25th European Film Awards - Animated Feature Film Nominations

A few minutes ago the Academy announced by press release the nominations selected by the committee with the following members: EFA Board Member Antonio Saura (producer, Spain) and EFA Member Per Holst (producer, Denmark) as well as representatives of CARTOON, the European Association of Animation Film, Brigitte Baronet (France), Tony Loeser (Germany), and Tomm Moore (Ireland).

These are the three nominated films.

Alois Nebel, Tomáš Luňák, Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia
Arrugas (Wrinkles), Ignacio Ferreras, Spain
The Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists, Peter Lord, USA and UK

To check movie info go to official awards site here.

2012 Toronto International Film Festival Award Winners

We have to acknowledge that fest major and important service to the world cinema community is that has become one of the best sources to predict Oscar contenders and sometimes, winners as allows many American cinema journalists to actually see films and start the current award season media buzz. Obviously fest films clearly influences Critics' awards but we have to remember that not necessarily influences the other sectors awards, as for example and according to what I was reading, since 1999 only 3 films have won TIFF's top award and Oscar Best Picture.

I don't particularly follow the fest, but this year have to share that saw everyday developments thanks to the YouTube summary videos posted by the festival and tweets by some of the cinema journalists I follow. Festival is not that interesting for me as usually we already know most of the films in festival, thanks to following world festivals, plus fest site is not really that user friendly to understand and decode the many films that the fest screens. For example, this year there were 43 films produced or co produced by France which were really impossible to find as fest site only has film list by alphabet.

Anyway here are the award winners from news and as soon as fest site publishes list will post link.

People's Choice Awards

Feature Film: Silver Linings Playbook by David O. Russell
Runners-up: Argo by Ben Affleck and Zaytoun by Eran Riklis

Documentary: Artifact by Bartholomew Cubbins
Runners-up: Storm Surfers 3D by Christopher Nelius and Justin McMillan, and Revolution by Rob Stewart

Midnight Madness: Seven Psychopaths by Martin McDonagh
Runners-up: The Bay by Barry Levinson and John Dies at the End by Don Coscarelli

Canadian Films

Best Feature Film: Laurence Anyways by Xavier Dolan
Best First Feature Film: (tie)
Antiviral by Brandon Cronenberg
Blackbird by Jason Buxton
Best Short Film: Keep a Modest Head by Deco Dawson

FIPRESCI Awards
Special Presentations Section: Dans la maison (In the House) by François Ozon
Discovery Section: Call Girl by Mikael Marcimain

NETPAC Award: Kibô no kuni (The Land of Hope) by Sion Sono

Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award: Detroit Unleaded by Rola Nashef

If you're not familiar with the top award winner then can share that film star is none other than Jennifer Lawrence, another young actress that I follow her career closely and see everything with her (except scary movies). Also in movie Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Julia Stiles; if you follow Movie On facebook page you saw the trailer a long while back.

Info is up at fest site if you wish to check their announcement go here where some pics have links to movie info.

Les adieux à la reine (Farewell, My Queen)

An interesting glimpse into history in a movie that actually was filmed in Versailles and surprisingly for me shows not only the sumptuous lifestyle inside the palace but also the grim world of servant quarters. But I was not captivated by story as while watching I was thinking more about the different worlds that inhabit the palace and the historic events that happened at that time which amazingly resemble so much to what is happening today in current world time.

Based on a book with the same name by Chantal Thomas, this Benoît Jacquot film tells the story of four days at the eve of the French Revolution seen by a fictional character, Sidonie Laborde (Léa Seydoux) who is a reader to Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger). It is tale that that perfectly fits the label of a "women's point-of-view" as in story we have mainly female characters telling us about monarchy reactions to the storming of La Bastille, that with its fall is the flashpoint to the French Revolution and the beginning of modern France.

Let's be clear, this is not a history class. In the surface is a tale of a woman that will do anything and everything for the queen and indeed she does; but at least for me, was impossible not to relate what I was seeing to historical events and in my opinion, here is where this movie excels as have seen other same-period movies and none made me think about historic events. If you know your world history then maybe the same could happen to you and if it does, believe me, is a very interesting ride.

Movie absurd marketing told us that film had lesbian interest, specifically Marie Antoinette relationship with Gabrielle de Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen). As a matter of fact film was competing for the Teddy Award in the 2012 Berlinale, where was also in the main competition for the Golden Bear. Now I can tell you that film had no opportunity to win the Teddy as there is not much lesbian interest in this movie, just a few short scenes that suggest something that now, after reading historic facts, learned that has never been factual as seems was used for political reasons. I'm talking about de Polignac being Marie Antoinette lesbian lover published in the newspapers of that time. So if you watch movie expecting what marketing promised, maybe you will be disappointed.

Besides what I call my "history provocation" this movie has something else that definitively allowed me to think so much and follow closely what I was seeing in the screen, outstanding Léa Seydoux performance and quite good Diane Kruger interpretation of Marie Antoniette that included an Austrian accent while speaking French, which magnificently resembles possible reality. Brief Virginie Ledoyen performance was too short for me as I really like her performances and most of all, her fabulous voice tone. Last, but not least, film is a feast for the eyes if you enjoy watching glorious period costumes.

Have no idea if director storytelling style had the purpose to provoke history relationships, but know that his intention was to portrait intense emotions in a close environment far away from where history was developing. Actually he shows a tight close environment as camera never leaves Versailles in film and what we see in screen is characters having all sort of emotions; but for me, as a viewer, didn't felt any emotions, I was only an spectator, like a fly in the wall that can see everything but can't feel anything.

It's unusual for me to wait a long time before writing a review, but this time I wanted to digest what I saw and my reactions before deciding what to write, maybe that is why this review is kind of "brainy" but after all my first and foremost experience with this film was very brainy. I can't assure you will have the same experience but what I can suggest is not to skip this film that surely has something that you could enjoy.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Muriel fait le désespoir de ses parents (Muriel's Parents Have Had It Up to Here)

A nice -but very French- made for TV movie by Philippe Faucon that made me recall when movies were light and was common to show things that nowadays hardly anyone shows in the small or big screen. This feel-good movie with not much drama, showing life as it is, gave me a good entertainment moment while telling a "normal" story, French style of course.

Definitively a mainstream movie with nothing special, one that looks and feels like many European made for TV movies, but story plus storytelling style makes watching very enjoyable even today, seventeen years after was first released on French television. Yes, this is a 1995 movie that if you haven't watch it, I suggest you do. Good is to mention that film was screened at 1996 Locarno in competition at the Cinéastes du Présent section.

Film tells a very important slice of the life of Muriel played by Catherine Klein and is based on real life experiences that happened to the actress, who also co wrote the script; tells about Muriel realizing she's attracted to her friend Nora, how she tells her mother that she prefers girls over boys and how she finds her happy life. This simple and light story also talks about very profound things but you have to see film to find them.

Absolutely not the regular movie in the lesbian interest genre and one film that I know goes above and beyond the genre as could please general audiences that still recall how simple life was or could be, and do not mind watching very European movies.

A great unexpected surprise for me, which made me wish filmmakers could do now films as light and as real as this one as not only is very entertaining and makes you feel good, but also shows/says something profound that can stay a while in your head.

Enjoy!!!

Watch scene @MOC

Leaving here an excerpt from the dialogue that perhaps sounds dramatic but in my opinion was not at all. To me it was a wow-moment and made me smile.

MURIEL : Si, y a une chose que je voudrais te dire.
SA MÈRE : Qu’est-ce que c’est ? T’as fait une bêtise ?
MURIEL : Non mais faut que je te parle d’une chose.
SA MÈRE : Qu’est-ce qu’il y a ? T’as fait quelque chose de grave ? T’as quand même pas volé ? T’es enceinte ?
MURIEL : Non.
SA MÈRE : T’as couché avec un mec ?
MURIEL : Non.
SA MÈRE : C’est quoi ?
MURIEL : Voilà, y a une chose qu’il faut que tu saches. Faut que tu l’admettes et que tu me prennes avec ça parce que je ne changerai pas. C’est que je préfère les filles aux garçons.
SA MÈRE : Comment ça ? Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire ? Comment ça ? Mais t’as pas pu faire ça !
MURIEL : Me regarde pas comme ça, comme si j’étais sale.
SA MÈRE : C’est pas possible enfin ! Tu sais ce qu’elles font entre elles ces femmes-là ? C’est pas possible, t’as pas couché avec une fille !
MURIEL : Si.
SA MÈRE : Non, c’est pas possible. C’est pas vrai. Tu mens. Tu dis ça pour m’énerver.
MURIEL : Non, je mens pas.

25th European Film Awards - Long List

A few minutes ago the European Film Academy (EFA) announced the titles of the forty-seven (47) films on this year's selection with films that will be considered for a nomination in the European Film Awards.

