THE INTOUCHABLES

This is a quiet, slow-paced, pleasant movie about the changes that occur in the life of a paralyzed man because of his new attendant.

The wheelchair occupant is wealthy and awfully restrained and emotionless. The attendant is handsome, brash, aggressively direct, charming, talkative and forgive my french, full of joie de vivre. One of my favorite parts to the film is seeing the 2 of them listening to an orchestra that has been hired as part of the rich guys birthday celebration. The orchestra is playing classical music and the attendant's comments and facial expressions are funny. After the performance is through, he puts a CD on of Earth, Wind and Fire and starts dancing (as does the rest of the old white people crowd) and seeing this orderly dance was worth sitting through the rest of the edgy boring film.

Nothing happened. there was no tension or explanation into either of the 2 main character's background or motivation or personality. The paralyzed man basically amusedly smiled at the antics of his assistant. Plus he didn't even act paralyzed; he was supposed to be a quad but he had too much use of his head, neck and shoulders.

I gave it a 6 (cuz of the dancing and my entranced attraction to the tall and goodlooking and rashly glib attendant) and Bill gave it a 5. Its out on video.

LAVERNA'S COFFEE SHOP - TUCSON, AZ

I really want to like this restaurant and put it on my list of favorite breakfast/lunch spots. but that may not be possible. I'll eat here again trying some of their lunch items hoping that the food will taste better- well, really have any taste at all.

Laverna's is on 220 S. Plumer in a great sort of hidden neighborhood off Broadway near Tucson. I like the feel of the place, the decorations, the number of tables, the friendly service (our blunt and sweet waitress used to work at one of my favorite bakeries), the portion size and the prices.

Now let's get to the food: i ordered a veggie omelette with crispy home fries and a biscuit. The omelette was a 4-egg'er; too much egg - thick slabs of egg which surrounded almost nothing; a few pcs. of tomatoes and mushrooms, i never did taste any onion. and the eggs themselves had no taste even with salt.

Likewise for the home fries, no flavor. Now the biscuit was nice and warm and was as tall as a 2 story townhome. It wasn't fluffy but was a dense nest for my multiple almost invisible in size "cups" of butter. So i think i enjoyed that because of the butter taste.

Jean had french fries and a grilled cheese sandwich with green chilies. I could hardly see the cheese but oh, the amount of chilies was ridiculous. and jean also said there was no flavor.

Another attempt at Laverna's will be upcoming.

NATIVE NEW YORKER - TUCSON, AZ

This restaurant moved into the vacated Chuy's. It serves alcohol and has lots of 'fancy' drinks and about 25 TV's along the walls. Their menu also includes a shitload of appetizers; plates and bowls of fried foods with spicy sauces.

We ate here only because we had a 1/2 off coupon because i knew that they served the same type of food (salads, sandwiches, burgers) that some of our favorite restaurants have for a lot cheaper price. Native New Yorker also has pizza's, calzones, wings, pasta dishes and fish entrees. The menu telling you of all these choices is about as heavy as the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Bill had a burger and fries. He liked the burger but the fries were a disaster; hot but limp with a too thick sprinkle of spicy pepper and salt. I had chicken pot pie which was fairly tasty; nice and creamy with a decent amount of vegetables; sort of slim with the chicken pieces and there were several that had gristle but all in all i was satisfied.

The waiters and waitresses were saucily hip and cool with moussed  hair and tattoos and rings and swishy hips. The restaurant is on Speedway and Country Club.