Every year in Sydney there is a French film festival and I try and go to see as many films as I can and in previous years I try to organise a group to have dinner beforehand and then see the film in either the Paddington cinema (trendy area) or Leichardt (Italian area) cinema venues. However I also like the freedom to sometime go and see films by myself which I think a lot of people find a bit strange.
My answer to this is that if you go with someone to see the film you spend 95% of the time in a dark room absorbed in the film so is "going to the cinema" really a group experience especially if you don't have time to chat before/after? Anyways, on Saturday (17th March) I was checking out what was on and two films that I wanted to see (the later one was the festival opener) were showing one after each other in Leichardt with the first one starting in 30mins. Well this cinema is actually 30mins away (in Saturday afternoon traffic) and so I thought I'd chance it. I would just go to see if I could make the first film and if not then I'd just have lunch and then see the second one.
I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for the cross city tunnel that was recently completed last year and after finding somewhere to park too I was luckily standing at the pay counter 40mins later (1st 10mins are always adverts). Annoyingly of course when you're in a hurry there's always some slow moving person in front of you and they were trying to book a ticket for the second film I wanted to see - I thought she was told they were sold out so when buying my ticket for the first film I checked with the girl at the counter who confirmed they had all gone since this was a popular film (Seven Cesar nominations!). Anyways, I hadn't eaten so I went to the next counter to grab something to eat and she comes up to me (I thought to serve me) but she tells me that someone has just handed in a ticket for the second film - How lucky am I?!
Anyways I head into the full cinema for the first film called "Mon meilleur Ami (My best friend)". It's a wonderful film starring one of my favourite French actors (Daniel Autiel who stars in "Jean de Florette" which is one of my top 10 films - the Florette film also stars Gerald Depardieu who's in the second film I'm about to see!).
This film is about a guy (Auteuil) who realises at a group dinner that he doesn't have any friends and for some reason, since I've conspicuously arrived late, (by myself!), to this film (where I have to sit in the front row (entering from the rear), I initially feel like a lot of people must think I am someone who doesn't have any friends especially since most people I am sure you've noticed as well arrive rarely go to the cinema by themselves. In fact the film makes me wonder if I do in reality have any true friends or whether I inhabit just a world of colleagues and acquaintances!
I remember hearing recently that an experiment or study was done which involves brain scans of people playing a simple social game with others. Then at some point they are deliberately isolated from the others and apparently their brain activity corresponds to that of someone is in physical pain.
On reflection now, as I write this, on my recent round the world trip, I had cause to ponder this question about whether a person I arranged to meet on this trip was a real friend or not. For me it's not really what someone says or doesn't say but their actions which speaks volumes. On this trip I was happy to reconfirm at least three firm friendships but in this one case I guess I had to realise that I just wasn't that important to them. I actually wanted to contact them about it and let them know but decided against it. Who knows, by chance they may read this blog and find out but like my decision to see this film I'm going to leave that to fate.
Getting back to the film, "My best friend", it invoked real emotion for me and but I found some of the earlier scenes a bit contrived but overall and I would say that this was an enjoyable feel good film and I would give it 7.5 out of 10. The next funny thing that happens is that straight after the film I jump up and head to the exit before anyone else (since I'm very hungry) but this again highlights my "friendless" state) and then there's an usheretter blocking my way who points to the exit at the front of the cinema on the other side to where I sat. Most of the cinema by this stage is standing up to go now but again I feel I have this sign on my head saying "I've got no friends!!" or "Billie No Mates". Funny how a film can do this to you!
Heading out during this break between films I go across the road to get an Italian panini and coffee but the weather had changed. It was raining really really hard but I still felt uplifted by the film and my chuckle at my luck at seeing it and securing a ticket to the next highly rated film - Quand j'étais chanteur (The Singer). However my bon chance (good luck) had also changed, this next film was as terrible as the first one was good - don't see it! Very disappointed but ce la vie!
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