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COLIN FARRELL HOLIDAYS IN MEXICO

horiwood — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:16:05 +0000

Lucky for some! Actor Colin Farrell is having a great holiday down in Mexico. Sun, fun, rest. Good on him!

[Image courtesy of Los Angeles based Splash News Agency]

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.30.09~

Bye bye Jermaine Dupri, hello Colin Farrell??

Bryoncé — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:26:33 +0000

Not unless Miss Jackson digs open relationships!!

So rumours went ’round last week, that Janet Jackson had ditched Jermaine Dupri for Mr Colin Farrell, but I was skeptical from the get-go. I mean, from midget JD to hotboy Colin in one swift swoop??? Naaa.

Plus badboy Farrell just had a baby, and was snapped at LAX with his latest baby mama Alicja Bachleda just yesterday, on their way back from a naughty weekend in Mexico…

O Mundo Imaginário do Doutor Parnassus

heuhein — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:44:25 +0000

O Mundo Imaginário do Doutor Parnassus

Ontem fui naquele evento onde colocam uma tela gigante no Jóquei Clube, na Gávea, Rio de Janeiro. (Cada ano eles mudam de nome, ano passado era Vivo Open Air, este ano virou Vale Open Air. Qual será o nome ano que vem?) Era a pré estreia do novo filme do diretor Terry Gilliam, “O Mundo Imaginário do Doutor Parnassus”!

A trama: nos dias de hoje, uma trupe teatral no estilo daquelas que a gente vê em filmes medievais circula por aí. É dirigida pelo Doutor Parnassus, que tem um misterioso pacto com o diabo.

Terry Gilliam tem um estilo visual único – aliás, foi por isso que escolhi este filme para ver na tela gigante. As imagens de sonho, no tal “mundo imaginário” do título, são fantásticas. Figurinos, fotografia, direção de arte, efeitos especiais, o cuidado do diretor neste sentido é enorme, vide obras como “Brazil”, “As Aventuras do Barão Munchausen”, “Os 12 Macacos” e “Medo e Delírio”. Os efeitos especiais de seus filmes já nos tiravam o fôlego numa era pré-computador, e agora, com os ilimitados poderes dos cgi, a sua criatividade atinge patamares nunca antes imaginados.

Gilliam é muito talentoso, mas é um cara azarado. Frequentemente, seus filmes têm problemas na produção. Se “Munchausen” chegou a ser cancelado antes de finalizado, e o filme sobre Dom Quixote que ele tentou fazer nem mesmo ficou pronto, “Doutor Parnassus” perdeu um de seus atores principais. Heath Ledger, que faz Tony, morreu durante as filmagens. Mas a solução encontrada foi muito boa: chamaram outros três atores diferentes, e cada vez que Tony entrava no “mundo imaginário”, ele mudava de cara. Talvez em outro tipo de filme isso não funcionasse, mas aqui, ficou genial! Assim, temos, além de Ledger, outros três Tonys, interpretados por Johnny Depp, Jude Law e Colin Farrell. Além deles, o elenco conta com Christopher Plummer como o Doutor Parnassus, Tom Waits, Lily Cole, Verne Troyer e Andrew Garfield.

O resultado final do filme é meio confuso, não sei se a morte de Ledger teve algo a ver com isso. Mesmo assim, o filme merece ser visto, nem que seja só pelo visual deslumbrante.

Por fim, acredito que todos aqui sabem que Terry Gilliam é ex-membro do Monty Python, lendário grupo de humor inglês. Pois bem, uma das cenas é a cara do Monty Python, aquela que mostra policiais cantando e dançando. Muito boa esta cena!

Q&A with "Triage" Novelist Scott Anderson

TriageMovie — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:10:05 +0000

source: Jump In Magazine

Scott Anderson – The Coolest Man in Journalism
By Sasha Sanchez

A veteran war journalist with a daughter. He is a contributor for New York Times Magazines and Vanity Fair. Author of the novel Triage, Moonlight Hotel, The Man Who tried to Save the World, and War Zones (co-wrote with his brother Jon Lee Anderson). Last week Scott chatted with us about; dehumanizing, Israel and Palestine, Stalin, and renting in conflict zones.

Q:How long have you been a journalist?

A: I’ve been doing magazine stuff for about 15 or 16 years. I came to do it in a roundabout way. When I was 18 or 19, I decided I wanted to be a novelist. I didn’t go to college. I just spent a lot of years working at odd jobs; waiter, bartender, and casino work. Gradually, I realized that journalism was something that interested me. I grew up overseas, so I always knew what was going on around the world. I found that by going to war zones or where bad stuff is happening, I could get people to pay me to do it. It seemed pretty cool. I’ve never done daily reporting. Typically I would go to a place and spent three to five weeks in a place and write one long article –8 to 10 thousand words.

Q: Where do you grow up?

A: I grew up mainly in East Asia. My father was an agricultural advisor for the American government. I grew up in Taiwan and Korea primarily. I really didn’t spend much time in the States until I was a teenager. The way I was raised, odds were that I was going to have an unconventional life. It’s kind of hard to imagine that I was going to be a lawyer or something and settle down somewhere. I always enjoyed writing. I always enjoyed traveling. I found this niche that worked out.

Q:What was your first article?

A: My very first article was for Harpers magazine, I believe in ‘94. I have been going to Northern Ireland a lot, hanging out in Belfast. I found the conflict there really fascinating; you could see the way war worked in microcosms. I spent a year in Belfast, and I met a lot of people in the IRA, who were running the underground economy. They kept the war effort going. I wrote this tell-all piece for Harper Magazine. Primarily people only knew that there would be a shooting here of a British solider or a cab driver was killed. I wrote this piece looking at all the financial underpinnings of the conflict. It got a lot of attention, because no one got that kind of access to the IRA before. That piece got me set on my way. The next couple of pieces I did, I did for the New York Times Magazine. The one I did about Chechnya turned into a non-fiction book. In the last few years I alternated between the New York Times Magazine and Vanity Fair.

