The Films of David Cronenberg Vol. #1

The Fly (1986) - 4 Stars (B+)

Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), a brilliant but eccentric scientist, meets Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), a journalist for Particle Magazine at a meet-the-press event held by Brundle's financier, Bartok Science Industries. Seth invites Veronica back to his lab and shows her a project that will change the science world as it is currently known and could win him a Nobel Prize; a set of "Telepods" that allows instantaneous teleportation of one object from one pod to another. Intrigued by his idea and believing in his abilities, if also attracted to the man, Veronic agrees to document Seth's work. Although the "Telepods" can transport inanimate objects perfectly, he had so far been unsuccessful in teleporting living creatures with flesh, horrifically realised during the failed attempt on a live baboon (which appears to be turned inside-out).

Having managed to successfully reprogram his computer system to deal with living tissue, and having finally transported a live baboon, Seth decides to test himself. His judgement, however, is significantly impaired by alcohol and a paranoid fear that veronica is secretly rekindling her relationship with her editor and former lover (John Getz). As a drunk and jealous Seth prepares to teleport himself, a common housefly slips into the pod unseen. Shortly after his teleportation, Seth exhibits what at first appear to be beneficial effects of the process - heightened senses, increased strength, stamina and sex drive. With the DNA from the fly fusing with his own, Seth soon becomes arrogant and destructive, and once he recognises the discolouration of his skin and that he has started sprouting hairs and losing fingernails, it becomes very evident that something has gone horribly wrong.

Gradually deteriorating over the next few weeks, Seth comes to realise that he is losing his human reason and compassion, and is now being driven by primitive impulses he cannot control. Veronica discovers that she is pregnant and is unsure whether fertilisation occurred before or after Seth's transformation. Though horrified by the thought of bearing Seth's child (her anxiety is beautifully captured in a creepy dream sequence) she remains sympathetic of his existence and committed to helping the now sad and desperate man she once loved and admired. Separating it from many other gore-riddled 80's horror classics, is the powerful romance at the core, which captures Seth's desperation to cling to his humanity. Widely considered to be one of the great horror films ever made, it is surely one of the greatest remakes.

Some critics saw the film as a metaphor for the AIDS epidemic. It could be a representation for disease in general as Seth's skin becomes bruised and lumpy, his teeth fall out and he develops oozing pustules that gradually worsen. A truly tragic tale, The Fly relies on the effective performances and the chemistry between the leads, which endows this sci-fi horror with a romantic twist and a deeply affecting human drama. Jeff Goldblum, who would later be best known for his involvement in the Jurassic Park franchise, gives the finest performance of his career, while Geena Davis gives very commendable support.

The wonderful score was composed by Howard Shore, a favourite collaborator of David Cronenberg, and the superb make-up effects by Chris Walas deservedly won him an Academy Award. Cronenberg became renowned as a master of gore, and there are several stomach-churning moments once again. As one of his more complete masterpieces, he seems to effortlessly balance genres, infusing his often shocking use of gore with scientific breakthroughs, compelling performances and even some humour, while always being wary that his audience cares for the characters through a moving sense of humanity. Scanners and Videodrome are earlier Cronenberg works that I can recommend too, but The Fly is essential viewing.

Dead Ringers (1988) - 1 1/2 Stars (D+)

Dead Ringers is a psychological horror/thriller from David Cronenberg starring Jeremy Irons in the dual role as identical twin gynecologists, Eliot and Beverly Mantle. Why the British actor was cast for a film set in Canada is puzzling. I have developed a personal dislike for Irons' performances (both here and in Adrian Lyne's Lolita), though it is still impressive dedication to tackle this difficult and controversial role. He always seems to have the same cold stare etched across his face, and often seems flummoxed and lost for words. His soft-spoken monotone is also tiring and his characters, though psychologically troubled and on-edge, are decidedly boring. Cronenberg's screenplay is based on the novel, Twins, by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland, which is loosely based on the lives of Stuart and Cyril Marcus. It is the story of twins who act as though they are one, and the woman who tore them apart.

Dedicated to their professions from a young age (a facet of the story relayed in two quick sequences), the twins completed their studies and are amongst the most revolutionary gynaecologists in practice, inventing their own surgical equipment that has distanced them from their competitors. In addition to being genetically identical and impossible to tell apart, the twins also live together and share women. Eliot is the more aggressive and confident of the two and seduces women who come to the Mantle clinic. When he tires of them, the women are passed onto the shy and passive Beverly, remaining aloof to the substitution.

When Beverly becomes attached to the troubled actress Claire Niveau (Genevieve Bujold), it upsets the established equilibrium between the twins. Beverly mistakes Claire's male assistant for her lover (an important plot element that comes across as a real stretch) and comes to believe that she is cheating on him. This sends him into clinical depression, prescription drug abuse and delusions about "mutant women". He has a macabre set of surgical equipment especially designed to work on these women, but he is assigned administrative leave when he first tries to use them on a patient, and subsequently collapses from drug withdrawal. Beverly's decline directly affects Eliot, who desperately seeks a way to return their lives to normalcy.

Unlike Videodrome and The Fly, which are quite short and energetically paced, Dead Ringers is dull and laborious. While taking the time to establish the bizarre relationship between the twins and revealing the ways that they are different, it does feel stagnant at times. While there are some unsettling moments; Beverly's consideration of using those malicious tools on a patient and his clamber onto the unconscious patient for a whiff of their oxygen are especially confronting. But the unsavoury drug use, the tied up sex and the vivid dream sequence are also unnerving. In no way is Dead Ringers a horror film, nor a particularly effective thriller. It actually has no likeable features.

Often it is difficult to tell the twins apart, especially when they both resort to drugs. It is briefly suggested that they believe their blood streams run in synch (as disconnected siamese twins). In order for them to understand and work with one another, they have to be in control of their actions and work in synch. When Beverly, for the first time, rejects his brother's assistance, they must either find a way to reconnect, or separate forever. Eliot's decision to start using hard drugs is never really explained and the concluding consequences seem unjustified. Though it is hard not to praise Jeremy Irons' performance, Dead Ringers is overtly symbolic, dully paced, visually unappealing, and doesn't possess a single likeable character. It is a brooding, unsatisfying experience and a disappointing addition to the resume of a master director I have recently come to admire.

In Vol. #2 of the Cronenberg Marathon, I'll be reviewing Naked Lunch, Crash and eXistenZ. 

Monday Links (16/05)

I hope everyone had a great week. I have felt a little more disconnected than normal and am working on a number of posts. With Blogger going down and some socialising having left my head a little sore this weekend, I was not as productive as I would have liked. Hence, posting this a day earlier than usual. This week I continued my David Cronenberg marathon with The Fly, Dead Ringers and Naked Lunch. Wow, the latter is weird. But awesome. I hated Dead Ringers though. I'm not sure if anyone had the chance to read my Films of David Cronenberg Vol. 1 but it was deleted by blogger merely hours after I posted it, and I just have not had the motivation to re-write it from an early draft stage. How annoying! Oh, I watched Cell 211 at the Spanish Film Festival, and Insidious yesterday. This will undoubtedly be the scariest film of the year. I am just about to book tickets for 20 films over the span of the Sydney Film Festival (June 8-19) so I am going to be very busy if I am to achieve my goal of reviewing each of them.

Here are some of the week's top articles:

Anders Wotzke from Cut Print Review delivers a really entertaining video review of Insidious. 

Dan at Dan the Man's Movies Reviews shares his thoughts on one of my all-time favourite horror films, The Thing. 

Stephen Flores at Surrender to the Void has been reviewing a film a day with some connection to Cannes (either it won, or was nominated) during the duration of this years Cannes Film Festival. Check out his review of Un Prophete.

Mad Hatter at The Dark of The Matinee recently watched Gremlins. His discussion of the film with Jack Cole from Not Just Movies is worth a read.

Dan at Top 10 Films has compiled a list of his Top 10 Buddy Films since 1980. I was glad to see Sideways on the list.

Aiden at Cut the Crap Movie Reviews shares his thoughts on Badlands.

I missed Certified Copy when it played here, but I really want to see it after reading Sam's review at Duke and the Movies.

The 'Life in Movies Blogathon' held at Fandango Groovers Movie Blog was a big success. Check out all who participated here.


Stevee at Cinematic Paradox has just unleashed her 10 Favourite (Modern/Classic) Directors.

Finally, The Cynicritics reveal their Top Films of the 1990's. 

Thanks for reading. Hope everyone has a great week ahead. 

