Well my weekend is pretty uneventful really. I didn’t even go to the cinema nor watched too many movies. Friday night was a fun Movie Night with my girlfriends, which we haven’t done in almost a year since one of them had a baby. We’ve decided on the movie weeks ago, Farewell My Queen, which is fitting since I’ve been obsessing over the French Revolution since my Paris trip in early June.
The film focuses on the relationship between Marie Antoinette and one of her readers Sidonie Laborde during first days of the French Revolution. The whole movie takes place in Versailles which is beautifully shot. Now believe it or not, I have not seen a single movie about Marie Antoinette nor the French Revolution. Though the film looks authentic and well-acted, the film barely pays any attention to the real issues that led to the revolt. The Revolution only serves as a backdrop, focusing more on the obsession, loyalty and betrayal of the three main characters.
As I’m now watching Downton Abbey, the upstair/downstairs lives of the servants, courtiers and the royals in that lavish palace is fun to watch. The scene when the courtiers find out about the list of the 300 targets of the guillotine is pretty intriguing and you could really feel the tension brimming in that dark corridor. The performances are quite good, I’m especially impressed by Lea Seydoux as Sidonie, who’s really the lead of the film. She has a certain vulnerability about her that makes you sympathize with her right away, and she’s a stunning actress who definitely looks more interesting the more you look at her. Diane Kruger is quite effective as the Austrian-born queen, whilst Virginie Ledoyen is as beautiful as she is aloof, which is fitting as she’s the object of the queen’s affection. Overall though, the film is just ok, perhaps not the best films out there on the topic of the French Revolution, but it’s not a bad one to start with.
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For my July Blindspot, I watched Purple Noon (Plein soleil) starring Alain Delon. I’ve seen the remake The Talented Mr Ripley years ago so I knew the gist of it but honestly I’ve forgotten most of the details from that one. One thing for sure Matt Damon is not nearly as appealing as Delon in the role of Tom Ripley, even though it’s funny that Delon barely spoke any English in this film despite being an American character.
Delon with his razor-sharp cheekbones and steely gaze possesses a certain coldness, that dangerous undercurrent beneath such an impossible good looks. I’ll save the full review until Tuesday but suffice to say I’m glad I finally saw this one. I’ve been wanting to see more from Delon after seeing him in a taciturn role in Le Samouraï.
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Now, the rest of my weekend is filled with a lot of drooling over Comic-con in San Diego. My dear friend Melissa of Snap Crackle Watch was there with her girlfriend, lucky gal! Here’s her recaps – Part I and Part II. I was following her fun tweets all weekend, can’t wait to read her recaps whenever she gets around to posting it. Man, I could see why it’s getting more difficult impossible to get to SDCC, I mean the kind of films being covered there is incredible! Interstellar, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Batman vs Superman, The Hobbit 3, etc. Here are my favorite photos from the four-day festivities!
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A bunch of trailers debuted at SDCC, but I refuse to post those grainy, shaky-cam versions shot by fans in Hall H. I’ll wait for the official one, thank you very much. But hey, the one I’ve been waiting for, Mad Max: Fury Road, has released its first trailer online!
I didn’t see any photos of Tom Hardy so he might not have been at the Mad Max Panel but here’s the new trailer. Interesting to see him with his Bane-like mask, ahah. So far it looks very cool though I expect the second trailer to actually show more of the story than just a mash-up of action sequences in dystopian Australian dessert.
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Well that’s my weekend roundup, folks. What about you, seen anything good?
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Love that Mad Max trailer. I was cool on anticipation until seeing it…now I can’t wait!
I liked Purple Noon, but being a HUGE fan of the novel and Minghella’s film, I was disappointed with the censorship. The change in the plot made it feel like a very different story…but it was expertly directed.
And Seydoux…well, if you read that post I just put up, you’ll see what I think of her 😀
I’ve been waiting for Mad Max: Fury Road for about five years! I actually blogged about it in 2009, can’t believe we finally saw the trailer. Still have to wait until next May though, ugh!
Yeah I think the homo-eroticism isn’t present in this film but I don’t think it hurt the story. I mean Ripley is a con man and in this film he’s made to be envious of Greenleaf (Philipe instead of Dickie in the book) and also secretly lusting after his fiance, which is VERY creepy indeed.
Just left you a comment on your post, I like Seydoux very much!
Cool post. Curious about Farewell My Queen and especially Plein Soleil (considering how much I liked Ripley). You should check out my latest post, where I talk about my adevntures (outside) Comic-Con. You are absolutely right, it’s impossible to get in and it’s the second year in a row that I have to take in the con from outside 😦 LOVED the trailer for Mad Max.