Q:You said once that after reporting 5 or 6 suicide bombings or terrible events you get dehumanized.

A: Yeah, I been to 12 or 13 wars. Obviously there are people who have been to a lot more than I have. I think what happens is that to continue to function at a place like that, you tend to emotionally shutdown. The tricky part is when you leave, because all that stuff is bottled up somewhere inside you. It’s always a bit jarring if your in Darfur and 24 hours later your dropped back into your normal life in New York. You friends would talk about a movie they just saw, and there is this real sense of dislocation. What I started to do when I come out of a war-zone is that I tend to go to a neutral place. I’ll stop in Europe for 3 or 4 days and just kind of decompress. I’ll check into a hotel and drink a lot, and watch a lot of TV.

Q: Would you say you’re a war junkie?

A: I think I’m less of one now then I used to be. I’m trying to do less war now, and part of that is having a kid. The adrenaline blast you get from it, is very enticing. It’s ironic but it makes life seem richer in a fucked up way. I had a couple of close calls. I realized, you can’t just keep doing it. I think, in some ways, that the kind of journalism I do where I am in a place for a long time and really trying to know the local culture, it maybe makes it more dangerous. It’s one thing to go into a place and go in-and-out very quickly, and it’s all about capturing combat. That is often less risky than if your in a place long enough for people to take notice of you, and they think your a CIA agent or whatever. As I gotten a little bit older, I got smarter about not doing the stupid things.

Q: Do you feel that sometimes after doing a well-balanced and in depth report you would come back to New York, and people would read your report with a deep close minded American Nationalism? Does that get on your nerves?

A: Yes, that’s very true; especially if your writing about Israel and Palestine. The Americans tend to have a very one sided view, on what that conflict is about. What is also a challenge is that American tend to be rather ignorant of what’s happening around the world. Half of Americans can’t find Iraq on a map, after 6 years of war. Part of my challenge as a writer is that I have to entertain people. Which is a weird to say if your writing about war. Still people are not going to read it unless they feel intrigued in some way.

Q: What is going on in Israel and Palestine?

A: It’s hard to know. It’s always hard to know what’s going on underneath the surface. It’s really hard to figure out who is running the show, if anyone, on the Palestinian side. In my personal opinion that for the 8 years of the Bush Administration there was essentially no Israel Palestine policy. Whatever the Israelis wanted to do they were given a free hand to do it with under the Bush Administration. If anything is going to change, the Obama Administration is going to have to force both of them to make concessions. I’m not sure they are going to do that under their own will.

Q: Is seems that Russia and Ukraine might be the next war zone.

A: Yeah, well…I think that the actual shooting war is going to be in Georgia and again possibly in Chechnya. I think the more alarming thing is that Putin is rebuilding the Soviet Union. Now he has tremendous natural gas reserves, that he can put the squeeze on Europe with. I was just there in September, and at that time people were feeling economically better off. Politically they keep murdering journalists. Political opposition parties just get banned.

Q: It seems that people are trusting in Putin the same way they did Stalin.

A: I don’t think to that degree. What Putin does is he buys off people. He has his little cadre of oligarchs that he supports. He moves against anyone that threaten him in anyway or stands in opposition to him. He is kind of a king maker, now he has his front man to pretend that he is the ruler. It is really interesting that when I there in September, about a month after Georgia, and the mood in Moscow was amazing. Everyone was really full of themselves. Putin’s popularity rating was like 87 percent. They really felt like, OK we just kicked the shit out of Georgia. Now we can dictate the Europeans. No one can touch us. Then the recession hit, and they just got took by it. That was just starting to happen when I was there. They kept closing the stock market on certain days, because the numbers were collapsing. At that time most Russians thought ‘oh this is only hurting the Oligarchs.’ Now it has spread all through society.

Q: It seems like the post Soviet Union countries want the war to happen to them.

A: Yeah. To me if your looking at when Putin might be a problem is when the recession ends. That’s when oil and natural gas become the secret weapon again. All the natural gas leads through Ukraine into Western Europe. I think in 4 or 5 years your going to see much more tension in that area. If I were the Baltic States I would be pretty worried right now. It’s interesting when I was in Russia, I was talking to someone who is this educator there. He was talking about the new textbooks for primary schools, or Junior High Schools. He was saying that the little section on Stalin says “yeah there are some mistakes were made under his regime, but he unified the country and defeated the Germans.” There is this complete whitewash of Stalin. That wouldn’t have happened then years ago. It’s alarming that they try to rehabilitate a guy like Stalin.

Q: Some of the older Russian people would cry if someone mentions that Stalin was a bad man.

A: It is really interesting that when I was first in Russia in 95′, there was this nostalgia for the Stalin times. Everything was very simple. There is something about the abusive father syndrome, when the father is out of control and brutal, and you always want to get back into his affections. I think there is some of that. I think for older people as they remember World War II, their country was being overrun. One of the reasons it was being overrun was because Stalin was so vicious for the past 15 years, but it may have been true that he was the only guy that could have the Soviet Union against the Germans. I never quite understood the whole Stalin thing.

Q: Most of your books have been about war, will it stay that way?

A: I’m trying to leave war pretty much behind me. I will always feel the attraction of it, and I will probably go off to do an occasional magazine piece. I’ve done it for so long, that I don’t know if I’m doing something new. Places start feeling the same. I get tired of hearing the same arguments justifying the war. I’ve gotten quite cynical about all that. I think it’s time to ween myself off of war.

Q: What are some of the things your learned?

A: War is exciting. If you have a gun you have power. In a lot of places it comes down to guys, it’s always young guys, wanting to grab what their neighbors have. If they get guns they get the power to do it, then they invent the justification for it. Like the war in Bosnia or Croatia, these are people who had a few tensions between the different groups, but they lived peacefully for years and years –then you inject nationalism and a bunch of guns into the equation and people get very vicious. The reason I don’t interview the politicians, is that I don’t have any interest in it. I don’t want to hear the justifications for why a war is taking place. I try to focus, as much as possible, the people caught in the middle.

