Out of the 50-odd 2011 releases I’ve seen, these five films have made my year. A Separation and Senna are probably the two I’d put at the very top of the list, having responded quite strongly to them emotionally, while the other three are more aesthetic choices.
Bleak and austere, beautiful and hypnotic, there’s very little dialogue but plenty of stunning shots & some great acting (Michelle Williams really shines in this and Bruce Greenwood is unrecognizable). This is definitely going to be on my Best-of-2011 list. About the polarizing ending: the last shot is exactly what I had imagined the film would end with.
Full-blown intrigue and romanticism, women at their most delicate fainting right left and center, some awesome tracking shots and camera angles, tons of characters, locations, languages, sub-plots, costumes, and some seriously grandiose interiors. And all that over 4.5 hours.
Mysteries of Lisbon plunges us into a veritable whirlwind of adventures and escapades, coincidences and revelations, sentiments and violent passions, vengeance, love affairs, all wrapped in a rhapsodic voyage that takes us from Portugal to France, Italy, and as far as Brazil.In this Lisbon of intrigue and hidden identities, we encounter a series of characters all somewhat linked to the destiny of Pedro da Silva, orphan in a boarding school. Father Dinis, a descendent of the aristocratic libertines, later becomes a hero who defends justice, a countess maddened by her jealousy and set on her vengeance, a prosperous businessman who had mysteriously made his fortune as a bloodthirsty pirate; these and many more all cross in a story set in the 19th century and all searching for the true identity of our main character.
Labyrinthine epic runs over 4 hours long, yet remains consistently engrossing. Unfolding like a great novel, MYSTERIES OF LISBON centers around a young boy growing up in an orphanage, whose quest to discover his true identity leads him through three decades and multitudes of people, who drift in and out of his life, each telling their own stories. A sprawling and grand literary feast of exotic characters and locales.
+ Superb set design (man-o-man, those interiors are seriously grandiose), full-blown intrigue, hard-core romanticism (women in this movie are so delicate that they don’t simply blush, they faint), some awesome tracking shots and camera angles, tons of characters, locations, languages, sub-plots, costumes. And all that over 4.5 hours.
Peter Lorre turning his back on grilled sardines and a glass of Douro, Lisbon, 10 June 2011
[Tip for the obnoxious traveler: when lunching out alone during peak time, make sure to grab a table for four, spread your shit out, order the cheapest thing on the menu and start surfing the net while sipping your wine very slowly.]
I’m working in Lisbon this week and it seems that all taxi drivers are in love with Fado music (or more to the point, with the lovely women who sing it).
Wikipedia:
Fado (Portuguese: destiny, fate) is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. In popular belief, fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. However, in reality fado is simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure. The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade which symbolizes the feeling of loss (a permanent, irreparable loss and its consequent life lasting damage). Amália Rodrigues, Carlos do Carmo, Mariza, Mafalda Arnauth, and Cristina Branco are amongst the most famous individuals associated with the genre.
[Fado-related moment: driving through sleepy Lisbon at sunrise with Fado music blasting from the taxi’s radio. Magical]
Grilled seabass & Cartuxa wine on the beach, somewhere just outside Lisbon. That lunch did not influence my decision to choose them as our printer. Not one bit. No sir.
I had an excellent and inexpensive Vidigal Douro at Bacchus Pub and Kitchen a couple of weeks ago. There’s a wine shop further down Hoxton Street that sells a Douro red for only £6 — great-value-for-money bargains are not easy to find in London, so that one is worth mentioning.
The elegant photography and the exquisite interiors enhance the old-fashioned style and the dreamlike mood of the film. I also like the extensive use of pillow shots throughout the piece.
A young accountant sees from his office window a beautiful blonde fanning herself in the apartment opposite; he falls in love instantly. He’s sentimental and determined, she’s sultry and enigmatic but turns out to have a “singularity”.
The film, set in today’s Lisbon, is based on a 19th century story by Portuguese novelist Eça de Queirós.
Oliveira is 101, and this delicate little gem is without a doubt the best film ever made by a 101 year-old person.
![Peter Lorre turning his back on grilled sardines and a glass of Douro, Lisbon, 10 June 2011[Tip for the obnoxious traveler: when lunching out alone during peak time, make sure to grab a table for four, spread your shit out, order the cheapest thing on the menu and start surfing the net while sipping your wine very slowly.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmmet1Kgpi1qzoziho1_1280.jpg)
