Things We Lost in the Fire, by Susanne Bier, USA 2007
From Dogme 95 to Hollywood
Danish director Susanne Bier (remember 2006’s AFTER THE WEDDING, for which she received an Oscar nomination?) films her first “American” movie, for Sam Mendes (remember AMERICAN BEAUTY), producer behind this project. She hasn’t however lost much of her previous style of filming, with the use of handheld camera, cuts and many close-ups, which all contribute to creating that sense of intimacy which she masters so well.
Despite the soapy subject, Bier avoids falling into melodrama and films here a realistic drama, an emotionally rich family story, served by an excellent cast, in particular Benicio del Toro and Halle Berry. As TODD MCCARTHY wrote so well, “Benicio Del Toro’s performance sparks an otherwise morose study of loss, addiction and catharsis”. [3.5/5]
27 février 2008
24 février 2008
My Cinema: Independent's spirt awards
FILM INDEPENDENT’S SPIRIT AWARDS
Just before the famous Oscar awards, those of the north-american independent film industry were awarded yesterday. Will (some) of the Oscars follow?... we'll see tomorow!
Best Feature
Juno
Directed by Jason Reitman (excellent!)
Best First Screenplay
Diablo Cody
Juno
Best Documentary
Crazy Love
Director: Dan Klores (haven't seen)
Best Male Lead
Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Savages
(excellent although he had other great performances in 2007, after his Oscar he is in great shape!)
Best Female Lead
Ellen Page / Juno
(she's great, ever since Hard Candy)
Best Foreign Film
Once (Ireland)
Director: John Carney
(not out here yet, looks promising)
Best Director
Julian Schnabel
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
(not seen yet, too sad)
Best Cinematographer
Janusz Kaminski
The Diving Bell andthe Butterfly
Best Screenplay
Tamara Jenkins (who also directed)
The Savages
(it's a good one)
Best Supporting Female
Cate Blanchett
I'm Not There
(not seen yet, but she's always great)
Best Supporting Male
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Talk To Me
(not seen yet)
Best First Feature
The Lookout
Director: Scott Frank
(not seen yet but I didn't know Miramax was independent)
Just before the famous Oscar awards, those of the north-american independent film industry were awarded yesterday. Will (some) of the Oscars follow?... we'll see tomorow!
Best Feature
Juno
Directed by Jason Reitman (excellent!)
Best First Screenplay
Diablo Cody
Juno
Best Documentary
Crazy Love
Director: Dan Klores (haven't seen)
Best Male Lead
Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Savages
(excellent although he had other great performances in 2007, after his Oscar he is in great shape!)
Best Female Lead
Ellen Page / Juno
(she's great, ever since Hard Candy)
Best Foreign Film
Once (Ireland)
Director: John Carney
(not out here yet, looks promising)
Best Director
Julian Schnabel
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
(not seen yet, too sad)
Best Cinematographer
Janusz Kaminski
The Diving Bell andthe Butterfly
Best Screenplay
Tamara Jenkins (who also directed)
The Savages
(it's a good one)
Best Supporting Female
Cate Blanchett
I'm Not There
(not seen yet, but she's always great)
Best Supporting Male
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Talk To Me
(not seen yet)
Best First Feature
The Lookout
Director: Scott Frank
(not seen yet but I didn't know Miramax was independent)
22 février 2008
My Cinema: recent reviews
Sweeney Todd, by Tim Burton, UK 2007
A beautiful graphical film with great acting. Probably the bloodiest musical in film history, this is a dark revenge tragedy served by great performances by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. And fortunately there is no happy ending. So even though I am not a big musical fan, this certainly is a good movie worth seeing. [3/5]
The savages, by Tamara Jenkins, USA 2007
From Sun City to… grey Buffallo. The savages is a wity drama, not a comedy. At moments it even seems to be a european film, from some eastern european country or a Ken Loach film with dry witty humour. No, this is not another Hollywood comedy set in some glamourous place like LA or Miami or Santa Barbara. Not everybody in the US lives in such ‘sexy’ places and some do lead grey lives in sad places like Buffallo… Director Tamara Jenkins pictures family dynamics and personal dense and credible characters in their mid-life chrises while dealing with their ageing dependent father, all not glamourous and not easy subjects. She paints this family portrait and all the many uncomfortable situations with realism and humor and with humanity, but never looks for the easy tear. And she gets the support of a superb cast, Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman in top form. It wouldn’t be surprising if they would get an Oscar. [4/5]
