vineri, 30 iunie 2017
Harvard Positive Psychology Lectures by Professor Tal Ben-Shahar, 10 out of 10
Harvard Positive Psychology Lectures by
Professor Tal Ben-Shahar
10 out of 10
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
These
lectures are life changing, literally.
They are
the most popular in the history of Harvard and that says a lot, given that this
is where the crème de la crème studies.
You can
find one and then the rest of the lectures starting from here:
As the
professor makes clear, a tremendous change took place when Martin Seligman
decided to change the emphasis in psychology.
Up to about
2000, psychology was solely concentrated on taking people from minus six to
zero whereas positive psychology is interested, does research and a lot of
studies in order to find out how to take us from an average point to becoming
Happier.
As you can
learn from these astounding lectures and the books by Tal Ben-Shahar, there are
exercises that you can do to become happier.
From the
gratitude exercises that you could engage in for a few weeks, expressing,
writing things you are grateful for to physical exercise.
As the
professor emphasizes in his twenty-second lecture, exercise works like a wonder
drug, offering the runner’s high and all sorts of positive effects, for we have
been programmed for much more activity that we engage- mostly we do not- in
this day and age.
Tal
Ben-Shahar uses examples from folklore, other luminaries like Martin Seligman,
Nathaniel Brendan, John Gottman and many others and even films like Pay It
Forward, The Dead Poets Society, Woody Allen works.
Ellen de
Generes is a comedian that appears in these courses, with her views on
procrastination, rat race and lack of exercise in today’s world, when we do not
even need to move in order to open the windows of the cars.
Learn to
Fail or Fail to Learn is one of the leitmotifs of these lessons, with the
professor encouraging students to try and fail more, for those who do not fail
are people who did not try, examples like Edison are used as proof.
Two
lectures are dedicated to love and relationships, with educational insight
gained from those who have the happiest marriages or relationships.
John
Gottman is used here as one of the ultimate authorities on marriage and love
and his reference to the ideal 1 to 5 ratio.
For every
five positive exchanges, the happiest couples have a negative inter change,
which shows that they learn to fail or fail to learn- for if there were no
negative (but not violent or aggressive clashes) moments that would mean that
those involved do not inter act…
Words
create Worlds and Be a Merit Finder not a Fault Finder are other quotes that
Tal Ben-Shahar likes to repeat in classes.
Those who
are Merit Finders live longer happier lives than the rest, much like the
positive, optimistic people enjoy the same, with better professional and
private lives when compared with negative or neutral people.
One aspect
that I appreciate a lot in these lessons, apart from their incredible accessibility,
is the fact that tests and research are at the basis of all the propositions,
rules and exercises that are recommended in them.
From the
Pygmalion Effect study, to the Stanford Prison Experiment, through to The Notre
Dame nuns research and on to the amazing Ellen Langer experiment with seventy
years old people that became younger and then also the study on maids that work
in the Hospitality Industry and lost weight when they were made aware of the
amount of calories they burn during their daily intense activity.
There are
also stories that I loved, including the one with the man who goes to the rabbi
for advice on becoming happier and the rabbi tells him to get the horse in the
house and then the poultry, the cow and at the end of this “trial period” take
them all out only to experience a Flow moment or learn the lesson: Be Grateful for what you have.
Self Esteem
has a lecture dedicated to it, with repeated references to Nathaniel Branden,
apparently a friend of Tal Ben-Shahar and a former mentor.
If you do
not love and appreciate yourself, who will? This is part of the message, with
the phony, false appearance of the arrogant explained.
An attitude
like that of the Donald- to which the professor makes no reference, for these
are courses recorded in 2007- is not one reflecting self-esteem, but on the
contrary, someone who is insolent, narcissistic does not have self-esteem.
Beliefs
become self-fulfilling prophecies and Behavior shapes attitude are two other mantras
that are repeated, together with the insistence upon the special effect that meditation
has, tests are mentioned in which lamas have demonstrated incredible
capabilities of controlling the mind, reactions to gunshots and in other circumstances.
These
lectures offer solutions, exercises that will help you become happier and not
just you, but also those around you…
Good Bye Lenin, written and directed by Wolfgang Becker, 8 out of 10
Good Bye Lenin, written and directed by
Wolfgang Becker
8 out of 10
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
Given my
own experience and the wonderful quality of this film I loved this comedy.
It takes
place in East Germany, in 1989.
Some of the
events, jokes and situations are probably harder to understand for someone who
has lived in the free world.
But for the
rest of us, trapped behind the “Iron Curtain”, so much of this film is
painfully familiar, even if some aspects are different.
East
Germany, for all its backwardness when compared with its federal enemy across
the border was far ahead of my country.
