Vintage Review: Nov 7, 2006 Scoop by Woody Allen, 2006 (PG-13)

with Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris, Deconstructing Harry, To Rome with Love), Scarlett Johansson (We Brought a Zoo, The Avengers, The Horse Whisperer), Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane (Snow White and the Huntsman), Romola Garai (The Other Man, One Day), Jim Dunk, Colin Salmon, Robyn Kerr, Matt Day, Charles Dance (Underworld: Awakening), Anthony Head (The Iron Lady)
From the director of Deconstructing Harry, Hollywood Ending, Midnight in Paris, To Rome With Love...

While visiting friends in London, American journalism student Jade Spence beats out Britain's top reporters by exposing a story involving murder and magic. But just as the story heats up, so do things between Jade and a hunky aristocrat.

Goodness, so opinionated! Well... I was 23, and very confident about my taste in movies. I guess I still am, but I pretend to get my sources in a more reliable way. Anyway, a cute but quite aggressive review of Scoop. Which reminds me I must have said the same about "To Rome With Love" and thought the same about "Vicky Christina Barcelona", Woody Allen is now the best mainstream tour-guide of Europe, and it's most beautiful cities, Venice, Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona... Which is next?

"Scoop, last movie of Woody Allen.
I must say sometimes that I'm annoyed that everyone has seen it before me, pretending to give me advices. It's like Woody Allen have become a right thing to see, for educated people. I hate the feeling that everyone loves Woody Allen. For years I've been struggling to get someone to see his movies with me, and there was nobody. Woody Allen was somehow too boring, not enough prestigious. And now, he has become this politically correct thing to see every year. I know that no one has seen as many Woody Allen as me, but I'm offended.
Okay, I'm back to my critic. I must say it's a good movie, in the entertaining way. Woody Allen is funny, so are the situations he creates. We can feel the Woody Allen's touch, as he is playing in it, but something has changed. I don't know what, maybe it is because it is not happening in New York, s like Match Point, something is wrong. He has become too commercial, i should say. His story is just a good thriller, as Match Point was. The humor, the intelligence of Woody Allen is all gone, for something the audience might prefer, but not his real audience. No one will say this is a bad movie, let's be clear on this point. The actors are great, the story is smart, the image and sound are good. It's just that it is not a Woody Allen movie.
Please answer to this question. Did you think this movie is a Woody Allen movie ? If yes, why ? "

Watch Scoop Trailer:

Vintage Review: October 29, 2006 Out of Africa by Sydney Pollack, 1985 (PG)

with Meryl Streep (Prime, The Iron Lady, Marvin's Room, It's Complicated, Julie and Julia, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Hope Springs), Robert Redford (The Conspirator), Klaus Maria Brandauer, Michael Kitchen, Malick Bowens, Joseph Thiaka, Stephen Kinyanjui, Michael Gough, Suzanna Hamilton, Rachel Kempson

Hoping to forge a better life, Denmark native Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) enters into a marriage of convenience with a womanizing baron. But when the couple moves to Nairobi, Karen falls in love with a free-spirited hunter (Robert Redford) who can't be tied down. Director Sydney Pollack's lush period drama earned seven Academy Awards, including statues for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography.

I guess I was very confused by this movie, perhaps I should take the time to watch it all over again... 

"What does this movie mean.
Do you know first that this is a true story? It is. It is about a woman from Denmark going to Kenya and marry a friend for a business arrangement: she gets a title and he gets rich.
I found this movie, i must say, quite boring. The thing is that nothing happens, we can't read any sign in the eyes of Robert Redford, playing an amazingly cold and beautiful lonely man (same as in The Horse Whisperer). And Meryl Streep is all Danish, i must say she plays her part quite well. We are not attached to this Robert Redford who doesn't even seem to have any interest in her. We also wonder why she suddenly finds him interesting as she used to be interested in his best friend. The landscapes are so too much shown, sometimes we feel like accelerating the movie to see the following dialogue. Indeed, i did! Well, there is the situation of war while we are in World War One, and the situation of minorities in colonies all taken by European empires and exploited with no sense. There is all this complicated background, but this could have still be a very intense lovestory, with loads of historic references and a lost cause to protect minorities. It is instead a slow and cold movie, very much Danish. I don't mean it in a bad way, Danish are not showing so much and that's even more gratifying when they do, after knowing them enough.
At the end of the movie, you cry because of the music and the sadness of the story. But still, you have a strange feeling and wonder why caring about this trivial love story.
Days passed and the look in the eyes of Meryl Streep, hiding this great loss or on her protegees, remains. And you still wander what was so special in Robert Redford attitude that made him so ambigious. You don't exactely know who he was, what was he doing and why he died. You are obsessed with the lack of information, why was he interested in her specially, and why didn't he show it more.
Okay no more question, but if someone read the book, can he or she tell me if we know more about him, or of it is the same mystery."

Watch Out of Africa trailer:

Vintage Review Feb 24, 2007 Loving Annabelle by Katherine Brooks, 2006 (NR)

 

with Diane Gaidry, Laura Breckenridge, Erin Kelly, John Farley, Jennie Floyd, Markus Flanagan, Ilene Graff, Michelle Horn, Greg Joelson, Marla Maples, Stephen Rue, Kevin McCarthy

An esteemed young poetry teacher at a Catholic boarding school (Diane Gaidry) risks everything when she engages in a feverish affair with a female student (Erin Kelly) in this controversial story of forbidden love. Directed by Katherine Brooks and co-starring Ilene Graff, this passionate yet sensitive romance explores the complexity of an unconventional relationship in the face of rigid traditionalism.
 
Remember Myspace, and even before that MSN space (which I am upset they removed without notice, so I guess all is lost). Anyway, I am trying to retrieve some old reviews I wrote, in case there might be something to it...
So this is the first I found, Loving Anabelle. Back then, I was about to arrive to New York...

"Loving Annabelle
Current mood:blank
Ok, this is a goudou movie, well classified like that. But in a way, this is still a universal movie about love. Maybe I am just in a phase where I like to hear about love, but don't get me wrong, this movie is really good. It is a remake of a German movie from 1931, Mädchen in Uniform, and I let you watch it so you can make your own judgement. The only thing about it is that it has made a lot of noise in the USA and is not coming out in france in theaters, but you can get it in dvd. Oh and I am already a huge fan of Diane Gaidry..."

Watch Trailer: