Why Not?

These may not be first choice, but why not see them anyway?

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus   **

Terry Gilliam is a bit of an untethered genius. Even in brilliant films such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas or The Brothers Grimm. He’s basically a huge talent who tends towards overload. Here, having had the privilege of directing Heath Ledger (whom he worked with in Grimm) in his last film, he had the dilemma of having to substitute his character when Ledger passed away so prematurely and tragically. So he replaced this immense talent with no fewer than three actors: Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. The film is a magical mishmash with Faustian undertones though it ends up quite frustrating, without any real form. But it’s still a must-see thanks to all these top talents and what Gilliam managed in the aftermath of tragedy.

Panique au Village **  (vo French)
In the same animated style as Wallace and Gromit, this Belgian tale of Cowboy and Indian is a hectic, wild ride that’s naïve, inventive and funny.

Neptune Ingwersen, Film Critic

Bonnie Au Cinema, Entertainment & Fun movies, Neptune Ingwersen, Terry Gilliam

Films Worth Your While

L’Enfer de Henri-Georges Clouzot   ***   (vo French)

If you are a cinephile, an admirer of Romy Schneider or fascinated by the creative process, do not miss this study of French director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s filming of L’Enfer (with the gloriously young Schneider), never finished due to various circumstances which you will discover. Having become a legendary auteur after such works as Le Salaire de la Peur, Les Diaboliques, or his ground-breaking documentary, Le Mystère Picasso, Clouzot had become more and more demanding and difficult to work with. This documentary takes us into his world and back to the mood of the 60s, with all its novelties and excesses.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Tempète de boulettes géants)   **1/2

What do they say about being careful what you wish for? Here’s a fun animated story for all ages about a fanatic inventor, who from childhood has fiddled with new-fangled ideas. When his dream of a machine that creates whatever food he orders comes to fruition, all hell breaks loose, literally. Good fun and some fine moral lessons.

Neptune Ingwersen, Film Critic

Bonnie Au Cinema, Entertainment & Fun Henri-Georges Clouzot, Neptune Ingwersen, Romy Schneider

Abundance Is An Attitude

Each of us has potential that can be freed by looking at the abundance and goodness around us.  When we lighten our lives by seeing the fortune that we have we are not only happier and more confident, we also become a magnet for others.  There is a goodness in abundance which creates more goodness and more abundance.  Look around you.  The abundance is there.

AgeEsteem is acknowledging our abundance.

1.  Interview people around you who are of different generations.

• What are they most thankful for?
• Do they have a habit of giving thanks daily?  How?
• If so, when did they begin this habit?
• How do they benefit from their daily thanksgiving?

2.  Do you see a difference between the attitude of those who give thanks regularly and those who do not?
3.  Now, interview yourself using the same questions.
4.  Taking all your interviews into consideration, do you see a correlation between people giving thanks, and feeling good about themselves at the age they are today?
5.  Share your experience by leaving a comment or mailing Bonnie.Fatio@AgeEsteem.com.

Bonnie Across-generations, For the Soul abundance, AgeEsteem, attitude, goodness, potential, Thanksgiving

 To all of you who are celebrating Thanksgiving this month, today, and every day,

Bonnie Holidays Thanksgiving

Recognize your blessings, however small.

Dr. Maya Angelou, who was asked by President Bill Clinton to write and recite an original poem for his Inauguration as President of the United States in 1993, had not always been articulate and confident.  As a young girl she felt she was worthless and was dangerously depressed.  Fortunately a teacher took interest in her and insisted that she make of list of everything she had to be thankful for.  When she could find nothing to write, the teacher said, « Then begin with the fact that you are able to hold a pencil. »  Little by little she began her list which has grown with the years.  Today, Dr. Maya Angelou is herself a blessing in the lives of multitudes through her words, lyrics and legendary wisdom.  At age 80 she continues her attitude of gratitude as she inspires audiences throughout the world.

On a recent trip to South Africa to present AgeEsteem at a global conference of Women’s Rights and Development it was once again reinforced for me just how privileged I am to live where I do.   Learning from such a diverse group of women was enriching.  Learning filters both ways.   Often the people who have suffered the most through war, drought, hunger or standing up for what they believe to be just and right are the ones who show the greatest gratitude.  They have managed to live through these experiences and survive.  -  And an important ingredient to this survival has been to see the little blessings along the way that others would have overlooked.

Recognizing our blessings, both great and small, and being thankful are powerful ingredients to reaching our potential at every age.

