There used to be a site, and it might be still be around, I haven't checked recently, called "Birth, Movies, Death" that I used to think was ridiculous, until the pandemic hit, and I realized that I didn't particularly want to live a life without movies, as we're making up for lost time like the crazy people we are.
The crazy person I am.
What do couples who don't like movies possibly do together?
What do they possibly talk about if the kids have flown the nest?
We saw four this weekend, two in safe theaters, two in the comfort of our home.
We started with a matinee of "Nightmare Alley" which Jim expected to hate because of all the violence, but we both wound up liking, a lot.
It was terrific film noir, where women were called "tomatoes" (that's a pretty" rotten" term for my gender, says this film fan) and Cate Blanchett was the perfectly cast femme fatale.
It also triggered a lot of childhood memories when I was obsessed with circus weirdos. I'd browse through packs of playing cards that begged me to see the "world's fattest woman" or the infamous "woman with a mustache" and... stop right now !!!...and leave the self-deprecation to me:)
Not sure if this memory is real, but I think I'd spend a lot of time on boardwalks in Pt. Pleasant and Atlantic City, paying to get in to see real live freaks and being grateful I wasn't one of them.
The movie really depicts how dreadful the life of a bona fide geek is, and here, I thought a geek was all about pocket protectors and an obsessive love of word games.
While nothing comes close to "West Side Story" when it comes to my favorite film of 2021(except maybe "Coda") we're really seeing a lot to recommend..or not. (more on that later)
By the way...
I'm glad to know I'm not the only nit-picker who has issues with the original love story shown in "West Side Story."
Tony killed Maria's brother, and not even in self defense! And then wanted to hit up Doc for escape money!
These weren't star-crossed lovers, these were "Natural Born Killers" but with morals. The new version expanded the backstory, thankfully..added some credibility.
The next film, one we streamed on Amazon Prime, was the one giving two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali some buzz for portraying the lead in "Swan Song" which I'll try to talk about without giving too many spoilers.
Without giving too many spoilers.
Without giving too many spoilers.
Again, I'm as subtle as a sledge hammer but here's a twist you didn't see coming:
We watched the wrong "Swan Song!"
There's ANOTHER movie with that title, about a lovable flamboyant hairdresser that just came out a little over three months ago, with the exact same name!
I had no business pouting that the "Swan Song" we saw was a little heavy on the sci-fi stuff..it's not the damn movie's fault that we didn't choose the right, highly recommended "Swan Song!"
Geez...!!
Today, we saw something that we both gave more than a passing grade(oy!..there I go again with my subtlety) as we both loved "Passing", especially the superb acting by Ruth Negga. The black and white cinematography worked so well here, and the message was a strong and topical one, considering the movie was set in the 1920's.
Highly recommended.
Flash forward to tonight, where we finally got back to the most exciting town in our entire county, Asbury Park, after a two year absence.
It wasn't as Christmas-y as it could have been, but we loved our candle-lit romantic dinner, with low lights and Sinatra on a constant loop, enjoying good Italian food, while discussing..the freaking pandemic, and the omicron(which anagrams as "moronic" in case you missed my blog the other day) and how those anti-vaxxers are so selfish and misinformed!!
Not exactly a conversation that would inspire Elizabeth Barrett-Browning.
We walked the block and a half to the tiny intimate theater, with fifteen barcalounger recliners, and nobody but us and a younger masked couple were in the audience.
This was my pick--"C'mon, C'mon" and I..loved every single minute of it, even the muffled dialogue, even the black-and-white cinematography, even the thread-bare plot.
The child star, Woody Norman(a child with the name of an octagenarian) was terrific--probably one of the best performances I've seen by a young actor. I adored Gaby Hoffman and especially Joaquin Phoenix in the avuncular role. I love relationship movies, and I don't think I've ever seen one between an uncle and a nephew on screen before. I felt in love with the actors, the characters, and their relationship.
It was like "Kramer vs. Kramer" but with less snot.
Jim, on the other hand, was bored out of his mind. He didn't appreciate the quirkiness of the kid(although he did say he seemed like a "natural") and the muffled dialogue totally ruined the entire movie for him, which I think he would have enjoyed more with subtitles and about 50 ounces of a heavily caffeinated beverage.
I can't remember disagreeing about a movie this much before, but I'm not sure I can recommend it to everyone now, because Jim's points were valid.
As he went to get the car, I talked to the young masked couple who felt like I did..they LOVED the movie. The guy is an English teacher at a local high school, and a big fan of Phoenix. The pacing of the movie didn't bother them in the least..they loved every single thing in this avant garde masterpiece.
Jim wouldn't call it that.
He'd call it a piece all right..but not with the word "master" as a prefix.
He'd use a suffix, I think.
I'm sure we'll see a dozen more movies before the year's end, safely, smartly, with popcorn and Diet Coke, and hopefully..where the experience can be equally enjoyed by both of us.
Until then..save me the aisle seat.
No really..I drink a LOT of liquid refreshments... save the aisle seat.
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