but he stammers so beautifully...

It's very rare that I find a buddy who enjoys the same obscure movies that I do and gets excited for awards season. I met my soul mate in Collin three years ago, but this year, I found a female counterpart and I'm really excited. My fellow intern, Sonia, and I have really hit it off in the last few months and before she left to go visit her family for the holidays, we decided we needed to see The King's Speech together. Now three of my favorite actors are in it, the sexy Colin Firth, the dynamic Helena Bonham Carter, and the bastard Geoffrey Rush (don't get me wrong, I love him, but we have a sordid history). This movie has been getting tons of Oscar buzz and of course I needed to see what the hype was all about.
The synopsis on the web basically said that King George VI had a speech impediment and required the help of a therapist. Boo. The movie is so much more than that. Honestly, if I had to think of one word to describe the film, it would be "Bromance". It's an awkward love story in which two mean from very different backgrounds become life-long friends. Before King George VI was king, he was Albert, Duke of York, who lived a happy life with his wife and two daughters and his bloody stammer. Incapable of having a fluent conversation without the interruption of his stammer, Albert's wife (played by Bonham Carter) employs Lionel Logue, speech therapist, as a last resort. Logue implements unconventional methods in an attempt to lessen Albert's stammer. Even though their relationship starts off rocky, the two dissimilar men form an attachment with each other. Their relationship is more akin to brothers than employer/employee. When Albert finally ascends to the throne unexpectedly, Logue is there to coach him with every speech.
    Colin Firth is incredibly impressive with his interpretation of an important man suffering from such an embarrassing sickness. He stammers and stutters so beautifully, that it's impossible that he won't receive recognition from the Academy. Bonham Carter has delightful quips and a certain unapologetic elegance in her role, that she makes you smile every time she's on the screen. Honestly my favorite character is Lionel Logue played by Geoffrey Rush. Rush says every line unexpectedly and deposits humor in scenes that you wouldn't traditionally think were funny. Every line is refreshing.
      The movie is such fun, which you wouldn't be able to tell by the crappy trailers and even worst promotional artwork (WTF was that?). The King's Speech is a good time, even if you have to listen to the lines super carefully.

don't hold on too tight...you might fall

I've been really busy these past few months and I've been neglecting my friends and the cinema. Finally Collin decided that this could no longer go on and so he forced me to go see Black Swan, not that it took much encouragement. Once I saw the trailer months ago, I've been aching to go see it. Collin already saw it but was dying to see it a second time. That's enough of a review for me.
So we braved the cold and trekked to Union Square to enjoy a ballet psycho thriller (yeah, I know it's weird). Honestly it was so good. Natalie Portman really deserves all the accolades that the critics are throwing at her. She's amazing and is practically in every scene, oozing vulnerability. She's scared and timid, but full of passion and ambition that rings true for every struggling artist. Aronofsky does a wonderful job of portraying the world of ballet, where in order to be on top, someone else has to fall down.
Natalie embodies Nina Sayers, a shy ballerina with superb talent, whose personal growth has been stunted by her over-bearing mother played by the immaculate Barbara Hershey (fyi, Barbara was the most terrifying part of this whole movie). When offered the role of a lifetime, playing both the White and Black Swan in Swan Lake, Nina has to dig deep inside herself to find the sexiness and passion to inhabit the unpredictable persona of the Black Swan. However it doesn't come quite easy to Nina and she's constantly looking over her shoulder when her competition, Lily (played by Mila Kunis), is trying to claim her shining crown.
The movie is sexy and scary, which is hard to achieve in modern cinema. While the viewer doesn't always know what's real and what's being constructed by Nina's psyche, the trip that we take is a fun one. The are hilariously awkward moments (including a masturbation scene gone wrong) and uncomfortable awkward moments (including dance maestro, Vincent Cassel, abusing his power on Nina).
The last 20 minutes of the film are truly breathtaking, which I can attest because Collin raved about them prior to seeing the film and then proceeded to grab hold of my arm for the last act, cutting off circulation (I'm starting to regain movement in my right fingers). Honestly this award season is jam-packed with standouts, but Black Swan is truly something you need to go see.

It means that I, like God, do not play with dice and I don't believe in coincidences...

I grew up reading plays. There are times I think that it's more rewarding to read a play than to see it. Now I know that goes against all the rules and regulations of theatre. I can hear my college professors yelling at me now, "Plays are meant to be seen, not read". I get it. But sometimes I just want to hear the words than see the actions. I think that's where the beauty of theatre comes from. Considering the fact that you could have the worst seats in the house and be only able to see the hem of one of the actress' skirt, how is it that you can still be moved by the play? Simple, the dialogue. Every word that a playwright includes is not by chance. It always means something. That's what I cling onto from theatre. I want to make sure I know what diction was chosen. You might have noticed with past reviews that I love the meshing of theatre and film. I love the visual metaphors that are possible in cinema, but I also adore when they include the verbal metaphors as well. One film that accomplishes that is V for Vendetta.
      It's a political allegory about what could happen when we stop being active participants in our government. If we forget that the government works for us and not the other way around, then we relinquish our rights. V is one of those heroes that hasn't forgotten about the "fifth of November" and is planning a revolution to claim back his liberty. On the way, he encounters Evey and falls in love, even though he never thought he could. They risk everything, including their lives, in order to be free. Now we may all believe we're free, but this film illustrates that were clinging to bondage because we're afraid to make our own decisions. But all it takes is a little flame, a match to set off an Armageddon.


Hugo Weaving's voice is sooo sexy in this movie.

i'll stick to my own definitions...

