My Celluloid Women

Here are the top 6 movie women that made my year marvelous in different ways.

6. Anna Scott [Julia Roberts - Notting Hill]

There she is, the greatest star in the world; maybe the face we all can't forget. And out of nowhere she gets in an unattractive travelbooks shop and lives are changed. This marvelous modern Cinderella story made me cry unashamedly on some of the darkest days of the year. Roberts' performance was both heartbreaking and lightful, portraying the poor celebrity with marvelous dignity. If in the past I felt more like Hugh Grant's character, today I'd be definitely Miss Scott - hyped but unloved. The beauty of the movie lies on the feeling of possibility that fills the air as you watch it. As Björk would say "all is full of love... your doors are shut."

5. Regina George [Rachel McAdams - Mean Girls]

"This girl is the nastiest skank bitch I've ever met. Do not trust her. She is a fugly slut!"

Those who had seen the movie know what I'm talking about. But for the newbies I'd start with "Regina George is flawless", not because she really is, but because she knows she is and parades it! From all the evil self-indulgent bitches out there, Regina George is the most fun of them. With a notable beauty she goes beyond the hot shallow High School queen, becoming an archetype of a human phase. Of course there is some exaggeration on Tina Fey's genius script, but this girl is real, she's everywhere and [believe it or not] on every age field.

Of course that most of Regina's charm is due to McAdams's performance; you can see she's having the time of her life as the blonde adolescent who thinks she's the cherry on the top of the sundae. Her jargons and laidback confidence match adoringly with her [mostly] subtle meanness. As Janis says "she's a life ruiner", but as Cady says "she's like de Barbie doll I never had."

4. Elle Woods [Reese Witherspoon - Legally Blonde]

The best quality of Elle Woods is that she is good! "She may seem like your typical selfish, back-stabbing slut faced ho-bag"... but wait a minute, that's the #5! Elle Woods is GOOD!! She's sweet, helpful, devoted and hardworker. That's why you totally don't understand why that ugly-piece-of-shit Warner Huntington III breaks up with her. "You're breaking up with me because I'm too blonde?"

Further on we end up reassuring ourselves that breaking up with Elle was the best thing Warner could do to her, because she then created one of the best icons of this century so far. The way her triviality is never judged and is actually sweetened makes you adore her right away and hate those who mistreat her.

Besides, she's a twisted feminist icon, funnily competing with Enid, the lesbian activist from the same film; although she follows the preppy blonde stereotype, she's the reinvention of the feminist one. But above a feminist, Elle is a humanist! The best thing I learned with her was to have faith in people. As she'd say "you might be surprised."

3. Miranda Priestley [Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada]
"Do you know why I hired you? I always hire the same girl- stylish, slender, of course... worships the magazine. But so often, they turn out to be- I don't know- disappointing and, um... stupid. So you, with that impressive résumé and the big speech about your so-called work ethic- I, um- I thought you would be different. I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl. I had hope. My God. I live on it. Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more than, um- more than any of the other silly girls."
That's the worst thing you could hear from you boss right? Yup, we agree and there'll be no punchline here. Alright, I'm kidding! All I have to say is that no one could've said those lines better than La Streep with her Oscar-worthy performance as the most evil of the bitches: Miranda Priestley.
I'd say that she and Regina George are my favorite movie bitches, but what makes Miranda #1 is the fact that she's got reasons to be how she is; George is just a conceited teenager that is funny, hence we love her. But Miranda uses her meanness to keep herself where she is, on the top; and if she were a man everyone would say she's just doing her job, as Andy would say to defend her. The thing is that, despite the headeater behaviour, Priestley is a fine and perfect example of the modern executive women; and since we're keen to feminism, she's highly praised. That's all.
2. Lizzie Bennet [Keira Knightley - Pride & Prejudice]
Okay, I've written a million posts about this film and my Lizzie Bennet adoration. So, I'll limit myself in saying that the second Miss Bennet is still my favorite female character and that Keira is my favorite this-generation actress. I'm so damn happy she's got a Globe nod; I don't think she'll get an Oscar one, but I'm sure we'll have delicious red carpet moments!!
1. Bridget Jones [Renée Zellweger - Bridget Jones's Diary]
"Bridget Jones, wanton sex goddess, with a very bad man between her thighs... Dad... Hi."
I loved talking about my Bridget devotion. But right now I lack inspiration! This year I've become her by drinking vodka at home and mourning the broken heart with tearjerking songs. But indeed I've said so much about Bridge that I'll just leave it for the ho this time.
"So beyond good and evil with me, that now I'm careless about being a spinster and a lunatic, if my life can be carried with at least half the joi de vivre with which Bridget carries hers. It also left me craving a snow filled make out session."
"Whenever I'm having a rainy day, it instantly makes me feel better."
"Behold as Renee Zellweger creates a cultural icon."
[Song: The Weather - Patrick Wolf]

Top 6 Canadian Women

Yes, I have absolutely nothing more interesting to do! But whatever, I woke up today with Diana Krall's version of the American classic Cry Me A River and realized she's a Canadian doing American music; also came to my mind that some of the best examples of American music [being that Jazz, Blues, Rock etc] artists are not American, i. e. The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Pamela Anderson [yes, I'm joking]. Okay this is nonsensical, but fuck it, I got me thinking of Canada this morning as I listened to Diana's voice, also when remembered Mitchell's A Case Of You ["On the back of a cartoon coaster/In the blue tv screen light/I drew a map of Canada/Oh Canada/And your face sketched on it twice"], so as aforementioned I have nothing better to do, I decided to do a list of my current favorite Canadians.

6. Kim Cattrall

Alright, you know I'm talking about Samantha Jones! Cattrall was actually born in Widnes in England, however her family emigrated to Courtenay [British Columbia - Canada] and truth be told I know nothing else of her besides Miss Jones. [Hmm... I did watch Crossroads but we'll all just ignore that]. Oui oui shame on me, but who cares?! I mean, Samantha Jones is G-d! She's the dream of liberation of every modern woman and queer I know. Cattrall's screen presence is so strong that even the prudest of viewers couldn't help adoring Samantha's charm and sass. As for me: I worship her and Cattrall could not fail to be here for giving life to such a wonderful character.

5. Rachel McAdams
This London [Ontario] born actress got me by surprise in her stellar turn in 2004's Mean Girls. My main goal in watching the movie was to see Lindsay Lohan's first critic praised role, but on my first screening of the movie, even loving Lohan's job it was McAdams and her wonderful Regina George who got me. McAdams gave us a character so diabolically funny that you could not not love her; Regina's meanness always felt real and tangible even when the film got goofy and over-the-top and Rachel ended up creating an icon. You felt like Cady, hating that horrible bitch but at the same time desiring to be around her. Later I totally fell in love with the woman: I rented The Notebook - meh movie wonderful performances, - ran crazily to the movies to see her captivating and heartpounding job in Red Eye and absolutely loved her sarcasm in The Family Stone. Things I didn't know: she was considered for the role of Andrea Sachs in Prada and turned down MI3 [good girl!] and Cassino Royale [she's forgiven, Eva Green was perfect].

4. Sarah McLachlan

When I became an Alanis Morissette freak and started a downloading spree I came across the name of the Halifax [Nova Scotia] born Sarah McLachlan. I remember being kinda intrigued because back then I didn't know how to pronounce her name. A while later Alais introduced me to her music and I had a beautiful surprise when I discovered she was the writer and performer of a song that for a while had been touching my emotions and bullying my curiosity [to know who sung it]: Angel. This now overplayed tune caught me crying the very first time I heard it, on an Alias 1st season episode. As I dived into McLachlan's discography, she became the woman of heartfelt and beautiful lyrics and touching and stunning performances. It's common sense that her voice presents a beautiful sorrow that it is hard not to be awed by it; even the ho cried with Wintersong!

3. Diana Krall

When I first saw Diana Krall [Nanaimo - British Columbia] I must confess that my first reaction was: "whaaa... she ain't black!" It was no racist remark of mine, maybe a bit prejudiceful, but not racist. I said that because when I 1st heard Krall [before knowing her face] I pictured a woman in the likes of India.Arie, or Des'ree, and suddenly I was facing a blonde chick with an imperative presence and a groove that white people don't often have. But really, what's much to say of Krall? Everyone seems to love her but not in a pejorative-hyped way [like The Black Eyed Peas]; her public goes from new and young jazz listeners, getting in touch with the art, to mothers who loves a romantic [almost] suggary love song. She performed in Brasil last year; do I hate myself for missing it? Whadda think?

2. Alanis Morissette

One of the most overplayed and hyped artists from the late 90's, the Ottawa born Alanis Morissette totally deserved [almost] everything she got with her adult career [for those who don't know, Morissette was a teen star back in the 80's in Canada]. Recently I said I don't longer consider her as a main G-d from my polytheistic pop culture religion, but I guess I was overreacting. Nowadays I still don't feel like listening to her songs, but I've recently been in contact with her geniusness with her latest MadTv appearance [video bellow]. And coming to think of it she's a helluva an artist! She's always delivered somehow beautiful pop/rock gems; her lyrics are true descriptive poetry [doubters, if there's any: listen to Ironic, I Was Hoping, Joining You, Flinch and 21 Things I Want In A Lover] and her attitude's always been appealing and charming. My favorite album of hers is Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie [SFIJ], her sophomore [post 90's]; the 17-song gem is filled with exciting and beautiful arrangements but are the lyrics that shine throughout it. Most of them, even if came from Alanis's deep and imaginative mind, sound personal and autobiographical - but in a way that you relate yourself to them, making them even more powerful. Lately she's been accused of losing her creativity by repeating herself. Bullshit! Alright, her last album, So-Called Chaos, was a lot inferior to her previous ones, sometimes sounding like an Under Rug Swept's leftover; but still you can find the beautifuly written lyrics and some songs are really cool ["Excuses"]. Then she re-released her 1st international hit Jagged Little Pill [JLP] in acoustic form - some called repetitive exploitation, I called reinvention; in my opinion JLP got an even nicer and pleasing sound as an acoustic album, not to mention that her voice was way better than back in 1995. Aside all the controversy, it's common sense that Morissette is an icon from the 90's; she's been inspiring a great deal of people who love music, lyrics and artists with intelligent and deep kicks.

