thank you for the music

My parents didn't really listen to ABBA when I was little, and so when the Mamma Mia! musical came out when I was in middle school, I naturally memorized the soundtrack (London cast) and not the original songs.  In fact, I listened to that CD so much that I've memorized all the little bits of dialogue embedded in the music and know the track listing order by heart...

The movie was not my favorite as far as soundtracks go, but there's one song that I really do enjoy - Amanda Seyfried's rendition of "Thank You For The Music."  It's not in the actual movie - it's a hidden track played at the end - but there's some mesmerizing, easy quality about it.  I can almost picture her on some stage in a long shimmering dress (gold?), nothing but her, the spotlight, and the pianist.



I'm also just putting a bunch of posts in the queue...yay lunch breaks (when else do you have time to relax for half an hour?!).  It's been a bad week, and my weekend is bound to be busy busy busy.  Don't you just love exams on a Monday?!

the mill and the cross

A few weeks ago I saw Lech Majewski's film, The Mill and the Cross - quite simply, a masterpiece.  The film is based off of Pieter Bruegel's painting, The Way to Calvary, and follows the story of 12 of the 500 or so people in the painting.

It's not your traditional film, though.  The Mill and the Cross, despite having characters, does not have a particular story line as in Girl with a Pearl Earring or other films that are based on works of art.  In fact, the dialogue is sparse (the first spoken words are half an hour into the movie, and even then the man speaks to the audience, not to his wife, who instead sits and reads her book, oblivious to his words).  The emphasis instead goes on the sounds in everyday life - a servant clomping up the huge flight of stairs in the mill, the thunder of horses' hooves as the red-caped Spanish military men ride into sight, the rustle of papers as the artist looks through his sketches.

The lack of words also has another effect - an unnerving one.  As the Spanish beat up a guy on his way to market, strap him to a wheel, raise that wheel several meters into the air on a pole, and leave his eyes to be eaten by the ravens, they do not speak.  And neither does the victim.  It's an incredibly powerful and cringe-worthy scene of cold detachment on the soldiers' end and hopeless submission on the man's end.

Cinematographically speaking, the balance (and ambiguity) between reality and painterliness is mesmerizing.  Majewski actually used a blue screen for some key scenes - like the beginning.  He painted the backdrop (the skies and landscape) and added that in later.  Crazy, huh?  The result is that of seeing people moving around inside the painting.  It's not necessarily stepping into the painting - but rather seeing the painting coming alive...and trying to swallow us up.

So basically...the movie is a must-see, perhaps even for those who are not art enthusiasts.  It has some very powerful scenes, and really gives you an appreciation for the artist (and the Dutch who lived through Philip II's inquisition).

photos courtesy of kino lorber, inc

There's also a lot of cool stuff on the film website, http://www.themillandthecross.com/.

thoughts on a viking movie

I'm taking a class on the Vikings this semester, and it's definitely one of my favorites.  A few weeks ago we watched the 1958 movie The Vikings (pretty corny, but an entertaining watch).  Today, as we were talking about ideal Viking men and women, we started thinking about what actors and actresses we would cast in a Viking movie.  I couldn't really think of anyone right then, so naturally I'm still considering the question.  If I were to remake The Vikings - a grittier version, obviously - who would be my leading men and ladies?

Then I realized that I would probably end up picking half the cast of King Arthur, just because it's easier to visualize Vikings when they're already in medieval getup.  Not to mention Stellan Skarsgård, who actually does play a Viking in the movie.

pretty scary stuff, huh?

Second realization: everyone else would have been in Lord of the Rings (i.e. Viggo Mortenson and Miranda Otto), or at least of Scandinavian descent.

My conclusions?  There's a reason why I'm not in the film industry.  But I do want to see King Arthur again (along with Robin Hood, Kingdom of Heaven, Lord of the Rings...)

summer movies

LAST WEEK was the week of catching up on random movies (in between doing touristy stuff in LA).  We ended up not going to the Natural History Museum/La Brea Tar Pits, or to LACMA, but some other time, I guess.  It was simply too hot to leave the house!!

Did You Hear About the Morgans - cute, but I probably wouldn't choose to see it again.  Sarah Jessica Parker does not play the most likeable character, and Hugh Grant, while funny, is better in movies like Notting Hill and Music & Lyrics.

Last Chance Harvey - very well done.  Dustin Hoffman was kind of annoying in the film (or rather, his character had quite a few wince-worthy moments and characteristics), but I love Emma Thompson.  Quite simply, she is such a fantastic actress who can make anything worth watching.

