TV SERIES: FLESH AND BONE

As it is getting colder and damper I'm starting to look for new ways of preventing myself from curling up on a sofa in front of a screen. I even got a gym membership! Still, I'm not as good at this job as I think. But all you fans of serious drama and ballet should rejoice since I have found a perfect match: new Starz series FLESH AND BONE. 

 

Young girl escapes from the small town and her parents' home to New York pursuing her dreams of ballet future. Yet, once she arrives some rather grim details about her personality, as well as the ostensibly glamorous ballerina life are being slowly revealed. 

The main character Claire Robbins is portrayed by a professional ballerina and her acting is as convincing as ever. You might have seen Sarah Hay in BLACK SWAN where she had a short cameo of some sort.

I particularly enjoyed how the show is full of complex and vivid characters: confused, soul-searching Claire struggling to find peace and her roommate - a mediocre ballerina at risk of losing it to the MS. 

Then there is poor little rich girl Daphne hated by her father for choosing ballet over Cambridge and dancing at the strip-club every night. Narcissistic choreographer is a cruel tyrant who holds the power and who, unfortunately, knows best which makes it much more difficult to exclude him from the picture. And like in any other good drama there is a holy fool who speaks the truth to those who disregard him. 

FLESH AND BONE is very bold in its raw depiction of the so-called prohibited topics: nudity (both male and female), sex, incest, drugs, eating disorders, so I hail the fearless showrunners who didn't sell truth for safe and conventional picture. 

A cast consisting of real-life ballet stars (not fully, of course, but still) gives full credit to the beauty of ballet. From the opening sequence to the final scene there's a lot to admire even for the true connoisseurs.

It's dark, it's beautiful, and it's smart. And yes, FLESH AND BONES is miniseries which is rather unusual tactic for American television. Are you watching already?




 

La Dame dans I'Auto avec des Lunettes et un Fusil

La Dame dans I'Auto avec des Lunettes et un Fusil is not only a movie with the longest title ever, but also a very visual and engaging remake of a 1969 movie under the same title worth spending your precious free time on.

 

It premiered in France on August, 5 and I came upon it in the list of contestants for the 45^th Molodist film festival in Kiev. 

In a nutshell, there's a long-legged girl in a vintage car heading towards the new adventures, magnificent views of the French South and the perfect soundtrack from the 70s.
If you take a closer look, it becomes obvious that what seems to be a typical road movie is full of suspense. 

Je n'ai jamais vu la mer, Dany says, and steals her bosses car. However, this impulsive, head-in-the-clouds creature will soon discover she has bigger worries than not to scratch the car as she falls victim to some dreadful scheme. 

 

The film is slow-paced, it focuses on small details, and they are very relevant to the story. It's core strength is in strong visuals, rather then action or Shakespearian dialogues.

There was also one face familiar to many: Nymphomaniac's Stacy Martin who didn't have much to say, although the movie gives credit to her model appeal and statuesque body.

Those of you who are aware of the 70s great comeback in fashion may find this film especially inspiring.