Day 31: The Awakening

I don’t like feeling scared but I like Rebecca Hall and her freckles, so. Scary film today. I decided to go all out and watch it in the dark because apparently I hate myself. Most of my notes are all capitals and swearing so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say about this one.

Florence (Rebecca Hall) is a badass hoax exposer in the ‘20s. She’s asked by a teacher (Dominic West) from a boarding school to determine whether there is a ghost at the school. Setting up all her fake-ghost-catching equipment she sets about calming the children and ridding them of their nonsense fears. But soon enough she doubts herself and begins to see things that she cannot explain.

There is actually nothing more frightening than ghost children, I don’t care what anybody says. Children scare me a bit anyway so obviously I’d be terrified of ghostly ones. And that is what we have here, a ghost child. We also have a creepy handyman type who takes an instant disliking to our Freckles. He attacks her and is about to rape her when the twisted face of the ghost appears and stops him. My notes from this moment go:  “GET OFF HER YOU ABSOLUTE WANKER OK GHOST IS REAL FUCKING FUCKER FUCK”. I screamed, I won’t lie to you.

I can’t really say much more because it’ll give too much away and while I don’t mind with other films, the whole premise of scary films is that you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It was alright as far as these films go, it had jumpy bits and I was definitely frightened.

“A life haunted isn’t a life at all. We may as well be ghosts ourselves.”

6/10

Day 30: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Another day for Scarlett Johansson. And this time we also have Rebecca Hall and Penélope Cruz. And it’s a Woody Allen film. Spoiled, that’s what I am.

Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are spending their summer in Spain. Whilst there they meet the devastatingly charming painter, Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) who takes an instant liking to them both and offers to take them off to a beautiful little town. Oh, and also to make love. He has quite the effect on both women (eventually) and it’s interesting to watch.

When Juan Antonio says that he wishes to sleep with both Vicky and Cristina they react a little differently. Cristina isn’t sure what she wants from life yet so is open to new experiences, while Vicky has a life plan and sleeping with a stranger isn't on it. Both agree to fly off to the town with him but only Cristina says she will sleep with him. With the delightful line, “I’ll go to your room but you’ll have to seduce me.”

Cristina is taken ill and it allows Vicky and Juan Antonio to spend time together. Despite her initial misgivings, Vicky quickly warms to him. He is so honest about his feelings about everything, it’s refreshing actually. It’s coming up again, it’s going to be a recurring feature of this blog but: they clearly enjoy spending time together and it’s lovely. He is quite taken with her even though she isn’t the creative type he seems to favour. They listen to music together and are both moved which goes some way in explaining why Vicky drops her guard and gives in to her feelings for him.

They return and Juan Antonio goes off with Cristina. Vicky isn’t sure what to make of it, her life seemed simple to her before: marry Doug, get a big house, live practically. But now it’s all changed and she can’t stop thinking about this impulsive man. Meanwhile, Cristina moves in with Juan Antonio and eventually his ex wife, Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz). While awkward at first they all realise they complement each other nicely and their relationship evolves to include the three of them.

Having more than two people in a relationship has always interested me. Can you find everything you need or want in just one person? I don’t know what the average number of relationships people have in their lives is but each person must have given you something a little different to the last. So why not have more than one other person in a relationship at a time? Perhaps people would be happier that way, relationships might last longer and there might be fewer instances of cheating. I don’t know, it just seems to make sense to have more than just two people in a relationship.

The intensity of Penélope Cruz is wonderful. And I just love the spontaneity all throughout the film and that everyone is so honest about their feelings.

8/10