The Red Hot Chili Peppers keep on going (19/09/11)

After a long break, the Californian band is on the offensive again with a new record, and a tour which includes a stop at the Stade de France.

It’s like a travelling promotion. At 48 years old Anthony Kiedis has lived many lives and made many records. He loves being on stage, and is nowhere near as happy behind the curtain. He told us that, “Normally after two days of talking to journalists I feel sick. It’s been three days now, and I must confess that I’m enjoying myself.” The Red Hot Chili Peppers singer likes to charm people, and his recent sobriety hasn’t affected his strong spirit. If anything it’s made it better. For the last ten years he has replaced alcohol, smoking and other drugs with green tea and sushi. His long Californian surfer-style hair has disappeared, and instead he now sports a rough-looking moustache that suits his new personality. He explained that, “We’ve spoken to each other about how we’ve spent so long writing this new album, but these last five years haven’t seemed so long. We’ve been producing it for two years, and it’s true that for the first time in our lives, we’ve had a two year-long holiday. I’ve spent the time doing two things: surfing and doing things with my son. And to be honest, he’s totally bonkers.”

Everly Bear is three years old and his father never stops praising him. “He’s like me, but he already has his own personality. What’s more he’s much better looking and more intelligent than me.” Even the Californian rockers can go mad. “Before, I drew inspiration from my demons – solitude, alcohol and my chaotic love life. With ‘I’m With You,’ it was the first time that I wrote something while not falling in love or completely alone. And it’s true that even if none of the songs are specifically dedicated to him, they all have some form of link to him.” Fatherhood isn’t the only influence of the Chili Peppers’ tenth album. In the background there’s also a true but distinctly inamicable separation. John Frusciante, the tenebrous guitarist who had already left the group once in the 90s, left for good three years ago.

We’re a group. Everything is democratic with us

Anthony assured us that there was nothing tragic about this departure. “It was a good thing for everybody, a great relief, but there was no anger. We couldn’t continue together, that’s all.” People behind the scenes are saying that if Kiedis and Frusciante had been exchanging rehab centre addresses for years, the gifted guitarist has still not managed to overcome his addictions as well as the singer. None of his ex-associates, especially Josh Klinghoffer, will confirm who his replacement will be. As discrete as his colleague Anthony is talkative, the tall brown-haired man remains seated on the sofa and plays with the sleeves of his teenage-style hoodie. But although he looks timid, the musician’s face is as vivacious and electric as his guitar playing. The experienced Californian band didn’t choose him to replace the legend that is Frusciante for nothing.

At 31 years old, Josh has already played alongside Beck, Gnarls Barkley and PJ Harvey. Moreover, it was he who secured the last dates of the ‘Stadium Arcadium’ tour, the Peppers’ preceding album released in 2006. “Kiedis explained that, “It’s the first time that a collaboration has started like that. We’ve known each other since 1999. We were fans of his work as he was of ours. I want to say that at no stage did we ever doubt his talent. The uncertainties and stress were replaced by excitement and anticipation of working with him. That’s all there is to it.” Josh could easily feel flattered, but he preferred to explain himself. “I must confess that what I dreaded most was the promotion. It really bored me. Writing and recording this album, that was some experience, and I had no desire to share or explain it. But in the end we were forced to tell people what we’d been doing and to make our arrangement and our coming together public.”

He doesn’t dare say more about it. But even if he prefers to act reserved in interviews, it’s clear that he has found his place in the group. His intense and poetic guitar playing is audible throughout. The African and electronic influences of the rock-funk that’s so characteristic of the Californians, that’s him and the bassist Flea. And it’s he who brought unanimity among the three original members by way of the album’s title, ‘I’m With You.’ Kiedis happily recalls that, “We all made that decision. We’re a group, everything is democratic with us.” Almost thirty years after their formation the Californian rockers still have their spice, and have found some calm as well.

“I’m With You” (Warner). In concert on October 18^th and 19^th at Paris Bercy, and in June 2012 at the Stade de France.

