Monday, May 21, 2012

Monday Links (21/05/12)

Since checking in last week, I have checked out several films - Polisse, which has an Australian release on June 28, Men In Black 3, which hits cinemas on Thursday, and The Way, now playing in cinemas.


I have also been watching Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher trilogy. The first, which he directed in his mid-20's, utilises a very low-budget. The two so far have both covered similar territory, taking a viewer into the seedy underworld of Copenhagen and following small-time drug pushers who botch a deal, get in too deep with their bosses and become more and more desperate to come up with the money or drugs owed. These drugged-up losers initially seem hard to sympathise with, but incredibly - and this is a testament to the great work from Kim Bodnia and Mads Mikkelsen (the latter appears in both, but is the central character in Pusher II) - their stories become surprisingly moving. Its extremely ugly viewing at times, but demonstrative of Winding Refn's developing craft. Part III is on the list for this week.

Also this week: I appeared on The Matineecast, discussing The Avengers with Ryan McNeil, and inspired by Alex @ And So It Begins, came up with a list of my 11 Favourite Cinematographers.

Here are some links this week:

Richard @ The Reel Bits reviews Get The Gringo, which hits Australian cinemas May 31.

Kevin Knox reveals his 25 Favourite Films.

Ryan reviews one of the year's most entertaining comedy/thrillers, Headhunters.

Southern Vision is one of the best sources of diverse coverage of classic film. Tyler profiles Yasujiro Ozu and looks at Bergman's masterpiece, Through A Glass Darkly, purely through images.

Are Documentaries Cheating? Corey tackles the question.

Brian didn't like The Dictator. I am still yet to see it. Thoughts on this film?

Alex lists 100 Cinematic Reasons Why He Loves the 60's.

Finally, with Cannes now well under way, be sure to stop by Bonjour Tristesse for the best Cannes coverage.

That's all folks. Have a great week.  

10 comments:

  1. "one of the best sources of diverse coverage of classic film..." That's one of the best compliments I've ever received. Thank you, Andy!

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    1. It's true man. I find your site to be consistently inspiring - and always surprising. Fantastic coverage.

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  2. You're doing the Pusher trilogy right now? Damn... I'm going to do that and a couple of other Refn films next month for my Auteurs piece on him.

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    1. I think they have been kind of a mixed bag. I feel like Pusher has the strongest narrative, but the second is the most horrifyingly ugly, and at the same time the most moving. The message is the most apparent. Watching the third last night, my initial thoughts were that it was the weakest - mostly because the simple premise is drawn out to an extreme length. Bad pacing issues in the second half.

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  3. I have to say that Pusher is one of the films I credit with getting me interested in the cinematic world. Glad you are enjoying the trilogy, and thank you for the link!

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    1. I'm still trying to decide which one I liked more: Pusher or Pusher II. I can certainly see his evident talent in Pusher, but I feel like he was beating the same drum a little bit in the sequels. They always have a compelling central character who we watch doing despicable things, but have a heart for. It is very effective writing - if the simple premise is stretched out a bit too far.

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  4. Thanks for the link Andy, have fun making your way though Pusher!

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    1. No worries man. I can't say they have been 'fun' but they are worth a look to see where Refn honed his skills.

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  5. Thanks for the link good sir - and I'm glad to know I'm not alone in digging HEADHUNTERS. I started wondering what others thought of it before it was even over!

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    1. You're welcome. It was a big surprise for me because I knew nothing about it going in. I think what I found to be the film's strongest feature was its comedy. For a stretch there it was absolutely hilarious.

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