Wrote this about a month or so ago. Posting it now to prevent another blog drought.

Exciting and entertaining, The Paper not only gives viewers a peek of the goings on behind the production of a newspaper, but also takes us on a roller-coaster ride as Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) races against time to ensure his story makes the headlines.

Henry Hackett, a passionate editor at the New York Sun, is forced to consider another job at a more established newspaper in order to spend more time with his pregnant wife, Martha (Marisa Tomei). However, when the chance of getting a big story for his paper arises, Henry blows his chances at the new job and stops at nothing to put the story on the front page.

This is a fast paced film with all events happening within a day. Tension is nicely built up with the help of some clever editing from sequence to sequence. The buzz and excitement of the newsroom is also well portrayed and Ron Howard successfully draws the audience into the frenzy of it all.

As the film progresses, its plot gets increasingly far fetched and exaggerated. However, the strength of this film lies in its good character development supported by a strong cast and witty dialogue. Michael Keaton and Glenn Close lead wonderfully, both portraying strong characters determined to get what they want and at the same time providing some comedic moments. Also as praiseworthy is Randy Quaid. His portrayal of the quirky McDougal was a truly stellar performance and what started off as a character that seemed to just provide comic relief ended up playing a significant role is driving the plot.

The main underlying theme of The Paper is how people struggle as they juggle between their careers and families. This is something many people go through today and can relate to. Many would be able to sympathise with Henry who finds himself torn between his quest for the ideal story for his newspaper and his pregnant wife or with Bernie (Robert Duvall) whose relationship with his daughter suffers as a result of a hectic job.

Funny and engaging, The Paper is an enjoyable film, which will keep viewers glued to their screens.

War, Inc. è un film del 2007 diretto da Joshua Seftel, con John Cusack, Hilary Duff, Marisa Tomei, Ben Kingsley e Joan Cusack.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Joshua Seftel | John Cusack | Marisa Tomei | Hilary Duff

Una vita dedicata al wrestling, alla lotta coreografica, fisica, dura ma anche leale. Il tempo però passa e le luci del successo, si affievoliscono, lasciando emergere le fragilità, gli egoismi passati tutto a discapito delle relazioni umane, soprattutto con i rapporti più delicati, in questo caso con la propria famiglia.

Il film di Darren Aronofsky, piantona il suo protagonista Randy, il nome d’arte usato nel mondo del wrestling, Robin (un nome poco accettato) per la vita normale, una realtà distante soprattutto perché il nostro Wrestler non ci si rispecchia. Tenta in tanti modi un compromesso, sente di essere solo (un infarto gli da la forza di cercare un cambiamento), tenta di riavvicinarsi alla figlia, dal carattere duro, rancoroso, perché in passato l’uomo ha fatto un’unica scelta (il palcoscenico). Randy però non si accontenta, vuole (senza pretendere, in un primo momento) il contatto di un’altra donna (sente di poter dare amore a una donna che lavora in un locale lap dancer), lei (una splendida Marisa Tomei) in discesa (i clienti la evitano, perchè non proprio giovanissima) con un figlio a carico, lo allontana pur provando un sentimento. Queste esistenze, così fragili, si toccano, si respingono, si illudono di aver riscoperto qualcosa di nuovo, ma inesorabilmente, non stanno incarnando il loro vero essere, così Randy, dopo aver accettato di abbandonare definitivamente il wrestling (stiamo comunque parlando di eventi occasionali, per nostalgici, non a grandi livelli), accetta di lavorare a un bancone di un supermercato (l’ingresso in sala, girato come se fosse pronto per un nuovo combattimento è magnifico), lì gli avversari sono altri, reincarnate da una vecchietta rompiscatole.  Quel tipo di lavoro non lo rispecchia, di nuovo, la realtà è amara. E per fuggire o per combattere da un nemico fortissimo  il vecchio Randy (il wrestler) colui che non può essere sconfitto, per lo meno sul ring, decide che la sua vita è quel mestiere e non può rinunciarci.

Il film è davvero emozionante, strappa anche qualche lacrimuccia, pur non essendo proprio perfetto (per fortuna). Ho trovato il secondo scontro con la figlia tirato un pò via, troppo strillato, ma rientra comunque nella fragilità di quella bambina cresciuta da sola, senza il supporto del padre.

Mickey Rourke è magnifico, recitazione fisica, il respiro affannoso, quella dialettica e quel portamento sono tutti elementi che arricchiscono il personaggio Randy (ma non solo, c’è proprio Rourke lì dietro), l’empatia con lui è forte, fino alla fine, fino a quell’ultimo salto.

The stars came out for the free food and drink at the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) New 30th Anniversary Gala in Los Angeles, California.

Not shockingly unique or anything, but pretty and classic. The color makes it.

Angelina Jolie in Armani Privé

She looks a little healthier than she has in recent months. The dress is okay. Her style philosophy seems to be “If I’ve got a face like this, why go overboard on the dress?”

Chloë Sevigny

Miu Miu Spring 2010 Collection
Model: Amanda Norgaard

We love the shoes but we only like the top part of the dress. It’s weird around the waist.

Christina Ricci

Prada Spring 2010 Collection [Modified version]
Model: Sharon Kavjian

The dress is gorgeous from the front, but the back of it looks like she got caught in some drapes or something.

Daisy Fuentes

Gustavo Cadile Spring 2009 Collection

High-end prom dress.

Eva Mendes in Miu Miu spring 2010

Do not like whatever that is in her hair, but we like the dress quite a bit. Oh sure, the bodice looks a bit heavy and overworked, but the overall effect is striking and different. And her eyebrows are too close together. Fire your waxer.

Gwen Stefani

Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2010 Collection
Model: Chanel Iman

RUINED IT. She should be hauled off to fashion jail with no chance for parole.

Jessica Alba in Prada Spring 2010

This induces the same reaction we always have when we see her: one big yawn.

Kate Bosworth

Proenza Schouler Spring 2010 Collection
Model: Carmen Kass

The dress is okay (kind of weirdly shapeless, though), but what is UP with that hair? No excuse.

Marisa Tomei in vintage Jean Desses

We don’t know… it’s cute and all, but she looks like she’s attending her kid’s First Holy Communion in 1960.

Shirley Manson

Marchesa Spring 2010 Collection
Model: Carolyn

We kinda like. There’s a bit too much at the bottom and the split sleeves are a bit too voluminous, but the rest of it we like.

Rachel Zoe in vintage Pucci

We like it. Striking and bold. We’re not even going to mention the state of her body because EVERYONE mentions that.

Zoe Saldana

Marchesa Fall 2009 Collection
Model: Jules Mordovets

more:

Decipher: 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards – Beyonce, Juliette Lewis, Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Lil’ Kim, Shakira

Decipher: Glamour Magazine 2009 Women of The Year: Iman and Rihanna

By projectrungay & Photos from WireImage/Style.com

Har akkurat sett denne filmen, og jeg synes den var litt rar, og ikke den beste filmen jeg har sett. Philip Seymour Hoffman gjør som alltid en god rolle, og Marisa Tomei er også ganske god. Ethan Hawke har jeg aldri vært noen fan av, og ble det ikke i løpet av denne filmen heller. Filmen handler om Andy som har en godt betalt jobb, og er gift med Gina. Men han har et alvorlig narkotikaproblem og har også stjålet penger fra jobben. Broren Hank har lite penger for han må betale en dyr utdannelse til sin datter, og skylder mye i barnebidrag.  Han har også et forhold med brorens kone Gina. Andy og Hank finner ut at de skal rane foreldrenes gullsmedbutikk…men noe går forferdelig galt. Filmen hopper veldig fram og tilbake, og den klarte aldri å fange oppmerksomheten min helt….At det skal være en thriller er jeg ikke helt enig i, for den var hverken skummel eller spennende.

The Wrestler è un film del 2008 diretto da Darren Aronofsky e interpretato da Mickey Rourke, vincitore del Leone d’Oro al 65° Festival di Venezia e candidato a 2 premi Oscar nell’81a edizione della rassegna, e inoltre vincitore di ben 2 Golden Globe.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Drammatico | Darren Aronofsky | Mickey Rourke | Marisa Tomei | Evan Rachel Wood

I recently screened the 2001 film In the Bedroom directed by Todd Field. This was my second time viewing the film and it is wonderful! One word to describe this film: TENSE.

The movie is about a soon-to-be-divorced woman played by Marisa Tomei. She does such a wonderful job portraying the confident, yet vulnerable Natalie. She is dating a much younger man, Nick Stahl’s character Frank. Spoiler: Natalie’s abusive husband kills Frank.

In steps the real tension. There is a lot between Natalie and Frank’s parents. His parents, Ruth and Matt, are played by actors Tom  Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek. So as you can see the cast was stacked! Besides tension between Natalie and the parents, there is a lot of tension between the parents themselves. They both blame each other for Frank’s death, before finally coming together to better understand the situation. There is understandable tension between the killer, Richard and the family whose son he murdered.

Matt Fowler, father of the deceased, is faced with a really tough decision to make. Does he take revenge into his own hands, or leave it up to the legal system? Well he certainly does one of those two, which I will be kind and not reveal to you. But the viewer really empathizes with Matt and understands why he makes his choice.

The director Todd Field has acted in a wide range of T.V. and film. He has directed a handful of movies, including the 2006 hit Little Children (which I highly recommend).

Over Dh 1.5 million raised at charity ball

Source article from Khaleej Times

# Actor Jeremy Irons is pictured arriving at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the event, ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix. Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News

1 November 2009, 2:44 PM
ABU DHABI- Guests at Saturday’s star studded Grand Prix Ball Abu Dhabi donated more than AED 1.5 million (US$411,000) to the event’s international charity partner, fresh2o, as some of the biggest names from business, stage and screen turned out to support the inaugural showcase.

The bulk of the donations came from the event’s charity auction, with the rest made up from private donations.

“fresh2o would like to extend a massive thank you to all the people involved with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Ball and in particular the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. The generosity of our partners who donated auction prizes, including of course Janet Jackson, has meant we have raised an extraordinary amount of money that will have true impact in the communities we support,” said Andrew Dent, Head of Communications, fresh2o – one of the world’s leading NGOs for providing clean, safe drinking water to the more than one billion who need it globally.

“It is fair to say that because of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Ball thousands of people around the world will now be able to have clean and safe fresh water for drinking and sanitation.”

The biggest single bid of the night of AED350,000 came from Dr Hitesh Bodani for the one-of-a-kind 1939 Cadillac LaSalle, which had been given a unique makeover as part of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority’s (ADTA) Art Cars Exhibition. The LaSalle’s custom artwork was designed by leading Singaporean artist, Vincent Leow, and blends his unique street style with the visual, mass pop art movement of the 50s and 60s. The ADTA was the event’s destination partner.

“I have a personal charity Vision Africa and I understand the plight faced by millions on the continent as I am myself from Kenya. As a family, we have been actively helping those in need for decades. It really only takes a little contribution from people to make a big difference,” said Dr Bodani.

Grammy-award winning singer, Janet Jackson, who attended the ball, made a personal donation of a once-in-a-lifetime meet and greet with the US star – one of the greatest selling female artists of all time and sister of the late Michael Jackson.

An initial bid of AED125,000 won the chance to go backstage during one of Jackson’s tour concerts, however a second bidder matched the cost, and Jackson agreed to accept both and will now host two lucky guests.

“The tears in my wife’s eyes after we watched the fresh2o video were too much to bear. Africa is very dear to me and I cannot stand by while people suffer such hardship,” said Makesh Vaswani from Ghana, one of the two successful bidders.

And one lucky guest took home an all-expenses paid trip, including two first-class tickets from anywhere in the world, to the Virgin Galactic Space Ship launch in Palo Alto, California.

With a winning offer of AED 250,000, Indy Chhina dedicated her pledge to her recently deceased father.
Other top bids included:

* AED85,000 for a private round of golf with five time Major winner, Sir Nick Faldo.
* AED 110,000 for a private meet and greet with Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, which includes a tour of the Old Trafford training grounds, match day hospitality and a signed shirt from the entire 2009-10 squad.
* AED 125,000 for the Platinum Vision home theatre system, which is used by the likes of David Beckham, Stevie Wonder and Robbie Williams.
* AED35,000 for an exclusive shoot with Oscar winning Photographer and founder of fresh2o Candice Farmer
* AED90,000 for two Water for Life campaign photographs signed by the artists, Candice and fashionista Kimberly Stewart.
*
AED120,000 donated by guests to help build wells for communities for life

Guests at the Grand Prix Ball Abu Dhabi had the chance to rub shoulders with some of the world’s biggest names including Indian tennis superstar Vijay Amritraj, up-coming fashion-icon, Kimberly Stewart – the daughter of Scottish rock legend, Rod Stewart – Oscar winning stars, Jeremy Irons and Marisa Tomei, US actress, Neve Cambell, US singer, Janet Jackson and her sister Latoya Jackson.

Crowds were also treated to a night of musical entertainment from Latino legends The Gipsy Kings and operatic tenor, Jean Luc Viala – the first time they have taken to stage together – and Peter Grant, the rising musical star from the UK who draws his influences from Frank Sinatra.

Source article from Khaleej Times

In den Achtzigern war Randy “The Ram” Ramzinsky (Mickey Rourke) ein gefeierter Wrestling-Star; Fans aus ganz Amerika kamen zu seinen Auftritten. Doch die Kämpfe und jahrelanger Medikamentenmissbrauch hinterließen ihre Spuren. Zwanzig Jahre später ist Randy nur noch ein Schatten seiner selbst und schlägt sich mit Aushilfsjobs durchs Leben, um an den Wochenenden in schlecht besuchten Turnhallen immer noch in den Ring steigen zu können. Dabei träumt er nach wie vor von einer Rückkehr an die Spitze, doch als er nach einem besonders extremen Kampf einen Herzinfarkt erleidet, ist Randy gezwungen, der Realität ins Auge zu sehen …

Seit eh und je hat Hollywood nichts so sehr interessiert wie Geschichten über Verlierertypen, für die der amerikanische Traum unerreichbar bleibt. Seltsam, dass kaum jemand im sonst so empfindlichen Amerika auf die Idee kommt, der Traumfabrik mangelnden Patriotismus vorzuwerfen. Es mag vielleicht daran liegen, dass diese Verlierer meist sympatische Normalos sind, die nach jedem Tiefschlag doch wieder auf die Beine kommen und für die sich am Ende des Filmes dann doch wieder alles zum Guten wendet. Der Held bekommt das Mädchen und sie reiten gemeinsam gen Sonnenuntergang. So schön kann die moderne Märchenwelt Hollywoods aussehen. Nicht so in “The Wrestler”.

