Cannibalism in France, a latterday Our Gang in Florida, three women in Tel Aviv, and – at last! – a Blade Runner sequel are among the year’s must-sees
• Observer critics’ reviews of the year in full
To get a sense of how many great movies played UK cinemas in 2017, just look at some of the outstanding titles that didn’t make my top 10 list. From Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden (brilliantly adapted from Sarah Waters’s novel Fingersmith) to Anocha Suwichakornpong’s dazzling By the Time It Gets Dark, Paul Verhoeven’s Elle (featuring an Oscar-nominated Isabelle Huppert) and Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius (with Sônia Braga in breathtaking form), there was a dizzying array of delights on offer. Even so-called mainstream cinema seemed particularly adventurous this year, ranging from Patty Jenkins’s rip-roaring Wonder Woman to Christopher Nolan’s overwhelming Dunkirk, Kathryn Bigelow’s gripping Detroit, Edgar Wright’s pulse-racing...
• Observer critics’ reviews of the year in full
To get a sense of how many great movies played UK cinemas in 2017, just look at some of the outstanding titles that didn’t make my top 10 list. From Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden (brilliantly adapted from Sarah Waters’s novel Fingersmith) to Anocha Suwichakornpong’s dazzling By the Time It Gets Dark, Paul Verhoeven’s Elle (featuring an Oscar-nominated Isabelle Huppert) and Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius (with Sônia Braga in breathtaking form), there was a dizzying array of delights on offer. Even so-called mainstream cinema seemed particularly adventurous this year, ranging from Patty Jenkins’s rip-roaring Wonder Woman to Christopher Nolan’s overwhelming Dunkirk, Kathryn Bigelow’s gripping Detroit, Edgar Wright’s pulse-racing...
- 12/10/2017
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Who got signed, promoted, hired or fired? The Hollywood Reporter’s Rep Sheet rounds up the week in representation news. To submit announcements for consideration, contact rebecca.sun@thr.com.
Scribe Signs
Novelist and screenwriter Rafael Yglesias has signed with Verve. He most recently served as an executive producer on NBC’s Aquarius. In addition to penning 10 novels, Yglesias also wrote the screenplays for Peter Weir’s Fearless, Roman Polanski’s Death and the Maiden, Billie August’s 1998 version of Les Miserables, Albert and Allen Hughes’ From Hell and Walter Salles’ Dark Water. He continues to be managed by Russell Hollander of Hollander Entertainment.
Posed...
Scribe Signs
Novelist and screenwriter Rafael Yglesias has signed with Verve. He most recently served as an executive producer on NBC’s Aquarius. In addition to penning 10 novels, Yglesias also wrote the screenplays for Peter Weir’s Fearless, Roman Polanski’s Death and the Maiden, Billie August’s 1998 version of Les Miserables, Albert and Allen Hughes’ From Hell and Walter Salles’ Dark Water. He continues to be managed by Russell Hollander of Hollander Entertainment.
Posed...
- 8/28/2017
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Doug Nichol's California Typewriter brilliantly captures the percussion of the keys at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Antiquarian typewriter collector Martin Howard over brunch in the garden of Narcissa, next door to the Standard Hotel, joined me for a conversation on California Typewriter, Doug Nichol's documentary featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Jeremy Mayer, Pulitzer Prize winners David McCullough and Sam Shepard, and a reenactment of Ed Ruscha and Mason Williams' Royal Road Test execution. Martin is the glue of the film as we are taken on an historical journey for his search to purchase a Sholes & Glidden typewriter.
Martin Howard on typewriter Betty Grable: "She uses a Sholes & Glidden in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Wrong Box (John Mills, Michael Caine, Ralph Richardson, Peter Sellers, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore), Royal Flash (Malcolm McDowell, Alan Bates, Florinda Bolkan, Oliver Reed), Waterloo (Rod Steiger,...
Antiquarian typewriter collector Martin Howard over brunch in the garden of Narcissa, next door to the Standard Hotel, joined me for a conversation on California Typewriter, Doug Nichol's documentary featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Jeremy Mayer, Pulitzer Prize winners David McCullough and Sam Shepard, and a reenactment of Ed Ruscha and Mason Williams' Royal Road Test execution. Martin is the glue of the film as we are taken on an historical journey for his search to purchase a Sholes & Glidden typewriter.
Martin Howard on typewriter Betty Grable: "She uses a Sholes & Glidden in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Wrong Box (John Mills, Michael Caine, Ralph Richardson, Peter Sellers, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore), Royal Flash (Malcolm McDowell, Alan Bates, Florinda Bolkan, Oliver Reed), Waterloo (Rod Steiger,...
- 8/27/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Netflix adds new movies almost every day, which only makes it harder to find ones worth watching. That’s where IndieWire comes in. From low-budget American gems to foreign film masterpieces, these are the overlooked independent movies you’ve got to make time for on Netflix. All titles are now available to stream.
Read More: 7 Netflix Original Movies That Are Worth Seeking Out
“6 Years” (2015)
“6 Years” provides a moving snapshot of a troubled relationship. The movie follows a young couple facing the titular anniversary as their future is challenged by various spats and infidelities. With an improvisatory style and two heartbreaking performances from Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield, “6 Years” imbues its traditional narrative with a fiery edge. Read IndieWire’s review.
“A Woman, A Part“ (2016)
In her feature directorial debut, Elisabeth Subrin confronts industry-wide sexism head on, making it clear that her protagonist’s experiences are not unique and dismantling any...
Read More: 7 Netflix Original Movies That Are Worth Seeking Out
“6 Years” (2015)
“6 Years” provides a moving snapshot of a troubled relationship. The movie follows a young couple facing the titular anniversary as their future is challenged by various spats and infidelities. With an improvisatory style and two heartbreaking performances from Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield, “6 Years” imbues its traditional narrative with a fiery edge. Read IndieWire’s review.
“A Woman, A Part“ (2016)
In her feature directorial debut, Elisabeth Subrin confronts industry-wide sexism head on, making it clear that her protagonist’s experiences are not unique and dismantling any...
- 7/27/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Pedro Almodóvar named best director for Julieta; Sonia Braga wins best actress for Aquarius.
The Distinguished Citizen converted three of its four nominations at the Platino Awards in Madrid on Saturday honouring the best of Ibero-American cinema.
The feature won best film, best screenplay and best actor for Óscar Martínez, crowning almost a year of prizes and box office success for this acute comedy directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat.
The film premiered last year at the Venice Film Festival, where Óscar Martínez won the prize for best actor, playing a Nobel prize-winning writer who returns to his hometown in Argentina after years away and discovers the dangers of revisiting the past.
Winners of the fourth edition of the Platinos also included prizes for Julieta and A Monster Calls.
Pedro Almodóvar was named best director of for Julieta. In tune with political statements on the night referring to the Venezuelan crisis and the need to build...
The Distinguished Citizen converted three of its four nominations at the Platino Awards in Madrid on Saturday honouring the best of Ibero-American cinema.
The feature won best film, best screenplay and best actor for Óscar Martínez, crowning almost a year of prizes and box office success for this acute comedy directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat.
The film premiered last year at the Venice Film Festival, where Óscar Martínez won the prize for best actor, playing a Nobel prize-winning writer who returns to his hometown in Argentina after years away and discovers the dangers of revisiting the past.
Winners of the fourth edition of the Platinos also included prizes for Julieta and A Monster Calls.
Pedro Almodóvar was named best director of for Julieta. In tune with political statements on the night referring to the Venezuelan crisis and the need to build...
- 7/22/2017
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Producer talks Lapid’s latest; further projects with Mendonça Filho, Verhoeven, Jaoui and Sachs.
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid [pictured] is gearing up for the shoot of his long-gestating Paris-set feature Synonyms in Paris this autumn with emerging compatriot actor Tom Mercier in the lead role.
“It will film this November and December,” said lead producer Saïd Ben Saïd of Paris-based Sbs Productions.
Ben Saïd is at Jerusalem Film Festival as a member of the Israeli Feature Competition jury and with Philippe Garrel’s Lover For A Day, which is playing in the International Competition.
He took over as lead producer of the project from Anne-Dominique Toussaint of Les Films des Tournelles in late 2016.
“We’re friends, it was an amicable deal. Anne-Dominique was tied up in other projects so I took over the production,” explained Ben Saïd, who will also handle international sales and French distribution.
The project, which originally had the working title Micro Robert after the...
