Reflections of an Amazing Summer + Films Galore
I know it's taken me about 6 days to write again, but it's simply because I've been reflecting and thinking about how great this summer truly was for me. It certainly rivaled a few summer's back when I took my around-the-country road trip and met some of the most amazing people, as well as just simply had once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and experiences.
This summer was devoted to: myself. I wanted to do things, and so I did them, without really putting too much thought into any of it. I dubbed it the "Summer of Sean" and it certainly lived up to its name. A few of the things that I was able to do include:
1. Spending the first couple of weeks (before summer school began) strictly at the beach (or hanging out on the Eastern Prom in Portland), just being outside, in the sun and feeling great
2. Mondays became Beach Days with a few devoted colleagues from school. Yes, we always hung out at Old Orchard Beach (touristy but great for people-watching). One of my teacher's friends played at a place called the Brunswick, and so we would gather on the beach, spend some time near the water and then go have lunch and a few drinks at the restaurant and listen to some great live tunes
3. Speaking of live tunes, on Tuesdays, I would go El Rayo, in Portland, with a couple of the same colleagues and then some other Portland friends, and have dinner and drinks. My colleague's husband plays in a marimaba band outside. We always had a great time talking and people-watching in Portland. And I must say, Portland has some amazing and attractive women that come and go.
4. I began the summer walking every day, at least 4 miles and as much as 10 miles, until I gradually built up my stamina and endurance and now I've been running daily at least 4 miles per day. I also took some great, epic bike rides.
5. I tried to have brunch every Sunday, either with friends at different locations, but I also found a great spot at LFK, where I could sit outside, eat and drink iced coffee while reading. It got so that the wait staff actually knew me and my order every Sunday. I even went there on a date one Monday and one of them joked that it wasn't Sunday.
6. I visited with friends and family. Babysat my nephew a couple of times. I didn't get to take any kind of road trip, like I'd wanted for a few years now (once you do a road trip, that bug never leaves you).
7. Oh yeah, and I went to concerts:
She and Him
Rustic Overtones
Tegan and Sara
Jason Isbell
Beach House
Jimmy Eat World
Explosions in the Sky
Justin Timberlake and Jay Z
Anna Lombard
mewithoutyou
Everytime I Die
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Beck
Taylor Swift
.......................................................................................
Film 242
"The Human Contract"
starring: Jason Clarke, Paz Vega, Idris Elba, Ted Danson
written and directed by: Jada Pinkett Smith
Yes, that's right, Jada Pinkett Smith is Will Smith's wife. She's an actress. And here she makes her writer/director debut with a very slow, difficult story to get into from the beginning, because, if not for the simple reason that none of the characters make you want to invest in them.
Julian Wright (played by Jason Clarke, whom I've now noticed in a lot of films ever since I saw him in "Zero Dark Thirty") is a big deal in the marketing firm that he works for. He's made a very lucrative business life for himself and he's about to score a big deal that will make him millions of dollars. And then, he meets a rather exotic woman (enter Paz Vega, who has made quite a name for herself in Spanish films and broke into the American mainstream with her role in "Spanglish") who is just as much sexy as she is mysterious. In fact, she oozes sexuality, as she tempts Julian into a heated affair when she undresses and prances around in skimpy lingerie. Vega's character is unbelievably desirous. She is the ultimate sexual fantasy brought to life, for Julian, with her long, flowing dark hair, sexy accent (I can't blame him, though, because I melt for certain accents as well-- Southern girls and British or French accents), and she is very sexually open and experienced.
Of course, Julian Wright, a man who has everything, falls in love with her. But the question is why? It's an age-old question, I guess, of why a successful man like him would want someone as mysterious as her. Perhaps it's because she's unattainable, in a sense. Although, she makes herself quite available to him, whenever she wants. She has the control in their relationship. Maybe that's another reason why a torrid affair with this woman is attractive to him. He is begging for a little loss of control. He certainly gets it. He implodes emotionally. He just about losses everything he built his life for. All for the love of a woman he ultimately can't have (because, oh yeah, she's married).
Sure, there's an underlying theme: the true nature of lust and control can lay waste to everything in its path. But, it's a too-slow-moving story with Clarke being slightly too emotional that he may be considered somewhat of an adult crybaby, for absolutely no reason. Jada Pinkett Smith takes the eroticism out of an erotic film noir, which could have been much more interesting, especially when you have the beautiful Paz Vega in the role of the seductress.
