The 2007 Miami International Film Festival

Originally posted by Chris Knipp
Emmanuel is a boy's name. It's Emmanuelle.
Thanks Chris. I don't want my review to contain errors like this one. Actually I knew it's Emmanuelle but I rushed the posting and failed to check the spelling. Ms. Riva is "Elle" in one of my very favorite French films ever: Resnais' Hiroshima Mon Amour. I've lost count of how many times I've seen it.

That's what I think about The Page Turner, but you seem to like this better. Why? I would like to see this.
I agree that both films create and sustain a tense mood. I like them both Chris, but I hadn't actually compared one with the other. Let's see. What I said about The Page Turner that was negative was that it "lacks the irony, humor and sharp social commentary of the best Chabrol films." I would agree with the following comment about My Son by Variety's Jonathan Holland:
"Subtle ironies abound, as when mother tells the uncomprehending Julien it's better to tell a lie than to hurt someone's feelings: of course, she is telling herself a big lie to avoid being hurt."
These "subtle ironies" are not present in The Page Turner. On the other hand, we know why Melanie is bent on revenge (even though we don't know why in the decade transpired since the failed audition she hasn't managed to accept it and move on) whereas we have no idea how Baye's mom character got to be such a monster and how her marriage got to be so utterly unsatisfying emotionally. When I write that "My Son is more than anything a horror film", I'm suggesting its limitations.
Both The Page Turner and My Son are well-executed, both feature very good performances, both have premises that can be summarized in a single sentence, both are worth seeing, and both lack the scope and ambition of films one considers as among the "best of the year" or "best of the fest". Obviously, the jury at San Sebastian liked My Son more than I did (tied for best film of that festival). My Son is a lot more difficult to watch and one admires the filmmakers lack of concern with giving an audience what they want. To say more would spoil the film. I don't expect My Son to be released in the States although one never knows. If I'm right, you can still get the dvd in France in 6 months or so.


I like Baye, though the films I've seen her in have been uneven. I personally think she's terrific in Le petit lieutenant, and love the film (SFIFF, NYFF, and limited US distribution) though the US reviews were mediocre (Metacritic 72)
Mediocre? 60 and above means "generally favorable reviews".
Le Petit Lieutenant comes out on dvd on April 10th y'all.

Le petit lieutenant reviews not "mediocre."
I shouildn't have said the US Petit lieutenant reviews were mediocre, just not as enthusiastic as I'd hoped. I won't comment further, except I saw it with someone at the SFIFF who thought it was just a cop flick, and I don't think everyone especially Americans would see that it transcends that genre. You will like Baye in it, I think. It also relates to addiction and recovery. I think Jalil Lespert is better than usual in it as the titular "little," i.e., fresh young, police academy grad, maybe he just had a better role and director there--just a guess, since I've seen only a handful of the 24 films this 31-year-old actor has been in. Anyway Nathalie Baye's is one of her best recent roles--again guessing, since only a few of them have been available to me--but this is supported by her getting the César, and La Californie, her latest, is lackluster. She acted for Xavier Beauvois before, in Selon Matthieu (2000), also starring Cannes prizewinner Benoît Magimel (for La pianiste, with Isabelle Huppert), and wouldn't I like to see that--available on French DVD.

"Not" defending The Page Turner
I don't want to over-defend The Page Turner; maybe I have a chip on my shoulder about it. I am getting tired of seeing it compared to Chabrol and found wanting -- not you in particular, Oscar. I was very disappointed in Manohla Dargis' dismissive review of it Friday. I am afraid I have lost my former enthusiasm for Dargis. I do think that seeing Dercourt's previous My Children Are Different, or whatever it's called in English, greatly enhanced my appreciation of The Page Turner because it shows his way of looking into the darker aspects of musicianship, and gives me a definite handle on what's distinctive about Dercourt's sensibility. Whether Manohla has seen it I don't know, but I think this approach through the previous work frees one of the compulsion to see The Page Turner as inferior Chabrol. Apparently Dercourt's earlier Les Cachetonneurs is a "joyous celebration of classical music," so he is moving into continually darker realms lately, but with a musical perspective.

