Anunt

Cautam colaboratori in calitate de Guest Writers pentru site-ul de specialitate http://www.scoaladecinema.ro/ .
Daca sunteti interesati, asteptam un mail cu o mostra de articol scris sau un link la un site, blog care contine articole proprii pe tematica cinematografica. Urmatorul pas este initierea unei discutii in privinta domeniului preferat pentru redactarea articolelor in cadrul scoaladecinema.ro: tehnica cinematografica, istoria filmului, eseu, portert, recenzii, etc.
Proiectul este inca in dezvoltare, ceea ce inseamna ca va mai dura pana cand vor aparea recompense materiale. Fondatorii sunt uniti de pasiunea pentru filme bune si pentru cercetarea tuturor mijloacelor cinematografice care fac ca filmele sa aiba impactul pe care il au, avand in vedere ca majoritatea oamenilor percep doar o poveste sau o stare. Mai multe in sectiunea Despre noi a site-ului.

Persoanele de contact sunt Loredana Bratila ( bratila.loredana@gmail.com ) si Oana Alexandra Dumitru (oana_alexandra_dumitru@yahoo.com).

Va multumim.

''The Master would not approve''

Un mic impuls pentru a vedea Manos: The Hands of Fate, un film horror din 1966 realizat cu buget redus (extrem de redus...), rezultatul unei one-man-work a lui Harold P. Warren. Film prost? Desigur. Dar mult mai captivant decat un film prost cu pretentii din anul 2011 era noastra.

Contributia industriei cinematografice & a audiovizualului la economia americana

Se stie ca industria cinematografica & a audiovizualului este una din cele mai puternice si mai bine protejate industrii americane. Cat de relevanta este ea pentru economia americana per ansamblu? Cateva cifre conform unui raport din 2010 (cel mai recent), cu date pe 2008:

- ofera 2.4 milioane de locuri de munca si 140 mld de dolari in salarii.
- salariul mediu este de aproximativ $55,600, cu 26% mai mult decat media nationala.
- ca tipuri de slujbe, acestea se pot impati in doua mari categorii: (1) 296,000 de job-uri in industria de baza: productie, marketing, fabricatie, distributie indiferent de dimensiunile companiei angajatoare si (2) 453,000 de job-uri ce tin de cinematografe, sali de proiectie, magazine inchirere video, operatori de cablu, firme online etc.

In afara de aceste mari categorii, venituri indirecte vin si din restaurante tematice, parcuri tematice, atractii turistice, industria de retail, companii de transport si lista poate continua la nesfarsit…

- industria cuprinde peste 95,000 de societati comerciale: (1) 49,000 de afaceri ce au legatura directa cu productia de film si televiziune, in proportie covarsitoare (93%) ele fiind de dimensiuni mici, sub 10 angajati. Desi California si New York-ul sunt cele mai cunoscute in domeniu, 64% din aceste societati sunt din restul Statelor Unite. (2) 45,000 de societati ce activeaza pe partea de distributie – 80% din afara Californiei si New York-ului.
- industria de productie a cumparat bunuri si servicii de la mai mult de 144,000 de societati comerciale si a platit pentru acestea aproximativ 40 de miliarde de dolari (plati directe).
- industria cinematografica & a audiovizualului a generat venituri publice de 15.7 miliarde de dolari: 12,9 miliarde in impozite si taxe, inclusiv somaj, asigurare medicala si 2 miliarde in taxe la nivelul fiecarui stat si taxe pe valoarea adaugata.
- exporturile industriei au totalizat aproximativ 13.6 miliarde de dolari, o scadere cu 6% fata de 2007 dar o crestere cu 30% fata de 2004 (ca ani de comparatie).
- industria cinematografica & a audiovizualului este una dintre putinele industrii americane care are o balanta comerciala excedentara in mod constant. Iar in 2008, excedentul a fost de 11.7 miliarde, ceea ce reprezinta 7% din totalul excedetului comercial reprezentat de servicii.

Sursa informatiilor:

The Motion Picture & Television Industry/Contribution to the U.S. Economy (Supplementary Report April 2010)
http://www.mpaa.org/

[articolul poate fi consultat si pe http://scoaladecinema.ro/ ]

Black Swan [2010]

Darren Aronofsky nu se dezminte nici de aceasta data(avand in spate filme precum Requiem for a Dream, Pi, The Fountain) si ofera tot o poveste sub forma de provocare vizuala. Daca ar fi sa dai un numitor comun acestor filme, ar fi disperarea personajelor, o disperare dusa pana la nebunie. Fie ca e dezamagirea vietii cotidiene, greutatea de a accepta moartea, neputinta in fata unui viciu, cautarea unei finalitati intr-o linie de argumentare, sau, cum e in acest cel mai recent caz, cautarea perfectiunii.

Nina este blocata in propria ei lume. Presiunea de a fi protagonista principala in spectacolul pe care il visase (la propriu si la figurat) ii afecteaza fiecare aspect al vietii. Cei din jur o privesc ca pe o profesionista, insa pe langa abilitatile tehnice de nereprosat apare observatia ca ii lipseste placerea faptului in sine, relaxarea. Ea este din multe privinte lebada alba din povestea pe care trebuie sa o redea. Insa rolul presupune dedublare, revelarea naturii opuse, iar Nina face eforturi mari sa dea jos caramida cu caramida din rigoarea autoimpusa si sa completeze rolul. Se pot gasi vinovati din exterior pentru starea ei: mama perfectionista si neimplinita in propria cariera de dansatoare, profesorul de balet ce aplica metode mai putin ortodoxe pentru a-si ilustra ideile, balerina retrasa fortat de companie, cea care o acuza in mod direct pentru faptul ca nu a mai fost aleasa, si nu in ultimul rand, Lily, balerina ce se face placuta fara efort, cea care ar fi perfecta in rolul lebedei negre. Dar, dupa cum zice profesorul Thomas: ”The only person standing in your way is you.”

Din cele mai multe puncte de vedere intregul drum pana la spectacolul final este o tortura psihologica. Si ce poate acompania mai bine tortura psihologica decat cea fizica? Angoasele Ninei iau manifestare reala prin auto-mutilarile pe care aceasta si le provoaca si prin halucinatii. Pe de o parte vrea sa munceasca mai mult (pentru ca pe asta si-a bazat intreaga viata de pana acum, pe credinta ca daca muncesti indeajuns de mult vei obtine recunoasterea si perfectiunea artistica), realizeaza ca aceasta e ocazia pe care o dorea de atata timp, pe de alta parte nu stie cum sa abordeze toate fatetele rolului lebedei pentru ca nu isi poate scoate la suprafata sentimentele si placerile si cauta modalitati extreme de a face acest lucru. Din pacate relaxarea e nesanatoasa intr-o lume in care esti singur. Nina vede incercari de sabotare din partea mamei, a lui Lily, a altor colegi…o conspiratie de grup care ar fi nerealista pentru orice actor rational. De cele mai multe ori izolarea aduce mai multa deprimare decat daca esti fortat sa interactionezi cu cei care nu iti plac. Iar Nina isi atinge punctul de minim chiar in ziua reprezentatiei finale, cand isi aduna toate resursele psihice si reuseste sa redea pe scena perfectiunea pe care o dorea…dar cu ce pret…



(Comentariu aparut si pe http://scoaladecinema.ro/.)

Rembrandt's J'Accuse...!

De vazut acest documentar (impur, comparativ cu canoanele stilului) al lui Peter Greenaway, proiectat si la noi in cadrul festivalului EXPIFF in data de 24 noiembrie, in prezenta regizorului.
Personal, l-am apreciat mai cu entuziasm decat The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover [1989], filmul lui cel mai cunoscut publicului.

Of Mice and Men [1939]

John Steinbeck este un scriitor ce s-a specializat pe personaje ''muncitoresti'', ce vin cu posibilitati reduse dar cu vise marete. Tot de la el avem baza pentru scenariile filmelor East of Eden (1955) , The Grapes of Wrath (1940) si Viva Zapata! (1952) - acestea fiind cele mai cunoscute dintre adaptarile lui.