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid [pictured] is gearing up for the shoot of his long-gestating Paris-set feature Synonyms in Paris this autumn with emerging compatriot actor Tom Mercier in the lead role.
“It will film this November and December,” said lead producer Saïd Ben Saïd of Paris-based Sbs Productions.
Ben Saïd is at Jerusalem Film Festival as a member of the Israeli Feature Competition jury and with Philippe Garrel’s Lover For A Day, which is playing in the International Competition.
He took over as lead producer of the project from Anne-Dominique Toussaint of Les Films des Tournelles in late 2016.
“We’re friends, it was an amicable deal. Anne-Dominique was tied up in other projects so I took over the production,” explained Ben Saïd, who will also handle international sales and French distribution.
The project, which originally had the working title Micro Robert after the...
- 7/17/2017
- ScreenDaily
A haunted Kristen Stewart excels in Personal Shopper, Sônia Braga is brilliantly furious in Aquarius, while Terence Davies’s Emily Dickinson biopic is distinctly unpoetic
Doors creak, ectoplasm swirls and wind whistles through crumbling mansions in Personal Shopper (Icon, 15), but Olivier Assayas’s sharp, glassy ghost story is no retro Victorian rehash. This tale of grief taking either uncanny or deliriously illusory form amid the walking cyphers of Paris’s celebrity set is quite the most modern vision of a phantom menace in recent memory – one that sees even an instrument as soulless as the iPhone become a potential conduit of spiritual presence.
As bespoke fashion buyer Maureen (Kristen Stewart) tries to blankly continue her life of second-hand privilege in the wake of her twin brother Lewis’s death, uncertain apparitions intervene to shake her out her waking sleepwalk. Is it Lewis? Someone or something else? Or as she enters...
Doors creak, ectoplasm swirls and wind whistles through crumbling mansions in Personal Shopper (Icon, 15), but Olivier Assayas’s sharp, glassy ghost story is no retro Victorian rehash. This tale of grief taking either uncanny or deliriously illusory form amid the walking cyphers of Paris’s celebrity set is quite the most modern vision of a phantom menace in recent memory – one that sees even an instrument as soulless as the iPhone become a potential conduit of spiritual presence.
As bespoke fashion buyer Maureen (Kristen Stewart) tries to blankly continue her life of second-hand privilege in the wake of her twin brother Lewis’s death, uncertain apparitions intervene to shake her out her waking sleepwalk. Is it Lewis? Someone or something else? Or as she enters...
- 7/16/2017
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Arclight Films on Thursday unveiled new drama Fatima, starring Harvey Keitel and Sonia Braga (Aquarius).
The film, currently in preproduction, will be directed by Marco Pontecorvo (Partly Cloudy With Sun). Based on a true story, the film dramatizes the story of three children who said they witnessed several apparitions of the Virgin Mary sharing apocalyptic prophecies in Fatima, Portugal. Two of them died during a 1918-1917 influenza pandemic and were made saints last week by Pope Francis.
"We’re thrilled to be working with the incredible team behind Fatima, including the remarkably talented Harvey Keitel and Sonia Braga," said Gary Hamilton,...
The film, currently in preproduction, will be directed by Marco Pontecorvo (Partly Cloudy With Sun). Based on a true story, the film dramatizes the story of three children who said they witnessed several apparitions of the Virgin Mary sharing apocalyptic prophecies in Fatima, Portugal. Two of them died during a 1918-1917 influenza pandemic and were made saints last week by Pope Francis.
"We’re thrilled to be working with the incredible team behind Fatima, including the remarkably talented Harvey Keitel and Sonia Braga," said Gary Hamilton,...
- 5/18/2017
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 56th edition of the Cannes Critics’ Week sidebar has announced its main program, including seven films screening in competition. The sidebar is dedicated to films coming from first- and second-time filmmakers, and always promises a fertile ground for discovering new and emerging talent. Last year’s breakout title was Julia Ducournau’s horror film “Raw,” which sold to Focus World.
Read More: Cannes 2017 Announces Directors Fortnight Lineup, Including Sean Baker’s ‘The Florida Project’ and ‘Patti Cake$’
The section will open with Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza’s latest feature, “Sicilian Ghost Story,” which combines the myths of Romeo and Juliet with the present day Sicilian mafia. Dave McCary’s debut “Brigsby Bear,” the Sundance comedy that sold to Sony Pictures Classics, will close out the section.
For the first time in its history, both a documentary and an animated film will screen in competition. Ali Soozandeh’s animated...
Read More: Cannes 2017 Announces Directors Fortnight Lineup, Including Sean Baker’s ‘The Florida Project’ and ‘Patti Cake$’
The section will open with Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza’s latest feature, “Sicilian Ghost Story,” which combines the myths of Romeo and Juliet with the present day Sicilian mafia. Dave McCary’s debut “Brigsby Bear,” the Sundance comedy that sold to Sony Pictures Classics, will close out the section.
For the first time in its history, both a documentary and an animated film will screen in competition. Ali Soozandeh’s animated...
- 4/21/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
After featuring such discoveries as Raw, Mimosas, It Follows, The Tribe, and more in recent years, the Cannes sidebar Critics’ Week have now unveiled their 2017 line-up. Now in their 56th year, the Jury President is Kleber Mendonça Filho, who came to Cannes last year with Aquarius, and he’ll be joined by Niels Schneider, Diana Bustamante Escobar, Hania Mroué and Eric Kohn.
After receiving 1,700 short films and 1,250 feature films, 11 features have been selected, with 6 being first films and 5 being second features, including the closing night film Brigsby Bear, which we reviewed at Sundance. Running from May 18-26, check out the line-up below with a hat tip to Mubi and see more about the films here.
Opening Film
Sicilian Ghost Story (Fabio Grassadonia & Antonio Piazza)
Competition
La familia (Gustavo Rondon)
Los perros (Marcela Said)
Oh Lucy! (Atsuko Hirayagani)
Gabriel e a montanha (Felipe Gamarano Barbosa)
Ava (Lea Mysius)
Tehran Taboo (Ali Soozandeh...
After receiving 1,700 short films and 1,250 feature films, 11 features have been selected, with 6 being first films and 5 being second features, including the closing night film Brigsby Bear, which we reviewed at Sundance. Running from May 18-26, check out the line-up below with a hat tip to Mubi and see more about the films here.
Opening Film
Sicilian Ghost Story (Fabio Grassadonia & Antonio Piazza)
Competition
La familia (Gustavo Rondon)
Los perros (Marcela Said)
Oh Lucy! (Atsuko Hirayagani)
Gabriel e a montanha (Felipe Gamarano Barbosa)
Ava (Lea Mysius)
Tehran Taboo (Ali Soozandeh...
- 4/21/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The poster for Critics' Week features Garance Marillier and Julie Ducourneau Photo: Océane Le Moal and Alice Khol After the flurry of controversy over the choice of a “slimmed down” Claudia Cardinale for the official Cannes Film Festival poster the Critics’ Week (La Semaine de la Critique) have unveiled their poster image for the 56th edition of a film selection chosen by the French critics.
In pride of place are Garance Marillier and Julie Ducourneau, respectively actress and director of Raw (Grave) which was in last year’s selection, a flesh-eating thriller marking the director’s assured debut. The image shows the pair during the premiere screening in Cannes last year. The photograph was taken by Alice Khol.
The Critics’ Week, which runs from May 18 to 26, has as president Kleber Mendonça Filho, the Brazilian screenwriter and director best known for Aquarius, which deals with family relationships and growing old. The...
In pride of place are Garance Marillier and Julie Ducourneau, respectively actress and director of Raw (Grave) which was in last year’s selection, a flesh-eating thriller marking the director’s assured debut. The image shows the pair during the premiere screening in Cannes last year. The photograph was taken by Alice Khol.
The Critics’ Week, which runs from May 18 to 26, has as president Kleber Mendonça Filho, the Brazilian screenwriter and director best known for Aquarius, which deals with family relationships and growing old. The...
- 4/5/2017
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Sônia Braga is outstanding as a woman refusing to be forced out of her Recife apartment in this powerful Brazilian satire
A performance of tremendous wit, vitality and lusty defiance by Sônia Braga drives Brazilian film-maker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s remarkable second feature. A portrait of a 65-year-old woman refusing to be bullied out of her seafront apartment by developers, Aquarius is both a powerful celebration of its independent heroine and a scathing satire on institutional corruption. Like the writer/director’s fable-inflected 2004 short Vinil Verde, it is a film fascinated by the magical power of scratchy old records, of mother-daughter bonds, of transformational living spaces. And as with his first feature, Neighbouring Sounds, it presents a community haunted by artefacts of the past and the architecture of change, social and personal conflicts seamlessly intertwined.
