My Look

As every year, the Cahiers du Cinema - one of the most respected magazines in the world cinema - published in its current issue, the Top Ten list of 2011 movies.

Share then with you the list drawn up by the critics of Cahiers, leaving it now as a suggestion for the coming year.

1. Habemus Papam of Nanni Moretti (Italy / France)
2. The Curious Case of Angelica, Manoel Oliveira (Portugal / France)
3. The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick (U.S.)
4. Hors Satan, by Bruno Dumont (France)
5. Essential Killing, Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland / Norway / Hungary / Ireland)
6. Melancholia, Lars von Trier (Denmark / Sweden / France / Germany)
7. Un Été Brulânt, Philippe Garrel (Italy / France / Switzerland)
8. Super 8, JJ Adams (USA)
9. , de Bertrand Bonello (França) L'Apollonide - The Loves of the House of Tolerance, Bertrand Bonello (France)
10. Meek's Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt (USA)

I also take to launch a proposal. How about we set up our own Top Ten list in 2011?

Type in "comments" which was the most remarkable film of this year and why. If you do not have the time or not, need not say why, just send the name of the movie. Thus, we can build our shopping list.

In the first week of January, will publish the results.

I'm waiting for the suggestions!

Posted in tips

Original Title: Les Neiges of Kilimanjaro

Origin: France

Director: Robert Guédiguian

With: Ariane Ascaridia, Gérard Meylan, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Marilyne Canto

Realistic, critical, contemporary, exciting, beautiful!

Although not bring anything new aesthetic, no plan breathtaking, the film is engaging Guédiguian, dense and exciting!

The story is based on the poem of Victor Hugo's "Les Gens Pauvres" and takes place in Marseille in a union of a family who just lost his job. Despite the difficult situation, the family remains united, happy, enjoying the free time to enjoy each other's company. Until one day, a theft occurs and turns everything upside down. The mild climate and relaxed the first part of the movie takes place in a climate more dense, more loaded and less happy. As we got out of a dream and we entered the hardness of reality - unemployment, poverty, injustice, wickedness.

"The neges of Kilimanjaro" is a film about forgiveness, about people fairly, honestly, people can still be troubled by the injustices of the world, ordinary people who question, who errs, who hit it, but tries to above all, do "good." It may seem utopian, corny or cliche, but still is good for the heart to think that in a world so full of people like that injustice still exists!

The dialogues are very well written, deep, sensitive! Make us reflect on a lot of things and situations around us. Make us think about human behavior - our own and of others - and about our responses and actions throughout our lives.

In fact, Robert Guédiguian is known as a humanist, a filmmaker engaged, a "naïve". A guy who is able to make a film of social criticism with a look optimistic, with traces of hope in human beings. A Candido da cinema!

Absolutely recommended to all those who love films that make us think about life and about human behavior.

Posted in critical

Original title: Mildred Pierce

Origin: USA

Director: Michael Curtiz

With: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Ann Blyth

Mysterious, "noir", beautiful, great to watch!

This brilliant film of 40 years tells the story of a strong woman, mother and devoted wife, decided - at any price - to offer the best to their daughters.

The drama takes place in the United States for 30 years - in the middle of a recession - and starts with a crime. The stunning opening sequence, with refinements of German Expressionism, is composed of plans extremely well studied in the shadows of the misshapen characters take over the action. All this packaged, marked and "aggravated" by the fantastic music of Max Steiner.

Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford) - a beautiful woman dressed elegantly with a mink coat - appears to us as the greatest suspicion.

After trying to implicate his longtime friend - Wally Fay (Jack Carson) - Mildred is taken to the police station, where, through a long flashback, tells the delegate (and viewers) version and its history.

The women of "Souls in Torment" are independent, strong, self-sufficient. They smoke, drink, pay their bills, run back to life. And this is also evident in the way Curtiz chose to frame and present their characters. Example: When Mildred talks to his manager, in one of his restaurants after returning from Mexico trip, she has her hair tied up, wearing a blazer with wide shoulders, and holding the cigarette and glass of very masculine way. We, the viewers, we have, for a few seconds, the impression of being faced with two men talking in a bar. A scene-a symbol of female independence.

Michael Curtiz's film is based on the novel by James M. Cain - "Mildred Pierce" - and still is the power to arrest the attention from beginning to end. It's one of those movies that makes us lose track of time! What makes us dive into history! Too good!