Not comparing My Son with The Page Turner.
I see what you're saying about My Son, and that you don't want to be particularly seen as preferring it to The Page Turner (the latter, again, is coming to Berkeley for one week only in a couple weeks so I hope to re-see it). Finally, I do consider The Page Turner one of the "best of" the Rendez-Vous, but that's not the same level of selectivity as "the best of the fest." Looking on the fnac website, only The Page Turner and My Children...etc. are available on French DVD's, so he is only recently being noticed in France.

Emmanuelle Riva's greatest role.
Now you have told me why the name Emmanuelle Riva is familiar to me. I have also seen Hiroshima mon amour a number of times and thought a lot about it; it made a big impression on me the first time, when it was new and I was very young and the Nouvelle Vague was a new and exciting thing. It continues to reverberate through the many film treatments of works by and screenplays by the writer Marguerite Duras--The Lover, starring Jane March (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1992) was a pretty good treatment of the actual experience of Duras' youth, directly described in her novel La douleur (Pain), out of which the Hiroshima mon amour story grew, in some sense.

You probably like The Page Turner more than me, which doesn't mean I didn't like it. I am obviously curious about what you'd think of Mon Fils A Moi. I like this Spanish rural thriller more than either and it probably won't get distributed either:

The Night of the Sunflowers

Sunflowers. Yes that sounds interestingly done. I think the touble is you don't feel the tension in The Page Turner as keenly as I do. But more is happening in this one, certaily. I really liked The Aura. I'm a little bothered by the use of the word "thriller." It sounds like something more.

So it's called Mon fils à moi--I see. That makes more sense. "The Son" is confusing, because we've just had The Sun and then we've already had Le Fils (Dardennes brothers) and then their "L'Enfant," The Child. Mon fils à moi is more distinctive. I bet this time the accent will read okay for you, because I'm sending this via Internet Explorer.

Originally posted by Chris Knipp
I really liked The Aura. I'm a little bothered by the use of the word "thriller." It sounds like something more.
Well, it is that but it's not confined by it. I understand though, I'm a little bothered lately by the overuse of "noir". The Aura? Apt comparison. Looks like we are understanding each other.

I bet this time the accent will read okay for you, because I'm sending this via Internet Explorer.
Yep.

Accent--so that is the reason. But now I'm back in Firefox, so see if this works: touché. Touché.

I don't understand how this works and I need to learn more about it.

A WONDERFUL WORLD (Mexico)

Not really related to your review:

I saw a comedian on TV say Louis Armstrong was a heavy marijuana smoker, which gives new meaning to "What a Wonderful Wolrd":

I see trees of GREEN...
Clouds of white (smoke)...


sorry, bad joke.

:)

Wikipedia "unsourced" Satchmo quotes:

"At first it was just a misdemeanor, but then you lost the "mis-de" and you just got meaner and meaner. [A reference to the anti-marijuana laws of the 1930s]."

"It really puzzles me to see marijuana connected with narcotics dope and all of that stuff. It is a thousand times better than whiskey. It is an assistant and a friend."

I guess that indicates he was a grateful and regular user. I hope he wasn't addicted to the stuff. When I was growing up the only grass was to be found from jazz musicians; maybe also in the black community.

But why are we talking about this in this thread???

I agree.

I also agree with Louis- it IS better than whiskey.

In 2004 I bought a mickey of jack daniels and I was never more sicker in my life. I was on the floor of my bathroom for hours, thinking I was dying. "Why did I think Jack Daniels was cool to drink? Ohhh..uggghh..

That stuff is SERIOUS rotgut. It says "This is a sippin' whiskey" on the bottle for a reason.

Perhaps we can all agree that marijuana is better than whisky but whisky is better than GLUE

Cocalero sounds very interesting.
I really like it when "the viewer gets an overview of (x) society"
Congratulations to Evo for getting elected!


Having met Gary Burns (I even did security on his sets for A Problem With Fear- I love Emily Hampshire's performance in that. Pls check it out) I know exactly what he's driving at with Radiant City.

