Occasionally with Jessica

From this morning’s ‘Morning Pages’:

Isn’t it interesting, okay, I’m over there at the computer messing around, seemingly delaying coming over here – this side of the Cushman table – to get going on these ‘Pages’. Like it is some kind of task, a burdon, versus what it always is, everyday, nearly nine years now, a vast opportunity to both say something and maybe learn something. Not that either happens often, because neither does, but there are those once-in-a-whiles for which we/me, unconsciously I guess, live for, and literally burst with electric enthusiasm and gratitude when they arrive.

But, per usual, here I am now about to enter the most days’ behavior of writing like “What happened on my summer vacation?” crap of a report – I did this, then I did this, oh yeah, I did this, blah de blah. Yup, here goes: Last night, down here in the basement alone while my wife and son ate dinner and watched the “Avengers Endgame” up in the living room, I watched on my computer and with the enhanced experience provided by the larger, wider monitor my wife picked up for twenty bucks at ‘Free Geek’ for a Christmas present, I watched by my own self a movie titled “Miss Sloane” and starring Jessica Chastain. I do gravitate toward watching anything with her in it, and while I admit to a teensy sexual attraction there for sure, my devotion is past that, or call it adjacent to it. There’s something, kind of a tenacity, she brings to her work that gets me. Like in “Zero Dark Thirty”. Like in “The Help”. Two obviously very different milieus.

I feel some sense of similarity with the work of Julianne Moore, and, okay, the big ‘Duh’ being is it a redhead thing? You tell me. I like Jessica Chastain more (no play on words intentional) and the “Miss Sloane” movie provided many paths for her acting self to stroll along beaming out acting excellence. Plus it, the movie, was really good. I didn’t see the end coming – any of the end – which is always fun, and psychically stimulating.

There’s another movie, “Runaway Jury” with John Cusack and Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman, that offers current event similarities, a story line of Second Amendment they’re coming to take our guns bullshit versus, yo, could we try just a smidge of common sense please. Both movies work, if for no other reason that the clarity of asking and answering the question “Which side are you on?” – and maybe why – but for me “Miss Sloane” is better. It feels more important as a story, more developed in layers, and if my life is inclined toward anything tangible these days beyond loving my wife and sons and family and a very few friends, it is as a teller of stories. And the deepest desire to get better in that role. That honor. Storyteller.

Mostly down here in the basement. And occasionally with Jessica.

Pssst – Who knew I’d go and write a movie review.