cutriver

Last night went to see Jane Campion's An Angel at my Table at this teeny-tiny independent cinema we have here. Good movie. Very old print with a ton of hiss on the soundtrack and the third reel mistakenly wound on the wrong way round so we had to wait fifteen minutes while they re-wound it. This, of course, is the way the movies should be: none of your DTS crap.

The film's based on the autobiography of the writer Janet Frame, about her childhood, troubled adolescence when she was misdiagnosed as schizophrenic and spent time undergoing electro-shock therapy, and final success as a writer.

I'm planning to write an article (partly) about Campion's In the Cut later this summer and, thinking across her work, it seems to me that writing always functions redemptively in her films: Janet Frame ends up as a writer, Holly Hunter in The Piano writes little notes cos she can't/won't speak, Meg Ryan in In the Cut teaches writing and is forever jotting down inspirational little quotations... Is this all too tenuous? Maybe.

Speaking of writing, there's some of my own currently on display in the Erotica group, although you have to be a member to read it and it's a private group. But go have a look see, I want some feedback. It may be crap, but at least tell me it's crap.

What else? Been listening to the new album by Tortoise, It's all around you. I kind of missed the supposed heyday of Tortoise with the Millions Now Living Will Never Die and TNT albums. Got the last one - Standards - which was disappointing. New one is similar, but better. I guess at least there's a funk-dance edge to their post-rock which is sorta unique, although all their fucking xylophones get on my nerves after a while. Beautiful packaging, though, as ever.

Otherwise, busy as hell at work. Tomorrow is the Ball so you can expect a full report Saturday.