Love Crime - 誰看了？

（真係好刺激我神經）

受傷的孩子？

有人推介我看 Bertrand Tavernier 的 Des Enfants Gâtés （《受傷的孩子》）。

法國人拍婚外情，不會有道德包袱，也無須強調偷情的快感，一切來得自然又理所當然，在《受傷的孩子》裡還有社會運動作背景，那份真實感令人動容。縱使對白是那麼 cliche （都是你能想到的聽過的），但也許是為著 Michel Piccoli 老練滄桑的演繹，看到他與 Christine Pascal 分開，一副委屈的樣子，背後歌曲唱著，「然後我們都經歷了愛情，嚐過傷害的滋味，然後長大......」（大意），似一頭受傷的狼，在孤獨的城市找不到慰藉，狼也有受傷的時候－－我真有點感動。不過且慢－－刻劃　Christine Pascal　（其實我真不太頂得順她那一絲不苟的妝容！）跟有婦之夫交往的心態與反應，完全由男人的角度出發，太想當然根本缺乏深度，特別是她想繼續又想放手的矛盾，經過男人視角的過濾，被蕩滌為一時一樣、難以捉摸的女性魅力（ Thanks for the compliments though ）。最後一個鏡頭特寫她的淚光，但他不可能看到那一幕，所以還是一廂情願。我並不是不相信她會傷心，我只是接受不了男人必須要相信女人也傷心。

我也並不是不相信間中男人也會混淆愛情與消遣或色慾，但假如前提是有妻子，又不會離開她，甚至也還愛她，又憑甚麼說愛情和傷害？所以到尾還是男人的自憐與幻想。噢，然後男人會搖搖頭說，你哪懂？對，我不懂。

所以呢，我還是喜歡莎岡的 A Certain Smile ；或者，當然是盧馬的《午後之愛》。

不過我還是感謝這個推介。 I actually enjoyed watching it.

Some Updates on Films, Books...

Over the last 2 months I had been very busy with my job at the Brisbane International Film Festival. The new life here sort of changes my writing habit, or in fact all of my habits. I actually become very domestic, lazy and laid-back.

Some brief notes on the films I saw recently:

Somewhere. D: Sophia Coppola

I never liked her. Quite disgusted with Lost in Translation with her superficial and condescending attitude. I don't mind her as a filmmaker and indeed the films were well made, but isn't she a bit overrated?

To say that I did not enjoy Somewhere would be a lie. It is well made, a couple of nice moments even. Liked the zoom-out when father and daughter were lying together at the poolside - she is good at such kind of shots that depicts a decadent emptiness, another one I remember very well is the sunrise shot in Marie Antoinette. But isn't sophia's vision a bit too narrow? I wonder if she is able to look at human condition in a perspective that is beyond her bourgeois/materialistic mentality. Again I don't mind it as a film, but Golden Lion, are you kidding me? A famous actor's empty life, oh well, when we have, say, La Dolce Vita, do we need Somewhere?

Certified Copy. D: Abbas Kiarostami

Speaking of need. Here's a film we need.

Starts with a discussion on replicas (and authenticity, and originality, and creativity) and the man being cynical about the idea ends up replicating somebody's else life, and that's when he start thinking about it all over again...A Kiatostami version In the Mood for Love?

There are films that challenge us, surprise us, entice us, but this is a film that we need. It unravels the soul, intoxicates it, and then consoles it, at last perplexes it. A very to-the-point - ok if also cliched discussion of male/female dialects/sensibility, and then, also a look into life's bitter-sweetness. Oh you laugh, and feel sorrowful deep down. So true to life. The intellectual conversations are also reminiscent of the good old days Eric Rohmer. I am most satisfied when I walked out from the cinema.

Enter the Void. D: Gaspar Noe

Came out from the cinema feeling totally fucked up and depressed. But there certainly is a cathartic (and I daresay, calming) effect. You so have to watch it in a cinema, and to sink into it. A very good cinematic experience.

Welcome to the Rileys. D: Jake Scott

I am not ashamed to admit that I watched it for Kristen Stewart's sake. But also for Tony Soprano. I know it's cliche, but those who follow this blog would know this is the kind of film I will go to. James Gandolfini cute and sexy, KStewart laid-back as usual, funny combination.

- - -

Apart from the movies, I am reading Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. This all started with the conversation between me and Tim's friend who is a charming lecturer teaching Shakespeare and Creative Writing. At one point he was quoting an imagery Sylvia used in the book and I went to get it right away. Sylvia wrote this only novel a couple of months before she committed suicide in 1963. The novel, however, is a good laugh with a dark and odd sense of humour. Poor and lovely Sylvia.

Arabic Perfume

My new favourite: Arabic Perfume.

I had seen an empty bottle in Tim's best friend's place before and the scent was extremely special. I told her I love that scent in time - right before she set off to Palestine 3 weeks ago. And when she came back and she had a bottle for me! Made in Bahrain. Truly authentic. Please envy.



And oddly enough, this afternoon I found 上海蜂花香皂 for sale in China Town. AUD1.6 only...

BASIL 香皂

上回提到買了一塊羅馬香皂。今個星期開封，噢，非常的幼滑，可以媲美 l'occitane 沐浴液。於是前日再去買了一塊，今次買的是 cherry blssom ＋ basil 。 BASIL ！

洋人看日本戲

在大學講了一課黑澤明＋《羅生門》。大家知黑澤明不是我心頭好，交完功課打算播一段成瀨的《浮雲》作結， youtube 上竟然找不到任何片段－－也好，成瀨電影要整部看，未接觸過的觀眾，看一段也很難看得出甚麼。小津我一定會選《秋刀魚之味》的結尾（還要跟《晚春》一起看），但 TIM 已播了一節《東京物語》，那就播溝口《雨月物語》森雅之歸家那個經典長鏡頭啦。

播完溝口， TIM 用北野武《座頭市》結尾的歌舞送學生出門，我有點不以為然－－不要誤會，I think it's fun! 但無意思又不入流。不過那是他的課，他喜歡啦。

下課，有學生走來說《雨月物語》那個鏡頭跟《蜘蛛巢城》某場同出一轍（明顯是黑澤迷），我心裡一個大問號，其實我無印象，不過提醒他《雨月物語》比《蜘蛛巢城》早幾年。有兩個學生留下來問《座頭市》片名，《雨月物語》呢？無人問津。哈，洋學生。

又，介紹宮崎駿， TIM 說是《哈爾移動城堡》及《崕上的波兒》的導演，次次次等之作，不知宮崎駿是否近幾年才傳到澳洲？播的片段是《飛天紅豬俠》，差點教我吐血－－雖然我明，這可能是西洋人最易有共鳴的一部......

真是長嘆一聲啊。

下午茶

pesto on crackers

pesto 是意大利朋友的意大利 mama 用自家種的 basil 混 anchovies 做的。嘩，真是人間美食。