The Challenge

This year I proposed a challenge to myself.  The challenge is to see everything that plays at the movie theater where I work, the Chelsea.  To answer the obvious question: Of all the movies you see you mean you’re not all ready doing this?  The answer is no.  I average about two thirds.  

So now that we are half way through the year it’s time I check in and see how its going.  After six months I’m doing well.  I have successfully seen everything we’ve played, so far this year.

Such an undertaking comes with good and bad viewings.  Movies such as Le-Weekend and In Secret I really did not enjoy and would of past normally.  Flicks like The Railway Man, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Chef I would of seen without the challenge and was pleased with how much I enjoyed them.  That was to be expected.

  Then there are movies that I would of passed on for one reason or another that I’m glad I saw.  They are movies that I would of missed and now can not imagine not seeing them.  The Lunchbox tops that list.  I thought of it as another typical rom com and I was going to miss.  Good thing I didn’t because I loved the sophisticated charm of the movie.  As The Lunchbox tops the list of great surprises Locke is a not to distant second.  The whole concept sounded boring, a man driving on his car talking on his cell phone for ninety minutes.  If I wanted to see that I’d watch the rush hour reports on the news.  Locke played brilliantly, like a one man stage play, quietly building tension, a lot like the way the trojan horse did.  Omar was a breath taking movie that was robbed of the foreign film Oscar and as tough as it was to watch it’s clearly a twice or more see.  Those round out the top three but others include Obvious Child, The Immigrant, and the Ralph Fiennes film about Charles Dickens The Invisible Woman.

Six months are now in the rear view mirror and I’m half way down the highway of this challenge.  Only time will tell if I complete the self imposed challenge but I look forward to attempting to do so.  I end with saying please join me in my quest and see a movie every once and a while with me.  (This offer extends beyond the challenge and seeing movies at other theaters cause I love going to the movies and really love company when I go).