“Lyrical” is often used to describe poet-turned-filmmaker Raven Jackson’s first feature film, “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt.” Inspired by Terence Malick and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s collaboration on “Tree of Life,” Jackson and cinematographer Jomo Fray wanted to make a film that had a unified aesthetic that came through process and principles rather than rehearsal and refining of the camera work.
“Jomo and I started off talking about the emotionality of the film before we were thinking visually,” Jackson told IndieWire. “What feelings we were aiming to evoke with the images. And eventually Jomo had a suggestion to do a manifesto.”
Before shooting every day of production on the decades-spanning exploration of a woman’s life in the South, Jackson and Fray read aloud their 12-point manifesto. Although the collaborators had a shot list and a visual language for the film, the manifesto served as a way of...
“Jomo and I started off talking about the emotionality of the film before we were thinking visually,” Jackson told IndieWire. “What feelings we were aiming to evoke with the images. And eventually Jomo had a suggestion to do a manifesto.”
Before shooting every day of production on the decades-spanning exploration of a woman’s life in the South, Jackson and Fray read aloud their 12-point manifesto. Although the collaborators had a shot list and a visual language for the film, the manifesto served as a way of...
- 11/9/2023
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
“Moneyboys,” the China-set first feature from up-and-coming helmer C.B. Yi, dropped its first trailer Wednesday. It will play at Cannes as an official selection in the Un Certain Regard section. (Watch the exclusive trailer above.)
Chinese-Austrian director, screenwriter and producer C.B. Yi immigrated to Austria at age 13 and went on to study at the Vienna Film Academy under the guidance of Michael Haneke and Christian Berger.
“Moneyboys” depicts the culture clash between China’s urban metropolises and rural villages as seen through the eyes of a young hustler named Fei. He finds works in the city as a moneyboy, but is devastated when he realizes that his family accepts his money but not his homosexuality, leading him to struggle to build up a new life.
“Moneyboys may deal with a very specific situation — the migration of a young man from rural China — but for me it is a...
Chinese-Austrian director, screenwriter and producer C.B. Yi immigrated to Austria at age 13 and went on to study at the Vienna Film Academy under the guidance of Michael Haneke and Christian Berger.
“Moneyboys” depicts the culture clash between China’s urban metropolises and rural villages as seen through the eyes of a young hustler named Fei. He finds works in the city as a moneyboy, but is devastated when he realizes that his family accepts his money but not his homosexuality, leading him to struggle to build up a new life.
“Moneyboys may deal with a very specific situation — the migration of a young man from rural China — but for me it is a...
- 6/23/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Official Oscar® Submission for Best Foreign Language Film from Austria: ‘Happy Ending’ by Michael Haneke“All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind.”The Laurent Family in ‘Happy Ending’A snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family.
What is Michael Haneke’s vision in this film? We have seen his take on the young Adonises in Funny Games, the most devastating picture of modern sociopathology I have ever seen. And his view of the pathological origin of fascism in The White Ribbon, of the political scandal of the police mass murder and civilians turning a blind eye to the plight of Algerians in France in Cache, on sexual pathology run amock in The Piano Teacher.
Happy Ending features the best actors of a generation and of Haneke’s films, Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher), Jean-Louis Trintignant who played the same character in Amour, is now shown from another angle,...
What is Michael Haneke’s vision in this film? We have seen his take on the young Adonises in Funny Games, the most devastating picture of modern sociopathology I have ever seen. And his view of the pathological origin of fascism in The White Ribbon, of the political scandal of the police mass murder and civilians turning a blind eye to the plight of Algerians in France in Cache, on sexual pathology run amock in The Piano Teacher.
Happy Ending features the best actors of a generation and of Haneke’s films, Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher), Jean-Louis Trintignant who played the same character in Amour, is now shown from another angle,...
- 11/11/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Piano Teacher
Blu-ray
Criterion
2001 / 1:85 / Street Date September 26, 2017
Starring Isabelle Huppert, Benoît Magimel, Annie Girardot
Cinematography: Christian Berger
Film Editor: Monika Willi, Nadine Muse
Produced by Veit Heiduschka
Music: Martin Achenbach
Directed by Michael Haneke
Her serene face a fragile mask just waiting to crack along with her sanity, the tortured spinster at the center of The Piano Teacher is a Blanche Dubois for the S&M set.
Her name is Erika Kohut, a brilliant but merciless tutor entrenched in a swank Viennese conservatory where she brings a surgical precision to her teaching (while leaving the anesthesia at home). She’s a harsh mistress, no doubt, but she’s merely assumed the mantle of her mother, a clinging horrorshow who monitors her middle-aged daughter’s every move while provoking nightly brawls that begin in the living room and end in the bedroom; a sick parody of a bad marriage.
Blu-ray
Criterion
2001 / 1:85 / Street Date September 26, 2017
Starring Isabelle Huppert, Benoît Magimel, Annie Girardot
Cinematography: Christian Berger
Film Editor: Monika Willi, Nadine Muse
Produced by Veit Heiduschka
Music: Martin Achenbach
Directed by Michael Haneke
Her serene face a fragile mask just waiting to crack along with her sanity, the tortured spinster at the center of The Piano Teacher is a Blanche Dubois for the S&M set.
Her name is Erika Kohut, a brilliant but merciless tutor entrenched in a swank Viennese conservatory where she brings a surgical precision to her teaching (while leaving the anesthesia at home). She’s a harsh mistress, no doubt, but she’s merely assumed the mantle of her mother, a clinging horrorshow who monitors her middle-aged daughter’s every move while provoking nightly brawls that begin in the living room and end in the bedroom; a sick parody of a bad marriage.
- 9/23/2017
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
‘Happy End’ Review: In This Quasi-Sequel to ‘Amour,’ Michael Haneke is a Master of Bourgeois Despair
Michael Haneke is no stranger to unlikable characters trapped by their despair, but “Happy End” may be his most extreme vision to date. The Austrian director’s followup to “Amour” is a pointed, fatalistic look at festering anger percolating throughout a wealthy European family in which nobody seems capable of feeling good about themselves, each other, or the world in general.
It’s pure Haneke crack: While the structure recalls aspects of his overlapping narratives in “Code Unknown,” it also explicitly references the fragile mortality at the center of “Amour,” while also making that movie look downright sentimental. From the fear of death at the center of “Amour,” Haneke has shifted to people for whom the end can’t arrive soon enough.
In this case, the fragmented drama revolves around the affluent Laurent family, which runs a successful construction business founded by now-senile patriarch George (Jean-Louis Trintignant, tellingly given the...
It’s pure Haneke crack: While the structure recalls aspects of his overlapping narratives in “Code Unknown,” it also explicitly references the fragile mortality at the center of “Amour,” while also making that movie look downright sentimental. From the fear of death at the center of “Amour,” Haneke has shifted to people for whom the end can’t arrive soon enough.
In this case, the fragmented drama revolves around the affluent Laurent family, which runs a successful construction business founded by now-senile patriarch George (Jean-Louis Trintignant, tellingly given the...
- 5/21/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
“A cinematographer is a visual psychiatrist — moving an audience through a movie […] making them think the way you want them to think, painting pictures in the dark,” said the late, great Gordon Willis. As we continue our year-end coverage, one aspect we must highlight is indeed cinematography, among the most vital to the medium. From talented newcomers to seasoned professionals, we’ve rounded up the 22 examples that have most impressed us this year. Check out our rundown below and, in the comments, let us know your favorite work.
Amour Fou (Martin Gschlacht)
As if Dreyer had been sprung into the 21st century, Amour Fou stands with feet in formally classical and aesthetically modern doors — as rigid in composition as it is lucid in palette. Writer-director Jessica Hausner and cinematographer Martin Gschlacht have created a world in which it seems nothing will escape, making those moments of visual discord — an object...
Amour Fou (Martin Gschlacht)
As if Dreyer had been sprung into the 21st century, Amour Fou stands with feet in formally classical and aesthetically modern doors — as rigid in composition as it is lucid in palette. Writer-director Jessica Hausner and cinematographer Martin Gschlacht have created a world in which it seems nothing will escape, making those moments of visual discord — an object...
- 12/29/2015
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Damaged by a personal tragedy and bludgeoned by 10 years of marriage, a blocked, alcoholic writer and his former dancer wife wallow in ennui at a remote seaside hotel in France circa 1970. It’s relatively heavy fare for movie stars the wattage of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-Pitt, who also wrote and directed. But for By the Sea’s cinematographer Christian Berger, it’s practically a lighthearted romp compared to the subject matter of his many collaborations with director Michael Haneke, including Benny’s Video, Cache, and Berger’s Oscar-nominated work on The White Ribbon. There are certain perks that come with the Pitts’ […]...
