"Snow White And The Huntsman" Movie Review

I was very excited to see this film. It looked marvelous. A feast for the eyes and a new and modern remake on such an old classic. This film could have been so much more than what it resulted in. The graphics and cinematography were breathtaking, exactly what I had imagined. A lush and magical world filled with trolls, fairies and mythical beasts....Unfortunately it seemed as if the actors practiced their roles separately from one another, never meeting together to mesh or create any type of real chemistry. The writers and directors it  seemed tried squeeze three hours into two and rushed the movie along. Choppy editing probably contributed to the lack of fluidity and cohesiveness that I was desperately searching for. I wanted to love the characters and to understand them, but instead found myself rolling my eyes and hoping I would be put out of my misery. I found myself irritated and annoyed with Kristen Stewart, playing Snow White, growing sick of watching her bite her lip and play the teen angst role rather than the courageous and heartfelt warrior princess.
The Evil Queen Revenna, was played by Charlize Theron. Theron seemed to overdo it and overact in the film. In films I believe it is very important to make the villain a sympathetic and likeable character, but Revenna never became either. There were a few overemotional teary scenes but the viewer never got to truly connect with Revenna and really get to the heart of all of her rage and anger. One was left with a gloriously beautiful and rageful  Theron who sadly, was undoubtedly the "Fairest" of them all." I am not sure what the magic mirror was smoking. She was by far more beautiful in comparison to a homely and rather drab Kristen Stewart. Stewart plays the orphaned daughter of the King who is quickly dispatched by Theron--making her suddenly the evil Queen of the Kingdom. She keeps Snow White locked in a tower until the child grows into an adult. Nothing in between. No destiny foreshadowing, no warrior princess training. She escapes, of course, and becomes enmeshed with the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), who is originally hired to find and bring her back to the evil queen. During this journey a stilted "romance"-if you want to call it that, develops. Although--it is very unbelievable, and rather muddy. Most of Stewart's expressions are limited to frowning, heavy breathing and lip biting with maybe one forced smile here or there. She was more boring than watching paint dry. She sadly, never found her way out of the famed Twilight series Bella character of teen angst and struck me as a one note wonder. I wanted to like her, to believe in her, to believe in her strength and courage--but I never did. I was looking for a connection between her and the Huntsman but it was never developed and expanded upon.
The movie was a a mash of battle scenes and forced drama that never hit it's mark or tickled my sensibilities in any tangible way. Charlize Theron seemed to be going through hormonal problems with her unending rages and tears and clashed with Snow White, rather than complementing her.
It never really quite worked.
Another thing that disappointed me was that Snow White sleeps for what seems like minutes. The cause for her slumber? Unclear. The handsome Hunstman ends up where she is sleeping, inexplicably, and tosses back a few drinks, mumbles a thing or two about Snow White reminding him of his wife and then he kisses her and just like that the spell is broken! Nothing leads up to this moment, say for example an explanation about who the Huntsman really is--a prince right?Nothing led up to the reasons why he was the only one capable of bringing Snow White out of her magical slumber. She then jumped up and walked out into the castle like nothing had happened. Moments like these abounded in this movie. Scenes jumped around and no one earned their merits. Revenna was powerful and evil..but why? Snow White was important to the  kingdom and courageous, but WHY? How did she become a bad ass? The Huntsman could pull her out of her slumber, but why? Beyond the poor character development, bad acting and stilted scenes one often searched for a little humor and was found to keep on wanting it. The only little bit of light in this heavy drama came from the 7 dwarves--the best acting and the only bit of comedic relief. Chris Hemsworth, playing the Huntsman, did a fine enough job but his skill was laid to waste alongside   his supporting cast. I recommend this movie only if you rent it. That way, you can fast forward and eject at your leisure.
I give it two crowns.
 

Plaquenil: Day Something

Well, seems I jumped the gun. All that feeling great with no fatigue or pain wasn't due to the Plaquenil or the very low dose Prednisone I'm on.It turns out that the weather conditions just happened to be perfect for me for one blissful week. I wish I had not declined pain meds at my last physical. I declined in part for fear of appearing like a pill seeker but in part because I honestly thought I was improving--even in such a short time. No! Heaven's no! Life would never be THAT simple now would it!? I woke up today to clouds and rain with my usual hoarse and sleep robbing dry sjogren's  type cough that is persistent and hacking, and terrible pain in my hands. Lots of weakness and fatigue, I had to drag myself out of bed. This disease is complicated and terrible. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. What is worse, we are in the group of people who suffer from chronic pain and have to tread lightly because we fear being labeled as pill seekers. We don't always have visible damage to our joints-at least seen with the naked eye, we haven't suffered a debilitating accident where we are in obvious apparent pain. We are left to the good graces of hopefully understanding physicians. Luckily I do have great doctors. For that I am grateful, but I'm fearful of when their charity will end.

