Full Article Text
May 18, 2008Cannes Day Three -- Woody Allen, MikeTyson and the RumbaNo, sadly, Woody Allen and Mike Tyson did not do the rumbaon the red carpet at Cannes. In a day pretty lacking in queercontent, about the best I can offer is old footage of Mike Tysonberating a heckler at a press conference back in his boxing glorydays and ironically calling the man a faggot while insistingTyson will f--- him in the ass in front of everybody.Un Conte de Noel/A Christmas Tale -- The day began with "AChristmas Tale," an extremely French drama about a family (tocall it "dysfunctional" would be redundant, no?) that gatherstogether for the holiday. Two and a half hours long andfeaturing Mathieu Amalric of "The Diving Bell and theButterfly" and the beautiful, enigmatic Catherine Deneuve,about the most amusement one gets from it is the casual way allthe characters treat affairs. A very familiar story of long-heldresentment, secrets and so on, enlivened somewhat by anexcellent cast.It's Hard Being Loved By Jerks -- The Trial -- A Frenchdocumentary shot while the editors of a French satiricalmagazine were on trial for re-publishing the Danish cartoonsthat poked fun/mocked/defamed Islam and the prophetMuhammed (take your pick) and after much prodding andexaggeration and lies (including the widespread disseminationof cartoons that were NOT created by the Danish cartoonistsand which were intentionally created to shock and angerMuslims since the genuine cartoons had sparked no widespreadoutrage in the Muslim world) ultimately engendered angrydemonstations and murders around the world. The film isstrictly talking heads, but the heads talking are voluble andentertaining and the subject itself is fascinating (yes, they doshow both the genuine cartoons and the false ones).Rumba -- One of the movies I've most anticipated at Cannes.Visit our other sitesAdvocate.comOut.comOutTraveler.comPopnographyAdvocate GenQMr SardonicAdvocate InsiderOut.com StyleListHereTV.comGayWired.comAdvertisement
CategoriesBingham Cup 2008BooksCannes 2008Cannes Film FestivalCelebsCoachellaComic-Con 2007Current AffairsFashionFilmIs a man capable of being faithful to onewoman?
Doubtful
Definitely
Highly Unlikely
Advocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
1 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
It's from the team behind the little seen "L'Iceberg," one of myfavorite films of 2007. In the spirit of Keaton and Chaplin andJacques Tati, "L'Iceberg told a nearly wordless tale of a womanaccidentally locked into a walk-in freezer overnight whobecomes obsessed with icebergs and leaves her family to sail forone. Hilarious physical comedy and a winning, guileless take onthe world (as well as the charms of gawky lead actress FionaGordon who looks like a Canadian version of Shelley Duvall),"L'Iceberg" is well worth renting on DVD. Having urgedeveryone I know to watch it, I was thrilled to see their newmovie (co-written, co-directed and starring Gordon, herhusband Dominique Abel and their friend Bruno Romy) wasshowing. It may not have quite the breezy charm of their debutfilm, but "Rumba" is sweet and fun nonetheless, with Gordonand Abel a happily married couple who teach at a school andwin every rumba contest in sight. A car accident causes Abel tolose his memory and Gordon her leg, which leads to someamusing bits both with crutches and a weighty replacement forher appendage. They are separated but it's in little doubt thattrue love will triumph. NOTE: After thinking about the film fora while, I had to admit I was being a bit generous. I woulddefnitely want someone to see "l'Iceberg" rather than startingwith this. It has its charms but there's no engine, no obsessionthat really drives these characters forward. The rumbacomeptitions are also misleading -- though goofy dances serveas time-filling interludes, the dancing doesn't play an importantrole. For example, once the man's memory is lost, it would havemade sense for them to reconnect some way via dance. But thatdoesn't happen and the damcing falls quickly by the wayside.There is still charm to spare in this movie and it certainly givesyou the flavor of what they do. But the plotting and motitvationisn't as tightly worked out this time. Still, can't wait to see theirnext movie and every time I saw Fiona walking around the festI wanted to rush up and start chatting because I felt like I knewher.Vicky Cristina Barcelona -- The new Woody Allen and thisbeing France the screening is mobbed, despite the fact thatAllen has made about one decent film in the last decade.Happily, "VCB" is not bad, almost as good as the solid but notgreat "Match Point." That alone is a relief for a director who hasmade so many weak, uninteresting or just plain awful moviessince 1992's terrific "Husbands and Wives" that you couldactually see his once towering reputation get lowered with eachnew release. In this romantic comedy that gains a littleemotional heft towards the end, two young American women --Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall -- head to Barcelona forFilm FestivalsFood and DrinkIowa Caucus 2008LesbianMusicOutfest 2008PartiesPoliticsProvincetown Film Festival 2008Queen Mary 2 Historic CrossingReligionScienceSexSportsSydney Mardi Gras 2008Taylor Hanson for The AdvocateTelevisionThe DinahThe HRC Logo ForumThe L WordTheaterTravelRecent PostsMTV Video Music Awards... Cheap, Or What?Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles: 30 Years YoungEric McCormack Auctions Off Porsche for ProjectAngel FoodWhat is the Advocate Insider? On 90210!OUTFEST REVIEW: Another Gay SequelAwards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, and Mama"Sordid Lives" Screens to a Sold-Out CrowdOUTFEST REVIEW: The World UnseenOUTFEST REVIEW: The Lost CoastOUTFEST REVIEW: Eleven MinutesRecent Commentscelebrity picture on OUTFEST REVIEW: The LostCoastvimax on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamapenis enlargement pills on Michael Guest is all smilespenis enlargement on Michael Guest is all smilespenis enlargement on Amman SegregatesLou on Cruise programming we missed...michaelj72 on "XXY" -- Another Terrific Queer FilmAt Cannesvigrx on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamaAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
