OSS 117 is a French secret agent, with the wonderfully absurd name of Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, who is the central character of an astonishing number of French spy novels cranked out by Jean Bruce (91 books), his widow Josette (143 books) and two of her children (24 books). The family must have owned a magical sausage-making/novel-writing machine. The first book came out in 1949 and a series of films based on the books was made in the 50s and 60s. (Thank you Wikipedia.)
When a group of French filmmakers decided to reanimate Agent OSS 117 in 2006, they brought him back to make fun of him, and they succeeded. Although they don’t cop to it in the DVD extras, they had to have seen Don Adams in the “Get Smart” TV shows, since OSS 117 exhibits the same level of totally unjustified self regard as Maxwell Smart. The 2008 film version of “Get Smart” got rather mixed reviews from the critics, so if you’re hankering for idiot spies go directly to OSS 117.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Tell No One
This French thriller (in French, “Ne le dis à personne”) was one of the few films Mme Le Chef and I saw in a theater last year and we enjoyed it very much. We recently watched it again on DVD and it wasn’t diminished in any way. We were amused that after two viewings we still couldn’t follow every twist and turn in the plot, but that doesn’t matter.
The film is by Guillaume Canet and is based on an American novel by Harlan Corben. It’s peopled with well delineated characters who are played by an excellent cast. Our hero, the beleaguered Dr. Beck, is played by François Cluzet, who bears an unfortunate resemblance to a young Dustin Hoffman, but is a good enough to make us forget that. The other main male actors are also excellent but the actresses are amazing.
In one film you get both Kristin Scott Thomas and Natalie Baye in supporting roles. These are two of the best actresses on the planet. You also get the delicious Marie-Josée Croze and, in a small role, an unknown actress named Mikaela Fisher. She’s on screen for maybe five minutes and establishes one of the scariest villains I’ve seen in a long time. The actress is freaky looking; skinny, wiry, elongated, androgynous. I can’t tell if it’s really good type casting or good acting but her character is one of things you’ll surely remember about the film.
Intelligent, entertaining thrillers are far rarer then they should be, so if you haven’t seen “Tell No One”, put it on your Netflix queue (svp).
The film is by Guillaume Canet and is based on an American novel by Harlan Corben. It’s peopled with well delineated characters who are played by an excellent cast. Our hero, the beleaguered Dr. Beck, is played by François Cluzet, who bears an unfortunate resemblance to a young Dustin Hoffman, but is a good enough to make us forget that. The other main male actors are also excellent but the actresses are amazing.
In one film you get both Kristin Scott Thomas and Natalie Baye in supporting roles. These are two of the best actresses on the planet. You also get the delicious Marie-Josée Croze and, in a small role, an unknown actress named Mikaela Fisher. She’s on screen for maybe five minutes and establishes one of the scariest villains I’ve seen in a long time. The actress is freaky looking; skinny, wiry, elongated, androgynous. I can’t tell if it’s really good type casting or good acting but her character is one of things you’ll surely remember about the film.
Intelligent, entertaining thrillers are far rarer then they should be, so if you haven’t seen “Tell No One”, put it on your Netflix queue (svp).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
We Are Not Alone, Unless Maybe We Kinda Are
When Madame Le Chef was getting her undergraduate degree at San Francisco State, she was lucky enough to take classes from both Debra Fischer and Geoff Marcy. Since then these two astronomers, along with Paul Butler, have discovered 70 of the first 100 planets orbiting other stars. This past Saturday, Professors Fischer and Marcy gave a talk, which Mme Le Chef and I attended. It was very interesting.
Professor Fischer first explained the techniques (very ingenious) and the difficulties of detecting extrasolar planets and then Professor Marcy discussed current views on microbial life on “Earthlike” extrasolar planets and “technological” life (us) on same. There seems to be a strong consensus among exobiologists that microbial life is extremely likely to exist on “Earthlike” extrasolar planets and a growing feeling that “technological” life on those planets might not be very common at all.
The reason that basic life is thought likely is that there are many organisms on Earth that live in environments no less harsh than those on other planets. Prime examples are the algae and other organisms found in the boiling, sulfuric-acid laden water of the Yellow Stone geysers.
The reason for the growing doubt about numerous technological civilizations out there, is the total lack of evidence for their existence. Project SETI has been listening for alien transmissions for 40 years and has heard nothing. We have mapped the surfaces of the Moon and Mars and found zero alien probes or observation posts and, despite the claims of legions of whack-a-doodles, the same goes for Earth. There are numerous telescopes, with sensors across the entire spectrum of energy, looking out into space and there are no positive results---not even some gamma rays from a matter/antimatter drive.
Of course in order for us to detect another technological society, its time frame would have to overlap with ours and that could be very difficult. Professor Marcy did not get into our species’ history but I was struck by the thought that agriculture was only developed 10,000 years ago and cities were settled only 4000 (or perhaps 6000) years ago. In that short time (from a galactic point of view) we overpopulated the planet and developed multiple technologies that could destroy us. We could pop on and off the possible alien sensors when no one is looking, and so could they.
During the question period someone asked the “what if” question. What if the aliens weren’t like us and so we would not recognize their emanations. Professor Marcy revealed his Star Trek fanboy status by replying, “Yes, like the Horta.” He then pointed out that there are many creative people who can think of many possibilities but that as scientists they have to narrow things down so they can search for indications that are detectable with our current instruments. It’s up to the Horta to reveal themselves.
Professor Fischer first explained the techniques (very ingenious) and the difficulties of detecting extrasolar planets and then Professor Marcy discussed current views on microbial life on “Earthlike” extrasolar planets and “technological” life (us) on same. There seems to be a strong consensus among exobiologists that microbial life is extremely likely to exist on “Earthlike” extrasolar planets and a growing feeling that “technological” life on those planets might not be very common at all.
The reason that basic life is thought likely is that there are many organisms on Earth that live in environments no less harsh than those on other planets. Prime examples are the algae and other organisms found in the boiling, sulfuric-acid laden water of the Yellow Stone geysers.
The reason for the growing doubt about numerous technological civilizations out there, is the total lack of evidence for their existence. Project SETI has been listening for alien transmissions for 40 years and has heard nothing. We have mapped the surfaces of the Moon and Mars and found zero alien probes or observation posts and, despite the claims of legions of whack-a-doodles, the same goes for Earth. There are numerous telescopes, with sensors across the entire spectrum of energy, looking out into space and there are no positive results---not even some gamma rays from a matter/antimatter drive.
Of course in order for us to detect another technological society, its time frame would have to overlap with ours and that could be very difficult. Professor Marcy did not get into our species’ history but I was struck by the thought that agriculture was only developed 10,000 years ago and cities were settled only 4000 (or perhaps 6000) years ago. In that short time (from a galactic point of view) we overpopulated the planet and developed multiple technologies that could destroy us. We could pop on and off the possible alien sensors when no one is looking, and so could they.
During the question period someone asked the “what if” question. What if the aliens weren’t like us and so we would not recognize their emanations. Professor Marcy revealed his Star Trek fanboy status by replying, “Yes, like the Horta.” He then pointed out that there are many creative people who can think of many possibilities but that as scientists they have to narrow things down so they can search for indications that are detectable with our current instruments. It’s up to the Horta to reveal themselves.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
In Bruges
Martin McDonagh’s screenplay for this movie was nominated for an Oscar, demonstrating that the Academy gets some things right from time to time. He also directed it. It’s his first feature and it’s good, very dark and very funny.
The actors playing the three principal characters, who are all professional killers, are excellent. Colin Farrell plays Ray, who’s a bit dim, but has enough going on upstairs to be racked by guilt for killing an innocent bystander in an assassination gone wrong. Brendan Gleeson plays his partner/handler Ken, who’s worn down and sad but is trying to enjoy the Medieval wonders of the Belgium town of Bruges, where the two are hiding out. Ralph Fiennes plays their boss, Harry. Speaking of things Medieval, Harry is the exemplar of the Choleric humor. He’s full of wrath.
The other characters are equally well written and well played by actors unknown to me. They include a local drug dealer (Clémence Poésy), her client (Jordan Prentice), who’s a dwarf actor with a particular interest in Ketamine and also all other known recreational drugs. There’s also the pregnant owner (Thekla Reutan) of the hotel where Ray and Ken are staying. The latter radiates a degree of probity and goodness not seen since Chief Marge Gunderson squeezed her pregnant body into a police cruiser in “Fargo”.
There’s actually a tiny bit of probity in each of the three killers as well, which causes them to act against their own pure self-interest. This quality makes us care about them (or at least about Ray and Ken) at the same time that we are laughing at this company of clowns. This is a clever, enjoyable movie.
