A Tribute to Savoie (2003-2013)
Breath-taking immensities and Traditional Mountain Architectures
Cartier Jewelry
A Grand Palais Exhibition
30th December 2013
Learn more about this wonderful exhibition here.
29th Dec. 2013
La Clemenzia di Tito
16th December 2013
It was the first time I went to the Opera of Paris with my sister. The memory of this stunning evening also has a particular place in my heart because it was the last gift of my grandfather – and I know it meant a lot to him...
http://www.asopera.fr/critique-la-clemence-de-titus-r352.htm
http://fomalhaut.over-blog.org/article-la-clemence-de-titus-gerzmava-d-oustrac-vogt-garnier-83915150.html
Commedia dell' Arte
12th December 2013
The Apron's Tricks #06 : British Scones
1st November 2013
Check my recipe for those traditional Tea-time British Scones – with strawberry jelly and clotted cream – here +++
25th September 2013
Check out my review of this fascinating series on BBC Four here.
The Pianist's Diary #05
12th September 2013
New years, new beginnings. I’m officially starting a new season with the Youth Choir and Orchestra of Paris (COGE). This year, the 31th season is all about Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42, Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, Stravinsky’s Fire Bird and Schubert’s Mass 5, a tremendous programme with a very promising young director, Simon Proust, whom I believe to be only 24 or something… I also got along unusually pretty well with the choirmaster, Frédéric Pineau.
Learn more about it here.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
15th August 2013
Entrust your worries and pains to the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady. Marie hears and grants all prayers even when all hope seems lost...
Neuvaine à Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours / Nine Days Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Toutes les Neuvaines à Notre-Dame / Other Prayers to Mary
Dévotion des cinq premiers Samedis du Mois / The Five First Saturdays Devotion
Savoie (2003-2013)
12th July 2013
We’re coming back to La Chapelle for the tenth time. It’s definitely a miniature-scale Canada but in even cuter and at the same time grandiose. Summer covers the slopes with many species of rare flowers and the bells of cows and cattle brewing grass in their bellies fill the air with wonderful tunes. I love the sound of water springs and small cascades, the large glowy lakes sleeping in the embrace of rocky crowns, it’s so vivid and lively, not like in winter !
Filmbug Quaterly #16
Jean Simmons and British Films Noirs (1950)
30th July 2013
Discover this amazing British actress in So Long at the Fair co-starring Dirk Bogarde, Cage of Gold or The Clouded Yellow. British Films Noirs have a style of their own, very distinct from American ones, and although they were far less successful at the box-office and are still far less known today, they deserve, in my humble opinion, equal interest and admiration. The photography is not as aesthetic and the dialogs not as clever and cynical but storylines are very diverting and actors are generally as good if not better +++
Normandy #2 (2013)
3rd July 2013
I also visited my dearest cousins near LE HAVRE. We had an absolutely wonderful time at ETRETAT... where we ended up eating the delicious traditional dish of the place : moules / frites +++
We also went to see Ice Age 4 which was more of a relaxing time as you can guess – all the more that I hadn't watched the previous ones. It was completely crazy at times but generally great fun : Sid's grandmother especially is HI-LA-RI-OUS...
Normandy #01 (2013)
30th June 2013
I dropped by my BBF in CAEN by the end of the semester. It was the most wonderful time ever – even if we got caught up once and a while by more serious conversation such as inscriptions for the next year, changing universities and so on... That will ring a bell to many of you. The stress, the waiting, lack of answers :s
We had much fun walking around to get some fresh air, cooking, going to Dolly's for some un-French cooking (ironical, right ?^^) and to the 21 pub for some delicious fruit smoothies... and we ended up watching Les Visiteurs, which is the funniest film I've ever seen ! +++
This is my BFF : isn't she gorgeous ? She's presently studying Law and I think she's quite brilliant. It's always absolutely wonderful to talk with her because we can have both intellectual and fun conversations together.
We had much fun walking around to get some fresh air, cooking, going to Dolly's for some un-French cooking (ironical, right ?^^) and to the 21 pub for some delicious fruit smoothies... and we ended up watching Les Visiteurs, which is the funniest film I've ever seen ! +++
This is my BFF : isn't she gorgeous ? She's presently studying Law and I think she's quite brilliant. It's always absolutely wonderful to talk with her because we can have both intellectual and fun conversations together.
