Spotlight on Christopher Doyle

I have often chased down films either by a particular director or country for the better part of the last decade. The only exception to this was from 2005-06 when I looked for films that cinematographer Christopher Doyle worked on. Ofcourse, Doyle is no ordinary cinematographer but is one of the top 2-3, if not the best, director of photography working in any film industry around the world. He is best known for his work on Asian films, especially his associations with Wong Kar-wai. In fact, it was Wong Kar-wai’s films that first led me to Doyle's vibrant and fascinating palettes. However, what really drove me to start hunting down other Doyle films was his work on Fruit Chan's Dumplings segment in 2004's Three...Extremes. The Dumplings segment was easily one of the best lit and shot films I had seen that year and that short forced me to seek out other Doyle filmed works. The quest led me to Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's hypnotic and mesmerizing Last Life in the Universe which naturally led me to the director's next film Invisible Waves. In the few years between 2002-2006, it appeared that anything that Doyle shot was worth seeing. Hero was a visual treat, 2046 was a seductive follow up to the cinematic treasure In the Mood for Love while The Quiet American was a brave political film made in a time of "us against them" policies which left no room for reason or diplomacy.

After Invisible Waves, I eased off on the film hunt and instead dove into various regional, directorial and soccer themed spotlights. Interestingly after 2006, Doyle also moved away temporarily from Asia to work with M. Night Shyamalan (2006's Lady in the Water), Gus Van Sant (2007's Paranoid Park) and Jim Jarmusch (The Limits of Control, easily the best American film of 2009). A perfect opportunity for a Christopher Doyle spotlight would have being in 2006 when his more famous and precious works could have been captured in a single umbrella. As a way to make amends, I decided to finally have an overdue spotlight on Christopher Doyle and use the opportunity to catch-up on some of his previous works which I missed, especially his directorial debut Away with Words which formed the starting point of this 5 film series.

In order of viewing:

Away with Words (1999, Hong Kong co-production, directed by Christopher Doyle)
Happy Together (1997, Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai)
The White Countess (2005, UK co-production, James Ivory)
Ondine (2009, Ireland/USA, Neil Jordon)
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002, Australia, Phillip Noyce)

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Images, Identity and the ocean

It is not surprizing to discover that Doyle's directorial feature debut is a film rich in visual language. The film does not do away with words as may be indicated by the title but instead the words do not provide a means to enjoy the film. Trying to depend on a narrative driven by dialogue will not lead to a satisfying feeling regarding this film. Instead, one must allow the stunning colors and unique point of view camera angles to form a guide through the film's flashbacks and loosely arranged sequences. The reason that dialogues are not a key ingredient in the film is because the film's three main characters are in a foreign land unable to communicate their feelings or thoughts accurately for variety of reasons.

Asano is a Japanese who finds himself in Hong Kong and is unable to speak the language while Kevin is an Englishman whose drunken episodes lead him to forget his surroundings (including the street name where he lives) thereby getting arrested by the police on a frequent basis. Kevin's girlfriend is also an outsider and tries to form a bridge between Asano and Kevin yet she is adrift in her own sea.

The interactions between the three form the crux of the narrative while Asano's flashbacks of his childhood provide the film's visual strength. Asano loves the sea and not surprizingly his memories are often associated with water. Throughout the film, different camera angles give a sense of the joy that Asano experiences as he mentally makes his way towards the sea. So the camera rushes down the path towards the sanded beach eventually pointing at the rich blue water. One of the film's most unique angles involves seeing the perspective from a tire racing down the street.

Note: Away with Words is co-written by Tony Rayns, the brilliant Asian film programmer responsible for ensuring that the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) unearths promising works from Asian filmmakers around the world every year.

A different affair in Buenos Aries

A steamy affair, love, break-up, agony and seductive music. Welcome to life, Wong Kar-wai style. However, unlike other Wong Kar-wai films, the setting in Happy Together is not Hong Kong but is instead Buenos Aries and the love story involves two men, Lai (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) & Ho (Leslie Cheung). The sexuality of the characters does not matter too much as the relationship issues and arguments portrayed in the film apply universally to both men and women. As a result, the film forms a case study of a broken heart and the misery that loneliness can sometimes bring.

Happy Together starts off in rich black and white before switching over to color around the 20 minute mark. There are 2 moments of color spliced in between the black and white footage and one of them has to do with the dreams of Lai's quest to head to Iguazu Falls. The journey to the world famous waterfalls ends up becoming a defining marker in the relationship between Lai and Ho. The two get lost en route and never make it to the falls while their fight during their drive starts the process of a gradual break-up. Even though Lai and Ho's relationship is shown to be turbulent and has endured many previous split-ups, the fallout from the long car drive is more serious. The film then depicts the sorrow that engulfs a broken heart. A person with a broken heart cannot enjoy anything around them, no matter where they are. In one case, it appears that Lai is asleep during one of the most fierce and noisy derby games in the world -- River Plate vs Boca Juniors. Only a person gripped by depression and misery could sleep in such a hostile environment.

In another case, Lai attempts a common therapy for misery -- alcohol. Naturally, Quilmes is on display as it is the popular beer available around Buenos Aries, or where ever an Argentine soccer game is played for that matter.

The real star of the film ends up being Doyle's camera which injects life in a familiar tale of love & anguish. The camera pushes and prods in confined spaces ensuring that dullness does not fully descend onto the work. A few personal favourite sequences involve the soccer game that employees at the restaurant indulge in during their breaks. The camera ensures the audience feels like another player in the game, trying to play the ball and even receive a pass. In one instance, the game is heard without any background noise but in another case, music blurs out the sounds of the players and the camera slows down to give a poetic look at Lai in the foreground while the sun and the players occupy the background.

War, Love and a perfect bar

The White Countess is set in 1936 Shanghai against the backdrop of an impending Japanese Invasion and a World War. Although, one would not know much about the political situation in the world if it were up to Todd Jackson (Ralph Fiennes) as his dream of a perfect bar/club is a place where politics is left outside and patrons can mingle freely without their ideologies. The sentiment is noble and at first it succeeds in attracting clientele to his new club. However, as the threat of a Japanese invasion increases, attendance in the club declines. A Japanese businessman Matsuda (Hiroyuki Sanada) suggests that Todd Jackson needs to slowly introduce some political tension in the club that would then influence more people to attend. Matsuda’s words ring true but by the time the crowds return, the invasion is on the doorstep leading to a mass exodus of people from the city.

The film tries its best to keep any politics elements off the screen which results in a work free of any tension and appearing quite sterile. The dramatic exodus at the end feels at odds with the film's overall calm rhythm and comes too late to make a difference to a movie that produces no lasting sentiments.

A mythical tale dressed up in reality

The enchanting selkie. The lady from the sea. Full of beauty and mystery. Although in modern day, such a lady would arouse more distrust than enchantment. Neil Jordon takes a mythical celtic tale and adds a layer of present day political sentiment about distrust of emigrants and foreigners.

Christopher Doyle's camera perfectly captures the grayish skies and always rain tinged atmosphere that exists in a small Irish town. Interestingly, Doyle came to this film after having worked on M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water, which was a different take on a mythical mermaid tale.

The long journey home

Rabbit-Proof Fence is based on a real life story of three young Aboriginal girl's journey to return home to their mother from the correction camp they were placed in by the Australian government. The camps were created to separate mixed blood children (white & native) from their parents in a government backed experiment meant for the “good of the people”.

The film is a worthy yet rare return for Doyle and Noyce to their native Australia to shoot a film. Doyle’s camera captures the sheer vastness and heat of an unforgiving Australian landscape perfectly.

Auteur theory

The films in this spotlight show that Christopher Doyle has the ability to work with multiple directors in different countries and still provide the necessary look to assist in the filmmakers varying visions. In this regard, the films are a perfect example of seeing an auteur theory at work as the same DOP produces vastly different results depending on who the director is. For example, nothing about The White Countess gives a clue that Christopher Doyle is the DOP as the film looks and feels like a Merchant Ivory Production. On the other hand, Happy Together feels like a Wong Kar-wai film even though it is shot in a completely different continent and culture from other Wong Kar-wai films. A director may be the final authority in the film’s final vision but he/she does depend on a good DOP to achieve their unique vision. It is hard to imagine a Wong Kar-wai film without Christopher Doyle’s creative camera movements in tight quarters.

Copa America 2011: Colombia

The first entry of the 2011 Copa America Film & Book Festival.

All countries are far too complex to be reduced to a single word label but that is exactly what normally happens as most nations are often tagged with a single word. One reason for such quick labels is that most nations are ignored in their moments of silence but only given headline space when a war, disease, crisis or a revolution occurs. So naturally, a single word then gets associated with a nation in times of such an event or crisis. Yet, it is in moments of peace that one can truly grasp what a nation is about because at moments of tragedy, a single event/incident overshadows everything else at work in the nation. In the case of Colombia, these single word labels are either "war" or "drugs", two common associations with the South American country. However, there is much more to Colombia than just these two labels but one would not know that going by the quick headlines published in major publications around the world.

