Film Festival Circuit 2006
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- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:35 am
- Location: Hong Kong
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- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:53 pm
- Location: all up in thurr
Ok, I haven't posted in about 1000 years, but I'm moved to post my list by the love here for Rescue Dawn. I'm a Herzog maniac and it was one of the films I liked least of the 25ish I saw. I think I'm still depressed about, actually. (All my reviews are here, if anyone cares. Trust me, a link is better than having to listen to me explain my reactions.)
Stuff I loved:
The Lives of Others
Zindane: A 21st Century Portrait
As the Shadow
The Way I Spent the End of the World
Really liked:
Rain Dogs
The Dog Pound
12:08 East of Bucharest
This is England
DarkBlueAlmostBlack
Beauty in Trouble
Lights in the Dusk
Liked:
Prague
Shortbus
The Italian
The Journals of Knud Rasmussen
Disappointing:
Rescue Dawn
The Caiman
Time
Actively Disliked:
One to Another
The Bothersome Man
Born and Bred (after the first 10 minutes)
Stuff I loved:
The Lives of Others
Zindane: A 21st Century Portrait
As the Shadow
The Way I Spent the End of the World
Really liked:
Rain Dogs
The Dog Pound
12:08 East of Bucharest
This is England
DarkBlueAlmostBlack
Beauty in Trouble
Lights in the Dusk
Liked:
Prague
Shortbus
The Italian
The Journals of Knud Rasmussen
Disappointing:
Rescue Dawn
The Caiman
Time
Actively Disliked:
One to Another
The Bothersome Man
Born and Bred (after the first 10 minutes)
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- Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
Loved:
Still Life & Dong
Colossal Youth
Hamaca Paraguaya
Climates
Woman on the Beach
Times and Winds
Syndromes and a Century
Offside
Liked:
Wavelengths 2
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone
When the Levees Broke
Bamako
Belle Toujours
Fantasma
Manufactured Landscapes
Khadak (The Colour of Water)
The Pervert's Guide to Cinema
Ten Canoes
12:08 East of Bucharest
Requiem
So-So:
Remembering Arthur
The Missing Star
The Host
Blindsight
Coeurs
Lights in the Dusk
Poor:
Day Night Day Night
Red Road
Roads of Kiarostami
Still Life & Dong
Colossal Youth
Hamaca Paraguaya
Climates
Woman on the Beach
Times and Winds
Syndromes and a Century
Offside
Liked:
Wavelengths 2
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone
When the Levees Broke
Bamako
Belle Toujours
Fantasma
Manufactured Landscapes
Khadak (The Colour of Water)
The Pervert's Guide to Cinema
Ten Canoes
12:08 East of Bucharest
Requiem
So-So:
Remembering Arthur
The Missing Star
The Host
Blindsight
Coeurs
Lights in the Dusk
Poor:
Day Night Day Night
Red Road
Roads of Kiarostami
- franco
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Vancouver
Talking to David Bordwell, Ho Yu-hang, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul made me feel as though I were dreaming. Awesome people! So friendly and approachable. I wonder whether we still get to meet them after Tony's retirement from VIFF.
Grimfarrow, I guess if you were here, you'd be hanging out with them.
I'll join the people who consider Still Life and Syndromes and a Century the two best movies of 2006, although I shall add Rain Dogs to the list as well.
Grimfarrow, I guess if you were here, you'd be hanging out with them.
I'll join the people who consider Still Life and Syndromes and a Century the two best movies of 2006, although I shall add Rain Dogs to the list as well.
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- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:35 am
- Location: Hong Kong
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- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:35 am
- Location: Hong Kong
- franco
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Vancouver
Movies I Loved:
Still Life
Offside
Woman on the Beach
Rain Dogs
Syndromes and a Century
Men at Work
Movies I enjoyed:
The Host
Dong
Garpastum
12:08 East of Bucharest
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone
Movies I appreciated:
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A
Old Joy
Hamaca Paraguaya
Disappointment:
Climates
Abomination:
Ten Canoes
Walk-outs:
Colossal Youth
Love for Share
From Afar
Todo Todo Terros
Still Life
Offside
Woman on the Beach
Rain Dogs
Syndromes and a Century
Men at Work
Movies I enjoyed:
The Host
Dong
Garpastum
12:08 East of Bucharest
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone
Movies I appreciated:
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A
Old Joy
Hamaca Paraguaya
Disappointment:
Climates
Abomination:
Ten Canoes
Walk-outs:
Colossal Youth
Love for Share
From Afar
Todo Todo Terros
Last edited by franco on Sun Oct 15, 2006 3:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
- franco
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Vancouver
Seeing David Bordwell walk out after an hour!John Cope wrote:What motivated you to walk out of Colossal Youth?