Gosh ! Am I always talking about eating and watching films or what ?! +++
A Tribute to Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake
17 December 2012
Undersized. Blond. Gorgeous. That was Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake...
This visually appealing couple appeared in a total of seven films together – This Gun for Hire (1942), The Glass Key (1942), Star Spangled Rhythm (1942), Duffy’s Tavern (1945), The Blue Dahlia (1946), Variety Girl (1947), and Saigon (1948). Lake and Ladd had more in common than their series of films together – they were both golden-haired, both petite in stature, both attractive. Both were known better as movie stars than acclaimed thespians. Join me as I take a closer look at this dynamic duo – at their contributions to the annals of film and their captivating, often turbulent, lives behind the silver screen. And fasten your seat belts…
Veronica Lake The Blonde Bombshell
By the time shooting ended on I Wanted Wings, Constance Frances Mary was renamed Veronica Lake. After the film’s release, the entire nation knew of the tiny blonde with the sultry voice and the peek-a-boo hairdo. In This Gun for Hire, Lake had a number where she sang and performed feats of magic. But Lake’s slide down Hollywood’s slippery slope was more than a decade away, and in the early 1940s, her star continued to shine. She soared to superstardom opposite Joel Mc Crea in Sullivan’s Travels (1941) and the following year saw her first teaming with Alan Ladd in This Gun for Hire (1942). Regarding her performance, Lake attributed her appeal more to her presence than any sort of dramatic talent. Lake’s next film was another teaming with Ladd, The Glass Key (1942) ; most reviewers agreed that the petite bombshell had scored another hit. This was followed by another box-office success, I Married a Witch (1942), which is another little treasure.
Alan Ladd The Golden Paradox
One of the biggest movie stars of his time, Alan Ladd was never nominated for an Academy Award and only a handful of his films are remembered today. He was larger than life on the silver screen, but he was short in stature in real life. In films, he exuded confidence, poise, and stamina ; behind the scenes, he was overly sensitive and filled with self-doubt. He seemed to have it all – polished good looks, a dedicated wife, successful children, wealth, and fame – but he died alone, the victim of a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol.
“I feel every day as if it’s all a dream.”
At last, as Raven in This Gun for Hire, Ladd became an overnight star. He and Lake sizzled in The Glass Key (1942). This was another hit for the duo, and the two appeared again in Paramount’s star-studded musical tribute to the war effort, Star Spangled Rhythm (1942). Shane (1953) turns out to be the best-remembered film of his screen career. In his sensitive portrayal of the mysterious stranger who helps defend a family against ruthless cattle barons, Ladd earned well-deserved acclaim. While Oscar nominations were doled out to co-stars Brandon DeWilde and Jack Palance, the film still serves as a lasting testament to Ladd’s talent and remains one of the finest Westerns ever made. One of Hollywood’s true stars, Alan Ladd is more often lauded more for his screen persona than for his acting ability, but in a handful of films, he does evince the ability to stretch beyond his cinematic image and display a talent capable of genuine depth...
This Gun for Hire (1942)
In this picture, Veronica Lake portrays Ellen Graham, a cabaret performer whose becomes involved with a psychologically disturbed assassin named Raven, played by Ladd. Graham becomes an agent for federal authorities in their hunt for a Nazi spy and meets Raven on a train to Los Angeles, where Raven plans to murder the people who double-crossed him. The plot was typically complex, and even a little far-fetched, but it was certainly never dull.
The Glass Key (1942)
This feature offered a hodgepodge of characters with intertwined lives : Alan Ladd portrayed Ed Beaumont, chief aide to political boss Paul Madvig, who is engaged to Janet Henry (Veronica Lake), daughter of local reform candidate, Senator Henry, whose son, Taylor (Richard Denning), is having an affair with Madvig’s sister, Opal (Bonita Granville). Whew !^^ When Taylor turns up dead, Madvig is implicated in the crime, and Ed works to find the real killer...
Trivia tidbit : This film features a scene where actor William Bendix – who plays the henchman of a seedy casino owner – unmercifully beats Ladd’s character. In real life, according to Ladd’s biographer, Bendix accidentally hit the diminutive Ladd firmly on the jaw during one take of the scene, knocking him unconscious. The film’s director, Stuart Heisler, ordered that the shot be printed, and it appears in the film. However, Bendix was extremely upset by his action, and when Ladd regained consciousness, he found the hulking actor crying. He was touched by Bendix’s reaction, the two became close friends, and Ladd would later specifically request that the actor appear in many of his future films, including China (1943), The Blue Dahlia (1946), and The Deep Six (1957).
The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Alan Ladd portrayed Johnny Morrison, a war veteran who returns from service to discover that his wife is romantically involved with nightclub owner Eddie Harwood. When his wife is murdered, Johnny is suspected of the crime and determines to find the real killer. Veronica Lake plays a mysterious stranger who gives Johnny a lift on the road, but who turns out to be closer to the case than she originally appears.
Trivia tidbit : Reportedly, Alan Ladd was none too happy about Doris Dowling playing his wife in the film. She was several inches taller than he.
If you’ve never seen Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd together in a film noir feature, you simply must – they were made for each other. The perfect duo +++
The Apron's Tricks #02 : Italian Tiramisu
21st November 2012
This is a classic but it sure is delicious ! And yet, the ever-loved sponge dish isn't that easy to make...
PREPARATION : 25 minutes
SERVES : 6
INGREDIENTS
- 568 ml cream
- 250 g mascarpone
- 5 tbsp golden sugar
- 300 ml strong coffee (in boiling water)
- 175 g sponge fingers
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
PREPARATION : 25 minutes
SERVES : 6
INGREDIENTS
- 568 ml cream
- 250 g mascarpone
- 5 tbsp golden sugar
- 300 ml strong coffee (in boiling water)
- 175 g sponge fingers
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Musée Jacquemart André
19th November 2012
Learn more about this wonderful museum and its temporary exhibitions here.
Filmbug #12 : Merlin Series (2008-2012)
25th September 2012
The women of Camelot play a very important part...
Make sure to check my review of these very enjoyable BBC family TV series here.
Canaletto in Venice
30th August 2012
That’s the title of the exhibition at the Museum I worked on as an assistant and which opened in September. The last month was completely hectic with all the preparations !
Here are pictures taken by professional photographs during the Grand Gala at the Italian Embassy. For this occasion I was wearing my special black velvet dress with trimmed lace on the back. I quite enjoyed the decoration on the terrasse with its romantic tents and candle lighting and dinner was quite original ; dessert was given in the ballroom where lay a magnificent grand piano. I could quite get my eyes off it...
Filmbug Quaterly #11
Unfaithfully Yours (1948)
15th August 2012
Savoie (2012)
30th July 2012
Ah, l'omelette norvégienne, nous l'attendions tous avec impatience celle-là !^^
Filmbug Quaterly #10 : Barbara Stanwyck
and Henry Fonda
15th July 2012
This month will be devoted to one of Hollywod's most wonderful chemistry : Barbara Stanwyck & Henry Fonda +++ in The Lady Eve (dir. by Preston Sturges) and The Mad Miss Manton, two brilliant comedies...
Don't miss my review article here and be sure to check :
http://amoviescrapbook.blogspot.fr/2013/04/the-mad-miss-manton-stanwyck-and-fonda.html
The Pianist's Diary #02
27th May 2012
I'm starting organ with Vincent Rigot on the superb Baroque instrument of Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile Church.
Some pieces would give a better effect on a Romantic instrument, though. Don't forget to follow every new here.
Some pieces would give a better effect on a Romantic instrument, though. Don't forget to follow every new here.
Jeunesse exaltée
25th April 2012
Here is a tribute to five brilliant and cultivated men, all of them heroes and legends in real life or fiction. They will always be remembered for their leadership and radiance... All of them saw their job as a Mission, a Vocation worth every effort, every pain, even death, not for themselves nor for glory, but for the good and in the name of their Nation...
Henri de la Rochejaquelein on the Left / Right
De La Rochejaquelein fought for the first time defending the Tuileries Palace on the 10th of August attack of 1792, as an officer of the Constitutional Guard of King Louis XVI. He refused to apply for the levée en masse called by the outbreak of the Revolutionary Wars, joined his cousin Louis-Marie Joseph Lescure on the latter's estates in Poitou. Soon after, they started fighting the troops of the French Republic with Maurice-Louis-Joseph Gigot d'Elbée and the Marquis de Bonchamps from April 1793. There, he gave the famous order :
“Friends, if I advance, follow me ! If I retreat, kill me ! If I die, avenge me !”
