Thursday, December 18

[gottawonder]

Today I am grateful for:

Good sleep, though I awoke feeling a little off. Just tired and achy.

I did speak with Trainwreck, and today at least we had an actual conversation where I felt heard.

I talked with her about my depressing conversation with Sister S, and Trainwreck assured me that if Sister S WANTED more people around for Christmas, it would be possible. After all, a few members of our family do go to the town where Sister S lives often for shopping, and there's a good chance they will be in before Christmas. All S would need to do is reach out, and they would likely stop in for a visit.

I'm glad Trainwreck sounded good today, and I'm glad to have her perspective.

My Sweetie was home early from work again today. This is the last day of work (he would normally get F, S, and Sunday off, then the break for the holidays) for the year, and everyone left early.

He helped me get through chores (again, tired and achy) and we just came back inside and had a nap. He hasn't been sleeping enough this week, and I felt exhausted in spite of only being up for a few hours.

Then we got up and had supper, and watched "Mulholland Drive" which was interesting, but unnecessarily convoluted. I think sometimes people confuse "art" with "incomprehensible". I think you could have told the whole story in a less confusing way, and it still would have been compelling.

Well, that's David Lynch for you.

Then we signed Christmas cards and put them in addressed envelopes. As usual, I've left it pretty late, but better late than never.

I'm hoping to mail them tomorrow, and while I enjoy making them, it will be nice to have them sent on their way and to be done with them. It is a lot of effort and repetition.

One thing though, it's nice to keep in touch, and it forces you to keep updated with everyone's mailing addresses.

Comments

[ratunderpaper]

When people ask me the difference between art and illustration, I say Art asks questions, but illustration answers questions.

[gottawonder]

His movies feel like he begins with knowing what the answer is, but since he is an artist, he will chop up the film again and again, until the answer is completely lost, but somehow you are SUPPOSED TO FIGURE IT OUT, or you aren't the right kind of viewer for his films.

I liked some of the ideas in the film, and I would say that the acting was superb.

You probably could have done just as good a job and left people feeling like they understood what the heck was going on and still have made art.

While I would say that art does often ask questions, this movie didn't feel like it was asking questions so much as leaving you sitting there with only one question; "what did I just watch?".

I feel like if people can barely figure out the questions that art is asking, perhaps it's not communicating it's point very well.

[ratunderpaper]

I agree that not all viewers are going to like surrealist films. Have you seen anything by Fellini? City of Women?

[gottawonder]

I'm an open minded person. I don't need a movie to spoon feed me it's point either.

I've watched all kinds of odd shows, and found things to like in most of them.

I didn't even dislike "Mulholland Drive" so much as think it would have been more powerful if hadn't tried so hard to be "artistic".

I think sometimes people's desire to be "smart" or "artistic" can actually get in their own way.

[ratunderpaper]

Or maybe they have an artistic vision they wish to express, even at the expense of narrowing their audience to those who appreciate that aim.

[gottawonder]

Sure. I don't have to like it.