SNOWTOWN

 

Monday nights are drab and monotonous no more!  On this weeks Monday menu: Katie, Elly and I went to a diner called Soda Rock and had pretty epic meals.  It was like a little piece of 1950s America in Australia.  American note: More like the Fountain in Palo Alto (James Franco's hometown what whattt!) than Johnny Rocket's (which always seems to be a let down).  It was nice to fulfill my cheeseburger fix...although I haven't even been having my usual monthly cravings here.  Australia has obviously changed me, and that's how you can tell: my cheeseburger intake.  Yeah.  I also speak American.

Anyways, after having this entirely upper experience at the Rock, we headed over to the Jam factory (Rock & Jam, yeah) to watch a new Australian movie called Snowtown.  As depressingly haunting and gory the story was, it was also shot beautifully.  The actors rendered dialogue and mannerisms to a pure sense of realism.  And although you watch through open fingers at times, you just can't stop looking--especially when you know it is based on a true story.  If this movie makes it to America, I highly suggest you watch it.  But also suggest you don't have such an extremely happy dining experience beforehand as the stark contrast will have you frozen.

Despite our respective mind-blowings, we somehow managed to snap out of it and try and relax over some cider after.  I still don't know how we did that.

Also had a nice night out last night, met up with my friend Sophie who I met at the Victorian College of the Arts (and whooo is awesome) and her other friends from VCA for drinks.  We were indecisive as all hell as far as where to go after our first spot: ended up at a Japanese place that had almost none of the food on their menu and then stopped serving alcohol right when I got to the counter, then kicked us out right after we finished eating.  So we ended up walking to this place called Old Bar where my friend Shaun came and met us all up and we had some good conversation.  He started making me a list of places I need to go in Melbourne.  Coming from someone who has lived here is whole life, I should probably get to it.

Oh! I also met my first fellow American! A New Yorker at that. Cool.

THE LAST CIRCUS

I don't know if anyone else is going to think this song is one of the most passionate things they have ever seen, but it has seriously been haunting my dreams.

I saw a movie called The Last Circus as part of the Spanish Film Festival that is going on right now and it really stood out to me.  It was obviously done as a larger production with more $$$ than the smaller movies being screened, but I really loved the subject matter.  It took the overdone plot of a love triangle and transformed it into something medium rare--both the way I like my movies and my meat.  Amongst the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War and the end of the Franco regime, a story unfolds of a boy who wants to follow in the footsteps of his father to be a successful clown.  Although he isn't funny, he joins a circus as the sad clown where he falls in love with an acrobat.  Enter: Natalie.  Similar to the dynamic of Shelly and Leo in Twin Peaks, Natalie and the "happy clown" (ironically) of the circus are involved and she is constantly abused mentally and physically by him.  The sad clown becomes more than determined, obsessed really, to "save" her from the happy clown's evil ways.  

The cuts hit you with a one, two punch before you can even realize what's coming.  Next thing you know the clowns are wielding machine guns and the bloodiest of battles ensue.  The movie manages to walk a fine line of being as violent as humanely possible while still somehow being quite funny.  This movie is like the love child of Quentin Tarantino, Jean Pierre Jeunet and Tim Burton.  But instead it is from the wild workings of Alex De La Iglesia's twisted mind.  If you don't end up liking it, it is definitely something to talk about.

The movie The Mosquito Net also stood out to me.  Boiling it all down, it was a story of a family growing apart and showing all the ways they each decide to deal with it.  The son ends up having a knack, if you will, for picking up stray animals and bringing them home.  Whereas the parents decide to take out the frustrations they have through their sexuality--both going for people about half their age.  The Mom's sister takes it out on her young daughter, almost to an abusive point: even in one scene literally making her walk on egg shells.  And the grandparents have several failed suicide attempts.  I liked this movie because something about it just seemed like nothing I can say more than, real.  It seemed real.  Mainly performace driven, it also had some beautiful moments.  Basically if you happen to somehow stumble across this movie ever, give it a watch.

JEFF GOLDBLUM

Dear Jeff Goldblum,

I am in love with you.  I always thought you were cool since I first saw you in Jurassic Park at the movie theater that one night.  The night where my Mom was out of town and my Dad decided to do the cool Dad thing and make his special dinner--which was really just extra saucy spaghetti and meatballs: the way I like it, and take my brother and I out to a movie our Mom wouldn't want to see otherwise. The night where we waited in line for what seemed like eons on opening night because maybe at that time there was only one major movie theater on Guam.  I saw you on the big screen for the first time and I knew then that you were something special.

I guess you were always a thought in the back of my mind ever since you captured me with your one-liners and quick wit that fated night.  You had me at semi-tinted sunglasses and shitty pleather jacket.  And so naturally I kept coming back for more.

But as I grew up, I admit, I kind of started to neglect you in all your awesomeness.  There was a time where--I'm ashamed to say--my life was Goldblum-less.  But alas, thanks to technology and the internet, my love for you has been fully refurbished.  And in better condition than ever.  (And I guess ironically at that since you time and time again have sold the message of how dangerous science/technology can be, I mean: "What you call discovery, I call the RAPE of the natural world.")  I know that it is a faux pas and so not 'film major' of me to be watching your movies on a 13 inch screen with crap sound and at times waiting for my internet to do it's only major job: to work.  But I hope you can forgive me.

