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Monday, Jul. 15, 2002 / 1:24 p.m. ~French Movie Night On Sundance~ (This is my first time using the new computer at home on my lunchbreak! Not that I could use my new computer at work...but, well, I know what I meant - it's just so much faster! I wrote the following first thing this morning, and clearly I've got writer's block, so you may just want to skip it entirely...) I didn't wear my glasses all day yesterday. I'd find myself merely inches from my monitor, not even realizing I was so close until it seemed I'd fall right into it. I just put them on, here at work, and instantly I could see better. Glasses are funny that way. Last night must have been French movie night on the Sundance Channel. "Alphaville" (Jean Luc Godard) was on (or was that on IFC?), and I wanted to watch, but I couldn't concentrate, I was still online in the other room. I finally logged off to watch "Heat" (not a French film, but one for which Moby composed the score, or a portion thereof), but there was "Venus Beauty Institute" and I remembered reading good things about it when it was released a couple of years ago. When I saw Audrey Tautou ("Amelie") in one of the first scenes, I had to watch. She was not the main character though. The main character was a fortysomething single woman (kind of familiar to me�), one whom everyone refers to as "too skinny" (hmmm�kind of familiar to me), and "too old" for this or that. I could relate. But she worked in a "Beauty Institute", a Salon, taking care of people, massaging, giving facials, etc., while in her own life she'd shut herself off from receiving anything from anyone, aside from "flings" with strange men. Then someone has to know her, is "moved by" her, just from watching her every day, is madly in love with her, and of course he's incredibly beautiful, and of course she's got walls built up so high she cannot even consider his attention. And drama ensues. This was a good, good movie. While I was watching I was saying, "I love this movie!", to no one in particular. After that was "Late August Early September". The digital cable onscreen synopsis said it was "beautifully realized", a "beautifully realized" story about a group of intellectuals all affected in different ways by the death of their mentor, or something like that. It was of the "dogma" style, mostly hand held cameras, 16 mm cameras, sensitive film stock, pushed, so that shooting in low light was possible (I learned that from the director interview apres le film). The acting was incredible, seemingly improvised, the story poignant, and the overall look of the film, well, it was "beautifully realized". Indeed. After that (I know, on a Sunday night) was "Le Code Inconnu", which I'd tried to watch once before, but gave up during the long, long, extended shot of Juliette Binoche ironing and folding her clothes. It turns out the director of this film also directed "The Piano Teacher", which also has long, long, extended shots of people doing next to nothing. Now that I realize that's his style I might like to watch "Le Code Inconnu", but hey, it was probably 3:00 in the morning, so I elected to sleep. I'm surprised I didn't dream in French. Not that my French is that good, but I catch so much of it whilst reading the subtitles. And I say, "Oh la la la la la la" all the time. They say that, those wacky French people. Not "Oooo la la", it's "Ohhh la la la�", with lots of "la"s. In the second movie they were all very touchy feely too. With their face touching, and double cheek kissing all the time. This group of friends really was close. I always wanted to live in Paris, when I was a kid. I wanted to be French. I studied French for years. I was thinking last night that maybe I should go to L'Alliance Francaise, take some conversation classes, but then I've been thinking that for years. Every time I see the ads in the free weekly I think it all over again. I'm so tired. And I have a stomach ache. It was really hard leaving the apartment an hour or so ago. I hated leaving, hated it. I was there all weekend, didn't leave. I'd rather be on my new computer than this one, using my mouse, than this one, my keyboard than this one, watching Norma lying on the rug with her front legs outstretched in front of her, or letting Gladys sit on my lap to purr and drool� I just stretched, took a deep breath, and felt dizzy. I'm too tired. And Listerine is really sick, again - she's leaving shortly to go to the doctor, but selfishly I worry that she may have already infected me. She only goes a few months without being sick. She'll get all stocked up on drugs and be out for a few days, at least I hope. There's no work yet. This is so choppy, I'll end it right here. (just overheard from Lulu, talking to Kukla: "Girl, did you read that article about Mary J Blige? Girl, it was deep!") Cost of the War in Iraq
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