With my final night of Cannes coming to a close, here are my thoughts on the nine short films presented this afternoon at the Bruñel, as promised.
Each short was fifteen minutes or less, screened one after another, with anywhere from 10-30 seconds between each one in which the house lights were briefly raised. For ease, I will place them here in the order of my most favorite to my least favorite.
But before I do, some overall thoughts. The nine shorts came from all around the world, presenting a combination of genres, techniques, and personalities. However, what I did notice is that many of the films dealt with loss. In three instances, the loss of a parent, whether through divorce or death. Maybe I'm just a sucker, but I was hoping for a few more optimistic pieces, with maybe a love story or just some laughter. There were comedic parts here and there, but honestly, only one out of the bunch really made me joyfully laugh and at the end, smile. And that was my favorite:
1) The Six Dollar Fifty Man - Out of New Zealand comes the story of eight-year old Andy and his belief that he is a superhero. Real life bullies attempt to scare him out of his make-believe world, but in the end, the viewer is treated to nourishment rather than punishment as sometimes the world isn't nearly as dark as it seems. A real joy that covers a wide range of emotions and fantastic acting from young Oscar Vandy-Connor.
2) L'Homme À La Gordini (The Man in the Blue Gordini) - The only animation in the shorts festival, this piece from France really showcases just where animation can take us when sometimes live action cannot. In this case, an imaginary suburb in which the norm is for everyone to wear only the color orange, and get this, only wear shirts (no pants.) So the animation is more than happy to show off the lower half of all subjects in an attempt to make it seem even more absurd when a masked hero appears to start giving out BLUE PANTS, bringing about rebellion and revolution!
3) Rumbo A Peor (Worstward Ho) - From Barcelona comes this short film without any dialogue. Would it have benefitted with some? No, I don't think so. The story is simple enough. Two men outfitted in football-tricot travel awkwardly together through what seems like a swamp. They act like two nervous animals, who then come upon a beautiful woman at a crossroads. At first, they are shy, but soon, they warm up to her and insist that she join them. It's simple, sweet, and although I admit that I don't entirely understand it, I think it's worth seeing. It feels like the setup to a really good joke, but without the punchline. Maybe LIFE is the punchline. Huh.
4) Missen (Missing) - Out of the Netherlands comes the story of a mother and her 7-year old daugther. From the opening shot, we can see that the daughter is the true caretaker in this relationship, although on this day, her mother insists that she take her to school. What follows is a heartwarming look at a single parent relationship, strongly expressed through the intimacy of the camera work. What I liked about this film is that it didn't try to be more than what it was, and I can appreciate that.
5) After Tomorrow - The only psychological suspense piece of the festival builds the tension well, starting off with the main character seemingly trapped, screaming "Help me!" Although most will mention the "twist" ending, I thought it was touching and worked well whether or not you can see it coming (which I did not.) Produced by Wilder Films in London, the film is the story of James, a man who has returned to the village to see his estranged wife, but finds himself locked in by the sinister owner of the house he's staying at.
6) Klussums (Silence) - From Latvia comes the most experimental film of the bunch, loosely telling the story of why there should be silence in a museum. The opening shot is incredible, featuring a woman as she walks away from the camera up a suburban street, somehow setting off car alarm after car alarm as she continues to do nothing more than step one foot in front of the other. The continuous one shot cranes up, capturing the whole mess as people exit from their homes and apartments to see what is what. The rest of the film doesn't quite live up to this image for me, but does have some fine sound design.
7) Arena - A moment in the life of Mauro, a man under house arrest who tattooes from his apartment for money. When he is confronted by a group of kids who look to rob him, he is forced to either find retribution by becoming that which is he trying to escape, or rather, by putting himself above it all. Paced strangely, the point of this film isn't so much the details, but the choices we all make. Didn't really do it for me.
8) Lars og Peter (Lars and Peter) - There wasn't a whole lot of subtley to this film from Denmark, really looking to establish and then break down the innocent 9-year-old Lars. He looks to bring his family together, but the loss of his mother drives his father to drinking and violence, while his brother, Peter, shows no real signs of life. Both boys begin imitating their father, and in the end, no one is happy. Especially me.
9) Ciao Mama - As much as I'd like to say that I find something redeeming in this Croation film about a daughter who attempts everything she can think of to keep her mother from abandoning her, I really can't. Again, this feels like a short that wanted to be so much more, and thus the action and dialogue seem forced. I don't like any of the characters, and the cinema verité camera work that is meant to illicit a more lifelike response from the audience only drives you mad when you can't see what's actually going on in the frame.
And that about does it! I don't know if anyone here will ever actually see any of these shorts, but the first two are definitely worth your time, with the next few worth seeing if you find them to be somewhat up your alley.
Although I'm leaving first thing in the morning, I wish I could somehow see the reprise of "Inglorious Bastards" at 9AM, but it looks like I may have to wait until August like everyone else. Thanks for reading.
Showing posts with label Cannes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cannes. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2009
My Trip to the Grand Lumière
The day started early for me this morning, at roughly 4AM, or at least, that's what it must have felt like to my body, which still has an internal clock set to the East Coast of the United States. That being said, I've done pretty well thus far with handling this time difference. (Speaking of which, next time I come to Europe without a working cell phone, be sure to get a WRIST WATCH.)
Today brought two exciting screenings. The first was my triumphant march up the red carpet into the Grand Lumière to see Isabel Coixet's film "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo." The second was a full screening of the nine selected shorts in competition this year. Very enlightening to a filmmaker who specializes in shorts (thus far.)
The Grand Lumiere is massive. With 2300 seats, it's easily the largest stage of the festival, and for good reason. This is where the Premieres take place, so don't be surprised to see actors, directors, producers, and other celebrities show up to walk the red carpet. So there I was bumping elbows with the true movie making elite!
Well, maybe not.
Did I happen to mention my screening was at noon? For the early screenings at the Lumière, men aren't even required to wear tuxes. So, in a black jacket, tie, and slacks, I presented myself as more dressed up than most there. I might have even felt a little overdressed.
But I digress.
My invitation put me in the balcony, but that was fine as the screen is quite large. The film featured the story of Ryu, a fragile woman who works nights in the Tokyo fishmarket when not taking jobs as a hit-woman. She falls in love with a man by the name of David, who happens to be her next target. David's love in life, Midori, has recently committed suicide, and her father blames David for her death. For this, her father wants to see David dead.
Another layer is added in the form of a narrator. The entire story is narrated from the perspective of a sound engineer Ryu meets and befriends before she is contracted to kill David. He tells the tale, which only happens to be as much as Ryu allowed him to know. The audience is privy to both his side of the story and the way it actually happened, making it a strange structure to choose as I'm not entirely sure it really enriched it or not.
I don't believe my knowledge of Japanese cinema is well-versed enough to truly tackle this film, so I'll rely on my gut instincts. The film seems to be concentrate on two major issues: 1) the role of women in Japanese society, and 2) what is and is not permitted in Japanese culture.
(Again, I will try to keep this a spoiler free review, but keep in mind that some things are more or less already known going into this film.)
The two major female characters in the film, Ryu and Midori, are miserable in their lives. Midori's suicide is never truly explained, though her father, Mr. Nagaro, blames her lover. It is also known that Mr. Nagaro's business employee, Ishida, may be to blame, as he also secretly loved Midori and she knew it. Midori's only answer to all of this seemed to be to kill herself. Ryu, on the other hand, is a killer who faces those she's killed everyday. With bouts of insomnia, she can't force the spirits from her mind, and cleans their gravestones (literally) every Sunday. For some reason, she sees herself only as an instrument, a weapon, not allowing herself the luxury of love, friendship, or true happiness.
At least, not until she meets David.
With this new relationship, Ryu discovers things about her that she has seemingly never known before. Throughout a number of sexual sequences that take place in a seedy hotel made up of pleasure rooms, we see Ryu wake up out of her state of despair as she and David share experiences that some would probably not be so comfortable watching. Personally, I had no problem with it, but there were a number of gasps from the audience during these scenes.
