tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2009-11-08:/Cuttings in the scrap book of an ordinary life.MokoFeed2009-11-08T13:02:55+01:00tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_11_the_~2682927/mob61uk2007-07-22T21:12:56+02:002007-07-22T21:12:56+02:00 <p><strong>The Kid Brother [Ted Wilde, 1927] / Get Out & Get Under [Hal Roach,<br> 1920]</strong></p> <p>These are the first complete Harold Lloyd films that I've seen, and<br> I'm very impressed. There is an inventiveness and ingenuity that<br> make them exiting and effortlessly funny. It helps, of course, when you<br> have such a warm audience, who readily join in with laughing.</p> <p>What I particularly noticed about the Lloyd films was the importance of<br> story. There is never the sense that the gags are just strung together<br> in a convenient narrative – the comic tricks and turns seem to arise<br> naturally from the story itself.</p> <p>Very enjoyable.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018051/">IMDB link</a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Waitress [Adrienne Shelley, 2007]</strong></p> <p>Another highlight from this year's festival – just delicious.</p> <p>It has the kind of style which you get in good graphic novels –<br> sharp witty dialogue, characters established quickly with bold strokes,<br> and an eye for visual comedy. Waitress has a seductive lightness of<br> touch on the surface that belies its subtle depths.</p> <p>Great performances, beautifully shot, paced to perfection, tone spot on<br> – this film has everything. It looks, feels and tastes great. I<br> can even forgive the ending.</p> <p>Wonderful stuff.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473308/">IMDB link</a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>The Hoax [Lasse Halstrom, 2006]</strong></p> <p>A completely implausible story that is apparently true. Or rather based<br> on truth.</p> <p>One stand out moment – Irving "confessing" to his wife.<br> Otherwise, quite engaging, but not outstanding.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462338/">IMDB link</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_11_the_~2682927/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_10_rescue_da~2682902/mob61uk2007-07-22T21:10:11+02:002007-07-22T21:10:11+02:00 <p><strong>Surprise Film: Rescue Dawn [Werner Herzog, 2006]</strong></p> <p>A safer choice compared to last year's Heart of Gold. And with<br> Herzog as director there was a possibility of something really special.<br> However, although Rescue Dawn is interesting, and somewhat engaging, it<br> feels very much like Herzog goes to Hollywood. It's a conventional<br> film that has flashes of inspiration but ends unforgivably with a<br> nauseous all American hero (or rather German American hero) flourish.</p> <p>More like Herzog is the central character: the single-minded, driven,<br> almost crazy man, fighting for survival against all the odds. The<br> character never has that Herzog edginess, that sense of the dangerous<br> and unexpected. Even though based on a true story, the character has<br> little sense of the real; he is more the vehicle of a familiar plot.</p> <p>OK, but slightly disappointing.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462504/">IMDB Link</a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Tengers [Michael Rix, 2007]</strong></p> <p>It's a rough old place, Johannesburg. And the people look even<br> rougher; or at least the clay figures in this film. These figures have<br> been rescued from Aardman's dustbin, and a weird mouth stuck on<br> their slapdash faces.</p> <p>There aren't rough edges to this film, it's all rough. In a<br> way, this anti-aesthetic works with the grim subject matter. It depicts<br> an anarchic world, where it's a matter of maintaining sanity to try<br> and rustle up a laugh from somewhere. There's plenty of grim and<br> tasteless humour in Tengers, some of it is very funny.</p> <p>An interesting curiosity.</p> <p><a href="http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk/films/Tengers/">Festival Link</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_10_rescue_da~2682902/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_9_the_sevent~2682895/mob61uk2007-07-22T21:08:12+02:002007-07-22T21:08:12+02:00 <p><strong>The Seventh Seal [Ingmar Bergman, 1957]</strong></p> <p>It's the first time I've seen this landmark film on the big<br> screen, and it's a special treat to see it in this new digital<br> restoration.</p> <p>Fifty years, and the film has lost none of its power or relevance. The<br> primal fear of a world without god, the dread realisation that this is<br> not all laid out for our convenience, still troubles the world: that<br> sucking leech Religion still corrupts the blood. And yet, when the<br> world finally grows up and rids itself of all its gods, this film was<br> still have relevance: it will still speak of existential angst; the<br> horror and beauty of existence.</p> <p>The images still have their intoxicating potency: the game of chess with<br> death; the procession of the doom mongers, with their incense and grim<br> crucifix; the merry dance of death on the horizon.</p> <p>What is so easy to forget about this film, though, is its humour and joy<br> and goodness. The wit and kindness of some characters, their sheer<br> decency, shines through the gloom. In a strange way, the film is filled<br> with hope as well as despair.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050976/">IMDB Link</a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Private Fears in Public Places [Alain Resnais, 2006]</strong></p> <p>This adaptation of Alan Ayckbourn's play works very well on the big<br> screen. Resnais knows about the power of restraint. He has a sure<br> sense of the underlying pulse of the scenes, and an eye for the colour<br> palette which will enhance rather than overwhelm.</p> <p>It's refreshing to have a film that deals in loneliness and<br> separation with such a warmth of feeling towards the characters. So<br> often a cold cynicism is paraded as profundity; here it is the maturity<br> of empathy.</p> <p>This film remains with you long after it's finished.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498120/">IMDB Link</a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Syndromes and a Century [Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2006]</strong></p> <p>Don't be put off by the clumsy English title; this film is certainly<br> worth watching. It may reject the neat orderly structures of<br> conventional plotting, but it has a poetic logic of its own. Like<br> music, it's about the development and contrasting of motif; about<br> graceful modulations; about texture and rhythm.</p> <p>It's funny, tender, unsettling, and joyous.</p> <p>It may be very strange, but a rewarding experience.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477731/">IMDB Link</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_9_the_sevent~2682895/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_8_every_step~2682881/mob61uk2007-07-22T21:05:12+02:002007-07-22T21:05:12+02:00 <p><strong>Every Step You Take [Nino Leitner, 2007]</strong></p> <p>Some good arguments made on both sides of the debate in this documentary<br> about the proliferation of CCTV in the UK, but not dealt with in<br> sufficient depth for my liking.</p> <p>The patronising voice-over should be ditched.</p> <p>Interesting, but flawed. Could do better.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0990429/">IMDB Link</a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Priceless [Pierre Salvadori, 2006]</strong></p> <p>It's good to round the day off with a good quality romantic comedy.</p> <p>Understandably, it's hard to take your eyes off Audrey Tautou in<br> that dress (at least if you're a man), but the actor who really<br> steals the show is Gad Elmaleh. His comic timing is superb, and he has<br> the kind of expressive face and physical grace that mean he would be<br> funny even with the sound turned off.</p> <p>Nicely shot with some good set-pieces –an very enjoyable film.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482088/">IMDB Link</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_8_every_step~2682881/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_7_testostero~2682866/mob61uk2007-07-22T21:03:07+02:002007-07-22T21:03:07+02:00 <p><strong>Testosterone [Tomasz Konecki, 2007]</strong></p> <p>It started OK. A promising set-up, and some mild amusement. But then,<br> slowly but surely, it sank into tediousness.</p> <p>Interest was briefly sparked, two thirds of the way though, by the film<br> breaking down. But this was only a brief respite.</p> <p>Harmless but dull.