Estate violenta (1959)

A very nice surprise from out of nowhere. Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant (who plays the ladies man, surprise, surprise) and an underrated Eleonora Rossi Drago, it's a very rare and captivating love/war story from Italian director Valerio Zurlini.


I'll have to see more from him! It turns out I saw A Family Portrait / Family Diary on TCM, but it was dubbed or something was severely wrong with it, because I didn't enjoy it much at all. I'm expecting that I'll love his other movies more. He was also a writer on The Garden of theFinzi-Continis.

Obsession (1976, Brian de Palma)


Rating: 6.5/10

With a manic nod to Vertigo, Brian de Palma even borrows frequent Hitchcock composer Bernard Hermann. With a screenplay from Paul Schrader, the movie was bound to be a hit. So what went wrong? Or maybe what went right?

The ending was more impressive than I was expecting, but it was still a bit of an eyeroll. Still, Brian de Palma succeeds in what he set out to do: make a pretty decent film. It was cheesy in that seventies way, but all in all it could have been a lot worse. I am intrigued to see more movies with Academy Award winning actor, Cliff Robertson.

Pierrot le Fou (1965, Jean-Luc Godard)

I.
I'll start off by saying that upon viewing the film a second time, I noticed how either other filmmakers ripped off this work of Godard's or Godard's ideas pre-dated what was to appear in the future. Please be warned that this is an exploration of Pierrot le Fou the movie, so please do not read if you don't like spoilers.


Anna Karina's hairstyle is reminiscent of Princess Leia's in Star Wars.



The constant repeating of ads reminds me of The Truman Show.


Samuel Fuller tells Jean-Paul Belmondo that he is in Paris to make a film called Flower of Evil. Samuel Fuller never made a film by that name, but Claude Chabrol did.


JPB & Anna K. drive into the ocean, much like Jack Nicholson and Shirley MacLaine do, in Terms of Endearment.

I'm sure I missed other filmmaker's overt references to this film. Please let me know if you think of any.



II.

In the film Meetin' WA (1986), Woody Allen notices how Godard's films are pure cinema and haven't been influenced by other art forms like other films. I was stunned, because I had never noticed it. Now, however, I realized I never noticed this, because it is not true.

Godard references other mediums plenty. Brigitte Bardot in Le Mepris and Jean-Paul Belmondo in this film, Pierrot le Fou, both read aloud to other people from books and in the bathtub, no less. If that isn't directly borrowing from another art form, I don't know what is. The film within the film in Le Mepris is based on Homer's The Odyssey.

Jean-Paul Belmondo realizes that Flower of Evil is a Baudelaire reference and later talks about how he could write a better version of a type of novel that (James) Joyce had written. Jean-Paul Belmondo narrates by saying she had the eyes of both Aucassin and Nicolette, the title characters of a medieval story. Balzac, Jules Verne, the detective novel... Why all these allusions to literature, if Godard is pure cinema?

I know that Woody Allen meant the structure of the story. The words, the music, it's all unconventional, yes. And while he's an innovative filmmaker and the plots are oblique, I'm not sure that Godard is much different than his contemporaries: Truffaut, Chabrol, Rivette, Rohmer, etc. But man, his essay films get on my nerves! I'm glad that this isn't one of them.



III.

Godard loves finding words within words for some reason. In this film, Marianne finds words within her name. Ferdinand/Pierrot changes the word art (l'art) into death (le mort) with one doodle or two with his pen. The amazing thing is how words can change between languages. When I was watchingFrance/tour/détour/deux/enfants the other day, Godard tried asking a kid what verbs he could find in "découvrir" (to discover). The child failed to find "ouvrir" which means open. In French, the words within words are positive: "to discover". In English, the prefix is a negative: "dis-" and the root word: "cover" is negative, obviously meaning "to hide". DIS/COVER. A double negative is a positive. In Masculin Feminin, Godard finds the words "mask" and "ass" inside the French word "masculin", but doesn't find any inside the word "feminin". In English, the word is very similar: "masculine". An "e" is added. What words can be found inside of "masculine"? "as" and "line". Very different than “mask” and “ass” if I may say so myself. Maybe French is a language with more meaning. Maybe the words within words have little meaning. Maybe Godard is onto something. Maybe he never found what he was searching for with the words in between words.


Conclusion.

This movie is a lot of nonsense and fun. Some people may take it more seriously than it's meant to be. Since rewatching Le Mepris and Pierrot le Fou at around the same time, I've noticed that it's very similar. Marianne and Pierrot die violent deaths at the end. While they are criminals on the run, the cause of their deaths are very different from Camille's (Brigitte Bardot) and her lover's. However, Pierrot film seems like another incarnation of Mepris, like Godard hadn't yet quite expressed himself or gotten a point across in the way he wanted to. Or maybe he was simply repeating himself.



With a beautiful, special cameo from Jean Seberg (in the film within a film).

The Brothers Bloom (2008, Rian Johnson)


What could have been uninteresting or a disaster actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

The preview looked like it was about idiots gallivanting around Europe:
-Penelope the heiress who crashes her car every 5 seconds
-Bang-Bang the pyromaniac
-The Brothers Bloom, the inseparable con-artists with a lame plan we've seen 1,000 times before.

Right? Well, wrong.

