Hurrah I say and Hurrah again! My movie club met for the first time in 3 months last night to watch and discuss "Being John Malkovich" (gosh I'm having a bit of a Charlie Kaufman month!)
Our film club is not for your namby pamby stella swilling movie lout! Oh no! It's for those of us who are truly geeky about movies, who obsess over upcoming films and wax lyrical about the most moving cinema moments of our lifetimes. (Well actually we just all like film and bore most people silly wanting to talk about it... we truly find solice in each other...)
We like to look at three things when we sit down withour bowl of Malteesers;
- How would I sum up the message of this film in one sentence?
- What values system does this film portray?
- Where was God in this film?
I really enjoyed BJM! A real brain treasing, bizarre exploration of identity, sexuality, control and the ultimate step in voyerism and consumerism. Unhappy with who you are, who your with and your lot in life? Don't worry! Why not be John Malkovich!
I won't give anything away for anyone who's not seen it, but I would recomend it for any night you fancy something to make you think. You will need to suspend reality for two hours and focus less on the logic and more on the metaphors. It's an interesting look at our individualism, selfishness, identity in sexuality and need to desired.
It sparked great debate amongst our lowly group and left me asking questions like "How much do I spend my life comparing myself and wishing I had other skills, talents, opportunities?" "If I say I like a film (which I would about this one) how much does that communicate that I endorse said film and it's values system?" I like a great many films but I may not ethically agree with all of the content. It made me think about how I talk about films and how much of what they communicate permiates my consciousness...
If you've seen the film or have any thoughts I'd love to hear them,
xc