Overrated Movies and their awards (Part I)

I was watching TV this afternoon and I had the luck of tuning one of Seinfeld's funniest episodes, which name I do not know, so I'll reference it by calling it the one in which Elaine goes to the movies to see "The English Patient".

I find this episode particularly funny because I relate to it very much, especially the scene where she goes to the theater with her boss J.Peterman to see the movie for a second time (unknown to him). Back in 1996, I was a frequent cinema goer and I had this tradition of watching most movies with this girlfriend of mine, who was also a big movie fan. I had already seen The English Patient by the time he invited me, but I had asked him for a few favors prior the invitation, and I felt guilty for not going with her, so I kept it to myself and went with her as if it was the first time... knowing exactly what was coming.

At one point in Seinfeld, Elaine yells "Quit telling your #$%& story and DIE already!!", which is something quite close to what I said at some point in the movie when I went with my friend. She looked at me pretty much like J.Peterman looked at Elaine and asked me the exact same question "Don't you like the movie?", to which I replied "no! it's TERRIBLE!" She laughed and said "wow, I think it's terrible too! In fact, I thought you thought it was good and didn't want to say anything....let's get out of there!!"

The English Patient ended up sweeping the Oscars that year and it became known as one of the most overrated movies of all time. I understand that the selection of nominees wasn't too great, with Fargo, Jerry Maguire, Secrets & Lies and Shine competing, but I guess it's one of those never ending topics where the Academy Awards simply hand Oscars out to political well marketed films within Hollywood's territory. Ironically, the best thing in The English Patient -in my opinion- was the one that ended up not winning anything: Kristin Scott Thomas.

1996 was not a particularly good year for movies, but there is one film that stands above The English Patient: Trainspotting. This Danny Boyle gem is the one that has gained praise and glory, featuring a young but powerful performance by Ewan McGregor -another overlooked nomination/award-. I also felt that Woody Harrelson should have won Best Actor, over Geoffrey Rush; I've always had a thing for short screentime, and I guess the fact that Rush was playing the typical "mentally challenged" character, he got al the glory over Woody's perverted Larry Flynt. Quoting Kirk Lazarus from "Tropic Thunder, at least Rush didn't go "full retard".

Another weird year in awards was 1998: the romantic comedy "Shakespeare in love" (which in my opinion is neither romantic nor comedic) also swept most awards, topping more elaborate and complex films like Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, American History X, The Big Lebowski, Festen, and one of my personal favorites, Life is Beautiful.

Believe me, I have nothing against romantic movies. I praise Casablanca, Dr Zhivago and my beloved Brief Encounter, but Shakespeare in love is a riggidly popcorn formulae movie. There is just nothing inticing about it, less enough to earn awards of any kind. 1998 should have been a year when foreign movies should have triumphed. Either Festen or Life is beautiful were clearly among the best films made that year. LIB is a bit corny, but in the end it's a powerful movie. Also questionable was Gwyneth Paltrow's Oscar over Cate Blanchett (from Elizabeth) or Fernanda Montenegro (from Central Station); competition was tough, and Gwyn is a good actress... but still...

To me, the fact that a movie like Shakespeare in love earns the qualification of "Best Movie" puts me in a thought process that goes like this: you might as well give the Best Movie Award to Armageddon. There's just no difference between them. A similar case can be made with On the waterfront and Marty. One is a classic that cemented Marlon Brando as a legendary presence onscreen, while the other one is... well... what is Marty about anyway?

Growing as a teenager in college, I began to lose interest in the Oscars after the 1996 and 1998 Best films were wrongfully awarded in my opinion. Ever since, I have relied in forums and online communities to choose what film to watch. A couple of nights ago I posted my experience of going to the movies to see "Prometheus", which I was already aware wasn't as good as I thought it would be, so I tried to make the best out of the situation. My friends on the other hand -who weren't as warned as I was- kept regretting every cent spent on the ticket. It made me wonder: "Why even bother to go see the movie?"

There are plenty of other examples on overrated movies and awards, but I'll post them in a future edition. For now, let's try not to donate money to the association of golden hair brushes of filmmakers ;-)

Happy Birthday Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson would have celebrated his 54th birthday, had he been alive yesterday. However just like it happens with some music legends, he left us when we still wanted more from him.

