Entry tags:
Films and Feasts
In recent weeks I have had the opportunity to see a few good films on the silver screen; specifically The Grand Budapest Hotel with ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
caseopaya at the slightly dilapidated Palace Balwyn. The film is beautiful, charming, funny, and in a nostalgic way, a little sad as well, as a glimpse to an idealised another time. Two other recent films have been through ACMI Cinematheque, dedicated to screening oft-forgotten classics. In this instance, attending with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
recumbenteer, watched the Soviet-era classic, Solaris, deeply immersive and psychedelic science fiction. The other viewing were from a Luis Bunel feature, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, and The Exterminating Angel. Both dealt with the trivial and hypocritical aspects of the upper classes in an absurd manner. The latter was particularly amusing when various technical problems recreated the psychology of the film in the audience itself.
Feasted on Tuesday evening at Quanjade Peking Duck Restaurant for the annual dinner of the Australia-China Friendship Society, which Anthony L., is president of the Victorian branch. A relatively small gathering, attendees included an expected collection of politicians and diplomatic staff. Guest speaker was former Victorian Premier John Brumby, who spoke extremely well on the sheer scale and importance of Chinese development and was able to impress with his sheer knowledge of facts and figures at hand. Took the opportunity to have a brief chat with him; it had been quite a while since we've conversed and thanked him for his role in setting up VPAC.
Another episode of cheesequest withser_pounce, hathhalla, and caseopaya saw the consumption of one of the oddities of the skit - czechoslovakian sheep's milk cheese. Specifically I went for a Slovakian orthodox Easter feast with savoury and sweet hrudka with paska, along with a main of bryndzove halusky and chicken paprikash.
caseopaya at the slightly dilapidated Palace Balwyn. The film is beautiful, charming, funny, and in a nostalgic way, a little sad as well, as a glimpse to an idealised another time. Two other recent films have been through ACMI Cinematheque, dedicated to screening oft-forgotten classics. In this instance, attending with recumbenteer, watched the Soviet-era classic, Solaris, deeply immersive and psychedelic science fiction. The other viewing were from a Luis Bunel feature, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, and The Exterminating Angel. Both dealt with the trivial and hypocritical aspects of the upper classes in an absurd manner. The latter was particularly amusing when various technical problems recreated the psychology of the film in the audience itself.Feasted on Tuesday evening at Quanjade Peking Duck Restaurant for the annual dinner of the Australia-China Friendship Society, which Anthony L., is president of the Victorian branch. A relatively small gathering, attendees included an expected collection of politicians and diplomatic staff. Guest speaker was former Victorian Premier John Brumby, who spoke extremely well on the sheer scale and importance of Chinese development and was able to impress with his sheer knowledge of facts and figures at hand. Took the opportunity to have a brief chat with him; it had been quite a while since we've conversed and thanked him for his role in setting up VPAC.
Another episode of cheesequest with
ser_pounce, hathhalla, and caseopaya saw the consumption of one of the oddities of the skit - czechoslovakian sheep's milk cheese. Specifically I went for a Slovakian orthodox Easter feast with savoury and sweet hrudka with paska, along with a main of bryndzove halusky and chicken paprikash.
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I think the genre is controversial enough in terms of what people consider includable or not that we can agree to disagree, but a quick Google search for Grand Budapest Hotel and magic realism comes up with enough reviews to show there's significant numbers who feel it is =)
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Email me. :)
... but a quick Google search for Grand Budapest Hotel and magic realism comes up with enough reviews to show there's significant numbers who feel it is
I searched for "magical realism" "Grand Budapest Hotel"
The first hit is The Miniatures Page forum comment that says "Grand Budapest Hotel created a whole world for the characters to inhabit, and within its constraints the Magic Realism used to drive the story feels natural rather than forced."
The second is a brief review in the The Escapist "I think it sets out to do: distance the viewer from the story in such a way as to create a verisimilitude of literary magic realism". Good lord, what is that author trying to say?
The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth hits were referring to the two search phrases independently, but just so happened to be on the same page.
The seventh hit actually had a relevant reference: , Anderson infuses a very real period of turmoil and societal evolution with his trademark brand of magic realism. But of course that's not an argument that it is magical realism, just an assertion.
At that point, I felt I'd done enough for five minutes :)
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In The Discreet Charm the distinction between reality and dreams within dreams within a stage play is completely broken down through recurrence, whilst in The Avenging Angel a household becomes a prison by which nobody can enter or leave even to the point of thirst and starvation.