Män som hatar kvinnor/ The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo

Now I've seen the second part of the first episode - The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo - of the adaptation for the movies of Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy - and this time in Swedish (with French subtitles, French television).

I participated, dubbing some characters in the film. More about that below.

I'm not at all impressed - thinking about the good publicity both the books and the film have received - but there are some good acting and some good settings and I would really like to underline 'some', as most of the acting is indeed mediocre.

This goes not least for the main characther Mikael Blomkvist (Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist) but also for a great number of the other actors involved.

Noomi Rapace does indeed impersonate Lisbeth Salander better than Michael does Mikael and she is one of the best actors in the film but she is by no means 'stunning' either.

I also feel that there are flaws when it comes to the direction and sometimes the cues sound somewhat stiff and doesn't at all correspond with the, sometimes, strong sentiments displayed on the screen.

This might have to do with the director - Nils Arden Oplev - or the actors or both.
The mise en scène could have been much more elaborated and executed in a more thrilling way.

Now I feel that the tension disappears, not least in scenes that could have become very exciting and even shocking.

I have read the first book in the trilogy and Aurore all three and they haven't impressed on us. The last one is the least bad, Aurore says.

I will follow the other parts in this trilogy, through French television and I really hope that they display a higher quality than this.

If I could here my voice? Well, as I wrote, I dubbed some voices but to concentrate on that wasn't my goal. I know that I did the voice of one of the furniture removers helping Mikael Blomkvist moving in to the small house near the Vanger family; a police man; a truck driver; some people on 'Stureplan' in the center of Stockholm, talking about the headlines on the newspapers etc. 

In the third and last film, I however participate during a party at the editorial office of the Millenium newspaper.

Verification number two

Today we went through the different parts of the car, exteriorally, including those under the bonnet.
This was - of course - somewhat more difficult than the interior parts and it's very important to give detailed answers, in order not to lose points during the exam.
As the test has changed there are a lot of details the inspectors will look very closely at.
When it comes to driving economically or ecologically, this is required of us (as I wrote in connection to verification number one). The problem - not such a small one - is that none of the teachers or inspectors know what this actually means as they have no schooling concerning this requirement!


(Photo car copied from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8CLISME7gqZWl9yyk_p84D_7tSfyU-Jj-paulVo0exCFhkstAiqTwGk9X5rgs43OOtbcRbj34VQnz3HnkIEpLLoNhCtHUeB9_O_RLGWFTngbFtqTJwb9_LPYmjnAnlPfrCgUSw/s400/Dsc00244.jpg)

Sture Linnér dead

Sture Linnér was a diplomate during many years working close to Dag Hammarskiöld, Secretary-General of the United Nations (1953-61).

The same day Hammarskjöld toke the aeroplane in order to negotiate cease-fire in Katanga, a break-away state of Congo at the time, he told Linnér - who was with him that day - to stay at the spot from where Hammarskjöld embarked, not going with him. He was needed there according to Hammarskjöld.
This saved Linnér's life.

Dag Hammarskjöld

Besides his diplomatic work, Linnér was also one of the foremost Swedish connoiseurs of Greek culture, professor in the greek language and literature.

Aurore and I met him in 2008 at the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm during an evening around the Greek poet Cavafy and his work.

Cavafi

We were invited by the former executive of the Swedish Institute in Paris, Carl-Henrik Svenstedt.

Carl-Henrik Svenstedt

Aurore and Svenstedt knew each other from a mailing list and when Svenstedt needed someone to translate some parts in a book he had written (from Swedish to French), Aurore helped him with this.

Linnér was one of the speakers that evening.

Sture Linnér

(Photo Sture Linnér during his younger years copied from: https://www.fokus.se/2010/04/sture-linner/)

(Photo Dag Hammarskjöld copied from: http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2008/17/6074_120072998712.jpg)

(Photo Cavafy copied from: http://img.poemhunter.com/p/96/6796_b_1667.jpg)

(Photo Carl-Henrik Svenstedt copied from: https://svenstedt.wordpress.com/ch-svenstedt-cv/)

(Photo Sture Linnér during his later years copied from: http://sverigesradio.se/diverse/appdata/isidor/images/news_images/2071/267699_366_250.jpg)

Cinéma Nordique

Today we are leaving for Paris and later on Rouen.