The Last Legion - yet another King Arthur-themed alternative prequel, featuring an Indian master warrior from Constantinople (seriously. that in itself was just awesome)...There's also Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, and the ever-adorable Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

The Visitor - easily one of the best films I've seen this summer.  I hadn't seen any of the actors before, but they were all incredible. It's one of those films that's sad and happy at the same time, and it opened up my eyes to a world that I know little about...

Breakfast at Tiffany's - a classic, of course, and the first time I've seen it!  Shame on me, I know.  Admittedly it did not quite live up to my expectations.  Besides the really awkward parts with the Caucasian guy depicting (in quite an uncomplimentary way) the angry Asian neighbor (though I suppose that's just how it was in the movies those days), I feel like the movie just dragged.  There were just too many ridiculous scenes showing how ridiculous Audrey Hepburn's character was.  The first group of scenes that I really liked was when Holly and Paul go out in the city and take turns doing things they've never done before.  The scene with the sales clerk at Tiffany's was pretty funny :)

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story - one of those feel-good, kid-overcomes-odds-to-become-rich-and-famous stories, except better, because he becomes a neurosurgeon!  Outstanding performances, especially by Kimberly Elise as Ben Carson (Cuba Gooding Jr)'s mother.

Annie Hall - admittedly, another classic I only just saw for the first time....I loved it, although it was funniest in the first half hour.  After that, Alvy's pure neuroticism started to become a little less funny and and little more frustrating.

notting hill/marc chagall

It's official; this four-day Patriots day weekend in Boston has already established itself as chick flick weekend.

Last night: Mean Girls.  Tonight: Notting Hill, a.k.a. one of my favorite romantic comedies ever!

So artistic inspiration for today is the Chagall painting, La Mariée ("The Bride," 1950), which features in the film.

"It feels like how love should be - floating through a dark blue sky."
"With a goat, playing a violin."
"Well, yes.  Happiness isn't happiness without a violin-playing goat."

oscars - showtime!

Anne Hathaway's many wardrobe changes - Hugh Jackman's opening for the 81st Academy Awards in 2009 is still my fave, (Hathaway and Franco weren't very funny....) but at least Hathaway had nice clothes (for the most part).

Atelier Versace (spring 2011)

my favorite!!!

le smoking - Lanvin; Brian Atwood shoes

Vivienne Westwood

Oscar de la Renta 

Givenchy Couture (2009)

Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi performing 'I See the Light' from Tangled - I wanted this song to win, but then again, I never thought it would.  (kudos to me for predicting the Toy Story song as winner).

Mandy Moore - dress by Monique Lhuillier (resort 2011). a brilliant color!

I was rooting for Jenny Beavan to win for best costume design in The King's Speech (if not just for the hats alone), but somehow knew deep down that Colleen Atwood would win for Alice in Wonderland.  The costumes were out of this world, anyway.  One of her best.  Still, Atwood annoyed me with her acceptance.  She literally took out a piece of paper and began reading off it.  LAME!  As if she was taking her win for granted.

Colin Firth's acceptance speech was my favorite.  So gracious, and humorous too.

"I'm afraid I have to warn you that I'm experiencing stirrings somewhere in the upper abdominals which are threatening to form themselves into dance moves, which joyous as they may be for me, they would be extremely problematic if they made it to my legs before I make it off stage."

oscars - red carpet

and...oscars time!

I know I shouldn't have watched the Oscars as much as I should have, given the ridiculous amount of work for this week, but one look at the red carpet and I was a lost girl.  Then the ceremonies started, and.....a lost girl once again.  I simply had to watch, given all the hype that I created for myself through last Friday's issue of the Tech.

 Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein.  This wasn't my favorite to begin with, but so perfect for her!  Modern, sleek, and oh-so-elegant.

Natalie Portman in Rodarte.  This was easily my favorite red carpet look this year, and numbers among my top red carpet dresses ever.  Did I mention that I have the biggest girl crush on Natalie Portman?

the hair! the makeup! the earrings!

Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa.  Dear Hailee, thank you for acting your age.  You looked gorgeous, and I loved the detail on the dress.

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang.  It kind of looked like it was falling off at times?  Maybe that's just because that's how I feel about strapless in general.  Still - she looked great.  I liked the simple hair, too.

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab couture.  A bit low cut, but she looked amazing, and I was excited to see a Saab on the red carpet - not as many Saabs on the red carpet as I would have liked to see (so many Oscar-worthy ones from the last collection!), but such is life.

