So's Reel Thoughts: Foreign

Showing posts with label Foreign. Show all posts

Kristen Stewart has teamed up with Olivier Assayas once again to bring us a ghost story called, Personal Shopper. Y'all know, I don't do ghost stories but I didn't realize that till the end of the trailer so I'm in for a reaaaal treat! Stewart was in Assayas' previous film Clouds of Sils Maria where she went to win the Cesar Best Supporting Actress Award, making her the first American actress to win a Cesar Award (French equivalent to the Oscars). Personal Shopper is a film that seems like it'll challenge Stewart to face certain demons while providing a dense story about loss. It comes out March 10th and so I still have time left to build up some courage to watch it!

Did someone say a new Sion Sono film?!?! If you happen to look at his IMDB page, apparently he has six films listed for 2015 including a tv movie. I don't know how the man does it but I am not complaining at all, quite the contrary! I am ecstatic to present another film by this idiosyncratic auteur who keeps tackling new genres in a visionary way only he can and this time, he brings us The Whispering Star. Starring his wife/actress Megumi Kagurazaka, plays Yoko, a robot deliverywoman who delivers packages to people around the galaxy on a floating house. But she begins to wonder what is in these boxes and more importantly, what it means to be human.

I've loved his previous films like the bat-shit crazy Why Don't You Play in Hell (See review) & the swagged out Tokyo Tribe. And with The Whispering Star, he seems to be tackling another genre in a breathtaking way. Shot in b&w with a simplistic set design, this sci-fi feels reminiscent to the dreamy works of Fellini and a dash of Spike Jonze's Her. But we all know that once we see it, it'll feel 100% like a Sion film. The Whispering Star screened at TIFF '15 and although, it has no U.S. release date yet, I bet it'll get picked up in no time! I mean, someone's got to! It's SION SONO!

Year: 2015

Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien

Writer: Ah Cheng, Chu T'ien-wen, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Hsieh Hai-Meng, Pei Xing (short story)

Cinematographer: Lee Ping Bin

Cast: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Tsumabuki Satoshi

Country of Origin: China/France

Time: 105 min.

Sal from Crome Yellow and I got to witness one of the most beautiful films of this year at Beyond Fest which is Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Assassin. In ninth-century China, an exiled assassin must choose between love and her duty when she is ordered to kill a man from her past. This is unlike any other martial arts film you have ever seen! The film showcases the most stunning and breathtaking cinematography that will transport you through time and space to witness a story truly visionary and masterful. Any fan of Hou knows the steady pace he utilizes and to some it may be too slow, but with these kind of rich visuals, who cares!

The Assassin is China's official entry to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language film. It might have some serious competition with Deniz Gamze Ergüven's Mustang from France but regardless, you should experience these two singularly powerful films for themselves. I had a chance to go to a q&a with Hou a day after where he went over his filmography and filmmaking style. All I can say is that he is such a wacky cat! I need to definitely to check out his previous works because if they are anything like The Assassin, I am in for a real treat!

It's been a while since a good werewolf film came out so you can understand my excitement after seeing the trailer for the upcoming Danish film, When Animals Dream. The film premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival and made it's numerous festival rounds including the iconic genre festival, Fantastic Fest, so you already know the film's going to hit some nerves! A teenage girl's sexual awakening unleashes something primal within, (oh, does it ever!) revealing a dark family secret. On the run and in danger, she must embrace a century's old curse to survive. Oh man, let the madness begin!

When Animals Dream totally channels moods of Ginger Snaps and Let the Right One In! At first, I couldn't tell if it was a vampire or werewolf film but glad to know that the film involves werewolves because there isn't enough films about these nightly creatures with females in the forefront besides Ginger Snaps (recommendations are welcomed). Also gaze at the beautiful yet jarring poster! Two is always better than one and obviously I couldn't choose because these posters are absolutely stunning. RADiUS is just killin' it these days with horror films like It Follows and Goodnight Mommy under their belt already! I can't wait for this film to come out next week on August 18th on VOD!

