An Attempt At Structure - Busy
I don't know if its just the comparative whiplash that has made this return to normalcy particularly chaotic, but the last few weeks have felt like being hit by a reminder of the life that seemed so far away for so long. I feel like I haven't had a second to really consider how exciting everything reopening is, but also I feel an inherent moment of distrust and cautious excitement, knowing full well we have been here before and had it snatched from us repeatedly. What is interesting is that this return to normalcy has felt completely different because my life has substantially changed in just the last few weeks. I am now working two jobs, one at a local restaurant doing usually waitering etc but the other is like being catapulted into this chaotic fun that I have missed so much. I find myself to be often disorientated by my own social skills, on the surface I adore meeting new people and really getting to know people from different walks of life yet in the moment I'm often let down by my own inability to talk and socialise like a normal person. It doesn't feel like social anxiety more like social ineptitude/ The pandemic hasn't helped, there's a new layer of conversation disruptors and even then all people seemed to talk about for months was how terrible Covid was, I'd find every conversation inching to that place because nobody wanted to talk about personal issues and what else was happening, and I was the same.
But now I have a job working in a busy pub meeting a whole bunch of people I would have never met before in my life, it is exhausting at times because I haven't socialised this much in a year and a half but it is so rewarding. When I started this semi-regular series it was supposed to be about my excitement from moving to London and all the cool new things and people I was meeting, but that didn't exactly go to plan, in part due to constant lockdown shenanigans but also in part that I found myself missing the people up north a lot more, the North/South divide is a real thing and London was just a very impersonal place for me. I missed the weird comfort that when walking past someone back home they would at least look you in the eyes and acknowledge you were there, I felt very lonely in London and now I feel incredibly happy to be entrenched in some sort of a community. It is a bonkers community, but I've missed meeting creative people, watching music or talking about something you love without every knowing you would share these small little connections with other people. The last few weeks have ultimately been a daze of work, perhaps I have been over doing it but I feel I've got to hold on to what I'm enjoying right now. If there is anything the last year and a half has taught me it is to go head first into anything and everything because who knows when it might be snatched from you.
As per usual this has all been an elaborate way to say, I haven't been watching much lately. What is even crazy is how many recommendations from people you introduce yourself to as a 'film student', I spend more time these days listening to recommendations and writing them down then I do actually watching any of them. With several award shows and big announcements of blockbusters, it has been quite refreshing to be somewhat out of the loop here and not really caring about the rubbish being peddled out and finding my own small interests in other stuff. As much as I'll defend people enjoying whatever is popular and being excited about commercial stuff isn't a crime, I just have found myself enjoying being slightly out of touch in terms of what is coming out. That doesn't help that the majority of films being released now come off as extremely soulless and I haven't really wanted to see a new release at the cinema for a while now. However, I have watched a couple things here and there over the last few weeks that I think is worth recommending!
Feel Good
This is one of those shows that I was putting off for a while because I was almost intimidated by how emotional it would probably make me. I wasn't a fool to think that way, this semi-autobiographical 'sitcom' created by and starring Mae Martin is one of the most human and empathetic shows of the last few years. I've mentioned it before but 'comedian to sitcom' pipeline is always hit or miss but here Mae does something different, they decide to orientate the show into being much more drama focused with a sense of linearity avoiding the 'situational' aspect of this genre. As a result Feel Good is honestly outstanding, it is tender yet full of comedic bite and honestly so painfully honest at points it feels like Mae went through a lot to make this show a brave depiction of their struggles. Charlotte Ritchie won me over completely from both Ghosts and Taskmaster but she is outstanding as a dramatic actor here, the chemistry between her and Mae is not only beautiful but also just so refreshingly human. There are two series, 12 episodes in total and more moments that will break your heart than you expect, it is brilliant and I'm sort of known for being a soppy sucker for this kind of thing, I'll fall in love with anything that can make me cry, which is a lot of things. But here there is something very special, interesting, honest and honestly quite revolutionary.
Bo Burnham: Inside
If you told me this time last year that this pandemic would see the return of Bo Burnham doing comedy and result in his best work to date, I would not believe you one bit. I've been a fan of Bo's stuff since high school and honestly, with all things I enjoyed in high school, I am wary of returning to it out of fear of being disappointed. But then Eighth Grade came out, a film I adored and was so proud of Bo for really showing that he can do so much more than that very specific brand of comedy he was doing for years. And then out of the blue he announced a whole new special to be released that he recorded alone during the pandemic, I was honestly so unsure and taken aback as to what Bo's comedy would translate into these days. And the answer is that it doesn't, because this isn't really a comedy special, it's a genuine film with Bo front and centre in every vulnerable position. Inside chronicles Bo's creative process in which he creates the very special you are watching, being equal parts a behind the scenes documentary and a chaotic stream of consciousness series of dense comedic bits. There is an energy running throughout as Bo picks discussion topics at random and switches style and setup repeatedly, every shot is done with some sort of creative lighting or camerawork, this is a genuinely astonishingly made piece of filmmaking and I'm so glad over these years Bo has perfected his talents. But underneath it just being incredible ambitious, it is almost impossible to watch in areas, Bo doesn't shy away from talking about pretty personal and human stuff which can make Inside a really emotional experience. It isn't just 'another example of sad comedy' that someone shares that awful Stewart Lee clip to illustrate a point about how sad comedy is bad and stupid, it is a genuinely personal comedy special that becomes 'sad' due to how personal Bo is willing to go. Inside will be remembered as the piece of pandemic media and will not go forgotten.
And that is about it! I'm writing this on one of those beloved days off and taking in every second. I'll be hoping to post whenever I can but, as illustrated I haven't exactly been brimming with time off. However, go watch both Inside and Feel Good and go have a conversation with a stranger about something cool and interesting, you wont realise the good it does to the soul. Thanks for reading!