Rabbit Hole & The Choices We Make

The interesting thing about Rabbit Hole is not that it's about a couple struggling with the death of a child, it's the philosophy behind the movie. It's the way that the people mirror our own society and they may or may not make the same choices that we do in similar situations.

An interesting aspect of the human condition is our ability to lie to ourselves. Another interesting aspect is our ability to rationalize our circumstances. One scene that particularly stands out in Rabbit Hole is a scene where Nicole Kidman's character is attending a support group for parents who have lost a child. Nicole listens to one parent rationalize her daughter's death by saying that God needed another angel so he took their daughter. I assume this couple were telling themselves this were Christians, as Kidman's character seems to agree, and that this belief has no justification, biblical or otherwise. It's just a lie to tell themselves to deal with the pain and suffering of losing a child. Really, there might not be any good answers for such a loss, but do we need to lie to ourselves?

This scene is contrasted to another scene later on when Kidman's character makes the same mistake on a different matter. Having rejected the conventional ways to deal with grief like God and therapy, her character turns to another belief just as illogical and requires just as much faith to believe. In a conversation with the boy who accidentally killed her child, she is turned on to the idea of alternate universes and alternate realities where she exists in one of these universes and she's happy. Instead of grieving with the person responsible for the death of her child, she imagines herself making pancakes. Kidman's character makes the same mistake the christian couple makes.

But, isn't this what we do in our own lives? Do we justify certain things? Do we ignore potential contradictions? Do we rationalize?

Here's another potential rationalization in Rabbit Hole. With marriage between Kidman and Eckhart unraveling during the movie, Each partner turns to another person to meet certain needs. Kidman turns the young man responsible for the death for communication and understanding where she gets her emotional needs met. And Eckhart turns to Sandra Oh's character for a potential affair. Although Eckhart stops short of physically cheating, he has already emotionally cheated, even lying to his wife about the pot and the group meetings. Kidman's character is just a guilty of cheating displaying all the signs, waiting till her husband leaves to go and see the person she's emotionally cheating with. She sneaks around meeting in secluded public places (park benches) and fails to tell her husband about any of this.

I have to give these characters their due recognition for not following through with their deceptions. When they come to terms with how they are deceiving themselves, they realize their marriage is worth saving.

With the ending, can I make a case that they are continuing to lie to themselves by how they deal with the future? Well, I'm not going to make that case, because theres a difference between lying to yourself and just plan not knowing the truth.

The Bourne Romance

I watched all three Jason Bourne movies yesterday back-to-back and wanted to focus specifically on the Jason Bourne/Nicky Parson's relationship and how it flows through all three. In all actuality, it doesn't. More than likely, an intimate relationship between the two of them was probably dreamed up during Ultimatum. The director's commentary on the DVD reveals this subtle but very interesting development.

Upon seeing Bourne Ultimatum, the thing that I was most intrigued with coming out of the movie theater was the mysterious relationship between Nicky and Jason. I was left wanting more. Maybe it was because of Julia Stiles and wanting to see her more involve in the storyline.

With director Paul Greengrass pulling out of the next Bourne film and no word whether Matt Damon is even attached to it, the possibility of fulfilling my craving for resolution more than likely won't happen any time soon.

In this blog I will revisit all three movies and comment specifically on this mysterious relationship. This will have to do for the time being.

In The Bourne Identity, little is revealed about Nicky Parsons other than she's a CIA agent undercover as a student in Paris. And the one seen the two characters share in the movie almost betrays any sense of history they may share. Just before Jason reveals himself to Conklin, Nicky says to him something to the effect, "It's Bourne, isn't it?"

Now if they had shared some history together, don't you think Nicky would have addressed him as Jason, not Bourne. Any kind of intimacy probably would have produced more familiarity.

When Jason does reveal himself, Nicky gets a look of horror on her face. Of course, Jason takes one look at her and doesn't know show she is. This carries over into The Bourne Supremacy, in which the one sequence of events where Jason gets Nicky alone to question her and induces nothing but fear into Nicky. Again, Nicky doesn't show any sign of intimacy, only fear.

With The Bourne Ultimatum, the Jason Bourne/Nicky Parsons relationship is hinted at. Again, probably having been just imagined for the first time. But since it's being drawn up for the first time and fails to follow through, this is why the dilemma is so interesting and another movie is necessary to satisfy people like me.

Nicky mysteriously shows up at Neal Daniels' office for reasons that are unclear to me. apparently she had been reassigned to Daniels, in a twist of fate that befuddles even me. But nonetheless, the two of them are together and for the first time, Nicky doesn't show absolute fear, but loyalty and benevolence.

She doesn't look at him fearing her life anymore. Now she looks at him as a long lost friend. In the diner seen, she questions him, "You really don't remember a thing?"

Here's where the contrast between the Jason/Nicky pseudo relationship compares to the Jason/Marie storyline. In bother Jason is confused, cold and calculating. With Marie, she was able to break through the barrier Jason's personality has resurrected. Marie was open and engaging; just what jason needed in order for their relationship to develop.

By contrast, Nicky was almost as cold and confused as Jason was. They were too much of the same person to be an effective couple. Jason, having lost Marie, couldn't dye Nicky's hair like he did Marie's. Nicky had to do it herself. And when Jason and Nicky share eye contact, he couldn't help but noticed the similarities between Nicky and Marie. But Nicky can't express herself like Marie could, thus she can only let Jason go.

