Almost a year and a half ago, Katr was quitting her job and urged me to take advantage of her benefits while I could. In the course of doing that, I went to the eye doctor and discovered that the 20/20 vision I’d been boasting of my whole life was, in fact, a thing of the past. I could see up close just fine, but at a distance - I was like a mole person. I was distraught, naturally, but my cute new glasses perked me up. I was shocked to note, when I wore my glasses outside for the first time, that it wasn’t Toronto’s “haziness” that prevented me from reading street signs a block away - it was BLINDNESS.
The thing about my new glasses is that the only glasses I’d ever worn before were sunglasses. With sunglasses, you have a little bit of eye privacy and can thus check out the chicks or just freaks on the street without them necessarily knowing. With regular glasses, though, and this is the key part - people can SEE IF YOU ARE WATCHING THEM. I couldn’t understand why, the first few times I wore my glasses out, people were glaring at me. Then I realized that it was because I was staring openly at them and they didn’t find it charming.
I was thinking about the staring openly issue as I stared openly at people through my glasses in the line up for Perpetual Motion at the Varsity last night. I think the film fest is the only time of year when it’s APPROPRIATE to stare openly because if you don’t, you could miss the minor celebrities! Also, the swag, as Katr noted in Sunday’s TIFF post. Sadly, we didn’t see anyone famous last night (or rather, anyone famous that we recognized) but I’ve been working on a technique to separate the major from the minor players in the film world. It basically consists of me screeching “Are you FAMOUS?” at anyone important-looking who walks by. I’ll let you know how it pans out.
The movie last night, the aforementioned Perpetual Motion, was a film from China about a woman who finds out her husband is having an affair with a friend of hers. She then invites her 3 friends over for the Spring Festival to try and ferret out who’d been getting it on with her man. The women in the film are all well-known, middle-aged Chinese celebrities, artists, business women and political figures. The Canadian equivalent would probably star Heather Reisman, Patricia Rozema, MP Carolyn Parrish and Sonja Smits. The film was quite mesmerizing - great music - and the performances were also great, although I feel they could have shaved about 5 or 6 minutes off the elaborate, lengthy chicken-feet sucking scene. The film was rape-free (a plus) and it yielded one of the few quasi-lesbian scenes at this year’s film festival! A little attempted nuzzling, a little footsie . . . good times.
The director, Ning Ying, was there, so we stayed for the Q&A, which was great, as it helped put the film in context. The characters in the movie talk candidly of sex, politics and their own personal secrets; all very shocking to a Chinese audience, particularly since the actors would be well-known to them in other capacities. For us Westerners, who don’t know these women AND who are inundated with talk of sex, politics and the airing of dirty laundry, the film didn’t have quite the same impact. Although I bet that watching Heather Reisman play footsie with Sonja Smits while Carolyn Parrish sucked elaborately on a chicken foot probably would shock me. I’m shocked just thinking about it. Clearly, there will have to be a remake.
Tonight we’re off to Souvenir of Canada, a documentary based on Douglas Coupland’s book of the same name.
Perhaps I’ll see you in the line-up? I’ll be the one staring openly at you.
Comments:
Yyyyyyo.
I bet you look HOT in glasses.
I would look hotter in glasses if my glasses were cool, which they are not. I plan to get some new, funkier ones, some time soon.
Nothing else for now. Got stuck on the subway this a.m. and so must now get down to it if I’m going to get home in time to do any unpacking tonight, which just never seems to happen.
love,
Chezza
Comment by Chezza — Wednesday, September 14, 2005 @ 6:20 pm
That staring at people with you new glasses, as opposed to sunglasses, was funny. I personally think the right pair of glasses can make someone look even sexier (and no I’m not prejudice, cause I don’t wear any!-lol) It’s something about making them look more intelligent I think. I find intelligent women sooooo… hot-but I digress-ha.
Comment by Leo — Thursday, September 15, 2005 @ 11:40 am
I agree, Leo, unfortunately, I kinda look like a killer schoolmarm in my glasses - but the glasses themSELVES are cute! And I agree - the “intellectual” look - big turn on.
Speaking of intellectual, Chezza, clearly we’ll have to start e-mailing and shit again. Didn’t you just start a new job? What’s HAPPENING?
Comment by Rose — Saturday, September 17, 2005 @ 3:59 am