revisiting the roots

Last week, when I took 3 days as holiday at work I said to a couple friends of mine, "Well, maybe it is time to catch up with some movies on the theatres." It is quite the right time, anyway. Currently there are already 4 movies that I wanted to watch, and 3 of them are on cinemas, so did I do it?

Yep. Going to the theatres and watch them? Nope. I do watched 6 films in those 5 days of doing nothing though. They are Misery, Misery Loves Company, Gosford Park, Gosford Park, Gosford Park, and Gosford Park. Loony? You can say that again, but seriously Gosford Park will, in a very short period of time, have a fast train ride to the so-called my-list-of-favourite-movie-of-all-time. Never develop such a list, though. Yet. Hehehe..

Movies that I like are a lot. But movies that I really like are a few. But to be sure that they are lined in one categories: Movies that keeps me wanting to see them more after the 5th time screening. *grin* Usually it's always been complicated movies, serious, challenging more than entertaining, and get this I am afraid of recommending it to someone else, because it's so unlike all those mainstream movies. However, to be honest, all of the movies are personally chosen.

First movie that shocked the hell outta me for being so is LA Confidential. Then came Memento. After that, I was so lucky to be able to watch Traffic. [BTW, I forgot which came first, but I watched Memento first] And then Mulholland Dr. And in the same year, came Gosford Park. To be honest, until now, I haven't seen any movies as smart as they are. But it corresponds quite linearly with my laziness of catching any movies nowadays. Hehehe.. Let's talk about this some other time.

BTW, yes I am the 90s generation, and somewhat proud of that. So no, don't come knocking and say, "Aw, it's nothing compared to some Kubrick-esque, Hitchcockianism, Kurosawaish, and so on."

So. Gosford Park. Before yesterday, I think I have watched it 4 or 5 times. And each viewing gives another new ... knowledge, if one may say that, to me. You know a friend of mine was telling me that I was somewhat obsessed with something extremely trivial. I just laughed. Not triviality that obsessed me, details are. What details do I want more than a detailed flick (but you really have to see it more than once to grasp them) like Gosford Park? Every possible ones.

Did you know about..

1. Favourite characters and actors. Honestly, the first time I saw it, I like four characters: Elsie, Commander Meredith, Mabel Nesbitt and Weissman. The last one was simply for personal reason. [Oh, oh alright.. cue to Phoebe's of FRIENDS dad]. Although favorites performances are only Emily Watson's [she's just... *speechless*] and Maggie Smith's. One of the writer's most favourite performance though is the actress who played Mabel Nesbitt. But of course he said they all performed really good, etc. etc. He's right though.

2. Story telling. Until last week's viewing I totally missed the fact that story telling was done mostly by downstairs people. The filmmakers introduce this fact: none of the scenes is showing upstairs people without downstairs people. I missed that one! And it's true! And.. ah, you have to see it by yourself to witness another brilliance of the movie. Particularly one scene introduce a potential goof just to accommodate this fact. But it still works wonderfully.

3. The red herrings. OK. We all know that prior to the murder some red herrings are leaving the room not engaged with the same activity: joining Ivor Novello's accompaniment. Namely: Freddie Nesbitt, Anthony Meredith, Robert Parks, Mrs. Wilson, William McCordle, and George the first footman. One of them got killed, one of them is the murderer. I figured out each and every men and woman's intention of leaving the group, but Commander Meredith's absence is still puzzling me. Any help?

4. The side stories. One of the thing that the writer told us in the commentaries is how he picked developing Mary and Lady Trentham's lady's maid-master relationship than other lady's maid- or valet-master relationship. He could have developed Probert-Sir William's or Lewis-Sylvia's or Barnes-Meredith. He's absolutely right. And I think he made the right choice as well by developing Mary and Lady Trentham. However, genderly-biased, I still prefer to also develop Probert-Sir William's in order to get this development of servant-master relationships.

5. The background. At first Robert Altman (director, producer) and Bob Balaban (producer) tried to find a good Agatha Christie story which has not been turned into a movie. And then Bob said he couldn't find one. And come Julian Fellowes with the story which he said that was inspired by a true story about someone who was killed by his... you know... But wait! Has he read Hercule Poirot's Christmas? Or maybe this bit by Agatha Christie was also inspired from the same affair? Hmm..

6. Social aspects. The writers spilled so many beans about society, norms and other thing that I believe is still applicable in this society. Some of them will make you icky, nervous, unreceptive, but some will make you thankful.

7. Tea at four. Dinner at eight. Murder at midnight. Sleeping at five thirty when the sun already there. Oops, that's just me.

Oh my, look at me rambling on, I must have bored you. So let me finish it here. Tum tum, tum tum tum tum tummmm... tum tum, tum tum tum tum tummmm.. Name that tune!