It is through these two contrasting female characters that we develop an understanding of what the director is hoping to achieve, all the while taking on Japanese stereotypes. For example, Mr Nagara, an aging Japanese business man, grows very emotional about the death of his daughter as the film progresses, instead of remaining stoic, which is generally more acceptable in the society.
Overall, the film wasn't my favorite, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy the pacing and the editing. I had hoped that we would have been treated to more audio treats (with the film being narrated by a sound engineer), but sadly, we learn more about wines and less about audio throughout the telling (David is a wine seller.) I do commend Rinko Kikuchi's portrayal of Ryu, but Sergi Lopez (David) never drew my compassion, which sadly makes him a somewhat unlikeable character though I do believe we're meant to feel for him.
Phew! I wrote a lot more on that than I thought I would. Chew on that for a while and I'll prep my thoughts on the nine short films in my next blog coming later tonight!
Today brought two exciting screenings. The first was my triumphant march up the red carpet into the Grand Lumière to see Isabel Coixet's film "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo." The second was a full screening of the nine selected shorts in competition this year. Very enlightening to a filmmaker who specializes in shorts (thus far.)
The Grand Lumiere is massive. With 2300 seats, it's easily the largest stage of the festival, and for good reason. This is where the Premieres take place, so don't be surprised to see actors, directors, producers, and other celebrities show up to walk the red carpet. So there I was bumping elbows with the true movie making elite!
Well, maybe not.
Did I happen to mention my screening was at noon? For the early screenings at the Lumière, men aren't even required to wear tuxes. So, in a black jacket, tie, and slacks, I presented myself as more dressed up than most there. I might have even felt a little overdressed.
But I digress.
My invitation put me in the balcony, but that was fine as the screen is quite large. The film featured the story of Ryu, a fragile woman who works nights in the Tokyo fishmarket when not taking jobs as a hit-woman. She falls in love with a man by the name of David, who happens to be her next target. David's love in life, Midori, has recently committed suicide, and her father blames David for her death. For this, her father wants to see David dead.
Another layer is added in the form of a narrator. The entire story is narrated from the perspective of a sound engineer Ryu meets and befriends before she is contracted to kill David. He tells the tale, which only happens to be as much as Ryu allowed him to know. The audience is privy to both his side of the story and the way it actually happened, making it a strange structure to choose as I'm not entirely sure it really enriched it or not.
I don't believe my knowledge of Japanese cinema is well-versed enough to truly tackle this film, so I'll rely on my gut instincts. The film seems to be concentrate on two major issues: 1) the role of women in Japanese society, and 2) what is and is not permitted in Japanese culture.
(Again, I will try to keep this a spoiler free review, but keep in mind that some things are more or less already known going into this film.)
The two major female characters in the film, Ryu and Midori, are miserable in their lives. Midori's suicide is never truly explained, though her father, Mr. Nagaro, blames her lover. It is also known that Mr. Nagaro's business employee, Ishida, may be to blame, as he also secretly loved Midori and she knew it. Midori's only answer to all of this seemed to be to kill herself. Ryu, on the other hand, is a killer who faces those she's killed everyday. With bouts of insomnia, she can't force the spirits from her mind, and cleans their gravestones (literally) every Sunday. For some reason, she sees herself only as an instrument, a weapon, not allowing herself the luxury of love, friendship, or true happiness.
At least, not until she meets David.
With this new relationship, Ryu discovers things about her that she has seemingly never known before. Throughout a number of sexual sequences that take place in a seedy hotel made up of pleasure rooms, we see Ryu wake up out of her state of despair as she and David share experiences that some would probably not be so comfortable watching. Personally, I had no problem with it, but there were a number of gasps from the audience during these scenes.
It is through these two contrasting female characters that we develop an understanding of what the director is hoping to achieve, all the while taking on Japanese stereotypes. For example, Mr Nagara, an aging Japanese business man, grows very emotional about the death of his daughter as the film progresses, instead of remaining stoic, which is generally more acceptable in the society.
