A Separation: Interview with Leila Hatami

If you enjoyed A Separation, the wonderful Iranian film that won Best Foreign Language Film, you might be interested in checking out this brief snippet of interview with star Leila Hatami, who plays Simin in the film. She discusses the complexities of her character, provides privileged insight into the production, and filming the unforgettable opening sequence.

New Releases (08/03/12)

There are four new releases hitting cinemas on Thursday Australia wide. Unfortunately, the long-delayed and highly-anticipated 50/50, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, is only getting a Melbourne release. Still, here in Sydney, we have John Carter, Disney's big-budget adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's classic novel series, Norwegian heist thriller and black comedy, Headhunters and Coriolanius, Ralph Fiennes' directorial debut.

50/50 - Inspired by a true story. 50/50 is an original story about friendship, love, survival and finding humour in unlikely places. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star as best friends who lives are changed by a cancer diagnosis in this new comedy directed by Jonathan Levine from a script by Will Reiser. 50/50 is the story of a guy's transformative and, yes, sometimes funny journey to health - drawing its emotional core from Will Reiser's own experiences with cancer and reminding us that friendship and love, no matter what bizarre turns they take, are the greatest healers. Well-received in the States (months ago) and nominated for writing (Reiser) and acting (Gordon-Levitt) at the Golden Globes. Should be worth a look, I imagine.

John Carter - From filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes John Carter - an action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). John Carter is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realises that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands. I found the film to be a confusing collaboration of familiar elements, not particularly engaging, and thin on character. Disappointing. Still, there have been more positive reviews than negative ones, so at this point I am in the minority.

Headhunters - Norwegian thriller directed by Morten Tyldum and adapted from the best-selling 2008 novel by internationally acclaimed crime novelist, Jo Nesbo. The central character is Roger Brown (Askel Hennie, fantastic), a successful Headhunter (big business recruiter who tries to poach from rival companies), who is paying for his beautiful house, funding his luxurious lifestyle and spoiling his stunning wife, Diana (Synnove Macody Lund), by stealing expensive art on the side. He has an accomplice, and through his recruitment position, selects viable candidates by asking them questions to judge their asset value and finding out if there are any obstacles (like a housekeeper or a dog) that could foil his plans. He has a list of rules. 1. Only ever steal from someone you know everything about. It is this rule that results in Roger landing in a tight spot. Trust me, the less you know about this film, the better. Find out more in my review (linked).

Coriolanus - Caius Martius 'Coriolanus' (Ralph Fiennes), a revered and feared Roman General is at odds with the city of Rome and his fellow citizens. Pushed by his controlling and ambitious mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) to seek the exalted and powerful position of Consul, he is loath to ingratiate himself with the masses whose votes he needs in order to secure the office. When the public refuses to support him, Coriolanus's anger prompts a riot that culminates in his expulsion from Rome. The banished hero then allies himself with his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to take his revenge on the city.

Weekly Recommendation: Headhunters is essential. It is a cracker. There have been very positive reviews for both 50/50 and Coriolanus, so depending on the city you live in, they should both be worth a look. John Carter is the interesting one. I imagine plenty of people will line up to see it, and that is understandable, but I find it hard to recommend.

Trailer: 21 Jump Street (Extended Red Band Trailer)

An extended Red Band trailer for 21 Jump Street has been made available online. The film, which stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, has received some very strong early reviews, and is scheduled for an Australian release March 15. Check it out below. Warning NSFW-ish.

Trailer via Cinema Blend and MTV

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival Review: Free Men (Ismael Ferroukhi, 2011)

Free Men, the second feature from writer-director Ismael Ferroukhi, is a wartime espionage thriller. It is inspired by true stories, though the characters and the events that transpire over the course of the film are fictional. In the closing credits, the film claims to be dedicated to unnamed Muslim agents who fought for the French Resistance during Nazi occupied France during WWII, aided in rescuing and protecting Jewish refugees and assassinated Gestapo informants. Though a little flat, there is some genuine tension, and is ultimately quite moving.

Free Men follows a young and illiterate Algerian immigrant, Younes (Tamar Rahim, A Prophet), who, after falling ill and losing his job at a factory, has turned to dealing goods on the black market. His cousin, Ali (Farid Larbi) is a member of a Resistance union, and urges Younes to participate. He declares to have no interest, and is first-and-foremost committed to making money for his family. When he is arrested – both for associating with known Resistance fighters and for possession of illegal goods, he is offered a reprieve, spying on the community residing and conspiring within the walls of the Mosque of Paris. The governor, Ben Ghabrit (Michael Lonsdale, Of Gods and Men), is suspected of harbouring Jews and providing them with false identification papers.

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival Review: Nobody Else But You (Gerald Hustache-Mathieu, 2011)

Nobody Else But You, which screened in the Main Competition at the 2011 Chicago International Film Festival, is written and directed by Gerald Hustache-Mathieu. David Rousseau (Jean-Paul Rouve), a best-selling crime novelist from Paris, is looking for a good story and inspiration to help him with his new novel. He journeys to Mouthe, a remote mountain village near Bordeaux (I believe), and on the way passes a troupe of policeman carrying a body bag. Inquiries reveal that Candice Lecoeur (Sophie Quinton), a vibrant young starlet, local model and weathergirl, had been found buried in the snow having committed suicide. The local police believe it is an open-and-shut case, but David, sensing a good story, decides to investigate – learning all kinds of secrets about Candice, including that she lived a troubled private life and genuinely believed she was the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe. Interesting.

Nobody Else But You is a pretty standard crime mystery. The film takes a little while to get interesting, but the screenplay, which cleverly balances David and Candice’s stories, while ensuring the film remains entertaining, with well-placed moments of humour, and compelling. There are few moments of genuine suspense, but a viewer will enjoy putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The performances aren’t bad - Sophie Quinton is luminous as the Monroe-esqe weathergirl. Her ad for a local cheese company is nothing short of ridiculous, however. Rouve pulls off a writer well enough. There is a personal interest in that regard, and watching him suddenly get inspiration and race to his MacBook was certainly amusing.

The way that the links between Candice and Monroe emerge - she has platinum blonde hair, shares a June 1^st birthday, is often very late to work and is bullied by her producer in much the same way that Monroe was by Sir Lawrence Olivier (if one accepts the recently released One Week With Marilyn to be accurate that is), and is the mistress of a powerful political figure (with initials JFB I might add). There is even a 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President'. Ultimately, she meets a similar demise as Marilyn did. Searching for a good story, David is the only one who considers foul play. Does he genuinely believe it, or has his wild imagination run away with him? Is he inventing a mystery for the sake of inspiration, or are the circumstances of here death suspicious?

Monday Links (05/03/12)

I have had a bit of a crazy week. I have been working lots and been squeezing in screenings and reviews between shifts. I have watched a few films playing at this month's Alliance Francaise French Film Festival - The Day I Saw Your Heart, 18 Years Old and Rising and Nobody Else But You - so keep an eye out for more coverage and reviews over the course of the month.

Also, I thought I would mention a couple of recent viewing experiences - Parts 1 and 2 of the Paradise Lost documentaries. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory was released early this year and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. The first two films (released in 1996 and 1999) are absolutely incredible. Especially Part 1. Focusing on the murders of three young boys in West Memphis and the three teenagers arrested and tried for their murder. The filmmaking team, working for HBO, were allowed to film inside the courtroom and objectively interview the parents of both the victims and the accused. Ultimately, the film acts as a form of evidence in itself, and has attracted support groups and sympathetic people who are outraged by the decision.

Despite very little scientific evidence to prove the three were guilty, they were all convicted and given life sentences. It is an extraordinary and maddening tale of injustice. Yes, the murders are horrific, but just as tragic is the fact that these three boys were clearly innocent and yet found guilty because of some extremely corrupt policing, and prejudices about their speculated character. It rouses emotions, that's for sure. I don't know how it all ends, but there are 12 years between the releases of Revelations and Purgatory. I am hoping for a cinema release of the latter here in Australia.

Here are some links to great articles I have come across over the last fortnight or so...

