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floatingleafPissed off to report that the monthly affliction hasn't started yet.:/ Which obviously means it's going to hit me at a highly inconvenient time. Why do you have to be such a bitch, mother nature? What have I done to you? Can we just stop this whole useless ovulation thing already?... *grumbles*
But since I'm not laid up as of right now, I may just as well share my thoughts about the film I saw yesterday. It was... remarkable. Perhaps not in terms of the story itself, but in how it was told. There was just such incredible raw honesty to it. Each scene seemed so intimate... so visceral. And I don't just mean the sex, which was VERY graphic. I dare say it was as graphic as it could get without turning into a total pornfest. And the only thing that kept those scenes from turning into a total pornfest was precisely the searing intimacy... the raw emotions. Even at their most animalistic moments, those scenes were about LOVE. And that's what made the film remarkable. But the entire story was told in a very intimate way, with lots of close-ups, thoughtful pauses, unfinished sentences... just a slow, thorough exploration of life, moment by moment, as experienced by a young, passionate, vulnerable girl-turned-woman. The unrelenting naturalism almost bordered on the obscene - but not quite. There were times when I thought, wow, this should really be gross - but somehow it wasn't. I can't explain it. You'd have to see the film to know what I mean. And this very much applies to the sex scenes, too. Real-life sex often looks awkward and/or disgusting to an outside observer, as it often does in porn; here it didn't, even though it was the most realistic lesbian sex I have ever seen on film (it certainly did NOT look like it was filmed for straight guys' enjoyment; and that is remarkable in itself, I suppose). It was very obvious that the lovers couldn't care less what they might look like to anyone who might be watching. I can't even imagine the level of exhibitionism this must have required of the two lead actresses (who were both amazing, by the way). It always blows my mind how you can act natural in scenes like these, surrounded by cameras and crew etc. But then, acting IS exhibitionism; if you're self-conscious by nature, you've got no business choosing the profession, LOL. It's precisely the reason I am fascinated by actors: it is incomprehensible to me that one could willingly decide to become so exposed... and yet, I see it for the gift that it is, and I receive it with immense gratitude. Especially in films like this one. To me, THAT is the essence of movie magic...
All that said, I probably would have enjoyed the film more if I could have seen it at home, instead of in a crowded theater. And it WAS crowded - Special Presentation and all. Unfortunately, in cases of critically acclaimed works like this one, ordering your ticket online 3 weeks in advance does NOT guarantee a good seat.:/ I could have gotten a better one, I suppose, if I entered the auditorium 15-20 minutes before the film was due to start; but since it was supposed to last 3 hours, I decided I'd rather go to the bathroom right before... and so I ended up in the first row, my neck bent at an awkward angle.:/ From that dubious vantage point, the screen seemed too large, the actors' faces slightly distorted, and the volume too high. Also, it really isn't the sort of film I'm comfortable watching in a room full of strangers (there was a guy sitting right next to me, and of course I couldn't help but wonder if he was just there to see two lesbians in action...:D). So, note to self: special presentations aren't worth the ticket price. If it's a movie everybody is talking about, then obviously it WILL be available on Netflix. You can wait. Stick to obscure little flicks from unpopular countries that you might have missed otherwise...
Which is what I am going to do next, btw. I got my tickets for Thursday & Friday - both matinees, so the auditoriums should be half-empty, and also the busses/trains won't be as packed on weekday afternoons as they are on a Saturday night. My friend isn't coming with me, after all, since she's unable to leave work early; but that's OK. I like going by myself. I don't require company to enjoy most of life's pleasures, after all...;)
But since I'm not laid up as of right now, I may just as well share my thoughts about the film I saw yesterday. It was... remarkable. Perhaps not in terms of the story itself, but in how it was told. There was just such incredible raw honesty to it. Each scene seemed so intimate... so visceral. And I don't just mean the sex, which was VERY graphic. I dare say it was as graphic as it could get without turning into a total pornfest. And the only thing that kept those scenes from turning into a total pornfest was precisely the searing intimacy... the raw emotions. Even at their most animalistic moments, those scenes were about LOVE. And that's what made the film remarkable. But the entire story was told in a very intimate way, with lots of close-ups, thoughtful pauses, unfinished sentences... just a slow, thorough exploration of life, moment by moment, as experienced by a young, passionate, vulnerable girl-turned-woman. The unrelenting naturalism almost bordered on the obscene - but not quite. There were times when I thought, wow, this should really be gross - but somehow it wasn't. I can't explain it. You'd have to see the film to know what I mean. And this very much applies to the sex scenes, too. Real-life sex often looks awkward and/or disgusting to an outside observer, as it often does in porn; here it didn't, even though it was the most realistic lesbian sex I have ever seen on film (it certainly did NOT look like it was filmed for straight guys' enjoyment; and that is remarkable in itself, I suppose). It was very obvious that the lovers couldn't care less what they might look like to anyone who might be watching. I can't even imagine the level of exhibitionism this must have required of the two lead actresses (who were both amazing, by the way). It always blows my mind how you can act natural in scenes like these, surrounded by cameras and crew etc. But then, acting IS exhibitionism; if you're self-conscious by nature, you've got no business choosing the profession, LOL. It's precisely the reason I am fascinated by actors: it is incomprehensible to me that one could willingly decide to become so exposed... and yet, I see it for the gift that it is, and I receive it with immense gratitude. Especially in films like this one. To me, THAT is the essence of movie magic...
All that said, I probably would have enjoyed the film more if I could have seen it at home, instead of in a crowded theater. And it WAS crowded - Special Presentation and all. Unfortunately, in cases of critically acclaimed works like this one, ordering your ticket online 3 weeks in advance does NOT guarantee a good seat.:/ I could have gotten a better one, I suppose, if I entered the auditorium 15-20 minutes before the film was due to start; but since it was supposed to last 3 hours, I decided I'd rather go to the bathroom right before... and so I ended up in the first row, my neck bent at an awkward angle.:/ From that dubious vantage point, the screen seemed too large, the actors' faces slightly distorted, and the volume too high. Also, it really isn't the sort of film I'm comfortable watching in a room full of strangers (there was a guy sitting right next to me, and of course I couldn't help but wonder if he was just there to see two lesbians in action...:D). So, note to self: special presentations aren't worth the ticket price. If it's a movie everybody is talking about, then obviously it WILL be available on Netflix. You can wait. Stick to obscure little flicks from unpopular countries that you might have missed otherwise...
Which is what I am going to do next, btw. I got my tickets for Thursday & Friday - both matinees, so the auditoriums should be half-empty, and also the busses/trains won't be as packed on weekday afternoons as they are on a Saturday night. My friend isn't coming with me, after all, since she's unable to leave work early; but that's OK. I like going by myself. I don't require company to enjoy most of life's pleasures, after all...;)