A primary goal for the 2011 Copa America festival was to pick a film that gave a richer look at Colombia and moved past this quick label of "war" or "drugs". For the book selection, the idea was to move beyond a different label altogether. When it comes to Colombian literature, the label of "Magic Realism" jumps out. It is true that magic realism was once highly popular but Colombian literature is far more diverse than just "Magic Realism". For example, the McOndo movement was started in contrast to magic realism and sought to portray a true reality of everyday life in the Latin nations. Both Magic Realism and McOndo have common roots in portraying the everyday life yet each movement takes a different route -- magic realism softens the harshness of reality with a mythical element while McOndo does not want to have any filters in its presentation. So when it came to selecting a book from Colombia, the choice was to pick a book about the harsh reality in the vein of McOndo. As it turns out, both film and book choices still have war in the horizon but their treatment ensures the focus is more on the human story as opposed to letting humans be a mere statistic.

Book: The Armies by Evelio Rosero
Film: Crab Trap (2009, Oscar Ruiz Navia)
Bonus Film: The Wind Journeys (2009, Ciro Guerra)

The Armies is about the nerve racking impact on people effected by a constant state of war. The everyday lives of residents are disrupted as disappearances/abductions of loved ones or neighbors can occur at any moment while those left behind try to maintain an illusion of normality. The story may be set in Colombia but could easily apply to a handful of nations across Latin America, Africa or Asia where people live in a constant state of fear. Human nature tries to find a reason for an ongoing war or violent state of a nation. For example, if a person is taken from their house by guerrillas, then neighbors assume reasons for such an abduction because in their view the kidnapping cannot be random. People believe there must be a valid explanation for a kidnapping and that the missing person must have done something or was involved in a negative trade. If no theory can be found to explain the abduction, then a new set of logic is applied. By always trying to find a theory to explain violence ensures that a person is always on edge and constantly attempting to reason things out. In essence, a person is always playing chess in their mind and their internal decisions lead to outward choices such as deciding when to leave the house, which path to take, etc.

The Armies puts forward some of the frenzied decision making that takes place in a person's mind and what the consequences of constantly thinking and living in fear does to a person. Evelio Rosero's background as a journalist certainly helps in crafting a realistic portrayal of people trapped in an endless cycle of uncertainty.

Oscar Ruiz Navia's impressive debut feature Crab Trap is about Daniel's (Rodrigo Velez) need to escape from his old life. His journey takes him to the beach town of La Barra where he just needs a boat to leave Colombia. However, he has to wait for the town's fishermen to return from sea to get an available boat. In the meantime, he eats, sleeps and wanders around town. Sometimes he sleeps by himself and on other occasions with the only available woman around. There are some scattered clues given to Daniel's need to escape but not knowing the reason does not take away from the film's calm and tranquil mood. The peace and quiet of the beach is interrupted frequently by Paisa who enjoys playing loud rap music from his music system. Paisa wants to drive away the locals so he can annex the land and develop a hotel/resort to attract tourists. So his methods from playing loud music to blocking access to an open beach lead him in constant conflict with the locals but Daniel tries best to stay away.

The leisurely paced film ensures that all relevant details, including the visuals and sounds of the ocean or rap songs blaring from a music system, filter onto the screen thereby allowing the viewers to get a sense of the landscape. Nothing about the beach suggests Colombia but news reports on a television set convey that the militants are not far away. The location of the small town is fascinating as in order to arrive at the town a person has to go through a forest. In a sense, the town represents the end of the line for anyone traveling through Colombia. The open sea represents a possibility to jump off to far away lands but in reality the sea only leads people to exit but does not provide an entry point for people wanting to make their first stop in Colombia. One can imagine La Barra's way of living as frozen in time until the forest is cleared and roads built to allow tourists to make their way to the beach or until the war manages to directly touch the inhabitants.

Michael Guillen's excellent interview with Oscar Ruiz Navia is essential reading about the film.

The bonus film entry ends up being another journey through a vast Colombian landscape rarely seen on screen. After his wife's death, Ignacio (Marciano Martinez) wants to return the accordion he has played for most of his life back to his mentor and be freed from the burden of possessing such a powerful devilish instrument. A young teenager Fermin (Yull Nunez) tags along with Ignacio much to Ignacio's displeasure. Fermin wants to be a musician and seeks to be Ignacio's pupil although Ignacio would prefer to be alone and not bothered. Fermin is persistent and continues to shadow Ignacio.

The reluctant master and eager pupil encounter a series of intriguing encounters centered around the hypnotic and magical power of music, be it an accordian duel or a drum initiation blessed with a lizard's blood.

One of the film's most incredible scenes involve a knife duel to the death with Ignacio required to play the music until one man dies. The families of both men are present on opposing sides and it is a gut wrenching moment for both families to witness one (or both) loved one's killing.

The film's visuals and mood echoes Brazilian cinema such as The Middle of the World, Behind the Sun, Central Station, and House of Sand because in the last decade, Brazilian cinema has portrayed journeys across a hot and vast land in search of parental love or friendship. Yet, these stories and journeys are not restricted to Brazil alone or to South America for that matter. The tales could easily be set in any continent. What The Wind Journeys does is garnish the journey tale with a few Colombian ingredients to add some local flavour and differentiate it from other such stories set around the world.

The Wind Journeys is certainly worth a look but overall a tad disappointing compared to the other Brazilian films mentioned above. One reason for the disappointment is that the reserved character of Ignacio prevents any relevant emotional attachment to the film as a whole. Only near the end when Ignacio reaches the conclusion of his journey to his mentor's home do some emotions fill the screen. In fact, the emotional strength of the ending combined with the visuals of a hut on a white sanded beach shares some similarity to the House of Sand.

Dhobi Ghat / Mumbai Diaries

Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries) (2010, India, Kiran Rao)

Often Indian films set in Mumbai start off with a voice-over narration which explains both the endless possibilities Mumbai offers to newcomers and also the perils of living in such a fast moving city. Mumbai demands such an introduction in a film for it is not a passive city but instead a very strong character in itself. Mumbai can be a friend that helps a film's character realize their dream or it can be the villain that leads to a character's downfall. Yet, most Indian films ignore Mumbai after the obligatory introduction. These films then iterate through a succession of quick cuts which rush through the city's famous landmarks while focussing on the character's plights. However, the city cannot be ignored because it influences the character's moods. The traffic, the seemingly endless days of rain all have an effect on a character's feelings yet often such moods do not make it onto the screen. Instead, we are shown characters that talk and behave as if their city has no bearing on their day to day routines.

In that regard, it is a joy to discover that Kiran Rao's debut feature Dhobi Ghat is able to capture some of the emotional resonance that Mumbai inspires. The film uses four characters to depict some of the struggles and joys that can take place in a vibrant and buzzing city like Mumbai. While there is only one native Mumbaiite in the quartet, all the characters observe the city through a unique perspective. Shai (Monica Dogra) is enchanted by the city and wants to capture its reality and beauty via her photography. Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra) keeps a video journal of her day to day experiences while Arun (Aamir Khan) paints whatever Mumbai inspires in him. Munna (Prateik) experiences the city via two different jobs that enable him to see the city in both daytime and nighttime. Munna is the only character out of the four that experiences the city without any filters. Both his jobs require him to get his hands dirty so to speak, first by cleaning clothes by day in the Ghats and then by lurking in the shadows to rid the city of germ carrying rats by night.

There is a purpose for each character's existence as each character is etched out to form a realistic representation of people that live in Mumbai. Arun is a native of the city and is not bothered by the city's day to day hassles. He is also a loner and keeps his distance from others, easily isolating himself in his apartment while the city races around him. Munna has arrived in Mumbai to chase his dream of becoming an actor like thousands of others. He does not mind doing filthy jobs because the jobs are just a stepping stone to his dreams of becoming a Bollywood star. In between jobs, he finds time to work-out and get in shape because a modern day Bollywood hero is required to have a six-pack. Yasmin is a new migrant to the city via marriage and is both enchanted and puzzled by Mumbai while Shai is a foreign national with Indian heritage who is on a sabbatical in the city. It is never really spelled out but Shai's trip to Mumbai could both be an escape from her American life and a chance to discover her Indian roots.

In a sense these four characters represent four walls of a room and not surprisingly their lives are connected via a series of coincidences and incidents which occur in and around various Mumbai flats. The presence of such coincidences and chance encounters in a vast city like Mumbai may not seem realistic but the characters move around in a closed-off circle thereby increasing their odds of seeing each other often. Of course, the encounters are a springboard for exploring the emotional state of the characters. As a result, the script shrinks the vast and chaotic city down to the microscopic level of these four characters so that they can be observed in tight quarters. Each character has their own set of complex problems and Kiran Rao lets the actors brilliant expressions and body language form a guide to their inner feelings. Throughout the film, the four actors appear to be living out their parts as opposed to acting out scripted lines.

