Our Best of the 2000s coverage returns with a list of some truly incredible film performances. The 2000s was ripe with great acting, and we present to you the cream of the crop. As always, we’d love to get your opinion on the matter in the comments.

25. Jeff Daniels – The Squid and the Whale
Jeff Daniels is a likable guy that usually plays likable characters. But his role as a angry, elitist father turns all of that on its head while showcasing Daniels’ superb acting chops. Daniels manages to make the character completely unlikable while somehow managing to keep the door open on possibility that he’s a good man inside, which makes the performance even more devastating. Daniels makes it very understandable how Jesse Eisenberg’s Walt could put so much faith in his father while constantly being let down. (M)

24. Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James
Playing one of the two title characters, Casey Affleck gives a haunting, multi-dimensional performance, capturing the many facets of a puzzling character. Robert Ford is an enigma – a potent cocktail of jealousy, disillusion, and regret – but Affleck never loses the humanity inside of a man whose actions would turn him into one of the most hated people in the country. (J)

23. Audrey Toutou Amelie
The simplest evaluation of Audrey Tautou’s performance is that she is Amelie. She so perfectly inhabits the character and anchors her naivete that you believe the character fully. Sure, the role is meant to be sweet, but it has to be sold to the audience, which Tautou does quite ably. Tautou has had a smattering of other roles since, yet it’s a testament to her performance that she’s still thought of as Amelie.(M)

22. Robert Downey Jr – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Robert Downey Jr. gave this same basic performance three times this decade, bookended by 2000’s hilarious turn in Wonder Boys and his work as Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man. But it is here, as the fast-talking, self-aware con artist at the center of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang that Downey gives the definitive version of that role. Hilariously sardonic, Downey plays an updated, more offbeat version of pulpy detective heroes, and is the perfect center for Shane Black’s warped view of Hollywood. (J)

21. Adam Sandler – Punch Drunk Love
Who knew Billy Madison could act? If Sandler hadn’t been so likable before Punch Drunk Love, the film probably wouldn’t have worked. Revealing both the desire and ability to play dramatic roles, Sandler takes on such a depressing character without making him a mockery or overplaying it. Instead, he’s sympathetic and the audience can ignore his quirks and inadequacies to genuinely root for him in P.T. Anderson’s film. (M)

20. Helen Mirren – The Queen
The struggle between British monarchy and the government in charge was at the center of the plot of The Queen, but at the center of it all is Helen Mirren’s Academy Award winning portrayal of the title character. Playing someone currently in power is not an enviable task, yet Mirren does it with a respect and understanding that shine through in her performance. She so fully inhabits Queen Elizabeth, that at times your forget you’re who you’re actually watching.

19. Joeph Gordon-Levitt – Brick
If Joseph Gordon-Levitt hadn’t made Brick, there’s a good chance he’d only be remembered as the kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun. But investigating the murder of his girlfriend in the high school film noir, Gordon-Levitt unveiled a new side to his ability and set up a career that is beginning to take off. It’s a dark, emotional performance that manages to stay away from teenage angst while managing to play off it. Gordon-Levitt anchors the film, keeping it believable as it rumbles towards its fantastic conclusion. (M)

18. Clive Owen – Children of Men
How do you go on living when you know the world is ending, slowly, around you? If you’re Clive Owen in Children of Men, the answer is that you kind of don’t. Owen’s minimalistic, subtle work grounds the film in a humanity and becomes eerily relatable when you realize that, in 2009, he’d be 23 years old. (J)

17. Julianne Moore – Far From Heaven
Despite numerous nominations, Julianne Moore is one of the best actresses not to win an Academy Award (yet). Her role as suburban housewife faced with her husband’s homosexuality is one of her best, as she doesn’t oversell the plight of her character while managing to perfectly portray her anger and confusion. Moore brings a power to the screen few actresses possess, and without her, it’s hard to imagine the film without her in the lead. (M)

16. Christian Bale – American Psycho
Christian Bale’s manic, Tom Cruise inspired Patrick Bateman is so creepily empty, so vacant of anything resembling a human personality, that it would take someone with no knowledge of the movie or the book it was based on about 5 seconds to piece together that there’s something very wrong there. Mary Haddon’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ best book wouldn’t have had nearly the impact without such a fixating embodiment of its main character. (J)

15. Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker
There are countless movies that show what “war does to a man,” but Jeremy Renner’s performance in The Hurt Locker stands out. With Renner’s portrayal as a bomb squad technician, you get the sense that it’s not the war that has made him crazy, but instead made him sane and feel actual emotions. In the end, it’s hard to what impression is to be made of him, as he borders between sympathetic, misguided, and obsessed.(M)

14. Paul Giamatti – American Splendo
Like many of the actors on this list, Paul Giamatti has become famous for basically playing this character over and over again. But that doesn’t take anything away from just how good his work is here. Playing a real person (what’s more in a movie where said real person appears) isn’t easy, but Giamatti brings Harvey Pekar to life with an empathetic sadness and anger that totally embodies what was on the page. (J)

13. Phillip Seymour Hoffman – Capote
It would have been easy for Phillip Seymour Hoffman to slip into the familiar caricature of Truman Capote, but instead, he captures a man that becomes obsessed with a brutal murderer, which ultimately changes him. Capote himself never recovered from his involvement in the murder case that lead to his work In Cold Blood, and Hoffman’s performance reveals much more than an impression, instead showing the cracks slowly forming in the facade of a man in the face of his work. (M)

12. Laura Linney – You Can Count on Me
Kenneth Lonergan is an actor’s playwright, so its no surprise that his first (and to-date only) film as a director gave us two of the best performances of this decade. But, while Mark Ruffalo is great, we’ve got to give the edge to Laura Linney for carrying the film with compassion and depth. (J)

11. Forrest Whitaker – The Last King of Scotland
Forrest Whitaker always seemed to be striving for so much more as an actor, and with his portrayal of Idi Amin, he accomplished that. Any sense of the affable Whitaker is completely unrecognizable under the shell of the ruthless dictator he plays. But Whitaker does a more than capable job of showing that Amin wasn’t a Hitler, but more a misguided, self-obsessed ruler who’s early attempts at reform get buried under the trappings of absolute power. A stirring performance that hopefully will lead to bigger things for Whitaker. (M)

