Cinema Struggles

“For me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake.” Hitchcock

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It would be an exercise in futility for me to try and describe the importance of films in my life. The wonder they purvey and the happiness they bring.  I know only one thing for certain when it comes to the movies, a good one, like a good song, can make a whole lot of things in life make sense, a bringer of clarity to even the most downtrodden and confusing of situations.  Escapist fun yet educators to even the most hostile student.  Full of moments that appear to hold all the answers to whatever questions the world has to throw at us.  Sure, they have a lot to answer for (so many hours wasted wading through the mundane in search of cinematic gold)… but why hold such a petty grudge against such a well-meaning friend.

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I find myself tonight sitting idly at home having planned to get off to the cinema and see the new Christopher Nolan film, Inception.  This is a film I just know I’m going to love… great reviews, great cast, director with an exceptional track record, interesting idea… it’s like it was predestined, a gift from up high, a guaranteed 2 and half hours of enjoyment in front of the big screen.  It’s what they would call in horse racing circles ‘a dead cert’.

To put it mildly… I can’t bloody wait!

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I find myself with something of a problem though… I haven’t got anyone to go with!

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Now I want to be clear straight away.  I don’t like going to the cinema on my own.  Tried it, didn’t like it.  Videos and DVDs I am absolutely fine with.  The cinema however, is a much more unforgiving beast and a place I just feel too uncomfortable in on my own.  This leaves me with the self-imposed problem of vetting people for the type of film that I want to see.  (My arrogance at this point is not lost on me, but be aware that my movie snobbery is something I tend to regretfully revel in.)  Usually, my most accommodating of girlfriends is fair game for anything.  Recently though, I fear she has become disillusioned with my constant championing of either the high-brow or the very low-brow.  She’s definitely a ‘middler’ when it comes to the movies and likes to play it safe and unassuming with her choices.  I can completely understand her stance when it comes to films like Predators or a new Ong Bak movie. It becomes more of a sticking point when it comes to films that, although requiring effort, you just know are going to be good.  This is regrettably where she stands with Inception and why I’m left racking my brains for someone to go with at short notice.

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Now I have brothers who love the movies too.  But my older brothers stance on films (a man who actually ‘liked’ Smokin’ Aces) is perfectly summed up in the response he gave when I asked him if he would like to come with me to see Inception:

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me -  you up to much tonight?

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bro – nope…

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me - do you fancy coming to see Inception tonight?

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bro -that’s the new Dicaprio film right?  It’s meant to be awesome…  The trailer looks amazing, great effects too!  -  I think I’ll give it a miss though… it looks a bit too complicated for me.

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me - you do know that the directors last film was the Batman movie…  You liked that right?

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bro – yeah… this one just looks like too much hard work.

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Fair point, well made I suppose.

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With other friends constantly tied up with work or committed to engagements with their better halves, I find myself at a point in life where going to the cinema has become a drama all on its own.  Long gone are the heady days of Tuesday cinema club.  Where all my school friends and I would go to the cinema to see whatever new release was on (on the so called ‘Cheapo Tuesday’ at Bexleyheath).  No matter how bad the film was, we’d stroll up around 7.30ish book the tickets, either sit straight down or grab a quick drink at the Frankie’s and Benny’s next door.  This was all done with no prior arranging and grew into quite a large social occasion for everybody and their friends.  People would literally just turn up! (Man, we saw some turkeys though.)

Don’t even get me started on the glorious university days on top of the Canterbury hill.  You couldn’t turn a corner without bumping into a film studies buddy. Saturday matinees, film screenings disguised as lectures, Cinema 3, evening classics in their original print.  Our cups surely did overfloweth…

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Alas, those days have long since faded into trailer-like memories (in so-much as I only recall the good bits).  This year alone, it took me 4 months before I got round to seeing Avatar and that was with my dad!  (A marvellous experience truth-be-told.  I’ve never seen anyone more excited by 3D glasses!)  It just feels like so many cinematic experiences are just passing me by recently. And here I am tonight, dieing to see this movie I’ve been excited about for months now, but with no one to see it with!

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I think it’s time to stop writing, give my dad a call and see if he’s free…