2012 Karlovy Vary awards and comments
KVIFF 47, AWARDS AND COMMENTS, A TALE OF FOUR WOMAN
by Alex Deleon
SUSAN SARANDON AT KARLOVY VARY
The
47th Karlovy Vary Film Festival closed shop on Saturday July 7 with the
customary gala awards ceremony and a screening of Woody Allen's "To
Rome With Love" in the vast 1,500 seat Grand Hall (Velky Zal) of the
Thermal Hotel. This was followed by the usual swanky closing reception
at the stately Hapsburg era Hotel Pupp (Pronounced "poop") at the other
end of the central promenade of healing waters, capping off one of the
best KV festivals in recent memory.
The twelve entry
competition section was not particuarly memorable but this has never
been the strong suite of this festival. The strong sections, as usual,
were Horizons with thirty titles and the East-of-West selection backed
up by three exceptional hommage retrospectives; Antonioni, Jean-Pierre
Melville, and the Turkish auteur Reha Erdem.
Melville,
whose real name was Gumbach, took his artistic nom-de-plume from the
American author of Moby Dick, was greatly influenced by American movies,
and specialized in fast paced crime thrillers such as Le Cercle Roge
and Le Samourai -- Film Noir in color! He was regarded as a kind of
mentor by the young directors of the French Nouvel Vague such as Godard
and Truffaut. A marvelous recent bio-documentary entitled "Sous le nom
de Melville"(Olivier Bohler, 2008) contained testimonials by other
prominent directors who cited Meville as an important influence on their
work --among them Bertrand Tavernier, Volker Schloendorff, and even the
Japanese master Masaki Kobayashi. Another emminent French director,
Claude Miler who passed away this year, was remembered with a screening
of his 1975 masterpiece "La Meilleure Facon de Marcher", another seminal
French film starring Patric Dewaere, an iconic enfant terrible of the
time who died early of a drug overdose.
FOUR WOMEN STOOD OUT
In a way this was a festival dominated by female figures.
Crystal Globe awards for lifetime contributions to world cinema were dispensed to British actress Helen Mirren. 66, (Oscar for "The Queen" in 2007) at the beginning of the fest and at the closing American actress Susan Sarandon,
65 (Oscar '95 for "Dead Man Walking") --Sarandon is an iconic
character actress with the looks of a leading lady. Susan also appeared
in the cult musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) which just
closed the longest run in film history in Boston this very week.
Another high profile female guest of the fest was leading Iranian actress Leila Hatami, whose
film "A Separation" was a world wide hit and earned the Oscar for best
foreign film in Hollywood earlier this year. Sarandon, breezing in from
New York on the last three days of the festival looked amazingly
youthful with her tousled red hair and unlined visage. Hard to believe
that she made her film debut 42 years ago with "Joe" back in 1970.
All
three actresses presented new films here, Mirren starring in Hungarian
director Istvan Szabo's "The Door",(Out of competition).Sarandon
introduced the American indie "Jeff who still live with his mother", her
latest screen outing, and Hatami, presented her latest film "The Last
Step" for which he was named best actress here. In her press conference
Sarandon spoke more about the importance of motherhood in her life than
anything else. Despite her reputation as a political activist the
actress said that politics is realy not that important to her, but as a
lifelong democrat she is hoping Obama will win --probably in a close
race. Asked if she would like to teach acting she said that never having
had any acting lessons herself she wouldn't know how to go about it. At
the screening before a gigantic overflow crowd she reminded the
audiance that "Jeff" is a small independent film that is not geting much
play in the States, but she was clearly delighted facing such a sea of
expectant faces here. Hatami was accompanied by her two young children
aged three and five, and of course by her husband, Ali Mosaffa, who
directed the film. Dressed in a flowing white slacks outfit topped by a
bright green head scarf the Iranian actress looked more like an Angel
from Heaven than a sequestered rep of an evil Islamic Republic.
The fourth outstanding woman of the week was Eva Zaoralova, film historian, critic and promoter of Czech cinema, who is practically a national monument in the Czech Repulic.
The
Antonioni section was curated by Zaorlova, who knew the famous Italian
director personally, and focused on his documentaries, not his features,
an exceptional body of work in it own right that is rarely seen. In a
way this was a festival that spotlighted unusual women. Mme. Zaoralova
has been artistic director (i.e. chief -programmer) of the festival
since 1994 and was largely responsible for injecting new life into it
when its existence was threatened in the mid nineties. As a film
historian and champion of Czech film abroad she has become known all
over the film festival circuit. She was also responsible for a special
screening of the digitally restored version of Fellini's landmark 'La
Strada". A special event at the festival was the launching of a new book
by Eva entitled "A Life With Film" at which the tall white haired grand
dame appeared in brightly colored robes as usual belying her eight
decades.
