The Holiday, starring Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, and Eli Wallach, among others.  It’s interesting to see that Jack Black can be romantic and comical and serious — his game with the movie scores in the video store is fantastic.  I love Kate Winslet’s character, because I’ve been there: you keep going back to the person who is completely wrong for you, then one day you wake up and realize you’re better off without him, and you feel completely free — that moment when she cries out with joy and puts her hands up over her head in celebration, I know exactly how that feels.  At the same time, I can really identify with Cameron Diaz’s character, because she’s high-strung and organized to a fault just like me.  Then, of course, there is Jude Law, who manages to be disgustingly sexy even though he’s a completely typical guy who goes out and gets drunk and sleeps around — but at the same time he’s the completely endearing widower / single father.

I must say, though, my favorite aspect of this movie is Eli Wallach’s character, Arthur Abbott.  An adorable little old man who shuffles around on his own and reminisces about the old days when movies were made for the art of it, when acting was great, when actors were multi-talented, when the industry wasn’t so commercialized.  “This was some meet-cute!”  Ah, love it!

WORD

popinjay [pop-in-jey] n. 1. a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter; coxcomb; fop 2. British Dialect. a woodpecker, esp. the green woodpecker 3. Archaic. the figure of a parrot usually fixed on a pole and used as a target in archery and gun shooting 4. Archaic. a parrot

BIRTHDAY

Richard Sears (1863), Louis Prima (1910), Eli Wallach (1915), Ted Knight (1923), Noam Chomsky (1928), Ellen Burstyn (1932), Harry Chapin (1942), Johnny Bench (1947), Tom Waits (1949), Priscilla Barnes (1955), Larry Bird (1956), Tim Butler (1958), Rick Rude (1958), Peter Laviolette (1964), C. Thomas Howell (1966), Terrell Owens (1973), Damien Rice (1973)

STANDPOINT

Today, instead of spouting off about this thing or that, I’m putting the ball in your court.

I’ve been considering a particular scenario. I’ve proposed it to a few of my close friends and they all agree it’s an interesting situation to ponder. So I thought I’d offer it all of you.

Here it is: Due to some kind of crazy set of circumstances, you find yourself in a room with nine strangers. A man (or woman) enters the room and delivers the following set of instructions:

1. Everyone in the room will be granted five picks. Each pick will be a particular music act you can completely remove from the face of the Earth, including any memory of their existence.

2. However, there’s a possibility one of the other nine in the room could choose to obliterate a music act you hold near and dear. So, instead of using all your picks to erase music acts you despise, you’re free to use some, or all, of them to protect music acts you feel you can’t live without.

Here’s what I’m wondering: When confronted with this kind of choice, do you opt to banish or preserve? Would you see to it you never again hear the music you hate the most? Or would you safeguard the music you love the most?

Think about it. I’m still unsure of what I’d do.

QUOTATION

I think you should be a child for as long as you can. I have been successful for 74 years being able to do that. Don’t rush into adulthood, it isn’t all that much fun. → Bob Newhart

TUNE

 So this past Saturday night, I’m hanging out with my kind of people, meaning a bunch of people who know a lot about good music. I was playing some stuff off of my iTunes and Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open The Door” comes on. All present agreed it was a solid tune. I agreed but asked everyone how they felt about the slow version – “Let My Love Open The Door (E. Cola Mix)” – off the Grosse Pointe Blank soundtrack. No one had heard it before. Which I thought was weird but not altogether impossible. There’s a shitload of music out there.

GALLIMAUFRY

→ Dude. When it comes to hockey, I’m all for a guy dropping the gloves and participating in a little hand-to-hand combat to try to motivate his team. But Philadelphia Flyers’ winger, Daniel Carcillo, experienced a severe lack of judgement when he almost knocked out Washington Capitals’ winger, Matt Bradley, late in the first period. It was awfully stupid because (a) Bradley had barely shook off his gloves (if he did at all) before Carcillo popped him, (b) it was the first game for new Flyers’ coach Peter Laviolette (who’s probably half-heartedly celebrating his birthday today), and (c) he gave the Capitals an unheard of nine-minute power play that turned a close game into a 8-2 loss for his team. He’s been suspended for four games and with the Flyers currently in a mid-season freefall, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’d seen the last of “Car-Bomb.”

→ Looking for a new blog to follow? (Don’t answer that. I know you are.) Check out PhilaLawyer.net. Also, I’ve just started reading his book, Happy Hour Is For Amateurs. And you should, too.

→ Tonight, at 10pm, I’ll be watching the new TNT “serious comedy” Men of a Certain Age. Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher. Yep, that’s pretty much all I need to become intrigued. Sad? No, not at all.  

The Misfits is an interesting motion picture for a number of reasons, the least of which being what occurs on screen. It is a fascinating piece of movie history in that its stars and its director were caught in almost a constant state of turmoil, drunkenness and drug abuse during its filming. That it was made at all should probably be considered a Hollywood miracle.

The Misfits was directed by John Huston, who spent most of filming either gambling or drinking. Word was that he even fell asleep on the set on occasion and that the production company had to cover some of his gambling losses. Such is the trouble with filming in Reno, I suppose. Star Marilyn Monroe was well on her way down, what with her relationship to writer Arthur Miller unravelling and her descent into drugs and alcohol becoming more drastic by the day.

Monroe stars as Roslyn Taber and she’s a divorcee. She’s bunked in with Isabelle Steers (Thelma Ritter), who’s giving her some life advice and acting like a mothering figure. Isabelle and Roslyn come into contact with Guido (Eli Wallach), a tow-truck driver and pilot who wants to show Roslyn the country and a good time. This leads to introductions with Guido’s friend and business partner, the cowboy Gay Langland (Clark Gable).

The film meanders around various misadventures and misunderstandings before it acquires another member to this misfit party in rodeo rider and drifter Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift). This forms somewhat or a romantic square, I suppose, and Roslyn finds herself in the middle of various quandaries before the movie settles on the issue of mustang hunting as the big issue of the day.

The Misfits isn’t a particularly good movie, but as I mentioned before it is a very interesting one. It gains ground in its last third thanks in large part to the mustang hunting sequences. Gable insisted upon doing all of his own stunts, which included being dragged 400 feet across a lakebed. As many know, he suffered a heart attack two days after filming ended on The Misfits and died 10 days later.

Monroe is the real story here, however. Shooting was troublesome for her and for those who had to rely on her, as she often didn’t show up to the set. Huston shut production down in 1960 to send Monroe to a hospital for detox and used soft focus on her close-ups. Amazingly enough, her performance is rather solid and tinged with pieces of sadness that were no doubt in relation to her struggles off-screen.

The Misfits is worth seeing for no other reason than it marks a bit of Hollywood history. It is the last film for both Gable and Monroe, two bona-fide Hollywood legends. Structurally, however, the picture is a bit of a mess. It meanders a lot and can be difficult to get a read on, especially given how Huston covers the romantic angles. Some scenes feel rushed, as though relationships blossom suddenly and without reason.

In the end, The Misfits is a motion picture that certainly lives up to its title. It is a strange movie, filled with heartbreakingly real performances. Watching it can, at times, feel like watching people drowning in their own existences. Knowing Gable and Monroe’s fates, some of the scenes take on an unintentionally bittersweet quality that gives the movie weight that it otherwise may not have had.

6.1/10

Trailer:

My dear non-fleshie friends Kate and Millie (newly returned from exciting adventures in Sierra Leone!) have been nagging me for a long time to watch the Hayley Mills dream fest The Moonspinners (1964). Well I finally got my chance to see it (thank you so much, Kate!) and boy oh boy were they right about it’s scathing brilliance! I’ll share some of my reactions with you in a lovely picspam.

^the theme: I watched this over again three times before I actually started the film. Such a marvelous song. I was thrilled to find it on YouTube!

^Joan Greenwood and Michael Davis as Aunt Frances and Alexis. I think Michael Davis is a lot like Kate’s brother. Agree or disagree?

^Eli Wallach as the evil Uncle Stratos. A dramatic switch from the last film I saw him in, Babydoll.

^Once of the first good glimpses of Peter McEnery…isn’t he a dish?

^Hayley was SO lucky!

^The famous pink outfit! Kate, Millie & I find it hugely inspiring. I’m already working on a reproduction version of the top in my head.

^Better view of the shirt. See the amazingness? A button front and crazy tie belt. OH, and see who the other lady is? Irene Papas! I only knew her from Zorba the Greek, so I was glad she actually had lines in this film.

^And an amazing swingy back. I bet you are wondering where the belt is! And notice the red canvas shoes…red and pink…hmm. Normally I wouldn’t attempt such a combination, but Hayley really pulls it off.

^Pete is shot in the shoulder of the arm she’s pulling. He’s in huge pain and she pulls his bad arm?! Hayley! What were you thinking?!

^Eli is either really afraid or he’s been running around in the hot Greek sun too much…

^Lovely crazy cats! There are tons of them!

^Well, you’d run too if cats were hissing at you!

^Wow, Hayley Mills with a rifle! She must really love the guy…

^Wolf in sheep’s clothing, maybe?

^This has got to be one of the craziest scenes of all time: Joan Greenwood riding in a hearse with Hayley and Peter in the back, trying to get through a street celebration and being attacked by bizarre revelers!

^EhHEM! Just when did Hayley learn to drive a speedboat?

^Cats are everywhere in this film! Look at this unbelievable cat bed! Lap of luxury for kitty!

^I was so sad when it ended. Did anyone else think it ended rather abruptly?

I highly recommend The Moonspinners, if you get a chance to watch it. It is on DVD (thankfully, and only because it was a Disney movie): Amazon, Half, Ebay.

Happy Thanksgiving darlings!

Disclaimer: I have never been to New York City.

After seeing New York, I Love You, I’m dying to go. Inspired by Paris, je t’aime, New York, I Love You follows a very similar formula.

11 filmmakers, 11 stories, and a Robert Altman size cast (including Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, Shia Labeouf, Orlando Blooom, Robin Wright Penn, Eli Wallach, and Chris Cooper), bring New York City to life in this anthology film.

Critical praise has been mixed, many agreeing that the film is an inconsistent, plot-less film.

Well there lies the beauty.

The stories (each directed by a different director) intertwine with one another and connections are made from character to character. Remarkably, the fragmented storyline is still able to keep viewers captivated.

The film is simply about fragments of time and how characters interact with one another throughout life.  Although the film is a tiny glimpse into the character’s lives and cultures, New York, I Love You paints a realist world that hasn’t been seen since the Italian neo-realist movement.

The remarkable performances of Ethan Hawke, Natalie Portman, Shia Labeouf (what a shock?!), and Orlando Bloom really bring the film to life.

Bloom’s performance is the centerpiece of director Shunji Iwai’s segment.  Without a doubt my favorite storyline, Iwai’s story of the hopeless, writer romantic (Bloom) and the unlikely girl next door (Christina Ricci) is something every girl would call “cute” and every guy would have to fight off emotion to hide it.

Even hack director Brett Ratner directed a segment that had heart (something he has never done, outside of TV’s Prison Break).

If you are looking for a three act plot with a singular storyline, forget about this film. If you seek a story that is foundationally simple, yet sophisticated in its realism and heart, New York, I Love You would be a wonderful choice. The fragmented storyline won’t give you a singular storyline, but it will paint a vivid picture of life and a small period of time: a period of time so small that if you blink, it could be lost for good in the Big Apple.

(3 out of 4 stars)

I Love You,

-Nolan Wilson Goff

Check out the trailer below:

São momentos como esse que o mercado de posters nos obriga a pensar em frases ridículas como “Ô lá em casa…”.
O problema é que eles estavam sendo vendidos num leilão cujo lance mínimo era de 8 mil dólares.
Se eu tivesse grana pagaria fácil, fácil.

I’ve had a lot of requests from fans for the addresses I used to get my co-star autographs.  I have had success sending a photo in a self addressed stamped envelope to the following addresses:

Lauren Bacall 1 West 72nd Street Suite 43 New York, NY 10023

Don Murray CESD Talent Agency 10635 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 130/135 Los Angeles, CA 90025

Jane Russell Enterprises 507 Boscoe Court Santa Maria, CA, USA 93454 Note: Jane requests payment for her autographs. All money raised is donated to her WAIF charity. Jane seems to have the longest turnaround as some fans have waited 6 months before it was received. $30 – If sending your own image and wanting an autograph only $35 – If sending your own image and wanting a personal autograph $45 – For an autographed photo supplied by Jane

Eli Wallach 90 Riverside Dr New York, NY 10024-5306

New York, I Love You (2008)
★★ / ★★★★

I’ve been waiting for this movie to be released in theaters for more than a year so I was really excited to see it when it finally was. Unfortunately, out of the ten segments (presented in order of appearances on screen–directed by Jiang Wen, Mira Nair, Shunji Iwai, Yvan Attal, Brett Ratner, Allen Hughes, Shekhar Kapur, Natalie Portman, Fatih Akin and Joshua Marston) only about five worked for me–the second (starring Natalie Portman and Irrfan Khan), the third (Orlando Bloom and Christina Ricci), the fourth (Ethan Hawke and Maggie Q), the fifth (Anton Yelchin, Olivia Thirlby, James Caan and Blake Lively), and the tenth (Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman).

I really wanted to love this movie as much as “Paris, je t’aime.” What made the first one so great is the fact that even though we encounter so many different genres and tones throughout the picture, it felt cohesive because we truly get a sense of who the characters were in under five to seven minutes. In “New York, I Love You,” it all feels a little bit too commercial. I felt as though it wanted to impress all kinds of people so much to the point where it held back emotionally and avoided taking risks. I’m also astounded by the fact that there were no homosexual storylines, barely any segments consisting of African-American or Latino characters, and most of clips consisted of a person falling in love or lust with another person. There are many dimensions of love (love for the city, love for a pet, love for oneself…) but it didn’t quite think outside the box. Those missing qualities are crucial to me because New York is supposed to be a melting pot of ethnicities, sexualities and mindsets yet we got to see the same kinds of people time and again. With “Paris, je t’aime,” we get diversity and in more than half of them, there was not a happy ending, which I thought was closer to real life than the stories presented in this film.

The five segments that I thought were standouts had a certain passion in every single one of them, whether it’s about a woman who doesn’t quite feel comfortable about getting married; an artist struggling to read one of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s books and whose curiosity of a woman he’s only met through the phone bothered him to the core; a man who thinks one way about a woman turning out to be someone completely different than we all expected; a teenager who goes to prom with a blind date unknowing of the fact that his date is unlike anyone he expected; and a couple celebrating their marriage that lasted for more than sixty years. Those are the kinds of stories I want to tune into and dissect because hidden layers are embedded in them. What I don’t want to see is someone supposedly falling in love unless he or she has something truly significant or different to contribute. The other five segments that I didn’t quite like should have been taken out and replaced by stories from other genres such as horror or science fiction, or they could have had a different mood or perception such as in a black-and-white reality or featuring a person so wasted in drugs–a way in which we could see the world through their eyes. That would have made more sense to me because we are essentially a drug culture. Or it could have featured at least one fashion model or a fashionista because New York is one of the biggest fashion capitals in the world. Instead of really embracing to tackle issues mentioned previously, the movie was way too safe with those other segments.

Having said all of that, I have to admit that I’m particularly hard on this picture. Since I don’t do half-star ratings, it must be said that I consider this a solid two-and-a-half star movie. When I came out of the theater, I was certain that I was going to give it three stars out of four but after thinking about it a little bit, it made me realize how much potential it didn’t use to create a truly magnificent project. For such a fascinating place like New York City, you just can’t play everything safe and get away with it. At least not with me because I’m big on seeing diversity and reality in certain kinds of films, especially in slice-of-life cinema. I’m not saying at all to not see this in theaters. By all means, please do to support a film released only on limited release. But what I want you to take away from this review is the awareness that what’s being presented on this film is not the gritty and dirty New York but the clean, nice New York we see on a prime time television shows.

Hopefully, the next project from this film series would not be as afraid to branch out.

I know, I know. It’s been awhile. No excuses — I simply haven’t felt like writing, not even to finish up the promised series on writing influences. But it’s going to get better from here on out. Seriously. No, I promise.

