The Girlfriend Experience on Onelink cable tv

Onelink's HD Net Movies is showing excellent independent movies BEFORE they are shown on theaters. And last night I saw Steven Sodenberg;s new movie "The Girlfriend Experience". This movie is a kind of back to his roots as director of "Sex, Lies and Videotape", the movie that made him famous. It's basically a character study. This time of a high priced call girl and the people around her. It's a fascinating look into that world. One thing also makes it interesting. The call girl is played by a hard core porno actress named Sasha Grey. And she is very good playing a woman who decides she wants this kind of life. And the movie makes the point (but not in an too obvious way) that any type of work is a kind of prostitution.

I am not a Sodenberg fan. I like some of his movies, despise some of them. But al least, he is a director that takes chances. And if you're in the mood and want some intelligent cinema for 75 minutes (it's pretty short for a regular movie), you can do worse than seek out "The Girlfriend Experience". It won't be shown on HD Net Movies anymore, but you can catch it on Onelink Video On Demand or 4 months from now at Fine Arts Cafe.

"Stranded"

Their story has been a kind of obsession of mine. "Alive" was the first adult book I remember reading. And I am very much fascinated by theri story. I am talking, of course, of the Uruguayan students whose plane crashed in the Andes in 1972 and had to resort to eating the flesh of the dead. And I'm not fascinated so much by the gruesomeness of it, but by the humanity they represented. The idea that surviving is the most important thing in the world and that our instinct for survival can be so amazing.

So this week I saw the documentary "Stranded" in which survivors tell their story. It is so interesting to see them talking to camera, explaining 30 years later, how they felt. Most of it I had read in various books, but listening to them made it more intimate and frankly, more human.

But one thing stuck with me this time around. Towards the end of the documentary a helicopter travesl the distance from where the plane crash to where the survivors finally found civilization. And someone says that someone would have needed super human strength, proper equipment and much training to have been able to climb those mountains. And yet these men did it half starved to death and without even a rope for equipment. Another aspect of this incredible story was revealed.

This is one excellent documentary.

Awful movies

When I was a kid I used to love Terence Hill movies. I thought the Trinity westerns were so cool. Well , the other day the cable channel Encore Westerns showed a Terence Hill movie that I adored way back. It's "Man of the East", an Italian western from 1974. I recall I dragged my mom and dad to see it and I came out of the theater thinking it was the coolest movie ever. So last night I decided to embark on a nostalgia trip. I was going to watch a movie I had not seen for 30 years. I didn't make it past the 15 minute mark. I hated every minute of it. The comedy was broad and stupid. Everything about it was just so amazingly awful. I usually find something to like in movies I saw as a kid, but I couldn't find anything here. I ended up watching some nature documentaries to compensate for the mind numbing 15 minutes of "Man of the East".

Which makes me want to thank my mom and dad. I can imagine how they felt watching this movie with me. Made me realize again how wonderful they are.

Roadsinger

There are ceratin routines that I still carry from my youth. And one of them is buying a CD from a favorite artist the very day it comes out. I know this is incredibly old fashioned, but I still like the idea of physically owning the CD. I read the small booklet and the lyrics and I like looking at the list of musicians involved. I also like seeing the artwork. Somehow a cd should be a complete work of artistic expression.

So yesterday I went through my routine and bought the new Cat Stevens cd. I am still looking at the artwork. Then I will listen to the music. A routine I love.

Iris

I had plans to see a few movies I had rented from Netflix, but eneded up doing other things and only saw one. It was a movie called "Iris" from a few years back. It stars Kate Winslet and Dame Judi Dench as young and old author Iris Murdoch. It is a movie about a carefree woman and her life with her supportive husband and it is intercut with her later life as she loses her mind to Alzheimer's. Winslet is wonderful as the young Iris in all her wildness. Dame Judi Dench is heartbreaking as a woman who suddenly is unable to do the most simple things. And Jim Broadbent is amazing as her husband , who despite Iris infidelities with men and women, stands by her side. It is a sad movie, but Iris's enjoyment of life in her youth makes you realize that despite the sad eneding, she did enjoy life.

