From the Visit London blog, London film festival season is on:

“London’s 8th Latin American film festival kicks off next week. The festival will show films from South American countries including Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela that often wouldn’t make it to the big screen in the UK. Special guests include awarding winning Argentine director Amat Escalante, the world-renowned Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, and new Colombian sensation Jorge Navas. Screenings will take place at London venues including Tate Modern and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.”

Read more or visit the official site. The festival takes place from 26 November to 6 December.

Copio-incollo da Psicozoo.it

L’autismo, si sa, è terreno di controversie visto che non esiste nessuna certezza sulle sue cause, sul suo trattamento, sulla sua diagnosi, sulle tecniche di studio. E non sono solo i genitori o gli esperti della materia a puntare il dito, ma anche le stesse persone con un disturbo dello spettro autistico, che spesso sono in grado di difendere i loro diritti, a farsi sentire.

Stavolta a far discutere è il video sull’autismo prodotto  dal cantautore Billy Mann (nomination per il Grammy award) e diretto da  Alfonso Cuarón, vincitore di un Oscar, per Autism Speaks, il più grande sindacato staunitense in difesa dei diritti degli autistici. Il video non è piaciuto per niente alle persone che il sindacato dovrebbe difendere, per i suoi toni terroristici che vanno dalla rappresentazione del disturbo come una sorta di mostro orrorifico, alla sua squalifica totale come peso, rovinafamiglie o oggetto di compassione senza fine.

“Non vogliamo essere dipinti come un fardello o come oggetti di paura e pietà” - afferma con forza Ari Ne’eman, presidente dell’Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, che ricevette una diagnosi di Sindrome di Asperger (una forma relativamente lieve di autismo) all’età di 12 anni. “Secondo il video, se i miei genitori divorziassero sarebbe tutta colpa mia!” – continua offeso, considerando che il cortometraggio assicura ai genitori che se il loro figlio è autistico il loro matrimonio fallirà.

Il gruppo di Ne’eman ha organizzato proteste contro questo video in tutto il paese, affermando che se Autism Speaks avesse più persone con autismo nella sua dirigenza, il suo messaggio sarebbe stato più sensibile verso le persone che cerca di aiutare e spingerebbe l’associazione a destinare più risorse per migliorare i servizi destinati agli autistici allo stato attuale, piuttosto che impegnarle totalmente nella ricerca e negli studi genetici che danno riscontri solo a lungo termine.

Peter Bell, vice-presidente esecutivo di Autism Speaks sostiene che il video ha ricevuto risposte positive dal resto della comunità delle persone autistiche, ma ha preferito comunque rimuoverlo visto che non è stato gradito a tutti. Secondo Bell, il video è un’espressione personale di Mann e Cuaròn, entrambi genitori di un bambino autistico. “Sono in una fase della vita in cui si sentono affranti e insicuri rispetto al futuro”- continua Bell per spiegare le loro scelte rispetto al video.

Lascio a voi i commenti sul pomo della discordia tradotto da me in italiano (vi chiedo scusa per l’imprecisione della traduzione). Ne troverete molte parodie su internet che forse rivelano più sensibilità di questo video che si gongola tra terrore e pietismo.

“L’autismo parla”

“Sono l’Autismo, sono invisibile nei tuoi bambini, e sarò invisibile per te finchè non è troppo tardi. So dove vivi. E, indovina? Anch’io vivo lì. Ho i miei occhi puntati su tutti voi e vi sto guardando. Sono l’autismo, non ho colore, nè religione, nè morale, nè amore… Parlo la tua lingua fluentemente e con ogni voce che porto via acquisisco un altro linguaggio. Lavoro molto velocemente, più veloce di cancro, Aids e diabete infantili messi insieme.   Sono l’autismo e se sei felicemente sposato, distruggerò il tuo matrimonio rendendo i tuoi sogni irraggiungibili e le promesse infrante… I tuoi soldi finiranno nelle mie mani e ti porterò alla bancarotta per il mio guadagno…Non dormo e ti assicuro che non farò dormire neanche te. Renderò virtualmente impossibile per te e per la tua famiglia andare in chiesa, ad una festa di compleanno, in un parco pubblico senza combattere, senza problemi, senza soffrire…Non hai cure per me. I tuoi scienziati non hanno le risorse per combattermi e io provo gusto nella tua disperazione. I tuoi vicini sono più contenti di far finta che io non esisto, ovviamente finchè non è figlio loro.  Sono l’autismo, non m’interessa cosa è giusto e cosa è sbagliato. Provo gran piacere nella tua solitudine. Combatterò per portarti via ogni speranza. Ti priverò del tuo bambino e dei tuoi sogni, mi assicurerò che ogni volta che ti svegli tu pianga, chiedendoti chi si prenderà cura del tuo bambino quando sarai morto. E la verità è che io sto vincendo ancora, io sono l’autismo e tu sei terrorizzato. E fai bene ad esserlo. Io sono l’autismo. Tu mi hai ignorato? E’ stato un grande errore.”

