Thursday, July 06, 2006

Bad Education


Bad Education
2004

Starring:
Gael Garcia Bernal, Fele Martinez,
Javier Camara, Daniel Gimenez Cacho (II), Lluis Homar
Directed by: Pedro Almodovar
Produced by: Esther Garcia, Agustin Almodovar





Sinopsis
Dos jóvenes se reencuentran en Madrid en los años previos a la década de los ochenta, cuando la ciudad empezaba a respirar por fin un aire nuevo de libertad. Los dos jóvenes se habían conocido siendo niños en la oscuridad de un colegio católico quince años atrás, allí descubrieron la sensualidad, los primeros juegos y el primer odio común hacia esos curas de quienes recibieran esa “mala educación”.
Y es en ese Madrid nuevo y distinto donde los dos jóvenes, director de cine uno y aspirante a actor el otro, recordarán aquellos años juntos y se darán cuenta de todo lo que ha cambiado el país y ellos mismos. Tratarán de reconocerse y de buscar la verdad en los otros personajes de la historia pero, después de tantos años, ni las cosas ni las personas son del todo como parecen.

Referencias
• Es la decimoquinta película de Pedro Almodóvar (Ciudad Real, 1949) tras Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón (1980), Laberinto de pasiones (1982), Entre tinieblas (1983), ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? (1984), Matador (1986), La ley del deseo (1987), Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988), ¡Átame! (1990), Tacones lejanos (1991), Kika (1993), La flor de mi secreto (1995), Carne trémula (1997), Todo sobre mi madre (1998) y Hable con ella (2001).

• Está protagonizada por Gael García Bernal (El punto sobre la i, 5 hombres para Lucy, El crimen del padre Amaro,Y tu mamá también, Sin noticias de Dios, Vidas privadas), al que el director descubrió en Amores perros) y Fele Martínez (Dos tipos duros, Utopía, Hable con ella, Noche de reyes, Tuno negro).




• También interviene Javier Cámara (Los abajo firmantes, Torremolinos 73, Hable con ella, Lucía y el sexo, Torrente, el brazo tonto de la ley), Juan Fernández (La caja 507, Hable con ella, Fausto 5.0, Lucía y el sexo), Daniel Giménez Cacho (Aro Tolbukhin, en la mente del asesino, No somos nadie, Sin vergüenza, Celos), Petra Martínez.

• El guión, escrito por el propio Almodóvar, se basa en un relato corto titulado La visita que el director escribió en la adolescencia.

• El director de fotografía es José Luis Alcaine (La vida de nadie, Al sur de Granada, El caballero Don Quijote, Son de mar, Celos, Pasos de baile, Chica de Río, Sé quien eres), con el que repite Almodóvar tras Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios y ¡Átame!, y la banda sonora está compuesta por Alberto Iglesias (Te doy mis ojos, Comandante, Pasos de baile, Hable con ella, Lucía y el sexo, Todo sobre mi madre, Los amantes del Círculo Polar).

• El montaje, al igual que en las últimas catorce películas del director, es de Pepe Salcedo.
• Está producida por El Deseo, la compañía de los hermanos Almodóvar.
• Inauguró el Festival de Cine de Cannes 2004.
• Fue candidata a cinco Premios del Cine Europeo 2004, los correspondientes a mejor película, director, guión, fotografía y banda sonora.
• Fue candidata al Independence Spirit Award a la mejor película extranjera.
• Consiguió 4 candidaturas a los premios Goya, las correspondientes a mejor película, dirección, dirección de producción y dirección artística.
• El rodaje comenzó el 16 de junio de 2003 y tuvo lugar en localizaciones como Madrid, Valencia, Galicia o Barcelona.

Two children, Ignacio and Enrique, know love, the movies and fear in a religious school at the beginning of the 60's. Father Manolo, director of the school and its professor of literature, is witness to and part of these discoveries. The three are followed through the next few decades, their reunion marking life and death.

“Bad Education” is the twisted tale of two young boys who find solace and love in one another’s company while cooped up in a religious school. Torn apart by a jealous priest who wants little Ignacio for his own, the two wind up forced to go their separate ways.



Gael Garcia Bernal


Biography: Gael García Bernal has been acting since early childhood. He began performing in stage productions with his parents in Guadalajara, Mexico, and later studied at acting at school. Bernal appeared in several plays, soap operas, and short films before his major feature film debut in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Amores Perros," which was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2000. He gained more attention for Alfonso Cuarón's "Y Tu Mamá También,"
where he starred opposite his real-life close friend, Diego Luna. Appearing as Che Guevara in the TV miniseries Fidel, Bernal was cast to play the revolutionary leader again in the 2004 film "The Motorcycle Diaries." He also stars in Pedro Almodovar's "Mala Education" which opened the 2004 Cannes film festival.
Bernal currently stars in two new movies: Jame's Marsh's "The King" (see "The King" photo gallery) and Michael Gondry's "The Science of Sleep" (see "The Science of Sleep" photo gallery). Garcia's most recent film "Babel," directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and co-starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, recently premiered at the Cannes.















