Not long into 2011 and iconic character and stage actor Pete Postlethwaite has died (peacefully) of Cancer. Probably best known for his roles in In The Name of The Father and The Usual Suspects, Postlethwaite often played small but pivotal parts in large blockbusters. He worked right up to and during his Cancer treatments (small parts in Inception, The Town and Clash of the Titans).
He will be missed.
I threw in some stuff on Sundance this week, including Mammoth and Summer Hours (both on Monday) that I haven’t seen but have heard good things about, so I’m hoping I get to check those out. Also note that IFC is playing the Coen Bros. version of The Ladykillers late Wednesday/early Thursday, while TCM has the original version Thursday night – rather apropos given recent conversations about the Coens and remakes. There are a few other newly featured things scattered throughout, the most notable being Mel Brooks’ hilarious send-up of the business of Broadway in The Producers (the original version) and Martin Scorsese’s biopic of Howard Hughes, The Aviator.
6:30am – Sundance – Mammoth
A favorite among a few Row Three writers, though not unanimously, this film from Swedish director Lukas Moodysson gives a three-faceted look at the modern world, contrasting an American businessman, his family, their Filipino maid, and her family.
2009 Sweden. Director: Lukas Moodysson. Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Michelle Williams, Marife Necesito.
Newly Featured!
(repeats at 12:30pm)
8:40am – Sundance – Grizzly Man
Werner Herzog’s fascination with the duality of nature’s beauty and destructiveness continues into documentary, as he brings the story of grizzly researcher Timothy Treadwell to the screen.
2005 USA. Director: Werner Herzog.
(repeats at 2:40pm)
10:40am – Sundance – No One Knows About Persian Cats
A pair of Iranian rock musicians, unable to perform their music publicly because the government won’t give them a permit, try to put together a final underground gig to raise money to escape the country – it’s based on the actual story of the two people playing the musicians, so there’s an intriguing intersection of reality and fiction.
2009 Iran. Director: Bahman Ghobadi. Starring: Negar Shaghaghi, Ashkan Koshanejad, Hamed Behdad.
(repeats at 4:@5pm)
6:15pm – Sundance – Summer Hours
In what sounds like a very beautiful and meditative film, Olivier Assayas explores a French family as the matriarch prepares for her own passing and then the actions of her family after she does. It got the Criterion treatment almost immediately upon release, which is enough for me to get excited on its own, but I’ve also heard really good things about it.
2008 France. Director: Olivier Assayas. Starring: Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jérémie Renier.
Newly Featured!
(repeats at 5:40am on the 4th, and 9:25am on the 8th)
8:00pm – IFC – Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Easily one of the most absurd, random, hilarious, and quotable comedies of all time. A more hapless bunch of Round Table knights couldn’t be found, and Monty Python has never been better than they are here.
1975 UK. Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones. Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones.
Must See
(repeats at 1:30am on the 4th)
9:30pm -TCM – Morocco
My knowledge of the Josef von Sternberg-Marlene Dietrich cycle of films is woefully slight, but the one I have seen (The Blue Angel) was pretty impressive, so itís an oversight I intend to fix at some point. Dietrich here takes a leap of androgyny with her tuxedo-clad cabaret numbers, while an extremely young Gary Cooper is along for the ride as a Legionnaire.
1930 USA. Director: Josef von Sternberg. Starring: Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper, Adolphe Menjou.
Director: Terence Young (From Russia with Love, Thunderball)
Novel: Ian Fleming
Screenplay: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkely Mather
Producers: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Starring: Sean Connery, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee, John Kitzmiller, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman
MPAA Rating: PG
Running time: 110 min.
(3.5/5)This is the first in a series of reviews that are part of the James Bond January blog-a-thon started at paragraphfilmreviews. Each day throughout the month a new review of each of the films in the 007 franchise by various bloggers, fans and critics. Enjoy!
As a child of the 80′s and 90′s I’m much more familiar with the more gadget driven Bond, popularized by Roger Moore and later more gimmickily and outlandishly from Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Dr. No on the other hand, the first in the Bond empire and a first time watch for me, is much simpler; leaning dangerously close to simple detective story rather than a cloak and dagger, spy picture. Sure 
there’s some international intrigue and some exciting action moments, but more than half of the film is searching for clues, interviewing suspects and gathering information from the (almost bumbling) local law enforecment. Of course in retrospect, I suppose that all of the Bond films do this in some respects, but with Dr. No it feels much more straight forward and simplistic. I better understand now why Daniel Craig’s Bond (specifically Casino Royale) was touted as returning to the roots of the 007 franchsie.
