Friday, December 29, 2006

The Top Ten Movies of 2006

Looking over the standouts of this year’s movie releases it occurs to me that this was a year in film that had a social, political, and cultural conscience. I would argue that all movies have at least an inkling of a political or social agenda, but this year it is particularly overt, with ambitious cultural films like Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel that links Mexican, Moroccan, Japanese, and American life in one narrative thread, to a lighter (much lighter) film like Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (directed by Larry Charles), a look at American culture that is so in-your-face that it is brilliantly embarrassing, and hilarious.



This year one of history’s greatest directors died, Robert Altman, who in his final film, A Prairie Home Companion, showed us a slice of Midwestern manner and life. Zhang Yimou gave us Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, that is premised on cultural clashes among language, physical space, and differences in human manner. Will Farrell even took a jab at Southern and rural Nascar culture in Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and we saw the creation of Dave Chappelle’s hip-hop concert, a virtual tour through black hip-hop culture set smack in the heart of Brooklyn, in Block Party (directed by Michel Gondry).



It was also a year of historical films. Paul Greengrass’s United 93 and Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center took us back to 9/11, for a look at the terrorist attacks of 5 years ago, and neither try to create context for the events; in the eyes of these two films September 11th is a picture of the day as it happened, but from new perspectives. Greengrass’s picture doesn’t sentimentalize the event in the same way as WTC, in fact it does not at all, which in my view is what makes United 93 as devastating and intriguing as it is. Nonetheless, Oliver Stone surprised us all when he took a break from his typical myth-laden revisionist history approach, which often descends into very entertaining conspiracy theory, and simply told a story with a gentle, albeit sentimental, voice.



In the same vein of anti-revisionist history was Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers (and I suspect Letters from Iwo Jima despite not having seen it yet— it does not open in Chicago until January.) I carefully tread on this term “anti-revisionist” because the film does provide a new perspective on WWII, that of the soldiers who raised the flag on the mountain of Iwo Jima; but it seemed careful to retell the event as plainly as it could, to expose the audience to an historical period that is slowly (and quite literally) dying out of America’s collective conscience. Looking back on my notes from when I saw Flags in October, I felt that this was a picture of events previously unseen, it is history first seen. The film works more like a memoir of the soldiers than a secondary historical document, with flashbacks that take us to the carnage of the days on Iwo Jima that are not a part of our collective understanding of the war. The image we have, and indeed that of the American public immediately following the soldiers’ return to the States, is of bravery and glory. Surely the soldiers are brave, but there is no sense of glory for them as they recall the circumstances of that famous photo being snapped. It is the memories, the unseen history of the soldiers who pushed that flag up that are absent from historical record, and Eastwood gives them substance, with integrity and grace.



Amidst theses historical pictures were still more. The Queen took us to the inside quarters of the royal family in the days following Princess Diana’s death, and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, though lacking in substance, comes close to redeeming itself in style as it reexamines the life of the French ruler. There were smaller independent pictures like 10 Items or Less that showed us the differences in social behavior between the wealthy in Los Angeles and its poor ethnic residents; it was a film made quietly with earnest dialogue, and subtle discoveries of the mundane. Children of Men flash forwards to a dystopia where human reproduction and civilization are on the brink of extinction. Always showing us pictures from the present, like newspaper clippings and pictures that reference today’s involvement in Iraq, for instance; Children gives us a vision of what our political actions now may yield in the future.



There are a handful of exceptions to this politically active and culturally aware year in film. Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain gave us a dizzying and sublime picture of eternal love that peels back years of emotion in the efficiency of seconds; in its crisp framing of images that is the border to something even bigger, The Fountain is a film of frames-within-frames, of seamless infinity. Martin Scorsese’s The Departed brought us back to his classic street gang gore that he is famously known for. His aesthetic technique, I would argue, is unchanged since the days of GoodFellas (1990) (and perhaps even earlier), and yet his stories still intrigue. By the time of The Aviator (2004) I started to look at Scorsese’s style as old hat, but there is too much gravity to his films, particularly The Departed to dismiss it as anything less than great (a fact that is undoubtedly helped along by the outstanding performance of Leonardo DiCaprio).

And Pan’s Labyrinth (which I saw less than an hour before the time of these writings) is a gorgeous and gory landscape that blends fairy tale and reality into one dimension; it is all at once spooky and mystical, frightening and yet full of wonder.



