No need to worry, darling

Birthday month continues with small joys: lunch at a new restaurant with a dear friend, Matinee of 'Don't Worry Darling,' this afternoon with another.  Bookshop soirée later, followed by an extended gossip session.  which was as beautifully costumed and decently as I expected if a bit contrived and underscripted.  But the Sci-Fi elements of psychological abuseand coervice control, those are pretty well done. 

Of course, going in with expectations doesn't really help. I had rather set myself up to be underwhelmed thinking 'Oh, it's going to be a bit of "Mulholland Drive'/'Stepford Wives" mindfudge. Of course, it's a film as much about toxic masculinity as it is about toxic femininity, so no one is going to walk away happy, aside from the chase scenes. 

The sex scenes were nothing to write home about. They weren't terrible but they weren't salacious, even when they were deliberately trying to be. On the flip side, the choreography was light-hearted and fun- I do love a bit of synchronised swimming and showgirl gams. And there are elements of the deliberate containment that were reimniscent of 'Gengis Kohn,' which makes me happy, because it is on my list of fave films.

 If I am honesty, 'Top Gun Maverick' still probably ranks as my favourite this year and I suppose that's a testament to where my head and heart are these days: uncomplicated, engaging, accessibly and nuanced without unnecessary pretense, overly fussy plotlines.