Category: Foreign

Foreign

Amélie

LizLocke1 Comment
Image Credit: Amélie, 2001
Image Credit: Amélie, 2001

Cinema Sips is traveling to Paris this week, for a romp around the Montmartre district. French cinema has a long and storied history, beginning with the films of the Lumière Bros., George Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon, and continuing on with those sexy intellectual films of The New Wave. However, in my lifetime, the one film that has made me truly excited about French cinema is the adorable, whimsical Amélie (DVD/Download). Like an Anthropologie catalog mixed with a dash of Audrey Hepburn and a pinch of Wes Anderson on crystal meth, Amélie depicts Parisians as wonderful, cynical, stylish, romantic creatures. Additionally, it highlights fabulous French haircuts that as an average American I will never be able to pull off (despite a misguided attempt in 2002).

Amélie is about a kind-hearted, but lonely young woman played by Audrey Tautou (obviously channeling another famous Audrey) who decides to devote her life to helping the people around her. Playing match-maker, comedienne, seeing-eye waif, and companion to a brittle-boned painter, she flits in and out of the lives of her Montmartre compatriots like a French Tinkerbell. She lives in a world of imagination, eventually realizing that her fear and insecurities have prevented her from finding her own true love and happiness. Amélie is romantic, funny, sentimental, and crowd-pleasing (so… not your typical French film). But it also celebrates the minutia of everyday life, and the interconnectedness of human existence.

In celebration of all things French, and my favorite Amélie character, I’ll be mixing a Kir.  A simple cocktail,  Amélie serves it with a smile to the tragic Hipolito, who has embraced his destiny as a failed writer.  If the future that awaits me as an unpublished author involves a cute waitress bringing me cocktails in a charming Parisian cafe, consider me lucky.  While watching Amélie, I recommend drinking a Kir.

Kir

1 1/2 oz Dry White Wine

1/4 oz Crème de Cassis

Pour white wine into a glass, then top with Crème de Cassis.

Kir 

There was a bit of Amélie overload 10 years ago (what girl didn’t have the movie poster on her college dorm room wall?), but now that I’ve spent time away, I can appreciate what I loved about this film in the first place. Yes Amélie finds romance and quite possibly her soulmate, but more importantly she finds friendship and connection with the people who orbit her world. She’s a reminder that even the smallest act can brighten someone’s day, or change the course of destiny forever. Also, she’s a reminder that I should never try short bangs again. Cheers!

Dramas · Foreign

Cinema Paradiso

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image credit: Cinema Paradiso, 1988
Image credit: Cinema Paradiso, 1988

It’s no secret that I love movies. Why else would I write this blog, week after week? It’s not just for the drinks- I swear. What I love most of all are movies about movies. This brings me to the Italian component of Foreign Cinema Month, Cinema Paradiso (DVD). I’m not ashamed to admit that this schmaltzy, idealistic movie about the power of cinema tugs at my heartstrings every time, turning me into a weeping mess on the sofa. If you’re not affected even a little bit by the final montage, well then, I can’t help you.

Cinema Paradiso is at its core a love story between a boy and the art of cinema. Cute little Salvatore (`Toto’) pesters Alfredo (the projectionist at his local small-town cinema) into letting him help out in the projection room. Alfredo becomes a father figure, teaching Toto life lessons through movies, and encouraging him to follow his dreams of becoming a filmmaker. There’s a tepid love story that weaves itself through Toto’s adolescent years, but it can’t compare to the love stories we see on the screen of the tiny Italian movie theater. The film touches on religious censorship within Italian cinema, thus setting up the big finale. I feel like the Italians are the only ones who could have done this story justice, and their beautiful language only adds to the romance of the film as a whole.

Because this movie is a celebration of cinema, I think it deserves a prosecco toast. Pair it with the Italian aperitif Aperol, and you’ve got yourself a pretty, sparkly beverage evoking the Italian sunset. While watching Cinema Paradiso, I recommend drinking an Aperol Spritz.

Aperol Spritz

3 oz Prosecco

2 oz Aperol

1 oz club soda

Orange twist (optional)

Pour Aperol into a chilled flute or wine glass, and top with prosecco and club soda.  Garnish with an orange twist if desired. Toast to il cinema italiano!

aperol spritz

There have been a handful of other films about cinephiles (The Dreamers, Hugo, etc.) but Cinema Paradiso will always be my favorite. I first saw it as a teenager in a small town in Pennsylvania, and at the time it made me feel a little less alone. Like maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t crazy for wanting to barricade myself in my room with a stack of VHS tapes from Blockbuster. Toto ended up alright, anyway.  In many ways this blog, and the wonderful comments it receives, does the same thing for me as an adult. Here’s to Italy, and amore. Cin Cin!

Comedies · Foreign

Monsoon Wedding

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Image credit: Monsoon Wedding, 2001
Image credit: Monsoon Wedding, 2001

Get ready- Cinema Sips is off on an international adventure! For the entire month of July, I’ll be showcasing some of my favorite examples of foreign cinema. I know I have readers from all over the world, so maybe these films aren’t “foreign” to everyone. But for those of us living in the US, be prepared- there will be gorgeous scenery, there will be unusual flavors, and there will be subtitles. Deal with it. To kick things off, we’ll be visiting India through the lens of Monsoon Wedding (DVD/Download). This movie expertly blends contemporary Western culture with traditional Bollywood stereotypes. Add a cocktail, and you’ll feel like an honored guest at the reception.

Monsoon Wedding tells the story of an arranged marriage among upper middle class families in New Dehli. In a four day-long wedding extravaganza, we see the couple meet for the first time, learn their fears and dreams, and watch as distant relatives all come together to celebrate the union. I will admit, I grew up thinking of India through the typical (incorrect) Western lens, however after seeing this movie, I discovered an entirely different side to the country. India is home to a beautiful world full of riotous color, arbors draped in marigolds, steamy summer nights, music, dancing, and laughter. Of course, what would a wedding be without a little family drama too? Director Mira Nair weaves a bold, complicated tapestry of family emotions, making the viewer realize that no matter what country you live in, embarrassing relatives are universal.

Summertime in India calls for a fruity, refreshing drink. Mango seems to be a popular flavor in this country, and the celebratory theme of the movie calls for something light and uplifting. While watching Monsoon Wedding, I recommend drinking a Mumbai Mojito.

Mumbai Mojito

1.5 oz rum

½ cup fresh mango (or frozen, thawed)

4 sprigs mint

1.5 oz lime juice

5 oz oz club soda

Marigold blossom (for garnish)

Muddle mango, mint, and 1 oz of lime juice. Add rum, mix, then pour into ice filled glass. Top with club soda, squeeze of lime, and a marigold.

Mumbai Mojito

By far my favorite character in Monsoon Wedding is wedding planner P.K. Dubey. Permanently attached to his Nokia cell phone, he is the heart (and comic relief) of this film. His character is a lot like India itself- a blend of traditional cultural values, and new technology. He can order up a weather-proof tent via this crazy new thing called email, but he can also tell you it won’t rain because the peacocks aren’t dancing. Now isn’t that the kind of planner every bride needs on her side? Cheers!