ALPER CAGATAY FILM MAKING BLOG

"HOW TO SELL A BANKSY" Documentary Coming Soon

2011-02-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

Here's the trailer for my upcoming documentary "How to Sell a Banksy" co-produced with my good friend Chris Thompson.

More details can be found here at the official movie site.

The Endless Creativity of Spike Jonze-"We Were Once A Fairytale".

2009-10-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

In the run up to the release of the highly anticipated "Where the Wild Things Are", Spike Jonze has whet my appetite with this a curious short film starring none other than Kanye West. Somewhere between a viral music video and John Cassavetes' "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie", come this shot from the hip curiosity.

As you might expect from Jonze, the film has a few surprises up it's sleeve not to mention a very credible performance from Kanye West. West has his detractors but it's fair to say that he has never shied away from examining his ever growing popularity and public persona.

A very interesting and vibrant piece which proves that Spike Jonze (and Kanye West) continues to push the boundaries of music videos and is still an source of creativity.
The film entitled "We Were Ince A Fairytale" can be viewed below.

"Where the Wild Things Are" has opened in the US to mixed reviews and will open in the UK on 11 December 2009.

"My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?" Trailer-Werner Herzog

2009-08-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

Evidently Werner Herzog doesn't enjoy sleeping, following close after his upcoming "Bad Lieutenant" remake comes this strangely marketed drama inspired by a true story. The trailer is very conventional and almost makes it look like a made for TV movie, however it's safe to assume that Herzog will have some fun with this and create a film that is more than what appears to be on the surface.

There appears to be some very dark wit, a lot of borderline surreal imagery (the film is produced by David Lynch) and a lot of references to faith and spirituality. This will definitely make for an interesting viewing experience. I think it's great that Herzog keeps pulling out these projects from leftfield may he long continue.

The cast includes Willem Defoe, Chloe Sevigny, Udo Kier and the excellent Michael Shannon. Here's the trailer:

Herzog's "Bad Lieutenant" Releases Trailer

2009-05-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

This project is definitely a curiosity. Idiosyncratic master filmmaker Werner Herzog remakes idiosyncratic filmmaker Abel Ferarra's controversial film "Bad Lieutenant" and brings the action from New York to New Orleans.

The trailer is a zany fast-paced affair with a hyper-active Nicolas Cage twitching and shouting through a number of narcotics fueled scenes. The humour is pitch black and very much off the wall, the harmonica music that accompanies the trailer makes me feel like I'm watching the dancing chicken from the end of Herzog's earlier film "Stroszek".

The project has attracted criticism from the outset (not least from Ferarra himself) and the trailer has not done much to quiet it's detractors. Herzog makes compelling films about men pushing themselves to extremes and I'm sure his "Bad Lieutenant" will provide an exhilarating contemporary addition to his cannon of work.

Here's the trailer:

Ramin Bahrani, Red West and Souleymane Sy Savane on Charlie Rose

2009-05-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

A great interview with Ramin Bahrani and the cast of "Goodbye Solo" on the Charlie Rose Show. The interview gives a some insight into Bahrani's sensibilities and discusses the emotional core of the film.

Visit Bahrani's website for screening details.

Here's the interview:

"The Road" Trailer finally online

2009-05-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

After a disappearing from release schedules last November, the "The Road" is finally scheduled for a release towards the end of the year. The high octane trailer is clearly pitching the film to a broad audience, but there appears to be something more character based at it's heart. The depiction of a post-Apocalyptic world appears to be realised on a large scale and the presence of Viggo Mortensen is now synonymous with quality.

I haven't read the book nor have I seen director John Hillcoat's previous film "The Proposition" either but have heard great things about both so this film holds great promise. Here's the trailer:

"Tetro" Trailer Online

2009-05-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

After fueling my anticipation with the excellent video diaries, the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's "Tetro" is finally online. The film is shot in beautiful black and white and tells the story of sibling rivalry among two brothers who are the son of a successful composer.

Here's the trailer:

"Tetro" is released in US on June 11th 2009.

"Sugar" - A Bittersweet Sports Movie. 2008, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

2009-03-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

I’ve finally managed to catch “Sugar” thanks to the 5th annual Birds Eye View Film Festival. Following 2007’s “Half Nelson”. I was very eager to see what the directorial team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck would do next.

“Sugar” tells the story of a 20 year old aspiring baseball player from the Dominican and his ambition to become a major league baseball player. On the surface this seems like a conventional sports drama however, as I expected, the filmmakers take an original slant on the genre and breathe new depth in a very formulaic genre. The film becomes less about winning and more about the consequences of not being able to live up to expectations. In this film there is no championship title at stake; Sugar’s success is more about helping his family out of poverty than any kind of selfish, professional success. Whenever we see Sugar on the pitcher’s mound we feel the weight of his family's expectations on his shoulders.

The film opens in the Dominican Republic at an American baseball training camp where young Dominicans are being groomed for the big leagues. In stark contrast, when the men are on leave in their own neighbourhoods we see the deprived surroundings where their families reside. This juxtaposition shows us that baseball seems to be the only way out, the only other option being to work in sweatshops making T-shirts that will eventually be shipped off to America. These little details emphasise how these players in training are also viewed as products and as the story progresses this becomes more and more evident. Once Sugar makes it to a minor league team in the US the story opens up and his plight becomes more complicated. As well as dealing with conventional pressures in the sports world such as competition and being replaceable, the difficulty of settling into a new environment also becomes an issue.

Sugar begins playing for a minor league team in Iowa and immediately the cultural differences begin to show mainly due to a language barrier. In the earlier scenes we see the players only being taught phrases in English that refer to baseball, at no point do we see them being taught the basics. A lot of humour is derived from this point but never in a condescending manner. The elderly family that Sugar stays with while in Iowa also speak no Spanish. When the matriarch of the house shows Sugar how to use the washing machine, she mistakenly shows him where to put the "soup". When things start looking rocky for Sugar, he fears getting cut from the team; he has no way to express himself and leads to further frustration. He struggles to understand the coach`s Southern drawl and asks him to slow down when he speaks; the coach carries on oblivious to the fact.

