Nostalgia

In the past couple of days (that can mean two days or two weeks or more, however you want to see it) I've had way too much free time (meaning I have hardly any lectures but SHOULD be doing IMMENSE amounts of independent study), so I've found myself making some dips in the nostalgic pool of my past passions and addictions. There's been the usual, more recent stuff like The Hunger Games and Klaine, but I also enjoyed some Chaplin comedy again the other day, and really feel like I need a fix of River Phoenix, too. And all this Episode VII talk makes me want to put on another 6-movie marathon, because it's been way too long.

Today I made the fateful mistake and was silly enough to read one of my posts from the early summer of 2010. That time was important in my fangirling life in the sense that Lost ended in May, and I was left nursing a hole bigger and more aching than no other fictional work has ever left in me (except for the Harry Potter books, maybe). This means that I wrote a lot about Lost. And now I read one of those post. And you know, if I give Lost my little finger, it'll soon have my whole hand. Both hands. And feet, and all my other limbs, too. I'm lucky I don't have the DVD's at my flat right now. Still, another Complete Lost Marahtron is an inevitability waiting to happen.

"Dear diary. Still on the bloody island. Today I swallowed a bug."

Good times!

In other news, I am currently occupying myself in catching up on my New Year Resolutions (I'm trying to tackle August at the moment, so there's still some way to go), being addicted to Breaking Bad (pun kind of intended) and feeling sorry for myself for being so broke that I'm not free to go to movies anytime I feel like it. Then again, I'm silly and easily persuaded, so the other day I agreed to go to see Paranormal Activity 4 with some friends. I've only seen the first one (and I'm pretty sure I was drunk at the time), and I haven't seen a horror movie in cinema since The Ring 2, which is for a reason. So, at the theatre I noticed that the new Bond was playing at the same time, and I started a passionate persuading process to convince my friends to go see that instead. We couldn't make up our minds, so at the ticket booth one round of rock-paper-scissors made the decision. I lost, and slept with the lights on the following night. And it wasn't even a particularly scary movie! I don't know how I slept after The Ring 2. Maybe I didn't.

Now I'm just waiting for The Hobbit, while hoping no one will say a word to me about Breaking Dawn Part 2, because I know I'd just say what the hell and throw that money to the wind.

I mentioned Breaking Bad; I should really write a post about it, it's a pretty cool show. Apparently I'm also writing my Bachelor's Thesis on it. Humanities, you know...

Also, I have a massive, Disney-related post on the way, which I've been working on for a year or something. It's the bomb! Although it has nothing to do with Breaking Bad. That Jesse Pinkman slang is just contagious.

EDIT// It's soon 1am and I've been sitting here for hours watching and listening to Disney videos on YouTube. This is going to be a long night...

Charlie's got something to say

Yesterday I saw Night and Fog and finally rewatched Schindler's List (I swear watching that film didn't hurt so damn much last time... I'm getting old and wimpy), so I thought I'd continue with the same theme today, only the tone would be slightly lighter. Because there's a line in how much my poor heart can take at a time. During this past year or so I've seen pretty much every Charlie Chaplin classic, but somehow I kept postponing watching The Great Dictator. Maybe I was afraid that hearing the Tramp talk (although, yeah, he's not officially The Tramp, even if the costume is the same) would break the magic and ruin the character for me.

But sure, it didn't. Admittedly, it WAS weird. Most times the film didn't feel like the old school Chaplin I so much love, but that wasn't the point. In a way, The Great Dictator is the most important film Chaplin ever made. I know I'm not the only one who'd give a lot to see what Hitler's face looked like when he saw this. (Reportedly, he watched it twice in a row...)

The little Jewish Barber doesn't talk much (which is good. Charlie has a very nice and pleasant voice, but he does best without it) until the very end, when he steps up to give the famous speech. The moment he starts speaking his voice changes and so does his presence, and we are to understand that the character has been dropped; now we see only Chaplin, reminding people everywhere of the importance of humanity. Still today, there are certainly a sadly large number of people idiots walking around, who should stop to listen what old Charlie has got to say and take the message to the heart (if they happen to have one).

"We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost."

Preach, Charles. You said it.

The Gold Rush, as it was made to be seen

Sometimes all you need for an atmospheric and heart-warming Thursday night is three euro. And an orchestra. And a big canvas. And auditorium full of people around you. Oh, and the undeniable genius of Charlie Chaplin.

In other words, I went to see The Gold Rush with the music played live by the City Orchestra.

I had previously seen the reissued 1942 version of The Gold Rush, narrated by Chaplin, and I loved it, of course. The version I now saw was closer to the original 1925 one, with a couple of restored scenes and the traditional intertitles (instead of the voiceover). I definitely prefer the intertitles, because I remember feeling that the voiceover took something away from the distinctive Chaplin-y mood of the film.

And, as we all now, movies are always best when seen in a cinema, and The Gold Rush was so much better when seen in a concert hall. The live orchestra didn't hurt either. Not every hiccup and bang hit the spot, but I didn't mind, because live music added so much to the atmosphere. It was a bit like going back to the origins of cinema. (And respect for the orchestra for playing 90 minutes without breaks!)

The auditorium was full of people, wall-to-wall. The wonderful thing was, there were little kids and groups of high school students, pensioners dressed in their best and everything in between! And I bet they all enjoyed the show. For different reasons maybe, but that's just the awesomeness of Chaplin.

