On Aliens and Expectations

Hi there,

I've concluded a week of training at my new externship, and good God I'm tired.  Because I'm deeply intelligent, I paired each 9-5ish day of intensive training with testing administration each evening, making for four successive 12+ hour days this week.  It's been a really productive and interesting few days, but I'm ultimately just not built for that kind of endurance.  Sleeping in today hasn't taken the edge off the exhaustion, but that's what Sunday's for, right?

During periods in which I have successfully fended off my sleepiness with adequate amounts of caffeine (oh my goodness that free coffee is a godsend!), I'm feeling really excited about my new placement.  My colleagues (professionals and fellow trainees alike) seem so awesome, I kind of can't believe my luck.  The training is so cutting-edge I feel like I should wear body armor.  I got to participate in a day-long group intervention for a rare anxiety disorder and then observe a totally badass family intervention session on Thursday, and to top it all off, one of my fellow trainees totally discovered some beautiful little outdoor plazas where we can hang out when/if we have downtime, because we're actually in a part of the city where we can walk places that aren't just other people's houses.

One of the plazas has this chunk of the Berlin Wall in it.

AMAZING.

AND.  My commute is barely, barely 30 minutes.  My new externship is four subway stops away.  I can't tolerate how much of my life I just stole back from public transit.  I CAN'T.

So that makes for some promising developments.

That aside, on to movies!

Funny thing: I've been acutely aware of the impact of expectations on the films I've seen this month.  It's kind of amazing how your anticipated enjoyment of a movie can affect how much you actually enjoy the actual movie.  It's an odd and sometimes frustrating experience when your preconceptions of a film don't match the thing itself.  In the past four weeks I've experienced several iterations of this phenomenon.  In due time, I will tell you about two of them.

Perhaps strangely, a small selection of movies for which I had exceedingly low expectations have turned out to be some of my most beloved favorites.  I didn't even want to see "Legally Blonde" (2001), but whatever I was trying to see in the theater that day was sold out.  If I'm remembering correctly, the same applied to "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999).  Both films are now some of my all-time favorite comedies.  I got dragged kicking and screaming to "28 Days Later" (2002), and we all know how that worked out.

However, expectations can also work against a movie.  For me, this was very much the case with this summer's "Prometheus" (2012).

Expectations: 5+++        Actual Rating: 3

 ...I need a moment.  I'm SO SAD about this movie.

To take a step back: this is the first summer movie season I've been REALLY REALLY excited about in a long time, and "Prometheus" is the first in this year's line-up that I was dying to see.  (See also: "The Dark Knight Rises" and, I'll admit it, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter".)

I mean, come on: the formidable, dark and brilliant director Ridley Scott updates one of the most terrifying and important science fiction movies of all time, with everyone's favorite badass Noomi Rapace as the lead and the gorgeous Charlize Theron thrown in as if we needed extra incentive.

And have you SEEN that trailer??

How could this movie NOT be spectacular???

How indeed.  There were so many plot holes and so little payoff for a film whose pieces should've have coalesced into an astonishing, frightening, and transporting whole.  Yes, the effects were pretty awesome and I can't get enough of Ms. Rapace, but at the end of the day this stupid movie seemed like nothing but a giant chapter one to a story that will take several other movies to complete.  It could have been so much better.

It felt kind of like this:

Feeling completely shafted and still jonesing for a decent sci-fi fix, Boyfriend and I decided to watch "AVP: Alien vs. Predator" (2004), which for some bizarre reason he owns.  It was a bit of a defiant move on our part, kind of like: "Oh yeah Ridley Scott?  You're going to make a movie that looks awesome but then screw with our heads and make it actually totally let-downy??  Well now we're going to watch something crappy that we already know is crappy!  See if we're let down now!!"

"So there!!"

Expectations: 1        Actual Rating: 3

THAT'S RIGHT.  I gave it the EXACT SAME RATING as "Prometheus".  You'd think that (arguably generous) rating was just out of spite, but it wasn't.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually genuinely kind of enjoyed "Alien vs. Predator".  It was respectably executed and featured an awesome black heroine (played quite well by Sanaa Lathan), which still annoyingly doesn't happen all that often and is therefore an appreciated touch.  Overall, it was a perfectly fun if stupid movie.

But you know what?  At least I knew it was going to be stupid.  I felt like I was being had by "Prometheus", and we all know I don't like that feeling.  I can respect a stupid movie that embraces its stupidity fully and still delivers something perfectly entertaining, but lacking in self-importance.  There's a place for that kind of movie.

...Apparently that place is in my living room the day after watching "Prometheus".

In any case, my low expectations were completely to the movie's advantage.

With that: I have some assessment reports to write.  So, in the spirit of fully embracing stupidity, I leave you with the following humorous dog meme thing:

You're welcome.

<3

May I Write a Revue for May? I May!

