New Generation - Part III

Who are they, today?

Riley Keough

She was the Twin sister of Cherry in 'The Runaways'; I thought she was good, for a first fictional work. Now she is in 'Jack and Diane'.

Emma Roberts

The cute girl. Lot of kid movies. Also, 'The Art of Getting By'.  

Brit Marling

She's quite the artist but I don't really know her work but it seems she's really involved in what she does, really passionate. She produced, wrote and will star in 'Another Earth' and I wanna see it.

Elizabeth Olsen

Waw, Oscar Buzz already girl, I mean, It Girl from Sundance. I'm really curious about 'Martha Marcy May Marlene', but the thing is that she already has other projects that sound really good.

Mia Wasikowska

This is only a confirmation. I really like that final scene in 'The Kids Are All Right', but well, I can say I'm curious about 'Albert Nobbs'.

High School Themed Films - Part II

Water Lilies

Written and Directed by Céline Sciamma, Water Liles is a tale of virgin feelings.

It’s summer, there’s no school and kids look for a distraction. Marie is a friend of Anne who swims in the same pool of Floriane. Marie watches Floriane in her synchronized swimming and then passes her in the swimming pool corridors. She’s suddenly running after her, waiting for her, looking at her, being with her. This three girls purchase their different instincts and desires in their own way. They don’t know if it is love and they don’t know how to express their feelings. 

I love when a movie get’s my attention completely, when I get stoned by it, when I get completely lost in another world. ‘Water Lilies’ had that impact since the first minute.

The characters created that impact. There’s something about this story, about Marie and Floriane. There is a name to it, Adele. This young woman makes me stop believe in fairness for a moment because her character and her beauty are so unbelievable, I couldn’t stand. I say Adele because she’s the one who carries that beauty; she’s the one that makes her character so threatening. She’s fatal to me and she’s fatal to Marie. She knows it and she knows how to manage it right. She is provocative and hurts to look at. 

What I think is so amazing about this story is the final scene and what concludes – while Floriane thought she might had a truthful friendship she is disappointed because Marie is just like the other guys, wants her. The final scene she gives what everybody wants from her. Florianne kisses Marie and goes away. This is in a way  a simple teenage story but incredibly timeless.

Gainsbourg – His Women

Gainsbourg - Vie Heroique

It’s an unconventional biographic adaptation of an artist who becomes famously known for his erotic songs in a time when modern French World of the Sixties was conquering everyone with its freedom of self expression.

Serge Gainsbourg grow up in a wealthy environment. He didn’t like the piano when he was young. He then painted. He becomes involved in the music again, writing songs and then, finally, he sang them.

Femmes were always part of his inspiration. They included names like Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin. But no matter the women he had it never changed who he was.

Intriguing (unimportant though!) subject about this story is the ugliness of this man opposed to the number of women he seduced and they were really seduced by him and they were really attractive and beautiful. So Women in this film are relevant, their presence is necessary to the film's essence. They are exquisite, they are erotic, they are strong and vulnerable. A representation of women.

The Women of Gainsbourg (In Fiction)

Since his childhood conquests...

Girlfriends...

First Wife...

Muse...(this woman's voice is something).

...until the Bombshell comes.

Laetitia Casta makes one of the most turned on entrances ever. Her entire sequence in the film is precious. Certainly it wasn’t easy for her to play The Bomb, Brigitte Bardot but turned out to be one hell of a portrait. Especially when she says “Do we have croissants?” Obviously in French but I don’t how to write it. That was really Bardot of her!

There is no one quite like her...but still.

Lucie Gordon played Jane Birkin. She carried a dramatic and absorving performance; extremely professional and concentrated, always trying to portrait Jane’s authenticity. It’s sad she’s gone.

Last but not least, his third wife...

Aren't they countless?

New Generation - Part II

Here they come! Really young and really talented.

Hailee Steinfeld

Talent is talent, but now with an Oscar nomination you are, at least, known (considerably known). It’s always interesting what comes next, no pressure at all though!

Chole Moretz

 '500 Days of Summer', then 'Kick Ass', 'Let Me In'...Even in 30 Rock she kicks ass. She's with eight films in production including 'Hugo Cabret' directed by Martin Scorsese.

Elle Fanning

The It Girl, succeeding her sister. It's in the blood. I loved her in 'Somewhere'. She's in 'We Bought a Zoo', which promises.

Saoirse Ronan

'Atonement' - genius. 'Hanna' - completely committed; the film is so awesome. What next? Hum...Assassins, vampires and Sci-Fi.

Georgie Henley

Who wasn't amused by 'The Chronicles of Narnia', at least the first one?
I really liked it.

High School Themed Films - Part I

Fucking Âmal 

I really enjoy seeing good (‘Water Lilies’, ‘Easy A’, ‘The Class’, ‘Speak’) teenage dramas, there are always so much to tell. It’s always a delicate subject because is that precious times when teens are realizing who they are and what to study and what to be in life when they didn’t even figure it out who they really are.

Films like ‘Fucking Âmal’ are great. It shows us a very fragile moment, like I said when boys and girls have to imagine where they want to be in ten years. Even though I think if a bad decision is made, when twenty seven year olds are not glad, I think it’s possible they can change they lives but sometimes people don’t realize that and end up regretting the decisions they made when they were teens instead of change.

A few things come to mine when I talk about a teenage film: high school, a consistent self dramatization (crying, low self esteem), and parties at night that parents prohibit but they still go, always undecided, always bored. It’s also very likely that you hear the word hate and unfair really often and life or them together like, “It’s not fair, I hate my life”.

This film deals with two girls in particular – one is the blond popular girl in school; she’s continuously bored, she only sees tedium around her. The other, the quiet and shy girl; she’s also bored, but in a melancholic (or depressed) moment. She’s also in love with the pretty blond girl.

In a very entertaining way ‘Fucking Âmal’ deals with everything I mentioned before. It deals really well with reality sometimes; when the blond girl talks about being sick of her town (the title ‘Fucking Amal’), people asking her what she wants to study, her search to know herself and the effort to make her own decisions, also deals with lesbianism on the other side and it’s incredibly funny too. It was a very clever film and just genuine!

Next - Water Lilies.

New Generation - Part I

Despite hair color and plus an international view - that's what we'll probably be looking at the next years. They are promising...

Rooney Mara

It is obvious to mention "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Though, it seems to be an essential test of trust.

Felicity Jones

She won a prize in Sundance for her work in "Like Crazy". 

Kaya Scodelario

Is she another British talent? Her intoxication character named "Effy" can be an early test. But let's wait and see what comes after "Skins". "Wuthering Heights" is promising.

Juno Temple

Acting runs in her DNA. From "Notes on a Scandal" to "St. Trinian's" to "Kaboom". I'm especially interested in "Little Birds" and "Jack and Diane" (this one seems promising some controversy because of its straightforwardness).

Emma Stone

She's already someone we can trust of having a good time.

Lea Seydoux

I already talked about her stunning performance in "Le Belle Personne". She is a rising star. She got to do "Midnight in Paris", really intellingent of her. Now she's in another american film "Mission Impossible - Something". And she has a film with Diane Kruger and Virgine Ledoyen. I just don't get to see lot of french actresses doing Hollywood work. She seems intended to do so. Better for me, I have the chance of watching her in the big screen!

There are more to come.

"Rendez-vous" - Personally Speaking

A film by André Techiné.

To ask questions, that is…the question. I will be talking about life or should I say the bridge between cinema and life.

After watching this film what I’m interpreting and want to conclude in first hand (although it's wrongness) is that the less you think the more you live. In a first perspective it seems easy and even foolish to conclude this. It’s life knowledge that the more distracted you are enjoying something the faster time goes by. But, there you have it. As simple as it gets, life is not for you to think is to live. How easy can this be said?

It’s like this endless and ‘stupid’ question by a poet – does life has a meaning or an existence – I see it this way – existence being eternal and meaning being the now; so I go for the now, cause…there’s only now.  

Personally speaking I over think, way too much; way to the thin line, most of the time unnecessarily (obviously). I also have this constant feeling that I don’t live. I over analyze, I over question everything, I over think. Going to the deep privacy of things, I don’t take much action; I don’t have many conflicts; if ever I have them as in real conflicts not selfish insightful bullshit. Basically because I’m afraid of going out there and get hurt, really hurt and learn how to live with it, and then I over think about it. But are the people going out there, to a foreign place and live, can think that way? Analyzing at least how they see certain acts and how they live certain moments? The question is – is it possible to be both? My guess is that they think, but their thinking is not as insightful as it is some other types of thinking and for sure it is most of it taken for granted. That’s the biggest difference.

Here arises the explanation to the wrongness I mentioned in the beginning – it is essential to think (it’s impossible not to think, right?) but with quality and not that insightful and self-pity bullshit I mentioned, because that leads nowhere. In order to move forward you have to take a decision in the conflict you are in the moment In order to achieve the goal you defined from the begging. And you have to do it constantly.

There are many types of thinking; there’s the smart one, there’s the intelligent one, there’s the gifted one, there’s the standard one (also could be said normal but it seems to be an empty word); I guess my thinking lies in the weakness division sometimes. Not only they’re weak thoughts but they also make me weak. But there’s definitely a balance. I get over it!

All this leads to something it’s killing me nowadays more than before and always will: this world’s union of opposites. It’s the most persuasive force. It’s like it’s never good or stable on one side, there’s always the other fighting for getting included. It is nerve wrecking because it makes me undecided all the time. But it’s also what is supposed to give meaning to the word balance. And like I was talking earlier, you see now, the now it is the perfect balance. I have to say this shit rules the world. There’s really nothing most certain than that, Union of opposites.

I don't know how did I got to write all thit just from watching 'Rendez-vous'...

In this film, Juliette Binoche asks why Romeo and Juliet loved each other. The other character answers: “Why they love each other? Why they don’t love each other?” and goes further, “Why they are enemies? Questions serve for nothing”. These two characters both look for the truth beyond appearances and trough appearances. (A critic said).

You can just agree to disagree. 

Crush on her

Alexandra Maria Lara

"Der Untergang"

I really like European actress Alexandra Maria Lara. There's something about her eyes, tenderness. 

I have to say 'Der Untergang' it's a huge influence because it's one of my favourite films. I love the whole picture. The story and narrative, the great performances, everything.

She's also in:

Indie film "I Really Hate my Job".

A cameo at 'Miracle at S.Anna".

In the french film "L'affaire Farewell".

Alexandra Maria Lara in "Control", amazing film.

In "Youth Without Youth" she plays different characters.

Another brief participation in another amazing German Story "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex".

Performing - Angel from Montgomery

What else is there to say about 'Into the Wild'? Words aren't enough to describe the amount of beauty and life this film brings to us. It makes you want to write every word said in the film around your body, so that we can remember to feel strong... I said what I had to say about Kristen Stewart (and maneirisms!). I only think this moment should last longer.

Picture Moment

My jaw dropped...it's Liv Tyler...with Tasya Van Ree...

Crush on her

Rosamund Pike

There’s something about her presence that is so delicate, her voice is charming and wonderful. She's lightness and she’s what we idealize of a classy British woman.

I have not seen much of her work. She actually started as a Bond Girl (I don’t know if you still remember that film).  I didn’t appreciate the film very much but I certainly appreciate this three:

In ‘An Education’ she plays Helen, a woman rich in appearance but poor in mind. She ends up being a cold woman, but bottom line – classy all the way.

 With ‘Made in Dagenham’  she plays a woman with a degree from Oxford University but her life resumes has being a wife and a mother with no permission to have a point of view of her own, in a society governed by men.

Rosamund Pike studied English Literature from Oxford University but she decided to lead her life in another direction.

In ‘Barney’s Version’ just took a look at her to make Baney fall in love with her.

But my favorite film of Rosamund Pike has to be - Pride and Prejudice.

Not because is my favorite film (!) but I think Joe Wright did an amazing choice of casting. 

Her character is delicate and fragile, shy and pure; she’s the beloved sister of Elizabeth Bennet.

 Now that I mention Pride and Prejudice, I feel like seeing it for the thirtieth time…

Uncensored Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I'm not even that excited.........

I have to start by saying that this American Girl with a Dragon Tattoo will never be able to reach the Swedish Lisbeth Salander / Noomi Rapace, really. I love the original film, I love the work of Noomi Rapace, I love the book. I'm also sure that this two projects will be two very distinctive ones. And despite all that it doesn't stop me from being really curious about the work David Lynch will create with this story. Extremely curious...

Crush on her

What I want with this topic is to sort of talk about Women in film, I guess! Let's see what comes out of this...I will start with Chiara Mastroianni.

Chiara Mastroianni

As she gets older the better she looks the more attractive she becomes. I don't know if her genes become an influence (her face it's exactly like her father's) but still.

Her first film was with her mother - 

Ma saison préférée

Later she was also in the same film with her father, "Prêt-à-Porter".

Ok, cut the talk.

My favorite film starring Chiara Mastroianni is - tied between:

Persepolis

Un Conte de Noel

Curiously they both star mother and daughter, but what matters is that they are two amazing films. The storytelling is honest, straightforward and they are both very significant stories, especially Persepolis. I highly recommend both.

A bonus:

She has a beautiful voice too.