Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road (2008), stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as married couple, April and Frank Wheeler.

Set in the 1950s, the film follows April and Frank in their seventh year of marriage and their seemingly “perfect” life.

But all is not what it appears…

Living in the suburbs with their two children, Frank commutes to New York for his office job – which he hates – and April is a housewife who dreams of becoming an actress.

In a bid to escape their bored lives, April plans to move the family to Paris, where Frank can finally establish what he wants to be in life, but the idea comes tumbling down when April falls pregnant and Frank is offered a promotion.

From the outset, this film does have everything. A good cast, with the Titanic reunion of Winslet and DiCaprio, and acting skills that are out-of-this-world, but there is a key element missing…

The point…the story doesn’t really have any meaning, and after watching it for 1 hour and 53 minutes, you do sit up and think “Have I missed something?”

Kate Winslet’s character is erratic and just a little bit on the crazy side, while Leonardo DiCaprio’s Frank has the patience of a mildly amused saint.

Based on the novel by Richard Yates and directed by Sam Mendes, the film isn’t bad, but at the same time, it isn’t great.

Reviews And Shoes rating: 5/10

(This review will not try to avoid spoilers, so SPOILER WARNING if you haven’t seen Titanic, which is to say, if you do not live on planet Earth)

A successful story, in any storytelling media, is not the same as a good story. “Twilight” is undeniably a successful novel. Three chapters in, I wanted to cut my carotid open. “Transformers” is an undeniably successful film. And it’s also a badly-directed, over-cut, loud and stupid piece of shit.

It had been a while since I’ve watched “Titanic”. Hell, I think I was a teenager last time I did, and I was only seven years old when the movie was released to overwhelming success. I would watch it years later. My young impressions of the film were very positive, but I’m not the person I was years ago (thankfully), so I decided to watch it again to determine whether or not, from my point of view, this film deserved the success it got. And also because I’ve been hearing a lot of people say, “I don’t like Titanic” or using the film as proof that James Cameron’s next project, “Avatar”, will suck.

The verdict is that, once again, James Cameron’s film immersed me completely in its admittedly conventional but incredibly compelling love story, which is vital in creating a connection between the viewer and the death of 1500 people in the real life tragedy of the Titanic. Fuck yes it deserved the success it got. It’s a painstakingly researched, passionately crafted film, with the dedication of Cameron and his crew displayed in every frame. It’s also surprisingly humorous, achieving an amazing emotional balance, something made much more challenging by the sheer scale of the story.

It’s pretty much futile to complain about the unidimensional nature of some of the characters, because that was the point. One thing I love about this film is how relentlessly it satirizes aristocracy, and to achieve this effect, it’s no wonder Rose’s family are absurdly stuck-up and snotty. This leads to several priceless moments throughout the film, and makes the contrast between Jack and them (when they’re all sitting on the same dinner table) even stronger. And let’s not forget: we’re hearing the story from Rose herself, and I doubt her impression of these characters stretched beyond “what a bunch of cunts”.

And even though the premise of the movie’s core romance is conventional (poor boy, rich girl, etc. etc.), Cameron avoids cliches when developing the actual romance itself. Jack and Rose’s chemistry always rings true, because it makes perfect sense. She’s a rebellious aristocrat, feeling trapped in a predictable life — as she herself puts it, “I saw my whole life as if I had already lived it.” And he is a smart and adventurous man, the one person in her life who seems to truly care about her — something established right when they first meet, when Rose is about to commit suicide, and he threatens that if she jumps from the ship, he will “have to” jump in after her.

Always a brilliant storyteller, Cameron avoids melodrama by constantly balancing the dramatic and romantic scenes with humorous moments that hit the mark, even (and especially) during the sinking of the “Titanic”. One of the best of these moments is when Rose needs to break Jack’s handcuffs with an axe, and he asks her to rehearse it on an object first, with disastrous results.

Equally important was holding composer James Horner back — and keep in mind this is an unfair statement, since for all I know Horner held himself back of his own accord. But really, all you need to do is watch “Glory”, directed by Edward Zwick, to see how ridiculously melodramatic the otherwise talented Horner can be. In “Titanic”, however, the music is used to perfection. Whenever a scene needs the famous score, it’s there, never overdone. Whenever the scene needs to work solely on dialogue and sound effects, the music disappears — which is particularly important on scenes with romantic dialogue, where music would have been excessively emotional.

After one hour and a half establishing Jack and Rose’s relationship and other interesting characters like (the real-life) Unsinkable Molly Brown, the sinking of the Titanic begins. This sequence, well over one hour long, has always fascinated me for its magnificence. From the impeccable editing to the amazing special effects, it’s impressive and emotionally wrenching thanks mainly to Jack and Rose, who work as a way of immersing the viewer into the film to the point where you truly feel every death onscreen, and you honestly care about the crew’s survival as well as Jack and Rose’s.

Which is why, proving his competence for the umpteenth time, Cameron never spares the viewer, filming every death in appaling and relentless detail, never turning his camera away even when portraying the death of children (something particularly disturbing when one of the frozen bodies the rescue boat finds is of a woman with a dead baby on her arms).

(Cameron does slip in his portrayal of the real-life William Murdoch, though — on the film, he commits suicide after killing two desperate passengers with a pistol. This is entirely ficticious (although it can’t be proved it didn’t happen — or that it did) and the Murdoch family wasn’t happy about it.)

As the director, James Cameron not only does an amazing technical job (building an almost full-size replica of the Titanic definitely paid off onscreen), he invests heavily in the story he’s telling, especially in some beautifully nostalgic shots when a camera travels through the sunken wreck of the Titanic and dissolves, without interrupting the camera movement, back to 1912, showing the same location brightly lit and full of passengers. Cameron saves the best of these shots to the very last scene, which, without a single word being said, portrays Rose’s life after the Titanic in a continuous, fluid and perfect camera movement. Cameron is aided by the convincing recreation of the time period and by the amazing cinematography, which is especially impressive when the Titanic’s lights switch off as it sinks, and the lighting manages to convey the darkness without becoming unclear or losing its aesthetic beauty.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have exceptional chemistry, also being utterly convincing in their respective roles — there is a moment when Winslet’s character sees a rich little girl, sitting near her, being taught etiquette by her mother. Winslet manages to make it clear that she’s seeing herself in that little girl only with a terrified, but subtle look in her eyes. And Leonardo DiCaprio, in an early display of his now proven talent, refuses to rely on his then-boyish looks, using his charisma and impeccable comic timing to turn Jack into an excellent character. I particularly like the look on his face when Rose takes her clothes off in front of him, and the way he shakes, nervously, after sex — a brilliant and subtle touch. The rest of the cast, from the captivating Kathy Bates (as Unsinkable Molly), to the heartfelt Gloria Stuart (as the older Rose) and the arrogant Billy Zane (as Caledon Hockley) are, as a whole, convincing and competent.

In fact, Jack seems to be based on none other than his creator, James Cameron himself — it’s no wonder that all the drawings in Jack’s book were actually drawn by Cameron, an exceptionally talented artist, and that on the scene Jack draws Rose, it’s Cameron’s hands drawing her, not DiCaprio’s — not to mention Jack has the same adventurous spirit Cameron had when younger, and still has to this day (just try telling Cameron he can’t do something — everyone said “Titanic” would be a disaster, prior to its release).

So honestly? “Titanic” is a classic. I’m happy to see that, as I near my twenty-somethings, this movie hasn’t lost its heart, at least for me. In fact, after more than a year reviewing movies (which made me more observant and nitpicky), it’s even more satisfying that I didn’t really find anything significant to dislike in “Titanic” — it simply works. It more than succeeds in its emotional and dramatic goals.

Let me put it this way: in most disaster movies I see, I care more about the main characters (or, when watching a Roland Emmerich movie, no-one at all) than everyone else. I rarely think of the thousands who died in the background, only about the main group that mostly makes it to safety.

And the reason I truly love “Titanic” is that it makes me feel the weight of the catastrophe as a whole, providing a rich and satisfying cinematic experience.

So yeah, since his career truly started (with “The Terminator”, since his actual first film was “Piranhas 2″), James Cameron, always a dedicated innovator and brilliant storyteller, hasn’t yet disappointed me.

I am in love with Kate’s dress.  You think, oh, another snoozer black gown.  But then the bejeweled cap sleeves catch your attention and you think, oh, that’s unique.  Then, bam, she turns around and the whole back is lace.  Fashion should be full of surprises. 

Não precisa complicar. Poucas palavras bastam.

At Norland my behaviour was very wrong. But I  convinced myself you felt only friendship for me and it was my heart alone that I was risking. I have come with no expectations. Only to profess, now that I am at liberty to  do so, that my heart is and always will be yours.

PS1: Com roteiro de Emma Thompson e direção de Ang Lee, a novela de Jane Austen apresenta uma Kate Winslet e um Hugh Grant bem novinhos, além de um Alan Rickman quase galã…

… e um Hugh Laurie irresistivelmente resmungão e irônico.

PS2: Aliás, quem me conhece já sabe, mas eu resolvi GRITAR PARA TODO MUNDO OUVIR que eu amo o House Hugh Laurie.

É tanto que eu perdoei a fase Stuart Little…

… porque há coisas muito melhores a serem celebradas - da participação em Friends…  

… ao sucesso merecido de House,…

… que deixa claro não só que ele está envelhecendo muito bem como está cada vez mais talentoso (o primeiro capítulo da 6ª temporada é imbatível!!!)

PS3: Para a Wish List: a edição de luxo de Razão e Sensibilidade à venda na Livraria Cultura.

