Open Window

"The Artist"

In October I did a post on the film "The Artist" that Peter and I saw at the Hamptons Film Festival. I was enthralled by the style, the acting, the story, and the music. "The Artist" won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the festival which is mildly entertaining as one thinks of "narrative" as relating to the "spoken word" and yet this is a silent movie. Yes, a black and white, silent movie about a romance in the era of silent movies. That, right there, should be enough to peak your curiosity and get you out the door. 

"The Artist" was directed by French auteur Michel Hazanavicius and stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. Dujardin won The Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for his role in the artist, and deservedly so in my opinion - his performance was captivating. The Oscars are coming up soon (February 26th) and this magical film has been nominated in multiple categories including: Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Music, and Best Picture. In addition to those nominations, "The Artist" has won:

Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Actor
Critics Choice Awards for Best Picture and Best Director
A Director's Guild Award for Best Picture
A Producer's Guild Award for Best Picture
A Screen Actor's Guild Award for Best Ensemble of the Year 

We implore you, go see this movie, we expect you'll find it as colorful and sonorous as we did, and we hope it resonates with you the way it has with the rest of the world.

 

The Film "The Artist"

At the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) last night, "The Artist" was featured as one of the Spotlight films for the closing night. 

Once or twice in a lifetime, you will go to the movies and find that when the lights have been turned down low, you are transported to another place or time, one you don't want to leave until you absolutely must. That was the experience I had in East Hampton last night. "The Artist" is a 2011 romance film directed by French auteur Michel Hazanavicius, starring Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. The story starts in 1927 and is about a leading man in silent films who balks at the idea, let alone the reality, of talking films, and a young star-wanabe woman who falls for the charismatic leading man unwittingly. Not only is this striking film about the era of black and white silent films, but it is one!

"The Artist" is beautifully made. Everything about this film is magical. The acting, the directing, the art, the characters, and especially the music. You can't take your eyes off the screen nor do you want to. I can honestly say I have not enjoyed a festival film this much since the "Stand-ins" which was shown at the HIFF in 1997 and is a beautifully done period piece about stand-in actresses in the 1930s.

If and when you have an opportunity to see "The Artist" I highly recommend that you do. I believe you'll find yourself feasting on everything you see and hear, and wanting more, just as the audiences here did when they awarded "The Artist" with the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. You might also be interested in knowing that Jean Dujardin won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. 

P.S. If you're in or near East Hampton today, Monday October 17, 2011, "The Artist" will be shown again in Theater 2 at 2:00 p.m.

The Longest Day II

Today is the longest day of the year which means it's the first official day of summer - surely a day to be celebrated after the winter and spring we had in the eastern half of the U.S. Despite the fact of this celestial event, every time I think of "the longest day", my mind turns to Darryl Zanuck's movie The Longest Day.

The Longest Day depicts the events of D-Day during WWII, told from both the Allied and German points of view. D-Day is actually June 6th but in 1944 I am sure it was the longest day. There are several things that make this movie memorable for me. First it's in black and white which I feel focuses the viewers attention on the story and its events, and not the film and its making. Second, all French and German characters speak in their native language with subtitles in English. This brought an unexpected reality to the movie for me. Third, the film features a large ensemble cast including actors such as Richard Todd, Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, Red Buttons, Peter Lawford, John Wayne, Eddie Albert, Paul Anka, Fabian, Mel Ferrer, Roddy McDowall, Sal Mineo, George Segal, Robert Ryan, and Robert Wagner, to name only some from the English speaking cast. A number of these "stars" played roles that were virtually cameo appearances. There is no one star or even one event at the center of attention in this film, all of the events of D-Day command your attention as they all comprised this single day in history.

If you enjoy a truly good movie, based in historical reality, with exceptional direction and acting, I recommend you seek out The Longest Day. I expect you too will never hear that expression without first thinking of this film and then of what all of those soldiers went through on D-Day. 

 

Hamptons International Film Festival

The 18th annual Hamptons International Film Festival is just winding down. Peter began going to it in 1992 and we've watched it grow and mature year-by-year. This year films were shown on five consecutive days starting last Thursday and ending today, in theater venues from Montauk to Southampton. 

