Though nine evenings still remain in October, my record for most movies watched in one month has already been shattered. Lest anybody be tempted to recommend medication, I'll keep the number to myself. I will confess we're already talking double digits. Really.
Duly chastened as I am about the hours I've spent indulging my indiscriminate film jones this month, I offer two mitigating factors in meager defense. See if you can relate at all.
* I've spent over ten hours on airplanes. I had books and my journal. Mediation or listening to music were additional options. I did end up doing a little reading. But the lure of that tiny screen in my face undid me. Then, scanning the choices, I was overwhelmed, pathetically, in both directions. Watched two on the way to L.A. and one on the way home. Only one will stick: Carlos, a documentary about the incomparable Carlos Santana.
* The TV in our two week rental in L.A. dominated the living space. There was a door to the bedroom that could be shut when I played guitar, meditated, read, or wrote. However, there's a solid reason why the only TV in our home is not in our living space. If it were, it's possible I'd be regularly searching the streaming services for the latest and, in many cases, not so greatest movies. In our rental, I was thoughtlessly ensnared in that trap. Saw a few OK documentaries, went gaga watching Vera Drake - a Mike Leigh gem from 2004 - but otherwise squandered some serious time. Low point? There was significant competition for that dubious distinction, but my near-complete disillusionment with Stand By Me - a Rob Reiner film I've held in high esteem for many years - landed with a thud on a re-watch. Should have played the guitar or something.
If only I'd gone into the bedroom more vs. getting continually mesmerized by that big screen. In the meanwhile, since returning home, I will not claim total abstinence. But my film consumption is now under control again. Don't ask exactly what that means; allow me a little dignity. Besides, the record has already been broken. What's the harm now?
We watch a lot of movies ourselves and most are forgettable. There is one I saw a few years ago that still resonates with me, a Belgian film called "Close" about the friendship between two teenage boys. It is available for free on Kanopy, which is free through your local library. The film is one of the most heartbreaking you will ever see, and young lead actor is one of the beautiful human beings you will ever encounter on the silver screen.
ReplyDeleteHey Jim; Thanks for the comment, the confession that you possibly have watched as many forgettable movies as I, and for the recommendation of "Close". If I can find it at my library and then watch it, I'll be sure to re-connect and tell you my reaction. My best recent find = "Vera Drake" - subject of a recent blog post and also mentioned above - worth the time especially the extraordinary Master's Class in acting when the protagonist is arrested.
ReplyDeleteAnother movie I have been recommending to friends, which you can get on Amazon for $1.99 is "The Other Son," an Israeli film about two families, one Jewish, one Palestinian, who discover that their teenage sons were switched at birth.
ReplyDeleteJim; Thanks for the second recommendation.
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