Hosive

i’ve read a few reviews that thought this was weird, convoluted, self indulgent or just stupid. i loved it! again….not a movie for everybody but that’s the kind of movie i like these days. if you liked other charlie kaufman stuff like adaptation, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, being john malkovich….than this is for you. if you look at those other movies with the reaction of weird, convoluted, self indulgent or just stupid, stay away.

the movie is wholly original….meaning there is nothing like it….but i know why people won’t like it: it tackles the issue no one likes visiting….how do we live in light of death? its a bummer topic. in addition, it has a weird timeline….we are never sure how much time has passed even as the characters age in front of our eyes. finally, it presents things in metaphors…..metaphors and real life exist on the same plane so there are many what the heck moments. to top it off, its got a title that most can’t pronounce.

but those are the things i love…..reality, the strangeness of time flowing and visual poetry….a different vision. charlie kaufman plants plot points and words and images that only make sense later on. there are more than a few “oh! that’s why that happened” or “oh! that’s what that meant”……it takes work to watch this film….so people won’t like that. but i need films like this. i need art.

the basic plot is a theatre director confronts the beginning of the end of his life with his marriage falling apart. when he receives a genius grant, he stages a massive play that takes the rest of his life….and the plot is about his life and life in general….so he watches his own life play out both in reality and on stage. it includes a life size set recreating new york city. it is insane! i love insanity! because life is insane.

biblically, this is a parable recreating the themes of ecclesiastes which i am preaching through at my church. it tackles the realities and absurdity of life with the same longings and questions.

i would watch this movie again…and i might in the theatre with theresa(i saw it without her on my day off)….the scenes of the recreated nyc are worth watching on the big screen….there are so many rich scenes and deep thoughts, musings and lines. i may even buy it to comb the landscape.

i thought of another reason why people may not like it……they deal with these issues already! and want escape….not more reality. but my hunger is for more reality.

if you liked this movie too, maybe we can be friends.