Sunday Art :: Lucia Portret

Portrait of Monica Vitti by Lucia Portret

Hitchcock and his Heroines

 Rebecca

I have recently discovered myself a huge fan of Hitchcock films, and their cunning heroines. I am working my way through the whole series {67 odd films} and, so far, I have loved each and every of them. 

Suspense is the intrepid anticipation that something potentially dreadful is about to happen. Past, on the other hand, also plays a key role: it’s the source of mystery, psychological issues, madness. In H. films, this anticipation is created by a slow and self-indulgent pace that doesn't spoil the enjoyment of the moment. When the viewpoint is shifted to the murderer {as it often happens in his films}, the viewer experiences an uncomfortable feeling of anxiety as he/she starts emphasising with the villain. This anxiety is the achieved effect of suspense. 

His settings are simultaneously eye-catching and preposterous for the contemporary eye. External scenes can be vibrant and exotic as in The Man who Knew too Much, glamorous and mundane as in To Catch a Thief, vivid and compelling as in Vertigo, realistic and picturesque as in The Man who Knew too Much, oppressing and implausible as in Marnie - visibly shot in a film set where backgrounds and natural sceneries are gawky eye-illusions. But no matter how clumsy or dated some cinematic devices appear, his films so well reflect their era and retain a timeless quality. 

Top: Joan Fontaine, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly
Middle: Doris Day, Vera Miles, Kim Novak
Bottom: Eva Marie Saint, Janet Leigh, Tippi Hedren

 Jane Wyman 

Steve believes that H. betrays a misogynist view, but I tend to disagree with him. Even when his heroines are scrupulousness and merciless, they retain humour, grace, warmth, sophistication, passion and, of course, an outwardly beauty. Aside the most iconic H. femmes fatales, I was charmed by the co-protagonist of Stage Fright: Jane Wyman aka Eve Gill aka Doris Tinsdale. Her beauty might not be as striking as Grace Kelly's or Marlene Dietrich's {who in Stage Fright tries to no avail to outcast her}, but I found Jane a bundle of sweetness, quirkiness, cuteness and fun, exactly as we like it! Their timeless style has inspired tons of designers. Net-a-Porter online magazine  recently posted an article on retro style and its futurist development.

Let's dream for a moment. If I were one of Hitchcock's divas, for this Xmas I would wear a Reiss outfit {high waisted tailored trousers and silk blouse} for the day  and  a Reiss fur gilet coupled up with the most adorable butterfly dress {by Temperley} for the night.

Reiss collection is particularly sumptuous this year. I visited their shop yesterday and loved almost every item. I set my eyes on this cardi, which, luckily, is not yet available.

I was so jubilant when I read that Rope, one of the best H.'s movies (if there is a best), was staged at the Almeida Theatre in London. The Almeida is a contemporary little gem in east London. Possibly, one of the best modern theatres in town. I shall make sure not to miss it!

Les Regrets :: 60 Seconds review

By Cédric Kahn

Cast:
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as Maya
Arly Jover as Lisa
Yvan Attal as Mathieu Liévin



{***Contains some Spoilers, not many***}

This is the only film I watched this year at the London Film Festival. I love French cinema as it always transports me into a free spirited dimension.

Les Regrets, like other CK's films, is centred on ordinary people with ordinary lives caught by a sudden crisis. In this instance, Mathieu's mid life crisis materialises into a magnetic passion for an unconventional old flame, which takes, under CK's direction, an unprecedented turn. 

The crisis is two-folded: on one side he loses his last parent (his mother) leaving him with the burden of selling his family home. This bereavement symbolises a definitive departure from childhood. On the other side, he meets his ex-lover and is taken by an uncontrollable passion for her. He still looks dearly in love with his graceful wife, but the chemistry with Maya plays like a magnet. Although turbulent and unstable, it takes him back to her and her to him. They are about to flee to Barcelona when she has got an afterthought. They break up again. As time goes by, he becomes increasingly restless and ends up (literally) chasing her in the streets with tragicomic effects {it was apparently the only non-scripted scene of the entire film - the director revealed during the post-screening question time}.

Paradoxically, his madness is the source of extra-lucidity allowing him to see clarity in his life. 

The incredible chemistry between the the two characters is alone a sufficient reason to go and watch this film. Bruni-Tedeschi exudes an aura of sensuality that would make succumb the coolest man, and Attal's introversion and clumsy passion makes his character one-of-a-kind. It shouldn't be underestimated the key role of the cheated wife either. She plays her role with extreme dignity and, as CK himself observed, the audience always tends to sympathise with the abandoned side.

 

Photos from movieplayer.it

totally engaging!

