Category: Movies, films, series

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Arrived at home during the second night of january (well, how do you count: does january begin with a short night or with a long day?), we were welcomed by a storm in Sweden. Quite difficult landing but we (the pilots) managed. Yesterday was a slow day. We woke up at noon, put some order in the flat and Z was rediscovering it by herself.

When the evening arrived, we wanted to watch something easy for our head, not too dark, not too idiotical either. Our choice landed on “the ballad of Buster Scruggs” and it was a good choice! 6 short films in one, short western stories showing ups and downs in what the life at the beginning of USA was supposed to be. We liked it very much, so run to your Netflix and watch it!
Den blomstertiden nu kommer

We had the visit om my parents and M and I did go to the cinema together, the first time since before she was born… We choose a swedish movie “den blomstertiden nu kommer“, made by a little swedich production company Crazy Pictures.

The story was typical from a disaster war movie, but really strange to see it happening in Sweden rather than in the US or so. The pictures and the effects were wonderful and this made me curious about the production company.

Crazy pictures makes well filmed and at first sight normal stories but they always turn out totally crazy (they choose a good name) and with (black) humour.

Check out their youtube channel, where there is a lots of short movies worth a watching!

picture from Crazy pictures.
Sameblod

The week end was calm here in Uppsala. We did basically nothing but to spend time together and rest.

We still struggle with Z’s food. It’s good, she likes fruits, but she doesn’t want to eat anything else. I listened to the tips I got but it did not make it. She doesn’t seem to suffer of it, she still runs around all the day but somehow, I feel that she doesn’t get what she needs. It maybe will get better when she gets to kindergarten. Ah well…

I am also very bored by coking for us adults (btw, she eats the same thing as we do), the inspiration is simply not here. So now, for a while, we will test “matkassar”, meaning you buy a bag of food prepared for recipes for a week. I choose an option “easy for kids”, so it won’t be that much vegetarian I guess and less biological as well, but I had to choose: my mental health or our empty stomachs.

We watched a movie yesterday: Sameblod. It’s not a glorious part of swedish history but what for a determination the girl shows! The landscapes are also very beautiful and the plot is well filmed. Go for it!
La mante

In these days when both M and I have a cold (Z went through this period without any symptom???), we don’t do much outside or at the gym. But we do netflix!

The last watched serie is la mante. The story happens in France and is about a copycat from a serial killer. Carole Bouquet and Fred Testot (nice to see him in a serious role) are acting well and the story holds well. 6 episodes so not too long. I would recommend it I guess.

Picture borrowed here: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt6467482/
The crown

I finished (alone) watching the season 2 and I guess I won’t look the season 3. Does it say much of this serie? Well, it’s actually more the fault of the characters than the serie itself. It’s well filmed, even if the colors are a little bit too copied from “bron”. But the queen… oh, what for a boring person. This whole universe is so aged now. I guess it already was so by then. And thinking that she still is living and working, I wonder if she has seen the serie. Or her grand kids…

picture borrowed here.
Dark, the Affair and the Crown

In these vacations days, we decided to subscribe again to Netflix (we cut it down last fall to save some money and time). We had now 3 series on the list and it was Dark S1, the Affair S3 and The Crown S2.

Dark was recommended by M’s brother and with the description and the trailer, I was not very fan of it. I thought that I would give it a try anyway (I’m a bit light scared, and story with disappearing kids is not my cup of tea nowadays). But after the first episode, I was captured! It was a very good serie and a good reason to subscribe to Netflix. We wathed it in two days.

The affair S3 was not that good than the 2 first seasons, which were very good (if I remember well, watched them a year ago, pregnant until the eyeballs). Too much of nothing going on, too much of predjudices about french people, no. It was not good enough to me.

The crown S2: we just began, so I may come back with more details.

picture borrowed to IMDB
When you want to reach the stars…

… And all you see is only grey clouds…

I was travelling to Dalarna for the work this afternoon and this was good to have some time for reflexion in the train. I had a lots to think of at work. Life goes fast and when you work half week and are dedicated to your work, it’s important to keep in mind the proce of the days at home with your baby. I really like the repartition we have with M but it’s easy done for me to fall into work thoughts the part of the week I’m not supposed to work.

But it happens as well that I think of Z while working. For example, I saw a mum with a three-four months old baby waiting for the train. I thought of my little girl, who just learnt how to bubble with her mouth.

