Every human being encounter a moment of identification, to their profession, surroundings and mostly their sexuality. The independent community, Hollywood and the several countries around the world have challenge the status quo presenting stories about people who are looking for acceptance to their sexuality, personal habits and their expressions. Most of the people with lifelong identification, have challenges on how society see them, but specially understand them.
Films like Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood”, Kimberly Pierce “Boys Don’t Cry”, Duncan Tucker “Transamerica”, Neil Jordan “The Crying Game”, Stephan Elliott “The Adventures Priscilla Queen of The Desert”, Almodovar’s “Todo Sobre Mi Madre”, David Cronenberg “M. Butterfly” and Alain Berliner “Ma Vie en Rose” tells the story of women, men and even kids who are not identified with their sexuality, they are also filled with personal conflicts as human beings. The movies present dramatic situations, comedic situations and sometimes crazy dream sequences to explain the audience what is happening in their minds.
In Tom Hooper “The Danish Girl” he presents a very dramatic tale of Einar Wegner (Eddie Redmayne) a popular landscape painter in the mid 1920’s and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander) a portrait artist. The couple lives in Copenhagen, enjoying Elinar successful career with the typical marriage, ups and downs and also having challenges trying to sell Gerda’s work and their efforts to get pregnant.
Looking for different ideas and ways of express her work differently in order to find representation in different countries, Gerda’s ask Elinar to pose for her, wearing female gowns and using silk stockings. Elinar see himself identify with this. In a beautifully shot, edited and performed scene, the audience understand in a few seconds his struggle on wanted to be a woman, but also his excitement and mental transformation. This becomes a epiphany for him. Unaware of this Gerda thinks is a game, so she plays along discovering the shocking truth, right thru her eyes.
The Danish Girl is a powerful film who tries to tell the story of Elinar Wegner in the best way possible. Sometimes going from the dramatic to the brotherliness of been corny. Tom Hooper delivers his well used wide lenses view of several spaces to create a emotional landscape which is very rich thanks to Danny Cohen cinematography, Eve Stewart Production Design and Art Direction by Grant Armstrong and Tom Weaving. The scenes are alive and look like the paintings created Gerda and Elinar. This 3 artistic aspect of the film makes the film very sensitive and specially unique. I hope this four talented people get rewarded. Another aspect of the movie is the beautiful film score by Alexander Desplat.
Eddie Redmayne delivers a powerful role, with a very intense transformation, but sometimes have the nuance of previous performances. Alicia Vikander shows a promising performance that could be improved with other roles. Finally someone who steal the show in their scenes is Gerda and Elinar’s dog Jack Rusell Teddy (Pixie)
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Monday, January 4, 2016
In the very beginning of time women were consider the weak spot, the runner of the household and the caretaker of our kids. But women were never consider capable of been entrepreneurs, capable of develop ideas or capable to run companies. It took time to get the idea and been able to respect them from what they are and capable to do. First was the vote and their rights and later show that men can be weak too and run a house without them. Movies showed that in the past decades. From “Nine to Five”, “A League of Their Own”, “All About Eve”, “Channeling”, “Bend it Like Beckham”, “Funny Girl”, “Thelma and Louise” “The First Wives Club” and “Erin Brockovich”
In the film Joy directed by David O Russell, he tells the true story of Joy Mangano a divorced woman living with her two kids, father, ex husband, mother and grandmother under one roof. The story is been told from the grandmother point of view played by Diane Ladd and develops in a very strange structure that makes the film complicated to follow. The film start with Joy already divorce living with her family and the arrival of his dad who is been kicked out from his home. The ex husband an aspiring singer from Venezuela played by Edgar Ramirez, Joy’s mom Virginia Madsen an obsessed person who loves to spent time in bed watching soap opera, Joy half sister Elisabeth Röhm and overachiever who constantly humiliates Joy in front of her kids and finally Joy’s dad played by Robert De Niro who never believed in Joy and her creativity to come up with ideas for inventions. Joy is creative and wants to achieve better quality of life for her kids and their family. Her grandmother supports her, but her parents don’t understand her, until she come up with a great invention that will change the market forever.
