film | maggie smith | downton abbey

maggie smith is one of my favorite actresses.

so, i am looking forward to season two of downton abbey, which begins on sunday, january 8th.

the cast of downton abbey
left to right:  joann froggatt, michelle dockery, laura carmichael, jessica brown findlay, elizabeth mcgovern, hugh bonneville, jim carter, penelope wilton, maggie smith, iain glen, zoe boyle, allen leech, david robb, and dan stevens
photo by vanity fair

my husband, bob, and i fell in love with maggie smith during her 2000 performance in alan bennett's play, the lady in the van. she starred as miss shepherd, the lady in the van, who spent the night on bennett's driveway in her broken down mini van---and stayed for two decades!

according to vanity fair magazine, julian fellowes, who created downton abbey, wrote the part of violet, dowager countess of grantham, especially for her.

maggie smith
violet, dowager countess of grantham
photo by pbs 

according to the wall street journal, she will be featured in more scenes during season two, because no one can deliver a one-liner quite like maggie smith!

'why does every day involve a fight with an american?'


'in these moments, you can normally find an italian who isn't too picky!'


'what is a weekend?'


i know that during the next seven weekends, we'll be watching maggie smith on downton abbey...

downton abbey | season two
masterpiece classic | pbs
sunday, january 8 - sunday, february 19th
9:00 pm

will you be watching, too?

art + film | the steins collect + midnight in paris

over memorial day weekend, we saw the steins collect | matisse, picasso, and the parisian avant-garde, an art exhibit at the san francisco museum of modern art (sfmoma).

followed by midnight in paris, the new woody allen film.

(a rare occurrence for my husband, bob, who prefers live entertainment...)

surprisingly, the art exhibit and the film are related.

 

appearing at:

sfmoma | san francisco, CA | may 21-september 6, 2011

grand palais | paris, france | october 3, 2011-january 20, 2012

metropolitan museum of art | new york, NY | february 21-june 3, 2012

photo by sfmoma

the steins collect reunites approximately 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and illustrated books collected by writer gertrude stein (1874-1946) and her family in paris during the early 20th century.  the steins became important patrons of avant-garde artists, particularly henri matisse (1869-1954) and pablo picasso (1881-1973).  

the steins were known for their saturday evening salons, where artists, writers, musicians, intellectuals, and collectors gathered to discuss contemporary art, culture, and ideas.  the stein salons have even been described as 'the first museum of modern art'!

midnight in paris transports you to the stein salons in paris during the 1920's.

in one scene, gertrude stein (played by kathy bates), is seated in the salon of her residence at 27 rue des fleures in front of the picasso portrait of gertrude stein from the exhibition.

stein and picasso (played by argentinian actor, marical di fonzo bo) are discussing a (faux) portrait of picasso's (fictional) mistress, adriana (played by marion cotillard).

kathy bates as gertrude stein | midnight in paris

photo by sonyclassics.com

pablo picasso | gertrude stein | oil on canvas | 1905-1906

metropolitan museum of art | new york, NY

photo by metmuseum.org

man ray | gertrude stein in her salon writing | black and white photograph | 1920

beinecke library | yale university | new haven, CT

photo by beinecke library | yale university

in another scene, stein and matisse (played by french actor, yves-antoine spoto) are negotiating the purchase of a painting.  for 500 francs!

henri matisse | woman with a hat | oil on canvas | 1905

sfmoma | san francisco, CA

photo by ben blackwell

the midnight in paris cast of characters also includes gertrude stein's brother, leo stein (1872-1947), her partner, alice b. toklas (1877-1967) (who answers the front door), and other avant-garde artists, writers, or musicians who could have frequented the stein salons in paris during the 1920's.

cameo appearances include:

artist

salvatore dali (played by adrien brody)

photographer

man ray (played by tom cordier)

writers
ernest hemingway (played by corey stoll)

f. scott (and zelda) fitzgerald (played by tom hiddleston and alison pill)

t.s. eliott (played by david lowe)
filmmaker
luis bunuel (played by adrien de van)
and, musician
cole porter (played by yves heck) 

the chronology isn't always art historically accurate.  but, midnight in paris is a woody allen film, so being in the right place, doing the right thing, at the wrong time just becomes part of the fantasy.

maybe you will enjoy this unexpected combination of art and entertainment as much as we did!