Review: Heartbeats

"The only truth is love beyond reason" goes the quote from French poet Alfred de Musset that opens Xavier Dolan's moody dreamy French Canadian film Heartbeats. That sounds beautiful in theory, sure, but living it is messier. Immediately the film cuts to a funny frank series of talking head interviews from people who have been unlucky in love. One woman compares herself to Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction and describes panicking at her computer, waiting for emails that never come.

If somebody died every time I hit refresh, there'd be nobody left alive. 

Poetic idealized notions of love clashing with humiliating darkly comic reality? It's a pretty apt way to introduce and describe this arguably slight but beautiful film...

Read the rest at Towleroad

Heartbeats is currently available in select theaters from IFC and On Demand. I'll have an interview with one of the actors shortly after Oscar weekend wraps up. 2011 Index of Movies. This will undoubtedly pick up soon.

The Ghost Linker

Filmmaker Magazine a brief video interview with Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know) on her new project about a couple adopting a cat. EEEEeeee. Adopting a cat sounds like an EPIC story for a movie*. I cannot wait to see this.
Movie|Line Oscar buzz for Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) at Sundance. Hey, lots of Oscar hopefuls kick off there. Here's to next year!
In Contention Guy Lodge's dream Oscar ballot. Other than Oscar, I *so* prefer to read people's individual ballots than see group choices.
The Wrap Like Crazy a romantic drama starring Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones sells big at Sundance. Hmmm. Could mean big things for both leads.
Inside TV What the hell is going on with Mad Men? I'm so nervous. Give us that fifth season. With Matthew Weiner.

Ghost Writer keeps showing up in European Awards . Could surprise Oscar noms await?

Finally as much as I lie to myself and pretend that each day has 57 hours in it, I need to face facts that there will never be enough time to do a whole post on the Asian Film Award Nominations or France's Cesar Nominations because they're happening during my own awards (which are running much later than usual -- it was building this damn website!) AND just a few days prior to Oscars. I love movie awards so much but I do so wish the calendars were spread out. Let it suffice to say for now that Of Gods and Men and The Ghost Writer did very well with the Cesars and South Korea's Poetry (which I've already raved about), Japan's Confessions (an Oscar finalist) and Thailand's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (already snubbed by Oscar) did well with the Asian awards nominations.

*It sounds like that to me because I am a crazy cat lady.

Handful of Link, Globe Fever

Stale Popcorn The best Burlesque review you may ever read. A delight.
THR Ridley Scott's Alien prequel is transforming into something else.
Guardian on the female villain rumors for The Dark Knight Rises. Although many strange assumptions are made in the article such as Chris Nolan would resist casting a non A lister. Okay maybe that last one is a safe bet but it's still weird. Nolan is a powerful enough director to cast whoever he wants and the franchise sells itself so one wonders why he does only cast big names. Why not make a star?
Variety France's Lumiére Awards went to their Oscar submission Of Gods and Men (Picture & Actor) and Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer (Director & Screenplay).

Deadline Ben Foster signed to Fernando Meirelles "loose" adaptation of La Ronde. Infidelity ~ a fresh new motion picture topic!
AV Club Banksy's identity for sale on eBay? Hee.
Movie|Line Jacki Weaver appeals to Tarantino's foot fetish. Amusing/strange bit.
24 Frames the great cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki on Terrence Malicks Tree of Life (coming soon).
IndieWire Luca Guadagnino reflects on I Am Love's success going into the biggest awards weekend of the year (other than Oscar weekend of course)

Golden Globes on The Brain
Towleroad A Golden Globe drinking game devised by moi. Dare I do it whilst live blogging Sunday? Will you join me?
MNPP has five wishes for the The Golden Globes that feel directly pulled from my brain even though JA's brain is surely inimitable.
Movie|Line 5 times the Globes were smarter than Oscar