An occasionally surreal, consistently moving film that wrestles with religious imagery, Siddartha Jatla’s “In the Belly of a Tiger” frames the act of sacrifice as both deeply spiritual and regrettably pragmatic. This conundrum emanates from the story of a man who offers himself up to a hungry tiger if it means being able to feed his family, a tale Jatla uses to scrutinize the machineries of injustice. However, the writer-director eventually narrows his focus to a bittersweet romance, unfurling not only the foibles of contemporary caste and class, but the wistful joys and exultations crushed by their bootheels.
Although laced with gentle moments, the film begins with a stark close-up of an elderly man in the forest as he drenches himself in chicken’s blood. It’s a strange sight, but there turns out to be a tragic practicality to this makeshift ritual. The next day, his body is discovered in a nearby field,...
Although laced with gentle moments, the film begins with a stark close-up of an elderly man in the forest as he drenches himself in chicken’s blood. It’s a strange sight, but there turns out to be a tragic practicality to this makeshift ritual. The next day, his body is discovered in a nearby field,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSPoor Things.The 80th Venice Film Festival concluded last weekend. The jury, chaired by Damien Chazelle, awarded the Golden Lion to Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest, Poor Things; in his latest dispatch, Leonardo Goi calls it "joltingly alive, a film that crackles with the same restless curiosity and lust of its protagonist." See a summary of all the awards, plus a roundup of our coverage.San Sebastian Film Festival has announced who will serve on their festival juries for their 71st edition: Claire Denis will be the president for the Official Section, while Hayao Miyazaki will receive an honorary award for career achievement. His latest film, The Boy and The Heron, will open the festival.Recommended VIEWINGFor their 50th anniversary, the Film Fest Gent have commissioned 25 new short films inspired by new musical compositions. There's...
- 9/16/2023
- MUBI
Marking perhaps the greatest coup any festival’s managed these last ten years, the Film Fest Gent––recently in our sights for their addition of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s new(er) feature Gift––are celebrating their 50th anniversary with 25 new shorts by an absolute murderer’s row of filmmakers, among them: Paul Schrader, Terence Davies, Bi Gan, Jia Zhangke, Radu Jude, Helena Wittmann, Naomi Kawase, and João Pedro Rodrigues. Ff Gent’s unusual method was to first hire composers for a short, one- or two-minute piece, then asking this range of filmmakers––”who engage in more “traditional narrative cinema, as well as experimental work and documentary, to ensure diversity––letting sound inspire image. The majority of them (Schrader being a notable exception) are showing completely free.
Find the available films below:
The post Film Fest Gent Are Now Streaming New Shorts from Terence Davies, Bi Gan, Jia Zhangke, and More first appeared on The Film Stage.
Find the available films below:
The post Film Fest Gent Are Now Streaming New Shorts from Terence Davies, Bi Gan, Jia Zhangke, and More first appeared on The Film Stage.
- 9/15/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have taken part.
The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.
The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...
The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.
The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...
- 5/21/2023
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have taken part.
The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.
The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...
The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.
The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...
- 5/21/2023
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have taken part.
The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.
The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...
The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.
Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.
The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...
- 5/21/2023
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Two Octobers ago, freshly heartbroken, I saw In the Mood for Love for the third time. Honestly, I was in pretty bad shape. My first real relationship had just ended with a whimper. There hadn’t been any thrown dishes or fuck yous. Love had simply been there, constant, and then I looked again and it was gone. Or that’s how it felt. Presence, then whoosh.I’d run away to England for the fall, officially to get some writing done, but mostly I was just sad and wanting to be sad anywhere but at home. My focus, care, and energy had dissolved into a soup of loneliness. My stomach was tight, my head was fuzzy, I was crying in bed most nights; it was ordinary grief, but it was mine.That week, though, at the beginning of my trip, visiting with new friends, I would be myself again,...
- 2/15/2023
- MUBI
Anyone looking to take the temperature of Cristian Mungiu’s first film in six long years should heed the words of Matthias, his most recent downtrodden protagonist: “People who feel pity die first,” he explains to his 8-year-old son. “I want you to die last.” Too much? Try the more eloquent musings of the local priest: “Everyone has their place in the world, as God ordained.” Translation: go back to where you came from.
The Romanian filmmaker returns with R.M.N., a portrait of Europe, perhaps the world, in the days of late capitalism. As bitter and biting as its winter landscape, it stars Marin Grigore as a Hungarian immigrant in a small village nestled amongst the snowy forests and sweeping mountains of Transylvania. Working in crisp blues and greys from Tudor Vladimir Panduru, Mungiu sketches the town as a modern Babel: Romanian, Hungarian, French, German, Sri Lankan, and English are all spoken,...
The Romanian filmmaker returns with R.M.N., a portrait of Europe, perhaps the world, in the days of late capitalism. As bitter and biting as its winter landscape, it stars Marin Grigore as a Hungarian immigrant in a small village nestled amongst the snowy forests and sweeping mountains of Transylvania. Working in crisp blues and greys from Tudor Vladimir Panduru, Mungiu sketches the town as a modern Babel: Romanian, Hungarian, French, German, Sri Lankan, and English are all spoken,...
- 5/25/2022
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
Probably one of the best years for action/martial arts cinema lately, 2021 saw a number of truly impressive titles coming out, as China’s blockbusters seem to be getting better, followed by the Korean ones, Japanese manga adaptations continue to be on a very high-level, at least production level-wise and Asean countries keep on producing some of the most interesting in the category through the combination of social commentary and exploitation elements. Furthermore, a number of movies that do not fall in any of the aforementioned groups but are of equal quality, rounded up a truly great year for Asian genre.
Without further ado, here are the best Asian martial arts/action films of 2021, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2021, we decided to include them.
15. Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (Keishi Ohtomo)
On the other hand, the action element is top notch,...
Without further ado, here are the best Asian martial arts/action films of 2021, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2021, we decided to include them.
15. Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (Keishi Ohtomo)
On the other hand, the action element is top notch,...
- 12/27/2021
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Featuring Karena Lam and Liu Ye in the protagonist roles, Shigeru Umebayashi as the composer, Taiwanese Jimmy Liao providing the illustrations, and Stanley Kwan as producer, “The Floating Landscape” is anything but void of big names. Furthemore, Dp Arthur Wong won the Best Cinematography Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards, cementing an overall great cast and crew with his effort. Let us take a closer look at the film however.
“The Floating Landscape” is screening at New Waves, New Shores: Busan International Film Festival
Following the sudden death of her talented illustrator boyfriend Sam, the depressed and inconsolable Mann travels to his birthplace Qingdao, in a desperate effort to stay close to him, by understanding why the city meant so much to him, as his last work highlights in the most eloquent way. As soon as she gets there, she spends her time roaming aimlessly around, while copying the pages of his diary.
“The Floating Landscape” is screening at New Waves, New Shores: Busan International Film Festival
Following the sudden death of her talented illustrator boyfriend Sam, the depressed and inconsolable Mann travels to his birthplace Qingdao, in a desperate effort to stay close to him, by understanding why the city meant so much to him, as his last work highlights in the most eloquent way. As soon as she gets there, she spends her time roaming aimlessly around, while copying the pages of his diary.
- 11/28/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Nicholas Britell, Kris Bowers, Hildur Guðnadóttir Spotlight Film Music at Disney Hall With L.A. Phil
The Los Angeles Philharmonic took a major step forward over the weekend with its “Reel Change” series devoted to contemporary film composers.
By inviting Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Joker”) and Americans Kris Bowers (“Green Book”) and Nicholas Britell (“Moonlight”) to curate programs of their music, and those of composers that inspired them, the Phil is formally acknowledging the importance of media music as a legitimate part of the contemporary musical scene.
Symphony programmers are notorious for ignoring film music unless it’s on a “pops” program or a live-to-picture event, which in recent years have proven extremely lucrative. The L.A. Phil has rarely programmed, much less celebrated, music for visual media on a subscription concert.
