Father Geek here with Robert Bernocchi in Rome with another great edition of our regular Euro-AICN weekly column, but first I have this which just arrived at Geek Headquarters in Austin, Texas...

A German AICN-fan here with a overview of the films at the Berlin Film Festival "Berlinale" (February 6 - 16)

this year in the competition:

• 25TH HOUR from Spike Lee
• ADAPTATION from Spike Jonze
• ALEXANDRA'S PROJECT from Rolf de Heer
• DER ALTE AFFE ANGST (ANGST) from Oskar Roehler
• CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND from George Clooney
• LA FLEUR DU MAL (THE FLOWERS OF EVIL) from Claude Chabrol
• GOOD BYE, LENIN! from Wolfgang Becker
• THE HOURS from Stephen Daldry
• IN THIS WORLS (AUF DER WELT) from Michael Winterbottom
• IO NON HO PAURA (I'M NOT SCARED) from Gabriele Salvatores
• JA ZUSTER, NEE ZUSTER (YES NURSE, NO NURSE) from Pieter Kramer
• LICHTER (DISTANT LIGHTS) from Hans-Christian Schmid (the director of "23")
• THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE from Alan Parker
• MADAME BROUETTE from Moussa Sene Absa
• MANG JING from Li Yang
• MY LIFE WITHOUT ME from Isabel Coixet
• PETITES COUPURES (SMALL CUTS) from Pascal Bonitzer
• REZERVNI DELI (SPARE PARTS) from Damjan Kozole
• SOLARIS from Steven Soderbergh
• SON FRÈRE (HIS BROTHER) from Patrice Chéreau
• TASOGARE SEIBEI (THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI) from Yoji Yamada
• YING XIONG (HERO) from Zhang Yimou

...and out of competition:

• CHICAGO from Rob Marshall
• GANGS OF NEW YORK from Martin
• ZHOU YU DE HOUCHE (ZHOU YU'S TRAIN) from Sun Zhou

then, there is a retrospective dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, the greate German director of silent films and a homage dedicated to Anouk Aimée, the star of French cinema (she will be a quest of honour at the Berlinale) this could be of interest for some AICN readers and maybe you geeks could say something about some films you could recommend.

Thanks for reading (and writing) and best regards

TiAdiMundo

Father Geek back... here's Robert and the rest of this week's report...

Hi people. Having seen GONY latest week, I eventually understood why Scorsese decided to come in Rome to shoot his ambitious movie. It wasn’t only for the minor cost of working crews and for the great skillness of italian technicians. I suppose the main reason was to be free to do everything he wants, without the cumbersome presence of Mr. Harvey Weinstein, who of course has too much things to do to take a flight every week to see what was happening on a set so far from his offices. Because it’s very clear to me that this movie slipped from the hands of his creators and has not a real producer attached to it, even if there are a dozen people accredited to. For this reason, I’ve seen that many people are comparing this crazy movie to Heaven’s Gate. Frankly, I don’t agree. Even if Cimino in his journey wasted an incredible amount of money and wasn’t able to deepen his main characters (which is the same flaw that I’ve noticed in GONY), nevertheless he was able to create a magnificent work of art, with many memorable scenes. Well, Scorsese didn’t ruin a studio with his movie and maybe he’ll win eventually his longtime deserved Oscar, but it’s very sad to see his lack of ideas shooting Gony. What happened to the director of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Mean Streets, Goodfellas and other masterworks?

Anyway, I noticed that in my last column I inserted just american movies between my 2002 top list. Well, I’m very glad to suggest you an european movie which I saw just a few days ago. I’m talking about the latest opus by finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, The Man Without a Past. I was told by many colleagues who saw this pic at Cannes that it was stolen of the Palme d’Or and, even if I keep on thinking that The Pianist it’s a great movie, I can understand their enthusiasm. That said, let’s start with our column, which is very compelling this week. A lot of TTT unseen pics, great news from Spain and Denmark and a bunch of reviews by our great reporter James Bartlett. Enjoy…

TTT unpublished pics

Well, I got a dozen pics of TTT, probably of scenes which were shot but wasn’t in the final cut. It’s interesting to see them because this stuff may appear in the extended version in november. Between these pics, you can see great images of a scene at Osgiliath, Aragorn at Helm's Deep, Grima at Isengard's army factory, a few shots of the men serving Saruman attacking Rohan's people, a great pic of an orc during the battle with the worgs and many others. You can see all this stuff here: On Caltanet

And here: Just Click

Don’t know why, but I suppose Ethan’s top 10 will stir a debate on the talkbacks…

ETHAN`S 2002 TOP 10:

• 1. FEMME FATALE by Brian De Palma
• 2. IRREVERSIBLE by Gaspar Noe
• 3. BLADE 2 by Guillermo Del Toro
• 4. THE FRAILTY by Bill Paxton
• 5. Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN by Alfonso Cuaron
• 6. GANGS OF NEW YORK by Martin Scorsese
• 7. DEATH TO SMOOCHY by Danny De Vito
• 9. SALTON SEA by D.J. Caruso
• 10.RESIDENT EVIL by Paul Anderson

Don Pablo from Spain has information of a local movie which seems able to beat TTT in his country…

Dear Harry and company,

Brief intro: Half Spanish, half English, and have hence grown up with some utter classics from both (Withnail & I, Dog Soldiers, El Dia de la Bestia, Torrente, etc.).

Ok, so Britain's got it bad enough. We make some great films that never get seen anywhere else (errr... Human Traffic?), but at least we get to see them. I unfortunately missed 800 BALAS' spectacularly short theatrical run in Spain, which pisses me off no end as I'm a massive fan of Alex de la Iglesia (have you seen Muertos de Risa?).

Spain is fucked. Sure, we export loads of talent (ok, Amenabar might not have been born there, but he sure made his career there), but what of our films? Has anyone outside Spain ever seen Airbag? Please, please get on the case of this film, it needs to be seen.

And if you want a hot tip to file somewhere in between comicbook adaptation, foreign, and comedy, hold out for Mortadelo y Filemon. This strip was created by one of the grandaddies of Spanish comics, Francisco Ibañez. It revolves around the adventures of two inept secret agents working for the T.I.A. (geddit?), both of whom have made considerable inroads into Male Pattern Baldness (or is that the other way round), and are surrounded by a hysterical cast of second stream players, including the perma-evil boss, the nutty inventor, and the fat slag secretary. The comic kicked off in the late 50's and is still going strong. My mother was raised on these characters. So was I. My nephews are just starting to read, and guess what? They're reading it too. I don't think Mortadelo has been translated into English, but if you can read any of the following languages, it might be hiding somewhere waiting to catch you unawares...

Here are some countries carring the strip...

• German (Clever & Smart)
• Dutch (Paling & Ko)
• Portuguese (Mortadelo e Salaminho/Salamão e Mortadela)
• Swedish (Flink och Fummel)
• Danish (Flip & Flop)
• French (Mortadel et Filémon;, also Futt et Fil)
• Italian (Fortune & Fortuni, also Mortadella e Filemone)
• Greek (Antirix kai Symphonix)
• Finnish (Älli ja Tälli)
• Norwegian (Clever & Smart)
• Czech (Clever & Smart)
• Serbo-Croatian (Zriki Svargla & Sule Globus)
• Catalan (Mortadelo i Filemó)

Anyway, whilst in Spain for New Year's, I saw trailers and one-page ads for a live-action film of the comic, featuring all the regulars and a few guests from sister strips as well (e.g. Rompetechos - essentially a Spanish Mr. Magoo). It looks to have retained the original comic's slightly anarchist and irreverent tone, which has become very dark humour in the translation to live action, with the much-welcome use of CGI to boost the comic feel. I've got to admit I laughed. my. arse. off. when I saw the trailer.

Both times.

The whole of Spain is going nuts about this film, and rightly so. Interestingly, the actor playing Filemon is one of Spain's most highly regarded comic actors, but the actor playing Mortadelo was plucked off the street.

Watch out for this one, it's going to kick arse hard. Oh, just as a link, here's the official website and trailer for you

The Site's Right Here

Annnnd Just Click Here For The Trailer

Gotta love it.

Cheers... Call me Don Pablo.

Ann Darrow from Denmark talks about NU, the latest work by Lars von Trier’s film company Zentropa…

Hello Roberto / Euro-AICN Office

"Ann Darrow” here – a long-time Scandinavian fan of Euro-AICN!

Even though this scoop doesn’t have ANYTHING to do with Frodo, Gandalf and Gollum…well, I thought you still might be interested in a new film that Lars von Trier’s film company Zentropa has just produced.

Also, I wondered if you were aware that Nicole Kidman's new film "Dogville" directed by Lars von Trier is scheduled for release in Denmark on May 30, 2002? This could indicate that they're hoping for a premiere at Cannes.

The new film is called “NU” (in English: Now) and stars some of Scandinavia’s most renowned actors, whom I think you’ll be familiar with: Erland Josephson, who appeared in “Fanny & Alexander” and has starred in several films by Ingmar Bergman, Peter Greenaway, and the great Russian director Andrey Tarkovsky; and Henning Moritzen, who played the father in the Dogme-film “Festen/The Celebration”, and who also appeared in Bergman's classic "Cries And Whispers".

“Nu/Now” is directed by young Danish director Simon Staho and written by Peter Asmussen, who was co-writer on “Breaking The Waves”. The cinematographer was István Borbás, who shot the visually stunning “Songs From The Second Floor” (nominated for the Golden Palm & winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes 2000).