New Release Review: Insidious (James Wan, 2011)

First of all, I found Insidious to be genuinely creepy. There were countless times when I jumped in shock, and for nearly the entire film I felt on edge. Horror buffs will be hard pressed to find a scarier film released this year. While evidently drawing from a bunch of established horror classics, notably The Shining, The Exorcist and Poltergeist, the family in trauma from the inexplicable and possessive supernatural elements idea also resembles the more recent examples like The Orphanage (often frightening) and Paranormal Activity (a film I found to be overrated, and not nearly as enjoyable as this). From writer Leigh Whannell and director James Wan (the pairing responsible for starting the Saw franchise and the only awesome film in the series) comes this low-budget but chillingly effective thriller. After a great title opening, and a wonderful build-up of atmosphere, it is unfortunate that Insidious loses its way in the second half. The scares are still very present, though the films minute budget becomes exposed and all thought, reasoning and sense is lost.

Renai and Josh Lambert (Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson) have just moved into a new home with their three children. One afternoon not long after they have settled in, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) is playing and hears some strange noises in the attic. After finding the attic door ajar, he investigates. While trying to turn on a light, he slips on an old and broken ladder and falls hard. It is hinted that something supernatural is lurking in the attic, as Dalton is affected by something he sees. That night his parents tuck him into bed assured that his carelessness had simply left him shaken from the fall. The next morning though, Josh finds his son immobile and unconscious in his bed, with doctors later claiming they could not explain his mysterious coma-like state. Three months later, with Dalton still in the coma, Renai and Josh decide to bring him home and care for him there.

Over the next few days Renai begins to notice that there is something not quite right about their house. She hears hoarse whispering through the baby monitor and spots a figure outside of the baby's room that night. She is then nearly attacked by another figure in her bedroom. Unable to explain the ever-worsing events but to accommodate Renai's hysteria, Josh agrees to move home. This change has no bearing on their happiness whatsoever, as the haunts return almost immediately. While it seemed like Renai would become the central character, haunted by these figures that no-one else sees, she finds a sensitive supporter in Josh's mother, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey), who had experienced a vivid dream after visiting with Dalton and sensed that he was in danger. She calls in her friend Elise (Lin Shaye), an 'expert' in the field of spiritual possession and such.

Elise reveals that Dalton has the ability to 'astral project'. This means that he can wander around the parallel spirit world (the 'Further') and interact with lost souls and demons. He accomplishes this in his sleep, which he believes are merely dreams. This ability has also attracted a powerful flame-faced demon which has drawn Dalton into this realm in the hopes that it can take over his physical body for evil purposes. This demon, and other possessive ghouls are what are terrorising the Lambert's for access to Dalton's body. While Josh is typically the rationale male who doesn't believe any of the supernatural business, he becomes essential in the latter half to ending their trauma. Josh, like his son, had the ability to astral project as a child and had been traumatised by an old woman (who used to lurk behind Josh in photographs). Elise instructs Josh use his abilities, enter the 'Further' and free Dalton's lost soul.

It doesn't really lock down one type of horror, but combines many. Is it a film about a haunted house, or a possessive demon? While the cliches abound in the screenplay, James Wan has done a masterful job of building a really spooky atmosphere from the get-go and utilising the pulse-pounding score. Insidious is good enough to firmly stand on its own. While many have criticised that the film is visually unappealing, I quite liked the washed-out look. I also thought the use of lighting was fantastic, and each of the houses used in the film, with their staircases and long, dark hallways, were perfect settings. Working with good old fashioned horror techniques and relying on building suspense, it doesn't need the endless amount of gore that many horror films choose to indulge in. But through tricks of light, innovative camera movements and quick editing, Wan manages to produce a very effective array of jump scares. You will often see the scares coming, but they still catch you out.

It takes the time to build the atmosphere, introduce the characters and mislead the audience. The first half of the film is fantastic, but there are moments in the second half that are downright cheesy. It raises ideas about death and the afterlife, and a connection between our souls and our control over them when we dream, but it never tackles one of these themes very well. Apparently people with the ability to astral project can enter dream states and help trapped others, and while in this state, they become vulnerable to possessive spirits. It becomes a little senseless, and some dodgy visual effects at the end aren't too hot either. The gimmicky conclusion is typical of modern horror films too. The inclusion of the comic relief from the ghost-hunters (played by screenwriter Whannell and Angus Sampson) also felt very out-of-place.

In horror films usually the performances aren't the strongest feature, but those delivered by Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson are very good. They each give it their all and are genuinely convincing. Barbara Hershey also provides strong support. Despite its flaws I enjoyed nearly every moment of Insidious. Above all else, it is genuinely scary, which I think is enough to make it worthwhile.

My Rating: 3 Stars (C+) 

14th Spanish Film Festival: Cell 211 (Daniel Monzon, 2009)

Cell 211 was the winner of eight 2009 GOYA Awards, including Best Picture and Director. The film's plot revolves around a prison riot, focusing predominantly on the volatile leader of the revolt, and a rookie prison guard, forced to pretend to be a prisoner to survive the ordeal. I unfortunately missed the opening 10 minutes but Cell 211 was intense, gritty and compelling throughout. Daniel Monson has done a great job endowing the film with such a visually arresting realism (it genuinely looks like the filmmakers have been trapped within the riot, and have documented the footage). Intense hand-held (often the camera seems to get thrown around within the skirmishes) and sharp editing transform these sequences into a very real ordeal for the audience. It is disappointing that this realism is not matched by the plot developments, which are very often implausible, and maddeningly so. Despite being set within the volatile and unpredictable world of a prison, it is noticeably stagey and the plot developments feel ordered for the benefit of its two central protagonists.

Juan Oliver (Albert Ammann) desires to make a good impression at his new job as a prison officer and reports to work a day early, leaving his pregnant wife, Elena, at home. His destiny will forever be changed by this fateful decision, as during his tour of the prison an accident occurs that knocks him unconscious. He is rushed to to an empty cell (the site of a recent suicide), Cell 211. At the same time convicts break free of their cells, hijack prison officers and start to riot. Juan is left stranded and unconscious in Cell 211. When he awakens; in order to survive, he must assume a new identity as a prisoner. He manages to convince the other prisoners that he is one of them, and that he had been entered in prison that day for homicide. He befriends the violent leader, Malamadre (Luis Tosar), who takes him under his wing.

While not exactly original, the two lead characters are quite well drawn. The situation, taking into account the Spanish prison and social context, is quite believable, it is just some of the plot arcs, and the way they draw uninvolved characters into the drama that questions its realism. I wish more time was spent on the prisoners actually involved in the riot. I wondered why that dumb-shit guy in the cap kept popping up. First he is used as a messenger to and from Malamadre and then later a guard for the hostages. Surely there was someone more equipped to handle these duties than this guy. He had a few near-unintelligible lines early on, so it was decided he should stay. He was the source of some out-of-place comic relief too. Apart from some quite amusing responses from Malamadre, which were typical of his character, I didn't think it was necessary to have any humour. The film was far too intense.

It was such a shame that some of the conflict and the character developments feel so staged, as if the riot was started to tell these individual tales. It almost never felt like a spontaneous reaction to a cataclysmic event. It felt very written (and I know the film was 'scripted') but for a film this sporadic and volatile, the twists seemed unjustified. A key turning point in the film is the bashing of Elena, when she joins and becomes trapped within an angry protest mob outside of the prison gates. Why she ever decided to put herself in this situation just cannot be fathomed. Sure, she was suspicious that her husband's new colleagues weren't being straight with her about his involvement, but to become sandwiched within all these people is quite ridiculous. The fact that she was beaten in front of a news cameraman by the same correctional officer, who had earlier been discharged for the beating up a possible testifier to the origins of the riot, is very convenient. But this is exactly what happens, and nearly every ensuing sequence questions the well-being of Elena and the concerns of both Juan for his wife, and Malamadre for him.

Details surrounding Elena become even more important than having their demands met. To think that Malamadre would trust Juan so quickly is also pretty implausible. They try and work around this by having one of the more powerful inmates investigate the man out of instinctual suspicion. It isn't very convincing. Perhaps I am being a little too harsh, because there were so many times I was blown away by what I was watching. At times I felt like I was watching one of the greatest prison dramas since OZ, yet at other times I was shaking my head. To pack this film with such intensity and adrenalin is no small feat by the filmmakers. The excellent performances from Alberto Ammann and Luis Tosar, spectacular cinematic innovations and quite a good ending make this worthwhile, despite its evident flaws.

