Prada's Great Gatsby Costume Designs

Four of Prada's much anticipated designs for the forthcoming Great Gatsby remake have been released. And they're incredible, as expected. It's the third time that the italian designer has joined forces with Baz Luhrman (first in his 1996 adaptation of Romeo & Juliet , for which she designed the suit Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo wore during the wedding ceremony, and also for the series of short films that were featured in the Met's 'Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations' exhibition) and I doubt this will be the last.

"Baz and Miuccia have always connected on their shared fascination with finding modern ways of releasing classic and historical references from the shackles of the past," explains Catherine Martin, the film's costume designer, and Luhrmann's wife. "This connection is central to our relationship with Miuccia Prada on The Great Gatsby , and has connected our vision with hers. In the same way Nick Carraway reflects on a world that he is within and without, we have tried to create an environment that the audience will be subconsciously familiar with, yet separated from."(via The Telegraph)

Hitchcock's Girl

BBC's film 'The Girl' certainly doesn't put Alfred Hitchcock in a flattering nor forgiving light. 'Hitch' to his friends (and perhaps 'Cock' to Tippi), doesn't actually appear to have any friends, just those that pander to his every whim due to his success and power. Hedren, however, doesn't yield to such whims and maybe this is what makes him so besotted and controlling of the model-turn-actress. Though I enjoyed the film, with particularly good performances from the protagonists, it seems stilted towards the idea that Hitchcock was a predator much like those pesky birds, which just seems too simplistic, too easy. I would like to have seen more of the relationship between him and his wife, Alma but much of what could have been really developed was ignored. Nevertheless 'The Girl' is worth watching.

The Great Gatsby

(via Coco's Tea Party)

It was originally due to be released around Christmas but The Great Gatsby has been postponed until May 2013, increasing the hype and anticipation even more! The cast posters have just been realised, teasing us with the incredible Miuccia Prada and Catherine Martin costumes. Cannot wait to see the rest. In the meantime, let's have a little look at the 1974 Robert Redford and Mia Farrow classic...

Southern District (of NYC)

Alla Kostromichova in 'Southern District' shoot for A Perfect Guide Magazine Winter 2012 by Stefan Zschernitz (via Influence and Stardoll). How very Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, don'tcha think?

Michael Gaskell & Moonrise Kingdom

 Moonrise Kingdom sees Wes Anderson join forces with British artist Michael Gaskell to come up with the art work surrounding the film, creating realist portraits of the young leads. Gaskell also has a series of photorealist portraits and landscapes (as seen below).

(via Juxtapoz)

The Golden Butterfly (1926)

My first silent film (all the way through), and my wasn't it a good one?! Accompanied by a multi-talented musician (keyboard, flute, accordian etc) it was devoid of any slow, dull moments. It was wonderfully Art Deco and sumptuous in appearance, even if we didn't have the luxury of colour we had the imagery and richness of movement that absorbed the audience into a crysalis of fascination and enjoyment.

(Shown as part of the Fashion in Film Festival at the Arnolfini)

A Walk Into the Sea

This actually relates quite nicely to The Party's Over with the life of excess and false friendships. This is such a beautifully shot, understated documentary with an obvious family sensitivity - it was directed by Danny Williams' niece, Williams being the subject of the study and one of Andy Warhol's clan at the Factory. He was technically minded and took part in the lighting and production of a number of The Velvet Underground's gigs. But not so well known was the fact that he was a filmmaker in his own right (often being scooped up under the Warhol umbrella, missing out on his rightful accolades - the usual story amongst the Factory residents.) 

Living amongst a crowd that simulaneously flourished within eachothers' company as well as one that sucked any loyalty and humility from normal social standards, leaving many, including Williams alone, used and defeated. It's a sad portrait of a young man full of potential that meets a creative environment that enables to open up and explore his previously unfulfilled talent, but also reveals his more vulnerable, susceptable nature under the influence and manipulation of Warhol, who by all accounts seems like a heartless autocrat. (Read Jean Stein's Edie: American Girl, it recounts a similar stone-cold personality to Warhol). Through his heavy use of amphetamines and the fall from Warhol's favour, Williams became depressed and increasingly isolated from his once bohemian family leading to his, one can only guess as the body was never found, suicide. And so paraphrasing one interviewee (I can't remember who) - just disappearing into the sea was a very poetic and apt means of departure from such a swarming, all-encompassing existence at the Factory. And by no means was he the only one to rise and fall under Warhol's direction...

The Party's Over

'So shocking, it could only be told.' Well, not exactly shocking (but that's my generation's tolerance and immunity to debauchery and social demeanours) but I'm glad it was told. Every era has to end - just look at the cocaine fuelled Bright Young Things and the 1990s boozehounds, the YBAs. So as we see with the film poster, cracks are beginning to show in the endless party lifestyle of the adolescence in the 60s. It just takes one occurrence hinting at the darker side of life to bring them crashing back down to the realities of their own responsibilities, boundaries and overall existence. Not the most convincing acting but a very gripping plot to a low budget social thriller.

Carnage

I saw this with Alex last night, admittedly a little drunk but it turns out a rather apt means of viewing. Two sets of parents, one mutual incident/interest (a fight and their children) and approximately 75 minutes in one room. With the addition of whisky each of the four parents transform from the stagnant, awkwardly polite characters we meet at the beginning to, well, loosened spirits. I like how the seemingly polar opposites of the father figures (John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz) merge into being equally apathetic and nonchalent about the overall incident. Similarly we see the wives (Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster) behaving from one extreme to another to meet in a very neurotic middleground. So just add a bit of liquor to loosen the lips and say what you really think!