Classiq - An online journal that celebrates cinema, culture, style and storytelling.

12 January 2018

The Films of Kathryn Bigelow

Detroit. A film that recreates one of the darkest chapters in the American history. Kathryn Bigelow delivers her usual clean, raw, pertinent, scrutinizing, unsentimental look at the 1967 Detroit street riots and the Algiers Motel Incident that resulted in the deaths of three black men at the hands of white police officers, later tried and acquitted. There are a few other American films among my favourites of 2017, but every one I saw and loved (You Were Never Really Here, Wind River and The Shape of Water – I haven’t yet seen Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri) was directed by non-American directors. And that’s what I love so much about Bigelow’s films: she’s fearless in expressing not only her own artistic vision (I love the cinematic tone and technical proficiency of her films), but in imbuing her films with social and political criticism, too, in showing the real America, which I can not say about many of her American peers. But here are my three top films directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Strange Days (1995)

I only watched Strange Days earlier this week without having previously read anything about it and I was taken aback because I wasn’t expecting it to be a cult film. It paints a Los Angeles of the year 1999 at the confluence of futuristic landscape and 1940s noir, of science-fiction and crime thriller. We live in the digital age, in the age of virtual reality, but it still felt unsettling to watch the prospect of computer-generated reality as imagined twenty-something years in advance. It just shows how creepy the world would become; it shows how creepy the world has become twenty-something years on. “Jacking in” means attaching a “squid” to your skull – a brain wave transmitter that creates the impression that you are having someone else’s experiences. And don’t we today want to constantly watch other people’s lives, to have their experiences? And some of the technology we can use, like social media, seems so much more gentile and harmless that you don’t even realise the danger and audacity of our new reality.

The mood, the noir-inspired hero (the morally ambiguous hero alienated from society, charismatic yet flawed, harking back in the past, played by a fantastic Ralph Fiennes), the relentless and suspenseful pacing, the cinematography, Bigelow’s skill to make you live the characters’ experiences – this is one great piece of cinema making.

Point Break (1991)

This is a film that takes my mind to rebellious summers and endless beach days as a way of life. It’s a perfect blend of fearlessness, atmospheric scenery and thriller action (mainly thanks to the two leading men, Keanu Reeves, as rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah, and Patrick Swayze, as the leader of a gang of surfers who moonlight as bank robbers) that pulls you in and lingers with you long after the ending credits. But there is also a philosophical side to the characters and that’s one of the most interesting parts of the movie, allowing you to be part of it and make your own version of it. It is also the film that introduced me to Kathryn Bigelow’s work, and what a fine job she does here, too!

Detroit (2017)

In addition to what I wrote at the beginning of this article, I want to mention the documentary-like intimacy quality of this film. It’s unpredictable, it feels real, it’s like a shot of what the participants to the Algiers Motel Incident felt. But I think the most important thing to take away from Bigelow’s latest picture is not the emotional experience (and I assure you it is a strong experience which leaves you shocked and outraged and which provokes reflection and reactions), but the fact that these are historical facts. This did happen, and, what’s even worse, this is still very much part of the cruel reality in America. Forget about Get Out (I do not understand the hype about that film). This is the movie every American should see. “This is America” reads on the poster of Detroit. Unfortunately for the entire world, so it is. Why this film is so great is because it informs and urges to dialogue and maybe even to change.

photos: Strange Days movie still (Lightstorm Entertainment) / Point Break movie still (Largo Entertainment/JVC Entertainment Networks) / Detroit film poster (Annapurna Pictures/First Light Production)

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8 January 2018

Sundance Style

I was determined to completely ignore the last night Golden Globes ceremony (I didn’t watch it for the first time in more than ten years and here is why), but I have to mention one thing: I am glad that Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri won four important awards (best film, screenplay, Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell), and that Guillermo del Toro won best director for The Shape of Water (because this film is about the magic of cinema – we need to not give up dreaming).

And now on to what I really wanted to talk about today. Winter style… at a film festival. Now that sounds very real and authentic for a film lover who lives in the European Northern Hemisphere where winters can really get rough and last for months. Don’t get me wrong, just like any other girl, I like a little glitz and glamour now and then, and the reason why New Year’s Eve is not one of my favourite nights of the year is because my dream New Year’s Eve hasn’t been invented yet – going to the movies to a classy small cinema (black tie mandatory) and then stopping for drinks at an old school jazz club next door.

But the truth is I’m a tomboy, so attending a film festival in the mountains in casual, comfortable, yet no less stylish attire (I’ve never considered winter to be an excuse to let sartorial standards slip) is something I can relate to much easier. So, as the Sundance Film Festival is a little over a week away (January 18th), let’s take a little inspiration for some classic winter style from who else than some rakish leading men and some stylish leading ladies and the snowy streets of Utah.

There is no surprise for anyone I guess that Robert Redford, the founder of the Film Festival himself, is part of the conversation. I have written about his seminal movies, his outstanding contribution to cinema and Sundance, his costumes in films like Three Days of the Condor, The Great Gatsby and his on-screen preppy look. But what is also worth talking about is his own contribution to style – like his denim-on-denim, impeccably rugged, Western-inspired American look. Because he has been wearing it better than anyone else for decades. Blue jeans with a jean shirt, aviators and boots – Robert Redford has made this really cool, functional, visceral, bare minimum, perfectly-weathered style his own, but these hallmarks seem to ring true especially when he’s at home in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains.

I will let the images do the rest of the talking. Simplicity is the answer, even in winter. Take your style up by paring it down. Stay warm and look cool.

Discover our movie stories shop – inspired by the fascinating world of cinema
and by the never-fading beauty of the tangible

photos: Rex Shutterstock / Harper’s Bazaar / WhoWhatWear / Austin Hargrave for The Hollywood Reporter / AP Images/Invision (actors featured in order of appearance: 1-Dree Hemingway / 2-Robert Redford / 3-Rooney Mara / 4-6: Elizabeth Olsen / 7-Michelle Monaghan / 8-Aaron Paul / 9-Keira Knigthley / 10-Kristen Wiig / 11-Ethan Hawke)

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20 December 2017

Let It Be A Good Film

I had written a whole different kind of post for my last blog entry of the year. My holidays manifesto of sorts – shop mindfully; choose local artists, designers, makers; pay it forward; donate books to children; say thank you; be kind; stop running for presents and instead be present for your family; learn to shut off and just live. All these are things I truly believe in and which I try to have as guidelines every single day, not just for the season. But then I thought of one thing out of the box that I would really like to recommend and which I believe would matter, too: Watch better films.

Movies are important. Movies truly open minds and doors (I’ve taken the liberty to quote Mr. Scorsese). I was recently shocked of how many respectable publications recommend questionable and poor movies in their selections of best films of the year. And most of the films are, naturally, American. It is really sad when you realise that most newspapers and magazines have forgotten that their journalistic job is to inform the readers. Of course not all movies that don’t get the spotlight are good, just as not all big budget movies are bad, but the selection for the wide public is so narrow that this becomes unfortunately a much more complex problem. A couple of months ago when I wrote about my favourite films of the year (that far) and a reader thanked me, saying that it was really difficult to catch good movies in her area, especially foreign ones, but that she’d save them on a list for future reference, it made me glad, but also sad, because it struck me that so many people who love good films don’t get to watch them because nobody talks about them and nobody distributes them in cinemas properly.

So my sincere advice to everyone reading this is to make the effort and look for good worldwide films, to go to the cinema and see more under-the-radar films, to attend the small festivals organised in your town, to invest in a favourite film on DVD, not stream it online. It makes all the difference. And I would like to end by recommending something new. To my embarrassment, I only discovered Kelly Reichardt’s work earlier this year when I watched Certain Women (but I’ve started to catch up and have also seen Meek’s Cutoff in the meantime). Reichardt’s latest film is quiet yet powerful, a subtle yet effective portrayal of small-town America, coming from a true independent American filmmaker. There is nothing loud about this film, no big revelations, no solutions for everything. It’s about real life and ordinary people, about the importance of every single person crafting their own lives. I hope you’ll have the chance to see it.

I wish you a Merry Christmas! May your holidays be filled with laughter, good food, a good film and a good book, and the people that you love. Thank you for your readership, friendship, and for your kind words and support for the launch of my movie stories shop.