It would be very easy to oversimplify the plots and characters, only because so much is going on.

The aforementioned Penelope (played by Academy Award winning Rachel Weisz) "collects hobbies". Thankfully the writer/director Rian Johnson (Brick) actually put some thought into the script or this could have been a snooze-fest. Along with Penelope's bottomless well of hidden talents, is a person aching to make a connection with the rest of the world, and not sure how to do so.

The story of the brothers starts from their childhood, when they develop a plan to rip off the local children who suffer from being too-well provided for. Their masterplan is a barrel of laughs and quite well thought out.

Mark Ruffalo plays the brother who is the brain and the true criminal. Adrien Brody plays the crook with the soft spot: always remaining close to his brother while looking for his one true love. Relationships are key for him.

Things get complicated fast, and while we're aware that things aren't all what they seem, neither are we exactly sure what lies ahead.

I can safely recommend The Brothers Bloom for its wit, charm, and nearly silent performance by outstanding Academy Award nominated Rinko Kikuchi (Bang-Bang). Don't hesitate to run to the theater, because it won't disappoint.

Rating: 83/100

La belle personne (Christophe Honoré, 2008)

Christophe Honoré film's shock.  La Belle Personne is no exception, however it it among his most tasteful.  

Louis Garrel plays Nemours, a young teacher that seems to be quite appealing to the ladies.  We are not only worried for Junie (Léa Seydoux), a transfer student, but for every other female on-screen.  But at no time does his character seem overdrawn or cliché.  He is somewhat likeable and I somehow hoped one of his relationships would work out for him.

By the time Léa Seydoux's character shows up, I had this eerie feeling Nemours would encroach on her territory.  However, he stalks his prey quietly.  While we are waiting for him to pounce, Junie develops an endearing relationship with Otto, a quiet and well-meaning boy.  Still, Junie makes him hold his breath and starts playing hard to get.

Léa Seydoux reminds me of a young Isabelle Adjani.  Same features, same emotional depth.  She still has room to develop, but so far, so good.  Christophe Honoré got lucky while casting.   In fact, the rest of the students are capable as well.  The interactions are quite reminiscent of Entre Les Murs.  However, Christophe Honoré makes this film his own and has a different end goal in sight.

The previous reviews I read led me to believe that Junie was a precocious girl that goaded her teacher into a tawdry affair, making you wonder who was the victim.  Not so.  Throughout the film, we are never presented with any other facts about Nemours, except that he is sleazy and unconcerned with the ages of the women he pursues.

The film is filled with surprises.  Everyone has a secret, including Matthias, Junie's cousin and protector.  When a misunderstanding drives an essential character over the edge, Junie makes a brilliant, but severe choice.  The ending was one of the best I'd seen in awhile.  I know Christophe Honoré has many more great films inside of him and I can't wait to see his and Léa Seydoux's careers continue to unfold.

Faubourg 36 aka Paris 36 (2008)



Christophe Barratier follows up his wonderful film The Chorus with an enchanting story about reviving "The Chansonia", an old-time music hall.

Nora Arnezeder plays Douce, a starry-eyed singer aching to make her debut. Nora is no Marion Cotillard or Ludivine Sagnier, however she is a decent newcomer with a penchant for Woody Allen.

Familiar faces fill the screen: Gérard Jugnot from The Chorus, Clovis Cornillac from La Femme de Gilles and many others, and Kad Merad from Welcome to the Land of the Ch'tis (and of course he was in The Chorus as well).

Overall, it's a charming film that has been mercilessly underrated by the critics. Everyone should give the lovely Paris 36 a chance.

The Great Buck Howard



Rating: 7/10



Although it is quite better than I might have imagined, it also drags towards the end. Colin Hanks is not the most charming actor, but from all those who have benefited from nepotism in Hollywood, he is far from the worst.



Emily Blunt was charming as usual, but it was disturbing that she's had love scenes with both Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson's War) and now his son in this film. Oh well. Her character was kind of slutty, and the writer says she was completely made-up.



John Malkovich was mainly good. However, sometimes when he was chewing Colin Hanks out, I wish he would have made me tremble out of fear a bit more. While it is not as unmissable as the guys from At the Movies would have you believe, I still had a great time, and made the guy next to me uncomfortable from laughing so much.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Reprinted from The Life Cinematic Magazine (now-defunct):

Alfred Hitchcock, master of suspense in the cinema, was offered his own television show by Lew Wasserman at Universal-International after the raging box-office success of Rear Window (you can still see Hitch’s office if you take the tour at Universal Studios). It was an ingenious idea. Hitchcock would invade the home each week, establishing himself as an icon. His introductions and closing remarks for each episode were witty delicacies penned by James Allardice, and he nailed his morbid lines with deadpan delivery.

He would put some of his own ideas for stories into motion, but above all he had script approval, which resulted in top-notch quality for the show as a whole. Granted, he directed his show very rarely, but two episodes he directed were nominated for Emmys (”The Case of Mr. Pelham” and “Lamb to the Slaughter”) and are pretty phenomenal. Other directors included Robert Altman, Robert Stevens (who directed a large number of the shows), and Stuart Rosenberg (director of The Amityville Horror and Cool Hand Luke).

