detached in the observation of performance

‘It was like a movie’ always means something happened, you saw something happen right in front of you in an emotionally charged larger-than-life context. ‘It was like a movie’ can only ever mean that while you’re looking at what’s happening in front of you, you’ve also managed to step back from the experience, you’ve willed yourself to be detached in the observation of performance. Marianne Wiggins, The Shadow Catcher