I've lived a considerable amount of time in Calgary Alberta and that urban spawl/ insulated community thing is scary.

The town of Airdrie USED to be a good drive north, now it's practically a suburb of Calgary proper. Many Calgarians live in Airdrie and commute every day. The homes are cookie-cutter, and they are MASS produced.
You could lose your soul living in those "hoods". Whatever big city I've lived in, I've almost always lived centrally, downtown.
I just feel extremely secure in the downtown core of cities- even L.A! You laugh, but I am at home downtown. Precisely because all of the people SPREAD OUT after dark. they go to the burbs, their neighborhoods, their closeted homesteads. Call me crazy but I really love living in the core of a city.

Satanas sounds really good.

Alatriste sounds intriguing.
24 million Euros, eh? Most expensive production in the history of Spanish cinema? Cool.
I dig Viggo.
I'll look for it.

Septembers also sounds good- criminal karaoke? I'm all there!

Fiction I'll look for too.
One of the best at the fest?
I'll take your word for it.

You guys talk of M. Recha's August Days with reverence. Sublime? Visual extravaganza? Sounds gravy to me.
I kept notes.

I really wanna se Margarethe von Trotta's latest. That sounds right up my alley.

Same with Verhoeven's Black Book.
There's something about Verhoeven that grabs me.

The Oscar-nominated After the Wedding has got my interest too.

Full Grown Men sounds warped.
You say a dud? The way you wrote about made it seem like it might be funny. A man-child getting beaten up by dwarves?
Sign me up!

Straight to the Point sounds cool and so does Sweet Mud. Anything that wins a prize @ Sundance must have some merit.

re: Drained

I saw 5 films at the 24th VIFF that I just couldn't summon the strength to review.

One was because it was so amateur and trite despite being a serious effort at tension and taut, nail-biting suspense (Cavite).

One was because I just didn't know how to put into words what I felt (40 Shades of Blue), one was because I lost my notes (a shame, because I really wanted to say something about it: [BL'Enfer/ HELL[/B]), and two because I just wanted to keep the memories of the films to myself, like a selfish cinephile: Water & Otto Preminger's Bonjour Tristesse, which was one of the best screenings I ever attended. The cinemascope, the old-style of Preminger, David Niven, it was a glorious big-screen treat.

Originally posted by Johann
Cocalero sounds very interesting.
Congratulations to Evo for getting elected!
He hates the US as much as Chavez, but he has very good reasons to feel that way. Evo is an extremely likable guy, not an ounce of arrogance or self-importance in him.

Having met Gary Burns (I even did security on his sets for A Problem With Fear- I love Emily Hampshire's performance in that. Pls check it out) I know exactly what he's driving at with Radiant City.
Radiant has an unspeakable twist at the very end. A Problem with Fear is not available on dvd. Will check out if Sundance or IFC channels show it.

Satanas sounds really good.
Satanas was a world premiere so the fact that it doesn't have distribution now doesn't mean it won't in the future. Damian Alcazar is a fabulous actor. I met him briefly and congratulated him just prior to the screening of More Than Anything in the World. Film has obvious commercial appeal.

Alatriste sounds intriguing.
I dig Viggo.
I dig Viggo too, but the film is a mixed bag.

Septembers also sounds good- criminal karaoke? I'm all there!
If I have to do prison time, Spain would not be a bad place.

Fiction. One of the best at the fest?
I'll take your word for it.
A quiet, sensitive drama that blew me away.

You guys talk of M. Recha's August Days with reverence. Sublime? Visual extravaganza? Sounds gravy to me.
I kept notes.
Me too. I hope to have a chance to see it without having to import the dvd from Spain ($$$).

I really wanna se Margarethe von Trotta's latest. That sounds right up my alley.
Euro trash, but really good Euro trash.

Same with Verhoeven's Black Book.
Will "play wider" than your average foreign-language film because it's hugely entertaining and engrossing.

The Oscar-nominated After the Wedding has got my interest too.
Danes are not afraid of strong emotions. Blier is a little like Bergman.

