So, this is the film that the Academy deemed to be better than "Un Prophete" and "The White Ribbon" eh?
We'll see.
We'll see.
Well, I did see.
Is it better than the two other films that I felt should have won the Academy Award for best foreign language film?
I guess that depends on what you mean by "better" doesn't it?
To my mind "The White Ribbon" was never going to win simply because of the fact that it was a "difficult" film. It was a little too, well, arty for the Academy. I did think that "Un Prophete" could snatch the award though because it had a more, um, conventional feel to it even if it did include the ghost of a murdered prisoner giving advice to the central character.
Having now seen "The Secrets in Their Eyes" I think that the right film won.
The right film for the Academy.
Technically "The White Ribbon" is superior and has more important things to say and, for me, "Un Prophete" was a better film technically and visually but for the Academy "The Secrets in Their Eyes" was the only one of the three that would sit well with their sensibilities and so I can understand why it won.
I'm rambling.
The film itself brings us the story of a retired Argentinian police officer, Esposito, as he revisits an old case of rape and murder. The man responsible was brought to justice, sentenced but then released to take up a role as an informant and undercover agent for another department headed up by an old enemy of Esposito. The story of how the guilty man, Gomez, is found is told in flashback as Esposito visits his old boss, Irene, to discuss a book he has written about the case. As we flit from past to present we learn that the case has left marks on everyone involved.
From this simple premise director Juan Jose Campanella crafts a film that is never anything less than engaging and is often much more. At times the suspense is unbearable...when Esposito tracks Gomez to a football stadium the ensuing cat and mouse chase is one of the most memorable scenes I have ever enjoyed in a film. Similarly when Esposito and Irene find themselves sharing an elevator with the recently released murderer the tension is almost palpable.
The performances from all of the cast are superb, in particular Ricardo Darin as Esposito is absolutely wonderful. As the young man he is full of bravado, fight and gung-ho spirit and as the older man he is world weary, rueful and wise...it's a really great performance. It's the type of performance that when it is, inevitably, performed by an American actor in the English language remake will garner an Oscar nod.
Despite so much to commend "Secrets" it does flag towards the conclusion and the denoument, when it comes, doesn't pack the punch that it could have had we been spared some fifteen minutes or so of the time it took to arrive. But this is a teeny-weeny (and possibly groundless) complaint that may well be born out of my outrage at "Un Prophete" not receiving the Oscar. I suppose that, in truth, we should be celebrating the fact that in "The White Ribbon", "Un Prophete" and "The Secrets in Their Eyes" we had three films that all garnered praise and recognition outside of arthouse cinemas...that can only be a good thing.
Monday, 28 June 2010
Mark - EIFF - Cineworld - 24/6/10
Showing as part of the “Black Box” section of the festival this was an experimental documentary film that charted the life of a young man leading up to his suicide. The tale is told by those who knew him best and through archive footage.
The eponymous “Mark” was in a long term relationship with a transexual and the two shared their lives with people who live on the outside of the mainstream. Mark appears to have been warm, kind, loving and charitable and all of the friends and family interviewed here appear equally nice. The problem is that I didn’t like any of them.
With “wacky” haircuts, a keen sense of reveling in their “difference” and the sort of liberal attitude guaranteed to set my teeth to itch it was always going to be difficult for me to really feel any sympathy for Mark and the people he left behind.
I admired his stance on animal rights.
I felt glad that he was able to love someone who many would shun.
I could tell how much he was loved.
I understood their sense of “otherness” but try as I might I just didn’t like them.
Maybe I’m a dreadful, cold-hearted sod.
The film itself is well crafted and stands as a beautiful testament to someone who might otherwise just have disappeared. The sort of friend, brother, son that we all have and who we would all miss just as much and for that the film-maker should be commended.
The eponymous “Mark” was in a long term relationship with a transexual and the two shared their lives with people who live on the outside of the mainstream. Mark appears to have been warm, kind, loving and charitable and all of the friends and family interviewed here appear equally nice. The problem is that I didn’t like any of them.
With “wacky” haircuts, a keen sense of reveling in their “difference” and the sort of liberal attitude guaranteed to set my teeth to itch it was always going to be difficult for me to really feel any sympathy for Mark and the people he left behind.
I admired his stance on animal rights.
I felt glad that he was able to love someone who many would shun.
I could tell how much he was loved.
I understood their sense of “otherness” but try as I might I just didn’t like them.
