Exclusive: ICM has just signed The Northman actor Gustav Lindh.
He stars in the Robert Eggers’ directed New Regency/Focus Features movie as Thorir the Proud opposite Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard and Anya-Taylor Joy. The pic is expected to open this weekend to 10M-12M.
Lindh is a fast-rising star of Swedish film and television. In 2020, he starred in Josephine Bornebusch’s film, Orca, which was filmed and released during the pandemic. In 2019, Lindh starred in the May el-Toukhy’s Danish feature Queen of Hearts alongside Trine Dyrholm, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 2020 Bodil Awards. His first feature, The Circle, was directed by Levan Akin, where he starred opposite Josefin Asplund and Sverrir Gudnason. He also has starring roles in Björn Runge’s Burn My Letters and Gustav Möller’s crime series The Dark Heart.
Lindh is also set to star in the lead role of...
He stars in the Robert Eggers’ directed New Regency/Focus Features movie as Thorir the Proud opposite Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard and Anya-Taylor Joy. The pic is expected to open this weekend to 10M-12M.
Lindh is a fast-rising star of Swedish film and television. In 2020, he starred in Josephine Bornebusch’s film, Orca, which was filmed and released during the pandemic. In 2019, Lindh starred in the May el-Toukhy’s Danish feature Queen of Hearts alongside Trine Dyrholm, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 2020 Bodil Awards. His first feature, The Circle, was directed by Levan Akin, where he starred opposite Josefin Asplund and Sverrir Gudnason. He also has starring roles in Björn Runge’s Burn My Letters and Gustav Möller’s crime series The Dark Heart.
Lindh is also set to star in the lead role of...
- 4/22/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The end of the year is often seen as a time when awards season gains momentum and critics produce their top 10 lists, but for much of the film industry, it’s also the first big preview of 2018 movies. Thanks to the Sundance Film Festival lineup, which in January will include 110 movies from 29 countries, a fresh crop of films to talk about have just been announced, many of which are certain to continue generating conversations throughout the year.
However, the Sundance program takes its time to gather buzz, and it’s not always obvious which movies deserve the most attention right off the bat. So here’s our annual attempt to take a first crack at some of the surprises and hidden gems in the lineup, with some input from Sundance director John Cooper and director of programming Trevor Groth. We’re as excited as anyone to see Paul Dano’s...
However, the Sundance program takes its time to gather buzz, and it’s not always obvious which movies deserve the most attention right off the bat. So here’s our annual attempt to take a first crack at some of the surprises and hidden gems in the lineup, with some input from Sundance director John Cooper and director of programming Trevor Groth. We’re as excited as anyone to see Paul Dano’s...
- 11/29/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Rupert Evans is an English actor who was born in Staffordshire in 1977. Having graduated from Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, Rupert Evans started his career working mainly in television. Notably in British costume dramas such as ‘Sons & Lovers’ starring Sarah Lancashire and Hugo Speer, North and South, ‘Crime and Punishment’ and ‘Fingersmith’ with Imelda Staunton and Charles Dance. Currently Evans is known for playing Frank Frink in the Amazon series “Man in the High Castle.” While many of his roles are well-known, there are many interesting facts about this talented celebrity that not many people know. Here
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Rupert Evans...
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Rupert Evans...
- 7/5/2017
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
Alice Lowe has long been known to fans of offbeat British comedy for some time, having starred in Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Sightseers (which she also co-wrote), and more. Now her directorial debut, Prevenge, is hitting U.S. theaters. Featuring Lowe as a pregnant woman (with no need of a prosthetic belly, since she was actually pregnant during the shoot) urged to kill people by the voice of her fetus, it’s a darkly humorous romp. We interviewed Lowe over the phone, with her daughter audible in the background, to talk about mythological influences and working under budget constraints.
The Film Stage: The film makes recurring use of images of the furies from 1934’s Crime and Punishment.
Alice Lowe: I studied classics, so I studied Ancient Greek. The fury of the ancient goddesses, in stories of vengeance and revenge, that’s a concept that is thousands of years old.
The Film Stage: The film makes recurring use of images of the furies from 1934’s Crime and Punishment.
Alice Lowe: I studied classics, so I studied Ancient Greek. The fury of the ancient goddesses, in stories of vengeance and revenge, that’s a concept that is thousands of years old.
- 3/24/2017
- by Daniel Schindel
- The Film Stage
A shift in the cinema of Filipino auteur Lav Diaz is manifest. This is, depending on who's talking, seems to have brought on by his 2013 Crime and Punishment-inspired epic Norte: The End Of History, which strikes a different chord from his previous, less "conventional" works, such as Death in the Land of Encantos (2007). That isn't to say his works post-Norte are conventional. If anything, the apparent change only makes Diaz's later experimentations feel more assured---graced still by his distinct touch, teeming still with familiar irony. His 2015 film, Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis (Eng. title: A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery), an eight-hour drama that warps real-life, mythology, and literature in a frenzied wormhole, signals one thing above all else: That the auteur has reached a peak in his...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/23/2016
- Screen Anarchy
There are days where the Internet feels like the most ghoulish game of telephone ever, particularly when the word starts to spread that someone notable has died. Edgar Wright was the first one I saw mention the death of Michael Cimino this afternoon, quoting a Tweet by Cannes luminary Thierry Fremaux, who announced, “Michael Cimino died peacefully, surrounded by his family and these two women who loved him. We loved him also.” Without question, Cimino’s career was defined by one remarkable high and one remarkable low, and to some degree, his career is the perfect illustration of what happened as film culture moved from the ‘70s to the ‘80s, and part of what makes him such a fascinating figure is how questionable every “fact” about him was. Cimino was a mystery in many ways, and when he made his debut as a director with Thunderbolt & Lightfoot, he looked like...
- 7/3/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Woody Allen loves to toy with the ideas of his heroes and contemporaries, and in 1989’s “Crimes and Misdemeanors” he turned to one of the greatest novelists ever to exist, Fyodor Dostoevsky. The author’s finest work (in this author’s humble opinion) and a must-read for any literati or cinephile alike, “Crime and Punishment,” was Allen’s specific […]
The post Watch: 8-Minute Video Essay On The ‘Blinding Moral Gaze’ In Woody Allen’s ‘Crimes And Misdemeanors’ appeared first on The Playlist.
The post Watch: 8-Minute Video Essay On The ‘Blinding Moral Gaze’ In Woody Allen’s ‘Crimes And Misdemeanors’ appeared first on The Playlist.
- 6/24/2016
- by Samantha Vacca
- The Playlist
Here’s a trippy short video found via the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page, an excerpt from the 1968 French documentary, Cineaste de notre temps (1968). Shot three years earlier, it’s just John Cassavetes driving home as a French interviewer peppers him with questions he mostly nonchalantly (and most likely post-synced) answers. Not enough people in L.A. — “living by appointment,” he says. He also announces a project: Crime and Punishment as a musical. The Beach Boys play on the soundtrack.
- 6/1/2016
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
They say that April showers bring May flowers, but this month is bringing a veritable downpour of excellent things to stream. The eagerly anticipated second seasons of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Amazon's Catastrophe top the list of new arrivals; on the film front, we've got a high-school thriller for the ages and a gangster saga worthy of The Godfather. Here are our picks for the 10 best things to queue from your couch this month.
Breathe (Netflix, 4/1)
American viewers might know her best as the girl who burned down the...
Breathe (Netflix, 4/1)
American viewers might know her best as the girl who burned down the...
- 4/1/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Xbox España has seemingly unveiled the software headed to Xbox Games With Gold in March.
Arriving ahead of schedule, the Spanish outlet has published a video trumpeting Lords of the Fallen and Gearbox’s beloved RPG shooter Borderlands in next month’s offerings, which are available free to those in possession of an Xbox Live Gold Membership.
While we await an confirmation from Microsoft’s American arm, it looks to be that Xbox One owners can look forward to Ci Games’ dark and brooding RPG Lords of the Fallen, along with Sherlock Holmes: Crime and Punishment. Xbox 360, meanwhile, will receive Gearbox’s first Borderlands title and Supreme Commander 2.
In any given month, Microsoft would usually roll out the Games With Gold incrementally, with each Xbox platform getting one title for the first two weeks of the month, before it’s replaced by the remaining two for the closing fortnight.
Arriving ahead of schedule, the Spanish outlet has published a video trumpeting Lords of the Fallen and Gearbox’s beloved RPG shooter Borderlands in next month’s offerings, which are available free to those in possession of an Xbox Live Gold Membership.
While we await an confirmation from Microsoft’s American arm, it looks to be that Xbox One owners can look forward to Ci Games’ dark and brooding RPG Lords of the Fallen, along with Sherlock Holmes: Crime and Punishment. Xbox 360, meanwhile, will receive Gearbox’s first Borderlands title and Supreme Commander 2.
In any given month, Microsoft would usually roll out the Games With Gold incrementally, with each Xbox platform getting one title for the first two weeks of the month, before it’s replaced by the remaining two for the closing fortnight.
- 2/23/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
When How to Get Away With Murder last aired a fresh episode, your Thanksgiving turkey was still in the freezer — which means we’ve had 84 days to ponder that crazy flashback of Annalise and Eve watching a pre-teen Wes (aka Christophe) in a police interview room talking about discovering his mother’s body.
RelatedHow to Get Away With Murder Casts Wilson Bethel, Adam Arkin for ‘Big’ Arc
Executive producer Pete Nowalk is well aware that that’s a pretty long fast between Omg/Wtf feasts, which is why Htgawm won’t skimp on fleshing out that shocking backstory when...
RelatedHow to Get Away With Murder Casts Wilson Bethel, Adam Arkin for ‘Big’ Arc
Executive producer Pete Nowalk is well aware that that’s a pretty long fast between Omg/Wtf feasts, which is why Htgawm won’t skimp on fleshing out that shocking backstory when...
- 2/9/2016
- TVLine.com
St Petersburg’s Efp showcase will features eight titles this year.
The Swiss gay docu-drama The Circle is among eight European films being shown as part of European Film Promotion’s (Efp) third edition of its Westwind showcase in St Petersburg, October 21-25.
The line-up includes: the Spanish comedy Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed, which will be accompanied in person by its director David Trueba; Tom Collins’ Irish drama The Gift, attended by actors Dara Devaney and Paul Griffin; Montenegrin writer-director Nikola Vukčević’s revenge thriller/melodrama The Kids From Marx and Engels Street; Finnish filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo’s dreamlike odyssey Concrete Night; and German feature debutant Sebastian Ko’s We Monsters which had its North American premiere in the Discovery sidebar in Toronto this month.
The other films programmed to screen in the Hotel Angleterre cinema are Pol Cruchten’s drama Never Die Young and Daniel Dencik’s historical drama Gold Coast as well as...
The Swiss gay docu-drama The Circle is among eight European films being shown as part of European Film Promotion’s (Efp) third edition of its Westwind showcase in St Petersburg, October 21-25.
