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Movie Poster of the Day No.290 – Excision

This is a damn good poster, for a pretty interesting sounding film. And with a cast as mixed as AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, Roger Bart, Jeremy Sumpter, Malcolm McDowell, Matthew Gray Gubler, Marlee Matlin, Ray Wise, and John Waters, I must say, I’m looking forward to this more twisted looking horror comedy take on high school.

Anyway peace out suckers!

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Movie Trailer of the Day No.266 – The Possession 

If its got Jeffrey Dean Morgan in it then it gets my attention. From the looks of this trailer it’s a familiar horror story that’s been told a lot recently. The idea of possession films, is very of the moment. So what might make this one different? My only answer is the talented people associated with the film, such as Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick and Sam Raimi as producer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hELze9YRTGs

A different movie trailer everyday, might be from a new film, might be from a film you’ve never seen, might even be just because its a terrible trailer. What I will say is they will all be interesting in some way.

Anyway peace out suckers!

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City Screen York What’s On: 18/05/2012 to 24/05/2012

The Dictator – Larry Charles – 15 – 83min

Dark Shadows – Tim Burton – 12A – 113min

Marvel Avenger Assemble – Joss Wheadon – 12A – 143min

Cafe de Flore – Jean-Marc Vallée – 15 – 121min

The following interview is provided by Momentum Pictures an alliance film company.

VANESSA PARADIS on CAFE DE FLORE

Vanessa Paradis has never been pinned down to one label. Before she was an actress, she was a model and a singer, becoming globally famous at the age of 14 when her single ‘Joe Le Taxi’ became a smash hit in 15 countries. But despite winning a French Cesar for her 1989 debut Noce Blanche, she’s turned down several major film offers over the years and taken prolonged sabbaticals from acting in order to focus on her music and raise two children with Johnny Depp (they’ve been a couple since the 1990s). In the last couple of years, however, she has picked up the pace again with film work and her starring role in Cafe De Flore may be a sign that Paradis, now 39, is about to enter the most fruitful phase of her acting career.

Jean-Marc Vallée’s emotive, mystical drama tells two parallel stories: one, set in present-day Montreal, depicts the break-up of a marriage and its devastating impact on Carole (Hélène Florent), who remains convinced that her bond with husband Antoine (Kevin Parent) was meant to last forever; the other is set in 1969 Paris, where single mother Jacqueline (Paradis) is raising a young son with Down’s Syndrome. To call Jacqueline devoted is an understatement – she showers love and affection on Laurent (Marin Gerrier), enrolling him at a normal school, teaching him to defend himself from bullies. But when he develops a close attachment to Veronique, another Down’s syndrome child, her maternal devotion comes under threat, leading to unforeseen consequences. It’s fair to say that Paradis is heartbreaking in the role and she was duly rewarded with a Best Actress prize at the 2012 Genies, Canada’s equivalent to the Oscars.

Congratulations on your award. Were you there to accept in person?

Thank you very much. I wasn’t but Jean-Marc Vallée, the director, went and accepted it on my behalf. He asked me to send a little note just in case I won. I thanked Jean-Marc and Marin, the little boy that plays opposite me, because if they’re giving me the prize, it’s really because of these two men. It’s the case in every movie that you’re only good if the people around you are good. That little boy added so much grace and so much humour to our little tandem.

Was it difficult finding a young actor to play your son?

It was by luck and by love that Jean-Marc found Marin, because he is the actual friend – boyfriend even – of Alice [Dubois], who plays Veronique in the movie. Alice’s parents had sent a tape of her to be considered for the movie and Marin was on that tape because he was playing with her. They’re pretty much in love with each other.

You’re known to be picky with film roles. Why did you choose to do Cafe De Flore?

It was so brilliantly written. It was a shock to read but such a beautiful script. I also loved the movies that Jean-Marc had done before and the fact that he offered me a character unlike any I’ve been offered before was irresistible.

She’s a tough and devoted mother. What did you make of Jacqueline?

She has set a goal in her life because she has nothing. There’s no husband, no family, no friends and no money – nothing but the love she has to give this little boy. It’s all about him for her and she lives with the threat of losing him so her goal is to make him strive and survive and be strong. She doesn’t do everything well – it’s actually the contrary – but she does everything from her heart.

Did you ask Jean-Marc why he wanted you for this role?

He didn’t want me for the role! He met with other actresses in France. But after I read the script, I called him and I think he could see that I was so into it. It was that conversation that made him choose me, I think.

What did your collaboration with Jean-Marc bring out in the character?

She’s so different from me so I had to erase a bunch of things. I couldn’t be seductive, sensitive, vulnerable. When Jean-Marc and I were looking for the voice of this woman, it became really clear at one point that she had to be very masculine. Because she is both the mom and the dad, we had to find the masculinity in her.

Without giving too much away, did you ever meet or talk to the actors who star in Cafe De Flore’s parallel storyline?

No, we only met when the movie was done. They started to shoot the Canadian part first, and then Jean-Marc came to Paris for a month of preparation. He brought a 20-minute edit of what they had just shot in Montreal so we got to see the other characters and also the tone and rhythm and level of emotion they were playing. We still had to find our bearings together but there was already a movie that we could relate to, even if our story in Paris has nothing to do with theirs… apparently.

Had you had experience of working with or knowing anyone with Down’s Syndrome prior to making Café De Flore?

No, it was the first time. And it was an amazing experience because Marin comes from such an amazing family. He has an older brother and a younger brother and the parents, Natalie and Christophe, are just unbelievable people – great parents and great human beings. This little boy was born with Down’s Syndrome. He was also born with an amazing personality, amazing intelligence and a sense of humour. It’s in his genes. It was beautiful spending time with them; we got along so well.

Were his parents there all the time?

No. It’s a tough thing for parents to leave their son in the hands of other people. It’s a big responsibility for us and they trusted us very much. They got to know us and then trusted us enough to leave their boy with us. They gave us shortcuts to what he likes, what he doesn’t like, what works, what doesn’t work.

How did he behave with you, the woman playing his mother?

He was great. That was my biggest fear because with Down’s Syndrome, most of the time there is a problem with assimilation, of processing new information. It’s quite a weird thing anyway for anybody – kids, grown-ups, Down’s Syndrome or not – to be in the scenes we were playing. It’s not a comedy, it’s tough, but he always knew that we were playing and when it was done, I was just Vanessa.

So you made him feel relaxed on set?

You know what? He made me feel relaxed. Everybody fell in love with this little boy on the set. He’s so funny and he’s a little angel. He’s a demon as well! He’s very stubborn so it wasn’t easy all the time.

Did you introduce your own children to him?

Yes. We had a few parties where we danced and ate fries and drank Coca-Cola. It was great.

Beauty - Oliver Hermanus -15 – 121min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGfzaIJRLBo

Also happening this week!

 City Screen explores some of today’s big environmental issues with three films and speakers for the UK Green Film Festival.

IN TRANSITION 2.0 on Friday 18 May, 19:30

Despite price hikes and energy crises, we bring you inspiring stories from around the world of how we can move from oil dependence to local resilience. Peter Gay of York In Transition will lead a discussion after the screening.

 TASTE THE WASTE on Saturday 19 May, 16:00

Shockingly, en route from farm to dining-room table, more than half our food veers off to landfill. Why do we throw away so much food, and how can we stop this kind of waste?  Catherine Bamford of York Rotters (a project of St Nicholas Fields) will lead a discussion after the film.

 GREEDY LYING BASTARDS on Sunday 20 May, 15:00

When one industry has too much power, politicians become pawns.  Craig Rosebraugh’s new documentary highlights what some view as the influence, deceit and corruption of the fossil fuels industry. Simon Bowens, Regional Campaigner for Yorkshire & Humber Friends of The Earth, will lead a discussion after the film.

There you go, a what’s on guide for all my local readers who frequent the City Screen York. If you would like to book tickets then please follow this link http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/York_Picturehouse/Whats_On/All/This_Week/

Anyway peace out suckers!

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Farewell To The King arrives on DVD on the 14th of May 2012 from Second Sight Films. The film was first released in 1989 and is directed by John Milius, who had a couple of directorial hits in the early 80′s with Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. It’s not as a director that Milius is best know however. He is best know as the writer of such films as Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, as well as treatments and sections of films like Jaws, The Hunt for Red October and Apocalypse Now (a fact that Francis Ford Coppola still disputes).

Farewell to the King is, at its core, an adventure tale. At the start of the film we see Nick Nolte’s character Learoyd attempting to leave Borneo with fellow soldiers in 1942 during the second world war. After failing to escape via sea, Learoyd deserts his compatriots and runs into the thick of the Borneo jungle.

