This week I watched several films that seemed to represent the different shades of love, and how people respond to it (perfect for post-Valentine’s Day!). These films were Once [IMC DVD 306.7 O58 2007], Monsoon Wedding [IMC DVD 392.5 M755 2002], La Vie en Rose [IMC DVD 784.9 P579 2007], and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly [IMC DVD 362.1968 D618 2008].
My first movie, Once, had gotten a lot of attention when it first came out, mainly for its incredible musical soundtrack. I was very excited to finally get to watch it! The main plot of this movie centers around a vacuum repairman who is trying to make it big with his singing/songwriting. He meets a girl in the street, and discovers that she plays piano. They hit it off, but help each other realize what love means in other aspects of their life. As I said earlier, the music is incredible, but the screenplay and Glen Hasard help to keep the movie interesting as well.
The next film, Monsoon Wedding, was recommended to me by a co-worker. This film has many different narratives interwoven—a soon-to-be bride who has a secret, her stressed father, and an event planner who finds himself smitten. All of these stories emphasize love and the importance of holding onto it, yet they come about in very different ways. It has a happy ending, which is a relief after a week of sad movies (see last week’s “Weepies”).
La Vie en Rose is one of the most well-known French movies. Following the life of Edith Piaf, a famous French singer, it sparkles with nostalgic World War II music. Edith is a resilient and charismatic person, but with her own flaws. These flaws, and her tragedies help the viewer to better understand her life and her relationships with the various people in her life. Marie Cotillard does a phenomenal job as Edith Piaf, well deserving of her Oscar and Academy Award in this role.
My final and favorite movie was The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This film is based on the memoir written by Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, who has a stroke at 43 and is paralyzed except for being able to blink his left eye. He decides to use his remaining ability to blink out a memoir about his rare condition, locked-in syndrome, and his thoughts and feelings while inside a body which can do nothing. This movie was so powerful in part because we see the former version of Bauby and then his entire experience with reconciling himself to this new life. I can’t recommend it enough—the imagery and cinematography only serve to heighten the viewer’s experience of his paralysis.
Now that our “Weepies” DVD display is finished, we have a new theme in the IMC: Never Been Checked Out! These are various (and, for the most part, very good movies!) which have never had the chance to be watched by WCU patrons! Come check it out and give these movies some love. As always, continue along in your own film travelogue journey at https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/ .
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