Project Rohmer. Part III

After the Six Moral Tales, I am now starting a new period in Rohmer's work: the Comedies & Proverbs cycle. I had already seen two of the six films that constitute this study - Pauline at the beach and Full Moon in Paris -, which were actually the reason why I decided to give Rohmer another shot - hated him at first. This snow week gave me time to see two of them: The aviator's wife and A good marriage. The thing with this cycle is that Rohmer choses some proverbs and tells a story to illustrate them. For Pauline at the beach, it was "He who talks too much will hurt himself" and for Full Moon in Paris it was "He who has two women loses his soul, he who has two houses loses his mind".

The Aviator's wife was shot in 1981 and it's the first one of this style exercise. It stars Philippe Marlaud (who actually died the same year - while doing camping, his tent burnt -), Marie Rivière and Anne-Laura Meury. The proverb of this one is : "On ne saurait penser à rien" or "It is impossible to think about nothing".

It is the story of a 20 year old man, who works at the post office and studies law at the same time, who believes that his girlfriend (an older independent woman) is cheating on him with one of her ex lovers. He decides to follow his potential rival through Paris and meets a high school girl who agrees to follow the man with him.

The shooting is really good, as it always is in Rohmer's films, and the whole relationship that François (main character) builds with the teenage girl is very interesting. His girlfriend doesn't seem to know what she wants, but she is not very much in love with him, whereas he keeps coming back and declaring his love to her. Instead of believing her saying that she is not seeing her ex-lover again, he'd rather believe that she is unfaithful and invents a story that is completely different from the truth. I think that it is usually what unconfident and anxious people do. It is much more easy not to trust people than to eventually give them you trust, because that way, you don't offer them the opportunity to hurt you - but you're never really happy or confident either. It is a good illustration of the proverb.

A Good Marriage was shot one year later - in 1982 -, starring Béatrice Romand (she was already in Claire's Knee and in Love in the Afternoon), André Dussollier and Arielle Dombasle (also in Pauline at the beach). It illustrates the proverb "Qui ne fait châteaux en Espagne?" or "Can anyone refrain from building castles in Spain".

It is the story of a young student in art history, Sabine, who is tired of being the mistress of married men. She decides to get married. To whom? She doesn't know, but this idea becomes an obsession. When she meets Edmond, a rich, beautiful, young and single man, she believes he is the one. Her best friend convinces her that Edmond is interested in her, and Sabine start building a fantasy around this man.

I was not as much convinced by this film, but it is maybe because I couldn't see myself in the main character. She thinks that a man she has only seen once is as much interested in her as she is in him - and it is not a real interest, simply a whim- and when she finds out that he doesn't want to marry her nor date her, she gets upset. The acting is strong, but the whole obsession thing didn't touch me. I would get obsessed with a man who is not that into me, but I would never believe that someone I barely know would want to marry me if he never returns my phone calls.

MJ.

And the loser is...

Quick word to say how upset I was when I watched "Buffalo 66", Vincent Gallo's piece. A pretentious, boring, empty and "I-am-an-artist-wow-wow" film, with pompous effects, overrated bright colors and a terrible editing. Sorry for all those who'll say how A-M-A-Z-I-N-G this film is. Not my cup of tea.

MJ.

A snow storm = Extra time for films

A week ago - last Sunday during the night - we experienced our first extreme weather adventure: snow storm! We are used to snow in France, of course, but when it happens in Paris, it only lasts for one or two days, and people manage to deal with it. Here, it was a lot different. No more buses, a closed office, canceled shows, but also the possibility to watch more films (oh yes). I don't wanna bore you with all that I've seen this week - believe me, there was more than one movie -, so I'll try to focus on good or interesting discoveries.

First, we chose to go see "127 Hours", Danny Boyle's latest film. I am not very familiar with his work, and I actually hated "Slumdog" (apart from M.I.A's music). But as any other normal girl, when I know James Franco is going to be around, I'm in. And it was a very exciting film. Short plot : A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone in Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive for 127 hours before finally being able to get himself out (IMDB source). You have no idea how intense it is. At first, you would think that an entire film with only one character - a trapped guy - could easily get boring, but it is not. Boyle's shots a complete human being, and how a man slowly starts to get crazy and paranoid when he has (almost) no water, no food, no light, no one. It is beautifully edited, with a great presence of flashbacks and hallucinations. James Franco's performance is strong, convincing and he manages to keep you focus and anxious the whole time. And you really feel like being in front of the most natural and honest man, confronted to his fears, his dilemmas and his desire of life. Simply stunning.

