Saturday, October 31, 2009

liked that Jarmusch's Golden Rule#5


"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to." --Jim Jarmusch
   

meeting with Jim Jarmusch

I've met with Jim Jarmusch through 2 of his movies. First was Coffee and Cigarettes(2003). The other is Dead Man(1995). Both are black and white..both have remarkable cast..
The first one includes: Roberto Benigni, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Cate Blanchett, Alfred Molina, the White Stripes, Bill Murray...
Set is clear: "Coffee and Cigarettes". Jim Jarmusch is asking himself: "What possible are people talking about when they sip their coffees and light their cigarettes?". He has 11 answers..11 stories, in each of which the plot are sitting on a table, talking smoking drinking coffees..Not apart from our daily lives..But Jarmusch tells it in his own words.
My favorite part is "Cousins", with Cate Blanchett. I just loved this part ! watched over and over again. For the first time I admired Blanchett.. No no..more than that. She's the heroine of this independent for me. I've seen her in I'm Not There(in my top 3 movies list) where I didn't like the idea to have an actrice to act as Bob Dylan in one of those six characters..It wasn't necessary really. The movie was so good enough. Above that, I really didn't like Cate there. and I didn't find her successful enough to make people forget about her sexuality but ability. For me, the scenes was shouting "I'm cate, i'm cate..".
Anyway..In Coffee and Cigarettes however, she draws out her acting abilities, she changes shape, flows, twists, shouts !! She acts as both of the cousins who have totally different characters and life experiences. One of them, the actrice herself, Cate, beautiful, chic, elegant meets her cousin Shelly angry, jealous, straightforward, unfortunate. They two meet in a hotel loby and talk for a while while drinking their coffees. Incredible !! Cate Blanchett smokes and talks with her cousin (also Cate Blanchett) for a while, she's a bit nervous, nothing to say to Shelly, sometimes likes to emphasize how a shiny life that she is having..then, has to (!) leave early because of her business. Shelly lits a cigarette after she's gone, here after the waiter comes and tells her it is forbidden to smoke in the lounge =) how funny. c'est la vie. Worth to see it!
At the end of the movie, you don't want anything other than lit a cigarette next to your coffee, as I did :)
Dead Man on the other hand, was so photographic. The part where William Blake (Johnny Depp) was heading in the forest was having so nice shots in the leaveless forest. The movie was having a slow pace and the story is about a nothing-left-to-loose guy finding himself accidently in a murderer story where slayers are trying to 'find him and kill him' to get the money.
Dead Man reminded me Coen Brothers' stories, especially 'No Country For Old Man'. Also, another common point between Coens is Steve Buscemi. I love this actor! He has such an odd, funny-itself appearence. He is again a waiter here =) (well it's a shame that if you check imdb, he is not in the cast, but you'll see him in the 18th minute of the movie) This is the third one that I watched him as a waiter (others were in Pulp Fiction and Coffee and Cigarettes) and in Reservoir Dogs, he wass giving a long speech about waiters =) I'm sure there are more.. Funny guy! seems like things more on role propositons in which he'll act as a waiter.
We should also refer to the musics of this movie, which was recorded by Neil Young with his electric guitar, after the movie has been shot.
Also, we see Alfred Molina in a short part of the movie.
   

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Edward D. Wood, Jr by Tim Burton

I've just seen the 1994 movie of Tim Burton. A biography of the "the worst director of all time" awarded American director Ed Wood. Tim Burton is among the three directors that I want to see all the works of them. (The other two are Tarantino and Coen brothers). Who was this Ed Wood guy? I have never heard this name before and I didn't know that the movie is a biographic one until I finish it. For the first time, I got really bored in a Tim Burton movie. But since he's in my top targets list, I didn't want to cut it. Maybe it was the lacking colors, counter to burton's style, that made it so tiresome.
I haven't seen all the movies of Johnny Depp (even if I'm close to) but I think this one was one of the most challenging ones in terms of creating a biographical character and undersign it. It was like he pushes the scenes and puts a lot effort. I think it wouldn't even be that much less boring without him. I cannot say anything about the similarities of the real life of Ed Wood and Ed Wood in the story of the movie. Cuz i think the biographies that I've read are written after that movie. I think it should be the passion of Ed Wood to seventh art that made Burton interested in this character and maybe the similarity of their lives (both have met with their all time idols that triggered them). And maybe that's why it's one of the most personal movies of Burton in his filmography. Even I cannot say that I particularly enjoyed during the movie, I believe that it's a sensational work for Tim Burton, a greeting to this passionate character Ed Wood; a chance to Johnny Depp to prove himself (by acting in a biographical movie) in the industry of cinema; and a progress of the intimacy of Burton-Depp duo (while I'll still be prefering these fascinating, fabled, vivid world of Burton cinematographie).
   

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

7ème art

I want to talk about cinema now.