The David Fincher Films Ranked: 5 – 1

Let me quickly say before you scroll off into the ranked David Fincher wilderness, the top five as the final results were counted was so, so close, the order of the final list could have been a little different very easily. I suspect there will be equal measures of jubilation and heartbreak here. Without further ado, here are the big five:

5) Fight Club

It’s arguable that this is the broiest of bro movies, and that it’s a requisite to see this when you’re in college and make it your new mission to be like Tyler Durden. But even though it is a bro movie, anyone can enjoy it and not be a douche for liking it. Putting its reputation aside, it’s a great movie because Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto, and Brad Pitt are awesome in it, it’s got a fun story about people fighting to make themselves feel better, and lastly, because it does a great job with its social commentary about the “buy culture” of Americans, and about how consumerism is bad. I also like it because it plays with our expectations and understandings about what’s really going on in the movie, and it has one of the best twists ever put to screen. – – – by Al

4) The Social Network

When it was announced that Columbia would be making a film based on Facebook, the reaction was what our collective reaction was to Sony developing an animated movie based on emojis. And then we’re treated to the film’s opening scene where, right out of the gate, we’re bearing witness to something special: Mark Zuckerberg (A terrific Jesse Eisenberg) gets dumped by Eric Albright (Rooney Mara), calling him an asshole on the way out. Fueled by social rejection, he does what any pissed off, privileged little shit would do – call his date a bitch on Live Journal who’s trying to hide her small tits, then hack into Harvard’s database and create a website based on how attractive or unattractive the female population is!

Okay, so any asshole could probably do that nowadays, but Fincher and his crew capture the act of a social movement being born, ironically enough, from someone who doesn’t know how to be social in real life. From there, it’s a tale worthy of a Greek tragedy – genius, betrayal, money and hubris, all set to an icy-cool score from Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, and the dark irony/satire both its director and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin are highlighting: a generation of users hiding behind seemingly perfect identities to hide who and what we really are, hoping to reach out and feel as if we’re not alone. – – – by Jonathan

3) Zodiac

As unorthodox a serial killer movie as you might get perhaps, drawn out, the culprit never caught, and yet ticks all the familiar boxes of the thrillers we used to love. Going back to the 1970s on many levels, the film depicts, but also feels like the era through it’s production – hailing back to some of those classic movies of the time. Zodiac is enduring, but not too long. Grounded, balanced, but never dull. Many consider it Fincher’s finest film, given the immaculate framing, intricate story-telling, and fine-tuned, authentic performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. in particular.  – – – by Robin

2) Gone Girl

When I spoke to Carrie Coon last year I made a joke that I thought The Leftovers was a documentary about the absence of the movie Gone Girl come those Academy Award nominations. The actress laughed, but the actuality of just a single nod for Gone Girl was appalling. There were no acting nods for Coon, Kim Dickens, Ben Affleck, though not really in the running they were viable options. Seemingly on good terms with the Oscars folk, David Fincher’s huge hit was nowhere to be seen in the Best Picture it Best Director lists. Fincher’s masterly handling of the material,  shadows and lights, framing and cuts, is some of the best of his career.

With consecutive Oscar nominations under Fincher for The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth should also get credit for menacing, beautiful images throughout the picture. Winning Oscars for those last two films, Kirk Baxter returns (without Angus Wall) to demonstrate yet another ensemble of stunning transitions in his editing. Nothing for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, once again breaking ground with an uncompromising music score.

There are, of course, two incredible women instrumental to Gone Girl’s allure and impact. Author of the book Gillian Flynn writes a screenplay so assured you’d think she’d been in the movie business for years. Flynn’s snub for Adapted Screenplay probably hurt us the most. And then astonishing Rosamund Pike, she was the film’s sole representative at the Academy Awards, and should have won Best Actress in my view. Her Amy is indeed amazing on screen through that illusive, bold performance from Pike, packing a punch so hard it’s hard to forget. Nor do I intend to. – – – by Robin

1) Seven

Se7en is one of the films that made me love cinema the way I do today, and the person responsible for that is its director, David Fincher. Coming from “hell” after the Alien 3 controversy, Fincher decided to create his own version of “hell”, aided by Andrew Kevin Walker’s script revolving on a serial killer that uses the 7 deadly sins as guide for the murders. Two detectives, veteran William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and young David Mills (Brad Pitt), oversee stopping this monster from getting any further with his list; we watch as these two very different people deal with their personal and work struggles and how they try to get along so the case can be solved, but unfortunately to them, this is no ordinary case.

Youcan feel this from the beginning: all the never-ending rain, the hideous urban sounds, plus the filmic elements like the tones of gray photography by Darius Khondji and the heart-pounding score by Howard Shore, Fincher couldn’t have created a better version of hell on Earth. Add to that the unforgettable performance by Kevin Spacey as divine justice caretaker John Doe and his mastermind ending to a perfect serial killing run, you get a film that catapulted Fincher’s career and established him as one of the best directors of the Suspense, Thriller genres. Since then Fincher has awe us with good and great films that show us how much he’s capable of when he’s set free to run his show. – – – by Joel

So there we have it. How did your favorites rank? Any surprises? Comment away.

The David Fincher Films Ranked: 10 – 6

Thanks to those involved in voting for the Directors’ Weekend poll. Clearly, the realm established by filmmaker David Fincher has certainly created a huge fanbase – I know some of you unashamedly declare him as your favorite of the modern era, or indeed all time. I know one guy who does not like any of Fincher’s films. Alas, here are the films you voted 10 through 6.. 

10) Alien 3

Butchered in its theatrical release, David Fincher’s disowned Alien 3 received a new Producer’s Cut, assembled with leftover footage from the original production and edited to Fincher’s notes. But even before post-production basically ripped the movie from Fincher’s hands, actual production and pre-production weren’t any smoother. Decisions constantly changed direction of the film, entire scenes were rewritten on set. And while negative reception still haunts this controversial third entry, the “Assembly Cut” allows audiences to get a glimpse into a unique take on a franchise that had no reason not to be terrible.

Fincher’s take on the series keeps the corridor horror but doesn’t aim to go bigger and louder than Aliens and still isn’t nearly as scary as Alien. What Alien 3 managed to accomplish, is a more melancholy “end of days” feeling. It’s not post-apocalyptic for the human race, but with Ripley surrounded by murky environments on a cold, desolate prison planet, it certainly feels like it.

Ripley is alone. She’s the sole survivor of every encounter with the horrifying Xenomorph creature. It’s taken everything from her. Her friends, family, her life. Who knows how many years it’s been since she has been back on Earth? She hates the creature and she’s tired. An operatic, haunting score from Elliot Goldenthal uses his booming operatics to influence the fantasia gore and splatterfest. It’s got more in common with a fantasy horror film than straight science fiction. Because that’s not what David Fincher was aiming for. We’ll never see his true, unfiltered vision for this film. What we can see is a story of a woman who has been tossed into the ass end of space, coming out the other side beaten and battered, and ready to fight tooth and nail to defeat a seemingly unstoppable evil once and for all. – – – by Diego

9) Panic Room

To be no. 9 in the David Fincher directorial rankings is no defeat, Panic Room has it’s pride and place among the filmmaker’s elite. Claustrophobic, chilling, and compelling, this was just Fincher’s 5th feature as director, already established with a bar raised so, so high. Not only does Panic Room introduce us to one of today’s most beloved actresses, it is also through and through  drenched in Fincher’s formidable fingerprints, collaborating with cinematographers Connrad W. Hall and Darius Khondji to mesmerizing visual results. Think you’re not keen on this one, literally see it again and appreciate the technical terrain at least. – – – by Robin

8) The Game

The Game is one of the ultimate mind fucks of a film. It starts with a premise to play a game and let yourself get taken in by what happens, and know that it’s not real. But then once shit starts to happen, what do you do know? This is what Michael Douglas has to go through after he is invited to play by his brother Sean Penn. Douglas plays Nicolas Van Orton, who is in somewhat of a mid-life crisis after he reaches the same age that his father was when he committed suicide at the age of 48. He decides to see if this game can cure him of his funk, but what he doesn’t realize is how invested he will become and how much it will effect everything in his life, to the point of fearing for his own safety. I was quite taken with this film when I saw it because I had never seen a film premise like this before, and was so unaware of where it was taking me, just like Nicolas. Everything he was experiencing felt like I was too. It’s great when I film can suck you in like that and have you come out the other side with both an emotional and phycological gut punch. – – – by Al

7) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

However unFincher this turns out to be, which ironically translated extremely well with AMPAS, here is a movie that swells with all manner of crowd-pleasing components. A rich story (Eric Roth somehow regurgitates strands of his Forrest Gump), told with a deft, attention-to-detail by Fincher, production design to savor, yet another penetrating score by Alexandre Desplat, accompanied by the familiar strong performances, sound design, and fluent editing. Not for everyone, sure, but a dear peer and friend of mine recently declared she was smitten by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button because of it’s poignant depiction of  her home New Orleans. Courtney could no doubt showcase that movies touch us is countless ways, that even David Fincher can come out of the dark and reach the heart. – – –  by Robin

6) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

While the American remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo doesn’t come anywhere near the greatness of The Social Network or even Gone Girl, it is still a thrilling and successful adaptation of the famed novel by late author Stieg Larsson, and the fact that it is one of Fincher’s lesser movies is a testament to his directing power. In The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Fincher uses some of his traditional filmmaking aesthetics: a chilly score, brooding cinematography, breezy yet caffeinated editing, and even a rich female lead performance in the form of Rooney Mara’s performance as Lisbeth Salander. Mara captures both the detached social nature and livewire ferocity of Lisbeth amazingly, and it is no wonder that she managed to score an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Lastly, this film has one of the best opening credit sequences I’ve ever seen in a motion picture. – – – by Matt

David Fincher’s top 5 coming up. What are your thoughts on these so far?