All I wanted to say is, thank you.  Thank you, Jeff Goldblum.  For your washboard abs, what's on and in your head, and for following your dreams of becoming an actor.  Because of you, I want to make movies to work with people just like you.  In fact, I want to work with YOU.  Let's face it.  No one, and I mean no one, can do a better scene than you can when my only direction is "do it this time like Jeff Goldblum would do it".  So here's to you.  And my future prospects and dreams of getting to work with you.  Not to mention speak or be in the same room as you.  Look, I will convert to be a practicing Jew for you, Jeff Goldblum.  This is serious.

But also a word of advice.  I hope you don't fully start appearing in movies like The Switch just so major motion pictures can use your name to draw in people like me.  It's a cruel joke and I don't appreciate it.  Not that I didn't like that movie.  I didn't even see that movie.. I'm just saying.  I like you best when you are just being the charismatic, intelligent guy you are or shirtless.  Or even displaying cheap prosthetics or rambling about flesh and plasma pools.  You're so cute when you digress.  And digress I have.

Yours truly, sincerely and forever,

comma,

Gabby

This could be me, Jeff.

Ps. I thought you should know we also wear the exact same glasses.  Which was my entire initial reason for writing this post:

http://www.laeyeworks.com/press/goldblum2010.html

JE T'AIME, JE T'AIME

 

This movie was playing at the ACMI the other day, and having seen Alain Resnais' 'Night and Fog', I was really interested in seeing more of his work.  I came late because I wasn't expecting many people to show up, but damn--that theatre was packed to the brims!  I had no idea.  This movie was pretty great.  It had all elements of a cynical protagonist, a frustratingly deep love for a troubled woman, humor, and time-travel.  What else could you ask for, right?  At times the jump cuts became annoying and it seemed to beat a point into your head.  But I guess I'm a forgiving viewer because I still enjoyed it.  Plus, the intro to this movie was hauntingly beautiful.  The score and visuals instantly drew me in.  I don't think it's the best movie I've ever seen but I do think it's worth a view.  Especially if you're in the mood for a down-in-the-dumps meets sci-fi kind of movie.  Anyone?

IN DREAMS

I want to dedicate this post to Sir David Lynch.  I recently got the Cahiers Du Cinema on him and have been reading it religiously.  On top of that I have been watching his amazing TV show 'Twin Peaks'.  I also just signed up for Australia's version of Netflix, Quickflix, and will be starting my own sort of festival watching all his movies in chronological order (some for the second or third time).  Maybe I will refer to it as the "Don't fLynch Fest"?  I really think he is one of the best American filmmakers alive and I hope he does something new soon.  He has a beautiful mind and I'm glad that he is one of the few that can tap into our subconscious, challenge our imaginations, our thoughts and what we think is "normal".

On top of that we both share a love for the 50's and Roy Orbsion.  He is also a pretty cool artist.  In fact, it's what he wanted to do before going into film.  But he realized what art lacked was sound and movement and thus why he found solace in movies.  I especially like his lithographs. Here are a few that stood out to me (in this book that was far too expensive for me to afford):

"I find it very difficult to understand what is going on these days."

"Murder Victim"

"Dreams"

"Valley of Shadow"

Also after I got dressed today, I realized I was dressed like him.  After my realization I had a bunch of fun taking pictures of my outfit.  Long live David Lynch!

LA MIRADA FILM FESTIVAL

 This is a great film festival I have been going to in dowtown Melbourne at the ACMI (Australian Center for the Moving Image).  I really love the building, what it's about and their variety of media.  I'm hoping to get more involved there, whether it be even just volunteering so hopefully I will have more to post about that later.  

Melbourne has been a living dream by the way.  If San Francisco and Europe had a baby, it would be Melbourne. 

So far I saw Gael García Bernal in 'También la lluvia' or 'Even the Rain' for you non-Spanish speakers.  It was a dramatic film showing a paradoxical story of a film crew determined to make a movie about Christopher Columbus amidst the 2000 Cochabamba water crisis in Bolivia.  As they strive to make this film using native actors, a parallel story of greed comes to surface practically comparing the filmmakers to Columbus and his immoral treatment of natives.  It was hard to watch because being a filmmaker myself, I know the feeling of "needing" to finish a film and wanting to do anything to make it happen.  But after repeatedly asking their actors to surrender themselves to the movie and not participate in protests initiated to protect their intrinsic human rights--one where their water supply was gravely in danger--they begin to realize that maybe the bigger picture was bigger than their picture.

 

I also saw 'Abel', the great actor Diego Luna's directorial debut.  I especially enjoyed this movie.  Always bordering between comedy and drama, it told a story about a troubled child who finally comes home after two years of being looked after in a hospital.  As he finally breaks out of his shell, he begins to take on the identity of a father figure--literally.  He begins to take on the mannerisms, dress, talk, and even take on responsibilities for his family way beyond his years.  Afraid to provoke another anxiety attack the family goes along with it.  Heartbreakingly funny, you begin to wonder where the line between identity and reality needs to draw itself.  Especially when the blurred line is the only thing bringing happiness and stability to the once chaotic and broken family.

The kid, Christopher Ruíz-Esparza is one to watch.  His performance makes you feel all fuzzy inside.  Seeing someone so young pull his own family together: tuck them in, worry about them, fix their problems, teach them--it's too much.  Identity fake or not, his role as a father becomes more than real.