Cinematheque Ontario presents - Oliveira

The Oldest Master’s Works

Question:  Who is the oldest active director working today?  The answer is Manoel de Oliveira, the 101-year old Portuguese director born Dec 11, 1908.

Cinematheque Ontario presents a retrospective of the Master’s films including his latest ECCENTRICITIES OF A BLOND-HAIRED GIRL that was just screened at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). 

Love his films or hate them, the variety is astonishing.  Oliveira has claimed that he makes films for himself – not for critical acclaim.  This could be an excuse for his first films failed miserably, critically and at the box-office.  Myself, I am unable to get into his earlier films, they being really literary and artistic, many period classics dealing with foreign (European) topics.  His later works are more assessable.  I recall viewing THE CANNIBALS (1988) an opera he adapted at TIFF.  Though more than half the audience left the auditorium, the film contained the most hilarious bits I had seen in a movie that year.

For the complete program, ticket prices, venue and screening times, click on the Cinematheque’s website link at:

http://www.cinemathequeontario.ca/calendar.aspx

Below are previewed 5 of films selected from the Cinematheque’s retrospective.

Capsule Reviews:

BELLE TOUJOURS (France/Portugal 2007) ***
Directed by Manoel de Oliveira

BELLE TOUJOURS (ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL) bears resemblance to Luis Buñuel’s classic BELLE DE JOUR not only because Oliveira’s film is an homage to Buñuel’s but a sequel as well.  The somewhat sinister but cheerful aging playboy, Monsieur Husson (Michel Piccoli) is stalking Séverine (The Catherine Deneuve role now played with equal elegance by Bulle Ogier).  In love with her, he finally arranges a dinner with her on condition that he reveals a dark secret of the past.  The audience learns most of the past through a conversation between Husson and a bartender (Ricardo Trepa) at a local bar.  Manoel arouses the audience’s interest very much the same way he did with in ECCENTRICITIES OF A BLOND-HAIR GIRL.  Again like in the aforementioned film, Manoel douses his art into the dinner rendezvous in an exquisite dinner high-class almost perfect dinner meal, shot in all its elaborate detail.  But Oliveira proves that regret and aging cannot dispel the past as revealed in the film’s rather suspenseful climax.

(Screening: Nov 1st, Sun 6 pm)

ECCENTRICITIES OF A BLOND-HAIR GIRL (Portugal/Spain/France 2009) ****
Directed by Manoel de Oliveira

This playful hour long tale of an accountant’s (Ricardo Trepa) infatuation with a blonde neighbour, Luisa (Catarina Wallaenstein) feels like one of Eric Rohmer ‘proverb’ films.  The film begins on a train.  A 5-minute long take in one carriage forces the audience to watch the passengers while the opening credits roll.  De Oliveria’s camera must be firmly mounted on the train as the images are dead stationary though the passengers’ heads jostle about with the train movement.  Immediately, the director draws us to the accountant when he starts revealing the story of his doomed romance to the lady (Leonor Silveira) seated besides him.  The audience is as curious as the lady as the film inter-cuts between the story-telling and the story itself.  The romance is a simple one, but littered with obstacles as Manoel laces his film with objects of art such as the Chinese fan Luisa uses, a poem read during a card game, the music heard on a harp and other antique artifacts.  The film never really explains the uncle’s objection to the marriage but his change of heart is believable.  A curious morality tale well-told by Oliveira and most likely remembered for a long time after the lights come on.  Based on a short story by José Maria de Eça de Queiroz, the renowned nineteenth-century author and dedicated to his family.

(Screening: Oct 10th, Sat 7 pm)

FRANCISCA (Portugal 1981) ***
Directed by Manoel de Oliveira

Based on the book by Agustina Bessa-Luis, FRANCISCA is a period costume piece set in the 19th century detailing the failed romance between Fanny Owen (Teresa Menezes) and Jose Augusto (Diogo Doria).  Though running at 166 minutes, Oliveira de-constructs the long affair into short vignette, most of them dark and gloomy as if death is hovering overhead. Even the grand boat ride looks like a journey into hell.  FRANCISCA – the film is a complicated piece to take in.  No doubt, Oliveira put his heart and soul into this piece as it shows from the grand production values, meticulously set up scenes and poetry of flow.  Note FRANCISCA is not everyone’s cup of tea.

(Screening: Oct 11th, Sun 4 pm)

JE RENTRE A LA MAISON (Portugal/France 2001) ****
Directed by Manoel de Oliveira

JE RENTRE A LA MAISON (I’M GOING HOME) is perhaps Oliveira’s most personal film about growing old.  The film revolves around the daily routines of Parisian stage actor 76-year old Gilbert Valence (played with dignity and sensitivity by Michel Piccoli).  If not looking after his grandson, Serge (Jean Koeltgen), Valence is struggling with his failing career as an actor.  Things take a turn when he is offered a small yet important role in a TV film of James Joyce’s Ulysses directed by John Crawford (John Malkovich).  But the film is in English and Valence is short on time to prepare for shooting that begins right away.  Oliveira uses simple storytelling and camera techniques to put the audience in the shoes of Valence.  Here, he shows that it is no shame growing old and caring for the things that are most important in ones life.  When Valence is made-up to look younger with a hair piece and moustache, he looks ridiculous and out of place.  But trying his best to look his best and playing the game, Valence finally succumbs to what he knows he knew what was initially proper in the first place.  The name Buck Mulligan of the character Valence is supposed to portray sounds equally ridiculous.  Oliveira has crafted a wonderful, sensitive and realistic film exceptionally acted by Piccoli with star appearances by Malkovich and Catherine Deneuve.

(Screening: Oct 16th, Sat 7 pm)

A TALKING PICTURE (Portugal/France/Italy 2003) ***

Directed by Manoel de Oliveira

History Professor Rosa Maria (Leonor Silveira) and her young daughter Maria Joana (Filipa de Almeida) embark a cruise ship, destination Bombay.  They are to meet Maria’s husband and father of her daughter.  As the ship departs Lisbon, the daughter and the audience are treated to a travelogue and history lesson through the cities of Marseilles, Pompeii, Athens, Istanbul and Cairo.  Oliveira’s film moves along ponderously though the stories related by Rosa Maria are interesting – if one likes a bit of history.  But Oliveira has a trick up his sleeve with an ending that I bet will not be forgotten for a long while.  As the ship sails on, Oliveira’s agenda or message becomes apparent.  At the captain’s (played by John Malkovich) table, three lady guests (played by Europe’s finest actresses Irene Papas, Catherine Deneuve and Stefania Sandrelli) speak about language and civilization with sensitivity, wit and intelligence.  This is when Oliveira’s film changes course.  If not for anything, UM FILME FALADO should be seen for this segment alone.

(Screening: Oct 23rd , Sat 9.15 pm)