BONUS

- por Bernardo Brum

Por esse filme, que fique claro: ninguém filmou ou filma, atualmente, o inferno astral da forma que Roman Polanski faz. Saído do sucesso de Chinatown, o atormentado Polanski, com o recente brutal assassinato da sua esposa, Sharon Tate, praticamente prenunciou o novo escandâlo que iria abater sobre a sua carreira em 1977 envolvendo substâncias ilícitas e pedofilia com o esquizofrênico O Inquilino. Adentramos aqui, as dimensões retorcidas, claustrofóbicas e invariavelmente depressivas da mente genial do diretor franco-polaco.

Mas claro que, além de errôneo, é um tanto castrador reduzir a obra a uma previsão de desgraça vindoura – apesar que não deixa de ser tentador ver como perdura em sua obra um sentimento de fatalismo poucas vezes igualado no cinema. A história de Trelkovsky, um corretor de seguros polonês que consegue um emprego novo na França e aluga um apartamento de uma moça – Simone Choule – que havia se jogado da janela de seu prédio, que lentamente entra em um ciclo de esquizofrenia e neurose não é nada mais que uma desculpa de Polanski para jogar o espectador em um universo sinistro, incoerente e incompreensível, de dar orgulho a cineastas italianos como Mario Bava, um mestre na arte de usar o desconhecido para elevar tudo ao mais puro e  perturbador surto desassociativo.

Mais do que  sua preferência temática pelo apartamento, pelas grandes cidades e a forma que afetam seus indivíduos – seja no tocante ao desejo reprimido, em Repulsa ao Sexo, quanto à velha fascinação pelo obscuro em O Bebê de Rosemary, o diretor fez de O Inquilino algo que conjuga tudo isso ao mesmo tempo – o sexo, o demônio, Sigmund Freud e Aleister Crowley infectam cada milímetro de película de forma irremediável e violadora. Pouco a pouco, Trelkovsky se vê obrigado a fumar os mesmos cigarros que Simone Choule, andar com as mesmas companhias, tomar o mesmo café da manhã, enfrentar as mesmas adversidades, aguentar os mesmos vizinhos suspeitos… Estaria ele lentamente tornando-se outra personalidade?

Esse é outro ponto importantíssimo da obra – talvez o principal: a desconstrução da personalidade, a certeza terrível que não sejamos tão únicos como pensamos, e que sim, grandes traumas são capazes de deixar personalidades em migalhas, devolvendo o “ser” humano ao aspecto de carne e nada mais, e explorando uma questão importante para muitos artistas: já que não somos únicos, deve haver o duo, nosso oposto assustadoramente próximo, sempre perto de nós, oculto nas sombras da mente.

A partir de certo momento, o trabalho que vai além de psiclogização pesada – está mais para desassociação pesada – acaba por invadir o espectador: onde termina Trelkovsky e começa Simone Choule? Onde termina Polanski e começa Trelkovsky? Até que ponto nós somos nós e Polanski é Polanski? Outro terrível recado do pessimista diretor – após anos e anos de papo de “paz e amor”, “comunhão espiritual”, descobrimos uma terrível verdade: estamos mais próximos do que gostaríamos.

E é naquela hora, na mais escura das noites, sozinhos em um quarto, que um simples olhadela lá fora nos transfigura – no bizarro, no desejo repulsivo, na carne que não faz distinção. No inquilino não de Monsieur Zy, mas o inquilino, o hospedeiro da encarnação de Simone Choule – a desgraça como um parasita irresistível. E se, talvez, só nos reste o mesmo destino?

5/5

Ficha técnica: O Inquilino (Le Locataire/The Tenant) – EUA/França, 1976. Dir. Roman Polanski Elenco: Roman Polanski, Isabelle Adjani, Melvyn Douglas, Shelley Winters

O Inquilino, do diretor polonês Roman Polanski, será exibido no Projeto Cinema no Museu nesta quarta-feira, 4, às 19h, no auditório do Museu Histórico e Artístico do Maranhão (MHAM), na Rua do Sol (Centro). A sessão é aberta ao público.