Joan Crawford won the Oscar for Best Actress for this movie. And, I guarantee it's worth checking your work, its beauty and quality of work!

PS. In 2011, HBO in the United States launched a TV series entitled "Mildred Pierce" with Kate Winslet. More based on the book than in Cain Curtiz film, the series was all shot in 16mm to try to keep the aesthetics of the time, with the granules, the lights and colors that only film can provide! There is also this tip.

Posted in critical

Original title: I Vinti

Origin: Italy / France

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

In: Franco Interlenghi, Anna Maria Ferrero, Eduardo Ciannelli

A film that's three!

That's right! "The Losers" tells three different stories experienced by middle-class youth in post-war period.

The stories take place in France, Italy and England, each told with a style that follows the national trend of making movies. The protagonists are always guys around their 20s, who engage in crimes, without any "large" apparent cause, but to have a life more exciting, more comfortable and glamorous (money and fame). The famous "rebels without a cause."

But the whole question is: Is there actually a question? These 20 year olds in the early 50's are also the children of World War II! What did they see? How did they live this time? How would you feel? How were they marked? What feelings do they keep in their souls?

Antonioni's film invites us to do this reflection.

Outside many other considerations, more intimate and personal, not less interesting: the extent to which our children know? As far as we are concerned by the fact that their lives, their friendships, their anxieties, their joys?

A film definitely interesting for us to think, still running like a fine exercise in aesthetics, in which we can compare the styles French, Italian and English filmmaking.

Posted in critical

Original title: Intouchable

Origin: France

Director: Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache

With: Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny

A light film, fun, exciting ... happy!

Okay, maybe we are not faced with no masterpiece in recent cinema (despite the huge box office success on French soil). However, "Untouchables", besides being a delight to watch, it is certainly a film that "plays"!

The plot is apparently "beaten" and somewhat Manichean, even if inspired by a true story: a white man, rich (very rich!), Worship, quadriplegic, hires a black man, poor, uneducated, and in full physical form to help it in their day-to-day.

The big news of this story, however, is the lightness with which it is told. Instead of a tearjerker - which would be the most common theme - the path chosen by the directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache was the comedy, the good-humor. And tell by the way, a woman comedy, right dose, no hype, no jokes in bad taste, with well-written dialogues, funny, able to give viewers two hours of good laughs.

Deficiency Philippe (Francois Cluzet) is not, at any time, dramatized, exploited or extended. Just as the poverty of Driss - Osmar Sy - nor is it presented as a cause for a person bitter, bad, or rebelling against the bourgeoisie. Not so! The movie definitely did not walk through these tracks, does not appeal to our feelings of compassion, pity or sorrow. On the contrary. What it does is open the eyes to see the beauty that is life, even in somewhat adverse conditions. Almost a French version of our "live and not be ashamed to be happy!"

That is to say that Francois Cluzet gives a show of interpretation, telling us only a handful of emotions through their facial expressions. A hit that can remove us some tears!

"Intouchable" is a beautiful movie, delicious and can (and should) be seen by the whole family!

Posted in critical

For those who like movies about great leaders - good or bad - a good suggestion is the trilogy of the power of Russian filmmaker Aleksandr Sokurov, composed of Moloch (1999), about Hitler, Taurus (2000), about Lenin, and Sun (2005 ) on Hirohito.

Moloch shows the intimacy of Hitler, his privacy, his life with Eva Braun, in presenting a facet that we're not used to seeing.

Taurus tells us about the last days of Lenin's life, his illness, his loneliness, and also about the rise of Stalin.

Sun reports the day-to-gray day of Hirohito and enclosed in a tragic period in human history and Japan - the end of World War II.

Sokurov is one of the greatest Russian filmmakers of today. His work stands out for its distinctive aesthetic, with careful management of raw film, ranging from distorted images, through shades of green or blue in their plans, even very long shot, never before achieved in film and what makes up the movie Russian Ark (2002).

Undoubtedly, a filmmaker who deserves to be discovered by the Brazilian moviegoers.

See Cine-readings recommend a good book on Sokurov.

Posted in tips

Original title: Arthur's Christmas

Origin: USA / England

Directed by: Sarah Smith

Written by: Sarah Smith and Peter Baynham

With the voices of James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy

Cute, fun, but without charm!

