Where's the Mice?

If you enjoy heartbreaking tales coupled with crass language and a dash of overacting thrown in, then Of Mice and Men is a film for you. While it may be a heartlifting tale of hope in hard times and the power of friendship, the portrayal of several of the characters, never mind the abrupt ending, leaves something to be desired.

George, played by Gary Sinise, and his travelling buddy, Lennie, played by John Malkovich, are transient laborers during the Depression, and they are constantly moving around the country because Lennie keeps getting the two of them into trouble. Lennie is a giant of a man with the mind of a child, and the dangerous mixture of his strength and stupidity adds to the film's suspense, although John Malkovich, while larger than the other characters in height, did not look strong or bumbling enough to be convincing in the role.

The heartlifting, if it can be called that, portion of the movie comes from George and Lennie's shared dream of one day owning a piece of land they can call their own. But you must know that someone's going to mess it up, and the obvious choice would be the oaf, Lennie.

The ending, which could have been drawn out to milk it for all it's emotional worth, was too quick to be satisfying, although it leaves you in shock and awe. Not something I would watch again, but a somewhat worthwhile movie nonetheless.

Who Needs Superpowers?

If I was given the opportunity to inherit any superpower I chose, some questions I would ask myself before deciding are: what would I want to accomplish with this power? And what would be the ramifications of using this power? After all, as Spider-Man's Uncle Ben said "with great power comes great responsibility." Sure it might be fun to fly or turn invisible, but what would happen once it was discovered that I had those powers, and people started to expect things from me? And would I try to keep my powers or my identity a secret? Fortunately for me I will never have to come up with an answer to any of these questions. However, if I could choose a superpower, what would it be? I didn't even enjoy riding the tilt-a-whirl, so I think flying would be out of the question. Being super stretchy would just be awkward, and although being able to scare people by appearing seemingly out of nowhere would be fun, I don't think I would choose invisibility either. I think if anything, I would like to be able to teleport. It seems like one of the easier powers to keep secret, and with it, I would save so much time not having to commute anywhere. I would also never have to wait for a plane to see the world, and I would be able to get myself out of almost any dangerous or deadly situation by teleporting out of it. Plus, hide and seek would be so much more fun wouldn't it?

Now you see me, now you don't.