Gustavo Santaolalla or Biutiful Sounds

Biutiful (2010) got awards and nominations everywhere from Cannes and Kodak Theatre till the numerous critic's associations all around the States, the Goya Awards (Spain) and the Ariel Awards (Mexico) , but my aim here is not to meticulously praise its endless merits. My aim is to remember one of its most attractive yet alienating features, its music. Leaving Xavier Bardem and the multi-layered plot aside, Gustavo Santaolalla is one of the key names in this beautifully sad film.

Rain and Love or Nanni Moretti hands in the Prizes

I will post very fast and neat the list for now; you'll get some commentary later tomorrow. Congratulations to the winners and looking forward to watch those films up and close.

Cannes Film Festival 2012: The Lineup

The list of the films to be screened in Cannes Film Festival this spring is out! They just announced it in their press conference in Paris this morning. I'm so excited! I want to see every single film of these, well, maybe I can do without the Dracula 3D by Dario Argento, to be honest. One more thing, I'm so happy that Manoel de Oliveira is not in that list. Give some space to the younger ones, dude! Aren't you supposed to be retired by now?

And -I ought to say that- look at the poster: how cute is that?!

Sabrina Ouazani is an Algerian Beauty

But Lambert Wilson is an asshole. An ignorant. A peasant. To put in nicer, no real gentleman. I'm sure most of you landed on this page via Google search you know the incident better than me -it dates back to spring 2010. The setting: an actress in her twenties -one that takes everything with a smile, the failure of an actor in his fifties, Cannes Film Festival; they co-star in the film, they have a photo call together. She is ravishing, and she is probably his (poor girl); he wants to show off, which he shamelessly does. Lambert Wilson has the nerve to be inappropriately intimate with Sabrina Ouazani in front of  thousands of cameras and photo journalists, consecutively in front of the millions of gossip fans. He then feels ashamed and kisses the producer, too, to make his faux pas a bit lighter. Or my story is just fictional and he wanted to attract attention to his bad boy(?) persona. Whatever, idiot; stay in your black list for good.

Lars Von Trier is Melancholic; go fetch him a scriptwriter!

Dear Lars Von Trier,

how is it going, mate? Does your new apocalyptic sci-fi drama sells well in the States? I hope it does, why else would you make all this fuss to keep it shallow and airbrushed, if not.

I read you are proud of it, you said you made if flawless and you now regret it. How humble of you, just don't, it has this absolutely polished look of Vogue fashion photoshoots, what's wrong with that? Of course, it is supposed to be a European film, where they don't usually do it the Hollywood way, but, well, you can get away with it, as long as it's art. And, what could it be if not art, when lovely Justine played by Kirsten Dunst strolls around the house deep in depression, but always dressed up in the most luxurious Prêt-à-Porter there is, just like her sister and her husband, even if the future is ominous ahead of them?

Then, I remember the sexiest scene in the film, where Kirsten comes out of the house in the middle of the night to get some sun eeeer...to get a tanning session with the latest blu-ray technology direct from the source, Planet Melancholia, onto her naked body; it slightly reminded me of naked Paris Hilton covered with gold to advertise a certain champagne in a can and that very last year trend of naked body wearing only shimmer, tremendous body art and very very hot. I love fashion magazines, I dearly love them, but who could ever tell that you love them inasmuch, and that your secret dream was to become a fashion photographer specialized in wedding ceremonies!

Then, all this Melancholia, Ophelia, depression (I love Millais, too, what a coincidence!); is it true that you had a depressive episode yourself? Because, I thought it was not very well depicted for a film, dear Lars, and don't get me wrong, but a film is a film, it has little to do with real life presentation-wise. There are certain rules on how to write a script, of course you are a great master and you have all the freedom to skip the rules, but, what if it doesn't work without them? There are certain things we usually need to see on the screen, in order to get the whole thing; the characters, their motives, their thoughts and how these are related to their actions. Here, we see none; there is only some chit-chat and heavy tension in the air. We fear that something goes wrong, we feel a certain alienation, but we never get to the core, we never sympathize, because we cannot relate at all. Everything is a mystery, nicely wrapped and presented, but boring and uninteresting for an audience which stays outside of this experimentation in sterilized environment.

