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William Friedkin recommended Belle de Jour (1968) in Movies (curated)

Belle de Jour (1968)

1968 | Drama

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Movie Favorite

"A thriller wrapped inside an enigma, this is my desert island disc, the one I’ve watched  more than any other on this list. The psychology of the characters is revealed  slowly and ambiguously. Each time I see the wheelchair (the husband’s fantasy) and hear the sound of the horse-and-carriage bells (the wife’s), and the way  the two achieve harmony in the final scene, I’m reminded of Luis Buñuel’s ability to  fuse reality and illusion in his characters and for the viewer. He performs this  magic in plain view, like the best magicians. This is the film that illustrates that  Catherine Deneuve is not only one of the world’s most beautiful women but a  fine actress. Belle de jour is truly subversive in its satiric depiction of middle- class society, the church, and our social mores. If a ratings board ever understood  this film, it would receive an NC-17, though there is no sex and little violence."

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Kudos

Karl Hyde recommended James Blake by James Blake in Music (curated)

James Blake by James Blake

(0 Ratings)

Album Favorite

"It’s astonishing; one of those soundscape albums where the songs barely hold together, but somehow they do, so beautifully and so delicately. They’re like hymns, all of them. There’s a very spiritual quality to the chord sequences, straight from the church. It’s worshipful and soulful. In some ways it relates to Talk Talk’s last works. But they have that dark, dubstep feel to them as well. I just love the way he deconstructs songs. After I’d bought the album, it was on in a people carrier when we were being driven to a festival somewhere, and everybody was saying, "this is really dreary", but I had to pipe up and say, "actually it’s one of my favourite albums at the moment so can we leave it on?" I felt connected to it. I thought, "this isn’t dreary; it’s making me feel uplifted." I like what he does. I like anyone who takes songs and challenges the notion of song structures."

Source

Kudos

Natalie Portman recommended What Is The What in Books (curated)

What Is The What

Dave Eggers | 2008 | Biography, Fiction & Poetry

(0 Ratings)

Book Favorite

"I read about Sudan every day, and I didn’t understand what was going on there until this book. Dave Eggers tells the story of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who walked across the country, the largest in Africa. And then Deng spent 13 years in refugee camps before being resettled in Atlanta. It’s a powerful story of what he survived. There are lighter moments in the book: He and his roommates buy a tampon box because they think it’s so pretty. And there are less-kind instances of American behavior in the book—Deng was held hostage in his home and robbed. I didn’t know that church groups had sponsored these men. There’s so much anti-immigration stuff going on in the States right now, it’s heartening to see that people worked to reach out to others who are in need of what our country has to offer."

Source

Kudos