(By the way, I had a funny feeling when watching the film and listening to the audience's reactions. It was similar to the feeling when you watch your favourite film with friends, who haven't seen it before and you stress about them missing the best bits and just wish they'll like it as much as you do. I was indeed very happy to listen to the continuous laughter and the little aww at the end, and afterwards eavesdrop to hear how much everyone had enjoyed it.)

I, of course, enjoyed the show for reasons, which I've been repeating over and over again in the numerous Chaplin-related posts in this blog, and which I will this time restrain myself for listing. But as a reminder, they include a lot of words like 'awesome', 'wonderful', 'ridiculously funny' and 'so freaking genius it makes me want to cry'.

This might be a bit unfair for the other Chaplin films, which I've only seen on small screen, but anyhow I will say that The Gold Rush might have improved its position among my favourites after this second watch. It's better paced than some other films, and very cleverly structured to balance between comedy and drama. And it is, after all, the film Chaplin wanted to be remembered for.

P.S. One of the scenes, a lenghty kissing scene in the end of the film, was deleted from the re-realeased version for a reason: at the time the film was shot Charlie was having a fling with the female lead, Georgia Hale. (His screen leading ladies were more than often leading ladies in his personal life too. For example in The Gold Rush, Georgia replaced Lita Grey as the female lead, because Lita became pregnant. For Charlie, of course.) By the 1942 re-release Georgia was of course water under the bridge, so Charlie deleted the kissing scene, which, according to her, hadn't required acting at all. Aw, Charlie and her ladies...

P.P.S. Did you know Charlie Chaplin holds an unofficial record for receiving the longest applause in the history of Academy Awards? There was a standing ovation of twelve minutes when he came to collect his Honorary Oscar in 1972. I didn't know about the record before today, but somehow I'm not surprised at all. Go Charles, go.

The Circus (1928) - Charlie needs a hug

directed by Charles Chaplin / starring Charles Chaplin, Merna Kennedy, Allan Garcia

Last summer I was positively addicted to Charlie Chaplin, watched most of his full-length films and loved them to pieces. Now, after a little break from the wonderful black-and-white world of the Tramp, I realised there's still so much for me to see. So I watched The Circus, one of Chaplin's less known full-lenght silent films. Next to City Lights, The Gold Rush and Modern Times, The Circus is usually left unmentioned. Such a terrible shame, I say! Talk about unfairly underrated... Though it didn't top City Lights in my book, I'd definitely place it somewhere right below it, with The Gold Rush and The Kid.

In The Circus our dear belowed Tramp gets a job in a travelling circus, after accidently being discovered by the ringmaster, while chased by the police to and from the stage. The crowd loves his unintentional comedy, so the ringmaster gives him a job as an assistant property man to keep him around, Tramp being unaware that the circus prospers thanks to him. The ringmaster also has a daughter, whom he abuses all the time. Tramp befriends with her and soon developes romantic feelings towards her, too. But then there's the handsome robe walker, who steals her heart...

When it comes to Chaplin's silent films, it's unnecessary to point out that they're funny. But I will anyway. It doesn't really make much sense that I laugh aloud at someone falling down or lifting his hat or being chased by a horse. I don't know how he does it. But no one does it like him. Also, the element of melancholy is always present in Chaplin's films. That's what gives them depth and makes them stand out as profound, touching and relatable stories. As much as I loved the comedy of The Circus, I loved the ending the most. It wasn't a happy one like the ending of City Lights, for example, but it's very close to topping that in my book. Just perfect.

By the way, if you have too much time and want to waste it on something silly, you might want to take a look at the Charlie Chaplin time travel mystery, which was started just last year as a man claimed he's found a woman talking to a cell-phone in a scene of The Circus. Haha. Someone is a bit desperate in finding some excitement in life.

Now... If a picture ever gave you a terrible urge to hug someone, it's the picture below. Just look at poor, poor Charlie. The production of The Circus was reportedly more difficult than any other's of Chaplin's films. At one point a fire destroyed the whole set (the picture was taken that day. Aw, poor thing. Just look at that face and try not to feel sorry for him) and some of the already filmed material was also destroyed due to some techinical hitch. In addition, Charlie was going through a very tough time in his personal life, being in the middle of a rough and public divorce from his second wife. Reportedly, he had to go away in the middle of the production to recover from a nervous breakdown. And yet... look at the outcome and marvel what he still managed to create in the middle of that mayhem. I'd high-five Mr Chaplin if I could! Or maybe give him a hug first.

P.S. I was watching Chaplin the other day during the Christmas break and my 20-month-old nephew walked into the room. It happened to be the bit where Charlie shows the boxing scene from City Lights to one of his wives (don't remember which one... Sorry Charlie, but there were quite a few of them) and I was about to pause the DVD, before he'd demand me to put Cars on or show some Bob the Builder clips from Youtube. Instead, he looked at the Tramp jumping up and down in the boxing ring, and started to laugh! Afterwards, he'd come to my room again, imitating the Tramp's jumping, and as I understood and showed him the clip from Youtube, he wanted to see it again and again. I was one proud godmother! I might be failing (so far... I'm not giving up!) in brainwashing him into Toy Story, but at least he has an excelent taste in silent films!

P.P.S. Today I noticed Voddler is full of Chaplin's less known short films! Yay! I know what I'll be doing from now on before going to sleep... Half an hour of laughter will guarantee you a good night's sleep.

P.P.P.S. Currently I'm trying to convince myself that 105 € is not that much money and certainly an amount that could be spared from a student's monthly budget. Look at this. Ten of Charlie Chaplin's greatest films, plus a documentary, all in one package. 105 €. It's not really bad at all when you think about it, is it...? That's less than 10 € per DVD... I'm so close to ordering it right away... All I need is some excuse. Shame my birthday's not until June and I already kind of bought myself a Christmas present...

P.P.P.P.S. In a few weeks I'll see The Gold Rush with the music played by a live orchestra! Can't wait!

"I'll give you fifty dollars a week. Sixty! ... I'll double it!"
"Nothing less than a hundred."

2010: A Summary of a Year

2010 is almost over. Can you believe it, because I can't! The year has been pretty good, I've seen many awesome films (and quite a bunch of less awesome films as well, but that's unavoidable, I guess). I hugely regret that I didn't make a list of all the films I watched during 2010 (it did cross my mind, damn it), because I'm pretty sure I've broken a personal record. 2010 was also the year when I started blogging, so I guess we can say my year hasn't been a total waste!

To wrap the year up, I look back to the various phases I went through this year. (A phase: A period of time during which I am hugely enthusiastic about something or someone, and can't fully concentrate on anything else.) There's been unusually many of them! Also, I'll very reluctantly make an unofficial top five of my favourite movies of 2010. Don't take it too seriously. There are too many potentially awesome films I haven't yet seen! It's mostly there just for show.

**

My SIX PHASES of 2010

The Robert Downey Jr. phase (January - March)

Not often I go see a film in the cinema twice. Even less often three times. But I did see Sherlock Holmes three times, and I can only blame the unbeatable charm and overflowing hotness of RDJ. During the phase I also watched a lot of lousy films from his early career (and one damn good one that led to another phase later on) and the fourth season of Ally McBeal. That's when the phase probably reached its peak and I was more fanfirl-y that I've been in years and it was highly disturbing and I'm glad it's over now. (And I'm only half-kidding.) I'm still very much RDJ's girl, and I regret I managed to miss Due Date in cinemas.

The River Phoenix phase (March - April)

The short-ish but passionate River Phoenix phase was triggered by the end credits of Stand by Me, as my even-slower-than-usual brain realised that the charming young fellow in the film was actually River Phoenix. Many of his film are almost impossible to come by, but judging by every film I have got my hands on, River was spectacularly talented and an amazing person and all the praise he's ever got is most definitely deserved. Also, when it comes to talking about River Phoenix, one can't get away without mentioning that he has one of the most photogenic faces EVER.

The Lost phase (~April - June)

My Lost phase has been going strong since 2006, but this year it culminated around the series finale in May. All year long I had been regularly freaking out once a week, as the final season teased and shocked and thrilled me to pieces. Lost is the most popular label on my blog, which shows that the Lost phase still isn't over. Just this week I completed a project I had been fantasizing about for years, as my Complete Lost Marathon finally ended. Lost truly has been one of the highlights of the year, but it was also a significant highlight of the whole decade. Dude, it's been awesome.

The Charlie Chaplin phase (June - July)

This is one of the few times ever I've become this excited about something that could easily be considered 'intellectual' (not that Lost, for instance, isn't, ahem). Thanks to RDJ (yep, I still think I owe him this), I read Chaplin's autobiography, loved it, and watched all of his films I could find. Oh and loved them, too, to say the least. I found it quite amazing that I so thoroughly enjoyed something that had been done before the 90s, or even before the invention of talking pictures! So uncharacteristic of me. Chaplin's films are wonderful, oh so wonderful and I'll be eternally grateful to RDJ. Haha.

The Disney phase (August - September)

Before and especially after our spectacular trip to Paris - which included that fateful visit to Disneyland - I couldn't make myself watch anything that wasn't animated and or didn't have a happy ending and a few cute animal friends. I watched more Disney films in a month than I did during the whole year when I was five. And oh did I have a blast! By the time I got annoyed at The Little Mermaid and actually began to look the films critically (first time for everyhing), I figured the time had come to finally shake the phase and move on. Luckily, an old favourite was coming back from a summer hiatus.

The Glee phase (October - December, and beyond)

 Glee, oh Glee! Just when I thought Lost had left a hole in me that nothing could ever fill, along came season two of Glee, and reminded me that there is one show out there that has that potential. Not that the hole is completely filled (won't ever be), but it doesn't ache anymore. Glee has been quite a dominant factor in my life recently: I created a blog dedicated to it, I'm listening to the songs on repeat, I ordered a ticket to their live concert and I want to marry Chris Colfer (oh, if I were a boy!). Glee has quite a steady position in my life, and this phase will continue to live on... Side by side with whatever I next get crazy about.

**

My (unofficial) TOP FIVE of 2010

Rare Exports

Okay, so. Rare Exports is here, because 1) it was a good film and 2) because it's not every year Finns make a film that one might even consider when thinking about the best films of the year. I might have liked The Deathly Hallows a bit more, but hey, the patriot in me wanted to give this film some more credit. (And I make sure DH pt. 2 will be on my top five of 2011. Promise.) And it's not only that it is a rare export when it comes to domestic cinema. Rare Exports is an imaginative and bold piece of work, it creeped me out, it made me laugh and gave me chills and, quite unexpectedly, a touch of Christmas spirit as well.

Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass kicked off my summer of various action adventures, such as Robin Hood, Iron Man 2 and Prince of Persia, and ended up kicking the crap out of all the rest. It is an entertainment bomb. It introduced two bright stars of tomorrow, Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz, and also features the brilliant Christopher Mintz-Plasse. One of my favourite moments (in addition to everything that includes Hit-Girl) still is when the main character is worried that if he dies, he won't find out how Lost ends. What a relief I don't have to worry about anymore! Because, on some of my less proud moments, I did. Anyway, Kick-Ass kicks ass.

Inception

Er, what? What is Inception doing this far from number one? Wasn't it pretty much the most mind-blowing thing I'd seen in ages, a complicated and intriguing masterpiece by the genious also known as Chris Nolan, and simply just the grandest cinema experience ever? Well, yes. As you can see, I haven't numbered the top five, even though they are supposingly in the order of superiority. It just felt wrong. When my friend asked me what my five favourite movies of 2010 were, he also asked me to mark put a star after each film that was so damn incredible you forgot it was a film you were watching. (continues below)

The Social Network

(cont.) (He asked me for the list in Facebook. By the way.) Inception was the only was that I starred. So why oh why are The Social Network and another film topping Inception? Well, quite frankly, I don't know. I'm just listening to my gut. I can't say which one I liked more, because they are so very different. Both left me in awe, but in different kinds of awe and for different reasons. I actually at one point promoted Inception to number two, but finally dropped it back down again, because this was the original order on the list in Facebook. And as we know, Facebook is the bible of today's world. And yes, The Social Network is freaking genious.

Toy Story 3

So here we are, then. 2010 is just about in the bag and my most favourite film ended up being... not a sci-fi epic nor an origin story of a web page... but a third instalment of an animated film series. Um... okay? I guess what happened here is that number three and number two were too busy wrestling with each other that they forgot one little Toy Story 3. Whoever saw that coming? ... I did, actually. (Just remembered that I did!) Here's a direct quote (with spelling errors and all, sigh... 'askes'... I should probably fix that) from my Inception post from July:

" So - if someone askes me in the end of this year what was the BEST film of 2010, I will probably say Inception. If they ask what was MY FAVOURITE film, I will say something else. Something silly like Toy Story 3 or Kick-Ass or Harry Potter. "

And yes, I don't think this is such a scandalous or unexpected choice after all. I mean, whoever has seen the film knows it's brilliant in so many wonderful ways. I'm definitely campaigning for Toy Story 3 to win the best picture Oscar, and not only because I like underdogs and tend to fly the flag of those who REALLY don't stand much chance of winning, but also because I think it has a tremendous amount of potential. I mean, don't you want an animated picture to win the Oscar some day? So why not now? (Yeah, yeah, okay. In my dreams. Anyway.)

**

Okay. So. A wrap-up of a wrap-up... 2010. What a year! And I have a sneaky feeling that 2011 might be even better! There sure are a big bunch of films worth expecting on the way. 2010 took us beyond infinity, but who knows, we might go even further next year.

Happy two thousand and eleven, everyone! Enjoy the fireworks tonight!

The Kid (1921) - Chaplin's beloved first-born

directed by Charles Chaplin / starring Charles Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, Edna Purviance

Yeah, The Kid wasn't Chaplin's 'first-born', per se, but it was the first one of his films I'd call a full-length film. It's only 50 minutes, but anyway! '6 reels of joy', according to a poster, and that's just what it is.

This time the Tramp ends up adopting a little orphan baby. He raises the kid to be pretty much like a mini version of himself, which is both sweet and hilarious. They make their living doing a bit shady stuff, but the Tramp is a loving father, doing his very best with the boy. Unfortunately there are people who want to take the Kid away from the Tramp.

Jackie Coogan, the kid playing the Kid, is just awesome, such a little charmer! He hasn't starred in anything big besides The Kid, and I don't know why. He's great in both comedic and dramatic acting. Edna Purviance plays the biological mom, forced to give up her baby. She was one of Chaplin's favourite co-stars in the silent era, and they remained friends all their lives. Which I think is sweet.

Needless to say, Chaplin was once again brilliant. I found myself grinning and almost lauhging out loud when the Tramp stumbled to the screen for the first time... This good old slapstick is just solid entertainment. In addition to being hugely funny, The Kid is moving and touching, in that guaranteed sincere Chaplin way. The scene in the end, where the Tramp and the Kid embrace each other and share that little kiss (something you today couldn't put in a film just like that) is so very beautiful, and would've made my eyes run, had I been in a bit more sensitive mood. Ah, another iconic Chaplin moment.

One thing I didn't love about the film was the dream sequence towards the end. The Tramp falls asleep and dreams about a heaven-ish land where everyone is happy and wears wings and flies around, until some devil-looking guys turn up and plant bad thoughts in people's heads. I felt it didn't quite fit there, and the film would've been just fine without that kind of symbolism and flying dogs. Anyway, here's an interesting piece of trivia about the sequence: Chaplin kisses the 12-year-old Lita Grey, who at the age of 16 would became pregnant and so they would get married (he was 35 at the time). And that lasted for 3 years, by the way. Quite a life, he had...

Despite an odd scene or two, The Kid is a wonderful film, and I loved it as much as I expected to. To prove my point, here is my favourite scene. I just love how those two work together.

Here's one more picture, this one's from the set of The Kid, with Charlie and Jackie. I think it's somehow really sweet.
 

The unimportance of being productive

During the past couple of days I've seen lots of movies, from various genres and decades, some very good, some not quite so, but I haven't really felt inspired to write a long post about any of them. Plus I think being on holiday makes me extra lazy. And the excitement about our approaching Paris trip makes it difficult to concentrate on anything! But here are the movies, in short this time.