Cena de O inquilino. Reprodução

Lançado em 1976, O Inquilino é um dos grandes filmes de suspense do cinema. É também um dos melhores trabalhos do polêmico diretor. Conta a história de Trelkovsky (Polanski), um polonês que vive na França e aluga um apartamento. Com o passar do tempo, ele começa a desconfiar que está sendo vítima de uma conspiração e que seus estranhos vizinhos tentam levá-lo ao suicídio, como fizeram com a antiga locatária, a bela e jovem Stella (Isabelle Adjani).

Além de Polanski e de Isabelle Adjani, o filme conta com Melvyn Douglas (Monsieur Zy), Jo Van Fleet (Madame Dioz) e Bernard Fresson (Scope).
 
SERVIÇO

Projeto Cinema no Museu
Filme O Inquilino (Le Locataire – França), de Roman Polanski
Quando: Quarta-feira, 4, às 19h
Local: Museu Histórico e Artístico do Maranhão – MHAM (Rua do Sol – Centro)
Promoção: MHAM e Cineclube Casarão 337
Entrada franca

l´histoire d´adéle h. is the true story about victor hugos beautiful daugther who obsesses about her lieutenant pinson, writes a dramatic diary and ends up at a mental home. another truffaut film to obsess about!

Well, folks, I’ve saved the best for last on this Cinematronica horror movie outing I’ve been tentatively referring to as OH MY GOD! THERE’S A DEAD BODY IN MY DVD PLAYER! SOMEBODY CALL THE POLICE!!! We’ve seen thrillers, slashers, paranormal films, and monster movies. Now we come to Halloween night, and if any of you have decided to sit back, relax, and watch a scary movie with your family and friends, make it this one. This remake of the 1922 German Dracula re-imagining, created by Werner Herzog himself and starring the legendary Klaus Kinski, is one for the books. It’s eerie, it’s creepy, it’s frightening, and it captures all the original feel and flavor of the Murnau original. But it does the original even one better by adding Kinski as Count Orlok, who was the most intense actor of his generation. If you watch this movie tonight, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Okay, basically, the original Nosferatu was a German rip-off of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with really only the names changed to ensure they would not be sued. So it follows, almost to the letter, the events of the Stoker vampire tale. Here, though, the names have all been  re-replaced, and are now the names from the Bram Stoker tale. An estate agent named Jonathan Harker has made a lucrative deal recently with a man known as Count Dracula who wishes to buy a castle in Wismar. To complete the deal, Harker leaves for Transylvania, Romania to where the Count lives. After being unnerved by a panicky local populace in Transylvania, he goes and has a meeting with the Count, who is a terror to behold. With a thin white body, claw-like hands, long, sharp teeth like a predator’s, and a completely sleek head, he is seemingly not of this earth. But after Harker speaks to him, he comes to feel for this man, who is lonely and very courteous to his guest. After a meeting in which he catches a glimpse of a small portrait of Lucy, Harker’s wife, he instantly agrees to purchase the property. It seems all cut and dry, but Harker begins to have nightmares while he stays there of the Count, and his wife Lucy, back in Wismar, begins to have terrors of her own. Things don’t get any better as Dracula makes his move toward Wismar, as the crew of the ship moving him begins to die off mysteriously, Harker’s employer Renfield, is stricken with a violent madness, and Wismar itself slowly faces the grip of death as Dracula’s arrival becomes a harbinger of a massive shrink in the population. Who can stop this strange menace that seems to emanate from the hand of the inhuman Count? And will it be at the risk of their very soul if they try?

This is such a good remake. Everything that was so mesmerizing about the original is turned up to 11, and even the details Herzog took a liberty with are exceptional. One of my favorite things he changes here is the humanization of Dracula. He’s not some inhuman beast like the 1922 version; here, you get the sense that he despises himself and what he is, and that makes it so much more fulfilling when the blood starts flowing because you almost felt sorry for him. The distant look in his eyes when he speaks of his nature is an emotional highlight in this film. Herzog really reinforces his reputation as one of Germany’s finest directors here.

The cast is excellent. Stupendous, even. With Kinski as the anchor of the film, it’s hard to fail. His silent intensity is absolutely phenomenal. When he speaks, it resonates with the age of centuries, a lifetime comprised of lifetimes, and it is a wonder to be in the presence of the monster. And he is a monster. Because nothing is more heartbreaking than the one who stabs you in the back after you part from a handshake. I feel for Dracula, I really do. He has a sadness, imbued in him by Kinski, that is so palpable that I could see myself weeping for him. But he is, in the end, a villain, and not only because he must be. There’s something in him that wishes death, invites the cry of the fall upon himself. He is a beast, we the prey, and we two were never meant to be so close. I also enjoyed the acting of Isabelle Adjani, who plays the plucky and strong Lucy. The character is a vast improvement over the original, and Adjani is more than apt for the part. Lucy is stronger and more relatable, and she is also a lot smarter than the dumb-as-rocks character in the silent film. I like her involvement a lot, and it can’t be said that she isn’t just absolutely radiant.

But let’s not forget that this is a horror, and I was certainly frightened by more than a few scenes. Every time Kinski is on screen, he has that barely hinged demeanor that makes you feel that all bets are off. Look at the clip above and tell me that every second he and Lucy are alone together is not just torture. Renfield is also a scary bastard. At one point he actually freaks out and bites a cow!!! His eyes are priceless, and it’s a highlight of the film. The score by rock band Popol Vuh adds considerably to the mysterious theme of the film. It feels at times that we fall into this movie, as one falls into the subconscious when slumber comes upon us, and Popol Vuh blurs that line between the dream and the reality very well with their intensive score.

A great remake that needs to be lifted high on the ramparts. It might be the best movie I’ve seen from this Halloween bunch, and I’ve seen some amazing movies. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better vampire movie PERIOD, and if you have any idea just how many of those there are, you know that’s a serious statement. I love it; it’s scary, atmospheric, emotional, and well-made. Kinski and Herzog together made a pairing that defied conventions, but exceeded any expectations, and this, their second film together, is a watershed moment when their cohesiveness peaked in so many ways. I think you’ll like it a lot; I give Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht 10 bitten livestock out of 10! My highest recommendation!

Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope you enjoyed my little movie marathon! Tomorrow it’s back to brass tacks with a movie that I think everyone can relate to; Songs From the Second Floor! Until then!!!

Juste petit clin d’œil aux citadines en manque de douceur pour parcourir la ville…Une jolie compile remplie de grandes parisiennes pour le plus grand plaisir de nos oreilles jeunes ou vielles…

Vous y retrouverez notamment:France Galle, Barbara, Isbelle Adjani, Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardo et beaucoup d’autres…

]]> http://eldestandonly.com/2009/10/04/inspirations-10-05-2009/ Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:20:27 +0000 msottovoce http://eldestandonly.com/2009/10/04/inspirations-10-05-2009/ http://saveyourgeneration.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/horror-movie-fest-2009/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:14:13 +0000 Lisa http://saveyourgeneration.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/horror-movie-fest-2009/

Brian and I have had a horror movie fest every year around Halloween since we were first married. Some years it’s only a handful of films due to time constraints while others we have watched movies on almost a nightly basis. This year is one of the latter seeing as how I’m free almost every night. This year was also odd in that summer didn’t really feel like summer. Usually September’s in Illinois can be steamy, but this year the seasons have jumped the gun a bit with leaves falling from the trees at my local park as early as mid-September, so Brian and I decided to jump the gun on our fest which will culminate on Halloween. Once again I’ll be rating/reviewing the films we watch. Feel free to comment or leave film suggestions.

September 20, 2009

Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979) Written and directed by Werner Herzog, based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker 5/5

I have yet to be disappointed by one of Werner Herzog’s films. Klaus Kinski stars as the evil Count Dracula in this remake of  F.W. Murnau’s silent film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922). Kinski is intense and creepy. He has such a great presence on screen that Herzog filmed most of the movie in one take using Kinski’s volatile nature to his advantage. The film also stars the strikingly beautiful French actress Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker. While Lucy is usually portrayed as the victim in the Dracula mythology, Herzog has turned her into his heroine. This film is as much a love story as it is a horror film. It’s also a film about loneliness and despair featuring Herzog’s typical landscapes and attention to detail. Herzog hasn’t so much created a remake with this film as a tribute to Murnau and his pioneering spirit by creating a film that’s more original than borrowed. This is by far my favorite adaptation of Dracula.

