The Immigrant (2013) - Cotillard scintillates in Gray's classical New-York storytelling

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Three mysteriously looking stars veiled in seriousness adorn this poster for James Gray's The Immigrant

Ewa and her sister arrive to the US from Poland in 1921 but are split up on Ellis Island, and Ewa winds up with a dubious man, hidden from the watchful eye of the law.

 

The Immigrant is written by Ric Menello (Tougher Than Leather (1988)) and co-writer/co-producer/director James Gray (Little Odessa (1994)).

Gray again here shows his gift as a sublime storyteller with a classical film and a story that could have been told 80 years ago as well. The Immigrant has beautiful cinematography (by Darius Khondji (Okja (2017))), production design and costumes. Fine performances from Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker (2008)), - but it is Marion Cotillard (The Dark Knight Rises (2012)) who once again astounds the viewer with a fully authentic turn as the Polish Ewa, a cowed but not beaten woman, who fights for her sister and her own life.

The Immigrant may seem only distantly relevant to some. For me it was a pure pleasure.

 

Related posts:

 

James Gray: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

The Lost City of Z (2016) - Gray's grand, adventurous Amazonia epic 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 16 mil. $

Box office: 5.9 mil. $

= Mega-flop (returned 0.36 times its cost)

[The Immigrant premiered 24 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 117 minutes. Gray based the story mainly on recollections from his own grandparents. Shooting took place from January - March 2012 in New York. When the film's investors sold the distribution rights to The Weinstein Company, against Gray's wishes, and when Harvey Weinstein demanded a different ending, which Gray refused to give him, the distribution was left in shambles, with the film only getting a very small and unsupported release in North America. The film opened #47 to a 44k $ first weekend in 3 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #18 and in 150 theaters, grossing 2 mil. $ (33.9 % of the total gross). The biggest market for the film was France with 2.2 mil. $ (37.3 %), with North America 2nd biggest and Spain 3rd with 464k $ (7.9 %). The film lost the Palme d'Or to Blue Is the Warmest Color. It was also nominated for 2 Independent Spirit awards, among other honors. Gray returned with The Red Road (2014, TV-series) and a Chanel commercial prior to his theatrical return with The Lost City of Z (2016). Cotillard returned in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013); Renner in American Hustle (2013); and Phoenix in Her (2013). The Immigrant is certified fresh at 86 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Immigrant?

The Brutalist (2024) - Brady impresses with major immigrant love story

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A rich man looks at a coal-shoveling laborer on this evocative poster for Brady Corbet's The Brutalist

 

László Tóth, a great Hungarian-Jewish architect, arrives in America as a refugee following WWII, split up from his beloved wife Erzsébet, and he initially finds work at his cousin's furniture store.

 

The Brutalist is written by Mona Fastvold (Vox Lux (2018)) and co-writer/co-producer/director, great Arizonian filmmaker Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader (2015)). The title is ambiguous, referring to the architectural style practiced by the protagonist but may also refer to several of the lead characters.

Commanding remarkable length, (this epic runs past 200 minutes), Corbet and his team manage to keep the story moving and compelling throughout. Centrally stands the engaged performances of Adrien Brody (The French Dispatch (2021)) as the wrought László and Felicity Jones (On the Basis of Sex (2018)), who gives a beautiful performance as his devoted wife. The film is in large part a love story of the two of them, and this love is the majestic force that powers The Brutalist.

Around them hovers Guy Pearce (Back from the Outback (2021)), mercurial, handsome and conflicted as the wealthy Van Buren, who becomes László's patron. There are rich supporting parts that are filled out by esteemed performances from Isaach de Bankolé (S.W.A.T. (2019, TV-series)) and Joe Alwyn (Boy Erased (2018)). The film's vivid experience of an immigrant in America is heightened by inspired work from the production design, locations and costumes to Lol Crawley's (Dau (2019)) fabulous VistaVision 70mm photography and Daniel Blumberg's (The World to Come (2020)) bold and strong score.

SPOILER László's troubles come to a head, when Van Buren rapes him, somewhat out of the blue, during their trip to Italy for marble. The event provides food for thought as to Van Buren's motivation for the entire enterprise, (the construction of a lavish community center on top of a hill), but the rape itself is relayed in just one shot that seems to last all of thirty seconds or so. It is somehow too short, - and seems unrealistic in its brevity. The film wraps up with a speech given about Tóth's body of work at a career retrospective exhibition decades later in Venice, and though I suppose the intent is for us to leave on a positive note, something along the lines of 'love overcomes', the speech's 'it is not the journey but the destination' feels a bit misplaced in the context of the very old and tired-looking László who is there in a wheelchair to be celebrated. These are minor asides to a noteworthy and highly accomplished film, which feels like a biopic but is actually entirely (inspired, of course, by life) fiction.

Related posts:

 

Brady Corbet: Saint Laurent (2014) - Bonello's overly self-confident biopic (actor) 

While We're Young (2014) - Baumbach offers another observant, clever downer (actor)

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) - Durkin's chilling psychological thriller debut (actor)

Funny Games (2007) - Haneke recreates his strong critique of movie violence consumption for the American audience (co-star)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 9.5 mil. $

Box office: 47.3 mil. $ and running

= Big hit (has so far returned 4.97 times its cost)

[The Brutalist premiered 1 September (Venice Film Festival) and runs 215 minutes. Filming began in 2020, where the ending in Venice was shot. The rest of the filming, delayed due to the China Virus pandemic, Ukraine War, pregnancies, deaths and other issues, took place from March - May 2023 in Hungary, including in Budapest. The film opened #12 to a 266k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #9 and in 1,612 theaters. The film has one announced market left to release in: Lithuania on April 4. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning 3; for Best Actor (Brody), Cinematography and Score. It lost Best Picture to Anora, Supporting Actor (Pearce) to Kieran Culkin for A Certain Pain, Supporting Actress (Jones) to Zoe Saldaña in Emilia Pérez, Director to Sean Baker for Anora, Original Screenplay also to Baker for Anora, Editing to Anora and Production Design to Wicked. It also won 4/9 BAFTA awards, 3/7 Golden Globes, was nominated for an Independent Spirit award and won an AFI award, among many other honors. Corbet has not announced his next project yet. Brody returns in Emperor (2026); Jones in Train Dreams (2025); and Pearce in Killing Faith (2025) and The Woman in Cabin 10 (2015). The Brutalist is certified fresh at 93 % with an 8.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Brutalist?

Hate/La Haine (1995) - Fired up radical drama involuntarily bares Europe's immigration, crime problems

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Hop (2002) - Political blinders restrain Belgian debut

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A mysterious modern structure, majestic elephants and a boy with a quizzical look in his eyes make up this dark and quizzical poster for Dominique Standaert's Hop

A super-intelligent boy from Burundi, Africa gets into trouble, when a banal problem makes his father get arrested as an illegal immigrant by Belgian authorities, and he himself finds shelter in the home of an anarchist couple.

 

Hop is written by Rémi Hatzfeld (Le Navetteur (1985), director), Olivier Malley (Papillon & Mamillon (2005, TV-series)) and debuting co-writer/director Dominique Standaert (Eau (1997, short)). 

It is a beautifully photographed (by cinematographer Rémont Fromont (Eliot (2013, short))) saga that explores power structures with a critical eye pointed towards Belgian authorities in particular, with an enormously charming boy in the central part, Kalomba Mbuyi. But what's symptomatic of this typically left-oriented echo chamber type plot; the 'foreigner' is exceptionally intelligent, domestically superb, well behaved, eternally sweet and understanding (below the surface he appears to be a sprouting homosexual), and across from him; the authorities and the Belgian 'every-man' worker are merely dumb and unfair! Underlying reasons for their positions or any perspectives on enrichment immigration are clearly not worthy of these filmmakers' precious time or attention.

That the boy's conflict nearly results in a terrorism bombing of a tourist attraction (watch the film to learn how) and a dam system are also disturbing facts that the narrative trio obviously think cannot be held against him. Despite qualities, Hop is a prime example of tiring polemics turned into a film.

 

Related post:

 

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

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown (Danish gross 119k $)

= Uncertain

[Hop premiered 8 October (International Film Festival Gent, Belgium) and runs 106 minutes. Shooting took place in Belgium, including in Brussels. It was the first Belgian film to be shot on an HD camera. Gross numbers from the film's main markets, Belgium, France and the Netherlands are regrettably unavailable: It sold 10k tickets in Denmark, coming to approximately 119k $ . It was nominated for 2 European Film awards. Standaert returned with Formidable (2007). Mbuyi did not return in front of a camera; Jan Decleir (Ay Ramon! (2015)) returned in Brush with Fate (2003, TV movie) and theatrically in Rosenstrasse (2003). 455 IMDb users have given Hop a 6.9/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Hop?

Golden Door/Nuovomondo (2006) - Crialese's phenomenal film of the great migration westward

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+ Best Italian Movie of the Year 

 

Four period-dressed characters seem to be standing waist-deep in a milky substance on this very odd poster for Emanuele Crialese's Golden Door

A rocky province in Italy at the turn of the 20t century: A family decides to migrate 'across the pond'. A mystical woman named Lucy joins them on the ship.

 

Golden Door is written and directed by Italian master filmmaker Emanuele Crialese (Once We Were Strangers (1997)).

It is a breathtaking film in unmistakably Italian style. With complete authority Crialese stages long scenes and dream scenes that open up the inner life of the characters. There is spartan but affecting music (score by Antonio Castrignanò), first class sound work and editing, and faces that shine with character and beauty. The authenticity feels unassailable, and the performances are formidable: Vincenzo Amato (The Habit of Beauty (2013)) as the father, Charlotte Gainsbourg (I'm Not There (2007)) as the mysterious Lucy, and the mute son and the late mother are also acted impeccably. 

Golden Door shows us very concretely, how the concepts 'the old world' and 'the new world' were absolutely real concepts for many of the immigrants involved in the great migration from Europe to North America. The exceptional acting crowns an incredibly cinematic, affecting, funny, wise and grand film that also is relevant in connection to what immigration for a better life has become today.

 

Related post:

 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 10 mil. €, approximately 9.99 mil. $

Box office: 7.2 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.72 times its cost)

[Golden Door premiered 8 September (Venice Film Festival) and runs 120 minutes. 18 companies and support bodies were involved in the financing and making of the film. Shooting took place in Italy, including in Rome, and in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vincent Schiavelli's part was reduced drastically, as the actor passed away during filming. The film opened #51 to a 27k $ first weekend in 2 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #26 and in 33 theaters (different weeks), grossing 1 mil. $ (13.9 % of the total gross). North America was the film's 3rd biggest market: Biggest was Italy with 3.2 mil. $ (44.4 %) and France with 1.4 mil. $ (19.4 %). The film was Italy's Oscar entry of the year but was not nominated. It won 3/13 David di Donatello nominations and was nominated for a European Film award, among other honors. Crialese returned with Terraferma (2011). Gainsbourg returned in I Do/Prête-moi ta Main (2006); Amato in Il Dolce e l'Amaro (2007). Golden Door is fresh at 72 % with a 6.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Golden Door?

The Namesake (2006) - Nair succeeds with poignant immigrant tale

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Warm colors adorn this pleasant poster for Mira Nair's The Namesake

Gogol grows up with Indian parents in the US, where he becomes Nick. But following his father's death, he reassumes his birth identity as Gogol, while his cultural division is not without its hurdles.

