'The illusion of effortlessness requires a great effort indeed.'
I just acquired the 'Era New Horizons' Film Festival ticket card. That I bought it more than four months before the festival actually starts shows just how freaking steamed up I am about the whole thing.
The ticket card gets you to all movie screenings free and to all the concerts at half the price. A wondrous, shiny, little thing. And, since I had one last year, I could but it at 15% discount this year. That's just bloody fantastic.
Now, a small meme, because, really,there aren't many better procrastination devices than memes.
01. What time did you get up this morning?
11.50 am. I love weekends.
02. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds. Much much prettier. Not that I actually have any of my own, but I'm planning to in some indeterminable future.
03. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
'Flags of Our Fathers' exactly two weeks ago.
04. What is your favorite TV show?
Hmmm, what to choose, what to choose? I'd say 'Friday Night Lights' at this very precise moment. It might very well be, say, 'The Black Donnellys' tomorrow (my newest, youngest tv baby that I'm quite crazy about).
05. What did you have for breakfast?
Cake. I love weekends.
06. What is your middle name?
Tatiana. I got that after my grandmother. Yes, that's my Eastern roots at work.
07. What is your favorite cuisine?
I'd go with the patriotic note here and say 'Polish'. If just because it's the only one I've eaten in sufficient quantity and variety to make judgments.
08. What foods do you dislike?
I'm an extremely un-fussy eater, but I'm not all that mad about tomatoes in any form that is not a sauce.
09. Your favorite Potato chip?
Lays Paprika comes to mind here.
10. What cd have you been listening to lately?
The 'Marie Antoinette' soundtrack. Quite lovely, really.
11. What kind of car do you drive?
None, thankfully. I dread the days when I actually have to drive one. I hate driving.
12. Favorite sandwich?
Strangely, I don't have one. Something involving pickled cucumbers, I guess.
13. What characteristics do you despise?
Above all, hypocrisy. I think people are allowed to have practically every other vice (not that I'm going to like their vice of choice, it's just that I give them the right to have one) but not if they are dishonest about it.
14. What are your favorite clothes?
The beige Carry skirt (I usually have nothing but deep dislike for any of the Carry stuff, but that skirt won me over instantly), the black GAP t-shirt, that lovely lovely brown Reserved shirt and, naturally, my old bue jeans that are so ratty already that I can't even show myself in them in public anymore.
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
North America at the moment. Canada or the States, or even both. Not a particularly exotic choice, but that's the place I've been most curious about lately.
16. Favorite brand of clothing?
H&M or Reserved. Cheap yet pretty. Perfect combination.
17. Where would you want to retire?
Somewhere in the Scandinavia region would be great. Canada perhaps. Kraków or Wrocław, if we're talking my mother country.
18. Favorite time of day?
Around 6 pm. The school's over at this point and I know I have at least 8 hours left in the day still to be filled.
19. Where were you born?
Limanowa. Southern Poland.
20. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Volleyball, definitely. It's fast, it's exciting, the score changes every minute. That practically every other player looks like a young Greek god is an added bonus.
21. Who do you think will not send this back?
22. Person you expect to send it back first?
I really don't think these are LJ-customised questions.
23. Pepsi or Coke?
Frankly? I don't see much difference.
24. Beavers or Ducks?
As in small animals, beavers, I think. As in anything else, I have no opinion whatsoever.
25. Are you a morning person or night owl?
Combine my responses to questions 1 and 18 and you're got your answer.
26. Pedicure or Manicure?
Since I've never actually had the first, I'd go with the latter.
27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
A movie festival. Wrocław. July. I'm so going to be there.
28. What did you want to be when you were little?
A doctor, a lawyer, a soldier, a teacher, a writer, a journalist, a mathematician, the President, the Russian empress (I decided that if I were to be a queen, then I want the biggest country in the world - I've always been a very pragmatic child), an archaeologist, a Jedi, a policewoman, the list goes on. I think the only 'what I want to be when I grow up' cliche I didn't hit, was the fireman.