Retired music critic Clara (Braga) lives in the 1940s-built Aquarius apartment block in upmarket Recife.
A performance of tremendous wit, vitality and lusty defiance by Sônia Braga drives Brazilian film-maker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s remarkable second feature. A portrait of a 65-year-old woman refusing to be bullied out of her seafront apartment by developers, Aquarius is both a powerful celebration of its independent heroine and a scathing satire on institutional corruption. Like the writer/director’s fable-inflected 2004 short Vinil Verde, it is a film fascinated by the magical power of scratchy old records, of mother-daughter bonds, of transformational living spaces. And as with his first feature, Neighbouring Sounds, it presents a community haunted by artefacts of the past and the architecture of change, social and personal conflicts seamlessly intertwined.
Retired music critic Clara (Braga) lives in the 1940s-built Aquarius apartment block in upmarket Recife.
- 3/26/2017
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
The Brazilian actor delivers her finest performance in this affecting tale of a woman defiantly refusing to move out of her flat while also determinedly pursuing a thrilling sex life
Aquarius is a rich and complex character study from the Brazilian auteur Kleber Mendonça Filho: densely observed, scrupulously realised, and with a wonderful lead performance. There’s an expansiveness to this film’s intelligence; it has a diffuse narrative focus, bringing in a host of scenes, sights and sounds that a leaner and more obviously unidirectional drama might have chopped out. But none of it is superfluous.
Related: Sônia Braga: ‘The Oscars only have four spaces for best actress – one is always reserved for Meryl Streep’
Continue reading...
Aquarius is a rich and complex character study from the Brazilian auteur Kleber Mendonça Filho: densely observed, scrupulously realised, and with a wonderful lead performance. There’s an expansiveness to this film’s intelligence; it has a diffuse narrative focus, bringing in a host of scenes, sights and sounds that a leaner and more obviously unidirectional drama might have chopped out. But none of it is superfluous.
Related: Sônia Braga: ‘The Oscars only have four spaces for best actress – one is always reserved for Meryl Streep’
Continue reading...
- 3/23/2017
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Author: Linda Marric
At the Cannes premiere of his latest film Aquarius, director Kleber Mendonça Filho and his cast, including legendary Brazilian actress Sonia Braga, made a courageous and very public stand against the current Brazilian government. This resulted in a barely disguised attempt by the Brazilian authorities to sabotage the film and its director. Aquarius was initially given a very damaging 18 rating, which was later reversed, and more importantly failed to be put forward for Best Foreign Picture at this year Academy Awards. With all the drama surrounding it, the film became a story of its own and gained huge critical acclaim for the director and his cast.
Set in Filho’s own hometown of Recife, Aquarius stars Sonia Braga as sixty five year old Clara who lives in an old apartment building which is at risk of being demolished and made into a modern apartment complex. Clara is...
At the Cannes premiere of his latest film Aquarius, director Kleber Mendonça Filho and his cast, including legendary Brazilian actress Sonia Braga, made a courageous and very public stand against the current Brazilian government. This resulted in a barely disguised attempt by the Brazilian authorities to sabotage the film and its director. Aquarius was initially given a very damaging 18 rating, which was later reversed, and more importantly failed to be put forward for Best Foreign Picture at this year Academy Awards. With all the drama surrounding it, the film became a story of its own and gained huge critical acclaim for the director and his cast.
Set in Filho’s own hometown of Recife, Aquarius stars Sonia Braga as sixty five year old Clara who lives in an old apartment building which is at risk of being demolished and made into a modern apartment complex. Clara is...
- 3/22/2017
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Author: Stefan Pape
Kleber Mendonca Filho’s festival hit Aquarius is an indelible feature that lingers, and scrutinises, on time lost, and time left. An intimate character study at its core, audiences are treated to a candid exploration of this woman’s life, vitally unspectacular, through her eyes we watch the world go by, with the ongoing conflict between Clara and a housing company a catalyst to study her background, tinged with nostalgia and regret, all while we sit back and admire her resilience and quiet indignation.
Sonia Braga plays Clara, a 65-year-old widow and retired music critic, born into affluent surroundings, who now finds herself as the lone resident in the Aquarius building, her home, and one that the council are hoping to knock down. Requiring her consent, she’s unwilling to oblige, with the very thought of having to leave triggering a host of memories, as she reflects across her life,...
Kleber Mendonca Filho’s festival hit Aquarius is an indelible feature that lingers, and scrutinises, on time lost, and time left. An intimate character study at its core, audiences are treated to a candid exploration of this woman’s life, vitally unspectacular, through her eyes we watch the world go by, with the ongoing conflict between Clara and a housing company a catalyst to study her background, tinged with nostalgia and regret, all while we sit back and admire her resilience and quiet indignation.
Sonia Braga plays Clara, a 65-year-old widow and retired music critic, born into affluent surroundings, who now finds herself as the lone resident in the Aquarius building, her home, and one that the council are hoping to knock down. Requiring her consent, she’s unwilling to oblige, with the very thought of having to leave triggering a host of memories, as she reflects across her life,...
- 3/20/2017
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Though The Film Experience likes to track key foreign awards (examples include the Césars, Goyas, and the Golden Horse, in addition to the massive Oscars circus, those groups proliferate just like American precursors do. I've lost track of how many awards that Asian cinema, for example, has. But how about South America? The Platino awards are relatively new. They're now in their fourth year honoring films from the Ibero-America region, which is to say primarily Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries, i.e. former territories of Spain and Portugal, plus those countries for good measure.
Here's why we should start paying attention to them: in their short existence they've given Best Film to a truly outstanding picture every single time: Chile's Gloria (2014) an amazing study of a divorcee rebuilding her romantic life with an Oscar worthy performance by Paulina García (we nominated her here); Argentina's rowdy, funny, Oscar nominated and deeply...
Here's why we should start paying attention to them: in their short existence they've given Best Film to a truly outstanding picture every single time: Chile's Gloria (2014) an amazing study of a divorcee rebuilding her romantic life with an Oscar worthy performance by Paulina García (we nominated her here); Argentina's rowdy, funny, Oscar nominated and deeply...
- 3/17/2017
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Playbill Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh got their Sardi's caricatures this week
BFI Pedro Almodóvar recommends 13 Spanish films, some classics and some recent, including Jamon Jamon, Blancanieves (♥︎), and Peppermint Frappé
McCarter want to see Murder on the Orient Express on stage before the big screen remake later this year? A new production just opened in Princeton with a pretty great cast that includes Veanne Cox, Julie Halston and gorgeous Max Von Essen who should've won the Tony two years back for An American in Paris
Jezebel "Carol Without Women" boring crap or still beautiful abstraction? Must watch!
Mnpp Sam Claflin will costar in the next film from brilliant Babadook director Jennifer Kent
Interview talks to the new Iron Fist Finn Jones
Ashlee Marie shows you how to make a standing Lego Batman cake
Shudder a new streaming service for horror fans is streaming Ken Russell's notorious and brilliant and...
BFI Pedro Almodóvar recommends 13 Spanish films, some classics and some recent, including Jamon Jamon, Blancanieves (♥︎), and Peppermint Frappé
McCarter want to see Murder on the Orient Express on stage before the big screen remake later this year? A new production just opened in Princeton with a pretty great cast that includes Veanne Cox, Julie Halston and gorgeous Max Von Essen who should've won the Tony two years back for An American in Paris
Jezebel "Carol Without Women" boring crap or still beautiful abstraction? Must watch!
Mnpp Sam Claflin will costar in the next film from brilliant Babadook director Jennifer Kent
Interview talks to the new Iron Fist Finn Jones
Ashlee Marie shows you how to make a standing Lego Batman cake
Shudder a new streaming service for horror fans is streaming Ken Russell's notorious and brilliant and...
- 3/16/2017
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Aquarius director leads jury that will award the Nespresso Grand Prize.
Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho will preside over the jury at the 56th Cannes Critics’ Week, the parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival honouring first and second films.
The jury will award the Nespresso Grand Prize and the France 4 Visionary Award to one of the seven feature films in competition, as well as the Leica Cine Discovery Prize to one of 10 short films.
