Taking sides: C.Denis vs C.Dennis

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I fear I am merely posting this question to bait Will, but nevertheless here goes. At a LondonIndieNYC meet up a couple of weeks ago this tantalising debate was raised. Who is better? Clare Denis - auteur art-house director of such sumputous visual treats as Chocolat and Bore Travail. Or consider the good sides of green eyed Norfolkian beauty Cathy Dennis - she cracked the States with her pop stylings and is no spearheading a one woman campaign to get other pop stars to trounce Posh Spice to number one with her exemplary pop song writing.

So Cathy versus Clare? One N or two. You choose.

― Pete, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I choose Cathy btw.

― Pete, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cathy, cos Can't Get You Out Of My Head is fabbo. I have not seen Chocolat, but it looks like a tweefest of great horror and I can't imagine it being as good as the aforementioned No1 smash hit.

― RickyT, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lasse Hallstrom directed Chocolat (if we're talking about the Depp / Binoche truffle). Regardless, Cathy Dennis = thinking man's Samantha Fox. And she's a redhead - mrowr.

― David Raposa, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Phrase of no possible use in ref.Lasse Holstrom only: my life as a dog

(look i'm sorry, sometimes the making of a joke is more important than the saving of a world: i'm a gemini so sue/date me)

― mark s, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cathy, for her contribution to the rise of S Club Seven.

― chris, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is it even a contest? Cathy Dennis, of course. A grate songwriter and performer, she's right up there in pop pantheon.

― Nicole, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Do not confuse Lasse Hallstrom's Juliette Binoche Allo Allo story about Chocolate with Clare Denis African paean to soul (read patronising look at the black man). One is merely fluffy pointlessness, the other is dull and boring.

I like to see the way Cathy Denis is winning.

― Pete, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

An African paen to the soul sounds charming, but, um, hello? POP THRILLS!

― Tim, Thursday, 25 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This matchup so clearly belongs to Cathy Dennis that I am amazed it was posted. Come on! "Touch Me All Night Long"!

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 25 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Claire Denis is my favorite filmmaker, honest - how to find space here & say I really *love* the last scene that leaves you reeling in Beau Travail and Gregoire Colin's Cat People eyes in Nenette et Boni and Beatrice Dalle being utterly terrifying in Trouble Every Day?

And what's an auteur art-house director?

But they DO have similar sounding names, so by all means, let's be flip.

― daria gray, Thursday, 25 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Claire's better in bed.

― Will, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Actually, I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Cathy's songwriting skills - she wrote S Club 7's 'Keep on Movin'' and all sorts.

I have met and interviewed Claire and she was really nice and really intelligent. 'Beau Travail' rocks! As well as a good and original literary adaptation, its a visually stunning commentary of Frantz Fanon's ideas of psychoanalytical trauma (what about that chopped up narrative?) and cultural displacement in an era of post-colonialism. At least that's what she told me. Anyway, just sit back and watch the colours! What cinematography!

Not so sure about her vampire movie though - French vampire movies (even Assayas' 'Irma Vep') pale into insignificance after Feuillade...

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Don't Stop Movin'" = my 2nd fave chart hit this year; I like Tina in the white skirt (at least I think it's Tina; still can't tell 'em all apart). So Cathy wins.

― AP, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oops - actually having a bit of time to read this thread properly I find that everybody - everybody - has mentioned Cathy's songwriting.

Daria - have you seen 'j'ai pas sommeil'? That's good too.

Btw, Claire directed a film called 'Chocolat' in 1992 - well before Hallstrom's sugary abomination.

How many Cathy fans have actually *seen* any of Claire's films?

― Will, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Did you catch Trouble Every Day then? I can't really figure out how they'll manage to give it a release in the U.S., honestly.. It's not a vampire movie, that's for sure, maybe it is a horror film but doesn't (typical) give you much in the way of comfortable means of making sense of it, no causation. I think it is somehow closely linked to bits of Nenette et Boni, partic Boni's (non)relationship with the baker, i.e. him saying 'je vais la manger' and the scene in the brasserie where she grows more & more disconcerted (and her conversation skews more & more toward..hm, talking of some sorta vague/extremely powerful attraction) & he's simply staring. And the moment when GC has cat eyes in the dark. Thanks for the interview info, tho.. I did see an avant-premiere of Trouble Every Day & she was there to present the film, but she didn't say too much then.

― daria gray, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, sorry - yes, I saw J'ai pas sommeil, that story taken from a fait- divers.. It seems what I like most about her films is exactly what irks lots of critics, who can imagine (hey, I'm American) a serial- killer 'story' (which this isn't) that doesn't even attempt at explaining motive & giving a nice resolution where the killer's caught in some dramatic way?

― daria gray, Friday, 26 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

I just saw "Thursday Night" which stars *Valerie Lemercier* who we all remember from her excellent CD with Bertrand B. I really enjoyed it and Tindersticks did the score again. I want to see more Claire Denis movies.

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 27 June 2003 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

to this day i still put 'c'mon and get my love' on mixtapes. cathy wins!

― minna (minna), Saturday, 28 June 2003 02:24 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

I forgot that I saw the last claire denis film. the last scene of a ma soeur is genuinely shocking and I love it. I'm still undecided on denis though. dennis, meh.

― cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, 29 August 2004 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

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