1. Nelly Furtado

Nelly Kim Furtado. She was the first Canadian [Victoria - British Columbia] I fell in love with; at least the first that I knew who was Canadian. When I'm Like A Bird hit Brasil I instantly fell; there was a restlessness and eager desire on those raspery vocals, and such a honesty into those shining blue eyes! Most of the people I knew hated her acute vocals and didn't get her quirky creativity [mud/feijoada dance? Bring it on!] but for me she was a ride of joy. I remember back then two things that most excited me about her was a) that she was half Portuguese and knew a lot of Brazillian music and culture and b) my dad loved her! She then came to Brasil with her Burning In the Spotlight Tour and of course I couldn't see her live, but stayed awake in a week day till late like a silly fan waiting for her interview on a Brazillian late nite talk show. But it was Furtado's sophomore album that firmed me as a die-hard fan. The woman simply reinvented herself completely! After motherhood she assumed a darker and more mature tone and image; of course that the change didn't please me as much as I wanted, but her work was still charming and amazingly produced. Then, last year she did [imo] the coolest move in her career: she grew up for real! She became a hot woman who wasn't afraid to tell everyone she wants to have fun and that she has a sexuality; she was no longer a grown-up wannabe like Folklore felt sometimes. For all these reasons, I praise this woman shamelessly; her creativity is a great mixture of artistic freedom and accessibility; some might've thought Loose a desperate turn to make money, but not everyone can notice a good reinvention when showed. OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

Auditory Memory

I had an aunt who said that buying soundtracks was stupid: once the movie's momentum was gone so would the interest for its music. My dad once said that movie music belongs to movies and that they have no way of fitting on our daily lives: our connection with it lasts while the film lasts. At first I was too coy to debate with them, but now having seen as much movies as I have seen and having heard as much movie soundtracks/original scores as I have heard I can fully disagree with them.

On early March I went to the best party I've attended to date: the Nave. Among the all-time favorites that were played by the party's DJs were two from Quentin Tarantino's 2003 masterpiece Kill Bill Vol. 1's soundtrack: a crazy remix of Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and The 5, 6, 7, 8's Woo Hoo was played twice. These songs are my irrefutable proofs that movie music can transcend the celluloid.

When my relatives said those things they took for granted two powerful arts: filmmaking and music. It's known that a lot of a film's emotion would be hard to be transmited without a score and/or a soundtrack. Music is such a grand art that most of the songs contained on films soundtracks weren't written for the motion picture, but there they are molding themselves to the plot's spirit setting the mood for the public's catharsis. The art of filmmaking got as grand status in this sense especially for being able to mold an older and more independent art [despite of MTV music doesn't need video] to its designs. A recent example is the use of dancefloor classic Vogue on modern-already-classic The Devil Wears Prada. The song got a glamourous and even more iconic turn bathed in all those Channel's, Prada's, Gucci's etc etc. Nowadays I can't help feeling at a Dolce & Gabbana runway when I listen to Madonna's masterpiece.

Last night as I listened to the two Kill Bills' soundtracks I was struck by another confirmation of these arts' power: the feelings those songs imprint to one's emotional memory. While Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood got me holding my Hattori Hanzo, I before rode the town with my ultra-cool yellow outfit and motorbike at the sound of the Green Hornet theme. But Tarantino's music taste goes beyond filmy experiences. His last two epics transformed cult songs into mainstream gems [everybody heard-till-got-sick-of Carolina Márquez's The Killer Song with Bernard Herrmann's Twisted Nerve ill-used sample]; they also got my first contact with Ennio Morricone's genius music and I bet that everyone in the party I mentioned above felt like wacko Japs dancing at The House Of Blue Leaves whenever Woo Hoo was played, I at least did.

In addition, listening to a movie's soundtrack or score can bring back the feelings the movie brought upon you. One might say that way we limit the music to one thing, but that's what we do all the time isn't it? We can't feel everything when we do something, so we connect the situation to one sensation. Whenever I listen Dario Marianelli's tunes for 2005 literature adaptation Pride & Prejudice I feel connected to Lizzie Bennet's wit and vivacity and Mr. Darcy's charm and presence. When Isabelle Hupert sings Françoise Hardy's hit A Message Personnel or Fanny Ardant does the incredible bossa rendition of the wild French disco hit that is Nicoletta's A Quoi Sert De Vivre Libre both from the 2002 François Orzon's film 8 Femmes I feel the colors and the joi de vivre from those marvelous women.

Music and films is a match made in heaven, because for me film music is a way to keep vivid in my memory the awesomeness of the motion picture. The same way we lose momentum from a film and consequently its score we lose momentum from all kinds of artists and music. It's the moment that counts, whenever it is.

So, which is the soundtrack piece that rocks your socks?

[Song: The Secret Life Of Daydreams - Dario Marianelli]

Bitchy Talk

As you know I moved. As you know I was PCless. As you know I still have no decent internet connection. Due to those reasons it was pratically impossible for me to edit and post February's Bitchy Talk with Gabriel. But better late than never and here we are. The interview was done in late January so there are some anachronisms, but anachronisms are soooo fun, enjoy!

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“Just a fucked up girl looking for her own peace of mind”, Gabriel quotes Kate Winslet’s character on 2004 Michel Gondry’s motion picture Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind to describe himself. 2006 was a turning point for him because many things happened on the sentimental area and he managed to learn and evolve with them. I can’t say for sure when and how Gabriel and I became friends but what matters is that we are. We share the love for Madonna and some other similar tastes like Alanis Morissette and Björk, but Gabriel is more into the Indie side of music and life in general.

In his Like A Blogger blog he goes from the confessional to the pop cultural. He has a talent in manipulating song lyrics to say what he means at the moment. In 2007 Gabriel is meaning to clean the house, taking care of neglected aspects in the past year and trying not to repeat the same mistakes; after all, the “knowledge of the existence of a hole makes the ‘same’ path totally different”.

)( Lucas Bradshaw)( Times That I Was Thinking: drama is the basis of every human being’s life. What are you recent ones? Things you know that could be solved in a minute but part of you delays and complicates it.

_Gabriel: wow… how much time do we have? Haha. You know I tend to maximize all my problems. I’m super dramatic because sometimes it’s cool. But when the drama tires me I solve it at once. I finished some already, by the way, but I’d say my main ones now are my lack of money and time – that are actually lack of planning. Oh and relationships… uhg!

LB: oh nevermind relationships; it’s crappy for everyone!

_G: That’s comforting…

LB: but why do you think that being dramatic is cool? [This is no judgmental question.]

_G: I don’t know. I think that that way I feel and analyze the situation in an extreme way too. The fuck-what-do-I-do euphoria has helped me many times. Everyone knows that my only solid relationship is with hyperbole.

LB: hahaha… hyperbole rules! Exaggeration is part of human’s psyche and amen! Without it we wouldn’t have the Baroque, Marie Antoinette and Almodóvar pictures.

_G: exactly! And what would be of the world without them?

LB: anyway, I meant to start with this but it slipped from my mind: what are you listening?

_G: when we started it was All Is Full Of Love. Now it’s Army Of Me [Björk].

LB: ahhh… we’re synching and we didn’t even notice! That’s romantic.

_G: oh, that’s true! You’re listening to the same album. That’s cute indeed.

LB: what does Army Of Me bring upon you?

_G: actually nothing. It’s a beautiful song but it’s far from being my favorite Björk. I like to scream along etc, but…

LB: which’s your favorite Björk?

_G: Hyper-Ballad and Jóga… Venus As A Boy!

LB: Hyper-Ballad is mega dramatic! This thing of casting stuff from a cliff is beyond drama-queen.

_G: hahaha… see?! It’s a dramatic song indeed. I identify myself with her fascination about the noises of the falling objects. I used to do that as a kid on the neighbor’s roof… and I like the metaphor of living at the top of a mountain with a marvelous view, but it’s also a place you can fall from and die.

LB: do you consider yourself a bitchy person?

_G: define bitchy.

LB: lol! Uhh… it’s a person like… me! Fine, I’ll be more specific: bitchy are those who lose the friend but never miss the joke. That sarcasm is the basis of the dialogue.

_G: ahm, ah… I don’t think I’m bitchy then. I have my moments, but I’m not always sarcastic, not with everyone.

LB: do you complain a lot?

_G: it depends. I complain about life in general. Things are cool and there I am in drama mode but I know I’m exaggerating. I complain about things everyone does; something from work, a low grade etc.

LB: welcome to the club. That’s bitchy!

_G: is it really?

LB: that’s the difference between bitchy and annoying. Bitchy has the conscience that good part of the drama springs from exaggeration and knows that there’s a moment that normal mode must be on. Annoying people are just annoying!

_G: hahahahaha… get it! But I’m sure there’s someone out there who thinks I’m annoying – not bitchy.

LB: those are annoying people who don’t get bitchy! What’s your film obsession at the moment?

_G: re-watching some movies. I work at a video place and I clearly see how the productions tend to be repetitive and bad. I can talk about any film to a costumer; even if I haven’t seen it. Explain the end of a film I didn’t see as well. That’s why I got into this phase of re-watching my favorite movies. I guess that holidays have much to do with it too. A lot of crap is produced nowadays, that’s disappointing.

LB: hmm… maybe you haven’t looked out properly. In fact the mainstream has nothing worth watching.

_G: that’s why I firstly explained that I work at a video place. Only the mainstream comes to my hand, and they’re awful!

LB: the only decent popcorn movies from last year were Prada and Cassino Royale. And uhg… those humanized animals animations, who can put up with them?! Only Happy Feet was good.

_G: who wants to see Bruce Willis saving the world again? And Morgan Freeman being the lead’s neighbor or grandfather?

LB: argh! I hate Morgan Freeman! And he’s so good! Or is he really? I mean, all his characters are the same.

_G: yes he’s a great actor. I shiver just thinking of him in Driving Miss Daisy. But now he does appearances in 1200 movies and all of the 1200 movies suck. He turned out to be very repetitive.

LB: he’s omnipresent like Cate Blanchett. I know you don’t care about award season, but the Academy’s nominations were out today. Did you see the list?

_G: I was on my lunchtime when I heard the names Scarlett Johanson and Kate Winslet on TV and thought of an accident with both; then I realized it was the Academy’s nods but didn’t care to know them.

LB: shame on you Gabriel! But anyway, the lists for best actress is: Helen Mirren [The Queen], Meryl [Prada], Penelope [Volver], Winslet [Little Children] and Judi Dench [Notes On A Scandal]. Which of these have you seen or is dying to see?

_G: I saw Prada and Volver, but truth be told I never even heard of the other ones. By name I can’t even say who Helen Mirren is; I stopped caring about the Academy a while ago. Go ahead Lucas, boo me.

LB: hahahaha… in fact the Academy lost some of its credibility; but there’s a whole process until the Oscars. A film doesn’t win the Oscar just because the Academy thought it pretty. It has a long critical and audience way to go. Now shall we talk about someone that is truly you obsession, Alanis Morissette. How did you meet her?

_G: Hands Clean. I found the song cute and the video very original. When I bought and heard the album I thought it as one of the most genius things ever done.

