So, in no particular order, here a few things my favourite films have taught me...
#1: A clumsy double act will always surpass a bombshell
When I was ten, my uncle introduced me to 'Some Like it Hot'. It was a refreshing and hilarious change to the sea of chick flicks I normally got excited about, and they seemed pretty dull in comparison. Why? Because Jack Lemmon &Tony Curtis in drag will always be a classic recipe for a comedy caper. Even with Marilyn Monroe wedged between them, the two gents will always be the real stars of the film, because they're not afraid to make complete fools of themselves,and they pull it off with class.
#2: It's fine to have a trippy imagination
As a kid, I sincerely believed that Narnia was real. So deep was my conviction that I sat in my wardrobe for an hour in the hope that I could meet Mr Tumnus and prove that mythical creatures really did exist. Sadly, though maybe luckily, I grew out of this phase eventually. Nevertheless, the fantasy of a far removed world that only a privileged few can access continues to have a strong appeal. Admit it, it would be cool, right? This is why works like 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'Big Fish' will always be classics to me. A giant, witch, and a ringmaster/werewolf who turn out to be real?! Oh, if only...
#3: Audrey Tautou is wonderful
From the shy and awkward Amelie to her stunning portrayal of Coco Chanel, this lady knows how to act. I've come to admire how the elfin beauty can carry of wayward gold digger to fashion paragon with ease &grace. I like that she hasn't been typecast, because she can carry off all shades of womanhood without seeming false or pretentious about it. When there are a few too many Megan Fox-alikes out there, Miss Tautou represents real women, from the dippy to the classy.
#4: Guys fret about the opposite sex just as much as us girls do
Maybe it's a little odd that '(500) Days of Summer' can instantly cheer me up when I need it, given that it's not at all romantic or slushy, but that's where its charm lies. The opening line of 'This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story' tells you instantly that this will be one of the rare films about love that doesn't sell a trussed up fairytale. The girl wont be timid and reticent about pursuing her hellenic hero, and he wont be strong, sturdy and superhuman. Instead, she can be a bitch (as us girls can often be), and he'll feel anxious, because, wait for it... He's... human!!! So, ladies, don't feel distinctly 'girly' (n.b. naive/weak/whatever) whenever you find yourselves analysing what those two kisses at the end of his last text symbolised. Why? Because guys do it too! (No, really. I once overheard two men on the Central line having a very similar conversation).
#5: Despite my latent cynicism, I should admit that I am a hopeless romantic
'Once' is a beauty. If you've never seen it, google it now. You wont regret it. What you'll find is an Irish busker (Glen Hansard, singer/songwriter), and a Czech Immigrant (Marketa Irglova- also a singer/songwriter with a hauntingly gorgeous voice to boot) in a sweet limbo between friendship and 'something more'. They're never truly honest about their feelings for one another through the spoken word, as it's through their songs that they really reveal what they're thinking. This is where the romance comes in. With lyrics like:
'I don't know you
But I want you all the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react'
I'm pretty sure anyone would turn to putty. 'Once' wont deliver a fairytale, but what it will give you is something much more valuable. In it you'll find a story of love as it really is: shy, slow, &sometimes painful.
Miss Dx
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