Q: There are always a lot of people stuck in the middle.

A: Yeah and ultimately there story never changes either. Whether it’s Chechnya or a family in Darfur or anywhere else, they are just powerless and survive at the whim of the guys with the guns.

Q: On the surge in Iraq. It didn’t really work, it was the bribing and what have you.

A: Sure. It was one of the smarter things they did there. You co-op groups and you buy their loyalty.

Q: For the people who want to be war journalists. Would you tell them to do it or don’t?

A: I would say do it. The only way to do this is how it happened to me and almost every other journalist I know. They just went to a place where something was happening, and they lived by their wits and figure stuff out. You can still do that, but the problem is that its harder and harder to make a living doing journalism. Newspaper are closing left and right. War zones have always been expensive. People are scrambling to get one of two day gigs, that would pay 400 dollars a day. The lucky ones cover their expenses. In the same token, it’s really an interesting way to live. It’s exciting, and it can be really awful. There is this fraternity among the people who do it.

Q: Isn’t it frighting to not always know the language of the place you are reporting from?

A: Usually you work with 6′ers, what we call local people, to watch out for you and guide you around. You are very much at their mercy. Hopefully you get a guy who knows what he is doing. You can be very much blindsided that. On the flip side if there is a war in Ukraine or Russia the fact that you speak Russian one side or the other could think you are a spy. Sometimes coming in as the idiot foreigner is your best protection.

Q: What do you normally do when you get to the conflict zone?

A: It depends on the story. In Lebanon I was rented a room. There was one hotel in town and all the rooms were taken. I rented a house with 3 or 4 other journalists. In Dar four the whole area was burnt out, so I was basically camping. Usually I’m staying at a hotel.

Triage

emilz — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:20:57 +0000

Delusione per un film scialbo e mediocre sotto molti punti di vista, primo perché non riesce a emozionare, eppure di spunti interessanti ce ne sono molti da una storia del genere, ma non vengono affrontati con la giusta tensione.

L’andamento narrativo è scontato, ti immagini esattamente come andranno le cose già dopo soli cinque minuti, anche in questo caso, mischiare con il montaggio la storia, situazioni già avvenute, altre nasconderle per mostrarle successivamente, è un escamotage che funziona poco (in questo caso – nella maggior parte delle pellicole, mischiare un pò ha sempre fruttato in positivo, vedi il caso di The Milionaire). Quello che non funziona sono i personaggi, i loro legami (alcuni dialoghi sono scritti bene, altri sono troppo scontati e banali, lasciano intuire immediatamente cosa vedremo dopo), la relazione di coppia, il declino del personaggio principale (all’inizio del film ci viene mostrato spavaldo, testardo, mentre la guerra lo cambierà per sempre, soprattutto dopo l’avvenimento principale).

Regia di Danis Tanovic senza eccessi, senza guizzi, messa in scena semplice, non si sente il peso della Guerra e in questo senso, mancare sotto questo punto di vista (proprio perchè si vuole raccontare un dramma così potente) è frustrante, difatti pian piano la pesantezza cresce vertiginosamente.

Friday Link Love: stop motion film + sexy authors edition

youngromantic — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:30:52 +0000

Happy Friday, everyone.

Friday’s are usually pretty quiet here at the office, so I usually make myself busy with checking out the blogrolls and other projects. This morning, I wrote my sponsor child in the Philippines a letter, sorted out some OSAP details, and sent out a query letter. Shhhhhhhhhh, don’t tell anyone! I’m also in the homestretch of my NaNoWriMo novel (or, as Rikki says, Nanaimo novel!) and at 43,000/50,000 words, I have nowhere else to go. In a desperate attempt for some online inspiration, I’ve found the following things to stir my imagination.

Enjoy!

Video Love

I love stop motion! Which reminds me of these …

This has been making the rounds on the Internets lately, and what kind of (sometimes) book blogger would I be if I didn’t link to it too?

More stop motion loveliness. I love this lyric: She pours a daydream in a cup / A spoon of sugar sweetens up …

I must, must, MUST see this movie!!! It’s inspiring much of the feel of my next novel (yep, already thinking of the next one because I’m a glutton for punishment) Visually stunning and so fantastical! And Jude Law, Johnny “Sexiest Man Alive” Depp, Christopher Plummer, Colin Farrell, Terry Gilliam, and the late, talented Heath Ledger? Yes, please!

Quote love

Wine is sunlight, held together by water – Galileo

Well, darkness exists so the stars can shine, darling – Source Unknown (if someone knows the source, please let me know! If this is a quote from One Tree Hill or something, I will kick a pigeon. Just kidding. I don’t advocate violence towards animals. But I will feel terribly, terribly let down by the universe.)

Love is the extremely uncomfortable realization that something other than oneself is real – Irish Murdoch

Sexy authors and historical figures love

Sir Isaac Brock. You know you can't resist that hand on the hip pose!

Andrew Sean Greer, author of "The Confessions of Max Tivoli," a very beautiful book

Neil Gaiman ftw!

Joseph Boyden: hot AND Canadian!

A young Nathaniel Hawthorne could give ME a scarlet letter ... *wink wink!*

Lord Byron: HE walks in beauty, like the night

And because I pretty much have to …

Listen to Wiretap. For Jonathan Goldstein.

Read Broken Pencil magazine. For Hal Niedzviecki.

That’s all I’ve got for now. May your weekends be as busy or as lazy as you wish them to be. Other than writing like the madwoman in the attic (rereading Jane Eyre for the billionth time; couldn’t resist!), I plan on having a schedule-free one.

Triage- Foto, trailer, cast e trama

Mel — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:21:11 +0000

Presentato al festival internazionale del film di Roma, racconta la storia di due amici e fotografi

Parnassus - 17 dicembre 2009 [Rassegna]

cinemasuasa — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:53:49 +0000

Parnassus – L’uomo che voleva ingannare il diavolo

Film presentato fuori concorso al Festival di Cannes 2009

Date e orari delle proiezioni:

giovedì 17 dicembre 2009, ore 21:00

Scheda:

Paese: Canada, Francia, Gran Bretagna, Stati Uniti
Durata: 2h e 02′
Genere: Fantastico
Regia: Terry Gilliam
Anno: 2009
Distributore: Moviemax Italia

Sinossi

Il Dottor Parnassus viaggia per il mondo alla guida del suo straordinario ‘Imaginarium’, fiera itinerante che offre ai suoi spettatori la possibilità di vivere esperienze fantastiche e che travalicano la normale realtà grazie ad uno specchio magico in suo possesso. Parnassus è anche in grado di guidare l’immaginazione del prossimo grazie ad un patto che ha stretto con Mr. Nick, alias il Diavolo in persona. Il problema è che Mr. Nick inizia a pretendere da Parnassus il compenso che gli era stato promesso, ovvero l’anima dell’affascinante figlia Valentina. Per evitare di perdere l’amata figlia Parnassus negozia un nuovo patto: Valentina sarà di chi sedurrà cinque anime. Ad aiutare Parnassus nella sua opera sarà un nuovo arrivato dell’Imaginarium’, Tony, misterioso personaggio salvato dal cappio e dal passato misterioso, che pare affascinato più dalla bella Valentina che dalla filosofia degli artisti di strada…

Sito ufficiale: http://www.parnassus.it/

Review MIAMI VICE

christiansfoyer — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:30:39 +0000

Conscience inside a Phone Booth

Seshadri — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:27:48 +0000

I was digging up my external HD for movies which I downloaded months back and last month I saw the move Phone Booth(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183649/) starring Colin Farrell, Kat Holmes, Whitaker etc. It is an entirely different genre : morality thriller!!

Characters: Publicist Colin Farrell , his wife Radha Mitchell, client Kat Holmes, cop Whitaker, couple of hookers, pizza delivery guy.

Quote: “Isn’t it funny? You hear a phone ring, and it could be anybody…but a ringing phone has to be answered, doesn’t it”

Hero happens to be a sleazy, arrogant publicist.He does all sorts of stuffs to hold on to his clients and hence his status. He is not at all genuine or honest in his professional and also his personal wife. He contemplates on cheating his wife and he routinely calls up Kat Holmes from a phone booth because his wife happens to check his phone bills. On that day he happens to call up Kat from the phone booth and all hell break loose from then on.

Plot and Synopsis can be found at :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_Booth_%28film%29

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183649/synopsis

The basic plot is that you have an unknown caller speaking with Colin and he happens to know everything about Colin` past and even his dark secrets. The screenplay is such that Colin is unable to hang up the call or even step out. He is being threatened by the unknown caller that “if you hang up, you die”. Colin is stuck inside the booth and you have some hookers disturbing him and has a minor scuffle with the pimp and beyond a stage the fight goes out of control and this unknown guy shoots the pimp. The caller instructs Colin what to do next, what to speak and whom to speak etc.

What follows is a intelligent game of wits. Hero is held up like a hostage inside the phone booth. The caller has a sniper rifle and Colin does not believe it and to prove that the caller shot the pimp. Colin is in a state of panic. He is instructed to bring wife and client to the location and he is forced to tell that he is cheating on his wife. He also accepts that he is a blank PR guy and he has nothing to his credit. The sequence of events ultimately lead up to a situation where hero breaks down and his conscience takes over and he is being threatened with a harsh punishment if his honesty does not live up for a long time. Hero` morality is being exposed, he accepts the mistakes he made and he apologizes to everyone of his client.Hero confesses everything in public and he tries to become a man , hangs up and steps out and yells out to the caller to shoot him, what follows is a interesting twist and I do not wish to spoil that

Interesting Trivia

All scenes were shot in order as they happened.

The scenes inside the phone booth took 10 days to shoot; the other 2 days of the 12 day schedule were used on exterior shots of the booth’s surroundings.

The word “fuck” is said 143 times.

The principal photography on the film was completed in 10 days, with an additional 2 days of establishing shots, pick-ups and re-shoots. The film is set in real time so the timespan in which the film takes place is as long as it takes to watch it,

I found this movie very interesting and it is so common that certain situations in our life bring the best and the worst of us. A man with conscience ultimately breaks down at a certain stage and repents or regrets or apologizes for the wrong things he has done. Its like a breaking point for a man! You cant keep cheating yourself, you sow what you reap and ultimately one would have to pay the price for it and there is no escape for it.

Review DAS GESETZ DER EHRE

christiansfoyer — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:15:49 +0000

L'IMAGINARIUM DU DOCTEUR PARNASSUS de Terry GILLIAM (2009)

Vincent Quénault — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:04:01 +0000

J’ai trouvé les critiques assez sévères à propos du dernier film de Terry Gilliam. À les entendre, le cinéaste anglais n’aurait gagné ses lettres de noblesse qu’avec Brazil pour ensuite s’embourber dans une réputation d’artiste maudit dont les films auraient moins d’intérêt que leur making-off (on se souvient des fiascos que furent Munchausen et surtout Don Quichotte dont le tournage fut interrompu). Moi qui ne suis pas particulièrement fan du bonhomme, je lui reconnais tout de même une signature et des thèmes qui lui sont propres. L’Imaginarium du Docteur Parnassus est un exemple parfait : lors du visionnage, on ne peut attribuer l’imaginaire qui se déploie sous nos yeux à personne d’autre qu’à Terry Gilliam. Même Tim Burton, à qui on le compare souvent, ne se serait pas envolé aussi loin dans l’abstraction. Alors, pourquoi ôter le titre d’ « auteur » à un cinéaste dont le style est reconnaissable entre mille ?

