A criteria for previous Euro Film spotlights (Euro 2008, Euro 2012, Euro 2016) was to select previously unseen films or films from unknown directors. This led to some exciting discoveries and many months of viewing or hunting the film down. This time around, I have kept things a bit simpler. The main criteria for this Euro 2024 Film spotlight is to select some of the best films previously seen from each country. As a result, this will allow for a much more richer cinematic head-to-head competition. 9 decades are represented by these films with the earliest from 1949 and the newest from one from 2021.
Here are the 24 Top European films:
Group A
Germany: Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972, Werner Herzog)
Switzerland: The Boat is Full (1981, Markus Imhoof)
Hungary: Satantango (1994, Béla Tarr)
Scotland: Gregory’s girl (1980, Bill Forsyth)
Group B
Spain: Death of a Cyclist (1955, Juan Antonio Bardem)
Italy: The Battle of Algiers (1966, Gillo Pontecorvo)
Albania: Daybreak (2017, Gentian Koçi)
Croatia: Buick Riviera (2008, Goran Rusinovic)
Group C
Slovenia: Spare Parts (2003, Damjan Kozole)
Denmark: Babette’s Feast (1987, Gabriel Axel)
Serbia: Underground (1995, Emir Kusturica)
England: The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed)
Group D
Poland: Dekalog (1989/90, Krzysztof Kieslowski)
Holland: The Vanishing (1988, George Sluizer)
Austria: Homo Sapiens (2016, Nikolaus Geyrhalter)
France: Pickpocket (1959, Robert Bresson)
Group E
Belgium: Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975, Chantal Akerman)
Slovakia: Orbis Pictus (1997, Martin Sulík)
Romania: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005, Cristi Puiu)
Ukraine: My Joy (2010, Sergey Loznitsa)
Group F
Turkey: Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
Georgia: What Do We See When We Look At the Sky? (2021, Aleksandre Koberidze)
Portugal: Mudar de Vida (Change of Life, 1966, Paulo Rocha)
Czech Republic: Closely Watched Trains (1966, Jirí Menzel)
Results of the Group matches, knockout phases will be posted in a few weeks.
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Sunday, June 16, 2024
Euro 2024 Film Spotlight
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Euro 2012: English Films
Entry #8 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two films from England.
Shame (2011, Steve McQueen)
Brandon (Michael Fassbender) has a well playing job in New York City but his job bores him. As a result, he freely channels his energy into sex, an activity that occupies both his disposal income and time. Brandon is not afraid to satisfy himself when needed and on other occasions he pays to have a rip roaring good time. All the sex he has is cold and meaningless and only meant to quench his thirst. It is the real relationships that he struggles with, such as the one with his sister (Carey Mulligan) or Marianne (Nicole Beharie).
Brandon cannot perform with Marianne but as soon as she leaves, he is able to freely release himself into a prostitute. Brandon cannot get it up when love is involved but sex is easier with paid prostitutes as that eliminates any barrier of shame.
Brandon’s addiction to sex is slowly ruining his life but he does not realize that until his sister arrives and he has to look after her. As expected, he eventually hits rock bottom, is mentally defeated and loses his icy cool confidence.
Two sequences which bookend the film perfectly illustrate the change in Brandon’s personality and confidence.
At the start of the film, he is sitting in a train when he eyes a woman.
She sees him and shows interest. A seduction takes place, the woman is aroused and shifts her legs slightly.
Brandon is cool, confident and completely in control.
The woman breaks out of her seductive trance and realizes what she is doing. She is ashamed of her actions, even though the action only took place mentally.
She hastens her departure and the camera shows us the reason for her guilt: she is married.
But that does not stop Brandon. He stands close to her. She can sense his presence and once again she undergoes a sexual roller coaster of emotions.
She runs away when the train stops. Brandon follows her but loses her in the crowd.
After Brandon hits rock bottom, he eyes the woman again.
She looks ravishing and inviting.
This time around she tempts him. She looks to her left indicating her stop is about to arrive and stands close to him. Brandon looks at her ring and then at her. He looks disgusted. He is trying to clean his life up and here she is tempting him towards the garden of Eden. Her red lipstick represents that juicy red apple meant to draw him down the path of sin.
What Brandon chooses is left up to the viewer’s imagination but no matter what choice he makes, he won’t be happy.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, Tomas Alfredson)
The life of a spy is packed with information and misinformation. Some misinformation is required to muddy the waters in order to get a reaction from the opposing side, which will result in the next chess move. However, it often happens that misinformation can lead to a "blowback" and that leads to a larger mess. Untangling such a mess means each side has to thoroughly go through their hierarchy to weed out the traitors. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about such a cleansing operation where the British have to find out who the mole is on their side and in doing so they enlist the help of George Smiley (Gary Oldman). The film moves back and forth in time, further casting a shadow on proceedings. Two viewings of the film are essential to grab a handle on events as a first viewing will help determine the identity of the mole while a second viewing will help piece the full picture of events. Or one could read David Bordwell’s excellent review which is an essential reading guide for the film.
The kind of spies and the work they do in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are aptly described by The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, another film adaptation of John le Carré’s novel of the same name.
What the hell do you think spies are? Moral philosophers measuring everything they do against the word of God or Karl Marx? They're not! They're just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me: little men, drunkards, queers, hen-pecked husbands, civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives. Do you think they sit like monks in a cell, balancing right against wrong?
............
Our work, as I understand it.. is based on a single assumption that the West is never going to be the aggressor. Thus..we do disagreeable things..but we’re defensive. Our policies are peaceful..but our methods can’t afford to be less ruthless than those of the opposition.
You know, I’d say, uh..since the war, our methods - our techniques, that is - and those of the Communists, have become very much the same. Yes. I mean, occasionally...we have to do wicked things. Very wicked things indeed. But, uh, you can’t be less wicked..than your enemies simply because your government’s policy is benevolent.
England-Sweden, again
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is directed by the Swede Tomas Alfredson. As a result, the film is an appropriate choice for the Euro spotlight as England and Sweden are once again drawn in the same group in a major international soccer tournament. If history is any guide, the game between the two teams will end in a 1-1 draw.
Shame (2011, Steve McQueen)
Brandon (Michael Fassbender) has a well playing job in New York City but his job bores him. As a result, he freely channels his energy into sex, an activity that occupies both his disposal income and time. Brandon is not afraid to satisfy himself when needed and on other occasions he pays to have a rip roaring good time. All the sex he has is cold and meaningless and only meant to quench his thirst. It is the real relationships that he struggles with, such as the one with his sister (Carey Mulligan) or Marianne (Nicole Beharie).
Brandon cannot perform with Marianne but as soon as she leaves, he is able to freely release himself into a prostitute. Brandon cannot get it up when love is involved but sex is easier with paid prostitutes as that eliminates any barrier of shame.
Brandon’s addiction to sex is slowly ruining his life but he does not realize that until his sister arrives and he has to look after her. As expected, he eventually hits rock bottom, is mentally defeated and loses his icy cool confidence.
Two sequences which bookend the film perfectly illustrate the change in Brandon’s personality and confidence.
At the start of the film, he is sitting in a train when he eyes a woman.
She sees him and shows interest. A seduction takes place, the woman is aroused and shifts her legs slightly.
Brandon is cool, confident and completely in control.
The woman breaks out of her seductive trance and realizes what she is doing. She is ashamed of her actions, even though the action only took place mentally.
She hastens her departure and the camera shows us the reason for her guilt: she is married.
But that does not stop Brandon. He stands close to her. She can sense his presence and once again she undergoes a sexual roller coaster of emotions.
She runs away when the train stops. Brandon follows her but loses her in the crowd.
After Brandon hits rock bottom, he eyes the woman again.
She looks ravishing and inviting.
This time around she tempts him. She looks to her left indicating her stop is about to arrive and stands close to him. Brandon looks at her ring and then at her. He looks disgusted. He is trying to clean his life up and here she is tempting him towards the garden of Eden. Her red lipstick represents that juicy red apple meant to draw him down the path of sin.
What Brandon chooses is left up to the viewer’s imagination but no matter what choice he makes, he won’t be happy.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, Tomas Alfredson)
The life of a spy is packed with information and misinformation. Some misinformation is required to muddy the waters in order to get a reaction from the opposing side, which will result in the next chess move. However, it often happens that misinformation can lead to a "blowback" and that leads to a larger mess. Untangling such a mess means each side has to thoroughly go through their hierarchy to weed out the traitors. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about such a cleansing operation where the British have to find out who the mole is on their side and in doing so they enlist the help of George Smiley (Gary Oldman). The film moves back and forth in time, further casting a shadow on proceedings. Two viewings of the film are essential to grab a handle on events as a first viewing will help determine the identity of the mole while a second viewing will help piece the full picture of events. Or one could read David Bordwell’s excellent review which is an essential reading guide for the film.
The kind of spies and the work they do in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are aptly described by The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, another film adaptation of John le Carré’s novel of the same name.
What the hell do you think spies are? Moral philosophers measuring everything they do against the word of God or Karl Marx? They're not! They're just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me: little men, drunkards, queers, hen-pecked husbands, civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives. Do you think they sit like monks in a cell, balancing right against wrong?
............
Our work, as I understand it.. is based on a single assumption that the West is never going to be the aggressor. Thus..we do disagreeable things..but we’re defensive. Our policies are peaceful..but our methods can’t afford to be less ruthless than those of the opposition.
You know, I’d say, uh..since the war, our methods - our techniques, that is - and those of the Communists, have become very much the same. Yes. I mean, occasionally...we have to do wicked things. Very wicked things indeed. But, uh, you can’t be less wicked..than your enemies simply because your government’s policy is benevolent.
England-Sweden, again
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is directed by the Swede Tomas Alfredson. As a result, the film is an appropriate choice for the Euro spotlight as England and Sweden are once again drawn in the same group in a major international soccer tournament. If history is any guide, the game between the two teams will end in a 1-1 draw.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
2010 Movie World Cup, Group C
Group C -- England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Films: Of Time and the City, Ballast, Daughter of Keltoum, How I Killed a Saint
England: Of Time and the City (2008, Terence Davies)
Terence Davies pays tribute to his home city Liverpool in this autobiographical documentary. The film is a blend of newsreel and archival footage accompanied to Davies' mesmerizing voice. Unfortunately, the end product has no fixed pattern and drifts as per Davies' memory. So the recollections feature some pleasant memories mixed with some angry recollections but not everything is engaging.
USA: Ballast (2008, Lance Hammer)
Lance Hammer's fine debut film is a poetic look at a family's ability to cope with a tragedy. The film starts off in dark circumstances and eases up gradually presenting a tiny glimmer of hope for a better future by the end. The cinematography perfectly captures the grim circumstances and Hammer is brave enough to let the images speak for themselves, without pausing to explain anything. In fact, the film plunges head first into the tragedy with no build up. After that opening sequence, we see events unfold without any unnecessary flashbacks and as a result, the film is able to maintain a consistent powerful flow throughout.
Algeria: Daughter of Keltoum (2001, Mehdi Charef)
Rallia (Cylia Malki) goes to an Algerian village to find her biological mother but her trip ends up being a brave journey across the Algerian landscape filled with danger in the form of Resistance fighters and violence related to oppression of women. What unfolds is an emotional tale about poverty, survival and strength required to take all the punches and carry on. Cylia Malki's pleasant face perfectly depicts the complex emotions required of her character who moves from innocence to defiance to anger especially at the beliefs around her. And when all the emotions have exploded, there are much needed tears to heal and repair the damaged bonds.
Note: The political, social and religious tugs in Algerian life along with violence against women have been present in one form or the other in the last few Algerian films I have seen such as Enough and Rachida. That trend continues in Daughter of Keltoum. At first, Daughter of Keltoum appears to be free from any political depiction but as Rallia leaves the village, resistance fighters make an appearance followed by issues of head covering and violence against women.
Slovenia: How I Killed a Saint (2004, Teona Strugar Mitevska)
How I Killed a Saint is a Slovenian co-production set in Macedonia and uses a brother and sister's differing life paths to depict a society wrapped up in civil war. The bubbling anger and frustration experienced by the brother could easily apply to that felt by other citizens of Eastern European nations at their country's situation and presence of foreign troops. The brother joins a political movement and decides he will take matter into his own hands to do something for his national cause but he does not realize that his violent actions will have a consequence close to home.
Standings and Points (Maximum out of 9)
Ballast: 9
Daugther of Keltoum: 7
How I Killed a Saint: 6
Of Time and the City: 5
For me the biggest disappointment was Of Time and the City. The film has been critically praised and I bought into that hype making this the first selection of my movie festival. Also, since Davies is an auteur, I felt the selection was a no brainer. Unfortunately, I found the film hugely disappointing and one of the poorest selections out of the 32.
In a way, the selection of Of Time and the City and its disappointing end result is reflective of the English soccer team. The English media hype their team up time and time again expecting them to win the World Cup yet the English team has been very tactically weak over the last decade and that is reflected in the poor on-field results. Yes, in theory penalties have cost England in the 1998 & 2006 tournaments but those kicks only mask the incorrect tactical formations and the unimaginative display of the team. In 2002, England were a man up against Brazil in the Quarter-Finals but could not muster even a decent chance in the second half and simply faded away. Fatigue might have been a factor but something also has to be said for which players were picked and which were left out.