In the
film, some of the jokes move around different food items, cans that where in
the communist German shops.
This is
just the point:
-
They had those food cans and
packages
-
Notwithstanding their rudimentary,
unattractive look when compared with the capitalist variety, East Germans could
get them
We could
not.
Whenever
they brought in the empty shops bread, butter, oil and I mean Anything! Long
queues would be formed.
Our tyrant
and regime was crazier, much more like the series of lunatics in North Korea
than the likes of Gorbatchev.
Our mad
fool wanted to pay all the external debt no matter how many went hungry and
died in the process.
So a
certain sad smile is added on the face of a viewer from here, for the
differences between East, West and after 1989 Germanies are striking and still
they belong to a different world from the one in which we suffered over here.
Before 1989
the East German secret police was all too powerful, the STASI would arrest
dissidents and opponents of the regime.
This is
what happens in the film, in 1989, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, that
more many years kept Germans trapped in a dictatorship.
During one
protest, Alex, the young hero of the movie is arrested by the communist
authorities and his mother has a heart attack.
She enters
a coma and only wakes up months later, in a completely different country that
has been liberated in the meantime.
Only the
doctors fear that such a tremendous shock, of losing conscience in the GDR and
waking in capitalist heaven- or hell, depending on political views- some
supporters of Bernie Sanders and the like might prefer socialism- I can only
hope they have the opportunity to experience it- could be too much for Mutter.
So Alex,
his sister and friends create a funny, now obsolete tyranny in which the same
old cans are available- lucky East Germans.
Now that
Coca Cola and all the new, shinning capitalist brands are on the market, the
old labels have disappeared.
So it is
difficult and comical to see the young man and co searching through rubbish and
pealing on and off old communist brands on bottles and jars.
They
organize some funny and phony communist get together with students dressed in
the old uniforms near mother’s bed.
Because she
wants to see the news and the ones available on TV would give away the new
reality, they organize a television set.
And so they
record “Fake News”- as the weird orange Donald likes to call all the real media
that tells the truth but does not praise, but rightly criticizes his crazy
moves-so that mother can hear the old socialist crap.
But there
is only so much that the talented, inventive team can do, for there are events
beyond their control.
At one
point for instance, a huge Coca Cola banner-indeed, what else represents
America, capitalism better? - is installed on a nearby building.
The “Fake
News” teams come up with silly, awkward and humorous explanations that make
this comedy so enjoyable.
Wolf, with Jack Nicholson, directed by Mike Nichols, 9 out of 10
Wolf, with Jack Nicholson, directed by Mike
Nichols
9 out of 10
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
I loved
this film.
Jack
Nicholson is in top form and for this viewer, he not only renders the idea of
the Wolf, but does so with Magic.
It can be a
fabulous experience to watch someone transform himself into a being that can
smell, feel so much better.
Again, one
can watch this Wolf in a key, as a symbol of wild, perhaps real life that
represents not a fantasy, but:
-
An Awakening
The plot in
itself, with the running over with a car, in the snowy forests of an animal
that bites the driver is not the most important thing.
Paramount
is…
-
The Transformation
Jack
Nicholson is absolutely superb as, in the first place the normal,
sophisticated, intellectual Will Randall.
But the
“real horror show”- to use Alex’s expression from A Clockwork Orange- starts
when Randall becomes…
-
Wolf
This is
when the man starts what looks to me like a positive psychology intense course,
with emphasis on
-
Carpe diem
The scene
from the publishing house where Will Randall works will stay in my mind, with
his Awakening or maybe
-
Redemption is the better world
He starts
smelling and feeling with intensity, at the surface because he is an animal
now, with senses that are many times better than human ones.
Apparently,
superficially for me, because I choose to see this as a metaphor and a process
that we can all undertake.
Indeed,
should try because this is where our happiness rests, in Awakening and enjoying
the moments, smelling the roses.
We
generally act as Will Randall before becoming Wolf, navigating through life
without noticing its “Many Splendored Things”.
Of course, I
deliberately exaggerate and with an honest, objective lens I would just insist
on the horror side of the film.
Only that
is of little interest to the under signed and I think the paramount message is
that we need to become Wolves.
Not with
all the trappings of course, without going through parks to kill prey, humans
if need be and attack with the teeth.
To continue
this line of thought I would refer to a psychology classic, the masterpiece by
the genius Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi- Flow
The author
writes in it about peak experiences, being in the zone and how to achieve
levels of maximum happiness.
In my view,
a good lesson in that sense is Wolf and the way he is able to concentrate and
live moments with maximum intensity.
