And now we’ve arrived at the end of the calendar year. As the final push for year-end viewing continues at a furious pace, some of the last unknown films of 2016 will finally make their way to audiences. To help focus your viewing choices, here is a list of films opening throughout the coming weeks, separated into categories of wide and limited runs. (Synopses are provided by festivals and distributors.)
If you’re interested in what still might be in a theater near you, check out our November Release Guide. For those curious what 2017 might bring, you can also visit our calendar page, which has releases through the beginning of the new year.
Happy watching!
Week of December 2 Wide
Incarnate
Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Carice van Houten, Catalina Sandino Moreno, David Mazouz, John Pirruccello, Keir O’Donnell, Matthew Nable
Synopsis: A scientist with the ability to enter the...
If you’re interested in what still might be in a theater near you, check out our November Release Guide. For those curious what 2017 might bring, you can also visit our calendar page, which has releases through the beginning of the new year.
Happy watching!
Week of December 2 Wide
Incarnate
Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Carice van Houten, Catalina Sandino Moreno, David Mazouz, John Pirruccello, Keir O’Donnell, Matthew Nable
Synopsis: A scientist with the ability to enter the...
- 12/1/2016
- by Alec McPike and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
I'd never heard of The Duelist before, but Sony Pictures has just unveiled a full trailer for the upcoming foreign film that looks pretty damn cool. It's set in 1800s Russia and follows an incredibly effective gunfighter who stands in as a duelist for nobles whose honor is slighted by others. But things take a turn when he falls for the sister of a young prince.
This movie looks crazy expensive, with some gorgeous sweeping landscape shots and rad-looking costumes, and it feels a little like a cross between a period romance and an almost steampunk-style take on something like The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm interested to hear what you all think about this trailer.
The Duelist is written and directed by Alexey Mizgirev, and it stars Petr Fedorov, Vladimir Mashkov, Martin Wuttke, Julia Khlynina, Yuri Kolokolnikov, and Franziska Petri. It hits theaters on December 2, 2016.
This deceptively glossy production...
This movie looks crazy expensive, with some gorgeous sweeping landscape shots and rad-looking costumes, and it feels a little like a cross between a period romance and an almost steampunk-style take on something like The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm interested to hear what you all think about this trailer.
The Duelist is written and directed by Alexey Mizgirev, and it stars Petr Fedorov, Vladimir Mashkov, Martin Wuttke, Julia Khlynina, Yuri Kolokolnikov, and Franziska Petri. It hits theaters on December 2, 2016.
This deceptively glossy production...
- 11/9/2016
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
35th edition of the festival runs June 19-28.
The Us documentary Red Army about the Soviet Red Army hockey team will open the 36th edition of the Moscow International Film Festival (Miff), which runs from June 19-28.
Directed by Gabe Polsky, the film was first shown at last month’s Cannes Film Festival and will be released in the Us by Sony Pictures.
Speaking at this week’s press conference, programme director Kirill Razlogov exxplained that documentaries have always played “a special role” at the festival - “documentaries are practically in all of the programmes” - and said that it was “symbolic” to open with a documentary.
The festival will be rounded off on June 28 at the Pushkinsky Cinema with a screening of Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Veteran Russian actor-director Gleb Panfilov (Vassa) will head the international jury for the main competition and will be joined by the German actress Franziska Petri, Georgian...
The Us documentary Red Army about the Soviet Red Army hockey team will open the 36th edition of the Moscow International Film Festival (Miff), which runs from June 19-28.
Directed by Gabe Polsky, the film was first shown at last month’s Cannes Film Festival and will be released in the Us by Sony Pictures.
Speaking at this week’s press conference, programme director Kirill Razlogov exxplained that documentaries have always played “a special role” at the festival - “documentaries are practically in all of the programmes” - and said that it was “symbolic” to open with a documentary.
The festival will be rounded off on June 28 at the Pushkinsky Cinema with a screening of Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Veteran Russian actor-director Gleb Panfilov (Vassa) will head the international jury for the main competition and will be joined by the German actress Franziska Petri, Georgian...
- 6/12/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Sorrentino’s Cannes hit wins at Tallinn’s Black Nights Film Festival.
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) was awarded the $13,500 (€10,000) EurAsia Grand Prix in the main international competition of this year’s Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 15-Dec 1) in Tallinn.
