"If you touch me, I'll more than alarm you."--Lisbeth Salander
I watched “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” last night, a date with myself. Movies, solo is a great experience, and I’ve been doing it since I was 19 when I finally didn’t care to wait around for a man to ask me out. So, with my loving husband hanging with our kids at home, I dressed nice, slipped on my boots and headed out into the rain.
Hormonal, eager to see the American version to compare with the foreign pioneer and the book (which I only read ¾ off), I marched into the AMC theater. I reached the ticket collector and knew I had exactly five minutes to get into my seat—I hate being late for anything.
What I assessed of the boy in the red shirt was that he was young enough to be my son, shaved head, and scrawny. I didn’t look at his eyes because I didn’t feel the need to register him into my database. I was scanning the left and right sides of the theater, making a mental note of what numbers were on either side, so once this guy told me the number I could bolt. What I didn’t expect was his fondling of my hand.
“You’re in theater 11.” He returned my ticket into my left hand, pressed it into my palm, then held my hand in both his. I half stepped forward when he then traced his cold finger on my left hand, slowly and with enough pressure to get my attention. I should have looked into his eyes then, but I was taken aback and not flattered, but mad. He released my hand and I beelined for my flick, finally. “Enjoy your movie," he said to me as I walked away.
It took a few moments to analyze his amateur move. He must do this to all the ladies, I reassured myself. Self-deprecating, I usually am. (Yoda speaking, I usually am not).
Once the previews cleared and the seats filled up with latecomers, the opening credits of Dragon Tattoo started, I got fuming again. It didn’t help that Immigrant Song blasted with crazy good imagery. I thought, would the 19 year old me be flustered and beguiled by this boy’s textbook move? Maybe. Would my daughter, when she’s allowed to date (28 years old) fall victim to this stroke of flirtation? I hope not. Am I overanalyzing again to the point I have to blog about it? Perhaps.
*Don't watch the opening sequence from the movie below-SPOILER ALERT-if you want the full effect in the theater. And, I won't be surprised if this is taken off Youtube soon. Enjoy otherwise...
Nonetheless, I saw that he was replaced when I emerged from theater 11 by a female ticket collector. Good, I thought. With raw imagery of the movie I just absorbed, he was safer not being near me. No threat of physical harm, but maybe a death stare.
On a side note, I met the actor who played a bit role as a cop, Alan Dale (Lost, Ugly Betty). I approached him as we both waited at a gate at LAX in 2009, told him I appreciated his work. He has a few minutes on screen with Rooney Mara.
Happy Chinese New Year! Year of the Dragon….
ESTA LATER!
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