On a more serious note, I am definitely not the right audience for Colossal Youth. I talked to David afterwards, and he felt the same way. The subjective reason is that I prefer movies that are less raw, less simplistic, and more visually pleasant.
Pedro mentioned prior to the screening that he intended to make those in front of the camera as important as those behind it. The charm of Colossal Youth is that the actors seem to be acting out their own movie. Nevertheless, there was a huge gap between them and me; it didn't get smaller as the movie progressed, no matter how hard I tried. Eventually I decided there were more fruitful things to do than forcing myself at a spot of discomfort. Actually, I never expected myself to like Colossal Youth due to my lack of interest in slum movies (unless they involve charming prostitutes or Mira Nair's direction).
You shouldn't be tantalized by my juvenile comments, John! People have different tastes and expectations. (Well, I guess we both like L'Intrus)
As for Todo Todo Terros... did you see the movie? What the hell was that!?
- Don Lope de Aguirre
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 5:39 pm
- Location: London
Franco can you, please, explain why Climates was so disappointing (if you can without giving away the plot)?
I was meant to be watching the film tomorrow at the LFF but I can't due to work commitments. I'll now have to wait until February when it's released in the UK...
This is one of the films I have most been looking forward to. I has got strong reviews and the trailer looks sublime:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG6S0hgE_WE
What was the problem?
I was meant to be watching the film tomorrow at the LFF but I can't due to work commitments. I'll now have to wait until February when it's released in the UK...
This is one of the films I have most been looking forward to. I has got strong reviews and the trailer looks sublime:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG6S0hgE_WE
What was the problem?
- franco
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Vancouver
Sorry for the late reply! Well, I am quite a troll when it comes to constructive criticism, so I procrastinated, out of fear for embarrassment.
Climates is my most anticipated film of the year. Perhaps I mounted so high with my expectation, and the only feasible outcome was to fall low with disappointment.
As you must have read in many places, the first season is absolutely stunning, but then Ceylan executes an abrupt shift in tone and rhythm for the second season. The beautiful mise-en-scene gets replaced by verbal excess and an overwhelming number of shots with people (mostly Ceylan himself) grining at the camera. The contemplative tone is overrun by a sudden and baffling necessity for plot. Nevertheless, the purpose of these deviations becomes clear in the final season, which is probably why some people could forgive the strangeness of the middle section. I, however, can't. The narrative gamble for me simply doesn't pay off.
Like some reviewers wrote, Ceylan tries to portray a universal situation. By doing so, the film becomes overly vague, abstract, and somewhat thoughtless. There's nothing here that we haven't seen before. One could gain more by re-watching La Notte and Eyes Wide Shut. The brief episode with the photographer's wife in Uzak is actually more thoughtful than Climates.
A lot of people claim that this is the best-shot film of the year, but save for the first season, I cannot find anything exciting in the remaining hour. What serviced so much in Uzak looks like recycled film stock here. Finally, there's a blatant homage to Antonioni in the last shot. I am sure it's impressive to some people, but to me, it's "what the fuck!"
Let me know if I should have kept silent.
Climates is my most anticipated film of the year. Perhaps I mounted so high with my expectation, and the only feasible outcome was to fall low with disappointment.
As you must have read in many places, the first season is absolutely stunning, but then Ceylan executes an abrupt shift in tone and rhythm for the second season. The beautiful mise-en-scene gets replaced by verbal excess and an overwhelming number of shots with people (mostly Ceylan himself) grining at the camera. The contemplative tone is overrun by a sudden and baffling necessity for plot. Nevertheless, the purpose of these deviations becomes clear in the final season, which is probably why some people could forgive the strangeness of the middle section. I, however, can't. The narrative gamble for me simply doesn't pay off.
Like some reviewers wrote, Ceylan tries to portray a universal situation. By doing so, the film becomes overly vague, abstract, and somewhat thoughtless. There's nothing here that we haven't seen before. One could gain more by re-watching La Notte and Eyes Wide Shut. The brief episode with the photographer's wife in Uzak is actually more thoughtful than Climates.
A lot of people claim that this is the best-shot film of the year, but save for the first season, I cannot find anything exciting in the remaining hour. What serviced so much in Uzak looks like recycled film stock here. Finally, there's a blatant homage to Antonioni in the last shot. I am sure it's impressive to some people, but to me, it's "what the fuck!"
Let me know if I should have kept silent.
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- Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
I'm not sure why last year's thread is locked, but I thought I'd start a new one for the upcoming fest, Jan 4-15, with 254 films from over 73 countries.
