Meryl Streep rocks (Film: Ricki and the Flash – Meryl Streep, 2015)

This may be the rock film of the year. Meryl Streep plays an aging supermarket cashier who spends her evenings playing Stones and U2 music in a club for a faithful audience of a few tens of people, many of them her age if not older. She has a history. She left her family, three kids, a comfortable life as the wife of a corporate executive about 25-30 years ago in order to follow her dream. Playing music. She does play music, but never could make a living out of it. She actually hardly makes ends. Then, the past calls. Her daughter goes through a divorce, tries to commit suicide. She is called on mother duty. She, who left mothership to fulfill a dream that never happened.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3623726/?

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3623726/?

 

The film worked for me on several levels. Music is part of the life of the characters and there is good music in this film, and some of the best scenes are the ones filmed in the music club. Whoever played music or just loves music will immediately relate to the characters that play on stage and those who sit in the audience, vibrate at the sounds they like and are stoned while tunes that they do not like are played, jump and dance when the right music is played. To a certain extend the film is about the differences between the world of passion and the world of conventions and routine. But then it’s also a film about the relation between following individual happiness and sharing time and life with the family. Ricki in this film follows her dream and leaves everything behind. She could have been the happy rich wife of a corporate executive and live in a luxurious cottage in a privately guarded exclusive area, but chose a different path. This path practically failed, success did not come, she hardly meets ends, and never did a second disk. The highest price however is the broken relation with her children who grew to call another woman ‘mother’ and did not even bother to invite her to their weddings. She has just one thing to balance all these losses – her music. Will this be enough?

 

(video source Sony Pictures Entertainment)

 

Need I say again that is phenomenal? It seems nowadays that any role she plays is up to the Academy Awards nominations level, and this one is no exception. She also sings, and she also brings to screen the insecurity, the age and the dilemmas of the character. , Streep’s daughter in life is also her daughter on screen, and her creation is remarkable. It’s not easy to share screen with your own mother, and even less when the mother is Meryl Streep with all her charisma – yet Gummer’s Julie is alive and real, fighting her personal daemons and breaking gradually the wall of mis-communication between the two. does the fine expected role especially when on stage and all the rockers club numbers are credible and emotional. One can see that director (of Philadelphia fame) loves music and is also well exercised in documentary. He made a film which looks a little conventional and melodramatic in it’s family drama part, but comes to life and is at best when it deals with music. Probably the best rock film of the year.

 

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a mob story that works (Film: Gangster Squad – Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, 2013)

A few days ago I have seen the brand new ‘Black Mass’ which is also a mob story made in Hollywood and enjoying the participation of a fine cast. I was not enthusiastic. ‘Gangster Squad’ directed by has the few ingredients that I was missing in that film, which make the genre ‘mob story inspired by real characters’ much more enjoyable to me. It does start with ‘inspired by a true story’ (or ‘true characters’), inserts the inevitable ‘true crime’ photos, and ends with the even more unavoidable text and pictures about the years spent in jail by the surviving bad guys, and the years happily spent fighting crime and raising kids by the good guys (those who survived, of course). In the middle it does better.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321870/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321870/

 

The story of ‘Gangster Squad’ is set in the post-war LA, and this certainly helps as the place and the period seems to gather interests because of the classical ‘noire’ thrillers that it inspired followed by a number of successful movies (starting with The Maltese Falcon, of course, set and filmed in 1941). The despicable bad guy’s name is Micky Cohen and his overtaking of the city could not (at least according to the script) be fought but by unconventional vigilante methods, because most of the police and judicial system was corrupted by hum. Find the right cops, motivated enough by having fought and survived WWII in order to build a world worth being lived by their kids, add the necessary dose of romantic, get a stunt master and a good choreographer for the fights and chases, and success is almost ensured.

 

(video source Movieclips Trailers)

 

The story may be more remote from the truth than in ‘Black Mass’, the capabilities of the squad in fights and shooting may seem overrated, but at the end of the day the result was more enjoyable for me. It certainly helped to have on board such a fine team of actors, including as the ultimate bad guy, ‘can’t do wrong’ , and beautiful who always seems to create around her a fascinating touch of mystery very appropriate in this movie. ‘Gangster Squad’ is a mob story that works and succeeds to be an entertaining film.

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saving the world again (Film: World War Z – Brad Pitt, 2013)

Sometimes you see a film which has great premises and it disappoints. Some other times however a film which according to the subject and taking into account previous experiences in the genre is doomed for failure succeeds to surprise in a good way. This is exactly the case with World War Z directed by starring The .

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/

 

The human race is in danger and the enemy is inside. It is actually us and our neglect to the environment that causes a destructive virus to take over and spread by means of the global airlines network. In a few days or weeks, the danger cannot be hidden, as the virus turns almost on the spot human beings into zombies with enhanced powers and infinite hunger to bite and infect other human beings, and cities and countries fall one after the other into Z dementia. Only tiny Israel (one of a few movies my country comes with some kind of a positive face) succeeds to delay the fate by isolating itself and building a wall separating healthy people from the world-wide infection, but no wall is high enough to stop such an invasion (hear! hear!).

 

 

(video source JoBlo Movie Trailers)  

 

The resulting film is pretty entertaining, although the story is not much different that the one told at least ten if not one hundred times. Director seems to try something else with each of the films he makes, and here his rehabilitation of a genre compromised by too may bad B-series movies succeeds, as he can tell a story and creates a few memorable images like the one of the hysterical zombies pyramids, beings that may have lost humanity but gained social grouping instincts,  which had a ‘Lord of the Rings’ quality. Brad Pitt may seem to be a little bit regressing in his acting career, but as he approaches the mid-age roles time he must have felt happy to act again as the sexy savior of mankind, blessed with both muscles and brains.