L’histoire nous emmène en Angleterre parmi les saltimbanques d’un spectacle de rue dirigé par le Docteur Parnassus (Christopher Plummer). Capable de matérialiser les rêves d’autrui, le vieil homme est pourtant loin de rameuter les foules. Les temps sont durs, d’autant plus que sa fille (Lily Cole) approche des 16 ans. Or, il y a des années de cela, il fit un pacte avec le diable (Tom Waits) et lui promit de lui donner l’âme de sa progéniture une fois atteint l’âge en question. C’est alors qu’un soir, la troupe tombe sur Tony (Heath Ledger), un escroc qui tente de remettre sur pied le commerce de Parnassus et, tant qu’à faire, à briser la malédiction qui plane sur sa fille.

Comme toujours chez Gilliam, le scénario mérite un grand coup de sécateur. Bien que touffu, il n’est pas pour autant à ranger parmi les désastres inextricables qu’étaient Les Frères Grimm ou Tideland. L’Imaginarium fonctionne sur l’opposition traditionnelle entre rêve et réalité. Ceci dit, chez Gilliam la différence est difficile à faire tant la réalité ressemble au rêve : des nains et des magiciens s’y promènent, de même que le diable qui parfois passe faire un petit coucou. On serait donc plus tenté de parler d’opposition entre rêve et cauchemar.

Comme toujours, le cinéaste exploite son thème fétiche : l’imagination. En cela, le film fait figure de mise en abyme. L’Imaginarium est un film-nuage, aussi merveilleux qu’insaisissable. Le théâtre de Parnassus rappelle celui des films de Méliès. Gilliam se présente en hériter, et sa fantaisie se veut tout aussi débridée. Les moments les plus merveilleux du film éclatent lorsque le personnage d’Heath Ledger accompagne les clients de l’imaginarium de l’autre côté du miroir. Dans les rêves de Monsieur et Madame Tout-le-monde, on croise des friandises géantes, des échelles qui montent jusqu’au ciel, des gendarmes en bas résille et des rivières qui se transforment en serpent. C’est extravagant, incohérent, et pourtant on se laisse embarquer. C’est dans la folie pure que le génie de Gilliam atteint son paroxysme.

En revanche, lorsqu’on retombe dans la réalité/cauchemar, l’intrigue patine. Les personnages tombent un à un dans la caricature et finissent par complètement nous échapper. Heath Ledger est seul à faire exception. Le décès de l’acteur en plein milieu du tournage aurait pu pousser le film à rejoindre Don Quichotte dans la fosse des films maudits. Le choix de recourir à trois acteurs différents pour l’incarner dans les scènes rêvées (Johnny Depp, Jude Law et Colin Farrell) confère à son personnage une dimension schismatique inattendue et féérique. C’est finalement quand Gilliam fait preuve des audaces les plus extravagantes que son cinéma gagne en intérêt. Après tout, l’art est un langage universel auquel les fous ont aussi accès. Je déplore d’ailleurs qu’il y en ait si peu.

‘

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (UK-Canada-Fr., 2009) R. : Terry Gilliam ; Sc. : T. Gilliam, Charles McKeown ; Ph. : Nicola Pecorini ; M. : Jeff Danna, Mychael Danna ; Int. : Heath Ledger / Johnny Depp / Jude Law / Colin Farrell (Tony), Christopher Plummer (Dr. Parnassus), Lily Cole (Valentina), Tom Waits (Mr. Nick), Andrew Garfield (Anton), Verne Troyer (Percy) . Couleurs, 122mn.

In Bruges - La coscienza dell'assassino

itzstreaming — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:03:14 +0000

In Bruges è un film del 2008 scritto e diretto da Martin McDonagh. Il film è interpretato da Colin Farrell e Brendan Gleeson, come sicari in clandestinità, con Ralph Fiennes, come loro capo gangster.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Martin McDonagh | Colin Farrell | Brendan Gleeson | Ralph Fiennes

Großer Star - kleiner Film Teil 9: COLIN FARRELL

christiansfoyer — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:30:04 +0000

NEW VIDEO: JANET JACKSON - MAKE ME MOVE + DATING COLIN FARRELL

VERSE — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:38:52 +0000

Janet is causing media outlets all over the world to stir with rumours of her and Colin Farrell being seen being close and intimate. Ms. Jackson has made it clear her and JD are finished, perhaps it because she has moved on to the next. Either way, check out her new video, Janet Jackson fans exhale.

Good girls like Bad boys?!! Janet hooks up with Colin Farrell

ash a.k.a zimboifresh — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:04:34 +0000

First of all pardon my French, WTF???!! Sources reveal that Janet Jackson was spotted spending some quality time with bad boy, actor Colin Farrell. The two were seen having an intermate dinner at a Beverly Hills Hotel last week. Ms Jackson, 43, recently revealed that she had broken up with producer/rapper, Jermaine Dupri, on her latest interview on ABC, last week. The singer/actress said that she was good friends with Jermaine,36, and that she was single.

It is unclear whether the two [Janet & Colin] hooked up before or after the interview, leaving us to wonder whether Mr Farrell,33, saw the interview and seized the opportunity. But then again, it might have just been a friendly day out. We’ll have to keep our mind open, but one thing for sure, she likes them “young, fresh and clean”…lol

El periodismo como fuente de inspiración

bcebas — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:24:17 +0000

Por Beatriz Cebas

Hace poco se estrenó Triage, una película con la guerra y el periodismo como temas principales que pese a tener a Paz Vega como protagonista femenina, bien merece la pena su visionado. Desgraciadamente, la cinta pasará sin pena ni gloria por nuestras pantallas. Llamámosle falta de promoción, mal marketing o dejémoslo en “x”, pero lo cierto es que la obra de Tanovic es carne de videoclub.

