Thursday, March 31, 2011

Table Scraps

I am one of those people who really loves food. Who starts dreaming about tomorrow's dinner as she's eating today's. Who checks sites like Tastespotting and smitten kitchen with the fervor of a porn addict. Who encourages friends to make bacon chocolate chip cookies so she can eat them like a greedy little piglet (thanks again for that, Karen). My boyfriend totally enables this behaviour, and has stated that my enthusiasm for food has changed where he buckles his belt (sorry hun). I can't help it though. That love runs lifelong deep, and my addiction to salt-sugar-fat is well-documented and embraced wholeheartedly.

But there is a dish, called Bombay Poutine, and it has changed my life.

"But Amanda!" you say, "it's cheese curds and fries and butter chicken! It can't be all that life changing!" To which I say, "are you kidding me? It's cheese curds and fries and butter chicken! How could that not be life changing?"

I mean, just look at it.


Look at it, glowing in the sunlight like the ambrosia it is. Seriously, the clouds parted just as I was taking this photo and bathed the dish in a golden light. If that isn't proof of a god*, I don't know what is.

And my claim is not only for the goodness I ate that fateful day at The Local—and don't get me wrong, it was really good. The butter chicken sauce was thick and tangy, with little chunks of peppers and onions and chicken. The fries were crisp and very tasty. And the cheese curds were good, possessing the necessary amount of squeak and acting as the glue holding the whole thing together. I paired it with a pint of KLB Raspberry Wheat and a fresh bowl of edamame, and it felt like such a lovely, harmonious meal (I am so all about global food fusions).

I feel this is life changing because this has opened a whole new realm of food experimentation in my life. The possibilities are infinite. Like, why not serve stew on top of fries and cheese? Why not use my personal favourite, spicy curly fries, as your base? Why not serve with meatballs and marinara, like a crazy spaghetti/meatball sub type monstrosity? Or go greek, using feta cheese and gyros?

The answer to all of these suggestions is of course, and also just wait, tastebuds. You ain't tasted nothing yet.

*hyperbole, obviously.

As a PS, if you were thinking "But Amanda! Didn't you just tell me about some weasel-shit coffee? When are you going to stop posting about things you've eaten?" to which I say, "uhhh, I don't know if this blog is your thing."

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Roll down your windows

Even though it's been cold lately, I've been wearing shorts for days. I kind of look like a fool. But I love shorts! Shorts are what inspired me to make this Polyvore set of outfits that I want to wear this summer. I would wear any of these outfits right now, with a great pair of black stockings.

summer

Shorts are the perfect piece of clothing for the summer because they are so versatile. They are great for bike riding and sitting cross-legged on a patch of grass. You can dress them up or down, and there are styles to flatter everyone!

I felt this way last summer as soon as soon as it started getting warmer again. I busted out my high-waisted super-short denim shorts, and went for a bike ride down Christie. I was stopped at a red light and I could see a man staring at my legs from the driver's seat of the SUV waiting beside me. It was dusk; the windows in the car were down, the driver and his girlfriend were enjoying the warm spring air. The street lights were on, and the headlights of the SUV were shining brightly on the surface of my exposed leg. "Oh my god, honey, look at that girl's legs," I heard him say to her. "They are so pale." I looked over at him slowly, and we made eye contact. "I can hear you," I said to him, with a straight face, and his mouth hung open. "I'm... uhh. Sorry. But it's true!" he said as the light turned green, and he sped away and out of my life.

If I had had more time to talk to this man, this poor man who doesn't understand the appeal of a nice, white, freckled leg, I would have tried to explain to him the small difference between him and I. Wearing shorts in the city is just like driving with your windows down. You may be exposing a bit more than you are used to, but that doesn't mean it's bad.



I am also so happy with this fuchsia lipstick that wonderful Amanda gave me. It's just perfect for the summer. It makes me feel like my lips have been dyed by a pink popsicle!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Brewmaster

I'm a big fan of coffee. Really, who isn't? It seems like loving it is a prerequisite to adulthood. And yes, while tea will always hold a special place in my heart for its comforting steaminess and multitude of flavours, sometimes you just need a cuppa java to sock you in the gut and jolt your eyelids up. Dale Cooper knows what I'm talking about.


This weekend, I tried something that I really couldn't think about as I sipped. It was totally delicious, but disturbing in premise. Yes, it was a steaming cup of black coffee, but it was a special cup, one that had travelled halfway across the world before ending up my parents' Bodum.

