untamed.nl
 


'the only way to shoot this scene is from twelve different camera angles, with birds flying around..'
(John Cho, Big Fat Liar)

Enduring Love
Enduring Love

  

Empties
Empties

Keep writing. As probably proven by now, I'm not lying about mood swings in general, plus a precious amount of hatred towards the arrogant, commercial and stupid people that have hijacked the internet this decade. God I love nerds. And I still love movies, the only thing that keeps me from throwing the towel halfway here. I might squeeze out another long text someday, but don't count on it. Last night I was on the brink of changing the welcome page into one big GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD and I even started to dislike snow, now that's a big dipper indeed. A couple of hours later, after buying chocolate, I suddenly find myself totally motivated to write a lot. Danger, Will Robinson, rebound alert. So while it lasts.

When it comes to most memorable scenes of the past ten years, I could name a dozen most of my readers won't have seen and probably will never see (two from Forbidden Fruit, for instance). Luckily there is one very well known scene to think of immediately, when figuring out which of those gazillion nominees should top them all. Runners-up include Natalie Portman tapdancing in Garden State, Susan Sarandon tapdancing in Elizabethtown, Eminem's final battle in 8 Mile, the air balloon accident (people hanging from the side) in Enduring Love, the air balloon miracle (lifting out of the water) in Czech Empties. Unbearable rape in Irréversible, impressive ritual in Apocalypto. Trying to explain the ridiculousness of a lifeline containing only fear and love, as done amusingly by Donnie Darko. The Joker's pencil in The Dark Knight, Nicole Kidman's astounding closeup in Birth, Edward Norton's hate rant in 25th Hour. The list is endless. So the winner must be extremely special, this might well be the toughest category to win. It sums up the whole masterpiece movie pretty well, it offers comfort and makes you want to experience it in real life yourself. At night, in bed, just talking, a tender touch, a defining quote and then fade to black: Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation (2003, Sofia Coppola):

Lost in Translation


Charlotte: Let's never come here again, 'cause it would never be as much fun.

Bob: Whatever you say. You're the boss.

Charlotte: I'm stuck. Does it get easier?

Bob: No. Yes. It gets easier.

Charlotte: Oh, yeah? Look at you.

Bob: Thanks. The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let... things upset you.

Charlotte: Yeah. I just don't know what I'm supposed to be. You know? I tried being a writer, but... I hate what I write. And I tried taking pictures, but they're so mediocre, you know. Every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, like horses? You know? Take, uh, dumb pictures of your feet.

Bob: You'll figure that out. I'm not worried about you. Keep writing.

Charlotte: But I'm so mean.

Bob: Mean's okay.

Charlotte: Yeah? What about marriage? Does that get easier?

Bob: That's hard. We used to have a lot of fun. Lydia would come with me when I made the movies, and we would laugh about it all. Now she doesn't want to leave the kids, and... she doesn't... need me to be there. The kids miss me, but they're fine. It gets a whole lot more complicated when you have kids.

Charlotte: Yeah. It's scary.

Bob: It's the most terrifying day of your life the day the first one is born.

Charlotte: Yeah. Nobody ever tells you that.

Bob: Your life, as you know it, is gone. Never to return. But they learn how to walk, and they learn how to talk, and... and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be the most... delightful people... you will ever meet in your life.

Charlotte: Hmm, that's nice.

Bob: Where'd you grow up?

Charlotte: Um, I grew up in New York, and I moved to Los Angeles when John and I got married. But it's so different there.

Bob: Yeah, I know.

Charlotte: John thinks I'm so snotty.

Bob: Hmm. You're not hopeless.


(Menni, untamed.nl 2009)