- 12/2/2015
- by Matt Mulcahey
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Damaged by a personal tragedy and bludgeoned by 10 years of marriage, a blocked, alcoholic writer and his former dancer wife wallow in ennui at a remote seaside hotel in France circa 1970. It’s relatively heavy fare for movie stars the wattage of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-Pitt, who also wrote and directed. But for By the Sea’s cinematographer Christian Berger, it’s practically a lighthearted romp compared to the subject matter of his many collaborations with director Michael Haneke, including Benny’s Video, Cache, and Berger’s Oscar-nominated work on The White Ribbon. There are certain perks that come with the Pitts’ […]...
- 12/2/2015
- by Matt Mulcahey
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
It’s the nature of the beast: a quiet, left-of-center project that a famous woman writes, directs, and leads alongside her also-famous husband is labeled a “vanity project” and disposed of by know-nothing entertainment journalists before it has any fighting chance of making an impression. This is the fate that’s been assigned By the Sea, Angelina Jolie Pitt‘s third feature as a director, her first as a screenwriter, and a work that’s deeply fascinating because of who is making it.
Also responsible for its creation is Christian Berger, a cinematographer best-known for his multiple collaborations with Michael Haneke. By the Sea shows off a different set of skills, however, being a far warmer and intimate work, though voyeurism, a favorite focus of the Austrian director’s, becomes a major part of its fabric. (While using it rather excellently, I should add.) When the film came to Poland’s Camerimage International Film Festival,...
Also responsible for its creation is Christian Berger, a cinematographer best-known for his multiple collaborations with Michael Haneke. By the Sea shows off a different set of skills, however, being a far warmer and intimate work, though voyeurism, a favorite focus of the Austrian director’s, becomes a major part of its fabric. (While using it rather excellently, I should add.) When the film came to Poland’s Camerimage International Film Festival,...
- 11/23/2015
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Having had a long career of making good films look great and making bad films look good, Matthew Libatique is one of the best living judges of cinematography. It thus makes sense that the world’s foremost cinematography-oriented festival, Camerimage, would turn him into a recurring figure on their Main Competition jury. While attending the festival, we both sat down for a brief, albeit revealing talk, one mostly centered on his mindset as an influential voice in this specific world — as well as the insecurities that come with the position — and the bonds shared by fellow cinematographers.
You’re on the Main Competition jury. How many times have you done this?
This is my third year here. It’s my second time participating as a juror. The first time I came, Darren [Aronfsky] and I got the Duo Award, which was an honor, but it took me years, actually, to come here.
You’re on the Main Competition jury. How many times have you done this?
This is my third year here. It’s my second time participating as a juror. The first time I came, Darren [Aronfsky] and I got the Duo Award, which was an honor, but it took me years, actually, to come here.
- 11/19/2015
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The strained marriage of an artistic couple is at the heart of By the Sea, the new directorial effort from Angelina Jolie Pitt. She and husband Brad Pitt star as the unhappy pair and while most will be quick to prejudge and deem this a vanity project the movie while not perfect is much deeper than its superficial exterior. By the Sea is a deliberate departure for the Hollywood power couple, the kind of movie that was commonplace in the 70s but can only be made now with the influence of these two megastars. Everything from the immaculate cinematography by Christian Berger (The White Ribbon) to the lush score by legendary composer Gabriel Yared (The Talented Mr. Ripley) evokes a forgotten era of filmmaking. An era Jolie Pitt is obviously very familiar with and despite a few bumps in the road manages to create in her own unique style. Roland...
- 11/14/2015
- by Marco Cerritos
- firstshowing.net
There aren’t many power couples in Hollywood anymore, but Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are certainly one of them. They haven’t worked on the same project together since Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but tomorrow they co-star in By the Sea, which Jolie also wrote and directed. I wrote briefly about this one last week, and honestly the film itself isn’t anything special, but it is an excuse to talk about some of their work, so in that regard, I’m glad it’s coming out. Both have Academy Awards to their credit and both are among the biggest A-listers we have, so there should be plenty to discuss… In case you’re not aware what By the Sea is, here’s a short refresher. The film is a 1970’s set look at a married couple unraveling/trying to save their union while vacationing in a small seaside town after an untold tragedy.
- 11/12/2015
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
When I was in my mid-to-late teens and movie crazy, there was a period where I fell in love with European art films and convinced myself that I needed to move to France so I could smoke and think constantly about death and have a beautiful detached girlfriend who would join me as we robbed banks, drank coffee, and spoke in magnificent ellipses. Looking at the sun-drenched coasts of France and Italy and Spain, I ached to someday go to those places so I could stand around and be morose and hopefully look half as good as those people did while doing so. My guess is that many audiences will attend "By The Sea" hoping to learn something about the real relationship between the uber-famous husband and wife who star in the movie, but that's a sucker's game. This isn't a documentary, and they're not playing themselves. Instead, "By The Sea...
- 11/11/2015
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
After a decade of professional separation post Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Brad and Angelina Jolie Pitt have reunited on the big screen in By The Sea – Jolie Pitt’s directorial followup to last year’s Unbroken. Both written and directed by the once tomb-raiding vixen, her latest is no happy-go-lucky romance brought upon by marital bliss, nor is it the heartfelt vanity project initially teased.
Despite cinematographer Christian Berger’s ability to capture the stunning couple in all their 70s vacationing radiance, By The Sea ends up being a vapid, empty self-indulgence that seems to drag on for an eternity full of bleak, uneventful nothingness. Think a darker Richard Linklater clone, yet with none of the genuine charisma worth a sloth-like 132 minutes. I’d suggest drinking along with Brad’s character for the best results while watching, because you’ll most likely black out before an obvious ending (fit for...
Despite cinematographer Christian Berger’s ability to capture the stunning couple in all their 70s vacationing radiance, By The Sea ends up being a vapid, empty self-indulgence that seems to drag on for an eternity full of bleak, uneventful nothingness. Think a darker Richard Linklater clone, yet with none of the genuine charisma worth a sloth-like 132 minutes. I’d suggest drinking along with Brad’s character for the best results while watching, because you’ll most likely black out before an obvious ending (fit for...
- 11/11/2015
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
The Sterile Cuckoo: Jolie’s Handsome Relationship Drama is Long in Tooth
Moving on from last year’s suffocatingly honorable Pow reenactment drama Unbroken, Angelina Jolie returns with her third and most simplistic narrative to date with By the Sea. A small scale passion project which finds the director acting alongside her real-life husband and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) co-star Brad Pitt, Jolie proves, once again, she has great curatorial tastes as far as who she assembles both in front of and behind the camera.
Though this familiar scenario (Jolie’s first screenplay) is enhanced majestically by the public’s fascination with the celebrity couple, one gets the sense Jolie, inspired by a tradition of late 60s to 70s European influenced cinema examining dark nights of the soul, is a master of dissection and exhibition rather than homage. Sometimes visually stunning to behold, the film more often feels like an animated corpse,...
Moving on from last year’s suffocatingly honorable Pow reenactment drama Unbroken, Angelina Jolie returns with her third and most simplistic narrative to date with By the Sea. A small scale passion project which finds the director acting alongside her real-life husband and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) co-star Brad Pitt, Jolie proves, once again, she has great curatorial tastes as far as who she assembles both in front of and behind the camera.
Though this familiar scenario (Jolie’s first screenplay) is enhanced majestically by the public’s fascination with the celebrity couple, one gets the sense Jolie, inspired by a tradition of late 60s to 70s European influenced cinema examining dark nights of the soul, is a master of dissection and exhibition rather than homage. Sometimes visually stunning to behold, the film more often feels like an animated corpse,...
- 11/11/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
They are arguably the most fascinating and biggest male and female stars on the planet now, and the new marital drama By The Sea pairs Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt for the first time in a decade (since Mr. & Mrs. Smith). It also marks the first film to bring them together professionally, and, as it turns out, personally (the pair have also produced this film). Throw in an exotic Mediterranean location in Malta, gorgeous cinematography (by Christian Berger…...
- 11/9/2015
- Deadline
Last night, the very first look at Angelina Jolie’s passion project of sorts By the Sea was given to folks at AFI Fest. As one of the last titles to have not shown itself to basically anyone (along with The Hateful Eight, Joy, and The Revenant), it’s been an X factor for basically all of 2015. Now that it has been seen by some, it’s a perfect time to take a look at if the Academy will be considering this one at all. Initially reviews have been mixed at best, so that’s not an immediately positive sign, but it does have a lot of ingredients that could still appeal to Oscar. With it hitting theaters next week, now’s the perfect time to discuss just that… The film is a 1970’s set look at a married couple unraveling/trying to save their union while vacationing in a small seaside town.
- 11/6/2015
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
A sad married couple played by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt take an escapist Mediterranean holiday in "By the Sea," writer-director Jolie Pitt's elegantly slow-paced marital drama with grief at its heart and a peephole for diversion. It's a good thing Jolie and Pitt are so much fun to watch (smoking cigs and speaking French), and their Malta setting so gorgeous (shot by Christian Berger with natural light), because there's not much going on. It's the 70s (picked by Jolie for its lack of distractions) and this duo is bored. Roland is a bestselling novelist with writer's block who shoves a notebook in his pants and drinks with the local pub owner (always charming Niels Arestrup), while Vanessa pops pills and wanders like a depressed Monica Vitti by the rocky sea, wearing flowing white dresses and hiding her crying eyes under drooping hats and jumbo-sized Sophia Loren shades. (Ellen Mirojnick is the costume designer.
- 11/6/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
By The Sea – written, directed, produced by and starring Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie Pitt and also starring and produced by Academy Award winner Brad Pitt – will be the Opening Night Gala of AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi on Thursday, November 5.
On Friday, Universal Pictures released a brand new trailer for the upcoming film.
By The Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives. In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By The Sea is inspired by European cinema and theater of the 1960s and 1970s.
On Friday, Universal Pictures released a brand new trailer for the upcoming film.
By The Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives. In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By The Sea is inspired by European cinema and theater of the 1960s and 1970s.
- 10/30/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
One of the more curious projects that has yet to screen this year is Angelina Jolie Pitt’s follow-up to Unbroken, the intimate drama By the Sea. Co-starring alongside her husband, Brad Pitt, Jolie also scripted the feature, which follows them as a couple on a getaway in 1970’s France. The story specifically finds Jolie as Vanessa, a former dancer and Pitt as Roland, a writer, both entangled in a crumbling marriage as they find rejuvenation after coming across a quiet, seaside village. Today now brings a promising new trailer for the film set to debut at AFI Fest soon.
“I wanted to suggest and guide and give hints to the audience but not bore them or reveal all before the film itself. I like trailers that don’t explain the whole film; that tell you exactly what to expect,” Angelina Jolie Pitt tells EW. “It isn’t my intention...
“I wanted to suggest and guide and give hints to the audience but not bore them or reveal all before the film itself. I like trailers that don’t explain the whole film; that tell you exactly what to expect,” Angelina Jolie Pitt tells EW. “It isn’t my intention...
- 10/30/2015
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that the World Premiere of Universal Pictures’ By The Sea – written, directed, produced by and starring Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie Pitt and also starring and produced by Academy Award winner Brad Pitt – will be the Opening Night Gala of AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi on Thursday, November 5, at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
The film features an international cast that includes Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer.
By The Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives.
The film features an international cast that includes Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer.
By The Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives.
- 8/28/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Written, directed and produced by Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie Pitt, By the Sea serves as her directorial follow-up to Unbroken. The dramatic film stars Brad Pitt and Jolie Pitt, who are supported by an international ensemble led by Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup, and Richard Bohringer.
In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is inspired by European cinema and theater of the 1960s and 1970s. Jolie Pitt is joined behind the scenes by a key crew that includes cinematographer Christian Berger (The White Ribbon), who used his Cine Reflect Lighting System to shoot the film; production designer Jon Hutman (Unbroken); editor Patricia Rommel (The Lives of Others); and costume designer Ellen Mirojnick (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps). Pitt joins her in production duties, while Chris Brigham (Inception), Holly Goline-Sadowski (Unbroken) and Michael Vieira (Unbroken) serve as executive producers.
While Unbroken...
In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is inspired by European cinema and theater of the 1960s and 1970s. Jolie Pitt is joined behind the scenes by a key crew that includes cinematographer Christian Berger (The White Ribbon), who used his Cine Reflect Lighting System to shoot the film; production designer Jon Hutman (Unbroken); editor Patricia Rommel (The Lives of Others); and costume designer Ellen Mirojnick (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps). Pitt joins her in production duties, while Chris Brigham (Inception), Holly Goline-Sadowski (Unbroken) and Michael Vieira (Unbroken) serve as executive producers.
While Unbroken...
- 8/12/2015
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
Written, directed and produced by Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie Pitt, By the Sea serves as her directorial follow-up to Universal Pictures’ epic Unbroken. The dramatic film stars Brad Pitt and Jolie Pitt, who are supported by an international ensemble led by Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer. By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives. In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is inspired by European cinema and theater of the ’60s and ’70s. Jolie Pitt...
- 8/7/2015
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Here’s a first look at the new trailer for By The Sea from actress/director Angelina Jolie Pitt.
Read the in-depth article over on People where Jolie said about working again with husband Brad Pitt, “It was hardest [when] I was directing our fight scenes. I understand and appreciate his creative process and his work ethic even more than before.”
By The Sea opens in theaters November 13.
Written, directed and produced by Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie Pitt, By The Sea serves as her directorial follow-up to Universal Pictures’ epic Unbroken. The dramatic film stars Brad Pitt and Jolie Pitt, who are supported by an international ensemble led by Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer.
By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis.
Read the in-depth article over on People where Jolie said about working again with husband Brad Pitt, “It was hardest [when] I was directing our fight scenes. I understand and appreciate his creative process and his work ethic even more than before.”
By The Sea opens in theaters November 13.
Written, directed and produced by Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie Pitt, By The Sea serves as her directorial follow-up to Universal Pictures’ epic Unbroken. The dramatic film stars Brad Pitt and Jolie Pitt, who are supported by an international ensemble led by Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer.
By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis.
- 8/6/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Husband and wife team Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who first worked together on Doug Liman's smash spy thriller "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," are back together on-screen in the relationship drama "By the Sea," which Universal Pictures has slated for awards-friendly release on November 13, 2015. The trailer lives up to Jolie's promise of a film inspired by the European cinema and theater of the '60s and '70s. It's shot by "The White Ribbon" cinematographer Christian Berger, who used his Cine Reflect Lighting System to shoot the film. Jolie stars in the film opposite Pitt, who plays American writer Roland, who arrives at a 70s French seaside resort with his wife (Jolie Pitt) to work on their marriage. They spend time with fellow guests, including young newlyweds Lea (Mélanie Laurent) and François (Melvil Poupaud), as well as village locals Michel (Niels Arestrup) and Patrice (Richard Bohringer). Read More: Angelina.
- 8/6/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Universal has announced they'll release Angelina Jolie's next movie, By the Sea, to theaters on Nov. 13, pitting it opposite Warner Bros' Chilean miners story The 33, Paramount's Rings and the Bill Murray-led Rock the Kasbah. The announcement also comes with some additional story details and creative information. Jolie directs and wrote the low budget feature, which is said to be inspired by European cinema and theater of the 1960s and '70s. "This is a story about a relationship derailed by loss, the tenacity of love and the path to recovery and acceptance," Jolie said in a statement. "It has been a privilege to explore these universal human experiences with such a generous and talented cast and crew." Jolie stars alongside husband Brad Pitt in the intimate, character-driven drama centering on an American writer Roland (Pitt) and his wife Vanessa (Jolie), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France,...
- 5/8/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Production outfit Amour Fou is in development on two projects - including a “feminist vampire” film - with Nobel prize winning Austrian writer Elfriede Jelinek.
The Vienna and Luxembourg-based firm, co-founded by Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu and Bady Minck, are currently at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) (Jan 21-Feb 1) for the world premiere of its new film, Dreams Rewired narrated by Tilda Swinton.
Speaking in Rotterdam, the producers revealed that the first project in development with Jelinek is La Belle Dormeuse (The Beautiful Woman Sleeping), to be directed by Ulrike Ottinger. It is described by the producers as “a modern feminist vampire story”.
The second is Die Liebhaberinnen (Women As Lovers), which is adapted from Jelinek’s 1975 novel of the same name and will be directed by newcomer Caroline Kox.
Amour Fou is already producing a short film by Kox, titled Casting A Woman.
The Jelinek projects are likely to shoot in 2016.
Ambitious projects
In the meantime, the company...
The Vienna and Luxembourg-based firm, co-founded by Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu and Bady Minck, are currently at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) (Jan 21-Feb 1) for the world premiere of its new film, Dreams Rewired narrated by Tilda Swinton.
Speaking in Rotterdam, the producers revealed that the first project in development with Jelinek is La Belle Dormeuse (The Beautiful Woman Sleeping), to be directed by Ulrike Ottinger. It is described by the producers as “a modern feminist vampire story”.
The second is Die Liebhaberinnen (Women As Lovers), which is adapted from Jelinek’s 1975 novel of the same name and will be directed by newcomer Caroline Kox.
Amour Fou is already producing a short film by Kox, titled Casting A Woman.
The Jelinek projects are likely to shoot in 2016.
Ambitious projects
In the meantime, the company...
- 1/27/2015
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
Birdman, Fury and Leviathan among main competition titles; Roland Joffé to preside over main jury.
Alejandro G Ińárritu, Yimou Zhang, Mike Leigh and Jean-Marc Vallée are among the directors with films screening in competition at the 22nd Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography.
The main competition at the festival, held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, comprises:
Alejandro G Ińárritu’s Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki
Yimou Zhang’s Coming Home (Gui lai); China, 2014; Cinematographer: Zhao Xiaoding
Richard Raymond’s Desert Dancer; UK, 2014; Cinematographer: Carlos Catalán Alucha
Lech J. Majewski’s Field of Dogs - Onirica (Onirica - Psie pole); Poland, 2014; Cinematographers: Paweł Tybora and Lech J. Majewski
Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body (Obce cialo); Poland, Italy, Russia, 2014; Cinematographer: Piotr Niemyjski
David Ayer’s Fury; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Roman Vasyanov
Tate Taylor’s Get on Up; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Stephen Goldblatt
Łukasz Palkowski’s Gods (Bogowie); Poland, 2014; Cinematographer:...