2 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
the summer. Vicky (Hall) is uptight and focused oncommitment. Cristina (Johansson) is a sensualist. They bumpinto a tempestuous painter (Javier Bardem) who had afamously violent divorce from the ex-wife he is still obsessedwith. They both sleep with him, Johansson moves in andeventually of course his ex-wife arrives in the hilarious form ofPenelope Cruz. She plays one of Allen's classic unhingedwomen (see Husbands and Wives, Crimes and Misdemeanors,etc.) and is very, very funny here, jumping back and forthbetween Spanish and English, which somehow makes hertantrums even more amusing. A menage a troi soon developsand we get a flashback to Johansson and Cruz kissingpassionately in a photography darkroom, though they are neverseen in bed together. It all flits by pleasantly, even the ever soslightly serious ending. Don't expect to be wowed, but youwon't be embarrassed by it either.Tyson -- A James Toback documentary that presents boxerMike Tyson as a deep thinker. Beyond the silly shots of theboxer strolling on a beach and offering philosophical musings,the movie is an interesting portrait of the man's life. Ithumanizes Tyson, who is quite self-aware and self-critical,though calling him noble, as Toback did, or trying to insist he'scomplicated is a stretch. Tyson isn't remotely complicated. He'sa poorly educated kid from a very poor background whobecame fabulously wealthy and famous and then -- like so manyothers -- frittered it all away in drugs, sex, boorish evencriminal behavior and sheer stupidity (bad contracts and thesuch). Tyson does take responsibility for his actions, though hestill doesn't have anything but bitter words for the woman hewas convicted of raping in the 90s. On the other hand, most ofthe film is just Tyson talking on camera and given his lisp,high-pitched voice and propensity for mangling vocabulary, it isvery notable that the film is in fact engaging and interesting. Iwouldn't have imagined Tyson could hold forth at length. Thedeepest he gets in analysis is to say he was surrounded byleeches and that he and Robin Givens were just kids, but still.Among the many boxing and interview clips, we get to seeTyson's harangue at a heckler during a press conference wherehe repeatedly uses homophobic slurs (because of course that'sthe worst thing he can imagine), telling a man off camera thathe'll "fuck you in the ass in front of everybody, you faggot" andon and on. That makes his cameo in "Black and White" whereRobert Downey Jr. hit on him all the more amusing.Finally, I have to wonder: why was Tyson greeted with a roar ofapplause by the French crowd at the premiere? Polite applause?Sure. But frankly I expected director James Toback -- who has avimax on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamaomar on Amman SegregatesArchivesSeptember 2008July 2008June 2008May 2008April 2008March 2008February 2008January 2008December 2007November 2007September 2008SunMonTueWedThuFriSat 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930 Subscribe to this blog's feedAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
3 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
distinguished career -- to get more applause from a bunch ofcineastes. But fame apparently trumps all.Posted at 11:43 PM in Cannes 2008 | PermalinkTrackBackTrackBack URL for this entry:http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341ca4b653ef00e55234aebc8833Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Cannes Day Three --Woody Allen, Mike Tyson and the Rumba:CommentsOne of the other publications is conducting a poll on which song theypropose as an anthem for Pride 2008.It seems to me that the are being frivilioius in a time when there is aneed to focus. It's been a long and winding road, the victories havebeen sweet and hard fought and further struggle lies ahead throughNovember. These may well be the "Best Days", but there are moreahead.More fitting then is Graham Colton's "Best Days" and I have made amusic video in that regard.Please let me know what you think.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG78RzXEOdo~GARi-~~Posted by: GShotsTV | June 04, 2008 at 05:42 AMVerify your CommentPreviewing your CommentPosted by: | This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
Post
Edit
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:Your comment has been posted. Post another commentThe letters and numbers you entered did not match the image.Please try again.As a final step before posting your comment, enter the lettersand numbers you see in the image below. This preventsautomated programs from posting comments.Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
Continue
Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines |Legal NoticeAdvocate.com © 2008 Regent Entertainment Media Inc. AllAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
4 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
Rights Reserved.
Advocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
5 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
CategoriesBingham Cup 2008BooksCannes 2008Cannes Film FestivalCelebsCoachellaComic-Con 2007Current AffairsFashionFilmIs a man capable of being faithful to onewoman?
Doubtful
Definitely
Highly Unlikely
Advocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
1 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
It's from the team behind the little seen "L'Iceberg," one of myfavorite films of 2007. In the spirit of Keaton and Chaplin andJacques Tati, "L'Iceberg told a nearly wordless tale of a womanaccidentally locked into a walk-in freezer overnight whobecomes obsessed with icebergs and leaves her family to sail forone. Hilarious physical comedy and a winning, guileless take onthe world (as well as the charms of gawky lead actress FionaGordon who looks like a Canadian version of Shelley Duvall),"L'Iceberg" is well worth renting on DVD. Having urgedeveryone I know to watch it, I was thrilled to see their newmovie (co-written, co-directed and starring Gordon, herhusband Dominique Abel and their friend Bruno Romy) wasshowing. It may not have quite the breezy charm of their debutfilm, but "Rumba" is sweet and fun nonetheless, with Gordonand Abel a happily married couple who teach at a school andwin every rumba contest in sight. A car accident causes Abel tolose his memory and Gordon her leg, which leads to someamusing bits both with crutches and a weighty replacement forher appendage. They are separated but it's in little doubt thattrue love will triumph. NOTE: After thinking about the film fora while, I had to admit I was being a bit generous. I woulddefnitely want someone to see "l'Iceberg" rather than startingwith this. It has its charms but there's no engine, no obsessionthat really drives these characters forward. The rumbacomeptitions are also misleading -- though goofy dances serveas time-filling interludes, the dancing doesn't play an importantrole. For example, once the man's memory is lost, it would havemade sense for them to reconnect some way via dance. But thatdoesn't happen and the damcing falls quickly by the wayside.There is still charm to spare in this movie and it certainly givesyou the flavor of what they do. But the plotting and motitvationisn't as tightly worked out this time. Still, can't wait to see theirnext movie and every time I saw Fiona walking around the festI wanted to rush up and start chatting because I felt like I knewher.Vicky Cristina Barcelona -- The new Woody Allen and thisbeing France the screening is mobbed, despite the fact thatAllen has made about one decent film in the last decade.Happily, "VCB" is not bad, almost as good as the solid but notgreat "Match Point." That alone is a relief for a director who hasmade so many weak, uninteresting or just plain awful moviessince 1992's terrific "Husbands and Wives" that you couldactually see his once towering reputation get lowered with eachnew release. In this romantic comedy that gains a littleemotional heft towards the end, two young American women --Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall -- head to Barcelona forFilm FestivalsFood and DrinkIowa Caucus 2008LesbianMusicOutfest 2008PartiesPoliticsProvincetown Film Festival 2008Queen Mary 2 Historic CrossingReligionScienceSexSportsSydney Mardi Gras 2008Taylor Hanson for The AdvocateTelevisionThe DinahThe HRC Logo ForumThe L WordTheaterTravelRecent PostsMTV Video Music Awards... Cheap, Or What?Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles: 30 Years YoungEric McCormack Auctions Off Porsche for ProjectAngel FoodWhat is the Advocate Insider? On 90210!OUTFEST REVIEW: Another Gay SequelAwards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, and Mama"Sordid Lives" Screens to a Sold-Out CrowdOUTFEST REVIEW: The World UnseenOUTFEST REVIEW: The Lost CoastOUTFEST REVIEW: Eleven MinutesRecent Commentscelebrity picture on OUTFEST REVIEW: The LostCoastvimax on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamapenis enlargement pills on Michael Guest is all smilespenis enlargement on Michael Guest is all smilespenis enlargement on Amman SegregatesLou on Cruise programming we missed...michaelj72 on "XXY" -- Another Terrific Queer FilmAt Cannesvigrx on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamaAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
2 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
the summer. Vicky (Hall) is uptight and focused oncommitment. Cristina (Johansson) is a sensualist. They bumpinto a tempestuous painter (Javier Bardem) who had afamously violent divorce from the ex-wife he is still obsessedwith. They both sleep with him, Johansson moves in andeventually of course his ex-wife arrives in the hilarious form ofPenelope Cruz. She plays one of Allen's classic unhingedwomen (see Husbands and Wives, Crimes and Misdemeanors,etc.) and is very, very funny here, jumping back and forthbetween Spanish and English, which somehow makes hertantrums even more amusing. A menage a troi soon developsand we get a flashback to Johansson and Cruz kissingpassionately in a photography darkroom, though they are neverseen in bed together. It all flits by pleasantly, even the ever soslightly serious ending. Don't expect to be wowed, but youwon't be embarrassed by it either.Tyson -- A James Toback documentary that presents boxerMike Tyson as a deep thinker. Beyond the silly shots of theboxer strolling on a beach and offering philosophical musings,the movie is an interesting portrait of the man's life. Ithumanizes Tyson, who is quite self-aware and self-critical,though calling him noble, as Toback did, or trying to insist he'scomplicated is a stretch. Tyson isn't remotely complicated. He'sa poorly educated kid from a very poor background whobecame fabulously wealthy and famous and then -- like so manyothers -- frittered it all away in drugs, sex, boorish evencriminal behavior and sheer stupidity (bad contracts and thesuch). Tyson does take responsibility for his actions, though hestill doesn't have anything but bitter words for the woman hewas convicted of raping in the 90s. On the other hand, most ofthe film is just Tyson talking on camera and given his lisp,high-pitched voice and propensity for mangling vocabulary, it isvery notable that the film is in fact engaging and interesting. Iwouldn't have imagined Tyson could hold forth at length. Thedeepest he gets in analysis is to say he was surrounded byleeches and that he and Robin Givens were just kids, but still.Among the many boxing and interview clips, we get to seeTyson's harangue at a heckler during a press conference wherehe repeatedly uses homophobic slurs (because of course that'sthe worst thing he can imagine), telling a man off camera thathe'll "fuck you in the ass in front of everybody, you faggot" andon and on. That makes his cameo in "Black and White" whereRobert Downey Jr. hit on him all the more amusing.Finally, I have to wonder: why was Tyson greeted with a roar ofapplause by the French crowd at the premiere? Polite applause?Sure. But frankly I expected director James Toback -- who has avimax on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamaomar on Amman SegregatesArchivesSeptember 2008July 2008June 2008May 2008April 2008March 2008February 2008January 2008December 2007November 2007September 2008SunMonTueWedThuFriSat 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930 Subscribe to this blog's feedAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
3 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
distinguished career -- to get more applause from a bunch ofcineastes. But fame apparently trumps all.Posted at 11:43 PM in Cannes 2008 | PermalinkTrackBackTrackBack URL for this entry:http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341ca4b653ef00e55234aebc8833Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Cannes Day Three --Woody Allen, Mike Tyson and the Rumba:CommentsOne of the other publications is conducting a poll on which song theypropose as an anthem for Pride 2008.It seems to me that the are being frivilioius in a time when there is aneed to focus. It's been a long and winding road, the victories havebeen sweet and hard fought and further struggle lies ahead throughNovember. These may well be the "Best Days", but there are moreahead.More fitting then is Graham Colton's "Best Days" and I have made amusic video in that regard.Please let me know what you think.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG78RzXEOdo~GARi-~~Posted by: GShotsTV | June 04, 2008 at 05:42 AMVerify your CommentPreviewing your CommentPosted by: | This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
Post
Edit
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:Your comment has been posted. Post another commentThe letters and numbers you entered did not match the image.Please try again.As a final step before posting your comment, enter the lettersand numbers you see in the image below. This preventsautomated programs from posting comments.Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
Continue
Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines |Legal NoticeAdvocate.com © 2008 Regent Entertainment Media Inc. AllAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
4 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM
Rights Reserved.
Advocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/05/cannes-day-thre.html
5 of 57/22/09 4:19 PM