The Barometer

A barometer. That is what we use to choose our entertainment for the evening. His name is Ed. Many things have to align in order for everyone to enjoy the movie, or series, we choose.

First, what time of day is it? Will Ed nap? Will Ed have to flee to watch a football game? Does the dog need to be walked? All very important initial questions that need to be answered before we can even proceed to even choosing a channel.

Second, is it an American or British based story? As we live in Europe, sometimes there is a culture difference in what is deemed funny or scary, even what is deemed relevant. Subtitles are also not something he wants to do. Why should he watch a movie if he has to read what is happening?

When I start the barometer challenge, I’m 100% influenced by the images associated. The movie poster affects whether I look at the trailer or move onto the other options. Then it’s the actors. Do I know them? Have I heard of them? Do I feel old?

Now that we have noted age, I can also confirm that as I get older, my taste has changed. As a young girl, I would recommend lots of musicals and animation. I could watch “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” from dawn to dusk. The tacky backgrounds and sexist storyline add to the absurd humour. Back then I would have said that the “The Producers” or “The Rescuers Down Under” would be a good start; melancholy stories.

Then through my teen years, I would have recommended older movies; older meaning black and white movies. The over the top romances and glossy close-ups made for entertaining hours. Thinking about what people in the 40s and 50s found important and what the average household looked like was fascinating. How times have changed. That would translate into movies like “Sabrina” and “Casablanca”.

As a adult, my taste changed to more True Crime, Documentaries to Comic heroes. Finding out how people change their circumstances or even change the world is always on top of my list. The barometer, 50-50 odds. The recommendations would be things like “Silence of the Lambs” to “Wonder Woman”; or brave documentaries like “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” to “Tell Me Who I Am”.

With every night and every moment changing, there is always exceptions to every rule. Sometimes I find something that does not check any of the boxes but heats up the barometer to maximum watching pleasure. Like an American comedy about a family of psychiatrists, who knew? But we binged watched and he laughed out loud!

Overall, the best watching would be documentaries, the barometer and I can both whole heartily agree. People whose stories are normal but abnormal in circumstance. Like Jiro, a man who loves what he does and shares it with locals. The artistry of sushi, the delicate nature of how his hands cut the fish, to layering all of the components. The additional enjoyment was how he trained his apprentices and the dedication required. Once you have seen the beauty in simple things, you can laugh at the oddness of something like “Fyre”. How human nature make us ache for things that others may have. The ignorance and the greed, the colours and the beauty. Both are a sensation for the senses.

You have to be able to see the humanity in all documentaries. Watching those that abuse, like “Athlete A” and “Team Foxcatcher”, shows you the world views rather than those that view themselves in a different light. Most people wonder where the madness comes from but we do like to believe in those that recover from it all. There will always be hope.