The director, whose Aquarius competed in Cannes’ main competition last year, is joined on the jury by Diana Bustamante Escobar (producer and artistic director of the Cartagena Festival), Eric Kohn (editor of Indiewire), Hania Mroué (director of the Cinema Metropolis in Lebanon) and Niels Schneider (Cesar Award-winning French comedian).
The Critics’ Week competition has previously featured work by Rebecca Zlotowski (Beautiful Thorn), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy (The Tribe), David Robert Mitchell (It Follows), Santiago Miter (Paulina), Oliver Laxe (Mimosas) and Julia Ducournau...
Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho will preside over the jury at the 56th Cannes Critics’ Week, the parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival honouring first and second films.
The jury will award the Nespresso Grand Prize and the France 4 Visionary Award to one of the seven feature films in competition, as well as the Leica Cine Discovery Prize to one of 10 short films.
The director, whose Aquarius competed in Cannes’ main competition last year, is joined on the jury by Diana Bustamante Escobar (producer and artistic director of the Cartagena Festival), Eric Kohn (editor of Indiewire), Hania Mroué (director of the Cinema Metropolis in Lebanon) and Niels Schneider (Cesar Award-winning French comedian).
The Critics’ Week competition has previously featured work by Rebecca Zlotowski (Beautiful Thorn), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy (The Tribe), David Robert Mitchell (It Follows), Santiago Miter (Paulina), Oliver Laxe (Mimosas) and Julia Ducournau...
- 3/16/2017
- by orlando.parfitt@screendaily.com (Orlando Parfitt)
- ScreenDaily
This year’s edition of La Semaine de la Critique — Cannes’ own International Critics’ Week — has named lauded Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho the President of the jury. Per the festival, “As a parallel section dedicated to revealing emerging talents, La Semaine de la Critique is happy to welcome the frontrunner of the new generation of Brazilian filmmakers arising on the international scene.”
Last year, the film-critic-turned-filmmaker debuted his “Aquarius” in Official Competition at the festival, which later went on to earn a number of accolades around the world, including Best Foreign Film Award of the French Union of Film Critic (it was also the subject of controversy after it was snubbed by Brazil’s own Ministry of Culture when it came time to submit for the Academy Awards). The film followed the success of his debut feature, “Neighboring Sounds,” another festival favorite that was a hit with critics and cinephiles alike.
Last year, the film-critic-turned-filmmaker debuted his “Aquarius” in Official Competition at the festival, which later went on to earn a number of accolades around the world, including Best Foreign Film Award of the French Union of Film Critic (it was also the subject of controversy after it was snubbed by Brazil’s own Ministry of Culture when it came time to submit for the Academy Awards). The film followed the success of his debut feature, “Neighboring Sounds,” another festival favorite that was a hit with critics and cinephiles alike.
- 3/16/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Brazilian says Latino actors don’t get many chances in Hollywood – but her role as the fiery Clara in corruption drama Aquarius might just be her rescue mission
Every frame of Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian drama Aquarius is dominated by Sônia Braga. She plays Clara, a retired music critic and public intellectual with a fire in her belly; in person she is no less engaging. Over coffee near her apartment in New York’s East Village, Braga maintains an unfussy, open demeanour. She is the rare actor who actually takes pleasure in the interview process. For Braga, life seems to be a type of performance.
Today, she appears to be playing the part of a well-travelled tourist, dressed in a blue hoodie and black cargo pants with a bumbag strapped around her waist. All she’s missing is camera and a map.
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Every frame of Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian drama Aquarius is dominated by Sônia Braga. She plays Clara, a retired music critic and public intellectual with a fire in her belly; in person she is no less engaging. Over coffee near her apartment in New York’s East Village, Braga maintains an unfussy, open demeanour. She is the rare actor who actually takes pleasure in the interview process. For Braga, life seems to be a type of performance.
Today, she appears to be playing the part of a well-travelled tourist, dressed in a blue hoodie and black cargo pants with a bumbag strapped around her waist. All she’s missing is camera and a map.
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- 3/9/2017
- by Nigel M Smith
- The Guardian - Film News
“Toni Erdmann” has won the Best International Feature at the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards. In accepting the award, writer-director Maren Ade called attention to how few films are directed by women.
“I’m really happy and proud to stand here as a female director because it’s still not normal enough,” said Ade, who afterwards gave Film Independent credit for the diversity of their nominees across categories.
Read More: Foreign-Language Oscar Nominees Make Joint Political Statement
Ade did not make any mention of President Trump’s travel ban which has become a big issue for her and the other Oscar nominated directors for Best Foreign Language Film. In light of fellow Oscar nominee Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (who was not nominated for a Spirit Award) having canceled his plans to attend tomorrow’s Oscars ceremony, the five Oscar nominated directors for Best Language Film yesterday issued a joint statement saying no matter who wins,...
“I’m really happy and proud to stand here as a female director because it’s still not normal enough,” said Ade, who afterwards gave Film Independent credit for the diversity of their nominees across categories.
Read More: Foreign-Language Oscar Nominees Make Joint Political Statement
Ade did not make any mention of President Trump’s travel ban which has become a big issue for her and the other Oscar nominated directors for Best Foreign Language Film. In light of fellow Oscar nominee Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (who was not nominated for a Spirit Award) having canceled his plans to attend tomorrow’s Oscars ceremony, the five Oscar nominated directors for Best Language Film yesterday issued a joint statement saying no matter who wins,...
- 2/25/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Robert here. With this weekend's Oscars closing up the film year, can we take one final minute and dive into two performances that have been given the prestigious honor of being declared snubbed by the academy? That'd be, namely, Annette Bening in 20th Century Women and Sonia Braga in Aquarius (who are both nominated in Nathaniel's own awards; Braga was runner up for Best Actress in the 2016 Team Experience Awards).
Some minor spoilers and possibly very unpopular opinions after the jump...
Some minor spoilers and possibly very unpopular opinions after the jump...
- 2/22/2017
- by Robert Balkovich
- FilmExperience
James Baldwin is voiced by Samuel L Jackson in Raoul Peck's Oscar nominated I Am Not Your Negro Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Kleber Mendonça Filho's Aquarius, starring Sônia Braga; Adrian Titieni and Maria-Victoria Dragus in Cristian Mungiu's Graduation (Bacalaureat); A Quiet Passion, directed by Terence Davies with Cynthia Nixon as Emily Dickinson, and Raoul Peck's extraordinary documentary, I Am Not Your Negro, based on James Baldwin's 30 pages of notes for a book project titled Remember This House, which takes us on an American journey with the writings of Baldwin, are four highlights of this year's Glasgow Film Festival.
Graduation (Bacalaureat)
Graduation
Who throws the first stone in Cristian Mungiu's latest Romanian tale is a mystery - the first of many. Romeo (Adrian Titieni), a doctor in the hospital of a provincial town wishes nothing more urgently than for his daughter Eliza (Maria-Victoria Dragus) to be...
Kleber Mendonça Filho's Aquarius, starring Sônia Braga; Adrian Titieni and Maria-Victoria Dragus in Cristian Mungiu's Graduation (Bacalaureat); A Quiet Passion, directed by Terence Davies with Cynthia Nixon as Emily Dickinson, and Raoul Peck's extraordinary documentary, I Am Not Your Negro, based on James Baldwin's 30 pages of notes for a book project titled Remember This House, which takes us on an American journey with the writings of Baldwin, are four highlights of this year's Glasgow Film Festival.
Graduation (Bacalaureat)
Graduation
Who throws the first stone in Cristian Mungiu's latest Romanian tale is a mystery - the first of many. Romeo (Adrian Titieni), a doctor in the hospital of a provincial town wishes nothing more urgently than for his daughter Eliza (Maria-Victoria Dragus) to be...
- 2/14/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Sônia Braga in Kleber Mendonça Filho's magical Aquarius
Sônia Braga reflects on the magic of Aquarius, reading the script, Clara's hair, Bette Davis in Joseph L Mankiewicz's All About Eve, a Stanley Kubrick Barry Lyndon poster, cinematographer Fabricio Tadeu, costume designer Rita Azevedo, Neighboring Sounds, and working with her director/screenwriter Kleber Mendonça Filho.
Anne-Katrin Titze: The first chapter in Aquarius is called Clara's Hair. And the hair is actually very important throughout the entire film. And it's your hair that weaves the plot together. Can you talk about what it means to you?