Another good surprise in an entirely different genre was "Love & Other Drugs". You'll say I'm corny, but it was also a good surprise. I am very fond of romantic comedies, especially when Christmas is getting closer (watched Love Actually, Pretty Woman, Bridget Jones, La Bûche... again), and this one had some good sides. Plot : Maggie is an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie, whose nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, but Maggie is sick...(IMDB, thanks). Gyllenhaal is charming, funny, sexy, and Hathaway is good, natural and acts well. And the chemistry between them works! You let the characters, the love scenes, the laughters carry you away for 2 hours. The first part is excellent, but the second one tends to be a bit slow and tries to turn the film into a drama when it started as a romantic comedy. Nevermind. You leave the theater with a stupid smile on your face and pray that it's gonna be just as good at Christmas with your own boyfriend - well, I am -.

MJ.

Seattle, Sweden.

Orcas Island or how to feel Christmas around

No movie for young kids

I just came back from the Seattle premiere of the first part of the last episode of the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, and I just loved it!
Usually, I never watch fantasy or science-fiction movies but Harry Potter is my must.
Like a lot of people in their early twenties, I grew up reading JK Rowling's books and going to see their adaptation on the big screen is always very meaningful to me as it reminds me of my teenagehood (I was an interesting mix between a tomboy and a top of her class - rebel, but not too much).

Maybe I was expecting more excitement from the audience for a premiere: only a few people had some make up on or wore gold and red scarves/capes and wands - it definitely must have been crazy in NYC and LA - but it didn't really matter because the movie itself was stunning, and I'm not saying that each time I see a Harry Potter movie. As a matter of fact, the previous one really disappointed me and I thought that the actors were directed so bad that everything seemed fake (or faker than the story already is!).

The movie, which is way darker and scarier than the previous ones, really captivated me and I never felt the impression of boredom growing in me.
After two and a half hours, my only thought was "how can I wait until July 2011 for THE end?????"

Really, can you imagine that we'll have to wait for more than EIGHT months until it's going to be released? I still can't...

A.C.

Sunday Adventure: Fremont Open Market

Francis, Sofia, but also Roman... "Ah! Secu! (CQ)"

When A told me about "CQ", I thought at first that it was a joke. In French, when you pronounce “CQ”, it sounds like “Secu” for “Security” and it is actually one of the most famous lines of the funniest film called “La Cité de la Peur”. However, after a few clicks on Netflix, I ordered Roman Coppola’s film and received it a couple of days later.

Directed in 2001, the film was screened in the category “Out of Competition” at Cannes Film Festival the same year. It is a tribute to the 1960s European SF films such as Barbarella. The cast is impressive: Jason Schwartzman, Giancarlo Giannini, Gérard Depardieu, Billy Zane, Natalia Vodianova or Elodie Bouchez (prettier than ever), and even a small part for Sofia Coppola!

The plot is classical but not bad: 1969. An American editor is working on a “dumb & sexy” SF film called “Dragonfly” about a spy (the hottest one you’ve ever seen, a James Bond girl) who tries to steal a weapon from some revolutionaries (who definitely look like Che Guevara’s guerrilla) living on the moon. At the same time, the editor is trying to make is own movie with no means at all, about “truth and human stuff”. But some difficulties on the set lead him to change his plans...

Even though the whole decor is fake, it's funny and colorful. The music, by French electronic band Mellow, is fine, but even if it’s entirely absurd and well shot, even if you laugh most of the time, the editing is messy and the “mise en abyme” with the actual film and the film in the film becomes too far-fetched. It’s a convincing tribute to the absurd spy films of the 60s, but it’s not a convincing piece when you look at it as one.

MJ.

Because of Meryl Streep (somehow)

I have always been a fan of Meryl Streep, this incredibly beautiful and talented actress who has received 16 Academy Award nominations – she is actually the actress with most nominations -, winning for Kramer vs. Kramer (Best Supporting Actress) and Sophie’s Choice (Best Actress).

The reason I decided to write about her (actually, not her but two of the films she was in) is because I watched The Deer Hunter and Kramer vs. Kramer over the weekend. Everyone told me about these two films and since I am now registered with Netflix – one of my brightest ideas – I get to order all the classics I haven’t seen yet.

Of course, you’ll tell me that The Deer Hunter is not at all about Meryl Streep, but she happens to offer an incredible performance in this film. Produced in 1978, this war drama film was directed by Michael Cimino. It tells the story of a trio of Russian American steels workers who decide to go to Vietnam. The Vietnam War only lasts less than half an hour in this 3h10 film. The main themes are the moral and mental consequences of this war upon the community, and the film deals with issues such as suicide and mental fragility.

Even if there is no doubt that it is an impressive piece, the first part – introduction of the characters, the marriage of one of them and the hunt - is a bit long (1h30) and slow. I liked the fact that the Vietnam part was condensed and strong. The last part is the most incredible and disturbing one – how did the survivors learned to deal with the traumatism, or didn’t, and how the community welcomed them back home – and I must say that I was really impressed by Christopher Walken in this film. When it came out, some scenes were quite controversial - especially the ones about the Russian roulette, a potentially lethal game in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger - because no official case was reported during the war. Still, a “must see” movie about this historical period.

The other one, Kramer vs. Kramer, is totally different but just has good in another genre, and was produced the same year! The film tells the story of a woman (Meryl Streep) who decides to leave her husband (Dustin Hoffman) and her son. The man –a talented advertising executive who works way too much- learns to live alone with his son, taking him to school, having dinner with him, playing and listening to him. But one day, the wife comes back and asks for the child’s custody. A brutal battle begins to see who will keep their son. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1979, and happens to be really innovative and contemporary concerning the themes broached: the wife who stays at home goes crazy and leaves, the father learns to raise a child by himself, the divorce battle drives everyone to become mean and aggressive, but the interesting thing is that in the end, the person who wins – DON’T READ THE NEXT PART IF YOU HAVENT SEEN THE FILM OR IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE SUSPENSE-

... is the father. It was in 1979 and I believe it was quite surprising at this time. Even now, I am guessing that mothers usually get custody (my mum did), but in some cases, I think it would be better not to trust the fact that because they carried the child, they’re more likely to be better at raising him/her. Meryl Streep in simply marvelous in this movie –she always is-, which means that it is only one more reason to watch it.

MJ.

Bridge School Benefit

Ok. You've heard/read about our trip to San Francisco for the 2010 Bridge School Benefit show.
Here we are...FINALLY!
Almost three weeks have passed by and I think -or at least I'm trying to convince myself- that writing about that show after a long time can be an interesting exercise.
Indeed, what's left of that "whole-day-show"? Instead of a long and boring description of each artist/band/duo's set, I'm gonna focus on what surprised and moved me.

Going to the Bridge School Benefit show - which happens to be in the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, right next to the Google headquarters - was a mix between going to a music festival and an American fair (you know how I love them!): friendly people of all ages, cars parked everywhere, (bad) food and drinks stands, souvenirs stands and of course...the music on a huge stage. On top of that, there is also the feeling that you're doing something good and that you are being altruistic because by buying a ticket to attend the show you are helping the financing of the Bridge School, funded in 1986 by Neil and Pegi Young, for children and young adults with physical and speech impairments.

M and I attended the first day out of two of this 24th Bridge School Benefit concert.
During the whole show, all the artists seemed truly honoured to be performing for the BSB but among the eight sets we saw, the ones which really struck me are those of Pearl Jam and Buffalo Springfield.

Eddie Vedder on the big screen

Even if Eddie Vedder's band is a regular visitor of the BSB, the acoustic set they gave us that night was really moving and I wished it would have lasted longer. The band performed nine songs in total, among which their classics Black and Last Kiss, the very good Unthought Known from the latest album Backspacer, a beautiful cover of Patti Smith's Dancing Barefoot and Neil Young's new single Walk With Me, with Vedder on lead vocal and Young himself on lead guitar.

Pearl Jam and Neil Young at the end of the band's set

From another point of view - less emotional maybe but more historic - I really appreciated Buffalo Springfield's set too. The show they played that night was Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay's first reunion in over four decades. No need to say how much the audience was excited and how, despite the pouring rain - M and I were wearing YELLOW plastic ponchos...- everyone in the 20.000 people audience was dancing, claping and singing.

Richie Furray and Neil Young

On the overall, the show was very energetic but I regret that, because the show was acoustic, Stephen Stills didn't do one of his breathtaking guitar solos which amazed me this summer when I saw Crosby, Stills and Nash in Paris.

Stephen Stills and Richie Furray

However, Neil Young and his wife closed the show accompanied by all their guests: newer indie bands Grizzly Bear and Modest Mouse, multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, singer-songwriters Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams and Kris Kristofferson, pop rock musicians Billy Idol (who was indeed dancing with himself) and Elvis Costello and headliners Pearl Jam and Buffalo Springfield.

The big final

All together they performed a very joyous version of Neil Young's traditional Keep On Rockin' In A Free World, thanking us and reminding us the reason why we were there before leaving us with smiles on our faces and stars in our eyes.

The Big Final

A.C.

ps: because we were quite far for our camera, the quality of the pictures is what it is - but at least you get the idea of what happened on stage.

Oh Carrot, Oh Cake !

Hangover on a Saturday. Best medicine ever: a rich and unhealthy lunch (steak, eggs sunny-side-up, hashbrown and toasts) and a carrot cake for dinner.

If there's one book you should buy, it's the "Breakfast Lunch Tea Rose Bakery" (Phaidon Editions). Best Carrot Cake recipe, best Scones recipe, original ideas for meals, cakes, buiscuits and co. The "feel-good" thing to do.

http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Lunch-Tea-Little-Bakery/dp/0714844659

Autumn Leaves