SHHH…Secret Cinema

On Saturday I went to my first Secret Cinema. I was expecting a Halloween/horror theme but when we arrived at the car park where the screening was taking place and I saw  ’astronauts’  handing out space suits and torches to everyone in the queue I realised it was going to be a sci-fi theme…

My heart sank.

Inside I failed to spot a fair number of clues as to what film would be, but my boyfriend twigged that it was going to be Ridley Scott’s Alien. What a relief, I was so worried it was going to be Solaris or something obscure. Alien was the perfect choice, although at times I did struggle to hear what was being said. This would have annoyed me more if the atmosphere in the ‘space ship’ hadn’t been so exciting.

 After the film there was a DJ playing some awful trance music so I decided to leave, I don’t think many people stuck around although the event was meant to last till 2am.

The next event takes places at Christmas and I think I’ll go again. What I liked about the Secret Cinema was that it made going to the cinema special. It was certainly a different way to spend a Saturday night – more fun that fighting for a seat in the nearby Shoreditch bars spilling with attention-seekers dressed as vampires and prostitutes.

White Material

 

Claire Denis returns to Africa for her latest film, White Material, starring the incredible Isabelle Huppert as Madame Vial, the white French matriarch of a small clan of white French expatriates.

In this undisclosed African country government forces are at war with rebels, schools are closing, and children are being recruited into the army.

The Vial family are also falling apart, although in typical Claire Denis style, we are given little in the way of reasons why.

Denis perfectly creates a sense of chaos, the haunting Tindersticks soundtrack is perfect, and the casting is spot on. One criticism though, the images by the new d.p Yves Cape are far less powerful than those of the director’s usual collaborator Agnés Godard.

David Lynch I see Myself

One of my favourite directors is David Lynch so last weekend when I went to Paris I was thrilled to find a free exhibition at the Galeries Lafayette department store showcasing some of his early short films and artwork, including lithography and photos.

 

Lynch had even decorated 11 of the shop windows, with the theme being “Machines, Abstraction and Women”.

The films shown inside the gallery presented nightmarish, childhood imagery. I saw his first ever film project Six Figures Getting Sick (1966), which was pretty much as the title suggested.

 

More interesting was The Grandmother (1970), a surreal and haunting story of a boy with abusive parents who plants seeds in his bed until eventually a kind, caring grandmother is born. Definitely one of Lynch’s strangest works along with Eraserhead, but absolutely fascinating – I couldn’t stop thinking about if for the rest of the day.

The Best Non-Hollywood Films of 2009…So Far

Amreeka by Cherien Dabis

Nisreen Faour plays the adorable Muna Fara, a single mother who moves from occupied Palestine to a small town in Illinois with her teenage son. The film has some really funny and tender moments, as well as tackling problems such as racism and discrimination.

Los abrazos rotos by Pedro Almodóvar

In typical Almodóvar style, this film is full of romance, lies, tears, melodrama, and comedy. It tells the story of how a blind film director (Lluis Omar) loses not only his sight, but also the love of his life, the sublime Penelope Cruz.

Looking for Eric by Ken Loach

This film tells the tale of how Eric Cantona helps rebuild the life of a lonely Mancunian postman. It has a very unusual narrative structure and, rather than being about football, deals with important socio-political issues.

The Best Romantic Comedies

I wouldn’t say I’m a massive fan of romantic comedies and I hate the term ‘rom-com’, but the other day when my brain was feeling fried and I couldn’t face anything too taxing, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman in Last Chance Harvey proved to me that sometimes a romantic comedy can be just what you need. So, feeling all warm and fuzzy, I decided to compile my Top 5 Romantic Comedies…

5) There’s Something About Mary, 1998

Rom-com virtuoso Ben Stiller stars as geeky Ted, a man who hires a private detective to track down his high-school sweetheart, Mary (played by Cameron Diaz). A highlight is comedy-genius Lee Evans as Tucker, a pizza delivery boy who falls in love with Mary and pretends to be a British architect to impress her.

4) Bridget Jones’s Diary, 2001

The stunning Hollywood actress Renée Zellweger actually succeeds in giving a believable performance as Bridget Jones, an overweight, unlucky singleton from the Home Counties. Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the ever so dashing Colin Firth recreates the magic of his role as Mr Darcy in the early-90s BBC production, giving an adorable performance as Mark Darcy, a misunderstood posh barrister.

3) 2 Days in Paris, 2007

Julie Delpy directed and starred in 2 Days in Paris, a funny and soulful look at the relationship of a French woman Marion (Delpy) and her American boyfriend Jack (Adam Goldberg). They have been travelling Europe for 2 weeks and decide to stop in Paris to drop in on Marion’s family and friends. The inevitable clichés provide plenty of laughs, but Delpy also successfully captures the dilemmas experienced by many 30-somethings.

2) Lost In Translation, 2003

Sofia Coppola’s film follows two Americans (Bob and Charlotte) living in Tokyo, trying to overcome the inescapable cultural and linguistic barriers. Bill Murray is brilliant as Bob, a has-been actor and Scarlett Johansson is perfect for the role of Charlotte, a young and beautiful wife of a visiting photographer. The love between these 2 characters is not one of lust but one of psychological need, making the film stand out from your run-of-the-mill, vomit-inducing love story.

1) Annie Hall, 1977

The ultimate romantic comedy, Annie Hall tells the tale of neurotic New York comedian Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) and his girlfriend Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). The film traces the course of their relationship from their very first meeting to their break-up. Annie Hall is Woody Allen at his best, as he transcends a simple, romantic premise to create a stunning portrait of human nature. Not a line is wasted in Annie Hall. There are no cheap laughs – each line is both witty and poignant, and the chemistry between Keaton and Allen is compelling.

Whatever Works

The critics seem to be less than impressed with Woody Allen’s latest offering, Whatever Works. They accuse the director of unoriginality and accuse the plot of being lazy and unbelievable. Well, I saw the film last night it was the most I’ve laughed at a cinema in a long time. Yes, it’s unoriginal, but as Evan Rachel Wood’s cliché-spouting character Melody would say, ‘if it ain’t broke….’

The film marks Allen’s return to New York after his recent sejourns in Europe (Vicky Christina, Cassandra’s Dream, Scoop and Match Point). Requiring a large suspension of disbelief, Whatever Works tells the tale of a pretty young girl from Mississippi falling for Boris, a misanthropic former physics professor who initially refers to her as a ‘submental baton twirler’. It is a shame Allen doesn’t take the role of Boris, although Larry David is certainly the next best thing. His ranting provides a brilliant stream of one-liners and Melody’s naivety makes for some funny moments; when Barry wakes from a nightmare, moaning that he saw the abyss, Melody switches on the TV, telling him ‘Don’t worry, we’ll watch something else’.

Another highlight is the fabulous Patricia Clarkson as Melody’s mother, a religious fundamentalist who sheds her conservatism and adopts a bohemian lifestyle, becoming an artist and moving in with her 2 lovers in a ‘ménage à trois’. When her ex-husband arrives and asks ‘Has she met someone else? What’s he like?’ Boris wittily replies ‘Well, he has 4 arms and 2 noses.’

Allen claims that Whatever Works came about after he reworked a script originally written 30 years ago. For this reason it sets itself apart from his films of the past decade and recaptures the magic of his ‘70s classics like Annie Hall.

Pro or Anti-Christ

With graphic scenes portraying genital mutilation, torture and un-simulated sex, Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist was the most talked-about film at Cannes this year. The horror film features only two actors, Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, playing a grieving couple who retreat to their cabin in the woods to repair their troubled marriage.

The Danish director has said “I can offer no excuse for ‘Antichrist’ … other than my absolute belief in the film — the most important film of my entire career!” Quite a statement from the creator of some of modern cinema’s most intelligent and beautifully shot films – Breaking the Waves, Idioten and Dogville…

There is a mixed reaction when I go and see Antichrist. Many spectators are unable to watch as Charlotte Gainsbourg’s character cuts off her own clitoris with a pair of scissors. In another scene, where she is shown drilling a hole through her husband’s leg, there is a collective cry of despair coming from the more squeamish members of the audience.

However, it would seem that certain elements of Antichrist fail to prompt the anticipated reaction; when a fox starts to talk there is an outburst of laughter. Perhaps this is a bit too much in the style of The Animals of Farthing Wood to be scary. But despite these odd moments and a few unoriginal horror clichés (soaring crows, savage howls, and swarms of bugs etc), Antichrist proves that Lars Von Trier is still one of Europe’s most talented directors. The black-and-white opening sequence portraying the horrific accidental death of a child in slow motion, set to Handel’s intense symphony, is arguably the most powerful of Von Trier’s career.

The director has described Antichrist as a “kind of therapy” for the depression he was suffering from two years ago. With this in mind, I followed the recent retrospective of Von Trier’s cinema at the Pompidou Centre in Paris. The retrospective aimed to explore the Von Trier mystery by presenting his first shorts to his most recent features, and even included an interview with the director himself via a video conference with Pascal Mérigeau, film critic at the Nouvel Observateur.

This interview is a highlight of the retrospective as it gives us a deeper insight into a director who is often unfairly portrayed in the media. In his discussion with Mérigeau, Von Trier reveals a softer, more vulnerable side and also a surprisingly good sense of humour. The director tells Mérigeau that the themes in Antichrist actually came from his own deepest fears, and that he feels closer to this than any film he has made in the past. He describes the film as “a glimpse into the dark world of my imagination: into the nature of my fears, into the nature of Antichrist.” Von Trier claims that he thought only of himself when making the film, and that what the public would make of it was not even a consideration. This renders the film all the more powerful, as we know that we are not being manipulated into reacting a certain way. And it also makes Antichrist far more intriguing; we leave the film equally disturbed as impressed.

Hello world!

After realising that I spend way too much time sharing my opinions on the imdb.com, I have decided to do something more constructive and share my passion on my very own film blog. Having never blogged before, this is quite scary for me, I just hope someone out there takes an interest in what I have to say!

I enjoy most genres except Westerns and I especially like European and Independent British/American cinema. Actually, my motto is as long as it hasn’t been directed by Richard Curtus, I’ll give it a go…

I’m going to start my blog with a rundown of my Top 10 French films. This should give you an idea of the kind of thing I like…

 10 - 8 Femmes (8 Women) Directed by François Ozon, 2002

A Christmas family gathering turns into a farcical murder mystery when a father is mysteriously found dead. Eight women, including his wife, mistresses, and daughters unveil a plethora of scandals as they attempt to discover who is responsible for the death of the only man in the house…

This musical-comic homage to studio-era 1950s melodrama features outstanding performances from eight of the biggest names in French cinema – Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert and Emmanuelle Béart to name a few.

9 – Baise-moi (Fuck Me) Directed by Virginie Despentes, 2000

Based on the director’s eponymous novel, Baise-moi is often cited as ‘Thelma and Louise…on crack’. This road movie follows Manu and Nadine, two marginalised young women who revolt against society when Manu gets raped and Nadine sees her only friend get shot. After a chance encounter, the women, played by porn stars, embark on an explosive journey of sex and murder.

Controversial for its violence and real sex scenes, sadly the socio-political elements of Baise-moi are often overlooked. Although definitely not one for a romantic night in, this radical commentary on sex and power is thought provoking and intelligent.

8 – Belle de Jour (Beauty of the Day) Directed by Luis Buñuel, 1967

Buñuel is undoubtedly the master of cinematic Surrealism. In this masterpiece he tells the story of Séverine Serizy, a young housewife who decides, as you do, to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute. This fascinating exploration of the female psyche stars a 24-year old Catherine Deneuve as Séverine, who, with an almost hollow performance, provides the perfect blank canvas for the audience to express themselves upon. Looking the epitome of chic in a Pierre Cardin trench coat, Deneuve alternates between frigidness and passion, casting everybody under her spell.

7 – Et Dieu…créa la femme (And God created woman) Directed by Roger Vadim, 1956

This film’s magic comes from Brigitte Bardot’s incredible screen presence. Her raw beauty is mesmerising and the personal attachment in her portray of the wild yet vulnerable Juliette leads to an effortlessly flawless performance.

Although the plot revolves around a rather banal love-triangle, where Juliette loves one brother (the Bad Boy) but marries the other (Mr Too-Nice), this film is beautifully shot and actually paved the way for the innovative French New Wave.

6 – Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (Amelie) Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001

Guaranteed to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, this film stars Audrey Tautou as Amélie Poulain, a quirky Parisian waitress who gives herself a mission to improve the lives of those around her and along the way, discovers love.

With the help of an array of bizarre subplots and eccentric characters including hypochondriac tobacconists and tyrannical grocers, this delightful film reminds us just how much happiness we can get from the simplest things in life.

5 – Les quatre cents coups  (400 Blows) Directed by François Truffaut, 1959

Directed by the Godfather of the French New Wave, Truffaut’s first film tells the intensely touching tale of Antoine Doinel, a misunderstood young boy who, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime. Overflowing with creativity, this very human tale contains elements of sadness, regret, warmth, happiness and humour. A 14-year old Jean-Pierre Léaud leads as Antoine Doinel, giving a raw and spontaneous performance.

4 – Le Scaphandre et Le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) Directed by Julian Schnabel, 2007

This Oscar-nominated film is based on a book written by the late Jean-Dominique Bauby, former editor of French ELLE. At the age of 43, Bauby was diagnosed with Locked-in Syndrome, a rare condition where the body is paralysed but mental facilities remain unaffected.

Le Scaphandre et Le Papillon recounts the incredible story of how Bauby, who could only communicate via blinking his left eyelid, succeeded in composing a book entirely in his head and communicating every letter with the blink of an eye, as an assistant slowly recited the alphabet over and over again.

Shot from the stroke victim’s point of view, the film has a dreamlike feel as viewers witness a collage of memories and daydreams combined with visits from Bauby’s friends and family.

This somewhat uplifting yet bittersweet true story makes us realise everything we take for granted. Stylistically, it is mesmerising.

3 – La Haine (The Hate) Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995

Set in the 24 hours following a suburban riot, a camera follows three friends living in a run-down estate in the outskirts of Paris: Vinz, a White Jew, Hubert, a Black Christian, and Said, an Arab Muslim. Arguably the most momentous French film of the nineties, the handling of the socio-political issues raised in La Haine was so effective that the French Cabinet were reported to have watched the film in the hope that it would aid their understanding of life in the banlieue. Shot in black and white, this film has a gritty, realistic quality, emphasised by the improvisation style of the actors, notably the hugely talented Vincent Cassel as Vinz.

2 – La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast) Directed by Jean Cocteau, 1946

Cocteau described the film screen as ‘the true mirror reflecting the flesh and blood of my dreams’. And one of his most poetic, dreamlike films was the mesmerising La Belle et La Bête. It is scandalous that in the credits to the1991 animated Disney version there are no thanks to Cocteau. This dreamlike version of the fairytale may not have the sing-along childhood classics of the Disney version, but it is far more magical, featuring the enchanted objects which inspired Disney characters such as Lumière.

This was Cocteau’s first full-length film and, without the use of the big-budget special effects of today, the director will manage to sweep you away and tap into you own private thoughts.

1 – Indochine (Indochina) Directed by Régis Wargnier, 1992

This beautifully shot epic tale deservedly won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1992. The story begins in Vietnam in 1930 and concludes on the eve of the Communist revolution in 1954. Catherine Deneuve, aged 49 and as stunning as ever, plays Eliane Devries, the owner of a rubber plantation in French colonial Vietnam. Eliane, a frequenter of opium dens, raises Camille, a beautiful Vietnamese girl, as her own. As well as being a love story full of scandal, the film deals with important issues including the exploitive evils of colonialism.

It could be argued that this film has more in common with Hollywood-style panoramic epics than it does with the tradition of the French low-budget art house cinema. Whatever the influences; the panoramic cinematography of the Vietnamese countryside is strikingly artistic, and Deneuve’s performance is flawless.