Of course this post is long overdue. I've been dying to see this movie since the trailer was released online. Do you remember seeing it in the previews for Inception? The chills that I got were so intense. (I'm also getting chills for the Harry Potter finales, but let's wait till November for that). There were no actual plot devices shown but rather images of facebook icons and profile pictures that we regard as so mundane because it's so engrained into our every day lives. But when it's presented to you on a huge screen, you start to realize the sheer magnitude of influence that Mark Zuckerberg's creation has on our existences.
         When I finally saw The Social Network, I went in with the notion that this movie would not only change my life, but define my generation. Isn't that the refrain we've been hearing from the critics? The Social Network will be our The Breakfast Club. As I cozied into my huge seat (of course dominating all the surrounding seats as well) I prepared myself to see my life flash before my eyes. Unfortunately, it didn't.  It's not that The Social Network isn't a good film, it's just not about "us" as a whole. Where The Breakfast Club had a character for each social class to identify with, The Social Network is partitioned with the "have" and "have-nots". If you're not rich then you're not cool? That seems a little prehistoric and maybe it is, especially when the setting of the film is at one of the oldest universities in America. The basic plot of the film is that after being dumped by his girlfriend for being an asshole, Mark Zuckerberg gets the idea for the facebook while drunk and seeking fame on his college campus. Along the way he gets help from his best friend Eduardo Saverin (played by the uuber adorable Andrew Garfield. sigh) and begins to build an empire. In true rags to riches fashion, the acquire groupies (Brenda Song being amazing) and enemies, the Winklevoss twins (played by the singular but sexy Armie Hammer) and turns from a regular asshole to a powerful jerk.
       The story culminates with the several lawsuits that Zuckerberg faced and the basic understanding that regardless of what ludicrous amount of money he pays to his enemies, he has created not only an empire, but a lifestyle change. As Sean Parker says in the movie, Zuckerberg has created "a once in a generation idea". Regardless of how universal facebook is (they don't have roads in Bosnia but they have facebook) the characters don't define this particular generation. Of course everyone wants to be known for something and not an outcast, but is this a generational notion or rather one shared by everyone regardless of race, creed and age. When I think of our generation, I think of hipsters and posers. I think of us as the generation that thinks outside the box. We aren't bogged down by the notion that there's only one right way. We want to make it on our own by our own standards. Whether this is a good thing or not, I don't know.
    Now I don't want to seem that I'm coming down on the movie. I had a good time. Whether it's Oscar-worthy I don't know. I think both Jesse Eisenberg and Armie Hammer's performances definitely deserve a campaign. The screenplay is phenomenal, with lines that had to be written. But I'm going to save my vote for a film that actual define more than a generation...it defines me.

sunday movie classic: The Exorcist

I know I've been horrible this week and I apologize. I've been sick all week with a flu/cold hybrid. Honestly I would've been better if I curtailed my drinking/partying habits, but let's be real, it was an open bar! So I'm still sick, coughing up a storm and watching scary movies. Whenever I'm sick, I watch only three things: old school cartoons (Doug and X-men the Animated Series), Boy Meets World reruns (best show ever), and scary movies. If you're one of my close friends and you're reading this, you know how true that last statement is because I most likely called you to vent about my nightmares. This week I went old school with my horror flicks and got down with The Exorcist. Literally the scariest movie I have ever seen. I don't scared from a film unless is has religious connotations or has the by-line 'based on a true story'.  For some reason that gets me. Linda Blair stars as a child possessed by the devil and her poor mother is trying to save her soul through the help of a devout priest. I love the beginning of the movie when the mother (Ellen Burstyn) and doctors thinks Regan is going through puberty or has a tumor. Nah Kid. She's got a severe case of Beelzebub. The special effects are awesome and everyone remembers the classic twisted head scene. I think the reason the film still frightens the granny panties off of me is the sordid transformation of this sweet girl into a child of Satan. It could happen to anyone and I'm not trying to let it happen to me. The Exorcist became the highest grossing scary movie ever and was even nominated for ten academy awards. It's totally deserves being considered a Sunday classic 



and because I was gone for a week, a little something extra...enjoy!

...who's car we taking?

I could have sworn I wrote a post about this movie a while ago, but of course I was wrong. So I saw The Town two weeks and it was much better than I anticipated. I genuinely liked this movie. I didn't have low expectations but it was beautifully filmed and it had a good balance of action and heart. It's the story of Dougie Macray who live is Charlestown, Boston , the bank robbing capitol of America apparently. He and his three buddies, including a surprisingly terrifying Jeremy Renner, plan efficient bank and armored truck heists and basically run their neighborhood. The opening scene of the film involves a robbery that seems to go wrong and they are forced to take the bank manager as a hostage. They leave the manager, Rebecca Hall, alive but they find out that she lives in the same neighborhood as one of the robbers. Dougie attempts to find out how much she knows about them and in the process, of course, he falls in love with her. In Dougie's effort to leave behind his old life, he is faced with a conflict of interests between his past and where he wants his future to go. The film has cameos from a cracked out Blake Lively and a sexy John Hamm. The sad thing about the movie is that it has the potential to be phenomenal. Yes this a story that's been told before and will continue to be told (A young man trying to reform his life but is constantly being tugged back into his old ways) but there are different aspects of that story that could be told. I think the relationship between the bank manager and Dougie could have been more complex as opposed to making Rebecca Hall's character this angel that represents Dougie's only chance for a new life. I also think that Jeremy Renner was doing such interesting things with his badass, no respect for anyone character, that I would have been interested in seeing how he deals with people outside of his family. All in all, I think this was a fun movie and the car chase is really exciting and had my heart racing a little bit.

the world forgetting by the world forgot...

