RELEASES! Blue Valentine (2010); Mama (2013) BASIC CLASSICS! Moby Dick (1956); Fastaff (1965)
February 19, 2013At last we can enjoy of one of the gems of the American indie cinema, three years afther its release in the rest of the world! However this opportunity must be seized. As it is said in the Peter Bradshaw’s review of this post “Blue Valentine is certainly a serious, intelligent film which deserves to be considered in the same light as Sam Mendes’s Revolutionary Road”. The other interesting release is Mama, a horror film that has become a success in Spain, in fact, there is a Spanish producer (Guillermo del Toro included). And finally, two absolute basic classics in Filmoteca Española, the particular John Huston’s Moby Dick adaption and Falstaff, one of Orson Wells’ works rolled in our country with several Shakespeare’s theatre plays. We must go to the movies!
RELEASE! BLUE VALENTINE (2010)
This interesting film is released with a considerable delay; it could not be an impediment! An intense romance is waiting for us starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, a couple very well chosen, indeed, Michell was nominated in the Oscars.
Blue Valentine [Blue Valentine, 2010]-Directed by Derek Cianfrance
Screenplay: Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Mikel Vogel, John Doman
Genre: Romance | Drama | Indie Cinema
Nationality: USA
Length: 114 min.
Synopsis: The film centres on a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.IMDb
The Guardian has written: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/13/blue-valentine-review
Theatrical Trailer (VOSE):
RELEASE! MAMA (2013)
If you like horror films it could be the best chose this weekend. A Canadian movie produced by Guillermo del Toro starring the actress on fashion, Jessica Chastain who could win the Oscar in the next ceremony. It is difficult to recognize her because she is blonde and she appears brown in the film. There will be chills.
Mama [Mamá, 2013]-Directed by Andrés Muschietti
Screenplay: Andrés Muschietti, Neil Cross, Barbara Muschietti
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Nicolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nelisse
Genre: Horror | Ghosts
Nationality: Canada
Length: 100 min.
Synopsis: Annabel and Lucas are faced with the challenge of raising his young nieces that were left alone in the forest for 5 years…. but how alone were they?IMDb
Roger Ebert has written: http://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130116/REVIEWS/130119994/1023
Theatrical Trailer (VOSE):
BASIC CLASSICS! MOBY DICK (1956)
John Houston’s film has superb action sequences and some well done work filmed in supporting roles, which helps overcome Gregory Peck as Ahab. The script, one of the sacred works of American literature) was adapted by Ray Bradbury, the great science fiction novelist who is well-know from great classics as Fahrenheit 451 or The Martian Chronicles.
Cine Doré (Filmoteca Española), Santa Isabel 3 [Metro: Antón Martín]
On Saturday, 23th. 17:30 h. Sala 1. VOSE. Price: 2’5 €. (2 € reduced)
Moby Dick [Moby Dick, 1956]-Directed by John Houston
Screenplay: Ray Bradbury, John Houston (Novel by Herman Melville)
Cast: Gregory Peck, Orson Welles, Richard Basehart, Leo Genn
Genre: Adventures | Drama
Nationality: United Kingdom
Length: 116 min.
Synopsis: The sole survivor of a lost whaling ship relates the tale of his captain’s self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale, Moby Dick.IMDb
Popmatters has written: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/131267-moby-dick/
Theatrical Trailer (VO):
BASIC CLASSICS! FALSTAFF (1965)
Shakespeare again. Because he never is old fashioned. The master of cinema Orson Wells come to Spain because he could not make films in Hollywood with absolute freedom. This co-production between Spain and Switzerland is very curious because, in the same film, we can enjoy with a mix of four Shakespeare’s plays: Henry IV, Henry V, Richard II and The merry wives of Windsor. How intense!
Cine Doré (Filmoteca Española), Santa Isabel 3 [Metro: Antón Martín]
On Sunday, 24th. 19:30 h. Sala 1. VOSE. Price: 2’5 €. (2 € reduced)
Falstaff [Campanadas a medianoche, 1965]-Directed by Orson Welles
Screenplay: Orson Welles, Raphael Holinshed (Theatre plays by William Shakespeare)
Cast: Orson Welles, Jeanne Moreau, Fernando Rey, Keith Baxter, John Gielgud
Genre: Drama | Theatre
Nationality: Switzerland-Spain
Length: 115 min.
Synopsis: The career of Shakespeare’s Sir John Falstaff as roistering companion to young Prince Hal, circa 1400-1413.IMDb
The Independent has written: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/orson-welles-rarely-seen-masterpiece-is-restored-and-rereleased-2313302.html
Theatrical Trailer (VO):
Although this Moby Dick version has an impressive cast and crew, I didn’t enjoy it very much. I think it was because it lacked of the opressive atmosphere of the book, the feeling of madness and damnation. And, in my opinion, although Gregory Peck was a great actor and I like it very much, he was awfully miscasted as Captain Ahab. He was not suitable for playing bad guy roles, and his Ahab recalled me strongly Abraham Lincoln. Well, I watched this many years ago, and, perhaps I should revisite it.
I remember that I watched this film when I was a child and I loved it because the white whale was fascinating (for me, as a child that I was). I tried to read the book but It is very marine, with a lot of words of the sea world. This is one of the best novels about the vengance topic: your hate can destroy yourself.
Have you seen Falstaff, Rosa?
No, I feel sorry of saying that I havent. I think I have read the play, but I am not sure.
I recommend everybody to go and see Blue Valentine, before it is out of the screens. When I saw it, It was a very nice surprise, acting is great, and the director suceeds in capturing the oppressing atmosphere of an ailing relationship. By the way, I take this opportunity to also recommend a british film that, as far as I know, has not been referred to in this blog. This is called ‘Weekend’, and deals with the brief encounter of two guys in Nottingham. Somehow the movie reminded me of ‘Before Sunrise’, the classic film by Robert Linklater, in the sense that the film features only two characters who speak about many seemingly plain but actually central topics to everbody’s life.
http://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film300979.html
Cheers!