Greenberg

Julien is back from vacation which means we are officially back up and running. We return with a review by Joe as he discusses Noah Baumbach's Greenberg.

What Time is it There?

In a return to the themes so prevalent in his life’s work, Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang once again explores loneliness and alienation in the modern urban environment in his 2002 feature, What Time Is It There?.  The film is the first part of a trilogy, which Tsai later followed with The Skywalk is Gone and The Wayward Cloud.

The film centres around three central characters, each living-out an incredibly lonely existence.  There is Hsiao-kang, a young watch vendor on the streets on Taipei, who, after the passing of his father, encounters Shiang-chyi, a beautiful young woman on her way to Paris.  After she is unsatisfied with Hsiao-kang’s watch selection, she convinces him to sell her the very watch off of his own wrist.  The title of the film refers to Hsiao-kang, who after this random meeting with Shiang-chyi becomes obsessed with changing every clock he sees to Paris time and repeatedly watching French Filmaker Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows in an attempt to reconnect with her while she is away in Paris.  From this point in the film, What Time Is It There? adopts a duel storyline structure, focusing on Hsiao-kang’s newfound obsession with time and Shiang-chyi’s rather lonesome vacation; As she, unable to speak both the French and English language, wonders through the streets of Paris almost completely alone.  Further dwelling on the theme of loneliness and alienation, is the character of Hsiao-kang’s mother, who is left devastated after the sudden death of her husband.  She then becomes obsessed with the idea that he may be attempting to connect with her spiritually to the point where she is convinced he has been reincarnated as a cockroach spotted crawling along the kitchen floor.

As he did with Rebels of the Neon God and The River, Tsai once again presents an urban landscape suffocated by isolation and loneliness, and the nuclear family fractured beyond repair.  Also characteristic of his previous work, Tsai continues to refute the idea of sex as an act of communication or fulfillment, as after their own unsatisfying sexual experiences, all three main characters are left even more alone and even more miserable than before.

Typical of Tsai’s minimalist style, What Time Is it There? contains very little dialogue and no music.  Instead, it is Tsai’s constant brilliance with blending colours in his lighting techniques that gives the film its unique visual texture that both enhances and contrasts the emotions exhibited on screen.  The film is mostly composed of static medium/long shots all held for extremely long durations, giving the viewer time to contemplate the images framed before them.

Tsai’s continued references to Truffaut’s The 400 Blows and French New Wave Cinema in general throughout the feature, including a brief cameo appearance by Lean Pierre Leaud (which is sure to bring a smile to the face of even the average cinephile), are important in solidifying the central theme of What Time Is It There?.  Much like the works in Truffaut’s filmography, What Time Is It There? is, at its core, a film about youth attempting to establish an identity for themselves in a world that feels much bigger and much more impersonal than ever before.

~ CM

Movie Recommendation of the Day 03/05/10

DEJA VU

Dir. Tony Scott

United States

2006

125 Mins.

When thought about in any great detail, the film's underlying plot is entirely incomprehensible, but if you're thinking that hard than you're going to be missing out on one of the better sci-fi actioners of the decade. Denzil Washington stars as Doug Carlin, a US agent who risks his own life to time travel back to the past in an attempt to prevent a deadly ferryboat explosion and save the woman he loves in the process.  The film represents not only Scott's greatest work, but one of Washington's best as well.


Deja Vu [Blu-ray]@Amazon.ca

~ CM

Movie Recommendation of the Day 29/04/10

THE WEEPING MEADOW
Dir. Theodoros Angelopoulos
Greece
2004
170 Mins.


Synopsis from IMDB: 'This is the first film of Theo Angelopoulos' trilogy. The story starts in 1919 with some greek refugees from Odessa arriving somewhere near Thessaloniki. Among these people are two small kids, Alexis and Eleni. Eleni is an orphan and she is also taken care by Alexis' family. The refugees build a small village somewhere near a river and we watch as the kids grow up and fall in love. But difficult times of dictatorship and war are coming...'


The Weeping Meadow@Amazon.com

Tokyo Story by Guido

Kyoko: "Isn't life disappointing?"
Noriko: "Yes, it is."

In our latest review posted, Guido takes an in depth look at one of my personal favourites, Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story.


Tokyo Story - Criterion Collection@Amazon.com

Movie Recommendation of the Day 28/04/10

ANDREI REBLEV 

Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

Russia 

1966

205 mins.