Todos tem um filme na vida. Aquele que de alguma forma marcou você para sempre. E do qual você nunca cansa de ver e rever. É sua marca registrada e todos que sabem o mínimo sobre você sempre vão te relacioná-lo a ele. Eu tenho o meu. Brilho Eterno de Uma mente sem lembranças foi desde o primeiro minuto paixão à primeira vista. Tornou-se eterno. Talvez pela identificação. Pelas músicas. Pelo elenco. O fato é que se tornou o número um no top de filmes. E faz pensar sobre as decisões, escolhas e erros que a gente faz.  “Quero ter o cabelo azul, como Clementine”. Mas que as lembranças fiquem, como Joel as perseguiu durante o filme. Afinal, não somos nada além de vazio sem as lembranças. São elas que tornam tudo eterno.

“How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d”.

Kate Winslet obtiene el premio Bambi a Mejor Actriz Internacional gracias a la cinta ‘The Reader’

عکس های كيت وينسلت در فرش قرمز اهدای جوایز بامبی در آلمان

كيت وينسلت در فرش قرمز اهداي جوائز بامبي آواردز در آلمان

]]> http://erotic17th.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/kate-winslet-totally-nude-hairy-pussy-and-big-tits/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:29:12 +0000 erotic17th http://erotic17th.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/kate-winslet-totally-nude-hairy-pussy-and-big-tits/

Kate Winslet totally nude hairy pussy and big tits

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Klick On The Images To Enlagre

Foram divulgados novos cartazes de  Um Olhar do Paraíso (The Lovely Bones),  novo filme de Peter Jackson. A produção é uma das mais esperadas de 2010 e conta a história de Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), uma menina de 14 anos que é estuprada e morta por  Harvey (Stanley Tucci), vizinho da família. A menina vai para o céu, onde começa a acompanhar a vida de  seus parentes, amigos e do próprio assassino. O filme é uma adaptação do romance Uma Vida Interrompida – Memórias de um Anjo Assassinado, de Alice Sebold.

Apesar de toda a expectativa em torno da produção, o filme já mereceu palavras duras da Variety e o chamou de “decepção artística”

“Jackson prejudica trabalho sólido a partir de um elenco bom, com show de evocações celeste que perturbam gravemente as ligações emocionais com os personagens”.

“O diretor tem o capricho de criar cenários em constante mudança que descrevem uma vida após a morte evocado de A noviça rebele, de  O mágico de Oz ,  O Pequeno Príncipe” ou Teletubbies.”

Estilo é estilo

Jackson é um bom diretor, não há como negar. Ele é capaz de contar histórias dramáticas como niguém, mas como todo diretor que se preze ele tem estilo próprio. Tim Burton, por exemplo, tem um estilo muito pessoal. Não é preciso esperar os créditos para saber que se está vendo uma produção dele. Com Jackson também é assim.

Quem teve a chance de assistir Almas Gêmas (de 1994 e que marca a estreia de Kate Winslet no cinema) também há de concordar que Jackson é simplesmente  viciado em fazer  filmes visualmente fortes. Uma história real de duas amigas envolvidas com um assassinato é simples demais para ele. Era preciso fazer com que a insanidade delas fosse exposta ao espectador. E ele fez. É esse o estilo de Jackson, razão pela qual ele estava tão apto a comandar a trilogia Senhor dos Anéis.

O problema do estilo meio megalomaníaco (isso não é uma crítica, de mofo algum) do diretor é o risco constante de errar a mão. Se passar do ponto a coisa desansa e é o que a Variety afirma que teria acontecido com Um Olhar do Paraíso.

É esperar para ver. O filme chega às salas brasileiras em 22 de janeiro. Enquanto isso, o trailer da produção nos dá algumas pistas.

Adriana Chaves

Kate Winslet dans “The reader”, 2008

L’année dernière en février, je courais les cinémas de Berlin pour la Berlinale. Tout le monde se pressait aux projections du Liseur, (The Reader), le film de Stephen Daldry pour lequel Kate Winslet remporta un oscar. Moi seule peut-être, parmi les festivaliers, m’abstins, trop occupée par la rétrospective Winter Adé sur des films interdits pendant l’ère soviétique en RDA, Pologne, Tchécoslovaquie, etc.

Je me souvins soudain qu’avant le film, il y avait eu un livre de l’auteur allemand Bernard Schlink, et qu’on me l’avait offert en poche. Je lus donc Le liseur. Je m’aperçus alors qu’on m’avait raconté toute l’histoire, sans m’épargner aucune articulation du récit, et cela me mit en colère.