So the weather in Brooklyn has been less than ideal. It's rained four out of the last five days and the upcoming forecast isn't looking better. However it made it out for my besties bdays this weekend (Hi Dee and Dave) and had an awesome time even though I was surrounded by couples. I'm not much of a relationship girl but when the weather turns sour and your friends are shacking up you start to long for someone to build a fort out of sheets with. SoI turned to my favorite romantic comedy for solace, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's not your traditional love story nor comedy but that doesn't make it any less potent. It's about a Joel, played beautifully by Jim Carrey (do you prefer him in his dramatic or comedic roles? I usually like the dramas) who has broken up with his girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet). In attempt for closure and vengeance, Joel attempts to have his memory erased of Clementine by a team of specialists (Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson) and in the dream state process, he recalls every moment they've ever shared. Joel starts to realize that he doesn't want to forget Clementine but rather he wants to get back with her and he struggles to keep the memories. The entire film has great dialogue and makes you remember that sometimes even the worst memories you have of someone are the best times of your life. I know that it doesn't sound that romantic but this is one of the few movies that has ever made me cry.


I know that this isn't a classic by timeline standards, but when something is good, it's good.

 

sunday movie classic: Dial M for Murder

There's a new segment in town and it's called Sunday Movie Classic. There's nothing on tv and you're not about to hit the town when you have an 8am class Monday morning (or maybe you will. Honestly I don't recommend it). So what's a film lover to do? How about curl up on your sofa with a loved one or a loved mug of hot cocoa and watch some of cinema's finest offerings. In my mind, a classic is anything more than ten years old (and most things get finer with age). To kick start our new tradition, I thought I would pick one from my favorite directors. I went through a phase a few summers ago where I would watch only Hitchcock films and I became really intrigued by his signature and noticing what makes a great Hitchcock film. Dial M for Murder is definitely one of his better mysteries. The plot is that an ex-tennis players hires an old acquaintance to murder his wife, who he found out is cheating on him. The husband has planned out the murder perfectly and if all goes well, no one will be to blame. Of course it doesn't go well and long story short, the murderer ends up being murdered. The twists and turns of this plot gave me an ulcer from the anticipation of what the outcome would be. Would they figure out that the husband is to blame or will he go free? What I love about this movie is that we all think we're clever enough to get away with a crime. We've all watched CSI and think we can outsmart any forensic scientist. However, regardless of how efficient the plan is, you can never trust that minx called circumstance. If you want to see a dazed Grace Kelly and figure out if the husband is every found, I suggest you get your classic fix this Sunday!

never let me go...

I've been so MIA because of the shift from my party sleep party mentality of the summer that has no transitioned into party work internship gym party. I haven't quite figured out how to fit in blogging, sleeping and eating, but I'm sure I'll get there. However I have managed to see some films. I love this time of year when quality films are racing to get to the theater in order to be eligible for the Oscar race. One such film is Never Let Me Go based on the book of the same title. It's about three young people, in a world similar to ours, who were raised to donate their internal organs. In their short lives they deal with the same struggles that each of us face and our trying to make sense of their situation. I must admit that my initial draw to the film were both Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield, whom I believe are really talented actors and their performance in this film proved that I was correct. The film doesn't center around the ethical implications of whether one life is of greater value than the next, but rather how much time is enough to live? Is there any point at which we realize that we've gone as far as we'd like to go. It seems to me that regardless if you live one hundred years or only twenty, you still have that moment of recognition of how you want to leave this earth.
I also want to add the song from which the film gets its name was a perfect choice and the scenes in which the song came  into play were definitely my favorite. Sometime music can carry a film.
In all honesty I think this film and the performance are going to be overlooked come award season. After viewing the film, I had a sense of incompleteness. Maybe death isn't always the end.

i would do more than just eat, pray and love...

i know that some of you readers have been waiting for this review (Ahem Dr. Emily) but it's taken me quite awhile to write it. I think mainly because I don't have very strong opinions about Eat, Pray, Love. I haven't read the book (even though I'm a firm believer in reading all books relating to a movie before I it. I just couldn't bring myself to having people on the train see me with that book. I may cave in though). But from the trailers and the reviews of the book, it just didn't seem like my cup of tea. However, armed with three fabulous girlfriends, each with their own preconceptions of the film/book, I embarked on a cinematic journey that would hopefully succeed in transporting me to Italy, India and Bali. First off let me say that our seats sucked. I've never sat so close to a movie screen before and I was dizzy for three-quarters of the film. That being said, I actually didn't' have a horrible time. I came in with such low expectations that I was pleasantly surprised. Was it my favorite movie ever? No. Was it the worst I've ever paid to see? No, that distinction goes to You Don't Mess the Zohan. Yeah. I said it. Surprisingly enough, the movie greatest success is in the hands of its supporting cast. Billy Crudup and Javier Bardem made my heart both melt and smolder. Richard Jenkins was endearing with just enough country sass. Even James Franco was charming as a prototypical new-age hipster. The greatest problem in the film is the lack of continuity. The film definitely had the feel of three different films. Without having Julia Roberts' character being properly defined, she seemed like drifter, which the viewer couldn't really connect with. I had no sympathy for her. Maybe in the books Elizabeth Gilbert comes across as trapped but in the movie she just seemed like a grown up child who can't make up her mind about what she wants and thinks that the people in her life are the reason she doesn't have passion for anything anymore. Gross. It's funny cause the moments I remember most vividly in the film are the scenes that Julia Roberts doesn't really have a central role (ie Javier Bardem crying over son, Richard Jenkins crying over his family, Billy Crudup wanting to desperately save his marriage). Nonetheless it was fun to see places I've never visited before and I definitely had an appetite for Italian food (which consumed after our movie screening). I guess the saddest thing is that directly after exiting the movie theater I wondered, "was that really safe for a woman to be traveling around on a bike in Bali, and living in a house that appeared to have no doors?" Oh well, you could do a lot worse.



