Lucrezia Borgia and Gennaro

I love Donizetti’s melodramas. They are light-hearted, compared with those heavy weight opera rivals. And the music is often expressive, vivid – emotional, romantic, ever so delightful, never a dull moment through out.

Last night, I watched Lucrezia Borgia again on Sky Art.

Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso d'Este

Sex, blood, love, poison – gruesome yet passionate. This is Lucrezia Borgia, Donnizetti’s masterpiece about one of the most influential families in Renaissance Italy.

It was marvelous to be able to see so many close-ups on screen. Opera is a performing art. It’s not just about singing. The expressions are vital to the roles. Missing out such details can be such a shame.

A few days ago, I was sitting at ENO (English National Opera) with a friend, probably an opera virgin, who got two tickets from a friend of hers with a very small price to pay. The result was we were sitting at the back of the theatre. Nevertheless, I was extremely grateful. Without her, I wouldn’t have come to this show as I hardly knew anything about Lucrezia Borgia.

It turned out that Lucrezia Borgia had not been made into production in London in the last 30 years! And this was the world’s first ever opera broadcast live on 3D.

The main reason I wasn’t keen to see operas at ENO was I had twice bad experience there. First of all, they  sang operas in English and I believe this will hamper the originality – the language itself has its beauty, although I might not be able to understand the words. Then they tried to modernise the operas by injecting some contemporary ideas into the stage design and costumes. That was horrible, too.

Lucrezia Borgia Film

But Lucrezia Borgia took me by surprise. Director Mike Figgis stick to the tradition and in the same time collaborated with a special commissioned film (he directed himself with a different cast) which gave audience a multi-dimensional experience. The film portrayed  Lucrezia’s early life and this added depth to what was shown on the stage. Audience in the theatre might not be able to fully appreciate the innovation of 3D technology. However, it was brave to bring new elements and present them to a wider audience – think about how many people who could not afford the tickets and those who have not got the opportunity to travel to London. What about the younger generation who grew up with latest gadgets and technologies?

The exquisite costumes and stage setting truly captured the grandeur of the Renaissance period in Italy. Not to mention a wonderful cast – Claire Rutter (Lucrezia Borgia, Soprano); Michael Fabiano (Gennaro, Tenor); Elizabeth DeShong (Maffio Orsini, Soprano); Alastair Miles (Alfonso d’Este, Baritone).  Without a doubt, Claire took the stage by storm with her huge stage presence. She sang effortlessly throughout the opera. Towards the end, she pulled off that critical 15 minute long performance with her incredible skills and powerful voice.

The King's Speech

How many of us went through absolute ordeals in places like – lecture halls, board rooms, business meetings, school plays, even just been asked to say a few words on behalf of the department to a leaving colleague.  Not all of us could get words out easily and be eloquent to deliver a speech, a presentation, a show.

It was a nerve racking experience when I gave the first lesson at a primary school in China. I spent long time doing the preparation. I wrote down everything I was going to say and locked myself in my tiny cell at home. I practised, practised, day and night. I practised on my brother and his best friend (our neighbour).  I thought I’d be fine.  But when the day came, I felt sick thinking about having to speak to 56 little kids sitting there and I knew none of them. Plus, my teacher was going to sit at the back marking my performance.

I stared at those innocent little faces and they stared at me with curiosity and anticipation. I did not know how I finished the lesson. But I remember the first few minutes, I was struggling to get words out – I had the most dreadful thought: I CANNOT REMEMBER A THING!

Once I calmed down, smiled and got my first sentence out (nervously), I did not stop talking until the time was up.

King George VI of Britain had a stammer.

I did not know this until recently I came across that part of British history.

During Christmas festive period, JF and I watched the new episodes of Upstairs and Downstairs. Must say they aren’t as good as old series. But good enough to see them back to the screen with a sentimental touch. One episode we saw Wallace Simpson was invited to the party. I told JF that British public did not seem to like that Simpson woman.

So we started a conversation about what happened to the monarch during that time. I was very surprised to find out how little JF actually knew  that part of history. Being a Chinese, I know much more about the romance between the King and the twice divorced American commoner, a socialite. However, neither of us knew much about prince Edward’s brother Bertie apart from the fact that he became the King George VI after Edward abdicated in order to marry Mrs Simpson.

“The 2nd world war was all about Winston Churchill and his victories. The royal family was faded to the background…” JF shrugged.