As for the
rest, Wolf meets Laura Alden, portrayed by the resplendent Michelle Pfeiffer
and this becomes a romantic horror show.
But in the
love between woman and this strange centaur-like creature, which is half man
and half wolf, the latter part becoming active at night, what is striking is
the same vigor, passion that is animalic, intense.
Jack Nicholson
shows an evident pleasure in combining his usual detachment, Zen attitude with
the passion, ferocity of Wolf.
The actor
is extraordinary, effervescent and a great pleasure to watch.
miercuri, 28 iunie 2017
Unagi aka The Eel, written (with Daisuke Tengan, Motofumi Tomikawa , Akira Yoshimura) and directed by Shôhei Imamura
Unagi aka The Eel, written (with Daisuke
Tengan, Motofumi Tomikawa ,
Akira Yoshimura) and directed by Shôhei Imamura
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
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and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
Unagi has
won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
And since
this is the most prestigious award of all, if you ask me, it is evident that
this film is exceptional.
The narrative
is both simple and outré.
Takuro Yamashita
is the hero.
Or maybe
the anti-hero, for he commits murder.
Early on.
We see him
at the opening scenes in an office in Japan.
On the
train, he reads an anonymous message:
-
Your wife is cheating on you, when
you go fishing…
And then he
arrives home, where the spouse is asking all the normal questions, including
about his plans:
-
You
are going fishing tonight, isn’t it?
-
Yes
-
I
prepared sandwiches for you…what are you fishing for?
-
Bass…
-
So there will be…here I am not sure…she
said something like sushi or was it surinami…anyway it will not happen
The husband
returns early from his fishing party, after leaving the food prepared by his
wife with his fellow fisherman.
When he
gets home, he stops at the window, with a horrified look that might haunt me
for a few (only?) days.
In the
bedroom, his wife is having wild sex with a man that seemed to me a bit violent
and rough, but it also appeared consensual.
The moaning,
evident excitement and intense pleasure of the woman could not have been but
painful for the husband.
Notwithstanding
his grief, the killing of his wife is of course abominable and it was done with
repeated knife stabs.
The camera
filming the scene is covered in red and so is the anti-hero of these gruesome
moments of violence.
As he is,
with clothes soaked in blood, Yamashita is jumping on his bicycle and rides to
the police station where he surrenders.
Eight years
of prison follow and I thought that he got off easily, for in America he could
have been executed for the same crime.
He even has
a pet coming out of jail, where the guards have pretended it is theirs, for it
was against regulations:
-
Unagi aka the Eel from the title
that is the metaphor for the state of the protagonist, who has this pet because
it cannot talk back and it could also betray a maladapted personality, with feelings
of guilt and other issues
Yamashita opens
a barber shop, but not before displaying some peculiar symptoms, such as
starting running after a group of exercising men, with his pet eel in a bag with
water in his hand…indeed those with him remark about the strangeness of this
individual.
One day,
the killer who has ended a human life has the possibility of saving another, a
woman about to die.
True,
instead of getting to the police, or better still an ambulance, Yamashita gets
a neighbor first, worried about his status.
He is after
all on parole for two years and any incident or trouble with law will return
him to prison in aggravating circumstances.
A relationship
develops between the former convict and Keiko, the depressed young woman who
has attempted suicide.
She starts
working in the barber shop, but it is a complicated evolution, with an attack
of her and further consequences.
An
excellent film, with a special atmosphere, challenging viewers to meditate on
important subjects and think about life and its
-
“Many-Splendored Things"
There Will Be Blood, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, based on the novel by Upton Sinclair, 9 out of 10
There Will Be Blood, written and directed by
Paul Thomas Anderson, based on the novel by Upton Sinclair
9 out of 10
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
There will
be blood is a stupendous chef d’oeuvre.
Alas,
Daniel Day-Lewis, responsible in great part for this achievement, has just
announced he is retiring…
The only
actor to have won three Academy Awards for Best Performances in Leading Roles,
being nominated two more times.
He also has
two Golden Globes and another four nominations, four BAFTAs and two more
nominations…
Daniel Day-Lewis
has an astonishing 135 prizes and a brilliant, supernatural career behind him
and all this:
-
Without Compromises!!
You have never
seen him in stupid fare, destined to smash the box office or just to make
audiences pay tickets.
His work is
hard, thorough, without the usual immersion into the world of cartoon
characters that all his peers engage in.
So in a way
it is regrettable that he has decided to stop while he is a master, God of the
game, but it is also…
-
Commendable!
Instead of
joining the long line of actors that are happy with whatever comes their way- a
script like The Intern- he is better off saying so long.
One of the
Academy Awards won by Daniel Day-Lewis is for his magnificent acting in the
role of Daniel Plainview.
The director
and writer is the equally fabulous Paul Thomas Anderson, winner of 60 prizes
and nominated for…6 Oscars.
He is the
one who gave us Magnolia, Boogie Nights, The Master among others and of course
this exceptional movie.
There Will
Be Blood has an incredible 106 awards, including 2 Oscars and a Metascore of
92, which means that critics loved it.
Daniel Plainview
is not just a hard, obsessive, humorless man; he is a killer and actually makes
two victims.
Nevertheless,
he is a complex character, for he is not just the “bad guy” pure and simple,
there are other sides to this man.
He is hard
working, an entrepreneur that knows no fear and will stop at no obstacle, for better
or worse.
Sacrificing
his private life, he is driven by his thirst for oil that he explores and then
extracts with skill and in difficult circumstances.
Daniel Plainview
could be a role model, in the sense that he may have found his calling and
works without pause.
Only the
dark, murderous side makes it so that he will step upon and eventually kill an
adversary that tries to stop him.
Eli Sunday
is a preacher, although I have doubts over his real calling for the “profession”,
and an adversary.
Daniel Plainview
and the preacher clash, with the former asking at one point for the “repentance”
of the oil man.
As aforementioned,
the obsessive-compulsive would stop at nothing to get his oil and therefore he acts
as asked.
The plot
has various sidelines and threads, as is the case of the supposed brother who
comes to join Daniel Plainview.
There Will
Be Blood is an extraordinary vehicle for a magnificent actor that dedicated
himself to his art…
All the
gratitude for his legacy!!
marți, 27 iunie 2017
Saving Private Ryan, written by Robert Rodat, directed by Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan, written by Robert Rodat,
directed by Steven Spielberg
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
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and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This is one
of the best and most popular movies ever made.
It is at
number 28 on the IMDB list of most popular films:
it has won
five Academy Awards, been nominated for others and won multiple prestigious
prizes around the world.
The film is
also on The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made List:
the story
is overwhelming and believable: the many dead, the horrible violence, bravery
and cowardice have been real.
It is also
an interesting angle, with the Saving of Private Ryan at the forefront, but
with the background of the World War II.
The cast is
formidable:
-
Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore,
Paul Giamatti- one of my favorites, Ted Danson- an outstanding professional,
Dennis Farina- very likeable and good, Bryan Cranston- Breaking Good in a brief
role, Vin Diesel- somebody I do not care much for and so many other excellent
actors…
And the
director is Steven Spielberg, showing here that he can create anything and he
really is one of the best…
The introduction
is gruesome, but one of the best entries there ever was, with the invasion of
Normandy.
June 6th,
1944 as it was, with many soldiers killed, acts of bravery but also the dark
side of war that involved murder.
In one
scene, some American soldiers advance towards Germans that evidently want to
surrender, with hands up.
The “good
guys” keep shouting to their enemies and these answer in…German, but it is not
good enough and they are killed.
Unjustified
and to make matters worse, if that is even possible, the murders mock their
victims with…”look, we cleaned ourselves for dinner.
Captain Miller
aka Tom hanks is witnessing this and so many other outrageous deaths, violence
throughout the film.
He used to
be a teacher of English in his civilian life, but he now has to cope with
attempts at desertion and mainly… the Nazis.
The mother
of Private Ryan has to receive three letters of condolences, for three of her
sons killed in battle.
When they
notice this, officials in the Army decide to try and Save the only remaining
son, given that this mother has had enough sacrifice in the family.
So they
send a team, led by Captain Miller, to extract Private Ryan and send him home
from the front.
It is not
just a difficult task, for on the way soldiers are killed- and spoiler alerts
are not needed for that, because it makes sense, doesn’t it? - and at times all
hell breaks loose, with acts of heroism and cowardice.
I thought
that the take on this war was extraordinary in that it showed real life and
what happens, not the fairy tales that are made up
At one
point, one member of the team is really scared and as a consequence he cannot
even move from the spot where he is.
If he did,
he could save the life of one of his mates, engaged in a life or death struggle
with the enemy.
But this
anti-hero sits there on the steps leading to where his fellow soldier was
giving his life for country and freedom.
And the
audience can realize that this is a different film, for in other takes, heroes
simply destroy the enemy.
Our side is
better, always ready to shoot and kill, fly from danger and always shooting
down the enemy tank or plane.
In this
magnificent film we learn that it does not always work that way and heroes
fight alongside ordinary men…
The Earrings of Madame de…, based on the novel by Louise de Vilmorin, directed by Max Ophüls
The Earrings of Madame de…, based on the novel
by Louise de Vilmorin, directed by Max Ophüls
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
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and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This is a
very good romantic comedy.