I really liked Ketut. And his missing teeth. He has swagger!

it was simply foreplay...

Have you ever gone into a movie theater thinking you knew what a movie was about and then upon viewing the actual film you realized you were misled? I felt that way with Chloe. I thought it was a simple movie about a woman paying a hooker to sleep with her husband to see if he's really cheating on her.  That's just the first twenty minutes. In reality the plot is far from simple. After that, the relationship between Chloe (the call-girl played by Amanda Seyfried) and her client Catherine (Julianne Moore) takes an unforeseen turn. Catherine becomes desperate in her attempt to feel connected to her husband (Liam Neeson) and begins a sexual tryst with Chloe that is definitely too hot to handle. The film is actually an erotic thriller about obsession and needing to feel a connection. The characters aren't clearly drawn and their motivations at times are murky. Liam Neeson's character isn't as present as one would hope (but we'll forgive because he was dealing with the death of his wife during shooting. Being the champion that he is, he returned to work two days after her death) and the film suffers because of it. Chloe becomes less interesting when her actions become maniacal. And the ending was a complete deus ex machina that left me confused and irritated. It's one of those movies that I didn't love but I didn't hate either. I just wanted it twerked. Maybe the original, Nathalie, is more promising.

Sometimes awful things have their own kind of beauty....

About a week ago I was having a conversation with one of my best friends (waddup Collin) about my love for The Departed and the Casino Royale. I explained to him that not only are the storylines great in these two movies but they are also visually stunning. His reply " Oh you like highly-stylized movies, huh?". Um Yes. That is what stylized means. Raw and gritty with a shaky camera are not usually choices filmmakers make for aesthetics but rather because of their lack of resources (there are of course exceptions like Rachel Getting Married, which had an invasive documentary type feel that I loved). Both Casino Royale and The Departed are action movies. However there is dramatic cinematic feast for the eyes, that comes from the fashion designer and first time director Tom Ford, called A Single Man. Though I wanted to see this film for months, it took the encouragement of a friend (Thanks Matt!) via his facebook to make me rent this movie. Let's just say I'm glad he did. It's one of those films that uses every possible metaphorical device to complete its arsenal of aesthetics. The story of a college professor in the 1960s, who, after the sudden death of his partner of sixteen years, has given up hope. The narrative is punctuated through the poignant use of music and color. The film is shot with gray,dull undertones but whenever happiness is on the horizon, the color shifts as if someone switched on the brightness dial on your television. It's as if when our protagonist George receives a breath of new life, we, the audience, do as well. Colin Firth is simply extraordinary in this role (which won him a BAFTA award and an Oscar nomination)  and has such subtlety in his grieving that it transcends both beautiful and grotesque and reaches the sublime. Julianne Moore plays George's best friend who has never fully accepted the fact that he's gay because she's still desperately in love with him and clinging to the life they could have had. Newcomer Nicholas Hoult does a wonderful job as one of George's students who believes that he has all the answers in life with none of the experience. He has the resilience of youth which I, and many of my peers, can identify with. The film left me with a rediscovered appreciation of art and what it means to take a story and bring it to life. I applaud Tom Ford and the cast and I think you will too.

we've waited so long for this...

Of course I saw Inception on opening day but I thought I would wait about a week before posting it on my blog to allow you snails to get to your theaters. By now you've either seen it or heard all the major hype. In terms of the hype, I think Inception seriously deserves it. Critics are harsh in saying that this film was incredibly overhyped, but what they are failing to realize is that it delivers in every way that it intended. The cinematic community has been ravaged by films that appear to be promising and then are epic failures (ahem The Last Airbender). Christopher Nolan has delivered a film that is the definition of what a summer blockbuster should be. It's intriguing, mind-bending, thought-provoking and has enough action to make you jump out of your seat (which I did because of the intense volume at the Union Square theater). I'm not one for hype. I don't think you should see a movie because it's been hyped all over the place (I'm talking about Avatar, James Cameron) but this is one of those films that makes your $13 proud. From the double meaning names (the architect's name is Ariadne) to making you question every dream you've ever had, this film has you thinking about it for days to come. The eye-candy composed of Marion Cottillard, Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hardy (yes please!), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (seconds, please!) and Michael Caine (yeah I said it) are strengthened due to their formidable acting within the film.  The emotional core is beautifully presented and Nolan does a great job at giving us just enough detail that we can follow what's going on but doesn't bombard us with how the contraption works and the physics behind everything. Whether you believe in one of the thrity Inception theories out there is irrelevant. Just go see it. I'm not going to spoil all the fun for you here.




And just for fun..my nemesis Dora the Explorer has seen inception too.

i just need to vent....