The King’s Speech focuses on one predicament of  King George VI – Bertie’s stammer. He was tongue tight when he was asked to speak in public, even just read out a script, he failed pathetically. And I believe I was not the only one who genuinely felt the horror, the embarrassment and the humiliation written on Colin Firth’s face. Colin deserves an Oscar for his leading role in this film!

Perhaps most of us could relate ourselves to Bertie. After all, under his regal skin, he was only human. Perhaps it was even worse off than all of us because he had no escape – he was not allowed to shy away from his royal duties to his people. We could change our professions (wittily as Lionel, the speech therapist suggested to the Bertie’s wife, Queen Elizabeth). Bertie had no choices.

It was a long project for David Seidler, who began his thorough research during his university study. The Queen Mother asked him not to get the script published when she was still alive as ‘the memories of these events are still too painful”. What made this film more credible is Lionel Logue’s notes and diaries which had survived.  They became valuable resources to be consulted when the film finally went to the production.

It is a magnificent film to bring us to a King’s journey of conquering his utmost  fear. Brilliantly directly, smartly scripted with that unmistakable British sense of humour and superbly acted by Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.

This could be the film of the year!

P.S. Colin Firth won the best actor at the Golden Globe 2011, the best actor at the Bafta and the Oscar 2011. The King’s Speech was the best film at the Oscar.

Honestly, I was a bit stunned by the body shapes of some actresses in On Tour. I somehow associated burlesque with Dita Von Teese – doesn’t she look gorgeous?! The hour glass figure, the pussy cat pose, the saucy corsage and stockings…….

It’s the burlesque season of the year! There are two films coming out – one (On Tour) is directed by French actor Mathieu Amalric, who is also the leading actor in the film. The other (Burlesque) is a Hollywood blockbuster – Cher and Christina Aguilera are the leading actresses.

No doubt the Hollywood version will be full of cliches -  I don’t listen to Christina’s songs. And I found Cher’s face a bit scary – she’s done too much on her face.

On Tour is different.

Mathieu Amalric

I have seen Amalric in quite a few films in recent years (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Quantum of Solace, Meserine). He has a face that I found impossible to forget – not exactly handsome, but rather quirky, dark and intellectual (strange combination!). It’s a face that can convey unspoken languages and thoughts.

One of my favourite scenes is the flirtation between him and the woman who works at the petrol station. He did effortlessly with his charm and a few simple lines – none of those can you hear in most mainstream Hollywood films. Honestly, I think most scripts from tinsel town made my skin crawl – people don’t talk like that in real life!

All the women who performed burlesque in the film are credible – they are actual burlesque dancers.   The film was shot in a naturalistic documentary style. It might sometimes appear dull for audience who want actions and high power entertainment. However, if you are a fan of French cinema, you will only be drawn by Amalric’s talent – this film gives you more of an insight into burlesque artists off stage every day life.

With On Tour, Amalric won the Best Director Award at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

I knew so little about Gainsbourg before I watched the film.  That was partly because China went through a period of time when western music was banned. Anything that promoted  ‘capitalism’ news, music, films, books. If there was any left for the general public, we knew it was cut and edited. Any intimate scenes in a western film were gone. We saw a man and a woman move their lips towards each other, then ‘cut!’, next scene got nothing to do with bodily contact. So abrupt, it must have been really upsetting and frustrating for some of the audience. I was too young to understand. I thought kisses were supposed to be like that.

Years ago, I saw a documentary about him. It was Gainsbourg live on stage singing a French song that I did not know a word. My first impression: who was that ugly singer? He was sweaty…all that sweats made him look morbid. I switched the channel.

“He was famous.” JF said.

Famous is probably an understatement for such a legend.

But I know so much about his daughter – Charlotte Gainsbourg. I don’t know exactly why I like her so much. She is certainly not a glamorous movie star in Hollywood standard – they most probably will tell her that she needs to get a boob job, then a jaw job to follow before they even think to give her a role.

I know Jane Birkin is her mother, who was the father? Serge Gainsbour, I later discovered on the internet. I googled his songs. “Je t’aime… moi non plus” Oh, yes, the song is so familiar to me. I must have heard so many times on the radio …I only knew it’s a love song. The versions I heard in China weren’t original. They were the ‘clean’ versions, just the music, no words, no deep breathes. I didn’t even know who wrote the music!

