Pedro almodóvar and the vagaries of the combat system
Cannes film festival scored the hurricane pace — and it seems that the beach observers “of the Tape.<url>” this year so no chance. Too many show movies, good and bad, art and realistic — but always, without exception, interesting. In a new diary with La Croisette just three odes to the nature of women — one from Pedro Almodovar.
Denis Ruzaev about Leviathan
“You are all sons of bitches from which there is no benefit,” says at the beginning of the competitive film of the Filipino Brillante Mendoza’s “MA rose” the main character, the same mother, Rosa Reyes, knowing that the bitch from this statement is exactly it. Children (they have four heroines, however, for the next half hour would prove that use of them is still there — rose, living with his family on the social bottom of Manila, in the literal starvation hell sells under the counter his penny stalls methamphetamine and already in the fifth minute of the film will end up busted. Here begins the journey through the circles of hell, shot like an iPhone-Thriller, with the ultimate, not to miss any detail of the class of horror and fear. It could be Filipino “Leviathan”, but Mendoza, even exaggerating, not thicken Paphos: the soul and the camera every five minutes shaking, but it is happening — not pathetic tragedy, not a nightmare session, and the normal order of things, almost sports-minded film about the match “family Reyes against the system”, where at stake is the question of how much you fucked (question of kracany in the process — the Director does not lie — does not rise). In this game, one of the participants (of course, not Reyesi) desperately swindles — but, as a few clever scenes shows Director, torturers, dirty cops and snitches are not less worthy of pity; the winners in this match can not be. Except Mendoza, that’s who definitely knows how even the most speculative in the world to remove the topic sincerely and ruthlessly (last year I wrote how he sonzacate — money shot on one of the Philippine provinces of the movie “the Trap” on the effects of a monstrous hurricane — made humanistic tragedy).
A scene from the movie “MA rose”
Suggests Gabrovski Leviathan, innate social injustice and strong, opposing the system women and today’s another film from the main competition. Moreover, the premiere of “Aquarius” the Brazilian Kleber Filho Mendonca turned into a full political statement. The crew of this film in the company of three dozen of fellow-guests, and with the support of festival Director Thierry Fremaux went on the red carpet with posters “Brazil is no longer a democracy”, “In Brazil there is a coup” and “We will resist”. This, of course, the reaction to the current political crisis with the impeachment of the President-lewicki Dilma Rousseff — and it is characteristic that in the “Aquarius” nearly leftist enough, but by and large, rather directed against any establishment rhetoric.
A scene from the movie “Aquarius”
The bearer of the protest that charge too revealing, intelligent-although quite predictable, the film Mendonca Filho is a woman. In the unfolding at the turn of the 1980s, the prologue of “Aquarius” Clara (the great Sonia Braga, taking into account all the circumstances, so far the main contender for the female acting prize) appears still young, surrounded by her husband, young children, relatives, friends, neighbors — but has already survived breast cancer. In the main, modern part of the film, however, she is already 60 — and most often it is a resounding one: the husband died, the children were grown and gone, and what is especially important for the film, there’s no neighbors. All other tenants of the two-storey coastal condominium complex “Aquarius” have sold their apartment building predatory corporations — but not Clara. Lonely, supported only friend is the housekeeper, Clara goes on the trail of the battle for what he believes, no matter how unequal it may seem this fight. Mendonca Filho, idealist, and he took a very noble movie, an ode to the indomitable even on the threshold of old age Brazilian woman who, in spite of age, nor loneliness, nor your civil battle, always remains first and foremost a woman, a beauty, man. I really thought that the best Filho is given it is personal, not public, is taken already in the prologue the scene where an elderly aunt is still young Clara suddenly remembers love joy of youth, the film subsequently never takes.
Igor Igritsky about impotence “Juliette”
Cannes selectors woke up late, inviting in the competition Pedro almodóvar, whose triumph came in the 80-ies and 90-ies. Once they opened the world of this Spanish magician, but their selection looks more like a fiasco: in the time we had to award, for his great movies. And today? Imagine a movie in which there is no hint of irony. Movie, completely devoid of any humor, not that brand, but generally clean. Movie is serious and sad. No, Almodovar got enough sad episodes in the other tapes, but few Directors as adept could cause laughter through tears — and Vice versa. Well, in recent years, he doesn’t do anything outstanding on their laurels, and than his “Juliet” (although correct to write and say “Juliette” — as in Spanish) was going to win the festival, except a loud name of the author, absolutely impossible to understand. Spanish subversive of the foundations from the very beginning took the audience that it was poetiziruet Vice, mocked the foundations of bourgeois morality, ridiculed strong and sympathized with the poor. Where in his paintings was not the place for any kind of sexual inversions? Where there were no passions, bodies, sex changes, the drop-down skeletons everywhere, all this almodovars carnival?
A scene from the movie “Juliette”
It as a substitute. Yes, he was and still is an excellent designer, his images are saturated, as before, bright colors; he picks up beautiful women as heroines, appeals to the connoisseurs of fine art, classically tells the story competently builds the storyline… But it all looks very strange, not to say trite — for Almodovar. In “Juliet” is quite primitive story: in the beginning we learn that the mother has not seen daughter since her adolescence, approximately from the age of 12, as she disappeared, deciding to start a new life. The flashback we are told, as Juliet once met a girl’s father, got married, everything was fine, but once the father drowned during the storm. Mom fell into a depression, and probably a child some time was not engaged. When my daughter reached adulthood, she just left the house, and did so with great cynicism: not returned from a mountain camp, where mother’s blessing went for spiritual enlightenment. Juliet, therefore, came for his child, the gone. You nor the police nor private detectives, able to find the child in Europe, probably not (although it seems to be Juliet turned to him). Well, lost and okay. Scored all, in short, the only daughter, including relatives, and continue to live your life. And finally, from the girl came a letter that made the mother about her to remember and start scary to experience, although what prevented to do so for many years and look for — is unclear. And it happens in our days, when the history of any man (if he’s not a spy) literally in the palm of your hand. In addition, we are surprised to learn that the grown-up daughter already has three children and is dangling somewhere in Switzerland. Hard to believe, but this scenario Almodovar.
Well, God bless her, with certainty, the artist has the right to realize any fantasies. Suppose it’s a movie about guilt, which destroys relationships between family members: mother and daughter (not saying a word) decided that they somehow could have prevented the death of his father, but didn’t. Even though they could not, in principle, to blame the forces of nature. The role of the Pope, incidentally, is quite stilted, he needed only to refer to the male presence. But why the girl broke all ties? Not only with mom but also with a friend (there is an episode), and who else? Or is it a movie about the dangers of spiritual practices, retreats, causes these quirks with the young? God knows, I with all the love of a great Spaniard, and could not understand why he told me this sad story, but still such a boring language… whether age, whether that is a hundred times sadder, creative impotence befell the wizard. In the end, he wrote his name in the history of cinema, the failures all happen, the Director can be forgiven anything. But why take such a movie on the main world show to the main program — it never occurred to me.