I am so upset. You really can't understand my ire. I feel like I've been bamboozled and slapped in the face. I watched The Last Airbender during a midnight screening for which I paid $20 for a ticket and stood in line for a half hour. All of that effort just saw M. Night Shyamalan could mind fuck me. I love the cartoon series Avatar. It has that perfect balance of child sensibility with important life lessons. It's not preaching and it's not trying to be something it isn't. Something so perfect was completely ruined by one of the most prominent American directors. First of all let's talk about how the film wasn't even in 3D. The action sequences weren't in 3D. Nothing! Nothing at all! Why would you advertise a film as such if you weren't going to deliver. Next up the racial divide. Why would all the Fire Nation (the bad guys of the saga) be of Middle Eastern/Indian descent? Where did that creative license stem from? I get it you didn't want to use all Asian actors but this would be the perfect opportunity to make all the nations very diverse and show how Utopian the Avatar world was prior to the Invasion. No you decided to make it even more racially awkward, especially with the three heroes all being white. Way to go! The third problem (and possible the most annoying) was that M. Night changed the pronunciation of the character names. Aang became Ahng, Iro became Iroh, and Sokka became Soca. I don't care if those are the proper pronunciations, the basis of this film is that these are characters we've come to love. Don't fuck around and change everything about them. Do you not understand how a franchise works? Also the notion of how bending works is skewed. In the cartoon, the fire nation didn't need fire to be present in order to bend. That's what separated them from the other benders. If you want to get really technical, in order to create fire all you need is air, something to burn and an ignitor. Suck on that! I want a refund of my money and my time. I went in with high hopes only to have them shattered. I pray they don't make another one because I can't stomach that kind of abuse. I usually don't dismiss movies completely but in this instance, I totally think I'm saving all of you from a heartbreaking waste of money. Even the NY Times agrees

...what happens now?

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing Tiny Furniture, a film about the post-graduation abyss that we all suffer through. I had met the writer/actor/director Lena Dunham earlier this year at a women in filmaking conference and after hearing that her film won the best narrative feature award at SXSW, I knew I had to watch it during it's New York Premiere. I'm glad that I did. It's a charming tale about a post-grad, Aura, who returns home to NYC to live with her uuber-successful artist mother and her talented younger sister. She has a useless degree in film theory and is struggling to figure out what her next step is. While in the process of "handling it", she is reunited with her past and wondering whether college really made her into a different person. Her love life sucks after being dumped by her feminist boyfriend who decided that living on a farm is more exciting than moving in with his girlfriend. Her other love prospects include a deadbeat youtube artist who "is really famous on the internet" and a sous-chef who is in desperate need for a xanax. The film is witty and has a charming sense of humour that is ensures that you aren't laughing with the characters; you're laughing at them. Awkward situations reign supreme including a sex scene that takes place in a metal tube. My favorite character was Aura's childhood best friend Charlotte (played by Jemima Kirke) who is very posh with a faux-british accent and is longing for the innate connection that Aura shares with her family. The film is very intimate and features both pants-less scenes and stars her real-life mother and sister playing her family. I enjoyed and I recently discovered that IFC will be distributing the film. Congrats.

Saying nothing sometimes says the most

In Stephane Brize's eloquent tale, Mademoiselle Chambon, he tackles the unexplainable attraction between two people of different worlds. The protagonist of our cinematic journey, Jean, is married and has a son whom he loves dearly. He leads a very simple life as a mason and is a doting husband, father and son. He visits his father weekly to sit with him and wash the old man's feet. He does not come from a luxurious, academic background which is made clear by the opening scene, where Jean and his wife struggle to help their son deduce what the direct object of a simple sentence is. Yet there is no obvious indication that Jean is unhappy or that he has cause to be; Until he meets Mademoiselle Chambon, his son's grammar teacher. She seems to awaken a longing in him that he was previously unaware of. However, Mademoisellle Chambon does not provoke this relationship. It is as if they are being pulled together by an invisible magnet. Their attraction is beyond their control. But does that make it right? The film casts no judgement. Instead it simply poses the question of whether it is right to deny the heart's desires? Brizet has accomplished creating an intense feeling of intimacy without much dialogue. The film has very little talking and the communication is primarily accomplished through the use of music, specifically Mademoiselle Chambon's intoxicating violin playing. The main characters express themselves through longing looks and unfinished sentences that suggest they don't understand their actions either. The actors were incredibly poignant in their potrayals and rather than making it a tale about an adulterous husband, they've accepted their longings and are searching for a way to deal with them. Their truth lies in their silence.


*the title of the post is a quote by Emily Dickinson.

the comic books are coming....

In today's cinema most of the films that are in theatres are live-action remakes of popular cartoons and comic books. Especially in the critical summer blockbuster season we will be seeing a lot of our childhood pleasures transplanted to the screen. Upcoming films such as Jonah Hex, The Last Airbender, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and the upcoming Avengers movie starring Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America, are all the offsprings of the comic book genre. But comic books have influence beyond their magical world. Maxim magazine (and yes I only read it for the articles) has a list of the best comic book moments in films that weren't based on comic books. While the list can be stupid at times (Really? Cameron Diaz dancing around in Spiderman underwear in Charlie's Angels is not a comic book moment, folks) it does include one of the greatest conversations about the topic ever to be discussed in narrative cinema. In Kill Bill Vol. 2 towards the end of the scene, Bill (David Carradine) and Beatrix (Uma Thurman) have an in depth analysis of Superman and what that means for the rest of our earthlings. It's one of my favorite scenes in the movie and I'm sure most of you remember it. But let's relive it for old times sake.



I included the five point palm technique for kicks! Enjoy!

if you wanna fuck with the eagles, you got to learn to fly....

Everyone has a particular movie that they can quote from beginning to end. I have several and one of them is definitely the 1988 classic, Heathers. A black comedy about teenage suicide that deals with some important issues while still being tragically funny. In my opinion its the precursor to Mean Girls, and definitely funnier.  Veronica (Winona Ryder) is part of the most powerful clique in school; The Heathers. When Veronica meets an outsider, JD (Christian Slater) her world is turned upside down and she begins a romantic journey of murder/suicides that don't have the intended outcome. There's a definite social commentary about how much our society values power and notoreity as opposed to friendship and life. But don't think this movie is preaching. No, this film is a satire chock full of great lines such as "If you were happy every day of your life you wouldn't be a human being. You'd be a game-show host" and "She's my best friend. God, I hate her" and "Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw. Do I look like Mother Theresa?". I could go on for days but instead I really suggest that you just watch it. I should warn you though, this movie isn't for the faint-hearted. I eagerly showed this film to my best friend and after it was over and I was laughing uncontrollably, she looked at me and said "Don't you think this film is inappropriate? I mean after Columbine? Teenage suicide is not funny". And she's completely right. Ich Luge. Suicide will always be funny in the 80s.

worry about growing up....

An elegy is a song or poem for the dead. In Isabel Coixet's film, Elegy, she ponders what makes life worth living. It is a story about love and mortality done beautifully and elegantly. The story hinges upon David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), a college professor and cerebral celebrity, who, against his will, falls for his student, Consuela Castillo (Penelope Cruz). Now this isn't your typical hot-for-teacher relationship (although it may start off that way). These two people have a genuine connection that permeates through the screen. David has this paranoia of being tied down to anyone and left his wife and child years ago, which his now adult son has never forgiven him for. He is so adamant about having a life of independence that he doesn't realize he might be happy with someone. This is not helped by the fact his best friend, George (Dennis Hopper), is feeding him absurdities about the inevitable failures of his relationship. David seems to think he can keep his feelings at bay with the help of his other lover, Carolyn (Patricia Clarkson), who only pops over every once in a while for casual sex. The dialogue of the film is beautiful with lines such as "when you make love to a woman you get revenge for all the things that defeated you in life". I really recommend this film. Although it may be slow at times, I think the images are beautiful and the progression of the narrative from start to end really makes you wonder who would lament for you.

brick by brick....

Brick is a neo-noir tale where all the suspects aren't old enough to legally buy alcohol. The plot centers around Brendan, our outcast sleuth, who is looking for the murderer of his ex-lover. His journey for the truth leads him into the seedy underworld of his high school's social elite. He finds himself entangled in the lives of stock characters of film noir, including a femme fatale who has her eyes on him, played by Nora Zehetner. Even though the film is set on the football fields of today, the dialogue harkens back to Humphrey Bogart with a cigarette in his mouth. And although all the houses look the same in this generic subarbian town, there is violence that is worthy of a Robert Mitchum flick. I enjoyed the film a lot and it even won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. See if you can figure out the mystery before Brendan does, gumshoe.

with words of love....

On Mother's Day this year I took my mother to see Letters to Juliet. My mom's a tricky minx. She only watches romance movies and she's very specific about them. She desires sweeping epics and grand gestures that culminate into the romantic equivalent of a sonic boom. Her favorite movies are The Notebook (not surprising) and the Sissi L'Imperatrice anthology. She's read all of Nicholas Sparks' novels with a critical eye and when I took her to see Dear John, she was outraged at the mediocre ending. However she genuinely liked Letters to Juliet, which ultimately meant that while she was swooning, I was gagging in my seat. Now that doesn't mean it's a tragically bad movie. It has everything you expect from the genre. Amanda Seyfried, in her doe-eyed girly perfection, portrays the role of Sophie, an aspiring writer who finds inspiration for a story while on a pre-wedding vacation with her fiance. While in the city of Verona, she encounters a group of women who refer to themselves as the Secretaries of Juliet, because they respond to the thousands of letters women write in romantic desperation to Ms. Capulet in search of advice. Sophie answers one of these letters that causes Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) to return to a fifty-year old journey for love. Of course on the way Claire finds her lover and Sophie begins to fall for Claire's grandson. The plot is predictable and the dialogue is superficial. The saving grace of the film is the supporting cast. Regardless of the film's lack of real interest in Claire's character, Ms. Redgrave proves that she's a true actor and makes her simple moments on screen enjoyable and poignant. Gael Garcia Bernal, who plays Sophie's chef fiance, is so much fun to watch and I found myself actually rooting for him. Maybe I just hate other people's happiness. I don't think this film possess the same passion that The Notebook exudes but if you're looking for a simple film to make you simply remember love, than maybe writing to Juliet wouldn't be the worst thing.



The actor that play Claire's long lost love, Franco Nero, is Vanessa Redgrave's actual husband. Now that's romantic.

as we go on, we remember.....

The time has dawned on us when we must think of the future.  Your faithful Biddie is about to make the transition from undergrad to alum . For twenty-two years I have traveled on the yellow brick road, and at the doorstep of Oz, I've just realized that I have no idea how to get in and what to do while I'm there. Though I'm terrified of the upcoming adventure that lies beyond those emerald gates, I seek solace through films such as Reality Bites. While it may be specifically speaking to the post 80s hair band, nirvana loving, flannel and Gap clad stoners of the 90s, many of the issues of the film are applicable to us. Why does a college degree suddenly mean that I'm equipped to handle life without a color-coded map? Leilana Pierce (Winona Ryder) and friends travel the uncharted territories of their 20s without authoritative guidance. While they may not be conquering their dreams, they are making a valiant effort of trying to be the people they've aspired to be. I find myself on a parallel journey with Leilana. I am trying to fashion a career out of my film obsession and I haven't got the slightlest clue what the first step is. Yet Leilana seems to manage without completely losing her shit and that gives me hope that the impossible only exists in the mind. So instead of posting a collage of my finest college moments consisting of beer pong, jager bombs, and cramming for finals or posting the track for Vitamin C's Graduation song, I'll leave you with one of my favorite scenes. I wish you the finest luck and pray you find a way to pay your student loans and get medical insurance.



Our futures consist of buying groceries at the gas station and dancing to hits of the 1970s. How awesome?!

if you could make God bleed...