There will be blood, by John Paul Anderson, USA 2007
This could seem a metaphor about war and oil, blood for oil or conveying some subliminal political message… not so, it seems that this wasn’t Anderson’s intention. "There Will Be Blood" displays business and religion as two forces shaping America's "progress", amid greed, ambition and corruption. Transposing here a novel from the beginning of the century, John Paul Anderson (remember Magnolia?) tells the story of a self-made oil prospector in California and the evolution of his character, becoming meaner, more isolated, more wicked and merciless as he gets richer… personifying much of the evolution of the early days of the oil industry (and the economy in general) in the wild west. After a strong beginning, with strong images and plans, the film’s final 30 minutes do not fulfil the initial promise, failing to deliver the emotional density and strength ending a bit disappointingly. It remains however a fascinating, breathtaking and disturbing cinematographic experience served by a brilliant acting by Daniel Day-Lewis, a serious candidate to the Oscar (which would be well deserved) and not forgetting rising actor Paul Dano who we also saw in Little Miss Sunshine. [4/5]
Adaptation, by Spike Jonze, USA 2002
This is a movie from 2002 which I discovered now although Spike Jonze (the director, remember 'Being John Malkovitch') isn't quite a newcomer. He has particularly made many music video clips. Jonze and screenplay writer Kaufman manage to mix reality,...(read more) fiction and fantasy in an original and funny comedy/drama. It certainly is not a movie with much mainstream appeal, but it is quite an interesting approach about the narrative creative process, a film where the process of transposing a book into a film is actually the plot. And is served by an excellent cast, where Nicolas Cage excels. [4/5]
P.S.I love you by Richard LaGravenese, USA 2007
James Berardinelli (http://www.reelviews.net) wrote that this movie is the cinematic equivalent of a Celine Dion song, and that is quite true! Some sharp and witty lines are lost in many cliches and in a plot that is too contrived, too cute-to-be-tru...(read more)e. It even fails to reach the level of those 'feel good' movies or 'guilty pleasures' although it is watchable... And I liked one of the quotes, by Patricia (Kathy Bates): "if we're all alone, then we're all together in that too". [2/5]
The Darjeeling limited by Wes Anderson, USA 2007
Wes Anderson is not quite a newcomer and has already made some remarked films, such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic. I had expected more of his new film and was quite disappointed. It's about the journey of 3 American brothers who have not spoken to each other for a while, who set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find their mother (all organised by one of them) and re-connect the family again, after the death of their father. This sort of 'spiritual trip' reveals to be not very spiritual after all and even though it might be the journey that matters and not the destination, it all seems to lead nowhere. In the meantime they manage to get rid of their luggage (both metaphorically and physically, expensive & posh Louis Vuitton's), meet their mother (Angelica Houston in a meteoric appearance) and witness a local funeral. Despite certain witty and funny scenes and the strangeness of some situations (Bill Murray running in the railway station to loose the train, as if coming straight out of Rushmore, one of Anderson's first movies), despite the setting in charming and enchanting India and despite the whole design and photography, the film doesn't seem to get us nowhere and gets lost in its poses and smart attitude. Well, at least we'll have seen Natalie Portman in the scenes of the prologue short film, where she meets one of the brothers in a hotel in Paris (Jason Schwartzman) all very chic, too blasé... [2.5/5]
A beautiful graphical film with great acting. Probably the bloodiest musical in film history, this is a dark revenge tragedy served by great performances by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. And fortunately there is no happy ending. So even though I am not a big musical fan, this certainly is a good movie worth seeing. [3/5]
The savages, by Tamara Jenkins, USA 2007