Dearest readers,

I really enjoyed the "grand revue" format I used in May to make up for the depressing lack of content during the last few months.  It seems so much more useful to provide little summaries of the movies I've seen instead of simply presenting the list each month and leaving it at that, so I'm a little surprised it didn't occur to me to do that earlier.

Before I proceed, however, a brief grad school update: I'm technically completing my first externship next week.  I say "technically" because I'll be staying on one day a week for the short-term foreseeable future, since I'm at a stage of therapy with two clients that would make immediate termination inappropriate.  Also I'm apparently a sucker for punishment who loves my 3 hour round-trip commute.

As you might expect, it feels weird kind of ending and kind of not.  This year, in spite of its immense difficulty, has also brought immense growth.  I've managed to get (mostly) comfortable in what has been a pretty hostile environment, and I've been proud of myself for rising to that challenge.  I've managed to give myself a temporary out from having to work through my feelings in wrapping up this chapter of my training and my life, but obviously I'll have to deal with them eventually.

Should be interesting.

In the meantime, I have a week-long training at my new externship during the last week in June.  I'm expecting my next placement to be dramatically different from my current one, which I think will be a significant relief so long as I don't get the bends from the insane culture shock (for example: they have FREE COFFEE--that's right, FREE!).  I'm pretty sure I'll be okay, but again, it should be interesting.  Transitions always are, I suppose.

Finally: I've begun writing my dissertation proposal, and the IRB application for the project has been submitted.  I'm spooked by how easy I'm finding the writing process this time around, but if struggling agonizingly through my thesis taught me anything, it's how to make this shit less painful.

Pro tip: 

Don't read your huge mountain of literature and then start writing.  Write a bit after you finish each article.  Cramming all that stuff into your brain only to let it all fall out before you can make use of it is a great recipe for a case of staggering avoidance of writing induced by irritation overdose.  Nothing is more annoying than trying to find that one useful quote somewhere in 45 articles, only to discover that it actually doesn't say exactly what you need it to, after all gahhhhhh.

I'm sure I'll feel differently in August and September when I'm frantically trying to finish up in preparation for my proposal defense, but in the meantime it's nice feeling productive without the panic that has accompanied so much of my work in grad school.

Now, without further ado: the movies I watched in May.

15. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (4.5)

I'm getting an upset stomach just thinking about this movie--it's gutwrenching.  That being said, I think it's very special and powerful, and overall a very interesting application of documentary filmmaking.  Definitely see it, but on a day when it'll be okay to feel like crap afterward.

16. Sun Don't Shine (3)

This kicks off the segment of movies on this list that I watched at my very most favorite film festival ever, which I was able to attend because it was the same weekend as my fifth reunion, so I was totally coincidentally in town for it.  

This was an interesting film, but I found the characters kind of grating and therefore had a hard time really caring what happened to them.  However, the director spoke after the screening and pointed out that this movie is special in that it captures the disorienting, surreal limbo between the perpetration of a crime and facing punishment for that crime.  So there's that.

17. The Patron Saints (2)

This documentary is a study of the occupants of a facility that cares for elderly and disabled people.  Unfortunately, due to the non-directive nature of the interviews of each subject, it seems like the opportunity to explore really compelling questions of mortality and end-of-life care went unexploited.  There was little depth where there could have been considerable profundity.

  18. Porfirio (4)

This is a pretty singular film, not just because it's beautifully and intimately shot, but because it can't be neatly categorized as either documentary or fiction.  It recreates the true story of a paraplegic Colombian man named Porfirio Ramirez, with Mr. Ramirez playing himself.  As the Film Fest summary suggested, I would recommend watching the movie before doing any googling so as not to ruin the pretty shocking twist at the end.  In spite of (or really, in part because of) its ultimate moral ambiguity, this is a really special movie.

 19. God Bless America (2)

I feel a bit ungrateful giving this movie such a low rating, because a) director Bobcat Goldthwait was smart, hilarious, and self-deprecating after the screening, b) Goldthwait described the movie as "liberal revenge porn," which kind of makes me feel like I'm obligated to like it, and c) I met John motherfucking Waters after the screening and he was a DELIGHT and I almost swooned.  However, despite the fun casting (OMG it's Freddie Rumsen!!) and some genuinely funny moments, it felt a little stilted, ham-fisted, and preachy, and Bobcat can do so, so much better than that.

This film concludes the Film Fest portion of the revue.

 20. The Avengers (2)

Meh.  For all the excitement, I found this movie completely forgettable.  However, it gets one point each for 1) Robert Downey, Jr., obvi, and 2) now I finally understand why people like the Hulk (also <3 Mark Ruffalo).

21. Into the Abyss (3)

A deeply contemplative, sobering documentary (what else do you expect from the brilliant and slightly strange Werner Herzog?) on the aftermath of a triple murder in Texas, including the death of one of the perpetrators by lethal injection.  In addition to the bracing human touch of each of the film's subjects, this film is a staid yet haunting consideration of the death penalty.

22. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (3.5)

A perfectly delightful documentary about the proprietor and chef of the first Michelin three star rated sushi restaurant, located in Tokyo.  I hoped to enjoy it more, but it was so emotionally restrained that I found myself feeling uninvested in the story.  However, there is a stunning montage of gorgeous, glistening fish set to Mozart that makes the movie worth seeing.

23. Moonrise Kingdom (5)

Well.  You know how I feel about this one.

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your weekend!

<3

A Sneak-Peak Love Affair with "Moonrise Kingdom"

Why hello.

I'm going to skip right past the part of the post in which I congratulate myself for writing so comfortably *before* the end of the month and get right to thesis of the day:

GO SEE "MOONRISE KINGDOM" (2012).

I am, at times, exceedingly fortunate.  When I received email notification that my new very most favorite museum was hosting a preview of Wes Anderson's newest film, I dove on the opportunity.  Due to the director's popularity, I was placed on a waitlist.  However, the day of the screening, I totally got an email at work alerting me that I'd been granted a ticket, and would I like to claim it?

HECK YES I WOULD.

After a full day's work, I was like "Peace bitches I'm going to see a snooty indie film!!"

So I don't want to spoil anything about this movie, because it's so full of delight, whimsy, sweetness, and surprise that I don't want to ruin anything.  Instead, in case you are for some bizarre reason on the fence about seeing this movie, I will present five arguments in favor of as-prompt-as-possible viewership:

1. Have you seen this cast?????

Yes plz.

This movie has possibly the most insanely spectacular group of talent since "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001), and holy shit that is saying something:

--Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman are so engrossingly appealing that they are wholly fit to carry the film.
--Bill Murray, who I love more than words, duh.
--Frances McDormand, as adorable and quirky as ever.
--Bruce Willis, at his somber, vulnerable, yet still masculine best.
--Tilda Swinton, fabulous as a terrifying social worker.
--Bob Balaban, of Christopher Guest fame!
--Jason Schwartzman, who is totally not distracting (as I've found him to be in everything since "Rushmore" (1998)), but is actually completely engaging and funny.

And two words....

2. Edward. Norton.

I love him.  I love him I love him.  And if you don't, there's something seriously wrong with you.  Because this man is a national treasure.  He is endearing, earnest, lovable yet sad, humble yet heroic.  He doesn't disappoint.  As if he could.

3. The music is beautiful, fun, affecting, and haunting.  

Wes Anderson's soundtracks have been some of my favorite collections of music since I saw "The Royal Tenenbaums" in theaters.  Seu Jorge's renditions of David Bowie in "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" (2004) are among my favorite songs of all time.

In some ways, Anderson has really outdone himself with "Moonrise Kingdom".  Diverging from his usual repertoire of rock and singer-songwriter music, he has instead opted for primarily orchestral and vocal pairings, which blissfully, deliciously enhance the lovely yet melancholic nostalgia of the story.  I still think of the closing music, with children's voices mimicking the calls of cuckoos, and it brings tears to my eyes.  It's so beautiful!

4. And while we're on the topic: Anderson perfectly captures the true meaning of "nostalgia".

Because it's been a while since I mentioned Mad Men: Remember Don Draper's Kodak pitch about the real meaning of the word--the pain of remembering?  The pain of a perfect moment, lost?  The aching joy of having memories that make you wish you could time-travel to revisit them, and live them over and over?

That is so much of the pull and power of "Moonrise Kingdom".  It's a movie about childhood, summer, adventure, love, and better still, finally finding a person who makes you feel less alone in the world, and throwing yourself wholeheartedly into that person.

I was only given one ticket for this screening, and as the images of the movie faded and children's voices "cuckooed" over the closing credits, I found myself deeply wishing I had been given a second ticket for Boyfriend.  But beyond wanting to share this film with him, I found myself wanting this story with him.

Life--if we're lucky--is long.  We met many years ago, and have already spent five years officially, wonderfully, together.  We will hopefully have many, many more years to spend together.  But I'm greedy, and it doesn't feel like enough.  I think of us meeting in not in college but in childhood, and I think of all of the burdens that would have been borne more lightly, the ugly patches that would've been trudged through with more of a spring in my step or--better yet--circumvented altogether, and the immense and immensely-needed comfort he would have been had he come into my life earlier.  It's painful, in a beautiful way, to wish for these things that never were because I love someone so much now.

This is certainly not the first time I've had these thoughts, but "Moonrise Kingdom" evoked them with a potency I hadn't previously experienced.  It's a powerful, stunning, and bold little film, and, dare I say it?

5. It's the best Wes Anderson movie to date.

That's right.  With the Anderson signature finely-honed, immersive auteurist vision, his sweetness, vulnerability, courage, dark humor, and little splashes of whimsical magical realism, his intricate interweavings of huge numbers of characters, his success with BOTH child actors AND animals, and overall his production of a narrative that feels fresh, brave, and vital--a story that truly deserves to be told--I really think "Moonrise Kingdom" is his best film yet.

So go see it.

 

Then tell me what you think!

Goodnight!
 

<3