Finding yourself through the journey

먹고 기도하고 사랑하라 - 극장판+감독판 동시수록
라이언 머피 감독, 줄리아 로버츠 외 출연 / 소니픽쳐스 / 2011년 1월

Eat, Pray, Love

Some criticize this book by saying that Elizabeth Gilbert wrote this book to justify her remarriage and tell people that was the process of balancing her life again. Very sharp opinion, I think. Yes, that's very plausible criticism and might be true.

The book, [Eat, Pray, Love] became "big, mega-sensation, international bestseller thing," like she said, and she may also have achieved a huge success in legitimizing her divorce and remarriage. Smart lady.

However, screw that and just focus on the movie per se.(I haven't read the book yet.)

I really like it and I think it's very interesting.

It has several factors that efficiently appeal to audiences: exotic places, victim of love, and the process of finding yourself.

①Exotic Places

I dream of going exotic places like Italy, India, and Bali and this movie takes me to those places. Especially, I've fantasized about India since I watched the movie "The Little Princess" during my childhood and India described by this movie is very similar image that I've thought of.

While watching it, I found myself who's captured by desire to travel abroad.

Colorful scenary, delicious-looking food, strangers and on and on.. I can name of many things that persuade me to love this movie.

②The victim of love

Including Elizabeth Gilbert, people she met throughout the journey are victims of love. They are afraid to start to see someone because they are scared of being hurt again. Probably many audiences are like that too so they empathize to the characters very easily. What's good about this movie is at the end of the movie, Katut, the medicineman in Bali, tells Gilbert the wisdom of life, and she finally changes her mind to love, getting over her trauma. Typical ending, but it is hopeful and touching at the same time.

③The process of finding yourself

I like this kind of movie which is about finding out insight of life through journey. As we can look back ourselves while traveling, it means alot to us. Some may say it's wasting time and money to hit the road, but if you find out what you like and who you are, that is invaluable time that is unalterable.

I'd wanted to watch this movie for a long time, and now after watching it, I feel good.

Oh oh oh, I'm not gonna forget this; "dolce far niente," or  sweetness of doing nothing. (it's an Italian phrase introduced in the movie.)

It counters against my creed, but sometimes I have to have this attitude. Sweetness of doing nothing. :)

Nice movie.    

Girl with a pearl earring

진주 귀걸이를 한 소녀 - Girl with a Pearl Earring
영화

Actually, I didn't read the original book of this movie. It came out with the book first, and then the movie is made based on the novel. So I don't know about the novel--my friend, Emily, told me the novel is way better--but I doubt it. Paintings are "pictures" not "letters." Since this is the story about Johannese Vermeer, "showing" a process of finishing a masterpiece is better than "writing" a process of it. It's just my thought, but I don't know. I may read the book, too.  

The movie totally blew my mind! I think I love to watch European classic movie such as Pride and Prejudice, The Duchess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Little Princess and on and on. Of course I am fascinated by that kind of stories, but more attracting factors come from somewhere else.

First, I love some distinctive sounds that I can only hear from European (or Western) classic movies. For instance, wood cracking from the floor when someone walks on, the sound of clinked silverware when a maid pours soup on a master's plate and the sound from horse walking on sandstone after rainy day make me pleased. I can see how movie staffs take care of these sound effects when they make a classic movie. It is just delightful and essential part of the classic movie.

Secondly, I love classic fashion of people. I don't really appreciate colorful clothes, and instead love black, white and red. Usually, the colors of maid's clothes are composed of black and white which appeals alot to me. I don't know what to call it but scarf maids usually hang around their heads is neat going with jet black simple dress.

Overall the atmosphere of stories background is usually chilly and cold. Putting on several black or brown blankets around their body, people go to markets to get some plain baguette. 

Just all of them are lovely to watch and enjoy.  Then it is easy to guess how I feel about this movie, Girl with a Pearl Earring. This movie was BEAUTIFUL.

First of all, I should confess I have little knowledge about Johannese Vermeer. Although, I DIG his masterpieces and especially, The Girl with a Red Hat(picture on the right). She looks so classy and the contrast between colors are also nice. People who don't know well about Vermeer even had seen this picture, I guess. Anyway, this is not the movie about. lol
 

This movie is about Vermeer's one of the masterpieces, Girl with a Pearl Earring (picture on the left). I looked for some information about this picture and the movie, but this story is not related to the movie at all. Actually, the life of Johannese Vermeer is almost a mystery having little information about him, needless to say his paintings. And personally, I don't believe only this girl was attracting to Vermeer. Of course she definitely has beautiful atmoshpere, but it is hard to exaggerate their relationship like a novel, for almost all of Vermeer's paintings are portraits or workers by themselves.  

