Jan 5, 2012

Scarface & Manhattan aka let us prerend it's still 2011


January 1

18:25 New Year, old pains in the rear. This is me watching Scarface, as the part 11/12 of my 2011 Resolution project. Yeah, yeah, I broke the resolution. They're not meant to be kept, anyway...

18:29 ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY MINUTES? Oh. Fun. I'm gonna need some ice cream here.

18:40 Ok, let's go.

18:43 Is this the Say Hello To My Little Friend one? I think so.

18:46 That's a pretty good accent, Al, I give you that.

19:00 Ooh, Espanol.

19:50 Why are these movies always about grumpy, violent men, who take themselves too seriously...

20:48 "Can't you stop saying fuck all the time? Can't you stop talking about money? It's boring."

21:37 Yay, I did it! And it wasn't even that bad! I mean, it could've been a lot worse. I think Scarface goes in the same category with Sunset Boulevard and Citizen Kane; I do kind of see what the fuss it about, but there's nothing in it for me personally.


January 4

19:38 Alrighty, time to wrap up 2011! This should be fairly easy. I've only seen some more recent films by Allen, and though I've disliked them all, I think I just might enjoy Manhattan, at least a little. Because, my guess is, it sets in Manhattan. And it's only an hour and thirty minutes, so even if I'll suffer, I won't suffer for long! Ha! Let's go.

21:16 Ha ha! Watched the whole movie without one snide remark!

So. I did enjoy watching this movie. Compared to the torture the recent few classics have been (yes, I'm talking to you, Goodfellas and Scarface), this was a very pleasant experience. Give the girl her relationship dramas and she'll be happy; that's how it goes, I'm afraid. Also, compared to my previous Woody Allen experiences (yes, I'm talking to you Cassandra's Dream, Match Point and especially you, Vicky Christina Barcelona), I got quite a lot more out of Manhattan. It's pretty charming and smart and relatable, and you can't really not like Allen's character, so comfortable with his own awkwardness. Meryl Streep was (and is) a goddess. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her! And New York! (I can't believe it's been only two weeks since I left the States, and cruised in a yellow taxi in Manhattan, on my way to the airport... Life is so weird.)

Still, there's still something too Allen-y that kept me from liking the film more. One thing must be the endings, and the indecisive and aimeless nature of the story. It feels so purposeless, watching a movie and in the end... nothing's really changes. Like I was wasting my time, putting my mind into a story that ends up going nowhere. Agh, I just need closure, or at least change.

Anyway. That's that for 2011. Now I can fully acknowledge that it is 2012.

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