Nordling here.
The days are starting to bleed together and I'm operating under serious Fantastic Fatigue but I'm having the time of my life. I saw Copernicus beat the living crap out of a NASA hater, did a couple of interviews, including one with the director of the upcoming ROBOCOP reboot, saw two Hobbits get into it in the ring, and saw some amazing movies. Without further adieu, I'll get right into it:
Day 3: RETREAT
This British thriller reminded me quite a bit of DEAD CALM - the three character structure and the nature of the film are very similar - as a young married couple played by Thandie Newton and Cillian Murphy take a vacation to a secluded British island. They are trying to rebuild their marriage after Newton's character suffers a devastating miscarriage and need the time alone.
Suddenly a man shows up on the beach, played by Jamie Bell, and he informs them that a global pandemic has happened, millions are dying, and that the have to barricade themselves in their cabin to prevent getting infected. But the man turns out to be something other than what he claims to be, and the couple must discover the truth about him and what is going on in the outside world.
RETREAT is a tense thriller, well-acted, but I couldn't help feeling that it fades from memory rather quickly. Jamie Bell does give his best performance since BILLY ELLIOT, playing against type as a brutal, scary character, and we're never quite sure of his intentions until the end. RETREAT works but in comparison to many of the other films that have played at FF it fades in comparison.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
I reviewed KEVIN here, and it may be why RETREAT disappeared in my mind, because reflecting on it a couple of days later, my admiration for the film has not diminished. I briefly discussed the film with the guys from Golden Envelope in a brief impromptu podcast if interested, and Tilda Swinton devastates in it. I really want to see it again, difficult subject matter notwithstanding. A truly great film.
THE DAY
I wanted to like this film more than I did, but in the end, THE DAY didn't do much for me. There are impressive kills, some good performances, but the film doesn't really offer a unique take on the post-apocalyptic genre. Five companions, led by Dominic Monaghan in the film's best performance, make their way across a devastated world, and find an abandoned house to hole up in while one of them recuperates from an illness. It becomes aparent fairly quickly that the house is not what it seems and that they must fight for their lives against ravenous cannibals out for blood.
And unfortunately the film doesn't offer more than that. It doesn't have an explanation on what happened to the world, but the central plot of the film just isn't strong enough on its own to overcome that. I understand that the filmmakers wanted to be vague about that part of the film, making the audience imagine for themselves what happened, but in this case I wanted to know why that world turned out the way it did, with clans of cannibals roaming the landscape and the few remaining people trying to escape them. It's well shot and the action is intense, but for me there was nothing behind what we were seeing, and I guess I just wanted more. A film where the parts are greater than the whole as the performances, action, and the camerawork are top-notch. But it just lacks that special something.
THE KNUCKLE FANTASTIC FEST DEBATES
What an awesome experience. My words simply do not do this justice, so I'm basically just going to give you a whole crapload of videos to show the experience. First, we have Elijah Wood's challenge to Dominic Menamenamena...
And here's Dominic Mumblemumble's response:
And at last, the fights. Throughout the fest, we all feared for Tim League's life, and we anxiously awaited to see how James Quinn McDonagh would destroy him. Once those bells rang it was no holds barred:
Easily the highlight of the festival, especially watching astrophysicist Andy "Copernicus" Howell completely trash NASA hater Hunter:
Definitely the highlight of the day for me.
Day 4: ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN
One of the best crime thrillers I've seen in a while. Jose Padilha has crafted a multi-layered epic, with many characters and subplots, in a story that spans the political landscape of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. Performances across the board are exceptional, including Wagner Moura in one of the best performances in the Fest, a conflicted cop turned head of wiretapping who slowly comes to know the true nature of the corrupt people running Rio de Janeiro.
Padilha is operating on a Scorsese level with this film, and hopefully will see a wide release throughout the world. ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN is Brazil's official submission to the Oscars this year, and it deserves the nomination. It's a hell of a movie, very reminiscient of HBO's THE WIRE.
I espcially love how some characters change their views throughout the film and it's done in a very realistic manner. The themes of the film are especially resonant in the world today, and I'm very confident ROBOCOP is in excellent hands. This guy's the real deal and he will treat the franchise with respect while bringin his own take on the material. I have an interview coming in a day or two, and it's one of my favorite interviews I've ever done. And yeah, there will be some ROBOCOP news as well.
TAKE SHELTER
Michael Shannon gives the performance of his career as a man who suddenly starts having horrifying visions and dreams of the world coming to an end. Jessica Chastain plays his beleagued wife, trying to make sense of Shannon's behavior, and as the film progresses it seems that Curtis could be either clinically insane, or something else entirely. I thought TAKE SHELTER was very impressive, but it's got quite a few moments that drag.
Shannon's Curtis is a taciturn, stoic man who does not let people in, including his wife. He's been wounded in his life and cannot share himself, and as his situation progresses his desperation in trying to understand what is happening becomes very palpable, and I'm certain Shannon will be recognized for his work in this. It's beautifully shot and edited, and the result is quite a terrifying film. I really admired TAKE SHELTER quite a bit and you should see it when it opens near you.
Today I'm taking a bit of a break, but I'll be seeing A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI at the very least. Tomorrow will be my final day and there will be an awful lot going on that day. But I'll be pushing through. Thanks for reading.
Nordling, out.