The line-up includes: the Spanish comedy Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed, which will be accompanied in person by its director David Trueba; Tom Collins’ Irish drama The Gift, attended by actors Dara Devaney and Paul Griffin; Montenegrin writer-director Nikola Vukčević’s revenge thriller/melodrama The Kids From Marx and Engels Street; Finnish filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo’s dreamlike odyssey Concrete Night; and German feature debutant Sebastian Ko’s We Monsters which had its North American premiere in the Discovery sidebar in Toronto this month.
The other films programmed to screen in the Hotel Angleterre cinema are Pol Cruchten’s drama Never Die Young and Daniel Dencik’s historical drama Gold Coast as well as...
- 9/29/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Crime and Punishment: Sautet’s Enthralling Policier an Obscure Neo-Noir
Following the international acclaim of his 1970 film The Things of Life, Claude Sautet re-teamed with his leads Michel Piccoli and Romy Schneider for a return to the criminal tendencies comprising his earlier filmography as a director. Less well known today than his 1960 classic Classe Tous Risques, Sautet’s 1971 devious psychological drama Max and the Junkmen is well worth reexamination in modern contexts. As has been pointed out before, Sautet’s genre efforts have long languished in the shadows of Jean-Pierre Meville’s filmography, with well-renowned crime sagas like Le Samourai (1967) and Le Cercle Rouge (1970) having already been released by the time Sautet hit his stride. But while Melville’s celebrated filmography focuses on precise elaboration, Sautet’s outings within genre tend to be character oriented, in particular lending this title a melancholy tint, doubled over in its final, dramatic climax.
Following the international acclaim of his 1970 film The Things of Life, Claude Sautet re-teamed with his leads Michel Piccoli and Romy Schneider for a return to the criminal tendencies comprising his earlier filmography as a director. Less well known today than his 1960 classic Classe Tous Risques, Sautet’s 1971 devious psychological drama Max and the Junkmen is well worth reexamination in modern contexts. As has been pointed out before, Sautet’s genre efforts have long languished in the shadows of Jean-Pierre Meville’s filmography, with well-renowned crime sagas like Le Samourai (1967) and Le Cercle Rouge (1970) having already been released by the time Sautet hit his stride. But while Melville’s celebrated filmography focuses on precise elaboration, Sautet’s outings within genre tend to be character oriented, in particular lending this title a melancholy tint, doubled over in its final, dramatic climax.
- 7/23/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
BBC Three's upcoming Defying the Label season will focus on the lives of young people living with disabilities.
The channel will air 15 programmes over the course of four weeks, including specialist documentaries, current affairs features, a factual drama and a comedy panel game show.
Issues including sex, romance, poverty and hate crime will be explored over the course of the season, which begins on Monday, July 20.
Factual drama Don't Take My Baby will kick off the season with the extraordinary story of a disabled couple's struggle to keep custody of their new-born baby.
Martin Dougan will present The Totally Senseless Game Show, which will tackle taboos around disability by 'disabling' its celebrity contestants, including Rick Edwards, Greg Rutherford and Amelle Berrabah.
Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, said: "This incredibly powerful range of programmes has been designed to speak honestly to our open-minded BBC Three viewers.
"With the channel's strong reputation for delivering hard-hitting,...
The channel will air 15 programmes over the course of four weeks, including specialist documentaries, current affairs features, a factual drama and a comedy panel game show.
Issues including sex, romance, poverty and hate crime will be explored over the course of the season, which begins on Monday, July 20.
Factual drama Don't Take My Baby will kick off the season with the extraordinary story of a disabled couple's struggle to keep custody of their new-born baby.
Martin Dougan will present The Totally Senseless Game Show, which will tackle taboos around disability by 'disabling' its celebrity contestants, including Rick Edwards, Greg Rutherford and Amelle Berrabah.
Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, said: "This incredibly powerful range of programmes has been designed to speak honestly to our open-minded BBC Three viewers.
"With the channel's strong reputation for delivering hard-hitting,...
- 7/6/2015
- Digital Spy
Shatner, Nimoy, Dunaway, Johnny Cash and more. We take a look at some of TV detective show Columbo’s killer cameos...
Schlubby working class hero, Crime And Punishment’s Porfiry Petrovich for primetime, fatherly fighter of crime... I was introduced to the rumple-coated and rumple-faced one back in 1987, following an off-hand attempt from my mother to get five-year-old me to sit down and shut up for a few minutes. Desperately looking for something to grab my attention, and zeroing in on what ITV happened to be repeating that Sunday, her “Oh, look! Columbo! You like him, don’t you?” – “Huh?” – “He’s the one with the cigar and coat, you know him!” got me to sit down, be quiet, and puzzle over whether or not I did like him. She turned out to be right – I liked him a lot.
By then in the late 80s, Lieutenant Columbo had been...
Schlubby working class hero, Crime And Punishment’s Porfiry Petrovich for primetime, fatherly fighter of crime... I was introduced to the rumple-coated and rumple-faced one back in 1987, following an off-hand attempt from my mother to get five-year-old me to sit down and shut up for a few minutes. Desperately looking for something to grab my attention, and zeroing in on what ITV happened to be repeating that Sunday, her “Oh, look! Columbo! You like him, don’t you?” – “Huh?” – “He’s the one with the cigar and coat, you know him!” got me to sit down, be quiet, and puzzle over whether or not I did like him. She turned out to be right – I liked him a lot.
By then in the late 80s, Lieutenant Columbo had been...
- 6/16/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
The eighth annual Television Academy Honors are set, and a pair of freshman series and two HBO projects are among the six recipients. The honors recognize programs that have used the power of television to shift cultural acceptance and influence the hearts and minds of the viewer. Episodes or entire series are eligible. Here are this year’s honorees, which descriptions provided by the TV Academy: black-ish "Crime and Punishment" (ABC)– Although Dre (Anthony Anderson) and…...
- 4/15/2015
- Deadline TV
From What is Before
Written and directed by Lav Diaz
Philippines, 2014
From What is Before, the latest epic from Filipino slow-cinema auteur Lav Diaz, examines a major fault line in his country’s history. Chronicling the terminal decline of a remote coastal barrio, which has been unknowingly embroiled in the ensuing apocalypse sweeping across the Philippines, it culminates in Ferdinand Marcos’s 1972 declaration of martial law and the beginning of his brutal kleptocracy. A voiceover in the film’s closing lines describes the preceding five-and-a-half hours as “the memory of a cataclysm”, marking out these events as creating a significant break with even the most recent past. From What is Before might not have the sheer force of Diaz’s last outing, the Crime and Punishment-inspired Norte: The End of History, but it is a more accomplished film overall, utilising every inch of its formidable length to build a haunting elegy for times past.
Written and directed by Lav Diaz
Philippines, 2014
From What is Before, the latest epic from Filipino slow-cinema auteur Lav Diaz, examines a major fault line in his country’s history. Chronicling the terminal decline of a remote coastal barrio, which has been unknowingly embroiled in the ensuing apocalypse sweeping across the Philippines, it culminates in Ferdinand Marcos’s 1972 declaration of martial law and the beginning of his brutal kleptocracy. A voiceover in the film’s closing lines describes the preceding five-and-a-half hours as “the memory of a cataclysm”, marking out these events as creating a significant break with even the most recent past. From What is Before might not have the sheer force of Diaz’s last outing, the Crime and Punishment-inspired Norte: The End of History, but it is a more accomplished film overall, utilising every inch of its formidable length to build a haunting elegy for times past.
- 2/28/2015
- by Rob Dickie
- SoundOnSight
Project Name: Classic Alice
Asking For: $60,000 on Indiegogo
Amount Raised Thus Far (At Time Of Post): $22,117
Days Remaining In Campaign (At Time Of Post): 15
Description: As with many other web series inspired by The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Classic Alice takes a modern approach to classic literature. Its protagonist, Alice, is portrayed by series creator Kate Hackett and is obsessed with books. Over the course of the first 30 episodes, Alice dives into a number of famous novels and begins imitating the characters she reads, acting out their mannerisms in her own life.
The first season of Classic Alice began in 2014 and covered a number of different English class favorites, including Crime and Punishment, Macbeth, and Rip Van Winkle. Along the way, it picked up a decent-sized following and a pack of dedicated fans known as "Ocelittles."
Now, Hackett and her team are looking to #SaveAlice. Should they raise the money they are asking for,...
Asking For: $60,000 on Indiegogo
Amount Raised Thus Far (At Time Of Post): $22,117
Days Remaining In Campaign (At Time Of Post): 15
Description: As with many other web series inspired by The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Classic Alice takes a modern approach to classic literature. Its protagonist, Alice, is portrayed by series creator Kate Hackett and is obsessed with books. Over the course of the first 30 episodes, Alice dives into a number of famous novels and begins imitating the characters she reads, acting out their mannerisms in her own life.
The first season of Classic Alice began in 2014 and covered a number of different English class favorites, including Crime and Punishment, Macbeth, and Rip Van Winkle. Along the way, it picked up a decent-sized following and a pack of dedicated fans known as "Ocelittles."
Now, Hackett and her team are looking to #SaveAlice. Should they raise the money they are asking for,...
- 2/3/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Any How to Get Away with Murder episode that begins with Annalise Keating (SAG award winner Viola Davis) putting on her wig is bound to be full-throttle.
Htgawm has made a point of showing its anti-heroine in various states of polish and rawness. The dynamic between Annalise's fundamentally broken internal life and her very together outside appearance – not to mention when those two collide violently – is largely what has made the show so intriguing. Thursday's winter premiere, "Hello Raskolnikov," was no exception.
The episode opened as Annalise braced herself for questioning about her husband Sam's murder. As we saw in the midseason finale,...
Htgawm has made a point of showing its anti-heroine in various states of polish and rawness. The dynamic between Annalise's fundamentally broken internal life and her very together outside appearance – not to mention when those two collide violently – is largely what has made the show so intriguing. Thursday's winter premiere, "Hello Raskolnikov," was no exception.
The episode opened as Annalise braced herself for questioning about her husband Sam's murder. As we saw in the midseason finale,...
- 1/30/2015
- by Lanford Beard, @lanfordbeard
- People.com - TV Watch
Any How to Get Away with Murder episode that begins with Annalise Keating (SAG award winner Viola Davis) putting on her wig is bound to be full-throttle. Htgawm has made a point of showing its anti-heroine in various states of polish and rawness. The dynamic between Annalise's fundamentally broken internal life and her very together outside appearance - not to mention when those two collide violently - is largely what has made the show so intriguing. Thursday's winter premiere, "Hello Raskolnikov," was no exception. The episode opened as Annalise braced herself for questioning about her husband Sam's murder. As we saw in the midseason finale,...
- 1/30/2015
- by Lanford Beard, @lanfordbeard
- PEOPLE.com
Every year Hollywood gets a curated batch of films from dozens of countries seeking an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. One film per nation is chosen to represent the best of its cinematic production during the previous year. Certainly the chosen film is not always the ideal candidate, but the reasoning behind the selection usually follows two patterns: there are countries that go with the best film even if this is not the most appealing choice and there are countries that go with the most ambitious, industry-friendly, and financially successful work. This year the astonishing number of submissions – a total of 83 – makes for an incredible list of films that range from those that sport festival pedigree of the highest caliber, unknown gems looking for an audience, expensive visual achievements, and obscure art house hopefuls.