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0865951/">IMDB Link</a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>4 Minutes [Chris Krauss, 2006]</strong></p> <p>It's the familiar storyline of older teacher taking promising young<br> tear-away under their wing, nurturing a formidable talent, and viola<br> – redemption! There is some reliance on the customary, well trodden<br> plotting conventions, but thankfully the film avoids over<br> sentimentality, particularly in the central relationship between the two<br> leads. Veteran German actress Monica Bleibtreu gives a carefully<br> controlled and powerful performance as the teacher, while young actress<br> Hannah Herzsprung is remarkable in the role of the musically talented<br> prison inmate. Herzsprung's portrayal is terrifyingly realistic<br> – an aggressive tension between feral ferocity and restrained<br> vulnerability. And the relationship between the two leads is gripping<br> and truly moving.</p> <p>The ending is the final masterstroke of the film: brilliantly executed,<br> thrilling in its drama, and devastatingly poignant.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0461694/">IMDB Link</a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Valerie [Birgit Moller, 2006]</strong></p> <p>A confident and well-polished first feature from Birgit Moeller. A tale<br> of a confident young woman who is gradually divested of the trappings<br> and securities of the modern world. Agata Buzek is very impressive in<br> the daunting lead role. The film strikes a nice balance between its<br> seriousness and its lighter moments. It also, thankfully, remains<br> focussed on character, rather than opting for dramatic hyperbole.</p> <p>Worth seeing.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0841182/">IMDB Link</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_7_testostero~2682866/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_6_longi~2682846/mob61uk2007-07-22T21:00:25+02:002007-07-22T21:00:25+02:00 <p><strong>Longing [Valesca Grisebach, 2006]</strong></p> <p>Here is filmmaking of the highest order. A simple story of infidelity<br> is revealed gradually through a skilfully structured narrative - there<br> are many examples of the method of plot development contributing to the<br> emotional journey of the film. And Longing is all about the emotional<br> connection with the characters. I find it astonishing that the film<br> achieves the depth of characterisation it does with an entirely<br> non-professional cast of actors. The three leads in particular give<br> truly incredible performances, lending the film a directness and<br> authenticity that cinema often struggles to attain.</p> <p>The actors are helped by the absolute mastery of the director, Valeska<br> Griesebach, who meticulously controls the pace and tone of film<br> throughout. Each nuance of feeling, each undercurrent of passion and<br> longing, is patiently observed; there's a brooding quiet intensity<br> that threatens to explode.</p> <p>And then the wonderful ending, with the children. The abrupt change of<br> tone is initially a surprise, but it quickly becomes clear that this is<br> the perfect conclusion to a very impressive film.</p> <p>IMDB link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416213/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416213/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416213/</a></a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Among Adults (Entre Adultes) [Stephane Brize, 2006]</strong></p> <p>A modern-day "La Ronde" that's perfectly constructed and<br> sharp as a razor. Every scene, linked by a character from the previous<br> one, is a beautifully formed miniature drama: witty, perceptive, and<br> with the kind of charged pauses that Pinter would be proud of.<br> Everything comes together in this film: brilliant writing; powerful,<br> sensitive acting; restrained, but forceful direction.</p> <p>Each character is beautifully realised; each relationship exquisitely<br> examined. And it's not just an exercise in cruelty – in<br> demonstrating what shits these people are. Stephane Brize takes pains<br> to bring out the nuances of character, the vulnerabilities as well as<br> the deceptions.</p> <p>Absolutely superb.</p> <p>IMDB link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847733/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847733/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847733/</a></a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Lunacy [Jan Svankmajer, 2005]</strong></p> <p>What I fool I was to say that Taxidermia would be prime contender for<br> strangest film at this year's festival - when there's a<br> Svankmajer on the bill!</p> <p>Right from the start. White screen. Then the supremo of the surreal<br> himself pops up and tells us that Lunacy is, surprise surprise, a film a<br> about madness, and that it's NOT art. He pauses to glance down, and<br> notices a severed tongue crawling across the ground. He registers mild<br> interest, continues his introduction, and promptly disappears. Then the<br> film turns weird.</p> <p>In Lunatic the lunatics are running the asylum, even when the doctors<br> supposed to be in charge get their chance. Unrestrained freedom or<br> strict control, both breed cruelty and excess. It's a mad,<br> forbidding and frightening world. Svankmajer says it's a world<br> inspired by Poe and de Sade: a horror story world.</p> <p>And one that's a glorious blasphemy against the conventional. It<br> revels in subversion; in the darkness and fertility of the unfettered<br> imagination. It sneers at the conventional. It gets its hands well and<br> truly dirty – and loves it.</p> <p>And it's pretty funny as well. An enjoyably dark experience.</p> <p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407236/">IMDB link</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_6_longi~2682846/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_5_taxid~2682825/mob61uk2007-07-22T20:57:16+02:002007-07-22T20:57:16+02:00 <p><strong>Taxidermia [Gyogi Palfi, 2006]</strong></p> <p>This must be prime contender for the strangest film likely to be shown<br> at this year's festival. And the sickest.</p> <p>Grotesque. That's the word. Repulsive characters doing repulsive<br> things; and Gyorgy Pilfi shoots it all with loving care, with an eye for<br> the beauty in what's repugnant. The calm tearing of flesh, the<br> squelch of lovingly handled internal organs – all realised in a<br> perverse choreography.</p> <p>It's all much too much, of course. An excess of excess. Lust, and<br> glutony, and vomit – humanity as self-destructive consumer. But<br> it's hard not to laugh with the blacker than black humour; to be<br> seduced by the breathtaking audacity of Pilfi's surreal visual<br> imagination.</p> <p>The film may not be a success, but it is an interesting failure - if you<br> can stomach it.</p> <p>IMDB link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410730/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410730/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410730/</a></a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Approaching Union Square [Marc Meyers, 2006]</strong></p> <p>An interesting chamber piece: various individuals on a bus who we are<br> acquainted with through a series of monologues. Each separate scene is<br> nicely judged, a skilful revelation of character with just the right<br> tone of humour.</p> <p>The 9/11 framing, though, just felt like a cheap trick.</p> <p>IMDB link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0818739/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0818739/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0818739/</a></a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_5_taxid~2682825/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_4_melan~2682796/mob61uk2007-07-22T20:52:43+02:002007-07-22T20:54:28+02:00 <p><strong>Tribute to Andi Engels: Melancholia [Andi Engels, 1989]</strong></p> <p>Tony Jones' relaxed introduction to Engel's only film, was a<br> warm and sincere personal tribute to the recently deceased founder of<br> Artificial Eye – a company responsible for encouraging the cinematic<br> education of many in the UK by ensuring the distribution of such a<br> feast of world cinema. Thank god for people like Andi, with an<br> overriding passion about films that puts quality before the bank<br> balance. A category that must also include Tony Jones himself, someone<br> who through his infectious enthusiasm for cinema, has amongst other<br> things, developed the Cambridge Film Festival into an invaluable<br> showcase for a rich variety of films from all corners of the globe.</p> <p>What of Melancholia, the film, though? Unfortunately, in all honesty, I<br> couldn't describe it as particularly high quality. But in a way,<br> that's what festivals are all about. The chance to give films an<br> opportunity, films which you might not otherwise see. Sometimes, as<br> with this one, they don't do anything for you. Other times, you<br> discover real treasures.</p> <p>Despite the film, thank you to people like Andi Engels. And let's<br> hope the Tony Joneses of this world never lose their dogged<br> determination to bring us films that stimulate rather than deaden.</p> <p>IMDB link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097861/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097861/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097861/</a></a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>The Singer [Xavier Giannoli, 2006</strong>]</p> <p>The late great Dennis P said "Strange how potent cheap music is" and<br> "Would someone with a hard face please protect me from those sickly and<br> sugared old tunes?" And so with the second-rate songs and second-rate<br> venues in this delightful film, they have a strange capacity to enchant.<br> They, like Gerard Depardieu's lead character, Alain, are rather old<br> and faded, but with an endearing charm and old-fashioned integrity of<br> spirit.</p> <p>The potentially cringe-making cliché story of old man falls for<br> beautiful young woman, is thankfully handled with sensitivity and care;<br> with good script, skilled direction, and some lovely performances.<br> Depardieu is brilliant: he lacks any pretension, never goes for<br> over-statement, and brings real depth to his character; and Cécile De<br> France, in a difficult role, gets the tone just perfect. The supporting<br> actors, especially Christine Citti, are also very good.</p> <p>It's a film that celebrates some of those faded old sentimentalities<br> that bypass the brain and go straight to the heart. The lyrics, on<br> paper, might make you wince, but when carried by one of those sickly<br> sweet tunes, they can give voice to our deepest feelings.</p> <p>IMDB link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0464828/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0464828/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0464828/</a></a></p> <p>-----------</p> <p><strong>Me, The Other (Io, L'Altro) [Mohsen Melliti, 2007]</strong></p> <p>On a small boat at sea is played out the drama of our times: how the<br> "war on terrorism" gives rise to doubts and suspicions amongst<br> friends and neighbours – opens up the faultiness between our<br> cultures. The two protagonists are like brothers, but one seed of doubt<br> slowly grows into a state of open hostilities between the two. From<br> seeing the things that bind them, they can only see the things that<br> divide. It's a salutary film that may be a little too message<br> driven at times, but mostly develops its theme through development of<br> character.</p> <p>IMDB link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0827183/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0827183/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0827183/</a></a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_4_melan~2682796/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_3_once_~2682773/mob61uk2007-07-22T20:49:38+02:002007-07-22T20:53:42+02:00 <p><strong>Under The Mud [Sol Papadopoulo, 2007]</strong></p> <p>The pre-film shenanigans were pretty entertaining. First swapping<br> cinemas, and then being entertained by the producer, director, and some<br> of the cast as we waited and waited for the various technical<br> difficulties to be sorted out. Thankfully, after all that, the film<br> itself wasn't a disappointment. Well, OK, the style leaned a little<br> more towards television than cinema, and the jokes and plotlines were<br> mostly recycled, but somehow it charmed its way past your critical<br> faculties. Much of this was down to some very good performances.</p> <p>CFF Link: <a href="http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk/films/Under+the+Mud/"><a href="http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk/films/Under+the+Mud/">http://www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk/films/Under+the+Mud/</a></a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Once Upon Tomorrow [Sandrine Veysset, 2006</strong>]</p> <p>An interesting idea – the child meeting it's older self –<br> which never really adds up thematically in this ambitious film. The<br> film never makes any intellectual or emotional justification for its<br> bizarre premise. The best that can be said of Once Upon Tomorrow is<br> that it's a curious, atmospheric tone poem.</p> <p>Interesting, but unconvincing.</p> <p>IMDB Link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436419/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436419/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436419/</a></a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_3_once_~2682773/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_2_transylvan~2682764/mob61uk2007-07-22T20:47:36+02:002007-07-22T20:47:36+02:00 <p><strong>Transylvania [Tony Gatlif, 2006]</strong></p> <p>Ah, yes – here is the first real gem of the festival for me; a truly<br> fantastic film.</p> <p>From the first few bars of the stirring music, I was already disposed to<br> like it. After the opening scene – a blur of passing scenery,<br> intercut with spilt-second stationery shots of people – I was<br> beginning to think that this could be good. Within 20 minutes I was in<br> love.</p> <p>Transylvania takes you on an intoxicating impressionistic journey across<br> a strange, beautiful, joyful and deeply sad landscape – which I<br> suspect has very little to do with the real Transylvania, and everything<br> to do with an Eastern Europe of the imagination. Along with the lead<br> character we journey in search for love. It's a tale of Romance; a<br> journey that intoxicates the senses, and stirs the emotions; a journey<br> of breathtaking landscapes, eccentric characters, miserable poverty, and<br> the richness of culture. It may not stimulate the intellect, but it<br> enthrals the heart.</p> <p>Tony Gatlif's direction is fresh and inventive, a sumptuousness of<br> style without the banality of ostentation. Beautifully crafted shots,<br> and a camera that dances with the music; the patient observation of<br> faces, and the giddy swirl of the emotions. It's simply<br> exhilarating.</p> <p>One of the best films I've seen this year.</p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Anna M. [Michel Spinoza, 2007]</strong></p> <p>This film faces a difficult task from the outset. It has to add<br> something fresh to a sub-genre that has already been explored a number<br> of times before, with some success (e.g. `Enduring Love',<br> `He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not…'*). Anna M may not escape<br> the familiarity of plotting, but it does have a depth of character<br> analysis that definitely makes it worth watching.</p> <p>In this film the emphasis is not on the victim, but the perpetrator.<br> Michel Spinosa carefully develops our understanding of Anna in a way<br> which means we are deeply unsettled by her actions while feeling sadness<br> for how she is consumed by her illness.</p> <p>An interesting film.</p> <p>Cut the last scene, though. Complete waste of time.</p> <p>*<em>In fact, I notice on IMDB that the lead actress, Isabelle Carré, was<br> in the latter film.</em> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_day_2_transylvan~2682764/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-07-22:/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_1_fland~2682749/mob61uk2007-07-22T20:45:05+02:002007-07-22T20:45:05+02:00 <p><strong>Flanders [Bruno Dumont, 2006]</strong></p> <p>In the post-screening Q&A, the Director said that the story unashamedly<br> focussed on the male perspective. This may provide some explanation for<br> the lead female character (Barbe – who Dumont described as a male<br> fantasy figure) being so irritatingly unrealistic (despite the<br> actress' admirable efforts to make the most of her role). It also<br> suggests that in Bruno Dumont's view men fantasise about sex which<br> is utterly joyless, without passion, and takes place as briefly as<br> possible.</p> <p>This caricature of human relationships is a serious flaw in a film which<br> otherwise has great power. The war scenes certainly have a gruesome<br> impact, especially in contrast to the quiet rural scenes at the<br> beginning and end of the film. Dumont pointed out that his aim is to<br> expose the true horror of the news stories we casually view while eating<br> our dinner, and he does so with an unflinching directness. There is not<br> only a desire to shock, though; there is a wish to delve into the male<br> psychology that sustains men in such hellish circumstances.</p> <p>The portrayal of the lead character (Demester) is one of the strongest<br> elements in the film. The camera patiently watches his every<br> expression, observing the doubts and fears which momentarily surface<br> from beneath his passive expression, the jealousies that torment him,<br> and the ever present need for love.</p> <p>IMDB Link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450680/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450680/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450680/</a></a></p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Lady Chatterley [Pascale Ferran, 2006]</strong></p> <p>This is a story which can so easily become shallow and puerile when<br> adapted for the big screen, but thankfully Pascale Ferran manages to<br> produce something that is restrained and subtle. The sexual encounters<br> - scenes which are always the most likely to descend into farce –<br> are approached with real sensitivity, and beautifully capture the<br> developing self-awareness of the unlikely couple at the heart of the<br> film. The sense of exhilaration and liberation unleashed by the<br> couple's erotic discoveries stand in stark contrast to the dry and<br> constricting world of Lady Chatterley's home surroundings. The<br> humble cottage in the woods becomes a kind of Eden, a retreat from the<br> outside world and a place where two people can develop the kind of open,<br> honest, and to some extent emotionally equal, relationship that is not<br> readily found in the outside world.