Bradford International Film Festival 2013

 

The Sun has set on another year at the Bradford International Film Festival and for me, this was my first time participating as a volunteer at the event held at the National Media Museum. It was also, I am a bit embarrassed to admit, my first time attending a film festival. And although I shamefully did not get to see many of the vast selection of films on offer, I did, through my volunteering get to see some special screenings and events, all whilst wearing a funky red t-shirt and lanyard.

 

So here are my BIFF highlights seen through the eyes of an enthusiastic film lover, just there to help….

 



Saturday 13th April 2013 Sir Tom Courtenay Screen Talk

Bringing some old school acting class to the proceedings, Sir Tom Courtenay visited the festival to give a screen talk about his evergreen career and to receive a lifetime achievement award. Covering films from the quintessential Bradford based Billy Liar to the epic Doctor Zhivago, through to his most recent film Quartet. Courtenay engaged the audience with warmth and humour, recalling the times when actors were actors. He shared personal anecdotes between himself and Albert Finney, his love for theatre work and a very strong passion for Hull City FC. Though he has a reputation for being a private person, Sir Tom revealed an affable and gracious manner and won over the cinematic hearts of the Pictureville audience.

Sunday 14th April 2013 Aidan Goatley: Ten films with my Dad

Writer/Comedian Aidan Goatley presented an amusing yet affectionate portrait of his childhood and his relationship with his Dad that was conversed through the medium of film. From his father’s early attempts to establish his son’s masculinity by trying to make him walk like John Wayne to spotting a deep fat fryer in a scene from Aliens, Goatley highlighted the familiar scenario that sometimes when it’s hard for parents and children to communicate, there is always a common thread to relate to, in this case, it is film. Particular amusement came from the deconstruction of ‘Oscar nominated’ screenplay Avatar and how awesome war film Went the Day Well is (Thora Hird fighting Nazis!). But the show, for all its chuckles, managed to end on a poignant note, as Aidan revealed how his Dad orchestrated a decade long plan to take his son to America to pay homage to his son’s favourite movie The Blues Brothers. The show ended by reminding us that we should not take our loved ones for granted and that even the little things such as watching a film with your folks are the things in life to cherish.

Thursday 18th April Best of Bug: Adam Buxton

This was my favourite show of the festival probably because I have such an avid interest in the medium of music videos and probably because it contained the best David Bowie impression I have ever heard (two tissues for my eyes). The effortlessly funny and jovial Adam Buxton took the audience on a comedic visual journey into some of the best music videos on the internet, combined with smatterings of witty observations, the joys of YouTube comments and the perils of visiting A & E with earache. It also brought to my attention some music videos that I had not seen before and which blew me away with their creative content. All the videos should be listed and praised for their various innovations and techniques however the stand outs for me were

Foals- My Number

Foals: My Number- Motion capture technology used to ingenious effect as the band and the world around them is made up of dot to dot images that are joined up and coloured in. The video evokes past time pursuits with striking visuals.



Willow-Sweater

Willow: Sweater- The simplest ideas often become the most eye catching as the lead singer Pieter-Jan Van Den Troost of Willow is seen walking in a blank room whilst images are projected behind and around him. This allows him to encompass everything from riding the train to experiencing a deep sea water adventure. The projections seamlessly flow into one another creating a perfect backdrop to the song.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Sacrilege- Proving sometimes all you need is a startling afflicting narrative and some reverse editing to produce a sombre poignant video.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Sacrilege

 

Buxton could have easily continued the show all night and the audience would have welcomed this however with time against his side, when the show finished I was left thoroughly entertained yet eager for more. Hopefully Mr Buxton will roll the Bug circus into town sometime in the future.

 

 

 

 Saturday 20th/Sunday 21st April 2013 The Dodge Brothers

The Dodge Brothers, who have become legends in the BIFF folklore, brought their own brand of skit music to the closing party of the festival on Saturday evening and an intimate ho down was had by all. On Sunday the band took to the stage in the Pictureville to provide the score to silent Soviet film ‘The Ghost that Never Returns’. Using instruments from washboards to a Theremin, The Dodge Brothers accompaniment was faultless and haunting, provoking and enhancing the images of the film. And the band seemed like a really nice bunch of guys too, who had enthusiasm and time for anyone who wanted to chat to them after their performance. This proved to be the perfect end to my time volunteering at the Bradford International Film Festival.

Special Mention to
BIFF by night

In the early evenings the Museum’s café would be transformed into a haven for music lovers, with BCB radio providing the soundtrack to the festival and presenting live music acts for visitors to enjoy in between events and screenings. This became my favourite down time between my volunteering duties, to relax in the café to music that I actually like (Boards of Canada! Broadcast! Scott Walker!). This is a rare thing to find in most mainstream establishments and left me with a big smile on my face and for me personally, enriched the experience of the festival, to be surrounded by people with open and experimental film and music taste.

