I do love a good motivational film on a Tuesday afternoon. I love them almost as much as I love working a job where I can watch movies on my phone under the desk, and no one cares.
Tuesday is my dedicated motivational movie day, and one day, I hope that one of them will motivate me to do some work.
Not this week, I’m afraid. The Purse Suit of Happiness is an inspiring story, to be sure, but all it encouraged me to do is make sure I never wear a suit made out of ladies’ purses. The guy might have been able to raise himself from homelessness by starting a psychedelic fashion trend, but I am unmoved.
Just like last week’s Ringwood Bound didn’t encourage me to go to the best mechanic Ringwood. Highly rated mechanics are great and all, but the movie itself didn’t go a great job of explaining why a guy breaking down in Yarraville had to go on a perilous journey rushing his car across Melbourne, just so he can get to a mechanic in Ringwood. Like…this is modern Melbourne we’re talking about in the movie. It was made in the nineties; roadside assist DID exist then. The guy breaks down right outside a bunch of houses, but for absolutely no reason explained within the film, his only option is to get out and push his car all the way to Ringwood to get it serviced. He pushes it across freeways, residential streets…and no one stops. No police, no nothing. He pushes his car over 36 kilometres, aided by a trio of talking animals, and it’s presented as this heroic quest.
Maybe it’s a surrealist comedy, but I didn’t think it was very funny, especially when they make you think that the old dog has been swept over the waterfall at the end (oh yeah, there’s also a massive waterfall in Mitcham. Like, Niagara-sized), but it’s all good because he comes back for finale.
Yeah, great movie for Ringwood garages for vehicle inspections, but otherwise? Wow. Nineties movies were weird.