All these issues add up to Sugar being disillusioned with his fate. He sees that his moment in the spotlight is over and that fresher stock is being brought in. He sees that he is just another player on a conveyer belt and ultimately runs away to New York to break free from a dream that is perhaps turning into a nightmare.

It is this next section in the film where those expecting a comeback story-sports drama will be disappointed. The story gently treads into a story of the immigrant experience in America as Sugar attempts to find himself and forge a new life for himself much to the protesting of his family back home. There are some touching moments as he connects with a kind Puerto Rican furniture maker who offers him space to practice his hobby of furniture making. In some ways I felt like this last act self-discovery could have been a film on its own and perhaps would have been equally as interesting as the politics of the sports industry. However, this last act delivers a bittersweet end to the journey as Sugar reunites with an old friend from the Dominican who got cut from the team in Iowa and they play Sunday baseball with other players from South America who also almost made it.

Overall Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have delivered a film that exposes the hardship behind the mythology of the pro athlete, the truth behind the finished article. Just like the T-shirts that end up on the shelves of stores, the origins are taken for granted and are not always documented. Making a T-shirt and making the team seem to amount to the same thing - a way out of poverty.

"Sugar" is released in the UK on June 5th 2009.

"Goodbye Solo" Released as Part of Ramin Bahrani Retrospective

2009-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

One of the best films I saw last year was Ramin Bahrani's "Goodbye Solo". The first post of this blog contained my thoughts on this accomplished filmmaker and this excellent film.

"Goodbye Solo"opens in New York this week as part of a retrospective of Bahrani's work at the Museum of Modern Art, then opening wider throughout the US in the next few months.

To find out if the film is showing near you check noruzfilms.com for release dates.

Make sure you catch this beautifully crafted and very moving drama, here's the trailer that conveys the emotion of the film perfectly.

Coppola to Return With "Tetro"

2009-02-26T02:20:00.000-08:00

Francis Ford Coppola is continuing his slate of personal films with "Tetro". The film is described as follows:

TETRO is Francis Ford Coppola's first original screenplay since THE CONVERSATION. It is his most personal film yet, arising from memories and emotions from his early life, though totally fictional. It is the bittersweet story of two brothers, of family lost and found and the conflicts and secrets within a highly creative Argentine-Italian family.

Following 2007's poorly received "Youth Without Youth" it will be interesting to see how this film will be received by audiences. Either way, it is always worth taking a journey with one of the most inventive and talented directors in cinema history. Films believed to be Coppola's worst still have more to offer than most filmmaker's best.

Another quick note on "Tetro" it stars the very talented Vincent Gallo, who himself has been absent as both director and actor for last few years since his critically mauled "The Brown Bunny".

As an extra treat visit the "Tetro" website for a warm video welcome from Coppola himself, hopefully more of these are to follow.

"Tetro" is scheduled for release in the US on June 11th 2009, I eagerly await the trailer.

Unique View: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, David Fincher

2009-02-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

David Fincher’s latest has garnered 13 nominations at the upcoming Oscars but seems to have met quite a mild reception from critics; many have dismissed it as an unimaginative retread of Forrest Gump. This is a bit of a cheap shot in my opinion and any similarities are merely superficial or require a very limited stretch of the imagination. Both films are written by Eric Roth and both span several decades in the life of its central character. For me the similarities stop there.

With ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ Fincher has crafted a fantastical epic meditation on life, death and true love that absorbs us into its world and makes us feel every nuanced moment. As mentioned in a previous blog, the central conceit of the film (a boy born old aging backwards) was always going to be a difficult concept to pull off however Fincher proves himself more than capable of the challenge by creating a beautifully stylised canvas full of authentic detail. Much like the family that adopt the wrinkled baby Benjamin, we accept his plight and feel obliged to care.

The intimacy of the voice-over and the innocence of Benjamin allow us to see the world from a fresh perspective. As he makes observations for the first time, we see them in a new light. His frail condition leaves him trapped in his home craving experience and adventure. It is this sense of isolation that makes him savour every interaction and every story he is told which in turns allows the audience to reflect on the importance certain memories and moments can have in our lives. The final ending montage of all the key people in Benjamin’s life really emphasises this and provides us with this very moving closing thought.

The other moving element the story is the romance between Benjamin and Daisy (played by Cate Blanchett.) Their childhood friendship evolves into powerful eternal love however it takes a tragic and darker turn. Their friendship starts off inappropriately as an old Benjamin wants to be friends with the young Daisy yet it is only in their middle years where they are both around the same age that they find the perfect moment to be together. The dark turn comes when they realise that eventually Benjamin will become a child and that he will be a burden to Daisy. It is then that we are again reminded of the inevitability of death and the sense of loss that comes with it. However, despite the fact that death is a large part of the film, it is very life affirming showing that life can be experienced to its fullest at any point regardless of age.

For Fincher this is a very unique departure. In many ways it is his most restrained film both in regards to tone and visual style. Fincher creates many different layers of experience within this film from its stark blue hues of the present day from which the story is told, to the warm hues of the flashbacks in which most of the story takes place. Add to this little flashes of humour (the scratchy black and white lightning joke sequences) and sequences of pure enchantment and magic. The standout being the clock maker sequence at the start of the film that sets the fantastical style of the film yet imbues the film with an emotional truth. It is this truth at the core at the film that ultimately makes as accept what is to follow; never is there a moment in the film that feels manufactured or placed just for effect.

