Posted on 29/11/2006
Filed Under (At work, Travel) by simone

View from penthouse 10th St. looking 3rd Ave.

This is posted from a penthouse in 10th street. I’ve just landed today and will stay here for a little more than a week, for work. Our American offices moved from mid-town to SOHO, and the new location is very nice. Lots of oriental people walking down the streets, artist studios, a relaxed atmosphere. I’ve also been to the Apple Store. I’m not a fan of apples, but I must admit it’s been an impressing experience. Now I’m a bit tired, I woke up 24 hours ago! More infos and pictures in the next days, promised!

UPDATE: this is picture is what I see from the penthouse balcony, looking to east.

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Posted on 05/11/2006
Filed Under (Movies) by simone

Philippe Noiret

This week in Florence there has been France Cinema, a festival dedicated to french movies. This year’s edition was dedicated to world class actor Philippe Noiret, an actor that both France and Italy literally love. I’ve had the opportunity to watch several movies, and Zazie dans le métro is just one of them. As soon as I have time I’ll write something on Coeurs, definitely a masterpiece.

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Posted on 05/11/2006
Filed Under (Movies) by simone

Zazie dans le metroLouis Malle authored this movie in 1960, starting from the experimental work that made Raymond Queneau famous the previous year. Yes, this is the same author of Excercises de style, the book where the same short story is repeated in 99 different styles.

Zazie is an 8-years-old high-energy dirty-talking metro-loving terrific girl, always spitting out horrific insults but somehow still so cute. Her mother wants to stay a weekend with her lover, so she brings Zazie to Paris and drops her off to uncle Gabriel, a professional drag queen interpreted by wondeful Philippe Noiret. No matter the ongoing strike, Zazie wants to try the metro, so she finds the way to escape custody and starts to wander around exploring the city, meeting unlikely characters.

I love surrealism and this movie is one of the most surreal thing I’ve ever seen. Several scenes were shot at 12 or even 8 fps, with main actors playing at half or one third speed while everything on the background looks hilariously accelerated. It’s so deliberatively absurd you can hardly believe what you find yourself staring at. Mustn’t miss it.

*****
Zazie dans le métro,
France 1961, by Louis Malle, Comedy
with Catherine Demongeot, Philippe Noiret
IMDB 54494

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Posted on 02/11/2006
Filed Under (At work, Sunset) by simone

sunset new office

We moved our office to a new building. This is what we see from the window.

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