I was disappointed and the film lost my interest, unless Paz Vega was on the screen. Also Idris Elba (who played Stringer Bell to perfection in the HBO show "The Wire") is wasted as the friend and ignored-conscience to Julian Wright.
...................................................................
Film 243
"B. Monkey"
starring: Asia Argento, Jared Harris, Rupert Everett, Jonathon Rhys Meyers
At its core, "B. Monkey" is a romantic drama about an unlikely relationship between two polar opposites, both of whom are counting on the old adage: "Opposites attract."
Jared Harris plays a lovable, mellow, calm, patient elementary teacher named Alan who also happens to love jazz music (in fact on the side he jockeys at a hospital (?) radio station). Asia Argento (whom I last saw in "Land of the Dead") plays an impulsive criminal, named Bea (or B. Monkey, thanks to her wiliness as a criminal) whom seems to be developing more of a conscience than her boss appreciates. She's great at what she does. And she has a heart of gold, because she truly does love Harris' character, even though, we don't really see a reason why they should be together.
It's a classic case of: girl sees in boy an opportunity to leave her criminal life behind, one filled with danger; boy sees in girl the excitement and adventure that his life is missing. The romance that develops is questionable. And the story continues without any real reason to see it happening, which is disappointing, because I've always enjoyed and thrived on those opposites attracting one another. That's one way that life stays interesting. Sure, the fact that she's a criminal looking to escape creates just enough conflict to help move the story along, because of course, others don't want to see Argento's character out of the game and happy.
Watching this brought to mind another film that I'd recently watched for this project about a mismatched pair from "Wild Target." Just as Emily Blunt's talent was wasted in that film, I think Asia Argento's foreseeable talent is somewhat wasted here, although she does a great job with the character she's been given. Yes, Asia Argento's Beatrice (Bea) is gorgeous and sexy, but she is played as if she knows it (like that will always get her out of any trouble she finds herself in). She also seems quite aware of her charming quirkiness, which makes it less charming and slightly narcissistic. Which begs the question of how exactly to tow the line of self-awareness and self-absorption. You want to feel bad for Beatrice, but you really can't and that's the trouble with her character and this film. She's almost the antithesis of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl and we all know how much I love those girls.
...................................................................
Film 244
"No Such Thing"
starring: Sarah Polley
written and directed by: Hal Hartley
I still don't know enough about Hal Hartley, as a filmmaker, to judge him (positively or negatively), but from everything that I keep reading about him, he has been a sort of godfather to the indie film industry as he cradles the line of obscurity and avant garde. I've only seen one other film of his, "Fay Grim" (which is the follow-up, sequel to "Henry Fool" supposedly his best work to date). I really wanted to like "No Such Thing" for what he was attempting to do, for the story and the themes/metaphors he was trying to convey, but unfortunately it just doesn't work for me.
Sarah Polley is and always has been a stellar actress, having enough sense to stay shining in the indie film circuit, where she truly does shine. And now, she's even taken to writing and directing. Polley plays a naive and innocent girl, who is a young, quiet reporter working for a TV news program. Helen Mirren is magnificent as her boss. But, anyway, Polley's character has lost her fiance to an Icelandic Monster (played in unbelieving makeup by Robert John Burke). Polley's character pushes to be sent to investigate the news crew's disappearance, but along the way, her plane crashes and she suffers terrible injuries, for which she has to undergo a ridiculously dangerous procedure. Alas, she goes through with it and is nursed back to health with encouragement by Julie Christie's doctor character. Then, she is ready to meet this Monster. The Monster is apparently immortal, short-tempered, philosophical and also a drunk. He spends a lot of his time waxing poetic about philosophies that he carries with him, reasons why the world is a terrible place, reasons why he'd be better off dead (and yet, he cannot die, hmm, irony).
Polley's character takes The Monster back to New York, where he becomes the subject of intrigue for everyone. And that's really where the heart of Hartley's message lies: in the Beauty and the Beast aspect of it. Sure, you can spend time deconstructing and analyzing Hartley's characterizations (why do the two doctors chain smoke cigarettes and cigars, while the Monster swigs endlessly from bottle after bottle; and then, at a party, why does Polley's character don a tight leather bondage-esque dress complete with a push-up bra?). But, if you spend too much time thinking about it all, you will have wasted your time. Instead of telling a decent story, Hal Hartley makes his audience to all the work.
I enjoy being challenged as a film viewer as much as I enjoy a great film with a deeper message, but Hal Hartley just hasn't done it for me. Yet. I'm hoping he get finally figure himself out, because I think the benefit will be great.
..........................................................................
Film 245
"Poster Girl"
Here is a 2011 Oscar-nominated short documentary. The film clocks in just under 40 minutes. It's just enough time for you to feel a connection/bond with the girl portrayed in the film: Robynn Murray, who was an East Coast cheerleader-turned-Army-enthusiast. But, at the same time, it doesn't seem like enough time to get as emotionally invested in this girl as the story really begs you to.
The film focuses on her return from Iraq and the aftermath of it all. Dealing with PTSD, for the most part. But, also, getting shortchanged by the Army when it comes to receiving her benefits. Robynn is trying to redefine herself post-Iraq and she really wants to (re)discover her purpose. She cries on film. She boxes (punches) a hole in her bedroom wall, as a way of dealing with her stress. She shows us some of her new hobbies (she's become an artist who creates art from her Army uniforms and memorabilia). You can certainly tell that the war and being in the heart of combat has done a traumatic effect on Robynn and you feel extremely bad for her. How does filmmaker Sara Nesson create this for the audience? Through the creation of a seemingly intimate bond between herself and the person of interest, who happens to be the subject of her film. It works. It works all too well. Sure, there have been a lot of films related to the Iraq War, but it's nice to put a singular face to one aspect of a significant war that has clearly affected many of our youth in this country. I think we all hope that the country they've fought to defend lives up to their promise and takes care of its own, a special breed a person who puts their life on the line. The only trouble is, it's become quite apparent that our government will do anything they can to take as long as they can to provide for its people. This film is sort of a character study not just on Robynn Murray, but on the country she believed in before going to war, but quickly lost her faith in upon returning (which seems to have been the case for many of our youths who've lost their youth).
........................................................................
Film 246
"Kaboom"
starring: Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida, Juno Temple
written and directed by: Gregg Araki
"Kaboom" is all Gregg Araki's imagination put to film, much like all his other films have that certain aspect of Araki's mind. Look at his other films:
Totally Fucked Up
The Doom Generation
Nowhere
Splendor
Mysterious Skin
Smiley Face
and Kaboom
At its core, "Kaboom" is in and about being in that moment. That moment which exists in the lives of rather self-absorbed college students, worried mainly about one thing and one thing only: sex. The story has some intriguing college students and Araki brings them (mostly) all together at one point or another in order to have sex and/or sexually experiment with each other. But, being a film from the mind of Gregg Araki, there's another plot added to the story, one with a science-fiction twist to it that also involves animal-masked people (via "Donnie Darko's" ominous bunny costumed-character) who kidnap people and may belong to some bizarre cult. This plotline delves into the idea that hallucinating and everyday life are oftentimes one in the same as far as experiences. Even though this storyline seems to drive the film through its third and final act, I was less intrigued by it than maybe I should have been, but let's face it, when you have a bunch of attractive college students questioning sex and their orientation, you're much more interested in seeing how all that plays out and how they'll interact with each other. The characters spend the majority of their time talking about sex, but when they actually have sex, they seem rather disinterested in it much like each other. The college setting for this story, as well as the characters, bring to mind the awful and self-centeredness of characters from Bret Easton Ellis' "Rules of Attraction" except these characters are less despicable.
Smith (Thomas Dekker) is the central character in question here. He is not so much questioning his sexual identity as he is perhaps the point of sex at all. He claims himself to be "undecided" much like a college freshman would declare themselves "undecided" in terms of their major. Smith is gay when he wants to be, and spews to his best friend Stella (Haley Bennett), a lesbian in her own right, about his gay yearnings. But, in all his encounters on screen that we see, he only has sex with a girl (played by Juno Temple, whose voice now is really getting to me). And then there's Lorelei (Roxane Mesquida), who is obsessed with Stella and is also some kind of witch/goddess. The rest of the story doesn't necessarily matter, because really Araki focuses on the self-indulgent nature of these characters and how shallow and narcissistic they truly are, even when the world's safety is at risk.