Alejandro G Ińárritu, Yimou Zhang, Mike Leigh and Jean-Marc Vallée are among the directors with films screening in competition at the 22nd Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography.
The main competition at the festival, held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, comprises:
Alejandro G Ińárritu’s Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki
Yimou Zhang’s Coming Home (Gui lai); China, 2014; Cinematographer: Zhao Xiaoding
Richard Raymond’s Desert Dancer; UK, 2014; Cinematographer: Carlos Catalán Alucha
Lech J. Majewski’s Field of Dogs - Onirica (Onirica - Psie pole); Poland, 2014; Cinematographers: Paweł Tybora and Lech J. Majewski
Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body (Obce cialo); Poland, Italy, Russia, 2014; Cinematographer: Piotr Niemyjski
David Ayer’s Fury; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Roman Vasyanov
Tate Taylor’s Get on Up; USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Stephen Goldblatt
Łukasz Palkowski’s Gods (Bogowie); Poland, 2014; Cinematographer:...
- 10/31/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Polish film festival sets competition juries; Roland Joffe to preside over main competition.
Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, has set an impressive roster of jurors for its various competition categories.
The Killing Fields director Roland Joffe will preside over the main competition jury, which incldues cinematographers Christian Berger and Manuel Alberto Claro.
Caleb Deschanel has been appointed president of the Polish Films Competition.
The full list of jurors is below.
Main Competition
Roland Joffé – Jury President (director, producer; The Killing Fields, The Mission, Vatel)
Christian Berger (cinematographer; The Piano Teacher, Hidden, The White Ribbon)
Ryszard Bugajski (director, screenwriter; Interrogation, General Nil, The Closed Circuit)
Ryszard Horowitz (photographer)
David Gropman (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Life of Pi)
Arthur Reinhart (cinematographer, producer; Crows, Tristan + Isolde, Venice)
Oliver Stapleton (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Pay It Forward, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark)
Manuel Alberto Claro (cinematographer; Reconstruction, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac...
Camerimage (Nov 15-22), the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, has set an impressive roster of jurors for its various competition categories.
The Killing Fields director Roland Joffe will preside over the main competition jury, which incldues cinematographers Christian Berger and Manuel Alberto Claro.
Caleb Deschanel has been appointed president of the Polish Films Competition.
The full list of jurors is below.
Main Competition
Roland Joffé – Jury President (director, producer; The Killing Fields, The Mission, Vatel)
Christian Berger (cinematographer; The Piano Teacher, Hidden, The White Ribbon)
Ryszard Bugajski (director, screenwriter; Interrogation, General Nil, The Closed Circuit)
Ryszard Horowitz (photographer)
David Gropman (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Life of Pi)
Arthur Reinhart (cinematographer, producer; Crows, Tristan + Isolde, Venice)
Oliver Stapleton (cinematographer; The Cider House Rules, Pay It Forward, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark)
Manuel Alberto Claro (cinematographer; Reconstruction, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac...
- 10/31/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
This week’s big studio release, The Good Lie, gives us a look at a current conflict or war starting from the viewpoint of children (and following them as adults in the Us). For this new foreign film we journey back several decades to see a war, World War II to be precise, through the eyes of children over in Europe, much as in 2008′s Winter In Wartime. While that was through the viewpoint of one pre-teen boy, this new film concerns two pre-teen boys, twins who share an intense unspoken bond. Hopefully movie goers will not be confused by the English translation of the title, for this has very little in common with the tear-jerker from ten years ago, although this one is pretty darn sad. Its original title is Le Grand Cahier, Hungarian for The Notebook.
As the film begins we meet the twins (Lazlo and Andras Gyemant) on a very happy day.
As the film begins we meet the twins (Lazlo and Andras Gyemant) on a very happy day.
- 10/3/2014
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Angelina Jolie’s latest directorial effort, By The Sea, entered production last week and Entertainment Weekly have served up a batch of photos from the set along with the first plot details.
Set during the 1970s in France, the film stars Jolie as Vanessa, a former dancer who has grown distant with her long-term husband Roland (Brad Pitt). After travelling the country together, though, the pair grow attached to the residents of a quaint seaside town that subsequently make them look at their own relationship from a different perspective.
In a statement provided to EW, the actress-cum-director spoke of her fondness for the 1970s, and how the era and its liberating context is integral to the story of By The Sea.
“I chose to set By the Sea in the 1970s, not only because it is a colourful and alluring era, but because it removes many of the distractions of...
Set during the 1970s in France, the film stars Jolie as Vanessa, a former dancer who has grown distant with her long-term husband Roland (Brad Pitt). After travelling the country together, though, the pair grow attached to the residents of a quaint seaside town that subsequently make them look at their own relationship from a different perspective.
In a statement provided to EW, the actress-cum-director spoke of her fondness for the 1970s, and how the era and its liberating context is integral to the story of By The Sea.
“I chose to set By the Sea in the 1970s, not only because it is a colourful and alluring era, but because it removes many of the distractions of...
- 9/15/2014
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
“But no man moved me till the tide / Went past my simple shoe /And past my apron and my belt / And past my bodice too / And made as he would eat me up / As wholly as a dew…”
Whether or not this poem by Emily Dickinson, published under the title By the Sea, served as inspiration for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s new film of the same name, the spirit seems to match up with its story of a woman caught in an undertow of passion and rejuvenation while visiting a seaside village with her husband.
By the Sea...
Whether or not this poem by Emily Dickinson, published under the title By the Sea, served as inspiration for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s new film of the same name, the spirit seems to match up with its story of a woman caught in an undertow of passion and rejuvenation while visiting a seaside village with her husband.
By the Sea...
- 9/15/2014
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
The top stories of the week from Toh! Awards: Emmy Watch: As TV Enters the Future, Its Academy Remains Stuck in the Past First Gurus 'O Gold Pre-Festival Top Fifteen Oscar Contenders Box Office: Arthouse Audit: "Love Is Strange" Spices Up Lagging Specialized Box Office Four Summer 2014 Box Office Takeaways: How Hollywood Lost Its Mojo Strange August Box Office Weekend Boosted by Holdovers, 'Sin City' Bombs, Top Ten Chart Will "Guardians of the Galaxy" Reclaim Top Box Office Slot? Features: 15 Must-See Modern Noirs Ben Kingsley's Tightrope with Mythology, from Attenborough's 'Gandhi' to Upcoming 'Boxtrolls,' 'Exodus,' and 'Jungle Book' Career Watch: Can Eva Green Rise Above Femme Fatale Typecasting? How Christian Berger Shot the Twin Horrors of Hungary's "The Notebook" in CinemaScope Festivals: Oppenheimer's "Look of Silence" & Seidl's "In The Basement" Shock Venice Telluride Lands a...
- 8/30/2014
- by TOH!
- Thompson on Hollywood
Survival and the hardships of war are explored from a very specific and thought-provoking perspective in János Szász’ “The Notebook.” A pair of twins in Hungary during World War II is left to fend for themselves when their parents must move away escaping prosecution. Their hateful grandmother, who is supposed to care for them, forces them to work tirelessly and shows no compassion despite their young age. Progressively, they desensitize themselves by enduring pain, starvation and getting rid of any memories from their past life, including their mother. Szász’ savagely beautiful film delivers bleakness enhance with a touch of fantasy, but always aware of the dark world in which his characters inhabit. Heartbreakingly poetic and visually elegant, “The Notebook,” based on Agota Kristof’s novel Le grand cahier, is one of the most daring European films of the year. The film was Hungary’s Official Oscar Submission last year and it made it to the final 9-film-shortli out of 76 titles submitted.
Szász kindly talked to us from Hungary about the performances in his film, the origin story of the project, and the hint of hope underneath the darkness
Read More: Review "The Notebook" (Le grand cahier)
Carlos Aguilar: Tell me about the origin of the project, where you interested in the novel beforehand?
János Szász: “The Notebook” is a very old story. 15 years ago, the first time I read the book I fell in love with it and I immediately wanted to take the rights, everyone laughed at me for that. Getting the rights was very difficult because they were taken for 15 years, and many directors wanted to make it into a movie. I had made the short “The Witman Boys,” which is also a story about two very young souls, in a way I wanted to make another film in this genre. I was in the queue to get the rights.
Finally, approximately four or five years ago I had the fortune of meeting the author Agota Kristof. Every character in the novel comes from memories of her life. In 1956, during the anti-communist revolution, she got pregnant. She and her family had to leave Hungary. She didn’t want to leave because she loved this country. It was a very dark time in her life, because she didn’t want to be a deserter, as she would say. She died two years before we began to shoot the film. She was a wonderful person. We became very close. She was someone who could not lie. She didn’t want to lie about her life. She didn’t want to lie about how hard it was for her and her brothers. She told me it was very painful to write this book.
