47th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Festival Daily

I have been reading the festival Daily and since find it quite interesting decided to share with you all.

I'm using issuu to publish the pdf file at the fest site, so it is a lot easier to read; but if you wish to read it at the official festival website please go here. All copy rights belong to the festival.

Will be adding daily each Festival Daily, so please come back each day to this post to read the news.




Saturday, July 7

Open publication

Friday, July 6

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Thursday, July 5

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Wednesday, July 4

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Tuesday, July 3

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Monday, July 2

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Sunday, July 1

Open publication

Suggest to read great interview with Helen Mirren.
Saturday, June 30

Open publication

Friday, June 29

Open Publication

Suggest to read Boyd van Hoeij -one of my favorite professional movie reviewers- brief movie reviews.

15th Shanghai International Film Festival Award Winners

Recently the fest that run from June 16 to 24 had their award ceremony and here are the award winners.

Golden Goblet Award
Best Feature Film: Khers (Bear), Khosrow Masoumi, Iran
Jury Grand Prix: Pour l'amour de Dieu (For The Love of God), Micheline Lanctôt, Canada

Best Director: Gao Qunshu for Shen Tan Heng Te Zhang (Detective Hunter Zhang), China
Best Screenplay: Kenji Uchida for 鍵泥棒のメソッド Kagi Dorobō no Method (Key of Life), Kenji Uchida, Japan
Best Cinematography: Shi Luan for 萧红 Xiao Hong (Falling Flowers), Huo Jianqi, China
Best Music: Avshalom Caspi for De Tu Ventana a la Mía (Chrysalis), Paula Ortiz, Spain

Best Actress: Ursula Pruneda in El sueño de Lu (The Dream of Lu), Carlos Sama, Mexico
Best Actor: Vladas Bagdonas in Дирижер Dirizhyor (The Conductor), Pavel Lungin, Russia

To read the official announcement go here.

Asian New Talent Award
Best Film: Kshay (Corrode), Karan Gour, India
Jury Prix: 大藍湖 Big Blue Lake, Jessey Tsang (aka Tsang Tsui Shan), Hong Kong and China
Best Director: Peng Li for 乐队 Follow, Follow, China

To read the official announcement go here.

China Movie Channel Media Award
Best Picture: 一八九四•甲午大海战 Jia Wu Da Hai Zhan, Feng Xiaoning, China

To learn winners in other categories, best director, lead and supporting actors, go here.

This year I followed very close the fest via twitter which has become an invaluable tool to get serious and not-so-serious reactions to everything that happened in fest.

Cheers!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Story is not exactly what I imagined as I was captivated by the trailer and imagined something quite different. It's not the first time trailer is deceptive but it's the first time that watching so many unpleasant characters make me uncomfortable as definitively did not met my expectations. But characters could not be that unpleasant if actors wouldn't be so good, especially hilarious Kirstin Scott Thomas. But soon enough I was inside the movie, forgot all unpleasantness and enjoyed the ride.

Indeed is a rom-com but Lasse Hallström movie plays with many more themes that easily engage you with this non-predictable story; from all the issues touched perhaps the one that got me more interested was the relationship between fishing and faith (or religion if you wish) as not often you have a very religious-oriented character dealing the subject of faith with a scientist. Then, even if some say that movie lost most of the great satire from the book, I found the hilarious caricature-satire quite funny in a very darkish way. So I had fun with movie, enjoyed the seriousness beneath and well, liked the romance side too.

As many BBC productions, movie is not a masterpiece but has great production values, good cinematography and an interesting storytelling style that not gives away what comes next (one exception), so you will enjoy the ride as well as the destination. In the end is a feel good movie that will entertain you especially if you haven't read Paul Torday's novel.

I do recommend movie and just hope that if you have seen or will watch trailer do not get the same impression and expectative that I got.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @MOC

La Vie d'un Autre (Another Woman's Life)

The feature film debut by Sylvie Testud has the lightness of a romantic comedy mixed with the serious drama of a woman that in 15 years forgot everything that made her life enjoyable and has an interesting storytelling style that definitively is a great vehicle for another excellent performance by Juliette Binoche.

As Testud says "is Binoche or no one else" and I believe she was right as script has many holes -to be filled by viewer- that without a masterful actress film could have been a disaster. Can't recall the last time I saw Binoche doing comedy but while seeing those moments made think about joyful Binoche of earlier movies and made me happy, very happy. Most remarkable is the scene where she dances in the bateau mouche where she looks so youthful that is truly amazing.

Story starts with Marie meeting Paul, completely falling for him, going to the beach where Paul comes, having her friend inviting them to her 25th birthday party and finishing in the bedroom in a too-dark making love scene where they fall asleep. When Marie wakes up Paul is not there and room is completely different, she doesn't understand where she is or what happened; but soon she realizes that she has a son, is married to Paul, she looks older and is her 40th birthday. Story explores her amnesia quite funny until she starts to realize the woman she has become and everything gets serious. Ah! is another very French movie with a happy ending or maybe not, as has an open end that you can close as you wish.

Have to say that Juliette Binoche plays Marie when she was 25-years-old and even when is only for a few minutes is a bit odd as she looks very young but definitively not that age. But older Marie is perfect for Binoche showing her stupendous range from very light to very dramatic.

I enjoyed movie quite a lot as made me feel happy and happiness prevailed even do story went to the dramatic when Marie starts to learn who she has become. But I'm sure that I enjoyed film more because Juliette Binoche was the center of the movie and the most beautiful sights of Paris than because the story it tells. So can only recommend movie to those that enjoy watching the magnificent actress and have to watch her impressive acting abilities.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @MOC

A still from the movie

Nora Ephron

Yesterday suddenly twiter went crazy with the news that Nora Ephron passed away, but serious news outlets were fast to inform that it was not true; but there was no news about her health as it hasn't been any news before that she was sick. A few hours later the news of her death was announced. I felt sad, deep sadness.

It is not until today that I'm able to honor this incredible woman as a writer, scriptwriter and filmmaker; an honor that I believe is well-deserved not only for her body of work but also for being a successful female in an industry dominated by males.

Even when she was incredibly good with words, I see Nora Ephron very visually, so I honor her with some visuals from her unforgettable scripts and movies. R.I.P.



I just realized that almost all these movies saw them in New York City, odd and strange, isn't?

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Perhaps I had too high expectations about this film, which is absolutely understandable just because the incredible cast, but I found film to be nice as an entertaining movie and not much else. But then I should not be surprised as I haven't enjoyed much John Madden movies since his great Shakespeare in Love. Sigh.

Still film is worth-watching for the marvelous cast that deliver good performances in a story about old age that gee can't be more different than my previous reviewed film, Ann Hui's A Simple Life. Film tells the story of a group of British retirees that due to different reasons -most related to financial circumstances- take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel in India, where they find a lapidated building where initially destroys their hopes for a better life but soon enough perspective changes.

Story is funny in a very darkish way, which I highly enjoy, but in my opinion there were too many cliche's and typical stereotypes that made story highly predictable for me, which I don't particularly enjoy, and this time the voyage to a predictable destination was not as enjoyable even when was colorful in many ways more than the good visual imagery.

But who could resist watching a film with Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and more great British actors? Not me and bet that not many of you, so go and watch film for feel-good entertaining purposes, with not much expectations, surely you will have a good time.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @MOC

桃姐 Tao jie (A Simple Life)

A movie with a very touching story, so much that when reading reviews by most serious professional reviewers I found they tend to talk more about story than about movie, which is not common at all. Yes story is powerful, but I have to recognize that Ann Hui filmmaking and storytelling abilities plus outstanding performances by Deanie Ip and Andy Lau is what makes story and movie absolutely out of the ordinary.

But we have to recognize that story is so powerful also because is inspired on real-life events, the story of Hong Kong movie producer Roger Lee. This is poignant, bittersweet, heartwarming story is all about old age, about a lifelong life of caring and loving, about death and about the relationship between a man and his amah, a disappearing breed of domestic helpers who devote lifelong service to a single family. Some say that is a simple story and indeed it seems like, but to me story has many layers as nothing is simpler in a tale about a master and a servant, about a maid that takes more care of you than your own mother, a family member that is not recognized as such while serving you but that in this story gets recognition when she needs it most, in the twilight of her life. Beautiful story, very-well told that made me use a lot of tissues after feeling joy, happiness, and smiled with the subtle humor that is amazingly used to prepare viewers for the final farewell.

But film has impressive credentials with high production values, a director that excels when dealing with everyday reality and manages to extract from her leads award-winning performances from veteran Hong Kong actors that look and feel grounded in life and never forced. For some still unclear reason I tend to relate storytelling style more to Japanese cinema than Chinese as film style made me think of a few Japanese films that so beautifully deal with life and death.

As we know film premiered in competition at the 2011 Venice fest were won many accolades, including Deanie Ip wining the Volpi Cup for Best Actress and became Hong Kong submission to Oscar; but film, director and actors swept the most prestigious Asian awards.

You may say that this is a very local story belonging only to Chinese culture, but not me as I know that story applies to many cultures where live-in, in-house maids are a reality, like for example all countries in Latin America, a region where is still common to have had and have lifelong maids that care for several family generations but where is still sort of taboo to talk about this understated family member.

I strongly recommend film as must be seen but have to recognize that it may not be for everyone as believe that audiences from countries without maids, servants will not connect to story much, consequently will be hard for them to sustain the showing of everyday life little details for almost two hours.

I simply loved movie that touched me beyond what I could imagine and me using many tissues was a very positive, heartwarming experience as there is nothing more worth-feeling that movies that shake all your emotions.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC