Mood
I was super out of it all of July. I felt disconnected from everything. I neglected my responsibilities, and messed up my sleep schedule. I stopped doing the top three things that I normally do daily to help me stay somewhat sane—meditating, walking/running, and reading. The goal for August is to get back on track.
Films
Thankfully, it was a good month for film. The themes of the month were French cinema and Louis Garrel.
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Most favorite:
Revenir [Back Home] (2019): I loved the atmosphere, the French countryside, the acting, the complex family relationships, and everything else really. Niels Schneider is my new crush. I could see some people thinking this is boring, but it worked for me. Also, there’s a baby cow named Beyonce.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001): What can I even say about this film. I just have so much love for this story and for Hedwig. It’s a punk rock musical about a character trying to put the pieces of themselves back together and finding love and acceptance within. The soundtrack is amazing and I’ve been listening to it non-stop.
Least favorite:
Le mariage à trois [The Three-Way Wedding] (2010): I don’t recommend this to anyone. It was absolute nonsense. The situations, the characters, and the dialogue were all nonsensical. I only watched it for Louis Garrel and, based on the reviews I read, so did everyone else.
Full list of films I watched:
3 Women (1977)
Revenir [Back Home] (2019)
The Innocent (2022)
Vivre sa vie (1962)
Le mariage à trois [The Three-Way Marriage] (2010)
Heartbeats (2010)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
Widow Clicquot (2022)
See reviews and ratings on my Letterboxd.
Books
I didn’t do much reading because I didn’t have the attention span, plus I’ve been dealing with a chronic reading slump. The only book I read in July was A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. I had a hard time getting into it at the start, but I’m glad I stuck with it because I found it more interesting as I went on. There were some things I agreed with and some I disagreed with, which gave me some food for thought. However, this does confirm that Virginia Woolf’s writing isn’t for me. It feels labyrinthian, like I can’t find my way around the characters or the story. I only picked this one up because I thought it was an essay, but soon realized it was a sort of fictionalized essay (?).
Music
I laughed, cried, and fell in love with Chappell Roan’s debut album. I’m not a pop girlie, so I wasn’t expecting to love it this much. It’s the pop album I didn’t know I needed. The first track immediately won me over and the rest of the album just got better from there. Overall, it transmits so much joy and playfulness, even though it also has its slower moments. I loved the hints of comedy throughout and the honest, no-filter lyrics. There isn’t a skipable song on the whole album. My favorites are “Red Wine Supernova,” “After Midnight,” “My Kink is Karma,” “Pink Pony Club” and “Femininomenon.”
As mentioned above, I’ve been listening to the Hedwig and the Angry Inch soundtrack constantly. My favorite tracks are “Origin of Love” and “Midnight Radio.”
“Nobody Gets Me” by SZA has also been playing on a loop.
That’s it for July.
Thanks for reading!
Jannette