Full Grown Men sounds warped.
You say a dud? The way you wrote about made it seem like it might be funny. A man-child getting beaten up by dwarves?
Sign me up!
Only if you bring some strong weed :)

Straight to the Point sounds cool and so does Sweet Mud. Anything that wins a prize @ Sundance must have some merit.
The Brazilian film is very authentic and I love samba. The Israeli film won an audience award here (I'll post the award round-up soon).

re: Drained
I saw 5 films at the 24th VIFF that I just couldn't summon the strength to review.
This post of yours came at the perfect time (thanx) to give me breather from writing (I left the toughest review for last, but it's almost done).

One was because it was so amateur and trite despite being a serious effort at tension and taut, nail-biting suspense (Cavite).
Curious mostly because of the setting. Available on dvd.

One was because I just didn't know how to put into words what I felt (40 Shades of Blue)
I didn't feel strongly about it either way.

one was because I lost my notes (a shame, because I really wanted to say something about it: (L'Enfer/ HELL)
CK reviewed it. I put it on my wish list and the damn thing never came out. Apparently its out on dvd in Hong Kong, which means I can afford it. Will look into it.

Otto Preminger's Bonjour Tristesse, which was one of the best screenings I ever attended. The cinemascope, the old-style of Preminger, David Niven, it was a glorious big-screen treat.
You probably know Jean Seberg's character in Breathless is an extension of the restless teen she plays in Bonjour. I love Preminger! Everybody knows Laura and Anatomy of a Murder. Just as great and recently released on dvd: Angel Face with Gene Tierney and his last great movie: Bunny Lake is Missing also, like Bonjour[/i], in gorgeous CinemaScope format.

Problem with Fear is not available on DVD?
Hmm. They seem to be everywhere up here.

Strong weed is not an issue.
Let me just dig into my bag here...
Whoa!
Yep, that is some strong herbage pardner...


Yeah man, take a breather.
Aren't your nalgas sore?
Aren't your posaderas a little numb?
Oh yeah, the festival was over a while ago...

:)

yeah, Bonjour Tristesse was beautiful.
Felt like a vacation watching that movie.

The scenery, Seberg's sexiness, preminger's assured hand...wonderful to see it on the big screen. I said to myself that I was keeping that memory private. (not so private now...)

Cavite was one I didn't mean to miss but you are making me think it's not worth renting.

I did review Forty Shades of Blue when it was shown in September 2005 at Film Forum. I found it had some indie-viduality and said it

Quote:

---

has an unforgettable character at its center. But there is something static about her and the film at some times that makes it awkward and painful to watch.

---

After the Wedding is coming to a Landmark theater in Berkeley soon and I certainly will be interested to see it.

I also appreciated Johann's notes and comments highlighting some of your Miami reviews, Oscar, and I'm sorry I've kept less effective track of your Miami festival screenings, though I have read your reviews. I hope you'll have a brief Best Of listing at the end.

A wide range of people at Lincoln Center press screenings recently spoke with awe of Hell/L'enfer yet it seemed to me too much like a Kieslowski knock-off. The director also personally didn't impress me. He didn't strike me as very sincere. I didn't think he meant it. I feel Kieslowski emphatically does; he has a high moral seriousness that is impressive, along with his artistic command.

Sagan's Bonjour Tristesse -- the book -- seemed like a clever and elegant little piece of fluff when it was a bestseller back in the day; good for a beginning French student but nothing to linger over. I hence avoided seeing the Hollywood film version, and I preferred more hardcore French stuff with Seberg in it, namely of course, Breathless/À bout de souffle (1960). But a guy named Fred Camper in Chicago Reader rates Preminger's BT as a Masterpiece. I can't comment, except to say maybe they ought to retire that word, and that it's not my type of film, too mainstream Hollywood, making a big production out of a very economical little book, and having people who're French speaking English -- no thanks -- and has anybody noticed Seberg couldn't act? But I haven't seen it; that's just my prejudgment based on who I am and where I came from.

The San Francisco festival press screenings begin next week.