two lovely ladies

Back when I used to work every Monday night, I used to envy all those cinephiles heading off to the Luna Monday Doubles. Now, in my post-university life, as time magically unfolds before me and commitments become a thing of the past, I have no reason not to indulge with great vigour and frequency, as I indeed have been. And the cinematic surprises have been flowing thick and fast, as proven by last night's duo: "in which two hopeless men fall for two of Magda's favourite silver screen girls."


The first was Crazy Heart: a little romantic drama in which everybody's favourite dude Jeff Bridges plays an embittered, alcoholic, past-his-peak rockstar called Bad. He's just plodding down the well-worn path of the classic washed-out musician, performing in bowling alleys, hooking up with any wrinkled lady who looks at him sideways, and bemoaning the lack of a bar tab, when along comes wannabe journalist and single mum, Jean (hello, Maggie, swoon). Of course, she's his One Last Shot; his chance to get all the shit together, drop the booze and write some more inspiring music. For her, however, Bad represents everything that's best avoided, and it's clear that their relationship will only last as long as her loneliness wins out over common sense.

The story that ensues is, yes, somewhat bland. This is the traditional push-and-pull of a doomed union, intercut with long long long character-driven scenes where not all that much happens. That's OK though, because the strength of the film actually lies with its two beautiful performers. Bridges is a force as this mumbling failure who somehow is never able to do up his belt buckle, and Gyllenhaal just sparkles as a sad woman uplifted by the promise of romance. Sure, it's a coupling that on first glance might make you vomit a little in your mouth, but you'll soon be swallowing that bile back because these two actually build a surprisingly sexy chemistry. All their shared glances and 'secret lover' smiles make you feel like you're witnessing something truly special take place. It was so lovely to watch, it almost recalled another sparkle/mumble couple; Heath Ledger and Maggie's own bro Jake G in Brokeback Mountain.

Boner Rating: pretty hot
Bonus Points for: Colin Farrell with a pony tail, lol.


Next up was 500 Days of Summer. Here we have another relationship that is doomed from the offset (if you miss that, the baritone narrator will remind you). Tom (played by Magda's Yr 7 Crush Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a slightly uncool, greeting card creator with big romantic ideas, but Summer (swoon), despite her perfect hair and Disney princess eyes, has a more distant, coldly rational outlook when it comes to heart matters, and never really wants anything "too serious." In a most beautifully postmodern fashion we then skip to and fro through the 500 days they spend together (and apart), until these insightful little fragments gradually form a whole picture of their relationship's rise and downfall. So, does this feel like the scriptwriter's attempt to exorcise past heart break? Yes. Is that a problem? Nope - quite the opposite.

OK - yes, at first the film's cuttingly truthful approach to relationships can be a bit daunting, especially if you start with the trailer, aka "a collection of painfully familiar break up moments guaranteed to make you weep." I'll be the first to admit that it was really only the prospect of watching Zooey-in-cute-dresses that inspired me to take the plunge. Rationally, though, it's also true that the film's greatest strength lies in its relatability, which comes from the script, and also the two simple but well-executed performances. So, whether Tom is drawing a skyline on Summer's arm in biro, whether the two of them are playing house in IKEA, or whether they're arguing over their favourite Beatle , we consistently get that deep, stomachy "I've been there" feeling - and this emotional weight is exactly what makes the film so ultimately moving. And, in the end, while it is at times harrowing (and at times, a little exaggerated! don't shoot me for saying it!), it also does a great job of celebrating the way people influence and shape one another, even if they don't stick around forever. Ultimately, it's as uplifting as it is depressing, which is a truly beautiful thing - and really as much as any scriptwriter could hope for.

(Also: Zooey's hair is amazing and now I am considering a fringe.)

Boner Rating: fire hazard hot
Bonus Points for: vintage fabric, the production design in Summer's apartment and the animated blue bird.

feeling miserable, but loving it

This arvo I had to do a little presentation for my Scriptwriting for TV unit - and chose to focus on one of my favourite TV shows of all time, Love My Way. That means that I spent basically the whole weekend re-watching old episodes and over-dosing on a hell of a lot of emotion. I don't want to be no spoiler queen (as I have been in the past), but something pretty awful happens in episode 8 of this series, and basically my poor heart breaks a little every time I watch it. WORST. But also: BEST, as I shall proceed to explain.

For the presentation's sake, I had to really figure out what makes this series so unique, and why I am so strongly drawn to it. I have concluded that, unlike any other Australian drama, this is a series takes risks. By which I do not only mean sex/drugs/artistic type risks, but also, more pertitently, emotional risks. It's a show based essentially around a deep family sadness, and around heavy, heavy, heavy themes. And I can see how that is perhaps not such an appealing premise, on a face value.

A lot of its strength lies in its characters, I suppose. Personally, I feel as if I know all these people, as if they were actually a part of my life, or my family, - and this is precisely why the series succeeds in exploring themes of death, grieving and loss in a much more intimate and genuinely affecting way than any other TV show I've seen (and that includes Six Feet - as Sasha pointed out). But, beyond that, the show succeeds because it is absolutely fearless. It is unafraid to take us deep into personal, internal experiences - and to admit when there is absolutely no glimmer of happiness. So, when hope does (eventually) spring, it is all the more moving and profound.