In Rouen we are going to visit the Nordic Film Festival, Cinéma Nordique, a film festival Aurore visited every year between 2000 and2004.

In Paris we are going to attend the meeting with the Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist (Known for the book Låt den rätte komma in or in English; Let the Right One In/Let Me In or in French; Morse), later adapted for the movies by Tomas Alfredsson.

A couple of exhibitions or at least one at the Cinématheque Française.

We are also going to meet my two first cousins once remowed, both living and working in Paris and having so done for ten respective fifteen years. In spite of them being around 35 years old, I have never met them before!

You can read about this on our joint blog.

(Photo copyright: http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/03/09/john_narrowweb__300x393,0.jpg)

The Hurt Locker

Now we know that 'The Hurt Locker' became the most rewarded film and that Avatar didn't win in any of the major categories.

Some say that this was because it had become to commercially succesful but on the other hand, this has never stopped The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences when rewarding films.

I'm however quite satisfied with this development.

The Hurt Locker was of course a film, not only with a current topic but also appealing to an American audience as it more depicts the soldiers being dedicated to their dangerous work in Iraq - not least the bomb disposal expert William James (Jeremy Renner) - not as being a bunch of trigger happy maniacs. This is a guess from my side as I haven't seen this film.

From a french point of view, it was good to see that 'Logorama' by François Alaux and Hervé de Crecy won in the category Best Animated Short Film. Congratulations!

Another positive surprise was that Sandra Bullock won in the category Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film The Blind Side.

This not least as she only a couple of days ago(?) was rewarded the so called Razzi Awards as wors actress in the film All Abolut Steve!

Even if she has acted in some very mainstream and light comedies I think she's a magnificent comedienne and well worth this award - that is to say the Oscar not the Razzi.

(Photo Kathryn Bigelow copied from: http://nighthawknews.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/kathryn-bigelow.jpg)
(Photo Sandra Bullock copied from: https://www.pinterest.com.mx/pin/355643701817633411/?nic=1a)

And the winner is.....

Tonight is the night for the Oscars once more.

For us cinephiles, this is no special evening as it always has been and still is the American Championship of Film - with a few exceptions - with one singular reward for Best Foreign Film.

It's the American Film Industry 'showing off' this night and when it comes to rewards if's often very predictable.

American films are by no means bad but they are seldom innovative and if they are, it's more thanks to those independent directors who still try to develop the Seventh Art into something different, something unique, with a special aesthetics and style, separating them from the mainstream directors whos only goal is to please all and noone - 'all' being the ordinary pop corn-eating film goers; 'noone' being the cinephiles.

Among the nominated films, I'v only seen Avatar and I have written about that film before but on our blog, Aurore's and mine: http://auroregunnar.blogspot.com.

The other nominees are:

The Blind Side, director John Lee Hancock. Seems to be 'the American Dream-Film'. The fantastic country - USA - giving everyone a chance to succeed!?

District 9, director Neill Blomkamp follow the monster-vampire-zoombie-trend we've been living in for a long time now. This trend will probably continue until the 'crisis' in the Western world is over?

An Education, director Lone Scherfig from Denmark, seems to be some kind of Lolita-story but maybe I'm wrong. Might be interesting as Scherfig has made some interesting films before, notably 'Italian for beginners'.

The Hurt Locker, director Kathryn Bigelow, is one of the very talked about films. Very up to date topically. She is somewhat up and down when it comes to her œuvres I think. Strange Days being one of her most interesting films in many ways, also a very 'up to date'-story, topically, at the time.

Inglourious Basterds, director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino can also be a very interesting director but he also has his clear ups and downs. This film seems to be a very mainstream film but I haven't seen it so I shouldn't say.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, director Lee Daniels. A feel good film, depicting the overweight girl being pushed around but in the end becoming 'something' or 'someone'?

A Serious Man, directors Joel and Ethan Coen. This film might be interesting but this statement is only made after reading about it and studying the plot. They have a special aesthetics however the brothers.

Up, director Pete Docter, co-director Bob Peterson. An animated film but I don't know much about it, unfortunately. Fun though that we have an animated film among the best films award. I give the Oscars committee an eulogy for this.

Up in the Air, director Jason Reitman. With George Clooney in one of the roles, this must be a film everyone likes or...? He does have some humoristic talents however, mister Clooney. I was not imprest by Juno by Reitman but this is another film and maybe better. Juno became very appreciated in Sweden and it won the Audience Award at the Stockholm Film Festival in 2007 (besides many other awards around the world).

Then there are all the other prizes but that's another story. Tomorrow we'll see who the winners were.

It's often a great show however, this must be said!

Starts within an hour now.

Vérification number one

Today I made a theoretical test at Auto Ecole Chauvet in La Châtre, concerning the different parts of the car, interiorally.

This meant finding different buttons and indicators and so on.

We were four persons, three young french women and me.

The problem is that I sometimes misunderstand or confuse different words referring to different functions on the car.

The test went well however and now I will wait until I get back from my visits to Paris and Rouen (11-21/3), for another four or five driving lessons, another theoretical test and the examination in april.

New rules concerning the examination has been launched, meaning that the inspectors very closely will look at our 'economical' or 'ecological' driving among other things.

(Photo car copied from: https://www.novaweb.fr/component/expautospro/detail/49229/nos-marques/citroen/ds)

La prisonnière, Clouzot

'La prisonnière' by Henri-Georges Clouzot is an extremely interesting film from many points of view.

We saw it - Aurore and I - in French television tonight.

The story mainly circles around three characters, namely Stanislas Hassler (Laurent Terzieff, the name Hassler surely refering to both 'hustler' and Hasselbladh, the camera constructor), the owner of an art gallery; the artist Gilbert Moreau (Bernard Fresson) and the latters wife Josée (Elisabeth Wiener).

In the gallery, Hassler displays modern art, with fascinating forms shapes and patterns, often mobiles.

In the depiction of the events at the art gallery, the art itself seems to be more alive than the visitors.
Nothing extraordinary perhaps, as a great number of visitors to an art gallery are people with money but no profound interest in art as such.

These art events however becomes real happenings with celebrities and wannabees in every corner.

Gilbert starts flirting with another woman but his wife Josée discover this and in turn she starts meeting Stanislas.
In Stanislas home, filled with art from different parts of the world, Stanislav unfold a somewhat - in other peoples eyes - bizarr interest, photographing women in different subservient situations.
Stanislas is also an emotionally fragile person with recurrent emotional shifts, hidden behind the facade of a man with great self confidence and a big ego.
Although Josée finds it somewhat strange, not least when he invites another woman to pose for him, she stays on, fascinated by this mysterious man.
She is repelled by but on the same time attracted to Stanislas and his model.
Is she a victim or does she let herself be victimized?

What is explored in this film is both the world of art, the superficiality but also dependence, submission, our sexuality, the one we recognize and the one we don't recognize or try to bundle off to our subconscious areas.
The film is filled with colours, mainly red, green and black, in clothes and interiors, this both as an artistic ingredience but not least to express different emotional states, particularly concerning the women and notably Josée.
Between the two men - Stanislas and Gilbert - an interesting discussion concerning fidelity and exploitation of women, or rather one woman, Josée, emerges. Has neither of them treated her good or bad and what parameters should we use to decide this.

Clouzot is a formidable 'painter' when making films, using both the camera movements, angles, colours and music in a very interesting and intriguing way.

I warmly recommend it to those of you who regard yourself being cinephiles.

The Birthday of Frédéric Chopin

Aujourd'hui, nous fêtons le 'deuxième' anniversaire de Frédéric Chopin. 
Selon son acte de naissance, il était né le 22 février mais selon d'autres sources, le 1 Mars.
Les sources indiquant la date ultérieure, estiment que l'acte de naissance est une falsification, donc nous célébrons Chopin aussi bien le 22 février qu'aujourd'hui !    

Today we celebrate the 'second' birthday of Chopin.

According to his birth certificate he was born the 22nd of February but according to other sources the 1st of March.

The latter sources say that his birth certificate is false and therefore we celebrate him both the 22nd of February and today!

(Picture Chopin copied from: https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/culture-loisirs/l-oeuvre-de-chopin-bientot-accessible-gratuitement-sur-internet-1517395019)