George si Lennie sunt doi tovarasi de drum, cu statut profesional de ''zilieri'' dupa clasificarile de azi: unde gaseau de lucru, acolo se opreau din drum. Primul este destul de istet, al doilea este foarte puternic si ... mai putin dotat intelectual. Lennie este un copil mare. Ii place sa atinga lucruri moi si pufoase (vii sau nu; marturiseste la un moment dat ca a primit de la George o bucata de catifea sa o aibe la el in permanenta). Viseaza la o ferma a lor, in care roadele muncii sa le revina si sa nu mai aibe sentimentul ca nu le apartine nimic (suna cunoscut in vreo doctrina economica?) . Cand se opresc la o ferma si isi ofera serviciile, lucrurile se dovedesc a fi destul de complicate. Curley este unul din patronii fermei si isi pazeste sotia cu strasnicie, sa nu cumva sa intre in vorba mai profund cu vreun barbat de la ferma. Ea este singura, toti o evita pentru a nu intra in necazuri, si recunoaste de cate ori are ocazia ca nu il iubeste pe sotul ei si s-a casatorit cu el doar pentru a pleca de acasa. Unul din angajatii de la ferma este nevoit sa accepte sugestia tuturor de a-i impusca cainele batran (se chinuie si e urat mirositor, trebuie scos din peisaj) si la sfarsit se intreaba daca nu cumva i s-ar putea intampla si lui sa fie considerat inutil la un moment dat. Un alt personaj de la ferma care apare la un moment dat in prim-plan este un negru indignat de faptul ca este izolat de ceilalti din cauza culorii pielii.

Lennie este punctul de atractie al tuturor. Ii cucereste si ii amuza deopotriva prin naivitatea copilareasca de care da dovada, ce contrasteaza cu forta de care nici el nu e foarte constient, caci o foloseste mai mult ca pe o atractie de circ. Necazurile ce duc la deznodamant incep progresiv: mai inta Lonnie omoara fara sa vrea un pui de catel, caci l-a tinut prea mult in mana si prea dur, apoi ii striveste bratul lui Curley (auto-aparare, dar nu e bine sa starnesti o persoana care nu stie cand sa se opreasca), iar intr-un final o omoara fara intentie pe sotia lui Curley. Pus in fata faptului implinit, si avand atatea situatii din trecut ca argument, George ia o solutie radicala.

Scena finala este construita sa impresioneze, intr-o modalitate asemanatoare cu They Shoot Horses, Don't They? .

Pentru cine agreeaza variante mai moderne, a fost facut un remake in 1992, cu John Malkovich si Gary Sinise in rolurile lui Lenny, respectiv George.



(Comentariul poate fi gasit si pe site-ul http://scoaladecinema.ro/ )

SnapIt Screen Capture - un instrument util pentru cinefili

A aparut versiunea 3.7 a lui SnapIt, un program simplut de capturare a imaginii, sub egida Digeus software.
Practic, ceea ce puteai face cu PrintScreen a fost dus la un ''alt nivel'', si anume a fost eliminata necesitatea de a crop-ui imaginea.

Modul de functionare este urmatorul: dupa deschiderea programului SnapIt, se apasa PrintScreen si se selecteaza portiunea de care e nevoie. Ulterior, se poate da paste in orice program.

Mai multe detalii se pot gasi accesand acest link.

Sa inceapa selectarea scenelor de film preferate...

Reflections in a Golden Eye [1967]

Ce poate fi mai frumos decat aparitia in cadrul aceluiasi film a lui Marlon Brando si Elizabeth Taylor? Sigur, nu mai detin ei senzualitatea din A Streetcar Named Desire sau Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Brando, respectiv Taylor), dar nu se dezmint de la traditia de a interpreta personaje marcante.

Pentru anul in care a aparut, filmul trateaza subiecte destul de bizare (cu atat mai mult cu cat romanul dateaza din 1941). Un general de armata cu accente homosexuale casatorit cu o femeie exuberanta pe care (evident) o neglijeaza, un soldat care urmareste de la distanta viata lor si are o placere deosebita in a o urmari dormind pe sotia generalului, o sotie a altui cadru al armatei care isi pierde incet-incet mintile, un ''baiat de casa'' asiatic de un dramatism iesit din comun, toate aceste personaje sunt un sir de atractii de circ.
Doar ca nu starnesc rasul, ci mai degraba compasiune si ingrijorare.
Mediul e unul militaresc, plin de constrangeri si conventii. Aproape nici unul din ei nu isi doreste sa fie acolo. Unii s-au resemnat (locotenentul Morris Langdon), altii s-au adaptat cum au putut mai bine (Leonora), unii au crize sporadice dar chinuitoare (Weldon), iar altii au crize permanente cu urmari radicale (Alison).

Elizabeth Taylor este obisnuita sa joace roluri exuberante si dinamice, dar un Marlon Brando mai ''poker face'' ca aici rar se mai gaseste. Inutil sa incerci sa iti dai seama daca este vorba de resemnare sau nepasare, sau cand e una si cand e cealalta. O viata traita din inertie poate fi suportabila, insa exista si repercusiuni asupra oamenilor din jurul tau care sunt nevoiti sa te aibe in preajma, fie ca partener de viata, stapan, superior ieraric, prieten adevarat, prieten de ocazie etc. Mai mult decat atat, negarea propriei naturi si lipsa de afectiune duce la izbucniri ocazionale.

Una din scenele cele mai expresive:


La intrebarea pe care si-o pun participantii la petrecerea din film, o intrebare care tot apare pe forumuri de profil pe internet (''De ce nu a opus Weldon nici un fel de rezistenta?'') raspunsul ar fi: pentru ca a simtit ca avea motive sa fie pedepsit.

A Single Man

A few times in my life I've had moments of absolute clarity, when for a few brief seconds the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think, and things seem so sharp and the world seems so fresh. I can never make these moments last. I cling to them, but like everything, they fade. I have lived my life on these moments. They pull me back to the present, and I realize that everything is exactly the way it was meant to be.

Aparent Tom Ford nu se pricepe numai la moda si surprinde placut cu modul in care a gandit aceasa adaptare a romanului lui Chrisopher Isherwood.Desigur, designerul american are studii in istoria artei, design si arhitectura, dar asta nu reprezenta o garantie pentru capacitatile sale regizorale.Iar calitatile de designer ies in evidenta si in acest film prin costumele destinate actorilor (gandite special pentru natura personajelor).

A single man= un om ramas fara partener sau a single man= exista un singur partener care a contat si care va conta pana la sfarsitul vietii omului respectiv?

Filmul poate parea destul de pretentios: cineva isi pierde neasteptat persoana iubita, cu care a impartit 16 ani de viata, si isi pierde prin urmare si dorinta de a trai. Fiecare zi in care se trezeste devine o obligatie, nu un lucru firesc. Colin Firth reuseste sa redea perfect expresia suferintei pe chipul sau si se comporta exact cum te-ai astepta de la cineva aflat in depresie.
Insa nu numai el este in aceeasi situatie, chiar daca motivele ii sunt mai recente. Si prietena sa Charley se afla in aceeasi stare de ''existenta fortata'', pentru ca priveste in urma si isi da seama ca viata ei nu seamana cu ceea ce si-ar fi dorit, si atunci cand priveste in viitor nu vede decat batranete si degradare. Desi este constienta de orientarea amicului ei, nu renunta la ideea de fi impreuna cu el. La urma urmei, unde ar gasi un barbat cu care sa se inteleaga la fel de bine cum o face cu George? A-ti dori ca partener de viata un prieten nu este chiar atat de absurd, indiferent ce ar zice ''teoriile'' moderne care pun accent pe atractie si sentimente mai putin rationale. Infatuarea se duce repede, prietenia ramane.
Pe langa dramele personale ale protagonistilor, sunt relevate si prejudecatile pe care le intampinau homosexualii in anii '60. George nu este invitat de familia iubitului sau la inmormantare(si nici anuntat de catre acestia de deces, ci a trebuit sa afle prin intermediari), vecinul sau, cap traditional al familiei si barbat adevarat, il priveste cu dispret (''Daddy says he wants to throw you into the Coliseum. He says you're light in your loafers.''). Light in one's loafers= not man enough= gay.

Cugetarile filosofice apar presarate pe tot parcursul filmului: mai ales legate de viata ca temporalitate trecut-prezent-viitor(in care viitorul sigur e moarte) si iubire.

