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Sweet November
Last week I found myself gripped by a strange urge to rent a movie, something I’ve not done in years, though I had a bit of a DVD-fest after my friend kindly installed a DVD player in my computer in Spring 2003 (not solely because I wanted to see the Lucius missing scene on the CoS DVD, no, not at all… ;)
Said urge swiftly became more specific as I decided I finally wanted to make an effort to see Sweet November - all the talk of Jason Isaacs in a green sequined frock having had my curiosity aroused for some time. Video rental shop proved unable to meet my request, so I decided to buy the damn thing.
Now, when the only review quote on the DVD box comes from the News of the World, you know you’re not about to see the genre-defining film of the century. So I put my feet up, let cat install herself on lap (the plate of smoked mackerel and cottage cheese I was eating no doubt proved attractive), switched off my brain and prepared myself for some romantic fluff (and JI in a dress).
I was actually pleasantly surprised. Yes, it started off with the usual preposterous plot, improbable (and unnecessary) co-incidence and stereotyped lifestyles, and featured some truly execrable dialogue along the way, but the ending managed to avoid the usual Hollywood cliché. Not that I would queue to see it for the plot, but it was rather more watchable than I expected.
I have to say though, JI really does look better in a robe than a dress. And the Scottish accent took a lot of getting used to. But given that every other movie I’ve seen him in has him cast as either suave or smarmy git or both, it made a pleasant change to see him so… human. Biggest laugh of all was in the documentary, where he said that he really enjoyed wearing the dress because “you don’t get to do that too often – even in England.” Ah, Jason, you’re just not hanging out in the right places… ;)
On a more serious note, I do find it rather sinister that corporate Hollywood makes so much money out of movies whose plot focuses on the main character realising the deficiencies of an, erm, corporate lifestyle. I suppose they know such plots tap into enough people’s dreams of a better life that the studio is going to make a lot of money on them – it seems that the new American Dream is to escape from it. And, of course, as this is America we’re talking about, the dream is realisable only by the individual – who needs not, as in years past, to work hard, but merely to change his or her consciousness. So they show us the bars of the system, and tantalise us with fantasies of what it’s like ‘outside’, but never do they show us the door, or suggest that maybe what we need is to get rid of the cage. Though to be fair to Americans, their culture tends to be far more encouraging to people wanting to make something [different] of themselves than that of the UK (I've found people in North America to be encouraging rather than saying ‘it’ll never work’ as they tend to do here), so perhaps it really is easier to get out of that door. But I’m not entirely convinced that the practicalities of changing one’s life would be so straightforward, especially in a country where medical coverage tends to come with a job rather than a birth certificate.
I’ll sign off before this starts slipping into a ‘God, I hate my job’ rant. ;) Especially as it’s Monday tomorrow. Oh well, I can always amuse myself by thinking of Jason Isaacs with a Scottish accent and lipstick…
Said urge swiftly became more specific as I decided I finally wanted to make an effort to see Sweet November - all the talk of Jason Isaacs in a green sequined frock having had my curiosity aroused for some time. Video rental shop proved unable to meet my request, so I decided to buy the damn thing.
Now, when the only review quote on the DVD box comes from the News of the World, you know you’re not about to see the genre-defining film of the century. So I put my feet up, let cat install herself on lap (the plate of smoked mackerel and cottage cheese I was eating no doubt proved attractive), switched off my brain and prepared myself for some romantic fluff (and JI in a dress).
I was actually pleasantly surprised. Yes, it started off with the usual preposterous plot, improbable (and unnecessary) co-incidence and stereotyped lifestyles, and featured some truly execrable dialogue along the way, but the ending managed to avoid the usual Hollywood cliché. Not that I would queue to see it for the plot, but it was rather more watchable than I expected.
I have to say though, JI really does look better in a robe than a dress. And the Scottish accent took a lot of getting used to. But given that every other movie I’ve seen him in has him cast as either suave or smarmy git or both, it made a pleasant change to see him so… human. Biggest laugh of all was in the documentary, where he said that he really enjoyed wearing the dress because “you don’t get to do that too often – even in England.” Ah, Jason, you’re just not hanging out in the right places… ;)
On a more serious note, I do find it rather sinister that corporate Hollywood makes so much money out of movies whose plot focuses on the main character realising the deficiencies of an, erm, corporate lifestyle. I suppose they know such plots tap into enough people’s dreams of a better life that the studio is going to make a lot of money on them – it seems that the new American Dream is to escape from it. And, of course, as this is America we’re talking about, the dream is realisable only by the individual – who needs not, as in years past, to work hard, but merely to change his or her consciousness. So they show us the bars of the system, and tantalise us with fantasies of what it’s like ‘outside’, but never do they show us the door, or suggest that maybe what we need is to get rid of the cage. Though to be fair to Americans, their culture tends to be far more encouraging to people wanting to make something [different] of themselves than that of the UK (I've found people in North America to be encouraging rather than saying ‘it’ll never work’ as they tend to do here), so perhaps it really is easier to get out of that door. But I’m not entirely convinced that the practicalities of changing one’s life would be so straightforward, especially in a country where medical coverage tends to come with a job rather than a birth certificate.
I’ll sign off before this starts slipping into a ‘God, I hate my job’ rant. ;) Especially as it’s Monday tomorrow.