dilluns, 24 de març del 2008

EL ABUELO


Hacía tiempo que tenía esta película en la recámara. Como suele ser habitual, cuando algún asunto pendiente se pone de moda, como El Perfume o El Abuelo tras la muerte de Fernando Fernán Gómez, mis ganas de unirme a la masa se deprimen. Pero hoy era un buen día para ver la película: largo y ventoso domingo de vacaciones.

Lo primero que me llamó la atención fueron los largos planos del encuentro entre Doña Lucrecia Richmond (Cayetana Guillén Cuervo) y el ministro Don Jaime. Me encanta estar presente ante una actuación larga y compleja sin cambios de planos.

Por otra parte, tanto como iba avanzando la película me iba acordando de ella como si ya la hubiera visto. Pero no. Posiblemente haya visto una primera parte en televisión en alguna sobremesa que termino bostezando tirado en el sofá. De ahí esos dejà vu y flashbacks sobe la película.

En cuanto a la novela, me ha parecido ver reflejada una crítica bastante obvia a los principales caracteres protagonistas de cualquier pueblo o ciudad de la Castilla de finales del XIX: el alcalde, el médico y el cura, relacionándose con la aristocracia y con los siervos que van ganando poder. Los comentarios de los dos protagonistas, casualmente los dos han sido viajeros, a veces muestran desprecio hacia las actitudes y formas de la gente del pueblo: el poco afán de protagonismo de la condesa, la claridad en las formas de ambos al tratar a los peloteros y lameculos del pueblo, etc.

Y finalmente, la curiosidad me llama para saber qué es el HONOR.
  • Según la RAE:

honor.

(Del lat. honor, -ōris).

1. m. Cualidad moral que lleva al cumplimiento de los propios deberes respecto del prójimo y de uno mismo.

2. m. Gloria o buena reputación que sigue a la virtud, al mérito o a las acciones heroicas, la cual trasciende a las familias, personas y acciones mismas de quien se la granjea.


  • Según Pío Coronado:
- Don Rodrigo de Arista Potestad: Si te dieran a escoger, entre el honor y el amor, ¿qué harías?
- Pío: Mire, si de eso que llamamos el honor pudiera hacerse una cosa material, sería muy bueno para abonar la tierra. Estiércol, para criar la lechuga y el tomate. Eso es el honor en mi humilde opinión: una buena mierda.

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Director: José Luís Garci
Writers: Benito Pérez Galdós (book) & José Luís Garci
Actors: Fernando Fernán Gómez, Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, Rafael Alonso, Agustín González, Cristina Cruz, Alicia Rozas
1998
Spain
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0176415/

dissabte, 22 de març del 2008

LOS FALSIFICADORES (DIE FÄLSCHER)

I'm back right now from the cinema. It was the first time I go alone to the cinema and I was looking forward to it: all the ritual with popcorns, sitting down early and remaining till the end of credits. In between there was the movie.

At the end of Nazism prisoner Jews in a concentration camp make fake money. Foreigner currency to crash the market of Nazis enemies: Pounds and Dollars. The story is like others where concentration camps are the core of it, but still it is a good movie.

Again, during my walk back I've been thinking about who we are and whatta hell we are doing here, in European Union thinking about "progress" while thousands of people are fighting for living. Thousands of people suffering injustice. Now, in 21nd century. Unbelievable.

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Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Writers: Adolf Burger (book) & Stefan Ruzowitzky
Actors: Karl Malcovics, August Diehl, David Striesow
2007
Austria
OSCAR: Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813547/

dimecres, 27 de febrer del 2008

THE COTTON CLUB


What a great movie!! Not only because of the theme about gangsters on the late 20's (I love it!) but about the soundtrack, the script, the acid of talks and what I liked the most: the production and cameras.

Somehow, the story wasn't unexpected at all. But still, the movie kept my attention all the time. Shows of claque and cabaret, the trumpet and so was really enthusiastic. It's impossible not to cheer up while listening them!! Maybe, the worst was that the good boy was too good and the bad boy was too bas as well. Anyway, one of the best movies I've seen recently.

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Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Writers: William Kennedy & Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo (BTW, the writer of The Godfther) :)
1984
USA
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087089/

LEAVING LAS VEGAS

The second time I watched the movie was far different than the first one. I preserved on my memories a good movie with a great story indeed: a man who wants to kill himself by drinking, and a prostitute... they know each other by chance, and finally they need each other keeping a pact of not disturbing the lifestyle of the peer.
Thus, she keeps working and he keeps drinking like hell. But they need each other: she needs somebody to talk with and he likes her. Not jus for sex (actually they don't do that much) but for respecting him without pressing to give drinking up.

The second time I watched the movie I was impressed for the same script but I realize how slow the movie is: too focused on the development of the drinking disease of the main character, sometimes a bit too much on the meaning of pointing out all details of Nicolas Cage character.

I recommend the movie if you wanna fall asleep. Why not? At least, watch it once.

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Director: Mike Figgis
Writers: John O'Brien (novel) & Mike Figgis
1995
USA
OSCAR: Best Actor (Nicolas Cage)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113627/

diumenge, 3 de febrer del 2008

LA CHAQUETA METÁLICA (FULL METAL JACKET)


Aquesta pel·lícula me recorda a La Naranja Mecánica per l'expressivitat del guió i la potència del so, tant en la seva absència com en la banda sonora. El film es divideix clarament en dues parts: a la primera es mostra l'entrenament dels marines nou vinguts a una companyia on l'instructor no te escrúpols per humiliar i castigar a qualsevol soldat. M'encanta el paper d'en Vincent d'Onofrio (el Recluta Patoso) tan aplicat davant del sargent i tan infantil davant els companys... la seva evolució, fulgurant, és un reflex de l'ambient que es respirà entre aquelles parets.

A la segona part, al Vietnam, trobem el personatge del Matthew Modine (Recluta Bufón) com aquell que viu el succés amb perspectiva: un reporter de guerra amb ganes d'adrenalina però sense creure els sense-sentits dels seus superiors. La imatge general de la pel·lícula la trobo sobèrbia, sobretot amb els plans individuals dels diferents personatges.

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Directors: Stanley Kubrick
Script: Michael Herr, Gustaf Hasfrod (autor de la novel·la) i Stanley Kubrick
1987
USA
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093058/
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Jacket

divendres, 11 de gener del 2008

PERSEPOLIS


Laura recommended us this movie, moreover after our stage in Algeria. She said that we would understand more details of the movie than before... how right she was!! I and Raquel went to the cinema Funatic, in Lleida.

Marjane Satrapi lived a cheerful childhood until the revolution came and the civil war started. The movie reflects perfectly how could have been the day-by-day life of a good family: religious friends having doubts after being told to go to the war "for the sake of God and for the country", relatives in jail and so. I liked how Marjane behaves with one communist-killer son and her changes after talking with God: her job is forgive!! But not everybody can accept that...

Cops persecute all indies and punks. Just everybody who lives out of the patterns designed by the government, designed following the rules of God. By the government interpretation, of course. As usual.

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Directors: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi
Script: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi (author of the original comic)
2007
France & USA
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808417/
http://www.vertigofilms.es/persepolis/


dijous, 10 de gener del 2008

NORK NORI ZOR? ZOR EKOLOGIKOA / ¿QUIÉN DEBE A QUIEN? LA DEUDA ECOLÓGICA

This documentary shows the fact that, actually, the "developed countries" own much more money to the "southern countries" than vice versa. The CO2 emission debt, the exportation of toxic residues to the South and so costs more money than the cash they own to the North.

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Script: José Manzaneda
Author: Ekologistak Martxan
Euskal Herria
28'
www.ekologistakmartxan.org

WANDIYÀ

This documentary shows the migratory process of some men from Senegal and their families resting at home. The men work in Catalonia after the long trip to the "First World". At the beginning it is shown how young Senegalese are shouting their wishes of traveling to Spain or France and pointing Western Countries as the responsible of their bad situation...

I took this movie after being at the CIDD office, just curiosity. After being in Algeria, I can feel deep inside the eyes of the camera recording the movie.

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Dir: Germán Reyes
Producció: Javier Calderón
Senegal & Catalonia
2006
http://www.fonscatala.org/versio2004/catala/inicio/lineasdetreball/14c.php?id_pagina=14