Of Doing Things Differently January 14, 2008
Posted by Jen in : Journal , trackbackCrumbs. I’m feeling a bit odd today. Nothing new there, I hear you say. Har. You’re funny.
Seriously, though, I’ve been intrigued by the No Diet Diet that has been running in The Independent. It works on the premise that we (oh, ok then, I) don’t need to count carbs and calories or any of that malarkey. All we (grrr, yes, me then) need to do is change our habits. I know, it sounds a bit daft. Maybe that’s why it appeals to me. I’m fascinated by the concept that I can munch a bacon sarnie instead of sipping a skimmed soya milk smoothie so long as I’m reading something different to usual. I must confess, though, even I am sceptical that reading Grazia instead of yet another writing manual is going to turn me super-skinny anytime soon.
I do, however, very much like the idea of getting out of my usual routine. Last night, for example, instead of watching trashy TV, lovely bf and I went to see Once at the Trinity Centre in Tunbridge Wells. Blimey. I truly have not the words. Oddly, the film is hardly about anything at all but, oh, it’s utterly compulsive. I loved that it was made on such an obviously low budget; it really reinforces my belief that imperfect reality is so much more enthralling than airbrushed perfection.
When the film ended, lovely bf stroked my cheek, expecting a trickle of tears. I think he was surprised not to find any. I smiled bravely and didn’t tell him that I’d been deliberately not watching the film but counting the wooden arches on the walls instead. Unfortunately, because I was too embarrassed and determined not to cry last night, my well is flowing over today.
My head hurts, I’m so overwhelmed with whatever that film did to me.
I think I might love Glen Hansard. And, actually, I think I might be just ever so slightly in love with Marketa Irglova too. I expect we’ll be back to Dancing on Ice next weekend. Sigh. Just as well. I’ll be worn out from crying by then.
Comments»
How odd that we both posted about habits today. I like getting out of my routines as well. But crying when you need to - that’s not a habit, that’s a necessity.
I’m feeling a bit odd too. Flat actually. Must be something in the air, though my excuse is an intensive weekend’s training in the tricky psychotherapeutic art of reparenting, and the issues around how shabbily parented I was that that bring up.
Plus having to play Trevor Howard to Hullaballoo’s Cecilia Johnson in our own little Brief Encounter.
Anyhooooooooo … I was going to say something funny about low budget imperfect realities and bacon sarnies, but I’ve forgotten what.
My head hurts too … bum
Awh Jen, hope you feel better soon. I have Once on DVD and I haven’t watched it yet - will make sure that I have loads of tissues around when I do.
I cry really easily these days. I can’t work out whether it’s a really good healthy thing to do, or I’m just a big baby! Great post - love your blog!
If you need a good film to giggle at to counter balance Once, I can recommend Little Miss Sunshine. I laughed til I cried when I saw it in the cinema which was a little embarrassing since I was there on my own.
(To anyone who has seen it, it was the bit with the horn…!)
There’s an award for you chez moi - please don’t cry at the acceptance speech!
Mya x
Zinnia, it’s not just odd, it’s cosmic man!
Bobo, flat is the very worst state. It can be terribly difficult to imagine being plumped up again. But you will be. I was going to say something funny about bacon but, alas, have forgotten what it is too. Bit of a pig, that, innit? (Ugh, sorry, couldn’t resist.)
Yvonne - oh, it’s really fab. You must watch it - I can’t wait to see it again.
Helen, hello and thank you
Oh, goodness, I’m always crying. Weeping and wailing all over the place and set off by the slightest thing: pipecleaners, ear wax, anything!
Nez - Little Miss Sunshine eh? With the horn? Crikey, the Mr Men didn’t have that sort of malarkey in my day
Mya - waaaaaah. Actually, it’s trying to put the bloomin things on my blog that makes me cry. Thank you muchly though… waaaaaah.
Hey, that sounds like my kind of diet. I’ll give it a try….