Sorry to say, dear Lars, a similarity to Festen was evident, bad boy, you don't really need to copy others, do you? In this case, you even failed to copy it well, oops! It seemed to me that you had two separate ideas, one of a dysfunctional family and a second one of the earth perishing and you felt like combining them to produce a multi-dimensional film. Well, in the workshops young scenarists are told to go and find a script doctor and not to mix-and-match with random ideas to have enough material for a feature film. Your very personal insight that people who are depressed stay calm in stressful situations is a very interesting commentary on depression, but could not get you through a whole feature film, right? You could have made two excellent shorts, I guess, but I understand you wanted to take over Cannes with a stellar masterpiece.

But, tell me, dear Lars, do you really imagine that if the planet was in peril, three rich people and a kid would stay isolated in their castle in the countryside, out of reach, out of touch, and continue with their calm everyday routine, like horse-riding, taking their breakfast in white porcelain, then built a magic hut and get into it, holding hands and crying when the end is near? Sorry, but we don't live back in Romanticism and people do not suffer, they are not stoic and are not called Werther either, I am only aware of Werther's Originals, they are candies, yummy! People when they fear the end of Earth approaching, they scream and shout, they dig into earth to hideaway or they take their Lear Jet and fly to Mars.

There is a visual quality that did not go unnoticed, I appreciate beauty, I do, there are moments of ok acting and there is this great soundtrack of Tristan and Isolde, there is then the sweet moment of mother Claire by Charlotte Gainsbourg trying to protect her child to no avail, when the hail is falling from the sky right into the golf courts, a bit like golf balls, how inspiring! There is the opening dream-like sequence, very Vogue-like again, real class, and let's not forget there is this fascinating blue planet, that looks friendly, but is ready to devour us. Well, I want to frankly thank you, dear Lars, for making me waste 136 minutes of my life for momentary pleasure only. Is it too much to ask for a shortened version, around 1/3 of the running time? Then, it would be bizarre still, but not tedious and we would remember Udo Kier more than now, cause he was only in the first part of the film.

All the best with your new projects; I'm really looking forward to hearing from you, better from your newly-hired scriptwriter. He may be able to give you something more like Dogville, trust me.

Yours Melancholically,

Estelle

P.S. One last question: were all the female leads nominated in Cannes Film Festival this year so blunt? I mean, how did Kirsten with a non-expressive face all along could knock them down and win Best Actress? Was there any bribing involved?

An American in Paris

Woody bursts in creativity as usual, directing non-stop, but this is certainly not such an imaginative moment in his career (it hits me, though, why the heck did they let him open Cannes Film Festival with this film). Maybe his peak is already over and we are just yearning for more of what we are never gonna have again. Audience is hard to please, audience is carnivorous when it's deceited, so it has to be given at least beautiful surroundings, Parisian ones, and alluring leads, but is it enough?

Another epoque is what we all long for, it seems. Woody Allen himself plays in Midnight in Paris with movie-making of a former period, romantic film-making; we can see it straight away from the opening credits, the fonts he uses, the music that is so dear to him and the opening sequence, where he presents Paris in a picturesque , yet banal way during the lenght of a whole song, a sequence which is raté, mind me, as it is horribly edited and not so beautifully filmed either (that taken into account, the romantic style Allen creates with the couple kissing in front of a Monet-like background etc. soon fades away to give its place to blatant reality: boring dinners, uninteresting acquaintances, so little wit in the air, a total contrast to the 20s that are around the corner for the lucky one). Some of the main characters also idolise the past --and me too, the director's past, that is. Things do improve, but they do not reach levels of awe at any point. Maybe slightly when Marion Cotillard appears from a distance. But let's leave this for later and look at the protagonist first.

Owen Wilson is much better when crashing weddings or travelling with a train named Darjeeling Limited or doing whatever stupid thing it is, than when taking over Woody's neurotic persona. But, there's always a second side of the coin, which cites: he is a great actor, if he succeeds so well in annoying us, being the spitting image of the director. I have to aknowledge both statements, as they are equally true. The rest is a matter of choice.

