The Way Backseen @ Kew Gardens Cinemas, Kew Gardens, Queens, NY
1.25.11
Sometimes I just get stuck for inspiration. I saw The Way Back the other day and liked it, but for whatever reason I had a problem trying to write about it in any way other than a simple review - which, as you know by now, is something I try to avoid with this blog.
The film itself is something far beyond my experience. I can't really say that I've been in any life-or-death situations. I've never seen a desert first-hand, or been to Siberia. I've never seen the inside of a prison and I'm not Polish. I've taken plenty of long walks in my life, but I think it's safe to say that they all pale besides this long walk - and I didn't want to write anything about the noble struggle of man versus nature or anything like that.
I thought about writing about director Peter Weir, whose work I like. I've seen many of his movies, but the only other one I feel I could write intelligently about is The Truman Show, since I've seen it so many times. Actually, I started reading the book Master and Commander recently, but I got bored with it.
I could say a few words about the Kew Gardens.
On Tuesdays (and Thursdays), admission is $7, so you'd think there'd be a bit more of a crowd. Sometimes there is, but I think it depends on the movie. The Way Back is rather grim; something like The Kids Are All Right or The King's Speech had bigger crowds. Sometimes I worry that this theater won't be able to sustain itself. I love that it's a cheaper alternative to the Angelika or the Sunshine, and I'll continue to support it as long as it remains so, but I guess I need some reassurance that it's doing okay. Maybe I should see a show there on the weekend as a basis for comparison.Then there's the neighborhood. Lately whenever I go to Kew Gardens for a movie, I've been eating at a tiny little pizzeria across the street from the theater. It's so tiny that it has an old-fashioned counter with stools. The pizza there's decent. The place I really like to eat at, though, is this broiled chicken place next to the subway. They served broiled chicken with rice and pita bread, or with a salad, and all for a nice price.
So I guess I managed to generate a little something... even if it's not the grand essay I had hoped it would be.
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ReplyDeleteDon't give up on the M&C books! The first one's a bit of a slog, but the next four are very good. I personally recommend HMS Surprise, which is still my favorite, for its perfect blend of goofiness, naval tactics, and swashbuckling. Oh, and the drunken sloth.
ReplyDeleteIf they're your kind of thing, the audiobooks for this series are quite excellent, too.
I tried to get into it, really I did, but I dunno... part of the problem was all the naval references, part of it was the story. Which is odd, because I read one of the Horatio Hornblower books a few years ago and was able to get through that. Maybe I just need a little time before I can pick up M&C again.
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