Smultronstället (Wild Strawberries) 1957

The sweet things in life grow wild; it'll be your secret.

Det Sjunde Inseglet (The Seventh Seal) 1957

Jeux d'enfants (Love Me if You Dare) 2003

This film initially reminded me of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amélie, with the vibrant color scheme, whimsical fantasy-infused cinematography and quirky characters, but as the movie progressed I immediately noticed it was a much darker, twisted story about love. Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard star as Julien and Sophie, who, since childhood have played a game of dares, started when they were children by Julien presenting Sophie with a gift of a tin merry-go-round and, upon asking if she'll lend it back to him, her demanding him to do something crazy to show he really wants it back. The game continues up to their adult years, always erratic and crazy and deepening the strange bond they have, even if on the surface their relationship is dysfunctional and destructive. I enjoyed how in their childhood the visuals were high contrast, with crazy bright colors. As they get older the visuals become more harsh, the colors settle down as their era of playtime is ending and the real world of adulthood sets in. Another thing to note is the growth of Julien and Sophie of the tyrant and the creme puff, which are what they declared they would grow up to be, as children hiding under a banquet table at Sophie's sisters wedding. All throughout several renditions of the song La Vie en Rose plays throughout, giving the film a simple, yet meaningful backdrop. And of course this gives an ironic twist, as Marion Cotillard goes on to play Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose (which I still have not watched). In all, I loved this film, because it told a story about love in a fresh, atypical view. Love hurts, and it can be so twisted, yet in the end it prevails.

"this is you"

he wrote this for me.

Universal little sister
blinking sunlight that shines through genetics
laughing new shades of green
yet timid to burn our desks & currency for being figures in a dream
your revolution is a rainbow
feminine in its withdrawal for not being loved
holy in its reflection of the stars that were too bright to see
The giggles are the only hint of knowing god
Of knowing life is an exhibition yet to happen
Not afraid to not exist
"We never have and never will
with bodies"
so says the little sister
to the leaves