My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Directed by SIMON CURTIS

Starring EDDIE REDMAYNE, MICHELLE WILLIAMS and KENNETH BRANAGH

Back in the 50s, young Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) got a job working on the set of none other than Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). The movie was The Prince and the Showgirl, and Olivier co-starred with the already legendary Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). My Week with Marilyn is based on two novels by Clark himself, telling the story of the well known tension between the leads, while focusing on the allegedly true events that took place on the week Clark was assigned to escort Monroe. 

It is a given truth that every time a legend dyes, hundreds rise with stories of intimate encounters, or claiming to have known an unseen side of them. Wether Clark's story is entirely real or not, no one can truly tell, but one thing is certain: My Week with Marilyn does nothing do add some credibility to it. 

With whimsical shots in dreamlike slow-motion, it looks more like Colin's secret fantasy rather than an intimate portrayal of what he saw during those seven days. And there's just nothing interesting about a walkthrough of someone else's dream. Such an unpersuasive script and disappointing direction could only be saved the actor's work. Redmayne is quite believable as Clark, playing the nervous newbie/creepy fan perfectly well; Branagh brings some spark to the film's initial dullness, capturing Olivier's mannerisms in a believable portrayal, despite not resembling him all that much; and Williams does her best to give Marilyn some humanity, diving into the actress's mental fragility with the immense talent she had already proven to have, and avoiding clichés when it comes her gestures, even though the make-believe atmosphere keeps holding the candidness back. Judi Dench brings her usual majestic magnetism, while I'm not entirely sure why Emma Watson was there, since they did nothing with her character. 

But the real surprise to me was Dougray Scott as Arthur Miller: not only was he splendidly styled to look as Miller, but also his performance proved to be incredibly striking from the moment he first appears. Though granted very few scenes, I found his fleeting portrayal of Miller to be quite mesmerising, once all it took was someone to mention his name to instantly bringing back the haunting images of Scott/Miller arriving at the airport with Marilyn, or starring from the top of the stairs at her. 

By far, the most interesting aspect of My Week with Marilyn was the explosive dynamic between Oliver and Monroe, but unfortunately, it is Colin and his fairytale who take center stage. The truth is, you won't learn anything new. 

TRAILER | IMDb

Zou Bisou: Paul Newman

PAUL LEONARD NEWMAN

January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008

There is a point where feelings go beyond words. I have lost a real friend. My life—and this country—is better for his being in it. Robert Redford

The history of movies without Paul Newman? It's unthinkable. His presence, his beauty, his physical eloquence, the emotional complexity he could conjure up and transmit though his acting in so many movies—where would we be without him? Martin Scorsese

I was blessed to have known him. The world is better because of him. Sometimes God makes perfect people and Paul Newman was one of them. Sally Field

Paul Newman played many unforgettable roles. But the ones for which he was proudest never had top billing on the marquee. Devoted husband. Loving father. Adoring grandfather. Dedicated philanthropist...Always and to the end, Dad was incredibly grateful for his good fortune. In his own words: 'It’s been a privilege to be here.' Newman's three daughters

For a long time Paul Newman was my favorite actor. Today he still remains a damn good reason to watch a film. And now that I've watched enough of them, here are my favorites: 

Zou Bisou: Cary Grant, Royal Edition!

109 years (and two days) ago Archibald Leach was born. 

Thank god he changed that godawful name to Cary Grant. 

Howard Hawks returns to the screwball comedy genre in the 50s with Monkey Business, where Cary Grant plays a chemist who is working on a formula that makes you young again. Ginger Rogers plays his wife, and Marilyn Monroe interprets a young secretary who develops a crush for Dr. Barnaby. Grant's character is an introvert, absentminded scientist for half the film, and a silly teenager in the body of a grown man during the other half. What to love: his facial expressions when other characters are speaking; his early scenes with Rogers; that terrible haircut.

Naomi Watts for Vogue Feb 2013

Vogue Australia features a stunning cover shoot and an interesting spread on Naomi Watts in its February issue. British born actress Naomi Watts had her breakout role in David Lynch's acclaimed Mulholland Dr. Since then she has faced our worst fears in The Ring, dazzled critics with her outstanding performance in 21 Grams - for which she earned an oscar nomination - and starred in Peter Jackson's King Kong. In 2007 she worked with german director Michael Haneke in the american remake of his own thriller, Funny Games, delivering yet another noteworthy performance. Expectations are high for what she'll accomplish as Princess Diana. 

NAOMI WATTS - BEHING THE SCENES

photographed by Will Davidson 

styled by Stevie Dance 

hair by Oscar Blandi

make-up by Mary Wiles 

manicure by Bernadette Thompson

Zou Bisou: Faye Dunaway

(b. January 14, 1941)

IMDb

Jane Eyre (2011)

Directed by CARY FUKUNAGA

Starring MIA WASIKOWSKA and MICHAEL FASSBENDER

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS

What’s your tale of woe?, Mr. Rochester inquires; for every governess has one, and Jane, being his ward's, should be no exception. If at first Jane replies that she doesn’t have a tale of woe, she soon contradicts herself by telling it: after her parents’s death, she was at the care of her aunt, Mrs. Reed, who at first chance sent Jane away to Lowood - a charity school where she would receive the most thorough education. 

