Wednesday, August 11, 2004
It's not easy being a fictional hero.
I caught up with the remarkably well reviewed, Before Sunset this weekend. I have a massive soft spot for the first movie, and for Linklater's other "talky-walky" movies (Slacker, Waking Life). I was extremely nervous that Before Sunset might not live up to the hype, but I was captivated through each of its 80 minutes.
The brief recap: An American author (Jessie) is on a book tour in Paris promoting an autobiographical novel concerning a single night he spent with a French girl (Celine) 9 years previously (Before Sunrise). He is reunited with Celine, and walks through Paris in real-time discussing the intervening years and again musing on the path of love. Both characters reveal that the strength of their passion on that single night has over-shadowed their love-lives, and in the course of 80 minutes their love is re-kindled.
Linklater has explained that one of his reasons for making the movie was the curiosity people have had for the fate of the two characters from the original film. He was also intensely aware during the production that making a bad movie would blight fans' perception of the first movie.
The original movie has a highly ambiguous ending, and although that movie must "stand alone", any ambiguity is laid to rest by the plotting of the second movie. The characters "Jessie and Celine" had been briefly reprised in Walking Life as one of Wiley Wiggins' lucid dreams, but the "story" of Jessie and Celine is now continuous between the two "Before" movies.
In the movie Celine complains about being used as a character in a work of fiction; she is angry that the book has stirred up old issues. I myself feature as a fictional hero this month, but my concerns are rather different. My father's latest novel is out next week, and the central character is based rather directly on me. Luckily it's not about a male obstetrician, instead the character is a female art historian, convicted of stealing a Tiffany stained glass window. It's not stirring up any issues for me, but I do have a slight sense of dread.
Like Jessie and Celine who have "lived" in people's minds these last 9 years, I hate the idea that my fictional character might have more longevity than I do. I wouldn't want her to appeal to people more than I actually do, so that she might be cherished in people's memories long after they've forgotten me entirely.
Go right ahead and ignore my concerns; you can begin forgetting me now, since the book is already available from Amazon and all good bookshops.
In other bookish news Ben Stiller is planning the worst movie ever. CivilWarLand In Bad Decline can only be a cinematic disaster. The source material short story concerns a couple who live and work as disenchanted "Cast Members" re-enacting civil war era roles in a crumbling historical theme park. Although the book is brilliant, combining the bleakest elements of Orwell and Kafka with the merest smattering of cruel humour, it is 100% not an appropriate vehicle for the comedy stylings of Mr Stiller.
"Blogfish is best eaten wrapped in newspaper, with salt and vinegar. Blogfish is the fin end of the wedge." Blogfish quite clearly rules, I can't seem to figure out its workings though. Please could someone techy explain it to me.
For $9 Fontifier will make a font from a scanned sample of your handwriting, which is completely useless to me, because my hand-writing is illegible. But it's a bargain none-the-less.
"Lets make paper craft model from 3-dimentional (sic) data", lets indeed, because Pepakura helps you create the most astonishing origami you ever laid eyes on.
eBay the smart person's way with eBay RRS feeds and last second automated sniping.
Marvel Super Heroes Guide to NYC, please can someone stateside TiVO this and seed it as a torrent, please, pretty please.
Make multi-coloured vases from mini-Coke bottles and other hipster craft projects.
Why the Smurfs were commies.
Nicolson Baker reads (or at least is aware of) blogs (plus a review of Checkpoint). He is the single author whose blog I would most like to read, I furtively yearn for the moment I discover his anonymous typepad site.
The rarest, and most expensive, unauthorised photo of the Pope in an unguarded moment. Bid now!
I caught up with the remarkably well reviewed, Before Sunset this weekend. I have a massive soft spot for the first movie, and for Linklater's other "talky-walky" movies (Slacker, Waking Life). I was extremely nervous that Before Sunset might not live up to the hype, but I was captivated through each of its 80 minutes.
The brief recap: An American author (Jessie) is on a book tour in Paris promoting an autobiographical novel concerning a single night he spent with a French girl (Celine) 9 years previously (Before Sunrise). He is reunited with Celine, and walks through Paris in real-time discussing the intervening years and again musing on the path of love. Both characters reveal that the strength of their passion on that single night has over-shadowed their love-lives, and in the course of 80 minutes their love is re-kindled.
Linklater has explained that one of his reasons for making the movie was the curiosity people have had for the fate of the two characters from the original film. He was also intensely aware during the production that making a bad movie would blight fans' perception of the first movie.
The original movie has a highly ambiguous ending, and although that movie must "stand alone", any ambiguity is laid to rest by the plotting of the second movie. The characters "Jessie and Celine" had been briefly reprised in Walking Life as one of Wiley Wiggins' lucid dreams, but the "story" of Jessie and Celine is now continuous between the two "Before" movies.
In the movie Celine complains about being used as a character in a work of fiction; she is angry that the book has stirred up old issues. I myself feature as a fictional hero this month, but my concerns are rather different. My father's latest novel is out next week, and the central character is based rather directly on me. Luckily it's not about a male obstetrician, instead the character is a female art historian, convicted of stealing a Tiffany stained glass window. It's not stirring up any issues for me, but I do have a slight sense of dread.
Like Jessie and Celine who have "lived" in people's minds these last 9 years, I hate the idea that my fictional character might have more longevity than I do. I wouldn't want her to appeal to people more than I actually do, so that she might be cherished in people's memories long after they've forgotten me entirely.
Go right ahead and ignore my concerns; you can begin forgetting me now, since the book is already available from Amazon and all good bookshops.
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