Monday, March 11, 2013

Blessings #4

Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise (2011)

When the two women found the body it was half-way in and half-way out of the water. Face down, the waves gently lapped at the man's waist, his arms above his head as if he were crawling from the surf. By the time the detectives arrived the tide had fallen below the knees. The women had been sent on their way by then, having given their contact information and received contact information for trauma counseling. It's not everyday that people stumble upon a dead body. A small crowd had gathered outside the containment area, but there wasn't a lot to see. There were few immediate clues beyond what was physically on the body and it was obvious that it had been in the water for some time. The lead detective, a man named Surley with a reputation to match, knew that if they couldn't find anything in the victim's background the path going from this final resting place would be pretty hazy. Sure, they could get lucky, but there were a thousand unsolved cases sitting in cold filing cabinets back in a warehouse somewhere. They only had so much time and very little support to follow through. Surley glanced up at the beach and the small cottages that lined the avenue beyond. The sun would fade soon and they'd be working in the dark. It was a perfect metaphor for the life of a homicide detective. Little did he know, but as he peered at the faces of the on-lookers the murderer was staring right back at him watching his every move.


Biutiful - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (2010)

He was a family man. In this cutthroat world of trade and commerce, he has managed to carve out a tiny piece of living beneath the facade. Down below the streets in the corners of the shadows, another form of market capitalism unfolds. It's not entirely legal, but it isn't much different from the one that is; exploitation and ruthlessness behind every transaction. In the midst of it all he's discovered that he has been handed a death sentence, an illness that will slowly eat him alive. Now he must decide how to help his family. How can he provide for their future once he's gone when they barely live day by day? The life that he took for granted for so long will soon unravel and all of the ways that he has tried to protect those he loves will no longer matter. He puts plans in motion and every step he takes reminds him of the harshness of this life, but amidst it all he begins to see the beauty that lives in every breath, every memory. It won't be easy and people may eventually take advantage of him as he has done to others. He strives for a stable legacy with the faces of his children motivating each decision. In the end, maybe that's all that he can take with him, perhaps it will provide some peace after all.

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