Random Ramblings. . .

[kelly_chambliss]

What with a trip to visit my family and the Thanksgiving weekend excuse, I have gotten no work done in the past two weeks.  I have, however, enjoyed myself immensely -- eating, sleeping late, buying books, drinking (in a totally moderate and responsible way, of course), going to shows, reading whatever I pleased.  My partner and I are in one of those lovely in-sync periods where we're just beside ourselves being crazy about each other. (I know that such periods are boring and/or sickening to one's friends, but we try to keep our billing and cooing to a minimum in public.)

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Yesterday, we saw the movie Sideways, about two guys spending a week together in the California wine country.  It's gotten rave reviews that are mostly justified -- it's a good film:  funny, nicely-directed and photographed, and well-acted.  But ultimately, I found it disturbing.  The film presents the two main characters, Miles and Jack, as significantly flawed but still appealing in goofy, sad-sack ways.  The filmmaker seems to want us to care about them despite their obvious limitations and sleazy behavior.  Many of the reviews say just that -- that the characters are seriously imperfect (especially Jack) but still capture the viewer's sympathies.  The ending suggests that we're even expected to root for Miles.

Yet despite the humor of the film, Jack and Miles aren't appealing.  Not at all.  I found them both really offensive -- they are deeply unattractive and deeply dishonest, so completely self-absorbed that their total disregard for others becomes downright evil (and like Jane Austen, I don't use that word lightly.)  I have no problem with making a film about such people, or even making them funny and believable.  But what I do have a problem with is the suggestion that these guys ultimately deserve our sympathy or tolerance.  Several of the reviews have suggested that Jack and especially Miles are "Everymen," typical of the half-sad, half-hilarious failures of middle-age.   Yes, it's true that I have known self-absorbed scum bags like them.  But if they are "Everymen," then our world is in even sadder shape than the disaster of 11-2 already made me think it was.

Luckily, I don't believe that Jack and Miles are "Everymen" at all.  At least, they don't square with my experience of the world.  The people I know are imperfect, certainly.  Most of the middle-aged ones would agree that their lives haven't turned out quite as planned.  Some are destructive, some annoying, some pathetic.  But I'd say only two of them are so self-absorbed and lacking in self-awareness as to be actually evil.

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Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we had a Voyager marathon, treating ourselves to nine episodes of Season One on DVD.  I even found one episode that I'd never seen before -- "Emanations," about aliens who think they are sending their dead to a "higher consciousness" in the afterlife, when actually the bodies just seem to end up   decaying on an asteroid (Ah, but is that the whole story?  We're never sure.)  I'd forgotten how fun those early episodes were and how deliberately sexy Janeway was made to be -- all tumbled curls and peach satin nightgown in "Eye of the Needle," striding about with long hair and skinny pants and cute little top in "Time and Again," stroking the phallic pool cue in "The Cloud," flirting with the unspeakable Gath in "Prime Factors," her hair escaping into hot little tendrils.   Mmmmmm.

Comments

[rocky-t.livejournal.com]

I've also been enjoying watching season 1 eps again after so many years. *This* is the Janeway I fell in love with. (And I agree with you about the hair).

[projectjulie.livejournal.com]

season one eeeeee! so adorable, yes. (it was love at first sight.) I think the pool game is my favorite.