Noori Pictures is the new name for Sherahazad, Katayoon Shahabi's independent, Iranian international sales agency. After spending 11 months in one of Iran's most notorious prisons for "collaborating with the BBC", she has pitched her tent in Paris where she spent her college years before returning to Iran with idealistic plans which 20 some odd years later she as been forced to abandon.
Her new lineup of films includes a documentary she is producing about Ashghar Farhadi, the director of the Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film 2011:
A Separation (Az Iran, Yek Jodaee)Color, HD, 16:9, 52 min, 2012-13, IranDirectors & Research: Azadeh Mousavi, Kourosh AtaeiProducer: Katayoon Shahabi, Azadeh Mousavi, Kourosh AtaeiStage: Post- Production
This documentary film depicts the importance of receiving an Oscar Award for “A Separation” for the Iranians. It gives a general view on Iran’s society of today. The documentary is narrated with an ironic language and uses animation in some parts.
Feature
Bending the Rules (Ghaedeye Tasadof)
Color, D-Cinema, 2.00:1, Sound: Digital5.1,94 min., 2013, Iran, 2nd Film, World Premiere
Director, Scriptwriter & Editor: Behnam Behzadi Producer: Behnam Behzadi Director of Photography: Amin Jafari Cast: Amir Jafari, Ashkan Khatibi, Mehrdad Sedighian, Baharan Bani Ahmadi, Neda Jebraeeli, Martin Shamoonpour, Roshanak Gerami, Mohammad-Reza Ghaffari, Elaheh Hesari, Soroosh Sehhat, Omid Roohani
An enthusiastic and amateur theatrical group finds the opportunity to perform abroad which is a great success. Sheherazad, a desperate girl, joins the group and takes the leading role in the play. She decides, unlike her other fellow actors to tell the truth to her father. He is against this trip. The group is now in a dilemma: replace her or....
Bending the Rules is the story of the third generation of the Iranian Revolution that does not want to compromise on their principles and rights with their parents.
Bardou (Oun Khoub Sang Mizanad)
Color, HD, 16:9, 85min, 2013, Iran, Debut, World Premiere
Director & Scriptwriter: Seyed Hadi Mohaghegh Producer: Ebrahim Asghari Director of Photography: Meisam Riahi Cast: Ahmad Derakhshan, Saaed Soheili, Davoud Einabadi
Bardou is the story of a 16-year-old teenager who has recently lost his father and has to get back his father's loan from Nasir, who is unwilling to pay off his debt. In order to get his right and to deal with the difficulties, Bardou has to become a man.
The Bag of Flour (Le Sac de Farine)
Screening : Tuesday, May 21, 11 :30 a.m., Riviera, Palais H, Debut (Market Premier)
Color, 35mm, 92 min, 2012, Belgium, Morocco, France
Director: Kadija Leclere Scriptwriter: Kadija Leclere, Pierre Olivier Mornas Producers: Gaëtan David, Samy Layani, André Logie Editor: Virginie Messiaen, Ludo Troch Director of Photography: Gilles Porte, Philippe Guilbert Cast: Hafsia Herzi, Hiam Abbass, Smain Fairouze, Mehdi Dehbi, Rania Mellouli
Based on the true life of the director, the film traces the story of an eight year-old Moroccan Muslim girl who is living in a Catholic orphanage in Belgium in 1970s. She is taken by her biological father to a poverty-stricken village in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where she spends her teen ages simultaneous with the years of Hunger Revolt in Morocco...
Death is My Profession (Marg Kasb va Kare Man Ast) Color, 35 mm, 1:1/85, 90 min, 2011, Iran, Debut
Director & Scriptwriter: Amir Hossein Saghafi Director of Photography: Nader Masoumi Editor: Mastaneh Mohajer Producer: Aliakbar Saghafi
Cast: Pejman Bazeghi, Amir Aghaei, Maryam Boobani, Kamran Tafti, Mahchehreh Khalili, Akbar Sangi, Meysam Ghanizadeh, Sonia Espahram, Ramin Rastad
Death is My Profession is about the struggle of people who have to accept any work offered, to survive in a neglected society.
Documentaries in Production
(Looking for Co-Producer)
Local Kitchen (Ashpazkhaneye Mahalli) Color, HD, 16:9, 60 min, 2013-14, Iran, France
Director & Research: Loghman Khaledi Producer: Katayoon Shahabi & Artline Films
Stage: Pre-production
The documentary depicts social and economical aspects of Iranian society through a story about seven women who decide to take part in family economy by establishing a catering that offers traditional food.
The Pain We Share (Darde Moshtarak) Color, HD, 16:9, 60 & 75 min, 2011-13, Iran, Japan & Canada
Directors & Research: Fima Emami & Reza Daryanoush Producer: Katayoon Shahabi & Nhk/Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Stage: Post-production
Fima Emami is a filmmaker and daughter of an Iran-Iraq War veteran. She is focusing on the Iranian and American veterans who are suffering from Ptsd and the effects it has had on their families including her own family.
Documentaries
Nessa (Nessa)
Color, HD, 16:9, 52 min, 2011-12, Iran
Director & Research: Loghman Khaledi Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Nessa is a young woman from Kurdistan of Iran, who is trying to progress in her acting and artistic career. Due to the conservative environment, her family prevents her from reaching her goal. The film is about her struggle..
Moving Up (Kami Balatar)
Color, HD, 16:9, 58 min, 2011, Iran
Director & Research: Loghman Khaledi Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Shahriyar, a garbage collector, has a passion for literature and poetry. He writes imaginative stories to escape from his dull and prosaic life but all the people around him constantly conspire to hold him back from “Moving Up”.
21 Days and Me (21 Rooz va Man) Color, HD, 16:9, 58 min, 2011, Iran
Director & Research: Shirin Barghnavard Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Nominated for the Best Asian Doc. in Asian Pacific 2011
Iwar Asian Women’s Film Festival (2013/ India)
This film covers the 21 days before the operation of a 35-year-old woman who is struggling with the issue to become a mother or not.
Unwelcome in Tehran (Nakhandeh dar Tehran) Color, HD, 16:9, 52 min, 2011, Iran
Director & Research: Mina Keshavarz Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (2012/ Greece) Filmmor Women's Int'l F. F. (2012/ Turkey)
Mina, the director, is a girl from Shiraz who gets married in order to move to Tehran. Influenced by her own life, she decides to make a documentary about the girls nationwide who, like Azar, move to Tehran to start an independent life.
Reluctant Bachelor (Pir Pesar) Color, HD, 16:9, 58 min., HD, 2011, Iran
Director & Research: Mehdi Bagheri Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Asiatica Film Mediale F. F. (2012/ Italy) Gene Siskle Film Center (2012/ USA) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2013 / USA)
This film is about the director himself who is 30 years old and still living with his parents. He tells his story while trying to revise his attitude towards every member of his family by interviewing them. This film is the reflection of the young generations’ lives in Iran.
Her new lineup of films includes a documentary she is producing about Ashghar Farhadi, the director of the Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film 2011:
A Separation (Az Iran, Yek Jodaee)Color, HD, 16:9, 52 min, 2012-13, IranDirectors & Research: Azadeh Mousavi, Kourosh AtaeiProducer: Katayoon Shahabi, Azadeh Mousavi, Kourosh AtaeiStage: Post- Production
This documentary film depicts the importance of receiving an Oscar Award for “A Separation” for the Iranians. It gives a general view on Iran’s society of today. The documentary is narrated with an ironic language and uses animation in some parts.
Feature
Bending the Rules (Ghaedeye Tasadof)
Color, D-Cinema, 2.00:1, Sound: Digital5.1,94 min., 2013, Iran, 2nd Film, World Premiere
Director, Scriptwriter & Editor: Behnam Behzadi Producer: Behnam Behzadi Director of Photography: Amin Jafari Cast: Amir Jafari, Ashkan Khatibi, Mehrdad Sedighian, Baharan Bani Ahmadi, Neda Jebraeeli, Martin Shamoonpour, Roshanak Gerami, Mohammad-Reza Ghaffari, Elaheh Hesari, Soroosh Sehhat, Omid Roohani
An enthusiastic and amateur theatrical group finds the opportunity to perform abroad which is a great success. Sheherazad, a desperate girl, joins the group and takes the leading role in the play. She decides, unlike her other fellow actors to tell the truth to her father. He is against this trip. The group is now in a dilemma: replace her or....
Bending the Rules is the story of the third generation of the Iranian Revolution that does not want to compromise on their principles and rights with their parents.
Bardou (Oun Khoub Sang Mizanad)
Color, HD, 16:9, 85min, 2013, Iran, Debut, World Premiere
Director & Scriptwriter: Seyed Hadi Mohaghegh Producer: Ebrahim Asghari Director of Photography: Meisam Riahi Cast: Ahmad Derakhshan, Saaed Soheili, Davoud Einabadi
Bardou is the story of a 16-year-old teenager who has recently lost his father and has to get back his father's loan from Nasir, who is unwilling to pay off his debt. In order to get his right and to deal with the difficulties, Bardou has to become a man.
The Bag of Flour (Le Sac de Farine)
Screening : Tuesday, May 21, 11 :30 a.m., Riviera, Palais H, Debut (Market Premier)
Color, 35mm, 92 min, 2012, Belgium, Morocco, France
Director: Kadija Leclere Scriptwriter: Kadija Leclere, Pierre Olivier Mornas Producers: Gaëtan David, Samy Layani, André Logie Editor: Virginie Messiaen, Ludo Troch Director of Photography: Gilles Porte, Philippe Guilbert Cast: Hafsia Herzi, Hiam Abbass, Smain Fairouze, Mehdi Dehbi, Rania Mellouli
Based on the true life of the director, the film traces the story of an eight year-old Moroccan Muslim girl who is living in a Catholic orphanage in Belgium in 1970s. She is taken by her biological father to a poverty-stricken village in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where she spends her teen ages simultaneous with the years of Hunger Revolt in Morocco...
Death is My Profession (Marg Kasb va Kare Man Ast) Color, 35 mm, 1:1/85, 90 min, 2011, Iran, Debut
Director & Scriptwriter: Amir Hossein Saghafi Director of Photography: Nader Masoumi Editor: Mastaneh Mohajer Producer: Aliakbar Saghafi
Cast: Pejman Bazeghi, Amir Aghaei, Maryam Boobani, Kamran Tafti, Mahchehreh Khalili, Akbar Sangi, Meysam Ghanizadeh, Sonia Espahram, Ramin Rastad
Death is My Profession is about the struggle of people who have to accept any work offered, to survive in a neglected society.
Documentaries in Production
(Looking for Co-Producer)
Local Kitchen (Ashpazkhaneye Mahalli) Color, HD, 16:9, 60 min, 2013-14, Iran, France
Director & Research: Loghman Khaledi Producer: Katayoon Shahabi & Artline Films
Stage: Pre-production
The documentary depicts social and economical aspects of Iranian society through a story about seven women who decide to take part in family economy by establishing a catering that offers traditional food.
The Pain We Share (Darde Moshtarak) Color, HD, 16:9, 60 & 75 min, 2011-13, Iran, Japan & Canada
Directors & Research: Fima Emami & Reza Daryanoush Producer: Katayoon Shahabi & Nhk/Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Stage: Post-production
Fima Emami is a filmmaker and daughter of an Iran-Iraq War veteran. She is focusing on the Iranian and American veterans who are suffering from Ptsd and the effects it has had on their families including her own family.
Documentaries
Nessa (Nessa)
Color, HD, 16:9, 52 min, 2011-12, Iran
Director & Research: Loghman Khaledi Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Nessa is a young woman from Kurdistan of Iran, who is trying to progress in her acting and artistic career. Due to the conservative environment, her family prevents her from reaching her goal. The film is about her struggle..
Moving Up (Kami Balatar)
Color, HD, 16:9, 58 min, 2011, Iran
Director & Research: Loghman Khaledi Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Shahriyar, a garbage collector, has a passion for literature and poetry. He writes imaginative stories to escape from his dull and prosaic life but all the people around him constantly conspire to hold him back from “Moving Up”.
21 Days and Me (21 Rooz va Man) Color, HD, 16:9, 58 min, 2011, Iran
Director & Research: Shirin Barghnavard Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Nominated for the Best Asian Doc. in Asian Pacific 2011
Iwar Asian Women’s Film Festival (2013/ India)
This film covers the 21 days before the operation of a 35-year-old woman who is struggling with the issue to become a mother or not.
Unwelcome in Tehran (Nakhandeh dar Tehran) Color, HD, 16:9, 52 min, 2011, Iran
Director & Research: Mina Keshavarz Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (2012/ Greece) Filmmor Women's Int'l F. F. (2012/ Turkey)
Mina, the director, is a girl from Shiraz who gets married in order to move to Tehran. Influenced by her own life, she decides to make a documentary about the girls nationwide who, like Azar, move to Tehran to start an independent life.
Reluctant Bachelor (Pir Pesar) Color, HD, 16:9, 58 min., HD, 2011, Iran
Director & Research: Mehdi Bagheri Producer: Katayoon Shahabi
Asiatica Film Mediale F. F. (2012/ Italy) Gene Siskle Film Center (2012/ USA) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2013 / USA)
This film is about the director himself who is 30 years old and still living with his parents. He tells his story while trying to revise his attitude towards every member of his family by interviewing them. This film is the reflection of the young generations’ lives in Iran.
- 5/14/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
TV5MONDE USA brings the best of Franco-centric programming and films to the English speaking world. Beginning April 16th, TV5MONDE USA will air three weeks of The Trilogy: Three films, same cast, different genres. Director and star Lucas Belvaux is responsible for The Trilogy, dubbed .clever and engrossing. by Entertainment Weekly. Filmed all at once in 2002 in southwestern France, Belvaux used three different editors, Danielle Anezin, Valérie Loiseleux and Ludo Troch - all of whom won Cesar Awards for their efforts - to create three separate films. The Amazing Couple aka "Un couple épatant" is a romantic comedy), On the Run aka "Cavale" is a thriller and After the Life aka "Après la vie" is a melodrama...