The word is saved again. The only bad news may be that WWZ 2 is in preparation 🙂

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Carte: Dan Stanca – Ghetsimani ’51

“Ghetsimani ’51” aparuta la Editura Cartea Romaneasca in acest an este al 22-lea roman al lui Dan Stanca de la debutul sau in 1992. Ma intreb de ce succesul si popularitatea par sa-l fi ocolit. Desi nu este un anonim, desi cel putin o parte a criticii l-a semnalat si receptat pozitiv, desi a fost nominalizat de cateva ori in ‘listele scurte’ ale unor premii importante, Stanca nu a reusit sa se impuna in aceeasi masura ca unii colegi de generatie. Dan Stanca este nu numai un scriitor prolific, dar si scrie bine, cartile sale au consistenta si abordeaza subiecte in care realitatea se confrunta cu fantasticul, iar personajele sale au de facut fata nu numai suferintelor personale si suferintelor vremurilor, dar si unor imprejurari care pun sub semnul intrebarii sistemele de referinta si stabilitatea lumii in care traiesc. Este si cazul lui “Ghetsimani ’51” o carte unica din anumite puncte de vedere in peisajul literar romanesc actual.

Doua obsesii principale domina cartea. Prima dintre ele este raportul dintre realitate si miracole. Unul dintre personajele cartii spune:

‘Oameni buni, … sunt un idiot fiindca va spun asemenea porcarii, dar eu stiu si alte lucruri de care o sa va cruciti. In tara mea s-au intamplat minuni mari. si doar eu le cunosc fiindca sunt singurul care cred in ele.’ (pag. 20)

‘Tara mea’ este desigur Romania, sau in primul rand Romania, a carei istorie este presarata de Dan Stanca cu personaje si o poveste in care miraculosul incearca la un moment dat sa sparga peretele de sticla opaca al existentei.

A doua obsesie este cea a gravitatii. Cartea incepe cu o rememorare a atentatelor teroriste din 11 septembrie 2001. Unul dintre personajele principale este un fotograf american care are nesansa sa surprinda pe pelicula caderea in vid a unuia dintre nefericitii care blocati la etajele de sus ale turnurilor gemene si-au cautat scaparea aruncandu-se in hau. Instantaneele ‘ne-patriotice’ pentru acele zile il ostraticeaza pe erou, (‘In asemenea momente grele pentru marele nostru popor nu ati putut alege ceva mai nimerit decat poza unui nefericit care se omoara?’ – pag. 10) si il determina in cele din urma sa plece in cautarea unor evenimente din trecutul familiei sale, care sunt si ele legate de gravitatie, sau de contrarul ei mai exact. Biografia tatalui sau, polonez la origine, fusese legata de un fenomen straniu petrecut in ajunul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial, legat de persoana preotului Maximilian Kolbe, cel care avea sa aleaga nu mult dupa aceea o moarte de martir la Auschwitz, pentru a salva viata unui strain (tatal sau!). Intr-o biserica in Varsovia, in august 1939, se petrece un fenomen de levitatie, care pare a da o sansa interventiei divine si evitarii – poate – a ororii:

Iesisera toti din timp, fiindca erau atunci numai in spatiu, spatiul saturat de lumina, copt liturgic, aur spiritual care schimbase componenta atmosferei si modificase regimul de greutate al fiintelor. Atractia gravitationala nu mai functiona si tot ce era acolo intrase intr-un alt raport cu determinatiile cosmice sau nici nu mai putea fi vorba de vreo determinare, ceea ce inseamna ca nu numai corpurile de acolo levitau purtate de duh sau ghidate de harul supranatural, dar insasi cladirea de piatra, sticla si fier a catedralei suferise aceeasi desprindere si urcase in vazduh.’ (pag. 82)

 

sursa http://www.elefant.ro/carti/fictiune/literatura-romana/literatura-romana-contemporana/ghetsimani-vi-248078.html

sursa http://www.elefant.ro/carti/fictiune/literatura-romana/literatura-romana-contemporana/ghetsimani-vi-248078.html

 

I s-ar putea reprosa lui Dan Stanca folosirea exagerata a coincidentelor in construirea naratiunii si a relatiilor dintre personaje. Tocmai fiul celui salvat de Kolbe se va intalni dupa o jumatate de secol cu fiul celui care il asistase si ii fusese un fel de discipol acestuia, luat de valurile istoriei si aruncat tocmai pe tarmurile Romaniei, pentru a retrai acolo o alta versiune a evenimentelor. In logica romanului lui Stanca insa, coincidentele par firesti. O zicere des atribuita pe Facebook lui Einstein dar de fapt apartinand lui Theophile Gautier suna cam asa ‘Coincidentele sunt felul in care Dumnezeu ramane anonim’  (‘Norocul este pseudonimul lui Dumnezeu atunci cand nu vrea sa semneze’ in varianta originala a lui Gautier). Cartea aceasta repeta in doua secvente succesive ale istoriei despartite in timp de numai cateva decenii miracolul petrecut in gradina Gat Shmanim (‘presa de ulei’ in ebraica – Gethsemane sau Ghetsinami in variante in alte limbi) aflata pe Muntele Maslinilor din Ierusalim, locul in care Iisus s-a rugat si a ales calea scrificiului in noaptea arestarii sale.

‘Gandul ma conduce totusi spre acea gradina inserata din Evanghelie, Ghetsimani e numele ei, si care asa va ramane pana la sfarsitul vremurilor, unde Domnul s-a rugat cel mai fierbinte, o rugaciune nesfarsita care a urcat la cer pana la auzul Tatalui si apoi s-a intors pe pamant. … Aceasta inseamna Ghetsimani, trecerea de la omul cel mai suferind la Domnul cel mai suav, o alchimie a suferintei pana cand cerurile se deschid si coboara de acolo duhul imperceptibil.’   (pag. 160)

 

sursa http://www.bible-history.com/jerusalem/firstcenturyjerusalem_mount_of_olives.html

sursa http://www.bible-history.com/jerusalem/firstcenturyjerusalem_mount_of_olives.html

 

Dan Stanca preia tema sacrificiului evanghelic dar ii acorda o dimensiune contemporana si il combina cu unul dintre miturile culturale cele mai populare ale romanilor – cel al Mesterului Manole. Doar ca in naratiunea lui Stanca sacrificiul pare a se impotrivi mai degraba decat de a da soliditate constructiei, ceea ce nu este de mirare tinand cant ca edificiul din naratiune este monstruoasa si lipsita de suflet cladire a Casei Scanteii. Max Kolbe si alter-ego-ul sau Michal Kaminsky se confrunta cu falii ale istoriei reale in care magicul pare sa incerce sa se impotriveasca regresiunii istorice spre haos si razboi (in cazul lui Kolbe) sau spre pustierea sufleteasca adusa de comunism (in cazul lui Kaminsky).

‘Am plecat spre granita si am rugat-o din nou pe fecioara. O rugam sa nu mai rasara soarele atunci, in dimineata zilei de 1 septembrie 1939, sau dimpotriva, o imploram sa nu se intample nimic deosebit? Dar soarele a rasarit si am asistat la o invazie crancena. Catedralele nu mai dansau in aer, venise randul avioanelor sa inegreasca cerul …’ (pag. 123)

Dan Stanca a creat in ‘Ghetsimani ’51’ o colectie de personaje care se confrunta intr-un fel sau altul si din perspective deosebite nu numai cu o istorie comuna presarata de episoade greu de crezut sau de explicat, ci si de permanenta relatie dintre cunoasterea sacra si cea stiintifica. Este aceasta relatie antagonica, sau mai degraba intre metode elementare? Ramane ca fiecare cititor sa judece. Iata intrebarile reflectate in gandurile preotului Emilian Pena (care se si confrunta cu ierarhia birocratica a Bisericii Ortodoxe Romane) si fizicianul Gabriel Urseanu:

‘Slujea liturghia si-si dadea seama ca toate au loc aievea. Nu era pic de repetitie si de uzura in ce facea. Ritualul aducea cerul pe pamant si cu cat era credinta mai puternica, cu atat si venireaa celor de sus mai persuasiva. Cerul prin coborarea sa nu siluia pamantul ci il modela, modelul li se arata tuturor celor care deschideau ochii fiindca stiau ca sub ochii lor si nu sub cei ai stramosilor se petrece minunea.’  (pag. 57)

‘Drumul de la materie la antimaterie era tot ce putea fi mai fascinant si mai halucinant, creandu-i o excitatie intelectuala cum numai marea poezie si muzica le ofereau celor cu adevarat sensibili. … toate marile descoperiri care fragilizasera ideea de timp si de spatiu fusesera mai intai fulgerante intuitii, aidoma unor metafore, dar care nu esuasera in poezie, ci-si gasisera limbajul stiintific adecvat, de unde putea sa plece orice.’ (pag. 62)

Confruntarea cu miracolul, incercarea de a-l intelegere, sau chiar simpla expunere care nu poate fi stearsa din memorie au un impact enorm si tragic in destinele personajelor. In general personajele lui Dan Stanca, atunci cand supravietuiesc nu termina prea bine povestile din cartile acestuia. In cazul lui Getsimani ’51 originea nefericirii sau a neimplinirilor se afla clar in intalnirea cu manifestarile miraculoase ale sacrului. Acesta pare a esua si in misiunea sa globala – de a pune stavilar alunecarii universului in haos –  si in misiunea personala – de a salva macar destinele celor care sunt expusi lui.

 

 

sursa http://filme-carti.ro/carti/craii-si-mortii-de-dan-stanca-37094/

sursa http://filme-carti.ro/carti/craii-si-mortii-de-dan-stanca-37094/

 

Cele aproximativ 220 de pagini ale romanului sunt completate in editia de la Cartea Romaneasca de o ‘ADDENDA” care include un amplu interviu luat scriitorului de mai tanarul confrate in ale scrisului si ziaristicii Constantin Pistea, de cateva pagini de referinte critice, si de o ‘Nota biobibliografica’ incluzand lista tuturor romanelor sale. Interviul este foarte interesant si poate fi privit nu numai ca o completare a cartii care ne ajuta sa cunoastem mai de aproape un autor nemeritat de putin cunoscut, ci si ca o lansare tarzie, dar sper, recuperatorie a autorului in ochii cititorilor sai. Ghetsemani ’51 dovedeste ca in Dan Stanca literatura romana are unul dintre cei mai interesanti, profunzi si originali romancieri ai momentului.