Aguilar: Both twins, László Gyémánt and András Gyémánt, deliver marvelous performances. They are unflinching and naturalistic throughout. Was it a difficult task for you to elicit this from the young boys?
János Szász: To tell you the truth, it was really easy [Laughs]. We found these two kids in a very small village in the south of Hungary living in poverty. They had been living a life that was not very pleasant. They lived with their grandmother and they had no money. They, despite being children, had to work everyday. When I visited them I started telling them about the war and how hard life is, etc. They were just laughing at my face. They told me, “Janos, we know exactly how hard life is.” They had their own similar experiences, so what you feel when you see them in the film comes from their past. They were able to base the story on those experiences. For the scenes where they beat each other, we talked to Andras, and it was clear that this sort of thing has happened in their lives.
There were difficulties at times. Imagine two boys from the countryside who suddenly find themselves shooting a film. They have their own van, everybody loves them, but it’s only for 50 days of shooting. Suddenly it stops, and it was hard for them. We couldn’t take them back to where we found them like if they were props. I’m very happy that we still have a very good relationship and to know that they are in a college in Budapest. They have a chance to try to have a better life now. On set, what was difficult was that, even though their presence is strong, they were two amateurs. All the other actors are professionals, and it was hard for them to achieve this kind of simplicity. As a director, my job was to help those actors be simple, not to do much.
Aguilar: The film has a specific visuals aesthetic. It is realist, but also ventures into a sort of dark fairytale. How did you achieve this particular atmosphere?
János Szász: Christian Berger was our cinematographer. He is great. He has worked in films like “The White Ribbon.” First off, this is an adaptation, and I, Janos, as the one adapting, have to think about a lot of things. In the book there are no names for the boys and the voice is always in plural, “we decided” or “we did…” I told Christian that it was very important to find this “We.” Therefore, we chose to shoot the film in cinemascope and to always have these two guys together in every frame.
They are always together, but at the end we notice this erosion in their relationship. I did think of it as a dark fairytale, but it was very hard to make a war movie without showing war. There is abuse and violence, but I think my intention to make a cold fairytale came across. I didn’t want to get too close to things, I wanted visual distance, that’s why I was knocking on Christian’s door. I wanted to find someone who doesn’t want to get too close, someone who doesn’t want to provoke your emotions. He is a master at keeping that distance, while still taking the audience close to the story.
Aguilar: The notebook in the story seems to represent an alternative reality for these two boys. What are your though on the role it plays?
János Szász: The notebook is the only place where they are honest. It is like a priest, like a confessional for these two kids. It is a place for fantasy, that’s why I decided not to use only the words but to bring the notebook to life. It is also a very secretive tunnel into the truth. If you are Catholic, every Sunday you’d go to church and talk to the priest, but in the story the priest is not a person. This fairytale territory represents freedom.
Aguilar: In order to survive the twins desensitize themselves, they try to forget their loved ones to become stronger. Where you ever concerned of how bleak or how dark you could make the film? I think there is a compelling sense of unyielding courage to your approach.
János Szász: I think the novel is much more darker. For me it is not that dark because it is the story about two boys who are taken to live with their unknown grandmother. The mother tells them they must continue learning, but that above all they must survive. These are two good boys, and they listen to their mother. They will continue learning, but the subject has changed, the subject now is the war. They are learning how to survive it. They are gaining skills, but even if they come out physically alive, do they survive the war mentally? They need to be strong, they need to be able not to eat for days, and they need to forget about emotions. To have emotions during the war would be like committing suicide for them. They have a new moral code, which during the war is not so black and white. You can’t really judge their actions towards other people. Even with their grandmother, there is hatred there, but under the skin of that hatred one can see a special type of love. The bleakness is not so black and white.
Aguilar: Despite all the events and situations these two boys must go through, do you think there is a place for hope in their journey?
János Szász: Personally I think there is a lot of hope in the story. They still preserve a certain kind of innocence. They have gone through terrible things, but they had no choice but to do those things. Eventually, they must part and separate, but this represents hope. This is their only hope. One of them goes west, just like the author Agota Kristof, and the other stays in Hungary. This is their hope for a new life. You must know that this based on the first book of a tetralogy. In the second part they return and they reconnect.
"The Notebook" opens today in NYC at the Quad Cinema and in L.A. at the Laemmle Royal in Santa Monica...
Szász kindly talked to us from Hungary about the performances in his film, the origin story of the project, and the hint of hope underneath the darkness
Read More: Review "The Notebook" (Le grand cahier)
Carlos Aguilar: Tell me about the origin of the project, where you interested in the novel beforehand?
János Szász: “The Notebook” is a very old story. 15 years ago, the first time I read the book I fell in love with it and I immediately wanted to take the rights, everyone laughed at me for that. Getting the rights was very difficult because they were taken for 15 years, and many directors wanted to make it into a movie. I had made the short “The Witman Boys,” which is also a story about two very young souls, in a way I wanted to make another film in this genre. I was in the queue to get the rights.
Finally, approximately four or five years ago I had the fortune of meeting the author Agota Kristof. Every character in the novel comes from memories of her life. In 1956, during the anti-communist revolution, she got pregnant. She and her family had to leave Hungary. She didn’t want to leave because she loved this country. It was a very dark time in her life, because she didn’t want to be a deserter, as she would say. She died two years before we began to shoot the film. She was a wonderful person. We became very close. She was someone who could not lie. She didn’t want to lie about her life. She didn’t want to lie about how hard it was for her and her brothers. She told me it was very painful to write this book.
Aguilar: Both twins, László Gyémánt and András Gyémánt, deliver marvelous performances. They are unflinching and naturalistic throughout. Was it a difficult task for you to elicit this from the young boys?
János Szász: To tell you the truth, it was really easy [Laughs]. We found these two kids in a very small village in the south of Hungary living in poverty. They had been living a life that was not very pleasant. They lived with their grandmother and they had no money. They, despite being children, had to work everyday. When I visited them I started telling them about the war and how hard life is, etc. They were just laughing at my face. They told me, “Janos, we know exactly how hard life is.” They had their own similar experiences, so what you feel when you see them in the film comes from their past. They were able to base the story on those experiences. For the scenes where they beat each other, we talked to Andras, and it was clear that this sort of thing has happened in their lives.
There were difficulties at times. Imagine two boys from the countryside who suddenly find themselves shooting a film. They have their own van, everybody loves them, but it’s only for 50 days of shooting. Suddenly it stops, and it was hard for them. We couldn’t take them back to where we found them like if they were props. I’m very happy that we still have a very good relationship and to know that they are in a college in Budapest. They have a chance to try to have a better life now. On set, what was difficult was that, even though their presence is strong, they were two amateurs. All the other actors are professionals, and it was hard for them to achieve this kind of simplicity. As a director, my job was to help those actors be simple, not to do much.
Aguilar: The film has a specific visuals aesthetic. It is realist, but also ventures into a sort of dark fairytale. How did you achieve this particular atmosphere?
János Szász: Christian Berger was our cinematographer. He is great. He has worked in films like “The White Ribbon.” First off, this is an adaptation, and I, Janos, as the one adapting, have to think about a lot of things. In the book there are no names for the boys and the voice is always in plural, “we decided” or “we did…” I told Christian that it was very important to find this “We.” Therefore, we chose to shoot the film in cinemascope and to always have these two guys together in every frame.
They are always together, but at the end we notice this erosion in their relationship. I did think of it as a dark fairytale, but it was very hard to make a war movie without showing war. There is abuse and violence, but I think my intention to make a cold fairytale came across. I didn’t want to get too close to things, I wanted visual distance, that’s why I was knocking on Christian’s door. I wanted to find someone who doesn’t want to get too close, someone who doesn’t want to provoke your emotions. He is a master at keeping that distance, while still taking the audience close to the story.
Aguilar: The notebook in the story seems to represent an alternative reality for these two boys. What are your though on the role it plays?
János Szász: The notebook is the only place where they are honest. It is like a priest, like a confessional for these two kids. It is a place for fantasy, that’s why I decided not to use only the words but to bring the notebook to life. It is also a very secretive tunnel into the truth. If you are Catholic, every Sunday you’d go to church and talk to the priest, but in the story the priest is not a person. This fairytale territory represents freedom.
Aguilar: In order to survive the twins desensitize themselves, they try to forget their loved ones to become stronger. Where you ever concerned of how bleak or how dark you could make the film? I think there is a compelling sense of unyielding courage to your approach.
János Szász: I think the novel is much more darker. For me it is not that dark because it is the story about two boys who are taken to live with their unknown grandmother. The mother tells them they must continue learning, but that above all they must survive. These are two good boys, and they listen to their mother. They will continue learning, but the subject has changed, the subject now is the war. They are learning how to survive it. They are gaining skills, but even if they come out physically alive, do they survive the war mentally? They need to be strong, they need to be able not to eat for days, and they need to forget about emotions. To have emotions during the war would be like committing suicide for them. They have a new moral code, which during the war is not so black and white. You can’t really judge their actions towards other people. Even with their grandmother, there is hatred there, but under the skin of that hatred one can see a special type of love. The bleakness is not so black and white.
