Under a Red Roof

When darkness brings no relief…

August 15, 2008 in Being, Feeling, Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

My dear friend Bridget came home yesterday, after a two week vacation in California. As we are movie buddies, hitting the Academy Theater together about every other week, I was itching to go. Luckily, there was something we wanted to see, after a very unfortunate dry spell of lack-luster summer movies.

Since her house is on the way to the theater, I always drive, and so, I began to follow my usual route. It was an awfully hot day for Portlanders, 101 degrees, which I think changed the physics of the neighborhood somehow, or maybe it was just the music. I was playing a beautiful Andrew Bird song called Yawny at the Apocalypse, and felt, well, different, dreamy. Darkness was coming on quickly, yet the notes of the song seemed to prolong those last minutes of twilight, and I was acutely aware of all that was happening around me.

The handsome grey-haired man riding his bicycle, back light blinking to the beat of my heart. The sound of the Mini passing the myriad parked cars. The old man, back bent, eager to keep pace with his little dog. More cyclists riding silently, almost floating down 52nd. The world was slow and hot – the impending darkness bringing no relief from the fiery day. I arrived at Bridget’s and realized that the strange light from the heat made everything appear slightly blurred and soft – beautiful. It was idyllic and magical and lovely. We drove on, enjoying each other’s company after our long absence, eager to sit in a cool theater and enter another world.

The world we entered, that of The Fall, was a perfect match for the evening. It was an epic and surreal tale of how broken people become whole again – through story telling, friendship, and ultimately love. The cinematography was exquisitely beautiful – vibrant colors and intimate camera angles, painting a portrait that will reside in me for a long, long time. The cherry on top of a perfectly hot day.

I don’t need no posse!

August 12, 2008 in Remembering, Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

That is one of my favorite quotations from Bernie Mac, who sadly passed away on Saturday. From all I learned about him during his short life of only fifty years, it really sums him up. He was his own guy – irreverent and hilarious with a heart of gold – he didn’t need anyone to back him up.

While I was less keen on his stand-up – it being a bit racy for my taste, I loved his television show and his appearances in movies like Ocean’s Eleven and Bad Santa. The man could make me laugh – fully belly, grab a tissue, you better make sure you go to the bathroom first, so you don’t have an accident kind of laughter.

His show was definitely not your typical program about a guy raising kids. He wasn’t cute or silly in his foibles, which, for me, made it all the more real. He struggled with the idea of spanking, wanted to be a man, yet enjoyed a manicure from his favorite Korean lady and was always on the lookout for ways to keep his hands soft. He loved bubble baths, cigars, and a good game of poker. My absolute favorite part of the series was when he would sit in his chair and address the audience – mostly to explain himself, sometimes to ask us for advice, calling us “America,” calling us into his telelvision world. So very good.

I guess it was his turn to be called elsewhere. Thanks for the laughter, Mr. Mac, because, unless you actually knew him, he didn’t like to be called Bernie.

Sac en Plastique

August 1, 2008 in Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

Here’s another of my all time favorite movies, Amelie (hmm…wishing I could figure out how to make proper accent marks, tant pis).

Anyhoo, Amelie has all the elements I enjoy in film:

A good and believable story. Who hasn’t dreamed of ways to bring people happiness, make others behave with kindness, or fall in love? It is told with wit, charm, and occasionally, a sharp knife-edge! The characters are like people we know – eccentric, obsessive, dreamers, do-gooders, and curmudgeons, all with their own flair.

Beautiful cinematography – heavens to Betsy! The use of saturated colors, beautiful set decorations, ace camera angles all make this story a gem to behold.

Top shelf acting – every character fully embodied by the actor, no kidding. Audrey Tautou, the adorable Matthieu Kassovitz (he looks a little like the G-man), crotchety Serge Merlin as Mr. Dufayel, “et Lady Di…” Jammel Dubbouz, to mention a few.

A fine soundtrack – Oh yes, yes, yes! Yann Tiersen is quite good at making kiddie pianos and everyday sounds like flipping paper charming. I also love the old French standards like “Si Tu N’etait pas La.” I hum and sing along every single time.

Watch it and prepare to be charmed!

Tags: Movies

Pottery Shards!

July 19, 2008 in Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

Do you ever get that feeling after watching a movie, like you’ve just witnessed something so wonderful that it fills you with giddiness?

That’s precisely how I am feeling right now, after viewing King of California. Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood star as Charlie and Miranda in this kooky film about a bi-polar father and his daughter. Upon being released from a mental institution, Charlie purchases a GPS system and follows what he believes to be the trail of a treasure lost in 1624.

After having a rather unconventional childhood, Miranda is none too pleased to have him home again and with a new obsession to boot. In his absence, she enjoyed a degree of calm and normalcy previously unknown to her. Though she is only a teenager, she’s purchased a car and kept up with the bills, all while working at McDonald’s.

In the beginning, Miranda struggles to keep the family afloat with Charlie’s spending and lack of a job, constantly battling him in his quest, and wishing for better days, until, there is that shift, where the impossible seems possible.

It is a thoughtful, sweet, and hilarious film about forgiveness, love, and finding a purpose in life.

Tags: Movies

“I should have been a farmer.”

July 9, 2008 in Watching by Colleen | Permalink

That, my friends, is one of my favorite lines from one of the best summer movies of all time, The Natural. This is Pop Fisher’s (Wilford Brimley) go-to phrase for difficult situations. When I was young, and still living at home, we had this movie on VHS. My brothers and I watched it so many times that we actually wore out the tape and had to buy another copy. So, you could say that I’m kind of fond of it.

Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is an old man, by rookie baseball standards, who comes back to the game after a sixteen year hiatus brought on by unfortunate youthful naivete. With the exception of Red (Richard Farnsworth), he’s treated like a second class citizen until he proves his worth to manager Pop and the rest of the team, while also becoming a father figure to the bat-boy Bobby.

I love the promise of this story. It deals with the complexities of love, failure, losing, and winning in a way that doesn’t seem to sell the characters short or make them less real. I love that a man can achieve a dream at thirty-five (this resonates even more now for personal reasons), and inspire others to be their best selves, while remaining fully human.

The film is easy on the eyes as well. The contrast of light and dark, great set decoration, and fabulous vintage clothing, to mention a few. It also has fantastic cinematography. The opening shot and final home run almost make me want to pick up a bat and light up the sky with the possibilities of baseball.

Now’s the perfect time for it. I think it’s meant to be watched on a warm summer afternoon, while sipping a glass of lemonade, before heading to the park to shag some flies, never forgetting that “losing is a disease.”