What do a flower-munching troll, a motion-capture performer, a dying uncle in bed, a tracksuit-wearing killer, and an accordion-playing band leader have in common? The answer is Denis Lavant. And cinema, too. These characters, all played by Lavant in various disguises throughout the course of the profoundly imaginative picture Holy Motors, have been plucked from…
“Ever drifting down the stream – Lingering in the golden gleam – Life, what is it but a dream?” – Lewis Carroll The question of whether we are the dreamers or the one’s being dreamed is explored in Raul Ruiz’ opus posthumous Night Across the Street, a playful and loving adieu that was filmed as…
In 1968 in Paris, France, the something in the air was revolution. In March of that year, a single spark began a revolt when a small group of students at Nanterre University took to the streets to protest conditions at the University. By July, workers had shut down Paris with a general strike in which…
Sounds punctuate the neighborhood in Kleber Filho’s exhilarating Neighboring Sounds (Brazilian title, O som ao redor): A dog barks incessantly, street vendors blast their stereos, the noise of TVs reverberate through the streets, a vacuum cleaner rumbles, a washing machine vibrates, and a car sideswipes another. Neighboring Sounds employs a wealth of cinematography and sound…
Two people in a long-term relationship can know practically everything about the other person but still be in the dark about some of the most major issues. In the semi-autobiographical Sleepwalk With Me, Matt and Abby have been together for eight years, ever since their second year of college — they live together, they share…
A few years ago, while reviewing Turkish film director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s 2006 great film, “Climates,” I wrote: [quote]“Climates” is a masterpiece, but it is more than that. It is also possibly an augur to even better things cinematically. It is not an overstatement to declare that Ceylan may be the best living filmmaker today….
Back in January we covered the teaser trailer for Resident Evil: Retribution and today we’re covering its first full theatrical trailer. Other than some Matrix-y mind games being played on our heroine, Alice, this installment (number five I think) plays out in the same fashion as its predecessors. Alice fights back against the Umbrella Corporation…
