An American indie film called Mutual Appreciation is waiting in a pile of mail downstairs. Mumblecore yada yada, according to NY Times Magazine. The protagonist is played by Justin Rice, who fronts a real-life band called Bishop Allen. Sound familiar, Show Me State lads? A film about Williamsburg hipsters could be annoying. Why did I rent this?
But this week's Netflix sweepstakes winner has to be La Jetée, an avant sci-fi film from Chris Marker in 1963. It isn't a film so much as a photo collage with voice-over narration. There's a fairly ambitious plot involving time travel, post-apocalyptic Paris, two star-crossed lovers, and a man wearing a bra on his head. But the film succeeds purely at the level of the still image. Delicate and disturbing -- and the wardrobe is straight out of APC or something. Score by Trevor Duncan on a Boosey & Hawkes library record. I bet Jarvis Cocker is really into this movie. bg
4 comments:
Hey, la jetée was great! did you get that new Criterion edition doubled up with Sans Soleil? That was amazing too. Such a beautiful and eerie, yet hypnotic, film with cryptic narration. Loved it.
Hey Norm,
Yeah, I had been having trouble finding it until the Criterion release this summer. I like that Sans Soleil begins in Hokkaido, where I used to live.
Ben
have you seen wanda? it was made in 1970 by barbara loden, elia kazan's wife who died tragically young, before she could make (write, direct, star) in another film. i don't think it was ever released in the us, but the french loved it and you still find iconic images from the film in paris, vogue -- not to mention many of my moodboards from parsons. this film had the same effect on me as sans soleil. just totally arresting.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067961/
hey nina, great hearing from you! i haven't heard of that movie but it looks very interesting and stylish -- we will definitely check it out. i hope guys had a good time in montreal...
ben
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