Leading a few thousands Vendéan peasants, La Rochejaquelein gained his first victory over the French Revolutionary Army on April 13, took part to the taking of Bressuire on May 3, of Fontenay-le-Comte on the 25th, and of Saumur on June 9. In August, in Luçon, he regrouped the Vendéan army, which was on the verge of being disbanded, and won the battle of Chantonnay in September. But he had to retreat across the Loire after being beaten in Cholet on October 17. He was elected commander-in-chief of the Royal and Catholic Armies, replacing d'Elbée – who had been severely wounded in Cholet – at only 22. However, his bravery did not compensate for his lack of experience and strategic skills. He failed to seize Granville and retreated to Angers in order to cross the Loire. Marceau and Kléber defeated him once in Le Man, and again in Savenay. He managed to save the remains of his army by crossing the Loire but was killed by a Republican soldier near Nuaillé.
King Elessar in the Middle
“Sons of Gondor, my brothers ! A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down ! But it is not this day ! This day we fight ! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West !”
Eomer : We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms.
Aragorn : Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's Eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves.
Legolas : A diversion.
Gimli : Certainty of death, small chance of success... What are we waiting for ?
Ernest Psichari (1883-1914) in the middle
Ernest Psichari is a French writer and soldier whose works combine militaristic sentiments with a strong religious devotion. Grandson of the historian of ideas Ernest Renan and son of a Greek philologist, Jean Psichari, Ernest grew up in an atmosphere of liberal intellectualism. In 1913, he publishes L’Appel des Armes (The Call to Arms) again pacifist humanitarism and moral decline which seems to be its consequence, in favour of an ideal of dedication and greatness. After a period of acute emotional and mental stress, he started on the long journey toward an acceptance of religious faith, encouraged by the French intellectuals Maurice Barrès, Charles Péguy, and Jacques Maritain. This change finds its strongest expression in his second (and posthumous) book, Le Voyage du centurion (1916) (The Journey of the Centurion). This book is the transposition of his personal and spiritual experiences. For a long time in search of intellectual certainties, the young man eventually turns to Catholic Faith and meditation under the influence of Humbert Clérissac. He died a hero at the beginning of World War I.
Charles Péguy (1873-1914) on the right
Péguy was a noted French poet, essayist, and editor born in Orléans. His two main philosophies were Socialism and Nationalism, but by 1908 at the latest, after years of uneasy agnosticism, he had become a devout Roman Catholic. From that time, Catholicism strongly influenced his works. He died in battle, shot in the forehead, in Seine-et-Marne during World War I, on the day before the beginning of the Battle of the Marne.
“It is innocence that is full and experience that is empty. It is innocence that wins and experience that loses.”
“A great philosophy is not one that passes final judgments and establishes ultimate truth. It is one that causes uneasiness and starts commotion.”
“Life holds only one tragedy, ultimately : not to have been a saint.”
A Tribute to Stéphane Lambiel
2nd February 2012
|
|
|
Stephane Lambiel - Worlds (2006) - Long Program - Four Seasons : The step sequence is absolutely wonderful. He wins the crowd all the time then !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F893u_lTNVw
I 've always been disappointed though because he never got higher than silver medal - don't get me wrong, it's already excellent, but only almost perfect. He was always behind Evgeni Plushenko, who, surprinsingly enough, isn't as fast in his spins nor as graceful on the ice as Stéphane. I mean, he doesn 't even bear the comparison with his compatriot from St Petersburg Alexei Yagudin, who won the Worlds four times in a row at the end of the 1990s !
Alexei Yagudin - Skate Canada (2000) - Long Program - Gladiator by Hans Zimmer : Now that was perfection !
Speed, energy, artistry and INCREDIBLE height in his spins ! Six triples and a quadruple plus an incredible step sequence, all in the same program. The music helps a lot but who's questioning his talent ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxcDYqSRljI
Happy New Year !
Noël 2011
Merry Christmas !
Christina Rossetti
In the Bleak Mid-Winter (1872)
In the bleak mid-winter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him nor earth sustain.