And for those who wonder, no, the grass is not green in Sweden yet. It’s only half in may, so be patient. Scarf, gloves and head protection are still welcome.
Tjockare än vatten

In these time of waiting, one of my favorite activities is to watch series. M and I already went through HBO and Netflix together, so the challenge for me is to find new series that M wouldn’t like to watch but which are good enough for me to spend days in front of.

I watched “the affair” last week and it was actually very good! In the beginning, I thought it was much more feelings and relationships but it grew really interesting after some episodes. Give it a try!

I tried “Gilmore girls” but nothing for me at all.

Then I went to svtplay, the Swedish TV website. I tried “skam” but again, not for me at all.

I began yesterday to watch “tjockare än vatten” and after 6 episodes, I can tell you that I won’t do amything else than watching it until seasons one and two are watched. I like how it’s filmed, the colors. Well, my waiting days are saved!

Tomorrow, the day before Xmas. My plan is to convince M to play scrabble in French (we don’t have the Swedish letters). No snow here anyway and no Xmas tree either, but it will be an all fine celebration anyway.

For now, the app says “pregnancy completed”, but so is not my watching of “tjockare än vatten”, so no baby today!
The baby of Bridget Jones, seen by a 9 month pregnant woman
I warn you: this post contains spoilers about the film, so don’t read if you are interested of keeping the mystery intact until you see the movie!

The other day, I found again two tickets for the cinema, that I was looking for the other weekend, when we wanted to watch a movie we both were interested in. I didn’t find the tickets for this occasion, so we renounced and staid at home. But this week: victory! The tickets reappeared. Since they may not be so many weekends left until the baby comes, we thought it was better to go to the movie now, even if the choice was not very extended. A lots of Xmas-things, scary movies and The baby of Bridget Jones. M is not a fan of comedy and I found the others Bridget Jones pathetic, so you see the odds.

I gave the film a 6 of 10 points, which is much better than the 3 I had ready in my pocket after watching the trailer. Quick for the story: Bridget sleeps with two guys in a short period of time and gets pregnant and she doesn’t know who is the father. The film is the story of her pregnancy until the baby is born.

But now to the points: was it realistic, based on pregnant facts?
- How she discover that she is pregnant? She is getting “fat” and a colleague suggests she may take a pregnancy test. Credibility: 2/10. Before to feel fat, you first discover that you don’t have your period, unless you take these mini-pills as contraceptive method. The mini-pills often make that you don’t bleed anymore when it should be the time of your period. (For the record for those who are not familiar with women contraception: if you take P-pill and bleed at regular intervals, it’s not real period but fake ones since the ovulation is stopped by the pill). Back on the mini-pill: if she gets pregnant by two tries, separated with 5 days while being under contraception, it’s really bad luck. Plus the fact that she is 43 years old. So no more than 2 for this point.
- She throws up in a garbage at work within the first 12 weeks. Credibility : 8/10. The only thing that stops me to give a ten is that not all women feel sick during the pregnancy but a lot does. I felt sick the first three months, but never threw up (it felt though like I would every 3 seconds)
- The growing of Bridgets belly: credibility : 9/10. Even if the movie is not showing every month, it seemed pretty relevant.
- The first ecography: credibility 4/10. If I remember well, she makes it before the first 12 weeks and I think it’s too earl to see the baby as a “real” baby yet. If I’m not too wrong, it looks more like a big head than a baby at this point. Then the doctor declares the baby healthy pretty quickly but it may be that Bridget was much longer in the room than what we see
- Her pregnant brain at work: credibility: 10/10. I’m still waiting for my mistakes from the past 9 months to be released. I missed some tears though and some rage moments as weel. British women are maybe more civilized than French ones when they are under hormonal doping?
- Her runs everywhere while 9 months pregnant : credibility : 1/10. I had a very nice pregnancy and did sport twice or three times a week until the end of November but I can tell that now, movements are done after a big and hard negotiation with myself. I can walk 10-15 minutes but I have to stop often and strech. No way I would run as she does as the end of the pregnancy.
- When her water broke: credibility : 0/10. Her jeans are not even wet!
- The transfer to the hospital : credibility 1/10. It’s not the fact that they carry her to the hospital that makes me give a bad grade. It’s more how they carry her. In my case, it has been weeks since I was able to bend myself and even put my shoes or my socks on has been kind of tricky, so I cannot imagine that she could be carried like that. Well, part of the comedy I guess.
- The brown line on her belly : credibility : 10/10. It occured to me that they may have employ a stunt for the close belly scenes. Her brown line is very realistic anyway.
- The giving birth part: I’ll tell you when it has happened to me.
Well, it was a pleasant movie anyway, even M laughed, so if you have money over, go and see it.