Fele Martínez

Fele Martínez es muy crítico con su trabajo y, aunque lo intenta, cuando se ve en la pantalla lo primero que percibe son «los fallos que he cometido». Nacido en Alicante hace 29 años, este actor descubierto en Tesis, la ópera prima de Alejandro Amenábar, con el que repitió en Abre los ojos, estrena hoy la que es su segunda colaboración con Pedro Almodóvar,

La mala educación, donde encarna a un director de cine. «Este personaje me ha hecho madurar tanto que ahora me siento capaz de hacer cualquier cosa», dice Martínez, que el domingo llega al Teatro Romea de Murcia con Sueños de un seductor, obra en la que encarna al alter ego de Woody Allen.






Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Amores Possiveis




Amores Possiveis
(Possible Loves)
(2001)

Cast and Credits
Starring:
Murilo Benicio, Carolina Ferraz, Emilio de Mello,
Directed by: Sandra Werneck
Produced by: Sandra Werneck, Elisa Tolomelli (II), Quanta de Abreau

Carlos, a lawyer, has three different lives but one thing is the same: A dream about ex girlfriend, Julia. Years earlier, Carlos and Julia were supposed to meet at the movies. She never showed up.

The first Carlos is married to his wife, Maria, but is not very happy with his life. The second Carlos is divorced with a son and lives with his male lover. The third Carlos is single with a string of different girlfriends and lives at home with his mother.

Each man is reunited with his love, Julia, but the ending for each man is not what you'd expect.
Amores Possíveis (Possible Loves) is an interesting story of three different possible loves. It is acted out well by the main characters Murilo Benico and Carolina Ferraz who play multiple parts.


I also liked the music soundtrack, which featured songs by musicians like Chico Buarque, Zizi Possi, Ana Carolina, João Gilberto, Paulinho Moska, Bonga, Afro Cuban All Stars and much more.

MURILO BENÍCIO


Makes his North American film debut in Woman on Top. He is one of Brazil's most popular young film and television stars, and has been featured in several South American motion pictures.

The actor most recently starred in director Sandra Werneck's Amores Possiveis, where he plays two different characters caught in a love triangle. He also has starred in Carlos Diegues' stylish romance Orfeu, set against a backdrop of slums in Rio de Janeiro. He made his feature film debut in the 1995 historical drama O Monge e a Filha do Carrasco.

He has a son, Antonio, with the actress Alessandra Negrini. He was born in 1996
He knew he wanted to become an actor after watching a movie of Charles Chaplin when he was 8.

His favorite book is "Don Quijote" by Cervantes.
Likes watching movies at home.
Listens to the music of Phill Collins, Talking Heads, Simply Red and U2.
He will marry his girlfriend, actress Giovanna Antonelli, in 2005

Cut a piece of his tooth off to play Juca Cipó in "Irmãos Coragem".

Lived with the actress and TV presenter Carolina Ferraz.

[24 May 2005] His son with girlfriend Giovanna Antonelli, a baby boy named Pietro, born in Rio de Janeiro.

Emilio de Mello

Actor
2006 - O Veneno da Madrugada
2004 - Cazuza - O Tempo Não Pára
2003 - Lara
2002 - Querido Estranho
2000 - Amores Possíveis
1998 - Villa-Lobos - Uma Vida de Paixão
1996 - Nos Tempos do Cinematógrafo (curtametragem)
1993 - Veja Esta Canção
1989 - Fora da Estrada (curtametragem)
1988 - City´s Life

Premiaes
- No Prêmio Adoro Cinema Brasileiro 2005 ganhou na categoria Melhor Ator Coadjuvante, por Cazuza.

Curiosidades
- Ator, formado pela Escola de Arte Dramática de São Paulo E.C.A./U.S.P, Universidade de São Paulo.

- Curso de reestruturação do movimento com o Prof. Ivaldo Bertazzo. Curso de dança clássica com o Prof. Marcos Verzani. Curso de consciência corporal com o Prof. Klauss Vianna. Curso de Direção Teatral na Escola de Comunicações e Artes da U.S.P., Universidade de São Paulo. e Curso de dança de salão com o Prof, Jaime Arôxa;
- Formado em língua francesa pela Aliança Francesa do Rio de Janeiro.
- Participa da oficina teatral Refinaria de Atores com aulas ministradas por Amir Haddad, Camila Amado e Lucas Chiavatta.

Transamerica


Transamerica
(2005)
USA

CAST & CREW

Director:
Duncan Tucker (feature debut)

Screenwriter(s):
Duncan Tucker (feature debut)

Cinematographer:
Stephen Kazmierski (You Can Count on Me)
Tom Camarda

Actors:
Felicity Huffman
Kevin Zegers
Fionnula Flanagan
Elizabeth Peña
Graham Greene
Burt Young

SYNOPSIS

Plot:
Bree, a highly educated transsexual woman who passes as a G.G. (a genetic girl), lives in a poor section of Los Angeles, working two jobs to save money for her final sexual reassignment surgery. When she receives a phone call from Toby, a jailed teenage runaway looking for his father, she’s shocked to discover that a fumbling heterosexual encounter during her life as a man resulted in a son. Bree's instinct is to turn her back on the past but her therapist insists she must confront it, withholding legal permission for Bree’s final operation until she has met the boy.

Bree grudgingly dips into her precious operation fund and flies to New York to bail Toby out of jail. Released to her without explanation, Toby assumes from Bree’s conservative appearance that she’s a Christian missionary who rescues street people by converting them to Jesus. Bree lets this misconception stand. When she learns that the grubby, disheveled Toby intends to skip bail and hitchhike to L.A. to break into X-rated videos and search for his real father, Bree panics. She doesn't want him to interfere with her plans for a safe, quiet new life. She offers him a ride across country, secretly plotting to abandon him with the stepfather he ran away from. Toby accepts her offer, accustomed to adults offering him favors in exchange for sex.

As each lies to and manipulates the other, Bree and Toby find themselves traveling across the heartland of a continent on an unexpected journey-TRANSAMERICA


Felicity Huffman

Born December 9, Felicity Huffman, the youngest of eight children, studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and at NYU's Circle in the Square. Felicity Huffman stars as Dana Whitaker, the strong and quick-witted producer of "Sports Night," who is trying to elevate the upstart Continental Sports Channel's program to victory over that other cable sports network, in Imagine Television and Touchstone Television's new half-hour comedy series, "Sports Night," for ABC. Felicity Huffman describes her character as "a woman who lives for the show. She's really dedicated and single-minded -- sort of a cross between Goldie Hawn and a Doberman pinscher," Huffman joked.

Working with Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme has been a great experience for Felicity Huffman. "It is such an honor to be acting with a writer of the caliber of Aaron," she enthused. "And then there's Tommy -- I'd take a bullet for those guys". "Sports Night" is Huffman's first leading role in a comedy series. Felicity Huffman has guest-starred on "Law & Order," "Chicago Hope," and "The X-Files," among others. Her feature film credits include "Hackers," "Reversal of Fortune," and "Things Change," as well as the recently released "The Spanish Prisoner."

Felicity Huffman is also a long-time member of New York's Atlantic Theater Company, which is where she met her husband, actor and cofounding member William H. Macy ("Fargo," "ER"). Felicity Huffman has appeared on Broadway in "Speed the Plow" and off-Broadway in "Cryptogram," for which she won the 1997 Obie Award -- she credits David Mamet (co-founder of the Atlantic Theater Company) for giving her such a wonderful character to play. Felicity Huffman's other off-Broadway credits include "Dangerous Corner," "Oh, Hell!" and "Boy's Life." Most recently, Macy directed her in "The Joy of Going Somewhere Definite" at the Atlantic Theater. In her spare time, Felicity Huffman is an avid reader and enjoys being outdoors and playing a variety of sports, but confesses she doesn't follow any professional sports. Felicity Huffman and Macy reside with their dog, Walter Wallingford, in Los Angeles and have an apartment in New York.

Kevin Zegers

Kevin Zegers, actually Kevin Joseph Zegers, was born on September 19, 1984 (that makes him a Virgo) in Ontario Canada. Kevin Zegers has two sisters Katie and Krista, and his parents Jim and Mary Ellen. Kevin Zegers's very first movie is "Life with Mikey" and his most recent is Dawn of the Dead (april 2004), a remake of the film about zombies.

Kevin Zegers hopes to "maybe direct someday. I also want to get into Sports Medicine and maybe travel with a professional team as a trainer." Kevin's advice to young actors: "Three years after I started acting, I went a whole year of auditioning like crazy and didn't get booked on any of them. Just when I wanted to quit, I landed a lead in a film and haven't stopped working since."

Kevin Zegers wants to have a degree to become either teacher or doctor after his acting career. "I need something to fall back on. I see me doing this for a while, but I want to have a family and kids someday, and I don't think this industry has a very good family atmosphere," he says. "When all is said and done I'm going to be living in Canada with a wife and kids, hopefully." Kevin Zegers would never work in a factory. And he wants to have three kids!