Lourdes

There are movies that just mesmerize you like this Jessica Hausner film that will absolutely mesmerize you in so many levels that will blow your mind watching the layered story, the astonishing images and most of all the amazing storytelling. I was really dubious if I should watch or not this film, but finally decided to just watch and mentally ‘prepare’ myself to whatever was going to see.

As film has so many layers, let me start by sharing the one that spontaneously got me inside this mesmerizing film. I was born Catholic and was baptized in a rush because died when I was days-old and well, came back as I’m still here; but after my religious fifteen-years-old mass, religion left my life. Still had time to learn a lot about Catholicism so the first and second thirds of this film was a true experience of reliving rites and beliefs that I chose to leave behind and my honest reaction was to nervously laugh at the absurdity –yet puzzling- reactions, rites, belief, faith, etc that people have at was have been called the “Disneyland of Miracles”. The last third marveled me with people’s reactions to the miracle. This is a brief summary with my reactions to one layer of this amazing film but there is another layer that I feel like sharing.

From a cinematic point-of-view the layer that I enjoyed most even above the ‘emotional’ voyage was the one related to an almost perfect film about religion that is not religious. This is an extremely well designed voyage into the nature of miracles very similar to films by Cavalier, Rivette, Bresson, Reygadas and most of all Dreyer’s Ordet, which Hausner confirms was her source of inspiration. Aesthetically film belongs to this group, but Hausner does something different when approaches the idea of miracles with a detached, quizzical eye; this is what makes this film not only really mysterious but extremely interesting to watch if you are or are not familiar with the Catholic Church rites, as honestly maybe the film first third will enlighten you with objective facts that happen at Lourdes. Is the first third of the movie what looks and feels like a Lourdes pilgrimage documentary but also has other layer that works as an introduction to Christine, brilliantly played by Sylvie Testud, with her perspective of everything she’s seeing and living.

Second third starts to explore the small group perspective about what they’re living and doing in this pilgrimage. Most amazing is the joke told by one member from the Order of Malta about Virgin Mary approving God’s idea to go to Lourdes, as she never has been there; this serves as an example of the wry humor found in this segment and sets the mood to many other pilgrims behavior we will watch.

Final third is the most astonishing exploration about human and Catholic Church reactions to a (possible) miracle, which specifically tells about needs and dissatisfaction's of film other characters. Here is where Testud performance becomes the true miracle when her facial expressions and body language tell and reflect absolutely everything that words don’t tell; before this moment Testud performance was marvelously done only with her face as she was paralyzed from her neck down thanks to multiple sclerosis.

Definitively there are more layers to this story that some consider ‘blasphemous’, others call it Buñuel-esque, while others saw a profound yet controversial religious sentiment, etc. To me was obvious that the ample range of opinions prove the deliberate ambiguity of this cinema masterpiece by Jessica Hausner.

How can a filmmaker do this outstanding film? Not really a surprise but I was glad to find that Jessica Hausner was Michael Haneke’s pupil and ‘script girl’ which easily explains (to me) her amazing ability to so objectively tell a story about what many tend to do very subjectively. Chapeau to this outstanding director that shows superb mastery even when is only her third film.

Yes the film absolutely blew my mind and is one that I strongly recommend as excellent cinema that I believe could profoundly engage many even when movie has a slow pace, not much dialogue, many silences (but some extraordinary music score moments like when Bach’s Toccata and Fugue plays or when Herr Jesu Christ plays which not coincidentally is the theme from Tarkovsky’s Solaris –and there are more moments where music score is totally integrated to narrative), and many, but many, mind blowing takes with absolutely beautiful framed scenes. Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous.

Have to close with a line that have to share with you all as according to me brilliantly resumes what this film is all about: “The mysteries of life (which some call God) may remain unknowable, but in Hausner’s remarkable film, the needs and doubts of mankind are made all too clear.”

A must be seen film for many that honor me visiting this blog.

Big Enjoy!!!

Brune/Blonde

Was going to leave information only in facebook but this exposition is one that strongly suggests you watch live in Paris –the lucky ones- and/or via the virtual exposition that for the pleasure of many is available in French and English.

Just to tease you all into exploring the amazing virtual exposition here is the first paragraph of the expo foreword.

The cinema is a medium that made women's hair a privileged motif for its aesthetics and its mythology. Heir to painting and literature, it protracted this fascination for women's hair and its associated gestures. From the very beginning, film-makers and their directors of photography realised the full potential of the form and matter of hair which could be exploited in the luminous construction of their shots. They appropriated the pictorial and mythological richness of hair and bestowed it, for the very first time, with the excitement of motion. The great immortalisers of women's hair (Hitchcock, Mizoguchi, Buñuel, Antonioni, Bergman, Godard, Lynch, Fassbinder and others) are intersected by the singular emotion aroused in them by women's hair, which holds a part of the mystery that makes their creativity so remarkable and intimate.

The virtual exposition is for you to discover, but I suggest you don’t miss the following clips: Veronica Lake, Safety Styles (hilarious), Buñuel in Mexico, Chantal Akerman plus Hitchcok; well, ALL are so good and more will be available soon.

Hope you enjoy the online exhibition that is an extension to the temporary exhibition Brune/Blonde, an Arts and Cinema exhibition at the Cinémathèque française from 6 October 2010 to 16 January 2011.

To visit the online exhibition go here.  To check the fifty films that will be presented during the three months go here and to read all about this amazing exposition go here and check the catalogue, the gigantic sculpture and more.

This is the video that promotes the exposition.



Enjoy!!!