10. Adrian Brody – The Pianist
The Pianist very easily could have just been yet another film about the Holocaust. What sets it apart is Adrian Brody’s hypnotic portrayal of Szpilman. His search for dignity in the face of such inhumanity is filled with desperation and sorrow, and his transformation from a young, confident pianist to a hollowed-out shell shows the terrible impact of World War II on a personal scale. (J)

9. Johnny Depp – Pirates of the Caribbean
Among the more iconic portrayals on this list is Johnny Depp’s memorable turn in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Though the second two films declined in quality, Depp’s turn as Captain Jack Sparrow is a delight throughout the entire series, adding much need whimsy and comedy to films that prefer action set pieces to meaningful plot. Depp has made a career of bouncing between playing bizarre characters and tough guys, but he’ll almost assuredly always be remembered most as Jack Sparrow. (M)

8. Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
While Anne Hathaway seemed interested in moving beyond her Princess Diaries public image, it wasn’t until this movie than any of us realized she actually had the chops to do it. Fitting in perfectly with Jonathan Demme’s naturalistic, Hathaway doesn’t overplay her character or descend into junkie cliché. Instead, she finds Kym’s guilt and anxiety filled core and plays it spot-on. (J)

7. Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Already known for her gritty roles on The Wire, Amy Ryan ably took the role of the mother of a missing child in Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone. Ryan’s break-out role is a stirring supporting performance that outshines those of her higher profile co-stars. Ryan expertly plays a hardened mother accustomed to her life of scrapping by, but also crushed by the loss of her daughter. But she doesn’t play it that way. Instead, she wants her daughter back while excepting that she’s gone. It’s a heartbraking role that showcases the talents of an actress who’s bound for even better work.(M)

6. Naomi Watts – Mulholland Dr.
Mulholland Drive doesn’t make sense in any sort of conventional, narrative way. So it’s a good thing that the film has Naomi Watts around, to ensure that it makes emotional sense. Naomi Watts has to be a number of things in Mulholland Drive and she is convincing as all of them, embodying all the seedy, failed promises of Hollywood. (J)

5. Billy Murray – Lost in Translation
Many were quick to jump on Bill Murray’s performance as being a version of his own career, but that seems to be oversimplifying things. Sure, Murray is playing a washed up actor in Japan to film whiskey commercials, but he’s also playing a middle aged man who hasn’t reached a midlife crisis, but has forgotten how to find joy in life. Murry doesn’t oversell the character, and his chemistry with co-star Scarlet Johansson drive the movie, making it a pleasure to watch time and time again. (M)

4. Sean Penn – Mystic River
Obviously the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Sean Penn in Mystic River is his primal screaming when he comes upon the scene where his daughter had just been murdered. But throughout the course of the film, Penn rediscovers his character’s capability for doing things as hideous. And by the end, when he shrugs off Kevin Bacon’s final, ambiguous hand gesture, its clear that Penn has become comfortable with it. (J)

3. Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
Perhaps the best villain of the decade, Javier Bardem stole the show in the Coen Brother’s grisly adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel. His performance as a sociopath killer sends chills down your spine every time he comes on screen. Credit goes to McCarthy and Joel and Ethan Coen for the way the character is written, but Bardem executes the role with startling perfection. There are few better performances of such villains. (M)

2. Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger’s Joker isn’t so much a character as an idea. He shows up in the first scene, fully formed: anti-gravity to Batman’s notions of order and justice. But, like any comedian, the Joker makes us take a second look at our value system. Heath Ledger’s commitment to the role builds a psychopath who is all too believable and invest the film with a verisimilitude that is essential to Nolan’s vision of Gotham City. (J)

1. Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
Aside from producing one of the most iconic lines of the decade, Daniel Day-Lewis’ stunning performance as oilman Daniel Plainview is the stuff legend is made of. Completely missing are any sense of the actor, left in his place a character, who, like Wells in Citizen Kane, completely inhabits a man who keeps no friends on his rise to wealth before becoming a wealthy, angry man in his old age, Day-Lewis delivers a performance that every aspiring actor should watch, admire, and study. (M)

In writing this, I’ve had a hard time separating Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance from the film itself. From his first appearance in the silent opening sequence to his now famous punctuation mark at the end of the film, Daniel Day-Lewis dominates all 158 minutes of There Will Be Blood. It is the perfect marriage of actor and material – a part so perfectly suited to what Daniel Day-Lewis can do that P.T. Anderson has said he wouldn’t have even made the movie without the star. Day-Lewis’ Daniel Plainview is driven so mad with greed that he willingly sells off his humanity, fueled with the desire to destroy anyone and anything in his way. (J)

For the sake of not making the last post ridiculously long I figured this thought was worth its own post. Starting around 1:47:00 is a scene (several scenes? I don’t know the definition) that hit home. Amélie hears erroneous information and overreacts (well, I guess this is perspective, but the rational opinion would probably be overreacting). She’s angry, frustrated, and cries over her own supposed misfortune. But like others she uses her imagination to bring her back up (though I guess its existence as a motif might differentiate it from what I’m trying to describe). She pretends that everything has actually worked out and that her life is awesome and then real life and her imagination collide with the sound of the beads in the doorway. She turns only to find that it is a cat and not Nino and is heartbroken. A few seconds of sad silence is broken with the sound of Nino ringing the door bell.

If only I was better at calculating probability I’d understand more rationally why this happens all the time. Not the part where I overreact and then imagine that things are magically awesome, but when I envision something and then it becomes true, except not exactly. Then something unrelated happens (well, Nino knocking isn’t unrelated hehe) that serves to break my attention from what the hell I’m obsessing about. Okay wait let me sum this up more succinctly:

1. Some small shit happens to me.
2. I cry about it.
3. I pretend everything is awesome.
4. Someone changes a part of the Matrix.
5. I’m sad again.
6. Random shit distracts me.

All six steps happen chronologically a lot though I guess technically only 4 and 6 are independent of me. Also the video where Raymond tells Amélie that she can take life’s blows and that if she doesn’t act now her heart will become as dry as his bones. Needless to say (well, I said it in a recent blog) I feel like that is exactly what is happening to me. As Steve Carell put it, “…if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

I forgot to mention that Mathieu Kassovitz is insanely lucky. Also that in the quick scene after they have sex, Audrey Tautou looks amazing. In fact I think it reminded me of how even though I don’t share any connection with any girl I’ve met thus far, that there is still an immense pleasure in pleasing them. I mean that without any connotations and I’m choosing my words very carefully here.