So, for authors I consider the literary equivalent of Eli Wallach … I don’t even know how to explain what I mean. I guess I consider their work the equivalent of the stuff you see when you change a newborn’s diaper. And yet many of them have an incredible literary reputation. Take Herman Melville for instance. The only thing Melville ever wrote that was worth a damn was Bartleby the Scrivener. Moby Dick has one great line: “Call me Ishmael.” The rest of it is a great story marred by lackluster writing — details dry enough to be a technical paper on how a whaling ship works, but of little damn interest to most readers. Melville, along with guys like Tom Clancy, are the kind of writers that when you ask what time it is, they tell you how to build a wristwatch.

And what about J.D. Salinger? I’ve read The Catcher in the Rye and several short pieces by Salinger, and I’m one of those people who is simply not impressed. Maybe it’s because I re-read the book as an adult, but the teen angst Salinger portrays had little to do with what I felt as a teenager. It’s essentially a meaningless trifle — and I’m not really sure why it’s meant to be read as so much more.

So there are three — and there are many more to choose from. The Ugly authors are ones who, no matter how successful, remind me that bad writing knows no bounds — not even fame or fortune. And especially not the boundaries of literary critics, scholars or classrooms.

Isn't that purse one of the greatest you've ever seen? Her suit is stunning, too!

**WARNING** – Spoilers ahead! If you haven’t seen this film yet, don’t read on!

Well, I had no idea Eli Wallach was so interesting! I’ve only known him from The Magnificent Seven and How to Steal A Million and never thought much of him. But, I finally watched Baby Doll (1956) for the first time this weekend and was blown away by his performance. I found the beginning of his relationship with Carroll Baker slightly odd, but as the film progressed, I was drawn in by his charms. In the end, I found him remarkably appealing! The turning point for me was when his character defends Carroll Baker’s aunt when Karl Malden is needlessly picking on her. I just love a guy who sticks up for the underdog.

And while we’re on the subject of Karl Malden, what a conflicted character he played! Even though the film paints him in a dreadful light, I found it hard to hate him. Instead, he was quite sympathetic.  I thought his only flaw was being weak and allowing his weakness to overtake him. His greatest mistake was resorting to arson. That was plain dumb. Oh and of course, he allowed himself to become addicted to the bottle. Never helpful to getting your life back on track.

All in all I enjoyed the film a lot. My favorite scene is where Eli Wallach jumps up into the tree to hide from Karl Malden and then helps Carroll Baker up too. It’s almost like the two of them share something so special, nothing Karl Malden can do will effect them in any way. They just sit up in their tree, safe – high above him and his depravity. Quite fascinating.

(Many thanks to Raquelle for making it impossible for me to avoid this film any longer. I’m so glad you prodded me!)

**11/9/09 edit**On DVD links (thanks to judith for reminding me!): Amazon US, Amazon UK, Half.com — These all seem to be Region 1 encoded. It looks like this is the only format Baby Doll has been released in.

In the city that never sleeps, love is always on the mind. Those passions come to life in New York, I Love You – a collaboration of storytelling from some of today’s most imaginative filmmakers and featuring an all-star cast. Together they create a kaleidoscope of the spontaneous, surprising, electrifying human connections that pump the city’s heartbeat. Sexy, funny, haunting and revealing encounters unfold beneath the Manhattan skyline. From Tribeca to Central Park to Brooklyn the story weaves a tale of love as diverse as the very fabric of New York itself

Ross recently mentioned that he wouldn’t want to rent a good movie when having a date over. Although I understand his point of view, I disagree and would gladly rent something worthwhile. First, if the date is a bust, you can lose yourself in a fine movie and then call it a night once the credits roll. However, if there happens to be some promise to the date then it can all unfold after the ending. If you’re part of Ross’ school of thought, by all means, avoid renting any of the following for movie date-night. If you share my view then I’m sure you’ll take pleasure in watching any of the movies from our Top Five Westerns list, which was inspired by AskMen.com’s  profile on Clint Eastwood’s anti-western Unforgiven and is this list’s honourable mention.

Tied at No. 5

For a Few Dollars More / A Fistful of Dollars

Both starring Clint Eastwood and directed by Sergio Leone.

No.4

The Wild Bunch

Starring William Holden & Ernest Borgnine. Directed by Sam Peckinpah.

No. 3

Once Upon a Time in the West

Starring Henry Fonda & Charles Bronson. Directed by Sergio Leone.

No. 2

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Starring Paul Newman & Robert Redford. Directed by George Roy Hill.

No. 1

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef & Eli Wallach. Directed by Sergio Leone.

by The Great White Gypsy

A Serious Man – Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Set in 1967, this black comedy follows a Jewish professor as he attempts to stop his life from unraveling after his wife announces she wants a divorce. It would appear that the Coen dynasty is back in full swing after their three year hiatus between The Ladykillers (2004) and No Country for Old Men (2007). Though longtime Coen teammates Carter Burwell (composer) and Roger Deakins (cinematographer) are back again, the cast for this one is largely unknown. I can’t wait.
Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed
October 2

Whip It – Directed by Drew Barrymore, Written by Shauna Cross
Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut about a punk rock outcast (Ellen Page) living in small town Texas who rebels by joining an all girl roller derby league. I’m a fan of Page and Barrymore, and though it was filmed almost entirely in Michigan and features an esoteric chick-indie-punk soundtrack, Barrymore managed to get some good names on the roster. Not cast-wise, as Page and Marcia Gay Harden are the only recognizable ones, but she borrowed longtime Wes Anderson cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman, as well as editor Dylan Tichenor (Doubt, There Will Be Blood), and Art Director Kevin Kavanaugh (The Dark Knight, The Prestige). Call me impressed.
Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden
October 2

Zombieland – Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Sure, the writers and director of this Americanized Shaun of the Dead are newbies. And yes, British humor often times prevails when put toe to toe (except the Office, Steve Carrell is a silly bitch). But after watching the previews, how can you not smile and say, “Yeah, I’ll see that eventually.”? If for no other reason that watching little miss sunshine kick some zombie ass would be sweet.
Woody Harrelson, Jessie Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone, Amber Heard, Bill Murray
October 2

An Education – Directed by Lone Scherfig,Written by Nick Hornby
Wait…Peter Sarsgaard? In a low profile dramatic role you’ve never heard of until now? Yeah, that sounds about right. About a 17-year-old girl in 1960’s London who abandons her college plans for a wealthy socialite twice her age. You may not recognize any of the names behind the scenes, but Nick Hornby (author, High Fidelity) is enough for me.
Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson, Rosamund Pike
October 9

Couples Retreat – Directed by Peter Billingsley, Written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn
Apparently, Ralphie from A Christmas Story is all grown up and wants to be a director. Starting with a screenplay by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn will either be his ticket to greatness, or a nail in his mediocre comedy coffin. Still, Swingers and Made were great, and the cast in this one has me more than confident. If the plot isn’t obvious by the title, you should not see this movie, you might shoot your eye out (fuck you, you knew it was coming).
Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Ken Jeong, Jean Reno, Faizon Love, Tasha Smith, John Michael Higgins
October 9

Peter and Vandy – Written and Directed by Jay DiPietro
In the style of (500) Days of Summer, this relationship film set in New York City jumps back and forth through time telling the story of how Peter and Vandy went from friends to lovers, and how they ended up as a comfortable, yet manipulative couple. The chemistry between Ritter and Weixler looks good, and Sundance apparently loved it. My only worry is, in a non-linear feature film, editor Geoffrey Richman has been limited to documentaries. Ok, he did Murderball and God Grew Tired of Us, but still, a lot’s riding on this guy’s shoulders. DePietro’s first.
Jason Ritter, Jess Weixler
October 9

Trucker – Written and Directed by James Mottern
James Mottern’s first endeavor gives Monaghan an amazing role as a long distance truck driver who must care for the son she abandoned while his father is in the hospital. Interesting cast (I like Adams and Fillion), and behind the scenes, names like Mychael Danna (composer: (500) Days of Summer, Girl Interrupted) and Lawrence Sher (cinematographer: Garden State, The Chumscrubber) intrigue me. Assuming Monaghan’s role is as great as it appears in the preview, I will make a bold statement: If Melissa Leo can be nominated for Frozen Rivers, this might be Monaghan’s year.
Michelle Monaghan, Benjamin Bratt, Joey Lauren Adams, Nathan Fillion, Jimmy Bennett
October 9

