My sweet son Liam gave me a subscription to the Criterion Channel for Christmas and lo and behold if they aren’t featuring films of Parker Posey, one of, if not THE, best zany actresses.
So I chose Clockwatchers as my maiden unchartered PP films as I saw the co-stars were Toni Collette and Lisa Kudrow, who have proven to also be phenomenal actresses, Collette for her steely toughness and Kudrow for her affable sweetness. Clockwatchers is indeed a classic from 1997, directed by Jill Sprecher and written alongside with her sister, Karen Sprecher. The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.
The film’s focus is on four women (the one not aforementioned is Alanna Ubach) stuck in dead end office ‘temp’ jobs. They long for a purpose, to be known and seen as worthy. With a story both funny and heartbreaking, Clockwatchers was the perfect bittersweet mix for a Christmas Eve. I try to inhale Parker Posey’s brash confidence which she wears like a court jester masking some wound. I love that woman.
I also saw the new Fallen Leaves at my favorite theater, Burns Court. And hailing as the Finland choice for Oscar, it has made the shortlist for nominees. I have never heard of Aki Kaurismaki, but form his IMDB, I am way behind. The man has racked up 60 some odd awards. I’ll be looking for his Bafta winner The Other Side of Hope from 2017 asap.
Fallen Leaves is a modern day City of Lights with an homage paid to Chaplin in name and with the theater as a touchstone and way to bond. I’ve been touting movie going as a perfect first date for years, against the backlash that “you don’t get to talk during it”…exactly! You sit next to someone and see if that feels comfortable, you discover something together for the first time and get to respond in real time.
Fallen Leaves, like Clockwatchers is about longing, like Clockwatchers also about purpose in employment, but oh so much more. The longing for a normal, peaceful world as the radio reports on Ukraine bombings, the longing for a time before STUPID technology got in the way of human interaction and even hand writing for goodness sakes. And of course, the longing for companionship, someone to depend on, who doesn’t overdrink, overthink, but just exists and appreciates your company.