Isabelle Adjani in “L’ete meurtrier” (1983) movie

Daca nu a-ti vazut pana acum acest mirific film, atunci cu siguranta e timpul....depinde  ce va place  actually. Imaginea de film, atmosfera,  iconul Isabelle Adjani, locul unde se petrece actiunea, peisajul, personajele…si nu putem omite tinutele personajului feminin jucat de Isabelle Adjani...toate reprezinta adevarate  comori  vizuale…Bune pentru suflet..pentru spirit…arta …si pentru moda bineinteles …Am gasit si un pictorial foarte frumos inspirat de   imaginea actritei in acest superb  film. Pictorialul este din www.madame.le figaro.fr Nu toate fotografiile din pictorial  au  respectat  imaginea  filmului “L’ete Meurtrier”. Enjoy the real natural young beauty!

Boulevard do Crepúsculo

Na verdade faz tempo que “achei” mas aquele lance de Musas Retroativas é sensacional, tanto que eu devia copiar e fazer um desses de musos, mas como não estou dando conta de fazer isso nem com os filmes de cada ano, provavelmente surtaria se fosse para escolher todos os gostosos de todos os malditos anos do cinema, por isso o senhor Renato Felix tem todo o meu respeito.

A sad story, this saint’s by all acounts: he was one who came to an especially grisly end, making him thereafter identifiable in mediaeval sculpture by a figure of a man holding his own skin in folds over one arm. Not an especially cheerful image, so let’s move on to happier ones.  St Bartholomew, patron saint of tanners (that skin again – sorry; but it’s hard to escape it) and also the sick in certain circumstances (relax, we’re not going there). His jour de fête falls on the 24 August, and in London a great fair was held to commemorate it in and around Smithfield and the neighbouring Spital of Saint Bartholomew for centuries until its suppression in 1855. Ben Jonson’s play, Bartholomew Fair (1614), deals with one such event.

In France the Festival has tragic and bloody associations, as it was on the Eve of Saint Bartholomew that the massacre of Huguenots began in Paris in 1572, the beginning signalled by the steady tolling of a bell with the atrocities continuing into the next day, the Saint’s Day itself, and beyond. For from Paris, the carnage spread into 10 other cities during the following couple of months. Patrice Chéreau’s vivid and masterly 1994 film, la Reine Margot

Isabelle Adjani as Marguerite de Valois in La Reine Margot

(based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas) covers the period from the lead-up to the massacre to its aftermath.  The parallels with Bosnia are implicit, but never overdone.  It was one of those seismic events in history which, later, appear to mark a crucial turning point. Things were certainly never quite the same again.

But we are not here to discuss the gruesome turbulence of the 16th century.  And happily the fact remains that this festival day is – and otherwise usually has been – one where producers and buyers meet, friends and neighbours gather, good food and drink is bought and consumed, and there is music and dancing.  Congeniality and conviviality meet commerce.

And that’s definitely the interpretation and the practice of observing this festival in Nice. Here an entire weekend has been devoted to a fair showcasing both local produce and patrimoine, ‘la Fête des Produits du Compté de Nice’ – la Fiera de la San Bertomieu,  if you’re a resident of Nice or the arrière pays.  For two days Vieux Nice turned into one great marketplace,  a riot of colour and display.  All this variety merged into one great shout of joy and pride in what the area has to offer and celebrate.  And there’s an awful lot!  Food for the body, with olive oil; honey;  cheese; charcuterie; bread; socca, and

les vins de Bellet

finally les vins de Bellet - it’s been a good year for them, with a cool, wet winter and spring followed by a long, hot summer.   Food for the mind, with books on local history, language and culture, and the many and varied offerings of  local assocations.   Handy, decorative items handcrafted by local potters or wood turners,  adhering to William Morris’s dictum that a house should contain only that which is both useful and beautiful.  The riches on view are staggering.

streetcorner in Vieux Nice

Easy, then, to wander for hours, viewing, tasting – buying, even!  Stopping for a chat with stallholders at a moment creux, learning about their life’s work while they await further custom. And throughout the music of the moutains is a constant accompaniment to the stallholders’ hopes, the prospective customers’ caprices.  The sounds are rich and varied, ranging from the soulful singing of male voice choirs to the jauntiness and energy of dance music.  Dancers are out in force, including the wonderful troupe Nice la Bella, composed of handsome men and women in colourful traditional costume performing with smiling gusto the dances of the region to the thump of drumbeats and the swirl of accordeons. They draw huge – and hugely appreciative -  crowds everywhere they go, always finishing off their show with a heartfelt rendition of Nissa la Bella, the local anthem.

