November 20th, 2009
Colin Firth stars as “A Single Man” in Tom Ford’s first film which opens next month. The cast includes Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult.
Bill Nighy reveals to Patrick Barkham of The Guardian that “I am not suddenly the greatest actor in the world.”
Willem Dafoe, Chloë Sevigny, Brad Dourif and Michael Shannon appear in Werner Herzog’s “My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done.” Inspired by a true crime event, the film reaches theaters in North America beginning next month.
Min Lee of The Associate Press writes about Lou Ye and his latest film, “Spring Fever” as “Banned director brings romance film to Hong Kong.” Strand Releasing will present the film in the United States.
One Film Wonder: The exceedingly influential French director Jean Vigo had a brief film career totaling only four projects. He directed his first short film, “À propos de Nice” at the age of 25 in 1930. The following year he shot an experimental film recording the movements of French swimming sensation Jean Taris in the water. In 1933, he made “Zero for Conduct,” a 41-minute boarding school drama. The next year, he released his only feature-length film, “L’Atalante,” the cinematically important tale of a jealous canal barge captain and his new bride. (The film’s cinematographer was Boris Kaufman, who twenty years later would begin a Hollywood career which included filming “On the Waterfront,” “12 Angry Men,” and “The Pawnbroker.”) In October 1934, a month after the release of “L’Atalante,” Vigo died, aged 29, of complications from tuberculosis. Both France and Spain bestow annual directing awards in his name. In France, the Prix Jean Vigo has been given to directors such as Alain Resnais, Jean-Luc Godard and Olivier Assayas.
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged 12 Angry Men, À propos de Nice, A Single Man, Alain Resnais, Bill Nighy, Boris Kaufman, Brad Dourif, Chloë Sevigny, Colin Firth, Jean Vigo, Jean-Luc Godard, Julianne Moore, L'Atalante, Lou Ye, Matthew Goode, Michael Shannon, Min Lee, My Son My Son What Have Ye Done, Nicholas Hoult, Olivier Assayas, On the Waterfront, One Film Wonder, Patrick Barkham, Spring Fever, Strand Releasing, The Associated Press, The Guardian, The Pawnbroker, Tom Ford, Werner Herzog, Willem Dafoe, Zero for Conduct |
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October 9th, 2009
The majestic and too-often ill-fated filmmaker Terry Gilliam presents “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” at the end of the year.
In his discussion of Jon Blair’s’ Brazilian documentary “Dancing with the Devil,” Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian sees “Olympian dreams and favela realities collide in Rio de Janeiro.”
Michael Kimmelman of The New York Times details how “A New Film Focuses France on the ‘Disgrace’ of Its Overcrowded Prisons.” Directed by Jacques Audiard, “A Prophet” arrives in North America in December.
Sebastian Gutierrez, whose “Women in Trouble” starring Carla Gugino and Joseph Gordon-Levitt opens in November, recently shared his “Top Five Films” with Film School Rejects, noting, “These Are My Top 5 Today. Ask me tomorrow, and the list would surely have Blue Velvet, Buñuel and something with Marcello Mastroianni in it.”
One Film Wonder: Eva Le Gallienne was an esteemed theater director, producer and actress, first appearing on the London stage in 1914 and lastly on Broadway in 1981. In between, she founded the Civic Repertory Theatre in the 1920s and the American Repertory Theater in the 1940sr .She appeared in only three films, including “Prince of Players” in 1955 and “The Devil’s Disciple” in 1959. For her third, “Resurrection,” which co-starred Ellen Burstyn, Sam Shepard and Richard Farnsworth, she was nominated in the spring of 1981 for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Grandma Pearl. At the time, Le Gallienne was the oldest nominee in Oscar history.
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged A Prophet, Carla Gugino, Dancing with the Devil, Ellen Burstyn, Eva Le Gallienne, Film School Rejects, Jacques Audiard, Jon Blair, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Kimmelman, One Film Wonder, Peter Bradshaw, Prince of Players, Richard Farnsworth, Sam Shepard, Sebastian Gutierrez, Terry Gilliam, The Devil's Disciple, The Guardian, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The New York Times, Women in Trouble |
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September 18th, 2009
Adam Scott and Joel Bissonnette portray reunited brothers in the day-in-the-life road movie “Passenger Side,” directed by Matt Bissonnette (”Looking for Leonard”), and debuting currently at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Amreeka” director Cherien Dabis chats to Michael Archer of Guernica about “her feel-good (sort of) movie, Palestinians in the Windy City, and how personal experiences can trump political arguments.” “Amreeka,” which stars Nisreen Faour and Melkar Muallem as a mother and teenage son who move from the West Bank to rural Illinois, will continue to open in wider release throughout North America in September and October.
For “Rage,” an intimate glimpse into the fashion world, filmmaker Sally Potter (“Orlando”) assembled a superlative cast, including Steve Buscemi, Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard, David Oyelowo, and Dianne Wiest. But special awe must be bestowed on the stunning, almost unrecognizable Jude Law. Described as “the world’s first multi-venue interactive premiere,” the film debuts later this month, even on phones.
In a wonderful, wide-ranging interview with Kira Cochrane of The Guardian, Judi Dench says she was drawn to “Rage” because “I like to do something that’s not expected, or predictable. I had to learn to smoke a joint, and I set my trousers alight.”