Hitch was able to attract big stars because of his excellent standards: Barbara Bel Geddes (whom he would later cast in Vertigo), James Mason, John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Robert Redford, Joan Fontaine, Lillian Gish, Walter Matthau, Bette Davis, and Steve McQueen. The list goes on and on. He even featured his daughter, Patricia Hitchcock, in ten episodes. And she was a decent actress too!

Alfred Hitchcock Presents lasted for seven seasons. The Alfred Hitchcock Hour followed for three years after that. In my opinion, Hour seemed less crafted and was nowhere near as good as his initial venture into the television world.

There are several standout episodes I’d like to recommend. If you have a chance to rent these DVDs from your video store or library or to buy them online, I’d encourage you to do so ASAP. Television has never been more entertaining. Not only do these shows have the morals of the fifties instilled within them, but they also have gruesome twist endings that M. Night Shyamalan only wishes he could surpass somehow.

I have briefly talked about my favorite episodes below. Note that while I would never give away the twist-endings, there may be more information than some would like. If you would like to be surprised, grab a random Alfred Hitchcock Presents DVD. Otherwise, read below for a preview.

Season 1, Episode 1: “Breakdown”
This episode starring Joseph Cotten is one of the most well-known ones. If you are going to see one, see this one. I love how Alfred Hitchcock cast the handsome Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt as a man his family should trust, but whose dark past catches up with him and threatens those around him. This episode is different, but builds on their past collaborations together. Cotten plays a businessman who gets out of hand. The ending is one to keep people talking for years. In fact, Stephen King wrote a variation of this tale in a short story entitled Autopsy Room Four, contained in the book Everything’s Eventual.

Season 2, Episode 22: “The End of Indian Summer”
This is a fun battle of the spouse killers episode. It brings to mind Double Indemnity, featuring an insurance agent who suspects a sweet, elderly lady to be a habitual husband killer, only to find more than he bargained for. An extreme amount of fun.

Season 2, Episode 34: “Martha Mason, Movie Star”
This episode is about a delusional woman who is probably based on the character of Norma Desmond from Sunset Blvd. Instead of being a crazy movie star, she is just plain crazy. Still, she’s very charming, although clearly in need of more brain power. When we realize she is beyond hope, it is still easy to root for her.

Season 3, Episode 11: “The Deadly”
This episode will probably make your blood boil, as you witness a plumber trying to take advantage of a housewife through extortion. When she finds that he has been threatening the whole neighborhood, she and her friends rise to give this man a proper payback.

Season 3, Episode 33: “Post Mortem”
A woman’s husband mysteriously dies. Some suspect foul play, but she is cleared and remarries. She begins to suspect that her new husband may have murdered her former husband and may even be out to get her. She tells her story to a police detective, but with no hard proof, she may be murdered before enough evidence is gathered to put him away.

Season 7, Episode 2: “Bang! You’re Dead”
This is one of the scariest episodes, involving a kid finding a gun. He promptly goes out, pointing the gun at everyone he sees. The kid thinks the gun is a toy, and so do the people who see him. When his parents find that their son and the gun are missing, they are so frantic, that it nearly drives the audience to experience a major breakdown.

It would take much more time to talk about my favorite episodes. Trust me when I say, though, that if you are sick of watching boring films with drab dialogue or the unremarkable television programs of today, you can’t miss with an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode. You can savor each one or devour them twenty at a time. I have done both, and each way works extremely well.

Time for the Oscars

For a complete list of Oscar nominations, go to: http://www.oscar.com/nominees/?pn=nominees

My picks are in bold. They may not win, but based on what I've seen they seem like the best picks.


Best motion picture of the year
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
“Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

I don't think any of these actors deserve a nod. Haven't seen: Tropic Thunder.

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

-Wasn't impressed by Kate Winslet
-Haven't seen Rachel Getting Married (want to) or Changeling (don't want to)
-Seeing Frozen River next week before I make a final decision

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)
I'm split on this one.:
-Viola Davis is probably the best.
-Penélope Cruz's best role was Volver and she probably should have won that year. However, she was very good in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
-Marisa Tomei was good, especially with a role that most other actresses would have played two-dimensionally.

Best animated feature film of the year
“Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
“Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

I guess Wall-E will win, but I am not excited about any of these features.

Achievement in art direction
“Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
“Revolutionary Road”(DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

-Haven't seen Changeling and Duchess.

Achievement in cinematography
“Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design
“Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
“Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

-Haven't seen: Australia or The Duchess.
-Not impressed: with Milk or Revolutionary Road.

Achievement in directing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
“Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
“The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
“Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
“Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

-Missed The Betrayal darn it.
-Haven't seen any.

Best documentary short subject
“The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
“The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
“Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
“The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

-Haven't seen any.

Achievement in film editing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
“Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year
“The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
“The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
“Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
“Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
“Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

-Haven't seen any, but am excited perhaps about The Class.
-Really want to see all of the choices though.

Achievement in makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

-Love Alexandre Desplat but wasn't overwhelmed by the music in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
-Slumdog Millionaire's music was great.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

-One of the Slumdog songs should win.

Best animated short film
“La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
“Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
“Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
“Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
“This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

-Haven't seen any.

Best live action short film
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
“Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
“New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
“The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

-Haven't seen any.

Achievement in sound editing
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
“Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
“Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

-Haven't seen Iron Man.