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the merry Reformation (Film: Le tout nouveau testament – Jaco Van Dormael, 2015)

You can hardly get a better set of premises for a film than the ones of Le tout nouveau testament or The Brand New Testament by Belge director Jaco Van Dormael. Bored being, one day, God created Bruxelles (quite a fun city actually, but this is a tourist perspective, not the one of the inhabitants and certainly not the one of God). Then he moved together with his wife and daughter (his Son JC died about 2000 years ago, as we all know) in a secluded apartment, from where he controls the world by means of a PC and an Internet connection. He is quite a nasty guy, making happen to people on Earth all the unpleasant things we know about, and an abusive father, who does not allow any TV but sports in the apartment. Until the day when his pre-teen daughter decides to take revenge and run away, not before using her Father’s computer to let all people on Earth know the date and time of their death. When arrived on Earth, she needs to find six extra-apostles chosen randomly from the population of the planet (or of Belgium better said). Why 6? Because 12 + 6 = 18 – the number of players in baseball, the preferred sport of Mother.

 

source http://www.cinenews.be/en/movies/le-tout-nouveau-testament/

source http://www.cinenews.be/en/movies/le-tout-nouveau-testament/

 

Before you get angry on me, these are only the first 5 or 10 minutes of the story. The rest is about how these wonderful premises are being used. Director Van Dormael seems to have had two models in his mind. The first is of course the eternal masterpiece of historical satire Life of Brian. Because of the subject. The second is the eternal masterpiece of sweet feel-good movies Amelie. Because of the kid-actress who is in control of all the action and all good or at least well-intentioned things that happen on screen. The result is also middle-of-the-road. Too middle-of-the-road. Because Van Dormael does not have (yet?) the daring insanity of Monty Python and because Pili Groyne is not (yet?) .

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HezBj-b4N2s

(video source European Movie Trailers)

 

Much of the film is spent with telling the stories of six brand new apostles, what they chose to do with the rest of their lives now that they know precisely how long it will last, and how the Brand New Testament and the team of 18 are performing better than the previous editions. As one may expect, the ending is kind of DEUS EX MACHINA.

This sweet merry Reformation on screen is fun to follow for most of the time. Just the pleasure of seeing in a new role (one of the apostles, no more or less) is enough reason to go and see it and there are other. Yet, director Jaco Van Dormael took a bet and partly lost it in starting from such bright ideas and producing just a nice film.

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an American anti-hero (Film: Black Mass – Johnny Depp, 2015)

The season for screening films with ambitions for Academy Awards must have started. Black Mass is directed by – a relative newcomer (this is only his third film) but a rising star among directors at Hollywood if we are to judge the impressing cast he succeeds to enroll – better and better and certainly more expensive from movie to movie. It seems to meet at least a few conditions to enter the competition for Academy nominations. It stars in a role we barely recognize him which may well get him into the Final 5. It tells a story that captured at some point in time the interest and imagination of big audiences, and it deals with a Big American character. The fact that this character is a despicable gangster, who was in control of one of the lead Mafia gangs (‘the Irish one’) in Boston in the 80s and early 90s and was responsible for numerous murders and organized crime felonies may eventually matter when the jury will debate. Or maybe not. Until then, let us take our places in the theaters or download from the Internet and watch the movies.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355683/

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355683/

 

James ‘Whitey’ Bulger now serving a couple of life sentences is the kind of anti-hero America is fascinated with. The story starts in 1975, when Bulger is enrolled as an informant by the FBI – a status which together with the family ties (his brother played by Benedict Cumberbatch was a state senator) ensured him two decades of immunity and the almost total dominance on the crime industries in the Boston area after eliminating (with the help of the police and justice system) the Italian rival gangs. The story on screen mentions nothing about the still not elucidated episode of the murder of the “Lady of the Dunes” that took place a year before, but does include the death of Bulger’s only child that actually took place in 1973. From this episode we may or maybe are supposed to understand the motivations of his violence and lack of respect for law or human life? Quite thin for an explanation in my opinion. Despite Depp’s fantastic acting the man behind the crimes remains an enigma.

 

(video source Movieclips Trailers)

 

The rest is a ‘true crime’ story (the film is inspired by a true crime book) with the relations between the boss and his acolytes, the treasons and executions of the traitors, the have-heard-it-already rants about the Mafia honor code, with corrupt cops and victimized girlfriends, and with a twist towards Bulger’s support for Irish nationalism and terror movements, which was part of the reasons that led to his eventual fall. It started quite confusing to my taste, it improved as the story grew and the relation between characters became more clear (and the number of characters decreased 🙂 ) but it did not reach any of the peaks of the genre like in Scorsese’s films or in Mystic River. Depp’s performance is hypnotic, I will try a metaphor and say that he brings death to his hero on screen. Cumberbatch on the other hand will not get another Academy nomination for his role here. I know nothing at this point about the other candidates, but in an average to weak year I would bet for a couple of awards.

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Aferim, Radu Jude! (Film: Aferim! – Radu Jude, 2015)

What critics and audiences call ‘the Romanian New Wave’ is not that new any longer. Already in its teens it has focused on the present times, and the recent past of Romania – the last decade of the Communist era and the ‘transition’ period the country went through after the fall of the Communism. By doing so it neglected a tradition built into the history of the Romanian cinema – the historic movies. The first grand Romanian movie made more than a century ago was already a historic film, bringing back to screen the War of Independence of Romania in 1877 several decades after the event. The genre was taken over and polluted in the Communist period by many films which not only brought on screen heroic episodes and heroes of the Romanian history but also distorted it on the lines of the National-Communist propaganda of the regime. This may be the reason Romanian directors, producers, and audiences as well avoided the genre for a while. It is only in the last few years that historical themes came back to screens in more significant movies – the war period and the Holocaust first. Now ‘Aferim!’  by Radu Jude goes further back in the past, to the first half of the 19th century. His film (blessed with an important prize at the Berlin Festival early this year) however has also strong and explicit implications in the realities of today’s Romania as well.

 

sursa http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4374460/

sursa http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4374460/

 

Folks who know the history of Romanian cinema and remember some of the films made decades back will recognize elements of atmosphere and quotes. The ‘Eastern’ genre which took the structure of the classical American Westerns bringing on screen local characters or even changing the landscape to the fields, forests and mountains of the Romanian countries was popular in the 70s with the ‘Haidouk’ series but also in the works of Dan Pita (the ‘Ardelenii’ series). The inspired black and white cinematography credited to Marius Panduru  and the very conventional generic that opens the film brought in mind the even older ‘Tudor’ by  made in 1962 which dealt with events that took place 14 years before the year 1835 when ‘Aferim!’ is situated. The violently naturalistic nature of some of the scenes has also its roots in the Romanian literature (Liviu Rebreanu’s novels) which were also brought to screen.

Yet, this film aims more. The story of the local sheriff (let us use this name for the sake of the international audience) and of his son searching for a fugitive gypsy in the forest and swamps of Wallachia is not just a road movie or an initiation story from the perspective of the young lad destined to inherit the profession of his father. It is a deep and cruel reflection of the prevailing attitude not only of the ruling class but of the whole or great majority of the population of Romania towards other nationalities. The story and the characters come in a frontal manner against deeply rooted stereotypes like the welcoming attitude of Romanians towards strangers or the positive role of the Orthodox church in the moral fiber and education of the masses. It is actually a priest who speaks on screen a tirade full of prejudice against all categories of strangers living or getting in contact with the Romanian at that time – Gypsies of course, but also Jews, Turks, Russians, etc. Folks less familiar with the history of Romania should know that by 1835 Romania was still broken into smaller countries under Turkish, Austrian and Russian rulers – so what is seen on screen has a historical perspective. It is however the relation with the present that comes in mind immediately for those who know history and present. Romania as other East European countries have a big social and ethnic problem with the lack of integration of part of their Roma (gypsy) minorities. The roots of this situation lay to a great extent to the slavery practiced on this minority until mid 19th century. Slavery was abolished (in 1855-1856) but prejudices stay.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmTYOY_jQWc

(video source Agentia de Film)

 

The merit of Radu Jude is to avoid any excuse or sweetening of the historical facts, while telling a coherent story and creating characters who are not only credible but also memorable. He carefully builds the atmosphere, habits, language of the time in a well documented manner. He is helped by a fine team of actors –  and as the father and son, as the fugitive (would have deserved maybe more screen time to give more complexity to his character), and  as the cruel but credible landlord. Two of the best actors of Romania from the older generation  and  appear in short roles, which shows that even important artists were interested to be part of this cinematographic experience. I feel that ‘Aferim!’ is a film that was much talked about since its release, and will be even more talked about in the future.

 

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at crossroads in Mexico (Film: Eisenstein in Guanajuato – Peter Greenaway, 2015)

‘s career is beyond any ambitions of commercial success – his most successful (audience-wise) movies were made in the 80s. Even then the combination of colors and music, architecture (he is an architect by formation) and composition, his obsessions for sex and death and his bluntness in approaching them were much out of the beaten track. For the last two decades his projects became more and more exploratory, with the moving images being only one of the tools in combinations of multi-disciplinary explorations and experiments that brought together almost every artistic discipline that was invented. Eisenstein in Guanajuato can be seen almost as a return to the more conventional tools of film making. It has a story, and it has a hero and it has a theme, one of these themes film makers love to bring to screen, maybe the ultimate film theme – film making!

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1702429/

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1702429/

 

If you listen to what Peter Greenaway has to tell about his film (and he speaks a lot as he promotes the film in the international festival tour) Eisentein in Guanajuato is before all a homage to one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema who was Sergei Eisenstein. It also is a social and political commentary, as it deals with what was probably the most exuberant, liberal and care-free period in the life of the screen director of the Soviet Revolution, and also with the sexual orientation of Eisenstein which was kind of a well known secret in his biography, tolerated by the Soviet authorities but maybe also a tool of blackmail by the KGB. The period spent by Eisenstein in Mexico while shooting material never gathered and edited for a film about the country and its revolutions may have been the happiest time in the life of the director already famous for Potemkin and October. It allowed him not only a unique encounter with a culture that was so different from some aspects yet so close from other compared with the Russian culture he knew from home, but also an encounter with himself, with his own demons, his self-denied homosexuality, his tendency to the luxury and the decadence of the bourgeois life, so different from the austerity he left in the Soviet Russia and to which he was condemned to return.

 

(video source Films Boutique)

 

There is almost nothing in this film about Eisenstein’s film making. At no point does he shout ‘Camera!’ or ‘Action!’ – at some moment he even refuses to do so. Peter Greenaway does not try to expose any secrets of the film making art of Eisenstein, but rather deals with the surrounding context that made his films possible. Finnish actor  brings on screen an Eisenstein who hides his doubts behind exuberance, and his fears behinds carelessness, who is sure of his artistic genius but unaware about his personal charisma. Mexican actor  builds a fine counterpoint to Eisenstein’s character and a credible gay love interest. The camera work does not try to replicate anything that Eisenstein has done on screen, but rather quotes and incorporates fragments of Eisentein’s movies with the visual commentaries of Greenaway. I read some critical opinions about viewers ‘getting tired’ by the too intense camera work – I do not agree with them. When what you see on screen is expressive and interesting you cannot get tired, as one does not get tired of seeing more masterpieces in an art museum, or of listening to fine opera or classical music. Sets are as exuberant and as complex as an architect mind like Greenaway’s can conceive. Overall Eisenstein in Guanajuato was for me a very satisfying and surprisingly entertaining experience.

