Relaxed on the sunny sidewalk, perched dead-center on a 3×2 meter sheet of white plastic, hands and clothing covered in neon pink paint, I found my mind wandering to all the moments of my life that had led to this set and setting.
You see, at the recent movie night hosted by Mairel’s Bookshop in Fluvial, I experienced for the first time a film whose reputation preceded it: the uniquely freaky “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.”
In case you haven’t found time for this piece of hallucinogenic cinema, the first thing I have to say about the movie is, see it. Now. Like, as soon as you come back from brunch or the beach or whatever, fire up Primewire and put it on.
Watch it. Let’s talk about it sometime.
It’s not like I can give you a succinct summary; after all, we have a word count limit around here, but it touches on themes of perception and alternate life paths…who would we be if we had taken the other fork in the road in any of countless moments that only become definitive in hindsight.
The film’s heady themes and engaging contentions swirled through my mind even a week after viewing (for the first time, a second and third are in my near future)… it’s the kind of intellectual impact Mairel’s thoughtfully chosen movie night selection delivers, I’ll definitely confirm a date for this month’s here.
… but wait, back to the task at hand.
After all, it’s getting hot out here in the middle of the day. Gotta finish this DIY conversion project I’m currently sitting on. If all goes well, this former public event signage, saved from its fate in a landfill by stealthy hand and quick blade under cover of night, will be transformed into the backdrop for The Pleasant Uprising’s next performance at Awaysis this Sunday night at 7.
Gonna be a blast, come on out.
Still, there’s some serious work to do before that… I scoop up a few more fingers of glowing magenta, spreading them onto the sign using a technique learned 30 years and thousands of miles ago. Out of the corner of one eye, I note the bemusement of passerby as they took in the sight of a 2-meter long human being playing around with pink paint on a public walkway.
Would their reactions have been any different if the paint had been blue or black? If I were using a $5,000 airbrush? If I had a smaller body because I consumed more coffee as a child? These are the kind of questions the movie asked, inviting us to weigh and measure the impact of our choices and circumstances… even if such examination yields more questions than answers.
Sheesh, it’s hot out here… I knew one day I would be begging for that mini-winter we got around here just a few short weeks ago, it’s why I made a point not to complain about how cold it was.
In fact, just thinking about how warm it is makes me sweat a bit more. Better go ahead and finish this people-power logo, head in for a cold shower… but just then, a cool breeze swept the street around me, bringing with it the neighbor girl, whose curiosity about the project meant that I’ll see her at our big party April 20!
Hopefully I’ll see you there too… after all, our choices in life can take us to such interesting and unexpected places. Hey, we’ll see what happens.”
