Blindness

Dirigido pelo brasileiro Fernando Meirelles, Blindness narra uma inexplicável epidemia de cegueira e se passa dentro de uma estrutura de confinamento para os que perderam a visão. A Fox lança o filme no Brasil em 12 de setembro com o mesmo título do livro.

So was darf man nicht tragen - so was darf man noch nicht mal kaufen!!!

Foto: via fashiontime.com

O filme estréia no Brasil dia 12 de setembro.

Rebecca Miller, Arthur Miller's daughter (and Daniel Day-Lewis' wife), discusses her father's legacy in a recent interview. She talks about her late father's loneliness during his last days and debunks accusations that he neglected her brother, who was institutionalized for Down syndrome. One of her novels, "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee", has been adapted into a film and chronicles the domestic unraveling of a middle-aged woman. The film will star Robin Wright Penn, Keanu Reeves, Maria Bello and Blake Lively among an all-star cast that also includes Julianne Moore, Monica Bellucci and Alan Arkin.

The article also points out the unconscious parallels that perhaps every writer inevitably imprints upon a work. Can one ever segregate the private from the professional as a writer? As someone once told me, rarely is anything original these days. Everything is derived from something else, no? In Miler's case, as the daughter of the renowned "Death of a Salesman" author who has come into her own despite her pedigree, the results are worth their telling.

"Arthur Miller: The demonising of my father" (Times Online)

Children of Men. (2006)

I remember seeing the trailer for this and hearing the line "Because since women stopped being able to have babies, what's the point?", and thinking "Wow. Lame." Suffice it to say I was incredibly wrong and ended up seeing this movie four times in theaters.

Quote: "As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices."
_____

Sunshine. (2007)

Yeah the science doesn't make much sense. But who cares? I remember downloading this movie (because I couldn't catch it in theaters) and watching it for a week straight.

Quote: "Kaneda! What do you see? Kaneda! What do you see? Kaneda! Kaneda!!"
_____

Cloverfield. (2008)

I loved it. Everyone else I saw it with hated it. I remember leaving the theater and not being able to say anything about it because I didn't want to get in a pissing contest with my friends. But, if you read my review, you can tell how much I enjoyed it. Read it here!

Quote: "Look at me! Look at me. I love you!"
_____

28 Days Later. (2003)

This is actually a default choice. I'm not big on SciFi and I had to choose five. The scene of London's streets left abandoned and desolate was awesome enough to get it on the list.

Quote: "He was full of plans. Have you got any plans, Jim? Do you want us to find a cure and save the world or just fall in love and fuck? Plans are pointless. Staying alive's as good as it gets."
_____

The Fountain. (2006)

I saw this on opening day (November 22) in 2006 with my buddy James from the Move It Move It staff. Right when the credits appeared on the screen, some bitch ass fucking sorority chick in front of us let out a "Um... okayyyyy?" Dumb hoe. The rest of the crowd also left the theater either making beatbox sounds with their mouths or in a dumbstruck silence. Anyway, I walked outside to discover that my vehicle had been broken into and my CD player was stolen. Instead of bitching and crying about it, much to James' surprise, I continued to talk about how amazing The Fountain was.

Quote: "All these years, all these memories, there was you. You pull me through time."
_____

I had a hard time with SciFi because, again, I don't really care for it much. Only two more weeks left of the Top 5. Seems like there's been a lot of opinions on what I've chosen for the past weeks posts. As always, if you agree or disagree with any of my choices, feel free to leave a comment.

But we all lead regular lives. If you are out running errands and look a little short of fabulous, I get it. You should see me during early morning Starbucks runs.  So, I'll give you a little leeway.

Only a little leeway, though. Julianne Moore would need A LOT of leeway in this outfit. There is not one single thing that is flattering about this dress. I honestly can't pick one single thing. If I was being waterboarded, I could relent with, "Black is a stylish color," or "The bag certainly looks roomy."

Not even torture could get me to like those shoes. In fact, those shoes ARE torture! Are the Doc Marten flip-flops? Combat slip-ons? Goodyear lace-ups?

1980: Caddyshack 

In a pretty strong year for movies, the irreverent slice of life at Bushwood Country Club comes out on top. It's still eminently watchable (and eminently quotable), and I'll give it a slight push for pure enjoyment over runner-up Raging Bull.

Honorable Mention(s): Raging Bull, Airplane!, The Empire Strikes Back, The Shining
Dishonorable Mention(s): The Blue Lagoon

1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark

In a year with fewer of my favorites, the first (and still best) Indiana Jones foray comes out on top.

HM: Superman II, Stripes
DM: Nothing else too great this year, but nothing too offensive (that I've seen anyway) either.

1982: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Probably the best film in both Amy Heckerling's and Cameron Crowe's oeuvre, Fast Times handles teenage life with equal parts crudeness and sophistication, which is why it's the definitive cinematic statement on the topic, even today.

HM: E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial
DM: Airplane II: The Sequel

1983: The King of Comedy

Features a darkly comic Robert De Niro (back when he was method), and a deadly serious Jerry Lewis, playing against type. Scorsese explores celebrity obsession at a time when it was just beginning to be a hot button issue.

HM: Return of the Jedi, Risky Business, Trading Places, National Lampoon's Vacation
DM: The Big Chill

1984: This is Spinal Tap

A top contender for funniest movie ever made, in a banner year for mainstream comedy.

