Change Your Image
laska_himself
Reviews
Nine (2009)
Nein nein nein!
Nein nein nein! You do not remake Fellini, 8 and a half in particular, no matter in what convention, no matter who stands behind/before camera. Period. Guido 2009 AD (Daniel Day-Lewis) is deprived of authenticity and grace, the movie itself - of magic and ambiguity. Fergie, who plays Saraghina (sic!), is the only one who successfully managed to meet vocal requirements of a musical (that the whole sequence looks as it was taken right from Pussycat Dolls video is another thing). Regarding other characters: every one of them loses to their original from the start (see first sentence): Luisa of Marion Cotillard (most autonomic and best role) with Luisa of Anouk Aimée, Carla by Penélope Cruz with Carla by Sandra Milo, Nicole Kidman's Claudia - with Claudia Cardinale. Agents of aforesaid actresses (and one actor, for that matter) should have known better, unfortunately they haven't. Besides, what looks good on the desks of Broadway scene (remember it's more an adaptation of the play from 1982 than the film masterpiece from 1963... So a remake of a remake), does not have to equally glamorously present itself in cinematic frame. However, Rob Marshall once have succeeded with such stunt (see Chicago). Sorry to write it but it's not even pop, it's poop. Quoting The Man Called Brain: "because of this film Italians should declare war to America. And win". Si, si, signore...
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (1988)
Excellent stuff
Clint Eastwood presents: a documentary about jazz genius. Thelonius Monk is portrayed as an artist both blessed and cursed just by his genius. Apart from typical format of 'talking heads' of the genre master (John Coltrane), collaborators, figures from music business and Thelonius, Jr., there is shown small but intense piece of the musician's life: in the studio, on the road, during live concerts. And a note about unusual, long-lasting friendship between Thelonius and Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter. The makers were able to grasp tension coming from creative process (songs being written on the run, then played in front of huge audience without proper rehearsal), routine of life on tour with ever-tendering wife Nellie by his side, biased or just silly questions from journalists, more or less visible symptoms of mental illness (which might have been confused with artist's mannerisms, stage antics or eccentricities at most). And trademark exotic hats (could anyone else in the 20th century look cool in that historic Polish head thingy?). Another memorable thing is Monk's diction and his simple, street-like way of talking, being in contradiction with the kind of a man he was (supposedly extremely complex one) and with undeniably sophisticated music he composed and performed. Luckily, there is plenty here of the latter. Chamber, suggestive film in black and white about an extraordinary man. And a must not just for "jazz purists" but music lovers in general.