</p> <p>The film is not without problems. It's far too long for a start.<br> It could easily have been trimmed by a third, if not a half. Also, the<br> drama of the narrative sometimes feels awkward and contrived. In fact,<br> the attempt to make an explicit link to the book through voice-over<br> narrative and textual commentary, is not entirely successful.</p> <p>On the whole, though, if you stand the almost 3 hours running time,<br> it's a film that's worth watching.</p> <p>IMDB Link: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0459880/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0459880/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0459880/</a></a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/07/22/cambridge_film_festival_2007_day_1_fland~2682749/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2007-01-01:/2007/01/01/my_favourite_films_of~1502026/mob61uk2007-01-01T19:10:31+01:002007-01-01T19:10:31+01:00 <p>As always when looking back at so-called favourite films of the year, the interminable list of movies not yet seen makes the exercise seem even more pointless that it already feels.  And yet, there is a rather sad compulsion to go through with the process, since it provides a short lived, if insubstantial, satisfaction.  So, having completely undermined the whole justification for this yearly movie sugar-rush, here it goes...</p> <p>(All films have been released in the UK in 2006 - films only shown at festivals have been excluded)</p> <p>For me, there have been three top films in 2006:-</p> <p><strong>Hidden [Michael Haneke]</strong>: powerful, perfectly formed; one of Haneke's best.<br><strong>Volver [Pedro Almodovar]</strong>: another great director on top form.<br><strong>Tony Takitani [Jun Ichikawa]</strong>: first seen at the Cambridge Film Festival in 2005, this was at last released this year; a beautiful, precise but lyrical tone poem.</p> <p>Other excellent films were:-<br><strong>The Death of Mr Lazarescu [Cristi Puiu]<br>L'Enfant [Dardenne Brothers]<br>Extrano (Strange) [Santiago Loza]</strong>: first shown at the Cambridge Film Festival in 2003!<br><strong>Happy Feet [George Miller]<br>Krisana (Fallen) [Fred Kellerman]<br>Junebug [Phil Morrison]<br>Mon Ange (My Angel) [Serge Frydman]<br>Lady Vengeance [Chan-wook Park]<br>Pusher III [Nicholas Winding Refn]</p> <p></strong>Mention must also be made of these impressive films:-<br><strong>Be With Me [Eric Khoo]<br>A Cock and Bull Story [Michael Winterbottom]<br>Good Night, and Good Luck [George Clooney]<br>Little Fish [Rowan Woods]<br>Lost Embrace [Daniel Burman]<br>Syriana [George Clooney]</p> <p></strong>These were pretty good too:-<br><strong>Capote [Bennett Miller]<br>The Departed [Martin Scorsese]<br>The Forest For The Trees [Maren Ade]<br>Grizzly Man [Werner Herzog]<br>Gypo [Jan Dunn]<br>Heading South [Laurent Cantet]<br>The History Boys [Nicholas Hytner]<br>The New World [Terrence Malick]<br>Shanghai Dreams [Xiaoshuai Wang]<br>Shortbus [John Cameron Mitchell]<br>Thank You For Smoking [Jason Reitman]<br>The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada [Tommy Lee Jones]<br>Three Times [Hsiao-hsien Hou]<br>Unknown White Male [Rupert Murray]</p> <p></strong>Worst film I've seen this year was: <strong>The Roost [Ti West]</strong>: just plain dull.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2007/01/01/my_favourite_films_of~1502026/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-11-15:/2006/11/15/malcolm_arnold_towards_the_unkown_region~1334053/mob61uk2006-11-15T20:47:23+01:002006-11-26T17:56:21+01:00 <p>By a strange coincidence, I happened to read of the recent death of Malcolm Arnold in a coffee shop in Attleborough, where Arnold spent the last years of his life. What sad news, that the source of so much haunting music has gone.</p> <p>Apart from the marvellous music itself (especially the 9 symphonies) I can recommend the recently reissued DVD of Tony Palmer's documentary on Arnold called 'Towards The Unkown Region' <a href="http://www.play.com/Music/MusicDVD/4-/488778/Toward_The_Unknown_Region_Malcolm_Arnold_A_Story_Of_Survival/Product.html"><a href="http://www.play.com/Music/MusicDVD/4-/488778/Toward_The_Unknown_Region_Malcolm_Arnold_A_Story_Of_Survival/Product.html">http://www.play.com/Music/MusicDVD/4-/488778/Toward_The_Unknown_Region_Malcolm_Arnold_A_Story_Of_Survival/Product.html</a></a> (shown previously on the South Bank Show).  It's a fascinating and moving portrait of one of our great composers, and a film which deals with the complexities of Arnold's troubled character without sensationalism. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/11/15/malcolm_arnold_towards_the_unkown_region~1334053/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-11-09:/2006/11/09/beckettism_for_the_day~1311935/mob61uk2006-11-09T11:41:47+01:002006-11-09T11:41:47+01:00 <p>One of my favourite opening lines in literature:-</p> <p>     <strong>'The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.'</strong>  </p> <p>From <em>Murphy</em> by Samuel Beckett.  </p> <p>Bleak, wryly funny, and an encapsulation of the stange but deeply humanistic world of Beckett. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/11/09/beckettism_for_the_day~1311935/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-08-29:/2006/08/29/tony_takitani_jun_ichikawa~1080466/mob61uk2006-08-29T19:36:45+02:002006-08-29T19:36:45+02:00 <p>I was very impressed with this film when it was shown at the 2005 Cambridge Film Festival, and now it has at last come out on DVD.</p> <p>It's a beautifully crafted minor key contemplation on loneliness and alienation. The rigorousness of form not only gives it a pleasing aesthetic, but perfectly matches the internal psychological rhythm of the lead character. The introspective voiceover, sometimes abstract, sometimes witty, sometimes actually spoken by characters, is a perfect example of how the technique can be used – how it can add to the narrative (both external and internal) without detracting from the layers of meaning. Despite the film’s subject matter, it manages to avoid despair or bleakness, giving it far greater power.</p> <p>Highly recommended.</p> <p>[ IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0420260/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0420260/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/08/29/tony_takitani_jun_ichikawa~1080466/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-08-01:/2006/08/01/viva_zapatero_sabina_guzzanti~1006646/mob61uk2006-08-01T22:51:44+02:002006-08-01T22:51:44+02:00 <p>Satirical show RIAot was cancelled because it wasn't funny. It happened to not be funny about Burlusconi. Many if not all those who engineered its cancellation were allegedly affiliated in some way to Mr B. They clearly had no conflict of interest because their primary concern was the fact that satire could be libellous. Then they endlessly discussed exactly what satire was.</p> <p>They also said that no one wanted to watch such a cruel show. People so didn't want to see it that thousands gathered outside the theatre when they couldn't get in to see the stage version specially put on by the comedian behind the show.</p> <p>Viva Zapatero! paints a frightening picture of a European country apparently run by a man who wants to act the media mogul dictator, aided and abetted by an apparently ineffective and quite possibly corrupt opposition. It's a documentary that details the easy slide into misuse of power, and the bizarre Orwellian world of doublespeak and fear that naturally arises to explain and support the inevitable curtailments of freedom. It's a world like something out of Pinter - language used as weapon: everyone knows what is being said is not what is really being said; everyone knows the consequences of ignoring what is not being said. Those who point out the obvious find they no longer have a job, and/or are suddenly in the middle of a massive lawsuit.</p> <p>The subject of the film is fascinating, disturbing, and bleakly funny. Unfortunately, the film itself is rather amateurish: repetitive and lacking real narrative coherence. Rather than having a clear argument, it is a collection of interesting and sometimes not so interesting points, assembled in a rough and ready fashion. This serves to undermine its argument and cast doubt on the authenticity of its depiction of Burlusconiland. </p> <p>It also doesn't help that the excepts from RIAot suggest the satire is not particularly funny: simplistic sketches with lots and lots of canned laughter.</p> <p>This film is still worth watching - but wait till it comes on TV.