Today is my birthday and my friend Randy sent me this image. Love the question mark!
Doc depicts an artist’s fight for free speech in China
August 3, 2012 by
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry/2012/Sundance Selects, IFC Films/91 min.
“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” is, on one level, a study in inspiration – what motivates artists and how they spark ideas in other people. A case in point: the serendipitous meeting of first-time filmmaker Alison Klayman and her subject: Ai Weiwei, 55, China’s most celebrated contemporary artist, a political dissident and a grass-roots hero who gained the support of millions with his blog posts and tweets.
Klayman, a young American journalist working in Beijing, stumbled onto the story when her roommate asked her if she’d be interested in making a video of Ai Weiwei’s photographs at a local gallery. “So many of the inherent tensions in modern China were in his story. He’s a perfect bellwether,” said Klayman at a recent press conference, adding that she aimed to represent the diversity of opinion that exists there in addition to introducing people to Ai Weiwei and getting them interested in his case.
Ai Weiwei’s critiques of China’s repressive regime range from photographs of his raised middle finger in front of Tiananmen Square to memorials of the more than 5,000 schoolchildren who died in allegedly shoddy government construction in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. He rose to international prominence in 2008 after helping design Beijing’s iconic Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium; afterward he publicly denounced the games as party propaganda.
In the years she filmed (end of 2008-2011), government authorities shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio and held him in secret detention. In July 2012, he lost his appeal in his tax case; a court in Beijing upheld a $2.4 million fine for tax evasion. Supporters of the artist believe the fine is an attempt by Chinese officials to penalize him for his political activism. “The truth is things are getting worse,” says Klayman. “There is less space for dissent.”
Klayman creates a compelling, textured picture of a fascinating subject, whose personality seems equal parts deadpan and dogged. She shows us shards of his public and private life, glimpses of his contradictions and flaws as well as his determination. Fundamentally, it’s a film about individual courage and expression, and using your voice, Klayman says. “The take-away message is how to be an engaged citizen.”
“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” opens today in LA.
Ways to help the families, friends of Aurora shooting victims
July 20, 2012 by
Today’s shocking massacre at an Aurora, Colo., showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” has left us shaken and deeply sad. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and friends. The movie’s director Christopher Nolan released the following statement:
“Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime.
“The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families.”
There are several ways to help. To learn more, click here.
‘Casablanca’ kicks off Oscars Outdoors summer series
May 16, 2012 by
“Casablanca” screens on Friday, June 15.
“Casablanca” will kick off Oscars Outdoors, an exciting summer series from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Starting June 15 and running Friday and Saturday nights through Aug. 18, screenings will take place at a new open-air movie theater (with an outdoor surround-sound system) at 1341 Vine St., just south of the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood; capacity is 350 seats. You can view the complete lineup and buy tickets here.
Tickets for each Oscars Outdoors screening are $5 for the public, free for children 10 years and younger and $3 for Academy members and students with ID. Seating is unreserved. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m., and screenings begin at sunset. Attendees are encouraged to bring low lawn chairs, blankets and warm clothing. Popular food trucks will be on site during each screening.
In addition to hosting the Oscars Outdoors screening series, the venue is expected to serve the Academy and the community as an event space for special screenings, educational programs and other functions, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Academy’s summer and fall programming calendar is available here.
Happy Mother’s Day!
May 13, 2012 by
Charms outweigh flaws in pooch pastoral ‘Darling Companion’ by Lawrence Kasdan
April 20, 2012 by
Darling Companion/2012/Sony Pictures Classics/103 min.
Watching “Darling Companion,” Lawrence Kasdan’s new movie, is like having drink with an old boyfriend – overlooking faults and letting yourself be charmed is do-able, at least for 103 minutes.
Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline play a longtime couple (Joseph is a stuffy surgeon; Beth’s adjusting to being an empty-nester) who gather their family at their Rocky mountain second home for the marriage of their youngest daughter, Grace (Elisabeth Moss of “Mad Men”).
Occupying a front-row seat at the ceremony is Freeway, the couple’s rescue dog. Freeway keeps Beth company while Joseph tends to his patients and was the catalyst to Grace meeting and marrying a cute, caring vet (Jay Ali).
Also in attendance at the wedding: Joseph’s sister, Earth-motherish Penny (Dianne Wiest); her new doofus boyfriend Russell (Richard Jenkins); her son Bryan (Mark Duplass), another surgeon; and the mountain house’s caretaker, the sage and stunning Carmen (Ayelet Zurer). The day after the wedding, on a walk with Joseph, Freeway runs off and doesn’t return; the group then rallies to try to find him. Sam Shepard plays amiable Sheriff Morris.
You can see early on what’s likely to happen with Beth and Joseph’s relationship – their issues are brought to the fore in this Rocky patch. Russell proves to be more likeable and trustworthy than originally thought. Carmen reveals that she’s psychic (she’s a Gypsy of the caravans and curses ilk) and sparks fly between her and Bryan.
