Friday, March 9, 2007

American vs Czech movies


Last night we saw The Departed. It's not a movie I wanted to see so I read the whole thing beforehand so I wasn't left with any surprises or anticipation, plus I could zone out during the movie and not have to ask what's going on.
Hubby was on the edge the entire time wondering who's going to die, who's going to be discovered, and what the characters' names are. Once the movie was over he kept saying how great it was and that's how movies in America should be made. So here's our argument:
Czech movies end poorly by my American taste. All of the Czech movies I have seen have ended sadly and left me in a miserable and shocked state. Hubby's defense is that Czech movies represent reality and American ones represent la-la land. He said why show a fairytale when real life isn't that way? It gives people false hope or worse yet, depression that their lives isn't the ones on the big screen.
I told him that when I go to the movies I want to be transported to a different world and where dreams really do come true. Life is hard enough, I don't want to be reminded of it in movies as well. Maybe I'm disillusioned, but I think as a kid it helped my imagination and didn't make me settle for things simply because that's how life is. I always strive for more.
It seems to me that Czech cinema doesn't have love stories, and when they do they kill off the couple!
"Just one will do", he says.
I asked him if Czech girls prefer American movies or Czech ones and of course, the answer is American because we have the better love stories. Exactly! They may not be true representations, but they're nice stories that put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.
"But you leave the theatre forgetting the entire movie", he says.
Maybe I do, but at least I leave with a lighter heart instead of a heavy one where the main character gets killed after he loses his virginity.
"But you know how the movie will end", he says.
Only cheesy movies like The Lake House are predictable. Because it is an American-made movie I know I won't be disappointed that Sandra Bullock is going to bite the dust. I don't watch all cheezy movies, but I'm a chick and I appreciate them.
I decided to watch part of the Lake House last night and as I turned it off, hubby said "Why did you turn it off? I was just starting to cry."

2 comments:

Unknown said...

LMAO @ your hubby's comment when you turned "The Lake House" off.

I agree with you. I don't watch movies to be reminded how much life can suck. I watch movies to escape MY LIFE for a while.

boxercab said...

I must agree. I like fun entertainment, not reality. But I must say I thought The Departed was soooo awesoooome!