Three years later Nigel Havers’ Captain Fairbourne and Frank McRae’s Sergeant Tenga are sent to Borneo to attempt to enlist some of the local tribes to fight on behalf of the allies against the Japanese, they are greeted by Learoyd as the now leader of the Dayaks tribe. Through a series of flashbacks we are told the story of how this came to be, and events unravel that force the two sides to join the fight together.

A lot is made of the similarities in theme to Nick Nolte’s Learoyd, and Marlon Brando’s Colonel Kurtz, of Coppola’s Vietnam masterpiece Apocalypse Now. While there are loose connections in the two characters, both are soldiers who have risen to rule an indigenous tribe, and both have seemingly gone insane in the process, it has to be said this likeness is flimsy at best, and is more likely pointed at because of John Milius connection to Coppola’s film.

Nick Nolte is an actor I’ve always had a lot of time for. For a man who gets little credit, he’s constantly delivered great films and great performances for 30 years now. Any actor of his age would be proud of a CV like his, however many simply associate him with his infamous mug shot, which incidentally isn’t even a mug shot, it’s an unofficial photo taken of the actor by a police officer.

Nolte and Havers bounce off each other very well, with Havers playing the stuffy British soldier admirably. It’s worrying that Havers, who is actually a decent actor, has fallen so far that he’s now returned to the tv series Coronation Street. Yep from making Hollywood movies like this and Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, to Coronation Street. What cruel twist of fate occurred there?

As with any film with a jungle tribe setting, the set design is pleasing on the eye, but in reality lacks a sense of realism, but maybe if it had looked too realistic it would have been in congress with the ethos of the film itself. Milius is certainly a better writer than he is director. The film often feels too rushed, then followed by moments of pondering, which overall affects the flow of the film.

Overall this film is ideal rainy Sunday afternoon watching. It’s not got any really message or depth to it, it’s just a well told and well acted story, that’s got enough family friendly adventure in it to make it worth watching.

Farewell to the King is available on DVD from 14th of May 2012 from Second Sight Films RRP: £15.99 best price found £10.99 http://www.amazon.co.uk

Anyway peace out suckers!

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Two Charles Dickens classics come to DVD from Studio Canal on the 14th of May 2012, and they are not the ones you’d usually expect. Whenever Dickens adaptations are mentioned its an automatic response to think of A Christmas Carol, Oliver, and Great Expectations, but Studio Canal have chosen to look back at two of the oldest film versions of two of Charles Dickens earliest books. The films in question are 1934′s Thomas Bentley directed version of The Old Curiosity Shop and 1947′s Alberto Cavalcanti directed telling of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

The Old Curiosity Shop – 1934 – Directed by Thomas Bentley

The Old Curiosity Shop is often considered one of Dickens lesser works, or more, one of his most dated, and less relatable to more modern times books. Much could be said about this 1934 adaptation of the book.

The story is of an old shop keeper known as The Grandfather (Ben Webster) who along with his granddaughter Nell (Elaine Benson) are forced to leave their shop, The Old Curiosity Shop, that they both run because of the actions of Daniel Quilp, a dwarf who, along with The Gradfather’s brother, chose to persue the pair as they flee. I’m purposely being very vague in description of the plot, for the simple reason, that the film hinges on the plot. For a film of its time it’s surprisingly plot heavy, and tries to do its best to condense what is a fairly big novel down into a 105minute film, while remaining as faithful as possible and not losing any of the books character or melodrama.

Its always strange looking back over films that were made in pre World War II Britain. There is always a different sense of social leanings to the films, an almost lighter side that was somehow lost in the years between 1939 and 1945. Also the fact that this film was made during the early stages of sound within films. Although it had been 7 years since the first major “talkie” with 1927′s The Jazz Singer, and almost all films were now using characters voice, cinema was still getting used to actors having speaking roles, and how different accents came across on screen. The broadness of the accents in this film nowadays seems off centre and at times a little laughable, but at the time people hadn’t gotten used to the familiarity of American voices on screen yet.

The Old Curiosity Shop may look and sound dated, and it is, but its 78 years old, its bound to look dated, even Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece, and one of the greatest films ever made Metropolis, looks dated. This doesn’t stop the fact that at its core The Old Curiosity Shop is purely about the story, and yes it misses beats, but as usual with films from this era that get modern releases, they do so because they have a relevance and are worth watching to compare with how we deal with story telling in modern cinema, where story is increasingly being replaced by clever marketing and explosions.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby – 1947 – Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is, its fair to say, a better known book than The Old Curiosity Shop, and a more often adapted book then the one previously discussed. This is the 1947 Ealing Studios adaptation directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, and is often sited as one of the best Dickens film adaptations ever made.

The story is well known and tells of Nicholas Nickleby, and how after his father dies his Uncle Ralph arranges a job as tutor at a northern boarding school, leaving his mother and younger sister in the care of Uncle Ralph. After discovering the abusive way the school is being run, Nicholas, along with a young boy he befriends named Smike, escapes the school, and embark on a series of adventures, that lead them eventually back to Uncle Ralph and Nicholas’s previous employers at the boarding school, Mr. and Mrs. Squeers.

Again I don’t want to give too much of the story away because the whole presentation of Dickens based films is the story. It’s at the forefront of all that is happening, and is dealt with as the main character.

Director Alberto Cavalcanti, who was born and raised in Brazil, worked for years in France before finding his way to the UK film market in the early 40′s with the excellent Went the Day Well?. Cavalcanti has a style to his filmmaking and its on show here, his ability to make films breeze past is a skill few filmmakers ever acquire, and the more of his work I see the more it makes me want to search out more of his back catalog.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is the better film of the two Dickens titles released by Studio Canal on the 14th of May, but in all honesty I preferred The Old Curiosity Shop for its presence and because I just connected more with the story.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby & The Old Curiosity Shop are released on DVD 14th of May 2012 from Studio Canal RRP: £15.99 (each) Best price found £11.99 (each) http://www.amazon.co.uk

Anyway peace out suckers!

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Movie Poster of the Day Special No.289 – Skyfall

The first poster for Sam Mendes Bond film Skyfall. Daniel Craig is once again returning as 007, in his third film as Bond and the 23rd in total. In the upcoming film Craig will be battling Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, with Ben Whishaw having his first outing as Q. I have loved both Craig Bond films, so I’m really looking forward to this.

Anyway peace out suckers!

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Movie Poster of the Day No.288 – Passion

Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace will star in Brian De Palma’s return to the erotic thriller genre that has served him so well over the years, with films like Dressed to Kill and Body Double. Passion is a remake of French director Alain Corneau 2010 film Love Crime, which starred Ludivine Sagnier and Kristin Scott Thomas. This could be good!

Anyway peace out suckers!

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Movie Trailer of the Day No.265 – Top Cat

Top Cat the movie has come out of nowhere. The original Hanna-Barbera cartoon series TV series ran for only 30 episodes over 50 years ago, has been on steady reruns pretty much since then, but has never really caught the imagination enough to make it a viable show to transfer to a movie. Except in Mexico where the show seems to have an appeal beyond anywhere else. The film itself is a Mexican made 3D animation and was a huge success at the Mexican box office, and it opens in the UK on the 1st of June 2012, and I’m looking forward to it. No really I am!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FAnUtCwo8U

A different movie trailer everyday, might be from a new film, might be from a film you’ve never seen, might even be just because its a terrible trailer. What I will say is they will all be interesting in some way.

Anyway peace out suckers!

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Movie Trailer of the Day No.264 – The Good Doctor

Has Orlando Bloom finally made a film where he has to be simply more than Orlando Bloom? Since Bloom came to fame in 2001′s first installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, his career has mostly been made up of those films and the increasingly dull Pirates of the Caribbean films. Now free of the shackles of Pirates, Bloom may allow himself to make more interesting choices, like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma7z-QqxrTw

A different movie trailer everyday, might be from a new film, might be from a film you’ve never seen, might even be just because its a terrible trailer. What I will say is they will all be interesting in some way.

Anyway peace out suckers!

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Movie Poster of the Day No.287 – Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

So Robert Rodriquez has two follow up films in production at the moment and are both due for release in 2013. Now we all assume that Machete Kills is going to be a less significant and more throw away fun film than this long awaited sequel to 2005′s Sin City. However is the fact that it will be 8 years since the first film impressed almost everyone with its style and verve, going to be an issue. Since Sin City come out the comic book, or graphic novel movie has gone from being pure fanboy fodder, and often pandering, to being the staple of the movie business. Can Sin City: A Dame to Kill For capture the imagination like the first film did?

Anyway peace out suckers!