(15) Short Film Sunday #3: Tuileries (Paris, je t'aime) (2006)

Tuileries (2006).
http://eye-contact.tumblr.com/post/262555211/paris-je-taime-segment-tuileries-via

Planning your next trip? Well how about a trip to Paris? Everyone wants to go to Paris at least once in their life! Keep on reading and watching and you will find out a few useful tips about Paris, and especially its metro.

This is kind of a half way cheating short film, since it is a short film within a feature length film, nevertheless it is brilliant. One of 18 segments from the film Paris, je t'aime (2006), Tuileries directed by Ethan and Joel Coen, who are now adapting their own big screen Fargo (1996) to everyone's living room via TV.

Tuileries tells a story of a tourist, played by Steve Buscemi, in Paris' metro station. As a diligent tourist he pulls out his guide book on Paris, and everything that he is reading in the book the Coen brother's place in front of his eyes, "Paris is a city for lovers... lovers of... love", and who is there on the other side of the railroad, of course, two lovers. Instead of using dialogue, evidently the tourist doesn't know French, the Coen brothers use camera to tell the story. Through use of close ups and medium shots, the combination of the tourist's thoughts, the text from the guide book and back to the tourist's thoughts, the story is told. One eye contact and the tourist is pulled into the whirlpool of two lovers fighting, in the whirlpool of Paris, the city of love. And let's not forget the little boy and his spit balls, which made me smile every time. Enjoy!

This video has no English subtitles, feel as the tourist does. If you want to watch with English subtitles, go here, however video quality isn't as good.

I know I said one short film per Sunday, but because I fear that you are all having a slight dread of Parisians after watching the Coen brothers' short, I feel responsible to relieve your fears. So before I leave you all to your Sunday duties, please, take your time and fall in love with Paris.

14e Arrondissement directed by Alexander Payne, in my opinion, is the most moving short out of all in Paris, je t'aime. Beautiful in its simplicity!

Now, who is up for catching the next train London - Paris?

(14) Short Film Sunday #2: Six Shooter (2004)

Six Shooter (2004).

Previous Sunday I wrote about a marvelous little short film La Luna (2011), you can read the post and watch it here.

Well, this week I return with something that would not be advisable for the kids under 16. It is Martin McDonagh's short film Six Shooter (2004). If you enjoyed McDonagh's latest film Seven Psychopaths (2012), you will also enjoy this, well in this one you don't have Tom Waits with a white rabbit, but you do have Brendan Gleeson with a white rabbit.

Six Shooter is a black Irish comedy, with blood, several deaths, funny/sad accidents, where you are not sure whether to laugh or cry or your face just freezes out of shock. It has it all, even a lad who won't shut up for a second in the whole film. In the end all is grand.

Hop on the train and enjoy Martin McDonagh's several award winning short, including Academy Award for Live Action Short Film, with Brendan Gleeson and never quiet lad Rúaidhrí Conroy.

If you still have free time on your hands this Sunday and you enjoyed this dark comedy, then head to the library and borrow Martin McDonagh's excellent play "The Cripple of Inishmaan" or head to London and watch it at Noel Coward Theatre, starring Daniel Radcliffe. (P.S. You can give me two tickets as a gift, would love that.)

(13) Short Film Sunday #1: La luna (2011)

To get myself more disciplined and return back in the rhythm of watching and writing about films I came up with an idea for Short Film Sunday. So, from now on every Sunday I will shortly discuss one short film. All in all, Sunday's are lazy days, so what can be more delightful than watching a short film while having a lovely cup of afternoon tea and then taking a nap.

La luna (2011).

As an opening short film for my Short Film Sunday I chose La luna (2011). It is one of my absolute favourite short films and Pixar films. It is directed and written by Enrico Casarosa (now working on the upcoming Pixar feature The Good Dinosaur).

When I went to see the new hit from Pixar Brave (2012) last autumn, beforehand they showed a sweet little animation La luna (The Moon), which, in my opinion, was the highlight of the whole screening. It is a story about 3 generations, a grandfather, a father and a son, about their different ways of perceiving life and doing things, about one family's very special and most unusual line of work.

It is a captivating piece of animation, food for grown ups imagination and a marvellous little tale for kids to tell about the making of the crescent moon. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!

Have a lovely Sunday!