Adapted screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
“Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

-Amazing how Slumdog was adapted from the book to make it what it is.

Original screenplay
“Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
“Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
“In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
“Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

-Haven't seen Frozen River or Happy-Go-Lucky. Waiting to make a decision.

2008: A Year in Review

(Philip Seymour Hoffman being directed by Charlie Kaufman in Synecdoche, New York)

2008 - Top 10 Theatrical Releases

1. Synecdoche, New York (2008)
2. Roman de gare (2007)
3. Il y a longtemps que je t'aime/I've Loved You So Long (2008)
4. Elegy (2008)
5. Heure d'été, L' /Summer Hours(2008)
6. The Visitor (2007/I)
7. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
8. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
9. Last Chance Harvey (2008)
10. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
    

2008 - Top 25 Viewed & adored for the first time

1. Tess (1979)
2. Onna ga kaidan wo agaru toki/When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)
3. The Night of the Iguana (1964)
4. Angèle (1934)
5. O Lucky Man! (1973)
6. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
7. Bigger Than Life (1956)
8. Cluny Brown (1946)
9. Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) Video Link (short)
10. Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)
11. Basquiat (1996)
12. Château de ma mère, Le / My Mother's Castle (1990)
13. The Old, Weird America: Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music (2007)
14. Kárhozat/Damnation (1988)
15. Broken Lullaby (1932)
16. Vieil homme et l'enfant, Le /The Two of Us (1967)
17. Suture (1993)
18. Thieves' Highway (1949)
19. Design for Living (1933)
20. Chameleon Street (1989)
21. Forbidden (1932)
22. Hula (1927)
23. Zezowate szczescie/Bad Luck (1960)
24. Gimme Shelter (1970)
25. Craig's Wife (1936)

Honorable Mention

1. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
2. Ich möchte kein Mann sein/I Don't Want to Be a Man (1918)
3. Panelkapcsolat / Pre-Fab People (1982)
4. Palais royal! (2005)
5. You Think You Really Know Me: The Gary Wilson Story (2005)
6. Gates of Heaven (1978)
7. Schpountz, Le (1938)
8. The Slender Thread (1965)
9. Huitième jour, Le/The Eighth Day (1996)
10. Beröringen / The Touch (1971) Blog
11. Days of Waiting (1990)
12. American Dream (1990)
13. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)
14. Bellissima (1951)
15. Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol (1990)
16. Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film (2006)
17. Shopworn (1932) Video Clip
18. À l'intérieur (2007)
19. Pinky (1949)
20. Charlie Is My Darling (1966)
21. Tourneuse de pages, La (2006)
22. Under the Covers (2002) (V)
23. Monkey Business (1952)
24. Top Hat (1935)
25. Lifeboat (1944)
26. Love Letters (1945)
27. Training Day (2001)
28. Cry-Baby (1990)
29. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)
30. A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995) (TV)
31. No Sex Last Night (1996) Video
32. Pointe-courte, La (1954)
33. Washington Square (1997)
34. Deliver Us from Evil (2006)
35. The Amazing Mr. X / The Spiritualist (1948)
36. Summertime (1955)
37. Communion (1989)
38. Citizen Ruth (1996)
39. Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)
40. Angel (1937)
41. Puppe, Die/The Doll (1919)
42. A Royal Scandal (1945)
43. Un monde sans pitié (1989)
44. Femme du boulanger, La /The Baker's Wife (1938)
45. Johnny Apollo (1940)
46. Secret Beyond the Door... (1948)
47. Une vraie jeune fille (1976)
48. Kontroll (2003)
49. J'accuse! (1938)
50. Frau im Mond Woman in the Moon (By Rocket to the Moon) (1929)
51. Amour par terre, L' / Love on the Ground (1984)
52. Play Misty for Me (1971)

20 Favourite Actors

Meme borrowed from the idea "20 Favourite Actresses"



01. Daniel Auteuil
Key roles:
La Fille sur le pont
Le Placard
Caché
Après vous...
Le Huitième jour


02. Humphrey Bogart
Key roles:
Casablanca
High Sierra
Sabrina
The Harder They Fall
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre


03. Anthony Hopkins
Key roles:
The Silence of the Lambs
Shadowlands
The Elephant Man
Surviving Picasso
Nixon


04. Gérard Depardieu
Key roles:
Bon voyage
Jean de Florette
Camille Claudel
Quand j'étais chanteur
La Môme



05. Cary Grant
Key roles:
His Girl Friday
North by Northwest
An Affair to Remember
The Bishop's Wife
Bringing Up Baby


06. Owen Wilson
Key roles:
The Royal Tenenbaums
Shanghai Noon
The Darjeeling Limited
Meet the Parents
Zoolander



07. Dustin Hoffman
Key roles:
The Graduate
Midnight Cowboy
Little Big Man
Straight Time
I Heart Huckabees


08. Clive Owen
Key roles:
Shoot 'Em Up
Greenfingers
Gosford Park
The Bourne Identity
Elizabeth: The Golden Age


09. Bill Murray
Key roles:
Broken Flowers
Rushmore
The Royal Tenenbaums
What About Bob?
Groundhog Day


10. Grégori Derangère
Key roles:
Bon voyage
L'Équipier
The Murder of Princess Diana
Mille millièmes


11. Joseph Cotten
Key roles:
Shadow of a Doubt
The Magnificent Ambersons
Citizen Kane
Love Letters
Niagara


12. William Holden
Key roles:
Sunset Blvd.
Sabrina
Stalag 17
Network
The Moon Is Blue


13. Elliott Gould
Key roles:
The Long Goodbye
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
California Split
Beröringen
Little Murders


