Taormina Film Fest 2009

Wow, I dreamt about Cannes, Venice and Los Angeles without even considering Taormina which is only 1.5 h away from where I live now! The event, despite its 55 years of history, has never reached the prestige and splendour of the other European film festivals. Well, I have a feeling this year is going to become a turning point in its career... Let me just mention some of the names of starts who will take part during the event: Catherine Deneuve, Jessica Lange, Emanuel Ungaro (who is going to give a lecture on the importance of fashion in movies) or Sandra Bullock (who couldn't make it for the opening but who has sent a video message, which considered the circumstances already equals great success).

What's interesting, apart from Taormina the films will be shown in 3 different locations/cities of Sicily: Palermo, Palma di Montechiaro (which I have no clue about where it exactly is) and... YES!!! Siracusa! Each city is going to show movies belonging to a different category, i.e. Palermo will be hosting films which belong to category entitled "Young American Comedy", Palma di Montechiaro will show movies whose leading element and the main subject are "Strong Women", whereas Siracusa is going to show movies from "Brasile!" Of course in Taormina it's possible to watch all of the presented movies.

The films I'd love to see most are:

• The Proposal by Anne Fletcher (USA, 2008) with Sandra Bullock
• Crossing Over by Wayne Kramer (USA, 2009) with Harrison Ford
• Gray Gardens by Michael Sucsy (USA, 2009) with Jessica Lange & Drew Barrymore
• Revolution Revisited by HughHudson (USA, 2008) with Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland & Nastassja Kinsky
  

What's the most important, however is the fact that all of these films are going to be shown in orginal versions with Italian and English subtitles. NO DUBBING! You may think I'm crazy, but since I moved to Italy I haven't been frequenting the cinema very often because of the fact that everything is dubbed! In Poland there are always subtitles (unless it's a cartoon movie for children).

Well, it's difficult for me to go see the films during this week but I'll at least try to see the closing ceremony and take some pictures from this honourable event for you! : ) Let the show begin!

PS. Those of you who are interested, can go to this website for details.

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Stars sans fards?

I don't like to be repetitive but couldn't really not talk about all this Photoshop/make-up craziness one more time.

Do you often go out without a trace of make up? I do. I'm quite tired of putting it everyday during weekdays for work and so I try wearing none (or almost none) during the weekends. I like my face to breathe and look natural, especially now, when the sun is high up in the sky and my complexion start to obtain this natural-peach colour without any particular effort. Of course I put some bronzer in the evening but in general, I try to avoid it at home or when I buy corn flakes at the local greengrocer's. I think most of the stars and celebrities do the same even though we always see them with perfect make up on magazine covers. But do they always look like this (apart from the official gala dinners, film shows, concert, beneficiency gatherings etc )? Some might claim they do. Well, French Elle decided to rebel against this fallacy and in the April issue you could see these:





Eight world-known celebrities (including Eva Herzigova, Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, and Charlotte Rampling) decided to present themselves without ANY make-up at all and what's more without any Photoshopping and retouching! The campaign called "Stars sans fards" (an expression which literally means "without make up/rouge" and which is also a French idiom that we can translate as "openess") is a kind of watershed in the history of fashion/make-up industry. Of course we shouldn't forget about the Dove's compaigns which feature "normal girls" in "normal shapes and forms" and which refuse to show always-looking-good celebrities:


On the other hand there are the "stars without make up stories" in which as someone nicely put it here: "there's always a GOTCHA! element, a message that says: Our gift to you: Derive pleasure from how ugly this person looks without cover-up for her zits!"

Elle though has finally noticed that these gorgeous dolls we admire so much are just "normal" girls after all who sometimes wake up with pimples, large pores, dark eye circles etc. And despite the fact that I adore fashion, beauty magazines which teach new make-up techniques, I loved the idea to show the real side of these beauties. I mean, are they less beautiful now? Not at all. The idea of Elle is innovative, fresh and very vogue. I like it!

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4 lists.

I haven't been blogging in a while, it's all about the hard time at work we're having at present. I really hope that next week will be much easier and that I'll be able to catch up with the posts.

