Never Say Jamais

Oscar time is nearing, and as always I'm rushing to see as many nominees as possible. It's the worst possible time, work is insane and I've simply no time on my schedule. So many things I SHOULD be doing, the last thing I need is to sit around and watch movies. To make matters worse, I actually went to the library and checked out some books. Great, now I'm watching movies and reading. I'm not one of those people who can take a week or two to read a book. Despite the length, I must know how it all ends, so I stay up at night reading voraciously. I'll finish a 800 page book in 2 days if you'll let me. It's a somewhat sick compulsion.

Anyway, a while back I wrote that I had sworn off French films. Too depressing and disjointed. Who the hell knew what it was all supposed to mean. However, somehow another one ended up in my Netflix queue. I moved it down once or twice, telling myself to delete it. But the topic looked so promising. A woman goes to a psychologist, pours her heart out to discover she went to the wrong office and mistakenly took a tax attorney for the shrink. Lulled by the rave reviews I let it come in and sat to watch it. It started out so promisingly. The characters were so likeable. "This is going to be great!" I thought. Oh, mais la...

Suffice to say, I've again sworn off French films for a while. Except for Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I simply can't resist his films!

This weekend's bounty included "Ray" and "Collateral", a Jamie Foxx double feature. I had heard how wonderful he was in Ray, but I confess I wasnt' quite prepared for just how great. He was amazing! My God, this is the guy from "In Living Color"? This is Wanda, the ugly woman? This man is genius!

Now onto "Collateral." When I first saw the trailer to this in the theaters I thought it was one film I absolutely had to miss. There was NOTHING in the trailer even remotely interesting. I confess, I've never been a fan of Tom Cruise, although I will admit he has been very good in several films. There is just nothing about him that grabs my interest. So I sit down to watch it, only mildly interested because now I recognize the genius of Jamie Foxx. Well, I must confess, I didn't think the film great. The ending was sloppy and ridiculous. However, it was actually good. And again, my hat's off to Mr. Foxx. This is the guy to watch!

The movies and reading must be getting to me. Last night I had the most bizarre dreams all night long. Several times I awoke and said I should get up and write this down so I wouldn't forget. But alas, I did not follow my instincts. I can only remember the last one which awoke me at 7am. In the dream I was still driving my yellow 1973 Volkswagon Bug which I had right after college. (In reality my yellow Bug was Babs and she was great, But the true love of my life was my first car, a 1974 white Bug named Bunny.) However, in the dream I called this car Bunny.

Whatever, in the dream I left the car on campus with the keys in the ignition and someone took it. I spent days trying to find her. At one point I jumped into a convertible Bug which someone left the top down and it had rained. I was furious for someone leaving my car to the elements till I realized my car was not a convertible. Anyway, after much sleuthing I discovered who took the car and had someone drop me off at the house it was parked outside of. I rang the doorbell and a woman in her sixties or so answered the door. I asked if her daughter was home, and a woman seemingly in her thirties came up. I introduced myself and told her I was the person she "borrowed" the car from. She couldn't meet my eyes, but threw me the keys apologizing. I looked and two small children were playing in the front room. I told them never to grow up like their mother because she was a rotten thief.

Days later I returned to their home. (Remember this is a dream!) I had three friends with me and we were rehearsing for a play or something in the side yard of the house. The husband walked out and his wife nervously peeked out the front door. I hollered that one of the guys was my cousin "The Attorney" rehearsing a client for deposition. I told my friends this would get the couple nervous. The husband came over to ask what we thought we were doing in his yard. I told him his wife "borrowed" my car so couldn't I just 'borrow" his yard to get some work done. The husband said now that he knew who we were, it was ok. I was so torturing these people as they lived in fear of me telling people what they had done.

The dream ended when the family had a reunion of sorts and all of their friends and family were gathered and I showed up with my friends to further taunt them. I drove up in my car telling everyone her name was "Bunny" and I didn't know what I would do without her. The husband and wife were running around trying to explain some ridiculous story about who I was so no one would guess she had stolen the car.

What was that all about? Now I'm going sit in the tub and finish the novel I started yesterday morning. Oh mais, la....