Children's Books

With Where The Wild Things Are (which I reviewed here) and The Fantastic Mr Fox, these past few months have brought us true gems when it comes to adaptation of children's books - or rather, masterpieces aimed primarily at children. The likes of Roald Dahl, my absolute favorite writer when I was a kid, and Maurice Sendak, are true magicians, true artists who do not pale in comparison with the greatest writers.
Right now, I am reading a recent scholarly volume, Children's Literature - A Reader's History From Aesop To Harry Potter, by the respected University of California professor Seth Lerer. In this fascinating study, Lerer pays tribute to extraordinary authors such as Lewis Carroll and Dr Seuss, and makes you yearn to rediscover those eye-opening classics. My only regret is that there are not more illustrations (the few we are treated to, such as the one below, are really great) and that none is in color; it seems to me that the imaginary universe of many authors has been enhanced by illustrators (I would hate to read Roald Dahl without Quentin Blake's sharp drawings), or in cases such as Sendak's, are an intrinsic part of the book.
The books that illuminated my childhood were, among others: the Noddy series by Enid Blyton, which got me hooked on reading, Odette Joyeux's La Porte Ouverte, chronicling the live of a little girl learning ballet at the Opéra de Paris, anything by Roald Dahl and later anything by Judy Blume, the Nancy Drew novels, Martine Petit Rat de l'Opéra (which I blogged about here), Kessel's Afghan tale Les Cavaliers, Pipi Longstocking, and more.

Christmas present tip: a beautiful copy of a classic children's book is always an enchanting present...

Around "Where The Wild Things Are"

On my way to see Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are, based on the classic by Maurice Sendak, I stopped by a bookstore, where a Wild Things display attracted my attention - it featured not only the original book, and its novel-version by David Eggers, the film's screenwriters, but also books about the movie, dolls and more. I bought a superb coffee-table type volume,The Art Of Maurice Sendak; I discovered the master a few years ago, when he was profiled in The New Yorker, and fell in love with his work.
As for the movie, it's poignant yet tender and funny. The use of natural light reminded me sometimes of the luscious masters of the Renaissance, sometimes of Edward Hopper's icy canvases. Little Max confronts his personal demons, his wild things, through a journey that can only echo in all of us.

To celebrate the release of the film, Vice has asked 24 visual artists from all over the world to give their own take on this work; I got my hands on a copy of the resulting little book, which you can also download here.
I especially like the black and white drawing of Tony Millionaire (left), with its sharp angles and sea beasts straight out of a medieval manuscript, as well as the futuristic, urban and edgy illustration by Ray Sohn (below). The dreamy, textured, almost naive work of Ester Pearl Watson contrasts beautifully with Imiri Sakabashira's sleek, sophisticated Japanese bestiary...

At The Movies

Above: the movie I'm eagerly waiting for.
Below: the movie I saw and loved yesterday.

Like the New York Times's reviewer, I found parallels between Coco Before Chanel and Bright Star - maybe their unhurried lyricism, their sensuous focus on sensations such as the touch of a fabric, and a divine photography.
Sassy, quick-witted and independent, the young Gabrielle is the kind of woman I want to be.
Her taste for strict lines and a severe style blending masculine and feminine elements made me want to go back to some items in my closet such as the old, white linen man's shirt I bought at a flea market in France and wear as a dress.

"Any art is essentially a prayer" (Joseph Brodsky)

I am continuing my exploration of Russia through books... I loved Solomon Volkov's extraordinary Saint-Petersburg: A Cultural History, which brings to life many of my heroes such as Dmitri Shostakovich, the dancers of the Marinsky, and Gogol. Volkov also discusses great authors who are little known in the West, such as Mikhail Zoschenko, whose Galosh And Other Stories, with its graphic Soviet-style cover, is poised between the tragi-comedies of Gogol and Bulgakov; it's one of the funniest, most biting and simply best collection of stories I ever read.
Volkov also focuses on one of my favorite poets and freedom icons, Joseph Brodsky - with whom he discusses Russia, poetry, prison and much more in Conversations With Joseph Brodsky. Humorous, heart-wrenching (Brodsky's prison and mental hospital memories) and scholarly, this book is something of a precious encyclopedia.

