Nénette at Film Forum

Even as we prepare for tonight's revelries, some part of our minds goes quiet, reflecting on the passage of time and the shadow life we're not living but wish we were, or could be, if we could only get those pesky resolutions to stick. 

Watching a documentary about a 40-year-old orangutan named Nénette move about her Parisian cage somehow spurs such thoughts: time itself is a prison, and while some days we swing from our ropes and toss blankets or straw over our heads, others find us with head in hands, mournful or melancholic, unable to muster much interest in our 4.30 teatime snack of yogurt and tea. 

C'est la vie,  Nénette might say. Not being French, we'll put it another way: yogurt and tea beat the alternative. And sometimes we're lucky, getting goat neck massaman and pancetta-wrapped monkfish, lemon poppy seed ice cream and Venezuelan sandwiches instead.

Here's to a happy new year --- may it be filled with treats and peace!
allo