8:30 am

My boss recommended me a new camera the other day. It's the CanonG10. And i decided to test it by taking some photos at the beach the other morning. And it does feel like a great camera. And I was able to capture the world of the Ocean Park beach at 8:30 am. The people practicing beach volleyball. The people walking or the ones just sitting there, looking at the ocean, maybe meditating. It's a wonderful, quiet little world. And one that I hope to capture again.

why I don't go to movies anymore

I used to love going to the movies on Saturday afternoons. Usually to the Metro in Santurce. I would go in, catch a flick at 2pn and leave around 4:30pm. But these days I can't. Just look at the garbage mainstream movies that are playing. "Wolverine", a movie concentrating on a character from the mediocre at best "X-Men' movies. A movie aimed at 14 year olds. Then there's the Beyonce vehicle "Obsessed", the one millionth variation on the "Fatal Attraction" plot, that was itself a replica of "Play Misty for Me". Haven't people seen this stupid plot too many times? Maybe not. Since it was the #1 movie of last week. Oh, right, it's aimed at 14 year olds and 14 years old were not born when the whole femme fatale, erotic thriller cycle happened, So I will watch a movie I rented from Netflix and enjoy it at home. My own Saturday matinee at home. But somehow it isn't the Metro theater. Still, a movie fan has to see a movie on Saturday afternoons.

a year ago

A year ago today I was fired. Then came the months of an almost sabbatical period in which I was able to detox from the world of advertising. I had freelance jobs here and there, but most of the time was spent traveling, writing and taking photos. Not bad.
Here I am, a year later, working in an advertising agency again. Happy to have a full time job in these days of crisis, but still battling a bit with my love-hate relationship with advertising. Loving the camaraderie and the fun times, hating the sense of servility that permeates this industry in Puerto Rico. Loving creating the ads, but pissed that they have to be filmed on a Saturday.
Although here I find these problems in a lesser degree, they are still there. Lurking. Waiting to get out.
Still, it's great to have a job. On the other hand...

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Late night premium cable. The land of the same 4 or five soft core actors appearing in rather boring movies. But there is something really different and cool these days on cable land. It's called "Secret Diary of a Call Girl", a fun, sexy Showtime series starring Billie Piper. It concerns the adventures and misadventures of a London high priced call girl. It is an intelligent, although I imagine unrealistic look at the world of prostitutes and their clients.

What makes it interesting, apart from the wonderful performance by Piper, is the adult way it approaches sexuality: as something normal and human. It basically tells you we all have our quirkiness in that area of our life and that we should not feel guilty about it. And we do see all the range of human weirdness when dealing with sex. And yet, it feels ok. This is a series rated TVMA that somehow doesn't feel sleazy. It feels fun and normal. Like sex, I guess.

Stardust Memories

Yesterday I was kind of tired from the previous night's partying and i decide to spend the morning in bed, relaxing and watching movies. And I ran across a great movie on the Retroplex cable channel. It's a Woody Allen movie I had never seen before, called "Stardust Memories". I remember that when this movie was released the critics didn't like it too much. This what at the time when Allen was rejecting all his slapstick movies and was trying to make serious movies. As every artist who initially wants to make a change in his or her career, Allen became kind of pedantic and pretentious. And this movie has some of that pretentiousness, still it is an interesting one. And there are actually funny moments in it.

And there are moments that are downright brilliant. There is an amazing scene in which he talks about a "perfect moment" he once had. It involved sharing a quiet Sunday morning with his then girlfriend. The camera shows this scene in all its simplicity and wonder as we see Charlotte Rampling simply turning the pages of the Sunday paper and smiling. It is such a beautiful scene and Rampling shows what an excellent actress she is.

Here is what he says on that scene:
"It was Sunday, and you-you knew summer would be coming soon. I remember, that morning Dorrie and I had gone for a walk in the park. We came back to the apartment. We were just sort of sitting around. And…I put on a record of Louis Armstrong, which is music that I grew up loving. It was very, very pretty, and…I happened to glance over, and I-I saw Dorrie sitting there. And I remember thinking to myself…how terrific she was, and how much I loved her. And, I don’t know…I guess it was the combination of everything…the sound of that music, and the-the breeze, and, and how beautiful Dorrie looked to me. And for one brief moment, everything just seemed to come together perfectly, and I-I felt happy. Al-al-almost indestructible, in a way. It’s funny that that simple little moment of contact moved me in a very, very profound way."

