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Alexander - the Final Cut
Oliver Stone is determined to bleed this film to death. He
already caused quite a stir when his so-called unrated director's cut was
actually shorter, less violent, and less sexy than the theatrical release. He has now released the
"final cut," which is 214 minutes long. It contains about thirty minutes worth
of footage which was not in either of the first two versions, and basically he
has simply dumped every single filmed scene back into the movie, then
re-ordered the scenes to make it more involving. (Theoretically.)
I don't really know how I feel about the epic length and the
new footage, because I fast-forwarded through all the scenes I had already
seen, so I really didn't get any sense of the whole film in context. It still
seems odd that everyone either speaks with an Irish accent (the Greeks) or a
Borat accent (all others). But there are two other things which jumped out at me as
I watched it:
1. The entire film looks totally artificial. It's all clean
and sanitized and perfectly art-decorated and gaily-colored, as if Disney were
to create an unthreatening theme ride based on the film, ala "It's A Small
World." There is very little grit to it. Everyone has gorgeous teeth.
Everything is well-scrubbed. Most scenes look exquisitely beautiful and
colorful - far too beautiful to represent life in 320 BC. Whether it is
appropriate or not, Oliver Stone sure knows how to get a big, lush, expensive
look up there on screen.
2. I don't think there was any more Rosario Dawson nudity in
this version of the sex scene, but in case my memory is faulty, I captured the
entire four minutes in a
film clip, so you can look at it yourself. I think all of this footage was
in one or the other of the earlier cuts. (Each of the earlier versions had
some footage not in the other, but the theatrical version was sexier and
longer.)
I made some collages, but to be honest it was just me
tinkering with the lighting filters. It's the same old stuff you've already
seen, but with less of an orange glow to it.
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* Yellow asterisk: funny (maybe).
* White asterisk: expanded format.
* Blue asterisk: not mine.
No asterisk: it probably sucks.
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OTHER CRAP:
Catch the deluxe version of Other Crap in real time, with all the bells and whistles,
here.
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Drunks
Drunks (1995) is an ensemble drama based on a play, and is essentially an
AA meeting in real time, or nearly so. There is, however, a major sub-plot.
One of the regulars is asked to speak. He tells his heartbreaking story and we
find that he has two years of sobriety. After he is done, he leaves the
meeting, obviously upset, heads straight to a liquor store, and falls off the
wagon. When he is thrown out of a bar, he convinces his neighbor, Anna Levine
Thomson, to party with him, but she wants some heroin before she will play.
The film ends with him at a new AA group, and looking forward to his first
consecutive day of sobriety. His story is intercut with everyone else who
shares at the meeting, and it is the everyone else portion that elevates this
above the usual drugs suck film.
The cast of those who speak at the AA meeting include Amanda Plummer,
Parker Posey, Diane Wiest, Faye Dunaway, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Calista Flockhart
and many more. Their stories are very typical of what you are likely to hear
at an AA meeting. In fact, everything about this film rings true. Many of the
stories were improvised, and the acting was amazing. The DVD claims that this
is the first film that shows what a 12 step program is really like. I have to
disagree there. Clean and Sober did a very good job of the entire subject of
alcohol and drug abuse many years before this film, and covered 12 step
programs in the process. That is not to say that Drunks is not good.
The big question is, who should see this film? If you wonder what AA is
like, this will show you. If you want insight into alcoholism and drug abuse,
this will give it. If you are a recovering drunk or addict, this film will be
almost as good a reminder as going to a real meeting, but please do both. If
you want to see some excellent performances from some top stars, again, this
is the film. Lastly, if you wonder if you are a problem drinker, see this
film. By the time you have heard all of these stories, you might well have
your answer. Anyone who has lived with an alcoholic can personally attest to
the accuracy of at least some of the stories. The genre is "drugs suck
movies," and this is better than average.
High C.
IMDb readers have this at 6.0.
Some critics got it, others didn't. There was some grumbling about casting
comedian Richard Lewis in the lead role. I didn't see his performance as bad,
although I could see where some might see humor.
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Tranches de Vie
Eleven sketches that illustrate with more or less brilliance both normal
and unusual situations in everyday life.
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Azuloscurocasinegro
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Español
Sinópsis:
"Azuloscurocasinegro" es un estado de ánimo, un futuro incierto, un
color. Un color que a veces no reconocemos, que dependiendo bajo qué luz,
qué prisma y qué actitud se mire, cambia. Un color que nos recuerda que
muchas veces nos equivocamos, y a veces las cosas no son del color que las
vemos. Jorge (Quim Gutiérrez) ha heredado el trabajo de su padre después
de que éste sufriera un infarto cerebral. Sin embargo, lucha contra un
destino que parece inevitable. En los últimos años se ha esforzado por
hacer su trabajo, cuidar de su padre y estudiar una carrera. Ahora su
empeño es encontrar otro trabajo. A través de su hermano Antonio (Antonio
de la Torre), conoce a Paula (Marta Etura), con quien entablará una
extraña relación que impulsará a Jorge a dejar de sentirse responsable de
todo y enfrentarse a sus deseos, obviando lo que los demás esperan de él.
Entonces todo podría ser diferente… o no.
Ha ganado:
- Mejor Actor de Reparto: Antonio de la Torre
- Mejor Director Novel: Daniel Sánchez-Arévalo
- Mejor Actor Revelación: Quim Gutiérrez
Nominada a:
- Mejor Actriz: Marta Etura
- Mejor Guión Original
- Mejor Canción Original
Para mi es una gran película y personalmente Marta Etura se merecia
haber ganado el Goya porque tiene una actuación espectacular, en resumen
una muy buena película. |
English
"Dark blue, almost black" is a mood, an uncertain
future, a color that we sometimes do not recognize because its appearance
changes depending on the light that strikes it. This opalescent color
reminds us that we often do not perceive things precisely as they really
are.
Jorge (Quim Gutiérrez)'s father had a stroke, so Jorge
inherited the family business. He tries to make it succeed, but seems to
be fighting against fate. In recent years he has made an effort to run the
business, to take care of his father and also to get his degree. Now his
goal is to find a different career. Through his brother he becomes acquainted
with Paula (Marta Etura), with whom will he establish a strange
relationship that will drive him to stop feeling responsible for
everything and start worrying about his own needs. Then everything could
be different… or not.
This won Goyas for:
- Best new actor
- Best supporting actor
- Best new director
It was also nominated for:
- Best actress
- Best original screenplay
- Best original song
My opinion is that it is a great film, and I am convinced that Marta
Etura deserved her Goya for a spectacular performance.
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Eva Pallares |
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Marta Etura |
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Notes and collages
Dracula
...Keanu Reeves destroyed this film for me but Ms. Ryder is hot hot hot...
| Winona Ryder |
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Images
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La Lohan in public without a bra and
wearing a flimsy top. In other news, dog bites man. |
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Paris Hilton in public without a bra and
with her shirt open. More surprises! |
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Jennifer Hudson shows off about an acre of
cleavage at the Oscar ceremonies. |
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Film Clip
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 Jackie Guerrido is one of the co-hosts of
Despierto America, which is the Spanish-language alternative to the
morning chat shows. Most important,
she doesn't seem to believe in
underpants. (Clickable preview to the left.)
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