Code Unknown/Been Rich all my life
CODE UNKNOWN/Michael Haneke
France, 2000, 118 min
German-born filmmaker Michael Haneke continues the bleak, formalist experimentation of his 1994 breakthrough 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance with this similarly fragmented tale of racism, intolerance, and hatred in modern-day Paris. The focus of the narrative is split between three sets of people: the French actress Anne (Juliette Binoche), her husband and in-laws; a Romanian woman, Maria (Luminita Gheorghiu), who struggles to raise money for her family back home; and Amadou (Ona Lu Yenke), a teacher for the deaf who is at odds with his resolute African clan. The catalyst for the stories begins on a streetcorner, where Anne's brother-in-law Jean (Alexandre Hamadi) insults Maria, who is begging for change; incensed, Amadou picks a fight with Jean, resulting in negative repercussions for the triptych of protagonists. Throughout, Haneke punctuates the action with his unique editing and use of sound. After its Cannes debut, Code Inconnu made its North American premiere at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=201727
I really enjoyed this film -- lots of food for thought.
BEEN RICH ALL MY LIFE/Heather MacDonald
USA,2005, 81 min.
The Silver Belles are one of America's most unusual and inspiring dance troupes. Comprised of five women between the ages of 84 and 96, The Silver Belles are veteran tap dancers and chorus girls who first got to know one another when they performed in some of New York's hottest nightspots during the Harlem Renaissance of the '30s, sharing stages with the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Jimmie Lunceford. The dancers -- Bertye Lou Wood, Cleo Hayes, Elaine Ellis, Fay Ray, and Marion Coles -- toured the country with different shows and entertained American troops in Europe during World War II, but when Big Band jazz fell out of favor and nightclubs stopped using chorus dancers, most of the women took up other work. But the women stayed friends, and in 1985 the retired hoofers decided to put their tap shoes back on. With the help of their manager and friend Geri Kennedy, they've been performing regularly for over a decade, keeping the traditions of jazz dancing alive and challenging stereotypes about the elderly. Been Rich All My Life is a documentary which looks at the illustrious past and surprising present of The Silver Belles, and offers a glimpse at these five remarkable women as they share their love for dance and confront the challenges that still face them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
ยป
I cried during this movie. Nobody noticed cause I sat on the first row but as soon as the film was over I ran to the bathroom and sobbed like a teenager. I was so excited to see these women perform. Will I be able to be so joyous and full of life at 93? I think I will -- my grandma is already 80 and she's still cooking for my spoiled brother. Anyway, we had a Q & A after the screening. The director used to be a New School Student. I hogged the floor till the instructor got pissed and stopped me. I felt like James Lipton.
France, 2000, 118 min
German-born filmmaker Michael Haneke continues the bleak, formalist experimentation of his 1994 breakthrough 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance with this similarly fragmented tale of racism, intolerance, and hatred in modern-day Paris. The focus of the narrative is split between three sets of people: the French actress Anne (Juliette Binoche), her husband and in-laws; a Romanian woman, Maria (Luminita Gheorghiu), who struggles to raise money for her family back home; and Amadou (Ona Lu Yenke), a teacher for the deaf who is at odds with his resolute African clan. The catalyst for the stories begins on a streetcorner, where Anne's brother-in-law Jean (Alexandre Hamadi) insults Maria, who is begging for change; incensed, Amadou picks a fight with Jean, resulting in negative repercussions for the triptych of protagonists. Throughout, Haneke punctuates the action with his unique editing and use of sound. After its Cannes debut, Code Inconnu made its North American premiere at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=201727
I really enjoyed this film -- lots of food for thought.
BEEN RICH ALL MY LIFE/Heather MacDonald
USA,2005, 81 min.
The Silver Belles are one of America's most unusual and inspiring dance troupes. Comprised of five women between the ages of 84 and 96, The Silver Belles are veteran tap dancers and chorus girls who first got to know one another when they performed in some of New York's hottest nightspots during the Harlem Renaissance of the '30s, sharing stages with the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Jimmie Lunceford. The dancers -- Bertye Lou Wood, Cleo Hayes, Elaine Ellis, Fay Ray, and Marion Coles -- toured the country with different shows and entertained American troops in Europe during World War II, but when Big Band jazz fell out of favor and nightclubs stopped using chorus dancers, most of the women took up other work. But the women stayed friends, and in 1985 the retired hoofers decided to put their tap shoes back on. With the help of their manager and friend Geri Kennedy, they've been performing regularly for over a decade, keeping the traditions of jazz dancing alive and challenging stereotypes about the elderly. Been Rich All My Life is a documentary which looks at the illustrious past and surprising present of The Silver Belles, and offers a glimpse at these five remarkable women as they share their love for dance and confront the challenges that still face them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
ยป
I cried during this movie. Nobody noticed cause I sat on the first row but as soon as the film was over I ran to the bathroom and sobbed like a teenager. I was so excited to see these women perform. Will I be able to be so joyous and full of life at 93? I think I will -- my grandma is already 80 and she's still cooking for my spoiled brother. Anyway, we had a Q & A after the screening. The director used to be a New School Student. I hogged the floor till the instructor got pissed and stopped me. I felt like James Lipton.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home