blue girl

Which Side Are You On?

I normally end up watching movies alone late at night.  The Skimmer and Blue Kid are extremely prejudiced against the movies I tend to want to see.  They say I like psycho, crazy murder movies or gut-wrenching movies that send you into a state of depression for weeks.  If I pop in a DVD, that will normally send both of them running from the room.  Fine by me.  I happen not to like the movies they tend to want to see.  For some reason, sword fighting dragons, cyclopes people who can fly, or anything having to do with trees that spout philosophy just doesn't do it for me.

You're going to the video store?  Will you get me a movie?

What morose, depressing, God-awful movie do you want?

I don't know.  Just get something real.  No cyclopes flying people!

A half hour later...

What'd you get?

Oh.  I got the perfect thing for you!  It's about war and death.  Senseless killing and sadness.  I'm sure there'll be lots of blood and deep dialogue.  It's going to be goopy and sentimental.  It's right up your alley!  Here.  I'm going upstairs.

The Skimmer handed me Joyeux Noel.  I had never heard of it, but from reading the back of the DVD case, The Skimmer was correct.  It was right up my alley.

Joyeux Noel tells the story of the Scottish, French and German soldiers who, during World War One, agree to a truce on Christmas Eve, 1914.  After bloody battles that leave No Man's Land scattered with dead bodies, each side lays down their weapons for an evening and a few days of peace, sharing champagne, chocolates and photos of their wives.

She is very beautiful.

Yes, she is.  Do you have a picture of your wife?

Here she is.

Ahhhh, she's pretty.  He holds the photo up to his lips ... Smooch, smooch, smooch!

They all laugh and raise their bottles.

On the German side, there is a famous tenor, Nikolaus Spink, who has been called up to be a soldier, and his partner, Anna, has joined him in the trench to sing for his men on Christmas eve.  These two have a few beautiful scenes together, although I thought Spink, played by Benno Furmann was a tad melodramatic in his posture.  A few times throughout the movie, he brought to mind the cartoon character, American Dad, with the same square jaw line and sense of self importance.  Anna, on the other hand, played by Diane Kruger, was wonderful.  Beautiful in her strength and support for Spink.  In one scene where they are singing a duet, Spink's voice falters because of the stress he's been under and Anna sets her gaze upon him, giving him the strength to continue.

On the British side, there are two Scottish brothers who excitedly rushed off for basic training the minute they heard the war was on. 

Finally!  Our lives will have meaning!

When their priest witnesses their excitement at the beginning of the movie, his facial expression portends the devastation and destruction to follow.  He joins them at the front, signing up to be a stretcher-bearer.

The French are led by lieutenant Audebert, whose superior officer is his father and whose wife is stuck behind enemy lines and pregnant with their first child.  The lieutenant is more than aware of the futility of his mission and while giving his men marching orders, ends by saying ... Just do as I say.  I, too, want to be home for Christmas.  His men, listening somewhat pensively, had no idea that their lieutenant had thrown up when preparing himself before coming out to speak to them.

On Christmas eve, as all of the soldiers sit in their trenches, just feet from each other, cold, lonely and dreaming of home, the priest begins to play his bagpipes.  It's a weighty, solemn scene as the other Scottish soldiers begin to sing along.  When the first song comes to an end, Spink, the famous tenor, responds by singing Silent Night and slowly leaves his trench, risking being killed.  Gradually, all the soldiers emerge from their trenches and end up getting to know one another.  So much so, that when hostilities resume, they feel the need to protect each other, and do.

While the movie's primary message is heartwarming and uplifting, making me proud of how human beings can choose to behave towards each other in the worst of times, it also has a dark message.  No good deed goes unpunished.  When the soldier's superiors find out about the truce it is not looked highly upon and the soldiers are punished accordingly.  That was devastating to me.

One of my very favorite things about watching a gut-wrenching movie late at night, all alone is that quiet time when the movie ends and the credits roll.  Especially if the music that's playing fits the movie perfectly, which the score to Joyeux Noel, composed by Philippe Rambi, most certainly did. 

As Thème de l'absence washed over me, I thought about all that senseless killing so many years ago and how it's still going on today.  How, on one side, there were men who put their humanity first and came together to celebrate life.  And how, on the other side, their superiors were disgusted by their behavior, accusing them of being traitorous and lowly, even in the eyes of God.

It was a depressing thought, until I remembered which side I've always chosen to be on.  And I fell asleep listening to that beautiful music, about which one reviewer wrote...

...don't feel shy encouraging a score that dares to impress, surprise, and touch the coldest of hearts on the coldest of all nights.

The same could be said of Joyeux Noel.  Rent it.  It will warm your heart.

I Can Roll In The Gutter With The Best Of 'Em

I know it's bad.  Or maybe I should say, I know it's going to be bad.  But, I can't wait to see this movie. 

Something is drawing me to it.

And that something's got blonde hair and a big nose.

It's going to be shallow.  They are going to act like pigs, I know.

And I doubt there's going to be some redeeming *lesson* at the end.  Or I hope there's not, I should say.

I can't help it.

I can't wait to see it.

Go ahead.  Tell me how shallow I am.  I don't care.

Girls just want to have fun sometimes, afterall.

I Don't Think Hanks Should Play Felt

And that's all I gawt ta say 'bout that.

Read.

He's Mesmerizing Everytime

Flipping through HBO today, I caught the last 45 minutes of Angels in America.  I simply cannot pass this movie up when I come across it.  I just love it.  Or as Alvie said to Annie, "I loof it, loave it, luff it."  When you really, really mean it, there has to be several goofy ways to pronounce it so that you adequately feel you've expressed it.  At least that's the law that I live by.

My absolute favorite actor in this movie is Justin Kirk.  He is wonderful, woooonderful, to watch.  And not bad to look at either.

An on-line reviewer said, "After the first episode I wondered, "Is this going to be six sad hours of people dying but still fighting their romantic battles, some of them venomous, until they're finally put to rest?"  But despite these worries, I found myself absorbed by the characters, and after the second episode, I was smitten with the writing, the actors, the characterizations, the ambition and beauty and sheer genius of Tony Kushner's play.  By the final episode, I was extremely moved and more hopeful than sad -- I had spent six hours with them.  Nichols, his cast and the monumental Kushner have made a work of difficult beauty -- the scope of this film as impressive as any grand novel, as any other grand movie or perhaps even a grand life.  Among the cast members, Justin Kirk as Prior Walter was my favorite -- his charm and tragedy and occasional hilarity made him a particularly stunning character."

I couldn't have said it better myself.  Except the part about being worried about six sad hours of people dying and fighting romantic battles.  I figure, people have actually gone through this.  So, what's the harm to me to experience it through artistic expression.  I'm not that shallow.   Maybe I'll learn something, right?

The DVDs are going on my Christmas list.  I just luff it.