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak mid-winter a stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air,
But only His mother, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am ?
If I were a Shepherd I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him, give my heart.
Film Reviews
Filmbug Quaterly #10 : Films Noirs
19th December 2011
A Tribute to America's finest Thriller Classic, starring Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Barbara Stanwyck, Veronica Lake...
Check out my reviews here and make sure to visit http://www.noiroftheweek.com/ +++
Here are the trailers of Angel Face (1951) starring Jean Simmons and Robert Mitchum, Dark Passage (1946) with the mythic duo Bacall and Bogart, To Have and To Have Not (1944) again with those two, Double Indemnity (1944) starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred Mc Murray and Edward G. Robinson and The Maltese Falcon (1941) with Bogart, Astor and Greenstreet :
|
|
|
|
|
11th December 2011
Condé Nast & Madame Grès
25th November 2011
The exhibition MADAME GRÈS at the Bourdelle Museum is stunningly beautiful +++
Filmbug Quaterly #7 : Stardust (2009)
19th November 2011
A wonderful fantasy tale of action, adventure, and love !
A wonderful fantasy tale of action, adventure, and love !
Stardust follows Tristan, a young man on a quest to find a fallen star and bring it back to the woman he loves in order to prove his love for her. The only catch is that the star has fallen on the other side of the wall, a doorway between England and a magical kingdom known as Stormhold.
This film is just a joy to watch +++ It has something in it for everyone. All of the action scenes are played out beautifully and the comedy is spread out through the film, making it funny without being corny. If I had to compare the likes to another film it would probably have to the classic Princess Bride...
If you are in the mood for a funny fantasy love story... This is the film +++
Splendour & Power
Imperial Treasures from Vienna
2nd September 2011
Learn more about this astounding exhibition here.
Cambridge (2011)
25th July 2010
I loved boating on the Cam +++. There’s a particularly thrilling review of the backside of most historical monuments of the City of our beloved Duchess of Cambridge ! +++
I also liked the old paved narrow-streets of the heart of the old City. Had a particularly awful experience with my hosts, though. The lady was kinda weird and severe, and she never laughed ! But after entire days of intellectual efforts and exhausting walks came along well-deserved recompense : DINNER ! I love the word – especially when it means nice tasty dishes : Indian meal, peppered chili with delicious red beans, juicy strawberries with ice cream, and one of those chocolate puddings you won’t forget. We went twice to one of those Elizabethan-styled pub – you know, the ones with creaking oak benches and stained glass-windows – on Sunday evening after service, for a good fish and chips. Yummy !
Don’t miss the Fitzwilliam Museum if you ever go there. Like many other galleries in UK it’s free entry – only you can’t take any pictures inside. King's College Chapel is a marvel or architecture as well with its breathtaking fan-shaped vaults. What a fine place to study in...
Film Reviews
Filmbug Quaterly #6 : Alice Adams (1936)
11th June 2011
Do you really want to laugh ? Not chuckle, but actually laugh from the bottom of your heart ? Well this is your movie ! They don't make films like this anymore. It's so charming and clever you won't be sorry – it will cheer you up on a rainy day. And it is a real treasure...
In this superb George Stevens film, Katharine Hepburn creates one of the greatest American heroines – headstrong yet deeply vulnerable Alice Adams, a fiendishly anxious impoverished young woman just as fiendishly determined to rise into the white, light, airy world of the upper middle class, as exemplified by the great party scene early on in the film. This scene and the very famous dinner party set piece are magnificent, but so are all of the scenes between Hepburn and Mac Murray, so finely modulated in a very subtle way...
For a longer review please check my article here.