Italy’s Oscar entry also received the Best Cinematographer award for Luca Bigazzi’s camerawork which the international jury described as being “musically dynamic”.
The jury, which included The White Ribbon’s DoP Christian Berger, Armenian director Harutan Khacahtryan and German actress Franziska Petri, gave its Best Director award to the Japanese director Koji Fukada for Au revoir l’été for its “sensitively observed scenes”.
The Best Acting awards went to Russian actor Maksim Sukhanov for his performance in Konstantin Lopushansky’s The Role and to Juliette Binoche for her role in Camille Claudel 1915.
The jury decided to award the Special Jury Prize ex aequo to two films:
Taiwanese film-maker Tsai Ming-Liang...
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) was awarded the $13,500 (€10,000) EurAsia Grand Prix in the main international competition of this year’s Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 15-Dec 1) in Tallinn.
Italy’s Oscar entry also received the Best Cinematographer award for Luca Bigazzi’s camerawork which the international jury described as being “musically dynamic”.
The jury, which included The White Ribbon’s DoP Christian Berger, Armenian director Harutan Khacahtryan and German actress Franziska Petri, gave its Best Director award to the Japanese director Koji Fukada for Au revoir l’été for its “sensitively observed scenes”.
The Best Acting awards went to Russian actor Maksim Sukhanov for his performance in Konstantin Lopushansky’s The Role and to Juliette Binoche for her role in Camille Claudel 1915.
The jury decided to award the Special Jury Prize ex aequo to two films:
Taiwanese film-maker Tsai Ming-Liang...
- 12/3/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
New projects from Pakalnina, Louhimies and Kilmi at Tallinn market.
New films from Laila Pakalnina (Dawn), Aku Louhimies (True) and Jaak Kilmi (Heroes from the East) are among 12 projects from 11 countries selected for this year’s Baltic Event co-production market which will be held in Tallinn from November 27-29.
Local Estonian film-maker Kilmi will be at the Baltic Event for the second year in a row after presenting another feature project, The Hoppers, which won the Screen International Best Pitch Award last year.
As the Baltic Event’s organisers point out, the 2013 line-up has a large number of feature debutants – six in total – ranging from Romania’s Botond-Csaba Püsök (Miracle in Cluj) through Ukraine’s Marysia Nikitiuk (When The Trees Are Falling) to Finland’s Jussi Hiltunen (Law of the Land).
In addition, Julietta Sichel, the former programme director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, is coming to Tallinn with her company 8Heads Production and Stanislav Babic of Croatia...
New films from Laila Pakalnina (Dawn), Aku Louhimies (True) and Jaak Kilmi (Heroes from the East) are among 12 projects from 11 countries selected for this year’s Baltic Event co-production market which will be held in Tallinn from November 27-29.
Local Estonian film-maker Kilmi will be at the Baltic Event for the second year in a row after presenting another feature project, The Hoppers, which won the Screen International Best Pitch Award last year.
As the Baltic Event’s organisers point out, the 2013 line-up has a large number of feature debutants – six in total – ranging from Romania’s Botond-Csaba Püsök (Miracle in Cluj) through Ukraine’s Marysia Nikitiuk (When The Trees Are Falling) to Finland’s Jussi Hiltunen (Law of the Land).
In addition, Julietta Sichel, the former programme director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, is coming to Tallinn with her company 8Heads Production and Stanislav Babic of Croatia...
- 11/12/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Poland and Ukrainian funds also join the new production from the director of The Parade.
Stealth Media World Sales has boarded Srdjan Dragojevic’s The Porcupine, produced by F&Me and Delirium.
For production details visit
The Porcupine
Stealth will be discussing the project with buyers in Toronto and at the American Film Market.
The adaptation of Julian Barnes’ 1992 novel will shoot in the Ukraine, Bulgaria and Macedonia in February 2014, with post production and music composition taking place in Poland.
In addition to Stealth coming on board for sales, additional finance has come from the Polish Film Institute via Andrzej Jakimowski’s ZaiR company; and from the Ukrainian State Film Agency via Olga Zhurzhenko’s Ukr Kino.
Karl Markovics and Rade Serbedzija lead the cast and the latest addition is German actress Franziska Petri.
“With the support of the Polish Film Institute (Pisf) and Ukrainian fund, we are now in a position to greenlight the film...
Stealth Media World Sales has boarded Srdjan Dragojevic’s The Porcupine, produced by F&Me and Delirium.