HM: Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Broadway Danny Rose, Sixteen Candles, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Amadeus
DM: Footloose, Police Academy

1985: Back to the Future

Sure, the special effects don't really hold up, but it's hard to think of a movie from the 1980s that's more iconic of its era. This despite the fact that most of the film takes place in 1955. Even on the hundredth viewing, I still root for Marty to make it to the clock tower in time, as if I don't already know the ending.

HM: Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Rocky IV
DM: Mask
 

1986: Hoosiers

A year with some good films, but no great ones. Hoosiers stands in the upper echelon of sports movies, an ultimate David and Goliath story that manages not to be trite, despite throwing out conventions we've seen a million times before.

HM: Ferris Bueller's Day Off, An American Tail, Platoon, Stand By Me
DM: The Money Pit

1987: Raising Arizona

The Coens' first true comedy established an offbeat sensibility that would later be perfected in Fargo and The Big Lebowski. Edges out the mainstream but underrated dramedy Broadcast News.

HM: Broadcast News, The Princess Bride, Full Metal Jacket, The Lost Boys
DM:  Innerspace, Leonard Part 6

1988: Eight Men Out

Not quite the masterpiece it could have been, D.B. Sweeney, John Cusack, David Straithairn, et al. join a fine ensemble cast in adapting Eliot Asinof's fine book about the 1919 Chicago White Sox. The players are portrayed as flawed individuals in a desperate situation in a film that brings life to the most famous black mark in baseball history.

HM: Die Hard, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
DM: Action Jackson

1989: Roger and Me

It's hard to remember today, but the Michael Moore of Roger and Me was much more right than self-righteous, a balance that he's seemed to forget in latter days, when he has a tendency to overplay his hand. We can also thank this film for the excess of first person documentaries that litter the cinematic landscape. Though as Roger and Me shows, when something gets imitated, it usually means that the original was onto something.

HM: Batman, When Harry Met Sally..., Parenthood, Major League, Field of Dreams, Il Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
DM: No Holds Barred, Turner and Hooch

1990: Goodfellas

Martin Scorsese brought the gangster genre into the modern age, using long takes that brought the viewer into the action, and period music to establish time, mood, and tension. I don't think I'll ever be able to separate the piano coda from "Layla" and the crescendo the film reaches while it plays. Here, Scorsese marries a subculture to the culture at large, using only his camera and a set of speakers.

HM: My Blue Heaven, Edward Scissorhands, The Grifters, House Party
DM: Rocky V, Mr. Destiny

1991: Defending Your Life

The protagonist (Albert Brooks) dies in the first minute, and must rely on incompetent attorney Rip Torn to defend his indiscretions and move him on to the next life. A great showcase for the sharp comedy of Brooks, who also wrote and directed.

HM: Barton Fink, The Silence of the Lambs, L.A. Story, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
DM: King Ralph 

1992: Reservoir Dogs

In a fine catalog, Reservoir Dogs still stands up as Quentin Tarantino's most realized vision, from an auteur whose extraordinary vision sometimes exceeds his reach. Limited by his budget, the young filmmaker delivers a shoot-em-up pulp crime story perfectly cast and professionally executed.

HM: Wayne's World, The Player, Glengarry Glen Ross, Aladdin
DM: Ladybugs, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot 

1993: Groundhog Day

Probably the first film to realize the true curmudgeonly potential of late period Bill Murray, revealed expertly by director (and longtime Murray collaborator) Harold Ramis. 

HM: Army of Darkness, Dazed and Confused, Philadelphia, A Bronx Tale
DM: Judgment Night

1994: Clerks.

With the way he's tarnished his legacy over his past several films, it's easy to forget that during the mid-90s Kevin Smith was something of a low-budget wunderkind. Filmed for $10,000.00 (the proceeds garnered from maxing out credit cards and selling his comic book collection), Smith gave false hope to any film school reject hoping to make it big. The dream of making the next Clerks didn't work out for many of them, and, subsequently, didn't really work out for Smith either.

HM: Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, Quiz Show, The Hudsucker Proxy
DM: Last Action Hero, It's Pat

1995: The Usual Suspects

Though it admittedly wouldn't be much without the twist ending, Kevin Spacey's standout performance highlights an otherwise worthy ensemble cast in the 1990s' finest caper film.

HM: Kicking and Screaming (Noah Baumbach), Se7en, The Basketball Diaries, Toy Story, Clueless
DM: Dangerous Minds, Nine Months

1996: Fargo

Compared to Raising Arizona, Joel and Ethan Coen played this one a little closer to the vest. Some of the comedic elements are still a little screwball, but they hide under the surface this time around, letting the characters be amusing in spite of the crime plot, not because of it.

HM: The Cable Guy, Kingpin, Trainspotting
DM: Mars Attacks!

1997: Boogie Nights

The first major release for P.T. Anderson and the first starring vehicle for Mark Wahlberg. In his ensemble tale about the Southern California porn industry, Anderson reveals a style derivative of his cinematic heroes, yet altogether singular. The cast, comprised mostly of Anderson's own troupe of actors (William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Julianne Moore, et al.), excels all around. The obvious choice in a year full of excellent films (see below).