The Norwegian competition entry "Mer
eller mindre Mann" (The Almost Man) was a suprise winner of the Crystal
Globe for Best Film along with a $25,000 cash compensation. Henryk
Rafaelson who starred as a thirty year old new father mired in
adolescence was named Best Actor, sharing the distinction ex-aequo with
Polish actor Eryk Lubos for his powerful portrayal of a traumatized war
veteran in Jan Jakub Kolski's "To Killl a Beaver".
Although
the Iranian film The Last Step was regarded as rather weak by most
professional viewers, Leila Hatami was sufficiently captivating in the
role of a famous actress (essentially playing herself) traumatized by
the accidental death of her husband --- to walk off with the Karlovy
Best Actress award. It turns out that the accident may not have been so
accidental and she gigggles uncontrollaby to cover up her chagrin. The
film itself was given a "best" by the FIPRESCI jury of Foreign film
critics -- somewhat of a head shaker with possible political undertones.
The poster for the film was also voted best festival poster giving
"Last Step" three distinctions in all.
A
special Jury Prize (the equivalent of a Silver bear at berlin) along
with $15,000 in cash went to the Italian film "Piazza Fontana" which
recounts the story of a huge bomb exloded at a bank on Piazza Fontana in
Milan in 1969 and the complex police invetigation that followed. It
must be said that the Crystal Globe statuette has a high intrinsic value
as the Bohemian crystaL is itself is a highy valued handicraft of the
region.
With well over 200 films on view, many with enticing
content or must-see directors, every day brought hard decisions on what
to see and what to pass up. A packet of reviews will be presented
separately.
Alex, Prague
KVIFF 2012, ECHOES AND ENCORES
with a Certain Geriatric Regard
by Alex Deleon
Besides the customary unveiling of new and upcoming talent from far and wide which is the hallmark of this festival, Karlovy 2012 provided such an extensive look at film history that these selections alone could have constituted an entire festival on their own. Among digitally restored new prints of landmark old films were Fellini's "La Strada, 1954, which among other things made burly actor Anthony Quinn into an arthouse icon, and Miloš Forman's "Fireman's Ball" (1967) the last film he made in Czechoslovakia before giving Communism the final finger. Hard to believe that this forward looking Czech director who later made prize winning crowd pleasers in Hollywood such as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "Amadeus"(1984) is now eighty and still going strong. His next project concerning a new view of the Munich pact that sold Czechoslovakia down the river to Hitler in WWI is now in the works.
The first unveiling of a digitalic-restoration of David Lean's1962 masterpiece "Lawrence of Arabia" was also screened here as was the very rarely revived "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" made at the height of the war in 1943 by the dauntless duo Pressburger and Powel. Blimp was a epic making sendup of the the stuffy British military class based on a lovingly satirical comic strip which so enraged British prime Minister Winston Churchil that he tried to have it banned. One of those films that is as timeless as Gone With the Wind. In terms of film history what is arguably the film even of the year is the fifteen hour love letter to the seventh art put together with encycopedic dedication by Englishman Mark Cousins. Hitting all the high spots and many of the hidden gems as well this amazing documentary was shown here in three easily digestible five hour istallments --with never a dull moment in any of them -- according to those who took time out to take in this special treat.
Now if we' are really talking about the advancing years, Manoel Oliveira of Portugal, 101 (!) is the oldest, still active (sic) film director in the world and a poster prominently displayed all over the festival premises with the large letters "101" announced a new interview on film with the centenarian helmer from the edge of the continent. Made by Spanish producer and longtime admirer Luis Minarro who worked with Oliveira on his last two films and spoke with viewers here about his experience with the incerdibly forward looking Mr.Century. Young fellow countryman Rodrigo Areias, 31, whose slow-paced meditative zen western "Estrada de Palha" was shown in competition, was proud to report that when he showed his new film to Oliveira the elder statesman not only sat through it attentively but gave it his glowing praise.
by Alex Deleon
Besides the customary unveiling of new and upcoming talent from far and wide which is the hallmark of this festival, Karlovy 2012 provided such an extensive look at film history that these selections alone could have constituted an entire festival on their own. Among digitally restored new prints of landmark old films were Fellini's "La Strada, 1954, which among other things made burly actor Anthony Quinn into an arthouse icon, and Miloš Forman's "Fireman's Ball" (1967) the last film he made in Czechoslovakia before giving Communism the final finger. Hard to believe that this forward looking Czech director who later made prize winning crowd pleasers in Hollywood such as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "Amadeus"(1984) is now eighty and still going strong. His next project concerning a new view of the Munich pact that sold Czechoslovakia down the river to Hitler in WWI is now in the works.
The first unveiling of a digitalic-restoration of David Lean's1962 masterpiece "Lawrence of Arabia" was also screened here as was the very rarely revived "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" made at the height of the war in 1943 by the dauntless duo Pressburger and Powel. Blimp was a epic making sendup of the the stuffy British military class based on a lovingly satirical comic strip which so enraged British prime Minister Winston Churchil that he tried to have it banned. One of those films that is as timeless as Gone With the Wind. In terms of film history what is arguably the film even of the year is the fifteen hour love letter to the seventh art put together with encycopedic dedication by Englishman Mark Cousins. Hitting all the high spots and many of the hidden gems as well this amazing documentary was shown here in three easily digestible five hour istallments --with never a dull moment in any of them -- according to those who took time out to take in this special treat.
Now if we' are really talking about the advancing years, Manoel Oliveira of Portugal, 101 (!) is the oldest, still active (sic) film director in the world and a poster prominently displayed all over the festival premises with the large letters "101" announced a new interview on film with the centenarian helmer from the edge of the continent. Made by Spanish producer and longtime admirer Luis Minarro who worked with Oliveira on his last two films and spoke with viewers here about his experience with the incerdibly forward looking Mr.Century. Young fellow countryman Rodrigo Areias, 31, whose slow-paced meditative zen western "Estrada de Palha" was shown in competition, was proud to report that when he showed his new film to Oliveira the elder statesman not only sat through it attentively but gave it his glowing praise.
Manoel de Oliveira
| |
 | |
Born
|
11 December 1908
|
As for older artists still working, and how --we have French director Alain Resnais who will turn ninety in June, and French actor Jean-Louis Trintigmant (81) in this lineup. Resnais whose dazzling "Last year at Marienbad" changed time scrambling in film forever, checked in with "Vous n'avez encore rien vu" ('You ain't seen nothing yet') wherein a renowned dramatist arranges to have friends who appeared in his play Euridice come together at his funeral where the play is put on. Full of references to earlier works this could be the famed directors swan song -- or could it?
One of the hottest tickets of the week was "Amour" the new meditation on old age, infirmity, and approaching death, by German Michael Haneke who is known for attacking difficult subjects in difficult ways. His principle performers, literally giving the performances of their lives and long careers, are Jean-Louis Trintignant (81) and Emmanuelle Riva (85) playing a loving octogenarian couple whose old age has not quenched their love -- even when she suffers a debilitating stroke. Both these films in the plush Horizons section. Riva came to the fore in Resnais' first feature "Hiroshima mon Amour" (1959) and is also seem in this festival in the Melville retro in "Léon Morin, prêtre" (1961).
Trintignant is one of those actors known for the penetrating intelligence of his portrayals as much as his charm and vulnerability. His debut next to Bridget Bardot in "'And God Created woman" (1956) was the start of a brilliant career not only in France. Some other landmarks of a filmography studded with them are "Z" by Costa Gavras, "The Conformist" Bertolucci, and "Three colors Red", Kieslowski (1994) and of course the international smash hit "A Man and a Woman" in 1966. In 1986 he and co-star Anouk Aimée did a reprise called "A Man and a Woman twenty years Later'' (!) proving that even then Jean-Louis was not afraid to show his age. Since the subject of Old Age is practically a taboo in cinema and nearly sure death at the box office this entrancing new treatment may be a hard sell outside of the Art house market, but it should do a rousing business there and one can even her tinkles of oscar bells in the distance ... Oh yes, Haneke's "Amour" was very justifiably awarded the Palme d'Or (Grand Prix) at this year's Cannes film festival although it was up against Carax's infamous unholy gem "Holy Motors".
Trintignant at Cannes this year --
Finally if the subject is elderly artist still active a word about Woody allen is certainly in order.
In the company cited above Woody may rank as a callow youth but he has been plying his unique brand of cerebral humor for nearly five decades, ever since "What's New Pussycat" in 1965, and it is hard to believe that this international youth idol director is now 76. Acting in his own film as a retired opera impresario he definitely looks his age but his latest work "To Rome With Love" is something of a return to the zany earlier form that made him into a living American legend. There have been ups and down in Woody's last few outings but his new love leter to Rome is definitely an up and has some of the finniest shtik in it he has ever done. One that will go down in the Allen cannon as a super landmark is the opera singer he has singing on stage in a real opera while taking a shower in a real shower stall! It seems that Woody, on vacation in Rome, has discovered a magnificent new vocal talent in a mortician (funeral director!) who has a voice like Caruso, but only when singing in the shower. With typical Allenesque logic the way to fix that is put the guy in a shower on stage so he can let loose full force --and this he does to the great applause of the dignified opera crowd. Another feature of the film is a most enticing (even if getting a little long in the tooth herself) Penelope Cruz (38) packed mouth wateringly into a blood red mini dress while working as a red hot hotel hooker. "Rome" opened the LA Film festival a month back and closed Karlovy a week ago, demonstrating once again that Woody's brand of filmaking has evergreen appeal to both the mainstream and the art film circuits.
Next up a quick survey of some of the newer films at Karlovy.
Alex in Prague
Trintignant with Anouk Aimée in"A Man and a Woman" 1966 which at the time was the most successful French film ever screened in the foreign market.
Riva at Cannes this year --now 85
Resnais at 89
CRUZ AT CANNES --a stunning thirty eight!
Closing the Book on KVIFF 2012
A Survey of Titles to Watch For
by Alex Deleon, Prague
Jackie Siegel, the Queen of Versailles and some of her eight kids
Because of the eclectic nature and precious programming of Karlovy Vary
many interesting films seen here are not likely to surface or be spotted elsewhere.
Quite a few, however, are of sufficient general appeal to travel far and wide, some
because of the notice they receive at this prestige European event.Among films to watch for that will definitely be "out there" sooner or later are:
1. Istvan Szabo's "The Door" -- for its focus on women in the main roles and the ever
magnificent Dame Helen Mirren as a regal figure in rags following up her Oscar role as The Queen --
A quiet classic from an old Hungarian master of the craft.
2. "Game Change" USA 2012
The presidential campaign of 2006 -- McCain Versus Obama, with wild card Sarah Palin, sexy governor of Alaska thrown in.
Not a documentary but a feature film with actors standing in for the original "cast" --
With Julianne Moore playing Palin need anything MORE be said!
3. "The Queen of Versailles", This IS a documentary, but one so fantastic it reads more like a suspense thriller based on Citizen Kane...
Even though this is a doc it should be getting general distribution and is worth keeping an eye out for. The rise and fall of the American Dream. The principal characters, Jackie and David Siegel -- she 33 -- he 74 -- who agreed to display their greed on film, have reconsidered and are apparently suing the director, Lauren Greenfield, for invasion of the privacy they invited her to invade. Therefore, one to see quick before it is withdrawn from circulation. Rags to riches and Richest back to rags --Almost.-- or, The American dream in Reverse.
4. "Holy Motors" by Gallic Bad Boy Leos Carax: Holy Smoke! --John Waters meets Luis Bunuel in Paris ... Don't let this misleading title mislead you. I thought I was depressed after the first viewing, but in retrospect I realize that I was much more exilirated than depressed. In fact, I can't wait to see it again. And maybe again after that. A natural born cult film if ever there was one. It has everything except Susan Sarandon in it...
5. "Iron Sky", What's not to like about a movie with Nazis from the Moon invading Earth? ... Far-out Finn Timo Vuorensola teams up on the scifi genre and everything else. Having already done three sci-fi spoofs (The Star Wreck trilogy) Timo seems to be taking over the Absurdist baton from fellow Finn Aki Kaurismaki. The premise here is that a band of Nazis who escaped in 1945 have established a colony on the dark side of the moon and are preparing to invade the home planet to establish a Fourth Reich as the new World Order. One wonders if that might not be an improvement on the World Disorder we have on our hands these days.
6. "Amour"-- or Death can be beautiful when acted out by great artists ... French icons Jean-LouisTrintignant (81)and Emmanuelle Riva (85) give it their all in a bold look at old age, infirmity, and approaching end of life, by Michael Haneke.