Synopsis from IMDB: 'Andreiv Tarkovsky charts the life of the great icon painter through a turbulent period of 15th Century Russian history, a period marked by endless fighting between rival Princes and by Tatar invasions.'

Andrei Rublev (Criterion Collection)@Amazon.com

15 Films to look out for in the remaining months of 2010

15. Robin Hood Dir. Ridley Scott (Kingdom of Heaven DC, Blade Runner)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘The story of an archer in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion who fights against the Norman invaders and becomes the legendary hero known as Robin Hood.'

Why you should look out for it: I know what you are probably thinking; that the story of Robin Hood has been adapted so many times already, so why bother? And to be honest, that was my initial reaction as well. But as its theatrical release approaches, I can't help but admit that my anticipation for Scott's take on the famous English folkloric outlaw has heightened significantly. With Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven DC, Scott has already proven his capabilities in the realm of large scale historical epics and with a cast of Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, this appears to the perfect film to jump start the summer blockbuster season.

14. Jack Goes Boating Dir. Philip Seymour Hoffman

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘A limo driver's blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples.’

Why you should look out for it: No this is not some crazy sequel to Jacques Rivette's obscure classic, but rather the directorial debut of one of the industries most talented actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman. For years he has enthralled thus with his performances on screen, now he gets the opportunity the step behind the camera and direct himself.

13. Film Socialisme Dir. Jean-Luc Godard (Contempt, Breathless)

Synopsis from IMDB: None.

Why you should look out for it: If this is indeed the final film in the career of iconic French New Wave filmmaker, Jean-Luc Godard, then that should be enough to spark our curiosity. While his work has turned increasingly angry and cynical as old aged has approached, his ability to express his philosophies and ideologies through the cinematic medium has been unparalleled. His recent works are best viewed as essays, that if nothing else have a remarkable capacity to ignite a conversation.

12. Biutiful Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (21 Grams, Babel)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘A man involved in illegal dealing is confronted by his childhood friend, who is now a policeman.’

Why you should look out for it: Truthfully, I haven't seen anything by Inarritu that I have been blown away by (the closet being Babel), but I'm always interested in what he is up to. I admire his craft and the emotionally complex stories to he attempts explore. The film stars Academy Award winner Javier Bardem and marks Inarritu's return to his native Spaninsh language.

11. Hereafter Dir. Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Gran Torino)

Synopsis from IMDB: 'A supernatural thriller centered on three people - a blue collar African, a French journalist, and a London school boy - who are touched by death in different ways.'

Why you should look out for it: Who would of thought that back in his days of Nameless and Dirty Harry, that Client Eastwood was to become one of the more prolific filmmakers of our time. Prolific, not just in the sense of quantity - releasing one, sometimes two films a year, but prolific in the sense of quality as well. In the past decade he has directed nine feature films (with Hereafter being the tenth) and the past seven starting with Mystic River back in 2003 have all been quality worthy of Oscar. I see no reason for Eastwood's incredible late career run as a filmmaker to to slow anytime soon, and therefore I'm recommending you keep an eye out for Hereafter; a film that reunites Eastwood with Matt Damon, and also stars Bryce Dallas Howard.

10. Somewhere Dir. Sophia Coppola (Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘A hard-living Hollywood actor re-examines his life after his 11-year-old daughter surprises him with a visit.’

Why you should look out for it: Finally, the first film starring Steven Dorff since Blade worth anticipating (and that was twelve years ago for those who were counting). But let's be honest, our anticipation for this one really has nothing to do with Dorff at all, but rather the talented Sophia Coppola. She won all of us over the the exceptional Lost in Translation and she looks to do the same here with another intimate portrait of a hollywood actor reevaluating the direction of his life.

9. True Grit Dir. Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, Fargo)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer.’

Why you should look out for it: The Coen Brothers try their hand at adapting this classic western novel that was originally adapted to the big screen back in 1969 starting John Wayne. This time, Wayne's role as the alcoholic marshall is passed down to Jeff Bridges, who last worked with the Coens on The Big Lebowski. But for me, the most exciting prospect of this film is not the reunion of Bridges and the Coens, but instead it is the chance to once again see cinematographer Roger Deakins (The Assassination of Jesse James, No Country for Old Men) tackle the western genre.

8. The American Dir. Anton Corbijn (Control)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘An assassin hides out in Italy for one last assignment.’

Why you should look out for it: Let's face it, every film starring George Clooney nowadays already has our attention, but this one in particular has already generated significant early Best Picture speculation. Directed by Anton Corbijn whose last film, Control based on the downfall of Joy Division lead rocker Ian Curtis, really took a lot of people by surprise. Now add the sheer presence of Clooney to the mix and there are two reasons to look out for this one when it hits theaters this September.

7. I Wish I Knew Dir. Zhang Ke Jia (Still Life, The World)

Synopsis from IMDB: None.

Why you should look out for it: It was not until a couple weeks ago when the film selections for Cannes were announced that I realized this film even existed. Not too much is known about the film, but for those who have seen Still Life and/or The World understand the impressive style filmmaker Zhang Ke Jia possesses and the decisive issues he attempts to explore.

6. Certified Copy Dir. Abbas Kiarostami (Close-Up, Ten)

Synopsis from IMDB: 'In Italy to promote his latest book, a middle-aged English writer meets a young French Woman and jets off to San Gimignano with her.'

Why you should look out for it: This film marks the first time Iranian auteur, Abbas Kiarostami, has stepped outside the borders of his native country to shoot a full length feature film. It stars the ageless beauty, Juliette Binoche and British opera singer William Shimell as the two romantic leads. This highly anticipated film is scheduled to be screened at Cannes where it is expected to be in competition for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.

5. Inception Dir. Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Memento)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a single idea within one's mind can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset.’

Why you should look out for it: If I were to fund a project budgeted into the hundreds of millions of dollars, the first person I'd turn to would be James Cameron, but the second would be Christopher Nolan. Coming off critical and commercial success of The Dark Knight, Nolan has illustrated a remarkable talent in capturing grand scale action sequences while never losing focus of the story in the process. And with the setting of Inception taking place within the confines of the human mind the possibilities for action scenarios are limitless.

4. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Syndromes and a Century)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘On his deathbed, Uncle Boonmee, recalls his many past lives.’

Why you should look out for it: When it comes to filmmaking, few people have the ability to manipulate the cinematic medium as does Apichatpong Weerasethakul. While his films may appear simple in nature, it is his ability to blend all the facets of filmmaking to generate an almost surreal emotional response in his viewers that he is considered one of the true artists of contemporary cinema. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives represents Weerasethakul's attempt to delve into the idea of death and the recollection of previous lives.

3. The Assassin Dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien (Three Times, Cafe Lumiere)

Synopsis from IMDB: 'Set in eighth century China, a female assassin looks to leave her profession behind, incurring the wrath of her mentor.'

Why you should look out for it: Yes, I am aware the chances of this actually being released this year are excessively slim, but a man can dream can't he not? Taiwanese filmmaker, Hou Hsiao-hsien has said that he will dedicate the next ten years of his career to the martial arts genre starting with The Assassin, which stars the stunning Shu Qi and Chen Chang. Whether or not this film actually hits festival circuits this year is yet to be determined; either way this is a film you should definitely have on your radar.

2. The Turin Horse Dir. Bela Tarr (Werckmeister Harmonies, Satantango)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘A rural farmer makes his living taking on carting jobs with his horse-drawn cart. He and his daughter must come to the understanding that their horse is getting old and in very poor health, and will be unable to go on sustaining their livelihoods.’

Why you should look out for it: Hungarian filmmaker, Béla Tarr, represents everything that is right with contemporary cinema and through the international film festival circuit he has garnered critical acclaim as well as developed a strong reputation based on his very unique sense of directorial style. His notoriously long takes combined with a mesmerizing slow pace and immense depth of field produce some surprisingly beautiful sequences and generate a special kind of tension that is not apparent in films consisting of several shorter takes. With The Turin Horse, Tarr once again reunites with Laszlo Kraszahorkai, the brilliant novelist behind the source material of Tarr's Werckmeister Harmonies and Satantango.

1. Tree of Life Dir. Terrence Malick (The New World, Days of Heaven)

Synopsis from IMDB: ‘The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence.’

Why you should look out for it: Details on the production have been kept at a minimum and as a result not much information is known about the highly anticipated released of Terrence Malick's fifth feature length film, Tree of Life. What is known is that the cast includes the incredible pairing of two Hollywood heavyweights, Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. Throughout a filmmaking career that has spanned four decades yet produced only four films, Malick has consistently illustrated an unmatched visual eye. But as beautiful as his films have been, they have also been accompanied by haunting stories that have had the profound ability to remain in our thoughts long after the film has come to a close.