And the fact that the series included a woman and a person of color was more than a token nod to diversity, as this trio is among the most sought-after of modern composers for film,...
By inviting Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Joker”) and Americans Kris Bowers (“Green Book”) and Nicholas Britell (“Moonlight”) to curate programs of their music, and those of composers that inspired them, the Phil is formally acknowledging the importance of media music as a legitimate part of the contemporary musical scene.
Symphony programmers are notorious for ignoring film music unless it’s on a “pops” program or a live-to-picture event, which in recent years have proven extremely lucrative. The L.A. Phil has rarely programmed, much less celebrated, music for visual media on a subscription concert.
And the fact that the series included a woman and a person of color was more than a token nod to diversity, as this trio is among the most sought-after of modern composers for film,...
- 11/22/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
For Kris Bowers, “not much can beat the feeling of being in the room when a group of musicians pours their heart into a piece of music — especially when it’s your own.”
It’s an emotion the Emmy-winning composer and jazz pianist hopes to capture with “Reel Change: The New Era of Film Music,” a concert series built alongside fellow composers Nicholas Britell and Hildur Guðnadóttir in collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Taking place Nov. 19-21 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the three individually curated programs shine a spotlight on the next generation of composers across film, television and video games.
“When you are performing for an audience, you and the audience are breathing the same air. You are experiencing exactly the same frequencies and listening to exactly the same things at the same time. So the dynamics of the shared experience of the listening creates a very special atmosphere,...
It’s an emotion the Emmy-winning composer and jazz pianist hopes to capture with “Reel Change: The New Era of Film Music,” a concert series built alongside fellow composers Nicholas Britell and Hildur Guðnadóttir in collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Taking place Nov. 19-21 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the three individually curated programs shine a spotlight on the next generation of composers across film, television and video games.
“When you are performing for an audience, you and the audience are breathing the same air. You are experiencing exactly the same frequencies and listening to exactly the same things at the same time. So the dynamics of the shared experience of the listening creates a very special atmosphere,...
- 11/17/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Don’t confuse this movie with “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity” directed by Guo Jingming, although they’re both adapted from the same Japanese novel series “Onmyoji” written by Baku Yumemakura. This novel was so popular that the Chinese game developer NetEase Games decided to further adapt it into “Onmyoji”, a 3D role-playing video game set in Japan and it also became a massive hit. An adaptation of this video game into a feature was soon on the drawing board resulting in “The Yinyang Master”, nonetheless, with collaboration between the Huayi Brothers Media, Ckf Pictures and NetEase Games.
In the fantasy world of ancient China, humans and demons live in harmony until Xiang Liu, an evil demon emperor, a serpent with nine heads decides to take control. However, the humans manage to defeat him and all demons are driven out to live in the Monster Realm while humans remain in Ping Jing city.
In the fantasy world of ancient China, humans and demons live in harmony until Xiang Liu, an evil demon emperor, a serpent with nine heads decides to take control. However, the humans manage to defeat him and all demons are driven out to live in the Monster Realm while humans remain in Ping Jing city.
- 4/10/2021
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
Starring Chen Kun and Zhou Xun, the film will be released theatrically in China on February 12.
Netflix has acquired global exclusive streaming rights outside China to Li Weiran’s The Yin Yang Master, which is scheduled for a theatrical release in China this weekend in time for Chinese New Year.
Starring Chen Kun and Zhou Xun, the film is an adaptation of the popular mobile game Onmyoji and produced by Chen Kuo-fu and Chang Chia-lu. The fantasy drama tells the story of a young man travelling to different worlds to prepare them for an upcoming war between monsters and humans.
Netflix has acquired global exclusive streaming rights outside China to Li Weiran’s The Yin Yang Master, which is scheduled for a theatrical release in China this weekend in time for Chinese New Year.
Starring Chen Kun and Zhou Xun, the film is an adaptation of the popular mobile game Onmyoji and produced by Chen Kuo-fu and Chang Chia-lu. The fantasy drama tells the story of a young man travelling to different worlds to prepare them for an upcoming war between monsters and humans.
- 2/9/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has picked up international rights to “The Yin Yang Master” a film that is one of the big seven tentpole titles that will open in mainland Chinese cinemas on Friday and compete for Lunar New Year holiday audiences.
Netflix acquired distribution rights in the rest of the world ex-mainland China from Huayi Brothers Media (“The Eight Hundred”).
The fantasy movie is a game-to-film adaptation of “Onmyoji” directed by Li Weiran and starring Chen Kun (“Mojin: The Lost Legend”) and Zhou Xun.
It should not be confused with another film with a similar title “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity” that ultimately draws on the same source material. The latter is the first element of a two-part, book-to-film adaptation, directed by Guo Jingming (“Tiny Times”). Netflix acquired rights to the Guo title from sales agency Fortissimo Films ahead of the film’s mainland China release on Dec. 25. It earned some...
Netflix acquired distribution rights in the rest of the world ex-mainland China from Huayi Brothers Media (“The Eight Hundred”).
The fantasy movie is a game-to-film adaptation of “Onmyoji” directed by Li Weiran and starring Chen Kun (“Mojin: The Lost Legend”) and Zhou Xun.
It should not be confused with another film with a similar title “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity” that ultimately draws on the same source material. The latter is the first element of a two-part, book-to-film adaptation, directed by Guo Jingming (“Tiny Times”). Netflix acquired rights to the Guo title from sales agency Fortissimo Films ahead of the film’s mainland China release on Dec. 25. It earned some...
- 2/9/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has acquired exclusive global streaming rights outside of China to The Yin Yang Master. This is not to be confused with The Yin-Yang Master: Dream Of Eternity which is already on the service and was released in China late last year. The new acquisition is one of the anticipated Lunar New Year titles that will begin its Chinese theatrical run on Friday. Netflix has not yet set a streaming date.
Adapted from the popular mobile game Onmyōji, the fantasy film reunites stars Chen Kun and Zhou Xun in their first collaboration since 2012’s Painted Skin: The Resurrection. Produced by Chen Kuo-fu and Chang Chia-lu and directed by Li Weiran, The Yin Yang Master finds the world on the verge of a devastating war with monsters who are coming back to retrieve the Scaling Stone. Yin Yang Master Qingming’s (Chen Kun) life is in danger and he travels to...
Adapted from the popular mobile game Onmyōji, the fantasy film reunites stars Chen Kun and Zhou Xun in their first collaboration since 2012’s Painted Skin: The Resurrection. Produced by Chen Kuo-fu and Chang Chia-lu and directed by Li Weiran, The Yin Yang Master finds the world on the verge of a devastating war with monsters who are coming back to retrieve the Scaling Stone. Yin Yang Master Qingming’s (Chen Kun) life is in danger and he travels to...
- 2/9/2021
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The team of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross leads all nominees for the second annual Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards, the organization of scorers and songwriters active in visual media.
The composing duo (who won an Oscar 10 years ago for “The Social Network” and an Emmy last year for “Watchmen”) received three nominations. They were cited for outstanding original score for a studio film for both their 2020 films, Netflix’s “Mank” and Disney-Pixar’s “Soul.” They share the “Soul” nod with composer Jon Batiste, who contributed the jazz threaded throughout the film.
Reznor and Ross received a third nomination, for outstanding original song for visual media, for their song “(If Only You Could) Save Me,” written for “Mank.”
Scl’s list is notable for the dominance of women composers in the category of outstanding original score for an independent film — three of the five nominees: Lolita Ritmanis for the...
The composing duo (who won an Oscar 10 years ago for “The Social Network” and an Emmy last year for “Watchmen”) received three nominations. They were cited for outstanding original score for a studio film for both their 2020 films, Netflix’s “Mank” and Disney-Pixar’s “Soul.” They share the “Soul” nod with composer Jon Batiste, who contributed the jazz threaded throughout the film.