Aguilar: Despite all the events and situations these two boys must go through, do you think there is a place for hope in their journey?
János Szász: Personally I think there is a lot of hope in the story. They still preserve a certain kind of innocence. They have gone through terrible things, but they had no choice but to do those things. Eventually, they must part and separate, but this represents hope. This is their only hope. One of them goes west, just like the author Agota Kristof, and the other stays in Hungary. This is their hope for a new life. You must know that this based on the first book of a tetralogy. In the second part they return and they reconnect.
"The Notebook" opens today in NYC at the Quad Cinema and in L.A. at the Laemmle Royal in Santa Monica...
- 8/29/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Janos Szasz's "The Notebook," last year's foreign Oscar film entry from Hungary, explores the dark side of inseparability among innocent yet cruel twin boys. And Dp Christian Berger ("The White Ribbon"), who is now busy prepping Angelina Jolie's next directorial effort, "By the Sea," which will co-star the newly married Jolie and Brad Pitt, was immediately drawn to the brutal topic. "I was right away fascinated by the novel from Agota Christof and her stringent and radical story about the eternal fight between barbarism and civilization, and how thin the skin is," recalls the Austrian Berger, who is accustomed to dealing with this eternal fight through his longtime collaboration with director Michael Haneke. "Janos wanted to change his style of filming with that project and I think that was one of his reason's to ask me for that collaboration. And it was a collaboration in the best way. How...
- 8/29/2014
- by Bill Desowitz
- Thompson on Hollywood
Behind Every Great War Is a Great Story: Szasz’s Captivating, Grotesque Portrait of Life During Wartime
World War II takes on the ambience of an exquisitely grim fairy tale in Hungarian filmmaker Janos Szasz’s The Notebook, based on the famed novel by Agota Kristof. Reuniting the director with Danish star Ulrich Thomsen, who starred in Szasz’s last film, Opium: Diary of a Madwoman (2007), it’s a strikingly photographed, pervasively bewitching account of adolescent twin boys and their development into (mostly) apathetic killing machines due to the inhumane conditions of wartime. Winning the top prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in 2013, the infrequently working Szasz (also a veteran stage director) is a name ripe for rediscovery, heretofore best known for his 1994 film, Woyzeck (the stage play that would also provide the basis for Herzog’s 1979 version).
Nearing the end of WWII, a privileged father (Ulrich Matthes) decides...
World War II takes on the ambience of an exquisitely grim fairy tale in Hungarian filmmaker Janos Szasz’s The Notebook, based on the famed novel by Agota Kristof. Reuniting the director with Danish star Ulrich Thomsen, who starred in Szasz’s last film, Opium: Diary of a Madwoman (2007), it’s a strikingly photographed, pervasively bewitching account of adolescent twin boys and their development into (mostly) apathetic killing machines due to the inhumane conditions of wartime. Winning the top prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in 2013, the infrequently working Szasz (also a veteran stage director) is a name ripe for rediscovery, heretofore best known for his 1994 film, Woyzeck (the stage play that would also provide the basis for Herzog’s 1979 version).
Nearing the end of WWII, a privileged father (Ulrich Matthes) decides...
- 8/28/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
As expected, frequent foreign Oscar distributor Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the North American rights to World War II drama "The Notebook," the shortlisted Hungarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. The film is directed by Janos Szasz ("Woyzech") and shot by Christian Berger (nominated for Michael Haneke's "White Ribbon"). "To make this movie was a wonderful and a painful journey for me, like a time machine, took me back into the war time," said Director Janos Szasz. "The jungle of fear and immorality." The official synopsis is below. Set on the onset of WWII, The Notebook, which stars Ulrich Thomsen (The Celebration) and Ulrich Matthes (Downfall), tells the story of thirteen year old twins abandoned by their parents and forced to live with their cruel grandmother in a village on the Hungarian border. Studying the evil surrounding them, the twins learn to rely on their loyalty to one another,...
- 1/3/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired the North American rights to The Notebook , the Hungarian entry for Best Foreign Language Film. The film is directed by Janos Szasz ( Woyzech , The Witman Boys ), shot by Academy Award nominated Christian Berger ( White Ribbon , Cache ) and is produced by Intuit Pictures, in co-production with Hunnia Filmstudio, Amour Fou and Dolce Vita Films. "To make this movie was a wonderful and a painful journey for me, like a time machine, took me back into the war time. The jungle of fear and immorality," said Szasz. Sony Pictures Classics stated, "We have wanted to buy this film following its successful showings at the Toronto Film Festival. We have never really seen a movie quite like this. Based on...
- 1/2/2014
- Comingsoon.net
The Notebook, Hungary''s Submission for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. U.S. : None Yet. International Sales Agent: Beta Cinema
Survival is defined as the ability to remain alive and persevere through all the obstacles that can halt one’ existence. It could be said that most of the endeavors an individual undertakes are solely to prolong life. During wartime, this task becomes exponentially more difficult and requires the skills, both mental and physical, to carry on as inhumane atrocities become quotidian occurrences. Perhaps the most horrendous case in history is the social decay that prevailed during World War II, more prominently in countries under Nazi control, which completely dehumanized those targeted by the Reich as well as the bystanders forced to reevaluate the value of a person’s life, rendering many as subhuman. In his ambitious and terrific film The Notebook, director János Szász approaches this instinctive resilience by way of an unbreakable bond between two twin brothers and their assertiveness to persist and overcome the extreme austerity they encounter.
Considering his twin sons a conspicuous liability, a Hungarian soldier and his wife agree they must hide them with their grandmother in a remote village on the outskirts of the country. Before parting with them, the father entrusts them with a mission, he provides them with a notebook in which they must write an account of everything that happens to them. Taking this assignment to heart, the boys (played by András Gyémánt and László Gyémánt) begin to write about their experiences, not only in text but also with visuals, as a scrapbook of sorts. Spiteful due to her daughter’s abandonment, the grandmother (Piroska Molnár) refuses to care for the children. She refers to them as bastards, hits them, and treats them cruelly even as they work for her around her farm. The twins understand that hardships will only worsen and they must be prepared. As instructed by their mother, they keep their studies up aided by an old encyclopedia and a bible, yet, the greatest lessons come from their terrible fate. Crushing any trace of childish mentality or oversensitivity by means of pain, the boys begin to train themselves to bear incredible suffering. They fight each other to increase their tolerance to physical pain, they starve to be ready when winter hits, and they deny themselves any emotion towards their mother’s letters.
Along the way they meet varied characters that test their compassion, and others who shatter any remains of innocence: a friendly Nazi officer that ends up saving their lives, to a Jewish shoemaker who generously gives them boots, a sexually deviant priest, a disfigured thief, and a flirtatious xenophobic woman. Eventually the malevolent grandmother comprehends the pair are the only reason she is still alive and warms up to them, although she never verbalizes it. When the boys’ parents finally return for them, they are not the same. Their perception of family is now less romanticized. Having their fraternal love as only source of reassurance, their parents have now become a burden in their goal to survive.
In what is the most psychologically intriguing element of the story, the twins undergo a self-imposed journey to desensitize themselves and by doing so their moral convictions must adapt to the situations with which they are confronted. They cannot afford to second-guess their illicit practices to obtain food or other much needed supplies. For them, there is logic in their every move, which is still dictated by the convictions imposed by their parents. Righteously they believe evil must be punished, and they are sympathetic towards those who, like them, are trying not to perish. Disturbingly comfortable with killing animals, their pragmatism allows them to see murder simultaneously as a benevolent act of kindness for those unfit to keep going, and as the ultimate tactic to protect themselves. After mastering all sorts of emotional and bodily deprivation, their only weakness becomes their dependence on each other. András and László Gyémánt give equally courageous performances entirely removing any expression of joy from their faces. It is a saddening bravery that propels them to behave in such a cold-hearted manner. Contained, vigilant, and ferocious against the world these young actors defy their age and truly astound in their first screen appearance.
With an immaculate production the film is visually captivating. Photographing a bleak rural charm Christian Berger constructs an elegant depiction of a terrible time that in spite of the turmoil around, emphasizes the boys’ experiences via their drawings, souvenirs, and mismatched pictures which becomes their collective, truthful, memory. Deserving of even greater accolade is director János Szász who elicits spectacularly raw performances out of his entire cast, and whose vision creates a film that provides powerful and honest insight into a passage of history which has been revised repeatedly. As a world-class filmmaker he seeks to explore humanity through his art, delivering cinematic philosophy. Savagely beautiful, The Notebook can be summarized as a darkly poetic period piece about children for adults.
Read more about all the 76 Best Foreign Language Film Submission for the 2014 Academy Awards...
