If you live according to nature, you will never be poor; but if you live according to [public opinion], you will never be rich.”
Epicurus (34-270 BC)
Ville-Marie…
Oh, I have so much to talk about since my last post but for now can I just say every time I come to Montréal, I fall more and more for the city? It’s freezing cold but the vibe warms you deep inside… Even tough it’s only a one-night business trip, strangely being here makes me kind of special and in love…
I’ll talk to you very soon… We have so much to catch up my friends!
S
L’anniversaire – 2008
I blew out my first candle last night and this time with my precious ones around me… When it comes to making a wish part, I usually wish for others and not me… The question that comes to my mind is, who then wishes for me? Is it others who do so, or my own fate and destiny regardless of wishes? Whether we believe it or not, our lives are unfolding according to a design that was set at the time of our birth…
Therefore, my lovely readers, I am going to let fate take its course and forget about heading off in a new direction… I reckon I’ve been so far on the right path…
I will blow more and more candles… and I will still wish for you, for him, for her, for them, for us… and for me!
S
Paul Newman (1925-2008)
“You only grow when you are alone.”
…
“A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in colour and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used.”
Conversation #22
– I’m trying to write but I can’t get started. There are no more good ideas.
– Don’t be silly. The world is full of them.
– “How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world.”
– That’s good. Write that down!
…
“People don’t change when they see the light. They change when they feel the heat.”
— adage, quoted in the New York Times
TIFF ’08 | The End of the Era
OK gang, TIFF ’08 is all finished and I have to admit that it was one of the best I’ve been to in the last 8 years of my existence in Toronto… Here comes some personal reviews and food for thought:
More than a decade ago when I first saw her performance in “The English Patient”, I thought, wow, she is one hell of an actress… Last week I had the privilege to see her in person at the screening of “Il y a longtemps que je t’aime“, which easily jumped right into my top ten list of the best movies ever… Kristin Scott Thomas‘ strong performance proved once again her ability to capture the audience’s attention, which I reckon matches well with her character in real life too… She is British, but speaks French flawlessly (as one of the people in the audience rightly stated during the Q&A session)… Also present was the director of the film who, in my opinion, did an incredible job and showed his pride towards Kristin… he even considered her French accent “delicious”!
“The Wrestler” was also a great film with its main protagonist played by the Hollywood bad boy, Mickey Rourke… I mean, I always thought he was the villain in all his movies and was kind of annoyed with his characters most times… I do apologize, Mr. Rourke… You proved me wrong on this… Marisa Tomei also gave yet another respectable performance… The movie became disturbing at some point, but definitely worth it…
“My Mother, My Bride and I” was my last movie of the festival… A German movie with a very simple yet soft story… I’m not particularly a big fan of the German cinema, but this one closed my 2008 festival experience with a big smile 🙂
S
TIFF ’08 | French Marathon
This year I started off the festival by a couple of French films over the weekend…
“L’empreinte de l’ange” was a drama… The main character, played beautifully by Catherine Frot, got on your nerves until you found yourself liking and sympathizing with her towards the end of the film… Some scenes seemed almost too wondrously unreal, until you realized the story was based on a true event… The acting of the two French ladies, Sandrine Bonnaire included, was strong and beautiful, making the whole movie experience even more rewarding.
More to come…
S
…
“People are always talking about originality; but what do they mean? As soon as we are born, the world begins to work upon us, and this goes on to the end. What can we call our own except energy, strength and will? If I could give an account of all that I owe to great predecessors and contemporaries, there would be but a small balance in my favour.”