For production details visit
The Porcupine
Stealth will be discussing the project with buyers in Toronto and at the American Film Market.
The adaptation of Julian Barnes’ 1992 novel will shoot in the Ukraine, Bulgaria and Macedonia in February 2014, with post production and music composition taking place in Poland.
In addition to Stealth coming on board for sales, additional finance has come from the Polish Film Institute via Andrzej Jakimowski’s ZaiR company; and from the Ukrainian State Film Agency via Olga Zhurzhenko’s Ukr Kino.
Karl Markovics and Rade Serbedzija lead the cast and the latest addition is German actress Franziska Petri.
“With the support of the Polish Film Institute (Pisf) and Ukrainian fund, we are now in a position to greenlight the film...
- 8/28/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Russian director Alexander Velidinsky’s The Geographer Drank His Globe Away was the big winner at the 4th Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff).
The tragi-comedy picked up the Grand Prix Golden Duke, voted for by the festival audience, and the International Jury’s Golden Duke for Best Film
The $4m production, which had screened to an enthusiastic capacity audience of over 1,200 in Odessa’s Festival Palace on Thursday evening, is being handled internationally by fledgling Russian sales outfit Antipode Film Sales & Distribution and will be released theatrically in Russia on 400 prints on November 7.
Last month, Velidinsky’s film won the Grand Prix and three other awards at the Kinotavr Open Russian Film Festival in Sochi.
The prize for Best Acting went to the female leads Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria of Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’s In Bloom, which won the main prize at Voices in Vologda two weeks ago. The Odessa...
The tragi-comedy picked up the Grand Prix Golden Duke, voted for by the festival audience, and the International Jury’s Golden Duke for Best Film
The $4m production, which had screened to an enthusiastic capacity audience of over 1,200 in Odessa’s Festival Palace on Thursday evening, is being handled internationally by fledgling Russian sales outfit Antipode Film Sales & Distribution and will be released theatrically in Russia on 400 prints on November 7.
Last month, Velidinsky’s film won the Grand Prix and three other awards at the Kinotavr Open Russian Film Festival in Sochi.
The prize for Best Acting went to the female leads Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria of Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’s In Bloom, which won the main prize at Voices in Vologda two weeks ago. The Odessa...
- 7/22/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Fredrik Bond’s The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman among the 11 films competing for the Golden Duke award at the 4th Oiff.
The Odessa International Film Festival (July 12-20) has unveiled the features nominated for the International Competition Grand Prix – The Golden Duke.
Directors of the 11 films are from the Us, UK, Israel, Georgia, Italy, Poland, Germany, Romania, France, India, Russia and Ukraine.
The films include Fredrik Bond’s The Necessary Death Of Charlie Countryman, a thriller starring Shia Labeouf and Evan Rachel Wood that premiered at Sundance and played in competition at Berlin.
Others include Ritesh Batra’s Cannes Critics’ Week winner The Lunchbox and Jan Ole Gerster’s Oh Boy, the German box office hit that has racked up prizes in Germany, Sofia and Tallinn among others.
The international jury that will choose Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor will include German actress Franziska Petri, British producer Tanya Seghatchian (Harry Potter), actress-director Nan Jorjadze...
The Odessa International Film Festival (July 12-20) has unveiled the features nominated for the International Competition Grand Prix – The Golden Duke.
Directors of the 11 films are from the Us, UK, Israel, Georgia, Italy, Poland, Germany, Romania, France, India, Russia and Ukraine.
The films include Fredrik Bond’s The Necessary Death Of Charlie Countryman, a thriller starring Shia Labeouf and Evan Rachel Wood that premiered at Sundance and played in competition at Berlin.
Others include Ritesh Batra’s Cannes Critics’ Week winner The Lunchbox and Jan Ole Gerster’s Oh Boy, the German box office hit that has racked up prizes in Germany, Sofia and Tallinn among others.
The international jury that will choose Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor will include German actress Franziska Petri, British producer Tanya Seghatchian (Harry Potter), actress-director Nan Jorjadze...
- 6/11/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The debut feature of India’s Anand Gandhi adds to prizes won in Dubai and Tokyo.
This year’s Transilvania International Film Festival (Tiff) came to a close at the weekend in Cluj-Napoca with the awarding of the main prize, the Transilvania Trophy, to Indian feature debutant Anand Gandhi’s Ship Of Theseus.