Survival is defined as the ability to remain alive and persevere through all the obstacles that can halt one’ existence. It could be said that most of the endeavors an individual undertakes are solely to prolong life. During wartime, this task becomes exponentially more difficult and requires the skills, both mental and physical, to carry on as inhumane atrocities become quotidian occurrences. Perhaps the most horrendous case in history is the social decay that prevailed during World War II, more prominently in countries under Nazi control, which completely dehumanized those targeted by the Reich as well as the bystanders forced to reevaluate the value of a person’s life, rendering many as subhuman. In his ambitious and terrific film The Notebook, director János Szász approaches this instinctive resilience by way of an unbreakable bond between two twin brothers and their assertiveness to persist and overcome the extreme austerity they encounter.
Considering his twin sons a conspicuous liability, a Hungarian soldier and his wife agree they must hide them with their grandmother in a remote village on the outskirts of the country. Before parting with them, the father entrusts them with a mission, he provides them with a notebook in which they must write an account of everything that happens to them. Taking this assignment to heart, the boys (played by András Gyémánt and László Gyémánt) begin to write about their experiences, not only in text but also with visuals, as a scrapbook of sorts. Spiteful due to her daughter’s abandonment, the grandmother (Piroska Molnár) refuses to care for the children. She refers to them as bastards, hits them, and treats them cruelly even as they work for her around her farm. The twins understand that hardships will only worsen and they must be prepared. As instructed by their mother, they keep their studies up aided by an old encyclopedia and a bible, yet, the greatest lessons come from their terrible fate. Crushing any trace of childish mentality or oversensitivity by means of pain, the boys begin to train themselves to bear incredible suffering. They fight each other to increase their tolerance to physical pain, they starve to be ready when winter hits, and they deny themselves any emotion towards their mother’s letters.
Along the way they meet varied characters that test their compassion, and others who shatter any remains of innocence: a friendly Nazi officer that ends up saving their lives, to a Jewish shoemaker who generously gives them boots, a sexually deviant priest, a disfigured thief, and a flirtatious xenophobic woman. Eventually the malevolent grandmother comprehends the pair are the only reason she is still alive and warms up to them, although she never verbalizes it. When the boys’ parents finally return for them, they are not the same. Their perception of family is now less romanticized. Having their fraternal love as only source of reassurance, their parents have now become a burden in their goal to survive.
In what is the most psychologically intriguing element of the story, the twins undergo a self-imposed journey to desensitize themselves and by doing so their moral convictions must adapt to the situations with which they are confronted. They cannot afford to second-guess their illicit practices to obtain food or other much needed supplies. For them, there is logic in their every move, which is still dictated by the convictions imposed by their parents. Righteously they believe evil must be punished, and they are sympathetic towards those who, like them, are trying not to perish. Disturbingly comfortable with killing animals, their pragmatism allows them to see murder simultaneously as a benevolent act of kindness for those unfit to keep going, and as the ultimate tactic to protect themselves. After mastering all sorts of emotional and bodily deprivation, their only weakness becomes their dependence on each other. András and László Gyémánt give equally courageous performances entirely removing any expression of joy from their faces. It is a saddening bravery that propels them to behave in such a cold-hearted manner. Contained, vigilant, and ferocious against the world these young actors defy their age and truly astound in their first screen appearance.
With an immaculate production the film is visually captivating. Photographing a bleak rural charm Christian Berger constructs an elegant depiction of a terrible time that in spite of the turmoil around, emphasizes the boys’ experiences via their drawings, souvenirs, and mismatched pictures which becomes their collective, truthful, memory. Deserving of even greater accolade is director János Szász who elicits spectacularly raw performances out of his entire cast, and whose vision creates a film that provides powerful and honest insight into a passage of history which has been revised repeatedly. As a world-class filmmaker he seeks to explore humanity through his art, delivering cinematic philosophy. Savagely beautiful, The Notebook can be summarized as a darkly poetic period piece about children for adults.
Read more about all the 76 Best Foreign Language Film Submission for the 2014 Academy Awards...
- 12/3/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Sorrentino’s Cannes hit wins at Tallinn’s Black Nights Film Festival.
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) was awarded the $13,500 (€10,000) EurAsia Grand Prix in the main international competition of this year’s Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 15-Dec 1) in Tallinn.
Italy’s Oscar entry also received the Best Cinematographer award for Luca Bigazzi’s camerawork which the international jury described as being “musically dynamic”.
The jury, which included The White Ribbon’s DoP Christian Berger, Armenian director Harutan Khacahtryan and German actress Franziska Petri, gave its Best Director award to the Japanese director Koji Fukada for Au revoir l’été for its “sensitively observed scenes”.
The Best Acting awards went to Russian actor Maksim Sukhanov for his performance in Konstantin Lopushansky’s The Role and to Juliette Binoche for her role in Camille Claudel 1915.
The jury decided to award the Special Jury Prize ex aequo to two films:
Taiwanese film-maker Tsai Ming-Liang...
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) was awarded the $13,500 (€10,000) EurAsia Grand Prix in the main international competition of this year’s Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 15-Dec 1) in Tallinn.
Italy’s Oscar entry also received the Best Cinematographer award for Luca Bigazzi’s camerawork which the international jury described as being “musically dynamic”.
The jury, which included The White Ribbon’s DoP Christian Berger, Armenian director Harutan Khacahtryan and German actress Franziska Petri, gave its Best Director award to the Japanese director Koji Fukada for Au revoir l’été for its “sensitively observed scenes”.
The Best Acting awards went to Russian actor Maksim Sukhanov for his performance in Konstantin Lopushansky’s The Role and to Juliette Binoche for her role in Camille Claudel 1915.
The jury decided to award the Special Jury Prize ex aequo to two films:
Taiwanese film-maker Tsai Ming-Liang...
- 12/3/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
New projects from Pakalnina, Louhimies and Kilmi at Tallinn market.
New films from Laila Pakalnina (Dawn), Aku Louhimies (True) and Jaak Kilmi (Heroes from the East) are among 12 projects from 11 countries selected for this year’s Baltic Event co-production market which will be held in Tallinn from November 27-29.
Local Estonian film-maker Kilmi will be at the Baltic Event for the second year in a row after presenting another feature project, The Hoppers, which won the Screen International Best Pitch Award last year.
As the Baltic Event’s organisers point out, the 2013 line-up has a large number of feature debutants – six in total – ranging from Romania’s Botond-Csaba Püsök (Miracle in Cluj) through Ukraine’s Marysia Nikitiuk (When The Trees Are Falling) to Finland’s Jussi Hiltunen (Law of the Land).
In addition, Julietta Sichel, the former programme director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, is coming to Tallinn with her company 8Heads Production and Stanislav Babic of Croatia...
New films from Laila Pakalnina (Dawn), Aku Louhimies (True) and Jaak Kilmi (Heroes from the East) are among 12 projects from 11 countries selected for this year’s Baltic Event co-production market which will be held in Tallinn from November 27-29.
Local Estonian film-maker Kilmi will be at the Baltic Event for the second year in a row after presenting another feature project, The Hoppers, which won the Screen International Best Pitch Award last year.
As the Baltic Event’s organisers point out, the 2013 line-up has a large number of feature debutants – six in total – ranging from Romania’s Botond-Csaba Püsök (Miracle in Cluj) through Ukraine’s Marysia Nikitiuk (When The Trees Are Falling) to Finland’s Jussi Hiltunen (Law of the Land).
In addition, Julietta Sichel, the former programme director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, is coming to Tallinn with her company 8Heads Production and Stanislav Babic of Croatia...
- 11/12/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Hungary has chosen Janos Szasz's "Le Grand Cahier" ("The Notebook") as its official submission for the 2014 Foreign-Language Oscar catetory. Winner of the Crystal Globe and European Cinemas Label Award at the 48th Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic earlier this year, the film centers on 13-year-old twin boys (Ulrich Thomsen and Ulrich Matthes) sent to live with their malevolent grandmother during World War II. Szasz and co-writer Andras Szeker adapted the film from the 1986 novel of the same name by Hungarian author Agota Kristof. "The Notebook" was shot by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Christian Berger ("The White Ribbon"). Watch the compelling trailer below. Hungarian entries haven't been nominated for best foreign language film since 1988's "Hanussen," directed by Istvan Szabo, who won in 1981 for "Mephisto." Last week, Romania submitted "Child's Pose," winner of Berlinale's Golden Bear, to the Oscars. The deadline for all foreign language submissions...
- 8/7/2013
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
As this year’s Moscow International Film Festival readies for launch, Germany’s Media Luna New Films has picked up international distribution rights to a title in competition at the 35th edition.
The Cologne-based sales agent has secured teenage drama The Kids From The Port, the second feature from Spanish director Alberto Morais.
It will see Morais return to Moscow’s main competition, having won the Golden George and the Fipresci International Critics’ Prize at the Russian festival two years ago for his feature debut Las Olas, which also received the Silver George for actor Carlos Álvarez-Nóvia.
Media Luna has also secured the rights to Slovenian director Nejc Gazvoda’s Dual, which will have its world premiere in Karlovy Vary’s East of the West Competition on July 3.
