People are most interesting subjects. Here we see a painting by Matisse. This black color looks so soft and furry - the contrast is so luxurious. Who could this person be?
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Portraits, People stories, Matisse
People are most interesting subjects. Here we see a painting by Matisse. This black color looks so soft and furry - the contrast is so luxurious. Who could this person be?
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
The Kings speech ***, Arietty **
The Kings speech ***
Very moving and informative. I read from Françoise Dolto that stutterers when singing do not stutter. Here, the speech therapist treating King George and becoming his friend relaxes him, helps him make the speech delivery successful. I also see a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth through this film that being King and Queen are not at all what the piece of cake that we imagine.
After watching this, I feel like going to a speech lesson teacher to see if my speech could be buffed up here and there... :) (ie like those little bankers who need a little brush up to improve...)
I see speech as music after watching the film.
Arietty **
More fairy tale stuff from Mizayaki the creator of Porco Rosso etc. Except as expected, hes repeating himself over and over again, the story is flatly sweet w little dramatic bad character, only fading images of kindness upon kindness - i fell asleep near the end. Though I must say it catches the European house dream of Japanese gentille folks. The film was shown in Japanese w subtitles. The room was maybe 10 viewers, and the previous session w many Asian kids - Japanese kids I think. Its so that they could see a film with Japanese language?
Very moving and informative. I read from Françoise Dolto that stutterers when singing do not stutter. Here, the speech therapist treating King George and becoming his friend relaxes him, helps him make the speech delivery successful. I also see a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth through this film that being King and Queen are not at all what the piece of cake that we imagine.
After watching this, I feel like going to a speech lesson teacher to see if my speech could be buffed up here and there... :) (ie like those little bankers who need a little brush up to improve...)
I see speech as music after watching the film.
Arietty **
More fairy tale stuff from Mizayaki the creator of Porco Rosso etc. Except as expected, hes repeating himself over and over again, the story is flatly sweet w little dramatic bad character, only fading images of kindness upon kindness - i fell asleep near the end. Though I must say it catches the European house dream of Japanese gentille folks. The film was shown in Japanese w subtitles. The room was maybe 10 viewers, and the previous session w many Asian kids - Japanese kids I think. Its so that they could see a film with Japanese language?
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Pina Bausch Documentary ***
saw Pina Bausch documentary *** today, its how she works a piece w people whos never danced before and made it into a performance, v v nice moving.
We see how the adolescent dancers changes from one wk to the next, what dancing involves; dances of expression (unlike HipHop)says one of the guys. And the internal work of each of the dancers, they must project from their own personalities, their emotions, their experiences of love, sadness, hate. A lot of the dancers have never experienced passionate love before so the tutors and themselves make use of other love experiences, such as parental love, brotherly sisterly love.
The adolescents changes into diff dresses for practice, they put on a dress somewhat nice for them from vintage bags (red blue white strip bags) of clothing - like those fouille fouille piles, suddenly i see how we could try on dresses jsut like that! Then for the real performance they had seamstress to make the exact dress for the dancers. A lot of dresses had to be taken in because all the bodies are so different.
Very rich film. Makes me want to join such a dancing adventure.
We see how the adolescent dancers changes from one wk to the next, what dancing involves; dances of expression (unlike HipHop)says one of the guys. And the internal work of each of the dancers, they must project from their own personalities, their emotions, their experiences of love, sadness, hate. A lot of the dancers have never experienced passionate love before so the tutors and themselves make use of other love experiences, such as parental love, brotherly sisterly love.
The adolescents changes into diff dresses for practice, they put on a dress somewhat nice for them from vintage bags (red blue white strip bags) of clothing - like those fouille fouille piles, suddenly i see how we could try on dresses jsut like that! Then for the real performance they had seamstress to make the exact dress for the dancers. A lot of dresses had to be taken in because all the bodies are so different.
Very rich film. Makes me want to join such a dancing adventure.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Au-délà by Clint Eastwood, Green Hornet by Michel Gondry
Green Hornet **
A comic book story shot in moving images in 3D. The problem with comic book transferred to moving images are many. As in this case, for one, when we read comic books, we fill in the frames between the drawings ourselves in our head whereas in a film, all those inbetween frames are jammed up with more unimaginative images. Thats why it really doesnt have the same charm as the paper comic book. If we see Kato on paper making coffee at one point and building cars at another point; we have filled in our mind that Kato must do a lot of other things. In the movie, both characters Kato and the Green Hornet are paper figures. Cameron Diaz as the pretty secretary does well, just as a side figure could be quickly sketched out without any other details. Her role is not the central focus.
Rather worst, this Kato in the movie is not quite Bruce Lee, he is not at all convincing as a lithe martial arts expert - his body movements and shapes are heavy and slow - we could almost see the erased wires. His finesse in coffee making is no more than a serveur at a McDo café - the making of a milk foam leaf as a sign of expertise in a superb cup of coffee! Give me a break. And these cars w super power everything somehow didnt work. However, I find the rows of bales of papers in the printing room kind of interesting as scenario.
In fact, Kato was played by a youthful mega pop star from HK - but somehow it is stilted, the role is not suitable for him. The film also didnt use his strength which is mainly musical. No song by super pop song artist! Thats like having Marilyn Monroe and not have her do sexy moves - but playing a straight faced maid to a bumbling lady. A lot of 3D effect opportunities wasted. As a result the 3D glasses are a bother to wear.
This movie is a follow up from Iron Man, Spiderman, Batman, but the story line is very weak.
Dont waste your movie viewing time on this, there are much better things to do.
Au-délà by Clint Eastwood ***
A melo film by a master. London scenes are v London and French scenes v French. Not the iconic French nor iconic London but with more attention to the little guys. A tiny bit of nudity - we see Cecile de France in hotel in black undies putting on her outfit to go to the book fair simultaneously a dialogue (voice over) relating the book being presented at a bookfair (understood as accepted and published) - v quick paced time saving device.
What i like most about this film is the melow multilinear realism - each setting seem sober, correct and treated w much care; and that alast that this life is this life, the dead is dead, and the dead has other things to do even if they did bother to come back to chat to you, and that love could only happen if you have common experiences to share; thats quite a few parallel themes all running at the same time - unlike for example The Green Hornet which is a comic book stretched out lazily into a movie without filling in anything in between the action frames, so we get key frames from one scene to the next with nothing much in between, with pauverty in the story line so fatal that no amount of shallow 3D could save it.
A comic book story shot in moving images in 3D. The problem with comic book transferred to moving images are many. As in this case, for one, when we read comic books, we fill in the frames between the drawings ourselves in our head whereas in a film, all those inbetween frames are jammed up with more unimaginative images. Thats why it really doesnt have the same charm as the paper comic book. If we see Kato on paper making coffee at one point and building cars at another point; we have filled in our mind that Kato must do a lot of other things. In the movie, both characters Kato and the Green Hornet are paper figures. Cameron Diaz as the pretty secretary does well, just as a side figure could be quickly sketched out without any other details. Her role is not the central focus.
Rather worst, this Kato in the movie is not quite Bruce Lee, he is not at all convincing as a lithe martial arts expert - his body movements and shapes are heavy and slow - we could almost see the erased wires. His finesse in coffee making is no more than a serveur at a McDo café - the making of a milk foam leaf as a sign of expertise in a superb cup of coffee! Give me a break. And these cars w super power everything somehow didnt work. However, I find the rows of bales of papers in the printing room kind of interesting as scenario.
In fact, Kato was played by a youthful mega pop star from HK - but somehow it is stilted, the role is not suitable for him. The film also didnt use his strength which is mainly musical. No song by super pop song artist! Thats like having Marilyn Monroe and not have her do sexy moves - but playing a straight faced maid to a bumbling lady. A lot of 3D effect opportunities wasted. As a result the 3D glasses are a bother to wear.
This movie is a follow up from Iron Man, Spiderman, Batman, but the story line is very weak.
Dont waste your movie viewing time on this, there are much better things to do.
Au-délà by Clint Eastwood ***
A melo film by a master. London scenes are v London and French scenes v French. Not the iconic French nor iconic London but with more attention to the little guys. A tiny bit of nudity - we see Cecile de France in hotel in black undies putting on her outfit to go to the book fair simultaneously a dialogue (voice over) relating the book being presented at a bookfair (understood as accepted and published) - v quick paced time saving device.
What i like most about this film is the melow multilinear realism - each setting seem sober, correct and treated w much care; and that alast that this life is this life, the dead is dead, and the dead has other things to do even if they did bother to come back to chat to you, and that love could only happen if you have common experiences to share; thats quite a few parallel themes all running at the same time - unlike for example The Green Hornet which is a comic book stretched out lazily into a movie without filling in anything in between the action frames, so we get key frames from one scene to the next with nothing much in between, with pauverty in the story line so fatal that no amount of shallow 3D could save it.
Friday, 28 January 2011
Burlesque, Le Filmeur
Burlesque, **
A show for Christina Aquillera and Cher. Lots of nudity with hiddened strategic spots, story line is v thin, every scene is used as a carry on to the next number. Not much "acting" as such. Singing is good though. Editing seems v fast and I would have liked to see up close some of the costumes etc. This movie is similar to Chicago and Moulin Rouge, big song and dance numbers; even without the problem of a flimsy story line, there simply is no time for us to look at the details.
Le Filmeur, Alain Cavaliers 10 yr long video diary ** and a short film by Prisoners **
Alain Cavaliers video diary is intimiste, lots of narrations. Without the narrations its much less poetic as visually there is not much readable actions. The Prisoners images are v powerful and sound track enhances the various images. For example there was a scene with snow and wind/noise/screaming howling sound track. The viewers commented that the sound track was v powerful + windy snow storm showing the intention etc; but the workshop teacher replied that it was random footage that they shot and decided to add to the film. So often, diary filming could be like collage - you find things and make it work. Not necessarily scripted. Its our intention that makes the work happen. Another teacher told me that the most un-exciting students are the ones in design because their focus is always on "does it look good?" without a strong story, simply shooting for looking good is often not enough.
A show for Christina Aquillera and Cher. Lots of nudity with hiddened strategic spots, story line is v thin, every scene is used as a carry on to the next number. Not much "acting" as such. Singing is good though. Editing seems v fast and I would have liked to see up close some of the costumes etc. This movie is similar to Chicago and Moulin Rouge, big song and dance numbers; even without the problem of a flimsy story line, there simply is no time for us to look at the details.
Le Filmeur, Alain Cavaliers 10 yr long video diary ** and a short film by Prisoners **
Alain Cavaliers video diary is intimiste, lots of narrations. Without the narrations its much less poetic as visually there is not much readable actions. The Prisoners images are v powerful and sound track enhances the various images. For example there was a scene with snow and wind/noise/screaming howling sound track. The viewers commented that the sound track was v powerful + windy snow storm showing the intention etc; but the workshop teacher replied that it was random footage that they shot and decided to add to the film. So often, diary filming could be like collage - you find things and make it work. Not necessarily scripted. Its our intention that makes the work happen. Another teacher told me that the most un-exciting students are the ones in design because their focus is always on "does it look good?" without a strong story, simply shooting for looking good is often not enough.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
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