Hmmm...

[pen_grunt]

I'll really digging my new bordello/office space. (The red curtains remind everyone of a bordello, apparently.) I was hanging up my big Bob Dylan poster and I'm quickly realizing that blocking everyone out with bordello curtains, creating a cave-like environment and hanging up angst-y musician posters isn't really doing anything to dispel the impression of the diva-like, broody, reclusive writer. *shrug* Ah well. As Popeye would say, "I 'yam what I 'yam."

Derrick and I watched Crash last night. We had the movie, and I hadn't seen it, so I figured, "What the hell, lets watch the Oscar-winning picture for best film of the year."

The movie ended and I turned to Derrick.

"Was that REALLY the best thing that Hollywood could come up with this year? Really?"

To be fair, I hadn't seen any of the other nominated films. Not that the movie wasn't good. It was. It just wasn't....well, it wasn't on par with previous Oscar-winning films. 4 out of 5 stars, really...but it was just lacking something. It was too much like a forced snapshot. A picture taken with something completely different in the background, hiding out of focus or behind something else. I suppose that films are, in their own way, a very subjective medium where the filmmaker wants you to see life through the snapshot of his lens (excluding the background focus). However, it just felt heavy handed.

Edit: I think I've now pinpointed why I didn't "like" Crash as much as I should have... The main theme of the movie is: everyone is racist...isn't it horrible? (Guilt people, right now you should be feeling guilt for your terrible prejudicial, racist ways.) But then the movie shows (and makes a point of showing) that everyone is pretty much an asshole. So why not be a racist...or better yet, why not just hate everyone equally? It also shows that the cases of prejudicial treatment (the white woman huddling closer to her husband while two black men pass by them on the street) are completely justified, though conceptually "wrong" (the two men in question hijack the woman and her husband's car moments later). So the movie pretty much made me hate everyone...completely equally of course.

Comments

[llythefaerye.livejournal.com]

Well . . . it's not so much the *impression* of the "broody, reclusive writer" . . . You *are* a broody, reclusive writer. ;p

Haven't seen the movie. You should *definitely* see Good Night and Good Luck. It's freakin' fabulous. I'll go with you and watch it again, if you like . . . theatres (and mainstream ones!) are still playing it. . .

[gigglerz.livejournal.com]

wow, i totally disagree. i thought it was thought provoking. i wondered after that "how much am i like that? what can i do to make a small change...what can we all do?" i even made my 15 year old daughter watch it.

i DID see some of the other movies, brokeback was really well written you could FEEL what they were going through (all involved).

do yourself a favor and watch some of the others....

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

I certainly shall. We plan on buying most of them once they reach the 3 for $25 section in Hollywood Video.

...I have no doubt that the others are good...and like I said, Crash was good, it just.... *shrug* meh.

[gigglerz.livejournal.com]

hehehe, i understand. it just seemed powerful to me.

WALK THE LINE was good as well. they WERE Johnny and June. i felt like i was on the outside watching others just live. i forgot i was watching actors in a movie.

[liquid-siftings.livejournal.com]

Brokeback is excellent, and I am disappointed it didn't win. I know a lot of people find it too slow, but for me, the pace was appropriate for the film. I hereby gua-ran-tee you that Heath Ledger will never be better. IMHO, Ang Lee is the best actor's director working today: he makes mediocre actors good, and good actors great.

I have not seen Crash -- I am too afraid it will be like Grand Canyon, another ensemble let's-look-at-racism-in-LA picture that was godawful, despite good actors and a good pedigree. But I will probably pony up to the bar soon enough...