Mid April - Fullerton Observer

MID APRIL 2013
HITS &
MISSES
© 2013
by Joyce Mason
RENOIR: Two Hits
The title refers to both Pierre-Auguste, the
Impressionist painter, and his son Jean, the
future filmmaker, for the movie traces the arc
of both men’s lives, one facing the debilitation
of old age and the other seeking a new avenue
for artistic expression. Languorous in his pacing,
director Gilles Bourdos, who co-wrote the
screenplay, creates a film lush with the beauty
of southern France and the still pristine Cote
d’ Azur.
In the summer of 1915, a young woman
pedals her bicycle down a country road as she
passes the hanged effigy of a German soldier, a
jar to the tranquil landscape and a hint of the
war waging to the north. Arriving at the estate
of 75-year-old Renoir, Andree (Christa Theret)
announces she has been sent by his wife to
pose for him. At first puzzled, the recently
widowed artist observes Andree’s reddish
blond hair and glowing white skin, and welcomes
her with “a girl out of nowhere sent by
a dead woman.”
Amused by Andree’s imperious attitude and
truculent personality, Pierre-Auguste (Michel
Bouquet) takes inspiration from the perfection
of the young model’s nude body. His hands
crippled from arthritis, the aged artist has a
servant tape his fingers to the brushes so he can
paint Andree as she lounges on a divan, wades
in a stream, or twirls a parasol. She becomes
muse and model for all of his late-in-life paintings,
many of which are still viewed among his
best work.
With two sons fighting in the Great War,
Pierre-August worries for their safety. His oldest
son has already lost a leg when 21-year-old
son Jean hobbles home on crutches to convalesce
from a serious injury to his left leg.
Having grown up in the shadow of his famous
father, young Jean Renoir (Vincent Rottiers)
struggles with his own life goals, describing
himself as “dabbling in things.”
Socially uncomfortable and shy with
women, Jean is attracted to the beautiful
young woman posing for his father. Andree
and Jean begin a wary flirtation, become
friends and then lovers, also discovering that
they are both fascinated by the one-reel silent
films brought weekly by a peddler in a cart.
They view the films at home with a handcranked
machine that projects the flickering
images onto a white sheet.
Andree, though younger than Jean, exudes
the confidence he lacks. Noting Jean’s ideas
and artistry, she encourages him to use his talents
in the fledgling industry of film-making.
But the two frequently quarrel and the war
interferes as Jean, noting that his wound has
healed, feels he must return to his comrades
still fighting.
The events of this story are true inasmuch as
Andree did become Pierre-August’s last significant
model and eventually became Jean’s first
wife. How much she was responsible for his
early interest in silent cinema is less clear. But
the attraction for seeing this movie lies in the
beauty of the filming and the charm of the
actors.
Taiwanese cinematographer Mark Ping Bing
Lee not only catches the splendor of the
Mediterranean landscape, but he photographs
the luscious Theret as lovingly as Pierre-August
had one day painted Andree. We are also treated
to the creation of several Renoir canvases as
the camera follows contemporary art forger
Guy Ribes replicate the painting process. It is
his hands we see applying paint to canvas.
“Renoir” is in French with English subtitles.
Two Hits: Don’t Miss It!
A Hit & A Miss: You Might Like It
Two Misses: Don’t Bother
EVENTS CALENDAR
MON., APRIL 15
•7pm: OLLI Poetry for Pleasure
OLLI poets read and discuss their original
works in the Community Room of
the Main Library, 353 W.
Commonwealth. Free
TUES., APRIL 16
•9am: Braille Institute Free
Workshop on Understanding Vision
Loss Learn about four basic eye conditions
that can lead to vision loss and
non-medical signs and symptoms of
vision loss and the services offered by
the Institute. Fullerton Community
Center, 340 W. Commonwealth. Free
but RSVP 714-738-6305.
•9am-2pm 5th Annual Health Fair
free screenings, info booths, fitness
classes, health food samples on the lawn
south of Student Health & Counseling
Center at CSUF, 800 N. State College,
Fullerton. Parking $2/hr or $8/day
•9:30am-2pm: What Twin Studies
Reveal free lectures: Laura A. Baker on
“Origins of Antisocial Behavior” at
10:45am; and Henrik Cronqvist on
“Individual Differences in Investments
and Savings” at 9:30am. Plus twins
expert Nancy L. Segal CSUF professor
of psychology whose article on twin survivors
of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration
camp is featured in the
March 21 edition of Psychology Today.
