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Aug 26 2014
Venice Film Festival 2014 Picks by Richard Lormand
Festivals
by Sydney Levine
Once again the publicist/ producer Richard Lormand has made his picks
for the Venice Film Festival. His choices invariably are top-notch and
his notes on the films show a deep love for his work. I always
gravitate toward his films, as I often gravitate toward others', both
publicists and critics, whom I know to be the best. Why? Because we
tend to like the same films.
By Richard Lormand
Greetings Venice-bound (or not) Film Lovers!
Here's what's going on with us at this year's Mostra del Cinema on the
Venice Lido...
"Dearest"(Qui' Ai De) is a powerhouse of emotion. The ensemble cast
represents some of China's finest acting talents - leading actresses
Zhao Wei and Hao Lei and actors Huang Bo, Tong Dawei and Zhang Yi all
give knockout performances. Director Peter Ho-Sun Chan has made such
an intriguing film from newspaper headlines - children gone missing,
searching for them, dealing with the loss and sometimes dealing with
finding them again. These incidents might not be new, but "Dearest"
fascinated me because of thevery original and respectful treatment of
this material by its astute writer-director. I really didn't know
where I was being taken. But I liked each new path in this
heartbreaking journey of a movie. I felt every one of this film's
thousands of carefully constructed emotional moments. And Zhao Wei's
performance as the foster mother:wow!
"Ich Seh Ich Seh" ("Goodnight Mommy") is a real discovery. It's
clever, playful and it's really good filmmaking. It's horror, it's
European art house, it's Austrian. And produced by bad boy director
himself Ulrich Seidl. And it's a first feature co-directed by sort of
an odd pairing - not really related, not a romantic couple. But
Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala definitely got something going
(talent, intelligence and a passion for cinema) with their mix because
the results are all over the screen. I won't pitch you the horror
scenes, but they are real fun and mean like they should be. But what
really struck me about this film is that it is so amazingly gorgeous.
Such a consistent impeccable taste in all that is beautiful, even the
ugly. Oh, the cornfields, the forest. Mom's bruised and bandaged face
and head. Those mischievous twin boys. (By the way, "Ich Seh" is the
child's game "I Spy." "Ich Seh Ich Seh" because of the twin boys.
"Goodnight Mommy" because... Well, you'll see.)
"The Cut" is Fatih Akin's much anticipated new feature. It was
destined to be controversial in some way or another because of the
material, Fatih himself, so many possible reasons. And here it is
finally. It's without a doubt an epic - a big topic, big crowd scenes,
wide open spaces, world travels. But "The Cut" is a very intimate epic
about a man alone. A man who cheats the Armenian genocide, but
sometimes survival is simply not enough. He will only live again
through the search for his twin daughters. I admire how Fatih Akin
courageously focused on the human side - the blood, sweat and tears -
of this potent political subject matter. Fatih's hero is Nazaret, a
sort of Armenian "Everyman", incarnated by Tahar Rahim whose face
tells so many stories without words. Equally remarkable are "The
Cut's" production values. I was especially moved by the haunting
beauty of the Armenian shanty town, backdrop for one of Fatih's
boldest scenes, one of many. Still flashing in my mind's eye: Nazaret
watching Chaplin on screen is such a fine Fatih Akin moment of cinema.
And the title reference scene in the desert is Fatih Akin intensity
like no one else's.
"Altman" is such an enjoyable and informative documentary about the
career of late great Robert Altman. I was very surprised. I see a lot
of short, medium and feature-length films about directors, and sadly,
I am usually disappointed by something. But Ron Mann's "Altman"
satisfied my bio-doc needs: strong linear structure, interesting
archival footage, good interviews and narration and no abuse of movie
excerpts. "Altman" actually relies on its own solid research and
editorial savvy to remain captivating for 95 minutes. Altman's wife,
Kathryn Reed Altman, served as a consultant on the production and her
intermittent narration add both credibility and heart to the film. Not
only did I learn some things about Robert Altman, the film made me
feel like I even got to know him a bit personally. And it's a great
feeling to think about his films: "MASH," "Short Cuts", "Nashville"
"The Player"... "Altman" actually made me want to go back and see all of
his movies again. Now that's what I call an homage to a filmmaker.