Mais la prose de Schlink, d’une simplicité et d’une humilité rare, sait créer des émotions bien vivantes chez son lecteur . Elle fait oublier les rebondissements trop connus du public à force de médiatisation autour du film. L’histoire du Liseur est formidablement bien construite, utilisant trois espaces-temps entre lesquels le narrateur fait des allers-retours : le temps de l’adolescence avec Hanna, puis le temps du procès d’Hanna 7 ans plus tard, et enfin le temps présent, celui qu’on devine être l’âge mûr d’un homme qui n’oubliera jamais son histoire d’amour passée. Cette histoire est même si crédible en dépit de son sujet énorme (un ado  de 15 ans, amoureux d’une femme analphabète de 36 ans, accusée de crimes atroces dans les camps de la mort pendant le Seconde Guerre Mondiale) qu’on finit par se demander quelle est la part autobiographique dans le récit à la première personne écrit par Bernard Schlink.

Un sujet passionnant et une prose sans chichis qui, à force de narration et de patience, s’imprime avec force dans l’imagination du lecteur : voilà ce qu’on peut dire du Liseur, un petit bouquin court qui a tout d’un très grand. Une belle histoire d’amour dans la veine romantique du XIXe, puisque Michaël, le héros, aimera jusqu’au bout, malgré la différence d’âge, malgré le passé nazi de l’aimée, malgré la prison, et même au-delà de la mort d’Hanna. A une époque où Beigbeder déclare que L’amour dure trois ans (titre de son roman publié en 1997), on se réjouit de voir que certains auteurs croient au contraire qu’il peut durer tant que dure une âme.

Schlink a aussi le mérite d’affronter le passé de l’Allemagne et de le regarder non pas avec indulgence, mais avec objectivité. La génération qui prit part aux crimes de guerres ou qui en fut le témoin malgré elle, doit-elle être punie? Dans quelle mesure peut-on juger l’Histoire et les actes de nos parents, dans de tels contextes violents?

Je verrai bientôt The reader – le film. A la lecture du roman, on se demande en effet qui mieux que Kate Winslet pourrait interpréter ce rôle troublant, charnel et profondément humain. La suite bientôt sur ce blog…

1. .ATONEMENT BEAUTY.

2. .RECENTLY OUTDATED THINGS.

3.  .SWINGING.

4. .NAPS.

5. .THE PLANET WE LIVE ON.

[Click for my reasoning.]

6. .BROCADE.

[Left to Right] Sienna Miller, Charlotte Ronson Fall 2009, Forever 21, and Alexa Chung

7. .ALL THINGS HARRY.

8. .GUY FRIENDS.

9. .THIS HAUNTING STATISTIC.

10. .MONTAGES. AND THE WORD MONTAGE.

Have a beautiful Tuesday.

Peace,

Sources: bear, long live the queen, that obscure object, alice in wardrobe wonderland, i am the exterminator, bleubird vintage

Com um roteiro espetacular e atuações fantásticas, o filme mostra as lembranças que um homem pensa que quer esquecer

Por Rodrigo Gianesi

Você apagaria alguém e qualquer coisa que você viveu ao lado dessa pessoa de sua memória? O filme Brilho Eterno de uma Mente sem Lembranças explora essa pergunta. Joel (Jim Carrey) e Clementine (Kate Winslet) formam um casal de pessoas que não têm nada em comum, algo normal em vários filmes de romance. Porém, a abordagem deste filme dirigido por Michel Gondry é completamente diferente e intrigante.

Joel é tímido e metódico, enquanto Clementine é extrovertida, diferente e completamente impulsiva. Essa sua última característica a leva a, após terminar seu relacionamento com Joel, procurar a Lacuna INC., uma clínica que oferece um tratamento peculiar: apagar pessoas da mente de outras. Ao descobrir que sua ex-namorada o apagou de sua memória, Joel vê o mundo desabar, e, em um momento de desespero, procura o mesmo tratamento. Durante o procedimento, no qual os técnicos vasculham o cérebro do paciente apagando memória por memória, Joel vê todos os momentos em que passou ao lado de sua namorada, se arrepende de sua escolha e tenta voltar atrás, se escondendo em lugares remotos de suas lembranças.

Filme conta com grande elenco, com Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst e Elijah Wood

Em mais um roteiro alucinante de Charlie Kaufman (que escreveu também Quero Ser John Malkovich), o filme vai e volta no tempo através das lembranças de Joel com interpretações fantásticas, não só dos protagonistas Jim Carrey (que provou, mais uma vez, que não é apenas um ótimo comediante, mas um ator excelente e versátil) e Kate Winslet, mas também boas atuações de todos os atores que compõem esse ótimo elenco, que conta com Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst e Elijah Wood.

Brilho Eterno de uma Mente sem Lembranças é uma história linda que mostra que, não importa o que você faça, você não pode esquecer um amor. Ao ver o filme me lembro de uma frase de Nelson Rodrigues: “Todo amor é eterno. Se acabou, não era amor”.

Antes de responder a pergunta feita no começo deste texto, assista ao filme, e você perceberá que, não importa quão dolorosa tenha sido a separação, um amor nunca deve ser esquecido.