This foundation was set on the first minutes of the film, finally the movie goes back to Joy childhood, explaining who is she and her family and continues in a chronological order. This starting point of a movie filled with chaos for the audiences, who needs to understand why the characters are there and where they going. Opposite other movies, like Goodfellas who start in the middle in the movie, it justify why they do that and is done with so much style thinking on developing the characters in just a few minutes. Joy starts as a mess and continues as a mess. The film is about Joy - Jennifer Lawrence but is been told from her grandmother point view, which appears on screen soon enough to tell what ever is necessary about her, but you never understand things like dream sequences or several motives of the characters. You laugh in some situations but others you are lost, because you are hoping to see the story of a woman who create this empire and you end up seen a story of a destructive family and the invention a mop.
Don’t get me wrong Joy life could be something better, probably like Erin Brockvich, but is not compelling enough to do that. David O Russell waste actors like Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd and Virginia Madsen and weak characters who barely said something meaningful, they are just puppets surrounding Jennifer Lawrence who is the start of the movie, besides her outstanding performance, Joy can be a film easy to forget.
In the film Joy directed by David O Russell, he tells the true story of Joy Mangano a divorced woman living with her two kids, father, ex husband, mother and grandmother under one roof. The story is been told from the grandmother point of view played by Diane Ladd and develops in a very strange structure that makes the film complicated to follow. The film start with Joy already divorce living with her family and the arrival of his dad who is been kicked out from his home. The ex husband an aspiring singer from Venezuela played by Edgar Ramirez, Joy’s mom Virginia Madsen an obsessed person who loves to spent time in bed watching soap opera, Joy half sister Elisabeth Röhm and overachiever who constantly humiliates Joy in front of her kids and finally Joy’s dad played by Robert De Niro who never believed in Joy and her creativity to come up with ideas for inventions. Joy is creative and wants to achieve better quality of life for her kids and their family. Her grandmother supports her, but her parents don’t understand her, until she come up with a great invention that will change the market forever.
This foundation was set on the first minutes of the film, finally the movie goes back to Joy childhood, explaining who is she and her family and continues in a chronological order. This starting point of a movie filled with chaos for the audiences, who needs to understand why the characters are there and where they going. Opposite other movies, like Goodfellas who start in the middle in the movie, it justify why they do that and is done with so much style thinking on developing the characters in just a few minutes. Joy starts as a mess and continues as a mess. The film is about Joy - Jennifer Lawrence but is been told from her grandmother point view, which appears on screen soon enough to tell what ever is necessary about her, but you never understand things like dream sequences or several motives of the characters. You laugh in some situations but others you are lost, because you are hoping to see the story of a woman who create this empire and you end up seen a story of a destructive family and the invention a mop.
Don’t get me wrong Joy life could be something better, probably like Erin Brockvich, but is not compelling enough to do that. David O Russell waste actors like Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd and Virginia Madsen and weak characters who barely said something meaningful, they are just puppets surrounding Jennifer Lawrence who is the start of the movie, besides her outstanding performance, Joy can be a film easy to forget.
The lights go dark and a red and black screen with the illustration of a stagecoach and the title Overture appears. The music by Ennio Morricone starts and you know that you are witnessing movie history here.
This is the 8th film by Quentin Tarantino. “The Hateful Eight” a film shot in 70mm ultra panavision by the renown cinematographer Robert Richardson and the intention is to create the experience that we lost over digital in the late 60’s.