It was Vietnamese coffee, which, if you've never tried it, I can't recommend highly enough. Deep black and richly flavoured, this satisfying mug tastes like a meal. It's often served in Vietnamese restaurants with condensed milk, and is so utterly fantastic this way. But the coffee I tried was no mere Vietnamese coffee. My parents recently travelled to Vietnam and went on a mission to bring these special beans back home.

It was a little thing called weasel coffee (actually, kopi luwak, or civet coffee). WHICH IS COFFEE THAT HAS BEEN EATEN AND SHIT OUT BY A WEASEL. Normally, I'd try to be a bit more eloquent about such a thing, but holy shit. I drank something that was shit out by a weasel. I'm still getting over it.


They eat the beans and because their bodies can't entirely digest them, they poop them out whole. And then farmers collect them, dry them, roast them, and we brew them. Apparently the weasels' stomach enzymes break down the proteins in the beans, giving them less of a bitter taste than regular coffee has. These are the most expensive coffee beans in the world, priced between $100 and $600 USD per pound. Seriously.

It tasted pretty good, although I think I'll probably stick to my regular Balzac's lattes on a daily basis. I don't know if  could handle drinking weaselly coffee regularly. I think David Lynch would be proud of me though.

Monday, March 28, 2011

They came from the junkyard...


I just had to share this sweet video with you. I've watched it a couple times now, and I know it's cheesy but it's very dreamy and beautiful as well. Plus it's got an awesome soundtrack. Eddie O'Keefe, who's in grad school in LA is a CHILD (well, he's 22) and that makes me feel like I need to do more with my life, and fast.


The GHOSTS from Eddie O'KEEFE on Vimeo.

There's a great write-up about the film here which will tell you a bit more about its influences. I've been totally inspired to download some girl garage music and watch some black and white motorcycle movies... and date the leader of a gang who will give me his leather jacket.

O'Keefe also made a great mix of songs which inspired the film. You can download it HERE.

ENJOY! and do let me know what you think

You Belong to Me

I saw The Jerk for the first time last night, and loved every last oodle of it. Such a goofy film, but Steve Martin is so endearingly earnest and silly and enthusiastic, and his gal Marie (Bernadette Peters) is just the cutest.


Of course, nothing compares to the charm of this little duet, which I've had stuck in my head all morning.


The most well-known version of this song was sung by sisters Patience and Prudence McIntyre in 1956, when they were only 11 and 14 years old—bizarre, since this song is really obviously about an affair.


Just a pair of little ditties to start Monday morning off right. Need a lasting pick-me-up for your week? Download our new spring mixtape!

Friday, March 25, 2011

SPRING, COME BACK!

You'll like it... I promise!

                      1. This Must Be Where Pies Go When They Die - Kyle MacLachlan
                      2. Sunglasses After Dawn - Dwight Pullen
                      3. Let England Shake - PJ Harvey
                      4. Let Her Go - Strawberry Switchblade
                      5. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man - Prince
                      6. Planet Queen - T. Rex
                      7. Kissin' Cousins - Elvis Presley
                      8. Sweet Georgie Lee Brown - Jackie Lee Cochran
                      9. Tennessee Waltz - Les Paul & Mary Ford
                     10. Here, There, and Everywhere - The Beatles
                     11. Audrey's Dance - Twin Peaks OS
                     12. Barstool Blues - Neil Young
                     13. Marie's the Name - Elvis Presley
                     14. Hawaii - No Joy

Thursday, March 24, 2011

An ode to the diner breakfast, or family restaurant

There is a Tumblr called BKFST and it represents just about everything good and meaningful in the world. 







This blog inspired me to write a post about my favourite kind of breakfasts. Throughout my 24 years of life I have gone through several breakfast phases, and I would like to outline them for you. 


Keep in mind, please, that these are my favourites. I have breakfasted at hundreds of restaurants, and I'm really pruning down my personal best to keep this post at reading length. I could write a book about this topic. 


So without further ado,


The cheap, awesome, and super filling diner breakfast.






Right down the street from where I grew up is a diner called The Good Bite. This place is a legend in North Toronto. It's been open since the '70s and does not disappoint when you want a greasy plate of eggs, bacon, and home fries. I still go here with my parents at 8:30 a.m. (before it gets crowded!) every few months. Their coffee is usually perfect, and I drink it black. This place will always have a special spot in my heart. They also make a mean grilled cheese with bacon. 











