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.

"Ship of Fools" and middle age

It's interesting when a work of art acquires new meanings when one grows older. Many years ago I saw the movie "Ship of Fools" about a cruise ship full of German passengers in 1933, just as the Nazis were taking power. And I realized the historical nuances that were present in the movie. Every passenger represented a particular type of person; the Nazi, the Jew, the aristocrat. But I saw as simply a movie with a definite historical allegory to tell.

Then seeing it yesterday, I discovered something. Almost every one of the characters is middle aged. And having entered that phase of life myself, the movie becomes something else entirely. I can see the characters as more than just stereotypes, they are people entering a particular phase in their lives. Every one of them is full of regrets, of what they did, of what they didn't do. They are wondering whether they can change this late in the game.They have moments in which they express hope, others in which they are so disillusioned that they can't feel but pessimism about it all. They are full of mixed feelings towards everything. And I can't help think that during these years I have experienced all these feelings myself.

Which also made me realize how very few movies deal with middle age. Most movies are about the younger years. There are movies about thirtysomethings. And even movies about seniors and their problems. But I can't think about many movies about people in their 40's and 50's. such a crucial part of life and movies (and books) pay little attention to it. So in a way, "Ship of Fools" is a great movie because it does.

This theme in the movie adds greater significance to something Michael Dunn says in one of those rare moments in movies when an actor talks directly to the audience: "You may say what does this have to do with you? It has everything to do with you". And he is right.

laughing again

The other day I saw the trailer for the new Pink Panther movie. And I was reminded how much I liked those movies when I was a kid. I would see the new ones at the movies and enjoy the ones from the 1960's on tv. In fact one of my most vivid memories was seeing "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" with my mother and grandmother at the old Cinerama theater in San Juan. I laughed so hard and had such a wonderful time.

But something happened many years. In one of those nostalgia trips I seem to take so often, I bought a Pink Panther movie DVD collection. And I saw "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" for the first time in maybe 20 years. And it was such a letdown. There were a couple of laughs in there, but not much more. Which made me realize that even though we can see adventure movies form our youth again and enjoy them as one did as a kid, comedy doesn't age that well. What made me laugh years ago, doesn't do it for me now. There are exceptions like "Top Secret!" and the Monty Python movies (not all of them). But, in general. laughter seems to be a product of a particular period in one's life.

Reds

I realized that the new job would cut down on my writing and my movie viewing. When I get home from work I usually don't feel like watching a movie. I become tired and sleepy really quick. So my movie watching will probably be limited to Saturday afternoon. So I decided to watch special movies those days. Especially movies on DVD that come with a lot of extras. I love to watch a film and learn everything about it.

My first Saturday movie is "Reds". An epic movie that is remarkable for many things. It was one of the last of the intelligent epic movies. It marked the end of an era in which mainstream movies were aimed at adults. And on a personal level, it is the last movie I remember seeing at the old Cinerama theater in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Imagine telling a studio right now that you want to make a three hour movie about a Communist. You would be laughed off the phase of the earth. But Warren Beatty had enough clout at that time to pull it off. The movie is part romance, part history. And it works well on both levels. Maybe it works better on the historical side, because the romance seemed a bit cliche ridden.

The movie is also the last one I can recall that had an Intermission. This was a practice common to long movies in which the public was given a chance to take a 15 minute break, go to the bathroom, get something to eat or simply stretch the legs. I miss those wonderful Intermissions. And I love the fact that the DVD features such a break. It is a really nostalgic thing to experience.

All in all, a nice movie to watch again.

about the game

For many years my father would get tickets to the Super Bowl. A company he did business with would give him 4 free tickets year after year. And it became a ritual, a time for some extra bonding between my father, my brother in law and me. They were some amazing times. But every year I would wonder whether that year would be the last. And one year it was. Basically because one year we realized my father was not able to handle the stress of going to the game.
So now we stay at home, have some things to eat and enjoy the game. And I will do that in a couple of hours. And I am so happy to do that.

current obsession-Man from UNCLE

As a child I rememebr my father watching a tv show called in Spanish "El Agente de CIPOL". I recall seeing it but not really understanding what was going on. I must have been four or five years old then. Years later I learned the real name of the show "The Man from UNCLE".

And a couple of weeks ago I began watching it thanks to Netflix. I have watched a few episodes and I love it. The thing is I have always loved the whole look and feel of the 1960's. The hipness. The attitude. Even the whole political incorrectness of the era. And nothing embodies this quite like this show.

There's the obvious Cold War mentality. But instead of the Soviets the bad guys was an international organization called THRUSH. The were all over the world, always ready to create mayhem through terror. Sound familiar?

Then there are the women. There is something so cool about the look of women in the 1960's. They were not model thin women, but women with curves. No fake boobs. They wanted to go-go dance. And they were so damn sexy.

And last, there's this totally incorrect barter between men and women at work. Today all of them would be thrown in jail for sexual harrasment.

And everyone smokes.

I can't wait to get more episodes in the mailbox. Hell, I may even buy the set.

moments

It's interesting that most of the time the moments one treasures are the ones that just happen by chance. The ones you never figure will even happen. And today I decided to write about one of them. Who knows? If I like the result I may even extend it to a series of essays.

When one sits down in a plane, one always wonders who will sit next to you. Will the person be quiet, will he or she talk and be incredibly obnoxious? Well, this happened to me almost 20 years ago on a flight from Madrid to San Juan. That particular flight left at 3am from Madrid. I was tired and sleepy when I sat down, hoping to get a bite and just doze off. That was all I wanted.

Suddenly next to me sat a young woman. She smiled, It's hard for me to explain how beautiful she was. Not in fashion model sense, simply in a down to earth kind of way. The thing was that we started talking. About what we did. She was finishing her studies and was going back to Peru for some days off. And one thing led to another and we ended up talking about life, fate, love, dreams. I had never felt so comfortable talking to a complete stranger. Maybe because we were strangers and would never see each other again, we felt such a willingness to talk freely. And we did for hours. In retrospect, those hours seem like mere minutes. It was the fastest 8 hour flight in my life.

And then we landed in San Juan. She stayed on the plane since she was continuing on to Peru. We said goodbye. No mail exchanges. No phone numbers. We would never get in touch again. It was just two strangers who met in a flight and talked. And yet here I am 20 years later thinking about it. And wondering if things could have been different.

And yet one can't help realize that today we could have kept in touch via e-mail. Skype. But that was so long ago in a world in which friends would vanish, in which it was so hard to keep in touch. When someone talks to me about the dangers of new technology, I nod, smile and think of that woman in the plane and of the difference a simple e-mail address could have made.

photos on a Monday