“The Hateful Eight” is divided by six chapters which introduce a very peculiar cast of outlaws who don’t have any remorse of kill everyone to achieve their goal. A trip on a stagecoach carrying The Hangman (Kurt Russell) and The Prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) it’s been stopped by a unwelcome passenger “The Bounty Hunter” who is carrying a 3 dead bodies who needs to bring into town. Then another unwelcome passenger shows up, but this time of chapter 2, “The Sheriff” (Walton Goggins) who needs to get into town for his assignment, the new sheriff of Red Rock. During the stagecoach ride the story unveils showing every character true colors and real intention of their journey to town, including one of the movies let motive “The Lincoln Letter”
Finally they arrive to Minnie's Haberdashery where they meet with the rest of the characters “The Mexican” (Demián Bichir), “Little Man” (Tim Roth) “The Cow Puncher” (Michael Madsen) “The Confederate” (Bruce Dern) where the story take shape into a major conflict that involves: racism, US north and south, justice and poison.
Tarantino creates a theatrical experience never seen on his films, probably because his movies moves all over the place and tells the stories by so many points of views, which involves several narrators and locations. This time the film explore a single place where the conflict start and ends. The film is bloody like we used with him, violent and satirical. The dialogues are witty, sarcastic and filled with profanity. The story develops in a linear way until a point where Tarantino brings his magic touch.
“The Hateful Eight” is a great film that brings back the essence of westerns with a twist of pop culture.
If you really want to experience this movie in glorious 70mm try to catch up in their special engagement roadshow. Overture, Intermission and a nice program as a souvenir.
This is the 8th film by Quentin Tarantino. “The Hateful Eight” a film shot in 70mm ultra panavision by the renown cinematographer Robert Richardson and the intention is to create the experience that we lost over digital in the late 60’s.
“The Hateful Eight” is divided by six chapters which introduce a very peculiar cast of outlaws who don’t have any remorse of kill everyone to achieve their goal. A trip on a stagecoach carrying The Hangman (Kurt Russell) and The Prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) it’s been stopped by a unwelcome passenger “The Bounty Hunter” who is carrying a 3 dead bodies who needs to bring into town. Then another unwelcome passenger shows up, but this time of chapter 2, “The Sheriff” (Walton Goggins) who needs to get into town for his assignment, the new sheriff of Red Rock. During the stagecoach ride the story unveils showing every character true colors and real intention of their journey to town, including one of the movies let motive “The Lincoln Letter”
Finally they arrive to Minnie's Haberdashery where they meet with the rest of the characters “The Mexican” (Demián Bichir), “Little Man” (Tim Roth) “The Cow Puncher” (Michael Madsen) “The Confederate” (Bruce Dern) where the story take shape into a major conflict that involves: racism, US north and south, justice and poison.
Tarantino creates a theatrical experience never seen on his films, probably because his movies moves all over the place and tells the stories by so many points of views, which involves several narrators and locations. This time the film explore a single place where the conflict start and ends. The film is bloody like we used with him, violent and satirical. The dialogues are witty, sarcastic and filled with profanity. The story develops in a linear way until a point where Tarantino brings his magic touch.
“The Hateful Eight” is a great film that brings back the essence of westerns with a twist of pop culture.
If you really want to experience this movie in glorious 70mm try to catch up in their special engagement roadshow. Overture, Intermission and a nice program as a souvenir.
Journalism in films is a great subject because the movies explore the process of a investigation, the main characters, ethics and also the power of the system. So many movies have done great work: Michael Man’s “The Insider”, Alan Pakula’s “All the President’s Men”, George Clooney “Good Night and Good Luck” Ron Howards’ “Frost/Nixon” James L Brooks “Broadcast News”, Roland Joffé “The Killing Fields are among those films.
In Spotlight directed by Tom McCarthy journalist is questioned on his core. In 2001 The Boston Globe hires a new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) with the promise of searching for better stories and more solid journalism work. Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton) is the head of “Spotlight” team a group of journalist of the Globe whose articles are investigative nature, but can take up to a year to publish. The film start with an incident of a priest who is be taking a police precinct in Boston for allegedly molesting a kid from the parish in the 70’s the case seems to go under the table when the archdioceses gets involved to solve the problem. Tom McCarthy set the foundation of the story by proving that this is lawless crimes that can be hide so easily in front of the police. Back to 2001 Baron reads a small article that talks about a pedophile priest John Geoghan and how the archbishop of Boston knew about it and did nothing to stop it. The spotlight team is been asked to start an investigation about the peophile cases in the church of Boston.
