Bye Bye Blackbird

[Katy]

I stand corrected, this is the original German press kit, but the original film press kit is the one on the "Articles" page. The German one popped up about the same time BBB played Taormina more than a year ago. And, as far as the majority of funding goes, I think that goes to Samsa, a Luxembourg company. I do think the crew was mostly German though.

Katy

[andi]

Yes, Katy, you're right...much of the crew was German...and Robinson shared some funny hiring stories...including about the DP:

As it was beautifully shot, a woman asked a question about the cinematographer. He gave this lenghty answer about how he liked how this guy "looked"...yes, the main reason he hired him (without seeing his reel)...at least he had short little blond hairs on this head...and made a motion like he liked to play with them...and that this guy had these big round shoulders...so it would be nice when having a rough day to lay his head on...and how he had this really cool jacket like a DP wears or should wear or somehting. This didn't come off in a sexual manner, mind you...it's just the way Robinson seems to be a jokester, and "out there" with his humour......just whimsical.

[nono]

an article about bye bye blackbird in french of 'Telerama' very critical about the script but find jodhi magnificient
date : 14 Octobre 2006

Le scénario, un rien brinquebalant (ils se sont mis à trois pour l’écrire, pourtant) repose, un peu comme le cinéma muet, sur des archétypes : Alice et Josef, mi-humains, mi-oiseaux, évidemment cernés par la mort. Le patron du cirque, forcément tyrannique et fourbe. Sa fille adoptive (Jodhi May, magnifique), naturellement amoureuse sans espoir du héros. Sans oublier le philosophe de l’histoire, incarné par un Michael Lonsdale qui s’applique à parler anglais avec un accent français…

i didn't see the film yet

[Katy]

What's the date of this review?

And, BBB hasn't received a lot of good reviews, for the story at least. Most cite a troublesome plot that goes funny at the end. So, that's not so surprising.

Katy

[Katy]

yes, folks, I did finally see this film. I'm glad it happened.

The German dvd quality is pretty good, though the English audio track is only stereo, not Dolby or anything.

The film is visually quite appealing-- this has been said before; I know. I found it to be true.

The thing I like best is that the film kind of puts you in a trance. It's hypnotic. The action and the dialogue are so slow, and the visuals can be so overwhelming, that it really does effect a trance-like state of engagement.

I did not have the same problem with the ending as the reviewers seemed to have. It made sense, if you have bought into the rest of the plot before.

That said, I do think the film is problematic, which I hope to go into more depth at a later time. I haven't worked it all out.

As far as JM's participation goes-- I thought she gave 100% again. More and more in her recent work, I sense that she is very aggressively confronting the things she might personally be at odds with. In this case, she exhibits very overt physicality. Her dance sequence is one example, but more than that to me is her owning this physicality, commanding it. I think it is a character thing in this instance.

I think, when I go back over her film performances in my head, she is not a very physical actress; her power is in her emotions and perhaps all in her face. But here, as with other recent roles, she is using and owning the rest of her physicality. I just sense it is emerging as a part of her characters more and more, and that is great.

I also think the horse riding scenes were easy to not have her on a horse. They were shot to give the allusion of her on the horse. I don't think she did much horse work, really.

Ok, more later.

Katy

[zippy]

Wow. I've seen it now, too, and gosh... where do I begin?....

I think I waited so long to see this with such anticipation that my expectations exceeded the pay off.

I can see why JM would take this role - Nina is complex w/ some sort of secret with the Derek Jacobi character, OF COURSE unrequited love, sadness, responsibility, blahdy blah blah.

But there seems much lost in translation. I think too much was lost in editing / directing, which does make me curious about the script itself. Once out of the clouds (and production credits) I was pretty much lost in the opening scene, though, w/ two men on a frosty iron rail above a snow-ridden city.... they had on no coats, Joseph no shoes or socks, and it was apparent these were choices they'd made rather than facts of circumstance. I simply did not believe it.

That said, I think this performance is JM's career worst. The one exception, for me... well, two exceptions, one more so than the other... the one with sister Alice composing the letter to the count was sweet and had a natural feel to it; but the one that was a stellar duet of acting was between JM and Derek Jacobi -- so much subverted emotion seen on their faces that it's a seen I could replay several times and not tire of it.

There was MUCH wrong w/ this film that had zero to do w/ her, but focusing on JM alone, I gotta say, if this was my first taste of her work, I'd be totally, completely underwhelmed. What the hell was that accent?!? It seemed to come in and out and I KNOW it had nothing to do w/ my audio equipment!

Re: her physicality.... the horse stuff was bad direction / editing.... I think she probably did the best she could given the circumstances, but that's precisely where the other creative talent behind the camera should have compensated. Her dance scene was awkward if, for nothing else, I felt the director gave us no reason for her build up to dancing w/ Joseph -- once he started dancing, the focus was completely on him and she backed away. This was clear, though we weren't given any reason for it. And everyone who dances w/ her seems ok about it, but I don't buy for a second that anyone's really enjoying themselves being called out by her. At one point it seemed more like everyone was pulling straws and whomever she chose got the short one.

I think she can and has (acted) physically exceptionally well in the past -- look at the love making in SMS. The girl's in.to.it. The kitchen scene in Warriors - she is right. there. in. the. mo.ment. Pick a part of TOBG - she's THERE! Nada in this. This one, she's calling it in. At least that's my opinion after one viewing. Give me a minute (as in days) to watch it again. Maybe my opinion will change if not improve.

And I really, seriously, want her to get her teeth cleaned. PLEASE GOD, take the stain away.

