Well, frozen, anyway. It is garbage night, so I had to go out and place the can by the roadside. The snow has been squeaking underfoot for a long time now, indicating very cold temps. We haven't been near 0 C for a full week now, with about 10-12 days remaining in this very serious cold snap. I had three stops on Tuesday to make,and Deb had her eye exam on Wednesday. We are now snug inside again, hopefully till next Tuesday. The kids are back in school, our Covid count is down, and things are looking up, except for the temps. We've had a tiny bit more fluffy snow on several days, and so far our water pipes seem fine.
Deb has been getting daily updates from the hospital about her mom, and she Skyped with her again today. So far the ship is sailing steadily onward, but we still have no idea on what may happen once she is released, assuming she beats her infection and gets her body back in some kind of decent condition.
We watched a live DSO performance tonight, a contemporary piece filled with wonderful sounds, but we have no idea what the piece was trying to convey. Usually the conductor speaks briefly about the piece, but this guest conductor said nary a word. The piece was 30 minutes long, and used most of the percussion instruments ever invented, including harp and piano. This was followed by a great reading of Prokofiev's Classical Symphony. Tomorrow is a jazz concert, and Saturday comes Bach's Brandenburg #6. These concerts replace our home listening program on these nights.
In movie news, Deb's farewell film choice last week was an odd one, but one I really liked. Zama is an Argentine film from 2017, taking place in the late 18th Century. We are shown a wretched colonial outpost in backwater Argentina, one which Zama, a magistrate, badly wants to escape. His wife and kids are in another distant city, but his hopes for transfer are continually dashed. This seems like one of the most honest looks at unseen colonialism, and the way natives are depicted is truly remarkable. They serve, but are surly and mostly unemotional. Zama signs up for an expedition to track down a criminal, and begins a hallucinogenic journey that is unparalleled in my motion picture experience, and caps this brilliant film perfectly. Highly recommended, even if most of the time viewers have no idea of what is going on.
My regular choice this week was Clouds of Sils Maria, directed by Olivier Assayas. From 2014, it stars Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart, and a large part of it is set in the Swiss Alps. It's a fascinating account of a successful, middle aged actress and her young female assistant/secretary, as the actress prepares herself for a stage appearance in London. She played the part of the younger girl in the production when she was 18, but now she is being asked to play the part of the older woman in the play. The film gets at the root of what it is to be a famous actress (one with a large brain and a full set of emotions), and the relationship between the two women, young and older, is a fascinating roller coaster of high energy and deep thinking. The film comes with three extras on Criterion, namely the 1924 b & w film on which this film is partly based, showing the clouds, sky, and mountains of the Alps in ever changing panoramas. There is a 37 minute interview with the two lead female actresses, and another 37 minute documentary with the director. It's refreshing to see a film based mainly on female characters, especially one of such high quality. The scenery is nothing less than astounding.
It's late, and time for me to go to bed (and read until my eyes close). Good night. Winter will end someday, even if Covid won't.
Mapman Mike
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