Fred and Ginger
24th April 2011
Here is a tribute to the best dancers of all times ! +++
Here is a tribute to the best dancers of all times ! +++
Beginning (1933–1935)
Fred Astaire started dancing in the early 1900s as a child on stage, in audeville, partnering with his older sister Adelle. He made his first movie in 1933, taking on a small role in the movie Dancing Lady starring Clark Gable and Joan Crawford. Ginger Rogers made her first appearance in Pre-Codes movies such as 42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933. Astaire and Rogers made their first pairing in a movie in 1933, Flying Down to Rio, in which they had only supporting roles ; the main star was Dolores Del Rio. In 1934 Astaire and Rogers made the musical movie The Gay Divorcee which co-starred Edward Everett Horton; it was their first joint starring role in a movie. The song The Continental from the movie was a hit and was also the first song to win the Academy Award r Best Original Song.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers then made two movies in 1935, Roberta, which featured the song I Won't Dance and Top Hat, which also co-starred comedian Edward Everett Horton. In Roberta, Astaire and Ginger had only supporting roles but their dance I'll Be Hard to Handle was an early example of the electricity and vivacity of the pairing. Top Hat marked the first time the duo had a film written solely for them, and it proved to be one of the most successful films of the Year.
Later years (1936-1937)
By 1936 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were top box office names. That year they made another two movies together : Follow the Fleet and Swing Time, which were both hits. Swing Time spawned the Oscar winning song The Way You Look Tonight, which Fred sang to Ginger. Many have cited Swing Time for possessing the greatest dancing in the history of the universe. Never Gonna Dance is considered to be the high point of their art. This scene took 47 takes to perfect, during which the dancers had to ascend stairs, spinning, until they perfected it. By the end of the shoot, Rogers' feet were bleeding. Follow the Fleet boasted another Irving Berlin score, which featured the well known vignette Let's Face the Music and Dance. Shall We Dance which co-starred, once again, Edward Everett Horton, did not perform as well as expected by the studio. Although Astaire and Rogers would go on to make two more films together for RKO, the film's comparative disappointment in the box office was the beginning of the end for their partnership.
Here and Back again (1938-1939)
After an unusually long period apart, Fred and Ginger only made one movie together in 1938, the 80-minute Carefree. During their time apart, Ginger appeared in the successful movie Stage Door, while Astaire's career did not reach the same heights he had experienced with Rogers. In 1939, Fred and Ginger only made one movie, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle. It was the end of their partnership for ten years, until they reunited for The Barkleys of Broadway. Although their relationship was amicable, both wanted to explore new avenues. Rogers was interested in more dramatic roles than those she was offered with Astaire.
Solo years (1940-1949)
Rogers had long been keen to pursue more dramatic roles, which she successfully managed after her split from Astaire. At the 1941 Academy Awards ceremony, Ginger won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kitty Foyle and by the mid-1940s she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood, although her career waned post war. Astaire continued to make musicals including Holiday Inn (1942) and Blue Skies (1946), with Bing Crosby. He also partnered with other dancers including Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse and Judy Garland...
Savoie (2011)
We’re coming back to the Chapelle d’Abondance for the ninth time. It’s also apparently the last time we’ll go together as a family. We’ve had had an absolutely wonderful delightful time, especially teasing the guys with Camille. Gosh, what can I say ? It was raining ! There’s nothing wrong with playing Monopoly !
L'Art du Costume à la Comédie Française
11th June 2011
Filmbug Quaterly #05 :
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
25th March 2011
They seek him here. They seek him there.
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere… Is He in Heaven or is He in Hell? That damned, elusive, Pimpernel... In one of my favourite scenes, Percy humorously criticizes his enemy Chauvelin's Fashion. This scene is just hilarious. Percy's all over Chauvelin like a cheap suit... but as we see here, a cheap suit is better than what the French tailors then can offer^^ XD My second favourite scene is Percy's proposal to his one true love Marguerite Saint-Just, the French actress whose brother, young Armand, will however put him in grave danger. This is the most romantic scene ever. It's quite rare actually for the hero and heroin of a novel or film to be married for 3/4 of the story. Well part from Kiornay and Moira anyway +++ Note how Ian Mc Kellen is young and dashing in this 1982 film^^ |
In Memoriam...
Filmbug Quaterly #4 : Twilight (2009)
19th November 2010
Now I can’t believe it, but I did watch Twilight this week with my mum. Not to say, but the film got out in theaters about one year ago. I was really doubtful but one of my friends warmly recommended to me. So, out of curiosity…
Sorbonne Paris IV University (2010-2013)
BA Research
Graduation with Honours
Here is a quick look at the modules I chose :
- First Year (1st semester) : Egyptian Archaeology (from Pre-Dynasty to Ancient Empire), Roman Imperial Architecture, Greek Ceramics, Muslim Architecture in Spain, Byzantine Architecture (Chora, Constantinople), French Castles of the 17th-19th c.
