Saturday

If you see one movie this spring...


Dear Frankie
Originally uploaded by Beatrice Petty.
Make it Dear Frankie. The roomie and I saw this during the Toronto International Film Festival... I had some tix... there wasn't anything else that really struck my fancy... it had Gerard Butler in it... I really like Gerard Butler... He's adorable.

Anyway, we went and saw it... A quiet little Scottish flick...no expectations...

WOW. I don't want to go into all the details of what the film is about, but it left me thinking that they really don't make enough movies like that these days. Actually, let me qualify that. They really don't make movies in North America like that these days.

There's a difference between small budget, independant movies that are made in the UK and those made in North America. With some exceptions, I find that smaller movies (ie, those without explosions and other special effects) made in this part of the world are too dark. They deal with issues like drug/alcohol abuse, alternative lifestyles, physical abuse, mental issues and other such happy themes. I prefer to not watch movies about these subjects... If I want to see them, I'll turn on the news...I don't write about them either... I use movies and my writing as an escape from the ordinariness (new word) of my life, so I prefer my escapism to be light and fluffy... I'd like my life to be light and fluffy. Disagree and call me simpleton if you will... I can accept that. But it is who I am... so there.

Conversely... and again there are exceptions (ahem... Trainspotting), those little movies that come out of the UK are so very nice. Simple stories about real people... a sort of "this is what my life might be like if I lived in a little village"... I like that. To me, an effective character driven story doesn not have to mean that the characters are battling some dark inner/outer demons. Again, others will disagree. I am OK with that.

So, anyway... there you have it. If you enjoyed any of the following movies: Saving Grace, Waking Ned Divine, Green Fingers, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain, Four Wedding and a Funeral, The Full Monty, Calendar Girls, Local Hero, you'll really like Dear Frankie.

If you've become disgusted with the crap that seems to have come out in theatres of late, Dear Frankie will restore your faith that there are still great stories left to be told.

Enjoy!

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