[hat_trick]

**cough*** WOW!

Tell us what you really think, why don'tcha ya? I don't remember every reading anything so confrontational to Jodhi here before. How refreshing.

I have seen BBB. And, no, I don't think it was her best performance, or choice of performance. It's too bad, isn't it? I mean, who doesn't like a circus film?

There were a few uncomfortable moments as you suggest. I was uncomfortable during the dance scene, but I'm not as clear as you are as to the reason. I'm not sure it is as you suggest. Her strongest scenes were with Jacobi and the one you mention with her "sister".

Did the end make sense to you? It's so precarious to me. Sometimes I think I do get it, and then other times, I'm lost. It reminds me of Mulholland Drive in that way.

Maybe I will be able to contribute something more on this one-- no promises though.

I like your style, zippy!

ht

[zippy]

yeah, I get the ending -- by killing him she's setting him free from the psychological hell he's living in.

I may be completely off base about the dance scene. Sway my thinking, won't you?


I HEART HEART HEART Mulholland Drive!!

[whirled]

Well, I freely admit I had NFI what was going on during most of Mulholland Drive.

I mean, who doesn't like a circus film?

hat_trick, I have to admit I have no fondness for anything circus-related. Even as a kid, I never understood the appeal of a circus. I've only sat through two circus movies - When Night Is Falling (which I really like) and this one (which I didn't like nearly so much). So, I should preface my remarks about the film by saying I'm well outside its target audience.

First of all, JM's performance seemed a little distracted to me. I use that word becuase, as zippy pointed out, she's floating all over the place with her accent. Not one of the best examples of her usually fine voice work. And, at certain points, I just did not buy the character at all. I noticed that for a great percentage of the time, she wore an odd, almost smirking, expression. Not the worst performance in cinematic history, but an uneven one by JM's high standards.

I didn't find the dance sequence as cringe-worthy as I thought I might after reading other people's comments. It was a bit pointless though, and the scene went on way too long.

The story in general was a bit of a dog's breakfast, but I found myself quite absorbed, despite its many obvious flaws. I found that I was at least curious to see how it would wrap itself up. There were a few threads that I would have like fleshed out a bit more, especially the relationship between JM and Derek Jacobi. So, it was a bit frustrating. But I found the last scene quite plausible.

I do think that most of the film's problems come down to the director. He just doesn't give the story or the characters enough shape. I see now why he had to shop this movie around for so long before it got a DVD release in Germany. I'm glad I saw it, but it won't be joining AWA, TOBG or SMS among the ones I watch repeatedly. Like The Escapist, I think BBB is for hardcore JM fans only.

[Katy]

whirled, how very elegant of you. I've come to know that your responses are very thoughtful and very articulate. It is a real pleasure. Thank you.

There are a few of your comments that really resonated with me. For example:

Not one of the best examples of her usually fine voice work.

How true! And, you voice the assumption we all work with here on this forum-- that the majority of JM's work is very fine. I think the way you wrote this grounds this criticism in a way that it is constructive. I like it.

And, this:

Not the worst performance in cinematic history, but an uneven one by JM's high standards.

I think what I like about your comments in a broad way is that while they are critical of JM's performance, they don't seem judgmental. I don't get the sense that you've seen this now and think less of her or her abilities, and you are not going to slink off and never come back to her work. It reassures me, I guess.

There were a few threads that I would have like fleshed out a bit more, especially the relationship between JM and Derek Jacobi.

Well remarked. I agree. There was something there, as you suggest.

I do think that most of the film's problems come down to the director. He just doesn't give the story or the characters enough shape.

Well, you solved it. That is the problem and its solution. I've been trying to sort this out for weeks, and now you have. I thank you.

He was a first time director as well. So, his inexperience shows. He also comes from the photography discipline, I think, so we see that in the film's composition. The visual aesthetic was the best part of the film, I think. But he had a great cast; it's just too bad he could hold the thread tighter.

Katy

[whirled]

Katy, thank you for your kind words. I'm flattered.

I don't get the sense that you've seen this now and think less of her or her abilities, and you are not going to slink off and never come back to her work. It reassures me, I guess.

Definitely, I still think she's amazing, and I'm in for the long haul in terms of watching JM's career development. I have a strong sense, which is validated more by some of her performances than others, that Jodhi May still has something in reserve; she's (unconsciously) holding out on us to some extent, I think. That makes her all the more interesting to me. I just think she's still relatively young and untrained and will continue to mature as an actress. BBB, for me, was a sort of "bad day at the office" for JM. I also suspect, as others have said here over the years, that JM's strong suit is theatre work. I hope I will get to test that theory sometime between now and death.

Well, you solved it. That is the problem and its solution. I've been trying to sort this out for weeks, and now you have. I thank you.

You're welcome! And, since you've now reminded me that it was the director's first effort, I have to give him his due for the ambition of the project. Also, perhaps it was a case of his inexperience unsettling JM a little. Maybe he just didn't know how to give her the information she needed. I guess we'll never know.

[zippy]

Can the church get an AMEN?!?!



Seriously, like Katy, I appreciate your thoughtful responses. I'm not running off from JM's work -- and I agree, whirled, her best is yet to come.

As for BBB, I'm most curious what's on the cutting room floor about the relationship between JM and DJ. There a sense that something powerful (or powerfully suggested) was circumsized in the editing.

[Flower Child]

I don't know if this has been posted before but I just spotted this one. JM is featured at the beginning. It's a beautiful piece of work. I MUST get this dvd!

http://www.internet-9.com/entertainment ... d-trapeze/

[Katy]

Good luck! I know you can buy it from European retailers.

There is a general consensus here that it does look great but lacks in story (and performance) substance. You can read the other posts about it above.

Katy