LB: until you heard Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.

_G: the lyrics are amazing and I loved all the arrangements. The cover reminded me of The Beatles - a great reference. Then a used records store was open next to my house, where I bought the previous two. And I simply died. I really do think her poetry one of the best; they have all to be with me. I think Alanis is a beautiful example that you can change whenever you want, be mad and lucid at the same time.

LB: I agree! For a long time I’ve been at the same stage of her lyrics… they were things I longed to say, I longed to do. If my life were a musical it’d have many songs by Morissette. Nowadays I identify myself more with her style than the messages. I absolutely love how she stuffs a verse with million words. Joining You and I Was Hoping are G-d.

_G: I know! I was 12 when I first heard these songs and they were things that didn’t rhyme nor have choruses. Kind of revolutionary for a friendless skinny boy like me, so bored of seeing Backstreet Boys’ posters on the newsstands.

LB: what about Madonna?

_G: with Madonna it was sort of a political curiosity, can you believe it? Actually I had the Music album but never cared much about it; but later American Life was available on the web and I fell in love with it. It was all I listened to for a great while. In short I bought everything concerned to her that interested me.

LB: wow, it took me a while for me to accomplish that. And still I don’t have certain things like, Evita’s soundtrack or the You Can Dance [YCD] compilation.

_G: oh no Lucas, I don’t care about those! I hate Evita, and the YCD’s remixes are too 80’s.

LB: oh you don’t like the 80’s, I understand; actually I don’t, but I learned to respect that. But wow, Evita is amazing!

_G: it bores me; the story doesn’t fascinate me, it’s a slow movie… looks like an endless music video.

LB: okay, let’s cut the Madonna off, before we start drooling. What are your greatest dreams?

_G: at the moment I study journalism but I’d like to be a writer. It’s even a kind of cliché “oh, didn’t make it as a writer, be a journalist,” but I’d really like to be one. My grandpa’s a writer and I admire him a lot; his books are praised in the field, but I don’t think of underground literature for a second. I want to write good books, that would sell well and I could support myself with them. I guess this is my greatest and most impossible one; I’ll probably end up writing obituaries with euphemisms.

LB: lol… self-depreciation = bitchy! You noticed how I wanna drag everyone to the club right!

_G: oh yes!! *fear*

LB: anyways, journalism has a lot to do with writing. After all it’s a career of reading and writing. Now Gabs, I’d like you to pick an image or two that you would relate to yourself in the moment and tell me why you chose them.

_G: can I make it three?

LB: sure!

_G: the first is a painting by René Magritte called The Empire Of Lights [on the top], that makes me shudder; it’s a house reflected by the water. It’s a surrealist piece and I was sat in a bookstore with this heavy book trying to see the surrealism in it, and when I noticed it I had tears on my eyes.

_G: recently I found an image from my favorite scene from Eternal Sunshine: when Joel and Clementine are under the sheets and she asks him if he thinks she’s ugly, it’s her best monologue in the film.

_G: the third is a picture from Madonna/Steven Klein’s 2004 collaboration, X-Static Process. To be more specific it’s a page from The Re-Invention Tour’s tourbook where there’s half of her body [red corset/red string/name of G-d] and another is just her face and the drawing of her eye is the head of stencil bird. That’s so beautiful, it was my wallpaper for a long time.

LB: okay, but why did this touched you so deeply? Try to rationalize the feeling.

_G: I’m not sure, I thought that bird so sensible sided by that corset, that gives a strange notion of movement; the arms with the veins. I think that shoot was a kind of underground; it was aesthetic but also very conceptual. I had that image on my notebook beside a Lennon picture.

LB: interesting combo!

Uhg... I Miss It So Much!

That's all!

Oh Itacaré...

... now that I'm back to dull Conquista I'm sure gonna miss Itacaré. All about it.

Okay not all...

Of course I won't miss the naughty unwanted morning rains...

the camping tents with holes...

the camping!!! [Uhg how I love my bed! Or any other soft and smooth one!]...

the icky camping neighbours...

the cell phone thieves...

the annoying reggae music...

the fact that it was impossible to have clean feet there...

the fact that it was impossible to have decent hair there...

But uhg all those gringos...

the summer feeling...

the beaches with that thin sand that makes the most delicious and relaxing sound when you step on it [a mix of chain-clang and dry cloth on semi-wet glass]...

the delightful brunches at Caramelo...

the hot German from brunch time that I'm sure was gay but way out of my league...

the heat [!]...

the crazy summer friends I'll never meet again [not the same way and with the same beach-mood]...

the mojitos...

the guiltless cigarettes..

the drunken and high evenings...

the pot [yes the pot!]...

the Prada...

the humos...

the fried egg-plant...

the hot Isreali...

the cosmopolitan-esque restaurants...

all of these things and some other more I can't think of right now will be missed and willing to be repeated.

[Song: How We Used To Live - Saint Etienne]

The First Day Of The Rest Of The Year [?]

[click the links for pics.]

I stormed out of the camp tent having the thick raindrops pounding all over my body, but the moment I arrived there I desperatedly realized that what I ran to save just couldn't be saved.

The moment me and Alais decided to come to Itacaré we vowed to have fun despite of our little inner craps [she about a boy and me about where to stay]. The first day [Friday, December 29] here was a marvel after an incredibly tiresome, stressful but still fun bus trip; there were some people from Conquista in the bus and in town my dread was accomplished when we didn't find any decent-cheap inn to check in... in other words we had to camp. Later we walked by one of the gorgeous beaches and ended sleeping on the sand, feeling the ocean breeze. We were so tired we couldn't exactly define if we were actually having fun as we danced to surf music and had bad wine with a couple of cool girls from our town that we met at night.

The following day we met the guys from the bus [a bunch of funny and cool queens] and we went to this distant beach where we had to go through an inside forest track to arrive. I felt that that almost-an-hour walk through hills, mud, trees and horrend spider-webs was worth it when I finally saw what awaited us. After hours burning under the sun we went back to town to have coffee and drinks but Alais and I ended up sleeping early: she was really tired, I was bored. By the end of that day we were already considering in returning home earlier than planned [January 3] because to spend 5 following days listening to boring reggae [not nasty but fun reggaeton] and forró; we were in the desire for some rave parties that were so in the year before [as she had told me], but all we had so far were those mostly-sleepy rhythms and an inexplicable avoidance to booze.

So the last day of the year came and I was already hating our camp neighbours; the motherfuckers spent the whole days smoking pot and listening to [uhg] reggae, Nirvana and hideous 80's Brazilian rock music. We woke up really late and after getting some money we decided to wait for that last day to decide if we should go back earlier. We strolled on the beach after eating like pigs [the main thing we managed to do well ever since] and drolling on hot tourists and an Isreali restaurant-owner; we met the cool girls again at the Beach and decided to have some mojitos and flirt with the hot percussionist that was playing. Talk about fun! I couldn't believe we were finally getting our wishes for the weekend; the musicians sat with us on the table and the heavy flirting started. Alais thought he was gay [which gave me a glow] but I instantly managed to notice that his somewhat sweet and feminine voice was due to his accent. Juliana and Alais started to flirt with him while Geisa, Tadeu [that had called in minutes before] and I had enthusiastic and inflamed conversations about art, politics and... pot! I at last got high with that; my previous try-outs weren't so succesful about the effect of the herb in me but that time it got through and hell it was heavenly! I felt happy and crazy to dance and sing and laugh and have fun. We stayed at the beach until 10 p.m. when we ran to eat and shower. As usual we got late and the year-turn was spent at the camp, but later we had the craziest and wildest fun! I got drunk and high as I no longer remembered how; we met some crazy girls drinking vodka and coke and of course we joined them, dancing at a heavenly electro-salsa [finally a reggae-less] party!! At some point Alais passed out but we kept having fun till morning, when I entered the camp and started the upseting first day of the year.

As I tied up to rest for a while I plugged my cell phone to recharge; I got into the tent to read during it but ended up passing out. Suddenly the early mentioned rain woke me up and I ran to keep my phone from getting wet. I there realized I didn't have to bother because it wasn't there anymore! Uhg, yeah my $500 reais cell phone was stollen. I actually myself for being so idiot in getting asleep and leaving the the thing there, and then I hate everything else. It nudged us to buy a bus ticket for tomorrow and of course my mind blames the coke-head pot-eater camp-neighbours. The day has been the dullest so far being compensated only by Miranda Priestly's devilish [and inspiring] behavior and the prospect of getting heavy drunk again tonight.

[Song: Heart Failed - Saint Etienne]

Top 5 Favorite Songs In Movies

My passion for films and music is well known and the marriage of these two is so obviously well succeeded that there is no need for me to ramble. This list [because I have nothing else to do but doing lists] is about those sequences in a film that a song defines a scene, no lines or explanations are required, just the scenes and the music.

Honorable mentions:

Two of the films from this list has more than one song moments that I completely adore. However I had to choose one of them to make it to the final list; that doesn't stop me from mentioning them anyway. Others are amazing and sometimes over-adored scenes, that even though I now think are too hyped I could not not mention.

- "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice [Closer]

Absolutely everyone loves this, maybe simply by the fact that Rice's song is beyond marvelous. I like it for other few reasons; one is that the song is played at the begining of the film and at the end: in the same movie the same song plays different and important roles to the story.

In the begining when we have a short-pink-haired Natalie Portman walking among the crowd in London streets and towards her comes forever-hot Jude Law, this song plays as a prelude, a "set the mood" song. It works perfectly because the song is haunting enough to tell us that that is a dark movie we are starting to watch. That first line completely chills me to the bone.

In the end, when the characters do all those things they do and we just get shocked about their behaviors, maybe because human beings really play those games, the song works as a line, as the film's itself line. Although I know the readers of this blog have seen this film, I really cannot go further on details about this, because who knows a wandering [and completely lost] blogger decides to read this and I spoil the whole pleasure in watching this film and feeling this song's job in it. But you all know what I mean, right?

- "The Man That Got Away" by Judy Garland [A Star Is Born]

I first listened to this song on the Gilmore Girls' 5th Season episode "So... Good Talk". Did I die when Luke knocked on Lorelai's door and kissed her as a sealing of their return as a couple while Judy Garland sang this song on Lorelai's TV? Do I really have to answer?

When I finally watched 1954 George Cuckor's version of "A Star Is Born" with Judy Garland, all I could wait for was to see the scene that had the song that made me cry over and over for no apparent reason, just for the sake of drama-queening. When I finally heard those trumpets on the film as Norman Maine [James Mason] enters the Jazz bar Esther was playing with her band that night, I felt the chills; but when I finally had the pleasure to see Judy's performance I died, I cried my insides out!

First thing that came to my mind after it was over: "AGAIN!"

- "Crazy For You" by Madonna [13 Going On 30]

Okay, Jennifer Garner, the 80's and Madonna... do the math.

What I most love about the final scene of this movie [when the song's chorus is played with this amazing additional string section] is that it's simply beautiful! It doesn't have any deeper meaning than it's Jenna's favorite song; I could say it was because she trully always loved Matt and bla-bla-bla, but it isn't really what this film is about. It's just about being cute and make us cry and smile with its lovely happy ending. And Madonna's song makes the closure perfect.

- "Come-On-A-My House" by Della Reese - dubbed by Madonna [Swept Away]

It's not like I had to manage to add this woman more than once on the list. I really abso-fucking-lutely love the scene where Adriano Gianinni's character tell a now-tamed Amber to sing and dance for him. The thing starts hilariously with Madonna in a high pitch voice but even that managed to make her Master Esposito get a boner.

Okay, it's better if you watch it.

It could be the island's mood or the temperature abrupt variations from day to night, but yeah Peppe we do understand your delirium: sizzling hot!

- "It's Raining Men" by Geri Halliwell [Bridget Jones's Diary]

Would there ever be another song to describe that infamous fight scene between hotties Daniel Cleaver [Hugh Grant] and Mark Darcy [Colin Firth]? I mean, Bridge is our hero man! She went from self conscious-30-years-old-single-therefore-depressed girl to two-hot-men-fighting-over-me!!

- "Without You" by Renée Zewellger [Bridget Jones's Diary]

This is one of the most hilarious parts of the movie. There she is, our hero drunk as pig at a Christmas party at her office singing Mariah Carey's Without You with her horrible drunk untuned voice, completely making a fool of herself because she was clearly singing it for Daniel Cleaver, her love interest. What's left for us then? Laugh!!

Who saw that would never imagine Renée could do what she did in Chicago.

Top 5:

5. "Fade Into You" by Mazzi Star [Swept Away]

Guy Ritchie and Madonna's second collaboration [the first is that outrageous and amazing music video] isn't well regarded among general public nor the critics. I agree that the film has some flaws like the boring edition in the begining [before the main characters become castaways] and some jokes are too According To Jim-esque for my taste; but generally I like the movie and find it very underrated. Madge's performance is mostly funny and cute, her comedy timing is great and as Amber she's adorable.

However, there is a scene that defines for me the best moment in the film. When Peppe and Amber embrace their attraction and live their love in that paradisiacal island, we are swayed by the lovely Fade Into You. But there are two things I adore about this sequence: the first is Alex Barber's breathtaking cinematography, he captured the scenario in a so beautiful way you feel like you're there; the second thing is that Fade Into You's lyrics match perfectly with the film's moment and is like a watershed in the character's fates. Mazzi Star's lyrics go about giving yourself away for a stranger, letting go of prejudices and giving a leap of faith on the unknown; exactly what the lovers were doing in that island and decided to keep on doing when they returned to "civilization". Right after the song ends, they are found.

4. "Just The Way You Are" by Maggie Gyllenhaal [Happy Endings]

After the whole [Jake] Gyllenhaal fuss in 2005 I totally overlooked this family, and despite all the buzz Maggie is getting herself this year I deliberately ignored her. Until I saw Happy Endings. Dan Ross's movie is beyond cute, not only because you simply love all the whackiness of its characters [especially Maggie's and Lisa Kudrow's], but also because it never judges their behaviors therefore we feel free to identify ourselves with them. That way we completely fall in love with each character, understanding their actions, fears and embracing their dramas. [I wanna marry Jason Ritter even if he has "Raise Your Voice" and "Freddy Vs Jason" on his past.]

So the moment Maggie's character sings that song you can't help loving everything about her [and Maggie herself by default for giving life to Jude in a so loveable way]. The song tells perfectly what you feel about the characters and how the film dealed with them; and that way you just feel hopeful to get your happy ending.

3. "Vogue" by Madonna [The Devil Wears Prada]

Madonna and Shep Petibone wrote this pop classic inspired by the dancing style that was in fashion at underground gay clubs in the late 1980's; the rest is history.

In 2006 David Frankel in his orgasmic movie The Devil Wears Prada takes Madonna's classical hit and puts it as the soundtrack of a sequence that shows all these marvelous couture outfits dressed by Anne Hathaway. Even though we all know that song must have been played in a million fashion catwalks since its release, that time it was there for the whole world to see how Madonna's song is as fresh and new as those clothes.

A funny thing about that scene is that Madonna's song is about people who feel better about themselves imitating great Hollywood stars on the dancefloor, and Andy Sachs goes through a change of behavior, personality and self-confidence with all those Chanel suits and Jimmy Choo-es. Does all that sound kind of superficial and frivolous? Yeah, but who gives a fuck?! Sometimes we must unwind and just be happy with trivial things.

Besides, who would resist Madonna and Dolce & Gabbana clothes?!

2. "All By Myself" by Celine Dion [Bridget Jones's Diary]

Okay, kilos and kilos of calories + wine + Bridget Jones = LAUGHS!!

The opening scene from modern masterpiece Bridget Jones's Diary is a masterpiece itself. Seriously, who never felt so shitty about himself that drank the night away at home and listened to depressive music until faint? Okay, I haven't but I felt similar; never got drunk and overchocolated but yes, I dubbed a corny song in a dramatic way that completely fit into my current state. The scene is so ridicule that it's genius how screenwriters Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis manage to make us laugh at the fact that we ourselves had done that.

Uhg... to know/remember what I'm talking about, rewatch that marvelous scene.

1. a) "Moon River" by Audrey Hepurn [Breakfast At Tiffany's]

This song is perfection. I first ever heard it back in 1997 when my father played a Louis Armstrong record that had it. Back then I knew nothing about the fact it was written for a movie nor anything of English so I just felt amazed by its tender melody.

Years later [2005] I found it among my mp3s, this time sung by Frank Sinatra. And I was in a moment of discovering classic cinema. The ho instantly told me it was from one of the greatest movies ever made, Breakfast At Tiffany's and I NEEDED to see it. Then I finally saw the lovely scene where Holly is sat by the window singing the song Henry Mancini wrote especially for Audrey's vocal range and in Paul/Fred's eyes were imprinted the fascination for that outstanding, charismatic and intriguing person. The music she was playing had such a sorrowful tone, so filled with what we Portuguese speakers would call saudade that contrasted with the fun, eccentric and hyperactive woman he had experienced till then. That depth on Holly's persona is enough to make him fall in love with her.

What does happen with us at that exact moment? We completely feel the same.

b) "Moon River" by Nacho Pérez [La Mala Educación]

The reason I absolutely love this song in this movie is that it brings us exactly the opposite feeling that BAT brings us.

In Almodóvar's 2004 film the scene that features this song is one that we see a young priest playing a guitar while a pretty and innocent boy sings Moon River [in Spanish] at a riverbank. Then we see a close shot on the priest and he has the exact same look that George Peppard's character in the 1961 film has. But opposite to him there's no grown runaway girl from the south, there's a ten-year-old boy.

What does happen with us at that exact moment? That's it! Pedro Almodóvar completely changed the effect the song brings upon us. Instead of a sympathy to a growing relationship, we feel completely shocked and scared about what is to happen. The lovely song that makes we all fall in love suddenly becomes something we feel afraid of. Therefore, there's no way in not loving this music moment.

Film Tagged

It took me way too long again to do this. My answers aren't as cool as Jose's but well he tagged me for this.

1. Popcorn or candy?

None… I realized I get completely annoyed by all the noise people do with they’re eating on the theatre. There you go chewing with your mouth open while you talk to the hag beside in the middle of the film and then open your candy bags and there goes the important scene everyone missed due to your carnival. Uhg… yeah, I’m ultra bitchy especially when people decide to ruin my movie experience.

So, all I have during a film is a liter of Coke or Pepsi.

2. Name a movie you've been meaning to see forever.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. First there's the Tom Cruise factor; every movie he attempts to really act I hate it, he just can’t do it. Then there’s the fact that the first person who told me to watch it has as favorite summer flicks all those stupid animations about animals, and since I’m a film snob… yeah I judge people by their movie taste.

3. You are given the power to recall one Oscar: Who loses theirs and to whom?

I love Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday; it’s one of my favorite comedies ever! But seriously, who else knows about it unless the cinephiles and Oscar-philes? So I’d get my time-traveling broomstick, go back to 1950, take the little naked man from Holliday’s hand and give it to Miss Davis and Miss Swanson because those were legendary performances.

I’d also step back in two years, kick Jamie Foxx’s ass and give the Oscar to Leo DiCaprio that really acted not mimed.

And OMG, the Three 6 Mafia wouldn’t ever even be nominated!!

4. Steal one costume from a movie for your wardrobe. Which will it be?

EVERYTHING from The Devil Wears Prada.

That’s all!

5. Your favorite film franchise is...

The Harry Potter movies. I love the books and I love the film adaptations; even though I find the first two rather dull I love them all; Cuarón's is my favorite. Uhg, I love Daniel Radcliff and Emma Watson.

6. Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why'd you invite them? What do you feed them?

Definitely Audrey Hepburn and Meryl Streep would be my guests of honor, just because they’re my favorite actresses. Then we’d have Madge, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lindsay Lohan [my guilty pleasure] to sing to us.

And no ho of course I wouldn’t give them vatapá! It’d be an Italian night with good red wine and Parmegiana steak.

7. What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater?

OOOOOOFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!!!

8. Choose a female bodyguard: Ripley from Aliens. Mystique from X-Men. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2. The Bride from Kill Bill. Mace from Strange Days.

The Bride, of course! And she must wear that yellow wardrobe all the time.

9. What's the scariest thing you've ever seen in a movie?

I know it’s tacky to say that, but I still didn’t have the courage to watch The Exorcist for a second time.

10. Your favorite genre (excluding comedy and drama) is?

Musicals and Classics, period.

11. You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power?

I would stop any film about the WW2 or soldiers; Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Paul Haggis would be put on the fridge [sorry ho but I had to copy this one]. Dakota Fanning would act a real kid and they’d give Anna Faris other roles than the dumb woman.

There would be more musicals and no films about animals; Scarlett Johansson, Keira Knightley and Uma Thurman would be my main stars and Jane Fonda would be my vice-president.

12. Bonnie or Clyde?

Uhh… are you talking about Beyoncé and Jay-Z?

13. Who are you tagging to answer this survey?

Gabriel and Alais, of course.

And oh, if my new blog-add, André, read this he might do it as well.

[Song: So Now Goodbye - Kylie Minogue]