Si esta no es la mejor película sobre la gran tragedia de la guerra, ni sobre el fotoperiodismo, ni siquiera sobre el síndrome de estrés postraumático; entonces, ¿por qué merece la pena su visionado? Los motivos más evidentes son dos: la gran interpretación de Colin Farrell y una historia interesante que sí hace reflexionar al espectador.

Triage habla de dos amigos fotoperiodistas que viajan al Kurdistán para cubrir un conflicto bélico. Aunque están acostumbrados a las emboscadas, mutilaciones y demás horrores de la guerra, este viaje les cambiará la vida. La esposa de David (Jamie Sives) está embarazada y a su vuelta, éste quiere cambiar su trabajo por otro más tranquilo, pero Mark (Colin Farrell) es más ambicioso y aspira a colaborar con la revista Time captando aquellos horrores que los demás no se atreven a retratar. Estas diferencias hacen que en un punto del viaje, Mark y David se separen.

A su vuelta a Dublín, Mark se reencuentra con su esposa, Elena (Paz Vega), cuyo amor le ayuda a salir del infierno interior al que está metido. A esta bonita historia de saber enfrentarse a los demonios personales se le une Christopher Lee, interpretando genialmente aunque el supuesto parentesco chirría un poco, al abuelo de Elena.

Todo esto salpicado con una subtrama tan interesante como la del propio protagonista: la del médico kurdo que tiene que poner en práctica esta medicina de emergencia llamada triage. Desde hace años, este médico decide diariamente a quienes de todos los heridos que llegan a su campamento va a salvar, y a quienes otros, debido a la falta de medios y la gravedad estado de estado de salud, va a tener que matar para ahorrarles sufrimiento. Las conversaciones de David con el médico son de lo mejor de la cinta y aunque esta historia no haga de Triage una gran obra, sí la hace lo suficientemente interesante como para impactar al espectador.

Basada en la obra homónima del corresponsal de guerra Scott Anderson, Triage ha sabido captar esta parte “excitante” de la guerra que hace que los periodistas se crean inmortales, como si el objetivo de su cámara fuese un chaleco antibalas. Pero a su vez también retrata las terribles secuelas psicológicas que quedan en aquellos que han vivido una guerra. Porque está claro que los periodistas somos seres mortales y que todo aquel que acuda a un conflicto bélico, juega con la posibilidad de ser asesinado. Y a veces no importa que uno se proteja y se quede en el hotel en vez de salir a buscar la noticia, ¿o acaso ya nadie se acuerda de José Couso?

Neler İzliyorum Ben Böyle?

proofhead — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:29:23 +0000

Madem tatili bulduk dedim, başladım bir sürü filmdir, dizidir izlemeye. Sürekli olarak izlediğim dör

Pride and Glory - Il prezzo dell'onore

itzstreaming — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:08:11 +0000

Pride and Glory è un film poliziesco del 2008, diretto da Gavin O’Connor. Gli interpreti sono Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight e Noah Emmerich.

A Elegância de Woody Allen

Raul Arthuso — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:34:22 +0000

Está acontecendo a mostra “A Elegância de Woody Allen” no CCBB e, com isso, dá para acompanhar em película todos os filmes desse profílico cineasta.

Nunca vi tanto Allen quanto nesta semana. Resolvi acompanhar os que nunca vi e convenientemente rever outros que gosto muito ou que não lembro tanto.

Apesar de ter estabelecido esse critério, já furei ao rever O Sonho de Cassandra que não está entre os preferidos e lembrava bem. É talvez o único filme de Woody Allen que dividiu a crítica. Entende-se: tem um pouco de repetição de coisas já abordadas em Crimes e Pecados e Match Point, a saber: a necessidade/inevitabilidade do crime, a questão da culpa e o lado patético de tentar tranquilizar a consciência; o impulso de misturar comédia e drama (talvez a grande questão do cinema de Allen), uma busca pela metafísica bergmaniana.

Mas há algo sombrio na mistura do drama com comédia, principalmente quando aborda o impoderável que rodeia a vida do personagem de Colin Farrell. É um filme imperfeito e automático em alguns momentos. Ainda assim, é mais interessante que a maioria de seus filmes da virada do século.

Vamos ao filmes:

Poucas e Boas (Sweet and Lowdown, 1999)

Woody Allen faz um conto sobre um mito. Um mito do jazz. Portanto, duas de suas paixões juntas. Talvez por isso haja uma alegria interessante, representada principalmente na fotografia: é o mais colorido dos filmes de Allen. Esta alegria se incorpora na forma do filme, para o bem de todos.

Manhattan (1979)

O amor pelo seu mundo. Um conto poético em P&B e cinemascope. Há um humor melancólico, uma inocência perdida e uma tristeza inerente ao ser urbano. Um dos grandes filmes no qual os personagens e o meio se fundem na tela.

O Sonho de Cassandra (Cassandra’s Dream, 2007)

Crime, culpa, necessidade, inevitabilidade. Há a interessante presença do imponderável como elemento dramático. Mas tem a insuportável trilha de Philip Glass, colocando o filme um tom acima do que devia.

Um Misterioso Assassinato em Manhattan (Manhattan Murder Mystery, 1993)

Cheio de câmeras na mão e boas idéias. Na parte final tem uma queda inexplicável e vertiginosa, com direito a uma piadinha discutivel ainda que bem realizada com A Dama de Shangai de Orson Welles.

Bananas (1971)

Um dos primeiros filmes de Allen e pode surpreender quem não conhece sua primeira fase. Ele não perde a piada. Acaba ficando um filme de esquetes meio a la Monty Python. Seu humor aqui aposta no absurdo das situações e no lado físico. Não há descanso para o espectador: metralhadora de piadas em ação.

Dirigindo no Escuro (Hollywood Ending, 2002)

A premissa é ótima, mas o desenvolvimento é muito desigual e cai bastante perto do fim. Contudo, tem um happy end falso (ao qual o título original se refere) que é a grande piada de Allen no início desse século, talvez um dos grandes finais artificiais do cinema.

Neblinas e Sombras (Shadows and Fog, 1992)

Um homenagem a Kafka e ao expressionismo alemão. Grande trabalho plástico e de iluminação de Carlo di Palma com um roteiro que oscila muito. Talvez fosse o caso de apostar mais na incorporação do lado kafkaniano à dramaturgia e menos no rigor da fotografia, inegavelmente linda.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

guerillacritic — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:54 +0000

Dir: Terry Gilliam, 2009

The Imaginarium is a shoddy prop mirror, a cardboard frame containing two sheets of reflective plastic which form a kind of curtain. But when you step through the mirror, you are transported to a wondrous realm where your imagination is unchained and allowed to run riot. It could be seen as a metaphor for Terry Gilliam’s films. They always appear gritty and lived-in, lacking that Hollywood sheen. But if you allow yourself to step into the film, you can be rewarded with great depths of imagination. In The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, however, we seem to looking at the mirror from the other side. On the surface it’s all polish, that Hollywood sheen. And if you step through, you’ll be lucky to find anything at all.

The titular Doctor (Christopher Plummer) leads a theatre troupe, consisting of his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), dwarf Percy (Verne Troyer) and leading man Anton (Andrew Garfield), around London in their combination stage/gypsy caravan. In alleyways, outside nightclubs, even in a Homebase car park, they invite members of the public to step through the mirror into their own imagination. It transpires that this is all part of a competition between Parnassus and the devil (also known as Mr. Nick, played by Tom Waits). Parnassus thinks he can save people’s souls through the power of imagination, while the devil thinks he can ensnare them through their vices.

There’s another, more sinister side to the competition. As Anton tells the audience at the beginning of each performance, Parnassus is thousands of years old. He achieved everlasting life through a bargain with the devil. In exchange for immortality, any children Parnassus begets will belong to Mr. Nick once they reach sixteen. Valentina’s sixteenth birthday is fast approaching, and in an attempt to save her, Parnassus enters another deal with the devil. The first to claim five souls wins, and the winner decides Valentina’s fate.

Much of the buzz surrounding The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus has centred around Heath Ledger’s performance as Tony, it being his last before his tragic death. Ledger brings a certain oily charisma to the apparent charity worker the troupe finds hanging under a bridge. Unfortunately, Ledger died before completing principal photography. In a bit of creative problem solving, Gilliam cast three other actors as Tony. Each seems to personify a different aspect of Tony’s character as he steps through the mirror: Johnny Depp is the charisma; Jude Law the selfishness; and Colin Farrell the womanising.

It’s an interesting idea, and works well within the film’s internal logic. But each of the three actors portraying a single trait, and when compared to Ledger’s more nuanced performance, they all come out as one-dimensional and uninteresting. This is perhaps the film’s biggest problem: Ledger’s death and the casting of Depp, Law and Farrell has given the character of Tony an almost mystical air. The problem is, Tony isn’t a particularly extraordinary character, and after the tour de force that was Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, audiences may come away disappointed.

The rest of the cast doesn’t fare much better. While Christopher Plummer effectively combines nobility with dejection to give a surprisingly sympathetic performance, and Andrew Garfield’s easy charm works well against Ledger’s smarm, Tom Waits’ phoned-in performance does not impress, and Verne Troyer does dwarfs a disservice by displaying no acting ability whatsoever.

The same unevenness comes through in the film’s visuals. At times it looks stunning. A tracking shot up a decaying, quasi-Buddhist temple, for instance, or a giant stone bust of Parnassus bursting up from the ground. But, disappointingly for a Terry Gilliam film, these moments are rare. Most of the time the production design is bland and uninspired. It’s not bad; it just lacks Gilliam’s visual wit. Maybe it’s the overreliance on CGI; Gilliam is not a director who works well with computers. The charm of his earlier work, such as Jabberwocky or Time Bandits, came from the physically constructed sets and props. They gave the films soul. And soul is exactly what CGI has denied Gilliam’s latest.

Thematically, too, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a mess. Gilliam and co-writer Charles McKeown want to say something profound about human nature, but never quite get round to it. At one point it seems the film is about the importance of stories. Or is it about the power of the imagination? Or maybe redemption? Unfortunately, it’s impossible to tell, as each potential theme gets buried underneath a series of chaotic set pieces. Ultimately, the film lacks the direction of Gilliam’s early work. Even The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, another film fit to burst with elaborate set pieces, was tied together by a singular purpose.

In some ways, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus treads the same ground as Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comic series. Both deal with the power of stories and the imagination, set against the backdrop of the real world and various fantastical realms. But, while Gaiman weaved a dense narrative with dazzling artwork and rich characterisation, Gilliam has constructed a thin veneer of visual sparkle with little underneath. All we can do is wait until he steps through to the other side of the mirror.

Celebrity Skin

the end of the block — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:16:33 +0000

This is the second installment of my Body Mod posts…

Just a few days ago, I established with EB’s readership my interest in body modification—namely tattooing—in my aptly-titled post, “To Tattoo or Not to Tattoo: That is the Question.”

In response to this research-rich post, one of my readers, A, suggested I channel my inner rebel and just get inked already. Besides, A wrote, getting inked is “commonplace today” and getting tattooed would make me seem “more badass by consequence.”

Rather than deter me from the prospect of getting tattooed, A’s insights made me feel more confident visualizing myself getting a tattoo not to mention dosed on the idea of being badass—especially the type of badass that comes from taking control over your own mind and your own life through body art.

Likely to be my new mantra: Know thyself and get inked.

Plus, A further wrote, “Everyone will want to see [your tattoo],” which got me thinking…

Sure, self expression is undeniably bad ass, but what if I end up getting a tattoo for all the wrong reasons instead of all the right ones?

Now, don’t get me wrong; tattoos should be displayed, loud and proud. But, what if they lack substance? What if a tattoo holds no personal value to its canvass—the person who’s inked with it?

