I’m not sure anyone anywhere has heard of this film. It’s something quite strange, a made-for-TV movie which is enthrallingly cinematic at the same time as having a very made-for-TV plot. It premiered on TV in the UK in April and as far as I know never reached cinemas there, but somewhat strangely a variety of other countries have seen it at film festivals and a very small amount of countries (including Norway, luckily for me), have seen a wide cinema release of it (although undoubtedly it won’t run for very long).

The plot is as follows: Portraying the aftermath of the Irish troubles, two characters involved on two sides of a 1970s murder are in the present day meeting for the first time since the event. Alistair Little (Liam Neeson) murdered a man when in his teens, Joe Griffin (James Nesbitt) was the brother of the victim. In the direction of a TV program the two are brought together to meet after some 30 years. Most of the film takes place in flashback to the murder in question and following the characters in the day leading up to their meeting, with a growing tension between them, true intensions of each character becoming apparent through various conversations with other people, like the TV crew. The pace of the film, then, is what you’d expect from a made-for-TV movie.

In a surprising twist, however, the movie seems to be filmed for a cinema audience, with some quite amazing tracking and panning shots that would surely not have been done their due by never being shown on the big screen. In addition, Liam Neeson is undebatably a big-screen star, and the acting performances (by the stellar Nesbitt in particular) have absolutely no trouble carrying a cinema experience emotionally. Even if the plot moves slow, it is built well enough that I myself can’t see why it wasn’t given cinema release at least in the UK, where it was produced.

The film ends up giving a pretty good view of what goes through the minds of each side in a conflict, in fact it does it beautifully. Because the relevance of this movie stretches not only to the Irish troubles but to larger conflicts in the world at large, and the way it opens for interpretation of paralels to the middle-east conflict leaves no doubt about it, I would urge you to give this a watch if you have interest in the subject of the human mind when confronted with such a conflict. That said, it’s definitely not for anyone, and if you can not endure a pretty sludgy pace and a tight yet not entirely fulfilling character study you should probably give it a miss.

4/5

Veja as primeiras imagens do remake de A Experiência

Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker e Cam Gigandet aparecem em cena no filme-de-cadeia

O caso verídico que deu origem a A Experiência (Das Experiment), produção alemã de 2002 e primeiro longa de Oliver Hirschbiegel (A Queda!), está sendo transformado em filme mais uma vez, agora em Hollywood. As primeiras imagens de The Experiment acabam de sair – veja AQUI.

Em 1971, Philip Zimbardo, professor da conceituada Universidade de Stanford, reuniu um grupo de alunos e dividiu-os entre presos e guardas para estudar padrões de comportamento em presídios. O ensaio foi cancelado depois de apenas 6 dias, quando a relação de poder e autoridade entre os dois grupos começou a se exarcerbar, atingindo níveis alarmantes de violência.
Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace, Clifton Collins Jr. e Cam Gigandet estão no elenco. Brody faz o líder dos prisioneiros, enquanto Whitaker faz um guarda que se deixa levar por seu poder dentro do experimento. Paul Scheuring, co-criador da telessérie Prison Break, dirige o filme. Fonte: Omelete.

O filme estreia em 2010.

The Experiment

Gracias a Luis Benshimol Dance nos enteramos que se han mostrado las primeras imágenes oficiales de la película que lleva por nombre The Experiment que no es más que la adaptación americana del filme original de nombre Das Experiment que realizo Oliver Hirschbiegel en Alemania.

Para esta película parece que se ha cuidado hasta el último detalle de lo que es la original para lograr que la historia no pierda nada en esencia, además cuenta con Paul Scheuring como director que es bien conocido por su trabajo en la serie de 24, y cuenta con un reparto conformado por Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Elijah Wood, Maggie Grace, Clifton Collins Jr. y Cam Gigandet principalmente.

Comenta Luis Benshimol Dance que parece una buena versión, pero esperaremos a ver el resultado final para poder comentar que tal quedo el filme.

Gracias a Luis Benshimol Dance nos enteramos que se han mostrado las primeras imágenes oficiales de la película que lleva por nombre The Experiment que no es más que la adaptación americana del filme original de nombre Das Experiment que realizo Oliver Hirschbiegel en Alemania.

Para esta película parece que se ha cuidado hasta el último detalle de lo que es la original para lograr que la historia no pierda nada en esencia, además cuenta con Paul Scheuring como director que es bien conocido por su trabajo en la serie de 24, y cuenta con un reparto conformado por Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Elijah Wood, Maggie Grace, Clifton Collins Jr. y Cam Gigandet principalmente.

Comenta Luis Benshimol Dance que parece una buena versión, pero esperaremos a ver el resultado final para poder comentar que tal quedo el filme.

¿Qué pensarías  si después  de 30 años el asesino  de tu hermano  te quiere conocer en un programa de tv?

¿Qué sentirías?

¿Cuál sería tu reacción?

Five minutes of heaven es el reciente filme de Oliver Hirschbiegel, el director del hundimiento. Ganadora de un drama en Cannes y mejor guion en World Cinema.

La historia se lleva a cabo en los años 70, en una Irlanda del norte sumida en la violencia, Allister (Liam Neeson) y sus amigos  forman parte de la UVF (la Fuerza de Voluntarios del Ulster) Allister le dispara a sangre fría a un joven frente a su hermano dejando a este traumatizado por el acto y las recriminaciones de su madre, 30 años después  la paz ha llegado a Irlanda y un programa de reconciliación los une tras las cámaras, allister quiere limpiar su conciencia  y Joe grifin (James Nesbitt) sus 5 minutos de gloria.

Descarga: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=29NMXE7P

Casino Royale es un peli de James Bond de 2006. Una franquicia de Ian Fleming que ha pasado de protagonista en protagonista y de director a director. Esta vez el ejercicio es para Martin Campbell, un director con un no muy afortunado portafolio para mi gusto pero que con esta peli se reivindicó completamente conmigo.

La primera vez que la vi fue en cine y salí muy emocionado. Para mi la peli es espectacular desde los créditos de Johnnie Frankel trabajados para Rattling Stick, acompañados por Chris Cornell interpretando la canción especial para esta versión hasta Daniel Craig elegantemente vestido con un extravagante arma automática diciendo “Bond, James Bond”.

