Reviewing an old post that never got published. This was back in June 2017 and, for whatever reason, I guess life got in the middle and stopped me from writing.

This is what I wrote…and it feels so relevant right now after #blackouttuesday and #blacklivesmatter

Best day of the week arrives (Friday) and, somehow, I know that I definitely want to watch the latest documentary about Whitney Huston (the 1st of many), “Can I be me?” – apparently one of her favourite quotes ever. What I don’t know it’s how the hell I managed to choose Baywatch out of the other choices available to watch??? Since late April (2017), I’ve come up with this double bill Friday evenings. It something I really look forward to during the week. But, Baywatch? C’mon!!! I will explain later… Continue reading ““Can I be me & Baywatch” – “Whitney Houston y los Vigilantes de la playa”” →

First of all, long live French cinema and why not also long live Juliette Binoche. I’ve just seen this movie and I’m totally petrified. It left me speechless, because I still don’t know if what I just saw it is a horror movie or a modern satire about social media, or a mix of both.

Few actresses are more versatile and brave than Juliette Binoche. She doesn’t dare anything. Off the top of my head, I can name Rachel Weisz (“Disobedience”) and Julianne Moore (“Boogie Nights”). And, in different league, there is Cate Blanchett; sorry Cate, but here you fall short. She is more ethereal, she is in the Olympus of the goddesses and the other 3 (including the Binoche) are more mundane and lustful. I mean someone who  give their everything, literally and figuratively (body and soul).

I was going straight to sleep, but this movie has messed me up. It has been a while since a movie managed to shake me up this way. I’ve been glued to the screen, almost without blinking. I have to go back to “Notes on a Scandal” to come any closer to the way I felt tonight. Back then, I had the courage to take my mother to the cinema to see a movie in which Judi Dench was outrageously hitting on Cate Blanchett and they were both school teachers and Cate’s character also slept with a 15-year-old student. For those of you who don’t know, my mother was a school teacher and specifically she was my gym teacher. I must admit that I’m nothing but original, because I’ve never had such worse time watching a movie.

No more digressing… going back to “Who you think I am”. The film talks about the social media phenomenon and follows a middle aged woman who has some unknown trauma as she visits her new psychotherapist. I haven’t been this embarrassed in a long time and, at the same time, so immersed in a movie. Thank God for the lockdown that allows me to fully enjoy a story without the typical late-comers and chatters or those who eat popcorn like animals… it’s all about silver-linings. I have fully immersed myself in the story, it has captured me from the beginning and I did not know what was reality and what was fiction, without revealing too much of the plot.

Juliette Binoche is Claire, a university professor who, after being dumped by her young partner, decides to open a fake Facebook profile to keep track of him. What she does not expect is to get attached to another twenty something boy (Alex), friends with Ludo (the ex). That’s where the awkwardness begins, the hysterical laughters and the “oh my god, she won’t be able to…”. When you are able to suppress your disbelieves, then anything seems possible even if it’s ridiculous. You let yourself go and you get much more into the story. I freaked out a lot…

The film takes us through a series of plots to see how she avoids meeting him in person, because obviously, she’s not 24 years old nor is she who she claims to be. Juliette, as always, divine … because every time I see her in front of me, I believe everything she does. Above all, it has helped me to practice my French and try to watch the subtitles as little as possible.

I find it incredible that its rate is a poor 6.8 on IMDb because it shook me and woke me up when I thought it was going to be the typical story of Binoche, très French and very chic. But it’s so much more, it’s almost thriller without being scary and you have a great time and laugh a lot. It comes in handy to release adrenaline and unsettle cinephiles who only expected a quiet movie for Thursday night.

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Lo primero, viva el cine francés y por qué no también viva Juliette Binoche. Acabo de ver esta película y me he quedado totalmente petrificada. Me ha causado una profunda impresión, porque todavía no sé si lo acabo de ver es una película de terror, una sátira moderna sobre las redes sociales o una mezcla de las dos.

Pocas actrices hay más versátiles y valientes que Juliette Binoche. Se atreve con todo. A bote pronto se me ocurren Rachel Weisz (“Disobedience”) y Julianne Moore (“Boogie Nights”). Y en otra liga está Cate Blanchett, lo siento Cate, pero aquí no damos la talla. Ella es más etérea, está en el Olimpo de las diosas y las otras 3 (incluyendo a la Binoche) son más terrenales y carnales. Me refiero a alguien que se desnuda literal y figuradamente. En cuerpo y alma, vaya. Lo dan todo.

Me iba a ir a dormir, pero esta película me ha dejado trastocada. Hacía tiempo que una película no conseguía removerme de esta manera. He estado pegada a la pantalla, casi sin pestañear. Me tengo que remontar a “Diario de un escándalo”. Con un par, me llevé a mi madre al cine a ver una película en la que Judi Dench le tiraba los trastos a Cate Blanchett descaradamente; las dos eran profesoras de colegio y la segunda se acostaba con un alumno de 15 años que se enamoraba de ella. Para los que no lo sepáis, mi madre era profesora de colegio y en concreto fue mi profesora de gimnasia. He de reconocer que soy original hasta para eso, porque no lo he pasado peor viendo una película en mi vida.

Que divago…, volviendo a “Clara y Claire” (por cierto, la traducción fetén como siempre – nada que ver con el original “La que crees que soy”), la película retrata el fenómeno de las redes sociales y sigue a una cincuentona con algún tipo de trauma que vamos conociendo a medida que visita a su nueva psicoterapeuta. Hacía siglos que no estaba tan incómoda y no sentía tanta vergüenza ajena. Y a la vez tan inmersa en la película. Bendito confinamiento que me permite disfrutar completamente de una historia sin los tocapelotas de turno que llegan tarde al cine y se ponen a comentar la película o que comen palomitas como animales…, todo tiene su lado bueno. Me he metido completamente en la historia, me ha capturado desde el principio y no sabía qué era realidad y qué era ficción, sin revelar demasiado de la trama.

Juliette Binoche es Claire, una profesora de universidad que, después de ser abandonada por su joven partenaire, decide abrir un perfil falso en Facebook para seguirle la pista. Lo que no espera es pringarse por otro chaval (Alex) de veintitantos amigo de Ludo (el ex). Ahí empiezan las situaciones incómodas, las risas histéricas y los “ay dios mío, no será capaz”. Cuando puedes dejar de pensar que es imposible que pase todo lo que pasa, te dejas llevar y te metes mucho más en la historia. He flipado mucho…

La película nos va llevando por una serie de situaciones y cómo evita quedar con él, porque obviamente, ella no tiene 24 años ni es quién dice ser. Juliette, como siempre, divina…porque, cada vez que la tengo delante, me lo creo todo. Encima me ha servido para practicar mi francés e intentar mirar los subtítulos lo menos posible.

Me parece increíble que sólo tenga 6,8 en IMDb, porque a mí me ha dejado con ganas de despedazarla y discutirla. Me ha desvelado, cuando pensaba que iba a ser la típica historia de la Binoche, très francesa y con mucho gusto. Pero es mucho más, es casi un thriller en el que te lo pasas teta y te ríes un montón. Viene bien para liberar adrenalina y para descolocar a cinéfilas que sólo esperaban una peli costumbrista tranquilita para la noche del jueves.

 

What a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than going to see a movie, and how cinematic too. I didn’t chose the best theme, because I left the cinema shocked and disgusted. After checking 3 different billboards, I ended up going to Picturehouse Central to see “Boy erased”; and, I still cannot believe that someone can take religion and use it to justify atrocities such as trying to change people’s sexual orientation.

Today, the international LOVE day, I think of another film that I didn’t talk about when I watched – “Call me by your name”. Coming from a believer, God loves us all equally. It is mankind who allows themselves to distort and twist the meaning of the word LOVE. We manipulate it and use it as we wish. Sometimes, I think the worst thing in the world is the human being and then I remember, thanks to films like this one, that there’s still hope for me and not all is lost. Continue reading ““Head & tails” – “Cara y cruz”” →

 

Yes guys, don’t worry, it’s just that! It might not be for us but it certainly is for one of the characters. What stroke me the most was the fact that this film had been directed by a 27 year old gus whose name is Xavier Dolan. Other than the fact that it won the grand prix at the last Cannnes film festival, it didn’t mean much to me as I haven’t seen any other of his films (now I’m dying to).

So up to here, we’re good. If you add up the casting: the outrageous/talented/attractive Vincent Cassel, Léa Seydoux & Marion Cotillard without forgetting about Gaspar Ulliel (he reaches his maturity with this role). You better be prepared for an unforgettable experience for sure.  Continue reading ““It’s only the end of the world” -“Sólo el fin del mundo”” →