Law Abiding Citizen – Directed by F. Gary Gray, Written by Kurt Wimmer
Gerard Butler’s wife and daughter are killed. The D.A. (Jamie Foxx) gives the murderers a plea bargain. Years later, Butler starts exacting his revenge on everyone involved…from the comfort of his jail cell. Wimmer wrote and directed Equilibrium (freaking awesome), but he also wrote and directed Ultraviolet (freaking garbage). Aside from editor Tariq Anwar (Revolutionary Road, American Beauty), everyone involved is a so-so list of random action film participants. So why would you see this one? Cause it’s Friday…you ain’t got no job…and you ain’t got shit to do.
Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Viola Davis, Regina Hall
October 16

New York, I Love You – Directed by Faith Akin and Yvan Attal, Written by Emmanual Benbihy and Tristan Carne
I’m sure even the most skeptical among you can’t say you didn’t enjoy Paris, Je T’aime. It was a great cross-sectioning of different views and stories around the city, told by some great directors (The Coen Brothers and Gus van Sant among them). I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed about the young cast and director lineup (where the F are DeNiro and Scorcese?) But as an overall project, I’m really looking forward to this film. With segments directed by Allan Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman, and Brett Ratner.
Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Shia LaBeouf, Blake Lively, Robin Wright Penn, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Christina Ricci, Rachel Bilson, Ethan Hawke, John Hurt, Justin Bartha, James Caan, Maggie Q, Anton Yelchin, Andy Garcia, Chris Cooper, Olivia Thirlby, Drea De Matteo, Julie Christie, Cloris Leachman, Eli Wallach
October 16

Where the Wild Things Are – Directed by Spike Jonze, Written by Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers
Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s story about a boy who invents an imaginary world populated with large creatures who name him King. Jonze hasn’t really done many films (Being John Malkovich and Adaptation), but he’s an accomplished music video director, and with an adaptation by Dave Eggers, he can’t really go wrong. Effects look good, voice casting is solid.
Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper, Forest Whitaker, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Dano, Lauren Ambrose
October 16

Amelia – Directed by Mira Nair, Written by Ronald Bass and Anna Hamilton Phelan
From the director of The Namesake, this biopic of Amelia Earhart covers her romance with flight, and her rise to the level of cultural icon. Can’t say it looks like anything really spectacular, but Swank has won multiple Oscars, Phelan wrote Girl Interrupted, and The Aviator was warmly received. Look for this to show up on some Academy Award lists regardless.
Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccelston
October 23

Antichrist – Written and Directed by Lars von Trier
Danish director Lars von Trier has won numerous awards for his films. He has also shocked a lot of people not only by his style, but by his tendency to add super realism to his films by actually having the actors doing whatever the characters are supposed to (meaning if there’s a group sex scene, chances are those people are actually having sex on camera). Antichrist is the story of a couple trying to reconnect in a cabin after the death of their son. What happens next is ridiculously graphic, violent, and spiritually disturbing. While the wide theatrical release will no doubt be heavily edited, the uncut version is something you have to see to fully understand.
Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
October 23

Saw VI – Directed by Kevin Greutert, Written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton
Don’t think I really need to explain this one. Jigsaw’s dead, but we’re gonna try to fit at least four more storylines into the original script. Director is new, writers have worked on the last three Saw films. I’ll see it, but when an original horror franchise with an awesome theme song allows a Texas Chainsaw Massacre motif into their preview, it worries me.
Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Shawnee Smith, Betsy Russell
October 23

(Untitled) – Directed by Jonathan Parker, Written by Jonathan Parker and Catherine DiNapoli
Shelton plays an art gallery director who falls in love with a struggling artist/musician in New York. Should be good for a few laughs if you can’t stand newagepostmodernretroindieavantgardeabstracthipsterbullshit. Also, Vinnie Jones as an artist, and Adam Goldberg kicking a bucket on stage should be hilarious. Rookie writer/director.
Adam Goldberg, Marley Shelton, Vinnie Jones
October 23

Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day – Directed by Troy Duffy, Written by Troy and Taylor Duffy
We’ve had to wait ten bloody years for this film to actually see the light of day. Now it’s here. If you didn’t see the first one (what the hell is wrong with you??) it’s about two Irish brothers who are “called” by God to administer justice and vengeance to society’s scum. I’m actually impressed that after so long on the shelf, the writer/director of the first film is still on board. Can’t freaking wait.
Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz, Judd Nelson, Billy Connolly, Peter Fonda
October 30

How to Seduce Difficult Women – Written and Directed by Richard Temtchine
Although there are no recognizable names or faces attached to this one, imagine if someone combined Hitch and School for Scoundrels, and then made a GOOD film. The main character, Pierre, decides to teach the ways of French seduction to the floundering American men who have lost the art (stupid French guys with their…sexy accents…). Interspersed with NY street interviews about sex and seduction. Could be interesting.
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Stephanie Szostak, Jackie Hoffman, Rachel Roberts
October 30

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

The Ministers – Written and Directed by Franc. Reyes
Kinda like Boondock Saints…except Latin. And they’re serial killers. And Leguizamo plays twins. And I’d bet money Keitel gets naked for no reason. Reyes is a weird cat, but he directed Empire and Illegal Tender, which weren’t bad. Leguizamo’s always good, so we’ll see. Rumored limited release date, nothing solid yet.
John Leguizamo, Harvey Keitel, Wanda De Jesus, Florencia Lozano
October 1 (Limited)

Aladin – Written and Directed by Sujoy Ghosh
Shut up and let me talk. Yes, it’s an Indian film. Yes, it appears there is a bit of singing involved. However, the story of Aladin is one of the most widely known and adaptable myths to come out of the area. And the preview actually gives me a Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer) kind of feel. Excuse the hell out of me for trying to broaden your minds. Only release date in India so far. Check it out.
Ritesh Deshmukh, Jaqueline Fernandes, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt
October 23 (India)

Pope Joan – Directed by Sonke Wortmann, Written by Heinrich Hadding
Based on the German novel, this is the story of an English woman born in Germany, who disguises herself as a man and ascends to a seat of power in 9th century Vatican. A German film about gender disguise, and John Goodman’s in it, but Hilary Swank isn’t? That’s so confusing it has to be fattening. Limited release in Germany so far.
David Wenham, John Goodman, Ian Glen
October 22 (Germany)

Nel 1966 Sergio Leone chiude la trilogia del dollaro con Il buono, il brutto e il cattivo, la sua opera, almeno fino a quel momento, più ambiziosa e sopratutto girata con più mezzi a disposizione. I due fortunatissimi precedenti, Per un pugno di dollari e Per qualche dollaro in più gli avevano permesso di poter finalmente disporre di finanziamenti cospicui; così Leone sceglie un cast di più largo respiro, sceglie di girare il film con tempi cinematografici più lunghi e sopratutto esce dai temi trattati nei due film precedenti per parlare della guerra di secessione americana, guardando sia alla storia in se stessa, sia ad un discorso di più ampio respiro, la denuncia degli orrori della guerra, simboleggiata in vari punti del film, da alcuni episodi chiave, come il famoso attacco al ponte, oppure dal campo di concentramento sudista o ancora dalla morte del povero soldatino a cui Biondo porge l’ultima sigaretta.

Il buono, il brutto e il cattivo è la summa dell’arte di Leone, un film bellissimo in larghi tratti, supportato dalla sontuosa recitazione dei tre protagonisti, Eastwood, Van Cleef e il possente Eli Wallach, da una colonna sonora semplicemente stupefacente e da un ritmo che affascina lo spettatore portandolo attraverso gli orrori della guerra in una pazza corsa ad un tesoro rappresentato da 200.000 dollari sepolti dallo sconosciuto soldato Jackson in un cimitero Confederato.

Clint Eastwood, Biondo

Leone bada molto alla caratterizzazione dei personaggi, e questa volta sceglie due attori con cui ha già lavorato, il solito Clint Eastwood a cui affida il ruolo di Biondo e Lee Van Cleef, a cui affida il ruolo del crudele sergente Sentenza. Il terzo protagonista è uno strepitoso Eli Wallach, che si immedesima così tanto nei panni di Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez da risultare, alla fine, il più bravo dei tre, ammesso che si possa fare una scala di valori di interpretazioni così intense.