Speaking of effects, much has been said of the ground breaking visual effects that have allowed Brad Pitt to be transformed into the various guises of Benjamin Button. Many have found them to be distracting and pulled people out of the film. In my opinion the effects work in perfect harmony with the curious nature of the story; the marvel is not the special effects that catch the attention but the condition of Benjamin at each point in his life, particularly in the aged child sequences. Much like the film, Benjamin Button is an intriguing sight to behold.

Overall Fincher has made a highly inventive transition into a different genre. His signature darkness is absent but his obsessive attention to detail and authenticity definitely is not. Every time I have seen a Fincher film I find myself wondering what he will do next, where does one go after a film like ‘Se7en’ or ‘Fight Club?’ ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ broadens Fincher’s horizons even further and I ask myself once again ‘What will he do next?’

Most Anticipated Films of 2009 Update: "Sugar" Trailer Online

2009-02-01T11:12:00.001-08:00

The trailer for Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden's latest film "Sugar" is finally online and I've posted it below. The trailer emphasises a lot of the baseball action, hopefully the film will be a bit more than that. I expect the film to be an interesting character drama about the fortunes and misfortunes of immigrant players struggling to assimilate to American life while trying to achieve a better way of life in the competetive realm of baseball.

The film is scheduled for release on April 3rd in the U.S. and June 5th in the U.K.

The Other "Road" Movie: "Reservation Road",Terry George. 2007.

2009-01-27T01:27:00.000-08:00

The release of "Revolutionary Road" reminded me of a film with a very similar title that never quite made an impact at the awards or on the public consciousness. The film in question is "Reservation Road", directed by Terry George featuring an impressive cast including Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly and Mira Sorvino. I remember seeing the trailer and expecting the film to make some sort of impact, the credentials and origins (a best-selling and critically acclaimed novel by John Burnham Schwartz) made it the kind of film that would attract a few awards come Oscar season. This was not meant to be however as the film sank without a trace in the US and went straight to DVD in the UK.

After viewing "Reservation Road" I couldn't quite pinpoint where it all went wrong. What I found was a very well constructed and moving drama. The film tells the story of two fathers whose lives are affected by a tragic accident. Joaquin Phoenix plays devoted father Ethan Learner. Mark Ruffalo on the other hand plays Dwight Arno, a divorced father who struggles to be a good father to his son. The lives of the two men tragically intercept after Arno kills Learners son in a hit and run accident. What ensues is an emotionally grueling story of fear, guilt and grief as the two men try to keep themselves and their families together.

"Reservation Road" is a very brave film which creates an uncompromising sense of loss. Every scene with the Learners provides a deepens our understanding of grief and how it manifests itself in different ways. While the mother is emotionally distant, the daughter of the family (played wonderfully by Elle Fanning) finds a sense of purpose in her life and the notion of death gives her a hunger for knowledge and experience. Harder to understand and more difficult to pinpoint is Ethan's grieving process. There is a sense of absence about him, a part of him has clearly died, his passion for life is extinguished and for all his attempts to find his son's killer there is a sense that he will never be at peace or reconciled. The sense of powerlessness, that awareness of mortality, courses through Ethan as he knows that nothing will ever bring his son back. Joaquin Phoenix internalises these conflicts and they simmer away until the extreme and inevitable finale.

The Learners' sense of frustration and loss is heightened through Arno's cowardice, initially we see a man desperate to protect him self from the consequences of his actions. However the motivations of his actions are slowly made clear and it is credit to the strength of the story that we are encouraged to empathise with Arno. Through many awkward but touching scenes of Arno trying to connect with his son we realise that he is not a coward but another father afraid to lose his son, confessing to the crime will inevitably result in his imprisonment.

The two fathers provide the perfect foils for this powerful drama; perhaps the set up was too convenient for some. A few plot turns in particular may seem too coincidental, but these coincidences add to the sense of the cruel fatalism that puts the characters into such a painful predicament. The unfortunate incident shatters through the idyllic picture postcard Connecticut; the very same setting of the well publicised and widely released "Revolutionary Road".

With all these merits I'm still not sure why "Reservation Road" failed to make an impact where similar and lesser films such as "Crash" (Paul Haggis),"Babel" and "21 Grams" have.

Disobeying the Code of the Genre: "Gomorrah"-Matteo Garrone

2009-01-19T02:09:00.000-08:00

A great disappointment last week as “Gomorrah” was eliminated from the Oscar race for best foreign film. The fact that it forgoes the glamour and hero worship we have come to expect from the gangster genre may have something to do with it.

The opening scene serves as a statement of intent for the film’s clear departure from established gangster film conventions, as a group of preening rival gangsters receiving manicures and sun tan sessions are brutally murdered-the myth of the gangster is shattered right there.

Another departure comes in the way of the film’s visual style. The kinetics of Scorsese or the operatics of Coppola are exchanged for a gritty neo-realist approach. This lack of glamour is ironically poked fun at through two “Scarface” obsessed young pretenders Marco and Ciro. The reckless pair, in their pursuit for power and wealth a la Tony Montana, cross the powers that be through their unapproved criminal acts and their disrespectful behaviour. In one scene they mock the slobbish appearance of one of the may unkempt dons and literally pint out the lack of glamour. A loose and fluid camera gives us a voyeuristic view into the complex details of the various organisations leaving us to weave together the connections with the different characters and the consequences of their actions.

In this film, crime seems to seep through every facet of life in the town of Camorra. As the film uniquely follows several different story strands that show different facets of organised crime, from the foot soldiers, to young errand boys, illegal waste disposal to the counterfeit fashion trade. No part of life seems to be free of the clutches of organised crime.

The film should be respected for its matter of fact approach. It depicts such an absorbing world of deprivation and poverty that criminality appears to be an inevitable part of life. Loyalty to the Camorra clan is rewarded with protection, power and of course money; disloyalty only leads to death. This is so clearly evidenced when a resident’s son pledges allegiance to a rival clan. Very quickly her funds are cut off and ultimately she is assassinated following a shooting which she is held accountable for.

It is very refreshing to see a gangster film that has deviated from usual narrative structure and its visual style. Usually the set-up of “Goodfellas” serves as a template for most contemporary gangster films. “City of God”, “The Business” and the recent South African film “Jerusalema” come to mind. The set-up being, we start in the middle of the story then flashback to the start and chart the rise of our protagonist, then we wait for the police to close in. In “Gomorrah” we coldly observe the casual actions and are subtly shown difficult choices being made and by the end of the film the law never closes in. Through the use of title cards, we are informed and reminded of the devastating and far reaching effects of the Camorra clan and its power throughout the world.

Not exactly the kind of ending or easy moralisation that usually attracts Oscars but definitely the kind that provokes thought.

Wrestling Against Solitude: “The Wrestler”, Darren Aronofsky

2009-01-12T02:54:00.000-08:00

Darren Aronofsky is usually noted for having a very kinetic and visceral visual style, it is for this reason that “The Wrestler” has been perceived to be a smaller film in comparison to his previous work. Smaller in scale perhaps, but in no way is it a minor work. The human drama at the core of this story is told with a great combination of flair and a deft touch.

Seeking redemption in the ring.

The movie tells the story of an eighties wrestling superstar Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) and his fall from grace. The story picks up over twenty years later to reveal an aged and struggling Randy, living in a trailer park trying to pick up the pieces of his isolated existence. His only interactions are reduced to his fellow wrestlers, his vindictive and patronising boss from his supermarket day job and a stripper (excellently played by Marisa Tomei). For the duration of the film we observe Randy desperately clinging on to the shreds of the past and reconcile his failings as a father by trying to re-unite with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

Though quite conventional on the surface, the film brilliantly portrays life on the margins of American society of working people trying to grab at their share of the American dream and it delves deep into the nature of identity and the personas we have to inhibit in order to get through life. The parallels between Randy and Cassidy are very eloquently brought to our attention. Both are perceived to be too old for their chosen professions and both struggle to find a happy medium between their life as performers and as ordinary people.

The mundanity of ordinary life versus the heightened reality of the wrestling ring is an important theme of the film. Randy clearly feels that he cannot find a place in the world outside of the ring. He has nothing outside of it and therefore has found a surrogate family with his fellow wrestlers and devoted fans. Randy the Ram has a destructive urge and it seems that it is only when he is being punished in the ring does he feel most alive. We are cruelly reminded of this when he deliberately inflicts pain on himself while working on the meat counter at his day job at a local supermarket. The anonymity of blue collar working life seems too difficult to tolerate for someone who once had it all.

Aronofsky expertly visualises this conflict of wrestling and real life by deploying different visual approaches. Randy’s life outside of wrestling is filmed in a loose, objective documentary style. The camera is distant and very mobile as it follows Randy walking around his trailer, spending time in a strip club or at work. In stark contrast, the wrestling scenes are shot with such energy with a very invasive camera style that we are brought right into the action. The sound is heightened and every blow and breath is heard and felt.

Every detail of the hardcore wrestling scene is shown to the audience in all it’s brutality. In one standout sequence, we are shown the aftermath of a cage match. Randy is sitting in a high school locker room shaking in his seat; we cut back to the match and see Randy being stapled repeatedly, covered in blood. The extent of the violence is brutal and just shows how far Randy will go, not just to make a living, but also to hold on to the past and stay in the spotlight. Without that he is alone.

The key talking point of this film has been Mickey Rourke. This isn’t the first time people have talked about a comeback. After his performance as Marv in “Sin City”, people expected Rourke to make a return to more prominent roles. That didn’t quite happen, until now it seems.

As you may have heard, the character of Randy the Ram has many similarities with the life and career of Mickey Rourke. He was born to play this role. It may seem like hyperbole, but Rourke has the physicality and the heartache to bring the required pathos to this role. Randy’s pain feels so genuine that it is at times harder to watch than some of violent wrestling seems. Scene after scene we see a man’s heart break, his loneliness and inability to change keeps him on the inevitable path to self-destruction. Mickey Rourke should be commended for his bravery in confronting the demons of his past and channeling them into this phenomenal performance. This time his comeback is undeniable.

The tag team of Aronofksy and Rourke has delivered one of the most memorable and genuinely emotional films in a long time. This film deserves the praise it has received and will hopefully silence all naysayers who were so quick to criticise Aronofsky following his ambitious previous outing "The Fountain".

"Two Lovers" and One Complex Man

2009-01-08T01:42:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to catch a preview of James Gray's upcoming film "Two Lovers" at the Prince Charles Cinema in London. As mentioned in my most anticipated films posting the film marks a departure in genre from Gray's previous efforts so I was very interested to see what a romantic drama by James Gray would be like.

Though marketed as a love triangle story, the film is so much more than that, the film is a very finely executed character drama that centres around a heartbroken young man called Leonard, who lives with his parents in New York's Brighton Beach following an unfortunate break-up with his fiancé. Leonard's parents sense that he has some problems and try to set him up with the daughter of a future business partner, the good family girl Sandra. Leonard awkwardly charms her and she is clearly drawn to his playful childlike nature. Things get complicated when Leonard meets the confident and enigmatic Michelle. Leonard falls for her instantly and his attraction quickly turns to infatuation.

As expected, Gray takes this very simple set-up and creates a very rich story with nuanced characters that represent the different pressures in Leonard's life. The subtlety of the script is so beautifully evoked by great performances from the ensemble cast which includes Isabella Rossellini, Moni Moshonov and Elias Koteas.

Jaoquin Phoenix delivers the most authentic performance of his career and in recent years. He plays Leonard with such a range of mannerisms and such subtle changes of expression that the viewer can feel all that he has gone before the point at which the story begins. There is very much unpredictability to the way Leonard behaves which gives the film an air of spontaneity and realism which is very reminiscent of the style of John Cassavetes. Leonard is a character of true depth and complexity, a modern day Benjamin Braddock, without the privileged background. We feel for his predicament because he is not playing these women but succumbing to the conflict of either making himself or his family happy. At the close of the film when Leonard tells Sandra that he is crying because he is happy, she is convinced but I don’t think Leonard is.

It is a credit to Gray for creating characters of great depth; Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw create very captivating portrayals of two very complicated and strong women. Michelle (Paltrow) is likeable yet has an air of superiority and we ultimately realise that she is just using Leonard as a shoulder to cry on. Vinessa Shaw elevates what could have been a plum role of the girl next door into a character that is intelligent and sees something special in Leonard. The fact that the audience empathises with Sandra so much elevates the painfully melancholic finale.

James Gray has created a very rare piece of contemporary American film; a very mature drama that is steeped more in the European tradition of relationship dramas. Typically of Gray there are no gimmicks, he is happy to let the subtlety of the performances and his classical approach tell the story and create moments of genuine tension (the New Year's Eve Party is a great example of this).

As mentioned before, Gray manages to elevate genre material beyond their surface. In the case of "Two Lovers" the differences to his earlier works are only superficial, the lack of a crime story is obviously evident, however the theme of family loyalty and trying to escape the limited opportunity that this can sometimes result in is definitely here. Perhaps Leonard's longing for Michelle is not just desire but also a chance to escape the aforementioned confines of his mundane life.

"Two Lovers" is inappropriately released for Valentines Day weekend in the US and on the 27th March 2009 in the UK. Make sure you see it, here's the trailer:

Unique View: "Trouble the Water"- Tia Lessin & Carl Deal.

2008-12-30T03:06:00.000-08:00

Trouble the Water is a visceral account of 2005`s Hurricane Katrina with the unique perspective of being brought primarily to the screen by the camcorder footage of a New Orleans couple, Kimberly and Scott Roberts, who survived the floods after the levees broke.

It should come as no surprise that the Roberts are such determined survivors. It is clear by their surroundings and way of life before Katrina, that they have had to survive their whole lives due to neglect by the authorities and the government alike. Kimberly mentions that her parents were both drug addicts. She has obviously had to fend for herself and due to lack of opportunity became a drug dealer.

In a moment of hopelessness, when it becomes clear that the Government will again fail them in their time of need; Scott`s brother Larry stands almost neck deep in water as he tries to rescue people as they drift past. A true act of bravery, especially when the filmmakers bring to our attention the fact that police and rescue services are waiting for the weather to settle before they attempt to rescue anyone. Larry meanwhile uses an old punching bag for buoyancy.

It is only after the devastation that they begin to articulate their distrust and disappointment with the government. The Robertson`s begin to question the validity of the war effort in Iraq in a scene where they tell soldiers that they are needed in New Orleans and will hopefully not be sent to Iraq. They belittle George W. Bush by flippantly refusing to recognise any form of leadership on his part and finally after an arduous wait for compensation FEMA, they lose all faith in their own home town which manifests itself in a moment where their water is cruelly turned on and off for them within a matter of minutes.

The film is a powerful reminder of what will be the legacy of George Bush and the continual reminder of the dark side of the American Dream. The fallout of Katrina led to many criticising the US government of being racist and that perhaps they could have dealt with the situation a lot more efficiently had the majority of population of New Orleans been white. The film does not directly address that debate however it effectively shows that the Government does not care about its poor. When news breaks of Katrina, the Roberts family do not leave because they do not have a vehicle. The authorities at the time did not include any public transportation into their evacuation plan. What choice does this leave people on low incomes?

During Katrina the world was shocked by images of hordes of people flocking to the notorious ``Terrordome`` and how the world`s richest and most powerful nation let down its own people. The people in this film testify to this `Third World` treatment. The powerful juxtaposition of news footage and the filmmakers' footage gets beyond the faceless hordes and shows us real desperate victims of a tragedy without reducing them to sound bites.

One of the main failures of the US Government that the film highlights is it`s complete inability to empathise or assist its citizens when they are in need. The dehumanised patter of operator lines, government personnel and soldiers suggests a reluctance to carry their duty. Never is this clearer than when Scott Roberts recounts the moment when, in the hope of refuge in a nearby disused naval base with room for up to two hundred families, many survivors were denied shelter by a group of armed soldiers who loaded their weapons and threatened to open fire on them. These soldiers were later commended for carrying out their duty and protecting government property.

In contrast to this, the powerful humanity of the Roberts family and that of fellow survivors really shines through. They almost experience a rebirth following these events that have literally washed away their pasts. Pledging to end the wrongdoings of their past (drug dealing and petty theft) they return to New Orleans to start a new and honest life where they hope to give back to the community.

In the closing moments of the film, we discover that Scott is literally rebuilding New Orleans by working as a carpenter and Kimberly is concentrating on her music career as well as being an activist for the victims of Katrina. After a lifetime of neglect the Roberts family are now determined to have their voices heard.

A Real Hero-Larry carries a child to safety as he is captured on Kimberly's Hi8 camera.

Most Anticipated Films of 2009

2008-12-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

“Sugar”, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

Following their excellent debut “Half-Nelson”, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck present a story about a Dominican baseball player trying to adjust to life in America. This looks to be a very touching portrait of immigrant life told from a different perspective. Boden and Fleck's ability to play with genre expectations, in this case the sports movie, should make for a very intriguing viewing experience.

“Ballast”, Lance Hammer

This film has been universally praised by all who have seen it. I missed this one at the London Film Festival but I will definitely catch it when it opens. The trailer for this film looks beautiful. I have very high hopes for this lyrical film about a tragic event that connects three people’s lives around the visually stunning Mississippi delta. Despite getting picked up by IFC films, director Lance Hammer opted to distribute the film himself a very brave and pioneering approach. You can read more about it here.