CSUF, Titan Student Union, 800 N.
State College, Fullerton. Parking $2/hr
or $8/day
•11am-2pm E-Waste Collection
northside of Titan shops at CSUF, 800
N. State College, Fullerton. Continues
through April 18. Parking $2/hr;$8/day
•6:30pm: City Council Meeting
City Hall, 303 W. Commonwealth,
Fullerton. Go to www.cityoffullerton to
check the agenda.
WED., APRIL 17
•8am-1:30pm: Certified Farmers
Market Independence Park, 801
Valencia Dr., Fullerton (between Euclid
& Highland next to the DMV). Fresh
fruit, vegetables, eggs, honey, nuts,
flowers, plants and more. 714-871-
5304
•10am-4pm Green Vehicle Expo
info booths, displays of electric vehicles
from Tesla and others, in the Quad at
CSUF, 800 N. State College, Fullerton.
Free. Parking $2/hr;$8/day
THURS., APRIL 18
•4pm-8:30pm: Downtown Market
& Beer Garden at Downtown
Museum Plaza on Wilshire (between
Harbor and Pomona) in Fullerton.
Fresh vegetables and fruit, food vendors,
craft booths, kids crafts & activities,
wine & beer garden, live music by
Tombstone Shadow. Free
•8am-11am & 2pm-4pm:
Sustainability Forum presentations &
exhibits at Pollak Library, CSUF, 800
N. State College, Fullerton. Parking
$2/hr;$8/day
•5:30pm-8:30pm: SCORE
Marketing Fundamentals Fullerton
Public Library Conference Center, 353
W. Commonwealth.
•6:30pm-8:30pm: Family Movie &
Game Night Fullerton Public Library
Osborne Auditorium, 353 W.
Commonwealth. Free
•6pm-8pm “Environmental
Capitalism” a panel discussion featuring
speakers L. Hunter Lovins, Jeffrey J.
Mosher on water issues, and Marcela
Oliva on architecture at Pollak Library,
CSUF, 800 N. State College, Fullerton.
Free. Parking $2/hr;$8/day
•6pm-8:30pm: California SBDC
Creating a Successful Business Plan
Rancho Santiago Community College
District, 2323 N. Broadway, Rm. 107,
Santa Ana 92706. $25. Call 714-564-
5200 or visit www.ocsbdc.org for info.
THURS. & FRI., APRIL 18-19
•9am-5pm: Iraq After a Decade of
War & its Consequences free conference
at Pollak Library, CSUF, 800 N.
State College, Fullerton. Go to
http://hss.fullerton.edu/events/intlconference.asp
to see complete schedule.
Parking is $2/hr or $8/day.
SAT., APRIL 20
•9am: Fullerton Heritage Tour of
Hillcrest Park Hillcrest Park Rec
Center, 1200 N. Harbor Blvd. Free but
register by calling 714-740-3051 or
emailing tours@fullertonheritage.org
•10am-3pm: Faces of Fullerton
Festival a free festival featuring free
interactive activity booths for all ages,
live entertainment, free food and more.
Fullerton Downtown Plaza on Wilshire
between Harbor & Pomona.
SAT. & SUN., APRIL 20-21
•10am-4pm: Green Scene Plant &
Garden Show at the Arboretum a
great family outing featuring hundreds
of exhibitors with a wide variety of
unique plants, garden art, and pottery
for sale; demonstrations; children’s
activities and more. $8. Fullerton
Arboretum, 1900 Associated Road, at
Yorba Linda on the CSUF campus.
657-278-4010 www.fullertonarboretum.org
TUES., APRIL 23
•6pm-8pm: Parents of Children
with Disabilities Forum Rancho
Santiago Community College District
building, 2323 N. Broadway, Santa
Ana. Understanding the Individual
Education Plan process helps parents be
active participants. Speak with experts
about concerns. Child care provided.
Free. To RSVP call Senator Correa’s
office at 714-558-4400 or email
Arthur.Sandoval@sen.ca.gov
•9am-11am: Braille Institute Free
Workshop on Solutions to Handling
Vision Loss a 4-week series will teach
the visually impaired and those caring
for them, new techniques in personal
management. Fullerton Community
Center, 340 W. Commonwealth. Free
but registration is required. Call 714-
738-6305 to reserve your spot.
WED., APRIL 24
•8am-1:30pm: Certified Farmers
Market Independence Park, 801
Valencia Dr., Fullerton (between Euclid
& Highland next to the DMV). Fresh
fruit, vegetables, eggs, honey, nuts,
flowers, plants and more. 714-871-
5304
THURS., APRIL 25
•11:30pm: League of Women
Voters Luncheon at the Meridian
Club, 1535 Deerpark Drive, Fullerton
features speaker Neal Kelley. As the
Registrar of Voters of OC, Mr. Kelley
has been instrumental in streamlining
voter registration and making voting
more efficient and speedy so that today
it is a standard for others. If you are
interested in any aspect of our rights
and responsibilities as a voting citizen,
please be sure to attend. Lunch will be
served after he speaks. Make reservations
by calling 714-254-7440 or going
to lunchwithleague@lwvnoc.org
•4pm-8:30pm: Downtown Market
& Beer Garden at Downtown
Museum Plaza on Wilshire (between
Harbor and Pomona) in Fullerton. Live
music by Deke Dickerson and the
Echophonics.
•7pm-9pm: Author Pilar Marrero
presented by Gustavo Arellano at
Fullerton Library Conference Center,
353 W. Commonwealth. The legendary
political reporter for La Opinión and
author of “Killing the American Dream:
How Anti-Immigration Extremists are
Destroying the Nation. Free
FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 15
SUNDAY, MAY 2 • 2PM:
NOVELIST TATJANA SOLI
AT FULLERTON
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Tatjana Soli, author of The
Lotus Eaters and The Forgetting
Tree will speak and be available to
sign books which may be purchased
at the event. Also save the
date Sept. 15, when true-crime
author Caitlin Rother author of
Dead Reckoning and Lost Girls
speaks. 714-738-6327, or
www.fullertonlibrary.org. Free
SAT., APRIL 27
•9am: Fullerton Heritage
Downtown Historic Walking Tour:
begins at Fullerton Museum Center,
301 N. Pomona (at Wilshire) in downtown
Fullerton. $5 - call 714-740-3051
or email tours@fullertonheritage.org.
•10:30am: California State Budget:
What would you do to balance the
budget? Assemblymember Sharon
Quirk-Silva is holding a workshop
where residents can weigh in on priorities
they would like to see. The Next 10
Budget Workshop takes place at the
North OC Community College boardroom,
on Romneya in Anaheim. RSVP
at www.asmdc.org/quirk-silva
•1pm-4:30m: Free OC Ragtime
Society Musicale: featuring ragtime
pianists playing in the style made popular
in the US from 1897 through the
early 1920s at Steamers Jazz Club, 138
W. Commonwealth, downtown
Fullerton. Upcoming performances are
also scheduled for May 18, June 15, and
July 20. For more info go to ragfest.com
or contact Eric Marchese at 714-836-
1104.
•2pm & 7pm: Orange Empire
Chorus “Go West Young Men” The
Melodious Misadventures of 4
Barbershop Bumpkins in Search of
Perfect Harmony at Plummer
Auditorium (corner of E. Chapman and
Lemon in Fullerton. Call 714-871-
7675 or go to oechorus.org for tickets.
•6pm-9pm: Opening for Fullerton
College Centennial Exhibit “Legends
& Legacies: The First 100 Years of
Fullerton College”an evening of live
entertainment, refreshments, curator’s
talk, tour the exhibit exploring the historical,
social and cultural growth of the
college through personal histories and
collections and the growing role of technology
in education. Fullerton
Museum Center, on the corner of
Wilshire and Pomona in downtown
Fullerton. $10. 714-992-7150 (9:30-
3:30pm) for tickets. -through July 14
SAT., MAY 4
•1pm: Friends of Coyote Hills is
hosting a QuarterMania Party at
Laguna Road School in Fullerton. The
$10 admission ($15 at the door) is a
fundraiser to help preserve Coyote Hills
for a park, and includes bid paddle and
light refreshments. Tickets
CoyoteHills.org or 714/871-5133