None of that would have worked if the show had been half-arsed about its darkness. It had to jump all the way into that sadness in order to emerge from it with something truly meaningful. And I am happy to say that that is exactly what it did. In the end, all I can do is apply those learned words: "emotionally debilitating, yet deeply life affirming" - because for once they are actually appropriate.

What a show. It comes highly recommended.

xxx magda

wild 4 woody

Free from the constraints of early tuesday mornings (ah holidays, i love you!) i have finally been able to attend a Luna Movie Double in its entirety - and what a way to live the dream too, with a beautiful Woody Allen double, a delicious peppermint choc-top and some good people including caroline, mark & ro. Before I dive into snoozeville, I wanted to jot down my reactions to these films - & I’m not talking polished, retrospective criticism, but just my instantaneous emotional response.

Annie Hall was up first, and, yes, I loved it. I found the story rich, relatable, and memorable, and the central relationship compelling in its genuine chemistry. As I drove home I replayed some favoured moments in my mind and found myself smiling, remembering Anne’s awkwardly misplaced laughter, that silly juxtaposition between their two families (Alvy’s family, like mine, is zany and obnoxious), and that bit where Alvy describes relationships as sharks (they must constantly "move forward, or die"). Still, even though I laughed a lot during this film, I wouldn’t describe it as a major lol-fest; rather, it’s a case of finding the humour touching (or ‘eerie’ even) in its accuracy. In the end, I’d describe the film as joyous, as a loving tribute to a complicated relationship. I’m excited about watching it again.

Conversely, Manhattan troubled me. Yes I found it interesting, but I had some major issues with the female characters. To me they seemed to devolve into vacuous passivity, becoming mere facilitators or ciphers (I guess mainly I am talking about the Tracy character here). I felt as if Woody too had lost a bit of his charm (though maybe that’s the effect of the double bill?) becoming at best a little annoying, and at worst a little misogynistic. Knowing about his personal life also made the relationship with Tracy a little problematic. I’ve heard so many great things about the film, though, I’ve heard it described a romantic triumph (plus Mark's a fan, and I'm a fan of Mark?), and so I wonder if this is classic me, "destroying love with over-analysis." This was Koko’s argument anyway, when I came home and tried to share the view with her, but of course she would say that (because she's a butt). Also, I think Annie Hall would obviously be more of an 'instant pleaser': so perhaps Manhatten is the fine wine of the film world?! ANYWAY, I’d love to hear other people’s opinions on this one.

IN OTHER NEWS:
My wonderful friend Liz has an amazing blog worth checking out! It is over-flowing with inspirational creativity – watch out for the “daydream project” in particular, through which she transforms some mental wanderings into something very beautiful. Yay for Liz! Gosh, I know some pretty amazing people, it is true!

x magda

the corrections

so today i finally finished reading jonathan franzen's the corrections. i started reading it ages ago for an english unit, then got distracted and only picked it up again recently. this time, however, i was well 'suckered' into the story and encountered that classic sitch of "oh god i hope this novel NEVER ENDS!" luckily, at 600 pages, a relatively long period of time was able to pass before i reached the novel's finale.

i am SO happy with the book's conclusion! it is so appropriately understated; assuredly anti-climactic without being disappointing. in a sense the whole novel is like that, i guess. every chapter, every paragraph even, seems to draw frenetically upwards towards some grand culmination that never eventuates. in the end, that sense of 'build-up' is actually marked as some sort of never-ending buzz of everyday life - and you come to enjoy its continuation, rather than anticipate its conclusion.

i really wanted to find a quote to illustrate that sensation, but i can't find an appropriate one, because this book is more than the sum of its parts and all that. its effect hits you cumilatively as you push through, and is impossible to gauge through a detached passage. still, much of the narrative seems to be grinding slowly towards to christmas; christmas time facilitating that rough "tying of loose ends" that i guess could be described as the book's 'finale.' i thought i might include a quote about christmas in suburbia, just because it's "topical", and also because i have a personal love for suburbs transformed by festivity. this is from the perspective of enid, the midwestern mother who finds happiness in notions of home, family and simple pleasures - i.e. all the notions that her children have come to resist or resent.

"By night the park was Christmasland. Enid drew breath sharply as the Olds crept up a hill of light and across a landscape made luminous. Just as the beasts were said to speak on Christmas Eve, so the natural order of the suburbs seemed overturned here, the ordinarily dark land alive with light, the ordinarily lively road dark with crawling traffic. The mild gradients of Waindell's slopes and the intimacy of its ridgelines' relations with the sky were midwestern. So, it seemed to Enid, were the hush and patience of the drivers; so were the isolated close-knit frontier communities of oaks and maples. She'd spent the last eight Christmases exiled in the alien East, and now, at last, she felt at home. She imagined being buried in this landscape. She was happy to think of her bones resting on a hillside such as this... The spectacle was nothing more than lights in the darkness, but Enid was speechless. So often credulity was asked of you, so seldom was she able to summon it absolutely, but here at Waindell Park she could. Somebody had set out to delight all comers, and Enid was delighted."


x magda