Oscars 2013- A Review

The red carpet is rolled up and stored away again and so another Oscar’s ceremony has come and gone. The famous, beautiful and fluffy (Ted) gathered in the Kodak theatre to hear the fate of the cinematic nominees. And though there were some guaranteed winners (Hathaway, Day-Lewis), it was a genuinely exciting race to the gongs, with the speculation of the winner of Best Picture in fluctuation throughout the evening. Here is my round up of the night

The Good

Christophe Waltz- Charming Basterd

Walking away with his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Django Unchained, Waltz is always a pleasure to watch on the big screen and at awards ceremonies. Classy, gracious and always sincerely taken aback at winning, Tarantino summed the great man up in his own acceptance speech by declaring that Waltz makes his words sound like poetry. In a category of great performances, no one would resent his win, which was truly deserved being the best thing about Django Unchained.

The boys got the moves

Though Seth MacFarlane’s opening performance wasn’t entirely successful (more on that later) the dancing sequences provided old school glamour and the chance to see Channing Tatum (with Amazonian partner Charlize Theron) looking like a chunky necked Fred Astaire. Also pulling out the moves was the ever charming Joseph Gordon Levitt and even caterpillar eyebrows Daniel Radcliffe busted out the steps in retro fashion. Some of the female audience may have grumbled that Tatum didn’t strip during his dance routine but he proved he could be just as charismatic dancing in a suit and tails as he is in a Mac and umbrella.


Ang Lee- Life of Smile

He may not have won the Best Picture for Life of Pi but Ang Lee did receive the Best Director Oscar and a standing ovation in the process. Steering the seemingly impossible ship of filming Yann Martel’s novel, Lee created a visual masterpiece that saw him win his second Oscar following Brokeback Mountain. But the real visual highlight is the man himself, with the most infectious smile in the business, Ang Lee is unable to hide his zest for life and that’s why we love and root for him.

Gentle Ben- Affleck comes full circle

Winning the big award of the night and providing the best speech of the evening, Ben Affleck came of age with his win for Best Picture for Argo. Touching on his topsy turvy career from his early success to his popularity dive, Affleck highlighted the fickle nature of Hollywood but also the optimism that with hard work and creative passion, anything is possible with one of the most unexpected career resurrections of recent times. A truly worthy winner Affleck summed up the Hollywood machine and life itself ‘You can't hold grudges. It's hard but you can't hold grudges. And it doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life because that's going to happen. All that matters is you gotta get up’.

Special Mention to

Quvenzhané Wallis- the youngest Best Actress nominee in history at the age of 9, who rocked a fluffy dog bag on the red carpet. Styled with a ball-gown, it was cute, age appropriate and fun.

Jennifer Lawrence- not for the Oscar win but for her spectacular trip on her way to the podium. Showing why Oscar dresses are impractical if you actually want to walk anywhere, Lawrence’s gaff also showed that these Hollywood stars are human after all, which is reassuring when you are sat at home in your scruffs, eating Haribo while watching the Oscars on TV.
The old school singing- Shirley Bassey belting out Goldfinger and Barbara Streisand wearing a 90s choker while singing Memories, it was all fabulously kitsch and all the better for it.






The Bad

No thanks for the music-als

Even though I do have a soft spot for Chicago, its inclusion in the triple musical performances only served to highlight the fact that Catherine Zeta Jones hasn’t had a decent role since the 2002 Oscar winning film. Following All That Jazz was Jennifer Hudson singing her big Dreamgirls number, which was impressive but the vocal gymnastics would have been more at home at the Grammys. The worst part though was to come with the cast of Les Miserables who shouted/sung over each other in a cringe inducing medley (though Crowe’s rock style singing still amuses). The fact that they were set against a backdrop of the film but still dressed in their full regale was jarring, Anne Hathaway singing I dreamed a dream while wearing a sumptuous ball-gown.

 
We’re gonna need a shorter speech

There was some cheeky fun to be had at the decision to play the theme from Jaws to round up the award winners over running speeches, an impending doom to strike fear into the speaker’s hearts. After all who wants to hear someone rabbit on and thank everyone under the sun, from their publicist to their manicurist? But while the A listers were indulged, the seemingly lesser mortals- the sound mixers, the costume designs, the special effects teams- were not afforded this luxury and their time of the podium appeared to get shorter and shorter. These people who work for months and months on their craft, rarely seeing the light of day (or in a lot of cases, their hairdressers) until their effort is done, surely deserve their time to bask in their glory, even if they are not as recognisable as the celebs.

