Update on Niko's "Mo" and a review of the Darjeeling Limited

So the "Mo" movement is in full swing. Two SUPER generous friends have already donated, and the "Mo" fund is up to $75 -- way to go! We're only $25 away from the $100 target, which will get me a free pass to this fancy benefit gala thing at the end of the month. I am so touched by the kindness and warmth of the first two contributors -- really, thanks so much.

And, just so you don't think I'm not holding up my end of the bargain, here's a progress report on my Mo:



In other news, Jillian and I can't wait to get New York. In all honesty, we're getting kind of depressed that we're not back already. We're going out, we're making the most of our time here, but we're a bit like castaways, nomads, just roaming around San Francisco, biding our time until we can return to our homeland.

For me, the ultimate sign that we were depressed and ready to come home was when we went to the movies this past weekend. When I was in Paris doing a study abroad program during college, I was lonely, bored out of my mind, depressed, and terribly homesick. I didn't even make it two weeks before ditching the program and coming back to the states. And while I was there, I went to the movies, by myself, almost every day. I mainly watched American movies; I just wanted to feel connected to the country and culture I was missing, and to just get away for a while, to not think about how lonely I was.

Well, that's what Jill and I did this weekend. We saw the Darjeeling Limited, the new Wes Anderson movie. While we came in depressed, we left uplifted. This is a special, special movie. Jillian and I have been on a Wes Anderson kick lately, getting reacquainted with (and really loving) Rushmore and the Royal Tenenbaums, so we were really excited to see this. This story of three American brothers on a somewhat-foolhardy spiritual quest across India moved me in a way that I haven't felt in a long time. Jillian and I walked out of the theater in a daze, still in the grip of this tender, beautiful, sad, and funny film. In a way, I don't think we wanted to leave the world of the movie. For myself, I can say that I walked out feeling very contemplative, subdued, appreciative of the blessings in my life, and open to experiences as they came my way (in much the way that Owen Wilson's character wants him and brothers to feel as a result of their trip).

And though we may be late to this party, how amazing is Adrian Brody? While everyone in this film gives very strong performances, Brody is in a class by himself. Our friend Brad told us that Brody's face was mesmerizing in this film, and he was right. In fact, Brody's entire body is mesmerizing. He doesn't just act with his words -- everything about him screams his character, from his facial expressions to the way he carries his body to the way he flails his limbs. We've now put every Adrian Brody film we can find on our Netflix queue because we just have to see everything this amazing actor has done. Because of Brody's incredible performance, I have a feeling that this is one of those movies that I'll be able to watch over and over and over again over the course of my life. He was that good.

Also, like any Wes Anderson movie, this movie has a killer soundtrack. Three of the pop songs prominently featured in the film are from the Kinks, all taken from their 1970 album Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. I'm a huge Kinks fan, but I've never heard this album, which, now, hearing this songs, I can't believe -- these are incredible, some of the best Kinks there is. So, not only am I grateful for this movie for introducing me to Mr. Brody, but I'm also grateful for being introduced to this wonderful group of the songs from one of my favorite groups, especially the song "Strangers." This song, to me, is spirituality captured in song, the actual sound of the human spirit longing toward something better, something bigger, something that makes the grime and grit worth it. And when the swell of voices intone in the chorus, "Strangers on this road we are on, we are not two, we are one," well, stick a fork in me, I'm done -- one of those perfect musical moments that makes it all worth it.

So even though we went to the movies somewhat out of a sense of depression, we were the better for it -- I know this movie is going to stick with me for a long, long time.

To catch a quick glimpse of what I'm talking about, check out the film's trailer, below. You'll see some of Brody's magnetism and hear a bit of each of the three amazing Kinks songs featured in the movie: