Rudo y Cursi

This delightful film is like a fable. I would say the lesson is; Beware of what you want. It may come back to haunt you. The story takes place in a small poor town in Mexico as well as Mexico City.

Rudo is the half brother of Cursi. Rudo is married and has several children. He is always losing whatever money he has with gambling. His poor wife tries to manage but keeps finding household items missing because of gambling debts.

Cursi wants to be a musician. He is a handsome looking dude but his voice certainly is lacking. Their main hobby is playing soccer on the local field.

They all live in very impoverished circumstances in a small village. The family lives in a few sheds in a compound like area. They all eat outdoors at a long table. The boys are very good to their mother and keep promising her a beautiful big house on the beach. Poor Mom loves her boys. She is currently living with a beast of a man.

A very sleazy talent scout sees the boys trying to play soccer. He is seen throughout the film with a series of sexy half dressed ‘bimbos.’ He offers Cursi a position on a team that plays in Mexico City. The scout gets payoffs from everybody to let Cursi play. Cursi becomes a big hero and is given a magnificent house beautifully furnished and a big van. He also tries to become a famous singer wearing outlandish outfits. He charms Maya the beautiful lady he has seen on TV. He thinks he has the world at his feet. And then everything seems to go wrong.

Rudo is also offered a position on an opposition team. He takes whatever money is left in the household and sneaks out at night to make his fortune in Mexico City. Later Rudo‘s wife comes to live in Mexico city. It turns out that has been doing well selling vitamins in her local village and now wants to continue making more contacts in Mexico City. His gambling debts become unmanageable and he is threatened with his life. He sells all the furniture in the fancy house owned by Cursi in order to pay off some of his debts.

Cursi begins to lose the ability to play well. A final big game is called and the boys are playing on opposite teams. The scout and others try to bribe Rudo. Bets are made on the game. One of the boys has to be the big loser. The crowds come out and cheer loudly. It was a lot of fun to watch this colorful scene.

The younger sister back home marries the big drug lord of the area. He builds them a fine house and treats the family well.

It is all too bizarre but a lot of fun. The pursuit of fame and wealth didn’t bring the brothers happiness for long.

I suppose many sportsmen go from rags to riches and then back to rags in pursuing a sport. This film told a story but the characters were not real in my mind. I could relax and have fun because I was being told a story that made sense through unreal characters.

The brothers were great in their performance. This is an unusual film and in my opinion was very successful.

The Brothers Bloom

Bizarre! Ridiculous! Funny! I would have thought the Brothers Coen had produced this entertaining film. Adrien Brody plays the part of Bloom and Mark Ruffalo is his brother, Stephen. The actors seem to have a great time and perform well in this film. The beautiful Rachel Weisz is also great as the ‘ditsy’, nutty Penelope.

Bloom and Stephen are poor orphans who learn at an early year to charm, bamboozle and scam the kids in the neighborhood. They need the money and want to live a good lifestyle.

As adults they continue to swindle anyone that they can. They carefully plan each operation. Stephen illustrates his plot in detailed webs of instructions including words and illustrations. The plans are actually very funny.

Stephen has a side kick, Bang Bang, who is the most bizarre character of all. She dresses in weird but wonderful outfits. She rarely speaks but her presence is most definitely seen and felt throughout the film. She is an expert on explosives and uses her talent throughout the film.

Bloom wants to retire to Montenegro but promises Stephen that he will do one more heist. The plan is scam the beautiful Penelope.

Now Penelope is one strange character. She lives in an oversized palatial mansion. Her hobby seems to be crashing her bright yellow sports car. She lives alone and passes her time playing a variety of musical instruments.

At times you feel she is aware that they are trying to scam her. At other times you think she is so fascinated with Bloom that that she doesn’t even care if he takes her money.

The Bloom brothers travel to Russia, Montenegro, Mexico and Prague as part of their scheming ways. I did like their life style and I loved the views of the various cities.

At times you wonder if you are seeing things. At one point a cat sitting in a skate rolled across the floor. In another scene a camel is seen walking down a street. I began to question the meaning of such absurdity but decided that it added to the frolicking fun of the zany characters.

Several times you think one of the brothers has been shot. I barely had time to get out the kleenex when the red blood turned out to be red paint hidden inside the white shirt. Each time they were shot I wondered if it was going to be another trick or the real thing.

You are kept guessing until the end of the film. I’m not known for having a sense of humor but I really loved this whacky film. I would not be surprised if any reader questions my sanity on my opinion of this film.

Act of God

This outstanding documentary was the opening film at the recent Hot Docs Festival in Toronto. If you are intrigued by lightning you will find the topic of great interest. The film was well documented and presented. The film has been showing now for a few weeks so I suggest you go rather quickly to see it if you have any interest. The writer was hit with lightening at the age of 14. He told us that the incident was scary, overwhelming and changed his whole life.

