Farhadi is one of those directors, like Fatih Akin and - sad to say because I used to like him a lot - Christian Mungiu, where whatever aesthetic ideas they had at one point has become calcified and they're basically just great scripts. It's doubly sad because they're both taking up space that could go to good image-makers, but we're sorta also missing out on some very good novelists.
― Frederik B, Wednesday, 9 May 2018 09:54 (six years ago) link
Most directors -- the good ones anyway -- have a pretty strict set of aesthetic ideas and things they think about, either in the content of their scripts, their politics and how some of these are transmitted visually. So no Mungiu isn't taking up space, the execution is still there w/ Graduation
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 11 May 2018 16:31 (six years ago) link
Nah, it's crap.
― Frederik B, Friday, 11 May 2018 20:08 (six years ago) link
So far the competition seems a bit so-so. The Godard sounds predictably great, but I'm not that excited by the rest. The Serebrennikov turns out to be a biopic about Viktor Tsoi from the Russian band Kino, but it sounds quite pedestrian and way too pleasant for it's subject. The 8 hour Wang Bing about Chinese death camps sounds absolutely amazing, on the other hand.
― Frederik B, Friday, 11 May 2018 20:10 (six years ago) link
im not sure I've the fortitude for an 8 hour documentary about death camps in the gobi desert
― ( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Friday, 11 May 2018 20:16 (six years ago) link
idk this could be great but honestly the prospect of sitting through a pessimistic feature-length screed writing off the future from the POV of an old-ass dude sounds like torture to me sorry
http://www.indiewire.com/2018/05/the-image-book-review-jean-luc-godard-cannes-1201963343/
― Simon H., Friday, 11 May 2018 21:04 (six years ago) link
I'd honestly much rather have full on fatalism than the faux concerned cynicism of someone like Bigelow or Villeneuve. And politically, it can't really be any stupider than his Dziga Vertov films, no? More Godardian montage-essay is a-ok with me. This new short was good as well:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO5Y6wlPn5kIt's an attack on Macron, who sent riot forces to handle protesters at the Notre-Dame-des-Landes (NDDL) designating it a Zone a Defendre (ZAD) or 'defence zone'. Or at least I think it is.
― Frederik B, Friday, 11 May 2018 21:18 (six years ago) link
i am very excited about this film
ASH IS PUREST WHITE: perhaps the finest “stop snitching” film to ever come out of China. Makes a clean companion with MMD in its elliptical timeline, its charting of wide scale change, and its delightful disco dancing.— Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse) May 11, 2018
― devvvine, Friday, 11 May 2018 21:28 (six years ago) link
now THAT I can rock with
― Simon H., Friday, 11 May 2018 21:43 (six years ago) link
xpost Friends in the know have told me the Godard short is a fake :/
― Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 11 May 2018 23:24 (six years ago) link
haven't seen any of these
― flopson, Friday, 11 May 2018 23:53 (six years ago) link
after what Jeff Wells wrote about the Honore film (he walked out of it cuz it was "cummy") i will probably punch him in the face if i ever see his stupid mug again.
― the ignatius rock of ignorance (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 12 May 2018 00:35 (six years ago) link
hate that motherfucker so much
― Simon H., Saturday, 12 May 2018 00:38 (six years ago) link
it's like Rex Reed went into the Black Lodge and came out a hetero aspect-ratio nitwit
― the ignatius rock of ignorance (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 12 May 2018 01:31 (six years ago) link
A world where a Jeff Wells gets to cover Cannes has already gone thru the Black Lodge.
― nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Saturday, 12 May 2018 01:50 (six years ago) link
Nah, it's crap.― Frederik B, Friday, 11 May 2018 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Frederik B, Friday, 11 May 2018 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Like I said, convinced.
― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 12 May 2018 10:59 (six years ago) link
https://d1nslcd7m2225b.cloudfront.net/Pictures/1200xany/4/9/0/1282490_Jury-Grid-DAY-5.jpg
― Alba, Sunday, 13 May 2018 09:17 (six years ago) link
And here are the Chinese critics
#Cannes2018 Our Chinese critics didn’t enjoy Girls of the Sun pic.twitter.com/7mktWT706a— Chinese Critics Grid (@CriticsGrid) May 13, 2018
― Alba, Sunday, 13 May 2018 09:22 (six years ago) link
Update on the Screen International list
We have a new leader atop the @Screendaily critics jury grid. #Cannes2018 pic.twitter.com/hyM5f4Sm2j— Tim Grierson (@TimGrierson) May 13, 2018
― Alba, Sunday, 13 May 2018 10:03 (six years ago) link
I've never seen (or even previously heard of) any Rohrwacher's stuff before but this sounds neat
http://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/happy-as-lazzaro-review-1202808832/
― Simon H., Monday, 14 May 2018 12:26 (six years ago) link
Both Corpo Celeste and The Wonders are really great. She is a major new filmmaker. Alba Rohrwachers sister :)
― Frederik B, Monday, 14 May 2018 12:57 (six years ago) link
I've been trying not to read too much about Lazzaro Felice so as not to spoil the surprise. The Wonders was lovely and memorable. Corpo Celeste is available on the library streaming app Kanopy, so maybe I'll watch that this week
― Dan S, Monday, 14 May 2018 13:51 (six years ago) link
the trailer for the LVT is less than encouraging tbh
― Simon H., Monday, 14 May 2018 14:09 (six years ago) link
Kore-eda's Shoplifters is also getting pretty great reviews. Sounds like it has echoes of Nobody Knows, my favorite film of his so far
― Dan S, Monday, 14 May 2018 18:17 (six years ago) link
After the Storm was the best Kore-eda in years, so I could actually sorta believe he recovered his mojo.
― Frederik B, Monday, 14 May 2018 20:08 (six years ago) link
An outlying opinion, but the best tweet:
Unfortunately the new Spike Lee often reminds me of Three Billboards or the Starsky & Hutch w/ Owen Wilson.— Miriam Bale (@mimbale) May 14, 2018
― Alba, Monday, 14 May 2018 21:15 (six years ago) link
Are you Alba Rohrwacher, Alba? Because if so, cool!
― Frederik B, Monday, 14 May 2018 22:11 (six years ago) link
Yeahhh I'd be happy to be wrong but I'm concerned LVT might have tripped over a little too far into troll mode
So in Lars Von Trier's film premiering at Cannes tomorrow the male characters have names and the women characters are LADY 1, 2, 3 and Simple. I was worried this year's festival was too feminist so I am relieved. #Cannes71 #cannes2018— Another Gaze: A Feminist Film Journal (@anothergaze) May 14, 2018
― Simon H., Tuesday, 15 May 2018 00:14 (six years ago) link
It's the second time in 25 years that LvT has a male protagonist, and he has used nameless characters before. He is not trolling.
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 09:16 (six years ago) link
Lvt's entire career is built on trolling ppl.
Glad to help you understand.
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 09:25 (six years ago) link
Yeah, I've written about him for years, interviewed his collaborators, he is not trolling.
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 10:47 (six years ago) link
he's too frequently a clown (and not a good one)
― the ignatius rock of ignorance (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 11:16 (six years ago) link
The weird thing about LVT is that people seem much more keen on reviewing him than reviewing his films. Maybe it's that fear of being fooled that does this.
― Alba, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 12:05 (six years ago) link
he's in his films
― the ignatius rock of ignorance (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 12:24 (six years ago) link
― Frederik B, Tuesday, May 15, 2018 5:47 AM (one hour ago)
You will forgive some of those on the thread for engaging in a little consideration of the source here.
― nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 12:35 (six years ago) link
How so?
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 13:08 (six years ago) link
Well, calling LVT not a troll is a pretty good place to start.
― nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 13:10 (six years ago) link
And end, apparently.
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 13:21 (six years ago) link
I'm cool with that.
― nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 13:24 (six years ago) link
Well, let me oblige you: Lars von Trier is not a troll.
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 14:18 (six years ago) link
The fact that he has worked with ppl and that you've written about him and talked to him doesn't mean he isn't a troll.
It means you haven't picked up on it.
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 15:17 (six years ago) link
Not to make a big thing out of it but I like/love a lot of his movies (and think he's done some of his best work recently) but I wouldn't deny he has trollish tendencies at the very least.
― Simon H., Tuesday, 15 May 2018 15:40 (six years ago) link
*as I like/love etc
Someone who spends as much time on every detail of his films as Lars von Trier does is not a troll. His composers constantly map out everything with him, and rearranges and records the classical pieces he uses so that they fit the film - doubling instruments, changing instrumentation. It's like the difference between Milo and Jordan Peterson. 'Maps of Meaning' is idiotic and gibberish, but it's not the work of a troll.
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 15:59 (six years ago) link
This might be better discussed on a dedicated LVT thread but I don't see how meticulousness precludes trollishness
― Simon H., Tuesday, 15 May 2018 16:03 (six years ago) link
What Simon said (Dogville is clearly a key 21st century movie, I think). Maybe we're disagreeing on the definition of troll here. One can put a lot of effort and care into a piece of art, but if the outcome is intended to be confrontational, that's the work of a troll, no matter how skilled.
― nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 16:04 (six years ago) link
Lawful evil, as opposed to chaotic evil
― nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 16:05 (six years ago) link
confrontational? like, dada?
Dogville was a key 3 hours of pain in my life
― the ignatius rock of ignorance (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 16:07 (six years ago) link
The definition of trolling is just provoking to provoke. Spending so much time on stuff nobody would even consciously pick up on is something else. LvT is provocative, and runs his mouth, but he is not a troll by any definition of the term. He is obsessed with power and violence, and constantly asking whether or not a director should be manipulative and emotionally violent towards his audience - and often, but not always, saying yes. But that's different.
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 16:09 (six years ago) link
And yeah, reducing 'trolling' to just being confrontational is... well, sad? Would you call 'dada' trolling? Bertolt Brecht? Stravinsky?
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 16:10 (six years ago) link