This fall, I am awaiting two movies with trepidation, and it so happens both have to do with books. Of course, there is the universally anticipated Where The Wild Things Are (do watch the trailer!), based on Maurice Sendak's masterpiece of children literature. But there's also Bright Star (watch the beautiful trailer here). Directed by Jane Campion, who broke my heart with her early features Sweetie and An Angel At My Table, it tells an episode in the life of Keats. And as AUREA regulars know, I am a poetry lover, a verse muncher, a beast of poems.
Magically, I scored an invitation to a preview screening - held up thanks to my Gaynor Minden magnets, the invitation graces my fridge. Tomorrow is the day.
And until then, let's read a passage from Keats's Last Sonnet, which starts with the words "Bright Star!":

The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors:—

Benjy Comes Clean!

Rumors have been circulating about Benjy, the black dachshund knight... Finally, he comes clean and dispels the lies in the headlines.

MYTH Benjy moved to Los Angeles lured by film studios that promised him he would conquer Hollywood!!!
FACT Benjy decided to settle in Malibu because he needs the ocean nearby - it's good for his meditation, as he is working on an upcoming book.

MYTH Desperate to find a soccer partner as talented and skilled as he is, a bored David Beckham asked Benjy to join him in Los Angeles!!!
FACT Benjy did bring some soccer balls to his new abode, but it's strictly to have fun on the beach.

MYTH Benjy is going to run for governor of California!!!
FACT Though he is a natural leader of the pack, Benjy prizes his independence too much to run for office.


Bonus Benjy-approved Videos:
An animated, modern version of The Little Red Riding Hood, by Swedish designer Thomas Nilsson...
The trailer of Where The Wild Things Are, based on Maurice Sendak's treasure of a book for kids, directed by Spike Jonze...

Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak, Happy New Year!
On the first day of spring, Iranians around the world celebrate the Norouz festival, their new year. Last year, my Norouz post focused on my experience in Iran, where I lived as a baby, in the late 1970's; this country has remained very dear to my heart ever since.
This year however I'd like to focus on the future. As President Obama just reached out to Iran via a video message, I am elated to think today may be the dawn of a new era...

More on Iran...
Listen to a hilarious interview of the American-Iranian comedian Maz Jobrani, on NPR...
Watch Majid Majidi's new film, The Song of Sparrows, a lyrical comedy focusing on a lively and moving family, that I just loved (to be released in New York April 3, in Los Angeles April 10)(trailer here)...
Read Reza Aslan's How To Win A Cosmic War, out April 21 - I'll talk about it on this blog again soon...

Taschen Books

Who doesn't like Taschen's beautiful art books? They were having a major sale at their Beverly Drive boutique last week and I couldn't resist three volumes.
I chose a book about the divine Audrey Hepburn. It is little known that she got her big break when spotted by my favorite French writer, Colette, who was then looking for a girl to be her Gigi onscreen. I love the picture of a lithe, childlike Audrey curled up against theatrical Colette reading her own sublime prose.
I also went for the Dürer and Caravaggio monographies.

There are very few works of art that brought spontaneous tears of emotion into my eyes the first time I saw them. One was Praxiteles's Aphrodite of Cnidus, another was Mantegna's "Agony in the Garden", and the last one was Caravaggio's "Taking of Christ" - sadly and oddly not featured in the Taschen book.
Caravaggio is indeed one of my favorite painters. He is so supremely human; his depiction of the flesh, his focus on expressive hands and the eyes of his characters all reflect emotions at their utmost degree. Hallowed and voluptuous.

The Birds

Blame it on good old Hitchcock - ever since I watched his fabulous thriller The Birds, I have never felt comfortable around those winged creatures. Seriously, does anyone know of birds spontaneously attacking humans, ever?

Click here to read a fascinating article about a unique bird hospital in India.

Sunday, this blog turns 1 year old, so stay tuned for a special multipost birthday celebration...

Revolutionary Road World Premiere

A couple of days ago, my friend Melinda invited me to attend the world premiere of Sam Mendes's new film starring Kate Winslet and Leo di Caprio, Revolutionary Road, based on the novel by Richard Yates. I wore my Nina Ricci beige jacket with black pants, a delicate, shimmering seashell bracelet and MAC's Russian Red lipstick... It was nice to look good when I literally bumped into di Caprio in the lobby, as we reached for the same bag of popcorn - oops.
No movie had reached such a very intimate, personal place inside me since The Hours. More than a story about the hysteria brewing under suburbia's spick-and-span inertia, it is also a love story that takes you to the edge of madness, as the two characters are torn between a desire to take risks and live life at its most intense (Winslet) or to make do with what opportunities and soothing routines the life of a 1950's fedora-clad employee may bring (di Caprio). The emotions are raw, the dialogue is haunting.