Now that is not to say the Bond conventions are not present. Quite on the contrary. The femme fatales with inuendo names (Honey Ryder), the menacing henchmen, the not so surprising traitor and of course the mysterious evil genius with a unique character trait (in this case, super-human, robotic hands). Many of the things we expect 007 to say and do are all present here and with all of the ensuing entries in the franchise, they almost feel like cliche caricature traits at this point. Of course this isn’t a bad thing. This is what makes Bond one of the most beloved characters in cinematic history. Being the first film in the series, this is the picture that sets the tone and general style of the adventures and the tenets of the character for years to come.
Director: Tom Hooper (The Damned United)
Screenplay: David Seidler
Producers: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin, Geoffrey Rush
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pierce, Michael Gambon
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 111 minutes
(4/5)In 1924, the new invention of radio gives King George V his first opportunity to address his people all around the world. For the monarch and his subjects, it is a great and historic moment; for his second son, Prince Albert Duke of York, it is a nightmare. Albert, or “Bertie” as he is referred to by his family, suffers from a crippling stammer, one that makes his duties at court difficult, and the task of public speaking nearly impossible. In desperation, his wife Duchess Elizabeth reaches out to Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist living in London, whose unorthodox methods may be the future king’s final hope. The subject matter may seem low-key, and the stakes likewise rather miniscule, but director Tom Hooper, with the considerable help of his first rate cast, turns this seemingly unremarkable real life tale of a stuttering king into a film filled with emotion and gentle humour, and one that is an absolute pleasure to watch.
Although The King’s Speech is set in the world of royalty, the heart of the film deals with far less grandiose, far more human themes. Early sequences introduce us to the Prince and his loving wife and young daughters, while the eventual friendship between the stammering monarch and his quirky doctor forms the backbone of the plot. Amusing and often very touching, scenes like these are also lent an intimate feel thanks to the films warm cinematography and production design; by contrast, low angles and elaborate formal costumes dominate scenes of regality, making it easy to understand why Bertie feels so intimidated and overwhelmed. In every scene, Hooper is able to capture, with sometimes just a single shot, the tone of the setting. Likewise, Alexandre Desplat beautiful score imbues the film with a charm and grace in some moments, majesty and circumstance in others.
The acting in The King’s Speech is uniformly superb. Obvious difficulties of affecting a speech impediment aside, Firth’s work as the stammering King is spectacularly moving, sympathetic and filled with relatable frustration. Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter are almost as impressive – the former is endlessly likeable Lionel Logue, while Carter plays her role as Bertie’s wife the Duchess of York with the perfect combination of love, restraint and the slightest of superiority. Beyond these leading three, Guy Pierce and Michael Gambon are both believable and intensely unpleasant as the sniveling Prince of Wales and the domineering George V, and the rest of the cast is filled out nicely by veteran British character actors including Derek Jacobi and Timothy Spall.
The King’s Speech has already been labeled by some as typical awards-bait; the kind of formulaic dramatic picture that Academy members can safely vote for over more energetic or perhaps interesting films. Admitedly, there are one or two lines of dialogue that felt a little overly inspirational, and a few character decisions that seem to serve drama rather than common sense (including a rather glaring plot flaw that, had any characters acknowledged it, would have rendered the tension in the climax non-existent). However, these moments are few and far between, and although the film may prove the easy choice come Oscar night, that seems an unfair criticism to level against the men and woman who strived to make this film such a good one. And as a tale of friendship, family and the beauty and importance of language, The King’s Speech is certainly that.
Woke up this morning and can’t think of a much better New Year present than what Criterion left in my Facebook inbox this morning. You can click the image for a little bit larger one if you’d like.
It’s a bit cryptic. Thought I saw some Wild Strawberries in there and possibly Where the Wild Things Are? Heading over to Blu-ray.com I found some people with some ideas as to what Criterion may have in store for us over the next 12 months. Forum member ccfixx writes:
Cul-de-sac = person tied to boat
Wild Strawberries = strawberries
Solaris = space station
Kiss Me Deadly = briefcase
Sunday Bloody Sunday = calendar
Carlos = man with gun
Kuroneko = ghost cat
Insignificance = Albert Einstein / Marilyn Monroe
Y Tu Mama Tambien = sign in Spanish
Les Diaboliques = head in water
Zero For Conduct = kid with pillow
The Great Dictator = globe
White Material = knife in coffee beans
As for me, I couldn’t be more excited for a Polanski Criterion Blu-ray(!)
Here’s to another great year of friends, family and film. From everyone in the RowThree family to yours, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