In terms of acting, one expects nothing less than perfection from Aamir Khan and he does not disappoint. However, his character does not grab the camera's full attention thereby allowing Monica Dogra, Prateik and Kriti to truly shine in their roles. Prateik makes an impressive debut and that was illustrated by the positive response he got during the film's premier at TIFF last year. However, the most memorable performances in the film come courtesy of the two female characters. Monica Dogra is magnificent in every frame and delivers every line of dialogue with utmost perfection while Kriti Malhotra steals the show with a soulful performance that conveys the innocence, excitement and tragedy of her character in a realistic manner. Kriti's character has the least screen time of all four principal actors but she makes each second count. Her character's voice, which is heard more than we see her on screen, forms a narrative guide to the city and ends up being the soul of the film. It is via Yasmin's camera that we get to see some of the famous Mumbai landmarks one expects on cinema such as Gateway of India, Elephanta Caves, Marine drive. It is also her character that talks about the endless rain that seems to take over Mumbai every year. Her character provides inspiration for Arun to see Mumbai with fresh and innocent eyes.

Overall, Dhobi Ghat is a beautiful and poetic tribute to the complex city that is Mumbai. In reality, a first time visitor cannot leave Mumbai with a neutral view. Either the visitor will be repelled by the city's extremes or fall in love with the city’s charms. What Dhobi Ghat does is present the city in a humble manner without focusing on either the beauty or ugliness too much. Kiran Rao focuses on characters whose lives are shaped by Mumbai thereby allowing us to experience some of the joys and struggles that Mumbai offers to these people.

Delhi story

Do Dooni Chaar (2010, India, Habib Faisal)

Mumbai manufactures celluloid dreams while Delhi serves up cinematic reality dressed up in fictional clothing. Such is the conclusion derived from a handful of Delhi based films in the last few years, starting with Dibakar Banerjee's 2006 film Khosla Ka Ghosla to 2011’s No One Killed Jessica. There is a reason why Delhi would be responsible for showcasing reality. While Mumbai is home to Bollywood and the vast film making industry, Delhi has no film industry. So if a filmmaker wants to set a film in the nation's capital, then they do so with a specific story in mind. The success of the filmmaker's work depends on how well they integrate a story within Delhi's landscape and let the authenticity of the city engulf the characters. Habib Faisal has done a magnificent job in dipping his film Do Dooni Chaar throughly in Delhi’s way of life and as a result, he has given a true voice to a section of Indian society that rarely gets screen time anymore -- the middle class.

Plenty of magazines and books talk about India’s growing middle class and their new found purchasing power, but in recent decades when Bollywood and Foreign movies have given India a cinematic treatment their cameras have remained fixated on just a few rungs of Indian society. Bollywood’s tales focus mostly on the wealthy who lives are preoccupied by flying to foreign locales and falling in love or showcase stories that take root in slums and follow the emergence of a hero or gangster. Also, Bollywood ignores mainstream society altogether and focuses on the parallel economy powered by the underworld and its association with politicians and corrupt lawmen. Sometimes, the middle class gets a toe in but for the most part they are relegated to the sidelines. Yet, the section of Indian society that is most talked about nowadays is also the least represented in contemporary cinematic coverage. One reason for such limited coverage is that the middle class is such a vast label that encompasses multiple professions and millions of people. The label ranges from members of society who just manage to acquire a concrete roof over their heads to citizens with a measly income of a few thousand rupees a month to those with 5 digit monthly salaries who own multiples houses/apartments. A single film cannot manage to cover all such diverse cases but Habib Faisal has used one family’s experiences as a case study to examine larger issues.

The Duggals are an average middle class family struggling to make ends meet and depend primarily on a single source of income. Santosh (Rishi Kapoor, brilliant) is a school teacher whose meagre income is hardly enough to afford the family modern day luxuries such as a car. So his trusty scooter (moped) is his sole mode of transport much to the shame of his two kids and even sister-in-law. The sister-in-law insists that for once the family arrive in a car for a family wedding so that she does not have to endure further humiliation. Santosh decides to borrow his neighbour Farooqui’s (Akhilendra Mishra) car but since Santosh is not a confident driver, his daughter Payal (Aditi Vasudev) takes the wheel. Farooqui is worried about his car’s safety but despite an extraordinary wedding trip complete with having the car stolen and then recovered via a bribe, the Duggals manage to bring the car safely back to the colony. However, the car gets dented during parking and that damage leads to an altercation with Farooqui’s wife. Kusum Duggal (brilliantly played by Neetu Singh) pays more than enough to cover the damages but the insults don’t stop there. Santosh cannot stand the humiliation any further and makes an impulsive claim to own a car within 15 days. However, Santosh quickly realizes that he cannot buy a car in his teacher’s salary. His daughter Payal proposes to chip in after she finds out that a job in a call center would bring in a decent amount to contribute for a car down payment. But Santosh refuses her offer and wants Payal to focus on her studies. Instead, both Santosh and Kusum debate about honesty and morals after a student offers a substantial bribe to get a passing grade.

Santosh and Kusum lead a simple honest way of life which is why the bribe presents a dilemma. On one hand, the extra money could solve their immediate problems yet that would mean going against everything that the two of them have worked for in their lives. To complicate matters, a popular reality tv show’s sting operations catching people taking bribes gives Santosh nightmares after his son Sandeep’s (Archit Krishna) shocking admission of a cricket gambling habit and the arrest of Sandeep’s broker on that same reality show. Santosh is convinced if he were to navigate down the wrong path, he would be unmasked on the tv show.

The Duggals may be fictional creations but their plight is completely real and by shooting the movie on location in Delhi, Habib Faisal has created a story that could take place in any Delhi colony on a daily basis. Across Delhi, Middle class public school teachers or government employees struggle to make money while their children have the opportunity to earn more in one month than what the parents make in a year. The source of such income for the children comes via working in call centers or other jobs for multinational companies in the private sector. This imbalance in the incomes of two generations especially for families living under the same roof poses a unique set of challenges. By portraying Do Dooni Chaar in a charming humorous manner, Habib Faisal ensures such relevant issues are presented in an accessible manner without compromising the film’s intelligent beating heart.

Rishi Kapoor is in perfect form and gives the best acting performance seen in any Indian film in 2010. Neetu Singh used to portray memorable characters in Indian cinema through the late 1970’s and early 1980’s but she stepped away from films in 1983. She had a comeback via a small role in 2009’s Love Aaj Kaal but Do Dooni Chaar reminds of her acting talent and is proof that the craft never leaves a true artist. Do Dooni Chaar was easily the best Indian film of 2010 yet it was also one that was rarely seen. It certainly deserves a wider audience and hopefully it will get that in 2011.

Note: Habib Faisal had quite a year in 2010 as Do Dooni Chaar marked his directorial debut and he also penned the screenplay for Band Baaja Baaraat, another charming Delhi based film.

Invisible cinema

It is so common to hear complaints that a given cinema year is dull. Yet, a person lazily applies the dull tag by only looking at a handful of movies playing in a cinema near them. If a person is not lucky enough to live in New York, Toronto (to some extent) or a select city, then chances are they will only have access to Hollywood films in their local cinema. Last year, I went to Cardiff and naively hoped that I would get a chance to see some British or European films in local theaters. Yet, every single theater was playing the same Hollywood movie hogging the theaters back home in Canada. In brief travels around the world in the last few years, I have found the same Hollywood films playing in Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, London, Delhi, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok at the same time. There was a slight difference in Paris & Spain in that a given Hollywood film was dubbed in French and Spanish respectively but the same product existed in all these places. The pattern seems to be that as more multiplexes are built around the world, only Hollywood films can provide enough prints to book up all the screens. Some countries such as India, South Korea, Brazil, France and Japan are able to hold their own against Hollywood but even in these countries, it is the commercial titles that occupy the multiplex screen. In Delhi and Mumbai, Bollywood rules the multiplex while an Independent Indian film (yes, shockingly there is such a thing) struggles to get screen time. Same goes in America where indie cinema has a tough job edging out the muscular Hollywood machine.

There is clearly a horrible imbalance in the ratio of Hollywood vs indie films on theater screens not only across North America but around the world. Yet with the exception of a few film blogs, one rarely finds mention of this imbalance. So A.O. Scott’s new article is more than welcome:

And the Oscars reinforce this, frequently ignoring accessible and entertaining movies from other countries and settling on a frequently random-seeming list of finalists.

Scott tackles this variance by using the foreign film category in the Oscars as an example. The foreign film category begs to be expanded as many great films from around the world need more attention. Also, he questions the one film rule per country which really needs to be removed in this day and age of co-productions:

For some reason, the Academy insists on a one-film-per-country rule, which places a large part of the decision-making process in the hands of film industries at least as corrupt and agenda-driven as our own. Why should “Of Gods and Men” have been France’s only shot? And what determines the nationality of a film in any case? Why is Rachid Bouchareb’s “Outside the Law” an Algerian rather than a French film, given that its director is a French citizen and that it was made with mostly French financing and therefore within that country’s extensive legal statutes governing cinematic production? And what makes "Biutiful," shot in Barcelona with a Spanish cast, a Mexican film?

Another example that comes to mind is who between Germany and Austria can claim the brilliant film The Robber as their own? There is clearly a lot of lobbying and discussion that goes on in each nation as to which film should be submitted as a sole representative. For example, every year the question in India does not seem to be which is the best film of the year but rather which film has the best shot to get nominated for an Oscar. This question has certainly gained prominence in the last decade ever since Lagaan got a surprize nomination.

While there is a shortage of foreign/indie films at local theaters, it is not all doom and gloom. Thankfully, some of this great world cinema can be found via film festivals, DVDs and online. Scott highlights this as well:

Their work is almost invisible here, though it commands a fair amount of attention in the flourishing and contentious cinephile wing of the blogosphere. But it is nonetheless available to anyone with the curiosity and patience to navigate the new, fast-evolving cosmos of V.O.D. and streaming Web video.

I like to believe that theater owners will book a non Hollywood film if the movie will make them money. An award and a nomination for a foreign film will certainly go a long way in helping theater owners make that decision, as will a film’s success at various international film festivals. Also, if a foreign film is a box-office hit in its native country, then that will also increase the film’s chances of getting some screens in a North American multiplex. Yet, such awards and box-office success only greets just a few out of the thousands of foreign films that get made every year.

We are supposed to be living in an open world of limited boundaries yet theaters in North America appear to be firmly closed to the world. There is a line in Saul Bellow’s novel The Dean’s December along the lines of "For God’s Sake, open the universe a little more!". So taking that line as an inspiration:

For God’s Sake, open your theater doors a little more and let in the world.

and...a nudge towards film programmers:

If you book it, people will come.

They may not come in droves at first but a few will appear to see what this Carlos movie is all about. Then slowly others will follow. But the average person has much better taste than what film producers and distributors like to think.

2010 Foreign Language Film Oscar Candidates

I have seen 9 of the 65 candidates in the foreign film category for the 83rd Academy Awards. That is a decent number considering that only Peepli Live received a proper theatrical release and the remaining 8 just had a single screening on the film festival circuit:

Canada, Incendies, Denis Villeneuve;
Colombia, Crab Trap, Oscar Ruiz Navia;
Finland, Steam of Life, Joonas Berghall and Mika Hotakainen;
Germany, When We Leave, Feo Aladag;
Greece, Dogtooth, Yorgos Lanthimos;
India, Peepli [Live], Anusha Rizvi;
Kyrgyzstan, The Light Thief, Aktan Arym Kubat;
Thailand, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Apichatpong Weerasethakul;
Uruguay, La Vida Util, Federico Veiroj;

A handful of the 56 remaining films will get Canadian theatrical/DVD distribution but most likely a majority of the films will disappear if they do not get a nomination.

Here are some of the titles that I am most interested in and hopefully they will see the light of day in Canada later this year, be it in a theater or on DVD. Biutiful is already slated for a February Canadian theatrical release and after last night's win at the Golden Globes, In a Better World will likely get a theatrical run. I missed seeing The Temptation of St. Tony and Street Days at Rotterdam last year but both titles look very promising.

Argentina, Carancho, Pablo Trapero;
China, Aftershock, Feng Xiaogang;
Denmark, In a Better World, Susanne Bier;
Estonia, The Temptation of St. Tony, Veiko Ounpuu;
France, Of Gods and Men, Xavier Beauvois;
Georgia, Street Days, Levan Koguashvili;
Mexico, Biutiful, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu;
Peru, Undertow (Contracorriente), Javier Fuentes-Leon;
Portugal, To Die Like a Man, Joao Pedro Rodrigues;
Romania, If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle, Florin Serban;
Russia, The Edge, Alexey Uchitel;
Turkey, Bal (Honey), Semih Kaplanoglu;

note: Undertow is already available in the UK on DVD.

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[Update, Jan 20 2011]

9 films have been shortlisted and it is not surprizing to see Incendies, In a Better World and Biutiful in that list. However, Dogtooth stands out as the most radical choice.

Algeria -- Outside the Law
Canada -- Incendies
Denmark -- In a Better World
Greece -- Dogtooth
Japan -- Confessions
Mexico -- Biutiful
South Africa -- Life Above All
Spain -- Even the Rain
Sweden -- Simple Simon

Film Log: 2011

Total number of features (fiction and docs) & TV series collections seen: 381

This total includes 8 DVD season collections of the following TV series:

Mad Men, Seasons 1-4
Breaking Bad, Season 1
An Idiot Abroad, Season 1
The IT Crowd, Season 2
Tinker, Tailor, Traitor, Spy, the complete BBC Series

Film (Year, Country, Director): [optional rating out of 10]

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Soul Kitchen (2009, Germany, Fatih Akin)
The Wind Journeys (2009, Colombia co-production, Ciro Guerra)
Aladdin (1992, USA, Ron Clements/John Musker)
I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009, USA, Chris Columbus)
Madeinusa (2006, Peru/Spain, Claudia Llosa)
Rakht Charitra, part 2 (2010, India, Ram Gopal Varma): 6
Tequila Nights (2010, India, Pankaj Saraswat)
Do Dooni Chaar (2010, India, Habib Faisal): 10
A Call Girl (2009, Slovenia co-production, Damjan Kozole)
The Great Match (2006, Spain/Germany, Gerardo Olivares)
Black God White Devil (1964, Brazil, Glauber Rocha)
Away with Words (1999, Hong Kong co-production, Christopher Doyle)
Happy Together (1997, Hong Kong, Wong Kar Wai)
Please Give (2010, USA, Nicole Holofcener)
El Don (2006, Venezuela, José Ramón Novoa)
It is Fine. Everything is Fine! (2007, USA, Crispin Glover/David Brothers)
Flipped (2010, USA, Rob Reiner)
Crane World (2003, Argentina, Pablo Trapero)
The White Countess (2005, UK co-production, James Ivory)
Duck Season (2004, Mexico, Fernando Eimbcke)
Lion's Den (2008, Argentina co-production, Pablo Trapero)
Enter the Void (2009, France co-production, Gaspar Noé): 8
Les Biches (1968, France, Claude Chabrol)
The King’s Speech (2010, UK/Australia/USA, Tom Hooper): 8
Casino Jack (2010, Canada, George Hickenlooper)
The Girl Who Played With Fire (2009, Sweden co-production, Daniel Alfredson)
Cocalero (2007, Bolivia/Argentina, Alejandro Landes)
Dhobi Ghat (2010, India, Kiran Rao): 10
Blue Valentine (2010, USA, Derek Cianfrance): 9
Araya (1959, Venezuela/France, Margot Benacerraf)
Animal Kingdom (2010, Australia, David Michôd): 7.5
Catfish (2010, USA,Ariel Schulman/Henry Joost)
Wild Things (1998, USA, John McNaughton)
Tangled (2010, USA, Nathan Greno/Byron Howard)
A Town Called Panic (2009, Belgium co-production, Stéphane Aubier/Vincent Patar): 8.5

London River (2009, UK/France/Algeria, Rachid Bouchareb)
Birdwatchers (2008, Italy/Brazil, Marco Bechis)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008, Germany co-production, Uli Edel)
Looking for Eric (2009, UK co-production, Ken Loach)
The Mechanic (2011, USA, Simon West)
The Company Men (2010, UK/USA, John Wells): 6
Somewhere (2010, USA, Sofia Coppola): 6.5
Ondine (2009, Ireland/USA, Neil Jordan)
Los Bastardos (2008, Mexico/France/USA, Amat Escalante)
Micmacs (2009, France, Jean-Pierre Juenet)
Another Year (2010, UK, Mike Leigh): 10
No One Killed Jessica (2011, India, Raj Kumar Gupta): 8
Red Riding 1974 (2009, UK, Julian Jarrold): 9
Red Riding 1980 (2009, UK, James Marsh): 9
Red Riding 1983 (2009, UK, Anand Tucker): 9
I Wish I Knew (2010, China, Jia Zhang-Ke)
Lebanon (2010, co-production, Samuel Maoz)
Ip Man (2008, Hong Kong, Wilson Yip)
Substitute (2006, France, Vikash Dhorasoo/Fred Poulet)
Lourdes (2009, Austria/France/Germany, Jessica Hausner): 9
Cronicas (2004, Ecuador/Mexico, Sebastián Cordero)
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002, Australia co-production, Phillip Noyce)
Le Femme Infidel (1969, France, Claude Chabrol)
Nada (1974, France, Claude Chabrol)
I am Love (2009, Italy, Luca Guadagnino)
Que la bête meure (1969, France, Claude Chabrol)
Alamar (2009, Mexico, Pedro González-Rubio)
The Butcher (1971, France, Claude Chabrol)
Juste avant la nuit (1971, France, Claude Chabrol)
Punishment Park (1971, USA, Peter Watkins)
Agrarian Utopia (2009, Thailand, Uruphong Raksasad)
Les noces rouges (1973, France, Claude Chabrol)
Cuadacuc, Vampir (1970, Spain, Pere Portabella)
Nocturne 29 (1968, Spain, Pere Portabella)
Umbracle (1972, Spain, Pere Portabella)
Things Overtaken by Silence (2009, Mexico, Nicolas Perada)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011, USA, George Nolfi): 5
Gasland (2010, USA, Josh Fox)
Kings of Pastry (2009, co-production, Chris Hegedus/D.A. Pennebaker)
The Silence Before Bach (2007, Spain, Pere Portabella)
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2009, Sweden co-production, Daniel Alfredson)
Last Train Home (2009, Canada/China/UK, Lixin Fan): 9
Warsaw Bridge (1990, Spain, Pere Portabella)
Tamara Drewe (2010, UK, Stephen Frears)
Tere Bin Laden (2010, India, Abhishek Sharma)
Les herbes folles (2009, France/Italy, Alain Resnais)
Tees Maar Khan (2010, India, Farah Khan): 0
Informe General (1977, Spain, Pere Portabella)
Never Let Me Go (2010, UK/USA, Mark Romanek): 6
Carcasses (2009, Canada, Denis Côté)
Limitless (2011, USA, Neil Burger)
The Next Three Days (2010, USA/Canada, Paul Haggis): 7
Client 9 (2010, USA, Alex Gibney)
West is West (2010, UK, Andy DeEmmony)
Songs from the Second Floor (2003, Sweden, Roy Andersson)
You, the Living (2009, Sweden, Roy Andersson)
Pour la suite du monde (1963, Canada, Michel Brault)
Munyurangabo (2007, Rwanda/USA, Lee Isaac Chung)
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010, UK/USA, Woody Allen)
In a Better World (2010, Denmark/Sweden, Susanne Bier): 7.5
Of Gods and Men (2010, France, Xavier Beauvois): 8.5
At Midnight I Will Steal Your Soul (1964, Brazil, José Mojica Marins)
Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures (1975, Brazil, José Mojica Marins)
Enter le mer et l’eau douce (1965, Canada, Michel Brault)
The American (2010, USA, Anton Corbijn)

La Nostra Vita (2010, France/Italy, Daniele Luchetti)
Love and Other Drugs (2010, USA, Edward Zwick)
Due Date (2010, USA, Todd Phillips)
Not One Less (1999, China, Zhang Yimou)
Soundtracker (2010, USA, Nick Sherman)
Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010, Canada, Eli Craig)
I Stand Alone (1998, France, Gaspar Noé): 9
24 City (2008, China/Hong Kong/Japan, Jia Zhang-ke)
Ice Age (2002, USA, Chris Wedge/Carlos Saldanha)
Death at a Funeral (2007, UK co-production, Frank Oz)
L’Acadie l’Acadie?!? (1971, Canada, Michel Brault)
High-Rise (2009, Brazil, Gabriel Mascaro)
Hobo with a Shotgun (2011, Canada/USA, Jason Eisener)
You Are Here (2010, Canada, Daniel Cockburn): 7
Morning Glory (2010, USA, Roger Michell)
The Trotsky (2009, Canada, Jacob Tierney)
IT Crowd: Season 2 (2007, UK, Graham Linehan)
Attenberg (2010, Greece, Athina Rachel Tsangari): 9
Tron (1982, USA, Steven Lisberger)
The Brown Bunny (2003, USA/Japan/France, Vincent Gallo): 7.5
Tanu Weds Manu (2011, India, Aanand Rai)
Band Baaja Baaraat (2010, India, Maneesh Sharma)
The Beautiful Washing Machine (2004, Malaysia, James Lee)
Thank You (2011, India, Anees Bazmee): 0
I Walked with a Zombie (1943, USA, Jacques Tourneur)
Chaotic Ana (2007, Spain, Julio Medem)
Africa United (2005, Iceland, Olaf de Fleur Johannesson)
Star Spangled to Death (2004, USA, Ken Jacobs)
Embodiment of Evil (2009, Brazil, José Mojica Marins)
This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (1967, Brazil, José Mojica Marins)
The Strange World of José Mojica Marins (2001, Brazil, André Barcinski/Ivan Finotti)
Awakening of the Beast (1970, Brazil, José Mojica Marins)
Les Ordres (1974, Canada, Michel Brault): 10
demonLover (2002, France, Olivier Assayas)
Zidane (2006, France/Iceland, Douglas Gordon/Philippe Parreno): museum installation
End of Man (1971, Brazil, José Mojica Marins)

How Do You Know (2010, USA, James L. Brooks): 7.5
Ratas, ratones, rateros (1999, Ecuador, Sebastián Cordero)
Nightmare Alley (1947, USA, Edmund Goulding)
Burlesque (2010, USA, Steve Antin)
The Way Back (2010, USA, Peter Weir)
The Holy Girl (2004, Argentina co-production, Lucrecia Martel)
Thirst (2009, South Korea, Chan-wook Park): 7
Warrendale (1968, Canada, Allan King)
Come on Children (1972, Canada, Allan King)
Memory for Max, Claire, Ida and Company (2005, Canada, Allan King)
Dying at Grace (2003, Canada, Allan King)
Game (2011, India, Abhinay Deo): 4
Shor in the City (2011, India, Krishna D.K, Raj Nidimoru): 8.5
The Naked Kiss (1964, USA, Samuel Fuller)
Hereafter (2010, USA, Clint Eastwood)
Summer Wars (2009, Japan, Mamoru Hosoda): 8
A Serbian Film (2010, Serbia, Srdjan Spasojevic)
Chalo Dilli (2011, India, Shashant Shah): 8.5
White Dog (1982, USA, Samuel Fuller): 8
Bee Movie (2007, USA, Steve Hickner/Simon J. Smith)
The Colors of the Mountain (2010, Colombia/Panama, Carlos César Arbeláez): 7
Thieves’ Highway (1949, USA, Jules Dassin)
Dum Maro Dum (2011, India, Rohan Sippy): 6
Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010, USA, James Nguyen): 2
Taxidermia (2006, Hungary co-production, György Pálfi): 6
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009, USA, Phil Lord/Chris Miller)
House (1977, Japan, Nobuhiko Ôbayashi)
Iron Island (2005, Iran, Mohammad Rasoulof): 9
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011, USA, Jennifer Yuh): 4.5
Days of Heaven (1978, USA, Terrence Malick): 9
A Ilha da Morte (2006, Brazil/Cuba/Spain, Wolney Oliveira)
The Case of the Grinning Cat (2004, France, Chris Marker)
Buried (2010, Spain/USA/France, Rodrigo Cortés): 9
Monsters (2010, UK, Gareth Edwards): 8
The Red and the White (1968, Hungary/USSR, Miklós Jancsó)
Evangelion: 1.1 (2007, Japan, Masayuki/Kazuya Tsurumaki/Hideaki Anno)
The Tourist (2010, USA/France, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
The Thin Red Line (1998, USA, Terrence Malick): 7.5
The New World (2005, USA, Terrence Malick): 9
Elite Squad (2007, Brazil co-production, José Padilha): 6.5
7 Khoon Maaf (2011, India, Vishal Bhardwaj)
Margarette’s Feast (2003, Brazil/USA, Renato Falcão): 7
The Incredibles (2004, USA, Brad Bird)
I Am (2010, India/Japan, Onir)
Once Upon a Time in Rio (2008, Brazil, Breno Silveira)
Nostalgia for the Light (2010, Chile co-production, Patricio Guzmán): 9
Marigold (2007, USA/India/UK, Willard Carroll)
Extract (2009, USA, Mike Judge)
Biutiful (2010, Mexico/Spain, Alejandro González Iñárritu): 6
Barney’s Version (2010, Canada/Italy, Richard J. Lewis): 7.5
Carancho (2010, Argentina co-production, Pablo Trapero): 8.5
Shaitan (2011, India, Bejoy Nambiar): 7
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971, USA, Monte Hellman): 9
Mademoiselle Chambon (2009, France, Stéphane Brizé): 8
Film socialisme (2010, Switzerland/France, Jean-Luc Godard): 5.33
Spite Marriage (1929, USA, Buster Keaton/Edward Sedgwick)
Horny House of Horror (2010, Japan, Jun Tsugita)
Meek’s Cutoff (2010, USA, Kelly Reichardt): 9
The Tree of Life (2011, USA, Terrence Malick): 9
Gerry (2002, USA, Gus Van Sant)
Cedar Rapids (2011, USA, Miguel Arteta): 7.5
Tokyo Sonata (2008, Japan co-production, Kiyoshi Kurosawa): 9
Marwencol (2010, USA, Jeff Malmberg)
Conviction (2010, USA, Tony Goldwyn)
Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap (2011, India, Puri Jagannath): 1
Zindegi Na Milegi Dobara (2011, India, Zoya Akhtar): 7
Blackthorn (2011, Spain/USA/Bolivia/France, Mateo Gil): 5.5
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2011, Canada, Panos Cosmatos): 6.5
Gantz (2010, Japan, Shinsuke Sato): 7.5
Gantz: Perfect Answer (2011, Japan, Shinsuke Sato): 6.5
Article 12 (2010, UK/Argentina, Juan Manuel Biaiñ): 5
Dharma Guns (2010, France/Portugal, F.J. Ossang): 6
Morituris (2011, Italy, Raffaele Picchio): 2
Redline (2009, Japan, Takeshi Koike): 7.5

Beau Travail (1999, France, Claire Denis): 9
Friday Night (2002, France, Claire Denis): 7
Delhi Belly (2011, India, Abhinay Deo): 4
Bheja Fry 2 (2011, India, Sagar Ballary): 1
Nénette et Boni (1996, France, Claire Denis): 8
I Saw the Devil (2010, South Korea, Jee-woon Kim): 6.5
Friends with Benefits (2011, USA, Will Gluck): 5
Singham (2011, India, Rohit Shetty): 3
The Night Watchman (2011, Mexico/USA, Natalia Almada)
Source Code (2011, USA/France, Duncan Jones): 6
13 Assassins (2010, Japan/UK, Takashi Miike): 7
New York, I Love You (2009, USA, multiple): 6
White Material (2009, France/Cameroon, Claire Denis): 9
Sucker Punch (2011, USA, Zack Synder): 5
My Dog Tulip (2009, USA, Paul Fierlinger / Sandra Fierlinger)
Miral (2010, France co-production, Julian Schnabel): 5
Double Indemnity (1944, USA, Billy Wilder)
L’Intrus (2004, France, Claire Denis): 10
VIPs (2010, Brazil, Toniko Melo)
Stake Land (2010, USA, Jim Mickle): 4
Road to Nowhere (2011, USA, Monte Hellman): 7.5
Zookeeper (2011, USA, Frank Coraci): 5
Undertow (2009, Peru co-production, Javier Fuentes-León): 9
Trollhunter (2010, Norway, André Øvredal): 6.5

The Wind Will Carry Us (1999, Iran, Abbas Kiarostami): 10
Aarakshan (2011, India, Prakash Jha): 5.5
Bhindi Baazaar (2011, India, Ankush Bhatt): 3
Rango (2011, USA, Gore Verbinski): 6
Tickets (2005, Italy/UK, Abbas Kiarostami/Ken Loach/Ermanno Olmi): 6
Badlands (1973, USA, Terrence Malick): 7.5
Taste of Cherry (1997, Iran, Abbas Kiarostami): 10
99.9 FM (2005, India, Sanjay Bhatia)
Ten (2002, Iran, Abbas Kiarostami): 8
Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi? (2009, India, Saurabh Shukla)
Insignificance (1985, UK, Nicolas Roeg)
Night and Day (2008, South Korea, Hong Sang-soo): 8
Paul (2011, USA/UK, Greg Mottola): 6
The Desert of Forbidden Art (2010, Russia/USA/Uzbekistan, Tchavdar Georgiev/Amanda Pope): 9
Drive (2011, USA, Nicolas Winding Refn): 9
The Mist (2007, USA, Frank Darabont)
Guilt (2011, Canada, Marc Bisaillon)
Maria, my Love (2011, USA, Jasmine McGlade Chazelle)
Heat Wave (2011, France, Jean-Jacques Jauffret)
The Sacrament of Life (2008, USA, Joseph Sorrentino)
Kill List (2011, UK, Ben Wheatley)
Flowers of Evil (2010, France, David Dusa)
Radio Free Albemuth (2010, USA, John Alan Simon)
Old Goats (2010, USA, Taylor Guterson)
Alps (2011, Greece, Giorgos Lanthimos)
The Whisperer in the Darkness (2011, USA, Sean Branney)
Sunflower Hour (2011, Canada, Aaron Houston)
Journey of a Dream (2011, Canada co-production, Shenpenn Khymsar)
George the Hedgehog (2011, Poland, Wojtek Wawszczyk, Jakub Tarkowski, Tomasz Leśniak)
Target (2011, Russia, Alexander Zeldovich)
In Heaven, Underground (2011, Germany, Britta Wauer)
Cold Fish (2010, Japan, Sion Sono)
Le Quattro Volte (2010, Italy co-production, Michelangelo Frammartino): 10
Black Bread (2010, Spain/France, Agustí Villaronga)
Bon appétit (2010, Switzerland co-production, David Pinillos)
Kopfkino (2011, Germany, Serdar Dogan)
Stuff (2010, USA, Lawrence Johnson)
Of Games and Escapes (2010, Canada, Bevan Klassen)
Melancholia (2011, Denmark co-production, Lars von Trier): 9
Senna (2010, UK, Asif Kapadia): 8.5
Page One: Inside the New York Times (2011, USA, Andrew Rossi): 6.5

Win/Win (2011, USA, Thomas McCarthy)
Tere Mere Phere (2011, India, Deepa Sahi): 7
Saheb Biwi aur Gangster (2011, India, Tigmanshu Dhulia): 8
Midnight in Paris (2011, Spain/USA, Woody Allen): 8
Last Night (2010, USA/France, Massy Tadjedin): 6
Fast Five (2011, USA, Justin Lin): 5
Thor (2011, USA, Kenneth Branagh): 6
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011, USA, Rodman Flender)
Super (2010, USA, James Gunn): 4
Hanna (2011, USA/UK/Germany, Joe Wright): 6
The Beaver (2011, USA/UAE, Jodie Foster): 5.5
The Two Escobars (2010, Colombia/USA, Jeff Zimbalist/Michael Zimbalist)
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011, India, Ali Abbas Zafar): 4
Killers (2010, USA, Robert Luketic)
Step Up 3 (2010, USA, Jon M. Chu): 5
Too Big To Fail (2011, USA, Curtis Hanson): 7
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (2010, France, Luc Besson): 6
Margin Call (2011, USA, J.C Chandor): 8
War, Love, God and Madness (2008, UK/Iraq, Mohamed Al Daradji)
Horrible Bosses (2011, USA, Seth Gordon): 8
Sleeping Beauty (2011, Australia, Julie Leigh): 5
Bridesmaids (2011, USA, Paul Feig): 6.5
Mad Men, Season One (2007, USA, multiple): 9
Breaking Bad, Season One (2008, USA, multiple)
Cold Weather (2010, USA, Aaron Katz): 8
Thief (1981, USA, Michael Mann)
That Girl in Yellow Boots (2010, India, Anurag Kashyap): 6
The Turin Horse (2011, Hungary co-production, Béla Tarr/Ágnes Hranitzky): 9

The Kid With a Bike (2011, Belgium co-production, Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne): 9
Contagion (2011, USA/UAE, Steven Soderbergh): 7.5
Bad Teacher (2011, USA, Jake Kasdan): 5
Mr. Freedom (1969, France, William Klein)
Army of Crime (2009, France, Robert Guédiguian)
Brighton Rock (2010, UK, Rowan Joffe): 6
Aurora (2010, Romania co-production, Cristi Puiu): 9
Mad Men, Season Two (2008, USA, multiple): 8
Mad Men, Season Three (2009, USA, multiple): 7.5
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011, USA, Morgan Spurlock): 6
The Ides of March (2011, USA, George Clooney): 8.5
Surveillance (2008, USA/Germany/Canada, Jennifer Lynch): 5.5
Jaan-E-Mann (2006, India, Shirish Kunder): 3
Cars 2 (2011, USA, John Lasseter/Brad Lewis): 6.5
Bal/Honey (2010, Turkey co-production, Semih Kaplanoglu): 8
City of Life and Death (2009, China/Hong Kong, Chuan Lu)
Moneyball (2011, USA, Bennett Miller): 8
Tuesday, After Christmas (2010, Romania, Radu Muntean): 8
A Separation (2011, Iran, Asghar Farhadi): 9.5
The Delicate Art of Parking (2003, Canada, Trent Carlson)
The Housemaid (2010, South Korea, Sang-soo Im)
The Red Chapel (2009, Denmark, Mads Brügger)
Hugo (2011, USA, Martin Scorsese): 8
Man Men Season 4 (2010, USA, multiple): 9.5
Son of Babylon (2009, Iraq co-production, Mohamed Al-Daradji): 8
The Arbor (2010, UK, Clio Barnard): 8

The Bothersome Man (2006, Norway/Iceland, Jens Lien): 6.5
Last Days (2005, USA, Gus Van Sant)
Last Stop 174 (2008, Brazil/France, Bruno Barreto): 5
Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011, USA, Glenn Ficarra/John Requa): 8
Pina (2011, Germany/France/UK, Wim Wenders)
The Dirty Picture (2011, India, Milan Luthria): 7
Red State (2011, USA, Kevin Smith): 5
The Skin I Live In (2011, Spain, Pedro Almodóvar): 7
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011, UK/USA, Lynne Ramsay): 8.5
Tyrannosaur (2011, UK, Paddy Considine): 7.5
Another Earth (2011, USA, Mike Cahill): 4
Love Crime (2010, France, Alain Corneau): 8
Caliber 9 (1972, Italy, Fernando Di Leo)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010, co-production, Werner Herzog)
The Artist (2011, France/Belgium, Michel Hazanavicius): 7.5
Wrecked (2010, Canada/USA, Michael Greenspan): 6.5
Clueless (1995, USA, Amy Heckerling)
Tinker, Tailor, Traitor, Spy: BBC Series (1979, UK, John Irvin)
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011, Sweden, Göran Olsson)
Even the Rain (2010, Mexico co-production, Icíar Bollaín)
Arthur Christmas (2011, UK/USA, Sarah Smith/Barry Cook): 5.5
Terri (2011, USA, Azazel Jacobs): 7
Miss Bala (2011, Mexico, Gerardo Naranjo)
Carnage (2011, France co-production, Roman Polanski)
BellFlower (2011, USA, Evan Glodell): 5
Trust (2010, USA, David Schwimmer): 7.5
An Idiot Abroad: Season 1 (2010, UK, multiple)
Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011, India, Maneesh Sharma): 8
Desi Boyz (2011, India, Rohit Dhawan): 0
Gandhi to Hitler (2011, India, Rakesh Ranjan Kumar)
Rio Sex Comedy (2010, France/Brazil, Jonathan Nossiter): 6.5
Buck (2011, USA, Cindy Meehl)
The Battle of Chile (1978, Chile, Patricio Guzmán)
O’Horten (2006, Norway co-production, Bent Hamer): 7.5
The Italian Connection (1972, Italy/West Germany, Fernando Di Leo)
Poetry (2010, South Korea, Lee Chang-dong)
The Boss (1973, Italy, Fernando di Leo)
Yeh Saali Zindigi (2011, India, Sudhir Mishra): 7
Rulers of the City (1976, Italy/West Germany, Fernando di Leo)
The Descendants (2011, USA, Alexander Payne): 7.5
Weekend (2010, UK, Andrew Haigh): 8
Tomboy (2011, France, Céline Sciamma): 7
Kidnapped (2010, Spain/France, Miguel Ángel Vivas): 0
Rapt (2009, France/Belgium, Lucas Belvaux)
Attack the Block (2011, UK/France, Joe Cornish): 7

