Parallel Lines

"Come on, man! Don't you want to repair the world?"
"...What?"
"We're breaking the world. Don't you want to fucking repair it?"
-Leaves of Grass (2009)

To be honest, I'm not really much of a moviegoer, but I sure do love watching movies. I just feel like there's something more intimate about watching a movie at home, just me and the characters--even if it isn't in 3-D, or whatever. As I've gotten older, I've come to love movies as much as books, which, for those who know me, is quite a love.

Through these movies, naturally I've developed a cast of favorite actors and actresses (Michael Caine, Susan Sarandon, and Humphrey Bogart, to name a few). Battling for the top spot, though, is none other than Edward Norton.

For whatever reason, whenever I mention he's one of my favorite modern actors, people give me a weird look like "What? Who's he?" At which part I sigh and mutter, "The guy from Fight Club."

Not that Fight Club isn't a fabulous movie--it's downright amazing! Thanks to the concept developed in the novel (of the same name) by Chuck Palahniuk and the brilliant performances by Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, Fight Club is a story about so--SO--much more than fighting. It's just one of those movies I could probably never tire talking about; it's so full of themes and ideas that are so intriguing and, for the most part (from what I think I know of the male psyche), I think they're shakingly true.

But that's not the film I started this post to talk to you guys about. No, that would be Leaves of Grass.

First the title caught my attention, with its reference to Walt Whitman's famous collection of poems; secondly the fact that Edward Norton was in it caught my interest; thirdly I read he played both of the main characters--and I had to watch it.

Its basic plot is about two (identical) twins, Bill and Brady, who are extremely different; Bill is an accomplished Philosophy professor in Rhode Island, while Brady is a pot farmer in Oklahoma. However, when Brady gets in a serious pickle, he gets his brother to come back home and help him out.

This movie surprised me. After reading the vague plot on imdb.com (nifty little site, that one), I admit I wasn't expecting too much--even though Edward Norton was in it.

Then I watched the movie. And I loved it.

Leaves of Grass is by no means a "perfect" movie, but I saw these sparks of genius that...really got to me. I mean, I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might end up checking it out, because it is certainly worth sticking it out for, so I guess you'll just have to trust me on its awesomeness. The beginning 50-75% of the movie's plot is, I admit, kind of average, but the climax.... damn.

To give you a taste, though, perhaps my favorite concept from this movie is told by Brady when his friend asks him if he thinks there's a God. He talks about how the idea of parallel lines (two lines that go on forever but never intersect) is more of a concept really since we know about it, but we can never achieve it ourselves in the actual physical world--that parallel lines only truly exist in the world of mathematics. It's the same way with God. And I just fell in love with this idea. It's...honest, and makes sense really--at least to me.

But. Maybe it's just me. I,, however, think this movie is amazing, and has, at the very least, some great scenes and lines. I highly recommend it to everyone to at least give it an honest shot.