- 3/28/2009
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Three middle-class men perpetrate an armed heist because one of the robber's wife needs a new moped so she won't have to take the bus to work. A misguided blasphemy of Bicycle Thief, downloaded through film-noir affectations, this Competition Entrant is morally specious and narratively nonsensical. Film might be more aptly retitled The Right of the Whiners, given its dimwitted ethics.
In this ridiculously implausible scenario, over-educated househusband Patrick (Eric Caravaca) is too proud to allow his working wife to accept a new scooter from her father because he feels his manhood threatened. He whines about it to his card buddies down at the bistro, old-timers who live nearby in a government-run high rise that houses the disbled on one floor. Also, there's a newcomer, yup, a silent stranger just out of prison for armed robbery.
Feeling sorry for himself and chalking up gaming losses, Patrick wallows in self-pity to such a pitiful depth that it inspires the old guys to concoct a plan - they will hold up their former place of employment, a shut-down steel plant where some shady execs are scamming money via scrap metal sales. It's all right to steal from your former place of employment since it shut down and you're now on the dole? They deserve it, right? Such is the moral turpitude of filmmaker Lucas Belvaux's scummy screenplay. Only those who believe that McDonald's customers who spill hot coffee on themselves deserve millions, will see the disgusting morals of the storyline.
Although the ex-con realizes the idiocy of the plan and bales, the other three stooges with no robbery skills embark on armed robbery. It's so lamebrained (but not in a Sunshine Boys comic kind of way) that it's actually painful to watch. That family-man and ultra Schmiel Patrick would risk his family life for such a dumb heist is preposterous. He is not exactly Jean Valjean. Evidently, we're supposed to root for the other two guys because it gives them something to do and inspires their boy-ish spirits. In the process, they kill an innocent man.
Twirling this twaddle around a noir-ish styled midsection, filmmaker Lucas Belvaux benefits from the luminous and artfully slanted cinematography of Pierre Melon. Riccardo Del Fra's original soundtrack also lays down some smudgy sounds, which are wasted on this bilge.
THE RIGHT OF THE WEAKEST
Diaphana Distribution
Agat Films & Cie and Entre Chien et Loup in co-production with France 3 Cinema, RTBF, Araneo Belgium, Aterliers de Baere
Credits: Screenwriter-director: Lucas Belvaux; Director of photography: Pierre Milon; Production designer: Frederique Belvaux; Costume designer: Nathalie Raoul; Editor: Ludo Troch. Cast. Patrick: Eric Caravaca; Carole: Natacha Regnier; Marc: Lucas Belvaux; Jean-Pierre: Patrick Descamps; Robert: Claude Semal; Steve: Elie Belvaux.
No MPAA rating, running time 116 minutes.
In this ridiculously implausible scenario, over-educated househusband Patrick (Eric Caravaca) is too proud to allow his working wife to accept a new scooter from her father because he feels his manhood threatened. He whines about it to his card buddies down at the bistro, old-timers who live nearby in a government-run high rise that houses the disbled on one floor. Also, there's a newcomer, yup, a silent stranger just out of prison for armed robbery.
Feeling sorry for himself and chalking up gaming losses, Patrick wallows in self-pity to such a pitiful depth that it inspires the old guys to concoct a plan - they will hold up their former place of employment, a shut-down steel plant where some shady execs are scamming money via scrap metal sales. It's all right to steal from your former place of employment since it shut down and you're now on the dole? They deserve it, right? Such is the moral turpitude of filmmaker Lucas Belvaux's scummy screenplay. Only those who believe that McDonald's customers who spill hot coffee on themselves deserve millions, will see the disgusting morals of the storyline.
Although the ex-con realizes the idiocy of the plan and bales, the other three stooges with no robbery skills embark on armed robbery. It's so lamebrained (but not in a Sunshine Boys comic kind of way) that it's actually painful to watch. That family-man and ultra Schmiel Patrick would risk his family life for such a dumb heist is preposterous. He is not exactly Jean Valjean. Evidently, we're supposed to root for the other two guys because it gives them something to do and inspires their boy-ish spirits. In the process, they kill an innocent man.
Twirling this twaddle around a noir-ish styled midsection, filmmaker Lucas Belvaux benefits from the luminous and artfully slanted cinematography of Pierre Melon. Riccardo Del Fra's original soundtrack also lays down some smudgy sounds, which are wasted on this bilge.
THE RIGHT OF THE WEAKEST
Diaphana Distribution
Agat Films & Cie and Entre Chien et Loup in co-production with France 3 Cinema, RTBF, Araneo Belgium, Aterliers de Baere
Credits: Screenwriter-director: Lucas Belvaux; Director of photography: Pierre Milon; Production designer: Frederique Belvaux; Costume designer: Nathalie Raoul; Editor: Ludo Troch. Cast. Patrick: Eric Caravaca; Carole: Natacha Regnier; Marc: Lucas Belvaux; Jean-Pierre: Patrick Descamps; Robert: Claude Semal; Steve: Elie Belvaux.
No MPAA rating, running time 116 minutes.
- 5/25/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opened
Friday, Jan 30 (New York)
NEW YORK -- Lucas Belvaux's experimental trilogy proves that the sum is often greater than the parts. Belvaux has made three stand-alone features, which share the same characters and milieu. The tales interweave, so each film elucidates those which came before. To increase the challenge, Belvaux has decided to work in three different genres: "One the Run" is a noirish crime thriller
"An Amazing Couple", a romantic comedy
and "After the Life", a tough drama.
On their own, they're passable movies, but -- with the possible exception of "After the Life" -- they lack definition for an international release. Yet viewed together, they improve one another. Shared situations are clarified and expanded, and characters are given new dimensions that completely change the way we understand them. The work suddenly expands to incorporate the wide-ranging perspectives of a good novel rather than the singular perspective of most films. Consequently, though it's flawed -- the romantic comedy sits uneasily with its harsher partners, for instance -- Belvaux's experiment is a success.
Magnolia Pictures opened "One the Run" on Jan. 30, "An Amazing Couple" on Feb. 6 and "After the Life" on Feb. 13 at New York's Angelika Film Center. A national release is to follow. Novelty value will certainly be a draw with artier audiences, and intriguing reviews will probably help. In New York, the trilogy's enemy will be time, and viewers may be discouraged by the fact that they have to see all three films to get the full picture.
"On the Run" is a crime thriller that introduces the inciting incident of the three stories -- a jailbreak by the leftist revolutionary Bruno (played by Belvaux himself). Once out of the pen, Bruno tracks down his old partner Jeanne (Catherine Frot) with the idea of restarting their leftist cell. But she's now settled and doesn't want to get involved.