The Competition Jury - comprising directors Cristi Puiu and György Pálfi, UK producer Lynda Myles, German actress Franziska Petri and Tribeca’s Artistic Director Frédéric Boyer - said Ship Of Theseus was evidence of “a new major talent of world cinema”.
The film’s also won the Best Cinematography Award for the work of DoP Pankaj Kumar.
Both prizes were accepted in Cluj on their behalf by the film’s Hungarian sound designer Gabor Erdelyi who spoke about the shoot as being a life-changing experience.
Fortissimo Films is handling international sales.
The Best Directing Award went to Japan’s Rikiya Imaizumi for I Catch...
This year’s Transilvania International Film Festival (Tiff) came to a close at the weekend in Cluj-Napoca with the awarding of the main prize, the Transilvania Trophy, to Indian feature debutant Anand Gandhi’s Ship Of Theseus.
The Competition Jury - comprising directors Cristi Puiu and György Pálfi, UK producer Lynda Myles, German actress Franziska Petri and Tribeca’s Artistic Director Frédéric Boyer - said Ship Of Theseus was evidence of “a new major talent of world cinema”.
The film’s also won the Best Cinematography Award for the work of DoP Pankaj Kumar.
Both prizes were accepted in Cluj on their behalf by the film’s Hungarian sound designer Gabor Erdelyi who spoke about the shoot as being a life-changing experience.
Fortissimo Films is handling international sales.
The Best Directing Award went to Japan’s Rikiya Imaizumi for I Catch...
- 6/10/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
The Berlin International Film Festival is celebrating its opening today, on February 7, 2013 at 7.30 pm. After a few words of greeting from Minister of State for Cultural and Media Affairs Bernd Neumann and Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit, the Festival will be officially opened by Jury President Wong Kar Wai (Hong Kong, China) and Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick. The International Jury – whose other members are Susanne Bier (Denmark), Andreas Dresen (Germany), Ellen Kuras (USA), Shirin Neshat (Iran), Tim Robbins (USA) and Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece) – will also be introduced during the gala. Anke Engelke will again host the evening. This year’s music will be provided by Ulrich Tukur & Die Rhythmus Boys. 3sat will be broadcasting the opening live. Ziyi Zhang in Yi dai zong shi (The Grandmaster) by Wong Kar Wai Following the gala, Wong Kar Wai’s epic martial-arts drama The Grandmaster will have its international premiere. The director and his leading actors,...
- 2/7/2013
- by hnblog@hollywoodnews.com (Hollywood News Team)
- Hollywoodnews.com
As you already see from our title, it’s time for little chat about Betrayal movie which comes from director Kirill Serebrennikov, who’s probably best known from his 2009 movie “Crush” as well as his 2006 project “Playing The Victim”.
Described as a sexy modern story, Serebrennikov’s latest film centers on a romance between two strangers who discover that their partners are lovers.
The movie will compete for the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion statue.
As usual when these things happen, the discovery drives the two casual acquaintances to do things they would never have dared before. Is it due to jealousy or a newfound passion? Will they choose forgiveness or revenge?
Both are looking for something to build a new life upon, but all of their actions, their thoughts, are dominated by this infidelity, this betrayal with a logic all of its own.
Betrayal stars Albina Dzhanabaeva, Dejan Lilic,...
Described as a sexy modern story, Serebrennikov’s latest film centers on a romance between two strangers who discover that their partners are lovers.
The movie will compete for the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion statue.
As usual when these things happen, the discovery drives the two casual acquaintances to do things they would never have dared before. Is it due to jealousy or a newfound passion? Will they choose forgiveness or revenge?
Both are looking for something to build a new life upon, but all of their actions, their thoughts, are dominated by this infidelity, this betrayal with a logic all of its own.
Betrayal stars Albina Dzhanabaeva, Dejan Lilic,...
- 9/3/2012
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
At 69, this grand old festival needed a facelift. A new artistic director, a faster pace and a mood of optimism are providing it
As befits the most venerable event on the movie calendar, the Venice film festival requires constant maintenance to keep it afloat. The walk to the Palazzo del Cinema leads along a tranquil green canal and past faded mansions before depositing us in the midst of a building site, ringing to the din of drills and hammers and the incessant beep of reversing lorries. Inside the screening rooms it is hushed and reverent. Outside it's bedlam; an ongoing work in progress.