In a decade that saw the decline of quality that came from legendary bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, King Crimson and others, Michael Jackson emerged as an undisputed, imposing figure that became synonimous with majestic, royalty and genius talent, right there on the same pedestal where The Beatles and Elvis Presley sit.

Strange and eccentric as only himself could be, he was misunderstood by a society that to this day keeps labeling and judging those who stand out, pointing at them and rejecting them when they most need affinity and love. Michael was a kid until the last days of his life, and all he did was try to enjoy life as best as he could, doing the one thing that gave him most pleasure: entertain. As time goes by, I am quite sure that his legacy will continue to grow and his presence will be missed more every day, among mortals who weren't able to appreciate him the way he deserved.

The quality that impressed me most from Michael was the energy he was able to transmit in each of his appearances. Without being a remarkable singer, he was able to take full advantage of his voice and use it to the best of its extent. His concerts were more than spectacles to collect tens of thousands of people to watch him sign and dance; his musical videos were more than just random scenes backing up his songs. Michael carried a message with him, similar to that brought to us by John Lennon and Carole King. Michael was telling us that life is simple, and that the more positive feelings you collect, the closer you will get to happiness.

My favorite Michael Jackson song is "Man in the Mirror". Not only it's a musical achievement, transitioning from a ballad to a pop song to a gospel song. It is a strong critique to hypocrisy, fake feelings and vanity all human beings are possesed with. The lyrics...

"the kids on the streets with not enough to eat"
"who am I to be blind not to see them"
"I'm starting with the man in the mirrror"
"I'm asking him to change his ways"

... are powerful sentences with a strong and profound meaning, that make you think about what justice and equality really are.

Michael may not be with us anymore, but he did enough to leave his message on Earth... forever.

Happy Birthday Madonna

If the 80s were dominated by the King of Pop Michael Jackson, one could say that there was another artist who began to rise in her own right and paved the way to establish herself as an iconic legend. Today, that artist celebrates her 54th Birthday: Louise Ciccone, aka Madonna.

Madonna's first album -titled Madonna- was sort of an introduction to a new fresh sound that featured a voice with independent tones from what we were used to listening on the radio. It still had that 80s fragance, but with a more fresh approach, that leaned towards quality rather than new wave. The biggest hit was Borderline, followed by Holiday and Lucky Star.

Like a Virgin is in my opinion the album that started the whole Madonna-Mania. Most people don't know this, but the success of the album is greatly caused by the inclusion of Neil Rogers and Bernard Edwards as producers. If you don't know who those guys are, it'd be easier for me to say "the guys from the 70s group CHIC".

Just in case you didn't know who Nile Rogers is

Rogers had already been working on a successful producing career, getting involved with David Bowie's Let's dance, INXS' Original sin and Duran Duran's The reflex. The songs from Like a Virgin are polemic, contradictory but enticing; basically the three elements any great album needs. The biggest hit no doubt was Like a Virgin, backed by Material Girl, Angel and Into the groove.

True Blue followed as her third album, and it was a more mature product than its predecessors. Production values rose, as well as the complexity and lyrics of the songs. TB includes my second personal favorite song of Madonna: Live to tell, which is an interesting ballad that deals with several emotions such as trust and childhood traumas. It is one of the first songs that saw Madonna changing her appearance to pay tribute to Marylin Monroe. It is also one of the first songs that brought several interpretations of her race against the church, as her live performance features her stepping down from a cross. The album additionally lists, Papa don't preach, Open your heart, True Blue and the iconic caribbeanish La Isla Bonita, which is the first song I vividly remember memorizing its lyrics, as I was shocked when I heard the verse "I fell in love with San Pedro..."

Between True Blue and her next album Like a Prayer, came in the soundtrack of Who's that girl and the remix album You can dance.

Like a prayer was a full shot to the catholic community, by its album, its lyrics and of course the video of the titled song. Regardless, it is a great album that shows Madonna as an artist who wants to keep pushing the limits and also seeks to rise the bar of her personal ceiling. Apart from Prayer, other hits include Express yourself, Love song (with Prince), Till death do us apart and Cherish.

I'm Breathless and The Immaculate Collection are the next releases for soundtrack of the movie Dick Tracy and her first greatest hits compilation. Immaculate also included two new singles, Justify my love and Rescue me, the former being a very explicit sexual song ala Serge Gainsburg. Immaculate went on to become the best selling compliation album of all time, and personally, I can only rank The Beatles' Red and Blue albums ahead of it. Immaculate also contains another of my favorites: Vogue.