Obamarama

Awards presenters don’t come more random than Michelle Obama who appeared by video link to assist Jack Nicholson in reading the nominees for Best Picture. Whilst a fan of the first lady, the best arms in the business, her inclusion in the Oscars felt unnatural and a little embarrassing, her recital of the nominees was full of cliché. It took the showbiz element of the White House a step too far. The fun of the awards presenters is not knowing if they may slip up or say something off cue and not to have a stiff scripted insertion with an ill placed political edge.


The weird

Beam me up Oscar

Seth MacFarlane’s Oscar gig was by all accounts a big misfire, but the weirdest moment came when William Shatner appeared from the ‘future’ via a giant screen to tell MacFarlane that his hosting was a disaster and how to try and stop that from happening. An ironic self sabotage or an inevitable sign of things to come? Can you try and be kooky and off the wall and still attain the aesthetics of old school Hollywood. I personally didn’t think his hosting was a total calamity but he did not seem to have the audience on his side and that is crucial to the night’s success. As MacFarlane said himself ‘Next year Tina and Amy will be hosting it’. Fingers crossed they bag Fey and Poehler for 2014.

Les Miserables (directed by Tom Hooper)

Tom Hooper’s adaptation of Victor Hugo’s epic musical dramarama is a marmite movie, it is a story which commands a long running time to encompass its multi strand narrative, however with the sole emphasis on singing spectacular and no dialogue, the film would test the patience of the non converted. There is much to admire, from the use of live on set performance (though this is not the first time this has been done, despite misconception) with all the actors giving full blown commitment to their potentially po-faced roles. Hugh Jackman provides the film’s backbone as Jean Valjean, the doomed man who tries to permanently outrun his ill fated past, however his nemesis, Russell Crowe’s Javart falls flat and induced unintentional laughs with his wobbly rock vocal tendencies. Anne Hathaway shakes and breaks as the fatal Fantine but her vocal prowess is no surprise to those who know she likes to hog the microphone at any opportunity. The real revelation here is newcomer Samantha Barks as Eponine, who despite being saddled in between the limp love triangle with Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) and Marius (Eddie Redmayne) manages to take her moment to shine and provide sincere heartbreak. The film continues to be at odds with itself, at times it looks pokey and staged but then becomes vast, flying from one crescendo to the next. It is a movie on the edge, the edge of high drama, each song becomes more turbulent, when you felt this was no longer possible. Les Miserables will delight many, who will relive and rejoice in the beloved musical being brought to the silver screen, a legion of readymade fans waiting to lap it up. It did not convert me however, I somehow was immune to succumbing to the elevated tragic spectacle, and a feeling of exhaustion came over me by the time the end credits rolled. The question is simply, for Les Marmite, which side of the barricades do you stand on?

Django Unchained (directed by Quentin Tarantino)

Tarantino is not a director who does things by halves, and in a week of long running times, tests the patience of his audience with his overlong, overindulgent but entertaining new offering Django Unchained. Tarantino’s Southern Western has all the hallmarks of his classic films- sharp dialogue, devilish characters, an eclectic storming soundtrack and (literal) lashings of violence. However in previous films, Tarantino has managed to balance the absurd with the sadistic, in Django the films serious subject matter sits ill with the droll creations perpetuating the scenes. The film never knows what it wants to be, one minute we have comedic Klu Klux Klan moments, the next we witness the brutal fate of a slave ripped apart by dogs, and so becomes Tarantino’s most problematic film to date. There are performances to saviour through the midst of the moral mind field. Leonardo Di Caprio relishes the chance to be the malicious Calvin Candie, the plantation owner and evil boy emperor. Samuel L Jackson is his conniving loyal house slave Stephen who plays it like an evil version of Uncle Ben. But the film’s true ace though is the never bad Christophe Waltz as bounty hunter Dr King Schultz, a charming, ruthless character who elevates every scene he is in. Waltz can go to each end of the persona spectrum but never loses any inch of charisma. The question is with Django whether you can look beyond the idea that slavery has been (pulp) fictionalised and purely accept it for cinematic purposes. And if you can you will be entertained, take a trip to Candie land and leave your conscious compass at home.

My review of the year

Yes it's another one of those end of the year lists to read (or not to read) but the great thing about cinema is that it is subjective and no one is right or wrong,we just like what we like.
So here are my opinions of the last twelve months in film, prepare to agree/curse as appropriate.

Top Ten films of the year

10) The Hunt (Jagten, directed by Thomas Vinterberg)

Not an easy watch but nevertheless an important thought provoking drama, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt dissects the repercussions that one little white lie can do to an ordinary man. Arriving at cinemas in the wake of recent high profile child abuse cases in the media, the subject of paedophilia, is a mind field but we rarely see what happens when someone we know for sure is falsely accused of the crime but is unable to stop the spiral of destruction that comes from the allegation. Dutch star Mads Mikkelsen is quietly and delicately affecting as nursery worker Lucas who is accused of indecency towards his best friend’s daughter, his restraint whilst his life is turned upside down is hard to understand but beautifully played. The Hunt is one of the saddest films of the year, and perhaps one of the most frightening, as the audience we are passive and can only witness the tragic circumstances that befall Lucas. It is a film and a performance from Mikkelsen, which will stay in the conscious for a long time after.

9) Seven Psychopaths (directed by Martin McDonagh)

Chaotic? Yes. Confused? Yes. Slight of plot? Yes. But incredibly entertaining? Hell yes. Martin McDonagh’s follow up to cult hit In Bruges, is a meta narrative film within a film mash up that Tarantino would be proud of. Colin Farrell, who is much more at home and effective in Independent dramas, plays screenwriter Marty who is struggling to write a follow up to his previous hit script. He becomes embroiled in the Los Angeles crime world after his dim witted friends Billy (Sam Rockwell) and Hans (Christopher Walken) dognap Mafia Boss Charlie’s (Woody Harrelson) most loved possession-a Shih Tzu named Bonny. The script Marty is writing becomes part of the action unfolding and the lines between realities are blurred in a haze of crazy action, zinger one liners and screwball comedy. Every actor brings their zany A game particularly Sam Rockwell, who is the comedic chief nutball and the film demands repeat viewings, if only to take in its quotability factor. Not the smartest or deepest film of the year but certainly the most deliriously entertaining.

8) The Imposter ( directed by Bart Layton)

Whoever coined the term ‘the truth is stranger than fiction’ had obviously just watched The Imposter, the documentary of the disappearance of 13 year old Texan Nicholas Barclay and the unbelievable story of his seemingly ‘reappearance’ three years later. To say anymore would ruin the real life twists and turns for those who have encountered this incredible tale, so for those reading this that have not seen The Imposter, I would urge you to watch the best documentary of the year and an astounding story that leaves you on the edge of your seat. Cleverly told through the use of interviews and re-enactments, it builds to an atmospheric tension akin to a Hollywood thriller. In fact this could be on Ben Affleck’s to do list.

7) Argo (directed by Ben Affleck)

Comeback king Ben Affleck continues his assent as one of Hollywood’s best directors with his most promising work to date. Argo is based on the declassified true story about the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. With few options and running out of time, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Affleck) devises a daring plan: to pose as a film crew making Sci fi movie ‘Argo’ who plan to shoot scenes in Iran, and thus smuggle the Americans out as part of the production crew. Cue tense action, Hollywood in jokes and more beardy peril than you could possibly want. Affleck has assembled the best supporting cast of the year, creating a classy but thoroughly absorbing drama and the film builds up a last act that is so nail biting, I left the cinema with less talons than I went in with. And for those who saw this brilliant piece of filmmaking will know that Argo also produced the best sign off of the year….

6) The Master (directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)

P T Anderson’s latest mind game preoccupations take in the (alleged) founding of Scientology (though the ‘cause’ in the film is never fully identified) and the disillusionment of post WWII America. Phillip Seymour Hoffman chews the scenery as Lancaster Dodd, the Master of the title, who describes himself so charismatically as ‘a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist, a theoretical philosopher, but above all, I am a man’. Joaquin Phoenix, literally sinking to new depths of character inhabitancy, is Freddie Quell, a returning naval veteran in search of meaning who is seduced by Dodd, drawn to him but also sceptical of his methods and unable to contain his own erratic behaviour. Gloriously shot on 65/70mm film, The Master is a sublime piece of filmmaking on every level, from the direction to the Jonny Greenwood’s foreboding score. I sometimes wonder if I entirely ‘get’ a film like this but perhaps that’s not the point, by leaving me slightly cold, it also left me entirely under its hypnotic spell.

5) Life of Pi (directed by Ang Lee)

Ang Lee takes on the unfilmable bestselling Yann Martel novel and wins, creating a visual masterpiece and finally a good use for 3D. The story of the young shipwrecked boy Pi, afloat on his own in the vast ocean with only a Bengal Tiger as his first mate, is so simplistic yet draws on all the big themes of life- love, death and religion. It is also entirely enthralling using its basic structure to dazzling effect, as Pi and the brilliantly named tiger, Richard Parker learn to survive and survive each other. Life of Pi is visually stunning, many scenes look like composed paintings and the effects are truly astonishing, notably Richard Parker who is truly believable as a real tiger who will provoke every emotion from the viewer. Ang Lee has crafted a sumptuous striking adaptation and a tear jerker with real bite.

4) The Artist (directed by Michel Hazanavicius)

This may be technically a 2011 release however as UK viewings arrived in January, I am including this in my list. Though what is (ironically) left to say about this silent gem that stole the show at this years Oscars, claimed the hearts of many film fans and just may have converted some to the delights of B&W cinema. Michel Hazanavicius’ love letter to the 1920s silent era is a film of endearing delight and is something to cherish and celebrate that a film of this nature for one was made and two became so acclaimed and loved. One of the best films of the year and of the decade.

3) Martha Marcy May Marlene (directed by Sean Durkin)

Sean Durkin’s intoxicating debut marked the arrival of a new directing talent but also a major new acting talent in the form of Elizabeth Olsen, who is mesmerising in the central role of Martha, a young girl who escapes an incestuous cult but is haunted by the aftermath of her experience and is unable to adjust to normality. The film is shot between contrasting states of primitive starkness and insular dreaminess and creates a mood of dubious morals and nightmarish beauty. MMMM makes the viewer work hard but this adds to the heightened emotion of the film, one that does not necessarily reward the viewer, but punish them in the best way only this type of cinema can.

2) Rust and Bone (directed by Jacques Audiard)

Jacques Audiard’s follow up to A Prophet (2009) delivers lyrical beauty and heartbreaking performances as a boorish drifter Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) strikes up a relationship with a headstrong Whale trainer Stephanie (Marion Cotillard) who is severely injured in a devastating accident at her work. Audiard has crafted an absorbing drama, exquisitely filmed and utterly haunting. Schoenaert manages to make his character Ali brash yet intriguing, indifferent yet magnetic. Cotillard however steals the show with a multi faceted, beguiling performance. Stephanie is the heart and soul of the film and Cotillard inhibits the role with every fibre of her being. Rust and Bone is raw, captivating and a cinematic testament to redemption and resurrection.

1) Moonrise Kingdom (directed by Wes Anderson)

Look away now if you are a Wes hater but rejoice if you are a convert because Mr Anderson is back on full form, producing the most joyous, giddy trip to the cinema for me this year. Moonrise Kingdom walks the delicate line between malaise and majesty as pint sized pen pals Suzy and Sam run away together, hiding on their home island, pursued by boy scouts, concerned parents and the local police Captain. The usual Anderson posse are here, with the welcome addition of ‘new to the gang’ Bruce Willis and an endearing Edward Norton. Combining the playfulness of youth, the exuberance of first love and the hindsight belief that at 12 years old you are indestructible, Moonrise Kingdom manages to make you simultaneously mourn the loss of childhood and bathe in pre adult nostalgia and that’s just how it should be.

Surprise of the year

21 Jump Street (directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller)

This film shouldn’t have been as funny as it was- based on an old Johnny Depp programme that not many people this side of the shore had seen, it appeared to be just another lazy loose adaptation from a long forgotten concept (the film wittily addressed this itself). The result was a chaotic cocktail of gags and kinetic scenes, 21 Jump Street literally threw everything at the screen to see what stuck. What did was a stream of quotable lines and laugh out loud moments, making it the best comedy of the year.

The 'should have been seen by more people' of the year

Damsels in Distress (directed by Whit Stillman)

Whit Stillman’s pastiche/homage to Liberal Arts College creates a whole unique world of its own, one that would alienate a lot of viewers but deserved to be seen by more people who like their films oddball but with intelligent scripts. Greta Gerwig (on sterling form and impeccable fashion mode) leads the group of Damsels who try to better the world with their own brand of campus camaraderie, from a suicide prevention centre that specialises in aroma therapy to creating a new International dance craze. The film glides along at its own pace and beat of the drum and creates a stylish alternative to the mainstream college set movies. Lets start the campaign for the Sambola on Strictly next year!

Women of the Year

Lena Dunham
Technically not on the list as a film actress, Lena Dunham came into the consciousness this year with her HBO series Girls, a smarter, grittier anecdote to the Sex and the City generation. Through the success of Girls, perhaps Dunham’s previous directorial debut film Tiny Furniture (2010) will gain more viewers, it being the precursor to the drama series. Hailed as the voice of her generation, Dunham certainly does make a refreshing persona, not just for her much publicised ‘normal’ figure but also for her sharp writing and acute observations of modern city women.

Jennifer Lawrence
Already being a fan of Jennifer Lawrence after her affecting, bruised performance as Ree Dolly in 2010’s Winters Bone, she hit the big time this year in the blockbuster adaptation of The Hunger Games. Though she had arrived in the mainstream, Lawrence retained her integrity as Katniss Everdeen and gave young teens a heroine with balls who would not become limp at the sight of a pale moody vampire. She also gave another complex performance in David O Russell’s rom-drom Silver Linings Playbook which was a boy meets girl story with added meds and anger issues. Lawrence also became a favourite with interviewers with her no nonsense, frank attitude. The girl has got it, try not to be jealous.

Marion Cotillard
Proving she can do more than just act bat shit crazy in the films of Christopher Nolan, Marion Cotillard gave an astonishing performance in Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone. At this point she has been nominated for a Golden Globe however her name has not emerged as a front runner leading up the Oscars, though for me, she is my best actress of the year, giving a raw, beautiful, heart rendering turn as Whale trainer coming to terms with a horrific accident. Mesmerising is often a word banded around too lightly but in this case, for me, it was actually what she did to me.

Special mention award

Channing Tatum

For stepping out of his niche of fluffy chick flicks such as Dear John and The Vow, Channing should be awarded for his services to men and women this year with his double header of 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike. In Jump Street, Tatum proved his comedic chops and managed to make a proton hoodie look cool. He surprised a lot of people with his astute comedy timing and his ability to poke fun at his own persona. In Magic Mike, he drew on his past experiences as a male stripper to produce a film of immense guilty pleasure for many women, readdressing the hoards of films that usually cast the female as the object. It was just a shame that the drama side of the film was lost on many, too giddy on Tatum’s double whammy of body and moves. Next year sees him stretching himself further with Bennett Millers Oscar baiting drama about the life of schizophrenic John du Pont, let’s hope he can keep up the good work.

Guest Blogger and Musician Graham Collins on why Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio is his favourite film of the year

Peter Strickland’s horror was an enjoyment of so many levels that it was as wonderful as it was rare to see. The film within a film, set in a 1970s Italian sound studio had layers of enjoyment from the visual element to the sound and music and the historical accuracy of subject matter and surroundings. Being someone that produces music and can be very nerdy about the equipment used to make it, the sound, music and authenticity of this film were what made it such a personal joy. The studio they inhabit is decked out in historically accurate equipment, tape machines, analogue mixing gear etc. and the technical language, comes from someone that knows.
We see Toby Jones character using a WEM Copycat, a 1970s English made tape echo to layer up vocal sounds to brilliant effect, changing the tempo and pitch of the sounds at once making ethereal if eerie drones that cascade in to a cacophony of screams, a technique started at the time and still used in modern horror. The creation of sound is an innate part of the film, destroying various fruits and vegetables in all manner of ways is the soundtracking of both films, whilst the decomposition of their remains within the studio highlights the bizarre world of Foley artistry created to achieve believable sound effects. The sounds themselves blend seamlessly into the score by the ever brilliant Broadcast. Vocal snippets and ideas found on the sadly departed Trish Keenan’s laptop to weave a harrowing and darkly beautiful soundtrack that could be as violent as it was majestic. Conventional strings or synthetic sounds are given the heave ho to allow wordless whispers and mutant electronics to entangle and draw you into Berberian’s strange world.
Entering this little known audio production coven meant opening up the opportunity for people like myself to rip the film to pieces due to its inaccuracy. The fact that it has so many elements that are true to that world, show a love and understanding that can be felt by us sound geeks. That it does this whilst creating a unique and beguiling soundtrack made this a true highlight of the year for me.


                                 
Usually I write a piece about the flops (in my eyes) of the year but I tend to avoid films that I know I will not enjoy though I am partial to watching really bad horrors and there has been plenty of them in 2012. The only two films that I can think that did not live up to my expectations were Walter Salles On the Road, which was a faithful and admirable adaptation but was missing something that is unfortunately hard to pinpoint. I also (don’t hate me for saying this) found The Dark Knight Rises a bit of a letdown, it was too long, come on it really was, too po-faced and I did not feel that Catwoman fit into Nolan’s world so well. However I did love Joseph Gordon Levitt in the film bringing a much needed bit of soul and Tom Hardy’s Bane was unintentionally hilarious on vocal duties. But minor quibbles aside, let us instead rejoice in a pretty stellar year of movies, from record breaking Bonds to Tom’s Hardigan to CGI tigers. Yes there will always be a pile of crap films getting made and continuing to get made but it is the films that remind why we love cinema that shine through like a visual beacon to excite and entertain our palette. Here’s to 2013 film friends.

Rust and Bone (directed by Jacques Audiard)

Jacques Audiard follows up his 2009 critically acclaimed film A Prophet with this bruised tale of love and redemption. Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a drifter, a penniless scoundrel who turns up at his sister’s apartment in Antibes after leaving the North of France with his neglected five year old son Sam in tow. The mother is not part of the equation; she appears to be as inept at parenting as Ali, having used her son as a drugs mule. To make ends meet, Ali takes a job as a bouncer at a local nightclub, leaving Sam mostly with his sister, partaking in casual sex but also continuing to train in boxing, which he previously showed promise in. One night at the club he breaks up a fight, meeting the headstrong Stephanie (a mesmerising Marion Cotillard) in the process. A brief attraction is made but nothing more, however when Stephanie suffers a terrible accident at the marine park where she works as a killer whale trainer, she finds herself inexplicably reaching out contact with Ali. Without any question or fuss, Ali begins to help Stephanie, spending time with her, taking her to the beach and offering her uncomplicated sex, when she wonders whether she still can after her amputation. Stephanie finds Ali’s indifferent attitude to her disability liberating and accepts his offer, a tender yet undefined relationship is formed between the pair who both need something from each other, although with Ali, what he needs is not as clear at first.

 

Rust and Bone is a film that on first synopsis read sounds like the stuff of overly wrought melodrama but in the hands of Audiard it becomes something striking, visceral, poetic and above all wholly real. The direction is both immediate at times, confined and direct, but also dreamlike, swirling in a haze of blue. The cinematography blends together so astutely that often one scene ends and another begins with realising it, the use of light and sound is also used to heightened effect. The depiction of sex in the film also shows a contrast between the raw physicality that Ali exhibits with his one night stands and the tenderness he displays with Stephanie, at her insistence, though she also imposes a no kissing rule, retaining the control of the situation. The scenes of Ali and Stephanie having sex are progressive and vital to the film, showing a woman with a disability enjoying herself sexually that is rarely, if ever, seen on screen.
In a role which could, in other hands, be excessively dramatised, Marion Cotillard as Stephanie is astonishing, she is able to say so much without saying anything at all, her face encompasses so much emotion, it is used to devastating effect. In one scene, where Stephanie is being fitted in her cast for her prosthetic legs, she smiles at her sister, then the camera cuts back to her, as a single tear falls down her face, it is subtle yet heartbreaking. Ali, is more of a problematic character, he is selfish and rude and his treatment of his son at times is unforgivable, yet his honest and abrupt manner is somehow intriguing. Matthew Schoenaerts manages to make Ali highly unsympathetic yet we still want and care for him to change, even though this question hangs in the balance constantly.

The third act of the film seems a little contrived and suffers from the absence of Stephanie, Cotillard has inhibited the character so well that you miss her whenever she is not on screen. However by this time, the film has crept gradually upon you and gotten beneath the skin and is one that will stay with you for days to come. Audiard has masterfully crafted an enthralling drama, skilfully written with captivating performances and spellbinding cinematography. The soundtrack beautifully enhances the film; it even manages to make a Katy Perry song have some meaning. Rust and Bone is a stunning achievement for all concerned, one that shows from the depths of despair, a new sense of life can be found, even in the unlikeliest form.

Ruby Sparks (directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris)

They say that with great literature the words come alive on the page, but what if this actually happened? That the figment of your imagination became reality? This is the premise for Ruby Sparks, a love story with an inventive premise but one that’s portrayal of relationships feels very real. Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) is a write, whom at the age of 19 wrote a seminal bestselling novel, which he now lives in the shadow of. Struggling with ‘second album’ syndrome, Calvin has writers block and his life is insular, lonely and he finds it hard to meet people, only spending time with his dog Scotty, his brother Harry ( Chris Messina) and his therapist Dr Rosenthal (Elliot Gould). Calvin begins to dream about a girl and, set with an assignment by Dr Rosenthal, to write something ‘bad’ he begins to pen a love story between Ruby (Zoe Kazan), literally the girl of his dreams, and himself. But the lines between reality become blurred and as Calvin spends more and more time in his imaginative world, the hint that Ruby is more than words on a page come to a head when she appears one morning in his kitchen, making breakfast as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. For Ruby, it is, as she believes she is simply his girlfriend and once a frantic, bewildered Calvin realises that he is not completely delusional and that everyone can see Ruby, he begins to relish the chance to have a relationship with the girl he wished for. Initially Calvin decides to no longer write about himself and Ruby and just enjoy the miracle he has created but as Ruby starts to become her own person and develop from the pages that she originated from, Calvin worries she may grow too far away from him and through fear of abandonment, he is faced with the morality of returning to his typewriter to keep his dream girl to himself.