I liked Gregg Araki's films "Splendor" and "Nowhere" when I saw them years ago and he hasn't lost me yet with his inventive way of telling and showing stories through films.
This summer was devoted to: myself. I wanted to do things, and so I did them, without really putting too much thought into any of it. I dubbed it the "Summer of Sean" and it certainly lived up to its name. A few of the things that I was able to do include:
1. Spending the first couple of weeks (before summer school began) strictly at the beach (or hanging out on the Eastern Prom in Portland), just being outside, in the sun and feeling great
2. Mondays became Beach Days with a few devoted colleagues from school. Yes, we always hung out at Old Orchard Beach (touristy but great for people-watching). One of my teacher's friends played at a place called the Brunswick, and so we would gather on the beach, spend some time near the water and then go have lunch and a few drinks at the restaurant and listen to some great live tunes
3. Speaking of live tunes, on Tuesdays, I would go El Rayo, in Portland, with a couple of the same colleagues and then some other Portland friends, and have dinner and drinks. My colleague's husband plays in a marimaba band outside. We always had a great time talking and people-watching in Portland. And I must say, Portland has some amazing and attractive women that come and go.
4. I began the summer walking every day, at least 4 miles and as much as 10 miles, until I gradually built up my stamina and endurance and now I've been running daily at least 4 miles per day. I also took some great, epic bike rides.
5. I tried to have brunch every Sunday, either with friends at different locations, but I also found a great spot at LFK, where I could sit outside, eat and drink iced coffee while reading. It got so that the wait staff actually knew me and my order every Sunday. I even went there on a date one Monday and one of them joked that it wasn't Sunday.
6. I visited with friends and family. Babysat my nephew a couple of times. I didn't get to take any kind of road trip, like I'd wanted for a few years now (once you do a road trip, that bug never leaves you).
7. Oh yeah, and I went to concerts:
She and Him
Rustic Overtones
Tegan and Sara
Jason Isbell
Beach House
Jimmy Eat World
Explosions in the Sky
Justin Timberlake and Jay Z
Anna Lombard
mewithoutyou
Everytime I Die
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Beck
Taylor Swift
.......................................................................................
Film 242
"The Human Contract"
starring: Jason Clarke, Paz Vega, Idris Elba, Ted Danson
written and directed by: Jada Pinkett Smith
Yes, that's right, Jada Pinkett Smith is Will Smith's wife. She's an actress. And here she makes her writer/director debut with a very slow, difficult story to get into from the beginning, because, if not for the simple reason that none of the characters make you want to invest in them.
Julian Wright (played by Jason Clarke, whom I've now noticed in a lot of films ever since I saw him in "Zero Dark Thirty") is a big deal in the marketing firm that he works for. He's made a very lucrative business life for himself and he's about to score a big deal that will make him millions of dollars. And then, he meets a rather exotic woman (enter Paz Vega, who has made quite a name for herself in Spanish films and broke into the American mainstream with her role in "Spanglish") who is just as much sexy as she is mysterious. In fact, she oozes sexuality, as she tempts Julian into a heated affair when she undresses and prances around in skimpy lingerie. Vega's character is unbelievably desirous. She is the ultimate sexual fantasy brought to life, for Julian, with her long, flowing dark hair, sexy accent (I can't blame him, though, because I melt for certain accents as well-- Southern girls and British or French accents), and she is very sexually open and experienced.
Of course, Julian Wright, a man who has everything, falls in love with her. But the question is why? It's an age-old question, I guess, of why a successful man like him would want someone as mysterious as her. Perhaps it's because she's unattainable, in a sense. Although, she makes herself quite available to him, whenever she wants. She has the control in their relationship. Maybe that's another reason why a torrid affair with this woman is attractive to him. He is begging for a little loss of control. He certainly gets it. He implodes emotionally. He just about losses everything he built his life for. All for the love of a woman he ultimately can't have (because, oh yeah, she's married).
Sure, there's an underlying theme: the true nature of lust and control can lay waste to everything in its path. But, it's a too-slow-moving story with Clarke being slightly too emotional that he may be considered somewhat of an adult crybaby, for absolutely no reason. Jada Pinkett Smith takes the eroticism out of an erotic film noir, which could have been much more interesting, especially when you have the beautiful Paz Vega in the role of the seductress.
