ANTICHRIST

In this post- Rio Int'l Film Festival week I went to the cinema with Renato, something that became into a habit in our lives since we were 7 years of age. We saw the newest film by Lars Von Trier ANTICHRIST. Renato had already seen it and had strongly insisted that I also must see the controversal film of the Danish director, founder of the Dogma 95. Like Almodóvar and Tarantino everytime a film by Von Trier comes out I run to the movie theater. This time was not so. ANTICHRIST debuted in Rio in August and only two months after I checked it out. The rush, the stress and tribulations of life not always allow a film screening to be placed in the foreground, even for those whom are on movies. Anyway, I saw the film provided with enough surface information about it and in the nexts 1 hour and 40 minutes I was continuously shocked. While I watched the film I had moments of abyssal disgust , some even to rebel in some scenes and gave serious thought to the possibility to run out to the exit door of the room 2 of Estação Botafogo Theater, what surely would not be the best option. However I got to survive the most difficult moments and, resigned, I experienced the excruciating experience of seeing an artist displaying his particular issue and explicitly shocking. All I saw is still being worked out and computed in my mind and soul, but only now I am able to make some points about that incredible odyssey. Antichrist is not only L ars Von Trier's best film , aesthetically speaking, but a film that drinks a lot in Freud, in a certain Scandinavian mythology and North paganism. Written and filmed at the height of Von Trier's outbreak of depressive, the film shows what the psychic pain is quite striking. Charlotte Gainsbourg forms of the desperation that Von Trier wanted to communicate to the world. Who calls the director of misogynist did not understand that Lars is put a woman on the side of nature (internal and external) that can not be tamed by rationality, represented by man, the psychoanalyst husband in this case. Thus, the Antichrist is the forest, the territory of the fears, the unconscious reservoir of drives not tamed by civilization. We must not forget that the forest also is us, it is out, as a projection of inner fears, and she's in, what can not be named. A true treatise on the horrors and pains of the psyche, in my opinion. In a dialogue between husband psychoanalyst (Willem Dafoe) and his wife writer (Charlotte Gainsbourg), the therapist says the woman who walks with strange dreams. She replies: "The dream no longer of interest to modern psychology. Freud is dead, right?" Maybe that is for most audiences, but certainly not in this film by Lars Von Trier.

La Concejela Antropófoga

Short film La Concejela Antropófoga by Pedro Almodóvar

First post of the year! It's been a long time since I've written something here, but I definitively didn't give up (yet) of this (post?) modern habit, I mean blogging. During the last months I've been working hard, among troubles, delays and (of course) some joy but my mind was somehow aways turned to the subject of what I'm going to write on my blog next. Finally I find some little time and the right inspiration to sit down and share some worthy deluxe garbage with my three readers. But in this case the topic hasn't nothing to do with "garbage". I'm going to talk about a little treasure I've just found today (thanks to João Carvalho, one of my most almodovarians friends in all senses). During a phone call between us I've described my currently state of mind like a laberinto de pasiones (labiryth of passions) in allusion to Pedro Almodóvar's second lenght film. And of course it turned into a very nice conversation about the Spaniard director and his marvelous filmography. Then João told me about a short film produced by El Deseo (Almodóvar's film company) and we exchange some nice Youtube links. I've sent him one of my favorites Laberinto de Pasiones scenes and I was absolutely sure that nothing could overcome the acid humor of those old and anthological scenes back in the 80's (during that great times of the Movida Madrileña). But then I was wrong. When I've checked "La Concejela Antropófoga" (The Cannibalistic Councilwoman) I had to agree with João that our favorite director had overcome even himself. First of all "La Concejela Antropófoga" was made just after Almodóvar finished the last shootings of his forthcoming film Los Abrazos Rotos starred by Penélope Cruz. He had the insight to write a monologue for great spanish actress Carmen Machi who just had a small role in "Abrazos". In the last shooting night Almodóvar took advantage of the set and crew from "Abrazos" to film a short film starred by Carmen Machi (as the same character in " Los Abrazos Rotos") in a totally other history . Genius! Then "La Concejela Antropófoga" was born as a little whim of one of the greatest filmmakers of all times, who signed that little masterpiece with the pseudonym of Mateo Blanco (one of the male characters of "Los Abrazos Rotos"). And as I said before the short is a monologue of a councilor of a right party from Madrid who conducts for a friend (who sleeps almost all the time in her colorful kitchen) a passionate defense of sexual "promiscuity", while eats pudding and smells cocaine. Hilarious! Acid , provocative and perverted humor just like Almodóvar's very beginning. It brings us back to the great times of Pepe, Luci, Bom y Otras Chicas del Montón, Laberinto de Pasiones, ¿ Que He Hecho Yo para Merecer Eso? and Entre Tinieblas. Pure ecstasy for the fans of the old and good Patty Diphusa. After all Carmen Machi deserves a lenght film just made for her.

