Mi vida sin mí

I don't have much to report these days, so I'll give you all another movie suggestion, one you can actually watch right now!

For my lengua class, we are in a Spanish cine unit, and part of this unit's grade is based on our giving presentations on various Spanish directors.  Being the Spanish film nerd that I am, I was so excited as our professor was going around the room and telling which couples would be working on which director, and by my fifth, "squeeeeal OMG I LOVE that director!!!" I was getting some pretty annoyed looks from my classmates.

My partner and I were assigned Isabel Coixet, director of My Life Without Me, and The Secret Life of Words, among other films.  I first saw The Secret Life in high school, and was very moved by the work, so I was excited for another opportunity to watch more by this director.

My Life Without Me, is the story of Ann, a 23 year-old woman who lives in a trailer in her mother's backyard with her husband and daughters.  She had her first child at 17, and her second at 19, and now she works nights as a janitor at a nearby university.  She has never had any grand dreams or hopes for the future ever since she had to grow up fast at the birth of her first daughter.  Her life is essentially unchanging until she collapses one day and ends up at the hospital where a doctor tells her she has cancer and only has two months to live.  Upon hearing this, Ann does two things: makes a list of everything she wants to do before she dies, and vows to not tell anyone that she's going to die.

This film is similar to The Secret Life of Words in its focus on those things that we choose to not say, and how we do say them when we finally decide to do so.  Additionally, both films deal with the fragility of the human body, and our inability to protect ourselves from pain.  However, Coixet's faith in the ability of Love to soothe the pain caused by both physical and emotional afflictions is clear throughout both films as well.

Unfortunately I was hosting some friends this summer when my parents were watching The Secret Life, and, when our ravenous hunt for ice cream took us through the family room where they were settled down in front of the film, we somewhat ruined the emotional climax of Coixet's work.  I have no fear, however, of anyone being pulled away from the emotionality of My Life Without Me.  This film is a tearjerker, but, despite the movie's tristeza, one is left with a feeling of immense hope for the future at the end.

I highly recommend this film.  Unlike Agora, this movie has already been released, so you do not have to wait until December to see it, but like Agora, this movie is also in English!  (I don't mean to be condescending, I know many of you do not mind subtitles, but there are also some of you who do, so this is to eliminate any excuses one may have to not see this movie).  When you see it, or if you already have, let me know what you think of it.  I look forward to hearing your responses.

Un beso.