Pueden decir que Craig no es un verdadero Bond, que la peli no hace parte de la serie y que lo que se pierde es el espíritu del sofisticado espía inglés que enamora a sus mujeres con tan sólo el brillo de sus ojos. Yo soy fanático moderado de las pelis de Bond, puedo decir que de niño trajeron de nuevo, en algún ciclo de cine, Diamonds Are Forever protagonizado por Sean Connery y quedé embelezado por la historia. Un agente del MI6, que la mayoría del tiempo viste un smoking, está siempre muy bien peinado, sostiene un vodka martini y usa una serie de aparatejos y artilugios que lo ayudan a lo largo de la peli a atrapar a sus antagónicos.

Vi otras pelis de Connery, vi otras tantas de Roger Moore (que para mí siempre fue El Santo), nunca vi una peli de John Fiedler, Bob Simmons, David Nimen o George Lazemby, detesté las pelis de Timothy Dalton, volví a reencontrarme con el personaje con Pierce Brosnan quien aparentemente había nacido para este papel y, finalmente, Daniel Craig. Un actor que nos tenía acostumbrados a fuertes y poderosas actuaciones en el cine independiente, Road to Perdition de Sam Mendes en 2002, The Mother de Roger Michell en 2003, Enduring Love también de Roger Michell en 2004, Munich de Steven Spielberg, no tan independiente, en 2005, The Invasion de Oliver Hirschbiegel en 2007 y Flashbacks of a Fool de Baillie Walsh de 2008.

Fue exactamente eso lo que me atrajo de este nuevo capítulo de Bond, cómo lograrían aprovechar todo el potencial de este actor en una peli medianamente sobria y de corte aventurero.

Bueno la respuesta es impactante, la peli es el nacimiento de este personaje, un hombre seco, maduro, mayormente tosco, elegantemente vestido pero que prefiere un whisky a un martini esnobista. Frágil de carácter y permeable al amor. Un hombre que cuando pelea sangra, que cuando le duele un golpe llora, un hombre que es capaz de sufrir y, sin embargo, un hombre con un excelente sentido del humor. Varias veces sonreí con sus chistes, varias veces logré carcajearme con sus frases de cajón. Intenté pedir alguna vez en un bar de renombre aquí en Bogotá un Vesper Martini, un trago de tres porciones de Gordons, una porción de Kina Lillet (un vermouth blanco bastante exótico) y una rodaja de cáscara de limón; no lo pudieron armar porque no sabían que era el Kina Lillet, en ese entonces tampoco yo lo sabía pero ansío poder probarlo y poder saber a que sabe Eva Green en un trago quien interpretaba a Vesper Lynd la Chica Bond de este capítulo.

El amigo con el que fui esa vez a cine, me dijo que fue demasiado el tiempo que le dedicaron al romance del hombre, anoche me ví la peli en DVD y mientras fue el romance, bajé y me hice un té doble, pintado con leche y galletitas, al subir, ya había empezado la acción y si fue un poco más placentera, pero en ir y venir tan sólo me demoré tres minutos, tres minutos que le sobran a la peli no está mal.

Al lado de Craig hay un gran equipo actoral que se comportó a la altura, muy bien señor Campbell, excelente dirección. La bellísima Eva Green, el noble Giancarlo Giannini, la majestuosa Judi Dench, el carismático Jeffrey Wright y el fabuloso antagónico Mads Mikkelsen con sus lágrimas de sangre.

Es una peli entretenida de principio a fin, la secuencia en Praga al principio de los créditos es hermosa, luego la secuencia en Madagascar estrenando su nueva categoría como Agente Doble 0 es sencillamente increíble y todo Montenegro es James Bond al 100%.

Ojalá la franquicia hubiera seguido así de bien, pero Quantum of Solace dirigida por Marc Forster en 2008 es una pérdida de tiempo, no sé qué le habrá pasado a Forster un excelente director que nos ha provisto excelentes pelis. Lo gracioso es que volví con mi amigo a seguir la secuela y a él le encantó :-S

vom 24.09. – 03.10.09

Nun ist es wieder soweit. Zum 17. mal steigt das Filmfest Hamburg und zeigt in acht Kategorien über 140 nationale und internationale Produktionen. Dabei bietet das Festival von Mainstreamkino bis Dokumentation, von Komödie bis Tragödie, alles, was das Cineastenherz begehrt.
Mit von der Partie sind  auch Filme von internationalen Regielegenden wie Clint Eastwood, Jim Jarmusch oder Lars von Trier sowie den deutschen Wim Wenders, Oliver Hirschbiegel und dem Lokalhelden Fatih Akin mit seinem neuesten Werk “Soul Kitchen”.
Man darf also gespannt sein, welche Filme in diesem Jahr für Furore sorgen werden. Auf jeden Fall sollte man sich Hamburger das Filmfest nicht entgehen lassen.

Das komplette Programm sowie alle weiteren Informationen findet Ihr auf der offiziellen
Seite des Filmfest Hamburg.

Hintergrundgeschichten, Interviews und vieles mehr rund um das Filmfest bietet außerdem der Videoblog der medienakademie:

Tonight the program schedule both on the State Italian TV and on the privately-held Mediaset had to change in order to make space, or make audience, for a propagandistic program (on RAI 1) hosting the prime minister.

When I switched the TV on RAI3 I saw that there was Der Untergang, the movie by Oliver Hirschbiegel. How appropriate. Instead of boycotting TV tonight I felt the best thing to do was to stick to RAI 3 and watch once more the movie, this time having read a few books on the theme, such as Beavor’s “Berlin 1945″, Anonyma’s “A woman in Berlin” or Helga Schneider’s memories.

We had seen the movie with Bruno Ganz at the cinema. At that time I asked to Our Friend in Moabit if she had seen the movie, she was a child in 1945. She was so kind as to send me this article on the film, and today BerlinRomExpress publishes her impressions.

The title of this post quotes the final sentence of the movie.

