My Dinner with Andre

Kind of crazy that it's been 45 years since this movie came out and we're all still sitting here agonizing over the same stuff lol Was between a 3.5 and a 4 for this, while I do think for what it is (two guys eating dinner for an hour and 40 minutes) it's actually a remarkably captivating movie. The actors are so natural in their deliveries and the way the camera moves to capture the stories that are being told, bringing us in close for moments of discomfort or tension and a bit further away to illustrate the relaxed nature of that portion of the conversation. Andre and Wallace rarely share the frame, each of them take their time in letting the other explore their thoughts. At least Wallace is a little better at it. The conversation these two men are having is not dissimilar to a debate I've often had in my own head. Modernity breeds a certain degree of complacency and boredom in people, which I've felt in myself. Part of me feels a guilt in how simple my life is. I hardly have to struggle for anything except for my own sanity. It's almost as though the simplicity of life in the developed world breeds a contempt for itself. I've developed a kind of Roussaeauan "noble savage" view of certain parts of the world that aren't as developed as the one I live in. Perhaps that's wrong, since they're not living that way for the most part out of intention, it's circumstance. Andre and I are attributing an outsized moral victory to these people who have harder lives than us, even though they'd likely switch with us in a heartbeat. Living life as we live it has turned into a curse without purpose. On the other side of the table is a rational version of the same man. Who am I to believe the life I lead isn't difficult or valuable simply because of where I'm living it? Sure, having creature comforts is something many people around the world can't necessarily say, but I struggle and fight in different ways. The system that I live inside is antagonistic to me on a human level. At the risk of sounding like the cringiest person on planet earth, the true lies somewhere in the middle. It's probably not necessary to go and live in India to ground yourself, but you probably do need to actively think about the world you live in, how it affects you and how you affect it. Also, Wallace Shaun is known primarily for this movie and The Princess Bride and he says "inconceivable" in both movies. Isn't that insane?