MY VIEWING DIARY: PART FIFTEEN

"Camille" (1936)

The latest movie I've seen starring Greta Garbo is "Camille", considered one of her greatest screen performances and helping the actress earn the second of her three Academy Award nominations. This elegantly grand, period romance about a doomed lady of pleasure and the man who loves her unconditionally until the end was inspired by 1848 novel, "La Dame aux Camélias" by Alexandre Dumas. George Cukor directs Garbo for the first time here, helping to draw out her buried levity, before working with the Swedish actress again in the comedy, "Two-Faced Woman" which would be her final film before retiring in 1941.

Set in 19th century Paris, Garbo plays Marguerite Gautier, a lovely courtesan with expensive tastes. Yet she lacks financial savvy, requiring her to rely on the kindness of wealthy gentlemen to help pay her mounting debts. One night at the theater, Marguerite's confidant, Prudence Duvernoy (Laura Hope Crews) arranges for her to get acquainted with Baron de Varville (Henry Daniell), a man of wealth and prestige who could help Marguerite with her money woes. But she briefly mistakes the handsome, Armand Duval (Robert Taylor) for the Baron. Sparks fly between these two and while the young man is from a financially comfortable family, Armand lacks the serious funds needed to keep Marguerite comfortable. But over time, he falls hard for the enchanting beauty, something she has never experienced before from a man. This conflict causes Marguerite, who is seriously ill with consumption, to struggle between fiscal comfort from the Baron and romantic passion from Armand.

The Garbo in "Camille" is far removed from the early Garbo in the silent film era. After years in Hollywood, the usually somber actress appears effortlessly relaxed on screen, more warm and carefree than many of her previous appearances. The producer, Irving Thalberg (who died at thirty-seven shortly after filming was completed) had the writers re-work the script to cater to the strengths of the actress after seeing rushes of a radiant Garbo. He was also responsible for insisting on giving this stunning, period-costume drama a contemporary feel with Cukor using his reliable skills to make a lively and captivating spectacle despite the dark undercurrents of the story.



"Walk on the Wild Side" (1962)

Opening with a sensational credit sequence directed by Saul Bass featuring a black tom cat prowling the city streets before starting a fight a with a sleek white cat, "Walk on the Wild Side", Edward Dmytryk's demented, Southern-fried soap-opera, is about all-consuming obsession and long-simmering desires. Set during the Depression era, Laurence Harvey plays Dove Linkhorn, a handsome drifter traveling around in search of Hallie Gerard (Capucine), a French woman he had a brief, passionate affair. When he last heard from her, she was in New Orleans yet has no real idea where she might be. While stopping in Texas, he comes across Kitty Twist (Jane Fonda), an attractive fellow drifter who uses what she has to survive. They decide to head to Louisiana together and while Kitty has eyes for Dove, his focus remains on finding Hallie. He discovers that she's working at the Doll House, a brothel in the French Quarter run by the tough madam, Jo (Barbara Stanwyck). Dove is determined to save Hallie from this depraved life but Jo is also determined to keep her, equally obsessed with this Gallic beauty and willing to destroy anyone who stands in her way. 

One of the more distracting problems with "Walk on the Wild Side" (based on a 1956 novel by Nelson Algren) is that it's unable to be clear and direct on the more salacious moments going on in the story due to the self-censorship imposed by the Hays Code. While films coming out of Europe at this time had begun dealing with adult themes with honesty and realism, American movies were still trapped doing a sanitized version of real life. In this film, prostitution is never mentioned, making one wonder what these ladies were really doing in this house and the relationship between Hallie and Jo is left purposely vague even though it's quite clear they are more than "just close friends'.

With the help of a dazzling cast of actors, this swampy melodrama is made a little more interesting. Harvey is just adequate in the role of Dove yet fails to generate much of a real connection with any of his female co-stars. This was Fonda's second film role and already displaying a great screen presence but still had some work to do being fully convincing as a character down-on-their-luck and desperate. The great Anne Baxter makes a problematic appearance as Teresina Vidaverri, the owner of New Orleans café that helps Dove with a job and shelter, a character who is clearly supposed to Mexican and the actress uses an accent to drive it home. And the screen legend Stanwyck is always a wonderful addition to any film, able to make even silly dialogue crackle with intensity. On the other end, Capucine, with the skills of a classic model-turned-actress, struggles to deliver a competent performance, far too stiff to make us believe that Hallie is an alluring and irresistible siren. Restrained by the times, "Walk on the Wild Side" can't really let loose to tell a story that actually feels wild and dangerous.

"A Rainy Day In New York" (2019)

After being unhappy with the film made from his screenplay for "What's New, Pussycat?", Woody Allen (who began his career writing for television in the '50's before moving to stand-up comedy and playwriting in the '60's) vowed to direct his own work. He directed his first feature, "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" in 1966, a strange comedy he made from an existing Japanese spy film by overdubbing the dialogue and rearranging the order of scenes. Allen made a series of popular slapstick comedies before he shifted to the dramatic romantic-comedy, "Annie Hall" in 1977, a box-office hit that won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. His subsequent work would vary wildly from sublime ("Manhattan"; "Hannah and Her Sisters"; "Bullets Over Broadway"; "Blue Jasmine") to substandard ("Shadows and Fog"; "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion"; "Anything Else"; "To Rome with Love"). "A Rainy Day In New York", Allen's forty-seventh feature film as a writer/director, fails as one of the filmmaker's weaker efforts. This poorly conceived romantic-comedy is supposed to contemporary yet Allen has the characters speak and behave in a manner that comes across as oddly dated, feeling far better suited for a story set eighty years ago.

Gatsby Welles (Timothée Chalamet), a college student from a wealthy New York family who loves '40's jazz, drinks at the Carlyle and quotes Cole Porter, is dating Ashleigh Enright (Elle Fanning) who attends school in Arizona to study journalism. When she is given an assignment to travel to New York to interview the acclaimed filmmaker, Roland Pollard (Liev Schreiber), Gatsby decides to surprise her with a romantic weekend in the city. But Pollard is so impressed by Ashleigh's skills and knowledge that he invites her to a private screening of his latest film, forcing Gatsby to rearrange his plans. With time on his hands, Gatsby wanders the streets and stumbles on to a movie set where the director happens to be a friend and the star, Chan Tyrell (Selena Gomez) is the younger sister of a former girlfriend. And due to an actor not showing up, Gatsby is asked to fill in for a romantic scene in the film with Chan. Meanwhile at the screening, Ashleigh meets the handsome, movie star, Francisco Vega (Diego Luna) who invites her out for dinner after being enchanted by the student reporter. What follows are a series of contrived mishaps and illogical decisions that puts a strain on this young couple's relationship, leading to a conclusion that's more dark and off-putting than charming and sweet.

"A Rainy Day In New York" seems like a old script that Allen found in the back of a drawer, blew some of the dust off and went to work filming. And while the actors manage to deliver some fine performances (with brief appearances by Jude Law, Rebecca Hall, Annaleigh Ashford and Cherry Jones) and the camerawork by Vittorio Storaro is quite captivating, the rest of this dreary film does not have a moment that hasn't been reconstructed or recycled from any number of Allen's previous (and far superior) comedies.

At this point in his career, the now eighty-five year old Allen is just viewed as a troublesome relic from the past. His reputation has been shattered by some disturbing allegations from almost thirty years ago even though he has never been charged with a crime. But even before the scandal, Allen was never known to be a warm or gregarious figure and let's not even get in to the story of how he meet his current wife. I have no intention on making any judgement on his character here but to share my thoughts on the filmmaker's latest feature film and "A Rainy Day In New York", with it's lame jokes and out-of-touch premise, is simply lazy and predictable. This is especially disheartening as Allen has proven he is a capable creator of thoughtful, funny and charming movies yet now just grinding out tired retreads from his glory days.

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS IN LOS ANGELES

Two film festivals that highlight the best in new European cinema are heading to Los Angeles: German Currents and COLCOA French Film Festival.

