Guest of Cindy Sherman

I loved this movie. Very film festival type one. It is the story of Cindy Sherman's boyfriend - Paul HO. He was a public tv producer of a show called Art Beat. It was an unprofessional and fairly irreverent look at the arts scene in NY. They just turned up and took footage and passed comments. He eventually interviewed Cindy and the spark was there. It includes some wonderful footage. He eventually moves in with Cindy Sherman and becomes part of the juggernaut of her success. She actually came across as a very grounded person and showcased some of her amazing works. Her ability to transform herself is stunning. Anyway he really didn't like being second fiddle and hence the title when invited to a function his name card says Guest of Cindy Sherman. He interviews some other second fiddles such as Molly Ringwald's partner and Elton John's husband to get other peoples experience. It is a very raw film. Nothing glossy but just fun to watch. He is one of those people that is always "gunna" do this or "gunna" do that. There is an absolute litany of names names names in it.

Citizen Havel

This movies assumes you know his background of him being the dissident and playwright and misses many key moments in the Presidency of Havel. It does however give you insight into the daily workings of the machinations of the Czech Republic. It takes up from when the split from Slovania happened. There were some editing issues. The wife died and the only lead up to it was seeing her coffin followed incredibly closely by his new wife. You get to hear the stage managing of comments and his minions running around. I found it a great springboard to read his Wikipedia entry and filled in the missing gaps for me. It has that "Eastern European" cloddishness to it however I did enjoy this movie (...but then again after standing in Wenchelas Square during the velvet revolution in '89...I have a special spot for Prague).

Valentino

This is the story of Valentino and his constant companion of 40 plus years Giancarlo Giammetti. It goes through his heady life. The chateau outside Paris, the villa in Italy and the luxury cruise ship. His pampered dogs get their fare share of the limelight. Pampered pugs. It was a veritable who's who of clients. Lots of air kisses. Little glimses of the real person were included. His temperamental self. His perfection. His minions jumping to his every command. All the while intense pressure is mounting on when he would retire. The company had gone public and there were shareholders to be accountable to. The crescendo comes in the form of his 45 anniversary celebrations held in various locations in Rome including a fireworks outside the colliseum and a retrospective in a gallery. A wild romp into a rarefied world.

An Englishman in NY

This is the story of Quentin Crisp from when he moved to NY portrayed by John Hurt. It goes through how he became the darling of the media for his pithy remarks until he overstepped the mark with a flippant comment about how AIDS was just something fashionable. He was villified for it. It goes through some of his comments such as the dust doesn't get any worse after 4 years and showing him in his cold water flat in the lower East Side. He had money it was just that he found you could live on peanuts and champagne at the various events he attended. He was ressurected by Penny Arcade and they worked together. He eventually got more gigs touring around the country with his "an evening with Quentin Crisp" tour. He didn't believe in love. He had such a contrary view to most that it was inevitable he would come to some impasse. The film made some lame attempt to show he did care with his friend finding out he was donating money to AIDS research. I had to laugh as they had him ensconsed in some classic style diner. In actual fact the place he used to hang out was a dive in the East Village with pink neon lights. He used to set himself up in the front window to allow people to come along and pay to speak with him. He lived on his wit and racconteur. A truly unique individual.

Tea with Madame Clos

This is an incredibly gentle movie. It follows the life of Madame Clos, a 97 year old lady living in the south of France. It shows the simplicity of Madame Clos's life - her walking to the lower village, her making soup, her housekeeper who she has had for 40 years and her at the kitchen window which looked out over a square handing out Vichy mints to the children. There is a point early on where she says she has had a good life and you expect some revelation. There is none. Hate to spoil that much for you. We do get to hear some anecdotes and see some family photos but there is no probing or delving. There is an honesty about it but at the same time a voyeuristic quality about it which I found a bit disturbing. The filmmaker Jane Oehr spoke after the movie. She has a villa in the region which she spends three months of the year. She worked in the BBC documentary section years ago. She could have extracted more but, I supppose, should she? What she did capture was the rustic unostentatious life of this woman. On a personal level I enjoyed the glimpse into this womans life but still not sure whether I completely agree with it. For a movie about not much it did leave me asking questions so credit where credit is due. Strangely alluring.

With Gilbert and George

Art for all. That is their motto – albeit even if they are sure that they get their slice. I was enthralled by this movie. To actually see how they live. To hear them talk and finish each others sentences. To seem them sing “underneath the arches” as an installation piece. To see their work evolve. To see them compliment one another. To see the house in which they live. All this kept me entertained.

When they first bought the house in east London they didn’t furnish it and people said it was wonderful. They then proceeded to go out and fill it full of treasures to the point where it is bulging at the seams. This is their contradiction. If people say to do something they are more than likely to do the opposite.

They have managed to keep their finger on the pulse. The concepts for their exhibitions have kept abreast. You wonder how long they can keep being avante guarde but good luck to them. Long may it last. True eccentrics.

Larry Flynt; The Right to be left alone

This movie is impressive. Love or loath him you can’t help but admire his commitment to freedom of speech.. This allows him to put his point of view. Of course he has made a lot of money out of his pornography and the backdrop is pretty squalid. But he has also put himself on the line too to fight in what he believes. It was sad to see his wife wither away with her drug habit but I really enjoyed this movie