This Joker is simply one of the most twisted and mesmerizing creeps in movie history. And the actor, who died in January at 28 of an accidental prescription-drug overdose, is magnificent. Echoing the sly psychopathy and scary singsong voice of Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Ledger!), Ledger carries in him the deranged threat of a punk star like Sid Vicious, whom he supposedly took as one of the models for his character. The Joker observes no rules, pursues no grand scheme; he’s the terrorist as improv artist.
— TIME
1015:
florent closed. it was one of my favorite restaurants in new york and i really had no idea it had such a history.
this is a great quote from the owner though:
“So I came to New York for the reason everyone comes to New York, because it is the city of changes. People forget this is what they love about New York. They get old, they get grumpy. They get … nostalgic.”
i really like the two stories the owner of florent told in this nymag article.
edit: i just realized it’s bastille day…and look at the florent pic i posted w/o realizing!
unfortunately, i had to be the one to break the news to the family that Florent had closed. morgan and i went yesterday in hopes of a delicious brunch, but found that it was completely empty and had been changed to R&L restaurant. we sat down, confused, and found that the formerly flamboyantly gay/fantastic wait staff had been replaced by some hispanic teenagers who didn’t talk loud enough and were unnecessarily rude. i ordered the vegetarian chili, which used to be amazing, but had been reduced to watery, tasteless beans and green peppers. later, i was charged $12.50 for the disgusting chili, when i had ordered the appetizer which was $9. i told him that i wanted the check to be changed, but he refused, and that was the last straw. this would never have happened at Florent. it was french, and the customer is always right, right? yes. i used to work at a restaurant and if the food didn’t taste perfect it was free. in this case, the food didn’t taste like food, the service was horrible, i didn’t feel welcome, and i was overcharged. i wasn’t happy and i hope this new place closes. soon.