Interestingly enough, it is not with this tale of woe that Jane Eyre begins: as the first scene unfolds we witness a wandering and desperate Jane accompanied by a violin’s piercing cry - its melody a wonder of Dario Marianelli’s creativity and exquisite taste. She’s carried into a warm house by the shadow of a man, where she mumbles and lies between the torments of her recent pain and memories. Only now we are taken back to her time as a child and young adult, through flashbacks that occur during most of the film.

This deliberate chronological alteration of the story's order is both refreshing and cinematically useful. In fact, refreshing may very well be the keyword to Cary Fukunaga’s take on Charlotte Brontë’s most beloved novel: despite the countless who ventured in adaptations of Jane Eyre before, this young director with solely two feature-length films (Sin Nombre and Jane Eyre) has a distinctive and astute vision that earns a notable place amongst its predecessors. Fully capturing the atmosphere of this XIX century gothic novel, Fukunaga mixes the classic elements of horror and romance, which in Jane Eyre read like wicked mystery and disarming passion, giving to both equal value, and harmonising the two as naturally and enticingly as the original novel does. 

My Movie Alphabet

A couple of months ago Mettel created an exquisite blogathon entitled My Movie Alphabet. My participation is a little late, but still this is too good an event not to be part of. I suppose "movies" means anything cinema related --- still, I'll break that rule twice, and choose something TV related. Without these two treasures, this alphabet would not be mine. Be sure to check out her entry as well as the ones of fellow bloggers. I get tired towards the end, so there will be a couple of one-liners. Have fun, after the break!

Looking back: 2012

It wasn't the most active year around here, with a scarce 58 posts in total, but still there are a couple of posts that were a lot of fun to make, while others I can honestly say that I'm proud of. 

January was a time for planning and scheming, working on the blog look, celebrating birthdays, remembering those who left us, and sharing a hot photo-shoot of the Man of the Year (in my mind, at least), Michael Fassbender - a post where I wrote next to nothing, yet the one with the most views, of all time. I wonder why.  

Then came February, where I gifed the hell out of James Dean, and when I wrote the most love fuelled post on this blog, the Valentine's Day Movie Meme - it was one the best blogathons going around last year, and it gave me great pleasure making. 

Still in the month of passion, a new love was born with Bringing Up Baby (1938).It was my first screwball comedy, and it left me dazzled with its fast-paced dialogue and irreverent characters. It was also the first time I laid eyes on a great actress and woman, Katharine Hepburn, and the first time I saw Cary Grant play a complete fool. I believe this was when Film Flare went Classic.

In early April I wrote Boardwalk Empire: What About Jimmy? is one of the posts I'm most proud of this year. I never thought I could right this much about a tv show character, but then again this was an exceptional one. Still that month, the Fandango Groovers blogathon My Movie Year was a very interesting exercise. 

May was the month I had to disagree with everyone so, naturally, I loved Dark Shadows. A little latter, in a hot summer night, inspiration stroke and I came up with The Tree of Life - the longest review I've written, the one that was harder to write, and the most rewarding one. 

July ended with The Great Recasting, a blogathon where I got to imagine Cary Grant in a role he never played. Having more time in August due to summer break, I made a list of my favorite Hitchcock films, and got a chance to do some fun graphics to go with it, and so the Five Hitchcock Masterpieces post was published. 

The start of another college year means chaos, so to take a break from all those dusty books I composed one the most complex birthday graphics I've done so far, Bacall 88. I also started a new blog feature, Film Aesthetics, which began with the dead gorgeous Jane Eyre. In October I saw Lynch's first feature film, the haunting Eraserhead. November was nonexistent around here, but December was graced with Jude Law in a vespa, and whole new blog look! 

Thank you to all of you who keep reading and commenting around here, I wish you all the best for 2013!

Awards and Nominations!

2012 ended with a couple of awards coming my way, and it seems like 2013 is keeping up with the good news! Here's what some fellow bloggers have so kindly given me:

Paula, who runs The Culture Enthusiast, has awarded me with the One Lovely Blog award. She writes about good movies, beautiful art, and great books, and keeps her website looking pretty neat. 

Sofia, author of Lovalafashion, has passed a new, awesome-looking version of the well known Liebster Award to me. She blogs about fashion with a particular emphasis on DIY posts, and always working on a new project. Plus, she has the cutest blog! 

Mette, from Lime Reviews and Strawberry Confessions, gave me The Versatile Blogger Award. Mette is a wonderful blogger and a lover of Bollywood, who writes honest, laid-back posts filled with humour and warmth. It's always a pleasure to read her thoughts. 

Lastly, The Cinematic Katzenjammer is hosting the new and exciting Golden Katz Awards, where I've received a nomination for Best Classic Film Coverage. It's funny to be nominated in this category - indeed Film Flare has become more a classic film blog than anything else, but it was never a conscient decision. It just sort of happened. Now, Classic Hollywood is a huge part of my cinematic world, even of myself. And I'm so glad for it. 

The Cinematic Katzenjammer is a great film site that is betting on a more professional approach to blogging, growing bigger and better with each new post and team member. A must follow without a doubt. 

Make sure you pick your favorites for the Golden Katz Awards, until Sunday, January 6th!