It makes you wonder, what kind of relationship Nicky and Jason had, if they ever had one at all. Was it doom to fail because they were too similar in personality?

After reviewing Nine, I did some research into narcissism and came up with some good ideas of my own for the character in a screenplay I'd like to write. This is the research and development part and I think this is what Philosophy of Screenwriting should be all about. The ideas and concepts that are presented in philosophy, psychology and the sciences should be utilized to make our screenplays more realistic. We shouldn't just fly off the cuff in our own understanding thinking that will be enough. All of us should be philosophy majors. In fact, two the best screenwriting books I've read, Story by Robert McKee and Psychology For Screenwriters, are great technical books; college-level reading for the screenwriter.

This may seem obvious, but I'm using this blog as a free flow outlet for my ideas that are universal. In conveying information, I most importantly am informing myself.

I started the new year off with a viewing Nine. Having seen 8 1/2 I was already aware of the basic storyline. I figured the retelling as a musical would remind me of Chicago, but this is Oscar season (my favorite time of year) and this is an Oscar contender. I must see this at any cost.

Daniel Day-Lewis gives another terrific performance and each female performance holds their own against this perennial heavy weight; including a surprising appearance of Stacey Ferguson.

The music...eh...take it or leave it.

Philosophically, the narcissism of the main character is what this movie is all about. Every musical seen centers around his relationship with a woman. I'm not sure what the song titles are but you could name them off as Song About Guido #1, Song About Guido #2, etc.

The director in the movie is unable to produce the screenplay for his next film, partly because of his growing distaste for what I'll call the Hollywood system, though the setting is Italy in the 60's. He has come to believe that camera's image and the beautiful actress being filmed is all that people want or notice. The director spends the entire movie running away into the arms of the women in his life; which is his other problem. He has drained the women around him. his narcissism is that of an emotional vampire. Even his producer has had it with him.

One seen in the movie sums up the struggle between sex and the film industry on one hand, and the Roman Catholic ideal of prudence. The director has a conversation with a Cardinal of the church and the Cardinal praises his early films but questions the amount of sex that is portrayed in his movies. The Director wants to enquire about God, but instead gets a lesson in morality. The director once again becomes overwhelmed with the criticism of his films, and heads off into his musical dream world that ends with him being whipped by a priest and his mother displeased with him. Again its the women in his life, this time his mother, that is the directors problem. You get the sense that if he could just have one decent relationship he will be fine. But as narcissistic as he is, he cannot.

It is only when he has lost it all, that he can direct the movie he is mean to direct; the story he's been telling us all along, the story of himself and the women in his life.

Top 5 Films of 2009

1. Inglorious Basterds

2. Boondock Saints 2

3. Taken

4. Avatar

5. Zombieland

New Years resolution: To write more often here.

The Problem With Nick And Norah

As I see it, I probably am out of touch with today's youth, but the problem with Nick and Norah is the love story failed to be more everlasting.  The great thing about love stories is that they eventually become about two people who were meant for each other and will spend their lives together...er...uh...happily ever after.  However absurd, that's usually what we expect.  

The problem with Nick and Norah is that I never came to believe they would end up together.  Both are lovable enough to engage in a interesting conversation with, But neither seem to look outside themselves.  Although Nick seems a bit attached to something other than himself, Norah seems to just be looking for that elusive orgasm.  Both seemed to be looking for that certain someone for their next lay and not a life partner.  Granted, their teenagers, but certain subjects like love should not end up being trivialized.  Even teenagers should long for something real and not be such materialists.

I did like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, as it hits on the same hipness as Juno does.  Whereas Juno had to deal with a much serious matter, Adoption, Nick and Norah never seem to get beyond their own shallowness.  If I were to write a sequel to the movie, it would be Nick pining over his breakup with Norah, while Norah beds the wrong guy again.  Neither character developed enough to not repeat their past problems.  But, whatever.  Their teenagers, right?

Adventureland

Has this ever happened to you?

About an hour into watching this flick, the fire alarms go off and the movie stops.  I head out into the lobby to see what's going on.  The usher tells me this has been going on all week.   I hang out for a couple minutes to see if the alarms will stop so the movie can restart.  As I was standing there waiting to see what will happen, I started to reflect on the movie and realize I didn't really care to go back in and finish the movie.  The movie didn't work on any of the levels I was hoping. 

first of all, I remember the summer of 1987 and this didn't look anything like it.  Other than the great Falco song, a guilty pleasure of mine, which was used for a couple of laughs, I didn't listen to any the other music from the movie.  This was not my my 1987.  In fact, the Falco song is not even 1987.  So the movie failed to be nostalgic.  

Granted, I was not in college in 1987, but I was in junior high.  I didn't think the hipster attitude of liking old bands and wearing obscure band t-shirt came until the 90's.  I was not listening to Lou Reed and Husker Du in 1987.  It was Bon Jovi and U2.  So, the movie fails in it's level of nostalgia.

I couldn't get into the love story either.  Although Kristen Stewart was good, facial expressions and all, she was given a drab character to play.  I can't give a final judgement because I haven't finished the movie but I really don't know if I even want to finish it.