German Currents, the 15th annual festival of German Cinema co-produced by the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and the American Cinematheque, will feature some of the best recent films from Germany, most of which make their Los Angeles premieres. Beginning October 22nd and running through October 31st, The Opening Night film, "Bekenntnisse Des Hochstaplers Felix Krull (Confessions of the Felix Krull)" will screen at the the Los Feliz 3 theatre. Based on Thomas Mann’s novel of the same name, Felix Krull (Jannis Niewöhner), a handsome young man of simple origins, has had an extraordinary ability to transform and adapt in order to get ahead. Taking a job at a luxury hotel in Paris, Felix rises in ranks among the hotel staff, capturing the attention of the hotel’s guests. This will be a free screening with RSVP holders admitted on a first come, first served basis.



And at the Aero Theatre on October 24th, the Closing Night film is "Fabian Oder Der Gang Vore Die Hunde (Fabian: Going To The Dogs)". Set in Berlin in 1931, Jakob Fabian (Tom Schilling) struggles to make a living. Hanging out with his wealthy friend (Albrecht Schuch), Fabian meets an aspiring actress (Saskia Rosendahl) and they quickly falls in love. But as their lives move in different directions, this creates problems in their relationship.



The rest of the fest will be virtual screenings. Several programs will include exclusive pre-recorded introductions and discussions with the filmmakers. For a complete list of films, purchase tickets and additional information, please click below:

German Currents Los Angeles 2021

This year marks the twenty-fifth year of the City of Lights, City of Angels French Film Festival in Los Angeles. The fest will be held for seven days beginning on November 1st with in-person screenings at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood. This year's COLCOA will feature an exclusive program with more than fifty films competing for awards in three categories: cinema, television and short films. The Opening Night film is "Between Two Worlds", a drama from Emmanuel Carrère making it's North American premiere. Based on French investigative journalist Florence Aubenas’ best-selling non-fiction book, "The Night Cleaner", Juliette Binoche stars as Marianne Winckler, a celebrated writer who goes undercover as a cleaning lady to write a book on job insecurity in the gig economy.

COLCOA Classics will honor the late actor, Jean-Paul Belmondo with a screening of his 1973 feature, "Le Magnifique" which will be followed by a discussion with co-star, Jacqueline Bisset and writer/director Francis Veber. Jean-Claude Carrière, a screenwriter and actor who passed away in February, was nominated for the Academy Award three times for his work on the screenplays for "That Obscure Object of Desire", "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and "Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie)" which will be a free screening on November 4th. And the highly honored filmmaker, Bertrand Tavernier (who may be best known to American audiences for his 1986 musical-drama, "Round Midnight") will have his 1976 film, "Le Juge et l’assassin (The Judge and the Assassin)" screened with the Los Angeles premiere of the digitally restored version.





For a complete list of films, purchase tickets and additional information, please click below:

COLCOA Los Angeles 2021

COMING SOON

As Daniel Craig says goodbye to the British spy, James Bond in his final film as the iconic character in the long-running franchise, "No Time To Die" (with the search for a replacement to begin in earnest next year), another legendary fighter against crime is in line for a reboot: Batman. This follows Christopher Nolan's critically praised, box-office sensation trilogy that ended with "The Dark Knight Rises" in 2012 and the brief fling with Ben Affleck filling in for the character in the less revered films, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League".

Now Matt Reeves, the filmmaker behind "Cloverfield" and the admired franchise sequels, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "War for the Planet of the Apes", is taking over this iteration, directing and co-writing the script with Peter Craig which is based on the classic Frank Miller 1987 comic-book story arc, "Batman: Year One" and the limited comic-book series, "Batman: The Long Halloween". The new guy in the Bat suit (following Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Affleck, in case you might have forgotten) will be Robert Pattinson, the British actor who first found fame in the popular "Twilight" film series and has been fighting against being typecast in the image of a sexy vampire heartthrob ever since. I guess enough time has passed for him to decide to get back in to another franchise.

A new sneak-peek of "The Batman" has dropped and this looks to be an even darker version of the Dark Knight. The focus of this film will be on Batman's initial period of fighting crime in the increasingly corrupt Gotham City and his first meeting of the recently transferred police detective, James Gordon (played by Jeffrey Wright) and their developing relationship. This is also when he first encounters his famous arch-enemies, the Riddler (Paul Dano, not actually seen completely in the trailer), the Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell) and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz). Based on the spotty track record over the long, cinematic history, it's still unclear if "The Batman" will be really intriguing or incredibly disappointing.

"The Batman" is due in U.S. theaters on March 4, 2022

2021 NEWFEST FILM FESTIVAL

This year, NewFest, the 33rd annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, will be a virtual and in-person event. After being forced to be largely an online fest, Newfest welcomes back audiences to celebrate queer stories and storytellers. There are four locations for the in-person screenings; SVA Theatre, The LGBT Community Center, BAM Rose Cinemas and Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn.

The Opening Night film will be "Mayor Pete", an intimate documentary about Pete Buttigieg’s campaign to be the first openly gay U.S. president. The film from Jesse Moss (who recently won an Emmy for his last documentary feature, "Boys State") follows the former South Bend, Indiana Mayor from the early days of his campaign, examining all of the challenges and triumphs he faced throughout his run for the highest office in the land.

The International Centerpiece is "A Distant Place" from South Korean director, Park Kun-Young. This drama involves a local farmer living with his adventurous young daughter. When his city-dwelling lover comes to visit, he begins to imagine their future as a family. But the unplanned arrival of his twin sister threatens to complicate his dream.



The New York Centerpiece is "Passing", the actress, Rebecca Hall's directorial debut that she adapted from Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel. This in-person only screening features Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson in the story of two childhood friends who reunite and the discovery that one has changed her racial identity. The US Centerpiece will be "Potato Dreams of America", writer/director Wes Hurley’s semi-autobiographical dramatic-comedy. With a love for old Hollywood movies and concerned for her son’s future in 1980's USSR, Lena becomes a mail-order bride and moves to the United States. But as her young son begin to explore his sexuality and her American husband is deeply homophobic, this creates problems within this family.

There will be a 30th anniversary screening of Madonna's groundbreaking documentary, "Truth or Dare" which chronicles the pop superstar's 1990 "Blond Ambition" tour and introduced us to her openly queer back-up dancers; the 10th anniversary of "Pariah", Dee Rees’ influencial debut feature that is a moving exploration in to the life of a Black, queer 17-year-old poet trying to make her way in to the world. And "Shortbus", John Cameron Mitchell’s exuberant exploration of life, sex and happiness in New York City, will be shown in honor of it's 15th Anniversary with a 4K Restoration.



And the Closing Night film is "Flee" from director Jonas Poher Rasmussen. This winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance combines animation and emotional narrative to tell the harrowing ordeal of how Amin Nawabi and his family escaped from Afghanistan before re-settling in Denmark.

For a complete list of films and to purchase tickets and passes, please click below:

Newfest 2021

TITANE (TITANIUM) (2021)

Written & Directed by Julia Ducournau



Where & When: AMC Sunset 5, West Hollywood, CA. October 3, 2021 2:45 PM



There is absolutely nothing about "Titane (Titanium)", Julia Ducournau's evocative and deranged horror thriller, that feels reasonable. There is some spectacularly gruesome carnage and disturbing violence. There is dark humor and wildly absurd plot twists. We also have moments that are thought-provoking and emotionally moving. Yet it all largely works as the provocative French filmmaker upends our expectations by deconstructing this genre, taking us on a strange, surreal journey that challenges our ideas on gender and identity.

The film opens with a drive out on the open road with a father (Bertrand Bonello) and his young daughter, Alexa (Adèle Guigue). But there is some tension inside of the car, with the father trying to drown out his daughter's continuous mimicking of the sound of the car's engine. As he turns the radio's volume up, she just gets louder. Bored with this game, Alexa begins kicking the back of his seat. When she refuses to stop, a moment of anger erupts as he turns to face her, causing him to crash the car. After an intensive surgery, Alexa has been fitted with titanium plate in to her severely damaged skull. There seems to be no sign of any lasting physical damage to the young girl yet this accident appears to have left a deep psychological connection between Alexa and automobiles.