Day 4: Plaquenil

I woke up today feeling refreshed, but coming down with a cold. A little fatigue, a little bit of joint pain. No stomach issues thankfully. I think things might be looking up. I have had a nagging headache though, and that might be attributed to the Tramadol they gave me for pain.

Day 3: Plaquenil

So far so good. I've managed to run 4 miles and wake up feeling much more refreshed than I have in years. Could be because the weather has been so nice. Too early to tell. I have had stomach aches, but that is nothing new for me...I will keep updating.

Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis

This blog was primarily meant to be about book reviews, but it is worthwhile to chronicle my journey with RA. Being in my mid thirties, and having lived with seronegative RA for several years has had a definitive impact on my life, and how I live it. For those who don't know what its like to live with RA, I will break it down for you. I have a type of RA that seems to evade all blood tests. My doctors would think I was lying if it was not for the ultrasound on my hands that revealed the damage RA has done to my joints.
I have a particular type of RA that is very responsive to weather changes. I can tell weather better than any weather man, and tell you if it is going to rain sometimes days ahead of the fact. It begins, for me, anyhow, with a tingling sensation in the joints of my hands. This happens a day or two before the weather change. Sometimes I wake up and feel like I could sleep 12 hours more. I wake up with stiff swollen hands, sometimes painful feet. Some times, before it rains, I get a dry hacking cough that requires an enormous glass of water to sip on all night otherwise I choke--my throat is that dry. When the weather finally changes, it is all resolved. My hands hurt and need rubbing, and I suffer extreme fatigue. Rarely I get pleurisy, which is a sharp pain in your lungs when you breathe.
Today was my first day on Plaquenil. I'm hoping it will help me. The first side effects I've noticed, are a slight euphoria minutes after taking it followed by a stomach ache two hours later.
RA has impacted my life in a major way. The debilitating fatigue has made it difficult to keep up with exercise and other life activities that I take pleasure in. It is also difficult to care for my daughter and to wake up each day with this type of fatigue. In addition, I suffer from stomach ailments. All of my tests have been negative for anything that would cause them. No IBD, no Crohns. I am compelled to believe my stomach issues are related to my undefined autoimmune disease for which I also take Armour Thyroid. I am curious to hear about other's experiences with RA, autoimmune disease, and thyroid disease. Particularly those who are sick but as yet not diagnosed. Is there anyone out there who is a human weather forecaster or has other similar stories to tell? I would love to hear it!

"Imperfect Justice" By Jeff Ashton

Lead prosecutor Jeff Ashton writes a personal account of his time trying to seek justice for 2 year old murder victim Caylee Marie Anthony. This book follows the prosecution of Casey Anthony, mother of Caylee, who, much to the surprise and disgust of the nation was acquitted and absolved of all major charges by 12 jurors from Pinellas County Florida. Imperfect Justice chronicles the very beginning stages of the investigation into the disappearance of Caylee Anthony, all the way to it's disappointing end. Caylee was reported missing by her mother after 31 days of lying to friends and family members about her daughter's whereabouts. Casey Anthony's refusal to help law enforcement find her daughter, false accusations and lies along with strong circumstantial and even forensic evidence pointed to a certain conviction by all accounts until the trial's shocking and confusing conclusion.
This book was very well written, with great attention to detail and with subtle innuendos referencing the less than educated jurors who came to reach such a conclusion. Ashton discusses his opinions as to how their decision was reached and why, and how the prosecution lost the trial before it even began. Ashton gives a peek into his professional relationship with co-counsel Linda Drane Burdick as well his less than impressive counterpart, lead defense attorney Jose Baez, who's lack of legal experience and court ethics seemed to have won over the jurors. The book takes the reader on a journey from the perspective of this prosecutor and gives a close look at what it felt like to prosecute Casey Anthony and to end his career with what has been called the trial of the century.
Definitely a wonderful addition for anyone who followed the case closely.