Sônia Braga: "Kleber is like an archeologist and a musician, a composer, at the same time." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Sônia Braga: That happened in a way magical as well. They wanted the hair down - and this is a preparation background thing and how it ended up being magical - it came down...
Sônia Braga reflects on the magic of Aquarius, reading the script, Clara's hair, Bette Davis in Joseph L Mankiewicz's All About Eve, a Stanley Kubrick Barry Lyndon poster, cinematographer Fabricio Tadeu, costume designer Rita Azevedo, Neighboring Sounds, and working with her director/screenwriter Kleber Mendonça Filho.
Anne-Katrin Titze: The first chapter in Aquarius is called Clara's Hair. And the hair is actually very important throughout the entire film. And it's your hair that weaves the plot together. Can you talk about what it means to you?
Sônia Braga: "Kleber is like an archeologist and a musician, a composer, at the same time." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Sônia Braga: That happened in a way magical as well. They wanted the hair down - and this is a preparation background thing and how it ended up being magical - it came down...
- 2/12/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exclusive: ICM Partners has signed Brazilian writer-director Kleber Mendonca Filho, whose second feature film Aquarius starring Sonia Braga played in competition at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim. Filho started out as a film critic and eventually ended up writing, directing, producing, and editing several short films before making his feature film debut with the 2012 pic Neighboring Sounds. Aquarius centers on a 65-year-old widow (Braga) who is the last…...
- 1/19/2017
- Deadline
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The staggeringly accomplished debut feature by Brazilian critic-turned-director Kleber Mendonça Filho, Neighboring Sounds, announced the arrival of a remarkable new talent in international cinema. Clearly recognizable as the work of the same director, Mendonça’s equally assertive follow-up, Aquarius, establishes his authorial voice as well as his place as one of the most eloquent filmic commentators on the contemporary state of Brazilian society. – Giovanni M.
Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The staggeringly accomplished debut feature by Brazilian critic-turned-director Kleber Mendonça Filho, Neighboring Sounds, announced the arrival of a remarkable new talent in international cinema. Clearly recognizable as the work of the same director, Mendonça’s equally assertive follow-up, Aquarius, establishes his authorial voice as well as his place as one of the most eloquent filmic commentators on the contemporary state of Brazilian society. – Giovanni M.
- 1/13/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Bacurau (Nighthawk)
Director: Kleber Mendonca Filho & Juliano Dornelles
Writer: Kleber Mendonca Filho & Juliano Dornelles
Brazilian film critic turned director Kleber Mendonca Filho has become a major international figure following his 2012 debut Neighboring Sounds and his even more widely acclaimed sophomore film Aquarius, which starred Sonia Braga and played in the Cannes main comp in 2016.
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Director: Kleber Mendonca Filho & Juliano Dornelles
Writer: Kleber Mendonca Filho & Juliano Dornelles
Brazilian film critic turned director Kleber Mendonca Filho has become a major international figure following his 2012 debut Neighboring Sounds and his even more widely acclaimed sophomore film Aquarius, which starred Sonia Braga and played in the Cannes main comp in 2016.
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- 1/8/2017
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
1. “A Series of Unfortunate Events” Season 1 (available January 13)
Why Should I Watch It? Netflix has sunk quite a sum into this ambitious adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” Quite unlike the film version starring Jim Carrey, Netflix’s serialized adaptation will incorporate Lemony Snicket as a character (just he was in the book). Patrick Warburton plays the titular author recounting the tale of three Baudelaire children who are taken under the wing of the evil Count Olaf (Jim Carrey) when their parents encounter an unforeseen tragedy. And from what we’ve seen, Snicket’s warnings of the story’s grim nature as well as his general incorporation only make the show itself more endearing. This is a children’s story too dark for some children and made with adult expectations in mind.
Best Episode? We’ve yet to screen all the episodes from Season 1, and the...
Why Should I Watch It? Netflix has sunk quite a sum into this ambitious adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” Quite unlike the film version starring Jim Carrey, Netflix’s serialized adaptation will incorporate Lemony Snicket as a character (just he was in the book). Patrick Warburton plays the titular author recounting the tale of three Baudelaire children who are taken under the wing of the evil Count Olaf (Jim Carrey) when their parents encounter an unforeseen tragedy. And from what we’ve seen, Snicket’s warnings of the story’s grim nature as well as his general incorporation only make the show itself more endearing. This is a children’s story too dark for some children and made with adult expectations in mind.
Best Episode? We’ve yet to screen all the episodes from Season 1, and the...
- 1/1/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Contrary to the alarmist accounts that cinema as an art form is agonizing and nearing the end of its relevance, 2016 sent a clear message stating that sequels, rehashed ideas, and spinoffs, deserved to be axed and replaced with new concepts — even if that means less billion-dollar tent poles per year. Of course, independent and international films are the heroes that continue to reignite audiences passion for the medium, though most of them struggle to achieve the financial success they deserve.
Cinema is far from dead, and that’s obvious if one is looking away from the star-studded formulaic products and into the land of unknown, subtitled, or thematically challenging content. Latin American films had an enviable year that include an Oscar nomination, presence at all world-class festivals, and success finding distribution in the Us and numerous markets. Animated crafted outside of studio constraints took narrative risks unseen previously and demonstrated...
Cinema is far from dead, and that’s obvious if one is looking away from the star-studded formulaic products and into the land of unknown, subtitled, or thematically challenging content. Latin American films had an enviable year that include an Oscar nomination, presence at all world-class festivals, and success finding distribution in the Us and numerous markets. Animated crafted outside of studio constraints took narrative risks unseen previously and demonstrated...
- 12/30/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
There are a multitude of reasons why any film may get unfairly overlooked. It could be a lack of marketing resources to provide a substantial push, or, due to a minuscule roll-out, not enough critics and audiences to be the champions it might require. It could simply be the timing of the picture itself; even in the world of studio filmmaking, some features take time to get their due. With an increasingly crowded marketplace, there are more reasons than ever that something might not find an audience and, as with last year, we’ve rounded up the releases that deserved more attention.
Note that all of the below films made less than $1 million at the domestic box office at the time of posting — VOD figures are not accounted for, as they normally aren’t made public — and are, for the most part, left out of most year-end conversations. Sadly, most...
Note that all of the below films made less than $1 million at the domestic box office at the time of posting — VOD figures are not accounted for, as they normally aren’t made public — and are, for the most part, left out of most year-end conversations. Sadly, most...
- 12/29/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Oopsie. In the Holiday rush we forgot to share one of the most important lists, the list of which films can be nominated for Oscars (in regular categories -- speciality categories like "best foreign language film" having their own rules). Every year the list is a wee bit odd if you really take a deep dive at it because it's filled with movies you haven't heard of as well as missing a few movies you have. Why is that? Because the list is made up of films which met two requirements.
1) Each film played for a week long engagement in Los Angeles that you could buy tickets to like you would any movie (i.e. not a festival engagement alone) and...
2) Films which did that and then Also submitted paperwork to the Academy to be eligible.
The most important film that is missing this year (apparently due to requirement #2) is acclaimed Aquarius starring Sonia Braga.
1) Each film played for a week long engagement in Los Angeles that you could buy tickets to like you would any movie (i.e. not a festival engagement alone) and...
2) Films which did that and then Also submitted paperwork to the Academy to be eligible.
The most important film that is missing this year (apparently due to requirement #2) is acclaimed Aquarius starring Sonia Braga.
- 12/25/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Find out what made our top 10 films of 2016 - and which films feature on Team Screen’s overall top 10.Scroll down for Screen’s overall top 10
Screen’s esteemed critics have had their turn. Now, Screen staff, contributors and correspondents reveal their favourite films seen in 2016. Festival premieres and UK/Us theatrical releases are deemed eligible.
Matt Mueller (editor)
Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)La La Land (dir. Damien Chazelle)Aquarius (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)Mustang (dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven)Hell Or High Water (dir. David Mackenzie)Embrace Of The Serpent (dir. Ciro Guerra)Little Men (dir. Ira Sachs)Suntan (dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos)Love & Friendship (dir. Whit Stillman)Nocturnal Animals (dir Tom Ford)Jeremy Kay (Us editor)
Manchester By The Sea (dir. Kenneth Lonergan)Neruda (dir. Pablo Larrain)Aquarius (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)Deadpool (dir Tim Miller)Fire At Sea (dir. Gianfranco Rosi)Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)Oj: Made In America (dir. Ezra Edelman)[link=tt...
Screen’s esteemed critics have had their turn. Now, Screen staff, contributors and correspondents reveal their favourite films seen in 2016. Festival premieres and UK/Us theatrical releases are deemed eligible.
Matt Mueller (editor)
Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)La La Land (dir. Damien Chazelle)Aquarius (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)Mustang (dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven)Hell Or High Water (dir. David Mackenzie)Embrace Of The Serpent (dir. Ciro Guerra)Little Men (dir. Ira Sachs)Suntan (dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos)Love & Friendship (dir. Whit Stillman)Nocturnal Animals (dir Tom Ford)Jeremy Kay (Us editor)
Manchester By The Sea (dir. Kenneth Lonergan)Neruda (dir. Pablo Larrain)Aquarius (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)Deadpool (dir Tim Miller)Fire At Sea (dir. Gianfranco Rosi)Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)Oj: Made In America (dir. Ezra Edelman)[link=tt...
- 12/20/2016
- ScreenDaily
“Moonlight” dominated IndieWire’s 2016 Critics Poll, winning five of the 10 categories in which it was eligible, but there’s plenty more acclaim to go around. Below, we’ve listed the top finishers in all of our 15 categories. Some of these films and performances have dominated the year-end discussion, but others are still looking for distribution homes or have yet to make their way to theaters.
Follow the link above each category to see a longer list of the top vote-getters and a more detailed breakdown of the rankings.
Read More: Full List of Participating Critics
Best Film
1. Moonlight
2. Manchester by the Sea
3. La La Land
4. Toni Erdmann
5. Oj: Made in America
6. Paterson
7. The Handmaiden
8. Arrival
9. Hell or High Water
10. Jackie
Best Director
1. Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
2. Damien Chazelle, La La Land
3. Maren Ade, Toni Erdmann
4. Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Best Actress
1. Isabelle Huppert, Elle
2. Natalie Portman, Jackie
3. Sandra Hüller,...
Follow the link above each category to see a longer list of the top vote-getters and a more detailed breakdown of the rankings.
Read More: Full List of Participating Critics
Best Film
1. Moonlight
2. Manchester by the Sea
3. La La Land
4. Toni Erdmann
5. Oj: Made in America
6. Paterson
7. The Handmaiden
8. Arrival
9. Hell or High Water
10. Jackie
Best Director
1. Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
2. Damien Chazelle, La La Land
3. Maren Ade, Toni Erdmann
4. Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Best Actress
1. Isabelle Huppert, Elle
2. Natalie Portman, Jackie
3. Sandra Hüller,...
- 12/19/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
The first win for "Hell or High Water" from critics groups this award season. The film won Best Picture, director for David MacKenzie, supporting actor for Ben Foster, cinematography, screenplay, and ensemble.
Here's the complete list of winners:
Best Picture: Hell Or High Water
Runner Up: La La Land
Best Director: David Mackenzie, Hell Or High Water
Runner Up: Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Best Actor, Male: Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea
Runner Up: Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Best Actor, Female: Sonia Braga, Aquarius
Runner Up: Emma Stone, La La Land
Best Supporting Actor, Male . Tied: Ben Foster, Hell Or High Water & Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Best Supporting Actor, Female: Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea
Runner Up: Judy Davis, The Dressmaker
Best Comedic Performance: Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys
Runner up: Alden Ehrenreich, Hail, Caesar!
Best Ensemble: Hell Or High Water
Runner Up: Hidden Figures
Breakthrough Artist: Lily Gladstone,...
Here's the complete list of winners:
Best Picture: Hell Or High Water
Runner Up: La La Land
Best Director: David Mackenzie, Hell Or High Water
Runner Up: Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Best Actor, Male: Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea
Runner Up: Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Best Actor, Female: Sonia Braga, Aquarius
Runner Up: Emma Stone, La La Land
Best Supporting Actor, Male . Tied: Ben Foster, Hell Or High Water & Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Best Supporting Actor, Female: Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea
Runner Up: Judy Davis, The Dressmaker
Best Comedic Performance: Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys
Runner up: Alden Ehrenreich, Hail, Caesar!
Best Ensemble: Hell Or High Water
Runner Up: Hidden Figures
Breakthrough Artist: Lily Gladstone,...
- 12/13/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Chilean submission for best foreign language Oscar took home four awards at the third Fenix Ibero-American Film Awards in Mexico City on Wednesday.
Neruda, directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Luis Gnecco, also claimed prizes for editing, costume and art design.
The cat-and-mouse drama takes place in Chile shortly after the Second World War as a police inspector pursues the renowned national poet and communist Pablo Neruda. It opens in the Us via The Orchard on December 16. 2016 continues to be a banner year for Larraín, who has also earned strong reviews for his English-language debut, Jackie.
Sonia Braga was named best actress for Brazilian drama Aquarius and Kleber Mendonca Filho won the director prize.
Guillermo Francella of Pablo Trapero’s Argentinian thriller The Clan was honoured in the actor category and the film also won for sound.
Brazil’s Neon Bull claimed screenplay and cinematography – fiction prizes, while Tempestad...
Neruda, directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Luis Gnecco, also claimed prizes for editing, costume and art design.
The cat-and-mouse drama takes place in Chile shortly after the Second World War as a police inspector pursues the renowned national poet and communist Pablo Neruda. It opens in the Us via The Orchard on December 16. 2016 continues to be a banner year for Larraín, who has also earned strong reviews for his English-language debut, Jackie.
Sonia Braga was named best actress for Brazilian drama Aquarius and Kleber Mendonca Filho won the director prize.
Guillermo Francella of Pablo Trapero’s Argentinian thriller The Clan was honoured in the actor category and the film also won for sound.
Brazil’s Neon Bull claimed screenplay and cinematography – fiction prizes, while Tempestad...
- 12/8/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” may be getting Oscar buzz, but it’s not his only film up for contention. His Spanish-language picture “Neruda,” starring Luis Gnecco and Gael García Bernal, has also been well received by critics, especially at the 2016 Fenix Awards — it took home four prizes, including Best Picture and Best Editing.
The drama, which is also Chile’s official Oscar entry for Best Foreign-Language Film, tells the story of poet Pablo Neruda (Gnecco), arguably the most famous communist in post-wwii Chile. When the political tides shift, he is forced into hiding with tenacious police inspector Oscar Peluchoneau (Bernal) hot on his trail.
Read More: How The Fenix Awards Became Mexico’s Secret Weapon at the Oscars
The third annual Fenix Ibero-American Film Awards took place on December 7 in Mexico City and honored the best in film from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Another big hit of the night...
The drama, which is also Chile’s official Oscar entry for Best Foreign-Language Film, tells the story of poet Pablo Neruda (Gnecco), arguably the most famous communist in post-wwii Chile. When the political tides shift, he is forced into hiding with tenacious police inspector Oscar Peluchoneau (Bernal) hot on his trail.
Read More: How The Fenix Awards Became Mexico’s Secret Weapon at the Oscars
The third annual Fenix Ibero-American Film Awards took place on December 7 in Mexico City and honored the best in film from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Another big hit of the night...
- 12/8/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Sight & Sound, the BFI’s international film magazine, has unveiled its annual Top 20 films of the year list. Topping their annual poll is the German-Austrian comedy “Toni Erdmann” directed by Maren Ade. The film stars Sandra Hüller as a reluctant woman who must spend time with her estranged father, portrayed by Peter Simonischek, when he comes for a surprise visit.
“This makes us extremely proud, especially considering how many films you all watch in a year — and since we are all longstanding followers of the poll!” Ade stated.
Read More: New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2016: Full Winners List (Updated Live)
In second place is Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” with Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle,” starring Isabelle Huppert, in third place. This year’s top five list also boasts three incredibly talented female directors: Ade, Kelly Reichardt (“Certain Women”) and Andrea Arnold (“American Honey”), each known for their bold and original storytelling.
“This makes us extremely proud, especially considering how many films you all watch in a year — and since we are all longstanding followers of the poll!” Ade stated.
Read More: New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2016: Full Winners List (Updated Live)
In second place is Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” with Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle,” starring Isabelle Huppert, in third place. This year’s top five list also boasts three incredibly talented female directors: Ade, Kelly Reichardt (“Certain Women”) and Andrea Arnold (“American Honey”), each known for their bold and original storytelling.
- 12/2/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
It may just be the start of December, but there’s already no shortage of best-of-2016 lists. While ours won’t arrive until closer to year’s end, one of the most astute organizations have delivered theirs today. The BFI magazine Sight & Sound polled over 150 UK and international film critics on their favorite films of the year and the resulting 20 selections are quite fantastic.
Led by Maren Ade‘s Toni Erdmann, its top five is rounded out by Moonlight, Elle, Certain Women, and American Honey. One of our favorite selections is Bertrand Bonello‘s Paris-set terrorism drama Nocturama, one of the most distinct and bold features I’ve seen all year, and one in desperate need of U.S. distribution. In terms of documentaries, Kirsten Johnson‘s fantastic Cameraperson made the cut as did Italy’s Oscar entry Fire at Sea.
“I am delighted that our poll recognizes the talent...
Led by Maren Ade‘s Toni Erdmann, its top five is rounded out by Moonlight, Elle, Certain Women, and American Honey. One of our favorite selections is Bertrand Bonello‘s Paris-set terrorism drama Nocturama, one of the most distinct and bold features I’ve seen all year, and one in desperate need of U.S. distribution. In terms of documentaries, Kirsten Johnson‘s fantastic Cameraperson made the cut as did Italy’s Oscar entry Fire at Sea.
“I am delighted that our poll recognizes the talent...
- 12/2/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
NEWSCahiers du Cinéma has revealed its Top 10 of 2016:Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)Elle (Paul Verhoeven)The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn)Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho)Ma Loute (Bruno Dumont)Julieta (Pedro Almodóvar)Rester Vertical (Alain Guiraudie)La loi de la jungle (Antonin Peretjatko)Carol (Todd Haynes)Le bois dont les rêves sont faits (Claire Simon)Slamdance Film Festival has announced its 23rd edition, starting with its narrative and documentary feature film competition lineup. Variety has the full announcement.
Dennis Hopper's personal record collection is now on sale via Moda Operandi.Recommended VIEWINGWes Anderson has delivered a Christmas themed advertisement for H&M. Pietro Marcello's Lost and Beautiful gets a gorgeous new trailer via Grasshopper Film.A welcome meeting between three giants of world cinema: Q&A with Carlos Reygadas & Apichatpong Weerasethakul introduced by Béla Tarr.Recommended READINGThe ambitious new issue of Lola is now available, and it...
Dennis Hopper's personal record collection is now on sale via Moda Operandi.Recommended VIEWINGWes Anderson has delivered a Christmas themed advertisement for H&M. Pietro Marcello's Lost and Beautiful gets a gorgeous new trailer via Grasshopper Film.A welcome meeting between three giants of world cinema: Q&A with Carlos Reygadas & Apichatpong Weerasethakul introduced by Béla Tarr.Recommended READINGThe ambitious new issue of Lola is now available, and it...
- 12/1/2016
- MUBI
Everyone will have to have their say about which films are the "best" of the year and that starts, bizarrely, right now even though it's still November. First up is the famed Cahiers du Cinema, which is the oldest film publication still running stretching back to the early 1950s.
Since they're in France, they have a different timetable on releases so Tfe's primary 2015 obsession factors in -- Why Carol, it's so good to see you again! But because they are Cahiers du Cinema and generally choose at least one polarizing but largely hated picture, Neon Demon is up near the top.
Their Top Ten List
1 Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)
2 Elle (Paul Verhoeven)
3 The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn)
4 Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
5 Slack Bay (Bruno Dumont)
6 Julieta (Pedro Almodóvar)
7 Staying Vertical (Alain Guiraudie)
8 La Loi de la jungle (Antonin Peretjatko)
9 Carol (Todd Haynes)
10 Le bois dont les rêves sont faits...
Since they're in France, they have a different timetable on releases so Tfe's primary 2015 obsession factors in -- Why Carol, it's so good to see you again! But because they are Cahiers du Cinema and generally choose at least one polarizing but largely hated picture, Neon Demon is up near the top.
Their Top Ten List
1 Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)
2 Elle (Paul Verhoeven)
3 The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn)
4 Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
5 Slack Bay (Bruno Dumont)
6 Julieta (Pedro Almodóvar)
7 Staying Vertical (Alain Guiraudie)
8 La Loi de la jungle (Antonin Peretjatko)
9 Carol (Todd Haynes)
10 Le bois dont les rêves sont faits...
- 11/30/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Established in the 1950s by André Bazin, Joseph-Marie Lo Duca, and Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, France’s Cahiers du cinéma has long been a bastion for quality film criticism. Year after year their rundown of the top films usually ignites a response, and we doubt 2016 will be any different — at least when it comes to a certain Nicolas Winding Refn inclusion.
They’ve released their latest list, which includes a few films that won’t get a U.S. release until 2017 (Slack Bay and Staying Vertical). Also among the selections are some of this year’s finest films, topped by Maren Ade‘s Toni Erdmann and also including Paul Verhoeven‘s Elle, Kleber Mendonça Filho‘s Aquarius, and Pedro Almodóvar‘s Julieta. Since it got a release in France this year, Todd Haynes‘ magnificent Carol also made the cut.
Check out the list below (with a hat tip to Gainsbarough), also including links to reviews where available.
They’ve released their latest list, which includes a few films that won’t get a U.S. release until 2017 (Slack Bay and Staying Vertical). Also among the selections are some of this year’s finest films, topped by Maren Ade‘s Toni Erdmann and also including Paul Verhoeven‘s Elle, Kleber Mendonça Filho‘s Aquarius, and Pedro Almodóvar‘s Julieta. Since it got a release in France this year, Todd Haynes‘ magnificent Carol also made the cut.
Check out the list below (with a hat tip to Gainsbarough), also including links to reviews where available.
- 11/29/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Title: Aquarius Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho Starring: Sonia Braga, Maeve Jinkings, Irandhir Santos, Humberto Carrão and Soraide Coleto The movie acclaimed at the Cannes Film Festival, ‘Aquarius,’ discusses an incredibly timely topic: the way real estate investments will stop at nothing to speculate. The Brazilian drama, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, has a majestically intense Sonia Braga bringing to life the story of Clara, the last resident of Aquarius building who refuses to sell her apartment to a construction company that intends to replace it with a new edifice. She is a strong, dignified, self-sufficient woman who has contrasted cancer all her life. She is a fighter and does not [ Read More ]
The post Aquarius Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Aquarius Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 11/21/2016
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
This year’s Cannes jury whiffed badly with their awards, ignoring great work (Toni Erdmann, Paterson, Sonia Braga’s towering performance in Aquarius) in favor of significantly lesser efforts. Thankfully, a separate jury was assigned to award the Caméra D’Or (for best debut feature, across all of the festival’s many sections), and it got that one right. This year’s winner, Divines, written and directed by French-Moroccan filmmaker Houda Benyamina, rivals Girlhood as a portrait of combustible banlieue femininity, emanating raw energy and scrappy good humor even as it builds to an unexpectedly tragic and horrifying finale. The film also showcases a potentially star-making performance by Oulaya Amamra, who happens to be the director’s younger sister. Chosen despite a cattle call in which Benyamina looked at over 3,000 other young women, Amamra is so arrestingly alive onscreen that thoughts of nepotism seem ludicrous.
The first time ...
The first time ...
- 11/17/2016
- by Mike D'Angelo
- avclub.com
Sônia Braga with her Aquarius director Kleber Mendonça Filho Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Aquarius stars a magnificent Sônia Braga with Thaia Perez, Maeve Jinkings (Gabriel Mascaro's Neon Bull), Humberto Carrão, Irandhir Santos (Neighboring Sounds with Jinkings), Zoraide Coleto, Paula De Renor, Fernando Teixeira, Buda Lira, and Barbara Colen.
Kleber Mendonça Filho talks to me about Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick in Alexander Payne's Election, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy, Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann links, the madeleines, colours, creating the perfect tactile version of a childhood memory, and Diego as the international evil.
Sônia Braga as Clara
Aquarius begins with a get-together in 1980. A large family celebrates the birthday of Aunt Lucía (Thaia Perez), an elegant woman in a pink suit who has led a full active life and smiles benevolently at the children's attempt to honour her by containing her in a nutshell. We get a...
Aquarius stars a magnificent Sônia Braga with Thaia Perez, Maeve Jinkings (Gabriel Mascaro's Neon Bull), Humberto Carrão, Irandhir Santos (Neighboring Sounds with Jinkings), Zoraide Coleto, Paula De Renor, Fernando Teixeira, Buda Lira, and Barbara Colen.