“It made to the top 1 in Britain, but of course, not many people understood French…” JF chuckled.

“Je vais et je viens, entre tes reins” (“I go and I come, in between your loins”)

“Tu es la vague, moi l’île nue” (“You are the wave, I the naked island”)

“L’amour physique est sans issue” (“Physical love is pointless”)

(Source: Wikipedia)

Gainsbourg is a wonderful film that brought an ignorant audience like me into his versatile music world with a fantasy-like style and surreal touch. It’s sexy, sentimental, outrageous, beautiful, touching, full of imagination. Joann Sfar captured the spirits of the hero, he created a modern legend.

It was phenomenal how a man with less than unconventional good look conquered the likes of Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot, who had a passionate love affair with Serge. He wrote the song Je t’aime… moi non plus for Bardot. It was a song to express desperation in physical love. It wasn’t released by the time as Bardot’s husband was furious about it. Two years later, Serge collaborated with Jane Birkin (his lover back then). It made an instant hit in Britain. The song was banned in some countries due to its sexual content

Joann Sfar tells a story introducing La Gueule (The Mug), a larger than life character to represent Gainsbourg’s alter ego. Rather than telling plain facts, he chose to present our hero in a comic book fair tale style to celebrate a legend.

Needless to say, another success of the film was the cast – Eric Elmosino bares an uncanny resemblance to Gainsbourg and so does Laetitial Casta to Brigitte Bardot. One of the highlights includes the sexy goddess making a grand entrance in her thigh high leather boots (made a comeback in last winter’s fashion) with a poodle on leash and her sensational singing and dancing ‘Comic Strip’  with just a white sheet around her nude body. Lucy Gordon gave her credible performance to  a shy and fragile Jane Birkin. “Her French accent is excellent, sounds just like Jane Birkin!” JF commented.

The choice of music covers probably the best of Serge’s work. I was amazed by the range of music styles – classical, pop, techno, rock, funk,  raeggae……Was the film really two hours long?

I am Love (Io sono l’amore)

I read some reviews and interviews about this film. Plus, I saw the impressive film trailer. I thought it was a film worth seeing, regardless the fact I wasn’t convinced that Tilda could play the role.

It’s about a Russian woman who married with an Italian man coming from a very rich family in Milan. She fell in love with a cook, her son’s friend. Her love affairs helped her to find her lost identity. She was rejuvenated. The film ended with her son’s accidental death, she confronted her husband and announced her love for Antonio, left the grand residence.

The operatic film style struck somehow empty key notes in this film. It was exquisitely  made – amazing camera work and music throughout the film. But I was getting bored in the first 30 minutes.

Tilda is a talented actress. Her niche lies in roles such as feisty, cold, intelligent, bizarre women, rather than a sentimental, sophisticated and feminine middle aged woman who speaks both Russian and Italian attracting a much younger Italian chef.

She is one of those who has got the perfect body but does not quite translate into sexy languages on the big screens.

She was completely naked in the film. I hardly believe anyone in the cinema felt excited and thrilled. I was yawning half way through the film, trying very hard to stay awake.

Films like this so precisely executed and visually challenged give that very clinical feeling. Where is the essence? Where are the vital ingredients that excite your taste buds? Years ago, when I travelled in Japan, I saw some beautiful cakes and pastries in the bakeries.  I bought some. They didn’t taste great – there is something that Japanese can’t copy.

It was a film that satisfied the creators’ ambitions – something that intelligent film workers always wanted to do. Only left me unsatisfied – I expected much more, not from Tilda Swinton, but from what you can truly call a gem of indies.

Whereas Luca paid homage to his home grown celebrated director Visconti (The Leopard, 1963) (Death in Venice, 1971), I was wondering whether it was fair to call his film shallow. The fact was I was so captivated by Visconti’s The Leopard, I did not even realise that film ran 161-minute long.

I love you Phillip Morris

I don’t know how to rate this film. I went to see it because I am a big fan of Jim Carrey, and I think Ewan McGregor is one of sexiest men on screen that appeal to me.

Jim Carrey:

You either love him, or hate him to guts – you will hate everything I love about him. In real life, he is friendly and behaves pretty normal, according to one of my girlfriend, who saw him at the backstage in an event.

In most of films he played you can see his roots – He did everything he could, move every muscle to attract your attention – something you always see in most standup comedians. Very dramatic and ever changing facial expressions and strong body language.

I remember those days in China: I laughed my knickers off when I saw his performance in the films – obscene, grotesque and pathetic. I could imagine how a little boy was desperately trying to please his audience. He was into acting when he was a child.

Coming back to this film, I think Carrey did his best. Really couldn’t blame him for the low rating of the film. I did laugh for the lines such as:

“Being gay is really expensive.”

Gay love:

Not terribly familiar with gay community. However, having lived in Europe for the last 13 years, I wouldn’t call myself against gays/lesbians. In China, the gay culture had a long history of being underground. At a recent dinner party in London, the hostess L, a charming Chinese lady, told me how the debate went on till early hours next day after she and her German husband H saw a film with some gay content. I assume H is more liberated in the subject whereas L is not.

L would have shut her eyes when she saw those gay intimate scenes. They aren’t that shocking to me – they aren’t much more different from what a heterosexual couple does in the boudoir.

Kinky sex? Nope. No bandage, no chains, no sex toys. I believe a lot of gay/lesbian couples engage themselves in sex within their comfort zones. There is love in the air – the romance between two men. If a man loves a woman,why can’t a man love a man? This film is not a hard-core porno after all. A montage switching from Jim having sex with wife (mechanically) to steaming act with a man was done brilliantly – it was hilarious!

Ewan McGregor:

He was gorgeous in playing a sweet and gentle gay man! In reality, he is a rugged motorcyclist having travelled from London to New York through central and eastern Europe. On screen, he could play straight, gay, bisexual, taking off his clothes completely. At an interview I read years ago, he even admitted his arousal when he was shooting some intimate sequences with leading/supporting actresses. Did they enjoy it? So far, there are no allegations against him! I suppose any women who find Ewan attractive would be flattered by his confession.

In this film, his performance is much more credible as a gay man, compared with Jim, who tried hard to impersonate a gay. Whereas Ewan seemed at ease. He is not typecast for only certain types of roles.

It’s hard to conclude whether the film is worth seeing. Sometimes I just want to unwind in the cinema after having a tough week at work. Jim and Ewan might not have the on screen chemistry to make two love birds look less artificial, this film does have a profound effect on my perception about gay’s love life.

For the first time ever in my life, I felt quite comfortable and natural to see two men kissing each other. Gays are not just about exquisite tastes in fashion, interior design, sports cars and über-tidiness in the household.

The Last Station

Saw the film ‘Last Station’ yesterday. It was the biopic of Leo Tolstoy, the final year of his life. On 7 November, Tolstoy died at the railway station at Astapovo, 10 days after he finally left his wife and their family estate, Yasnaya Polyana.

In China, Tolstoy was seemed as an iconic literature figure, a celebrated writer who was favoured by many intellectuals. Even after the relationship between China and USSR turned cold, Tolstoy was still highly regarded. In China, if you claim that you love literature, you are expected to read War and Peace and Anna Kareninas.  It was on my list, a long list of books I read, which impressed my new literature teacher many years ago. I was 15.

I read his books, watched his plays and films. They were translated into Chinese. But I hardly knew that Tolstoy’s mid-life crisis, which began 30 year before he died.  Tolstoy shifted his literature interest to denouncing fictions and sex, even within marriage.

How interesting…is that one of the reasons that the Chinese communists party did not ban his books after they fell out of the good terms with the Russians? Sex and sex related talks were very much a taboo back then. It was not encouraged to discuss in the public. It was seen as an act of capitalism.

I wouldn’t call the film was a success. Helen Mirren’s Countess Sophia threw those tantrums in the name of love – they looked just so comical. Christopher Plummber’s Leo lack of depth and dimension. But it was hardly their fault. Although the film claimed to be a true account of his final year, it failed to present Michael Hofmman’s ideas – his film is a film ‘about the challenges of love’. The love story between the young secretary and his love interest Marsha did not add much weight as the director intended. I thought it was unreal, childish and shallow. Again, this is probably a common problem when it comes to such a genre. Adding some spices to change the flatness if only they could play such magic.

Having some scenes shot in Germany is also disappointing. Surley you can find birch trees too in Germany. I have been to Russia, it wouldn’t be the same thing.

Watching the cast to play those famous Russians gave me an illusion like I was watching a merchant ivory production. The whole film now seriously lack the  flair that makes it very Russian. However, the film did provide me an insight into Tolstoyan’s movement which was led by villainous Chertkov – something that most Chinese did not know much about. I also read Chertkov’s novels, but knew very little about his role in that movement.

An Education

The film was set in 1961.An intelligent teenager girl in suburban Twickenham was waiting for bus in a downpouring day. A stranger, a soft spoken older man (Peter Sarsgaard), drove by and offered her a ride.

That ride took her home, but also brought her into a world of adult fun and fancy – weekend trip to Paris, classical concerts, smoky jazz clubs, auctions, dressing up glamorously with the help from stranger’s glamorous friend Helen (Rosamund Pike).

I had very little knowledge about the 60’s. When I told a friend that I was going to see An Education, he wasn’t terribly impressed by the sound of it.

“I suppose this is kind of films that you saw before. They are always very similar to each other.” He said.

I laughed. Maybe he was right. I like the coming out of age films. I can see them again and again. If the film is well directed with a strong cast, I would never get bored. What we know about the sixties – feminism, sex revolutions, hippies, Vietnam War.  What about the beginning of that period in Britain?

Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams)

An Education is not a slow film. It is incredibly smooth and upbeat. The plot isn’t complicated. There are a lot of smart dialogues throughout the film. Carey Mulligan played Jenny, a pretty, innocent but rather head strong girl. Carey interpreted so well Jenny’s naivety and intelligence. When she finally got to Paris, she put her hair up and wore a dress with floral prints; she was stunning just like Audrey Hepburn!

Peter Sarsgaard did not present a slimy lady killer. His gentleness, sleepy eyes, even the flirtatious cliche lines with Jenny’s mother seemed all so harmless, light-hearted and boyish lost.  Emma Thompson is the best actress to play the imperious school-mistress.

Helen (Rosamund Pike)

Rosamund Pike perhaps was far too smart to play a beautiful dumb bimbo. Educated in Oxford, Rosamund has this depth in her beauty– pale, sophisticated, feminine, intelligent, witty, very British.

You sit there and wonder where Jenny is heading to and what she will turn out to be. It’s an education about life.

Without a doubt, this could be the best British film of the year 2009.

The film was based on Lynn Barber’s autobiographical essay in Granta Literary magazine. Screenplay by Nick Hornby. Directed by Lone Scherfig.

Trivial: In Lynn Barber’s early career, she was a journalist writing for Penthouse, she also published a book – How to Improve Men in Bed.

P.S:

My friend did see the film himself. I was surprised to hear that how much he enjoyed the film.

An Education (By Lynn Barber)

I just finished reading ‘An Education’ the autobiography of Lynn Barber. A rather thin volume for an autobiography, but quite amusing and insightful about British journalism.

At the hotel reception, he spoke to the receptionist:

“Single room, please.”

“I need to let you know we have a policy for single rooms.”

“What’s that?”

“If your guest stays more than 30 minutes in your room, then we will have to charge you for double room price.”

“30 minutes should be more than enough…”

The September Issue

This documentary tells some interesting stories about a bunch of larger than life editors at Vogue.

Editor in chief Anna Wintour – behind her icy armour, it is her business talent that has been driving Vogue to success.

Grace Coddington, ex-model turned creative director, seemed to eclipse Anna in the film. Her working relationship with Anna, however odd it is, is the compelling driving force at Vogue. In the end, Anna had to put some of  Grace’s ingenious ideas back to the drawing board.

Grace and Anna

I often thought fashion designers predict the trend for the next season.  I was wrong. It is Anna Wintour who influence the fashion industry. She has the final say about what goes to the issue. We, as readers of Vogue,  will probably never have a glimpse over what she has ‘killed’.  I was very surprised to see how those big names so scared of Anna. If she breathed a word like ‘no’, their effort over months would go to the drain.

Some critics claimed that this film failed to probe deeper into Anna’s inner world. I think the film is good enough to prevail what’s behind the glitz of fashion industry.  Do we really want to know more about Anna’s private life? We were told that her father was an editor at Evening Standard and her siblings all engage in rather respectable and more serious jobs.  Anna’s daughter wanted to go to a law school, she did not think a job like her mom’s is serious enough for her.

It is a serious job to run any business into profit.

Anna Wintour is doing a damn serious job.