Heading South

Thursday night we caught the last Austin screening of Heading South, a new French feature directed by Laurent Cantet, who previously made the very fine Time Out. We'd read only raves from the NYC opening and were highly anticipating this tale about women of a certain age vacationing down in Haiti to consort with young local native boys. It's a terrific film that I wanted to like more than I did. I was confounded by too many open questions. John said, "questions are good." He was intrigued not frustrated. I was frustrated but intrigued and engaged nonetheless. Much to ponder in terms of age, desire, power and economics. For more info, check out this terrific review by the very excellent critic, Marge Baumgarten.

On a personal front, it threw me back to that sailing trip around the British Virgin Islands for my father's 60th birthday in 1980 with my just-about-to-be-married sister and brother in tow. As I think I've written before, my sister dubbed the ordeal, "Hell in Paradise." She took up a platonic flirtation with a great looking Canadian windsurfer on a neighboring yacht. His female best friend fell for my Dad. I was stuck fending off the unwanted attention of a native guy. I was really fat and completely uncomfortable in my own skin. I felt like this guy's specialty was in wooing girls that looked like me. And I hated him for it.