Hey folks, Harry here with Froggy reporting in from Cannes. I wish I would have run into him at the screening of SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE.. just because having anyone who loves film to talk about all the things that made that film genius... well I crave that association. I think Father Geek is liable to just kill me in my sleep if I continue blithering ever more about the film. He's in a state of denial... Meanwhile, I wish to God I had gotten into DANCER IN THE DARK, Von Tiers is a fantastic filmmaker, but there was simply NO WAY I could get into that screening... it was packed, and since I didn't hook up with Professor Petrie till about 2 hours before the SOTV screening... I was shit out of luck... I just watched sunning titties and ate great French cuisine... adieu till later my friends...
Hi Harry
It's been so flat out over the last two days I've not had a chance to write until now. I will go into detail about the films that I loved and gloss over the others. Here's what I've seen since the last post:
Lars Von Trier's DANCER IN THE DARK screened today to the hugest crowd I have ever seen attempt to get into the main theatre. I can't begin to describe it. It seems as though for every screening they oversupply with tickets because there's always a drop off. Today, things got ugly because everyone showed. Fortunately I managed to get into the theatre (JUST) and I wouldn't have wanted to be one of the ushers dealing with the hundreds of people that were turned away... but anyway... how's the film?
Well, if you've seen BREAKING THE WAVES a lot of the film may seem very familiar to you. It did so to me. It's a very personal story shot in cinemascope with a hand held camera (it feels like a digital camera although don't hold me to that) telling the story of, essentially, another purehearted woman in the vein of Emily Watson's character in his earlier film. The difference of course is that this character, Selma, is played by BJORK. Selma is a Czech immigrant to a U.S. town sometime in the 60's. She works long shifts in a factory for one big reason: she's going blind, and her young son is doomed to go blind too. A doctor in the States can operate on her son provided that she can pay for the surgery.
Needless to say, problems ensue when Selma's desperate neighbour (David Morse) steals her money... I don't want to say too much about what happens next but the film becomes EXTREMELY tragic in a way that fans of Lars' work will recognise.
Oh, did I say that this film is a musical? Selma is a constant daydreamer, and such a fan of old Hollywood musicals that she constantly imagines her life breaking out into song and dance routines. They are amazing.
The difference here is that the songs are not your usual musical numbers - they are (six, or maybe seven) new Bjork songs, and anyone unfamiliar with her style and sound will probably be completely thrown. Bjork did, of course, write all the music (though the rumoured duet with Thom Yorke from Radiohead does not appear) with Lars contributing lyrics. Personally, I loved the songs and felt they contributed enormously to the film - they're not subsidiary to the plot but rather drive it forward.
Excellent contributions are made to the film by the supporting cast, including Morse, the wonderful Catherine Deneuve as her best friend, Jean Marc Barr, and even Joel Grey. There is one actress in the film whose name escapes me but really stood out - she plays the jail warden and I recognised her as Edgar's (Eggar's?) wife in MEN IN BLACK. What is this actress' name?? Whoever you are, kudos.
VERDICT on the film: well, women around me in the theatre could be heard sobbing very heavily, and there was practically a standing ovation at the end which is unusual for what was essentially a press screening. I think I may need to see it again before I can declare it a masterpiece, but there's no denying the sensational performance of Bjork. She is mesmerizing.
Unfortunately she and Lars Von Trier have had a HUGE falling out. Bjork did not attend the screening, she did not appear at the press conference, and I get the impression she will not be doing any interviews on the film at all. At the conference, Von Trier and Deneuve were clearly trying to remain diplomatic but you could tell that the filming was troubled or problematic. Lars said that, essentially, Bjork is not an actress, that she cannot act, that she can only *feel*, and as a result of the major emotion that is wrung out of her character, he had no choice but to be the implement of her pain. It really is a shame that she won't apparently talk about the film because it really belongs to her. Deneuve said that she expects it will probably be 10 to 20 years before Bjork is ready to talk about it. That said, there is always a degree of drama and media manipulation when it comes to Lars films - perhaps they'll roll up at next years Oscars together... but i doubt it!! Anyway, DANCER IN THE DARK is the buzziest film so far. If it doesn't get major awards I think there'll be blood spilt on the Croisette.
Another film that I saw which completely blew me away was SHADOW OF A VAMPIRE. Can we just give Willem Dafoe an Oscar now?? I think it's his time. Whilst I think there has been a fair bit of coverage on AICN on this film, let me give you my thoughts.
This film is as good as GODS AND MONSTERS if not better. It shares a little with that great movie in terms of tone and story, or it least it did for me. It's the story of the making of Murnau's classic silent vampire film NOSFERATU. John Malkovich plays the director, desperately trying to make a masterpiece on a limited budget.
The genius of this movie is that it questions who Max Schreck, the actor who so vividly played the vampire, was. How did he achieve such a great performance? There's a big subversion in the film, which I knew going in, but I don't think it should be spoilt in internet reviews. What should be said, however, that as "Schreck", Willem Dafoe consumes the screen in a way that had me sweating in amazement. This movie asks the question "what price art?", and deconstructs the movie business with a skewer, whilst at the same time being a really fantastic vampire movie. Loved it loved it loved it. Here's hoping the film (and Dafoe) get the acclaim they deserve.
Other notes on films I've seen:
THE GOOD
I completely fell in love with Laura Linney in YOU CAN COUNT ON ME. What a jewel of a film this is. My only concern is from the outside it looks like just another little Sundance movie that no one in the general public feels too inspired to see. People, I beg you. See this movie.
I also really liked the new Merchant Ivory film THE GOLDEN BOWL. Uma Thurman, Kate Beckinsale, Jeremy Northam and Nick Nolte star in this drama about two marriages that are dangerously intertwined. It's probably the most beautiful period film I've seen for ages - in terms of visual splendour it surpasses the Age of Innocence which is saying something because I loved that movie. GOLDEN BOWL didn't get much of a reaction from the critics but I thought it was really thought provoking, and fortunately nowhere near as depressing as THE HOUSE OF MIRTH. I also thought that for once Uma Thurman was terrific. Go figure.
David Mamet's STATE AND MAIN is a little jewel - terrific performances from an ensemble cast but I should highlight the great Philip Seymour Hoffman in his first romantic lead. Great script. People applauded in the market screening that I attended, which is again very unusual.
Liv Ullman's FAITHLESS, with a script by Ingmar Bergman, was extremely well received by the media. A 2 1/2 hr study of an adulterous affair, it's a hot tip for an acting prize for the lead actress.
THE BAD
THE LUZHIN DEFENCE, the new film by Marlene Gorris, features John Turturro and Emily Watson in yet another period film - but also with CHESS!!. Snore. Avoid.
DUETS has a couple of nice songs from Gwyneth Paltrow, but apart from that it was pretty much a waste of celluloid. Even the normally excellent Paul Giamatti, who has a bigger role in that I've ever seen him have, became really annoying as a burnt out travelling salesman. I would have pointed out that Homicide's Andre Braugher has a great voice but I think he was lipsynching. Pity. I can also understand why Disney have tried to get rid of the film internationally. Straight to video please.
LES DESTINES SENTIMENTALES is the new film from Oliver Assayas. 3 hours of watching Charles Berling and Emmanuelle Beart weep over porcelain and tormented love. The French seemed to dig it but I found it mind-stultifyingly dull.
MAYBE BABY is a supposed Ben Elton "comedy" but I walked out after an hour. Life is too short.
I also saw 15 minutes of footage from KINGDOM COME which looked amazing considering it was video projected. A bearded Wes Bentley gets caught up in the U.S. Gold rush and a family saga involving Natasjia (sp?) Kinski, Peter Mullan, Sarah Polley and a very beautiful Milla Jovovich who plays the town madame. Very much epic in scope, with some knockout visuals, this looks like one to watch... but maybe a bit depressing which is the norm with Michael Winterbottom's films. A happy ending I think not.
Well that's all for now. Tomorrow I will be seeing the new Ang Lee film CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON which is supposed to be really good. Until then...
FROGGY
