The Fabio Memorial Cup, a movie marathon and other musings

A lot of people don't know this, but I used to race cars.  Mostly small time, local events involving banged up Ladas and banged up trees.  I never made it to the show, but I did get close once.  The year was 1972, I remember it vaguely.  I was in the library, enjoying a pint of vermouth (as was the fashion of the time).  I was reading The Joys of Sex and was partaking in the joys of making eyes at the librarian.  She was making eyes back, but they weren't nearly as friendly as mine.  It was as I was feeling a bit dejected that a man in overalls and a crash helmet ran in, followed by four more in overalls.  The first man took off his helmet, threw it at the other men and then dove into the non-fiction crime section.  I looked concerned, but the librarian had it covered.  She pulled her shotgun from under the desk and unloaded it into the ceiling.  Everyone froze, except the chased man who scurried up the shelves and out through a clerestory window.

"See here old fruits, what on earth do you think is going on here?!"  Christ, her tone was as sharp and authoritarian as her eyes.  I was smitten.

The group surrounding the crime non-fiction shelf looked sheepish.  All it took was a suggestive motion of the librarian's chin and one of them stood forward.  Not of his own accord of course, who'd want to face that fury?  No, he was pushed by his three colleagues.

He explained that the man who escaped through the window was the soon to be great Juan Alessandro Galilei. I'd heard of him.  He was a driver with great potential.  Just a bit gutless apparently.  Turns out that the American brute Dan Galloway was listed to race in the Fabio Memorial Cup race.  Old Dan was a man with no potential, but he did have the habit of using his car as a battering ram and Juan had made some choice words about Dan's old lady.  So now they were down on racing driver.  I may have coolly and collectedly modestly mentioned my experience, or I may have jumped up on the table and shouted "Me! Me! I race real good!  I make the people go behind me!".  Yeah, choose your own adventure folks.

Next think I know, I'm slammed down into some pointy looking open wheel car.  The expectation was gigantic.  The whole garage of mechanics gave me a pep talk simultaneously.  It was deafening.  I made my way to the grid.  I was right next to Dan Galloway.  I was wearing Juan's helmet.  Suddenly I questioned why I volunteered for this.  I looked to my right.  Dan made a cut throat sign.  I gulped.  The lights were beginning to change.  Dan had his steering wheel locked left.  I did the only thing that made sense.  When the lights came on, I stuck the car into reverse.  Dan went straight into another driver.  Red flags.  Race cancelled.  A personal success I feel.

The mechanics weren't too sore about it.  They let me keep the car, which came in handy 39 years later when I decided to see 5 films in one weekend.  Time was of the essence, so those top speeds came in handy.  I managed to see them all and here's how they lined up (in chronological order):

1) 50/50 - Seth Rogen and Joe Gordon-Levitt in Jonathan Levine's "based on true events" cancer comedy.  This is a damn solid movie.  I'm not going to lie, it's a bit close to home, but fortunately all the tears in this film were incredibly well earned - none felt exploitative (well, except the use of Liars' The Other Side of Mt Heart Attack - one of my favourite melancholic songs ever).  Mr Gordon-Levitt is always a god send and it was nice to see Seth Rogen in a well judged side kick role again (versatility isn't his strong point, but he's on form here).  In fact, it's hard to say anything bad at all about the casting.  In addition, Will Reiser's script is the right parts hilarious and sombre.

2) My Week With Marilyn - Wow, what a wreck.  Beyond the costumes, everything disappoints, even Michelle Williams (though she is the highlight of the film).  It is completely beyond me why anyone is speaking about this film when Me & Orson Welles was criminally ignored.  Eddie Redmayne plays a character who, in an opening narration, tells us that he loves film and really wants to work in cinema and production.  He then proceeds to get a job (oh, isn't it nice to be rich and have connections) and every action he commits after this can only lead to the conclusion that he doesn't love film at all.  He comes across as a fickle and completely infuriating person, which isn't a problem, except that the film carries on presenting him as a naive and sensitive human being.  He is neither, he's just an idiot.

3) Moneyball - I've been looking forward to this so long!  It didn't disappoint.  Well, I say that.  It didn't hit it out of the park (get it? It's baseball innit!) but I was so impressed.  A very well constructed movie (nice use of both real footage and ultra stylised slow-mo).  I appreciate the approach of the film in regards the acting and how it mimics the subject matter (Jonah Hill being serious?  Scott Hatteberg on first?).  What was odd was that this is the first time since 13 Assassins that I was sitting in a near full cinema.  Baseball film?  In the UK?  Full house?  Definitely kept the crowd entertained though.

4) Take Shelter - God damn, I fell in love with that family unit.  I didn't want anything bad to happen to them.  In fact, so much so that I'll believe Filmspotting's tad reaching interpretation of the ending, just because it makes things more nice for them.  The trio of Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain (wow, it's been like a whole two weeks since we saw her, where have you been?) and Tova Stewart (the little girl) are incredible, and fortunately so, as they are the movie.  Such an incredibly tense and claustrophobic story.

5) The Deep Blue Sea - Nice way to finish this marathon, a fun bit of melodrama.  I was a tad worried at the start (the editing was suspect during the first twenty minutes), but it picked up and was quite enjoyable for the rest.  Some entertaining lines, some not so great lines.  Some good outfits, some not so good music cues.  After seeing this and Flare Path earlier in the year, I'm definitely enticed to find out more about Terence Rattigan.

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Other Musings:

I'm currently eating Milk Duds with a nice hot coffee.  This combo is okay in my book.

Christmas party on Friday.  I really need to remember to iron my shirt.  I'm quite excited, if only for the fact that my tux makes me look like I should be on set for the Artist, being silent and tap dancing.

http://hw.libsyn.com/p/4/2/a/42a2e01cfd3cb3a9/fs368_bonus.mp3?sid=c1dba473f227fd81d9e9d6c228a6220b&l_sid=17938&l_eid&l_mid=2744370&expiration=1322433067&hwt=60d90b5633db77a08747a8e4fb0dbe8b - is the link for that Filmspotting Take Shelter ending opinion.  Definite spoilers.


I'm not even filmed out yet.  Tomorrow has some Berlin Alexanderplatz and Road to Perdition lined up.


Awesome jogging/exercise/mediation planned for tomorrow!