Franklyn è un film del 2008. E’ stato scritto e diretto da Gerald McMorrow al suo primo film come regista. Tra i principali interpreti ci sono Ryan Phillippe, Eva Green e Sam Riley.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Gerald McMorrow | Ryan Phillippe | Eva Green | Sam Riley | Bernard Hill

I won’t spend alot of time selling this film because the trailer looks very interesting. However, for those that need a little background, I will oblige you.

“Franklyn” marks the feature film directorial debut (I told you it was popular this year) of Gerald McMorrow and stars Ryan Phillippe, Eva Green and Sam Riley. The film takes place in present day London and a future city called Meanwhile City.

It’s the story of four lost souls, divided by two parallel worlds, on course for an explosive collision when a single bullet will decide all their fates.

This film seems to attempt to aim high, and as it is a small indie film, I have to give it credit for doing so. So far, the consensus on Rotten Tomatoes (61%, 28 reviews) is, “Gerald McMorrow’s bold debut is a complex and ambitious film that highlights the director’s potential, but its multi-layered story takes time to develop and might be frustrating for some.”

The film made a stop at the Fangoria Trinity of Terrors earlier this month after seeing release in late February in the UK. Set for DVD release on Nov. 17, look for this film to garner more reviews, including my own.

Il film racconta la storia di quattro personaggi appartenenti a mondi distanti, le cui vite sono collocate tra i mondi paralleli della Londra contemporanea e di una metropoli futuristica e governata dal fanatismo religioso chiamata Città di Mezzo (Meanwhile City). Esser è un padre disperato alla ricerca del proprio figlio nelle dure strade dei senzatetto di Londra. Milo è un trentenne con il cuore spezzato da una ragazza immaginaria. Emilia è una studentessa d’arte con tendenze suicide. Preest è un vigilante mascherato alla ricerca del suo nemico. Nel momento in cui questi mondi collidono, un singolo proiettile determina il destino di questi quattro personaggi, le cui vite sono in realtà collegate dal fato, dall’amore romantico e dalla tragedia.

La locandina di
Franklyn

E’ atipico viaggio tra fede, destino e pazzia che, costruito su lenti ritmi di narrazione concede pochissimo spazio ai momenti d’azione. Un viaggio che, tempestato d’amore romantico, trova il suo maggiore punto di forza nelle curate costruzioni scenografiche, ulteriormente valorizzate dalla bella fotografia, dominata da toni estremamente cupi durante le sequenze notturne e dispensatrice di un’atmosfera piuttosto grigia in quelle diurne.

Un soggetto potenzialmente interessante, che però si lascia comprendere solo a 10 minuti dalla fine dopo un intero film completamente immerso una confusione e incomprensione totali. A metà, viene da domandarsi come si possano spendere soldi ed inviare nei cinema un prodotto così scandaloso. Solo nel finale, quando le nubi della confusione si diradano, si comprende il filo logico che unisce le quattro storie. Alla fine la storia, e con lei tutto il film, si salva.

Agh!!! todo comezó el sábado por la mañana, Mich llegó a mi casa y de aca nos fuimos rápido al hotel W de la Ciudad de México en donde se encontraban nuestros muchachos , llegamos al hotel el sábado por la mañana como a eso de las 9:45 am con frío y sin desayunar, decidimos quedarnos afuera del hotel pues más que nada por pena ja!, a las 10 am llego un chico del periódico REFORMA (Periódico mexicano), y nos pregunto si eramos fans de The Killers y le dijimos que si, nos dijo su nombre y de qué periódico venía, no recuerdo para nada su nombre , en fin nos mostró un video de Brandon llegando el día anterior (viernes) al aeropuerto de la Ciudad de México pero ni se veía Brandon en el video ósea se veía de su hermoso y lindo pecho hacia abajo y se escuchaba a las niñas gritar en fin.

Luego llegaron otros reporteros y fotógrafos de otro periódico (RECORD) al hotel, Mich y yo teníamos unas inmensas ganas de ir al baño, hambre y frío, después de un rato Mich dijo ‘:O ahí esta Ray!!!!’ y yo ¬¬ noooo ya estas alucinando (porque ya había visto como a 6 Brandons jejeje) y pum! que derepente sale Ray del hotel a fumar un cigarro! y yo :O luego atraveso la calle ósea donde estabamos nosotras y le dije a Mich vamos a hablarle y meeeeedio le gritaba ‘Raaaay!’ pero no le grite grite jejeje, y fue al Starbucks y de regreso paso en frente de donde estabamos Mich y yo ósea a metros y le dije a Mich ‘le hablo??’ y ella ‘nooo que pena’ y yo ¬¬ total que Ray muy campante se va caminando muy feliz por tooooda la calle, total regreso y estaba platicando con alguien creo que eso fue antes del Starbucks no recuerdo pero ahora no sabemos si era con Torey con el que estaba platicando o no el chiste era que Ray estaba platicando con alguien luego llegaron otras dos fans y luego otros tres chicos también fans de la banda, después de un rato nos movimos con ellos a la parte del hotel (donde los que se hospedan esperan sus coches), y Ray paso de nuevo por donde estabamos entro al hotel y se quedo en el bar con la chica que deducimos que es la asistente de la banda una peliroja me parece que es la única chica que viene con ellos, en fin estaban platicando adentro en lo que nosotras estabamos en ese lado del hotel llegaron tres camionetas grandes (Suburbans) con ventanas blindadas que entraron al estacionamiento, posteriormente en la entrada del hotel llego otra van en la cual la chica (asisTONTA) de la banda se fue traia una maletita y una bolsa de esas donde se guardan trajes Dior y ella se fue sola en esa enorme van ya eran alrededor de las 3:30 de la tarde, y los reporteros que estaban esperando a la banda salieron y se atravesaron y nos entrevistaron a Mich y a mi!!!!! ósea nos entrevistaron y fue intimidante jajaja (el chico que venía con la chica a entrevistarnos estaba lindo ).