And you can
find it on The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies ever Made List:
the
director, Max Ophüls was one of the most acclaimed filmmakers…
-
Lola Montes, La Ronde, Le Plaisir
and The Earrings of Madame de…are among the most appreciated movies
Charles Boyer
is also a glorious actor.
He is
sophisticated, majestic, at times flamboyant, aristocratic in manner,
charismatic and able to play both sides.
He has been
a perfect villain in the recently viewed and noted on Gaslight, but he can act
in comedies perfectly:
-
Barefoot in the Park is the perfect
testimony
As for his
opponent in The Earrings of Madame de…, Viitorio de Sica is one of the Gods of
cinema, with an impressive career as actor…
But he is
also sure to be included in the history of motion pictures for the masterpieces
that he has directed:
-
Bicycle thieves for instance is
among the best movies ever made, perhaps among the best five
-
Two Women, The Gold of Naples,
Umberto D., Shoeshine, The Garden of Finzi- Continis, Marriage Italian Style
and others are also among the best ever made films!
Charles Boyer
is Général André de... and he is married to the Comtesse Louise de…
In the
first stages of the narrative, the Comtesse is trying to sell her earrings.
And as the
title suggests, these jewels will be one of the important personages of the story
and they will change hands.
The jeweler
is offering a good sum, since they are not just diamonds, but have been bought
from his own shop.
Nevertheless,
he announces the baron, especially given the circumstances under which their
loss has been announced.
Because they
were a present from the general, the wife makes up a lie about their being lost
on the way to the opera.
Given their
immense value, a theft is not excluded and this is when the Jeweler thought it
better to talk to the general.
The latter
buys the earrings- again- and then he makes them a gift, but…not to his own
wife, but to a mistress.
This one is
departing from Istanbul, where she engages in roulette games where she loses
everything and has to sell the jewels.
Enter the
stage the Baron Fabrizio Donati, portrayed by Viitorio de Sica, the man who
buys the earrings.
He meets the
Comtesse Louise de… and is fascinated and a relationship is developing between
the two.
She even
faints at one hunting party, when she sees with binoculars that the baron has
fallen from his horse.
It is also
an amusing incident, for the husband is reproaching the duration of the faint,
which was inappropriate:
-
Keep your lapses short my dear
Throughout the
film, the parties involved act with incredible politeness and extraordinary
restraint, up to when duel is in question.
This viewer
was often tempted to quote:
luni, 26 iunie 2017
The Jane Austen Book Club, written and directed by Robin Swicord, based on the book by Karen Joy Fowler
The Jane Austen Book Club, written and directed
by Robin Swicord, based on the book by Karen Joy Fowler
8 out of 10
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This is a
fine, rather sophisticated romantic comedy- drama.
It is not
just about insight into the psychology of suffering women, but we also have
analysis, various takes on…Jane Austen
We have a
series of interesting characters, most of them women dealing with some sort of
deception or failure in their lives.
Maria Bello
has the role of Jocelyn, who is a dog breeder and I recognize the type for my
wife is a borzoi owner that I try to convince to limit the number to the five
we had.
Amy Brenneman
is Sylvia, married to Daniel and Allegra’s mother.
One fine
day, her husband comes home and says that he cannot lie any longer and he is
moving in with another woman.
After many
years of what was supposed to be a happy marriage, Sylvia is depressed and her
friends try to change that.
Therefore Bernadette
and Jocelyn come up with the idea of a book club to distract the abandoned
woman.
Jocelyn meets
with the younger Grigg, who is a fan of science fiction literature, but is
willing to read Jane Austen.
So he
becomes he only man in the club with six other women members.
They meet
in each others’ homes and when Grigg’s turn is up, he offers a gothic, haunting
show for the scared company…
-
What do you do for Halloween, if you
did all this now?
-
Oh, Halloween is very different
Jocelyn tries
to make the young man interested in Sylvia, or at the very least take her out
for lunch and distract her.
Instead of
experiencing PTSD- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- Sylvia has to try PTG- Post
Traumatic Growth.
Alas, when
it seems to work and Grigg and Sylvia talk and appear to have a great time,
both Jocelyn and Daniel are not overjoyed.
As a matter
of fact, we learn that Daniel had dated Jocelyn, gave her first puppy and then
Jocelyn passed him on to Sylvia…
-
She traded your husband for a dog?
Well, more
or less.
Allegra has
her own misfortunes, but they involve a woman, not a man, for she is a lesbian
and experiences a break up.
Emily Blunt-
an actress that I like- is Prudie Drummond, yet another woman unsatisfied with
her married life.