But at the top of the list is Michael Mann’s Miami Vice. Though Mann’s picture takes us to exotic locales and shows us the workings of a culturally and ethnically diverse city like Miami, the film’s primary purpose is to reveal the dark side of undercover culture, which is much unlike the glossy pastels of Miami Vice the television series (where Mann is credited as producer and sometimes-writer). Mann proves his creative versatility with his expert use and inventive technique of digital technology; 2004’s Collateral showed us his first (and rather stunning) use of digital equipment, and this year he has out-maneuvered the men’s club of filmmakers around him with his subtle narrative, and his forward-thinking embrace of new technology. This year Mann proved himself as an evolving director that responds to the ever-changing world of filmmaking, without compromising the poetry of his characters and story, and the unspoken beauty of their motion.



I give you my top ten movies of 2006:

1. Miami Vice (Michael Mann)
2. Flags of Our Fathers (Clint Eastwood)
3. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón)
4. The Queen (Stephen Frears)
5. Volver (Pedro Almodóvar)
6. Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro)
7. Inside Man (Spike Lee)
8. Dave Chappelle’s Block Party (Michel Gondry)
9. United 93 (Paul Greengrass)
10. The Departed (Martin Scorsese)


Honorable Mentions: A Prairie Home Companion (Robert Altman), Mission: Impossible III (J.J. Abrams), Scoop (Woody Allen), Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (Zhang Yimou), Off the Black (James Ponsoldt), The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky), Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola), Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Larry Charles).

A few caveats: I could shed a tear that I haven’t seen David Lynch’s Inland Empire. As a huge fan of Lynch I know his latest epic would have a spot on my list, so you will have to grant me freedom to amend the top ten once Inland makes it to my city. Also, two other films that I had high hopes for but was unable to see are both Private Fears in Public Places (Alain Resnais) and Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul). Additionally, with all of his generosity, Mike Lyon has sent me a copy of Colossal Youth (Pedro Costa), which I have yet to view. I will be watching it in the next week, and if it turns out to be as fantastic as it is rumored, watch out for yet another amendment to my top ten.

Check out the Top Ten listings at Rob Sweeney and Matt Singer's site (with special guest Alberto Zambenedetti), at Termite Art; Michael Anderson, Lisa Broad, and Vicente Rodriguez-Ortega over at Tativille; and Mike Lyon at Fourteen Seconds, for the full picture of the greatest films of 2006!

Happy New Year!

The Good German - 2006 - Film

Thursday, December 28, 2006

The Good Shepherd - 2006 - Film

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Babel - 2006 - Film

Monday, December 18, 2006

David Denby has a great review of this movie--check it out!

Children of Men - 2006 - Film

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Directed By: John Ford - 1976/2006 - TCM broadcast

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Barnyard - 2006 - DVD

Saturday, December 16, 2006



Read about the wrath of Barnyard at Cinema Blend.

There is a misconception among adults that children’s movies are unintelligent and that an animated flick with talking animals is inferior to the over-eighteen crowd by virtue of their grown-up sophistication. Sadly, it is precisely a cartoon like Barnyard that upholds this attitude...

United 93 - 2006 - DVD

Friday, December 15, 2006

The Matador - 2006 - DVD

Friday, December 15, 2006

The Fountain - 2006 - Film

Thursday, December 14, 2006


Despite much of The Fountain's criticism as being discombobulated in its structure of interconnected stories, I enjoyed getting lost in the scenery. Nor have I seen imagery so artful that it is almost a scientific equation. Sorry, folks, that I don't have more notes. Too many movies in one day.

Statistics - 2006 - DVD

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - 2006 - Film

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Borat: A True American Hero


...and creepy in weird thong-unitard


An honorable mention for one of the best 10 movies of 2006.

Red River - 1948 - DVD

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

I saw this by accident. In the chaos of my Netflix queue I bumped it into the list of to-see John Ford movies. It is, of course, not directed by John Ford, but by Howard Hawks, and might be the most homoerotic Western I've seen. Not that that's bad.

Here's a picture!