To answer this question, I turned to my most accessible source of displayed—dare I say flaunted—tattoos.

That’s right: Celebrity skin.

Hollywood has always been about glamour, but ever since Elvis Presley graced its land, Hollywood has been about Rock & Roll too. I suggest that ever since rock stars were getting tattooed, so was the Hollywood celebrity.

Let us begin then with L.A. Ink’s Kat Von D. Here’s a chick who’s equal parts glamour and Rock & Roll. She’s totally badass—in all the right ways and for all the right reasons. She’s a talented artist, a strong woman, a fearless spirit, and a confident thinker who runs a tattoo parlor out of Hollywood itself.

Kat is intimidating at best—not simply because she has so much body art but because she displays that art so well…and so proudly. I buy it. I believe it. She’s real.

Kat Von D’s ink is who she is—not who she wants to be.

While Hollywood has always been about glamour, it has also been about façades too. The latest trends are usually spotted early-on in Hollywood. Functionality is often of little or no regard there, especially when it comes to what’s donned on the (real and proverbial) red carpet…and especially when image is of the utmost importance. Yet, the line between image and façade is easily crossed. I guess even glamour has a dark side.

Megan Fox, for example, is all glamour. It appears that, for Ms. Fox, image is the key to her overwhelming level of celebrity. Fox is the Hollywood of today’s sex icon (a trend of the Hollywood of yesteryear that she pays homage to with another one of her tattoos, pictured to the left). She presents herself on the red carpet through strong, visual mediums—her various tattoos included.

Ms. Fox knows better than anyone that tattoos—as well as other forms of self expression—can speak for the person who presents them. Take Fox’s tattoo across her right shoulder blade for example. It reads, “We will all laugh at gilded butterflies.” Yet, the origin of the quote may surprise its readers.

It’s from King Lear—a play by William Shakespeare… Huh?

No offense, but a literary quote on the skin of today’s most sexy and stunning Hollywood starlet is just, well, unexpected. Fox’s tattoo’s origin stands in stark contrast with the imagery associations she brilliantly uses to present (and perhaps even create) her celebrity self with.

Yet, rather than let my surprise turn into disbelief, I’ve developed a heightened curiosity about Fox.

Fox has taken the power of imagery association and used it to its full potential—not only to create a starlet caricature of her self but to entice her audience with a sense of mystery as well…without crossing the line between image and façade.

Another celebrity skin literary quote tattoo can be found curved across the sultry shoulders of Evan Rachel Wood.

A classic beauty, Wood’s porcelain skin and delicate features create a romantic look… and her now-past relationship with Rocker Marilyn Manson gives this actress a sense of mystery (and no doubt her audience a sense of curiosity about her).

What’s even better, though, is Wood’s ink.

Her upper-back tattoo quotes an Edgar Allen Poe poem of a similar title:

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

Indeed it is.

Wood’s body art serves as a voice for not only her own celebrity

but a voice for the today’s Hollywood celebrity and a warning against misperceptions and misconceptions alike.

Speaking of both, another example of inked celebrity skin is that of Colin Farrell, a guy whose looks would make me want to believe most anything he told me.

This arguably notorious Hollywood playboy claims he’s just an Irish boy at heart. “I’m just myself,” he says, “I stick by my guns and I treat people the way I think they should be trea ted, regardless of their status. And I just have a laugh.”

Perhaps even Farrell’s bad boy image is misleading at best:

“I’m not macho about things […] I shit myself every time I go to the dentist.”

Farrell has a few tattoos, including a pretty hefty Tahitian tribal design on his upper right arm

and a good old “Carpe Diem” quote inked on his left inner forearm; (Shh…) the Cross tattooed below it was inked-in

to cover up a later added “…with my girl” tattoo.

So, don’t let all those badass Colin Farrell pictures—especially the ones with cigarettes and/or beer bottles—fool you.

“It’s not that I’m stupid,” he says in his defense, ”I just don’t think sometimes.”

Besides, with a face (and heart) like his, why would you have to?

Sexiest Man Alive & another Oscar Contender?

pcavote — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:28:58 +0000

It’s Thursday, and we’re spending time this week looking at the PCA Fave Lady Movie Star noms (you all had LOTS to say about Sandra Bullock AND Anne Hathaway…whenever I think I’ve gotten a suitable cross -section of films you remind me that Ella Enchanted and While You Were Sleeping should have been a players in our daily poll. Good call.) Now, turning to the actors, it’s been revealed that Johnny Depp is People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. Again. This is a distinction he shares with very few gents, as in George Clooney and Brad Pitt. So bravo to Johnny D: great actor, undeniable looker, philanthropist, and by all reports a genuinely committed father of two (not that common in Hollywood, you’ll note) — plus, a PCA nominee too. So there’s that. Now on to our poll. Which has to do with an amazing performance I saw today in a movie you’ll definitely want to catch. It’s all about a down-on-his luck country music singer. It’s called Crazy Heart, and I was curious because I’d heard some quiet Oscar buzz about this little film. Apparently, even though we might think this year’s Best Actor Oscar race is clear (more on that later) this movie features a performance that could change that. A role belonging to none other than Jeff Bridges. Brother of Beau, son of Lloyd, arguably one of the most well-liked men in Hollywood who’s been Oscar-nominated 4 times (First time? 37 years ago) and has never won. Plus, JB’s long been referred to as “the Most Underrated Actor in America”. So today, I want to throw out the idea that quite possibly he’ll get nominated again for this movie. Where he (opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell) is so good you cannot take your eyes off him. And if he gets nominated, you heard it here first. With this in mind, and because we’re going to hear a lot more about Crazy Heart (which hits theatres mid-December) let’s focus our poll upon the work of its star. Voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which Jeff Bridges movie is your favorite.

1) The Big Lebowski

2) The Contender

3) The Fabulous Baker Boys

4) Iron Man