Alberto Barbera, Venice's new artistic director, likens the festival to "an old lady in need of freshening up" and is promising a major makeover: less glitz, more substance and a greater emphasis on emerging talent. And yet even Barbera is not quite the new broom he first appears.
As befits the most venerable event on the movie calendar, the Venice film festival requires constant maintenance to keep it afloat. The walk to the Palazzo del Cinema leads along a tranquil green canal and past faded mansions before depositing us in the midst of a building site, ringing to the din of drills and hammers and the incessant beep of reversing lorries. Inside the screening rooms it is hushed and reverent. Outside it's bedlam; an ongoing work in progress.
Alberto Barbera, Venice's new artistic director, likens the festival to "an old lady in need of freshening up" and is promising a major makeover: less glitz, more substance and a greater emphasis on emerging talent. And yet even Barbera is not quite the new broom he first appears.
- 9/1/2012
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
★★☆☆☆ Love, obsession and revenge are the themes of Kirill Serebrennikov's beguilingly strange, yet ultimately flaccid Betrayal (Izmena, 2012). The film is a Crime and Punishment-style morality tale, told via Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958). Franziska Petri plays a doctor who whilst examining one of her patients (Dejan Lilic), reveals that her husband is cheating with his wife. His life turned upside down, the pair of cuckolds are drawn together as the betrayed couple almost seem to luxuriate in detailing the exact lineaments of their spouses' infidelity.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 8/30/2012
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Following the Toronto International Film Festival line-up earlier this week, the 69th Venice Film Festival has weighed in with their choices this morning. Outside of films also premiering at Tiff — including most notably Ramin Bahrani‘s At Any Price and Terrence Malick‘s To the Wonder – they have a strong batch of films not at that fest. We have the highly anticipated next feature from Olivier Assayas (Summer Hours, Carlos), titled Something In The Air, as well as Brian De Palma‘s sensual thriller Passion with Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace.
Then things get a little silly with Harmony Korine‘s James Franco and Selena Gomez gangster/party film Spring Breakers. Rounding out the other major titles are Susanne Bier following up her Oscar win with Love Is All You Need and Spike Lee’s Michael Jackson documentary Bad 25. The lack of Paul Thomas Anderson‘s heavily rumored The Master...
Then things get a little silly with Harmony Korine‘s James Franco and Selena Gomez gangster/party film Spring Breakers. Rounding out the other major titles are Susanne Bier following up her Oscar win with Love Is All You Need and Spike Lee’s Michael Jackson documentary Bad 25. The lack of Paul Thomas Anderson‘s heavily rumored The Master...
- 7/26/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
SCHEHERAZADE
Five people on a yacht in the waters off Zurich drink, smoke and make merry until disturbing, mood-shifting secrets are revealed in this intriguing Swiss production, the second feature by director Riccardo Signorell ("Eden"). Not a moment too long at 81 minutes and coming to an abrupt but satisfying end, "Scheherazade" centers on a successful businessman and his relationships with an artistic-minded son and beautiful teenage daughter (Zoe Mikulecszy), whose birthday is ostensibly the occasion for the gathering.
Arriving to help celebrate and talk to the rich man about succeeding him as head of the firm is a slick executive and his London gallery-owning girlfriend (Antonia Beamish).
It's the latter who won't look the other way, like the others are expected to do, when it's revealed that the birthday girl has an incestuous relationship with the father. The son, who has known about it for some time, is clearly on the verge of a breakdown over the actions and attitudes of the unapologetic parent.
The sun goes down, and the close quarters force matters to a sad, unexpected conclusion. The three men are played by Siegried Terpoorteh, Philipp Stengele and Jurgen Brugger. Cinematographer Felix von Muralt and Signorell find ways to keep the talky picture interesting visually, while the performances are uniformly believable.
ENGEL & JOE
A competition entry from Germany inspired by an article in Stern by Kai Hermann ("Christiane F"), director Vanessa Jopp's second film after "Forget America" is a frenetic journey into the lives of street kids, who hang out most of the time in front of a cathedral in Cologne. Joe (Jana Pallaske) is a fairly grounded teen who runs away from home with her dog and takes up with Engel (Robert Stadlober), a punk with a romantic streak.
After experiencing the highs and lows of life on the streets for a while, including the accidental death of a drug addict, Joe's getting pregnant causes them to think seriously about the future. With overt biblical references, the story has them planning to someday escape the city for the mountains with their baby, Moses.
