Trois Couleurs: Bleu (Three Colors Blue)

April 9.

Trois Couleurs is one of those trilogies that has been recommended to me over and over and has been in my Netflix queue for years. I wanted to see it, three great French movies that everyone loves, but I never found the motivation. So when my friend mentioned he had ordered the trilogy last year and finally got it, I guess Amazon didn’t have the motivation to send it, I said OK, let me borrow it. I’m sure he wasn’t going to charge me late fees, but I didn’t feel it was right to hold onto it for months, so finally this weekend I watched part one: Bleu.

So after all this time it’s nice to be able to say Bleu, starring Juliette Binoche as the widow of a famous composer, really lived up to the hype. It was amazing and beautiful and disturbing and sad.

Bleu starts with the car accident that kills Binoche’s husband and daughter and follows her as she tries to live after the tragedy. Bleu is a bit mysterious with unanswered questions and a linear storyline but it seems to be more about the emotion.

I’ve already returned Bleu and have parts two and three. I am excited to see where this trilogy, which is general in theme, (trilogy of films dealing with contemporary French society concerns), goes.

Rating: Love

A Single Man

January 15.

Even if I hadn't seen the name Tom Ford scroll across the screen before the first image appeared I would have known he made "A Single Man." Every gorgeous frame looked like a glossy spread in a fashion magazine.

The fashion icon wrote, produced, and directed the movie, which takes place during one November day in 1962 Los Angeles. Each scene is another game with color. Whenever we see George's (Colin Firth) reality the colors are muted and grainy, but when he fantasizes or thinks about the past the colors grow bright and pop.

The story is about George and his struggle with day-to-day life after his long-time partner dies. The British, English professor spends his day going to the bank, visiting his best friend, Charley (Julianne Moore), getting picked up by a hot, Spanish prostitute, and making a connection with one of his students. Nicholas Hoult plays the confused but confident teenager brilliantly and gives George some much needed hope.

This is a good place to thank the movie gods for answering my movie prayers and bring more Matthew Goode to the big screen. He's more than just eye candy in the flash back scenes as George's lost-love, Jim. So, thank you, movie gods.