VERY PIAF, NON?

I have fallen for Adele.  I can't say I loved her from the beginning, the truth is I never actually gave her a chance up until a couple of days ago.  A friend on Facebook posted her video for Rolling In The Deep and I immediately loved the song (and the video as well).
I had become aware of her when her Chasing Pavements came out and especially when Anna Wintour took her under her wing, but I still was not amused.  Yesterday I downloaded a podcast from one of my favorite blogs, and in it I found Someone Like You and I have to say I have not stopped listening to it since.  
I searched for videos on youtube and found her UH-mazing performance from this year's Brit Awards (which I remember had been posted by another friend of mine on the exact day of the awards but I totally ignored it).  I couldn't hold back the tears.  I was even listening to it as I was sketching today, then I'd go back to watching the video, back to sketching, and so on.

 In a time where songs have very poor lyrical content and a very predictable pattern, one can only appreciate a talent like Adele's twice as much.  Not only are the words in Someone Like You something you can relate to immediately, but her voice and delivery manage to create a heart wrenching connection that gives you goosebumps and leaves you teary-eyed.  
Whoever designed her performance deserves a round of applause.  I love the simplicity of it.  It makes her talent even more obvious.  I mean, it could have gone cheesy with the wrong lighting effects or any other props, but this was just perfection.  LOVED the rain of metallic confetti at the end.  Adele will be turning 22 this year.

BENJAMIN UNBUTTONED

My Peruvian ID expired (as well as my Uruguayan ID and passport), and so I feel like a character in a movie set in an Eastern European country during the Cold War, who, unable to speak the local language, is about to be detained by the police and then arrested.

Though I tried to fix my Uruguayan situation while I was vacationing in Punta del Este earlier this year, I wasn't able to for two reasons: 1. I took too long to start the whole renewal procedure (I was having too much fun) and 2. Uruguayan bureaucracy has not evolved, nor does it show any signs that it will any time soon (and their employees are apparently hell-sent).  Pretty much like the Miss Argentina character in Beetlejuice, remember her?



IN BEETLEJUICE HELL, THOSE WHO COMMIT SUICIDE ARE CONDEMNED TO WORK IN PUBLIC SERVICE FOR ETERNITY.  TIM BURTON IS A GENIUS.



Anyway, I must plan a quick trip to Montevideo some time soon in order to get all of this solved.  You see, Uruguayan law has it that in order for me to renew my passport I FIRST have to renew my ID.  Why not renew my ID at the Consulate in Lima?  Because you simply can't.  This is something that MUST be done in the actual country.  I know, it's ridiculous.  I cried, I wailed, I had a tantrum.
"Why bother so much for an Uruguayan passport?" you might ask, like some of my Argentine friends sneered back in Punta.  Well, you see, there are a couple of reasons.  One is that I actually want a physical element that makes the link to my mother's country of birth official.  Two: there are benefits from having it, such as not needing a visa for the U.K., Italy, France,Spain and many other European countries.  And believe me, having lost my diplomatic passport privileges when I turned 25 (someone hand me a tissue please), it COMES. IN. HANDY.  I've never had to ask for a visa so I'm really unfamiliar with the whole process and I've heard it's usually an unpleasant experience. 

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING, I STILL KEEP MY DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT BECAUSE IT HOLDS MY US VISA.

So, back to Peru.  I went to get my Peruvian ID renewed.  There was a huge line.  I left.  I decided I'd come back another  day, hopefully before the elections in April, ha!  I already had my picture taken though, and on my way back home, as I stared at it and placed it next to the one on my expired ID I thought to myself : GOD have I  AGED!  Not that I am not happy with the way I look now (I think I'm more comfortable with myself today than I was then), but I the signs of this certain "maturity", so as to call it, were undeniable.
In a very 1989-1999-The-Next-Best-Thing-mirror-scene kind of way, I found a blog's (thank you Matt Rettenmund) side-by-side comparison of a picture of Madonna at the Vanity Fair party on Sunday and another one of her at a book signing in 2000, where she actually looks younger TODAY.  I discussed the Madonna situation with a dear friend of mine from Buenos Aires and he said it was a case of "Benjamin Button", and that he too "suffered" from that syndrome.  He kept me laughing for a while when he sent me some ridiculously, terribly photoshopped pictures of himself to prove his point.  I then had to do my own side-by-side comparison and realized I do NOT have that condition.  Unfortunately.

DARK CIRCLES! 2011 vs. 2005

I had another nostalgic moment today that took me back to a bit earlier than 2005, precisely to 2003.  I had a wonderful cardio workout today to a song from that year.  It was on repeat for a while, and as I listened to it, it brought back many memories: parties at my favorite restaurant, a silver Beetle, a rooftop party, the friends I used to hang out with back then, those who STILL hang out with me now, a hat party, etc. etc.  I originally thought my picture had been taken in 2003 as well, so I thought "what a fortunate coincideeeeence...", but no, I was confused.  So, just for confusion's sake, let me post the song.  The End Starts Today (Tommi Sunshine Remix), by Bis .

AUX ARMES CITOYENS

 The Romantic in me has struck again after reading this morning's paper. The news of the people of Libya making progress on their way to democracy (hopefully) and overthrowing Gaddafi has sparked a certain excitement in me that immediately reminded me of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 and the end of a dictatorship that spanned over 20 years. I'm afraid Muamar Gaddafi's reluctance to give up his power will condemn him to a similar fate to that of Nicolae Ceaușescu's.

MADONNA MOMENT

A RUNWAY LOOK FROM THE DOLCE&GABBANA SHOW YESTERDAY

FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS, IT'S GONNA BE A BUMPY NIGHT.

I've been looking forward to tonight's Academy Awards ceremony with a more-than-usual excitement for some reason. Maybe it's because this year I'm getting together with a group of friends to watch the whole thing from the start, from the pre-show, so we can check out all the outfits worn by tonight's guests.
One aspect that I am really looking forward to is the fact that Anne Hathaway and James Franco (also nominated for best actor in a leading role) will be hosting this year's show. I love both of them and from the short ABC promos I've seen on YouTube, I believe they will do a memorable job (though beating Hugh Jackman's performance two years ago will be somewhat hard).
If you recognized this post's title/first line, you can tell I couldn't help but think about All About Eve. I've been thinking about this movie lately for several reasons, and particularly now because it's awards season.  I came across two scenes which I want to share.  The first one that came to mind is actually the end scene, which I love for it's acting, art direction, and because its depiction of reality gives me the chills.
The second one is Margo Channing's monologue, I had almost forgotten what an INCREDIBLE piece of acting that was (Bette Davis, we love you).
So here they are, I'll leave you to them while I continue to resist eating the (surprise) fabulous cupcakes I  had made for tonight and that my friends should -hopefully- get to taste.

Only a few more hours to go. Enjoy.

SOUL IS IN THE MUSICAL

After two failed attempts at going to the movies last night - even trying two different movie theaters- a friend and I settled for a movie at his place. We decided to watch The Tourist despite ALL the negative reviews it had received. Half-way through the movie we couldn't agree more with everyone who held this position, but what struck me the most was the terrible choice in music throughout the whole film. It was AWFUL.

 

 This immediately made me think of a scene in GASLIGHT which exemplifies the exact opposite: the perfect choice in music for one of the most dramatic moments in the film.  This is one of my favorite movies, I believe I've mentioned this before on this blog, and it is one I would come back to all the time as child.  Besides a couple other scenes, including one where the main character screams the name of her housekeeper a zillion times like a madwoman, this is a part I'd watch over and over again (and once again I am suprised my parents never sent me to therapy).

Here is Ingrid Bergman playing Paula Anton, the mentally tortured wife of Gregory Anton (played by Charles Boyer), suffering a crisis to the sound of one of Chopin's greatest pieces : Ballade No. 1, Op. 23 in G minor.  Enjoy.

VOI DANSA CU TINE

I was over at a friend's house a few days ago, after my lunch plans with two other friends got canceled after hours of waiting for them. We decided to have a chill afternoon, nibbling on sandwiches and munching on cookies while drinking coffee. All of this went on while we watched Casino Royale. Now, you might think I'm talking about the James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, but no, this was a 60's satire based on Ian Fleming's famous character.

The movie had an incredible cast, including former Bond girl Ursula Andress, David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Peter Sellers, and even Woody Allen. The main reason why we chose to watch it was because my friend held it as something really close to his childhood, especially because of the movie's soundtrack, composed by Mr. Burt Bacharach himself. Though I wouldn't label the movie as a must-see, it does have certain visual and musical highlights (like the sultry Look Of Love sung by Dusty Sprinfield).

However, what was most important was the fact that my friend was able to share this film with me.
Getting to know your friends through what they like and what made them happy during their childhood years is probably one of the things I cherish the most, it's like catching up with them in retrospect. Photographs, movies, and music among other elements have the incredible ability to take us back and forth through time. I have just been witness to that today when I found a video of one of my favorite Romanian singers from when I was a kid. Though I didn't recognize it at first, once I heard the chorus I could not help myself from letting out a HUGE sigh. I remembered I actually owned this tape, that she -Angela Similea- had a daughter that went to the American school together with my older sister, and that I had spotted her on the street once.

I'm so happy I found this video. To top it off, she is introduced by none other that Corina Chiriac, my other super-duper favorite Romanian singer, whom I managed to see live at a concert back then (until I got an upset stomach and had to be taken out of the venue, ruining the moment for my parents). That's why I'm not having kids. Here it goes:

ON MY iPod NOW

Pop à la française.

SANTA BABY

So, Christmas is only a few days away and I'm not in a very Christmas-y spirit yet, though I am looking forward to cheating on my diet on the year's cheat-day par excellence. I had been thinking about what I'd want to get this year (somewhat inspired by the HILARIOUS videos by Drew Droege's impersonation of Chloë Sevigny) and so I came up with a list of things I would like to get and then narrowed them down to the following five (in no particular order):

NUMBER 1 : A TALL, DARK AND HANDSOME VEGETARIAN.
Santa MUST know I've been single for quite a while (insert Dalí's The Persistence of Memory here, or a video of a tumbleweed, or a cricket sound...or...never mind, I think I made it clear), and though I have broadened my standards, a friend recently reminded me that, once upon a time, being a vegetarian was an essential requirement.