But Engel's unfitness for work and penchant for hard drugs almost drive Joe into the safe haven of another, more sensible young man.
Pallaske and Stadlober deliver intense performances, but Jopp's direction is mostly over-the-top in trying to capture the volcanic emotional state of the characters.
Seemingly every exchange of dialogue has 100 cuts, and the hand-held camerawork flings the viewer around as much as a movie can, but it makes for an experience to which filmgoers older than the characters might it find hard to relate.
LEO AND CLAIRE
German director Joseph Vilsmaier ("Brother of Sleep", "Marlene") weighs in with this competition entry based on a true story about a married, well-known Jewish businessman in Nuremberg who has a fling -- but not a serious affair -- with a pretty young photographer who is not a Jew.
During the mid-1930s, this becomes a recipe for calamity as the jealous, prejudiced neighbors never forget what they think they've witnessed in the courtyard of apartments where the lead resides. Vilsmaier is the credited cinematographer and co-wrote with Klaus Richter the well-crafted screenplay based on a book by Christiane Kohl.
Played by Michael Degen, Leo is married to Claire (Suzanne von Borsody), while the sexy ingenue is Irene (Franziska Petri).
Nicely paced, lushly produced and climaxing with the horrible 1941 sham trial that accuses Leo and Irene of criminal wrongdoing, Vilsmaier's film is not very shocking given the many previous features and documentaries about the era. But it still has an emotional punch that will leave few viewers unmoved.
David Hunter...
Five people on a yacht in the waters off Zurich drink, smoke and make merry until disturbing, mood-shifting secrets are revealed in this intriguing Swiss production, the second feature by director Riccardo Signorell ("Eden"). Not a moment too long at 81 minutes and coming to an abrupt but satisfying end, "Scheherazade" centers on a successful businessman and his relationships with an artistic-minded son and beautiful teenage daughter (Zoe Mikulecszy), whose birthday is ostensibly the occasion for the gathering.
Arriving to help celebrate and talk to the rich man about succeeding him as head of the firm is a slick executive and his London gallery-owning girlfriend (Antonia Beamish).
It's the latter who won't look the other way, like the others are expected to do, when it's revealed that the birthday girl has an incestuous relationship with the father. The son, who has known about it for some time, is clearly on the verge of a breakdown over the actions and attitudes of the unapologetic parent.
The sun goes down, and the close quarters force matters to a sad, unexpected conclusion. The three men are played by Siegried Terpoorteh, Philipp Stengele and Jurgen Brugger. Cinematographer Felix von Muralt and Signorell find ways to keep the talky picture interesting visually, while the performances are uniformly believable.
ENGEL & JOE
A competition entry from Germany inspired by an article in Stern by Kai Hermann ("Christiane F"), director Vanessa Jopp's second film after "Forget America" is a frenetic journey into the lives of street kids, who hang out most of the time in front of a cathedral in Cologne. Joe (Jana Pallaske) is a fairly grounded teen who runs away from home with her dog and takes up with Engel (Robert Stadlober), a punk with a romantic streak.
After experiencing the highs and lows of life on the streets for a while, including the accidental death of a drug addict, Joe's getting pregnant causes them to think seriously about the future. With overt biblical references, the story has them planning to someday escape the city for the mountains with their baby, Moses.
But Engel's unfitness for work and penchant for hard drugs almost drive Joe into the safe haven of another, more sensible young man.
Pallaske and Stadlober deliver intense performances, but Jopp's direction is mostly over-the-top in trying to capture the volcanic emotional state of the characters.
Seemingly every exchange of dialogue has 100 cuts, and the hand-held camerawork flings the viewer around as much as a movie can, but it makes for an experience to which filmgoers older than the characters might it find hard to relate.
LEO AND CLAIRE
German director Joseph Vilsmaier ("Brother of Sleep", "Marlene") weighs in with this competition entry based on a true story about a married, well-known Jewish businessman in Nuremberg who has a fling -- but not a serious affair -- with a pretty young photographer who is not a Jew.
During the mid-1930s, this becomes a recipe for calamity as the jealous, prejudiced neighbors never forget what they think they've witnessed in the courtyard of apartments where the lead resides. Vilsmaier is the credited cinematographer and co-wrote with Klaus Richter the well-crafted screenplay based on a book by Christiane Kohl.