The story centers on a fatal love-triangle between two men and a women set in 1960 Рand is told in flashback by one of the men as he lays dying in 2002. The film premieres in Denmark and at the G̦teborg Film Festival (Scandinavia's largest film festival) on January 25.

I enclose the poster and some stills from the film to give you an idea of what the film looks like.

I very much hope that you and your readers all over Europe will be interested in this news from the high and cold north... :)

”Ann Darrow”

You can see the pictures by clicking here: That's Right... CLICK Now!

Last but absolutely not least, three reviews by james Bartlett.

As usual, many spoilers follow…

The Reviews by James Bartlett

The Quiet American

d. Philip Noyce Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen, Tzi Ma

Based on the novel by Graham Greene, The Quiet American attracted some controversy in America as it dealt with the CIA's foreign influence on a conflict that grew into the Vietnam War. It was not the kind of film that America wanted to see when they were on action stations for a war that also involved the shadowy past of the CIA.

Nevertheless, it is the 1950's in Saigon, Vietnam and London Times reporter Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine) has a happy life as a war correspondent; the Communists from the North are fighting the country's rulers, The French, but so far this year he has only filed three stories and his life is taken up with tea, gossip and the love of his life, local beauty Phoung (Do Thi Hai Yen).

She is much younger than him and dreams of escape from her village life - a dream that can only be achieved if she marries a foreigner; something that Fowler can never do, as his wife will not agree to a divorce.

Fowler is naturally wary when young American Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), an eye specialist, arrives to aid the wounded as part of the USA's assistance to the country. His suspicions prove correct, as Pyle falls for Woung immediately and, man-to-man, it is agreed that he can appeal to Woung directly for her hand in marriage. Woung turns Pyle down and whilst the two remain friends, that seems to be that.

When Fowler gets notice to return to London he is bereft at the thought of leaving Woung, so he goes North into the war zone with French troops to get a story. Suddenly, out of the mist comes Pyle, who was tired of waiting for permission to get to his medical posting and came up river himself.

They come across a massacred village - a great story that earns Fowler a month's reprieve - but it's just a stop-gap: Fowler knows that when he leaves, Pyle will move in on Phoung. Maybe he even knows that it would be the best thing for her.

When Fowler goes to interview a new political leader, General The, Pyle is already at his camp on his medical duties - and arranges the interview when Fowler is initially refused. On the way home, Fowler's car runs out of petrol and they take shelter in a watchtower - a watchtower that is then attacked.

Pyle and Fowler barely escape with their lives and on their return to Saigon, Fowler starts to ask some questions: Why is Pyle everywhere? How did he know how to get the French troops to help them at the watchtower?

When a bomb kills dozens of civilians - an event that finally sees Fowler taking sides in the conflict as it happens in the town square - Pyle is seen speaking Vietnamese and ensuring journalists get photos of the wounded.

Fowler concludes that Pyle is not who he says he is and when his assistant and contact Hinh (Tzi Ma), comes to him and says that his "friends" wish to speak to Pyle, Fowler is asked a favour; can he arrange a dinner for the two of them, as it's the only way Pyle will go out without bodyguards?

Now Fowler has to decide - if he agrees, it will mean he can stay with Phoung and may be able to make a difference in the war, but it will mean the death of a friend. If he refuses, Pyle, the man behind General The and the CIA in Vietnam, will escalate the war and go on to kill many more.

The Quiet American is a compelling war drama, with Michael Caine shining out in his performance as the older, conflicted man. Fraser does well also, though his work on other films makes it hard to take him seriously as a dramatic actor.

The film is essentially a three-hander - Caine, Fraser and Do Thi Hai Yen - and it's a class act all round, with a clear and concise script by Christopher Hampton and yet another deftly handed atmospheric look from director Phillip Noyce.

Caine could be in with a shot for an Oscar nomination, but the bad publicity could work against him - a crying shame.

Morvern Callar

d. Lynne Ramsay Samantha Morton, Kathleen McDermott

Lynne Ramsay first climbed a new wave (or should that be a new ripple) of British directors with her debut film "Ratcatcher". Now she is getting the same plaudits for Morvern Callar - could she really be the Next Big Thing ®?

We meet Morvern Callar (Samantha Morton) as she lies next to her boyfriend. Her dead boyfriend. Her boyfriend who has seemingly slit his writs - at Christmas. Merry Christmas Morvern!

Eventually she reads the goodbye note on his PC - it says to print out his novel and send it to a publisher. After changing his name for hers as the writer, she does as he asked.

