…in movies.
If I watch a favorite film often enough, I fix on certain scenes. They’re not necessarily the big, climactic scenes. In some cases, they’re short–step out to grab a cup of coffee and forget to hit PAUSE and I miss them.*
Doctor Strange: the scene in which Mordo leads Strange to his student room at Kamar-Taj. It isn’t just that First Day of School feeling, where everything is fresh and new and the notebook pages are all blank and waiting. It’s that magic can be taught to anyone with the will to learn and that world is open to everyone…who isn’t a homicidal fanatic.
RED: the scene in which Victoria (Helen Mirren) is patching up Frank Moses (Bruce Willis). “Gooey.” I also like the scene in the woods where she and Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) are getting to know each other. I just like Helen Mirren.
Constantine: All the scenes between Keanu Reeves and Tilda Swinton, but especially the one in the pool area. “Your ego is astounding.” I try to read her hospital wristbands without stopping the movie. Then there’s every scene with Peter Stormare as Lucifer. Those are special.
The Avengers: the infirmary scene in which Nat (Scarlett Johansson) supports Clint (Jeremy Renner) as he shakes off the scepter’s influence. You get some of their backstory and sense the depth of their regard for one another. And then there’s “You and I remember Budapest very differently.”
The Fifth Element: those early scenes with Milla Jovovich in Ian Holm’s flat. I love her reactions, and I don’t know how in hell she rattled off that made-up language. Also, “Cheeken…good.” I know the opera scene is a classic and I love it, but the earlier scenes with Jovovich are simply sweet. I think she would’ve been great in a rom-com or a Kate Hepburn “Bringing Up Baby”-type role. Madcap/caper flick.
That’s all for now. It’s still cold and we could get snow later in the week. Until the next time, here’s a really great recipe for Double Chocolate Banana Bread courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. I used white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, and it worked. The resulting bread had the consistency of pound cake and was very chocolatey.
*I do often forget that I can pause and rewind movies because cable. I guess that makes me an Old.