The Movie Babel

We watched Babel last night. It was a good movie. It was deep, full of meaning, symbolism and even a warning or two about human nature if you are so inclined to look deep enough. What was nice about Babel was that despite it’s brainy aspects, I could follow it despite many, many interruptions. I caught symbolism and meaning and despite the fact that it is following four different stories and occasionally used subtitles, I felt that I was on top of what was going on.

I’ve been reading Frey’s book lately and struggling with premise. As practice, I have been looking at movies and books and trying to pinpoint the premise of the story. That is, when I remember. And when I am not too lazy. Problem is that I tend to come up with a fuzzy idea of what it could be, then another possible, even fuzzier alternative and then my mind wanders off, going ‘too hard, not concrete enough, la, la, la, la, la…’

So, what would the premise be? One grateful act impacts many lives in negative ways? (Spoiler Alert: A Japanese business man, as thanks, gives a rifle to a Moroccan hunt guide. He sells it. Some boys are playing with it and shoot a tourist. Because the tourists can’t come home, the nanny who has to be at her son’s wedding, takes their children into Mexico. They have trouble getting home and all get lost in the desert. Meanwhile, the shooting boys are freaking out when they hear they have shot someone while the Japanese businessman is oblivious to his involvement in what has become quite the incident. Still, you can see that his wealth and ambition to succeed has screwed up his own life in many ways.) So, maybe a different premise could be: Seeking wealth and ambition harms not only those you love but people barely connected to oneself. Or: Any act can have implications for people all across the world. I could ‘prove’ any and all of these premises, but it doesn’t mean that they are the best possible premises or even THE ONE.

As for themes in the movie, there is the obvious one of Babel and the revering the glory of man can lead to destruction. There is also a communication theme–also related to Babel. (Way back in the time of the Bible, some people built a huge tower in the glory of humans. Happens that this tower touched the Heavens. God got a bit peeved at this and destroyed the tower and scattered the little trouble makers, confusing their languages in hopes that they would not be able to communicate effectively enough to create another pesky tower.) The Tower of Babel in this movie could literally be the one the Japanese business man lives in. He lives on floor 31 (flip unlucky 13) which happens to tower above all others. His success has cost his wife her life and has resulted in his daughter being quite messed up. On the communication theme, his daughter is a deaf-mute. Over in Morocco, the boys miscommunicate/lie to try and cover their sins. The shot tourist’s husband has great difficulties communicating in the foreign language. Back home, their nanny speaks another language as well, but they are able to communicate somewhat effectively. But due to poor communication at the US/Mexico border, trouble ensues. 

You could also argue that there is a theme of deprivation/hardship/loss. The Moroccan farmer is experiencing hardship in a dry, forbidding environment (deprivation) and the loss of his goats to jackals. His sons are sent out with a gun to protect the family’s livelihood but their actions (shooting) create a hardship for the tourist. The tourist has already experienced loss as her infant son passed away shortly before the trip. She and her husband are in a bad place in terms of their relationship and are depriving each other of affection and a chance to get over their grief (due to different styles of conflict resolution). The nanny, back home, is deprived of the chance to see her son get married due to circumstances. She goes anyway and returns to Mexico. In the end, she is deported back to Mexico where she will experience poverty once again (hardship) and she will not be able to care for the children she has raised like her own (loss). Back in Japan, the business man’s daughter is really the one with the storyline. She is deprived of both a mother (loss) and her ability to communicate which is also a hardship. Through her deafness she experiences a sensory deprivation.

There is so much going on in this movie, I loved it. Kudos to the writer! And by the way, I’m really glad the Morrocan guide didn’t accept the large wad of well-intended cash when the ambulance finally came for the shot tourist. Could you imagine what the consequences would be? Well, I suppose it would be another great movie for me to watch!

Pride and Prejudice

This afternoon we sat down to watch the BBC/A&E version of Pride and Prejudice not realising the time commitment we were making. That is one long show! (It was at least six hours?)

 And it was good. It stayed pretty close to the book’s plot as far as I can recall–it has been a few years since I read the book.

Having heard so much about this version of the movie, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. Good? Bad? Definitely some heart throbbing. I mean Bridget Jones kept rewinding to the ‘jump in the pond scene’ and evidently that scene sent women across Britain to the emergency room due to heart palpitations. So maybe my expectations were slightly high. But still realistic? Maybe.

And no, my heart didn’t skip beats or anything, but I did sort of get excited when they led up to the pond scene. Anticipation! And then I was disappointed. I thought he took off his shirt. Surely there weren’t TWO pond scenes? What’s the thrill in seeing a man in a wet dress shirt? Sure it’s white, but it wasn’t like it was clinging to his butt or anything. The bath scene was more ‘ooh-la-la’ than the pond. But maybe it is because the bath was like a bonus that nobody had warned me about. Well, except for that clip on YouTube. (But that didn’t really count.)

I asked my husband at the end of movie (he who wouldn’t let me stop it to go have supper) what he thought of the pond scene–was I missing something?–and he replied to the effect that us women were a strange bunch and that he didn’t understand. So what does that say for me seeing as I don’t fully understand what all the fuss was about? Maybe it was all the build up and anticipation that killed it for me.

I did enjoy how Helen Fielding (in her books and in the movies) stole little scenes and drew parallels between Bridget Jones’ Diary and Pride and Prejudice. Even the end wedding scene in P&J was ripped off for BJ2. I like that. Very cool and the whole Colin Firth/Mr. Darcy circle was ‘most excellent’. It reminds me of Sleepless in Seattle drawing things from An Affair to Remember.

 All in all, a good way to spend a few hours. I’m sure I’ll do it again.

Lars and the Real Girl

We went and saw Lars and the Real Girl last night. It was pretty good. The writer(s) took it to the edge and then pushed it a little further. I like that. This movie is the true definition of quirky. If you liked Little Miss Sunshine you will like this one.

See, Lars is having issues which he decides to solve by ordering one of those ‘real’ sex dolls off the Internet. Not to have sex with her–he doesn’t even kiss her until the end when she is ‘dying’–but to have a girl companion. Just someone who will love him and listen to him. It is pretty sweet. Now of course, his family thinks this is pretty odd. (Nuts.) She’s in a wheelchair and doesn’t speak much English. (She’s shy, you know.) But the whole town goes along as they love Lars. Pretty soon, well, I don’t want to give the movie away in case you haven’t seen it…but things get goofy. It is a very touching movie in a laugh your head off sort of a way.

I recommend it!

Most Days

Nothing on TV tonight either. I guess the whole ‘Grammy’ thing is taking over tonight. Yawn.

We did rent movies last night. ’10 Items or Less’ was quirky. I liked it although it took me a moment to catch up with what was going on. It may have been the homemade pizza I was stuffing into my face along with the cookies and other garbage that was distracting me. Or the fact that some little person likes to talk during movies and is able to make an impressive amount of noise even when she isn’t talking. ‘The Jane Austen Book Club’ was awesome. My hubby said it was sweet and that if he was a girl, he would have really liked it but that he would watch it again.

That man is a fabulous guy. When I get down on myself because the wheels of life are grinding on me because I don’t fit in a lane, he cheers me up and somehow gives me a new, quirky perspective. Like maybe they are grinding on me, because I am making my own lane. How do you think new lanes are made?

That almost makes me sound like I’m doing something groundbreaking. I’m not. I’m just not fitting in any molds. As usual. For instance, I’ve been asked to speak at a tech conference, but I’m not a ‘techie’. I used to teach skiing, but I’m not a ‘jock’. I hit the Dean’s list at university often enough to graduate with distinction, but I’m not a ‘brain’. I’m just me.

And most days, that’s enough.

Okay, funny and almost related, the song on the radio right now is by Konic and is called, “My life is sh*t but I am funky.” Har, har.

Girl’s Night

Where did September go? Anyone, anyone?

I am so full. Oh man!

Was talking with a lady at my daughter’s dance class today and her and some friends are heading to Vegas for a week. That is some girl’s night out. Usually they just rent a limo and go out. This will certainly top that!

When I was a teen, my mom and I sometimes would have a junk food weekend when the guys were away. We’d rent movies and eat some junk. It was cool.

Anyway, hubby is away for a retreat. Even though we have a ton of leftovers to eat, my daughter and I decided to eat out. Never a hard decision, really. So we had fries and the usual restaurant type food. Then we went out to get some pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Finally we spied some and wonderfully, it had whipped cream on it already! Sweet!

On to the movie store, used our two for one coupon and got two movies. Daughter picked up “Happily N’Ever After” again. Something about the princess thing. I am going to watch “Year of the Dog” (when I get access to the TV.)

Anyway, got home where the helium balloon got let go of (not by me) and some impressive wailing resulted. Well, you’d have thought she had gotten her fingers caught in the door or something. And of course, the neighbours are all out and the new playground is plum full of parents and kids. (It is nice that the playground is so well used, but it sucks that EVERYONE had to hear the wailing.)

So, it was decided that we should have a pajama party. Because we’d never had one before. And pajama parties are fun. So, here we are with full tummies, eating pie (that had been frozen–not so yummy) and watching “Happily N’Ever After”–which is amusingly satirical.

Man, I am full!