Sunday, June 06, 2004
My recent recommended movie experiences includes Monster and Coffee and Cigarettes. Two movies couldn't be more different from one another. At the same time, the risks involved in both movies is admirable. Monster pushes acting performances to maximum impact making the heart-breaking factor moving beyond words. The unsaid actions and screaming emotions of the characters, Aileen (Lee) and Selby, speak profoundly. In Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes, the risk lies in the format of the short, central theme of the title characters (C & C), as well as the photography of artful Black & White. These two pictures are critically acclaimed and independent as they come.
Monster moved me because of the infinite loneliness, portrayed by Charlize Theron, of prostitute Aileen Wuornos, a convicted and recently executed serial killer. Many years ago, I worked in alliance with several organizations reaching out to prostitutes in the downtown areas of Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver. I often felt I made little difference in the lives of these ladies, though the desire to be available to them and listen, even if it merely meant going for coffee or picking out a new hair colour and style at the nearby salon, was very meaningful for me. I learned more about grace and forgiveness from those ladies than anyone in my life previously. The ability to find beauty in the smallest gestures drew my heart into their difficult lives. Monster reminded me that it is the small things that make all the difference to a lonely heart, a smile, a drink or even the quiet of a warm and safe environment.
Coffee and Cigarettes, a sharp contrast to Monster, reinforces the art of pictures in a film roll, particularly the common top view of the table involved in every frame. This picture always included the coffee cups, the remnants of the drink, and of course the soiled and overflowing ashtray. This is a fabulous reflection of the various pictures I have taken over the years of both. For some reason the subjects, particularly when they are together, make for great snapshots. To me anyway. In this website, I definitely recommend the option of taking a virtual coffee break.
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Monster moved me because of the infinite loneliness, portrayed by Charlize Theron, of prostitute Aileen Wuornos, a convicted and recently executed serial killer. Many years ago, I worked in alliance with several organizations reaching out to prostitutes in the downtown areas of Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver. I often felt I made little difference in the lives of these ladies, though the desire to be available to them and listen, even if it merely meant going for coffee or picking out a new hair colour and style at the nearby salon, was very meaningful for me. I learned more about grace and forgiveness from those ladies than anyone in my life previously. The ability to find beauty in the smallest gestures drew my heart into their difficult lives. Monster reminded me that it is the small things that make all the difference to a lonely heart, a smile, a drink or even the quiet of a warm and safe environment.
Coffee and Cigarettes, a sharp contrast to Monster, reinforces the art of pictures in a film roll, particularly the common top view of the table involved in every frame. This picture always included the coffee cups, the remnants of the drink, and of course the soiled and overflowing ashtray. This is a fabulous reflection of the various pictures I have taken over the years of both. For some reason the subjects, particularly when they are together, make for great snapshots. To me anyway. In this website, I definitely recommend the option of taking a virtual coffee break.
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