Today was a long day. I finished work on Sunday morning and didn't sleep a wink until my father and I hit the expressway heading through Pennsylvania. I slept close to two hours, then I was wide awake. I took in the great shots of the skyline coming in from New Jersey where my uncle lives. The sun was bright. No rain or snow. Just a clear blue sunlit sky. We got into the the city without much trouble We took the Henry Hudson Parkway down to 50 something street and circled back to Lincoln center via 10th Ave. We parked the car and were momentarily lost in the underground parking lot. We found our way to the Metropolitan Opera house and were pleasantly surprised when we reached sea level with a perfect view of the fountains. Such a beautiful campus. The lights, the buildings, the posters, the lack of noise, so great. Unlike anything in the city and rivaling anything in the World.
We crossed the Lincoln Center campus to reach our first destination. It was a Starbucks nestled around the corner from the movie theater which was showing all the films. I ordered two Caramel Machiatos and two croissants. My father and I ate them and watched the crowd roll by. We finished our drinks and made our way to the Walter Reade Theater. I visited the ticket window and got our tickets. I looked over the tickets the cashier gave me and noticed that the all day pass for Monday was missing. I went back and sure enough, she forgot to give me the all day pass because I forgot to mention that I ordered the all day pass which includes a free bottle of champagne if I go to all four films. I think I can make it through all four films. I know I can. I've done it before. I'll do it tomorrow. For sure.
The first film we watched was Petit Paysan which translates as Bloody Milk. It's a story about farmers in France who are pretty small time. It focuses around one farmer who has a rather small herd. And before you know it, his cows are sick with a mysterious viral illness. He tries to cover it up, but can't keep the secret hidden. The farmer is eventually found out and his whole flock must be slaughtered. It's a searing drama with plenty of nature shots. I was particularly astounded to watch the farmer bring in a new calf. It was one of the most graphic animal delivery sequences I've ever seen. It showed in incredible detail the birth of a young cow.
It ends very sadly with the rather young farmer having to kill off his herd and presumably sell off his land.
The second film we watched was a thriller that centers around family strife. It is told from a variety of viewpoints. Firs the ten year old boy, the second the stalker, the third the battered woman. The film builds suspense step by step until it finally explodes in it's last thirty minutes. I knew the ex-husband would do something bad, but I didn' t see him having a shotgun blasting through the front door. The tension was built incredibly well. The shots showing the ex-husband as a nasty brute. The pushing of each buzzer sound to let him into the building. Until the final cathartic pounding on the doorway. I kept hoping and hoping that the police would arrive. And that hope was held out to the last possible minute when they finally do rescue the wife and her son.
The third film we watched I fell asleep in. I was so tired from working and not sleeping at all the night before that I nodded off during the first hour of the film. I was so tired that we decided to skip the fourth movie and go back to the hotel.
Then we went out to dinner. We searched around for a good place to eat and finally settled on The Playwright. Was it a tourist trap? Maybe. I had a Ceasar salad and two Bombay Saphire Martinis. I was well into the my second Martini as my father and I talked about old movies many of which are not known today. I mentioned William Holden and his glory days of Sabrina, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Paris When It Sizzles. All great films from a great actor. We also talked about the James Bond franchise. My father says he likes the Sean Connery Bonds better than any of the others. He may be right that they are the best bonds. I brought up the topic of Bond being a misogynist. I don't think my father knows what the word mysogynist means. He was good company though. Even if he is old fashioned. He paid the bill an he ate a slice of Key Lime Pie I couldn't help but overhearing a French couple talk in the background. I wish I were fluent so I could hear what they said. What do you know a French Film Festival and a French couple near us at dinner. There were plenty of French speaking people at the Festival. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. My goal is to get that bottle of champagne. A bien tot!
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