StoryTellers

Entertainment has become cheap.  I get it, really I do. Sometimes people just want to sit and laugh for a couple hours watching  a predictable movie that impart predictable emotions.  I'm not bashing it.  I just wish this didn't make it more difficult to find films that have true storytelling power.

A good plot line follows a journey, but a great story also unfolds the past that has led the characters to the present.  As I finished watching The Darjeeling Limited I could not help but feel satisfied as everything came full circle.  The film follows three brothers on a their dysfunctional spiritual journey through India. They try to cope with what the loss of their father and what it means for them as a family.

I realized as I guessed at each brother's nature and what it meant for the movie that maybe there is psychological aspect to this type of film that appeals to me. I like to hear personal stories, to go beneath the superficial surface that binds so many movies.

The way these grown men still compete, argue, and try to distance themselves as they surely must have done as young boys showed to me how certain parts of who we are never change. Their individual personalities represent parts of a whole, almost as a reaction to their being a part of the "whole."  The brothers' relationships with each other have clearly defined who they are.  Like most people they were shaped by their families, and even their rebellions like unconventional poisonous-snake-buying/pill-popping behaviors are symptomatic of belonging to their family.

Most movies have obvious plot twists to develop the story line, instead this film utilized the wonderful storytelling tool of symbolism. Symbols of who they were, where they had been, and where they were going. I largely attribute the symbolism in the films for the way that in Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola's collaborations there is always that feeling of not quite knowing what is going on because we must interpret instead of being told, thereby uncovering the plot little by little.  This is clear in the fact that the prequel is available but not always presented with the film, leaving the story open to how the viewer chooses to experience it.

Every pause I take to admire one stunning aspect or particular symbol seems to make the full creative power of the film become clearer.  Unlike movie adaptations of books, these films were clearly written with the filming in mind.  The way the story is told ties in so perfectly with how it is portrayed on the screen.  The beauty of it being that they understand the story so fully that everything about how it is presented- music, lighting, costumes- fits perfectly into the telling of the story. 

And, best of all... The films are witty.

I adore Wes Anderson's films, but I do not think they are for everyone.  They are not necessarily films that are meant for people to "get."  They are mysteries, adventures for the imagination. They are slightly unhinged, out of the ordinary in the fantastic way that stories are allowed to be.  We are transported from the over publicized reality of this world, and taken on this comedic look at humans and life, where nothing is spelled out if you are not clever enough to look for it. You draw your own conclusions about what is meant in the curious endings, because like all good stories the films make sure to leave you with a sense of wonder and amusement.

Friends With Kids

Most of us have heard something along the lines of "if you want to be happy, marry your best friend."  It sounds so ideal- someone who understands us, already accepts us for who we are.  The truth is our best friend never really had a chance.  We are constantly looking for a spark to catch our attention, not for the qualities that really matter.  It is our culture to want the latest and greatest, leaving our relationships to be rarely substantial where it counts.  Intimacy is not in the physical attraction, rather intimacy comes from the sharing of your life so completely and unconditionally in a way you could only do with a true friend.  Think about how often people have sex, wanting some kind of intimacy but it amounts to nothing.

The trouble is that contentment, which is much more important than over the top happiness, shows its beauty subtly- it forces us to be truly wise to appreciate it and not going looking for the next great thing.  When I decided to rent Friends with Kids, I thought I knew exactly where the film was going, but I was wrong. I wanted a light hearted romantic comedy along the lines of Bridesmaids due to the cast line up.  In fact, I felt slightly guilty for not choosing a more thought provoking film.  I underestimated Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt's project.  I laughed, cried, and ached for the characters. The film was insightful and human. Human in the sense that unlike the typical perfectly quirky characters or unreal scenarios we see in every other movie, there was a realness to the film provoking emotion that no typical blockbuster could.

Good Morning Fire Eater

It’s not that I don’t have a plan; it’s just that the plan is always open to reinterpretation.

As I prepare for an entire year abroad, I cannot help smiling at all the tweaks and additions to my so called “plan.” What I’ve come to realize is life is much too short to live without purpose and some kind of plan for achieving that purpose. Some people are so comfortable with settling, simply going through the motions of what is expected.

Do not misunderstand my definition of settling as a dislike of all things with roots, I strongly believe in contentment and boredom being two very different things. Unfortunately, the two seem to be easily confused. Contentment is a state of being I always aim for.  As for boredom… well like they say “only the boring get bored.”

I prefer to change the things that no longer have a spark for me, always keeping on my toes. I constantly look for new opportunities to avoid the ruts so many people fall into. I never feel wrong for needing a change from what I at one point dreamed of because each experience better equips me to aim even higher for the future. For the longest time, all I wanted was to be at a university.  The independence was so important to me, and has made me confident enough to now study even farther away from home (London & Spain).  At one point I was also sure I would be a magazine editor and fashion student, neither is true now, but without those passions I would never have created this blog. :)