Suzanne à Grenoble

""It's hot. Damn hot! Real hot! Hottest things is my shorts. I could cook things in it. A little crotch pot cooking.' Well, can you tell me what it feels like? 'Fool, it's hot! I told you again! Were you born on the sun? It's damn hot! I saw... It's so damn hot, I saw little guys, their orange robes burst into flames. It's that hot! Do you know what I'm talking about?' What do you think it's going to be like tonight? 'It's gonna be hot and wet! That's nice if you're with a lady, but it ain't no good if you're in the jungle.' Thank you, Roosevelt."
Robin Williams as Adrian Cronauer and Roosevelt E. Roosevelt in Good Morning, Vietnam

We sleep with the windows open, no covers, no fans. I have a theory that the French don’t believe in the use of electric ventilation apparatus. I can deal with no air conditioning, no problem. But a fan is a must in the summer months, n’est-ce pas? Especially on those dead nights where it’s still 27 degrees Celsius (about 80 degrees F.) at 11 p.m. and you lie in your sweat-soaked bed, praying for even the smallest of breezes… Okay I’m exaggerating a tiny bit. It’s not been that hard to sleep, and I’m by no means wilting away. But most nights, I lay there, cursing la chaleur and wondering how it is that G. (along with most males I know) have the amazing ability to fall into a dead sleep in the most un-sleep-inducing situations.*

In other news, a few nights ago we saw Les Poupées Russes (the Russian Dolls). It’s the sequel to 2002’s L’Auberge Espagnole, both written and directed by Cédric Klapisch. The sequel rejoins four of the principal characters from the first film, now living in Paris and London, newly 30 years old and still figuring out how to be truly happy, fulfilled and loved in a world of convention and mediocrity. An enjoyable film, mainly because its principal actor, Romain Duris, is so interesting to watch. He’s not classically handsome, but there’s something about him that makes you want to know him. We also have the pleasure of watching Audrey Tautou, of Amélie fame, who’s given a meatier role this time around (as a young single mom, no less). I have to say, it’s not as unexpectedly delightful as the first one, but for a sequel, it’s no small feat. The film could easily stand on its own, as the story is virtually independent of the original, yet Klapsich reveals a complexity in his characters that he couldn’t quite reach the first time around. Don’t know when this one will be out in the States, but go see it if you like love stories that are both strikingly realistic and yet completely unimaginable at the same time.

*This does not include falling asleep in front of the TV, which I do pretty much every time I watch a DVD in the dark.