Year of the Dog in the Year of the Rat

8153 Steps

Tonight I saw "Year of the Dog" and "Interview" at the Tribeca Film Center with my friend Lisa. She is a Spirit Awards voter and took me. These were both films I did not see at Sundance last year so it was good to see them.

The first one stars Molly Shannon playing a lonely, single woman in her 40's who loses her dog and then loses her mind. She was great in it, and I really enjoyed the film. I enjoyed it partially because it was uncomfortable in that it hit close to bones I didn't want to admit were in my body. She has a dead end cubicle office job. She only finds love with animals and does not trust humans. She falls for a guy who cannot fall for her. She has no real connection with her married brother and wife who over-protect their kids - All things she doesn’t have. I am not saying these are all me, but there were elements and that possibility of ending up alone in a housedress with loads of stacked newspapers and cats is always just right there.

There are many films that hit that uncomfortable "there is some of that in me" nerve. Like "Notes on a Scandal" made me squirm and creeped me out because I knew I was no better potentially than either of the characters. I liked that film so much because there is the Judy Dench character and the Kate Blanchett character in each one of us though we would never admit it. (There! Painted you in a corner!)

"Interview" was a two-hander with Steve Buscemi and an excellent Sienna Miller playing journalist and celeb-of-the-minute. Sort of a play in a way, a situation as if two people unknown to each other were stuck on an elevator and what unfolded.

I dig these films too because I know there is a potential relationship with about every stranger in New York City. The only reason why we don't one is timing and no broken elevator.

All in all a great night at the cinema.

And I am reading a book of short stories right now. Just finished this great one called "Applause, Applause" by Jean Thompson. It is about two college friends who get together for a weekend in the country years later with their wives. And envy. "A weekend in the country" is another version of "stuck on an elevator." Another lovely painful truth was this bit: "Like the high school loser who dreams of driving to the class reunion in a custom-made sports car. As if only those who knew your earlier weakness could verify your success." Ka-Blam!

I remember when I graduated from high school I had this Scarlett O'Hara "as God is my witness" moment where I swore in 10 years time I would fly in from someplace like New York or London for my high school reunion having been.... Never was able to complete the rest of that sentence, but I did know I was going to fly in. Cut to 10 years later and this former grammar school valedictorian was living at home, working as a bank teller and had to borrow his parents' car to attend the reunion thinking all along how "snobby" all the doctors and lawyers were going to be when he was really the snob.