- First Year (2nd semester) : Indian Art (Maurya Art ; Bharhut, Sañci, Amaravati ; Kushana : Art from Gandhara and Mathura, Gupta Art), Chinese Art (Imperial Tombs), Italian Renaissance Sculpture (Bramante, Brunnelleschi, Alberti) and Paintings (Masaccio), French Impressionism
- Second Year (1st semester) : Egyptology (Ancien Empire to New Empire), Art in Ptolemaic Alexandria, Greek Ceramics II, Medieval Art (Roman and Gothic Period)
- Second Year (2nd semester) : Indian Architecture (Pallava and Calukya Art), Indian Paintings (Pala, Hindu, Moghol, Dekkan, Rajasthan, Penjabe, Contemporary), Renaissance Art (Roman Classicism, Bramante, Michel-Angelo, Raphael, Dürer, Mannerism in Florence, Court Art in Prague), Baroque Art (1650-1750), XIXth century Painting (from Romanticism to French Realism : Courbet)
- Third Year (1st semester) : Egyptology (Ptolemaic Egypt, Nilotica, Serapeum, Literary sources), Celtic Art, Roman Sculpture and Ornaments, Medieval Studies (architecture, sculpture, stained-glass windows, manuscripts), Tudor Iconographies of Power and Stuart Pageantries, French Decorative Arts under Louis XIV and Louis XV, French Tapestry, British Landscape Gardens, Drawings from Hogarth to William Blake, Scottish Romantic Literature
- Third Year (2nd semester) : Celtic Art II, Roman Imperial Sculpture, English Medieval History from Edward I to Richard II, Kingship and Chivalry in Medieval Britain (Gawain and the Green Knight, Langland's Poems, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Kantorowicz' King's Two Bodies, Modern Art : XIIth-XVIIIth c. engravings (Jacques Callot), XVIIIth c. Paintings (Vanmoor, Silvestre, Volaire, Loutherbourg) ; Ingres, Orientalism, Contemporary Art (Newman, Kiefer, Rosenquist, Judd, Spoerri, Pistoletto), Contemporary English Art (Paul Nash, Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Walter Sickert), Space Art (Robert Mc Call, Chesley Bonestell), Photography (Brassai, Friedlander, Walker Evans, Richard Hamilton), Cinema (Hitchcock and Films Noirs)
Film Reviews
Filmbug Quaterly #03 : Il Gattopardo (1963)
12th October 2010
Have you ever watched The Leopard (1963) with Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon ? Make sure to check my review of this most beautiful film !
TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHIsJszVBJU
Back to Paris (2010)
25th September 2010
Le Palais de la Découverte
From natural science to astronomy, geology and chemistry, it's THE place to go to for both kids and grown-ups ! +++
Rome (2010)
Long dreaded, it happened to be the best week ever, along with my three best friends, Alex, Anne-Charlotte and Madeleine-Sophie. We went to the Fontaine of Trevi by night, which was magical. The last picture I took from Masso was here, in our shared bedroom. She’s now getting married with Pierre-Yves. I’ll always remember the night when she invited me at her home and we started talking and she told me all about him. The way her eyes were glittering… wow ! I knew something was about to blossom…
Film Reviews
Filmbug Quaterly #02 : Lord of the Rings
A shimmering symphony of power, darkness and beauty +++
Elijah Wood here leads a strong cast graced with more than one outstanding performances in this visually stunning work by the irreplaceable duo Tolkien / Jackson.
Make sure to check my review here.
The Pianist's Diary
Conservatory of Versailles
This new section is devoted to music : it includes old piano concerts or rehearsals extracts at the Schola Cantorum of Paris, the CNRS of Caen and the Conservatoire of Versailles, as well as new projects...
The greatest saga of all times...
After the disaster of childish jokes, endless sitting in circles, cliché romance and stifling CGI in The Fantom Menace and X-Men Attack, time to go back where it all began. I watched the original trilogy (1976-1983) a few years ago, but after watching and watching it all over again, I still can’t get bored : a perfectly controlled storyline with great credible actors and great humor. That was the work of a young and enthusiastic director – before he turned gaga…
I chose a Binary Sunset pic to represent and embody the whole of the old Trilogy because this is the exact moment Star Wars captures us. It isn’t any sunset. Even though he lives in a galaxy far, far away, Luke has the same wanderlust and longings that we do. Star Wars instantly vaults itself above any science fiction or adventure film that’s come before it or since with this single shot of a boy searching the sky for his destiny…
Now that was just for fun but you have to admit there is kind of a problem with this prequel !?
The Apron's Tricks #01 : Eclairs
15th August 2010
Saint-Cloud (2006-2010)
I quite liked the view we had there on the balcony of our appartment : the whole of Paris was busy at our feet during the day then all asleep at night yet glittering with hundreds of shimmering lights around the Eiffel Tower. Paris is definitely the City of Lights +++
The Grand Feu of Saint-Cloud in the famous Bois de Boulogne, the Park of the city, is one of the most beautiful ones in the world. Every season brings new colours and shapes to the many fountains, grandstairs and statues that welcome you with unexpected pleasure up and down its majestuous gravel paths lined with chestnut-trees or at the corner of a shaded willow grove….
Blue Angels (2004)
A Tribute to the world's most charismatic elite team. A wonderful DVD has been made on this special year 2004 year. I used to have a major crush on #7 and speaker of the team : Justin Otto +++
Normandy (2001-2006)
Summertime. Ian and Georgiana were born in the mild warmth of its sun, along with its golden wheat and poppy fields. I think Bluebells is still somewhere behind the apple-trees...
If you ever go there, don’t forget to stop for our most traditional dish : farm-made crepes and cider +++
It's out there I met with one of my biggest passion then : aviation. I went with my father to the 50th anniversary of D-Day : celebrations included many incredible performances and acrobatic acts on WW2 planes such as Captain Jean-Michel Delorme on his Cap 232 – God have Mercy on his soul, he died in a plane crash while practising. Later on we would meet the Team of the PAF led by Commander Emmanuel Paillou. The show was wonderful, too, although the weather didn't allow the team to perform every stunt in their usual program. My sister and I even bothered the pilot in their private quarters to get some autographs. I suppose they took it well because we were really enthusiastic kids...
Ireland (1998-2003)
I’ve been brought up by its wild beauty, steeped in its torn history and its wonderful legends. No wonder Moira Seeweord has a feeling of Celticness. The story was already in germ there. It just took a couple of years (well, a decade actually^^) and Tolkien’s influence to come out...
Portraits
Pourquoi Clémence ?
Clémence de Hongrie (1293-1328), fille du roi de Hongrie et de Clémence de Habsbourg, reine d'Autriche, épousa le roi de France Louis X, fils aîné de Philippe Le Bel. Réputée pour sa beauté angevine, épouse exemplaire et fervente catholique, elle entra au couvent à la mort de son mari. C'est l'un des personnages principaux de la série Les Rois Maudits (1972) adaptée des best-sellers de Maurice Druon de l'Académie Française.
Bienheureuse Clémence de Trèves vécut au tout début du XIIème siècle. Elle épousa le Comte de Spanheim, mais devenue veuve, elle entra dans une abbaye bénédictine à Trèves, où elle vécut dans l'exercice constant de la plus fervente prière et de la plus profonde charité notamment envers les pauvres, jusqu'à sa mort, le 21 mars 1176. |
Mais Aussi...
La clémence, c'est aussi la douceur, la compassion, la miséricorde. Exercée directement par le pouvoir régalien dans le cadre de la justice du roi, elle est aussi nommée grâce. C'est l'une des vertus de base de la chevalerie et de l'éthique dans la religion catholique. Elle est aussi reliée aux concepts de justice et de moralité dans le comportement entre les gens.
Un bel exemple littéraire est celui de Cinna ou la Clémence d'Auguste de Pierre Corneille. Auguste fait ici preuve de clémence envers Maxime, Cinna et Emilie, qui avaient pourtant organisé un complot contre lui dans le but de le tuer : il gracie ses amis. Mozart a mis cette pièce en musique, La Clémence de Titus, un véritable chef d'oeuvre, notamment les tirades du jeune régicide, Sesto, qui ne se résout pas à tuer son roi, qui est aussi pour lui un ami et un protecteur. La mise en scène de l'Opéra de Paris est bluffante... |