Sunday, January 05, 2014

lunch with Welles and Dallas Buyers

Finishing up this book of conversations between welles and Henry jaglom, and its been a bumpy ride for me. I've always considered Welles to be one of the great filmmakers, but he comes across as a nasty piece of work, putting down some of my favorites including Sam Fuller, Hitchcock (which I consider unforgivable) and calls Vertigo and Rear Window terrible movies, I had to laugh at that one. Jaglom the hack joins in and who he thinks he is to even talk about Hitchcock in a bad light is beyond me. Welles also pounces on Michael Powell, Ingrid Bergman, Bogart, Ford (he hated the Searches) and many many others too numerous to mention. Ultimately this is a sad book, and Welles died soon after the last conversation was recorded. Still it is a record of a great artist warts and all.

I went to the Moma today because they were showing Dallas Buyers Club, and since I have one of those adorable artist membership cards I got to see it for free. It's a strong Hollywood feel bad feel good movie, a laugh here, a tear there and it does tell a story worth telling, even though it can and has been accused of being over sentimental and full of stereotypes, and ugly deeply prejudiced flawed people with some easy black and white villains. It does have the right to boast because of those two really strong performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto who will no doubt get the supporting Oscar for his role, McConaughey will have to make do with a nomination, which no doubt the Oscars will consider enough reward for an actor who just a few years ago was considered a joke. I also took in the very uneven and unnecessary Ileana Sonnabend tribute show, not because I really wanted to, but I had time to kill before the movie. There are a few good pieces in the early part of the show, but it goes downhill with the more "recent" works. The streets along 5th avenue were very slippery and there was a sadness about what with the wet and gray weather, and the sad still hanging droopy Christmas decorations, and most of the tourists were gone but alas only from the streets, as they have now taken up residence in the Moma. I love this fucking city.


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