This past Saturday I finally went to the High Line, the integrated landscape park that runs along Gansevoort Street all the way to 34th Street. It was erected in the 1930's to support the freight trains that ran through that area. The day was hot, humid and very sunny, but the park was quite a sight to see - I even spotted Ed Helms passing me by! People sell fresh lemonade on wooden stands, they mingle and sit along the boardwalk, and/or make their own picnics and enjoy the afternoon there.
Afterward, I went to see (500) Days of Summer (which I was skeptical about in the first place, but I decided to give it a shot). Although I definitely think the film is overrated, it's still nevertheless very amusing and entertaining, and for once in a long time, the "romantic comedy" genre has been given a much-needed "reboot." The movie unfortunately perpetuates the quirky "hipster" style that we've seen ad-nauseam since Garden State, and it does have an air of pretentiousness (the blending of sketches & live action, the "hip" soundtrack), but director Marc Webb keeps things fresh and breezy, and effectively distances his film from the other, idiotic "rom-com" fare. It very much falls in accordance with genre conventions, but it's still clever and engaging within its own formula. One major reason I went to see it is because of the film's stars. Joseph Gordon-Leavitt is a very talented young man (have you seen Brick? You really should), and I'm completely infatuated with Zooey Deschanel. I wouldn't say she's a great actress, but she's a terrific singer. She and musician M. Ward have a folk/country/pop band - She & Him - and I was lucky to catch them playing at Terminal 5 last summer (7/26/08). Here's a taste of this amazing gal's talent:
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