somewhat better now

so now that i've gone off and been pissed about the awful administration of this country, i'm back because i remembered what i was originally going to say- i'd forgotten how amazingly beautiful the movie hero is.
we watched it again last night with friends who hadn't seen it (and probably will again soon, with other friends currently unaware of what they're missing) and it took my breath away as if i hadn't seen it before, on the massive screen with reclining stadium seating. even at one-hundredth the size, it's still gorgeous.
i want to write like hero looks.

on a slightly different note, watching it made me recognise the double standards i subject movies to. growing up in trinidad where the old-school, horribly-voiced-over 'golden harvest' kick-ups are a beloved part of the culture, i love well-executed wire-work. i love to watch some dude run up some other dude's chest, across the surface of the water, and back-flip up into the tops of the big bamboo, while the run-upon-dude points his sword up and flies like superman directly at his opponent's chest, neither one missing a move of their fight, balancing on the bamboo-tips, like we all do in real life, everyday.
i know it's impossible and i love it anway, but still hate any lack of onscreen realism in most other forms.
i get so frustrated when i'm watching a movie and something completely ridiculous happens because it makes me feel like the writer and director underestimate me, and i don't like feeling played down to. which is not to say that i'm against fantasy, or superheroes, or enhanced people, i love that stuff too (the dark knight being my personal hero) but unless the story establishes the extraordinariness of its characters, they need to obey the accepted laws of nature with regard to physics, math, chemistry and biology. it's why i don't like musicals (except for my shortlist of 5 or so reasonable ones) in spite of working in professional theatre- people spontaneously busting into synchronised song+dance is just not believable.
i feel the same need for realism in movies, except for kick-ups and maybe james bond (but then, those stories clearly establish the extraordinary charm and ability of agent 007, so they're an appropriate framework for his shenanigans, tiptoeing along the same tightrope as superhero stories) and possibly bollywood movies. but even within these forms, there are rules- martial artists can only hover in midair while fighting and can't just float through their lives that way, superheroes have specific weaknesses that can be exploited- maybe that's why i can enjoy it. it still makes sense in some way, more so than when a movie about 'realistic' characters and situations makes the leap into unbelievability- the day after tomorrow was just out of control, and no amount of special effects could make that movie worthwhile. as a matter of fact, the cgi wolves in particular made it worse- get some real fuckin' wolves!

all of which is to say that if you haven't seen hero (the one with jet li in it) go get it. you need to.
walk good.