The first time I visited Dan's home town of Royal Oak, Michigan, I was blown away by the amount of really fantastic diners. The U.S. is different from Canada, I think. Here, the suburbs are sad, depressing places full of strip malls and fast food. The metro Detroit area is a diner haven, and I think upon seeing that this is where Dan came from, I fell in love with him even more. One restaurant that has become really special to me is called the Delmar, a diner where the special beats anything I have ever experienced. Three eggs, bacon, sausage, AND ham, toast, homefries, AND a slice of pineapple. AND COFFEE! The price is the best I've ever seen — it's something like $4.99 for the whole meal — and the space is nice and big and bright. This place tops my list, and I go each and every time I'm in the state of Michigan. The picture is one I took with my Holga when I went about a year ago with Dan and his brother. I think I have been about 5 times now. 


UPDATE: The Delmar is now called Pete's, which doesn't sound as cool, but everything else is still the same.








 Another favourite, though I've only been there once, is the Whistle Stop in Birmingham, Michigan. Dan and I stumbled onto this gem by accident, and when we walked through the front doors, I felt like I had walked into a different decade or country. It is impossible to explain the Whistle Stop, and I've tried many times. This restaurant belongs in a place like Stratford, Ontario, or a similarly quaint town where most residents are over the age of 80. It felt as though everyone in this restaurant was a regular, and had come for breakfast after getting out of church. This place is perfect, the food is excellent (I had an omelette), and it's the kind of place that I don't think has changed in about 60 years. I hope it never does.






dennys.ca
I know this is unorthodox, but Denny's has got to get an honourable mention on this list. Every time I take a car trip that is longer than about 2 hours, I crave a Denny's breakfast. Many road trips I've taken (the most notable being my trip to Montreal with Susan two summers ago, and a day trip to an apple picking farm with Dan and an old room mate) have started or ended with a great Denny's meal, and it doesn't matter whether you eat there at 10 a.m. or 10 p.m., it's always a delicious breakfast. I love the Grand Slam, I love all the options, (biscuits! grits!), and I love that there is one of these along just about every highway in Ontario.


There are many more diners in Toronto that I haven't tried. At the top of my list are Sadies Diner, the George Street Diner, the Bloor Street Diner, and Flo's Diner. 


Thank you for letting me share my breakfast passion with you. I realized in writing this that each of my favourite diner's has a really nice memory associated with it which, I'm sure, makes each of them a place of comfort that I will come back to. I love these diners for their atmosphere and shared experiences just as much as I do for the breakfasts they serve. 


I will update again soon with different kinds of breakfasts, including fancy breakfasts, trendy breakfasts, home-made breakfasts, and on-the-go breakfasts.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Wonder Lust

I am struck with the deepest pangs of book envy.



Sweetie Pie Press posted some images of the new Marian Bantjes book, and I think I have to have it. It might be one of those purchases that doesn't make the most sense to the bottom line of my bank account, but it'll provide some sweet soul food for my imagination.


 

Her illustrations are so intricate, so colourful, so clever, like the most detailed wrapping paper you've ever seen. The fact that these illustrate musings on wonder, memory, honour and their connection to the visual world makes it that much more appealing. The subject and style are intertwined quite literally.


 


And I may be a magpie, but it's a fact I'm comfortable with.

 via

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Animals I love

This post is dedicated to one of the sweetest animals ever, the slow loris.



I have been home writing an essay all day, and I'm feeling a bit like this little guy.



After all the coffee I've been drinking, my body is moving fast but my mind is moving as slow as a slow loris.

Red pandas eat your heart out!!!!!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

time goes by...

Tony Curtis was still sexy in the '90s.

What can I say about these two that hasn't already been said? As long as I can remember, Some Like it Hot has been my favourite movie. It's a fantastic comedy and the performances of these two men far exceed Ms. Monroe's. 

These two men's faces, disguised as women, are permanently stuck in my mind. I would turn to this movie when I was sad and needed comfort. I would watch it when I was happy to revisit a good laugh. I would also show it to new boyfriends, because being able to sit through a good '50s movie is a real relationship test that each new boy has to get through. I have watched the movie countless times, through different times in my life, and even with different versions of myself. How, then, can I reconcile seeing these faces aged, brought into the real world and taken out of the mobster-run Chicago or the band of Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators? This picture is so striking because it shows how much time can change what seems static.

Everything changes, even if it's a movie and you expect it to stop in time. Seeing the old men made up in their old roles once again (and Tony Curtis looking really excellent in his briefs) ruins the idea and picture of immortality. Before, Josephine and Daphne were young, vivacious, and sassy; their faces and characters were only seen in one role. They were locked in time, and because of this, stood as romantic figures to me. Through this picture they are made mortal.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

au revoir, winter!

Although I'm a fan of these warmer, brighter days...

digital

...ending the work day at sunset had its benefits too.

Looking forward to embracing freckled faces and bare arms again.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Tick Tock

My favourite bracelets are watches. And my favourite watches I love to wear grouped together, stacked up my wrist and bumping up against one another.


The pair of silver watches were my parents', and I can remember playing with them as a child, buried in a tangle of old jewellery and charms. Neither work—I've tried to get them fixed, and the batteries were left too long and destroyed the inner mechanisms. My father's, a stretchy well-worn Timex, boasts a missing panel and scuffed up face. I love how the hours are marked by little raised boxes.


My mother's is a Seiko, small-boned and slightly chipped, with a gold band running the length of the strap. I love the slinky way the strap's mesh moves, and how even though the face is small, there's still space for the weekday and date. And the clasp! One of those ingenious latched contraptions that are perfect for skinny wrists like mine (and my mother's too, it fits me perfectly).


The last is the latest addition, a chunky rose gold stunner that's become my daily companion. It's a Christmas present that reminds me of the giver whenever I check the time (thanks again D), shipped from ASOS. It balances gold and silver beautifully, and adds a bit of unexpected colour and brightness.

I love what a watch does to an outfit, and to the wearer. It conveys a sense of groundedness, of practicality that I feel sliding through my fingers all too often. It's far more elegant a solution than whipping out my cell phone every half hour, and feels empowering—so what that you're only at 10%, phone! Die for all I care! I'll still be on time, and I'll enjoy the peace of a little disconnect.


It saddens me that the art of telling time is falling out of favour, that analog clock faces are considered challenging. That learning to read a clock probably isn't one of those life skills being taught to kindergarteners anymore. Maybe I just like the charm in forcing yourself to take a moment, parse out meaning, and study a well-appointed face.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Slow Ride

It already feels like it's been a jam-packed week and it's only Tuesday.

This, plus my upcoming over-scheduled few days, would normally fill me with a sense of mounting dread. I'm someone who really appreciates a fair amount of alone time. And even when they're good plans, fun plans, plans featuring friends and hangouts and killer movies and chill times, I prefer under-scheduled to over.

But I'm not! Stressed about my overflowing iCal, that is. My work is busy and my days are filled and this is a good good thing except for that ever-growing to-do list. I guess we can't always win?

Keeping that in mind, here is a little ditty from the indomitable Wanda Jackson. She's a mega babe, is considered the Queen of Rockabilly, and sounds like a troll dipped in honey. AND she used to bang Elvis. I'm going to share with you a big single of hers, 'Funnel of Love'.

BUT WAIT. The difference is this: it's played at 33rpm instead of the usual 45. It's haunting and psychedelic and molassesy and feels just like the undertow she's singing about.



Just a reminder to myself to slow it down sometimes, you know?

Friday, March 11, 2011

Rainy day

This weather is disgusting. Seriously, Mother Nature, pick rain or snow but not both. I bought my new navy Hunter boots just in time. I've been having a bit of fun, splashing around in the puddles and not getting my feet wet. It's gross outside but try to have fun, lovelies, and remember to look on the bright side. Today I feel like this song from one of my favourite bands:



I do feel really guilty complaining about the weather, and I'm thankful that I'm not in Japan right now. I've been glued to BBC world news all morning. Tsunamis are pretty terrifying. Please help out if you can! http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=23892&tid=001

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Burgundy Dame

I have found my style spirit animal, and it's kind of freaking me out.


This is Lady Moriarty, a style blogger from Paris. I don't understand any of what she says, because I don't speak French, but great style transcends language barriers.

She pretty much has the loveliest closet of basics that she pairs well, and I'll be damned if I don't already have a closet full of similar items.





Hey, nice cranberry skirt, lady. The fact that I have the EXACT SAME ONE makes it a lot easier to ape you.


Those little grey pixie boots? You mean, the ones that are nearly identical to the ones I thrifted five years back?


Novelty sweaters with cute little collars? That's so my jam.


Basically, girl, you have my idealized style. The style I aspire to emulate every day. Sure, maybe that just exposes how derivative style really can be, but the fact that we came to this point on two different shores makes me really happy how personal style can make you part of a community.

If you need any more proof of how she and I are peas in a sartorial pod, check the specs in her blog header.

that's me!

The most romantic place on earth

I can say, completely without irony, that I want to get married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. I stumbled upon this gem while writing our 2nd babe blogpost. (Spoiler: our 2nd babe was married here!) Let me share with you all a little bit about this magical place.

via http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/NW011862.html


The Little White Wedding Chapel has five chapels in one compound. The Little White Wedding Chapel is the most well known, the one we see in movies, and the one that has been the marriage-place of many celebrities: Rita Hayworth and Dick Haymes, Micky Rooney and his first and third wives, Judy Garland, Michael Jordan, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, and Gladys Knight's daughter!

There is also the Chapel of Promises, the Crystal Chapel, and the Chapel L'Amour (for when you want a bit more sophistication). But if I swung down to this place to get hitched, and the Little White was all booked up, I would get on my tandem bike and peddle to the Tunnel of Love Drive Thru.

Apparently the Drive-Thru is very popular with bikers and their friends.
This is going to be one fun honeymoon!


But wait. There's more.

You can order special packages to make your ceremony just perfect. You can get the Hawaiian wedding package and they will play Hawaiian music and give you and your groom leis and an Elvis impersonator. Hopefully they will keep true to style and Elvis will be young and hot, like in Blue Hawaii.

Wanna lei him.

There is also an Elvis package, where you get married in a pink cadillac and Elvis sings you love songs before and after the ceremony.

SWOON.


What is better than this! I know it's trashy and ridiculous, but isn't the institution of marriage a bit ridiculous anyway? Why not have fun with it!

Here is what I would wear. I can't narrow down the accessories.


All photos are taken from the Little White Chapel website, http://www.alittlewhitechapel.com/html/opening_page.html

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Now I know it's not very nice to post unflattering pictures, but I wanted to share with you the first picture of the angry cat who is living in our couch.


Please pardon the quality of the picture but, as you can see, I wanted to snap it and get out of her personal space as quickly as possible. Soon she'll be a complete darling, I'm sure! We'll keep you updated. 

Too cute not to share.

http://fuckyeahnouns.com/burgundy%20girls

Lady music time

Here is really excellent mix made by my friend Cia. I have been listening to nothing else for days.



http://www.mediafire.com/?xaah7xx0d32j0yp


1. Hole- Violet
2. Neko Case- Hold On, Hold On
3. The Do- On My Shoulders
4. Holly Golightly- Tell Me Now So I Know
5. The Cardigans- Erase/Rewind
6. PJ Harvey- Sheela-Na-Gig
7. Camera Obscura- Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken
8. The Crystals- He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)
9. Crystal Castles- Courtship Date
10. The Slits- I Heard It Through the Grapevine

11. Siouxsie and the Banshees- Hong Kong Garden
12. Alannah Myles- Black Velvet
13. Nico- These Days
14. The Pretenders- Back On the Chain Gang
15. Blondie- Hanging on the Telephone
16. Cat's Eyes- Not a Friend
17. Rihanna- Rude Boy
18. Elastica- Stutter
19. Janis Joplin- Piece of My Heart
20. The Kills- Wait
21. Patti Smith- Piss Factory
22. No Doubt- Don't Speak
23. Alanis Morrissette- You Oughta Know
24. Cat Power- You May Know Him
25. Sheryl Crow- If It Makes You Happy
26. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Turn Into
27. The Velvet Underground- After Hours

GIRL POWER!!! I think Black Velvet and Piss Factory are my favourites.

Monday, March 7, 2011

From One Cat to Another

This one goes out to our darling new foster cat, Patches, who has yet to come out from under the sofa.


It's okay, girl! Just listen to Maude and Cat! They know what's up.

Hair tutorials

Do you ever have those days where you wake up with so much to do that you don't know where in the world to start? Instead of doing anything productive I have been lying on the living room couch, silently coaxing our new foster cat to stop hiding and come out and be cute! I gave her some catnip, hoping to relax her a little, and I can hear her licking it up off the floor. I don't want to scare the poor thing, but I really need to do my Buns of Steel workout video, and I don't think the room is big enough for the both of us.

