Zoolander (2001)

We couldn't have a fashion theme without the ridiculously good looking Derek Zoolander, that would be a crime against fashion.

This movie is hilarious, it sends up those people who take fashion too seriously(maybe even those we saw in The September Issue). Will Ferrel is great as Mugatu, an overly eccentric fashion designer. Zoolander is about male model Derek Zoolander(Ben Stiller), who finds himself being replaced by fresh-faced model Hansel(Owen Wilson). After a very quick retirement Derek is pulled back into the fashion game by Mugatu and set to stage a comeback. Little does Derek know, after going to a day spa he has been hypnotised to assassinate the Prime Minster of Malaysia. Only rival Hansel can help him stop Mugatu's evil scheme.

What's cool about this too is all the celebrity cameos, you don't notice them all

at first (only the weird ones like Fred Durst or Lance Bass... now equally disturbing) but there are so many and quite a few are fashion notaries like Donatella Versace, Karl Lagerfeld and Hiedi Klum. This was one of the earlier Will Ferrel/Ben Stiller/Owen Wilson type comedies and it's one of the better ones, it's up there with Anchorman.

And apparently there are rumours of a sequel. I've heard it may be about how Hansel and Derek get back into the fashion pack after 10 years of being relatively unknown. It sounds like it could be funny, only if the writers manage to get back to wherever they were 10 years ago.

Since tonight is the last night of the L'oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, it's also the last night of the fashion theme. Starting from tomorrow, anything goes. And here's a clue regarding tomorrow's movie: 5 days, 7 hours, see if you can figure that one out.

Peace

Contempt/Le Mépris (1963)

Contempt is the most successful work of our Director of the Week, Jean Luc Godard and stars the always beautiful Brigitte Bardot and Michael Piccoli. They play a married couple named Paul and Camille, who slowly see their relationship beginning to end.

Godard's work is a big influence of clothing label Alpha60(the name being a reference to his 1965 film Alphaville). You can kind of see it in the simplicity in the tailoring of the clothes and the predominantly grey/black colour scheme used. The Alphaville store on Flinders' Lane is instantly recognisable because of it's giant photo of Godard displayed on the back wall, a big tribute to the director.

Paul is a writer who is asked by producer Jeremy(Jack Pallance) to help rewrite some of the scenes of his upcoming movie, a retelling of the Odyssey directed by Fritz Lang(played so convincingly by Fritz Lang). It is here where Paul must choose either to maintain his artistic integrity or sell out for a nice amount of money. Meanwhile he finds his relationship with his wife rapidly deteriorating after she is left alone with Jeremy.

What is ironic about Contempt is that Godard himself was experiencing similar marital problems with his then wife Anna Karina, that character Paul was facing with Camille. We even see Camille put on a black wig, making her even look a little like Karina. Apparently this is something Godard did deliberately, as his life reflects his film, in the same way Paul's script mirror's his relationship with Camille and it's slow demise.

It's a clever film, Godard plays on reality, his characters are either based on real people, or in the case of Lang, they play themselves. It has a lot of film references mentioned without being too obvious, things like Howard Hawkes posters in the background at the studio or Bardot reading a book written by forgotten new wave director Luc Moullet. I enjoyed it but am happy to concede, Godard's style isn't for everyone.

Tomorrow is the final of the fashion series and I promise it's going to be a good one...

A Single Man (2009)

Tom Ford's film A Single Man is as beautiful as his clothes, both are sharp, well made with the best materials and unforgettable to the viewer.

Based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man is set in LA in the 60s. Colin Firth is the grim George Falconer, a gay english professor, mourning the loss of his long-term partner Jim(Matthew Goode). He can no longer connect with others, not his students, friends or neighbours, with the exception of student Kenny(Nicholas Hoult). In the space of a day we see Kenny and George bond, proving that to truly connect with someone is what makes life worth living.

To George the world has become a dull grey, only occasionally punctuated with a warm light. When he sees youth or beauty we step out his dismal view and are bathed in this glowing sunlight, only to be pulled back into this colourless reality George has found himself in. Firth seems to only be getting better as an actor(although to me he will always be Mr Darcy), he's fantastic as the buttoned-up George.

My only issue with the film is that it's almost too beautiful and that makes it almost unrealistic. It's just too darn perfect, Ford releases the beauty in everything, there is not one shot in this movie that doesn't look amazing. I'm certain suburban LA in the 60s would have had its ugly side, especially for an older gay man. I think you see the ugly side of it all in Charley(Julianne Moore), George's close friend who doesn't consider what George had with Jim to be a real relationship. She's narcissistic, selfish and if I could smell her, I would say she probably reeks of gin. But even she is beautiful in a sad, drunken, pitiful way. You feel kind of sorry for her, she loves George more than he could ever love her.

What also makes the film so beautiful is the lovely style of the 60s which has been recreated by the team who also work on the wonderful TV series Mad Men(if i could recommend one TV show this is it, it's actually perfect, and John Hamm is just...whoa). All this beauty clash

es with the horrible opinions held in those times about minorities, especially homosexuals. George feels he has to play a part, as I'm sure many men had felt that way at that time(and some still do now, sadly). And all this style does have some substance attached to it, the film deals well with George's hidden sexuality and his grief.

The fact that this is Tom Ford's debut in the director's chair is amazing, there is this attention to detail in this movie that even a seasoned pro might overlook. I can only hope he goes back to directing soon(also that he keeps dressing Collin Firth because right now that man is looking real sharp). All in all, A Single Man is a touching film about grief and a need to have meaningful connections with others.