The sentimental story, written by Lawrence and Meg Kasdan from their own experience with a rescue dog, is littered with clichés, but nevertheless it’s an intelligent and entertaining piece with a first-rate cast. (Kasdan also directed 1981’s “Body Heat,” one of my fave neo-noirs.) There’s a great chemistry between these players – most of whom are over 50 years old – and watching their dynamics is a simple pleasure.
Kasey the dog as Freeway
Kasdan falters in a few key ways. The only thing driving the action is the fact that Carmen has psychic visions. The implausible ending pushes Beth over the edge in terms of all-about-me entitlement. Also, it’s a little hard to accept that a woman of her age and background seems to have little else to occupy her besides caring for the dog.
I saw the premiere with a friend who told me I’m a good sport and that was probably why I liked the movie. Good sport. I’ll be sure to share that with the ex-boyfriend during our catch-up cocktail.
“Darling Companion” opens today in New York and LA. LA City Councilman Paul Koretz declared Friday, April 20, Darling Companion Day in Los Angeles. For info about rescuing an animal, visit the Amanda Foundation.
‘Damsels in Distress’ director Whit Stillman to the rescue with doughnuts, deadpan humor
April 6, 2012 by
Damsels in Distress/2011/Sony Pictures Classics/99 min.
“Damsels in Distress” marks the return of writer/director/producer Whit Stillman (“Metropolitan” 1990, “Barcelona” 1994, “Last Days of Disco” 1998) after a 14-year hiatus. Stillman’s milieu is upper-middle-class young people – educated and privileged, often naïve and neurotic – and the complications of their friendships and romances.
He brings his distinctive, dryly funny stamp to the sagas of preppy angst, in this case a group of girls at an East Coast college who attempt to live well amid their smelly male coeds. One of their pet projects is cheering up depressed kids via coffee and doughnuts, divinely scented soap and the shuffle steps of tap-dance routines.
Leader Violet (Greta Gerwig) is sweet, smart and well intentioned, if a bit self-deluded. Violet’s dating philosophy is to bypass the cool men and instead “take a guy who hasn’t realized his full potential, or doesn’t have much, then help him realize it or find more.” She also yearns to make her mark on the world by starting a new dance craze.
From left: Carrie MacLemore, Greta Gerwig and Megalyn Echikunwoke
Her pals are the chaste, regal Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and the dainty, Barbie-like Heather (Carrie MacLemore). New to the group is transfer student Lily (Analeigh Tipton), who is, gasp, unfazed by an unwelcome whiff of body odor.
Cute boys on campus include solicitous Jimbo (Jermaine Crawford), student newspaper editor Rick (Zach Woods), sexy French grad student Xavier (Hugo Becker), doltish frat brothers Frank (Ryan Metcalf) and Thor (Billy Magnussen), and businessman wannabe Charlie (Adam Brody).
When Violet’s heart is broken – she insists she is not depressed but merely in a tailspin – her idealistic ambitions take a backseat to her emotional recuperation.
With smart material and an appealing cast, “Damsels” is entertaining. Stillman’s low-key, reserved comedic style gently reveals his characters’ foibles and affectations. But, though the groundwork has been laid with likeable female characters, romantic entanglements and unraveling identities, the story ultimately feels a bit half-baked. Also, some of the character’s quirks seem strangely tacked on rather than uniquely charming. For example, Lily, randomly, has never seen an artichoke.
Lily is set up as the rebel of the girls’ group and, though she does gently challenge Violet early on, that dramatic tension fizzles out fairly quickly. What propels the story after that, for the most part, is wondering who will end up with whom. The clever and whimsical dialogue engages us but rarely do we sense that there is much at stake during these quaintly amusing discussions.
And beneath their grimy exteriors, the men tend to be disappointingly bland, sometimes downright moronic. Zach Wood as the editor of the paper is the most promising of the lot but unfortunately, after a promising introduction, he’s relegated to the sidelines.
Still, “Damsels” does offer witty humor and endearing performances. And a bonus: if your inner-grammarian has ever fretted about properly using the plural of the word doofus, “Damsels” provides helpful counsel.
“Damsels in Distress” opens today in New York and LA.
Nanni Moretti, Italy’s Woody Allen, prays for laughs in ‘Pope’
April 6, 2012 by
We Have a Pope/Habemus Papam/2011/Italy, France/IFC/104 min.
By Michael Wilmington
It begins beautifully, with a recreation, or creative imagining, of a Catholic election for a new pope, inside the Holy See, as the world awaits outside, done with a rare mixture of realism and whimsy. This brilliant scene culminates with the choice of a gentle soul, one Cardinal Melville (the great 86-year-old Michel Piccoli), a humble man who, just as he is about to be introduced to the masses outside St. Peter’s, howls with agony and confesses to his fellow churchmen that he feels unworthy and unready.
Desperate, the Vatican insiders (especially the smooth church spokesperson played winningly by Poland’s Jerzy Stuhr) try to cover up this huge problem. They hire an agnostic psychotherapist, Bruzzi (writer/director/star Nanni Moretti) to help the new Pope over this rather large spiritual hump, then hamstring Bruzzi with religious do’s and don’ts.
The cardinals, trapped together, take up volleyball. Melville wanders the streets and the city incognito, becoming entranced with a theater troupe playing Chekhov’s poignant masterpiece “The Seagull.” We await the word of God, or at least of Moretti.
The second half of “We Have a Pope” is not as mesmerizing as the first, and the jokes begin to get a little strained. But the ending is strong, and this is a unique work (from the often-excellent creator of Italian comedy classics such as “Red Lob” and “Dear Diary”), that at least is about something – about problems and people, and this world and (maybe) the next.
“We Have a Pope” was nominated for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, and his Cannes popularity is a measure of Moretti’s artistic stature – as opposed to, oh, say, Adam Sandler’s or Will Ferrell’s.
Can comedy, that old devil, get you into heaven? If that’s the case, all I can say is: Bless me father, for I have sinned.
“We Have a Pope” opens today in New York and LA.
Film noir gifts for the holidays: Books
December 15, 2011 by
Last week, I was beauty-product happy. This week, it’s all about pages.
Here are my book-buying suggestions and descriptions from their sellers/review highlights.
“Pauline Kael: A Life in the Dark” by Brian Kellow, $27.95
Says fellow film critic Todd McCarthy in The Hollywood Reporter: “Kellow … writes beautifully and dexterously interweaves the story of a career long-thwarted with a sensitive reading of his subject’s youthful enthusiasm and intellectual growth. … Kellow admirably brings Pauline’s wit, insight and passion to life on the page and has made at least one critic nostalgic for the days when heavyweight critical battles raged and at least one of us lived a life worthy of a biography.”
“The Doll: The Lost Short Stories” by Dame Daphne du Maurier, $15
Writing in Elle, Kate Christensen says of du Maurier (who wrote “Rebecca,” “My Cousin Rachel” and “Jamaica Inn”): “It’s all here: her fascination with the interplay between ingénue and femme fatale, her caddish male characters and the clinging females they devastate, and the inevitable disillusionment of innocence. … The stories are not all equally well realized – a few of them feel more like sketches – but the best ones are astonishingly good.”
“Maigret at the Gai-Moulin,” a novel by Georges Simenon, $8
Belgian writer Simenon (1903-89) published his first novel at 17 and wrote more than 200 novels, many featuring a detective named Commissaire Maigret. Says People magazine: “Maigret … ranks with Holmes and Poiret in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.”
“Marilyn: Intimate Exposures” by Susan Bernard/Bruno Bernard, $35
Hollywood photographer Bruno Bernard’s iconic photograph of Marilyn Monroe standing over the subway grate in a billowing white dress is synonymous with Hollywood glamour. Many of the images in this volume have never before been published.
Gary Cooper
Also includes forewords from Jane Russell, Marilyn’s co-star in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” and Lindsay Lohan as well as excerpts from Bruno’s journal and a frameable print. (Next year is the 50th anniversary of Marilyn’s death.)
“Gary Cooper: An Enduring Style” by Maria Cooper Janis and G. Bruce Boyer, $60
The first monograph focused on the timeless fashion and allure of this leading man who was a fashion inspiration to his Hollywood peers, clothing designers and generations of stylish men. Unpublished, never-before-seen personal photographs, shot primarily by his wife Rocky.
“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel” by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, $55
From Town & Country: “Before there was Daphne Guinness, before there was Lady Gaga, there was the original style setter. A new book takes a look at the career and influence of the woman who made fashion modern.”
Lisa Immordino Vreeland runs her own fashion design and production consulting business. She is the producer of a documentary film about Diana Vreeland, and is married to Vreeland’s grandson Alexander.
“Christian Louboutin,” $150
Red rules in more than 300 pages of the legendary designer’s work. Read more about him and his career here.
“Works on Paper” by David Lynch, $195
A collection of more than 500 drawings, dating from the 1960s by the renowned American film director, offers a unique glimpse into the artist’s creative process.
If you are in the LA area, treat yourself to a trip to Dragon Books, 2954 Beverly Glen Circle, 310-441-8545. There, you’ll find an inscribed first edition of 1984’s “Things I Did … and Things I Think I Did” by director Jean Negulesco (“The Mask of Dimitrios,” “Humoresque,” “Johnny Belinda” and “How to Marry a Millionaire,” along with many others); $150.
Also: a first edition of Don Allen’s “François Truffaut” from 1974, signed by Truffaut; $1,500.
Sun, screenings, superb restaurants at Chicago Film Fest
October 12, 2011 by
I’m hoping the glorious weather lasts here in Chicago.
Of the film fest’s plethora of titles, I’ve seen “We Need to Talk About Kevin” by Lynne Ramsay, “A Dangerous Method” by David Cronenberg,“Rabies” by Aharon Keshales,“Patang” by Prashat Bhargava,“My Week with Marilyn” by Simon Curtis and “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
Looking forward to tonight’s “Nobody Else But You,” a mystery by Gérald Hustache-Mathieu.
And of course I’m finding time to eat well in a city jam-packed with passionate chefs. More later …
From FNB readers