If you want to read more about glamorous events and film, check out my coverage of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
Or see pictures of Winslet and di Caprio at the premiere here.

Cannes Film Festival - Thursday

I walked the red carpet one last time on Thursday, in my black crepe Martin Margiela dress.

Director Atom Egoyan's new film, Adoration, is competing in Cannes. It was received tepidly by the audience, and while I found the beginning way too chatty, the second half of the film moved me deeply. Unexpected twists unfold towards the end, leaving the spectator stunned.

Egoyan was accompanied by his leading lady, the radiant and moving Rachel Blanchard.
She plays a violinist, and the music that was composed for her character to play is just beautiful and haunting.

Cannes Film Festival - Wednesday

On Wednesday night, Steven Soderbergh presented his hagiographic, chatty and didactic feature, Che. The Palais des Festivals was packed, and fans crowded the area around the red carpet to get a glimpse of Benicio Del Toro...
I wore a vintage, handmade lace top over my black pencil skirt,with my chunky burgundy Céline heels.

In addition to the film's team, attending the screening were Mike Tyson, the super pretty Natalie Portman, Puff Daddy in a white tux, producer Harry Weinstein as well as the great director Emir Kusturica, a long-time Cannes favorite. He's the coolest guy!
Soderbergh's much anticpated. endless two-part film, totaling 4 hr and 28 mn, combines endless political speeches (such as the Che's interventions at the United Nations) that can only be of interest to ideology lovers, with endless ambush sequences that can only be of interest to those looking for a step-by-step guerrilla manual.
In all fairness, while I was very bored, I have to add that the audience cheered and applauded film enthusiastically. I did find that some shots, such as a bright yellow wall in Santa Clara, a white horse seen through branches or the muted colors of the Bolivian hills, strikingly gorgeous.

Benicio Del Toro is, as always, extraordinary and a likely winner for the Prix d'Interprétation masculine (Best Actor); I was disappointed, though, he didn't seem to strive for an Argentine accent, so I went up to him to ask him (en español, of course) if he had taken lessons to sound Argentine; he was smiling, kind, and sweetly told me he hadn't tried to emulate the Che's typical accent. (Sigh)

Cannes Film Festival - Tuesday

Tuesday was a fabulous days, with a champagne lunch lunch by the beach in the sun; I had only one glass of bubbly and my first cherries this year.
Later, on my way to the red carpet and the 7.30 p.m. screening, I snapped this picture of myself, wearing a vintage Japanese kimono. I went for MAC's Russian Red lipstick rather than the smoky eye look, and an otherwise completely bare face...

Clint Eastwood's L'échange is a harrowing film, cinematographically gorgeous, served by a beyond poignant Angelina Jolie, who plays a mother looking for her missing child. It's also extremely violent, with graphic scenes (think: little kids whacked with an ax) that I couldn't bear, but still, I would give it own personal Palme d'Or (with a special award for Üç Maymun, by Nuri Bilge Ceylan).
Who was there? Just steps away from me were beautiful Sharon Stone in a low, flowing summer dress, Tim Robbins, Nick Nolte, Dita von Teese (who was walking right ahead of me, hence this photo) in a green gown reminiscent of a Far West prostitute from a saloon (yeah, I really don't like her...) , French actresses like Juile Gayet and Judith Godrèche, as well as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt...
On the picture above, you can spot Clint Eastwood's white head, towering above the rest of the crowd, as a frantically enthusiastic audience gives him an endless standing ovation.

Check in this afternoon to win a special Cannes surprise!...

Cannes Film Festival - Monday

James Gray has been one of my favorite directors since Little Odessa in the early 1990's, and his last feature, We Own The Night, was beyond poignant. So I was thrilled to attend the premiere of his new film, Two Lovers; judging by the applause Gray received, so was everyone at the Palais des Festivals, including Sean Penn and Puff Daddy, who both showed up for the screening. Gray, visibly moved, arrived with both his leading ladies, Vinessa Shaw and Gwyneth Paltrow, the latter escorted by a friend, fashion designer Valentino. They all sat just a couple of rows ahead of me... how thrilling!