Played by Michael Degen, Leo is married to Claire (Suzanne von Borsody), while the sexy ingenue is Irene (Franziska Petri).
Nicely paced, lushly produced and climaxing with the horrible 1941 sham trial that accuses Leo and Irene of criminal wrongdoing, Vilsmaier's film is not very shocking given the many previous features and documentaries about the era. But it still has an emotional punch that will leave few viewers unmoved.
David Hunter...
- 8/31/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IN JULY
The well-liked opening film of the festival and a top 10 hit in Germany when it opened in late August, writer-director Fatih Akin's "In July", his second feature, is a fairly traditional romance in the guise of an offbeat road movie.
Moritz Bleibtreu of "Run Lola Run" plays tall, handsome and lovestruck Daniel. Unfortunately for the equally attractive and romantically inclined Juli, which is German for July and the month in which the story takes place, Daniel is not on a quest to win her heart.
The story begins in Hamburg, Germany, and features misadventures in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Physics professor Daniel tries to reach Istanbul, Turkey, for a rendezvous with a beautiful girl he's only seen once or twice. He picks up carefree Juli, played by Christiane Paul, as a traveling companion. The pair met earlier on the sidewalk, when he bought a ring from her. She has chosen him for his manly awkwardness and big heart. He's doesn't pay attention to her, but he can't get along without her.
Unpredictable in a few places and always watchable because of the charismatic duo of Bleibtreu and Paul, "In July" has a terrific soundtrack and a few magical cinematic moments that define true love and prove more effective than the usual mainstream approach.
THE STATE I AM IN
A strong role for up-and-coming actress Julia Hummer (who has a small but memorable part in "Gigantic"), "The State I Am In" is a tense coming-of-age drama about the rebellious daughter of rebellious parents.
Clara (Barbara Auer) and Hans (Richy Muller) are always saying that things will get better. With teenage daughter Jeanne (Hummer), they are hiding out on the coast of Portugal, waiting to move to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and assume new identities.
Although it's never clearly established what past crimes they are guilty of, Jeanne's mom and dad set out to rob a bank in Germany. While Jeanne is a knowing part of their plan, she increasingly resists their attempts to stop her from having a boyfriend. A surfer she meets on the beach, Heinrich (Bilge Bingul), says he's just a "McJobber who loves Brian Wilson," but Jeanne falls in love as best she can. Believably complicated and unable to escape participation in the bloody finale, she is scarred but still standing at the end of director Christian Petzold's tightly wound fourth feature.
FORGET AMERICA
Set mostly in the German town of Aschersleben, this semicomical romantic triangle finds David Marek Harloff) and Benno (Roman Knizka), two best friends who are stuck in a rut, both falling for Anna (Franziska Petri), a would-be actress from nearby Halle. The first solo feature from Munich-based director Vanessa Jopp, "Forget America" is fairly tame but involving. The screenplay by Maggie Peren certainly gives plenty of frustrating moments to lead character David, a photographer who initially lets Benno get the upper hand and spends the rest of the movie regretting it.
The three actors are engagingly attuned to the young and moderately reckless milieu, which includes Benno's business selling vintage American cars and David's dingy life at home with a skinhead younger brother and disabled father. Anna comes in and out of their lives, spending most of her energy on violently emotional Benno while giving David discouraging signals over his obvious infatuation with her. All three unexpectedly underachieve in their dream careers. In the resulting tension, Benno starts to self-destruct, causing Anna to drift toward David.
GIGANTIC
Co-produced by Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run") and directed by one of the actors in that film, Sebastian Schipper, "Gigantic" is an X Filme Creative Pool production that bowed stateside at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. A bit loopy in the storytelling department -- a lot of comedy, adventure and drama is packed into the film's one long night -- "Gigantic" is satisfying enough to interest festival audiences. The character-driven piece follows three male friends in Hamburg, Germany. One of the friends is leaving for faraway places and probably is never coming back.
Walter (Antoine Monot Jr.) owns a big muscle car that transports him and pals Ricco (Florian Lukas) and Floyd (Frank Giering) on a round of adventuring that includes several run-ins with a troupe of angry, Elvis-themed circus performers. Ricco is the noisy daredevil of the group, but reliable Walter and gloomy Floyd -- the one leaving -- are not ones to walk away from a challenge.
