Author: Colin
Not quite the ‘happy hooker’
Earlier critics of this surprisingly accessible piece by Luis Buñuel have been guilty of referring to the film as a whole as ‘sexy’, even ‘erotic’ and to the quite lovely Catherine Deneuve as ‘an icy beauty’, ‘frigid’ or a ‘steely beauty’.
It may be just me but I think they miss the target in a spectacular fashion on all counts. That Ms Deneuve makes the title role her own is not in question, nor is the fact that a good portion of the film is set in a Parisian bordello. The point that many seem to have bypassed is the reasons why having her walk around in some quite jaw-dropping costumes is essential to the narrative.
Author: Marc
Spread ‘em
Last Tango in Paris (1972) is perhaps the most talked-about film in cinema history, thanks mainly to a certain scene involving a dairy product. So, what more could I add that hasn’t been said already? OK, here goes…
Bernardo Bertolucci (writer-director) and Marlon Brando (star) stand accused of altering the face of an art form (Pauline Kael did so). Last Tango in Paris was banned in many countries, including the director’s homeland (Italy) as well as Spain and Canada. In England, the anal sex scene had to be shortened – I see this film as a natural progression following the defeat of chief prosecutor Mervyn Griffith-Jones in the UK censorship case (1960) against D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
Author: James
Sky blues
We always welcome new blood at Picturenose – our good friend Marc Bacon casts his eye over Bernardo Bertolucci‘s The Sheltering Sky (1990). Take it away, Marc! 
Bernardo Bertolucci’s noble effort to preserve in celluloid the fantasia of what was in Paul Bowles’s mind was always going to be an ambitious project. The base story, however, is as old as the hills. Guy likes girl, girl not sure. Hmmm – we are living in an age of tragedy, but we refuse to recognize it.
Author: James
Not-so-OK computer
It’s an underrated and, these days, little-viewed classic is Joseph Sargent‘s Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), which is probably why Hollywood, as we speak, is planning the customary big-budget remake starring, surprise surprise, Will Smith. I’ll make no comment as to what a mess Smith’s last sci-fi epic I Am Legend (2007) was, or how the notion of remaking this is probably as good an idea as the 2008 Keanu Reeves-starring version of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) turned out to be, because that would be petty. No, I will simply concentrate on just how good Sargent’s film is, and let Picturenose readers make up their own minds as to how much we really need mark two, fair enough?
Author: James
Ghost in the machine
“A remarkably creepy and subtle evocation of dread, from a typically nuanced Nigel Kneale script. What if ghosts are simply ‘data’ that need to be better categorized? That’s just what a team of computer specialists, on the trail of a new recording medium, attempt to do when they discover that the old mansion in which they are conducting their work is haunted by the phantom of a Victorian maid. Unfortunately, they discover too late that a rational explanation does not mean an end to the terror…drama as it should be done and, sadly, we’ll probably never see its ilk on British TV again.”
Author: James
Poetic justice
I was feeling nostalgic again, nostalgic for the kind of horror films with which I grew up, which were hugely influential in the growth of my celluloid obsession and on which I have previously opined – with that in mind, I thought I would share my thoughts on a film that I consider to be one of the best produced, written, acted and directed of the full-blooded horrors that could have only been made in the 1970s, namely Theatre of Blood (1973), by Douglas Hickox, which I have already given a nod to in my 10 Best Horror Films.
Author: Agata
Silence is golden
Movies have undoubtedly changed since the 1920s – sound and colour entered the scene, later on special effects followed and three dimensions as well. Most importantly, the means of expression has changed. Dialogue now plays the main role, often undermining the simple technique of acting – using the artist’s face, gestures and posture to express the feelings. What model, other than the silent movie, showed the characters’ emotions in their purest form, undisturbed by special effects and dialogue? Following that logic, director Michel Hazanavicius has created a beautiful black and white (and silent) movie, The Artist (2011).
Author: James
Like clockwork…
It was the Divine C‘s turn to choose a film and, despite my best efforts to convince her that going to see a 3D family mystery (even if it was directed by Martin Scorsese) might not be best plan, feminine wiles and will won through, and off I dutifully trudged with her to see Hugo (2011). Thankfully, however, I was to be more than pleasantly surprised…
Author: James
Sing when you’re winning…
A Happy New Year to all Picturenose readers! Following Colin’s splendid picks of his favourite music documentaries, and once again in association with MokumGroupie.com I thought it only fair to pitch in with my take on the top ‘toons’ to have graced the silver screen. There is no particular order, but you will not find Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On or Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’s (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life *anywhere* on the list, I promise…
Author: Colin
The music’s all that matters
In association with MokumGroupie.com, Picturenose’s Colin presents his take on the finest films on music to grace the silver screen.
Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
Ry Cooder, who has played just about everything with just about everyone goes back to the roots of music for this wonderful outing to Cuba, where he showcases the talents of a bunch of hitherto unknown, ageing jazz musicians – many of whom are now household names. At least, they are in my household. Bulging with infectious Latin rhythms and some interesting insights into pre-Castro Cuban culture – and almost impossible to think it was made 12 years ago. Click here.
Author: Colin
Top Marx
My knowledge of German cinema is shamefully slack – something I am forced to question every time I see yet another great German movie. Good Bye Lenin! (2003) is one such movie. A German friend put me onto it, having bent my ear about how great it was, and as a result of her Teutonic persistence, I caved in and bought a copy. It’s a story about family, a story about people’s attitudes and a story about love and respect. It’s also – by turns – funny, dramatic and engaging.
Author: James
Angelina Jolie, Luis Moreno-Ocampo and Benjamin Ferencz were among the honorees for promoting international Justice and human rights on the occasion of the 10th Session of the Assembly of the States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) – the inaugural Justice Gala in New York by the office of the prosecutor of the ICC and the Cinema for Peace Foundation took place on 11 December to recognize the growing global role of the ICC in the struggle for international justice and human rights.
Author: Agata
It’s not the saints marching in…
George Clooney’s fourth movie as director, The Ides of March (2011), is an intelligent political thriller with just the right pace and balanced amount of suspense. It’s Clooney showing the complications and war-like relations from which American (and not only American) elections suffer. Is politics all about plotting and backstabbing, as the title reference to 15 March (the date of Julius Ceasar’s murder) relates? Unfortunately, this seems to be the case…
Author: James
“A film is a ribbon of dreams. The camera is much more than a recording apparatus; it is a medium via which messages reach us from another world that is not ours and that brings us to the heart of a great secret. Here magic begins.”
Thus spake the late, great Orson Welles, a man who knew more than most (at least, in his younger days) about why cinema was and is the most vibrant expression of creativity on the planet.
Author: James
Rack ‘em!
I wanted to talk a little about Martin Scorsese‘s The Color of Money (1986), having already dealt with its predecessor, Robert Rossen‘s The Hustler (1961).
Author: Agata
No escape
The beautiful locations, intriguing plot and skilled cast of Carl Tibbetts’ first feature Retreat (2011) make it a largely successful attempt to mark his place in the film world. Martin (Cillian Murphy) and Kate (Thandie Newton), a young married couple, rent an old house on an island somewhere off the British coast.
Author: James
During the recent 38th Brussels International Independent Film Festival (FIFI), Picturenose had the pleasure of chewing the cud with New Zealand Ambassador-Designate to the European Union, NATO, Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Romania Vangelis Vitalis. Very proud of his country’s affiliation with this year’s festival, Vangelis took time out of his busy schedule to explain just why he feels this kind of cultural link-up is exactly what his job (he began in his post in August 2011) is all about.
Author: James
A good or bad thing?
Ladies and gentlemen, I approach this post with much gratitude and more than a little trepidation. Firstly, on the occasion of this, our 600th contribution to date, a huge ‘thank-you’ from myself and partner-in-crime Colin to all the faithful visitors who have been with us since Picturenose started, back in August 2007. It’s been so much fun so far, but there is still plenty more that we want to do with the site – we only hope that you want to keep it with us. Seriously, thanks.
