suprised by some parts.  But in a good way.

I've never been envious of a cartoon character's hair until I saw Merida's red curls.  Pixar should get an oscar just for how glorious they looked.  In other news:  this was a sweet movie.  All I've really heard about it was that the animation was amazing.  And I totally agree.  Let's all move to Scotland!  But the story was really good.  And suprising.  You don't often find a movie that deals almost exclusively with a mother/daughter relationship, but especially an animated one.  Because most mother's are dead or abscent in animated Disney films.  And you definitely don't find a Disney movie without a love story.  This didn't have one at all.  And it was kind of refreshing.  I was genuinely surprised by the twist this had (no, I won't tell you ) and was kind of put off at first but then went with the flow and saw that it was a really tender story.  It still has everything you expect from Pixar, it was funny and sweet and had a lot of depth. And Merida made a great heroine.  It was pretty solid.

Bunheads

TV Show:  Bunheads
Like/Don't Like:  Conditional like, if only because it is so familiar
(NOTE:  There is a big spoiler in this so stop reading if you haven't watched the first episode and are planning to.  Or keep reading and just live with knowing.)

I don't normally review TV shows, simply because I don't usually start watching new TV shows.  I don't like being committed to a show, even with the magic of the DVR.  And also, it's tough to judge a show on just a few episodes. But this was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who created Gilmore Girls, and if there was one show that I loved and truly miss and wish that they would do a reunion special just so I can see how happy Luke and Loralei are right now that would be it.  So I recorded the first two episodes and watched them tonight and am happy to report that this is Gilmore Girls on the west coast.

Proof:  it has several actors from GG.  Like Emily.  And Gypsy.  And Mitchum Huntsburger as a hippie barkeep.  The same gal who did the music in GG is doing the music here, with similar guitar strumming and la-la-ing.  It has the same rat-a-tat-tat dialogue that I loved in GG, with lots of pop culture references and sarcastic zingers.  And Sutton Foster is a good fit for that, even though I hope she'll ease out of her Broadway broadness and into the subtleties you can get away with in television.  So over all, I liked it, because it was so nicely familiar.

But here's where I object (And here's where the spoiler begins.  You've been warned.)  I do not think that I can get beyond Alan Ruck being given to us for one episode and then so abruptly taken away.  When I saw that it was him I squealed, because who doesn't love Cameron?  And he's such a sweetheart in the first episode.  And now he's gone.  Boo.  I fear I will always think what might have been.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Book:  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author:  Alan Bradley
Like/Don't Like:  I was completely taken in

I've been a little annoyed lately with writers who don't trust their readers.  Few things infuriate me more than when an author spends too much time explaining things that should be understandable through context.  Or puts in references simply to look smart.  It makes me feel like they think I'm dumb.  You have to trust that your reader will figure things out on her own.

So here we have Alan Bradley who not only wrote a YA novel, a genre that is fraught with this sort of stuff, but did it without the slightest bit of condescension.  This story is stocked with Latin phrases, chemical compounds, allusions to female chemists, snippets of Shakespeare, and a mystery involving stamp collecting and not a bit of it is spoon fed to you like you're an imbecile.  He does not coddle his readers at all  His heroine, Flavia de Luce, is a smart, no-nonsense, eleven year old budding chemist and member of the British gentry.  She's a heroine I can get behind and not just because she's a girl sleuth.  I love girl sleuths.  With the exception of Nancy Drew who was just too perfect.  Ugh, didn't you just wish Ned would dump her, even if he was a dope? 

Anyway, Flavia finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery and she manages to make her way around the inspectors and the murderer and her two scheming sisters to discover the truth, all while whizzing around the English countryside on her bike.  It is charming and smart and a book I would have devoured if I had gotten my hands on it as an 11 year old.  Ok, so I devoured it as a 36 year old.  It's just that good.

Sherlock

TV Show:  Sherlock (both seasons 1 and 2 - because I'm behind, okay?)
Like/Don't Like:  So much to love!

I never reviewed this after the first season but I finally got around the watching the last episode of the second season and I am still heartily in love with the whole thing that I felt like I needed to share it with the world.  Although, let's be honest here, you've already seen it right?  Right?! So you know what I'm talking about.  It's AWESOME!  With a side of Holy Cow!

Aren't you so excited that they got it right?  Sure, the Robert Downey Jr. movies are highly entertaining, but they're not really Sherlock Holmes.  He's just a really beefed up smart guy (listen, I'm not complaining.  I'm just speaking the truth.)  But this is Sherlock Holmes. Even as a 21st century Sherlock, it's dead on.  It has captured his genius and arrogance and condescension and his itty bitty slip of humanity. I love how they have taken his most famous stories - A Study in Scarlett, The Hound of the Baskervilles, etc. - and gave them a modern twist.  The stories move quickly and nothing is wasted, just like the books.

Benedict Cumberbatch has that other-worldly look about him, which makes him a great Sherlock because we all know he's an alien.  And Martin Freeman has always been the perfect rumpled but stalwart friend - just right for Watson.  They made Moriarty sufficiently creepy.  Maybe too creepy. Can he be too creepy?  And bonus, Rupert Graves is Lestrange.  He has aged into quite the silver fox from his days as the floppy-haired Freddie Honeychurch in A Room With A View.

I just saw that there will be a season 3.  Let's rejoice!

(Note:  season one is streaming on Netflix and you can catch season two on pbs.org.  It's worth it.  Also, have something or someone to hold onto because it gets a little tense.)