EXAMPLE: CHRISTIAN BALE.

NUMBER 2: DINNER WITH MADONNA. Or lunch, or breakfast or brunch! Whatever it may be. Oh, and I need to be able to bring my friend Paloma along as well to make it complete. You see Santa?! I'm learning to share! (But let me figure out whether she really neeeeeds to sit with us at the same table or if she can just watch from afar).

I CAN SETTLE FOR PIZZA.

NUMBER 3: THE FABERGÉ EGG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SINCE I WAS 8.
I SO behaved that year, and I still didn't get it. I was so distraught. Of course, maybe Santa had a hard time deciding WHICH Fabergé egg to bring me. I was never able to make up my mind as to which one was my favorite and I never specified, so I'll give him that, but today I feel like I should probably have the one with the lily of the valley theme since they were, together with narcissus, my favorite flowers in my garden in Moscow (I think I'm just going to have to rush to the closest perfume shop and sniff some Diorissimo for nostalgia's sake).
Seriously, Santa, it's been 22 years...

(SIGH)

TINY PORTRAITS OF NICHOLAS II AND HIS FIRST TWO DAUGHTERS, OLGA AND TATIANA

NUMBER 4: MATTHEW MORRISON'S ABS.
No further explanation necessary.

NUMBER 5: NO MORE BULLFIGHTS.
This might sound like a party pooper to many, but it would make me SO happy. I would give up all of my other gifts just for this one.

So Santa, I've kept it VERY short this year. I'm not asking for much. Here's a little video that will help you realize how insignificant the things I'm asking for are. Please don't let me down...AGAIN.
Tootles.
ROGER

SMILE

I was writing on my friend Paul's Wall on Facebook for his birthday, I always call him Paulette. Though this pseudo-nickname is not exclusively mine, whenever I do call him this way I always think of Paulette Godard. So I thought of her and then couldn't help but search for one of the most touching scenes in movie history (according to me): the ending of Modern Times.
This has been an EXTREMELY sensitive week. Blame it on the rain, the stars, the planets, the moon - or maybe just the lack of sugar- but it's been hard to deal with these past seven days. It's been somewhat comforting to watch this scene, even though it always manages to bring me to tears, just like the first time I saw it when I was about 8. The music, which you most likely will recognize, is just the best.

HAPPY 50TH DARYL!

More on Daryl:
I have NEVER seen this movie, I've been hypnotized by this scene since I saw it a couple of years ago. I wanna dance like this.

PIRATE CHIC

This is a post from quite a while ago that remained in draft-status instead of getting published for some unknown reason. Today is Daryl Hannah's 50th birthday, so I guess it's the perfect excuse to publish it, here it goes:

I'm in the last day of a four-day photoshoot, God knows I'm exhausted by now (missed the ABSOLUT GLIMMER party last night...) and I'm about to be officially sick, which will probably jeopardize my gym attendance yet another week (I went there last night after a 6-day absence and 6-day binge).
Two days ago, no, wait, was it yesterday? You see, this is what being locked up in a studio does to you (together with listening to Mariah Carey or other inhabitants of my iTunes whose presence I'm also ashamed to confess). Well anyway, whenever it was, I accidentally sprayed some cologne into my eyes that morning and I obviously had to tweet about it. Since my Twitter account is linked to my Facebook, two friends of mine decided to comment on my temporary cyclops-state. Though I had thought I'd go for Madonna's eyepatch look in the V Magazine editorial, one of my friends suggested a more Elle Driver kind of look and posted the famous trailer-fight scene from Kill Bill 2.

That reminded me of how much I was fascinated by Daryl Hannah back in the 80s. I bet almost everyone loved her in SPLASH, but the first time I saw her and where she really caught my attention was in the 1986 movie LEGAL EAGLES, where she starred alongside Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Brian Dennehy and the fabulous Terence Stamp. Her character was really intriguing, sort of like a previous version of Catherine Trammel: attractive blonde, possible murderer, gets involved with her lawyer. I also remember I was a bit disturbed by a pair of opera gloves she wore with a cocktail dress in one of the scenes, I never really liked that match, though I was hypnotized by her looks (loooong legs included).

BLONDE BEAUTY

OPERA GLOVE DRESS (THOUGH YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THEM)

TERENCE STAMP LOOKING TERRIBLY DAPPER

LAWYER/DEFENDANT ROMANCE

After all these ideas went through my brain, the next inevitable thought was plastic surgery. I don't really like what's she's had done (though I really can't tell what precise touch-ups she has been through) but she's one of those celebrities whom you have sympathy for so you cover one eye, or squint, just so that you are not affected by the obvious changes.
I have to say, once again, that I'm not against plastic surgery AT ALL. I think it's totally worth it, especially if some doctor can keep you looking like Gloria Vanderbilt at EIGHTY SIX (!!!) :

GLORIA VANDERBILT TODAY.

Now back to Daryl, here's one of my favorite scenes from Legal Eagles: