Happy Birthday to
Javier Bardem
42 today
Recently picking up his thrid Oscar nomination for Biutiful Javier is oneof the most successful European actors of all time, equally at home in edgy independent fare or the bigger blockbusters, as well as being extraordinarily and unconventionally handsome. In 2012 we'll be seeing him caught in an illgal card game in Andrew Dominik's Cogan's Trade and there may also be Bond villian duties.
Showing posts with label Javier Bardem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Javier Bardem. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Javier Bardem
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Biutiful
2010. Dir: Alejandro González Iñárritu. Starring: Javier Bardem, Maricel Alvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella and Eduard Fernandez. ●●●●○
Inarritu's first film without screen-writing partner Guillermo Arriaga (the split appears to be permanent) is a departure in stlye from the multi-character story arcs he's used to, but the overriding themes of multiculturalism and the interconnectivity of fate remain. The miserablist Biutiful reminds us that life is cheap and full of heartache, even it's brushes with magical realism do nothing to lift the spirits of the audience.
Barcelona criminal Javier Bardem is having a bad time, his schizophrenic wife has abandoned the family and is casually sleeping with his brother, the illegal immigrants he acts as a conduit for police bribery are hawking their goods in the wrong area, and his connection with the recently deceased is getting out of hand. Plus he's also dying of Stomach cancer so of course it's down to Bardem to ensure that his daughter is able to spell Beautiful succesfully (needless to say he doesn't totally achieve this).
Ultimately the plot is irrelevant - this is a movie about suffering - it explores the lengths to which Bardem's soul is able to deal with the inequality of life and the desparation of his circumstances. It's deliberately bleak with further trials heaping themselves on his fractured conscience.
Bardem's performance is superb, the suffering is etched onto his face. As is Maricel Alvarez as his imbalanced wife, neither overplaying nor sugarcoating her mental illness.
The star though is Barcelona, unrecognisable to the tourists in it's handling of the inherent poverty and underclass of major city life. The production design is also superb, each flat, each factory, each location seems recognisable and lived in with the subtle distinctions of class, taste and ambition.
There is also a refreshing sense that this film is for adults, the visions of the dead that Bardem is subjected to are fleeting and on the edge of the screen, the relationship is referred to without being overt. Visual metaphors on the delicacy of life are allowed to drift in the shadows but aren't forced down the viewers throats. Saying there there are obvious attempts to elicit emotion from the audience. There is a tragic event about three quarters of the way through which would be enough in itself but due to the characters involved pushes us to an unnecessary extent. The simplicity of the bookend, snowbound scenes are much more poignant - especially in the closing credits.
I would recommend this film, but take a tissue and be prepared: there are no happy endings in Inarittu movies.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Cops and Robbers (Out this week - 24/09/10)
I don't think this weeks top film will surprise anyone, it comes with a high degree of pedigree, a top notch cast and a solidly entertaining trailer. That said there are plenty of other films out there this week that might be worth a look, from the return of Dante to black comedy from Bobcat Goldthwaite so feel free to investigate. Film of the week is Ben Affleck's The Town.
Anjanna Anjaani
The usual plotless Bollywood movie that self describes as a comedy musical romance. Appears to involves a lot of bars from reading the cast list - including a gay bar and a stripper club.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Confucius
The life story of the world's most famous philosopher lumbers into theatres having cleared up in it's native China. As much as I admire the great man himself, as well as leading actor Yun-Fat Chow, I can't see this filling up the local mulitplex.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Eat Pray Love
I think I'm overscoring Julia Robert's latest vehicle, the big screen adapatation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir/self-help guide but let's be honest however simperingly naff this looks there is an inbuilt audience and the travelogue aspect looks pretty. Look out for Viola Davis, Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem in supporting roles.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Enter the Void
I want to be more interested in Gaspar Noe's latest avant garde release, following the soul of a murdered teen as he watches over his sister, but I think the artiness of the concept might make it a marmite movie.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Frozen
High-concept thriller (I know, the jokes keep coming don't they) with three faceless twenty somethings marooned on a ski-lift for no real reason other than it makes a nice set up. Watch as they slowly succumb to frostbite and insanity.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Hole
Joe Dante, the viosionary director behind Gremlins, has returned with this family horror about a bottomless pit (filmed in 3D so it might feel bottomless) underneath the basement of a couple of teenagers. Weird and PG rated scary stuff comes out. Bruce Dern hams it up in the supporting cast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Peepli Live
It's that vry rare thing - a Bollywood movie that's been screened to the critics. It's story of poor farmers who threaten to commit suicide in defiance of court orders to give up their land and then become the centre of a media storm seems fascinating too. Probably worth seeing.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Town
It might be pure genre, but Ben Affleck's bank robber follow up to the assured and measured Gone Baby Gone is impressing critics and audiences alike with it's grounded characterisations and edge of the seat action.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○
True Legend
If you fancy some more action to go with your Chinese history lesson than Confucius is providing than this Qing dynasty revenge drama may just be for you. Man Cheuk Chiu and Michelle Yeoh are among the high kicking cast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest
Delayed part documentary, part reenactment of George Mallory's illfated expedition up the worlds most famous mountain. Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson are among the voices.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
World's Greatest Dad
Robin Williams is the failed writer - who fakes a suicidal journal for his son after he's killed in a autoasphyixiation erotic act that goes wrong - and then finds himslef in the centre of an outpouring of unwarranted grief. Possibly the dictionary definition of black comedy.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Given that I've hardly been around the last couple of weeks it's unsurprising that I've missed the odd release but before I go into those I will just point out that last weeks Devil managed a final score of 3 on the excitometer, none of the other provisional scores have changed and there was no effect of Winter's Bone as the top film.
From 17 September 2010
I'm Still Here
I think I can be forgiven for missing this infamous faux-documentary which was only outed as a performance piece in the last couple of weeks. Joaquin Pheonix has spent the last 18 month pretending to go off the rails and trying it out as a rapper. We'll see what this actually does to his career, though, before judging it's success.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
10 September 2010
Dabangg
Corruption in the Utter Pradesh police forces is the focus for this Bollywood thriller.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Swansong
Subtitled the Story of Occi Byrne I haven't been able to find much out about this Irish drama, other than it's Irish, it had a limited release in Ireland where there were enough fans to give it an average rating of 8 on imdb. Go Occi Byrne, I say.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Monday, 1 March 2010
Javier Bardem
Happy Birthday to
Javier Bardem
41 today
Very few actors get a birthday mention from me two years in a row, but for Javier I'm willing to make an exception. After all he's gorgeous, smart, talented and sensitive. Plus he drinks wine from the bottle whilst wearing a pink dressing gown. What a man. Next up is Biutiful, one of my top 20 for 2010, and if it's good there'll be a third birthday wish next year!
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Javier Bardem
Happy Birthday to
Javier Bardem
40 today
Isn't that a great photo. I have nothing else really to say, except that Javier always makes a film worth seeing, can't wait for Biutiful.
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