Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)

It was a hot sunny day and lazy day a dark, cold, quaint cinema seemed like a good way to use up my Sunday.

I didn't even feel that the movie is one of my must haves.

I just felt like hearing french.

The european quirkiness was apparent so that was one part of the movie that i appreciated. The comedic-schizo, childhood fantasy (see that pix of the long nose, big eared guy?) blended well with the plotless movie. For some reason I kept trying to compare Gainsbourg to Nine (for which I wouldn't have bothered if Cotillard wasn't in it!) and I guess the only mild similarity is the guy gets lots of girls.

Because I had no high expectations, I just allowed the dull biography lead me on from one minute to the next. I mean, it's not an interesting story.. but made interesting (slightly) by the imaginary long nose, edward scissorhand fingers, gigantic ears freak who seemed like his lifelong comrade. The songs were ok, not overly dramatic. The promiscuity and the affairs are typical french. And like a lot of french movies, you shouldn't try to make sense of it. Just let the artwork and direction take you on an aimless journey with no destination.

I thought his real name Lucien sounded more classy than Serge.

And I just realised Charlotte Gainsbourg is his daughter. She's yuck.

I will not recommend it if you paid full price and are in a mood for a pow wow movie like The Matrix or Fight Club.

Unless you have a craving for light, un-overpowering, pointless french entertainment then Gainsbourg may tick some boxes.

New York: I don't love you

what is it with the yanks and the obsession with foreign film remakes?

laziness. that's all I can think of.

lazy production. lazy arses. easy lazy money.

because this movie starts off with zero originality, I struggle to appreciate the themes, the inter connection and how it all blends together because of the american factor. Everything feels stolen and unbelonged. It's a very packed ensemble but the mild suttle undramatic anthology did not spoil the soup, so that's the only plus I can reluctantly blog about. Is this better than a Katherine Heigl type rom-com? Maybe. Is this something I'd pay to watch in the cinema? Nah-uh.

I don't even like Maggie Q or Shu Qi. I'm glad one of them was a hooker. But the manny did a contemporary dance that was tres bien.

I don't understand why Yvan Attal succumbed to the american temptation.

So now I have this urge to watch le originale and wash away the american toxin from my system. Paris Je T'aime, j'arrive!!

Position moi c'est neutral. Hate not, love not. If you are a fan of the Big Apple or interested in the yanks attempt to do their version of frenchy, rent the dvd.

I did it again (The Social Network)

not enough
had to have more.

... and more was good.

So why did I need round two.

In the first sitting my brain didn't work through Eisenberg's lightning speed vocal execution so I'm glad that I could get more out of this time around. How I was slow to register the hoodie f*ck me flip-flops part, the fish metaphor and the China talk. I still missed bits
about China and though that was such a brilliant opener.. i could live without fully comprehending it.

and perhaps on a more personal note, I wanted to observe how Mark Zuckerberg wittingly disgraced the people who vilified and mocked him.. and how they ended up being the sad clowns instead. Actually I wanted to intravenously feed all of Zuckerberg's lines into my system. Can I be that verbally astute one day?! It definitely takes a person like Jesse Eisenberg to pull that off with class and intimidation.

Congratulations TSN, the only movie I've watched twice in the cinema was Speed. It is an honour to crown The Social Network second place on my Reel of Fame.

ok folks, I'll make sure I watch a new movie the next week. happy reeling!

Lets Begin: The Social Network (October, 2010)

2 months to the next decade.

I've waited long enough this year for the birth of a great movie.

I am not a facebook junkie.
I hated how political, infringing and intrusive it can become.
I hate how people start collecting friends as a symbol of supreme recognition.


So why did I give a damn for a movie like The Social Network?

Well.
What's great:
Damn David Fincher for keeping the film dark, interwoven and slick. You're a genious for making a dialogue driven movie soo engaging.
Damn Aaron Sorchin for those scripts. Brilliant is an understatement. (damn my vocab!)
Damn Eisenberg for being the geek meets John Nash Gen Y genius behaving socially inept introvert who doesn't give a shit about anything other than facebook domination ... (exhales breathlessly~~) .. top grade performance

What's un-great:
Damn Andrew Garfield for not using his hot charming brit accent. okay okay!! he sounds great for an American.. still... (off tangent from the subject matter, but you are much hotter than Rob Pat)
Damn JT for ... grrr.. I don't know.. being so JT like. prickish and slappable.

I should elaborate more.

The Social Network would have done well without the element of facebook. The movie was intended to be fictional anyway, as there wasn't a responsibility to have an accurate representation of the real people in terms of having to feature what really happened because no one would truthfully know what really happened. I do however appreciate that the actors had a huge artistic commitment to perfect their roles which they did so well under the guidance of David Fincher. Yes, of course, the facebook factor was imperative to the success of the movie especially when the networking tool is so widely used among all generations and how easy it was to relate and identify with this cyber drug. This breeding global internet phenomenon makes it a magnet for the wondering minds who are intrigued by the founders of facebook so please just let The Social Network wow you on a journey that is absolutely mind blowing!

Jesse Eisenberg's performance was exceptional. Dude, where have you been all this while? I loved how you nailed the interpersonal characteristics of an aloof, morally defective whiz kid. You managed to breathe some life into the role with your display of vulnerability when Erika gave the emotional and verbal slaps. I loved that obnoxious looks you gave along with the countless streaks of intelligent insults for the big guns at Harvard and the twins. How unperturbed and distant you looked during the legal proceeding scenes. How ungrateful you made the character become and how friendship and loyalty is nothing but a hitchhike from one destination to the next. How you managed to not make me, as a viewer, despise you is beyond belief. There was so much to hate about yet you proved to be unhateable.

And Sorkin.. I loved the last part. "You are not an asshole, Mark. You just try so hard to be"

Conclusion
I was on such a high during the weekend and I think I still am. Went home and started researching all the characters and the actors' upcoming movies (except JT's). You name it, I did it: google, youtube, wiki, the lot. I was so intrigued by Zuckerberg, Eisenberg and Garfield. I am determined to watch this movie over and over again. At least 3x.

My opinions on facebook remain unchanged and I don't think movie was intended to alter my perception.

But geez. I cannot express how profoundly grateful I am to be a witness of an exceptional work of art.

My 2010 is now complete.