“E all’autismo dico, io sono una madre, un padre, un nonno, una sorella. Noi passeremo ogni ora del nostro tempo cercando di combatterti. Non possiamo dormire perchè non ci fermeremo finchè non lo fai tu. Le famiglie possono essere più forti dell’autismo e non ci faremo intimidire da te, non con l’amore e la forza delle nostre comunità. Io sono un genitore che cavalca per domarti e tu puoi buttarmi giù mille volte, ma io mi rialzerò, e mi rimetterò in piedi. Autismo, hai dimenticato chi siamo, hai dimenticato con chi hai a che fare, hai dimenticato lo spirito di madri, e figlie e padri e figli, noi siamo la Russia, gli Usa, la Cina, noi siamo le Nazioni Unite. Noi staremo insieme in qualunque clima, e studieremo con le tecnologie, il woodoo, le erbe, gli studi genetici e una conoscenza che cresce e che tu non puoi prevedere. E’ una sfida, ma noi siamo i migliori quando gli altri si abbattono. Noi parliamo l’unica lingua che conta: l’amore per i nostri bambini. Tu sei solo, noi siamo una comunità di guerrieri. Noi abbiamo voce. Pensi che se alcuni dei nostri bambini non sanno parlare, noi non li sentiamo? Questa è la debolezza dell’autismo. Tu pensi che se il mio bambino vive dietro un muro, io ho paura di buttarlo giù con le mie mani? Forse non ti hanno presentato questa comunità di genitori, nonni, amici, insegnanti e scienziati… Autismo, se non sei terrorizzato, dovresti esserlo. Quando sei arrivato per il mio bambino hai dimenticato che sei arrivato per me. Autismo, hai sentito?”

[- 'I Am Autism': An Advocacy Video Sparks Protest- By Claudia Wallis Friday]

LUCIA IMPERATORE

EFE reports: Alfonso Cuarón will offer a master class in cinema at this year’s International Film Festival of Marrakech.  Now in its ninth edition, the Festival International du Film de Marrakech will take place between 4 and 12 December. Also offering workshops are American director Jim Jarmusch and Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle (best known for his work in Hong Kong cinema).  Jaramusch, Doyle, and Cuarón’s workshops will take place 8th, 9th, and 11th December respectively.  Read more.

HR also reveals that Cuarón has shown interest in directing upcoming thriller Hanna.  In development since 2007, the film “centers on a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine.”  Atonement-director Joe Wright is currently in talks to direct.  Read more.

Okay, as you probably know by now: I’m a fan of Superman Returns. I may or may not be listening to the soundtrack right now.  But YOU probably hated it so now I have to think of who else I’d want to direct another Superman movie. Fortunately, since V for Vendetta, James McTeigue, director of the upcoming Ninja Assassin, has been at the top of my list, and, pretty much since V for Vendetta came out, he hasn’t stopped talking about what HE would do with the movie.  And what would HE do with a Superman movie?  Well to  sum it up for him:  make it awesome.  And I’m okay with that.  Read more!

Next up on my fanboy wishlist is Len Wiseman, director of Live Free of Die Hard.  I don’t know what the hell he’s been up to since and I’m too lazy to look it up (I lied — not much.)   I’d also be interested in somebody like Paul Haggis getting a crack at a tent-pole like Superman.  Or I might give up my first born for Alfonso Cuarón.

If given the opportunity to post a pic of V on my blog, I'll take it.

"The Witches" as illustrated by Quentin Blake. Photo: Roald Dahl Store website

Double, double toil and trouble …

Acclaimed director Alfonso Cuaron is slated to produce a remake of Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, “The Witches.”

Anjelica Huston (“Ever After”)  starred in the 1990 movie, which was about a boy who stands up against witches who kill children for the heck of it.

Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” Hell Boy”) is said to direct and write the remake, which will be in stop-motion animation in the same vein as “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

I think the film could have worked with live actors, but in the age of “Shrek” and “The Incredibles,” animated movies are in a league of their own. Nonetheless, I would have preferred it if one of my favorite directors, Cuaron (“Children of Men”), was at the helm instead of del Toro.

Then again, as a Dahl fan, I’m looking forward to see how this project turns out, but it might be a while before any of us see anything. After all, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was more than three years in the making.

Till then, Vulture.com has listed the top Roald Dahl movie adaptations. The critical hit, “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” is the latest one:

Which of Dahl’s books would you like to see on the big screen? Sound off in the comments below!

//

Since September, Cuarón made the news not only by signing a controversial petition by the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques’ (SACD) protesting the extradition of Roman Polanski from Switzerland for an outstanding warrant dating back to his 1977 rape conviction but also for his participation in  Autism Speaks‘ “I am Autism” campaign (details below the cut).

More recently, HR reported that the director was in early stage talks to direct the remake of Jérôme Salle’s The Tourist (original title: Anthony Zimmer) , replacing Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The Lives of Others), originally attached to the project.  Variety reports that the production is to finally begin in February after a number of cast and crew changes since 2005.  However, as recently as last week, von Donnersmarck asserted that he was still attached to the project.  “In the trades, everything they say…I think you can discount a lot of it.  It’s just a way of talking about the business, and sometimes things get out about heated points of discussion. We’ll see how it plays out with that one.”

In October, the finalists for the AXN Film Festival were announced.  Jury members – including Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, and Carlos Cuarón, among others – selected ten short films from across South America which will air on AXN from 15th November to to 6th December in Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, and Venezuela.  The winner will be announced Sunday, 13th December.  Read more.  The Sunday Times carried an interview with Carlos and Alfonso Cuarón by Beverley D’Silva ahead of of the DVD release of Rudo y Cursi in the UK mid-November.  The brothers discussed their relationship growing up and making films, “Writing [Y tu mamá también], we were laughing like crazy and getting very excited. We learnt that the only way to make things happen is to take control of your material from the get-go. And it all happened from there.”

Apologies for the great delay!

***

22^nd September, international autism research and advocacy organisation Autism Speaks launched its second annual world conference and the “Decade for Autism”p campaign urging governments to better fund autism research and social services for families affected by autism.  Screened at the conference was a short-film commissioned especially for the initiative called “I am Autism,” by Alfonso Cuarón and songwriter Billy Mann, who are both parents of children diagnosed with autism.  The organisation invited individuals with autism and their family to submit footage which was put together with a reading of a poem by Mann, “to show the global face of autism.”