 

 

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enjoyable start-up melo (Film: The Intern – Robert De Niro, 2015)

Should I feel guilty? I really enjoyed this melodramatic, stereotype-rich, rose-water sprinkled feel-good movie which is ‘The Intern‘, directed by , and bringing to screen the improbable pair of actors composed of and . Now I need to find out why.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2361509/

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2361509/

 

One of the reasons is probably the fact that the start-up and corporate environments are pretty familiar to me, and that their screen version as conceived by Meyers is not far from what I know. Yes, I have met the ambitious CEO working herself (or himself) to death at the expense of her (or his) family life, sleeping time and own health and reason. I worked and still work in ‘open space’ and ‘glass-walled’ environments. I lived through ‘the sale of the day’ and ‘the hero of the month’ and I understand what a good day and a bad day looks like in the shop that some believe it became their real home.

Then, I am a feminist. I sincerely believe that women can be as good managers and leaders as men, and that they deserve all the credit when they succeed in the machoistic society we live in, and even more when they do it while keeping a family and raising kids who still recognize their mothers. For feminists this film carries the ‘right’ message.

Third (or maybe first) I am close to retirement. Not 70 yet, as De Niro’s character is, not wearing suits and ties (actually I know a lot of 70-ers who never do), but yet, I can understand his panic when faced with aging, his loneliness and desire to socialize, his volunteering in order to continue to be useful and relevant.

 

(video source Warner Bros. Pictures)

 

The story of the ‘retired intern’ who becomes the best friend of the carrier-obsessed CEO by balancing the over-dynamic corporate environment with some old-fashioned common sense, the crisis of the millionaire teenagers with true sensitivity may have been told a few times. Yet it looks true on screen, or better said true enough to spontaneously generate the laughs and the tears rather than squeeze them. The actor who played all those tough gangsters in the first two thirds of his fabulous career has become the most generous and kind retired and his chemistry with flamboyant  is perfect.  is just the best known of a fun support cast. ‘The Intern’ will be criticized by many but if you are a fan of feel-good movies, or you just are in the mood of seeing one you would certainly like to watch it.

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Carte: Dinu C. Giurescu – Falsificatorii. Alegerile din 1946

Au fost multi care la 23 august 1944 au sperat in reintoarcerea Romaniei in fagasul firesc al democratiei si in spatiul geopolitic european. Trecusera cinci ani si jumatate de la instaurarea dictaturii regale care fusese urmata de statul national-legionar si de dictatura antonesciana. Frontierele Romaniei Mari fusesera ciuntite in cele patru puncte cardinale si Romania trecuse printr-un razboi greu ca aliata a fortelor Axei, razboi pe cale sa fie pierdut. Cetatenii romani de origini evreiasca si rroma isi pierdusera drepturile cetatenesti, fusesera discriminati, deportati si unii isi pierdusera viata in episodul romanesc al Holocaustului. Sperantele au fost mari, dar de scurta durata. Capitalismul si democratia romaneasca inainte de razboi nu fusesera perfecte, dar Romaniei nu ii era scris nici macar sa se intoarca la ele. In trei ani de tranzitie brutala si cu ajutorul si sub indrumarea ocupantilor sovietici, Romania avea sa sa se adanceasca intr-o noua perioada de dictatura – comunista de asta data – din care tara nu avea sa iasa decat dupa decembrie 1989.

Perioada aceasta are sansa de a avea un istoric de importanta academicianului Dinu C. Giurescu, descendentul unei ilustre familii de istorici, care a scris trei carti despre fiecare dintre cei trei ani ai fatidicei tranzitii:

  • Uzurpatorii. Romania, 6 martie 1945 – 7 ianuarie 1946
  • Falsificatorii. Alegerile din 1946
  • Lichidatorii. Romania in 1947

Aceasta recenzie este dedicata celui de-al doilea volum, re-editat si publicat in 2015 de Editura Enciclopedica. Cele 26 de capitole ale cartii parcurg anul de mijloc al ‘tranzitiei’ si se ocupa de evenimentul central al anului si al perioadei care a pecetluit trecerea Romaniei de la o democratie parlamentara multi-partinica la o ‘democratie populara’ in care alegerile erau o fatada formala pecetluind hotaririle dictatoriale ale partidului unic – ‘alegerile’ din noiembrie 1946, desfasurate intr-o atmosfera de teroare politica si al caror rezultate au fost falsificate la o scara neintalnita pana atunci in istoria Romaniei. Cele 26 de capitole ale cartii prezinta in ordine cronologica contextul politic intern si extern, pregatirile, desfasurarea, rezultatele reale si cele falsificate si consecintele acestor alegeri.

Incepand imediat dupa evenimente si pana la caderea comunismului in 1989, alegerile din noiembrie 1946 au fost prezentate de propaganda comunista si de istoriografia aservita ei ca ‘primele alegeri libere’ din istoria tarii. Exact inversul ar fi mai potrivit. In noiembrie 1946 a avut loc prima dintr-un sir de mascarade electorale care a durat timp de mai bine de patru decenii, de ‘alegeri’ care numai libere nu au fost. Dinu C. Giurescu are meritul de a fi scris o carte clara si documentata care spulbera definitiv mitul creat de istoricii inrolati in slujba partidului comunist. Documentarea lui este extensiva si cam o treime din paginile cartii reprezinta referintele pe care se bazeaza argumentatia sa – extrase din presa vremii, documente din arhive, rapoarte ale politiei si jandarmeriei, rapoarte interne ale partidelor politice inclusiv rapoarte secrete ale partidului comunist, relatarile ambasadorilor si memoriile unora dintre participantii la evenimente. Imaginea care rezulta este clara si fara echivoc.

 

sursa http://www.libris.ro/falsificatorii-alegerile-din-1946-dinu-c-ENC978-973-45-0700-9--p874405.html

sursa http://www.libris.ro/falsificatorii-alegerile-din-1946-dinu-c-ENC978-973-45-0700-9–p874405.html

 

Primele capitole sunt dedicate Conferintei de la Moscova, care in decembrie 1945 a reunit cele trei mai puteri aliate si a hotarit printre altele ca in Romania sa aiba loc alegeri libere in cursul anului 1946. O comisie formata din cate un reprezentant al fiecareia dintre Cei Trei Mari (URSS, SUA, Marea Britanie) a fost trimisa la Bucuresti la sfarsitul lui 1945 si inceputul lui 1946 pentru a trasa guvernului sarcinile implementarii acordului, si a convinge toate fortele politice sa participe in acest proces. De la bun inceput acordul avea numeroase lacune, continuand linia trasata de conferinta de la Yalta care inclusese Romania in zona de dominatie sovietica. El cuprindea totusi clauze care asigurau libertatea presei si a propagandei electorale pentru toate partidele, accesul echitabil la mijloacele de informare, inclusiv radioul, al tutoror fortelor politice, includerea in guvernul condus de Petru Groza a reprezentantilor partidelor ‘istorice’, prezenta observatorilor tuturor partidelor in numararea voturilor. In realitate guvernul condus de Groza instaurat la 6 martie 1945 si dominat de comunisti a avut controlul exclusiv al pregatirii si desfasurarii alegerilor, si a fost raspunzator si de numararea voturilor si de anuntarea rezultatelor.

‘Londra si Washingtonul nu au obtinut nici o “garantie” de la Moscova. Iar guvernul controlat de PCR a avut ca obiectiv primordial sa rastoarne complet rezultatele votului din noiembrie 1946 in favoarea sa.’  (pag. 29)

Consecintele politicii conciliatorii a aliatilor au fost deosebit de grave pentru opozitia democratica reprezentata de Partidul National Taranesc (condus de Iuliu Maniu), Partidul National Liberal (condus de Dinu Bratianu) si Partidul Social Democrat (ramura independenta condusa de Titel Petrescu, nealiniata cu comunistii). Desi incurajasera activitatea opozitiei in perioada pre-electorala si electorala, si desi erau bine informati despre atmosfera de teroare in care se desfasurasera acestea si despre frauda numararii voturilor, Statele Unite si Marea Britanie au recunoscut implicit rezultatele prin semnarea acordurilor de pace de la Paris in primavara lui 1947 si recunoasterea diplomatica a guvernului comunist.

‘Liderii PNT, PNL si PSDI nu au fost defel avertizati in vreun fel ca Aliatii din Vest au de gand sa confirme rezultatele “alegerilor” prin semnarea Tratatului de pace cu Romania, in februarie 1947, urmata de un schimb de reprezentanti diplomatici.’ (pag. 262)

Consecintele au fost tragice. La scurt timp dupa semnarea Tratatului putinii deputati ai opozitiei au fost exclusi din Parlament, conducatorii partidelor istorice au fost arestati si condamnati in urma unor procese inscenate. Multi dintre ei au pierit in inchisori.

Dinu C. Giurescu se ocupa in capitole succesive cu demontarea mecanismelor prin care comunistii au dominat campania electorala si sugrumat activitatea fortelor de opozitie: interzicerea publicarii presei ne-aservite sau sugrumarea celei existente prin alocarea de cote infime de hartie si cenzura aplicata de sindicatele tipografilor, interzicerea accesului la radio, multiplicarea partidelor aparent neasociate dar de fapt aservite regimului (tactica pe care o vor aplica si neocomunistii din FSN in 1990 si 1992), incurajarea dizidentelor din partidele istorice (fiecare a avut cel putin cate o varianta aliniata politicii comunistilor). Cu toate aceste actiuni contrare libertatii de exprimare si de organizare si a incercarilor de a deruta electoratul sau de a intimida fizic pe votanti, rezultatele reale ale votului, atat cat au putut fi reconstituite si estimate dupa mai bine de o jumatate de secol arata ca blocul pro-comunist nu a obtinut decat in jur de 21% din voturi, si ca Partidul National Taranist ar fi castigat majoritatea absoluta, si impreuna cu Partidul National Liberal ar fi obtinut peste 70% din voturi. Comunistii nu numai ca au inversat rezultatele reale ale alegerilor, dar lucrand dupa metoda rezultatelor planificate anticipat au pretins o majoritate de peste 91% in Parlamentul instaurat la inceputul lui decembrie 1946.

Foarte interesante sunt capitolele care descriu rolul regelui Mihai si incercarile acestuia de a se opune procesului de preluare a puterii de catre comunisti, la capatul caruia era clar ca va urma abolirea monarhiei. In aceasta privinta insa, Constantin C. Giurescu se abtine de la o judecata clara a situatiei si include versiunea facuta publica de Mihai dupa 1990, conform careia procesul era practic ireversibil si singura politica posibila era cea a protestelor timide si ineficiente si a intarzierilor in speranta ca totusi Aliatii din Vest vor actiona in favoarea fortelor democrate mai devreme sau mai tarziu. Imaginea unui rege slab si care a facut destule compromisuri acceptand in cele din urma toate etapele tranzitiei spre comunism, inclusiv rezultatele alegerilor falsificate este greu de evitat.

Sunt prezentate in detalii si discutiile interne care au avut loc la nivelul conducerii partidului comunist. Au existat tabere diferite, dar diferentele erau in tactica si nu in scop sau metode.

