I wanted to hate it but damn them they did a good job. The Drake Hotel renovation is now complete and it's pretty classy. I like the black front, rusted panels and gleaming red "Hotel" sign. Between that and the new, official "Design and Art District" street signs the area beyond Parkdale that I once dubbed "No Man's Land" is experiencing a full-on, highly accelerated push into total gentrification.

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We watched "In the Cut" last week. I've been experiencing a Jane Campion resergence having watched both "Sweetie" and "An Angel at My Table" again so it was only good timing that the new film came out on DVD when it did. I actually really enjoyed it despite my massive distaste for the hyper-cute Meg Ryan. Yes I know she has attempted to break out of that stereotype by playing more dramatic roles i.e. the film we have "affectionately" dubbed "Sweet Little Baby, Mommy's an Alcoholic".

Anyways I feel like I need to see it again. Today at lunch we were discussing how it kinda has some shades of "Looking for Mr. Goodbar".... now there's a movie I DEFINITELY need to see again having only caught it by accident on tv really late at night a while back. Both feature female characters whose personal lives seem to be at odds with their day jobs and who are sexually independant. Although in "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" the weird and violent ending seems to be a morality lesson suggesting, or rather bashing us over the head, that this is the price women pay for it. I seriously don't think that is Jane Campion's intent... although I'm not certain what her intent is. Ya I need to see them both again.