Archive for » May 3rd, 2012«

Whit Stillman – Still a man of wit!

03
May 2012
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f you haven’t seen Damsels in Distress, you will want to rectify that situation as soon as possible.  The movie is Whit Stillman’s first film in 10 years.  Whit Stillman is notorious for working on a shoe-string budget, which at the very least helps to emphasize the focus on whit and dialogue.  In Damsels the cameras, costumes, setting, were all “upgraded” and generally more elaborate.  I especially enjoyed the cinematography for the film: it had a warm filter to it and made the light values shimmer (especially in the sunny day time shots).

My friend Br. Innocent Smith O.P. wrote an amazing post on Dominicana which somehow managed to include some of my favorite things: kittens, Pope St. Gregory the Great, rainbows (symbol of wonder), and Whit Stillman!  He brings in one of the funnier and quirkier scenes in Damsels to illustrate a point.

Stillman thus playfully captures the harm that can come from unrealistic expectations of future greatness, particularly as Thor’s natural abilities seem more on the level of the kitten than the tiger. By the end of the film, Thor has mastered each of the colors of the rainbow, and takes evident joy in reciting their names; he has learned to flourish in this basic human activity, rather than in the pretensions of his parents. At the very least, he will be able to mix drinks with greater accuracy.

The title of the movie, Damsels in Distress, demonstrates Whit Stillman’s quirky sense of humor.  You would expect this movie to be about a handful of girls in distress and needing to be rescued, however, we find early on in the movie that these damsels are the cool kids, and are actually the ones helping others.  They take a role on the campus as social social workers.  They run a suicide prevention center in hopes of helping depressed students through their tough time.  Speaking of depressed and suicidal students: this seems to me a sort of critique and morbidly hilarious portrayal of student populations in most universities and especially in most graduate programs.  In any case, as the movie progresses we see that these damsels are in fact in quite a bit of distress.

There is not much action in the movie (seeing it in Scottsdale Arizona was hilarious because this elderly couple walked out on the movie the old man grumbling something like “I can’t take it anymore”).  Stillman has downplayed action and movement in the film in order, it seems, to emphasize and give importance to the dialogue.  The witty interchange between characters drives the film’s plot more than action.

Another key element to this film is its high dose of quirkiness.  It’s like someone distilled the Whit Stillman from his other movies and injected that concoction straight into the script.  Then they turned the Stillman Quirkiness up to 11 (apparently it goes to 11).  It’s very Whit Stillman.  If you like Barcelona or his other films, then you will definitely like this one too.  Dr. Swietek at UD, who has a side-job of movie reviewing, gave the movie a B (should have been a B+ at least).  You can read his review here.

Go see Damsels in Distress whiles it’s still in theaters, or wait until it comes out on DVD to see it, but make sure to check it out!

Category: Art, college, Damsels in Distress, Dr. Swietek, feelings, film, general hilarity, It Is What It Is, Quirkiness, Whit Stillman, Wonder  Leave a Comment  Tags: , ,

Simply, The Dog House

03
May 2012
By

Usually, when Anne tells me to do something, I respond like all self-respecting adults: with obedience. So, when Anne bid me write up about our trips to the The Dog House, I thought I would find myself easily acquiescing, glad to know my place and purpose in the world. The task, however, has been more formidable than I was previously wont to suppose. The difficulty occurs not at the intro (I’ve written several, all more or less satisfactory for my purposes–it’s fine to describe the building, and even get past the rather abominable inner exterior) but right at the part where I begin contemplating what type of Dog I will order, I get tripped up. I can go no farther in the explanation of types of Dogs to order. This is because a single tear in each of my eyes clouds my vision, preventing me from typing. Why are my eyes so shrouded in what appears to be misery? You assume too much! Not misery, but bliss or rather, the pure nostalgia for the experience. How can I describe that memory when the reality is so intangible, untastable to my tongue since its sense has been barren since tasting that paradise of flavor? I ask you!

Let me back up a few characters: have you ever been to Fort Scott, Kansas? I know Angela Cuba has, but then she will also shortly have a Masters with a thesis. Thereby, severing her shared experience with the rest of us. Fort Scott proudly boasts an actual fort, no movie theatre and very few edible breakfast places. It has also produced many notable characters such as Gordon Parks (?) and several Lorimers. There may be other individuals from Fort Scott, but we don’t speak of The Marrieds. I digress.

Now, The Dog House is a relatively new addition to this historic landmark town and it’s not what I had imagined visually speaking. It shares its space with a drive up pizza place. Don’t be fooled by the yogurt-shop aesthetic, the dogs are cooked to order before your very eyes. In a feat of innovative technology, this grill is placed inside with very little of the normative accouterments of indoor grills. It still breathes free and open, accessible to any eaters concerned for the pinkness of their dog. More than likely, however, they are still staring at the dry erase board menu, wondering if it was right to go with The Bleu Dog (bacon, bleu cheese, bbq sauce) rather than The Caliente (grilled peppers and onions, honey chipotle sauce, bacon). I have it from one Dan Kerr that The Danny Dog is the best, but what of The Whiskey, or The Philly? I suppose only time (and repeated visits To The Dog House) will tell. But at this point, it is clear that Jace, the owner, developed a new mastermind endeavor to spark the economy and provide both jobs and food for the 99%. When asked by a local investigative reporter which of his dogs he would marry, Jace unabashedly declared his love for The Kraut Dog. Celery salt, mustard and Kraut adorn this simple dog which, in its own way articulates the simplicity of its benevolent master.

 

Category: A Christian Poet in the Modern World, Aesthetics, Difficult names to pronounce, It Is What It Is, Manliness, Write something so that I can judge you  Leave a Comment  Tags: , ,
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