Lee Van Cleef, Sentenza

Per la sceneggiatura del film Leone si era affidato al duo Age e Scarpelli, ma deluso dal risultato, la rimaneggiò totalmente, sostituendo i dialoghi scritti dal duo con altri di suo pugno; è per questo che Il buono il brutto e il cattivo, alla fine, diventa un film assolutamente ascrivibile a Leone, che è libero di modellare la pellicola a suo gusto e piacimento.

Eli Wallach, Tuco

Anche la selezione degli attori non protagonisti rivela una sapiente, profonda conoscenza dei caratteristi del mondo del cinema: basti pensare alla presenza del solito, bravissimo Luigi Pistilli, che interpreta alla perfezione Padre Pablo Ramirez, fratello di Tuco, oppure alla presenza di Aldo Giuffrè, un intenso Capitano Clinton, l’uomo che morirà con il sorriso sulle labbra dopo aver finalmente visto il maledetto ponte saltare per aria. Ma sono altri i caratteristi degni di menzione: c’è Rada rassimov, che interpreta Maria, la prostituta; c’è l’immancabile Mario Brega, che è il caporale Wallace….

Luigi Pistilli, Padre Pablo Ramirez

I 180 minuti di durata del film, che si apre con Tuco e Biondo soci in una truffa ai danni degli sceriffi, e che si chiude con il famoso Triello, lo scontro finale tra Sentenza, Tuco e il Biondo e successivamente con la splendida sequenza di Tuco con il cappio al collo in bilico su un barile, salvato da un colpo di fucile di Biondo, che lascia all’ex socio metà del bottino, sono tre ore di grande cinema, di grande spettacolo e di grande divertimento.

!!!

Wallach gigioneggia per tutto il film, mentre, per una volta, Eastwood e in secondo piano; come racconterà Leone, i rapporti tra i due si deteriorarono per la pretesa di Eastwood di intepretare la parte di Tuco, che in effetti era assolutamente indatta per Eastwood:
“Ci mancò poco che non facesse la parte del Biondo. Dopo aver letto il copione ,trovò in effetti che il ruolo di Tuco fosse troppo importante, che fosse il migliore dei due ruoli. Tentai dunque di ragionarci: “Il film è più lungo degli altri due. Non puoi essere tutto solo. Tuco è necessario per la storia, e resterà come ho voluto che fosse. Devi capire che è il comprimario… e il momento in cui appari tu, è la star che fa la sua apparizione.”[ Eastwood però non fu convinto, dunque Leone, insieme con la moglie, dovette andare in California per tentare una mediazione. La moglie del regista, Carla, ricorda perfettamente: "Clint Eastwood con sua moglie Maggie venne al nostro albergo... io spiegai che il fatto che avesse al suo fianco altri due grandi attori non avrebbe potuto che rafforzare la sua statura. A volte anche una grande star che interpreta un ruolo più piccolo insieme ad altri grandi attori può trarre vantaggio dalla situazione. A volte fare un passo indietro voleva dire farne due avanti." Mentre le due mogli parlavano, Eastwood e Leone si scontrarono duramente, e il loro rapportò iniziò a incrinarsi. Leone disse: "Se interpreta la parte ne sarò felicissimo. Ma se non lo fa - beh, visto che sono stato io a inventarlo, domani dovrò inventarne un altro come lui."Dopo due giorni di trattative l'attore accettò di fare il film e volle essere pagato 250.000 $ più il 10% dei profitti dei botteghini in tutti i territori occidentali,un accordo che non trovò contento Leone."

A Van Cleef spetta il ruolo più antipatico, quello del crudele Sentenza; l'intepretazione dell'attore è eccellente, e riesce credibile così com'era credibile nei panni del colonnello Douglas Mortimer.
Parlare della trama del film, in fondo, è inutile; chi non ha visto questo capolavoro in una delle tantissime riproposizioni televisive, quello che più conta, nel film, è l'armoniosità della storia, che regge le tre ore di proiezione senza grossi cedimenti, attraverso lo sviluppo delle storie a volte parallele, a volte come destini incrociati, di Tuco, Sentenza e Biondo; Leone si diverte a mostrare le carriere di Biondo e Tuco mentre truffano gli sceriffi con la loro eccezionale abilità con pistole e fucili, mentre Sentenza in effetti è un pò trascurato. La vita di Tuco, gaglioffo si, ma per necessità, come racconterà a suo fratello, padre Ramirez, "dalle nostre parti o muori di fame, o diventi prete oppure bandito: Io ho scelto la via più difficile" viene vista con sguardo ironico ma in fondo affettuoso dal grande regista.

A completare l'armonia del film, la grandissima colonna sonora, opera di Morricone, questa volta, a differenza delle due produzioni precedenti, preparata in anticipo; come disse Leone, "Ennio non è solo un musicista: è il miglior sceneggiatore dei miei film. Sul set giro con la sua musica, e questo aiuta gli attori ad entrare nell’atmosfera del film, a capire meglio i propri personaggi: ogni tema rappresenta perfettamente le caratteristiche d’un personaggio, il suo spirito. Che sia un sistema vantaggioso, per girare, lo conferma il fatto che anche Kubrick, dopo aver parlato con me, lo abbia adottato; ma non è la musica in generale, a permetterlo: è la musica di Ennio."

Mi si consenta un appunto personale.
Tra i western girati da Sergio Leone, Il buono il brutto e il cattivo è quello, a mio personalissimo giudizio, praticamente esente da difetti; Leone, finalmente libero di poter disporre di soldi e mezzi, si diverte a ricostruire scenari e situazioni di largo respiro: basti pensare alla scena epica del ponte, che diventa cruciale per capire anche la psicologia dei due personaggi Tuco e Biondo, che rischiano la vita anche per salvare quella di migliaia di incolpveoli soldati. Se i due lo fanno principalmente per loro tornaconto (Leone bonariamente lascia intendere questo), è indubbio che l'intera scena poteva essere tranquillamente eliminata dal film, senza per questo sminuirlo; al contrario, Sergio Leone intendeva mostrare la brutalità, l'idiozia della guerra, e puntò moltissimo proprio su quelle sequenze.

Per questo il film lo si ama alla follia, per quella sua commistione perfetta di umorismo nero, di ironia, di avventura che permea, pervade il film dalle prime alle ultime battute, con quella scena finale di Tuco che urla "Biondo, sai di chi sei figlio tu? Di una grandissima puttana" con l'ultima sillaba che scompare sulla scia della magica musica di Morricone.
Il film venne accolto bene dalla critica; l'unica eccezione fu rappresentata da Moravia:
"Il film western italiano è nato non già da un ricordo ancestrale bensì dal bovarismo piccolo borghese dei registi che da ragazzi si erano appassionati al western americano. In altri termini il western di Hollywood nasce da un mito; quello italiano dal mito del mito. Il mito del mito: siamo già nel pastiche, nella maniera."

Parole di un mediocre scrittore, tra i più sopravvalutati della storia della letteratura e di un pessimo recensore cinematografico.

Il buono, il brutto e il cattivo, un film di Sergio Leone. Con Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffré, Luigi Pistilli, Rada Rassimov, Mario Brega, Enzo Petito, Claudio Scarchilli, John Bartha, Livio Lorenzon, Antonio Casale, Sandro Scarchilli, Benito Stefanelli, Angelo Novi, Antonio Casas
Western, durata 176 (148) min. - Italia, Spagna 1966.