29. What is your best childhood memory?
The trips to the mountains with my dad.
30. Ever been toilet papering?
No. Not really a Polish juvenile custom.
31. Been in a car accident?
No. And I really hope it stays that way.
32. Favorite restaurant?
That little place in Wrocław I found last year. I have no idea how it was actually called, but I still remember the way how to get there.
33. Favorite flower?
Crocuses, especially the white ones.
34. Favorite ice cream?
Mmmmmm, chocolate.
35. Favorite fast food restaurant?
It doesn't really qualify as a restaurant but this tiny joint near my flat, when I usually get something to eat when I'm to lazy to make dinner.
36. How many times did you fail your drivers test?
One. But my official version is that it's because they got me a different car than I wanted (my instructor screwed up with the request form) and I'd never driven a Fiat before.
37. From whom did you get your last e-mail?
The 'Era New Horizons' Film Festival people informing me about the ticket discount. Yes, I should shut up about it already, but I'm too bloody excited right now.
38. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
See point 16. Or possibly some major bookstore.
39. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Nope, not answering that.
40. Last person you went to dinner with?
The fact that I don't even remember is really really sad.
41. How many tattoos do you have?
Zero. However, I don't rule out the possibility that it might change in the future.
42. How many people are you sending this to?
43. What time did you finish this e-mail?
See 21/22.
44. Favorite magazine?
'Total Film'.
45. If you could meet any famous person, who would it be?
Jensen Ackles. I wouldn't even have to talk to him, I'd like to just ogle him live for five minutes uninterrupted.
46. If you could choose another first name, what would it be?
I'm quite comfortable with my birth-given one.
47. If you could change your profession right now, what would you be doing?
Well, I don't actually have a profession yet, I'm still working my way up to it. I chose economics simply because of the money angle, but if could simply go with something I'm genuinely passionate about, I'd be doing the third year of film studies right now.
Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now: Redux'
Dear Lord, that was a loooong movie. As great as advertised, just, well, really long. (though, surprisingly, not the longest one I've seen in one go - that honor goes to 'Once Upon A Time in America').
I'm actually pretty relieved that I finally can have it all marked up as 'watched'. It bothered me that, with my Local Movie Expert status (I kid you not, I actually have one), I've never watched it. Or, to be more precise, watched it all, because I do remember giving it a try two years ago. I fell asleep. Which on no account should be taken as an indication that the movie is boring or bad in any way. Because it's certainly not. The thing is I was so damn tired and it was so late (Polish tv has a nasty habit of showing all the really good stuff after midnight - and I don't mean that in a dirty porn way, mind you) and the couch was so comfy. It just happened. One moment Martin Sheen was having dinner conversation at the French plantation, the other, Marlon Brando is dead. I knew right away that something was off. Btw, the French plantation scene nearly defeated me on the second attempt too, so perhaps there was a reason why it didn't make the cut in 1979 version.
The movie takes its time to reach the full velocity, but when Martin Sheen finally embarks on his journey deeper and deeper into the Vietnam madness, it starts to shine full force. There were slower moments, sure (yea, the bloody French plantation scene), but there were also moments of sheer brilliance, like the ones with Robert Duvall, the psycho surfer Colonel, or the chaos-driven camp down the river with the rabid and/or doped soldiers frantically defending their position against, possibly, noone at all. The movie hits you hard, it doesn't pull the punches and is still as intense as it was nearly thirty years ago.
I'm fairly sure, I'd have enjoyed the earlier compact version a bit more, but that doesn't mean the extended version wasn't bloody fantastic on its own.
