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The Minister (L’exercice de l’État) | Review
Thursday, April 26th, 2012Director: Pierre Schöller Writer: Pierre Schöller Starring: Olivier Gourmet, Michel Blanc, Zabou Breitman, Laurent Stocker, Sylvain Deblé, Didiez Bezace, Jacques Boudet, François Chattot, Gaëtan Vassart, Anne Azoulay “If he hadn’t exist, one would invent him” claims Josepha (Anne Azoulay). What an ironic observation! Saying that, she looks at Bertrand Saint Jean (Olivier Gourmet), the French ministry of transport. He is already drunk, yet there is another glass of vodka in his hand. Bertrand is spending the evening with his driver, Martin (Sylvain Deblé), and his wife Josepha at their claustrophobic house trailer. He is having a really great time, drinking a toast after toast; political roughs and tumbles intensify the conversation. In the meantime, the human face of the politic has been unveiled. One needs to be quite an actor to play a real human rather than a waxwork from the government; and with Olivier Gourmet’s talent and inner potential, this is a piece of cake. However, in the world of politics featured by writer-director Pierre Schöller in his L’exercice de l’État, lots of situations are hidden under the disguise of great acting on the governments’ stage. Thankfully, nothing hinders Schöller from finding dust that was wiped under the carpet, uncovering governmental games. In this context, the prologue of L’exercice de l’État is extremely important. The tempting minister’s dream we are talking about is inspired by Helmut Newton’s acclaimed photo entitled Crocodile Eating Ballerina that Schöller turns into a moving picture. Black-and-white aesthetics make way for gold and red colors. The mildness of a naked woman’s body is cleverly juxtaposed with the asperity of the reptile skin on it. The director brings such intensive contrast into effect, so I do not want to simplify the story by choosing only one symbolic meaning of the crocodile’s figure among many. I get the full-scale image when I compare lightness and shadow, power and helplessness, death and living, hypocrisy and honesty, greediness and self-commandment. The world in Schöller’s film is constructed with a meticulousness equal to the listing of those symbolic meanings. To make a perfect cocktail, the French director precisely adds to the plot the elements of gravity, irony, grotesque, criticism and acceptance. Should I call him a gambler or does the nickname of intelligent matchmaker suit him better? Schöller observes the minister with a human eye, so he sees a real person, not a fake figure. We meet Bertrand as he wakes up in the early morning. Before the phone rings, we have a few minutes to notice that the dream mentioned above has elicited a natural sexual excitement in him. Eroticism and death — a nice combination. So, I am not surprised that the phone call is about a tragic bus crash near a newly opened road. The minister needs to offer his condolences to the society. However, dealing with the accident is like nice foreplay. The issue of the privatization of railway stations — which Bertrand is opposing — appears soon afterwards. Time for another tournament is coming. The winner gets power and recognition, as well as the opportunity to make a final decision. Who is right? That is not the right question. Who has the better cards to play this treacherous game? That’s a much better one. Thankfully, the director is concerned about any viewers who are not very keen on politics. The plot is understandable from the very beginning until the end. Governmental issues are commented upon from the experts’ point of view and from the perspective of laymen. Speaking of — it is Josepha’s time once again. During the same meeting that I mentioned in the first paragraph, Josepha bares her teeth at Bertrand saying that being minister means that he doesn’t have to take any personal responsibility — it is amazing how she hits the nail on the head! On the contrary, Schöller takes complete responsibility for showing the multidimensional world of politics; people who are dealing with common, everyday problems and are feeling constrained to make highly important social decisions. He takes the responsibility for casting Gourmet in the part of the minister — casting the best actor who has the ability to maintain a straight face while answering phone calls as he sits on the toilet with his trousers wandering around his ankles. Schöller takes responsibility for putting a specific comicality into a film that does not make us laugh, but rather makes us think about the reality that we do not really know. L’exercice de l’État is a subversive story in a similar way as Nanni Moretti’s Habemus papam (2011). It is a film that irks the system on the surface, but also as sorely as a stone stuck in your shoe. No matter what you are doing, you need to stop and figure out what is wrong, because you cannot go on ahead with this pain anymore. Rating: 7/10
Death of a Superhero | Review
Thursday, April 26th, 2012Director: Ian Fitzgibbon Writer: Anthony McCarten Starring: Thomas Sangster, Andy Serkis, Aisling Loftus, Ronan Raftery, Michael McElhatton, Sharon Horgan Fifteen-year old Donald (Thomas Sangster) is suicidal. Why? He has cancer and has given up on life. His days are numbered. He is full of pubescent rage. All he wants to do is brood and whine and draw comic book superheroes. Donald’s parents (Michael McElhatton and Sharon Horgan) and his therapist (Andy Serkis) do not want him to throw in the towel quite yet; they are much more hopeful about his remission than Donald. Blah, blah, cancer, blah, blah… Donald begins to turn the corner when he befriends Shelly (Aisling Loftus). Of course falling for Shelly sends Donald on an emotional roller coaster ride. Oh, and then his brother (Ronan Raftery) has the bright idea that Donald cannot die a virgin… That’s when things get a tad ridiculous… Ian Fitzgibbon’s Death of a Superhero visually represents Donald’s fantasies and emotions by animating the characters that he draws. Surprisingly, this tactic is used with directorial subtlety, allowing it to play out rather organically. In fact, Death of a Superhero benefits from Fitzgibbon’s low-key approach to the narrative, steering clear of cheap tear-jerking sentimentality. Fitzgibbon understands that a story about a 15-year old dying of cancer is sad enough, he never has to force any emotions. In other words, this is not your typical Hollywood story. Leave it to the United Kingdom to keep things gut-wrenchingly real. Rating: 7/10
Turn Me On, Dammit! (Få meg på, for faen) | Review
Thursday, April 26th, 2012Director: Jannicke Systad Jacobsen Writers: Janncike Systad Jacobsen, Olaug Nilssen (novel) Starring: Helene Bergsholm, Matias Myren, Henriette Steenstrup, Malin Bjørhovde, Beate Støfring When it comes to the topic of sex and teenagers, teenage girls seem to be left completely out of the conversation; unless, of course, they are the object of someone’s desire, usually horny teenage males. Female teenagers range from voluptuous and sultry to standoffish and bitchy. There rarely seems to be a persona in between or even completely different from either of these options. And while it’s perfectly fine for young men to discuss a whole range of sexual topics — sex, masturbation, objects of their desire — young women never seem to talk about them on screen. But why is that? Teenagers are full of raging hormones, period. Finally, a director has come along to portray teenage women as they really are…horny. Of course, it comes as no surprise that Jannicke Systad Jacobsen, director of Turn Me On, Dammit!, is a lady. Turn Me On, Dammit! is a film about sexual frustration, more so than sex; but that doesn’t stop Jacobsen from shying away from anything else sexual — boobs, a penis and masturbation. The film opens with 15-year-old Alma (Helene Bergsholm) lying on the kitchen floor listening to a telephone sex operator while eagerly alleviating her sexual frustration. The conversation, if you can call it that, abruptly ends when Alma’s mother (Henriette Steenstrup) comes home. Alma is quickly able to pull up and button her pants without her mother suspecting a thing. Shortly after, Alma takes a walk with her dog and runs into Artur (Matias Myren) the person of her desires and affections. Throughout the film, such encounters with Artur (and really just about everyone) trigger sexual daydreams. At times, it is difficult to tell when she is dreaming; some scenes are clearly distinguished with a few frames of black and white while others are not. As a result, the dream sequences are often more confusing than they should be, but they still manage to get the point across nevertheless. Alma is friends with Sara (Malin Bjørhovde) and her sister Ingrid (Beate Støfring) who are complete polar opposites. Sara is a rare Norwegian brunette, wears heavy eyeliner, and has aspirations to move to Texas to end capital punishment. Ingrid is in the choir; she is blonde, voluptuous, and used to getting her way with her pulchritude. These stereotypes are ubiquitous in film, as I’ve already mentioned. While all three girls talk about boys, Alma does not confide in the sisters about her sexual appetite. Alma makes the tragic mistake of revealing to Sara and Ingrid an encounter she had with Artur at a party. Rather than side with her, Ingrid goes out of her way to shun Alma giving her the nickname “Dick-Alma”. Her home life isn’t much better than her time at school once her mother discovers Alma has been calling a sex hotline. Her mother is convinced something is wrong with Alma and tells her she must get a job to help pay for the phone bill. The job isn’t any better though. Living in a small town does not lend itself to heavy food traffic at the super market. It does, however, give Alma time to “ride a roll of coins” and browse through porn magazines. Ultimately, Alma just wants to be a normal teenager. Stig (Per Kjerstad), Alma’s regular telephone companion, convinces her to tell Artur how she really feels about him. Here the film becomes a bit formulaic as Alma and Artur try to resolve their feeling for one another, but it’s still endearing nevertheless. Turn Me On, Dammit! has the look of many Norwegian films I’ve seen — slightly dreary with muted colors. Yet the story is fresh and to the point at a mere 76 minutes. It’s fun, funny, and not the typical romantic comedy. Bergsholm delivers a great performance as Alma, able to capture her pleasure, pain, and general teenage angst. Jacobsen’s film is one many young women can relate to on some level because guess what? Girls are horny too!
Jackpot (Arme Riddere) | Review
Thursday, April 26th, 2012Director: Magnus Martens Writers: Magnus Martens, Jo Nesbø Starring: Kyrre Hellum, Henrik Mestad, Marie Blokhus, Mads Ousdal, Andreas Cappelen, Arthur Berning, Lena Kristin Ellingsen, Jan Grønli, Fridtjov Såheim, Peter Andersson As soon as we are introduced to the chipper, we know exactly where this quirkily violent murder mystery is headed. Yes, that’s right. Jackpot is Norway’s stylishly bloody attempt to bank on Fargo’s popularity. Better late than never, I guess. The tale is recollected by Oscar (Kyrre Hellum), the sole survivor of a violent gun battle in a strip club/porn shop, as he is questioned by an eccentric detective (Henrik Mestad); but whether Oscar is a witness or suspect is unclear, as is the truthfulness of his story of a group of dumb and greedy ex-cons who double and triple cross each other after winning 1.7 million kroner on a soccer bet. That right there is the most impressive aspect of Jackpot — the way it toys with the audience’s perception of reality ala Usual Suspects. (Okay, and the Cheese Puffs scene is grossly hilarious.) Though the narrative seems to be told from Oscar’s perspective, most of it is actually conveyed from the detective’s reluctant opinions of Oscar’s recollections; and because the detective does not believe most of what Oscar tells him, this lends the flashback scenes a certain level of satirical mockery. As with most of the Coen Brothers’ cannon of work, writer-director Magnus Martens amps up the violence to ridiculously absurd levels — and you know how I feel about good old fashioned beheadings. Rating: 6/10
¿Alguien ha visto a Lupita? (Have you seen Lupita?) | Review
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012Director: Gonzalo Justiniano Writers: Gonzalo Justiniano, Marina Stavenhagen Starring: Dulce María, Carmen Salinas, Cristián de La Fuente Lupita (Ducle María) is beautiful young woman from a well to do family in Mexico. Unlike the rest of her family, however, she leaves in a world all her own. This seems to be the result of ingesting too many hallucinogenic mushrooms as a young child. Her family sees her as crazy — her aunt in particular — and while Lupita has been committed at one point, her mother can’t bring herself to keep Lupita locked up. Lupita seems more innocent than challenged, self-aware in some respects, but completely oblivious to the ways of the world. When tragedy strikes Lupita’s family, her brother — Maxi (Cristián de la Fuente) — has Lupita committed again. But Maxi realizes an institution is no place for Lupita and hurriedly retrieves her. Unsure of how to take care of his sister and appease his family, Maxi leaves Lupita in a hotel room, gives her his credit card, and asks her to behave like a “normal” girl. What follows is a whirlwind journey for Lupita, which she documents with the camera of a cell phone. On her journey, Lupita encounters several nefarious types, including good-looking Angel with whom Lupita has her first sexual experience. She also meets Chepita (Carmen Salinas) who realizes Lupita is a special girl in need of a little guidance. With ball-busting Chepita by her side, Lupita can’t get into too much trouble. Directed by Gonzalo Justiniano, ¿Alguien ha visto a Lupita? (Have you seen Lupita?), is a romantic tale about innocence, love, and seeing the world from a different perspective. Rating: 6/10
DARK SHADOWS | Advance Screenings Giveaway
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012Smells Like Screen Spirit & Warner Bros. invite you
to RSVP for passes to our special advance screenings of
DARK SHADOWS
May 7, 2012 at 7:30 PM in
Austin, Dallas, Houston & San Antonio, TX.
Synopsis: In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles. Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote
Studio: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: Friday, May 11, 2012
Screening Info: Monday, May 7, 2012 at 7:30 PM
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
Austin click here to RSVP
Dallas click here to RSVP
Houston click here to RSVP
San Antonio click here to RSVP
Arrive early. Screenings are over-booked to ensure a full house and to compensate for “no shows.” Tickets are not a guarantee of admission.
Rick Alverson & Tim Heidecker (The Comedy) | Video Interview
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012The Comedy is the case study of Swanson (Tim Heidecker); a privileged thirty-something slacker hipster from the affluent Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. With his father withering away in hospice care, Swanson faces the inevitable inheritance of the family’s estate. Due to his complete lack of responsibilities as well as unlimited free time, Swanson has a desensitized perception of the world around him. He pushes social buttons and boundaries with the same abrasive curiosity of a child poking a dead animal with a stick, and plods through life with a drag on those around him.