Persepolis

Directed by: Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi

Writing credits:
Vincent Paronnaud: screenplay
Marjane Satrapi comic & screenplay

Marjane Satrapi novel

Cast of the English dubbed version:
Marjane: Chiara Mastroianni
Marjane's mother: Catherine Deneuve
Marjane's father: Sean Penn
Marjane's grandmother: Gena Rowland

i was totally charmed by this animation. i didn't have a clue of the plot. steve booked it, i just saw the billboard and agreed to go because it was free. yesterday morning, without the least expectation, thinking i was going to watch a weird cartoon about nuns, i slipped out of bed, and half asleep made my way to the coffee machine, the shower and the bus. as soon as the opening credits finished i was completely taken. i was captured by the alluring voices of the leading actors/actresses, the engaging soundtrack, last but not least, the abstract graphic in black & white, whose stylisation conveyed a highly expressionistic value to the plotline - extracted from marjane satrapi's graphic memoirs.

marjane is a little bright girl who lives with her liberal parents in a free and secular teheran in the late seventies. her life is not dissimilar from that of a western family. however, the political unrest which will end with the shah's defeat in the iranian revolution starts defining her experiences. she will go through death, war (iraq-iran) and witness a deep change in her society ruled by islamic fundamentalism, until she will be sent to boarding school in vienna where she will come into contact with abrasive characters and will be troubled by bizarre experiences and disappointments. back in her country she will feel a stranger in her own country but will desperately try to integrate herself into it...

Mies vailla menneisyyttä

The Man Without a Past

Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Written by: Aki Kaurismäki

The second part of Aki Kaurismäki's "Finland" trilogy (after Drifting Clouds), the film follows a man who arrives in Helsinki and gets beaten up so severely he develops amnesia. Unable to remember his name or anything from his past life, he cannot get a job or an apartment, so he starts living on the outskirts of the city and slowly starts putting his life back on track.

Language: Finnish
Country: Finland
Filming location: Helsinki
Awards: Nominated for Oscar

(c) imdb

in helsinki we spent one of our nights at the kaurismakis brothers' bar. aki kaurismaki is an awarded film director who i had discovered during my internship at la biennale of venice and i was asked to transcribe interviews of a few famous directors.

i have only a few words for this film: the man without a past is a humanist film with jumps into the theatre of the absurd and an endearing romance staging the most humble and genuine feelings. the protagonist's capacity of creating his dignified life in a run-down community at the outskirts of helsinki was touching and fascinating without being sentimental, and reminded me the hero of Bon Bon El Perro.

Some quotes:

M: What do I owe you?
Electrician: If you ever find me face down in the gutter, turn me around to my back

[M is renting an abandoned shipping container]
M: When can I move in?
Anttila: As soon as I turn my back.
M: And the keys?
Anttila: You see a lock anywhere?
M: No.
Anttila: Don't go splitting hairs then, or I'll take the door, too.

water ~ a film on the politics of religion

Written by Anurag Kashyap (dialogue) and Deepa Metha

Directed by Deepa Metha
Cast:
Sarala as Chuyia
Lisa Ray as Kalyani
John Abraham as Narayan
Seema Biswas as Shakuntala
Language: Hindi
USA:117 min
Country: India
Awards: Nominated for Oscar
Quote: "God willing she'll reborn as a man."

set in india during the english colonialism and before gandhi's arrival, water follows the life of a heterogeneous group of widows in the ashram, a life characterised by renunciation, penitence and social degradation, their only guilt being to be born widows: some of them could be as young as eight years old as the protagonist is. chuya's vitality upsets the order and hierarchy of this marginalized community on the bank of ganga river, source of purification or life and death alike. the widows keep washing themselves in its waters, as hindu belief holds that bathing in the river on certain occasions causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. but ganga is also known for the immersion of the ashes of their kin; this immersion also is believed to send the ashes to heaven. [digression: the two most important hindu festivals: Kumbh Mela and Chhat Puja see millions of people bathing their limbs in the sacred river.]


Deepa Mehda's sensitivity brings to the screen old hindu traditions, misinterpreted and distorted over the centuries for convenient political reasons. the Holy Hindu Scriptures, if read verbatim, offers a widow three options: one, to marry her husband's younger brother, if his family permits; two, to kill herself on his funeral pyre; three, to live a life of celibacy, discipline, and solitude amongst her own kind. a new law in india allows widows to remarry but this news appears not to have reached varanasi in 1938.

the film's shooting started in 2000 in the holy city of varanasi, but was soon opposed by religious fundamentalists, and the government, despite its approval of the script, little did to protect the cast from harassment and death threats. the director had a mission: to complete her trilogy on the natural elements started four years earlier with fire (on the politics of sexuality) and earth (on the politics of nationalism). the troubled making of this fine film was chronicled by Deepa's daughter in shooting water. five years later they moved to sri lanka and recruited a new casting.

the impressive photography was directed by niles nuttgens, the same director of the other two films. filming in a tropical country such as sri lanka was hard as it is much greener than india. so, nuttgens decided to convey a peculiar personality to the slowed pace of life in the ashram, in contrast with the nature and colours of the life outside. the result is excellent: blue and green being the dominant colours.


sarala, the little actress, was found in a village in the south of sri lanka and could speak neither hindi nor english. so, she learnt the script phonetically and was directed with gestures and mimics. she is so natural behind the camera - an amazing cinematic revelation.


ranyan is a bollywood star and fits just right the role of idealist and follower of gandhi. he is delicate, elegant and kind.

Seema Biswas (Shakuntala), who symbolises change, delivers a thoughtful and charismatic acting, which overshadows the gracious but vulnerable and fragile Lisa Ray (Kalyani).

Thursday 13

It is not a secret my passion for European and independent cinema whose low budgets do not allow the visibility that their blockbuster (distant) relatives enjoy, and so they remain unknown, but not less worth-while to be seen, appreciated and loved - as also LS pointed out. What I really like of those films is their attention to real feelings and their detour from conventional morals, predetermined patterns and standard paces whilst staying true to the milestones of art-cinema. Also, although filtered through the eyes of their specific culture and costumes, they are able to convey universal messages and profound reflections. Their obscure quality is certainly an added value for cine-phile like me. There is nothing more rewarding for a cinema afecionado, in fact, than to casually bump into an unexpectedly enthralling *film of substance*. It is not exactly the same with books, where, for me, word of mouth is essential for I do not have time and patience to experiment random literature. In the case of cinema though you can be more daring without too much damage and the reward is great. It is a bit like when you spot a talented unknown actress and then you start losing interest when you know everything about her through interviews, critics and gossips as it becomes more difficult to identify her with her character or you focus your attention more on her acting skills than on the final result.

So, following the footprints of a devoted blogger, Lovely Salome, I dusted my memory and uncovered some well kept secrets: 13 relatively obscure films, which I shall call my *13 quirky little gems*. With a Kubrik-style accuracy I tried to touch all macro-genres and balance the country of origin. All for your full enjoyment.

1- Amores Perros (Mexico) -- Violence and death, life and destinies. 2- Belleville Rendevous (France) -- Stylish animation, inventive story evoking la Belle Epoque, and the grandma reminding me my nonna Lina! 3- Black Cat White Cat (Serbia) -- The infinite resources of men! 4- Bombón: El Perro (Argentina) -- How a dog can change your life - sweet sweet sweet! 5- Buffalo 66 -- a psychological portrait of a criminal and an artful minimalist photography. 6- Cruel Joys (Czech Repubblic/Slovakia) -- I casually watched it at the 2005 London Film Festival, it was certainly a nice surprise. 7- Everything is illuminated (Ukraine) -- Parallels, coincidences, secrets and an improbable friendship. 8- Me and You and Everyone we Know (America) -- An introverted man and an imaginative woman meet. 9- My Life as a Dog (Sweden) -- World seen by a child - uplifting and moving. 10- Together (Sweden) -- a woman with a conventional family finding shelter and support in a commune. 11- Train De Vie (French) -- Historical fairy-tale about holocaust. 12- Wait Until Dark (America) -- One of Helpburn's finest interpretations. 13- What's eating Gilbert Grape -- A joung Jonny Depp in an extremely sweet. I have many more up my sleeve, but I need to go to bed now. So good night, and good luck. ; )

the lives of others

Cast:
Martina Gedeck ... Christa-Maria Sieland
Ulrich Mühe ... Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler
Georg Dreyman ... Sebastian Koch

Written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Tagline: Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets.

Year: 2006

terrific film. an oscar for best foreign film under the belt to confirm it. das leben des anderes is elegantly done, sexy, moving, psychological, tragic and with those kind of finales which are clever without being sensational, hopeful without being flat happy-endings, circular in that they close all the narrative threads in the finest way. it was the second film i watched about the GDR, after goodbye lenin (2003). i enjoyed both but i found this new one more sophisticated, subtle and artistically crafted.


he (koch) was the german equivalent of banderas, she (gedeck) was the essence of femininity and their survelliant (muehe) was an interesting psycological case.

on a personal note - i always like to see *unknown* great actors behind the camera - the *big* celebrities are too deflated.

in two words - it's a must-see!

stephane & stephanie

the science of sleep
(la science des rêves)

directed by michel gondry
written by michel gondry
main cast:
stéphane miroux: gael garcía bernal
stéphanie: charlotte gainsbourg
soundtrack: white strips
year: 2007
language: english, french, spanish

since it is a film of images and imagery, have a look at the trailer instead of reading the plot.

"tonight i am going to show you how dreams are prepared: love friendships relationships and all those ships."

stephane

i watched this special film in a special venue: the electric cinema in portobello market (in the heart of quirky notting hill). i could not believe that in five years (or better, 4 years, 9 months and 27 days) i had never been to this unique place. it was a funky experience: a bar inside the main theatre offered drinks and food that can be comfortably consumed at your cosy seat: an armchair accessorised with a stool to rest your proved legs. not only, in the back rows armchairs become beds!

the science of sleep depicted the visionary world of the childish, sensitive and imaginative stephan (gael garcia bernal) and his new life in an alien paris where the introvert and creative stephanie (charlotte gainsbourg) also lives. despite coming from a french mother, stephan grew up in mexico with his mexican father and, only after this latter's death, he agreed to come back to france. stephane's life is heavily determined by his dreams and, when he meets his perfect match (stephanie), he thinks that she can empathise with his weird mind and decides to introduce her to his wacky world. the original title of the film is in fact the science of *dreams* and not *sleep*, although it could be argued that the two are closely related - this is particular transparent in languages such as spanish, where the word is the same (sueño), and italian, where sonno and sogno are heavily allitterated.

quirky set design, funky costumes, visual puns, chunky object animation (including floating clouds, cardbox objects), distorted perspectives and outrageously incongruous landscape vistas are an extension of gondry's imagination. let me remind that gondry directed the oscar-winning film - for best original screenplay: the eternal sunshine of a spotless mind. in an interview, the director admitted (in my own words) that this film is his most intimate creature.

defiant, lunatic and extremely funny, it challenges any expectation. its humour and hints of melancholy that pervade it entertain your mind but also your heart.

the only downside is that it was not always consistent: at times the viewer can feel lost as you don't know whether your are in his dreams or in the real paris. furthermore, i would have liked to see their relationship developed further...

on the other side, what i enjoyed most was the film's 'rudimental' shooting which conveyed a genuine and familiar (home-made) touch. in fact, "michel gondry didn't use any chroma keys in this film [...] so that they [the actors] could see it and not imagine it [the set], which gives them a different way of playing their parts"*.

*(c) imdb

groovy

the most fascinating couple from hollywood is back: BFI is devoting this month a retrospective to bogey and bacall's films. excellent choice!

correspondences

the time traveller’s wife is an intensively human love-story between an artistic graceful and patient beauty (claire) and an errant and a bit fucked-up, yet amiable, guy (henry). henry is cursed by his own gift of time travelling across his and her past (or, more rarely, future). although the time travelling dynamics explicated in the novel never convinced me completely (the author seemed to break her own *suspension of disbelief's* rules in more than one circumstance), half way through the book you forget all of these discrepancies and begin to empathise with the characters’ lives with a hard to believe sense of identification. the characters have to face an escalation of absurd, yet human, calamities proves and hardships that you end up perceiving the time travelling ‘movement’ by the same standards as any other family tribulation.

although it must be unbearable to experience a relationship constantly fragmented and disrupted by your man’s absence, the couple had the exceptional privilege of enjoying each other’s company twice longer and, in claire’s case, since she was six years old…

when i finished this enthralling reading and found out that the then couple Pitt/Aniston had bought all the film rights, my mind started a journey into the directing world. i suddenly became a (-n acclaimed) film director with the warranty to pick the right cast for such a quirky and profound story. i opted for an improbable match: a mexican actor (gael garcia bernal) and an english/french artist (charlotte gainsbourg) because, despite their very different backgrounds and age (she is 7 years senior than him), i could foresee a natural chemistry between them (and everything is possible on stage!). it was to my immense delight that i discovered they were chosen by the quick-witted and resouceful director Michel Gondry to star as a couple in the promising film the *science of sleep*. i haven’t seen it yet, but it will be out in london from 16th february, and i already know that it will be one of my top five classics.

the reason why i believe that gael is perfectly suitable to this role is that, before being a talented actor, he is a real person. in point of fact, what i really appreciate of him (apart from the fact that he is gorgeous) is his authenticity behind and in front of the cameras. he comes from an arty family with a bohemian soul, is socio-politically aware and proud of his country, and is not afraid to challenge himself with controversial and unflattering cinematic roles (all of which were excellent choices!). charlotte gainsbourg’s acting is genuine as much, and her irregular features and velvety voice add a unique magnetism to her girl-next-door beauty. her background is as interesting as her co-star’s: daughter of ex-supermodel Jane Birkin and poet Serge Gainsbourg (who sadly passed away in '91 and is buried in the exclusive Montparnasse cemetery in Paris), she is flawlessy bilingual. but her forte is not only limited to acting and languages: she is also an icon of understated style and, last but not least, a successful recording singer: her last album *5:55* has featured on the sidebar of amicacarmilla for many months now ~ testimony of my fan-devotion to her music.