Signed: this nine months pregnant woman.
Skokloster back and forth

My sister and her boyfriend are right now visiting us and its a good occasion to do things we usually never do. Yesterday, we took the boat from Uppsala (10 min walk from home) and went to the castle of Skokloster.

This was a good way to step down for them, on their really first day of vacation. You just sit there and look at the landscape. in Skokloster, we had two hours to visit the castle and then, it was time to go back to Uppsala.

A wonderful relaxing way to see the surroundings!
Hard work
on Saturday, M and I were at the cinema and watched la loi du marché, a French movie about a normal guy in a normal family, having trouble to find a new job. In the film there were a lots of characters who were also having difficulties to make the money be enough for each month. I was chocked by how common this may be in France, how I could recognize the mood and so. I could identify people I know that are leaving in this kind of short term life in France. And then I thought the opposite: it did not look French, this looked unswedish instead. I went along my whole list of people I know in Sweden and I couldn’t find anyone who had the same kind of trouble. So there is different solutions to that:
1. Sweden is a society where everyone is wealthy, as least not in the need to steal food in order to eat at the end of the month
2. I don’t know people who have it hard and live in a privileged bubble
3. People don’t talk or show when it’s hard economically at home.
This is surely a mix of the three things. I felt so thankful not to have to save every coin in order to make it ok until the end of the month. I felt sorry for all the people that are transported between incompetent people in the administrations.

During the week end, we watch Making a murderer, movie about a guy accused for crimes two times, preventing he was innocent both times. For the second crime, his nefew got involved, a 16 years old boy with understanding problems and it felt so unfair. The story (which is true and not finished yet) doesn’t tell if they’ve committed the crimes or not, but the way of handling it was aweful. Once again, I felt sorry for people who have to go through this, no matter if they are guilty or not.

Have a nice day though and fight against unfairness!
movie Friday

Friday evening. M and I watched a movie and this time, inspired by the news and what’s happening in Venezuela. It reminded me of a good film I saw years ago: The secret in their eyes.

I wrote what I thought some years ago and I still have the same opinion, so watch it!

Here you find my old comment:

https://woistdasmeer.com/2011/01/29/elsecretodesusojos/ 

Picture borrowed here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_in_Their_Eyes 
Real estate

Köttinspektionen was open tonight for an exhibition when I came back from work, so I escaped the -17 or so and went to see art. There is a good exhibition about perception on urban transformation at the moment and I encourage everyone that has 30 min to go there and catch some reflexions or at least some pictures.

I had the chance to talk during a few moment with the artist, Agustin Ortiz Herrera, and the discussion we had is very accurate to my own thoughts the pasts 8 months or so. It was all about finding a place to live, the swedish real estate system close to Stockholm, democracy in the taken of decisions that make a change for everybody (like for example how a city should transform).

Both the exhibition and the discussion were an enrichment and filled my head with reflexions. I have the luck to have a place to live, even if it was not very easy to find but a lots of other people don’t have and I wonder how I could contribute to help. And even how I could contribute to developp the city I’m living in in a good way for many many years.
Grand Budapest Hotel

The other day, we watched this film the Grand Budapest Hotel and we laughed. It was a mix in the mood of Sizou, Charlie and the chocolaterie. Poetic and serious at the same time, it was a nice film.
A brand new world to me

Tonight, I took the bus downtown with M and bought a sew machine. Yes, time to collect some adult points! I was very excited to try it and it took quite a while to me to understand how things work.

But I managed to make a little project, judge by yourself:

Time for me to make my own collection!

Or not…
Bron again

This is becoming scary this serie! I really need my M by my side!
This afternoon was really calm for me. Some reading and rest, ready for a new week at work!
Breaking bad

To continue the lsit of the series we are wathcing, M and I during our long evenings, I can tell you about Breaking bad. We have been watching almst 2 seasons and this is actually, most of the time, hilarious. If you are sensitive to black humor, don’t watch it, but if you have a litle sense of irony, this is, so far, a very good serie. It beats all the others (except House of cards).
Homeland

Still in USA. Homeland is the story of a man coming back from somewhere USA is fighting and there are a lots of suspicions around this man. The season 3 is showed on the swedish TV right now and we had to watch 1 and 2 as well to hang with. It is not my favo show: too much improbabilities, too much hair fixed even if she did not had the time and these little details are killing the show to me. I can’t focus on the story if the scenes do not have any credibility.

