New York Daily Photo Analytics

Friday, December 30, 2011

My Ride With André

I loved My Dinner With André. This award winning film is a two-hour conversation between two individuals in a restaurant in New York City. On the basis of the premise, it might appear that such a film would be boring, but quite the contrary. I found it very engaging and at times, even riveting.
Good conversation is often overlooked as an activity or reason to get together, even by those who greatly enjoy it and engage in the most impassioned interactions imaginable.

When I was in college, invariably someone would interrupt a very animated discussion with "So what are we doing?" meaning, of course, What are we doing tonight? Where are we going?, etc. He or she would get little response as the rest of us would be completely immersed in conversation. The question would come up again and again, sometimes others joining in the mix, round-robin style. There was a nagging quality to the desperate plea, the asker irritated that no one was listening to the question, everyone was wasting time, and no decision as to the night's plan was being made. Yet no one appeared to see the irony of the situation. Our impassioned conversation(s) were likely more interesting than anything we would find outside.

One evening, having had enough of this chronic scenario, I made a statement, something like "Hey, don't you guys get it? THIS is what we are doing." Everyone acknowledged the merit of my assertion, but to no avail. It was a welcome bit of comic relief, but regardless of how engaging and fulfilling our conversation might be, we still needed something "to do."

Recently, I returned by car from Woodside, Queens, to Manhattan. I decided, as I had in Wild Ride, to video record while driving the streets of New York City. On this trip, however, I was not alone but rather accompanied by several friends. Lively conversation ensued, and I recounted a number of stories from my life experience in New York City as we whipped down Atlantic Avenue. All can be seen and heard in the video below. My entourage appeared to enjoy the ride and the lively banter. It was like a sequel, My Ride With André :)



Posts referenced in the video: I'll Kill You, Sittin' On Top of the World

5 comments:

Choppography said...

Unlike many, I like "through the windshield" shots. Doing it at night, though, is something I've never tried.

PCPAST said...

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Anonymous said...

Oh, I know that dashboard so well. Integra right? Had one for 10 years...great car! How did you manage to keep the miles so low?

Brian Dubé said...

Anonymous - wow, good eye. Yes it is a 1990 Acura Integra GS. Old with a few dents, but I love that car. It is garaged, so it is not used frequently - just for leaving the city or occasional weekend exploration.

Anonymous said...

Cool Brian. I bought my Integra 5 years old from a guy in the same situation. He worked in downtown Toronto, and rarely drove it. It was a steal when I bought it from him since it too had low miles. Loved that car, such amazing handling. I am now on my third Honda. Love your blog btw. It is like my morning coffee!