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A sensual, strong poster for Jacques Audiard's Rust and Bone
A crude single father arrives to a coastal city in France with his son and gets a job as a bouncer in a nightclub, where he meets a beautiful woman in distress, who later loses both of her legs in an Orca accident.
Co-writer-director Jacques Audiard (A Prophet/Un Prophète (2009)) continues his style of telling different stories about underclass people we otherwise rarely meet on the big screen, and he once again strikes with a very corporeal tale with a couple of scenes of ugly violence. SPOILER - One of them involves the father and his son, and I found it very hard not to lose all sympathy for the gorilla-like man (played intensely by Matthias Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl (2015))) here. Moreover, Schoenaerts yells the little, crying boy in the head, and I couldn't help but wonder how (or if) they shot that in an ethically defensible way. (I have since read that Audiard deemed this the film's hardest scene to shoot and that the boy knew he would be yelled at but still started crying for real, which is what is now in the film.)
Schoenaerts has a primitive intensity, but it is Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose/La Môme (2007)) who is the center of the film, and she is absolutely stunning, completely melted together with her character and deeply moving in certain scenes, SPOILER especially those in which she overcomes her handicap.
Audiard co-wrote Rust and Bone with Thomas Bidegain (Dheepan (2015)), based on a same-titled 2005 short story by Craig Davidson (The Fighter (2008)). It is a raw film presented without much sugar; it goes for the jugular and should especially be seen for Cotillard's hypnotizing performance.
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 15.4 €, equal to approximately 20 mil. $
Box office: 25.7 mil. $
= Big flop
[Rust and Bone premiered May 17 (Cannes) and runs 123 minutes. Cotillard is an animal activist and fiercely against marine parks. Still she spend a week preparing for her role in a marine park, whereas Schoenaerts practised MMA and gained weight. The film came together as a co-production of no less than 17 companies and institutions. Filming took place in 8 weeks in France and Belgium from October - November 2011. The film opened #56 in 2 theaters to a 27k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked in 168 theaters and grossed 2 mil. $ (7.8 % of the total gross), the film's second biggest market. Its biggest market by far was its native France with 14.5 mil. $ (56.4 %). The 3rd biggest was Germany with 1.5 mil. $ (5.8 %). The film lost the Palm d'Or to Michael Haneke's Amour. It was nominated for 2 Golden Globes, 9 Césars (France's Oscar, winning 4) and numerous other awards. Roger Ebert added the film to his Great Films list. Rust and Bone is certified fresh at 82 % with a 7.5 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
A poster for David Michôd's The Rover that reflects the film's gritty, often open-air setting
In a post-apocalyptic future in Australia, a hard, merciless man gets his car stolen. He teams up with a brother to one of the robbers on a killing spree to get it back. Gritty, taciturn, violent and sprinkled with the familiar Australian trademark of hopelessness as its general tone is the universe in which The Rover drags itself through. Watching it, it is hard to accept that the Guy Pearce (Lockout (2012)) here is the same man who 20 years in the past was such a thrilling, enthusiastic presence in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), - a very different, and infinitely more lovable kind of animal. Robert Pattinson (Little Ashes (2008)) is the strongest card on The Rover's hand: He is impressive and very credible as the somewhat retarded brother of the robber. It is hard to get engaged in The Rover, SPOILER which is essentially about a murdering bastard and his stupid 'partner', who also becomes a (child-)killer. We are given no information about the causes of the world's decline, and I also find no satisfaction in the reveal of the ending: SPOILER Pearce apparently wanted the car back so badly throughout the film, so that he could bury his dog, which was in its trunk. The film is written and directed by David Michôd (Animal Kingdom (2010)) with Joel Edgerton (The Gift (2015)) contributing story elements. The Rover is a technically fine but desert-like dry film. For a much betterapocalyptic film, watch The Road (2009). Related posts: David Michôd: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
Cost: 12 mil. AU$, equal to approximately 8.5 mil. $
Box office: 3.2 mil. $
= Box office disaster
[The Rover premiered May 18 (Cannes) and runs 102 minutes. Filming took 7 weeks in Southern Australia from January - March 2013. The film opened #33 to 69k $ in 5 theaters, widening to 418k $ and #16 in 608 theaters in North America, where it grossed 1.1 mil. $ (34 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Australia with 0.4 mil. $ (12.5 %) and the UK with 0.2 mil. $ (6.3 %). Many critics lauded the film, and Quentin Tarantino, also a vocal fan of Animal Kingdom, called The Rover "a mesmerizing, visionary achievement." The film received many nominations in its native Australia, including 7 AACTA nominations (Australia's Oscar), winning two. The Rover is fresh at 66 % with a 6.4 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
An effective, well-made poster for Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Farris' Ruby Sparks
A successful, lonely writer with writer's block completes an assignment for his shrink and in doing so creates the fictional female character of his dreams in reality!
Ruby Sparks has its moderately funny patches, but this basically high-concept romcom has perched itself wrong; on the low-budget-quirky-indie chair, - replete with discordant, foreign language music and an eccentric parent couple, - instead of a higher chair, the mainstream approach. It is also problematic that the protagonist's writing issues take up as much space in the film as they do. It is fundamentally hard to get genuinely interested in this character, the central rock of Ruby Sparks, and the affluent Los Angeles milieu he resides in. To make matters worse, the film isn't romantic, because the titular character isn't a real person in the film but only a figment of the writer's imagination.
Paul Dano (L.I.E. (2001)) attempts to pull up the funny factor but spends the majority of the film looking like an owl. Zoe Kazan (Meek's Cutoff (2010)), who also wrote the film, her first and only movie writing job to date, is sweet enough as Ruby Sparks, but the film is regrettably failed. It is directed by great Californian directors and marrieds Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Farris (Little Miss Sunshine (2006)).
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: Estimated 8 mil. $
Box office: 9.1 mil. $
= Big flop
[Ruby Sparks was released July 25 and runs 104 minutes. Filming took place in LA and Big Sur, California from July - August 2011. The film opened #28 to a 140k $ opening weekend in 13 theaters, expanding to 261 and #17, grossing 2.5 mil. $ (27.5 % of the total gross) in North America. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Australia with 1.6 mil. $ (17.6 %) and the UK with 1.2 mil. $ (13.2 %). Ruby Sparks is certified fresh at 79 % with a 7.1 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
Writer-co-producer-director-star Alex Karpovksy (in the middle) looks at us with a hopeless glare on the poster for his Red Flag
Alex and Rachel have broken up after several years together. So now Alex is left to himself as he is heading out on his tour with his documentary Woodpecker. - Until an old friend (Onus Turkel (Summer of Blood (2014))) responds to his open invitation and comes to join him.
Red Flag is a funny indie-dramedy road movie about a couple of slobs on tour together. The humor is like a mix of Seinfeld, Woody Allen and Klown: Wry, dry and cynical. Several lines and situations in the film are really funny. - SPOILER Particularly the specifics concerning Alex's documentary and his friend's children's book.
Red Flag features some fairly off-putting characters, - but they are well-played and the film is small but hilarious. It is written, co-produced and directed by Alex Karpovsky (Rubberneck (2012)), who stars as Alex, the protagonist who is based on himself.
Karpovsky is interviewed about the film at the LA Film Festival premiere here
Cost: Unknown
Box office: 2k $ (North America)
= Unknown (but must be considered a flop)
[Red Flag premiered June 15 (Los Angeles Film Festival) and runs 85 minutes. There are several fascinating details about its production: First of all the Woodpecker tour is not fictional, but actual: Red Flag came about as a project to complete while Karpovsky agreed to go on a tour with his second film, the actual documentary Woodpecker. Reportedly with a crew of just one cameraman, the film came about with the three actors and everyone else being random people involved on location, with a 30-page outline, in 12 days. Unfortunately the film's release has been even smaller than its production: Only released in 1 theater in North America, where it grossed 2k $ in the few days it was screened. Its only other market was a film festival in Poland, a fact which is hard not to consider perfectly in line with the general, self-deprecating humor of the film. Red Flag is fresh at 78 % with a 6.8 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
A serious-toned, information-skimpy poster for Asghar Farhadi's The Past
An Iranian man returns to his wife in Paris to finalize their divorce. But their children, her new boyfriend, - and the consequences of all of their decisions that have piled up, - make the finalization harder than initially believed.
Even better then Iranian master writer-director Asghar Farhadi's (The Salesman (2016)) preceding, great A Separation (2011), The Past, his 6th feature, is a potent jawbreaker of a drama. It is thematically rich, centering on issues of guilt, suicide, love, family and responsibility, and dramatically intense. It features first-rate performances from Bérénice Bejo (The Artist (2011)) and Ali Mosaffa (Somewhere Else/Jayi Digar (2003)) and Tahar Rahim (Samba (2014)) as the two men in her life, as well as from Elyes Aguis (Looking for Her/Je Vous Souhaite d'être Follement Aimée (2015)), who plays their boy Fouad incredibly naturally and heartbreakingly.
The Past is full of nerve, SPOILER and especially in its third act, I came to reach the feeling that none of the three adults here, - plagued by immaturity, egotism and flight from their responsibilities as they are, - are really very sympathetic, - but the children involved still command our engagement with the story in spite of this. The adult characters also seem to balance on the edge of seeing themselves a bit from the outside, which we so desperately want them to, so they can grasp what it is they are doing.
The Past is in every way a masterful film; serious and realistic, it is a formidable work.
[The Past premiered May 17 (Cannes) and runs 130 minutes. It was shot in Paris from October 2012 - January 2013. It is a co-production between no less than 17 companies and institutions. Farhadi wrote the script in Persian and spent two years in France, getting to know the rhythm of the language before filming. However, he still did not speak French and directed the film through a translator. Prior to the lengthy shoot, Farhadi insisted on 2 months of rehearsals. Bejo was cast as a substitute for Marion Cotillard, who dropped out due to commitments on Rust and Bone. The film opened #39 in 3 theaters to a 29k $ opening weekend in North America, where it peaked in 77 theaters and grossed 1.3 mil. $ (12.3 % of the total gross). The film's biggest market was its native France with 7.6 mil. $ (71.7 %), and its 3rd biggest was Italy with 0.6 mil. $ (5.7 %). To many's surprise, The Past was not Oscar-nominated. In Cannes, it won the ecumenical jury prize and the Best Actress prize. It was also nominated for the Best Foreign Film Golden Globe and for 5 César awards (France's Oscar), winning none. The Past is certified fresh at 93 % with an 8.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
The evocative but dour poster for Edward Zwick's Pawn Sacrifice
Bobby Fischer became an obsessive chess master already as a boy. When, as an adult, he is to face Russian Spassky in the chessboard clash between the world's superpowers, the US and the USSR, his psyche creaks on him.
Fischer is not a wildly sympathetic character, and the game of chess doesn't really get opened up in Pawn Sacrifice, which for some time makes it seem somewhat grey and dull. But as it reaches its Reykjavik showdown, it grows some legs, especially through the engaged performances of Tobey Maguire (The Great Gatsby (2013)) and Liev Schreiber (Salt (2010)) as the two chess masters. We have got a complex character in Fischer to be sure, but he also remains too enigmatic until the very end. Pawn Sacrifice is not a bad film, but I don't feel we get far enough into Fischer for it to fully succeed.
It is written by Steven Knight (Amazing Grace (2006)) and directed by Edward Zwick (Glory (1989)).
[Pawn Sacrifice premiered September 11 (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 115 minutes. Filming took place in Reykjavik, Montreal and LA from October - December 2013. The film opened #33 to a 0.2 mil. $ first weekend in 33 theaters, widening to #12 with 1 mil. $ in 781 theaters in North America, where it grossed 2.4 mil. $ (43.6 % of the total gross). Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 427k $ (7.8 %) and Spain with 230k $ (4.2 %). The film is far from historically accurate, as is revealed here. Pawn Sacrifice is fresh at 72 % with a 6.5 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
+ Best Venezuelan Movie of the Year+ Best LGBT Movie of the Year
A great poster for Mariana Rondón's Bad Hair, which shows its theme of the difficulties of identity creation in a nutshell
Junior lives with his baby brother and single mother, who is struggling to get her security guard job back, in the slums of Caracas, Venezuela. This summer he is obsessed with straightening his unruly hair, which causes his mother extreme worries.
Bad Hair is a truly wonderful film, which takes us to a new place, (I and probably most audiences won't be familiar with its setting), where a little, very dear boy (played superbly by debuting Samuel Lange Zambrano) is struggling with his surroundings due to his budding homosexuality. The film is very well-acted and sweet; particularly the portrayed world of the children is funny, - but it is also realistic and grim at times. Its portrayal of Junior's mother, - played by Samantha Castillo (Le Badanti (2015)), - a stressed individual who behaves as a tormented prison guard at their home, and who doesn't really love her son, is tough. It is hard to see her as anything but a just plain bad mother.
Bad Hair is skillfully filmed (by Micaela Cajahuaringa (Postcards from Leningrad (2007))) and at times develops slowly. SPOILER It chooses to leave us with a strong scene with no sugarcoating that highlights the mined mother-son-relationship.
Bad Hair is written and directed by the great Mariana Rondón (At Midnight and a Half/A la Medianoche y Media (1999)) as her third feature. It is a beautiful Venezuelan blues that implicitly screams out for acceptance of sexual minorities.
