split the night
I watched Happiness yesterday, a film by Todd Solondz . Other Solondz films that I've seen are Palindromes and Welcome to the Dollhouse.
I really loved Palindromes, there was something about the whole odyssey and changing characters that made it something completely different than other movies.
Welcome to the Dollhouse was just depressing, and I didn't get much out of it. Perhaps it revolved too much around a central character.
Happiness, however, was more enjoyable to watch, as it deals with the lives of a lot of characters who are intertwined. It reminded me a lot of Magnollia, in the way that there are seemingly unrelated characters who turn out to be... well, related in some way.
The themes it dealt with were rather disturbing. There was one suicide, one murder, two children raped, domestic violence, elderly depression, shallowness of success, troubles of normalcy, loneliness, and so on.
Someone warned me that this one was more depressing than the other two movies. I should have listened, because it did make me feel quite depressed. But most of all, that I would end up like one of the characters in the film. Besides the kids, I'm younger than most of the characters, and so... they could be me in a couple of years or decades. And it's quite scary, to tell you the truth.
There was nothing too graphic, thankfully. I'll admit, I have a weak stomach. The rape scenes with the pedophile weren't shown at all, just eluded to, which is the best way to show that kind of thing on film. I haven't seen it done more graphically on film, and I don't really want to. It's a tough subject matter, though. It's hard to believe it happens so much. And we only hear of the ones that got caught.
But overall, it was sad. Blatantly ironic title, of course. I think you'd know from the beginning that it's not a happy movie.
In other news, I love waking up early, but ever since summer started I can't seem to do it. I'll wake up to my alarm, get up from bed (I placed my alarm far enough away to where I would have to get up to turn it off, so maybe by walking I'd get up faster) and then I hit the snooze button and run back to bed. I do this about 7 or 8 times, before finally getting up close to noon.
It's pathetic, really. I lie awake in bed for about 3 seconds, telling myself "okay, I'll get up right now, today is an early day", but then the next moment I'm fast asleep. Seven minutes later the alarm goes off again. I get up, snooze it, and run back to bed.
All the while there's music playing, too. Not for dramatic effect, but for another alarm. I set my computer to play music in the morning. Really loud. But I still manage to sleep through it.
I'm sure my grandparents get sick of it. (They live with me for now, in two rooms next to mine). Although, my grandmother is half deaf and going for full, so I don't think she minds the constant alarm and loud music every morning.
But my grandfather seems okay. He's just missing some hair, and I can't help but think that I'll go bald when I'm old. It runs in the family. I think I'll shave my head now so that I don't notice my hair gone when I'm old.
I don't really like having hair anyway. It doesn't do anything but make you look prettier. Other than that... well, maybe keep your head warm and save it from the sun. But bald people seem to manage okay.
There's hats! and who doesn't like hats!!?
I really loved Palindromes, there was something about the whole odyssey and changing characters that made it something completely different than other movies.
Welcome to the Dollhouse was just depressing, and I didn't get much out of it. Perhaps it revolved too much around a central character.
Happiness, however, was more enjoyable to watch, as it deals with the lives of a lot of characters who are intertwined. It reminded me a lot of Magnollia, in the way that there are seemingly unrelated characters who turn out to be... well, related in some way.
The themes it dealt with were rather disturbing. There was one suicide, one murder, two children raped, domestic violence, elderly depression, shallowness of success, troubles of normalcy, loneliness, and so on.
Someone warned me that this one was more depressing than the other two movies. I should have listened, because it did make me feel quite depressed. But most of all, that I would end up like one of the characters in the film. Besides the kids, I'm younger than most of the characters, and so... they could be me in a couple of years or decades. And it's quite scary, to tell you the truth.
There was nothing too graphic, thankfully. I'll admit, I have a weak stomach. The rape scenes with the pedophile weren't shown at all, just eluded to, which is the best way to show that kind of thing on film. I haven't seen it done more graphically on film, and I don't really want to. It's a tough subject matter, though. It's hard to believe it happens so much. And we only hear of the ones that got caught.
But overall, it was sad. Blatantly ironic title, of course. I think you'd know from the beginning that it's not a happy movie.
In other news, I love waking up early, but ever since summer started I can't seem to do it. I'll wake up to my alarm, get up from bed (I placed my alarm far enough away to where I would have to get up to turn it off, so maybe by walking I'd get up faster) and then I hit the snooze button and run back to bed. I do this about 7 or 8 times, before finally getting up close to noon.
It's pathetic, really. I lie awake in bed for about 3 seconds, telling myself "okay, I'll get up right now, today is an early day", but then the next moment I'm fast asleep. Seven minutes later the alarm goes off again. I get up, snooze it, and run back to bed.
All the while there's music playing, too. Not for dramatic effect, but for another alarm. I set my computer to play music in the morning. Really loud. But I still manage to sleep through it.
I'm sure my grandparents get sick of it. (They live with me for now, in two rooms next to mine). Although, my grandmother is half deaf and going for full, so I don't think she minds the constant alarm and loud music every morning.
But my grandfather seems okay. He's just missing some hair, and I can't help but think that I'll go bald when I'm old. It runs in the family. I think I'll shave my head now so that I don't notice my hair gone when I'm old.
I don't really like having hair anyway. It doesn't do anything but make you look prettier. Other than that... well, maybe keep your head warm and save it from the sun. But bald people seem to manage okay.
There's hats! and who doesn't like hats!!?