7. "To Rome with Love" -- In case you decided to pass the latest Woody Allen up --Don't ! --It's really a riot. A rousing return to his best zany form after a few slight misfires, and a special surprise for opera lovers. Nel Blu dipinto di blu ....Alec baldwin plays a wise latter day Jimminy Cricket and Pamela Cruz is simply Out-of-Sight.
8. "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" = The lady in the Septic Tank >(Toilet waste accumulation receptacle) is a highly irreverant Pilipino comedy that takes the piss out of filmmakers who will do anything to get themselves a stroll down the red carpet -- even having a major actress deliver a plaintiff oration from inside a septic tank -- This is the most successful Philippine indie ever made, has been making the rounds of the festivals and, in spite of its subject matter, was the Philippine entry at the Oscars last time around. Philippine films are hard to come by but this one is now around and is worth watching for.
ALEX, Prague, July 10, 2012
by Alex Deleon, Prague
Jackie Siegel, the Queen of Versailles and some of her eight kids
Because of the eclectic nature and precious programming of Karlovy Vary
many interesting films seen here are not likely to surface or be spotted elsewhere.
Quite a few, however, are of sufficient general appeal to travel far and wide, some
because of the notice they receive at this prestige European event.Among films to watch for that will definitely be "out there" sooner or later are:
1. Istvan Szabo's "The Door" -- for its focus on women in the main roles and the ever
magnificent Dame Helen Mirren as a regal figure in rags following up her Oscar role as The Queen --
A quiet classic from an old Hungarian master of the craft.
2. "Game Change" USA 2012
The presidential campaign of 2006 -- McCain Versus Obama, with wild card Sarah Palin, sexy governor of Alaska thrown in.
Not a documentary but a feature film with actors standing in for the original "cast" --
With Julianne Moore playing Palin need anything MORE be said!
3. "The Queen of Versailles", This IS a documentary, but one so fantastic it reads more like a suspense thriller based on Citizen Kane...
Even though this is a doc it should be getting general distribution and is worth keeping an eye out for. The rise and fall of the American Dream. The principal characters, Jackie and David Siegel -- she 33 -- he 74 -- who agreed to display their greed on film, have reconsidered and are apparently suing the director, Lauren Greenfield, for invasion of the privacy they invited her to invade. Therefore, one to see quick before it is withdrawn from circulation. Rags to riches and Richest back to rags --Almost.-- or, The American dream in Reverse.
4. "Holy Motors" by Gallic Bad Boy Leos Carax: Holy Smoke! --John Waters meets Luis Bunuel in Paris ... Don't let this misleading title mislead you. I thought I was depressed after the first viewing, but in retrospect I realize that I was much more exilirated than depressed. In fact, I can't wait to see it again. And maybe again after that. A natural born cult film if ever there was one. It has everything except Susan Sarandon in it...
5. "Iron Sky", What's not to like about a movie with Nazis from the Moon invading Earth? ... Far-out Finn Timo Vuorensola teams up on the scifi genre and everything else. Having already done three sci-fi spoofs (The Star Wreck trilogy) Timo seems to be taking over the Absurdist baton from fellow Finn Aki Kaurismaki. The premise here is that a band of Nazis who escaped in 1945 have established a colony on the dark side of the moon and are preparing to invade the home planet to establish a Fourth Reich as the new World Order. One wonders if that might not be an improvement on the World Disorder we have on our hands these days.
6. "Amour"-- or Death can be beautiful when acted out by great artists ... French icons Jean-LouisTrintignant (81)and Emmanuelle Riva (85) give it their all in a bold look at old age, infirmity, and approaching end of life, by Michael Haneke.
7. "To Rome with Love" -- In case you decided to pass the latest Woody Allen up --Don't ! --It's really a riot. A rousing return to his best zany form after a few slight misfires, and a special surprise for opera lovers. Nel Blu dipinto di blu ....Alec baldwin plays a wise latter day Jimminy Cricket and Pamela Cruz is simply Out-of-Sight.
8. "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" = The lady in the Septic Tank >(Toilet waste accumulation receptacle) is a highly irreverant Pilipino comedy that takes the piss out of filmmakers who will do anything to get themselves a stroll down the red carpet -- even having a major actress deliver a plaintiff oration from inside a septic tank -- This is the most successful Philippine indie ever made, has been making the rounds of the festivals and, in spite of its subject matter, was the Philippine entry at the Oscars last time around. Philippine films are hard to come by but this one is now around and is worth watching for.
ALEX, Prague, July 10, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment