James O'Brien

I was reminded tonight of a lot of songs I’d almost forgotten.

Rage has been having a “wild card night” where they’ve been playing the strangest collection of songs from my early adulthood.

“Love Is The Gun” by “Blue Mercedes” was one such song, though I was more of a fan of their other minor hit,
“I Want To Be Your Property”.

I also got to see the clip for “No Clause 28” by Boy George for the first time. Having read recently about his gaol sentence for having abducted someone or something like that, it was lovely to see him in his artistic prime once again.

After spending last night with Sue – she’s gone back to Melbourne – it was a simpler night for me. Dinner, a bottle of wine and some television.

There was a Swedish/Finnish film on SBS called Forbidden Fruit (Kielletty hedelmä which I kinda enjoyed.

Having last night watched episodes of “Big Love” (about the Mormon polygamists) and “Angels In America” (also with a big Mormon sub-plot), this was also about a conservative religious group, the Laestadians (a branch of Lutheranism) in Finland.

At the heart of the film was the story of two eighteen year old women who left their small town to experience a little of life in Helsinki.

In Helsinki, they experiment with men and alcohol.

As I watched the film I also read a little about the group. And it was fascinating to see some of the themes – such as the belief of the ability to forgive each others sins – played out on screen.

There were some lovely tender moments in the film, such as when one of the girls held hands with a boy for the first time.

But by the end of the film I was still left wondering what the purpose for the film was.

Perhaps if it had been in Swedish there might have been more of a challenge for me to watch?