(500) Days of Summer (2009) 

directed by Marc Webb / starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschannel

I will probably write a longer post about this some time, because its really a wonderful film, one of the best and most original of its genre. Gordon-Levitt is dreamy, first-class eye candy. And Deschannel fits very well on the role of the quirky girl, who doesn't believe in falling in love. I like how we know from the beginning that we don't get a happy ending for the two. I like Chloe Moretz as the know-all little sister. I like the little oddities, like the random, wonderfully cliched dancing sequence and the scene diveded in expectations and reality. A great movie about love that's not like in the movies.

Dracula (1979) 

directed by John Badham / starring Frank Langella, Kate Nelligan, Laurence Oliver

This one waited for watching for a long, long time, recorded on my DTA, and now I finally found the will to sit down and press play. And well, I liked Frank Langella, but at some point I just lost interest and started doing something else while the film played on the background. Once in a while I glanced at the screen and people were turning into vampires and being stabbed into heart with sticks and I didn't feel like I was missing much. But atleast the creatures didn't sparkle.

The Gold Rush (1925) 

directed by Charles Chaplin / starring Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, Georgia Hale

This film would deserve a post of its own, too. This was true old school Chaplin again, quite similar to City Lights, and yeah, I liked it almost as much. (I think City Lights is untoppable. It was my first Chaplin full-length feature, and it probably will always be the best one in my book.) The Gold Rush includes some of the most iconic Chaplin moments - the house swinging at the edge of the ravine and of course the bread roll dance. Which is just awesome! God I just love this man. Next... The Great Dictator. Then The Kid, and then I've watched all the classic. Gee!

In Her Shoes (2005) 

directed by Curtis Hanson / starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Shirley MacLaine

A tale of two sisters who have nothing in common except for the shoe size. Both sisters annoyed me at times, in their own ways. Shirley MacLaine was the best thing in the film. I still recognized her, although it's been quite a while since The Apartment! Not a great movie, but couldn't say I wasted the hours I spent watching it.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) 

directed by Robert Mulligan / starring Gregory Peck, Frank Overton, Brock Peters

Again, a relic from the very bottom of my DTA's memory. A black and white classic based on a novel, discussing racial issues doesn't really sound like a lot of fun. And sure, it wasn't a lot of fun, but a very good film anyway, and not even very deadly to watch. Gregory Peck's Atticus has to be the coolest movie dad ever, no questions asked. A deep, interesting film with a lot to say, definitely a classic for a reason. Next stop, the novel. If only...

L.A. Confidential (1997) 

directed by Curtis Hanson / starring Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Guy Pearce

A very highly ranked film about crime and punnishment that doesn't always occur. Guy Pearce was great, and Kevin Spacey and that actor whose name I just can't remember (even though I talked about him just a few posts ago, anyway, the farmer from Babe) too. It wasn't torture to watch this film, but for me it was just very forgettable. Russell Crowe has never been that annoying. Sorry, but I just can't see what everyone is fussing about.

The Ninth Gate (1999) 

directed by Roman Polanski / starring Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, Lena Olin

Weird.

That's all.

Touch of Pink (2004) 

directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid / starring Jimi Mistry, Kyle MacLachlan, Suleka Mathew

A fun, easy-going little film about a gay man, who pretends to be straight to his mum and who has Gary Grant as his imaginary friend. Nothing breathtaking, obviously, but quite entertaining and sweet. Some very nice British accents. And the leading actor has pretty eyes.

Now. Some True Blood and packing. We'll be off to the heart of Europe very very soon!

Limelight

Limelight (1952)

Directed by Charles Chaplin. Starring Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Sydney Chaplin.

Long story short: Calvero is a once-great comedian, whose fame has faded with his youth. By accident he befriends with a with a young, depressed ballet dancer Thereza. They support each other, and together try to achieve what Calvero once had, and Thereza hasn't yet had a taste of.

It's impossible not to see the autobiographical aspect of Limelight. Chaplin was 60 years old at the time, still a liked and recognized face, but clearly approaching the end of his career. This was indeed his last film produced in America - around the film's release he was exiled from the US. Limelight obviously reflects some of Chaplin's own experiences and feelings, but how much of himself did he really put on Calvero? Who knows. Calvero is a washed-up clown - hunted by the thought that he can't make people laugh like he did before, and hungering for that one more moment to shine, one more moment in the limelight. It's sad to think these ideas might've floated around Chaplin's head, too. 

Limelight is not the usual Chaplin. It's a drama with comedic elements, rather that a comedy with dramatic ones. I did chuckle a few times - for example there was a funny scene where Calvero talks to his grumpy landlady like they had some steamy love affair going on. Haha. There are also some vaudeville numbers, and Chaplin gets to show there's still some fire in those old bones. One of Calvero's acts was called "Tramp Comedian" - a great nod to the legendary character Chaplin created.

There are many lenghty, amazing dance and comedy numbers. The music is the fruit of lots and lots of hard work. Chaplin won his one and only Oscar for Limelight (not counting the Honorary Oscar), the music specifically. No wonder. (Well, that the Oscar was his one and only is more than a wonder.)

This was also the first time I heard Chaplin speak in a film and  first it felt SO WEIRD. But he was a wonderful actor - slapstick might have been his strong point, but his dramatic acting is really worth mentioning, too. His performance seems effortless and natural, as if he wasn't acting, but merely being himself. Which might not be too far from the truth. Calvero is a charming, witty old gentleman, and so was Chaplin. Claire Bloom is a bit melodramatic at times, but holds her head high next to her veteran co-star. Charlie's son Sydney also plays a role of a romantic pianist.

There's a lot of talk in Limelight, some of it's very philosophical, almost to the point of being pretentious. But though I still prefer him conveying the joys and sorrows of life through slapstick, he moves and touches this way, too. He was a thoughtful, intelligent man, and the dialougue of the film is skilled and just wonderful, discussing life, love, fame, aging, optimism, the will and unwillingness to live...

My mistake was I saw Limelight too early. I should have watched more of Chaplin's earlier films first, like The Kid, Gold Rush and The Great Dictator, and then finally see this film that reflects the late years of the comedian behind masterpieces, the man who made people laugh for a living. I will have to rewatch the film after some time, because there's really a lot to learn about its maker between the lines.

(And I'm intentionally saving The Kid for the last, because I know I'll love it.)

"Life can be wonderful if you're not afraid of it."

Chaplin - even legends have wild sides

 Chaplin (1992)

Directed by Richard Attenborough. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Paul Rhys, Moira Kelly, Dan Ankroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Geraldine Chaplin.

Long story short: It's the from-rags-to-riches story of Charlie Chaplin - how he grew up in the muddy streets of London, moved to America in a chase of a dream, created the most recognisable character in the history of cinema, became a legend, and how, after all this, he found love and peace and his very own happily-ever-after. 

Every one has a wild side. Even a legend. Especially a legend, I say.

I first watched this film earlier this year, because of a certain Robert, whose last name begins with Downey and ends with Jr. - and recently I've become a bit obsessed about everything that has to do with Charlie Chaplin. I can only thank RDJ! For he's a jolly good fellow.

On the first watch I knew hardly anything about Chaplin, but I enjoyed the film a lot, anyway. Now that I've read his autobiography (finished it earlier today) and seen some of his movies, I obviously enjoyed it even more. It's a great film, and hasn't got the attention it deserves.

Let's first get over the obvious. RDJ got his first Oscar nomination for playing Charlie Chaplin from his twenties till his eighties (the second one he got from Tropic Thunder in 2009, for a slightly, er, different role, but a brilliant one all the same). Frankly, I think it's his best performance to date, and I wouldn't be surprised if it remained his greatest for good. He's simply amazing. The role is challenging as hell! Not only does he have to play Charles Chaplin, but also the Tramp - and what do you know, he nails them both. Him not winning the Oscar is a tragedy. But oh well, he lost it for Al Pacino, so things could be worse. Still, I'm a bit bitter.

RDJ has always rocked the accents, and again my (sadly uneducated) ear doesn't have complaints about his Cockney way of speech. (I've linked this clip before and I'll link it again. Sorry, but it's brilliant.) Also, I think RDJ has that certain kind of mischievious, jaunty and charming presence, which fits very well to the mental image I've had about Chaplin. His Tramp imitation is also fantastic. I though it was good before, but after seeing the original version in action I was now able to spot the same mannerisms and gestures in RDJ's interpretation, and damn, he's more than good. Here's a clip about the creation of the Tramp. Watch and marvel.

The rest of Chaplin's broad cast is excellent, too. I especially like Paul Rhys, who plays Charlie's brother Sydney, and the women playing his various wifes and girlfriends, like Moira Kelly, who (a bit confusingly, but quite poetically) plays two different roles and Diane Lane, who I just think is one of the most traditionally beautiful women alive. There's also Milla Jovovich and Marisa Tomei... Anthony Hopkins plays a fictional character, the editor of Chaplin's autobiography.

And this is cool: Charlie Chaplin's real life daughter Geraldine Chaplin plays Charlie's mother - her own grandmother, that is.

I'm not usually very big on biographies - The Aviator, Walk the Line, Ed Wood... nah. Schindler's List is excellent, but you can't really call it a joy to watch. Chaplin IS a joy to watch. (Perhaps because it's about a man who is a joy to watch, played by a man who is also a joy to watch.) It's interesting and also funny, touching and very charming. Some scenes are very, almost surprisingly, slapstick-y, which fits in the mood of the film perfectly. It's not a perfect film, and somehow it feels like it didn't use all of its potential, but I liked it a lot, anyway.

One of my favourite scenes is the opening - the black and white images of Chaplin taking off his costume and make up. The look in RDJ's eyes tell's it all. There's a really strong feel of a depressed clown in the scene. It's just great. In the end there were some goosebumps and a few tears. The whole Honorary Oscar thing is just sincerely moving and it feels like one of those larger-than-life moments. And I love how there's some original footage in the film, too - clips from Chaplin's movies and from the Oscars, for example.

The make up team has done wonderful job in the film. Remember, it's the same 25-year-old Robert Downey Jr. playing both the 20-year-old and the 80-year-old Charlie Chaplin. And yeah, I'm buying it! sure, the oldest Chaplin looks a bit waxy at times, but it doesn't bother anyone. And of course, RDJ's amazing acting talents combined to that awesome make up equals a pretty convincing man of various ages.

Chaplin is a great film. It's about a great man, who I've seriously learned to admire during the past few weeks. He just rocks and I'd totally marry him if I could. Or at least I'd scream my lungs out at him and kiss the earth beneath his feet. Or something. Also, I want RDJ to drop the action block busters for a moment and do another epic drama. Please.