The Queen - 2006 - Film

Sunday, December 10, 2006



It's been awhile since I've seen this. Alas! I'll omit the comments I promised. Do note that it made the Top Ten of 2006.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Paris Finale

Some last words on Paris. Walking around knowing that you had nothing pressing to do but just to enjoy yourself for the last two days in Paris is a luxury.

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This must be like the millionth time I've mentioned the LV store, but this time I actually have something interesting to share besides how awesome I think it is. From now until some time soon (not sure when) there is a Louis Vuitton Exposition on the 7th floor in the LV building. Very few people know about it, just go in through the scary official looking side entrance and they'll take you up a completely black elevator (seriously, black felt covered with NO LIGHT) and drop you off at the exposition where they have awesome displays of LV coolness, like this hot air baloon hanging bag, flat screen suitcase, the MJ room, the Vuitton bag columned terrace, sleek designs, LV wallpaper...totally gorgeous.

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Another thing I loved about Paris was the food. And since I have a sweet tooth, the chocolatiers especially. There is Pierre Herme here, where I bought this delicious chocolate lollipop thing (right) with caramel inside.

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The Maison du Chocolat. I had high expectations for this after all the raging from my friends. The chocolate cake was delicious.


But my favourite was the Jean Paul Hevin which I had with HG. We sat down and each had a chocolate cake. They were completely DIVINE.

Another thing I had with HG was this very good valued 6 course meal for 38 euros off Lourmel. It came first with a pumpkin mousse thing.

Then a soup.
Duck and Foie Gras (i still have not acquired the taste for it)
Scallops and lobster thingys thats like small prawns which I cannot remember the thing of. Lagoustine? Well anyway, this was my favourite.

Shephards pie, which was better then I expected. And the my friend had deer meat (right) which i heard tasted "not bad"
Cheese and a chocolate cake which was so good I forgot to take a picture of.

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At night, may I suggest the bar at the Hotel Plaza Athenee where they filmed Sex and the City? We didn't even realise it was here. But the decor was totally chic (although the drinks were all a whooping 24euros!)

For something slightly cheaper, there is the Mandalay Club(did I spell it right?), which is a restuarant and a club (after 12ish). Cover charge is around 20euros with a drink including. But then you can stay there all night...where you can head over to Quick afterwards for a quick bite!

On my last day, I spent 5 hours on the Eiffel Tower (the lines are horrendous!!!) and 1 hour taking pictures of and with it from the Grand Palais area where this gorgeous bridge is. It also sparkles for 10 minutes every hour. And that concludes my adventures in Paris. Goodbye Paris!

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Christmas 2006: Friends and Parties

Many people have asked us to write about what to wear to Christmas parties with friends and family. So this post is about what clothes would be great for casual partying with your friends. Personally, I think jeans and a pretty top is the best outfit. While this may seem casual for some people, I think overdressing is the worst thing one could do, so stick to the basic combo!

So the key to making the outfit is the incredible top. Barneys Girl and I have been obsessed with silk lately because we think it makes a top look really classy. Another great thing about a cool going out top is that you can wear it for so many occasions afterwards. Anyways, so here are some tops that I like:



Bright, bold colours are definitely good choices -fashionable and eye-catching. Tops by Sunner (left) and Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent (right).

Another bold colour but for the cool skin tones, blue. Tops by Nieves Lavi (left) and Top Shop (right).

Pretty, casual kimono tops by Urban Outfitters.

These two tops are perfect for office parties or say, nice Christmas dinners. Tops by Marc by Marc Jacobs (left) and Rebecca Taylor (right).

With the androgynous look being all the rage this season, you could def try that look for parties. I love the tops above. They just give off this really cool (and slightly unfriendly) vibe. Tops by Rachel Roy (left) and Top Shop (right).

It is winter afterall, so some people may prefer long sleeves. That's absolutely fine as long as the tops don't look too stuffy and have nice details on them, like the flowy sleeves in the top by Foley for Foley + Corinna (left) and the serious prettiness of the top by LaROK.

Pictures from topshop.com and shopbop.com.

So, keep an eye out for that oh-so-incredible top!

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

BG Shop's Intuition!

So as a treat for myself I decided to do some virtual shopping over at Intuition, and here is what I would get if money was no object.

This fabulous looking leather cropped jacket from Mike and Chris. I've been wanting a cropped jacket and a leather jacket lately. This one has both. It looks so cool. For something more classic, there is this hoody pinstriped blazer from True Religion, which I think would be great for looking smart in a sec.