HM: Waiting for Guffman, L.A. Confidential, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Grosse Point Blank, Donnie Brasco
DM: Bean, Fools Rush In

1998: Rushmore

By this point, the curmudgeonly Bill Murray era was in full swing, and Wes Anderson really put that persona on the map in Rushmore. Still, Murray is outshined by a young Jason Schwartzmann, who portrays Max Fischer with just the right balance of faux sophistication and emotional childishness. Though it's Anderson's second film, Rushmore marks the real arrival of a career that's weathered universal praise, the backlash, and the backlash to the backlash.

HM: The Big Lebowski, American History X, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Saving Private Ryan
DM: Very Bad Things

1999: (Tie) Office Space and American Beauty

Forced into a decision on my favorite 1999 film, i have chosen not to make one. (Though, according to Canadian power trio Rush, I still have made a choice.) The best comedy and the best drama of their year, time has not been kind to either. American Beauty has been ruined by my own aging and realization of its trite message, while Office Space has been ruined by endless repetition of its best gags. Both are about grown men questioning the routines their lives have worn into them, a predicament with which everyone is at some time familiar. I wish I could see both films again with my 1999 eyes.

HM: Magnolia, Being John Malkovitch, Fight Club, The Matrix, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Election
DM: The Big Kahuna, EDtv

2000: High Fidelity

John Cusack's emotionally stunted record collector was really the perfect character for me in my college years. High Fidelity is the kind of harmless, satisfying trifle I'll reach for when I hit my midlife crisis, just to remember that it's all going to be OK.

HM: Almost Famous, Snatch, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Traffic
DM: Dude, Where's My Car?, Pay It Forward

2001: The Royal Tenenbaums

Following up Rushmore, Wes Anderson proved he could handle a wide ensemble and all the plot underpinnings that entailed, without leaving any stones unturned. He also proved himself as a rare filmmaker who can handle an unexpectedly large budget without losing his original vision, and coax just the right tone from actors as diverse as Anjelica Houston and Ben Stiller.

HM: Wet Hot American Summer, Zoolander, Oceans Eleven, Freddie Got Fingered, Donnie Darko
DM: Corky Romano, A Beautiful Mind

2002: Spider-Man

Immersed as we are in the "Comic Book Summer," let's not forget about Sam Raimi's Spider-Man adaptation, which took forever to get to the big screen, and proved to be worth the wait. There have been a slew of good comic book films over the years, but this one stands out due to the Raimi touch, using the same offbeat conventions Raimi employed in his Evil Dead films on a scale about a thousand times as large.

HM: Adaptation., Super Troopers, One Hour Photo, Punch-Drunk Love, Death to Smoochy
DM: Eight Crazy Nights, Like Mike, Juwanna Mann

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Like the Academy did, when I recognize Return of the King, I'm recognizing the whole achievement. Though it falters in places, Peter Jackson's saga managed to bring Tolkien's tale to the screen in a way completely unimaginable before. The trilogy was made at the right time, with the right cast and the right technology, and Return of the King is the best singular film of the three.

HM: Lost in Translation, Elf, Bad Santa, American Splendor, A Mighty Wind, Old School
DM: From Justin to Kelly, Gigli

2004: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Rightfully so, Scorsese's The Aviator was the most critically acclaimed film of 2004, but no film of the year (and few films of the era) are as rewatchable as Anchorman. Bumbling idiot Ron Burgundy is the perfect voice for Will Ferrell; Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Steve Carell are his perfect goofball playmates, and Christina Applegate is his perfect foil. Ferrell has tried to catch the same lightning in a bottle, with varying success, ever since.

HM: The Aviator, Friday Night Lights, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Team America: World Police, Mean Girls
DM: Christmas With the Kranks, Garden State

2005: The Squid and the Whale

I'm still a little confused by Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale, but I can't hold that against him. In fact, I praise him for it. It's a tribute to the director that his characters are so far removed from mainstream society, yet their plight resonates. What can we expect the aftermath of a ruptured family to look like, when that family was so nontraditional to begin with? The director seems to be as confused as his characters are, and that's a good thing. It means no reaction can be altogether unbelievable.

HM: Batman Begins, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Aristocrats, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Munich, Walk the Line, The Corpse Bride
DM: The Man, The Dukes of Hazzard 

2006: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

You can blame Sacha Baron Cohen for all the bad Borat impression you heard throughout 2006. But you can't blame him for exposing Americans for what we are: usually well meaning, often naive, and, sometimes, complete assholes.

HM: The Departed, Casino Royale, Marie-Antoinette, Little Miss Sunshine, Nacho Libre, Grandma's Boy
DM: Failure to Launch, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, The Pink Panther

2007: There Will Be Blood

A brilliant performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, a haunting Johnny Greenwood score, and a pitch perfect tale of greed and corruption during the turn of last century's oil boom. Day-Lewis plays a man who feels no emotion, who seeks money in lieu of the happiness he will never find. In maybe the best movie year of my lifetime, P.T. Anderson comes out of hiding and shoots his masterpiece.

HM: No Country for Old Men, Once, Ratatouille, Gone Baby Gone, Juno, The King of Kong, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Darjeeling Limited, Knocked Up, Superbad
DM: Epic Movie, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

2008 (So far): WALL-E

It may get knocked from the top spot before the year is out, but, as I've said before, it's the best of the year so far.

HM: Iron Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Kung Fu Panda
DM: The Happening, Made of Honor, Speed Racer, Meet Dave

If you're keeping score, that's two each for Martin Scorsese, P.T. Anderson, Wes Anderson, the Coen brothers, and, um, Harold Ramis.

So please, if you have an afternoon to kill, try this exercise. It's fun!

Post your results, or a link to them, in the comments.

I laid on the sofa and watched not one but two movies.  Next with Nicholas Cage which Dave highly recommended and M. loved, but it didn't do much for me.  Frankly, Cage just looked really gross and orange (bad spray tan technician bad...he should smack you on the nose with a newspaper), and it got even more skeevy when he started fondling Jessica Biel.  Ick!  I just kept thinking he should have snapped Julianne Moore's neck after the logs fell.  Too much?  Oh well, I've got a sadistic streak.  For the last few years all the new movies have made me think, why didn't they just _____?  There seems to be a bit of tweaking that's going undone.  There have been several things I've seen that could have been spectacular if taken from a different angle.

The second movie was Secret Ceremony on Sundance.  Elizabeth Taylor is a hooker whose child died suddenly.  Mia Farrow is a highly disturbed child whose once overbearing, dead mother bears a striking resemblance to Taylor.  It was one of those odd 1960's flicks that are all psychological misfits and dark deads with Taylor trying to make Farrow over in her dead child's image while Farrow tries to screw her stepfather, Robert Mitchum.  I don't much care for those types of movies but Elizabeth Taylor is always compelling, and no one does crazy like Mia Farrow. 

In fact, M. and I had a running conversation all weekend about actors.  There aren't many actors in the world in my opinion.  Most "actors" use the same expressions, voices, and attitudes for every role they take (Jack Nicholson comes to mind...don't believe me?  watch About Schmidt and As Good As It Gets...I'm not saying his style hasn't changed over time...his younger work is very different).  Then they complain about typecasting.  The most successful of these "actors" just learn to pick the right flicks to suit them.  The actors that do crazy best are the ones I love.  I'm a big believer in the idea that any really good performance takes from a facet of the actor's personality.  Like I said, Mia Farrow is great at crazy.  For that matter, so are Anne Heche and Jenna Elfman.  Just sayin'....

I even picked up a book.  I Am Legend by Richard Matheson has taken up residence in M.'s library (aka the john).  So while 'um taking care of business (pretty, delicate, flowery girly business cuz that's how I roll and all...nothing stinky cuz that wouldn't be girly...even though it does allow time for said reading...why I'd never!) the other day, I picked it up.  I guess he hooked me since I'm still reading it.  The writing is compelling, but I cannot see how it would make a good movie.  The vast majority of it is one white guy talking to himself in his own head.  I think I'll have to see the movie version after I finish it.  Obviously, M. thought it was the book translation of the movie or he wouldn't have bought it.  I always wondered who the heck would buy one of those.  I mean why read it when you can just watch the movie?  M. not only watches (and often owns) the movie, but then he goes out and buys the book version of the screenplay.  I'm not talking about reading Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and then watching the movie.  I'm talking about stuff like Star Trek's Insurrection or SpiderMan 2.  I don't get it, not one bit.  Am I missing something?

The weekend even ended on a high note.  I had a craving for Sesame Chicken.  I haven't had sesame chicken since I was a carnivore.  So I got on my favorite recipe site (Recipezaar) and found hundreds of recipes, but in the back of my mind was a recipe I'd seen years ago using ketchup to make the sauce.  It sounded odd then, but I kept looking and found 3 Sesame Chicken recipes using ketchup.  None of them worked for me because I didn't have many of the ingredients.  So I started experimenting.  And, it was FABULOUS!  The sauce came out exactly like the local chinese restaurant's sauce.  I was in love.  In case you want to try it:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup ketchup

5 tablespoons brown sugar (the original recipes often used honey but I was out)

1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice (I had Emeril's Asian seasoning)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Allow to bubble on the stove for about 3 minutes.

I was amazed at how close I'd come to the restaurant.  There is no way it's good for you.  Maybe I should get that colonic!

Dirección: Stephen Daldry.
País: USA.
Año: 2002.
Duración: 114 min.
Interpretación: Meryl Streep (Clarissa Vaughan), Nicole Kidman (Virginia Woolf), Julianne Moore (Laura Brown), Stephen Dillane (Leonard Woolf), Miranda Richardson (Vanessa Bell), Ed Harris (Richard Brown), John C. Reilly (Dan Brown), Charley Ramm (Julian Bell), Toni Collette (Kitty), Claire Danes (Julia Vaughan), Jeff Daniels (Louis Waters), Eileen Atkins (Barbara).
Guión: David Hare; basado en la novela de Michael Cunningham.
Producción: Scott Rudin y Robert Fox.
Música: Philip Glass.
Fotografía: Seamus McGarvey.
Montaje: Peter Boyle.
Diseño de producción: Maria Djurkovic.
Dirección artística: Mark Raggett, Judy Rhee y Nick Palmer.
Vestuario: Ann Roth.
Estreno en USA: 27 Diciembre 2002.
Estreno en España: 21 Febrero 2003.