The spotlight team start to work Michael Resends (Mark Ruffalo) Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James) with a lot of skepticism but quickly revealing shocking information about the victims, their abusers, and how the elite was forced to hide the truth to keep an image of a perfect clerical society in Boston.
The film is powerful with strong performances by all the cast, Thomas Newman deliver a compelling original score, Tom McArdle gives the film the perfect pace on a outstanding editing.
Spotlight is not about journalist who becomes heroes, is about the power of ethics and the search for the truth, it’s also about mistakes made and when you search for that truth you have to risk so many things in your life.
In Spotlight directed by Tom McCarthy journalist is questioned on his core. In 2001 The Boston Globe hires a new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) with the promise of searching for better stories and more solid journalism work. Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton) is the head of “Spotlight” team a group of journalist of the Globe whose articles are investigative nature, but can take up to a year to publish. The film start with an incident of a priest who is be taking a police precinct in Boston for allegedly molesting a kid from the parish in the 70’s the case seems to go under the table when the archdioceses gets involved to solve the problem. Tom McCarthy set the foundation of the story by proving that this is lawless crimes that can be hide so easily in front of the police. Back to 2001 Baron reads a small article that talks about a pedophile priest John Geoghan and how the archbishop of Boston knew about it and did nothing to stop it. The spotlight team is been asked to start an investigation about the peophile cases in the church of Boston.
The spotlight team start to work Michael Resends (Mark Ruffalo) Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James) with a lot of skepticism but quickly revealing shocking information about the victims, their abusers, and how the elite was forced to hide the truth to keep an image of a perfect clerical society in Boston.
The film is powerful with strong performances by all the cast, Thomas Newman deliver a compelling original score, Tom McArdle gives the film the perfect pace on a outstanding editing.
Spotlight is not about journalist who becomes heroes, is about the power of ethics and the search for the truth, it’s also about mistakes made and when you search for that truth you have to risk so many things in your life.
It’s a cold and a beautiful beginning of the winter in 1952. The workers of a major department store are getting ready to welcome shoppers during their Christmas holidays. Among them we see a shy girl Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) a temporary shop girl in the toy department and aspiring photographer.
A stunning woman walk into the store, Carol looking for the perfect gift for her daughter. Therese sees her and get interested in her, probably is mutual. After a very simple conversation Therese is able to sell to Carol a train set and thanks to a lost gloves will be the very beginning of a intense relationship.
Carol (Cate Blanchett) is a sophisticated woman of the New York society, who enjoy a good life, she is unhappy. She is going to an awful divorce with her ex husband Harge (Kyle Chandler) which appears to be a manipulative business man, a possessive person and also misogynist who put
Todd Haynes directs a story of two women are looking for happiness. For Haynes this is not a virgin territory. In 2002 he directed “Far From Heaven” where a housewife Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) discover her husband is secretly gay and subsequently falls in love with Raymond (Dennis Haysbvert) her African American gardener.
In the film Carol love is forbidden, because is between two women who cannot find themselves around the arms of another man. Is 1952 is a time of innocence, but also is a conservative time where family structure it;s very traditional and formal. Homosexuality was a disease and in fact was treated with doctors.
Carol is blackmailed with her little girl to be the model housewife in order to quit her relationship with other women. The film explore unhappiness in the most happy time of all Christmas, men Misogyny’s and also lack of women empower in a time where america was interested in keeping their women’s in the kitchen.
This film is stunning when it comes to cinematography art direction and costume design. Blanchet and Mara have a perfect chemistry, but also are powerful in their roles.