Related content: My Favourite Films of the Year (So Far) / Watch A Non-Christmas Christmas Movie This December / The Rocket

photo: film still from Certain Women | Film Science, Stage 6 Films

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15 December 2017

The Best Books on Film, Photography, Fashion and Music I’ve Bought This Year

What came first? My love for film or my love for books? Definitely, the latter. And if you have been reading my blog for a while, you clearly know that I love books, at least just as much as I love movies. But you may have also noticed that I rarely recommend fiction. One of the reasons is that I seldom read novels these days. I prefer books on film, photography, art, autobiographies of all kinds (although this has definitely been the year of musician autobiographies for me), travel journals. In short, writings that tell us something about the real lives and interests of others – it’s what motivates me most. The second reason is that I always find it hard to come across good recommendations on these selected fields. Sure, the tastes differ, but what I am trying to do is curate a truly great selection of titles any cultured person would appreciate. And when a reader recently told me that she always finds my features on books helpful and that her bookshelf is a subset of the books I write about, I rejoiced. Mission accomplished, and it’s heartwarming.

So today I thought I would gather the best publications on film, photography, fashion and music that I’ve bought this year. Maybe you will feel inspired to get one of them for yourself or gift it to someone dear. I have already featured most of them on the blog throughout the year and you can read my detailed thoughts on each one of them by following the respective link.

And, yes, the notebook you see in the top photo will soon be available in our online shop. Can you guess the inspiration source? Naturally, it’s for book lovers, movie lovers, dreamers and scribblers alike.

Left: Saul Bass poster design for Bonjour Tristesse / Right: book cover

Film
Saul Bass: A Life in Film and Design, by Jennifer Bass and Pat Kirkham. I own a lot of film books. A lot. Most of them are about cinema in general, about film genres, or directors’ retrospectives (as you will see below). But there are other books related to film that I appreciate just as much. Like costume design (so few unfortunately, and even fewer good ones), or title sequence and poster design, another artistic field that is very much part of the cinematic story. Saul Bass: A Life in Film and Design is not just about film (he was an all-around talented artist), but it is because of his visionary, unconventional, brilliant, out-of-the-box sequence titles and film posters that I bought this book for. The opening credits didn’t get the importance they deserved until Saul Bass transformed them into an artistic expression, a cinematical and psychological experience, his minimalist, yet highly effective, simple, yet expressive style cleverly setting the tone for what was to come.

I had already read a lot about Saul Bass and occasionally wrote about his film work, watched most of the films he did the title sequences for (I have come to recognise his work instantly) and knew many stories behind his legendary designs. But having all that artwork on paper, in the same place, is special. A book is (still) special. Because a book still is the most reliable source of information (I literally fret whenever I have an idea for a new style in film article and realise there is not much material I can leaf through and have to rely on Google). But, most importantly, a book is a beautiful thing to have and to hold. I like the book jacket, too, by the way (the artwork for The Man with the Golden Arm, 1955). But I love the cover – the artwork for Otto Preminger’s 1958 Bonjour Tristesse. Such a nice finishing touch and lovely surprise to discover.

Du cinématographe, by Jean Cocteau. Bold, witty and discerning, this book expresses some of the most eye-opening ideas about film, but also some of my fundamental concepts about cinema. If you are interested, our shop is carrying another book by Cocteau.

Making Movies, by Sidney Lumet. This is the kind of book you can’t just leaf through. You read every word and you do it on one reading, just like the director said he always used to read the scripts. Here are a few movie-defining things that stayed with me after reading it.

Woody Allen: A Retrospective, by Tom Shone. It has everything I like about Allen’s films, from writing, to cinematography and character study.

Photography
Terry O’Neill, by Terry O’Neill. I found this one on huge sale at a book fair. I grabbed it looking over my shoulder, paid for it in a hurry (almost feeling guilty, but mostly giddy for such bargain) and ran. I ran with a story book. Because each photograph has its own story to tell. And when my mom recently visited and couldn’t put it down, happy to see so many loved actors and musicians and personalities in one place and learning about the behind-the-scenes stories, that was the ultimate proof of how valuable this book is. I am thinking about buying it for her, too.

The Mind’s Eye, by Henry Cartier-Bresson. Lessons in looking, seeing, and simplicity, from the pioneer of street photography, the man responsible for the term the “decisive moment”, and one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century.

