Before Thanksgiving I developed a detailed meal chart complete with a grocery list. We shopped down the street on the weekends. I came home from work at night and cooked meals and made our lunches for the next day. We got out of the habit once the holiDAZE began, once I spent my grocery money on presents and once I realized it was a little less than charming to mince garlic on our dresser. We live in a small place.
I'm back in the habit again and discovering I, who once would rather store new shoes in the oven, have developed a solid nesting sense and interest in cooking for someone I love. Counter space has become an exciting prospect and Greg and I have decided to apartment hunt for a bigger place.
About a week ago Friday, we ventured out to the IFC and saw:
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile
Greg didn't tell me what we were seeing and I didn't want to know. I love surprises. He explained there was a rave review and this film was all the rage so we had to go before we missed out. Greg is good about those things and he is very capable of weeding out the things that are all the rage that are things that would make us gag. His excitement made me excited.We met up with friends of ours prior to the film. They knew Greg was keeping the title from me so they didn't spill the info. It was a little thrill. We go to stand on line and I don't even recognize the title on the marquee. I still haven't got a clue what I'm in for. Just how I like it. Greg runs to the front of the line to pick up our tickets and I overhear a couple behind us:
Man: Geez it is freezing. Why aren't they letting us in? [Jokingly to Woman.] This better be worth it.
Woman: I know, I know! Since when do you see a line around the block for a Romanian film in the 1980's about totalitarianism and an illegal abortion!
Oh. I guess that is what this is about.
Sounds about as fun as doing my taxes. But I trust Greg. I erase what I've heard.
This movie was so powerful there was pure silence in the darkness after the last scene. There was no music or credits, only a black screen for several seconds and then white words appeared. The audience gave a collective sigh.
As an art, this movie did not judge, it gave the audience creative space to think and form their own experience. My own imagination inserted subliminal visions throughout. I felt undefinable emotions and the performances are beyond believable. Channeling. The direction is such a perfect journey you begin to smell the environment he portrays.
As entertainment, I can't remember a time when I so completely forgot myself and so completely cared for a fictitious character. Maybe Annie when I was nine. I wanted to be an orphan. They had so much fun! Poor little suburban gal.
As commentary, this movie hit so many sides of every 'argument' that you never felt you were watching a specific point of view. I'm not sure how that is possible for a topic that has defined entire countries, cultures and religions. It was just a story and it was at zero.
And all this while reading subtitles. Brilliant.
Go see this film. I am so grateful for my little apartment and my little meatballs. I'm so blessed to look down at the band-aid on my finger.
It really is the little things, isn't it?
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