Reznor and Ross received a third nomination, for outstanding original song for visual media, for their song “(If Only You Could) Save Me,” written for “Mank.”
Scl’s list is notable for the dominance of women composers in the category of outstanding original score for an independent film — three of the five nominees: Lolita Ritmanis for the...
- 2/1/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Movies in Asian cinema are usually full of exciting action or artistic drama. One thing that has also always been essential, though not always noticed, in these films is the use of music and song. Music in films is a driving force for telling the story, for creating the feelings of nostalgia, elatement or suspense.
Certain songs sometimes strike us in an unexpected way, and we feel the effects from that song. They stick with us long after the movie is over, and you cannot imagine the film without the music. Here are some fantastic original songs from notable Asian films that if you haven’t heard them yet, be sure to give them a listen.
“Nada Sou Sou (Tears for you)” by Rimi Natsukawa
This theme song comes from the film Tears for You, and the theme song “Nada Sou Sou” literally means “Tears that cannot stop flowing.” It...
Certain songs sometimes strike us in an unexpected way, and we feel the effects from that song. They stick with us long after the movie is over, and you cannot imagine the film without the music. Here are some fantastic original songs from notable Asian films that if you haven’t heard them yet, be sure to give them a listen.
“Nada Sou Sou (Tears for you)” by Rimi Natsukawa
This theme song comes from the film Tears for You, and the theme song “Nada Sou Sou” literally means “Tears that cannot stop flowing.” It...
- 9/2/2020
- by AMP Training
- AsianMoviePulse
Ilan Eshkeri is something of a musical adventurer. He’s an award-winning composer who has scored a wide variety of films including Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass, Shaun the Sheep Movie, has composed a modern ballet based on Echo & Narcissus, has conducted an orchestra at the Louvre, and has even worked with the European Space Agency. As an artist, he’s always looking to be challenged and inspired in new ways. And his latest project is unlike anything he’s ever done before.
“I’ve been saying, ‘Let me do a video game’ for like fifteen years,” Eshkeri tells Den of Geek over a Zoom call, explaining why he chose Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima as the next evolution in his career. He’d composed music for just one other game, The Sims 4 back in 2014, and when Sucker Punch approached him to compose music for the studio’s upcoming samurai epic,...
“I’ve been saying, ‘Let me do a video game’ for like fifteen years,” Eshkeri tells Den of Geek over a Zoom call, explaining why he chose Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima as the next evolution in his career. He’d composed music for just one other game, The Sims 4 back in 2014, and when Sucker Punch approached him to compose music for the studio’s upcoming samurai epic,...
- 7/27/2020
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Chad Hartigan’s clever sci-fi drama “Little Fish” sums its chief concerns in one grim line: “When your disaster is everyone’s disaster, how do you grieve?” A change of pace for the director of “Morris From America,” Hartigan’s weighty romance takes place in world afflicted by memory loss, with all the devastating results implied by that premise. , “Little Fish” plays as both an effective metaphor for Alzheimer’s, and the disintegration of a relationship without closure or reason.
Lead couple Emma (Olivia Cooke) and Jude (Jack O’Connell) are battling to recover their memories of each other as Jude succumbs to the affliction, which so far leaves Emma untouched. They aren’t the only ones working through that problem: In “Little Fish,” everyone in the world is collectively losing their memory to something called Nia, or “neuroinflammatory affliction.” It’s first seen in victims who suddenly forget who they...
Lead couple Emma (Olivia Cooke) and Jude (Jack O’Connell) are battling to recover their memories of each other as Jude succumbs to the affliction, which so far leaves Emma untouched. They aren’t the only ones working through that problem: In “Little Fish,” everyone in the world is collectively losing their memory to something called Nia, or “neuroinflammatory affliction.” It’s first seen in victims who suddenly forget who they...
- 4/29/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
This year, Cannes Classics will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai before its release on the big screen in the summer of 2020 in France and internationally!
Presented in the Official Selection and in Competition in 2000, In the Mood for Love, by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, made its lead actor Tony Leung win the Male Interpretation Prize and was awarded the Grand Prize of the Superior Technical Commission.
The 4k restoration of the film made from the original negative was lead by Criterion and L’Immagine Ritrovata under the supervision of Wong Kar-wai.
In the Mood for Love, that premiered in May 20, 2000, will be screened at the 73rd Festival de Cannes, with Wong Kar-wai in attendance.
In The Mood For Love By Wong Kar-wai With Tony Leung And Maggie Cheung
Cinematographer: Christopher Doyle.
Music: Shigeru Umebayashi.
4k restoration from the original negative supervised by...
Presented in the Official Selection and in Competition in 2000, In the Mood for Love, by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, made its lead actor Tony Leung win the Male Interpretation Prize and was awarded the Grand Prize of the Superior Technical Commission.
The 4k restoration of the film made from the original negative was lead by Criterion and L’Immagine Ritrovata under the supervision of Wong Kar-wai.
In the Mood for Love, that premiered in May 20, 2000, will be screened at the 73rd Festival de Cannes, with Wong Kar-wai in attendance.
In The Mood For Love By Wong Kar-wai With Tony Leung And Maggie Cheung
Cinematographer: Christopher Doyle.
Music: Shigeru Umebayashi.
4k restoration from the original negative supervised by...
- 2/22/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
A story about loyalty, love, betrayal and revenge. The Wasted Times captures all the ins and outs of the organized crime business during the late 30’s with absolute care and elegance. Starring Ge You, Tadanobu Asano, Zhang Ziyi, Gillian Chung and Chun Du among others, this film resembles classic crime drama in a good way.
Directed by the same director who made the surprisingly great “Lethal Hostage” some years ago with Sun Honglei, comes “The Wasted Times”, a film about the organized crime in Shanghai in the late 30s, just at the beginning of a possible open war against the Japanese. The film was hanging around at festivals such as the Asian Film Awards, where it was nominated for cinematography and costume design; at the China Film Director’s Guild Awards in several important categories and ended winning the Best Director award; and it also made its...
Directed by the same director who made the surprisingly great “Lethal Hostage” some years ago with Sun Honglei, comes “The Wasted Times”, a film about the organized crime in Shanghai in the late 30s, just at the beginning of a possible open war against the Japanese. The film was hanging around at festivals such as the Asian Film Awards, where it was nominated for cinematography and costume design; at the China Film Director’s Guild Awards in several important categories and ended winning the Best Director award; and it also made its...
- 4/30/2018
- by Pedro Morata
- AsianMoviePulse
Six months after announcing intentions to double the number of female and minority members in its ranks by 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 683 new members to join the organization. Forty-six percent of new invitees are female and 41 percent ethnic minorities, the Academy said, adding that the roster boasts 28 Oscar winners and 98 nominees. The youngest invitee is 24 and the oldest 91. Here is the list of the Asians included.
Actors
Kim Daniel-dae S. Korea
Lee Byung-hun S. Korea
Tatsuya Nakadai Japan
Cinematographers
Peter Pau China
Poon Hang-Sang China
Nelson Yu Lik-Wai China
Zhao Fei China
Designers
Yoshihito Akatsuka Japan
Directors
Hou Hsiao-Hsien China
Naomi Kawase Japan
Kim So-yong S. Jorea
Kiyoshi Kurosawa Japan
Apichatpong Weerasethakul Thailand
Park Chan-wook S. Korea
Documentary
Kazuo Hara JApan
Emiko Omori Japan
Trinh T. Minh-ha Vietnam
Jean Tsien Taiwan
Wang Bing China
Music
Shigeru Umebayashi Japan
Producers
Albert Lee China
Short...
