c is for cornelius...

...more specifically, father vito cornelius from luc besson's imaginative space adventure 'the fifth element.'

i really should screen this movie more often... i mean like, until i know most of it by heart. i realize it's loud and gaudy and visually over the top, but the story and 'message' is sound, the action is fast, and the cast is virtually flawless. and my darling ian holm looks gorgeous with his 'just right' facial hair. i'm glad they just let him grow a 'normal' goatee. i'm glad like, the wardrobe department didn't make him carve a diamond shape on his chin or something. he looks great. and even though he's in a gaudy sci-fi romp, ian treats the part as if it were no less than shakespeare. every scene he's in, he steals. i love this shot, too. great expression. ian can pack 101 subtle expressions into 30 seconds of film... and that's only a slight exaggeration.

a fifth of ian

here's a screen capture jean-lucien took from 'the fifth element' a long time ago. the quality of the grain and contrast is impressive. it is of course, sir ian holm as father vito cornelius. what a talent... even in this flash, one frame, he manages to express so much. like bogart or rudolph valentino or... dare i compare him to the miraculous gong li? that may be too much like comparing apples and mandarin oranges, still... its a lovely still.

fist

here's a gleaming still of my darling ian holm as father vito cornelius from the inventive and well-paced sci-fi flick, 'the fifth element.' the entire movie is actually really pretty good, and the whole cast is very game and 100% 'into it,' but i daresay ian steals every scene he's in. he brings an almost shakespearean level of excellence to the whole production. honestly, you take out ian's performace, and instantly, the whole thing starts to look like a big, gaudy joke. then again, i am incredibly biased, on account of i'm in love with him.

elementary

here is an angelic shot of my darling ian holm as father vito cornelius from the suprisingly good sci-fi ride, 'the fifth element.' i suppose i don't need to say that he's the only reason i gave this movie a chance, but i'm glad i did, because i think its a very solid piece of science fiction. and how can you argue with the ultimate message? all that said, ian IS the hottest creature in the whole wild gaudy production.