A last reflection

Saturday was warm and sunny. At last it felt as if summer had arrived. Perfect weather to take an Uber to Ellis Park to watch the Lions get beaten by Benetton. We had been gifted tickets by friends who weren’t able to go. It was fun to watch a live game even if our team did not play to their potential.

On Sunday we went for our early walk in glorious sunshine, early enough not to get overheated. We’d forgotten what it feels like to get hot but we did remember the sunblock.

On the walk we reminisced about how we used to go to Hyde Park Corner on Saturday mornings, share a huge omelette at JB Rivers and go to a late morning movie at NuMetro. It was one of our favourite things to do and an integral part of our annual Oscar Challenge.

That was before COVID and lockdown. JB Rivers has since closed down and been replaced by a grillhouse. The other breakfast venues at the centre are just not the same and after particularly underwhelming experiences at cinemas post-COVID, we don’t go anymore. We prefer to watch at home where we have more control over the experience.

“We certainly used to get out more,” said Chantal, “We need to make more of an effort again.”

“We’ve done pretty well this weekend,” replied Matthew, “We went to the rugby yesterday and this afternoon we have the garden music concert.”

We were looking forward to that. After a late breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, Chantal went to shower.

“It’s been cancelled,” Matthew yelled through the bathroom door.

“What’s been cancelled?” asked Chantal wiping the water out of her eyes.

“The concert. Too many last minute cancellations.”

“Ah no, I was looking forward to going,” said Chantal.

Popcorn and movie

Matthew had an idea of how to replace the cancelled event.

“Let’s watch a full length current movie,” he said, “I’ll make popcorn and we can pretend we’re at the cinema.

Recently we had been watching shorter, older movies, and series, in an effort to get to bed earlier. We looked online and chose Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein which was available on Netflix. It was a long show at over two and a half hours so just the right choice for a late afternoon viewing.

We like Guillermo del Toro. We first encountered his work in the 2018 Oscar winning The Shape of Water and later loved his adaptation of Pinocchio which won best animated feature film in 2023. He leans to the dark side in tone and expression and wraps it in heart that glows for days after viewing.

Chantal read Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, Frankenstein, at university as part of her English major. Matthew, like many, had a vague idea about the storyline: Man acts like God and makes a monster out of the body parts of dead men. The monster, who is brought to life by lightning and electricity, turns on his maker causing death and destruction.

In Mary Shelley’s story, published in 1816, the origin of all modern superhuman, monster stories that Marvel and DC throw at us is clear. Her vision planted a seed for many tales of superhuman beings battling with and against human failings.

Guillermo’s adaptation is more than another monster movie. It is nuanced as it is visceral and draws strong themes throughout the story of belonging and loss; life and death as well as the unintended consequences of human desires brought into being.

The final product

What we found even more interesting, was to watch the documentary on the making of the Frankenstein movie. Guillermo’s vision and motivation was brought to life. We were able to appreciate his need for real sets rather than the use of CGI and the way he directed his actors and collaborated with set designers and costume makers.

The final product is a sensory journey of colour and texture in word, movement and light. Not everyone will appreciate the thought and consideration that was brought to bear in this film, especially when it takes two and a half hours to sit through.

Some have complained about the adaptations made to the story, the representation of the monster and debate what themes should or should not have been emphasised. The subjectivity with which we view art, any art, makes us think we have the right to praise or criticize what we witness.

Artists are incredibly courageous as their work demands that they show it, perform it. They bare their souls to a jury, many of whom have never held a musical instrument, a paint brush or conceived of how to write a novel, never mind adapt it to screen.

When a film makes us think way after it has been viewed we appreciate it more. If we talk about it and dissect the meaning and representations we enjoy it for longer.

Look at our own lives

Watching a movie that moved us on so many levels gave us pause to look at our own lives lived these last twelve months. What were our dreams and desires at the start? Where did we over reach and overlook some unintended consequences of our projects and programmes?

The year started with the shock waves of the USAid carpet being pulled from so many necessary and worthwhile causes. Business in general seemed to become more demanding and less giving. People lost focus in a desperate attempt to make ends meet. Promises could not be kept.

International politics continued to polarise people on continents far from the skirmishes and war. It divided families and lost friends. Locally we became numbed by the tsunami of corruption uncovered and its devastation of our country.

AI slithered its way into everyone’s lives, whether they wanted it or not. The debates still rage as to its impact now and in time to come. One thing is certain, it is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

We experienced many individuals who overworked themselves. They let their stress eat away at their energy and motivation. They felt they had no choice, until they had no choice. To stop. Or were stopped by a collapsing body.

Of course many others thrived and had a successful year. No personal emergencies or major losses marred their months. Energy levels were sustained and rewards were forthcoming.

Our monster

Our monster was the cracking project. An idea borne of need and embarked on with little understanding of what it would entail. AI was used to piece together the dream. Three times it was destroyed, broken and banished by the delete button. Three times resurrected. Each time a more contained version of the previous.

It threatened to make Matthew slightly mad. Glued like a crazy person to his screen, arguing and fighting with Claude.

We have not yet loosed it on the world. We have chosen to work with it in smaller circumstances to monitor how it performs and make the changes as we deem them fit.

In the background was another monster being worked on. A book of sorts. Still in its infancy. Strung together with too much data and too little logic. Messy and muddled. It has threatened to make Chantal slightly mad as she reads and rereads, shortens and extends the text on the page.

What will next year bring?

Who knows what next year will bring. We can plan and make predictions and life will happen. For better or worse. Nothing stays the same although the cycles remain consistent. History repeats itself. Man makes the same mistakes.

The world is complex and messy. We find that the less we try to contain it, manage it and make it to our specifications, the easier we are able to navigate the madness. That is how we want to be as 2025 folds away and 2026 opens up. Resolute and resourceful sailing on the seas of life knowing that the storms will pass and we will emerge into calmer waters.

It has certainly been a year. A long year. We are looking forward to a break. This is the last Enabling the How of this year. We wish you an opportunity to have some downtime, with family and friends in community and connectedness. May 2026 be full of possibility and potential. And until we meet again, on the written roads of experiences, may God hold you softly in the palm of His hand.

Until next time.

Yours in feeling,
Chantal & Matthew

Credits for this issue — Images: 5th Place