Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Icelandic Thriller 'Jar City' Getting an American Remakehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/icelandic-thriller-jar-city-getting-an-american-remake/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/icelandic-thriller-jar-city-getting-an-american-remake/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/icelandic-thriller-jar-city-getting-an-american-remake/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Iceland has a more robust film industry than you might expect from a small island nation of only 320,000 people, but still, it ain't exactly Hollywood. So when an Icelandic film gains worldwide attention, it's newsworthy.

Such is the case with Jar City, an excellent mystery thriller that Cinematical's Kim Voynar raved about last year at Telluride. It's the highest-grossing film in the country's history, from one of its most successful (and prolific directors), and it won a top prize at the 2007 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

And now it gets the ultimate honor: an American remake! (There may have been sarcasm in the word "honor.") According to The Hollywood Reporter, Overture Films has bought the remake rights and will employ the original writer/director, Baltasar Kormákur, as a producer. No word yet on who will direct the U.S. version, but a writer has been attached: Michael Ross, who wrote Turistas and who THR says is also penning the Near Dark remake.

The Icelandic setting will be changed, of course, to its logical American counterpart: Louisiana. No, really. I'm curious to see how the story transfers, since some of its details relate to the insularity of those small Icelandic communities. Also, I loved that the detective in the original was a total badass despite looking like a nerdy college professor. (That's him in the picture.) I hope they keep that element for the remake. William H. Macy would be perfect.

As far as I can determine, this is the first time an Icelandic film has officially gotten an American remake. If anyone knows differently, let me know. Otherwise, I'm marking this as a historic first for our friends in the North Atlantic.

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]]>baltasar kormakurBaltasarKormakuricelandicelandicjar cityJarCitymichael rossMichaelRossEric D. SniderMon, 06 Oct 2008 19:15:00 EST'Flash' Foe Ford Clears Up About Wipershttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/flash-foe-ford-clears-up-about-wipers/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/flash-foe-ford-clears-up-about-wipers/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/flash-foe-ford-clears-up-about-wipers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In this weekend's well-meaning docudrama, Flash of Genius, Greg Kinnear portrays an inventor who struggled for years to sue car manufacturing behemoth Ford and get them to admit that they helped themselves to his patent on the intermittent windshield wiper. (Eugene reviewed it back at Telluride, and I basically agree with his assessment.)

Despite the real-life case being settled a couple of decades ago, Ford has taken this current opportunity to point out the factual inaccuracies in the movie that they've taken issue with, doing so in the form of this handy timeline, without causing any sort of formal stir, as covered in this accompanying text. Especially considering that the film's subject, Robert Kearns, passed away over three years ago, I doubt it would (and hope it won't) come to any sort of renewed head.

Maybe in thirty years or so, we'll get a movie about a blogger battling impossible odds to get all the facts straight on either side of a movie in which an inventor battled impossible odds to get just some facts straight. Now, to just work the word 'Genius' back into the title...

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]]>bob kearnsBobKearnsflash of geniusFlashOfGeniusford motor companyFordMotorCompanygreg kinnearGregKinnearintermittent wiperIntermittentWiperrobert kearnsRobertKearnswindshield wipersWindshieldWipersWilliam GossSat, 04 Oct 2008 14:32:00 ESTTelluride Review: The Good, the Bad, the Weirdhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/04/telluride-review-the-good-the-bad-the-weird/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/04/telluride-review-the-good-the-bad-the-weird/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/04/telluride-review-the-good-the-bad-the-weird/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Under no circumstances is Ji-woon Kim's The Good, the Bad, the Weird a great movie, but I found myself genuinely impressed with it. The pitch - "Korean comic spaghetti western" - sounded like the sort of ultra-hip, insubstantial, self-consciously campy Asian actioner I've grown tired of; I kept flashing back to Riyuhei Kitamura's much-hyped but totally useless Versus, an acquired taste I haven't acquired. I needn't have worried. Though Kim's western pastiche may be insubstantial, it's anything but a drag. It's masterfully directed, legitimately funny, and legitimately fun, thoroughly enjoyable even at an excessive 129 minutes.