Der Untergang

Meine Schwester hat mich eigentlich darauf gebracht, diesen Film als eine der ersten zu sehen.

Wir treffen uns also am Potsdamer Platz und gehen ins Cinemax. Ganze Schulklassen bevölkern die ersten Reihen, verhalten sich aber ruhig über die drei Stunden, die dieser Film dauert.

Mein Eindruck : ich glaube man hat versucht,soweit das nach über fünfzig Jahren noch möglich ist, die wahre Geschichte zu zeigen. Großartig Bruno Ganz als Hitler : einerseits der Fanatische, der sich während seiner Reden in größenwahnsinnige Ideen steigert, dann wieder der kleine provinzielle Mensch. Ein krankes Gehirn, das ein ganzes Volk und unzählige Juden in den Untergang gestürzt hat. Und doch muß er in der Zeit davor, hier werden ja nur die letzten fünf Tage gezeigt, eine grosse Überzeugungskraft gehabt haben um soviele Menschen mitzureissen.

Fanatismus ist blind, lässt nicht links und rechts, nicht Gut und Böse sehen.

Viele Szenen von den Strassenkämpfen in Berlin machen mich persönlich betroffen und in diesem grossen Kino bin ich wieder als Kind in diesem Bomben- und Artilleriehagel.                Ich war damals 10 Jahre alt und hatte zwei kleine Schwestern. Unsere Eltern hatten uns vorsorglich an den Stadtrand nach Haselhorst gebracht, dort hatten wir ein Sommerhäuschen und ganz in der Nähe war ein Bunker in dem wir die letzten Kriegstage gelebt haben.        Viele Szenen in dem Film erinnert mich auch daran. Einmal war ich zurück zu unserem Häuschen gelaufen und bin in einen Beschuss gekommen, schreiend und weinend habe ich mich in einen Busch geworfen : mir war nichts passiert, als eine Pause war rannte ich in den Bunker.  In dem Film wird eine Szene mit einer zerschossenen Strassenbahn gezeigt : das ist für mich eine ganz starke Erinnerung : an der Haltestelle, an der wir oft auf unseren Vater, der aus unserer Schneiderei in der Stadt kam, gewartet hatten, war eine Strassenbahn von einer Bombe getroffen worden. Ich war danach in der Nähe, sah die ausgebrannte Strassenbahn, sah verstreut Leichenteile herumliegen – eine manikürte Frauenhand -.  Ich bin heute über 70 Jahre alt und habe es nicht vergessen. Und doch,wir waren Kinder , haben in den Bombenkratern gespielt, weil da so schöner weisser Sand war.   Wie meine Mutter , die mit Erika  im fünften Monat schwanger war,  es geschafft hat uns drei Kinder : Hilma, Hanni und mich zu ernähren, von Sattessen konnte keine Rede sein, weiß ich nicht. Eine Hilfe war der kleine Garten mit der Laube in der wir in diesem Sommer 1945 waren. Es gab Tomaten, Kartoffel und etwas Obst. Die einzige Verbindung in die Stadt war die U-Bahn von Ruhleben. Zu der musste man über die Spree mit einer zerschossenen Brücke neben dem Kraftwerk West (später Reuter). Die Stahlträger der Brücke, in der Mitte getroffen, hingen von beiden Seiten ins Wasser und über die Kluft von zwei – drei Metern lag ein Holzbrett über das man balancieren musste. Ich erinnere mich daran wie an einen Abenteuer-Spaziergang. Wir mussten, wollten in die Stadt, denn in unserer Wohnung in Charlottenburg in der Wilmersdorfer Strasse war unsere Tante Lieschen und die Eltern meiner Mutter. Das Haus stand inmitten von Bombenruinen und unsere Verwandten lebten. Im Nachhinein muss ich sagen : wir hatten trotz allem einen oder mehrere Schutzengel. Keinem aus meiner Familie ist etwas geschehen : im August 1945 wurde meine kleine Schwester Erika geboren und später kamen auch mein Vater und mein Bruder aus den Kriegswirren nach Hause.

Nach diesem Film verliessen Hilma und ich mit zittrigen Knien das Kino uns war auch kalt, Hilma meinte mal wieder trocken „mal sehen ob draussen alles in Ordnung ist“, denn die letzten Kämpfe um Berlin hatten sich genau um den Potsdamer Platz herum abgespielt.

Wir mussten uns aufwärmen, all die aufgewühlten Erinnerungen verarbeiten dazu haben wir die beste Lösung gefunden : in den Arkaden beim Italiener mit einem Glas Rotwein u.Pizza.

Zum Schluss : Was ist die Wahrheit ? Jeder Mensch hat seine eigene. Kluge , Einsichtige versuchen selbstkritisch auch die Wahrheiten der anderen zu hören. Bei Erinnerungen wird es mit der Wahrheitsfindung besonders schwierig. Jeder dreht das Erlebte oft wunschgemäss zurecht. Sieht Ereignisse nur aus seinem Blickwinkel.

Ganhar dinheiro fácil e ainda se divertir com isso. Para ser mais preciso: 4000 marcos em duas semanas. Assim pensam os 20 voluntários a um experimento anunciado em jornal e realizado por uma universidade.

Para tal experimento, que tem como objetivo analisar comportamentos agressivos, os voluntários são colocados numa situação que simula uma prisão, divididos entre guardas e prisioneiros, papéis esses escolhidos por um computador. Definidos os papéis a serem cumpridos, incia-se a simulação. Entre eles, está o jornalista Tarek (Moritz Bleibtreu), que viu por trás do anúncio de jornal a possibilidade de uma boa história e, equipado de uma pequena câmera, tenta captar o que pode desta experiência.

