Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Rebel, Rebel
Please meet Holden Caulfield, TEH rebel. The guy here is the protagonist, the essence of American writer J.D. Salinger’s masterpiece: “The Catcher in the Rye” (1951).
“Holden TEH rebel” I said before, well, he is: he is an adolescent but he’s not James Dean, he’s not a “rebel without a cause” nor a pretender who fakes his own rebellion for fashion. Some critics said, wrote that Holden Caulfield and his own life are just failures, others affirm that the days reported in the book are just a phase to him, others again that Holden is the only true adult of the story in seeing and understanding things that a lot of grown up people just don’t.
Well, I disagree: I think Holden is not a failure, I think Holden is not just a confused adolescent living a momentary period of his life at all and that yes, he’s an adult, but, according to me, this isn’t the major theme of the novel. I think Holden is so much more than this: he’s a fighter, he’s a person who mocks the ones he calls “phonies” with their own daily bread, the hypocrisy; he doesn’t have respect for fake people and that’s why he lies to them, not for adolescent reasons, not just to have fun. He always fights what he just despises, avoiding being like people he refuses: that’s what makes of Holden a rebel, but, above all, what really makes of him a great person, a rebel with a cause, is the relationship with his little sister Phoebe.
Phoebe is true, she’s just a child but she’s so damn smart, so brilliant, so wise, she’s just what Holden is not, what probably he will never be; Phoebe is Holden’s projection, she’s his rational part, she’s his shelter and he’s so in love with her, so respectful toward her that he would never lie to her, because she doesn’t deserve it and because she herself would never lie to him, to her brother, to the blood of her blood. This relationship is what makes of Holden a better person, it’s what gives meaning to this young boy’s life and what gives him strength and courage, hope and faith; this relationship is what makes him aware of his own mistakes and limits, but more than everything it is what always reminds him that it’s worthy being a rebel who fights, who never surrenders, who never gives up if this means making of the world a better place in which to live, to dream, to hope and fight and, above all, making all of this for those people who love, protect and care about you the most.
I sincerely believe that who doesn’t recognize the greatness of a person, of a life like that of J.D. Salinger’s literary creature is exactly who we really must fight against: our enemy is the phony society with its false principles and values which alienate the ones who are considered to be different and dangerous or just childish rebels because of their fighter souls, because of their freedom, because of the truth in both their feelings and actions, because they never accept something just because it is what the mass accepts, because they still have the courage of their own ideas.
“Holden TEH rebel” I said before, well, he is: he is an adolescent but he’s not James Dean, he’s not a “rebel without a cause” nor a pretender who fakes his own rebellion for fashion. Some critics said, wrote that Holden Caulfield and his own life are just failures, others affirm that the days reported in the book are just a phase to him, others again that Holden is the only true adult of the story in seeing and understanding things that a lot of grown up people just don’t.
Well, I disagree: I think Holden is not a failure, I think Holden is not just a confused adolescent living a momentary period of his life at all and that yes, he’s an adult, but, according to me, this isn’t the major theme of the novel. I think Holden is so much more than this: he’s a fighter, he’s a person who mocks the ones he calls “phonies” with their own daily bread, the hypocrisy; he doesn’t have respect for fake people and that’s why he lies to them, not for adolescent reasons, not just to have fun. He always fights what he just despises, avoiding being like people he refuses: that’s what makes of Holden a rebel, but, above all, what really makes of him a great person, a rebel with a cause, is the relationship with his little sister Phoebe.
Phoebe is true, she’s just a child but she’s so damn smart, so brilliant, so wise, she’s just what Holden is not, what probably he will never be; Phoebe is Holden’s projection, she’s his rational part, she’s his shelter and he’s so in love with her, so respectful toward her that he would never lie to her, because she doesn’t deserve it and because she herself would never lie to him, to her brother, to the blood of her blood. This relationship is what makes of Holden a better person, it’s what gives meaning to this young boy’s life and what gives him strength and courage, hope and faith; this relationship is what makes him aware of his own mistakes and limits, but more than everything it is what always reminds him that it’s worthy being a rebel who fights, who never surrenders, who never gives up if this means making of the world a better place in which to live, to dream, to hope and fight and, above all, making all of this for those people who love, protect and care about you the most.