Kyle Dean Jackson's 'Chasing Ghosts'
Why did I actually feel the need to watch this movie? I really can't remember at the moment. It's not that it was all that bad, it was more like, well, uninspiringly ok, but with scores of high-quality motion pictures waiting in the long long line for me to finally give them the time of day (like, say, 'Donnie Darko', why the hell haven't I watched it yet), spending two hours on 'Chasing Ghosts' seems to be an illogical move.
Anyway, the movie. It's actually one of the rare cases where the ending pulls the whole movie up instead of dragging it down. Sure, it doesn't elevates it to any blinding heights, but, after more than an hour of progressing lethargy, it finally makes you sit up straight and pay attention. It's debatable whether it makes suffering through all the previous crap actually worthwhile but it certainly redeems it from being a complete waste. Another perk is Micheal Madsen who seems to have been born to play life-weary cops and who wades through the feels-like-slow-motion story with his usual grace. You could also count the whole dirty-cop angle of the story - I mean the very existence of said angle, with no references to actual execution of the plot - for a plus too, but that might just be me and my fascination with the very subject.
Oh, the movie also had a small Jeffrey Dean Morgan cameo. That counts for something too, I guess.
Hans Canosa's 'Conversations With Other Women'
I just love how this story unfolds, how we are gradually becoming aware of the details, how these details shift slightly all the time because memory and human perception are never set in stone. It's just a story of a single relationship, a past one at that, reheated only temporarily for one night, but it's still entirely engrossing. The split screen maintained constantly to almost the very very end - while a bit distracting at a few times - allows for the story to be much more flexible and also much more comprehensive without being overtly expository than the traditional narration could allow. The dialog here is effortlessly brilliant or even too brilliant to be completely realistic, as, sadly, no real-life conversations are ever so sharp and clever, but it doesn't matter because it's still a delight to listen to. The whole picture is complete with a lovely soundtrack, one of the most memorable I've heard in years, with Carla Bruni's slightly playful songs fitting wonderfully well.
One small complaint: I could buy that Helena Bohnam Carter used to be Nora Zehetner no problem, because Nora Zehetner is definitely cool enough to pull it off, but there's no way Aaron Eckhart could have been that long-haired loser as depicted in the kinda-flashbacks.
.
The ticket card gets you to all movie screenings free and to all the concerts at half the price. A wondrous, shiny, little thing. And, since I had one last year, I could but it at 15% discount this year. That's just bloody fantastic.
Now, a small meme, because, really,there aren't many better procrastination devices than memes.
01. What time did you get up this morning?
11.50 am. I love weekends.
02. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds. Much much prettier. Not that I actually have any of my own, but I'm planning to in some indeterminable future.
03. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
'Flags of Our Fathers' exactly two weeks ago.
04. What is your favorite TV show?
Hmmm, what to choose, what to choose? I'd say 'Friday Night Lights' at this very precise moment. It might very well be, say, 'The Black Donnellys' tomorrow (my newest, youngest tv baby that I'm quite crazy about).
05. What did you have for breakfast?
Cake. I love weekends.
06. What is your middle name?
Tatiana. I got that after my grandmother. Yes, that's my Eastern roots at work.
07. What is your favorite cuisine?
I'd go with the patriotic note here and say 'Polish'. If just because it's the only one I've eaten in sufficient quantity and variety to make judgments.
08. What foods do you dislike?
I'm an extremely un-fussy eater, but I'm not all that mad about tomatoes in any form that is not a sauce.
09. Your favorite Potato chip?
Lays Paprika comes to mind here.
10. What cd have you been listening to lately?
The 'Marie Antoinette' soundtrack. Quite lovely, really.
11. What kind of car do you drive?
None, thankfully. I dread the days when I actually have to drive one. I hate driving.
12. Favorite sandwich?
Strangely, I don't have one. Something involving pickled cucumbers, I guess.
13. What characteristics do you despise?
Above all, hypocrisy. I think people are allowed to have practically every other vice (not that I'm going to like their vice of choice, it's just that I give them the right to have one) but not if they are dishonest about it.
