Pleasure of Being Robbed again.

Long ago, I watched just the very start of a movie called C.C. and Company. Couldn't stand it. Turned it off. I think the plot had something to do with motorcycles but I didn't get that far. The opening scene was Joe Namath walking through a grocery store. He opens a loaf of bread and takes two slices. He goes to another aisle and opens a package of baloney. He makes a sandwich. Eats it.

The scene was supposed to be cute or funny or something. But Joe Namath was such a big lout. I didn't realize how utterly devoid of charisma he was.

And now----I watched The Pleasure of Being Robbed again. A "mumblecore" film about a young woman running around New York City stealing from people. I've seen descriptions on the internet that say she was a "free spirit", snatching purses, stealing suitcases, breaking into cars. We're supposed to think this is cute or funny.

The movie was made by two brothers, apparently born in the U.S. to Israeli parents. Their uncle is Moshe Safdie, an Israeli architect who is now working on the racial cleansing of Jerusalem. He drew up the "master plan" for a Jewish settler group to wipe out another Palestinian neighborhood. Read about it here. Maybe theft seems perfectly normal to these two.

They attended Boston University and judging from the movie, they were influenced by Ray Carney and his thing for John Cassavetes. Except in the John Cassavetes movies I've seen, either Cassavetes or Peter Falk or some other guy eventually slaps Gena Rowlands. Probably common in "personal" films made by alcoholics. Why didn't anyone slug the horrible girl in this movie?

I looked at the user reviews on imdb.com. One person thought the girl was lonely, wanted to learn about other people but didn't know how.

But another person saw it at the LA Film Festival and really, really hated it. The auteurs spoke to the audience and he really, really hated them, too:

I wouldn't have such a problem but knowing they think the world of themselves just because they went to NYU [sic] & live in some trendy area, living off mommy & daddy's allowance but play it down like "I'm a struggling artist just like you" is completely insulting.

But they're all that way. I heard a radio interview with some young writers, directors and actors who had just produced a new comedy in Hollywood. Each one was the son of a big Hollywood star. But they were hurt that anyone would think this gave them any advantage at all.

And, of course, that comment was written by a guy in Los Angeles. Los Angeles isn't trendy enough? There aren't enough opportunities for the aspiring filmmaker there?

If you don't like a movie, make another movie.