Overall, the film wasn't my favorite, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy the pacing and the editing. I had hoped that we would have been treated to more audio treats (with the film being narrated by a sound engineer), but sadly, we learn more about wines and less about audio throughout the telling (David is a wine seller.) I do commend Rinko Kikuchi's portrayal of Ryu, but Sergi Lopez (David) never drew my compassion, which sadly makes him a somewhat unlikeable character though I do believe we're meant to feel for him.
Phew! I wrote a lot more on that than I thought I would. Chew on that for a while and I'll prep my thoughts on the nine short films in my next blog coming later tonight!
Friday, May 22, 2009
At the Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival is unlike Sundance in SO many ways. And since that's the only other major festival I have to compare it to, I naturally do so in my attempts to synthesize and absorb that which is all around me.
First and foremost, Cannes is HUGE. Not to say that Sundance is small, but there's no doubt that this entire city is alight with the love and passion of filmmaking, including the marina, the clubs, the bars, the restaurants, the theatres, and so much more. Second is the most obvious: the weather. It's been between 70 and 75 here for the most part, which is pretty comfy when you think about the ski weather of the January-based Park City festivals. And thirdly, there's no doubt that this festival is much more international. During my brief stay here thus far, I have easily heard over, from what I can tell, fifteen different languages spoken in my vincinity. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced. Luckily, most of the city speaks English as a second language, which helps my poor French skills. (Although I took five years of French in high school, I maybe remember only 10% of it overall.)
The festival this year represents some really great work from around the world, with notable films including "Inglorious Bastards" (directed by Quentin Tarantino), "Up" (directed by Pete Doctor), "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (directed by Terry Gilliam), and of course, the highly anticipated "Drag Me to Hell" (directed by Sam Raimi.)
Now, one of the crappy things about coming in for only the last weekend of the festival is that you miss out on many films you may never see otherwise. I missed seeing Michael Haneke's newest feature "The White Ribbon" (by only three people!), Chan-Wook Park's venture into horror, "Bak-Jwi" (translated as "Thirst"), and Lars Von Trier's newest controversal film, "Antichrist." This being the case, I decided that when tonight presented me the opportunity to see "Drag Me to Hell" on the big screen, I would NOT pass it up. So, I waited in line for two hours, and afterwards, the only words I could think were:
Best. Decision. Ever.
(What follows is a spolier-free review, so rest assured that each and every scare will be as fresh for you as it was for me.)
For a PG-13 film, I am amazed with how much Raimi gets away with. There's no nudity and very little foul language, but the scares and the gore are both there to be feasted upon. The movie is relentless, with Raimi echoing back to his "Evil Dead" days, making sure each scare is bigger and bolder than the one before. Throw in the fact that the speakers in the Salle du 60 (where I saw the film) literally MOVED my seat (I sat in the very front row) because they were SO loud, it was an experience NOT to be missed.
So is this the rebirth of horror? No. This film isn't trying to be the next big thing. Sam Raimi knows his roots and doesn't deviate too far from the tree. So what he tries to do throughout the film (and succeeds) is show you things you've never seen before in a horror film, each time, making you go, "Oh God! Really?!" Alison Lohman does a solid job as Christine Brown, though doesn't really get to show off her skills as a horror screen actor until the final act. Justin Long is also good in the film as Christine's boyfriend, but isn't really given much to work with.
My only criticisms would be 1) there are three times in which CG is used in the film and I found it pretty distracting, especially when there are other times in the film when practicals are used and look great (or if they are CG, they are really REALLY well done), and 2) the dialogue is a little weak at times. Now, I realize that dialogue isn't exactly the Raimis' strong point, but there are times when things feel a little forced as exposition. Do these two distract from the experience? Honestly, no, but these are simply issues that could have made for an even stronger entry into the horror category.
So go see it next Friday, May 29th, and show Raimi and movie producers that good horror films deserve a spot during the summer blockbuster season! Seriously, go now and buy your tickets in advance. I'll wait.
The only other film I got to see today in its entirity is "A Town Called Panic," a belgium stop-motion animation feature based on a successful cult animated series of the same name. I'll spend more time on that another day, however, as I've got to get some sleep. I have a noon-time screening tomorrow at the Grand Lumiere (RED CARPET) of "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo" (directed by Isabel Coixet.) They generally want you to wear tuxes, but since I left mine at the cleaners, I'll go with the next best thing. And if that still doesn't work, I'll beat up a guy and take his.
Bon soir everyone! Stay tuned for photos, more reviews, and my contuing misadventures in France.
First and foremost, Cannes is HUGE. Not to say that Sundance is small, but there's no doubt that this entire city is alight with the love and passion of filmmaking, including the marina, the clubs, the bars, the restaurants, the theatres, and so much more. Second is the most obvious: the weather. It's been between 70 and 75 here for the most part, which is pretty comfy when you think about the ski weather of the January-based Park City festivals. And thirdly, there's no doubt that this festival is much more international. During my brief stay here thus far, I have easily heard over, from what I can tell, fifteen different languages spoken in my vincinity. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced. Luckily, most of the city speaks English as a second language, which helps my poor French skills. (Although I took five years of French in high school, I maybe remember only 10% of it overall.)
The festival this year represents some really great work from around the world, with notable films including "Inglorious Bastards" (directed by Quentin Tarantino), "Up" (directed by Pete Doctor), "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (directed by Terry Gilliam), and of course, the highly anticipated "Drag Me to Hell" (directed by Sam Raimi.)
Now, one of the crappy things about coming in for only the last weekend of the festival is that you miss out on many films you may never see otherwise. I missed seeing Michael Haneke's newest feature "The White Ribbon" (by only three people!), Chan-Wook Park's venture into horror, "Bak-Jwi" (translated as "Thirst"), and Lars Von Trier's newest controversal film, "Antichrist." This being the case, I decided that when tonight presented me the opportunity to see "Drag Me to Hell" on the big screen, I would NOT pass it up. So, I waited in line for two hours, and afterwards, the only words I could think were:
Best. Decision. Ever.
(What follows is a spolier-free review, so rest assured that each and every scare will be as fresh for you as it was for me.)
For a PG-13 film, I am amazed with how much Raimi gets away with. There's no nudity and very little foul language, but the scares and the gore are both there to be feasted upon. The movie is relentless, with Raimi echoing back to his "Evil Dead" days, making sure each scare is bigger and bolder than the one before. Throw in the fact that the speakers in the Salle du 60 (where I saw the film) literally MOVED my seat (I sat in the very front row) because they were SO loud, it was an experience NOT to be missed.
So is this the rebirth of horror? No. This film isn't trying to be the next big thing. Sam Raimi knows his roots and doesn't deviate too far from the tree. So what he tries to do throughout the film (and succeeds) is show you things you've never seen before in a horror film, each time, making you go, "Oh God! Really?!" Alison Lohman does a solid job as Christine Brown, though doesn't really get to show off her skills as a horror screen actor until the final act. Justin Long is also good in the film as Christine's boyfriend, but isn't really given much to work with.
My only criticisms would be 1) there are three times in which CG is used in the film and I found it pretty distracting, especially when there are other times in the film when practicals are used and look great (or if they are CG, they are really REALLY well done), and 2) the dialogue is a little weak at times. Now, I realize that dialogue isn't exactly the Raimis' strong point, but there are times when things feel a little forced as exposition. Do these two distract from the experience? Honestly, no, but these are simply issues that could have made for an even stronger entry into the horror category.
So go see it next Friday, May 29th, and show Raimi and movie producers that good horror films deserve a spot during the summer blockbuster season! Seriously, go now and buy your tickets in advance. I'll wait.
The only other film I got to see today in its entirity is "A Town Called Panic," a belgium stop-motion animation feature based on a successful cult animated series of the same name. I'll spend more time on that another day, however, as I've got to get some sleep. I have a noon-time screening tomorrow at the Grand Lumiere (RED CARPET) of "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo" (directed by Isabel Coixet.) They generally want you to wear tuxes, but since I left mine at the cleaners, I'll go with the next best thing. And if that still doesn't work, I'll beat up a guy and take his.
Bon soir everyone! Stay tuned for photos, more reviews, and my contuing misadventures in France.
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