Randy “The Ram” mag sich alle Mühe geben, wieder auf die Beine zu kommen; wie vergeblich das ist, sieht man deutlich daran, wie Randy immer wieder in alte Verhaltensmuster zurückfällt und letztendlich, im Ring stehend, konstatiert: “That’s all I do.” Wrestlen ist sein Leben, auch wenn es ihn selbiges kosten sollte. Das ist kein fehlgeleiteter Heroismus, sondern die Geschichte einer gescheiterten Existenz, wundervoll porträtiert von “Sin City”-Star Mickey Rourke, der sich für die Rolle schon dadurch empfahl, dass auch seine Karriere schon einmal zu Ende zu sein schien – nachdem er nach Erfolgen wie “9 1/2 Wochen” lange Zeit nur Flops drehte, beschloss er Anfang der Neunziger, Profiboxer zu werden; letztendlich nicht die beste Entscheidung seines Lebens. Sein großes Leinwand-Comeback feierte er eben mit “Sin City”, bevor er 2008 für seine Leistung in “The Wrestler” unter anderem den Golden Globe gewann und ebenso wie seine kongeniale Filmpartnerin Marisa Tomei für den Oscar nominiert war.

Tomei spielt die Stripperin Cassidy, deren Lieblingskunde Randy ist. Als einzige Freundin, die Randy besitzt, rät sie ihm nach seinem Herzinfarkt, wieder Kontakt mit seiner Tochter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) aufnehmen, die er einst verließ und die nun nichts mehr von ihm wissen will. Darüber kommen Randy und Cassidy sich langsam näher, wobei Cassidy eine Beziehung zu einem ihrer Kunden strikt ablehnt. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden Hauptdarstellern ist einfach perfekt, und durch famose Einzelleistungen schaffen beide es auch ohne weiteres, die ein oder andere Länge des Drehbuchs souverän zu überspielen.

Letztendlich ist “The Wrestler” das kritische Porträt eines Teils der amerikanischen Kultur, der seine Protagonisten zur Selbstzerstörung treibt – auf Doppelmoral und erhobene Zeigefinger verzichtet Regisseur Darren Aronofsky allerdings glücklicherweise. Ihm geht es vor allem um seine Hauptfigur, was ein Segen für den Film ist, den er lebt vor allem durch das beherzte Spiel Rourkes, der die Rolle seines Lebens spielt und dafür gar nicht hoch genug gelobt werden kann. Darüber hinaus ist “The Wrestler” ein trostloses, bewegendes Sportlerdrama, das manchmal anrührend wirkt, ohne allerdings allzu sehr ins Melodramatische abzugleiten, was wiederum vor allem Rourke und Tomei anzukreiden ist. Gerade die Finalszene ist dann so fesselnd und beeindruckend, dass man letztendlich nur froh sein kann, dass Rourke im Gegensatz zu seinem Filmcharakter Randy wieder den Weg in die richtige Spur gefunden hat.

Wertung: 8 / 10

Crazy Sly doing a comedy role as a mob boss what is he doing.

Sylvester Stallone plays a big-time gangster who promises his dying father (Kirk Douglas) that he’ll go straight. Easier said than done, as Stallone encounters drawbacks such as a mix-up of little black bags, a daughter who changes fiances three times before lunch and a continuously revolving door of colorful thugs.

In this film, it does what many others don’t do, and that is make a very funny comeback after a nearly disastrous first 20 minutes. I will admit that I’m not a huge fan of 30’s depression era mobster comedies, cause I think they just thaw out to be corny and trying to hard to be funny, but this one was a different set.

The one thing I liked the most was that Stallone’s character is such a straight-forward guy and they always have these funny side characters thrown at him and it makes it more joy to see how he reacts to these goofball characters. The movie has a very well-played out but funny situation that happens and when its all over its good to see it all thaw out.

I think Sly was OK in his first comedy role but he is not too believable. He runs up the stairs too fast like he’s being Rocky again, and he also doesn’t seem that vicious when it comes to him being screwed. He just doesn’t seem like the mob boss that would whack you for stealing over thousands of dollars of his money. The rest of the supporting cast is very funny and well-casted and are surely where the strength lays.

The problem I had with this film that so many of the gags were too played off as being a parody on old time Hollywood films and I thought this called for no original material. Director John Landis, who is known for directing films like Animal House and ¡Three Amigos, I was expecting more from these comedic genius but I was surely disappointing that it wasn’t as hilarious.

Consensus: Oscar is a funny situational comedy that is boasted by a great story and hilarious side characters, even if it seems like a parody.

8/10=Matinee!!

