Reaching for the Moon

How come I never heard of this film?

It's so strange. 

So there's no such thing as the other lesbian film, with Consusison, 

because there's this one too.

Is there any  more films out there I can check out? And share?

Jamie Dornan, everyone

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAY. No no no no no.

When I heard of the possibility of Jamie Dornan for the role of that Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation I momentarily freaked out but then it passed. Now I'm officially screwed.

Jamie Dornan will be the new, I don't know, Grey? Which means a couple of things - my dear Jamie will become an international phenomenon, maybe even like Edward Cullen, Robert Pattinson, and I will die, but it also means I will have to read the book(s). I don't know about both, especially the latter. 

He is obviously a lesser known actor and I see this as a big risk for his acting career, but it's what actors do, they risk, every time.

For those of you unfamiliar with the name Jamie Dornan, you may rather know the face or even more the body better than the name, if you pay close attention, he's been working as a prominent model for the last few years. Search Calvin Klein on the internet and you'll get it.

Jamie grew up in Belfast, he's a skinny Irish fella, who actually wants to be an actor for a really long time, more than a model, especially more than being a model. When he was younger, he got himself in this show on TV for Models, so prepare yourselves, or rather Jamie, because someone will very likely find these old footage, but the thing is that he didn't went further, he wasn't even picked for further episodes. I remember him wearing his green hat though. But he still end up being a really successful model, posing with Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen and with a lot of famous photographers for all kinds of famous brands. 

He actually got to know a little bit about fame way earlier than most people do in the business, especially the paparazzi, as he was Keira Knightley's boyfriend for a couple of years. And for a while he couldn't get away from this, as he was referred as the former boyfriend of Keira Knightley, which will also be likely to come up these days.

Jamie is also a talented singer, he even released a CD with his old friend called Sons of Jim. I guess this will also be quite available from now on.

I think it took people a long time to take him serious as an actor, even though he had a couple of minor gigs, it really took him a hard time. If you saw the film Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola, you saw him as this handsome love affair of Kirsten Dunst. He also has another unknown film called Shadows in the Sun, which I haven't seen. In the short film Nice to meet you he plays a thief running from the cops and in the meantime I think he has a couple of lines in the whole thing. 

He arrived to the American crowd with the hit show Once Upon a Time, while at the same time he filmed a crime show with Gillian Anderson called The Fall. But while he entered and after six episodes he dies in Once Upon a Time, I guess with a great impression, it is with The Fall that he has the greater opportunity of his acting career as the co-protagonist of this great drama, with the most challenging role he ever had. Even though the show took a really long time to be released, it absolutely pays off. And it was such a hit that it was renewed for a second season.

He recently filmed in Belgium, for a film called Flying Home, and it will be released next year. He is also in another new series called New Worlds, for Channel 4.

Finally, I don't think fame scares him much. I think he knows very well the ins and outs of it as he lived through it for some time, but mostly because he's a very grounded man, down to earth and I guess the best you can get as a good person.

So to my dear Jamie Dornan, I've been following you since 2004, while lots of people never really heard of your name, I believe they are in for a tremendous treat.

Prepare yourselves for photos of him naked all the time. Sexism for all the eyes to see.

I will obviously support him through thick and thin, this is how it's said right?

Fuck you Abdellatif Kechiche, Fuck You

I hate to come to this, I don't take any pleasure in insulting people and calling them names and telling to go fuck themselves, and especially because it doesn't make any difference, it won't change anything but it just came out of my mouth. 

Abdellatif Kechiche is a real jerk - by saying he would take the actress Léa Seydoux to court.

Like Jagernauth suggested on IndieWire, it is only denial you can be based on if you can't see how clear his persona is turning out with these continuing actions. The bullying in the set makes sense, but it's not only that, it goes beyond that.