• Every night before you fall asleep ask yourself this question.  « What am I most thankful for today? »
• Seek the little blessings that you normally overlook.
• Nourish your gratitude and feel truly thankful.

Bonnie For the Soul, Happiness at Every Age AgeEsteem, Bill Clinton, blessings, Dr. Maya Angelou, gratitude, potential

Do you feel abundance surrounding you?  Do you think that it all belongs to someone else?  Or, are you sometimes overwhelmed with wonder at how fortunate you are?

Abundance is having all that you need and want.  Different people have varying perspectives.  Much depends on how we define what abundance includes.  Do you measure it by the number of things that you have acquired?  Do you feel blessed because you are healthy and have enough to eat?  Do you relish the abundance of beauty that surrounds you?

My Dad used to say that we were rich because we were healthy and happy.  We kept healthy habits, ate balanced meals and took dental hygiene seriously.  Our extra perks were picnics on the beach to watch a stunning sunset, or on a summer evening catching fire flies and giggling with friends as we pointed our elbow to a star and wished on it out loud.   We were giddy with abundance.  No one needed a second pair of shoes or a designer shirt to feel rich.  The coolest of the cool was to have pop bottle tops stuck onto your shirt, the more the better.

What is your abundance made up of?  Is it money, jewelry and designer clothes?  Do you count it as your friends and family?  Is it waking up in the morning knowing you have the gift of a new day to open and discover?  Do you consider the fragrance of the flowers and sounds of a bird chirping or water running in a stream as part of your treasures?  Is the simple fact that you have a job with a regular income or the skills to find such a job part of your fortune?

Bonnie For the Soul, Happiness at Every Age abundance, beauty, happy, healthy

Giving Thanks For Your Abundance

Do a multitude of blessings come into mind when you see this title or do you have to go on a hunting trip to find the abundance in your life?

An attitude of gratitude is a key to AgeEsteem.  And what better time of year to emphasize this than this month when Thanksgiving is celebrated in several countries?    Why not truly give thanks this year?

When our granddaughter was born,  I spent hours holding her in my arms thinking how fortunate she was to simply be born where she was born and in a family who wanted her, with parents, grandparents and extended family who love her.  She was born into an environment of peace and prosperity where as a young girl she can strive to become anything she desires.  Education is taken for granted.  She has a roof over her head, clothes to wear, her own shoes, and healthy food to eat.  Healthcare is readily available, including vacinations from diseases that continue to kill elsewhere in the world.  She can wish on stars in the clear night and watch in awe as the sun sets or rises with its colorful hues.  Probably her greatest pain will be from scraped knees and minor bruises.  She is free from the threat of land mines and snipers.  She lives where she can make her own choices, aspire to become what she wishes and to dream without fear.  Laughter, learning and freedom of speech are hers to enjoy.  And, I add once again that she is surrounded by family who will protect, support and encourage her.

Those of us who have some or all of these same fortunes truly have reason to give thanks for our abundance.

• Write down 10 reasons you have to be thankful.
• Now write 10 more reasons you have to be thankful.
• Write 10 more reasons.

Bonnie For the Soul, Happiness at Every Age abundance, AgeEsteem, attitude, blessings, gratitude, Thanksgiving

Foreign Films Not To Miss

A wonderful mental exercise to keep your mind alive and active is to watch foreign films in their original language.

Micmacs à Tire-Larigot   ****   (vo French)
Ah, to be transported into a sepia world of magical realism, nostalgia and loveable characters – each one unique and wondrous.  Isn’t that what good movies are all about? Jean-Pierre Jeunet is back to enchant again after his huge hit, Amélie Poulain. This time it’s about Bazil, a whimsical fellow who ends up with a bullet in his head, which could kill him at any moment. Jeunet’s art is so rich that he can convey thirty years in the first five minutes of the film, juggling and editing until you know all about his characters, yet long to know more. Dany Boon is marvelous as the hero – pure, street-wise and delightfully funny – who wreaks sweet revenge on a couple of arms industrialists. All the while, he’s aided by some quirky homeless types who take him in as part of their “family”. There are touches of vintage Hollywood, Buster Keaton, Bourvil, Tarantino and the Coen Brothers (especially from The Hudsucker Proxy). It’s really all about the little man against the big bosses of this world – arrogant, exploitive and greedy. And guess who you’ll be rooting for?