Continue lendo ‘A experiência’

Haz click en la imagen para verla a detalle

Tras de haber sido testigo del asesinato de su hermano, un hombre  participa en un documental  al lado del responsable del crimen, que recién ha sido liberado de la cárcel. Sin que la producción lo sepa, planea asesinarlo aprovechando ese momento. Five Minutes of Heaven, una cinta británica hecha directamente para televisión, que resultó un éxito el año pasado, y que estará siendo transmitido en todo el mundo. Adicionalmente, existe el proyecto de adaptarla para salas, mejorando la calidad del mismo para adaptarlo a gran formato. Aún no hay nada confirmado, pero se espera que se den a conocer pronto los resultados del experimento.

by The Great White Gypsy

A Perfect Getaway – Written and Directed by David Twohy
Zahn and Jovovich are honeymooning in Hawaii, backpacking to a secluded beach. They come across several other couples talking about a murder, and things get crazy. Twohy directed The Arrival, Pitch Black, and The Chronicles of Riddick, so you can bet it will be entertaining if nothing else. And I’ve heard the plot twist is pretty tight.
Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Chris Hemsworth, Timothy Olyphant, Marley Shelton
August 7

Cold Souls – Written and Directed by Sophie Barthes
Paul Giamatti actually plays himself in this metaphysical, cultural commentary where people’s souls are commodities that can be bought and sold. Looks deep, could be my favorite one since Eternal Sunshine, but that’s a huge expectation for a rookie director.
Paul Giamatti, Emily Watson, David Strathairn, Lauren Ambrose
August 7

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – Directed by Stephen Sommers, Written by Stuart Beattie and David Elliot
Van Helsing was so bad, the only thing Sommers has directed since is the Mummy amusement park ride. Big names and bigger budgets have failed in the past to adapt videogames and old TV shows very well, but Stuart Beattie (Collateral, 30 Days of Night, Australia) and David Elliot (The Watcher, Four Brothers) are pretty good writers, and the cast does look interesting. This summer has sucked for movies so far, but I still have hope for Joe.
Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccleston, Jonathan Pryce, Sienna Miller, Arnold Vosloo
August 7

I Sell the Dead – Written and Directed by Glenn McQuaid
A Grave robber confesses his sins to a priest…and for some reason there are zombies. IFC does weird stuff sometimes (almost always involving Ron Perlman), but for the most part I’m a fan. McQuaid’s first feature.
Ron Perlman, Dominic Monaghan
August 7

Paper Heart – Directed by Nicholas Jasenovec, Written by Charlyne Yi and Nicholas Jasenovec
A movie about the filming of a documentary? I’ve never seen that. Ok, I have, but never with Seth Rogen and Michael Cera. It looks simple, funny, heartfelt, low budget; what else could you ask for?
Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen, Demetri Martin, Paul Rust
August 7

District 9 – Directed by Neill Blomkamp, Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
You’ve seen those random posters at bus stops all over? “No Humans Allowed”. Well, those are the obscure posters for this “documentary” about an alien race that stumbles upon Earth, and is put into camps and ghettos. It’s like Michael Moore’s very own Cloverfield, but even I have to admit the story sounds intriguing. And, though the writer and director are new, Peter Jackson’s presenting, so I’m assuming he at least watched it.
Nathalie Boltt, William Allen Young
August 14

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard – Directed by Neal Brennan, Written by Andy Stock and Rick Stempson
If Ari from Entourage got fired, divorced, and became a used car dealer, this would be his spin-off movie. However, Jeremy Piven is undeniably awesome, and recognizable faces like Ving Rhames and Ken Jeong will probably outweigh virgin writers and a director from Chappelle’s Show.
Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, Ken Jeong, James Brolin
August 14

Spread – Directed by David Mackenzie, Written by Jason Dean Hall
Could it be? Has Ashton Kutcher actually grown up? Granted, The Butterfly Effect was damn cool, but this looks like a positive departure for him. The story of a guy who makes it big in L.A., then falls for a girl who pulls all his own game on him has been done before, but I like the style of this one. Mackenzie’s done some weird stuff, but I’ll give it a chance.
Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche, Margarita Levieva
August 14

The Time Traveler’s Wife – Directed by Robert Schwentke, Written by Bruce Joel Rubin
Somewhere between The Fountain (minus the great director) and The Lake House (minus the bad actors) lies this adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s popular novel. Bana’s no Ryan Gosling, but he and McAdams look like they have some good chemistry. I’m not saying it’ll be great, but as far as chick flicks, this might be one of the less painful ones this year.
Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Ron Livingston
August 14

Five Minutes of Heaven – Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, Written by Guy Hibbert
An IRA gunman murders a UVF member in front of his little brother. After serving his sentence, the media arranges for the grown brother and murderer to meet on screen. Liam Neeson is always good, but this has the potential to beat a dead cultural horse with a hazy morality stick. Never seen anything by either director or writer.
Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt
August 21

Inglourious Basterds – Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Besides the Grindhouse segment “Death Proof”, it’s been 5 long years since Tarantino did something that was completely his own (Kill Bill Vol. 2). He returns now with his own style of war film. The Basterds are Jewish soldiers recruited by the U.S. Army in WWII France to basically beat the living hell out of the Nazis. We all know it’s going to be violent as hell, witty, and off-puttingly enjoyable. I am a little skeptical about Tarantino and Pitt, but not enough to save my money.
Brad Pitt, B.J. Novak, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger
August 21

Halloween II – Written and Directed by Rob Zombie
House of 1000 Corpses was ok. The Devil’s Rejects was freaking amazing. Halloween was badass. So it stands to reason that H2 could very well be Rob Zombie’s best film yet. Apparently, he’s not going down the road of cheesy franchises with 14 sequels. He’s finishing up the story in the second one. He may be messing with the mythology, John Carpenter may be completely absent, but Tyler Bates is still on board, and I have goosebumps.
Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Sheri Moon Zombie, Scout Taylor-Compton, Margot Kidder
August 28

Taking Woodstock – Directed by Ang Lee, Written by James Schamus and Elliot Tiber
This may be the “summer vacation’s over” film this year, but I gotta say I’m opposed to it. Demetri Martin’s show sucked, and they gave him the lead? Not only that, but Ang Lee, who, together with James Schamus, brought us crap like Ride with the Devil, Eat Drink Man Woman, and Hulk (the dumb one), was 15 living in Taiwan when Woodstock went down. I don’t like it one bit, and so many people are going to yell at me for that.
Demetri Martin, Eugene Levy, Emile Hirsch, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Liev Schreiber, Paul Dano, Kelli Garner
August 28