Brilho Eterno de uma Mente sem Lembranças (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind): 2004, EUA. Direção: Michel Gondry. Elenco: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood. Roteiro: Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Pierre Bismuth. Duração: 108 minutos.

Notas:

Rodrigo Gianesi [10] Ronnie Romanini [10] Paulo do Valle [9.5]

Nossa média: [9.8]

O vampiro virou emo

Crepúsculo traz doses de paixão proibida e abstinência sexual para adolescentes

Rodrigo Turrer

12/12/2008 – 23:43 – Atualizado em 17/12/2008 – 16:19

Foi-se o tempo em que os vampiros encarnavam o Mal. As cíclicas repaginações do personagem já criaram dentuços ridículos e apaixonantes. A última das várias releituras aconteceu em 1997. O seriado Buffy transformou uma vítima em potencial, a loiríssima atriz Sarah Michelle Gellar, em vingadora das donzelas sugadas em filmes de terror. Agora, quem vai enquadrar os vamps ao espírito dos novos tempos é Crepúsculo, versão para o cinema da saga-fenômeno Twilight, da escritora Stephenie Meyer. O filme quebrou recordes de arrecadação e bilheteria nos Estados Unidos e deve causar estrondo similar quando estrear no Brasil, no dia 19. O frenesi está atrelado ao sucesso da saga Crepúsculo, que deu sangue novo ao mercado editorial para adolescentes, vendeu 7 milhões de cópias e foi traduzido para 20 línguas.

Assim como o livro, o filme começa com a mudança de Isabella Swan (a novata Kristen Stewart) da ensolarada Phoenix para a chuvosa Fork. Retraída e ensimesmada, Bella tenta se adaptar à mudança para a cidade provinciana e para a nova escola. É quando conhece Edward Cullen (o galã emergente Robert Pattinson, que atuou em Harry Potter), um fascinante rapaz com seis palmos de topete que parece não se bronzear há séculos. A ciclotimia de Edward atormenta Bella: ora ele lhe lança olhares chamejantes, ora parece sentir repulsa. Intrigada, Bella investiga a vida do amado e o força a contar a verdade. Edward se transformou em vampiro em 1918 pelos caninos de Dr. Carlisle Cullen, uma espécie de Drácula benemérito que só mordisca moribundos para salvá-los da morte. Assim fez com sua mulher, Edward e outros quatro jovens. É a grande família Cullen, um clã de vampiros atípico: sem dentões e que não são incinerados quando expostos ao sol. Ao contrário, cintilam como diamantes. E, digamos, quase vegetarianos: renunciaram ao sangue humano para se alimentar de animais. Chupa-cabras do Bem. Por isso Edward é tão vulnerável a Bella. O apetitoso aroma de seu sangue desperta nele o desejo de abocanhá-la. Edward vive uma batalha contra a tentação – o furor hormonal próprio dos 17 anos que ele conserva, mesmo com 104 anos.

O roteiro do filme dá substância à prosa anêmica e prolixa de Stephenie Meyer. Salpica aventura e suspense, mas o que importa mesmo é o amor dos protagonistas – uma versão abstinente de Leonardo Di Caprio e Kate Winslet em Titanic. Tanto o filme quanto os livros da saga exalam sensualidade enquanto parecem dizer que a negação dos desejos é uma virtude. “Cresci num ambiente em que não era exceção ser boa moça, e meus namorados eram respeitosos”, disse Stephenie a ÉPOCA. “Isso afeta a maneira como escrevo.” Crepúsculo é uma fábula de paixão proibida, privação e provação. Responde aos anseios das garotas da geração W (também chamada de geração do milênio, dos nascidos entre 1980 e 2000): adolescentes e pré-adolescentes ultraconectadas na internet, antenadas e um tanto puritanas. É um conto de fadas sob medida para quem outro dia sonhava com o mundo de Harry Potter e suspirava pelo galã Zac Efron, de High School Musical.

Edward Cullen personifica esses desejos. É romântico, meigo, carinhoso… e recatado. Protege sem exigir nada em troca, nem as típicas apalpadelas dos rapazes. Na única cena de beijo do filme (e do livro), Edward diz: “Não posso ir longe demais com você, tenho de me controlar”. Ambos estão no quarto dela, deitados na cama. Ela adormece. Ele passa a madrugada adorando o rosto de Bella – só o rosto. Edward é um amante à moda antiga talhado para as novas gerações de adolescentes românticas. Sensível e com poderes sobrenaturais, é o perfeito vampiro emo. Alguma dúvida de que o filme vai virar uma febre?

http://revistaepoca.globo.com/Revista/Epoca/0,,EMI19347-15220,00-O+VAMPIRO+VIROU+EMO.html

]]> http://sarxos.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/nialls-one-word-movie-review-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:11 +0000 Niall http://sarxos.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/nialls-one-word-movie-review-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/

Surreal

The Reader börjar i 50-talets Tyskland och följer den femtonåriga Michael Berg, som av en slump hamnar i den betydligt äldre Hanna Schmitz lägenhet. Kärlek uppstår mellan de två och de börjar träffas regelbundet för intima sysselsättningar. Utan förvarning ger sig Hanna av och Michael tvingas gå vidare och leva sitt liv utan Hanna. Några år senare utbildar han sig till advokat och under utbildningens gång besöker studentgruppen en rättgång mot krigsförbrytare från andra världskriget. En av de anklagade är Hanna.

