This and That – A Modern-day Garbo.

Greetings!

    From experience, I know it takes me about a week to recuperate from the draining, emotional high that a play—especially a musical—conjures within me. During that time, the haunting words of Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire” echo through my mind like a soothing elixir: “I don’t want realism. I want magic!” And what better way to escape from the caustic, trying realism of this world than by immersing oneself in the magic of escapism as created by Hollywood, and in my case, the shimmering movies of Keira Knightley!

    “Atonement.” “Anna Karenina.” “The Duchess.” I have binge-watched these evocative movies twice: once just the movie, and again with the director’s commentary. The process of experiencing both the finished film and the behind-the-scenes magic heightens my sense of escape, reinforcing the power of movies to create alternate worlds. Sets, costumes, locales, dialogue, and accents are immersive elements pulling me in like mythical sirens. This magic is further enhanced by the luminous quality of Miss Knightley’s beauty, her expressive eyes, and those iconic eyebrows. She wears period fashions with unmatched elegance, embodying the ultimate fantasy of escape into another era, much like Garbo before her.

    Well, so much for the late-night ramblings of an old fool who loves escaping from this world into a magical one. A kingdom comprised of luscious beauties and dashingly handsome gentlemen callers. A make-believe world of smoldering love that lurks in the darkened corners of grand old houses, and evokes a way of life and a misty, water-colored universe that was and can never be again.

Big hug, y’all!

(Originally posted December 21, 2018)