When her
mother dies, at the funeral, her spouse is talking to a hot, sexy woman and
Prudie is very upset.
In the
following heated exchange, she accuses the man of wanting to hump that bitch
there at the funeral…
He protests
that he just talked to one of her friends…Friends? That woman only came because
it was a funeral and she wanted to see me suffer and down, she has always hated
me…
So Prudie
is on the point of having an affair with one of her students, realizing very
well it is inappropriate…
On the
other hand, Madame Macron, even if she had been the mother of three and
married, went on to marry the man who is now…the president of France and…more
than twenty years her junior(?)
There are
interesting quotes from Jane Austen- which has her Pride and Prejudice listed
on the list of Best 100 Books Ever Written:
And various
analysis, takes on characters from her books, a discussion on why the author
did not marry and much more.
Very good
film
Barcelona, written and directed by Whit Stillman
Barcelona, written and directed by Whit
Stillman
10 out of 10
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This is one
of the best comedies that I know.
It is definitely
one of my favorites.
Sophisticated,
modern, fresh, sparkling, witty and unusual.
It is funny
throughout and at the beginning we meet the protagonists, Ted, who is a regular
man involved in sales and his visiting, outré cousin who talks to some women, at
a disco where he describes his relative:
“Fred: He's not at all the way he seems. He
might seem like a typical American, like a big unsophisticated child, but he's
far more complex than that. Have you ever heard of the Marquis de Sade? Ted's a
great admirer of de Sade. And a follower of Dr. Johnson. He's a complex - and
in some ways dangerous - man. He has a serious romantic illusion problem. Women
find him fascinating. His nickname is "Punta de Diamante" - point of
a diamond. You see that odd expression on his face? Under the apparently very
normal clothes he's wearing are these narrow leather straps drawn taut so that
when he dances...”
And the
dialogue keeps the same tone, with interesting propositions, challenging
stories and metaphors on almost everything, from love to NATO, from the anti-Americanism
of the moment to…pretended sadism.
The aforementioned
lie about Ted will become somehow part of the folklore, making him more interesting.
-
“Fred: You think wedding vows are
going to change everything? God, your naiveté is astounding! Didn't you see
"The Graduate"?
-
Ted: You can remember "The
Graduate"?
-
Fred: Yeah, I can remember a few
things. Apparently you don't. The end? Katharine Ross has just married this
really cool guy - tall, blond, incredibly popular, the make-out king of his
fraternity in Berkeley - when this obnoxious Dustin Hoffman character shows up
at the back of the church, acting like a total asshole. "Elaine!
Elaine!" Does Katharine Ross tell Dustin Hoffman, "Get lost, creep.
I'm a married woman"? No. She runs off with him - on a bus. That is the
reality.”
As proved
by the above quotes, Fred has a different view, outrageous and hilarious most
often on various subjects.
Including The
Graduate and jazz, on the latter he says: “My
jazz rule is: If you can't dance to it, you don't want to know about it.”
In can
appear as a bit thick and indeed, when they have another exchange, it is: Marta:
“You seem very intelligent for an
American…Fred: Well, I'm not.”
And if not
all the lines contain the same level, which is impossible and
counterproductive, most of the lines are sparkling
When they
talk about positive thinking, Ted remarks that it makes him depressed and he
does suffer a sort of Awakening.
He is a
stuffy, “Bible dancing, goody- goody”
in the words of the same, inventive cousin who has other interesting ideas.
Fred claims
that the anti-Americanism has roots in sexual impotence, which is preposterous I
guess, but so is the exaggerated, violent, murderous attitude of so many opponents
of America at the time, many of whom were in Spain.
At a party,
there is another moment that I thought hilarious, when Ted is trying to make an
analogy with…ants.
-
“Well, take... take these ants. In
the U.S. view, a small group, or cadre, of fierce red ants have taken power and
are oppressing the black ant majority. Now the stated U.S. policy is to aid
those black ants opposing the red ants in hopes of restoring democracy, and to
impede the red ants from assisting their red ant comrades in neighboring ant
colonies.”
To which
Ramon, a man that seemed pretentious, arrogant and stupid in his outrageous
stand against anything America, protests vehemently.
But Fred,
with his complex personality that proved he can be astonishingly creative,
humorous and likeable and then soon after silly, naïve and provocative, has a
final, excellent point:
-
Fred: Where are the red ants?
-
Ted: [pointing to an ant hill] There….[Fred
crushes the ants]
And there
are so many more gems, including the moment when Fred is told about Americans,
who are more violent and he denies it, with the woman continuing and
emphasizing the number of victims killed in shootings…”Oh, shootings, yes. But that doesn't mean Americans are more violent
than other people. We're just better shots…”
And there
is more on Communicating Across Cultures: “You
see, that's one of the great things about getting involved with someone from
another country. You can't take it personally. What's really terrific is that
when we act in ways which might objectively be considered asshole-ish or
incredibly annoying... they don't get upset at all. They don't take it
personally. They just assume it's some national characteristic.
Fred: Cosa de gringos.
duminică, 25 iunie 2017
Schneider vs. Bax, written, directed by and starring Alex van Warmerdam
Schneider vs. Bax, written, directed by and
starring Alex van Warmerdam
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This is a
very interesting Dutch film.
We are
lucky to have such fare on the five HBO channels that we have available- ever
since Netflix moved in town.
Competition
can produce miracles.
Schneider vs.
Bax is a thriller with a twist.
We have the
familiar story of a killer, assigned a target.
But this
could be about all that comes “naturally”.
Because Schneider
does not want to do the job.
And I think
it is unusual to call the killer on his birthday.
Surrounded by
family, the hit man says no, but he is convinced by Mertens, the employer.
He has a
Skoda that he drives to his “office”.
This is
where he keeps a Volkswagen van and the tools of the trade.
Ramon Bax is
a writer and lives in a secluded place.
He is
therefore an accessible target.
Schneider takes
the van, after he uses some disguise.
As he is
assessing the location, he is approached by a guard.
On the
phone with Mertens, the killer is very upset:
-
You did not tell me about this being
a reservation
-
I was stopped by a guard and now I
have to go back
-
But why?
-
I have to use another disguise…you
didn’t know I am using disguises?
Ramon Bax
is not the most likeable victim, one that we would feel sorry for…
He is in
the company of a woman, Lucy, towards whom he is very offensive, telling her to
leave quickly.
His daughter
is coming and when the lover protests that she is also important, she is told
to be out in 10 seconds.
The viewer
almost wishes to see Schneider walk through the door and teach the old
chauvinist pig a lesson…
When the
daughter comes, she does not get an answer at the door and when she looks
around the house, the father is on the toilet.
All sorts
of personages make an appearance, from Bax’s father and his really young
girlfriend to Gina, who is taken prisoner by Schneider.
Lucy comes
back with a friend, to take her things and she meets with her much older lover,
Bax, who is upset:
-
Is this the friend who can take care
of me with a finger?!
-
Yes
So Bax, who
is in turn a sort of killer himself, shoots a finger off the hand of the
outraged and freaked out young man.
The grandfather
turns out to be a weirdo, outré if not totally outlandish and despicable man
that suffers a tragic fate.
All sorts
of unexpected incidents take place and this is a comedy drama, with victims
when we expect nothing and laughter when we see a death in the script.
Gina, the
kidnapped middle aged woman is sent as a messenger to the Bax house, where the
daughter answers the door.
The prisoner
is on the run and says something like- “look, I gave you the message and I have
to go know…
-
Look at my ankle, if I do not return
now, he will blow me off…
A good entertainment,
8 out of 10.
Flirting with Disaster, written and directed by David O. Russell
Flirting with Disaster, written and directed by
David O. Russell
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
Flirting
with Disaster is a fabulous comedy.
The creator
of this film is David O. Russell
And he is
behind other great achievements like:
-
Silver Linings Playbook, American
Hustle and the little less significant for the under signed- Joy
There is a
pattern that we can discover in the films of the writer- director.
And that is
motion films that are creative, unpredictable, somewhat chaotic and at times
crowded with characters.
But when
there is a cast like in this movie, it is all an exquisite pleasure:
-
Ben Stiller as Mel Coplin, Patria Arquette
as his wife, Nancy; Tea Leoni as Tina Kalb, George Segal as Ed Coplin, Mel’s
adoptive father; Alan Alda as the real father of Mel, Richard Schlichting with
Lily Tomlin as his wife, Richard Jenkins as Paul Harmon, the gay partner of
Agent Tony Kent, played by Josh Brolin…
Mel Coplin
wants to find his biological parents and for that he pays for the services of
an agency that tracks them down.
The agent
is portrayed by the gorgeous Tea Leoni and at a certain stage, Mel is on the
point of having an affair with her…
I guess no
spoiler alerts are needed, given that the construction of this narrative
implies so many surprises that they cannot all be mentioned here…
Even if I
tried.
Nancy is
the outré wife of Mel, but then everybody is unusual, to say the least, on this
Ship of Fools that navigates through America.
Tina, the
agent wants to film the reunion between Mel and his mother and for the “rights”
to this action she will pay the bill.
Only things
get complicated.
-
“Agent Tony: Do you mind if I look
at your armpit?
-
Nancy Coplin: My armpit?