Jane Goodale (Judd) is happy. She’s got a good job as a talk show producer and she’s dating Ray (Kinnear), also from behind the scenes. Their relationship is going just great and they both seem totally invested in it, and Ray really makes Eddie (Jackman) look bad. Eddie is also working behind the scenes and a true womanizer. But then Ray does something Jane doesn’t see coming: he dumps her, right after having made plans for moving in together. Jane is now single, bitter, extremely heart-broken; and to top it all, she is homeless. So now moving in with Eddie seems like her only option.

The disappointmet inspires Jane to write a theory that compares men to male animals and labels dumped women as  old cows. So the theory suggested that the male would move on to a new cow after a while. It also seems more fun to pen this theory under the identity of a very old professor, the secret identity only known by her best friend Liz ( Tomei). Eddie is half- amused and half-pissed about Jane’s weird assumptions. And all though he is “using women as ATM machines” as Jane puts it, maybe Eddie and Jane could make a better match than Jane and Ray ever did…

So what if  you knew she would actually for all Jackman right after the movie starts? No, I’m not giving any spoilers. It is just so obvious. Kinnear’s character turns out to be a jerk, and he was too good to be true in the first place. And of course we are introduced to Eddie’s past, and learn he used to be in a serious relationship which ended with the girl tearing his heart out. And seriously who can consider Eddie just a friend/roommate anyway? It just doesn’t happen. So it is a sweet  and kind of quirky (what other romantic comedy you watched had so much cow talk and images include?) and funny. Of course it has clichés but they are fun so who cares? 2 men. 1 girl. 1 guy treats the girl a lot better. There are bound to be similarites to stuff you have been before. But it does its job. It’s romantic and it is funny. And it is not like either sex will have a hard time figuring out why they are attracted to each other. It’s Ashley Judd and Hugh Jackman we are talking about.But be warned, if you don’t like to see the ending coming, please stay away from Someone Like You. And the 99.99% of romantic comedies. I’m just saying.

Hoffman and Hawke relearn that old lesson -- no plan is foolproof -- in "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead."

Here’s the plain truth: Sidney Lumet’s grim, gripping “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” won’t so much wear you down as break you down … hard. In frame after frame, Lumet uses his disjointed, objective direction to build the momentum, and he never hesitates or shrinks back. Neither do the actors. So the hits — emotional and physical — keep coming until the film steamrolls into a conclusion that’s profoundly unsettling. “Devil” is as draining as it is invigorating to behold.

Part of that energy has to do with the way the story (epic in scope) unfolds. The narrative is nonlinear, so the characters are introduced in jarring flashbacks and meta-flashbacks. This a multi-layered story, with plots and subplots weaving in and out, but there is a common thread: Andy (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a man who believes money will rebuild his broken life. Andy convinces his brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) to commit the perfect crime: Rob their parents’ jewelry store, pawn the merchandise and walk away with $60,000 each. It’s a win-win, since Hank is months behind on his child support and Andy’s living light years beyond his means (thanks to his money-hungry wife, played by Marisa Tomei). But Murphy’s law (or karma?) mucks up Andy’s scheme from minute one, and nothing about the robbery goes as planned. Things go very, very wrong, leaving Andy and a shell-shocked Hank with blood on their hands and their father, Charles (Albert Finney), hell-bent on finding out who planned the robbery.

To say more about the plot would be to ruin the experience of watching “Devil.” There are grueling twists and surprises aplenty. In fact, the film feels much like a vase that’s been broken and glued back together wrong, with sharp edges jutting out and pieces shoved into nooks where they don’t really fit. But that’s why “Devil” is so absorbing — the pieces are all there; it’s up to viewers to put them in order. In Lumet’s mind, it seems, the viewers are the detectives. He makes us work for it.

The actors deserve much of the credit for injecting even more energy into “Devil.” The supporting cast is large, but the players make their performances singularly unforgettable. Finney is quietly effective as Charles, a man reeling from the fallout of a crime he can’t fathom. But his is not a one-note performance, for Charles isn’t an ideal father, and Finney isn’t afraid to let the cracks show. Hawke, too, plays it subtle; it might be the best work he’s ever done. Known for playing fake-charming womanizers, he shrinks himself to portray Hank, an emotional cripple whose coddled upbringing didn’t prep him to deal with reality. He cowers when things go wrong. Tomei, who just keeps getting better, is impressive as Gina. Essentially, Gina’s a trophy wife; she spends more time romancing Andy’s platinum card than Andy. But watch what Tomei does with her eyes, particularly in the scene where Andy breaks down. There are hints of depth there. Gina may be one of the film’s few female characters, but Tomei makes her more than just a party favor.

As for Hoffman, this may be his best performance — and he won an Oscar for “Capote.” In “Devil,” Hoffman gets another meaty role, and he does not disappoint. On one level, he exceeds at demonstrating Andy’s many flaws. Here is a man who craves money and success, a preternaturally calm control freak who refuses to admit he’s sinking too fast to pull himself up. He steals and lies, then wonders why the parts of his life “don’t add up.” But leave it to Hoffman to find beauty where there is none. When Andy finally lets loose, Hoffman rips into the pain like a man possessed. He shows that Andy is an insecure man who has numbed his feelings to the point where he believed they no longer existed. It’s the exhausting, awe-inspiring lit fuse that fires Lumet’s exquisitely crafted and tumultuous Greek tragedy character study.  