The video, available on YouTube, immediately drew criticism from autistic self-advocates across the web.  Liz Ditz provides a long list of blog posts and articles responding to the video in the days immediately after its release while The New Republic provides coverage of Autism Speaks’ public relations disaster as well as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s official response (press release and blog excerpts) to “I am Autism.”

“This is the latest in a series of unethical fundraising strategies adopted by Autism Speaks,” said Ari Ne’eman, an adult on the autism spectrum and President of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). “This type of fear mongering hurts Autistic people, by raising fear and not contributing in the slightest to accurate understanding of the needs of Autistic adults and children.”

In addition to the charge of fear mongering and misrepresentation of autism and autistic people, one of the major criticisms of the Autism Speaks campaign targets the exploitative nature of the video campaign, which featured primarily minors unable to personally consent to the use of their image.  Furthermore, rather than providing a platform for autistic persons to discuss their experiences as the name of the campaign might suggest (it is perhaps here that I find this (re)presentation so problematic, personally), the narration instead personifies and demonises autism, focusing on the burden it creates for parents of children with autism.  Thomas C. Weiss of Disabled World takes a closer look at the campaign activities of Autism Speaks, while board members from the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership (GRASP) offer their criticisms (requires Facebook sign-in) of the organisation’s past campaigns.

In the week after the video’s release, Autism Speaks responded to the criticism, explaining: “It is an intensely personal expression by these two fathers and their hope is that the piece inspires other voices and artists in the autism community.  No one perspective can ever be the definitive voice of autism.”  The group additionally offered to remove the video “I am Autism,” but it is still available online.  There has been no response from either Mann or Cuarón.

Most recently, Claudia Wallis of Time covered some of the controversy generated by the video, including a statement from Autism Speaks’ vice-president Peter Bell, who acknowledged, “We realized it did hurt a certain segment of the population, which is why we removed the video link from our website,” also admitting the lack of autistic representation on its advisory boards.  Michael Novinson of Bryn Mawr and Harverford Colleges’ Bi-College News also offered an opinion on the controversy, “Giving autistic people a more prominent platform in their own movement may not result in medical breakthroughs, but it should help bridge cultural divides. At the very least, they can caution well-intentioned yet naïve filmmakers against portraying autism subjects as lifeless zombies powerless in their own struggle.”

Babelor,

Tocmai am văzut un film mişto, cu actori mişto, cu o poveste mişto, făcut mişto, care m-a ţinut cum de mult nu m-a mai ţinut ceva. Se cheamă, cum poate că aţi dedus deja citind titlul postării, Children of Men, şi a fost făcut de Alfonso Cuaron. Tare, babelor, tare de tot. Ditamai distopia, film de film, foarte, foarte, foarte bun.

Povestea e aşa: Anglia, anul 2027. Lumea a ajuns o zdreanţă, pentru că toate femeile au devenit infertile. Anglia este singura ţară care mai funcţionează cât de cât, dar nu prea bine nici ea. Şi în tot haosul ăsta, un tip este rugat de fosta lui soţie, ajunsă acum teroristă sau aşa ceva, să ducă o puştoaică într-un oraş de pe malul mării.

Nu zic mai mult, că poate nu l-aţi văzut, şi tot ce aş putea spune v-ar strica distracţia. Vă zic doar să vă uitaţi la el neapărat, că nu vă va părea rău. Cam atât.

Hai vă pup, mă duc în sfârşit la culcare.

No sabemos cómo será The Tourist, pero lo que sí está quedando claro es que su pre-producción es una de las aventuras más locas e interesantes que nos han llegado desde Hollywood en los últimos tiempos. Recordemos que este remake nació con Tom Cruise y Charlize Theron como protagonistas y con Bharat Nalluri en la dirección. Abandonó Cruise y le sustituyó Sam Worthington, que poco después se quedó solo tras las salidas de Theron y Nalluri. Llenaron rápidamente ese hueco Angelina Jolie y el director alemán Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck para, apenas una semana despúes, dejar el teutón ese cargo por diferencias creativas con la producción y arrastrar de paso a Worthington por los mismos motivos. Poco le ha durado la soledad a la Jolie, que hoy ya se ve acompañada por otra superestrella. Johnny Depp acude al rescate de un filme que parece increíble que haya sobrevivido a tantos desbarajustes y será el protagonista de este thriller. Por su parte el genial director mexicano Alfonso Cuarón tiene todas las papeletas para ocupar la dirección. Recordemos que The Tourist es el remake americano del notable thriller francés El Secreto de Anthony Zimmer, de cuyo guión se ha ocupado el afamado escritor Christopher McQuarrie.

The Tourist is a remake of the 2005 French spy thriller Anthony Zimmer and it has been in development for quite a while now.

Originally Charlize Theron and Tom Cruise were going to be in it but both eventually dropped out. As of a few weeks ago, Angelina Jolie was attached to star along with Sam Worthington.

However, THR have the news that Sam Worthington and director Florian von Donnersmark have left the film and there are already some top names in line to replace them.

It was reported that Johnny Depp was in negotiations to replace Worthington, while director Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) is in talks to replace von Donnersmarck. Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) is writing the script.

The film centers on a female Interpol agent who manages to ensnare an American tourist in Paris to help her track down an elusive criminal, who was also her former lover.

The way actors keep changing on this film I wouldn’t hold your breath over Depp definitely being in it, but it would be cool if he was.

I’m a big supporter of giving great filmmaking its due regardless of genre. One of the most critically ignored genres is that of the children’s film. Where in literature works for children such as “Through the Looking Glass” have been canonized for generations of scholars, yet it seems that some amazing children’s films have been overlooked simply because they share a genre with flicks starring sunglass-wearing gerbils voiced by has-been comedians. So here’s my list of children’s movies I feel should be given credit as great films outside of their genre.

Snow White - This Disney classic deserves recognition just for its artful animation, bright musicality, and elegant art direction. The fact that it was the first feature-length animated film only confirms it as perhaps the most influential children’s film in cinema history. Disney’s team of animators set the theoretical standards for drawing motion that have driven almost every animated piece to date, from the playful work done by Pixar to the adult-oriented works of Hayao Miyazaki.

My Neighbor Totoro  - Speaking of Miyazaki, kudos should go to his imaginative animated film My Neighbor Totoro. The 1988 Japanese classic is one which children all over the world have long recognized as the wonderful film it is. The film follows the relationship between a little girl and her magical friend as the girl grapples with her mother’s illness and possible death. Only Miyazaki could combine the warm innocence of a creature like Totoro with the more mature theme of mortality in a way that is both whimsical and thought-provoking.

Wall-E - This movie critic darling deserved its praise – and probably the Best Picture Oscar. The dazzling opening hour of the film achieved was some of the most heartfelt cinema I’ve scene, and was achieved with almost no human dialogue. The apocalypse has never seemed so dazzling as in Pixar’s rendered sets for the film, with charm being found in even an otherwise disgusting cockroach. The environmental theme was a little heavy-handed, but the sheer emotion of the moments between Wall-E and Eve made this a love story far more compelling than overly sentimental films like “An Affair to Remember” and “The Notebook.”

Labrynth – This movie gets a mention because of the showmanship of two of the most powerful forces in the entertainment industry: David Bowie and the Muppets. If for some reason you haven’t seen it, that should be enough to convince you. (It also serves as a nice bridge from animation to our next film, which is live action.)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – I am probably going to get a lot of complaints about this one because a) it’s from a franchise and b) it was probably the least liked film by fans of the Harry Potter novels. To that I will say it was one of the best installments of any franchise thanks the craftful hand of its director, Alfonso Cuaron, and I’ve read the novels more times than I will admit to my fellow English majors and PoA is certainly my favorite in the book series. The only reason I admit this to my readers here is that I want to show my belief that a film is not bound to the novel it is adapting. Cuaron created a highly stylized universe while still maintaining the integrity of the character’s emotions. That’s hard to do in a movie about a dude who wears silly glasses and talks to wizards.

Where the Wild Things Are - Spike Jonze knocked himself out on this one. I can’t explain how refreshing it is to see a film that actually portrays a realistic child living a realistic childhood. The character Max isn’t some witty, articulate boy who lives in a flawlessly fun world, but rather a mumbling child who creates magic to fill in the gaps where his life seems to fail him. The dialogue is simple enough for the smallest child to understand yet the visuals are complex enough to intrigue the generation of adults that grew up on the original book.

Il film Harry Potter e il Prigioniero di Azkaban è l’adattamento cinematografico dell’omonimo libro, terzo episodio della serie di magia di Harry Potter, scritta da Joanne Kathleen Rowling.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Avventura | Fantastico | Alfonso Cuarón | Daniel Radcliffe | Rupert Grint | Emma Watson

il titolo di questo post mi ricorda varie cose. un libro che amo, un film che ho visto anni fa e che mi era piaciuto molto e oggi un episodio di grey’s anatomy molto carino. mi ricorda ancora tutte quelle grandi speranze che si coltivano da bambino: mi sposerò, avrò dei bambini, avrò una bella cosa, farò tanti viaggi eccetera. e anche le grandi speranze della fille de poche come per esempio quel fatidico esame che l’ha turbata….e che udite udite è stato passato. la fille de poche ha risposto (quasi) alle sue aspettative e adesso si prepara all’orale. fra il caldo afoso di roma – la grande speranza di avere prima o poi un condizionatore – e una nuova esperienza in cui as usual la fille de poche ha rivolto le sue grandi speranze. perché come ricorda sin da bambina, la speranza è l’ultima a morire. perché se c’è una cosa che caratterizza la fille è che non perde mai la speranza, ce ne vuole per demoralizzarla. un po’ come pip, il protagonista del libro di dickens, che lascia le sue certezze, la famiglia che lo ha allevato per avventurarsi a londra sostenuto da un misterioso benefattore, con l’obiettivo di fare breccia nel cuore della streghetta estella. anche se nel caso del libro di dickens, come nel caso della parola expectations, si più giusto parlare di aspettativa, che poi non è molto diverso dalla speranza. la speranza di passare quest’esame, la speranza di trovare un lavoro, la speranza di avere un motivo per cui svegliarsi la mattina, la speranza di reincontrare quel ragazzo bellissimo che hai visto in metro, o di fare un viaggio che sogni di fare. la speranza che almeno per un breve di lasso di tempo, tutte le ciambelle ti siano venute col buco. la speranza di avere sempre una spalla su cui piangere, la speranza che la tua band preferita faccia un concerto in città, la speranza che alla tele diano il tuo film preferito, la speranza che due personaggi di una serie si mettano insieme, la speranza che tutto vada per il verso giusto, la speranza che almeno qualche storia finisca con l’happy-ending, la speranza di avere un futuro migliore, la speranza che la metro arrivi in ritardo, la speranza che prima o poi le settimane siano fatte solo di domeniche….la speranza di fare un buon ritorno a casa, la speranza di vivere e di essere felici. anche perché diciamocelo, sperare non costa niente. citando i noir désir, à l’espoir que nous tiens...alla speranza che ci sorregge.

“That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.

Charles Dickens, “Great Expectations”

vi lascio un momento del film, è uno dei momenti chiave, ma decontestualizzato, non vi svelerà nulla, anche perché il film e il libro sono notevolmente differenti….l’ho scelto anche perché c’è la mitica anne “mrs. robinson” bancroft che tanto manca alla fille e qui intepreta la zia di estella (ahimé la fox l’ha tolto).

“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape”.

bisoux,

la fille de poche

(originally posted on: 24/06/07 – modified on: 24/10/09)

What makes a good family movie? Is it wacky talking animals doing silly stuff? Is it a melodrama tackling issues that affect young people? Fun? Silliness? The answer is all of the above.

For me a family movie is not something aimed at kids that will only entertain them with childish humor, excessive pop culture references, and bright colors. For me, a family movie is something for everyone, something that will hold the attention of the kids, as well as the parents who pay to take them to the movie. This has to be accomplished with a combination of fun, comedy, well-written characters, and themes that every single person can relate, or at least feel for what the characters are going through.

Sadly, movies that fit this criteria are rare. These day, most live action family films are badly-written and too childish. Every time I watch something like The Pacifier or The Game Plan I can’t help but cringe. Yet, since they entertain their kids, parents eat them up, therefore they give Hollywood the chance to make more. But everyone that attends those movies deserve better.

Even then, there were a few of them that did fit the criteria. They weren’t a lot, but they were very good. Ten of those few are in this list.

Here are my picks for the best live action family movies of the decade:

10. Freaky Friday

Mark Waters | 2003

Before Lindsay Lohan started to do drugs and take on crappy roles, she was a promising actress that did justice to every role given to her. Such was the case in this fun and hearth warming remake about mother and daughter switching bodies until they learn to understand one another. Yes, there is some Disney fluff thrown in there, but the way the emotions are presented, the mostly-good script, and the great performances form Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, makes this better than most Disney live action features (except for three others that rank higher on this list).

9. The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

Jay Russell | 2007

Like most post-Potter movies, the advertisement of this movie focused on the fantasy element of the story. However, it is much more than that. Like E.T. the movie is about the friendship that is developed between a boy and a strange creature, about how the absence of his father affects him, and how the monster seems the only thing he can relate to. Just a truly great movie that left me in tears.

8. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Tim Burton | 2005

Many people dismiss this film because it is not quite like the movie that came out in the 70s with Gene Wilder. This is the reason why I like it so much. When you look deep into the books by Roald Dahl’s books the story is dark and takes on some not-so-kiddie-friendly themes. However, Burton’s take on the story does get that, and it is shown through the cinematography, sets, and Johnny Depp’s performance. Yes, the script is not very good, but every other element makes up for it and turns it into an entertaining delight.

7. Enchanted

Kevin Lima | 2007

Sometimes one performances goes a long way into making a film memorable (just watch most Meryl Streep movies), and this is one of those. Enchanted has a great idea, to spoof the Disney princesses. The script does fulfill that promise, until the end. In comes Amy Adams to save the project. Her performance here is so perfect that I can’t help but to love this movie enough to put in on this list. She turns the movie from possibly above average to simply great.

6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Alfonso Cuaron | 2004

The last of the family-friendly Potter movies is also one of the best in the franchise. After two adaptations that were too close to the book Cuaron worked with writer Steve Kloves to make the series more character drive and less about the wonder of seeing a movie about a young wizard. They realized that Harry Potter was just another boy, with special abilities. This movie is the best thing that could have happened to the franchise.

5. Son of Rambow

Garth Jennings | 2007

Another story about friendship, except this one however bring two kids together because of the situations with their families and their love of film, particularly First Blood. This one is full of creativity and charm, which family movies rarely seem to have. Every actor gives it their all, and the script is full of funny and heartwarming scenes. It is also quite a good take on the hold religion seems to have on people and on children growing up neglected by their parents.

4. Millions

Danny Boyle | 2004

What happens when one of the most audacious, filmmakers whose whole career (well, most) up to that point was made up of deep and disturbing adult dramas decides to make a family movie? Millions is what happens. This movie takes on mature themes such as the death of a loved one, the economy, sexuality, religion, and the consequences of a crime that doesn’t alienate the younger viewers, but also doesn’t dumb it down enough for adults to roll their eyes. Plus, it is fun thanks to Boyle’s editing and Alex Ethel’s performance.

3. Holes

Andrew Davis | 2003

Had Disney ever taken on youth delinquency in the way it is  presented here before? Either way, I commend them for turning Louis Sachar’s great young adult novel into a movie and not censor it too much. Performances are great across the board, among them a young, pre-Transformers Shia LaBeouf, in what is quite possibly his best performance. However, I must point out Sigourney Weaver’s Warden Walker. She seriously turns this role that could have been overacted badly and turns it into one of the scariest villains in a long time.

2. Bridge to Terabithia

Gabor Csupo | 2007

Not many people would have the courage to pull off the final act of this movie. Oddly enough Gabor Csupo, the creator of Rugrats did and I’m glad he did. There was no other way to tell this story about growing up, loss, and belief in something greatesr than us. It also would not have been possible without the performances by AnnaSophia Robb (one of the finest this decade) and Josh Hutcherson. Also props for the great cinematography.

1. Where the Wild Things Are

Spike Jonze | 2009

This is what family films are all about. It has the right mix of drama, thoughtfulness, wackiness, and entertainment. This is all thanks to Spike Jonze’s vision. Without him this probably would have been just another crappy adaptation, full of pop culture references, “funny” voice performances, toilet humor, and loads of CGI. Because of Jonze we have a film that speaks to audiences of all ages that is among the finest crafted movies of the decade. It is also one of the top movies of the decade.

Honorable Mentions: Hotel for Dogs (2009), Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008), Speed Racer (2008), City of Ember (2008), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Marley & Me (2008), Cheapter by the Dozen (2003).

There you are, thanks for reading. Feel free to comment on my choices

i want so badly read this book.

This is a great video that was included on the “Children of Men” DVD. Enjoy!

Estimado Sr. García Bernal:

No soy como las demás de sus fans.  Tengo una misión en la vida que no tiene que ver con admirarlo por su apariencia, aunque soy mujer con hormonas.  Le escribo a usted por que estoy en busca del consejo de los sabios.  A usted lo considero un sabio.  Mi intención es terminar un guión que ha sido idea por muchisimo tiempo en mi mente, que tengo que sacar de ahí y convertir en una verdadera historia antes de que yo misma explote.  He vivido en Los Angeles casi toda mi vida y estoy convencida de una cosa: núnca formaré parte de la sociedad estadounidense aunque quiera por que mi color siempre será una barrera que se usará en mi contra.

Quiero hacer historia, empezando con convertir a mi historia en un guión sobre cómo llegué a éste país.  Nací durante la guerra civil salvadoreña.  Mientras el mundo ignoró a todo un pueblo yo estaba en el vientre de mi madre, traumatizandome con pesadillas que aún hoy en día me atormentan de vez en cuando.  Aprendí que eso es el Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder y que no quiero tratarlo con drogas, así que todos los días escribo.  Bueno, no quiero distraerlo más con cosas que de seguro a usted no le interesan…

Usted tiene una compañía que se llama Canana y cuando yo acabe mi guión ahí lo mandaré.  Vivo en Los Angeles, donde se supone que hay que mandar las cosas pero no le tengo confíanza a los pendejos que se apoderan de los estudios del cine.  No me respetarán núnca, y no lo digo por que tengo baja la auto-estima.  Al contrario, yo sé quién soy y que tengo una misión en éste mundo que debo cumplir.  Tal vez Dios mismo me libro de esa guerra por que soy un ser sensible que debe de esconder varios secretos, tal vez mi misión es enseñarle al mundo que la guerra es incorrecta, todas las guerras son incorrectas y siempre hay que intervenir cuando ocurran.  Escribiré mi guión sobre la guerra civil salvadoreña para enseñarle al mundo que los efectos de tal infierno no deberían existir.  Escribiré mi guión para mandarselo a usted, a Michel Gondry, a Diego Luna a Alfonso Cuarón, por que solamente a ustedes les tengo confianza en cuanto al ámbito de los cineastas.  La verdad es que se me hacen ustedes los pocos genuinos que quedan en el mundo del cine y como digo yo, busco el consejo de los sabios.  Son los protagonistas y directores más sabios que conozco, y me vale madre que Spielberg practicamente es mi vecino, ustedes son los que me podrán ayudar a enseñarle mi historia al mundo, historia que también llegará a pertenecerle a todos.

VERDICT:
9/10 Empty Strollers

Isn’t it great when you go into a movie with zero expectations and it ends up being one of the best movies of the year and one of your favorite sci-fi movies of all time? Effin-A right it is.

Children of Men takes place in the year 2027. For reasons unknown, every woman on Earth has been infertile for the past 18 years, and England is the only country left standing in a world completely devoid of hope and teetering on the brink of destruction. This is the story of an otherwise ordinary, good man that takes on the role of unlikely protector to what may be mankind’s only chance of survival.

What I like most about the premise of this movie is actually one of the main complaints I’ve heard from most people about it – that you’re never told why women can’t have children any more. Global warming? Fred Phelps? Commies? No one knows in the movie and no one knows in the audience, and it wouldn’t work as well as it does with an explanation there to clear it all up.

That’s because Children of Men isn’t about why the world went to shit, it simply presents you with a situation, puts you on the same degree of awareness as its characters, and lets the story speak for itself as to what it’s trying to say. It’s actually just like The Road by Cormac McCarthy in that this is a story about the power of hope in the face of overwhelming despair, not about why we’re all gonna be screwed because of the way things are going now. Spending time pointing the finger at our world today and putting an eco-friendly warning label on the movie would just take away from the heart of it all. And that, dear readers, is an example of damn fine storytelling.

Now, this is a dark and harrowing movie, but I love that about it; that’s how the future would be if people haven’t been popping out babies for nearly two decades, and it also makes every little glimmer of hope stand out that much more. I can’t even imagine the amount of effort and vision that went in to taking modern-day England and turning it into the decrepit England of 2027, but when it comes to capturing dystopian futures on film, Children of Men does an absolutely phenomenal job. It’s not like Blade Runner where there’s flying cars and cyborgs and shit, but rather it’s incredibly believable to the point where one can really buy the idea that if the world was coming to an end, this is what it would probably look like in its final days.

The acting is also solid (as usual, Michael Caine is great in this as a doobie-rollin’ hippie named Jasper, and it’s arguably Clive Owen’s most noteworthy contribution to the world thus far as well), and the writing is good, too (even though it’s hard to catch everything that’s being said the first time around, mainly due to the British accents), but the real stunner here is director Alfonso Cuaron – the guy behind Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the first HP movie that didn’t feel like it was made strictly for 10-year-olds) and the phenomenal Y tu mamá también (DEFINITELY. NOT. FOR. 10-YEAR-OLDS). Like I said, he just does an unreal job of bringing this imaginary world to life to the point where it feels palpably and frighteningly real and he moves the story along at a breathtaking pace. It’s all in the details, you just gotta see it to get it.

And as a film nerd who actually likes to look for these kinds of things, the cinematography in this movie is out of sight. Watch all the chase scenes very closely, the cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki uses this technique of “invisible cuts” so that all these lengthy, outrageously intricate sequences look like they’ve been performed in a single take with a single camera, and it absolutely boggles my mind as to how he manages to pull it all off. I don’t know how Lubezki didn’t win the Oscar for this one, but it’s some of the best cinematography I’ve ever seen.

Alright, nerd rant over.

Look, I’ve recommended this movie to a ton of people after going apeshit over it and hyping it up beyond belief, but even if you could give a crap about the technical aspects of film making, this is still just such an incredible movie and an outstanding example of great storytelling that it doesn’t really matter either way. I’d be surprised if The Road outdoes this, but regardless, Children of Men is the bomb every time I see it.

via ONTD

I’ll admit it. When I heard yesterday that there was a petition going around the film community to free Roman Polanski, I kind of laughed it off, like, “Haha…frivolous Hollywood ‘activism’ at its finest.”  I only saw three names on that list, the biggest being Jonathan Demme, so I shrugged it off.

So imagine my absolute dismay to see what the petition actually looks like.  I’m completely nauseated to see that some of my favorite directors have signed their names on that petition.

Pedro Almodovar? Julian Schnabel? Stephen Frears? Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu? Alfonso Cuaron? Wes Anderson? Wong Kar Waï?  Woody Allen (okay, not too surprising)? Alexander Payne?  Tilda Swinton??

Sniff.

Of course, the old boys’ club of Hollywood supports him ( Scorcese, Wim Wenders, etc.), as does Diane von Furstenburg and Salman Rushdie.  It’s disgusting.

The petition:

We have learned the astonishing news of Roman Polanski’s arrest by the Swiss police on September 26th, upon arrival in Zurich (Switzerland) while on his way to a film festival where he was due to receive an award for his career in filmmaking.

His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against the filmmaker, in a case of morals.

Filmmakers in France, in Europe, in the United States and around the world are dismayed by this decision. It seems inadmissible to them that an international cultural event, paying homage to one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers, is used by the police to apprehend him.

By their extraterritorial nature, film festivals the world over have always permitted works to be shown and for filmmakers to present them freely and safely, even when certain States opposed this.

The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance, undermines this tradition: it opens the way for actions of which no-one can know the effects.

Roman Polanski is a French citizen, a renown and international artist now facing extradition. This extradition, if it takes place, will be heavy in consequences and will take away his freedom.

Filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians – everyone involved in international filmmaking – want him to know that he has their support and friendship.

On September 16th, 2009, Mr. Charles Rivkin, the US Ambassador to France, received French artists and intellectuals at the embassy. He presented to them the new Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the embassy, Ms Judith Baroody. In perfect French she lauded the Franco-American friendship and recommended the development of cultural relations between our two countries.

If only in the name of this friendship between our two countries, we demand the immediate release of Roman Polanski. [emphases added]

A case of morals?  WTF?  How ’bout a case of rape?! The extradition will be “heavy in consequenses and take away his freedom?”  NO SHIT.  If he’d just done his time as planned, he’d be out by now.

ARGH!  I’m literally nauseated right now.

Ahora si, la hora de la verdad: ustedes votaron por el top 10 de las mejores adaptaciones de libros a películas, y aquí estan:

1. El Señor de los anillos 
   Pues con 11 premios óscar…¿Que esperaban? Esta historia localizada en la Tierra Media fue escrita por   J. R. R. Tolkien ( por cierto, su nombre real es…bah, dejemoslo en “secreto”) y llevada a la pantalla por  Peter Jackson.
   NOTA: Hey, sabían que Stanley Kubrick quería hacer una versión con los Beatles?  Paul como Frodo, Ringo como Sam, George como Gandalf, y John Lennon como Gollum!! ¿Qué tal?
2. CANDY
   Claro, protagonizada por Heath Ledger y Abbie Cornish, esta genial película Australiana sobre una pareja de drogadictos es bastante divertida, con el humor Aussie. No podía faltar.
3. CREPÚSCULO
   La historia  melosa y nueva moda de adolescentes (NO TODOS EH?!) habla sobre vampiros, hombres lobo y una tipa llamada Bella; que en la película son interpretados por Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, etc; y dirigida por la genial directora Catherine Hardwicke.
4. NARANJA MECÁNICA
   Ah, esta película es demasiado genial, dirigida por Stanley Kubrick, salvando el libro mediocre, conviertiendola en una película de culto y a Alex como algo de inspiración para el Joker de Heath.
5. HARRY POTTER
   La historia  del niño mago escrita por J.K Rowling ha acompañado a muchos de nosotros, aunque la verdad Alfonso Cuarón ha hecho de la tres la mejor.
6. EL PADRINO
   Que sorpresa, si considerada cómo una de las mejores películas (No por mí, me quedo con TDK) ahora llega al sexto lugar (En que se esta conviertiendo este mundo?).
7. CARRIE
   Una novela de Stephen King sobre una chica con poderes mentales materializada en Sissy Spacek con la famosa escena de la sangre de cerdo en la graduación (NOTA PERSONAL: conseguir sangre de cerdo)
8. EL RESPLANDOR
   Otra de Stanley Kubrick y otra novela de Stephen. Que combinación! Y que diabolica película, con ese niño…ohhh. REDRUM REDRUM 
   (Si no vieron la película, lean la palabra al reves…Ha ha ha) 
9. Jurassic PARK
   Dirigida por Steven Spilberg, una isla de dinosaurios que personalmente es una de mis favoritas, así como los “PAVOS ENORMES”.
10. EL SILENCIO DE LOS INOCENTES
    Que decir de esta! Con Hannibal Lecter y la traumatica escena con el Buffalo Bill “revelandose” y con “Goodbye Horses” de fondo musical.

Bien , eso es todo amigos! O tal vez no, se quedaron fuera Bette Davis con “Eva al Desnudo”, Christian Bale con “Mujercitas”, Norman Bates con “Psicosis”, Hemminway con “Las nieves del Kilimanjaro”, Bram Stoker con “Drácula”, y “Otra” que no se cúal es…

En fin para que no digan que fue una farsa y corrupción, aqui esta el link para que vean los resultados …Ojo, si votan más después y cambian los resultados…pues ya ni modo.

http://septimoarte7.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/del-papel-a-la-pantalla…tu-eliges/

Working at a book store, I have a lot of free time to think about books. Recently, with the Toronto International Film Festival going on, I’ve been thinking more and more about books being turned into films and vice versa (well, not really the latter).

For the most part I’ve found that film adaptations of books are rarely as good as the books they’re based off of. This is usually because filmmakers, who have to rely on the visual and face time limits, cannot translate what we like most about books – the vivid descriptions, the poetry of the language, the inner monologue of the characters – onto the screen. There are cases, however, where the movie adaptation is far more enjoyable than their written counterpart. These movies inject the stories with a dose of energy and life that no page can contain.

Anyways, if you’re bored one evening and too lazy to read a book, here’s a list of page-to-screen adaptations to look out for or avoid.

1. Lolita (book) by Vladimir Nabokov =  Lolita (film) by Stanley Kubrick

For your own good, DO NOT let cinema snobs convince you to watch this movie. I don’t care how much they rant about its deep social commentary or the subtle way that Kubrick approaches the sexual relationship between the lead characters. Just say no.

If you haven’t read the book, you will be disappointed by how boring the movie is. I literally fell asleep the first time I tried watching it. The plot moves as slowly as wind on the Moon, and there are absolutely no characters worth rooting for or sympathizing with. If you have read the book, you will be offended by how Kubrick managed to turn a well-written, memorable book into a one-dimensional, forgettable film.

The movie’s slogan asks, “How did they ever make a movie of Lolita?” I can tell you how: very badly.

FAIL

2. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk = Fight Club by David Fincher

A story about bare-knuckle fighting, a guy with multiple personalities, and discontent in American society? You’d almost think that Fight Club had been a movie first but alas, it was indeed conceived on the page.

What makes the movie such a great adaptation is that it manages to entertain while still addressing the major, “intellectual” themes of the book. This means that we get to see grown-men beating the hell out of each other and still learn about the state of modern masculinity. The fact that the movie’s central characters are played by the talented Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter doesn’t hurt either.

WIN

3. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett = A Little Princess by Alfonso Cuaron

I had to include this one on the list. It was been one of my favourite films since I was 4 years old. The plot of the movie deviates from that of the book a lot, but it still manages to keep true to the parts that matter: a little girl loses her father and her riches but still manages to struggle against adversity and maintain her dignity. Oh, and the movie happens in a school just like in the book! The film also adds a commentary on racism that was alive during WWI, which the book lacked. It’s doesn’t better the story, but it offers an interesting twist.

What’s best about this film, however, is the amazing combination of music, art direction, and cinematography. This film offers just as much to the cinema buff as it does the story fiend.

WIN

4. Watchmen  by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons = Watchmen by Zack Snyder

I’m the last one to call The Watchmen a book, but it is only by giving it the pretentious moniker of “graphic novel” i.e. long comic book, I am able to criticize it, so I’ll put my views aside for now.

I almost fell asleep three times while this movie was on, and I saw it opening night with at least a hundred other fans sitting around me. Yes, not even the energy of a gaggle of fan-boys and geek girls could keep me awake. If it wasn’t for the annoying soundtrack, awkward sex scene, and unnecessary violence, I’d probably have been asleep after the first glimpse of Doctor Manhattan’s glowing blue penis.

What makes this a “special” movie is that the majority of the storyboards were taken directly out of the comic graphic novel, as was the soundtrack, in attempt to stay true to the original work. Apparently they couldn’t even succeed in that because Alan Moore, the original writer, hated the movie as much as I did.

Who will watch the Watchmen? Hopefully no one.  

FAIL

5. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman = The Golden Compass by Chris Weitz

This movie was actually voted the most disappointing film adaptation ever according to Entertainment Weekly, so you can probably gather that it’s pretty bad. It wasn’t only bad though: it was downright confusing. The film tries to add so many twists, characters, and plot lines to the movie that it becomes hard to keep your basic facts straight, like which dæmon belongs to whom, or why you’re wasting your time watching such a crappy movie when you could be out whitewashing a fence, or doing hard labour.

Oh, and the little girl playing the lead? Let’s just say she’s no Jodie Foster.

FAIL

6. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote = Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Blake Edwards

This probably the best movie you’ll ever watch about prostitutes.

The majority of people don’t know that Breakfast at Tiffany’s started off as a book (it was a novella, to be exact). But judging by how different the book is from the movie, that knowledge wouldn’t been worth anything. The book and the movie have little in common aside from the character names, the title, and the major plot points. Strangely, this doesn’t make the film, which anyone will tell you is iconic, especially bad.

My brother personally finds it boring and uninteresting, but I think it’s great. Yes, the story is pretty fluffy and not too thrilling but damn, is it ever beautiful to watch. The wardrobe, designed by Hubert de Givenchy, makes me weak in the knees. The film just epitomizes Upper East Side chic, with shots of the city in bright, vibrant, clean Technicolor. And did I mention that the perpetually-elegant Audrey Hepburn stars in this film? Enough said.  

WIN

These movies all have one thing in common: they were based off of fantastic books. Do yourself a favour and pick one up the next time you have time on your hands. With every dollar you spend at the movies or at the video store/bootleg DVD stand, you are voting for the type of movie you’d like to see made in the future. So please: don’t let your vote be for a bad one, or else you’ll have no one to blame but yourself when Twilight is made into a film and goes on to gross almost 400 million at the box offices. Oh wait…

xoxo Allyssia