if there's one movie that makes me think fondly of my 'real father,' its 'cabaret.' directed by the great bob fosse and released in february 1972, this movie is only slightly older than jean-lucien and me. it was nominated for the best picture oscar that year, but the statuette went to 'the godfather' instead. the leading lady however did walk away with the 'ultimate prize.' liza won for best actress, as did joel grey for best supporting actor as the emcee. i still love this movie, and i still love liza and her devil-may-care portrayal of nightclub singer sally bowles. when i was a kid, i was mesmirised by the flawless and haunting musical numbers, but as woman, i find myself intrigued with the actual storyline. it was based on a german play called 'i am a camera' by john van druten... adapted by christopher isherwood. (i hope all that information is correct.) i think michael york's performance was generally overlooked. he's marvelous as brian, the british 'fish out of water.' he plays an englishman giving language lessons to pay the rent. he and sally meet, and he falls heedlessly into her world of flash, luxury, lust, and superficial pleasures. little do they know, reality, responsibility, and even hitler himself are right around the corner.