From Sun City to… grey Buffallo. The savages is a wity drama, not a comedy. At moments it even seems to be a european film, from some eastern european country or a Ken Loach film with dry witty humour. No, this is not another Hollywood comedy set in some glamourous place like LA or Miami or Santa Barbara. Not everybody in the US lives in such ‘sexy’ places and some do lead grey lives in sad places like Buffallo… Director Tamara Jenkins pictures family dynamics and personal dense and credible characters in their mid-life chrises while dealing with their ageing dependent father, all not glamourous and not easy subjects. She paints this family portrait and all the many uncomfortable situations with realism and humor and with humanity, but never looks for the easy tear. And she gets the support of a superb cast, Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman in top form. It wouldn’t be surprising if they would get an Oscar. [4/5]
There will be blood, by John Paul Anderson, USA 2007
This could seem a metaphor about war and oil, blood for oil or conveying some subliminal political message… not so, it seems that this wasn’t Anderson’s intention. "There Will Be Blood" displays business and religion as two forces shaping America's "progress", amid greed, ambition and corruption. Transposing here a novel from the beginning of the century, John Paul Anderson (remember Magnolia?) tells the story of a self-made oil prospector in California and the evolution of his character, becoming meaner, more isolated, more wicked and merciless as he gets richer… personifying much of the evolution of the early days of the oil industry (and the economy in general) in the wild west. After a strong beginning, with strong images and plans, the film’s final 30 minutes do not fulfil the initial promise, failing to deliver the emotional density and strength ending a bit disappointingly. It remains however a fascinating, breathtaking and disturbing cinematographic experience served by a brilliant acting by Daniel Day-Lewis, a serious candidate to the Oscar (which would be well deserved) and not forgetting rising actor Paul Dano who we also saw in Little Miss Sunshine. [4/5]
Adaptation, by Spike Jonze, USA 2002
This is a movie from 2002 which I discovered now although Spike Jonze (the director, remember 'Being John Malkovitch') isn't quite a newcomer. He has particularly made many music video clips. Jonze and screenplay writer Kaufman manage to mix reality,...(read more) fiction and fantasy in an original and funny comedy/drama. It certainly is not a movie with much mainstream appeal, but it is quite an interesting approach about the narrative creative process, a film where the process of transposing a book into a film is actually the plot. And is served by an excellent cast, where Nicolas Cage excels. [4/5]
P.S.I love you by Richard LaGravenese, USA 2007
James Berardinelli (http://www.reelviews.net) wrote that this movie is the cinematic equivalent of a Celine Dion song, and that is quite true! Some sharp and witty lines are lost in many cliches and in a plot that is too contrived, too cute-to-be-tru...(read more)e. It even fails to reach the level of those 'feel good' movies or 'guilty pleasures' although it is watchable... And I liked one of the quotes, by Patricia (Kathy Bates): "if we're all alone, then we're all together in that too". [2/5]
The Darjeeling limited by Wes Anderson, USA 2007
Wes Anderson is not quite a newcomer and has already made some remarked films, such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic. I had expected more of his new film and was quite disappointed. It's about the journey of 3 American brothers who have not spoken to each other for a while, who set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find their mother (all organised by one of them) and re-connect the family again, after the death of their father. This sort of 'spiritual trip' reveals to be not very spiritual after all and even though it might be the journey that matters and not the destination, it all seems to lead nowhere. In the meantime they manage to get rid of their luggage (both metaphorically and physically, expensive & posh Louis Vuitton's), meet their mother (Angelica Houston in a meteoric appearance) and witness a local funeral. Despite certain witty and funny scenes and the strangeness of some situations (Bill Murray running in the railway station to loose the train, as if coming straight out of Rushmore, one of Anderson's first movies), despite the setting in charming and enchanting India and despite the whole design and photography, the film doesn't seem to get us nowhere and gets lost in its poses and smart attitude. Well, at least we'll have seen Natalie Portman in the scenes of the prologue short film, where she meets one of the brothers in a hotel in Paris (Jason Schwartzman) all very chic, too blasé... [2.5/5]
08 février 2008
My cinema: more reviews
JUNO, by Jason Reitman, USA 2007
Juno is a very intelligent, witty, sweet and endearing comedy, about the coming-of-age (a bit forced due to the unforeseen circumstances…) of a 16-year-old smart-ass girl. This is a real feel-good film and it is good to see such a film, after so much drama & tragedy… Thanks Jason Reitman (remember Thank you for smoking?) and the brilliant newcomer lead actress Ellen Page (supported by an excellent cast) and not forgetting screenwriter Diablo Cody. And it avoids well falling in clichés and Hollywood's easy-tear. Go see it! [4.5/5]
In the Valley of Elah, by Paul Haggis, USA 2007
The film rests in the great performance of Tommy Lee Jones who excels in his nuanced and adequate acting, not forgetting the other supporting actors, all providing an anti-hero charm to their characters. The film is quite good (better than Crash, Paul Haggis' previous) with a continually surprising plot, anti-cliché and where characters are neither Hollywood-heroes nor villains. It remains however a bit at the level of a political leaflet against the Iraq war, dismantling the vision of the war heroes from Iraq conveyed by some American media. It shows what the war in Iraq does to people, in a very disturbing way, pretending it is radically different to what happened in post-Vietnam with veterans (played by Tommy lee Jones) for who comradeship was a real value that nothing could break. But can any war be sane and leave anyone in complete sanity? All in all, a must! [4/5]
Juno is a very intelligent, witty, sweet and endearing comedy, about the coming-of-age (a bit forced due to the unforeseen circumstances…) of a 16-year-old smart-ass girl. This is a real feel-good film and it is good to see such a film, after so much drama & tragedy… Thanks Jason Reitman (remember Thank you for smoking?) and the brilliant newcomer lead actress Ellen Page (supported by an excellent cast) and not forgetting screenwriter Diablo Cody. And it avoids well falling in clichés and Hollywood's easy-tear. Go see it! [4.5/5]
In the Valley of Elah, by Paul Haggis, USA 2007
The film rests in the great performance of Tommy Lee Jones who excels in his nuanced and adequate acting, not forgetting the other supporting actors, all providing an anti-hero charm to their characters. The film is quite good (better than Crash, Paul Haggis' previous) with a continually surprising plot, anti-cliché and where characters are neither Hollywood-heroes nor villains. It remains however a bit at the level of a political leaflet against the Iraq war, dismantling the vision of the war heroes from Iraq conveyed by some American media. It shows what the war in Iraq does to people, in a very disturbing way, pretending it is radically different to what happened in post-Vietnam with veterans (played by Tommy lee Jones) for who comradeship was a real value that nothing could break. But can any war be sane and leave anyone in complete sanity? All in all, a must! [4/5]
03 février 2008
My Music: New music for 2008
Only one month has gone by and 2008 is already rich with new promises, new discoveries! Number one is undoubtedly DUBFIRE's 'I feel speed', brilliant remake of the same tittle by the group Love & Rockets, remember? Yes, the same guys who wrote 'Saudade' and many others in the 80ies. But Dubfire are closely followed by the new tracks from HOT CHIP, JAMIE LLOYD's 'May I?', Justus Köhncke's disco-ish 'Parage ', the italian prodigy DUSTY KID, the new track from Fischerspooner and a couple of others. And i would also mention the discovery of other names like Siriusmo from Germany, Jay Shepherd, Olga Kouklaki from Greece, Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya, Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, Lulu Rouge from Denmark and Hercules & Love Affair (in particular their track with Anthony, 'Blind').
As for the albums, a couple of great ones has just come out of which I would select HOT CHIP's 'Made in the Dark', undoubtedly the CD of the month, JUSTUS KÖHNCKE's 'Safe and sound' on Kompakt, MISS KITTIN's "BatBox', the last DISCO NOT DISCO 'Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986', the Dubstep complilation 'Tectonic Plates', KITSUNE's 'Compilation Maison 5' and THEDO's 'Thedo'. And not to mention the forthcoming album by GOLDFRAPP, out in late February, with the excellent remixes of 'A&E' by Gui Boratto and Hercules & Love Affair already out. It should be a bit closer to their first album with some more disco flavour and some accoustic notes...
So here's the tracklist for this beginning of 2008:
Ajello Amore Alieno (Original Mix)
Ben Wijay IOU
Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya Fuck Friend (Yuksek & Brodinski Remix)
Buy Now Body Crash
Cortney Tidwell Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (Ewan Pearson's Objects In Daso Meine (Original Mix)
David E. Sugar To Yourself
Dennis Ferrer A Black Man In Space (Sax Mix)
Djuma Soundsystem This Sound - Original Mix
Donnacha Costello Grape B [Trax Edit]
Dubfire I Feel Speed - Original Club Mix
Dusty Kid Luna
Fairmont Gazebo (an old track I know...)
