News from home

This is another of Chantal Ackerman's experimental avant-garde films from the mid 1970's - mainly long still shots of New York streets with Ackerman reading voiced over letters from her mother (back in Belgium). You have to be in the right frame of mind for such 'difficult' movies, and I wasn't, though I think I may watch it again (knowing now what to expect) and as a result of a review comparing it to the paintings of Edward Hopper. 

Whiplash (part 2)

As mentioned in a previous blog, I saw the start of the film Whiplash on a plane, and really liked it, and have been waiting for it to be available on Virgin Media movies thing - which it now is - and so I was able to watch the full film - and it was truly amazing! I don't really know what the underlying message is - it's of course the story of a student drummer being pushed to (and beyond) his limits by a sadistic music teacher - is the film trying to make the case that if you don't push talented people will they never achieve their full potential? Is that really true?? Anyway fantastic performances by Miles Teller and JK Simmons - almost made me want to take up the drums - or perhaps I'll go back to the piano - which I started to learn when I retired and then gave up - still plenty of time..... 

Top 10 films

.. and while we're on the subject of The Draughtsman's Contract, I thought I might try and put together my top 10 favourite films - as of today - as inevitably I'll think of others and change my mind tomorrow - perhaps we'll re-visit this list occasionally. So, we have to have the aforementioned Draughtsman in there, and something directed by the Coen Brothers, and David Lynch, and Alfred Hitchcock, and Billy Wilder, and Stanley Kubrick, and Mel Brooks, and Robert Altman, and Wim Wenders, and Powell and Pressburger, and Federico Fellini, and Werner Herzog, and Pedro Almodovar, and John Cassavetes, and Quentin Tarantino, and  Woody Allen, and something starring Susan Sarandon, and Steve Martin, and Lee Marvin, and Dennis Hopper, and Bill Murray, and Jack Nicholson, and Michael Caine, and Ben Gazzara, and George Clooney, and Gene Hackman, and Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Steve McQueen, and Walter Matthau, and Isabelle Huppert...

So, here you go, in no particular order (as that would be doubly difficult!):

• The Draughtsman's Contract
• The Man with 2 Brains
• Primer
• The Duellists
• The Fall
• Morgan, a suitable case for treatment
• Point Blank
• Blood Simple
• Mulholland Drive
• The Headless Woman

Crikey, 10's not nearly enough... what about 2001, and Apocalypse Now, and Repo Man, and Wings of Desire, and The Producers, and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and Juliet of the Spirits, and Groundhog Day, and An American Werewolf in London, and Five Easy Pieces, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Annie Hall, and Blazing Saddles, and Bullitt...... 

26 bathrooms

Whilst, of course, everyone knows that Peter Greenaway's The Draughtsman's Contract is the best film in the world ever, I've also always loved one of his early shorts '26 bathrooms' from 1985 (surprisingly 3 years after Draughtsman') which I recorded off the telly on VHS tape (and still have somewhere no doubt) but of course no longer have a VHS player, and it's not on any of the DVDs with early Greenaway short film compilations.

However, some kind soul has put it on vimeo - mwah! Sit back and enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/66720845

Clouds of Sils Maria

I don't quite understand the title of this film, as there is a place called Sils-Maria (with a hyphen):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sils_im_Engadin/Segl

which is where the phenomena of clouds rolling down the valley (the Maloja snake) can be sometimes witnessed - see this film from 1924 which is also featured in the current film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQMT5v0yk9o

but as Maria is the main character in the current film does the 'Maria' in the film title refer to her? Who knows? Anyway, ignoring all that, Juliette Binoche is Maria, an older actress with a younger PA, who is considering reviving her role in a play about an older woman and a younger PA, although whilst originally she played the younger PA, she is now going to be playing the older woman! Phew - get that? The film is about the overlap between reality and the play, but it's all a bit theatrical, though they do hang out in a very picturesque part of Switzerland, and check out the Maloja snake. Strangely I didn't think there were any opening titles, but halfway through it announced 'Part 2' and then at the end there is (I think) an entirely unnecessary 'Epilogue'. Why do so many films go on too long - why not let the audience sometimes remain hanging - I must go back and watch The Headless Woman again, as that perhaps went too far the other way, and seemed to stop in the middle of a scene!

A girl walks home alone at night

Billed as the first Iranian Vampire Western, this is a terrific atmospheric debut from director Ana Lily Amirpour shot in stunning black and white. So, welcome to the new Iran - sex, drugs, rock n roll, as well as a tattooed gangster, and a lone female vampire on a skateboard! Great acting by the cat too!  

The New Girlfriend

Thursday afternoon in the Phoenix seeing The New Girlfriend, the new film by Francois Ozon (see also The Swimming Pool, with Charlotte Rampling) - which centres around Claire, married to Gilles, and best friend (since they were 7) Laura, married to David, with baby Lucie. When Laura dies, Claire seems to be thrown into a quandary - did she love Laura, does she love Gilles, does she love David, does she love David when he's dressed as a woman - she decides the latter - there I've given the plot away so that you don't have to waste your sunny Thursday afternoon seeing the film. It all seemed very odd and inconsistent - but then I'm not gay, or a transvestite, or a woman. So here's a nice photo of Anais Demoustier (Claire).