Though you may think you're here to see how Kim (whom you may remember from his terrific horror entry A Tale of Two Sisters) plays with the western genre, you're really here for the action sequences. There are two spectacular ones: the rollicking train robbery that opens the film, and a later all-stops-out chase scene involving several gangs of bandits and the Japanese army. These aren't the sort of scenes that bring you to the edge of your seat, but rather the sort that put a steady, delighted grin on your face. Unapologetically goofy, absurdly attenuated, brilliantly paced, and backed by a rousing musical score, they alone make the film worth sitting through.

Continue reading Telluride Review: The Good, the Bad, the Weird

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]]>byung-hun leeByung-hunLeeji-woon kimJi-woonKimkang-ho sungKang-hoSungthe good the bad the weirdTheGoodTheBadTheWeirdwoo-sung jungWoo-sungJungEugene NovikovThu, 04 Sep 2008 14:02:00 ESTTelluride Wrap: Goodbye, Telluride, Hello Torontohttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-wrap-goodbye-telluride-hello-toronto/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-wrap-goodbye-telluride-hello-toronto/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-wrap-goodbye-telluride-hello-toronto/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In spite of the writer's strike keeping several larger films that otherwise would have been on the Telluride slate out of this year's fest, and the absence of Cannes Palm d'or winner The Class, which many had hoped to see here (that film is opening the upcoming New York Film Festival, and so was unable to play at Telluride), the 35th Telluride Film Festival was a solid success.

The fest scored sneak previews of Danny Boyle's hotly anticipated Slumdog Millionaire, which was very well received by audiences, and gave North American premieres to some films that you'll likely be hearing about come Oscar time, including I've Loved You So Long, Flame and Citron, and Adam Resurrected, and Everlasting Moments.

Continue reading Telluride Wrap: Goodbye, Telluride, Hello Toronto

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]]>danny boylefeaturedhappy-go-luckyive loved you so longIveLovedYouSoLongkristin scott thomasKristinScottThomasmike leighMikeLeighslumdog millionaireSlumdogMillionairetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltiff2008Kim VoynarWed, 03 Sep 2008 22:02:00 ESTTelluride Roundup: 'Slumdog Millionaire,' 'I've Loved You So Long,' and Morehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-roundup-slumdog-millionaire-ive-loved-you-so-lon/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-roundup-slumdog-millionaire-ive-loved-you-so-lon/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-roundup-slumdog-millionaire-ive-loved-you-so-lon/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Telluride Film Festival has wrapped up and we're gearing up for our non-stop coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival, which starts tomorrow. Just in case you missed any of our coverage from the Telluride Film Festival, here's a roundup of what we saw there. Most of these films will also be playing at Toronto as well; if you attended Telluride or are going to TIFF, be sure to let us know which films you love or hate -- we always enjoy hearing what our smart Cinematical cinephiles think about the films they catch at fests.

Slumdog Millionaire (dir. Danny Boyle): Fans of director Danny Boyle's work will find much to appreciate in his latest film, Slumdog Millionaire, a sweeping, hopeful story about a boy in the slums of India who becomes an instant celebrity after he wins millions on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? ... read more

Continue reading Telluride Roundup: 'Slumdog Millionaire,' 'I've Loved You So Long,' and More

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]]>american violetAmericanVioletdanny boyleeverlasting momentsEverlastingMomentsflame citronFlameCitronflash of geniusFlashOfGeniushappy-go-luckyive loved you so longIveLovedYouSoLongkristin scott thomasKristinScottThomassally hawkinsSallyHawkinsslumdog millionaireSlumdogMillionairetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltiff2008toronto international film festivalTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalKim VoynarWed, 03 Sep 2008 20:32:00 ESTTelluride Review: Adam Resurrectedhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-review-adam-resurrected/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-review-adam-resurrected/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-review-adam-resurrected/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Adam Resurrected, adapted by Noah Stollum Stollman from the book of the same name by Yoram Kaniuk and directed by Paul Schrader, is a darkly abstract and haunting film featuring Jeff Goldblum in his finest, most layered performance ever. Goldblum portrays Adam Steiner, a tragic clown shattered by the horrors of the Holocaust. A clown and ringleader of his own highly successful circus act in pre-War Berlin, Adam finds himself, his wife, and their two young daughters caught in the roundup of Jews. Ironically, his audience was once full of soldiers in Nazi uniforms; now the very people Adam spent his life making happy are just as happy to see him and his family exterminated.

Adam in the present is a prisoner of his memories of those terrible years, and now resident ringleader of a fictional asylum for Holocaust survivors in the Israeli desert. He's a man with a fractured soul, and as a result of his unrelenting anguish and guilt, he astounds the doctors in charge of the asylum by the ability of his mind to make his body bleed and even grow malignant tumors as he repeatedly dies and is reborn.

Continue reading Telluride Review: Adam Resurrected

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]]>adam resurrectedAdamResurrectedjeff goldblumpaul schradertelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltiff2008toronto international film festivalTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalKim VoynarWed, 03 Sep 2008 20:02:00 ESTTelluride Review: Everlasting Momentshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-review-everlasting-moments/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-review-everlasting-moments/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/03/telluride-review-everlasting-moments/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

For the cinephile, discovering a new film by famed Swedish director Jan Troell (one of this year's Telluride tributees) is a lot like eating a perfectly made truffle after a lifetime of mass-produced candy bars. His latest effort, Everlasting Moments, was like that for me; it's that rare cinematic experience that you settle back, bite into, and then savor as the subtle richness of the film cleanses the palate and fills the soul.

Based on the real-life story of Troell's wife's grandmother, the film takes us through the life of Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen, in a remarkable performance), a belabored mother of a large brood in the early days of the 20th century who finds renewed passion and intellectual independence through a Contessa camera she wins in a lottery. The camera sits for many years unused until one day, Maria takes it into the shop of the local photographer, Sebastien Pederson (Jesper Christensen), to sell it to help pay the rent.

The kindly Pederson shows Maria how to use the camera, and once she starts using it, she begins to see the world through a whole new lens. Finding herself unable to resist continuing to learn and improve her eye as a photographer, Maria becomes obsessed with capturing the little moments of life around her through the miraculous ability to capture living moments in still images.

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]]>everlasting momentsEverlastingMomentsjan troelltelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltiff2008toronto international film festivalTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalKim VoynarWed, 03 Sep 2008 13:02:00 ESTLive From Telluride: Wrapping Uphttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/02/live-from-telluride-wrapping-up/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/02/live-from-telluride-wrapping-up/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/02/live-from-telluride-wrapping-up/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A few stray thoughts from the end of the festival, hopefully of general interest. I still have one more review in the pipeline, which should come tomorrow afternoon.

- I am even more gung-ho about Slumdog Millionaire than Kim. It sort of ruined the last day and a half of the festival, because I've been unable to think about much else. I want to see it at least a dozen more times, immediately.

- I need to say something about With a Little Help from Myself, François Dupeyron's follow-up to the arthouse hit Monsieur Ibrahim. It's a respectable, low-key drama set in a French housing project, featuring a justly-acclaimed performance by Félicité Wouassi as a woman working to keep her head above water and her family together despite a seemingly infinite number of obstacles. It gets a bit too cute at points -- there's a subplot regarding the protagonist's sex-starved neighbor that is the epitome of "neither here nor there" -- but it's mostly the sort of solid, unpretentious film I greet with open arms at festivals. There's enough buzz about Wouassi that if you live in a city, you'll surely see it at a theater near you sooner rather than later.

Continue reading Live From Telluride: Wrapping Up

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]]>adam resurrectedAdamResurrectedflame citronFlameCitronfrancois dupeyronFrancoisDupeyronken loachKenLoachkissesmonsieur ibrahimMonsieurIbrahimslumdog millionaireSlumdogMillionairetelluridetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltiff2008with a little help from myselfWithALittleHelpFromMyselfEugene NovikovTue, 02 Sep 2008 14:32:00 ESTExclusive Clip: 'Happy-Go-Lucky'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/02/exclusive-clip-happy-go-lucky/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/02/exclusive-clip-happy-go-lucky/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/02/exclusive-clip-happy-go-lucky/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Happy-Go-Lucky, the newest film by director Mike Leigh, has been getting high praise at the Telluride Film Festival for Sally Hawkins' performance as Poppy, a primary school teacher with an optimistic nature. In this clip (see below), Poppy is taking a driving lesson from Scott (Eddie Marsan), a tightly wound driving instructor who's Poppy's polar opposite. The scenes between Poppy and Scott are some of the best and funniest in the film; this one will give you a little taste of it. Happy-Go-Lucky plays at the Toronto International Film Festival before opening in limited release October 10. You can read our full review of the film from Telluride right here.

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]]>cinematicaleddie marsanEddieMarsanhappy-go-luckymike leighMikeLeighsally hawkinsSallyHawkinstiff2008Kim VoynarTue, 02 Sep 2008 12:32:00 ESTTelluride Review: Flash of Geniushttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/01/telluride-review-flash-of-genius/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/01/telluride-review-flash-of-genius/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/01/telluride-review-flash-of-genius/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Flash of Genius is a conventional crowdpleaser but not, I'm pleased to report, a shameless one. Chronicling the true story of a college professor's fight to reclaim his invention - the intermittent windshield wiper - from the car company that stole it, the film does many of the things you'd expect, but it may also surprise you. Don't let its Telluride placement fool you: this is a staunchly mainstream, unchallenging film, the sort of underdog-vs.-corporate-behemoth story you've seen time and again. But it's a decent rendition, hitting the right notes without insulting our intelligence.

Now, the intermittent windshield wiper is not exactly the light bulb. If you're not familiar with the term, the wiper is "intermittent" in the sense that it can pause between wipes - a problem that apparently puzzled engineers at all the major car companies until Kearns cracked it the late 60s. But part of what's nifty about the film is its ability to create suspense and curiosity around something so seemingly mundane. Kearns' first demo of his device to Ford is exciting in a very goofy way, but exciting nonetheless.

Continue reading Telluride Review: Flash of Genius

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]]>flash of geniusFlashOfGeniusgreg kinnearGregKinnearlauren grahamLaurenGrahammarc abrahamMarcAbrahamphilip railsbackPhilipRailsbacktelluridetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltiff2008Eugene NovikovMon, 01 Sep 2008 17:02:00 ESTTelluride Review: Happy-Go-Luckyhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-happy-go-lucky/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-happy-go-lucky/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-happy-go-lucky/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

With his latest effort, Happy-Go-Lucky, director Mike Leigh takes a departure from the dark mood evoked by most of his films with a charming little tale about an eternally optimistic school teacher, Poppy (Sally Hawkins, previously seen in smaller roles in Leigh's films Vera Drake and All or Nothing), who breezes through life, always seeing the glass half full. Poppy is one of those people who never seems to get down about anything. She smiles at surly strangers, strikes up conversations with people who'd clearly prefer to be left alone, and puts a positive spin on everything.

When her bike is stolen, Poppy shrugs it off and decides to take driving lessons; her driving instructor, Scott (Eddie Marsan, also a Leigh alum from Vera Drake) is Poppy's polar opposite. Some of the film's best moments are when she's interacting with Scott and we have the dramatic tension of his simmering anger to contrast with Poppy's perkiness. Scott is intensely uptight, seems to hate everyone and everything, and adheres firmly to the belief that if only everyone would follow a strict set of rules (his rules, of course), all would be well. Naturally, the two clash.