I was disappointed and the film lost my interest, unless Paz Vega was on the screen. Also Idris Elba (who played Stringer Bell to perfection in the HBO show "The Wire") is wasted as the friend and ignored-conscience to Julian Wright.
...................................................................
Film 243
"B. Monkey"
starring: Asia Argento, Jared Harris, Rupert Everett, Jonathon Rhys Meyers
At its core, "B. Monkey" is a romantic drama about an unlikely relationship between two polar opposites, both of whom are counting on the old adage: "Opposites attract."
Jared Harris plays a lovable, mellow, calm, patient elementary teacher named Alan who also happens to love jazz music (in fact on the side he jockeys at a hospital (?) radio station). Asia Argento (whom I last saw in "Land of the Dead") plays an impulsive criminal, named Bea (or B. Monkey, thanks to her wiliness as a criminal) whom seems to be developing more of a conscience than her boss appreciates. She's great at what she does. And she has a heart of gold, because she truly does love Harris' character, even though, we don't really see a reason why they should be together.
It's a classic case of: girl sees in boy an opportunity to leave her criminal life behind, one filled with danger; boy sees in girl the excitement and adventure that his life is missing. The romance that develops is questionable. And the story continues without any real reason to see it happening, which is disappointing, because I've always enjoyed and thrived on those opposites attracting one another. That's one way that life stays interesting. Sure, the fact that she's a criminal looking to escape creates just enough conflict to help move the story along, because of course, others don't want to see Argento's character out of the game and happy.
Watching this brought to mind another film that I'd recently watched for this project about a mismatched pair from "Wild Target." Just as Emily Blunt's talent was wasted in that film, I think Asia Argento's foreseeable talent is somewhat wasted here, although she does a great job with the character she's been given. Yes, Asia Argento's Beatrice (Bea) is gorgeous and sexy, but she is played as if she knows it (like that will always get her out of any trouble she finds herself in). She also seems quite aware of her charming quirkiness, which makes it less charming and slightly narcissistic. Which begs the question of how exactly to tow the line of self-awareness and self-absorption. You want to feel bad for Beatrice, but you really can't and that's the trouble with her character and this film. She's almost the antithesis of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl and we all know how much I love those girls.
...................................................................
Film 244
"No Such Thing"
starring: Sarah Polley
written and directed by: Hal Hartley
I still don't know enough about Hal Hartley, as a filmmaker, to judge him (positively or negatively), but from everything that I keep reading about him, he has been a sort of godfather to the indie film industry as he cradles the line of obscurity and avant garde. I've only seen one other film of his, "Fay Grim" (which is the follow-up, sequel to "Henry Fool" supposedly his best work to date). I really wanted to like "No Such Thing" for what he was attempting to do, for the story and the themes/metaphors he was trying to convey, but unfortunately it just doesn't work for me.
Sarah Polley is and always has been a stellar actress, having enough sense to stay shining in the indie film circuit, where she truly does shine. And now, she's even taken to writing and directing. Polley plays a naive and innocent girl, who is a young, quiet reporter working for a TV news program. Helen Mirren is magnificent as her boss. But, anyway, Polley's character has lost her fiance to an Icelandic Monster (played in unbelieving makeup by Robert John Burke). Polley's character pushes to be sent to investigate the news crew's disappearance, but along the way, her plane crashes and she suffers terrible injuries, for which she has to undergo a ridiculously dangerous procedure. Alas, she goes through with it and is nursed back to health with encouragement by Julie Christie's doctor character. Then, she is ready to meet this Monster. The Monster is apparently immortal, short-tempered, philosophical and also a drunk. He spends a lot of his time waxing poetic about philosophies that he carries with him, reasons why the world is a terrible place, reasons why he'd be better off dead (and yet, he cannot die, hmm, irony).
Polley's character takes The Monster back to New York, where he becomes the subject of intrigue for everyone. And that's really where the heart of Hartley's message lies: in the Beauty and the Beast aspect of it. Sure, you can spend time deconstructing and analyzing Hartley's characterizations (why do the two doctors chain smoke cigarettes and cigars, while the Monster swigs endlessly from bottle after bottle; and then, at a party, why does Polley's character don a tight leather bondage-esque dress complete with a push-up bra?). But, if you spend too much time thinking about it all, you will have wasted your time. Instead of telling a decent story, Hal Hartley makes his audience to all the work.
I enjoy being challenged as a film viewer as much as I enjoy a great film with a deeper message, but Hal Hartley just hasn't done it for me. Yet. I'm hoping he get finally figure himself out, because I think the benefit will be great.
..........................................................................
Film 245
"Poster Girl"
Here is a 2011 Oscar-nominated short documentary. The film clocks in just under 40 minutes. It's just enough time for you to feel a connection/bond with the girl portrayed in the film: Robynn Murray, who was an East Coast cheerleader-turned-Army-enthusiast. But, at the same time, it doesn't seem like enough time to get as emotionally invested in this girl as the story really begs you to.
The film focuses on her return from Iraq and the aftermath of it all. Dealing with PTSD, for the most part. But, also, getting shortchanged by the Army when it comes to receiving her benefits. Robynn is trying to redefine herself post-Iraq and she really wants to (re)discover her purpose. She cries on film. She boxes (punches) a hole in her bedroom wall, as a way of dealing with her stress. She shows us some of her new hobbies (she's become an artist who creates art from her Army uniforms and memorabilia). You can certainly tell that the war and being in the heart of combat has done a traumatic effect on Robynn and you feel extremely bad for her. How does filmmaker Sara Nesson create this for the audience? Through the creation of a seemingly intimate bond between herself and the person of interest, who happens to be the subject of her film. It works. It works all too well. Sure, there have been a lot of films related to the Iraq War, but it's nice to put a singular face to one aspect of a significant war that has clearly affected many of our youth in this country. I think we all hope that the country they've fought to defend lives up to their promise and takes care of its own, a special breed a person who puts their life on the line. The only trouble is, it's become quite apparent that our government will do anything they can to take as long as they can to provide for its people. This film is sort of a character study not just on Robynn Murray, but on the country she believed in before going to war, but quickly lost her faith in upon returning (which seems to have been the case for many of our youths who've lost their youth).
........................................................................
Film 246
"Kaboom"
starring: Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida, Juno Temple
written and directed by: Gregg Araki
"Kaboom" is all Gregg Araki's imagination put to film, much like all his other films have that certain aspect of Araki's mind. Look at his other films:
Totally Fucked Up
The Doom Generation
Nowhere
Splendor
Mysterious Skin
Smiley Face
and Kaboom
At its core, "Kaboom" is in and about being in that moment. That moment which exists in the lives of rather self-absorbed college students, worried mainly about one thing and one thing only: sex. The story has some intriguing college students and Araki brings them (mostly) all together at one point or another in order to have sex and/or sexually experiment with each other. But, being a film from the mind of Gregg Araki, there's another plot added to the story, one with a science-fiction twist to it that also involves animal-masked people (via "Donnie Darko's" ominous bunny costumed-character) who kidnap people and may belong to some bizarre cult. This plotline delves into the idea that hallucinating and everyday life are oftentimes one in the same as far as experiences. Even though this storyline seems to drive the film through its third and final act, I was less intrigued by it than maybe I should have been, but let's face it, when you have a bunch of attractive college students questioning sex and their orientation, you're much more interested in seeing how all that plays out and how they'll interact with each other. The characters spend the majority of their time talking about sex, but when they actually have sex, they seem rather disinterested in it much like each other. The college setting for this story, as well as the characters, bring to mind the awful and self-centeredness of characters from Bret Easton Ellis' "Rules of Attraction" except these characters are less despicable.
Smith (Thomas Dekker) is the central character in question here. He is not so much questioning his sexual identity as he is perhaps the point of sex at all. He claims himself to be "undecided" much like a college freshman would declare themselves "undecided" in terms of their major. Smith is gay when he wants to be, and spews to his best friend Stella (Haley Bennett), a lesbian in her own right, about his gay yearnings. But, in all his encounters on screen that we see, he only has sex with a girl (played by Juno Temple, whose voice now is really getting to me). And then there's Lorelei (Roxane Mesquida), who is obsessed with Stella and is also some kind of witch/goddess. The rest of the story doesn't necessarily matter, because really Araki focuses on the self-indulgent nature of these characters and how shallow and narcissistic they truly are, even when the world's safety is at risk.
I liked Gregg Araki's films "Splendor" and "Nowhere" when I saw them years ago and he hasn't lost me yet with his inventive way of telling and showing stories through films.
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