Sunday, June 28, 2009

French Movies, Oui Oui.

Nana, played by Anna Karina

I have finished watching Jean Luc Godard's 'Vivre sa vie' (Live your life). It's a bittersweet movie; Nana, a 22 year old Parisian, dreams of becoming an actress. She dabbles in theater but life is hard, Nana cannot afford to pay rent and she never seems to make ends meet. She starts selling her body and meets Raoul, a local pimp. He takes her under his wing and explains to her the rules of the streets. Follows; financial abundance and a forced contentment.
Nana is a dreamer; she is sweet and kind, she dances wildly whilst laughing out loud, cries at movie screenings...
She is definitely not the streetwalker stereotype we usually see in motion pictures. Nana's daily get up is a cardigan sweater, a knee lentgh skirt, topped with a long black coat. 'Vivre sa vie' itself isn't a movie that casts judgment about les filles de rue, it simply presents a hopeful young woman who takes a detour in life that many women have taken before and after her.
Jean Luc Godard portrays Nana so beautifully, with scenes where a lover reads Edgar Poe, the camera steady on her bewildered expression. The actress is Anna Karina, Jean Luc Godard's wife (at the time). It's an oldie, shot in 1962, I believe.
I'm working until 6pm, then I am heading to Cinema du Parc for a screening of Soderbergh's 'The girl friend experience'. The actress is a 21 year old porn star, who's a fan of Jean Luc Godard. I'm very curious to see her performance as the reviews are favorable.
'Vivre sa vie' has left me in a state of uber-contentment. My creative juices are flowing, I had to pause the movie a couple times so I can work on a story (Single girl) I am currently writing.

La vie est très belle.

Patricia, played by Jean Seberg

Another muse; Jean Seberg. She was an American actress, her turbulent personal life almost out shadowed her filmography. I am yet to see a full performance but I am puzzled by her. She's such a classic beauty, perhaps it is the rebellious pixie cut. She is one of Jean Luc Godard's 'women', she played an American student/aspiring journalist in 'A bout de souffle' (Breathless). She had a very 'English' accent when speaking french, it threw me off. I don't like it, to be honest, I rather a smooth Parisian slang.

2 comments:

Lion-ess said...

French the language for lovers... I love French accents.. I had a crush on my French boss... he's weird looking with a sexy accent and a very eccentric fashion sense... velvet suits...

When next will you be in Paris?
Can't wait to read another of your short stories.

gone! said...

Cool!