Did you ever look somebody you killed in the eye? I always do.
First off, you Browncoats, here's an excellent interview of Joss about Serenity. Where he actually says, not so much a prequel as: flashbacks! A sequel with flashbacks. And makes a very good point about why he'd go for that. And I fully support it. And I want my Big Damn Sequel damnit!
Then. Joey and I have watched Bright Young Things. By Stephen Fry, who gets so much love. And the cast is just full of amazing actors. Here are a few names. James McAvoy. Who is utterly too cute as ever and oh I want to cuddle him. David Tennant. Who looks horrible with a moustache, but still has that particular voice and delivery of his. Michael "Lucian-in-Underworld" Sheen. Who plays a flaming queen, and I'm even more in awe of his acting skills than I used to be. Stephen Campbell Moore. Who seems to have done not much of anything else, but is extremely pretty and has something of Paul in his delivery and accent. Peter O'Toole. As good as ever. Alec "Drogyn-in-AtS" Newman. Who looks better with long hair, but still has that accent of his. And so many more: Bill Patterson, Imelda Stauton, Emily Mortimer, Simon Callow, Dan Akroyd, Stockard Channing... And this all in an area of 30s debauchery. It makes for a lovely watch.
I went and saw Romanzo Criminale this afternoon, which was actually rather good! Not a masterpiece or anything, but some of those characters were fascinating. Plus, there was a lot of pretty, and lots of Italian. But really, those characters. Patrizia, a proud prostitute with her own sense of values, ready to make so many sacrifices, absolutely fascinating. Commissario Scialoia, the only righteous character in the whole film, who does end up choosing inaction for selfish reasons, and it's all about a woman. Even beautiful Roberta, in all her simple beauty, somehow commands attention.
And Il Nero. Oh, Il Nero. Reminiscent of Cillian Murphy, somehow. Such an angel-faced killer, so cold inside, but also so reliable, in his own odd way. Those eyes of his. The way he moves. His lines. His lines are some of the best in this movie. Rivetting.
But, mostly, this film was about three (four?) men. Il Freddo, Il Libanese, and Dandi. Il Freddo, who vaguely calls Jason Behr to mind, and is an incredibly powerful and endearing character, perhaps the one we feel the closest to, we empathise with most. That clear gaze of his, and his joy and silliness with Roberta, how completely he feels for her, his love for Il Libanese, and how much he sacrifices to live again, with her, for a little while.
Il Libanese, a tragic figure, like all of these emperors he admired, that Il Freddo was so disapproving of, and Il Libanese was just one of those, except Freddo loved him. There's something so fascinating in their friendship, how it turns from love to jealousy, how intently it burns, even stronger in death.
And Dandi. Oh, Dandi. Perhaps the most flawed of them three. Il Freddo is a good man, in the end. Il Libanese a tragic figure, and in this sense noble. Dandi is little, Dandi is low, and small, and very human. They're always looking after him, and he only ever looks after himself. And yet he's not as much of an idiot as everybody thinks he is, and in that is his redemption, in my eyes.
And the memory of Andreas that pervades their story from beginning to end, full circle, sweet little Andreas that's all about money but in the end all that matters is that they're running together and oh, did I mention that I love the names they all choose for themselves?
This film is a tragedy, it is. With its light moments, its laughs, its joys and fears and the horrible unfairness of life, and Men, and society and government but in the end it's all so sadly ironic and absurd. It's life, and it's about friendship and love and the flaws of Men. And I loved it. And the score is amazing, I might have to go and buy it.
Also, can we have Veronica Mars already? Hmpf. Joey's been harping about why Beaver's the way he is so much that I now officially can't wait to find out. I still want to put eyeliner on him, too. Come on! He'd be even cuter. *angelic*
...I wanna speak Italian and be writing Romanzo Criminale fanfiction now. Really. Why can't they Matrix Italian into my head? I think it's the kind of film I could fall in love with, if I had the DVD to watch over and over again.
Then. Joey and I have watched Bright Young Things. By Stephen Fry, who gets so much love. And the cast is just full of amazing actors. Here are a few names. James McAvoy. Who is utterly too cute as ever and oh I want to cuddle him. David Tennant. Who looks horrible with a moustache, but still has that particular voice and delivery of his. Michael "Lucian-in-Underworld" Sheen. Who plays a flaming queen, and I'm even more in awe of his acting skills than I used to be. Stephen Campbell Moore. Who seems to have done not much of anything else, but is extremely pretty and has something of Paul in his delivery and accent. Peter O'Toole. As good as ever. Alec "Drogyn-in-AtS" Newman. Who looks better with long hair, but still has that accent of his. And so many more: Bill Patterson, Imelda Stauton, Emily Mortimer, Simon Callow, Dan Akroyd, Stockard Channing... And this all in an area of 30s debauchery. It makes for a lovely watch.
I went and saw Romanzo Criminale this afternoon, which was actually rather good! Not a masterpiece or anything, but some of those characters were fascinating. Plus, there was a lot of pretty, and lots of Italian. But really, those characters. Patrizia, a proud prostitute with her own sense of values, ready to make so many sacrifices, absolutely fascinating. Commissario Scialoia, the only righteous character in the whole film, who does end up choosing inaction for selfish reasons, and it's all about a woman. Even beautiful Roberta, in all her simple beauty, somehow commands attention.
And Il Nero. Oh, Il Nero. Reminiscent of Cillian Murphy, somehow. Such an angel-faced killer, so cold inside, but also so reliable, in his own odd way. Those eyes of his. The way he moves. His lines. His lines are some of the best in this movie. Rivetting.
But, mostly, this film was about three (four?) men. Il Freddo, Il Libanese, and Dandi. Il Freddo, who vaguely calls Jason Behr to mind, and is an incredibly powerful and endearing character, perhaps the one we feel the closest to, we empathise with most. That clear gaze of his, and his joy and silliness with Roberta, how completely he feels for her, his love for Il Libanese, and how much he sacrifices to live again, with her, for a little while.
Il Libanese, a tragic figure, like all of these emperors he admired, that Il Freddo was so disapproving of, and Il Libanese was just one of those, except Freddo loved him. There's something so fascinating in their friendship, how it turns from love to jealousy, how intently it burns, even stronger in death.
And Dandi. Oh, Dandi. Perhaps the most flawed of them three. Il Freddo is a good man, in the end. Il Libanese a tragic figure, and in this sense noble. Dandi is little, Dandi is low, and small, and very human. They're always looking after him, and he only ever looks after himself. And yet he's not as much of an idiot as everybody thinks he is, and in that is his redemption, in my eyes.
And the memory of Andreas that pervades their story from beginning to end, full circle, sweet little Andreas that's all about money but in the end all that matters is that they're running together and oh, did I mention that I love the names they all choose for themselves?
This film is a tragedy, it is. With its light moments, its laughs, its joys and fears and the horrible unfairness of life, and Men, and society and government but in the end it's all so sadly ironic and absurd. It's life, and it's about friendship and love and the flaws of Men. And I loved it. And the score is amazing, I might have to go and buy it.
Also, can we have Veronica Mars already? Hmpf. Joey's been harping about why Beaver's the way he is so much that I now officially can't wait to find out. I still want to put eyeliner on him, too. Come on! He'd be even cuter. *angelic*
...I wanna speak Italian and be writing Romanzo Criminale fanfiction now. Really. Why can't they Matrix Italian into my head? I think it's the kind of film I could fall in love with, if I had the DVD to watch over and over again.