Wednesday, May 6, 2009

My Journey in Film

Even as the scenery changed around me over the past 8 months, many things about me did not. My love for movies remains. In fact, sometimes film becomes a helpful tool of escapism when it’s just reached a point where I need to take a step back from the events swirling around and relax the brain.

There’s nothing like a combination of friend’s DVD collections, international HBO and in-flight entertainment to make a hell of strange viewing list. As I thought about it one day, I actually realized that the list of movies I’ve watched on this trip says quite a bit about where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing, what’s been available and what I’ve needed from my movie experiences. In general chronological order:

So I Married an Axe Murderer
Kung Fu Panda
Hairspray
The Last Mimsy
Goal
Goal 2
Slumdog Millionaire
Eagle Eye
The Office (British)
Leatherheads
About Schmidt
As it is in Heaven (Swedish)
Rope
North by Northwest
Valkyrie
Chariots of Fire
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace
Die Hard 4
Kate and Leopold
Triple X
A Beautiful Mind
Quantum of Solace
The Reader
Payback
Spiderman 3
The Illusionist
Wall-E

I could make conclusions out of this list that still amaze me. Like when I got sick in China and was so desperate for an English movie that I happily tuned in to a romantic comedy. I watched movies I swore to myself that I would never watch (Spiderman 3). I saw breakthrough movies that lifted me during a malaise in Taiwan and Hong Kong (As It Is In Heaven and Chariots of Fire). I did a double feature of Alfred Hitchcock and stood stubborn in my stance about watching Bollywood movies.

In terms of self-awareness, this ranks up there with my music playlist of the past 8 months. Hmm…but that’s a bit too big for here.

3 comments:

parker_d said...

Goal and Goal 2. how were these movies?

parker_d said...

ps: glad to see you posting again.

Chris said...

Goal was okay. Predictable sports underdog story. Enough decent action and filming of Newcastle United to make it interesting.

Goal2 was more like a guilty pleasure. And more or less Beckham-worship, which eventually was despicable. Iker Casillas, however, did made a hilarious cameo. But, I'd never watch it again.