For the Love of Movies

http://siucu.tumblr.com/post/26845353007/loveoffilm

If you and I are friends on Facebook then you know how many movies I've seen this past weekend. Since there are people who read this blog that I'm not friends with (I know! I'm just as surprised as you are) I'll keep you in the loop. And those who do know how many movies I've seen, many of you have asked what I thought of these films so I'm going to review a few today (depending on how long I blab for) and the coming posts.

Just for an overall summary:
Thursday- advanced screening tickets to Django Unchained
Saturday night- This is 40 (with my mummy)
Sunday night- Silver Linings Playbook
Monday- The Sessions
later Monday night on demand- The Amazing Spider-Man
Tuesday morning- Les Miserables
Tuesday evening on DVD- Finding Neverland
later Tuesday night, because it is a Christmas-must-watch-film: Love Actually (possibly my 10th time watching this classic)
And you should all know I am contemplating just going to see Anna Karenina by myself tonight because a. No one will see it with me/have already seen it/not the right person to see it with and
              b. I'm curious to see how many days in a row I can go with seeing a movie in theatres (minus Fridays cause I have work and keep Shabbat.) Anyone dare me?

Where to even begin??
Let me first say that I love a broad spectrum of movies, but like TV, there is only so much time in a day and in one's life so we have to make priorities. I can watch action to super hero to science fiction to romcom to drama to comedy/stupidity to foreign to...whatever genre The Sessions fits into. I can appreciate each of them in a different way, that being said, I don't like every movie, obviously.

As I'm writing this I'm realizing this is already too long to even get into an individual review so...I'm going to go back to the basics, back to the title of this post.

     Why do I love movies so much? I don't even know when it all started but I've always loved escaping reality. Pretending to be someone else. Imaging myself wearing a costume, putting on an accent, singing my heart out. Deep down I wish I was an actress/singer. Seriously. I know people might say that but I really think I could have been good. And I won't go into blaming my parents (isn't everything in life that doesn't go as planned their fault ultimately?) But anyway, the beauty and the magic in film making, screenwriting, the depth it takes for an actor to wholeheartedly, and hopefully successfully, become another person is incredible to me.

     I think the best way, honestly, to see and enjoy a movie, is alone. I really do. I've only gone to one movie by myself (Twilight...please don't stop reading) but really I think I, and we, should do it more often. It's really the only way to truly lose yourself in a film. No one can talk to you. You can speak out loud if you have a thought you need to share (Warning: If done in a public theater you might get even more sets of eyes glaring at you then there already are.) I only do this when I'm at home or when another person is with me. And I always wonder if I'm bothering that person's experience or are they thinking the same thing I am?
     And I can truly lose myself in a movie. I love when it is so good that I completely forget I'm watching a screen (which is why I DESPISE when people, especially the people I'm with, look at their phones! The light is so bright and completely takes me out of the moment, out of the film and back to shitty reality. I'd like to add that there was a man two rows in front of me to my left during Les Miserables who decided this was the time to start twirling his glasses and I seriously contemplated reaching over and snapping them in half. Ya know, since he doesn't need them anyway apparently. The only reason I decided against this was because I knew I'd make an even bigger scene and ruin other people's experience of the film. So I suffered alone. You're welcome everyone in Auditorium 6 at Sheppard Grande at the 11:30am premier! Ungrateful bastards.) If a movie is incredible and intends to make you cry it's difficult to really allow that emotion and power take over you with someone next to you. I'm actually not as big of crier as many of my friends think I am (I have actually only cried at maybe 1 or 2 weddings and they weren't when anything with the ceremony was happening. Brides/newlywed friends please don't ask me if it was your wedding. I'll just lie) but this weekend so many films brought me to tears...or rather would have if I had been alone. Les Mis would have, The Sessions I was overcome with emotion but couldn't quite let the tears flow. And the one film that I was bawling during was Finding Neverland, probably because this was the only one I watched alone in the comfort of my leggings and sweatshirt on my couch. And it's so gratifying to feel the power of a movie, literally moving you to tears. I think I want to go back and see The Sessions alone for this very reason. And I mean this whole concept for when a movie makes you laugh but if you know me you know that if I find something funny I don't care who is around me, I laugh out loud and genuinely because again, isn't that the point?? A screenwriter, any writer, is trying to convey a story, a feeling, and by my laughing I'm merely saying they succeeded. Even if I'm the only one.

How do you like to watch a film? Am I the only one who likes seeing movies alone?
For the record: I love seeing movies with friends and certain people that I know will appreciate the movie whether it's because it's their sense of humor or their sensitivity. I think it's bonding and, let's face it, when push comes to shove most of us don't want to be the one person seeing a movie alone because we think (know) everyone is staring at us, judging us, thinking we have no friends!

Tomorrow: Django Unchained