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Best Films of 2010

An incredible cinematic year as highlighted by the presence of 68 films from a total of 27 countries. 43 of the 68 films (63%) came courtesy of film festivals with Rotterdam & CIFF providing more than half of the 43 film tally. Only 16 titles (24%) received a theatrical release in my city and 9 were found on DVD (13%).

I have decided to break things up into three categories to reflect a subjective ordering -- Gold (Favourites), Silver (worthy viewing), Bronze (Honorable Mention).

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Gold (20 titles) -- in order of preference

1) Kill the Referee (2009, Belgium, Y. Hinant/E. Cardot/L. Delphine)

Carlos and The Social Network worked hard to recreate reality whereas Kill The Referee captures real images viewed by millions of people and manages to turn them on their head. The film provides a fly on the wall perspective to referee committee meetings with UEFA officials and allows us to listen to on-field conversations between referees, linesmen and the players. The effect of this audio is as ground breaking like watching a talkie for the first time after only seeing silent films for decades.

The documentary also provides some of the best acting performances of the year. People who claim soccer players playact on the field will finally have proof with this film but the most surprising aspect is to discover that some referees are aware of cameras and can put on quite a show. Roberto Rosetti and Howard Webb are well knows refs but this film shows they would make worthy film actors as well.

This soccer documentary offers plenty to chew on for non-soccer fans and highlights how in the hands of the right directors/editors, documenting a game can provide plenty of drama, emotion and tension that scripted cinema can sometimes never capture.

2) Liverpool (2008, Argentina, Lisandro Alonso)

Lisandro Alonso’s free moving camera allows us to soak in the beautiful country side while providing a haunting tale. Messi & Argentina may not have won the World Cup this year but this Argentine film won my 2010 Movie World Cup.

3) El Pasante (Argentina, Clara Picasso)

Clara Picasso's sublime film cleverly uses a Buenos Aires hotel setting as a springboard to examine wider issues, such as male-female power games and the thin boundary that exists between private and public life. Not a single minute is wasted in the film's brisk 64 minutes.

4) The American (USA, Anton Corbijn)

5) R (Denmark, Tobias Lindholm/Michael Noer)

One of the most brutal and dark films of the year!! The tag 'dark film' is easily thrown around but in the case of R, the tag is entirely justified. Besides being completely savage, R is intelligent and that is demonstrated by a clever perspective shift two-thirds of the way into the film.

6) Manuel De Ribera (Chile, Pablo Carrera/Christopher Murray)

This visually stunning film is a fascinating mix of Lisandro Alonso and Bela Tarr yet is completely original.

7) The Robber (Austria/Germany, Benjamin Heisenberg)

A highly entertaining yet intelligent film. The two highs of running and robbing give Johann’s life meaning and as a result, the entire film is defined by fast movement, shown by Johann's marathon runs or his perfectly timed car getaways.

8) Carlos (France, Olivier Assayas)

9) Shutter Island (USA, Martin Scorsese)

A riveting throwback to the cinema of the 1950’s/60's when heightened music foreshadowed impending danger awaiting characters. Martin Scorsese has made a perfect Hitchcock tribute.

10) The Life and Death of a Porno Gang (2009, Serbia, Mladen Djordjevic)

11) Ocean of an Old Man (2008, India, Rajesh Shera)

12) Woman on Fire Looks for Water (2009, Malaysia/South Korea, Woo Ming Jin)

13) Valhalla Rising (Denmark/UK, Nicolas Winding Refn)

14) Incendies (Canada, Denis Villeneuve)

A beautifully crafted film that packs a mighty emotional punch. The film starts and ends in Canada but the rest of the film dives deep into the Middle East and is the kind of cinema that Canada needs more of, films that use second generation Canadian characters as a launching pad to explore their complex cultural background.

15) Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand co-production, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

Joe latest brew manages to blend dreams, spirits, reality, past and future in a single flowing work. Plus, there are some images that stay long in the memory. Red Eyes. Spirits at dinner table. And that catfish.

16) The Social Network (USA, David Fincher)

All about a girl and a drunken night of coding. Ah the endless possibilities of university life when everything is within reach. Sometimes, those possibilities work out for a select few while others sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

17) Tony Manero (2008, Chile/Brazil, Pablo Larraín)

A chilling film that shows that sanity cannot exist in a brutal dictatorship when individual survival and happiness blinds people.

18) Waste Land (Brazil/USA, Lucy Walker)

19) Scott Pilgrim vs the World (USA/UK/Canada, Edgar Wright)

A living breathing video game that humorously depicts the baggage a new relationship can sometimes bring. Ofcourse, not all relationships require killing 7 ex’s but strange things can take place in the Canadian snow.

20) Road, Movie (2009, India, Dev Benegal)

Dev Benegal’s film may feel heavily inspired by the wonderful Brazilian film Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures but Road, Movie manages to adapt perfectly to the Indian landscape. Plus, the added love for Indian cinema certainly makes this a wonderful treat.

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Silver (27 titles) -- in no particular order

Avenida Brasilia Formosa (2009, Brazil, Gabriel Mascaro)

A vibrant documentary that gives an insightful look at a Recife arrival city and the subsequent relocation of its residents to a squeaky clean yet isolated apartment complex. The film shares some ground with Pedro Costa's In Vanda’s Room and Colossal Youth with the one difference being that Gabriel Mascaro pulls his camera back to give us overhead shots of the arrival city thereby putting the plight of the residents into perspective.

Black Swan (USA, Darren Aronoksy)

A complex physiological battle is rendered in a simple accessible visual manner where reality and nightmares occupy the same frame.

The Japanese Wife (India, Aparna Sen)

Aparna Sen’s most accomplished visual film is also a tribute to a time when hand written love letters provided people with hope and sense of purpose.

Exit Through the Gift Shop (USA/UK, Banksy)

A humorous hoax that raises some valid points about the true price of art. Interestingly, this film is also the first time where the identity of the director is a mystery. Yes, the director is Banksy but good luck at seeing his face.

Curling (Canada, Denis Côté)

Denis Côté has gone with the bold choice to give Curling a cold chilly look. As a result, it takes a while to warm up to the material but once one gets past the cold exterior, then one can admire the tale of a father's resolve to raise his daughter away from society. In a way, Curling is a cousin of the Greek film Dogtooth in showing how incorrect parental decisions can alter a child’s life.

Winter’s Bone (USA, Debra Granik)

A powerful film that shows if one’s own blood is willing to kill their kin, then one has no need for enemies.

A Useful Life (Uruguay, Federico Veiroj)

This Uruguayan feature does not feel like fiction at all but instead feels like a documentary reflecting the sad state of our times when independent/art-house theaters and cinematheques are on the verge of extinction. The beautiful ending sequence clearly evokes the French New Wave. A must see film for cinephiles.

Ishqiya (India, Abhishek Chaubey)

Wonderfully acted and has the bonus of having the single best song of any Indian film in 2010.

Certified Copy (France/Iran/Italy, Abbas Kiarostami)
Burma VJ (2009, Denmark co-production, Anders Østergaard)
Woman without a Piano (2009, Spain, Javier Rebollo)
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009, Argentina/Spain, Juan José Campanella)
Inception (USA/UK, Christopher Nolan)
The Fighter (USA, David O. Russell)
Like you know it All (2009, South Korea, Hong Sang-Soo)
Sebbe (Sweden, Babak Najafi)
Crab Trap (2009, Colombia/France, Oscar Ruiz Navia)
Band Baaja Baaraat (India, Maneesh Sharma)
Win/Win (Holland, Jaap van Heusden)
Inside Job (USA, Charles Ferguson)
Kinatay (2009, Philippines, Brillante Ma. Mendoza)
Hunting & Zn (Holland, Sander Burger)
Lucky Life (USA, Lee Isaac Chung)
Steam of Life (Finland, Joonas Berghäll/Mika Hotakainen)
The Maid (2009, Chile/Mexico, Sebastián Silva)
The Illusionist (UK/France, Sylvain Chomet)
Mesrine 2: Public Enemy #1 (2008, France/Canada, Jean-François Richet)

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Bronze (21 titles) -- in no particular order

Heartbeats (Canada, Xavier Dolan)

Xavier Dolan's second feature is playful, funny and manages to neatly tuck in cute cinematic homages especially to the French New Wave.