När man läser folks omdömen här och där är det två saker som verkar störa människor. Nummer ett är att det är en film som handlar om tyskar, men där alla talar engelska. Det hade kanske gått för sig, om inte de hade haft tysk brytning på sin engelska. Jag är i vanliga fall inte nådig med sådant, men i just detta fallet är jag faktiskt rätt förlåtande. Brytningen är rätt mild och när man väl kommer in i berättelsen var det faktiskt inget jag la någon större vikt vid. Det är väl priset man får betala om man vill ha Kate Winslet i rollen som Hanna.

Problem nummer två verkar för väldigt många vara Kates nakenhet. Man kan dela upp filmen i två delar; den intima och den allvarliga. I den intima gör vårt par egentligen inget mer än bara ligger i sängen och allt som hör därtill. I den andra är det hela rättegången och allt det för med sig. Folks klagomål ligger alltså i att den första delen är alldeles för lång och omotiverad.

Jag håller inte med. Visst hade första delen kunnat vara kortare, men jag tycker det är viktigt att visa vilket avtryck Hanna gör hos Michael. Hade man kortat ner så är jag övertygad om att även avtrycket hade minskat. Och vem har dött av lite naket? Jag klagar då inte.

Det tas upp många viktiga frågor och jag kan tänka mig att den nog berör tyskar, eller andra som tvingades in i kriget, betydligt mer än den berör mig, men jag blev väldigt tagen av just karaktären Hannas personlighet och öde.

Överliggande frågor som om människor som bara lydde order verkligen gjorde fel, trots att orderna förorsakade många människors död tas upp och hanteras på ett mycket varsamt och smakfullt sätt. Hur hanterar människan en extrem situation? Hur ska man förhålla sig till hennes agerande efteråt?

The Reader gav Winslet en Oscar, som hon absolut förtjänade. Hon är riktigt bra, men jag måste ändå säga att just den guldgubben skulle hon fått för sin roll i Revolutionary Road. Men det gör inte hennes insats i The Reader sämre. Bra, sevärd och gripande.

Betyg: Fyra stabila pladd

‍

( I කොටස )

එතැන් සිට චිත්‍රපටය දිවයන්නේ මෙම නව යොවුන් තරුණයාත්, තරුණ විය පසු කරමින් සිටින වෘත්තියෙන් ට්‍රෑම් රථ කොන්දොස්තරවරියක වන ගැහැණියත් අතර ඇති වන අතිශය සමීප, ලිංගිකත්වය හා ආදරය කැටිවූ සම්බන්ධය විදහා දැක්වෙන රූප රාමු පෙලක් ඔස්සේ යි‍. ආදරය හා ලිංගිකත්වයට සීමා මායිම් නොමැති බව මෙම රූප රාමු පෙළ ප්‍රේක්ෂකයාට යළි යළිත් පසක් කර දේ. ඉතා මැනවින් හා සංයමයෙන් රූගත කර ඇති මෙහි ඇති ලිංගික හා ආලිංගන දර්ශන මෙම සබැඳියාවේ ගැඹුර ඉතා හොඳින් ප්‍රකට කරවයි.

තමන් පාසලේ උගන්නා ලෝක ප්‍රකට සාහිත්‍ය කෘති රැගෙන ගෙන එන ඔහු ඒවා ඇයට ඇසෙන්නට කියවයි. ඇය ඔහුට ළංව ඒවා රස විඳියි. චිත්‍රප‍ටයේ නාමය වන ද රීඩර් යන්න ගොඩනැගෙන්නේ ද මේ කථා කියවීම හරහා බව මේ වන විට ප්‍රේක්ෂකයාට ඒත්තු යයි. ඇය තමන්ගේ කියවන කථා ඇසීමට ප්‍රියකරන බව දන්නා ඔහු එය ඉමහත් උනන්දුවකින් සිදු කරයි. ඇගේ සිතැඟි කෙරේ අතිශයෙන් සංවේදී මයිකල් පාසලේ දී සම වයසේ රූබර තරුණියන්ගෙන් ලැබෙන ආදර ආරාධනා ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කරන්නේ ඔහු එම ගැහැණිය කෙරේ ආශක්තව ඇති ප්‍රමාණය අපට පෙන්වමිනි. එමෙන්ම කලින් පෞරුෂත්වයක් නොමැති ඔතෑනි යෞවනයකු වූ මයිකල් මේ අසම්මත සම්බන්ධයත් සමඟ හොඳ පෞරුෂත්වයක් සහිත ක්‍රියාශීලී තරුණයකු බවට පත්වේ. එය සිදුව‍න්නේ යහනේ දෙව්දුවක් වන් මෙම රූබර ගැහැණිය සමඟ රමණයේ යෙදීමට ලැබීම යන සම වයසේ අනෙක් යෞවනයන්ට භුක්ති විඳීමට නොලැබෙන ජයග්‍රහණයක් අත්පත් කර ගැනීමට නිසා ‍ඔහු තුල ගොඩනැගෙන මානසික විශ්වාසය නිසා නො‍වේ ද?

තමන් අතර ඇති වයස් සීමා පරතරය හා බාහිර නොගැලපීම ‍ආදිය ආදරයෙන් වෙලුන ඔහුට නොපෙනී යන අයුරු මෙහි හොඳින් නිරූපණය වෙයි. එම ගිම්හානයේ දවසක ඇය හා ඔහු බයිසිකල් සවාරියක යෙදේ. එහි දී හමුවන ගැහැණියක් ඇයව ඔහුගේ මව ලෙස සිතයි. සමාජ සම්මතයන්ට පිටුපා යාමට කැමති යොවුන් වයසේ පසු වන ඔහු ඇගේ එම හඳුන්වා දීම තුලින් තමන්ගේ වීරත්වයක් දුටුව ද හැනා එය කෙරෙහි සංවේදී වෙන අයුරු අපට තිරය මත පෙනේ.

හැනා ද මයිකල් සමඟ කාලය ගත කිරීමෙන් සතුටු වන බව හා ඔහුට ආලය කිරීමට පටන් ගෙන ඇති බවක් අප දුටුව ද ඇගේ චරිතය පුරා දිවයන ගුප්ත බව අප සසල කරවයි. ඇය කිසියම් රහසක් සඟවා ගෙන සිටින ගැහැණියක් බව මෙම චරිතය රඟන ශූර නිළිය තමන්ගේ විස්මිත රඟපෑම ඔස්සේ නිරන්තරයෙන් පෙන්වයි. ඇය සඟවා ගෙන සිටින රහස කුමක් ද? අප කිසිසේත්ම නොසිතන එවැනි මානයක් පුද්ගලයෙකුගේ ජීවිතය මුළුමනින්ම වෙනස් කිරීමට සමත් වන්නේ කෙසේ ද?

ඔවුන් එකතුව ගෙවන එම ගිම්හාන‍යේ කෙළවර දිනෙක කිසිම ළකුණක් ඉතිරි නොකර ඇය තම නවාතැනෙන් සමුගෙන යයි. තමන් ගේ අවසන් හමුවේ දී ඇයගේ හැසිරීම ගැන සැක සිතුනු මයිකල් නැවත ඇගේ නවාතැනට පැමිණි විට තමන්ගේ සැකය හරි බව ඔහුට පෙනෙයි. එමඟින් ඔහු දරා ගත නොහැකි ශෝකයට පත් වෙන නමුත් ඔහුගේ ජීවිතය ඉදිරියට ගලා යයි. චිත්‍රපටය තුල අපට නැවත ඔහු හමුවන්නේ අට වසරකට පසු නීති ශිෂ්‍යයෙකු ලෙසයි.

ඔවුන‍්ගේ දෙවන හමු වීම සිදුවන්නේ කෙසේ ද? හැනා අනුකම්පාව ලැබිය යුතු චරිතයක් ද? නැතිනම් ඇය මුහුණ දුන් ඉරණම ඇයට උරුම වූවක් ද? සම්මත වුවද අසම්මත වුවද ආදරය යනු මිනිස් ජීවිත සසල කර දමන කිසිදා කිසිවෙකුට තේරුම් කළ නොහැකි අත්දැකීමක් නොවන්නේ ද? ඒ හා බැඳුනු සිදුවීම්, භෞතික දෑ ජීවත් වන තුරා අපගේ අධ්‍යාත්මය සමඟ කෙලෙස බැඳී පවතී ද?

මෙම පැන ඔබට ඉතිරි කරමි.

අධ්‍යක්ෂණය – ස්ටීවන් ඩැල්ඩ්‍රි
හැනා – කේට් වින්ස්ලේ
මයිකල් – රැල්ෆ් ෆියෙන්ස්
මයිකල් (තරුණ) – ඩේවිඩ් ක්‍රොස්

චිත්‍රපටිය ගැන වැඩිපුර  විස්තර - අයි.එම්.ඩී.බී, විකිපීඩියාව

there were two reasons why i choose to watch this film – one, it’s top billed by two titanic stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio and two, Kate won best actress award because of this film.

i admit if i’m in the fan mode i’ll be bored with the story and i’ll hate their talky characters. But since i’m expecting a heavy drama  here  so  i choose to be a film enthusiast/critic. I commend both Leo and Kate for emerging as Frank and April. The Jack Dawson- and- Rose Calvert-memory that I had was gone.

their acting is not that intense but you can feel what they want, even in reality their characters are pathetic.  Leo is no more the hunk-cutie-cutie guy  but kudos to him. He’s actor more than a star.