Fear, after all, is our real enemy. Fear is taking over our world. Fear is being used as a tool of manipulation in our society. Itʼs how politicians peddle policy and how Madison Avenue sells us things that we donʼt need. Think about it. Fear that weʼre going to be attacked, fear that there are communists lurking around every corner, fear that some little Caribbean country that doesnʼt believe in our way of life poses a threat to us. Fear that black culture may take over the world. Fear of Elvis Presleyʼs hips.Well, maybe that one is a real fear. Fear that our bad breath might ruin our friendships… Fear of growing old and being alone.

Da, este unul din acele filme in care orice conversatie purtata e un prilej de reflectii existentiale...dar un european nu se plictiseste aproape niciodata de asa ceva.

Lumea vazuta de Ion B.

Este de mentionat ca nu sunt un fan al genului documentar in general. Totusi, povestea etalata pe pelicula de Alexander Nanau este atat de reusita pentru ca, desi este vorba in esenta despre un om al strazii, se concentreaza mai mult pe posibilitatile lui de viitor decat pe drama din trecut. Sigur, Ioan Barladeanu este un om nascut la tara, in judetul Vaslui, complet nemultumit de familia sa si de regimul comunist, cu studii mai degraba din sfera ''scoala vietii''. Abia la 63 de ani apare ocazia de a arata cine este el cu adevarat, intr-un context istoric, economic favorabil si prin norocul de a fi descoperit de oameni care ii pot face cunoscut potentialul.
Aflat in vizita in satul natal, el se intalneste cu rude, cunostinte care par a nu mai insemna nimic pentru el; singurul lucru pe care il scoate in evidenta in mod pozitiv este linistea. Trece si pe la cimitir sa faca un scurt periplu la mormantul parintilor sai si marturiseste ca a incercat sa tina la ei, dar violentele din casa nu i s-au parut niciodata normale. Isi aduce aminte de vorbele mamei sale (''o sa crapi acolo in Bucuresti!'') si constata cu luciditate: ''uite ca eu n-am crapat''.
In documentar mai apar presarate mici observatii culturale ale lui Ion B, care ii mentioneaza in treacat pe Rudolph Valentino, Elia Kazan, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Cehov, sau emite cugetari de genul Ars longa, vita brevis. Detaliile de genul acesta au fost o surpriza placuta, iar realizatorul a stiut sa le dozeze pe parcursul documentarului pentru a nu risca sa ii faca personajului o imagine de ''curiozitate ambulanta''.
Ioan B. este o persoana pentru care originile umile nu sunt un impediment, iar modul cum interactioneaza cu lumea straina arata ca poate mediul acela artistic este intr-adevar mediul sau natural. Chiar si abia la 63 de ani.

Seul contre tous [1998]

Inca un film de Gaspar Noé, nu la fel de cunoscut ca Irréversible, dar la fel de socant. Prea putin cunoscut la noi in tara, Gaspar Noé e notoriu in Franta ca fiind cu adevarat de stil trash si a fost desfiintat de criticii de cinema pe motiv ca violenta prezentata de el e pur si simplu violenta. E dezgustatoare si nu are nici un rost, nu demonstreaza nimic, caci doar asa s-ar putea justifica existenta ei.
Probabil ca asa este, insa Gaspar Noé e de apreciat pentru exprimarea concisa si transanta, pentru imaginile puternice(atat prin culorile alese, aproape brutale pentru ochi,cat si prin fondul sonor) si tranzitiile dintre cadre.
Personajul jucat de Philippe Nahon este cu adevarat seul contre tous.:''Our man is born near Paris in 1939. In '41 his mother abandons him. He'll never see her again. At the War's end, he finally finds our who his father was. A French Communist killed in a German death camp.'' Nu inceteaza sa spuna asta cu fiecare pas pe care il face, cu fiecare actiune pe care o intreprinde. Fost macelar, isi cauta de munca intr-o perioada economica mai putin favorabila, sta intr-o relatie de compromis cu o femeie sinistra dar care ii poate oferi niste conditii de viata, si singura sa fiica(nedorita) este internata intr-un ospiciu.
Tendinta unui astfel de om intr-o astfel de situatie este sa se razbune pe cei care i-au intors spatele cand avea nevoie de sprijin si sa se sinucida. In femei nu a avut incredere niciodata(te seduc si te abandoneaza), iar regretul pentru nasterea fiicei sale il bantuie atat de mult incat se instaleaza in camera de hotel unde a fost conceputa. Acolo unde viata a fost inceputa ea poate fi si incheiata.. Ori poti gasi totusi un motiv de a continua sa traiesti. Cel putin unul.
Morala conform lui Gaspar Noé? ''Il a une morale''.
Ceea ce e bine de stiut dupa intregile discursuri nihiliste prezentate in film de la un cap la altul.

Cateva exemple: ''Morality is made for those who own it. The rich. And you know who's always right? The rich. And the poor pay the price.''
''Well, Love is a mighty big word. Few can claim to know what Love is.''
''Death isn't much of anything in the end. We make such a big deal out of it. But up close, it's like nothing. A body without life, nothing more. People are like animals. You love them, you bury them and then it's over.''

The Last Word

Pentru cine nu este un impatimit al filmelor independente si nu are data festivalului Sundance scrijelita in agenda(in ianuarie), probabilitatea de a auzi de acest film era destul de scazuta. In media a fost anuntat ca disponibil spre vizionare in cinematografele romanesti, eu nu am reusit sa dau de el in vreo locatie deocamdata.

Povestea e interesanta, are mai mult accente tragice decat parfum romantic. Dar e destul de lipsita de complexitate: actiunea nu e atractia principala, personajele nu fac indeajuns de multe lucruri incat sa fie studiate. E genul de film memorabil pentru bucati interesante. Nu m-am gandit pana acum la a scrie bilete de adio pentru anumiti clienti ca idee de afaceri si sincer, nu cred ca ar merge in societatea actuala. De obicei cine vrea sa o termine cu viata nu-si planifica asa minutios ''aftermath''-ul, si tot de obicei biletele de adio sunt niste lucruri mai putin poetice si mai mult utilitare( in sensul ''sa va explic de ce m-am sinucis'' sau ''as vrea ca masina mea sa ii revina lui X''). Probabil ca o persoana care isi doreste un epitaf special este la randul sau un artist.
De la un astfel de client pe punctul de a se sinucide apare o alta idee de afaceri:
''I would buy a cliff where people could come and throw shit off. You know, like fax machines and computers or whatever. Things that piss them off cause they didn't work right. Like an outlet for machine rage. And the whole thing would be video taped in slow-motion so they could watch their heap of shit break into a million pieces back at home. Plus, for an extra couple bucks I would attach an explosive so it would blow up on impact. Just like they do in the movies. A big fire ball. That would be cool.''

Personajul lui Wes Bentley are genul de calm care tinde sa ii faca pe oameni circumspecti: aproape niciodata nu se enerveaza. Dar de ce? Probabil pentru ca stie ca din moment ce intra in starea aia isi pierde foarte usor controlul, asa cum se intampla in situatia in care este jefuit in gang. Asta da moment in care ai satisfactia ca triumfa binele, cand jefuitorul isi ia o mama de bataie atunci cand se asteapta mai putin de la cine se asteapta mai putin. De fapt, e placut sa vezi asta si in viata reala, nu numai in filme. Interesant e sa vezi ca oamenii chiar nu sunt ce par a fi, si nu e vorba numai despre cei care nu dezvaluie prea mult trairile si gandurile proprii, ci poate chiar cei mai stridenti, care desi se simt in control in ceea ce priveste propria viata, rareori si sunt.

The Picture of Dorian Gray [1945]

"How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June... If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that-for that-I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!"

O data cu reaparitia filmului Dorian Gray in 2009, ce ii are ca protagonisti pe Ben Barnes, Colin Firth si Ben Chaplin, mi-am reamintit de varianta din 1945, adevarata varianta in stil Oscar Wilde daca e sa ma-ntrebati pe mine.
Desigur, un film nu trebuie sa respecte cu strictete ''buchia cartii'', el poate avea o viata proprie(si trebuie sa imi recunosc tendinta de a discredita mai rapid un film recent decat unul mai vechi) insa niciodata explicitarea scenelor nu inlocuieste subtilitatea trairilor interioare si sugestia a ceea ce s-ar fi putut intampla e mai puternica decat vizualizarea in sine.
Ceea ce au adus in plus in 2009 a fost sa arate mai mult in ce consta depravarea lui Dorian (de parca nu ne puteam imagina...), dar au pierdut din vedere conflictul interior. Hurd Hatfield reuseste sa transmita acest conflict tocmai datorita fetei sale impenetrabile à la Buster Keaton. Naratorul are si el un rol important in a crea o atmosfera de roman,chiar daca in ziua de azi poate fi considerat redundant.

