Breaking my own rules

I have a self-imposed rule that I don't watch the movie without reading the book, but tonight I was a renegade and did just the opposite.

I know The Great Gatsby is an American literary classic, but not one that I had ever been tempted to read. I was drawn to seeing the movie by a respect for Leonardo Di Caprio and a growing girl crush on Carey Mulligan. I was a little dubious about whether it not I would enjoy the directiorial style of Baz Luhrmann, having not enjoyed what he's done in the past. But I hadn't seen a movie for ages, and as I am trying to keep myself super busy in the evenings at the moment, it seemed like a good one to tick of the list if 'seen its.'

While it had some lulls, I really enjoyed it. It had the visual wow factor; lots of glitz and glamour and 20s schwang. And I loved the make-up, jewellery and accessories, especially Daisy's headband in one of the party scenes .... see pic.

I wasn't so sure about the music... The incorporation of hip-hop seemed a little incongruous with the sense of period other aspects of the film tried to illustrate. 

But what I really loved was the direct commentaries from the book by Tobey Maguire's Nick Carraway. I have enjoyed reading quotes from the book tonight (thanks Google) and recalling the scene from the movie. It's enough to (almost) make me want to read the book after the effect!

“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.” 

"And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.” 

“Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope.” 

"I was within and without. Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” 

"Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!"

“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.” 

True to Form

Well another of my 50 List goals is half way to being met.
Took myself to a late afternoon movie, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, today. Loved it. With the book still fresh in my mind I was prepared to pick holes in its accuracy. There was actually no way it could include all the detail of the book, but all in all, a pretty true representation.
It was a little freaky however, that until the movie was just about to start, I was alone in the Deluxe Cinema by myself! Fortunately a group of four women came in at that time, and despite an empty theatre, sat directly in front of me. Luckily no one was tall and being the Deluxe theatre, seats were deep anyways.
Must do that again. And must keep going with the second book of the Millennium series. Tick, tick, tick off the 50 List.

The Eyes Have It

I promise this is not going to become a movie review blog, but I have a new release to share today!
My fellow dog-loving friend Kate and I went to see Red Dog today, at my favourite cinema, the Lido. It was a lovely film, which grew some great characters, least of the all the title character, Australian Kelpie - Red Dog. Partly based on a true story of the Pilbara Wanderer, it was bound to bring an emotional reaction from me in any case; thank goodness for the tissues.
The unspoken loyalty between dogs and their 'masters' (or the 'canine masters' and their humans), is often communicated via a look. The Red Dog 'gazes' captured and used to tell the story are what sold it for me.

Bit like my own boys.

  

Charming Chocolat

An unintentional second piece very familiar to yesterday's... partly because I had told myself I did not have to blog daily this year yet I am having withdrawal symptoms, and partly because if I wrote about yesterday's old movie friend, how could I not write about today's?
In a sea of emptiness that is summer TV, Vibe is coming through like a lifebuoy to rescue me from drowning in television boredom these holidays. As well as Four Weddings, Glee marathons provided background company throughout the weekend as I pottered about.
And tonight, another eternal favourite movie - Chocolat - appeared. I love the whimsy of the story, the characters, and especially Juliette Binoche's portrayal of Vianne. Not a movie I can necessarily quote from, but it is all so wonderfully familiar that even after many, many views I have to watch it till the South wind blows Johnny Depp back at the end...

A Perennial Favourite

A rainy New Year's Eve Day yesterday saw me planted in front of the TV, channel surfing. I don't often watch movies at home, despite having SKY movies, but there are some old favourites that, regardless of how often they are on, how old they are and how cheesy they now seem, I just have to watch.
Four Weddings and a Funeral is one such movie for me, and there it was on Vibe. The first of Hugh Grant's 'foppish' roles (I must admit to semi-watching Notting Hill straight afterwards, and it seemed like the same character had transitioned from Four Weddings straight into this movie), and before his indiscretion with Ms Divine Brown...

But I digress. The movie itself is pretty shallow, but full of classic scenes which are so familiar and make me giggle every time... like the What's bonking? scene... (RIP Scarlett - actress Charlotte Coleman died in the early 2000s of an asthma attack - she was my favourite!)
Similary there are others that make me cringe  (cringiest line at 1:01 on this clip!) every time I hear them.
There is also that one incredibly poignant moment which makes you forget you are actually watching a comedy. (Love the spelling mistake in this clip's title!)

Also this movie, like many movies and much music, reminds me of a 'time' in life. The end of an era really. It's release, and that of the theme song which is also an eternal favourite, coincided with the departure of two very good friends for their OEs that year. I stayed behind. A little older than them both (past the magic 28)  and without any UK citizenship claims, I probably put it in the too hard basket, still very much attached to my comfort zone. I think my active social life started to wane from that time on! Could have had something to do with turning 30 about that time as well... I think that not travelling at time in my life may be one thing I truly regret. Oh well, there's always the future!