Le Ruban Blanc   ***1/2   (vo German)
As much as you walk out of Micmacs with a big smile, this one will leave you with a long face and much to ponder. But then the theme is as grim as you will be – the austere, harsh upbringing that spawned the cold ambivalence of character that may have contributed to forming a nation of Hitler followers. It’s pre-WWI in a small hamlet in northern Germany. Among the families of the clergyman, the Baron, the doctor and the farmers, strange things are happening. Who is responsible for these random, cruel acts? Could it possibly be the children, so burdened under relentless punishment? The mood and the stark black and white cinematography hark back to the works of Ingmar Bergman. By Austrian director Michael Haneke, the film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year. One of his least physically violent, it is nevertheless violent emotionally, which can be even more traumatic. But then so were the times. Simply brilliant.

Eyes Wide Open (Tu n’aimeras point)   ***1/2   (vo Hebrew)
This moving film from Israel concerns an Orthodox butcher who is happily married with small children, but falls hopelessly in love with a young man who comes to help him in his shop. The atmosphere, the seriousness of both his religious beliefs and his deep new love make for a powerful tale of torn commitments and sensibilities. By 34-year-old Haim Tabakman, this first feature film has astounding discretion and wisdom .

Neptune Ingwersen, Movie Critic

Bonnie Au Cinema, Entertainment & Fun Haim Tabakman, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Michael Haneke, movies, Palme d'Or

Film Critic, Neptune Ingwersen

Films not to miss!

New York, I Love You   ****
First came Paris, je t’aime and after this should come Shanghai, I Love You. It’s a great idea to take top directors and actors and give them free rein to create an homage to a city they love. Here you have such established filmmakers as Mira Nair of India, Yvan Attal of France and Fatih Akin from Germany/Turkey giving their versions of the mood and atmosphere of the Big Apple and its varied faces. There are meetings in bars, grocery stores, strange happenings in a hotel room and a precious old couple going to neighboring Brighton Beach for their anniversary. There are a host of superb actors including John Hurt, Ethan Hawke, Robin Wright Penn, Natalie Portman and an astounding Shia LeBeouf who holds his own against an icon such as Julie Christie. And their stories are all woven seamlessly into a hypnotic tribute to a great city, with haunting music, to boot. Do not miss the experience.

This Is It   ***1/2
So many people revered Michael Jackson, while others had questions about him, his strange life and the multitude of charges against him and/or his innocence. We will never know all the truth – there never is only one truth, anyway. But this film will put to rest some of the questions about his artistic intentions and his musical genius. Put together by Kenny Ortega, this compilation of his last months’ rehearsals for his mega-show in London is a final homage to a man of extraordinary talent. In it, he appears vibrant, in complete control, with an exceptional presence and professionalism. Throughout the musical sequences and elaborate preparations there is a sweetness about him, a true caring. It’s a fine tribute to the King of Pop and it may leave you with a lump in your throat for the too sudden, unnecessary loss of such a personality.

2012   ***

It’s strange – This Is It ends on the necessity to save our planet, and this huge blockbuster from German-import Roland(Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) is about how we are actually going to lose our earth as we know it – in 2012! What Emmerich manages in his films is to not only to make them actual and nail-bitingly exciting, but he also zeroes in on the human element, both in the family unit and with dashes of humor that release some of the tremendous tension he loves to create. And there are some amazing chases and flights that will have you careening in your seat along with John Cusack and his family. This is quality blockbuster material, so take the whole tribe. Ok, so it has a schmaltzy, big-time Hollywood ending, but hey, that’s the fun of these popcorn movies!

Bonnie Au Cinema, Entertainment & Fun Julie Christie, Kenny Ortega, Michael Jackson, movies, New York, Shia LeBoeuf

At dinner the other evening a friend in his 50′s shared his attraction to the beauty in older women.  He had just seen a woman in her 70′s who he was genuinely drawn to.  He said that she had the same beauty and special sparkle that Audrey Hepburn had.  As a woman of 66 I have to admit that it was refreshing to hear a good looking, intelligent  man admit to being attracted to someone older.

We tend to remember Audrey Hepburn as a young woman on the screen.  She was equally beautiful in her later years and continued to have that special inner glow.  The picture above was taken during her time as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) from 1988 to 1993 when she died.

Audrey Hepburn remains a wonderful AgeEsteem role model.

• She remained active with a purpose,  helping children throughout the world.
• Her joy of living was contagious via her smile, that also smothered her wrinkles.
• She was not afraid to do what she knew to be right.
• She lived her values.

Bonnie AgeEsteemers, Inner and Outer Beauty