#10 Ciclo Indie

Sobre os filmes que compões o ciclo:

1) Me and You and Everyone We Know
“One of the most critically acclaimed films of 2005, Me and You and Everyone We Know is also one of the most original feature debuts you’re ever likely to see. Winner of the Camera d’or Award for best first film at the Cannes Film Festival, it’s an altogether charming display of talent for writer, director, and costar Miranda July, a performance artist making a promising transition to film. Her loose-knit tale of love and longing encompasses a large cast of quirky and memorable characters, foremost among them being Christine (July), a forlorn dreamer who falls in love with Richard (John Hawkes, from HBO’s Deadwood), who’s going through a traumatic divorce. Richard is desperate to be a good father to his seven- and 14-year-old sons, both of whom have experiences that push Me and You to an almost perverse level of audacity, but July handles their potentially troubling scenes with such delicacy and tact that they seem almost miraculously innocent. The whole film is like that: It never,ever goes where you think it’s going to go, and every scene tingles with humor, affection and curiosity for its characters. As it turns routine days into joyous opportunities for discovery, July’s remarkable film is not for all tastes, but if you’re looking for something new, different, and defiantly out of the mainstream, this gentle comedy’s for you.”

2) Half Nelson
“Sometimes people are attracted to each other because of their differences. When there’s a nebulous attraction between a teacher and a young teenage child–as in the superb Half Nelson–the relationship has all the makings of confused disaster. Though there are a few uncomfortable moments when it’s not obvious whether Dan (Ryan Gosling) and Drey (Shareeka Epps) might cross the line, the attraction between the pair is culled less from sexual tension than desperation. Dan is an idealistic history teacher in an inner-city school. Drey is one of his brightest students. For both, drugs represent something that may help them escape their worlds. He takes drugs to dull his dissatisfaction with himself. She views drugs as a possible way to better her life, even though she knows her brother’s foray into that trade landed him in jail. Bleakly filmed and well told, Half Nelson soars because of the immaculate acting by Gosling and Epps. With his impish smile, Gosling provides a character that is at once disarming, alluring, and pitiful. As the young girl who’s already seen too much hardship in her life, Epps plays her part with just the right amount of hardened raw emotion. While the ambiguous ending may not please fans weaned on happy Hollywood finales, it’s a fitting and believable close to a thought-provoking film”

3) Los amantes del Círculo Polar
Watching the Spanish film Lovers of the Arctic Circle is like slowly falling into a yearning and melancholy dream. Two children–Ana and Otto–meet and instantly know that they’re soul mates. Their parents–one of whom is divorced, the other a widow–also meet and fall in love. Now that they share the same house, Ana and Otto (by now teenagers) become secret lovers. But troubles intervene: Otto’s mother dies, for which Otto blames himself and his father, and he leaves Ana and becomes a airplane pilot. Though their paths cross again and again throughout their lives, they keep missing each other until the power of their love finally draws them together. But the hypnotic power of Lovers of the Arctic Circle lies in how the movie unfolds, deftly shifting back and forth between the different perspectives of Ana and Otto. The gradual interweaving of their lives accumulates into a metaphysical swoon; rarely is the notion of romantic destiny made so heartfelt and so mysterious at the same time.

4) Garden State
Zach Braff (from the TV show Scrubs) stars in his writing/directing debut, Garden State–normally a doomed act of hubris, but Braff pulls it off with unassuming charm. An emotionally numb actor in L.A., Andrew (Braff) comes back to New Jersey after nine years away for his mother’s funeral. Andrew avoids his bitter father (Ian Holm, The Sweet Hereafter) and joins old friends (including the superb Peter Sarsgaard, Boys Don’t Cry) in a round of parties. Along the way he meets a girl (Natalie Portman, Beautiful Girls) with demons of her own; bit by bit the two offer each other a little healing. Plotwise, Garden State is familiar stuff, a cross between The Graduate and a Meg Ryan movie, but Braff has an eye for goofy but resonant visual images, an ear for lively dialogue, and a great cast. The result is surprisingly fresh and funny.

#9 – Ciclo Cidades

Sobre os filmes que compõe o ciclo:
1)Paris Je T’Aime
“In PARIS, JE T’AIME, celebrated directors from around the world, including the Coen Brothers, Gus Van Sant, Gurinder Chadha, Wes Craven, Walter Salles, Alexander Payne and Olivier Assayas, have come together to portray Paris in a way never before imagined. Made by a team of contributors as cosmopolitan as the city itself, this portrait of the city is as diverse as its creators’ backgrounds and nationalities. With each director telling the story of an unusual encounter in oe of the city’s neighborhoods, the vignettes go beyond the ‘postcard’ view of Paris to portray aspects of the city rarely seen on the big screen. Racial tensions stand next to paranoid visions of the city seen from the perspective of an American tourist. A young foreign worker moves from her own domestic situation into her employer’s bourgeois environs. An American starlet finds escape as she is shooting a movie. A man is torn between his wife and his lover. A young man working in a print shop sees and desires another young man. A father grapples with his complex relationship with his daughter. A couple tries to add spice to their sex life. These are but a few of the witty and serendipitous narratives that make up PARIS, JE T’AIME.”

