WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[MikeBSG]

Today I watched "Bread and Tulips" (2000), an Italian comedy directed by Silvio Soldini. It is about a middle-aged housewife who is ignored by her family and goes to Venice and starts a new life.

It was good but not great. There were some slow spots, and the fantasy sequences didn't work for me. But the film's ending was very well done, and I had the chance to see Bruno Ganz (Hitler in "Downfall" and the angel in "Wings of Desire") do comedy. However, I really loved Giuseppi Battiston as the plumber turned amateur private eye. His scenes really sparkled. Worth a look if you like Italian comedy.

[JackFavell]

The plot sounds perfect... I should watch this one.

It's hard to imagine Bruno Ganz in a comedy.

[moira finnie]

Bread and Tulips is fun and I liked all the characters. Bruno Ganz plays a mysterious, withdrawn character who is gradually drawn out by a runaway wife and mother (Licia Maglietta) rooming in his Venice apartment. He is not asked to behave as though he's a "laff riot," but most of the humor in the film is of the gentle variety, which suits his screen persona. Giuseppi Battiston was funny in a buffoonish but lovable way. In some ways this movie reminded me of Cousin, Cousine (1975), the movie about two unlikely adulterers who find fulfillment by behaving in the opposite way than is expected by their bored families.

Nothing that Bruno Ganz will do or has done since Wings of Desire (including playing Hitler in the harrowing Downfall) can outshine the beauty and power of that Wim Wenders film, but that's just my opinion.

[JackFavell]

I think a lot of people would agree, Moira.

[jdb1]

I've only seen Breathless, and I think it's the movie I am most disappointed with, having waited for years to see it.... I was expecting something exciting and fun, but it was actually a bit boring, I thought.

So glad I'm not the only one who felt that way. I still watch it when it's on TV, hoping to discover something I may have missed, but I'm still wondering what all the fuss was about. Clumsy and derivative doesn't even begin to describe my impression of this film. I feel the actors somewhat transcend the mess, but not by much. For me, the best part is hearing the belle of Iowa, Jean Seberg, gamely reciting her dialogue in French, and also the fact that she was not dubbed over by a more articulate non-native actress (director probably couldn't afford it). She got a bit better at it the longer she lived in France.

[charliechaplinfan]

Well, I'm glad it's not just me. My first foray into French cinema was Breathless, it's so iconic and although I liked it, I've watched far better French and New Wave films. I do like Jean Paul Belmondo, although I haven't seen him in many films.

I'm not a big Irene Dunne fan but I am becoming more of a fan, I prefer her later work, I think for me she's quite ageless and in her earlier roles she looked quite mature but in her later roles, she looked right, she's much more convincing for me when playing these maturer parts like Love Affair and White Cliffs of Dover. No I've never seen Penny Serenade and me a huge Cary Grant film, I'd like to see I Remember Mama too.

[JackFavell]

Both are great,you should definitely rent both of them soon. I Remember Mama is about the best Irene Dunne movie, I think. But really for me, even though it's Irene's movie, Cary MAKES Penny Serenade. Aw, geez, I'm gonna cry thinking about it.

Whew! I thought I was going to get slammed about Breathless. I really like Jean Seberg - I think I am one of the few.... but I didn't really get the movie, I guess.

[MichiganJ]

I love Breathless, and like I did with Rohmer last year, I'm making my way through many of Godard's films now. Breathless is very much a film of its time, and many of the techniques, cutting probably most notably, have since been used in so many films, TV shows, music videos, commercials, etc., that they hardly seem as innovative as they actually were.

While I guess I can understand not liking the film, or perhaps, Godard in general, to me at least, his films are very original and innovative and best of all, challenging. Derivative would probably the last word I'd used to describe a Godard film.

If the actual story of Breathless is the least bit appealing (written by Truffaut), I'd suggest the 1983 remake starring Richard Gere. He's not quite the anti-hero as Belmondo, but the film, despite what the critics said, is a lot of fun. Plus there are no jump cuts.

[charliechaplinfan]

I saw the Richard Gere Breathless, there was a time I'd watch anything with him in. I don't remember much apart from he didn't wear much, it was a long long time ago. Wish I could remember it better thinking about it.

Challenging is a word I would definetly associate with Godard. Reading the imdb the same is said of Rohmer, he's very wordy but I don't mind that as long as I'm awake enough. Pretty deep discussions in My Night at Mauds.

[MichiganJ]

Rohmer's films are pretty much all talk. There's little action (although there is a lot of traveling. Characters do seem to move from location to location a lot). You have to have the patience and enjoy conversation in film to get Rohmer.

[charliechaplinfan]

Perhaps we should dedicate a thread to the French New Wave in our new forum, it might clear up some of my confusion.

Last night we started watching Fanny. I have mixed feelings about Fanny. Chris and I started watching it last night, or should I say Chris turned off his computer to watch. It does grate with me, I wish someone else had directed it, the lovers are a bit too sweet, Leslie Caron does not look like she sells fish for a living. The highlight for me in both films is Cesar, I love the character, a loving father with foibles but I realised as I watched last night, the voice of reason. We watched up to the point when Marius comes back and he visits Mrs Panisse and Cesar comes round to stop the youngsters doing anything, he arrives just before Panisse comes back, he's missed the train again, he always misses it because he thinks that this is the night Marius comes back. When he tells Marius how much that baby means to him, how he can take Fanny, he won't hold her but can never have little Cesar, it tears at the heart strings. Cesar is the voice of right, Marius has no right to the child, it was his before it was born and was illegitamate but when it was born it was Panisse's. Cesar and Fanny gave their love but Panisse gave the most. It's Panisse and Cesar who make this film or Boyer and Chevalier. Head to head, arguing about Marius, even though Marius had insulted Panisse very early on in the movie by calling him a lecher, Cesar's back was up and the stood nose to nose, only to play cards later that night. We have to watch the rest tonight.

Funnily enough at the beginning of the film Chris thought Panisse was a dirty old man and it was only because I knew the story that I didn't feel it too but it didn't play too uncomfortably but it was a tad overdone to show Panisse in an unfavorable light.

Fanny has it's highlights and they are Boyer and Chevalier and the photography of Jack Cardiff. Boyer's Cesar is not that different from Raimu's and Raimu's performance was superb in the original. The two lovers are too sweet but I think this is because I've seen the original.

[JackFavell]

I always thought the weak point in the early films was Orane Demazis, who doesn't exactly look like a fish seller either, and doesn't look very young. Perhaps it's the hairstyle? However, she makes up for it later on.

It seems to me that Boyer would be the ONLY man who could play Cesar, giving the character the respect he deserves, and capturing the wonderful, almost magical quality of the father, plus his foolish aspects as well. Boyer's humor must help too, as he walked carefully in the footsteps of Raimu.

[Rita Hayworth]

Rohmer's films are pretty much all talk. There's little action (although there is a lot of traveling. Characters do seem to move from location to location a lot). You have to have the patience and enjoy conversation in film to get Rohmer.

Rohmer's films - aren't my cup of tea ... too much conversations in all his films and I have seen "Breathless" and that and others like that; I simply walk away ... that when I started to pay close attention to these films - by the people who make them. I've nothing against Rohmer - but, being hard of hearing ... I can't stand movies with too much conversation - and I agree with MichiganJ's assessments quite beautifully.

[charliechaplinfan]

I always thought the weak point in the early films was Orane Demazis, who doesn't exactly look like a fish seller either, and doesn't look very young. Perhaps it's the hairstyle? However, she makes up for it later on.

It seems to me that Boyer would be the ONLY man who could play Cesar, giving the character the respect he deserves, and capturing the wonderful, almost magical quality of the father, plus his foolish aspects as well. Boyer's humor must help too, as he walked carefully in the footsteps of Raimu.

I think Orane Demazis is good but Raimu and Pierre Fresnay are excellent. She suits the later story.

Boyer does a really good job and makes Cesar his own. I suppose many in the English speaking world would not have seen the trilogy so to many Boyer's Cesar is a fresh character. Raimu is hard to follow. He gets a chance to show how good he is at comedy, not often seen, most of his roles are serious. I remember years ago watching Barefoot in the Park, I can vaguely remember his character but can't remember if it was a serious character or not, I suspect not. Another film to revisit and Chris will not be complaining, he loves Jane Fonda.

[JackFavell]

I really enjoy Barefoot in the Park, always mainly for Boyer and Mildred Natwick. Even as a kid, when I didn't know who he was, I liked him in it. I actually tried to play that scene once (the Mildred Natwick role) for a class I was in, and it's true - dying is easy, comedy is hard.