Clint Eastwood: Joe "Biondo", il Buono
Eli Wallach: Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez, il Brutto
Lee Van Cleef: Sentenza, il Cattivo
Luigi Pistilli: padre Pablo Ramirez
Aldo Giuffré: Capitano Clinton
Rada Rassimov: Maria, la prostituta
Enzo Petito: Milton, il proprietario dell'emporio
John Bartha: sceriffo
Livio Lorenzon: Baker
Antonio Casale: Jackson, alias Bill Carson
Claudio Scarchilli: membro della banda di Sentenza #1
Sandro Scarchilli: membro della banda di Sentenza #2
Benito Stefanelli: membro della banda di Sentenza #3
Lorenzo Robledo: membro della banda di Sentenza #4
Aldo Sambrell: membro della banda di Sentenza #5
Angelo Novi: monaco giovane
Antonio Casas: Stevens
Al Mulock: Elam, il cacciatore di taglie monco
Sergio Mendizábal: Cacciatore di taglie biondo
Antonio Molino Rojo: Capitano Harper
Mario Brega: Caporale Wallace

* Quando cerco qualcuno lo trovo sempre. Per questo mi pagano. (Sentenza)

* Chi mi frega e poi non mi ammazza, vuol dire che non ha capito niente di Tuco. (Tuco)

* Non basta una corda a fare un impiccato. (Sentenza)

* Ecco, questi sono i tuoi cinquecento dollari. Ah già, dimenticavo. Lui me ne ha dati mille, sai... Voleva che io ti ammazzassi... Il guaio è che quando uno mi paga gli porto sempre a termine il lavoro e tu dovresti saperlo. (Sentenza)

* Di tutte le più luride fetenti porcate che... (Tuco)

* Che ingrato, dopo tutte le volte che t'ho salvato la vita. (Il buono) [Il buono abbandona Tuco nel deserto]

* Sto cercando un mezzo sigaro, con dietro la faccia di un gran figlio di cagna alto, biondo e che parla poco. (Tuco) [Parlando del buono]

* Gli speroni si dividono in due categorie: alcuni passano dalla porta, altri dalla finestra. (Tuco)

* Io dormirò tranquillo perché so che il mio peggior nemico veglia su di me. (Il buono)

* Non lo conosci e lo chiami al buio? (Sentenza) [Parlando di Bill Carson, riferendosi alla sua donna]

* Eh certo che anche per uno come me è una gran cosa sapere che pioggia o vento, da qualche parte c’è un piatto di minestra calda che ti aspetta. (Tuco)

* I tipi grossi come te mi piacciono, perché quando cascano, fanno tanto rumore. (Tuco)

* Non vorrei essere nei panni del tuo amico, sai; più forte canta il coro, più forte pesta Wallace. (Un detenuto) [Parlando al buono, riferendosi a Tuco]

* Quando si spara, si spara, non si parla. (Tuco)

* Ogni pistola ha la sua voce, e questa la conosco. (Il buono) [riferendosi a Tuco]

* Vado, l’ ammazzo e torno. (Tuco) [riferendosi a Sentenza]

* Chi possiede più bottiglie per ubriacare i soldati e mandarli al macello, quello vince. Noi e quelli dall’altra parte del fiume abbiamo solo una cosa in comune: la puzza dell’alcool. (Il capitano nordista alcolizzato)

* Vedi, il mondo si divide in due categorie: chi ha la pistola carica, e chi scava. Tu scavi. (Il buono) [riferendosi a Tuco]

* Levati la pistola e mettiti le mutande. (Il buono)

* È un bel tipo mio fratello… Ah sì, perché non te l’avevo detto, ma il capo qui è mio fratello. Insomma, a Roma c’è il Papa e qui c’è mio fratello. (Tuco)

* Riconosci quest’occhiello biondo? Mettici dentro il collo! (Tuco) [Mostrando al "buono" un cappio] Deve reggere il peso di un maiale. (Tuco)

Estar en EEUU me sirve para recatar una vieja sección llamada “La firma invitada”, en este caso la de un bloguero muy particular, porque es estudiante de periodismo, y sobre todo porque su blog es muy curioso e interesante y os invito a descubrirlo, se llama “EL PEPINO MARINO NAVEGA DE NUEVO“ regentado por Victor Guybrush. Le invitamos al pase de prensa de este film y esta es su reseña:

“NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU” es una película coral compuesta por once historias de amor que tienen lugar en la ciudad de los rascacielos. Como su predecesora, “París, je t’aime”, cada historia está dirigida por un cineasta, entre los que se encuentran Allen Hughes (Desde el infierno), Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth: la edad de oro) o Natalie Portman, y cuenta con un elenco de actores lleno de estrellas: la propia Portman, Shia LaBeouf, Ethan Hawke, Christina Ricci, Orlando Bloom, James Caan o Eli Wallach entre otros.

New York, I love you (en adelante, NYILU) tiene dos problemas. Dos problemones. Tal vez los responsables ya lo sabían y por eso ni los de la distribuidora se dignaron en aparecer en su presentación. Tal vez por eso han tardado tanto en conseguir que se estrene, y ni siquiera han podido optar a que fuese un 14 de febrero como sería habitual en este tipo de producciones.

El primer problema está en el título. NYILU podía haber sido perfectamente Seattle, Vancouver o Washington, I love you. Más aún, podría haber sido Madrid, te quiero o Barcelona t’estimo. Los elementos reconocibles de Nueva York se muestran, sobre todo, durante las transiciones entre historias, y no en las propias piezas. Si no nos dicen que eso es Central Park podríamos estar perfectamente en cualquier otro parque de cualquier otra ciudad del mundo. Cualquier bar europeo podría albergar las historias que aquí se cuentan sin variarlas lo más mínimo.

En un par de momentos, algún personaje hace referencia a que le gusta Nueva York porque “todo el mundo es de un sitio diferente”, o porque “es la ciudad donde todo puede pasar”. Si la película refleja esto, que venga Woody Allen y lo vea. Podrá pasar de todo, pero ahí los únicos que se enamoran son chicos de chicas. No hay gays o lesbianas. La sensación de no ver el por ningún sitio el “caleidoscopio de espontáneas y sorprendentes emociones” con el que nos venden la película se incrementa con el hecho de que los protagonistas sean, en su gran mayoría, Blancos, Anglosajones y probablemente Protestantes. Los personajes que se salen de este abanico son muy pocos. Va a resultar ahora que no hay pakistaníes o negros en Nueva York. Para intentar compensar la falta de variedad étnica y religiosa (que haberla, la hay, pero menos de lo que sería realista), en las transiciones meten un par de taxistas extranjeros sin absolutamente ningún peso en ninguna de las tramas.

El segundo gran problema de la película, y probablemente el más grave, son las propias historias que componen el largometraje. Vaya tramas. No vamos a pedir sorpresas, ¿no? Quien más y quien menos sabe cómo es el amor en el cine. El problema es que muchos de los segmentos no tienen ningún interés. Es difícil atrapar al espectador con historias de 10 minutos, pero si han visto “Paris, je t’aime” se darán cuenta de que es posible hacerlo incluso en menos tiempo. No esperen encontrar en NYILU una historia emocionante como la de Isabel Coixet, o una desquiciada como la de los vampiros Vincenzo Natali (¿Crepúsculo? Deberían tomar nota de este), o la mala leche de los Coen. La mayoría de historias de NYILU van de lo MUY predecible y poco interesante al bochorno insensible (la historia de la chica en silla de ruedas es de juzgado de guardia).

Que conste que a mí “Love Actually” me gustó. Pero solo los apasionados del género romántico van a disfrutar plenamente de NYILU. Hay alguna historia salvable, pero en conjunto la cinta es pobre y está claramente desaprovechada. Ver a Eli Wallach dando guerra a sus más de 90 tacos emociona más que ninguna otra de las historias. Claro que para pasar el rato con la pareja no tiene precio. Ahora, que si pueden ir con la pareja a ver Paris, je t’aime, mejor. Por cierto, ya están preparando Shanghai, I love you, Jerusalem, I love you y Rio, eu te amo. La que nos espera.

