I've always been a tremendous
fan of the Danny Kaye version of THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY. It`s a thought-provoking/comedy classic, co-starring
the incomparable Boris Karloff and Virginia Mayo, that I will always love. When I had seen that Ben Stiller was remaking
the film, to be released Christmas 2013, all I could do was cringe in despair. But Ben did the dirty deed and it was forever
done, regardless of my fears. And alas, finally,
the Xmas angels sang and the day of horror arrived and I went to judge the
movie. Within minutes all l I could
think was: thank the gods for small but mighty miracles. So what, after that first theater viewing and
countless succeeding home viewings, can I say about the Ben Stiller remake of THE
SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY...
It's truly one of the most
technically beautiful films I've ever seen. Every shot is perfect and all the extreme,
direct-down overheads are all impeccable graphic works of art that are literally
framable. The focus and perspective is flawless, and the color-correction is
impeccable. Inspirational even. Which is what this film is about. Not just
"feel good", but "inspiration". It's not about the practical, sustainable
reasons most people slave for in life –– it's about the impractical, almost
always intangible, poetic absurdity we wish was reality, that we live for.
I am Walter Mitty. I know that.
Whether I'm simply putting away the pepper grinder or driving down the highway,
I constantly wake up from daydreams where I`ve been deep in another world,
another story, and I didn't even know I was gone. It can be a bit unsettling how I sometimes
get from points A to B, but I always do. Which says a lot for human
autopilot. Although autopilot is what all
my dreams are trying to avoid.
At a pivotal moment in
the film, the use of the classic David Bowie song, SPACE ODDITY -- which most
think of as that Major Tom song -- is how I feel every time I launch into a new
project, be it film or writing. I have
to leave my capsule if I dare. And I always
find myself stepping through the door and floating in the most peculiar way...and
the stars always look very different on that day, high above the world. The
planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do. So I float and I go on,
wherever the dream might take me. And
I've never "not" been terrified, that maybe this time, I just might
not make it back to Earth again.
And did I fail to
mention that many moments in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTYare laugh-out-loud
funny as hell. The helicopter pilot
sequence in Greenland is classic.
From the film, Space Oddity with Kristien Wiig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oQO-kGU2lA
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