Grade: A+

I watched one of my favorites movies this weekend. This is the first time I really noticed Marisa’s outfits. She was killing it back then, funny how them shades are still around, not only were her outfits hot but she’s a great actress. Even now at age 44, she looks better than ever.

btw, my favorite line of this movie is…”yutes”/..yeah, two yutes!/….what is a yute?

Si la expresión “escritor de culto” es aplicable a alguien es sin duda a Charles Bukowski, paradigma del llamado “realismo sucio” de la literatura norteamericana contemporánea. Autor de decenas de novelas (La máquina de follar, Factótum o Pulp, por citar tres), multitud de relatos cortos e incontables poemas, era cuestión de tiempo que sus libros o la atmósfera que retrata en los mismos fueran llevados al cine, directamente o por imitación. El no menos de culto cineasta francés nacido en Teherán Barbet Schroeder (convertido en cineasta en plena nouvelle vague junto a Jean-Luc Godard y Jacques Rivette, y autor de películas tan variopintas, tanto en Hollywood como fuera de él, como More, La Vallé, Mujer blanca soltera busca, El misterio Von Bülow, La virgen de los sicarios o la impresionante dupla de documentales General Idi Amin Dada, sobre el dictador ugandés, y El abogado del terror, sobre el abogado Jacques Verges) llevó a la pantalla El borracho (Barfly, 1987), con guión del propio Bukowski inspirado en su propia biografía.

Su trasunto, Henry Chinaski (interpretado por Mickey Rourke en lo que bien podría haber sido el mejor papel de toda su carrera hasta su reciente y magistral caracterización de la derrota en El luchador), es un joven escritor, genial y lúcido, cuyas virtudes son favorecidas por el ingente consumo de alcohol y la vida nocturna a borbotones. Su local favorito es El cuerno de oro, lugar frecuentado por un conjunto de múltiples territorios humanos de la noche de lo más exótico: vagabundos, putas, tipos solitarios, desechos sociales y demás individuos marginales (incluido el propio Bukowski sentado en un taburete ante la barra). El aliciente de la noche suelen protagonizarlo Henry y Eddie, el barman del turno de noche, cuyas peleas son objeto de apuesta por el resto de los clientes. Si Henry gana, se gasta los pavos ganados en copas o putas. Si pierde, Jim, el barman del turno de día, le cura las heridas y le da alguna que otra copa gratis. Y así es la vida de Henry hasta que una noche conoce a Wanda (Faye Dunaway), una mujer de de belleza residual que tiene tanta afición a la soledad y al alcohol como él mismo.

La película es un catálogo de excesos interpretativos y narrativos, aunque para apreciarlos en lo que valen y no llevarse la impresión de que asistimos a una pantomima artificiosa, a un desbocado tributo a una vida al límite de alcohol, drogas y agresividad social, es imprescindible verla en versión original (la diferencia es tal, que la gran interpretación de Rourke se convierte en una nulidad en la versión doblada). Por lo demás, la película es más bien un producto para lectores fieles de Bukowski (o de la música: la banda sonora contiene piezas de Mahler, Beethoven, Mozart o Händel, entre otros), acostumbrados a esos personajes derrotados, a la figura del perdedor en escenarios de tugurios nocturnos, moteles, habitaciones cochambrosas, cucarachas, suciedad y barrios marginales de naves vacías, bares poco frecuentados y calles semidesiertas, retratado como un hombre desaliñado, sin afeitar, de ropa arrugada y llena de lamparones, de talento e inteligencia innegables pero de vida anárquica, sostenida por el alcohol, una vida en la que la comida pinta poco y el agua todavía menos, ni para beber ni por higiene. Y desde esa perspectiva, pequeñas dosis de lucidez en forma de reflexiones interesantes, de píldoras de sabiduría concentrada en lo que es un análisis demoledor de la sociedad actual, críticas devastadoras a una hipocresía instalada como valor fundamental y único de un desierto intelectual en el que los individuos ya no saben vivir como tales, sino produciendo por objetivos, vitales o económicos, utilizando para ello ese ser acabado como metáfora del alma del hombre contemporáneo, consumido por enormes debilidades sin que lo sepa o bien acomodándose a ello, resignándose, entregándose, revolcándose en ellas, asumiendo el final pero disfrutando de todo lo que le dan hasta que ese inevitable momento llegue. Un personaje, un esperpento deliberado cuyo rechazo por parte de la “gente bien” es una inteligente forma de retratar el inconsciente autorrechazo por sí mismos.

