Saturday, January 28, 2012

(Part II) SURREALISM in Cine-ma: A Twist on Allen's 'Midnight In Paris'

Part II

      It's no coincidence that Gil happens to be an aspiring writer whose novel about a nostalgia shop eventually ends up in the hands of Gertrude Stein for publishing.  Gil is a darling, what I cannot quite figure out is why Woody Allen chose a fiance and her rich parents as his traveling companions.


       Personally, I believe Woody Allen hand picked these individuals for Two reasons:  
One, it is not uncommon to meet people in Europe, especially those who are au couture and wealthy, and sometimes wear white gloves to dinner,
and speak a Mediterranean Language, 
with this type of mentality; 
Although the cast are Americans, they possess this snobbish persona which makes it a CULTURE....... 

Two, if you think about it, Allen's approach had to be believable, right?  In order to 
do so Woody Allen had to create an illusion of 
Why wouldn't Gil (the main character) leave 
these People (the rich who are always insulting him) behind.....  
for his true dream to come true! That being, Stardom....

Add caption
This photograph of a model walking down a runway is what I mean by au couture; its a fashion statement....... I learned this when I attended FIT's Saturday Live Program in New York City as a fashion design student

Copy rights of this image belong to:

To conclude, I must ask that YOU please forgive me for not mentioning the beautiful Rachel McAdams, who also played the heroine role in 'The Notebook,' which is one of my favorite movies of today.  She was less than desirable to me in this movie but, remember, it was the character she played and quite convincing might I add.

Have a blessed weekend!

Mrs. Sharon Maria Nicole Perrotta-Thourot


 The Old Testament--
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)




Thursday, January 26, 2012

(Part I) SURREALISM in Cine-ma: A Twist on Allen's 'Midnight In Paris'

I saw the movie and I read the reviews.  So what's it gonna be?  The roaring twenties, the 1890's or The Renaissance Era?  If you found yourself traveling through Europe somewhere around the turn of the century, in Paris--the most exquisite city in the world--What would be your 'Golden Era' if you had the opportunity to meet the world's most famous ARTISTS and WRITERS alike? 


       Go ahead!  Take a moment to close your eyes and picture yourself walking through a set of GOLDEN doors. What would be your ideal golden age on the opposite side of these doors?  

I somehow want to believe that the  Renaissance age is almost fairy-tale in that it was almost to good to be true; When I think of Michelangelo, Leonardo DaVinci, or even meeting Shakespeare, it doesn't seem possible.  The perfection and precision of their artwork and their sculptures would never again be repeated throughout history.  I view these artists as archangels, as they are an extension of the Roman Catholic Church known as the Vatican.  

    Owen Wilson, Woody Allen's protagonist, plays Gil; a young man whose 'Golden Age' is without a doubt the roaring 20's.  I would have to say this would be mine as well.  Picasso,  Salvidor Dali, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway (my favorite male role in this movie and the author of 'Old Man And The Sea'), Zelda & Scott Fitzgerald, and lets  not forget the fascinating

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) The worlds most talented artist and idol to yours truly .....................Pablo Picasso...... 

http://www.lautrec.info/

Well, in this film...... 'YOU GET IT ALL!'  Woody Allen didn't skip a beat...  I loved it!  It didn't leave my living room screen for a 12 hour period.................

       The sweet and charming Gil was a hit as he played none other than Woody Allen himself, a common characteristic by this director.  Gil was absolutely intriguing as he entered the world of the roaring 20's; not to mention his falling in love time and time again.  
       
       Marion Cottilard, played the role of Adriana, who, might I add, was Picasso's Mistress.  She, in fact, played the role of my favorite female character.  

       As it turns out, Gil is adorned by her beauty and falls head over heals in love with her!  At the same time, Picasso is reeking with jealousy as though its not bad enough that Ernest Hemingway, Picasso's Protagonist, is in love with Adriana as well................
to be continued........

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

'The Final Chapter on The Pelican Brief!'

Wow!  What a story!!  I nearly died from the anticipation and talk about keeping a reader in suspense!  Here's what it boils down to --  The author, John Grishner, was a law student who decided to pursue a career writing novels that are based on true stories....

The Pelican Brief written by Grishner in 1992 involves a government scandal where "insiders" confiscated over $50,000,000 for a Presidential campaign that would lead to a crime of greed (the drilling of oil in a marshland where Pelicans are becoming endangered).  In the end, Investigative reporter Gray Grantham follows a trail leading him to the criminals (a group of lawyers) that perpetrated this act then went ahead and murdered anyone that could stand in their way or potentially expose them!

The lovely Darby Shaw (a law student) 'fleshes out her beliefs in a meticulous though wildly speculative brief that builds a strong case against a most unlikely suspect.' As it turns out, her instincts were dead on! After the brief is read by an accomplice, the suspects begin to cringe.... and this is where the chase begins!

In the end, Darby's counterpart figures it all out.....  The horror of it all is when they (the 5 remaining lawyers) begin to realize how this will affect their families; their children and their spouses.  One of them commits suicide while the others simply flee and start their lives over as aliases.

Quite frankly, I can't wait to see the film, Julia Roberts and Denzel Washingtons' performances are  paramount as they play the roles of Darby Shaw and Investigative Reporter Gray Grantham!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pelican_Brief

New Testament: Whoever loves money never has money.  Ecclesiastes 5: 10 ......No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 7: 24