“The Wrestler”, Darren Aronofsky

One of most inventive and unique American directors to emerge in recent years. “The Fountain” was greeted with mixed reviews but no one can knock the scale of that film's ambition. "The Wrestler" displays an interesting departure for Darren Aronofsky; he appears to have stripped down his bombastic visual style in exchange for a more gritty and naturalistic approach to tell this very moving human drama. This approach seems to have paid off making “The Wrestler” one of the most lauded films of the year.

“The Class”, Laurent Cantet

Cantet’s Palme D’Or winning drama set in a culturally diverse school in Paris should provide an authentic insight into the challenges of the state school system. In the same way that Cantet’s “Human Resources” told a complex story of unions and workers in a deceptively simple and powerful way, I expect that “The Class” will deliver more of the same. The microcosm of dysfunctional classrooms are familiar cinematic territory, however the stories are usually told with clichéd characters and predictable story arcs. The improvisational nature of this production, use of non-actors and an experienced teacher as the lead (and originator of the story) should definitely offer up something very different.

“The Tree of Life”, Terrence Malick

As expected from a project by Terrence Malick, this film is shrouded in mystery. Here’s a very vague synopsis courtesy of imdb: “The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence”. The film stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. That’s all I have to go on. But with a title like “Tree of Life” this could be an amazing spiritual journey from the master of sublime visuals and lyrical exploration of the human soul. Only time will tell what Malick has in store.

“Two Lovers”, James Gray

After his first three crime dramas (“Little Odessa”, “The Yards” and “We Own the Night”), Gray has made this brooding romantic drama starring regular collaborator Joaquin Phoenix. As the title suggests, "Two Lovers" centres around a man torn between two women - a family friend his parents would love him to marry and his new neighbour. Not the most original concept on paper, but Gray has shown the ability to delve beneath the surface and root out the complexities of male behaviour, family loyalty and the difficulty of making the right choice. With his sensibilities rooted in the great tradition of the new Hollywood of the seventies here’s hoping Gray will serve up a drama in the tradition of John Cassavetes’ unique and challenging “Minnie and Moskowitz”.

"Milk"- A Biopic For Change

2008-12-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

The biopic is a genre that isn’t always the most inspiring. In recent years it has been reduced to a vehicle for Oscar baiting actors who are rewarded more for their impersonation skills than any true measure of acting ability. Films such as “Ray”, “Ali” and “Walk the Line” spring to mind. All three were proficiently made films that almost functioned as facsimiles of already very well documented lives very often to their detriment. Parts of Michael Mann’s “Ali” almost seemed redundant since the excellent “When We Were Kings” had re-entered Muhammad Ali’s life into the public consciousness just a few years before.

Breathing a little bit of new life into the genre is Gus Van Sant’s latest “Milk”. The film tells the story of gay activist Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected official and his assassination by fellow San Francisco Supervisor Dan White.

Harvey Milk is portrayed by Sean Penn, who almost disappears into the role and delivers an energetic performance that conveys the charisma that enabled Milk to lead many people to stand up for their cause.

Where the film distinguishes itself from other biopics is the fact that it is narrated by the protagonist. Van Sant uses the device of Milk recording his thoughts and memoirs, in the event of an assassination, to hold the story together and this works very effectively as the audience and Milk are given a chance to reflect and take in the magnitude his achievements.

Stylistically the film creates a richly coloured rendition of the Seventies. Cinematographer Harris Savides has already earned his Seventies stripes with previous efforts on “Zodiac” and “American Gangster” but here he conjures up a more vibrant and colourful depiction of the time. There is also some experimentation with different film stocks, or at least the effect of different stocks, as the film has grainy Super8, black and white and 16mm news style footage.

All of this absorbs the viewer into the time period. It also creates a seamless blend between actual archive footage and the fictionalised account, which removes the facsimile effect I mentioned above to create a very involving experience across a vast canvas.

It’s fair to say that this is possibly the biggest scale film Van Sant has made and he has made the transition effortlessly. The film has an excellent attention to detail in terms of production design and solid performances from its large ensemble cast. The film is expected to garner a lot of attention come Oscar season and will do so for the all the right reasons.

"Milk" marks out an attempt to document and immortalise a person who is from a marginal world, one that the media is not always willing to champion and it does so in an honest way. Will the upcoming biopic "Notorious" (about the life of rapper Notorious B.I.G) live up to the same standard or just smooth over the cracks?

“Milk” is released in the UK on 23rd January 2009.

Sean Penn stands triumphant as Harvey Milk

Unique View: "Three Monkeys" Nuri Bilge Ceylan

2008-12-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

It was a full house at the Rio cinema in Dalston this Thursday. The audience eagerly awaited the start of Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest effort “Üç Maymun” (Three Monkeys) and after a twenty minute delay we were plunged into darkness.

The film opens on the tired, possibly drunk looking face of Servet as he drives down a dark isolated road. The car disappears into the darkness and we hear a screech and a collision. The screen is black; Servet runs across the screen and hides out of view. The headlights of an approaching car slowly illuminate a body in the middle of the road. The car then drives off.

Following this hit and run, we discover that Servet is a local politician who cannot allow this incident to blemish his public image so close to election time. He gets his loyal and subservient driver, Eyϋp, to take the blame and serve the sentence in exchange for a large payout upon his release. Thinking that his sacrifice will help his wife and teenage son, Eyϋp’s absence seems only to accelerate an already unravelling family life. His wife, Hacer, spends her time staring blankly at the television, working her menial job and worrying about her aimless son İsmail.

