MISMATCH

I saw my first movie in nearly a year. Great anticipation turned into utter disappointment. I have two favorite starlets of mine. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. And now each has been in an almost equally disappointing film, at least in my humble opinion.

I saw Closer last year and it depressed the hell out of me. I found I couldn’t root for any of the characters, not even Natalie. Yet the picture was critically acclaimed. Yesterday, I went to see Match Point knowing little about the film as usual. I knew Woody Allen directed it and that it received favorable reviews. Well, I won’t give away the movie details, but it so much reminded me of Closer. I’ve never walked out of a movie but could have easily walked out of this one. It was slow-moving, long, and well there’s that D-word. Maybe I’m not quite ready for depressing films? I think the critics raved because it was such a departure for Woody. Different he was and so mission accomplished.

Huh I see Woody is up for a Best Original Screen play Oscar. I need to see Squid and The Whale and Crash, Woody’s competition. I have a feeling I would like both of those films. I guess the price I pay for going into movies blindly, avoiding trailers and detailed reviews is that I set myself up for major disappointment. I suppose the flipside is true, too. Million Dollar Baby comes to mind. But for now, I really need to avoid dark, depressing films. The urge to cry is great and they leave me in a horrible empty state-of-mind. Game, set, mismatch. On a positive note, spending two hours with Natalie or Scarlett isn’t the worst thing in the world.