Halle Berry in Marchesa.  This woman is gorgeous, what else can I say...

pre-oscar hype; the king's speech

costumes - the hats. OH THE HATS.  props to jenny beavan.

i wish i looked as fantastic in hats as helena bonham carter did in the king's speech.

my fair lady part 2

costumes from the movie -

I think the Ascot scene has to be one of my favorites.

my fair lady

audrey hepburn - such a lady.

I have yet to see Breakfast at Tiffany's.

sag awards 2011

I think this may be the first time I've seen Helena Bonham Carter wearing a relatively 'normal' ensemble?  I rather like it...

(marc jacobs)

other looks that i'm particularly fond of at the moment - 

(alexander mcqueen) 

(louis vuitton)

http://www.collegefashion.net/fashion-news/fashion-recap-2011-sag-awards-red-carpet/

black swan - the good

I saw Black Swan a few weeks ago, and there's no doubt that it's a very well done (and trippy!) film.  I am not exactly a scary movie person, though, and it totally freaked me out (OMG, like, do I sound like a total valley girl right now?).  I probably won't ever want to see the movie again, but there are some great (visual) aspects to it that make me want to go back to it!

1. Costume design by Rodarte.  To clear some things up, this was a collaboration with costume designer Amy Westcott - Rodarte was only really involved with 7 pieces.  I write "costume design by Rodarte" only because the few pieces that I really liked happened to be by Rodarte.  An interesting interview with Amy Westcott here.

My favorite piece was the dress that Natalie Portman wears to the toasting/party; the back was exquisite! Unfortunately I can't find an actual picture of it, at the moment.

I also loved the ballet costumes...although I feel like a lot of ballet costumes look very similar!  Love this shot, though - 

and this sketch of the black swan costume -

2. Gorgeous promo posters by Empire, the handmade likes of which I have not seen in a very long time, if ever!  The first and last ones are my favorite.

silver screen 2010/six films you may or may not remember

The King’s Speech, True Grit, Inception, and The Social Network garnered the most Oscar nominations.  But what about the films that didn’t get an Oscar nod?  Here are six of the good and the mediocre.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Based off a graphic novel series, the boy-meets-girl story gets a gamer makeover.  Michael Cera is Scott Pilgrim, the same awkward teen character that he always plays; it’s just a relief that this time, gravity-defeating action sequences and actresses like Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ellen Wong can save the movie from Year One disaster.

Robin Hood

This movie may be Gladiator with bows and arrows, but I’m not complaining.   Russell Crowe is in top corruption-crushing shape, and a 140-minute epic about Robin Hood before he became famous is at least an original idea.  Plus, none of the men wear tights.  Instead, a spunky Cate Blanchett takes gender role mix-ups into her own hands by donning armor (sound familiar, Elizabeth?).

Nowhere Boy

Beautiful and bittersweet in the style of An Education, this British import tells the story of John Lennon before he became famous.  Nowhere Boy may seem like the usual famous-person-struggles-with-inner-demons type film, but the performance by each actor is superb.  Most notable is the relationship between tough boy Lennon (Aaron Johnson) and sensitive/gentle McCartney (played by Thomas Sangster – remember him as brooding lovesick kid in Love Actually?).

Date Night

Two of the funniest people in the American film industry get together and come up with…Date Night?  Thankfully, Steve Carrell and Tina Fey have just enough spontaneous moments to make up for the cliché married couple humor and not-so-active action sequences.  I certainly won’t forget the awkwardly hilarious pole-dancing episode.

Tangled

A horse that thinks he’s a dog, tough guys singing about their appreciation for the finer things in life, and an awesome chameleon.  And who ever knew you could do that much with a frying pan?  Even if you don’t want to admit that Rapunzel and her bandit boyfriend are cool, you have to admit that Disney’s continued attempts to churn out musical movies are rather welcome.

*edit - Tangled technically shouldn't be in this list, as it got one nomination for Best Original Song.  Still, that's only one nomination...

Letters to Juliet

Never mind the sloppy American attempt at Love Actually – Letters to Juliet was the chick flick of the year.  With Amanda Seyfried playing another Sophie and Christopher Egan as annoying but charming pretty boy, who cares if the plot is predictable and cliché?  My main objection involved Taylor Swift’s obligatory but ill timed “Love Story” playing at the end of the movie.  Not to mention that three-quarters of the movie takes place in Italy, and not one scene contains a Vespa.