Parte 1 de 4

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.633728&w=525&h=438&fv=]
Pantalla Completa

Parte 2 de 4

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.633730&w=525&h=438&fv=]
Pantalla Completa

Parte 3 de 4

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.633731&w=525&h=438&fv=]
Pantalla Completa

Parte 4 de 4

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.633732&w=525&h=438&fv=]
Pantalla Completa

Alfonso Cuaron, 2006

Ne rien dire. La télé relate maintes fois un assassinat, Théo ne commente pas. Théo c'est Cuaron, surprisdans son train-train par l'explosion d'un récit. Le documenter c'est la moindre des choses pour que le filme existe. C'est le b-a-ba pour Clive Owen d'amener la jeune femme enceinte à bon port. Comprenez la seule raison qui le propulse protagoniste principal du film de Cuaron.

Attention au faux-pas ! Julian est au courant : on est vite au frais d'une oeuvre naturaliste. L'ontologie rapide d'un film synthétique promène toujours les personnages aux abords de la grande chute. Celle du non-être. Attentions Théo, tu ne serviras bientôt plus à rien, toi non plus.

Children of Men est un film sans histoire, les personnages ne peuvent survivre hors du prétexte qu'ils servent. Cuaron réitère l'expérience hitchcockienne : Julianne Moore la star est expédiée en début de partie. Tant pis pour la prometteuse idylle naissante, puérile et absurde, belle. Expédiée donc (mais sous quel tenant technique !), à la manière de Janet Leigh dans les 60'. À la manière seulement car dans Psychose la mort rapide de celle bombardée héroïne dés l'affiche servait la mise en place du vrai récit, celui caché derrière. Psychose, le film, démarre dans la douche et l'expérimentation d'Hitchcock s'achève au même endroit. Le premier cri de la pseudo héroïne est un passage de relais.
Chez Cuaron, Julian meurt son rôle d'entremetteuse achevé. Pas de bouleversement mais un passage de relais là aussi : passer la balle à quelqu'un capable de la recevoir et qui peut la garder jusqu'au but. C'est littéralement ce qu'accomplit Julian dans sa dernière scène. Thèo est l'attrapeur sans pareille.
On sait dés à présent qu'il rencontrera le succès, le film ne tentera pas une seconde d'entretenir le suspens.

La comparaison s'achève avec Hitchcock. Pas de twist final, la force du film de Cuaron est d'imprimer le twist au commencement du récit, d'en faire sa base : une femme est enceinte dans un monde pourtant stérile. Il lui faut toutes les chances de son coté pour mener à terme cette grossesse. Toutes les bases narratives qui permettent l'action (où l'emmener ? contre qui se protéger ? contre qui se sauver ? par quoi passer ?) sont énoncées rapidement. La mort de Julian scelle l'arrêt des festivités dramatiques tout en proposant les règles du jeu : rien d'inutile, aucune surprise, aucune explication, un but simple - et simplet - vers lequel on se propose d'aller sans fioriture de scénariste ou d'esthète de la diarrhée analytique. Pas une seule explication ne sera donnée au miracle retrouvé de l'enfantement. Pas une seule non plus pour rationaliser cette stérilité mondiale.

Children of Men appartient à ce qu'on a nommé ici ou là le blockbuster d'auteur. Blockbuster par son rythme dramatique : action téléologique enrobée d'une multitude d'actions spectaculaires. L'adjectif d'auteur vient de la résonance thématique des actions. Celle qui fait du film une illustration nietzschéenne. L'action est une succession de prétexte à un arrière-plan narratif. Le background de l'histoire n'a jamais été autant substantiel qu'ici. L'action accroche un contexte éthique de valeurs relatives et agit comme le révélateur de ces systèmes de valeur. Quid de la stérilité ? Châtiment divin pour certains, catastrophe écologique pour d'autres, conclusion prévisible à une société désaxée, occasion d'instaurer un gouvernement totalitaire, de devenir une star, de justifier une ascèse ou un terrorisme ou au contraire de lâcher prise avec le quotidien.
En lieu et place d'une explication homogène, c'est de l'explication dont le film fait son sujet. Chacun voit midi à sa porte. L'événement ne fait que conforter l'individu dans son complexe de valeur alors même que ce dernier justifie ce complexe par l'événement. La superbe scène où Théo portant le nouveau né dans ses bras sort du bâtiment autour duquel s'affrontent militaires et réfugiés est symptomatique : figeant les individus dans leur occupation il ne les stoppe pas pour autant. L'affrontement reprend de plus belle comme si personne n'avait vu l'enfant, dont l'existence réfute pourtant leur principe d'action. Idem lorsque Kee - la femme enceinte - apparaît. En rien cet espoir n'est fondateur, il creuse au contraire un peu plus les lignes de séparation. Un miracle, un cas médical, une exception organique, une occasion de prendre le pouvoir, de séduire un ancien amant, de créer une révolte, d'imposer une idéologie, etc. L'individu normalise aussi tôt qu'elle apparaît cette exception selon ses valeurs.

La volonté de ne donner aucune explication se justifie : il y a une infinité d'explications données en soubassements. L'action est un principe de décentrement pour Cuaron. Mieux s'extirper pour mieux regarder.
Les plans séquences qui parsèment le film rentrent dans ce jeu : dans un contexte unique (le plan) s'expose une variété de forces. Le plan séquence de la voiture est le plus réussi : les uns font leur danse nuptiale pendant que les autres exécutent une trahison ; la camera très mobile évite d'inscrire tous les partis dans la même image : contexte unique mais communautaire, divisé.

