Here and There
by Andrea RademanHoliday madness making you poor? Here’s how to tighten your belt.
You don’t have to keep an eye on your wallet when you dine at FOOD COURT LA (8334 W. Third St.; 323 782 9689). The casual eatery has a full liquor license and serves brunch, lunch, happy hour (4pm-6pm), dinner, late night menu, cocktails, catering and carry out, daily from noon to late night. Owners Richard Jhin and Christine Han serve up pan ethnic comfort food with a twist. Think seared albacore sashimi in an ichimi-kissed ponzu sauce with fried onions, jalapeno and garlic; grilled salmon in wasabi rub; Brutus Salad, their version of Caesar salad, with a hint of jalapeno and yuzu in the dressing; there’s panko-breaded chicken breast in the Cobb salad; and panko-breaded whitefish in the Eastern Fish n Chips, which comes with wasabi tartar and sweet chili sauces; Latchino Steak is a skirt steak with ancho chiles, cumin and ponzu; and even a four-item bento box. Or stick with the half pound grilled Angus beef burger with romaine, balsamic sautéed onions, tomato, cheddar, and roasted garlic aioli or the pork ribs braised in merlot, with fresh herbs and bbq sauce. If you’re not into chocolate cheesecake marbled brownies or banana blueberry spring rolls, sit back, sip a Bosacki Batch (white sangria with Absolute pear, mandarin and citron) or a Star*ucker Martini (Starbucks Coffee Liquor, Godiva Chocolate Liquor and Absolute Vodka) and pretend you’re leftover from the Japanese fashion rag, Madame Figaro, photo shoot. 
In Europe, people consult their Michelin restaurant guides as religiously as evangelists consult their bibles to find the best places to eat and the best values. Now they’ve expanded beyond Europe with the first edition of their guides to New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas and the MICHELIN GUIDE LOS ANGELES 2008 ($14.95). The latter includes 263 places, chosen from the original 900 restaurants they considered (mere inclusion is a recommendation). Jean-Luc Naret, director of the guides, says the five Americans they employed full-time to cover Los Angeles dined in utmost secrecy to shield them from outside influences. Unfortunately, none of our restaurants won the highest designation, three stars (“worth a journey”) and only Urasawa, our most expensive sushi bar, plus Spago and Mélisse, won two stars (“worth a detour”). Bravo to Matsuhisa, Asanebo and Mori, which are among the 15 restaurants that earned one star. 
Even the impressive showing made by Los Angeles’ Japanese restaurants left us unprepared for the newly released MICHELIN GUIDE TOKYO 2008. In all of Europe only about 50 restaurants have won three stars, and 27 of those are in France. The first guide to New York gave just four restaurants three stars, four more received two stars, and 31 won one star. The Tokyo guide lists the best 28 hotels and 150 restaurants in the city center but, unlike any other Michelin guide, every restaurant included is at least a one-star. The amazing tally: 8 restaurants with three stars; 25 with two stars; and 117 with one star. This trail-blazing total of 191 stars, more than any other city in the world, marks Tokyo as a world leader in gourmet dining. Considering the outstanding cuisine, unrivaled quality, expert cooking techniques, rich heritage, and culinary traditions that go back for generations, maybe it was to be expected.If you think you can’t afford a trip to Tokyo, you need the latest edition of Lonely Planet BLUELIST, which lists Japan under Best-Value Destinations. No mere list of lists, the book is as captivating a read as the latest Harry Potter. The catalogue calls it “a collection of trends, destinations, journeys and experiences…” but that barely scrapes the surface. There are fascinating special sections on Islam, endangered wildlife, and “bluelist moments” (reader’s photos); a world events Travel Planner; a Go List of places to put on your radar; and Bluelists, including endangered spots; journeys undertaken by historic explorers such as Marco Polo and Eric the Red; and places to lose yourself or find a great brew. An impressive nine pages, plus two on Matsuyama, reference Japan. This is a compendium that puts things in a new light. You won’t be able to put it down.