We are told that 1 in 700,000 have the chance of being hit with lightening. The writer waited 20 years to write this script. He tells us how it changed his life. He was unconscious for a long time and recuperation was lengthy. One of his young friends was killed.

We are taken to various countries and told stories of people hit with lightening. Some people are charred beyond recognition. Others have been knocked unconscious and later woke up and were able to continue their life.

In Cuba there is a mixture of African beliefs mixed in with Catholicism. Many believe in Shango and perform primitive rites to keep Shango away. Shango means lightning and thunder.

Throughout the film we see creative photos of the magnificence of lightning in the sky. It truly is majestic but can be deadly. The writer states that his goal was to tell stories. He offers no theories. They certainly are unbelievable stories.

Madras Masala

796 Bloor St West ( at Crawford)

416 342 4359

I love dining with my friend Elaine. She has great suggestions for dining. I think she has eaten in every restaurant in Toronto. The conversation is always stimulating. We seem to cover every international and national topic. I loved every morsel at this tasty restaurant. I have often dined at Banjara. It is physically attached to Madras Masala and shares the same owner. Banjara features northern Indian food. Madras Masala prepares South Indian cuisine. Northern is generally more spicy but Madras will cook to your specification.

Madras is smaller and feels more intimate. A small outdoor patio is great in this fine weather. Both restaurants are set back a bit from Bloor St and free parking is available in front of both restaurants. I think both restaurants offer excellent Indian food at a very reasonable price.

We were thrilled with the tasty selections. We shared three dishes plus a rice selection. It was a perfect amount to satisfy our hunger.

Prawn Saag ($13.99) was my favorite. Prawns are cooked in pureed spinach. The spices were so flavorful and we both loved every bite. Alu Channa offers chick peas and potatoes cooked in aromatic spices.($7.95) The aroma was tantalizing and the flavor was even more satisfying. Bagara Baingan offers garden fresh eggplant cooked in a peanut sauce.($8.99) The Steamed Rice ($2.99) was perfect to complete a wonderful dinner.

There are so many selections possible. Meat Entrees feature many lamb selections. Madras Masala Lamb Curry prepares tender lamb cooked in ginger and pepper.($10.99) Chicken Xacutti prepares tender chicken pieces simmered with a blend of roasted coconut, onion and spices.($10.99) Chettinadu Fish Curry is offered at $12.99.

The food arrives promptly. Our server was as delicious as the food. His wide smile and good service was most appreciated.

Both Banjara and Madras Masala offer excellent Indian food.

The Chef's House

What fun! What exquisite food! The Chef’s House is a chef and hospitality school affiliated with George Brown College. This is a fully functioning restaurant. The servers are young students bent on acquiring skills in the hospitality field. The young chefs are under the tutelage of fine chefs. I have now dined here three times. The food is absolutely exquisite. The flavor, the presentation and the variety makes for a guaranteed fine dining experience. We had such fun chatting with the young servers and wishing them well. This was the first day of a new session and I was prepared for inexperience and possible confusion.

I was entertaining cousin B.K. (for her birthday) and my sister. I wanted it to be special. The mandate of the school is to offer excellence in hospitality and culinary training. They do it so well. The restaurant itself is high tech great design. The young chefs are all dressed in white with the large tall hats. The servers seem nervous but so anxious to please.

The menu is a prix fixe. At lunch you can choose 2 courses for $18.00; 3 courses for $22.00 or 4 courses for $25.00. Dinner is more expensive. There are options in every category.

The birthday girl and my sister opted for the House Cured Salmon Gravlox with fennel slaw and honey mustard sauce. I have had this dish on two other occasions. The presentation is lovely. The taste is exquisite. My guests both loved every bite. I wanted to try something new and opted for the Asparagus, Quinoa Tomato Cucumber Salad with Guacamole. The plate looked like a photo from Gourmet Magazine. The flavors melded in my mouth and I was a completely satisfied diner.

Soup of the Day was Fire Roasted Red onion Soup with red fife Blue Cheese crouton.

The birthday girl and my sister ordered Pan Roasted Chicken with Roasted Vegetables with shallot reduction. B. K wondered how it was possible to have the chicken so moist. The vegetable presentation on the plate made for a creative and tasty presentation.

I chose the Parsley Frittata with Garlic Sauteed Shrimps and tossed greens. Oh my! I’ve run out of superlatives. The garlic shrimp were perfectly prepared. The frittata was so moist. A frittata dish can so easily be overcooked. The fresh parsley on top added to the color presentation and the flavor.