Soccer Group prediction
For me, this is weakest of the 8 groups in the World Cup. Despite all their shortcomings, England will comfortably advance from this group along with USA. The big question will be whether the US can beat England to the group's #1 spot. Algeria did well to overcome their bitter rivals and African Champions Egypt to qualify for the world cup but it is hard to expect any upsets from this squad like that from the 1982 Algerian team who beat West Germany and Chile 1-0 and 3-2 respectively and were then unfairly robbed from advancing from the group stages when Germany and Austria conspired to a 1-0 result.
Films: Of Time and the City, Ballast, Daughter of Keltoum, How I Killed a Saint
England: Of Time and the City (2008, Terence Davies)
Terence Davies pays tribute to his home city Liverpool in this autobiographical documentary. The film is a blend of newsreel and archival footage accompanied to Davies' mesmerizing voice. Unfortunately, the end product has no fixed pattern and drifts as per Davies' memory. So the recollections feature some pleasant memories mixed with some angry recollections but not everything is engaging.
USA: Ballast (2008, Lance Hammer)
Lance Hammer's fine debut film is a poetic look at a family's ability to cope with a tragedy. The film starts off in dark circumstances and eases up gradually presenting a tiny glimmer of hope for a better future by the end. The cinematography perfectly captures the grim circumstances and Hammer is brave enough to let the images speak for themselves, without pausing to explain anything. In fact, the film plunges head first into the tragedy with no build up. After that opening sequence, we see events unfold without any unnecessary flashbacks and as a result, the film is able to maintain a consistent powerful flow throughout.
Algeria: Daughter of Keltoum (2001, Mehdi Charef)
Rallia (Cylia Malki) goes to an Algerian village to find her biological mother but her trip ends up being a brave journey across the Algerian landscape filled with danger in the form of Resistance fighters and violence related to oppression of women. What unfolds is an emotional tale about poverty, survival and strength required to take all the punches and carry on. Cylia Malki's pleasant face perfectly depicts the complex emotions required of her character who moves from innocence to defiance to anger especially at the beliefs around her. And when all the emotions have exploded, there are much needed tears to heal and repair the damaged bonds.
Note: The political, social and religious tugs in Algerian life along with violence against women have been present in one form or the other in the last few Algerian films I have seen such as Enough and Rachida. That trend continues in Daughter of Keltoum. At first, Daughter of Keltoum appears to be free from any political depiction but as Rallia leaves the village, resistance fighters make an appearance followed by issues of head covering and violence against women.
Slovenia: How I Killed a Saint (2004, Teona Strugar Mitevska)
How I Killed a Saint is a Slovenian co-production set in Macedonia and uses a brother and sister's differing life paths to depict a society wrapped up in civil war. The bubbling anger and frustration experienced by the brother could easily apply to that felt by other citizens of Eastern European nations at their country's situation and presence of foreign troops. The brother joins a political movement and decides he will take matter into his own hands to do something for his national cause but he does not realize that his violent actions will have a consequence close to home.
Standings and Points (Maximum out of 9)
Ballast: 9
Daugther of Keltoum: 7
How I Killed a Saint: 6
Of Time and the City: 5
For me the biggest disappointment was Of Time and the City. The film has been critically praised and I bought into that hype making this the first selection of my movie festival. Also, since Davies is an auteur, I felt the selection was a no brainer. Unfortunately, I found the film hugely disappointing and one of the poorest selections out of the 32.
In a way, the selection of Of Time and the City and its disappointing end result is reflective of the English soccer team. The English media hype their team up time and time again expecting them to win the World Cup yet the English team has been very tactically weak over the last decade and that is reflected in the poor on-field results. Yes, in theory penalties have cost England in the 1998 & 2006 tournaments but those kicks only mask the incorrect tactical formations and the unimaginative display of the team. In 2002, England were a man up against Brazil in the Quarter-Finals but could not muster even a decent chance in the second half and simply faded away. Fatigue might have been a factor but something also has to be said for which players were picked and which were left out.
Soccer Group prediction
For me, this is weakest of the 8 groups in the World Cup. Despite all their shortcomings, England will comfortably advance from this group along with USA. The big question will be whether the US can beat England to the group's #1 spot. Algeria did well to overcome their bitter rivals and African Champions Egypt to qualify for the world cup but it is hard to expect any upsets from this squad like that from the 1982 Algerian team who beat West Germany and Chile 1-0 and 3-2 respectively and were then unfairly robbed from advancing from the group stages when Germany and Austria conspired to a 1-0 result.
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