Maybe I’m a dreadful, cold-hearted sod.
The film itself is well crafted and stands as a beautiful testament to someone who might otherwise just have disappeared. The sort of friend, brother, son that we all have and who we would all miss just as much and for that the film-maker should be commended.
Friday, 25 June 2010
The Man Next Door - EIFF - Cineworld - 24/6/10
"Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours, with a little understanding, that's when good neighbours become good friends"
So said the theme tune to Australian soap "Neighbours".
Whoever wrote the lyrics had never experienced the sort of tumultous relationship shown in "The Man Next Door".
Leonardo is a trendy, slightly pretentious, middle-aged designer who lives in a beautiful, design classic, apartment in Bueonos Aires. He has a dream life...beautiful wife, good job, slightly truculent pre-teen daughter and a gorgeous home. Early one morning Leonardo wakes up to find a hole being knocked through the wall of the apartment that sits just a few feet from his living room. The flat opposite has been bought by the sinister, thuggish looking, Victor who claims he needs to install a window in order to get some of the rays that Leonardo enjoys.
So begins a game of cat and mouse between the two men which appears to have no ability to reach any sort of satisfactory conclusion. Initially our sympathies lie with Leonardo as he struggles to protect his privacy but slowly we are drawn to Victor as the elitist, snobbish attitude of Leonardo and his friends towards the more "uncouth" Victor shows itself.
A funny, menacing and thoroughly engaging film "The Man Next Door" takes a well known and well worn plot device and delivers something new...no mean feat.
So said the theme tune to Australian soap "Neighbours".
Whoever wrote the lyrics had never experienced the sort of tumultous relationship shown in "The Man Next Door".
Leonardo is a trendy, slightly pretentious, middle-aged designer who lives in a beautiful, design classic, apartment in Bueonos Aires. He has a dream life...beautiful wife, good job, slightly truculent pre-teen daughter and a gorgeous home. Early one morning Leonardo wakes up to find a hole being knocked through the wall of the apartment that sits just a few feet from his living room. The flat opposite has been bought by the sinister, thuggish looking, Victor who claims he needs to install a window in order to get some of the rays that Leonardo enjoys.
So begins a game of cat and mouse between the two men which appears to have no ability to reach any sort of satisfactory conclusion. Initially our sympathies lie with Leonardo as he struggles to protect his privacy but slowly we are drawn to Victor as the elitist, snobbish attitude of Leonardo and his friends towards the more "uncouth" Victor shows itself.
A funny, menacing and thoroughly engaging film "The Man Next Door" takes a well known and well worn plot device and delivers something new...no mean feat.
The Kid - EIFF - Cineworld - 23/6/10
Many will already know the story of Kevin Lewis and his remarkable, traumatic childhood. It was a best selling memoir and one which propelled Lewis into the mainstream world and heralded the start of a new life as one of the foremost crime writers in the country. Here Nick Moran takes the story and brings it to the big screen.
It would have been easy for this to have been a disaster. In the wrong hands the terrible abuses suffered by Kevin at the hands of his “Frankenstein in drag” mother could have been played for easy tears or cheap sentimentality. Under the direction of Moran however we are given the truth of the situation; brutal, awful, shocking bursts of violence that render us speechless and feeling more than a little ashamed of the knowledge that these things are happening in our streets.
When Lewis is eventually taken out of the family home by social services and placed in a care home he is given the safety and love that all children require. That is short lived however as social services remove him and return him to his mother where the abuse begins again almost immediately. This time a teacher senses that something is wrong and offers Kevin support, kindness and, most importantly, believes him when he eventually reveals what is happening at home. Soon Kevin is leaving home for the last time for life with a wealthy entrepreneur and his wife in the leafy suburbs.
After a brief period of normality Kevin is plunged into the criminal underworld of London and finds himself earning money in illegal bare knuckle boxing matches and being the “front” for a bar that is simply operating as a long firm. At this point Kevin meets a girl, falls in love and, almost inevitably, has the rug pulled from underneath his feet yet again.
The way in which Kevin takes retribution and finds hope is almost unbelievable but it is true and it is an ending that brings a tear to the driest eye and a warm feeling to the coldest heart. The story of Kevin Lewis is remarkable...what starts as a dark tale becomes a story of hope, inspiration and triumph.