-
Agent Tony: It's my favorite part of
a woman's body.”
This is
just one example on this joy ride that first stops at the address of the
presumed mother that turns to be a case of mistaken identity.
Along the
way, they meet with two federal agents, Paul Harmon and Tony Kent, who live
together as gay partners.
Only the
latter gets interested in Nancy, with whom he has the aforementioned scene that
is witnessed by her husband:
-
“Mel: [to Agent Tony] You got a lot
of nerve. You come in here, you lick my wife's armpit. You know... I'm going to
have that image in my head for the rest of my life with your tongue in there.
-
Nancy Coplin: You deserve it.”
After quite
a long, humorous journey, they finally reach the home of the biological parents
that are called:
-
“ Mrs. Coplin: [hearing the name
Schlichting on the phone] The Shit Kings?”
And these
parents, portrayed by Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin are such figures as revealed by
this dialogue:
-
“Mel: You made LSD? Is that what
you're saying?
-
Richard Schlichting: We made LSD…
-
Mary Schlichting: It's really the
only hope for the species.
-
Mel: Did you take acid while you
were pregnant with me?
-
Mary Schlichting: You're not gonna
bring that thing up, are you?
-
Richard Schlichting: You know the
stuff they tell you about, you know, chromosome damage and all that stuff?
-
Mel: Yeah, I do!
-
Richard Schlichting: That's
government propaganda.
-
Mary Schlichting: Total propaganda.
-
Richard Schlichting: They just want
to get a hold of your head, that's all.
-
Mary Schlichting: I was relieved,
though, when you came out in the hospital and you only had one head.”
A splendid
comedy- 8 out of 10
sâmbătă, 24 iunie 2017
The Ballad of Cable Hogue, written by John Crawford and Edmund Penney
The Ballad of Cable Hogue, written by John
Crawford and Edmund Penney
A different
version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This is a
very good comedy- drama
It is included
on The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made List:
The director
is Sam Peckinpah.
And he has
been involved with a classic- The Wild Bunch- and a number of other motion
pictures that are remarkable
-
Straw Dogs- twice, with two
different versions- Junior Bonner- also included on The New York Times’ Best
Movies list
Jason Robards
has the leading role of Cable Hogue.
And he is
one of the best actors I have seen…
-
All the President’s Men, Julia, Once
Upon a Time in the West are just a few examples…
At the
start of the film, we have the dirty, bad looking hero in the middle of the
desert, looking at a reptile.
He talks to
it, saying something about the fact that it is its bad luck that it is made up
of half meat and half water.
And then
the poor creature is blown to bits by a shot gun that was used from a short distance
by a cowboy.
Two men are
nearby and the hero addresses them as Taggart and Bowen and Cable Hogue has a
moment of superiority.
But instead
of using it to disarm or even blow away people that he knew and stated that are
villains, he loses the upper hand.
When the
two scoundrels have their guns in their hand, they disarm Hogue and force him
to remain in the desert.
This looks
not only like murder, but torture on top of it, because with no water and the
horse taken from him, the poor man will suffer and die.
Only he
finds a hole with water, that means he is saved and then he is next to the path
of the diligence.
When it
comes by, the men driving it offer a bottle with what I presume is whiskey and
a ride to town, which is twenty miles away.
Cable Hogue
understands that he is half way between two small cities, twenty miles each way
and there is no water in between.
So instead
of taking up the offer, he quickly understands the value of what he has found
and returns to dig the water out.
His first
customer is quickly dead, because he not only refused to pay the 10 cents asked
for the water, but also pulls a gun at Hogue.
Preacher Joshua
is the next to come and they will remain close throughout the narrative and
suggests that the land should be registered with the authorities so that other
claimants could not take it away.
When Cable
Hogue goes to town and in other moments, there are humorous exchanges, one of
which reveals that the hero does not know how to read or write and furthermore,
he does not even know how to spell his name…with le or el is the question to
which the man has no answer…
In this
town he meets the woman that he will eventually become infatuated with, Hildy,
who is selling her body.
The start
of their relationship is not under the best auspices, seeing as Cable takes a
bath, a massage and when they are supposed to consummate their initial client –sex
worker arrangement, the man gets out the door.
On top of
that, he does not pay and makes Hildy mad, with a series of objects being thrown
towards the insolent, bad customer.
Cable Hogue
becomes rather rich, after he invests $ 100 – which could be the equivalent of
half a million dollars in today’s money- into his two acres of land, on which
he builds a sort of eatery, at each he says when asked that he serves snake
combined with prairie rat and other unusual meats that disgust customers.
The Ballad
of Cable Hogue is a pleasant entertainment.
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