We've always enjoyed the spirit around the festival. The people who are attracted to the festival are obviously artistic and/or film lovers, and they're here to promote and/or view independent films. They may be beautiful people but they don't come with the same attitudes that some of our summer visitors do. In between films, the restaurants and bars are filled with excited participants, eager to talk about the films they just saw and eager to hear about what you just saw. Queuing up for the next film, everyone is abuzz in line sharing their reviews - good and bad - of the works they've seen. The cool autumn air, the clear blue fall-sky, and the crunching fallen leaves under foot - all add significantly to the enjoyment of this long weekend.

One of the special events each year is called "A Conversation with ..." The first year of the festival Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorcese were the featured guests, and since then we've seen Richard Dreyfuss (joined on an impromptu basis by Rod Steiger), Harvey Keitel, Robert Atlman, Kyra Sedgwick & Kevin Bacon, and Vanessa Redgrave. Sadly we missed the conversations with Isabella Rossellini and James Franco this year, but the chatter in line at The Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor was that both were captivating. We were in line for the final "Conversation with ..." - Stanley Tucci. The conversation was funny and enlightening. Tucci says he's not a star and may never be one, but he is an actor who listens, builds characters, and conveys wonderful stories to an audience. He loves the work whether acting or directing, and particularly likes the "independent" work - thanking the audience and festival today for supporting independent filmmakers.

Photo of video of Stanley Tucci and NY Times Interviewer at HIFF 2010 by Peter Tooker

The final film we saw this year was "And Everything Is Going Fine", directed by Steven Soderbergh, which is a documentary tribute to playwright/actor/monologist Spalding Gray. If you don't know Gray's work, seek it out (Swimming to Cambodia, Monster in a Box, and Gray's Anatomy, amongst others). His monologues may be considered an acquired taste but are unique works done with perspective and humor. Those of you who know me may say this sounds a bit unusual for what you might consider my tastes. Well, first of all, remember I love words and Spalding had a way with words, and secondly, remember, he bought my house in North Haven.

 

Public Trust, Broken

There are several documentaries that I've seen this winter that I believe you should seek out and place on your "Must See" list. Without exception, each is thought-provoking and disturbing, and has made me shake my head and ask, "What has the world come to?" These four documentary movies are about: Food, water, dolphins and a trust, all based on public trust and all broken.

    "Food, Inc."

 "Tapped"

"The Cove"

"The Art of the Steal"

Each has sparked lively conversation within our four walls. The first two have made us change our behavior of purchasing food and water. The latter two are "just not right", and in a world where I was taught that wrongs will not prevail ... their wrongs continue to disturb me as they will and can never be made right.

"Food, Inc", "Tapped", and "The Cove" all involve the abusive use of food, water and animal resources - precious resources we should be protecting for the generations to come. "The Art of the Steal" is about The Barnes Collection, arguably the finest private collection of impressionistic and post-impressionistic art in the world, one protected by a private trust, and broken by public and political figures breaking a basic public trust - that the law will protect our wills and trusts after we are gone.

Let us know what you think on any of these topics.

Note: The Barnes has not yet been moved to Philadelphia and can be seen, by reservation, in its original venue in Merion, PA for a few more months. Peter and I are thrilled, we have tickets to see The Barnes in early May!

Henry VIII's Wives

The Tudors, a Showtime special in its fourth and final season begins tonight, which will have Peter and me riveted to the television. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is doing a superb job of portraying this mercurial monarch. Who of us doesn't find the complex story of Henry VIII and his six wives interesting? The dynamics of Henry's life and marriages changed governments and religion forever.

Amongst Henry's wives there were 3 Catherine's, 2 Ann's and 1 Jane and their respective stories are equally as interesting as Henry's. The intrigues of Henry's court make today's political games look like child's play, as the stakes were much higher then ... you could really die! But for all my fascination with Henry's epoch story, for the life of me I couldn't remember what happened to his wives until my Uncle John shared this rhyme with me, which I have never forgotten:

Divorced, Beheaded, Died,

Divorced, Beheaded, Survived!

Anything to contribute? Comment, go ahead ... consider it a conversation, really.