The New York Times’ got around 1min. clips of actors acting titled Fourteen Actors Acting. From Tilda Swinton to Chloe Moretz going through James Franco and passing through Michael Douglas, all the way to Jennifer Lawrence with a tinge of Noomi Rapace.
And… I want to say it looks great, because I love black and white – but really?
Even I can’t fangirl.
I don’t think I’ve seen too many Russian films. At the moment, I can remember The Russian Ark — because it’s got Russian in the title — and I just did an IMDb search. I’ve also seen 12, Night Watch… and I guess Mongol is kind of Russian, even though it was the Kazakhstan Oscar entry.
So this is actually my 4th official Russian film.
Despite having very limited on-screen time on Good Bye, Lenin!, Chulpan Khamatova floored me. Plus, I love how Daniel Bruhl says “Lara!” So I was always meaning to watch all of Khamatova’s filmography. But do you know how difficult it is to find Russian films on actual DVD? Anyway, I finally got hold of Luna Papa. I had literally no idea what is was about, so I went in blind. This is what you should generally do. No expectations, good surprises.
Luna Papa tells the story of a 17-year-old named Mamlakat whose love for theater and the arts lead her to one of the theater company’s presentation. She misses it by a hair, as she is walking in the dark paths only lit by the moonlight, she is mysteriously seduced by a no-face man. Next thing she knows, she wakes up in the morning with her torn dress… no longer a virgin.
Now, you may think this is all serious business and that the film gets all drama from this point forward, but it doesn’t.
Luna Papa is actually the fantastic tale of a young mother from the point of view of an unborn baby. Whatever your opinion on pro-life or pro-choice is, you can’t just dismiss this simply as either of those.
Unless I really REALLY suck at math, Khamatova should be in her 20s while shooting this role, but actually looks like she’s about 15. She’s terribly endearing, and terribly sassy.
Khamatova’s mentally-ill brother is played by German actor Moritz Bleibtreu… who I thought was going to be playing a talking role in Russian, but he mumbles one-words. It isn’t bad, he’s actually very effective and quite endearing as an over-protective older brother. As well as the father, who despite cultural prejudice in the town, does a lot for her daughter and son.
I have no idea if it was the lack of any knowledge about the film, but that ending came from nowhere. It didn’t feel like cheating, because there were a lot of things that came left field since the beginning. Luna Papa — I still have no idea why it’s called like that — was just a pretty nice blend of wacky comedy with some high tension moments.
My only real big issue with a highly entertaining film like this is that Khamatova — who is of Tartar origin — doesn’t look like she’s a Tajik girl. Not like I have any grasp on ethnicity, but she felt so out of place from where the movie was taking place.
My favorite scene’s got to be Mamlakat at the abortion clinic, as the doctor tells her to lie down.
Don’t want to be disrespectful, but I think it’s fitting.
You know, I never ever met him without looking like that. Leslie Nielsen just froze in time for me with his white hair and that face.
Oooooooooooh, stylish.
I think it’s time to add a Noomi Rapace tag, right?
Thanks to Acerk for the find, as well as user gp0patt0jp for the upload~~~
Now time to slap myself for not understanding Japanese. Major fail, Amy. Major~
It’s interesting to see that Yu Aoi’s interviews this year have been… more relaxed than before. It’s really really great to see her smiling and giggling during an interview.
From what I got, they talked about her piano playing… and her piano practicing habits before? They also talked a bit about something about English.
And of course she talks about food. I can’t be mistaken about that one xD
[iframe src=”https://www.tudou.com/v/W7EsjPNV5Sk/v.swf” width=”480″ height=”400″]
someone cares to explain the video to us? xD
— EDIT w/ on-the-go translation by Nina —
Alright, alright – I am hardly not biased… but since going on my Joan Crawford marathon with DVDs and books — yeh, I’ve spent a bunch of $$$ on Crawford stuff this month — I’ve been thinking that Crawford’s life would make one heck of an interesting movie.
No, I’m not talking Mommie Dearest.
Imagine this:
Please, Carly Pope in her Crawford costume? Of course, no squinting of the eyes. Plus, Pope has already sort of played Crawford when they did that spoof on Ryan Murphy’s Popular.
She can totally nail it.
Crawford’s biopic would begin from her mysterious childhood, not knowing when exactly. Her biological father abandons her family, and later her stepfather is gone. Her life affected by it, and then her short experience at school. Not being an educated person would mark her life in that she feels not good enough. She’s not a sex bomb like other actresses, or seen as good as more talented actresses like Bette Davis — we can even bring Leslie Bibb for it. Crawford needed to prove she belong in that MGM lot, and she knew she only had her on street smarts to get ahead~~~
We gotta admit Crawford pushed women away… especially threatening to her career because she was insecure. With failed marriages, no biological children, her only “baby” was her career which started slipping away with the years. However, she was a survivor… changing to what the public needed her to be, and what she needed to be to survive.
A film with the struggles to reach the stars… from flapper to Hollywood diva, her marriages, and lovers~~~ including an on/off affair with Clark Gable, her friendship with him… what would have happened if both their love lives had finally met in the middle? Her miscarriages, her ultimate decision to adopt kids, her tormented relationship with the first two… until the final announcement of the release of Mommie Dearest, and her cutting her first two kids off her will.
Hollywood, make it happen. Her life is material for even two films… but considering we know so little of her beginning years, you can cram it into one, right?
Not really the best of captures, but we’ll take what we can with YouTube removing stuff. Once again, YouTube users~~~ contact me in order to figure out how to keep the videos online. Your upload credits will be kept.
Thanks hirokisakurajima for the upload~
OMG, Yu-chan plays the piano!!!
I had read about that, but never actually believed it… you know, it is the internet.
I think it might be time for a Wikipedia update, right?
By the way, her last Ongaku appearance… which was uploaded by rocking user aoinohoho is gone because YouTube deleted the account – understandable. Aoinohoho, if you still visit the site would love to get hold of those videos.
Which leads me to a rant. Seriously Japan broadcasters, REALLY? As if you’re going to release interviews for sale. Even the likes of Letterman, and all those night shows have clips online. What’s up with that!?
Fuji TV, you fail at worldwide distribution.
I was watching my newly-purchased copy of Strait-Jacket with my father, having a blast — seriously, that movie is a hoot! Can’t really wait to take a look at the extras, and see Ms. Crawford with that ax.
But then, almost at the end of the film when Crawford is wrapping up, my dad goes on and says “Look, it’s Mario Vargas Llosa!” Freezing the image, we burst out laughing.
do you see it? I mean this photo of Crawford in the film isn’t really it. You must see her with her not-a-wig hair from where she is normal. It’s uncanny.
Yu Aoi and Satoshi Tsumabuki are set to star in Hideki Noda’s new play, Minami he (To South), at the Metropolitan Art Space from February 10 to March 31, 2011. Tickets will be on sale beginning January 8th.
via Nikkan Sports + Tokyo Stages
So Yu will be busy with the opening of Coin de Rue — opening the 11th — and this.
It’s like she knows is my birthday x’D
I could be wrong on this one, but this is the third time she does theater, right? First, Shakespeare playing Desdemona. Then Gakuya, and now this? Well, it’s not like I can attend the theater, since I won’t be understanding anything said xD