This year more than most, there are a great number of films with serious possibilities. There is no unshakable front-runner, but there are numerous favorites. Yet, looking at last year’s 9 shortlisted films and eventual 5 nominees, nothing is written in stone. Critics and audience favorites like “ The Past” (Iran), “Gloria” (Chile), “Heli” (Mexico), and “Wadjda” (Saudi Arabia) were left out to include surprises like “The Missing Picture“ (Cambodia), “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia & Herzegovina) or “The Notebook” (Hungary).
With Awards Season now in full swing and knowing that this is one of the most difficult races to follow, here is a comprehensive list that includes information for each of the 83 submissions. Below each poster you will find the title of the film linked to its page on IMDb Pro followed by the title in the original language; the director’s name also linked to his/her IMDb Page; the language the film is primarily in; the name of the U.S. distributor if there is one; the name of the film’s International Sales Agent (Isa) or Production Company (PC) linked to the film’s page on Cinando; and a link to the film’s trailer (most of them have English subtitles, others are only in the original language, and a few are videos related to the film because a trailer wasn't available). In addition, reviews and interviews with many of these filmmakers will be added regularly.
Before getting into the list, let’s take a look at some of the statistics and patterns among these 83 foreign language features.
Period Dramas/Biopics
Several countries selected films based on the lives of prominent local figures or great period pieces, both showcase the level of films being produced across the globe in terms of production value and scope. Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Venezuela’s “The Liberator,” Kyrgyzstan “Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains,” Bolivia’s “Forgotten,” Indonesia’s “Soekarno,” Greece’s “Little England,” Macedonia’s “To the Hilt,” Hong Kong’s “The Golden Era,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Bulgaria’s “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Serbia’s “ See You in Montevideo,” Slovakia’s “A Step Into the Dark” and New Zealand’s “The Dead Lands” are some of the most expensive films ever made in their respective territories. All of them are epic productions that highlight an important historical period using impressive cinematography, a great number of extras, intricate costumes, lavish locations, detailed production design, as well as great battle sequences in several of them. Other more traditional biopics/period pieces on the list include France’s “Saint Laurent,” The Netherlands “ Accused,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed” and the Czech Republic’s “Fair Play”
Masters and Festival Winners
Not surprisingly many of the films on the list come into this race after winning important awards at international festivals. Furthermore, a handful of them are from master filmmakers, masters in the making, or unique new voices. These films include Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, Nyff, AFI Fest) by the Dardenne Brothers, Canada’s “Mommy” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by prodigy Xavier Dolan, Chile’s “To Kill a Man” (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cartagena) by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Hungary's "White God" (Cannes) by Kornél Mundruczó, Norway’s “1001 Grams” (Tiff) by Bent Hamer, Poland’s “Ida”(Tiff, Sundance) by Pawel Pawlikowski, Russia’s “Leviathan” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Ruben Östlund, and Turkey’s “ Winter Sleep” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. All of these films have played at renowned international festivals and most have earned important recognition there.
Out of the Box
Whether they are aware of their actual possibilities at a nomination or not, each year a few countries take the risk of sending a film that defies convention despite having more safe choices. But that is not say they are entirely out of the race, films like “The Missing Picture” and “Dogtooth” prove that sometimes there is room for daring and unique filmmaking. With “Rocks in My Pockets” Latvia is the only country to submit an animated film this year. The film is an inventive and colorful look at depression. Then there is the almost-silent and highly poetic Ecuadorian entry “Silence in Dreamland” and Singapore’s musically driven drama “Sayang Disayang.” However, the boldest selection has to be the Philippines’ “Norte, the End of History” by acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz, which runs over four hours and is inspired by Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment.
Documentaries
Only two countries chose to go with non-fiction entries. One of them is Panama’s “Invasion,” which deals with the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in that country in 1989. This is the Central American nation’s first ever Oscar submission. The other documentary contending is Portugal’s “ What Now? Remind Me,“ a self-portrait by filmmaker Joaquim Pinto exploring his struggles living with HIV. One should note that Portugal is one of the few countries in Western Europe to have never obtained a nomination in the category despite entering films consecutively for several decades.
Lgbt
Films with stories that highlight sexual diversity occasionally make their way into this list. Last year the only Lgbt title submitted was “ Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” which surprisingly came from Nepal and dealt with the relationship between two young women in the traditional Asian society. This time around two countries selected films with similar themes. Brazil’s festival darling “ The Way He Looks” – a sweet coming-of-age tale- was an audacious choice among the many other films the South American country produces every year. Then there is Switzerland’s “The Circle” about a pioneering gay publication during the 1940s/1950s in Zurich and the real life relationship between two of its prominent members.
Surprising Choices
As it usually happens, some countries go against what the industry expects and decide to send films that weren’t on most people’s radars. Bulgaria for example selected “Bulgarian Rhapsody” by veteran director Ivan Nitchev over Sundance’s “Viktoria” by young female director Maya Vitkova. Similarly, Ukraine overlooked Cannes favorite “The Tribe”- a powerful drama entirely in sign language - and decided to go with “The Guide” by Oles Sanin. Nevertheless, the most shocking decision came from China. Instead of selecting a Chinese-directed film like Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Black Coal, Thin Ice” or Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” the Chinese selection committee chose “The Nightingale” by French director Philippe Muyl. Despite having a European helmer the film is authentically Chinese in terms of language and story, but it was still an unexpected move from the traditionally patriotic country.
First Timers
The unprecedented number of entries is in part due to the addition of countries submitting for the first time. Besides aforementioned Panama, there are three other debutant nations in the mix. Kosovo- a tiny Balkan state often associated with the rampart war that afflicted the region a few decades ago - is finally showcasing its film production. Their entry titled “Three Windows and a Hanging” is said to be a high quality, affecting drama. Malta - a European island nation near Italy - is often used as astonishing location for big budget studio films. This year, however, “ Simshar,” a great immigration drama will represent the country. Lastly, Mauritania – a prominently Muslim nation in Sub-Saharan Africa – selected Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,”which played in competition at Cannes,as their inaugural submission. Although Sissako has had several successful films at international festivals, this is the first time his country decides to participate.
Female Directors
Out of the 83 films, 14 were directed by women. That’s 17% of all entries. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these films come from countries that are often seen as traditionally patriarchal societies. 3 Latin American entries were created by female directors: Colombia’s “Mateo,” Costa Rica’s “Red Princesses” and the Dominican Republic’s “Cristo Rey.” 4 from Asia: Hong Kong’s “ The Golden Era,” India’s “Liar’s Dice,” Japan’s “The Light Shines Only There,” and Pakistan’s “Dukhtar.” 2 from the Middle East: Israel’s “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Co-directed) and Palestine’s “Eyes of a Thief.” Lastly, 5 films from Europe: The Czech Republic’s “Fair Play,” Finland’s “Concrete Night,” Latvia’s “ Rocks in My Pockets,” Malta’s “Simshar” and the Netherlands’ “Accused.”
U.S. Distribution
Another interesting fact is the number of these films that already have U.S. distribution. Several of them have actually already opened theatrically here, and others are set to open early next year. Out 83 films, 24 already have U.S. distribution. That’s 29% of all films. Hopefully that number increases by the end of the season. The films are: Argentina’s “Wild Tales,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night,” Brazil’s “The Way He Looks,” Canada’s “Mommy,” Chile’s “To Kill a Man,” France’s “Saint Laurent,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Hungary’s “White God,” Israel’s “ Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” Italy’s “Human Capital,” Latvia’s “Rocks in My Pockets,” Mauritania’s “Timbuktu,” Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Norway’s “1001 Grams,” The Philippines “Norte, the End of History,” Poland’s “Ida,” Portugal's "What Now? Remind Me," Russia’s “Leviathan,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Turkey’s “Winter Sleep,” and Venezuela’s “ The Liberator.”
To see which distribution company has each of these films please refer to the list below.
Afghanistan
"A Few Cubic Meters of Love" (چند متر مکعب عشق)
Dir: Jamshid Mahmoudi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Argentina
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Dir: Damián Szifrón
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
Austria
"The Dark Valley" (Das finstere Tal)
Dir: Andreas Prochaska
Language: German
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Australia
"Charlie's Country"
Dir: Rolf de Heer
Language: Yolŋu Matha/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Visit Films
Trailer
Azerbaijan
"Nabat"
Dir: Elcin Musaoglu
Language: Azerbaijani
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Bangladesh
"Glow of the Firefly" (Jonakir Alo)
Dir: Khalid Mahmood Mithu
Language: Bengali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Impress Telefilm
Trailer
Belgium
"Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit)
Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
Language: French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Sundance Selects
Isa: Wild Bunch
Trailer
Bolivia
"Forgotten" (Olvidados)
Dir: Carlos Bolado
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Flor de Loto Pictures
Trailer
Bosnia & Herzegovina
"With Mom" (Sa mamom)
Dir: Faruk Loncarevic
Language: Bosnian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Scca/pro.ba
TraileR
Brazil
"The Way He Looks" (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)
Dir: Daniel Ribeiro
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: Strand Releasing
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Bulgaria
"Bulgarian Rhapsody" (българска рапсодия)
Dir: Ivan Nitchev
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Cinepaz Eood
Trailer
Canada
"Mommy"
Dir: Xavier Dolan
Language: French/English
U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions
Isa: Seville International
Trailer
Chile
"To Kill a Man" (Matar a un Hombre)
Dir: Alejandro Fernández Almendras
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
China
"The Nightingale" (夜莺/Le promeneur d'oiseau)
Dir: Philippe Muyl
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Kinology
Trailer
Colombia
"Mateo"
Dir: Maria Gamboa ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Alpha Violet
Trailer
Costa Rica
"Red Princesses" (Princesas Rojas)
Dir: Laura Astorga ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films Trailer
Croatia
"Cowboys" (Kauboji)
Dir: Tomislav Mrsic
Language: Croatian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Cuba
"Behavior" (Conducta)
Dir: Ernesto Daranas
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films
Trailer
Czech Republic
"Fair Play"
Dir: Andrea Sedlácková Andrea Sedlácková
Language: Czech
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: IntraMovies
Trailer
Denmark
"Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde)
Dir: Nils Malmros
Language: Danish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Nordisk Film Production
Trailer
Dominican Republic
"Cristo Rey"
Dir: Leticia Tonos ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: The Little Film Company
Trailer
Ecuador
"Silence in Dreamland" (El Silencio en la Tierra de los Sueños)
Dir: Tito Molina
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Facultad
Trailer
Egypt
"Factory Girl" (فتاة المصنع )
Dir: Mohamed Khan
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: DayDream Art Production
Trailer
Estonia
"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)
Dir: Zaza Urushadze
Language: Estonian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Cinemavault
Trailer
Ethiopia
"Difret"
Dir: Zeresenay Mehari
Language: Amharic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Finland
"Concrete Night" (Betoniyö)
Dir: Pirjo Honkasalo ♀
Language: Finnish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Film Republic Trailer
France
"Saint Laurent"
Dir: Bertrand Bonello
Language: French
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Europacorp
Trailer
Georgia
"Corn Island" (სიმინდის კუნძული)
Dir: George Ovashvili
Language: Georgian/Abkhazian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Arizona Productions
Trailer
Germany
"Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern)
Dir: Dominik Graf
Language: German /French
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Global Screen
Trailer
Greece
"Little England" (Μικρά Αγγλία)
Dir: Pantelis Voulgaris
Language: Greek
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Black Orange
Trailer
Hong Kong
"The Golden Era" (黄金时代)
Dir: Ann Hui ♀
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Edko Films
Trailer
Hungary
"White God" (Fehér isten)
Dir: Kornél Mundruczó
Language: Hungarian/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: The Match Factory
Trailer
Iceland
"Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti)
Dir: Baldvin Zophoníasson
Language: None Yet
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
India
"Liar's Dice" (लायर्स डाइस)
Dir: Geethu Mohandas ♀
Language: Hindi
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Jar Pictures Trailer
Indonesia
"Soekarno"
Dir: Hanung Bramantyo
Language: Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Mvp Pictures
Trailer
Iran
"Today" (امروز )
Dir: Reza Mirkarimi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Iraq
"Mardan"
Dir: Batin Ghobadi
Language: Kurdish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Versatile Trailer
Ireland
"The Gift" (An Bronntanas)
Dir: Tom Collins
Language: Irish/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Rosg/De Facto Films
Trailer
Israel
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (Gett: Le Procès de Viviane Amsalem)
Dir: Ronit Elkabetz ♀ & Shlomi Elkabetz
Language: Hebrew/French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Italy
"Human Capital" (Il Capitale Umano)
Dir: Paolo Virzì
Language: Italian
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
PC: Indiana Production Company
Trailer
Japan
"The Light Shines Only There" (そこのみにて光輝く)
Dir: Mipo Oh ♀
Language: Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Open Sesame
Trailer
Kosovo
"Three Windows and a Hanging" (Tri Dritare dhe një Varje)
Dir: Isa Qosja
Language: Albanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: CMb Productions
Trailer
Kyrgyzstan
"Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains" (Курманжан Датка)
Dir: Sadyk Sher-Niyaz
Language: Kirghiz
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Aitysh Film
Trailer
Latvia
"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)
Dir: Signe Baumane ♀
Language: Latvian
U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
Trailer
Lebanon
"Ghadi" (غدي)
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
Lithuania
"The Gambler" (Lošėjas)
Dir: Ignas Jonynas
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Luxembourg
"Never Die Young"
Dir: Pol Cruchten
Language: French
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest Distribution
Trailer
MacEdonia
"To the Hilt" (До балчак)
Dir: Stole Popov
Language: Macedonian/French/English/ Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Triangle Film- Skopje
Trailer
Malta
"Simshar"
Dir: Rebecca Cremona ♀
Language: Maltese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Kukumajsa Productions
Trailer
Mauritania
"Timbuktu"
Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako
Language: French/Arabic/Bambara/English/Songhay/Tamasheq
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Le Pacte
Trailer
Mexico
"Cantinflas"
Dir: Sebastian del Amo
Language: Spanish/English
U.S Distribution: Pantelion Films
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Moldova
"The Unsaved" (La Limita de Jos a Cerului)
Dir: Igor Cobileanski
Language: Romanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Insomnia World Sales Trailer
Montenegro
"The Boys from Marx and Engels Street" (Djecaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa)
Dir: Nikola Vukcevic
Language: Serbian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Artikulacija Production
Trailer
Morocco
"The Red Moon" (القمر الأحمر)
Dir: Hassan Benjelloun
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Bentaqerla
Trailer
Nepal
"Jhola" (झोला)
Dir: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai
Language: Nepali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Media for Culture
Trailer
The Netherlands
"Accused" (Lucia de B.)
Dir: Paula van der Oest ♀
Language: Dutch
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
New Zealand
"The Dead Lands"
Dir: Toa Fraser
Language: Maori
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Xyz Films
Trailer
Norway
"1001 Grams" (1001 Gram)
Dir: Bent Hamer
Language: Norwegian/French/ English
U.S Distribution: Kino Lorber
Isa: Les Films du Losange
Trailer
Pakistan
"Dukhtar" (دختر، بیٹی)
Dir: Afia Nathaniel ♀
Language: Urdu
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Zambeel Films
Trailer
Palestine
"Eyes of a Thief" (عيون الحراميه)
Dir: Najwa Najjar ♀
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Ustura Films Trailer
Panama
"Invasion" (Invasión)
Dir: Abner Benaim
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Apertura Films Trailer
Peru
"The Gospel of the Flesh" (El Evangelio de la Carne)
Dir: Eduardo Mendoza de Echave
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Soga Producciones
Trailer
The Philippines
"Norte, the End of History" (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan)
Dir: Lav Diaz
Language: Tagalog/English
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Poland
"Ida"
Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski
Language: Polish
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Portobello Film Sales
Trailer
Portugal
"What Now? Remind Me" (E Agora? Lembra-me)
Dir: Joaquim Pinto
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
PC: C.R.I.M Productions
Trailer
Romania
"The Japanese Dog" (Câinele Japonez)
Dir: Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Language: Romanian/Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Russia
"Leviathan" (Левиафан)
Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Language: Russian
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Pyramide International
Trailer
Serbia
"See You in Montevideo" (Montevideo, vidimo se!)
Dir: Dragan Bjelogrlic
Language: Serbian/Spanish/ English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Intermedia Network
Trailer
Singapore
"Sayang Disayang"
Dir: Sanif Olek
Language: Malay/Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: ReelJuice
Trailer
Slovakia
"A Step Into the Dark" (Krok do tmy)
Dir: Miloslav Luther
Language: Slovak
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Trigon Production Trailer
Slovenia
"Seduce Me" (Zapelji me)
Dir: Marko Santic
Language: Slovenian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Radio-Television Slovenia
Trailer
South Africa
"Elelwani"
Dir: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli
Language: Venda
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest FilmDistribution
Trailer
South Korea
"Haemoo" (해무)
Dir: Sung Bo Shim
Language: Korean
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Finecut
Trailer
Spain
"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed" (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados)
Dir: David Trueba
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Outsider Pictures
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Sweden
"Force Majeure" (Turist)
Dir: Ruben Östlund
Language: Swedish/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)
Trailer
Switzerland
"The Circle" (Der Kreis)
Dir: Stefan Haupt
Language: Swiss German/ German/ French
U.S Distribution: Wolfe Video
Isa: Wide House
Trailer
Taiwan
"Ice Poison" (冰毒)
Dir: Midi Z.
Language: Burmese/Chinese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Flash Forward Enterteinment
Trailer
Thailand
"The Teacher's Diary" (คิดถึงวิทยา)
Dir: Nithiwat Tharathorn
Language: Thai
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Gth
Trailer
Turkey
"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)
Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Language: Turkish/English
U.S Distribution: Adopt Films
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Ukraine
"The Guide" (Поводир)
Dir: Oles Sanin
Language: Ukrainian/Russia/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Pronto Film
Trailer
United Kingdom
"Little Happiness" (Uzun Yol)
Dir: Nihat Seven
Language: Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: 7&7 Producers' Sales Services
Trailer
Uruguay
"Mr. Kaplan"
Dir: Álvaro Brechner
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Venezuela
"The Liberator" (Libertador)
Dir: Alberto Arvelo
Language: Spanish/English/ French
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Mundial
Trailer...
This year more than most, there are a great number of films with serious possibilities. There is no unshakable front-runner, but there are numerous favorites. Yet, looking at last year’s 9 shortlisted films and eventual 5 nominees, nothing is written in stone. Critics and audience favorites like “ The Past” (Iran), “Gloria” (Chile), “Heli” (Mexico), and “Wadjda” (Saudi Arabia) were left out to include surprises like “The Missing Picture“ (Cambodia), “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia & Herzegovina) or “The Notebook” (Hungary).
With Awards Season now in full swing and knowing that this is one of the most difficult races to follow, here is a comprehensive list that includes information for each of the 83 submissions. Below each poster you will find the title of the film linked to its page on IMDb Pro followed by the title in the original language; the director’s name also linked to his/her IMDb Page; the language the film is primarily in; the name of the U.S. distributor if there is one; the name of the film’s International Sales Agent (Isa) or Production Company (PC) linked to the film’s page on Cinando; and a link to the film’s trailer (most of them have English subtitles, others are only in the original language, and a few are videos related to the film because a trailer wasn't available). In addition, reviews and interviews with many of these filmmakers will be added regularly.
Before getting into the list, let’s take a look at some of the statistics and patterns among these 83 foreign language features.
Period Dramas/Biopics
Several countries selected films based on the lives of prominent local figures or great period pieces, both showcase the level of films being produced across the globe in terms of production value and scope. Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Venezuela’s “The Liberator,” Kyrgyzstan “Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains,” Bolivia’s “Forgotten,” Indonesia’s “Soekarno,” Greece’s “Little England,” Macedonia’s “To the Hilt,” Hong Kong’s “The Golden Era,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Bulgaria’s “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Serbia’s “ See You in Montevideo,” Slovakia’s “A Step Into the Dark” and New Zealand’s “The Dead Lands” are some of the most expensive films ever made in their respective territories. All of them are epic productions that highlight an important historical period using impressive cinematography, a great number of extras, intricate costumes, lavish locations, detailed production design, as well as great battle sequences in several of them. Other more traditional biopics/period pieces on the list include France’s “Saint Laurent,” The Netherlands “ Accused,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed” and the Czech Republic’s “Fair Play”
Masters and Festival Winners
Not surprisingly many of the films on the list come into this race after winning important awards at international festivals. Furthermore, a handful of them are from master filmmakers, masters in the making, or unique new voices. These films include Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, Nyff, AFI Fest) by the Dardenne Brothers, Canada’s “Mommy” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by prodigy Xavier Dolan, Chile’s “To Kill a Man” (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cartagena) by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Hungary's "White God" (Cannes) by Kornél Mundruczó, Norway’s “1001 Grams” (Tiff) by Bent Hamer, Poland’s “Ida”(Tiff, Sundance) by Pawel Pawlikowski, Russia’s “Leviathan” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Ruben Östlund, and Turkey’s “ Winter Sleep” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. All of these films have played at renowned international festivals and most have earned important recognition there.
Out of the Box
Whether they are aware of their actual possibilities at a nomination or not, each year a few countries take the risk of sending a film that defies convention despite having more safe choices. But that is not say they are entirely out of the race, films like “The Missing Picture” and “Dogtooth” prove that sometimes there is room for daring and unique filmmaking. With “Rocks in My Pockets” Latvia is the only country to submit an animated film this year. The film is an inventive and colorful look at depression. Then there is the almost-silent and highly poetic Ecuadorian entry “Silence in Dreamland” and Singapore’s musically driven drama “Sayang Disayang.” However, the boldest selection has to be the Philippines’ “Norte, the End of History” by acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz, which runs over four hours and is inspired by Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment.
