beyond the gondolas
ONE
Two, once-widowed humans, Addie Moore and Louis Waters, played by Jane Fonda and Robert Redford respectively, find themselves in a Colorado town as neighbors coping with life through dialogue and non-intimate sheet sharing, at least initially. Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, Fonda and Redford’s character take another shot at life by reliving the past and choosing to do the future differently. It is over a cup of coffee in Moore’s kitchen that Waters makes a move and proposes they take their mutual desire for company public. Leave it to a cup of coffee to break the heat between these two souls who surely have a lot to experience from each other day and night. Of note, is the in town coffee shop where Louis’ friends who find the café a good place for modern gossip. Our Souls at Night, based on the novel which was also a bestseller by Kent Haruf, premieres on Netflix Friday, 29th.
TWO
In the first five seconds of the trailer for the Alexander Payne directed film, ‘Downsizing’ which opened the Venice Film Festival,Matt Damon who plays Paul Safranek is seen taking a sip of coffee. Described as “A social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself,” its part science fiction and comedy drama. He decides to do as Christoph Waltz’s character suggests”get out and open your eyes.” So he and his wife Audrey, played by Kristen Wiig, do just that and join a community of miniature people to see the world differently. The discoveries that follow insight viewers to take a challenge of their own, not just in seeing but in exploring life. Releases December 22, 2017 in the depth of holiday season perhaps urging humanity to appreciate the smaller things in life. This culture is curious to see just how many of these little cups of coffee Safranek has that also accompany sage advice from those he calls his friends.