The Namesake is written by Sooni Taraporevala (Mississippi Masala (1991)), adapting the same-titled 2003 novel by Jumpa Lahiri (The Lowland (2013)), and directed by Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay! (1988)).

The Namesake is a colorful account of fate, beautiful in a way, and it is a terrific contemporary portrayal of a problematic life as a second-generation immigrant in the West.

The acting is fair, and the great challenge of filming this 30-year spanning story succeeds commendably. The Namesake is in a way perhaps almost too well-meaning to really take new ground.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 9.5 mil. $

Box office: 20.3 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.13 times its cost)

[The Namesake premiered 2 September (Telluride Film Festival) and runs 121 minutes. Shooting took place from March - June 2005 in India, including in Calcutta, Sydney, Australia, New York, Denver, Colorado and in Boston, Massachusetts. The film opened #26 to a 248k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #12 and in 335 theaters (different weeks), grossing 13.5 mil. $ (66.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were India with 1.8 mil. $ (8.9 %) and the UK with 1 mil. $ (4.9 %). The film was nominated for an Independent Spirit award and won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Nair returned with 3 shorts prior to her theatrical return with Amelia (2009). Kal Penn (We Are Men (2013, TV-series)) returned in Deck the Halls (2006); Irrfan Khan (Haider (2014)) in Deadline: Sirf 24 Ghante (2006); and Tabu (Khanjar (2003)) in Sarhad Paar (2006). The Namesake is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Namesake?

Dirty Pretty Things (2002) - Good performances anchor Frears' flawed, overrated illegal immigrant drama

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With the piquant title font style and the disrobed star Audrey Tautou under a saucy, mysterious tagline, the poster for Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things hikes up expectations with sex

A hotel receptionist from Africa and a cleaning lady from Turkey, who are both illegal immigrants in London, share their adversities with each other for a while.

Dirty Pretty Things is written by Steven Knight (Allied (2016)) and directed by English master filmmaker Stephen Frears (Gumshoe (1971)).
It is an overly celebrated film with several weak points in its script and portrayal of reality: Sophie Okonedo's (Father & Son (2009, miniseries)) African prostitute character is eloquent and above-it-all; and our hotel 'heroes'' Chinese friend let both of them stay at the morgue where he lives, simply because he is sweet. Besides these dubious instances there's the fact the Chiwetel Ejiofor's (Savannah (2013)) Okwe character is a for me unacceptable hero, because he has fled from his own daughter in Nigeria, basically to live more comfortably in Europe.
What makes Dirty Pretty Things worthwhile anyway are the good performances from Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou (Happy End (2003)), and in supporting parts Zlatko Buric (Iqbal & den Hemmelige Opskrift (2015)) and Sergi López (The Boat Race (2009)).
The story is perplexing, and meant to be so, but it deflates when probed. It runs with a clichéd feeling of pity for economical migrants and refugees, but that view could also easily be subverted by the findings in Dirty Pretty Things: The film could also be taken to say something along the lines of; 'don't become an illegal immigrant in the first place, as they are only humiliated and degraded', (the message to the non-Westerner), and to the West; 'keep illegal immigrants out; they attract exploitative bastards and give rise to tragedies, sad destinies and a disbandment of the union of the established society'.

Related posts:

Stephen Frears:   Top 10: Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) - Streep, Frears and Co. drop us a delightful present 

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V] 

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

Philomena (2013) - Dench astounds in Frears' powerful true-story drama

Watch a scene from the film here

Cost: 10 mil. $
Box office: 13.9 mil. $
= Big flop (returned 1.39 times its cost)
[Dirty Pretty Things premiered 5 September (Venice International Film Festival) and runs 97 minutes. Shooting took place in the UK, including London. The film opened #36 to a 100k $ first weekend in 5 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #18 and in 493 theaters (different weeks), grossing 8.1 mil. $ (58.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 1.3 mil. $ (9.4 %) and the UK with 852k $ (6.1 %). The film was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, lost to Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs, won 4/7 British Independent Spirit award nominations, was nominated for 6 European Film awards, won 2 National Board of Review awards, an award in Venice and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches higher than this one. Frears returned with The Deal (2003, TV movie), The Route V50 (2004, short) and theatrically with Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005). Tautou returned in Lost Seamen/Les Marins Perdus (2003). Dirty Pretty Things is certified fresh at 94 % with a 7.83/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Dirty Pretty Things?

Brooklyn (2015) - Ronan captivates in Crowley's exquisite, soaring period romance drama masterpiece

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+ 3nd Best Movie of the Year
+ Most Deserved Hit of the Year 
+ Best Irish Movie of the Year  
+ Best Period Movie of the Year 
+ Screen Couple of the Year: Saoirse Ronan & Emory Cohen

Saoirse Ronan encapsulates the formidable power of John Crowley's Brooklyn in her look on this poster

In 1951, a young Irishwoman takes the big decision of moving to the US, where she makes a life for herself and falls in love, until an event in her family drives her back home again.

Don't judge Brooklyn out based on the possibly a bit unassuming quality of its poster and trailer; the film is pure gold!
Saoirse Ronan (Death Defying Acts (2007)) breaks out as a true star here, and she (and her incredible blue eyes along with her) simply becomes the moving Eilis Lacey here. She and Emory Cohen (Afterschool (2008)) as her Italian-American beau suit each other and the silver screen magnificently and seem destined to be the year's best movie pairing. Jim Broadbent (Another Year (2010)) also deserves singling out; here he is great as a priest.
Brooklyn has elegant, simple production design (by François Séguin (The Karate Kid (2010)) and photography by Yves Bélanger (Demolition (2015)) and a beautiful, Irish-inspired score by Michael Brook (The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)), which seems to play right into our very souls.
Brooklyn is a true winner that moves, inspires, causes recognition and joy, - and transforms your heart into a veritable lump of melting butter. It is written by Nick Hornby (Wild (2014)), based on the same-titled 2009 novel by Colm Tóibín (The Empty Family (2010)), and is the 5th feature directed by Irish master filmmaker John Crowley (Intermission (2003)).

Related posts:

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 11 mil. $
Box office: 62 mil. $
= Huge hit
[Brooklyn premiered 26 January (Sundance) and runs 112 minutes. Shooting took place from March - April 2014 in Ireland, including Dublin, New York and in Montreal, Canada, which doubled for Brooklyn. Funding came together as a puzzle from no less than 20 companies and governmental bodies. The film opened #30 to a 187k $ first weekend in 5 theaters (a solid 37k $ average) in North America, where it spread to peak at #9 and in 947 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 38.3 mil. $ (61.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 8.5 mil. $ (13.7 %) and Australia with 4.5 mil. $ (7.3 %). The film was nominated for 3 Oscars: Best Film, lost to the great Spotlight, Best Actress (Ronan), lost to Brie Larson in masterpiece Room, and Best Adapted Screenplay (Hornby), lost to Charles Randolph and Adam McKay for masterpiece The Big Short. The film was also nominated for a Golden Globe, won 1 out of 6 BAFTA nominations, 1 out of 5 British Independent Film Awards, 2 out of 7 Irish Film and TV Awards and many other awards and honors. In Canada, which was one of the countries behind the film, it was the highest-grossing Canadian or part-Canadian film of 2015, making 4 mil. C$. In Ireland, it had the biggest opening (650k $) for an Irish or part-Irish film since 1996's Michael Collins. The film ranked on more than 120 film critics' Top 10 lists of the year. Crowley followed up his success with directing two episodes of True Detective's 2015 S2. His next feature is the much bigger (40 mil. $) budgeted drama The Goldfinch, starring Ansel Elgort and Aneurin Barnard, which is in pre-production. Brooklyn is certified fresh at 96 % with an 8.4/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Brooklyn?