Nick Moran is a well known face thanks, in chief, to his great performance as “Eddy” in “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”. As a producer and director he is also a well respected talent (his biopic of Joe Meek “Telstar” is a lost classic) and in “The Kid” he has shown that he has the ability to produce a mainstream film that will also please the cinephiles. He has drawn a fabulous performance from Rupert Friend as Kevin and managed to create one of the great screen villains in Gloria (played with a sense of true evil by Natashca McElhone).
A wonderful story.
A wonderful film.
A remarkable man.
We should be thankful for many reasons to Kevin Lewis.
It would have been easy for this to have been a disaster. In the wrong hands the terrible abuses suffered by Kevin at the hands of his “Frankenstein in drag” mother could have been played for easy tears or cheap sentimentality. Under the direction of Moran however we are given the truth of the situation; brutal, awful, shocking bursts of violence that render us speechless and feeling more than a little ashamed of the knowledge that these things are happening in our streets.
When Lewis is eventually taken out of the family home by social services and placed in a care home he is given the safety and love that all children require. That is short lived however as social services remove him and return him to his mother where the abuse begins again almost immediately. This time a teacher senses that something is wrong and offers Kevin support, kindness and, most importantly, believes him when he eventually reveals what is happening at home. Soon Kevin is leaving home for the last time for life with a wealthy entrepreneur and his wife in the leafy suburbs.
After a brief period of normality Kevin is plunged into the criminal underworld of London and finds himself earning money in illegal bare knuckle boxing matches and being the “front” for a bar that is simply operating as a long firm. At this point Kevin meets a girl, falls in love and, almost inevitably, has the rug pulled from underneath his feet yet again.
The way in which Kevin takes retribution and finds hope is almost unbelievable but it is true and it is an ending that brings a tear to the driest eye and a warm feeling to the coldest heart. The story of Kevin Lewis is remarkable...what starts as a dark tale becomes a story of hope, inspiration and triumph.
Nick Moran is a well known face thanks, in chief, to his great performance as “Eddy” in “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”. As a producer and director he is also a well respected talent (his biopic of Joe Meek “Telstar” is a lost classic) and in “The Kid” he has shown that he has the ability to produce a mainstream film that will also please the cinephiles. He has drawn a fabulous performance from Rupert Friend as Kevin and managed to create one of the great screen villains in Gloria (played with a sense of true evil by Natashca McElhone).
A wonderful story.
A wonderful film.
A remarkable man.
We should be thankful for many reasons to Kevin Lewis.
The Good Heart - EIFF - Cineworld - 23/6/10
Brian Cox delivers a brilliant performance as misogynist, misanthrope, racist, sexist, homophobic “Jacque” who runs a dingy bar where “walk ins” and women are NOT welcome.
Jacques has a problem, his heart is no good and he suffers heart attacks with such regularity that he is known by name to all the hospital staff...who all hate him as much as he hates them. On one visit to the hospital he finds himself in the bed next to a timid young homeless youth who has failed in his attempt to end his own life. For reasons known only to Jacque he decides to find him after his release and take him under his wing as heir to his kingdom...the former oyster bar that now passes as his pub.
The young man in question is Lucas (Paul Dano) and he is, at first, less than delighted by the offer of free room and board with the curmudgeonly Jacque. As time passes the two form a strange kind of love for one another and all appears to be well until late one night when a distressed, French air hostess called April (Isild Le Besco) arrives soaking wet in the bar and crying. She has lost her job for being afraid of heights. Lucas takes her in much to the disgust and annoyance of Jacques.
Following a row between the two Lucas banishes April only to discover that Jacque has taken to her and feels that he has been a fool to let her go. At this point Jacque is placed on the waiting list for a heart transplant and following another heart attack appears to be on his way out of this world he so loathes forever.
The film is soaked in dark hues but it never feels cold, the bleak bar that Jacque calls home looks inviting and otherworldly. With a cast of characters including a “chimnist” and a “stimulator” (respectively a chimney sweep and a gigalo) it feels like this is a hipster hang out as opposed to the drinking den of choice for people who are one step up the ladder from being a bum.
A sad but heart warming ending ensures that “The Good Heart” will be remembered as much for it’s story as it will be for the masterful performance of Cox.
Jacques has a problem, his heart is no good and he suffers heart attacks with such regularity that he is known by name to all the hospital staff...who all hate him as much as he hates them. On one visit to the hospital he finds himself in the bed next to a timid young homeless youth who has failed in his attempt to end his own life. For reasons known only to Jacque he decides to find him after his release and take him under his wing as heir to his kingdom...the former oyster bar that now passes as his pub.
The young man in question is Lucas (Paul Dano) and he is, at first, less than delighted by the offer of free room and board with the curmudgeonly Jacque. As time passes the two form a strange kind of love for one another and all appears to be well until late one night when a distressed, French air hostess called April (Isild Le Besco) arrives soaking wet in the bar and crying. She has lost her job for being afraid of heights. Lucas takes her in much to the disgust and annoyance of Jacques.
Following a row between the two Lucas banishes April only to discover that Jacque has taken to her and feels that he has been a fool to let her go. At this point Jacque is placed on the waiting list for a heart transplant and following another heart attack appears to be on his way out of this world he so loathes forever.
The film is soaked in dark hues but it never feels cold, the bleak bar that Jacque calls home looks inviting and otherworldly. With a cast of characters including a “chimnist” and a “stimulator” (respectively a chimney sweep and a gigalo) it feels like this is a hipster hang out as opposed to the drinking den of choice for people who are one step up the ladder from being a bum.
A sad but heart warming ending ensures that “The Good Heart” will be remembered as much for it’s story as it will be for the masterful performance of Cox.
A Small Act - EIFF - Cineworld - 23/6/10
I’m not what you would call a “charitable” person.
I don’t have any direct debits for the myriad good causes there are.
I haven’t ever ‘phoned in and donated money to Comic Relief or any of the other charity telethons.
Occasionally I will drop a coin in the bucket being waved in front of me as I enter the football stadium on a Saturday.
It’s not that I don’t care about those less fortunate than I am it’s just that I am too lazy to fill in the form...I also love to procrastinate.
“A Small Act” follows the story of one woman who did make the effort to show some charity and the impact that has had on the lives of many, many people.
Hilde Back left Germany in 1940 to avoid the concentration camps. She fled to Sweden but without her parents and slowly began to build a new life. At some point in the late 1970’s she decided to sponsor a child in Kenya. The sponsorship money would pay for the childs education through high school (children in Kenya do not receive free secondary education).
As far as Hilde was concerned that was that.
It didn’t cost her very much money and it was absolutely no effort.
The child she sponsored was Chris Mburu. After high school he went on to University, specifically Harvard where he graduate in law. He is now a human rights lawyer for the United Nations. He always knew the name of the woman who had sponsored him and eventually he met her and the two formed a close bond.
That would be enough to make for an interesting documentary feature but director Jennifer Arnold also follows the efforts of an organisation set up by Chris to provide scholarships for able but financially poor students to attend high school. The lives of three young Kenyans as they struggle to pass the final exam against the backdrop of poverty and political upset as well as the threat of genocide provides another dimension to the film that means it is never less than captivating,
“A Small Act” has a simple message...the actions we take do have consequences and we can make a difference in the world.
Where’s that direct debit form?
I don’t have any direct debits for the myriad good causes there are.
I haven’t ever ‘phoned in and donated money to Comic Relief or any of the other charity telethons.
Occasionally I will drop a coin in the bucket being waved in front of me as I enter the football stadium on a Saturday.
It’s not that I don’t care about those less fortunate than I am it’s just that I am too lazy to fill in the form...I also love to procrastinate.
“A Small Act” follows the story of one woman who did make the effort to show some charity and the impact that has had on the lives of many, many people.
Hilde Back left Germany in 1940 to avoid the concentration camps. She fled to Sweden but without her parents and slowly began to build a new life. At some point in the late 1970’s she decided to sponsor a child in Kenya. The sponsorship money would pay for the childs education through high school (children in Kenya do not receive free secondary education).
As far as Hilde was concerned that was that.
It didn’t cost her very much money and it was absolutely no effort.
The child she sponsored was Chris Mburu. After high school he went on to University, specifically Harvard where he graduate in law. He is now a human rights lawyer for the United Nations. He always knew the name of the woman who had sponsored him and eventually he met her and the two formed a close bond.
That would be enough to make for an interesting documentary feature but director Jennifer Arnold also follows the efforts of an organisation set up by Chris to provide scholarships for able but financially poor students to attend high school. The lives of three young Kenyans as they struggle to pass the final exam against the backdrop of poverty and political upset as well as the threat of genocide provides another dimension to the film that means it is never less than captivating,
“A Small Act” has a simple message...the actions we take do have consequences and we can make a difference in the world.
