Friday, November 7, 2008

End of the Week





President Obama has a nice ring to it. Here's a great piece my friend Jonna sent along to me, from the Huffington Post before the election.

Wed night my fabulous boss sent me to the Met to see Doctor Atomic. She said, "I think it's important and you need to see it." It's a stunning piece, and I have not usually been a fan of John Adams in the past. The act one closer, set to John Donne's "Batter my heart, three-person'd god" is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard in a long time. (Plus, I sat right behind Marian Seldes.)

Last night, I watched Charlotte Rampling in "Under the Sand." It's a compelling movie by Francois Ozon, whose "Water Drops on Burning Rocks" I loved. "Under the Sand" is a movie for grown-ups, a study of grief and denial. Oddly for such a depressing subject, it's an exhilarating flick.

Also watched a nice DVD of Murnau's "The Last Laugh" with Emil Jannings. I wished I was watching it on a big screen, but Murnau was one of the greats. I'm nuts about "Sunrise" and "Nosferatu." This one - about a doorman who loses his job and spirals down to death in the course of a day - is incredibly touching. And weird. You've never seen neighbors turn so fast on anyone.

Tonight- Cecil Taylor at the Village Vanguard. I'm really excited about that.

2 comments:

Freeman said...

I think you should do an "end of the week" every week.

David Johnston said...

Hmmm. Interesting idea. I don't go out this much in an average week, though.