Since tomorrow(also today since it's about 1.30am now) is Saturday, I think only special films should get played (it is the weekend after all). That's why I'm introducing 'Director of the Week', a chance to look at the work of some real awesome visionaries who have influenced the work of others, not just in film but in other arts as well. So stay tuned for the first official 'Dorector of the Week'.

See ya later alligator xox

The Fifth Element (1997)

I’m sure many of you are wondering why a movie like Luc Besson’s The Fifth element would classify as a movie that is about fashion

Well I have 2 words for you

...Milla Jovovich

One of the original model-slash-actors and now current star of the very bankable Resident Evil series(it seems babes and zombies combined go down well with a male audience, another example of this being Zombie Strippers… who’d have guessed?). This is one of her earlier roles, but she's actually been acting since the 80s.

For the 18 people in the world who haven’t seen The Fifth Element, it goes something like this:
- The end is nigh (due to large approaching fireball)
- The only thing to stop it is the 5th element girl (Milla, wearing nothing but a white bandage 99% of the movie)
- Reluctant hero sent in
- Bruce Willis saves the day (as usual)
Of course this is the film boiled down to it's very simple core, I'm sure there's a longer, better explanation on Wikipedia but just let me be lazy this once.

What amazes me about The Fifth Element is that it won’t go away, it has an amazing staying power that we don’t realise because we have all passed it off as being completely lame. But it always resurfaces on TV every year. The special effects were actually pretty good for that time and the whole film has this almost 1960s colourful futuristic theme that just looks so cool. I think it's a good movie to reminisce about, since I think I've seen it 123985890538 times.

Mila does an ok job of acting but you can forgive her for a so-so performance since she was half naked most of the time. While she and Willis are the leads, it is the supporting cast that are the champions of the movie, especially Chris Tucker as the fabulously camp Ruby Rhod and Gary Oldman as the evil Zorg. Bruce Willis, is well, Bruce Willis the gun-toting, alien smashing, action film star who we all know very well. So far this movie has stood the test of time and I hope it'll continue to do so, since it has some pretty good moments.

oh and the dialogue isn't too bad for a sci-fi movie either. It's light and comedic and most importantly it doesn't get too heavy with science fiction terminology that can send even the most dedicated nerd into a deep slumber. The theory behind it fairly basic and easy to and kind of reminds me of Captain Planet, in a weird, awesome way.

See you tomorrow for more of the same awesomeness

The September Issue (2009)

Since the theme this week is fashion, we must study the holy grail of fashion publications,Vogue. The documentary The September Issue by director R.J. Cutler takes a look at how an issue of Vogue is created. The september issue of Vogue is the biggest of the year and this documentary shows us how it all comes together(& unstuck at the same time). At the centre of it all is Anna Wintour, the editor, arguably one of the most influential women alive

But I have to wonder, is Wintour really cold enough to warrant the 'ice queen' tag?She just seems like a professional and confident woman who doesn't take any crap. That's what you have to be like in an industry full of upcoming deadlines and artistic temperaments. At least she has a sense of humour about it. The influence she has over designers and the entire fashion world is astounding; well-known designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Oscar de la Renta and Jean Paul Gaultier are all happy to take on Anna's perspective because nobody knows this industry better than she does. However it is noticed that nobody has anything bad to say about Wintour, possibly out of fear, you can almost see the other editors at Vogue shaking when they have to deliver a pitch to her.

The staff at Vogue are a fascinating group of people. Just take a look at André Leon Talley Vogue's(now former) editor at large. The man is a character, his statements about fashion are as bold as his dress sense. You can tell he loves his job, which to be honest I'm not completely sure what that is.

Behind Wintour is the amazing creative editor Grace Coddington, who in my opinion is a genius. Her history with Vogue is interesting enough to be a documentary in its own right. Coddington's work is visionary and vital to Vogue's success as shown in The September Issue. I would say Coddington is the backbone of Vogue and the star of the film, I love her honesty and the passion she has about her work.

The most surprising part of September Issue is Wintour's daughter Bee Shaffer, a girl with the most fashion savvy mother in the world, yet she seems completely reasonable and not interested in taking her mother's place at Vogue any time soon, much to her mother's dismay. She find's the whole thing a bit weird, particularly those who have a 'fashion is life' attitude. This is refreshing in a documentary where we see everyone fuss over feathers or colour for what seems like forever.

So if you take an interest in fashion you will like this and find it insightful and if fashion frightens you, you'll probably be wondering why you saw it in the first place. It's a well made documentary with interesting people and about a topic people will either love or loathe. Some in The September Issue clearly take fashion a little too seriously(but I love you for it André) but you have to keep in mind that this is their job.

See you tomorrow, for more fashion and film

A theme perhaps...

I've been thinking we should have a theme, themes are, in general, awesome.

But what theme exactly? Well here in Melbourne I am celebrating the L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival(LMFF) which is currently underway and runs until the 20th of March and showcases only the best in Australian fashion. My personal faves this year include Alpha60, Gorman, Karen Walker and Romance was Born. These pics are from Leona Edminston and Rachel Gilbert (thanks Herald Sun for letting me use them).

Oh all the beautiful clothes I cannot afford because I am a poor uni student working in retail, sigh. But it is nice to dream sometimes.

So the next 5 days are dedicated to fashion. This calls for a celebration (cue the David Bowie...)

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