Here's the trailer of Chaplin. ("What do we do, Charlie?" "Smile.") It's seriously a very good film and I recommend it very warmly.

"If you want to understand me, watch my movies."

Modern Times

After spending another awesome week in the woods (sorry for the silence, again) enjoying my summer job and the sunshine, I was able not to feel guilty for wasting a beautiful day by staying indoors, watching movies. This one I watched on the terrace, though, and it was only slightly too hot and bright for such activity. (Watching movies outside. On your own backyard. There's some modern times for you...)

Modern Times (1936)

Directed by Charles Chaplin. Starring Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard.

Long story short: The Tramp gets fired from his mind-numbing job at factory after suffering a nervous breakdown, and together with a homeless woman he struggles to get along in the industrialized modern society, trying out different jobs and dreaming of a better tomorrow.

As you might remember, I loved City Lights, so I obviously expected a lot from this film, too. At the same time, I was careful not to expect too much, because I didn't want to be disappointed. And yes, as I quite soon noticed, I didn't like Modern Times as much as City Lights, but was able to enjoy it anyway.

The film, in a typical Chaplin way, touches some very dark and serious topics, like unemployment, death, orphanhood, poverty, loneliness, industrialism... And yet it's a very hopeful and encouraging film. In other words, we smile though our hearts are breaking. Speaking of which, the music score is brilliant, again. Chaplin's hard work on that area (too) really shows.

I quote this from Modern Times IMDb board: "Find me a comedic actor today who can act, write, direct, compose, produce, sing, make social commentary, and roller skate like a madman all in one movie." Amen to that. The word 'genious' is sadly overused these days, but it would be a crime not to use the word when descriping Charlie Chaplin.

Modern Times was Chaplin's last film about the Tramp - it's also the only Tramp film with speech. However, it's not a full talkie. The sound is used in a very clever way: the only spoken voices we hear come from machines, techinical devices. We don't hear the Tramp talk, thank god, but we do hear him sing in my favourite scene, where he's forced to perform a song without remembering the words, so he sings complete gibberish but we are able to follow the story, because he dances and acts it out at the same time. It hilarious and very impressive, once again proving that Charlie Chaplin is the master of pantomine. (He's going on 50 here and still moving like a youngster.) These words of nonsense are the first and last words we ever hear the Tramp utter - how cool is that? (The Tramp's very last words can be read from his lips: "Smile! C'mon!" And we do.)

I'm not sure why I didn't like Modern Times as much as City Lights. Maybe it was just my current mood. Maybe City Lights' definite sense of a love story made me fall for it more - Modern Times is about friendship, rather than romance. But even if this film didn't quite reach my expectations, it was still wonderful, profound, sweet and heartwarming. And I will continue my expedition in the Chaplin universe. I think The Great Dictator might be my next stop.

Finally, a fact I can't fit anywhere else: Paulette Goddard was married to Chaplin at the time. She also (quote from IMDb) "was the leading contender for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). Her inability to produce a marriage certificate to prove she and Charles Chaplin were married, and the appearance of Vivien Leigh on the scene, lost her the part". Bugger.

"What's the use of trying?"
"Buck up - never say die. We'll get along."

Smile, what's the use of crying?

If Charlie tells me to smile, I smile.

This wonderful, wonderful melody was composed by Chaplin for his film Modern Times (1936) - which is next on my watching list. The lyrics were written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons in 1954. It's simply beautiful. And the lyrics are beautifully simple. I think I want this to be played at my funeral.

I love that video, too. It's impossible not to smile at that funny, charming, jovial fellow. Everything he does with his hat just cracks me up.

And I do smile! It's freaking beautiful outside, we have ice cream, I get to go to work again on Monday (I know, that's not normal. But my summer job isn't normal. It's awesome!) and Paris is only one month away! Not even this little hangover can stop me from smiling. (...Smile, though your head is aching, smile even though it's... half way down the toilet. Mine is not, just for your information. Just an example.)

Link

Chaplin's City Lights to light up a rainy day!

(Okay, it's not raining right now, but it was a moment ago. For a moment. Eh. I refuse to change the title. So let's hope for some rain! ... Not looking very good out there, rain-wise. Oh well. Let's all imagine it's the ugliest rainy October Monday afternoon ever.)

City Lights (1931)

Directed by Charles Chaplin. Starring Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherill, Harry Myers. (+ Produced by Charles Chaplin. Written by Charles Chaplin. Original Music by Charles Chaplin... You get the point.)

Long story short: The Tramp wakes up for a new day, attracting trouble and causing general confusion from the very beginning. By chance he meets the blind girl, who mistakes him for a millionaire. He buys one of the flowers the girl is selling and holds on to it like a great treasure. When the evening comes the Tramp meets a drunken millionaire, about to commit suicide. Charlie stops him, and they become friends, until the morning after the millionare sobers up. Later he meets the girl again, still pretending to be a millionare and when he learns she's in big financial trouble, he's determined to help her.

What can I say? City Lights is a classic, and for a reason. I try to avoid the excess of words of praise, but the film is simply wonderful. It's really a shame how the younger generation, including me until recently, is so very ignorant about this wonderful black-and-white world, where words are needless, because you have faces, expressions and body movements. Chaplin was under a lot of pressure to make this a talkie - I'm so glad he held his ground! (By the way, this is the fantastic Robert Downey Jr. in the fantastic film Chaplin, explaining in a fantastic way, why they shouldn't make the Tramp talk. Oh dear god that clip is fantastic.)

