Returning from the right coast to the left, I am still a bit out of sorts. I fall asleep late as I do on west coast time, but am waking up on east coast time, when its still dark out. Its actually kind of interesting to me, because I am not so much of a morning person. I am enjoying the sunrise. And the solitude before people are up to start their day. Too bad I am not sleeping very much.
So I am easing into the days this way. Maybe falling asleep watching a movie, and waking up to watch the rest, or just watch an entirely new one.
My film picks for this rainy Los Angeles weekend are:
Paris, je t'aime.
A suggestion from Roxy, this is a great one to rent. Captures various arrondissements (districts) of Paris and different sorts of "love" through 18 individual shorts by directors from the Coen brothers to Gerard Depardieu (his short is quite smart and funny) and Gus Van Sant. A slew of actors you may recognize include Natalie Portman and Steve Buscemi. Some shorts are in French some in English. All really lovely and unique and just capturing so much of that gorgeous city and some of the intricate workings of human behavior.
One of my favorites was the last, "14th Arrondissement," with a rather unattractive female American mail carrier who fulfills her dream and goes to Paris on her own. Something she says at the end struck me. Because I've had these love affairs with places and cities myself. I used to cry every time I left Hawaii. My heart ached like it does when leaving a lover. So bizarre. And when I was in Paris, I went around a lot alone and had these magical moments. My father didn't think I'd return to the US. He actually seemed surprised. Being alone in Kyoto was very fulfilling in a different way for me. Quiet and spiritual and I wanted to just become a geisha. Seriously.
Anyway, back to the film. The character says, "Sitting there alone in a foreign country, away from my job and all the people I knew, something happened. A feeling came over me. As if I recalled something that I had never known and for which I had been waiting. But I didn't know what it was. Maybe it was something I had forgotten. Or something I had missed my whole life. I can only tell you that at the same time I felt joy and sadness. But not a great sadness. Because I felt alive. Yes. Alive! That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And the moment that Paris had fallen in love with me."
I've just never seen this sort of feeling described in a film....and while its nice to share moments with others, in a way its even more special to have these love affairs all to yourself......
The Main Event.
Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. 1979. The power struggle as times were changing. She's the owner with the cash and he's a boxer working for her. Crazy arguing. Great chemistry. Its really funny and engaging and you're just sucked in the whole time, and then its over. Poof.
Paper Moon.
Just a coincidence, another Ryan O'Neal film with his daughter Tatum O'Neal, the cutest little 9 year old tomboy (she won an Oscar in 1973 for this role). Black & white set in depression-era mid-west US. They play a pair of scam artists. Just a great film, great cinematography, great costumes.
Next up, I stumbled upon Crazy Love, which I have been wanting to see for sometime. When I am in the video place, I get lost in my mind the same way I do at record stores. I see so much but I can't remember what I want to get..... Anyway, I'm looking forward to this one about the sort of psycho relationship of Burt & Lina Pugach. Hopefully I have time to watch it this weekend between mimosas for brunch and going out on zee town.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment