The Pianist (2002) - Polanski's devastating Holocaust story

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+ Best French Movie of the Year + Best Music Movie of the Year + True Story Movie of the Year + Best War Movie of the Year 

 

The Star of David armband imposed by the Nazis on the Jews hover ominously atop two hands creating music on this poster for Roman Polanski's The Pianist

Wladyslaw Spielman was a Polish Jew, but foremost a pianist, whose family was deported from Warsaw during the Nazi horrors of World War II. He himself managed, with the help of a German army captain, thanks to his musical talent, luck and an incredible drive to survive, to live through the destruction of the city.

The Pianist is written by Ronald Harwood (The Dresser (1983)), based on the same-titled 1946 autobiography by Wladyslaw Spielman, and directed by French-born Polish master filmmaker Roman Polanski (Knife in the Water/Nóz w wodzie (1962)), whose 16th feature it is.

It is a good and hard film, which nevertheless avoids becoming unbearable in the depicted general degradation and cruelty of the war by clinging to this one man's tragic fate. Polanski leads us surely through the atrocities with beautiful piano music.

Adrien Brody (Peaky Blinders (2017, TV-series)) acts skillfully as Spielman, with Thomas Kretschmann (Westworld (2020, TV-series)) as the German. The production design commendably recreates the staggering decline of Warsaw. As often before the inability of the Jews to stand up to and overpower the mighty Nazis is frustrating.

 

Related posts:

Roman Polanski: An Officer and a Spy/J'Accuse (2019) - Polanski's sober historical drama of scandal and principles  

2011 in films - according to Film Excess
Carnage (2011) - Polanski castigates modern parents in great play adaptation
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
The Ghost Writer/The Ghost (2010) - A master at work 

Oliver Twist (2005) - Polanski flops bigtime with respectable adaptation 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

The Ninth Gate (1999) - Class and atmosphere galore in underrated Polanski thriller 
Chinatown (1974) - Polanski's masterpiece 

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Film Excess' 7th birthday movie masterpiece: The Fearless Vampire Killers/Dance of the Vampires (1967) - Witness Polanski's incredible, underrated Gothic horror comedy 
Cul-de-Sac (1966) - Edge-of-the-world island tale meanders at times, but is ultimately a winner  
Two Men and a Wardrobe/Dwaj Ludzie z Szafą (1958, short) - Polanski's remarkable, surreal short

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 35 mil. $

Box office: 120 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.42 times its cost)

[The Pianist premiered 24 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 150 minutes. Polanski reportedly wanted Joseph Fiennes for Spielman, who turned it down in favor of a theater job. He then auditioned 1,400 actors before settling on Brody. 16 production companies and support bodies cooperated in the financing and making of the film. Shooting took place from February - July 2001 in Germany and Poland, including in Warsaw. The film opened #44 to a 111k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #11 and in 842 theaters (different weeks), grossing 32.5 mil. $ (27.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 24.5 mil. $ (20.4 %) and France with 9.3 mil. $ (7.8 %). The film was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3: For Best Director, Actor (Brody) and Adapted Screenplay. It lost Best Picture to Chicago, Cinematography (Pawel Edelman (Afterimage (2016)) to Conrad L. Hall for Road to Perdition, Costume Design to Chicago and Editing also to Chicago. It also won 2/7 BAFTA nominations, was nominated to 2 Golden Globes, won a David di Donatello award, 7/10 César awards, 1/4 European Film award nominations, the Palme D'Or at Cannes, a National Board of Review award and many other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. IMDb's users have rated the film in at #33 on the site's Top 250 list, sitting between Spirited Away (2001) and Psycho (1960). Polanski returned with Oliver Twist (2005). Brody returned in The Singing Detective (2003); Kretschmann in 24 (2003, TV-series) and theatrically in My Father/My Father, Rua Alguem 5555 (2003). The Pianist is certified fresh at 95 % with an 8.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Pianist?

Oliver Twist (2005) - Polanski flops bigtime with respectable adaptation

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A simple paper-cut image of the title character in a fix makes up this poster for Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist is an orphan boy in 19th century London with terrible luck. He is hated by the system and winds up in a gang of thieves, but he also gets familiar with kindness and human warmth, before he himself is stolen away ...

 

Oliver Twist is written by Ronald Harwood (The Pianist (2002)), adapting the same-titled 1838 novel by Charles Dickens (The Battle of Life (1846)), and directed by Polish-French master filmmaker Roman Polanski (Knife in the Water/Nóz w Wodzie (1962)), whose 17th feature it is.

A Dickens adaptation is a respectable task for Polanski, who does a fair job with Oliver Twist. - However, a 'fair job' is far from the type of compliment that a master filmmaker covets.