I love movies. Wait let me rephrase. I LOVE good movies. Those that tell a good story with a beginning, middle and end. While I don’t have to like the story, I can appreciate that there is one. With that being the case, I refuse to buy movies if I’m not ready to marry them.  So as many movies as I watch, I don’t own that many DVDs.  I can’t seem to invest ownership  in many movies I can’t watch over and over again.

The good news is that I have found movies to invest in like “Carmen Jones” starring  Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belfonte. Somehow I found this movie. Maybe it found me.

I started watching in the middle when the characters where celebrating fighter Husky Miller (played by Joe Adams) in a Louisana nightclub. I was completely fascinated by the scene I flipped to because there were a bunch of black people singing and dancing who looked classy. There were a couple of people I recognized like Diahann Carroll (who I just love and who I feel is completely underappreciated), Pearl Bailey and Harry Belafonte.

The story centers about parachute maker Carmen Jones (Dandridge) and  how she literally puts military man Joe (Belafonte) underneath her spell while in North Carolina after being taken into for being way too sassy circa World War II. While in his custody, Carmen manages to escape during the night and Joe is arrested the next day. Joe is whipped already, not to mention that  his plans to marry his longtime goody girlfriend Cindy Lou (Olga James) and  advance his military career are out the window after his encounter with Carmen.

Carmen, on the other hand, is incredibly selfish. She got what she wanted from Joe plus took advantage of a chance to escape. Despite knowing Carmen is out for herself (she eventually runs off with Husky Miller) I, like Joe, still like her and hope that she will have this epiphany. The only thing she realizes is that she has to live every minute because something bad is going to happen.  

While Dorothy Dandridge grew up dancing and singing, “Carmen Jones” helped to proprel her short-lived movie career. Dandridge was the first black woman to be nominated for an Academy Award. Pearl Bailey, Harry Belafonte and Diahann Carroll went on to have lengthy movie careers.

I loved the singing in the movie and was saddened when I learned years later that both Belafonte and Dandridge vocals weren’t used. I loved when I heard Carmen sing “Dat’s Love” with much swagger and my favorite “De Cards Don’t Lie.”

The reason I like this movie is simple; there is a beginning, middle and end. There is an actual story. I also like the musical aspect of the movie because it doesn’t distract from the story.

In 1992, “Carmen Jones” was added to the US National Film Registrsty by the Library of Congress for being being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

I have come to rely on Netflix. They have come to recommend movies that I have come to love. One of them being “Amélie.” Previously I had seen one or two foreign movies, but I started watching this movie I didn’t realize I was reading it. 

Again, simple and old story; girl dreams, girl meets boy and they go off together.  The magic of movie is that is that I began to identify with Amélie (Audrey Tautou).  Her parents had really weird quirks. So did mine. Amélie grew up an only child. So did I. Her mother died. So did mine.  But Amélie isn’t a real person.

Despite this, Amélie seemed to do some weird yet logical things. I loved how she lived in the city and would take the public transportation to see her father. Once she had to sleep in train station because she missed the last one.  That night Amélie took the gnome out of the garden and gave it to her flight attendant friend in order to encourage her father to travel. The friend took pictures with the gnome at various places around the world and sent the pictures back. If the gnome could travel, so could he. Also at the train station Amélie discovered the boy Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz).

Nino was bizarre in his own right because he would collect the discardedd pictures from photo booths and working in a sex toy store. After collecting pictures for years, Nino finds a photo of one man and is determined to find out who he is. In pursute of this mystery man, Nino drops the photo album where he keeps all the discard pictures. Amélie finds the album and reclusive neighbor “the Glass Man”  dares her to find Nino and then decides creates a game.

Amélie is a story about a young lady who is trying to find her place in the world, like I did (we were about the same age). In turn Amélie opens up and becomes a stronger person, but aslo a prankister, a matchmaker and guardian like when she describes everything that happening to a blind man.  And in the end she gets up with the boy.

It took me a year to purchase this movie, but when I did I watched every night after work for a week. I recently read some posts about the movie with people saying they did exactly the same thing, but now they think the movie is sad. I hope they never happens to me. This one of the few movies that made me feel optismistic. Why? I identified with the character. Paris seemed so romantic. Not love romantic. The movie always seemed bright in terms of color and feeling.

I am very happy I bought these movies and a couple of others.

I have been meaning to do this. And i realized i should do it sooner than later, otherwise i’m going to forget what went on in the movie!!

Cinematography: B

Plot: B+

Acting: A

Overall: B+

So “Coco Avant Chanel” or “Coco Before Chanel” is obviously, the story of Coco Chanel the fashion mogul before she became super famous.

It was pretty cool. I had always hated Chanel, just because I never liked high-end fashion and she seemed pretty mean. But this movie showed me a different side of her. However, I am well aware that the movie does not necessarily show Coco as she truly was, since the film was in collaboration with the Chanel Co., who, of course, wanted her to be seen in a positive light.

We see  Gabrielle Chanel (Audrey Tautou) before she was nicknamed Coco (from a song about Coco the dog…lameness lol) with her sister, both seamstresses who sing for extra money at a café. Men really enjoy their company. Eventually Gabrielle catches the eye of Étienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde) and they become good friends. Long story short, he decides Coco is a good name for her, and eventually Coco “moves-in” with him at his estate outside of Paris. Trying to find a decent job but also trying to (at first) please M. Balsan, she becomes popular in his circle of friends (well the women mostly) because of her work with hats.

Later on, Coco loses interest in M. Balsan and is attracted by his good friend from England, Arthur “Boy” Capel (Alessandro Nivola) and they fall in love. Unfortunately he is a bit of a jerk and has a few women on his mind.

Since I don’t want to ruin the ending, i’ll skip over the rest. But the movie ends with the audience knowing Coco has risen to the top of the fashion world and became the well-respected icon that she is today (if you don’t count Schiaparelli, the Italian perfume lady who very much was a rival/archenemy of Coco in real-life).

It left me with newfound respect for Chanel, though I still do not think she was truly a nice person in real life. Not like the movie said otherwise.
Coco was constantly cynical, and kept most of her feelings for herself. She also shrugged off the aloof aristocracy, which of course I admired since I do the same all the time. In fact, a lot of the time in the movie I found Chanel to be acting and responding to things very much like I do. That didn’t really make me feel good or bad, it was just an observation.

