Gone into Digressing

Good evening one and all. I bid thee a gracious hello on this freezing yet beautiful day. This contradicts the "good evening" I just said, but I am not completely sure when I'll be posting this. As always, I write for weeks before officially posting. Anyway. This post won't be anything special. As if any other post is magical. I say "post" often.) Currently, I am in my accounting class, writing this old-fashioned with a pen and paper. Obviously, I'll be transferring this online for your reading pleasure. I'm not really sure why I decided to write, therefore I have no specific topic in mind. I should be judiciously taking notes since I am, after all, in class, but it's accounting and the professor is shit at lecturing. I digress. This entire post will probably consist solely of digressions.

To remain true to the nature of this blog, I will talk about the movie, Gone Girl. I don't mean to say that the nature of this blog is the movie Gone Girl, just movies in general. You understand. I was about to write cunderstand, that would've been bad. Because it sounds like cun...berbatch. Benedict Cumberbatch. Wow, this is terrible. I just watched it for a second time, and my dad and I agree that it was just as good, if not better, as the first time. Watching it again also reminds me of my seething rage that Rosamund Pike failed to receive the Best Actress Oscar for her performance. While I recall her role as a beautifully psychotic (or psychotically beautiful) wife, the second time watching her was absolutely entrancing. Indeed, now that I knew what her plan was and what she's capable of, I could overlook the plot and savor in the majesty of her performance. Beyond her stunning portrayal as Amazing Amy, the movie as a whole was magnificent. Granted, it was based on a best-selling novel, so most of the work put into the film was, objectively speaking, already finished. However, adapting a well-made book into a well-made movie is challenging. Just look at Twilight. Because of Gone Girl's popularity, the anticipation for the adaptation was immeasurable and the pressure to satisfy fans is even more considerable. Fortunately, Gillian Flynn, the author of Gone Girl, wrote the screenplay, and David Fincher, fortunately, directed one hell of a picture. I place emphasis on "fortunately" because David Fincher's track record with movies is split, in my opinion. On one hand, we have Fight Club and The Game (and Zodiac, which was excellent until it turned into a drag of three unnecessary hours); on the other hand, we have Se7en, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and The Social Network. I realize that those last three films I mentioned were critically acclaimed and adored by general audiences. However, I truly did not like them. The direction of Se7en, as I've said in the post about the movie I wrote long ago, was slow yet chaotic, accompanied by a disturbing buzzing-of-flies sound in the background. Benjamin Button was a film I sorely wanted to enjoy, but the pacing of the film was tedious and the chemistry between the actors on screen was poorly directed by Fincher. The Social Network is simply a pretentious film, written by the very pretentious Aaron Sorkin. Overall, it was a solid movie, but the reception for the movie was exaggerated: it was not that good. I digress.

The film is masterfully constructed, divided into "parts" that give the viewer a satiating feeling of constant shock and mesmerization. Not memorization, that wouldn't make sense. Part One of the film, as I see it, is the mystery behind the disappearance of Amy Dunne. Another component to Part One is the rising suspicion that Nick Dunne, her husband, murdered her. As the husband, Ben Affleck gives a solid performance, which is an improvement from his earlier Razzie-worthy performances. Seriously, who would have imagined that Gigli and Daredevil could give a decent performance in Gone Girl, let alone direct an Oscar-worthy movie like Argo? Back to the film, the evidence that Nick had murdered his wife was considerable. Add the fact that Nick was having an affair with a student, there's motive. A classy motive at that--sarcasm. The first part ends with the arrest of Nick Dunne and the discovery, to the audience, that Amy was alive and kicking. Part Two begins with Amy's chilling explanation of how she framed her husband. This entire reasoning alone is deserving of an Oscar. Rosamund Pike did a complete switch. From a frightened and sympathetic wife to a sinister, calculating villain. Her transformation is a beauty to watch; she is utterly hypnotic.
I get the feeling that many women hate Amy Dunne. She may be considered a bane to female existence because she took advantage of the media with deceit and misrepresentation. Also part of this deceit was exploiting her femininity and fragility to gain sympathy from the world. When in reality women should be masculine and rigid...I guess? Because I am not a feminist--not a radical one anyway--I'd have to go ahead and say fuck that. See, I can curse like ladies aren't supposed to. First of all, this is a movie and Rosamund Pike was portraying a fictional character. Second, the film was merely delineating the theme that the general public is a mob and that a single person can manipulate the media and therefore shape the minds of the people. While this is a pessimistic view of the public and could very likely be taken as insulting...it's kind of true. The media is an extremely powerful device. And its mystery is only exceeded by its power. Sorry. I won't get into the why and how of the machinations of the media because that's a tad too political for this environment. Also, I think I piss of people a sufficient amount already. British people say "piss off" the way Americans say "fuck off." Fun fact I learned from Guy Ritchie movies. Although the British do say "fuck off" as well.)


What you just read was originally written on December 2, 2015, on my mom's birthday as a matter of fact. No particular correlation between her and the movie. Two months ago, I was in my accounting class writing down my thoughts on Gone Girl, a movie I had just watched. Now, I sit in my dad's computer room writing yet again, only this time on Superbowl Sunday. This day has absolutely no sentimental or significant value to me, other than the fact that it gives me an excuse to watch movies about football. I'm torn between Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday and The Blind Side. Oliver Stone only directed the former, in case there was confusion in that sentence. At the moment, I am listening to the amazing Goodfellas soundtrack, which is excellent enough to inspire me to write. What to write about is the question at hand. Since this post is called "Gone into Digressing," I feel it appropriate to just vent out the things on my mind. Movie-related, of course.

One thought that comes to mind is the idea that Star Wars: The Force Awakens may beat Avatar in the ultimate box-office record. That is, the worldwide box-office record. Thus far, Star Wars has already kicked Avatar from the domestic box-office record, which was a thrill for me. Why do I care so much, you may ask? Well, I hate Avatar. Pure and simple explanation. One major reason of my dislike for the movie is how hyped up it still is, seven years later. If it was truly that great, it would hold a spot on IMDb's Top 250, would it not? This is a petty justification for hatred, for I should enjoy a movie in and of itself, not depend on what others think. Usually, my hate for a movie is amplified, not caused, by a general audience's praise. Take The Revenant for instance. I cannot fathom what is so extraordinary about Leonardo DiCaprio, hardly audible, trekking through the frigid wilderness set out on revenge. Now, if Quentin Tarantino directed it and manipulated the film in his special way, I might see some value. Tarantino can direct DiCaprio splendidly (see Django Unchained) and I feel he has an expert grasp on the whole "revenge" theme. Discussing the "what-ifs" is futile, since The Revenant was already released as a pretentious, naturalistic bore. My opinion. Clearly not shared by anyone else. Anyway, Avatar was very impressive to watch regarding visual effects. The setting was, indeed, beautiful and adventurous, but it was all thanks to visual effects. One could argue that Star Wars also abuses its visual effects to lure viewers in; however, the story of Star Wars is truly epic and multi-generational as well. Another box-office argument: James Cameron has two movies at the top spots, and it is unfair to J.J. Abrams who is trying to make a name for himself. As if he hadn't already with Lost and Star Trek. Either way, James Cameron is a greedy bastard and I am rooting for Star Wars to get to number one. Consider it a wish for a devoted fan to the beloved Star Wars saga.

Well, the song, "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos, is playing from the Goodfellas soundtrack. That means it is time to wrap things up. I must express how much I love this song and the scene in Goodfellas where the song is played. You all remember--spoilers ahead. Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta, who I miss dearly) narrates the explanation behind the uncovered bodies. You see, he and his gang executed a lucrative criminal scheme that rewarded all involved with a pretty penny. Clearly, I am not as photographically talented as I would like to be with a movie as magnificent as Goodfellas. Do not be mistaken, I absolutely love this movie, and I consider it my all-time favorite. No question, Gone With The Wind is the greatest movie of all time. My personal favorite--one I've watched countless times, yet still can't remember the details--has to be Goodfellas. Digressing is a dangerous habit to dive into. Anyway, for those watching the Superbowl tonight, I hope your team wins! For the time being, have a wonderful evening.