Tuesday, March 4, 2014

P.S. I Love You

Alright alright I'll be completely honest! So I haven't read the book. I always pick books over movies but in this case, when I read the synopsis on the back cover, I wanted to throw up. And then when I finally picked it up one day and opened the first page, it described the lead character throwing up so I slammed it shut and decided not the read it. 

And then while browsing channels on tv one day while I was by myself at home, I happened to catch the movie just as it was about to begin. It was really the opening song that got me. (You can hear it here - pick any video of your choice, I can't find an official one. It's called Love You Till the End by The Pogues). 

The song plays in the background during this scene where Holly and Gerry are fighting over something Gerry unwittingly said to his mother in law. 



But the song keeps returning as part of the story with the lead characters singing it as the story jumps between events in the past and Holly's struggle to move on in the present. 



 My favourite scene is the part where Holly wakes up to find Gerry sitting on the couch playing this song. And then in a smooth cut, we realise that she's somewhere between a memory or dream and reality. I loved how the act of remembering or day dreaming was expressed visually. 



So yes, I admit I did cry. And I did watch the movie again about 10 times. And then I decided to post pictures of Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank on the internet because is-anyone-complaining-do-I-need-to-give-a-reason? 




Grief and loss are very personal things. EVERYONE experiences them and you can keep feeling sorry for yourself if you like, but everyone around you has had it pretty bad at some point. So I think that dealing with these things is something that everyone can identify with. We've been fed on the Disney princess trash for too long and we're so conditioned to believing in a happily ever after. I like that this story depicts what comes after. I like that it depicts moving on and giving life a second chance. I like that it depicts ordinary people fighting their own extraordinary demons and then healing when they can't fight any more because that's what real people do.





Sunday, February 23, 2014

Found A New Poet

I absolutely love how he writes! Not only does he have a way of expressing simple thoughts in a very beautiful manner, he also manages to use his poems to create shapes and give them a visual form.

Well done Joel A Doetsch. You have a fan.

And since I can't remember how to spell your name and have to keep googling various combinations, here's the link:

http://hellopoetry.com/joel-a-doetsch/