No questions asked. Audrey Tautou is a fabulous actress. She really pulled off Chanel, i think. It also helped that she had a bit of the physical likeness of Chanel too. (You can see the reall Coco here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38825580@N07/3589565880/ versus Audrey Tautou’s version here: http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20090924/800_audrey_tautou_090924.jpg)

**And i don’t want any snickering comments about me resembling the real Coco either. I’ve heard it one too many times and it ain’t cool! blegh**

So anyway, Audrey Tautou was great in the movie. Very moving performance. She really showed the genuine side of Chanel, which I appreciated to see, and of course was kind of what the film is supposed to be about. A very emotional scene (i won’t tell you the reason for this moment, since I don’t want to ruin it for you if you haven’t seen it!) where Coco was beginning to cry, and the camera followed her for a good 30sec, was very striking. The camera would not let you see what Coco was looking at that was making her cry. Instead, we were forced to watch Coco go from worry to heartfelt suffering, in one shot.

It almost made me cry. And that’s was pretty cool.

Benoît Poelvoorde was also a very good supporting actor. He gave his character much personality and life. Alessandro Nivola was a bit of a stereotypical foil/lover character, his acting was not as impressive (though towards the end I found myself thinking he was quite attractive for some reason haha)

The ending was also done very well. A very good metaphor for her life’s work and legacy.

The downside was the subtitles. I never use them in a french movie, but when I checked them according to what the actors were actually saying, i noticed quite a few discrepancies. Yeah yeah i know, usually it’s not a big deal. But there were times where I felt that they were not really capturing the real meaning of some french words and were translating them in a way where the real idea of the conversation was missed.

Overall, a good movie. It would have helped, i think, to have known a bit more about Chanel besides the fact that she is a famous clothes designer. The only reason I knew as much as I did was i read an article about her in Muze (french young women’s magazine…WHICH just ceased its existence last month due to not enough readers WTF IT WAS A GREAT MAGAZINE!) so that helped me out.

It’s not a chick flick, but it’s not full of crazy action. So keep that in mind. Once it’s out on DVD, if you like Audrey Tautou, you should check it out

What makes ‘Dirty Pretty Things‘ so special is that it shows us a world we try to ignore. The main character of the film, Okwe (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, whom I like more with every film he does), wants to stay in disbelief like us. But as Senor Juan so bluntly puts it: “You give me your kidney, I give you a new identity. I sell the kidney for ten grand, so I’m happy. The person who needs the kidney gets cured, so he’s happy. The person who sold his kidney gets to stay in this beautiful country, so he’s happy. My whole business is based on happiness.” For some, ethics and happiness don’t share the same space.

Okwe may be the protagonist of the film, but it hinges on Senay (Audrey Tautou), a Turkish immigrant who houses Okwe and works illegally in the same hotel as him. Okwe not only works illegally, but is illegally in the country, so he is less welcome than Senay. It says a lot about the hotel that employs them, even before Okwe finds a human heart flushed down the toilet. Okwe, in his quest to stay on a moral high ground and not to compromise who he is, wants to stop whatever happened in that room. If anyone knows anything, it is that one man cannot stop underground activities like this. Not politicians, not vigilantes, and certainly not hotel workers. But he will make a difference for a few people, including Senay.

Many people over the years have pretended to hate someone they actually love (both in movies and in real life). Here, is Senay pretending to hate Okwe? No, she is just unsure how to feel about these things. It looks like hatred, but is confusion. He sleeps on her couch. While he does sleep on the couch, you have to like someone at least a bit to let them stay on your couch for more than one night. And still, where she comes from the women are most likely sold into arranged marriages just after puberty, and her being in London is a blessing, even if immigration is snapping behind her all the way.

There is a finely-spun web of a story in ‘Dirty Pretty Things’. Each character is important in his or her own way, and each subplot ties in with the third act. I admire movies which can do that well. Sure, there are many, but that does not make it easy or any less admirable. We follow Okwe from place to place, but the film still feels a bit like vignettes strung together. Not one of the best scenes, but one of my favorites, is when a customer calls late night for room service. Okwe tells them that the kitchen is closed, but Ivan, the doorman, runs to the phone and stops him. They go to a nearby mart, buy some bread, butter, and meat, and prepare a sandwich themselves. “You should remove the crusts, like in the Ritz,” Ivan suggests. “Don’t forget, you accept only cash.” It is these fine little touches that show how deceptive the hotel is, as well as how far characters in the film will go for money.

The climax of the film is so joyous — not for any of the characters, but for us. We are kept in the dark, but it is not too long before we find out what is really happening. And though Senor Juan is the victim of something horrible, doesn’t it feel good to see him get what he deserves? And, of course, the person who needs the kidney is cured, so they are happy. It is all very poetic, and a fitting end for Senay and Okwe’s time in London. I am grateful this scene was not overdone. Elegance is always appreciated.

At the end there are no delusions in regards to Senay and Okwe’s relationship. I don’t particularly like the ending to the film, but it is realistic. Is it odd that I am complaining about realism when the whole movie succeeds so well because of its realistic portrayal of immigration and hush-hush activities? Maybe. But while a story being realistic may be a good thing, characters should, as often as possible, be larger than life. I buy Okwe going back to his home, but would Senay be the girl who let him leave her? Unlikely. But don’t let that minor blip ruin this great movie.

New "Chanel girl" Audrey Tautou

For the longest time, I had always viewed Chanel No. 5 as a sophisticated perfume intended only for women past the 50, maybe 40 year mark. It was never a scent with which I identified my teenage self and I veered away from it all these years. However, as of recently I approached the legendary perfume again and was not quick to jugde this time around. And I must say that Miss Coco knew her stuff. I was patient with No. 5- having always been too eager to judge only the top notes- and it grew on me.

So my next question is: What is the appropriate age to wear Chanel No. 5?

Thoughts…

Saw this TVCM in the theater the other day.  Totally fascinating!  Sometimes I feel the good TV creatives are gone, sometimes I see a beacons of hope.  This is one of them.

I took this right around the corner from the restaurant we ate at on Burnside in SE Portland. I didn’t see a person here, just the dog.

^ This is the original attempt at the photo above. Jacob walked right in front of my camera!

That first image reminds me of all the ads I’ve been seeing for The Road, that new Viggo Mortensen movie. Has anyone seen it? Is it any good? I’m not terribly interested in it – went to see Coco Before Chanel instead.. Is there a more beautiful girl than Audrey Tautou?