Source text written by Marie-Pierre Galinon. See the full French article here: http://www.parismatch.com/Culture-Match/Musique/Actu/Les-Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-arrachent-toujours-334295/

 

A Look at War through Images (31/08/11)

From Spain in 1936 to Lebanon in 2006, ninety of the most striking photographs from war reports are on display at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (European House of Photography).

As a testimony against war, the exhibit is also an attempt at reflection upon the symbolic power of images.

Images which have portrayed opinions

Published in the biggest magazines, widely broadcast and commented on, the majority of the pictures on display have been influential in the history of photojournalism. Among these most famous images, the visitor will find the American flag erected in Iwo Jima during the Second World War, signed by Jim Rosenthal. Then there’s Nick Ut’s photograph of a small girl who has been burnt by napalm during the Vietnam War, and then the soldier traumatised by bombs, by Don McCullin. Among the more recent images, you will see the wake in Kosovo by Georges Merillon, the mass graves in Bosnia by Gilles Peress and the petrol tank fires during the Iran-Irak War by Henri Bureau.

The symbolic power of images

The dramatic tension that comes across in the images is particularly striking, and this tension is achieved through symbolism and suggestiveness. A photograph by Robert Capa taken in 1936 shows a republican militiaman collapsing, cut down by a bullet. This image epitomizes its genre. As an emblematic icon of the Spanish Civil War, this photograph opened the door to the era of photojournalism. The documentary value and great narrative power of the images on display allow for a much deeper understanding of the various conflicts which took place over the course of the last century.

One thinks back in particular to Larry Burrows’ colour photograph entitled ‘With Open Arms.’ It shows wounded American soldiers, one of the standing, totally exhausted, and another on the ground, with mud stained uniform. There’s an infinite weariness in their eyes. Larry Burrows’ work contributed to the revival of American consciousness when it came to war, and started the protest movement against the seemingly never-ending Vietnam War.

We should remember that more than any other medium, photography has the capacity to strike a chord with people’s minds, “To revive public awareness,” as Robert Capa’s brother Cornell put it.

Source text written by Thomas Lamy. See the full French article here: http://www.parismatch.com/Culture-Match/Art/Actu/Regars-sur-la-guerre-323585/

 

Audrey Tautou dreams of something different (10/08/11)

At the age of thirty-five, and eleven years after the global success of The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain, Audrey Tautou has revealed her intention to stop acting in comedies, “Very soon.”

Audrey Tautou is the stereotypical anti-star. Discrete, timid and modest, she only rarely gives interviews. At the time of the U.K. release of her film Les Vrais mensonges (Beautiful Lies), the thirty-five year old actress granted one to The Telegraph. And, what a surprise: she came out with a staggering revelation – but one which was not so surprising upon closer inspection…. She would be leaving the film industry. The interview began strongly: “I am not overly attached to my career,” affirmed the brunette from Auvergne. This was surprising confidence, which she justified with her desire to do other things. “I want to become a sailor. I like to draw. I would like to learn so many things, but I don’t have the time,” she said before explaining, “That’s the problem, you know. That’s the reason I’ll be quitting comedy shortly.” And with that she, “Let out a bizarre laugh… as if her own confession had taken her by surprise,” commented journalist Benjamin Secher. Disappointed, he confessed to having imagined Audrey Tautou as one of those, “Rare actresses of French cinema – somebody like Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and more recently Marion Cotillard – whose talent, ambition and ‘je ne sais quoi’ help maintain their lasting place in the global conscience.”

But no. The beautiful brunette with a curious look about her arrived on the cinema scene almost by chance – her father offered her theatre lessons at the Cours Florent, as a, “Reward for her good academic results” – and it’s with this same casualness that she envisages leaving it. At the time she had just passed her baccalauréat with the comment, “Good,” and as a ‘safety net,’ simultaneously sent letters to the Sorbonne. After her degree she gave herself a year to make it as an actress, and not a day longer. “I thought: I don’t want to continue this job if this job doesn’t want me,” she recalled. “I didn’t want to. No, no, no,” she insisted. “There are too many marvellous things to do in life. So I gave myself the year – and it was during that year that I got the role in Vénus Beauté (Venus Beauty Salon).” This role earned her the César award for Most Promising Actress. It was her destiny.