The love story between two young women is Gazvoda’s second feature after his internationally acclaimed debut A Trip.
Media Luna will also have the international premiere of [link...
The Cologne-based sales agent has secured teenage drama The Kids From The Port, the second feature from Spanish director Alberto Morais.
It will see Morais return to Moscow’s main competition, having won the Golden George and the Fipresci International Critics’ Prize at the Russian festival two years ago for his feature debut Las Olas, which also received the Silver George for actor Carlos Álvarez-Nóvia.
Media Luna has also secured the rights to Slovenian director Nejc Gazvoda’s Dual, which will have its world premiere in Karlovy Vary’s East of the West Competition on July 3.
The love story between two young women is Gazvoda’s second feature after his internationally acclaimed debut A Trip.
Media Luna will also have the international premiere of [link...
- 6/19/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Michael Haneke’s most intimate film in nearly a quarter-century, “Amour” relates the tragic final months in a relationship with at least six decades’ worth of history, as a concerned French husband cares for his increasingly irritable wife in the wake of two debilitating strokes. Considering Haneke’s confrontational past, this poignantly acted, uncommonly tender two-hander makes a doubly powerful statement about man’s capacity for dignity and sensitivity when confronted with the inevitable cruelty of nature. Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics before Cannes, this autumnal heart-breaker should serve arthouse-goers well — not for first dates, but for those who’ve long since lost count.
With the exception of a single early scene in which retired music teachers Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) attend the concert of a former pupil, “Amour” takes place entirely within the protective cocoon of their Parisian apartment, where the couple lives comfortably surrounded by books,...
With the exception of a single early scene in which retired music teachers Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) attend the concert of a former pupil, “Amour” takes place entirely within the protective cocoon of their Parisian apartment, where the couple lives comfortably surrounded by books,...
- 5/20/2012
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Wally Pfister, the brilliant cinematographer of Christopher Nolan's "Inception" won big at the 25th Annual American Society of Cinematographers (Asc) Outstanding Achievement Award in the feature film competition.
Pfister, receiving his first Asc Award, beat Matthew Libatique ("Black Swan"), Danny Cohen ("The King's Speech"), Jeff Cronenweth ("The Social Network"), and Roger Deakins ("True Grit"). All of the nominees are also Oscar-nominated this year.
Jonathan Freeman took home the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Television Episodic Series/Pilot Category for his work on the "Boardwalk Empire" episode entitled "Home."
Steven Windon claimed the top honor in the Television Movie/Miniseries for the "Okinawa" episode of "The Pacific."
Here's the rest of the press release from the Asc:
Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks presented the Board of Governors Award to the Julia Roberts in recognition of her tremendous body of work and contributions to the art of filmmaking. Roberts earned an Academy...
Pfister, receiving his first Asc Award, beat Matthew Libatique ("Black Swan"), Danny Cohen ("The King's Speech"), Jeff Cronenweth ("The Social Network"), and Roger Deakins ("True Grit"). All of the nominees are also Oscar-nominated this year.
Jonathan Freeman took home the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Television Episodic Series/Pilot Category for his work on the "Boardwalk Empire" episode entitled "Home."
Steven Windon claimed the top honor in the Television Movie/Miniseries for the "Okinawa" episode of "The Pacific."
Here's the rest of the press release from the Asc:
Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks presented the Board of Governors Award to the Julia Roberts in recognition of her tremendous body of work and contributions to the art of filmmaking. Roberts earned an Academy...
- 2/16/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Photo: Warner Bros. Well now here is a shocker, not because his work wasn't commendable, but because I pretty much thought Roger Deakins (True Grit) had this one in the bag. The American Society of Cinematographers held the 25th annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards tonight and Inception director of photography Wally Pfister took home top honors beating out the likes of Deakins, Matthew Libatique (Black Swan), Danny Cohen (The King's Speech) and Jeff Cronenweth (The Social Network).
Pfister's nomination for Inception with the Asc was his third from the group after being nominated for both The Dark Knight and Batman Begins, but this was his first win. He is also nominated for an Oscar for his work on Inception and has been nominated three times prior, all for films with director Christopher Nolan including The Dark Knight, The Prestige and Batman Begins, but he didn't win the Oscar for any of them.
Pfister's nomination for Inception with the Asc was his third from the group after being nominated for both The Dark Knight and Batman Begins, but this was his first win. He is also nominated for an Oscar for his work on Inception and has been nominated three times prior, all for films with director Christopher Nolan including The Dark Knight, The Prestige and Batman Begins, but he didn't win the Oscar for any of them.
- 2/14/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Monday's announcement of the five contenders for the American Society of Cinematographers prize in the feature film category is topped by Roger Deakins for "True Grit." Deakins, who will be feted at this year's silver anniversary edition of the Asc awards for his lifetime of achievement, has two wins ("The Shawshank Redemption," 1994; "The Man Who Wasn't There," 2001) to show for his previous nine nods. However, he remains without an Oscar despite eight bids. The other Asc contenders are Wally Pfister who picked up his third bid for "Inception" (his other two nods were also for working with helmer Christopher Nolan on "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight") and first-time nominees Danny Cohen ("The King's Speech), Jeff Cronenweth ("The Social Network") and Matthew Libatique ("Black Swan"). Last year, first-time Asc contender Christian Berger, who filmed "The White R...
- 1/11/2011
- Gold Derby
We chimed in with our picks for the best cinematography of 2010 and now its time for the official group of the American Society of Cinematographers to lay down the law. Last year they picked a surprise, Christian Berger‘s work on Michael Haneke‘s The White Ribbon. This year the society went with the expected. See the nominees below via the official site.
Matthew Libatique, Asc (Black Swan)
Wally Pfister, Asc (Inception)
Danny Cohen, Bsc (The King’s Speech)
Jeff Cronenweth, Asc (The Social Network)
Roger Deakins, Asc, Bsc (True Grit)
Awards Committee Chairman Richard Crudo had the following to say:
“These five people have set the standard for today’s cinematography. Although they were nominated for a variety of films, they share the common denominator of extraordinary talent and good taste. Just their mere presence on set would elevate any production.”
The line-up is certainly stellar, and although Deakins is my go-to fav,...
Matthew Libatique, Asc (Black Swan)
Wally Pfister, Asc (Inception)
Danny Cohen, Bsc (The King’s Speech)
Jeff Cronenweth, Asc (The Social Network)
Roger Deakins, Asc, Bsc (True Grit)
Awards Committee Chairman Richard Crudo had the following to say:
“These five people have set the standard for today’s cinematography. Although they were nominated for a variety of films, they share the common denominator of extraordinary talent and good taste. Just their mere presence on set would elevate any production.”
The line-up is certainly stellar, and although Deakins is my go-to fav,...
- 1/11/2011
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Jesse Eisenberg, Brenda Song in David Fincher's The Social Network The Los Angeles Film Critics Association will announce their 2010 winners Sunday afternoon. Last year, Lafca's picks were mostly predictable — The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow, Mo'Nique, Christoph Waltz — but there were a few surprises as well, e.g., Best Actress Yolande Moreau and Best Cinematography for The White Ribbon (Christian Berger). Expect the same mix of predictability and unpredictability this year. David Fincher's The Social Network is the clear favorite among critics. Chances are this drama about the creation of Facebook will nab awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin). Potential Best Film upsets: Lee Unkrich's Toy Story 3 (Pixar's Wall-e won in 2008), Tom Hooper's The King's Speech, Mike Leigh's Another Year, Debra Granik's Winter's Bone, and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Apart from Unkrich, the other filmmakers are strong contenders in the Best Director category.
- 12/12/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Cologne, Germany -- The Austrian government has approved a new law that will put up $25 million (€20 million) in financing over the next two years to boost local productions and attract more international productions to shoot in the Alpine nation.
As Austrian-born Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz would say: "that's a bingo!"
The new model, called Film Location Austria, will cover up to 25% of a project's local spend -- the costs incurred during the Austrian shoot. Support will be capped at 15% of the fund's total budget: $6.5 million (€5 million) this year and just under $10 million (€7.5 million) in 2011 and 2012.
International productions require an Austrian co-producer to qualify and have to spend at least 25% of their total budget in country. Projects will also have to pass a "cultural test" similar to those required by comparable schemes in Germany and France.
Austria's economics minister Reinhold Mitterlehner said the new law is a direct result of the recent...
As Austrian-born Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz would say: "that's a bingo!"
The new model, called Film Location Austria, will cover up to 25% of a project's local spend -- the costs incurred during the Austrian shoot. Support will be capped at 15% of the fund's total budget: $6.5 million (€5 million) this year and just under $10 million (€7.5 million) in 2011 and 2012.
International productions require an Austrian co-producer to qualify and have to spend at least 25% of their total budget in country. Projects will also have to pass a "cultural test" similar to those required by comparable schemes in Germany and France.
Austria's economics minister Reinhold Mitterlehner said the new law is a direct result of the recent...
- 9/13/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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