"Christmas Movies" materials, in general, seduced by the magic, wonder and hope that seem to be reborn every year. Not to mention that we also end up playing the eternal will (children) to believe in the good old man.

"Operation Gift" is a little of this tradition. What could be quite interesting ...

The film not only a Santa Claus, but a whole family working on "enterprise" Christmas. Family members hold from generation to generation the "office" Santa Claus, being in the "profession" as a matter of tradition, heritage, or perhaps ambition. The only thing that seems to keep the passion, the dream and the Christmas spirit is Arthur, the youngest of Noel. Boy naive and clumsy, he can not do anything right, but that will be most interested in leaving no child without a gift this December 25.

The idea can even be interesting - especially the 3D technology and aggregate all the effects obtained by digital technology. The air of modernity is undoubtedly present and fun. Christmas led by Noel has a new face, new sled, new fantasies ...

However, the film enchants, no thrills, does not make us dream, can not touch! Lack magic! A pity!

Anyway, "Operation Gift" is nonetheless a good hobby for children this holiday season!

Posted in critical

Original title: Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da

Directed by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Written by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan, Ercan Kesal

With: Muhammet Uzun, Yilmaz Erdogan, Ercan Kesal, Taner Birsel, Firat Tanis

Dark, different, slow, sensitive men, sublime!

This Turkish film that took the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2011 has caused a certain stir in the cinema, which sees it as a new milestone in the cinema of the century.

This certainly does not happen in vain, since the film is, in fact, excellent quality and very different from what we're used to seeing.

First, it is super long and slow. There was not much action or revelations. What dominates is the subliminal, the unspoken, the unsaid.

Second, the first part (about one hour) occurs in the dark, with little to be seen, but enough to be felt and perceived.

Third, it is a predominantly male film (there are almost no female characters on stage), although women make is very much present in the "arriere-plan."

Fourth, "Once upon a time in Anatolia" presents plans absolutely sublime, dark, beautiful, almost emerging from a screen of Rembrandt.

Through a well-crafted game of "chiaroscuro," and original frameworks, Nuril Bilge Ceylan can give the result of the "appearance" of the mayor's daughter, for example, a spiritual environment, dreamlike, almost divine. One of the plans the most beautiful movie of recent times!

The film tells the story of a group of men from different strata of the hierarchy of crime - suspicious, officer, attorney, doctor, driver, soldiers, etc.. - Which together make mistakes in search of a body.

The scenes are of great contrast, general plans ranging from beautiful landscapes of Anatolia, the plans extremely "tight", where we see men squeezed into cars, which seem too small to house them all.

It is in this environment "huit clos" that their sensibilities are gradually being revealed, we slowly discover the anguish, reasons for living and these men to be bearded poorly done, and suffered and fragile souls.

And perhaps it is precisely here that the film proves even more different, interesting and beautiful, revealing the idiosyncrasies of rough men, presenting them (and through them) situations that make you wonder how far we want to know the truth of the facts, reasons for the events that mark our lives ...

"Once upon a time in Anatolia" made me think of "In the days of care" (1939) John Ford, in which a group composed of different social classes moves from one point to another in the Arizona desert, where, slowly, we discovering their stories, their nuances, its beauties and its shame. Since in the case of Ford, the women are much more present in the scene.

A movie for all who enjoy the great movies!

Posted in critical

Switzerland is about to offer us the greatest of gifts: a museum entirely dedicated to Charlie Chaplin in the city where the genie chose to spend the last years of his life.

Vevey: this is the place. A small town on Lake Geneva, near the terraced vineyards of Lavaux between Lausanne and Montreux. A heavenly place that reflects the good taste who scored all the work of Chaplin.

The museum is being built in the house where Chaplin lived with his family - Manoir de Ban - more specifically located just above Vevey - in Corsier-sur-Vevey - even by prolonging his 14-acre gardens. 3,000 m2 will be dedicated to discoveries, experiences and great emotions!

The idea is to offer the public a new concept of museum, fully interactive, where ancient and modern meet and provide the viewer a dip in the universe Chaplinesque.

Otherwise, the Museum will also be a cultural crossroads, with its exhibition halls (permanent and temporary), an art gallery ready to welcome artists from around the world, its spaces dedicated to cinema, and a rich cultural program, including arts festivals of various styles.

The opening is planned for 2013. The hard part will be waiting !!!!!!

To get an idea of ​​how this new church will be the cinema, visit www.chaplinmuseum.com

Posted in News