Stardust

I don't remember precisely why I added Stardust to my Netflix queue, because the queue is full enough that it has been a long time since I added it. My best guess is that I saw it advertised and that it had Michelle Pfeiffer in it.

This was a wonderful movie. There was tension, good acting, a nice mixture of big-name stars and unknowns, romance, and best of all, I knew how I wanted it to end, and it did.

Stardust is the story of a young man, Tristan, trying to win a pretty girl, Victoria, away from a dashing bully, Huphreys. Tristan manages to get Victoria on a picnic overlooking the Wall, an ancient stone barrier between us and another universe. While sipping champagne overlooking this area, they see a star falling into it, and Tristan tells Victoria that to prove his love and devotion he will bring the star to her.

Victoria is more interested in her other suitor, but tells Tristan that if he can do it in the one week before her birthday, she will marry him.

Tristan enters the land through a guarded hole in the wall by evading the guard, and there has a bunch of harrowing adventures. The first of these adventures is where he actually meets and joins forces with the fallen star, Yvain, played by Claire Danes.

It turns out that Tristan is not the only one looking for the star, though the others want to cut her heart out and eat it. Among them is a witch played by Michelle Pfeiffer. Among those who help Tristan and Yvain escape is a pirate played by Robert de Niro.

I love this quote. This is Yvain talking to Tristan, who has been turned into a mouse, and who Yvain thinks can't understand her:

You know when I said I knew little about love. Well that wasn't true. I know a lot about love. I've seen it. Seen centuries and centuries of it. And it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. And all those wars. Pain, and lies. Hate. Made me want to turn away, never look down again. But to see the way that mankind loves. You could search the furthest reaches of the  universe, and never find anything more beautiful. So, yes. I know that love is unconditional. But I also know it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable. And strangely easy to mistake for loathing. And what I'm, I'm trying to say, Tristan, is: I think I love you! My heart, it feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it doesn't belong to me any more. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange. No gift, no goods, no demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you love me too. Just your heart. In exchange for mine.

Watch this movie, I highly recommend it.

First Lesson

I rented my cello this week and had my first lesson last night. A friend of ours, Scott Davis, has been playing the cello for many years, and is excited to help me learn.

He was very impressed with the cello. I guess it can be something of a crap shoot, but I lucked out and got one with a very good sound.

It sure helps to have some prior knowledge of music. I played the piano some many years ago and even went into the accordion for a while. But I think that it's mostly the desire to play that will make it work.

I figure in a year I will be playing along side Scott in our ensemble.