cinema

I'm told cinema here is a cultural experience. Other their strange fascination with David Lynch, though, the French don't seem to be any crazier about films than Americans are. (Actually, there are some differences in the experience: trailers come before commercials, and there's always a short intermission between the commercials and the movie itself. Also, sometimes people come down the aisles selling candy and drinks during the intermission like old-fashioned cigarrette girls.)

Going to the movies has, however, helped my French a bit. My second week here, Nellie and I went to see "The Illusionist," which was still in English but which had French subtitles. It was interesting to read the subtitles while listening to the lines and to notice the discrepancies between the two. A few days ago I went to see "Pan's Labyrinth," a Spanish movie. That took a lot of concentration; the movie is so visually fascinating and the language so fluid that I had a hard time focusing on the French subtitles. I understood it all, but yikes. Anyway, you should really go see it - it was described by a friend as a "fairy tale for adults," and is consequently very dark and vivid. (Yes, Dad, dark and vivid at the same time. Don't get up in my grill about my choice of adjectives. Ask Sarah what "up in my grill" means.) Last night, however, we saw a very different movie: "Hors de Prix," a romantic comedy starring Audrey Tatou. It was very French, very funny, and very cute. In the States it would have totally been a chick flick, but there was (were?) a surprising number of guys in the audience. Audrey Tatou has gotten way too skinny, but her clothes were to die for. If it comes out back home, I'd reccomend it for a night when you need something frothy.

Side note: is there any way to make the phrase "Her clothes were to die for" not end in a preposition? "Her clothes were something for which I would die?" "I would die for her clothes?" Hm. None of them sound as idiosyncratic.