Donna Freitas: June 2009 Archives

Don't let the trailer for "Cheri" fool you. While it seduces moviegoers with promises of period costumes and what looks to be a frothy romantic frolic between the beautiful (yet much older) Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the equally beautiful (yet very young) Cheri (Rupert Friend), this film, based on the story by French novelist Colette (who also wrote "Gigi"), will leave you depressed rather than delighted. However, this is not a reason to stay home, either. What I thought would be a rather silly movie turned out to be gripping and stunningly well acted.

The story is simple: Lea is an aging courtesan, and she takes up with the son of another aging courtesan (Kathy Bates), who she has called Cheri (an affectionate nickname) since he was six. Everyone understands the parameters--or so it seems, at first. Mother is happy by the match because her son needs to cheer up, Lea is charmed, and Cheri gets to remain the happy, boyish lover for as long as the relationship lasts--which it's not supposed to, but does--for six years. It seems that this film's trailer was made entirely from the initial twenty minutes when Lea and Cheri get together.

Michael Jackson's music is everywhere in the air in New York City today. Walking along this morning, his songs were pouring into the streets from the doorways of shops. There was a crowd of about ten people, outside, singing "I'll Be There" at the top of their lungs. Even my snooty Brooklyn coffee shop had "Off The Wall" playing when I arrived, then switched to the Jackson 5, and eventually, to "Thriller." "Thriller" was my very first album purchase as a kid. It's very weird to think that this brilliant, albeit beyond strange musician is gone from the world.

As you listen to his gazillion hits playing everywhere today, be sure to check out Anthea Butler's excellent article: "When The Gods Die: Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett Take the 70s With Them," which talks about Michael Jackson as a "pop theologian" of a sort, and follows his life's spiritual twists and turns (in addition to exploring Fawcett's as well."

Now I'm going to go listen to "PYT," one of my all-time favorites.

So my esteemed fellow blogger, Esther Kustanowitz beat me to the punch by posting the hilarious Buffy vs. Edward video-mash-up flying around the net these last couple of days. But in addition to the sheer enjoyment provided by watching one of my all time favorite kick-butt female tv heroines, Buffy (!!), aka, The Slayer, The Chosen One, She-Who-Kills-Vamps (and loves 'em too), take on and take down my "Twilight" heartthrob Edward Cullen (as portrayed by the beautiful Robert Pattinson), this clever little montage has feminist significance according to blip.tv, which calls it:

"An example of transformative storytelling serving as a visual critique of Edward's character and generally creepy behavior. Seen through Buffy's eyes some of the more patriarchal gender roles and sexist Hollywood tropes embedded in the Twilight saga are exposed in hilarious ways."

Yes, yes, yes, we can all have a field day analyzing "Twilight" from a feminist perspective, and if there is anyone who can show us the way, it would be Buffy Summers. But what I found most interesting about the Edward Cullen of "Twilight," Stephenie Meyer's novel vs. Robert Pattinson's Edward Cullen in "Twilight," the movie, which this video clip highlights for sure, is the possibility of encountering Edward Cullen-as-stalker, as opposed to ultimate romantic lead. In the novel, Edward is far more playful, so much so that it wasn't until I saw the movie that I truly could see how Edward could act a lot like a creepy stalker. As played by dear Mr. Pattinson, Edward almost never smiles and is almost always brooding and creeping around (quite literally).

One of the summer's few romantic comedies, "The Proposal," released in theaters last weekend. After suffering through "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" in May, which is one of the worst, most unsatisfying romantic comedies I've seen, watching Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds bicker and eventually fall in love felt like a welcome relief. Though, given the slim pickings of late in the romance department, it really didn't take much to top the list of romantic comedies I've seen this year.

The basics: Sandra Bullock's character, Margaret, is a "Devil Wears Prada"-like nasty boss, but this time in the publishing industry. Ryan Reynold's character, Andrew, is the harried, humble assistant who does the devil's bidding. The movie's premise: Margaret is Canadian and was too busy to fill our her paperwork and is being deported, so as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the country, she barters promotions among other things to get her assistant, Andrew, to marry her. The sham engagement requires they travel to Andrew's gorgeous house in Alaska for a family gathering where the requisite crazy antics and the falling in love (for real, of course) ensues.

Finding salvation, redemption, forgiveness--HBO's second season of the vampire-centric "True Blood" seems to be dripping with these themes in its premiere episode last Sunday, "Nothing But the Blood." Of course, the forms of salvation, etc., may vary.

Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's brother and resident philanderer of Bon Temps, is reforming his ways and he's turned to the lord. Last season, while in prison (wrongfully accused of murdering all those women he hops into bed with) he was visited by a vampire-hating, Christian preacher. Jason, already predisposed to dislike vampires, was quite taken by the Fellowship of the Sun's message. The premier had Jason studying the bible, reading up on church materials, hanging out with the reverend, and signing up for a Christian bible/leadership-vampire-hating seminar of sorts. Whether Jason Stackhouse, himself, will end up preaching the gospel of Christ alongside vampire hate remains to be seen--though I think that is where the storyline may be headed.

In my opinion, the jury's still out on whether season two of HBO's "True Blood"--premiering this Sunday, June 14th--is worth the commitment. Whereas season one started off promising--Sookie Stackhouse meets vampire Bill, who is not only good looking but old-fashioned...

While you're counting down the days (hours and minutes--HBO actually has a countdown on the "True Blood" homepage), definitely check out the trailer for Season Two. Some of it's rather sexy and romantic (i.e. promising), some of it is, well,...

In an article called, "Twilight of the Tummlers," also the cover story (featuring a photo of Larry David and Woody Allen together) in the latest edition of New York Magazine, Mark Harris predicts the "end of Jewish humor"--at least of...

So after HATING the movie poster released for "New Moon" (did I mention hate? because I can't emphasize how much I hate seeing Bella in Jacob's arms and not Edwards, which I already posted about), I am rather encouraged after...