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

The Collector – Directed by Marcus Dunstan, Written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton
The guys who wrote and directed multiple Saw films, and all of the Feast flicks are back with an original horror movie about an ill-timed burglary that traps a man in a house with a family that is already at the mercy of “the collector”. Looks creepy and cool as hell, but the fact that I didn’t see anything about this until yesterday, and they’re already calling the main guy a “horror icon” makes me skeptical.
Madeline Zima, Andrea Roth, Josh Stewart
July 31

Balibo – Directed by Robert Connelly, Written by Robert Connolly and David Williamson
Based on the true story of the Balibo 5, a group of five Australian journalists that disappeared during the invasion of East Timor in 1975. Looks good, the writer and director are experienced in Australia. Just can’t find a solid release date.
Anthony LaPaglia
August 13 (limited)

Taxidermia – Directed by Gyorgy Palfi, Written by Gyorgy Palfi and Lajos Parti Nagy
Watching the preview for this made my head hurt. Visually beautiful, sweeping, and surreal, it’s about three generations of the same family, and their crazy fantasies. It was released in Hungary in 2006, but didn’t get a very limited US release date until last month. You can probably find it online or on DVD, but it looks interesting.
Csaba Czene, Gergely Trocsanyi, Piroska Molnar
August 14 (rumored)

The Marc Pease Experience – Directed by Todd Louiso, Written by Jacob Koskoff and Todd Louiso
About a high school musical star stuck in a high school mind set eight years later. I have serious doubts that a movie with Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman wouldn’t be advertised, but all I’ve found so far is a sketchy release date, so look for it. Directed by the skinny Moby look-alike from High Fidelity.
Ben Stiller, Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick
August 21 (rumored)

If there is one thing that all students around the world learn is that Adolf Hitler was a horrible man. We learn about his hatreds and all the chaos he caused. Also, every once in a while we hear that he killed himself in his underground bunker near the end of World War II. Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Downfall tells the story of what happened in that underground bunker near the end of WWII

There are three resons why I like this movie so much, the first is that prior to the release of the this film I had never heard about the underground bunker and Hitler’s suicide. Sure, I had seen something similar to that in “Family Guy” but that doesn’t really count. It was such an interesting story. Second, Bruno Ganz’s performance. This performance is the stuff of legends. I’m usually not a fan of actors impersonating historical figures, but this is different. Ganz shows a side of the monsters most people have not heard of. There are still those rage outbreaks every once in a while, but for most of the movie we see an almost-human Hitler. One who cares about his closest friends, shows some fear, and loves his woman. He was still a monster, but Ganz almost makes you simpathize with him. The rest of the supporting cast is great as well, but Ganz is just unbelievable.

The last thing that made me love it was Hirschbiegel’s direction. Although I wouldn’t say that the story is thriller material, he truly does turn it into one. The way he made the camera move through the narrow halls of the bunker gave me a feelings of Claustrophobia. Also, by cutting to what has happening outside the bunker he gave us more historical insight to place ourselves in that time period. Also, the final sucide scene is one of the greatest endings I’ve ever seen. Then the interview with Hitler’s real-life secretary (the one we follow throughout most of the film) packed an emotional punch that left me thinking about the movie for days.

Downfall is one of the best movies about WWII I’ve ever seen. By taking the story outside the battlefields, the filmmakers’s have given the audience an insight into other things that happened during that time. Thanks to the story, Bruno Ganz’s performance, and excellent direction, we now have a movie that should be requiered viewing for those who study WWII.

• Regissör: Oliver Hirschbiegel
• Utgivningsår: 2001
• Längd: 120 min
• Mitt betyg: 4/5

Ett nedlagt fängelse tas över av ett forskarlag för att genomföra ett experiment. 20 män går med på att mot betalning delta i ett experimentet i två veckor. Hälften av männen får i uppdrag att spela fångar som under hela tiden ska sitta inlåsta. Den andra halvan får i uppdrag att spela fångvaktare. Fångvaktarnas uppgifter är helt enkelt att se till att fångarna gör det man ska, alla medel är tillåtna utom våld. Det tar inte speciellt lång tid innan de flesta är inne i sina roller och när några fångar börjar sätta upp sig mot vakterna urartar det hela.

Filmen som är baserad på Stanford Prison-experimentet som genomfördes 1971 är riktigt skrämmande vissa stunder. Precis som Die Welle visar den på hur lätt det mänskliga psyket är att påverka. Det kommer som en chock för samtliga när man stannar upp och funderar på vad man egentligen håller på med.

Det är hursomhelst en väldigt sevärd film. Dessutom lättittad trots allt djupsinniga.

Vite fait, car je viens d’écrire la critique que vous pourrez lire ce WE sur Critictoo. Alors, Five Minutes Of Heaven parle de deux hommes qui sont liés par un meurtre qui les a hanté toute leur vie. L’un est le tueur, l’autre, le frère de la victime. Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt. C’est tout ce qu’il faut savoir. Ils sont magistraux, comme toujours. Le film raconte son histoire et n’essaie pas d’abuser de ses thématiques lourdes pour tirer des larmes, ce qui le rend encore plus efficace.

Pour finir, c’est un film indé Irlandais qui a d’ailleurs été récompensé par deux prix au dernier festival de Sundance. Il est passé il y a peu sur BBC Two et pour beaucoup d’anglais, ceci est un One-off Drama. Un très bon, certes, mais pour être clair, ils le qualifient d’un terme qui chez nous s’apparente au téléfilm – ça en dit long sur la qualité de production de certains téléfilms anglais, surtout comparé à la France. Je dis ça, je ne dis rien.

B+

Este un film istoric, despre viata dictatorului Adolf Hitler din ultimele zile ale celui de-al doilea razboi mondial.Esteo productie germana si austriaca, regizor fiind Oliver Hirschbiegel si a fost nominalizat la Oscar in 2004. Aici aveti toate informatiile despre film. 