I walked the red carpet in a black Joseph pencil skirt, a beige Nina Ricci cropped jacket and a small, black vintage hat with a veil... I'm holding a small vintage Bottega Veneta bag - my only actual handbag!

Make sure to visit this blog again later today - I have surprises in store for you!

Cannes Film Festival - Sunday

Film directors Claude Lelouch, Michael Moore and Mathieu Kassovitz, actors Natalie Portman, Dean Cain, Goldie Hawn, Christian Slater and a fabulous Salma Hayek, with exquisite braids wrapped around her head, joined little moi on the red carpet tonight. We watched the world première of Indiana Jones's fourth and final (?) episode, The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, presented by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Harrison Ford (with wife Calista Flockhart), as well as Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen and Shia LaBeouf.
I was sitting just a few rows behind the dream team... I wore a Masaki Matsushima silk dress, with burgundy Céline high heels. Make-up: Chanel black eye pencil and Diorshow mascara, that's it!

I have been a fan of Indiana Jones for as long as I can remember. In Raiders of the Last Ark, which I saw as a little girl, I loved the character of that tough and fierce woman, Marion, who returns in this episode in a much blander part. The film is full of surprises, both in terms of the characters and visually, with spectacular chase and fight scenes.
But what came over Spielberg when he decided to go X-Files on us? Without revealing too much about the plot, I'll just say that the film is complete with bulgy-skulled aliens, references to Roswell and, yes a flying saucer; really. And did I mention the passages into different time-space dimensions? Faking a Russian accent, Cate Blanchett is the fencing (yes, fencing) evil communist who's researching paranormal activities; really. As much as I wanted to love this film, I couldn't. Sigh.
The film, however, was enthusiastically cheered by the audience.

Cannes Film Festival - Saturday

What are Woody Allen, U2's Bono, legendary actress Jeanne Moreau, Penélope Cruz, Harry Weinstein as well as a strings of French actresses including Chiara Mastroianni, Elsa Zylbserstein, Michèle Laroque and the lovely Marina Hands, doing in the same room, sitting just a few rows away from me?

Well, it's a screening room, in the Palais des Festivals, where all have gathered to watch Allen's new opus, Vicky Cristina Barcelona - unfortunately, apart from a sublime Cruz and a shy Rebecca Hall, the film's other stars, namely Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem are not around. As Woody Allen walks the red carpet up the Palais's famous steps (les marches), the rain started pouring as if on cue and he looked like ha was acting in one of his own movies: he looks miserable, shrinks in his tux and sighs. Then he offers us a feature that's like a piece of candy, lovable, sweet, delicious, and familiar. As a raging wife, Cruz is actually hilarious, while a goofy Johansson also makes us laugh....
I fell for the classical Spanish guitar in the soundtrack - check it out.
This was one of the festival's most buzz-worthy night, and crowds of people who had invitations were left at the door. I was tremendously spoilt, as my amoureux let me go instead of him; he wasn't there to take pictures of my outfit - I wore an ancient cream-and-black lace top that my grandmother used to wear...
But girls walking the red carpet without a guy could be a trend: Elsa Zylberstein was dateless, while Chiara Mastroianni showed up hand in hand with two girlfriends.

Cannes Film Festival - Papparazza 1

The restaurant of the Plage Orange, a seaside hangout run by phone company and film production unit Orange, is the place to be seen...
Today Luc Besson, the cult director, whose Leon (English title: The Professional) and The Fifth Element were worldwide hits, was having a steak lunch there. So was the gorgeous French actress Alice Taglioni, whom you may have seen in the recent comedy La doublure (English title: The Valet)...

Cannes Film Festival - Friday

Cannes at last!
For my first red carpet this year, I wore my long black crepe Martin Margiela dress with a light silk Christian Dior cape... and a smile, adorned by MAC's Russian Red glamour.

We saw Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Üç Maymun (English title: Three Monkeys), a poignant film I can only describe as a psychological thriller. With his talent for framing, composition and colors, I want to imagine Ceylan was a painter in a previous life; some stills from the film are worthy of a magical visual artist's best work.
The actors are all extraordinary, but I was especially moved by the expressive and supremely beautiful Halice Aslan, the only woman in the movie.
On our way back to the hotel, on the Croisette, we ran into two of the film's leading actors, whom we were happy to congratulate. And after a glass of red wine at the very chic bar of the Hôtel Martinez, I came back to our room to make sure you, dear readers, would be updated promptly on Cannes...