Scary Movies

OK, call me a wimp. I can’t handle movies like “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood.” It just doesn’t work for me when the bad guy spends most of the movie murdering, and we spend most of the movie shivering.

I saw both flicks in a futile attempt to stay current with American culture. (Somebody in my book group, which mostly consists of people from the U.S., suggested that we should all subscribe to People magazine). The movies didn’t help. Afterward I felt more out of touch than ever.

I could see why they were nominated for awards—they were put together by people who know what they’re doing. But when you strip down the plots to their essentials, they seemed to me no better than your basic horror movie. If that’s what resonates with the American moviegoer, then maybe I’m better off being out of touch.

Ironically, the week before “No Country” won several awards, the Thai equivalent of the Oscar-granting academy announced the winner of the best movie of the year in this country. Its name in translation is “Love of Siam.” The plot centers on two teenage boys exploring whether or not they’re in love with each other.