dead people don't write, dead people don't call you on the phone.
When dead people show up, they come as scary ghosts."
Mafe, March 2012.
I recently watched "Extremely loud and Incredibly close" as recommended by Largo.
"Watch it, we'll discuss it after you do. It's a really interesting movie, it's full of symbolism You'll like it, I promise --- Nooooo, you won't cry, it's not THAT sad."
Man!! I cried 2/3 of the movie!
Typical story about a nice family, working dad, working mom, funky boy with Asperger syndrome who has an amazing relationship with his dad but he (the dad) dies on 9/11 (yes, overrated I know but wait... this movie is actually good).
They play scavenger's hunts around the house, around the city, play mental games and have inside jokes that only they understand.
On the "worse day", that's how the boy calls 9/11, the dad calls home trying to reach someone and let them know he's fine and letting them know how much he loves them (Cheesy, I know!!! but this movie is good, trust me). He leaves 6 messages on the answering machine. Each one of them sadder and more heart-breaking that the one before.
"If the sun were to explode, you wouldn't even know about it for 8 minutes because that's how long it takes for light to travel to us.
For eight minutes the world would still be bright and it would still feel warm.
It was a year since my dad died and I could feel my eight minutes with him... were running out."
One year later, the boy decides to extend those 8 minutes, and look for a way to reconnect with his dad.
He doesn't want to let go of him.
He finds clues all over the city about his dad; about his past and about his future.
He meets many different people and reconnects with people from his past.
He reconnects with the city.
Is the father really dead?
Who are the people he met along the way?
Are they important? What are their roles in this journey?
What will he find in the end?
Will he get the chance to talk to his dad one last time?
What would he say to him?
I'm not going to spoil the movie for you, it gets weird, annoying at times and super sad. All at the same time.
In the end, I found myself sitting in my living room laying on my new and fluffy red rug... thinking and crying.
What would you do if you had the chance to talk to a dead person?
Would you take the chance to grab 8 more minutes with them?
Would you ask for explanations or tell them all that's in your heart?
Would you listen or talk?
Would you take the risk of hearing whatever they have to say? even though it may break you apart?
Seeing dead people is not normal. It can be scary I guess.
Keep in mind that dead people are dead. Ghost never come back. Use your time wisely and enjoy those last 8 minutes... they'll never come back.
