Hello, dear readers! I’m afraid this post is going to be short and sweet as it’s been a busy week. In addition to much activity happening at the office, my ex-boyfriend-now-good-friend is in town visiting. JJ is what you might classify as an acquired taste – he is a unique individual with an energy level and intellectual curiosity that is both astounding and exhausting. At some point, I may unleash him to do a guest post on this little ol’ blog of mine. (Consider yourselves warned!)
With JJ in town, my last few evenings have been filled with lengthy dinners and discussions. We happen to share the same birthday (albeit a few – okay, eight – years apart with me playing December to his May) along with a serious passion for films. In fact, we first met in an AOL movie chat room back when AOL was relevant. (Seriously, people, do AOL chat rooms still exist in the evil empire that is Facebook?)
Make room for the social network!
The great thing about JJ (in addition to his commanding karaoke skills) is that because he is a voracious student of movies, he introduces me to films and filmmakers off the beaten path. We generally have the same cinematic tastes although we do lapse into Siskel & Ebert territory on occasion. (Just ask certain friends and family members who have been the trapped bystanders witnessing our ardently argued disagreements – so sorry, loved ones!)
I'm Siskel, he's Ebert. I'm also always right.
Luckily, a recent discovery had us on the same cinematic page…er…um…screen. There is a lovely short film that JJ insisted we watch the other night. It’s called Cousin and it was created by an Australian stop-motion writer/director named Adam Elliot. Despite my initial skepticism at watching a film I had never even heard of, I ended up being totally charmed by it. It’s a great example of simple, poignant storytelling married to enchanting visuals, which just happen to be molded out of clay. Do yourself a favor and spare four minutes for it. I dare you to not be moved by it!
NEXT UP: No wonder it ruled Sundance this year: WINTER’S BONE.