Feadz Numanoïd [Edit]
Fischerspooner The Best Revenge
Flying Lotus Massage Situation
Goldfrapp A & E (Gui Boratto Rmx) + (Hercules & Love Affair mix)
Hercules & Love Affair Blind (Hercules Club Remix)
Hot Chip Ready For The Floor (Soulwax Dub)
Ida Engberg Disco volante (Sébastien Léger remix)
Jamie Lloyd May I? - Quarion's Morning Rave Remix
Jay Shephard 4NC
JoJo De Freq Saturn Returns - Original Mix
Justus Kohncke Parage [Edit]
Luke Solomon The Difference Engine
Lulu Rouge Bless You (Album Version)
M.I.A. (from Berlin) Can't Find You [Kiki Remix]
Mark Brown The Journey Continues [Thomas Gold Mix]
Mark Knight & D. Ramirez Colombian Soul (Original Mix)
Miss Kittin Pollution Of The Mind
Moonbeam Cocoon (Moon Mix)
Nicolette No Government (Tocadisco Dub)
Olga Kouklaki Calling U
Principles Of Geometry A Mountain For President (Joakim Remix)
Prosumer & Murat Tepeli feat Elif Bicer Turn Around (Dub)
Sasse Mount Juneau - Discotronix Mix
Sebastien Tellier Sexual Sportswear
Siriusmo All the girls
Thomas Melchior Feel Sensual
Toby Tobias A Close Shave (Prins Thomas Disko-Tek Miks)
Ulrich Schnauss Goodbye
The Whip Sister Siam ( Justin Robertson remix)
Will Saul 3000 AD - Original Mix Space Remix)
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As for the albums, a couple of great ones has just come out of which I would select HOT CHIP's 'Made in the Dark', undoubtedly the CD of the month, JUSTUS KÖHNCKE's 'Safe and sound' on Kompakt, MISS KITTIN's "BatBox', the last DISCO NOT DISCO 'Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986', the Dubstep complilation 'Tectonic Plates', KITSUNE's 'Compilation Maison 5' and THEDO's 'Thedo'. And not to mention the forthcoming album by GOLDFRAPP, out in late February, with the excellent remixes of 'A&E' by Gui Boratto and Hercules & Love Affair already out. It should be a bit closer to their first album with some more disco flavour and some accoustic notes...
So here's the tracklist for this beginning of 2008:
Ajello Amore Alieno (Original Mix)
Ben Wijay IOU
Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya Fuck Friend (Yuksek & Brodinski Remix)
Buy Now Body Crash
Cortney Tidwell Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (Ewan Pearson's Objects In Daso Meine (Original Mix)
David E. Sugar To Yourself
Dennis Ferrer A Black Man In Space (Sax Mix)
Djuma Soundsystem This Sound - Original Mix
Donnacha Costello Grape B [Trax Edit]
Dubfire I Feel Speed - Original Club Mix
Dusty Kid Luna
Fairmont Gazebo (an old track I know...)
Feadz Numanoïd [Edit]
Fischerspooner The Best Revenge
Flying Lotus Massage Situation
Goldfrapp A & E (Gui Boratto Rmx) + (Hercules & Love Affair mix)
Hercules & Love Affair Blind (Hercules Club Remix)
Hot Chip Ready For The Floor (Soulwax Dub)
Ida Engberg Disco volante (Sébastien Léger remix)
Jamie Lloyd May I? - Quarion's Morning Rave Remix
Jay Shephard 4NC
JoJo De Freq Saturn Returns - Original Mix
Justus Kohncke Parage [Edit]
Luke Solomon The Difference Engine
Lulu Rouge Bless You (Album Version)
M.I.A. (from Berlin) Can't Find You [Kiki Remix]
Mark Brown The Journey Continues [Thomas Gold Mix]
Mark Knight & D. Ramirez Colombian Soul (Original Mix)
Miss Kittin Pollution Of The Mind
Moonbeam Cocoon (Moon Mix)
Nicolette No Government (Tocadisco Dub)
Olga Kouklaki Calling U
Principles Of Geometry A Mountain For President (Joakim Remix)
Prosumer & Murat Tepeli feat Elif Bicer Turn Around (Dub)
Sasse Mount Juneau - Discotronix Mix
Sebastien Tellier Sexual Sportswear
Siriusmo All the girls
Thomas Melchior Feel Sensual
Toby Tobias A Close Shave (Prins Thomas Disko-Tek Miks)
Ulrich Schnauss Goodbye
The Whip Sister Siam ( Justin Robertson remix)
Will Saul 3000 AD - Original Mix Space Remix)
<
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