An unromantic discomedy

Sunday evenings are always a tricky time. Exhaustion after the weekend sets in and the impending reality of a Monday morning in the office starts to bear down as a heavy, heavy reality. Standing in the movie rental store last night (Sunday night) my flatmate and I decided that we’d rather opt for something light-hearted and less intelligent to wile our Sunday night away with relative ease. Our selection: “The Break-up” starring Jenifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. A light-hearted romantic comedy, right? Wrong…

If anything, this film is best described as a romantic comedy turned inside-out. It’s an unromantic discomedy!

Now, I’m perfectly ready to admit that my reaction may have more to do with my current emotional state than much else, but that movie, was one of the most harrowing cinematic experiences I have ever endured.

I have to give it full credit. It moved me, and Jenifer Aniston was amazing.

Without giving away the plot, the movie kicks off with a couple who clearly have a few little problems. They fight; it’s actually kind of funny. They start to play the kinds of silly games people play in those situations, and it’s still funny. Then there comes a point where the constant fighting starts to really break you down. It gets quite serious and really exhausting to witness.

At the end of the movie you’re just left with this overwhelming notion that all human relationships, particularly romantic ones, will always disappoint you. That ultimately, these ideas and dreams we have about these loves we will find, and have, are just that: ideas and dreams. It’s so depressing.

Their relationship ends (that’s no major plot reveal: the movie is titled “the breakup”) and it ends for the right reasons. They love each other but they can’t satisfy each other or lead full lives together, so it ends.

The worst thing is how sad and ephemeral love is. How the shadow of a love can linger with you, but the actual occurrence of love between two people can fade so fast. There’s a scene at the end where the two of them run into each other on the street after some time has passed. They agree that it’s been so long since they’ve seen each other, that they have so much to catch up on, but the truth is they don’t. They actually have nothing to really say to each other at all. It’s horrible, and so depressing. Oy…

Right! A Challenge

I’ve been challenged by Carly to share five things about myself that very few people know. The challenge has been issued because I haven’t blogged since November, which is true and admittedly, disgusting.

1. I have (had) a huge phobia of public locker rooms, like the ones at the gym. The nudity makes me feel very uncomfortable. I’ve systematically been desensitising myself to be able to cope with it. I’m getting along fine at the moment…

2. Although I am not a twin, I share my birthday (which is soon, hint hint) with my beloved younger sister. That’s right, the present my parents gave me on my second birthday was indeed, a little sister.

3. I’m am actually pretty darn good at ‘boy things’. I can build stuff, fix cars and electrics, change tyres, drive tractors and motorbikes, even climb trees and build fires… things like that.

4. I used to be a c cup (at least). That’s right, I know the plight of the fat man! In my younger days, there was a point when I would have been classified as morbidly obese. Thanks to weigh-less I lost over 30kg in the space of about a year and have (mostly) managed to keep it off since then. I still LOVE me some cake.

5. I am deathly allergic to Peaches and anything related to peaches including apricots and nectarines. I swell up. If I get too close to them the effect is an instant Glodie Hawn look circa the first few scenes in “The First Wives Club” where her plastic surgeon overdoes the collagen in her lips. Of course the big threat is that my throat will swell and I will die…

There you go! Five things about me that few people know!