The next time we see Alexa (now played by Agathe Rousselle in her film debut), she is a young woman dancing seductively as a model at a car show. Still brooding and dead-eyed as she was as a child, Alexa has grown up with a behavior far more dangerous; a secret desire to commit cold-blooded murder. Watching a newscast on television warning of a series of grisly murders occurring around the city, she casually eats in her parent's home, knowing exactly where they can locate the killer.

After a botched killing spree, with a potential victim escaping, Alexa has to go the run. Going through a dramatic and harrowing transformation, she takes on the identity of Adrien, a boy who has been missing for ten years. The police contact the boy's father, Vincent (Vincent Lindon), a fire captain who accepts Alexa as "Adrien" with no further proof needed. The other fire fighters at the station don't know what to make of the captain's traumatized, mute "son" but must welcome him as an apprentice member of the team. And there is one more thing; Alexa has been impregnated by a car with something growing inside of her.

"Titane" won Ducournau the top prize of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, making her only the second female filmmaker to win this award, following Jane Campion for "The Piano" in 1993. This is the follow-up to her 2016 debut, "Raw", another outlandish shocker that featured Garance Marillier (who makes a brief appearance in "Titane") as a young vegetarian who develops a taste for human flesh. With "Titane", Ducournau goes even further with some pretty extreme ideas, many to the point of being completely ridiculous. Yet she manages to make this story work, largely by taking every preposterous moment seriously while cleverly touching on themes involving cross-dressing, gender politics, familial bonding and homoeroticism to heighten this odd drama, subjects not usually found in the horror genre. Her script also abandoned the standard three-act structure, allowing Ducournau's peculiar story to flow at her own desired pace, which shifted the film further off balance.

Not wanting audiences to have any expectations with a familiar face in the leading role, Ducournau set about finding an unknown performer. She came across Rousselle, a frustrated actor who for years didn't have much luck getting any attention, working largely as a model and photographer. And while she doesn't deliver much dialogue, Rousselle is a wildly physical, sensual presence, demanding that you to never take your eyes off of her. On screen for most of the film, the actress delivers a raw, fearless performance, displaying Alexa's eerie stillness and unpredictable fury, behavior much like a caged animal. She manages to disgust and shock you yet also develop some concern and sympathy for her deranged character.

Let's just be clear here; "Titane" is not for the faint of heart (there were reports of viewers actually passing out during early screenings at some film festivals) or for those who like their narratives to be fairly straightforward. And while "Titane" didn't work entirely for me, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, never able to predict where the film was taking me and covering my eyes in terror by some of the more brutally horrific images that appeared on screen. I was shocked and appalled yet thoroughly entertained, enjoying the feeling of uncertainty and the unpredictable nature of this twisted tale. It's clear that Ducournau's intension was to provoke and leave you feeling deeply unsettled by her work. And she certainly succeeded at her task. But it is also clear that the director had some intriguing and thoughtful ideas to communicate yet no desire to express them in any conventional way. Ducournau is a wonderfully, refreshing filmmaker, commanding a bold vision, assured artistry and more than willing to challenge audience's expectations.

THE ACADEMY MUSEUM OPENS

I am honestly surprised that there isn't already a museum in Los Angeles dedicated to cinema. I mean, when people think of California, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind for many is the movie industry. And although the use of the moving image for artistic and commercial purposes did not originate in America (that would be with the Lumière brothers in France), Hollywood would take the medium to another level, creating lavish productions, technical advancement and the movie-star system.

Now after several delays (including an unplanned pandemic), the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is now officially opening on September 30th. Located in the art-deco building that previously housed the May Company department store on Wilshire Blvd, the museum is a spectacular showcase to highlight the long history of movie-making and placing a spotlight on all of the industrial departments that are involved in making your favorite movies.