And that does, indeed, seem a fitting – and fittingly upbeat – end to a celebration of all that is real, authentic, natural, bio ...  ours! Nissa la Bella, a hymn celebrating the land and life itself.  So, all together now: “Nissa! Nissssaaaaaaaaaaaa! Nissa la BELL-AAAAA!”

Capa do disco Love on the Beat” 1984

A exposição, que integra o Ano da França no Brasil, apresenta diferentes aspectos da obra de Serge Gainsbourg, artista francês que durante quarenta anos criou associação e correspondência entre palavras, imagens e música, e até hoje influencia gerações…vai até 07 de setembro (com exceção devido ao feriado esta segunda-feira o Sesc estará aberto) com o título da exposição: Gainsbourg, artista, cantor, poeta, etc.

O percurso da exposição se apresenta como um passeio sensível por um labirinto de totens temáticos sobre os quais centenas de suportes luminosos colocam em evidência documentos fotográficos e audiovisuais. As imagens desfilam e os sons se deslocam no espaço.

Serge Gainsbourg (1928-1991) figura de maneira inconteste entre os principais artistas franceses do século XX, ao modo de um ícone cuja representação transcende o bem e o mal, seguindo para além do romantismo e erotismo que atraiu para si mesmo. Se tornando um enfant terrible pop, pois além de compositor, cantor e produtor, foi também ator, escritor e cineasta.

Segue abaixo uma das referências de inspiração que me marcou na exposição que rola até o dia 07 de setembro, segunda-feira (feriado) e o melhor…mais uma vez de graça, todas exposições que circulam nas sedes do Sesc normalmente é de graça, se joga!!!!

Entrada franca…

Uma das referências da exposição que vc pode ver no Sesc, sobre uma influência crossdresser que é um assunto que me interessa e breve estarei me aprofundando aqui.

SESC Avenida Paulista

Av. Paulista, 119

Paraíso – São Paulo

11 3179 3700

terça a sexta, das 9h às 22h

sábados, domingos e feriados, das 10h às 19h

Miało być Na Nabrzeżach z Marlonem, ale cóż, kinofilski obowiązek wzywa – będzie o kreacjach aktorskich, które balansują między kiczem, a Sztuką… Albo inaczej: moim zdaniem są kreacjami wybitnymi, ale rację będzie miał też taki krytyk, który powie że są kiczowate, przeszarżowane, sztuczne, że reżyser dał aktorowi zbyt wolną rękę, za często pozwalał na improwizacje, odejścia od scenariusza itd. Zresztą spójrzmy na ten splot cierni.

Malcolm McDowell (Mechaniczna Pomarańcza, 1971)

Rola celowo karykaturalno-kiczowato-absurdalna, bo i cały film jest karykaturalno-kiczowato-absurdalny. Ale jednak czapki z głów przed aktorem, który z karykatury robi coś tak komicznego, obrzydliwego, sztucznego i niepokojącego, a jednocześnie sympatycznego.

Marlon Brando (Ostatnie tango w paryżu, 1972)

Ekshibicjonizm, czy skrajna uczciwość/otwartość? Epatowanie zgorszeniem, czy prawda czasu? Aktorstwo, czy granie siebie? Narcystyczne obnoszenie się przed kamerą z własnym ego, czy jedna z najlepszych kreacji w dziejach kina? I najważniejsze pytanie: kogo to właściwie obchodzi?

Klaus Kinski (Aguirre, gniew boży, 1972)

Jeżeli ekshibicjonista, to nie w tym sensie co Brando. Brando improwizując opowiada historie z dzieciństwa (niekoniecznie swojego), mówi z brytyjskim akcentem i gra aktora. Kinski wpada w trans, walczy i rozmawia ze zwierzętami, gapi się w napięciu w przestrzeń etc, krótko mówiąc robi jednoosobowy teatr Grotowskiego.

Isabelle Adjani (Opętanie, 1981)

Jeżeli Kinski robi teatr Grotowskiego, to Adjani wskrzesza jakiś starożytny pogańsko-dionizyjski rytuał. Histeria i fizjologia. Śmieszne? Jasne. Grafomańskie? Oczywiście. Fascynujące? No ba.

Al Pacino (Człowiek z blizną, 1982)

Sztuczny kubański akcent, tandentne kwestie, przegięte gesty, komiksowe miny… Aż dziw bierze, że z tak komicznej postaci udało się Pacino wykrzesać tyle tragizmu i barokowego piękna.

Nicholas Cage (Pocałunek Wampira, 1989)

Rola Petera Lowe jest jak mcgajverowska gumka od majtek z której Cage robi helikopter. Wystarczy obejrzeć scenę z alfabetem. Te wszystkie zbędne gesty, quasi-brytyjskie akcenty, ornamenty, klisze… Jeden z nielicznych (niestety) dowodów na to, że Cage potrafi.

Harvey Keitel (Zły Porucznik, 1992)

Nic dodać nic ująć. Harvey przeszarżował nawet apatię.

Emily Watson (Przełamując fale, 1996)

Von Trier uwielbia kiczowato-pornograficzne momenty kiedy niespodziewanie złamane zostaje jakieś tabu i publiczność staje oko w oko z nagą rzeczywistością np. aktora udającego (czyli w pewnym sensie parodiującego) osobę upośledzoną umysłowo. Emily Watson tą parodię rozciąga na cały film, tak że po jakimś czasie przestaje się ją nawet odbierać jako parodię.

Possession, directed by Andrzej Zulawski, with Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill, 1981:

“To make an insane movie and have sane audiences appreciate it, is not an easy task.” — Bartlomie Paszylik, The Pleasure and Pain of Cult Horror Movies, McFarland, 2009

“Along the way to its becoming it is a tentacled, headless thing which, disappointingly, has missionary position traditional heterosexual sex with Anna…” — Patricia MacCormack, Cinesexuality, Ashgate Publishing, 2008

Last night I hung out with a friend and his French amis.  Made me think of some more favorite French films. 

Borsalino (1970) famous ganster film with Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo

Zouzou with Josephine Baker and Jean Gabin

Princesse Tam Tam with Josephine Baker and Albert Prejean

Ascenseur pour l’echafaud with Jeanne Moreau

L’histoire de Adele H. with Isabelle Adjani

And a French film I can’t stand.  LOL

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) with Catherine Deneuve

Les 25 plus belles actrices Françaises d’Hollywood
Début du mois, je suis tombé sur le genre d’article que j’aime assez, dans l’excellent mensuel GQ (version française), revue qui régulièrement inspire mes ‘posting’. Une petite rétrospective signée Arnaud Sagnard, Jacques Braustein et Julie Michon sur les 25 plus belles Françaises qui ont inspiré les studios d’Hollywood. Un petit régal qui me rappelait un autre article (toujours dans GQ) sur les femmes les plus sensuelles. Dans ce numéro daté juillet, on y retrouve un rapide portrait, bien écrit, concis,  documenté ‘juste ce qu’il faut’ sur ces regards, ces voix, ces présences qu’ont véhiculés ces 25 artistes françaises: de Jeanne Moreau à Simone Signoret, en passant la superbe et glaciale Catherine Deneuve et la beauté déroutante d’Emmanuelle Béart mais aussi Claudine Colbert, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Juliette Binoche, la fille de Marleen Jobert, Eva Green, Virgine Ledoyen, Isabelle Adjani, … Quel voyage dans les souvenirs des sens, la majesté, la distinction, … Détail amusant, les chroniqueurs ont même ajouté le taux de pénétration sur le marché US.
A lire dans GQ de juillet, puisque sur le site je n’ai trouvé aucune trace de l’article.

En 1968 se estrenaba la película Bullit de Peter Yates, protagonizada por Steve McQueen. No era nada del otro jueves, pero aún hoy se recuerdan sus espectaculares persecuciones en coche por las calles de San Francisco, que causaron impacto en la época. Una década más tarde nos llegaba The driver, la historia de un conductor a sueldo, conocido como El Cowboy, interpretado por Ryan O´Neal, que se alquila a las bandas de atracadores.

        A primera vista, lo que más destaca en la película, como no podía ser de otro modo viniendo de Walter Hill, es la acción, las escenas violentas, y las impresionantes, accidentadas, y (demasiado) extensas persecuciones en coche. Pero bajo este envoltorio puramente comercial aparece el Walter Hill cinéfilo, autor también del guión, para transformar un típico film policiaco en una recuperación de algunos de los arquetipos del cine negro clásico: el tipo solitario y parco en palabras y gestos, que quiere ganar dinero rápido para retirarse de la circulación (y nunca mejor dicho); la chica ambiciosa que va por libre (una jovencísima Isabelle Adjani), prostituta de lujo para más señas, y que tiene un papel ambiguo en la historia; y el policía ambicioso y sin escrúpulos (Bruce Dern), que no duda en saltarse las leyes para atrapar al conductor, tomándoselo como un duelo personal. Y todo ello aderezado por unos brillantes y, en boca del policía, divertidísimos diálogos. Tan sólo le faltan las luces y sombras del blanco y negro para terminar de recuperar el viejo aroma de la serie B.

1.
Star Trek (2009)

Directed By:          J.J. Abrams

First of all, I’ve always hated Star trek with a passion.  I hate it!!  So, I had a lot of skepticism before viewing this film.  I was certain I would despise this film like I did all the others.  However,  J.J. Abrams’ version completely changed my opinion of the Star Trek saga.  I am now in the process of watching some of the originals again.  This is a great film with an all-star cast that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole movie.  There’s also a great cameo in it.

My Rating Out of 10 :         9.8

IMDB Rating                :         8.4

2.
Possession (1981)

Directed By:             Andrzej Zulawski

Isabelle Adjani gives a great performance as a possessed housewife who abandons her family with no prior warning.    Sam Neil (Jurassic Park) plays a frustrated husband who desperately tries to seek the truth behind his wife’s behavior.  To no avail, the couple just slowly falls apart.  But, there is definitely something unexplainable taking place…………

My Rating Out Of 10       :    8.7

IMDB Rating                      :    7.1

3.
The Wackness (2008)

Directed By   :      Jonathan Levine

Ben Kingsley (Ghandi) and a slimmed-down Josh Peck (Drake And Josh) star in this great drama about suburban life in the 90’s.  Peck plays a young teen named Luke who is selling pot in New York to make a little bit of  money before he goes off to college.  Being as it’s a big change in his life, Luke seeks therapy from Dr. Jeffrey Squires (Kingsley).  As payment for Dr. Squires’ services, Luke gives him marijuana instead of money.  Bong hit socializing takes place over a period of time, and they become good friends.  This is the start of their wacky times together.

My Rating Out Of 10 :   9.3

IMDB Rating                :   7.2

4.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)

Directed By : David Fincher

David Fincher and Brad Pitt make a great team, indeed.  We know that from Fight Club.  But besides Pitt’s award winning acting (which is beyond expectations in this film), this movie is really “made” by the costume design team, the set design team, and the makeup artists.  Not to mention the explosive and emotion-filled score by Alexandre Desplat (Syriana).   Benjamin (Pitt) is a boy who is born “under unusual circumstances”.  He ages in reverse.  It’s part epic, part love story.  As Benjamin “grows down” in age, he experiences many “curious” incidents.  It’s a bit like Forrest Gump in that regard.  A great film about life, love, and overcoming obstacles.  You may need a tissue for this one.

My Rating Out Of 10 :   10

IMDB Rating                :   8.2

*Source: L’internaute & TuoiTreOnline

Tạp chí điện tử L’internaute (Pháp) vừa công bố bảng xếp hạng 50 nữ diễn viên điện ảnh đẹp nhất và thể hiện thành công những vai độc ác nhất. Dưới đây là 6 nữ diễn viên đầu tiên xếp theo vị thứ từ cao đến thấp.

Đứng đầu danh sách là Isabelle Adjani (Pháp). Có bố là người Algeria và mẹ là người Đức, Isabelle Adjani sở hữu một khuôn mặt búp bê và ánh mắt mê hồn có thể thu hút khán giả ngay từ cái nhìn đầu tiên. Trong phim Possession (1981) do Andrzej Zulawski đạo diễn, Isabelle Adjani diễn rất đạt cảnh cuồng loạn của nhân vật Anna trên xe điện ngầm của thành phố Berlin.

Các nữ diễn viên “đẹp và nguy hiểm” kế tiếp là…

Angelina Jolie, vai Olympias trong phim Alexander (2004);  Asia Argento, vai Violaine trong phim Les morsures de l’aube (2001);
Ava Gardner, vai Kitty Collins trong phim The killers (1946);
Cameron Diaz, vai Julie trong phim Vanilla sky (2001); Cate Blanchett vai Irina Spalko trong phim Indiana Jones và vương quốc sọ pha lê (2008)…