Trailer Nine online May 14, 2009
Posted by joost in : film , comments closedThe first trailer for Nine is up, so you finally get an impression of the film that I worked on as a runner!
Screenings + Q&A’s May 11, 2009
Posted by joost in : film, lifestyle, london, screening , comments closedIt’s good to be back in London! My timing is impeccable, since three new films had an advance premiere this week including a Q&A after the screening. I managed to get into all three of them.
First off Coraline, in 3D. The advances in stop motion techniques alone and the greater ambition can clearly be seen in this film. It has a very cinematic feel when it comes to the camera work, lighting and editing. And “as promised” the use of 3D is all in support of enhancing the story. Coraline is set in the real world and a parallel fantasy world. Both in set design and 3D these two worlds have a different depth to them.
Joost with fancy Dolby 3D glasses
Coraline Q&A @ BFI
Writer/director Henry Selick, writer (of the novel) Neil Gaiman and (voice) actor John Hodgman were interviewed on stage for about 40 minutes and answered questions from the audience. A very pleasant Q&A with honest and detailed answers about the making of the film, and plenty of jokes and snide remarks.
The next day I saw Chéri, Stephen Frears latest film. I must admit I wasn’t particularly interested in this film beforehand, and haven’t changed my mind after watching it. Michelle Pfeifer gives a good performance, and the cinematography by one of my favorite DoP’s Darius Khondji is marvelous, but the subject matter and story just couldn’t hold my attention.
That does NOT apply to Stephen Frears, one of Brittain’s most respected directors. Also attending the Q&A was another top class British film maker, writer Christopher Hampton.
This is the first time that I saw Frears in real life, and he struck me as a director who is not overly enthusiastic to explain the choices that he has made in his film(s) and the meaning of particular scenes. Fascinating to hear him talk nevertheless, because he has a very self-deprecating style, “confesses” his ignorance when it comes to other disciplines involved into making a film come to live (set design, costumes, music), jokes that he doesn’t tell his cast how to act but at the same time stresses the importance of every single word of dialogue, but of course knows very well what he is doing when he is covering a scene.
Thanks to my persistence and the helping hand of someone from The Script Factory, I managed to get into the sold-out premiere today of Synecdoche, New York, Charlie Kaufman‘s latest film and directorial debut.
Ever since hearing the premise of this film I had been looking forward to seeing it. And like any Kaufman film it will require multiple viewings to really appreciate the complex narrative and visuals. But suffice it to say that I am quite impressed! It is a somber contemplation on death, illness, lost loves, creating art and identity.
Perhaps I wanted to hear him talk even more than to watch his film. If you look at the feature length screenplays he has written so far I think he is one of the most extraordinary minds of this decade. Read this Wired article or listen to the complete audio dump to get a feel for how he talks and what captures his attention and imagination.
The man himself… intelligent, witty, rambling at times, honest in how he perceives life and how he incorporates that into his screenplays/films. He made a great remark to conclude the Q&A, which was something along the lines of (this is my recollection of what he said btw, so not an actual quote):
“I have tried to make a film that is truthful. I have tried to find a way to tell it in a different way than conventions dictate. I might have failed… I probably have failed, but it was an attempt to get closer to what the film is really about. And hopefully this will inspire other filmmakers to explore and to get closer to achieving that goal as well.”
For a moment it felt like he was addressing me, and I left the cinema with an inspired smile on my face.
AFFF25 / imagine 2009 roundup May 4, 2009
Posted by joost in : film, lifestyle, netherlands , comments closedThe 25th Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival / imagine 2009 finished little over a week ago. An excellent moment to look back at the festival and to make a selection from the 51 feature films that I have seen and that stood out for one reason or another. I’ve published a final roundup on the AFFF log in an attempt to summarize all my posts.
More screenings “Rule 2″ May 3, 2009
Posted by joost in : film, screening , comments closedMy graduation film “Rule 2″ will be shown on the 23rd of May during the Accidental Festival 2009 here in London, as part of the program Alive or Alone.
I am also in the process of getting paperwork signed so that my film will be shown on a regular basis in the Brillia Shorts Shorts Theater in Yokohama, Japan. Wicked!