The story is so good that the film still achieves a certain amount of tension and feeling: Barney Clark (Lawless Heart (2001)) as Twist is alright if no true find; Ben Kingsley (Bugsy (1991)) is deeply engaged as Fagin, even if he still can't match the detestable heights conjured up by Dickens' words in the novel; and Mark Strong (Day of the Falcon (2011)) is nearly irrecognizable as Toby Crackit. 

Polanski is not the best match to Dickens' adventure. Oliver Twist has a too instructive score (by Rachel Portman (Bel Ami (2012))) and too little sensuousness and horror, regrettably. 

 

Related posts:

Roman Polanski: An Officer and a Spy/J'Accuse (2019) - Polanski's sober historical drama of scandal and principles  

2011 in films - according to Film Excess
Carnage (2011) - Polanski castigates modern parents in great play adaptation
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
The Ghost Writer/The Ghost (2010) - A master at work 

The Ninth Gate (1999) - Class and atmosphere galore in underrated Polanski thriller 
Chinatown (1974) - Polanski's masterpiece 

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Film Excess' 7th birthday movie masterpiece: The Fearless Vampire Killers/Dance of the Vampires (1967) - Witness Polanski's incredible, underrated Gothic horror comedy 
Cul-de-Sac (1966) - Edge-of-the-world island tale meanders at times, but is ultimately a winner  
Two Men and a Wardrobe/Dwaj Ludzie z Szafą (1958, short) - Polanski's remarkable, surreal short

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 60 mil. $

Box office: 42.5 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.70 times its cost)

[Oliver Twist premiered 11 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 130 minutes. Clark was paid 50k £ for his performance in the film. Shooting took place from July - November 2004 in the Czech Republic, including in Prague. The film opened #46 to a 68k $ first weekend in 5 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #18 and in 779 theaters, grossing 2 mil. $ (4.7 % of the total gross). The film's biggest markets were France with 8.9 mil. $ (20.9 %), Japan with 5.9 mil. $ (13.9 %) and Italy with 5 mil. $ (11.8 %). The film was nominated for a European Film award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Polanski returned with To Each His Own Cinema (2007, segment), a 2009 commercial and theatrically with The Ghost Writer (2010). Clark returned in Moog (2007, short) and theatrically in Savage Grace (2007); Kingsley in Mrs. Harris (2005, TV movie) and theatrically in BloodRayne (2005). Oliver Twist is fresh at 60 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Oliver Twist? 

Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) - Newell's Márquez adaptation is a disaster

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+ 3rd Worst Movie of the Year
+ Most Deserved Flop of the Year

A sweeping period romance epic is promised from this picturesque poster for Mike Newell's Love in the Time of Cholera

In Colombia in the second half of the 19th century, there were two people, who loved each other, but who could not be together, and she was married and rejected him, but he persisted to love her, and only as elderly people their love was finally able to be realized.

Love in the Time of Cholera is written by Ronald Harwood (The Pianist (2002)), adapting the same-titled 1985 novel by Gabriel García Márquez (Of Love and Other Demons/Del Amor y Otros Demonios (1994)), and directed by great British filmmaker Mike Newell (The Awakening (1980)).
What may sound as a beautiful story results in an objectionable film here: It seems as if Newell doesn't care for the source text. At any rate the story comes out extremely inauthentic; the dialog rings false; and cliches seem to be hiding behind every corner. - The aesthetics chosen of a 'beautifully rundown' Latin America in warm colors is also clichéd.
Love in the Time of Cholera is also overlong and very boring. The acting is alive, but the film is a total fiasco.

Related posts:

 

Mike Newell: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) - Newell straddles too much in fair action-adventure 

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Donnie Brasco (1997) - Newell's fantastic, authentic gangster tale

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 50 mil. $
Box office: 31.3 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.62 times the cost)
[Love in the Time of Cholera premiered 4 October (Festival do Rio, Brazil) and runs 139 minutes. Producer Scott Steindorff spent 3 years getting the rights to the novel. The film marks the first an likely the last Hollywood adaptation of a Márquez work. Shooting took place in Colombia and England, including London, finishing in September 2006. The film opened #10 to a 1.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it declined from there and only grossed 4.6 mil. $ (14.7 % of the total gross.) The biggest market was Italy with 5.4 mil. $ (17.3 %). North America was the 2nd biggest, and the 3rd biggest was Mexico with 4.2 mil. $ (13.4 %). An unreleased final version of the film was reportedly screened for Márquez, after which he smilingly declared "Bravo!" Roger Ebert gave the film a 1.5/4 star review, equal to its rating here. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe. Newell returned with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010). Javier Bardem (Don't Tempt Me/Sin Noticias de Dios (2001)) returned in great Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008); Giovanna Mezzogiorno (Don't Tell/La Bestia nel Cuore (2005)) in Les Murs Porteurs (2007); Benjamin Bratt (Doctor Strange (2016)) in Trucker (2008). Love in the Time of Cholera is rotten at 25 % with a 4.7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Love in the Time of Cholera?