Femme Filmmakers Festival 2017 – Line-Up Announced

Here we are once again. I literally salivate at the mouth at the prospect of spending hours and hours in a darkened room with all these women. Women directors, and their marvelous work, as we fast approach the Directed By Women Worldwide Film Viewing Party. Following the success of last year’s online viewing event, Femme Filmmakers Festival, with great responses to terrific films like Mustang and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,  have dug even deeper this year.

The 10 day event running from Friday 1st September until Sunday 10th September will be showcasing a whopping 50 films – 20 features, 30 shorts – all directed by females, and available to stream online. As I am sure you are all familiar with the likes of Amazon, iTunes, Netflix, Google Play, YouTube, and Vimeo, joining in to see as many of them as possible shouldn’t be too tricky. In addition I’ll be interviewing a select few female filmmakers, there’ll be a podcast too.

I implore you to participate (I mean, watching fine films is a piece of cake), celebrating the great work of so many talented women. The main scheduled screening for each film is of course flexible, a daily selection of innovative, diverse, compelling films can be viewed online in your own leisure. I’m sure you don’t have to reach far for your laptop / phone / iPad. Watch them in solitude, while having your dinner (I hear popcorn is a good movie appetizer), gather others to join in – hell, organize your own viewing party. Wherever you in the world.

I also encourage vast discussion, the comments section below ought to be a real help here, but also stay close to the event on Facebook, on Twitter via the #FemmeFilmFest hashtag, and wherever else you see fit. A preview will be published each day starting at the end of the week. Please have a good, good scan below at the extensive line-up in preparation (streaming platforms to follow). Believe me, a lot of work went into this, but it was a pleasure, and these ladies are worth it. Any questions at all, please ask.

Petra Costa

Friday 1st September

The Danish Poet (2006) – Torill Kove – 15 mins
I Just Said That (2017) – Stefanie Davis – 3 mins
Lick the Star (1998) – Sofia Coppola – 14 mins

Elena (2013) – Petra Costa – 80 mins
All This Panic (2017) – Jenny Gage – 79 mins

Sofia Coppola

Saturay 2nd September

The Dresser (2014) – Mary Neely – 13 mins
Touch (2010) – Jen McGowan – 11 mins
Mano a mono (2015) – Saranne Bensusan – 12 mins

Marie Antoinette (2006) – Sofia Coppola – 123 mins
Toni Erdmann (2016) – Maren Ade – 162 mins

Maryam Keshavarz

Sunday 3rd September

A Portrait of Ga (1952) – Margaret Tait – 4 mins
A Million Miles Away (2014) – Jennifer Reeder – 28 mins
Speed Dating (2014) – Meghann Artes – 11 mins

The Bling Ring (2013) – Sofia Coppola – 90 mins
Circumstance (2012) – Maryam Keshavarz – 107 mins

Minhal Baig

Monday 4th September

Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) – Maya Deren – 14 mins
After Sophie (2017) – Minhal Baig – 9 mins
Hala (2016) – Minhal Baig – 14 mins

Afghan Star (2009) – Havana Marking – 87 mins
The Love Witch (2017) – Anne Biller – 120 mins

Anna Muylaert

Tuesday 5th September

Empire of Ache (1996) – Lisa Hammer – 9 mins
Fangirl (2016) – Liza Mandelup – 5 mins
Hot Seat (2017) – Anna Kerrigan – 13 mins

Sleeping with Other People (2015) – Leslye Headland – 101 mins
Que Horas Ela Volta? / The Second Mother (2015) – Anna Muylaert – 112 mins

Sofija Sztepanov

Wednesday 6th September

Tinder Will Understand (2016) – Sofija Sztepanov – 5 mins
Lonely Planet (2014) – Alex Burunova – 24 mins
160 Characters (2015) – Victoria Mapplebeck – 11 mins

Whale Rider (2003) – Niki Caro – 101 mins
Un amour de jeunesse / Goodbye First Love (2011) – Mia Hansen-Løve – 110 mins

Billimarie Robinson

Thursday 7th September

Sugar Water (2006) – Billimarie Robinson – 9 mins
Corrugated Hearts (2010) – Billimarie Robinson – 7 mins
Strange Beasts (2017) – Magali Barbe – 6 mins

Suffragette (2015) – Sarah Gavron – 106 mins
Hævnen / In a Better World (2010) – Susanne Bier – 119 mins

Agnès Varda

Friday 8th September

Keep the Change (2013) – Rachel Israel – 16 mins
3-Way (Not Calling) (2016) – Molly McGlynn – 11 mins
Salut les Cubains (1971) – Agnès Varda – 30 mins

Lovesong (2017) – So Yong Kim – 84 mins
Maryland / Disorder (2015) – Alice Winocour – 98 mins

Jane Campion

Saturday 9th September

When You Find Me (2011) – Bryce Dallas Howard – 29 mins
Mythopolis (2014) – Alexandra Hetmerová – 11 mins
My Stuffed Granny (2014) – Effie Pappa – 9 mins

Bright Star (2009) – Jane Campion – 119 mins
Cléo de 5 à 7 / Cléo from 5 to 7 (1961) – Agnès Varda 90 mins

Katina Mercadante

Sunday 10th September

Five (2015) – Katina Mercadante – 5 mins
Chinti (2012) – Natalia Mirzoyan – 8 mins
Sierra (2013) – Chelsea Christer – 18 mins

Selma (2014) – Ava DuVernay – 128 mins
Toit ni Loi / Vagabond (1985) – Agnès Varda – 105 mins

* * * * *

What do you think? Are you as excited as me? Comment below. Look out for the detailed day-by-day schedules coming soon.

Masterpiece Memo: Seven

Alien 3 had it’s merits with regard to the superb technical visual aspect, and this was down to music video director David Fincher. He had to put up and shut up there, a poor, insult of narrative material, but that which was directed superbly. Everyone starts somewhere.

Seven was Fincher’s second chance to demonstrate his greatness as a feature film maestro. Is this grim masterpiece still not his finest work? How was he ever supposed to surpass this? In a year with great efforts from the likes of Michael Mann, Ron Howard and Ang Lee, for me Fincher’s master stroke reinvigorated modern film noir and detective chase tale. Watching it now twenty years on Seven remains a blueprint for his unmatched photographic style and pacing.

Fincher marked an instant reputation as a force to be reckoned with behind the camera, creating a motion picture that shuddered so much impact from its audience that it scarred you long before you were even allowed to digest it. With the ludicrously lone Oscar nomination for Richard Francis-Bruce’s film editing (which should have won), Seven was clearly too much for the Academy to swallow – not even the introduction of a Best Title Sequence Design award in honor of Kyle Cooper’s majestic brilliance.

Binding the whole genius together like super-glue is the tight, methodical crime story, never over-complicated, always luring you in whether you want to taste the brutality or not. It’s an education in crime and detective work, in tension and twists, but more than that an unmissable study in well-crafted writing and film-making.

A crime story focusing on the seven sins, my God of course. The appropriately named Seven does not just utilize this notion effectively, but turns it so far inside out that screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker leaves your head spinning, rattled with turmoil. From the opening moments of a shocking crime, through observant detective banter, before delving deep into a rich mix-match of a partnership between Mills and Somerset, Walker’s screenplay is one of a kind.

A deceptively cold, calculating, compelling companion to director Fincher’s expert vision. There are also tints of perfectly timed and naturalistic humor – Somerset’s private astonishment when Mill’s wife claims he is the funniest man she ever met while the wise detective watches his younger partner wrestle with his dogs. Or Mills later exclaiming about the serial killer’s book acquisition or mental state that just because the fucker’s got a library card it don’t make him Yoda.

Set in a dark world, both in tone and actuality, Darius Khondji brings vivid light and depth to Seven throughout. In fact, this is frame-for-frame an immaculately shot shock-fest, an endless visual feast. Far too many examples to do the film justice here, this is literally the case that every blink you are missing something remarkable. We knew Khondji extremely well following the elaborately flawless cinematography he produced for Delicatessen, even so, the majestic work on Seven was still a splash of water to the face.

Hardly ever have such bleak, colorless moving pictures depicting truly awful, draining experiences appeared so enticing to the eye. Khondji’s images penetrate the audience, his camera capturing big fat rain seemingly ebbing across the barrel of a gun, or pulling away effortlessly from a smashed open door – filling the frame with enough shadow and torch-light to be stories all on their own. Bringing you so close to the human horrors on show (much of which left to the imagination) the camera almost forces you to look closer, smell the fear, experience the trauma for yourself. And you simply can not take your eyes from the screen.

So what else am I supposed to say about David Fincher’s Seven that I haven’t here already? Well, there is no simple answer except to say I have barely scraped the surface of this mesmerizing motion picture. A detective story, horror cross-breed, brimming with morbidly dazzling technical brilliance – you name it, exquisite photography, suspenseful story-telling, haunting score, razor-sharp sound design, want me to go on?

We also have at the forefront some fine acting, Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt making perfect sense of a partnership stretching in opposite directions, Gwyneth Paltrow devastatingly good in trying to peel away a layer of awful reality, and of course Kevin Spacey, having a great year, here turning up in the final act to swallow it whole as his own. The performances, from all concerned, deliver perfect justice to a motion picture exceeding the sum of its parts.

Fincher directs with expert finesse, clearly thriving alongside cinematographer Khondji’s stunning pictorial brush-strokes, helping establishing the director as an executor of astute, exceptional film photography. The disturbing building blocks of Seven‘s ultimately cruel narrative is as gripping as anything you will see in the last twenty years, culminating in a climax you dare not have imagined in your worst nightmares. The movie had pulled you right in long before then, and likely after that shocking close you are never coming back. Cinema at it’s most bravura, and most unforgiving.

Over 11 Hours Of David Fincher – Interviews, Documentaries, Profiles Etc

Off the bat, the following barrage of videos centering around the elusive career of David Fincher, were not to difficult to track down. However, they were extremely tough to stop watching. Behind the scenes of early works, in depth discussions and revelations, interviews, retrospectives, hours of it, and minute-for-minute unmissable. You best get cracking…

Genre Blast: Who’s Playing Whom? – The Biopic

Let’s start this one off on the right foot with a confession: the biopic is my least favorite genre. I know, some of film’s greatest performances are found here; no argument there. Actors climb over each other to see who will be Steve Jobs or Freddie Mercury or Margaret Thatcher. So why do I dread each casting announcement? It’s because of the hundreds of movies about politicians, heroes, villains, and entertainers, 95% of the films are cookie cutter style, concentrating on squeezing life events into a formulaic template and hoping that the audience concentrates on the usually brilliant – and sometimes ridiculous – performance that dominates nearly every scene. We are terrified of misrepresenting our public icons, so controversy is soft-lit and complexities ignored in favor straightedge(less) story telling that admirers will accept. Scan the buffet of film genre history and you will find biopics located between the gelatin salad and cottage cheese.

Another thing I wasn’t aware of until I researched for this installment – women have been given incredibly short shrift when it come to high quality, innovative ways of telling a famous person’s life story. For that reason, I’m listing five films where famous men are the subject and five where renowned women are portrayed. I had a difficult time winnowing the males down to five artistic achievements while for the ladies….Only one has the auteur style and passionate storytelling comparable to those vehicles for the dudes, and it stands out on the list like a sore thumb because it is a silent film.

 For this exercise, I’m choosing films where the tone, pace and look are intended to enhance the spirit to the person being portrayed. They have the feel of a time or place as well as convey the essence the subject, be it crazy, pathetic, heroic, or creative. Based on artistic merit of the film and NOT the person portrayed –or doing the portraying, although most of these performances are career highs – here are ten biopics worthy of acclaim. Five for him and five for her. And filmmakers – please take a chance and give us another classic biopic of a woman. 1928 was oh-so-long ago. And make certain a woman will direct it, as well. Thanks.

First up, HIS…

Raging Bull – Martin Scorsese (1980)

As far as I’m concerned, this is Scorsese’s masterpiece. Everything is right with this film. Scorsese flexes his artistic muscles with every scene, evoking precisely a specific sense of time, place and mood. At times it’s almost too raw to watch, others, as romantic as a shimmering Bronx swimming pool in high summer. Augmenting Michael Chapman’s stunning B&W cinematography and Thelma Schoonmaker’s quicksilver editing is a score handpicked from every corner of the musical lexicon – all with the common goal to convey character and mood. Even the three major boxing scenes are individually constructed and choreographed because every fight is NOT exactly like another. And, oh yes, there is that benchmark performance – DeNiro’s Jake LaMotta is the poster boy for true assholes – a borderline psychotic, jealous wife-beater, and fierce warrior in and out of the ring who steps off the precipice and plummets into reality like a meteor.

The Elephant Man – David Lynch (1980)

Ironically, 1980 gave us a second B&W classic biopic, this being David Lynch’s second feature and first major Hollywood effort. It’s based on the truly tragic John (Joseph) Merrick, whose extreme deformities confined him to a workhouses and freak shows until, towards the end of his life (at 27), he’s taken in by Dr Frederick Treves and London Hospital. For the first time, the good Victorian society begins to see the kind and intelligent human being underneath the horrific physical disorders. John Hurt somehow manages to pull at our heartstrings from underneath buckets of latex grotesquerie. Just as with Raging Bull, cinematographer Freddie Francis, editor Anne V Coates and composer John Morris – under Lynch’s nonconforming eye – conspire to provide us with a 19^th Century Whitechapel experience unlike anything we have ever seen or even imagined.

Edvard Munch – Peter Watkins (1974)

Everybody is familiar with Norwegian artist Munch’s paintings, The Scream (there are four of them), and Peter Watkins sets out to ensure that we also understand both the artist and his process. Watkins is known primarily for his controversial documentaries, so he wisely selects a docudrama style here, complete with unknown performers and modern dialog to make the biographical exercise more immediate and personal. I saw the original 3-hour version back when it was released and it was a challenge – a welcomed challenge where we get an in-depth study of the father of German Expressionism by way of late 20^th Century documentary-style.

Ed Wood – Tim Burton (1994)

As this biopic appears to mark the apex of Tim Burton’s filmography to date, as well as that of his leading man, one has to wonder how much admiration he had for the subject, considered to be the worst film director in the history of celluloid. The film is a lark because all of Ed Wood’s professional and personal proclivities are right up Burton’s alley – mohair sweaters and heels, confused and frustrated actors and technicians, no sense of logic or continuity, and a hysterical wrestling match between a horror movie legend and a rubber octopus leave us shaking our heads in disbelief. But Burton (and Depp) approach the matter with respect, replacing mockery with much affection that elevates the film to a level that is light years beyond your average biopic.

I’m Not There – Todd Haynes (2007)

Bob Dylan underwent many metamorphoses in his musical evolution and the brilliant Todd Haynes seizes on this fact and structures his film to reflect the same. Dylan is portrayed as seven entities played by six different actors (Bale, Ledger, Gere, Whishaw, Blanchett, and Marcus Franklin). The gimmick is extremely effective as it eliminates the need for tiresome transitional dialog between life phases. This is one of the century’s most enigmatic talents as reimagined by a most original artist.

Now,  HERS

Isadora – Karel Reisz (1968)

You would think that a film about the Earth Mother of the peace and love movement would have been more successful, financially. Redgrave’s positively luminous performance won the Best Actress award at Cannes as well as a couple of critics’ prizes. Isadora Duncan’s life philosophy evolved entirely about freedom – to move, love and live exactly the way you wanted. She had no problem having a spontaneous fling with an attractive poet or marrying for money to pursue her school for dance. She was also comfortable in her own body and thought nothing of popping her top during a performance, often clearing-out concert halls. Redgrave’s unique skills allow her to play the character from the naïve “Peppy Dora” dancehall gal, through her career and the tragic loss of her children, to the broken delusional recluse she became in her forties. Not many actors can convincingly play “older” while rasping broken French with an American accent thru an apparent alcohol-induced fog of desperation. The film’s original 168 minutes was hacked down by over half an hour and then the mainstream release title changed to The Loves of Isadora. But the original is out there somewhere – the UK had a complete DVD release five or six years ago, but it never made it over to the other side of the pond. Find it!

La Vie En Rose – Olivier Dahan (2007)

Another biopic told in memory recall flashbacks – seems to be the mode for films about artists – this one is the tragic tale of singer Edith Piaf. Marion Cotillard gives a skyrocket of a performance that instantly made her the sweetheart of the international film world. Dahan’s direction is fittingly moody but the true highlights are the performances recreated where his atmospheric sets and lighting underscore some of the most iconic songs ever written. Hearing the “little sparrow” sing those words in the glare of the spotlight as if she’s beseeching the dark to lighten her load. “Non, je ne regretted rien.” Chills….

Elizabeth – Shekhar Kapur (1999)

How many movies do we need about Elizabeth I? If they could all be as inventive as this one, I’ll take one every couple of years. Kapur turned a tired – really tired – biopic subject inside out with his very modern style storytelling, outrageously inventive costumes, and feminist sensibilities. And then you have the full blown emergence of Cate Blanchett taking the character from young princess to white-powdered dowager, ducking, dodging and maneuvering her way through deadly 13^th Century politics to become, arguably, the most powerful woman in history, all the while sacrificing her own happiness seemingly at every turn. The sequel was a bit of a disappointment, but this film is very much alive and a sumptuous view every time.

Silkwood – Mike Nichols (1983)

Mike Nichols does his take on the smartass, whistle-blowing nuclear plant worker who ends up dead when she begins to expose conditions. This is glow-in-the-dark Norma Rae, and la Streep finds that perfect blue collar register that is at once annoying and endearing as she takes us further into the paranoia that ends in tragic reality. Cher, as her lesbian pal, Dolly, does a great job suffering from unrequited love that soon turns to fear for her beloved Karen. Nichols effectively ramps up the tension every time one of those damn contamination sirens goes off. Strong, positive and totally focused on the determination of one woman to call out deadly dangerous practices, the devil be damned.

La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc (Passion of Joan of Arc) – Carl Theodor Dreyer (1928)

Even if you, like me, don’t subscribe to the Judeo/Christian/Islamic doctrine of Paradise or Punishment, this film will hit you in parts you never knew you had. Yes, Joan of Arc was probably a little “off”, but after serving – commanding, even – for her country and her God, she did not deserve what the patriarchal hierarchy delivered to her. Wisely, Dreyer’s stark photography, inspired close-ups and naked set pieces concentrate on the woman, her mission, and her reactions to her ultimate betrayal. Maria Falconetti made only two films and a short, which is a shame. There has never been and likely will never be a more expressive face that convinces you that what she believes is as real as the chair in which you are sitting. The film is nearly 90 years old, but it plays fresh and involving to this day, cementing its place permanently in the classics.

