464: The First Review is... Hors de Prix (Priceless)!
So, first, I wanted to thank y'all for your kind and helpful comments on last post--not that it's a problem right now to my mind, I've just been feeling a bit manic about it lately, what with all the evil glee...*cackle*
Anywho, I'm thinking about how I will organize everything now that I want to review everything under the sun--Holy Mother, the world is my oyster!! Muhahahahaha!!!!!
Okay, not really; but there IS a lot of ground to cover, but I think the best way to start is with the French films, and whilst I am doing films, I might as well throw in appraisal of venue in there, while I'm at it. So first:
"Hors de Prix (Priceless)" -- at the Crest
I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it this whole past year, but the first floor lounge in Stauffer (Oh Most Popular Freshmen Hangout) always had a bunch of LA Times in it, and I would always read my horoscope and the entertainment reviews, of which one was a glowing rave of this French film (when it came to LA). And as luck would have it, it was opening at the Crest not long after I came home, so me and Cat and some of her girlfriends decided to make a nice little outing of it.
The film is about a professional gold-digger (played by Audrey Tautou, of Amélie fame) who teaches the haplessly broke Jean (Gad Elmaleh) how to play the game, so to speak. (And if you want more summary than that, you can go suck it). This movie is perfect for an afternoon outing with said girlfriends precisely because it is the kind of romantic comedy that Hollywood refuses to make anymore: that is, delightful, clever, and sexy... in its own self-serving, morally ambiguous way.
Of course, the thing about French cinema in general (I've found), is that they may be budget deficient when compared to Hollywood, but they more than make up for it with a ridiculous density of talent. Of course, if you are freaked out by big eyes, you may wanna skip this one, because not only do Tautou's dark pupils seem to be vying for an Emmy and an Oscar each, Elmaleh's baby-blues are nearly as protruberant as the cute little moles on his back.
And of course, getting distracted by our two lovely stars is part of this genre's charm, and the two have that to boot, alone and with each other. But it is surprisingly refereshing that, in a film about gold-digging, the overall mood is not one of cynicism, so much as tongue-in-cheek. In particular, how Tautou and Elmaleh wants to put each other's tongues in each other's cheeks whilst they are forced to do it with their respective sugar-daddy/mommy.
Of course, I may be remembering it a bit wrong; it's been a bit since I've seen the movie, and I can't really be bothering to pontificate on the boundless number of cute little scenes... suffice it to say, if you are looking for a diverting, surprisngly good little film, this one couldn't hurt. I think it would rather be a good choice if you've never seen a French film before, too, which was good, 'cause I think most of the girls I were with hadn't seen such before.
Well, that's as good of a review as I can do of it right now. I think I'll try "My Brother is an Only Child" next; see if I have better luck pontificating on that...
EDIT: Oh, and Elmaleh reminds me of Michael Penn... and I forgot to add a picture:
Anywho, I'm thinking about how I will organize everything now that I want to review everything under the sun--Holy Mother, the world is my oyster!! Muhahahahaha!!!!!
Okay, not really; but there IS a lot of ground to cover, but I think the best way to start is with the French films, and whilst I am doing films, I might as well throw in appraisal of venue in there, while I'm at it. So first:
"Hors de Prix (Priceless)" -- at the Crest
I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it this whole past year, but the first floor lounge in Stauffer (Oh Most Popular Freshmen Hangout) always had a bunch of LA Times in it, and I would always read my horoscope and the entertainment reviews, of which one was a glowing rave of this French film (when it came to LA). And as luck would have it, it was opening at the Crest not long after I came home, so me and Cat and some of her girlfriends decided to make a nice little outing of it.
The film is about a professional gold-digger (played by Audrey Tautou, of Amélie fame) who teaches the haplessly broke Jean (Gad Elmaleh) how to play the game, so to speak. (And if you want more summary than that, you can go suck it). This movie is perfect for an afternoon outing with said girlfriends precisely because it is the kind of romantic comedy that Hollywood refuses to make anymore: that is, delightful, clever, and sexy... in its own self-serving, morally ambiguous way.
Of course, the thing about French cinema in general (I've found), is that they may be budget deficient when compared to Hollywood, but they more than make up for it with a ridiculous density of talent. Of course, if you are freaked out by big eyes, you may wanna skip this one, because not only do Tautou's dark pupils seem to be vying for an Emmy and an Oscar each, Elmaleh's baby-blues are nearly as protruberant as the cute little moles on his back.
And of course, getting distracted by our two lovely stars is part of this genre's charm, and the two have that to boot, alone and with each other. But it is surprisingly refereshing that, in a film about gold-digging, the overall mood is not one of cynicism, so much as tongue-in-cheek. In particular, how Tautou and Elmaleh wants to put each other's tongues in each other's cheeks whilst they are forced to do it with their respective sugar-daddy/mommy.
Of course, I may be remembering it a bit wrong; it's been a bit since I've seen the movie, and I can't really be bothering to pontificate on the boundless number of cute little scenes... suffice it to say, if you are looking for a diverting, surprisngly good little film, this one couldn't hurt. I think it would rather be a good choice if you've never seen a French film before, too, which was good, 'cause I think most of the girls I were with hadn't seen such before.
Well, that's as good of a review as I can do of it right now. I think I'll try "My Brother is an Only Child" next; see if I have better luck pontificating on that...
EDIT: Oh, and Elmaleh reminds me of Michael Penn... and I forgot to add a picture: