October 21, 2005
"How the specter of love can give ordinary life a feeling of risk and enchantment."
That nice phrase from A.O. Scott's review was enough to make we want to see the movie "Shopgirl."
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I didn't realize Martin was Danes's love interest. I try to avoid reading much of reviews. Isn't Jason Schwartzman the main guy? I guess not. So it's another one of those movies like "Sideways" and "Lost in Translation," designed to make male critics feel good about themselves?
Oh, damn. Then let's not talk about the movie. Let's talk about the idea in the Scott's quote, which I find so intriguing!
I wouldn't say that movies like Lost in Translation are made to make male critics feel good about themselves. Lost in Translation was written and directed by a woman. And remember, in that movie the two characters were not romantically involved!
Perhaps its just because I'm a man, but I don't see why it is necessarily torturous to see an older man and a younger woman in a relationship in a movie. In Shopgirl, or at least in the book, neither character ever really believes they are IN LOVE, per se, rather, they are just having an affair.
Haven't you seen younger women with older men? Perhaps the 30 years or so that seperate Danes and Martin is a little bit on the outer end of what you see on a regular basis, but I've met a lot of women who are married to men 20 years older than they are. You can't necessarily help what you're attracted to . . . if you're attracted to older men, then date who you have to date to make yourself happy!
Terrence: "You can't necessarily help what you're attracted to" -- well, it's usually money in these cases, isn't it? The question is not whether a young woman has her reasons to be attracted to an old man, but whether it's attractive to those of us who are being asked to be spectators. Should we want to watch them in a film or see something else? The movie producers (like the women dating older men) probably mostly just want money, and we may fork over our money because the Roger Ebert-y critic drools over the movie, which he may do because he identifies with the man and likes what he sees. If Sophia Coppela saw all of that and strategized her career effectively, well, then, how nice for her! But must I watch?
Ann -- can I call you Ann? I feel weird calling a Professor by her first name, but its also a little awkwardly formal to call you 'Professor' in the comments!
I agree with you that the attraction is probably money, and that its not necessarily attractive to the audience to watch these movies.
However, I think there is often a lot of difference between what people are attracted to and what they'd like to think they're attracted to. If these producers are attracted to money, and if women really don't like to watch these films where older men date younger women, then would they keep making those films? I bet that a lot of women my age, and a lot of my classmates, would rather for out for an evening with a classy, urbane, witty, and distinguished-looking older man than with Jason Schwartzman.
Catherine Zeta-Jones, who could have married any man in the world, married Michael Douglas. Annette Benning married Warren Beatty. Perhaps George Clooney will someday marry a woman 20 years younger than he is. Could you find fault with her decision? I think that for a lot of women, charm, suavity and savoir-faire go a long way, relative to looks, etc. At least that's my perspective; I'd love to know what you and your other readers think!
Then I get Jason Schwartzman!
For what it's worth, Steve Martin's semi-aitobiographical tale is about a real relationship he had with a young artist and whose career he helped promote. The real person created the art done by Clare Danes in the movie. More in this Times Select, unfortunately, archive story.
Do women think Jason Schwartzman is good-looking? I've never really seen that in him, but then I still think of him as Max Fischer, instead of the 20-something year old man he is today.
Prof. Althouse (I can't resist using the title, too many years in classes) if the mental image of Martin and Danes troubles you, think of the problems your sons would have thinking about you with Schwartzman.
(it would be far easier to convey the mirthful nature of this post vocally, as written it reads reproachful, if spoken it would clearly be in jest)
I just have to take this opportunity to mention that this trend has seeped into tv commercials--in the last 3-4 years, husbands in ads are overweight, balding, and/or goofy looking, and their wives are invariably hotties. It's really annoying.
I can't believe Steve Martin is the love interest! I like Steve Martin, but *puke.*
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