Actually, who even knew French poetic realism existed? I harbor an affinity for Casablanca, and Pèpè le Moko might be even better than Casablanca. Last night we decided to do dinner and a movie, but we didn’t think we had any Moroccan-themed movies (actually, we were right). Inspired by the Frenchie music playing at the time, I suggested one of the French movies from the boxset I bought from Janus a while back (one of the best impulse purchases ever made). We settled on Pèpè le Moko, not caring what it was about, but it ended up fitting our theme perfectly. Set in the Casbah of Algiers, Pèpè is a jewel thief that “is a wanted man: women long for him, rivals hope to destroy him, and the law is breathing down his neck at every turn.” (From the Criterion site, seriously, could I write a better line?)

It’s a love story, action-packed; it keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat waiting to see what turn the plot will take next. There’s empathy felt for the smooth-talking, womanizing main character; there’s beautiful set and costume design. It hearkens back to a different time, a 1950s feel. So it floored me today when I realized this movie was made in 1937. 1937?? I thought movies back then were simplistic, possibly even silent. This! This was very modern feel… well, for 1937 it was a modern feel. I guess Casablanca was a 40s movie, though, so not so far off.

End result of the night: wonderful meal, wonderful food, wonderful company. Lingering memories and photos.

Filed under:
Movies by Courtney

This picture posted on Flickr inspired me for the outdoor dining space. Of course, I don’t have enough room for all of those beautiful umbrellas, and Raju might kill me if I paint the side of the house (ala one of those HGTV shows we watched once upon a time, of course, she also cut away part of the deck; damn did her hubby need that margarita maker they won when he came home). So I’m paring down a bit and going with what seems to be leaning more toward a French feel with the red and blue and the Tolix chairs. Either way, it will be better than what it is today.

what it is today: clean slate or barren waste land? cup half full or half empty?

Of course, we’ll need more plants, and brighter colored planters than are in the mock above. Shortcuts – I just wanted some greenery in the picture.

The current plan is to put in the tall, skinny evergreens, similar to the ones in this photo from Florence (center of the pic) in a row down the fence. That should give us some privacy and kill some of the ambient road noise. So I guess we’re bringing a little Italy back in. Maybe I can call this “Euroblend”?

Filed under:
Domestic Life, Florence, Influences, Italy by Courtney