Seamy cop Pascal Gilbert Melki) starts to pick up Bruno's trail, but then Bruno saves the cop's wife, Agnes (Dominique Blanc), from a drug overdose. Agnes decides to help him and hides him in a chalet belonging to a friend, Cecile (Ornella Muti). The story hinges on Bruno's revenge on the men who turned him in, and his attempts to persuade Jeanne to help him flee the country.
"On the Run" has some moments of excitement and is certainly uncompromising. Belvaux enjoys sticking within the conventions of the genre, using minimal dialogue, shadowy lighting with very dark blacks, shots of conniving characters through closed windows and so on.
"An Amazing Couple", the romantic comedy, is the weakest of the trio. It stands as something of an interlude, detailing the paranoid obsessions of Cecile and her husband, Alain (Francois Morel). Belvaux replicates the wordy banter of romantic comedies with gusto, but many of the jokes fail to ignite. It's obvious that he's more at home with the trilogy's darker sides.
A scene in which Cecile confronts Agnes and Bruno in her chalet is repeated from the first film. It's interesting to see Cecile -- originally the scene's supporting actor -- now become the focus. It's a textbook demonstration of how a change of camera angle can change the whole meaning of a scene. Technically, it's impressive to watch how Belvaux incorporates the similar dialogue and motion into two different styles of film without jarring.
"After the Life" is the strongest film. This concentrates on Agnes' battle with drug addiction and cop Pascal's attempts to help her. Seen third, the revelation is that while Pascal's still not particularly pleasant, he's more caring than we could perceive from the other parts. We learn that his hotheaded, cruel actions are motivated by the fact that a dealer will withhold morphine from Agnes unless Pascal leads him to the fleeing Bruno. Viewing events through Pascal's eyes changes our appreciation of him.
Belvaux's script is a tour de force of organization. Gratuitous scenes are expected in a work like this to provide continuity, but Belvaux cleverly makes sure that everything has a point.
The Trilogy:
On The Run, An Amazing Couple, After The Life
Produced by Agat Film Et Cie and Entre Chien Et Loup in association with Rhone-Alps Cinema and RTBF
Credits: Screenwriter-director: Lucas Belvaux
Producers: Patrick Sobelman, Diana Elbaum
Director of photography: Pierre Milon
Music: Riccardo Del Fra
Sound: Christian Monheim
Production designer: Frederique Belvaux
Costume designer: Cecile Cotten
Editors: Valerie Loiseleux ("An Amazing Couple"), Ludo Troch ("On the Run"), Danielle Anezin ("After the Life"). Cast: Cecile: Ornella Muti
Alain: Francois Morel
Jeanne: Catherine Frot
Bruno: Lucas Belvaux
Agnes: Dominique Blanc
Pascal: Gilbert Melki
No MPAA rating
Running times -- 117 minutes ("On the Run"), 100 minutes ("An Amazing Couple"), 124 minutes ("After the Life")...
Friday, Jan 30 (New York)
NEW YORK -- Lucas Belvaux's experimental trilogy proves that the sum is often greater than the parts. Belvaux has made three stand-alone features, which share the same characters and milieu. The tales interweave, so each film elucidates those which came before. To increase the challenge, Belvaux has decided to work in three different genres: "One the Run" is a noirish crime thriller
"An Amazing Couple", a romantic comedy
and "After the Life", a tough drama.
On their own, they're passable movies, but -- with the possible exception of "After the Life" -- they lack definition for an international release. Yet viewed together, they improve one another. Shared situations are clarified and expanded, and characters are given new dimensions that completely change the way we understand them. The work suddenly expands to incorporate the wide-ranging perspectives of a good novel rather than the singular perspective of most films. Consequently, though it's flawed -- the romantic comedy sits uneasily with its harsher partners, for instance -- Belvaux's experiment is a success.
Magnolia Pictures opened "One the Run" on Jan. 30, "An Amazing Couple" on Feb. 6 and "After the Life" on Feb. 13 at New York's Angelika Film Center. A national release is to follow. Novelty value will certainly be a draw with artier audiences, and intriguing reviews will probably help. In New York, the trilogy's enemy will be time, and viewers may be discouraged by the fact that they have to see all three films to get the full picture.
"On the Run" is a crime thriller that introduces the inciting incident of the three stories -- a jailbreak by the leftist revolutionary Bruno (played by Belvaux himself). Once out of the pen, Bruno tracks down his old partner Jeanne (Catherine Frot) with the idea of restarting their leftist cell. But she's now settled and doesn't want to get involved.
Seamy cop Pascal Gilbert Melki) starts to pick up Bruno's trail, but then Bruno saves the cop's wife, Agnes (Dominique Blanc), from a drug overdose. Agnes decides to help him and hides him in a chalet belonging to a friend, Cecile (Ornella Muti). The story hinges on Bruno's revenge on the men who turned him in, and his attempts to persuade Jeanne to help him flee the country.
"On the Run" has some moments of excitement and is certainly uncompromising. Belvaux enjoys sticking within the conventions of the genre, using minimal dialogue, shadowy lighting with very dark blacks, shots of conniving characters through closed windows and so on.
"An Amazing Couple", the romantic comedy, is the weakest of the trio. It stands as something of an interlude, detailing the paranoid obsessions of Cecile and her husband, Alain (Francois Morel). Belvaux replicates the wordy banter of romantic comedies with gusto, but many of the jokes fail to ignite. It's obvious that he's more at home with the trilogy's darker sides.
A scene in which Cecile confronts Agnes and Bruno in her chalet is repeated from the first film. It's interesting to see Cecile -- originally the scene's supporting actor -- now become the focus. It's a textbook demonstration of how a change of camera angle can change the whole meaning of a scene. Technically, it's impressive to watch how Belvaux incorporates the similar dialogue and motion into two different styles of film without jarring.
"After the Life" is the strongest film. This concentrates on Agnes' battle with drug addiction and cop Pascal's attempts to help her. Seen third, the revelation is that while Pascal's still not particularly pleasant, he's more caring than we could perceive from the other parts. We learn that his hotheaded, cruel actions are motivated by the fact that a dealer will withhold morphine from Agnes unless Pascal leads him to the fleeing Bruno. Viewing events through Pascal's eyes changes our appreciation of him.
Belvaux's script is a tour de force of organization. Gratuitous scenes are expected in a work like this to provide continuity, but Belvaux cleverly makes sure that everything has a point.
The Trilogy:
On The Run, An Amazing Couple, After The Life
Produced by Agat Film Et Cie and Entre Chien Et Loup in association with Rhone-Alps Cinema and RTBF
Credits: Screenwriter-director: Lucas Belvaux
Producers: Patrick Sobelman, Diana Elbaum
Director of photography: Pierre Milon
Music: Riccardo Del Fra
Sound: Christian Monheim
Production designer: Frederique Belvaux
Costume designer: Cecile Cotten
Editors: Valerie Loiseleux ("An Amazing Couple"), Ludo Troch ("On the Run"), Danielle Anezin ("After the Life"). Cast: Cecile: Ornella Muti
Alain: Francois Morel
Jeanne: Catherine Frot
Bruno: Lucas Belvaux
Agnes: Dominique Blanc
Pascal: Gilbert Melki
No MPAA rating
Running times -- 117 minutes ("On the Run"), 100 minutes ("An Amazing Couple"), 124 minutes ("After the Life")...
Opened
Friday, Jan 30 (New York)
NEW YORK -- Lucas Belvaux's experimental trilogy proves that the sum is often greater than the parts. Belvaux has made three stand-alone features, which share the same characters and milieu. The tales interweave, so each film elucidates those which came before. To increase the challenge, Belvaux has decided to work in three different genres: "One the Run" is a noirish crime thriller
"An Amazing Couple", a romantic comedy
and "After the Life", a tough drama.
On their own, they're passable movies, but -- with the possible exception of "After the Life" -- they lack definition for an international release. Yet viewed together, they improve one another. Shared situations are clarified and expanded, and characters are given new dimensions that completely change the way we understand them. The work suddenly expands to incorporate the wide-ranging perspectives of a good novel rather than the singular perspective of most films. Consequently, though it's flawed -- the romantic comedy sits uneasily with its harsher partners, for instance -- Belvaux's experiment is a success.
Magnolia Pictures opened "One the Run" on Jan. 30, "An Amazing Couple" on Feb. 6 and "After the Life" on Feb. 13 at New York's Angelika Film Center. A national release is to follow. Novelty value will certainly be a draw with artier audiences, and intriguing reviews will probably help. In New York, the trilogy's enemy will be time, and viewers may be discouraged by the fact that they have to see all three films to get the full picture.
"On the Run" is a crime thriller that introduces the inciting incident of the three stories -- a jailbreak by the leftist revolutionary Bruno (played by Belvaux himself). Once out of the pen, Bruno tracks down his old partner Jeanne (Catherine Frot) with the idea of restarting their leftist cell. But she's now settled and doesn't want to get involved.
Seamy cop Pascal Gilbert Melki) starts to pick up Bruno's trail, but then Bruno saves the cop's wife, Agnes (Dominique Blanc), from a drug overdose. Agnes decides to help him and hides him in a chalet belonging to a friend, Cecile (Ornella Muti). The story hinges on Bruno's revenge on the men who turned him in, and his attempts to persuade Jeanne to help him flee the country.
"On the Run" has some moments of excitement and is certainly uncompromising. Belvaux enjoys sticking within the conventions of the genre, using minimal dialogue, shadowy lighting with very dark blacks, shots of conniving characters through closed windows and so on.
"An Amazing Couple", the romantic comedy, is the weakest of the trio. It stands as something of an interlude, detailing the paranoid obsessions of Cecile and her husband, Alain (Francois Morel). Belvaux replicates the wordy banter of romantic comedies with gusto, but many of the jokes fail to ignite. It's obvious that he's more at home with the trilogy's darker sides.
A scene in which Cecile confronts Agnes and Bruno in her chalet is repeated from the first film. It's interesting to see Cecile -- originally the scene's supporting actor -- now become the focus. It's a textbook demonstration of how a change of camera angle can change the whole meaning of a scene. Technically, it's impressive to watch how Belvaux incorporates the similar dialogue and motion into two different styles of film without jarring.
"After the Life" is the strongest film. This concentrates on Agnes' battle with drug addiction and cop Pascal's attempts to help her. Seen third, the revelation is that while Pascal's still not particularly pleasant, he's more caring than we could perceive from the other parts. We learn that his hotheaded, cruel actions are motivated by the fact that a dealer will withhold morphine from Agnes unless Pascal leads him to the fleeing Bruno. Viewing events through Pascal's eyes changes our appreciation of him.
Belvaux's script is a tour de force of organization. Gratuitous scenes are expected in a work like this to provide continuity, but Belvaux cleverly makes sure that everything has a point.
The Trilogy:
On The Run, An Amazing Couple, After The Life
Produced by Agat Film Et Cie and Entre Chien Et Loup in association with Rhone-Alps Cinema and RTBF
Credits: Screenwriter-director: Lucas Belvaux
Producers: Patrick Sobelman, Diana Elbaum
Director of photography: Pierre Milon
Music: Riccardo Del Fra
Sound: Christian Monheim
Production designer: Frederique Belvaux
Costume designer: Cecile Cotten
Editors: Valerie Loiseleux ("An Amazing Couple"), Ludo Troch ("On the Run"), Danielle Anezin ("After the Life"). Cast: Cecile: Ornella Muti
Alain: Francois Morel
Jeanne: Catherine Frot
Bruno: Lucas Belvaux
Agnes: Dominique Blanc
Pascal: Gilbert Melki
No MPAA rating
Running times -- 117 minutes ("On the Run"), 100 minutes ("An Amazing Couple"), 124 minutes ("After the Life")...
Friday, Jan 30 (New York)
NEW YORK -- Lucas Belvaux's experimental trilogy proves that the sum is often greater than the parts. Belvaux has made three stand-alone features, which share the same characters and milieu. The tales interweave, so each film elucidates those which came before. To increase the challenge, Belvaux has decided to work in three different genres: "One the Run" is a noirish crime thriller
"An Amazing Couple", a romantic comedy
and "After the Life", a tough drama.
On their own, they're passable movies, but -- with the possible exception of "After the Life" -- they lack definition for an international release. Yet viewed together, they improve one another. Shared situations are clarified and expanded, and characters are given new dimensions that completely change the way we understand them. The work suddenly expands to incorporate the wide-ranging perspectives of a good novel rather than the singular perspective of most films. Consequently, though it's flawed -- the romantic comedy sits uneasily with its harsher partners, for instance -- Belvaux's experiment is a success.
Magnolia Pictures opened "One the Run" on Jan. 30, "An Amazing Couple" on Feb. 6 and "After the Life" on Feb. 13 at New York's Angelika Film Center. A national release is to follow. Novelty value will certainly be a draw with artier audiences, and intriguing reviews will probably help. In New York, the trilogy's enemy will be time, and viewers may be discouraged by the fact that they have to see all three films to get the full picture.
"On the Run" is a crime thriller that introduces the inciting incident of the three stories -- a jailbreak by the leftist revolutionary Bruno (played by Belvaux himself). Once out of the pen, Bruno tracks down his old partner Jeanne (Catherine Frot) with the idea of restarting their leftist cell. But she's now settled and doesn't want to get involved.
Seamy cop Pascal Gilbert Melki) starts to pick up Bruno's trail, but then Bruno saves the cop's wife, Agnes (Dominique Blanc), from a drug overdose. Agnes decides to help him and hides him in a chalet belonging to a friend, Cecile (Ornella Muti). The story hinges on Bruno's revenge on the men who turned him in, and his attempts to persuade Jeanne to help him flee the country.
"On the Run" has some moments of excitement and is certainly uncompromising. Belvaux enjoys sticking within the conventions of the genre, using minimal dialogue, shadowy lighting with very dark blacks, shots of conniving characters through closed windows and so on.
"An Amazing Couple", the romantic comedy, is the weakest of the trio. It stands as something of an interlude, detailing the paranoid obsessions of Cecile and her husband, Alain (Francois Morel). Belvaux replicates the wordy banter of romantic comedies with gusto, but many of the jokes fail to ignite. It's obvious that he's more at home with the trilogy's darker sides.
A scene in which Cecile confronts Agnes and Bruno in her chalet is repeated from the first film. It's interesting to see Cecile -- originally the scene's supporting actor -- now become the focus. It's a textbook demonstration of how a change of camera angle can change the whole meaning of a scene. Technically, it's impressive to watch how Belvaux incorporates the similar dialogue and motion into two different styles of film without jarring.
"After the Life" is the strongest film. This concentrates on Agnes' battle with drug addiction and cop Pascal's attempts to help her. Seen third, the revelation is that while Pascal's still not particularly pleasant, he's more caring than we could perceive from the other parts. We learn that his hotheaded, cruel actions are motivated by the fact that a dealer will withhold morphine from Agnes unless Pascal leads him to the fleeing Bruno. Viewing events through Pascal's eyes changes our appreciation of him.
Belvaux's script is a tour de force of organization. Gratuitous scenes are expected in a work like this to provide continuity, but Belvaux cleverly makes sure that everything has a point.
The Trilogy:
On The Run, An Amazing Couple, After The Life
Produced by Agat Film Et Cie and Entre Chien Et Loup in association with Rhone-Alps Cinema and RTBF
Credits: Screenwriter-director: Lucas Belvaux
Producers: Patrick Sobelman, Diana Elbaum
Director of photography: Pierre Milon
Music: Riccardo Del Fra
Sound: Christian Monheim
Production designer: Frederique Belvaux
Costume designer: Cecile Cotten
Editors: Valerie Loiseleux ("An Amazing Couple"), Ludo Troch ("On the Run"), Danielle Anezin ("After the Life"). Cast: Cecile: Ornella Muti
Alain: Francois Morel
Jeanne: Catherine Frot
Bruno: Lucas Belvaux
Agnes: Dominique Blanc
Pascal: Gilbert Melki
No MPAA rating
Running times -- 117 minutes ("On the Run"), 100 minutes ("An Amazing Couple"), 124 minutes ("After the Life")...
In "The King Is Dancing" (Le Roi Danse), Belgian filmmaker Gerard Corbiau, who made a splash stateside with his Oscar-nominated "Farinelli", has made his third film of four to revolve around music. This time we find ourselves in the court of Louis XIV in the days before he became the Sun King. In this fascinating glimpse into how such a man propels himself to power, the film shows Louis creating an image from music and dance, relying specifically on two geniuses: the ballet composer Lully and the poet and playwright Moliere.
The film is steeped in French political and cultural history, which probably places it beyond the interest of most American moviegoers, but it should play well at festivals and European art houses. And with "Farinelli" as a calling card, the film could be a candidate for limited U.S. release and cable TV sale.
This is a magnificent production with regal interiors, sumptuous costumes, a fluid camera befitting the baroque period and, of course, a soundtrack that reflects a movie devoted to not only the invention of the king's ballet but also to opera itself. Astonishingly, the production was shot not in France, but in an abandoned airport near Cologne, Germany, that has been turned into a studio.
The screenplay -- worked on by Corbiau and his wife, Andree, novelist Eve de Castro and Didier Decoin -- develops the notion that Louis XIV (Benoit Magimel) had to invent himself before consolidating power. Made king at age 14, his country is nevertheless ruled by his mother (Colette Emmanuelle). Shy and overwhelmed by the responsibilities that will one day be thrust upon him, the young dauphin throws himself into music and dance, at which he excels.
His companions in these pursuits are Lully (Boris Terral), a Frenchified Italian composer of ballet, and Moliere (Tcheky Karyo), with whom Louis pairs Lully to create theatrical works. But the Old Guard, which considers these works blasphemous, opposes them at every juncture.
A splendid dancer, Louis is determined that French dance and music dominate Europe. In this way, he will create an image of himself at the forefront of all that is good and noble and absorb the state into his persona as a great dancer so that the body of the king is identified with his kingdom.
But as years go by, the king can no longer dance, so he compels Lully and Moliere to collaborate on comedy ballets. Eventually, Moliere dies, and Louis no longer attends Lully's concerts. All of this Lully recalls from his deathbed, where he thinks back on the dancing king and the thrilling adventures they shared.
These are all difficult and complicated characters. The two geniuses are easily tempted by debauchery and confounded by a "friendship" with a king, a man who shrewdly declares that he has no friends. One observes such people with interest, but their manners and methods are often alienating.
Despite marriage and children, Lully is homosexual, and his enemies use this against him until even Louis must insist that he lead a more conservative life. Terral, as Lully, with Long Dark hair and intense features, is always in motion, as if his entire life were a piece of choreography. Louis is the love of Lully's life, in the platonic sense, and he means for his genius to reflect the king's glory.
Magimel, who reminds one of a blond Sean Penn, slowly acquires the hauteur and stature of the Sun King as the movie progresses. But one sees his sagacity even when Louis is an immature young man.
Karyo's Moliere is a gentle soul despite a rapier wit and love of satirizing piety and hypocrisy. His anger gets subsumed in his humanity and a love for creating art.
Corbiau does an outstanding job of evoking the atmosphere of the 17th century court intrigue and treachery in which the young king grows up. And the music and dance are beautifully filtered through this world of backstabbing courtiers.
But the film is ultimately more cerebral than emotional. It's history without any tragedy; instead, one merely gets the bitter disappointment of artists passed over by their royal fan. And a king who creates a "media image" for himself. In this respect, it's a very modern film.
THE KING IS DANCING
K-Star, France 2 Cinema, MMCI,
K-Dance, K2 and RTL TVI
with participation of Canal Plus
Producer: Dominique Janne
Director: Gerard Corbiau
Screenwriters: Eve de Castro, Andree Corbiau, Gerard Corbiau, Didier Decoin
Inspired by the book by: Philippe Beaussant
Director of photography: Gerard Simon
Art director: Huberg Pouille
Music: Jean-Baptiste Lully
Costume designer: Olivier Beroit
Editors: Ludo Troch, Philippe Ravoet
Color/stereo
Cast:
Louis XIV: Benoit Magimel
Lully: Boris Terral
Moliere: Tcheky Karyo
Anne d'Autriche: Colette Emmanuelle
Madeleine: Cecile Bois
Julie: Claire Keim
Running time -- 115 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The film is steeped in French political and cultural history, which probably places it beyond the interest of most American moviegoers, but it should play well at festivals and European art houses. And with "Farinelli" as a calling card, the film could be a candidate for limited U.S. release and cable TV sale.
This is a magnificent production with regal interiors, sumptuous costumes, a fluid camera befitting the baroque period and, of course, a soundtrack that reflects a movie devoted to not only the invention of the king's ballet but also to opera itself. Astonishingly, the production was shot not in France, but in an abandoned airport near Cologne, Germany, that has been turned into a studio.
The screenplay -- worked on by Corbiau and his wife, Andree, novelist Eve de Castro and Didier Decoin -- develops the notion that Louis XIV (Benoit Magimel) had to invent himself before consolidating power. Made king at age 14, his country is nevertheless ruled by his mother (Colette Emmanuelle). Shy and overwhelmed by the responsibilities that will one day be thrust upon him, the young dauphin throws himself into music and dance, at which he excels.
His companions in these pursuits are Lully (Boris Terral), a Frenchified Italian composer of ballet, and Moliere (Tcheky Karyo), with whom Louis pairs Lully to create theatrical works. But the Old Guard, which considers these works blasphemous, opposes them at every juncture.
A splendid dancer, Louis is determined that French dance and music dominate Europe. In this way, he will create an image of himself at the forefront of all that is good and noble and absorb the state into his persona as a great dancer so that the body of the king is identified with his kingdom.
But as years go by, the king can no longer dance, so he compels Lully and Moliere to collaborate on comedy ballets. Eventually, Moliere dies, and Louis no longer attends Lully's concerts. All of this Lully recalls from his deathbed, where he thinks back on the dancing king and the thrilling adventures they shared.
These are all difficult and complicated characters. The two geniuses are easily tempted by debauchery and confounded by a "friendship" with a king, a man who shrewdly declares that he has no friends. One observes such people with interest, but their manners and methods are often alienating.
Despite marriage and children, Lully is homosexual, and his enemies use this against him until even Louis must insist that he lead a more conservative life. Terral, as Lully, with Long Dark hair and intense features, is always in motion, as if his entire life were a piece of choreography. Louis is the love of Lully's life, in the platonic sense, and he means for his genius to reflect the king's glory.
Magimel, who reminds one of a blond Sean Penn, slowly acquires the hauteur and stature of the Sun King as the movie progresses. But one sees his sagacity even when Louis is an immature young man.
Karyo's Moliere is a gentle soul despite a rapier wit and love of satirizing piety and hypocrisy. His anger gets subsumed in his humanity and a love for creating art.
Corbiau does an outstanding job of evoking the atmosphere of the 17th century court intrigue and treachery in which the young king grows up. And the music and dance are beautifully filtered through this world of backstabbing courtiers.
But the film is ultimately more cerebral than emotional. It's history without any tragedy; instead, one merely gets the bitter disappointment of artists passed over by their royal fan. And a king who creates a "media image" for himself. In this respect, it's a very modern film.
THE KING IS DANCING
K-Star, France 2 Cinema, MMCI,
K-Dance, K2 and RTL TVI
with participation of Canal Plus
Producer: Dominique Janne
Director: Gerard Corbiau
Screenwriters: Eve de Castro, Andree Corbiau, Gerard Corbiau, Didier Decoin
Inspired by the book by: Philippe Beaussant
Director of photography: Gerard Simon
Art director: Huberg Pouille
Music: Jean-Baptiste Lully
Costume designer: Olivier Beroit
Editors: Ludo Troch, Philippe Ravoet
Color/stereo
Cast:
Louis XIV: Benoit Magimel
Lully: Boris Terral
Moliere: Tcheky Karyo
Anne d'Autriche: Colette Emmanuelle
Madeleine: Cecile Bois
Julie: Claire Keim
Running time -- 115 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Director Paul Cox's latest effort concerns, as the title makes clear, the true story of the famous priest who devoted himself to the desperate leper colony located on the Hawaiian island of Molokai in the 1870s.
Eschewing stylization and populating the film with a stellar array of well-known actors in supporting roles, Cox has produced a straightforward, moving and informative docudrama.
A natural for the festival circuit -- it played Montreal and Toronto this year -- "Molokai" boasts a stellar cast, but its commercial prospects are less certain.
Filmed where the actual story took place, the film begins with Father Damien's (David Wenham) assignment to Molokai Island, where an isolated leper colony has been established. Damien is a dedicated Flemish priest who clearly has taken to his calling with a passion.
Although his higher-ups in the Catholic Church are not exactly fully committed to the cause, Damien embraces his new assignment with a messianic fervor. His repeated entreaties for money and supplies are a major thorn in the sides of the Church and the beleaguered prime minister (Sam Neill), especially when they result in negative publicity.
It isn't long before Damien's methods produce results. The island is visited by royalty, Princess Liliukalani (Kate Ceberano), who, in one of the film's more outlandish scenes (even if it may be true), serenades the lepers with a pretty song. More importantly, Damien is joined by the practical-minded Brother Dutton (Tom Wilkinson) and a group of nuns led by the dedicated Mother Marianne (Alice Krige).
Unfortunately, Damien's absolute faith has tragic results; ignoring the repeated warnings to avoid physical contact with the lepers, he eventually contracts the disease.
Screenwriter John Briley, an Oscar winner for "Gandhi", has produced a similarly straightforward effort here and, though there are few surprises or exceptional moments, the film has no-nonsense directness.
The best scenes involve Damien's encounters with an erudite white Protestant patient (Peter O'Toole), a former medical worker who humorously resists the priest's efforts to save his soul. Also well-written are the scenes depicting the Church officials' frustrated reactions to Damien's belligerency.
In the title role, Australian actor Wenham delivers a compellingly idiosyncratic performance that interestingly conveys Damien's religious fervor with an almost distracted quality; it is a courageously offbeat turn that almost certainly couldn't have been provided by a traditional leading man. Excellent cameos are provided by O'Toole, Derek Jacobi, Neill, Leo McKern, Wilkinson and Kris Kristofferson, who demonstrates that accents are not exactly his forte.
Nino Martinetti's photography well captures the natural beauty of the Hawaiian settings, and the full horrors of the physical ravages of the disease are conveyed through endless close-ups spotlighting the film's state-of-the-art makeup effects.
MOLOKAI: THE STORY
OF FATHER DAMIEN
Motion International
Director: Paul Cox
Screenplay: John Briley
Producers: Tharsi Vanhuysse, Grietje Lammertyn, Era Films, Kineapolis Group
Photography: Nino Martinetti
Editors: Ludo Troch, John Scott
Music: Wim Mertens
Color/stereo
Cast:
Father Damien: David Wenham
Prime Minister Gibson: Sam Neill
Princess Liliukalani: Kate Ceberano
Williamson: Peter O'Toole
Bishop Maigret: Leo McKern
Father Leonor Fousnel: Derek Jacobi
Rudolph Meyer: Kris Kristofferson
Mother Marianne: Alice Krige
Brother Dutton: Tom Wilkinson
Running time -- 113 minuntes
No MPAA rating...
Eschewing stylization and populating the film with a stellar array of well-known actors in supporting roles, Cox has produced a straightforward, moving and informative docudrama.