Actors
Kim Daniel-dae S. Korea
Lee Byung-hun S. Korea
Tatsuya Nakadai Japan
Cinematographers
Peter Pau China
Poon Hang-Sang China
Nelson Yu Lik-Wai China
Zhao Fei China
Designers
Yoshihito Akatsuka Japan
Directors
Hou Hsiao-Hsien China
Naomi Kawase Japan
Kim So-yong S. Jorea
Kiyoshi Kurosawa Japan
Apichatpong Weerasethakul Thailand
Park Chan-wook S. Korea
Documentary
Kazuo Hara JApan
Emiko Omori Japan
Trinh T. Minh-ha Vietnam
Jean Tsien Taiwan
Wang Bing China
Music
Shigeru Umebayashi Japan
Producers
Albert Lee China
Short...
- 6/30/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Themes of love, loss and the despotic force of time permeate Wong Kar-wai’s films and whole landscapes of emotion are suggested without words. This anomalous approach to storytelling works against the grain of Hong Kong cinema as well as Western narrative convention, and is perhaps best exemplified in his 2000 masterpiece, In the Mood for Love: an enigmatic melodrama where falling in love is anything but a panacea.
Set in 60s Hong Kong, the story chronicles the tentative relationship between a married man and a married woman (played by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung), both of whom discover, after moving into neighbouring flats, that their respective spouses are having an affair. Drawn by their mutual cuckolded status, Su Li-zhen and Chow Mo-Wan soon fall for each other but, stifled by propriety and moral restraint, never act on their impulses. Instead, their relationship comprises wry smiles, furtive conversations and even...
Set in 60s Hong Kong, the story chronicles the tentative relationship between a married man and a married woman (played by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung), both of whom discover, after moving into neighbouring flats, that their respective spouses are having an affair. Drawn by their mutual cuckolded status, Su Li-zhen and Chow Mo-Wan soon fall for each other but, stifled by propriety and moral restraint, never act on their impulses. Instead, their relationship comprises wry smiles, furtive conversations and even...
- 6/24/2014
- by Will Roberts
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards is expected to be a hell of a show with some great films going head to head. Leading the way with nominations is The Grand Master with 14, followed by Unbeatable (Dante Lam).
There were complaints last year, that the show didn’t live up to expectations, mainly due to the fact the movie Cold Wars, won nearly every award. Best actor award see the likes of these guys going head to head, Tony Leung (The Grandmaster), Louis Koo (The White Storm) and also Anthony Wong (Ip Man: The Final Fight).
Take a look at the list and comment who you think will win. The winners will be announced on April 13.
Best Film:
- The Grandmaster
- Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons
- The Way We Dance
- The White Storm
- Unbeatable
Best Director:
- Wong Kar Wai (The Grandmaster)
- Johnnie To...
There were complaints last year, that the show didn’t live up to expectations, mainly due to the fact the movie Cold Wars, won nearly every award. Best actor award see the likes of these guys going head to head, Tony Leung (The Grandmaster), Louis Koo (The White Storm) and also Anthony Wong (Ip Man: The Final Fight).
Take a look at the list and comment who you think will win. The winners will be announced on April 13.
Best Film:
- The Grandmaster
- Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons
- The Way We Dance
- The White Storm
- Unbeatable
Best Director:
- Wong Kar Wai (The Grandmaster)
- Johnnie To...
- 2/7/2014
- by kingofkungfu
- AsianMoviePulse
Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox has bagged six nominations at the 56th Asia-Pacific Film Festival including Best Film and Best Director.
Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have secured nominations in Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor categories respectively.
Rajeev Ravi has been nominated in Best Cinematography category for Monsoon Shootout.
The awards will be announced on December 15 in Macau. The Asia-Pacific Film Festival (Apff) is an annual event hosted by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific (Fpa).
Best Picture:
“The Grandmaster” (Hong Kong)
“Like Father Like Son” (Tokyo)
“The Lunchbox” (Mumbai)
“Stray Dogs” (Taipei)
“Ilo Ilo” (Singapore)
“In Bloom” (Tbilisi)
Best Director:
Tsai Ming-liang, “Stray Dogs” (Taipei)
Bong Joon-ho, “Snowpiercer” (Seoul)
Ritesh Batra, “The Lunchbox” (Mumbai)
Jafar Panahi and Kamboziya Partovi, “Closed Curtain” (Tehran)
Wong Kar-wai, “The Grandmaster” (Hong Kong)
Hirokazu Kore-eda, “Like Father Like Son” (Tokyo)
Best Actor:
Irrfan Khan, “The Lunchbox” (Mumbai)
Nick Cheung,...
Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have secured nominations in Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor categories respectively.
Rajeev Ravi has been nominated in Best Cinematography category for Monsoon Shootout.
The awards will be announced on December 15 in Macau. The Asia-Pacific Film Festival (Apff) is an annual event hosted by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific (Fpa).
Best Picture:
“The Grandmaster” (Hong Kong)
“Like Father Like Son” (Tokyo)
“The Lunchbox” (Mumbai)
“Stray Dogs” (Taipei)
“Ilo Ilo” (Singapore)
“In Bloom” (Tbilisi)
Best Director:
Tsai Ming-liang, “Stray Dogs” (Taipei)
Bong Joon-ho, “Snowpiercer” (Seoul)
Ritesh Batra, “The Lunchbox” (Mumbai)
Jafar Panahi and Kamboziya Partovi, “Closed Curtain” (Tehran)
Wong Kar-wai, “The Grandmaster” (Hong Kong)
Hirokazu Kore-eda, “Like Father Like Son” (Tokyo)
Best Actor:
Irrfan Khan, “The Lunchbox” (Mumbai)
Nick Cheung,...
- 12/2/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Following on the success of the BAFTA nominated Shifty, Eran Creevy returns with his much awaited second feature Welcome to the Punch, and ahead of the films theatrical release, we caught up with the rising star.
Creevy talks about his influences, how he managed to attract such a stellar cast of British performers – such as James McAvoy (interview going live tomorrow), Mark Strong (our interview with Mark up here) and Peter Mullan – as well as discussing the invaluable assistance provided to him from his executive producer Ridley Scott. The young filmmaker, who is bound to have a bright future ahead of him, also tells us about his third project Autobahn – though his casting remains a secret for now.
Apparently there was a lot of buzz around the screenplay, which is exceptional as it’s only your second film. How do you create buzz like that?
What it was, after we made my first film Shifty,...
Creevy talks about his influences, how he managed to attract such a stellar cast of British performers – such as James McAvoy (interview going live tomorrow), Mark Strong (our interview with Mark up here) and Peter Mullan – as well as discussing the invaluable assistance provided to him from his executive producer Ridley Scott. The young filmmaker, who is bound to have a bright future ahead of him, also tells us about his third project Autobahn – though his casting remains a secret for now.
Apparently there was a lot of buzz around the screenplay, which is exceptional as it’s only your second film. How do you create buzz like that?
What it was, after we made my first film Shifty,...
- 3/13/2013
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Based on the classic Thomas Hardy novel Tess of the D’Ubervilles, acclaimed director Michael Winterbottom has re-imagined this tragic story as Trishna and setting it in modern day India.
Synopsis: Trishna lives with her family in a village in Rajasthan, India’s largest state. As the eldest daughter, she works in a nearby resort to help pay the bills. Jay is the wealthy son of a property developer. When he takes up managing a resort at his father’s request, he meets Trishna at a dance and their fates cross. Jay finds every opportunity to win Trishna’s affection and she accepts his efforts with shy curiosity. But when the two move to Mumbai and become a couple, Jay’s deep family bond threatens the young lovers’ bliss. Trishna is a powerful look at the tension between ancient privilege and modern equality, between codes of urban and rural life...
Synopsis: Trishna lives with her family in a village in Rajasthan, India’s largest state. As the eldest daughter, she works in a nearby resort to help pay the bills. Jay is the wealthy son of a property developer. When he takes up managing a resort at his father’s request, he meets Trishna at a dance and their fates cross. Jay finds every opportunity to win Trishna’s affection and she accepts his efforts with shy curiosity. But when the two move to Mumbai and become a couple, Jay’s deep family bond threatens the young lovers’ bliss. Trishna is a powerful look at the tension between ancient privilege and modern equality, between codes of urban and rural life...
- 7/27/2012
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Trishna
Written and directed by Michael Winterbottom
UK, 2011
Among contemporary cinema’s more versatile and prolific directors, one of the few sources of inspiration Michael Winterbottom has repeatedly returned to is the work of Thomas Hardy. Jude, his 1996 adaptation of Hardy’s Jude the Obscure, was effectively his breakthrough film; 2000’s The Claim, meanwhile, was loosely based on The Mayor of Casterbridge, applying content from that novel’s Victorian England setting to an American western. Winterbottom’s latest Hardy adaptation, Trishna, has more in common with that latter film in that it transfers the source material of Tess of the d’Urbervilles to a different setting and culture. Set in India, Trishna differs from both of the director’s previous Hardy adaptations in that it tries to apply the source’s themes and narrative to the contemporary version of its setting. The result is not very successful.
While it would...
Written and directed by Michael Winterbottom
UK, 2011
Among contemporary cinema’s more versatile and prolific directors, one of the few sources of inspiration Michael Winterbottom has repeatedly returned to is the work of Thomas Hardy. Jude, his 1996 adaptation of Hardy’s Jude the Obscure, was effectively his breakthrough film; 2000’s The Claim, meanwhile, was loosely based on The Mayor of Casterbridge, applying content from that novel’s Victorian England setting to an American western. Winterbottom’s latest Hardy adaptation, Trishna, has more in common with that latter film in that it transfers the source material of Tess of the d’Urbervilles to a different setting and culture. Set in India, Trishna differs from both of the director’s previous Hardy adaptations in that it tries to apply the source’s themes and narrative to the contemporary version of its setting. The result is not very successful.
While it would...
- 7/22/2012
- by Josh Slater-Williams
- SoundOnSight
This is the truth.
The truth love has taught me.
My love, you showed me how the world really is.
(from one of Amit Trivedi’s very fine original songs from Trishna)
Michael Winterbottom’s latest film, Trishna, is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Winterbottom, of course, is no stranger to Hardy’s stories, having previously adapted both Jude the Obscure (Jude) and The Mayor of Casterbridge (The Claim). Whereas Jude was a fairly faithful retelling of the book, at least as far as the setting was concerned, The Claim played with the setting, moving it to California during the 19th century gold rush. And such is the case with Trishna, too. Winterbottom retains the essential theme, that of a young woman whose life is controlled by social constraints and the vagaries of fate, but he takes the brilliant step of moving it...
The truth love has taught me.
My love, you showed me how the world really is.
(from one of Amit Trivedi’s very fine original songs from Trishna)
Michael Winterbottom’s latest film, Trishna, is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Winterbottom, of course, is no stranger to Hardy’s stories, having previously adapted both Jude the Obscure (Jude) and The Mayor of Casterbridge (The Claim). Whereas Jude was a fairly faithful retelling of the book, at least as far as the setting was concerned, The Claim played with the setting, moving it to California during the 19th century gold rush. And such is the case with Trishna, too. Winterbottom retains the essential theme, that of a young woman whose life is controlled by social constraints and the vagaries of fate, but he takes the brilliant step of moving it...
- 7/13/2012
- by Katherine Matthews
- Bollyspice
A review of soundtracks released May 8, 2012 including films based on soap operas and board games (seriously?) plus a British television series based on a classic character. Aren’t there any original ideas anymore!?!
Dark Shadows: Original Score by Danny Elfman
Dark Shadows marks the fourteenth time Danny Elfman has scored a Tim Burton film (and sixth with Johnny Depp). The two came together for Burton’s first feature-length film Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure in 1985 and have since both gone on to have prominent careers. Their latest collaboration, Dark Shadows, is a remake of a soap opera that aired from 1966-1971. The original score features the usual gothic orchestral sounds that are associated with Elfman. One thing that makes this unique from previous Elfman scores is the sometimes use of synthesizers to provide a 70’s vibe, like on the track “Shadows (Reprise).” Elfman also manages to incorporate the original theme...
Dark Shadows: Original Score by Danny Elfman
Dark Shadows marks the fourteenth time Danny Elfman has scored a Tim Burton film (and sixth with Johnny Depp). The two came together for Burton’s first feature-length film Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure in 1985 and have since both gone on to have prominent careers. Their latest collaboration, Dark Shadows, is a remake of a soap opera that aired from 1966-1971. The original score features the usual gothic orchestral sounds that are associated with Elfman. One thing that makes this unique from previous Elfman scores is the sometimes use of synthesizers to provide a 70’s vibe, like on the track “Shadows (Reprise).” Elfman also manages to incorporate the original theme...
- 5/17/2012
- by Christopher Laplante
- SoundOnSight
Movie: Trishna Director: Michael Winterbottom Screenwriter: Michael Winterbottom (adapted from Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the d'Urbervilles") Lead Cast: Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed Theatrical Release Date: July 13, 2012 Festival Date: Friday, May 18 and Sunday, May 20 Synopsis: Trishna (Freida Pinto) lives with her family in a village in Rajasthan, India's largest state. As the eldest daughter, she works in a nearby resort to help pay the bills. Jay (Riz Ahmed) is the wealthy son of a property developer. When he takes up managing a resort at his father's request, he meets Trishna at a dance and their fates cross. Jay finds every opportunity to win Trishna's affection and she accepts his efforts with shy curiosity. But when the two move to Mumbai and become a couple, Jay's deep family bond threatens the young lovers' bliss. Quick Thoughts: Beautiful cinematography from Marcel Zyskind combined with vibrant costumes and scenery. An enriching...
- 5/7/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Until now, the teasers and previews for Michael Winterbottom's "Trishna" have largely focused on the lush Indian setting and the handsome faces of its two leads, but with the film now a few months away from hitting theaters, a brand new trailer has arrived showing off the tougher dramatic undercurrent running through it.
Starring Riz Ahmed and Freida Pinto, the film is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," but transported to Rajasthan, India, and follows the tragic romance between the lower class daughter of a rickshaw owner, and the upper class son of a property developer. He sweeps her off her feet, but when they move to the big city, their differences, dependence and expectations are put to the test. Certainly, the film looks gorgeous and sounds great -- due in no small part to the songs by Indian film composer Amit Trivedi and...
Starring Riz Ahmed and Freida Pinto, the film is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," but transported to Rajasthan, India, and follows the tragic romance between the lower class daughter of a rickshaw owner, and the upper class son of a property developer. He sweeps her off her feet, but when they move to the big city, their differences, dependence and expectations are put to the test. Certainly, the film looks gorgeous and sounds great -- due in no small part to the songs by Indian film composer Amit Trivedi and...
- 4/4/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
"Mexico City. 2002, 2006, 2010. A cop. A hostage. A wife. Corruption, violence, vengeance. Three destinies, during 30 days, during three Soccer World Cups. Three ways to fight in order to survive." This is the synopsis of "Days Of Grace." Starring Eva Longoria, Carlos Bardem (Javier's brother), Miguel Rodarte and Paulina Gaitan, while writer/Director Everardo Gout's first feature doesn't have a U.S. release date yet (it screened out of competition at Cannes last year), it does have a rather interesting soundtrack worth noting and maybe that'll give it extra attention.
Out digitally April 3rd via Lakeshore Records, the soundtrack includes Massive Attack's Robert "3D" Del Naja featuring the one and only sultry-voiced Scarlett Johannsson, (presumably a remix of her "Summertime" George Gerswhin song that she performed on the Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars compilation).
Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi (Wong Kar-Wai's "In The Mood For Love" and Zhang Yimou's...
Out digitally April 3rd via Lakeshore Records, the soundtrack includes Massive Attack's Robert "3D" Del Naja featuring the one and only sultry-voiced Scarlett Johannsson, (presumably a remix of her "Summertime" George Gerswhin song that she performed on the Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars compilation).
Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi (Wong Kar-Wai's "In The Mood For Love" and Zhang Yimou's...
- 3/19/2012
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Toronto International Film Festival 2011 has lined up a mixed bag of Indian films: an extravagant Bollywood fare, a Tamil satire, a surreal film and a suspense thriller both shot in Kolkata, and a ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ adaptation set in Rajasthan. The showcase also features a diverse range of directors, from actor-turned-director Pankaj Kapoor to the critically acclaimed Vimukhti Jayasundara.
Photo courtesy: tiff.net
The festival runs from September 8 through September 18, 2011. Well-known actor Pankaj Kapoor’s directorial debut Mausam starring his son Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor will have its World Premiere on September 14 at the festival. The film is touted as a typical Bollywood extravaganza replete with songs and dance. It is a love story between a Hindu Air Force pilot and a Muslim refugee from Kashmir. In the words of Cameron Bailey, the co-director and programmer of Toronto International Film Festival, “No film in this year’s...
Photo courtesy: tiff.net
The festival runs from September 8 through September 18, 2011. Well-known actor Pankaj Kapoor’s directorial debut Mausam starring his son Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor will have its World Premiere on September 14 at the festival. The film is touted as a typical Bollywood extravaganza replete with songs and dance. It is a love story between a Hindu Air Force pilot and a Muslim refugee from Kashmir. In the words of Cameron Bailey, the co-director and programmer of Toronto International Film Festival, “No film in this year’s...
- 9/7/2011
- by Nandita Dutta
- DearCinema.com
The teaser for Michael Winterbottom's Trishna, reveals a translation of Thomas Hardy's romantic English novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles to a modern-day setting in India. This is Winterbottom's third Hardy adaptation, following 1996's Jude (Jude the Oscure) and 2000's The Claim (The Mayor of Casterbridge). For Trishna, Winterbottom replaces the fervent English wilds with rural and urban Indian backdrops in Jaipur and Mumbai for a love affair between moneyed businessman Jay (Riz Ahmed, Four Lions) and working class Trishna (Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire). Other than the smoldering good looks of the lovers, the most stunning aspect of this trailer is the melodic, elegiac soundtrack scored by Shigeru Umebayashi with original songs by Amit Trivedi. Trishna will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, where it will be seeking distribution.
- 8/20/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
You've got to hand it to Michael Winterbottom: he's a prolific director who isn't afraid to experiment. The results of his experiments are pretty hit and miss, but he's got as many hits as misses, and that's a better track record than many can boast. His latest is Trishna, which is also his third Thomas Hardy adaptation. In this case the source material is Tess of the d’Urbervilles, with the story set in modern India rather than late 1800s England. The story follows the relationship between Jay (Riz Ahmed), the wealthy son of a hotelier , and working class girl Trishna (Freida Pinto). Their affair may be doomed, but the trailer for Trishna is quite pretty, and should be enough to make this romance look quite appealing. Contributing to the beauty of the trailer is the music by film composer Amit Trivedi, whose original songs are featured in the...
- 8/20/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Hollywood actor teams up with Bristol band to cover George Gershwin's Summertime for Mexican movie soundtrack
Massive Attack have collaborated with actor Scarlett Johansson on the soundtrack to a forthcoming Mexican thriller. Dias de Gracia (Days of Grace), directed by Everardo Gout, also features original music by Atticus Ross, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, and Shigeru Umebayashi.
Dias de Gracia is a tale of murder and kidnapping split across three separate storylines, with different composers scoring each narrative thread. Each segment takes place during a different World Cup final, in 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Bad Seeds Cave and Ellis scored the 2002 story after Gout heard their work on The Proposition and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. "They created a piece that superbly integrates sounds, noises, urban and animal backgrounds, that could have only been composed by them," he said.
Ross, who won an Oscar in February for...
Massive Attack have collaborated with actor Scarlett Johansson on the soundtrack to a forthcoming Mexican thriller. Dias de Gracia (Days of Grace), directed by Everardo Gout, also features original music by Atticus Ross, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, and Shigeru Umebayashi.
Dias de Gracia is a tale of murder and kidnapping split across three separate storylines, with different composers scoring each narrative thread. Each segment takes place during a different World Cup final, in 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Bad Seeds Cave and Ellis scored the 2002 story after Gout heard their work on The Proposition and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. "They created a piece that superbly integrates sounds, noises, urban and animal backgrounds, that could have only been composed by them," he said.
Ross, who won an Oscar in February for...
- 5/25/2011
- by Sean Michaels
- The Guardian - Film News
The Mexican thriller Days of Grace (Dias de gracia) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last week and features music by some prominent composers. The movie directed by Everardo Gout is set in Mexico City and weaves together three kidnappings that take place during the soccer World Cup tournaments in 2002, ’06 and ’10. The film’s press material (via The Playlist) reveals that different composers have worked on the three segments of the film. According to an interview with Gout, the 2002 segment is scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (The Proposition, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), whose music integrates sounds, noises, urban and animal backgrounds. The 2006 segment features music by recent Academy Award winner Atticus Ross (The Social Network), who has worked on the project before his win. The 2010 segment is scored by Shigeru Umebayashi (In the Mood for Love, 2046), whose music is described as the...
- 5/23/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
Robert here, continuing my series on important contemporary directors. This week I'm happy to feature a director I've loved for a long time. Yet now, perhaps more than any other time in his career (or at least since I've been following it) it seems like ages since we've heard from him. But that's not true. His last film came out the same year as Paul Thomas Anderson's last. Yet Anderson still seems very of the moment, while Wong Kar Wai has seemingly fallen off the radar. Such is the difference, I suppose, between a critical hit and a flop.
Maestro: Wong Kar Wai
Known For: beautiful films about people who love each other, and don't. And occasionally an action movie.
Influences: The inherent coolness of Godard. The luscious romanticism of Visconti. The stylish noirness of Huston.
Masterpieces: Hard to narrow it down. But the one-two punch of In the Mood for Love...
Maestro: Wong Kar Wai
Known For: beautiful films about people who love each other, and don't. And occasionally an action movie.
Influences: The inherent coolness of Godard. The luscious romanticism of Visconti. The stylish noirness of Huston.
Masterpieces: Hard to narrow it down. But the one-two punch of In the Mood for Love...
- 4/1/2010
- by Robert
- FilmExperience
British composer David Buckley began his career by writing television music and jingles in his homeland before he was introduced to Harry Gregson-Williams. After working on some of the composer's most recent projects (from the Shrek sequels to Gone Baby Gone), David gained enough experience to write his own full-length film scores. His most visible credits up to now include Joel Schumacher's Town Creek and The Forbidden Kingdom - the movie that united martial arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li. His latest movie entitled From Paris With Love once again teams up a mismatched couple - now in the form of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and John Travolta, who play characters getting on like a house on fire. Based on a story by Luc Besson, the French action picture gave its composer an opportunity to provide a high-energy, percussive score which is counterpointed by sensuous songs on the soundtrack. We...
- 3/26/2010
- Daily Film Music Blog
Nobody in their right mind would predict a former fashion designer could turn in a startlingly assured debut film. But that’s exactly what Tom Ford has achieved with A Single Man. The film’s wistful tone and melancholic atmosphere play counterpoint to Colin Firth’s sardonic, but deeply wounded character. As George Falconer, the English professor teaching in Los Angeles, Firth delivers something very special. It is a performance all in the eyes – and how pained they look.
Set on a single day – 30th November, 1962 – the audience is treated to the highlights of a man who wakes up with the intent to kill himself and who ends the day having glimpsed the potential for a new happiness. There’s a lovely irony delivered in the final moments that make one wonder if it’s what the character wanted and needed all along.
The narrative is episodic and although it is strictly “character driven” fare,...
Set on a single day – 30th November, 1962 – the audience is treated to the highlights of a man who wakes up with the intent to kill himself and who ends the day having glimpsed the potential for a new happiness. There’s a lovely irony delivered in the final moments that make one wonder if it’s what the character wanted and needed all along.
The narrative is episodic and although it is strictly “character driven” fare,...
- 2/8/2010
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
In 2006, a young Polish composer named Abel Korzeniowski moved to Los Angeles to pursue film composition as his career. Although he had an impressive resumé, including a specialization in cello, studying from Krzysztof Penderecki and numerous awards (Golden Lions from the Gdynia festival, a Golden Knight Award from Russia), the film music business is very saturated in Los Angeles. Three years later Korzeniowski is in the gate of international fame with a Golden Globe nomination for the score he wrote for Tom Ford's A Single Man. We discussed his work on the movie, the special methods he used for the score's recording and what the future holds for this bright talent.
How did you first get in touch with A Single Man?
This actually goes back to my first movie in the U.S. called Pu-239. This is when I met editor Tania Riegel and she recommended me for A Single Man three years later.
How did you first get in touch with A Single Man?
This actually goes back to my first movie in the U.S. called Pu-239. This is when I met editor Tania Riegel and she recommended me for A Single Man three years later.
- 12/22/2009
- Daily Film Music Blog
After watching the first five minutes of director Tom Ford's debut film A Single Man (2009), I started to fear the worst. Between the slow motion-accentuated, visually abstracted images of a nude male body submerged in an endless body of water, punctuated by the yearning sounds of a violin, I leaned over to my wife and whispered "Oh no. This could be a feature length version of an Obsession commercial." Ford's background as the former creative director for Gucci and a prominent fashion designer left me ambivalent as to his ability to construct a meaningful film. An hour and half later, my fears were utterly annihilated and I was struck by the sentiment that A Single Man is not only one of the most aesthetically accomplished films of the year but a film that also finds balance beyond form in the drama of the script (adapted from Christopher Isherwood's novel...
- 12/12/2009
- by Drew Morton
When Dustin "Cinnamon" Rowles assigned me to produce a canon of the top ten foreign language films of the aughts, I felt incredibly intimidated. When Dustin assured me that I was the critic for the job, as I had probably seen the most foreign films out of the entire staff, my anxiety only deepened. I admit that I watch a lot of foreign language flicks, thanks to Netflix, the American Cinematheque's wonderful programming, and owning a region-free DVD player. However, when I spoke to my cinema and media studies classmates and colleagues, I quickly began to realize that I had still missed a torrent of films that could have made this list (Caché, Downfall, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, Maria Full of Grace, and Werckmeister Harmonies to name a few). Moreover, to consolidate all the films I had seen over the past decade from all the non-English speaking countries around the world was,...
- 12/10/2009
- by Drew Morton
Kevin Costner will be honored with the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award for Career Achievement at the 36th Ghent International Film Festival in Ghent, Belgium on Oct. 11. He'll also perform a live concert at the fest with his band Modern West.
Winner of two Oscars for "Dances with Wolves," Costner released his debut album, "Untold Truths," in 2008 and has been playing with members of Modern West for 20 years.
The festival will also host concerts spotlighting the work of Marvin Hamlisch, Alexandre Desplat, Marc Streitenfeld and Shigeru Umebayashi.
On Oct. 17, the fest concludes with the 9th World Soundtrack Awards. Nominees include Carter Burwell, Desplat, Danny Elfman and Michael Giacchino, among others.
Winner of two Oscars for "Dances with Wolves," Costner released his debut album, "Untold Truths," in 2008 and has been playing with members of Modern West for 20 years.
The festival will also host concerts spotlighting the work of Marvin Hamlisch, Alexandre Desplat, Marc Streitenfeld and Shigeru Umebayashi.
On Oct. 17, the fest concludes with the 9th World Soundtrack Awards. Nominees include Carter Burwell, Desplat, Danny Elfman and Michael Giacchino, among others.
Back again with another installment of "What I Watched, What You Watched," and due to my time in San Diego covering Comic Con and the fact one of the selections included this time around is the complete season from a television show this installment doesn't have as many titles, but the second page has a little extra something I hope you'll be interested in checking out. As a reminder to those that either didn't read the first installment (read it here) in this new feature series or forgot, "What I Watched, What You Watched" is a chance for me to share with you the movies (and sometimes television shows) I have been watching that don't necessarily make it into the headlines every week. My goal is to do this on a weekly basis unless things get in the way (such as this time around). I hope this will spark conversation...
- 8/2/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The 36th Ghent International Film Festival, set to run Oct. 6-17, will focus on Asia -- it's the first time the music-oriented fest has adopted a specific theme -- with particular emphasis on China.
Filmmaker Wang Quan'an and actress Yu Nan will appear as special guests and members of the international jury. The fest will screen four of their films, including Berlin's Golden Bear winner "Tuya's Marriage."
The festival also will pay tribute to Japanese anime art and film with an exhibition, "Anime! High Art -- Pop Culture," at the Caermers Convent in Ghent, displaying hundreds of original drawings, 3-D models and film clips. The exhibition will be open to visitors from Oct. 9 - Jan. 10.
Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi, who has worked with directors Wong Kar Wai, Zhang Yimou and Jet Li, will present a live concert on Oct. 15th.
The fest will close on Oct. 17 with the ninth World Soundtrack Awards.
Filmmaker Wang Quan'an and actress Yu Nan will appear as special guests and members of the international jury. The fest will screen four of their films, including Berlin's Golden Bear winner "Tuya's Marriage."
The festival also will pay tribute to Japanese anime art and film with an exhibition, "Anime! High Art -- Pop Culture," at the Caermers Convent in Ghent, displaying hundreds of original drawings, 3-D models and film clips. The exhibition will be open to visitors from Oct. 9 - Jan. 10.
Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi, who has worked with directors Wong Kar Wai, Zhang Yimou and Jet Li, will present a live concert on Oct. 15th.
The fest will close on Oct. 17 with the ninth World Soundtrack Awards.
- 6/17/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film, music and animation from the continent of China will enjoy the spotlight at this October's 36th Ghent Film Festival. Organizers plan to stage a film music concert by Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi, a Japanese anime exhibition and an exclusive focus on Chinese filmmaking.
The Asian motif will be carried throughout the annual event in the form of screenings, performances and supplementary events. Selected mainstream and underground films will be primarily occupied with exploring the effect of China's meteoric economic expansion on the traditional values and occupations of its people.
The Asian film industry will have notable representation from filmmaker Wang Quan'an and actress Yu Nan. Festival-goers will be able to view four films from the pair's body of work, including Golden Bear winner "Tuya's Marriage".
Figuring into the agenda is a unique film music concert inspired by Asian masterworks. Leading Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi will receive special recognition for...
The Asian motif will be carried throughout the annual event in the form of screenings, performances and supplementary events. Selected mainstream and underground films will be primarily occupied with exploring the effect of China's meteoric economic expansion on the traditional values and occupations of its people.
The Asian film industry will have notable representation from filmmaker Wang Quan'an and actress Yu Nan. Festival-goers will be able to view four films from the pair's body of work, including Golden Bear winner "Tuya's Marriage".
Figuring into the agenda is a unique film music concert inspired by Asian masterworks. Leading Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi will receive special recognition for...
- 6/8/2009
- icelebz.com
CANNES -- Now that he feels comfortable with wuxia, or martial arts movies, following "Hero" -- his first foray into the genre, which Miramax has yet to release in North America -- Chinese master Zhang Yimou creates a gem in "House of Flying Daggers".
While the action sequences are right up there with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", Zhang uses the genre to relate a touching and tragic tale about star-crossed lovers caught up with forces that threaten to overwhelm them. Filming with an international cast in China and the Ukraine, the director lets the action unfold amid landscapes so beautiful they feel like paintings.