Documentaries
Only two countries chose to go with non-fiction entries. One of them is Panama’s “Invasion,” which deals with the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in that country in 1989. This is the Central American nation’s first ever Oscar submission. The other documentary contending is Portugal’s “ What Now? Remind Me,“ a self-portrait by filmmaker Joaquim Pinto exploring his struggles living with HIV. One should note that Portugal is one of the few countries in Western Europe to have never obtained a nomination in the category despite entering films consecutively for several decades.
Lgbt
Films with stories that highlight sexual diversity occasionally make their way into this list. Last year the only Lgbt title submitted was “ Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” which surprisingly came from Nepal and dealt with the relationship between two young women in the traditional Asian society. This time around two countries selected films with similar themes. Brazil’s festival darling “ The Way He Looks” – a sweet coming-of-age tale- was an audacious choice among the many other films the South American country produces every year. Then there is Switzerland’s “The Circle” about a pioneering gay publication during the 1940s/1950s in Zurich and the real life relationship between two of its prominent members.
Surprising Choices
As it usually happens, some countries go against what the industry expects and decide to send films that weren’t on most people’s radars. Bulgaria for example selected “Bulgarian Rhapsody” by veteran director Ivan Nitchev over Sundance’s “Viktoria” by young female director Maya Vitkova. Similarly, Ukraine overlooked Cannes favorite “The Tribe”- a powerful drama entirely in sign language - and decided to go with “The Guide” by Oles Sanin. Nevertheless, the most shocking decision came from China. Instead of selecting a Chinese-directed film like Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Black Coal, Thin Ice” or Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” the Chinese selection committee chose “The Nightingale” by French director Philippe Muyl. Despite having a European helmer the film is authentically Chinese in terms of language and story, but it was still an unexpected move from the traditionally patriotic country.
First Timers
The unprecedented number of entries is in part due to the addition of countries submitting for the first time. Besides aforementioned Panama, there are three other debutant nations in the mix. Kosovo- a tiny Balkan state often associated with the rampart war that afflicted the region a few decades ago - is finally showcasing its film production. Their entry titled “Three Windows and a Hanging” is said to be a high quality, affecting drama. Malta - a European island nation near Italy - is often used as astonishing location for big budget studio films. This year, however, “ Simshar,” a great immigration drama will represent the country. Lastly, Mauritania – a prominently Muslim nation in Sub-Saharan Africa – selected Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,”which played in competition at Cannes,as their inaugural submission. Although Sissako has had several successful films at international festivals, this is the first time his country decides to participate.
Female Directors
Out of the 83 films, 14 were directed by women. That’s 17% of all entries. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these films come from countries that are often seen as traditionally patriarchal societies. 3 Latin American entries were created by female directors: Colombia’s “Mateo,” Costa Rica’s “Red Princesses” and the Dominican Republic’s “Cristo Rey.” 4 from Asia: Hong Kong’s “ The Golden Era,” India’s “Liar’s Dice,” Japan’s “The Light Shines Only There,” and Pakistan’s “Dukhtar.” 2 from the Middle East: Israel’s “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Co-directed) and Palestine’s “Eyes of a Thief.” Lastly, 5 films from Europe: The Czech Republic’s “Fair Play,” Finland’s “Concrete Night,” Latvia’s “ Rocks in My Pockets,” Malta’s “Simshar” and the Netherlands’ “Accused.”
U.S. Distribution
Another interesting fact is the number of these films that already have U.S. distribution. Several of them have actually already opened theatrically here, and others are set to open early next year. Out 83 films, 24 already have U.S. distribution. That’s 29% of all films. Hopefully that number increases by the end of the season. The films are: Argentina’s “Wild Tales,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night,” Brazil’s “The Way He Looks,” Canada’s “Mommy,” Chile’s “To Kill a Man,” France’s “Saint Laurent,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Hungary’s “White God,” Israel’s “ Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” Italy’s “Human Capital,” Latvia’s “Rocks in My Pockets,” Mauritania’s “Timbuktu,” Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Norway’s “1001 Grams,” The Philippines “Norte, the End of History,” Poland’s “Ida,” Portugal's "What Now? Remind Me," Russia’s “Leviathan,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Turkey’s “Winter Sleep,” and Venezuela’s “ The Liberator.”
To see which distribution company has each of these films please refer to the list below.
Afghanistan
"A Few Cubic Meters of Love" (چند متر مکعب عشق)
Dir: Jamshid Mahmoudi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Argentina
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Dir: Damián Szifrón
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
Austria
"The Dark Valley" (Das finstere Tal)
Dir: Andreas Prochaska
Language: German
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Australia
"Charlie's Country"
Dir: Rolf de Heer
Language: Yolŋu Matha/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Visit Films
Trailer
Azerbaijan
"Nabat"
Dir: Elcin Musaoglu
Language: Azerbaijani
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Bangladesh
"Glow of the Firefly" (Jonakir Alo)
Dir: Khalid Mahmood Mithu
Language: Bengali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Impress Telefilm
Trailer
Belgium
"Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit)
Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
Language: French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Sundance Selects
Isa: Wild Bunch
Trailer
Bolivia
"Forgotten" (Olvidados)
Dir: Carlos Bolado
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Flor de Loto Pictures
Trailer
Bosnia & Herzegovina
"With Mom" (Sa mamom)
Dir: Faruk Loncarevic
Language: Bosnian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Scca/pro.ba
TraileR
Brazil
"The Way He Looks" (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)
Dir: Daniel Ribeiro
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: Strand Releasing
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Bulgaria
"Bulgarian Rhapsody" (българска рапсодия)
Dir: Ivan Nitchev
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Cinepaz Eood
Trailer
Canada
"Mommy"
Dir: Xavier Dolan
Language: French/English
U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions
Isa: Seville International
Trailer
Chile
"To Kill a Man" (Matar a un Hombre)
Dir: Alejandro Fernández Almendras
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
China
"The Nightingale" (夜莺/Le promeneur d'oiseau)
Dir: Philippe Muyl
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Kinology
Trailer
Colombia
"Mateo"
Dir: Maria Gamboa ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Alpha Violet
Trailer
Costa Rica
"Red Princesses" (Princesas Rojas)
Dir: Laura Astorga ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films Trailer
Croatia
"Cowboys" (Kauboji)
Dir: Tomislav Mrsic
Language: Croatian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Cuba
"Behavior" (Conducta)
Dir: Ernesto Daranas
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films
Trailer
Czech Republic
"Fair Play"
Dir: Andrea Sedlácková Andrea Sedlácková
Language: Czech
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: IntraMovies
Trailer
Denmark
"Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde)
Dir: Nils Malmros
Language: Danish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Nordisk Film Production
Trailer
Dominican Republic
"Cristo Rey"
Dir: Leticia Tonos ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: The Little Film Company
Trailer
Ecuador
"Silence in Dreamland" (El Silencio en la Tierra de los Sueños)
Dir: Tito Molina
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Facultad
Trailer
Egypt
"Factory Girl" (فتاة المصنع )
Dir: Mohamed Khan
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: DayDream Art Production
Trailer
Estonia
"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)
Dir: Zaza Urushadze
Language: Estonian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Cinemavault
Trailer
Ethiopia
"Difret"
Dir: Zeresenay Mehari
Language: Amharic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Finland
"Concrete Night" (Betoniyö)
Dir: Pirjo Honkasalo ♀
Language: Finnish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Film Republic Trailer
France
"Saint Laurent"
Dir: Bertrand Bonello
Language: French
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Europacorp
Trailer
Georgia
"Corn Island" (სიმინდის კუნძული)
Dir: George Ovashvili
Language: Georgian/Abkhazian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Arizona Productions
Trailer
Germany
"Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern)
Dir: Dominik Graf
Language: German /French
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Global Screen
Trailer
Greece
"Little England" (Μικρά Αγγλία)
Dir: Pantelis Voulgaris
Language: Greek
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Black Orange
Trailer
Hong Kong
"The Golden Era" (黄金时代)
Dir: Ann Hui ♀
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Edko Films
Trailer
Hungary
"White God" (Fehér isten)
Dir: Kornél Mundruczó
Language: Hungarian/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: The Match Factory
Trailer
Iceland
"Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti)
Dir: Baldvin Zophoníasson
Language: None Yet
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
India
"Liar's Dice" (लायर्स डाइस)
Dir: Geethu Mohandas ♀
Language: Hindi
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Jar Pictures Trailer
Indonesia
"Soekarno"
Dir: Hanung Bramantyo
Language: Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Mvp Pictures
Trailer
Iran
"Today" (امروز )
Dir: Reza Mirkarimi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Iraq
"Mardan"
Dir: Batin Ghobadi
Language: Kurdish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Versatile Trailer
Ireland
"The Gift" (An Bronntanas)
Dir: Tom Collins
Language: Irish/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Rosg/De Facto Films
Trailer
Israel
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (Gett: Le Procès de Viviane Amsalem)
Dir: Ronit Elkabetz ♀ & Shlomi Elkabetz
Language: Hebrew/French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Italy
"Human Capital" (Il Capitale Umano)
Dir: Paolo Virzì
Language: Italian
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
PC: Indiana Production Company
Trailer
Japan
"The Light Shines Only There" (そこのみにて光輝く)
Dir: Mipo Oh ♀
Language: Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Open Sesame
Trailer
Kosovo
"Three Windows and a Hanging" (Tri Dritare dhe një Varje)
Dir: Isa Qosja
Language: Albanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: CMb Productions
Trailer
Kyrgyzstan
"Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains" (Курманжан Датка)
Dir: Sadyk Sher-Niyaz
Language: Kirghiz
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Aitysh Film
Trailer
Latvia
"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)
Dir: Signe Baumane ♀
Language: Latvian
U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
Trailer
Lebanon
"Ghadi" (غدي)
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
Lithuania
"The Gambler" (Lošėjas)
Dir: Ignas Jonynas
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Luxembourg
"Never Die Young"
Dir: Pol Cruchten
Language: French
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest Distribution
Trailer
MacEdonia
"To the Hilt" (До балчак)
Dir: Stole Popov
Language: Macedonian/French/English/ Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Triangle Film- Skopje
Trailer
Malta
"Simshar"
Dir: Rebecca Cremona ♀
Language: Maltese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Kukumajsa Productions
Trailer
Mauritania
"Timbuktu"
Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako
Language: French/Arabic/Bambara/English/Songhay/Tamasheq
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Le Pacte
Trailer
Mexico
"Cantinflas"
Dir: Sebastian del Amo
Language: Spanish/English
U.S Distribution: Pantelion Films
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Moldova
"The Unsaved" (La Limita de Jos a Cerului)
Dir: Igor Cobileanski
Language: Romanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Insomnia World Sales Trailer
Montenegro
"The Boys from Marx and Engels Street" (Djecaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa)
Dir: Nikola Vukcevic
Language: Serbian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Artikulacija Production
Trailer
Morocco
"The Red Moon" (القمر الأحمر)
Dir: Hassan Benjelloun
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Bentaqerla
Trailer
Nepal
"Jhola" (झोला)
Dir: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai
Language: Nepali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Media for Culture
Trailer
The Netherlands
"Accused" (Lucia de B.)
Dir: Paula van der Oest ♀
Language: Dutch
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
New Zealand
"The Dead Lands"
Dir: Toa Fraser
Language: Maori
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Xyz Films
Trailer
Norway
"1001 Grams" (1001 Gram)
Dir: Bent Hamer
Language: Norwegian/French/ English
U.S Distribution: Kino Lorber
Isa: Les Films du Losange
Trailer
Pakistan
"Dukhtar" (دختر، بیٹی)
Dir: Afia Nathaniel ♀
Language: Urdu
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Zambeel Films
Trailer
Palestine
"Eyes of a Thief" (عيون الحراميه)
Dir: Najwa Najjar ♀
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Ustura Films Trailer
Panama
"Invasion" (Invasión)
Dir: Abner Benaim
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Apertura Films Trailer
Peru
"The Gospel of the Flesh" (El Evangelio de la Carne)
Dir: Eduardo Mendoza de Echave
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Soga Producciones
Trailer
The Philippines
"Norte, the End of History" (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan)
Dir: Lav Diaz
Language: Tagalog/English
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Poland
"Ida"
Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski
Language: Polish
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Portobello Film Sales
Trailer
Portugal
"What Now? Remind Me" (E Agora? Lembra-me)
Dir: Joaquim Pinto
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
PC: C.R.I.M Productions
Trailer
Romania
"The Japanese Dog" (Câinele Japonez)
Dir: Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Language: Romanian/Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Russia
"Leviathan" (Левиафан)
Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Language: Russian
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Pyramide International
Trailer
Serbia
"See You in Montevideo" (Montevideo, vidimo se!)
Dir: Dragan Bjelogrlic
Language: Serbian/Spanish/ English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Intermedia Network
Trailer
Singapore
"Sayang Disayang"
Dir: Sanif Olek
Language: Malay/Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: ReelJuice
Trailer
Slovakia
"A Step Into the Dark" (Krok do tmy)
Dir: Miloslav Luther
Language: Slovak
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Trigon Production Trailer
Slovenia
"Seduce Me" (Zapelji me)
Dir: Marko Santic
Language: Slovenian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Radio-Television Slovenia
Trailer
South Africa
"Elelwani"
Dir: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli
Language: Venda
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest FilmDistribution
Trailer
South Korea
"Haemoo" (해무)
Dir: Sung Bo Shim
Language: Korean
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Finecut
Trailer
Spain
"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed" (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados)
Dir: David Trueba
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Outsider Pictures
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Sweden
"Force Majeure" (Turist)
Dir: Ruben Östlund
Language: Swedish/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)
Trailer
Switzerland
"The Circle" (Der Kreis)
Dir: Stefan Haupt
Language: Swiss German/ German/ French
U.S Distribution: Wolfe Video
Isa: Wide House
Trailer
Taiwan
"Ice Poison" (冰毒)
Dir: Midi Z.
Language: Burmese/Chinese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Flash Forward Enterteinment
Trailer
Thailand
"The Teacher's Diary" (คิดถึงวิทยา)
Dir: Nithiwat Tharathorn
Language: Thai
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Gth
Trailer
Turkey
"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)
Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Language: Turkish/English
U.S Distribution: Adopt Films
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Ukraine
"The Guide" (Поводир)
Dir: Oles Sanin
Language: Ukrainian/Russia/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Pronto Film
Trailer
United Kingdom
"Little Happiness" (Uzun Yol)
Dir: Nihat Seven
Language: Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: 7&7 Producers' Sales Services
Trailer
Uruguay
"Mr. Kaplan"
Dir: Álvaro Brechner
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Venezuela
"The Liberator" (Libertador)
Dir: Alberto Arvelo
Language: Spanish/English/ French
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Mundial
Trailer...
- 11/11/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Crime and punishment have long occupied David Fincher. With varying degrees of scalpel-sharp precision and gruesome indulgence, in films ranging from Se7en to Panic Room to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, he’s trafficked in dark and pulpy fare. His masterpiece, Zodiac, turns an unsolved real-life crime story into an existential inquiry into truth and obsession. It’s a movie that deepens with every viewing. In comparison, there’s little reason to revisit his latest feature; once the missing-person mystery has delivered its jolts, Gone Girl is a closed circuit of a story. And yet the think-piece culture won’t
read more...
read more...
- 10/19/2014
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Marian Seldes, the Tony Award-winning star of A Delicate Balance who was a teacher of Kevin Kline and Robin Williams, a muse to playwright Edward Albee and a Guinness Book of World Records holder for most consecutive performances, died Monday at age 86. She died peacefully at her home after an extended illness, her brother Timothy Seldes said. "It is with deep sadness that I share the news that my dear sister Marian Seldes has died," he said in a statement. "She was an extraordinary woman whose great love of the theater, teaching and acting was surpassed only by her deep love for her family.
- 10/7/2014
- by Associated Press
- PEOPLE.com
The esteemed Lav Diaz presents his own unique reimagining of Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment with the monumental Norte, the End of History (2014), an epic near-four-hour drama set in the northern Philippine province of Luzon. To celebrate the home entertainment release of Diaz's latest masterwork this coming Monday (29 September), we're pleased to have Three Blu-ray copies of the exemplary Norte, the End of History to offer out to our returning readers, thanks to the film's UK distributor and world cinemas specialists New Wave Films. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
- 10/4/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
BBC Three has commissioned a new sitcom from comedian Josh Widdicombe.
The channel has ordered six episodes of Josh, which follows Josh and mates Owen (Elis James) and Kate (Beattie Edmondson) living in a flatshare.
Jack Dee also features in the sitcom as the trio's landlord, Geoff, who is described as a "shoo-in for this year's Most Irritating Landlord award".
The Last Leg star Widdicombe has also written the series with Tom Craine.
The series follows a pilot made as part of BBC Comedy Feeds. It is directed by David Schneider, and produced by Simon Mayhew-Archer.
Josh is just one of the newly announced commissions from BBC Three, which includes a special disability season, and other comedy and factual programmes.
The disability season will explore what it means to be a young disabled person living in Britain today. Programmes include The World's Worst Place To Be Disabled, My Broken Brain:...
The channel has ordered six episodes of Josh, which follows Josh and mates Owen (Elis James) and Kate (Beattie Edmondson) living in a flatshare.
Jack Dee also features in the sitcom as the trio's landlord, Geoff, who is described as a "shoo-in for this year's Most Irritating Landlord award".
The Last Leg star Widdicombe has also written the series with Tom Craine.
The series follows a pilot made as part of BBC Comedy Feeds. It is directed by David Schneider, and produced by Simon Mayhew-Archer.
Josh is just one of the newly announced commissions from BBC Three, which includes a special disability season, and other comedy and factual programmes.
The disability season will explore what it means to be a young disabled person living in Britain today. Programmes include The World's Worst Place To Be Disabled, My Broken Brain:...
- 8/21/2014
- Digital Spy
#10. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Had I not revisited this upon its blu-ray release earlier this summer, it’d have been at #5 on this list. This is in large part due to the fact that Anderson’s sense of humor only really works for me when I’m watching his films in a theatre, surrounded by people who get off on it; their laughter is contagious enough that I’m able to stop wincing at its awkwardness and join in. Viewed in solitude, it’s just the same old strained, self-conscious dead pan that sign posts its cuteness to the point that I’m more an observer than a participant to the jokes. The Royal Tenenbaums never had this problem, because it’s more than just a (very impressively produced) set of winks and gags. Still, it’s undeniably entertaining and immaculately constructed as a throwback caper, and Tilda Swinton’s...
Had I not revisited this upon its blu-ray release earlier this summer, it’d have been at #5 on this list. This is in large part due to the fact that Anderson’s sense of humor only really works for me when I’m watching his films in a theatre, surrounded by people who get off on it; their laughter is contagious enough that I’m able to stop wincing at its awkwardness and join in. Viewed in solitude, it’s just the same old strained, self-conscious dead pan that sign posts its cuteness to the point that I’m more an observer than a participant to the jokes. The Royal Tenenbaums never had this problem, because it’s more than just a (very impressively produced) set of winks and gags. Still, it’s undeniably entertaining and immaculately constructed as a throwback caper, and Tilda Swinton’s...
- 7/21/2014
- by Blake Williams
- IONCINEMA.com
Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Norte, the End of History explores the moral decline of a man who commits a double murder and the redemption of the imprisoned man who takes the fall for him. Lav Diaz's film is a brutal expose of the guilt of getting away with it, says Peter Bradshaw. Notre, the End of History is released in the UK on Friday Continue reading...
- 7/17/2014
- by Peter Bradshaw and Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Spud’s Crime and Punishment Channel is now available for free viewing on FilmOn! The channel is great for TV viewers who love crime and mystery, especially if its of the vintage variety. Here’s more about the channel. Spud’s Crime and Punishment provides suspense, mystery movies and television series from the 1950′s and earlier. Titles include Sherlock Holmes, The Racquet Squad, Mr. & Mrs. North, Dragnet and more with some classic commercial interruptions. You can watch the channel below the post or at FilmOn. FilmOn has a lot of other classic television channels aside from this particular one. If you’re a fan of “Bonanza,” “The Adventures of Ozzy and Harriet,” “The [ Read More ]
The post Watch Spud’s Crime and Punishment Channel for Free on FilmOn appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Watch Spud’s Crime and Punishment Channel for Free on FilmOn appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 6/28/2014
- by monique
- ShockYa
Chester Theatre Company will open its 25th Anniversary Season with J.T. Rogers' haunting mystery Madagascar. The production, which runs now through July 6th at the Chester Town Hall in Chester, Ma, will feature Ctc favorites Debra Jo Rupp A Body of Water and Kim Stauffer Crime and Punishment. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below...
- 6/26/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
From its start—"this is the new politics," announces a coffee shop lounger, knee knocking at each half-thought protestation—Norte, the End of History broadcasts art-house competency. Austere framing; casual gestures. The lounger's shamefaced need to take something, anything serious without sounding embarrassingly serious himself, it seems, is Lav Diaz's great problem as an artist as well, and the opening sets the appropriate non-tone: just as our hero couches Raskolnikovian pontifications in mock-impromptu waffling, knowing laughter, and conjectural hand-motions, Diaz couches his characters... as couch-dwellers, half-lit, all half-turned away as decorative elements in an astutely naturalistic mise en scène. No doubt, it takes a lot of work to plant so many markers of improvised non-acting in a calculatedly scripted scene about The Nature of the Modern World. Still, though, I feel... well, you know, I feel like there's a thin line between, on the one hand, attentive patience and,...
