Manolo answers, it is the Carl Bruni!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend, the Shannon, for being the first person to correctly identify this flats-wearing personage of note.

Manolo asks, whose shoes?

Manolo answers, it is the Mo’Nique!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend, BetsyPHD, for being the first to correctly identify this week’s Oscar-winning personage of note.

Manolo asks, whose shoes?

Watching…

Listening to…

Reading…

This is the week of Meh. The book, Then We Came to the End. Meh. Yes, it is written entirely in the first person plural, but that does not make up for its meh-ness. It is too contrived by half, and too unfunny by half.

The movie Coco Before Chanel. Meh. Yes, it is all about Coco Chanel, which should furnish the screenwriters with tons of salacious early-20th century fodder. But, instead of the fabulous soap opera, it is turned into the stately costume pageant with the luminous Audrey Tatou. This is the subject which requires the actress who is more earthy and more crazy. And thus in this incarnation it is merely meh.

Thank goodness for Beverly Sills in the Tales of Hoffman.

Manolo answers, it is the Catherine Zeta-Jones!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend, the exceptionally perceptive Spritle, who was the first to correctly identify this golf-loving person of note.

Manolo asks, whose shoes?

Listening to…

Reading…

Watching…

As great as the movie Paper Moon is, and it is great, the book on which it is based, Addie Pray, is even better.

One of the Manolo’s biggest complaints about modern young adult novels (at least those not involving wizards or vampires) is that the central character is more often the victim than the hero, who triumphs not through wits and action, but through simple endurance.

Imagine, then, how the writers of 21st century young adult fiction would treat the problems of Addie Pray, the newly orphaned 11-year-old girl released into the custody of the nomadic petty criminal who may or may not be her father, and then do it in exactly the opposite manner, and you would have Joe David Brown’s book, which is by turns sweet, hilarious, and wonderful.

And, among the most amazing things is that this wonderful book could then be translated into the wonderful movie, something which may be confirmed by watching the famous Nehi and the Coney Island scene…

And which after viewing makes you feel sad about the fates of Tatum and Ryan O’Neal.

Manolo answers, it is the Beyonce Knowles!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend ChaChaHeels, who was the first to correctly identify this week’s personage of note.

Manolo asks, whose shoes?