In afara de studiul de caracter ce poate fi facut pe frumosul Dorian, filmul este impregnat cu cugetari din filosofia de viata a lui Lord Henry Woton, o filosofie hedonista: "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful." In plus,in film se recita versuri de Omar Khayyam, Oscar Wilde (descris ca ''an Irish man out of Oxford'') si se face referinta la invatamintele lui Buddha. Un mediu prin excelenta intelectual, dar iata ce spune acelasi Lord Henry despre intelect:"But beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begins. Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration, and destroys the harmony of any face."
Asa cum remarca pictorul Basil, Lord Henry e mai mult un predicator al unui anumit mod de viata decat o persoana care si pune in aplicare. El prefera sa observe,sa intarate si mai putin sa se implice. Are o influenta notabila asupra lui Dorian, influenta pe care nu o percepe foarte bine decat la final (''What have I done?''), cand isi ia interaga vina asupra sa. Personaje precum Lord Henry se gasesc din belsug si in lumea contemporana, au o parere despre orice, un aer de superioritate asumata, totala lipsa de diplomatie, insa viata lor reala este la fel de plictisitoare precum a celor pe care ii critica. Abilitatea lor de a folosi cuvintele le aduce multi admiratori insa influenta exercitata e greu de determinat si in orice caz, devine pentru ei un act mai mult inconstient.
A vorbi despre iubire in contextul acestui film e mai putin relevant. Iubirea nu ocupa nici macar primele 3 pozitii in prioritatile temei (ceea ce e destul de revigorant, caci e exploatata excesiv in cinematografie). Traiasca scriitorii cu inclinatii spre acelasi sex! In schimb, iubirea apare ca o caracteristica a partii bune din Dorian, ori de cate ori sentimentele fata de o femeie sunt mai profunde, ori de cate ori apar remuscarile, regretele pentru trecut, pentru raul provocat persoanei iubite, atunci se sugereaza ca sufletul sau nu este corupt in totalitate si ca mai exista speranta.

Si speranta clar mai exista, daca nu pentru Dorian, atunci pentru cei din jurul lui.

Cinematografia ca sursa de inspiratie pentru moda

Prezentarea de moda masculina a celor de la Dolce&Gabbana (Winter 2011) ce avea ca fundal imagini din fimul Baarìa a lui Giuseppe Tornatore a adus in atentia publicului inspiratia pe care o iau acesti doi designeri din lumea cinematografiei, cu precadere din cea italiana. Desi ei au mentionat si in trecut care le sunt sursele de inspiratie si au enumerat deseori muze feminine ale cinematografiei italiene, proiectia efectiva a unor imagini de film integreaza totul la un alt nivel (muzica este compusa de Ennio Morricone, cel care printre altele s-a ocupat si de soundtrack-ul La Piovra, si e absolut geniala).
Defilarea e disponibila integral pe site-ul brand-ului.

Un interviu cu Domenico Dolce si Stefano Gabbana legat de aceasta tema se regaseste in revista Swide.

With Cannes film festival in full swing, Swide exclusively interviewed designers Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana for their unique insights into the world of film.

WHAT TYPE OF CINEMA DO YOU LOVE WATCHING?
SG: I appreciate all types of cinema. I love films that entertain but equally at the same time films that are strong visually. I like comedies and certain directors. The cinema is a magical place to me; it’s the most beautiful language in which to tell a story.

DD: I don’t prefer any one type of genre. I like films that push a question, films that when I leave the cinema I remain thinking about afterwards. The cinema gets me thinking in way few other things can.

DO YOU WATCH OLD FILMS ON DVD?
SG: I even watch them on videocassettes. I still have lots. I like to re-watch Italian neorealist cinema, but also Italian comedies from the 1960’s. I have a personal collection of Toto, Tarantino, and Marilyn films, films that star Sophia Loren, and all of De Sica and Antonioni’s work.
DD: In general I prefer to watch films at the cinema. I have lots of DVDs that I use above all for my research; the cinema is a great inspiration for our work.

ARE THERE ANY FILMS THAT HAVE INSPIRED YOUR WORK, AND IF SO WHAT ARE THEY?
DG: We draw a lot of inspiration from the film "Il Gattopardo" (The Leopard) by Luchino Visconti. It’s the film that has influenced us the most. This season’s collection contains many references to the film. Then of course there’s Fellini, perhaps the best of all and definitely, Michelangelo Antonioni, his work remains incredibly modern and always will, and I'm a big follower of the latest film releases.

ARE ACTRESSES ALSO A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR YOU BOTH?
SG: There are lots. Ingrid Bergman in "Stromboli", Claudia Cardinale in "Il Gattopardo", Anita Ekberg in "La Dolce Vita", Sophia Loren in "Divorzio all'italiana".
DD: These actresses were really muses to us. We can’t also fail to mention Sophia Loren in "La baia di Napoli" and also Anna Magnani and Silvana Mangano.

AND ACTORS?
DG: Marcello Mastroianni, Massimo Girotti, Alain Delon, Giancarlo Giannini, Enrico Maria Salerno, Gian Maria Volontè. Also Gregory Peck, Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery.

DO YOU THINK CONTEMPORARY CINEMA IS AS RELEVANT AS CINEMA OF THE PAST?
SG: Cinema has obviously changed, because the world has changed. The cinema of today maybe appears less interesting because of nostalgia. But who knows, in thirty years maybe two young designers will watch today’s contemporary cinema to find inspiration for their collections.

DD: Cinema has lots of power in that it can not only tell stories, but it can also showcase entire periods, habits, ways of dressing and speaking unlike photography. I think this is why cinema remains relevant.

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER THE GREAT DIRECTORS OF TODAY?
SG: Woody Allen, Wong Kar Wai, Baz Lhurman for "Moulin Rouge", a film I adore. Definitely Pedro Almodovar. The Italians that I consider excellent in their field are Paolo Sorrentino, and I like Virzì.
DD: Martin Scorsese above all. Danny Boyle for "The Millionaire", a really incredible film. In terms of Italians, I like to mention Ferzan Ozpetek, who although is actually Turkish, I think we can consider him part of our culture.

ACTORS AND ACTRESSES THAT YOU ADMIRE?
SG: I consider Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts the true great storytellers. In terms of actors Leonardo DiCaprio is great. Also Sean Penn and Javier Bardem.
DD: I’m a fan of Scarlett Johansson, who is of course also the face of our new make-up collection. I think she’s incredibly talented, and has a natural on screen presence. Actors, let me think... Matt Damon, Keanu Reeves?

WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT EUROPEAN CINEMA AND AMERICAN CINEMA?

SG: I think they are increasingly similar. Honestly speaking I don’t think there exists a unique European cinema as there doesn’t exist a unique American cinema.
Generally speaking, American cinema’s strengths are to draw me into their films but it’s an extreme generalisation – I don’t usually tend to ask myself where a particular film is from. I do believe though a new generation of Italian directors and actors are emerging, and as such I think it’s correct to give them encouragement and support. We’re very passionate about this upcoming generation, and follow them carefully.

DD: The Americans tell stories like no other. I admire their capacity create fascinating stories, to the credit of their actors, and also the industry’s commercial approach.
Today, though, like the rest of the world American cinema and European cinema are mixed. Take for example "The Millionaire", an English director, American Production Company, and Indian actors.

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE DIRECTED?
SG: I don’t think I could ever be a director, actually as a boy I wanted to be an actor.
DD: I’ll confess that I would have liked to direct "Scarface" but I’ll admit I wouldn’t have been able to do anything as brilliant as what Scorsese did.

WHAT FILM WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED TO FEATURE IN AND IN WHAT ROLE?
SG: (Laughing) "The Witches of Eastwick", but in Cher’s role!! Brilliant!
DD: A Totò film. He’s a total genius.

Dec 25, 2009
GF
Source: Dolce & Gabbana
Photo Credit: Photo by Mario Testino courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

A Thousand Clowns [1965]

Anii '60 au fost un prilej potrivit pentru o comedie anti-consumerista centrata pe personaj. Din punct de vedere economic, perioada a fost una de avant si auto-motivatie (relevant e faimosul citat-aproape-cliseu al lui Kennedy ''And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.'' ). Nu mai era chiar timpul familiilor perfecte din anii '50, compuse din sotul care isi sustinea financiar toata familia, o sotie frumoasa care se ocupa exclusiv de casa, 2 copii si un caine dar.. lucrurile inca mergeau bine si orice american avea in minte faptul ca daca muncesti indeajuns de mult rezultatele vor aparea la randul lor.

Cine este personajul interpretat de Jason Robards? La mimica, gestica, si modul cum isi poarta trupul obosit as risca sa zic ca e un Monsieur Hulot in varianta americana. Genul de om agreabil doar pentru cei apropiati(putini la numar, evident), respinge orice incercare de inregimentare in sistemul de trai cotidian cu replici rapide si inteligente. Fara slujba, cu o casa al carei interior e un haos estetic, singura lui strategie e amanarea. Zi-le ''o fac mai tarziu'' ca sa scapi de ei. Merge pentru o perioada de timp, nimic de zis. Dar ce se intampla cand ai putea pierde o persoana(doua) la care tii din cauza alegerilor tale ''iresponsabile'' de viata? Faci alegerea si devii inca una din figurile automatizate care traverseaza strazile dimineata de dimineata spre casa. Insa nu e asa rau cum pare. Poti face un compromis social fara a te pierde pe tine insuti in acelasi timp.
Situatia duce putin cu gandul la ce reamintea J.Dudley Andrew, un teoretician in chestiuni cinematografice, in cartea sa despre teorii ale filmului. I se atribuie lui Socrate propozitia ''the unreflected life is not worth living''. Asta ar putea spune Murray Burns, personajul nostru. Insa un elev al lui Socrate ar fi replicat: ''the unlived life is not worth reflecting upon''. Ceea ce e corect, in mare parte. Iar cel mai chinuitor este sa reflecti mult la lucruri concrete.

Legat de consumerism si ''noile tipuri de slujbe'', interesanta este inserarea personajului Leo Herman aka 'Chuckles the Chipmunk', o mascota a unui brand de snacks-uri ce aparea la televizior cu propriul numar comic; numar ale carui replici fusesera scrise chiar de personajul principal. O adevarata penibilitate, asa cum e ea creionata in scenete; desi este o slujba ca oricare alta, presupunand aici slujba=serviciu pentru care esti platit, disperarea cu care cineva isi doreste sa fie un mai bun 'Chuckles the Chipmunk' nu poate decat sa provoace rasul. Chiar mai mult decat replicile in sine si glumele fizice.

Murray Burns: Five months ago I was on the subway on my way to work, was sitting on the express same as every morning looking out the window watching the local stops go by in the dark with an empty head and my arms folded, not feeling great, not feeling rotten, just not feeling. And for a minute I couldn't remember, I didn't know, unless I really concentrated, whether it was a Tuesday or a Thursday or a... for a minute it could have been any day, Arn.
I gotta know what day it is. I gotta know what's the name of the game and what the rules are without anyone else telling me. You gotta own your own days and name 'em, each one of 'em, every one of 'em, or else the years go right by and none of them belong to you. And that ain't just for weekends, kiddo.

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

O data cu revitalizarea eroului(si a companionului sau fidel,Dr. Watson) lui Arthur Conan Doyle de catre Guy Ritchie, ar fi interesant sa ne reamintim si de ecranizarile clasice; doar nu-si inchipuie cineva ca aventurile unui personaj notoriu, de prin 1890, au fost capturate pe pelicula abia in 2009...
Personal, am vazut doar doua astfel de ecranizari: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) si The Hound of the Baskervilles(1939).

Basil Rathbone este cu adevarat cum ti l-ai inchipui pe Holmes: rafinat, elegant, cu o superioritate justificata, iar Nigel Bruce in rolul Dr.Watson este la fel de adorabil. Nu este la fel de istet sau la fel de cautat precum prietenul sau, insa il completeaza prin faptul ca este mai conectat la trivialitatile realitatii; singura slabiciune a lui Holmes fiind ca uneori, absorbit fiind de complexitatea cazurilor si incercand sa gaseasca rezolvari, trece cu vederea elementele ce tin de ratiunea unui muritor de rand, la fel de importante (este ceea ce speculeaza si Moriarty atunci cand ii ofera doua provocari, stiind ca va alege crima in detrimentul furtului, desi era o diversiune de la un plan mult mai maret).
Versiunea lui Guy Ritchie din 2009 este mult mai dinamica. Inteligenta, dar eu prefer varianta in care Holmes nu cafteste oameni cu precizie anatomica. Schimbarea se produce si in Watson, care in noua varianta pare mai istet decat inainte: aproape ca il ajunge pe partenerul sau la intuitie. Putin probabil ca star system-ul care dorea ca personajele secundare sa puna in valoare personajul principal, nu sa-l umbreasca, facea din Watson un personaj asa debil in trecut; si ca in prezent cineva si-a dorit sa il reabiliteze. Pur si simplu in '39 se respecta mai fidel ''buchia cartii''.
Avantaje si dezavantaje.
Eu il prefer pe Holmes-ul elitist si rafinat interpretat de Basil(care, umbla vorba, era cam la fel si in viata reala, dand cu sotia niste petreceri exclusiviste si extravagante care ii faceau si pe F.Scott Fitzgerald&Zelda sa fie invidiosi).

Sherlock Holmes: I've decided to accept your case, Miss Brandon. I shall help you all I can.
Ann Brandon: Oh, Thank you.
Jerrold Hunter: We don't want your interference, Mr. Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes: I interfere whenever and wherever I like, Mr. Hunter.

The 50 Most Underappreciated and Unfairly Forgotten Movie Treasures

Un top cu care sunt de acord si care supune atentiei cinefilului alternative de gen aflate pe undeva intre filmele de popcorn si filmele elitiste.

* articol preluat din Lodown Magazine , iunie 2009.
Autori: Forty, Andibar, Thomas Klein & Sir David Michael

Viral marketing hadn't been invented, people didn't understand the narrative, the topic was too hot to handle, or they were punished with the same release date as Star Wars, Pulp Fiction and the Dark Knight combined. Some movies didn't make it to your local cinema or outside of the festival circuit, your DVD slot, or your attention in general. Most of them should remain buried in oblivion, others, however, are worth digging for - in the realm of your video store, on the internet or in your nerd-buddies VHS/Beta collection. You're probably bored to death of what Youtube or Uporn has to offer and so now, you're in need of some hints on how you can accumulate your cinematic inventories. Therefore Lodown has proudly compiled a biased list of movies gems that haven't received the acknowledgement they should have.



50. Soldier Blue (Ralph Nelson, 1970)
That’s a strange Western. Tagged as the most savage film in history, Soldier Blue depicts the Sand Creek Massacre where cavalry troops slaughtered hundreds of Indians as an act of vengeance. Cruelty on both sides and never seen before graphic violence make you contemplate on US American founding myths. Before its horrifying schlachtfest Ralph Nelson takes a detour, showing an Adam and Eve story featuring Candice Bergen and Peter Strauss – and a dull Western score that sounds almost ironic.



49. Models (Ulrich Seidl, 1999)
Mixing up complete amateurs/real life peeps with actors for the first time in his career, Austria’s enfant terrible Seidl delivers a self-absorbed and generally hateful portrait of the beauty craze and its shallow protagonists. The portrayed Eurotrash models are slutty, drug-addicted and insecure about their physical 'imperfections' while essentially struggling with their existential longings for love and meaning. Not surprisingly it's as unpleasant to watch as Animal Love, Import/Export and his masterpiece Dog Days.



48.
The Trial (Orson Welles, 1962)
While Orson Welles’ mantle has been built on the worship of Touch of Evil, The Third Man and Citizen Kane, his spell binding adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial is often criminally overlooked. With its surreal and disorientating edges and at times remarkable cinematography, a viewing is like discovering where David Lynch learnt all his tricks from. In the film, Anthony Perkins betters his Psycho performance, as the man caught up in the mysterious legal web, where beautiful women (Romy Schneider, Jeanne Moreau and Elsa Martinelli) that you just can’t trust, lurk around every corner.