It is this hopelessness and desperation in their lives that leads to some complicated events that will strain their relationships forever. It is these events, the things that Eyϋp doesn’t see and hear while he’s locked up, that eat away at him and his family which leads to a sad and solemn compromise of an honest man’s morality.

I’ve tried to keep the plot details as vague as possible. The mastery of this film is the way Ceylan slowly reveals information about the characters and their pasts. Many scenes build from slight details to deeper revelations. Not only do these revelations progress the plot but they also give the viewer deeper understanding of the status of their relationships to each other and the world they inhabit.

A few examples include a scene where, after watching Servet talk on the phone for a couple of minutes, a cut to a reverse shot reveals that Hacer was sitting at opposite him the whole time. It shows Servet’s social standing. He chooses when he is spoken to.

Another example is a heartbreaking scene between İsmail and Hacer. Hacer is asleep in front of the TV when İsmail’s bandaged hand opens the front door. After he enters his room, Hacer slowly wakes up and sees a drop of blood on the floor. She walks over to his bedroom door and opens it to reveal İsmail’s bloody and battered face. He gives her the most melancholic smile and instantly you see a mother’s heartbreak and the generational divide of mother and son is beautifully illustrated.

The story of this film is told effectively through its strong visual style. Ceylan has taken a more stylised approach with the look of this film than his previous work. The colour palette is more expressionistic with its high contrast photography and green hues. This stylisation absorbs us into the world of the characters and creates a malleable reality that shifts between the sublime, the surreal and the imaginary, further elevating the viewer’s awareness of the character’s psychological state.

The effective choice of locations and compositions illustrates a world where the characters are trapped or have barriers that restrict them from expressing themselves so that they can find peace in their lives. This makes for a very moving story of working people trying to rise above their lot in life in a world which favours those with plenty.

Overall another excellent piece of cinema that further cements Ceylan’s reputation of being a master storyteller, there are very few others who can express the inner nuances and themes of their films with such an expressive visual style.

"Three Monkeys" is released in the UK on 13th February 2009 so be sure to see it.

Ahmet Rıfat Şungar as İsmail visits his father in prison.

Where Salvatore Stabile Left His Films

2008-12-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

About ten years ago a film called “Gravesend” caught my attention. This was a low budget film from America that had a hint of Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” about it. The main thing that drew me to it was the fact that it was directed by a 19 year old filmmaker called Salvatore Stabile. This was quite an exciting achievement and a very rare one to boot. The fact that this young guy had made a feature, got it released and got Oliver Stone to put his name to it was very inspiring to me as a 17 year old fledgling filmmaker.

“Gravesend” is very much a great starting block by a very young feature film director. I remember reading a quote on the poster that said “…a red hot calling card from a scorching new talent...” (Who doesn’t want that said about their first movie?) It was a gritty slice of life which told the tale of four friends who get into a tough situation after one of them accidentally shoots and kills his friend’s brother. This predicament tests the loyalties of the group and leads to a tragic finale.

The story was told in a dynamic and immediate way that engrossed the viewer into the world of the characters and their situation. Stabile’s ability exceeded the limitations of his budget (a reported $5000) and definitely peaked my interest to see what he would do next.

After spending the last decade directing episodes of “The Sopranos” and other US television shows, Stabile has resurfaced with his second feature “Where God Left His Shoes”. A story about a newly evicted New York family, who after spending some hard months in a homeless shelter, have a chance at getting a new apartment on the proviso that the Father of the family (John Leguizamo) can get a job before Christmas Eve in order to qualify.

Here’s the trailer:

Apart from the slightly sentimental music in the trailer, this looks like a solid social drama. Stabile has stated that this film was very much influenced by Italian neo-realist cinema; the story itself echoes the predicament of Vittorio De Sica’s landmark film “Bicycle Thief” but also I think the film will be a credible attempt at raising awareness about homelessness as well as being a very moving family drama. The fact that the film focuses on an average family also offers a fresh perspective on the issue of homelessness.

It's good to see a promising filmmaker make a return to the fold. I just hope “Primer” director Shane Carruth doesn’t wait as long as Stabile did.

Curious Concept of Benjamin Button

2008-12-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

One of the more intriguing films to be released in the run up to 2009 is David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. The film looks set to be a magical tale of the life of a man who ages in reverse. Some might argue that it’s a difficult trick to pull off, but those familiar with Fincher and his body of work will know that he is a filmmaker that clearly lives for the challenge.

Often compared to the late great Stanley Kubrick, it seems Fincher’s perfectionism and meticulous eye for detail hasn’t failed him yet. If in doubt, refer back to last year’s “Zodiac”, “Fight Club” or “Se7en”. Even his so-called “lesser” works (“Panic Room” and “The Game”) really expose how pedestrian most contemporary thriller directors actually are.

In “Benjamin Button”, Fincher has created a lush and romantic atmosphere for this film, the set design and photography are beautifully crafted to depict the passing of many decades and ultimately engross the viewer into this fantasy tale.

To further carry off the film’s central idea, the Benjamin Button website has a timeline with images from the 20th century in each image Brad Pitt (as an old Button in a wheelchair) is hidden somewhere in the image (see below).

An inventive piece of marketing.

14th London Turkish Film Festival 2008

2008-12-06T09:40:00.000-08:00

This year will be the first time I attend the London Turkish Film Festival. There seems to be an interesting array of the latest cinematic offerings from Turkey, covering themes such as family values, life in small villages and, of course, Turkey coming to terms with being caught between East and West and tradition and modernity.

A few that have caught my attention are “Ara” (The Space Between), “Sonbahar” (Autumn), “Gitmek” (My Marlon and Brando) and British director Ben Hopkin’s “Pazar”(The Market).

“Ara” is a single location drama that spans ten years and follows modern Istanbul couples who originate from the small towns of Turkey. This film has the potential to play out as an interesting allegory for the state of contemporary Turkey, as the couples get to grips with their current lifestyles at the expense of their roots. I wonder if this film will convey this theme with the same powerful subtlety as Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “Uzak”.