Madonna's fifth album kept bringing controversy, but it also maintained quality and success. Erotica was released at the same time than her book "Sex", and as you could imagine,, matched its contents with those one could find in the book. Erotica is a very complex and profound album and some may regard it as Madonna's less commercial album. It also contains my third favorite Madonna song, Erotica of course.

After Erotica, no one was quite sure of what would Madonna release next, having engaged in a liberal war against catholics and sex haters. Surprisingly then came Bedtime Stories, a very pop-soft-ballad toned album that only years later we would be able to understand. It showed a transition between the challenging artist and the evolved artist that would come. Its best songs are Secret, Human Nature, Forbidden love, Bedtime Story and Take a Bow -who went on to win the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.

Something to remember and Evita, were a compilation and soundtrack released after Erotica.

I'm not sure what Ray of Light has or what is it about that seventh album, but it stands as my favorite Madonna album. I'm not sure whether if it's her best or not, but I do know that if I could pick a Madonna album to go listen at a desert island, it would be Ray of Light with three bonus tracks (Live to tell, Erotica and Vogue). With Ray of Light Madonna begins to drop essential pop and ventures into techo, and boy what a way to venture that is. The songs are nothing anyone have heard before and especially considering it comes from Madonna. The sound is a combination of liberating, freedom, techno, dance, electronic and ambient emotions that somehow find themselves working in a perfect harmony. You can summarize Ray of Light in three simple words: Madonna reinvents herself. As you may have figured by now, my favorite Madonna song is of course Ray of Light.

I could listen to this song all day long

It's always tough for an artist to surpass a masterpiece and this was no excepcion for Madonna in the case of following Ray of Light. However she came really close of doing so with Music, which is an even more reinvented album. It still keeps techno and ambient but it also includes come country and folk elements in it. The entire record is sublime, but I'll give special mention to Music, What it feels like for a girl, Paradise and Don't tell me. Music was followed by another Greatest Hits compilation, GHV2.

American Life is perhaps the only album of Madonna I don't care of. There isn't much worth mentioning about it other than its successful single Hollywood. I guess Madonna was a bit busy being too British.

Then came Confessions on a Dance Floor and it totally redeemed Madonna. It's a great album that evidently pays tribute to dance music of the 70s (and sometimes 60s and 80s). ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus gave Madonna permission to use sampling from their hit "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" and reportedly said they wouldn't have given the chance to anyone else but Madonna, who incorporated in the single Hung up. Other highlights include Get together, Jump, Forbidden love and Push.

A couple of compilations and live concerts were released after Confessions, nothing really worth mentioning.

Hard Candy was released in 2008 as Madonna's eleventh album. It's more of a tribute / collaboration album,  that features Madonna working with Justin Timberlake and Kanye West. It's an ok album, from which you can't say nothing bad, but it's also hard to give any sincere complements. It does include a great song which is Miles Away.

Finally we reach MDNA, Madonna's twelfth album released earlier this year. Since only a few months have passed, I think it is fair enough to let time fly, so we can make a more fair judgement on the quality of this one.... as in "I am still digesting MDNA"

So there you go, that's my tribute for her birthday. I hope you enjoyed it and it put you in a good mood to listen to Madonna all day long
.

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Happy Birthday Stanley Kubrick

To this day, I have seen lots of movies and a lot of amazing films done by great movie directors... and, I have seen Stanley Kubrick. To name Stanley Kubrick's best film is almost as to name which is more important between water or air, or to choose which marvel of the world is the most stunning. So let's pay a little tribute to him on his birthday by quickly reviewing his most acclaimed films (which would be all of them).

1) The Killing (1956): The Killing has Sterling Hayden as Johnny Clay, a criminal who wishes to retire and masterminds the robbery of a racetrack. The film is an adrenaline rush right from the beginning and never lets down until the very end. I do not want to give much of the plot, so I'll be happy to say that the entire cast is excellent and that this movie rightfully deserves to be among the five best films of the film-noir genre. I still pick Double Indemnity as the ultimate best, but The Killing can happily rest as a #2. 

