Generation Extra-Wide Gap

I never really thought about generation gaps when I was younger. I knew that there were people older than me, who had different experiences, but it didn't seem to matter. I guess this was because at school, university and when I started working the people I most associated with were of a similar age to me. Many of the people who joined the company I work for at the same time as me moved on but I stayed (what can I say, I am a creature of habit) and the faces in the office started to look younger and younger. Then someone from my place of work told me that they were born in 1990 and (after picking my jaw up from the floor) I started wondering if this bothered me.

The more I thought about it the more I realised that there were people who didn't have the same cultural touchstones as me: growing-up with the teen movies of John Hughes, the fall of the Berlin Wall, 'Danger Mouse'. Furthermore I would make a reference from the 80s or early 90s and, due to being faced with a blank expression, after explaining said reference the response would be along the lines of "Yeah, I wasn't born then."

I should have taken the hint that a reference to Ollie North and the 'Iran-Contra Hearings' was perhaps a little too specific.

This isn't to say that I can't have conversations with Millennials: as a self-diagnosed 'pop culture junkie' I like to think I have my finger on the pulse (although I have only just learnt that Iggy Azalea isn't a new species of plant), but our cultural touchstones are different and this affects the way we see things. I thought this might mean I couldn't be good friends with someone of a different generation.

However I am now seeing someone who was not only born in the mid-80s but grew-up in South Africa, so her touchstones are even more out of whack with my own, but so far this doesn't seem to matter. Oh and we watched 'Some Kind Of Wonderful' recently and she really enjoyed it.

The Films I Liked In 2013...

Since everybody else is doing it, why can't I (with apologies to 'The Cranberries')? So here, in no particular order, are my top ten films of 2013.

1) Safety Not Guaranteed - yes it may have opened on Boxing Day 2012, but I didn't get to see it until February and it was the first film of  the year to leave me with a smile on my face.

2) Zero Dark Thirty - it may have been controversial, but the spectacular raid on Osama's compound and Jessica Chastain's fascinating central performance added-up for me to a great watch.

3) The Place Beyond The Pines - any film that (SPOILER) does away with Ryan Gosling part way into it is brave in my book and, after that, this study of 'the sins of the father are visited on the sons' tale was still a great watch.

4) Before Midnight - I have grown-up with and loved the story of Jesse and Celine and when I heard that a third movie was on the cards I could not wait to see it. Whilst this one is sadder than the previous two, it was still a wonderful watch. I just can't decide if I want another one in nine years time.

5) The Way Way Back - another film that gave me the 'warm and fuzzies' and left me with a huge smile on my face. This was my film of the summer.

6) Iron Man 3 - I was disappointed by 'Iron Man 2', but with Shane Black at the helm this movie put the fun back into superhero movies. Plus it has one(?) of the best gags ever about Croydon.

7) Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa - Alan Partidge on the big screen thankfully worked a treat, plus I will never think of Roachford in quite the same way again.

8) Wadjda - a very simple story about a girl in Saudi Arabia wanting a bike adds up to a fascinating look at women and their rights in that country.

9) Enough Said - Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini were simply wonderful in this small movie. Nicole Holofcener has done it again.

10) All Is Lost - whilst 'Gravity' was a cracking thrill ride of a movie with some spectacular effects (and I really enjoyed it at the time) I was more emotionally involved by this story of Robert Redford as a lone sailor lost at sea. The lack of dialogue just added to the experience.

Honorable mentions should go to 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' (bring-on 'Mockingjay'), 'The Kings Of Summer', 'Sunshine On Leith', 'Frances Ha', 'Much A Do About Nothing' and 'Robot And Frank'.

My Film Highlights Of 2012...

I was just going through my ticket stubs and reflecting on the films I enjoyed at the cinema last year. So here is a list of my film highlights from 2012 (in no particular order).

1) 'Moonrise Kingdom' - some of the films I enjoyed the most last year gave me the 'warm and fuzzies' and 'Moonrise Kingdom' certainly hit that spot.

2) 'The Muppets' - yes I probably enjoyed it because the Muppets were a part of  my childhood but it was still a fun film and 'Man or Muppet' is a great number.

3) 'Money Ball' - who would have thought that a film about baseball and maths would be such a great watch? Well with a Sorkin polished script it was a fascinating film.

4) 'The Hunger Games' - last year was definitely the year of Jennifer Lawrence with good reason. I really enjoyed 'The Hunger Games' even more than I was expecting to, so am looking forward to 'Catching Fire' towards the end of 2013.

5) 'Avengers Assemble' or 'The Avengers' - given that it was a film stuffed full of Hollywood egos (none bigger than Robert Downey Jr's by all accounts) this film worked surprisingly well under the guidance of Joss Whedon. It was a popcorn flick but great fun and well deserved its box office bonanza.

6) 'Damsels In Distress' - being a Whit Stillman fan I was really looking forward to this film and for me it was a quirky delight that again gave me the 'warm and fuzzies'. Although I still can't dance the Sambola!

7) 'Take This Waltz' - a moving, quirky, funny and interesting film that should have got more attention. Plus it has probably the best use ever in a film of The Buggles 'Video Killed The Radio Star'.

And great use of a cover of 'Closing Time' by Feist.

8) 'Beasts Of The Southern Wild' - again a great film to give you the 'warm and fuzzies' with an amazing performance from Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy.

9) 'Silver Linings Playbook' - Jennifer Lawrence ended the year with another great performance and well deserved Oscar buzz. Another film that had me smiling as I left the cinema.

10) 'Pitch Perfect' - great fun, great singing and Rebel Wilson's improvised dialogue is awesome.

Honourable mentions should go to George Clooney in 'The Descendents', 'We Bought A Zoo', 'Jeff Who Lives At Home', 'Your Sister's Sister' and the bonkers 'Iron Sky'.

This was played on the radio this morning. It's a sweet song and gave me a warm glow thinking back to the first time I saw 'Sleepless In Seattle'.

Some Thoughts On 'Damsels In Distress'

I have to start this post with an admission: I'm a fan of the works of Whit Stillman. I loved 'Barcelona' when it was released and eagerly lapped up 'The Last Days Of Disco', so when I first heard the news that Mr Stillman was releasing his first new film in 13 going on 14 years I was excited and now having seen it was not disappointed.

Whit Stillman's films have a unique style, in structure and dialogue, amusing given that this time round the film concludes with a character aspiring to be normal. One watches his films and either accepts them and gets swept along (my take) or gets annoyed. I don't believe there is a middle ground.

'Damsels In Distress' is about a group of girls led by Violet (Greta Gerwig), who take transfer student Lily (Analeigh Tipton) under their wing and then takes us through the lives of these people over the following academic year, as they try to prevent student suicides through dance and try to change the attitudes of the male-dominated college where they study amongst other stories. 

I found the film a delight: it's quirky, funny, interesting and different. I particularly enjoyed discussions on how to pronounce 'jif' as in "Back in a ..." and the fact if someone has been to a place they are 'from' there. I left the cinema with a smile on my face and even a day later when I think back to scenes from it the smile returns. What more could you ask of a film?

Now all I want is for the Sambola dance craze to take-off!

See a trailer for the film below.