Din punctul meu de vedere filmul ilustreaza foarte bine viata din ultimele zile a lui Hitler si mai mult de atat prezinta situatia Berlinului la caderea celui de-al treilea Reich. Ceea ce m-a uimit cel mai tare a fost faptul ca pana si copiii au incercat sa apere capitala Germaniei naziste dovedindu-si in acest fel devotamentul fata de regimul fascist si fata de Fuhrer. Mai jos aveti si trailerul, iar eu sunt curios sa aflu si parerile voastre despre acest film.

Alistair Little callously murdered Joe Griffin’s brother Jim in front of him when Jim failed to take a sectarian threat seriously. Afterwards, as he establishes an alibi as to his whereabouts that evening, 17-year old Alistair smirks in self-contentment at his handiwork. Indeed, three decades later, he admits that had he known that night who the little horror-stricken boy on the street was, he would have probably shot him too. However, he is no longer smirking about it. For Alistair (Mark Davison / Liam Neeson) is a much changed man, who understands how easy it is for susceptible teenagers to get caught up in these acts of atrocisty. Now he wants to stop other young men from making similar life-destroying mistakes; to reach them before they pass the point of no return.

Of course, Alistair is not the only one whose whole life changed irrevocably that terrible evening. Joe (James Nesbitt) has also carried his own intolerable demons around with him ever since the atrocity.

Following a lengthy prologue set in 1975, the story zooms forward to 2008 and the decision of both men to meet at the behest of a television documentary crew interested in getting to the “truth” of some of the terrible acts of violence that occurred in Northern Ireland. Well-meaning people, remote from troubled events, will typically argue in favour of reconciliation. In one sense, of course, they are entirely right. However, this film wishes to challenge that view to some extent by trying to imagine what the initial encounter between an aggressor and a victim might be really like, especially given the significant fracture in society that arose in Northern Ireland.

The film is the brainchild of scriptwriter Guy Hibbert. He spent 3 years interviewing the two men whose real life experiences inspired this work of fiction. Accordingly, the postulated feelings, reactions, and beliefs of both Alistair and Jim in the film are hopefully quite realistic. Indeed, the rather savage way in which the documentary team is portrayed strips away the pretence here. There is no such thing as truth and reconciliation, according to this film, when all that people still feel in their hearts is anger and hatred. Simply put, catharsis must come first.

Neeson is unsurprisingly strong as the brooding yet erudite loner that Alistair has become. He exudes sadness and isolation in the part and stoically endures all of the indignities that his deeply-held regret heaps upon him. I have no idea what the real-life Alistair is like. However, anyone with the eloquence and insight of the character which Neeson portrays would have a huge amount to offer. On the other hand, James Nesbitt suffers from being oh-so-familiar from his work in television advertisements. This is not helped either by the slightly clownish manner with which he represents his character here. That said, there is one sterling scene where Joe’s anger boils over and he unloads everything that he has been keeping to himself until then to a third party. Even though the audience has already benefited from being omniscient, the moment is still quite a powerful one to behold.

The film’s credibility is further enhanced by having Oliver Hirschbiegel (of Downfall fame) at the directorial helm. Not only does he provide a neutral perspective on what was a highly polarised civil conflict, but he has the discipline to avoid sensationalising his subject matter, save for one bemusing misstep near the end. That said, there is something lightweight about Five Minutes of Heaven - a sense that the issue could have been delved into more, perhaps by establishing more of a back-story about how these two men have become the people that they are today. Certainly, the switch from the strong scenes of idealism, naivety, and youthful immortality at the beginning to the underwhelming scenes where both characters are travelling to meet in front of the cameras felt like a real letdown.

Accordingly, I come away from the film with mixed views of it. On the one hand, it is a highly worthy subject to commit to film, Neeson is always well worth watching, and some of the dialogue is fantastic. On the other hand, it felt too short and asked the audience to take a large leap of faith (to borrow a phrase from a certain somewhere!) from the past into the present. You will probably enjoy going to see this film, but be wary that, ultimately, it may not be meaty enough for your tastes.

Film #47 in the Filmspotting World War II Marathon!

Screenplay By: Bernd Eichinger
Directed By: Oliver Hirschbiegel

For those who aren’t aware, I am a history buff and like a great number of people I tend to focus on World War II. The topic has endlessly fascinated me for years, from the formative years of the conflict to the moment Japan surrendered and the aftermath. It is such an all encompassing subject, and it has both modern and classical sensibilities. But, undeniably the one historical figure that is the most interesting would be that of Adolf Hitler. The reasons why are obvious and despite the fact that there are countless documentaries and books about the man I never tire of reading more about the historical figure of Adolf Hitler. Because of this historical fascination Der Untergang obviously appealed to me greatly, and in the tradition of the truly masterful World War II films it managed to keep that appeal from start to finish.

I have read quite a bit of criticism towards Der Untergang, most of it stems from the fact that the filmmakers had the gall to make the Nazis human. I don’t understand this line of thinking, and I believe Roger Ebert expressed the right sentiment when reviewing Der Untergang for At The Movies, if Hitler and the Nazis aren’t human then doesn’t that excuse all their actions? The answer to that is a resounding yes and that is why Hitler and the Nazis need to be human, because even though some people may not want to admit it, they were human, very human in fact. The greatest evil comes from humanity and therefore it is no surprise that a human being would be considered the most evil sentient in all of existence. What Bruno Ganz and director Oliver Hirschbiegel make sure to relate to the audience is that while Hitler was undoubtedly an evil person who committed untold atrocities, he was also a man capable of a loving smile or a cheerful pat on the back. This doesn’t condone his actions at all, but what it does is make Hitler a man and not a monster, he isn’t absolved from his crimes but rather he is all the more guilty of them because he possessed the humanity necessary to not commit his atrocities.

The cast of Der Untergang is great across the board, but it’s no shock that the one performance that bares special recognition is Ganz as Hitler. He doesn’t play him maniacally or sympathetically, he plays him as a man full of the type of charisma that could lead an entire nation to ruin. Ganz is wonderful as Hitler loses more and more of his sanity until at the end he doesn’t have control over the world around him. Paranoia sets in, he becomes more delusional by the second and the entire world is out to get him. Ganz brings the feebleness of Hitler in these moments to the forefront, but he does something that was unexpected, but necessary. Ganz never lets Hitler become a shell of the charismatic leader that once enraptured all of Germany. Even in his worst moments of delusion Hitler can still look at his Generals and commandeer their faith and loyalty. People often wonder how one man gained so much power and how a group of people followed him so rabidly, but all you need to do is watch Ganz as Hitler for longer than thirty seconds and all your questions are answered.