 

 

Ruby Sparks is a problematic film, it wants us to sympathise with an unlikely male lead who manipulates his girlfriend’s behaviour and the films initial premise would make us believe it is a quirky fun take on the romantic comedy. But whilst Ruby is this, it also takes us to a more painful, sometimes darker place and in doing so becomes all the better for it, and most importantly, a more honest reflection of love. After all whether directly or subconsciously are we not prone to trying to change our partner’s behaviour or traits when it does not fit with our preconceived notions? Or when the threat that a loved one may be pulling away from us, would we not become desperate in our need to hold on to them, even if momentarily we ignore their own happiness? Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ previous film Little Miss Sunshine (2006) dealt with dysfunctional families and now they turn their eye to the tangled pitfalls of relationships and the danger of reducing the idolised to an object. Though the film dips its toes in the malaise, the direction is kept punchy and is filled with a warm colour palette that enhances the dreamlike notion of the situation, save for one distressing scene where Ruby is goaded by Calvin with the truth about her identity. Paul Dano is perfectly cast as Calvin, intelligent but fragile, able to turn cruel in a panic but then instantly regret his actions and revert to wounded puppy anxiety. Zoe Kazan who co wrote the screenplay, manages to be the dream girl without being the stereotypical dream girl, she is fun and flirty but also retains complexities that make girls like her damn intriguing. And of course, she wears coloured tights, every kooky girl wears coloured tights (that being said I am partial to coloured hosiery myself).

 

 

The final act of the film recalls Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) with the ponderous questions it raises. If you were given a second chance at love, knowing it may turn out sour in the end, would you do it? Or would you learn by your mistakes and be able to make it better the next time around? Or would you accept that nothing lasts forever and the crushing normality of domesticity eventually takes the ‘spark’ out of any relationship. Ruby Sparks can be seen as a cautionary tale of modern love or it can simply be appreciated for providing a beautifully crafted, unique romantic story. Which ever way you look at it, is up to your own imagination.

Take this Waltz (directed by Sarah Polley)

May contain plot spoilers

When is a film about romance not so romantic? Perhaps when it is directed by the mistress of malaise Sarah Polley and stars heartbreak heiress Michelle Williams. Following her feature debut Away from Her (2006), which dealt with Alzheimer’s and adultery, Polley’s second film Take this Waltz also examines relationships and the damage that time and tiresomeness with each other can cause. Michelle Williams is Margot, a travel writer, who on a recent assignment meets a handsome young man named Daniel (Luke Kirby); they have a brief flirtation and share a cab ride home together from the airport. This sparkling dalliance is cut short by the omission from Margot that she is married and then is made uncomfortably awkward by the realisation that Daniel is her new neighbour, the ponderous threat that temptation is residing right across the street. Margot returns to husband Lou (Seth Rogen) a lovable, if naively dim, cook book writer but the lingering feeling for something new haunts her and tests whether she will succumb to the desire. Take this Waltz is not an easy film to like, but that is what makes it all the more truthful and raw in its depiction of modern marriage and the unease we feel in life. Polley’s ace in the hole is Michelle Williams, who makes the, on the surface, frustrating Margot (a wife in a safe, comfortable marriage, contemplating adultery) a fully realised human being, a woman with flaws, who cannot feel contentment, something a lot of people cannot admit to themselves. Williams is such an absorbent actress, she can make an audience empathise with her even when she appears selfish and in Margot conveys the sense that she will always be searching for something to fill an unfillable void. This is encompassed in a scene where Margot and Daniel go to an amusement arcade and take a spin on the Scrambler; a ride that takes place in low lights to the sounds of The Bugles video killed the radio star. As they whirl around Margot is lost in a moment of pure bliss, a primitive state of happiness but then the ride stops abruptly, the lights rudely come on and Margot has to face the sombreness of reality again, Williams face capturing the disappointment to perfection.

Sarah Polley’s treatment of the subject matter is handled with great assurance; it does not depict its story with over dramatics, but with the crushing subtlety of internal conflict. There are is no real bad guy in the narrative; we cannot demonise someone who struggles with themselves more than with their relationships. There are however moments were the script falls prey to clunky metaphors, the confession from Margot to Daniel that she uses wheelchairs at airports because she ‘doesn’t like connections’ or the fact that Lou can only write recipes about chicken, his inability to look past the adequate. There is also a deviation in a scene where Daniel describes to Margot what he would do to her sexually, that feels too crude and out of balance with the rest of the film which derails the mood momentarily. But minor missteps aside, Take this Waltz is an honest, touching film with another heartbreaking turn from Williams, it could serve as a Prozac inducing companion piece to Blue Valentine. Credit should also be given to Seth Rogen, who dials down his usual goofiness, proving particularly effective in a scene where he realises his wife’s head has been turned, the camera remains on his face, jump cutting between the many reactions and emotions that come from heartache. Polley’s film leaves us with more questions than it answers, as Margot finds out that perhaps the grass is, literally not always greener. As one female comments in the film ‘new gets old’ and so does the inevitability that you cannot outrun your own malaise. As Margot takes a ride on the Scrambler, this time alone at the end of the film, an air of ambiguity lies, will she ever be content or will she be capable to overcome her fear of ‘connections’?