She Devil

Even the synopsis for the film is hilarious 

"Housewife and mother Ruth Patchett (Roseanne Barr), an overweight and unkempt woman vows revenge on her husband....."

12 Monkeys

I just watched ’12 Monkeys’ the other night, but had to post here how good it was.

Knowing this was a Terry Gilliam film and expecting a visual treat, I went into the film a little skeptical about how much Id enjoy the action/sci fi aspect of the plot. Turns out I loved the plot; it was engrossing, intelligent and unpredictable (for me anyway). The film felt familiar, which was the perfect atmosphere for a story about memory, repetition and time. Brad Pitt’s jittery mental patient was impressively thrilling. The crazy eyes were amazing!

I have to watch the film again to fully understand the story and see little bits I missed on my first watch- but I’m excited to do so.

 

Into The Wild

Tonight I watched the end of the film 'Into The Wild'. A truly beautiful film celebrating the grandeur and grace of nature. Living off the land, with no need for material goods,

being outside, roaming with horses, reading great literature, singing, breathing, living and relishing life. Being alone but not lonely. This film is based on the real life travels of Christopher McCandless. 

On August 12, 1992, McCandless wrote what are apparently his final words in his journal: "Beautiful Blueberries."He tore the final page from Louis L 'Amour's memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, which contains an excerpt from a Robinson Jeffers poem titled "Wise Men in Their Bad Hours":

And I especially liked these words

"The mountains are dead stone, the people
Admire or hate their stature, their insolent quietness,
The mountains are not softened or troubled"

Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy 1969

Tonight I watched the film ‘midnight cowboy’. It was very experimental with its editing and soundtrack and the cinematography was just incredible.

The film had the same dreaminess as my favourite film ‘Lost in Translation’, where the unlikely co- existence of two strangers surpasses their isolation. Combined with these peaceful views of New York is the harsh reality of having no money in a big city; the grittiness of living in squalor with nothing more than a dream of seeing the sun.

Themes: Identity of the cowboy character in modern society, location as character, trauma, isolation, The outsider

Film for me to watch: 'Day of the Locust' also by John Schlesinger 

Abigail's Party

Recently I rewatched 'Abigail's Party' (1977). The Mike Leigh classic stars Alison Steadman as the smoking, seductive hostess Beverly. Beverly is such a fascinating character and I couldn't help but try capture some of that in an illustration.

I made another version without using her tradmark orange dress. while this composition works, it does not feel like Beverly's character. Beverly is brash and the whites suggest a subtle nature- which is certainly not Bev! I like my addition of bubbles to capture that 70s party feel. I could add some party food/nibbles too to heighten that cocktail hour style and a martini glass complete with olives.

Romantics Anonymous

Romantics Anonymous (2010)

(Les émotifs anonymes)

            Director Jean-Pierre Améris 

                    

This film is cute in every way. Not only is it charming like 'Amelie', but it is also very funny.

Loving anything sweet and all things Parisian, the fact this film is set in a chocolate factory in France certainly suggested this would be my type of film! I was right!

Yes, it is a little sugary in the extremities of how timid the two characters Angelique and Jean-Rene are, but I could accept the extremes because it was portrayed with such delicate humour.

Essentially, this was a simple idea about two awkward people, burdened by their insecurities that try dating. Angelique and Jean-Rene's inability to express emotion and intimacy, forces them to use chocolate as a way of communicating with each other. Drawing such passion from the way a fine chocolate is assembled and daring to use this passion to ignite a romance.

A classic romance but told in a refreshing way. Showing how difficult portraying ones feelings can actually be. The story is nothing new but the way it was told was incredibly coy and sweet.

 Doux comme le sucre! 

“Sweet as sugar”

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec

  The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, 2010

  Director: Luc Besson

 

 

Set in Paris with beautiful sets and costumes, this film was a sheer delight.

Witty and silly- Anything goes.

 Foolish detectives circling the city on the trail of an escaped prehistoric bird. 

An absurd display of Egyptian mummies admiring the architecture of Paris

 The smart, feisty and very beautiful Adele on her quest to save her sister

 adopted many different disguises to fool her way into places. 

Adopting the persona of each disguise was most fun to watch

The only thing I disliked about this movie was the over use of special effects in some scenes. 

Especially when Adele mounts the bird, I'm not sure if it was intended to look so unrealistic,

 but this scene felt unpleasantly digital.

 

The prosthetics worked really well to enhance the strange features of the characters. 

Simply making the detectives ears larger made him look more goofy 

and more like a man of another era; almost creating a new kind of species. 

Through watching the special features

 I gained more of an insight into the adaptation of the film. 

The film had been adapted from the comics of Jacques Tardi

 (which I hadn't previously heard of). 

The special features showed the intricate process of making the environment 

resemble that of the comics. No detail was ignored. 

Paris was transported back in time and through costume, 

set and pallette this could all be achieved

I'm so glad I found this film

I loved the mix of Egyptian history with early 20th Century Paris!

The fact an egg in a museum could crack after all these years

Simply from the power of the human mind who awakens the egg

now I will check out the comic it was adapted from by Jacques Tardi,

I don't usually like reading comics, 

but the illustrations of Paris look very nice indeed

Slaves of New York

'Slaves of New York'

Director: James Ivory, 1989 

 set in the art scene and full of playful costumes!

 

Even though Bernadette wasn't in a particularly comic role, 

the story was very true to real life. 

Set in the art scene, an exploration of over selling and under selling your talents.

Some of the trendy 'art crowd' were all too familiar. 