And here an interview with Pedro Almodóvar for Canal + where he talks about "La Concejela Antropófoga".

A Madonna to call mine: FILTH AND WISDOM

Madonna and her Filth and Wisdom's crew at the film premiere during the last Berlinale

The Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival is gone and me plus hundred of others "hungry" film fans of this town are again back to the normal routine. Among some few surprises of this year's festival I've found Filth and Wisdom an independent film written, directed and produced by... Madonna! Yes, Madonna Ciccone. Of course I firstly thought: " God damn! It might be a flop!". But fortunately I was wrong. I must confess I am a really big Madonna's fan, but her blond ambition can sometimes cause a kind of rejection since people aren't use to face with so much high levels of self-confidence. And obviously it can bothered most of frustrated guys around even whether they secretly liked the film. Madonna is the antipode of frustration. Losers, bitters and frustrated at all should keep distance from her and specially from this film since it must be hard to them to conclude that:

1 . She is highly talented in many ways.
2. She knows how to tell a history.
3. She knows direct actors very well.
4. She made a very good film.
5. She is corageous.
6. The woman is in fact a genius.

I'm not saying 'Filth and Wisdom' is a masterpiece or so. It isn't indeed. But it is a kind of film I would watch over and over again with a little smile in my face. And that's enough for me.



Someone who puts a band like Gogol Bordello in a film knows it all, right?

P.S: If you happen to be in Rio in October don't miss Gogol Bordello's performance at the next Tim Festival!

My new fav cult-movie: SHORTBUS

John Cameron Mitchell's second feature film: Shortbus

I know I am one year later but the point is that only yesterday I went to the movie theater to watch Shortbus. My friend Marcelo told me a lot about this movie and had explained me about the explicit sex scenes on it. Well in fact this is nothing new since Catherine Breillat's Romance came out late in the 90's. Mrs. Breillat put an innocent alike French actress to performer hardcore scenes with pornstar Rocco Siffredi and all I know is that I hated this film from the very beginning til the end when I first saw that. Besides that Lars Von Trier has also put real actors "doing" each other in Dogme 95's film The Idiots . Sounds like if anyone intends to be the newest provocateur filmmaker just need to include some professional actors doing some hardcore sex scenes in front of the camera plus a nonsense storyline, right? No. John Cameron Mitchell went further in Shortbus; he's put some actors together with non professionals new faces , created the most unbelievable and creative sex scenes ever imagined, mixed it all with some great dialogues, lot's of astonish music, a vaudeville atmosphere with lot's of seriously interesting characters, a beautiful photography and a huge and tolerant heart on it. And the explicit sex? I would say they work as (art?) pictures. All in all it is an impressive and amazing picture of an era. I still wonder how could I have missed this little masterpiece for one year...