]]> http://zanybao.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/sergio/ Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:45:57 +0000 anseaulme http://zanybao.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/sergio/

Sergio Leone est un réalisateur italien, né le 3 janvier 1929 à Rome (Italie pour ceux qui ne connaissent rien à la géographie), mort le 30 avril 1989 à Rome (toujours en Italie), alors qu’il préparait une adaptation de Salisbury “Les 900 jours de Leningrad”…

…
1984

…
1971

…
1968

Anecdote : la trilogie “il était une fois…”devait être liée à la précédente (la trilogie de “l’homme sans nom” ou “des dollars”) par la première scène de Il était une fois dans l’Ouest. En effet, les trois personnages qui accueillent Charles Bronson à sa sortie du train devaient être interprétés par Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef et Eli Wallach. Cependant Eastwood, dans un souci de carrière professionnelle, ne souhaitait pas mourir dès la première scène du film, Sergio Leone n’a pas pu poursuivre cette idée malgré l’accord des deux autres comédiens.
…
1966

…
1965

…
1964

…

(je trouve qu’il ressemble un peu à Alfred Hitchcock sur cette photo…)
…

…

FILMO
Réalisateur

1959 : Les Derniers Jours de Pompei (Gli Ultimi Giorni di Pompei) co-réalisé avec Mario Bonnard
1960 : Sodome et Gomorrhe co-réalisé avec Robert Aldrich
1961 : Le Colosse de Rhodes (Il Colosso di Rodi)
1964 : Pour une poignée de dollars (Per un pugno di dollari)
1965 : Et pour quelques dollars de plus (Per qualche dollaro in piu)
1966 : Le Bon, la Brute et le Truand (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo)
1968 : Il était une fois dans l’Ouest (Once Upon a Time in the West — C’era una volta il West)
1971 : Il était une fois la révolution (A Fistful of Dynamite — Giù la testa)
1975 : Un génie, deux associés, une cloche (Un genio, due compari, un pollo)
1984 : Il était une fois en Amérique (Once Upon a Time in America)
1989 : Les 900 jours de Leningrad (film pas fait…)
…
Producteur

1973 : Mon nom est Personne (Il mio nome è Nessuno) de Tonino Valerii
1975 : Un génie, deux associés, une cloche (Un genio, due compari, un pollo) de Damiano Damiani
1977 : Qui a tué le chat ? (Il gatto) de Luigi Comencini
1979 : Un jouet dangereux (Il giocattolo) de Giuliano Montaldo
…

Ennio et son orchestre…

…
Ennio, Sergio et Eli…

…
Ennio, Sergio, Eli et Metallica…

Ator, diretor de teatro, cineasta, escritor

Dale Bennett escreve roteiros cinematográficos e era, naquela época, um dos meus melhores amigos. Ganhou uma vez um prêmio da Academia e, mais cedo ou mais tarde, alguém acaba sempre por lhe dar um emprego, apesar de aquilo que escreve ser dez anos antiquado, mesmo para Hollywood. No entanto, está inteiramente convencido de que seu talento é fantástico e insulta os críticos e produtores que são a favor da Nouvelle Vague, da fotografia desfocada, da filmagem invertida e dos cortes abruptos. Estes homens, diz ele, dão mais valor à forma que ao conteúdo; ele é o “conteúdo”. O Compromisso – Elia Kazan, o romancista.

Kazan não é dos meus queridos. Nenhum dos seus filmes está entre os meus favoritos. Nem a sua literatura é a das que me causam compulsão. O fato é que cultivei certa obsessão por Kazan durante algum tempo porque ele é uma daquelas figuras que me fascinam, um párea, um cara que passou décadas sendo espezinhado publicamente por coisas que nada deveriam afetar no julgamento da sua criação artística, mas que proporcionalmente levaram-no à criação. Assistindo seus filmes, lendo seus livros e assimilando suas entrevistas podemos facilmente entender o tipo de mentalidade que Kazan carregava e absorver o quão admirável era este homem, afinal, não é preciso pensar igual para se chegar num estado de compreensão, respeito e admiração.

1- Sindicato de Ladrões (On the Waterfront, 1954)On the Waterfront is a history of informing where it seems like the greater good, despite the fact it goes against the code of community. The script was based on a set of real events which had nothing to do with my involvement with the Communist Party or the information I later gave to the House Un-American Activities Committee. Those fellows in Waterfront were criminals. It was based on the life story of a guy named DiVicenzo, who I knew, whose house I ate at. He live through the same goddamn thing that Terry Malloy goes through in the film. The waterfront was a gangster-dominated, ritualized, Mafia-coded society where no one ever said who said who was brutalizing them. Even when they knew who killed somebody, nobody ever talked. That was absolutely a valid story of the waterfront. But when people said there are some parallels to what I had done, I couldn’t and wouldn’t deny it. It does have some parallels. (Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his Films)
Até queria sair do lugar-comum e tentar gostar mais de qualquer outro filme do Kazan, mas Sindicato de Ladrões é mesmo o melhor. Está tudo no lugar certo, na hora certa: Brando possivelmente criando a melhor personagem de sua carreira, a jaqueta, Malden e seu padre badass, os pombos, Budd Schulberg dando aula de escrita, Eva Maire Saint deixando Hitchcock deprimido, Steiger & Cobb, mea-culpa e realismo por parte de Kazan.

2- Um Rosto na Multidão (A Face in the Crowd, 1957) Theoretically, I think one man should make a picture. But in rare case where an author and a director have had the same kinds of experience, have a same kind of taste, the same historical and social point of view, and are compatible as Budd and I are, it works out perfectly. (Elia Kazan Interview – Michel Ciment, 1974)
Existem cinco inegáveis grandes obras sobre meios de comunicação e manipulação: Cidadão Kane, Network, A Montanha dos Sete Abutres, Adorável Vagabundo e Um Rosto na Multidão, todos passam longe de resultados melodramáticos, muito pelo contrário, todos se atêm à acidez de um cinismo quase-cômico, mas foi Kazan quem legou o mais cruel dos desenlaces. Com o recém falecido Budd Schulberg voltando à bem sucedida parceria com Kazan que deu origem a Sindicato de Ladrões, nos é entregue um filme que poderia ser tão bom quanto aquele, mas que não chega a isso por falta daquele peso pessoal que incrustou toda a alma do diretor em Sindicato de Ladrões.

3- America America (1963)America America may be a legend, but it’s not a fairy tale. This is the truth. Nobody makes pictures about that class of people, about their way of thinking and their values. America America really captured another civilization. It’s my favorite of all the pictures I’ve made. (Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his Films)
America, America está para gregos o que O Poderoso Chefão está para os italianos, não apenas na teoria como na prática, pois é evidente a influência do filme de Kazan na saga siciliana do Coppola e muito se deve ao tipo de relação que os povos mediterrâneos têm com suas famílias. De todos seus filmes, este era o preferido de Kazan, ele escreveu o livro sobre o que levou toda a sua família para os EUA, adaptou o roteiro e filmou, tudo que o transformou numa obra única e exclusivamente do diretor, pessoal e artisticamente é o seu grande legado. Além da habitual reiteração sobre integridade que encontramos como tema em todos os filmes do grego expatriado, a relação familiar é expandida e é explicado porque o laço sanguíneo tornou-se também um dos seus mais queridos pontos de reflexão.
Também fica claro o quanto Kazan era encantado com o que rolava no cinema europeu em termos de linguagem, chega a ser estranho ouvir os atores falando inglês, o diretor foi um grande assimilador, tudo que ele fazia estava em perfeita sincronia com movimentos do cinema ao redor do mundo e aqui não é diferente. Como diretor de teatro talvez tenha sido mais revolucionário do que qualquer outro nos EUA durante o século XX, especialmente por ter incentivado e introduzido o método do Actor’s Studio nos meios teatrais, atitude essa que poucos anos depois fez questão de repetir em seus filmes, ajudando a delinear os rumos da atuação dos últimos 60 anos em qualquer país do mundo, seja no teatro, no cinema ou na televisão.

4- Viva Zapata! (1952) The competition between Brando and Quinn was wonderfully fruitful and creative. By the way, there’s nothing wrong with actors competing, as long as they’re competing to be good and not to be stars. In fact, I sometimes try to arouse competition. For example, I often praise an actor openly. Thats makes every actor on the set want the same praise. It’s nice to tell them they were good when they do something well. It makes them want more. After all, they’re hanging on you. They can’t see themselves. So when they deserve praise I always articulate it. I don’t believe in playing cool. One beautiful thing about actors is that they’re so exposed. They’re not being criticized only for your behavior, but for their legs and breasts, for their double chin; their whole being is exposed to criticism. How can you not embrace them and how can you feel anything but gratitude toward these people? I like actors and I believe my films show it. You look at them and see what whoever directed them likes actors. (Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his Films) E Kazan vai ao oeste. Ou ao sul, depende do ponto de vista. Antes eu não gostava muito desse filme, mas depois de uma revisão uns tempos atrás, coloquei o rabinho entre as pernas e hoje assumo que é mesmo um grande filme, especialmente por todas as cenas de assassinato presentes nele – Kazan foi brilhante em todas elas, podendo ser incluso entre os melhores westerns dos anos 50. Além do mais, possui a maior e melhor coleção de bigodes já vista numa tela.