47. The Tit And The Moon (Bigas Luna, 1994)
Imagine Spanish cinema with childhood problems, emerging sexuality and colourful pictures. Here you are, it’s the Tit And The Moon from one of Europe's most entertaining enfant terrbiles. All you can ask for when a kid needs to cope with his new stepbrother and intensely wishes to suck on his mom’s breast again. Weird and fascinating pictures from the Iberian country where filmmaking still is a proper work of imagination. Maybe it’s the tapas.



46.
Dark Water (Walter Salles, 2005)
Some might be surprised to find this film listed here, but actually it's quite simple: 1. It's probably the best American remake of a Japanese movie since The Magnificent Seven. 2. No other actress suffers as adorably as Jennifer Connelly. 3. New York's Roosevelt Island never looked that creepy. 4. The supporting cast (Tim Roth, John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite) is just excellent. 5. Mr. Salles isn't too interested in Hideo Nakata's obvious horror-fantasies and plays his version more like Repulsion with a ghostly twist. 6. Did we already mention that no other actress suffers as adorably as Jennifer Conelly ?



45. Terror 2000 - Intensivstation Deutschland (Christoph Schlingensief, 1992)

Christoph Schlingensief’s only task is to fight Germany’s boring and indifferent art and media scene. Terror 2000 was his way to show the mental state of Germany right after the unification. And the patient is sick, terminally sick, diagnosed with racism, sexism and imbecility. Brutal satire about common genetically illnesses Germans tend to suffer from. Funny as hell – it’s springtime for Hitler … again?



44.
Testament (Lynne Littmann, 1983)
This came out at the height of the nuclear war scare, but unlike the better-known, flashier TV production The Day After this is all about melancholy and understatement. The film follows a mother from northern California. What she and her neighbours first hope to be a „limited“ nuclear engagement turns out to be the much-feared Big One – there’s no one coming to help them because there might not be anyone left. Slowly, but steadily society starts to crumble and the dying begins. Seeing Mom stretching supplies and trying to give some comfort to her kids and others is a touching, depressing sight, showing her burying her children one after the other is one of the most saddening sights ever. A great, almost forgotten film about an almost forgotten time: If you want to know what living in the 80’s was like, this should be part of your education.



43.
Ich War Neunzehn (Konrad Wolff, 1968)
Terrific, autobiographical film about the end of WW2 in Germany based on director Wolff’s diary. Young German-born Red Army translator Gregor Hecker (an excellent, very young Jaecki Schwarz) returns home in early 1945, the final days of the Nazi regime. He sees the horrors of war, the fear and desperation of the civilians, hard-drinking Russians and stubborn German officers. An unflinching, honest account of the „other“ Germans and the difficulty of working both against as well as for your fellow countrymen. Look for a hint of Russian soldiers engaging in raping and pillaging in one scene – unpleasantness that almost had the GDR higher-ups pull the plug on this incredible film.



42. The Brown Bunny (Vincent Gallo, 2003)
Being unfairly reduced to that infamous blowjob scene and Roger Ebert's statement that Gallo's second directorial effort is the worst movie ever shown at Cannes, The Brown Bunny actually is a much much better picture than the negative hype suggested. Prince Vince plays professional motorcycle racer Bud Clay, a troubled and delicately emotional man on a melancholic mission to California. A stylish, redundant and almost hypnotic vision of a man's inability to accept responsibility for his own misfortune.



41. Scarecrow (Jerry Schatzberg, 1973)
A fascinating road-movie about two drifters, head-strong ex-con Max (Gene Hackman) and naive sailor „Lion“ (Al Pacino) who travel across early 70’s US searching for their dream(s). For Max that’s opening a car wash (?) in Pittsburgh (??), for the meek, friendly Lion it’s getting back to his woman and the kid he’s never seen. Slowish, touching and offbeat, the movie is filled with weird, funny, disturbing bits. Of course, old-time buddies Pacino and Hackman spent a couple of weeks doing research, drifting about and hanging with have-beens and outsiders, method-style.

40. Illtown (Nick Gomez, 1996)
Nick Gomez is by all means one of his generation’s most gifted directors. Unfortunately, he is one of the most underrated storytellers as well, so he now earns his money directing episodes of TV shows like The Shield, Sleeper Cell or Dexter. His third opus Illtown is a sinister tale about friends involved in a prosperous drug business. Unfortunately one of the sellers dies and mistrust and disloyalty enters the game. With Michael Rapaport, Adam Trese and Lili Talyor.



39. Southern Comfort (Walter Hill, 1981)
A group of National Guardsmen head deep into the marshes of Louisiana on a routine training mission and suddenly find themselves in the middle of Cajun Swampbilly hell. Slowly paced but intense, pessimistic but not crestfallen, this backwood thriller turned Vietnam allegory is Hill's forgotten masterpiece, no doubt about it. The actual filming was way over schedule thanks to the director's sense of perfectionism: filmed on location, almost everybody in front and behind the camera came down with a nasty flu.



38.
Fear X (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2003)
Having left Copenhagen's mean streets for a trip into small town America, Refn tells a compelling and heavily stylised murder mystery. The always-reliable John Turturro plays an emotional unstable, troubled security guard trying to make sense of the killing of his wife. Soon the protagonist as well as the audience completely loses touch about which scenes are subjective recollections of events and which aren't. Scripted by Hubert Selby Jr., Fear X is an overlooked exercise in enigmatic atmospherics.



37. The Boy Who Cried Bitch (Juan José Campanella, 1991)
Director Campanella stated back then, that he wanted to explore what "Charles Manson, the Hillside Strangler, and John Hinkley were like as children", and boy, did he do a convincing job. Golden boy Harley Cross delivers a scarily explosive performance as a troubled kid, whose sociopathic behaviour lands him in a mental institution where he falls in love with a neurotic girl. Unfortunately, his downhill spiral continues and he soon finds himself in a depressing finale back home with his overstrained mother and a loaded gun.



36. Bad Santa (Terry Zwigoff, 2003)
It’s a simple plan: Put on the Santa suit, take your short buddy with you as an elf, work for department stores as rent-a-Kris Kringle, rob the place and kick back for another ten months. That’s what Billy Bob Thornton and Tony Cox have been doing quite successfully for years, but Santa can’t really do it anymore. When the barely functioning drunk who has some major issues ends up playing surrogate dad for a chubby kid, he starts seeing the appeal of a less sleazy lifestyle. Sort of. Like The Ref, an excellent antidote against the sugar-shock that is Christmas, this will have you laugh, smirk and nod your head a lot. Funny as hell, quirky stuff.



35.
The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane (Nicolas Gessner, 1976)
Overshadowed by her intriguing performance in Taxi Driver, this mystery/drama/thriller made even Jody Foster feel uncomfortable. It’s about a young girl living in a house, allegedly with her father, and a secretive past, none of the neighbours are familiar with. Macabre and disturbing movie. That was what Jodie Foster also sensed as she was asked to show some more skin, being 14 years old.



34. Amateur (Hal Hartley, 1994)
Hartley’s movies you either love or hate, there’s no middle ground here, his stylised conversations, offbeat characters and WTF?-dramatic techniques are too specific for the mainstream. This wild ride showcases Hartley’s ideas in a very accessible, Coen-like way, though. „How can you be a nymphomaniac and never have sex?“ nun-turned-pornographer Isabelle Huppert is asked. „I’m choosy,“ comes the reply. Can friendly amnesiac (Martin Donovan) discovering what he did and who he was, turn his life around and start over? Will Elina Löwensohn (cute and mysterious as ever) be any help – or is she looking for some well-deserved payback? Life IS weird, Hartley seems to say, and, yes, you can go home again.



33.
The Medusa Touch (Jack Gold, 1978)
Para-psychological thriller that could only have been made in the 70s. Richard Burton stopped re-marrying Liz Taylor to appear as a telekinetic writer who causes death and catastrophes by solely thinking about it, even as he is hooked to a life support system in a hospital after being almost beaten to death. Lino Ventura investigates... An amazing thriller that is surprisingly located somewhere in a niche between The Manchurian Candidate, Carrie and The Parallax View.



32. Bubble Boy (Blair Hayes, 2001)
Fronted as an anarchic screwball comedy about a boy with no immune system that is forced by his parents to live inside a plastic bubble, Bubble Boy must stand as the most un-Disney, Disney film ever. As the film transpires into a road movie across America with Bubble Boy encountering a freak circus, Jesus army, female mud-wrestlers, and an Indian ice cream man , the film manages to take the piss out of the disabled, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Asians, midgets – basically everybody. With some international Buena Vista (Disney) offices refusing to release the film, Jake Gyllenhaal’s career should have been over before it started, especially when Donnie Darko was banished from screens, when it was considered bad taste after the event of 9/11.



31. Something Wild (Jonathan Demme, 1986)
Ray Liotta’s a psychopath (no, really!) in Demme’s superior variation on After Hours, while Melanie Griffith brings considerable hotness (would I lie to you?) to her role of a free-thinking, grungy vamp in desperate need of a „nice guy“ to take to her small-town class reunion. Jeff Daniels is the good, boring citizen she chooses or rather: kidnaps to play the part. All would have worked out nicely if her ex wouldn’t have shown up as well, looking for some payback. Excellent, surprisingly violent film that offers lots of twists and could have, should have, catapulted Demme to the top of US directors. It didn’t.

30. The War Zone (Tim Roth, 1999)
Utterly fucked up family life illustrated in Roth’s depressing but quite gripping directorial debut. Leaving the hustle and bustle of London behind, a family moves into a cottage in the countryside near Devon. The sky is grey, the teenage kids are bored – till 15-year-old Tom (Freddie Cunliffe) starts suspecting there’s something weird going on between his 18-year-old sis (Lara Belmont) and his jolly dad (Ray Winstone). An emotional car crash in extreme slo-mo, a film about incest that will leave a very, very bitter taste in your mouth and quite disturbing images in your head. In other words, a dark, awesome experience.



29.
Jesus' Son (Allison Mclean, 1999)
Portrait of a young man as a junkie: Billy Crudup stars as FH (yup, „Fuckhead“) who drifts through the early seventies, substance abuse and unexpected relationships. Drugs are neither glamorised nor demonised but instead portrayed as a catalyst of the time – FH hooks up with a hippie girl (Samantha Morton) and a down on his luck bum (Denis Leary), later works at a hospital with Jack Black, where he also meets burned-out Dennis Hopper. Edgy, bittersweet, darkly funny and very inventive.



28. Come And See (Elem Klimov, 1985)
It's an expressionistic nightmare about war that follows an innocent kid from Belarussia on his way into insanity. This overlooked Russian masterpiece almost works as an equivalent to Coppola's Apocalypse Now, even though these movies are worlds apart in terms of the cinematic pallette they're using. Klimov's images are haunting, surreal and downright dirty, the sound he's using is borderline cacophonic. Rumors are that he even used hypnosis on his young lead to influence his performance.



27. Thumbsucker (Mike Mills, 2005)
Being different isn't necessarily bad, that's at least what artist/filmmaker Mills is (convincingly) telling us in his feature film debut that got strangely overlooked outside the festival circuit. The coming-of-age story centres around an insecure 17 year old who has to realise - with a little help from his New Age dentist and a shady TV actor - that seeking self-improvement with rigid commitment doesn't automatically lead to acceptance and happiness. It's a charming, honest and in terms quirky movie with highly charismatic teen performances from Lou Pucci and Kelli Garner.



26.
To Live And Die In L.A. (William Friedkin, 1985)
This might very well be one of the best films of the Eighties, a hard-hitting, inventive crime drama filled to the brim with cynicism, anxieties, garish colours and a Wang Chung score. Macho Secret Service Agent Chance (William Petersen) desperately tries to nail master counterfeiter Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe) who killed Chance’s partner. This goes horribly wrong: Bending, if not breaking the law to get his man, Chance proves no match for Masters. An excellent companion piece to Michael Mann’s L.A. crime stories Thief or Heat, the film not only sports a nice, early performance by John Turturro (as Master’s sleaze ball underling) but also a car chase sequence that puts both Bullitt as well as Friedkin’s own French Connection to shame.



25. Beautiful Girls (Ted Demme, 1996)
One of the best writers Hollywood has to offer came along with this little story about a musician coming back to his hometown meeting up with his buddies and falling almost in love with teenager Natalie Portman (no, not Léon). Scott Rosenberg penned this post-slacker romedy years before he used the setting again for the show October Road, dealing with love, trust, friendship and that little beast called expectation. In 2002 director Ted Demme deceased, whereupon The Afghan Wigs, also starring in Beautiful Girls, dedicated an album to him.



24. The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (Asia Argento, 2004)
The best hoax in literature since the Bible. Maybe. At least it was cleverly executed. JT Leroy, drug addicted, HIV positive, and a former rent boy, became a writer, journalist and interviewer for I.D. and The Face. Followed by this compelling adaptation of his biographical book by Asia Argento, real life daughter of horror-meister Dario Argento. Somewhere in between, the scheme was uncovered. JT Leroy and his life was only fiction. Too bad. But who cares? This edgy film about a fucked-up mother and her little kid is still a perfect downer, even without this hoax story.



23.
Niagara, Niagara (Bob Gosse, 1997)
Tour de Tourette. Fuck! A road-movie to Canada turns into a challenging trip about love and its boundaries for an underrated Robin Tunney and the guy who was seduced by Drew Barrymore in ET. Cunt! Bob Gosse tells an emphatic story of affection and tolerance without getting trapped in a voyeuristic mental disability show like Rain Man. Fuck! Fuck! Thanks to Miss Tunney’s outstanding performance as a fascinating woman plagued with Tourette's Syndrome.



22.
Straight Time (Ulu Grosbard, 1978)
Originally meant to be Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut. Based on career-criminal Edward Bunker’s incredible book No Beast So Fierce the film follows small-time crook Max Dembo (Hoffman) who just got out of jail and tries to start over. For a change it is not (or not only) the „system“ that gets him back into a life of crime but rather his own weakness, a vicious cycle of false friends, easy money and a somewhat sheltered life behind bars. Great film with an excellent cast – Harry Dean Stanton and Gary Busey play supposedly reformed ex-con buddies of Dembo, M. Emmet Walsh his unpleasant parole officer and a very young (and very cute) Theresa Russell his girlfriend. Never left the mark it should have. Too bad.



21.
Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1997)
It's a high-concept detective story turned serial killer movie turned hallucinatory apocalypse. It's about a seemingly senseless epidemic of interconnected murders and loneliness and hypnosis. It's slow-paced, elliptical, and highly exceptional. And most importantly, it's an ambitious example of pleasingly abstract, psychological, eerie and atmospheric filmmaking by the Japanese master of offbeat horror. Just don't expect any kind of conventional resolution to this cinematic enigma.

20. The Blackout (Abel Ferrara, 1997)
A downward spiral of excess and guilt, a motif commonly used by maverick filmmaker Abel Ferrara. The Blackout is the result of a fierce, drug induced “rock out with the cock out”-night in Miami where Hollywood actor Matthew Modine met a girl. Something happened, most probably. Months later, now living with Claudia Schiffer and joining AA, Modine is still haunted by blurry memories. What happens in Miami, won’t stay in Miami. Dark and bitter, Ferrara going Korsakoff. On the set, Ferrara left his actors alone without any directing orders. Only to cater for his own recreational drug needs.



19.
Man On The Moon (Milos Forman, 1999)
Directed by Milos Forman? Andy Kaufman? 'Not another movie about a crazy Teutonic musician', you might have thought. But this here is a hilarious bio picture about comedy genius Andy Kaufman from TV’s Taxi who later turned into an inter-gender wrestling champion. It’s also about Tony Clifton, Kaufman’s alter ego and nemesis. Question remaining: How could Kaufman fake his own fake death? And believe it or not, Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman is simply stunning.



18.

The Pope Of Greenwich Village (Stuart Rosenberg, 1984)
The story of two small-time hustlers getting caught up with the mafia and corrupt NYPD on the streets of New York is every bit as good as Mean Streets (if not better). Generally overlooked by audiences and critics alike, the film’s lack of recognition proved to be the final straw for Mickey Rourke, who quickly became disillusioned with the film industry, leading him to squander his once great promise and eventually ditch acting to take up boxing. Similarly fellow acting maverick co-star Eric Roberts soon hit the skids after drugs and a volatile personal life led to a deciding drop in quality of his work and choices.


17. Rounders (John Dahl, 1998)
“You’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt”, with Rounders they played aggressively fast. Too fast to cash in on the current Poker hype. So this gambler piece was not a box office success despite its excellent cast (Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Malkovich and Famke Janssen) and its superb directing and writing. Unfortunately a sleeper – but the best movie about gambling since Cincinatti Kid or Pokerhontas.



16.
Pixote (Hector Babenco, 1981)
This savage, harrowing and unfairly forgotten critique of social indifferences and Third World poverty could easily be considered an antecedent of the still highly popular City Of God. Being a million miles away from the glossiness of aforesaid picture, Pixote prefers a documentary-like, grim and plain look that's close to Italy's Neorealists. Structured in two parts (life in a juvenile reformatory and on the streets of Sao Paolo), the film's biggest success lies in the pitch-perfect casting of real life street kids, with leading man Fernando Da Silva being tragically killed by police bullets in 1988.



15.
Love Liza (Todd Louiso, 2002)
Without a doubt, Philip Seymour Hoffman is the best actor of his or any other generation at this very moment. Love Liza offers you the chance to participate in his way down, as he mourns his wife’s suicide unable to accept help from his mother-in-law, his friend or workmate. Inhaling gasoline fumes he only seeks temporary relief. Stunning character study by heavyweight actor Hoffman.



14. El Milagro de P. Tinto (Javier Fesser, 1998)
An old and slightly confused (as in 'weird as fuck') couple first adopts two Martian midgets with a soft spot for soda, then a tall, escaped mental patient while trying to save their communion wafer business in rural Spain. Losing itself in subplots about time-travelling, religion, musical interludes, b-movie horror and an undercover E.T. hunter working as a racist handyman, P. Tinto is an alarmingly imaginative, surreal, sweet and downright strange, big celebration of absurd ideas by former commercial maverick Fesser.



13.
River's Edge (Tim Hunter, 1986)
Forced to work in television since the early 90s, Hunter's uncompromising study of teen ambivalence is a powerful, ugly, disturbing and ridiculously under-seen film. It's a pre-Kids manifest of troubled teenagers victimised by bad parenting and an utter lack of angst, with over the top histrionic performances by Crispin Glover and Dennis Hopper as well as early career steps from Keanu Reeves and Ione Skye. Not surprisingly, this movie feels even more relevant today than it did 20 years ago.



12.
Lone Star (John Sayles, 1996)
So you love Tommy Lee Jones’ Three Burials and own No Country For Old Men on disc but haven’t seen this? Go and watch this awesome tale from the US-Mexican Frontera, like, NOW. Well-observed social drama as well as contemporary western, this is all about the sins of the father (well, and mom’s, too): Small town sheriff Deeds (Chris Cooper) starts investigating a crime that happened decades ago, that nobody seems to care about and which may have been committed by his late dad, a local hero. Searching for answers he not only discovers the lies that this border community are built on, but also starts to understand his own life. With a terrific performance by Kris Kristofferson as long-gone racist and corrupt Sheriff Wade who got what he had coming.



11. The Swimmer (Frank Perry, 1968)
Neddy Merrill appears out of nowhere cladded just in trunks, willing to make his way home by swimming through all the pools in his wealthy neighborhood.
What seems to be light entertainment in the beginning turns out to be a psychic mindtrip. Merrill´s conversations over drinks with his neighbors are revealing that he´s obviously suffering from suburban amnesia, denying that his former life vanished into thin air. Physically almost naked he´s getting psychically undressed bit by bit with every pool he crawls and every drink he pours.

10. Love & A 45 (C.M. Talkington, 1994)
In the end there are only two things that matter: Renée Zellweger and C.M. Talkington. The debut director only came up with two other feature films, while his star… well, you probably heard of her career moves. Before Botox and box office madness Renée Zellweger was considered to be Arnie’s Austrian niece. She plays the über-cute love interest of gangster hubby Gil Bellows, hunted by the police and a psychotic Rory Cochrane. Drugs, cameos, violence and funny lines, it’s an archetype of a 90ies independent movie madness. It's like True Romance, only better.



09. El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970)
Admittedly, this midnight movie beauty here has a strong cult following already, thanks to John Lennon's recommendation and Allen Klein's business sense, still it's a shame that El Topo is reduced to this Mexican magical mystery tour for stoners only. In fact, it's an artsy, gory, metaphorical, metaphysical, fairly deranged and highly entertaining, psychedelic Spaghetti Western magical mystery tour that has to be seen to be believed. Or as Jodorowsky himself put it: "If you're enlightened, El Topo is a great picture. If you don't understand it, you're a limited asshole."



08. Tian Mi Mi - Comrades (Peter Chan, 1996)
Tell your best buddy that the film he's about to see deals with themes of relationship, sexuality, gender and morality and you'll see him running before he can even scream 'chick flick!' at you. Well, Comrades has all these ingredients and further adds subplots about cultural identity loss, fate, materialism, cult of personality and even H.I.V., but thanks to Chinese indie-director Chan and his stunning leads Maggie Cheung and Leon Lai, this isn't an exercise in heavy melodrama but one of the most memorable romances ever captured on celluloid.



07. Toto Le Héros (Jaco Van Dormael, 1991)
Fate is a cruel bastard, especially if you're consumed by hate and jealousy for someone who you're convinced has stolen your life from you: parents, childhood, opportunity, love, education, and most importantly happiness. Van Dormael's debut plays out like a dream-like fantasy about life and what we make of it. A compelling tale that combines drama, mystery and pitch-black comedy. It's tragic and funny, nihilistic but not cynical. And even though it's about death as well, it offers all the reasons to stay alive.



06.
Etat De Siege (Costa-Gavras, 1972)
Brilliant political thriller by Costa-Gavras, his trademark actually. Uruguay in the early 70s, the left-wing Tupamaro guerrilla kidnaps an official of the US Agency for International Development. While the search for the kidnapped man causes police brutality, the interrogation of the official reveals the involvement of the US government aka the CIA. Splendid agitation and revolutionary education, far from being neutral like a Swiss cheese.



05.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)
Jesse James was arguably the best film of 2007, unfortunately it tanked terribly at the box office, regardless of its star power (Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell). Maybe a 160 minute long, dark, poetic, epic Anti-Western that turns into an intense and ambiguous intimate play in its final act but lacks clear descriptions of heroes and villains wasn't everybody's cup of moonshine whiskey. Still, it proved that every once in a blue moon major studios are still able to produce a piece of art so awe-inspiring, it's almost painful to watch.



04.
Glengarry Glen Ross (James Foley, 1992)
The screen-adaptation of David Mamet’s Pulitzer-winning play is one big firework of verbal assault, malice, manliness, and capitalism at its worst. A champion’s league all-star cast, with a scene-stealing Alec Baldwin as an economic hit man and a late Jack Lemmon, whose out-of-luck character clearly delivered the blueprint to The Simpson's Gil Gunderson, hangs out in a run-down real estate office over a 24 hour period. What could've been a dull update on Willy Loman-land actually is an exercise in high-powered dialogue and scarily precise acting.



03.Your Friends & Neighbours (Neil La Bute, 1998)
No violence and no skin but Neil La Bute’s tale of immorality was almost given a NC-17 rating, close to a XXX verdict, only because of its drastic dialogues and resentful depiction of modern relationships and the possibilities of conflicts and variations within three couples. Think of the bathroom scene in Eastern Promises, see here the extension without any physical violence, only a little speech. Killer cast: Catherine Keener, Nastassja Kinski, Aaron Eckhardt, Jason Patric and Ben Stiller.



02. Day Of The Locust (John Schlesinger, 1975)
While Mr. Schlesinger will always be remembered for Midnight Cowboy and Sunday Bloody Sunday by the very majority of cinophiles, it is this rather vicious and slightly surreal Depression-era Dream Factory drama that still feels fresh, vivid and utterly unique. Locust follows a handful of weird and surprisingly unsympathetic characters getting lost in the soul-sucking excess of 30s Hollywood on their quest for stardom. Unforgettable for its hallucinatory finale, Donald Sutherland as Homer Simpson (!) and the most obnoxious kid that ever walked the earth.



01. Keane (Lodge H. Kerrigan, 2004)
Owner of a broken heart. And mind. And soul. The most underrated director/writer of our times delivers another in your face, yet highly intimate portrait of a lost individual whose life is a hurricane of delusions. Brilliantly played by Band Of Brothers' Damian Lewis, Keane is a reductive analysis of a borderline psychotic young man stuck in the morass of modern anxieties, but still struggling to become socially presentable. It's a raw, intense and heartbreakingly sad movie. It's nothing less than a modern masterpiece.