Sep 12, 2015

Venice Film Festival Awards

Golden Lion: From Afar, Lorenzo Vigas
Silver Lion, Best Director: Pablo Trapero, The Clan
Grand Jury Prize: Anomalisa, dirs: Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson
Volpi Cup, Best Actor: Fabrice Luchini, L’Hermine
Volpi Cup, Best Actress: Valeria Golino, Per Amor Vostro
Marcello Mastroianni Award for for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Abraham Attah, Beasts Of No Nation
Best Screenplay: Christian Vincent, L’Hermine
Special Jury Prize: Frenzy, dir: Emin Alper

@Old_Parr Venezuela takes the top prize. Also, really looking forward to Anomalisa by Charlie Kaufman.

 

Sep 12, 2015

From what I've seen, Casino Royale (2006) is easily the best action flick in the Bond franchise. That said, it's missing the bizarre fun that defines the cinematic Bond imo. As a Brosnan baby, I'd put Goldeneye (1995) above it for that reason. Goldfinger (1964) as well. I've still got a lot to see, so take that opinion with a grain of salt. What do you guys think?

 

Sep 12, 2015

Ville-Marie another dope film from VIFF so far. Excellent quebec film with certain inspirations from Dolan and Innaritu.

 

Sep 13, 2015

Not the biggest Bond fan (I probably have seen less than half), but Casino Royale is probably my favorite. In addition to those you mentioned, I also dig From Russia With Love quite a bit.

 

Sep 13, 2015

Skyfall is definitely the best. I would even put it in a top 5 of 2012

Yeah, i just saw this. It's quite a surprise actually as i knew nothing about it. I'll check it when it comes out here

 

Sep 13, 2015

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) ★★★★★


Simple yet simply impenetrable, Two-Lane Blacktop is "all about image and performance". Guys like the driver and the mechanic are the only ones who understand what's under the hood. Hearing them rattle off various car parts is no less cryptic, or magic, than anything else they do or say.

Between the motherfuckin' automobile races, the two friends barely speak. They are fixated on the road and nothing else. They'd rather listen to it than the radio. Even after a win, they remain stoic, unaffected, mechanically recounting the results and the car's performance. Conversely, g,.t.o. can't shut up. He's desperately searching for anybody along the road he can lie to or a tape he can pop in. He doesn't want a conversation either, not a real one anyway.

The little dialogue there is happens between core characters inside of their cars. The minor characters barely exist, merely garnish for the racetracks. One of the few introspective thoughts, g.t.o. drunkenly opening up, is cut short by the driver. "It's not my problem", he says coldly. Despite their differences, they're tied together. Their fixation on their rides, genuine or superficial, can't fulfill them. "If I'm not grounded pretty soon, I'm gonna go into orbit."

"The girl" is the only character not identified by something car related. Neither of the men say a word when she hops in their Chevy uninvited. She breaks the silence for them. Her character's role as an object of desire might feel like "sexism or somethin'", but it's not. She's the satisfaction she sings about. The rich, middle aged liar with the expensive car can't buy her. The good looking quiet types with the homegrown street-sweeper can't win her or win her over. She's temporary: here one minute and gone the next. "She's gonna burn you, man"

Riding off on a motorcycle, the hippie girl ends up where she belongs: with an Easy Rider headed back to the '60s.

http://letterboxd.com/redwell/film/two-lane-blacktop/

 

Sep 13, 2015

I Recently saw Yasujiro Ozu's An Autum Afternoon and i must say it's a wonderful piece of art, Ozu always finds a way to soften my heart, his family dramas really make you wonder how will your life be. I like how the main character confronts his fate with joy for his daughter but deep inside he is anxious. What an amazing character Ozu created. A notable characteristic on this film is that it didn't have one single movement, the sets are shown with several cuts but not in a big and anoying quantity. Out of the 5 Ozu films i've seen this one is shares the top with Late Spring. 9/10

Today i saw Cuaron's Children of Men, This is a fun contrast to An Autum Afternoon in the sense that in this case the camera moves alot. I must say I'm really a big fan of single-shot sequences. Not to mention this is a really thought provoking human drama with a beautiful cinematography. I declare Children of Men Cuaron's best film, yes, over Gravity and Y Tu Mama Tambien. I'll check his other films. 9/10

 

Sep 13, 2015

I saw this one for the first time within the last year and I'm with you...it's definitely a 5-star film...Antonioni-esque existential wandering on top of a distinctly American genre and landscape.

 

Sep 13, 2015

I've yet to watch an Antonioni film, but I generally enjoy existential stuff. The Seventh Seal is easily one of my favorite movies. American New Wave is a gold mine for it given the circumstances with Vietnam and such. I anticipate quite a few more great experiences to come.

 

Sep 14, 2015

The Seventh Seal the most overrated Bergman film.

 

Sep 14, 2015

It's pretty much a stage play, but I love it. The Squire is great.

 

Sep 14, 2015

Asghar Farhadi's About Elly is on Netflix US btw. It's dope.

 

Sep 15, 2015

I both agree and disagree. I still think it's a masterpiece, but it's maybe his worst masterpiece, and he has two hands full of those.

 

Sep 15, 2015

Not a masterpiece imo. But yeah it's only kinda weak for Bergman standards, boy has classics upon classics.

 

Sep 15, 2015

I think as a film is great but i'm not a big fan because i find it sooo depressing i can't fully appreciate it and i normally don't mind these subjects, this is a more personal reason tho

 

Sep 17, 2015

@Twan Please go see all Nathaniel Dorsky's films at his 33 film retrospective in New York on September 28. You certainly won't regret it.

 

Sep 17, 2015

I've been reading a lot about the collapse of the studio system in the 60s and the birth of "American New Wave". With this new grasp on the roots of New Hollywood, I definitely appreciate the 70s a lot more now for it. Do you guys think this could happen again? Should Avatar and the MCU bust, could we see another renaissance like that one? The political and social climates are definitely in sync for it.

 

Sep 17, 2015

anything is possible, i highly doubt it. the entertainment landscape has changed so much, its rly not feasible regardless of whatever you may think is happening culturally right now. film is all about global markets now ultimately -- thats why "new hollywood" today is more about this current golden age of tv. telltale sign is how many leading men in film rn have the character actor shine of pacino, duvall, hackman, hoffman. v v few if any. (gorgeous he-men, typically bland, like chris hemsworth are getting the roles these guys used to.... or marketable pretty boys like ryan gosling and jake gyll)

between all that and the multitude of opportunities to have ur film seen now, everything non mcu/corporate product been kinda decentralized. so its not rly about black lives matter or the tea party but larger trends in business driving the industry and how ppl consume their entertainment

 

Sep 17, 2015

You made a lot of great points, but I'm not really talking about the current structure. I'm talking about what happens after this structure fails as it inevitably will. Shows like Mad Men clearly take cues from New Hollywood, specifically the finale which borrowed heavily from Two Lane Blacktop, but that's not the same as subverting the zeitgeist which is what the reform will probably do. The sequel/reboot/homage trend will die eventually. We have signs of it with Birdman, a foreign director deconstructing the modern iteration of the superhero movie. Harmony Korrine fooled millions of people into watching an arthouse movie when they expected Project X. Very reminiscent what Sam Peckinpah did with westerns or what Polanksi and Altman did with noir. At some point in time, the bubble will burst. I don't think that's debatable. Hollywood is a business like any other and will have to reinvent itself to keep pace with its viewership. The question is when and under what circumstances will it happen.

 

Sep 17, 2015

Ugh spring breakers . f--- u charlie