A natural for the festival circuit -- it played Montreal and Toronto this year -- "Molokai" boasts a stellar cast, but its commercial prospects are less certain.
Filmed where the actual story took place, the film begins with Father Damien's (David Wenham) assignment to Molokai Island, where an isolated leper colony has been established. Damien is a dedicated Flemish priest who clearly has taken to his calling with a passion.
Although his higher-ups in the Catholic Church are not exactly fully committed to the cause, Damien embraces his new assignment with a messianic fervor. His repeated entreaties for money and supplies are a major thorn in the sides of the Church and the beleaguered prime minister (Sam Neill), especially when they result in negative publicity.
It isn't long before Damien's methods produce results. The island is visited by royalty, Princess Liliukalani (Kate Ceberano), who, in one of the film's more outlandish scenes (even if it may be true), serenades the lepers with a pretty song. More importantly, Damien is joined by the practical-minded Brother Dutton (Tom Wilkinson) and a group of nuns led by the dedicated Mother Marianne (Alice Krige).
Unfortunately, Damien's absolute faith has tragic results; ignoring the repeated warnings to avoid physical contact with the lepers, he eventually contracts the disease.
Screenwriter John Briley, an Oscar winner for "Gandhi", has produced a similarly straightforward effort here and, though there are few surprises or exceptional moments, the film has no-nonsense directness.
The best scenes involve Damien's encounters with an erudite white Protestant patient (Peter O'Toole), a former medical worker who humorously resists the priest's efforts to save his soul. Also well-written are the scenes depicting the Church officials' frustrated reactions to Damien's belligerency.
In the title role, Australian actor Wenham delivers a compellingly idiosyncratic performance that interestingly conveys Damien's religious fervor with an almost distracted quality; it is a courageously offbeat turn that almost certainly couldn't have been provided by a traditional leading man. Excellent cameos are provided by O'Toole, Derek Jacobi, Neill, Leo McKern, Wilkinson and Kris Kristofferson, who demonstrates that accents are not exactly his forte.
Nino Martinetti's photography well captures the natural beauty of the Hawaiian settings, and the full horrors of the physical ravages of the disease are conveyed through endless close-ups spotlighting the film's state-of-the-art makeup effects.
MOLOKAI: THE STORY
OF FATHER DAMIEN
Motion International
Director: Paul Cox
Screenplay: John Briley
Producers: Tharsi Vanhuysse, Grietje Lammertyn, Era Films, Kineapolis Group
Photography: Nino Martinetti
Editors: Ludo Troch, John Scott
Music: Wim Mertens
Color/stereo
Cast:
Father Damien: David Wenham
Prime Minister Gibson: Sam Neill
Princess Liliukalani: Kate Ceberano
Williamson: Peter O'Toole
Bishop Maigret: Leo McKern
Father Leonor Fousnel: Derek Jacobi
Rudolph Meyer: Kris Kristofferson
Mother Marianne: Alice Krige
Brother Dutton: Tom Wilkinson
Running time -- 113 minuntes
No MPAA rating...
- 11/8/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The complexity of adolescent angst is an increasingly popular subject for filmmakers and is the chief concern of this debut feature from Belgian director Patrice Toye. The tale of a deeply troubled 13-year-old girl and her complex, intense relationship with her young mother, "Rosie" suffers at times from the filmmaker's slack approach to storytelling, but -- thanks to some excellent performances -- it manages to be intermittently powerful. Now playing in New York, the subtitled film opens Aug. 20 at L.A.'s Nuart Theatre.
Told in flashback, the story begins with Rosie (Aranka Coppens) being held in a juvenile detention facility; how she got there is not revealed until the film's end. Before her incarceration, Rosie lived with her mother Irene (Sara de Roo) in a run-down housing project in an industrial neighborhood. Irene, not yet 30, has more than a few boyfriends, and she hides her motherhood by having Rosie address her as "sister." Things become even more confused in the cramped apartment when Rosie's uncle Michel (Frank Vercruyssen) -- whose relationship with his sister is, shall we say, complicated -- moves in.
To escape her misery, Rosie reads romance novels and spends a great deal of time with her boyfriend Jimi (Joost Wijnant), who may be imaginary. Ultimately, the disturbed teen begins to spiral out of control, engaging in ever more problematic and dangerous behavior as her emotional state unravels.
Too often, the filmmaker seems more intent on establishing a bleak atmosphere than clarifying her characters and situations. Although several scenes register with a Gothic intensity, the general vagueness and haphazard blending of fantasy and reality proves more distancing than illuminating. Still, Toye demonstrates a strong visual sense, and she has elicited sterling performances from the entire cast; young Coppens, in particular, inhabits her character with a startling intensity.
ROSIE
New Yorker Films
A Prime Time, the Flemish Film Fund, VRT, Nationale Loterij, Canal PLus production
Credits: Director-screenwriter: Patrice Toye; Producer: Antonino Lombardo; Director of photography: Richard Van Oosterhout; Music: John Parish; Editor: Ludo Troch. Cast: Rosie: Aranka Coppens; Irene: Sara de Roo; Bernard: Dirk Roofthooft; Jimi: Joost Wijnant; Michel: Frank Vercruyssen. Color/stereo. No MPAA rating. Running time -- 97 minutes.
Told in flashback, the story begins with Rosie (Aranka Coppens) being held in a juvenile detention facility; how she got there is not revealed until the film's end. Before her incarceration, Rosie lived with her mother Irene (Sara de Roo) in a run-down housing project in an industrial neighborhood. Irene, not yet 30, has more than a few boyfriends, and she hides her motherhood by having Rosie address her as "sister." Things become even more confused in the cramped apartment when Rosie's uncle Michel (Frank Vercruyssen) -- whose relationship with his sister is, shall we say, complicated -- moves in.
To escape her misery, Rosie reads romance novels and spends a great deal of time with her boyfriend Jimi (Joost Wijnant), who may be imaginary. Ultimately, the disturbed teen begins to spiral out of control, engaging in ever more problematic and dangerous behavior as her emotional state unravels.
Too often, the filmmaker seems more intent on establishing a bleak atmosphere than clarifying her characters and situations. Although several scenes register with a Gothic intensity, the general vagueness and haphazard blending of fantasy and reality proves more distancing than illuminating. Still, Toye demonstrates a strong visual sense, and she has elicited sterling performances from the entire cast; young Coppens, in particular, inhabits her character with a startling intensity.
ROSIE
New Yorker Films
A Prime Time, the Flemish Film Fund, VRT, Nationale Loterij, Canal PLus production
Credits: Director-screenwriter: Patrice Toye; Producer: Antonino Lombardo; Director of photography: Richard Van Oosterhout; Music: John Parish; Editor: Ludo Troch. Cast: Rosie: Aranka Coppens; Irene: Sara de Roo; Bernard: Dirk Roofthooft; Jimi: Joost Wijnant; Michel: Frank Vercruyssen. Color/stereo. No MPAA rating. Running time -- 97 minutes.
- 7/27/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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