Serioulsy can't really relate François Ozon to New French Extremity apart from Les amants criminels. This film is distinctively different from his more recent works. Ozon is the first french directors whom I admire but Les amants criminels is not the Ozon that I have always known. Maybe it's at that period of time it was a trend to make (a bit more) provocative films. Or people changed?
A escondidas did a really good job in conveying one single feeling and it succeeded in making us on edge, deliberately denying what we want to happen or see. Somewhat somehow we have all been there, right?
The last scene, it’s simple but extremely emotional. It contains hope but we could have guessed what happened. It’s not personal, the director uses that scene on propose and there isn’t a hundred ways to interpret it. I like it, because it represents life. Life is unpredictable and the only thing we could do is to be prepared and hope for the best.
I guess films about the suburb (banlieue) population is a legit genre. People who are from the lowest social ladder try really hard everyday to strive or simply just to survive, most of them have one thing in common, anger. People who are just like us but not really. It’s hard to admit and nothing derogate. Some people just struggle to put food on the table.
What makes Divines different from it’s genre? It’s funny, it’s light but it’s also hard to watch at times and it definitely doesn’t sugarcoat anything. There is this incredible friendship between the two young actresses which is something rare to see in this kind of genre. It’s interesting how they play with gender roles in the film, they put the female lead into dealing and the male into dancing. When he asked: “do you know how much my life would change right now?” There is a sense of irony, viewing that she was making fun of him working in security for a supermarket on the side while he was auditioning for a dancing company. Obviously she thinks she makes a better choice than he does but does she?
A little side note, the male lead… you will know what i mean when you watch it. Maybe it’s just me but I don’t think so.
Do you know why woman were used to get married? it’s because they could lose they virginity and be opened to freedom and the things that they wanted to do. A stranger told Alice at the party.
Gender roles play a big part in Eyes Wide Shut. What man think woman are capable of hence leading Alice (Nicole Kidman) confesses what could have happened, the big “if” which leads Dr William Harford ventures off to a sexual adventure.
Is it unfaithful having a dream about having an orgy in front your husband? Or is it more unacceptable telling your husband you are willing to risk your marriage for one night with a stranger you’ve just seen?
The confession scene is so powerful, the tension between the two leads is unbearable. Seriously, what are people thinking during the day? What is your thought when your genital are being examined. Any fantasy? Yes, the patient might got carried away by the possible “bad news” but what if everything is fine? To man (or Dr Harford) woman are not capable of being sexual, the mother instinct will keep them in line. What happened between Dr. Harford patient’s daughter amplifies his insecurity which made him doubt the reason why he is being “good”. Maybe it is a bit over exaggerated comparing being promiscuous to going to a high end sex club.
We couldn’t judge one person by one night or a dream against the rest of their life. Alice said to Will.
I think Eyes Wide Shut is a bit underrated. Psychologically it is a mind blowing experience.
I know people say Les quatre cents coups [The 400 blows] (1959) is one of his best works but seriously, personally, I prefer Jules et Jim. Les quatre cents coups is a personal journey of what Truffaut went through as a kid, for which I admire. However, on the other hand Jules et Jim is more of an eternal story which no matter the time and cultural differences somewhat you could find something to relate to.
I am not talking being “friend zoned”, in my case, Catherine (Jeanne Moreau), it’s not a cliché that I relate myself as the female protagonist. I have valid reasons of my own. The fact she is candid, reckless and a little egoistic seem like a perfect description of me. I could totally see myself standing on the thin line, juggling my life as it comes. I guess I like playing with fire. Hope I won’t end up being burnt.
Jules et Jim is considerably really forward for it’s time, even today 3-way relationships are still being looked down on. Just because love is blind and it has stood before time way before our existences, it is still as represented as a taboo. I am pro-love, which means, just let people do whatever they want.
Hitchcock said suspense didn't have to be fear, it could be a lot of other things. The anxeity of whether the protagonists will find love is almost unbearable, especially the character of Delphine (Catherine Deneuve). Demy playfully sugarcoats the tone and the visual of the movie which is absolutely brillant.
"Anticipation" is strongly present in Lola (1961) and in La paraluie de cherbourg (1964), but all three of them have a different interpretation of the "wait", either hopelessly or desperately in love and in Les demoiselles de Rochefort, they are more like romantically looking for the love of their lives/ their dreams. It's not sad but it's the suspense that I couldn't stand. The more joyful it seems the more painful for the audience (ME) to anticipate the end, which is brillant how Demy links the audience and the film together with the same concept.
Sausage Party is really a surprise, I thought It would be straight up stupid jokes but instead it is deeper than expected. And the food porn scene will forever be in my head, I think it is a way to say “Fu*k you” to all those dirty minds out there. I simply don’t know how to react to it. It’s brilliant and explicit, it’s so wrong but it feel so right at the same time.
How interesting they are trying to deny the existence of GOD. All we need is to believe in yourselves no matter how isolated and despair you feel. As long as you are determined you will succeed even if God is in the way.
What makes Elephant stood out from it’s genre is it’s subtleness, just a normal school day, everything is completely as usual and who knows what would happen next. The editing makes the audience on edge since we all know the premise. The movie keeps going back to the same moment before it happens. The suspense is unbearable.
Sant didn’t put any emphasis on the event itself nor any political statement which I found really interesting because he leaves it to the audience to decide and judge what’s good in believing we are born innocent which is the total opposite of the movie.
For some reason this movie makes me think of the Orlando Shooting. Violence doesn’t need any justification, we put a label on it doesn’t make it any less bearable or acceptable.
Sant directorial debut, filmed in 16mm B&W.
Mala Noche is about chasing that something we dersire, the blurred lines in relationships. In term of editing, it could be better, it's kind of confusing at times but it did a good job in conveying the message and the tone of the film,
The Gus Van Sant exhibit at La Cinémathèque française is really a good introduction of his works, what inspires him, etc.
Beautifully shot and written.
The scene in the wood with Scott and Mike, it brings back so much memories, not that I have built a fire in the woods before, is the fact that admitting your love to somebody and that someone loves you too but just not the same way. I felt like it happened to me a lot of times!
Almodóvar said in an interview that every single colour used in the film meant something, from the wardrobe to the wallpaper. (a lot of directors do pay a lot of attention to colours but not all of cause like Gus Van Sant [not as much]) And julieta is different from his other films since the presence of female dialogues are less prominent even through the film is guided by the narrative point of Julieta.