‘De ce alegerile constituiau pentru liderii comunisti o batalie, si nu o competitie? Conceptul de alternanta la putere nu intra in mentalul lor. Existenta unei opozitii insemna anatema, era de neconceput. A lasa opozitia sa se manifeste insemna, in scurt timp, a pierde conducerea.’ (pag. 72)

Apare si tactica comunicatelor laconice, care cenzureaza pana si dezbaterile care au loc in randurile conducerii comuniste, prezentand spre exterior o falsa imagine de ‘unitate’. Apare si limbajul de lemn si deformarea conceptelor politice in scop propagandistic. Insasi cuvantul ‘democratie’ va insemna incepand cu anul 1946 si vreme de 43 de ani dupa aceea pentru presa si propaganda comunista aservire intereselor partidului unic, deci exact contrarul democratiei.

Capitolul dedicat incidentelor nationaliste din Transilvania si in special de la Cluj arunca lumina asupra felului in care conflictul national a fost folosit de care comunisti in scopul polarizarii opiniei publice si atragerii votului minoritatilor nationale. Rolul jucat de Lucretiu Patrascanu in ‘linistirea’ situatiei este explicat mai putin, ca si contextul luptelor interne dintre taberele ‘nationala’ si ‘cominternista’ din conducerea PCR. In acel an 1946 a fost practic transata aceasta disputa, Patrascanu insusi incepand sa-si piarda influenta pana la caderea sa completa si arestarea sa care se va petrece in 1948. Cuvantarea sa de la Cluj din mai 1946 va fi unul dintre punctele cheie ale anchetei si actului de acuzare la procesul care avea sa se incheie cu condamnarea la moarte si executarea sa in 1954.

 

sursa http://www.cotidianul.ro/manifestul-catre-romani-al-prof-acad-dinu-c-giurescu-199352/

sursa http://www.cotidianul.ro/manifestul-catre-romani-al-prof-acad-dinu-c-giurescu-199352/

 

Am citit cu mare interes si capitolele dedicare organizatiilor evreiesti si rolului evreilor in Partidul Comunist si in campania electorala. Ele mi-au confirmat ceva ce stiam din relatarile parintilor si ale bunicilor, dar care a aparut de multe ori rastalmacit in istoriografia si polemicile romanesti recente sub titlul ‘evreii au adus comunismul in Romania’.

‘Evreii cetateni romani constituiau un grup important in anii de dupa incheierea razboiului. Cu toate pierderile si uciderile din Basarabia, nordul Bucovinei si Transnistria, cat si in partea de nord a Transilvaniei (sub administratie hortista intre 1940-1944), evreii din Romania insumau (numar estimativ) 355 972 si erau integrati in felurite arii de activitate. Pe plan politic insa, situatia lor este foarte limpede definita, intr-un raport al misiunii americane datat 7 februarie 1946: “[…] In timp ce o minoritate de evrei sprijina politica practicata de comunisti, majoritatea evreilor romani se opun regimului Groza, a fel cu ceilalti (locuitori] din Romania.’ (pag. 83)

‘Concluzia raportului Misiunii SUA despre lucrarile “congresului” [este vorba despre congresul Uniunii Democrate a Evreilor din Romania, care in ianuarie 1946 adunase pe evreii simpatizanti comunisti – DR]: “Agitatia continua a unei foarte reduse minoritati militante printre evreii romani, sprijinind energic partidul comunist si Guvernul Groza, s-a lovit de rezistenta pasiva a majoritatii covarsitoare a evreilor din Romania, care se opun tacticilor folosite.’ (pag. 85)

Este ceea ce stiam si eu. Majoritatea evreilor din Romania precum majoritatea celorlalti locuitori ai Romaniei nu s-au lasat amagiti de mirajul comunismului, s-au opus pasiv, si au incercat sa-si vada de viata lor in perioada de preluare – prin frauda si metode teroriste sub protectia ocupantilor sovietici – a puterii de catre comunisti in anii 1945-1947. ‘Foarte redusa minoritate’ care a colaborat cu comunistii si a participat la preluarea de catre acestia a puterii era formata din indivizi care au facut-o nu ca evrei sau reprezentati ai majoritatii evreilor.

Textul lui Dinu C. Giurescu este clar si cursiv, si va fi o lectura pasionanta pentru cei interesati de istoria perioadei. Istoricul foloseste destul de des si tabele comparative ale evenimentelor si versiunilor acestora, si acestea sunt de asemenea bine alcatuite si ajuta. Cu atat mai mult sunt greu de inteles problemele de editare ale cartii, mai ales ca este vorba despre o a doua editie care se vrea si revizuita. Apar greseli in calculul procentajelor (de exemplu ‘Aceasta cifra (63) reprezinta 7,87% din totalul de 528’  ca in pag. 34). Apare un typo enervant si repetat in scrierea gamelor de procente (‘809-90% ca in pag. 5). Continutul unei tabele se repeta aproape identic la doua pagini distanta (pag. 153, pag. 155).

Regretabilele probleme editoriale nu pot diminua insa interesul lecturii si meritele acestei carti, care va ramane probabil pentru multa vreme una dintre cartile de referinta despre perioada tragicei tranzitii:

‘”Alegerile” din 19 noiembrie 1946 au constituit cea mai mare frauda politica din istoria Romaniei intre 1859 si 1946. Ele au deschis calea pentru distrugerea societatii traditionale romanesti, de tip european, si punerea ei fortata in tiparele sovietice, odata cu separarea ei de evolutia normala a celorlalte tari ale continentului.’ (pag. 281)

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