Petulia

I apologize for my lack of posting in the last week but my life has grown very full recently. Benjamin is back from Copenhagen! And when I'm not with him, I'm studying for these pesky LSATs. I promised myself the last time the letters S-A-T would enter my vocabulary, let alone my reality was circa 2004. But here I am, practicing. So needless to say my absence is unfortunately due to a lack of my raisons d'etre, unless I decide to add infinite amounts of logic to the list. Then I can pose inane logical dilemmas and ask you to find the assumption. Then you will all cease to read my blog ever again. Not a chain of events I am hoping to replicate!

However, my time at the Montclair Public Library has encouraged me to borrow DVDs. After receiving my shiny new key chain friendly library card, I wandered into the film section and was pleasantly surprised by the collection of French films and old Hollywood classics. After going back and forth between The Red Balloon and Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, I spotted Petulia.

Last night, Ben and I watched it with a mixture of what the heck is going on here and how amazing are these scenes from 1960s San Francisco. The jigsaw puzzle effect was in fact puzzling, while making what could have been a cliche plot much, much more intriguing. Further, Petulia, a socialite originally from England, had the most fabulous early 1960s outfits. Her little white heels and pastel swing dresses with big bouffants and bangs made me want to drink mai tais at a Formica counter. The portrayal of hippy culture in the film was less than flattering at times but conveyed its vibrancy and ubiquity, I would have liked to see more. I guess my obsession with psychedelic art from the Summer of Love has made a lasting impression on me. A confusing, yet well crafted film with lots of interesting imagery made this a worthwhile watch.