A stunning woman walk into the store, Carol looking for the perfect gift for her daughter. Therese sees her and get interested in her, probably is mutual. After a very simple conversation Therese is able to sell to Carol a train set and thanks to a lost gloves will be the very beginning of a intense relationship.
Carol (Cate Blanchett) is a sophisticated woman of the New York society, who enjoy a good life, she is unhappy. She is going to an awful divorce with her ex husband Harge (Kyle Chandler) which appears to be a manipulative business man, a possessive person and also misogynist who put
Todd Haynes directs a story of two women are looking for happiness. For Haynes this is not a virgin territory. In 2002 he directed “Far From Heaven” where a housewife Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) discover her husband is secretly gay and subsequently falls in love with Raymond (Dennis Haysbvert) her African American gardener.
In the film Carol love is forbidden, because is between two women who cannot find themselves around the arms of another man. Is 1952 is a time of innocence, but also is a conservative time where family structure it;s very traditional and formal. Homosexuality was a disease and in fact was treated with doctors.
Carol is blackmailed with her little girl to be the model housewife in order to quit her relationship with other women. The film explore unhappiness in the most happy time of all Christmas, men Misogyny’s and also lack of women empower in a time where america was interested in keeping their women’s in the kitchen.
This film is stunning when it comes to cinematography art direction and costume design. Blanchet and Mara have a perfect chemistry, but also are powerful in their roles.
Friday, December 18, 2015
This review for Star Wars: The Force Awakens represents my personal impressions of the film, is not intended to ruin everyone experience of the movie. Is my honest opinion of a a series of movies that I been cherish for years. This review might contain mild spoilers - read at your own risk
Finally the dark screen reveals the Lucasfilm, LTD logo, then the most famous title "A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away" then the Star Wars logo and finally a three paragraph prologue which tells you the back story of what about to see. Means a lot because they need to explain 30 years of what happened after the events of the Battle of Endor. It tells you the engine of the whole story, what it’s happening with our heroes and villains and then where are we heading. Pretty simple and straight forward.
What happen later, specifically in the first act of Episode VII is quick and “sort of in your face” the situation develops in a J.J. Abrams pace, which sometimes is not that necessary, we need to slow down a little bit, it’s been 30 years. To me is like you are going to a middle eastern market and you been harassed by street vendors who are trying to sell you something and is very hard to process. you wanted to focus in a single thing and analyze it, but the first half and hour is rather fast.
New audiences are been introduced to 4 main characters, a new generation of actors who have the difficult task to continue the footsteps of Mark Hammill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, the original cast of our beloved Star Wars trilogy.
Rey (Daisy Ridley) a scavenger in a desert planet Jakku, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) a dark warrior commander of the first order, Finn (John Boyega) a redeemed First Order stormtrooper and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) a resistance X wing fighter.
The plot develops quickly and again in your face, there is mission to find Luke Skywalker and of course there is a map hidden in a droid (sound familiar right?), the droid gets lost in the desert and been found by someone who is dreaming of leaving that place ( again, something pretty familiar) and then there is planet converted into a weapon to destroy other planets (please another familiar thing?) To me seems that already know what’s happening and where I’m going, but what makes the film special is you leave behind a that horrendous prequels that everyday you want to forget about the origin of Darth Vader and there is still live for new films. Every new character is a mash up of at least two famous characters Poe Dameron feels like Luke, but also like Han Solo, Ray have similarities of Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke, Finn have similarities from Luke and Han Solo and even Kylo Ren who to me is a Darth Vader wanna be with bad temper, but he also becomes Star Trek’s Khan from J.J. Abrams, a mystery guy that almost everyone knows who he is.
The true genuine character in the movie is called: BB-8 so much life and personality
But, don’t get me wrong, the film delivers, very well. J.J. Abrams with writer Lawrence Kasdan create a very powerful mash-up of the original trilogy, filled with nuances and easter eggs that you really enjoy and reminds you that finally a movie who pays tribute to 3 films that George Lucas made with so much passion.
