This week I finally got around to watching Frances Ha, which was co-written by Greta Gerwig who also stars in the film. I loved it - it was fun, a tiny bit awkward and surprisingly sincere, and I can't wait for her new movie to come out.
I'm hoping Mistress America is as real and as Woody Allen-esque as her first film, which had the best soundtrack. Here's the trailer:
Her first movie made me think about what Girls could be, where the leading lady is endearing and earnest while she's still trying to work things out, and I was surprised to learn that Gerwig once auditioned for Gossip Girl.
Do you like Miranda July? I'm a big fan of the wildly imaginative artist, writer and director and have just finished her new book, The First Bad Man.
Like her earlier films and books, The First Bad Man is packed with offbeat characters who are surprisingly relatable at times. There are some beautiful and hard truths in this novel, and while I found it a bit perverse to begin with, it became a tender story about falling in love and becoming a parent that I didn't want to end.
I've been trying to save money and borrowed a copy from the library but I will probably cave soon and buy it, to complete my collection of Miranda July books :) And just for fun, here's a clip that came out with her 2011 film The Future. I loved it, talking cat and all:
I am a big Studio Ghibli fan and a few weeks ago I watched director Hayao Miyazaki's final feature film The Wind Rises and loved it.
It's a beautiful, surprising and heart-wrenching movie that I cannot recommend enough. The film didn't make it to the cinema in Wagga Wagga and I spent a few Sydney trips trying to catch it. Interestingly, I'm yet to find any Studio Ghibli films to rent on iTunes, which has been a good excuse to build my DVD collection.
The Wind Rises tells the story of Jiro, a young boy who dreams of building aeroplanes who grows up to be a gifted but somewhat reclusive aeronautical engineer. In between the two world wars, Jiro is entrusted to work on a special project and builds a plane that is ultimately used in World War Two.
If you're worried about watching a movie about planes, don't worry, it's a love story too. And while it's more of a historical drama and one of the least fantastical of Miyazaki's films, it is still manages to be totally magical, funny and moving. Its depiction of earthquakes is particularly amazing.
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness makes excellent companion viewing, it's a documentary that follows Hayao Miyazaki as he works on The Wind Rises and contemplates retirement. The way he works is pretty fascinating (he doesn't plan the story out first but lets it unfold as he storyboards and writes the film) and if you're tempted to watch this before The Wind Rises, just know that it is packed with spoilers!
If you haven't watched a Studio Ghibli movie before I can recommend starting with My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo and Spirited Away in Japanese with English subtitles :)
