So anyway, getting back to dreamy Gael García Bernal. He showed up, as promised, at the screening of The Motorcycle Diaries on Saturday night. Before it started some guy got up on stage and said “Welcome” and “after the movie there’s going to be a Q and A session” and “GGB is over there and would you like to come up and say Hi?” So GGB went up and said “hi” and “thank you all for coming out tonight” and “I really hope you enjoy the movie” and “if you don’t, stick around afterwards so you can throw things at me.”
And then they showed the movie.
Then as the credits were rolling at the end they turned down the volume and he got up again and said, “that’s a picture of so-and-so” [because they were showing photos of the real people depicted by the film] and gestured behind him, and then sort of laughed nervously because he didn’t know how to proceed, and then the guy with the microphone reappeared to direct the questions. [Which were all very highbrow, like, “Why did you think it was important to do this film” and “How has Latin America changed since the period depicted in the film,” whereas all YT could think of was, “Did those people really have leprosy?” But I digress.]
In any case, one of the first things that struck me was how incredibly articulate he was. Certainly not your traditional run-of-the-mill egocentric Hollywood starlet – no sir, really thoughtful and articulate, and clearly loved sharing his thoughts and passion for the film. And he was so modest [thank you again for coming to see the film, it’s really nice for me… (!)] and effortlessly charming and easygoing and nice that I immediately wanted to take him home and marry him to my daughter.
And now he’s gone off back to London where he’s rehearsing for a play along with an Icelandic actor, with whom he’s made friends. Which is why he decided to pop over for the weekend [evidently the organizers of the festival had tried long and hard to get him to come, but he claimed he’d be too busy. But his pal managed to persuade him by telling him it’s only a two-hour flight].
And that’s the story of YT’s brush with fame this past weekend.
AS FOR THE FILM…
It was good. I didn’t feel knocked about the head or anything, though… I thought it had fascinating characterization and lots of fun and loved seeing the landscapes of South America… and it gave an indication of the sorts of things that shaped a young Che Guevara. And I’m not going follow this with a BUT because those things are quite enough, really. It wasn’t the sort of film that packs a punch, but the following day the fallout from the film was still settling in my mind, which is a Good Thing and means it reached beyond the intellectual level and moved me.
THE WEATHER
Blue patches in between the clouds. The sun appears occasionally. There’s a breeze and the birds are singing away. Weatherman says we’re going to have increasing wind and rain or sleet this afternoon. Current temps are 2°C and daybreak was at 5.17. nightfall will be at 21.43.