2 days to... oooops, wait a minute... Mental (April, 6)

We'll have to reschedule things here.

Yesterday, with only three days to go till I'd supposedly would be back on my feet, I was informed that I've at least more three weeks to go around on a wheels chair, killing my ass of in physiotherapy, holding on to the wonderful support my friends are so lovely giving me. 

I usually talk about the bad nature of expectations in movies. The same apply to plans in life - they should always be taken in very small doses. I try that constantly, but the fact is that I was hoping that the Orthopedist would look at the X Ray's and tell me: rise, walk and shine. Of course that didn't happened, and I came back home with a bad case of blue feelings. All that was forgotten at night, at my favorite bar with my hysterically fun dear friends, happy to do something resembling a routine :) 

This way, my policy concerning this addendum is: no more counting downs. Here, universe, it is up to you (and my doctor and my healing knee) now. We're free here to see one movie per day until my feet are on the ground again. 

I had watched today's movie on the early afternoon, before my shattering-of-all-hopes medical appointment. Joe has been telling me about Mental for a time, knowing how I love Muriel's Wedding (1984), also from P. J. Logan, a man with an incredible penchant for the weird and kirsch and funny and heartbreaking characters.

In Muriel's, it was up to Abba to give the cheesy endearing features that characterize the movie. the choice in here is no less alluring (it will be a surprise for you, OK? Don't look it up, please). It wasn't the overwhelming surprise as in Moulin Rouge, for example, but it was really sweet. However, the thing is, I didn't relate to the characters here, except for the kids (they're amazing). So this film was lacking for me until the second half, when I was able to understand those people better. 

Toni Collete I love, but she is a bit excessive here, and not in the good way that she is in Muriel's. See, I couldn't relate to her or the other adult people on this movie. The scenes are hysterical, the plot carries relevant ideas... The idea of how mental people around us are, posing as perfect and with the right to judge others, is a nice try to call attention to the craziness we witness every moment of our day.  it was not delivered in a way that could grab me for real. It is sad when it happens, but, as in life, it does. So we take from it what we can and move on. Or back - I'm thinking about watching Muriel's Wedding again (after all, it was the movie that introduced Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths and the barbarian aussies to the world). 

One big surprise: Liev Schriever. I had to resource to imdb to confirm that was really him. He is a bit over too, as all the characters (as I'm sure was the intention here, just not a well dosed one), but a sigh to see as the disturbed and disturbing Trevor. 

Well, are you up for a few more days of whining and movies? I hope so. For now,

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night. Gooooood niiiiiiiiight :)

Mental. Directed and written by P.J. Hogan. Cast: Toni Collette, Rebbeca Gibney,
Anthony LaPaglia, Liev Schreiber. USA/Australia, 2012, Dolby Digital, Color, 116 min.