The real painting is so mysterious. Are her wide eyes and enigmatic half-smile innocent or seductive? And why is she wearing a pearl earring? The movie doesn't deal with her smile, but does deal with her earring. If the whole story is created in the author's brain, I want to give her a hand. It was pretty brilliant.  

 Speaking of the movie, I was glad those factors that I mentioned above was fully in the movie. I was astonished when Griet(the main character) firstly enters Vermeer's studio to clean it up because the studio was just like the one in his real painting! The movie takes good care about his studio. Neat white wall, proper amount of light, just everything was perfect.

One disturbing thing to me was the way Scarlett Johannson plays. Maybe some don't agree with me, but she was overreacting in case of her facial expression. It was awkward.

Overall, I love it. The storyline was simple, but it was good to know how this masterpiece came out to the world even though it is the author's imagination. :) Don't even talk about the atmosphere of the movie. It was gorgeous.

UP IN THE AIR

인 디 에어 - Up In The Air
영화

 The Original title is UP IN THE AIR not IN THE AIR. I don't know why they intentionally change the title. (I mean, it's just one more word, so why cannot put the same title with original one?) 

Well, I don't know how to start it. It was quite boring, but I don't feel like saying it was boring because the theme of the movie was pretty touching.   

<From now on, this contains the storyline of the movie.>
The story is about a corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham(George Clooney) and his travels. He flies to every part of the States letting workers know that they are fired. Riding planes, staying best hotels, having light relationship with cool girls Ryan has satisfied with his life. In an airport, he meets Alex who has same way of thinking with Ryan, and they begin a casual relationship. 

In the meantime, Ryan is called back to his company's offices in Omaha, Nebraska, where he finds out that an ambitious young coworker named Natalie Keener is promoting a plan to cut costs by having employees stay grounded and conduct layoffs over the internet. Ryan argues that Natalie knows nothing about the process of firing people, and the boss assigns him to take Natalie with him on his upcoming travels to show her what it's like. They fly together and step by step Ryan shows Natalie firing people is not easy job like she does over Internet.   

While on the road, Natalie's boyfriend dumps her by text message, and she is pissed off about how Ryan treats the deep relationship like a nothing. She tries to explain Ryan the importance of interdependence between people, and Ryan gets slowly realized. He takes Alex to his sister's wedding, and acknowledge the importance of being part of someone. Later, while his speech, he just stops giving speech and runs to the airport to fly to Chicago where Alex lives. When she opens the door, it's apparent that she's a married woman with young children. Stunned, Ryan leaves without saying a word.  

On the flight home, the crew announces that Ryan has just crossed his ten million miles mark and the airline's chief pilot comes out of the cockpit and the two have a conversation. When the captin asks Ryan where is he from. Ryan ponders the question for a moment and then answers: "I'm from here." 
<Written by Wikipedia and Me.>

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I was so upset about Alex having her own family. The only one who was not cool enough was Ryan who might have found out how living someone is gonna be. Nobody can lives wtihout counting on somebody. It just doesn't work becaue we live in society. Long time ago, I had also thought like Ryan having fun by myself, and enjoying life by doing whatever you wanna do. But I know I end up seeing someone and looking for being secured. That is just how we are.  

Pretty good movie as it makes me think about life, but somewhat slow and boring.  

500 Days of Summer

500일의 썸머 - 아웃케이스 없음
마크 웹 감독, 조셉 고든 레빗 외 출연 / 20세기폭스 / 2010년 5월

감성보다 이성이 발달한 사람이 더 동물로부터 진화된 사람으로 치부되곤한다.
이게 뭐 사실이든 아니든 옛날부터 많은 지식인들이 믿어왔었고,
그에 따라 항상 나는 이성이 감성보다 앞서는 사람이 되어야겠다라는 무의식적 생각을 가지고 있었다.
 나에게 있어서 이성이라하면 논리가 가장 먼저 떠오르고, 감성이라하면 사랑이 가장 먼저 떠오른다.
그래서 나는 논리적이고 지식이 많은 사람을 좋아했고, 사랑에 운운하고 사랑에만 목숨걸고 다른건 뒷전인 사람을 심히 한심하다고 생각했었다.멜로무비를 그닥 좋아하지 않는 이유도 여기에 있었다. 항상 다른 어떤 장르보다 감정에 호소하는 것 같아서 참 저급이라고 생각했었다.


