12.17.08
Posted in oscar buzz, misogyny, industry news at 2:55 pm by FilmFemme
So, I was recently let in on a little secret. There is something called the “Women’s Film Critics Circle.” And like any good Film Critics Circle, they have annual awards that are handed out in December. But this caucus of women who write about film (not the only group like this, mind you) has some unique categories in which they deem “honors.” They also have some opinions that vary wildly from mine. Let’s review some highlights, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
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11.21.08
Posted in oscar buzz, foreign, industry news, drama, reviews at 11:23 am by FilmFemme
This movie is in French, so I have no idea what it’s about.
KIDDING!
“I’ve Loved You So Long,” is one of those meandering dramas where everyone seems very gray and sad, but for most of the movie you don’t really know why, but you could probably guess and nothing really HAPPENS, but things definitely happen. That is, there isn’t much action or even plot, to speak of, but characters change and grow and LEARN TO LOVE AGAIN.
Kristin Scott Thomas plays the character with the dark past. She’s actually British, but she speaks French and lives in France which is just so fucking cosmopolitan I can’t even stand it. Anyway, her character, Juliette, was recently released from jail and goes to stay with her sister, Lea (Elsa Zylberstein, who IS French) and her sister’s family while she gets back on her feet. The whooollleeee movie is about Juliette struggling to return to society, being stigmatized by people who know her secret and trying, indignantly, to convince her sister and her sister’s family that she’s OK and that everything will be OK.
The performances are emotional, raw, nuanced, moving. The script is meticulous and cuts to the quick of human interaction.
Needless to say, I was bored out of my mind. I hate films that are GOOD. No, that’s not true, I just really wasn’t in the mood for this. It’s well done, but I didn’t think it was necessary. It isn’t the innovative piece of art that last year’s Le Scaphandre et le papillon was. It’s slow. It tells a story well. But, I feel like it’s story may have been better suited (for me) to a novel. I can see pages of beautiful language about Juliette’s inner turmoil and even though KST’s face speaks volumes, I wasn’t moved like I wanted to be.
If this movie isn’t nominated for an Oscar, I will buy drinks for everyone who reads this blog. Either Best Foreign Picture or Best Actress or possibly both. If it IS nominated, well, I’ll get drunk anyway.
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