- 6/23/2014
- by David Phelps
- MUBI
The Film Society of Lincoln Center recently announced, along with their all-star Summer calendar, that they’ll be hosting a Lav Diaz retrospective, set to run from June 2014 through February 2015. That’s not quite as drastic as it sounds: beginning with his latest, Norte, The End of History, the Film Society will screen one Diaz per month in a cheeky nod to the Filipino auteur’s generous running times. (2004′s Evolution of a Filipino Family clocks in at 540 minutes.) In conjunction with said announcement, Cinema Guild has released the official trailer to Norte, which is billed as “an epic reimagining of Crime and Punishment.” The film […]...
- 5/2/2014
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Film Society of Lincoln Center recently announced, along with their all-star Summer calendar, that they’ll be hosting a Lav Diaz retrospective, set to run from June 2014 through February 2015. That’s not quite as drastic as it sounds: beginning with his latest, Norte, The End of History, the Film Society will screen one Diaz per month in a cheeky nod to the Filipino auteur’s generous running times. (2004′s Evolution of a Filipino Family clocks in at 540 minutes.) In conjunction with said announcement, Cinema Guild has released the official trailer to Norte, which is billed as “an epic reimagining of Crime and Punishment.” The film […]...
- 5/2/2014
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
BBC Three has announced an upcoming Crime and Punishment season.
The series of programmes will focus on themes including death row, suicide within the penal system and restorative justice.
The documentaries aim to inspire young viewers to debate the topic of crime and punishment in the UK and the Us, the channel said in a statement.
Three-part series Life and Death Row will explore capital punishment and how it has affected various people's lives, with each episode focusing on execution, trial and appeal.
One-off documentary Dead Behind Bars will find out how and why young people have died in prison in the UK, telling stories of the prisoners' lives through family and friends, and whether their deaths could have been prevented.
Banged Up and Left to Fail? will follow university student Natalie, who turned her life around after being in and out of the criminal justice system since the age...
The series of programmes will focus on themes including death row, suicide within the penal system and restorative justice.
The documentaries aim to inspire young viewers to debate the topic of crime and punishment in the UK and the Us, the channel said in a statement.
Three-part series Life and Death Row will explore capital punishment and how it has affected various people's lives, with each episode focusing on execution, trial and appeal.
One-off documentary Dead Behind Bars will find out how and why young people have died in prison in the UK, telling stories of the prisoners' lives through family and friends, and whether their deaths could have been prevented.
Banged Up and Left to Fail? will follow university student Natalie, who turned her life around after being in and out of the criminal justice system since the age...
- 3/14/2014
- Digital Spy
Chicago – The epic Russian novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “Crime and Punishment,” gets a condensing by Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company, as the morality in the book is rendered into a palatable 95 minute stage version, directed by theatre founder and Artistic Director Richard Cotovsky.
Play Rating: 3.5/5.0
The artful stagecraft, done on an appropriately claustrophobic space, brings to life the ethical dilemmas that the novel has expressed for close to 150 years. The story of an intellect who imagines himself the arbiter of right-and-wrong, as practiced through murder, still resonates through our code of society. There are only three actors in this version, with two playing multiple characters, enhanced by effective production, lighting and scenic dexterity that weaves together the past, present and dual symbolism of the story.
Maureen Yasko, Ed Porter (Center) and Jack McCabe in Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s ‘Crime and Punishment’
Photo credit: Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company
In this stage play adaptation written by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus,...
Play Rating: 3.5/5.0
The artful stagecraft, done on an appropriately claustrophobic space, brings to life the ethical dilemmas that the novel has expressed for close to 150 years. The story of an intellect who imagines himself the arbiter of right-and-wrong, as practiced through murder, still resonates through our code of society. There are only three actors in this version, with two playing multiple characters, enhanced by effective production, lighting and scenic dexterity that weaves together the past, present and dual symbolism of the story.
Maureen Yasko, Ed Porter (Center) and Jack McCabe in Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s ‘Crime and Punishment’
Photo credit: Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company
In this stage play adaptation written by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus,...
- 2/12/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“Certain experiences you can’t survive, and afterward, you don’t fully exist, even if you failed to die. Everything that happened…is still happening, only now it’s 20 years later, and what happened is just story.”—from the novel Galveston by Nic Pizzolatto
“Strange is the night where black stars rise.” – from The King In Yellow by Robert W. Chambers
True Detective is many things at once—an immersive character study, a gripping head-trippy murder mystery, a psychological profile of the anti-hero zeitgeist, a tour de force for Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. But simply and deeply, it is...
“Strange is the night where black stars rise.” – from The King In Yellow by Robert W. Chambers
True Detective is many things at once—an immersive character study, a gripping head-trippy murder mystery, a psychological profile of the anti-hero zeitgeist, a tour de force for Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. But simply and deeply, it is...
- 1/13/2014
- by Jeff Jensen
- EW - Inside TV
Guinness World Records titleholder has starred in 80 plays, 30 films and made numerous television and radio performances
The Romanian actor Radu Beligan has been declared the world's oldest active actor at the age of 95.
Beligan celebrated the title, confirmed by Guinness World Records on Sunday, by stepping into the main role of The Egoist by the French playwright Jean Anouilh, playing the ageing playwright Leon Saint-Pe for the 330th time.
Beligan debuted in a stage version of Crime and Punishment in 1937. Beloved by Romanians for his melodious voice, aquiline features and stern gaze, he has starred in 80 plays, acted in 30 films and made numerous television and radio performances.
After being presented with a certificate of the Guinness award, he called on theatregoers to stop applauding. "I have no merits at all. I am the result of the love you have shown me for so many, many years," he said.
RomaniaEurope
theguardian.
The Romanian actor Radu Beligan has been declared the world's oldest active actor at the age of 95.
Beligan celebrated the title, confirmed by Guinness World Records on Sunday, by stepping into the main role of The Egoist by the French playwright Jean Anouilh, playing the ageing playwright Leon Saint-Pe for the 330th time.
Beligan debuted in a stage version of Crime and Punishment in 1937. Beloved by Romanians for his melodious voice, aquiline features and stern gaze, he has starred in 80 plays, acted in 30 films and made numerous television and radio performances.
After being presented with a certificate of the Guinness award, he called on theatregoers to stop applauding. "I have no merits at all. I am the result of the love you have shown me for so many, many years," he said.
RomaniaEurope
theguardian.
- 12/16/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Although this week’s American Horror Story: Coven finds Cordelia setting in motion her plot to assassinate her mother, it’s what Marie does to Delphine that’ll really make your head spin. Keep reading. I’ll give you all the gory details…
Related | American Horror Story Season 4 Will Be a [Spoiler] Story
Grisly Madams | As “The Sacred Taking” begins, Zoe and Madison try to bring Queenie back to Miss Robichaux’s, but she goes all “Dear diary, those girls were never really my friends!” on them. (Madison’s priceless reaction: “Boo friggin’ hoo.”) What’s more, the human voodoo doll...
Related | American Horror Story Season 4 Will Be a [Spoiler] Story
Grisly Madams | As “The Sacred Taking” begins, Zoe and Madison try to bring Queenie back to Miss Robichaux’s, but she goes all “Dear diary, those girls were never really my friends!” on them. (Madison’s priceless reaction: “Boo friggin’ hoo.”) What’s more, the human voodoo doll...
- 12/5/2013
- by Andy Patrick
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: UK distributor acquires rights to Lav Diaz’s Un Certain Regard entry.
UK distributor New Wave Films has acquired Lav Diaz’s epic drama Norte, the End of History.
The festival favourite, which debuted in Un Certain Regard at Cannes and has also played at Karlovy Vary, Locarno and Toronto among other festivals, begins as a riff on Dostoyevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment but also alludes to Philippino class and politics, the country’s intelligentsia and its foreign-worker phenomenon.
New Wave, which acquired the film from producer is Raymond Lee after its screening at the London Film Festival, plans a spring 2014 release.
Cinema Guild had already acquired Us rights.
Screenplay is from Lav Diaz and Rody Vera. Cast includes Sid Lucero, Angeli Bayani, Archie Alemania, Angelina Kanapi and Soliman Cruz.
Philippine New Wave director Diaz won Venice’s Orrizonti Award in 2008 for drama Melancholia.
UK distributor New Wave Films has acquired Lav Diaz’s epic drama Norte, the End of History.
The festival favourite, which debuted in Un Certain Regard at Cannes and has also played at Karlovy Vary, Locarno and Toronto among other festivals, begins as a riff on Dostoyevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment but also alludes to Philippino class and politics, the country’s intelligentsia and its foreign-worker phenomenon.
New Wave, which acquired the film from producer is Raymond Lee after its screening at the London Film Festival, plans a spring 2014 release.
Cinema Guild had already acquired Us rights.
Screenplay is from Lav Diaz and Rody Vera. Cast includes Sid Lucero, Angeli Bayani, Archie Alemania, Angelina Kanapi and Soliman Cruz.
Philippine New Wave director Diaz won Venice’s Orrizonti Award in 2008 for drama Melancholia.
- 11/28/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
It’s a harsh reality of America nowadays.
Every time one turns on the news, they are highlighting about the struggles of people trying to survive on the minimum wage or obtain health insurance.
“Sunlight Jr.” premiered this weekend as a fictionalized look about a middle-aged couple living in a motel and barely surviving below the poverty line. And then the couple had to deal with an unexpected pregnancy.
The movie stars Matt Dillon, Naomi Watts and Norman Reedus. It is directed and written by Laurie Collyer (“Sherrybaby,” “Nuryoican Dream”).
Latino-Review had an exclusive phone interview with Collyer to discuss about “Sunlight Jr.” We talked about the casting, books on poverty, and American struggles.
“Sunlight Jr.” is in theater limited release and VOD.
Read the transcript below.
Latino-Review: For this film that you wrote and directed, what is the inspiration behind this movie?
Laurie Collyer: I read a book in 2006, a while ago,...
Every time one turns on the news, they are highlighting about the struggles of people trying to survive on the minimum wage or obtain health insurance.
“Sunlight Jr.” premiered this weekend as a fictionalized look about a middle-aged couple living in a motel and barely surviving below the poverty line. And then the couple had to deal with an unexpected pregnancy.
The movie stars Matt Dillon, Naomi Watts and Norman Reedus. It is directed and written by Laurie Collyer (“Sherrybaby,” “Nuryoican Dream”).
Latino-Review had an exclusive phone interview with Collyer to discuss about “Sunlight Jr.” We talked about the casting, books on poverty, and American struggles.
“Sunlight Jr.” is in theater limited release and VOD.
Read the transcript below.
Latino-Review: For this film that you wrote and directed, what is the inspiration behind this movie?
Laurie Collyer: I read a book in 2006, a while ago,...