Photos from Le Vernissage

Partir (Leaving)

Kristin Scott Thomas got a 2010 Cesar Best Actress nomination for her complex characterization of Suzanne a women that gives up her idle bourgeois lifestyle to fully live a passion that consumes her beyond what everyone believe she was capable of and this nominated role is one of the many excellent performances by Scott Thomas where she absolutely steals the film to make it her own.

A very simple story that fast (first scene) builds tension, fully releases passion and slowly goes into a down turn where Suzanne is forced to choose between her previous lifestyle and her passion. This Catherine Corsini film tells about a physiotherapist Suzanne (Scott Thomas) that wants to go back to work, her husband (Yvan Attal) that fixes her a consulting room, and a hired man Ivan (Sergi Lopez) to build the room; but when Ivan and Suzanne meet mutual attraction is sudden and violent.

Perhaps is a little bit unfair but since not long ago I was able to watch another film with similar story I can’t help but to mention that find story more credible in this film than in I Am Love; credibility comes from storytelling style that here since the very first scene sets tone and manner for the entire film to deliver at the end with tension solution and the very-French-cinema open ended finale. But also here there are three very good actors that do an excellent job creating believable and very complex characters, while the Italian film had many more characters, tension and drama was built only with Tilda Swinton character when maybe another characters could have helped to create a more enjoyable, credible and entertaining situation.

Absolutely a film I strongly recommend to those that have to watch everything with Kristin Scott Thomas (like me), but also to those that love very-French cinema with strong compelling, entertaining, and credible story in an emotionally intense turmoil voyage into human relationships where love, passion, attraction, and most of all, cruelty prevail.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

La Yuma

Not very often we have the opportunity to watch a Nicaraguan film (first film in 20 years) and much less one that is above the good threshold as this Florence Jaugey’s film is. This is Jaugey’s “work of love and persistence” as ‘only’ took her 10 years to have her screenplay (she co wrote final version) produced into a movie that was a box office success in Nicaragua and has been collecting honors while traveling the festival circuit.

The film is not flawless but has a good positive story told in a colorful way with non-actors that create characters that look and feel real, especially Alma Blanco’s good performance as La Yuma, the strong-willed young woman that reaches her goal no matter what she has to do. Blanco steals the film and just to watch her makes this film more than worth-watching.

Film tells about Yuma the strong willed young woman from a Managua’s gang-infested poor neighborhood that dreams of becoming a boxer and about finding a way to leave the neighborhood. This is not a drama like –for example- Million Dollar Baby, this is a drama that very credible portraits reality and no doubt that helps that story is based on a real-life story. Most interesting is that even when portraits reality the film does it in a very entertaining non-disturbing storytelling style which absolutely appeals to wider audiences.

I didn’t enjoyed the ‘different social-class’ romance especially because actor playing Ernesto had a not-good performance, but somehow I understand that was important to learn how Yuma for the first time was exposed to the world beyond her miserable surroundings. Excluding those moments I found the film and story quite enjoyable and surprisingly very entertaining.

I do recommend the movie as a good woman centered story and as an easy-to-watch entertaining film that portraits reality so well.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Baarìa

Giuseppe Tornatore’s emotional homage to his natal city has an interesting visual narrative for most of the film but I didn’t particularly enjoyed his storytelling technique that looked more like if I was watching a moving old photo album and definitively this technique breaks the story into fragments of moments that not necessarily all show continuity even when he does some kind of morphing to represent that the young character became adult. Honestly I highly disliked those special effects.

Basically the story tells about Peppino Torrenouva since he’s a very young kid with bad temper, grows up to be a school boy with problems at school, continues to grow, falls in love, marries, has children and no, he doesn’t live a happy ever life as he’s interested in politics, which makes him most of the time unemployed until he runs for office, wins and prosper. But this story is the excuse to also tell the story of Italy and to show what progress brings to a tiny village that becomes a flourishing city. The village that turns into a city is Bagheria, which locals call by its Phoenician name: Baarìa.

I don’t complain about the story that basically was what kept me watching even when time transitions sometimes left me wondering for a while what happened and took me a while to grab the storyline again. But the movie felt long, too long, as narrative rhythm was like a plain straight line and there were moments somewhere in the middle that I was getting bored and please remember that I enjoy Bollywood movies that are even longer than this one, so was not the length but the monotony what almost made snooze.

Performances are acceptable with mainly unknown-to-me actors and what somehow distract for the not positive are the too brief appearances of known actors like Monica Bellucci or not-so-brief like Raoul Bova or Enrico Lo Verso.

What this movie really has is good tech specs that absolutely will delight your eyes, but you need more than beautiful images to enjoy a movie and this film was weak in everything else.

As you can notice I didn’t enjoyed much the movie and in general I was disappointed as Tornatore has great movies like La sconosciuta, beautiful Malèna and unforgettable Cinema Paradiso. So do I recommend it? Not really, but it’s a Tornatore film and know that many probably already watched; if you haven’t maybe the best way is to rent the dvd for 2 or 3 days to watch like a miniseries, a little each day.

Enjoy!

Watch trailer @MOC

Carancho

I believe I watched this movie in one long sigh, probably with my mouth open all the time. I suppose is not an easy-to-watch film for many as so realistically shows what is truth in so many countries in the world. It was hard-to-watch for me because I know that I just have to go to other side of the city I’m currently living to watch live many of the things portrayed here even if insurance payouts does not really exist here as a flourishing industry. Maybe because of the last comment the film make me feel similar emotions as when I watched Cristi Puiu’s The Death of Mr. Lazarescu.

I was absolutely overcome by the story but this could not have been  possible if the movie was not almost flawless. Pablo Trapero’s movie is a very complete cinematic experience that successfully travels many film genres and with a film noir (strict term definition) style tells about the sleazy lawyer business that takes advantage of people misfortunes. Set in a Buenos Aires bleak suburb film slowly introduces characters, so slowly that you start to get anxious for the drama to explode and when it does you find no relief as tension only goes up. Very painful to watch but also very gratifying if you appreciate good world cinema. Yes this Trapero’s movie belongs to world cinema as absolutely goes far beyond the Latin American current cinema jungle.

As I said before, I’ll watch everything with Ricardo Darin, he’s such a multifaceted actor that since the first film I saw with him, a very long time ago, has blown my mind as he always so-well creates intense complex characters no matter the role he plays. Sleazy lawyer Sosa is no exception, as with sights, body language and facial expressions makes a non-likable character totally human in every sense of the word. Amazing. But here we also have Pablo Trapero’s real-life wife in another mesmerizing-to-watch role. My first experience with Martina Gusman was in Trapero’s Leonera (Lion’s Den), have seen some of her TV work but definitively is one actress that I’ll follow especially after watching how good she created Luján the complex young doctor that recently arrived to Buenos Aires from the provinces. Superb actors and great cast.

As a movie has a technical quality equal… no, above great world cinema. I know that many will inevitably make comparisons between this movie and the one that won the Oscar last year for Best foreign language film as both star Ricardo Darin, but not only Darin has two very different roles but also films are very different. Is precisely in the technical quality where both Darin’s stellar films have the most difference as Trapero’s film is superior to The Secret of Their Eyes. That’s how good tech specs are in this movie as absolutely are essential part of everything that happens in the narrative.

Definitively not an easy-to-watch movie but one that everyone that loves great world cinema should watch and as such I strongly recommend it; absolutely must be seen to those that chose to follow Ricardo Darin and Martina Gusman performances and most of all, to realize how Pablo Trapero is becoming a master filmmaker.

My fourth 2010 Cannes film and it’s official, I’m slowly changing my perception of the festival film quality from the so-so to the great! Hope the trend continues as I go on further exploring the films.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Sans Laisser de Traces (Traceless)

Some of my regular readers know that I simply LOVE French cinema, that I have an eclectic taste and end-up watching many odd films; by odd I mean commercial cinema (lol!). So, sometimes I dare to explore French mainstream cinema and that’s exactly what I was doing when I decided to watch this film. No, it didn’t surprise me as for me is mainstream cinema but I found it entertaining and at times felt it was thrilling. Still, have to admit that I enjoyed quite a lot Benoît Magimel performance as the young executive on the rise with a troubled past that becomes more complicated present.

Film tells about Etienne (Magimel) that is about to become President of a large corporation but his conscience is troubled because an injustice he committed to start climbing the business ladder. Convinced by a youth friend he visits the man object of his injustice but things turn bad and his friend kills the man. From that moment on life becomes a true torment/conscience-conflict as Etienne is a good man that wants to do the right thing. Is a moral story, thus makes it not a bad story and definitely one that Hollywood will not like to remake.

Also enjoyed the clean settings that made me think of some cold/clean/aseptic Nordic or German cinema settings and only at times felt thrills, which is exactly why I call the film mainstream as I think the director needed to carry his storytelling with lots of more thrilling moments to take the film out-of-the-ordinary. The story gave room to have many more thrilling moments. Also the film has the unthinkable in a French movie (well, the ones I like) as not only has a clear ending but has a happy ending.

Anyway is a nice and positive story for a film labeled as crime and Magimel’s performance is enjoyable with his great body language, sometimes deadpan face and sometimes facial expressions that tell all. If you’re in the mood to watch ‘the other’ French cinema then perhaps you should give this movie a try that probably will entertain you.

Enjoy!

Watch trailer @MOC

Copie Conforme (Certified Copy)

My third Cannes film and absolutely the best I have seen up-to-date (haven’t I say this before?) which only makes me anxious to continue my voyage into 2010 Cannes films. Have I before talk about perfection? Yes with an almost always before, but this time there is no almost before as this is perfect, my perfect movie. Chapeau Master Kiarostami you delighted all my senses with your magnificent oeuvre d’art. I praise you and dearly thank you for that. You confirmed me my very own personal reasons why I love cinema. Thank You.

After trying to get rid in the above paragraph of all the emotions I felt while watching this film I’m going to try to be objective and share some thoughts with you all about this extraordinary film that I know will make you feel strong emotions thanks to a very ambiguous story that will lead to numerous interpretations and I honestly wish I could share some of my own interpretations with you all but if I do definitively will spoil the movie for you. This is a movie that you have to watch without knowing much about the story not only to be surprised but to be able to elucidate your own interpretation. Still I can tell what I knew before watching about the story: film tells about an English writer that goes to Tuscany to promote his latest book and meets a French woman who takes him to the village of Lucignano. That’s it and is enough.

Indeed I believe that the story –no matter which interpretation I found- is very common but what makes it most interesting and absolutely out-of-the-ordinary is the way it’s told visually and with narrative. Visually is all about original and copy, when the copy is better than the original, like for example when you see yourself in a mirror and sometimes realize that your reflection is much better than the way you see yourself. Visually there are many reflections in this film, but there are more in the narrative. Amazing!!!

The film is layered, brainy and very complex but to some eyes could be seen as a very linear story in a ‘plain’ film that tells not much about their characters and with too much talking that says nothing interesting about anything in particular as conversations divert into the banal and the unfamiliar to many. But please don’t be fooled and as I like to say: look beyond the end of your nose, which sounds really funny in English, but means to see beyond your limits. Believe me the movie is worth the effort.

Performances are extraordinary in another pas-de-deux (lately been seeing many) between marvelous Juliette Binoche and William Shimell. Is hard to believe that is Shimell’s first acting role as he creates a cold character so-well that at moments will absolutely annoy you up to the point of strongly dislike him. Binoche is Magnifique and all honors she has and will collect for this role are not only well-deserved but will never truly recompense her extraordinary performance. Outstanding cast!!!

But this film, the second he does outside Iran, is Abbas Kiarostami’s opus magnificent that continues masterly exploring human relationships in visually compelling films. Is his film a work of art? Yes it is for me, but is not art cinema. The film looks and feels like great European cinema and paraphrasing something I read this is what I feel about this film: you don’t know if this is Kiarostami doing European cinema or is European cinema by Kiarostami.

Strongly recommend the film to those that love ‘perfect’ cinema, European cinema and the work of Abbas Kiarostami. But also I do recommend it to those that are in the mood to make an effort and go beyond their usual limits while watching a movie.

I LOVE the movie beyond Juliete Binoche’s performance and those who know me will easily understand that the impossible happened as Binoche is one of very few favorite actresses that sometimes (almost always) don’t allow me to watch films beyond her performance. That’s how much I liked this movie.

BIG, but BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Villa Amalia

Seems that lately I have been choosing to watch films where female protagonists leave everything behind to start a “new life”. First was Nothing Personal and now Villa Amalia. Is someone sending me a message? (LOL!) Anyway this Benoît Jacquot film couldn’t be more different than the Irish film as not only is a great example of what I can call very-very French cinema but the lead character is played by none other than Isabelle Huppert.

Film tells about Ann (Huppert) that what she sees in one night detonates not only the rupture of her love life but also propels a decision that as you get to know her story and circumstances you will totally understand why she does what she does. This is a story that explores themes of identity and fugue. Yes Ann leaves her live-in boyfriend, her successful concert pianist and composer career, and her possessions to search for a new meaning for her life. Not totally willingly helped by Georges -a childhood friend she re-encounters in that one night- she ends up at the island of Ischia in Italy.

This is a film with what some have called “gay subtext” because Georges ‘seems’ gay as well as Ann meets Giulia and she ends up sharing her bed. But I believe is not subtext as I was able to clearly see that Georges is gay and it was very clear what happened to Ann with Giulia. In a sense I regret that the treatment to the lesbian interest moments was so superficial, but if I take into account Jacquot storytelling technique absolutely understand why he chose to do those moments the way he did them.

As always extraordinary performance by Isabelle Huppert that more than with words is with her body language and facial expressions that make you feel all kind of emotions that range from numbness to total sympathy for whatever the character is doing, feeling or living. As a movie has good cinematography, slow pace, many extraordinary silences (most notably during Ann’s last visit to her mother), is full of narratives ellipses plus truncated conversations which transmits fracture and makes the storytelling technique quite extraordinary.

I liked the film for the story, great performance by Huppert and her co protagonists, and beautiful sights of the Italian island; but most of all I liked for Jacquot narrative and visual storytelling technique and as such I do recommend it to those that enjoy great –but very particular- French cinema. Also I don’t recommend the movie to those that enjoy the lesbian or gay interest genre as absolutely is not the ‘normal’ genre film; still is important to share that the film has been in the European LGTB fest circuit, so some maybe dare to give the film a try.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Claude Chabrol

One of the great masters of French Cinema and one of my favorite French directors passed away today and we will miss him very much as he was still active directing movies and TV shows.

His last movie is 2009 Bellamy with great Gérard Depardieu that haven't seen and the one before is great La fille coupée en deux (The Girl Cut in Two) from 2008 that has a review in this blog as well as La Fleur du Mal (The Flower of Evil), but I have seen many more films of his extensive filmography.

One of the most recent honors that I recall was given to him by the 32nd Moscow International Film Festival who did a very comprehensive retrospective of his work.

To honor him I need to share with you some key data about his very successful career and here are some notes that I extracted from MUBI.

He was contemporary of Rohmer, Truffaut, Godard, Rivette among many others that left a strong milestone in French Cinema when they attempted to turn topsy-turvy the entire cinematic value system. That the theories of authorship remain today a basic (albeit modified and continuously examined) premise certainly indicates the success of their endeavor.

Derry suggests dividing the oeuvre into "five semi-discrete periods: 1) the early personal films, beginning with Le beau Serge in 1958 and continuing through Landru in 1962; 2) the commercial assignments, beginning with The Tiger Likes Fresh Blood in 1964 and continuing through The Road to Corinth in 1967; 3) the mature cycle of masterpieces, beginning with Les biches in 1968 and continuing through Wedding in Blood in 1973, almost all starring his wife Stéphane Audran, and produced by André Génovès; 4) the more diverse (and uneven) accumulations of films from 1974 to the mid-1980s which have tended neither to garner automatic international release nor to feature Audran in a central role; and 5) the more recent films of higher quality, if sometimes uneven still, produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Marin Karmitz's company MK2 and including a new set of regular collaborators."

I certainly will miss him, but his body of work not only will live forever but will be my pleasure to revisit one and many times until I die.

Rest in peace Claude Chabrol.

Levanon (Lebanon)

Been delaying to watch this movie because was sold as a war movie and yes, it is a war movie and we will see some terrible scenes but it's also a tremendous human drama and most of all, an incredibly good movie with the word ART in capital letters. I'm still in shock or better, in trance from thinking so many things about what I saw. Still haven't digest much how art cinema and war can combine so good as in this film, it's not easy for my mind to understand it but that's exactly what this movie did by combining what I can call oil and water. Fantastic, fantastic.

This Samuel Maoz film is based on his own experiences as a soldier and basically tells about the first day of the Israel - Lebanon war when for the first time soldiers face the reality of war after only being exposed to training with decoys or better, without humans to kill or that can kill you. Four very young soldiers inside a tank with some paratroopers outside go into an easy mission that gets very complicated due to the inexperience of everyone involved. That's all I'm saying to not spoil the intense and excellent story.

So we viewers go into the war also inside the tank. For almost the entire movie -except two scenes- we will be inside the tank too and will only see the exterior by the tank visors just like real soldiers inside a tank can do. This extraordinary and unique visual storytelling technique generates the most intense emotions while you watch soldiers reactions to whatever is happening, plus there are many takes that show the atrocities of war and the youth of the four soldiers that are simply beautiful. How can you have two so opposite words -war and beautiful- in the same sentence? Only in this unique film that grabbed my total and complete attention since the very first long still camera take that lasted for more than a minute until the very last scene at the same place but now with an intruder that completely fits the setting. Grabbed my attention and never let it go, but became intense quite fast and was no roller-coaster, was intense all the way for the hour and a half it runs. Absolutely amazing.

Maybe some of you will remember that I dislike traditional war movies and it's hard for me to analyze the war side of the movie so I won't go there. I like to analyze the human behavior in this movie that was portrayed so realistic that absolutely transported me inside the tank and became like a voyeur of everything happening in the very small space and the little we could watch by the visors. All that I lived while watching made me think about how little are we prepared for the unknown, no matter how much we have studied, read, and practiced in controlled situations. Think I better stop or this will be too long but if you reached this point you will have a clear idea of how much this movie affected me, not really because of the story -that has been told many times- but by how it was told with extraordinary use of visuals, editing and one intrusive/repetitive sound special effect when the visor moved.

What better day to watch the 2009 Biennale top winner than today? Yes, Lebanon was last year Golden Lion winner and I'm sure that this and all the honors it has collected in the fest and awards circuit are well deserved.

It took me a while to decide to watch but today was an excellent day as I had a good state-of-mind and the correct mood to watch it. I strongly suggest that if you haven't seen it search for your right moment to watch it as this is not a movie to watch just any other day.

Not a movie to enjoy, wait that's not true! If you appreciate great visual compositions, extraordinary camera angles, fantastic close-ups, and more, you will definitively enjoy this movie as much as I did. I highly recommend this film and urge you to not miss it if you haven't seen it yet.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @Movie On Companion

Carlos

Many times having expectations is not really wise as it's almost impossible than a movie made-for-TV could satisfied them, much less if is a miniseries in three installments not shown one day after another but one week after another. Still, I really appreciate and are grateful to my friends from France for allowing me to watch my first Cannes 2010 film. No, Carlos was not what I expected, as a very long biopic I find it acceptable and definitively has its moments but they are not many.

The story smartly skips his youth and the first part has Carlos in Paris starting to be active in his maybe then revolutionary quest and goes up to days before the OPEC incident. Starts slowly and not very interesting to follow, but suddenly it becomes really intense! I got so excited with the first part that got my expectations even higher.

Part two, starts with OPEC incident which was not that exciting especially after the buildup of part one. Continues with him being kicked-out of the PFLP and forming his own group. By now he's a media icon and a well-known -I should say- 'mercenary' that will work for many that opposes imperialism. Perhaps the last part of the story of this second installment was lesser known to me, so I got interested in learning how and why he ended up working for Syria.

Part three is his slow decline up to his arrest in Sudan which as a story is less interesting, but has its moments when the group goes violent in Paris trying to liberate their imprisoned colleagues.

My take away from what I saw in the story is that Carlos became a 'mercenary', but truth or not, what impresses is how he was able to do everything he did -most of which today is impossible- and who backed up him in the different decades. As a movie has top notch production values, good slow pace at times and fast action pace at the adequate moments; performances are above average for main characters and the many other actors with secondary roles. No complaining at all with the film tech specs that are well above for a film made for television.

So what exactly was missing for me? A more compelling and engaging storytelling, both visually as well as narrative. But definitively has its moments when is intense, compelling and engages you with whatever is happening.

When I finished watching the last installment my honest thought was that the two Mesrine films were a lot more compelling and engaging. Surely Mesrine does not have all the important characters Carlos has, but the style was more exciting to watch with a roller-coaster of contradictory emotions felt for the main character and everything they show. Except for the last half of the first part, Carlos was flat and didn't engage me with feeling any kind of emotions for the main character, other characters, situations or the story in general. It was like watching a impassive factual series of -real- events film.

I strongly suggest to see this film with no expectations and if you are lucky enough not to know Carlos story I imagine you will enjoy more this vision by Olivier Assayas. Right now I do not think I'll watch the shorter 2 1/2 version, but maybe I will when it comes to cable. By the way I saw the French dubbed version, which maybe it didn't help much to engage me as dubbing is always bad; consequently I strongly suggest you to watch Carlos in the original languages with subtitles in the language of your choice, perhaps this way will be a little bit more engaging.

My 2010 Cannes experience does not start well, but I hope two or three films will change my experience for the more positive.

Enjoy.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

63rd Cannes Film Festival Closing Ceremony

After several tries -due to my Internet malfunction- I was able to watch the closing ceremony. My take away is that the best part of the whole festival was exactly learning the award winners as more than one award winner seemed honestly surprised, some acceptance speeches were interesting (the best: Elio Germano), some colorful (Bardem declaring in public his love for Penelope), some emotional (Binoche), one really touching (Haroun) and the surprised Palme d’Or winner was so happy that was a pleasure to watch.

Before I continue here is the complete closing ceremony for those that haven’t seen it yet.

Most news I’ve read today mention that this year Cannes Palm d’Or is a win that will please cinephiles. Honestly to me the news are a: What??? I don’t know about you, but a few years back I decided to seriously follow festivals as a source of excellent films that never will come to a theater near me and if I wanted to continue improving my film collection, I had at least to know the names of the films I had to buy –now- in DVD. Does this honest comment make a cinephile? My answer is: No. Still, I’m glad and looking forward to being able to watch the winner, that was one of my two choices for my Palm –and I didn’t needed any of the two to win a major award for me getting excited about the possibility of watching films that will stimulate my eyes, my ears, my heart, and my brain all together. Films that could be a complete cinematic experience. Does this make me a cinephile? Still my answer is: No.

To me a cinephile is like a scholar, an archive with millions of files with film facts about every detail of each production. When they emit an opinion is a serious Master Class about everything we common viewers are not interested at all and probably will be overwhelmed with the huge amount of information. Will or could they enjoy or approve 2010 Cannes top winner? It’s irrelevant for them, as I’m sure that everything that Cannes shows becomes part of their cinema knowledge, as happens with other films in many festivals around the world.

So, after I poured out my strong dislike about headlines and articles I’ve been reading today that only segment more audiences if not scare them away from watching great films, let’s continue with some of what I find more light, amusing and entertaining news about the Mother of all festivals.

I got the impression that British press is a little bit bitter about what critics and fest attendees considered a strong contender, Mike Leigh’s Another Year that left the fest empty handed. But also because of the winning film late screening, most press writers and/or critics left Cannes without being able to watch the film.

Last year some articles mentioned that Haneke’s The White Ribbon won because the strong ties between Haneke and Isabelle Huppert. This year articles mention that the Palme d’Or winner totally fits Tim Burton’s style. So, I ask: if winners are mostly tied up to Jury President relationships/likes, what’s the role that other jurors play? (lol).

One of the strangest moments I lived yesterday was starting to read in Spanish press about Javier Bardem winning the best actor palm. Articles started to pour while the red carpet event was running and BEFORE the award ceremony started. Leaks?

Cannes (interesting) Trivia

Was reading that the last time Italy got a Best Actor Palme d’Or was in 1987 when great Marcello Mastroianni was honored for his performance in Oci Ciornie. Also -very funny news-Elio Germano’s most interesting part of his speech was cut in Italian news (lol).

Javier Bardem is not the first Spanish actor that wins the best actor Palme, there are other three remarkable actors from Spain that won before him; but what’s interesting is that Bardem has almost every major award in the world, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, two Volpi cups (Venice fest), four Goyas and the only one missing is the Silver Bear from the Berlinale.

Since I found the above news in the media and nothing alike about Juliette Binoche, let me be the one that tells you that Juliette also has almost all the major awards in the world!! An Oscar, a BAFTA, a Silver Bear, an European Film Award, a Cesar, and a Copa Volpi. Only one missing, a Golden Globe where she was nominated three times for Trois Couleurs: Blue, The English Patient and Chocolat.

Haven’t fix the awards post, eventually I will. LOL!

63rd Festival de Cannes Official Selection Awards Winners

Update - Just noticed that I never fixed this post! I'm doing it right now.

I'm ready!!! The ceremony is about to start, as the red carpet is over...

Will fix the post as soon as I get my network ready as believe it or not I LOST my internet connection!!! LOL!!! Boy that was 'exciting' (grrrr).

Think that first I'll watch the video and then will fix the post... not online yet and Canal+ is showing Ken Loach's Looking for Eric, that's strange! Okay, they have stopped and hope will have the video asap. Clips with awards are up.

Haven't seen the closing ceremony video but it's official "I LOVE TWITTER" (already have an account) where I followed a 'serious' twitter: Euronews. Merci beaucoup Euronews, which was faster than any other #cannes twit.

Seems that after many years watching movies I developed a good eye for movies as if you read the post with my only predictions I guessed just from watching videos/clips/trailers right 3 out of 3! Alright, one was a tie that I could never imagined, but I do like Elio Germano and have seen several movies just to watch his performance.

So here are the winners for this year.

Palme d'Or: Lung Boonmee Raleuk Chaat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives), Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Spain, Thailand, Germany, UK, and France, 2010

Grand Prix: Des Hommes et Des Dieux (Of Gods and Men), Xavier Beauvois, France, 2010

Prix du Jury: Un Homme qui Crie (A Screaming Man), Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, France, Chad and Belgium, 2010

Best Director: Mathieu Amalric for Tournée (On Tour), France, 2009

Best Actress: Juliette Binoche in Copie Conforme (Certified Copy), Abbas Kiarostami, France and Italy, 2010 (BRAVO!!!!)

Best Actor (tie):
Javier Bardem in Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Spain and Mexico, 2009
Elio Germano in La Nostra Vita (Our Life), Daniele Luchetti, Italy and France, 2010

Best Screenplay: 시 (Poetry), Lee Chang-dong, South Korea, 2010

Camera d'Or: Año Bisiesto, Michael Rowe, Mexico

Collateral Awards

FIPRESCI Award: Tournée (On Tour), Mathieu Amalric, France, 2009

Ecumenical Jury: Des Hommes et Des Dieux (Of Gods and Men), Xavier Beauvois, France, 2010
Special Mention:
Another Year, Mike Leigh, UK, 2010
시 (Poetry), Lee Chang-dong, South Korea, 2010

Prix de la Jeunesse: Copie Conforme (Certified Copy), Abbas Kiarostami, France and Italy, 2010

Short Films

Best Short: Chienne d'Histoire (Barking Island), Serge Avedikian, France
Jury Prize: Micky Bader (Bathing Micky), Frida Kempf, Sweden and Denmark, 2009

Prix France Culture Cinema: Ronit Elkabetz
Prix du Talent Europeen: Polish Pawel Pawlikowski for his project Sister of Mercy

To check the list at the official site go here.

Day 12 Cannes News

After 12 days we have reached the end. Today a ‘flat’ festival closes after Thierry Fremaux remarkable remark that I didn’t want to pay much attention. Since the press conference the world knew that this was going to be a “difficult” festival. Yes Fremaux warned us, but I was hoping he was just being ‘political’; unfortunately he was being honest. Definitively not the best year for this festival and much less if we recall last year outstanding films that made it up to USA most prestigious award. I believe that this year’s winners will not make it that far. Still, I really hope I’m totally wrong. It’s still very hard to accept that there were no outstanding films in the fest and still want to believe than when watching some of them I will dismiss all this nonsense and will praise the festival.

Today @ Cannes

Official Competition: Today there is a reprise screening of all in-competition films and after the award ceremony the screening of the closing film, The Tree by Julie Bertuccelli.

Around 8pm local time is the closing ceremony that I’m sure will not be able to watch live (still Canal+ has the clock running, but this time I wont fall for it-besides I know that’s wrong time), but I’ll try to follow live the results.

Serious Notes

The festival highlight for me was not a particular film but learning and reading about a director in prison. No, I’m not talking about Polanski, I’m talking about the invited jury member that couldn’t make it and at the opening ceremony we saw an empty chair. The film director that currently is in a hunger strike and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then perhaps you should remain in ignorance as I’m not going to tell you. That was and still is the festival highlight for me.

Buzz about winners

From France press reports
Local press predictions, Another Year is the winner, followed not so close by Biutiful.
International press predictions: Another Year winning, followed by Des Hommes et des Dieus.

Best Actor: Javier Bardem, but also strong Lambert Wilson in two films (La Princesse de Montpensier and Des homes et des dieux) and Mathieu Amalric. I really hope Bardem wins and so do many French and international critics.

Best Actress: Major contender is Yoon Jung-hee in Poetry, followed by Lesley Manville in Another Year; some claim that Juliette Binoche’s role is not strong even when performed excellent, and some are talking about an ensemble award for all women in Tournee –mainly because they were asked to return to Cannes today (so it’s possible).

French news from Canada
Palme: Des Hommes et des Dieux; Grand Prix: Another Year; Best Actor: Javier Bardem; Best Actress: tie Juliette Binoche and Yun Junghee; Director Im Sang-soo; Jury Award: Route Irish.

From English written news
Rumor from inside the jury says that no single film has impressed the judges, meaning that there could be spreading of wealth (I find this the most probable situation). Not surprised if top award goes to Poetry. Best film is not in competition, Carlos.

“Most “cinephiles” would like Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s winning something major”. (Really?)

“Most experts say is one of the most wide-open races for the Cannes to prize in years” (True.) and contenders are: Poetry, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives, Another Year and Biutiful.

So, what do I think? I really haven’t got a clue!!! And it’s an eclectic jury. But if I was judging videos/clips/trailers my Palm should go to Uncle Boome new story and/or My Joy; best actor: Javier and Best Actress: Juliette (but I’m totally biased! –lol). Can’t guess any of the other major awards from clips, so I won’t go there.

Not so Serious Notes

Never in my whole life read so much gossip about Cannes jury members. The most outrageous is about Tim Burton not being able to head the jury and the jury from India taking over! Gee, imagine if it’s real… I can’t.

Well, this is it for today and for the last festival post about news, videos, photos and gossip about Cannes.

Sincerely hope that what Thierry Freamaux is telling lately is true: 2011 lineup is going to be really strong!

Latest News (or gossip): These people have been called back to Cannes for tonight's closing ceremony: Javier Bardem, Juliette Binoche, Lee Chang-dong, Mathieu Amalric, Mahamat Saleh Haroun, and the 'team' of Des Hommes et des Dieux... hmm. Haven't left Cannes, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the 'team' of Hors la loi, Nikita Mikhalkov, Kornel Mundruzco. The rest are NOT in Cannes... and if they win something simply will not accept in person (which hardly happens in a festival, much less in Cannes).

Seems the press boycott is over (lol!) as The Associated Press is releasing dispatches... Reuters, not yet (but saw one or two during the fest)

1st Queer Palm (Off) Cannes Winner

No surprises for me as it was obvious that a more gay interest film had to win the first Queer Palm (LOL!), so here is the winner that comes from the Midnight Screenings.

Queer Palm: Kaboom, Gregg Araki, USA and France, 2010

Still, the good news are that the film 'hero' is bisexual and his best friend is lesbian, so I'm giving the film the benefit of doubt. Here is a copy and paste of what Franck Finance-Madureira mentions about Jury reasons to select this film.

"Kaboom est un film complètement queer: le héros est bisexuel et sa meilleure amie est lesbienne, tout cela ne pose absolument aucun problème et la sexualité est au centre même du film, une sexualité fluide et libre qui a beaucoup séduit les membres du jury. Les jurés ont beaucoup échangé sur les quatre très bons films qui se dégageaient des sélections cannoises: Kaboom, Les Amours imaginaires, Cuchillo de Palo, et Tournée que nous avons trouvé aussi vraiment queer."

So finally we learned the films they considered for the award and I'm surprised not to find in this list Picco, so maybe is not gay interest but maybe it is under different criteria (I'll find out when I'm able to watch it).

Read the official announcement at Yagg, available only in French.

63rd Festival de Cannes Un Certain Regard Award Winners

Not long ago the section had its award ceremony and here are the winners that really excited me and perhaps starts to make the awards more interesting.

Prize of Un Certain Regard - Fondation Groupama Gan Pour Le Cinema: 하하하 Ha Ha Ha, Hong Sangsoo, South Korea, 2010

Jury Prize: Octubre (October), Daniel Vega and Diego Vega, Peru, Venezuela and Spain, 2010

Prize for Best Performance: Adela Sanchez, Eva Bianco and Victoria Raposo in Los Labios (The Lips), Ivan Fund and Santiago Loza, Argentina, 2010

The jury presided by Claire Denis did not disappointed (me) by honoring films that at least seem intriguing (to me). Congratulations to South Korea, Peru and Argentina! To read the official announcement go here.

Collateral Awards

FIPRESCI Award: Pál Adrienn (Adrienn Pal), Ágnes Kocsis, Hungary, Netherlands, France and Austria, 2010

Prix du Regard Jeune: Les Amours Imaginaires (Heartbeats), Xavier Dolan, Canada, 2010

This is it for this year.

Cheers!!!

Day 11 Cannes News

Tomorrow the fest will be over… sigh.

Today @ Cannes

Official Competition: Not really excited to watch the second installment of Nikita Mikhalkov’s Burnt by the Sun 2 – The Exodus, but I know will watch when comes to DVD. More interesting A Frankenstein Terv by Kornel Mundruczo (remember Delta?) and definitively will watch Route Irish by Ken Loach. With these films the competition is over, tomorrow we will learn who won and reactions to the closing film that I’m curious about mostly because I enjoy Charlotte Gainsbourg performances, Julie Bertuccelli’s The Tree.

Un Certain Regard: Today this section of the Official Selection has the award ceremony around 8:00pm local time.

Short Films: Today the only two screenings of the nine (9) short films in competition.

Cinema de la Plage: Today 1956 Le Monde du Silence (The Silent World) by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Louis Malle

Quinzaine: Today reprise of Pied Nus Sur Les Limaces and Cleveland contre Wall Street. Later in the afternoon the few awards will be announced in this non-competitive section

Serious Notes

So what’s the buzz about the possible Palm d’Or winner?

According to French press:
1. Another Year, Mike Leigh
2. Of Gods and Men, Xavier Beauvois
3. Biutiful, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu
4. On Tour, Mathieu Amalric
5. Poetry, Lee Chang Dong

If you feel like watching UK’s Guardian Cannes roundup go here that’s more than the headline “Comfortably the worst competition that I can remember”. Panel gives their opinions of the (possibly) Palm d’Or winner.

This is new for me, the Cannes Independent Film Festival (not related to the official festival) that honors the best of (ultra) low-budget filmmaking. The winner this year is Lovelorn from UK (budget: Euros 200,000), best documentary Daddy I Do (budget: 20,000 Euros). Check the news here.

Not So Serious Notes

Maybe not all fashion designers should go behind cameras as this Karl Lagerfeld short film lacks many filmmaker skills, but if you’re into watching gorgeous model-alike women, how youth have fun at Saint-Tropez (not much different than many years ago when I had fun there, lol!) and excellent production values (even if they’re wasted in a showing a not interesting story) then watch the film here. The film was screened in Cannes at a Chanel soiree.

Well, according to Canal+ the longest applause at a Cannes premiere was for Biutiful with 8+ minutes; the best of the clip is watching Javier Bardem dancing and ending his quirky dance by kissing Penelope… (lol!).

No photo today as honestly couldn’t find one worth putting here. Sigh.

Finally a great Milla Jovovich photo from Cannes Burnt by the Sun 2 red carpet.

42nd Quinzaine des Réalisateurs - Directors Fortnight Award Winners

As posted at the official site here are the award winners in this non-competitive parallel section of the festival

Feature Films

Art Cinema Award: Pieds nus sur les Limaces (Lily Sometimes), Fabienne Berthaud, France

SACD Award: Illégal, Olivier Masset-Depasse, Belgium, Luxemmbourg, and France

Label Europa Cinemas: Le Quattro Volte (The Four Times), Michelangelo Frammartino, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland

FIPRESCI Award: Todos vós sodes capitáns, Oliver Laxe, Spain

Palm Dog Award, a Special Jury award this year goes to Vuk, the goatherd's dog in Le Quattro Volte by Michelangelo Frammartino.

Short Films

SFR Award: (tie)
Cautare (Quest), Ionut Piturescu, Romania
Mary Last Seen, Sean Durkin, USA

To check the official announcement go here. So it's over for this year and my impression is that this parallel section of the fest had very little coverage in general press. Maybe is due to a Selection that has nothing really outstanding, new, breakthrough and/or at least, news worthy. The art cinema award winner is a film with well-known great stars (more Ludivine Sagnier than Diane Kruger) that obviously will be must be seen by many -award or no award-, so there are no exceptional news here. Let's hope that next year this section could me more news worthy.

Sigh.

2010 Cinéfondation Award Winners

Yesterday the section that honors short films announced the winners and here they are.

1st Prize: Taulukauppiaat (The Painting Sellers), Juho Kuosmanen, Finland, 2010

2nd Prize: Coucou-les nuages (Anywhere Out of the World), Vincent Cardona, France, 2010

3rd Prize (tie):
Hinkerort Zorasune (The Fifth Column), Vatche Boulghourjian, USA and Lebanon, 2010
Ja Vec Jesam Sve Sto Zelim Da Imam (I Already Am Everything I Want to Have), Dane Komljen, Serbia, 2010

If you feel like reading the press release go here.

On other news, the 6th edition of the Cinéfondation Atelier was considered again a success with 400 meetings -with 110 companies- for projects of the 15 directors participating this year a significant increase from last year’s 300 meetings with 80 companies. Cinéfondation’s Director Georges Goldenstern comments that there wasn’t any “recession effect” as more companies were interested in the section efforts to promote the –always- 15 lucky directors. The Arte award this year went to two directors each earning the full award, Massoud Bakhshi for Khorramshahr and Srdan Golubic for Circles. To announcement/interview go here.

So this is it for this year and hope to see you again in 2011.