Dieciocho años más tarde, el noruego Bent Hamer recupera a Chinaski (interpretado esta vez de manera excelente por Matt Dillon, sin las excentricidades y muecas de Rourke y sin la lela pasividad gestual de Ben Gazzara) en la coproducción noruego-norteamericana Factótum (2005), la cual vuelve a bucear en los textos más sórdidos de Bukowski para componer una nueva historia biográfica sobre el personaje. En esta ocasión lo literario tiene más peso, y lo que en el film de Schroeder es meramente tangencial (Rourke retratado escribiendo en papeles sucios, a veces diminutos, en breves tomas o como voz en off que relata sus propios escritos), aquí es protagonista. Chinaski escribe y envía relatos a las revistas y editoriales. Sus trabajos siempre son rechazados, y tiene que aceptar empleos esporádicos que siempre abandona a los pocos días (incluso horas) para pagar su adicción al alcohol. Renunciando a una vida convencional en aras de la autenticidad, esto es, vivir al límite como única forma de vivir, Hank Chinaski se convierte en observador de una realidad que desgrana en sus escritos, al tiempo que los únicos incentivos diarios son el alcohol, las apuestas en las carreras de caballos y sus dos “amores”, Jan y Laura (Marisa Tomei y Lily Taylor). Paradójicamente, estas dos vidas alternativas que plantea Chinaski, la auténtica del observador que exprime el tuétano de la vida y la falseada del hombre acomodado que se miente a sí mismo, que vive una vida de comodidades materiales pero de vaciedad y convencionalidad anímica, sentimental e intelectual, son imcompatibles: sólo obtiene el éxito literario cuando se amolda a la vida común y corriente y pierde a Jan, el vehículo de sus excesos, de manera que una cosa lleva a la otra, o viceversa.

La película de Hamer apuesta por la sobriedad estética para contar su historia de excesos, a diferencia de Schroeder, que visualmente se nutre igualmente de ellos. Con más humor, y más cercana, paradójicamente, al contarnos la historia desde un punto de vista más distante pero con una perspectiva más clara, más global (interna y externa) de la figura del perdedor, resulta más visionable, más honesta y directa, evitando la sordidez innecesaria y haciendo mayor hincapié en el aprovechamiento, por parte del personaje, de sus propias cualidades, su dominio del alcohol y su carácter derrotado pero orgulloso, perdido pero agudo, con los pies en la tierra que quiere tenerlos pero sin desconocer la tierra que de vez en cuando hay que pisar para sobrevivir.

En suma, una excelente dupla de filmes, ninguno de ellos excesivamente largo (apenas superan los noventa minutos), para que los fans de Bukowski disfruten de su particular mundo trasladado a la pantalla grande con gran solvencia y exactitud, para que quienes desconozcan su literatura puedan apreciar los temas y atmósferas que la impregnan, y para que se abstengan los espectadores o lectores que gusten de las historias convencionales y planas que los mantienen a salvo de hacerse preguntas o incluso de la capacidad de respondérselas.

VERDICT:
7/10 Bad Ideas

A good, overlooked movie about really bad people making one really bad decision after another until they’re too far deep to achieve any kind of redemption. It’s a real pick-me-upper alright.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead follows the lives of two brothers, the older of which is rich and successful, the younger of which is not so much of either.  So when the younger bro goes to his older bro for some financial assistance, the older bro comes up with a freakin’ genius scheme if there ever was one – to rob their parents’ jewelry store in broad daylight.

A Swiss watch of a plan if you ask me.

Anyway, it’s directed by Sidney Lumet, a guy who’s seemingly been putting out a new movie every other weekend for the past thirty years, some of which being Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Network, 12 Angry Men, and a slew of other great movies that would probably compel some directors to just quit while they’re ahead. Point is, if you’ve never heard of him, take note, sucka’s. Lumet knows his shit and this is one more gritty, accomplished addition to his epic collection of work.

But aside from Lumet, the main draw to this movie is its cast. The younger brother is played by Ethan Hawke, and even though he always seems to me like the same emotional, mopey, misunderstood teen he played in Dead Poets Society, I like Ethan Hawke. He’s pretty good here and gets the job done.

But the older brother is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and I don’t really need to add much to that considering he has made it perfectly clear by now that he is not fucking around. He’s the most morally corrupt character in the movie with the most character development, and it also helps that he’s got the best lines that allow him to yell a lot. Hoffman’s just a wild man and a rip to watch every time. Very good casting choice.

Marisa Tomei is also here as Hoffman’s two-timing girlfriend, and if you thought she was comfortable with her body in The Wrestler, consider this a glaring precursor of things to come. Very, very naked. All the time. But she’s a good actor, too. So that works out.

Albert Finney’s good in it, too. I like Albert Finney, solid actor.

But aside from the cast, the story is also good and memorable in a very intense and totally unsettling way. I was about to call it forgettable, then I remembered the pit in my stomach I had after walking out of the theater and how all I wanted was for the person sitting next to me to reach over and give me a hug. This is one well-written, pitch-black movie with some of the most believably evil characters I’ve seen in a good while. Some of this shit would make Darth Vader shake his head and say, “Jesus H. Murphy, this family’s a freakin’ mess.”

Only complaint is that it’s almost too dark at times. After a while you really just want these people to catch a break, more for your own sake than for theirs, but it doesn’t take much foresight to figure out that things aren’t exactly turning up for this family. How about a knock-knock joke or something? Anything! Please!

I remember when this first came out someone convinced my aunt that she’d like this movie – my super-nice aunt who can barely handle anything worse than The Sound of Music – and, needless to say, the poor woman was borderline shell-shocked by the time the end credits rolled around. It’s not for everyone – actually, it’s definitely not for everyone – but if you’re in the mood for family tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, you might want to check this out, Debbie Downer.

And with the holidays coming up, the next time you need a reminder that you’re dysfunctional family really isn’t all that bad, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead will do the trick just fine.

After being one of the most talked about films of the year, I was looking forward to seeing The Wrestler.

I was a big fan of wrestling when I was a kid… Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior and the rest kept me entertained for many an hour (check my Wrestlemania Game Review for a flashback to the past).

It’s interesting to me how badly some of the stars were treated by the various federations over the years and having read a little about the film and real life wrestlers responses to it, it appears that with The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky has nailed what it’s like to be a wrestler.

The film tells the story of faded 80’s wrestling superstar Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, who has been left wrestling at the weekends in small run down venues for independent producers.

The after effects of a particularily gruelling match, having built up over time, leave him hospitalised and he is told not to wrestle again.

As Randy tries to adapt to a normal life outside the ring and piece together what little he has left in his life, we are treated to a superb performance from Mickey Rourke.

This is emotionally charged stuff and Randy struggles without the driving force of an upcoming match to keep him going.

Marisa Tomei is also great as Cassidy, a stripper who genuinely cares for Randy and whose situation, though less desperate, almost mirrors his own.

This is gritty and brutal subject matter, both physically and emotionally – The Wrestler doesn’t pull any punches – and Aronofsky shows the violence during matches in full flow.

The characters are well developed and the story moves at a nice pace.

There are plenty of stand out moments in the film but for me Randy’s long walk to start his shift on the deli counter at his supermarket job, with a wrestling crowd added as audio, is so well done that it has to be my favourite part.

The Wrestler is a sad, depressing but ultimately touching film – irrespective of whether you have any interest in wrestling this is a film that everyone should check out.

Rating 8/10

La track de la semaine :

• Dizzee Rascal – Bonkers (prod by Armand Van Helden)
  

La playlist du Rider :

Easy V :

• Born To Be Wild, hymne à la Ride Facile des Steppenwolf, enregistré en 1968, année 0 des Riders Faciles.

• Smooth Criminal (version AAF), extraite de BAD, le meilleur album de tous les temps, MJ tient sa plus grande forme, un clip, une chorégraphie, un film (un peu bizarre). Une excellente reprise d’Alien Ant Farm.

• Bananus, reprise par Zolito Pro le porn-rappeur, du légendaire “Banana split” de Vanda Maria Ribeiro Furtado Tavares de Vasconcelos (bon Lio). Toi le mineur n’écoute pas, tu vas tacher tes draps.

Wayne Campbell :

• Forever young, version originale d’Alphaville, parce que dans le ER on a 17 ans depuis qu’on a eu 17 ans. Tu dig ? Repris dernièrement par Jay Z sur son Blueprint 3e du nom. Bien sympathique.

• Best Of, “j’fais pas de tube négro, j’fais des rouleaux”, extrait du “Prêt pour l’argent” de l’ami Joke. Parce que la prod tue et le petit a le style dessus.

• Ne t’arretes pas, bah quoi ? Quand la chanteuse est bonne (euh jolie) j’ai tendance à me laisser aller. Et Lylah est bonne (euh jolie). Donc c’est comme ça.

La vidéothèque du Rider :

• Criminal Justice. Série britannique de 5 épisodes, regroupée en 2 téléfilms par Canal +. Un mec paumé, rencontre une fille paumé. S’en suit un meurtre et un mec qui ne se souvient plus de rien. La machine judiciaire se met en route, coupable ? non coupable ? Fort le truc.

• The Wrestler, parce que ça vient de sortir en DVD, et que tout amateur de catch doit suivre ce grand champion meurtri qu’est Randy The Raaaammmm Robinson (Mickey Rourke) ! Et parce qu’il y a Marisa Tomei en strip teaseuse très très convaincante eheh.

• 27 robes,  parce que j’aime les comédies romantiques et que ça passe mercredi sur Canal. Katherine Heigl c’est une femme ! J’aime bien la voir dans ces rôles de blonde un peu gauche qui lui vont à merveille. Ce film est “drôle” dans son genre, peut être la meilleure comédie romantique de 2008.

Ecoute et regarde le jeune, tu deviendras moins con.