myDylarama

East End Film Festival 2015 - Crumbs

Ryan Ormonde — 2015-08-10T13:26:00Z

East End Film Festival 2015: Crumbs (Miguel Llansó)

Last October, the Guardian's Africa Correspondent David Smith wrote a profile of Ethiopia, 30 years on from its infamous famine. Smith describes a country of ‘frenetic urban expansion', ‘an Orwellian surveillance state, breathtaking in scale and scope'. Crumbs, a post-apocalypse vision of Ethiopia from writer-director Miguel Llansó, shows us a country laid to waste. In the words of the apocryphal literary quotation that serves as a prelude to the film: ‘the survival instinct and the faith in the conservation of the human species had dissipated'. Historians consider Ethiopia to be the birthplace of the genus Homo, so it is fitting to imagine humanity's last days in that area of the earth.

Post-apocalypse films provide an opportunity for a particular kind of humour that trades off the perceptions our future descendants might have of us, their ancestors. Here, the ‘crumbs' of the title are mysterious and valuable antique objects, among them a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pendant; a poster of Michael Jordan, now refashioned as a shrine; a vinyl copy of Dangerous by Michael Jackson and a plastic toy gun attributed to Carrefour, believed to be one of history's last great artists. Carrefour is in fact the French version of Wal-Mart, its name emblazoned on the toy's flimsy packaging.

What is strange about this film is the sense of sadness that surrounds these misattributions. The central couple, played by Daniel Tadesse and Selam Tesfaye, imbue their possessions with more than just historical worth: they are sacred and auspicious signs. It is as if the performers are handling ancient tribal artefacts that have been replaced in post-production with tacky bits of plastic. The effect is to show how essential is belief for humanity, how arbitrary yet somehow vital are objects of faith and how the universal lie of culture is the only truth for humankind.

Events only get more absurd for Tadesse's and Tesfaye's characters, referred to as ‘Candy' and ‘Birdy': a quest centering on an old man who has adopted the identity of Santa Claus; an awkward confrontation with the mute operator of a ghost train; the goings-on of a seemingly haunted bowling alley. Candy does not have a conventional body shape: he is diminutive in stature and his bones protrude. In the language of the movies he is clearly an outsider, while Birdy is a Disney princess. All their hopes are symbolised by a daft, until recently decommissioned spaceship hovering in the sky, resembling Monty Python's hand of God.

For all its postmodern panache, this is a languid and sad tale. The camera lingers on the faces of its protagonists, on the region's extraordinary desert landscape, its lush vegetation and its forlorn architecture. Llansó lives in Addis Ababa but is originally from Spain and as such this is a view from the outside in (to compare, the first ever Ethiopian film to be shown at Cannes - this year's Lamb - has been described as ‘made entirely from the inside out'). There may be a lot to read between the lines: for example, a joke about bureaucracy seems particularly pertinent in the light of Smith's ‘Orwellian' characterisation of present day Ethiopia. At its primary level however, Crumbs is a tragic, short treatise on the cognitive dissonance of humankind, our pitiful dreams and our meaningless objects.

Crumbs, Dir. Miguel Llansó, 2015
Teasers and trailers at https://vimeo.com/lanzaderafilms

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Kwet — 2011-01-23T11:57:16Z

Réalisé par Jim Sharman, avec Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Botswick, etc...

Il y a parfois des films qui vous semblent tellement géniaux et mythiques qu'on en oublierait presque qu'il est possible que certaines personnes sur Terre n'en aient jamais entendu parler. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS pour les intimes) est de ceux-là pour moi.

Issu du mouvement des Midnight Movies des années 70, (ces films créés pour les séances de minuit ou plus tard, car trop subversifs voire choquants pour les yeux de la classe américaine moyenne), ce film musical adapté de la comédie musicale du même nom créée à Londres en 1973 a été, à mon grand étonnement, un échec spectaculaire au moment de sa sortie. Jugé trop simple, avec trop de références sexuelles (ce qui de nos jours devrait garantir le succès de n'importe quel film), il fut tout de même le premier de ces midnight movies à être produit par une major, et bénéficie d'un très large réseau de fans à travers le monde qui l'ont élevé au rang de film culte, ce qui lui permet, plus de 35 ans après sa sortie, d'être toujours à l'affiche de nombreuses salles dans le monde entier. Ainsi en France, le studio Galande dans le 5e arrondissement de Paris (studiogalande.fr) le programme ainsi les vendredis et samedis soirs, accompagné de 2 troupes qui en présentent leur propre interprétation pendant la projection (à conseiller aux fans qui connaissent déjà bien le film pour en profiter).

L'histoire, parodie des films d'horreur et de science fiction, peut à peu près se résumer ainsi :
Janet et Brad, alors qu'ils vont rendre visite à leur ami le professeur Scott pour lui annoncer leurs fiançailles, sont pris dans un violent orage. Un pneu crevé les oblige à s'arrêter demander de l'aide dans un bien étrange manoir, où ils sont accueillis par les étranges domestiques Magenta et Riff Raff qui les entraînent dans les festivités décadentes et délirantes qui s'y déroulent. Là ils font la connaissance du Dr Frank-N-Furter, travesti qui dit être « from transexual Transylvania », véritable maître de cérémonie du manoir, et qui va les pousser à rester pour la nuit. Durant cette nuit ils vont créer un apollon blond et naïf du nom de Rocky, manger du motard, se révéler d'une sexualité décomplexée, tout ça pour découvrir que Frank est en réalité un extraterrestre de la planète Transylvania, que ses domestiques vont finir par punir pour n'avoir pas su conquérir ce monde.
Tout se déroule dans une ambiance musicale Rock n'roll, le film pourrait même s'avérer le premier du genre Glam-Rock dans son exubérance et ses ambiguïtés.

Une intrigue aussi délurée que ses personnages, qui va chercher ses références dans les auteurs littéraires et cinématographiques d'horreur, de fantastique et de science-fiction, qui ne se lasse pas de surprendre et de faire rire, des chansons dont on se souvient et qui sont de véritables odes au délire, au sexe, à la drogue, au rock n'roll, des personnages ambigus et délurés, d'autant plus étranges qu'ils en deviennent attachants (pour des raisons totalement inexplicables par l'auteur de cet article tant la phrase « ce scientifique travesti obsédé est vraiment trop chou en fin de compte » perd de sa logique à l'écrit), en bref ce film est un condensé d'envie de s'amuser hors des limites habituellement connues, une ambiance de paillettes et de couteaux ensanglantés et une comédie fantastiquement morbide.
Les acteurs y livrent une véritable performance de jeu, de chant, de danse, de drôlerie, et on y découvre une toute jeune Susan Sarandon excellente, qui n'a pas peur de rire d'elle même et de risquer une image de jeune actrice pourtant peu connue alors.

En résumé, un film cultissime, impossible à rater (enfin sauf si Titanic et Autant en emporte le vent sont vos films préférés, dans ce cas il y a des chances pour que vous n'arriviez pas à apprécier ce film à sa juste valeur...) qui redonne goût aux porte jarretelles et aux orgies rock.

Dir : Jim Sharman, 1975

Kaboom

Kwet — 2010-10-07T14:37:19Z

Réalisé par Gregg Araki, avec Thomas Dekker, Juno Temple, Haley Bennett, etc.

Kaboom. C'est autant le titre du film que l'effet qu'il fait. Kaboom ! Explosif, délirant, impertinent et tellement drôle que ça vous explose à la tête sans crier gare.

Gregg Araki a pour principe de ne jamais se laisser enfermer dans un genre, une case, et pour cela reste en constante recherche de nouveauté dans ses films. Ce dernier en est un succès flagrant, tellement le film semble mélanger les genres, avoir toutes les références pour finalement s'avérer purement unique… Le scénario nous semble au premier abord familier, on a l'impression que l'on sait à quoi s'attendre et on s'apprête à assister à une comédie de campus juste plus sexy et insolente que les autres, mais on est rapidement démentis tellement les surprises arrivent les unes après les autres ! Le film est tantôt un polar, un film d'action, un film de science fiction et une comédie romantique, sans jamais tomber dans la parodie ni la farce, tout est sérieusement drôle ou drôlement sérieux, au choix… Tout ça en couleurs vives à la limite du psychédélique !

Impossible de vous donner un résumé sans vous dévoiler une partie de l'intrigue, mais en gros, Smith est un tout jeune étudiant qui évolue sur son campus entouré de son sublime colocataire, sa meilleure amie lesbienne sarcastique, sa nouvelle amie London et divers personnages rencontrés au long du film, tous bien définis et souvent totalement fous. Quelques semaines avant son 19e anniversaire, il commence à faire un rêve très étrange et récurrent…

Le casting est aussi l'un des grands succès de ce film. Très soigné, chaque acteur a créé un personnage simplement inimitable, et on en ressort avec l'impression que l'on n'aurait pas vu le même film si seulement l'un d'eux avait été remplacé. Grâce à leur habileté à camper ces personnages jeunes, marginaux et délurés, la magie prend et toute l'ironie que met le réalisateur sur lui-même, sur la société qui l'entoure, sur les comédie américaines et le cinéma en général n'est ni trop appuyée, ni juste effleurée, elle prend sa simple et logique importance dans ce film qui parle de tant de choses, fond et forme confondus.

Finalement, 1h30 de delirium sans concession ni agression, des images pop et colorées, qui nous impriment la rétine durablement pour notre plus grand plaisir.

Dir : Gregg Araki, 2010

Mundane History (Premiere in Paris)

Abla Kandalaft — 2010-08-04T05:57:31Z

Mundane History is Thai director Anocha Suwichakornpong's first feature film and was part of this year's competition. Winner of 2 best feature film awards at the 2010 International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Transilvania International Film Festival, it explores the relationship between Ake, a young man paralysed from the waist down, his male nurse and his father. Beyond this, in terms of plot, nothing much happens. Ake reveals his resentment towards his father through few well-chosen words and gestures of defiance. His attitude to Pun oscillates between gentle mockery and irritation and develops into something slightly warmer towards the end. Essentially, the focus is on the uneasy interactions within that triangle.

Occasionally, the film topples into another, completely surrealist dimension. Dreamscape? Ake's subconscious? Visions? Ecstasy overdose? Not altogether particularly clear, but it doesn't matter. We are treated to visually stunning scenes of the galaxy. It's all bright colours and patterns amplified by a hypnotic soundtrack courtesy of Malaysian band Furniture and Thai band the Photo Sticker Machine.
On the whole, this is a beautiful and at times awkward film. The unusual, very irregular rhythm of it -long silences and explosive moments- seems to be the source of its success; it is what makes us empathise with Ake's frustration, what makes us feel uneasy at the characters' interactions and what draws us in during those ecstatic dreamlike sequences.

The film is slow and the scenes are long-drawn so it should work best on those viewers not pressed for time, and not too fussy regarding plot development. This is a film for those cinema lovers who relish sinking slowly in their seats for any number of hours and allow the images to unfold at whatever pace the director chose to impose. Mundane History is at its best on the big screen, it probably wouldn't have the same effect during a DVD or a half arsed viewing on ovguide, interrupted by various doodles and tea breaks.

The film will be released in Bangkok on 5 August 2010 at SFX Cinema, The Emporium.

Read the Q and A with director Anocha Suwichakornpong in Unexplored: Q and As section.

Dir: Anocha Suwichakornpong, 2010

Bronson

Abla Kandalaft — 2010-07-18T02:46:19Z

This theme is a chance to look back at what to me was one of the best films of 2009. Director Nicolas Winding Refn's most mainstream effort since the Pusher trilogy is a surrealist portrait of one of Britain's most notorious prisoner, Michael Peterson or as he liked to be called, Charles Bronson, whose miserably comical attempt at robbing a post office in 1974 lands him in prison. Originally meant to serve a seven-year sentence he is still behind bars, and has spent 30 of those 36 years in solitary confinement. So what can be done in the way of drama, tension and entertainment out of three decades of a man in a cell? How to draw the crowds in to watch a Danish director's vision of a man many of them have never heard of? Perhaps surprisingly, the captions on the film's posters, “Britain's most infamous prisoner”, “Britain's longest serving prisoner”, “Britain's most violent man”, served as basic explanations of who this Bronson person actually is to potential audience members, probably wondering why the man on the poster, bar the moustache, looks nothing like the only Charles Bronson they were familiar with and had no idea Britain's prison system was harbouring some bloke who shared his name.

Despite his continuous efforts to make his mark, quite a large number of people -including myself- were still clueless as to who he is, so I will start by congratulating the editing team behind the trailer: a couple of minutes of a massively impressive Tom Hardy, clowns, fights, war paint and make-up all to the beat of the Bet Shop Boy's It's a Sin. You would expect a trailer like that to encapsulate the best bits, but the film is basically an adrenalin-fuelled, beautifully structured 90-minute version of that.

Refn's artistic choice was to stay true to the man himself without using pop psychology. Critics have argued that the film lacks insight into the character and that we are at a loss to understand his true motivations. Petersen was born into a middle-class, run of the mill family, maybe he was bullied at school, witnessed a car crash, had his artistic dreams smashed by a heartless teacher ripping up one of his early doodles or, a favourite on film forums, he was compensating for his small(ish) penis (even though it's Hardy's genitals we get a glimpse of and not Bronson's. To be fair the audience may get this impression from the fact that he had put on a massive amount of weight and thus looked a little disproportionate). Some of his violent impulses were more than probably a result of his incarceration but overall, Refn ploughs through with his choice to focus on Bronson's own words and the way in which he chooses to present himself. Bronson narrates via voice-overs for most of the film and occasionally through a clown-like address, dressed and made up like a cross between the Joker and Freddy Starr (ate my hamster) to an empty auditorium. Refn respectfully grants him the platform for performance and fame he clearly craves and yet manages to avoid over-indulging in sympathy for a sadistic and violent man. Coupling these moments of greatness with bits of him pummelling patients, prisoners and everybody else restores the balance so to speak. Although we are rightly encouraged to condemn the ridiculous sentence he received and although his unwavering sense of self-promotion and creativity at time commands a certain level of respect, he doesn't particularly come out of this a hero.Tom Hardy's performance has been universally praised and rightly so even by the film's detractors. The other performances were more than commendable, especially Matt King's, who I didn't think could be believable as anyone other than Super Hans but he nails the campy boxing coach.

Lest we forget, Bronson the film features one of the best “macabre party scene”, which involves half a dozen patients gyrating to It's a sin in a cordoned-off bit of a room during the local asylum's disco night. I realise I am basically applauding possibly lobotomised patients being ridiculed but it does constitute one of the few moments which hint more explicitly at the ways in which the authorities were complicit in Bronson's cycle of violent behaviour.
Overall, a beautiful film, which presents its protagonist as true to himself as possible and lets the audience make up its mind as to what to think of Charles Bronson the prisoner.

Dir: Nicolas Winding Refn, 2009