Children of Men est un film moderne. Nietzsche aussi : « On ne se contente pas de chercher comme cause un certain genre d'explication, mais bien une catégorie soigneusement sélectionnée privilégiée d'explications, celles qui permettent d'éliminer le plus vite et le plus fréquemment le sentiment d'inconnu, de nouveau (...) Le banquier pense aussitôt aux « affaires », le chrétien au « péché », la jeune fille à son amour. »
C'est à ces créations éthiques, à ces systèmes de valeurs que se réfèrent les enfants du titre (d'ailleurs, d'enfant il n'y a en qu'un seul dans le film).

Le film n'est pas comme on a pu le lire « d'actualité » ; les discours qui y résonnent ne le font qu'à titre d'éventail_ même s'ils sonnent modernes pour certains (le discours écologique notamment). Ils ne constituent jamais un argumentaire ou une position surplombantes de la part du film, d'où la stupidité à le qualifier « d'illustration ». L'illustration s'il faut le rappeler est le matériau de base de la synthèse.
La conclusion abrupte conforte : Thèo meurt, Kee pleure quelque seconde, le bateau arrive, un homme lui fait signe. Fin. Le rythme ordinaire du monde surpasse les lois du récit. Le héro trouvera sa place plus tard. Peut-être.

Peut-être s'est-on trompé en qualifiant de synthétique Children of Men. Le film est celui du divers, choses informes, actualités latentes qui résistent à l'exceptionnel, à la naissance d'un rythme. Notez bien que la mort de Julian n'est dramatique/exceptionnelle que dans le contexte d'un amour naissant. Sa mort ne freine en rien la marche du processus global. Elle n'est même pas l'occasion d'une pause dans le scénario. Comme pour Théo, une force disparaît, d'autres assurent l'intérim.
Disons que le film est synthétique par opposition : refusant de donner corps aux jeux de pouvoirs et de volontés, refusant de les incorporer dans la linéarité d'un récit, ils restent toujours en marge comme environnement. Des vautours prêts à fondre sur l'événement pour lui donner leur sens. Ne les incluant pas autrement que comme périphériques le récit se donne les moyens de la monstration de leur processus d'accaparement. D'où une histoire plate, qui laisse notre envie d'analyse sur sa faim, rabougrie notre passion pour les histoires, d'où un film passionnant, singulier.
Un chef d'œuvre.

The Fall: Brilliant, original film-making and an excellent juxtaposition of the dark side of film: a suicidal actor (Lee Pace) with fantastical escapism narrates a story about a motley crew of outcasts taking on an evil governor to an idealistic young girl (Catinca Untaru). The performances are pitch perfect and the visuals, filmed on location in a variety of breathtaking locales, house an epic adventure, which form an improbable yet highly effective contrast to the interior struggle of Pace's paralyzed actor with his condition and his failed romantic relationship. This unique film, helmed by the Indian film director Tarsem Singh (who often goes by just Tarsem) and "presented" by David Fincher and Spike Jonze fuses various genres and ideas so seamlessly that it demands to be seen and enjoyed.

R.H. on The Fall: Beautiful, beautiful film. Breathtaking, visually. The story is a bit weak. But being such a visually stunning film, you want to forgive the movie of all its missteps.

The Wackness

Savage Grace: A highly controversial movie that one cannot help but have an opinion about. The incestuous and extremely unsettling relationship between a divorced mother (Julianne Moore) and her son (Eddie Redmayne) is based on a true story and is likely to dominate the coverage of the film. This development, though expected, is highly unfortunate in that it precludes notice of Moore and Redmayne's excellent performances. The queasy chemistry they establish, though not something to be relished, is certainly something to be admired as an excellent exercise in craft. Stephen Dillane turns in another disturbing performance as Moore's estragned alpha male, explorer husband. Director Tom Kalin, imbues the movie with easily overlooked subtext concerning the nature of masculinity and sexuality. Again, the issue of the affair between Moore's character and her gay son, ultimately grabs much of the attention and overshadows the careful character studies at play in this movie. That is why, I, your humble reviewer, ask that you put aside your own trepidations regarding incest and give this stylish and perfectly made movie a chance.

Wanted: James McAvoy brings his own charm to this film, mainly in that he cannot act without bringing out the humanity in his characters, whether it was as a half-goat, half-man in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or a working class young man in over his head in 2007's Atonement. Predictably enough, McAvoy cannot "make an action movie that's actually good" as he told Jon Stewart he aimed to do. The sheer ridiculousness of the plot inspired stifled laughter among my movie watching mate and your humble narrator. Of course, all action movies are ridiculous but Wanted takes it to such high levels and sorely lacks any of the philosophy that made the outrageous stunts of The Matrix so worthwhile that one is left with a naked Angelina Jolie, a sleepwalking Morgan Freeman and lots of bendy bullets but not much of a film.

R.H. on Wanted: Surprisingly, this film is pretty entertaining. The first half is fairly action-packed and funny. It's a good summer popcorn flick. Very profane and bloody. Is the plot ridiculous? A society of killers worships a loom. You tell me. A fun movie, though.

Hancock: Many viewers, critics included went into the film expecting another pleasing but not excessively demanding genre film from Will Smith. Disappointment set in as they realized that Peter Berg, with his handheld camera close ups and focus on character, is trying to do more with the story than create a few huge digital action set pieces and collect his paycheck. Hancock is easily one of the most severely underrated and exceptionally good superhero movies ever made. This is a movie, that although will clearly make ridiculous amounts of money, will not be fully appreciated by its current audience. Perhaps filmgoers in the future, free from the expectations of viewers today, will be able to appreciate the way Berg makes a character-based superhero movie. Will Smith refuses to rehash the cocky smartass protagonists he has been asked to portray so frequently in films such as Wild Wild West and Men in Black and plays Hancock with the sense of melancholy, turmoil and even humor that the material requires. Sure, there are tonal shifts but such is life; it can be a Shakespearean comedy and a Greek Myth at the same time. Hancock has strains of both and emerges as a severely under-appreciated, very good film that asks the viewer to take a leap of faith into experimental superhero film territory  in its finale, those who do will surely be rewarded.

R.H. on Hancock: The critics were mostly right. The first two acts are pretty entertaining. The third though... a wee bit weird. The third act introduces a concept that could easily carry its own full-length, sci-fi/fantasy film. But the ferocious speed at which silly ideas are catapulted at the audience boggles the mind. Even the "villain" that reappears later in the film... Not creepy or disturbing. Just plain annoying. Blame the writers, but blame "actor" Eddie Marsan, as well. Hancock is not as horrendous as the mass of reviews would have you believe. It's good. But it could have been much, much better.

Get Smart: It's a funny, mainstream comedy with excellent comic performances from all the players. It is a consistent laugh-maker. Thank whoever (Get Smart TV series co-creator Mel Brooks?) that these type of movies (funny films that are actually good) still exist. - R.H.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army: Meh. It's entertaining. But nothing really that great.

The Incredible Hulk: This movie was made to make money. According to press reports, Edward Norton wished to do more with it but was severely limited in his attempts to flesh out the character by Marvel Studios (trying to match their recent success with May's classy action film Iron Man) who correctly guessed that the average moviegoer would rather see the Hulk smash rather than Bruce Banner brood over his tragic condition. Ang Lee's original Hulk (2003) was a mixed bag but there was a great film in there somewhere. This iteration of the Hulk story wishes to show you flashy special effects and I suppose, "entertain" the average viewer, which it manages to do to a large degree. Still, one cannot help but wish that the studio bigwigs had given Norton a little bit more freedom to truly show us who Bruce Banner was and not just give the director of The Transporter 2, Louis Letterier, lots of money to blow lots of stuff up.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Continuing the trend of movies simply made to make a buck, this series of reviews shall be concluded with the latest Indiana Jones movie. Harrison Ford is back, the fedora is back and so is the iconic John Williams score. Indy is fighting the communists, represented by Cate Blanchett, who although mired in a quest for world domination are in an odd Plato-like quest to attain ultimate knowledge. There is an unintended tragic nobleness about the culmination of Blanchett's evil Communist's quest to solve the mystery of the crystal skulls that led me to care a bit more than your humble reviewer should have, considering that this film featured an action sequence in which the chief protagonists were friendly commie-hating monkeys and then commie-hating ants. Clearly, everyone here is mailing it in, but the movie is not without its small pleasures, such as a bar fight between the greasers and the socs. Shia LeBeouf is an actor that continues to inspire indifference and a stray chuckle or two. The latest Indiana Jones movie accomplishes the goals of its creators, to replicate the adventure films of Spielberg's earlier days, and more importantly, make everyone a lot of money.

On that slightly depressing and cynical note, I bid you adieu and sincerely hope that you can process the flood of movie criticism unleashed by your humble narrator.

-Vman

As the pair flit around the Med, New York and London, staying in one grand house after another, their lives are as empty and vacuous as the film itself, while Moore gives a strangely stilted and mannered performance as if Barbara is a mannequin and not entirely human, before descending into mommy from hell mode.

Even the great supporting cast of Stephen Dillane and Hugh Dancy can’t lift the aura of ennui that settles on proceedings, which seem to last an eternity rather than the actual 94 minute running time.      Dee Pilgrim

La fiche du film

L'histoire du film: Angleterre, 2027. Dans une société fasciste où la fécondation de l'homme a quasiment disparu, le gouvernement traque sans relache les immigrés qui sont devenus la cible numéro 1 du pays, jusqu'au jour où une femme met au monde un enfant. Le gouvernement et des groupes terroristes discidents commencent alors une poursuite infernale après la mère pour s'accaparer son enfant.

Les + du film: l'histoire trés originale sort du commun; les acteurs délivrent ici une belle prestation.

Les - du film: les sociétés occidentales futures, en l'occurence l'Angleterre, représentées dans le film sont certainement trés loin de ce qu'elles seront réellement dans un avenir proche.

