Art-House Dramas:
Plot
Summary: Two young women grew up together in an orphanage forming a deep
friendship. However, now there is conflict when one of the women has found
refuge in a Romanian convent while the other wants her to come with her to live
in Germany. Filmmakers: Romanian writer-director
Cristian Mungiu shot to international acclaim with his film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.
This is his new acclaimed film. He is again working with cinematographer Oleg Mutu and production
designer Mihaela Poenaru.
Production designer Calin Papura
(Youth Without Youth) is new
to the team. Cast: The film stars Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur. Expectations: Beyond the Hills was nominated for
the Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, and won Best Actress (for both
stars) and Best Screenplay. It looks like a good character drama, probably in
the same vein as 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. Trailer:
Here.
Plot
Summary: As potential nuclear war looms heavy over the western world,
two teenage girls and inseparable friends Ginger and Rosa, growing up in London,
find their relationship changing as they proceed through pivotal events in
their young lives. Filmmakers:
Writer-director Sally Potter is known for her experimental narratives, with
films like Orlando and Yes. She is working with cinematographer
Robbie Ryan (Fish Tank) and production
designer Carlos Conti (On the Road). Cast: The film has a strong group of actors
including leads Elle Fanning
and Alice Englert. Christina Hendricks, Annette Bening, Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, and Alessandro Nivola feature in
support. Expectations: Ginger & Rosa has
been met with mostly poor reviews during its festival tour. However, Elle Fanning
is getting rave reviews with most calling the film merely a platform for her
talent to be displayed (everything else never quite works as well). Even fans
of Sally Potter are not entirely enamored with the film. This is probably only
worth renting if you are a big fan of Fanning (and who is not – she is among
the crop of brilliant young actresses coming into their own right now). Trailer: Here.
Art-House Comedies:
Plot
Summary: David Wozniak is a slacker who is in a lull of sorts in his
life. Then, his life changes when 142 people file a class action lawsuit
against him. Their issue? They are all the result of artificial insemination
and David is their biological father. Filmmakers: This
is Canadian writer-director Ken Scott’s second film, and first to see a wide
release in America. Oddly, he is in the process of writing and directing an
American remake of this film due in October called The Delivery Man (I cannot
think of another example of a director remaking his own film in a different
language – Alfred
Hitchcock did remake some of his own earlier films, like The Man Who Knew Too Much
and some same North by
Northwest is a remake of The 39 Steps).
He is working with composer David
Lafleche, cinematographer Pierre
Gill (Upside Down), and
art director Danielle Labrie
(who worked on Scott’s first Sticky
Fingers). Cast: The film stars Patrick Huard. Expectations: Starbuck looks like a great dramedy.
It played to acclaim and won many awards in Canada (having come out in 2011
there). It is probably worth checking out for fans of good character driven
comedy/dramas (Ha! I thought of two – Ole Bornedal’s Nattevagten in 1994 and Nightwatch in 1997 – and Jean-Marie Poire
remade Les Visiteurs 1993 in
2007 with Just
Visiting, but somehow kept his two French leads). Trailer:
Here.
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