5- Clamor do Sexo (Splendor in the Grass, 1961) It was the easiest picture I ever made because the script was good. It was pure and simple. (Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his Films)
Esse é mais um dos filmes cujo tema é homossexualismo, mas que foram camuflados com personagens heterossexuais. O roteirista/dramaturgo William Inge foi inspirado em suas próprias experiências na adolescência em reprimir e esconder sua sexualidade durante os anos 20, assim como a personagem de Natalie Wood detêm traços semelhantes à personalidade do autor, especialmente quanto a colapsos nervosos e tendências suicidas. O primeiro roteiro original escrito pelo dramaturgo é um grande texto que foi facilmente convertido em uma grande obra cinematográfica por parte de Kazan, o resultado é acima da média e Kazan tem o seu ápice no melodrama, atingindo o mesmo nível de Douglas Sirk e o uso que faz do technicolor é indispensável para isso.

6- Os Visitantes (The Visitors, 1972) I wanted to make the scene strong, but I didn’t want to make an entertainment out of blodletting. So I had the car fill three-fourths of the screen and built up the sound of fight. Then I cut to the door of the house, where Martha was struggling with Tony. I use a lesser act of violence to suggest the much more savage violence that was going on behind the car. (Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his Films) E Kazan se adapta ao cinema dos anos 70. A tensão crescente remete imediatamente ao Straw Dogs do Peckinpah, mas podemos ver o filme facilmente como uma sequência do então ainda porvir Pecados de Guerra do De Palma. O que é intrigante quanto este filme é o fato de ser quase ignorado dentro da filmografia de Kazan, é um trabalho excelente e a primeira grande obra sobre a guerra do Vietnã. Vale lembrar que esta é a estréia na tela grande de James Woods e Steve Railsback.

7- Vidas Amargas (East of Eden, 1955)I try to base things in realism and take off from there. I don’t think of myself as a realist. I think myself as a poetic realist or “essencialist”, as I call it. That may be just a big rationalization for my lacking. (Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his Films)
Esse é o grande ponto de confluência entre o cinema de Kazan e o do seu protegido Nicholas Ray, não tentando associar a escolha mútua de James Dean como o protagonista de seus filmes como marco da desestrutura familiar – não, é muito mais do que isso, naquele ano eles emplementam uma simbiose de estilo e filosofia.

8- Pânico nas Ruas (Panic in the Streets, 1950)Another thing I learned from Ford: he’s a great guy for foreground objects. He puts an object in the foreground that’s critical at some point in the latter half of the scene, and he moves the people up to that object. It breaks up the foreground spatially, so that the shot has quality, not abstractness. I use that a lot in Panic in the Streets. (Elia Kazan Interview – Stuart Byron & Martin Rubin, 1971). É exatamente aqui onde Kazan começa a fazer cinema de verdade e o próprio assumia isso para quem quer que fosse. É um grande filme, quando o assisti cheguei a ficar boquiaberta pelo fato deste não ser tão festejado quanto algumas de suas obras daquela mesma década, louvores extras ao Jack Palance que nos dá o prazer de conferir um dos maiores vilões do cinema. Essa é uma boa época para ver o filme, especialmente se a imprensa ainda não causou paranóia suficiente para que você saia correndo e gritando todo vez que uma pessoa ao seu lado diz que está com dor de cabeça.

9- Uma Rua Chamada Pecado (A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951)Some people say I made Brando the hero. I didn’t mean to make Brando the hero. But I wanted to show exactly what Williams meant, which is that he, as a homosexual, is attracted to the person he thinks is going to destroy him – the attraction you have for someone who’s on the otherside, supposedly dead against to you, but whose violence and force attract you. Now, that’s the essence of ambivalence. And that’s what I tried to do, so what you felt sorry for her but could see, however, that his force was healthier. That’s why I made Brando attractive. (Elia Kazan Interview – Stuart Byron & Martin Rubin, 1971)
Esse filme é demasiado importante para a história de Hollywood, não só botou fogo literalmente em quase 20 anos de Código Hays como mudou toda a história da interpretação colocando Brando no patamar de ator mais influente do cinema americano pelas próximas décadas, o que ao meu ver não foi algo tão benéfico assim. Tolinha de Olivia de Havilland, a Blanche que tanto Kazan quanto Brando queriam, mas que não aceitou o papel por existirem certas coisas que uma dama não faz em cena – imagino o quanto ela ficou horrorizada quando os anos 60 e 70 chegaram – então podemos incluir o papel de Blanche como um dos grandes arrependimentos da vida de Miss Havilland e todos sabemos que esta mulher tem muita coisa para se arrepender – alguns bem graves, por sinal.
E Marlon Brando quebra tudo. O que é a visão de Brando entrando em cena??? O problema dessa introdução ao senhor Kowalski é que quando ele abre a boca é altamente broxante, à parte Brando ser gostosopacaraleo e um grande ator, ele tinha uma voz insuportável, por isso é bom quando suas personagens gritam, grunhem ou gemem. A verdade é que este filme mudou para sempre o rumo de como se encara um ator no set de filmagens, sem o que Kazan começara no teatro uns poucos anos antes não haveria Brando, nem Dean, nem Pacino, nem De Niro, nem Hoffman, nem uma porrada de ícones que todo mundo conhece.

10- Boneca de Carne (Baby Doll, 1956)I like everything in the south, except its ideas, standarts and beliefs. But the way the people are has always impressed me. It’s part of my own maverick anarchism. I find them very funny and cute and human, very Chekhovian. (Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his Films)
Oh, Mr Vacarro! Esqueça Marlon Brando em Uma Rua Chamada Pecado, em Baby Doll está a prova do porque Eli Wallach constar na minha lista de homens mais sexys do universo. É a estréia do Wallach no cinema e é mesmo um absurdo, nos faz perceber algo bem peculiar quanto aos machos do Kazan: a sensu/sexulidade deles é bem mais evidente do que suas contrapartes fêmeas. Mesmo Miss Carroll Baker sendo um pitéu e ter a sua sensualidade natural bem delineada, Wallach domina o ambiente de tal forma que a única coisa que resta por parte dela é a reação à ação do macho dominante que Wallach representa no ambiente cênico.

11- O Justiceiro (Boomerang! 1947)We shot that entirely on location – not a set in the picture. The picture was a terrific thrill that way – it made me see my identity. I really enjoyed that life, whereas I was miserable on the MGM set. For one thing, I was miserable living in Hollywood – I never liked the place. I never unpacked my bags. (Elia Kazan Interview – Stuart Byron & Martin Rubin, 1971)
O homem era viciado em integridade, mesmo na sua fase pau-mandado-de-estúdio nos anos 40, lá estava Kazan envolvido na defesa das coisas em que acreditava, batendo na tecla de que não importa se o próprio indivíduo ou um clã se queima no processo desde que seja íntegro com a sua maneira de pensar e caráter. Particularmente gosto bastante deste filme, porque é intrigante, ágil, tem uma sorte de personagens e atores espetaculares, além de existir alí um vislumbre do cinema contemporâneo de Jules Dassin.

12- Rio Violento (Wild River, 1960) I think Miss Ella’s right to want to stay on her land. I think Glover is right, too. That picture, with all of its faults, is the epitome of what I feel more clearly than any other. (Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his Films) Tudo que Kazan tinha em boas intenções para com The Sea of Grass finalmente pôde ser colocado em prática no Wild River. A semelhança ideológica entre ambos é gritante, mas 13 anos na vida professional de um cineasta e do próprio cinema em evolução fazem uma diferença dos diabos, isso, é claro, se o mundo não for habitado por clones do Orson Welles.

My Mystic River collection is close to completion and will make a very nice presentation…

Mystic River has a great cast including Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins.  Typical of Clint Eastwood diligence the movie was shot in only 39 days.

Sean Penn                                                            Jimmy Markum

Kevin Bacon                                                       Sean Devine

Tim Robbins                                                       Dave Boyle

Laura Linney                                                      Annabeth Markum

Marcia Gay Harden                                         Celeste Boyle

Will Lyman                                                          FBI Agent Birden

Jenny O’Hara                                                      Esther Harris

Eli Wallach                                                          Mr. Loonie, Liquor Store Owner

Dennis Lehane                                                   (novel writer)

Still in search of a Laurence Fishburne autograph