The Oscar project- "Oliver!"

The latest selection that I've viewed is the musical Oliver!, which won best picture in 1968. I didn't really think that this piece was deserving of a best picture, and according to some of my Internet research, neither did some of the critics. However, there are some good things about the film. It's a musical based on the story of Oliver Twist, which I have never read and probably will never read as I'm not a fan of the writing of Charles Dickens.

Mark Lester, who plays Oliver, is a really annoying child. I think he was probably cast because he looks so innocent, but he looks so innocent and pathetic that you just want to tell him to brain up and get a clue. Apparently his songs were dubbed in, and it's quite obvious.

The other characters, such as the Artful Dodger, Bill Sykes and Fagin, are amazing and the actors that portrayed them do a great job. I like musicals, but there was WAY too much singing in this one, and the dance numbers weren't that great. I wouldn't class "Oliver!" in the same category as "West Side story" or "The Sound of Music."

**I wonder if Scorsese saw this, as there are some scenes that reminded me of "Gangs of New York."

Wayson Choy and Ange Zhang

I had the opportunity last week to meet two Asian Canadian writers. One is currently nominated for a Governor General's Award (a big ass literary prize, for you Americans) and the other is nominated for the Giller (another big ass literary prize.) Both men now live in Toronto and both were exceptional, wonderful people.

I interviewed Ange Zhang last Wednesday. When he first began working, Zhang was a set designer for the Beijing Opera. When he immigrated to Canada, he worked as a theatre designer, an illustrator for children's books, and now he works as an animator on children's cartoons. He recently wrote a children's book called "Red Land, Yellow River", which is about his experience growing up during China's Cultural Revolution. It's a very moving and historically important book. If you can, please look at it.
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On Sunday night, I volunteered at a talk given by Wayson Choy. Choy is a delightful man, who is warm and funny. He spoke about how his life had changed after his heart attacks, the importance of luck in his life and his relationship with Carol Shields. It was incredibly moving.

Afterward, I got an autographed copy of the book and exchanged a few words with Wayson.

My recommendations for the Vancouver Asian Film Festival

There are some pretty interesting films coming to the Vancouver Asian Film festival, November 5-8. I really want to go see "Lilo and Me" by Kip Fulbeck, an artist of mixed heritage whose film discusses ideas of shifting identity. I also want to see Greg Pak's "Robot Stories" because I've heard that it's good.

I'm going to personally recommend Anand Ramayya's documentary, Cosmic Current. Anand is a filmmaker who was based in Saskatoon (last I knew). This film is a fascinating look at his quirky family and the pilgrimage they take to India when his mother becomes ill. My father and I were lucky enough to catch it one night, and both of us were quite moved. You should also go see it, because Anand is a nice guy, and I believe in the supporting good people and not assholes.

Anand's dad is also a filmmaker who has made several films including "Seetha and Carol". If you watch, "Seetha and Carol", you might even see my arm in one scene, because I was an extra in it.

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A store near my house is selling this T-shirt which cracked me up. I want one for myself.