Star Wars The Force Awakens is a instant classic of the Star Wars universe, but is difficult to surpass the originals, the mission was accomplished. The fans are engage, they are going to make tons of money and they are revamping the story for a new generations. Overall the film is well crafted with the best of the best, but the real anticipation will be Star Wars: Episode VIII directed by Rian Johnson who will make a risky films with a different of point of view…
Finally the dark screen reveals the Lucasfilm, LTD logo, then the most famous title "A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away" then the Star Wars logo and finally a three paragraph prologue which tells you the back story of what about to see. Means a lot because they need to explain 30 years of what happened after the events of the Battle of Endor. It tells you the engine of the whole story, what it’s happening with our heroes and villains and then where are we heading. Pretty simple and straight forward.
What happen later, specifically in the first act of Episode VII is quick and “sort of in your face” the situation develops in a J.J. Abrams pace, which sometimes is not that necessary, we need to slow down a little bit, it’s been 30 years. To me is like you are going to a middle eastern market and you been harassed by street vendors who are trying to sell you something and is very hard to process. you wanted to focus in a single thing and analyze it, but the first half and hour is rather fast.
New audiences are been introduced to 4 main characters, a new generation of actors who have the difficult task to continue the footsteps of Mark Hammill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, the original cast of our beloved Star Wars trilogy.
Rey (Daisy Ridley) a scavenger in a desert planet Jakku, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) a dark warrior commander of the first order, Finn (John Boyega) a redeemed First Order stormtrooper and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) a resistance X wing fighter.
The plot develops quickly and again in your face, there is mission to find Luke Skywalker and of course there is a map hidden in a droid (sound familiar right?), the droid gets lost in the desert and been found by someone who is dreaming of leaving that place ( again, something pretty familiar) and then there is planet converted into a weapon to destroy other planets (please another familiar thing?) To me seems that already know what’s happening and where I’m going, but what makes the film special is you leave behind a that horrendous prequels that everyday you want to forget about the origin of Darth Vader and there is still live for new films. Every new character is a mash up of at least two famous characters Poe Dameron feels like Luke, but also like Han Solo, Ray have similarities of Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke, Finn have similarities from Luke and Han Solo and even Kylo Ren who to me is a Darth Vader wanna be with bad temper, but he also becomes Star Trek’s Khan from J.J. Abrams, a mystery guy that almost everyone knows who he is.
The true genuine character in the movie is called: BB-8 so much life and personality
But, don’t get me wrong, the film delivers, very well. J.J. Abrams with writer Lawrence Kasdan create a very powerful mash-up of the original trilogy, filled with nuances and easter eggs that you really enjoy and reminds you that finally a movie who pays tribute to 3 films that George Lucas made with so much passion.
Star Wars The Force Awakens is a instant classic of the Star Wars universe, but is difficult to surpass the originals, the mission was accomplished. The fans are engage, they are going to make tons of money and they are revamping the story for a new generations. Overall the film is well crafted with the best of the best, but the real anticipation will be Star Wars: Episode VIII directed by Rian Johnson who will make a risky films with a different of point of view…
Thursday, December 10, 2015
A melodic rock band start with a delicious female voice leading to a very energetic guitar unveiling a powerful lyric. You Got The Love by The Retrosettes Sister Band. The song glorify trust, strength and of course the best feeling of all “Love” This is the very beginning of the film “Youth” directed by Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty)
This film follow up another story of a frustrated artist living his septuagenarian life on earth. Fred Ballinger a retired composer who enjoy the success of his work, specially the one that he really hates, “Simple Songs” For every artist their finest work is not the one that was made with love and care, sometimes is the one that appeals the audience. Ballinger is similar to another frustrated artist on film, Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) in the movie Birdman, which is haunted by this demon, success with the less meaningful piece of art.
Sorrentino Italian director winner of the Academy Award for The Great Beauty presents similar characters from his previous work in this movie. Ballinger is a composer and Jep Gambardella is a novel writer. Both of them very successful in their art, are haunted by a woman in their past. But they also have a woman in the present, For Ballinger is his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz) and for Gambardella is his editor Dadina, which constitute their conscience.