I sincerely believe that who doesn’t recognize the greatness of a person, of a life like that of J.D. Salinger’s literary creature is exactly who we really must fight against: our enemy is the phony society with its false principles and values which alienate the ones who are considered to be different and dangerous or just childish rebels because of their fighter souls, because of their freedom, because of the truth in both their feelings and actions, because they never accept something just because it is what the mass accepts, because they still have the courage of their own ideas.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Everybody Knows
This time has been up to David Letterman. Private life becomes public and everyone point finger at you, they judge you, the Saints, the good men who never make mistakes, men without weaknesses; they talk about you all the time.
I think it's not right. I think it's right for people to know you even in your private when things you have done are crimes or something really ugly that can make them change their minds about you, when you are a politician or when it's you that call paparazzi and journalists every day to be the only one centre of public attention.
There aren't other cases; private life of someone like Letterman must stay private. Above all, because sometimes you just can't avoid the news to become public, I think the worst thing is the speculation that comes after. There's nothing worst that spend all your day talking about someone else's life, public or not. I really hate judgements, I think we're always nones to say how others must live or act, I hate who doesn't think about his own business. I really care about my privacy, sometimes I get even obsessed and paranoid about it; I think I could never be famous, the price to pay would be just to high. And to me, it doesn't worth.
(I apologize for today very short post but I've got Block. Again. Again.)
I think it's not right. I think it's right for people to know you even in your private when things you have done are crimes or something really ugly that can make them change their minds about you, when you are a politician or when it's you that call paparazzi and journalists every day to be the only one centre of public attention.
There aren't other cases; private life of someone like Letterman must stay private. Above all, because sometimes you just can't avoid the news to become public, I think the worst thing is the speculation that comes after. There's nothing worst that spend all your day talking about someone else's life, public or not. I really hate judgements, I think we're always nones to say how others must live or act, I hate who doesn't think about his own business. I really care about my privacy, sometimes I get even obsessed and paranoid about it; I think I could never be famous, the price to pay would be just to high. And to me, it doesn't worth.
(I apologize for today very short post but I've got Block. Again. Again.)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Money for Nothing
Is dated 1985 the idea that "we are livin' in a material world and (we are) material girl(s)". More than 20 years later things aren't change yet and the question here is an ancient, a very, very old one: can money buy everything? And with everything we're of course talkin' about love too. Another date: 1993. It's in 1993 that director Adrian Lyne brings on scene a story based on this endless question in "what was first: the chicken or the egg?" perfect style, with his movie "Indecent Proposal", where a millionaire tries to buy the love (or, at least, one of her nights) of a young woman and wife, apparently destroying a great love, right the one you see on the screens, the one which pass from fulfil your heart to break it in a dime.
The question is: is the end of Indecent Proposal applicable to reality or not? I think people often forget about the most significant part of this movie; they all say Diana accepts John's money (and her husband too, even if with second thoughts) and that, at a certain point, she ends with falling in love with him, forgetting her loving husband. But what about the end? The end tells us another story, a different one, the one who people tend to forget: it tells us of a Diana keeping back to David, the story of two soulmates that, after all, had never stop looking for each other. To belong to each other.
So maybe that's the lesson, that's how things in life just go, even in a material one, even in the case where money could actually save you and the one you love from hard times (as in the story of Diana and David where there's a true need of money, due to necessity and not to a greed feeling); maybe, sometimes, money can really buy you for a while, but the redemption way to coming back feeling fine with ourselves is right behind the corner as the chance to save yourselves from getting totally lost. Maybe the rebirth is not so far as you believe. Maybe, for a while, maybe 'cause you lost your mind or just because you're tired of doing sacrifices to get nothing in return, you start to be for rent, even for sell to the highest bidder; but if you're a good person (because of course it depends on who you are and always have been) you can save yourself and, like in the movie, your feelings and love too.
It's never too late, we all make mistakes and the only ones not excusable are the ones during which you keep don't figure out that you are wrong, when you keep not to apologize though you've caused pain to the ones you love the most.
After all, in life it's always all about choosing and feeling fine with ourselves and the ones we care about, 'cause they are the court of our existences.
...and to not mention "Roxanne". We'll talk about her another time...
The question is: is the end of Indecent Proposal applicable to reality or not? I think people often forget about the most significant part of this movie; they all say Diana accepts John's money (and her husband too, even if with second thoughts) and that, at a certain point, she ends with falling in love with him, forgetting her loving husband. But what about the end? The end tells us another story, a different one, the one who people tend to forget: it tells us of a Diana keeping back to David, the story of two soulmates that, after all, had never stop looking for each other. To belong to each other.
So maybe that's the lesson, that's how things in life just go, even in a material one, even in the case where money could actually save you and the one you love from hard times (as in the story of Diana and David where there's a true need of money, due to necessity and not to a greed feeling); maybe, sometimes, money can really buy you for a while, but the redemption way to coming back feeling fine with ourselves is right behind the corner as the chance to save yourselves from getting totally lost. Maybe the rebirth is not so far as you believe. Maybe, for a while, maybe 'cause you lost your mind or just because you're tired of doing sacrifices to get nothing in return, you start to be for rent, even for sell to the highest bidder; but if you're a good person (because of course it depends on who you are and always have been) you can save yourself and, like in the movie, your feelings and love too.
It's never too late, we all make mistakes and the only ones not excusable are the ones during which you keep don't figure out that you are wrong, when you keep not to apologize though you've caused pain to the ones you love the most.
After all, in life it's always all about choosing and feeling fine with ourselves and the ones we care about, 'cause they are the court of our existences.
...and to not mention "Roxanne". We'll talk about her another time...
Saturday, October 3, 2009
City of Blinding Lights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LERd2AU2s4Q
...tell by my attitude that I most definitely from The Empire State of mind.
...tell by my attitude that I most definitely from The Empire State of mind.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sunday Morning
http://improveverywhere.com/2009/09/27/thank-you-invisible-dogs/
On September 27, Brooklyn has been the set of a funny and different Sunday walk, of another "mission" by the group "Improve Everywhere", based in New York City and formed in 2001 by Charlie Todd.
Its slogan is "We cause scenes", in fact it is a comedic performance art group and the aim of this movement is to cause scenes of "chaos and joy" through what they call "missions", that is not-threatening pranks made in public places. This time it's been the turn of an amazing parade made by over 2000 people going up and down Brooklyn with their "invisible dog" leashes. As we can read in the article, the invisible dog toy was invented more than 30 years ago in a Brooklyn factory indeed and, judging from the success of Improve Everywhere's idea, it's been a curious and nice invention that nowadays is still able to draw close lots of people.
Take a look at their website, and you'll find out all the missions made by this team of maybe crazy, but definitely genius folks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RykH_6WChrk
On September 27, Brooklyn has been the set of a funny and different Sunday walk, of another "mission" by the group "Improve Everywhere", based in New York City and formed in 2001 by Charlie Todd.
Its slogan is "We cause scenes", in fact it is a comedic performance art group and the aim of this movement is to cause scenes of "chaos and joy" through what they call "missions", that is not-threatening pranks made in public places. This time it's been the turn of an amazing parade made by over 2000 people going up and down Brooklyn with their "invisible dog" leashes. As we can read in the article, the invisible dog toy was invented more than 30 years ago in a Brooklyn factory indeed and, judging from the success of Improve Everywhere's idea, it's been a curious and nice invention that nowadays is still able to draw close lots of people.
Take a look at their website, and you'll find out all the missions made by this team of maybe crazy, but definitely genius folks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RykH_6WChrk
Thursday, October 1, 2009
When a Man Loves a Woman
I made a mistake, my usual one. I decided to want to know critics's thought about this movie, one of my fav, so I read what some of them wrote about it in their reviews. And, again as usual, I disagreed. If there's something I can't stand it's to read that a movie is quite good but not enough to be considered a great one, to be placed into the Olympus. Why? Who is at the decision of which movies deserve it and what movies don't, who has marked the thin boundary-line between the concept of deservings and undeservings? Anyway, I wont say anything else about banal film rating and said that, I'm here to write about a movie that, to me, according to which are my feelings and nothing else, is a great one indeed.
When we see a movie, when we read a book, when we listen to a song and we going on thinking about over and over again, it's a sign that it found a way into our heart, an indelible one, and to me this is the only thing that can really say if we're talking about something great or not. Nothing as that is actually a subjective issue and not an objective one.
"The notebook" by Nick Cassavetes, based on the namesake book by Nicholas Sparks, is a great work with a great director and great actors, a great story and a great Love. Or better still, here we feel like "behind every great love is a great story", as the tagline introduces us the movie itself.
There's something in this love, something which remains to us and that we jealously hedge in, there are two simple souls becoming heroes in their struggle against time, against life and its sorrows such as a heartless disease; they're winner too, because they takes over pain with the only strength of what left to them: their unique, precious, unbelievable feeling. There's magic, there's like a spell in this old-time narration, but there's no just emotion, there's more: there's a lesson for everyone to learn. It's a lesson of hope, faith, feeling, care, strength of someone who does have nothing anymore but each others to belong to, to make the journeys of life and death together, side by side. There are lives entirely lived, enjoyed and consumed to the backbone by passion, desires, dreams; there are a man and a woman here taking care of each others before themselves, two ones who were just meant to be.
This is what love is, the only kind that really exist, that's how it's possible to make it last forever, challenge chance, to go beyond time and space borders.
It's a love that makes of you a better person, a love that, when there is, there is nothing else: "I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.", Noah, one of the protagonists, said. Because that's what life is all about: to feel, to breathe, to want, to love, to protect and respect someone else with whom you become a single person, because when you choose that someone for the rest of your life you choose "him" before "yourself", because you already know, from the very beginning, that now your life is made for two and not for one anymore; because you know that without your one you'll be however forced going on to live, and you will do it, but you will just not want to.
Because when all this happens you even start believing in miracles when you didn't, you become the most generous person when, before, you were just a common, humanely selfish man. Because when "two" becomes "one" it doesn't matter how many troubles there can be, to fight will always be better than give in and leave your feeling fade away; because when two becomes one and you realize that you're almost loosing the love of your life you're overwhelming by fear and you feel like your heart's been completely ripped out.
That's why Allie and Noah's story is such a precious and fragile miracle: it impress itself, leaving a scar in your heart, as only a meaningful life, a meaningful love can do.
"The power of love, a force from above cleaning my soul, flame on burn desire, love with tongues of fire, purge the soul, make love your goal."
When we see a movie, when we read a book, when we listen to a song and we going on thinking about over and over again, it's a sign that it found a way into our heart, an indelible one, and to me this is the only thing that can really say if we're talking about something great or not. Nothing as that is actually a subjective issue and not an objective one.
"The notebook" by Nick Cassavetes, based on the namesake book by Nicholas Sparks, is a great work with a great director and great actors, a great story and a great Love. Or better still, here we feel like "behind every great love is a great story", as the tagline introduces us the movie itself.
There's something in this love, something which remains to us and that we jealously hedge in, there are two simple souls becoming heroes in their struggle against time, against life and its sorrows such as a heartless disease; they're winner too, because they takes over pain with the only strength of what left to them: their unique, precious, unbelievable feeling. There's magic, there's like a spell in this old-time narration, but there's no just emotion, there's more: there's a lesson for everyone to learn. It's a lesson of hope, faith, feeling, care, strength of someone who does have nothing anymore but each others to belong to, to make the journeys of life and death together, side by side. There are lives entirely lived, enjoyed and consumed to the backbone by passion, desires, dreams; there are a man and a woman here taking care of each others before themselves, two ones who were just meant to be.
This is what love is, the only kind that really exist, that's how it's possible to make it last forever, challenge chance, to go beyond time and space borders.
It's a love that makes of you a better person, a love that, when there is, there is nothing else: "I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.", Noah, one of the protagonists, said. Because that's what life is all about: to feel, to breathe, to want, to love, to protect and respect someone else with whom you become a single person, because when you choose that someone for the rest of your life you choose "him" before "yourself", because you already know, from the very beginning, that now your life is made for two and not for one anymore; because you know that without your one you'll be however forced going on to live, and you will do it, but you will just not want to.
Because when all this happens you even start believing in miracles when you didn't, you become the most generous person when, before, you were just a common, humanely selfish man. Because when "two" becomes "one" it doesn't matter how many troubles there can be, to fight will always be better than give in and leave your feeling fade away; because when two becomes one and you realize that you're almost loosing the love of your life you're overwhelming by fear and you feel like your heart's been completely ripped out.
That's why Allie and Noah's story is such a precious and fragile miracle: it impress itself, leaving a scar in your heart, as only a meaningful life, a meaningful love can do.
"The power of love, a force from above cleaning my soul, flame on burn desire, love with tongues of fire, purge the soul, make love your goal."
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