"Son Bahar"(Autumn) subtly calls into question the oppressive actions of the Turkish government throughout the eighties and nineties, as it tells the tale of an anti-government activist, Yusuf, who returns to his childhood home after ten years in prison. This made me recall the great Turkish director Yilmaz Guney’s turbulent life and the many times he was incarcerated for “anti-government” activity.

This looks set to be a powerful character drama about a man coming to terms with the loss of his idealism in a world that has eluded him and left him behind. The film’s trailer shows some very beautiful photography that echoes Yusuf’s inner turmoil. Looking forward to this one.

The oddly and intriguingly translated “My Marlon and Brando” or “Gitmek” (Which means “To Go” in Turkish), this film came to my attention after its director, Huseyin Karabey, received the Best New Narrative Filmmaker award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

This film is, I think, a dramatisation of the true story of a Turkish actresses’ love for an Iraqi actor and her journey to find him in Northern Iraq. Shot on location in Turkey, Iran and Iraq with a rough video aesthetic, it reminds me of Michael Winterbottom’s excellent “In This World”. With it’s documentary approach, touches of humour and the backdrop of the war on Iraq, I expect “Gitmek” to be a powerfully and involving love story.

Ben Hopkins is a filmmaker that intrigues me very much. I remember seeing his magical low budget masterpiece “The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz” at the BFI about six years ago. It made a great impression on me as it was inspiring to see a film with so much invention, an immense artistic sense mixed in with some spot on social comment. I remember being very pleased when Hopkins won the Evening Standard British Film Award. It was great that such a marginal film was given some sort of wider recognition.

Since then I’ve always had Hopkins in the back of my mind waiting for his next offering. It seems he’s been spending some time in Turkey. I regret missing his film “37 Uses of a Dead Sheep”, but I am very much on the case of trying to track it down. All I know of “37 Uses” is that he spent time making a documentary with a Nomadic tribe who have settled in Turkey about their history and way of life using different film styles.

Hopkins' latest film “Pazar” follows a black market trader, who is hoping to change his life with a get-rich-quick scheme that involves him delivering some dodgy goods across the Balkans. The film appears to have some surreal touches and some wry humour that I would expect from Hopkins. “Pazar” is a very interesting looking film from a very interesting filmmaker.

The London Turkish Film Festival is running until December 18th 2008. For trailers and booking information click here.

Just a quick note, I experienced bitter disappointment at this year’s London Film Festival when I couldn’t get my hands on a ticket for Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “Uç Maymun” (Three Monkeys). Fortunately, it’s playing as part of this festival and I have a ticket!

I’ve been eager to catch this film since it debuted at Cannes earlier this year. The photography of this film looks phenomenal; Ceylan has created an interesting mix of his usual dramatic skies with some more expressionistic visuals. From a storytelling point of view, Ceylan appears to have raised his game even further by adding a genre element to his powerful character pieces. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

A brooding image from Ceylan's "Three Monkeys".

Prince of Broadway

2008-12-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

This looks interesting. Found the trailer while online. You can watch it below. A movie called "The Prince of Broadway". I haven't seen this movie yet, but it very much appeals to me.

The film focuses on a New York street hustler called Lucky who sells knock-off goods around Broadway with the help of his friend Levon. Things get complicated for Lucky when he is left to care for a child a woman claims is his. He reluctantly takes on this responsibility and tries to scrape together a living at the same time.

A great setup. "The Prince of Broadway" calls to mind John Cassavetes' "Gloria"; not only does it have the similar theme of reluctant parental responsibility, but also the film feels like it was made in the same spirit of the late Cassavetes film with its use of location shooting, gritty guerrilla aesthetics and authentic characterizations.

The film is directed by Sean Baker. He made a film called "Take Out", a story of a Chinese immigrant working as a deliveryman for a Chinese take-out shop in New York City, he has a day to pay off a debt to his smugglers. A friend of mine saw this in New York and recommended it highly. I have not seen either of Baker's films but eagerly anticipate discovering the promise of these two contemporary social-realist films.

A quick note: It's great to see some real independent films emerging with some unique stories to tell. There seems to be an interesting crop of new independent filmmakers emerging from the States such as Ilya Chaiken with "Liberty Kid", Ramin Bahrani with "Goodbye Solo", Barry Jenkins with "Medicine for Melancholy" (which I am yet to but am very excited about) and others that I will discuss throughout this blog.

Here's the trailer for "The Prince of Broadway":

2008 Spirit Award - Ramin Bahrani - Acura "Someone to Watch" Award for "Chop Shop"

2008-12-04T04:24:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Ramin Bahrani receiving an award for his excellent film "Chop Shop". He's definitely one of the most interesting directors to emerge from the States in recent years. His work so far has been very emotive in it's portrayal of people with very little trying to make a better life for themselves in contemporary America.

I recently saw his latest film "Goodbye Solo" at the 2008 London Film Festival, which I found to be a perfection of his style the perfect combination of social realism and meditative visual poetry (especially the ending).

The film tells the story of a Senegalese cab driver, Solo, who befriends his 70 year old suicidal passenger William. Much to William's annoyance, Solo makes himself a part of William's life and tries to show him that life is worth living. The dynamics between this odd couple make for a very tense, often humorous and ultimately very gratifying cinematic experience.

"Goodbye Solo" will be released in Spring 2009 by Axiom films (the good people who brought us "Half Nelson" last year), I urge you to go and see it. Ramin Bahrani has a very unique voice and with "Goodbye Solo" he provides another great example of what character driven human drama can be.

Ultimately a very pure piece of independent cinema.

If you haven't seen any of Bahrani's work be sure to catch both "Chop Shop" and "Man Push Cart" and for more info visit www.noruzfilms.com .