The film “Youth” takes place in a very peculiar place, a luxury resort in the Swiss Alps, a home to rejuvenate with hot springs, massage and healthy food. Of course this place is filled with millionaires, aristocrats, artists and celebrities. Ballinger best friend is Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel) who also stayed with him at the resort is a successful filmmaker who is completely attached to his past work as well his main inspiration actress Brenda Morel, another character in the story is Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano) an actor which to me mirrors Ballinger as another frustrated artist who enjoy more artsy work, but is haunted by his lest meaningful role, a robot in a sci-fi
Michael Cain is perfect for the role as well Harvey Keitel, the chemistry between them is pure magic. Dano and Weisz are excellent on screen. Some additional roles Roly Serrano playing the soccer player Maradona, Luna Zimic paying a Young masseuse and Madalina Diana Ghenea as Miss Universe represents those quirk characters that director Paul Sorrentino always like to introduce in his movies.
The director Sorrentino, continues amaze audiences with his style and subtle film making. He presents vignettes with the actors in beautiful locations and sublime stages, but also engage with the audiences with a powerful soundtrack that is not just sound, is a visual definition by bringing the musician who perform on screen with a elegant vision. He follow the roots of Fellini with magical scenes in a very symmetrical way.
“Youth” is a story about love, remembering missing time, mistakes made and the realization that nothing is overrated in this life, is more about what we have and what we can enjoy. Is a philosophical exploration of human beings who attend to place to find the fountain of youth, with just illusions discovering that is a just a place to understand what life is…
This film follow up another story of a frustrated artist living his septuagenarian life on earth. Fred Ballinger a retired composer who enjoy the success of his work, specially the one that he really hates, “Simple Songs” For every artist their finest work is not the one that was made with love and care, sometimes is the one that appeals the audience. Ballinger is similar to another frustrated artist on film, Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) in the movie Birdman, which is haunted by this demon, success with the less meaningful piece of art.
Sorrentino Italian director winner of the Academy Award for The Great Beauty presents similar characters from his previous work in this movie. Ballinger is a composer and Jep Gambardella is a novel writer. Both of them very successful in their art, are haunted by a woman in their past. But they also have a woman in the present, For Ballinger is his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz) and for Gambardella is his editor Dadina, which constitute their conscience.
The film “Youth” takes place in a very peculiar place, a luxury resort in the Swiss Alps, a home to rejuvenate with hot springs, massage and healthy food. Of course this place is filled with millionaires, aristocrats, artists and celebrities. Ballinger best friend is Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel) who also stayed with him at the resort is a successful filmmaker who is completely attached to his past work as well his main inspiration actress Brenda Morel, another character in the story is Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano) an actor which to me mirrors Ballinger as another frustrated artist who enjoy more artsy work, but is haunted by his lest meaningful role, a robot in a sci-fi
Michael Cain is perfect for the role as well Harvey Keitel, the chemistry between them is pure magic. Dano and Weisz are excellent on screen. Some additional roles Roly Serrano playing the soccer player Maradona, Luna Zimic paying a Young masseuse and Madalina Diana Ghenea as Miss Universe represents those quirk characters that director Paul Sorrentino always like to introduce in his movies.
The director Sorrentino, continues amaze audiences with his style and subtle film making. He presents vignettes with the actors in beautiful locations and sublime stages, but also engage with the audiences with a powerful soundtrack that is not just sound, is a visual definition by bringing the musician who perform on screen with a elegant vision. He follow the roots of Fellini with magical scenes in a very symmetrical way.
“Youth” is a story about love, remembering missing time, mistakes made and the realization that nothing is overrated in this life, is more about what we have and what we can enjoy. Is a philosophical exploration of human beings who attend to place to find the fountain of youth, with just illusions discovering that is a just a place to understand what life is…
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