Der Untergang gives a glimpse, in small snippets, of the downfall of Germany, not just Hitler and his Generals. This is important, because too often war movies focus solely on the people in power or the little people exclusively. Der Untergang presents a dual dynamic, we see the little people of Germany fall at the same time that their leaders do. The scenes outside of the bunker also give us a feeling for the differences between what was actually happening and what Hitler’s delusional mind believed was happening. You see how desperate the situation was, but at the same time you hear Hitler’s proclamations and you see soldiers that should give up rally behind their leader. Even in the scenes that don’t involve him Hitler’s charisma resonates.

There is a horror element to Der Untergang as well. The cramped bunker and the inevitability of death permeate the picture. In a chilling scene Magda Goebbels drugs her children and then forcibly kills them with cyanide. You know their fate, but when it comes we watch in stunned horror as their mother carries out their death sentence and then retires for a soothing game of solitaire. The final harried retreat of the rest of Hitler’s bunker mates takes on a horrific visual quality, because they are surrounded by nothing but death and their mere presence seems to cause people to die. What may be most horrific of all to some, is that even with their charismatic leader dead the Wehrmacht continues on, even against insurmountable odds they fight because Hitler wanted them to fight. And when the time comes that they can fight no more some kill themselves out of loyalty to their leader. Long after his death the charisma of Hitler still haunts the Germans.

There are plenty of fine films on World War II, but Der Untergang is the finest film on the most important figure of World War II. It is an important piece of historical fiction, but it is also a tremendous drama. Some people may not want to see Hitler on their screen for two plus hours, but for World War II buffs or anyone who is willing to look past the monster myth and see the scariness of humanity then Der Untergang is for you. The downfall of a society at the hands of a dangerously charismatic individual awaits all who bare witness to Der Untergang.

Rating:

****

Cheers,
Bill

Bildquelle Abb.Familie Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes, Corinna Harfouch), Albert Speer (Heino Ferch) Magda Goebbels und Traudl Junge (Corninna Harfouch, Alexandra Maria Lara) und alle Bildrechte bei Constantin Film Produktion GmbH

“…überleg es Dir noch einmal, Magda!” in: Der Untergang. 1a Heino Ferch als Albert Speer. Produktion Bernd Eichinger, Regie: Oliver Hirschbiegel, Buch: Joachim Fest, Traudl Junge, Bernd Eichinger, 2003-2004

weiter zu Teil 1b ->->

Albert Speer geht im Führerbunker von Raum zu Raum, um sich von den Personen, welchen er nahestand, -und zuletzt auch von Hitler selbst-, zu verabschieden.

Die Reichskanzlei mit dem darunterliegenden Bunker ist bereits von allen Seiten von den Russen eingekreist.

Ununterbrochen ist schwerer Beschuß zu hören.

Es ist mittlerweile allgemein klar, dass alle sich im Führerbunker befindlichen Personen dem Feind durch Selbstmord entziehen sollen oder werden. Speer selbst wird den Bunker noch durch das Hauptportal der Reichskanzlei verlassen.

Speer hat kurzes schwarzes glattes Haar, an der Stirn bereits gelichtet, Fassonschnitt, nicht im Nazistil, das heißt, Schläfen und Nacken sind nicht kahlrasiert.

Er ist bartlos, hat fast schwarze buschige Augenbrauen, die Pupillen seiner Augen sind opak rabenschwarz, poliert blank, wie Jettknöpfe. Iris und Pupille sind durch ihre vollkommene Schwärze nicht voneinander unterscheidbar, die Glanzlichter winzig klein, kaum sichtbar.

Sein Blick bekommt dadurch etwas undurchschaubar Anonymes und gleichzeitig sehr Ernstes.

Foto Speer

Er trägt zivil, weisses Hemd, Krawatte, hocheleganten Nadelstreifenanzug, Parteiabzeichen an der Brusttasche des Jackets.

Seine schlanke Figur und die in Rücken, Schultern und Nacken äußerst präzise aufgerichtete Körperhaltung verleihen seiner Erscheinung eine Aura unaufdringlicher Kultiviertheit.

Traudl Junge trifft Speer auf der Treppe. Treppe und Wände sind aus grauem Beton, alles sehr kahl, Zweckbau, Bunker.

Wir sehen beide bereits im Gespräch, als wir hinzutreten.

Amerikanische, Speer und Junge von der Seite.

Traudl Junge trägt eine weisse Bluse und einen schwarzen Rock. Sie knetet erregt ihre Hände.

Was wird denn jetzt aus uns? Gibt’s denn noch Hoffnung?

Speer dreht sich ein wenig weg, suchend, dann, nach einem kurzen Blick in die andere Richtung, mit dem er sich vergewissert, dass niemand zuhört, wendet er sich in gedecktem, aber sehr eindringlichem Ton an Traudl Junge.

Die Kamera zeigt uns jetzt im Close up in Schuss und Gegenschuss jeweils den Sprechenden.

Speer:

Frau Junge, Sie sollten hier raus, bevor es zu spät ist.

Junge.

Der Führer will dableiben, wir können ihn doch nicht alle einfach so allein lassen.

Sie wirkt entsetzt, atemlos und ratlos. Wir spüren eine starke verzweifelte innere Unruhe in ihr. Sie scheint kurz davor, vor Aufregung zu weinen.

Speer antwortet ihr sehr leise, immer leiser werdend, fast flüsternd am Ende des Satzes:

Bei dem, was den Führer erwartet – braucht er niemanden.
Am allerwenigsten Sie.

Von der kühlen Antwort ist Junge zuerst ein wenig zurückgedrängt. Dann löst sich ihr Ausdruck, sie hat einen neuen Gedanken, sagt mit einem angedeuteten Lächeln:

Aber der Herr Goebbels und seine Frau bleiben doch da! Die Kinder ja auch!