He can say Láa Seydoux thanked him, he can say she cried in his arms - for fuck sake, it's a Palme D'Or, she's french, they had never given a Palme D'Or to an actress, let alone two, not that she thought of that at the moment, but God, I'm sure lot of people cried, from film critics to publicists, and they were not the winners, off course she would thank him. After what she had been through it must have felt like some sort of reward, at least this, they must have thought. Some sort of catharsis. But just because they won the Palme D'Or doesn't change what happened before, doesn't change the entire process she went through to make La Vie D'Adèle, it doesn't change the fact she gave everything for his film. She gave Abdellatif Kechiche pretty much everything she could have given. She and Adèle of course, made the film for him. Does he even realizes this? 

I think he's too obnoxious and self centered to realize that, and what gives, he's Abdellatif Kechiche and he can do whatever he wants. This is what I hate about some of these prominent directors, with a name in the business, from the moment they have this name and notability, is that they will say whatever they want, like all the shit they want, and they will still get away with it. The thing is that I see absolutely nothing, not even backlash on him. Can no one slow him down, actually insult him back? I don't know. I just think that this would be so fucking different if it was a woman's actions.

What is wrong with him? I really began to believe in the thoughts of Molly O'Connor about him, as this fearful man, with these great inferior complexes and he's only proving them with Léa. Of course non of this could have happened towards Adèle Exarchopoulos given that she's his darling, he was obsessed with her and he would never want to be mad at his young beautiful naive girl he wanted so much.

He's a douche, a delusional men, very capable as a liar and fuck if he doesn't become scary.

People should stand beyond Léa Seydoux.

Just so you remember, I believe Kechiche is taking her family's name for his advantage, he is using her name and her notable family's wealth to basically punish her to what to me feels like a totally personal issue. He just doesn't like her because she took and takes most of the spotlight from him. Among other things.

You can certainly see that she's not a dumb person and if things had to be said they were said and she had to said them. I'm sure she stands to what she said and she always will. 

Now I'm quite certain she will never work with him again.

Watch the movie and then make your own judgment.

Ben Foster as Lance Amstrong

Ben Amstrong as Lance Foster...oops, Ben Foster as Lance Amstrong in the new biopic by Stephen Fears.
I had totally forget this was happening.

May contain explicit feelings

Something to Revive Your Soul

Big Laughs

I love Parks and I love Tatiana!

Thank you Parks for the big laughs.

#HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Yap, I want to see it now.

P.S. I think I saw Léa Seydoux at 0.55s?

Blue

My stages of a growing meltdown...

This is me when I start talking about Blue is the Warmest Color...

This is me when I see footage from Blue is the Warmest Color and images of Léa and Adèle...

This is me when I decide to watch the trailers of Blue is the Warmest Color...

Like the new UK version.

Constant meltdown.

*Thank you the the person who did this, it wasn't me.

Tina and Amy

They will do it again. And I guess the year after too.

Budapest Hotel

Damn it Canada!

Really...

...thank you!

What have you done Canada.

I'm crushing hard...

Evelyne Brochu.

Many of the new Eve's admirers, like me, became aware of her existence through Orphan Black. Her beauty was striking, however, her character and undeniably, her performance didn't inspire me. Don’t get me wrong, she was great at playing puppy face. But then I decided to watch her films. And now she's starring in the new Xavier Dolan's film, Tom à la ferme, which will be absolutely great and I'm so looking forward to see her because I'm sure it will be one of her most challenging roles to date. I know, I know, she already performed it in the theater, I guess the challenge it’s partly on us.

From a young free spirited and charming teacher in the late sixties, being a heartwarming considerate human being to a kid going through the lost of his father, to being the leading character in a dramatic take on the Israel and Palestine conflict, I am definitely waiting for more demanding and dimensional roles, where she isn't too nice or too depressing! 

At a younger age, she was undecided between acting and dancing, but then she had a terrible bike accident, yes that's where her scars come from, she eventually chose acting. She may look like a cute girl (and a total heart breaker, she will really melt you) but she may also be quite the rebel. We'll see. From now on I will certainly be paying close attention.

Yap, heart breaker.

So, Charlotte Sullivan.

Looking at her gorgeous self, she has the kind of face I describe as: "Yap, it's just her face."

It's really...

...just...

...her face. Sometimes it's hard to believe, I can't imagine her in person.

Seriously, it's just her face. She has this face.  

