Review of Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001) by Annetta K — 15 Jul 2006

[color=orange]The Mother, 2003, UK, directed by Roger Michell, written by Hanif Kureishi[/color].

Hanif is known for writing My Beautiful Laundrette. Roger also directed Enduring Love (2004) - also starring [James Blond] Daniel Craig. (Saw Enduring Love several weeks ago which is also challenging and different!).

Challenging and interesting content! Haven't seen a family drama quite like this before. Highlights differences between the abundance of life choices available to people nowadays in contrast to the limited choices that were available to women only a few generations ago i.e. it was expected that you would stay home and dedicate yourself to raising your family and keeping house - not something that all women actually enjoy doing as some viewers maybe be shocked to learn! Now women actually have to figure out for themselves "What's it all about?", "What am I good at and what am I going to do with my life?".

After years of drudgery, the central character finds herself "liberated" after her husband's death and has to figure out what to do with the remainder of her life... unfortunately this metamorphosis doesn't meet with her children's approval and there are some very painful and uncomfortable scenes between parent and progeny. There's an underlying theme of an unbroken cycle of entrapment between all the players; the daughter is constantly mentally justifying her relationship with her married boyfriend - one day she wants him at any cost, the next day she wants to break it off. The married boyfriend is in financial trouble, with no foreseeable way out and uses drugs to hide from reality. He also uses his relationships with women to search for an "escape route". The son and his wife also have a trying relationship. The daughter can't get over her resentment that her mother didn't show her much genuine attention as a child and battles with insecurity and indecision about her life's purpose. Ironically the daughter has choices that her mother didn't at her age and still can't sort out what she wants to do with her life and is desperate for validation. Each of the character's need to be wanted but it doesn't appear that this need can be satisfied within the family unit. In one final scene where the mother announces she is leaving, her daughter is standing just behind her shoulder as if to say that, although their circumstances are different, they are quite similar. The children weren't really enthused to see their elderly parents when they first arrived and they are even less so at the final exit, despite their pretentious farewells.

[color=orange]Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, 2001, US, directed by Jill Sprecher, written by Karen Sprecher (also wrote Clockwatchers)[/color].

Ensemble cast: John Turturro, Amy Irving, Matthew McConnaughey, etc etc.

Realised I'd already seen this one some time ago, but it was watchable for a second time around. The "One Thing" seemed to me to be about each of the characters searching for the key to living a happy life together with that 6 degrees of separation theory that's been seen before in other films.

[color=orange]Napoleon Dynamite, 2004, US, directed by Jared Hess[/color].

Funny but not in an OTT way. Quirky mannerisms. Unique and original! My favourite characters were Pedro and LaFawnduh. Awesome dance scene!