En fin posteriormente se acercaron los fotográfos y el supervisor del hotel nos dijo que nos movieramos de donde estabamos en total eramos como 7  fans ahí en el hotel pero el supervisor nos lo dijo de una manera no grosera ni nada osea norma pero en eso los fotógrafos les preguntaron a los que nos entrevistaron que a quiénes habían entrevistado y claramente vi al chico (el que nos entrevisto) decirles a ellas dos ósea Mich y yo, en ese momento me moví con Mich a otro lado yo quería alejarme lo más pronto posible de los fotográfos pero en eso  pum! que le dicen a Mich ‘nos puedes mostrar tu poster porfavor?’ y Mich estaba en eso y me dice ven y yo bye! jajajaj bueno no pero lo pensé ja! en fin total que en el proceso en el que nos fotografiaban a Mich y a mi el supervisor del hotel y uno de los fotógrafos se empezaron a enojar y poner agresivos entre ellos y me sentí acosada porque se peleaban de palabras claro los fotográfos y es supervisor del hotel total que nos queriamos ir o al menos yo ya me quería alejar de esos fotográfos (Mich y yo nos sentimos como celebs entre la entrevista, los fotografos y el supervisor del hotel yo pensaba Santo Ian Curtis alejalos de nosotras por favooooooooooooor!!!) total que el drama de las fotos y todo eso paso y nos fuimos del otro lado del hotel y como una media hora de andar en la baba con los otros fans en eso que salen del lado del estacionamiento las tres vans que habíamos visto con aterioridad y dos patrullas en motos tras de ellos escoltandolos!!! ósea????? de inmediato supimos que eran ellos no salieron por la entrada del hotel bajaron directo al estacionamiento y nos dejaron ahi a los 7 fans que estabamos ahi sin nada una foto un hola es más ni siquiera vimos el dedo meñique de Brandon nada nada nada y me enoje mucho lo peor es que me enoje con la banda!!! (cuando ellos no tienen la culpa, al menos no del todo) porque me hicieron llorar a la peque, hicieron llorar a mi MICH! osea yo abrace a la peque y tenía unas ganas inmensas de llorar yo también pero dije no no voy a llorar y me enoje un buen con los killers, con la gente que los maneja, y con la gente de OCESA.

Me enoje con los de OCESA porque eramos 7 personas y los transportan en 3 megavans y escoltados con policias??? ni que fueran U2 o MJ!!! ósea fue una eageración total transportarlos en unas vans blindadas pero el colmo fueron las patrullas ash ash ash, luego me enoje con la gente que los maneja porque como no les dijeron que salieran aunque sea 5 minutos a firmar eramos 7 fans, 7!!!! y con los killers me enoje porque si fueran considerados o agradecidos con sus fans le hubieran dicho a la gente de OCESA saben que sólo 10 minutos firmamos, nos tomamos fotos y ya pero no, ninguno salió nada ni se asomo ni nada! y eso si me enojo, después del drama nos fuimos con los tres chicos al Palacio de los Deportes tristes y decepcionadas de la banda por haberse portado como lo hicieron en total esperamos 7 horas afuera del hotel, con frío, hambre, ganas de ir al baño y qué obtuvimos de The Killers??? ni un hola

A las 4:30 de la tarde  llegamos al Palacio y nos pusimos a comprar souvenirs, fuimos al baño que ya nos urgia, medio comimos, compramos más souvenirs y luego fuimos a buscar a Carmen para hacerle compañía y platicamos con ella, conocimos a una ‘cool mom’ porque traia a los killers en su celular!, luego nos fuimos a formar entramos al palacio compramos mercancía que trae la banda, compre mis playeras mi DVD, comimos pizza, y entramos al palacio nos quitaron las cámaras jijijiji no tomamos fotos adentro (por alguna razón no puedes tomar fotos en los conciertos aca en México), salió a tocar la banda abridora a las 9, y lo mejor fue a las 10 y algo de la noche cuando salieron los killers!!!!

El concierto estuvo GENIAL!!!! GENIAL a excepción del sonido jejeje y que cortaron ‘This is your life’ porque hubo fallas y Brandon la corto se fue del escenario y le siguieron los demás después de unos segundos regresaron al escenrario y siguieron en general el sonido era horrible yo no podía escuchar la voz de Brandon en algunas canciones (ese lugar el Palacio de los Deportes es muy conocido por que el sonido falla demasiado cuando hay conciertos asi que bueno), y por eso me perdía con la letra en algunas canciones, a la tercera canción yo ya estaba cansada de gritar, cantar, todo! en fin el concierto estuvo woow! la vista era buena veiamos muy bien a los de la banda, claro que yo estaba cegada con la belleza física de Brandon era al único que veía jeje el setlist estuvo genial (cuando llegamos al palacio escuchamos el souncheck desde afuera), hubo un momento durante el concierto en el cual Brandon bajo y camino entre el público y se ubico en un lugar donde claramente pudimos ver como lo toqueteaban jejeje y Brandon se reía jijiji (igual y le gusta que lo toqueteen ja!), en fin me puse loca loca loca cuando tocaron ‘Shadowplay’ por Dios morí porque yo pensé que ya no usaban las imágenes de ‘Control’! pero cuando empezaron a tocarla vi a Sam!!!!!!!!!!!!!! y Mich y yo gritamos SAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!! jajaja bien chistoso jajajaj en fin el concierto estuvo genial ese sábado fue el mejor sábado de este año haberlos visto tocar despúes de dos años de espera desde la última vez que los vi! woow este es el set list del sábado:

• Human
• This Is Your Life (hasta la mitad)
• Somebody Told Me 
• For Reasons Unknown
• Bones
• Joy Ride
• Human ( piano)
• Sweet Talk
• Bling (Confession of a King)
• Shadowplay
• Smile Like You Mean It
• Spaceman
• My List
• A Dustland Fairytale / Can’t Help Falling in Love
• Read My Mind 
• Mr. Brightside
• All These Things That I’ve Done

Encore:

• Sam’s Town
• Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
• When You Were Young

GRAN concierto el sábado las luces, el fuego, los papelitos todo todo fue woow estoy SIN COMENTARIOS, sólo I LOVE U BRANDON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Continuará…en unos minutos más

I think that I’m going to expand this list from 25 to however many performances there are that I feel are noteworthy. Here are five more performances from this decade that I’ve loved. Be sure to check out parts one and two of this feature, and feel free leave me some comments on what you think!

Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Not since Jon Favreau called the same girl’s answering machine six consecutive times in Swingers have we witnessed such an epic display of loserdom on screen. But while Favreau’s performance was played for laughs, the 2 hours and 40 minutes we spend with Casey Affleck’s bumbling Bob Ford is far from comedic. The movie itself is a complex character study of the two men in a battle of wits (Robert Ford and Jesse James, who is played by Brad Pitt), and their never-ending quest to be one step ahead of the other. At one point, James muses to Ford, “I’m not sure if you want to be like me, or to be me.” That sentiment kind of sets the tone for Affleck’s entire performance, which twists and evolves beautifully throughout the film. I found Affleck’s performance unexpectedly moving, in a way. This is best shown in the last half hour or so of the film, after Bob has killed Jesse and has to return to the real world – only to find that they don’t want him, either. It seems odd to say, but Ford is really the heart of this film. He’s annoying and egotistical, yet Affleck’s amazing performance made me pity and even sympathize with this bizarre character.

Leonardo DiCapprio – The Departed (2006)

2006 was a great year for Leonardo DiCapprio. Even though Blood Diamond was a very powerful movie, I found myself thinking more about Dicapprio’s performance in The Departed after the fact. In Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning film, DiCapprio plays Billy Costigan, a conflicted young man working as an undercover investigator for the Boston police. When he’s assigned to get in with gangster Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson, who, of course, is great here) he soon finds himself in over his head. One of the things that I liked most about The Departed is that they had two characters on either side of the law, who are crossing into each other’s turf for their work (a very clean-cut Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, who is a Costello’s rat in the SIU), and they flip our expectations early on in the film, when we find out who is working for who. DiCapprio is so convincing as a man with a questionable family history (which is the entire reason that he was chosen to be the mole), but who is essentially good, and strives to do the right thing. The conflict that Costigan feels is played so well, and the entire process that he goes through is really amplified by DiCapprio’s great work.

Joaquin Phoenix – Signs (2002)

I think this might be the toughest choice to justify, especially since it’s from a mainstream horror movie that got mixed reviews. Horror movies are generally not known for their great acting, but Signs was really more of a character-driven thriller, despite the fact that it’s about an alien attack. Phoenix plays Merrill Hess, a former baseball prodigy living with his brother, Graham (Mel Gibson), a former priest who’s struggling to come to terms with the death of his wife. It is a supporting role for Phoenix, but he’s in most of the scenes, and I found his work very compelling. Merrill reacts so naturally to all of the bizarre things that are happening, and every facial expression and stutter subtly gives away the brave act that he’s attempting. The climax of the film is Phoenix’s time to shine (story-wise), but his best acting comes in the quieter scenes with Gibson. That being said, he’s totally convincing in the “action” parts of the movie, and also has a few really funny moments. There’s more to this film than just a few cheap scares, and I think Phoenix is one of the few actors out there who could strike that balance between fun horror acting and drama.

Kate Winslet – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Everything about Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was quirky (well, it was penned by Charlie Kaufman. What did you expect?). And Kate Winslet’s role as rainbow-haired Clementine was absolutely no exception. She plays a unique, sometimes frustrating love interest for Jim Carrey’s Joel. The film starts off as an unconventional love story, and then becomes even more conventional when love goes sour, and Clementine and Joel decide that they want to erase each other from their memory entirely. The most memorable moments of Winslet’s performance come when Clementine gives glimpses of her emotional, raw inner self. This often comes during spats with Joel. While I loved Carrey’s moody, restrained performance, Winslet is the opposite. She’s fiery and passionate, and Carrey almost feels like the “straight-man” to her ultra-vibrant character. Yet the vulnerable moments are great too. And even the moments where everything is actually going right in Clementine and Joel’s relationship seem elevated from the usual romantic comedy fare. Without Winslet, much of the quirkiness, heart, and charm of this movie would be gone.

Sam Riley – Control (2007)

There were a lot of musical biopics released in the later part of this decade. My favourite of these biopics was Anton Corbijn’s Control, which chronicles the short adult life of Ian Curtis, and the rise of his band, Joy Division. It’s a pretty grim movie. Curtis cheats on his wife, has horrific seizures, struggles to find success with his band, and ultimately takes his own life. But Riley’s up to the role, clearly. In other high-profile biopics, I often feel very aware that an actor is trying very, very hard to portray every aspect of a famous figure’s persona correctly. Here, it felt like an incredibly natural performance. Riley’s Curtis is soft-spoken, withdrawn, and petulant. Yet when he steps on stage, everything comes alive in a bizarre, desperate kind of way. Riley switches between Curtis’ electric stage persona and troubled personal life with startling ease, and you can feel Curtis’ pain. At times, it feels much more like a documentary than the usual glossy biopic, and this is largely because of Riley unaffected performance. Curtis is a figure who is often romanticized in hindsight. But Joy Division was only on the cusp of success when Curtis killed himself. Riley portrays him as the real, troubled human being that he was.

Press release on my new project

BRIGHTON ROCK STARTS SHOOTING October 18 2009: principal photography starts today on Rowan Joffe’s debut feature BRIGHTON ROCK, starring a remarkable cast including Sam Riley (Control) as Pinkie, the fast-rising Andrea Riseborough (Happy Go Lucky and a BAFTA nominee for the eponymous role in Margaret Thatcher: the Long Walk to Finchley) as Rose, Oscar winner Helen Mirren (The Queen, Gosford Park) as Ida and John Hurt (1984, Hellboy II, The Proposition) as Phil Corkery. The eight week shoot will take place in Brighton, Eastbourne and on locations in and around London. Produced by award-winning producer Paul Webster (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice, Eastern Promises) for Kudos Pictures, BRIGHTON ROCK marks the first major production investment by Optimum Releasing, and will be made in association with BBC Films and the UK Film Council’s Premiere Fund. The film has also been supported by the UK Film Council’s Development Fund through Optimum Releasing and StudioCanal. International sales will be handled by StudioCanal, with Optimum set to release the film in the UK, StudioCanal in France and in Germany through Kinowelt. Adapted from Graham Greene’s brilliant 1939 novel, BRIGHTON ROCK charts the headlong fall of Pinkie, a razor-wielding disadvantaged teenager with a religious death wish . At the heart of the story is the anti-hero Pinkie’s relationship with Rose – an apparently innocent young waitress who stumbles on evidence linking Pinkie and his gang to a revenge killing that Pinkie commits. After the murder, Pinkie seduces Rose, first in an effort to find out how much she knows and latterly to ensure she will not talk to the police. A love story between a murderer and a witness, can Pinkie trust Rose or should he kill her before she talks to the police? Can Rose trust Pinkie or is she next in line? Writer/director Rowan Joffe’s credits include the screenplays for Pawel Pawlikowski’s award-winning Last Resort and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s 28 Weeks Later as co-writer, and director of Channel 4’s The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall, for which he won the BAFTA for Best TV director. Joffe has decided to set the film in 1964 with its famous South Coast quasi-riots between emerging teenage Mods and older Rockers, which contextualizes Pinkie’s ‘youth rebellion’ perfectly. 1964 also brings the story as close as possible to our own times without corrupting the innocence upon which some constituents of the plot and characterization depend. 1964 was a year after off-track gambling was legalized, spawning more than a hundred betting shops a week opening up and down the country and engendering, paradoxically, a massive wave in organised crime. The Sixties was the era of the great British gangster, the kind of working class hero that the frightened and ambitious Pinkie longs to be. It was also the last year in which the death penalty was actively carried out, the threat of hanging being a crucial motivation in Pinkie’s desperate attempts to get rid of witnesses to his revenge killing. “We’re making Brighton Rock as contemporary as we possibly can because the story feels ‘modern’. It’s too alive, too vibrant and too relevant to be contained in the late thirties, “says Rowan Joffe. “ Any form of adaptation is corruption. And Greene – who lovingly and pragmatically corrupted much of his own work to fit the big screen – would have been the first to understand that.” Producer Paul Webster said, “Rowan has written a formidable script that has attracted a cast that is a perfect blend of youth and experience. The scene is set to make a truly great British gangster film.”

Avec la modèle Rosie Huntington-Whiteley et l’acteur Sam Riley photographié par Mario Testino.

Personellement, je n’aime pas tant Miss Hintington, mais j’adore Riley et l’atmosphère des Kensington Gardens. Même si cette campagne est déjà de l’an dernier, Burberry a ce don de ne jamais se démoder et God ! que Riley sait porter le trench-coat.

Sam Riley as Ian Curtis is definitely not in Control.

(Weinstein) Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Alexandra Maria Lara, Craig Parkinson, Joe Anderson, James Anthony Pearson, Harry Treadaway, Toby Kebbell. Directed by Anton Corbijn.

One of the most influential bands of the late 1970s was Joy Division. While the name remains unfamiliar to many Americans, the band’s bleak, angular sound would go on to inspire bands around the world and essentially create the alternative rock genre. Their career was brief and ended in tragedy, but their legacy is without question.

Ian Curtis (Riley) is the very picture of disaffected youth in the industrial city of Manchester. He listens to Bowie and Iggy Pop, smokes incessantly and writes not so much poetry but ideas for poems in binders he keeps in his school desk. Deborah (Morton) is his girlfriend, one who shares his enthusiasm for music. They attend a Sex Pistols concert and Ian’s idea of what a rock band should be is transformed.

Ian and Deborah marry as teenagers, a move Ian is clearly not ready for. He is suffused by a Keatsian melancholy that makes Edgar Allen Poe look like Dr. Seuss. He gathers a group of musicians around him – Bernard Sumner (Pearson), Peter Hook (Anderson) and Stephen Morris (Treadaway) and they write songs that carry the punk ethos in a new direction – lacking the aggression that bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash were famous for, but flouting the conventions of the music anyway. More like punk versions of Ian’s heroes Bowie and Bryan Ferry.

The group begins to achieve some notoriety in their performances, attracting the attention of Rob Gretton (Kebbell), who brashly offers to be their manager, and later of Tony Wilson (Parkinson), a television presenter in Manchester who also owns Factory Records, a nascent label that has already achieved a reputation for releasing really good music. The band’s fortunes are most definitely improving.

In the meantime, life is taking a downward spiral for Curtis. He has developed epilepsy, which plagues him with seizures and further depresses him. He quits his civil service job to devote himself to his band, putting financial pressure on his wife Deborah to earn more in her job which puts a strain on their marriage. The couple have a baby, Nicole (the real Nicole Curtis appears in a crowd scene at the Derby Hall sequence in the film) but the final nails in the coffin of the marriage are pounded in when Ian has an affair with Belgian journalist Annik Honore (Lara).

The band is getting ready to tour America and Ian is torn in different directions. Part of him wants to resuscitate his marriage, while another part of him wants to pursue Annik, and the larger part of him wants to be a rock star. However, his seizures are getting worse and his depression correspondingly deepens, until he hangs himself the day before Joy Division is to leave for their American tour.

This story is told not by Hollywood veterans who are painting a picture meant to be entertainment, but by people who knew the real Ian Curtis well. The movie is based on a book written by Deborah Curtis (who also serves as co-producer on the film, as does Tony Wilson who passed away shortly before it’s release) and directed by Anton Corbijn, a Dutch photographer who is closely associated with not only Factory Records but also with Synthpop band Depeche Mode (Corbijn directed many of their videos) and Irish rockers U2, whose  album covers he shot for more than a decade (he also directed their concert film Rattle and Hum).

Corbijn shot the movie in color, but transferred it to black and white in post-production, a very wise move. The movie takes on a more documentary feel, and the stark shadows and grays make it more visually striking than it would have been in full color. With his experience shooting music videos and concert films, the live sequences stand out and are compelling, something that Hollywood rock movies tend to lack.

Riley is a revelation as Curtis. Largely unknown, Riley captures Curtis’ curiously detached vocals and gives him an emotionless air. Curtis was far from being morbid in real life, and Riley avoids the temptation to make him so onscreen. Riley plays him as a tortured individual who was unable to commit to anything but his muse. The movie rides largely on his performance and he does a terrific job here.

I was never a big Joy Division fan, although I adore their last single “Love Will Tear Us Apart” but Control gave me a chance to re-examine their music, and I’m glad I did. While they only were to release two albums in their lifetime, songs like “Atmospheres” and “Transmission” hold up surprisingly well today, nearly 30 years after the fact. The surviving members, along with Morris’ girlfriend Gillian Gilbert, would form New Order, who would achieve commercial success and acclaim but would in many ways always labor under the shadow of Joy Division. While that band is no longer active, they did score the movie.

This is a movie heavily invested in time and place, and Corbijn’s visual sense. It has the courage of presenting the subjects in harsh, unwavering light that doesn’t make any of them appear like saints, yet doesn’t have the epic sense that made Johnny Cash appear more of an archetype than an actual human being in Walk the Line. This is, quite simply, one of the best rock and roll biopics you will ever see.

WHY RENT THIS: A compelling biography of a seminal band that is not well known on this side of the Atlantic, but has influenced bands from U2 to Nirvana to Bloc Party. The acute visual sense of director Anton Corbijn makes this a visual delight.

WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: If you are not into alternative music, this may hold no interest for you.

FAMILY VALUES: Plenty of foul language and the depiction of suicide, although the act itself and the body are never shown.

TRIVIAL PURSUITS: The actors playing Joy Division actually learned to play the songs and when they are depicted playing live, are actually playing their instruments and singing.

NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: Extended concert sequences that show the actors playing their songs in their entirety, as well as live and promotional material of the original Joy Division, as well as a video of The Killers’ cover of “Shadowplay” that plays over the closing credits.

 FINAL RATING: 7/10

TOMORROW: Watchmen

Die deutsche Schauspielerin Alexandra Maria Lara hat heimlich ihren Schauspielkollegen Sam Riley geheiratet.

Die beiden standen 2006 gemeinsam für den Film “Control” vor der Kamera und verliebten sich dabei ineinander.

Die geheime Hochzeit fand im engsten Kreis im englischen Yorkshire statt, meldet die britische “Daily Mail”.

A story that takes place in contemporary London and a future metropolis. Four lost souls on parallel worlds are headed for a collison course where all their fates are decided with one bullet.

Written and Directed by – Gerald McMorrow

Starring – Eva Green, Ryan Phillippe, Sam Riley, Richard Coyle, Bernard Hill, Art Malik, Kika Markham

This movie was better then The Dark Hour but suffered from one major problem in my opinion. It was terribly predictable and remember, I’m the guy who never sees it coming!

The flick had plenty going for it though. It looks great, the acting is well done for the most part and the seperate stories that are told were all interesting. All that was killed for me when I know exactly what’s going to happen. I’m pretty sure the point of this one wasn’t to throw a giant twist at us though, but to wonder about the hidden meanings. There’s alot about fate and how one person can change events in so many other people’s lives, even if they haven’t met those people. This couldn’t be more obvious then with one character who constantly commits suicide while filming it for an art project. She always calls the ambulance first so she’ll be saved but one character points out to her she shouldn’t come so close to death, not because of the people in her life but because of the people she has yet to meet. Of course she really is the pivotal character when all the stories collide. Without her there at the end, everything would be different.

I actually think I would enjoy this more on a second viewing, where I could apply what I already know to the film as it progresses. It’s not really that bad of a movie as long as you don’t mind knowing where the flick is headed even before it does.

HIRSUTE

A. J. Bond, 14 min

Time travel is possible, but first you’ll need to boil some eggs, shave your hair and get comfortable with yourself. Real comfortable.

This short ran before Franklyn and was hilarious! It’s actually up on IMDB if you click right here and I would check it out. I laughed and laughed. The characters are perfect and I’m not telling you anymore, just go and watch it and enjoy it for yourself.