14. Kevin Spacey
Key roles:
L.A. Confidential
Pay It Forward
Se7en
American Beauty
Beyond the Sea


15. Fabrice Luchini
Key roles:
Confidences trop intimes
Le Bossu
La Discrète
Les Nuits de la pleine lune
Beaumarchais, l'insolent


16. Paul Giamatti
Key roles:
Sideways
American Splendor
Shoot 'Em Up
Duets
My Best Friend's Wedding


17. Steve Martin
Key roles:
Shopgirl
A Simple Twist of Fate
Roxanne
Grand Canyon
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid



18. Jason Schwartzman
Key roles:
Shopgirl
I Heart Huckabees
Rushmore
The Darjeeling Limited
S1m0ne


19. Jean Reno
Key roles:
Léon: The Professional
Wasabi
French Kiss
Décalage horaire
Ronin


20. Jean-Louis Trintignant
Key roles:
Trois couleurs: Rouge
Vivement dimanche!
Ma nuit chez Maud
Les Biches
Il Conformista

Last Chance Harvey (2008, Joel Hopkins)
Q&A with Dustin Hoffman



Rating: 82/100

I can't get over the fact that at 71 1/2 and with over 40 movies under his belt, Dustin Hoffman repeatedly gave the impression at the Q&A of someone who grappled with a struggling career. "Why don't they writes roles for people my age?" he vented. He worked for ten years as a waiter before his career took off and he said, "The feeling of being a failure never quite leaves you." I found this interesting, especially since I consider him one of the great actors of our time.

He said that he enjoyed working with Emma Thompson on Stranger Than Fiction. They had two scenes together, one of which was cut severely. It was Emma who had the connection to writer/director Joel Hopkins and he developed this script with both actors in mind.

On to the review of the film:

Finally a movie that doesn't pull any punches and is honest as well as enjoyable. The setting of London is glorious and the moments of humor in this drama are well placed. Since the movie was hand-crafted for the two leads, it felt natural. Even before knowing that, I thought it wouldn't have worked half as well without these two actors (Hoffman/Thompson).

The movie is about a man who goes to London for his daughter's wedding. He hasn't been close to her for the last several years. In a moving scene with Emma Thompson, he explains how it happened so gradually that one day he just wasn't part of her life. To make matters worse, he is an embarrassment to the family and finds himself one prickly situation after another. He just can't win.

It progresses and ends with a satisfying amount of closure. With all the disappointing films today and so much advertising being spent on films without a decent script, it's a shame that this one will most likely go unnoticed by a lot of people. If you get the chance and have any interest, I highly recommend it.

In closing, Dustin talked about the directors he wanted to work with: P.T. Anderson and Scorsese. He admired Brando's working relationship with Kazan. He also liked Martin McDonagh's film In Bruges, which leads us to the actors he said he admired. He was on a roll: Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, "Seymour" Hoffman, Sean Penn, Ginger Rogers in 5th Ave Girl, Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel, Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, Russell Crowe in Body of Lies, the casts of The Lives of Others, 4 mos., 3 wks, and 2 days, and both sisters in Rachel Getting Married. Whew!

Edited by: Sandy
Thank you!

Revolutionary Road (2008, Sam Mendes)



Rating: 2.5/4 star, 61/100

Overall, disappointing. This movie likes to take jumps in time. The problem is that it wants to be Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf at times. Kate & Leo seemed to be overacting, both of them trying for that impossible Oscar. It also makes Kate & Leo's relationship to be turbulent. One moment you think they're going to strangle each other or at least be perpetually unhappy, and the next moment they are over the moon to the point where you become overly hopeful for them.

Then of course, things take yet another crazy turn at the end. You're left wondering how you got there. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the romanticism of Titanic, even though I was never the world's biggest fan of the movie.

While the writing was solid, and while the screenwriter admitted to making things a tad happier in the movie than the book (SPOILER: In the book, Leo's character gives the kids away to relatives; in the movie he is always close to them.), he still joked about the movie's day after Christmas release: "On Christmas you open up all your presents, only to go to the theater the next day to find out what your life is really like."

In closing, I'd like to confirm that this movie is not so stand-out, in accordance with my rating. Some people have actually enjoyed the acting, even though it wasn't as subtle as I would like. The story isn't one that can be adored unless you like having your expectations blown in a bad way. I would recommend seeing it if you really must quench your curiosity. After all, Kate & Leo together again after 11 years is something a lot of people won't be able to stay away from.

Seven Pounds (2008, Gabriele Muccino)




Can "Good Deeds" Make Up for Past Mistakes?
Rating: 3/4 stars, 73/100, 7/10

(Minor spoilers in the review)

Calling to mind 21 Grams and I Am Legend (and being directed by The Pursuit of Happyness' Gabriele Muccino), this movie is pretty good, but never does it break as much ground as Memento or Pulp Fiction. Overall, pretty good performances by Woody Harrelson, Will Smith, and Rosario Dawson.

