Sex and the Village

Disclaimer: this post is about going to see a movie. The blog remains PG.

A few weeks ago, a group of my female colleagues decided that we should all see the Sex and the City movie together. Normally, I would have reserved this movie to see with my friends Katie and Virginia, but being 6000 miles away from them I was happy to have any girls at all to see it with.

Well, when scheduling conflicts were all worked out, only three of us could make it. Caroline looked up the movie times online and we headed to L'Isle Adam after work on Friday evening.

I think I've mentioned L'Isle Adam before - a charming village about 20 minutes from work and trendy place to live in the countryside. We ate a quick sushi dinner, and walked to the edge of town to the theater. It was then that I had the brilliant idea to ask, "This movie is V.O. (version originale...i.e. in the original language with subtitles), right?"

Dilek asked the ticket seller, who looked at us like we were out of our minds. No, of course not; it's dubbed. Ohhh nooooo. All this time I've waited to see this movie and I won't even be able to understand the dialogue.

Most films in Paris are V.O., and I had hoped that the chic little village of L'Isle Adam would have a similar practice. I briefly considered pitching the whole idea and going home, but then I decided to be a sport about it. At least I could complain about it on the blog later. And here I am.

So in we went, and after turning over our tickets we walked into literally the tiniest theater I've ever been in. Aside from - I dunno - someone's basement. Now that I think about it, there was a sign above the ticket seller that said there were 65 seats. I had thought that meant 65 seats left.

After a girl with a basket of candy hanging around her neck did the rounds, the film began. I started off well, and got the first few jokes. And then I got lost. Dilek and Caroline were really nice about it and whispered translations into my ears from either side. But it was still a bummer. And the voices were just weird.

And that's how I saw the most anticipated girly film of the summer; in a village in the French countryside, with girls translating sex jokes on either side of me. Guess I'll wait for the DVD.