Friday, February 28, 2020

Humanity is a Comedy

Inspirational song: Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit-Bag, and Smile, Smile, Smile (Murray Johnson)

Thank goodness Oscar winning movies come back into theaters and give us another crack at them. This afternoon T texted our group to see who wanted to go see 1917 with him tonight. I was the only one with flexible enough plans to take him up on the invite. In fact, he even bought my ticket, in exchange for me being designated driver. We started at the little cantina next to the theater, so he could get a burrito and margarita or two first.

We chatted over dinner about how wild and stressful the news is lately, and how much we needed a break from reality at the movies. Now, we weren't sure how much of a pleasant diversion a movie about World War One was going to be. He made jokes about how this was going to be a light-hearted romp, and that's when he smiled wryly, shrugged, and said "y'know... humanity is a comedy." Nice try, but we both knew what we were about to get into.

I don't think there was a single comedic moment to break up the stress of this movie. There was tension up until the final moments. I hadn't spent too much time reading reviews of it, but I had seen someone on Twitter crack wise about how it was all filmed in one shot, start to finish, and Benedict Cumberbatch was just sitting in a bunker day after day, waiting for them to make it all the way through in one take so he could deliver his lines at the end. I watched carefully to see whether it was truly one long shot. It wasn't quite one single take, but it was presented as if it were, following the lead character from beginning to end. As the audience, you get heavily emotionally invested in this guy. I still haven't come down from it, although I haven't quite been home half an hour yet.

T says he could watch it again, and would be willing to go with Mr S-P, who couldn't alter his schedule to go tonight. Me, I'm not sure I could handle the tension again so soon. Ot was incredible, but wow. I think I need to cuddle a cat now. (No pictures tonight.)

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