Even though Rosario Dawson is very good in this and everything she's done post Josie and the Pussycats, there is a personal gripe I have with the scene where she proclaims Charles Aznavour's "Formidable" is her favorite song. She knows the English words, but hums during French part of the song. That famous song is actually one of my favorites. However, I was thrown out of the movie for a second when the character didn't know the words to her own favorite song. I think this is primarily director Gabriele Muccino's fault. He should have spent the extra time with Rosario in order to have her be able to sing two whole lines.

There are a few "how is that possible" moments in the script which could easily be justified by the screenwriter, such as how did he meet the people he's trying to help or regarding the complication due to the jellyfish infecting its victim.

I would say that the movie is entertaining and that if you can ignore some of these perceived flaws, it would be a great movie to see for the holiday season. The ending is sort of bittersweet and the film itself is not for those who can't handle a non-linear story at all. It's the kind of movie you have to just go with until things start making sense.

20 Favourite Actresses

Meme from: House of Mirth and Movies
Also see my: 20 Favourite Actors


01. Bette Davis (Key role: Dangerous)


02. Isabelle Huppert (Key role: La Cérémonie)


03. Sandrine Bonnaire (Key role: Jeanne la Pucelle II - Les prisons)


04. Faye Dunaway (Key role: Bonnie and Clyde)


05. Isabelle Adjani (Key role: Camille Claudel)


06. Gloria Swanson (Key role: Sunset Blvd.)


07. Janet Gaynor (Key role: A Star Is Born)


08. Audrey Hepburn (Key role: Roman Holiday)


09. Naomi Watts (Key role: Mulholland Dr.)


10. Rita Hayworth (Key role: Gilda)


11. Irène Jacob (Key role: La Double vie de Véronique)


12. Jean Seberg (Key role: À bout de souffle)


13. Monica Vitti (Key role: Il Deserto rosso)


14. Margit Carstensen (Key role: Angst vor der Angst)


15. Ludivine Sagnier (Key role: La Fille coupée en deux)


16. Mia Farrow (Key role: Crimes and Misdemeanors)


17. Brigitte Bardot (Key role: Viva Maria!)


18. Natalie Wood (Key role: Inside Daisy Clover)


19. Barbara Stanwyck (Key role: The Lady Eve)


20. Catherine Deneuve (Key role: Les Demoiselles de Rochefort)

Working Girls (1931, Dorothy Arzner)

I've been reading Directed by Dorothy Arzner and have been familiar with nearly all of the Dorothy Arzner films Judith Mayne talks about due to the wonderfulness that is TCM.

However, there was one film that I hadn't seen: Working Girls. In the book, Mayne stated that this was never released to the general public and then described the movie in furious detail. After all, she was able to see it through UCLA's archives.

So I got the idea to see what the process was for checking out UCLA's archives and emailed them Wednesday. I happened to email them right before the end of the semester. Someone wrote back requesting that I send them my academic information and reasons for wanting to view the film. Yikes! I wrote back that I was interested in Arzner's films for their "historical value", in addition to researching films directed by women in general. I hoped that was sufficient and that I didn't have to be working on a thesis!

When I got there Thursday afternoon, they had everything ready for me in their viewing room in the Powell Library and all I had to do was give them my ID.

Then on glorious VHS, I saw the very amusing film! There may be spoilers from this point.

Working Girls is a very dated film, sure, and probably amusing for that very fact. It's the story of two sisters: Mae & June who come to New York for their big break. Mae gets knocked up basically, and June marries the man that Mae jilts.

It was a very interesting experience. Deemed too racy at the time, it is extremely tame by today's standards. In Mayne's book it seemed that the happenings in the movie were overt. However, even by pre-code standards, nothing was spoken of directly. And when it was, Mae and June were mostly naive about what was going on.

June applies for a job working as a secretary for a professor, but she isn't educated enough. Mae, who has two more years of high school on June gets the job, but she is no Albert Einstein either. Mae pleads with the prof. for the job, and he gets the idea that she is offering sexual favors or at least is coming on to him.


Above is June (Judith Wood) who meets Mr. Michael Kelly, a saxophone player who makes $90 a week (June & Mae think they'd hit it big making $25 a week). Even though her younger sister Mae (Dorothy Hall) finds a "Harvard Man" named Boyd Wheeler (played by Charles "Buddy" Rogers), June likes Kelly for the tangible things he can give her. Kelly gives her some candy, then is chided into giving her orchids, perfume, and an umbrella, all on the first date.

The professor proposes to "little April" when Mae corrects him on her name. "Oh, I bet your pardon, Miss Springtime," he says. Yeah, for a professor, he is a little ditzy. Mae reveals to the prof. that she has a love interest and is promptly fired.

June is worried about Mae's relationship with Boyd Wheeler and tells Mae "keep your shirt on" throughout the film. June however refuses to break a date with Michael Kelly when Mae has to meet Boyd for dinner at his place. When Mae gets there, she finds that the "friend" Boyd Wheeler was going to have along with her has canceled. Mae has the idea that most girls did at the time: that if she is alone with Boyd in his apartment, she will be corrupted. She says , "Something tells me if I take this coat off, I'm not of strong character."

A little dramatic perhaps, but she does indeed succumb to Wheeler's wiles and becomes pregnant.

