Le ciné club du semaine
To assuage my hunger for all things French, and seeing as how my degustation was forcibly non-oral (sadly) I had my very own club de cinema this week on my now defunct television.
I think I have mentioned this before, but movies that I don't like are few and far between, and this week's selection was no dissapointment. Not only were the films well developed in their narrative, beautiful, but their soundtracks were all worthy in their own right.
Today's recommendations:
The Dreamers Directected by Bernardo Bertolucci
(Written by Gilbert Adair - adapted from his novel)
If anyone could make incest both irresistibly sexy and visually stunning it is Bertolucci. Not to mention that I, personally, am fascinated by the events of 1968 in Paris. The film does an excellent job of examining multiple philosophical view points without falling into stereotypes, and it focuses on the sexual exploration of a trio of cinephiles, two Parisian and one Californian, embroiled in the political tumult of the era, children of a famous and out of touch writer, bourgeois with socialist leanings, and unable to set themselves free from the emotional codependence of their years together.
The Agronomist Directed by John Demme
It has been a long time since I have wanted to watch a documentary, but this is well worth it. It amazes me how similar Haiti's situation is to so many of our other beloved countries ravaged by poverty and dictatorial governments, and how easily it slips through the cracks. The object of study was Jean Dominique, an agronomist by training who became the voice of free Haitian radio. The most incredible part of the documentary is that it covers a span of almost 15 years of interviews with Dominique, who was a luminary figure and whose luminescence is transmitted through his facial expressions so much so that you feel as if you were having a personal conversation with him from beyond the grave. I think what most saddened me was to see the misery to which the Haitian people are subjected, after Papa Doc and Baby Doc; to see that the hope inspired by a popular leader, Aristide, could inevitably be stamped out by his failure and ultimate corruption.
Look at Me Directed by Agnès Jaoui
What I love most about the French, at least in their cinematic language, is their violent rejection of all that could be interpreted as a Hollywood ending. In the end, the main character is still overweight, her father is still an asshole, and she finds that she too is not blameless. And yet, there is a transformation that occurs, a deeper understanding of human nature, of the nature of our relationships. It examines how fame, and art should never mix, and the depths to which one can sink with an unresolved oedipal complex. What I found most enticing was that the character development was not linear, but rather staggered, and it alluded to deeper yearnings and marital discontents present in several relationships without the need for a red flag. Add to that a beautiful focus on the finding of one's voice, and one's own happiness. Aside: Great party scene in which music goes from Bachata to the laments of Radio Tarifa to House of Pain, now that takes style.
I think I have mentioned this before, but movies that I don't like are few and far between, and this week's selection was no dissapointment. Not only were the films well developed in their narrative, beautiful, but their soundtracks were all worthy in their own right.
Today's recommendations:
The Dreamers Directected by Bernardo Bertolucci
(Written by Gilbert Adair - adapted from his novel)
If anyone could make incest both irresistibly sexy and visually stunning it is Bertolucci. Not to mention that I, personally, am fascinated by the events of 1968 in Paris. The film does an excellent job of examining multiple philosophical view points without falling into stereotypes, and it focuses on the sexual exploration of a trio of cinephiles, two Parisian and one Californian, embroiled in the political tumult of the era, children of a famous and out of touch writer, bourgeois with socialist leanings, and unable to set themselves free from the emotional codependence of their years together.
The Agronomist Directed by John Demme
It has been a long time since I have wanted to watch a documentary, but this is well worth it. It amazes me how similar Haiti's situation is to so many of our other beloved countries ravaged by poverty and dictatorial governments, and how easily it slips through the cracks. The object of study was Jean Dominique, an agronomist by training who became the voice of free Haitian radio. The most incredible part of the documentary is that it covers a span of almost 15 years of interviews with Dominique, who was a luminary figure and whose luminescence is transmitted through his facial expressions so much so that you feel as if you were having a personal conversation with him from beyond the grave. I think what most saddened me was to see the misery to which the Haitian people are subjected, after Papa Doc and Baby Doc; to see that the hope inspired by a popular leader, Aristide, could inevitably be stamped out by his failure and ultimate corruption.
Look at Me Directed by Agnès Jaoui
What I love most about the French, at least in their cinematic language, is their violent rejection of all that could be interpreted as a Hollywood ending. In the end, the main character is still overweight, her father is still an asshole, and she finds that she too is not blameless. And yet, there is a transformation that occurs, a deeper understanding of human nature, of the nature of our relationships. It examines how fame, and art should never mix, and the depths to which one can sink with an unresolved oedipal complex. What I found most enticing was that the character development was not linear, but rather staggered, and it alluded to deeper yearnings and marital discontents present in several relationships without the need for a red flag. Add to that a beautiful focus on the finding of one's voice, and one's own happiness. Aside: Great party scene in which music goes from Bachata to the laments of Radio Tarifa to House of Pain, now that takes style.
posted by ilana at 1:04 a.m.
4 Comments:
Un momento, estamos hablando de Freedom Cinema? Has visto "Un long dimanche de fiançailles" basada en la novela de Sébastien Japrisot (que es un anagrama de su verdadero nombre "Jean-Baptiste Rossis")? Vieras el montón de cajitas de Kleenex que me sacó al final la desgraciada película; lo cual no es sorprendente si te cuento que casi me deshidrato de soltar lágrimas en "Finding Nemo" y "March of the pinguins" (te recomiendo la versión americana con la narración de Morgan Freeman, pues en la francesa los estúpidos decidieron ponerle voces a los animales, arruinando el film)
Sí, sí, justamente.// No la he visto, pero está en la larga lista de: To watch... ya sabés.
Anoche vi de nuevo "El callejón de los milagros" para variar la temática del cineclub (nota anectdótica: se filmó en parte en el casco de la ex-hacienda donde creció M., hasta usaron su casa en una escena, porque la dueña era una cineasta italiana y siempre prestaba su espacio... )
Para hoy está: The inheritance (Per Fly - sueca)
o I'll sleep when I'm dead (Mike Hodges) I have a weakness for gangster flicks and Malcolm McDowell.
Pues yo aquí estoy igual que vos con los Kleenex, pero no por tristeza sino por la segunda ronda de enfermedad, así perdoname por mi falta de coherencia.
Y por último... me encantó tu cuento. Yeah right, broken English, you leave me in the dust any day;)
Desde que vi Betty Blue por primera vez hace más de 15 años, he tenido un love/hate relationship con el cine francés (incluyendo haber visto Betty Blue dos veces más), así que nunca se qué ver y qué dejar pasar. Muchas gracias por las recomendaciones, esto lo hará más fácil.
Dean, estoy de acuerdo, nunca se sabe... yo me guío por la portada:) ja ja. Check out IMDB, es una base de datos que utiliza mucha gente para reseñar películas, sirve de algo...
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