14. What are your favorite clothes?
The beige Carry skirt (I usually have nothing but deep dislike for any of the Carry stuff, but that skirt won me over instantly), the black GAP t-shirt, that lovely lovely brown Reserved shirt and, naturally, my old bue jeans that are so ratty already that I can't even show myself in them in public anymore.
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
North America at the moment. Canada or the States, or even both. Not a particularly exotic choice, but that's the place I've been most curious about lately.
16. Favorite brand of clothing?
H&M or Reserved. Cheap yet pretty. Perfect combination.
17. Where would you want to retire?
Somewhere in the Scandinavia region would be great. Canada perhaps. Kraków or Wrocław, if we're talking my mother country.
18. Favorite time of day?
Around 6 pm. The school's over at this point and I know I have at least 8 hours left in the day still to be filled.
19. Where were you born?
Limanowa. Southern Poland.
20. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Volleyball, definitely. It's fast, it's exciting, the score changes every minute. That practically every other player looks like a young Greek god is an added bonus.
21. Who do you think will not send this back?
22. Person you expect to send it back first?
I really don't think these are LJ-customised questions.
23. Pepsi or Coke?
Frankly? I don't see much difference.
24. Beavers or Ducks?
As in small animals, beavers, I think. As in anything else, I have no opinion whatsoever.
25. Are you a morning person or night owl?
Combine my responses to questions 1 and 18 and you're got your answer.
26. Pedicure or Manicure?
Since I've never actually had the first, I'd go with the latter.
27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
A movie festival. Wrocław. July. I'm so going to be there.
28. What did you want to be when you were little?
A doctor, a lawyer, a soldier, a teacher, a writer, a journalist, a mathematician, the President, the Russian empress (I decided that if I were to be a queen, then I want the biggest country in the world - I've always been a very pragmatic child), an archaeologist, a Jedi, a policewoman, the list goes on. I think the only 'what I want to be when I grow up' cliche I didn't hit, was the fireman.
29. What is your best childhood memory?
The trips to the mountains with my dad.
30. Ever been toilet papering?
No. Not really a Polish juvenile custom.
31. Been in a car accident?
No. And I really hope it stays that way.
32. Favorite restaurant?
That little place in Wrocław I found last year. I have no idea how it was actually called, but I still remember the way how to get there.
33. Favorite flower?
Crocuses, especially the white ones.
34. Favorite ice cream?
Mmmmmm, chocolate.
35. Favorite fast food restaurant?
It doesn't really qualify as a restaurant but this tiny joint near my flat, when I usually get something to eat when I'm to lazy to make dinner.
36. How many times did you fail your drivers test?
One. But my official version is that it's because they got me a different car than I wanted (my instructor screwed up with the request form) and I'd never driven a Fiat before.
37. From whom did you get your last e-mail?
The 'Era New Horizons' Film Festival people informing me about the ticket discount. Yes, I should shut up about it already, but I'm too bloody excited right now.
38. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
See point 16. Or possibly some major bookstore.
39. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Nope, not answering that.
40. Last person you went to dinner with?
The fact that I don't even remember is really really sad.
41. How many tattoos do you have?
Zero. However, I don't rule out the possibility that it might change in the future.
42. How many people are you sending this to?
43. What time did you finish this e-mail?
See 21/22.
44. Favorite magazine?
'Total Film'.
45. If you could meet any famous person, who would it be?
Jensen Ackles. I wouldn't even have to talk to him, I'd like to just ogle him live for five minutes uninterrupted.
46. If you could choose another first name, what would it be?
I'm quite comfortable with my birth-given one.
47. If you could change your profession right now, what would you be doing?
Well, I don't actually have a profession yet, I'm still working my way up to it. I chose economics simply because of the money angle, but if could simply go with something I'm genuinely passionate about, I'd be doing the third year of film studies right now.
Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now: Redux'
Dear Lord, that was a loooong movie. As great as advertised, just, well, really long. (though, surprisingly, not the longest one I've seen in one go - that honor goes to 'Once Upon A Time in America').
I'm actually pretty relieved that I finally can have it all marked up as 'watched'. It bothered me that, with my Local Movie Expert status (I kid you not, I actually have one), I've never watched it. Or, to be more precise, watched it all, because I do remember giving it a try two years ago. I fell asleep. Which on no account should be taken as an indication that the movie is boring or bad in any way. Because it's certainly not. The thing is I was so damn tired and it was so late (Polish tv has a nasty habit of showing all the really good stuff after midnight - and I don't mean that in a dirty porn way, mind you) and the couch was so comfy. It just happened. One moment Martin Sheen was having dinner conversation at the French plantation, the other, Marlon Brando is dead. I knew right away that something was off. Btw, the French plantation scene nearly defeated me on the second attempt too, so perhaps there was a reason why it didn't make the cut in 1979 version.
The movie takes its time to reach the full velocity, but when Martin Sheen finally embarks on his journey deeper and deeper into the Vietnam madness, it starts to shine full force. There were slower moments, sure (yea, the bloody French plantation scene), but there were also moments of sheer brilliance, like the ones with Robert Duvall, the psycho surfer Colonel, or the chaos-driven camp down the river with the rabid and/or doped soldiers frantically defending their position against, possibly, noone at all. The movie hits you hard, it doesn't pull the punches and is still as intense as it was nearly thirty years ago.
I'm fairly sure, I'd have enjoyed the earlier compact version a bit more, but that doesn't mean the extended version wasn't bloody fantastic on its own.
Kyle Dean Jackson's 'Chasing Ghosts'
Why did I actually feel the need to watch this movie? I really can't remember at the moment. It's not that it was all that bad, it was more like, well, uninspiringly ok, but with scores of high-quality motion pictures waiting in the long long line for me to finally give them the time of day (like, say, 'Donnie Darko', why the hell haven't I watched it yet), spending two hours on 'Chasing Ghosts' seems to be an illogical move.
Anyway, the movie. It's actually one of the rare cases where the ending pulls the whole movie up instead of dragging it down. Sure, it doesn't elevates it to any blinding heights, but, after more than an hour of progressing lethargy, it finally makes you sit up straight and pay attention. It's debatable whether it makes suffering through all the previous crap actually worthwhile but it certainly redeems it from being a complete waste. Another perk is Micheal Madsen who seems to have been born to play life-weary cops and who wades through the feels-like-slow-motion story with his usual grace. You could also count the whole dirty-cop angle of the story - I mean the very existence of said angle, with no references to actual execution of the plot - for a plus too, but that might just be me and my fascination with the very subject.
Oh, the movie also had a small Jeffrey Dean Morgan cameo. That counts for something too, I guess.
Hans Canosa's 'Conversations With Other Women'
I just love how this story unfolds, how we are gradually becoming aware of the details, how these details shift slightly all the time because memory and human perception are never set in stone. It's just a story of a single relationship, a past one at that, reheated only temporarily for one night, but it's still entirely engrossing. The split screen maintained constantly to almost the very very end - while a bit distracting at a few times - allows for the story to be much more flexible and also much more comprehensive without being overtly expository than the traditional narration could allow. The dialog here is effortlessly brilliant or even too brilliant to be completely realistic, as, sadly, no real-life conversations are ever so sharp and clever, but it doesn't matter because it's still a delight to listen to. The whole picture is complete with a lovely soundtrack, one of the most memorable I've heard in years, with Carla Bruni's slightly playful songs fitting wonderfully well.
One small complaint: I could buy that Helena Bohnam Carter used to be Nora Zehetner no problem, because Nora Zehetner is definitely cool enough to pull it off, but there's no way Aaron Eckhart could have been that long-haired loser as depicted in the kinda-flashbacks.
.