Friday, February 23, 2007

continued.

Last two of the 12 Movies that Stick to Your Ribs.

Trainspotting. I saw this for the first time at the Seattle International Film Festival, and the house absolutely made the experience. Such a great gross-out film (poignant, yeah, sure, that too – but really, really gross) and something about being surrounded by an audibly grossed out crowd makes it that much better. Netflixed it recently and enjoyed it well enough, but the gross out factor wasn’t the same at home alone. (Sweetie was off watching something else on the Hallmark Channel.)

I was thinking about putting down David Lynch’s The Straight Story as the last of the twelve, because as a transplant to the American Midwest this movie takes all that I find maddening about this place and turns it into pure poetry. But I feel like I need to throw a few more classics into the mix. I’ll cheat again with two: African Queen and Roman Holiday, which probably reveals a little too much about how I like to love – there’s always a good bicker in there somewhere when you love someone just right, and can get on each other’s case in just that way, and have fun with it in a fashion that throws the stuff that really matters into high relief.

Done. For now.

2 comments:

anniemcq said...

Yum. I'm full now. I LOVED this post. I haven't been to enough movies since JH was born, but I soooo love a good movie. It's so funny that you mention (in your first half) the Judy Davis film. I saw that at the SIFF years ago, and it stuck with me too. The Ice Storm, Roman Holiday, and Owen Wilson. Agree, agree, agree. I'll have to check out the ones on your list that I haven't seen.

Here's one foreign film for you: It's one of my very favorite films of all time, and has the most amazing acting ever done by a child: Ponette. If you haven't checked it out, grab a box of tissues and do so.

Also, in the documentary category, about family, is Ross McElwee's brilliant "Time Indefinite".

Loved, loved the story about Bompa. What a great Grandpa he must have been. You do him proud every time you write about him, too.

Oh, I did love this post. My mind is at the movies now! Thanks friend.

suttonhoo said...

LOVED Ponette! I don't think my eyes were dry for more than 5 minutes during that movie. It almost made this list but I wasn't sure it was fair to do that to people. So so weepy.

Saw that at SIFF too -- were we in the same audience? I don't think they showed that more than a couple times during the festival...

I wasn't going to tag anyone with this one, but I just changed my mind: Tag, anniemcq. You're it. :)

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