Aslaug's Axe Shed

Moments ago, I finished watching a DVD my brother had bought me. It’s been on my desk for a while, and I’ve been waiting for the chance to watch it. To sit down, and properly devote half a day to watching it.

I don’t know if any of you ever saw this. I had never heard of it before my brother gave it to me, but … I knew right away I’d watch it, since it had one of my all-time favorite actors and one of my all time favorite actresses playing in it. Al Pacino and Emma Thompson respectively.

And Merryl Streep … and Jeffrey Wright … and a number of other actors and actresses I like a lot as well.

But in this, it’s mainly the -story- which compels. Because it is so beautifully written. Because it deals with many, many important topics, in unorthodox ways. Because it lays bare some of the evils of humanity, but also some of the goodness and decency in us all.

I will be watching this many times. Not just this once. I’ll be watching it again and again and again, in fact. Because I already know I’ll find new little gems when I watch it subsequent times. I know I’ll enjoy the dialogue the most.

I’d recommend it to anyone.

I can’t write a brief synopsis of this very complex story without giving too much away. I can only ask people to watch it … with an open mind and an open heart. It is very long … very long indeed, but the very, very last scene, played out at the Bethesda fountain in Central Park is gutwrenchingly beautiful.

Please watch it, folks. It is funny in places. Hilarious, in fact. It is exceptionally well played and, as my brother put it, “It’s Meryl Streep in what … probably the best three or four roles in a very long time?” (so expressed because several of the major actors play more than one part). It’s also something to make people stop and think. About what is really important in life.

About what -actually- matters, in the end. And about the nature of life itself.

About how addictive -life- is. And how precious.

And how fragile.

I’ll watch it again soon. When it has all sunk in.

It’s just one of those stories.