그렇지만, 아 이건 얼마나 오만한 생각이었는가. 이런 생각들은 사랑한번 제대로 해본적없는 내가 감히 내뱉을 말이 아니었다.  사랑은 이성적인 것이 될 수도 있고, 설령 감성에만 치우치는 한이 있더라도 가장 본능에 충실한 인간의 솔직함이 아니겠는가. 나야 말로 본능을 가장 저급으로 취급하다니 저급이었나보다. 

  500 Days of Summer를 보면서 영화가 참 Brilliant하다는 생각을 했다. 적당히 가벼운 느낌이지만 사실 사람이 사랑에 빠지는 과정에서 헤어나오는 과정까지 다 보여준다. 이런 멜로영화 흔하지 뭐. 하지만 이 영화만의 특징적인 것은 영화 장면 구성으로부터 나온다. 앞뒤를 맞춰가면서 보는 재미가 쏠쏠하고, 오히려 첫만남부터 헤어짐까지 일직선의 시간으로 보여주는 영화보다 훨씬더 솔직하게 다가온다.  

 그렇다 이 영화의 장점이 솔직함에 있었다.  
이 옆에 영화 메인을 보면 알겠지만, 남자가 완전 여자한테 빠져있다. 그렇게 열정적으로 사랑할 수 있다는게 부러울 정도로, 썸머를 향한 남자의 사랑이 열렬하다. 나는 썸머같은 여자를 별로 좋아하지 않는다. 무슨 사람 마음가지고 장난치는 것도 아니고 친구로 지내자면서 키스하는 이런여자...에게 참으로 백퍼센트 걸려든 탐... 

 탐의 사랑으로부터나오는 격정적 고뇌가 접시 깨는 것으로 표현됐는데, 그것이 너무 과장됐다라는 느낌보다 정말로 이해가 가게 만든다. 위에서 말했던 영화 구성을 일직선상의 시간흐름으로 표현했다면 절대 와닿지 않았을 것이다.  

썸머를 두고 썸머가 한 말 한마디, 동작 하나를 다시 곱씹어 생각하며 기뻐하고 슬퍼하는 탐을 보면 나는 공감했다. 썸머의 초대에 설레여하며 그게 무슨 의미일지 상상하는 탐. 이런 모습들이 다 너무 일반적이어서 좋았다. 다른 어떤 로맨틱영화들처럼 감정의 과장됨, 극대화따위는 못느꼈다.  그저 자연스럽게 아, 사랑에 빠지는 사람은 저렇게 되는구나. 이별을 당한 사람은 저렇게 되는구나. 라는 게 스며들듯이 느껴지지 거북하게 다가오지 않는다.  

썸머가 마지막에 가서 탐이 아닌 다른 남자와 결혼하는 것도 '얘 뭐야?!!!'이런 느낌보다 '아 그렇겠다'라는 생각이 든다. 공감부터 된다고 할까. 마치 평생독신으로 살겠다는 친구가 결혼을 제일 빨리하는 것처럼, 사랑은 어떻게될 지 잘 모르니깐말이다. 단지 썸머가 탐에게서는 그런 감정을 받지 못했고, 우연히 만난 다른 남자에게서는 느꼈을 뿐이다. 이런 감정 변화도 너무 나같아서 이해됐다.   

 그러고보면, 이 영화는 인연이 아닌 만남을 소재로 삼았다는 것이  또하나의 독특한 점이다. 썸머가 결혼한 그 남자와의 이야기를 다룬 것도 아니고, 탐이 마지막에 만나는 여자와의 만남을 다룬 이야기도 아니다. 진짜 인연을 향해가는 길에서 만난 두 사람의 만남과 헤어짐이다. 최근에 본 영화 원스도 그러했다. 나는 원스 두 주인공이 이어질 줄 알았다. 하지만 여자는 다시 남편을 만나고, 남자주인공은 다시 옛 여자친구를 찾아 런던으로 떠나며 끝난다. 이런 영화적 신선함이 나는 좋다. 진행중인 사랑을 다룬 영화도 물론 좋지만, 우리가 만나는 인연은 꼭 그것만은 아니니까. 이렇게 스쳐가는 인연을 다루어주는 영화도 너무 신선하고 가치있다.  

 원스와 500days of summer, 둘 다 사운드트랙이 너무 좋다. 원스같은 경우에는 Falling Slowly보다 Lies가 훨씬 마음에 다가오면서 슬펐고, 500days of Summer는 Sweet Disposition과 quelqu'un m'a dit 이 특히 좋았다.  
  

500 days of summer DVD를 샀다. 생각날때마다 꺼내 볼만큼 가치있는 로맨틱영화였다. 

  사랑할때의 썸머와 탐 사진들