Friday, May 31, 2013

Preparation for the July break


Break from Toulouse, from routine, from teaching, from the hoursework..

Last summer we went to St Michel Chef Chef for a month and my only entertainment in the free hours (I did have those thanks to the dish-washer and JM's absence, probably) were... no, not galettes St Michel (though some of their cookies are just delicious!)... were books. I brought just 3-4 of them but this time I'm planning to carry a waggon of things to entertain me.



Well, here is my not-to-forget list:

1. Books (to choose and pack)
2. BBC podcasts (to download and copy on my laptop)
3. French grammar book (to look for and buy in FNAC)
4. Movies (to pick up)

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Sonetchka / Сонечка


I mentioned this book previously and promised to share about it as soon as I finished it. I did finish it a while ago but lost all my enthusiasm by the end of the novel...

It is interesting and easy to read. It's not stupid. The humour is subtle. The language is fresh. The author loves words and chooses them carefully.

So why did I feel unsatisfied? Probably because her characters are a bit unfinished, emptyish, incomplete. Probably because I got the feeling that the writing had a fashionable touch. Probably because my expectations were too high (did I want to discover another Chekhov?!).

I'd rather stick to Boris Akunin for light reading.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

It's too darn hot


On est le 25 mai à Toulouse et ce matin j'ai mis le chauffage. Incroyable ! Toute la semaine j'ai résisté mais 18 degrés dans notre apartement m'a forcé aux mesures extrêmes :-) Dehors il faisait 9 ce matin et 14 dans l'après-midi.

Aprés mon post de 12 mars 2013 sur le bienvenue du printemps mon humeur optimiste, joyeux et plein d'espoir a transformé en perplexité, déception et méme désespoir.

Les spécialistes de météo appellent ce printemps en France le plus froid depuis 1987. Il est froid, pluvieux et peu ensoleillé.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Thank you, comrade Stalin, for our happy chidhood

The 2013 Cannes Film Festival is now well underway. No Russian films are in the competition section, as far as I know. However yesterday I saw a Soviet drama that won the Camera d'Or back in 1990.

1936 popular icon

Замри Умри Воскресни / Freeze Die Come to Life (1989) is an extremely moving and remarkable piece directed by Vitali Kanevsky.

The film presents a tough and unsentimental depiction of childhood through the eyes of 2 children (brilliantly played by Dinara Drukarova and Pavel Nazarov) living in a small mining community not far from Vladivostok in 1947. The only game they play is called survival.


The sporadic storyline and black and white photography give a strong documentary flavour to the film. It's not an easy film to watch but it's well worth your time.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

The Long Voyage Home

The Long Voyage Home (1940) is not a typical film. Unlike most of the films of that time, it focuses on all of the cast instead of a star. It's directed by John Ford and it features John Wayne but it's not a Western. Seeing John Wayne play a part of a Swedish sailor and not in the lead is very unusual. He does it well.


All actors are excellent. Thomas Mitchell as Driscoll is one of my favorite characters of the movie. The scene with the letter is very touching as well as the one in the bar at the end.


There's a superb performance by Ian Hunter as Smittys too.


One of the greatest Ford's accomplishments in this film is keeping the action confined to a small space without making it seem boring.

I'm a man

Tina really puzzled me by saying that she'd never seen a John Ford's movie. She makes films and she isn't familiar with one of the best film-makers ever...


Sergeant Rutledge (1960) is another John Ford's Western that I've seen. It revolves around the court-martial of a black soldier falsely accused of the rape and murder of a white girl at a US army fort in the late 1880s.

Considering the period when it was filmed (Civil Rights marches were making headlines in the US) it's a brave movie and way ahead of its time. Woody Strode as a Buffalo Soldier stands out with his sober, poised acting and physically dominates the screen (just look at his never-ending shoulders!)

A comic relief is provided by the commanding general's wife Cordelia (played by Billie Burke) and some members of the jury (including the commanding general himself) .


Monday, May 13, 2013

La Tour Eiffel sur pochette

Voici mes deux dernières pochettes : en coton turquoise et en lin marron. Vous trouverez la taille et plus de photos dans ma boutique. Un autre film de John Ford m'attend. Bonne soirée !









Sunday, May 12, 2013

She wore a yellow ribbon

Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon
She wore it in the springtime
In the merry month of May
And if you ask her why the heck she wore it
She wore it for her soldier who was far far away... 
This US military marching song gave name to the film She wore a yellow ribbon, a 1949 Western directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne.

Frederic Remington Arizona cow-boy

Though the film isn't my favourite there are several reasons to watch it :

- Its cinematography. The film was one of the most expensive Westerns made up to that time and won Oscar for Best Color Cinematography. Monument Valley looks gorgeous. There is an exceptional scene of the valley with the thunderstorm in the background!


- Ben Johnson as Sergeant Tyree. Just watch him ride a horse and listen to his voice! For me he is the best character in the film too.


- Every scene with McLaglen (even in the background) is worth seeing.


There is a very funny joke at the beginning of the film which makes JM laugh no matter how many times he hears it :

Top Sergeant Quincannon: Now men, I want youse all to pay attention to what I got to say. We'll have women going with us on this trip, so I want you to watch them words. Watch them words!
Trooper: Watch them grammar!
Top Sergeant Quincannon: Who said that?
[walks up and down ranks]...

This film is a tribute to American spirit and glory.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Une ancienne malle de voyage


Dernièrement pendant les vacances scolaires on a voulu voir le Jardin des Plantes et on est tombé sur une grande brocante qui s'etirait tout au long des Allées François Verdier. On a vu de grandes vieilles armoires, des chaises en bois et en métal, des miroirs de toutes les formes, du linge de table finement brodé, des bouquins jaunâtres, des petits objets charmants dont l'utilisation n'est pas toujours claire à première vue.

Dans son post sur les objets vintages Constança Cabral a tout dit :

Les vieux objets racontent une histoire. Ils portent des souvenirs, des sentiments. Ils ont le passé. Ils sont de haute qualité parce qu'ils étaient fabriqués pour durer. Le temps les a fait plus ronds, plus clairs, plus doux. Ils ne sont pas parfaits : ils ont des trous, des fentes, des griffures, des taches, de la poussière. Ils sont originaux. Ils sont uniques. Ils déclenchent notre créativité.

Hier quelquin a jeté cette magnifique malle en osier et je ne pouvais pas passer à côté. Je la trouve superbe !






Thursday, May 9, 2013

Fête de la Victoire en Russie, Sonechka et ma pochette en jean

En Russie la Fête de la Victoire est célebrée le 9 mai du fait de la décalage horaire entre Berlin et Moscou puisque la capitulation nazie a eu lieu dans la nuit à Berlin.

Aujourd'hui j'ai commencé à lire Sonechka, un roman de Ludmila Oulitskaïa. J'aime beaucoup son style, ses personnages, son humour. Les événements dans le livre commencent juste avant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Les métaphores qu'elle crée sont originales et fraîches. Je vais essayer de finir cet ouvrage bientôt et lui consacrer un post.

J'ai fini la journée par la pochette en jean avec des perles en bois. J'ai mis plus de détails de la confection et des photos dans ma boutique.




Wednesday, May 8, 2013

A l'intérieur de la pomme

Le projet d'un livre en tissu est fini. La cliente a l'air contente du résultat en photo, je vais attendre ses réactions après réception.



Le livre contient 6 pages. Tous les dessins, les couleurs, la police de l'écriture m'ont été donnés ou bien précisés. J'ai utilisé du coton bleu turquoise pour le fond et les détails sont en feutre, en cuir, en laine, en lin, en coton et en tulle. Les boutons sont ajoutés pour les pépins (page 2) et pour l'intérieur de la pomme sur la couverture de derrière qui se détache à l'aide de vélcro. Un autre élément qui peut être enlevé est une feuille avec un bouton pression sur la page 1. Tous les détails de la page 4, le titre et les mots sont brodés à la main. Le tulle de trognon sur la page 3 donne un drôle d'effect sensoriel. Et la pomme remplie de boutons sur la couverture de derrière est curieuse à toucher et elle sonne.

La cliente m'a demandé de ne pas montrer le livre entier. Je ne mets que la couverture de devant et les pages 1-2.


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Le Mouchard

I keep watching John Ford's films and won't be done with him for a while. 


The Informer (1935) is a drama about life in Dublin in 1922. The movie is considered a classic because of its direction, astounding photography and the use of fog and lighting, that was so different from the usual American film, and more in the tradition of German expressionism.


It starts with a Bible verse "Then Judas repented himself - and cast down thirty pieces of silver - and departed" and tells a story of a man who informs on a friend and then is haunted by his conscience. Though The Informer is simple in plot, the main character is given the remarkable complexity and Victor McLaglen's performance is unbelievable.

Victor McLaglen as Gypo Nolan

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Une tarte aux fraises

Cette histoire a commencé vendredi 3 mai :-) On est allé au marche chercher des légumes et des fraises (pour la première fois cette saison).


On a mangé une barquette et on a garder une autre pour la tarte. C'était Michel qui m'a encouragé de la faire. La pâte brisée était bien réussite (comme d'habitude). Depuis un moment j'utilise cette recette et toute ma petite famille est très satisfaite.

Mais la crème pâtissière est une autre histoire. Elle est assez compliquée à faire et je trouve que la mienne n'était pas top. J'ai essayé cette recette avec un seul défaut : je n'avais pas de gousse de vanille et je l'ai remplacé par le sucre vanillé.


Le résultat final : les petits ont mangé toutes les fraises de la tarte sans toucher le reste.

Pour compenser mon échec j'ai crée une collection sur ALM. Recette : Tarte aux fraises.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Young Mr Lincoln

When Orson Welles was asked who the three greatest film directors are he responded John Ford, John Ford and John Ford.



I saw another film directed by John Ford - Young Mister Lincoln (1939), a historical film about the early life of president Abraham Lincoln.

The film is full of beauty and poetry. It is slow and intelligent. Henry Fonda is superb in the role of the young Lincoln. He perfectly shows a laid-back, shy, inexperienced lawyer who cares for people, truth and mercy.


Thursday, May 2, 2013

How Green was My Valley



After a series of Hitchcock's films I'm discovering John Ford's masterpieces. His name's been always associated with the Westerns for me but apparently he mastered more than one genre.

How green was my valley (1941) is a drama telling the story of the Morgan family in a little Welsh mining community at the turn of the twentieth century.

Some facts about the movie:

- It's based on a best-selling 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn.
- It beat out Citizen Kane for Best Picture of 1941.
- Fox wanted to shoot the film in Wales but World War II made it impossible. Instead John Ford built a replica of a mining city in the Southern California.
- The cast had only one Welsh actor in a minor role who was originally hired to coach actors in the Welsh accents (Rhys Williams as a boxer).

It's hard for me to judge acting or cinematography. What I can say is I enjoyed every minute of the film and particularly loved father's character and male Welsh choruses.


I found the language charming but knowledgeable people on IMDb (at least they sound so :-) insist on the cast's bad attempt at Welsh accent.