Good morning Euro-geeks, Father Geek here with Edgard's Euro-AICN column for this Monday, and once again he, Ozymandias, Ethan, Dima and the rest of the Euro-crew have put together a nice big one for you. But first here's a bit of news from across the Atlantic that washed up on Father Geek's desk just now that I thought you would find interesting...
According to The Sunday Mirror Newapaper today (Sunday 5th Nov):
"An unknown British novelist is to become an overnight millionaire after his debut novel was snapped up for the big by Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino. The movie will be based on a hard-hitting crime story by freelance journalist David Hurst. Called "Rumour-Fulled Society", the book is about a robbery that goes very wrong".
There was a little more info for you AICN readers: Two British soap stars have parts in the movie, Martain Hancock from one of our most popular soaps, "Coronation Street" is set to play a carjacker, While John Altman (also very well known over here) will play a "Tattooed Manchester thug" who attacks Hancocks character.
The movie, which starts filming in Britain next Summer, will also star former real life Kray Brothers' associate Dave Courtney, famous as the the inspiration for Vinnie Jones' character in Lock, Stock. Courtney met Tarantino in New York last week to finalise the deal after touting the book in Hollywood for Mr. Hurst.
"He told me he had a couple of films to do, but then he wants to work with us, Quentin has promised me a role as an unhinged gangster- which David (Hurst) based on me anyway"
I don't know if you have heard anything on this project, but it sounds COOL AS FUCK! Tarantino meets Lock, Stock meets The Krays....... I can just imagine................
Keep up the good work mate, best site on the Web by far.
My friends call me Coatsy.
Father Geek back again... Cooooool! Yeah, Quentin has to finish up his New York based KILL BILL with Uma Thurman first. She's been in training for several months for that role and QT can't allow her new fine hewn skills to rust up on her. So his "revenge flick" will have to closeup shop before this Brit Crime Film can begin to shoot. I've even heard that he may shoot (or blow up) some scenes of KILL BILL down here in good olde Austin out at our abandoned airport. Maybe Father Geek can get his ass kicked by Uma. What do you say Quentin... have you got a part for an ageing badass biker type. I'm no William Smith or Adam Roarke, but she could kill me off real quick and I look great in black leather and dirty jeans.
EURO AICN
Hi people, Edgard here with the new edition of the EURO AICN News. As Ozymandias said it, it was a quiet week here. So a few news (I like the one about Lars Von Trier) and four reviews, one directly from Serbia, one of the very good second film of James Gray THE YARDS, one of the much awaited (in Europe at least) ALMOST FAMOUS and finally one to launch a new "corner" called the "I disagree review". I hope you will join us and share your point of view on that. You will discover what it is at the end of this column... Meanwhile let's start with some Academy Awards news (yes, the Awards season is beginning... Christmas is coming).
FOREIGN FILM ACADEMY AWARD NEWS
* Let's start with this one from Screendaily on who might get the best Foreign Film award in 2001 : Jose Luis Garci was nominated this week for the sixth time to represent Spain in the foreign-language category of the Academy Awards with his latest film, the black-and-white You’re The One. The Garci nomination came as a surprise in some corners: in 1999 a scandal erupted when Garci was accused of buying votes from the Spanish Cinema Academy for the nomination to the Goyas (Spain's Oscars) of his film The Grandfather (El Abuelo). The scandal subsided, Garci was cleared and Grandfather was nominated and made it into the final five of the US Academy Awards. The Garci nomination is a conservative choice by Spain’s Academy, particularly following the Oscar win last year of the anything-but-conservative All About My Mother (Todo Sobre Mi Madre).
The Academy appears to be banking on the previous success of Garci at the Oscars: four of his five previously nominated films were chosen by Hollywood to compete in the final competition. He took home the Oscar for his 1982 film Begin The Beguine (Volver A Empezar), becoming the first Spaniard to win an Academy Award. He was followed in 1993 by Fernando Trueba for Belle Epoque and last year by Pedro Almodovar’s Mother. You’re The One opened on a limited release last Friday to good reviews. Despite the English-language title, the post-Civil War drama about a woman’s emotional crisis was shot in Spanish with stars Lydia Bosch and Ana Fernandez. Garci, a cinephile who hosts a weekly roundtable TV show dedicated to film, calls One an homage to Hollywood movies of the 1930’s and 1940’s.
Meanwhile, A Taste Of Others (Le Gout Des Autres), a first film by actress-scriptwriter Agnes Jaoui (Same Old Song), has been selected as France's candidate for the foreign-language Oscar nominations. The comedy, which stars Jean-Pierre Bacri (who also co-wrote the script with Jaoui), Alain Chabat and Gerard Lanvin, was released in France by Pathe Distribution in March, attracting 3.5 million admissions and currently ranking sixth among the top ten films of 2000. Pathe International is handling foreign sales on the title, which has been sold to Artistic License in the US.
Elsewhere in Europe, Denmark has selected Kaspar Rostrup's A Place Nearby (Her I Naerheden). The film is based on a short story by acclaimed author Martha Christensen and produced by Tina Dalhoff for major Nordisk Film Productions.
Norway’s choice is Stein Leikanger's Odd Little Man, about the childhood memories of Norwegian humorist, writer and singer Odd Borretzen, and the Netherlands has chosen Maria Peters’ Kruimeltje, about a homeless 10-year-old child.
French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve's Maelstrom, being handled internationally by Alliance Atlantis Pictures International, has been selected as Canada's entry marking the second time Villeneuve has been thus honoured. His first feature, 32 August On Earth was selected in the same category in 1998. Maelstrom, produced by Roger Frappier and Luc Vandal of Montreal's Max Films, has won honours at both the Montreal and Toronto film festivals.
These join previously announced selections listed below:
CANADA: Maelstrom (Denis Villeneuve); CROATIA Marshal Tito's Spirit (Vinko Bresan); DENMARK: A Place Nearby (Kaspar Rostrup); FRANCE: The Taste Of Others (Agnes Jaoui); GERMANY: No Place To Go (Oskar Roehler); HONG KONG: In The Mood For Love (Wong Kar-wai); IRAN: A Time For Drunken Horses (Bahman Ghobadi); MOROCCO: Ali Zaoua (Nabil Ayouch); NETHERLANDS: Kruimeltje (Maria Peters); NORWAY: Odd Little Man (Stein Leikanger); POLAND: Life As A Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease (Krzysztof Zanussi); SERBIA: Sky Hook (Ljubisa Samardzic); SPAIN: You're The One (Jose Luis Garci); VENEZUELA: Devil Gold (Jose Ramon Novoa).
SERBIA
* Dima sent us this one : Acclaimed Serbian director Srdjan Dragojevic is trying to deliver the goods under the two-year first-look deal at Miramax. Right now he is also developing two Serbian-language projects. Both projects are period pieces which makes them expensive and otherwise difficult. The first one is the adaptation of Momo kapor`s and Zuko Dzumhur`s novel `Zelena coja Montenegra`(The Green Velvet of Montenegro). It is the story about life and times of 19th Century noblemen in Balkans. The second one is `Sveti Georgije ubiva azdahu` (St.George Slays the Dragon). It is a WW1 tragedy about faith,family and honour. This script is the adaptation of Dusan Kovacevic`s play. In US Dragojevic concocts a couple of pitches and scripts. `Westworld` remake slipped away from him to Joel Silver but his pitch `The Hunters` is considered by Miramax. `The Hunters` is the story about rich Americans that come to war-torn Bosnia to enjoy in man-hunting. `Hard Target`,anyone? Dragojevic is also working on a project about a little boy that molests his neighbour thinking that the neighbour could be the murderer of JFK. Allegedly this project is budgeted at 5 million $ and it is being connected to Harvey Keitel and some kid TV stars. Good luck,Srdjan!!!!!!!