Kleber Mendonça Filho talks to me about Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick in Alexander Payne's Election, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy, Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann links, the madeleines, colours, creating the perfect tactile version of a childhood memory, and Diego as the international evil.
Sônia Braga as Clara
Aquarius begins with a get-together in 1980. A large family celebrates the birthday of Aunt Lucía (Thaia Perez), an elegant woman in a pink suit who has led a full active life and smiles benevolently at the children's attempt to honour her by containing her in a nutshell. We get a...
- 11/1/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A slow-burn battle between a woman and the developers trying to drive her from her home is a melancholy meditation on aging, memory, and family. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
A two-and-a-half-hour ode to an apartment? Among the many marvelous things about Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s drama about a slow-burn battle between a woman and the construction company trying to drive her from her home is that it flies by: every moment is beautifully necessary to the vital story it wants to tell and the melancholy mood it wants to create. It is an absolute joy to spend time with Clara, a retired music critic and a longtime widow who, at 65 years of age, is far from being an old lady: the amazing Sonia Braga (Empire) makes her burn with a fierce intelligence and a lively sensuality,...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
A two-and-a-half-hour ode to an apartment? Among the many marvelous things about Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s drama about a slow-burn battle between a woman and the construction company trying to drive her from her home is that it flies by: every moment is beautifully necessary to the vital story it wants to tell and the melancholy mood it wants to create. It is an absolute joy to spend time with Clara, a retired music critic and a longtime widow who, at 65 years of age, is far from being an old lady: the amazing Sonia Braga (Empire) makes her burn with a fierce intelligence and a lively sensuality,...
- 10/28/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Sonia Braga as Clara in Aquarius. Photo credit: Victor Jucá / CinemaScópio © 2016
Sonia Braga is marvelous as Clara, an iron-willed 65-year-old retired music critic who refuses to be forced out of her seaside condo by a developer planning to replace her aging building with a luxury high-rise, in the Brazilian drama Aquarius.
Aquarius is the name of the apartment building in Recife, Brazil, where Clara lives, as well as director Kleber Mendonca Filho’s drama. The developer plans to demolish the iconic mid-century Aquarius and replace it with a high-priced luxury condo building, as has been done other older buildings in this prime beachfront location. The company has bought all the other units in the building and only Clara now remains.
Braga looks, by turns, weathered, strong, vulnerable and still sexy, as this fierce, complicated woman. Director Filho gives Braga the space to round out this multilayered character, creating a moving,...
Sonia Braga is marvelous as Clara, an iron-willed 65-year-old retired music critic who refuses to be forced out of her seaside condo by a developer planning to replace her aging building with a luxury high-rise, in the Brazilian drama Aquarius.
Aquarius is the name of the apartment building in Recife, Brazil, where Clara lives, as well as director Kleber Mendonca Filho’s drama. The developer plans to demolish the iconic mid-century Aquarius and replace it with a high-priced luxury condo building, as has been done other older buildings in this prime beachfront location. The company has bought all the other units in the building and only Clara now remains.
Braga looks, by turns, weathered, strong, vulnerable and still sexy, as this fierce, complicated woman. Director Filho gives Braga the space to round out this multilayered character, creating a moving,...
- 10/28/2016
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The slumbering specialized world woke up this weekend.
Critically acclaimed “Moonlight” (A24) pulled a sensational response far beyond its already high expectations. But it wasn’t the only positive story: “The Handmaiden” (Magnolia) beat the odds against subtitled films. And Michael Moore’s election special “Trumpland” (Dog Eat Dog) scored strong numbers in theaters along with its iTunes debut.
Openers
“Moonlight” (A24) – Metacritic: 99; Festivals include: Telluride, Toronto, New York 2016
$413,175 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $103,685
In a lackluster year at the specialty box office, even a $30,000 initial platform per theater average for Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” would have looked great. Instead, with a rare 99 Metacritic score, ahead of any other film this year, the opening PTA of $103,685 is sky high and among the top initial results ever.
How good is it? It is second only to “The Revenant” (which opened on Christmas weekend) among releases over the last two years.
Critically acclaimed “Moonlight” (A24) pulled a sensational response far beyond its already high expectations. But it wasn’t the only positive story: “The Handmaiden” (Magnolia) beat the odds against subtitled films. And Michael Moore’s election special “Trumpland” (Dog Eat Dog) scored strong numbers in theaters along with its iTunes debut.
Openers
“Moonlight” (A24) – Metacritic: 99; Festivals include: Telluride, Toronto, New York 2016
$413,175 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $103,685
In a lackluster year at the specialty box office, even a $30,000 initial platform per theater average for Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” would have looked great. Instead, with a rare 99 Metacritic score, ahead of any other film this year, the opening PTA of $103,685 is sky high and among the top initial results ever.
How good is it? It is second only to “The Revenant” (which opened on Christmas weekend) among releases over the last two years.
- 10/23/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Aquarius at The Paris Theatre in New York Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The day after the Us premiere at the New York Film Festival of Kleber Mendonça Filho's fiery Aquarius, Sônia Braga spoke with me up at Lincoln Center on the magic in the film, reading the script, Clara's hair, Bette Davis in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's All About Eve, Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, forming tribes and the influence her mother, Maria Braga Jaci Campos, had on her costumes when she starred with William Hurt and Raúl Juliá in Héctor Babenco's Kiss Of The Spider Woman. With the festival in full swing, Eugène Green, director of Son Of Joseph (Le Fils De Joseph) crossed our path, Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan slunk by and Kent Jones waved hello.
Sônia Braga: "… when I read the screenplay, I went to another dimension where I found Clara." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Clara (Braga), a music critic,...
The day after the Us premiere at the New York Film Festival of Kleber Mendonça Filho's fiery Aquarius, Sônia Braga spoke with me up at Lincoln Center on the magic in the film, reading the script, Clara's hair, Bette Davis in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's All About Eve, Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, forming tribes and the influence her mother, Maria Braga Jaci Campos, had on her costumes when she starred with William Hurt and Raúl Juliá in Héctor Babenco's Kiss Of The Spider Woman. With the festival in full swing, Eugène Green, director of Son Of Joseph (Le Fils De Joseph) crossed our path, Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan slunk by and Kent Jones waved hello.
Sônia Braga: "… when I read the screenplay, I went to another dimension where I found Clara." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Clara (Braga), a music critic,...
- 10/17/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The traditional fall season of award-season releases gets a late start on Friday with “Moonlight” (A24) and “The Handmaiden” (Magnolia) leading the way. It can’t come a moment too soon.
This weekend, top-quality films “Certain Women” (IFC), “Christine” (The Orchard), “Miss Hokusai” (Gkids) and “Aquarius” (Vitagraph) competed in limited openings. All nabbed good or better reviews. But none scored at the level likely to lead to the sort of wider response and multi-million grosses that normally come along regularly at this time of year.
The weakness can be seen among later-week grosses as films expand. There hasn’t been a breakout crossover release of any significance since “Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate), which is still grossing better than most recent releases.
“Shin Godzilla” (Funimation) showed strength with a midweek opening in a mixed plan of bookings. Similar to “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” (Abramorama), out-of- the-box distribution seems to be finding positive results.
This weekend, top-quality films “Certain Women” (IFC), “Christine” (The Orchard), “Miss Hokusai” (Gkids) and “Aquarius” (Vitagraph) competed in limited openings. All nabbed good or better reviews. But none scored at the level likely to lead to the sort of wider response and multi-million grosses that normally come along regularly at this time of year.
The weakness can be seen among later-week grosses as films expand. There hasn’t been a breakout crossover release of any significance since “Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate), which is still grossing better than most recent releases.
“Shin Godzilla” (Funimation) showed strength with a midweek opening in a mixed plan of bookings. Similar to “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” (Abramorama), out-of- the-box distribution seems to be finding positive results.
- 10/16/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
As this year’s New York Film Festival nears its conclusion, it’s time to look at and take stock of numerous aspects of the film landscape. A cavalcade of films hit the Big Apple for the prestigious festival, be it world premieres or pictures already seen at high ranking festivals like Cannes or even Berlin, hoping to either gain a new foothold in the growing awards season, or make an impact with critics and audiences. Opening for the first time ever with a documentary (Ava DuVernay’s superlative 13th), this is a historic year for the festival, and with that comes one of the most interesting lineups in years. But what about the films below even this radar? What about the films you may not see heat up the trades or make waves on hashtag Film Twitter? If you’re looking for the hidden gems from this year’s lineup,...
- 10/15/2016
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
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