Bah! Humbug!

I know, I know… I can be a downer. Just ask people who go to the movies with me. You loved Forrest Gump – and its current, even emptier progeny, The Curious Tale of Benjamin Button? You thought Wall-E made a profound statement about consumer society? Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and Rachel Getting Married were, by you, strong comebacks for famous directors? Your art-film-in-broad-release gratification reflex was triggered by Persepolis and Lust, Caution?

I’m here to spoil your evening.

And we won’t even start on such winning-or-nominated gems from the past decade as Gladiator, American Beauty, Chicago (beating The Pianist??), Lost in Translation, Million Dollar Baby, The Departed, The Queen, Michael Clayton, A History of Violence, Notes on a Scandal, Cars, Monster House, The Triplets of Belleville, The Straight Story, Shakespeare in Love or The Truman Show.

Similarly, in the realm of politics, I am proving to be a buzzkill for some of the nicest, sweetest, most thoughtful people I know. People for whom Barack Obama genuinely warms cockles. I wind up feeling downright churlish sometimes – in moments when I’m relaxing from righteous indignation – about my glass-half-empty pov on the guy. And I do honestly hope that he – or events – deliver The Greatest Presidency Ever. I do, I do, I do.

Anyway, at least we can agree on Eyes Wide Shut.