SPAIN
* From Screendaily, some more news on the next Pedro Almodovar film (unless last week, no word on John Travolta's eventual participation here !) : Still basking in the worldwide success of All About My Mother (Todo Sobre Mi Madre), Spanish director Pedro Almodovar has decided to shoot his next film on home turf, postponing indefinitely his much anticipated English-language debut. The provisionally titled Hable Con Ella (Talk To Her) will shoot in Spain sometime next year, possibly as early as March. Sources at Almodovar’s Madrid-based production outfit El Deseo confirm that a first draft of the Spanish-language script is completed but would not reveal details about the story or potential casting. Although Almodovar has repeatedly suggested he would like to unite Spanish A-list actors Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz on a film, sources say the combo looks unlikely for Ella. The Oscar-winning director's next outing was widely expected to be the English-language The Paperboy, a script he developed with novelist Pete Dexter for United Artists (UA). In July UA closed its London office, run by long-time Almodovar collaborators Wendy Palmer and Fiona Mitchell. El Deseo spokespersons deny that the director’s decision not to make Paperboy next year had to do with the changes at UA. It is unclear whether Paperboy will move ahead in the future.
UK
* From Empire Online UK : Eddie Izzard will play Charlie Chaplin in director Peter Bogdanovich's new film The Cat's Meow. The 1920s-set thriller focuses on the murder of a Hollywood insider, which occurs aboard media mogul William Randolph Hearst's yacht, and its subsequent cover-up. Kirsten Dunst will star as Hearst's actress lover Marion Davies, and Jennifer Tilly will appear as gossip columnist Louella Parsons. The film will start shooting in Greece and Berlin this month. Bogdanovich, who had huge success in the 1970s with The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, most recently directed the TV movies A Saintly Switch and Naked City: A Killer Christmas
* If you are a James Bond fan and live (or close to) UK, go in the South, in Beaulieu more precisely because the National Motor Museum is presenting the most famous cars of the serie : the Aston Martin DB5 from GOLDENEYE, the Aston Martin Volante from THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, the BMW 7 Series and Jump Bike from TOMORROW NEVER DIES, the BMW Z 8 from THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, the Lotus Esprit from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and back in the UK for the first time after 35 years the Goldfinger ’s Rolls-Royce Phantom III (check at : Just Click Here
DENMARK
* Denmark's most famous director Lars Von Trier confirmed recently in an interview his wish to direct a porn film. Looking for a new experience, Lars Von Trier told the German magazine Cinema that he thought porn was a major genre in cinema and it was time to make it interesting. Is it wrong to say I am excited (and curious) about that one ?
FRANCE
* And to finish our little European tour, check this site By Clicking Here if you like little independant "B" (or "C" ?) movies. This one is called KATRINA and is about a sexy female vampire... The website is kind of cool and should interest all of you, fans of curiosities...
OZYMANDIAS CORNER
* A quiet week (saw Memento the other day and agree with pretty much everyone else that its a stunning achievement - wonder if it'd be so thrilling if the story were told forwards though... Hmmmm.......) but our friends at Empire Online got this as part of their excellent coverage from the London Film Festival:
When Empire Online caught sight of John Malkovich at tonight's (2 November 2000) screening of Shadow of the Vampire at the London Film Festival, we couldn’t resist asking the actor about the recent rumours concerning a possible role as the Green Goblin in the upcoming Spider-Man movie. ‘I won’t be doing Spider-Man,’ Malkovich told us. ‘It’s not really my genre particularly, and there were scheduling difficulties and what they offered wasn’t in any way an inducement for me to do it.’ Were these scheduling difficulties anything to do with reports that he was taking a role in the sequel to The Talented Mr Ripley? ‘I’ve had a meeting with Liliana Cavani and it’s a possibility,’ Malkovich admitted. But it transpires that timetabling wasn’t the only reason for him turning down the chance to play the Goblin. ‘It was everything,’ he explained, ‘way too much time, not enough money, not enough of anything. I mean, if I’d have loved it obviously I would have done it, but those sort of films aren’t art films, they’re business propositions.
By the way movie geeks where are all the AICNers at the LFF!!? Mail me with whatever you've got at the address below!
L8r, Ozymandias.
Ain't It Cool News - Ireland/UK Office, Penthouse Suite, Ozymandias Towers, Dublin, Ireland.
Mail me @ ozymandias@dublin.com
*************
REVIEWS
* The first review is sent by a new spy in Serbia, White Narcissus, who brought us a first look at a film from over there.
MEHANIZAM (English title - Mechanism)
`Mechanism` is the movie that has already entered the festival circuit. It premiered in Canada, during Montreal and Toronto film Festivals. Allegedly it was well recieved there. Afterwards it was shown in Jerusalem. Conclusion is - shame on you Canadian and Israeli movie buffs if you missed this one. Just a week ago it entered the wide release in the Fatherland and it initiated a bit of a buzz in the filmgoing public. Apparently, `Mechanism` is the typical case of the paradigmatic feature that enables you to scan the state of the national filmmaking culture. After seeing `Mecanism` you can easily create the damage report on Serbian cinema.
Serbian film industry is still the strongest in Eastern Europe. War, UN sanctions and NATO attrocities failed to destroy the Serbian filmmaking spirit. Whatever happened the movies still got made. Their quantity and quality were doubtful but even though these movies were much better than anything Czechs or Hungarians or Russians came up with. Just check Maltin ratings for `Tito and Me` or `Pretty Village,Pretty Flame` and you`ll see what I`m talking about. Sadly, Serbian movies are not always the right example of how talented Serbian filmmakers are. Our film industry relies on the survival of the fittest, not the most talented. Only redempion thus comes with the fact that Serbia`s fittest have considerable talents.
`Mechanism` updates our knowledge with some new developments. Economic turmoil and bad political climate scarred our film industry. Even though it was also spoiled by the strategic influence of the international festival community. International festival community happened to award Yugoslav movies that were flat fables of poverty that caught attention with pathetic views of life that had no actual cinematic punch. `Mechanism` shares some pieces of that `Serbian Poverty Hype` but at the same time it has a clear genre prospective.
First of all,it looks quite good on the visual side. It wasn`t shot on the film stock so that is a refreshment since this movie unravels the new world of digital video cameras. The use of DV cameras is not the invention of Serbian craftsmanship but these guys really are pioneers in this methodology. Lars Von Trier used this technique for his own reasons while Serbs use it out of sheer pragmatism. Film stock is too expensive for Serbian authors and DV gives them space for different experiments and lots of outtakes. This is why `Mechanism` provides us with flashy, feverish, camera movement and visuals that are reminiscent of The Wachowski Brothers` `Bound`. Plotwise, `Mechanism` is pretty much a rip-off of Michael Winner`s `The Mechanic`, Quentin Tarantino`s ` Pulp Fiction` and Walter Hill`s `Trespass`. It was written by Serbia`s worst hacker Gordan Mihic , one of the most experienced and burnt-out Serbian screenwriters. Mihic`s career goes a way back. He bloomed during the sixties and the famous `Black Wave Cinema`. Today this eminent writer steals one-liners from such classics like Russell Mulchahy`s `Ricochet`! Direction is more or less fine. At least it is much better than Quentin Tarantino`s. Obviously director Milosavljevic read lots of Frank Miller and it shows on the final product. Milosavljevic also squeezed the best out of the actors. `Mechanism` stands on the shoulders of its star Nikola Kojo, one of top Serbian actors. His rare hardboiled personality shines and he adds a true `film noir` feel to this pic. The rest of the acting is too hammy for my taste. Acting in `Mechanism` has reasons for its flaws. It`s not just the case of limited talent among actors. Actors also had to deal with a sum of bad character-explanatory lines.
`Mechanism` manages to remain consequent and battle the flaws and setbacks because of its eclectic nature. This movie simply absorbed lots of good material from other films. It is a rare sight that a movie emanates its quality from its own copycat identity. Director Djordje Milosavljevic handled this job pretty well. His debut `Tockovi` was awful and it surprised us since Milosavljevic also wrote his directing debut. It is sad that a young filmmaker, like Milosavljevic, made a better movie with old hack Gordan Mihic`s scripr than with his own.
If you are looking for good Tarantinoid entertainment check this one along with Skip Woods` `Thursday` (and see why Woods got picked up by Joel Silver). If you are looking for an exotic spin on Q.T.`s violent vein and `grunge noir` then `Mechanism` is just right for you. This recommendation may fail you as well. It`s up to you.
White Narcissus
* The second review comes from Edgard himself (vive moi !)
