Articles
-
Visualising music
A work of art reveals an artist ego just as much as it uncovers her persona. Since 4 in 2011, there is more of Beyoncé’s ego and persona in every song she creates. Free from the ties with the father-manager Mathew Knowles, she has looked inward for intimacy and outward for influences. She has found a mature voice, but she has also brought out traits of her identity that stardom can easily garble.
-
A soldier of cinema
I remember quite vividly how I ditched Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers at the 69th Venice International Film Festival. My job was writing a reportage on the Asian films selection, but that’s a poor excuse for my behaviour, because I could have easily organised my schedule to catch it. But I didn’t trust the “enfant terrible” label thrown around whenever the name Harmony Korine came up, and I wasn’t particular interested in Disney starlets. The fuss was too much for me, and instead of titillating my curiosity, it made me look away.
-
The Thin Apocalypse
When I was a kid, my grandfather was always watching westerns and war films. I remember fondly the day when he asked for my VHS of Saving Private Ryan, because it was a bit of a laugh. He took the VHS, went back downstairs, and put it on as loudly as possible. The house turned into Omaha Beach.
-
Retelling is not for everyone
Bohemian Rhapsody reminded me of how difficult it is to tell a story more or less well-known. Questions of accuracy, respect and fan-service are inevitable, as inevitable is the pressure behind a work that must deal with a popular figure. Bohemian Rhapsody follows the conventional biopic path, unfolding mechanically like a Wikipedia entry. It limits itself to bits and pieces of a subject too complex to be tamed, and it fails miserably at showing us that there is more to Queen than a greatest hits collection.
-
Arrivederci Soavi, Ciao
It’s always been hard for me to cope with Italian cinema. I am not talking about obvious masters such as Roberto Rossellini, Elio Petri, and Federico Fellini here. I am talking about the most recent output of my country’s film world, which makes me wonder what those masters would think of Italian cinema today.