Along the same lines Rachel McAdams, lovely, fresh and hyper-talented, was very successful in playing a neurotic spoilt young woman, shallow and easily enthused by the wrong things. Fake connaisseurs, the standard way of being, the surface without the content catch her attention, while the quest for something noble leaves her unimpressed. Which makes her common life with her fiancé very complicated, as they both like each other only by appearence, which at least they find out soon enough. She may be a little bit on the overplaying side, though; so many uncontrolled gestures towards the ending and such a high pitched voice. But, then it could still be Ines, the character behind all that, who learnt to act in everyday life like as if in a brazilian soap opera.

Then comes the sweetest of them all, the most radiant girl in France, Marion Cotillard and fixes what is broken, together with a clan of culture aficionados like F.Scott Fitzerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Bunuel and the like. Hanging out together in the Parisian nightlife of the 20's exchanging praise or preys, they make a lovely scene. These back in time moments are "easy" scenes, nevertheless with less excitement that awaited, that is less Allen and more old age fatigue. Highly enjoyable, still, due to fine acting and situation bizzarerie, not to mention the artistic work of the costume and set design department.

The obvious discrepancy between the poor scenario (a Hollywood script-writer and renowed author wannabe visits Paris and falls in love with it, leaving his cute fiancé aside and running after his litterary idols until he realises that he wants to lead the life of a bohemian and not the one of a bourgeois) and dialogue and the good work from the all-star-cast which includes, apart from the ones mentioned, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, Kathy Bates, Michael Sheen, Léa Seydoux and the big-in-France Gad Elmaleh leaves us wondering: should we call it a day and quit great expectations? Even the clin d'oeuil, trying to imply that every era has its own charm, drawing parallels to the evolution of his oeuvre, is not convincing. Because, in the end of the day, wit, ladies and gentlemen, cannot be compensated and is greatly missed, when not around any longer.

Tim-Tim ou Tom-Tom?

Je peux meme pas souligner...

Compétition

Another Year - Mike Leigh

Biutiful - Alejandro González Inárritu

Hors-la-loi - Rachid Bouchareb

La princesse de Montpensier - Bertrand Tavernier

Poetry - Lee Chang-dong

The housemaid - Im Sang-soo

Outrage - Takeshi Kitano

Copie conforme - Abbas Kiarostami

Tournée - Matthieu Amalric

Uncle Boonmee - Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Des hommes et des dieux - Xavier Beauvois

La nostra vita - Daniele Luchetti

Un homme qui crie - Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

You: My Joy - Sergei Loznitsa

Utomlyonnye solntsem 2 - Nikita Mikhalkov

Fair Game - Doug Liman

Hors competition

Robin Hood - Ridley Scott (film d'ouverture)

Tamara Drewe - Stephen Frears

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Woody Allen

Wall Street 2 - L’argent ne dort jamais - Oliver Stone

Séances de minuit

Kaboom - Gregg Araki

L’autre monde - Gilles Marchand

Séances Spéciales

Nostalgia De La Luz - Patricio Guzman

Draquila - Sabina Guzzanti

Abel - Diego Luna

Inside Job - Charles Ferguson

Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow - Sophie Fiennes

Chantrapas - Otar Iosseliani

A special day ή η μέρα που ο Γιώργος Λάνθιμος μας έκανε περήφανους

Αισθάνομαι περήφανη σήμερα. Για την ακρίβεια, φουσκώνω σαν παγώνι, που λέει ο λόγος, και πάει καιρός που το σινεμά της χώρας μου αδυνατούσε να με κάνει να νιώσω οτιδήποτε παρόμοιο. Ο Γιώργος Λάνθιμος, που η πρώτη του ταινία Κινέττα δεν έβρισκε διανομή για τους κινηματογράφους ούτε με σφαίρες και παίχτηκε κακήν-κακώς στο Nixon, τρομάρα μας, δεν το έβαλε κάτω, και να που φέρνει βραβείο από τις Κάννες, ύστερα από χρόνια και ζαμάνια. Ο Κυνόδοντάς του ή αλλιώς Canine ή αλλιώτικα Dogtooth κέρδισε το βραβείο καλύτερης ταινίας στο τμήμα Un Certain Regard του Φεστιβάλ των Καννών και προς το παρόν έχω μείνει άφωνη για να αρθρώσω οποιαδήποτε λέξη παραπάνω.