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0482633/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0482633/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/08/01/viva_zapatero_sabina_guzzanti~1006646/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-18:/2006/07/18/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~969969/mob61uk2006-07-18T21:46:37+02:002006-07-18T21:46:37+02:00 <p>Shanghai Dreams [Xiaoshuai Wang, 2005]</p> <p>In one of the funniest scenes, the local teenage main man, with a look clearly inspired by Elvis, impresses the girls at the local dance with his attempt at cool dancing. This so-called ‘underground’ dance plays ‘Rivers of Babylon’. Western influence is felt even here in this south-western hinterland of 1980s China.</p> <p>The talk amongst the local men is of the money to be made in Shanhai – where many of them originate, and where many wish to return. The tension between change and tradition is manifest everywhere. Wu Zemin is an authoritarian father who also wants to escape back to the more modern homeland. His daughter Quinghong just wants to be to be a teenager, and is happy in the town she has always known as home.</p> <p>The film opens with a slow tracking shot down a hallway towards a window at the end. A red flag outside can just be seen occasionally fluttering into view at the edge of the window frame. This is a film of the small scale made epic.</p> <p>Impressive.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0456658/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0456658/</a> ]</p> <p>Gambler [Phie Ambo, 2006]</p> <p>Kurt is known affectionately to his friends as C***. Refn explains to him that the character he is to play is a psychopath with charm. ‘I can do that’ says Kurt. He’s had so much dope over the years that he finds it hard to remember the lines. Kurt is an actor in Pusher II, the film which Refn is relying on to get him out of his unbelievable debt.</p> <p>Publicity before Pusher II makes much of the fact that some of the cast have a criminal past – and so are acting themselves. Kurt says he is not playing himself. He has never hit anyone with a baseball bat. Well, only once - and it was a broom handle.</p> <p>Refn is obviously a gambler.</p> <p>He spends a lot of time dosing up on indigestion remedies.</p> <p>You watch this film and can only conclude that you need to be a little mad to be a film director. As well as being that, Refn is also a pretty decent guy. This film paints an affectionate but revealing film about Refn’s tribulations: his journey from crippling money problems, to solvency and artistic success.</p> <p>I remember Refn sitting regularly in the Arts Picturehouse bar last year, when he was over for the screening of Pusher II and a number of other films. Having seen this documentary, you wish he was still around – just to go over, shake his hand, and say “Well done, mate”. And then ask him why the hell he hired Kurt…</p> <p>Tideland [Terry Gilliam, 2005]</p> <p>Tideland is like stepping into a Hopper painting, and finding a world of beautiful fantasies and gruesome nightmares. </p> <p>This dark film is seen through the innocent eyes of a nine year old girl, played brilliantly by Jodelle Ferland. It’s a film which implants disturbing images into your head. Yet, as well as its sinister and provocative scenes, it also has a strange beauty – a lost world of wonder and limitless possibilities.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0410764/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0410764/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/18/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~969969/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-17:/2006/07/17/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~966590/mob61uk2006-07-17T18:12:46+02:002006-07-17T18:12:46+02:00 <p>Renaissance [Christian Volckman, 2006]</p> <p>As I left the cinema I heard several people saying the film was ‘visually stunning’. That’s almost an understatement: I think it is the most impressive ‘animation’ film I’ve seen – to look at, anyway. And there’s the problem – the story is mediocre and clichéd, leaving just a beautiful husk.</p> <p>A wasted opportunity.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0386741/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0386741/</a> ]</p> <p>A Scanner Darkly [Richard Linklater, 2006]</p> <p>As with Renaissance, here is an animated film which looks good, but which is badly let down by its content. At least in this instance the story has some potential, but it’s a lost opportunity: Philip K Dick’s source material is somehow turned into something bland and unconvincing.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0405296/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0405296/</a> ]</p> <p>Little Fish [Rowan Woods, 2005]</p> <p>On the way home, I read a rather damning review of Little Fish that complained how long it takes for the characters to be fully explained in the storyline. I couldn’t disagree strongly enough. The great strength of this film is the manner in which it gradually reveals the characters to the audience. This means that the film becomes as much a journey of understanding and empathy for the audience, as an emotional journey for the characters themselves.</p> <p>Cate Blanchett is brilliant in the lead role; but this is a story which is as much about the network of people surrounding her. The supporting cast are fantastic, in particular Hugo Weaving and Sam Neill. These are performances of great conviction and authenticity.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0382810/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0382810/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/17/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~966590/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-16:/2006/07/16/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~962681/mob61uk2006-07-16T07:30:45+02:002006-07-16T07:30:45+02:00 <p>4: 30 [Royston Tan, 2005]</p> <p>It is amazing what can be conveyed with so little: a look, a stance, the movement across a room. The camera spends a lot of time in this film just watching faces, and in particular that of the 11 year old protagonist (played with great subtlety). </p> <p>There is minimal exposition, just the briefest sketch to explain any back story. And yet the connection with the audience is as great as if we knew the boy’s whole story.</p> <p>A sad tale, told with some warmth.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0497877/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0497877/</a> ]</p> <p>The Science of Sleep [Michel Gondry, 2006]</p> <p>It’s like a Jan Svankmajer for the multiplex. It’s certainly a lot of fun – a visual feast of invention; a riff on the fantastical. And something in its bold simplicity impresses: the stop-motion water; the cardboard TV studio. Gondry fashions a slightly surreal world where the line between dreams and reality becomes less and less distinct.</p> <p>The weakness of the film, however, lies in the subservience of plotting to visual showmanship. There is little coherent purpose or underlying seriousness - unlike in Gondry’s magnificent ‘Eternal Sunshine’. Mind you, it’s still great to just sit back and enjoy a filmmaker who is clearly having so much fun. And if the visuals are not enough, then there is always the comedy to keep you on board.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0354899/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0354899/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/16/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~962681/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-14:/2006/07/14/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~958468/mob61uk2006-07-14T10:32:12+02:002006-07-14T10:49:43+02:00 <p>Summer In Berlin [Andreas Dresen, 2005]</p> <p>A crowd pleasing comedy drama that has much to recommend it. The friendship between the two leads characters is beautifully realised by Inka Friedrich and Nadja Uhl, and the director goes for a quietly observant style which leaves plenty of room for subtlety.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0477877/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0477877/</a> ]</p> <p>Krisana (Fallen) [Fred Kelemen, 2005]</p> <p>Along with ‘The Death of Mr Lazarescu’ this, for me, is one of the great finds of the festival. Shot on DV in high contrast black and white, it is a captivating contemplation on guilt and love. This is cinema that takes its time – that completely immerses you in its world. It unfolds in long slow takes with imagery both seductive stark, and a prominent, claustrophobic soundscape.</p> <p>The story is simple but emotionally complex, with a genuinely affecting twist in the finale. But there is also a wry humour – particularly in a scene stealing moment featuring one character who is surely destined to become one of cinema’s classic world weary detectives.