Yorgos Lanthimos is leading the Greek Weird Wave Cinema movement with his genre-bending and provocative films like Dogtooth and Alps. The subject of identity is nothing new as seen in this video essay prepared as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival Critics Campus program. Conor Bateman looks at the way Lanthimos' narratives present the transformation of identity in three of his films-- Kinetta, Dogtooth, and Alps. Lanthimos dares to challenge not only his characters but the audience to face the absurdity of the society we live in. His next film The Lobster is executed in the same satirical themes and is sure to ignite some conversations about our society's orthodox perception of matrimonial status and true love. Take a gander below and if you haven't seen any of his films, be ready to have your mind-blown!

Gaspar Noê is not n00b to making shocking and controversial films like I Stand Alone, Irreversible, Enter the Void, and now, Love. Noê has stated that Love will make girls cry and give boys hard-ons and he may be right! Although the trailer shows graphic sex scenes, it is paired well with a melodic and sweet tone that shows that the story is just as much emotional as it is physical. It's essentially a love story that celebrates sex in a joyous way as it should and in 3D! There will be definitely people grabbing at the screens for this one! And I don't expect anyone to tackle this subject better than Noê can! The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May where Indiewire claimed that it was some of the "most hardcore onscreen sex ever screened at the festival!" Alchemy is distributing the film but has not set a release date! Hurry up, people!

The official U.S. trailer and poster of Miroslav Slaboshpitsky's Ukrainian sign language film, The Tribe has been released and it is bloody beautiful! I saw the film last year at AFI FEST and there is no film I fell more madly and deeply in love with than this film right here that is wholly in Ukrainian sign-language, no translation. The film follows Sergey, a new student to a deaf boarding school as he navigates the school politics of the students and the culture within it. This film made me realize why I fell in love with cinema in the first place. Transformative, transcending, and powerful, The Tribe dares to grab you by your core and shake it!

The tagline to The Tribe is "Love and hate need no translation" which could not be more true in this case as Slaboshpitsky creates a singularly unique and universal piece of cinema that transcends all the barriers and boundaries of most films which is language. As his directorial debut feature, The Tribe is a groundbreaking and monumental film that needs to be experienced in its entirety! Look at the beautifully layered craftsmanship of the poster which presents the beauty within the harsh environment. Thank the heavens that Drafthouse Films is finally releasing the film on June 17th. Get ready to have your mind blown!

It's a long time coming but it's almost here! The official trailer for Mia Hansen-Løve's house music film, Eden is here! I had seen the film last November when it was screened at AFI FEST and even did a review with Sales on Film (watch here) where I rave about Hansen-Løve's portrayal of the real-life events that took place. Inspired by her brother Sven's career as a DJ (and co-writer), Mia constructs a beautifully simplistic yet refreshing take of a French DJ's career spanning twenty years, capturing the grim realities of adulthood as well as his rise and fall with swooning melancholia. This new U.S. cut of the trailer translates the film perfectly with serenading music provided by none other than Daft Punk. I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing Mia way back when about this film which is her fourth feature (read interview here). Broad Green Pictures will be releasing Eden on June 19th so get ready!

Badass Femmes is a bi-weekly column that I write on Crome Yellow about all the Badass Females in pop culture that has shaped my life.

Cat-calling, being forced to smile or unwanted advances are just a few of the unavoidable, shitty things that happen to women on a daily basis. Some might argue a few of these as flattering, but in the eyes of a woman, most are the unwanted perks of living in an overwhelmingly sexist environment. In times like these, I ask myself, “What Would Lisbeth Salander Do (WWLSD)? As one of the most influential and powerful female characters in pop culture (at least in my eyes), the Swedish Millennium Series’ Lisbeth defies all conventions in societal beauty, behavior and status quo when it comes to being a woman. When I first watched the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I was enamored by her uncompromising attitude towards a world that offered her no favors. Through her sharp temperament and cool demeanor, Lisbeth is a Badass Femme that urges women and men all over the world to never hide who they are to themselves and others, a survivor in every definition of the term.