Rather than pay up to $15 to see a single film, membership in the ACADEMY OF SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY & HORROR FILMS gets you into private screenings of over 100 brand new films a year, including action, adventure, thrillers, dramas and comedies — flicks like The Bee Movie; The Kite Runner; Enchanted; Sweeney Todd; I Am Legend (in 3D); and many others. As President Robert Holguin says, “There’s no better deal in town if you love to go to the movies but, more than that, you’re seeing these films with respectful audiences of people who love film.” Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Ray Bradbury, Fritz Lang, and Gloria Swanson are just a few of the luminaries who’ve graced the annual Saturn Awards, which honors the best in all film genres, plus TV and home entertainment. You can make up your $140 membership dues for you, and a guest, in a month. This non-profit organization now accepts credit card payments for membership or donations: www.saturnawards.org
Among the films they’ve shown this year:
I AM LEGEND Will Smith is the last person on earth and the only other creatures are blood sucking zombie-like creatures. The opening post-end-of-the-world shots of NYC are breathtaking, a desolate island with deer and lions roaming the streets, oh, and the zombies. Smith is working on a cure for the virus that mutated from a cure for cancer and of course he meets a girl, and a kid, and voila! a new family to protect. He lost his during the evacuation of Manhattan. There are lots of unanswered questions, like why is he working on a cure if he’s the last man alive? We liked it although it could have raised important questions about society, drugs, loneliness, etc, rather than be content to be a man-versus-the- odds film about saving YOUR world, rather than saving THE world. Society’s widening rift between rich and poor is echoed in Cache, The Kite Runner, and ATONEMENT. Each involves a child of privilege whose false accusations inflict cruel damage on an innocent servant-class child in their household. Director Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice) plunges us into Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons)’s riveting adaptation of Ian McEwan’s period romantic drama. It’s 1935, and 13-year-old Briony (Saoirse Ronan) has a crush on the housekeeper’s son, Robbie (James McAvoy), who in turn loves Briony’s older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley). When a jealous Briony spitefully accuses innocent Robbie of a crime, she damages three lives, including her own, and spends years seeking atonement. Dario Marianelli’s romantic score hits the right notes, as do Vanessa Redgrave (older Briony), Brenda Blethyn (Robbie’s mom) and Harriet Walter (Briony’s mom).
THE KITE RUNNER Directed by Marc Forster and written by David Benioff, Based on the best selling novel by Khaled Hosseini. In 1978 kite flying is nearly an obsession in Kabhul, Afghanistan. They soar, they duel, they dance, and they try to cut their opponents kite strings with their own. Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada), the son of a wealthy family’s servant, is the best kite runner and a devoted friend to Amir (Zekiria Ebrahimi), his upper class best friend, who loves to fly kites. When a jealous bully and his gang attack and rape Hassan, is afraid to intervene. To distance himself from his shame, he falsely implicates his friend in a petty crime that ends their relationship forever. Years later, he returns to his war-torn country where, amidst the turmoil of the Taliban, he has a chance to redeem himself.
PERSEPOLIS Directed by Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud. Written by Vincent Paronnaud (screenplay), Marjane Satrapi (comic & screenplay), Marjane Satrapi (novel). Cast: Gabrielle Lopes, Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Simon Abkarian, Danielle Darrieux. Poignant coming-of-age story about a precocious and outspoken young Iranian girl that begins during the Islamic revolution. This beautifully animated film is based on Marjane Satrapi’s award-winning graphic novels of the same name. Featuring the voice of Catherine Deneuve.
Don’t Miss These
January 4-10, 2008 at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre (11272 Santa Monica Blvd, WLA: 310-281-8223) THE VIOLIN, Francisco Vargas’ debut, is the most internationally awarded Mexican film in history. Don Plutarco (Ángel Tavira), his son and grandson live double lives: they are musicians and humble farmers but they secretly support the campesina peasant guerilla movement’s armed efforts against an oppressive government. When the military seizes their village, the rebels flee to the hills, forced to leave behind their stock of ammunition. While the guerillas organize a counter-attack, old Plutarco executes his own plan. He plays up his appearance as a harmless violin player in order to get into the village and recover the ammunition hidden in his corn field. Arms and music play a tenuous game of cat-and-mouse which ultimately results in painful betrayal. Written and directed by Francisco Vargas.JUNO, one of the best films of the year, is blissfully small but with great acting, compassion, humanity, and real people making real decisions. The plot is similar to “Knocked Up”, but skewed younger. Ellen Page is terrific, as is Allison Janey, who plays her mother. Jennifer Garner gets to act instead of just look incredible. The story doesn’t rely on clichés. It’s unpredictable and the audience burst into applause at the end.
CARAMEL, the Lebanese entry for the Academy Awards, is the feature film debut of writer-director Nadine Labaki, who also stars. In Beirut, five women meet regularly in a beauty salon, a colorful and sensual microcosm of the city. Their intimate and liberated conversations revolve around men, sex and motherhood, between haircuts and sugar waxing with caramel. Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) is a spirited bombshell on the verge of marrying a conservative Muslim even though she is no longer a virgin. Jamale (Gisele Aouad), an aging actress and divorced mother of two, is desperate to hold back time. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) suppresses her attraction to women until her dream girl walks through the door. Seamstress Rose (Siham Haddad) deflects the attentions of a gentleman suitor to care for her older sister. And Layale (Labaki), the owner and lifeblood of the salon, carries on a hopeless affair with a married man.
P.S. I LOVE YOU Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) is beautiful, smart, and married to the love of her life, Gerry (Gerard Butler). When he dies suddenly, she nearly does too. But, before he died, he wrote her letters. The first arrives on her birthday in the form of a cake and a tape recording ordering her to get out and “celebrate herself.” In the months that follow, more letters are delivered in surprising ways, each sending her on a new adventure and signed: P.S. I Love You. Holly embarks on a touching, exciting and often hilarious journey of rediscovery. Kathy Bates plays her mom and Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon play her best friends.
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