- 11/15/2013
- by Gig Patta
- LRMonline.com
In Now You See Me (2013), a spectacular blend of astonishing illusions and exhilarating action from director Louis Leterrier, four talented magicians mesmerise an international audience with a series of bold and original heists, all the while pursuing a hidden agenda that has the FBI and Interpol scrambling to anticipate their next move. To celebrate the home entertainment release of Leterrier's Now You See Me, we have Three DVD copies of the film to give away, courtesy of the team at UK distributors Entertainment One. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
Leterrier's Now You See Me pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against 'The Four Horsemen' (consisting of The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher...
Leterrier's Now You See Me pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against 'The Four Horsemen' (consisting of The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher...
- 11/1/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
No horror in this one. Blood is a standard copstakingthelawintoownhands flick with a predictable Crime and Punishment climax. The suspense runs like a slow IV drip made all the more agonizing by the obvious nature of the outcome. Yet the fathers creeping senility makes for an interesting wildcard and the humanization of Jason through his grieving mother adds an unexpected flavor to an otherwise unremarkable plotline. Additionally the acting is first rate. Paul Bettany with the most demanding role delivers spectacularly.
- 10/10/2013
- Best-Horror-Movies.com
Toronto – The 38th Toronto International Film Festival® today announced the films in the Masters programme, which highlights the work of the world’s most compelling cinematic creators. The programme features a diverse collection of new films including world premieres from Quebecois directors Robert Lepage and Pedro Pires and Finnish filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo; and North American premieres by Jia Zhangke, Jafar Panahi, Kim Ki-duk, Edgar Rietz and Claire Denis.
One additional title has also been announced in the Midnight Madness programme: the world premiere of Alex de la Iglesia’s Witching & Bitching (Las brujas de Zugarramurdi).
A Touch of Sin (Tian zhu ding) Jia Zhangke, China/Japan North American Premiere
An angry miner, enraged by the corruption of his village leaders, takes action. A rootless migrant discovers the infinite possibilities that owning a firearm can offer. A pretty receptionist working in a sauna is pushed to the limit when a wealthy client assaults her.
One additional title has also been announced in the Midnight Madness programme: the world premiere of Alex de la Iglesia’s Witching & Bitching (Las brujas de Zugarramurdi).
A Touch of Sin (Tian zhu ding) Jia Zhangke, China/Japan North American Premiere
An angry miner, enraged by the corruption of his village leaders, takes action. A rootless migrant discovers the infinite possibilities that owning a firearm can offer. A pretty receptionist working in a sauna is pushed to the limit when a wealthy client assaults her.
- 8/21/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
On this week's Thug Notes, Sparky Sweets, PhD., covers Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. He evaluates Jane's story of going from to hustling as a governess to being all cashed out, to accepting that Rochester is "ugly as sh*t" and loving him anyway. Basically,Jane Eyre represents all the hating that women had to deal with.
Check it out above.
If you like this episode, subscribe to the Thug Notes YouTube channel and check out the previous titles below:
Crime And Punishment
The Great Gatsby
To Kill A Mockingbird
1984
Lord Of The Flies...
Check it out above.
If you like this episode, subscribe to the Thug Notes YouTube channel and check out the previous titles below:
Crime And Punishment
The Great Gatsby
To Kill A Mockingbird
1984
Lord Of The Flies...
- 8/6/2013
- by Danielle Sinay
- Huffington Post
Sparky Sweets, PhD, has another round of "Thug Notes," his answer to SparkNotes. This time, he analyzes William Golding's Lord of the Flies.
When a bunch of "prissy British boys" try to govern themselves on a remote island, we can extract such lessons as: "By watching these little white boys lose their mind, we're reminded of humanity's capacity for evil and how manmade moral systems be straight up superficial."
Previously on Thug Notes:
Crime And Punishment
The Great Gatsby
To Kill A Mockingbird
1984
Pride and Prejudice...
When a bunch of "prissy British boys" try to govern themselves on a remote island, we can extract such lessons as: "By watching these little white boys lose their mind, we're reminded of humanity's capacity for evil and how manmade moral systems be straight up superficial."
Previously on Thug Notes:
Crime And Punishment
The Great Gatsby
To Kill A Mockingbird
1984
Pride and Prejudice...
- 7/16/2013
- by Joanna Borns
- Huffington Post
Life of the Sex Party: Spearman’s Debut Features Intriguing but Diluted Premise
The multifaceted Doug Spearman, who many are familiar with as a main player in Logo’s groundbreaking series “Noah’s Arc,” unveils his feature film debut, Hot Guys With Guns, which tries to be a sassy neo-noir dark comedy riffing on dynamics from a multitude of iconic cinematic elements. Those hoping for a breezy comedy will be sorely disappointed with a surprising amount of sinister elements that are declawed by the film’s attempt to be too many things at one time. That’s not to say there aren’t some redeeming elements of discussion highlighted in Spearman’s scenario, which is initially a daring expose of a seedier, often undisclosed side of a community that often engages in contradictory depictions of transparency and provocation. The base premise has all the fixings of a capitalistically mutated cousin to Cruising,...
The multifaceted Doug Spearman, who many are familiar with as a main player in Logo’s groundbreaking series “Noah’s Arc,” unveils his feature film debut, Hot Guys With Guns, which tries to be a sassy neo-noir dark comedy riffing on dynamics from a multitude of iconic cinematic elements. Those hoping for a breezy comedy will be sorely disappointed with a surprising amount of sinister elements that are declawed by the film’s attempt to be too many things at one time. That’s not to say there aren’t some redeeming elements of discussion highlighted in Spearman’s scenario, which is initially a daring expose of a seedier, often undisclosed side of a community that often engages in contradictory depictions of transparency and provocation. The base premise has all the fixings of a capitalistically mutated cousin to Cruising,...
- 7/9/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
First there was Crime and Punishment, then there was The Great Gatsby. Now Sparky Sweets, PhD is bringing his considerable insight and love of literature to bear on Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird.
Here's a taste from Sweets' learned analysis:
"Only a jive-ass fool would bother capping a mockingbird, cause all them bitches do is just drop next-level beats for your enjoyment. So what my girl Harper trying to say is ratting on Boo Radley wouldn't do no good. It would only rid the hood of one more true-blue player."
Watch the clip above and let us know what you'd like to see "Thug Notes" take on next.
Here's a taste from Sweets' learned analysis:
"Only a jive-ass fool would bother capping a mockingbird, cause all them bitches do is just drop next-level beats for your enjoyment. So what my girl Harper trying to say is ratting on Boo Radley wouldn't do no good. It would only rid the hood of one more true-blue player."
Watch the clip above and let us know what you'd like to see "Thug Notes" take on next.
- 6/25/2013
- by Carol Hartsell
- Huffington Post
Sneak Peek new images and synopsis from the Season 2 debut episode of Starz' "Magic City", titled "Crime and Punishment", airing June 14, 2013:
"...'Ike Evans' risks everything in a life and death battle to rid his 'Miramar Playa Hotel' of the underword element and 'Ben 'The Butcher' Diamond'. Ike’s dangerous plan to defeat Ben takes Ike from Havana’s glamorous casinos to dealings with a new devil – Ben’s boss in the 'Chicago Outfit'.
"Ike’s wife 'Vera' gets a second chance at her former dancing glory, while sons 'Stevie' and 'Danny' drift farther away - Stevie toward the power and rewards of Ben’s dark world, Danny into the moral righteousness of State’s Attorney 'Jack Klein'. Changes in Castro’s Cuba ripple to the shores of Miami Beach, and a new world order begins to tear the Evans family apart. Even if Ike’s long-shot gamble...
"...'Ike Evans' risks everything in a life and death battle to rid his 'Miramar Playa Hotel' of the underword element and 'Ben 'The Butcher' Diamond'. Ike’s dangerous plan to defeat Ben takes Ike from Havana’s glamorous casinos to dealings with a new devil – Ben’s boss in the 'Chicago Outfit'.
"Ike’s wife 'Vera' gets a second chance at her former dancing glory, while sons 'Stevie' and 'Danny' drift farther away - Stevie toward the power and rewards of Ben’s dark world, Danny into the moral righteousness of State’s Attorney 'Jack Klein'. Changes in Castro’s Cuba ripple to the shores of Miami Beach, and a new world order begins to tear the Evans family apart. Even if Ike’s long-shot gamble...
- 6/16/2013
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
When it comes to interviews, Chris Mundy is better acquainted with the other side of the table. The Rolling Stone editor turned AMC showrunner sat down with everybody from Kurt Cobain to Elliott Smith during tenure at the magazine, which spanned the peak of the record industry, from 1989-2000. He got out at just the right time -- few in the grunge era would have foreseen that, by 2013, television writers would have more swagger than rock journalists, but lo and behold "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan. Mundy's forthcoming series "Low Winter Sun" is a remake of a two-hour BBC miniseries created in 2006 by Simon Donald, a "Crime and Punishment"-inspired story about two cops who kill one of their own, then spend the rest of their days trying to cover up the deed. AMC's version, filmed on location in Detroit, stars Mark Strong ("Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy") and Lennie James...
- 6/12/2013
- by Leah Churner
- Indiewire
You cannot look away from Darezhan Omirbaev's Student, as you can't look away from any of the Kazakh director's films, for each and every shot is quietly but powerfully charged. It always seems a minute charge until a simple shot's condensation of narrative expression and emotional nuance sneaks up on you. In this new film, liberally yet efficiently adapted from Crime and Punishment, the titular student, very poor, very dejected, rides a bus through town; later that afternoon he spontaneously gives away money to the family of an unemployed poet; finally, we see him walking through the rain, and suddenly: ah! he is so poor that he gave away even his bus fare. It is not a chain of this-and-then-that, but a quiet movement, elliptical and quotidian, asking the audience to read how a nominally unimportant action or insert is, in fact, crucially telling to what's going on in someone's mind,...
- 6/6/2013
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of the most famous names in world literature. Author of eleven novels, some of which are among the most acclaimed in history, Dostoevsky has been praised for his superb grasp of psychology and his interest in both philosophical and religious themes.
He was born in Moscow in 1821 and published his first novel, Poor Folk, in 1846. In 1849, he was arrested for his involvement with a group of radical liberal utopians and sentenced to death by firing squad. In pure literary fashion, Dostoevsky was spared minutes before his sentence was to be carried out and instead was sentenced to 4 years labor in Siberia. After his release, he struggled for years financially but later in life he became known for his writing abilities and produced some of the masterpieces of western literature.
Although he wrote eleven novels in total, Dostoevsky is primarily remembered for five: Notes from Underground, Crime and Punishment,...
He was born in Moscow in 1821 and published his first novel, Poor Folk, in 1846. In 1849, he was arrested for his involvement with a group of radical liberal utopians and sentenced to death by firing squad. In pure literary fashion, Dostoevsky was spared minutes before his sentence was to be carried out and instead was sentenced to 4 years labor in Siberia. After his release, he struggled for years financially but later in life he became known for his writing abilities and produced some of the masterpieces of western literature.
Although he wrote eleven novels in total, Dostoevsky is primarily remembered for five: Notes from Underground, Crime and Punishment,...
- 5/29/2013
- by Paul Sorrells
- Obsessed with Film
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.