Continue reading on Crome Yellow...

Year: 2014
Director: Xavier Dolan

Writer: Xavier Dolan

Cinematographer: André Turpin

Cast: Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément

Country of Origin: Canada

Rating: N/A

Time: 139 min.

Kristen Sales (Sales on Film) and I went to AFI FEST this past month and we were able to catch some of the same films together and so we decided to do the natural thing and record some reviews together. And how can we go to AFI FEST without reviewing another Xavier Dolan film?! Last year we review Tom at the Farm and this year is one of the year's best films, Mommy. Mommy is about a widowed single mother (Anne Dorval) who has to raise her violent and volatile son all alone (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) until a peculiar neighbor (Suzanne Clément) offers some hope.

Although I have not seen his first feature, I Killed My Mother yet, I can already tell that Mommy is just another extension of that film about his personal relationship with his own mother. You can't help by fall in love with Mommy starting with it's pop culture references like having a 90's top hits soundtrack to shooting in an "Instagram" aspect ratio to emotionally potent performances by all parties that is universally relatable no matter how extreme. It's theme of volatile love in a family setting was wholly relatable to me as I have had my own share of these moments. Mommy went on to win the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival and is Canada's official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at 2015's Academy Awards which I am sure, it will get nominated! Now, all I have left to do is watch his first film before he comes out with his sixth feature film next year!

Follow Kristen:

Blog // Twitter

- See more reviews at AFI FEST -

Year: 2014
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve

Writer: Mia Hansen-Løve & Sven Hansen-Løve

Cinematographer: Denis Lenoir

Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Hugo Conzelmann, Roman Kolinka, Vincent Macaigne, Greta Gerwig,

Country of Origin: France

Rating: N/A

Time: 131 min.

Kristen Sales (Sales on Film) and I went to AFI FEST this past month and we were able to catch some of the same films together and so we decided to do the natural thing and record some reviews together. I also had the privilege of interviewing Mia about her fourth feature, Eden (see interview here) which chronicles 20 years of the life of a French DJ (Félix de Givry) who's credited with inventing "French Touch" or "French House" which was popularized in the 90s.

The beauty within Hansen-Løve's work is how she takes simple everyday stories in a person's life and is able to adapt it to screen with painstaking realism embedded into every scene. With it's naturalistic performances and precise camerawork, Hansen-Løve brings her stories about people and their passions alive. Paul, the French DJ is stuck in a phase of arrested development where the grim realities of adulthood hasn't kicked in and Eden captures his rise and fall with swooning melancholia. This isn't your average musically-driven, club-setting, DJ story but wholly shows the night and club lifestyle in unfiltered form.

Follow Kristen:

Blog // Twitter

- See more reviews at AFI FEST -

Year: 2014
Director: Céline Sciamma
Writer: Céline Sciamma
Cinematographer: Crystel Fournier
Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré
Country of Origin: France
Rating: N/A
Time: 112 min.

Kristen Sales (Sales on Film) and I went to AFI FEST this past month and we were able to catch some of the same films together and so we decided to do the natural thing and record some reviews together. Starting off with Céline Sciamma's Girlhood (Bande de filles) which is a breathtaking examination of social navigation and identity within Marieme's world as a young woman. Girlhood is booming with ferocious energy and daring performances that is complemented really well with it's cool electronic soundtrack.

It is probably one of the best coming-of-age stories that is told in the backdrop of lower class Paris neighbors which features an all-Black cast of first-time actors starring with Karidja Touré who plays subdued teen Marieme. Sales and I both really love Sciamma's style and approach to storytelling that truly commands your attention to examine sexuality, identity, and society as seen in her previous works like Water Lilies and Tomboy. I hope you enjoy our review and come back for more reviews from AFI FEST this week!

Follow Kristen:

Blog // Twitter

- See more reviews at AFI FEST -

These luscious Korean posters for young quebecois, Xavier Dolan's fifth feature Mommy has been released and it is beautiful! I had the privilege of watching Mommy (review coming this week) at AFI FEST this past month and I absolutely was blown away by the intense yet intimate story which showcased tour-de-force performances that'll surely secure this Canada's official entry to the Oscar a spot in the upcoming nominations. These posters captured key emotional moments of these powerhouse characters with acute sensitivity. I am so glad to know that this film will be shown in Korea considering that we tend to have volatile relationships particularly with our parents which surely will be relatable to all. Mommy will be release December 12th in Los Angeles.

Trailer // Posters

Every year when AFI FEST rolls around, I have a massive anxiety attack for fear that I will not be able to watch everything that I possibly can! Good thing this time, my little fit only lasted about 30 minutes while I scrambled to plan out my schedule for this year! Once again, the line-up is stack with breathtaking international gems hailed from Cannes or Locarno, refreshing and hip American Independents, and high profile Gala films! It'll be a packed 8 day festival that will test the endurance down to the very fiber of my bones! There are so many great films playing but I really had to buckle down and make a schedule that will eventually benefit me as a film critic that'll quench my palette for international and independent cinema! Here are all the films I am watching at the festival!

Nov. 6 - Opening Night

A Most Violent Year (Dir. J.C. Chandor)

In the crime-ridden winter of New York City in 1981, a couple’s attempts to capitalize on the American Dream are mired in corruption and violence.

Nov. 7

The Tribe (Plemya) (Dir. Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy)

This daring film, acted entirely in sign language without the aid of subtitles or voiceover, follows a new student at a corrupt Ukrainian school for the deaf.

Eden (Dir. Mia Hansen-Løve)

Mia Hansen-Løve’s 20-year journey through the electronic dance music scene follows DJ Paul, whose love for the turntables stays strong even after the craze has ended.

The Absent (Los Ausentes) (Dir. Nicolás Pereda)

When an elderly man loses his isolated cabin, deep in the Mexican woods, he also loses his grip on reality.

It Follows (Dir. David Robert Mitchell)

A group of friends is plagued by a nightmarish supernatural threat in this coming-of-age horror film from AFI FEST alum David Robert Mitchell.

Nov. 8

On Acting: A Conversation with Michael Keaton & Edward Norton

The Midnight Swim (Dir. Sarah Adina Smith)

Three half-sisters try to unlock the mystery of their mother’s deep-water disappearance in this unsettling tale, part ghost story and part family drama.

Two Days, One Night (Deux Jours, Une Nuit) (Dir. Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne)

The Cannes Palme d'Or-winning Dardenne brothers return with this tale of a young Belgian mother (Marion Cotillard) who must convince her co-workers to forego their much-needed bonuses in order to keep her job.

Merchant of Doubt (Dir. Robert Kenner)

Oscar nominee Robert Kenner’s (FOOD, INC.) latest documentary focuses on the PR masterminds and spin doctors who are paid to shift blame and delay governmental action on climate change.

Inherent Vice (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

Joaquin Phoenix stars in this psychedelic surf noir from Paul Thomas Anderson, adapting the novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon.

Nov. 9

Thou Wast Mild & Lovely (Dir. Josephine Decker)

In this psychosexual drama, a young farm worker’s attraction to his boss’s daughter unearths dark secrets.

Stations of the Cross (Kreuzweg) (Dir.Dietrich Brüggemann)

Fourteen masterfully composed single-shot scenes tell the story of adolescent Maria, a girl caught between a secular world and the strict religious teachings of her church.

Haemoo (Dir. Shim Sung-bo)

Amid a shroud of sea fog, the voyage of a South Korean boat smuggling a group of illegal immigrants turns into a catastrophe.

NOV. 10

Wild Tales (Relatos Salvajes) (Dir. Damián Szifrón)

Characters are pushed to delightfully deranged savagery in this anthology of six sublimely absurd short films.

Happy Valley (Dir. Amir Bar-Lev)

The Penn State child sex-abuse scandal, and subsequent downfall of local heroes Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky, is examined in this insightful documentary.

