Monday, June 26, 2006

My self pity weekend with Scorsese, Ozon, and Cordero

My co-worker and a friend were so kind to give me their old printers. At some point I will still have to buy one but at least I have something to get me through the next couple of weeks.

I did not go out Friday and Saturday. I was supposed to meet a friend for dinner Sat. but she flaked. Instead I worked on my book, watched a lot of soccer and watched movies.

I had to watch "Cronicas" by Sebastian Cordero for work. Half way through this good but distrubing movie, the subtitles stopped working. I don't speak Spanish, so I will get another copy from the agent.

I loved Francios Ozon's "Swimming Pool" so I rented "5X2". I really liked it but it was depressing. It's a story of a couple divorcing but told in reverse. We start at the divorce and end at the moment they start dating.

I went to Amoeba Music to sell some CD's. While there I bought Scorsese's "My Voyage to Italy". It's a documentary about Italian cinema and how it influenced him. Scorsese is one of my favorite American directors. I thought he was robbed of an Oscar for "Raging Bull" (lost to "Ordinary People", which I liked but come on!) and a worst travesty, "Goodfellas" loosing to "Dances with Wolves", 10 years later. Please!

I am over his Leo collaborations. In "Gangs", he and Cameron Diaz were totally miscast. I expect her to say to Bill the Butcher, "whatever dude" at some point. I was so disappointed in that movie. It took place at such an incredible time in American history.

"The Aviator", movie looked great, could not care less. I didn't feel like we had any new insight into Howard Hughes. What, are we supposed to root for the the billionaire so he could buy an airline? Howard Hughes was supposed to be this lady killer. Leo? Again please. He looks 12.

Anyway it was interesting to watch clips of these movies and see them through his eyes. Most of the doc centered on the Neorealism era. You can see the influence of some these films in his early works especially "Mean Streets". I wonder who is influencing the young people watching movies today? What will be the legacy of this generation of filmmakers?

I went a brunch yesterday at "the countessa di fidicudi" house. Our friend is going to Florence on Friday, then she is going back for a month later this summer. Molto gelosa. I baked scones for the brunch and had a couple left over. After today that is it. I have to get it together. I have been eating like there's no tomorrow. My clothes are not fitting. I need to snap out of this funk. Feeling sluggish is not going to help.

Now I must go and watch Azzuri vs. the Socceroos.

1 comment:

gibber said...

The best thing about Gangs of New York was Daniel Day Lewis. He was such a character and that accent had me in stitches. He has SUCH presence on the screen. And Liam, for the 10 minutes he's there, was awesome as always. he's the "thinking woman's sex symbol." LOL. So Silly.

Anyhoo, I hear ya about Leo. He's not really cute! It worked in Romeo and Juliet, but they were supposed to be teenagers.