2) Paths of Glory (1957): This is Kubrick's first war movie, starring Kirk Douglas. Some consider it Kubrick's first masterpiece. You see The Killing is a great movie overall, but from Paths of Glory and on, Kubrick's filming excellence simply moves the bar up to a newer standard. It deals with emotions and concerns of the characters, and how to deal with desperation, fear, loyalty and commitment. It is a very profound movie that creates the path of understanding the dehumanization of the mind seen in other Kubrick films.

3) Spartacus (1960): Kubrick's first -and only- epic movie starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis and Peter Ustinov. Need to say more? To be perfectly honest, this film is more of a Douglas product than Kubrick's, because Stanley's contributions to the script weren't as usual as in his other movies. In fact he stepped in to replace the previous director who resigned from the task. Some even consider this as Kubrick's farewell to Hollywood and the beginning of the true mastermind in film-making. As in The Killing, Sparatcus is a great film, but it's the last below Stanley's standards.

4) Lolita (1962): This is where it all begins. From this point and on, Kubrick will cast whoever he wants to in the part he wants to, star or not, famous or not, Hollywoodish, British or any-thing-ish. Lolita is a brilliant, surreal and intriguing film. Kubrick begins working on films based on controversial books, but he moves away from some of the elements seen in text. He decides to use film-making resources to recreate the scenes in his own particular way. He relies on music, camera angles, acting, dialog, script, in order to achieve the results he wants. Lolita's value goes beyond the story: it's how the story is told, the way it is told, the pace in which is told. Like I said, this is where it all begins.

5) Dr Strangelove (1964): Kubrick's friendship with Peter Sellers pays off in what is considered by many, the greatest comedy of all time. Only Stanley Kubrick would have the guts to make a satire of the cold war, during the peak of the cold war. As in Lolita, Kubrick casts the right actor for the right part. In retrospective, I just can't see anyone else portraying the roles of Dr Stangelove: I can't picture another person other than George C. Scott as Gral Turgidson, Slim Pickens as Major Kong, or Sterling Hayden as Gral Ripper, even less anyone in Peter Seller's three way performances. The legacy of Dr. Strangelove is quite straight forward: it's Kubrick's way to laugh at the entire world for the absurdity of the human nature to engage in a war.

6) 2001 (1968): I first saw 2001 when I was eight years old, with my mom and a friend. The two of them ended up leaving the room before the end of the first act, while I kept watching marveled wondering "What in the world is going on here?" Then came the scenes with HAL, which left me sleepless for several nights... even more than Alien, Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers. In the end, my perception of 2001 was one word: masterpiece. 2001 is more than a film, it's an experience; it's a journey that takes us from our past to our present to our future, mixing conceptual art with science fiction. Arguably the greatest sci-fi movie of all time, one can review 2001 in one brief sentence: there are great movies, and there is 2001. 

7) A Clockwork Orange (1971): This was my second Kubrick film and up to that point I had never seen anything like it, or barely even close to it. Of course, I have never seen anything like it ever since. There is so much to interpret, discuss and analyze from ACO, it would take me a 500 page book to write it all up. Only Kubrick can make the viewer experience so many mixed emotions, each one different from each other, for the same person: first you despise Alex, then you hate him, then you laugh with him, then you feel bad for him, then you hate him, then love him, then feel sorry, then love, hate, pity, envy, admire, respect, despise again... you see, Alexander De Large, is each one of us, and that's what Kubrick tells us in ACO.

8) Barry Lyndon (1975): Has a similar effect than ACO, but with less crudeness and more classicism. I think it's Kubrick's longest film, not in terms of time but in terms of pacing -as in, the film "feels long"-. There is a bit of satire and irony expressed in the narrative of the film, which are placed in order to make the viewer feel a more modern sentiment towards the novel. The film is absolutely impressive, especially for its effects and photography -Stanley's specialty-, and of course for being able to show picaresque romance to a contemporary population. It is a different side to Kubrick and it's a side you will end up admiring for sure.

9) The Shining (1980): I guess at this point Stanley was thinking something like "well, I've made war, comedy, drama, adventure, sci-fi... mmm... why not make horror?" Jack Nicholson vowed never to work again with Kubrick, after having experienced the "hundreds of takes" method Stanley was famous for, and when watching The Shining you can tell it was taking its toll on Jack. By the end of the second act, he looks exhausted, crazy, tired, sick, just like the main character of the film should be. The kid Danny Lloyd on the other hand, looks as fresh as a lettuce. It's been reported Danny didn't even know he was filming a horror film. That's quite remarkable: to have your cast work on something they're not even aware of. Just like its predecessors, The Shining is one of the best movies in its genre, it doesn't date, and it is a testament of brilliance, vision and art.

10) Full Metal Jacket (1987): I would say the war genre is the only one where Stanley made two films about. Up to this point, all his past movies fell into different genres, although one can make a case of FMJ. This film deals again with dehumanization -just like ACO-, but in a different way, because in this case it is caused by circumstance and not by actions. The film is divided in two acts, each one ending up with the same result, built in a separate context. As in other Kubrick films, it discusses human nature and questions it. It also rises the question of duality and conflicted personalities, regardless of the environment or settlement. Once again, the scenarios are sublime, and the photography and takes are flawless. In a nutshell, there is nothing bad you can say about a movie that ends playing The Rolling Stones' Paint it black.

11) Eyes Wide Shut (1999): Kubrick's final film. While many consider it his worst (or less great, for that matter), I do place it right there with any other one. I dare. The reason why I do it is because I believe Kubrick tells the vision that any other person wouldn't dare to. He goes where no one has wanted to go, in a way where he can preserve film-making integrity and admiration towards the art. EWS is a two hour journey through the emotions that every man and woman feel but do not wish to say and prefer to hide. Once man realizes the importance of not hiding, EWS will be respected as another Kubrick masterpiece.

So there we go! That is my humble tribute to the greatest movie director of all time. Happy Birthday Stanley and thank you.





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Chemistry in Cinema Part VI

The sixth film I have selected in my series of blogs about Best Chemistry in Cinema may come up as a surprise both because of the genre and the oddity of the relationship portrayed by the characters. It has elements that combine the romantic nature of "Terminator", the sci-fi  nature of "The Fourth Kind", the obsessive nature of platonic love of "Vertigo" and the sadness of an impossible love from a movie also belongs to my list, which I will name at the end of today's blog.

A Masterpiece

Twelve Monkeys is nothing short of a masterpiece of the 1990s, specifically from that glorious period of 1994-1995, when so many awesome movies came out to marvel us viewers, such as Pulp Fiction, Usual Suspects, Se7en, Shawshank, and so on. Terry Gilliam -one of my favorite directors- takes on the topic of a devastated future world, where a virus wiped out five billions people of the entire population, and uses the same logic James Cameron implemented on Terminator, of sending the main character back to the past in order to try to improve the future.

Like it or not, Bruce Willis delivers a stand out impressive performance. He is very convincing as the physically brute but mentally human James Cole, who starts suffering the consequences of time travelling and dealing with parallel realities. Things begin rough for him as in his first trip, he is sent back to the wrong year -1990-, instead of 1996. Right away the movie gets interesting because you feel a lot of empathy for Cole: how are you supposed to gather information for your research, if you were sent to somewhere you're not supposed to be? Moreover, what are you supposed to do now? Needless to say Cole feels confused and lost, and reacts violently trying to solve a puzzle that has no pieces.

Like I said although interesting, this act of the film tends to be overlooked as 'boring', because of Cole's character development. Here we have a tough brute guy who finds himself a stranger in a strange land, so we get to see the birth of his emotions and the appreciation he has for things that are taken for granted in the time where he is. Interned in a mental facility, he meets Dr. Kathryn Railly -played by a gorgeous Madeleine Stowe- who before anything is a scientist and a woman of theory, who doesn't "believe" in things unless it belongs to sciencific method. Kathryn immediatly begins feeling a connection with Cole... not a crush or love or anything like it, just a mere 'connection' with him, as if there is something special about him.

Here is when we have the believer vs skeptic confrontation, that is the main force that drives the movie and both characters together:

The believer and the skeptic

From the beginning, Cole is a believer. He lives and believes his reality and everything that is happening to him. Kathryn is skeptic to this. She is a scientist and she is firm that time travel is impossible. However as the movie progresses, if we were to graph the strength of the believer and the skeptic we would find that the more time passes the believer stops believing in himself and his perception declines, while the skeptic starts to become a believer and her perception increases. This is what I find magical about Cole and Kathryn.

Despite their strong accentuated differences, they accept each other and deal with each other through a varierty of situations. When Cole is sent back to the right year 1996, he still respects and follows his mission, but he starts falling for his new settlement; Kathryn on the other hand, begins losing resources to prove that Cole's explanation to his presence in the world is not time travel.

As the movie progresses into the third act, the two characters begin to experience chemistry and they miss each other and start caring about each other. They find themselves trapped in a battle certain to be lost no matter what they do; a prime example of this is the recorded message left by Kathryn to the laundry business. This stage is a perfect portrayal of a love that is not meant to be, and even though the characters fight real hard to make it through and even start believing that they may make it through the adversities, we all know what the end is going to look like.

Cole -the believer- loses faith in his beliefs as time goes by....
Kathryn -the skeptic- believes more and more as time goes by...

By the time we reach the final act, Karthryn is now the believer and Cole is the skeptic. Amazingly, it is this switch of perception what made the relationship grow between them, and it is why it is so depressing to see them part ways the way they do. They did everything they could that was in their hands up until the last minute and us viewers are true witnesses of it.

Twelve Monkeys is a supreme effort on how to merge different genres into one single cinematic piece, that is able to deliver a strong message in each particular message. The main plot is sci-fi -no doubt about it- but the topic of an impossible love has been treated in a very compelling way. It has a bit of resemblance with the movie that I will write about in my next entry about Chemistry in Cinema, that also deals with an impossible love: "Brief Encounter".

Chemistry in Cinema Part V

City Lights, Moonlightning and The Secret in their Eyes have been so far my picks for best chemistry on screen. Today it's time a fourth one and what a classic it is: the tale of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Clarice M. Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, one of only three movies who swept the big five categories at the Oscars.

Onf of the greatest films of all time, also has one of the best chemistry of all time

Granted that Anthony Hopkins appears for less than 20 minutes, the majority of that time is split between two frames: when he's with someone else, and when he's with Clarice Starling. Their relationship is quite complex and profound, despite the few encounters that they have and the short amount of time they share together. All in all, there are evident emotions taking place between the two of them and that's why I would like to explore them.

At first Clarice (brilliantly portrayed by Jodie Foster), looks at Dr. Lecter like a respectable, dangerous human being, but she also sees in him a superior entity. It takes only a few minutes for young Clarice to feel butterflies in her stomach out of sheer admiration for the man whom she's seeking help from. It all happens too fast because Dr. Lecter shakes her ground so bad, that he seizes control of the relationship and over her. This is a person that knows Clarice even better than herself and this is something that Clarice has never experienced before, not even at any level of her college education or her training at the FBI. Clarice is fragile, innocent, but not dumb by any means or easily impressed. She never discusses or shows any sign of personal emotion regarding love for someone, but if there is something quite clear is that the feelings she developed for Dr. Lecter worked to make her a better professional and a better person. The same applies for Hannibal.

There is no doubt Dr. Lecter lives a very boring life. Trapped in a cell with breathing holes and no visitors, no contact whatsoever and perhaps the last time he saw a female individual was when he voted for Ronald Reagan's presidential election. Would his reaction been the same had another female agent would have shown up at his cell instead of Clarice? It is possible, but the way the movie shows him, I deem it as unlikely. The first impression that Clarice makes on him shakes his ground too, just as good as he shakes hers. He smells her, he analyzes her clothing, and he becomes fascinated by her simplistic beauty. For Hannibal, being able to see Clarice for even one second is the highlight of his week. He brings out the best out of her and she does the same to him, even though the psychiatrist persona looks rude and not sympathetic.

Then we have their chemistry. The movie has exactly four instances in which Hannibal and Clarice are on screen together.

#1. When they first meet: this is a very formal introduction, where Dr. Lecter initially despises Clarice and tries to fold the bluff the FBI protege sent to study him. Then something happens when Dr. Lecter's cell neighbor does something disrespectful to young Clarice, and this then is the turning point that humanizes Hannibal and his feelings for her.

"Come closer.... CLOSER"

#2. Their second encounter: a major accomplishment for any individual to be granted a second meeting with Hannibal. One does wonder, has young Clarice broken through his tough shield and finally get to a personal level with him? Probably. If Dr Lecter accepted to help her it's because he feels correspondence for the first time in many years.

Dr. Lecter

#3. Clarice sends the Senator's proposal: a very interesting scene that has quite profound meaning. Clarice brings an offer that would transfer Dr. Lecter to a more suitable institution, which can be interpreted as an instrument of temptation that can be even traced back to biblical significance. She uses her feminine charm to get something she wants and he uses her charm to get something he wants.

The face of reflection

#4. Their last meeting: a memorable moment in the movie and a classic scene that transcends into cinema history. When Dr. Lecter rubs his finger against Clarice, you actually see for the first time the one and only sign of the connection the two of them share. Nobody notices this, but this is the unique time in which Dr. Lecter and Clarice have physical contact. It is enough to make an ever lasting impression on both of them.

"Goodbye Clarice...."

The Bonus: I'm not quite sure and I've never been able to completely figure out how Hannibal found the phone number for the FBI's ballroom, but perhaps this is an every day thing for a man of his intelligence, even counting in the time difference. The brief call is a perfect closure for a relationship that could have never been. I for one believe Dr. Lecter had a tough time hanging up the phone just as Clarice did, but the difference is that he didn't actually have a choice. It was either his survival or put in jeopardy his hard obtained freedom.

"Dr Lecter.... Dr Lecter... Dr Lecter...."
He's gone forever and that's how it should have been. Shame on that sequel.

Silence of the Lambs is mainly a crime/drama/mystery movie and it rightfully deserved any award it was nominated for and won. It is a realistic movie in the sense of two people who meet, get to know each other, end up liking each other and briefly, just briefly, fall in love. Like I said earlier, it is not meant to last, but it wasn't intended to. And that's the way how things are in life sometimes.

PS. As a side note, there is a lot of talk of Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins brilliant performances; I also think Ted Levine was nothing short of genius in his portrayal of Buffalo Bill, and is one of the most underrated acting jobs of all time.

"Was she a very big fat person?"
That line is hilarious

Chemistry in Cinema Part IV

So far I have Moonlightning and The Secret of Their Eyes as two of my best onscreen chemistry I have seen in cinema. I'm still trying to decide on how many blogs I'll do; one thing is for sure, I don't want to force a number, meaning that it won't be the usual "Top 10" or "Top 5"... countdown. Whether if it's six, seven, five or eight, as long as I write about the ones I feel deserve the distinction and you like them, I'll be happy about it. Today it's time to name the next one: The Tramp and The Flower Girl from City Lights.

City lights was the first movie that found Charlie Chaplin under the pressure of having to release a movie with sound in a time where silent films were dying, yet Charlie was able to get a way with it and keep it silent, so you have to have an open mind if you are going to watch it, especially if it's your first silent film.

City lights is a love story about Chaplin's signature character The Tramp, who falls in love with a blind girl who sells flowers. Through a series of odd occurrences -that are subplot of the movie- she begins picturing him as someone he's not: rich, elegant, classy, and the circumstances that drive every scene keep reinforcing that in her world.  It deals with many of the subjects that surround complicated relationships, such as hope, dreams and expectations, obstacles and how to overcome them, sacrifice, acceptance and rejection, and of course the feeling of wanting the better for the person you love.

The Tramp and The Flower Girl

Like another movie I'm thinking of including in my list -but I won't spoil yet-, The Tramp and The Flower Girl do not share much screen time together because the movie is mainly about The Tramp's adventures, and I may be crossing the line here when I say that I get the sensation the movie has a very egocentric nature around him; but... every time he's in the same frame with the Flower Girl, his character diminishes and they actually get to equal level. And it's not particular importance or relevance in the film, but how they both seem to talk the same language and share the same feelings, which is what chemistry is all about.

The Tramp boxing for love

The characters are as solid as you can imagine. The Tramp is... well, The Tramp. He is loyal to his routine and to his habits that made him so lovable by audiences. It is Virgina Cherrill who steals every scene she's in. Virginia Cherrill is The Flower Girl by definition. She is very effective in transmitting the emotional charge her persona, as well as the dreams and thoughts that surround her. It's amazing how with her talent, she retired from acting after a couple of years; it's even more amazing that she and Charlie Chaplin did not get along, and that Charlie even fired her at one point during production.

The Flower Girl... her ground has been shaken

I don't want to spoil much of City lights, but I will say that the ending is one of the best I have seen in my life, regardless of the genre. There are countless threads in many boards and public forums trying to come up with an answer of what the ending means and moreover, what happens next. I think that knowing Chaplin and understanding his genius when filming, he probably wanted to transmit that precise feeling that we get once the end hits the screen, and that starts all this debate around the future of both characters.