Quote for the Week

'It's the margin that holds the book together' – Jean-Luc Godard to Agnès Varda, as quoted in Sight & Sound, April 2011, page 10.

The Turin Horse

Back in December 2008, I posted a blog inspired by the 'sublime' trailer for Béla Tarr's The Man from London. Well, the Hungarian maestro has done it again: it's been a long time since I've been as excited by a trailer as I am by the trailer of his new film, The Turin Horse, embedded below. I suspect a lot of people will scoff, but I honestly think this is brilliant. Early reports out of Berlin, where the film has just premiered, suggest it's excellent, if extremely bleak. I've stated before on this blog that I consider Tarr to be the greatest living filmmaker, and, hyperbole aside, it does seem that he's in a league of his own... I'm not exaggerating when I say I literally can't wait to see this. If I'd taken in that it was screening in Berlin a little earlier I may well have flown out especially. Let's just hope it hits the UK soon.

Quote for the Week

'"Theatre is based on the assumption of its own falsity...and through that falsity you can express truth. In cinema, the raw materials are always fragments of reality. Whether you shot a person, a stone or a tree, it has a real material existence in the world. But cinema also enables you to make the audience aware of hidden spiritual energy in the material things that you shoot"'. Eugène Green, quoted in Spirit level by Mar Diestro-Dópido in Sight & Sound February 2011.

My Top Films of 2010

Just over a week ago Directors Notes published my Top Ten Films of 2010. As in previous years, however, I decided to wait until 2010 was well and truly over before posting my list here. Since the DN list was published I've been able to catch up on some of the much-loved films from 2010, so I'm glad I waited...even if only one of them penetrated my top ten (it really does appear to have been a year of overrated, mediocre work – and certainly a much weaker year than either 2008 or 2009, at least judging by what I've seen: even with my last-minute catch up there were still a number of films I didn't get to see which I wish I had, including I Know You Know, City of Life and Death, The Social Network, Carlos and The Arbor). As well as containing my original top ten list, the DN piece also includes my comments on nine of the ten films I've included in my 2010 list below, so swing by and check it out.

As with last year, I have also included a list of 'The Best Films from Previous Years that I Saw for the First Time in 2010'. This time round I decided to limit myself to one film per director, so in a way Mamma Roma also stands for Oedipus Rex, and The Circus also stands for The Kid. I should also point out that I've included Metropolis as I'm considering the restoration a new film in its own right - hence it can take the number one spot even though I've seen previous versions of the film before. Maybe this is cheating, but it's my blog with my rules so I don't care...

Where applicable titles link to pieces I've written on the films, while all director names link to their IMDb profiles.

My Top Films of 2010

01) The Days of Desire (dir. József Pacskovszki)
02) If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle (dir. Florin Şerban)
03) Lion's Den (dir. Pablo Trapero)
04) My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (dir. Werner Herzog)
05) Agora (dir. Alejandro Amenábar)
06) Shutter Island (dir. Martin Scorsese)
07) Kick-Ass (dir. Matthew Vaughn)
08) The Island (dir. Pavel Lungin)
09) Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (dir. Craig McCall)
10) Undertow (dir. Javier Fuentes-León)

Special mention: Revolución. Even though the majority of this portmanteau film failed to impress, it gave Fernando Eimbcke the chance to once again prove himself as one of the world's best young directors.

The Best Films from Previous Years that I Saw for the First Time in 2010

01) Metropolis (1927, dir. Fritz Lang)
02) Mamma Roma (1962, dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini)
03) The Leopard (1963, dir. Luchino Visconti)
04) The Beekeeper (1986, dir. Theodoros Angelopoulos)
05) The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928, dir. Germaine Dulac)
06) The Bride of Glomdal (1926, dir. Carl Th. Dreyer)
07) The Circus (1928, dir. Charles Chaplin)
08) A Man Escaped (1956, dir. Robert Bresson)
09) Private Road (1971, dir. Barney Platts-Mills)
10) The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958, dir. Karel Zeman)

Special mention: Bridge to Terabithia (2007, Gabor Csupo), for being a kid's film with enough intelligence and emotional pull to outshine most 'grownup' fantasy dramas being made these days.

Quote for the Week

We struggle to attain the unattainable – that is what separates man from beasts.

- Nikos Kazantzakis, The Fratricides

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne

The new issue of Experimental Conversations was published yesterday. It features my review of The Fabulous World of Jules Verne. You can read it here: http://www.experimentalconversations.com/reviews/532/the-fabulous-world-of-jules-verne/

A Weekend at the Movies

One thing that no one tells you about directing your first feature (or at least, one thing that no one told me) is that it will destroy your ability to enjoy watching films. For the last month, whenever I've tried to watch films I've done nothing but think about things like headroom, continuity of lighting, and whether the focus is sharp. As a result of this I've hardly been watching anything. However, on Friday, two films that I've been wanting to see for a while played back-to-back at the Watermans, so I thought I'd take the risk and head down. Luckily, I think I'm finally over my issues and I might actually be able to enjoy films again...though unfortunately neither film on my Friday double-bill quite proved this for me.

The first was Hammad Khan's Slackistan, a film which I really wanted to love. I've been following the production since I saw a post on Shooting People seeking a sound recordist for the project. I think it was Khan's citation of The Duplass Brothers as an influence which made me interested: despite being set in Pakistan, Slackistan is an independent British film with a true indie spirit, a project which is definitely worth supporting. (Unfortunately, not many people seem to agree with this point...there was only one other person in the whole cinema. I've written on this topic before, so won't go into it again here, but come on people, really...). Regrettably, if I'm honest, I found the film rather flawed, but I'd still recommend it, if for no other reason than to support the spirit with which it was made.

The second film I saw was the current arthouse favourite (and Palme d'Or winner) Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. Although I found the film beautifully captivating, it was far from totally satisfying. Perhaps a second viewing will provide further levels of appreciation.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

Although my trip to the Watermans didn't prove a totally satisfying experience, it was enough to give me back the film bug. So, on Saturday morning I braved the London snow and arrived at the Empire in Leicester Square bright and early for the Show Film First Online Opinion Formers Showcase. The day started with a batch of trailers for films coming out early next year, which I found a rather depressing experience... Based on this evidence, 2011 will not be a vintage year for (mainstream) film.

The two preview screenings of the day (only revealed once we were all seated) turned out to be The Next Three Days and TRON: Legacy. The first proved to be an engaging, tense thriller, if also something of a missed opportunity. Dealing with the life of John Brennan (Russell Crowe) after his wife (Elizabeth Banks) is sent to prison for murder, the film soon shifts gear from psychological portrait to a far less interesting man-with-a-plan crime drama. Dramatically it rattles along and, despite some dubious morality and nonsensical moments, it manages to engage the emotions to a successful degree...but it all just somehow feels rather shallow and forgettable. Which, when one thinks about it, makes perfect sense for a film directed by the man who brought us Crash...

It's fair to say that there also wasn't much intellectual depth to TRON: Legacy, but I doubt that that was ever the point. One part Wizard of Oz, one part Star Wars, one part Running Man, and two parts Jeff Bridges, the film never feels particularly original, but is never much less than good fun. I still don't buy into the whole 3D thing, but beyond that the film is visually impressive and emotionally involving, and sustains enjoyment throughout its runtime. It's not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a good, solid ride all the same.

Theorem

Thanks to the magic of DVD, I was able to round the weekend off with a viewing of Pasolini's Theorem... a film I'll need to think about more before commenting on properly, but which is certainly something altogether very different.

So, while I might not have seen anything which really blew me away this weekend, at least I have rediscovered the joy of watching films. I was getting worried for a while there.