A Perfect Day
This is the most poetic movie I saw in my Tribeca selection. The movie started with a self-narrated middle age woman caress with her sleeping son (Malek). I found the image very touchy and deep. Originally, I thought they were lovers. hehe. The movie tried to portrait a young man's life in postwar Belruit. Lebanon is the country that is located in west asia right on Mediterranean Sea. I always have some interests to this part of the earth. They are kind of mysterious. I am probably very into anything mysterious. Back to the movie, I understood there was a war in Lebanon 15 years ago. (hummm, that's how great the movies are. we always learn lots of history from the movie.) Malek's father was missing at that time. His mom didn't want to declare her husband was dead even he had disappeared 15 years.
I don't really remember too much about storyline. I will just describe about something that is always in my mind about this movie. First thing is smoking. Smoking is repeated images in the movie. I guess the director must love smoking. There was one old folk said "They can't stop us smoking." The government must just pass the law to stop people smoking before the movie was made. I don't smoke and I am allergied to cigarette pollen. When New York City passed the law to ban smoking in bars and clubs, I was really happy I don't need to smell them and go home with my smelly clothes. Even though I don't go to bars and clubs much.
Malek has a very controlling mom. She wouldn't give up the idea her husband was dead after his absence for 15 years. And, she still kept all his clothes in the closet as he would come back in any moment. She finally went with her son to declare her husband was dead. That was a big step. In the mean time, if she couldn't reach her son, she would call like a crazy. What happens is Malek falls in love with this lovely girl. But, he couldn't be with her. She doesn't think it would go anywhere though she likes him too, because he is a momma boy. It happened a lot in straight relationship. It's a two-women's battle ground, before marriage and after marriage.
Sleeping issue was repeated in the movie too. He has some kind of sleeping issue that he would lose conscious when he was driving in the middle of the street. It's kind of an indication to me. We all have moments we just get lost and no memory at all. The country is also trying to forget the war and the pain from the past.
There are a section Malek was ditched by his ex or not so ex girlfriend, Zeina. He decided to wear her contact lens to drive. Everything becomes so blurry. It was an interesting contrast when we often portrait the near-sight people took out there glasses or contact lens. It has very similar results from very different cause. I love those blurry images. It's kind of rosy and giving the hope for new Lebanon.
Modern people use cell phones a lot. Cell phone were a very important media in the movie. It should call a cell phone movie. Ring tones and text messagings. It's a new way people communicate with each other now. Everyone would have their own ring tone in your cell phone. Everyone becomes so close but also so sparsed. Love and hate with cell phone. Ha.
Men in this movie were portraited as babies. I guess it's probably very true in general. Lot of time men are like growing kids. They need to be taken care of.
I love the way the director controls the lens. The images and color were very natural. I have a chance to see the modern city in Lebanon. They are all high rise buildings. I couldn't really tell what's difference between Belruit and Bogota. Modernism makes everywhere in the world indifference. We should be sad or happy.
Final scene, Malek woke up on a couch near the coast. It's like a new start. He stood up and jumped a little bit and ran. It's a new hope for himself and the country. I think.................
posted by Ken @ 2:08 AM
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