Under the marquee – Will

Franklyn | Gerald McMorrow, 2009

Every so often when watching new releases you come across a film that causes you to pause and wonder how on earth it ever reached the production stage, let alone is sitting in front of you now. Gerald McMorrow’s Franklyn is one of these films, and I still can’t quite get my head around just how its concept was initially pitched. The film concerns several lives being played out in modern-day London, with occasional forays into an entirely different, dystopian vision of the city where religion reigns supreme and Gothic skyscrapers loom in the hanging mist. At first, or for most of the film, we have no idea how or why these four different stories are connected. Milo (played by Sam Riley) bumbles along seeking closure on his failed marriage, eventually bumping into an ex-ex-flame who it turns out is actually imaginary; Emilia (Eva Green) is a young art student whose lust for perfection leads her to the brink of suicide again and again; Esser (Bernard Hill) is an old man lost, travelling the streets of London searching for his estranged and mentally ill son; and finally, the masked vigilante Preest (Ryan Phillippe), who is our connection with this fantastical version of London, looks to discover those responsible for the death of a young girl that he wasn’t able to save. The plight of the faithless Preest and his constant sparring with the ties that bind provides not only the initial intrigue but also allowed producers to market Franklyn as an action film of sorts, when to be honest it is far from it.

Franklyn, it soon becomes clear after much brow-furrowing and head-scratching, is a film concerned almost exclusively with its pay-off rather than the depth or the development of its plot. There is very little time spent detailing the potentially interesting yet ultimately shallow stories of Milo, Emilia and Esser; indeed, one might even say that thanks to the film’s lengthy and somewhat interesting introduction to its dystopian version of London that Preest may just be our most rounded character – he’s certainly the most interesting one. Franklyn is not, by any means, a novel approach to storytelling. Many have attempted something similar in the past, but if one is to present several separate plotlines and then tie them together with a single, sweeping, conclusive scene, one must be sure that each of these these plotlines is properly developed otherwise the story, and  thus the film, will fall flat on its face – as Franklyn so spectacularly does. The film could be compared to a handsome, well-dressed man in a beautifully furnished room that can be seen to fumble with a toy gun for an hour and a half before finally pulling the trigger to release a pathetic pop and equally pathetic little flag that reads “Bang!” As is often the case with films that put too much importance on the ending, a lack of development earlier on just muffles the potentially explosive nature of its grand finale, meaning that  Franklyn is as anticlimactic as it is misconceived.

Our Rating:

Ah yes, the moment I have been waiting weeks, no, months for! The first 8 films that will show at Toronto After Dark Film Festival this year have been announced. Since their website is only providing a brief synopsis of the films so far, I’ve gone out of my way to provide all you guys with some trailers and some info on the films. There’s a couple I’m super excited for, a few that sound very interesting and a few that don’t really interest me at all right now. That’s pretty much how it’s gone every year for me. Usually I’m surprised by how much I enjoy some of the films that I wasn’t really looking forward to. Anyway, on to the previews for all the flicks. It’ll be a long read today! I’ll start with the one that I’m the least interested in and work my way down to my favorite.

Let me warn everyone in advance that some, if not all, of these trailers can be pretty graphic. Lots of blood and some boobs and butts here and there. They probably aren’t very appropriate for small children. So send those tiny people outside for some sunshine and than enjoy the trailers!

BLACK

Directed by – Pierre Laffargue

Written by – Pierre Laffargue, Lucio Mad, Gabor Rassov

Starring – MC Jean Gab’1, Carole Karemera, Francois Levantal, Anton Yakovlev, Christophe Aquillon

When an armored car heist goes bad, “Black” goes into hiding. His cousin lets him know about a stash of diamonds in a poorly guarded bank in Dakar.”Black” then decides to take a little working vacation in Dakar.

According to the site it’s “a nouveau-blacksploitation adventure awash in, black magic, African mysticism, mutant arms dealers, gargantuan machete-wielding mercenary armies and a truckload of knuckle-sandwiches.” I checked the trailer which I couldn’t find on youtube for the life of me but have the link for the site here instead and wasn’t really blown away. Since the site itself is calling it a ‘nouveau-blacksploitation’ I think I know what I’m in for. It may be great, I don’t know, it just happens to be the least interesting to me at this point. Check the link HERE for the trailer, sorry no subtitles for it though.

FRANKLYN

Written and Directed by – Gerald McMorrow

Starring – Eva Green, Ryan Phillippe, Sam Riley, Richard Coyle, Bernard Hill, Art Malik, Kika Markham

A story that takes place in contemporary London and a future metropolis. Four lost souls on parallel worlds are headed for a collison course where all their fates are decided with one bullet.

The few comments I’ve come across so far claim this film to be extremely boring. I don’t normally care for random comments from people I don’t know. There’s too many factors that could change their opinion of the film and everyones taste is different. The trailer doesn’t blow me away but the idea sounds interesting enough. I also liked the look of the masked detective in the future city. Kinda sounds like a movie with lots to say and I’m wondering how well the message will be delivered.

SOMEONE’S KNOCKING AT THE DOOR

Directed by – Chad Ferrin

Written by – Chad Ferrin, Roham Ghodsi, Rosie Roberts

Starring – Noah Segan, Andrea Rueda, Ezra Buzzington, Timothy Muskatell, Vernon Wells, Lew Temple, Ricardo Gray, Jon Budinoff, Silvia Spross, Elina Madison, Jordan Lawson, Joseph Pilato

A group of drug addled, sexual deviant med students are terrorized by The Hoppers, a man and woman who have mysteriously returned from the 70’s.

Here’s what will probably be one of the hidden gems of the festival. A throwback to the days of grindhouse flicks, I imagine this one will be a shocking one. The trailer suggests some very uncomfortable ways to die and that poster isn’t trying to hide any of the facts. This one has got to be pure midnight madness and looks to contain alot of funny, sick and creepy stuff going on.

