2002-01-14
In the Bedroom, more, posted at 6:35 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I think I am literally the first one in the school this morning. The front door was unlocked, so I was able to get in. Perhaps the custodian if off somewhere in another part of the building, but right now I'm hedging my bets on on being the only one here.I walked into my classroom at 6:27am today. Unbelievable. Now, I'm just waiting for my workout partners to get here and unlock the gym.
The weekend ended as slowly as it began. I went to go see In the Bedroom yesterday afternoon, continuing my tradition of seeing early Sunday matinees alone. I'm thinking about joining this movie discussion group that meets on Sunday mornings, but I haven't gotten that ambitious yet.
The movie was a disappointment. The first 45 minutes are spent sort of waiting for something to happen (there were some fine moments during that time, but it felt like a long intro to me), and then something does. A main character dies, and it's shocking (the arthouse movie theater crowd let out a collective gasp when it occurred). Then, we're left to feel the grief of the characters, and that's the strength of the film. We are with each of the characters as they learn the news, and their grief is so real - there are some overwhelmingly sad scenes. Then, the movie just sort of becomes static. There are scenes that linger far too long. Emotional arcs that are never fully developed. Silence is employed far too much. A fairly exciting ending (relative to the rest of the film, at least) pushes itself into the fold at the end, but it's too little, too late.
I'm not someone who needs something to happen in films. I love seeing character studies and small human dramas depicted onscreen. One of my favorite movies from last year was You Can Count on Me, which was a small human drama that was very powerful (I need to purchase that movie... that last scene was amazing). And In the Bedroom, in comparison to that one, paled. This one reminded me of James Mangold's wildly overpraised film Heavy from a few years back. Many critics are going crazy for this one, too, and the praise is not warranted.
Yeah, Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson were good, but I don't really see where all the Oscar talk is coming from. Wilkinson is much more powerful than Spacek, who I think is benefitting from her compulsive smoking and an excessively unglamourized appearance in the film. She didn't do much for me, that's for sure. I'm sure she'll be nominated for an Oscar, but I'll pissed if she wins (although I don't really have a favorite female performance this year yet... I think Halle Berry in Monster's Ball will be fantastic, but I haven't seen it yet. I also wouldn't mind a Kidman win for Moulin Rouge, I guess.) I wouldn't mind Marisa Tomei getting a nomination for her heartbreaking work here, but it's more because I've liked her as an actress since My Cousin Vinny than anything else.
I should found out today what the loan for my new car will be. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
Oh, and I'm officially worried about Jason. He did nothing all weekend, similar to what he did all week. He sat on the couch and watched hours and hours of television, and slept about 14 hours a day. Refused to go the movies both times I went. I know he's broke, but he's not that broke. I hope he turns a corner soon.