Despicable Me (USA, Pierre Coffin/Chris Renaud)

It is difficult to raise kids but that task is made harder when one has ambitions to shrink the moon and conquer the world!

You Are All captains (Spain, Oliver Laxe)
Between Two Worlds (2009, Sri Lanka, Vimukthi Jayasundara)
Mundane History (2009, Thailand, Anocha Suwichakornpong)
Monogamy (USA, Dana Adam Shapiro)
Pelada (USA co-production, L. Boughen/R. Fergusson/G. Oxenham/R. White)
Taylor’s Way (2009, Canada, Rene Barr)
Oki’s Movie ( South Korea, Hong Sang-soo)
Harishchandrachi Factory (2009, India, Paresh Mokashi)
Love, Sex Aur Dhoka (India, Dibakar Banerjee)
Scheherazade Tell Me a Story (2009, Egypt, Yousry Nasrallah)
The Light Thief (Kyrgyzstan co-production, Aktan Abdykalykov)
Nora's Will (2008, Mexico, Mariana Chenillo)
Lola (2009, Philippines, Brillante Ma. Mendoza)
The Tiger Factory (Malaysia/Japan, Woo Ming Jin)
Bioscope (2008, India, K.M. Madhusudhanan)
Striker (India, Chandan Arora)
Guest (Spain, José Luis Guerín)
Peepli Live (India, Anusha Rizvi)
The Ghost Writer (France/Germany/UK,Roman Polanski)

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If I were to remove film festival & foreign DVD titles from the equation and only depended on local theaters to see movies, then I would be left with only a handful of worthy titles every year. So viva film festivals!

Note: I am including 9 DVD titles, most of them being 2008/09, because these films never received a theatrical release in my city.

Nicolas Winding Refn Films

Spotlight on Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn

The motivation for the final spotlight of the year came after I was riveted by the raw and bloody Valhalla Rising a few months ago. The only previous Nicolas Winding Refn film I had seen was the first Pusher movie about a decade ago, which left me with mixed views. So I decided to pay another visit to Pusher and in turn complete the Pusher trilogy.

Pusher (1996)
With Blood on My Hands: Pusher II (2004)
I’m the Angel of Death: Pusher III (2005)
Valhalla Rising (2009)

Pushing on the streets of Copenhagen

Each film of the Pusher trilogy gives a look at different rungs on the drug trade ladder. Pusher follows a week in the life of Frank (Kim Bodnia), a drug dealer, and highlights his methods, routines and dealings with his supplier Milo (Zlatko Buric).

Frank is accompanied by Tonny (Mads Mikkelsen) who is the focal point of Pusher II.

In the second film, a different side to Copenhagen’s gangster side is shown when Tonny tries to partake in his father’s car stealing business. Tonny is also friends with another pusher (Kurt) and has to bear witness to the dangers of drug addiction. The third film deals with Milo, the drug supplier to both Frank and Kurt, and shows that even a major supplier like Milo is answerable to another layer of suppliers.

The three films also provide relevant financial examples as to why a drug trader will most likely be always stuck in his endless cycle of addiction and debt. In Pusher, Frank owes Milo 50,000 kroners. So when a Swede comes to Frank to buy coke, Frank sees it as a chance to make some money and pay off his debt. Milo sells the drugs to Frank at 600 kroners per gram so Frank buys a 200 gram packet for 120,000 and is on the hook for a total of 170,000 Kroners. He decides to sell his dope to the Swede for 900 kroners per gram for a total of 180,000 in an attempt to clear his debt in one go. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned and the police interrupt the transaction. Franks bails and dumps the drugs in a lake before getting arrested. He is released a day later but has no money or drugs to give Milo. Milo does not believe Frank’s story and instead increases Frank’s debt to 230,000. Naturally, Frank has to scramble to pay off his debt in order to avoid getting his legs broken by Milo’s henchman Radovan (Slavko Labovic).

In Pusher II, Kurt pays Milo 15,000 for drugs. But Milo delivers inferior material than what Kurt paid for. Kurt is upset and goes into the bathroom to inspect the package. When there is a knock on the apartment door, Kurt panics and flushes the package thinking the cops are outside. However, the knocker ends up being Milo’s buddy with some food. Kurt is now out of both money and drugs and as expected Milo is not willing to return Kurt’s money. It turns out that Kurt had borrowed the 15,000 from another group and is now on the hook. Milo falls into this debt trap in Pusher III after he agrees to move Luna’s 10,000 pills of ecstasy. However, when the pills turn out to be fake, Milo is responsible for coming up with money to cover the losses.

The first two films provide strong examples of why most drug pushers will never be able to escape their debt trap as they are always in debt and the only way they can return the debt in a quick time is to take on a bigger drug job. The margin of error is razor thin and when things eventually go wrong, they fall into a bigger hole. So after they fall into a bigger hole, Frank and Kurt’s options involve either running away, robbing a bank or killing someone. Neither of these options provide an easy clean resolution. In Pusher III even an established drug supplier like Milo finds himself facing the same predicament as Frank and Kurt. However, Milo’s contacts allow him to bribe a police officer and eventually bring in his old friend Radovan (featured in Pusher) to help cleanup the mess.

Pusher circle

The problems in the Pusher trilogy get remarkably complex with each film. In the first film, Frank is a single guy with no emotional ties to any family, so it is easy for him to consider leaving Copenhagen. In Pusher II, Tonny is shown to be single until Charlotte (Anne Sørensen) tells him he is her child’s father. That added responsibility allows Tonny to take a step back from both the drug trade and his father’s car stealing business to properly assess his situation. He is determined to take the child away from the endless cycle of crime and drug addiction that Charlotte and Kurt are stuck in. In the third film, Milo has a 25 year old daughter Milena (Marinela Dekic) who is going to marry another dealer, thereby adding to Milo’s concerns. Plus, Milo has to cook for 50 people for Milena’s birthday and manage the ecstasy deal while trying to stay drug free. To make matters worse, his two trusty henchmen get food poisoning from his cooking, so he is left to deal with his debt problems on his own.

Similar characters make an appearance in his each film and in most cases, they are carrying about their business as depicted in previous films. The only exception to this is Radovan, who is able to fulfill his dream from the first film and actually change. In Pusher, Radovan tells Frank that he would like to open a kebab place. So when we next meet Radovan in the third film, he is indeed running a restaurant and has turned his back on his drug payment collector/enforcer role. Kurt makes a tiny appearance in the third film but it is hard to determine if he has gone clean. Muhammed (Ilyas Agac) is briefly shown in the second film when he sells Tonny a gun in exchange for Kurt’s gold chain. In Pusher III, Muhammed gives the same gold chain to Milo and agrees to sell Milo’s ecstasy pills. Mike (Levino Jensen) is planning on marrying Milo’s daughter in the third film but he first made a brief appearance in the first film. Tonny’s father wants him to kill a prostitute ring leader Jeanette (Linse Christiansen) in Pusher II but Tonny can’t go through with it. And in the third film, when an Albanian and Pole want to sell a girl into prostitution, they naturally call on Jeanette.

Each film works on its own but put together the films offer a brilliant case study of the perils of drug trade and addiction. Also, the recurring appearance of similar characters also helps etch out the drug hierarchy that exists.

Pusher II starts off in prison but otherwise the films stay away from prison. Yet, similar characters that are shown in the Pusher films exist in Tobias Lindholm & Michael Noer’s brilliant Danish film R which is one of the best films of 2010. R gives a look at the cut-throat hierarchy that exists inside a Danish prison and perfectly compliments the Pusher trilogy.

Savagery

Valhalla Rising is far more savage than any of the Pusher films. The third Pusher film ends with a brutal cleanup job but the slicing takes place on a dead body. But in Valhalla Rising all the blood is extracted from living beings. Raw, face to face fights till only one man is left standing. Mads Mikkelsen plays the mute slave One Eye, feared for his ability to kill men. One Eye survives his battles and leads a crew to the promised New World. Once they arrive in the new land, they are greeted with poisonous arrows. The arrows mark the next phase in human warfare when hand to hand combat is no longer necessary and weapons allow men to kill remotely without getting their hands dirty with blood.

Common thread

The three Pusher films and Valhalla Rising are about slaves working for a higher authority. The slaves have to find ways to survive on their own but at the end of the day, they have to answer to a leader. Milo is the leader in the first two Pusher films but even he has to answer to another authority in the third film. One Eye’s master is fierce and proud but when the crew enter a new land, the master ends up kneeling down and praying for help to battle against new masters.

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Overall, a fierce and intense spotlight that provides a different flavour from the year’s other directorial spotlights.