“I didn’t want any of this power”

Barely two years later she got the biggest role of her life: that of Amélie Poulain, which gained her international renown. The then twenty-five year old was made to feel guilty by this opportunity which left all doors open to her. “I didn’t expect to find myself in such a lucky situation and to have so many privileged offers,” she told Paris Match last year. “I didn’t go along with it for quite a while. I was very ill at ease with other people.” Then there was Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement) in 2004, and most significantly The Da Vinci Code two years later. A global success. Maybe one success too many for her. She recalls a dizzying sensation of power that only a leading role in a Hollywood super production could make her feel. That made her feel sick. “I didn’t want any of this power,” she claimed with her disarming sincerity, that semi-nonchalance which verges on insulting all the comedy actresses who would kill to be in her position. “I would prefer to be free, and be able to choose to stop acting in hugely exhibited films.” She embellished this sentiment by saying, “I don’t ride the huge waves. When I see them coming I take my board and go straight back to the beach.” This celebrity didn’t “suit” her. “This is not that way I want to live my life.” And she who claims to be, “Always surprised to be chosen for a role” emphasises that even her father doesn’t understand it. “I understand that nobody understands me, but I can’t be somebody I’m not,” she insisted.

Last March she said to Alain Spira: “I don’t know if what I’ve learnt counts as wisdom, but I know that when it comes to pursuing our lives, we are alone. And thus I have come to see that I should be alone in choosing what colour to make mine. This demonstrates that we shouldn’t do things other people’s way. I understood that I shouldn’t, as I in fact ended up doing, let myself be restricted by rules established by others. I believe that’s the most important thing I learnt over the last few years.”  We fully comprehend now that neither the public, nor the success of the films – TF1 once again brought together more than 3.8 million television viewers on Sunday evening with the broadcast of Ensemble c’est tout – will make her change her mind. Audrey Tautou is sailing towards new horizons.

Source text written by Marie Desnos. See the full French article here: http://www.parismatch.com/Culture-Match/Cinema/Actu/Audrey-Tautou-va-arreter-le-cinema-321257/

 

Amy Winehouse’s Music Sales have rocketed! (06/08/11)

Since the singer’s death on July 23^rd, singles and album sales have gone through the roof.

Just like Michael Jackson in 2009, over the last few days Amy Winehouse’s music has enjoyed posthumous success. Since her tragic death, sales of her songs have taken off. In The U.K. ‘Back To Black’ is dominating the album charts. In the U.S. this same track released in 2006 has climbed back up to the number 9 spot in less than two days, on Billboard 200, ahead of Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way.’ It tops the ‘catalogue’ chart which lists albums older than a year and a half, and is followed in 3^rd spot by ‘Frank,’ the British artist’s first work to arrive on the scene back in 2003.

Only thirty-six hours after her death, and counting all forms of distribution, Amy Winehouse had sold more than 50,000 albums. According to the New York Times this is more than the number of albums sold since the beginning of the year. A compilation of previously unreleased tracks titled ‘Back To Black: B-Sides’ has also experienced a large boom in sales. Amy Winehouse’s music has sold particularly well online with around 110,000 downloads, 34,000 of which were of the hit song ‘Rehab’ (in video form).

In France, figures from the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing do not, at first glance, show a very strong surge for the week after the singer’s death. But the available data does not go beyond July 24^th, the day after Amy’s death and moreover a Sunday, a day when very few record stores are open. The fact remains that in very little time the album ‘Back To Black’ climbed back to 6^th spot in the ‘back catalogue’ chart, after ranking just 18^th the previous week. In terms of downloads, the single ‘Rehab’ has reappeared near the top in 37^th place.

These figures were expected to rise again significantly during the week of July 25^th to 31^st, since media attention has been largely focused on the death of the star. Amy Winehouse could soon be breaking records. In Britain, ‘Back To Black’ was already the second bestselling record in history (behind James Blunt’s ‘Back To Bedlam’) before the artist’s passing.

Source text written by A.G. See the full French article here: http://www.parismatch.com/Culture-Match/Musique/Actu/Les-albums-et-les-singles-d-Amy-Winehouse-se-vendent-par-dizaines-de-milliers-319663/

 

Angelina Jolie to avoid the Cinema Scene (04/08/11)

Angelina Jolie has made it known in an interview that she will be taking time out from the film industry. The actress soon to play Cleopatra realises that she now has different priorities like her family life, humanitarian duties and other ambitions.

This comes as a great disappointment for her fans. It was clear that she was deeply involved in the lives of her six children – Maddox, 9, Pax, 7, Zahara, 6, Shiloh, 5 and the twins Vivienne and Knox, both 2 years old. The amount of time she dedicates to her role as an ambassador of good will for the UN High Commission for refugees is very well known. Furthermore, despite the typically malicious Hollywood rumours her relationship with Brad Pitt seems as strong as ever. The ‘Tomb Raider’ beauty, now aged 36, has confirmed her fans’ worst fears. In an interview with the Financial Times she said, “As we get older, Brad and I want to do fewer films. I’ve been working for a long time, he’s been working for a long time. We’ve had great careers and I don’t want us to be working our whole lives,” she insisted.

The highest paid actress in the world (according to the latest Forbes classification) has, in effect, realised that she no longer loves her job as much as before. “I have never stopped being grateful for my career as an actress,” she said. “But I think that when I was younger I needed to make more films. I tried to question the various aspects of my life, and all those people who (you think) are helping you find the answers and grow as a person,” she explained. Today, “I am older and I know who I am. And I am less interested in these people… I prefer to find the answers myself, as a woman, with my family.” Thus she concluded, stressing the fact that she didn’t like her actress side as much as she “loves” her mothering side.

Crossing the Sahara Desert

And then, “There are loads of other things to do!” exclaimed the lady they call Angie. Her partner Brad Pitt, who recently posed in the Cambodian forest for a Louis Vuitton publicity campaign, has made known one of his dreams: to cross the Sahara Desert. “It takes 28 days… and you do it on camelback. I’ve been wondering if I could do it bit-by-bit and write to the children along the way,” he joked.

Always around when you’re not expecting her, Angelina Jolie made a surprising appearance this weekend at the Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnia), where she received the ‘Honorary Heart of Sarajevo.’ An award to thank her for her interest in the country, having been there twice – in a humanitarian and professional vein. Let’s remember that the first film she directed was recently made there, and not without difficulty. It was ‘The Land of Blood and Honey,’ which recounts the love story of a Muslim woman and a Serbian man, during the Bosnia-Herzegovina war of 1992-1995. Despite the theme of love, the authorities put a spanner in the works by withdrawing her permission to film. This followed reports in the local media that the story evoked rape – a taboo subject in this country ravaged by the horrors of war. Her permit was finally regained after examination of the synopsis, and the film is expected to come out this December in the United States.

In a visibly emotional state at the presentation ceremony, she declared, “In the car I said to Brad that I was afraid of crying.” “I am so honoured to be here at this festival. I don’t think there is any better example of the power of art, than this festival which started during the war and which gets bigger every year… Last year, I discovered not only the hospitality of the people here, but also some incredible talent. In all my career I have never worked with such disciplined and gifted artists,” she proclaimed, trying to hold back her tears. “This film has been a chance to bring people’s attention to what happened a long time ago, and I hope that I will lead to people learning about what everybody here has experienced.” Looking sublime in her peach-coloured Elie Saab dress, Angelina Jolie received a long ovation.

Source text written by Marie Desnos. See the full French article here: http://www.parismatch.com/Culture-Match/Art/Actu/Angelina-Jolie-va-ralentir-sa-carriere-d-actrice-319187/