Pre-Paid Love : Cinderelas, Lobos e Um Principe Encantado

Poster of Joel Zito Araújo's newest documentary

Yesterday I've been at Cine Odeon to watch the first national screening of Joel Zito Araújo's newest documentary "Cinderelas, Lobos e Um Principe Encantado" ("Cinderellas, Wolves, and One Prince Charmed") at Festival do Rio, whose theme is the huge and scary Brazilian sex industry, which also involves pedophilia and traffic of human beings. Joel Zito Araújo is nowadays one of the greatest Brazilian directors and also an amazing thinker. Professor at the Universidade de São Paulo his works aways have got a social and politic glance to controversial subjects, specially those related to racism and poverty. This time hasn't been different. "Cinderelas" is a kind of film which should be watched without prejudice and at same time with distancing. By talking about sex tourism and its exploration such in Brazil (Northeastern cities like Salvador and Recife, two of the biggest nerve centres of sex tourism in Brazil) and as well in Europe (Rome and Berlin), Joel Zito got to get sincere, sad, tragic and funny testimonials such of some lost low class European tourists serching for the perfect "bitch", as well of poor young Brazilian girls trying to find some immediate solution for their own (financial/moral) whole life misery, among others. But he's been crossing borders as well; right there, where some got to get beyond the sunny sex market of Brazilian Northeastern beaches. In Berlin he talked to some "characters" like: couples whom met at such circumstances, a young and pretty lady from Bahia totally disappointed with the lack of "sexual interest" of her husband and a German guy who claims to be a "big fan" of Brazilian women, and whose big apartment is fulfilled with young and "sexy" Brazilian ladies he calls as "friends". "Cinderela" is a very interesting study about sexuality, poverty, degradation, illusions and make us wonder, in many ways, about the difference between interest and necessity. It is also about the (still) very post-colonial view of latin women as a sexual object, who suppost to be aways sexually available in a very cheap way. This very stereotiped view embodies the stigma of the "civilized" and the "savage". Joel Zito's documentary shows us that those roles - "civilized" and "savage" - are in many situations completely and wrongly reversed.

Rio de Janeiro International Filmfestival
"Cinderelas, Lobos & Um Principe Encantado"
Last Screening
Thusday, 30th September
Estação Vivo Gávea (Shopping da Gávea)
1:30 PM - 10:30 PM

Tarantino, Quentin...

Yesterday we went to see Death Proof the newest Tarantino´s film. In the States Death Proof was showed together with Robert Rodriguez´s Planet Terror as a double feature under the name Grinhouse. But outside America it was different and the films came out separated. Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorites directors and I remember well the first time I went to the cinema to see his film: Pulp Fiction. It was 1995 and since then all "hype" directors tryed hard to copy Tarantino´s style: long and insane dialogues, swear words, violence combined with some 70´s retro style and music, quick edition, the non-chronological manner to tell stories and so on. Even though I even heard some radical critics about Tarantino´s style (in Germany...) such as "he is any director indeed since he uses to (re)make and collect in his own way the spirit of old and forgotten cult films." (c´mmon, get a life!) Well Andy Wahrol´s work was all about that with his Pop Art, and nowadays his works are sold over millions in art auctions worldwide. Of course Tarantino can sound somehow repetivive in his own manner to expose his characters on the silver screen. But everytime it´s different. Like in Death Proof, for example. We were expacting a kind of Kill Bill 3 or Pulp Fiction 2. Those films were there indeed through the well known nonsense dialogues, some violent scenes, soul train soundtrack and tarantinoesque characthers. But apart from these similarities Death Proof is unique in its own way; when the film starts it seems the image is of a damaged old film of early 70´s. And untill you get something of the story, the film will be already almost in the middle. But it doesn´t matter because this nonsense is really good, that´s the point. And once you get it you shouldn´t even think to stand and walk to the W.C, even if you´d really need. The film catches you. It´s about a girl power film : deranged stuntman who stalks and murders sexy young women with his "death-proof" car and their revenge against the murder. Death Proof is basicaly a man´s film with its stuntman, fast cars, sexy girls... It is way to be the best of Tarantino, whose my favorites are Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and Kill Bill Vol.1. By the way we had lot´s of fun yesterday specially by watching a team of so diversified beauties knocking down Kurt Russel with the backgroundsound Chick Habit!