So last night I saw Iron Man 2 with my partner in crime (Imah). I must say that I was surprised. After reading some craptastic reviews, I went in with low expectations. Was it as good as the original? No. Was it the worst way to spend 13 bucks? No, I've done way worst (But let's not get into my extracurricular activities). I will say it's definitely the type of movie that needs to be seen at the theaters and, preferably, with a crowd that loves the comic book genre. There are a ton of laughs, as expected from the witty, crass Tony Stark (played perfectly by uuber hot Robert Downey Jr). There are intense fight scenes that take up at least three-quarters of the film. There's also a lot of unexpected dancing, by both RDJ and Sam Rockwell, who in my opinion stole the film. Mickey Rourke, who partied it up with me and Imah a few weeks ago, was the weirdest Russian I ever did meet. Word to all actors, if you can't perform an accent, just mumble your words. Apparently that's the method Rourke was going for. Every time he attempted to speak, I had to ask Imah, who obviously has relations to the Russian mafia, what the hell he was saying. In the film's opening scene, he's in Siberia, mourning his dead father, with the scariest hybrid of a cackle and a cry. Uh, frightening! However, even though I enjoyed myself, there were some flaws. The female characters were simply used to provide some estrogen to the screen and didn't really add much to storyline. The film also failed to develop Tony Stark past his Iron Man costume. Sure they delve into his dead dad a little but Stark has no real genuine connection with anyone and it makes his actions a little too self-indulgent. Maybe he's simply a man in an iron mask.

and the post's title is a reference to a line in the movie.

Postscript: make sure you stay till after the credits for a fun treat!

the cities we love...

On the heels of the last post, I wanted to share one of my favorite films about love. Paris, Jet t'aime, is series of vignettes about finding love in the city of love. Each story takes place in a different quartier (or neighborhood) in Paris. However, the narratives aren't about one type of love. Each story doesn't necessarily have a happy ending. Even though each vignette is a separate entity, the film in its entirety illuminates the notion that every meeting, every odd occurrence, every missed train is an opportunity to find love, to find a connection. I recommend watching the entire film, but here's one of my favorite segments:



Paris, Je T'aime, is part of a series of films called "The Cities we Love". The second film of that series is New York, I Love You. After watching the Parisian version, I ran to the movie theater the day my hometown hit the silver screens. I must say that I was dissapointed. New York, I Love You, failed to capture New York, the way its counterpart captured Paris. Most of the vignettes take place in Manhattan, in cabs. The outer boroughs are ignored and so are the cultures and ethnicities that make New York so romantic. The one section that seemed to rise above the mediocrity is this one featuring Julie Christie and Shia LaBeouf (with a weird accent). Take a look at part of that scene:



I hope these films have made your voyage on the ship of love a little steadier, the currents a little softer, and the winds a little calmer. Bisous!

life is all about coincidences

As many of my friends know, I don't like contemporary romantic movies (Jo and Joy!). Not that I have anything against love, it's just that most modern movies paint a portrait of love that is unrealistic and unattainable.So under the trusted guidance of a fellow film lover, I checked out Lovers of the Arctic Circle, a Spanish film from director Julio Medem (Sex and Lucia), about two childhood lovers that are brought together by a series of fortunate coincidences. The movie keeps reiterating the message that things in life are cyclical and love, as well as opportunities, are all around us if we'd only look in the proper directions. However, since this is a romance that I like, I would like to warn you that it's not a fairy tale. These lovers,Otto and Ana, (their palindromic names play a role in the film) have trials to endure. But love, like life, isn't about the destination; It's about the journey. It also asks whether you wait for life to hand you your chances or should you seek them out for yourself. See if you can determine the answer by watching one of the first scenes of the movie.

powered by

so maybe my fantasy can be a reality...

I'm obsessed with superheroes. I love them. I have seen every episode of Batman and Superman the animated series. I get down with The Justice League. I'm also that loser who will wake up at 3:30am every morning to catch a vintage episode of X-men the animated series (I am a huge Jean Grey fan). I bought my tickets for The Dark Knight a month in advance and stood in line on opening day for two hours just to ensure I'd get good seats. My dedication is serious! Even though sometimes I think I would make a better villain than superhero (Rule number one: Don't explain your master plan to the superhero before he/she dies. C'mon, they're not dead yet and can still defeat you. Duh!), I think I have the heart of a crime fighter. That's why I was so eager to see Kick Ass last night. Based on the comic of the same name, it stars an average teen, fighting crime with no real superpowers, who soon influences others to do the same. But let me warn you, this isn't a child-friendly movie. It's more on par with Sin City than Spiderman. There are references to masturbation, sex, and boobs. I think the most terrifying part is child actor, Chloe Moretz. I have a strong dislike for kids that seem to be grownups. I call it the Jodie Foster effect. If you weren't scared of Jodie Foster when she was a child, something is faulty with you. Ms. Moretz definitely has this affliction, but in all honesty, she makes the movie. She's gonna be a huge star. If children aren't your thing, the film also has Christopher Mintz-Plasse of McLovin fame, Nicolas Cage, Clark Duke (of the webseries Clark and Michael ) and hottie Aaron Johnson. He might not be your cup of tea but gangly brunette with glasses fits my bill perfectly.                                                                                                                                       

I told you he was hot.







