i so wanted to see this in theaters, but as usual missed finding the time to go. i saw it last night finally on netflix and loved it. a definite yes for anyone who loves sushi… or simply those who are passionate about anything in life. i so love japan—it’s civilization at its peak, and we are all peasants in comparison. by dd
available on netflix, bertrand bonnelo’s movie about a 1900 parisian brothel is quite beautiful. i would even say that some scenes look like a beautiful steven meisel story. at times the story is a bit objectionable, but if you go the brothel way…. by pp.
i was fortunate enough this past weekend to see paul thomas anderson’s newest picture, ‘the master’. loosely based on the origins of scientology (or at least the provocative nature and bullheadedness of its leader) this film explored paradigms from angles that i truly have never seen. in a sense, it is anti-climactic—not in comparison to kubrick, but in the way that there truly is no outcome from the religious journeys that are depicted, and the characters develop, but in a stagnant and unsatisfactory manner. there are no likeable characters in this film, at least, not to me. there are paramount performances by joaquin phoenix, philip seymour hoffman and amy adams, but their characters as a whole are lacking human traits. phoenix gets as close to being an animal as i have ever seen; his grunts, his feral behavior, they are monumental. what the film does do, is beautifully depict a 70mm world of 1950 and captures the essence of a father/son, owner/dog, highbrow/lowbrow thematic endeavor. once again teaming up with jonny greenwood (of radiohead) for the score, anderson has just added another gilded film of merit to his already stunning repertoire. it makes me happy to know that something real in the world of cinema does still exist. there are visionaries out there, PHEW. by sv
there is a movie on netflix that is under the radar, it’s a true gem. it’s portuguese and the name is “a deriva.” so beautiful, sensitive and stylish. writing this post makes me want to see it again. by pp.
watched louis malle’s masterpiece ‘black moon’ last night. like an alice in wonderland meets brazil meets dante’s inferno. perhaps in this instance, it isn’t a world that is worth becoming; however, it is certainly a film worth a watch. by sv
“everything you see, i owe to spaghetti.”
when carlo ponti and loren married in 1957, he promised her “the most beautiful house in the world.”and here it is…
enjoy. carlo ponti and sophia loren in their roman villa and “amongst friends”… when sophia was 14, she entered a beauty contest and although she didn’t win, she caught the attention of successful film producer carlo ponti, who was some 22 years older than her at the time. charmed by her beauty and intelligence, ponti took her under his wing and married her seven years later. photos of the young sophia loren and director carlo ponti by alfred eisenstaedt. by fm
perhaps i am biased, but considering the amount of garbage that is forced upon us these days, wes anderson is a persistent and glorious breath of fresh air. i was fortunate enough to see ‘moonrise kingdom’ this past weekend, and combining the effortless style and wit of all his other movies, i truly think he has perfected his craft with this one. taking the elements of detail to an entirely new level and juxtaposing them with an unforgettable cast, anderson proves that he is truly a cinephile’s hero. despite the wondrous performances of big name actors, suzy and sam, the star-crossed lovers and protagonists outshine all others on the screen. played by kara hayward (a pubescent margot tenenbaum) and jared gilman (a hemingway-esque noble young man) you are completely drawn to their love, its genuine intent and post-modernist determinism. there is the languid air of an orphaned child and parental issues as in all other anderson films, but this is positively delightful. and if you have a soul, you will want to see it immediately. by sv
“When I wrote the script, I started thinking about girls in bikinis with guns, wearing ski masks,” Korine recalls. “I was like, ‘Where would you see that?’ And the idea of spring break came to me. I just started imagining girls on spring break robbing places.”. hk
leave it to harmony korine to come up with crazy movies, the new ones don’t seem to be different, but are still fun in perspective by pp.
while we’re on the topic, here is a scene my personal favorite woody allen movie, stardust memories. a perfect song from louis armstrong soothingly in the background, and allen’s stunning ode to “8 1/2” make me smile even greater each time i see it. not to mention the incredible line, “to you, i’m an atheist; to God, i’m the loyal opposition.” by sv
translated to mean “wearily, i die of agony”, this is the title of one of gesualdo’s madrigals, featured above in werner herzog’s “death for five voices” …herzog has said out of all of his films, this one is incredibly close to his heart. one can see why, carlo gesualdo was a fascinating figure. a man whose credits include nobleman, composer, chromatic engineer, lutenist—and of course, murderer. carlo killed his wife (and also first cousin) donna maria d’avalos and her lover when he caught them “in flagrante delicto.” notwithstanding any of his passions or shortcomings, gesualdo was if nothing else, a magnificent composer of delightfully haunting tunes. by sv
photo taken on the set of sara driver’s ‘when pigs fly’. rachael bella and marianne faithfull star as two souls conjoined by the fact that they died in the same chair, years apart. photo by nan goldin. by sv
david bowie and catherine deneuve from tony scott’s 1983 film, ‘the hunger’ by sv
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