8 THINGS (PART II)

Anyway, some days ago I was tagged by Ella (thanks!!!) so I'd like to answer some more "8 things" questions:

8 Things I'm looking forward to:

• having my parents here, in Sicily for holiday in July
  
• going to Poland in September
• looking for a new appartment in about a year
• choosing the paint colours (you can be sure there'll be a lot of violet, purplish, lavender and lilac) and the furniture to be put in it (most from Ikea, I bet)
  
• getting a puppy
• planning my trip to a nice ski resort in December or January
• going to New York and Japan
• buying some new clothes

8 shows I watch

• Grey's Anatomy (episode 10, series 5)
• Everwood (about to start series no.3)
• Lost (episode 22, series 1)
• Brothers & Sisters (about to start series 3)
• Prison Break (espisode 16, series 4)
• Verissimo (Italian entertainment & gossip show presented by Silvia Toffanin that I watch every Saturday from 3.30 to 6.30 pm while I'm ironing)
• Amici di Maria De Filippi (Italian talent show)
• I loved Felicity!!!

Some posts ago, Sarah has asked me to post the:

MY MUST SEE MOVIES

here we go then:

• Ocean's Eleven
• Amélie
• Notting Hill
• Erin Brockovich
• Lost in Translation
• L'ultimo Bacio
• Love Actually
• Gladiator
• American Gangster
• Man on Fire

Then, Sarah again asked me for a list of

MY FAVOURITE CELEBRITIES

Here you go:

• Edyta Gorniak, a Polish singer, please visit this website and listen to this voice: isn't she amazing??!!!
  
• Jessica Alba (see my previous post)
  
• Michelle Hunziker (beautiful, intelligent and talented: a real Miss Independent)
  
• Leonardo DiCaprio (first I considered him a gorgeous heartthrob: I went to the cinema with my friend M. 3 times to see Titanic and 2 to see Romeo & Juliet but then I grew up and I think he's an outstanding actor with an incredible potential)
• Marilyn Monroe (I know I'm not very original but I really love her for everything she was and everything she did as a person and actress)
• Barack Obama (because he made us believe that WE CAN)
  
• Beyoncé (for her heavenly voice)
• David Beckham (OF COURSE)
• Jennifer Lopez (she can't sing neither is she a great actress but she has THIS something. Definitely.)
• Elisa (another singer and another Italian: I love her for her voice and being descrete and normal like us)

I'm sure that the more I think, the more I can add to those lists. Well, that's what blogging is about: you can always deepen and elaborate on the arguments : )

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How HOW is it possible???

I'm not pregnant, nor I would like to be in the nearest future. Did Jessica Alba think about a downfall in her career when finding out she was pregnant at the age of 26 in the peak of her blossoming career? I don't know. Nonetheless the fact, the baby I mean, didn't at all prevent her from taking part in one of the most amazing Campari campaigns. She gave birth to Honor on June 7 2008 and just after a couple of months she was invited to take part in this wonderful project. But do you really think it is possible to look like this after a nine-month pregnancy??!!


I mean how on earth... And maybe, maybe I could believe it's all about the Photoshop but not after seeing her pictures with Honor taken in the Hyde Park or doing some shopping with her husband... She looks so amazing!!!

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Chanel...

I know I'm being boring but I just couldn't resist... I'm writing about another commercial...

Chanel no.5 has always been a symbol. A symbol of elegance, vogue, grace and luxury. Since 1921 (the year in which the perfume was officially introduced), Chanel invested lots of money promoting its product (even though, to my mind, this particular brand doesn't really need it, I could bet it would sell like hot cakes even without it) asking the most famous actresses like Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet, Estella Warren to become spokesmodels for the fragrance.

Have you already seen the newest Chanel no.5 commercial-film with Audrey Tautou (yes, that's the one who interpreted Amélie in Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain 8 (!!!) years ago)? It's sooo beautiful... Audrey is another person/character here: more sensual and "adult" but her intense look, the brightness and sincerity of her eyes remained the same. As always, I want you to savour the longer version of the commercial (2'20min). If you would like to see the interviews with the actress and the director, visit the official website of Chanel5.

Just after seeing that one, I have to show you the earlier commercial of Chanel no.5 starring Nicole Kidman. Please notice the interesting coincidence: Tautou shot the spot just after completing her newest film "Coco avant Chanel", in which she interpreted no one else but the famous designer. Plus, the director of the commercial is Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the same who directed "Amélie"! On the other hand, we have Nicole who agreed to shoot the commercial just after her famous performance in "Moulin Rouge!" (which became a strong inspiration for the plot of the spot itself) and again, both the film and the commericial were directed by the same person: Baz Luhrmann. By the way, have you known that the three-minute commercial produced for Chanel No. 5 perfume made Kidman the record holder for the most money paid per minute to an actor after she reportedly earnedmillion for the 3 minute advert?!

I think I prefer the one with Nicole. Cannot really explain why... Maybe because I will always associate Audrey with the role of young, naive, sweet Amélie (unfortunately this is an example of so called trap-movies that tend to "trap" an actor in a particular role forever...). Maybe Nicole is more convincing?

And you? Which one do you like more? Please let me know : )

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Celebrities in Italy: No.2 Men

Italian men- who are they…?

To put it in a nutshell,

• According to the market search company Synovate, Italian men are the most handsome rated globally by both males and females (Americans are in second place)
• Mamma’s boys (about a third of Italian males live at home until the age of at least 30).
• They’re macho men, extremely self-confident, who love all sorts of women of all shapes and sizes, of all races and creeds
• Italians flirt like other men breathe - regularly and naturally.
• Very much into their look and fashion.

In this post, I'd like to present two extremes... First 2 of the most handsome Italians I have ever seen (apart from my boyfriend, of course). To my surprise, they are neither actors, not models. Both are wonderful sportsmen.

1. Aldo Montano- according to Wikipedia (born November 18, 1978 in Livorno) is an Italian fencer and olympic champion in sabre competition.
He received a gold medal in sabre individual at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

2.Filippo "Pippo" Inzaghi- according to Wikipedia: (born August 9, 1973) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club A.C. Milan.

These are my two types and proves that Italians ARE really handsome (of course it is just MY opinion, extremely subjective and personal).

There are, on the other hand, (at least) 2 men in Italy who thanks to their courage, originality and uniqueness pulled it off and became famous Italian personalities not only on the professional ground. I'm referring to:

Platinette (tv presenter, journalist and radio DJ) a drag queen who by wearing awkward clothes and wigs brought about an image of sexual ambiguity. Extremely sensitive and thin-skinned, a walking encyclopedia for the Italian music. Not afraid to express the criticism and not afraid to hear it.

Vladimir Luxuria (an actor, showman and politician) She was the first openly transgender member of Parliament in Europe, and the world's second openly transgender MP after New Zealander Georgina Beyer . Luxuria has long been a strong advocate for gay rights and a participator in events promoting equality for homosexuals. She helped organize Italy's first gay pride festival in 1994 and continued her activism throughout her tenure as a politician.

Their success is due to their direct, ironic comments, uncompromising responses and attitude. Of course they both provoke discussions and controversy every time they make a comment about something but I think it's high time we acknowledged that people like them exist and have right to freely express themselves.

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Oscars, Oscars...

I know that today's post was supposed to be the continuation of the Saturdays' one (Celebrities in Italy: Women), but I cannot really not write and not comment on one of the most important nights in the world of entertainment, the Oscars' night. Let me just draw you a picture of my attitude towards the Oscars. Since I was a little girl I couldn't wait to watch this remarkable event on tv and you should know it was a real challenge to stay awake almost all night (yes, the 9 hours of difference make a REAL difference, so you start watching it at about 2.00 a.m. until 6 or 7 a.m. and the same day (morning) you need to drink gallons of coffee in order to be able go to school/work). Therefore I remember quite well coming back from school, having dinner and then going to my best friend's home in order to get glued to the telly. Unfortunately, usually we carefully watched the less important categories and then ended up fast asleep ina comfy armchairs or on a comfy coach at the end of the ceremony when The Best Actor/Actress/Film were pronounced. It was fun, though! The second thing I should underline is that majority of films that are Oscar candidates you can see with a big delay in Europe. More often than not, they arrive after the Oscars were already handed. Consequently it's always difficult for all the cinema lovers to be "fully updated" for the Oscars' night. Nevertheless, this year we were more than lucky and managed to watch most of the films. Let me comment on the verdicts.

