Things are changing at a fast pace for me right now. I have a new job! So, cashing in my remaining holiday gave me a little over 12 days to take a break. My Mum wanted to visit a trade show in Chicago so she invited me along.
Leaving from Schipol to the UK, all I could think about was Christoper Reeve. Damn, that man was my first love. I used to cut out pictures of him from TV Times, and keep them in a drawer, the “Christopher Reeve” drawer. There was also a “Han Solo Drawer” but that came later. No man has yet been able to fulfill my fantasy of the kind hero.
Chicago has long been one of my favourite US cities. I’ve been there twice before, once in springtime, taking in the fantastic museums and galleries, another time in snowy January when I was delerious with flu, but found refuge drinking whisky in one of the many Blues bars.
Chicago is a great place because it is cool (funky neighbourhoods, lots of bands/culture, amazing architecture) but also gritty (The south side “blocks”) and functional (easy to get around, normal people take the bus and don’t drive everywhere like LA) but unpretentious (unlike NY).
I made time to visit the 40th Chicago international film festival and saw 2 interesting films. The first was Four Shades of Brown, a Swedish film clocking in at a butt achingly long, 3 hours. 4 stories of a surreal and dysfunctional nature are followed to their relative conclusions. Similar to Magnolia, this film does well to explore in depth the different scenarios with surprising injections of laugh out loud comedy moments.
I also saw Mexican filmmaker Ivan Avila Dueñas’s Adam and Eve (still). This disturbing, moody film considers “What if Adam and Eve had eaten not only from the tree of knowledge but also from the tree of life?” and therefore gained immortality. We find them living in Mexico City, world weary and bored, passing time experimenting with fashion, sex and drugs.
Similar to Derek Jarmas’ Jubilee it tends towards self indulgence. Extended time-lapse sequences of adam and eve, to illustrate their altered perception of time, just gets a little irritating. However the idea was an interesting one, even if it wasn’t explored as fully as I would have liked. The sex scenes were intense and shocking, especially when Adam finds the opportunity arises, and decides to have a go .. at necrophilia.
The director appeared at the end for Q and A and explained that this was the first time the film had been shown outside of Mexico. He also explained with a grin that far fewer people had walked out at this showing.
Chicago having the reputation of being the home of improv comedy, I saw a revue “Doors open on the right” at The Second City, a venue famous for introducing many comedians including my personal favourite Bill Murray. Despite struggling with in-jokes relating to the Chicago Cubs and other local news, this was a really fun show.