Just left you a comment, that sounds like fun Fernando! Maybe I should join you next year 😉
You should definitely check out Plein Soleil if you like the character. I take it you’ve seen the American remake? Well I think Delon definitely outshines Damon in terms of being a far more sinister and cunning, plus he’s just such a beautiful man to look at.
Mad Max looks awesome, now if only that’d open this year instead of next May!
Yeah, wasn’t too crazy about Damon in that role, but I quite liked Jude Law, Cate Blanchett and PSH in that film. Will definitely check out Plein Soleil sometime.
And yes. It seems so far away!
I can’t wait for Mad Max! A friend of mine did some of the make-up and costumes.
Oh really? WOW how awesome! Does that mean he/she would be able to go to the premiere and stuff?
He’s based in Namibia where it’s filmed so I’m not sure. I’ll ask him.
Somehow I thought they filmed it in the Aussie outback!
Nope all Namib Desert!
Very cool! Thanks for the trivia tidbit 😀
i saw the mad max trailer yesterday; looks fantastic; hope they don’t spoil the build-up by putting out too many trailers that give the story away. there’s a built-in fanbase that doesn’t really need to be told the back-story, and for everyone else, 5 seconds of desert and the words ‘water war’ should do. Can you identify some of the peeps in the photos; I only recognise about half of them (I’m not that up on my comic book movie news)
Hi Niall! Yeah I think a brief exposition is all it needs. I need to rewatch the original films again, I think I’ve only seen the first one but I remember liking it. I just updated the gallery w/ captions now 🙂
cool; thank you I recognise everyone in the avengers photo except for the bloke standing between Hemsworth and Peter Fonda.
Mwahahaha! That’s Paul Bettany, not Peter Fonda 😀 The guy next to Hemsworth is James Spader who’s playing the villain I believe.
Holy shit. that’s Paul Bettany??!! he would win a Peter Fonda lookalike contest hands down. And that’s Spader? Jesus, who knew he’s a runt? 🙂
i mean the Avengers photo in particular
COMIC CON!
Ahah clearly the photos render you speechless… well, almost 😉
MAD MAX!!!
Ahah, I take it you’ve been waiting for it as long as I did Mark?
Yep!
It’s nuts that it took over 5 years before we finally get to see this! I blogged about the casting back in 2009!
I love the Mad Max trailer. I did hear that Charlize Theron steals the movie. Not that I’m bothered, she’s super hot, haha. I noticed Rosie Huntington-Whiteley near the end of the trailer too, another favourite! 🙂
Nice to see Charlize being all bad ass here, but I think Hardy is charismatic enough that he won’t be overshadowed by her. Not sure who Rosie is, was she the one in the Transformers movie, the one w/ the bee-stung lips?
Yep, that’s the one. Probably not the world’s greatest actress, but still… those bee-stung lips… 🙂
That Mad Max trailer looks awesome. This weekend, I re-watched The Doom Generation as well as watch Midnight Cowboy and Lucy as well as some special features from the Criterion DVD/Blu-Ray release of Steven Soderbergh’s King of the Hill as I’m finishing up my review of the film right now.
I checked out your review for Lucy, glad to hear that was decent. I’m not always fond of Besson’s work.
I’m actually in the minority in not being all too interested by that Mad Max trailer. However, recently hearing about how they shot the film apparently without a script and using only storyboards, well, THAT does sound intriguing, I must admit.
Hi Chris! I’m interested because of Hardy, and I have a penchant for dystopian sci-fi 🙂 Hmmm, I hope they actually do have a script tho, there’s got to be a reason for all those action!
Didn’t see or watch anything new over the weekend, still without my home theater so no home movie watching till I found a new house.
I’m in the minority here but I was not impressed with Fury Road’s trailer at all, looks way too much like a video game. And considering that the previous three films didn’t have much of a plot, I suspect this one will be the same. BUT I’m glad they didn’t do a reboot and continue the adventures of Max and I’ve been waiting to see it for over 10 years so I’m glad it’s finally hitting theater. However the film will turn out, I’m quite sure it will be much better than the last Max’s outing, that one was dreadful.
I feel for ya Ted, you must miss your home theater. Hope you find a new home soon!
Yeah the trailer has way too much action going on but I’m still optimistic because I love Hardy. I need to rewatch the original now, been a long time since I saw it. Do you have the blu-ray Ted?
I have the first one on DVD and the two sequels on Bluray. I’ll bring them over the next time we meet up. This new film looks to be similar to the second film, The Road Warrior, which is a good thing.