</p> <p>Kelermen proved to be engaging and articulate in the Q&A following the film. It was mentioned that there will be a retrospective of his work in London in September. It would be wonderful if the retrospective could come to Cambridge as well. I’m sure that there are many like me who are not familiar with Kelerman’s work and who, on the evidence of this film, are hungry to see more.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0470840/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0470840/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/14/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~958468/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-14:/2006/07/14/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~958016/mob61uk2006-07-14T06:40:54+02:002006-07-14T10:49:33+02:00 <p>Co/Ma [Mike Figgis, 2004]</p> <p>In CO/MA you can’t trust anything. Apparently it’s a documentary about a group of filmmakers attending a workshop where they have to make a film in a ludicrously short time. </p> <p>The only parts of this film you can pretty sure about are the excerpts shown of the awful soap the ‘students’ are filming. The rest of the time it is never clear whether this is a real documentary or mock documentary, whether the people are genuine or acting. Normally this sort of experiment becomes excruciatingly tedious, but for some reason CO/MA maintains an interest. It is first of all good fun, a kind of piss take of all the reality TV genre, but it does also work on a more serious level (manipulation of the audience, etc).</p> <p>Whatever you do, though, don’t believe anything in it real. I even have my doubts about the whole workshop thing.</p> <p>And what ever happened to Max von Sydow?</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0457307/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0457307/</a> ]</p> <p>Edmond [Stuart Gordon, 2005]</p> <p>Edmond just wants an honest deal.</p> <p>He leaves his wife and sets out for a night on the town, a bit of freedom from his miserable life. Every encounter along the way seems like someone out to cheat him. Every transaction has a price, and it’s usually too high. Everyone has an angle. He just wants to explain how he feels; and he ends up with someone else’s blood on his face.</p> <p>This is a powerful film, fizzing with Mamet’s sharp, stylised dialogue. William H Macy’s wonderful performance renders the transition from the naive to the murderous both credible and very frightening. The camera constantly studies his face – finding someone in desperately need of genuine connection; someone who is raging at the injustices of life; someone who spouts vicious racism and wants to preach in church.</p> <p>Edmond is not necessarily a very likeable man, yet he becomes a sadly tragic figure.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0443496/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0443496/</a> ]</p> <p>The Roost [Ti West, 2005]</p> <p>A mildly amusing mock TV horror introduction is about the only thing of interest in this cliché ridden film. It’s a horror film that is not very frightening, just tediously long: the 80 minute running time seems like 180.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0387549/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0387549/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/14/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~958016/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-13:/2006/07/13/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~956106/mob61uk2006-07-13T12:10:06+02:002006-07-14T10:49:21+02:00 <p>Berlin Stories [Irene von Alberti / Miriam Dehne / Esther Gronenborn, 2005]</p> <p>Apparently, this consists of three ‘challenging tales’ where ‘Berlin…is the main character’. For ‘challenging’ read unimaginative and falsely profound. For ‘Berlin’ read any number of western cities.</p> <p>No, that’s a little harsh: the first story (of an acting student coming to terms with a new role – in a somewhat pretentious sounding play – and becoming lost in the city) has some interest, and has the advantage of featuring a character that has at least some depth.</p> <p>The other two stories just try too hard to make an impression – looking for meaning in histrionics and cliché.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0448130/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0448130/</a> ]</p> <p>Humphrey Jennings: Listening To Britain (Spare Time – 1939 / London We can Take It – 1940 / Words For Battle – 1941 / Listen To Britain – 1942 / A Diary For Timothy - 1945)</p> <p>The camera observes two women talking together in an empty street. A woman plays a piano and a group of men gather round to sing. Armoured vehicles move in convoy through Parliament Square. All these beautifully photographed scenes are examples of Jennings’ keen eye for the symbolic, which make these ‘poetic documentaries’ such fascinating and resonating films. Many of the scenes are clearly staged, and frequently designed to showcase a simplistic – but during those terrible war years, forgivably necessary – patriotism. But there is also a desire to show the dignity of ordinary people, and a genuine wish to celebrate the resilience of a nation stoically enduring the hardships and horrors of war.</p> <p>It is hard to watch these films without constantly making comparisons with contemporary life. In the last film shown – ‘A Diary For Timothy’ – we follow the first year of Timothy’s life, which crosses the divide between a wartime and peacetime Britain. The film questions how Timothy’s generation will deal with the many social problems that existed at the end of the war. Little Timothy represents all the post war generations, and asks us to question how our society looks in comparison with the one captured by Jennings.</p> <p>Eros [Wong Kar-Wai, Steven Soderburgh, Michaelangelo Antonioni, 2004]</p> <p>Three films by some A-list directors, all dealing with the erotic. Eroticism as a theme is one thing, but a film being erotic is another entirely. All of these three films are to some extent the former, but only one of them comes anywhere close to the latter.</p> <p>And that’s Wong Kar-Wai’s ‘The Hand’, where there are moments of muted eroticism. However, even in this film the more appropriate description is probably sensuousness; it’s a mesmerising, beautifully meditation on longing and thwarted desire. Just magical.</p> <p>The Soderbergh film is very different – clever and witty, with Robert Downey Jr and Alan Arkin on top form. </p> <p>The last of the trilogy – Antonioni’s effort – can only be described as drivel. It is of embarrassingly poor quality. It chooses to use the most nudity of the three, and is completely without any eroticism whatsoever.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0343663/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0343663/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/13/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~956106/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-11:/2006/07/11/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~950788/mob61uk2006-07-11T10:33:40+02:002006-07-14T10:49:07+02:00 <p>Magic Eye [Kujtim Cashku, 2005]</p> <p>There are some interesting ideas here about the manipulation of the image, and the relationship of the image to reality. I liked the grainy photography, the performance of the male lead (Bujar Lako), and I felt drawn into the nicely judged finale; but much of the rest of the film never really came together into a satisfying whole.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0419934/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0419934/</a> ]</p> <p>Colonel Bunker [Kujtim Cashku, 1998]</p> <p>The madness of totalitarian rule is here manifest in the lunacy of installing bunkers across the whole of Albania. The metaphor for the mentality of the regime works well, especially when conveyed by moments of surreal humour. However, the imagery and performances were sometimes a little too forced: the inner machinery of the film a too much on display.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0115923/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0115923/</a> ]</p> <p>Gypo [Jan Dunn, 2005]</p> <p>I’ve always been attracted to Dogme style films; this first UK addition to the Dogme canon does not disappoint. It helps, of course, that it has such a good cast. Pauline McLynn is a revelation, proving that she is much much more than Mrs Doyle; Paul McGann gives a bold performance as an unlikeable character; and , is a revelation as a Czech refugee girl.</p> <p>The film is structured around one story, but seen from the view point of three different characters in succession - a technique used in films such as Lawless Heart. I particularly like the way, in this film, the same scene is often significantly different when looked through the eyes of each character, so that we get a vivid insight into their perspective on events. Just watch how different the viewpoints of Helen and Paul are on their crumbling marriage.</p> <p>As well as the comically bleak, and at time brutally disturbing, disintegration of this marriage, the other big theme is introduced through the character of Tasha, the Czech refugee. The film is at pains to dispel many of the Daily Mail type myths about such people, but importantly, does so in a way that naturally emerges from the storyline.