Rendering №11

The article “Great Gatsby film is cue for elegance in tough times” was published on March 16, 2013 in “The Guardian”. It discusses that remake of The Great Gatsby takes the prestigious opening slot at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in May, style-watchers are predicting a visual feast that will turn many back on to the 1920s. The author Karen Kay mentions that every few years, a film comes along that proves to be a source of sartorial inspiration: from Audrey Hepburn's gamine princess in Roman Holiday and Diane Keaton's androgynous style in Annie Hall, to the colonial style that swept the catwalks in the mid-80s, heavily influenced by Karen Blixen's cinematic safari in Out of Africa. It is clear that anticipation of the sixth film adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's novel has meant Art Deco style has already been filtering into our consciousness as designers and retailers anticipate audiences eager to mimic the opulent elegance of the "Roaring Twenties". The correspondent tells that those who envisage themselves as true Gatsby girls will be able to adorn themselves with accessories such as sequinned headbands, strings of pearls and satin elbow-length gloves.

It is an open secret that jewellers are reporting renewed interest in pearls, while Mary Jane shoes, and cocoon-shaped coats are being interpreted for contemporary customers. The UK's leading specialist fashion auctioneer, Kerry Taylor, is witnessing increasing demand for vintage pieces from the era, especially in the US where wealthy socialites are snapping up original designs to wear at cocktail parties. Using a similar approach to juxtapose contemporary style with period authenticity, Luhrmann's wife and collaborator, Catherine Martin, enlisted the help of Miuccia Prada to dress the film's leading lady, Carey Mulligan, as Daisy Buchanan, reprising a role made famous by Mia Farrow in Jack Clayton's 1974 film with Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby, now played by Leonardo DiCaprio. It is pointed out that Costume designer Theoni Aldredge won an Oscar four decades ago for her work with the then little-known designer Ralph Lauren, creating a much-admired wardrobe for Redford as the elegant millionaire. Despite middling reviews, the 1974 film was a financial success.

The author concludes the article telling that we have several big Jazz Age auctions around the film's release which will include ceramics, Lalique glassware, and furnishings of the kind you'd see in Jay Gatsby's home. She mentions that she has rarely seen such a fine realisation of the Art Deco style that so typified the affluent world of The Great Gatsby. As for me, I think this interpretation of the book will be really good though because of the costumes, decorations and accessories which are used. Great Gatsby helps to return old fashion and forces people to buy things used there.

Rendering №10

The article “Golden Eagle 2013: Who Got the Main Russian Cinema Award” was published on January 26, 2013 on Woman.ru. It discusses the ceremony and its winners, among which were Danila Kozlovskiy, Anna Mikhalkova, Irina Rozanova, Sergey Makovetsky and others. Nino Takaishvili points out that the first pavilion of “Mosfilm” studio welcomed the guests of The Golden Eagle Award for the 11th time. Popular actors and actresses gave interviews, had photograph taken and looked forward to the winners. It is interesting that the pregnant actress Anna Snatkina and her husband Victor Vasiliev were chosen as the presenters and it was a big surprise. The author mentions about the interesting feature of the ceremony when the unusual pictures presentation was shown to the audience. Speaking about it, the organizers could make the presentation enough funny and touching.

It is an open secret that The Best Man’s Role on the Television went to Sergei Makovetsky, who performed in the series “The Case of Gastronome №1”. The Best Actress took Anna Mikhalkova for the role in “Love with an Accen”, thus she could be in advance Roza Hairullina and Renata Litvinova. The Best Supporting Actress went to Viktoria Tolstoganova, who played in “Spy”. The actress did not expect to receive the prize and was surprised and happy when it happened but had no words.  Analyzing the prizes, “The Horde” took more statuettes than other films; however, Karen Shakhnazarov’s “The White tiger” got the main prize, left behind Roman Prygunov’s “Soulless”, by Andrew Proshkin’s “The Horde”, by Alexey Adrianov’s “The Spy” and Pyotr Buslov’s “Vysotsky. Thank You for Being Alive”.

In conclusion the reporter points out the winners of the different nomination, among which the Best Picture(“White Tiger”), the Best TV movie(“The White Guard”), the Best TV Series (“Zhukov”), the Best Director (Andrey Proshkin), the Best Actor (Danila Kozlovsky), the Actress (Anna Mikhalkova), the Best Animated Film (“Bach”), the Best Costume Design (Natalia Ivanova), the Best Original Music (Yuri Poteenko), the Best Foreign Film (“The Artists”), the  Best Animated Film (“Bach”), and others. As for me, I think that it is very important to point out the best of the bests to attractive audience to films with them. In my opinion, our cinematography is growing and developing and I hope that in future Russian films will be better even in Hollywood.     

Rendering №9

The article “Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival 2013 is finished” was published on January 23, 2013 on “http://www.altcine.com”. It discusses the closing ceremony of the Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival 2013, which began with a performance by the Kopaonik Cultural and Artistic Society from Leposavic, whose stage performance, folk costumes, and combination of song and dance thrilled the audience that greeted them with a big applause. The reporter mentions that as a special surprise of the night of the Kustendorf closing ceremony, Russian artist and director Boris Kazakov’s short animated movie, Koly (Stakes), was screened. It necessary to point out that the jury members consist of Israeli author and actress Alona Kimhi, Serbian media and film theorist and TV director Oleg Jeknić, and American producer, production director and assistant director Michael Hausman. Svetolik Mića Zajc expresses that cinematography is the most visible part of the film is cinematography. Storytelling by picture is a base of film that can improve and enforce emotions and support general idea.  The author makes clear that among the movies in the Competition Programme, the most prominent work was done by Carlos Correa in the Mexican movie Don Sabas, who is the recipient of the Vilko Filac Award for Best Cinematography for 2013.

 It is necessary to mention that the official part of the programme began with the presentation of specially designed diplomas that, as a memento from their time at Kustendorf, were given to all the student participants in the Competition Programme.President of the jury, Alona Kimhi explains that they have been paying attention to three major values: authenticity, originality and creativity. It is an open secret that the movies they have chosen best met these goals as well as high technical level, the personal style of the filmmaker and the maturity of their stories. Moreover, the films they have chosen are solidly structured, emotionally rich and well produced. It is interesting that the winner of the festival Jan Czarlewski, thanked the jury, organizers of the festival, and people, not hiding his excitement adding that this was an incredible weekend and that he is speechless. The Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival 2013 was closed by its founder, Emir Kusturica, who said that he hopes that everyone will fight for compromise between auteur and commercial film again at the same time next time.

 In conclusion the author opens that the festival awards – the Golden, Silver, and Bronze eggs – were done by painter Bisenije Terschenko, while the Vilko Filac Award and the diplomas were done by Radenka Jungic and Radinost R from Banja Luka. Unfortunately, I had no chance to watch this festival but according to the article I think it was a great performance. Every year there are lot of festivals which define worthy and talented directors, operators and actors and Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival is not an exception.

Review №3

Ed Wood (1994)

Cast: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Patricia Arquette, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeffrey Jones, Lisa Marie, Bill Murray

Director: Tim Burton

Synopsys: The ambitious and optimistic unsuccessful director Edward Wood Jr. tries to get into Hollywood with the production of absolutely untalented and bad-made films. His wife breaks with him, producers rejects his ideas and even the appearance of the famous actor Bela Lugosi in his works does not bring any good reviews.  

Review

The film took place in 1952 in Hollywood, the famous film factory where any newcomer director or actor dreamed to work. The main character Ed Wood had a strong desire to become a great director but the films he produced were worthless and botched. Ed had never remade any of the scenes thinking they were good enough for a movie: broken decorations, lack of light, bad actors or screenplays did not stop him to continue his shooting. He had some attempts to make something interesting with the help of the producers but failed time after time. Searching for a new contract he met the famous-in-past actor Bela Lugosi, who became an old drug addict who stopped his career and got in depression. They needed each other because Wood could give him a new role and Bela could promote Ed’s films because of his fame. However specific relation of Ed Wood to cinema could give him a chance to be a star. Though may be he just had no talent…

The story is simple and complicated at the same time. A man wanted to produce interesting, remarkable and popular films, he searched for projects and dreamed to involve his talent in them. The difficulty was that he had no special characteristics to, he had never heard advice and he considered his movies to be great but they were not.

The performance of the actors here is really great because they could convey that atmosphere. Johnny Depp, frankly speaking one of my favorite actors, made his work genially as usual and demonstrated such interesting person as Ed Wood from his positive and interesting side. His movements and facial gesture are terrific in his each film. Martin Landau and his Bela Lugosi impressed me (not only me but a lot of people because he got an Oscar for that role) because of his similarity with real Mr. Lugosi and conveying of loneliness and despair of his character. The other actor performing here helped Tim Burton created such good film.

As for the direction, here the young Burton is presented. I would never think that it made Tim because this film rather differs from what I expect to see by his production. Without Helena, fabulous, fantastic screenplays and special effects it is difficult to define him. Despite unusual genre for him, he coped with the job.  

The biographical background of the film forced me to find information about Edward Wood Jr. and what I saw in the movie was the reality of Wood’s life. Tim Burton cut off some details, made Ed more optimistic than he had been but all in all I consider Ed Wood to be a good biographical film about the worst director ever.