The Young Visiters

Click on title above for particulars about this movie.

This felt like a strange movie to me. It wasn't bad, but I'm stumped what to say good about it. But being a highly wordy person, I will try.

To start, it's not like any other movie I've seen (I skipped the Johnny Depp version of Alice in Wonderland as too bizarre for me. And too animated.) Visiters was remotely similar, I suppose, but not intended as bizarre. More in the cute category.

Jim Broadbent pays the main character and since he is in every other British movie he's evidently a big star. It also stars Hugh Laurie (of House fame), Lyndsey Marshal who's fabulous, and Bill Nighy who is also magnificent as a character actor--I hardly recognized him, though I did in the Pirates movies (joking,of course.)

It's refreshing to see films starring normal-looking people instead of beautiful-eyed, glistening-toothed, muscular hero-actors young enough to be my grandsons. (Except Miss Marshal who's pretty and by no means too old to be my granddaughter. And her costumes and acting weren't bad either.)

I saw Broadbent recently as title character in Longford. Everyone was good and he was exceptionally good. He probably won some sort of award for it.

Visiters was based on a book written by 9-year old Daisy Ashford. It has all the qualities of romance and royalty (characters, settings and costumes) as understood by a nine-year old.

This circumstance creates a strange humor--maybe not laugh-out-loud funny, but witty humor with a large dose of silliness we have come to know and love (?) in British movies (think of Hyacinth Bucket for example.)

If you want a break from inane American TV sitcoms, computer-graphics or severely obscure feature length films, rent Visiters. It's not exactly The Tudors, but very British and refreshingly different than the usual fare dished up to American viewers--meaning viewers who still possess a sense of humor not the comatose ones who can stick to their reruns of WWF SmackDown and My Name is Earl.

PS: I didn't misspell Visiters. It was Daisy's way. In addition, it's not a kid-movie. It's a look at the world through the eyes of a child and would be baffling to a child that already sees the world like that.

SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE

Click title above for a list of awards and wins for this movie and cast.

Beaucoup beaucoup awards. That's French for "mucho" or "a lot" in English.

I don't know how I missed seeing this movie up until now. It hit the theaters January 1, 2001.

It's a good movie. Everyone was great. John Malkovich has a little trouble with accents but it was easy to overlook them.

Willem Dafoe was unbelievably good considering most people haven't got a clue who he is. His costume and make-up were so well done no one would recognize him anyway.

I don't know why Dafoe was nominated and won Academy award for that. He clearly stole the show. (Maybe Malkovich's agent was better at contracts.)

The movie was clearly a fantasy and in no way "horror" genre. It wasn't exactly a drama either.

In fact, it probably doesn't fit any category other than weird. It stands alone. This is true, take my word for it.

There are some funny elements undoubtedly designed to make fun of the original movie: A German silent film in 1922 called Nosferatu-Eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu-a Symphony of Horror). It was the movie that this movie was about filming it. Or however you say that. (English teacher please forgive me. I really WAS listening.)

See it for yourself. I can't figure out what else to say about it other than I liked it.

La Vie en Rose

I haven't been writing about movies lately. Frankly I finally feel recovered from my recent illness, spine and heart surgeries and bad bouts of depression (not to mention dealing with grief over the death of my husband of 20+ years.) All occurring all in the space of the last 3 years. Whew.

Since I am recovered (except for occasional pain in my hip and walking with a cane) I feel restored to nearly full mobility (and learning to carry things with one hand--quite a challenge).

Being well again means I've been busy!

Since I'm busier and more active I just haven't taken the time to write/blog. When I'm not spending time with friends (usually eating out), I study, knit, cook, spend time with my dog (who seems just as peppy in the morning as I do and just as creaky and stiff in the evening), I also squeeze in time to read mysteries and watch movies.

I've been watching my way through Masterpiece PBS series--Marple, Poirot, Inspector Lynley. (Anxious for second season of Sherlock.)
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Last night I watched the DVD of La Vie en Rose. I started it rather late and it wasn't over until midnight, but I didn't miss one second of it. (And of course I read it since it was in French with English subtitles.)

The fact that it was in French with subtitles faded from my awareness as I fell deeper and deeper into the story and the movie. It was one of those movies where I suspend reality and am unaware of my surroundings and myself.

What can I say about this movie that has not already been said? It won numerous awards the world over especially for the lead Marion Cotillard. *See below. (She has most recently appeared in Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio.)

It was ... I don't know. It's beyond description. A ton of praise cannot be adequate.

It was BEAUTIFUL. At the end I felt awe and thankfulness that I was able to experience it.

Edith Piaf's life was full of difficulties and heart breaking events but done in such a way as to inspire endearment and gratitude for ones own life. You'll want to turn your life into a song.

I recommend this movie to everyone over the age of 12 and under the age of 110.

Even if you know the life story of Edith Piaf and the entire plot of the movie in advance, it is still a GOOD GOOD movie.

The songs were fabulous. I can see why Piaf's singing was so beloved. She must have held audiences enthralled. The singing, though not in Piaf's voice, was wonderfully done.

The acting was beyond good especially for the lead Marion Cotillard. I could not tear my eyes away from her while she was "singing." It was exceptionally amazing.

This movie will never fade away. It'll be a classic.

Please do watch it. Watch it. Watch it. Watch it.

P.S. I'm not sure if I saw whatever they call "Extended Version" or not. But it's good no matter what, if nothing more than the songs and performance of Cotillard.

*Marion Cotillard won seven Best Actress Awards for her portrayal of Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose:
The Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
The Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Motion Picture (musical or comedy)
The Prix Lumière for Best Actress
The Golden Space Needle Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2007 Seattle International Film Festival
The BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
The César Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
The Czech Lion Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
info from Wikipedia

La Vie en Rose (2007)
The life story of singer Édith Piaf.
Director: Olivier Dahan, Writers: Olivier Dahan, Isabelle Sobelman
Stars: Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud and Pascal Greggory