Will have to see that film now, too. The last film that had that effect on me was ‘Lost in Translation,’ when I cried for days. Hubby just said, ‘what was all that about then?’ No soul.
Not THAT Little Miss Sunshine. hehehe!
Always on the look out for recommended films, so thank you for this one. Wikipedia has quite a lot on it, and it looks good! (Especially re $160,000. I loved the song (and its intro), too!
Maddie, I must confess that I was also befuddled by Lost in Translation. I’d probably had too much wine. Or my philistine tendencies had taken over. Oh dear. You’ll love Once, ’tis ruddy marvellous.
Nez - hmmmm. I am soooo taking your word for it!!
Leigh - I loved the intro too, I think that’s what set me off again. I am such a sucker for proper, hopeless romance. And they’re going out now, in real life. Oh dear, off I go again *sob*
I hardly ever cry in films. Must be the Y chromosome or something. *However*, I think crying can be infectious. Juliet Stevenson in “truly madly deeply” managed to set my water-works off.
Now you see, if you’d been a sensible uncultured person you could have stayed in and watched Louis Theroux interviewing prisoners with 500 year sentences and that might have made you cry for entirely different reasons. Better that you cried at something worth crying at, you gad about you.
I shall have to seek out this film now ….bah:-)
(hope you’re feeling better. Sometimes a good wail is very cleansing) xx
I’ve never heard of ‘Once’. Is it new? But forget the film, I’m much more interested in the diet. So, have I got this right? If I stop eating muffins, and start eating brownies, I lose weight?
Captain Black - oh, good God, Truly Madly Deeply is the most unbearably wail-inducing film in the world. Did you know it’s actually billed as a comedy? Waaaaaaaaaaaah…
Lane - prisoners with forever sentences sounds quite misery-inducing too. Gawd, where are Morecombe & Wise when we need ‘em? You really must watch the film, it’s, well, ace.
JJ - Erm… not sure it quite works like that. I shall, in the interests of scientific research, investigate of course. Anything to help. Really.
Oh Spiralskies, I LOVED ‘Once’. I blogged about it on 16 December. I went to see it at a small independent cinema in Edinburgh one Sunday evening when I was missing my lovely bf. Cry? I thought I would never stop weeping, like you I found it compulsive, heartrending, beautiful.
Now I want to go and see it all over again, this time with lovely bf. I want to see if it makes him cry too.
Hullaballoo - it was reading about it on your blog that reminded me I wanted to see it. I also saw it in an independent place - a converted church turned into an Arts Centre. Isn’t it nice to go somewhere where the popcorn-chomping masses don’t make a break for it as soon as the credits roll? Amazing film… I suspect everyone in the audience was composing themselves until the very last note had finished… X
THIS Little Miss Sunshine. hehe.
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/littlemisssunshine/
Loved the song and will try and get hold of the film, no chance of seeing it here. It’s January which I think has the same effect as a shift in the solar system, i.e. funny feelings, desire to diet or give up alcohol, but don’t worry it doesn’t last long. The world will be back to normal soon!!!
Nez - ok. That actually looks rather brilliantly Saturday afternoon-ish in a bottle of wine and M&S nibbles sort of way. Shall seek it out. X
Sheepish - Isn’t that song gorgeous? I’m going to buy the DVD (don’t tell lovely bf, we’re supposed to be economising!). I’ll lend it to you if you email me your address. Promise not to stalk you or your sheep - am too knacked out for stalking malarkey anyway. Interesting what you say about solar shift (oops, typed ’solar shit’ there!!) and wonder if it’s collective thought..? Am managing to defy the giving up drinking consensus, you’ll be relieved to know.
Thanks for the tip on “Once”. It sounds like a good movie to lose myself in, which has been sadly lacking of late.
Bedshaped, I think you’d like it, especially the music. It’s quite Damien Rice-y and Marketa Irglova’s voice is heavenly, really fragile and haunting. I’m completely entranced, as you can tell!