AS GOOD AS IT CAN GET!

I have had a great run with movies on the telly off late. Caught some great classics over a period of one week – that’s a great record by my standards!

The first one I saw was the super romantic comedy: As Good as it Gets – Great casting and performances and a superb story based on the life and times of the modern times and its imperfections. The protagonist is an ill-tempered, disagreeable man suffering from an obsessive compulsive disorder within a world of his own creation behind his closed doors and in the stories he writes. The story is about how he ends up befriending a single mother & waitress struggling with her son’s illness and a betrayed and disillusioned homosexual with life-changing repercussions for all of them.

The second movie that I thoroughly enjoyed was diametrically opposite in theme, rendition and overall movie experience. I would not have seen it if it weren’t for a friend who recommended it. It is called "The Double Life Of Veronique". It was a mystical experience and let me tell you it’s not a run of the mill popcorn flick… It’s a concoction of strong conflicting emotions, camera-work like I have never seen before, stunning performance by Irène Jacob – the lead actress and a haunting background score. The film touches the most vulnerable cord and leaves you numb by the end. It is about intriguing parallel lives of two identical women Veronique and Weronika born in France and Poland at the same time – both have heart problems and a great voice – they never meet though their paths nearly cross one day. One of them dies and the other lives.

Can you imagine having someone just like you in another part of the world with a similar life? To think of such a possibility is fascinating!
Completely surreal and poetic. I discovered European cinema with this one and I am hooked!

Well finally another great movie that I caught on TV was Walk the Line – a well crafted musical on the life and times of the young Johnny Cash – his ascendancy to fame, his stint with drug addiction and his persistent love for June Carter. I have a thing for musicals and country music and this one has great performances too that makes it an unbeatable combination. My favorite Johnny Cash mush number is (predictably!) I Walk the Line.

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line

As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line
I Walk the line – Johnny Cash