Sorry for the ramble and extra long post, but a gender-equality dig and equal play is overdue for this genre. The films above are all presented in the spirit of their subjects, showing us that film is the most effective way to explain what inspired a historical figure and archive their legacy. That’s what all biopics should sttrive for, understanding the person, not just a scrapbook of events.

 

Listmania – David Fincher Awards Edition

To put it simply, David Fincher is my all-time favorite movie director. I like how stylish his movies are, and how much detail he puts into them. You can tell how much he thinks about doing as best a job as possible, even to the point of shooting the same scene multiple times to get the best possible takes and angles to be able to express a certain feeling or bit of information. His movies have a lot of dialogue, but it seems to me like he never has more than needed in order to tell the story. In other words, there’s little fat in them. Another reason I love Fincher so much is because his movies are very re-watchable. I can watch them multiple times and never get tired or them, and also see something I missed before. They’re the type that you need to pay attention, but are never convoluted and confusing, which I really appreciate.

Here I’m picking my favorites in each category in the first director awards in Listmania history:

Favorite Movie: The Social Network

*I actually missed this one in the theater when it opened in October 2010, but when I saw it on Blu-ray, it blew me away. I knew it was something special, but at that point, didn’t know how much so. I love everything about it. It has a fascinating story about the beginnings of Facebook, and more so, about how people can use others to get what they want. I have watched this movie many times, and over the last 6 years, it has become my second favorite movie I’ve ever seen.

Favorite Directing: Fight Club

*A big reason I love Fight Club so much is due to Fincher’s direction. I like how he used different techniques to move the movie forward, and at times, to fool us to what’s really going on in any given scene. Fight Club is a story where the truth is told at the end, so Fincher had to be careful to not give any clues about who Tyler Durden really is, and what everyone sees when they are talking to him. I like how he used close ups, long shots, and slow motion. It all added up to a very well-directed movie.

Favorite Screenplay: The Social Network

*Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin had a big task to translate Ben Mezrich’s book to page in order for David Fincher to adapt it to the big screen, and I think he did a marvelous job. I’ve rarely seen a movie where the dialogue zips as fast as it does, and how often it crackles with sharp and clever quotes that are very memorable. Some of my favorite lines come from Mark Zuckerberg, such as “I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try – but there’s no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention – you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing. [pauses] Did I adequately answer your condescending question?”.

Favorite Actor: Kevin Spacey (Se7en)

*He’s not in the movie for very long, but when he finally makes his appearance, we’re on the edge of our seat and wondering what he’s gonna do since he’s the one that the police have been looking for. We know he’s dangerous, but when he plays it cool and calm, it’s all the more nerve-racking because we know something BIG is gonna happen. Of course, the ending of the movie is one of the most memorable in cinema history, and part of that is because of the look on Kevin Spacey’s face when the big reveal is made. Spacey is one of the best actors around, and this early performance just spelled out how great he was gonna be in future movies.

Favorite Actress: Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

*Having seen Rosamund Pike in other movies prior to Gone Girl, I wasn’t expecting a performance like what she gave us in Gone Girl. She played Amazing Amy who is a psychopath and a tremendous liar. I love how she can go from playing calm around her husband Nick to let it all out violent when she murders Desi and gets blood all over the place. I don’t think I’ll ever get the image of Amy out of my mind when she slit his throat and shook her head with blood splashing everywhere. Rosamund Pike brought her performance up to an 11 in the best way possible. I’m still upset that she lost the Academy Award in 2015 to Julianne Moore for Still Alice. ARGH!

So, thanks for reading, and now I turn it to you. What are your favorites for David Fincher?

Directors’ Weekend: All 10 David Fincher Films For Streaming

There are, however you look at it, 10 examples of David Fincher‘s cinematic flair in those movies of his – even his underwhelming debut showed signs of execution brilliance. All are available on many platforms to stream, some free, some pocket change. So this Directors’ Weekend, enjoy, whichever ones you pick, and have a marvel of a weekend. Let us know in the comments any Fincheresque plans.

Alien 3

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – iTunes

Seven

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – iTunes

The Game

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – iTunes

Fight Club

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – Netflix UK

Panic Room

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – Netflix UK

Zodiac

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – Netflix USA

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – iTunes

The Social Network

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – iTunes

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – Netflix UK

Gone Girl

Amazon UK – – – Amazon USA – – – iTunes

 

Masterpiece Memo: The Social Network

To begin with I think The Social Network is a masterpiece. It’s a film that I really love, and ever since I first saw it in January 2011, I always feel like it is an event to watch. There are not many films that I have felt this strongly about. Titanic is a film that for as much as I love, I don’t watch too often because I don’t want to wear it out. Jaws is the opposite where I have now seen it so many times that it no longer matters. But with The Social Network, it feels like it’s something more than just a film to me. It’s like seeing the first moment of something monumental, and seeing what came before it – like the big bang if you will.

When talking about the film, I have to first start with its director, David Fincher. He’s probably my favorite director of all-time. Of his ten feature films, I give seven of them an “A” score. He’s built up a reputation for creating worlds in his films that are often based upon our reality, but feel darker and dare I say dirtier. He likes films about flawed people, who make bad decisions, and sometimes do bad things. Se7en & Zodiac are about serial killers, and Fight Club is about anarchy. The Social Network is about people who are fundamentally good, but again, do bad things. That’s not to say that Mark Zuckerberg is a bad person, but he certainly stepped on many toes on his way to the top. Fincher I think chose this film as he likely saw the potential it had to be a great film because of the characters, and the choices they make. And also, I think, the story, of course largely down to Aaron Sorkin’s amazing script.

Before Sorkin wrote the screenplay, Ben Mezrich wrote the book based on Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook titled: The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal. It was published in July 2009, and most of the information came from Facebook “co-founder” Eduardo Saverin, who in the film is played by Andrew Garfield. The screenplay that Sorkin wrote was blazing, he wrote the characters almost like they were in a William Shakespeare play, with a story full of lies, jealousy, and betrayal. I especially love how Sorkin balanced the story between 2003, 2004, and then 2010. It goes back and forth between the past when Facebook was just an idea for Mark, and in the current day when he is being sued by Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss for, in their minds, having stolen their original idea, and by his former best friend Eduardo for having him pushed out of the company. In fact, some of the very best dialogue (and the film is full of great quotes) happens during the deposition scenes. One of my favorites has to be the “Do I have your full attention?” exchange.

There are many great scenes though in the film that I want to talk about, but I can’t mention them all here. One scene I really love is when Mark pulls Eduardo aside during a party and tells him about his idea for Facebook. Mark says “People want to go online and check out their friends, so why not build a website that offers that? Friends, pictures, profiles, whatever you can visit, browse around, maybe it’s someone you just met at a party. Eduardo, I’m not talking about a dating site, I’m talking about taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online.” It’s a fantastic line that spells out exactly what Mark is thinking. Another great line, this time from Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), is near the end of the film when he’s at the Facebook after-party and says “We lived on farms, then we lived in cities, and now we’re going to live on the internet!” It was a profound statement actually, since it seems like it has come true.

Another memorable scene in the film is very early on, Mark and his girlfriend Erica Albright break-up (or rather she calls him out and dumps him), and he comes back to his dorm room and starts blogging, and building a website where he compares pictures of girls to each other called Facesmash. The scene is perfect. It’s got a great tempo, and the music playing is amazing, which is a rhythmic electronic score conducted and performed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The scene goes back and forth between Mark in his dorm room writing the code for the site, and people arriving at and then partying, during the first major fraternity party of the semester. All-the-while, we hear Mark’s voice describing everything in lightning quick speed.

I really love the choice of actors they got in the film, especially Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo. Armie Hammer (and body double Josh Pence) as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Rooney Mara as Erica, Max Minghella as Divya Narendra, Brenda Song as Christy, and Timberlake as Parker are all also very good. I really want to say that I think Eisenberg should have won the Oscar for Best Lead Actor. I also think that both Garfield and Timberlake should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Garfield was especially robbed, though he did okay since he got to play Spider-Man twice afterwards. With Timberlake, it was interesting seeing him morph from the lead singer of *NSYNC into an Oscar worthy actor. I mean, he was pretty good in Alpha Dog in 2007, but just that much better in The Social Network.

I still get mad when I think about the Oscars, when it was The King’s Speech vs The Social Network, and Tom Hooper’s film won both Best Picture and Best Director. There is absolutely no way that should have happened. It was also disappointing that Jeff Cronenweth lost to Inception for Best Cinematography. At the time I thought Inception was a worthy win, but after seeing The Social Network again and again, I have changed my mind. I am very happy though that Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall won for Best Film Editing – I’d argue that The Social Network could be the greatest edited film ever made. It’s what makes the 2 hour running time feel like 40 minutes. I’m also happy that Sorkin won for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Reznor & Ross won for Best Original Score. The music was so good that Fincher asked them to do it again for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl. Both great scores as well.

Anyway, what more can I say that I haven’t already? To sum it up, I think it’s a brilliant film that should be considered one of the greatest of all-time. Who knows, maybe by the time the film gets its recognition for being one of the all-time greats, we’ll be using Facebook while living on Mars. All I know is, based on my life to this point, and where I’m at in it, if I could sum up everything that I’d want in a film, it could well be The Social Network.

Reading, Writing, Arithmetic #32

This edition we get the kind folk at Variety to explain MoviePass to us, a bit of motivation from the Head Sprite, a loving piece on Antonioni, as well as Sasha Stone mixing Oscar with Trump. I know – dying to get clicking and reading! Go ahead: 

25 Photogenic Reasons to Visit Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Almost Ginger)

What Is MoviePass? The Pros and Cons of $10-a-Month Unlimited Films (Variety)

You Matter: A Call To All Creatives, Dreamers And Entrepreneurs (Film Sprites)

A to “Zabriskie”: Metrograph Traces the Development of Antonioni (Village Voice)

You Can Handle The Truth: Why Political Documentaries Are Storming The Screens (The Guardian)

The State of the Race: The Oscars in Trump’s First Year (Awards Daily)

Landscape of Awkwardness: On Maren Ade’s ‘Toni Erdmann’ (Vague Viisages)

Vote: Ranking The 10 Feature Films Of David Fincher

So with exactly 10 feature film credits to his name (it feels like more, right?), we have our David Fincher top 10. But let’s not stop there, let’s rank them for the next edition of Directors’ Weekend – Friday 25th August til Sunday 27th. You know the drill now. Vote, vote, vote. Only this time around you can only pick a maximum of seven (of course). I do not look forward hearing from those who have not seen that many. I mean, Fincher is one of the modern day greats. So which 7 are you voting for?

A brother’s crazed game; growing old backwards; that girl with the dragon tattoo; claustrophobia and asthma; a missing, but cunning, wife; a homicidal use of the seven deadly sins; the under-rated serial killer picture; an alien on a prison planet; do not talk about it according to the first two rules; or the humanity of Facebook’s creation.

Results published on Sunday 27th August. As always, your comments are welcome below.

NZIFF: Christchurch Closes Its Film Festival Curtain

The curtain has fallen on NZIFF’s Christchurch leg for 2017, and it has been a remarkable Festival. Every year, NZIFF goes above and beyond to provide cinephiles with the best New Zealand and the world has to offer cinematically. Better yet, the Festival is not just in a single location, but across New Zealand, with dates and selections varying. One of the benefits of this is that there tends to be a bit of a ‘trickle down’ in terms of reviews, features and film fan recommendations.

For instance, someone in Auckland can rave about a film and it piques the interest of those (like myself) in Christchurch who are awaiting the start of the Festival in Christchurch. One thing’s for certain- the NZIFF is a great way to meet new people as well. Sit next to a stranger for a screening and you’re instant besties (and they’ve offered you tickets to a screening they can’t attend as well- true story! It happened to me at The Lost City of Z).

For me, the New Zealand International Film Festival is a place where memories are made. I must confess, I had put off attending the Festival on a regular basis until 2013. Before then, it was something I’d put on hold. I’m not entirely sure why, as it provides three weeks of utter cinematic bliss- why would anyone deny themselves that?

Interestingly, I recall being at the cinema with my best friend in 2012, just about to watch the film that would cause me to ‘wake up’ and pursue my career goals, poring over the 2013 NZIFF brochure. I mentioned that one day I’d love to volunteer, perhaps as a Publicity Assistant. Fast forward to Closing Night 2013, and Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive. Bill Gosden, NZIFF Director, was there to speak prior to the film. I looked at my partner and wished I’d had my resume with me, although it might have been quite a sight, Mr Gosden leaving the theatre with a short, chubby blonde waving a resume around!

Fortuitously, however, I was the Publicity Assistant for Christchurch’s NZIFF in 2014, a thoroughly enjoyable experience and something I treasure to this day. This was in the fledgling days of building Film Sprites PR, my freelance publicity and digital marketing consultancy for independent film. I think the films you view at NZIFF tend to serve as markers of memory and passages of time, just as certain songs are etched in your memory due to certain events, or certain smells evoke moods and reminders. In my case, I will always think fondly of the films Locke, We Are the Best! and CitizenFour due to their association with my stint as Publicity Assistant for NZIFF in 2014. They’re like little charms on a charm bracelet, talismans of memory.

Now Christchurch has the utterly majestic Isaac Theatre Royal as the jewel in the crown- a magnificent place which has risen like a phoenix, rebuilt and refurbished after the devastating Christchurch earthquake of 2011. Fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, the Isaac Theatre Royal is a truly wonderful place to experience NZIFF screenings. There’s nothing like venturing out on a frosty Christchurch evening and walking towards the Isaac Theatre Royal for an NZIFF screening; the front of the building lit up resplendently and acting as a beacon to cinephiles: “come forward- magic awaits you.”

This year, I attended what was for me a record number of screenings. I would have liked to have attended screenings into multiple figures, but unfortunately my schedule didn’t allow it. Nevertheless, when the Box Office opened online for the Festival, I was there with my credit card, hands shaking slightly (yes, really!), ready to purchase my tickets and update my diary. The beauty of the NZIFF website is that when you register with the site, you can build a Wishlist of films. The benefit of this is that it will show you if there are any clashes in your scheduling. From there, when the Box Office is open, you can purchase tickets for your chosen films. It’s a feature which makes things so much easier, and stops the potential for scheduling clashes.

So, looking back over the films I attended for NZIFF, and after seeing them all, here are my final thoughts about each film, and with a final star rating for each:

Stalker (4 stars)
Tarkovsky’s Stalker is a film that prompts you to engage with it long after you’ve left with the cinema. What is ostensibly dystopic Russian science fiction also prompts thinking about the nature of human desire: what is it that we’re really searching for? What’s at the root of our desires? Do we desire certain things because we believe it will lead to an end to our suffering, and if so, what if it’s better to acknowledge that suffering and learn how to live with it? For me, Stalker transcended mere cinematic viewing and became an experience. It’s a deeply spiritual and thought-provoking film.

Spookers (3 stars)
Documentary film is my favourite genre by far, and Florian Habicht’s Spookers is a deliciously genre-defying watch. Documentary melds with fanciful fiction to create something truly special. There are some brilliant laughs, but the beauty of Spookers is that your heart will be opened wide to welcome in the people behind the frightful theme park characters. These are real people, with real stories- they have suffered hardships, experienced loss, but have found their place, and a new family. Spookers gets an entire extra half-point for the “Sausages Are Beautiful” song, because there’s nothing more Kiwi than a saussie on a piece of bread with tomato sauce.

6 Days (3 stars)
My experience of viewing 6 Days was further enhanced by the fact I attended the Q&A session with Kate Adie, played by Abbie Cornish in the film. Not only is Kate an engaging and intelligent person, it heightened the experience of the film considerably. This is brilliant filmmaking. It’s tense and tightly scripted, with no extraneous detail or unnecessary dialogue. It’s about the Iran Embassy siege in London, 1980- nothing more, nothing less, and that’s a good thing. It’s such a deliciously tense film and brilliantly effective.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (4 and a half stars)
I was pretty sure after seeing The Killing of a Sacred Deer that it was going to be my favourite film of the year, and that only Herculean effort would top it. I was trying to describe it in a spoiler-free way to a friend last night, and said it was “like Hitchcock on LSD”. If you can get through the first five moments and the opening scene (yes, really), you are ready to face the onslaught of tension and terror. As much as I loved Lanthimos’ The Lobster, I think The Killing of a Sacred Deer is the more satisfying of the two films. I would love to see Lanthimos write and direct a third English-language feature, starring Collin Farrell, in order to have a trilogy of sorts. When Lanthimos’ next film is out, I will be there, front and centre at the first available viewing- he has well and truly gained a fan! The win at Cannes 2017 for Best Screenplay was well and truly deserved.

The Lost City of Z (3 and a half stars)
I had to be ruthless with my rating of this, thus I removed half a star (sorry, James Gray!) because it was the film in the bunch that had me going: “yes…but…”. Don’t get me wrong: I loved this film. I did. But I wanted so much more from the character dynamics. That being said, the performances were utterly delightful and engaging, and as I mentioned in my full review of the film Tom Holland is a scene-stealer in the third half, not in a showy way but with a quiet intensity that some actors twice his age might not have been able to muster.

The Square (5 stars)
This was the Herculean effort that managed to knock The Killing of a Sacred Deer off the top spot amongst my NZIFF films. Clever, funny and with a very deep heart and social conscience, it’s a film that is as quirky as it is accessible, and a true testament to the magic of filmmaking. An absolute winner, and deserving of the Palme d’or.

Lynnaire MacDonald, Publicist and Founder, Film Sprites PR

NZIFF Review: The Square

After a satisfyingly diverse NZIFF for 2017, all eyes were on the Closing Night film, Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winning satire The Square. Not only is the film wholly deserving of its Cannes win, it was also a perfect finale for the Film Festival.

The Square takes a tongue-firmly-in-cheek look at a modern art gallery in Sweden, the focus of which is on Christian (Claes Bang). After having his belongings stolen when trying to be a good Samaritan, things take a turn for the worse; affecting the gallery and causing a furore when Christian’s inattention causes a PR stunt to go hideously awry.

The Square is not afraid to poke fun at the art world whilst also challenging the view to ask: “what is art?” In fact, Östlund pokes fun to the point of tickling: wry social commentary intersects with more slapsticky, intentionally absurd moments. Chances are, you won’t let out a gentile little titter of appreciation, it will be a raucous belly laugh. The Square had the NZIFF Closing Night audience in stitches.

Hilarity aside, The Square has a surprisingly deep social conscience as well. One of the major themes which underpins the entire story is trust. Who do we trust, and why? What alters our level of trust in a person? We see this recurring through the film, from Christian being robbed after coming to the aid of a woman in trouble, through to an awkward post-coital tussle between Christian and American journalist, Anne (played by Elisabeth Moss).

Östlund is also unafraid to address the inequalities in Swedish society. He does this primarily through the contrast between Christian’s pampered existence and the presence of street beggars and Christian’s mad dash through a housing estate in order to gain justice after being robbed. One of the most startling frames of the entire film is a grimy, tuxedoed Christian, rain pouring down relentlessly, surrounded in a sea of garbage bags. It makes for a truly thought-provoking scene.

While The Square features Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, and Terry Notary, their roles in the film don’t feel obligatory or disjointed. In particular, West’s exhibiting artist, Julian, fits seamlessly into the narrative. Actor and noted movement choreographer Terry Notary appears in quite possibly the most mesmerizing scene in the entire film; a stunning and terrifying display of his uncanny ability to fully take on the embodiment of an adult male gorilla. It sounds ridiculous here, out of context, but it is a perfect fit for the narrative (as well as the theme of trust).

Ample praise must be given to Claes Bang. His depiction of Christian drives the film forward and connects us to not only the art world, but the state of the world around him. He can go from being charming and in control of situations, to flustered and clueless and back again, always keeping the audience compelled, wanting to know what is going to happen next. Being the central character in a film is a massive task for any actor, but Bang is exceptional.

The Square is charming, poignant, and a lot of fun. Ruben Östlund has given the world a film that will be memorable for years to come.

Lynnaire MacDonald, Publicist and Founder, Film Sprites PR

Writer-Director Peyv Raz Talks Film Debut With ‘Clarity’

From joy to despair in a matter of seconds as a family congratulatory gathering becomes a tense affair in a hospital waiting room. A life is at stake, and 20 years are about to be bridged. First time feature film director and screenwriter Peyv Raz establishes the pace early with Clarity on as two cultures, two families, are forced to unite under potentially tragic circumstances. The characters are laid bare early on, huge decisions are to be made, and long lost secrets unraveled, a whiff of deceit wafts through in moments, as does the harsh reality of the two worlds. What does transpire is likely a direction you were not expecting. And that was Raz’s intention.

Having been too busy to even catch Dunkirk in IMAX yet, Raz claims a love for Christopher Nolans work, “those movies, like Memento, got me hooked on the style.”. The film-maker, who was born in England, wanted to break into the film business “from a different angle. Being a starving artist didn’t appeal to me. I did not want to be broke. If there is one industry you don’t want to get into if you’re desperate, it is this one.”. Wanting to get himself set in life first, a friend of Raz told him “All you need to make it in this industry, is a script they like, and money.” – and he went from there, and soon met industry folk, “and managed to sneak in. I spent 18 years writing 23 screenplays, and I made about 40 shorts,” continues Raz, “And eventually got close to 40 and thought, I am or am not going to do it.”. The producer that read the script, and liked it, helped raise the money to get Clarity off the ground – “We put together a very difficult, and short, shooting schedule, to see if I could get it done, that I could prove I could make a feature film.”. Now, with Clarity released on VOD tomorrow (Tuesday 22nd August), Raz is looking forward to pre-production this coming November on his next project, Possessions, the start of a trilogy, a supernatural thriller – also a graphic novel to be released at the same time.

“When I  wrote Clarity I was trying to make Possessions.” he begins explaining the motivation behind it, “One day my son was sitting next to me on the couch, and on the TV came this kind of news / documentary about this problem were 100,000 children a year are being kidnapped from third world country resorts, and sold to other countries for illegal adoptions, and God knows what else.”. The screenwriter’s creative juices flowed, but with a close, moral tag attached – what would that be like if it happened to his son? “I started forming a story and a narrative about what would happen. And then to actually find the parents. I came up with the story – my son was the motivation for that.”.

With a couple of recognizable faces in the small cast, including Nadine Velazquez (Catalina in My Name is Earl), and Dina Meyer (Saw, Friends, Starship Troopers), Raz met a Scott David (has cast Criminal Minds, 2012), who said “I like the script”, and he brought up Dina Meyer. Raz goes on to add that “at the same time one of my biggest allies in Hollywood was George Folsey, who worked with John Landis as an editor, and producing partner. They did a string of films, like Animal House, Coming to America, Trading Places. And he knew Nadine from another film he was editing. He said she would be perfect to play Carmen.”- they met, and spoke about the role. Raz was in the right place with the right people.

Asked how he directed his performers for the more emotive, dramatic scenes, Raz told me: “I would spend as much time privately with them as I can, try not to have them interact with each other too much prior to the scenes. We go over the intent of the character in the scene, allow them to change some of the dialogue as long as they don’t change key words or lines, and change the intent of the scene. And they appreciate that. They can formulate it in a way that they think how they would react as the character, and not be so stringent.”. Raz’s own directing style means he would spend a lot of time prior to shooting with the DP, allowing the technical staff more say on the set so that he can spend more time with the actors.

Clarity is impressive in its color palette, the contrast of the sparse white / green medical architecture of Las Vegas, to the glowing, burning oranges of the heat of Mexico. A very intentional execution from Raz, “I felt Mexico was different from shooting in Las Vegas. We went to the slums, a very rural area, the people there were very warm, but I felt the struggles they go through are very different from ours.”. I commented that is must have been tricky to balance the time drifts as well as the change of location. But that came in the writing, so pacey at times, I was not surprised to hear how much they had to chop to make it so tight.

“Some days I got to the set, and the schedule was so tough to shoot, I was changing three pages of screenplay into one, rewriting some scenes right there and then.” a humble Raz explains, “This was while we were shooing and then in the edit with George. I was so fortunate to be able to sit with him for months to work on the pacing. His feel towards films is to keep them moving, The first time I gave him Possessions to read he said ‘that’s 192 pages! This is not The Hobbit, this is a horror film’ – that’s the way I write, so I need people like that around me to keep me from dragging things along.”.

And then we have that ending. What we were building up to all along. “We had five or six screenings, and there was a lot of talk about the ending.”, Raz goes on to reveal his importance for story, “For me, the way I write, is to write the entire story first, then worry about the dialogue, the voices. I actually wrote the ending before everything else.”. Raz ha a general belief that in life there is always a price to pay – “and that is the moral of the story at the end. The film has been shown in Spain, and people were asking me about the ending, and making outlandish theories. It was fascinating giving people something to talk about.”.

Although the varying strands of drama are elevated to a captivating level in Clarity, the plot rolls along conveniently. And with the mystery of the ending (there will be no spoilers here today), I was reminded of the suspense, melodramas of the 50s perhaps, not quite Hitchcockian, but still wondered if Raz was influenced by any of this era: “Absolutely. Film is about entertainment, not just art. My responsibility is to entertain, while giving over my voice – and you have to have a good ending. For me, every script I have written that people liked, it was because it takes them through a kind of journey, that they are not sure where it is going, and where it ends up might not be what the average person thought it was. That’s not intentional. Those are my favorite type of films. Not necessarily with a happy ending, but I have always gravitated to films like that.”. I look forward to seeing where Payv Raz takes us next.

Clarity will be available on DVD and VOD on August 22 2017

Masterpiece Memo: L’enfer d’Henri-Georges Clouzot

“You have to see your madness through. You have to take responsibility to the end… I believe there’s a job to do every day and from time to time, ideas do or don’t come. It’s like a seed you plant in the earth. Every day, you water it and whatever grows will grow. And there’s no point pulling the stem to make it grow faster. If you do, you uproot it and that’s that!” – – – Henri-Georges Clouzot

L’enfer d’Henri-Georges Clouzot (Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno) is the apt title for a piece of abstract art, “kinetic art” as the French film-maker himself would have claimed. A 2009 documentary depicting the reels and reels of film left behind, and the story that goes with it, of what is unquestionably tagged the greatest film never made.

Assembled by Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea, they happened upon Clouzot’s widow Inès, from there it was apparent there was a regretfully unfinished film Inferno, from 1964, which the director believed was his most essential work – and nobody would ever see it. The documentary tells of how this enigmatic non-event warrants the fame and place in cinemas prestigious history. 185 cans of film, consisting of 13 hours of  shot, exposed film. No sound, just images.

With renowned, established greats behind him, L’assassin, Le Corbeau, Quai des Orfèvres, Le salaire de la peur, Les Diaboliques, La Vérité, Clouzot openly suffered from insomnia, with a bout of depression in his history, when started to creative a story that gave physical, visual presence of anxiety and neurosis. Inferno became the obsessive perspective of Marcel, pathologically jealous of his new wife Odette. The script opened with the happy couple but would waste little time in rocking the stability of this fresh relationship.

Following Le mystère Picasso, Clouzot saw a different art form he could be passionate about, and this new wave of creative thinking would aid the development of his new project. Clouzot’s ambitious vision would certainly show in the endless footage of Inferno, so much of which makes it to this illustrious documentary. Unseen rushes of Clouzot and Romy Schneider meeting, hanging out like college kids. Schneider, at 26, was considered a big deal then, not quite 10 years after Sissi in 1955 – the making of her – it was rumored the part of the desirable Odette was written with Schneider in mind.

Marcel’s obsessive jealousy was magnified through such a dynamic use of color, camera framing, dazzling motion tricks, roaming lighting, I mean this is the kind of technical achievements that still knocks you out of your seat today. Inferno was to be a black and white film crammed with a kaleidoscope of emotion-fueled colors. Visions and fantasies, vivid and intoxicating, explode with disorientating colors and light, women appear to wear blue lipstick, the lake inverts to a rich red, . But also, the incomparably radiant Romy Schneider dominates much of the fallacy sequences, revolving glares reveal and hide the contours of her face, glowing tones, the character of Odette licks a front-of-lens water-fall, snippets of arousing caresses, oil-covered flesh, reverse motion of her smoking, plus an immaculately shot of a nude Schneider laying on a track as a train approaches. Words do not do any of this justice.

To state Inferno was a big budget production was only skimming the surface, not an epic film but rather an intricate, super-explorative attempt to feed Clouzot’s unrelenting cinematic eye. That he demanded so much in preparation and execution both emphasized he pure passion and determination, but also shining a light on the difficult working conditions, cast and crew wore down by re-shoots, days and days of shooting, meticulous construction.

Was Clouzot himself obsessive and pathological, like the character of Marcel? Turns out, actor Serge Reggiani (who played Marcel) left the film late into the shoot – he and Clouzot locked horns and only served to build the tension. Clouzot later suffered a heart attack while on location, Schneider herself summarized that this was a turning point that needed to happen to sadly halt the project, his unfinished symphony.

Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea demonstrate a real, raw pride here in bringing as much of this forgotten dream back to life – clearly they are fans of Clouzot. Accompanying the delicious archive footage of Henri-Georges Clouzot, Romy Schneider and co, the documentarians employ Bérénice Bejo (as Odette) and Jacques Gamblin (Marcel) to read lines of dialogue from Clouzot’s rich, unraveling screenplay. A genius move, able to bring to the screen some of the naturalistic exchanges of pure paranoia. Various V.I.P. interviewees providing much of the first-hand accounts of Clouzot’s journey include Costa-Gavras, Jacques Douy, Inès Clouzot, while Janice Jonesusic’s editing pulls it all together, and Bruno Alexiu’s score fits the era and enigma perfectly.

L’enfer d’Henri-Georges Clouzot is an integral part of not just the history of cinema, but also a prestigious reflection on the modern movie. Documentaries continue to bang down the door, their significance is matched by their stimulation. The beautiful, bewildering, images of Romy Schneider is enough to compel, but the untold story of Clouzot’s Inferno has to be seen in all its glory – the film that was never to be seen by audiences proves to be both a tragedy and a victory for the art of film. A treasure to keep close to your cinematic heart for all time.

 

Masterpiece Memo: Le salaire de la peur (Wages of Fear)

The Fifties, that squeaky-clean decade of that saw the birth of the suburbs, strict morality and, the McCarthy era, also had the misfortune to precede the Sixties and Seventies in film history because the number of industry–challenging styles of storytelling positively exploded in the latter two. Since then, with a couple of major exceptions like All About Eve, Bridge on the River Kwai, etc., we pretty much dismissed the majority of 50s films as anything other than light entertainment. Looking back, the glare from the artistic innovations of the second golden era eclipsed the years immediately prior.

I had seen a crappily clipped cut of Wages of Fear on the Channel 5 Late Night Movie when I was a teenager, but it wasn’t until Criterion released their restored 1999 set did I really see it. It immediately landed on my all-time top ten and has bobbed up and down there ever since. I watch the film about once a year, marveling in its style, subtlety and, most of all, heart.

As a director, here’s a lot going on in Henri-Georges Clouzot’s head, especially when it connects to Georges Arnaud’s 1950 novel. Although fairly apolitical, Clouzot is an acute observer; he knows (and shows) that there’s always a story behind the story. As well, he has an impeccable eye for functional artistry. His rain is wetter, his desert wind, hotter, and his dust, grittier. He reaches a climax with this technique by the end of the film with oil – the visual viscosity will have you wanting an immediate shower.

The same goes for his characters – there are no true heroes or villains, just situations where the chemistry of the moment forces them to assume one role or the other. It’s also notable that his characters do not control what happens to them. They are chaff in the wind, flying this way and that under forces far stronger than their abilities. This is what Pauline Kael called, in her rave review, an “existential thriller”.

On the surface, the story is simple…too simple. An oil company hires some drivers to take supply truck to help extinguish a fire at a remote rig. Very straight forward until Clouzot begins to add the layers, and the first impressive layer is Las Piedras, the most godforsaken remote town you’ll probably ever see on film. Southern Oil Company has the town under it’s thumb, regularly exploiting the locals and expats stranded there, who, quite literally, have nothing to do and no place to go. They surrender to the dust, heated wind, and severe boredom, waiting for any opportunity to change things up or get the hell out.

So who are these ne’er-do-wells that society has seemingly abandoned here? Add another layer – WWII ended less than a decade ago, so the nationality of the main characters is telling: a Corsican (Yves Montand), a Frenchman (Charles Vanel), an Italian (Folco Lulli), and a German (Peter Van Eyck). Although we never learn all the biographical details behind each, Clouzot conveys enough through dialog and body language to show that they each carry a sizable amount of baggage in their lives, including generous reserves of interpersonal resentment and mistrust. Flare-ups are inevitable.

Opportunity knocks at last. The oil company has had a blowout at a remote rig and needs drivers to take supplies there as fast as possible. The next layer, however – the roads are slow, rocky, washboarded and rut–riddled, definitely not scaled for rapid delivery especially when the cargo is nitroglycerine. The slightest jiggle or bump and any trace of you or your truck are obliterated instantly. Naturally, our four expats jump at the opportunity to make an “easy” couple thousand dollars – it’s just driving, after all. They pair off and take the two trucks on the road, thirty minutes apart to prevent losing both trucks should one have a mishap.

The jump from the tedium of town life to the ever-increasing tension on the road is classic suspense – with a capital S. Clouzot achieves this through artful cutting, camera angles and, most effectively, filming scenes at night. Imagine night on a road littered with death traps in the form of small rocks and potholes. The way he shoots these scenes you can almost feel the night heat and smell the fuel exhaust, all the while reading the faces of the increasingly nervous drivers. There are a few classic obstacles – like a dilapidated wooden platform over a chasm that the trucks must use to make one of the many hairpin turns on a ribbon of road clinging to the mountainside. Disaster does occur, but instead of glorious Hollywood pyrotechnics, Clouzot brilliantly telegraphs this with a single match, lit for a cigarette, being extinguished by a puff of wind, part of a shock wave from an explosion.

By the time the final credits roll, we’ve been informed that we are mere cogs in a larger machine. Although the film won the Palmes D’Or at Cannes and the Golden Bear in Berlin and BAFTA’s Best Film awards, the film didn’t do well in the US. Why? This was 50s America – commies were everywhere. Clouzot’s negative portrayal of a large oil company was considered “anti-American.” They were not able to stop the release completely, but did manage to get 21 minutes – twenty-one minutes! – cut in the US print.

There are many film buffs out there who have never had the desire to pick up Wages of Fear, maybe because of its age, subtitles (the film is multi-lingual), or the fact that it is in B&W. I’m telling you now – it is one of the greatest films ever made. It isn’t showy and doesn’t get in your face, it goes directly to your head. A highly recommended watch.

3 Fantastic Henri-Georges Clouzot Films And Where To Find Them

Several people I spoke to very recently were open about not only their lack of knowledge of French film-maker Henri-Georges Clouzot, but also that they had seen hardly any of his films – a couple claimed they had seen zero. What?! To aid those in a similar basket as they follow the latest Directors’ Weekend, here are 3 absolute essentials, all available to stream as follows:

Le salaire de la peur / The Wages of Fear (1953)

Atmospheric from the get-go, the penetrating heat, and then the lure and danger of a big job, The Wages of Fear puts you in harm’s way as the viewer. Not only a dramatic, unforgettable benchmark of cinema, this is one of the greatest movies of all time, period.

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

iTunes

Les diaboliques / Diabolique (1955)

Genuinely calculating, chilling and always compelling, the conspiring thriller is an intelligent, gutsy punch from Clouzot. There’s even a disclosure at the film’s final credits, imploring you not to tell your friends the plot turns here, for you may spoil it. A marvel.

YouTube

Google Play

La Vérité / The Truth (1960)

A finely tuned, impeccable drama, part courtroom, part love story, focusing on the murder trial of Dominique who shoots her lover. The crime itself takes a second gear to the true motive, while movie starlet Brigitte Bardot is incredible here, stealing the show.

MUBI – Free for a limited time

That’s right, it is free on Mubi. You have no excuses. I cannot emphasize the must-see status of these three (and there are several more gems from Clouzot a little trickier to access) – see as many as you can and comment below.

Genre Blast: Not the Funny Pages Anymore – Comics Onscreen

Films based on comic books and their younger, slightly more pretentious sibling, the graphic novel, have enjoyed an immense popularity that only seems to increase as cinema technology begins to catch up with the imaginations of their creators as well as the expectations of fans. Once relegated to Saturday afternoon matinees in serialized format with hysterically low production values, this genre is now home to some of the most expensive and successful films ever made.

 A bit of the shine on the apple is gone as audiences tire quickly with any genre that does not evolve – there have been some real stinkers. “Derivative” is not a label you want because audiences pick-up on it and stay away (after the first weekend of release, of course.) But derivative they must be, especially for established superhero flicks that have entertained us since film began. To avoid this trauma, the genre has gone darker and more risqué, ramping up the sexual references and violence, showing the sometimes-disturbing personality flaws of both the heroes and villains.