I was considering the Spaetzle with Spinach, mushrooms, almond and Parmesan. The lady at the next table was obviously enjoying this dish. Georgian Bay Whitefish was served with spring vegetables and a miso broth.

We splurged by sharing one dessert because we had eaten so much. The Rhubarb Crumble was so satisfying and the ice cream was tasty, refreshing and probably very fattening.

Every bite was great. By the time we finished lunch the young chefs were huddled around the cooking area getting ready for the evening crowd. I actually wished I was coming back. The food is outstanding and I find it enjoyable to be able to help young students to practice their trade.

There is an attempt to be environmentally friendly with the choices of food and the preparation. I was pleased to hear that they do not offer bottled water. They have a filtering process and offer their own still or flat water. The glasses were constantly refilled and we were asked many times if all was to our satisfaction. Yes it was.

Mocha Mocha Cafe

I am not too familiar with the restaurants on the Danforth. I do love visiting this part of the city. Every block has numerous restaurants. Most offer Greek food and I know many are very good. I was meeting my friend Wendy for a light lunch. We wanted a cafe atmosphere and light food. Mocha Mocha is a popular neighborhood spot offering tasty and nutritious food. I liked the casual warm atmosphere. You place your order at the counter and the food is delivered to your table. Everything looked so appealing and fresh. Wendy opted for a bowl of fresh Fruit with Yogurt. It looked so good and she obviously enjoyed her choice. I ordered Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon.($8.99) The eggs were perfectly cooked. There was a lot of smoked salmon and was delicious. It was a delightful brunch and kept me full until dinner time.

There are many salads listed. Avocado Salad Plate offers half an avocado, mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and egg.($7.95) Warm Brown Rice Salad is a healthy combination of brown rice, black eyed peas, black mushrooms and ginger on a bed of mixed greens, carrots, cabbage and tomato.($8.35)

Many of the patrons were enjoying a sandwich. They certainly looked tasty. Bagel with Cream Cheese and Lox is served with capers and onions.($7.75) Spicy chick Pea-guacamole is served in a pita with mixed greens and vegetables.($6.80)

Crepes offer a delightful nutritious lunch. Vegetable Mozzarella is a crepe filled with eggplant, mushrooms, green onions, peppers, zucchini, mozzarella and tomato sauce.($8.95) Ham, Cheese tomato Avocado is $9.25.

If you want something a little more substantial there are several entrees on the menu. Vegetarian Lasagna is served with a salad and organic toast.($10.25) Tuna Potato Cake is prepared with spicy tuna, potato and vegetable patty with sour cream.($7.50) The East African Chicken Stew is served with rice and salad.($11.50)

The Cookies and Squares are on display at the counter. They looked very appealing. Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt is also popular for dessert.

The restaurant is open from 9:00a.m. until 9:00p.m. It was so refreshing to visit a restaurant with so many choices of healthy lighter fare. We arrived early and the place was comfortably filled. By the time we left it was completely filled. There were Moms with their carriages, business people and good friends like us just enjoying good food and great company.

Is Anybody There?

This is a delightful story. One minute you are sad and the next scene finds you laughing. It is a little treasure thanks to the fine performance of Michael Caine.

Michael Caine plays the part of Clarence. He is one angry sourpuss. He was a former magician with happy memories of his dead wife. He is now old and beginning to ‘lose it.’ He comes to stay at a family run seniors’ home.

Some of the humor comes from the scenes in this home. In reality it is sad but I found myself laughing. There was the senior who loved his booze. Another would doze off all the time. Yes, it is a stereotype of a senior’s home but it is done tastefully and with a lot of humor. All of them together make for quite a picture.

The lady who runs the home is loving and caring to all her boarders. At the beginning of the film her husband is a pathetic character. He does help to fix the house and keep it in shape. He spends a lot of time staring at the very young girl who comes in to help. He has a ridiculous haircut that points out that he wants to different. As the picture develops we see the couple becoming more communicative and it is very sweet.

The owners of the senior’s house have a 10 year old son Edward. He is feisty and outspoken. He also is a loner. It is kind of sad to see this young boy surrounded by so many old people. His mother tries to tell him that he is fortunate and can learn from these seniors. He has an obsession to find out about death. Edward tries to tape all the old folks as they are about to’ depart from this world.’ He has a need to know what they are experiencing. The part of Edward is played by Bill Milner. He is absolutely wonderful in his performance.

At first Edward and Clarence do not hit it off. In fact the old man is cantankerous and outspoken. Edward gives it all back to him.

A beautiful relationship develops and Clarence teaches Edward some of his magic tricks. He also teaches him a lot about life. At one point he states,” Your life changes and not always for the best.” One of my favorite scenes was of Edward and Clarence driving down the dirt road in Clarence’s old battered, wildly painted van. The two were singing. I found the film to be magical and entertaining.