The Wedding Party_1969

 

The only reason to see The Wedding Party_1969 by Brian De Palma is a very early Robert De Niro.

Robert De Niro’s first film, since it was filmed in 1963 and released in 1969.

A historical interest - That’s it!

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles_1975

 

Forewarning: This film is not for everyone.

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, ["Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels"] is a 1975 film by Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman. [6 June 1950 – 5 October 2015]. 

She made this film when she was 25 years old. She took the liberty of ending her life when she reached 65.

 

Her camera works reminds one of Yasujirō Ozu’s ways of making films.  

It’s an epic 3+ hour movie where one is made to believe that nothing much happens. 

It also reminds Michael Heneke’s 1989 debut Austrian film clearly depicting the drudgery of life and the mundane every day meaningless monotonous routine work and existence.

The film depicts 3 days of repetitive, almost robotic existence of a lonely middle class widow, who lives with her teenage son with hardly any communication between them. She does not allow any space or time to creep into her life so she won’t have to be anxious or depressed. She cooks, shops, cleans, baths and every afternoon to sustain, has sex for money.

A thorough existentialist film.

La Cage aux Folles [1978]

Amazing, Fantastic, Hilarious, Fascinating, Solid Acting, Totally Engrossing – This is how La Cage aux Folles [1978] directed by Édouard Molinaro can be described. An out of this world performance by Ugo Tognazzi as Renato Baldi, Michel Serrault as Albin Mougeotte/'Zaza Napoli'.   

Meanwhile the looks of Rémi Laurent’s as Laurent Baldi reminds of Ranvir Kapoor!

Though the beginning was a bit dreary, it picked up later on and was fun consistently.

Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) and Albin (Michel Serrault) are gay couples for more than 20 years.

Albin is the lead "drag queen" of La Cage aux Folles, a Saint-Tropez nightclub, and Renato, the more masculine of the two, runs the day-to-day operations of the club. 

Many years before, Renato stepped out of his gay lifestyle long enough to father Laurent (Remi Laurent) in a one-night stand, and since then both men have raised the boy. 

Now, Laurent comes home from college with the news that he is engaged to Andrea (Luisa Maneri), whose father, Charrier (Michel Galabru), is the secretary of the rigorously moral coded  Union of Moral Order.

As a result, Andrea has lied about her future husband’s parentage and told her father that her future father-in-law was a diplomat. Afterwards what follows ends with riotous funny results.

Brazil 1985

Big Brother is watching you……………!

Somewhere in the 20^th Century 8:49 P.M

Brazil, a 1985 film by Terry Gilliam reminds of a version of 1984 by George Orwell.  It is also a stark  reminder of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and M.

One can call it a film noir like existentialist film.

It stars a mentally unstable, dim witted protagonist with Imagination or delusions that can be hard to differentiate.

A highlight of the film was the various posters with the following quotes:

- We don’t make mistakes

- Paperwork - Can’t even make a move without a form

- Happiness – We’re all in it together

- Mind That Parcel – Eagle Eye can save a life

- Be Safe – Be Suspicious

- HELP The Ministry of Information HELP YOU

- Information -  The Key to Prosperity

- The Truth Shall Make You Free

- LOOSE Talk is NOOSE Talk

A must read book of George Orwell and a must see film.