I'm enjoying the tail end of a long weekend which, not surprisingly, has gone by far too quickly. I took a well-deserved day off on Friday to drive out to the country, and I actually managed to find the time to
read a book, something I just haven't been able to prioritise lately.
When I say "read a book", however, I don't mean a whole book. In this case, it meant a single short-story from a collection of short-stories called
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales, featuring stories from a diverse selection of writers like Neil Gaiman, Nick Hornby, Elmore Leonard, Glen David Gold, Michael Chabon, and many others. Like all short-story collections, quality varies - Michael Crichton's story in particular was just weak - but there are some startling tales in there, like Hornby's "Otherwise Pandemonium", Gold's "The Tears of Squonk, and What Happened Thereafter", and - the one I read the other night - "Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly", by Dave Eggers; a story about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Recommended.
Aside from struggling my way through more fiction, I'm currently deeply engrossed in a book titled "The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends" (which has absolutely nothing to do with the other 'Mammoth' book - just a weird coincidence, or else the word 'mammoth' is in vogue), by Peter Berresford Ellis, which I can highly recommend to anyone who's at all interested in mythology. Ellis's retellings of ancient Celtic myths are easy to read and comprehensive, albeit a bit controversial, since he's filling in the blanks - and there are always blanks - with his own interpretation of the history of the Celtic peoples. But these are great stories worth reading, and aside from being research material, it's also provided me with lots of inspiration. So, again: Recommended.
Lost in Translation is without doubt this year's best movie. I can't remember the last time a film spoke to me and affected me the way this one did. Bill Murray's performance is his best ever, and deserves an Academy Award - but because this film is so low key, so unassuming and unpretentious, he probably won't receive one. Scarlett Johansson, his co-star, is, if possible, even more of a revelation. Aside from being a stunningly beautiful woman, she's also one of the most accomplished young actors working today - and her work here is flawless. She communicates her character's isolation and alienation in an achingly affecting and honest manner, and you can't help but be enchanted.
Aside from the performances, the wonderful direction and script (both by Sophia Coppola), and the original and intriguing soundtrack, it's the setting - Tokyo - that captivates you; witnessed through the eyes of people who are both fascinated and alienated by it. More than ever, I want to visit Japan and see Tokyo with my own eyes.
Lost in Translation is art. It's beauty. It's a precious thing. It's a story both sad and funny; a film filled with melancholia and loss, but also laughter and love. Something that could make me wax philosophical for several paragraphs and risk sounding this sentimental has got to be worth watching - so if you haven't yet done so, go!, now!, before it's too late. You won't regret it.
Lastly (while I'm on a review-roll), I just wanted to mention the movie
Love Actually, which I went to see last Sunday: It's a very, very funny (though ultimately too long and over-the-top) romantic comedy. It's sharp and very British, and while it slips and slides into a sea of cliches and mushiness by the end, it's still this year's best pure date-movie. Go see
Love Actually with someone you actually love (ick!), and you'll be on a romantic high for the rest of the evening.
