Weekend Picks #1

Over the weekend I had an idea for a "Monday" post. Every Monday, I'll write about places, movies, music, food, stuff I did over the weekend and whether I think it's worth your money/time. So, this weekend's picks are:

Maria Full of Grace
This movie is about a young Colombian girl who agrees to become a drug lord's mule in order to make money, provide for her family, and make ends meet. The movie got rave reviews, but I wasn't too wild about it. It was interesting, but to me it felt like the director/writer was so intrigued by the "mule" concept, that that's all he focused on. Maria, the main character, lacked, er, character. Not to mention the movie felt a little too optimistic for such a serious topic. Worth seeing if you find the mule concept interesting (or know little about it), but don't believe the hype. In Spanish w/ subtitles.

Kinamand
I don't think you can buy this DVD in the U.S., but this movie is available for streaming via Netflix. Watch it! It's one of the best movies I've seen. It's a Danish movie about an older man (a plumber) whose wife one day divorces him. During the divorce process, the plumber befriends Feng, the owner of a local Chinese take-out restaurant. They become good friends, and Feng asks the plumber to marry his sister so she can remain legally in Denmark. The movie starts off very lighthearted, it has a few funny moments, but then takes a very dark twist. I love how it deals with the topics of marriage, immigration, racism, and love. Recommended 100%. In Danish with subtitles.

Sweetgrass Winery Maple Smash
Over the summer I went to Maine with some friends and we went to this winery called Sweetgrass. They made a really good gin in-house. I'm not a gin drinker, I actually dislike gin, but their gin was great. Well, a friend of mine recently came back from Maine and bought me a bottle of Maple Smash. It's a blend of Maine maple syrup with brandy. In a word, it's delicious. I don't know if they deliver (I have a hunch they don't), but if you're lucky enough to live in Maine, you must try this.