Check out the full length trailer.

choque de titanes

                                                                                                                     my favorite character- Bubo

 I hate remakes. I hate the notion that our generation is so devoid of original ideas that we have to take classics and rework them with modern day actors and add our nouveau technology to make cinema. Bullshit. I also hate the fact that big executives who never pay to see a movie think that we only go to the theater to be awed by the newest scientific advancements (ahem...James Cameron) and that a great story can't stand the test of time. It can! I love the original Clash of the Titans. I loved the story, the mythology and the stop motion animation employed by Ray Harryhausen. Based on the myth of Perseus, son of Zeus, and his endeavor to beat the Krakken, Clash of the Titans is also a love story with some really ugly chicks (I'm referring to you, Medusa).  Even when I watch the movie today, I still get goosebumps at the sight of the gorgon. I'm more awed by the fact that they were able to tell that story without today's technology; and to do it beautifully.  This movie is a relic and a cult favorite, so stop fucking with it. If you've never seen it, save your money at the theater and peep this fan made trailer with Harry Hamlin wearing next to nothing, with a serious perm.

an easter tradition about a week late...

sorry for the lack of posts in the last week. I had scheduling difficulties and was out of commission due to a stomach virus. Yuck. I know. Nonetheless, I wanted to share with you one of my family traditions. Regardless if you're a religious zealot or a die hard atheist, I think we all can appreciate fine cinema. Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, is one of my favorite movies to watch every year. I only watch it on the night before Easter. (ABC has played this movie every Holy Saturday. The one year they didn't broadcast it, they received a ridiculous number of complaints. I told you it's a good movie). It's a grand sweeping epic in the style of the 1950s. The cast includes Charlton Heston, Anne Baxter, and Yul Brenner. It was the highest grossing religious epic ever until The Passion of the Christ. I think what I love about the movie so much is the fact that they embrace the Hollywood of legend and do away with naturalism and realism. It's all about the beauty, the art, the aesthetic. Moses is sexy and tan. Even Ramses looks good. They have powerful asides and soap opera quality that totally works. It's also DeMille's final work before he passed in 1959. Just watch it. If you don't like it, at least you can hit on the preacher's daughter, who is a total babe.

                                           
Charlton Heston                                                                                     Anne Baxter                                                                                   Yul Brenner


PS. A naughty tid-bit: There's an orgy scene that took three weeks to film and legend has it that one of the extras screamed out during filming "Who do I have to fuck to get out of this movie?" Did that pique your interest? Enjoy.

i know this isn't technically a film...

But the video Flash Delirium by MGMT is blowing my mind. If I tried to describe it to you, it would be an epic failure. Even though I love the band, their videos tend to scare me. MGMT's video for Kids was frightening for two reasons: children and children who see demons that no one else sees. While this video is void of any psychic children, it does include ventriloquist dummies (hate them), dancing old people(love them), and a windpipe that talks. Yeah, I know. And even though I covered my eyes for the most part, I was still engaged and even enchanted by the images. The video, which can really be considered a short film, is beautifully filmed and makes you think about what MGMT's message is. What do I think the video's message is? I don't think there is one. Maybe it's an ode to Oscar Wilde and aestheticism. Or maybe they just like fucking with their fans. I have no clue, but I think I'll be watching this video until MTV replays it 400 times to make me sick. Bitches!

it's not my fault, i was forced to read them...

I have a confession to make. I love the Twilight series. Don't get me wrong. I know that the writing is horrible, there are grammatical errors, and it's basically a cheap romance novel. But I think that's what I love about it. Stephenie Meyers has created characters that are overly dramatic and have the same intensity as telenovelas. Do I really care about Bella? Not really. Do I really care if she chooses Jacob or Edward? No, they're both hot. I think it's the fantasy of having two of the most perfect men fighting for your attention. That's why I'm super excited that my favorite book in the series, Eclipse, is coming to theaters soon, under the direction of David Slade (who also directed Hard Candy, a must see in my opinion). Eclipse finally brings about the tension surrounding the threesome of main characters. Whatever team you're on, it doesn't matter.  Take a look at the official trailer and tell me there isn't enough eye candy for you to surround yourself with some fellow twi-hards.

wanna be a man? learn to train your dragon!

That's basically the premise of the new Dreamworks film, How to Train Your Dragon. It features the recognizable voices of Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Jay Baruchel, and Jonah Hill. The film's plot centers around a young male viking, who basically sucks at being a viking. By sheer luck, he develops a relationship with the wildest dragon around, and learns that dragons aren't really that bad. Aww. Sure they breathe fire and destroy homes, but besides that, they love to share their half-eaten fish with you. Within the first fourteen minutes of the movie, I knew exactly where it was headed and I began to lose interest. Sure there were a couple of jokes and reference made for the stroller-nazi moms in the crowd, but it was too predictable for my taste. But then I got to think of my favorite childhood movies and realized most of them were predictable too. When you're a kid, you don't know how the story is going to end because you haven't read enough books, or seen enough movies to know the formula. At that point, I began to see the film with new eyes (and not just my 3D ones, which by the way freak me out) and enjoyed every little nook and cranny of this dragon "tail". If you don't mind an easy plot and love Scottish accents (YUM) then taming your dragon is what you should do.

hello world!

I want you to get to know me better and to figure out whether you should waste your time reading my blog at all. Therefore I decided to give you a review of one of my favorite movies ever. Now I don't think there are many people who would think that Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino didn't change the game. Whether you like it or not, you have to admit that it invented a new genre and has spawned many attempts to recreate the magic that takes place between Mia, Jules, Vincent, Marcellus and Butch, but none of have succeeded. The film's non-linear storyline and the use of vignettes are just the icing on the cake. The real batter is the fact that Tarantino has been able to create characters, who seem so foreign to most people, and make them completely believable in the every day world. I don't know about you but most of my friends don't have a gimp, and if you do, really? Like for real, for real? Dirty! They talk with the kind of speech that makes them Oscar Wilde worthy. If you've never seen this classic (and yes, I do mean classic), then I would hit up your netflix account real quick and make like a baby tomato and "ketch-up".