Very Close Up Speer.

Er sieht Junge mit einem langen Blick aus seinen schwarzopaken Jettaugen zutiefst ernst an, sagt nichts.

Dann, nach ein paar Sekundenbruchteilen, deutet er, ohne Veränderung im Ausdruck, mit einem leisen Heben und Senken des Kopfes ein Nicken an und blickt sie weiter intensiv an.

Sie beginnt, herauszuahnen, was dieser Mann ihr sagen will. Ihr Blick liest in seinen Augen, hin- und herklickend, mehr und mehr den ganzen Umfang dessen, was er ihr wortlos mitteilen will.

Als sie endlich versteht, erstirbt jede mimische Bewegung. Sie begreift, dass die Familie Goebbels den Bunker nicht lebend verlassen wird.

Sie wirft einen Blick zur zur Seite, in Richtung der Räume der Familie Goebbels, greift sich an den Hals.

Aber die Kin…

Die junge Frau kann ihre Fassung nicht aufrecht erhalten. Um sich vom Weinen abzuhalten, hält sie sich die Hand vor den Mund. Sie versteht, dass die Kinder sterben sollen.

Wir hören gleichzeitig, wie sie mit einem Räuspern versucht, sich wieder in den Griff zu bekommen. Ihre Wangen sind hochrot. Jetzt versagt ihre Stimme, sie flüstert, sieht Speer wieder an

– ich hab geglaubt, da gibt’s noch einen Ausweg - irgendwie.

Schnitt auf Speer. Sein besorgter Blick hat sich nicht verändert. Als sie ihren Kopf sinken läßt, sieht er zuerst kurz zu Boden, dann geradeaus ins Nichts.

Schnitt.

Raum von Frau Goebbels.

Sie liegt im Bett.

Es klopft.

Frau Goebbels:

Herein.

Die stählerne Feuertür öffnet sich, Albert Speer tritt ein.

Er lächelt Magda Goebbels an, wir spüren eine Art verwandtschaftliche Vertrautheit zwischen beiden. Beide freuen sich, einander zu sehen.

Albert! Gruess Dich!

Speer tritt näher und setzt sich auf die Kante ihres Bettes. Magda Goebbels scheint Fieber zu haben, ihr Gesicht glänzt schweissnass.

Frau Goebbels nimmt ihre linke Hand unter der Bettdecke hervor und hält sie ihm mit einer Geste, die körperliche Erschöpfung zeigt, hin. Speer ergreift ihre Hand sachte, hält sie einen Moment und sagt dann:

Du hast Fieber!

Frau Goebbels:

Mein Herz hält das nicht aus.

Sie kann kaum sprechen, ihre Stimme bricht.

Speer:

Warum nimmst Du nicht die Kinder, Magda, und verschwindest von hier?

Verschwinden, – wohin denn?

Speer blickt sie an, nach einer kleinen Pause sagt er, nicht laut, aber drängend:

Ich hab Euch schon einmal gesagt…

….ich kann Euch in einem Lastkahn nach Schwanenwerder bringen….

Man kann ihn umbauen, so dass ihr euch darin verstecken könnt, bis alles vorbei ist.

Close up auf Frau Goebbels, sie hört ihm aufmerksam und erregt zu, dann deutet sie ein Kopfschütteln an.

weiter zu Teil 1b ->->

Film de Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, avec Thomas Thieme, Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe (2007)

Le cinéma allemand se porte décidément bien. Après La Chute et l’Expérience, d’Oliver Hirschbiegel, ou encore Goodbye Lenin, de Wolfgang Becker, voici un autre film de grande qualité provenant d’outre-Rhin. Un film qui, là encore, jongle avec le passé récent de l’Allemagne et avec des considérations politiques qui n’auraient sans doute pas droit de cité en France. Un film intelligent, qui sonne juste, et qui, sans complaisance, trace un croquis fidèle de la réalité de la vie des gens derrière le rideau de fer.

Nous sommes en RDA, en 1984. L’auteur à succès Georg Dreyman et sa compagne, l’actrice Christa-Maria Sieland, sont considérés comme faisant partie de l’élite des intellectuels de l’Etat socialiste. Ils montent des pièces de théâtre dans lesquelles le tout-Berlin Est se presse.

Le Ministère de la Culture commence à s’intéresser à Christa et dépêche un agent secret, nommé Wiesler, ayant pour mission de l’observer. Celui-ci fait partie de l’élite de la Stasi, c’est l’un des meilleurs éléments de la police politique ; il enseigne aux jeunes recrues les techniques les plus habiles d’interrogatoires, histoire de faire parler à coup sûr ceux qui complotent contre l’Etat.

A vrai dire, les motivations du ministre de la Culture ne sont guère avouables. Mais là n’est pas la question.

Tandis que Wiesler progresse dans l’enquête, le couple d’intellectuels le fascine de plus en plus. Sans prendre fait et cause pour eux, il sera amené à jauger son engagement politique, son travail au gouvernement, à l’aune du reste d’humanité qui l’habite encore. Un peu comme un 1984 à l’envers.

Outre les désormais bien connues méthodes oppressives des régimes totalitaires, où tout est basé sur le soupçon réciproque, le rôle clef des informateurs, les chantages et autres violences psychologiques, ce film sonne juste. A l’instar de La Chute, l’Allemagne qu’il décrit est sans complaisance, quoique les habitants s’en satisfasse bon gré mal gré. Histoire d’exorciser des démons, de considérer aussi avec intelligence le spectateur.

Un très bon film donc, pour deux raisons : la fidélité historique des événements, des lieux, des personnages, avec un Ulrich Mühe plus sadique que nature (lui qui était excellent dans Amen, et dont j’attends avec impatience la prestation dans le futur Mein Führer – Die wirklich wahrste Wahrheit über Adolf Hitler) ; et d’autre part, pour le traitement impressionniste et subtil de la dualité qui oppose l’idéal auquel il croit sincèrement et la réalité du dévoiement du pouvoir. Qui d’une certaine façon complète parfaitement la lecture d’une Hannah Arendt.