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]]>eddie marsanEddieMarsanhappy-go-luckymike leighMikeLeighsally hawkinsSallyHawkinstelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltifftiff2008toronto international film festivalTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalKim VoynarSun, 31 Aug 2008 22:03:00 ESTTelluride Review: Slumdog Millionairehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-slumdog-millionaire/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-slumdog-millionaire/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-slumdog-millionaire/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Fans of director Danny Boyle's work will find much to appreciate in his latest film, Slumdog Millionaire, a sweeping, hopeful story about a boy in the slums of India who becomes an instant celebrity after he wins millions on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. Adapted by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) off the novel Q &A by Vikas Swarup, the tale is framed within an interesting narrative structure that revolves around the young man, Jamal, being interrogated for fraud by the police, who cannot believe that a "slumdog" orphan could possibly have known the answers to the questions on the show.

Boyle uses this conceit to take us back and forth from the police station, where Jamal (Dev Patel) is tortured to get him to confess how he cheated, to his appearance on the show, to the events throughout his youth that led to him knowing the answers to the game show questions. How did a boy growing up in the slums amid piles of garbage and filth know which US president is on the one hundred dollar bill, or who invented the revolver? Boyle takes us back through Jamal's life story to show us the mean-streets education that led to him knowing the answers, while managing to avoid making the set-up feel contrived.

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]]>danny boyleDannyBoyledev patelDevPatelslumdog millionairetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltifftiff2008toronto international film festivalTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalKim VoynarSun, 31 Aug 2008 20:03:00 ESTLive from Telluride: What's the Buzz?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/live-from-telluride-whats-the-buzz/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/live-from-telluride-whats-the-buzz/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/live-from-telluride-whats-the-buzz/#commentsFiled under: , ,

One of my favorite things to do at Telluride is talk to people in line and on the gondola about what they've seen, what they've loved, and what they've hated. The folks who come to Telluride tend to be smart folks who love film, and I always have some fascinating conversations here.

I'm hearing strong positive buzz so far for I've Loved You So Long, Hunger, Flame & Citron, The Good, the Bad and the Weird, and Happy-Go-Lucky, all of which will play Toronto. Folks here are enamored of Sally Hawkins, who plays the lead in Happy-Go-Lucky; sadly, she broke her collarbone while shooting a stunt for her latest film, and isn't here in Telluride, but she will be at Toronto.

Hearing mixed response to American Violet (I haven't seen that one, but you can read Gene's review) and Adam Resurrected; the latter is the newest from film master Paul Schrader, and his films tend to be very heavy. I saw the film yesterday, but haven't yet written up my review for it; I need a bit more time to process what I saw. I will say this much, though: Jeff Goldblum's performance in the film is one of his strongest ever. I loved him in Fay Grim, but this is a very dark, very serious role, and he is great.

Saturday's big sneak screening was Danny Boyle's newest film, Slumdog Millionaire, which is going to be one of the biggest-buzzed films coming out of Telluride and heading to Toronto. Look for the energy around this film and positive response here to help it really pop at TIFF. My review of that film is coming shortly, but for now I'll just say that it's Boyle's best film to date by far. I had a conversation last night over drinks with a screenwriter friend who noted that Slumdog is very Dickensonian in its narrative, and we both agreed that filming over in India this time seems to have opened Boyle up in unexpected ways; this is his least solipsistic film, very accessible and with great mainstream potential -- audience response at last night's sneak, the first time the film has been seen publicly, was overwhelmingly positive.

Two more days of Telluride, look for more reviews to come ...

