Really enjoyed your take on True Detective and I'm finding Fiona Shaw mesmerizing as well. The predictable dialog of the female characters might be because it's been written and directed by a woman, Issa Lopez. Finally! -- after three seasons of testosterone we get some estrogen, along with unending dark and cold in a claustrophobic town. Not to mention Jodie Foster's character who bends everyone to her will. (And as you say, no one can outsmart.) It's downright thrilling.
love the review of the review of the review, particularly: interested by the prospect of how you might next twist any ordinary sentence into something unexpectedly beguiling, funny even, leaving me to feel like I’ve just experienced a new way of considering.
Would you like to come to the next Zoom, and we can talk about that? It's on February 24, and you can RSVP by writing to me at: lauriestone@substack.com. How would you go about twisting one of your sentences?
Matt Damon's mouth. Dang. It was there all along. I like how you do that (often several times within one piece). How do you 'gain entry' into your morning writing sessions, may I ask?
Thanks so much for asking. Would you like to come to the next Zoom on February 24? I can put that on a list of questions to consider. I also hope you will try posting a paragraph on "Flashpoint Fridays." A quick answer is I look for a moment I've seen or remembered that surfaced, for some reason. It's not a bad idea to jot them down when they swim up. I sometimes do and often they're lost. I look for a sharp moment in the association and start there, it can be a smell, the look of something like Matt Damon's mouth, and I will slow things down and stay with the mouth and see what comes from that. His mouth has always made me want to say to him, Stop doing that. To me it signals I'm uncomfortable being looked at, I'm uncomfortable that I have a body. I think he transmits that. He's never sexy, but he can act, and he probably loses himself in the parts.
On Ripley, I don't think you can place Freddie Miles and Dickie in the same boat. Dickie can be charming; Freddie is perfectly awful. The movie doesn't work unless you empathize with Tom's attraction to Dickie and his life.
As well, I consider Marge to be a sympathetic character as is Meredith. Yes, they're all rich and frivolous, but except for Freddie they're not entirely bad.
Your description of a twist in a sentence reminded me of the below quote from Nabokov's Lectures On Literature. Writing about Austen's Mansfield Park:
"Especially in dealing with Fanny's reactions, Austen uses a device I call the knight's move, a term from chess to describe a sudden swerve on one or the other side of Fanny's chequered emotions."
oh my gosh. I love the character of Freddie! Freddie is so on to him! there is always someone who understands that the code isn't correct. there's that inherent risk in pretending.
I am obsessed with The Talented Mr. Ripley and I watch it whenever I start a new novel for many of the reasons you list. For one, there's so much moral ambiguity. There's also so much beauty on the surface and so much ugliness lingering right under the money and fancy villas and clothes and personalities and haplessness, as you call it. I love that. When beauty fools us, and I feel like I'm always trying to capture a bit of Highsmith's mysterious characters when I write. I love her craft book. Not sure if you've read it, but it's GREAT.
It's so strange that I just watched that movie for the first time last week. I agree; the acting was brilliant. The movie had me in a twist the whole time! I am out of step with you and others, though, in the disdain for Greenleaf, perfectly played by Law. He didn't trouble me nearly as much as Damon's Ripley, who freaked me out!
No one is as beautiful as Jude Law was in that film
Yes.
Women who don’t look instagrammed That’s the great part
Yes!
So true about Jodie Foster and Fiona Shaw. I'd watch them read the phone book.
Yup.
I was working with Jude when he got that role. A relatively unknown actor at the time, it changed his life. He was a delightful young man.
Yikes, how great to hear.
Really enjoyed your take on True Detective and I'm finding Fiona Shaw mesmerizing as well. The predictable dialog of the female characters might be because it's been written and directed by a woman, Issa Lopez. Finally! -- after three seasons of testosterone we get some estrogen, along with unending dark and cold in a claustrophobic town. Not to mention Jodie Foster's character who bends everyone to her will. (And as you say, no one can outsmart.) It's downright thrilling.
I'm so surprised when people care more about what happened when and where to whom rather than how all of that is revealed
love the review of the review of the review, particularly: interested by the prospect of how you might next twist any ordinary sentence into something unexpectedly beguiling, funny even, leaving me to feel like I’ve just experienced a new way of considering.
Would you like to come to the next Zoom, and we can talk about that? It's on February 24, and you can RSVP by writing to me at: lauriestone@substack.com. How would you go about twisting one of your sentences?
Matt Damon's mouth. Dang. It was there all along. I like how you do that (often several times within one piece). How do you 'gain entry' into your morning writing sessions, may I ask?
Thanks so much for asking. Would you like to come to the next Zoom on February 24? I can put that on a list of questions to consider. I also hope you will try posting a paragraph on "Flashpoint Fridays." A quick answer is I look for a moment I've seen or remembered that surfaced, for some reason. It's not a bad idea to jot them down when they swim up. I sometimes do and often they're lost. I look for a sharp moment in the association and start there, it can be a smell, the look of something like Matt Damon's mouth, and I will slow things down and stay with the mouth and see what comes from that. His mouth has always made me want to say to him, Stop doing that. To me it signals I'm uncomfortable being looked at, I'm uncomfortable that I have a body. I think he transmits that. He's never sexy, but he can act, and he probably loses himself in the parts.
Thanks for sharing. I don't think I can ignore a direct question from you, either, so I'll sign up.
Great! Email me after you subscribe: lauriestone@substack.com. xxL
I'm banking True Detective until it's all out.
On Ripley, I don't think you can place Freddie Miles and Dickie in the same boat. Dickie can be charming; Freddie is perfectly awful. The movie doesn't work unless you empathize with Tom's attraction to Dickie and his life.
As well, I consider Marge to be a sympathetic character as is Meredith. Yes, they're all rich and frivolous, but except for Freddie they're not entirely bad.
Your description of a twist in a sentence reminded me of the below quote from Nabokov's Lectures On Literature. Writing about Austen's Mansfield Park:
"Especially in dealing with Fanny's reactions, Austen uses a device I call the knight's move, a term from chess to describe a sudden swerve on one or the other side of Fanny's chequered emotions."
I love the Nabokov knight’s move. Wonderful and thanks for your support.
oh my gosh. I love the character of Freddie! Freddie is so on to him! there is always someone who understands that the code isn't correct. there's that inherent risk in pretending.
I am obsessed with The Talented Mr. Ripley and I watch it whenever I start a new novel for many of the reasons you list. For one, there's so much moral ambiguity. There's also so much beauty on the surface and so much ugliness lingering right under the money and fancy villas and clothes and personalities and haplessness, as you call it. I love that. When beauty fools us, and I feel like I'm always trying to capture a bit of Highsmith's mysterious characters when I write. I love her craft book. Not sure if you've read it, but it's GREAT.
Great, thoughtful comment. Many thanks. I will look for it.
Did you write about Saltburn yet? I wonder if you find a resonance with Ripley. xo
I gave a modest salute to the lovely penis dance, my favorite scene.
Of course you do! xo
Thanks for the invite, yes, I emailed.
It's so strange that I just watched that movie for the first time last week. I agree; the acting was brilliant. The movie had me in a twist the whole time! I am out of step with you and others, though, in the disdain for Greenleaf, perfectly played by Law. He didn't trouble me nearly as much as Damon's Ripley, who freaked me out!
He's supposed to freak you out. Greenleaf is meant to repel you.
Did you see 'Purple Noon' (1960), based on the same book, with Alain Delon as Tom Ripley? I'd love to hear you think.
I will watch it.