"Tsili" is Amos Gitai's latest exploration of cinematographic
language, another manifestation of his passion for cinema. Inspired by
an Aharon Appelfield novel in Yiddish, "Tsili" is one of the rare
instances when Yiddish is heard in a movie. Young Jewish woman Tsili,
hiding out in a Central European forest with the sounds of WWII not so
far away, is actually played by three different women in Gitai's film.
Once again, actress Sarah Adler ("Jellyfish" proves that she's got one
of the most beguiling screen presences around today. I loved the
visual and emotional treatment of Tsili's nest. For such sad and
lonely subject matter, "Tsili" actually feels quite celebratory. A
celebration of life and cinema. "Tsili" is another fine example that
Amos Gitai is both an innovator who breaks the rules and a fierce
defender of the traditions of pure cinema. He has played not only an
essential role in Israeli cinema history, but also in European and
international cinema.
"Bypass" is UK writer-director Duane Hopkins' second film. He
previously made the acclaimed "Better Things" (Cannes 2008 - Critics
Week). Similarly in "Bypass," this young filmmaker continues to show a
real talent for balancing bleakness and hope. I was particularly
struck by the aesthetics of "Bypass," as I'm quite sure you will be
too. "Bypass" is simply gorgeous to look at. It's a true example of
artistry applied to film. But Duane doesn't sacrifice his love of the
characters for the sake of the film's beauty. Everything is centered
around the outstanding leading performance by George MacKay as
troubled Tim who works part-time as a criminal to keep his family
afloat. MacKay's Tim is calmly tense and fascinating to watch. As
Tim's situation becomes more dangerous, Duane shows a knack for crime
genre. But just as important - perhaps even more - is Tim's love for
Lilly. It's as if lovely actress Charlotte Spencer actually incarnated
love and hope on the screen.
Quick note: I return to the Toronto Film Festival this year with four
films: Christian Petzold's "Phoenix", Ole Christian Madsen's "Itsi
Bitsi," Bent Hamer's "1001 Grams" and Danis Tanovic's "Tigers." More
on these Toronto world premieres soon.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/sydneylevine/venice-film-festival-2014-picks-by-richard-lormand-20140826
Aug 26 2014
Venice Film Festival 2014 Picks by Richard Lormand
Festivals
by Sydney Levine
Once again the publicist/ producer Richard Lormand has made his picks
for the Venice Film Festival. His choices invariably are top-notch and
his notes on the films show a deep love for his work. I always
gravitate toward his films, as I often gravitate toward others', both
publicists and critics, whom I know to be the best. Why? Because we
tend to like the same films.
By Richard Lormand
Greetings Venice-bound (or not) Film Lovers!
Here's what's going on with us at this year's Mostra del Cinema on the
Venice Lido...
"Dearest"(Qui' Ai De) is a powerhouse of emotion. The ensemble cast
represents some of China's finest acting talents - leading actresses
Zhao Wei and Hao Lei and actors Huang Bo, Tong Dawei and Zhang Yi all
give knockout performances. Director Peter Ho-Sun Chan has made such
an intriguing film from newspaper headlines - children gone missing,
searching for them, dealing with the loss and sometimes dealing with
finding them again. These incidents might not be new, but "Dearest"
fascinated me because of thevery original and respectful treatment of
this material by its astute writer-director. I really didn't know
where I was being taken. But I liked each new path in this
heartbreaking journey of a movie. I felt every one of this film's
thousands of carefully constructed emotional moments. And Zhao Wei's
performance as the foster mother:wow!
"Ich Seh Ich Seh" ("Goodnight Mommy") is a real discovery. It's
clever, playful and it's really good filmmaking. It's horror, it's
European art house, it's Austrian. And produced by bad boy director
himself Ulrich Seidl. And it's a first feature co-directed by sort of
an odd pairing - not really related, not a romantic couple. But
Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala definitely got something going
(talent, intelligence and a passion for cinema) with their mix because
the results are all over the screen. I won't pitch you the horror
scenes, but they are real fun and mean like they should be. But what
really struck me about this film is that it is so amazingly gorgeous.
Such a consistent impeccable taste in all that is beautiful, even the
ugly. Oh, the cornfields, the forest. Mom's bruised and bandaged face
and head. Those mischievous twin boys. (By the way, "Ich Seh" is the
child's game "I Spy." "Ich Seh Ich Seh" because of the twin boys.
"Goodnight Mommy" because... Well, you'll see.)
"The Cut" is Fatih Akin's much anticipated new feature. It was
destined to be controversial in some way or another because of the
material, Fatih himself, so many possible reasons. And here it is
finally. It's without a doubt an epic - a big topic, big crowd scenes,
wide open spaces, world travels. But "The Cut" is a very intimate epic
about a man alone. A man who cheats the Armenian genocide, but
sometimes survival is simply not enough. He will only live again
through the search for his twin daughters. I admire how Fatih Akin
courageously focused on the human side - the blood, sweat and tears -
of this potent political subject matter. Fatih's hero is Nazaret, a
sort of Armenian "Everyman", incarnated by Tahar Rahim whose face
tells so many stories without words. Equally remarkable are "The
Cut's" production values. I was especially moved by the haunting
beauty of the Armenian shanty town, backdrop for one of Fatih's
boldest scenes, one of many. Still flashing in my mind's eye: Nazaret
watching Chaplin on screen is such a fine Fatih Akin moment of cinema.
And the title reference scene in the desert is Fatih Akin intensity
like no one else's.
"Altman" is such an enjoyable and informative documentary about the
career of late great Robert Altman. I was very surprised. I see a lot
of short, medium and feature-length films about directors, and sadly,
I am usually disappointed by something. But Ron Mann's "Altman"
satisfied my bio-doc needs: strong linear structure, interesting
archival footage, good interviews and narration and no abuse of movie
excerpts. "Altman" actually relies on its own solid research and
editorial savvy to remain captivating for 95 minutes. Altman's wife,
Kathryn Reed Altman, served as a consultant on the production and her
intermittent narration add both credibility and heart to the film. Not
only did I learn some things about Robert Altman, the film made me
feel like I even got to know him a bit personally. And it's a great
feeling to think about his films: "MASH," "Short Cuts", "Nashville"
"The Player"... "Altman" actually made me want to go back and see all of
his movies again. Now that's what I call an homage to a filmmaker.
"Tsili" is Amos Gitai's latest exploration of cinematographic
language, another manifestation of his passion for cinema. Inspired by
an Aharon Appelfield novel in Yiddish, "Tsili" is one of the rare
instances when Yiddish is heard in a movie. Young Jewish woman Tsili,
hiding out in a Central European forest with the sounds of WWII not so
far away, is actually played by three different women in Gitai's film.
Once again, actress Sarah Adler ("Jellyfish" proves that she's got one
of the most beguiling screen presences around today. I loved the
visual and emotional treatment of Tsili's nest. For such sad and
lonely subject matter, "Tsili" actually feels quite celebratory. A
celebration of life and cinema. "Tsili" is another fine example that
Amos Gitai is both an innovator who breaks the rules and a fierce
defender of the traditions of pure cinema. He has played not only an
essential role in Israeli cinema history, but also in European and
international cinema.
"Bypass" is UK writer-director Duane Hopkins' second film. He
previously made the acclaimed "Better Things" (Cannes 2008 - Critics
Week). Similarly in "Bypass," this young filmmaker continues to show a
real talent for balancing bleakness and hope. I was particularly
struck by the aesthetics of "Bypass," as I'm quite sure you will be
too. "Bypass" is simply gorgeous to look at. It's a true example of
artistry applied to film. But Duane doesn't sacrifice his love of the
characters for the sake of the film's beauty. Everything is centered
around the outstanding leading performance by George MacKay as
troubled Tim who works part-time as a criminal to keep his family
afloat. MacKay's Tim is calmly tense and fascinating to watch. As
Tim's situation becomes more dangerous, Duane shows a knack for crime
genre. But just as important - perhaps even more - is Tim's love for
Lilly. It's as if lovely actress Charlotte Spencer actually incarnated
love and hope on the screen.
Quick note: I return to the Toronto Film Festival this year with four
films: Christian Petzold's "Phoenix", Ole Christian Madsen's "Itsi
Bitsi," Bent Hamer's "1001 Grams" and Danis Tanovic's "Tigers." More
on these Toronto world premieres soon.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/sydneylevine/venice-film-festival-2014-picks-by-richard-lormand-20140826