A lot of stuff is going on this week, in
our country and in our world. I suppose that’s always the case but at this
point in time I feel the weight of it and am somewhat apologetic for posting a
blog like this. I almost feel as though whatever I want to write next should be
left unsaid, just in respect of the things that matter. That being said, I’ve
decided to continue anyway because a light needs to shine in all kinds of
darkness.
Sydney Film Festival, yo. I get pretty
excited every time it comes around, but I have to admit my taste is pretty
lowbrow. There are films from all around the world exploring a myriad of ideas
in strange and interesting contexts but I chose to buy tickets to Happy
Christmas starring Anna Kendrick and Lena Dunham (i.e. the chick flick of the line-up). Perhaps I redeemed myself by also purchasing tickets to Frank,
wherein Michael Fassbender plays an eccentric musician in a giant papier mache
head, but then again no, on account of, everyone is going to watch that one.
Suffice to say SFF for me is basically just a chance to catch advance
screenings of indie films I’d be watching in 6 months anyway. So much for my
cultural capital.
There is one other film I’ve kept coming
back to but have still not yet bought tickets for. Palo Alto is the feature
film debut of yet another one of the Coppola clan: 27 year old Gia Coppola,
granddaughter of Francis Ford and niece to Sofia (so what other career choice
did she have, really?).
The film is described as an exploration of
teenage life in a small American town and the frustrations and
inevitable rebellion that comes when you’re an idle teenager just waiting for
something to happen. It is also based on a collection of short stories written
by James Franco who appears in the film (at Coppola’s request) to portray a
high school soccer coach who eventually seduces one of his players, the very
shy and shamefully virginal April (played by Emma Roberts).
The drawcard here for me is Coppola. She
seems to be following in her aunt’s footsteps, shooting in a similarly slow but
dreamy style that I think will explore something true about the angst of youth.
And the reviews have been solid. But I find myself hesitating to ‘add to cart’
because these days I seem to be thinking (or overthinking) harder about what I
choose to watch.
Self-imposed censorship is a bizarre
concept. In some ways it’s less odd – i.e. choosing not to watch a horror film
for fear of sleep deprivation over the next week seems reasonable, but
filtering what you choose to view, listen to or read for the sake of a
wholesome mind is something else entirely.
See I just don’t know if watching Franco
play sexual predator to Roberts’ April is all that helpful for me; something
about the promise of that illicit affair gave me pause and I’ve been trying to
work out why. Because I don’t just put a blanket ban on any film involving sex.
Sex has a legitimate place in film, how can it not when it is so much a part of
our lives? That doesn't mean I happily walk into any film that portrays it however, and I tend to stay away when I know it will be used gratuitously.
The Wolf of Wall Street was initially a
no-brainer for myself and my husband to go and see. Scorcese and Dicaprio are a
dream team, there was really no question. But the more reviews I read and heard
I knew that for me personally a line needed to be drawn. There are some things
that you just can’t unsee.
I’m sure this is all sounding very tired
and predictable. Christian has problem with sex in film. Go figure.
But that’s not exactly true. Going through
this thought process is so much more than ‘that film has sex in it, sex is bad,
must avoid’. It’s actually about thoughtful consideration of what goes into my head
because despite popular opinion, it will inform what comes out. We do not go
unchanged by what we choose to meditate upon and I find it incredibly foolish
when people suggest otherwise.
Despite my insistence I have to admit that I find myself struggling because by choosing to filter what I take in, I am
trying to achieve something a little like innocence and innocence in this world is intolerable. Attempting to cultivate a kind of innocence in a world dominated by sex, violence
and all around vulgarity makes me seem (and even sometimes feel, despite my best efforts) naïve and
ignorant because these are in fact key forces that make up the reality of life.
I know this is true. I love film for the very fact that it captures our
stories: it reflects back to us who we are, what we value, what we search for
and all of our flaws. But I am responsible for how I respond to this wealth of
material. It shouldn't be so unthinkable that we all stop to consider
what is helpful or unhelpful for ourselves. I would even posit it as a kind of freedom, perhaps one that could even be more liberating than the pursuit of the most controversial films and ideas that people seem to crave. It's a novel idea, one I expect many to ignore but I challenge you to consider the possible merits of it.
As for Palo Alto? To be honest I'm still undecided.
I like how you think your tastes are lowbrow when you go and watch international films. Soong and I are dying to see "Bad Grandpa" haha nothing says lowbrow like a young man dressed as an old man pretending to poop his pants on the street.
ReplyDeleteBut in other, more helpful, comments on your thoughts: I feel like I try evaluate each piece of media at a time. You're right in that wisdom is running as far away from the line as possible, but sometimes I think we are better equipped to be closer to the line than at other times. I will need to do a bit of thinking though!