Friday, December 24, 2004
Last night, Joe & I rented on pay-per-view a double-feature of "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunrise." I have to admit that when I saw the ad for "Before Sunrise" many years ago, I thought it looked like the stupidest movie ever made and had no desire whatsoever to see it. When I saw the ad for "Before Sunset" fairly recently, I thought the same & even laughed at the absurdity of making a sequel to the first. (Do they think ANYONE is going to see this?) Also, ever since "Hamlet 2000," I have been pretty anti-Ethan.
But, last night, Joe was sick (his digestive system got into a wrestling match -- with some bad chicken, we think), and we were home & we watched them back to back.
How interesting to watch these films, especially since they are roughly the same format (two people talking & talking & talking, but doing very little else), with the same two actors, who have aged so dramatically in nine years - and changed yet sort of stayed the same. Ethan is way too thin in the second one, but he's such a sweet, young baby in the first. Julie Delpy, my new idol, looks totally different at age 32 (her character's age & approximately her real age, I assume). She is less cute & more beautiful. She seems more sure of herself, less awkward. Both actors do a great job in both films. They have a great chemistry. The dialogue is so natural that I really do not believe it was written dialogue, but of course it had to be. The shots are so long, so a lot of it passes in real time. And, it's pretty smart stuff -- not life-altering or particularly meaningful in a "larger sense," but in terms of human interaction & feelings you have in your early 20's versus early 30's.
I do think I like the second film better because the ending is so lovely. Go, Julie Delpy!
This afternoon (I have to get on the horse, actually), I am heading to Port Authority, a place I hate, to get on a bus to go to my sister's for Christmas. I always spend Christmas with her. By this time next year, she'll be married. But, since they've been together for so long, it seems like she already is. The only hard part (for me) will be getting through the stress of the wedding...hopefully lots of dancing...
Happy Christmas to All!
-d
|
But, last night, Joe was sick (his digestive system got into a wrestling match -- with some bad chicken, we think), and we were home & we watched them back to back.
How interesting to watch these films, especially since they are roughly the same format (two people talking & talking & talking, but doing very little else), with the same two actors, who have aged so dramatically in nine years - and changed yet sort of stayed the same. Ethan is way too thin in the second one, but he's such a sweet, young baby in the first. Julie Delpy, my new idol, looks totally different at age 32 (her character's age & approximately her real age, I assume). She is less cute & more beautiful. She seems more sure of herself, less awkward. Both actors do a great job in both films. They have a great chemistry. The dialogue is so natural that I really do not believe it was written dialogue, but of course it had to be. The shots are so long, so a lot of it passes in real time. And, it's pretty smart stuff -- not life-altering or particularly meaningful in a "larger sense," but in terms of human interaction & feelings you have in your early 20's versus early 30's.
I do think I like the second film better because the ending is so lovely. Go, Julie Delpy!
This afternoon (I have to get on the horse, actually), I am heading to Port Authority, a place I hate, to get on a bus to go to my sister's for Christmas. I always spend Christmas with her. By this time next year, she'll be married. But, since they've been together for so long, it seems like she already is. The only hard part (for me) will be getting through the stress of the wedding...hopefully lots of dancing...
Happy Christmas to All!
-d