THE YARDS
I know this one has been released already in the States, but I didn't read much on AICN about it, so I thought I should make justice to this beautiful dark drama. A few years ago, I discovered James Gray's first movie : LITTLE ODESSA, probably one of the best surprise of 1994. A dark and tense drama, with a slow pace but served by wonderful actors (Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Maximilian Schell)... if you haven't seen it, well it's a mistake...
THE YARDS tells the story of Leo (Wahlberg), getting out of jail and starting to work with his best friend, Willie (Phoenix), for his uncle Frank (Caan), boss of a New York railroad company. Leo wants to redeem himself and get back in the society, but soon he gets in trouble as Frank and Willie conduct illegal activities to get contracts with the City of New York. Forced to hide he can only counts on his cousin (Theron) who happens to be Willie's girlfriend... (I know I am very bad at telling the story, but I am in a hurry).
So here comes James Gray's second movie, THE YARDS, which is also... a dark and tense drama, with a slow pace but served by wonderful actors (Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, James Caan). This movie was presented in Cannes with mixed results. The main complain was the lack of originality. A story of family, crime, money, power, honor and betrayal... it's true you have seen many many movies on the same story, especially set in New York. But it would be wrong not to see that film just because you think you know the story. I mean most of the love story or action movies have basically the same structure, still you go see these films... Think of THE YARDS as a genre film also, and one you should definitely see. First quality, James Gray's talent. As a director he's as far as you can be from Michael Bay : he likes long scenes, he likes to leave his camera on the actors faces, he likes long silences... he takes his time to set up the drama. As I wrote before, his movies are slow BUT slow doesn't mean boring. Because Gray is also able to get the best out of his actors. James Caan is as his best here (you can forgive him now about appearing in ERASER). And the "young" generation composed of Wahlberg, Phoenix and Theron (aaah... Charlize...) confirm we can count on them in the future for quality roles. The second quality is the very dark tone of the movie. This certainly ain't a feel-good movie. From the beginning to the very end, all the film is permeated by darkness. Corruption, death, betrayal... you name it, Gray fills the screen with shadows and decrepitude (note the frequent electricity blackouts). Even Charlize Theron's character, the only "smiling" character in the beginning, can't resist to the weight of this gritty atmosphere...
Again for those who enjoyed LITTLE ODESSA, you feel in known territory... But can we blame James Gray for making great family/crime/betrayal dark drama's ? Like Frank Darabont, the Stephen King/Prison Drama's expert, James Gray made his second film in the same mould than his first movie... As it is an excellent mould you can't blame these two directors, but let's hope for the future they break the mould and bring us something different. They certainly have the talent for it. Meanwhile don't miss THE YARDS, Gray made only 2 films in 6 years so you might have to wait a while before another one comes...
Edgard
* The third review was sent by Ethan, our favorite mad reviewer here at Euro AICN...
ALMOST FAMOUS
Cameron Crowe`s Y2K effort certainly belongs among this year`s finest movies. It is a sincere and inspiring coming-of-age movie made for all those people who tought that they were uncool. And `uncool` applies to most of the movie buffs out there that are never understood for what they are. Crowe`s movie is about passion for music but basically it is about passion itself. Passion for something visceral and untouchable for mere mortals.
It`s also a melodrama, a love story set against the zeitgeist. It is about that elusive woman that keeps slipping away. And of course it is about rock`n`roll. It is about the greatest years of the rock`n`roll culture. The years when `monsters of rock` filled the stadiums, when `Rolling Stone` articles meant something and when rock stars were really changing lives of their fans. Cameron Crowe has a distinctive talent to create a fettish out of musical material. Just look at the passion in his famous `singalong` scenes in `Jerry Maguire` or `Almost Famous`. Just look at the scene when William Miller checks the record collection in `Almost Famous`. This movie is also about passion in journalism. The Philip Seymour Hoffman`s character, the kid`s guru is the apology of great critics and writers. I am a journalist since age of 16 and I really felt the whole emotion of the movie since I lived through it.
