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Jasmine Rice and the French House

               My mom and I went to Nicholas on Wednesday. We went to the SE Madison location. It is a Mediterranean and Lebanese place. There is a parking lot but you have to pay. The building doesn't look like much from the outside. It's painted red. They have a small patio. The only way I can think of to describe the inside is it is like a resort. It has Mediterranean touches but is also modern. There are cool lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The walls are white with some artwork. There are large wooden beams. Some of the tables are booths with green curtains. The chairs are a dark pink. The main bright colors are green and pink which is a weird combination. It was really loud. From what little I could hear there was good Lebanese music playing. We sat upstairs. You get complimentary pita bread and sesame oil. The pita was ok. We both got the Shawarma plate. It comes with a garbanzo bean salad, saffron jasmine rice, and hummus. It was really good. The service was also really good. I would go back.

Monday: The Trip to Bountiful (1985)

         This movie is set in the 40s in Texas. Carrie is an elderly woman living with her son and daughter-in-law in a small apartment. Her daughter-in-law is very controlling and high maintenance.  They often butt heads. Carrie's son does little to ease the tension. Carrie is determined to back to her home in Bountiful. Her son discourages her from going. Trying to tell her that nothing is there anymore. She has run away several times but is always caught. Then one day she makes it. She gets on a bus that will get her close to Bountiful. It is not how she remembered. I thought this movie was ok.

Tuesday: Marnie (1964)

            Marnie is a pickpocket and a thief. She stole money from her work and ran away. She tries to get a job at a factory as a secretary. Mark, the owner, remembers seeing her at her old work. He suspects she is the one who stole the money. He still hires her. Soon enough she does try to steal from him. He catches her. Mark promises not to say anything if she lets him help her. The best way he can think of is to marry her. He thinks she likes him but she won't let him near her. She has psychological problems. Mark tries to stop her from stealing and help her with her psychological problems. This movie is ok. It's a Hitchcock film. He harassed Tippi Hedren, Marnie, while filming this movie. Which is horrible. I don't know if that was the reason for her bad acting or not. The only other movie I've seen her in is The Birds, but it's been awhile. I don't know if her acting was bad in that too.

Friday: The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)

           Michael got his bodyguard license taken away after the events of the first movie. He is having a hard time adjusting. His therapist suggests he gives it up and goes on vacation. In Greece there is a plot to take down the major power network in Europe. While on his trip in Italy Michael gets in the middle of a gun fight. A woman who introduces herself as Sonia pulls him out of the gunfire. She is Darius's wife. Darius was taken by the mafia and asked for her to get Michael to help. This is surprises Michael because they hate each other. They rescue Darius. Somehow they get involved in the plot in Greece and end up working for a US agency to help stop it. I thought this movie was ok. There were some funny moments. But there was a lot of the humor that I didn't like.

Saturday: Waiting for You (2017)

        Paul's father has recently passed away. He served in the army but was ashamed of it. Before he died he told Paul about a sack of pearls that he had hidden at a house in France. When he went back for them the colonel who owned the house wouldn't let him get them. A couple days after the funeral Paul finds out that his father's garage is losing money. His mom has no income and will struggle to get by. He finds a picture of the house in France and decides to go get the pearls. In France he finds the town. He finds out where the house is. Paul pretends to be an architecture student doing a study on French houses. Madeline, the owner and daughter of the colonel, lets him stay in the guest house and study her house. She is suspicious of him. Paul is determined to find the pearls, but ends up finding a lot more than be bargained for. This is a good movie. Colin Morgan, one of my favorites, is Paul.

Sunday: The Lure (2015)

        This is a Polish film. Golden and Silver are two young mermaids. One day they are discovered at a beach by a band after the girls try to hypnotize them into coming into the water. (Once dry land they have human legs.) The lead singer, Krysia, shows them to her boss at the cabaret club she works at. He hires them to be back up singers. They are a hit. Silver falls for the guitar player. She wants to give up everything to be with him. Golden wants to return to the ocean. She has a more evil nature. Also she is worried that the guitarist doesn't really like Silver and that could be bad for Silver. I didn't like this movie. It is really really weird and dark. Even their mermaid tails are disturbing. 

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