Few music lovers know the name of Josef Myslive?ek, “the Bohemian” (in the sense of “born in Bohemia”) as he was nicknamed in Italy in the years 1750-1760, author of 26 operas and 85 symphonies that the young Mozart admired. Petr Vaclav’s beautiful film, Il Boemo, comes to right this injustice. We follow the romantic journey of this exceptional musician born in Prague into a family of millers and who became a composer by the sheer force of his talent. Fiercely independent, he made his way through 18th century Italy without joining a court despite the difficulties that this represented… and composed operas like this Olimpiade whose melodic genius dazzled. Driven by a remarkable soundtrack (including countertenor Philippe Jaroussky), the film happily transports us to the Venice of Pietro Longhi and Francesco Guardi. A success.
Indoors.
Degas in black and white. Drawings, prints, photographs. BnF-Richelieu. Until September 3, 2023.
Do you know Le Secret cabaret? It is one of the wonders of the Parisian night, an intimate place where the strange, poetry, beauty, sensitivity and laughter coexist. A stone’s throw from Père-Lachaise, in a small welcoming room, the artists unfold their numbers, disturbing or cheerful, sulphurous or lyrical, political or moving, often all of this at the same time. We admire these beautiful night birds, creatures of silk, sequins, frills, masks, costumes and feathers. Under the leadership of Monsieur K., fabulous master of ceremonies, artists and drag queens swirl, sing and dance, the breathtaking Big Bertha with her suave hips, the sublime Corine and her fatal mortuary, the exquisite David Noir with her petrifying talent, Robi the majestic and her voice of honey, the sculptural Lalla Morte who masters the science of fakirs, and many others. They are impertinent, colorful, dazzling timbres, spontaneous gestures, creativity at the top, emotions that they plant in your heart, bursts of laughter that they rip out of your guts, in an intoxicating music, that, in particular, of L ‘Oiseau jolie on accordion and Baroness of the Bronx on violin. We joke with everything, at the Cabaret du secret, except with talent, with freedom, with sex appeal, which they all wear slung over their shoulders, playing with genres, norms and codes. They can be seen all year round at the Truc du Père-Lachaise in Paris. But don’t miss the apotheosis which will take place this Tuesday, June 27 on the stage of the Théâtre de l’Atelier: it’s the end-of-year gala of this fine team, which promises a nice parade of surprises. Run to this party!
Information and booking on the site of the Théâtre de l’Atelier.
The Walking Dead series keeps coming back from the dead. After its eleventh and final season, which aired last year, the universe unfolds as a spin-off. One of the most anticipated is The Walking Dead: Dead City. It features two mythical survivors of the series: Negan, the big bad guy in the leather jacket, once armed with a bat twisted with wire, and Maggie, known as “The Widow”, whose husband Glenn was killed by Negan. in the last episode of season 6. Over the following seasons, Negan was neutralized by the “good guys” group, to which Maggie belongs, and repented. But The Widow never forgave her for having slain her dear husband. However, Herschel, the son she was expecting when Glenn was killed, has just been kidnapped by a sordid individual, “The Psychopath”, former disciple of Negan, period big bad wolf. The kidnapper took the teenager to Manhattan, where he founded a community modeled on the one Negan led in his day, fueled by methane gas obtained by distilling the corpses that populate the island (bon appetit!). Only one man can track down The Psychopath and bring Herschel back to his people: Negan, who knows all the methods of his former colt. To redeem himself, he does not hesitate to follow Maggie in this dark maze of collapsed skyscrapers. This grand ball of old backpackers of survival lavishes good fights, filthy, purulent, panting, emotion, betrayals. But there is in this opus a pleasantly surprising taste of renewal, linked to its way of eyeing the thriller. Negan, who never stops facing his dark side, could have tired us. But, embodied by the irresistible Jeffrey Dean Morgan, he moves us. The season ends on a solid cliffhanger. Roll on!
On OCS.
“You’re playing with fire!” “Go spread yourself somewhere else!” Better not start counting puns in Elementary. The newborn from Pixar studios, directed by Korean-American Peter Sohn, stages, in the tradition of Inside Out, a love story between fire and water. At Element City, the four elements – fire, water, earth and air – live in perfect harmony. Well, except for creatures born of fire, considered dangerous and relegated to the suburbs. This is where the intrepid Flam lives, awaiting his father’s retirement to take over the Foyer, the neighborhood grocery store that has become an institution. While trying to tame her eruptive temper, Flam meets Flack Delamare, an “aquatic”, a sentimental boy, funny in spite of himself, rather a follower at heart. Of course, their friendship will quickly challenge the boundaries of the world they live in and shift the boundaries of tolerance. After a few difficult years for Pixar (the flop of Buzz Lightyear in 2022, and the release on the platforms of the magnificent Soul due to the closing of theaters in the middle of Covid), the studio returns here to its best with this beautiful story of ‘love. At the crossroads of the family saga and the romantic comedy, carried by the breathtaking musical score of Thomas Newman, the film is both funny and moving. Above all, it’s another step for the studio, which is still innovating by constantly animating its characters. Flam and its congeners are thus flames, in permanent motion, and it is sublime on the screen. Pixar, in its element!
Indoors.