Another thing I've been doing this morning is find cool hair tutorials. These are some of my favourite things on the Internet, and I wanted to share my current favourites.




Here are Joanna Goddard's easy steps for making this sweet up-do.


http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/search/label/hair

1. This style is so easy, it's laughable. Day-old hair is best (which is true for most hairstyles, since it's easier to work with hair that has a little dirt in it).

2. Divide your hair into three equal parts and quickly spray each section with a little hairspray to help give it hold. Let the hairspray set for a couple seconds, and then lightly comb it out.

3. Take the section on your right side, and twist your hair all the way down to the end. You want to twist counter-clockwise, toward your face. Wrap the right section in on itself, just like you're making a little bun. Let some of the hair stick out, it's ok (you don't want them to look like Princess Leia buns).

4. Pin the right bun in place. I like to use these mini bobby pins, since they're easier to hide and they're coated in rubber so they hold your hair better.

5. Next, twist the middle section clockwise and pin. Then twist the left section clockwise and pin.

6. Spray the three buns with a little more hairspray, and you're done!





Easy, right? And oh-so-cute. Here is the abridged version of another great 'do.

http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/ooh-la-la-how-to-get-a-perfectly-messy-bun/

Step #1: Make your hair dirty. (During the week, [I] use dry shampoo to keep her hair from getting greasy.)
Step #2: Next, pull together your hair and hold it straight up.
Step #3: Then twist your hair down to a few inches above the crown.
Step #4: Wrap your hair around itself until it forms a loose bun, right on top of your head.
Step #5: Pin the bun in place with bobby pins. “Anywhere from four to eight, depending on how thick your hair is,” C. says. “You want it loose but secure.”
Step #6: Finally, pull loose strands of hair from the nape of your neck and around your face to make it look like you’ve worn the bun all day (or even slept in it!) And there you have it: That certain je ne sais quoi.
I've been wearing my hair like this now all morning. It looks messy, but in that chic, too-busy-to-do-my-hair, French kind of way. I find 4 or 5 bobby pins keep it nice and secure.
My all time favourite hair tutorials are videos by Loepsie



Loepsie is the cutest. I've been trying to figure out where she is from (Holland?) but I've given up. She's got a great accent and her eye rolling is totally sassy. She is very hair-friendly. She has lots of other great videos on how to grow long hair and keep it looking healthy. (NO HEAT!) I love this hair curling method because you can sleep in it and wake up looking great. There is nothing as easy as this. I now have about 4 "sock buns" floating around the house. Maybe when the cat comes out of hiding she can play with them.

She also has some great braid tutorials:







Isn't she adorable? I encourage you to watch more of her videos to get hair-healthy tips. 

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Babe the First

A little feature Laura and I have been discussing is the addition of a series of babes. Yes, babes. Dreamy dudes, but also, ladies we love. And so, without further ado, the first, unilaterally decided by me.


You have no idea how much I love Jean-Pierre Léaud. Like, seriously, the above picture came up on my tumblog and I sighed involuntarily. If you don't understand why, see Stolen Kisses. Or even better, see The 400 Blows and then Stolen Kisses. He worked with Truffaut often and starred in the director's Antoine Doinel series, following Léaud's character from childhood to adulthood in 4.5 films (one was a short). He also worked with Godard and was one of his so-called "children of Marx and Coca-Cola".


He radiates such genuine, earnest charm that it leaves me weak-kneed. He's got some serious acting chops, even as a 12 year old in The 400 Blows. He always manages to be delightful even as you know he's being an ass. He makes goofy faces and is slightly spastic and brings a certain wide-eyed enthusiasm to his roles. And lord knows I'm a sucker for a man in a tweedy blazer.


Now, I'm only basing this knowledge off the Antoine series and Day for Night (also directed by Truffaut), but his babeliness transcends mere constraints like what films I've seen. Trust me, google imaging him is a treat, even when he's older and starts looking a bit like Tommy Wiseau because that has charms all its own (though not babely ones). I feel no hesitations in recommending everything he's been in, ever. I'll be catching up soon with Masculin, féminin and La Chinoise.

(Also, Chantal Goya, props to a pretty slick little bob.)