Some of the exhibitions will include a multiscreen experience with an introduction to the Stories of Cinema, one free to view, located in the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby and the other will be a detailed, multi-floor exhibition that connects with diverse and international stories on the people who make motion pictures. An extensive retrospective dedicated to the work of filmmakers, Spike Lee and Hayao Miyazaki and his anime studio, Studio Ghibli. And there is the Oscars Expereince where you go inside of the Dolby Theater to hear your name called, walk up to accept your Academy Award and receive a video capturing the moment.

There will be several film programs to satisfy the tastes of all movie-lovers. Every Saturday, the museum will feature a matinee for families of all ages; "Imperfect Journey: Haile Gerima and his Comrades" is a program running from October 2nd through Novmeber 14th that will spotlight the work of independent filmmaker, Haile Gerima and his over fifty years of expressing the Pan-African experience and highlight films made by his friends; and through the month of October will be Oscar Frights, thirteen classic horror and suspense films that have either been nominated or won an Academy Award. Public Programs will feature discussions with people working in the industry including on October 16th, a talk with Oscar-winner, Laura Dern with her actor parents, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. And the Education Program offers tours, demonstrations and interactive chats that focuses on the history, art and science of film. There are two state-of-the-art theaters to screen these films; the smaller, Tedd Mann theater with 288 seats and the David Geffen theater, which can hold an audience of 1000 and will also be used to host big premieres and other Hollywood events.

This is a thrilling addition to Los Angeles that will ideally celebrate Hollywood's glamourous past, enduring present and curious future. As a proud, card-carrying new member, I can't wait to get inside to experience this museum for the first time, with many more visits planned in the furure. To purchase tickets, view the complete list of programming or become a member, please click below:

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

MELVIN VAN PEEBLES (1932 - 2021)

Melvin Van Peebles, an African-American creative force who was a performer, playwright, novelist, musician and indie filmmaker who boldly challenged what kind of stories could be told in American cinema, has sadly passed away on September 22nd at the age of eighty-nine.

After Van Peebles made one movie "Watermelon Man", a satire about a bigoted white man who wakes up one day Black, with a Hollywood studio in 1970, he declined a three-picture contract with Columbia Pictures (never working with a major studio again) and set about creating "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song". Shot in nineteen days with a $150,000 budget, Van Peebles co-produced, scored (performed by Earth, Wind and Fire), edited, wrote, directed and starred in this story about a Black man falsely accused of a crime and trying to escape from the police by any means necessary. This revolutionary film was one of the first entries in to what would be called blaxploitation cinema, becoming a major hit (earning over $15 million at the box-office) and remaining a highly influential film. "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" was selected last year for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Born Melvin Peebles in Chicago (he added 'Van' to his name during his time living in the Netherlands), he enlisted in the Air Force shortly after graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University, serving for over three years. When he returned home, Van Peebles became interested in filmmaking, making several short films. He took his work to Los Angeles with the hope of them helping him get a directing job but no studios were interested.

Like many African-American artists did at this time in the 1960's in order to be able to create freely, Van Peebles traveled to Europe. He made short films, recorded an album, wrote plays and a novel, "La Permission" in French while living in Paris. This lead to him making his feature film debut in 1967 with "The Story of a Three-Day Pass", which was based on his book, telling the story of a black American soldier who is demoted due to his relationship with a French White woman. This critically-praised drama proved to be an excellent showcase for his accomplishments as a filmmaker, helping him land his brief, Hollywood gig.

Van Peebles went on to create for the stage, writing the book and music for the musical production of "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death". This innovative dark comedy, using musical monologues to explore African-American street life, first opened off-Broadway before moving to Broadway through the 1971-72 season. The show earned seven Tony Award nominations including Best Musical and a revival is planned to open for the 2022 season. Van Peebles had another Broadway musical, "Don't Play Us Cheap!" that he produced and directed in addition to the creation of the show in 1972. He made a film version of the play later in the year.

He is survived by sons, Mario (who followed his father as an actor and filmmaker) and Max, and his daughter Marguerite. Melvin Van Peebles was an incredibly remarkable talent who created his work on his terms, never allowing himself to ever be compromised. He blazed a trail for future African-American filmmakers while showing to the world the beauty and the power of Black people through his artistry.