Diane Arbus Magazine Work. Arbus’ magazine photographs were seen by a large audience and were instrumental in establishing her reputation, but they have since been overlooked and become virtually unknown. Most of the work she did for magazines form a cross-section of 1960s popular American culture. Her style was direct, uncompromising, embodying a distinctive personal viewpoint.

Fashion
In all honesty, my interest in fashion has significantly wound down in the last couple of years, but I still appreciate a good book about fashion, just as much as I do any other kind of book. Joe Eula, by Cathy Horyn, was a revelation. It is the first published work on the designs of Joe Eula, whom I consider a bit of an unsung hero of the 20th century fashion illustration.

Autobiographies
As I was saying above, when it comes to autobiographies, the ones written by musicians sparked the most interest in me this past year, from the one that clearly stood out for me, Morrissey, to Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, Volume One. But I also have a particular liking to Sidney Poitier’s memoir The Measure of A Man, which I also added to our online shop. It reveals the undeterred spirit, inner depth, emotion and intellectual fervour that have driven this actor’s, this man’s remarkable life.

And last, but not least, one of the best and most inspirational lifestyle books I have read in recent years, The Abundance of Less, by Andy Couturier.

Special mention: I love children’s books, too, and I have been sharing (and will continue to share) some of my son’s and my favourites on Instagram.

Related content: The Gift of Books / Truffaut, Kar Wai and Film Noir / The Abundance of Less

photos by me

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11 December 2017

Watch A Non-Christmas Christmas Movie This December

Note: This is a revised edition of the article that originally appeared in December 2016 on the site.

I may have some favourite classic Christmas movies, but, truth be told, I have always preferred more non-traditional films this time of year. So here are some alternatives. Some of them are not about the holidays at all, but they are more magical than most Christmas movies, even the best ones. Others might take place around the holiday season and have that hint of Christmas, but they don’t hinge on Santa coming down the chimney, finding the right gift or Ebenezer Scrooge, or learning the real meaning of the holiday. I am sure there will be other titles I will add to the list in time (and update this post accordingly), so if you have any favourite non-Christmas movie that you most enjoy watching in December, I would love to hear.

The Thin Man (1934)

The Thin Man is just the right kind of non-traditional Christmas movie for me. It has comedy and mystery and an irresistible, stylish couple, all wrapped in a festive atmosphere, as it takes place around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, without really being about the holidays. William Powell and Myrna Loy, as Nick and Nora Charles, are in perfect chemistry and very elegant – one of the film’s real secrets is its style, and this is the perfect time of year for a little Old Hollywood glamour. Besides, the carefree lifestyle, great sense of humour and eccentric relationship of the two are the right antidote to the usual sentimental Christmas movie. You might want to check out the entire The Thin Man series.

The Apartment (1960)

One of the finest satirical comedies, The Apartment is different from the formal plot of romantic comedies, old and new. It has subtlety and an adult sensibility, which is what makes the story so good and poignant and real. It is set around the holidays, but there is no family gathered around the festive table, just two lonely leading characters, played by Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, for whom this is a time as any other time of the year, but the fact that the story is set around the holidays adds a touch of melancholy to it all. Therein lies the beauty and strength of the movie – life comes with good and bad, you can’t have one without the other. This film hasn’t dated one bit.

Three Days of the Condor (1975)

There is no movie I enjoy more than a noir or a good thriller, even for Christmas. Three Days of the Condor represents a landmark as one of the best political and conspiracy thrillers of its time. A tour de force from start to the open-to-interpretation end, the film happens to be set in a cold, wintry New York City, and there are even a couple of carols playing in a scene or two. As a side note, this is also one of the films men take their sartorial cues from, and Robert Redford’s simple, preppy, all-American clothes are indeed worth taking inspiration from. But the bottom line is this: this is a great film and that’s the only criteria you should use when picking a film to watch, this time or any other time of the year. And now that I’ve been watching movies less often than ever (hello, motherhood and no tv watching allowed in the house!), I believe even more so than before that this is the kind of film that offers its own cinematic respite.

Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)

There are angels hovering over Berlin and walk unnoticed among its citizens, seen only by other angels and occasionally by children. They listen to people’s thoughts and, at times, they take an active role of guardian angels assisting those in need, stirring feelings of comfort, hope and optimism in them. The human drama fascinates Damiel (Bruno Ganz), one of the angels, and he yearns to touch, taste, and feel, and experience the ephemeral moments of simple joys. Wandering around, he finds his own angel at the circus: Marion (Solveig Dommartin). She’s a trapeze artist and, for her, he takes a monumental decision. Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire is not a Christmas movie, but there is more magic in it than in any Christmas movie. As I was writing above, from all human beings, only children can see the angels – and there it is, the most beautiful, magical message.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Eyes Wide Shut is probably the most unvonventional Christmas movie. Kubrick planted a Christmas tree in nearly every scene. This was intentional, of course, as the director’s attention to detail is well known. Come to think of it, the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the Hartfords’ living room can easily evoke the kind of relationship they have, a beautiful appearance that has lost its roots. In Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrik paid particular attention to colours and lights, lamps, streetlights and Christmas lights to get a special look, a terrific exposure and depth. His last work is a visual masterpiece and a great film. Upon finishing the film, Kubrick told family members and close friends that this was the best work of his career (he died before the film’s release). “Kubrick’s film navigates the treacherous, gray area between waking life and dreams, between ‘reality’ and fantasy, between actions and desires, between fidelity and deception, between the conscious and the unconscious”, it is summed up in the book The Stanley Kubrick Archives.

Trading Places (1983)

Trading Places is a 1980s film, but it reminds me of classic comedies. It is very funny. It also manages to tell us something about human nature, without stopping being funny. Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd are just a perfect match. Plus, the film has the best idea of a New Year’s Eve party: it takes place on the train, making it probably the only kind of party I would like to attend on the night between the years. Not my favourite night, you’ve guessed, I usually just want to get it over with and move on – hence my take on the train setting.

Carol (2015)

Todd Haynes’ subtle and immaculately crafted Carol is a beautiful film. Not only visually, but as hugely accomplished cinema. Taking place around the holidays, dressed in a gleaming light, it makes the contrast between the appearances and the reality and inner-world of the characters so much more striking. This is far from the feel-good Christmas classic. And the kind of love story it depicts is rarely seen on screen these days. Reserved, full of quiet longing, it is more about telling glances than of repeated “I love you” told to each other – and it is very much real and passionate.

Force Majeure (2014)

A Swedish family travels to the Alps for a five-day skiing holiday and during a lunch at the resort’s rooftop restaurant, an avalanche turns everything upside down, after Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli), the mother, desperately tries to protect the two children, while Tomas (Yohannes Kuhnke), the father, grabs his cell phone and runs for his life. A great satire, reminding of Ingmar Bergman’s movies, about a family shaken to its core, with a beautifully written screenplay, beautiful cinematography capturing the alien nature of not only the ski slope, and excellent acting, including the two little children. The film (still my favourite from director Ruben Östlund, despite his winning the Palme d’Or this year with The Square) is a great character study and sometimes wickedly funny, without diminishing the permanent anxiety hovering over though, as if you are expecting another dramatic thing to happen any moment. Do try this if you, too, feel the need to give the roiling sentimentality of the usual Christmas movie a rest.

La belle et la bête (1946)

And finally, probably the best film to reflect the bittersweetness, longing and beauty of the end of the year is Jean Cocteau’s magical La belle et la bête. Never before has such a romantic fantasy been treated in such an artistic and poetic manner on screen. As a side note, the cinematographer was Henri Alekan, the same one who would film Wings of Desire mentioned a little earlier. There has been much talk about the screen adaptations of this classic fairy tale, especially about the latest feminist take on the story, and I was pretty clear about my point of view on a few occasions, so now I will just say this: if you are going to watch a Beauty and the Beast film, make it this one.

Discover our movie stories shop – inspired by the fascinating world of cinema
and by the never-fading beauty of the tangible

photos: The Thin Man (MGM) / The Apartment (Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar/United Artists) / Three Days of the Condor (Wildwood Enterprises, Dino De Laurentiis Company) / Wings of Desire (Road Movies Filmproduktion/Argo Films) / Eyes Wide Shut (Warner Brothers/Stanley Kubrick Productions) / Trading Places (Cinema Group Ventures/Paramont Pictures) / Carol (Weinstein Company/StudioCanal) / Force Majeure (Beofilm/Film Väst)/ La belle et la bête (DisCina)

Posted by classiq in Christmas time, Film | | Comments Off