Wheeler of course has a fiancée. To make a long story short, Wheeler dumps the fiancée, but only after Mae has agreed to marry the professor because of her situation.

When June finds this out, she pleads with Michael Kelly to come along with her and Mae to Wheeler's: "Have you got a gun? We're going to a wedding!"

Things end happily, Hollywood style, with June and Michael Kelly having to tell the professor at a Chinese restaurant that Mae is going to have to break her engagement to him.

The professor asks if June herself is engaged to Kelly, the man she came with. "Engaged. To that one? I should say not."

Kelly removes himself from the table while waiting for their food to arrive. June asks the prof. if he knew that Mae was pregnant with Wheeler's child when he agreed to marry her, in so many words. He says yes. June is overcome by this chivalrous man who would have fought to protect her sister's honor. She asks him if he'll marry her. The prof. is overtaken by her boldness, yet agrees. As Michael Kelly returns, June tells the prof. she likes "lots of petting", even though she previously told Kelly to keep his hands off despite the numerous gifts she demanded of him.



Though these characters are indeed likeable, the most unfortunate thing is that Judith Wood and Dorothy Hall never really made names for themselves as actresses. Maybe it's because Dorothy Hall has charmingly painful lines like "Aww, you don't need to speak so sarcasmly." In addition, they didn't have the gumption or beauty of Arzner's other leading ladies: Katharine Hepburn, Clara Bow, or Rosalind Russell to name a few. There is no way to tell if Wood and Hall would have become stars had the film actually been released, but as it was, fame was not in the cards for these two ladies.

As for Arzner's direction, it is impeccable. She does what she can with Wood and Hall's talents, and the film glides by delightfully. In the scene where Mae meets Boyd Wheeler in a shoe store, he spies on her through the shoe fitting stool's mirror. Arzner's subsequent shots are amazing too, but that one is my favorite.

One has to notice the very crafty lesbian undertones in this film. The all-girl boarding house Mae and June live in is very strict. To visit "family" overnight, they must sign out to avoid being corrupted by young men. Of course, one of the girls who is signing out states, "You oughta meet a man like my aunt."

There is also a butch girl named Lou Hollings (played by Frances Moffett) that lives amongst them as well as a dim-witted one that starts following Mae and June at first, as if she has a crush on them.

The girls are also ordered to keep the windows closed so they won't hear the uncouth music coming from the nightclub right across from their building. Of course, one night they open the windows and the girls begin to dance with each other. How's that scene for a lesbian director in the early nineteen thirties? Of course since the film was sadly never released to the public, Arzner didn't quite get away with it.


(Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Blondell in Night Nurse)

What is left behind, however, is a pretty decent film despite its lack of any huge stars unless you count Frances Dee who has a very minor role. Based on the play "Blind Mice" by Vera Caspary and Winifred Lenihan), Zoe Atkins' script was good, but unfortunately not appropriate for the times. What is amazing is what films of that same pre-code era got away with: Illicit (racy dialog) and Night Nurse (girls in their underclothes) both with Barbara Stanwyck. Working Girls also features a scene with one of the girls in just a bra and lacy panties, which was probably the only thing that should have been cut in order for the film to be shown in theaters across the USA (and maybe the cut of the two girls dancing). All in all it was a great experience. This movie deserves to be seen by more people. Hopefully, UCLA and TCM or some DVD company will work something out in the future. There is definitely an interest in pre-code films, in addition to Dorothy Arzner's works and feminist cinema.

Special thanks to: UCLA Library

Addendum: Please also note some of the quotes from this movie that I added to IMDB.

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)



When I saw the movie Dear Zachary, I was not prepared for such an emotionally challenging and relevant documentary. It is about a man who was murdered and the person who murdered him was let out on bail for several years until the opportunity came for her to kill again.

It was made by the victim's best friend, who started the documentary in order to show his friend's legacy to his son.

At the end of the documentary, there is a call to action to support bail reform. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Even if you want to turn it on for a few minutes just to check it out. You will not be disappointed.

It aired on MSNBC yesterday and will show again this Sunday. Don't miss it! Details below:

IMDB TV Schedule:

Sun. Dec. 14

4:00 PM

MSNBC

Cinéma à trois: A Thanksgiving Day at the Theater

Four Christmases (Seth Gordon, 2008)
Rating: 63/100
This movie was as bad as I was expected, but as long as the screenwriter was going to make it suck, at least they had enough decency to make it terrible in a way I didn't expect.


Transporter 3 (Olivier Megaton, 2008)
Rating: 72/100
Knowing that this movie couldn't be worse than Transporter 2, and hoping it would be better than Four Christmases, but not having any expectations after lukewarm reviews, this film surprisingly delivered.

A shirtless Jason Statham? Check.
Great action/chase scenes? Check. One was even so good I clapped!!
A cute yet harmless twist that keeps the movie going? Check.

So there's this government guy that is threatened by the bad guy. And the government guy finds out the bad guy's name is "Johnson" right? And in the next scene, Jason Statham's phone (who can only receive and dial to the bad guy) says JOHNSON on the caller ID. Now, the bad guy wouldn't want Jason Statham to know his name even if the government guy and the audience does. But the audience isn't stupid. We know the only call he's going to get is from Johnson aka THE BAD GUY. So this seems to be a weird flaw. The other thing is when the "girl" won't tell Jason her name throughout the whole entire movie. And suddenly he starts calling her Valentina.

Those are the only problems I had with the movie. The rest was great. I didn't even realize till the end credits, but it was co-written with Luc Besson! Great stuff here. And it was a pleasure to watch.


Twilight (Catherine Hardwicke, 2008)
Rating: 73/100
And then came the vampire movie. This was better than I was expecting. The cool thing to say is that only 14 or 15 year old girls will like this movie. I suppose I could be an emotionally held back adult who enjoys stuff meant for 15 year old girls, but that's besides the point. The movie was crafted well, was fun, and had good acting.

Yeah, Edward Cullen sort of looked effeminate and goth. I mean seriously, was that lipstick he was wearing the whole time?

But everyone knows that vampires aren't supposed to go into the light and that the sun burns their skin. This movie kind of turns the vampire genre on its head, inventing new rules.

I had even forgotten my initial excuse for seeing the movie by the time the film was over: a woman directed this. Catherine Hardwicke of Thirteen fame. In addition, a woman wrote the screenplay and a woman wrote the book this film was based on. Whoa, whoa! Estrogen overload! All in a very good way.

So don't go see this movie unless you're a 14 year-old girl. Because unless you become like a child, forget it!

Beröringen / The Touch (Bergman, 1971)



Saw it Saturday night. Bibi Andersson reminded me of lots of women, including an older version of herself in Persona, Juliette Binoche, Mia Farrow, Jane Fonda, and even my mother (only with blonde hair). I saw these women in her and it was creepy. It wasn't a boring movie, but looking at her and seeing different people in her kept me pretty occupied.

In the movie, she and Elliott Gould are attracted to each other and they have this nice but violent relationship. I don't want to spoil it...

But Ingmar Bergman described how he felt after the death of his father, and a character in this film goes through the exact same emotions in the exact same scene Bergman described to the journalist. The affair between Elliott and Bibi also happened to Ingmar Bergman in his own strange life.

Elliott Gould was there for a Q&A. Iin fact he donated his print of the film to UCLA, and we watched his print of it. And he said, "I don't do impressions, but..." and proceeded to do an impression of Ingmar Bergman and how Ingie called Elliott "My leetle brothah" in a deep voice, with an accent that sounded more German than Swedish.

Elliott was charming and even said he wouldn't leave until the last person in the theater left. I did stay for a little bit and listen to some fans introduce him to their wives and parents. He was very gracious, but I didn't want to talk to him and make a fool out of myself.

Cadillac Records Premiere

I attended the Cadillac Records Premiere Monday night, because I thought maybe Beyonce would be there.

I saw these people walk the red carpet:

-Rachel Roberts (yeah, who? I happened to know who she was and so did the photographers, but a lot of people were saying 'Rachel, who?')
-Gabrille Union (who was in the movie)
-Adrien Brody (someone next to me said his girlfriend looked like a "new" Natalie Portman, but her face reminded me of Scarlett Johanssen)
-Some guy with an unfamous girlfriend. She said her name was Tynee and spelled it out for the photographers. When you have to do that, you know you're not famous.
-A very beautiful African American young woman named Lauren London.
-Someone said this chick was Anika Noni Rose (She was in Dreamgirls with Beyonce), but it is actually Sanaa Lathan per Reuters.
-Then Jeffrey Wright was there (actually I couldn't tell who he was in the movie, because he completely transformed into Muddy Waters. He has an incredible gift for being unrecognizable, if only because he is incredibly adept, WOW!!!)
-Then Etta James arrived. Beyonce plays her in the movie. She had long gorgeous hair with highlights and she was standing up! I actually saw her live March, 2002 and she was in a wheelchair, so I didn't expect to see her standing up.
-Then actually Beyonce showed up. She was looking very gorgeous with her hair pulled back. Her mom followed her shortly thereafter. About her performance in the film: I will be very surprised if she isn't nominated for an Oscar. She was absolutely amazing. And I say that as a person who isn't very easily impressed (Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker anyone? Yes, quite a joke).




All in all it was a very exciting night, even if I had to do a lot of waiting around.

Review of Cadillac Records:

Rating: 7.5/10, 75/100, 3/4 Stars

Cadillac Records has a lot of potential for Oscar season. It had everything Walk the Line had, only multiply that by five. We are not talking about one story, but stories centered around about five top blues artists from the fifties period.

Some people would say it's about Leonard Chess, since "Chess Records" gave out Cadillacs to its artists. That is probably why the movie is called Cadillac Records. The movie seems to center on Muddy Waters, before also exploring the careers of Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James, and Chuck Berry.

In the beginning it started out well. But when some of the musicians were supposed to be playing, the camera focused on the actors' faces, then it cut to a close-up of fingers on guitar, and no wide shots, meaning that not all actors were actually playing the instruments. Even in a movie like School of Rock, they got kids that could play their instruments! However, that became a non-issue after Beyonce as Etta James became part of the movie. She was emotionally moving and I would be surprised if she wasn't nominated for an Oscar.

The music in this movie was especially good, and I wouldn't be surprised if a whole new generation of "kids" came to love these old blues artists because of the attention brought to them by this movie.