The film is certain to be a worldwide hit, but whether it will approach the boxoffice figures of the "Crouching Tiger" phenomenon is an open question. Certainly, Western audiences hungering for more have a great meal headed their way. Sony Pictures Classics has domestic rights.
Set in the year 859 in the waning days of the now-corrupt Tang Dynasty, the central force in the film is a shadowy revolutionary alliance known as the House of Flying Daggers. Their leader has been assassinated, but a mysterious new leader has already replaced him.
Two local deputies are ordered to capture this leader within 10 days, a virtually impossible task. Capt. Leo (Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau) suspects that Mei ("Crouching Tiger"'s Zhang Ziyi), a new and beautiful blind dancer at the nearby Peony Pavilion, is actually the daughter of the old leader seeking revenge. Capt. Jin (Japanese-Taiwanese star Takeshi Kaneshiro) goes to the brothel, where he drunkenly flirts with Mei, and they both get "arrested" by Leo.
When Mei refuses to talk even under threat of torture, Leo suggests that Jin rescue her while pretending to be a lone warrior who calls himself the Wind. The two flee, and the plan appears to work when, after a couple of spectacular battles between the couple and pursuing troops, Mei accepts Jin's faked identity.
The two head north, presumably toward the headquarters of the House of Flying Daggers. But no one is who he or she appears to be, and danger lurks everywhere. What no one anticipated, however, is that Mei and Jin would fall for each other, which causes everyone's schemes to crumble. When Jin must fight and kill his fellow soldiers for real and Mei finds herself asked to kill Jin, the divided loyalties reach their zenith.
Paying tribute to wuxia master King Hu, whose three-hour epic "A Touch of Zen" won a technical prize at Cannes in 1969, director Zhang honors all the conventions of the genre, including his own battle in the bamboo forest. The twist here is that the troops occupy the treetops, hurling sharpened bamboo down on the heroes who must fight and run on the ground.
As the title promises, knives and daggers zip through the air with balletic force. Flying daggers twist, plunge, ricochet and change directions. Employing the latest film technology and the most acrobatic suit people in the Chinese and Hong Kong film industries, Zhang Yimou has objects and people defy gravity in ways Hu could only dream about.
A dance sequence early in the movie featuring Zhang Ziyi and what appears to be a stunt double in some shots telegraphs viewers that the director means to raise the action bar in all areas. That he does so while keeping the story firmly rooted in the developing love between two people desperately fighting their own instincts is a tribute to his cinematic mastery.
Dashing Kaneshiro and hauntingly beautiful Zhang Ziyi convincingly convey the vulnerability of a couple battling inner emotions so that they will not fall in love. For Mei, the conflict is deepened by the fact that, unknown to Jin, she already has a lover who shadows and protects her. That lover is Lau's wily Leo, a man who will stop at nothing to keep her alive for him and for him alone.
Cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding's rendering of the rural locations is thing of pure magic. Shigeru Umebayashi's music, Chinese with Western modulations, well serves the movie's epic quality. Emi Wada's costumes blend in magnificently with the countryside, while editor Cheng Long gives a thrilling rhythm to action director Tony Ching Siu-Tung's intricate fight choreography.
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
Sony Pictures Classics
Elite Group Enterprises presents an Edko Films, Zhang Yimou Studio production in collaboration with Beijing New Picture Film Co.
Credits:
Director: Zhang Yimou
Screenwriters: Li Feng, Zhang Yimou, Wang Bin
Producers: Bill Kong, Zhang Yimou
Director of photography: Zhao Xiaoding
Production designer: Huo Tingziao
Action director: Tony Ching Siu-Tung
Music: Shigeru Umebayashi
Costume designer: Emi Wada
Editor: Cheng Long
Cast:
Jin: Takeshi Kaneshiro
Leo: Andy Lau
Mei: Zhang Ziyi
Yee: Song Dandan
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 119 minutes...
While the action sequences are right up there with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", Zhang uses the genre to relate a touching and tragic tale about star-crossed lovers caught up with forces that threaten to overwhelm them. Filming with an international cast in China and the Ukraine, the director lets the action unfold amid landscapes so beautiful they feel like paintings.
The film is certain to be a worldwide hit, but whether it will approach the boxoffice figures of the "Crouching Tiger" phenomenon is an open question. Certainly, Western audiences hungering for more have a great meal headed their way. Sony Pictures Classics has domestic rights.
Set in the year 859 in the waning days of the now-corrupt Tang Dynasty, the central force in the film is a shadowy revolutionary alliance known as the House of Flying Daggers. Their leader has been assassinated, but a mysterious new leader has already replaced him.
Two local deputies are ordered to capture this leader within 10 days, a virtually impossible task. Capt. Leo (Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau) suspects that Mei ("Crouching Tiger"'s Zhang Ziyi), a new and beautiful blind dancer at the nearby Peony Pavilion, is actually the daughter of the old leader seeking revenge. Capt. Jin (Japanese-Taiwanese star Takeshi Kaneshiro) goes to the brothel, where he drunkenly flirts with Mei, and they both get "arrested" by Leo.
When Mei refuses to talk even under threat of torture, Leo suggests that Jin rescue her while pretending to be a lone warrior who calls himself the Wind. The two flee, and the plan appears to work when, after a couple of spectacular battles between the couple and pursuing troops, Mei accepts Jin's faked identity.
The two head north, presumably toward the headquarters of the House of Flying Daggers. But no one is who he or she appears to be, and danger lurks everywhere. What no one anticipated, however, is that Mei and Jin would fall for each other, which causes everyone's schemes to crumble. When Jin must fight and kill his fellow soldiers for real and Mei finds herself asked to kill Jin, the divided loyalties reach their zenith.
Paying tribute to wuxia master King Hu, whose three-hour epic "A Touch of Zen" won a technical prize at Cannes in 1969, director Zhang honors all the conventions of the genre, including his own battle in the bamboo forest. The twist here is that the troops occupy the treetops, hurling sharpened bamboo down on the heroes who must fight and run on the ground.
As the title promises, knives and daggers zip through the air with balletic force. Flying daggers twist, plunge, ricochet and change directions. Employing the latest film technology and the most acrobatic suit people in the Chinese and Hong Kong film industries, Zhang Yimou has objects and people defy gravity in ways Hu could only dream about.
A dance sequence early in the movie featuring Zhang Ziyi and what appears to be a stunt double in some shots telegraphs viewers that the director means to raise the action bar in all areas. That he does so while keeping the story firmly rooted in the developing love between two people desperately fighting their own instincts is a tribute to his cinematic mastery.
Dashing Kaneshiro and hauntingly beautiful Zhang Ziyi convincingly convey the vulnerability of a couple battling inner emotions so that they will not fall in love. For Mei, the conflict is deepened by the fact that, unknown to Jin, she already has a lover who shadows and protects her. That lover is Lau's wily Leo, a man who will stop at nothing to keep her alive for him and for him alone.
Cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding's rendering of the rural locations is thing of pure magic. Shigeru Umebayashi's music, Chinese with Western modulations, well serves the movie's epic quality. Emi Wada's costumes blend in magnificently with the countryside, while editor Cheng Long gives a thrilling rhythm to action director Tony Ching Siu-Tung's intricate fight choreography.
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
Sony Pictures Classics
Elite Group Enterprises presents an Edko Films, Zhang Yimou Studio production in collaboration with Beijing New Picture Film Co.
Credits:
Director: Zhang Yimou
Screenwriters: Li Feng, Zhang Yimou, Wang Bin
Producers: Bill Kong, Zhang Yimou
Director of photography: Zhao Xiaoding
Production designer: Huo Tingziao
Action director: Tony Ching Siu-Tung
Music: Shigeru Umebayashi
Costume designer: Emi Wada
Editor: Cheng Long
Cast:
Jin: Takeshi Kaneshiro
Leo: Andy Lau
Mei: Zhang Ziyi
Yee: Song Dandan
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 119 minutes...
- 5/20/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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