Where’s that direct debit form?
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Barry Munday - EIFF - 21/6/10 - Cineworld
Patrick Wilson is fast becoming a real favourite of mine.
I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear that.
"Hard Candy", "Little Children" and "Watchmen" are all films that could feature in my list of favourite films.
What is most interesting about Wilson is that he has managed to avoid becoming any particular type of actor...he isn't "the hunk" or "the weirdo" or any other label. What he is, is a very fine actor, capable of creating characters that the audience can believe in. It isn't every actor who would take on a role like "Jeff" in "Hard Candy"...there aren't many redeeming qualities about a paedophile and one cannot imagine it being a role that created "buzz" in Tinseltown. But I get the feeling that Wilson cares not a jot about how people, studios or executives perceive him; he wants to take on roles that interest him and that challenge him...come back to me after "The A-Team" to see if I've changed my mind on that.
Here Wilson plays the eponymous "hero" of the film, the sort of awkward loser who thinks he is a wow with the lay-deeeez but who, in reality, is far from it. Sure he has moments of "success" but they are fewer and further apart than he would like to admit. Following an incident in a cinema that involves an irate father and a trumpet Barry finds himself sans testicles and he has to face up to life without them and what they represent to him.
Shortly after this he receives a letter informing him that he is the alleged father of an as yet unborn baby...the result of a very drunken encounter with Ginger (Judy Greer) who isn't exactly the sort of "babe" Barry likes to convince himself he is successful with. But stripped of his manhood and aware of his being the end of the family line Barry throws himself into the role of father and in the process begins to fall for Ginger.
On the surface this may look like a Judd Appatappapappatoe movie in the vein of a "Knocked Up" but this is a world away from that. This is tender, funny, sweet, romantic and full of ruminations on the nature of manhood, family relationships and love. With a supporting cast that includes Cybil Shepherd, Malcolm McDowell and Chloe Sevigny this is also a film that has enough quality to ensure that it never slips anywhere below excellent.
What really makes this film is the relationship between, and the performances of, Wilson and Greer. It's a real treat to watch two people with so much talent playing opposite one another. The slow thawing in their relationship is a joy to watch and is never less than convincing. For Greer it is the sort of performance that could propel her to household name status and for Wilson it simply cements my feeling that he is one of the most talented actors working today.
I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear that.
"Hard Candy", "Little Children" and "Watchmen" are all films that could feature in my list of favourite films.
What is most interesting about Wilson is that he has managed to avoid becoming any particular type of actor...he isn't "the hunk" or "the weirdo" or any other label. What he is, is a very fine actor, capable of creating characters that the audience can believe in. It isn't every actor who would take on a role like "Jeff" in "Hard Candy"...there aren't many redeeming qualities about a paedophile and one cannot imagine it being a role that created "buzz" in Tinseltown. But I get the feeling that Wilson cares not a jot about how people, studios or executives perceive him; he wants to take on roles that interest him and that challenge him...come back to me after "The A-Team" to see if I've changed my mind on that.
Here Wilson plays the eponymous "hero" of the film, the sort of awkward loser who thinks he is a wow with the lay-deeeez but who, in reality, is far from it. Sure he has moments of "success" but they are fewer and further apart than he would like to admit. Following an incident in a cinema that involves an irate father and a trumpet Barry finds himself sans testicles and he has to face up to life without them and what they represent to him.
Shortly after this he receives a letter informing him that he is the alleged father of an as yet unborn baby...the result of a very drunken encounter with Ginger (Judy Greer) who isn't exactly the sort of "babe" Barry likes to convince himself he is successful with. But stripped of his manhood and aware of his being the end of the family line Barry throws himself into the role of father and in the process begins to fall for Ginger.
On the surface this may look like a Judd Appatappapappatoe movie in the vein of a "Knocked Up" but this is a world away from that. This is tender, funny, sweet, romantic and full of ruminations on the nature of manhood, family relationships and love. With a supporting cast that includes Cybil Shepherd, Malcolm McDowell and Chloe Sevigny this is also a film that has enough quality to ensure that it never slips anywhere below excellent.
What really makes this film is the relationship between, and the performances of, Wilson and Greer. It's a real treat to watch two people with so much talent playing opposite one another. The slow thawing in their relationship is a joy to watch and is never less than convincing. For Greer it is the sort of performance that could propel her to household name status and for Wilson it simply cements my feeling that he is one of the most talented actors working today.
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