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2001-12-01 / 8:48 p.m. ~"Amelie" Encore - Le Deuxieme Fois~ Everything has gone exceptionally well, so far. I went to see "Amelie" again. Again, the parking lot was insane, but I found street parking, I laughed to myself in line, and there was a line, as certain people, so used to "multiplexes", said, "One for 'Amelie'", as if there were any other movie showing there. I sat amidst a crowd, enjoyed hearing their laughter at all the right moments, hearing their gasps, or groans or sighs of pleasure. Here is what I wrote in the car while I was waiting to leave the area: Images, ideas, so beautiful they bring tears to my eyes, like that plastic bag blowing in the wind in "American Beauty". I think "Amelie" is the best movie I have ever seen. The theatre was so crowded, the parking lot so full, this old, old theatre, with one screen, packed - as we exit there is a line all the way outside the door, people waiting to get in. I'm sitting in my car, unable to go anywhere, the traffic is so bad, like the 4th of July. All for "Amelie". It was even better the second time. I could listen to the French, watch the images more, I knew the dialogue, didn't have to read as much, I sat back a bit farther, so what reading I did do was easier on my eyes. I had a good seat, about fifth row center. No one in front of me, no one to my sides, not for a couple seats. The woman with the man, the couple, next to me on my left, the woman leaned forward, into the film, the whole time, and she talked to her man, they both talked, but they were excited, delighted, by what they saw, they laughed and sighed and gasped. I'm glad I wasn't sitting in front of the woman though. The man to my right played with the new growth of beard on his face, and I could hear it, the sound of his beard. He laughed at all the right places, he cleared his throat a lot, like I do, reminded me of me, I wondered what we'd be like as a couple, both of us clearing our throats all the time. He even sniffled towards the end when it became almost too beautiful, the movie gets inside you, if you allow yourself to feel it, and I was touched by his reaction. When it was over the man next to me on my left, the one with the chatty woman who liked to lean in, walked in front of me to get out, said, "I'm sorry, so sorry to interrupt your credits, so sorry" in a British accent. And I'd heard a man in line at the ticket counter buying tickets for the 7:30 show ask for them in a French accent. I wanted to say, "Hey, you're French! Cool!", but I restrained myself. I love this movie, love, love, love. All the parts which touched me the first time touched me almost more than before this time. I almost cried at the childish playing of the young Amelie, how beautiful and sensual all the special moments were, but it's all sensual and beautiful. On the way out I heard a man tell his woman, "That was a cute movie". He didn't allow himself to feel it. He was thinking about his stocks, or his mistress, or his car payment, he wasn't watching the movie. Everyone else seemed to delight in this film. There was such a huge crowd waiting to get in, a fucking line out the door as we left.....it's only showing at the one theatre right now. No doubt Miramax, the distributor, will open it wide soon. They'd better. It will be the next "Life is Beautiful", the next "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", it will win awards, it will be talked about, it will go down in history, it is so good....it's so good. I sat in my car for about 20 minutes, unable to go anywhere, to leave the side street behind the parking lot. I drove to the box office for the theatre where Me'Shell Ndegeocello will be playing tomorrow night, and I got a ticket, no crappy Ticketmaster surcharge, no thank you. I'm set. I'm going to see her.....LIVE!!! I'm so fucking excited I can hardly stand it!!!!!!!! Then I went to Pet Smart, and here was the only glitch, I almost got hit by a car going in to the store. There is a clearly marked STOP on the pavement, a little crosswalk in front of the store, but a driver in an SUV saw fit to ignore it, driving really fast, and I walked in front of him, expecting him to stop, no, forcing him to stop. When he didn't, I yelled, boy did I yell, I said, "THERE'S A STOP! DON'T YOU SEE IT?!", and he motioned an apology. A couple exiting the store looked at me like I'd gone insane, but I almost got seriously injured, if not killed, I'm not kidding, the guy almost hit me. My heart was racing, I was so mad.... Got my big bag of Science Diet Feline Light Hairball Control whatever food for the girls, and a big box of litter, and then to Wal Mart for my favorite hash browns, a big box of 20, for $2.50 - the box of 10 is $1.50. And a Susan Branch recipe wall calendar for me. And home. Home. Gladys thinks it's time to eat. My arrival home signals food time, usually, but not now, and she is very confused. "Deliverance" is on, and I always watch it, even if just a bit here and there, every time it's on. One of my favorite films of all time. God, I love movies. I rafted on the river where it was filmed.....with a group from the bookstore where I used to work. It was wonderful. My favorite viewing of the film was when I was at college. I went to the library, up on the 6th floor where they had a movie library, videos you could "rent" for free, and monitors where you could watch, like carols in a library, little viewing booth kind of places, and you'd put headphones on, listen to the movie intimately....I got to hear all the sounds of this movie.....every cricket, every mosquito, every bird, every sound on that river, along the riverbanks.....it was amazing. Later tonight, at 10:00, on one of the Cinemaxes, is "The Thin Man", another all-time favorite of mine. I'll no doubt flip over to watch it in its entirety. I've seen both films many times. Tomorrow is the concert.....maybe some chores during the day. This is a good weekend, so far. As I was driving around town tonight, to the box office and back, after the movie, I smiled at my knowing how to get around, at my comfort at being in this city, my home, and I felt so at home, so happy to live here. I realized I don't want to live anywhere else. This is my home. All I dislike is the influx of people from other states, the traffic they've brought, the smog the traffic has brought, but my city.....I love this place. Cost of the War in Iraq
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