1. Best picture: "Slumdog Millionaire". I absolutely agree. This story, so simple and complicated at the same time made me hope that good films can/should be appreciated even though they're not entirely commercial.

2. Lead Actor: Seann Penn in "Milk". I should admit, I didn't have a chance to watch "Milk". I saw Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon", Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" and I really expected that the latter would win. What a pity! Need to watch Milk this week, absolutely!

3. Lead Actress: Kate Winslet in "The Reader". Yes, yes, YES! It was an exquisite performance! On the other hand, I didn't like her in "The Revolutionary Road"... She was quite phoney, don't you think?

4. Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight". It couldn't be different.

5. Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". I liked her, she was cute. Maybe the most conspicuous of all the other nominated roles.

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Celebrities in Italy: No. 1. Women

Tonight sth about celebrities in Italy. Before I start, I think it's crucial to cite a definition of Paparazzo.

According to Wikipedia: "Paparazzi is a plural term (paparazzo being the Italian singular form for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of celebrities caught unaware. Paparazzi take photos of celebrities at moments when the subjects do not expect to be photographed, such as when they shop, walk through a city or eat at a restaurant. (...) The word paparazzi is an eponym originating in the 1960 film La dolce vita directed by Federico Fellini. One of the characters in the film is a news photographer named Paparazzo."

Well, taking into consideration the long history of Papparazzi in this country, you should be aware that celebrities are extremely important public figures in here. Celebrities in Italy are usually very beautiful (there are some exceptions which I'm going to refer to in the following posts), most of them not very smart, and not very "lasting" (they pop up here and there, now and then and afterwards they just disappear forever. You cannot see a programme on tv where a celebrity is not invited to talk (if her/his IQ is high enough) or just to appear and smile (I'm talking e.g. about all these Sunday soccer programmes whose aim is to comment on the ongoing matches).

But there are also exceptions. I would like to show you and present you some of the most beautiful women in this country who proved that their beauty is not only external, but whose ambitions and determination made them real personalities.

1. Rossella Brescia- one of the most famous classical/modern music dancers, actress, TV presenter and radio DJ.

2. Ilary Blasi- an actress, soubrette and tv presenter. Ilary Blasi ranked No. 05 in COED Magazine Online's "50 Sexiest WAGs of World Football. Privately married to an Italian soccer star: Francesco Totti.

3. Michelle Hunziker- well, actually she was born in Switzerland, but has lived in Italy since she was 16 and so built her whole career here. She is an actress, TV presenter, and she released also some music albums. In 2007 she and another well known figure, a female attorney Giulia Buongiorno set up a foundation for physically/mentally/sexually abused women and the underage.

4. Monica Bellucci- I don't think I have to present her...

5. Elisabetta Canalis- maybe not soooo smart (I watched her last interview on tv and should admit she didn't have a lot of interesting things to say) but extremely beautiful.

6. Silvia Toffanin- ok, she participated in Miss Italia and then worked as a soubrette but after she graduated from the Foreign Languages Department (it rings a bell!) in Milan, she started off working as a journalist in the Italian tv. She's just 31 years old but in my opinion she's extremely talented! I love the programme she conducts called Verissimo (it's all about- usually Italian- celebrities).

And last but not least:

7. Maria Grazia Cucinotta- an actress. Many of you remember her for her extraordinary performance in Il Postino. Afterwards she continued her career both, in Italy and the USA. Apart from her acting talent and dazzling beauty, she is famous for her various projects and collaboration with the Unicef.

Ok, that's all in part one. In part two, I'll speak about Italian men. Good night! : )

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