They get their wish to experience "gigantic" things when a high-stakes Foosball game with a formidable opponent named Snake goes their way. The game is a lengthy, imaginatively executed sequence. The melancholy sentiments of the night climax when their underage, party-girl companion Telsa (Julia Hummer) almost dies from alcohol poisoning.
David Hunter...
The well-liked opening film of the festival and a top 10 hit in Germany when it opened in late August, writer-director Fatih Akin's "In July", his second feature, is a fairly traditional romance in the guise of an offbeat road movie.
Moritz Bleibtreu of "Run Lola Run" plays tall, handsome and lovestruck Daniel. Unfortunately for the equally attractive and romantically inclined Juli, which is German for July and the month in which the story takes place, Daniel is not on a quest to win her heart.
The story begins in Hamburg, Germany, and features misadventures in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Physics professor Daniel tries to reach Istanbul, Turkey, for a rendezvous with a beautiful girl he's only seen once or twice. He picks up carefree Juli, played by Christiane Paul, as a traveling companion. The pair met earlier on the sidewalk, when he bought a ring from her. She has chosen him for his manly awkwardness and big heart. He's doesn't pay attention to her, but he can't get along without her.
Unpredictable in a few places and always watchable because of the charismatic duo of Bleibtreu and Paul, "In July" has a terrific soundtrack and a few magical cinematic moments that define true love and prove more effective than the usual mainstream approach.
THE STATE I AM IN
A strong role for up-and-coming actress Julia Hummer (who has a small but memorable part in "Gigantic"), "The State I Am In" is a tense coming-of-age drama about the rebellious daughter of rebellious parents.
Clara (Barbara Auer) and Hans (Richy Muller) are always saying that things will get better. With teenage daughter Jeanne (Hummer), they are hiding out on the coast of Portugal, waiting to move to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and assume new identities.
Although it's never clearly established what past crimes they are guilty of, Jeanne's mom and dad set out to rob a bank in Germany. While Jeanne is a knowing part of their plan, she increasingly resists their attempts to stop her from having a boyfriend. A surfer she meets on the beach, Heinrich (Bilge Bingul), says he's just a "McJobber who loves Brian Wilson," but Jeanne falls in love as best she can. Believably complicated and unable to escape participation in the bloody finale, she is scarred but still standing at the end of director Christian Petzold's tightly wound fourth feature.
FORGET AMERICA
Set mostly in the German town of Aschersleben, this semicomical romantic triangle finds David Marek Harloff) and Benno (Roman Knizka), two best friends who are stuck in a rut, both falling for Anna (Franziska Petri), a would-be actress from nearby Halle. The first solo feature from Munich-based director Vanessa Jopp, "Forget America" is fairly tame but involving. The screenplay by Maggie Peren certainly gives plenty of frustrating moments to lead character David, a photographer who initially lets Benno get the upper hand and spends the rest of the movie regretting it.
The three actors are engagingly attuned to the young and moderately reckless milieu, which includes Benno's business selling vintage American cars and David's dingy life at home with a skinhead younger brother and disabled father. Anna comes in and out of their lives, spending most of her energy on violently emotional Benno while giving David discouraging signals over his obvious infatuation with her. All three unexpectedly underachieve in their dream careers. In the resulting tension, Benno starts to self-destruct, causing Anna to drift toward David.
GIGANTIC
Co-produced by Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run") and directed by one of the actors in that film, Sebastian Schipper, "Gigantic" is an X Filme Creative Pool production that bowed stateside at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. A bit loopy in the storytelling department -- a lot of comedy, adventure and drama is packed into the film's one long night -- "Gigantic" is satisfying enough to interest festival audiences. The character-driven piece follows three male friends in Hamburg, Germany. One of the friends is leaving for faraway places and probably is never coming back.
Walter (Antoine Monot Jr.) owns a big muscle car that transports him and pals Ricco (Florian Lukas) and Floyd (Frank Giering) on a round of adventuring that includes several run-ins with a troupe of angry, Elvis-themed circus performers. Ricco is the noisy daredevil of the group, but reliable Walter and gloomy Floyd -- the one leaving -- are not ones to walk away from a challenge.
They get their wish to experience "gigantic" things when a high-stakes Foosball game with a formidable opponent named Snake goes their way. The game is a lengthy, imaginatively executed sequence. The melancholy sentiments of the night climax when their underage, party-girl companion Telsa (Julia Hummer) almost dies from alcohol poisoning.
David Hunter...
- 11/20/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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