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]]>adam resurrectedAdamResurrectedamerican violetdanny boyleflame citronFlameCitronhappy-go-luckyhungerive loved you so longIveLovedYouSoLongslumdog millionaireSlumdogMillionairetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivalthe good the bad and the weirdTheGoodTheBadAndTheWeirdtiff2008toronto international film festivalTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalKim VoynarSun, 31 Aug 2008 18:03:00 ESTLive From Telluride: Three Things I Have Learnedhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/live-from-telluride-three-things-i-have-learned/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/live-from-telluride-three-things-i-have-learned/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/live-from-telluride-three-things-i-have-learned/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

1. People are willing to get out of bed at seven in the morning to watch a movie about people starving themselves to death. I don't care how much people paid to be here: it is simply amazing that the 8:30 am showing of Hunger (which Kim reviewed at Cannes) -- one of the most intensely unpleasant films I've ever seen, with a program description that did that aspect of it justice -- was a near-sellout at Telluride's largest venue. By the time I got to the theater at 8 am on a rainy Sunday morning, I was 259th in line. Everyone keeps saying that what "makes Telluride special" is the enthusiasm and undying cinephilia of the audience (most of whom come back year after year), and nothing epitomizes that attitude better than this morning's Hunger queue.

2. Anyone who fights to save the whales is automatically a hero, no matter his means. Just as it was remarkable to see people line up at the crack of dawn to watch an indescribably painful art film, it was disappointing to see a Telluride audience give an uncritical standing ovation to "eco-pirate" Paul Watson following a screening of Pirate of the Sea, the mediocre, one-sided documentary profiling him. Watson, a Greenpeace dissident who goes out on a boat and tries to sink or sabotage whaling or seal-hunting operations, may well be a hero, but there's no way you could fairly come to that conclusion after watching the hagiographic documentary, which takes Watson's word as gospel, and refuses to explore the troubling implications of his often violent efforts. Another documentary about Watson, called At the Edge of the World, will play Toronto; here's to hoping it's a bit more considered and thoughtful.

Continue reading Live From Telluride: Three Things I Have Learned

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]]>hungerji-woon kimJi-woonKimpaul watsonPaulWatsonpirate for the seaPirateForTheSeatelluridetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivalthe good the bad the weirdTheGoodTheBadTheWeirdtiff08Eugene NovikovSun, 31 Aug 2008 16:03:00 ESTTelluride Review: Flame & Citronhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-flame-and-citron/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-flame-and-citron/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/31/telluride-review-flame-and-citron/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Director Ole Christian Madsen began his career as an adherent to Dogme 95, the famous minimalist filmmaking movement began by fellow Danes Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. I haven't seen Madsen's previous two non-Dogme films, Nordkraft and Prague, but the remarkable, ultra-stylized Flame & Citron is about as far from the Dogme aesthetic as you can get and still have a movie. Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also one of the most exciting films I've ever seen at Telluride: bold, brave and one of a kind.

Flame & Citron tells the story of two heroes of the Danish resistance to the Nazi occupation, but it is far from your typical World War II period piece. Instead, it plays like some unholy, brilliant marriage between spy noir and comic book movie. Filled to the brim with assassination plots, double-crosses, larger-than-life villains, and big, dramatic gestures, this is not for viewers who like their movies timid and sedate. And under that grand façade, the film grapples with tough moral questions regarding war, occupation, survival, and ideology.

"Flame" and "Citron" are the code names for two Danish assassins who brazenly go after high-profile Danish turncoats and, increasingly, the occupying Germans themselves. ("Do they know what I look like?" asks Flame when he learns of a hefty bounty on his head. The response: "They know you're a redhead.") For them, the necessity of their work is an article of faith: the only moral response to occupation is to kill off the occupiers - and those who assist them - one by one. They take orders from an ornery police solicitor who claims to be in communication with the British. He hands them a name and a photograph, and off they go.

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]]>flame and citroenflame and citronFlameAndCitroenFlameAndCitronmads mikkelsenMadsMikkelsenole christian madsenOleChristianMadsentelluridetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivalthure lindhardtThureLindhardttiff2008Eugene NovikovSun, 31 Aug 2008 10:03:00 ESTTelluride Review: 'American Violet'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/telluride-review-american-violet/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/telluride-review-american-violet/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/telluride-review-american-violet/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



American Violet opens in the kitchen of a Texas housing project, as a mother makes breakfast for her children. She pours water into a tea kettle; serves eggs; hurries the kids along - a lovely, peaceful scene. Then the film cuts abruptly to police preparing for a raid: they load their weapons (I believe the first shot is of a gun), put on armor, and pile en masse into trucks. The moment we move from the kitchen table to the police staging area, the soundtrack changes too, from a languid, piano-tinged theme to a percussive arrangement that screams evil.

This approach is representative of much of the movie, which is a strident, aggressive polemic against racism in the justice system, as well as the story of a courageous woman who risked much to sue an all-powerful District Attorney. It is straightforward, unambiguous, and often frankly partisan, hitting its talking points hard without ever really peering under the surface. The tale it tells is reasonably compelling, and as a legal thriller the film more or less works. But much of it is obvious and ham-fisted - the sort of Serious Drama you might expect to see on basic cable. Adventurous moviegoers won't find much of interest here.

Continue reading Telluride Review: 'American Violet'

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]]>alfre woodardAlfreWoodardamerican violetAmericanVioletbill haneyBillHaneynicole behaireNicoleBehairetelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltiff2008tim blake nelsontim disneyTimBlakeNelsonTimDisneywill pattonWillPattonxzibitEugene NovikovSat, 30 Aug 2008 19:03:00 ESTTelluride Review: I've Loved You So Longhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/telluride-review-ive-loved-you-so-long/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/telluride-review-ive-loved-you-so-long/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/telluride-review-ive-loved-you-so-long/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

One of the best things about watching a lot of movies for a living is that occasional joyous thrill of sitting in a darkened theater being overwhelmed by a film, and knowing immediately that, without a doubt, you've just seen something that will absolutely end up on your top ten of the year. When that film is written and directed by a first-time director, it's even better, because you know you've just been witness to the start of a film career that promises to be something special. French novelist-turned-director Phillipe Claudel's much-talked about freshman effort, I've Loved You So Long, which has its North American premiere last night here at Telluride following an award-winning showing at Berlin and a hugely successful run in France, is one of those films.

The film, which stars Kristin Scott Thomas, opens with the reunion of two sisters who haven't seen each other in 15 years. The opening credit sequence goes back and forth between Juliette (Thomas), sitting alone at a table in an airport, looking as lost and desolate as a war refugee, and younger sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein), coming to pick Juliette up, nervously dropping her keys as she walks in. Without a single word of dialogue to enlighten us as to what's wrong with Juliette, we know this much: this is a woman who has suffered some horrific trauma; she is lost to herself, locked away, not there.

Continue reading Telluride Review: I've Loved You So Long

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]]>elsa zylbersteinive loved you so longIveLovedYouSoLongkristin scott thomasphillipe claudelPhillipeClaudeltelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivaltifftiff2008toronto international film festivalTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalKim VoynarSat, 30 Aug 2008 15:06:00 ESTLive from Telluride: Sneaking a Peek at 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/live-from-telluride-sneaking-a-peek-at-the-curious-case-of-ben/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/live-from-telluride-sneaking-a-peek-at-the-curious-case-of-ben/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/30/live-from-telluride-sneaking-a-peek-at-the-curious-case-of-ben/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every year at Telluride, they do three tributes; this year's honorees are directors David Fincher and Jan Troell and veteran actress Jean Simmons. Last year at Telluride, as you may recall, they showed a 20-minute sneak of the hotly anticipated There Will Be Blood at the end of the Daniel Day-Lewis tribute. This year, with Fincher being honored, buzz abounded that we'd get a sneak peek at his newest film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

There's been a lot of, well, curiousity about this film, which is based on a 1922 F. Scott Fitzgerald short story about a man who ages backwards, and anytime a short story is adapted into a full length film, there's always the question of whether the storyline will stretch to fill the length of a feature film. But having a director like Fincher at the helm and talent like Pitt and Blanchett in the lead roles has been enough to make the project sound interesting.

Continue reading Live from Telluride: Sneaking a Peek at 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

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]]>brad pittBradPittcate blanchettdavid finchertelluride film festivalTellurideFilmFestivalthe curious case of benjamin buttonTheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButtontiff2008Kim VoynarSat, 30 Aug 2008 14:02:00 ESTTelluride Reveals Its Mostly Foreign Lineuphttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/28/telluride-reveals-its-mostly-foreign-lineup/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/28/telluride-reveals-its-mostly-foreign-lineup/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/28/telluride-reveals-its-mostly-foreign-lineup/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Last year was great for American independent cinema; this year, not so much. The lineup for the 35th annual Telluride Film Festival has been announced, and only two U.S. filmmakers made the cut -- Paul Schrader (Adam Resurrected) and Tim Disney (American Violet). In addition, David Fincher will be there to screen his cut of Zodiac and to accept the festival's Silver Medallion.

According to Michael Jones at Variety's festival blog, the scarcity of U.S. films is simply the result of not very many homegrown films being submitted. Some likely candidates, like Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler and the Coens' Burn After Reading, chose to focus on other festivals. Other contenders, like Revolutionary Road, Milk, and W., aren't done yet. The writers' strike and the big studios' ongoing financial problems with their art house divisions also contributed to the dearth of American product.

It looks like a fantastic foreign lineup, though, with 22 films from 14 different countries. You can see the full list here (and there might be some late additions), but some of the highlights include: Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky (U.K.), Philippe Claudel's I've Loved You So Long (France), Kim Ji-Woon's The Good, the Bad and the Weird (South Korea), and Ari Folman's animated Waltz with Bashir (Israel).

The Telluride fest takes place over Labor Day Weekend every year in the small mountain town in southwestern Colorado. To maintain its reputation as a down-to-earth, unglamorous, it's-all-about-the-movies festival, the organizers don't announce the lineup until the last minute, thus avoiding most of the hype and celebrity-gawking that plagues Sundance. Cinematical's Kim Voynar is there, so watch for her coverage over the weekend.

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]]>adam resurrectedAdamResurrectedamerican violetAmericanVioletpaul schraderPaulSchradertelluridetim disneyTimDisneyEric D. SniderThu, 28 Aug 2008 17:33:00 ESTThe Rocchi Review -- With Kim Voynar of Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/16/the-rocchi-review-with-kim-voynar-of-cinematical/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/16/the-rocchi-review-with-kim-voynar-of-cinematical/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/16/the-rocchi-review-with-kim-voynar-of-cinematical/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,



With Fall Festival season about to kick off, this week The Rocchi Review features James chatting with Cinematical's Film Festivals Editor Kim Voynar about the strange splendor of the Telluride Film Festival, what the most-anticipated movies will be at this year's Toronto Film Festival and much, much more. Will Zack and Miri Make a Porno make a splash? Will Rachel Getting Married get Anne Hathaway some respect? And does one of the most-anticipated films for Toronto really star Jean-Claude Van Damme? Cinematical's podcast is now available through iTunes; you can subscribe at this link. Also, you can listen directly here at Cinematical by clicking below:



As ever, you can download the entire podcast right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

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]]>Anne HathawayAnneHathawayfeaturedJCVDKevin SmithKevinSmithKim VoynarKimVoynarMe and Orson WellesMeAndOrsonWellesMidnight MadnessMidnightMadnessMiracle at St. AnnaMiracleAtSt.AnnaRachel Getting MarriedRachelGettingMarriedRichard LinklaterRichardLinklaterzack and miri make a pornoZackAndMiriMakeAPornoJames RocchiSat, 16 Aug 2008 21:02:00 EST