I love the nostalgic opening credits. And again, I love the shaky film quality, though it's significantly better now than in the early short films. And well, it's the 30s, after all. And Chaplin is a grown man in his fourties, an experienced film maker. It shows, really, the camera movement and editing is so much better! And of course this is a full-length feature, done with considerably more money and effort.

Needless to say, the film was very very funny. An example, the boxing scene, here. The plot is simple, and yet very clever, charming and touching. The ending was brilliance. Guess now I know where the origins of those open endings I like so much lie... Anyway. This was the first full-length Chaplin film I saw. Not the last one, though. (A trivial fact: City Lights was apparently the favourite movie of Orson Welles.)

You'd think that for a 21st century brat like me, silent films would be boring and difficult to follow, but no fear. I wasn't bored once. Me! A girl who yawns at most films made before the 90s. I'm almost hoping they'd go back to making silent films. Though it wouldn't be so much fun without Chaplin.

The man is simply a joy to watch.

"Be careful how you're driving."

"Am I driving?"

"A day without laughter is a day wasted." - Charlie Chaplin

I dare say that Charlie Chaplin is one of those people, who are known and recognized all over the world, still decades after they've passed away. And if not Chaplin himself, then at least his most famous character, the Tramp. People might not know much about the actor himself, but they can easily associate the character with lauhgter and comedy and black-and-white silent films. Admittedly, I didn't know much about this fellow, until some months ago I watched a film about his life. And now, inspired by the film, I'm reading his autobiography and I feel like I'm almost personally getting to know the legendary Chaplin. He had some talent, that man.

So why am I reading this book again? Thanks to Robert Downey Jr.! Kind of. I watched Chaplin because of RDJ, and I became interested in this book because of the film. So. I guess you could give all the credit to RDJ? Sure.

I was happy to find the book at my local library - in Finnish, though, couldn't find it in English, which is a bit of a shame. I might order it in the original language some day. You know, it feels very weird to read something in Finnish! It's been a while since the last time. Anyway, I kind of love this book! Or like it very much, at least.

At he moment I'm half way through the 450-page book, and Chaplin is now 28 years old and already a successful film maker and star, an amazing, long career still ahead of him. He also began and ended his first marriage some pages ago. Did you know that he was once close to quitting acting and becoming a pig farmer? Or that a fortune teller predicted his future success when he was about 20? The book is so interesting and full of information and yet somehow it's very light to read. It's been a while since I've been so hooked on a book. Which is a bit surprising, but awesome all the same!

Chaplin was a very talented writer (in addition to being a very talented actor, director, screenwriter, you name it...). He managed to put a thousand small memories, minor and major events and random pieces of dialogue together, making it a smooth, coherent story. He wrote a book when he was 75. I can only wish I'll be so witty and capable if I ever reach 75. (And even if some holes in his memory were probably filled with imagination, I don't really care.)

This is what I've learned about Charlie Chaplin (during that first half of the book): he was born to be a legend. (Wow, that sounded corny. Anyway. He was, wasn't he?) He was always adventurous, always eager to see and do and learn and be more. He was intelligent, brave, ambitious and cheeky enough to handle himself in movie business - which at the time was controlled by stubborn movie bosses, who wanted to keep doing films the way they had always been done. He was passionate - if not always about acting, at least about entertaining people and making them laugh. He was just as prone to feelings of loneliness, inadequency and self-pity as the rest of us, and sometimes surprisingly shy. Oh and he was a genious. A persistent and hard-working genious.

Yesterday I watched my first Chaplin film ever. It was a twelve minute MESS with the Tramp in a bar, once in a while cut to another scene with the Tramp painting a portait of a lady, and I wasn't quite sure what was going on. And yet... I found myself laughing aloud at people falling down, stumbling at their feet, kicking each other in bottoms and the Tramp making funny faces and trying to hit on ladies. Who knew slapstick comedy can actually be so much fun? I really was surprised. And then watched two more short films.

What also is very charming about the films is their hopelessly bad quality ('bad' as seen through the eyes of the Avatar generation, that is): the blurry, shaking, black-and-white images, the simple, cheerful "elevator music", that every now and then stops to start again from the beginning, and the fact that sometimes the camera cuts half of the characters' heads off. It's a big part of the charm.

(It's funny that people don't know what Chaplin really looks like, without the mask and costume, I mean. Hell, I wouldn't know the picture above is the Charlie Chaplin I'm writing about. I'm just trusting Google.)

Chaplin received an Honorary Oscar in 1971. (Until that he'd won only one Oscar as a composer. NEVER one for acting or directing. Hmm.) Click here to see it happen. (Here you can also hear Chaplin's own description about the Tramp: "A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow always hopeful of romance and adventure. He would have you believe he is a scientist, a musician, a duke, a polo player. However, he’s not above picking up a cigarette butt or robbing a baby of his candy." And then something about kicking ladies in the "rear", but only in extreme anger. Haha. Excellent.)

Moments like that can easily feel melodramatic or corny, but I think that's a wonderful moment and he's sincerely moved and honoured. I am SO looking forward to that part of the book. I will probably write another post then, after I finish the book. So, more praise coming up! And all deserved. Also, I'm planning on watching some of Chaplin's full-length features, too. (Any recomendations?) Until then... a few wise words. I kind of love this man.

"A man's true character comes out when he's drunk."

"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."   

"Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot." 

"The saddest thing I can imagine is to get used to luxury." 

"What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning." 

"Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is 'elephant'."