For me, The Comedy was the most emotionally dynamic film at SXSW 2012 due to director Rick Alverson’s astonishing job of allowing the natural wit of his comedic stars to thrive while keeping it within the bounds of the ironic title.
We had the opportunity to met up with director Rick Alverson and star Tim Heidecker at SXSW 2012 and have a conversation about The Comedy, which had it’s world premiere at Sundance in January. Enjoy!
Rat King | Review
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012Director: Petri Kotwica Writer: Petri Kotwica Starring: Max Ovaska, Julius Lavonen, Outi Mäenpää, Janne Virtanen, Niina Koponen, Miika Ullakko, Maarja Jakobson, Külliki Saldre, Kene Vernik Would you like to play a game? Jury (Max Ovaska) spends most of the 24 hours of his days playing Call of Duty in his dimly lit basement bedroom, which is piled high with computer equipment. His gaming addiction is causing his schoolwork and real-life relationships to suffer; everyone, including his mother (Outi Mäenpää) and girlfriend ((Niina Koponen) seem to think Jury is past the point of no return. When his online friends begin to disappear, there seems to be a chance for Jury to return to reality; that is until one of his gaming buddies, Niki (Julius Lavonen), shows up in Jury’s hometown looking for a place to hide. Finnish writer-director Petri Kotwica’s Rat King may be a taut and stylized Hitchcockian thriller about identity theft, but that does not save it from being incredibly predictable. For example, from the very moment that Niki informs Jury about the horrors of a continue-to-play-or-die online game, we know that it will not be long before Jury logs on. From that very same moment, the identity of the puppet master behind the curtain also becomes all too obvious; but, then again, with all of the red herrings that populate Kotwica’s script, we might assume that we are being led astray once again. Rat King is an impressively written, directed and acted PSA about online gaming addiction; serving as a diatribe about the naïveté of young gamers (specifically when it comes to online identity theft), the desensitizing effects of violent games on its players, the social awkwardness caused by too much gaming, and the ease of access to dangerous information online. Kotwica’s heavy-handed use of metaphors could use some toning down — especially the over-sized chess board, which tells us that Jury is merely a pawn and that there must be someone who is orchestrating Jury’s every move. Rating: 6/10
Double or Nothing | Review
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012Director: Nathaniel Krause Writer: Neil Labute Starring: Adam Brody, Keith David, Louisa Krause Neil Labute is the king of writing despicable characters and Double or Nothing’s Clark (Adam Brody) is really fucking despicable. While out on a date with Becca (Louisa Krause), Clark confronts a homeless man (Keith David) and challenges him to a bet, amid a bevy of racist and classist slurs. The homeless man wins the first round, but then Clark raises the stakes with a double or nothing bet. Double or Nothing is saturated with stinging dialogue that does not hold any punches. As much as I hate to admit it, Clark says a lot of things that privileged people think (internally) about the under-privileged; but verbalized from Clark’s hatefully snarky mouth, we realize just how horribly wrong these thoughts are. Double or Nothing is certainly not a fun or pleasant film, but the discriminatory bile might just change the way we think about the homeless population. Rating: 6/10
Nancy, Please | Review
Tuesday, April 24th, 2012Director: Andrew Semans Writers: Andrew Semans, Will Heinrich Starring: Will Rogers, Rebecca Lawrence, Eleonore Hendricks, Novella Nelson, Santino Fontana, Eilis Cahill An interesting treatise on the Intelligentsia’s tendency to over-think even the most simple of situations, Nancy, Please observes how Paul (Will Rogers) deals with the loss of a Charles Dickens novel. Paul has recently moved in with Jen (Rebecca Lawrence), but during the course of the move, his hardback copy of Little Dorritt was left behind. Simple enough. Paul just needs to call his old housemate, Nancy (Eleonore Hendricks), and find out when it would be most convenient for him to pick up the book. The problem is Paul is overly anxious to get the book because the handwritten annotations inside the book are an integral part of his Literary Criticism dissertation. Risking expulsion from Yale if he does not turn in a draft of his dissertation soon, Paul needs the book post haste. So, Paul proceeds to call Nancy again and again and again. From Paul’s patronizing perspective, Nancy is a psychotic slacker who has nothing better to do than fuck with his head. As Nancy continues to avoid Paul, he becomes more and more unhinged. The constant nagging wears on Nancy as well, until the entire situation spirals totally out of control. We barely see Nancy (when we do, it is from Paul’s perspective) and we learn very little about her. Andrew Semans’ choice to keep Nancy’s motives a secret from the audience is what makes Nancy, Please something special. Even when Paul confronts Nancy, she remains an enigma; but despite her lack of screen time, Eleonore Hendricks (Bad Fever) makes an everlasting impression. Rating: 7/10
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