Leaving Normal
Leaving Normal was totally sweet and awesome. Marianne was as cute as a button and completely hurtled forward with the mindset of a child. Charles Baudelaire once said that "genius is no more than childhood recaptured at will," and since he's always right, that must make Meg Tilly the genius to end all geniuses. I thought it was hilarious how goofy and mean Darly could be, and I completely relished the moment of B.S. when the two ladies had an argument because, basically, the plot said they should. That sort of thing is great. Also, it was cool how the Alaskan boy with the long hair dressed exactly like a modern day hipster would, with Converse All-Stars, tight jeans, etc. all hitting the obligatory hipster checklist. Plus, Edward Zwick went on to direct The Last Samurai, starring none other than my hero, Tom Cruise! I don't understand all the hate this movie's getting from the other bloggers. Come on, lighten up, people! Ed Solomon wrote this! If you had known that he also wrote Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Super Mario Bros., and Charlie's Angels, you totally would have jumped on the Leaving Normal bandwagon. Leaving Normal is an unbelievably mellifluous movie, obviously.
The best movie this semester was easily Vagabond. It was the only film we watched that utilized sophisticated techniques and that actually did anything interesting. Nothing else we watched and listened to was remotely near the thematic league that Vagabond was riffing on. What a complex, meaningful choice for this class. It's a keeper, for sure.
Bye, everybody!