Girlhood (Bande De Filles) (Dir. Céline Sciamma)

Teenager Marieme drops out of school and finds acceptance with a gang of free-spirited girls, while taking on a new feminine identity.

May Allah Bless France! (Qu'Allah Benisse La France!) (Dir. Abd Al Malik)

French rapper Abd Al Malik adapts his raw memoir chronicling how religion and hip-hop saved him from the streets.

Nov. 11

Saint Laurent (Dir. Bertrand Bonello)

Selected as France’s official Oscar® entry, this stylish biopic follows the life and career of iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent (Gaspard Ulliel), from 1967 through 1976.

The Duke of Burgundy (Peter Strickland)

An amateur butterfly collector and her housekeeper can’t get enough of their sadomasochistic games in this phantasmic tale.

Nov. 12

Mommy (Dir. Xavier Dolan)

Xavier Dolan’s latest film, selected as Canada’s official Oscar entry, centers on a mother’s tumultuous relationship with her teenage son after he returns home from a correctional facility.

Nov. 13

Foxcatcher (Dir. Bennett Miller)

This true story follows two Olympic wrestler brothers (Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo) who form a dark protégé-benefactor relationship with an unhinged millionaire (Steve Carell).

So there you have it folks! It's going to be a long and tiring week nonetheless but I'll be there everyday with my trusty camera and notepad in hand scribbling my madness from the fest away! Also look out for my orange hair! AFI FEST will be from Nov. 6 - 13th! So see y'all there!

UPDATED: (Nov. 6)

Nov. 6

A Most Violent Year

Nov. 7

The Tribe

Eden

Nov. 8

On Acting: A Conversation with Michael Keaton and Edward Norton

The Midnight Swim

Two Days, One Night

Merchants of Doubt

Inherent Vice

Nov. 9

Thou Wast Mild & Lovely

Stations of the Cross

Haemoo

Nov. 10

Tales of the Grim Sleeper

Happy Valley

Girlhood

May Allah Bless France!

Nov. 11

What We Do in the Shadows

Fish & Cat

Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere

Nov. 12

A Tribute to Sophia Loren

Goodnight Mommy

Nov. 13

Mommy

It's HERE! I can't believe Mommy is already the young Quebecois filmmaker, Xavier Dolan's fifth feature. Mommy tied the Jury Award at this year's Cannes with Jean-Luc Godard's Goodbye to Language 3D. And that's Godard so even a tie is a great accomplishment in itself! We all know that Dolan probably has some mommy issues considering his first film was I Killed my Mother (2009) which was semi-autographical. And although, I have not seen his first feature yet, I can already tell his mother is a sensitive subject that he wants to tackle again and again. (But who doesn't mothers?! There's not enough films about them!)

Mommy stars Anne Dorval as a widowed mother of a violent, young teenage boy name Steve, played by Antoine-Olivier Pion. She finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household. Just watching the trailer, immediately you are drawn to the refreshing yet constricting format of the "instagram-sqaure." As much as I admire that format, I enjoy that much more seeing the vast landscape and wide scenery especially in Dolan's films, knowing that he most likely will tap into his iconic visual style to show many enthralling and transcending scenes complemented with bursts of color!

This film is Canada's official entry to the Oscars and I hope it wins even though I haven't even seen Nuri Vilge Ceylan's Winter Sleep which won the Cannes' Palme d'Or. I really am speaking too soon because hello?! I haven't even seen either of the films! Regardless, the excitement for these foreign films is real and I hope I get to see them soon. Luckily, Roadside Attractions is bringing Mommy to U.S. screens beginning of 2015! See you then!

The Raid 2: Berandal is one of my most anticipated films of 2014 and it did not let me down at all! I am overwhelmed with joy and ecstasy by Gareth Evan's masterpiece. The first film was incredible and this time, he hits us harder, faster, gorier, and just generally more badass!

Backstory to Hammer Girl & Bro:

Apparently when they were younger they were abused by their father and he would toss a coin and see which one would be his victim for the night. Until eventually, Hammer Girl & bro teamed up and killed him!