Following on from what Alex @ And So It Begins came up with, Sati @ Cinematic Corner, Ruth @ Lets Be Splendid About This, Stevee @ Cinematic Paradox and Tyler @ Southern Vision have come up with their own versions of 100 Things I Learned from the Movies.

While you are on Alex's site, check out his recent instalment of Favourite Scene. The focus is Se7en.

I keep hearing great things about Carancho. Edwin Davies @ A Mighty Fine Blog reviews the film.

Sam @ An Online Universe has been working tirelessly on her new site, and happens to have seen many of the same films as me recently. We agree a bizarre amount - Roman Polanski's Carnage and the upcoming March 8 release, Headhunters, to name just two.

For another top review of Headhunters check out Dwayne's @ The LennoX Files.

Over at Anomalous Material Nick looks at the Academy Award nominated documentary, If A Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front, while Max looks at some underrated Gems from the 1980's.

Joseph @ Black Sheep Reviews interviews the directors of the Academy Award winner for documentary, Undefeated.

Bonjour Tristesse catches up with We Need to Talk About Kevin. I was very glad to see him give it the 8.3 grade.

Blake Howard @ Castle Co-op reviews the newly released masterpiece, A Separation. A MUST see!

Andrew @ Encore's World of Film and TV looks at some of 2011's Memorable Scenes. 

Max @ Impassioned Cinema looks at a classic I am yet to see, Belle De Jour. 

John @ John Likes Movies is already looking ahead to 2013, picking out the Potential Oscar Nominees.

Corey @ Just Atad asks his readers: Do We Cut Foreign Films Too Much Slack? Really interesting read.

Tom Clift @ Movie Reviews by Tom Clift really didn't like Project X.

Colin @ Pick 'n' Mix Flix, a writer I value highly and one of my most loyal readers, was really impressed by L'illusionnist. It is delightful.

Tyler @ Southern Vision has had a busy week. He also gave Au Hasard Balthazar (an amazing film!!) 10/10 and endured all seven hours of Bela Tarr's Satantango.

Steven @ Surrender to the Void has been working through the films of Thomas McCarthy (and the Coen Bros.). He has recently uploaded reviews of The Visitor and Win Win. 


So there you have it. Hope you find some interesting reading amongst these articles. Have a great week.

'Battleship' Stars To Tour Sydney in April

Announced today, through Universal Pictures, the stars of Battleship will be touring Sydney in April 2012.

The battle for earth begins at sea in the action-adventure Battleship - but on Tuesday 10th April, the all-star cast will be warmly welcomed to iconic Lunar Park Sydney, for the Australian Premiere of the new film.

In an exciting partnership, Universal Pictures and 2Day FM will co-present the Australian Premiere under the Luna Park Big Top, where leading man Taylor Kitsch (John Carter) will walk the red carpet with his co-stars - pop sensation Rihanna in her big-screen debut, supermodel Brooklyn Decker (Just Go With It) and director Peter Berg (Hancock). Inspired by Hasbro's classic naval combat game, Battleship also stars Liam Neeson and Alexander Skarsgard.

Battleship is in cinema April 12. More information regarding the Australian Tour will be forthcoming.

New Release Review: Headhunters (Mortem Tyldum, 2012)

Headhunters, distributed through Rialto, hits Australian cinemas March 8.

Where to begin with Headhunters? I went in knowing nothing about it, and the experience was all the better for it. I had a blast. But, for the purposes of this review, I’ll have to reveal a little in my attempts to persuade you all to see it. It is a Norwegian thriller directed by Morten Tyldum and adapted from the best-selling 2008 novel by internationally acclaimed crime novelist, Jo Nesbo.

The central character is Roger Brown (Askel Hennie, fantastic), a successful Headhunter (big business recruiter who tries to poach from rival companies), who is paying for his beautiful house, funding his luxurious lifestyle and spoiling his stunning wife, Diana (Synnove Macody Lund), by stealing expensive art on the side. He has an accomplice, and through his recruitment position, selects viable candidates by asking them questions to judge their asset value and finding out if there are any obstacles (like a housekeeper or a dog) that could foil his plans. He has a list of rules. 1. Only ever steal from someone you know everything about. It is this rule that results in Roger landing in a tight spot.