These days, known to many, like me, through the cop show Rookie Blue, Charlotte Sullivan plays Gail Peck, which you slowly and gradually become head over hills with her offbeat, charming, amusing and heartfelt character. Because she's a cop, she wears black clothes more often than not, which intensifies greatly her pale skin and her striking eyes. 

Gail: "I get all pale and sweaty...ok fine, just sweaty."

Season 1.

Rookie Blue is this really cute cop show, and as though it may sound like I’m describing Rizzoli & Isles, unlike this last show, Rookie Blue doesn’t rely on gags.

It’s a show about five rookies, like the title suggests, who have gone through the entire training and qualifying process together and are now part of the 15^th Division and the first season is really sweet and frank. Three girls, two boys, each with their own struggles, their qualities and treats that make them singular and very distinctive from each other.

The thing that makes Rookie Blue a pleasant and likable cop drama is that the people are genuinely good hearted people. They’re flawed humans and they are honest.

Gail Peck stands out in the group from the very first scene. At first, it seems mainly because of her family history and rather celebrated reputation in the force. Not only she has some high standards to live up to, she also has to deal with it almost every day, mostly by confrontations and indirect clues. So all of this and on top of it her natured offbeat self. She’s genuinely upfront and sometimes sounds cold but as the story unfolds and the episodes move along we see there’s much more to her. And this is what is so interesting to see as we go.

Gail Peck

Damn it Canada! Is this woman even real! Sometimes it’s hard to believe, you know, especially when you’re looking at her. This woman’s face. But don’t you just love Charlotte’s voice? I love her voice, it’s unlikely soft. I love the way she moves her lips when she speaks and her hands’ movement, it’s always part of her.

I’m done.

DAMN IT CANADA!

The skin tone, look at their skin tone...

It’s not surprising I started talking about Charlotte by mentioning her face, it makes sense. The point is that her face might have been a problem for her. I would suggest part of the problem, because her roles simply suck. They all look pretty much the same shallow stuff and it’s annoying. I think it isn’t hard to say that a woman with an image like hers probably becomes impossible to find something profound and really just interesting. Not to mention that there are none of those roles to begin with. It is so incredibly annoying that if you take a look, her roles are all the same. So to see her in Rookie Blue playing someone that is not just interested in a man’s love, or playing a disgraced hooker or playing with her visual attributes is nice for once. With Gail Peck we can see someone with a conscious growth.

Maybe Charlotte’s not having a great time in castings, maybe her agents don’t help and maybe there isn’t a wider thinking when someone looks at her and doesn’t just think “the girlfriend”, “the Maxima Sexiest Female”. And I won’t even mention her Marilyn Monroe role, because to start with, watching portrayals of Marilyn Monroe it’s boring for me because most of the time it’s all about her life revolving around men. I love a romantic story as much as the next person, but I want more.

Why do I always end up falling on the same discussion, it’s like I can’t never cope with reality.

I think it’s interesting to compare these two Canadian actresses. Charlotte and Evelyne are the same age. They’re both gorgeous right? So how come it seems like Evelyne isn’t suffering from my rhetorical excuse for Charlotte and not playing “the girlfriend”? She did played a couple times those roles, but the films are bearable to say the least and she has a leading role playing someone not solely focused on a man’s feedback.

Sullivan started acting when she was a kid and eventually stayed around. Evelyne only started acting after college. She’s a Quebec, focusing her work in the French community. Charlotte headed to US since her early twenties, I believe (even though I can see that most of her career was filmed in Canada). To make a point here, I will mention a couple of things: there are trillion of actors trying to find something interesting. Given the statistics, most of the roles are male centric, so most of the available female roles that are good go to Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron and Meryl Streep.

Tatiana Maslany

I don't think I have more words for her. Except for this, I genuinely want to see Orphan Black again.

I need to get over the fact that just because I would love to see them in great films, playing this variety of roles, it doesn’t mean every actor is filled with such opportunities. Take Tatiana, she played the ‘supporting character’ in how many films? And Sarah Gadon, she happened to jump on the Cronenberg train, and she got lucky.

Other Canadians to look for:

Sarah Gadon.

Sophie Desmarais.

Monia Chokri.