Συγχαρητήρια σε έναν από τους τελευταίους εναπομείναντες Δον Κιχότες του ελληνικού σινεμά.

Παρεπιπτόντως, ας πως συγχαρητήρια και στους υπόλοιπους συντελεστές, γιατί δεν το αξίζουν λιγότερο. Εύγε στην αγαπημένη Αγγελική Παπούλια, στο μοναδικό Χρήστο Στέργιογλου, στη Μαίρη Τσώνη και στο Χρήστο Πάσσαλη (κρίμα να μη δείτε και τι λένε πριν το μεγάλο γεγονός ) .

Κακοντυμένες Κάννες

Δε ξέρω τι συμβαίνει φέτος ή τι συμβαίνει γενικά και οι λαμπερές πολυαγαπημένες μου σταρ δε μπορούν να εντυπωσιάσουν στα red carpets. Με το σωστό σκηνοθέτη δείχνουν μαγευτικές, αλλά με το λάθος στυλίστα δείχνουν κάπως... θλιβερές. Δεν είναι κρίμα, να έχουν λεφτά, να έχουν δόξα, ομορφιά, νιάτα, χάρη και φωτογένεια, να ξέρουν να ποζάρουν άψογα, αλλά να φοράνε επίμονα τη λάθος τουαλέτα; Λάθος για το σώμα τους ή τα χρώματά τους, την ηλικία τους ή για χίλιους άλλους λόγους. Πως δέχονται να είναι κάτι λιγότερο από breathtaking παρουσίες, ε;

Ένα απλό παράδειγμα η Asia Argento που τη βλέπεις και αναρωτιέσαι πως μια καλλίγραμη και hot brunette κατάφερε να μοιάζει με πολύχρωμο αερόστατο που εντάχθηκε στη συλλογή Armani Privé. Τουλάχιστον, υπάρχει μια σταθερά καλοντυμένη στα παχιά χαλιά και δεν είναι άλλη από τη σύζυγο (ίσως και πρώην σύζυγο, απ' ότι ακούγεται) του Sean Penn, Robin Wright με Narciso Rodriguez. La classe, κυρίες και κύριοι.

Cannes 2008, 61 χρόνια μακριά της

Ούτε φέτος, παρά τα καλοσχεδιασμένα νοητικά μου σχέδια, δε θα βρεθώ στις Κάννες. Κάποια άλλη άνοιξη, ίσως. Αυτό δε σημαίνει ότι δε νιώθω τον ιδρώτα των σωμάτων που θα λιάζονται με μαγιώ ή την αγωνία των δημιουργών, κυρίως αυτή. Ανάλαφρες διακοπές ή ψυχαναγκαστικός διαγωνισμός του είναι μας --των σκηνοθετών, ηθοποιών, celebrities και δημοσιογράφων εξίσου, αφού όλοι έχουν κάτι να αποδείξουν; Ρητορική ερώτηση.

Πολλές ωραίες γυναίκες πρωταγωνιστούν και φέτος στις Κάννες και θέλω να σταθώ λίγο σε αυτές. Η Angelina Jolie εμφανίζεται ως μάνα που έχασε το παιδί της και το ξαναβρήκε... διαφορετικό. Ενώ ο κόσμος τη θέλει στο τρελάδικο, ο πάστορας John Malkovich δεν ησυχάζει αν δε βρει τι ακριβώς συνέβη. Περίεργο story για τον Eastwood, που μας έχει συνηθίσει λιγάκι διαφορετικά. Πιο ευαίσθητο, λιγότερο σκληρό ακούγεται το νέο του Changeling, σίγουρα αρκετά υποσχόμενο, πάντως. Η αδυναμία μου, Julianne Moore, που δείχνει τόσο εύθραυστη, σε τρομαχτικό βαθμό στο Safe, θα είναι στον τωρινό της ρόλο η δυνατή. Σε έναν κόσμο που o Fernando Meirelles οραματίστηκε να τον μαστίζει η White Sickness που προκαλεί τύφλωση σε όλους, η διάφανη Julie Ann δε χάνει το φως της, αλλά το κρατάει κρυφό από τους γύρω της προσπαθώντας να επωφεληθεί για να βοηθήσει το σύζυγο Mark Ruffalo. Βέβαια, είναι και το Vicky Cristina Barcelona: όσο κι αν ο Woody Allen is not my thing, το teaming up της Scarlett και της Penelope, ακούγεται, εχμ, αρκετά... ιδρωτικό.

Όσο για ονόματα που αγαπάμε και τρέχουμε από πίσω τους, υπάρχουν και φέτος μπόλικα: Egoyan, Soderbergh, Wenders, οι Dardennes, Wong Kar-wai, Nuri Bilge Ceylan και άλλοι πολλοί, αλλά διαβάστε τα πιο αναλυτικά από κάποιους που θα σας μεταφέρουν τα πάντα περπατώντας στους δρόμους της Croisette. Α, όσο για ταινίες μικρού μήκους, και φέτος έχουν επιλεγεί κάποιες από Ουγγαρία, Ρουμανία ακόμη και Ισλανδία και την Ελλάδα κλασικά μην την είδατε.

Κάννες εν όψει!

Η 60^η διοργάνωση του Φεστιβάλ των Καννών ανακοίνωσε σήμερα λεπτομερώς το πρόγραμμα, τις κριτικές επιτροπές και τα σχετικά. Είδαμε, καταρχήν, ότι το γαλλικότερο των Φεστιβάλ ρίχνει απείρως τους Γάλλους: πρόεδρος στέφθηκε για φέτος ο Βρετανός Stephen Frears και το μόνο μέλος εκ Γαλλίας είναι διαμετρήματος...Michel Piccoli. Η Maggie Cheung βέβαια είχε μια φορά κι έναν καιρό γάλλο σύζυγο και μεγάλη πέραση στη χώρα, οπότε φαντάζομαι σκέφτηκαν ότι μετράει για δικιά τους, ειδικά από την Irma Vep και μετά.

Σνομπάρει, όμως( η διοργάνωση, όχι η Maggie), τους γάλλους και στην επιλογή των ταινιών: μετά βίας χώρεσε τη νέα Breillat και το νέο Honoré στο πρόγραμμα και, για φαντάσου, ως ταινία λήξης επέλεξε ταινία του καναδού (που κάποτε ασχολήθηκε με τους Βάρβαρους) Denys Arcand —θ’ ακούσουν οι απαρηγόρητοι έστω κάτι σαν...γαλλικά, αν μη τι άλλο. Για να παρουσιάσει τις διάφορες τελετές επελέγη η Γερμανίδα ωραία Ελένη Diane Kruger, και το μόνο παρήγορο είναι ότι η Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi θα παρευρεθεί διαγωνιζόμενη μεν, ως σκηνοθέτρια δε (στο τμήμα Un certain Regard).

Άλλα αξιοσημείωτα: διαγωνίζεται η κυπριακή ταινία μικρού μήκους Το όνομα του Σπουργιτιού (πόσο καιρό έχουν ν’ ακούσουν ελληνικά σ’ αυτό το φεστιβάλ, άραγε, λες από το "Στέλλα, κρατάω μαχαίρι;") και εκδηλώνεται κατάφωρη συμπάθεια προς τους ανθρώπους των γραμμάτων: δύο αγαπημένοι συγγραφείς, ο νομπελίστας γείτονας Orhan Pamuk και ο Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio θα κρίνουν ταινίες με τα δικά τους γεμάτα εικόνες-που-δε-βλέπεις-μα-διαβάζεις μάτια.