And with Kate’s April, i can relate to her. maybe when the time i’ll already have a husband. I also prefer to have privacy and silence so i can think well.

hmmm I don’t think I”m going to read the novel where this is story comes from. I’m already solved with the entire film.

The world needs more imaginative people like Michel Gondry. Where are all the artistic savants like him in our generation? To be fair, I don’t know how many like him existed before him, so it’s hard to gauge where they all “went”. Not since the exuberance of the 60s and the hyper-colorful Russo-Finnish co-productions like Jack Frost and The Day the Earth Froze, where imagination was plentiful on the wings of fantasy and adventure, has a director brought such a palpable excitement to the screen. Gondry’s films, while not always very dense, still engross with an emotional connection to the characters and the material that are impossible to ignore. Today’s film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, is a contemplative, if not shallow, look at a modern, complicated romance that has some wildly imaginative aspects to it.

A man named Joel and a woman named Clementine meet one day on a cold winter morning. They click almost instantly and chat the day away. Even though they don’t at first seem very compatible, it seems insignificant compared to the fun they’re having with each other. Strangely, though, there is a scientific reason the two are attracted to one another; they used to be a couple, but they just don’t remember. In the film, a new procedure has come into popularity called Targeted Memory Erasure that people are using to erase painful memories from their lives. These two people were in a failing relationship and, in haste, decided that the thought of remembering one another was too much and went ahead with the procedure. Most of the film takes place in the man’s head during the procedure as his memories melt away. He is forced to relive a number of the good times and the bad times with Clementine as they slip away from him one by one. The more he looks at what he had with her, though, the more he begins to realize that perhaps he had made a mistake in asking to be rid of the memories. As he clings to his old life with her, the world they created in his consciousness begins to collapse, and Joel desperately searches for something that will perhaps stick with him as he loses one of the most important people in his life.

What a fascinating idea. An idea like this, in the wrong hands, could have ended disastrously, but in the capable hands of Gondry and wunderkind Charlie Kaufman, this film came out almost flawlessly. You are transported to a world of dreamlike memories falling away in the face of what looks more and more to be a terrible mistake. It’s as terrifying as it is tragic, and its inevitability bears down upon our hearts every second, even though we still secretly hope for a second chance between Joel and Clementine. The world inside Joel’s mind is equally impressive as a visual spectacle. The way the memories manifest themselves, be they half-remembered words and ideas, sketchy faces, childhood fears revisiting the adult manifestation of Joel, or endless loops of seemingly unimportant details all are lovingly rendered in a style that is both technically impressive and emotionally stirring.

This sumptuous feast for the mind is bolstered by breakout performances by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. While I never expected any less from the real deal actress Winslet, Carrey genuinely surprised me. As Joel, he made me feel so deeply for him that it shook me to my core as an ol’ softie. There is such a vulnerability there that I never saw before, would have never imagined before. He changed my opinion of him forever with this role, and for the first time I can look at Jim Carrey as a seriously talented actor with a range that can only be described as phenomenal. But let’s not forget that Kate deserves her due for being half of this depressing relationship. Clementine is a free-spirit who doesn’t like being told what to do, doesn’t like boundaries, and it hurts her when Joel seeks to reign her in and cull her with the rest of the herd. There are a number of scenes in which Kate showcases an emotional range that solidifies her as one of the greatest actresses of this decade, and even with badly-died blue hair I can take a woman like her seriously.

I’m keeping this one short for an essay later, but don’t let that keep you from watching it. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is not only an amazing movie and a classy reference to Alexander Pope, but also a hypnotically powerful drama wrapped in the mysterious language of dreams. Michel Gondry creates visual masterpieces in this film destined to become a classic. The cast and crew is stellar, and while not everybody makes much of an impact as a character (almost nobody does) the leads carry their peculiar weight with dignity and poise that I appreciated. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I give Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 9 ol’ softies out of 10. A high recommendation!

Tomorrow I don’t know what I’ll watch, but it will definitely be something new! Until then!

So we took a look at the characters of The Road. This got me thinking:

I was blown away by Viggo Mortensen’s performance in The Road, but I found myself asking, what other great performances impacted me and our readers?

Maybe it was Heath Ledger’s haunting portrayal of The Joker, the classic performance of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, or Kate Winslet in Titanic.

Whatever it is,

What do you think are the greatest performances of all time?

Comment below.