Actors have done a great job. Young Patrick Fugit is gifted and Kate Hudson has all the fragility of a girl and the smarts of a woman. Jason Lee is great as the frontman of Stillwater while Billy Crudup brings the whole world of ambivalence, charisma and hedonism into the part of Stillwater`s charismatic leading guitar and songwriter. Philip Seymour Hoffman`s role is absolute favourite while Frances McDormand fully uses the virtues of Cameron Crowe`s script.Direction is flawless with the masterful use of details and stylish solutions for unattractive situations. It belongs next to Robert Zemeckis` masterpiece `I Wanna Hold Your Hand`. `Almost Famous` feels like Cameron Crowe`s `Sunset Blvd.` I hope that he`ll continue making great movies but whatever he does I`ll bear in mind that `Almost Famous` was his great moment of truth...
Sometimes filmmaking is all about emotions. You know that I, Ethan, am a well-known bastard that bashes Roland Emmerich and hypes Renny Harlin. Well,this movie clicked with me personally, maybe because my youth had this feel to it. So go and see it, check if I got all sentimental or something.
Ethan
THE 'I DISAGREE' REVIEWS
Edgard here still... two weeks ago, Ethan sent to Euro AICN a negative review of Crouching Tiger,..... It was the first negative review of that film I received and I have to admit, I was a bit sad at first (well I loved that film). But again, I thought about it and finally I was glad that someone could stand up against this film. I mean if you read ONLY good reviews before seeing a film, you start expecting a huge masterpiece and you end up disappointed. There's no other way. That's why I thought about opening this new space in the Euro AICN weekly column : the 'I DISAGREE' review is only in the case a movie is loved or hated by all but a few. Ethan's review could have well inserted here. If I had thought about that earlier, I would have written a positive review of MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE 2 last summer as I was one of the few who really enjoyed it. Of course, this works only with movie where it's clear if it's hated or loved by the majority. No need to write here about THE PHANTOM MENACE or THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT as the "love" and "hate" groups are equal. But if you feel like proving that RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK or FIGHT CLUB is crap (try only to do so...), or on the other hand that ROBOCOP 3 or POLICE ACADEMY 4 are masterpieces, well send your reviews to the Euro AICN offices in Paris (euroaicn@yahoo.com). I don't want to be the only one to disagree !!
This week, I will personally start this new space with one film I saw last week-end and on which I.... disagree !
* DANCER IN THE DARK - Palme d'Or in Cannes, Lars Von Trier (director of BREAKING THE WAVES, one of my all-time favorite films), great reviews everywhere, a musical... How could I not like that one ? To be honest I can't really explain why, but I didn't like it. Let's say right the way : Bjork is amazing and the musucal niumbers are great. No question on that. My problem was that the film lasts 2 hours and 20 minutes, with 4 or 5 musical scenes and that's it. Between the songs, I thought the movie was... dull. I never managed to like Selma (Bjork). It seems all the bad things possible happen to her in these 2 hrs 20... like the most unlucky person on earth and it was too much to take. Not I don't like drama, I actually LOVE films with sad endings... but here... here... Von Trier went too far for my taste. I felt like having someone next to me telling me : "here you should feel soory for her", "and now feel even more sorry for her, cry a bit", "oh look !! it's bad... cry again"... Come on... The worst is that I wanted to love that film so much... maybe just for Bjork, you can feel how much energy and strength she put in this character... but the problem here is Von Trier who doesn't let her go all the way. Bjork herself said in interviews she was willing to make her character more "happy"... and it's sad she could not. For example, Selma is supposed to do everything for a kid. Fair enough. But there is not one scene in the movie where you see Selma giving real "motherly" affection to her son. Instead you see her strict with him (besides you don't see her much with her son) and when she talks about him is to confess her selfishness (she decided to have a child even if it meant he would go blind like her). Sorry... but I could not really relate to Selma in those conditions. And as much as I like "Dogma" films like FESTEN or MIFUNE (or even THE IDIOTS in a certain way), here I was so annoyed by the "moving camera". I am okay with it if it has a purpose like in BLAIR WITCH or even FESTEN... but here there's no reason, not one, to keep the camera moving, shaking... I know Von Trier likes to experiment and make different films, but enough is enough... he should have concentrated on the music and sound effects... in those moments, the film really takes up... this scene on the train is pure joy and makes me even more sad about me not liking that film... Still go see it, make your own opinion about it... but did DANCER IN THE DARK really deserved the Palme d'Or in Cannes...??
sorry but I disagree....