 

I’ve always loved the way Bernadette talks. 

Her American high pitched voice that made her Lily St. Regis

 performance so funny and entertaining in the musical 'Annie'.

I watched 'Annie' alot as a child and Lily was always my favourite character-

 even though she was bad!

Then Karen Walker's sister in 'Will and Grace' saw Bernadette as Virginia

Gin- for short

the episode 'Whatever Happened to Baby Gin?' is probably one of my favourite 

Will and Grace episodes. and I am a huge Will and Grace fan!

Partly because it is a parody of the wickedly fun 'Baby Jane' 

and partly because Bernadette Peters gives such a comic performance 

as Karens crippled sister.

I rented 'Slaves of New York' from lovefilm as I wanted to see more films 

with Bernadette Peters. 

 I thought the insecurities Eleanor had in the film were very realistic and a reminder of how important it is to believe in you're own capabilities and trust yourself! 

The writer Tama Janowitz also appeared in the film as Eleanor's friend. 

She would stay in the toilet at parties and was really funny. 

 Eleanors hats she designed were crazy!!

 

5 films for March

Either renting them from lovefilm or borrowing them from the uni library, I am taking out numerous amounts of dvds. Watching them all in quick succession, absorbing all I can; I regularly find myself forgetting what I watched, when I watched it or if I even liked it.

So I shall keep tabs here. Some recent movies I have watched

Naked Lunch

Director: David Cronenberg, 1991

 

  

This really was one of the weirdest films I have ever seen. 

I’m not one to shy away from strange and surreal but this was extremely bizarre! 

An exterminator becomes addicted to bug powder and starts seeing phallic creatures in strange places and objects. 

The man's own typewriter turns out to be an agent,

 it warns him against other typewriters which are spies absorbing secrets. 

The typewriter is a strange mutation, half mechanic half sexual organ. 

 

The anus was referenced a lot in this film and appeared regularly 

in the set and creatures: Quite disturbing.

but the film had lovely green hues, exciting creatures, prosthetics and themes and is probably why it slightly reminded me of 'delicatessen'.

Cronenberg's 'the fly' is another classic I have yet to see!

Malèna

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore

 Monica Bellucci was so elegant and alluring.

 She was silent for most of the film but it didn’t make her scenes any less pleasing 

to watch. The women of the town had such disdain for this woman 

because of her aloof beauty. I found the scene where the women 

attack Melena horrible to watch. It really showed how monstrous women

 can be towards each other. I also assume this had a lot to do with the 

nature of fascism, considering Malena had moved to this town from another 

part of Italy. I’m sure the film was symbolic of a lot more, 

I just do not know so much about Italian history during the war.

 Its quite shameful for me, I really want/need to know more history. 

When the women gave guilt offerings to Malena at the food market, Im sure it was reference to something more.

 I loved the film on the level I understood, but with further research hopefully I will understand the films symbolic references to history 

I loved Renato and his new found exploration of manhood. 

His first female fantasy. 

 

 

The way he tears the undergarments from Malena's washing line and scurries home to sniff them. Eww!! 

His fathers outrage when he discovers his sons crime. 

The hysterical scenes that follow in the Amoroso household. 

Renato's scenes were very witty. 

 

 Though this film was very powerful, 

it was also very dear, sweet and suprisingly witty

 

What's eating Gilbert Grape?

Director:  Lasse Hallstrom, 1993

It was brilliantly acted. Leonardo was very believable and moving as the young brother with autism. Though the film does not say Arnie is autistic, I gather he is from the mannerisms and behaviour patterns. With his childlike trusting and playful nature, Leonardo portrayed this beautifully. 

 The scene with the burning house was really nice visually. Especially the way all the furniture was gathered in the field around them. The collection of their belongings scattered around them in the field, as they silently watch their house ablaze.

Even though the film had a lot of heart, It wasn't something I could watch again.

I wanted to be moved, but I couldn't help feeling depressed and dispirited. I find films set in desolate towns have such a feeling of hopelessness and I felt so drained by the sadness of Gilbert’s situation. 

                               I didn't really enjoy it, but I could appreciate its heart 

Some other films:

 'Withnail and I' 1987

 Richard E Grant was very funny as the out-of-work actor who takes a trip to the countryside. Plenty of drinking wine, smoking cigarettes and dramatic speeches about the dire situation he is living in

Beautiful Lies, 2010

 De vrais mensonges (original title)

On the poster it promised “matches the heights of amelie”

foolish of me really to expect this film to be anything like Amelie. 

Just because it stars Audrey Tatou doesn't mean it will be anywhere as good....

and it wasn't 

 It was mediocre

nothing special

A nice idea about a hairdresser who writes anoynmous love letters to her mother in order to cheer her up....but I found Émilie's character too rude. 

she wasn't cheeky in a playful way, she was just really unmannerly...and it wasn't likeable.

Sleeping Beauty, 2011

 

 

This film was quite dull.

There were some interesting ideas but they didn't have much impact.

The fairy tale element could have been pushed further, 
something more could’ve happened.

A lot of people have said the film was a waste of time.
 If Emily Browning had not been the main character perhaps this would’ve been so.

However, Emily Browning was so beautiful, it just made the film very easy to watch. Her nude scenes exposed her perfect porcelain skin, she was the perfect choice. If you watch the film just for her beauty, it is enough.

Emily didn’t have a chance to do much acting because her character was so dull. Except for in the last scene which had a lot of impact on me.

This film is like a beautiful painting and nothing more- but I didn't mind that