Cool choice for a blind spot. I’m not familiar with Purple Noon, but Le Samouraï has been on my watch list for a while now. Sounds like I should check out both of them.
Hello Eric, Delon is an intriguing actor and now that I’ve seen the two, I want to see more. Both are definitely worth checking out!
Ooh, nice picks! I haven’t seen Purple Noon (must do that), but I really liked Farewell, My Queen. I thought it was a step up from most modern costume dramas, and the performances and costumes were first-rate.
Wow, a classic film YOU haven’t seen, that’s quite rare Josh 😉 Yeah Farewell My Queen is quite unique but I was expecting more about the Revolution. I guess it’s a good start but now I’m curious to check out more films on that topic.
Hey Ruth! Long time no see! Hope all’s well with you!
I too wish I could have attended Comic Con, but had fun going through the news updates over the weekend. Have to say that I’m now quite excited for MAD MAX – FURY ROAD after viewing that trailer. It has a great visual look (although we don’t really see enough of Tom Hardy’s Max in it for my tastes.) Lots of other fun stuff at the Con, including the Marvel panel and DC’s Batman V. Superman sneak peek.
Good to see you caught PURPLE NOON, too…a really interesting film, and Alain Delon is a perfect choice for Ripley.
Hi there Jeff, glad to see you stop by, man! I’ve been well, how about you?
The SDCC news and pics are so drool-worthy, man it’s good to be a movie fan these days right? 😉 I hope we see more of Max in the second trailer and in the actual movie, of course. Right now I’m not hugely anticipating Batman V. Superman but I sure hope it’ll be GOOD!
I will have my post on Purple Noon soon, yes Alain Delon is indeed perfect as Ripley!
Mad Max Fury Road!
This film will decimate all! (kudos to the screenwriters of Fast & The Furious for that quote!)
Tom Hardy will rule 2015, I think.
I think Hardy should rule the next few years! He’s the only leading man these days that I think has the charisma of 90s action stars like Mel Gibson, Bruce Willis, and a slew of others, PLUS he’s a much better actor than most of them.
Hmmm, that trailer looks good. Looking forward to seeing this, even though I am not impressed to see Charlize Theron in the lineup.
Hi Zoë! So you’re not a fan of your fellow countrywoman Charlize?
Hell no I am not!
Hmmm, why ever not? I’m curious now.
Abbi is also not a fan. Apparently she doesn’t tickle South African fancy. I find her underwhelming, not very convincing or particularly talented, she comes across as exceptionally shallow and has completely forgotten her roots. I don’t know, not a fan.
Tom Hardy is going to be the new Mad Max? Huh. I didn’t know that. Looking forward to it now, though.
And I have always meant to make time for Purple Noon. I should really do that at some point, given your praise for the flick.
Yep, he was cast back in 2009, I even made a post about it. I didn’t realize it’d take this long to finally got it made!
Stay tuned for my review of Purple Noon, definitely a great thriller!
5 years? Wow.
And ’09? That’s before Hardy was a household name, yeah?
Yep, I liked him back when he was in Rocknrolla, long before he played Bane 😉
I haven’t seen Rocknrolla. Should I change that?
I have seen Bronson (2008) – though I didn’t see it until 2010, or whenever Inception was released. And so I too liked him long before he played Bane.
Hey I have the dvd of Rocknrolla, you’re welcome to borrow it Josh. I haven’t seen Bronson yet but I want to!
Bronson is uneven. I like it far more than Only God Forgives, Winding Refn’s most recent, as I’m sure you know. But Bronson still suffers from lack of thematic resonance and thereby substance. I think it wants to be a statement on the West’s obsession with violence, but it falls short of such political observations and instead becomes a non-traditional character study about a man not the least bit likable.
But. No matter the film’s narrative flaws, the style is astonishing. And Hardy. Hardy should have won a slew of awards. To be sure, he won some, including The British Independent Film Best Actor award, but he should have received more.
Oh. And I still need to watch the other things you loaned me. Once I do, I’d be happy to borrow Rocknrolla. 🙂
I love Rocknrolla! And Bronson was very rough to say the least. You must tell us what you think of RR.
There are sooo many gorgeous Brits in Rocknrolla, I mean Butler, Elba, Hardy… OH MY!! I love the scene w/ Gerry + Tom in the car when Handsome Bob confessed about his crush… oh and the slow dance LOL!
OMG YES !!!!!!!!!!!!! Handsome Bob baby!!!!!! What a great scene can we say classic? And Elba with that accent ummm yes I’ll take a side of that, so much better than his American one.
Hardy’s accent is such ear candy!! Funny but young Toby looks so much like Hardy, esp when he was taking this Shakespeare class that was posted on youtube. He’s wearing a tight t-shirt + jeans w/ short haircut, he looks so much like Hardy in This Means War, yum! 😉
Elba’s natural accent is yummy indeed! Wish he’d use it more in movies!
Agreed! I love his voice. Toby with a tight t-shirt what?! I love Tom Hardy in This Means War. Dumb dumb movie but he looks stunning. Good lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I made a tumblr post of that vid! http://flixchatter.tumblr.com/post/89126613082/found-myself-watching-the-rscs-cicely-berrys Now tell me doesn’t he look like Hardy? Sooo gorgeous… eye + ear candy! These boys are a feast for the senses [SOL] 😉
Damn he looks young and so innocent. Very cute and yes I can see that boyish resemblance. So simple in that grey shirt but super cute. OMG yes that whole post is SOL worthy. Speaking of SOL-ing still have that to work up!! But it’s on my to-do list. 🙂
Will do. 🙂
Hey James, Fury Road was actually slated to come out way back in the summer of 2004, Mel Gibson agreed to return as Max. But the project was cancelled because of the second Iraq war, George Miller wanted to shoot the film in the middle east and of course with the war, they couldn’t. When project came back to life again, I thought it’s going to be a reboot but I’m glad they’re continuing the story of Max, I’m sick of reboots.
No kidding. A continuation is totally acceptable.
That Mad Max trailer isn’t bad, but The Hobbit trailer….good Lord! The visuals are terrible. i love that picture of Pedro and Nikolaj – it was taken during Pedro pointing to his own face and smiling, showing off how intact he is after his fight in the show 🙂
Hi Sati! Yeah I’m not as hugely anticipating Hobbit 3 as I did the first two, but I’m still curious to see the final installment. I need to watch the video of the GoT panel, must be a lot of fun! Hopefully you’ll include ’em in the Friday Rambling post? 😀
Oh I’m including some highlights 🙂 Stephen got a major mention during it 🙂
Very cool! I’ll be over this weekend to check it out 🙂
Now why I am not surprised that you are also obsessed with this too? I love, love, love and am obsessed with French stuff, very much a Francophile as well. My sister is also obsessed with Marie Antoinette, she devours that info. I just sent her a screenshot of your blog and she went gaga. Now we gotta go see that movie! Diane Kruger always surprises me she is so beautiful and such a good actress. She seems humble and not overly Hollywood, I am loving her in The Bridge right now. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the Sofia Coppola version of Marie A. When you come to SD we will have to find a movie to go see, there are a couple good ones here that play the more indie and non-mainstream flicks. 🙂
Hey Queen Mel! OMG, you’re a Francophile AND a Anglophile too, awesome!! 😀 I think since I went to Paris I couldn’t get enough of that whole French Revolution and Marie Antoinette. I still need to see the Sophia Coppola movie, I’ll definitely let you know what I think. Yeah Kruger is sooo beautiful but she’s surprisingly a good actress too.
I can’t wait to see you later this Fall! Yes we have to go see a movie together somehow, my poor friend might be so confused by us fangirling, ahah. She’s not into movies or actors, whilst I’ve always been so obsessed w/ them, I just can’t help myself 😛
Yes yes I love all things French and British. I think we were probably living over there in a past life. Hahaha. I am sure we lived in the Edwardian Era. Oh those were the good old days. lol
I wonder what you will think of it, are you a fan of Sofia Coppola? If you like her style, then I think you will appreciate her version. Agreed!! My only gf that likes some of the stuff I do is the gal who went to Comic Con, but even then it is limited. Besides her, pretty much no one else likes the stuff I do. I don’t know a single person who watches Downton Abbey or old movies or even knows the names of actors. 😦 Yay excited!!
Those Regency/Edwardian era are so fascinating, so I totally get it girl! That’s why your nickname Queen Mel is so fitting then 😀 I’ve always been an Anglophile but I think I’ve become a mini Francophile since I went to Paris lately. I have a coworker here who shares my passion for period drama and cute Brits ahah, so it’s always fun to fangirl w/ her. Oh how fun it’ll be when we meet! Our poor hubbies would be left scratching their heads, ahah.
It’s always nice to find someone with similar interests that’s so rare! Oh yes do you like French films? That may help nudge you more in that direction.
I haven’t watched too many French films but I do like some of them. Which ones do you recommend girl?
In my happiness of seeing Marie A forgot to say thank you for the shout out!!!
The pleasure is all mine, dahling! 😀