Plus I don’t know how the CIA do work but everything seems really exagerated. And do they let a person with mental troubles having this kind of classified job? I dunno, but the show is not my fav.
Orange is the new black

M is not that much into girly things and he was right for this show: Orange is the new black was funny, and sometimes dramatical but maybe not something I should have spent so much hours in the front of. The main character is very caricatured and I am not very sure that this is showing how it really is going in female prisons in US and A. There was a lots of humor though and I had some good laughs.

So my rate: if you are sick a week end or something, you may watch it. Be careful, because you may want to watch the whole seasons (only 2 at the day of today).
House of cards

House of Cards. This is a very interesting show about how it works behind the scene in US and A. Kevnin Spacey and the others actors are brillant and we were very sorry that the second season already was at its end. Well done, the details are well worked in the scenario and honestly, if I cut my hair short, it was a little because of Claire. Really worth to spend some hours in front of it!
Bron

Since M and I are spending a lots of time watching shows on netflix during this automn and vinter, I thought I would write some words about the one we saw, if you have some hours to kill.

Tonight, it is time for a new part of Bron, a swedish-danish show around jsut this region of Copenhaguen/Malmö. The first season was really good, with intrigue and suspens. The characters are also very well done, with a lots of details and we do laugh at them, which is to me, a good point for the show-writters. You can watch it on Netflix but for us, it is so much more funny to have the danish and swedish langages together, we laugh a lot at danish speaking actually. :)
Blondie

I workedpretty much today, a stressy day after two travelling days. So i made something i haven’t done in ages: i went to watch a movie at the cinema by myself. Blondie. A really good swedish film with reallynice pictures and light and a surprising drama, surprising for a swedish movie.

Then, i got some good news on the mail and it takes away some stone from my shoulders. The things that did not dissapear though are the clothes on my floor. Usually, it’s in my bedroom only, but today, no matter where i look, there are clothes on the floor. An excuse for me: this is really cold outside, so the gloves, hat and so on have to be closed to my hands whenever i may go outside. What, you don’t believe me?

The other thing i realised (again) is that i really don’t like christmas. Maybe i should go to the psychologist and talk about it, because i think it is already the third or fourth time that i have these strong feelings of not wanting it. Like well…

And tomorrow, you know what? i will go to the dentist, yeah! For a controll and a threat too: “take my wisedom teeth off or i will make a damage!”. I can swear that it won’t be possible, nothing is possible at the first try in Sweden, everything has to be tested, to be thought of and so on. I really wonder sometimes how this country would be if people would take much more initiativs, like taking some little risks and just do things. Maybe Sweden would rull the world and people here would loose their complexes. Swedes (except me) are in general very unselfconfident people. So will my dentist be tomorrow. Investigation, some money here and maybe sometime if i dare i would be able to take my teeth off. Crazy.

Well, M i coming here tomorrow evening and since i’ve got a meeting at 7.15 tomorrow morning and need some sleep, i would better not be that swedish tonight and get things done.

Plus lunch date tomorrow, nice!! H, i’ve gotan ocean of things to tell you!!
Bourne and stuff

This Saturday was full of things: running (very slow, this may be my last week alive since I may not survive the half Mara next Saturday…), breakfast with love and friends, wind ( all the cows lost their horns today in småland), trip to växjö, romantic dinner (m did not propose because I suggested I should pay the bill, he did pay at the end but too late for proposal. Hum, you got it?) and cinema ( we saw Bourne legacy and it was ok, not the best movie ever but ok), road trip back home, and now, Christer is on the side of the bed and tells us how to be a better human being. Actually, I think that M and I are doing pretty good, some affection and laughs make it going far! But before to read some of christers words: twin peaks :)
Bombay beach and a friday evening waiting for something good

I came home quite early from work, i was totally tired. First reason: friday and second reason: i was out at 6 this morning and ran 8 km in the morning sun. The mood was good even if each leg of mine had to carry 10 tons. I can’t go over this feeling of bad prestations.

My day at work was very interesting, a lots of difficult but interesting questions and long and constructiv discussions with colleagues. This new jobb is really challenging me and i like it.

I ate lunch with my friend H and she looked really lovely. The students were celebrating the end of school, which is something different here from how we do in France. Here in Linköping, i meet some students at 6 this morning, well dressed, going to their champagne breakfast i the Trädgårdsföreningen (a big park). They drive around then in trucks and sing and dance and are all happy to quit school. Both girls and boys are well dressed and when the day goes on, they are all happier, maybe because of the breakfast?

I can’t really remember when i left high school. it was in 1999, in other words, it was not yesterday. I even have some difficulties to remember who were in my class this year. I just remember that we wrote these exams and it was really important to get good grades: depending on the results, we would be able to go in this or this school after. Even if we went to disco ( a little bottle of the night around the corner, called “le sirocco”) and even if i found a boyfriend this evening, it was a pretty trist summer. We all got dispatched in France, fr summerwork or study, so i dunno, i forgot the most of it somehow. One thing is sure, i was not afraid of the future. I did not know how it would turn, i just knew i would become an influent woman. I knew i had to go throught this “elit” kind of school and that i could decide later what i wanted to be. Even now it seems that most of the possibilities are there, even if where i am happy to be where i am right now.

Anyway, stop this nostalgi.

I watch a documentary tonight, and this was beautiful: Bombay beach. I recommend it strongly, it was both poetic and beautiful.

And now, there is one hour left. One hour left until i meet M at the station. These last hours are always the longer. I always feel millions of butterflies flying in my stomach. Oh, can’t wait!!
I rymden finns inga känslor

Nice film for a thursday afternoon.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1694533/

Life is not only black and white but one thing is sure, if Martin Wallström would knock at my door, i would open. Even if he is
younger than me.

picture borrowed here: http://linnealerin.blogg.se/2010/january/i-my-heart.html

Lykke li was playing one song of the BO btw

push my back so i make sure

you’re right behind me as before
yesterday the night before tomorrow

dry my eyes so you won’t know
dry my eyes so i won’t show
i know you’re right behind me

and don’t you let me go, let me go tonight

you walk the surface of this town
the high heels above the ground
and high horses that we know
keep us safe until the night

you know them all, i know it all
stay put and play along
’cause i’m looking for my friend
now i got you, got you

don’t you let me go, let me go tonight

i dry my eye, dry my eye
Mission possible

I succeeded in the 2 challenges i had on the list for today. I ate a very nice lunch with a friend and i bought myself a ride. Here you go:

To buy this bicycle was quite an adventure though. I went out from the shop with the phone number of the man who fixed the bike and not that i wanted too, more he who wanted to marry me. Also, he asked me for real: he saw one of my rings and asked me if i was married, i told him no and then he asked me if i wanted to marry him. Like that. I am lucky who are not desperated, but think if i wanted at any price to fullfill my dream of familly and stuff and so, i could… Well, good that i have his number, i may call later if the reflexion tells me he was a good man, or if i am feeling too lonely in Linköping. Crazy.

Then, i HAD to try my ride so i just randomly drove bicycle in the city and i arrived in the old Linköping. This is a place that i save for when i my sister will visit me, but then, not far from there, there is a nice wood, which may need some more hours to be discovered. Next week project!

For now, i am a bit nervous, i will try one thing tonight and not sure how it will go, but i will let you know!
La fidélité

I felt asleep in front of an old french movie yesterday evening. La fidélité.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204761/

I had to rewind and watch the parts i missed. I remember i saw it when the film went out and now, 11 years later, i was watching it with different eyes. This is a filmed version of La princesse de Clèves actually and i don’t really know if the most important is to be faithful to promises or to follow ones deep feelings.In the story, she looses it al, both her husband and the man that she loves. She ends up in a sentimental misery and i don’t really know where the limit for egoism has to be.

I took myself out this morning for a jogging round and it doesn’t feel good. I am running lie an elefant and almost as quick as a turtle. Bleh.
best humor evaar

i don’t know how long it will be online but the swedish TV is offering some crazy but funny humor, it had been a long time i haven’t laugh that much

http://svtplay.se/v/2236453/artists_in_residence/the_complete_fucking_idiot_project?cb,a1364145,1,f,-1/pb,a1364142,1,f,-1/pl,v,,2236463/sb,k140145,1,f,-1
Die Fälscher

“nice” movie about some resistant actions.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813547/
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