distractions

In the midst of all my gloominess lately, I've been watching movies. A loooooooot of movies. Bless you, Netflix.

Here are my three favorites in the past month, each kind of similar for some reason. Is it my current state of mind? Pondering where I am in life and how I got here? Having a midlife crisis of sorts? Regardless, I am so grateful for the escape of movies.

Eyes without a Face

Creepiness abounds in this movie!

A plastic surgeon becomes obsessed with making things right after his daughter Christiane's face is terribly disfigured in a car accident that he caused. Overcome with guilt, Dr. Genessier and his vicious nurse, Louise, concoct a plan to give Christiane her face back by kidnapping young girls and removing their faces ... and then grafting them onto Christiane's.

Good times, right?! It's beautifully shot and such a psychological thriller that I've been thinking about it ever since I saw it.

Go rent it now! I'll wait.

OK, you're back. Here's the next one: Picnic at Hanging Rock.

To celebrate Valentine's Day, teachers at an austere Australian boarding school take a group of students on an outing to the mysterious Hanging Rock. Soon after the party starts, the headmistress and three girls go exploring and mysteriously disappear. One week later, a sole survivor returns to school -- with hardly any memory of the incident.

If you're looking for a satisfying ending that wraps up all your questions . . . well, that's just not going to happen in this movie. But if you're the type of person who likes to pick things apart and ponder the "what-ifs", then go out and rent it right now. Return Eyes without a Face and get this one. Go now.

And while you're there, get this one: my favorite so far.

Innocence

The students at a mysterious all-girls boarding school learn strange life lessons from their two young teachers in this beguiling and surreal feature debut by director Lucile Hadzihalilovic. Featuring poetic and startling images by acclaimed cinematographer Benoit Debie, the film captured awards at film festivals in Amsterdam, Stockholm, Istanbul and San Sebastian, Spain.

OK, so a little girl, named Iris, (and the cutest tiny thing), arrives at an all-girls boarding school in a coffin! A coffin, people! Suddenly, this is nothing like The Facts of Life. We learn about the school and the rules through the eyes of Iris, who isn't sure how she got there or why she should be. The movie is an eerie study of puberty, womanhood, and transformation. You could write a term paper about it. And again - if you want a movie to tie up all the loose ends, it's not going to happen here, either. But it's totally worth it.

So that about wraps it up for me. It's Grey's Anatomy night, so I shall be retiring to the couch shortly, wrapped in a blanket and wearing my favorite pajamas. I had a root canal today and couch time sounds really good right now.

life under a blanket

Sophie in the driveway today.

All I want lately is my pajamas, a blanket, and a book or DVD. I'm pretty happy staying on my couch, which pleases Sophie and the cats immensely. We all hang out in a big pile.

Right now I'm reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It's good so far - very dark and moody, something you want to . . . well, spend a dark evening curled up on the couch with. Not a problem.

I'm also watching Everest: Beyond the Limit, Season One, rented from Netflix. It's about a group trying to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, overcoming the brutal heat, cold, and altitude. I keep thinking "these people are crazy", and then "these people are amazing" and then "hey! I want to do that!" But since it costs $40,000 to climb (which includes gear, guides, food, etc.) I think I'll be having adventures elsewhere.

I get my hair cut tomorrow and then stop at Zerbo's. I'm in love with their bulk organic coffee beans. Once you start grinding your own coffee, you can't go back.

Well, I'm off to the couch. And it's Grey's Anatomy night. Yay! I'm tucking in for the long haul.

drippy

Really, all day long I've just felt I could cry at any second. I'm not sure why. Just that wierd, melancholy, edge of tears wobbly feeling.

I did the only thing a girl can do: I bought myself some presents at Target.

These cute pink slippers:
And this movie, which I watched immediately when I got home. It was GREAT!
Oh, and Charlotte Martin's Reproductions album came out today on iTunes. All the tracks are remakes of other people's songs. It includes two of my all-time favorites: Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order, and Just Like Heaven by The Cure. I'm still making my way through the album . . . and loving it so far!
So all in all, a day full of small things that make life fun, even when you just feel like curling up in a blanket and staring out the window at the rainy snow and wind. Which actually doesn't sound like a bad idea.