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Then there is this awesome striped boyfriend sweater from Cristi Conaway. The stripes are cool yet somewhat different from all those one sees on the streets lately. This black sweater here (right) is plain (so it matches everything) with just the right amount of feminine deatils to make it interesting.

The perfect winter shorts. Here we have Charlotte Ronson short shorts and tweed gaucho shorts. I think they are both at the perfect most flattering length.

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For the night, I am lusting after this sexy Yumi Kim scoop back shirt. And I just LOVE the back pocket of Brown Label jeans, they look interesting yet flattering. Unlike the True Religion ones which in my opinion just makes the butt look big.

I know these are the same style, but the beige one with the floral trim is great for the day and the black one is just polished enough for the night. I'd like them both please!

For evening wear, I am still crazy about silk dresses. I think these two grey/silvery ones are gorgeous for a winter's night out. Matches the snow, you know? LOL.

To hats, I rather like these knit berets, because they remind me of the ones Melrose was wearing in ANTM. Even though they said it was trying too hard, I thought they looked cute. And this beanie here is just classic.

I am a sucker for hoops. I am loving these double hoops and tear drop hoops. Oh and this Love Letter Ring is just soo adorable. You can get it personalised with your special someone's alphabet on it!

Other random things I like are these O Deer! patent black slingbacks, this Mike & Chris wide belt and this adorable looking Devon travel case.

Aren't these all just oh-sp-tempting? In case you'd like to do some actual shopping at Intuition, right now you can get 20% off your purchase by entering the code "FASHIONISTA." Oh and they're even offering free gift wrap with every order- perfect for the holidays *hint*hint*!

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

FW06 Trend: Tunics and Smocks

OK, so first of all, those of you lovely readers who cheak in regularly may have noticed that our blogging has been a bit... off, timing wise. Here's what's up with Barney's Girl's and my life: Last weekend, both of us packed up and flew back home to Hong Kong from London and Paris. I arrived home to my newly refurnished home and room, which was piled with everything I own, so I literally had to jump over boxes and stacks of books to get to my bed and desk. So obviously, I've been busy putting everything away and finishing the refurnishing (still lots to finish up on). Today, Lane Crawford's sale (the equivilant of Saks) had just begun so I spent some time doing very important shopping. As for Barney's Girl, she landed in HK on Monday, dumped her luggage home and went straight to the eye doctor, Bobbi Brown counter and hair salon, where I mamanged to catch a quick chat with her for 10 minutes. Then last night, she flew off to Australia for a family vacation. See, we were SO busy that I spent less than half an hour on the Internet in the past few nights, which is just weird for me.

So anyways, onto tunics and smocks. According to British Elle, the definition of smocks is 'a cute, loose shirt that stands away from the body.' I wasn't bothered to check what tunics meant, but I think we can just think of them as long tops (which aren't as loose.) Both tops are long and brilliant to wear with skinny jeans (or mini skirt with full leggings).

Chloe is one of the main reason for the trend. Cute and babydoll-like.

Marc Jacobs is another brand that does such tops, although Marc Jacobs' is darker and not quite as cute.

Tunic by Sunner. Such a fantastic top -you can wear it casually or for a nice night out.

This very casual long vest by Velvet is great for super casual wear. It feels sort of LA-ish. A great way which I've learnt to make tops like this less casual, or simply to add more city-feel is to add a blazer over it. I mean, this must be the reason why designers made so many great cropped jackets and blazers this season -to go with all those long tops!

Top Shop as usual, makes loades of trendy yet affordable tops. I bought this one last week in my Bye-Top-Shop-For-One-Month shopping spree. I love those big buttons and the rib design. It's also another top perfect for me to roll out of bed, put on and run to (enter next desination).

Here's another smock by Top Shop.

Mark and Estel have some very simple, long flowy tees, which are also great for the look. This brand is now relatively known thanks to MKA Olsen wearing shirts by the brand a while ago.

For those who like the trendy, preppy look, wear a mini polo dress with jeans. The one above is by T.

Some of the tops are quite 'flared' so may make you feel like a preganat woman. One way to make this better is to wear a belt around the waist. (The belt should go around the narrowest part of your waist.) The belt will even instantly add style points!

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