I finally watched a movie that has been on my movies-to-see list for a while, this Saturday afternoon: The Motorcycle Diaries. It was fantastic. Few movies are able to balance the key elements of a truly good film as this one did. In my opinion, most movies lack at least one of the four following elements, and this isn't even an exhaustive list of key elements:
1. A good storyline (An actual story, not just the ingredients for a Hollywood blockbuster)
2. Revealing & interesting cinematography (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon not Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
3. Convincing and real actors (Paul Giamatti not Hayden Christiansen)
4. Interesting and relevant musical scoring (In the Mood for Love not Minority Report)
The Motorcycle Diaries is about the journey of two young men (Understatement of the Year- one of the young men is Cuban revolutionary, Ernesto Che Guevara) through Latin America with little money and their dying motorcycle. I felt like I traveled with them, feeling what they felt, from exhilaration to desperation to inspiration. There were only a few moments that I felt otherwise, and even still, I loved every moment of the journey... movie. When the film ended, I wish it didn't, I wished there were more to watch - I even watched all of the 'extras'. It is going down on My Favorite Movies list.
Saturday night, I met up with two high school friends, and had Boeuf Bourgignon at a hole-in-the-wall French restaurant, Chez Brigitte. I felt like I was eating in someone's home - c'etait delicieux. Following dinner was dessert; not good enough to be mentioned in any more detail. The night continued with my walking from W4 to Union Square, meeting up with college friends at Republic. Even met some new folks, chatting about movies and books, now added to that list was mentioned in my first sentence. We headed over to N.A. for some drinks and dancing. And that is what we did all night long, ending at 3 a.m., with a $35 cab-ride back home. I will post a photo soon. It was great seeing these fine gentlemen, and I am sure I'll see them many times again soon.
1. A good storyline (An actual story, not just the ingredients for a Hollywood blockbuster)
2. Revealing & interesting cinematography (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon not Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
3. Convincing and real actors (Paul Giamatti not Hayden Christiansen)
4. Interesting and relevant musical scoring (In the Mood for Love not Minority Report)
The Motorcycle Diaries is about the journey of two young men (Understatement of the Year- one of the young men is Cuban revolutionary, Ernesto Che Guevara) through Latin America with little money and their dying motorcycle. I felt like I traveled with them, feeling what they felt, from exhilaration to desperation to inspiration. There were only a few moments that I felt otherwise, and even still, I loved every moment of the journey... movie. When the film ended, I wish it didn't, I wished there were more to watch - I even watched all of the 'extras'. It is going down on My Favorite Movies list.
Saturday night, I met up with two high school friends, and had Boeuf Bourgignon at a hole-in-the-wall French restaurant, Chez Brigitte. I felt like I was eating in someone's home - c'etait delicieux. Following dinner was dessert; not good enough to be mentioned in any more detail. The night continued with my walking from W4 to Union Square, meeting up with college friends at Republic. Even met some new folks, chatting about movies and books, now added to that list was mentioned in my first sentence. We headed over to N.A. for some drinks and dancing. And that is what we did all night long, ending at 3 a.m., with a $35 cab-ride back home. I will post a photo soon. It was great seeing these fine gentlemen, and I am sure I'll see them many times again soon.
posted by Jeanne at 10:12 PM
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