Ted

✋🏾**ABSOLUTE CINEMA**🤚🏾 Storaro’s photography, the beautifully created contrast between Marcello’s isolation and the Parisians’ freedom, and Bertolucci’s direction all come together perfectly. I would have watched this sooner, but when I found out the Plaza was screening it, I couldn’t pass up the chance to see it on a big screen.

> ***“What you got ain't nothin' new. This country's hard on people. You can't stop what's coming. It ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity.”***Great book, great movie. We always talk about Bardem’s performance—and rightfully so—but Bell’s character has grown on me, especially after reading the book. He grounds the story and allows the audience to join him in his introspection. I think the Coen Brothers did a phenomenal job bringing this aspect of the story to the screen. His impact on the story is subtle, yet grand at the same time…if that makes sense, lol. One other thing I love about this story is how well-written Chigurh is in both mediums. He doesn’t view himself as a hitman, but rather as a force of fate in the guise of a man—the grim reaper personified, is how I see him. He frames death as something decided by chance; however, that logic disappears when he meets Carla Jean, who exposes the cracks in his “mission.” Nonetheless, he still believes in a philosophical code—one that might be admirable in another context—where the world operates on inevitability and consequence. He sees life as having a beginning, middle, and end, with death guaranteed. Because of this, he remains indifferent to his actions and uses that belief as justification for them. - McCarthy has written two of my favorite characters, and I truly hope we see more adaptations of his works.

> ***“I'd hoped that we could come here and reason together. > ******And as a reasonable man I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to find a peaceful solution to this problem.”*** What would this year be without a Godfather rewatch?