In keeping with the Beat Takeshi theme, I watched A Scene at the Sea last night. It was an interesting film, but I did not care for it as much as his other films, probably because he was not in it. His stone-faced expressions seem to make the slow, languid pace more bearable. Kuroudo Maki, who stars in this film as the deaf garbageman who becomes a surfer, is good, but remains too far removed. Which is intentional, Kitano makes every effort to remind the viewers, by means of distant camera placement and very little dialogue, that they are outsiders looking in on a world which will remain foreign to them. It was a beautiful film at times, and the quietness was refreshing, to a degree. But the ending, which should not be a huge surprise in light of his other films, left an emptiness that works in most Kitano films, but did not seem to suit this story. It's an interesting film, but I don't know that I'd recommend it.

I have to go running after work today. I've really had a tough time finding time and energy to run and exercise. The Dr. Seuss Race for Literacy is next Sunday, and knowing how I did in Carlsbad, I'm not sure if I can really turn in a respectable time at an 8K distance, unless I get back to running, now. I did get in two nice runs last week, but with everything going on, its been too easy to skip a few here and there, and once you start skipping, its hard to stop. But today I feel good, I should get a nice run in, no problem.