grey gardens

I've been hearing about this movie for at least 20 years, and finally saw it. The Maysles brothers shot this documentary of the life of two reclusive women, relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, both named Edith or Edie. The start of the film shows newspaper clippings stating that the two lived in squalor with no running water but conditions seem to have improved slightly by the time the Maysles arrived. There are many close-ups of the women snacking on delights such as liver pate on crackers and Hershey's vanilla ice cream eaten with a knife. Edith entertains the cameras by singing, Little Edie by dancing. It's sad and funny, so it's hard to know whether to laugh or feel queasy. The commentary helps in this regard - it was the first time I'd ever listened to one, not sure if I like them or not. Good news for me: Hollywoodland, Science of Sleep, Prestige and Borat all came out here today. Look forward to more frequent posts.