Morvern is obviously in a state of shock as she carefully treads about the corpse while she decides what to do. She opens her presents from him and they include a Walkman and a tape of music - the music that is the soundtrack to the film (mostly from Warp Records - the home of Aphex Twin). Then she glams up, meets her best friend Lanna (Kathleen McDermott) and they go drinking - well, it is Christmas after all!

The next day, as she was instructed, Morvern withdraws money from her boyfriends' bank account. But she doesn't use it to pay for his funeral. Oh no.

Instead, she books her and Lanna on a week's holiday in Spain, then goes home and chops up his body up before burying it in the hills. Little wonder she barely paid any notice to a letter from the publisher that begs her to ring them ASAP - she finally rings from the airport.

The standard 18-30 sex and drugs and alcohol holiday is great fun for Lanna, but less so for Morvern. She is very distracted and only really finds solace in another reveller who himself has just got bad family news.

Morvern drags Lanna out of their hotel the next day and they head off by taxi into the sparse Spanish countryside. Unsurprisingly, Lanna has had enough and they fall out. Morvern leaves Lanna some money and goes wandering off.

Next thing she meets the publisher and his assistant; they are keen to sign up this red-hot new talent and offer her a cheque for £100,000 for the book, which she indeed gets when she returns home to Glasgow.

Morvern then does what she did before; she asks Lanna to go on holiday again - but this time it's a holiday forever. But Lanna refuses and we say goodbye to Morvern as she sits at the train station.

Morvern Callar is visually very interesting and Ramsay's direction is innovative and showy, but aside from that, the story is very minimal and really does not hold your attention.

Maybe the novel on which this was based answers this question, but I did wonder: did Morvern kill her boyfriend once he'd finished the red-hot novel and then, consumed by guilt, run away from the scene of the crime? Eventually, questions would have been asked by family, friends and Police and Morvern could not have put them off forever.

The meat of the acting is shouldered by the two actresses and they come across very convincingly as great friends (even though are very different), with McDermott especially - in her first film role - shining through.

Whatever, Ramsey is clearly a director to watch.

Sweet Sixteen

d. Ken Loach Martin Compston, Annmarie Fulton, William Ruane, Michelle Coulter, Gary McCormack, Martin McCardie

The phrase "Ken Loach's latest film" is always music to my ears. He has been at the top of British/European filmmaking for decades - a huge compliment to his skill and also a damning criticism to other directors that have come (and gone) since he arrived in the 1960's.

Sure, Loach's brand of small-scale, often political, social realist stuff does not appeal to all, but I always look forward to his work and he rarely disappoints. Following the so-so Bread and Roses (his first film shot in LA LA land), Sweet Sixteen is a return to form and another fine addition to the Loach canon.

We meet Liam (Martin Compston) and his best mate Pinball (William Ruane) as they flog cheap cigarettes and blag their way through life in their dull Scottish town. Liam is just a few months shy of his sixteenth birthday and he is determined that it will be a big day, especially since his mother Jean (Michelle Coulter) is due for release from prison the day before.

When he joins his grandfather and Jean's drug-dealer boyfriend Stan (Gary McCormack) on a prison visit, Stan asks him to secretly pass wraps of heroin to her. Liam refuses and gets a beating from Stan, then gets thrown out of his house.

Now he is on his own. He takes his few possessions to his sisters' house, but Chantelle (Annmarie Fulton) only lets him stay if there's no swearing and smoking - she has a young son Calum - and he gets himself sorted. Liam has every intention to do that after - while joyriding - he and Pinball find a caravan for sale at a scenic spot and Liam determines to earn enough money to buy it and make a fresh start for his family.

Earning £6000 will not be easy task, but for a kick-off Liam gets his own back on Stan by stealing his stash of heroin and adding a new choice to the menu of a local pizza delivery service. Soon enough they have the caravan deposit.

Liam's "entrepreneurial" skill brings him to the attention of local hard man Tony (Martin McCardie) and he takes him under his wing. Tony gives him money, a brand-new flat and buys up the pizza delivery place for Liam to run. But there is a price to pay for all this and, by the time Jean's release party is over - and she is back with Stan - Liam is sixteen, estranged from Pinball and Chantelle and wanted for murder.

Sweet Sixteen is a bittersweet snapshot of two young men growing up in a rough area, with a rough family life behind them. There are many moments of humour and new actors Compton and Rune are exceptional in their first acting roles, but their lives go too soon to adulthood - and fall apart when their naivety shows them to be the young men - the children - that they are. It's tough out there and always will be.

Loach's style is effective and realistic as ever and when you realise Liam started the film surrounded by kids looking at Saturn through his telescope (at 25p a look, mind) and ends up with him alone and without a future (after he briefly had more than he ever dreamed), Sweet Sixteen resonates more than you realised. It also shows exceptional writing from regular Loach collaborator Paul Laverty.

James Bartlett

That's all for today See you next week

Robert Bernocchi

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