= Unknown (but likely a box office success or big hit)
[Bad Hair premiered September 7 (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 93 minutes. It was shot in Caracas. It has reportedly played in 29 markets, including in a long line of film festivals, where it has likely been a darling. It has won 12 awards, including two at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. It was the 30th highest-grossing movie in its native Venezuela in 2014, indicating a strong national interest and support. Bad Hair is fresh at 94 % with a 7.5 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
The posters for Stephen Frears' Philomena didn't catch my interest, as they seem rather bland and certainly don't relate the actual power of the film, in my opinion
Martin has been fired from his political job and looks for a story for a book, when one happens to fall into his lap: Ageing Philomena had her bastard child taken from her by nuns 50 years ago.
As noted above, the Philomena posters don't relate the film's narrative power, which is clear all the way through Jeff Pope (The Place of the Dead (1997, TVM) and Steve Coogan's (The Parole Officer (2001)) Oscar-nominated, excellent adapted script, based on Coogan's character Martin Sixsmith's (Putin's Oil (2010)) 2009 book, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee. The film is directed by English master filmmaker Stephen Frears (Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)) in exemplary fashion; it plays our emotional chords as a violin with great command throughout.
Philomena is technically astute, with an outstanding score by Alexandre Desplat (Reality (2012)). Coogan and Judi Dench (The World Is Not Enough (1999)) illuminate the screen as few can and both stand out as completely real characters while also often being downright hilarious. Dench has never been better than here and is really something of a miracle. All the secondary characters are ideally cast.
Philomena is among the year's best, a rare gem that I can't recommend enough.
[Philomena premiered August 31 (Venice International Film Festival) and runs 98 minutes. Filming took place in Maryland, Washington D.C., England and Northern Ireland from October 2012 - January 2013. The film only takes minor artistic licenses in its relation of the true story. It opened #28 in 4 theaters with 128k $ and peaked at #8 in 835 theaters in North America, where it grossed 37.7 mil. $ (37.6 % of the total gross). Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 18.4 mil. $ (18.4 %) and Australia with 10.1 mil. $ (10.1 %). The film was nominated for 4 Oscars: For Best Picture (lost to 12 Years a Slave), Actress (Dench) (lost to Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine), Adapted Screenplay (lost to 12 Years a Slave) and Score (lost to Gravity). It was also nominated for 3 Golden Globes and 4 BAFTAs. Philomena is certified fresh at 92 % with a 7.8 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
Paul Rudd undeniably looks like a simpleton on the poster for Jesse Peretz's Our Idiot Brother
Our hero here is a hopelessly naive idiot, who gets incarcerated for having attempted to sell a small piece of hash to a cop. As he gets released, his girlfriend has dumped him and stolen his dog, so that he is forced to live in shifts with his family members.
Our Idiot Brother starts a bit uneasy, but it is worth staying with, (although one may first detect that it first and foremost is about awful people.) Because it really has quite a few hilarious scenes and a peculiar theme and point about how it's better to be a gullible idiot than an egotistical idiot. Career men and women in the creative class and organic hippies get hauled over the coals by the film's satire, and it feels good. Paul Rudd's (I Love You, Man (2009)) lovability makes him feasible here despite his character's intense stupidity. Rashida Jones (A Very Murray Christmas (2015)) plays a hot lesbian; Kathryn Hahn (Bad Moms (2016)), Elizabeth Banks (Swept Away (2002)) and Zooey Deschanel (Elf (2003)) are pros as super-bitches; Emily Mortimer (Scream 3 (2000)) is funny as a frustrated housewife, and Steve Coogan (The Trip to Italy (2014)) is also a pro as a major a-hole. The film is written by Evgenia Peretz (Theo who Lived (2016), producer) and David Schisgall (Theo who Lived (2016)) and directed by Jesse Peretz (Girls (2012-16)).
Cost: 5 mil. $ Box office: 25.8 mil. $ = Big hit [Our Idiot Brother premiered January 22 (Sundance) and runs 90 minutes. The film was developed fast and shot in New York in 30 days from July 2010 forward, obtaining a 30 % tax credit. The film opened #5 to a 7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it fell from the top 5 in its second week and grossed 24.8 mil. $ (96.1 % of the total gross). It was released in 10 other countries, with the 2nd and 3rd biggest markets being Italy with 338k $ (1.3 % ) and Germany with 157k $ (0.6 %). Our Idiot Brother is fresh at 68 % with a 6.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.] What do you think of Our Idiot Brother?
