Misconception

I had a plan on Friday for some Me Time. Friday is a short day for me at work, so my plan was to leave at noon, drop over to the mall for a good trashy magazinefor me to read later while waiting for a new movie to start at the theater. The magazine is a prop for people like me who feel pervy for going to a sexy movie alone. If one is reading said magazine before the 1000 previews/ads/whatnot start, one, in theory, does not look like a loser who is waiting for a movie date that never shows.

But I digress.

Why was I going to a sexy movie alone, specifically without my husband? Because it was the new Ewan McGregor movie AND I HAD TO CONCENTRATE.

this looks promising, doesn't it?

It had such promise, this new movie. Annonymous sex clubs. Ewan. Sex. Hugh Jackman being nasty. Ewan. I even liked that Michelle Williams was in it because I feel so bad for her right now (have I mentioned we're close personal friends?). And it started out well, if a little *formulaic*(my most favorite film review word--thanks, Billy). The sex was steamy, if a little too American for my taste (why oh why is it okay to show boobs and bush but not the nether regions of a man??). Ewan was doing his thing, although for the first time he was wearing baggy white underwear and a t-shirt for most of it (I guess that's part of *character development*). The plot was even interesting, but I just wanted more. And then it fell apart and got plain stupid at the end.

Lately, a lot of American movies seem to give me the impression that the conception is that audiences need a lot of BAM (via sex, explosives, car chases) instead of a long slow burn of character development and back story. I know, I know. WHERE HAVE I BEEN?? I know that this isn't anything new, and I obviously enjoy the sex part. But there have been a lot of really fine American movies in the not too distant past that have provided a lot of all of those things. I can think of a couple right now: The Big Chill for one. And....uh.......oh! Even the first Bourne movie did all that, in my opinion, along with some fab car chases.

I don't think movies have to be overlong to do this either. Lately the best movies have given a lot of background in a normal film running time--like Atonement, for example. I think it was really obvious who all the main characters were in that film and why they behaved the way they did. And one of the best sex scenes where you couldn't *see* a thing. You could look at each character and imagine the person. Hell, even Shaun of the Dead delivered. Are these American movies? Sadly, no.

And even though I will admit to enjoying The Island (he just looked so beautiful in it), I just wish Ewan would get back to his Trainspotting/Shallow Grave/Young Adam roots a bit. There needs to be a little more there there. And, of course, some pants-dropping.