"Her" a Film with Joaquin Phoenix

An unusual set of random circumstances: completely drained me of energy on Saturday; then was re-energized by the SF 49ers on Sunday morning’s win, and then with an early game end, I took an early nap, leaving me with an unfilled 7-9pm timeslot, which was when “Her” was playing at the Airport Stadium 12.

What a fascinating movie.  I was interested in what was going to be happening soon in the computer relationships world.  Joaquin Phoenix is the main character, and he is almost Chaplinesque in playing the meek, downtrodden soul that finds no successes in his life, especially with women.  Amy Adams is his ex-wife [a successful author], Rooney Mara is his best friend [a computer games authoress], Olivia Wilde is a hot-babe his friends try to set him up with, and Scarlett Johansson as the voice of Samantha, his computer friend.

This is not a Sci-Fi theme, no more so than “You’ve Got Mail” with Meg Ryan was 15 years ago.  It’s a girl meets boy tale [loses; then finds], but I won’t give away who.  He has imperfect relationships with all four co-lead women.  He comes to understand each relationship as the 2-hour movie unfolds.  There is no “film time” to develop other male characters.  The two they couldn’t write out of the script were clearly MCPs.

I enjoy the author William Gibson’s take on futuristic ideas, usually ten years out.  This film is just a clean and neat short story that could be this year or next, but it also could be a Gibson short story.

Paris was the Place by Susan Conley

I’ve been doing much more reading of late.  2013 held me captive to a number of one-time activities: saving KGGV, the Big Read, and a Sonoma State graduate course in fundraising for nonprofits.  Now I’m reading some good books for a change.  Susan Conley’s book, which takes place mostly in Paris, struck just the right chord with me. 

I’ve visited Paris dozens of times – alone, with friends, with lovers, wives, my father, and my child, Patricia.  Conley writes this book as a short-term visitor; that matches my experience.  She is a broader, world traveler: peripatetic, me too.  It is a rare gene that allows one to “go native” in a foreign land and become quite settled in and comfortable.  I passed that one on to my daughter, Patricia.  Susan Conley’s Paris is all about people and relationships: mine too – shared fond memories – good times in retrospect, but bad things happen as well.

There are aspects of her character’s personality that are completely opposite of mine.  Willow Pears, the protagonist, is flighty; totally driven by emotion, little room for logic.  It is an endearing quality to the men in her life: brother, lover, father, and friends: at least after they calm down following one of her escapades.  She lacks focus in every area of her life, except for poets and poetry. 

The most minor plot line, “girl meets boy; girl loses boy; girl finds boy” is far and away pre-empted by the major plotlines: brother dies of 1980’s AIDS; pregnancy; Indian independence.

Sarojini Naidu, known by the sobriquet as The Nightingale of India was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet. Naidu was one of the formers of the Indian Constitution. Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress, and, as the Governor of the United Provinces from 1947 to 1949, the first woman to become the governor of an Indian state. Her birthday is celebrated as Women's Day all over India.

This isn’t the end.  The book keeps giving of more plot lines: the French legal system; Child sex trafficking, French cooking, poetry in general, teaching, wines?

A book with something for everyone: even some gourmet cooking.

I suspended disbelief.  I bought into Willie.  I wanted to protect her as did all males in the story.  Willie is worth doing whatever is necessary to make her succeed. I feel the same way about my daughter, see above.  Patricia has moved the mark a milestone further.

Paris, poetry, and pathos: It makes for a good read.

the Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I must make an opening comment that I, and the rest of you in this book club, are blessed that we have so much reading material available to us, focused on the Bay Area.  Even though we all think we are the center of the sentient universe, there are several other nexus that could also claim center hood: like New York, Paris, and London.  I am currently reading two crime mystery novels and two shrink novels as well as this one which focus on SF in my hey-day.

This locale choice, plus a plot-line of flowers and greenery gives this book a guaranteed recommendation from the likes of us.  However, in a broader marketplace, will this book entertain a nationwide audience?

I think not. 

There is a huge plotline PLUS here with the concept of a language of flowers.  We want to believe in this.  Then again we kooky, Bay-Area people want to believe in Astrology and drug-induced visions.  But we are we, and this is also a must read for anyone liking psychological mysteries.

There are tiered plot-lines here that can go as deep or shallow as one might want.  With a modern twist, there’s a girl meets boy; girl loses boy; girl finds boy story line.  This is not a particularly interesting love affair; it’s almost incestuous.

And then at a level deeper, there are half a dozen socio-economic plot-lines: foster care, plus-minus [hand-wringing moans about the system, without going into why Victoria isn’t getting psychiatric care]; business ethics, plus-minus [including a fascinating glimpse at the Flower Mart]; family relationships, plus-minus [again, why are these families not getting proper psychiatric care?]. 

I have to admit that I never found one iota of sympathy and certainly no empathy with any of the characters in Diffenbaugh’s book.  Does the author purposely avoid going deeper into family, love, loyalties, or ethics?  It seems that every character in this novel has myriad flaws far surpassing mere dysfunction.  The author seems to acknowledge all the symptoms but fails to connect the dots.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for, or violation of, the rights of others. There may be an impoverished moral sense or conscience and a history of crime, legal problems, impulsive and aggressive behavior.

Besides an education in plant and flower meanings, this book also delves into the experiences surrounding birthing and early post-natal care.  Is there a connection with all the magnificence of Mother Nature?  Is this theology as well as philosophy? 

Is it the nurturing theology of Gaia, Mother Earth?

A book with something for everyone: even some gourmet cooking.