</p> <p>Shot on a miniscule budget, I think this film has more immediacy and poignancy than many a big budget feature. And the gripping finale, which is brilliantly shot, makes for a fittingly powerful and uplifting close to a good quality film.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0443526/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0443526/</a> ]</p> <p>H6: Diary of a Serial Killer [Martin Garrido Baron, 2005]</p> <p>It’s described as a ‘shocker’, and I can’t argue with that. There are extreme scenes of carnage here, photographed with voyeuristic sadism in a rich artistic style. </p> <p>There is little meaningful story, just bucketfuls of psycho-babble. And no interesting denouement to give the whole enterprise some semblance of meaning. </p> <p>No, its pretty much gratuitous violence, if that’s your thing. Not for me, though.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0455115/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0455115/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/11/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~950788/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-10:/2006/07/10/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~948032/mob61uk2006-07-10T10:16:04+02:002006-07-14T10:48:53+02:00 <p>Happy As One [Vanessa Jopp, 2006]</p> <p>Interlinked stories; loneliness in an alienating metropolis; a film developed through improvisation: all elements central to some wonderful films, but more often used as props for more pedestrian efforts. Happily, ‘Happy As One’ is an example of where these elements are used by a skilled director to produce a first-rate film.</p> <p>What really impresses is the unforced naturalness of the film, both in style and character development. Shot on DV, the camera unobtrusively observes the action, occasionally moving into well judged close-ups at key moments. The characters, brought to life by a marvellous ensemble cast, feel genuine; their stories told with a keen eye for humour and drama. </p> <p>I have not heard of the director Vanessa Jopp before, but on the evidence of ‘Happy As One’ I shall definitely looking out for any other films she’s made.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0452633/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0452633/</a> ]</p> <p>In Search of Mozart [Phil Grabsky, 2006]</p> <p>It’s a shame that a documentary such as this was screened with such poor audio quality. And on top of that, the picture tended to flicker intermittently. Yet, despite these handicaps, the documentary still managed to interest, educate, move, and inspire.</p> <p>Of course it had the enormous advantage of the sublime music of its subject – just so much brilliance. Even the excerpt played from a piece Mozart composed at the age of 5 years contained a lovely little harmonic deviation which even a mature composer would have been pleased with. The film showed how Mozart’s musical ability was almost beyond comprehension – a body of work that can only be understood as the outpouring of a true genius. </p> <p>The film also, however, took time to explain why the music was so special. We saw how Mozart challenged musical orthodoxy with fresh and sometimes audaciously brilliant ideas. And we saw the sheer hard work that went into his compositions. </p> <p>Equally as important, the documentary placed his output in historical context. It was fascinating to see how almost every piece was produced to order, its basic structure and purpose dictated by the commissioning patron. Mozart had the depth of technique to be able to turn his hand to any format and style, and the genius to imbue his compositions with musical ideas that were both beautiful and profound.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0498355/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0498355/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/10/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~948032/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-09:/2006/07/09/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~945538/mob61uk2006-07-09T11:36:45+02:002006-07-14T10:48:37+02:00 <p>Silentium [Wolfgang Murnberger, 2004]</p> <p>A cheerfully irreverent comedy thriller. Along with the expected plot twists and chases, there are some nice surreal moments, and some good pastiches of other films (the North by Northwest sequence being my favourite). There are also some well-judged shifts into more seriously dark territory. Some of the humour doesn’t quite come off, but on the whole it’s an enjoyably witty film.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0386038/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0386038/</a> ]</p> <p>Angel-A [Luc Besson, 2005]</p> <p>This modern transposition of ‘What A Wonderful Life’ and ‘Wings of Desire’ to Paris turns out to be a charming but slightly unsatisfactory film.</p> <p>The film features a beautifully photographed black and white Paris, and an engaging soundtrack by Anja Garbarek (which includes Jan Garbarek’s haunting tenor saxophone sound). The stunning setting provides the perfect backdrop to the romance element, but also an effective one for the comically violent scenes.</p> <p>What really sustains the film, though, is the wonderful central performance by Jamel Debbouze. He combines a faultless sense of comic timing with an ability to bring real sincerity to the central theme of the film (the gradual realisation of his own worth and the acknowledgement of the feminine side of his nature). Even when, in the final stages, the film becomes a little too sentimental and neatly formulated, his performance sustains some semblance of credibility.</p> <p>Although I remain unconvinced about the ending, and other elements of the film, it is still on the whole very enjoyable.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/</a> ]</p> <p>Three Times [Hou Hsiao-Hsien, 2005]</p> <p>This has been the most ‘difficult’ film I’ve seen at the festival so far, but many of its scenes have stubbornly embedded themselves in my mind. </p> <p>‘Three Times’ is a triptych of short stories that unfolds in a meditative and often elliptical style, where narrative and character hesitantly reveal themselves by some process of osmosis rather than overt plotting. The central relationship in each story is played by the same actors, and therefore comparisons between the stories are actively encouraged. With each film set in a separate era (1966, 1911, and 2005 respectively) the different natures of the relationships is fascinating: the surprising innocence of the 1960s couple - with the first holding of hands, beautifully observed in close up, becoming a highly charged moment; the strange formality of the 1911 relationship; and the apparent freedoms of the modern relationship, where real emotional connections are problematic.</p> <p>The first 1960s story is the most readily accessible and, for me, the most affecting. Beautifully shot, the story is told through looks and glances as much as through the sparse dialogue. The middle story I found the most puzzling, perhaps partly through my lack of knowledge of the historical context, though the silent film style made for a fascinating paradoxical effect of both distancing the action, but also bringing closer concentration on gestures and looks. The abrupt jump into a noisy discordant modern setting heralds a finale where the freedom of youth is fragile; physically intimate but emotionally cold and confusing; a need for love without the language to express or communicate it.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0459666/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0459666/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/09/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~945538/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-08:/2006/07/08/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~944683/mob61uk2006-07-08T22:58:06+02:002006-07-14T10:48:20+02:00 <p>Be With Me [Eric Khoo, 2005]</p> <p>As carefully crafted as a sonnet. Each shot beautifully photographed and precisely framed. The scenes modulating though mostly minor keys – like the sparse piano soundtrack, with the same tendency to mild sentimentality, but with melodies which are never sickly sweet and which make tentative shifts into a major key.</p> <p>A delightful study of love.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0463903/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0463903/</a> ]</p> <p>The Death of Mr. Lazarescu [Cristi Puiu, 2005]</p> <p>We obviously know the fate of Mr L. Perhaps that is why we feel an immediate sympathy for him. Perhaps it is because of the way that those around him judge him so quickly, automatically assuming his symptoms of illness are merely his own fault - resulting from his heavy drinking.</p> <p>It is a long, slow journey that Mr L travels during this film. Along the way he is subjected to the casual – and not so casual – cruelties of those there to help him. He is prodded, repeatedly questioned (with the same questions), diagnosed and misdiagnosed.<br> There are also those that are kind and sympathetic; those simply distracted by more urgent seeming cases; those squabbling amongst themselves; and those distracted by mild flirtations or the need for a mobile phone charger.</p> <p>Shot mainly in hand-held long takes, this journey has – along the way – some dark, observational humour which never trivialises the sadness of Mr L's long farewell. It elicits a kind of guilty laughter, but one which helps us to understand that this grim<br> journey has its rewards for the viewer: Mr L may gradually loses his grip on life, become more and more stripped down to an object, but in our eyes we more and more see the humanity of the character, and the privilege we have in sharing his last hours. It reminds us of all the other Mr L's out there who are so easily mis-judged and<br> undervalued.</p> <p>Perhaps this is an exacting film to watch – but one that is well worth sticking with.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0337573/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0337573/</a> ]</p> <p>Antibodies [Christian Alvart, 2005]</p> <p>An interesting film which never quite emerges from out of the shadow of its main influences, such as Silence of the Lambs and Seven. The creepy atmosphere is well handled, but the biblical references in the finale are overplayed.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0337573/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0337573/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/08/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~944683/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-07-08:/2006/07/08/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~944673/mob61uk2006-07-08T22:54:04+02:002006-07-14T10:48:06+02:00 <p>A great start to the festival with two fantastic films:-</p> <p>Mon Ange (My Angel) [Serge Frydman, 2004]</p> <p>A strange fable with good-hearted prostitutes, violent pimps and abandoned sons; something that you would expect to be rich in clichés and shoddy characterisations. But this film confounds expectations and turns out to be a real gem.</p> <p>Directed with assurance by Serge Frydman, it features astonishing performances by Vanessa Paradis and Vincent Rottiers, in a film which is full of surprises. A frantic sequence will suddenly switch into a moment of tremendous stillness. Visually astute and<br> perfectly paced, the film takes a mixture of genres and somehow brings them together in a credible and satisfying whole.</p> <p>It's a fable where the narrative, though not to be taken too literally, provides an intriguing framework for the characters' journeys. That these characters are so well drawn is testament to the underlying seriousness of the piece. The central relationship<br> which develops between the leads is heartbreaking in its mutual yearning for love and companionship, yet disturbing in its incestuous implications.</p> <p>The music is supplied by the great Tom Waits, and is – of course - terrific. There is a particularly effective sequence underscored by Waits' ballad `On The Nickel'. I notice that British arranger Colin Towns orchestrates most of Waits' tunes, and that the musicians playing including some of the cream of the British jazz scene – such<br> as pianist Huw Warren.</p> <p>A highly recommended film.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0385548/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0385548/</a> ]</p> <p>Volver [Pedro Almodovar, 2006]</p> <p>You simply have to watch in awe as this master filmmaker shows just how good he is: this is Almodovar at his very best.</p> <p>The plot might on the surface look like a television soap of the most sensational kind, but he transforms it into something magical, warm, witty, and deeply moving. With naturalness and ease the story at one moment is brightly coloured comedy; the next it pitches into Hitchcock-like gruesomeness (complete with all the horrific little<br> details); then it effortlessly transforms into moments of overwhelming poignancy. The whole is beautifully supported by the superbly crafted score of long-time Almodovar collaborator Alberto Iglesias (Almodovar's equivalent to Hitchcock's Bernard Herrmann,<br> and for my money one of the best composers for cinema around).</p> <p>As so often with Almodovar, women are at the heart of the film: strong yet vulnerable, naturally funny, a self-supporting community of characters drawn with empathy and understanding. And what actresses to play the leads! Penelope Cruz (giving one of her best performances), Lola Duenas, Yohana Cobo, and a welcome return to the Almodovar fold of the wonderful Carmen Maura.</p> <p>Their story is one of facing up to a dark past, of coming to terms with the abuse suffered at the hands of men. Above all, it is a touching story of mothers and daughters on a journey to rediscover love.</p> <p>The film is simply wonderful and should not be missed.</p> <p>[IMDB link: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0441909/">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0441909/</a> ] </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/07/08/cambridge_film_festival_2006_day~944673/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-06-30:/2006/06/30/thank_you_for_smoking_jason_reitman~923553/mob61uk2006-06-30T15:59:42+02:002006-06-30T15:59:42+02:00 <p>A satisfying and enjoyable meal of deep cynicism and bad taste. Nick Naylor (played to perfection by Aaron Eckhart) is a champion of the moral underdog - a spin doctor for undesirables. And he's damn good at it. Just what the market (and in particular the cigarette industry) ordered. </p> <p>It's good to see that - apart from a few moments where sentimentality threatens to rears its ugly head - the film doesn't try to tone down this rather brutal depiction of corporate manipulation, and personal pride in the downright distasteful. Even the ending is gratifyingly cynical.</p> <p>With a razor sharp script and carefully controlled direction, this is a film which manages to be clever and uncomfortably funny. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/06/30/thank_you_for_smoking_jason_reitman~923553/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-05-14:/2006/05/14/capote_bennett_miller~799725/mob61uk2006-05-14T21:02:41+02:002006-05-14T21:03:06+02:00 <p>Capote tells one character in this film that people tend to make assumptions about him - perhaps based on his distinctive dress, his strange high-pitched voice, and his flamboyant manner. He says they are almost always wrong. </p> <p>The camera spends much of the film scrutinising Capote, trying to comprehend him. The audience too is faced with its own assumptions, and having these periodically undercut. The strength of this cinematic portrait is that it never comes to a definitive conclusion. Indeed, how could it, when Capote himself never fully seems to reconcile the different facets of his personality: the overwhelming egotism; the fascination with others; his ability to believe his own fabrications; the kindnesses; the callous self-absorption?</p> <p>Cinema is often said to be the lesser art to literature, because it cannot explicitly explore the internal machinery of the personality. I think Capote is an example of how this so-called weakness is in fact a strength. At its best, cinema can observe and contextualise, and then leave the viewer to actively engage and come to their own conclusions. Above all, it must obligate the viewer to connect emotionally. The viewer cannot fail to be intrigued by the contradictions in Capote; to perhaps understand and be repelled by the narcissistic tendencies that underpin much of his character and much of humanity; and to find a rich truth in the ambiguities. </p> <p>Solutions do not always enlighten. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/05/14/capote_bennett_miller~799725/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:mob-61uk.blog.co.uk,2006-04-30:/2006/04/30/familia_rodante_pablo_trapero~767229/mob61uk2006-04-30T22:07:06+02:002006-04-30T22:07:06+02:00 <p>Absolutely fantastic.</p> <p>84 year old Emilia and her extended familty go on the road to attend a wedding. Most of the film is spent on the road, and much of it confined to the family's old ramshackle camper van. This doesn't, perhaps, sound like one of the most promising story lines, but Trapero uses it as a means of closely observing the interactions of the family members, so that we get a richly textured, witty and deeply felt portrait of this motley assembly of characters. The handling of the individual stories is brilliant, with the switching between characters feeling completely natural, while clarity is maintained throughout.</p> <p>Warm, funny and just superb!</p> <p>Info: <a href="http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0359254/combined">http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0359254/combined</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mob-61uk.blog.co.uk/2006/04/30/familia_rodante_pablo_trapero~767229/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>