The Matrix Revisited
I find this disquieting, but it is not unusual, especially on Sundays, when I take the train downtown to see the same travelers on my return trip that I encountered on my way to my destination. There was an odd looking couple sitting behind me and the guy was engaged in an annoying soliloquy about his friends and neighbors: "Frank gave up weed for the bible."
There was another pair in front of me across the aisle whom I hesitate to call a couple because they were such a mismatched pair. The girl looked more like a guide or patron to the guy she was with than a girlfriend or friendly companion. But perhaps they are a couple and patronage is an aspect of their relationship.
Between my two encounters with this pair of unusual couples, two things happened that relate to recent posts here. First, I had lunch with a man who has actually written a book, a novel. Second, I saw The Matrix: Reloaded, which we'll discuss shortly, and also I went to the Virgin Megastore which has nothing to do with anything but I saw a book there called Eminem: In His Own Words which was a rather brief volume with lots of pictures. Also there was a biography alt.country upstart Ryan Adams, which I thought was a little strange considering he hasn't produced that much work yet, at least as a solo artist, and not much of that is good.
Now, the Matrix. Can I ruin it for you? Huh? Please can I ruin it for you? Okay I won't. But let me say first of all what a pedantic babbling load of crap. Are the Wachowskis so enamored with their pedestrian worldview that every character has to proselytize every time there's a lull in the action? How about the plot? Remember the plot? Come on, let's go! Also, something happens at the end of the movie which re-invigorated my confusion about the imaginary world acting on the phenomenal world. But anyway...
On my way back in the train station I saw both couples. The second couple I mentioned had been shopping and the guy was all tuckered out, slouched on the bench with his eyes closed while his female companion was still bright eyed and perky. The first couple, the odd looking ones behind me, were engaged in a discreet tiff. But ulitmately,. the woman took a step back, pointed an index finger at her interlocutor's chest and yelled, "Get the fuck out of my life! Get the fuck out of my life!" and stormed off. The man just stood their looking as sheepish as the Smiths when Neo left them in his wake.
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