A wonderful moment in a wonderful movie that I saw in a marvellous, quiet Sunday

favorite actors

The old line about they don't make them like that anymore certainly applies to the late George C. Scott. I was a kid when he reached his peak in terms of popularity and I recall always wanting to see his movies. He projected such intensity. His characters were decent people who seem to stand their ground in a world gone wrong. And maybe that was what drew me to his movies, the idea of a morally upright man, albeit an angry one, who was willing to face the world alone and with dignity.

It amazes me to think that in the early 1970's, he was a movie superstar. Here's a 50 something guy, not exactly good looking who drew millions of people to his movies. It says a lot about the open mindness of the movioegoer at that time, who were willing to see a movie based on an actor's talent, not on his look.

Scott was certainly lucky to have developed in the 60's and 70's, today he would have been relegated to playing the villain in comic book movies aimed at 14.

Must see: "Petulia", "The Hospital", "Patton"

The Reader

I read "The Reader" when it first came out and I recall liking it, but strangely enough I had forgotten basically what it was about. Last week I finally saw the movie version and I liked it. It really reminded me why I had enjoyed the book in the first place. It's a story of love, lust, forgiveness and cruelty. It shows how duty, politics and ignorance can cloud our vision of the world. And it shows how even the most terrible monster deserves a certain level of forgiveness. Kate Winslet is amazing in this movie. She portrays a cold character, yet we want to know more about her and we are even able to consider forgiving her.

It is also a movie that asks the question, in a time of war, are we responsible for the crimes we commit in service of our country? If a country can kill thousands with a bomb and get away with it, why can't an individual do the same?

A really excellent movie.

Two French movies

This weekend I decided to see two recent French movies. First, Un Secret, a movie about a boy who unearths some family secrets from the time of the German occupation of France. To say much more is to ruin a really fine movie that sort of reminded me of Louis Malle's Au Revoir Les Enfants, as to why, I can't reveal either. It's one of those movies that combine history and personal life perfectly. It's also a movie about choices and how they can change life in a moment.

The second movie is The Witnesses, a movie about the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in France. To be perfectly honest I rented this movie because I am completely in love with Emmanuelle Beart, I will watch anything she's in. Having said that, this is a great movie about those early years when people didn't know what to make of this new disease. It is also a movie that deals with sexuality as only the French can, in a serious and mature way. Highly recommended.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. And even though I'm not a religious person, thidsday brings out many memories from my childhood. In those days, Good Friday was a very serious day. Nobody would work. All the local television stations would change their programming and show religious shows. Same for music on radio stations. And even the movie theaters would stop showing regular movies and would feature "Ben Hur", "Ten Commandments" and "The Robe". And every year I would go see these movies with my mother and grandmother.

Today, the only tradition my family keeps is the buying of cocas mallorquinas, a traditional pizza made with sardines that has been part of Good Friday in my ancestor's birthplace of Mallorca, Spain. I still enjoy eating them.

So today, I basically celebrate a celebration. A family tradition. Something that ties me with my childhood and with my ancestors.

Elegy/ I've Loved you for so Long

This weekend I decided to see two movies about adults and second chances. I am in a stage in my life where those themes appeal to me. The first one I saw was "I've Loved you for so Long" a French film about a woman leaving jail after being convicted of murdering her son. Little by little she starts to get used to being a free woman, facing everyday situations. The movie make us wonder why she killed her son. And after, two hours, the revelation comes. And to be honest, it is quite a cliche one, after two hours, it turns into a Lifetime movie. Still, the acting is great and there's something about the everyday life of the French that I find so calming and appealing.