Southern Californians know it's the best festival for world cinema anywhere near Los Angeles; a PDF of planned films can be accessed here.
I must say, I've been writing some of the festival's catalogue descriptions, and unless some very notable titles have been dropped at the last minute, this doesn't seem to be a complete list...at least I hope it's not!
Among the highlights: an archival screening of Marketa Lazarova, Tian Zhuangzhuang's The Go Master, and some of my TIFF favs: Bamako, Ten Canoes, Offside, Hamaca Paraguaya, Belle Toujours, and Woman on the Beach. Any other recommendations?
Southern Californians know it's the best festival for world cinema anywhere near Los Angeles; a PDF of planned films can be accessed here.
I must say, I've been writing some of the festival's catalogue descriptions, and unless some very notable titles have been dropped at the last minute, this doesn't seem to be a complete list...at least I hope it's not!
Among the highlights: an archival screening of Marketa Lazarova, Tian Zhuangzhuang's The Go Master, and some of my TIFF favs: Bamako, Ten Canoes, Offside, Hamaca Paraguaya, Belle Toujours, and Woman on the Beach. Any other recommendations?
Last edited by Doug Cummings on Mon Dec 18, 2006 5:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:22 am
- Contact:
Definitely recommend Sisters in Law, Madeinusa, and Quixotic (Honor de Cavelleria). I just saw the latter this past Friday and it's definitely making my top ten list. It's pretty slow though (like Sharunas Bartas speed), so some people are really, really going to hate it. I'm a bit miffed that they cancelled The Education of the Fairies last minute at Spanish Cinema Now. It stars Irène Jacob and Ricardo DarÃn (of Nine Queens and El Aura) and might be worth a look.
The other festival staples, I'm assuming you're already familiar with or have already seen at TIFF (Tian's The Go Master is okay, not outstanding, very Hou-ish). I hated, hated, hated Marc Recha's August Days (Umm...did I mention that I hated it? )
The other festival staples, I'm assuming you're already familiar with or have already seen at TIFF (Tian's The Go Master is okay, not outstanding, very Hou-ish). I hated, hated, hated Marc Recha's August Days (Umm...did I mention that I hated it? )
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- Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
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- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:22 am
- Contact:
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- Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:28 pm
acquarello wrote:(Tian's The Go Master is okay, not outstanding, very Hou-ish)
This didn't knock me out in a single viewing, but I nevertheless think that this is an ungenerous assessment. Hou-ish in the oblique and elliptical approach to history perhaps, but not in many other aspects. I'd say this is well worth anyone's time and I look forward to eventually revisiting it.
- Michael Kerpan
- Spelling Bee Champeen
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:20 pm
- Location: New England
- Contact:
The films from Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan all seem promising.
I've only seen a few -- "the Banquet" is worth seeing visuallly -- but dramatically never worked (for me). "I thought "Curse of the golden Flower" was magnificent (in a good way). "Woman on the Beach" is Hong's most (easily) lovable movie to date.
I'm dying to see at least half a dozen of the films being shown...
I've only seen a few -- "the Banquet" is worth seeing visuallly -- but dramatically never worked (for me). "I thought "Curse of the golden Flower" was magnificent (in a good way). "Woman on the Beach" is Hong's most (easily) lovable movie to date.
I'm dying to see at least half a dozen of the films being shown...
- Dylan
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:28 pm
My list of 2006 films I wanted to see was already over 20, but now it just tripled. This is an overwhelming, terribly promising line-up...almost every film here sparks my interest. If anybody attending this has or will start a blog (or if anybody knows anybody keeping a blog on this festival) please post, I'd love to hear thoughts on any of these.
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- Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
I'm hoping to blog at Filmjourney.org, Dylan. And I'm still open to specific suggestions!
On my short list:
Allegro
August Days
Quixotic
Longing
Black Book
Legend of Time
Sway
The Go Master
Invisible Waves
To Get to Heaven You First Have to Die
Marketa Lazarova
On my short list:
Allegro
August Days
Quixotic
Longing
Black Book
Legend of Time
Sway
The Go Master
Invisible Waves
To Get to Heaven You First Have to Die
Marketa Lazarova
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- Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
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- Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:03 am
strongly, STRONGLY recommended: Julia Loktev's DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT - part Dreyer, part Lodge Kerrigan, and one of the most important debut American features in years. A completely overwhelming experience.
also recommended: Ten Canoes, The Lives of Others, and for fun, Christopher Smith's Severance is one of the best slasher flicks I've seen in a long time
also recommended: Ten Canoes, The Lives of Others, and for fun, Christopher Smith's Severance is one of the best slasher flicks I've seen in a long time