One Film Wonder: Born in Paris in 1942, Claudine Longet moved to Las Vegas in 1960 as the lead dancer in the Folies Bergère revue. Married to singer Andy Williams from 1961 to 1975, she made intermittent guest appearances on American television shows until she was cast as Michelle Monet, the sweet Hollywood newcomer who befriends Peter Sellers’ smitten Hrundi Bakshi in Blake Edwards’ 1968 romp, “The Party.” Later the same year, she had a role in a film titled “Massacre Harbor,” before returning to television parts in shows such as “Love, American Style” and “The Streets of San Francisco.” She also enjoyed a modestly chart-successful singing career during the late 60s. Her final appearance was in the 1975 made-for-TV movie “The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond,” as Marie Antoinette.
On March 21, 1976, Longet shot and killed her boyfriend, former U.S. Olympic ski racer Vladimir “Spider” Sabich, in Aspen, Colorado. Charged with reckless manslaughter, she was convicted of a lesser offense, misdemeanor criminal negligence, and served 30 days in jail. Longet would later marry her defense attorney.
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged Adam Scott, Amreeka, Andy Williams, Blake Edwards, Cherien Dabis, Claudine Longet, David Oyelowo, Dianne Wiest, Eddie Izzard, Guernica, Joel Bissonnette, Jude Law, Judi Dench, Kira Cochrane, Looking for Leonard, Love American Style, Massacre Harbor, Matt Bissonnette, Melkar Muallem, Michael Archer, Nisreen Faour, One Film Wonder, Orlando, Passenger Side, Peter Sellers, Rage, Sally Potter, Steve Buscemi, The Guardian, The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond, The Party, The Streets of San Francisco, Toronto International Film Festival |
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July 31st, 2009
With “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans,” can Werner Herzog resurrect the legitimate film career of Nicolas Cage, who for the past five years has been almost exclusively gorging on turgid blockbusters while morphing at Mach speed into the physical likeness of something akin to Klaus Kinski’s younger brother?
Delving into the world of a “no budget” production company, John Patterson of The Guardian is Seeking Asylum: the rise of Hollywood’s Z-movies.
Director Chan-wook Park of “Old Boy” notoriety returns to the States this year with “Thirst,” a priest as vampire opus.
Jarvis Cocker chats to Wes Anderson in Interview about a multitude of topics, including Anderson’s forthcoming stop motion animation feature, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.”
One Film Wonder: Director Jean-Jacques Beineix cast Wilhelmenia Fernandez in the titular role for his stylish and absorbing 1981 thriller, “Diva.” As opera singer Cynthia Hawkins, she is stalked and then befriended by an obsessive fan immersed in international political and criminal intrigue. Born in Philadelphia, Fernandez, who is also known professionally as Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, was a respected soprano when chosen by Beineix for her only feature-film performance. In the subsequent years, she has traveled the word performing in operas and recitals and has made numerous recordings, most notably of George Gershwin and African-American spirituals.
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Chan-wook Park, Diva, Interview, Jarvis Cocker, Jean-Jacques Beineix, John Patterson, Klaus Kinski, Nicolas Cage, Old Boy, One Film Wonder, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Guardian, Thirst, Werner Herzog, Wes Anderson, Wilhelmenia Fernandez |
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April 24th, 2009
Steve McQueen, first-time director of the critically praised “Hunger,” engages in The Hollywood Interview with Terry Keefe.
Bowie in Space. Well, his son, at least. Duncan Jones, David Bowie’s son with ex-wife Angela Bowie, transports Sam Rockwell to outer space in “Moon,” which after a successful introduction at Sundance opens across the U.S. in June.
From Armando Iannucci, the creative force behind BBC Four’s devastatingly clever governmental satire “The Thick of It,” comes his feature film debut, “In the Loop,” a skewering of Anglo-American political relations which IFC Films will release in the States in July. The Independent profiles Mr. Merciless while The Guardian chronicles James Gandolfini, who appears as the movie’s major American presence as a Universal Soldier.
Opening almost imperceptibly, John Crowley’s “Is Anybody There?” stars Michael Caine as a nursing home denizen who befriends the managers’ young son fascinated by the afterlife. The indefatigable Caine chats with Newsday about Korean War service, mortality and his obsession with Google.
One Film Wonder: For more than 40 years, Lulu has been a superlative singer and entertainer. She also unleashed her pipes on an undeservedly underrated Bond theme song. But she delivered her only enduring film appearance as “Babs” in “To Sir, with Love,” the charming, heartfelt and human classroom drama notable for Sidney Poitier’s regal presence and her ethereal pop classic.
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged Angela Bowie, Armando Iannucci, David Bowie, Duncan Jones, Hunger, In the Loop, Is Anybody There?, James Gandolfini, John Crowley, Lulu, Michael Caine, Moon, Newsday, One Film Wonder, Sam Rockwell, Sidney Poitier, Steve McQueen, Terry Keefe, The Guardian, The Hollywood Interview, The Independent, The Thick of It, To Sir with Love |
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April 17th, 2009
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged Algenis Perez Soto, Anna Boden, Back to the Future, Ben Walters, Benji Wilson, Brat Pack, Green Porno, Half Nelson, Isabella Rossellini, James Dean, Jody Shapiro, John Hughes, John Waters, Justine Ciarrocchi, Kelly Macdonald, LA Weekly, Matt Dillon, Michael Schoeffling, One Film Wonder, Ryan Fleck, Scott Foundas, Screencrave, Sixteen Candles, Sugar, Sundance Channel, The Guardian, The Soup, The Times |
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