In addition to failing to update my site, I’m also way behind on the movies this summer. I haven’t seen any of the big blockbusters and don’t think I will, but I did do some catching up at the art houses recently.
As light and sensual mid-summer fare, I highly recommend Pawel Pawlikowski’s My Summer of Love. I guarantee we will be seeing more of the film’s incredible leads; Nathalie Press recalls a combination of Sissy Spacek and Toni Collete in their youth and Emily Blunt is an arresting, devastatingly beautiful presence. The wonderful score was put together by Alison Goldfrapp. (new album - Supernature - out in Europe late August!) The audience knows pretty much where the plot is going to go from the start – we’ve all seen this story told before – but it is presented in such a captivating way that the ride is well worth it.

I sorta felt the same way about the latest offering from François Ozon to reach the US, 5 X 2. In fact, the film shares many similarities with Gaspard Noé's recent Irreversible, in its reverse structure, poignant portrait of a relationship, as well as a certain unspeakable act of violation. As with My Summer of Love, the romantic leads are magnetic, in particular the wonderful Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi (sister of Carla Bruni!), who brings to mind both Virginia Madsen and Patricia Arquette. I’ve seen all of Ozon’s films, including his early shorts, and given the speed in which he puts his films out, and range of his subject matter, and certain slightness of story that marks his productions, I get the feeling he just makes whatever he feels like without really thinking about it too much. That said, 5 X 2, is perhaps his most mature work.

The same could be said for Gregg Araki’s Mysterious Skin. The director has grown up quite a bit since his annoying enfant-terrible days and the film is quite affecting. Third Rock’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt is excellent and quite a revelation in this piece! I can’t really say I enjoyed the film though because I think a child molester was sitting right in front of me – he seemed to be really getting off during certain scenes and was quite obstrusive throughout his various ticks– and I was disturbed and had finally find another seat! Creepy.

Good news! The Best of Youth is coming back to DC for a limited two week engagement at Landmark E Street downtown. Check the site for the rather tricky showtimes – for some odd reason they are running more screenings of part one than part two – one mustn’t miss any of this production! I have been telling almost everyone I meet to see La Meglio Gioventu – in fact, I think I convinced my old school Italian barber to take his wife and family to it today while getting a trim!