La propagande du film: d'après cette oeuvre, les pays européens seront des nations (blanches tant qu'à faire) fascistes et racistes pratiquant l'immigration zéro et la chasse à l'immigré, tandis que des groupes terroristes tenteront de prendre le pouvoir par la force. Parmis ces groupes, le film montre notamment des islamistes et des extrémistes pro-immigration. Quand on sait qu'aujourd'hui l'anti-racisme, les droits de l'hommisme et la mondialisation par le métissage sont devenus les religions des nations européennes, on a du mal à croire  que dans l'avenir ces mêmes nations seront fascistes (donc nationalistes) et racistes. Parti comme c'est parti, ce sera même tout le contraire. Le film montre donc les futures sociétés européennes comme des dictatures. Cela risque probablement d'être le cas quand on voit déjà aujourd'hui ce qui reste de la liberté en Europe. Pour ce qui est d'une fécondité presque zéro dans un futur proche, il semble là encore que le film fasse fausse route. On voit mal comment les femmes ne pourraient plus se reproduire alors qu'aujourd'hui cette fécondité est sans cesse croissante et devient même dangeureuse pour la survie de l'homme sur terre. Quand aux groupes terroristes discidents présentés dans le film, c'est tout aussi peu crédible. Du moins en ce qui concerne des groupes terroristes islamiques. En effet, au train où vont les choses actuellement, les islamistes ne seront pas, dans un futur proche, dans l'opposition groupusculaires mais dans le gouvernement ou juste à côté. Surtout en Angleterre. En revanche, les groupes terroristes tenus par des européens de souche qui semeraient le chaos en soutien à toujours plus d'immigration, cela est tout à fait plausible, les groupuscules armés d'extrême gauche ayant l'habitude d'imposer leurs exigences dans le sang. Au final, la propagande anti-fasciste qui ressort du film n'a pas lieu d'être car le futur qui y est présenté est certainement à mille lieu de ce que sera réellement le futur de nos sociétés.

La note du film: bien que l'idée du film soit bonne à la base, le résultat est décevant. 4/10.

Em “Ensaio sobre a Cegueira”, o diretor Fernando Meirelles traz no elenco, Julianne Moore (não precisa de apresentações), Danny Glover (sim, o parceiro do Mel Gibson no Máquina Mortífera 1, 2, 3 e 4), Alice Braga (a brasileira e mocinha do ..aaarrgh.. “Eu sou a Lenda”), Mark Ruffalo (várias comédias românticas como "Dizem po aí.."E Se Fosse Verdade" e , além de “Zodíaco”), Gael García Bernal (lindíssimo.. ;-).. “Diários de Motocicleta”).

Hace poco que se estrenó "El Incidente", así que algunos podrían encontrar algunas similitudes en el argumento de "Blindness" (Ceguera). Sin embargo, dicha película se basa en una novela de José Saramago (Ensayo sobre la ceguera), escrita bastante antes (1995) que la película de M. Night Shyamalan. Así que no empecemos a decir eso de "buf! ahora les ha dado por hacer películas de este tipo!!!".

Sólo la presencia de la gran actriz Julianne Moore, la cual le da cien patadas a cualquier actriz curvilínea que suele ocupar los top sexy correspondiente que tanto aburren, ya me provoca el interés de ver "Blindness" cuando la estrenen.

El argumento es el siguiente.

El 90% de la población ha contraído un virus que les ha provocado una ceguera inexplicable. Julianne Moore interpreta a  una de las pocas personas que no se ha visto afectada. Teniendo que ayudar a los que le rodean de la mejor forma  posible.

Más escueto imposible, todo sea dicho. No estamos (aunque el trailer pueda llevar a equivoco) ante una película de suspense-terror. Si no mas bien un drama en toda regla, con momentos angustiosos debido a su trama.

Como suele pasar en estos casos (podría apostarme lo que queráis) pasará sin pena ni gloria por las carteleras. Luego puede ser que con el tiempo acabe reivindicada y todos tan felices.

TRAILER "BLINDNESS" (CEGUERA)

Fdo: Snake  

David Drayton: You got that kid killed, and I got his fucking blood on me!
Linda Partridge: Motherfucker...
David Drayton: He's a fucking kid. He's supposed to be stupid. What's your excuse?
Linda Partridge: Who the fuck are you, who the fuck do you think you are? I come in here, you don't know me, you don't know who I am, what my life is, you have the balls, the indecency to ask me a question about my life?
David Drayton: Tie this around your waist.
Linda Partridge: Fuck you, too. Don't call me "lady". I come in here, I give these things to you, you check, you make your phone calls, look suspicious, ask questions. I'm sick. I have sickness all around me and you fucking ask me about my life? "What's wrong?" Have you seen death in your bed? In your house? Where's your fucking decency? And then I'm asked fucking questions. What's... wrong? You suck my dick. That's what's wrong. And you, you fucking call me "lady"? Shame on you. Shame on you. Shame on both of you.

And Linda has a conversation with Ollie, played by Toby Jones.

Ollie: We gotta discuss how we're going to stop that thing from getting in here.
Linda Partridge: Shut the fuck up.
Ollie: As a species, we're fundamentally insane. Put two of us in a room, we pick sides, and start dreaming up reasons to kill one another.
Linda Partridge: Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up.
Ollie: Welcome to Sesame Street, kids. Today's word is 'expiation'.
Linda Partridge: Now, you must *really* shut the fuck up now, please - shut the fuck up.
David Drayton: Come on!
Linda Partridge: I have to go.
David Drayton: You have incredibly low standards.
Linda Partridge: Shut the fuck up.