In the 20 countries with the most EFA Members, these members have voted one national film directly into the selection list. To complete the list, a Selection Committee consisting of EFA Board Members and invited experts Pierre-Henri Deleau (France), Marit Kapla (Sweden), Stefan Kitanov (Bulgaria), Paz Lázaro (Spain), Derek Malcolm (UK), and Elma Tataragic (Bosnia & Herzegovina) have included further films.

These are the films.

A PERDRE LA RAISON (OUR CHILDREN), Joachim Lafosse, Belgium/France/Switzerland/Luxembourg
AΔΙΚΟΣ ΚΟΣΜΟΣ ADIKOS KOSMOS (UNFAIR WORLD), Filippos Tsitos, Greece/Germany
AZ AJTÓ (THE DOOR), István Szabó, Hungary/Germany
ALPEIS (ALPS), Yorgos Lanthimos, Greece
AMOUR (LOVE), Michael Haneke, Austria/France/Germany
THE ANGELS’ SHARE, Ken Loach, UK/France/Belgium/Italy
AVALON, Axel Petersén, Sweden
BARBARA, Christian Petzold, Germany
BİR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU’DA (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA), Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey
CARNAGE, Roman Polanski, France/Germany/Poland/Spain
CESARE DEVE MORIRE (CAESAR MUST DIE), Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, Italy
CIGÁN (GYPSY), Martin Šulík, Czech Republic/Slovakia
CSAK A SZÉL (JUST THE WIND), Bence Fliegauf, Hungary/Germany/France
DE ROUILLE ET D’OS (RUST AND BONE), Jacques Audiard, France
DIAZ: DON’T CLEAN UP THIS BLOOD, Daniele Vicari, Italy/Romania/France
DJECA (CHILDREN OF SARAJEVO), Aida Begić, Bosnia & Herzegovina/Germany/France/Turkey
DUPĂ DEALURI (BEYOND THE HILLS), Cristian Mungiu, Romania/France/Belgium
L’ENFANT D’EN HAUT (SISTER), Ursula Meier, Switzerland/France
FAUST, Alexander Sokurov, Russia
GRUPO 7 (UNIT 7), Alberto Rodriguez, Spain
ההתחלפות HAHITHALFUT (THE EXCHANGE), Eran Kolirin, Israel/Germany
השוטר HASHOTER (POLICEMAN), Nadav Lapid, Israel
HASTA LA VISTA (COME AS YOU ARE), Geoffrey Enthoven, Belgium
IN DARKNESS, Agnieszka Holland, Germany/Poland/Canada
INTOUCHABLES (UNTOUCHABLE), Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano, France
IO SONO LI (SHUN LI AND THE POET), Andrea Segre, Italy
IRON SKY, Timo Vuorensola, Finland/Germany/Australia
JAGTEN (THE HUNT), Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark
KAUWBOY, Boudewijn Koole, The Netherlands
КЕЦОВЕ KETCOVE (SNEAKERS), Ivan Vladimirov & Valery Yordanov, Bulgaria
EN KONGELIG AFFÆRE (A ROYAL AFFAIR), Nikolaj Arcel, Denmark
KRIEGERIN (COMBAT GIRLS), David Wnendt, Germany
PARADA (THE PARADE), Srđjan Dragojević, Serbia
PARADIES: LIEBE (PARADISE: LOVE), Ulrich Seidl, Austria/Germany/France
POUPATA (FLOWER BUDS), Zdeněk Jiráský, Czech Republic
RÓŻA (ROSE), Wojciech Smarzowski, Poland
SHAME, Steve McQueen, UK
SMRT ČOVEKA NA BALKANU (DEATH OF A MAN IN BALKANS), Miroslav Momčilović, Serbia
SØNNER AV NORGE (SONS OF NORWAY), Jens Lien, Norway
SUEÑO Y SILENCIO (THE DREAM AND THE SILENCE), Jaime Rosales, Spain/France
TABU, Miguel Gomes, Portugal/Germany/Brazil/France
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, Tomas Alfredson, France/UK/Germany
В ТУМАНΕ V TUMANE (IN THE FOG), Sergei Loznitsa, Germany/Russia/Latvia/the Netherlands/Belarus
LA VOZ DORMIDA (THE SLEEPING VOICE), Benito Zambrano, Spain
VUOSAARI (NAKED HARBOUR), Aku Louhimies, Finland
Жената која ги избриша своите солзи ZENATA KOJA GI IZBRISA SOLZITE (THE WOMAN WHO BRUSHED OFF HER TEARS), Teona Strugar Mitevska, Macedonia/Belgium/Slovenia/Germany
ЖИЛА-БЫЛА ОДНА БАБА ZHILA-BYLA ODNA BABA (ONCE UPON A TIME THERE LIVED A SIMPLE WOMAN), Andrey Smirnov, Russia

To check the list with movie info at the European Film Awards official site go here.

As every single year the Academy members will have a very hard task selecting one film to vote as there are TOO MANY extraordinary movies; how can you decide, for example, between Haneke, Audiard, Mungiu, Loznitsa, Ceylan and Sokurov? I can't.

Anyway, in the coming weeks, the 2,700 members of the European Film Academy will vote for the nominations in the different award categories. The nominations will then be announced on 3 November at the Seville European Film Festival in Spain and the 25th European Film Awards ceremony will take place in Malta on 1 December. The ceremony will be streamed live at the awards official site and yes, I'll be watching.

The list has many films that I have not seen, many that are must be seen for me, some that I did not particularly liked and one or two that I wish not to see. The good news for me is that list also has some movies I was not familiar with and now will like to learn more about them.

Cheers!!!

60th San Sebastian Film Festival Lineup

Been waiting for the official site to publish complete info and finally is up in English. Lineup with a few exceptions seems interesting as has some films that are must be seen for me, but I knew about many before the fest officially announced them. According to what I see in the fest official site the fest will screen a total of 230 films.

Here are the films in the three main competitive sections of this festival that will run from September 21st to 29th.

Official Selection

Opening Film: Arbitrage, Nicholas Jarcki, USA
All Apologies, Emily Tang, China
El Artista y La Modelo, Fernando Trueba, Spain
The Attack, Ziad Doueiri and Joelle Touma, Lebanon, France, Qatar, Belgium
Blancanieves (Snow White), Pablo Berger, Spain and France
Le Capital (Capital), Costa-Gavras, France
Dans La Maison (In The House), François Ozon, France
Días de pesca (Gone Fishing), Carlos Sorín, Argentina
Die Lebeden (The Dead and The Living), Barbara Albert, Austria, Poland and Germany
Fasle Kargadan (Rhino Season), Bahman Ghobadi, Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan
Foxfire, Laurent Cantet, France and Canada
Hypnotisören (The Hypnotist), Lasse Hallström, Sweden
El Muerto y Ser Feliz (The Dead Man and Being Happy), Javier Rebollo, Spain, Argentina and France
Venuto al Mondo (Twice Born), Sergio Castellitto, Italy and Spain

Jury
President: Christine Vauchon, producer USA
Mia Hansen-Løve, director, France
Julie Taymor, director, USA
Agusti Villaronga, director, Spain
Ricardo Darin, actor, Argentina
Peter Suschitzky, cinematographer, Poland
Michel Gaztambide, screenwriter,

Out of Competition

Closing Film: Quartet, Dustin Hoffman, UK
Argo, Ben Affleck, USA
¡Atraco!, Eduard Cortés, Spain and Argentina
The Impossible, Juan Antonio Bayona, Spain

New Directors

7 Cajas (7 Boxes), Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schembori, Paraguay
Animals, Marçal Forés, Spain
Carne de Perro (Dog Flesh), Fernando Guzzoni, Chile, France and Germany
Chaika (Seagull), Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Spain, Georgia and Russia
Cores (Colors), Francisco Garcia, Brazil
Draussen Ist Sommer (Summer Outside), Friederike Jehn, Germany and Switzerland
Los Increíbles (The Incredibles), David Valero, Spain (documentary)
Le Jour des Corneilles (Day of The Crows), Jean-Christophe Dessaint, France and Belgium (animation)
Layali Bala Noom (Sleepless Nights), Elaine Raheb, Lebanon, Dubai, Qatar, Palestine and France
El Limpiador (The Cleaner), Adrián Saba, Peru
The Love Songs of Tiedan, Hao Jie, China
Parviz, Majid Barzegar, Iran
Rocker, Marian Crisan, Romania, France and Germany
Shell, Scott Graham, UK
Shesh Peamin (Six Acts), Jonathan Gurfinkel, Israel
Silent City, Threes Anna, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium
Viceværten (A Caretaker's Tale), Katrine Wiedemann, Denmark

Jury
President: Katayoon Shahbi, producer, Iran
Radu Muntean, director, Romania
Demetrios Matheou, writer and film critic, UK
Lourdes Oñederra, writer, Spain
Diana Sánchez, TIFF programmer and now IFF Panama Artistic Director

Horizontes Latinos

Opening Film: Infancia Clandestina (Clandestine Childhood), Benjamín Ávila, Argentina, Spain and Brazil
Aquí y allá, Antonio Méndez Esparza, Mexico, Spain and USA
El Bella Vista (The Bella Vista), Alicia Cano, Uruguay and Germany (documentary)
La Demora (The Delay), Rodrigo Plá, Uruguay, Mexico and France
Despues de Luicia, Michel Franco, Mexico
Era Uma Vez Eu, Veronica (Once Upon A Time Was I, Veronica), Marcelo Gomes, Brasil
Joven & Alocada (Young & Wild), Marialy Rivas, Chile
La Playa, Juan Andrés Arango, Colombia, Brazil and France
Post Tenebras Lux, Carlos Reygadas, Mexico, France, Germany and Netherlands
Salsipuedes, Mariano Luque, Argentina
La Sirga, William Vega, Colombia, Mexico and France
El Ultimo Elvis, Armando Bo, Argentina and USA

Jury
President: Jorge Dexler, musician, Uruguay
Fernanda del Nido, producer, Argentina
Sandro Fiorin, producer

Ewan McGregor, Tommy Lee Jones, and John Travolta will receive the Donostia Award as well as Dustin Hoffman and Oliver Stone the Special 60th Anniversary Donostia Award. To check films info for above sections plus films in other sections go here.

Definitively Castellitto film calls my attention but I'm puzzled with the casting; been following everything about Paraguay's 7 Boxes as seems film is my kind of film; glad to find a new Marian Crisan movie that seems to have great visuals - similar to Mungiu's latest film. Lasse Hallström and Laurent Cantet films are highly attractive for me, as well as became really interested in Bahman Ghobadi's film. But most interesting to find a new Rodrigo Plá movie plus the latest Costa-Gavras film that instantly become must be seen for me.

As we know the FIPRESCI Grand Prix for Best Film of the Year is given at the fest opening gala; FIPRESCI already announced the film and is none other than Amour (Love) by Michael Haneke. From the Thematic Retrospectives, worth mention is the In Progress - Ten Years With Latin America Cinema as for those that enjoy non-traditional cinema from the region, films to be screened make a great list to check films you may have forgotten, list is here.

돈의 맛 Do-nui Mat (The Taste of Money)

Cannot understand why this film was in competition at 2012 Cannes and only assume that organizers invited film because the success of Im Sang-soo's previous film Hanyeo (The Housemaid) but maybe they didn't watch film before the invitation. Can tell you that this movie is no sequel to The Housemaid and maybe can be considered as a parallel story told from a male point of view.

According to what I read Im Sang-soo mentions that while The Housemaid was about the women, The Taste of Money is about the men. Indeed we can say that lead is one man, Joo Young-jak ( played by Kim Kang-woo), but his performance absolutely is diminished by one woman Baek Geum-ok (played by Yoon Yeo-jeong) that in my opinion steals the movie to make it her own. So, to me this was another women story that unfortunately was not as interesting as The Housemaid story; still, what both movies have in common is a soapy melodramatic story.

Somehow I imagined that story was going to be a melodrama, so no surprise to be right; but I was expecting great visuals as good as in The Housemaid. Trailer and stills promised that could be similar but NO was not similar as this movie moves inside another high class house that was not as great as in The Housemaid. In other words, set design quality was inferior here; so no matter how the camera moved, visuals were not that much impressive. If you have a so-so repetitive story plus inferior visuals then movie becomes less interesting and more mainstream entertainment.

Film tells another "power corrupts" story but here is more clearly stated by showing how elites are above the law, which maybe if director explored more this story film would have been a bit more memorable. Instead he chose the path of presenting the so common dysfunctional family where husband cheats, wife gets mad and seeks revenge, start killing people and ends like nothing happened, everything is back to normal.

Film is also marketed because the sex scenes but again can assure that scenes are nothing special and a lot tamer than in The Housemaid, so if you wish to see film for this reason maybe you'll be disappointed. As you can see comparisons between both films are inevitable but if you have not seen The Housemaid maybe you will enjoy this film, still have to suggest you watch The Housemaid instead of this one. Sigh.

Watched the complete film and is okay to kill sometime and have an average entertainment moment.

Enjoy.

Watch trailer @MOC