TRICK R’ TREAT

Written and Directed by – Michael Dougherty

Starring – Quinn Lord, Brian Coz, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin, Moneca Delain, Tahmoh Penikett, Lauren Lee Smith, Britt McKillip, Isabelle Deluce, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Alberto Ghisi, Samm Todd, Connor Christopher Levins

4 seperate stories that are woven together through the use of Halloween and a little kid named Sam.

These compilation flicks usually work out in the end because if you’re not into one of the short films, there’s still 3 others to change the tide. I know there was an older film by the same name and I had thought that the Sam character had been in it as well but beyond that there is no similarities. It’s got Anna Paquin in it so I’m at least looking forward to watching her in action in something other than True Blood. I’m guessing this will be an almost straight up slasher flick and I’m always down for one of those.

THE FORBIDDEN DOOR

Directed by – Joko Anwar

Written by – Joko Anwar, Sekar Ayu Asmara

Starring – Fachry Albar, Marsha Timothy, Ario Bayu, Tio Pakusodewo, Henidar Amroe, Verdi Solaiman, Putri Sukardi, Ade Firza Paloh, Atigah Hasiholan

An artist finds a secret organization whose members watch dysfunctional families in their town through hidden cameras. When the artist sees a troubled boy he attempts to save him which leads to the discovery of a hidden door in his own home.

This one gives me a slight ghost feeling and brings me memories of Alone. I honestly don’t know what to think about this one. Something about the trailer interests me and I’ll make sure to see this one. It’s an Indonesian film and I’m usually impressed by any foreign effort, they always seem to have their own twist on genre’s.

EMBODIMENT OF EVIL

Directed by – Jose Mojica Marins

Written by – Jose Mojica Marins, Dennison Ramalho

Starring – Jose Mojica Marins, Jece Valadao, Adriano Stuart, Milhem Cortaz, Rui Resende, Jose Celso Martinez Correa, Cristina Ache, Helena Ignez, Debora Muniz, Thais Simi, Cleo de Paris, Nara Sakare, Giulio Lopes, Eduardo Chagas, Luis Melo

A gravedigger searches for the perfect woman to bear his child.

This one is apparently the conclusion for Coffin Joe. I know the name but beyond that I know nothing! I think I should be slapping myself for that and will begin my mission to find everything about Coffin Joe. What I do know is that the trailer is sick. It’s full of really gory violence and even some nudity. That alone intrigues me enough to really want to see this one. Even I wasn’t prepared for the violence in the trailer and it made me go back to the beginning of this post and put a warning in. Gorehounds everywhere should be happy!

GRACE

Written and Directed by – Paul Solet

Starring – Jordan Ladd, Gabrielle Rose, Samantha Ferris, Malcolm Stewart, Stephen Park, Serge Houde

A woman insists on carrying her child to term even after the baby has died. Once born, the baby returns to life with an appetite for human blood.

I’m sure everyone has heard of this one by now. I know I have and I was hoping it would be at the fest this year. I figured it would but decided to keep my mouth shut so I didn’t jinx anything! I keep hearing about how good this one is and the trailer proves to be quite a creepy thing. The flies everywhere and that plinky, tinkly piano. Brrrrr, sends some chills my way! I’ve heard reports of people fainting at a screening which I always take with a grain of salt. I’ve never seen anyone faint from watching a movie but if it at least made some people walk out, I’m in for that one!

VAMPIRE GIRL VS FRANKENSTEIN GIRL

Directed by – Yoshihiro Nishimura, Naoyuki Tomomatsu

Written by – Naoyuki Tomomatsu, Shungiku Uchida

Starring – Eri Otoguro, Takumi Saito, Jiji Bu, Erina, Sayaka Kametani, Yukie Kawamura, Sayako Nakoshi, Aya Nishisaki, Sayo, Eihi Shiina, Takashi Shimizu, Kanji Tsuda

I have been looking forward to this one the most. Yoshihiro Nishimura directed Tokyo Gore Police which showed at the fest last year. Toronto After Dark still has 9 more movies to announce and I don’t think there’s anything they could come up with that I want to see more than this one. If you’ve seen TGP than you know exactly what to expect from this one. Blood spraying everywhere, guns in places there shouldn’t be guns, limbs strewn about, just pure, over the top, cartoon action violence. I’m sure it will carry the same flavor that made me enjoy TGP so much and I cannot wait until this film graces my eyeballs!

There you have it, the first 8 films announced for the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. I’m just wondering what surprises the next 9 films hold for me. This is an impressive lineup already with only 1 flick I wasn’t really interested in. I’m still on the fence about Franklyn. With Vampire Girl VS Frankenstein Girl and Grace showing this year, every other movie could be garbage and I’d still be the happiest gorehound out there. The next round of films will be announced on the 29th of this month (I believe) and the festival kicks off on August 14th. Just a little over a month for me to prepare.

I’ll be doing my best to bring you guys reviews for almost all of the films since I always end up missing one or two. I’ll also be trying to get my hooks into festival director Adam Lopez for an interview as well as getting as many of the Q&A’s as possible on video. I’ll warn you now though, I’ve only got a hurting little digital camera to take video with so you’ll have to bear with what will probably be some terrible looking video! Anyway, I’ve been writing this post for 2 hours now so I’m off to take a break.

Under the marquee (patiently holding my breath till the fest) – Will

Here are the awards presented last night and the recipients. Please note that ABHS is Advantage Behavioral Health Systems; CSB is the Community Service Board; and, MHANEGA is Mental Health America of Northeast Georgia:

ABHS Community Leader Award: State Rep. Mickey Channell

MHANEGA Outstanding Service to the Community: Joe Johson

ABHS “Spirit of Advantage” Award: Sylvia Rucker

MHANEGA Special Service Award: Jim Parker

ABHS Local Community Leader Award: Donnie Bolton

MHANEGA Claire Clements-Hans Peter Dietrich Award for Outstanding
Volunteers: Chris and Carolyn Dehring

ABHS CSB Chair Award: Larry Gabriel

MHANEGA Outstanding Mental Health Professional: Samantha Riley

ABHS Distinguished Service Award: Teresa Dye

We salute those recognized last night. May the 2009-2010 Program Year take us even further!

Después de mucho tiempo en no haber visto a Sam esta es la primer foto que encuentro son del funeral de Monica Bleibtreu, una actriz austriaca que me parece murió de cáncer, al cual él y Alex asistieron.

Source

- Franklyn – 2009 – ♥♥♥ -

di

Gerald McMorrow

Due piani temporali e due diverse realtà contraddistinguono Franklyn di Gerald McMorrow. Tengono attive le capacità mentali dello spettatore che deve far fronte ad un montaggio che fa rammentare Iñarritu e che solo alla fine permetterà con attenzione di possedere tutti i tasselli necessari per comprendere in fondo il senso del film. E il filo conduttore è la sofferenza che vivono i protagonisti di questo racconto che è a metà tra il dark e il fantascientifico, in un doppio sfondo di una Londra ai giorni nostri e di una Meanwhile City ( tradotto Città di mezzo). Le vicende sono quelle di quattro diversi personaggi contressagnati tutti dal dolore provocato da abbandoni, solitudine o follia. Tre di loro sono a Londra: Milo (Sam Riley), un eterno malato d’amore alla ricerca della sua musa immaginaria che proviene dall’ infanzia, Emilia (Eva Green), aspirante suicida che vede la sua arte come un qualcosa di distruttivo per la sua persona e infine Peter, alla ricerca disperata del figlio senzatetto. Resta collocato su una diversa sfera temporale e di location il quarto personaggio, Philippe, vigilante della futuristica Città di Mezzo. McMorrow in  maniera decisamente geniale, considerando anche il fatto che la sua è un’ opera low cost, porta sugli schermi cinematografici tematiche estremamente attuali come quelle della solitudine o della depressione. Il tutto arricchendo il suo film di una fotografia attenta a delineare le differenze tra i due livelli temporali e di un montaggio lineare alternato che potrebbe inizialmente risultare farraginoso da comprendere ma che alla fine, quando lo spettatore sarà in grado di godere il piano completo del racconto, avrà una ragione maggiore per essere apprezzato. Ambientazioni quelle dei due mondi che spesso fanno ricordare atmosfere come quelle già viste in Blade Runner (per quanto riguarda la Londra dei nostri giorni) o quelle di V per Vendetta ( per Meanwhile City). Franklyn è un film surreale ma psicologicamente attuale che sfocia nel fantascientifico solo per invitare lo spettatore ad usare il proprio cervello per comprendere i non facili collegamenti tra i personaggi e le loro sofferenze. Un film sicuramente da vedere che purtroppo rischia ( e la colpa è forse maggiormente della locandina o del titolo troppo da supereroe mascherato) di restare invischiato in spiacevoli pregiudizi “ante-visione”.

(Philippe governa da vigilante la futuristica Meanwhile City)

( Mentre Milo l' eterno romantico cerca la sua musa immaginaria)

Joy Division

• Till yesterday I had only heard of this band in passing
• Till yesterday I made no effort to learn anything more of this band
• Till yesterday I had not heard any of its music

And yesterday I watched ‘Control’.

Biopics have this nasty habit of being all that you expected them to be. And this holds true especially for the movies portraying brilliant but extremely flawed individuals. ‘Control’ has it all – sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll – in short the general ingredients of a niche band that came into its own too soon and was assumed to have faded away too early.

That’s where all the clichés stop. ‘Control’ is based on the life of Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis and his troubled life that made and broke the genius within. If there is one word for the pace of the film that is – subtle. Subtlety flows in every frame without being pretentious and this is totally performance driven.

Before this, I had never set eyes or seen the Joy Division lead singer in action. But after ‘Control’ there is a feeling that Sam Riley got it right. In fact he got it perfectly cause the flaws, the genius, the performance, the illness, the discord is all packed into this one performance that takes its inspiration from the stone & machine landscape of Macclesfield. The cast has its share of known performers – Samantha Morton playing the aggrieved wife (playing Deborah Curtis on whose book, Touching from a Distance, the movie was based), and a brilliant cameo from the band manager (Tobey Kebbell as Rob Gretton). Kebbell is hilarious as he goes about arm twisting and wheeling dealing his way with profanity laced words that seem to make good business sense in the end.

I have slept through biopics before, but this one definitely did not warrant a blink. The performance was riveting and backed with a racy soundtrack from the sounds of David Bowie to the Sex Pistols and then the punk rock of Joy Division, every frame of the movie was there for a reason. If I heard Joy Division’s music without knowing anything about them, then I definitely would have mistaken it for a band of the nineties. The music was definitely well ahead of its time and showed why brand Britannia ruled when it came to the rock and punk scene. Rock and punk is as much a British phenomena born out of the gloomy industrial towns of England than the downtown parking lot of Seattle or San Francisco.

Lataa Ohjelma (MP3)

Musiikin rajamailla kuljemme tällä kertaa kahdessa musiikkikeskeisessä elokuvassa. Käsittelyssä tuttuun tapaan tuoreet palautteet ja kaksi elokuvaa. Elokuvat ovat blues-tie-elokuva Crossroads vuodelta 1986 ja Ian Curtisin elämään perustuva Control vuodelta 2007.

Linkit:
Crossroads (Wikipedia)
Crossroads (IMDb)
Control (Wikipedia)
Control (IMDb)