"Elegy" is about a college professor who falls in love with one his students. That the student happens to be Penelope Cruz is another topic altogether. The love story is interesting. Can an old man really fall in love with a younger woman or is he simply living an illusion, a desire to be young again. It is interesting that the professor wonders about that. And tries to sabotage the whole thing. But, maybe he is love. And maybe she is in love with him. And maybe, we all have a right to be happy. I found this movie really interesting, one of those movies that can create night long discussions.

It works

The other day when I went into Borders, they had the classic self help book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" on display. I had heard about that book. Hell, the phrase has become a cliche in the English language. And since the price was right and I was kind of curious about it, I purchased it.

And I must admit I am pretty much amazed at the book. Especially its central premise that says that the main thing a human being wants is to feel important. If you make another person feel important, you have them eating out of your hand. So instead of talking to someone about yourself, you should talk about the other person and the things that interest him or her. The important thing is not to do it out of hipocrisy, but out of genuine interest.

I tried it the other day when I ran into someone I had not seen for a while, and, damn, it works. Somehow I wish I had read that book 20 years ago. Maybe I would have been more successful socially and business wise. But I guess it's never too late.

I just realized, Dale carnegie wrote another book about worry, one of my main character flaws. So I bought it. Maybe it will work.

trips

In a few days I will be taking a short trip. I just started at a new job so I can't do the long vacation thing. I had planned on going to Europe again this year, maybe concentrating in Germany, Prague and Northern Europe. But it's ok. I will take my short trips and visit friends. Sometimes a few days is all it takes.

two movies

Once again I have been off this blog. But I'm back with a commitment to it. And for this post I have decided to write about two movies I saw on DVD this weekend. Two movies that did not win any Oscars but that may be better than all of the movies that were nominated.

The first is a vampire movie called "Let the Right One In". It's a Swedish vampire movie so you know that it won't be your run of the mill flick. And it isn't. It's an eerie, strange, somehow romantic movie about about a 12 year old boy who runs into a 12 year old girl who is really a vampire. But this is no pre-teen predictable story. It is a story about loneliness, love and the idea that romance can be above everything, even the small detail of vampirism. The movie drags you in and doesn't let you go. There is an American remake on the works and it is sure to be inferior.

I also saw "Happy go Lucky", a British movie about an impossibly optimistic 30 year old woman. It is a feel good movie that doesn't throw the "feel good" down your throat.

Two wonderful, unknown movies in one weekend.

Slumdog kids

While watching the Oscars the other night I couldn't help thinking about the slum kids from Mumbai who star n "Slumdog Millionaire". They created magic in that movie, they were paid something like 500 euros and they remained living in the atrocious conditions of the Mumbai slums. And here they were at the Oscars, smiling, saying hello to all the big, glamorous stars. And today they may be on the way back to their life of extreme poverty. It's hard for me to comprehend this kind of situation. I hope they won't be forgotten. Someone for Fox should create some kind of fund for them. As I look at their smiles I don't want to see them in ten years in an E! documentary about their hard life or early deaths. Maybe someone is making sure they prosper. I do hope so. I even pray so.

Happy Birthday, Metro theater!!!!

Today I read that the Metro theater, the last of the great San Juan movie palaces turned 70. And that's quite a feat. It is the last remaining survivor of all the wonderful downtown theaters of my youth. The radio City, the Cinerama, the Metropolitan, the Paramount, they are all gone. But amazingly enough the Metro still stands. And it's still showing movies.

I have so many memories of this movie theater. I remember seeing " 2001" here as a little boy and being both amazed and perplexed by the movie. I saw a re-release of the "Wizard of Oz" here and of "Fantasia" too. I remember Tom & Jerry festivals shown on Saturday mornings at the Metro.

And even though I loved all the old theaters, to me, the Metro was the special one. Going there was a treat. The Cinerama screen. The smell of popcorn as one went in. The architecture of the whole place. I even had a special seat where I always sat when i went there.

The single screen theater was later turned into a triplex and perhaps it lost something. But it still remained a favorite. Sure, the theaters at the malls were bigger, but the Metro had something wonderful about it. Something about the moviegoing experience remains there. The buying of the ticket in the street. The marquee. The old memories and the new ones to be had.

Happy Birthday, Metro! You are one of a kind.