The actors playing the three principal characters, who are all professional killers, are excellent. Colin Farrell plays Ray, who’s a bit dim, but has enough going on upstairs to be racked by guilt for killing an innocent bystander in an assassination gone wrong. Brendan Gleeson plays his partner/handler Ken, who’s worn down and sad but is trying to enjoy the Medieval wonders of the Belgium town of Bruges, where the two are hiding out. Ralph Fiennes plays their boss, Harry. Speaking of things Medieval, Harry is the exemplar of the Choleric humor. He’s full of wrath.
The other characters are equally well written and well played by actors unknown to me. They include a local drug dealer (Clémence Poésy), her client (Jordan Prentice), who’s a dwarf actor with a particular interest in Ketamine and also all other known recreational drugs. There’s also the pregnant owner (Thekla Reutan) of the hotel where Ray and Ken are staying. The latter radiates a degree of probity and goodness not seen since Chief Marge Gunderson squeezed her pregnant body into a police cruiser in “Fargo”.
There’s actually a tiny bit of probity in each of the three killers as well, which causes them to act against their own pure self-interest. This quality makes us care about them (or at least about Ray and Ken) at the same time that we are laughing at this company of clowns. This is a clever, enjoyable movie.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
The Guttering Candle of Memory
In my memory Lee’s chicken was “Krispy” or, more specifically, “Krispy (Spicy)”. I just looked at their web site and it’s merely “Crispy Spicy”. How can they be missing the opportunity to use the wonderful American word “Krispy”? Unless, perhaps, that word is owned by another corporation. Krispy Kreme!?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Krispy Reality
Faithful readers may recall my paean last June to the wonders of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. I was just back in Richmond VA and this time remembered to take a picture of one of the emporia of “Krispy” delight. Now back in San Francisco I was about to post the picture when I decided to see what kind of online presence Lee’s has. I had assumed it was a small Richmond chain so I was taken aback by a very slick corporate web site.
It turns out that Famous Recipes, INC. has hundreds of Lee’s outlets around the country (and in Trinidad!?). I admit I’m a little disappointed. The fantasy of the funky little local chain is much more attractive than the reality of a medium sized corporation but the Krispy chicken is just as good, even if it’s not a hidden treasure.
It turns out that Famous Recipes, INC. has hundreds of Lee’s outlets around the country (and in Trinidad!?). I admit I’m a little disappointed. The fantasy of the funky little local chain is much more attractive than the reality of a medium sized corporation but the Krispy chicken is just as good, even if it’s not a hidden treasure.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Waltz with Bashir
I, along with almost all the rest of the American movie audience, have avoided the recent, undoubtedly earnest, Hollywood efforts about the current war in Iraq or, more specifically, about our servicemen and women returning from there. I’m going to wait until we’ve actually gotten out of that hideous morass before I check to see whether someone can manage to produce an artistic response to it.
It’s been almost 27 years since the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and that was enough time for Ari Folman to make an amazing work of art about that war.
“Waltz with Bashir” is a strange but wonderful hybrid. It’s an animated, autobiographical documentary filled with dreams and visions. Its mix of black humor and pop music is worthy of some of the more successful parts of “Apocalypse Now”.
The main character is Ari Folman and we see him as the 19-year-old Israeli Defense Force conscript he was then and as the middle-aged man he is now. A friend who served with him in Lebanon tells him about his own recurring dream of the war and Folman realizes that he has no memories of the war and just one dream about it -- a dream of bathing in the Mediterranean at night with two other soldiers, all naked but still armed with their assault rifles. They are looking back at Beirut and watching illumination rounds exploding over high-rise apartments.
The plot of the film is his search for his lost memories. He listens to a lot of fellow veterans’ stories before he recovers his own. I highly recommend this film.
It’s been almost 27 years since the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and that was enough time for Ari Folman to make an amazing work of art about that war.
“Waltz with Bashir” is a strange but wonderful hybrid. It’s an animated, autobiographical documentary filled with dreams and visions. Its mix of black humor and pop music is worthy of some of the more successful parts of “Apocalypse Now”.
The main character is Ari Folman and we see him as the 19-year-old Israeli Defense Force conscript he was then and as the middle-aged man he is now. A friend who served with him in Lebanon tells him about his own recurring dream of the war and Folman realizes that he has no memories of the war and just one dream about it -- a dream of bathing in the Mediterranean at night with two other soldiers, all naked but still armed with their assault rifles. They are looking back at Beirut and watching illumination rounds exploding over high-rise apartments.
The plot of the film is his search for his lost memories. He listens to a lot of fellow veterans’ stories before he recovers his own. I highly recommend this film.
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