Dan Geiser's Journal

Must of Got Lost by The J. Geils Band
Stephania and I went to see Iris (2001) at the Arena Grand Theatre last night. It was around 7pm and that whole theater complex was dead, dead, dead as can be. I don't think that place is going to survive for very long at this rate. The ticket prices aren't helping either. It cost us $16 to see that movie. $15 for tickets ($7.50 x 2) and $1 for parking. Now considering I can go to the Lennox and see a movie for $3.75 and park for free those prices seem absurd. Even the regular Drexel Theatres have 1/2 price tickets on Monday. Jeesh.

Iris is a good movie but it could've been much, much better. The performances were all good and the direction was interesting (if not innovative) but the film was woefully short, running about 90 minutes, and I left the theater knowing little more than I did about her before I entered the theater. Instead of the story of Iris we get the story of Iris and John (her husband), the months (or was it years? - the movie had such a poor sense of time it was hard to tell) and events surrounding when they first met and the months (or was it years?) leading up to her death. It could've easily used added an additional half hour to it's running time and pared back some John and Iris episodes in favor of the events which influenced her personal philosophy. Perhaps a different, better movie will do the life of Iris Murdoch justice but if you want to learn much about her this isn't the film for you (or me).

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