Back in high school, in the locker room of our gymnasium, my friends and I were talking about my going to college. And I made the offhand remark, (though thoroughly melodramatic and heartfelt as only a teenager can be) Where will I put my MOVIES?!? And this was a major concern of mine as I was SWAMPED with VHS cassettes and refused to give up a single one. My friends laughed at me and shook their heads with incredulous understanding, as I am truly film obsessed. That's why I'm starting this blog and actually will probably have no trouble keeping up with it, because it's all I think about, and I have an unending resource of material.
But the real question is, where to begin? There's a lot of pressure, selecting the right movie, the movie at the top of the heap, the movie that deserves the FIRST POST spot. After a few seconds deliberation, I have my answer. Is it still my favorite all time bestest movie ever made? No. I mean I still love it, but not in the all-consuming obsessive way I did when it first came out. That movie is American Beauty
Don't ask me why, but my friends and I were absolutely in love with this film. It had something to do with Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham, the broken cubicle dweller who breaks free from the trappings of adulthood and goes into a spiral of addiction...not to the pot he was smoking, but to the freedom. Is there any sweeter addiction than freedomsim?
The other link in the love chain was Wes Bentley. Speaking of, what the HELL has he done lately? Wes, come back! Something about that boy's eyes and his uncommonly mature, low voice was intoxicating to a young teenage girl. Very little else mattered. The garbage bag? At the time, I got it. I still get it, but it's sort of old hat. Yes, everything is beautiful if you look at it the right way.
Furthermore, the story is haunting. I know the cynics think this movie is a little pretentious, thinking it's smarter than it is...but it's just not ABOUT intelligence, in movies. It's about emotional, visceral responses, identifying with the people on screen in some way. I've found myself identifying with different characters, depending on my place in life. Furthermore, the film is immersive. I walked out of the theatre that first night, and it had just rained, and everything looked covered in diamonds. It was so beautiful that my heart did, actually fill up, and I thought it might burst. I became addicted to that feeling, and am on the constant hunt for that immersion into a positive energy. This film has that effect on those open to it. I feel a little sorry for the staunchy "realists" who refuse to be moved. This is not a movie to look at through a magnifying glass. You'll find mistakes, you'll find that it drags at times, you'll find messages that are negative. But if you look at the broad, widescreen picture, you might just find that the movie...moves you.
Don't ask me why, but my friends and I were absolutely in love with this film. It had something to do with Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham, the broken cubicle dweller who breaks free from the trappings of adulthood and goes into a spiral of addiction...not to the pot he was smoking, but to the freedom. Is there any sweeter addiction than freedomsim?
The other link in the love chain was Wes Bentley. Speaking of, what the HELL has he done lately? Wes, come back! Something about that boy's eyes and his uncommonly mature, low voice was intoxicating to a young teenage girl. Very little else mattered. The garbage bag? At the time, I got it. I still get it, but it's sort of old hat. Yes, everything is beautiful if you look at it the right way.
Furthermore, the story is haunting. I know the cynics think this movie is a little pretentious, thinking it's smarter than it is...but it's just not ABOUT intelligence, in movies. It's about emotional, visceral responses, identifying with the people on screen in some way. I've found myself identifying with different characters, depending on my place in life. Furthermore, the film is immersive. I walked out of the theatre that first night, and it had just rained, and everything looked covered in diamonds. It was so beautiful that my heart did, actually fill up, and I thought it might burst. I became addicted to that feeling, and am on the constant hunt for that immersion into a positive energy. This film has that effect on those open to it. I feel a little sorry for the staunchy "realists" who refuse to be moved. This is not a movie to look at through a magnifying glass. You'll find mistakes, you'll find that it drags at times, you'll find messages that are negative. But if you look at the broad, widescreen picture, you might just find that the movie...moves you.
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