 It’s not all about flying strongmen – or women – anymore, either. The graphic novel has seized upon crime, in particular, for their tabloid style storytelling using drawings to replace those thousands of words. It’s an effective device and, if the filmmaker is smart, provides a blueprint for the style and substance of the films.

 When they are dark, these films can go where no others dare because they are firmly moored in the fantastical world of make-believe. Dark, whimsical, irreverent, even satirical, they are the modern centuries’ replacement for mythology. Whether it’s the serialized periodical comic or the single publication graphic novel, seeing them personified by big name actors on a wide screen is catnip for the young and young-at-heart.

Deadpool     Tim Miller   (2016)

Make no mistake – the smartest thing Ryan Reynolds ever did was to attach himself to this product. Funny, irreverent, sexually charged – let’s just say the character fits him like a glove. From the riotous title sequence opening the film (that includes a hilarious teabagging moment) to the gag take on post end credit treats, Miller’s film is the first of this genre in a long time to whet the appetite for more, more, more. Smart and smartass make compelling bedfellows.

 

Superman    Richard Donner (1978)

“You’ll believe a man can fly”, was the tagline in ’78. “Sure,” we said, “but how much weed will we need to make it work?” It was a pre-CGI environment and the natural laws of physics prevailed – man cannot fly and all attempts to create that illusion generally came off as, well, tacky. Yet, this film succeeded and became the first superhero film of the modern era. Brando, Hackman, Valerie Perrine, and a wonderfully charming Margot Kidder (as Lois Lane) weave (or was it macramé in the 70s) a comfortable supporting cast net to Christopher Reeve’s (still the best) Clark/Superman. The in-your-face opening credit sequence where titles seem to evaporate into the audience to John Williams’ rousing score hasn’t lost its thunder either.

 

The Dark Knight   Christopher Nolan   (2008)

So we thought that Jack Nicholson’s Joker was just about as far as one could go into the realm of horrifying craziness, then along comes Chris Nolan with Heath Ledger in tow and…BAM! POW! First Oscar for a comic book character ever awarded, unfortunately, posthumously – something else that has only happened once before. Tim Burton’s Batman broke ground by taking Batman into the shadows, but Nolan plunges the legend into the pitch-blackness physically and psychologically. Everybody in this film is either damaged goods or well on the way to becoming so. The rivalry between good and evil is fierce, even when we aren’t certain who is which. TDK (wasn’t it this film that started the whole acronym thing with movie titles?) is brilliant and accounts for 80% of the reasoning why Nolan will receive a best director Oscar this year for the far more “noble” endeavor, Dunkirk.

 

Road to Perdition   Sam Mendes   (2002)

Max Allan Collins’ moody depression-era graphic novel about a mob hit man and his young son was well served by filmmakers, particularly cinematographer Conrad Hall. It may have been Hall’s last film before his death, but it was a stunning achievement in a career stacked with accomplishments, always landing Perdition on every top ten cinematography poll taken since. Like the graphic novel, the visuals overpower the story, but it’s not without its plusses, mostly revolving around Sullivan’s relationship with his kid, complicated by the violent (and unlawful) aspects of his job. With Tom Hanks in the lead role, the battle to reconcile his roles as father and hit man into something workable is a believable conflict that, of course, has one possible ending. Sam Mendes directs his second film, on the heels of American Beauty.

 

A History of Violence   David Cronenberg   (2005)

David Cronenberg’s adaptation of the John Wagner/Vince Locke graphic novel is a rough but rewarding ride. Viggo Mortensen is Tom, a diner-owner who may or may not have been a gang henchman and who has since married and has a family. His cover is blown when he defends his business, dispatching the would-be robbers in a surprisingly efficient manner. His hero status begins to come under scrutiny, upsetting both his safety and the family peace. Ashton Holmes, Maria Bello, William Hurt, and Ed Harris each give strong support and Cronenberg always takes those extra steps beyond our expectations. He is one director who can be labeled as “fearless”.

I could have easily inserted Snowpiercer in this genre had I not used it already, and both Road to Perdition and A History of Violence would have fit nicely into the DADS genre published for Fathers Day, but in order to spread the wealth, ya only git one shot. Ah, the complexities of genre sorting….

Reading, Writing, Arithmetic #31

The long overdue, and overly neglected, links series on the site returns to pay respect to just some of the fine, informative, intriguing writing on Henri-Georges Clouzot, the French film-maker who is the subject of the Directors Weekend this time around.

Henri-Georges Clouzot On The Criterion Collection

Senses Of Cinema Great Directors: Henri-Georges Clouzot

Noir City Sentinel PDF: Henri-Georges Clouzot

Diabolique Articles On TCM

The Mystery of Picasso: Landmark Film of a Legendary Artist at Work, by Henri-Georges Clouzot

Taste Of Cinema Filmmaker Retrospective: The Suspense Cinema of Henri-Georges Clouzot

Cinema Scope Interview – Heaven and Hell: L’enfer d’ Henri-Georges Clouzot

NZIFF Review: The Lost City of Z

The Christchurch leg of the New Zealand International Film Festival is creeping ever closer to the final few days; but there are still magnificent films on offer until the curtain falls this coming weekend. While my chosen films have ranged from the cerebral (Stalker, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) to the heart-warming (Spookers), there have also been selections which definitely appeal to a wider audience – the first being Toa Fraser’s 6 Days (starring Mark Strong, Jamie Bell and Abbie Cornish), the second being James Gray’s The Lost City of Z.

Based on the book by David Grann, The Lost City of Z revolves around Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam delivering a remarkable performance), a military man whose work for the Royal Geographical Society leads him to map hitherto uncharted areas in South America. After initial reluctance to undertake such a mission, Fawcett develops a thirst to uncover what he believes is a place untouched and undiscovered by European explorers: the lost city of Z. At times mocked for his explorations, other times applauded, he delves deep into the jungles of South America, leaving behind his beloved wife Nina and his children in order to achieve his quest.

If you’re expecting a rip-snorting journey through the jungles, the sort of stuff of Boy’s Own annuals (Piranhas! Angry tribesmen! Certain death!), you may come away unsatisfied. Although in the first act of the film it does feature this type of adventure, the story is very much more focused on Fawcett’s inner motivations.

There is a great deal of adventure, but this is less in the vein of anything Indiana Jones would have undertaken, and more a hero’s inner journey. Charlie Hunnam’s Fawcett is not a foaming-at-the-mouth eccentric, in fact he is quite the opposite. And though he is obsessed with finding his lost city, there is a genuine serenity to him. It’s as if the act of searching is enough to quiet his restless soul. Tellingly, when he is forced into World War I on the front lines, it’s not a picture of wife Nina that he carries with him as a talisman…it’s a charcoal sketch of the jungle. His motivation to stay alive during the war is not for the sake of his wife and children, it’s so he can venture through the Amazon again, searching for his lost city.

Hunnam has such remarkable presence as Percy Fawcett, so much so it’s hard not to get wrapped up in his motivations without a thought for Sienna Miller’s Nina. And Miller is equally commanding in her role. While she stays behind in England, looking after the Fawcett children, she’s no simpering brood mare. There is a spark and an energy to Sienna Miller’s performance that elevates the character. And while James Gray’s script gives the character more room to move than other women in the time period, there’s always conditions – Nina is an equal partner in the marriage, but not in exploration. As frustrating as that might be, it’s reasonably authentic to the thinking of the times. Gray tries not to put a modern glaze on a historical time period.

Robert Pattinson (also appearing in NZIFF 2017 selection Good Time) exudes a maturity well beyond his years, almost unrecognizable in his role as Henry Costin. Costin and Fawcett are two sides of the same coin, and Hunnam and Pattinson have a dynamic that works magnificently in this film. And while only appearing in the last third of the film, Spiderman: Homecoming’s Tom Holland (playing Percy’s eldest son, Jack) is a scene-stealer; exuding a remarkable quiet intensity that is both moving and mature. Expect big things from Holland going forward.

And while this is a thoroughly enjoyable, beautifully filmed and acted piece of drama…there are a few places where character or plot development would have been welcome. For instance, Nina Fawcett is credited with assisting Percy to find archived documentation regarding the lost city…but it’s only acknowledged during a Royal Geographic Society meeting and with a single shot of Nina handing the paper proudly to Percy. Seeing her contribution to his research and subsequent journey might have been a welcome interlude.

Also, Pattinson’s Costin is drunkenly thrust upon the audience in the first part of the film. We have little explanation into his character or motivations, and there’s even less information about his background. The father-son dynamic between Jack and Percy is left a little wanting. There’s such a to-do about Percy leaving for the War and Jack’s disillusionment and disappointment (because Percy has been such an absent father in his formative years), but then there’s a giant leap in their relationship years later when there is more than a little hero worship from Jack towards his father and a desire to follow in his footsteps. Perhaps, as a viewer, I ended up so absorbed in the drama that I wanted to know more…perhaps I was swept up in the story and immersed in the characters and their motivations that I was like an outsider in the cold, looking in and wanting to warm myself by the fire and hear their tales. If that’s the case (and I suspect it may well be), then James Gray’s script is made even more remarkable by this fact.

Nevertheless, The Lost City of Z was definitely one of the more audience-friendly picks at NZIFF. It’s more accessible than some of its Film Festival counterparts, and was definitely the best way to spend an evening. Beautifully filmed, remarkable performances from every single cast member, and a wildly engaging tale.

Lynnaire MacDonald, Publicist and Founder, Film Sprites PR