I’m not so sure. If I could look like anyone I think it would be her. Anyway I liked this movie quite a bit.

I spent half the weekend galavanting around Portland with Jacob, Hank, and Kevin. It was great; we ate, we drank, we rode electric bikes! More on that later though. Here are some pictures from Friday morning at Old Wives’ Tale.

^Hank and Kevin

Old Wives’ Tale is a delicious, hippy-gluten intolerant-vegetarian-friendly, local paradise of a restaurant. It has one of the biggest, most diverse menus I’ve ever seen, which is sooort of a good thing. I’m not too big of a fan of restaurants with 5-page menus because, well, you know, more choice isn’t always a good thing. I do love this place though. If you ever go, I urge you to try the Huevos Rancheros.

Will anyone reciprocate Hank’s fist pound?

*click images for full view

Simplicidade, moda, Paris, conforto, elegância. Tudo isso se resume em apenas um nome: Chanel. A estilista-ícone transformou o vestuário feminino com suas ideias à frente de seu tempo no começo do século 20. O filme “Coco avant Chanel” (“Coco antes de Chanel”) mostra como a pobre criança órfã deixou de ser Coco, pra se tornar Chanel, a mulher que abriu as portas para a moda e inventou o estilo que permaneceria vivo durante décadas e décadas.

A diretora francesa Anne Fontaine expõe no filme todas as fases da estilista, desde sua infância num orfanato, à cantora de cabaré, costureira e o início de sua carreira criando chapéus para atrizes parisienses.

A atriz Audrey Tautou, de “Código da Vinci” e “O Fabuloso Destino de Amelie Poulain”, foi a escolhida para interpretar os anseios, medos, vontades e atitudes de quem iria revolucionar o universo feminino. O filme dá a sensação de estar ao lado de Chanel quando ela resolve alargar o espartilho de sua irmã pra ela dançar melhor ou quando pega uma camisa de seu affair, Etienne Balsan, e transforma em uma nova peça.

Coco sempre teve conceitos bem definidos sobre vários assuntos, principalmente quando se tratava das causas do amor. Sempre se negou a amar alguém, mas quando conheceu o empresário inglês Arthur “Boy” Capel, interpretado por Alessandro Nivola, descobriu que não havia motivo pra tanta negação e se entregou à paixão. Capel foi não apenas um grande amor na vida de Chanel, mas também investiu em sua primeira loja de chapéus em Paris e foi responsável por apresentar a ela o tecido jersey, que fez Chanel famosa na época da Primeira Guerra por ser um pano confortável, fácil de usar e barato.

No longa, é nítida a escolha de Coco Chanel pela simplicidade. A estilista decide chamar atenção e ser mais elegante sem o uso excessivo de plumas, cintas, jóias – acessórios que as mulheres da época costumavam usar.

“Coco avant Chanel” vai além da moda e do amor. A estilista passa o filme se descobrindo e encontrando o seu próprio caminho. Com toda essa experiência nasceu uma das mulheres mais poderosas e influenciadoras que o mundo já viu. Alguém que criou o seu próprio império em uma época em que as mulheres não tinham independência e conseguiu estabelecer seu estilo que serve de inspiração para muitos.

Lataa Ohjelma (MP3)

Eeppisen mittaisessa juhlajaksossamme esitellään uusi tunnari, palkitaan kommentoijia ja ennen kaikkea käydään läpi panelistien Top 10 suosikkielokuvat kautta aikojen. Mittaa jaksolle tosiaan venähti melkein kolme ja puoli tuntia, mutta älkää säikähtäkö. Annamme tämän kuunteluun kuuntelijoille muutaman viikon kuunteluaikaa ennen uusia jaksoja ja podcastia voi kuunnella vapaavalintaisissa osioissa.

Juhan Top 10 elokuvat:
- Modern Times
- Amélie
- Seven
- Pulp Fiction
- Á Bout de Souffle
- Apocalypse Now
- Dr. Strangelove
- Mies Vailla Menneisyyttä
- Annie Hall
- Requiem for a Dream

Henrikin Top 10 elokuvat:
- WALL-E
- The Great Dictator
- Metropolis
- The Incredibles
- Galaxy Quest
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Manhattan Murder Mystery
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture
- Finding Nemo

The movie “Priceless” deals with the two favorite things of the French people: sex and fashion. The other two favorite French things, cheese and berets are better saved for a review of “Frommage: Le Film.”

The star, Audrey Tautou is known to audiences west of the Atlantic for her roles in Amalie and the Da Vinci Code and plays not the descendent of Christ, but a cocktail waitress who attaches herself to wealthy men like a Brietling watch attaches itself to, well, wealthy men.

What we call a gold digger, Tautou’s character is the more sophisticate-sounding bon vivant pour le hommes.

The beginning of “Priceless” seems to draw a page from the “Pink Panther” movies: animated opening titles, 60s-style jazz, and a bumbling male lead.

The lead in question is Gad Elmaleh, here playing the same role as he did in “The Valet” as a hotel worker who pretends he’s more well-off than he really is.

When Elmaleh falls asleep on the job, Tautou mistakes him for a high roller and her next provider of Chanel dresses and Riviera hotel suites.

When her previous vieux protecteur (sugar daddy in Low English) leaves her. Tautou sees Elmaleh less as a star-crossed lover and more as an annoyance, as she bankrupts him at a high-class restaurant.

Despite her character’s shortcomings, it’s easy to see Tautou in this Holly Golightly-type roll, which has more to do with Breakfast at Tiffany’s than just the portrayal of those who will do anything to be among the ridiculously rich. As Elmaleh struggles with the bill, he inadvertently becomes the object of affection for an older widow, who soon foots the bill for a fancy hotel room and a new wardrobe, assuming the George Peppard role of “Priceless.”

Once Tatau realizes Elmaleh isn’t following her, she begins instructing him in the ways of her world, teaching him how to finagle things like $30,000 watches and Vespa scooters.

Movies like this fall into one of two categories: guy-gets-girl and girl-gets-guy. While the latter is more common, the former never sat well with me. Usually the guy tries to convince the girl that he’s worth going out with, usually that girl turns out of a type that rhymes with the thing you scratch. In movies like this, the guy goes through an hour and a half of rejection before the girl realizes she had been mistaken by treating him like dirt for the previous running time of the movie. Somehow I find this a little more implausible than the other variation.

In “Priceless” Tautou is far from a sympathetic character, especially as she milks everything Elmaleh has while remarking that she doesn’t really enjoy the caviar she eats all the time. After a while, you wonder why the hapless bartender even bothers.

Since we tend to get our game shows and not our comedies from oversees, it’s easy to see how “Priceless” could exist only in its Gallic form. Movies like this one are not unlike the fluffly pastries eaten in the film: filling for the moment, but ultimately empty and full of air.

Remaking this movie for American audiences makes about as much sense as remaking it’s spiritual predecessor “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Imagine Matthew McConehy and Rene Zellweger in the roles and it’s easy to spot a dud of “Gigli” proportions.

But therein lies the difference. Audiences seeing American actors doing the same things as their French counterparts may see the result as being reprehensible, but there is something that can be said for how much “the other” can get away with. American action movies are big hits oversees, but replace the leads with local stars and you get something that just doesn’t fit.

Kind of like an Hermes scarf on the neck of a Wal-Mart greeter.

An old commercial that I’ve only now come to love. Did not love “Coco Avant Chanel”, but absolutely heart  Jean Pierre Jeunet’s commercial (really, a short film) for Coco’s iconic scent.

Chanel Nº5 is a scent I associate with my mother. She used to wear it when I was younger. As such, it’s a perfume I would never dream of wearing until I’m in my late thirties. For now, my top three scents:

VERSACE Versense

Was browsing through fragrances in Holt Renfrew last summer, and the lady recommended this one after I tried on the Marc Jacobs Splash in Cucumber. Loved it then, love it now. It’s light and refreshing, just the right amount of citrus so that it’s not cloying (for me, anyway). Best to spray it on the clothes you plan on wearing the night before.

PHILOSOPHY Falling In Love

Been wearing this scent for two years, and I fall in love with it every time I use it. It’s sweet (vanilla). It’s floral (jasmine). It’s just absolutely perfect. Doesn’t last all day, but you can buy it in a cute little size that you can stash away in your purse.

LOLITA LEMPICKA Lolita Lempicka

I judge books by their covers, so it’s not really out of character for me to judge perfumes by their bottles too. Lolita Lempicka perfumes come in bottles inspired by whimsy. This scent is a little more potent than the first two. It’s a little sharper, a little sweeter, a lot more magical. Don’t love the other Lolita perfumes as much, but the bottles are just as pretty…

How do I spend my Sunday afternoons? Seeing movies like this one: An Education. Actually not too bad. I dig that Peter Saarsgard though I don’t know for the life of me how he’s American and  how he got Maggie Gyllenhaal. I bet she’s an awesome wife and fun to take walks with. Regardless how awesome Peter and Maggie are, the point is that I was at an art house theatre watching a movie alone on a Sunday. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just that I don’t mind it so much. The older I get, this 33-year-old has a few grey hairs in his beard, I’m starting to enjoy time with me more than time with others. What’s the message there?

Was up early this morning and found my way to a quaint coffee shop in my neighborhood. Had a delicious soy cafe latté and proceeded to read the New York Times Style. First. Of all the sections of the weekend NY Times, for some reason I head straight to the Style section. I act like I’m reading articles but slowly I make my way to my destination. To the god-awful cringe inducing portion that I just love. Yes, the wedding announcements. Those white people look so happy. Was caught off guard today as the groom in the main article was in a wheelchair in the photo. Felt bad that it caught me off guard but it just goes to show how biased the media is with people in wheelchairs. Now that I think about it – I don’t have any friends in wheelchairs. Does that now make me biased?

My point if I had one above is that I headed straight the Style section and then to the weddings section. Ugh. I repulse me. Not only do people look happy; they also look younger and more successful than me. Damn them and may their lives be filled with happiness.

Found myself signing up for an on-line dating site this week. I actually used this same site about 5 years ago and learned a key lesson. If the photo of the woman is tightly cropped. She’s fat. No ifs/ands/buts/or maybes – she’s fat. So with that noted I went on a journey of answering what seemed like 5 million questions about myself for my profile. I don’t know what my favorite movie is thus far this year (Coco Before Chanel with the delicious Audrey Tautou); I can’t think of the 5 things I can’t live without (my contacts are one, or maybe two); I don’t know what I’m looking for in a woman (really I don’t know); and for the life of me I don’t have much to share about me (besides I’m a regular guy and I’m so not regular and intense at times).  After all of that hard work and posting a photo, of course a side-profile one so not to be noticed, I pressed submit and there I was on-line all ready for the onslaught of attention. It’s been a few days and no one has reached out to me.

Signing up for on-line dating posed a question I haven’t thought about much: How old do I want my dame to be? Something tells me younger than 25 seems just wrong, like I’m breaking the law. 25 – 30 seems reasonable but then I’m older than them and the chances of being judged are pretty high as I’m supposed to have my act together. Now, 30 – 35 seems on point as that’s in my range. Ok, 30 – 33. But, that’s tough. The question begs why am I post 30 and still single and more importantly why are you, post 30, still single? What’s wrong with you? Do you have issues? Are you a bit crazy? Are you a pain in the arse? Can you not handle commitment? Are you going to make me fall in love with you and then explain to me why it won’t work but tell me how great I am ?  Aww shucks. Am I asking myself these questions or the lady?

I didn’t really mention women post 35. That’s a tough one. Seems like automatic pressure. My act has to be together. She’s going to want to have kids soon. She’s probably crazy set in her own ways and rich. Her friends probably suck ass but pay for meals. Longterm, She’ll be totally focused on her orgasm versus the process to get there. You know, the basics. Even with the orgasm thing, sex with a woman post 35 is more appealing than dating someone post 35. Seems expensive.

Slowly trying to figure out what the great equalizer could be. Maybe I’ve been looking in all the wrong places. I’ve dated MBAs, JDs, crazy smart people and overall crazy successful people in different industries and backgrounds? How did that work out? Could I date someone who doesn’t have an undergraduate degree? In a word – no. Maybe I should date one of these hipsters who have a tattoo or asymmetrical haircut. Problem is, they aren’t really looking for me I don’t think. They’re all, cool hipster chicks who live in cool neighborhoods while looking casually indifferent, are probably just too cool for me and live in cooler neighborhoods than I and are too indifferent for me. Or maybe they’re just waiting to have freak nasty sex with me. That’s what I need.

As much as I need freak nasty sex I made a commitment to myself. Here it is: If worse-case scenario we can’t have a baby together and make it work I can’t have sex with you. Make sense?  Basically, I’ll only have sex with a woman if worse-case scenario something happened and she got pregnant and decided to keep it that I, as much as it would suck, would basically be okay with her having the child even if we’re not together as a couple. That’s an awesome filter not to bang the chicks I typically bang. Follow me? That means she must be an amazing woman with her stuff together which means she could take care of a kid and…if I have sex with this type of woman maybe I should be interested in her beyond sex…? Whatevs.

Okay, off to the kitchen. It’s Sunday which means I should cook. Need music. Feels like an Emiliana Torrini late afternoon.

Gabrielle Chanel’in hayalleri, aşkları, acıları ve başarılarını izlerken pek çok kadın onun kadar cesur olmayı içinden geçirmiştir. IMDB ile bu sefer ayrı düştük. Herşeyden önce Coco’nun yeteneğini, kumaş parçalarından harikalar yarattığını görmek, annemin dikiş makinasına el mi koysam düşüncelerimi tetiklemedi değil. Ben daha yüksek bir not veriyorum

Sono un fumatore; senza accanimento ma fumo. Posso anche passare una settimana senza aver voglia di accendere una sigaretta come posso fumarne dieci in una sola serata (lunga). Le lotte per i diritti dei fumatori però mi sono sempre sembrate ridicole, imbarazzanti, da perditempo: in poche parole penso che il modo di fumarsi una sigaretta si trovi sempre. Detto ciò quanto sta succedendo in Francia va oltre la contrapposizione fumo o non fumo e questioni derivate. In questo caso c’entra (anche) il cinema. La legge Évin, adottata oltralpe nel dicembre 1990 durante il secondo Governo Rocard – quando il Presidente della Repubblica era ancora François Mitterrand -, è stata promulgata nel gennaio 1991 ed è relativa alla lotta contro il tabagismo e l’alcolismo. Una parte della legge proibisce, tra l’altro, qualsiasi propaganda o pubblicità diretta o indiretta a favore del tabacco. Beh, la società dei trasporti municipali di Parigi, RATP, da qualche tempo la sta applicando rigidamente creando così varie polemiche.
Nell’Aprile 2009 la Cinémathèque Française ha organizzato una mostra dedicata a Jacques Tati (1907 – 1982) e sui manifesti promozionali campeggiava un’immagine del regista e attore francese a passeggio in bicicletta mentre trasportava sul sellino un bambino; Tati in quell’immagine culto tratta dal film Mio zio (1958) fuma la pipa. La RATP, a differenza di riviste, muri, musei e bar parigini, ha censurato proprio quella pipa sostituendola, sui manifesti affissi sui bus e nella zona della Metropolitana, con una girandola gialla. Un precedente simile di applicazione rigorosa della legge Évin risaliva al 2005 quando la Bibliothèque nationale de France aveva tolto la cicca dalla mano di Jean-Paul Sartre su una foto utilizzata per la copertina del catalogo di una mostra; ma il caso, forse per la minore rilevanza popolare dell’evento, era passato più in sordina.

Particolare del poster dell'esposizione dedicata a Jacques Tati; prima e dopo la cura RATP

Passati pochi giorni dall’«Affaire Tati» sorte simile per il poster di Coco avant Chanel – L’amore prima del mito, film della passata stagione con Audrey Tautou e dedicato alla storia della creatrice di moda Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. RATP non ne ha voluto sapere; poster rifiutato.
Ora, notizia di ieri, è toccato anche a un altro mito francese, Serge Gainsbourg: nonostante Joann Sfar, regista del film Gainsbourg, vie héroïque, e la distribuzione Universal abbiano deciso di non far figurare nel poster una sigaretta ma solo una nuvoletta di fumo che esce dalla bocca del protagonista dell’opera, niente da fare, RATP continua, solitaria, a non voler diffondere l’immagine sui mezzi pubblici e nelle aree di sua responsabilità.
Gli intellettuali e gli addetti alla cultura francese parlano di integralismo della RATP; tra questi Costa-Gravas, attuale presidente della Cinémathèque Française, definisce l’atteggiamento inaccettabile. La società dei trasporti dal suo canto ha dichiarato di voler prevenire eventuali azioni legali di associazioni di diritti di non fumatori. Questo nonostante l’ARPP, Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité, nel maggio scorso abbia dichiarato che dei prodotti legati al tabacco possano figurare sulle pubblicità sottostando ad alcune condizioni tra cui la “finalità culturale o artistica”. In Francia il dibattito è aperto. In questo caso so da ora che sia nelle serate lunghe in cui mi ammazzo di sigarette sia nelle settimane di astinenza penserò che chi si oppone alla RATP stia sostenendo una lotta sacrosanta. Perché qui si tratta di censura e non di lotta al tabagismo.

I due poster rifiutati da RATP

Audrey Tautou ist wieder einmal großartig, und egal welche Rolle sie spielt, sie ist flexibel. Die Rolle der Modezarin Coco Chanel (Gabrielle Chanel) spielt sie mit der richtigen Portion Unsicherheit und Stolz. Die Geschichte Cocos ist die Geschichte einer Halbweisin, die im Schwesternheim aufwächst. Als junge Erwachsene versuchen sich sie und ihre Schwester auf der Bühne in einer Bar. Aus dieser Karriere wird nichts, und über Umwege gelang Coco schließlich zu der gesuchten Freiheit, aber auch zur Einsamkeit. Sie setzte sich gegen den traditionellen Geschmack der Pariser Mode durch und vielleicht verdanken wir (Girls) ihr die angenehme Bequemlichkeit unserer heutigen Kleidung.

El cine francés no es de mis favoritos, si he de ser sincero. Me vi Coco avant Chanel de puro desparche este festivo y creo que me fue bien pero no es la mejor peli de este mes. Además y aunque se ha creado un ciclo de ciné francés para tratar de darle un impulso comercial, Anne Fontaine llega a mi por primera vez. A Audrey Tautou se le conoce mucho por sus pelis con Jean-Pierre Jeunet y por su reciente entrada a Hollywood con The Da Vinci Code, es decir, uno esta peli la ve por referencia a ella.

En ese orden de ideas, la personificación fue muy bien presentada, el desarrollo de la psique estuvo muy bien lograda y no vi un sólo punto de sobreactuación. Se lleva una alta calificación la señorita.

Por el otro lado, me encantan las pelis donde los directores son también escritores, siento que hay más control en ciertos detalles y en esta peli me encantó la fotografía, la música de Alexandre Desplat (quien leyendo una entrada en The Playlist me enteré que había ayudado con excelencia a Wes Anderson en Fantastic Mr. Fox) y los planos detalles a las costuras, los bordes, las plumas, las texturas de los paños, todo en plano secuencias con una narrativa esmeradamente detallista.

Recomiendo verla, no es ella soy yo. No puedo completamente con las francesas.

Audrey Tautou

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel sets the groundwork for her fashion empire in "Coco avant Chanel".

(Anne Fontaine, 2009)

November 15, 2009

by Joel Crary

“Coco” was the name of a lost dog, found in the lyrics of a cabaret performer who refused to take off her clothes for the extra tips. To the rich men in attendance, the name seemed to neatly put in place the winsome creature who wanted nothing more than to go to Paris and seek her fortune, but not at the expense of debasing herself for their sexual pleasure. In “Coco avant Chanel”, the creature is portrayed by Audrey Tautou, whose unique countenance commands and informs every scene like an alien presence.

The story of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s rise to fame in the world of fashion is paved with money. Raised in an orphanage before trying her hand at live performance, Coco shows early on an almost sixth sense for the way dresses should fit, preferring comfort over popular style. The warmth of her introduction to millionaire Étienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde) might assure her big city success, but her partner and sister Adrienne (Marie Gillain) has a chance at upward mobility with a Baron, leaving Coco in the lurch.

With a scant few francs left in her savings and no parents to turn to, Coco has no choice but to appeal to Balsan’s attraction and becomes a guest in his house. Stage actress Emilienne d’Alençon (Emmanuelle Devos) confirms the suspicion that Coco is not the first to take advantage of Balsan’s good graces. Coco is treated as a novelty at parties held to stroke the egos of the French bourgeoisie, men who have never worked a day in their lives, who treat and speak of women as items of property. In one scene, Balsan demands that Coco perform as though she were a trained seal, and Tautou remains in the centre of the shot while drunken revelers carouse around her unfortunate frame.

The film is appropriately subtle in its establishment of Coco’s approach to fashion. Her tailored outfits are extensions of her emotions. The deeper her ideological separation from the patriarchal world around her becomes, the more her fashions defiantly tend toward the masculine. As she grows more comfortable in Balsam’s house, so do her expressions of distaste for the exploitation of women in a society where money dictates personal, emotional and spiritual achievement. At the turn of the 20th century in Europe, when a woman’s fashion choices ran directly in parallel to their sexuality, to see a woman dress proudly like a man must have introduced a buffet of repressed homosexual desire in men and women alike. Addressing the notion of sexual attraction, Coco notes that “skin is skin”.

A man enters the picture who seems to sympathize with Coco’s avant-garde fashion sense and intelligence. Arthur “Boy” Capel (Alessandro Nivola) takes a shine to Coco’s independence and admits his fetish with a smirk: “I’m not used to undressing boys”. The two fall in love and the independent thought that marriage is little more than a social convention is of little solace to Coco when she cannot have the entirety of her lover’s attention. He introduces Coco to Jules Renard and Friedrich Nietzsche and shows her the sea, an expanse of endless opportunity for the free thinker, where Coco sees the blue outfits of the fishermen and logs in her mind how brilliant they appear against the silver glint of the catch.

The textures and motion of fabrics can nearly be felt as Coco gets her hands into her hard work, in contrast to the effete men surrounding her, who take pride in their positions of wealth without lifting a finger unless it’s to cheer a racehorse. Tautou is at turns radiant and reserved as Coco. She never offers a dishonest smile as she walks proudly in detailed outfits that inject her character with more than words could say. Writer/director Anne Fontaine and her crew of costume designers tell half of Chanel’s story through dress. There is not an outfit or hairstyle that isn’t meant to portray the bearing and social beliefs of the character. It is a treat to watch Coco move provocatively, comfortably, and yes, elegantly through a crowd in clothing that she deems beautiful according to the standards set by her own imagination and talent.

While the film admirably captures the part of Chanel’s life that it advertises, I fear that Western audiences may be too unfamiliar with Chanel’s life to feel satisfied with what it ultimately offers. Based on the book by Edmonde Charles-Roux, Fontaine’s narrative pays too long an attention to Chanel’s life at Balsan’s mansion without making enough significant plot developments. As a result, the film drags in areas and ends too shortly after its climax. Tautou is great as the quintessential New Woman, though. She has a unique look that singles her out in a room full of dying archetypes.

“Coco avant Chanel” is showing at the Bytowne Cinema through Thursday, November 26th.

Niciodata nu m-am gandit ca as putea spune despre un film ca e ca un ceai de fructe intr-o seara de iarna sau ca o bomboana din ciocolata fina. Te atinge si nu te rupe in doua, iti aminteste de propriile limite si te inspira. Mi-a placut. L-am vazut in seara asta la Europa, stand singura in penultimul rand.

image via deviantart.net

This weekend I have been channeling my inner French girl. I love everything about France. Last night I watched À la folie… pas du tout with Audrey Tautou. I really enjoyed this movie because it was not at all what I was expecting. I recommend this movie but not to anyone who has recently had their heartbroken (don’t worry I am not ruining anything). In addition, I have found a few french blogs today and am just loving the posts about fashion, music, food, and happiness. Because of some of the french blogs, I am now a big fan of Carla Bruni’s music–yes, she is President Nicolas Sarkozy’s wife and a talented chanteuse. I hope you are all having a smashing weekend.

that’s a quote from Coco Avant Chanel (well… maybe not 100% accurate, but you get the gist), which i had the pleasure of seeing.

seriously, if you like fashion and/ or audrey tautou, SEE IT!!!

anyway, the reason why i titled this post with that quote is that i just got my hair cut. ALOT. i’m talking nine inches of thick auburn (i wonder how many pounds i lost… ). what used to hit my lower back doesn’t even reach my breasts and it feels REALLY weird.

but i think i like it.

anyway… since we’re on the subject of Coco Chanel, how about some stills from the movie?

^^^ my favorite picture

^^^ another favorite

apparently, audrey’s next film comes out next year. *sigh* so long to wait….