My Rating: 3 1/2 Stars (B)

Releases 12/05

Despite only the four releases this week, I have such a busy week ahead. I doubt I'll have time to see Water for Elephants, Your Highness, Insidious or Burke and Hare, despite declaring I would check out the three former films. Water for Elephants looks like a soppy love triangle-type film and Your Highness has been labelled as a frontrunner for 'Worst Film of the Year'. I always like seeing the widely considered 'Worst of the Year', though I feel I have already seen it with Sucker Punch. Still, if I see neither of these films, I won't lose any sleep. Perhaps I'll lose sleep from the creepy Insidious anyway, from the Wan/Whannell pairing that brought us Saw. My friend Mel Garrick interviewed the masters of horror recently. I'll link to her article later.

Water for Elephants - Based on the acclaimed bestseller, Water for Elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. Veterinary school student Jacob meets and falls in love with Marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. Against all odds - including the wrath of Marlena's charismatic but dangerous husband, Jacob and Marlena find lifelong love. Starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz. Seems to be a soppy love story with stunning cinematography, but lacking the chemistry or the emotion to endow it with resonance. Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 58%

Your Highness - Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valliant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure, adoration and the throne, he's settled for a life of wizard's weed, hard booze and easy maidens. When Fabious' bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), gets kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), the king gives his deadbeat son an ultimatum: Man up and help rescue her or get cut off. Sounds like a vehicle for McBride to step out of the supporting-role shadow, where he should be destined to stay, and become the lead that no-one wants. I have heard nothing but terrible feedback; as the comedy exists little outside of the weed and penis jokes, and brings few laughs. Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 25%

Burke and Hare - Before finding it on Rotten Tomatoes (where it sits at 29%), I had never heard of this film. Starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis and directed by John Landis (Animal House), Burke and Hare is set in 19th Century Ediburgh. Selling cadavers to medical schools was big business in the 1800's, and Burke and Hare think that they can make their fortunes in the industry. The only problem is that there aren't any dead bodies to be found. Sounds like a riot.

Insidious - My promising journalist friend Melanie Garrick recently interviewed James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the co-creators of the cult horror Saw franchise, for TimeOut Sydney. Apparently Insidious was made on a budget even smaller than the original Saw's - just US$800,000 - but it has pulled in solid numbers at the U.S box office. Citing inspiration from real-life ghost stories, Whannell and Wan have built a spine-tingling horror film, recognisably influenced by horror classics, Poltergeist and The Exorcist. Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) have a happy family with their three young children. When tragedy strikes their son, Josh and Renai begin to experience things that science cannot explain. While I have heard some qualms about the ending a couple of times, its chilling features are never disputed. Even if it is only nearly as good as Saw, it would be worth a look. Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 66%

My Weekly Recommendation: Insidious

'Tree of Life' Headlines the 2011 Sydney Film Festival Line-up

The line-up for the annual Sydney Film Festival (SFF), this year running from Wednesday June 8 to Sunday June 19, has been announced. Opening the festival is Hanna, the new film from Joe Wright starring Saoirse Ronan, and closing the festival is the Ewan McGregor starring, Beginners. Of course, headlining the Festival this year is Terrence Malick's Tree of Life. Films will be spread across Event Cinemas on George Street, the State Theatre and Dendy Opera Quays. Full information on the SFF can be found on the homepage (here), but here is a quick rundown of the line-up.

Official Competition

A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)
Amador (Fernando Leon De Aranoa)
Attenberg (Athina Rachel Tsangari)
Cairo 678 (Mohammed Diab)
Norwegian Wood (Tran Anh Hung)
Sleeping Beauty (Julia Leigh)
Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols)
Target (Alexander Zeldovich)
The Forgiveness of Blood (Joshua Marston)
The Future (Miranda July)
Toomelah (Ivan Sen)
The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)


All Other Features/Documentaries Include:

13 Assassins (Miike Takashi)
33 Postcards (Pauline Chan)
Africa United (Debs Gardner-Paterson)
All About Love (Ann Hui)
Armadillo (Janus Metz)
Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (Michael Rapaport)
**Beginners (Mike Willis)
Black and White and Sex (John Winter)
Black Venus (Abdellatif Kechiche)
Brownian Movement (Nanouk Leopold)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Werner Herzog)
Cedar Rapids (Miguel Arteta)
Cirkus Columbia (Danis Tanovic)
Corridor (Johan Lundborg and Johan Storm)
Dreileben Part 1: Beats Being Dead (Christian Petzold)
Dreileben Part 2: Don't Follow Me Around (Dominik Graf)
Dreileben Part 3: One Minute of Darkness (Christoph Hochhausler)
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (Jose Padilha)
End of Animal (Jo Sung-hee)
Even the Rain (Iclar Bollain)
*Hanna (Joe Wright)
Happy, Happy (Anne Sewitsky)
HERE (Braden King)
Hobo With a Shotgun (Jason Eisener)
Jane Eyre (Cary Joji Fukunaga)
Kill List (Ben Wheatley)
Kung Fu Panda 2 (Jennifer Yuh Nelson)
Le Quattro Volte (Michelangelo Frammartino)
Letters from the Big Man (Christopher Munch)
Life, Above All (Oliver Schmitz)
Life in A Day (Kevin McDonald, YouTube Contributors)
Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin)
Meek's Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt)
Mutant Girl's Squad (Noburo Iguchi et al.)
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Morgan Spurlock)
Post Mortem (Pablo Larrain)
Project Nim (James Marsh)
Sacrifice (Chen Kaige)
Senna (Asif Kapadia)
Silent Souls (Aleksei Fedorchenko)
Sleeping Sickness (Ulrich Kohler)
Stake Land (Jim Mickle)
Tabloid (Errol Morris)
Terri (Azazel Jacobs)
The Arbor (Clio Barnard)
The Beaver (Jodie Foster)
The Guard (John Michael McDonagh)
The Mill and the Cross (Lech Majewski)
The Trip (Michael Winterbottom)
The Troll Hunter (Andre Ovredal)
The Turin Horse (Bela Tarr)
Three (Tom Tykwer)
Trucker and Dale vs Evil (Eli Craig)
Tyrannosaur (Paddy Considine)
Windfall (Laura Israel)
Win Win (Tom McCarthy)

* denotes 'Opening Film
** denotes 'Closing Film'

I intend to see and review 10-15 of these films. There may be clashes or overlaps in the schedule, which will require me to choose between films, and there may be days where I am unable to see any films at all. Still, I do intend to see: Norwegian Wood, Sleeping Beauty, Take Shelter, The Tree of Life, Armadillo, Cedar Rapids, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, Even The Rain, Hanna, HERE, Jane Eyre, Kill List, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Beaver, The Guard, The Troll Hunter, Three and Win Win. 

Opening Night of the 14th Spanish Film Festival...and Cannes!

Tonight is the opening night of the 14th Spanish Film Festival at Palace Cinemas on Norton Street. Sessions throughout the course of the Festival (stretching between 11-22 May) will be split between the Norton Street and the Chauvel at Paddington. The 7:00pm opening night film is Alex De La Iglesia's film The Last Circus. As winner of Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 2010 Venice Film Festival, it has been subject to a wealth of positive acclaim, and is a film I strongly desire to see.

Other notable films playing at the Festival include:

Black Bread (Agusti Villaronga)
Chico Y Rita (J. Mariscal, F. Trueba and Tono Errando)
Cell 211 (Daniel Monzon)
Garbo: The Spy (Edmon Roch)
Bon Appetit (David Pinillo)
Julia's Eyes (Guillem Morales)
Kidnapped (Miguel Angel Vivas)
Carancho (Pablo Trapero)
October (Daniel Vega Vidal and Diego Vega Vidal)
Leap Year (Michael Rowe)
The Life of Fish (Matias Bize)
____________________________________

Coincidentally, though across the other side of the world, today also marks the commencement of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Woody Allen's new film Midnight in Paris will premiere and open the festival, with the beautiful Melanie Laurent the hostess. Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci will be awarded the Honorary Palm d'Or Award at the Opening Ceremony. Twenty films are in official competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or (the full line-up can be found here), but I'm sure all the festivities during the duration (11-22 May) will be worth keeping track of. I'll have full coverage of the news throughout and the winners. Now, I'm off to help set up for the Opening Night Fiesta. Have a great day!

'Game of Thrones' Preview Clip

Looks pretty awesome right? I'm just two episodes in, but I can assure you, it certainly is. With wonderful source material (I have been informed) and a big budget, this will surely be another new addition to the HBO elite.