The Film of Memory is a much better title than "A Matter of Time", isn't it? Especially with those prissy quotation marks. The former is the title of the novel by Maurice Druon which became the latter, Vincente Minnelli's last film.
Samuel Z. Arkoff's American International Pictures is a long way down from the Freed Unit at MGM, and however you cut it, this is a movie you have to make allowances for. A film out of time, a film about nostalgia which is itself a product of that impulse: set in a supremely unconvincing 1949 (location shots of 70s Rome feature copious non-period extras and automobiles), its heroine harkens back to a pre-wwi, prelapsarian paradise, while Minnelli himself is harking back to, well, 1949 or thereabouts, the period of his cinematic heyday.
Minnelli populates his movie with one great 40s star, Ingrid Bergman (as senile countess recalling her glorious...
Samuel Z. Arkoff's American International Pictures is a long way down from the Freed Unit at MGM, and however you cut it, this is a movie you have to make allowances for. A film out of time, a film about nostalgia which is itself a product of that impulse: set in a supremely unconvincing 1949 (location shots of 70s Rome feature copious non-period extras and automobiles), its heroine harkens back to a pre-wwi, prelapsarian paradise, while Minnelli himself is harking back to, well, 1949 or thereabouts, the period of his cinematic heyday.
Minnelli populates his movie with one great 40s star, Ingrid Bergman (as senile countess recalling her glorious...
- 9/29/2011
- MUBI
When I was young, European serials offered a view into other worlds. Why do we now limit ourselves to Us imports?
For those of us of a certain age, the death of Cécile Aubry at the end of July caused a nostalgic pang: memories of black-and-white television, mountains, and a dog that seemed to be made out of the fluffy snow over which she bounded. Belle et Sébastien, which she originally wrote, was a much-loved part of my childhood. I had not realised until I read her obituary that Sébastien was played by her son, Mehdi El Glaoui.
What struck me most, though, was remembering that British television for the young was far more international in those days. Dubbed or narrated imported serials, mostly made in the 1960s, were repeated well into the 70s, offering a window on to excitingly different worlds. My earliest TV memories include L'Âge Heureux, a...
For those of us of a certain age, the death of Cécile Aubry at the end of July caused a nostalgic pang: memories of black-and-white television, mountains, and a dog that seemed to be made out of the fluffy snow over which she bounded. Belle et Sébastien, which she originally wrote, was a much-loved part of my childhood. I had not realised until I read her obituary that Sébastien was played by her son, Mehdi El Glaoui.
What struck me most, though, was remembering that British television for the young was far more international in those days. Dubbed or narrated imported serials, mostly made in the 1960s, were repeated well into the 70s, offering a window on to excitingly different worlds. My earliest TV memories include L'Âge Heureux, a...
- 9/1/2010
- by Marianne M Gilchrist
- The Guardian - Film News
Award-winning French writer Maurice Druon has died, aged 90.
Druon, who co-wrote one of France's most patriotic anthems during World War II, died on Tuesday in Paris after suffering cardiovascular problems.
He co-wrote Chant des Partisans with Joseph Kessel in 1943, which briefly became the country's unofficial anthem, next to La Marseillaise.
In 1948, Druon received France's most acclaimed literary award, the Prix Goncourt (The Goncourt Prize) - given to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year" - for his novel Les grandes familles.
His writing earned him the 30th seat of the Academie francaise (French Academy) in 1966, where he was elected to oversee the French language and usage for the state - a post he held for nearly four decades.
He also served as Minister of Cultural Affairs in 1973 and 1974 in Pierre Messmer's cabinet, and as a deputy of Paris from 1978 to 1981.
Paying tribute to Druon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called him “a great writer, a great Resistance fighter, a great politician and a great soul".
Druon, who co-wrote one of France's most patriotic anthems during World War II, died on Tuesday in Paris after suffering cardiovascular problems.
He co-wrote Chant des Partisans with Joseph Kessel in 1943, which briefly became the country's unofficial anthem, next to La Marseillaise.
In 1948, Druon received France's most acclaimed literary award, the Prix Goncourt (The Goncourt Prize) - given to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year" - for his novel Les grandes familles.
His writing earned him the 30th seat of the Academie francaise (French Academy) in 1966, where he was elected to oversee the French language and usage for the state - a post he held for nearly four decades.
He also served as Minister of Cultural Affairs in 1973 and 1974 in Pierre Messmer's cabinet, and as a deputy of Paris from 1978 to 1981.
Paying tribute to Druon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called him “a great writer, a great Resistance fighter, a great politician and a great soul".
- 4/16/2009
- WENN
CANNES -- French screen legend Jeanne Moreau led a gaggle of Gallic movie stars Tuesday at MIPTV to tub-thump for the megabudget medieval miniseries The Curse of the Templars. Made as five 90-minute episodes for pubcaster France 2, the program cost a staggering 23 million ($29.6 million), making it as expensive as a high-end French movie production. The series was produced by Jean-Luc Azoulay's JLA Creations, with Italy's RAI co-producing. Based on the epic novels of Maurice Druon, Curse is set in 14th century France and recounts the bloody power struggle between the French throne and the Order of the Knights Templar. The film was shot in Romania and France and is due for broadcast in the fall.
- 4/12/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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