In 1994 film, Dumb and Dumber, the two main characters, Lloyd and Harry, have travel to Aspen and in spite of their stupidity and ineptitude, save the day. Lloyd, who had persuaded Harry to travel with him, had crossed the country having become smitten with Mary after a brief encounter as her driver. Unfortunately, Mary is trying to save her husband after a ransom demand and is reunited with him in the end. Meanwhile, Harry’s potential love interest turns out to be an undercover FBI agent, who is only in Aspen because of Mary’s predicament.
Thus, in the end, Lloyd and Harry are left lonely and broke, not knowing what life has got in store for them.
In the final scene, as they walk along the highway, a coach pulls up alongside them. Several bikini models lean out from the windows and the doors open, three more models coming out to encounter Lloyd and Harry. The flirty ladies inform them that they are on the look out for a couple gentlemen to administer tanning oil to them as they travel around the country. Lloyd directs the perplexed ladies to a town two miles down the road. As the coach pulls away, Lloyd turns to Harry, a moment of clarity dawning. They chase the coach down, stopping it. As the doors open, Lloyd informs them that the town is in the other directions. They wander off as the coach departs, wondering if they will ever get as lucky as the two guys who eventually get that job.
As I get older this scene, though still very funny, becomes increasingly poignant.
In your teens and twenties, the world is your oyster. Mortality, though aware of it, is not something that punctures the dreams of career greatness or making your mark in history. As the thirties come and responsibilities dilute dreams, there is still a notion of one’s moment arriving; that chance or opportunity that has so far eluded you. Obviously it’s coming. You were meant for great things. Obviously.
Forties. The body aches more, life is a bit more tiring. The dream, that moment that will change your life is looking fanciful now. But isn’t forty the new thirty? Will we not cling on like the revolutionary generation of the sixties, trying to remain relevant, even as time consigns us to history? Maybe.
The vision of a career, punctuated by an upward trajectory, culminating in a handsome pension, that keeps you comfortable in your dotage, is no longer applicable.
It is all about change. Change and self; self promotion. It is not what you can do, it’s what you say you can do. Proof is not necessary. Boldness is.
If you are hoping for that opportunity, your “models on the bus needing a tan assistant” event, you had better add it to your CV or LinkedIn profile, otherwise that moment may well never arrive, or if it does, you will not believe that you’re meant to take it.
Tag: time
Outerstellar
Sometimes, many times actually, reviewers get carried away and lavish praise on films that, frankly speaking, are the equivalent of the emperor’s new clothes.
You know the sort of thing; not a bad film by any means, in fact, they tend to be good films. They’re just not as fantastic or brilliant as the reviewers would have you believe. Today I went and watched a film that has received much praise and kudos for its scope and execution.
Of course, there have been the dissenting voices, those who will damn with faint praise and remain completely unmoved by the cinematic spectacle. These are the same reviewers who no doubt raved over the brilliance of ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ (do not get me started!) Back on topic – Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.
So, just in case you are bored of reading, let me say right away that this film is epic. Admittedly I am a fan of Nolan’s works – The Prestige, The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception – so my expectations were pretty high anyway. Though, as I freely admit, I am a fan, I did not think the final Batman film was as enjoyable as the previous installments. It was good, but not fantastic.
With the high praise and hyperbole surrounding his latest endeavour, it was always going to be a real task to match it. In my humble opinion, he absolutely does and then some. Though it does not compare to the cinematic scope and visual brilliance of Gravity, storywise, it delivers both intellectually and emotionally.
Utilizing one of Nolans’ – the brothers – favorite themes – time – the film, whilst not as mind-bending as Inception, still offers up some bold and thoughtful story strands. The overwhelming arc of connection whilst simplistic and, if I’m being picky, an easy plot device, works well and pulls the film through just when it looks as if they have been too clever. Interstellar is a great, grand and brilliant film. Go and see it.
What about the rules?
For your fledgling scriptwriter, filmmaker, auteur, there are certain precepts that are recommended. Try and avoid voiceover; don’t film conversations flat on; don’t be static. For the director, Ivan Barge and screenwriter, Matthew Harris, these loosely defined rules were obviously missed. In their seven minute short film, “Snooze Time” they happily ignore all those rules, fashioning an engaging and clever film. Following the lives of Evie and Thom, the film charts their lives from young, awkward couple to an elderly Thom being watched over by his long time, committed spouse Evie, whilst in a hospital bed.
To take a seven minute film and encompass five decades is some achievement. The meticulous attention to detail and the use of the mundane, everyday activities as story momentum, is clever and inspired. The images are accompanied by a poetic voiceover, charting the passage and relentless advance of time. Justyn Pickles’ music mirrors the voice, a constant, unavoidable rhythm.
A story about the one thing that no one can control; time. A beautifully executed and complex subject, presented in an understandable, relatable way. You will not hit the snooze button whilst watching this.
Watch it here – http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/10/15/snooze-time/
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