2)In Bruges
“Colin Farrell and Academy Award-nominee Ralph Fiennes star in this edgy, action-packed comedy, filled with thrilling chases, spectacular shoot-outs and an explosive ending you won’t want to miss!
Hit men Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson, Harry Potter) have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it’s in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life & death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss (Fiennes)!
Get ready for the outrageous and unpredictable fun you will have In Bruges, the movie critics are calling, “wildly entertaining” “

3)Manhattan
Nominated for two Academy AwardsÂ(r)* in 1979 and considered “one of Allen’s most enduring accomplishments” (Boxoffice), Manhattan is a wry, touching and finely rendered portrait of modern relationships against the backdrop of urban alienation. Sumptuously photographed in black and white (Allen’s first film in that format) and accompanied by a magnificent Gershwin score, Woody Allen’s aesthetic triumph is a “prismatic portrait of a time and a place that may be studied decades hence” (Time). 42-year-old Manhattan native Isaac Davis (Allen) has a job he hates, a seventeen-year-old girlfriend, Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), he doesn’t love and a lesbian ex-wife, Jill (Meryl Streep), who’s writing a tell-all book about their marriage and whom he’d like to strangle. But when he meets his best friend’s sexy intellectual mistress, Mary (Diane Keaton), Isaac falls head over heels in lust! Leaving Tracy, bedding Mary and quitting his job are just the beginning of Isaac’s quest for romance and fulfillment in a city where sex is as intimate as a handshakeandthe gateway to true love is a revolving door”

4)Crossing The Bridge – The Sound of Istambul
“Fatih akin introduces an international audience to the diversity and uniqueness of musical creativity in the heart of istanbul ranging from modern electronic rock and hip-hop to classical arabesque. German-born Turkish director Faith Akin captures in his film the endless variety of the different styles in music and songs in Istanbul, a city that is a bridge between East and West, a city that is uniquely located on both sides of the Bosporus, in Europe and in Asia. Kurdish dirges represented by Aynur, who performs her own brand of Kurdish gospel music, passionate and melodic. We are introduced to Romany instrumentals, to Orhan Gencebay, who has been called the Elvis of Arabesque music – sounds of music are heard everywhere in the city as Faith Akin takes us into underground clubs, to the street performers, and to recording sessions. German bassist Alexander Hacke who comes to Istanbul to play and to learn about Turkish music quotes Confucius, “To understand the place, you have to listen to the music it plays”"

#8 Ciclo Kar Wai Wong

Sobre Kar Wai Wong:
“award-winning Hong Kong filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized films. Wong was listed at number three on the respected Sight & Sound Top Ten Directors list of modern times”

Sobre os filmes que compõe o ciclo:
1) In the Mood For Love – Fa yeung nin wa (2000)
“Hong Kong, 1962: Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are polite and formal-until a discovery about their respective spouses sparks an intimate bond. At once delicately mannered and visually stunning, Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love is a masterful evocation of romantic longing and fleeting moments in time. “

2) 2046 (2004)
“Hong Kong filmmaker Wai is such a visualist (Time magazine tabbed him as the “world’s most romantic filmmaker”), the images wash over with swirling smoke, neon lights, and the faces of his outstanding cast, all lovingly photographed and smoothly scored. There’s a lot more going on than the visuals, and Wai’s fans will certainly find more and more details on repeated viewings.”

3) Chungking Express – Chung Hing sam lam (1994)
“What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The movie was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together, Ashes of Time), using only available lighting and found locations. The movie’s loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless than any recent film–and that’s high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time.”

4) Fallen Angels – Duo luo tian shi (1995)
“this is antic, stylish, and oddly touching, all at the same time (…) is fragmented and oblique to the point of occasional incomprehensibility…but then suddenly something wild or wonderful happens, such as the moment when the killer leaves the scene of a spectacular shooting and is promptly waylaid by a cheerful old school chum on a public bus. These coups–whether lyrical, violent, or simply “how on earth did they get that shot?”–are tossed off by Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle with all the cool of the hired killer, as though the movie were a cigarette dangling from a pair of oh-so-casual lips. This is exactly why so many otherwise calm critics fell all over themselves in hailing Wong Kar-Wai as one of the most exciting filmmakers of his generation.”

#7 Ciclo Peter Sellers

Sobre Peter Sellers:
“His ability to speak in different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, British, German), along with his talent to portray a range of characters to comedic effect, contributed to his success as a radio personality and screen actor and earned him national and international nominations and awards.”
“known for his roles in Dr. Strangelove, as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, as Clare Quilty in the original 1962 screen version of Lolita, in comedy films such as The Millionairess and The Party, and as the guileless man-child Chance in his penultimate film, Being There”

Sobre os filmes que compõe o ciclo:
1) Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
“Arguably the greatest black comedy ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s cold-war classic is the ultimate satire of the nuclear age. Dr. Strangelove is a perfect spoof of political and military insanity(…) With dialogue (“You can’t fight here! This is the war room!”) and images (Slim Pickens’s character riding the bomb to oblivion) that have become a part of our cultural vocabulary, Kubrick’s film regularly appears on critics’ lists of the all-time best”

2) Lolita (1962)
“When director Stanley Kubrick released his film adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel about a hopelessly pathetic middle-aged professor’s sexual obsession with his 12-year-old stepdaughter, the ads read, “How did they ever make a film of Lolita?” The answer is “they” didn’t. As he did with his “adaptations” of Barry Lyndon, A Clockwork Orange, and, especially, The Shining, Kubrick used the source material and, simply put, made another Stanley Kubrick movie–even though Nabokov himself wrote the screenplay(…) Perhaps not a Kubrick masterpiece, or the provocative film many wanted, Lolita still remains playfully fascinating and one of Kubrick’s strongest, funniest character studies”

3) The Party (1968)
“Though this film is a relatively minor one in the massive canon of Peter Sellers, it has moments of absolute hilarity. Written and directed by Blake Edwards, one of Sellers’s most fertile collaborators, the film stars Sellers as a would-be actor from India (let them try to get away with that today) who is a walking disaster area. After ruining a day’s shooting as an extra on a film, he finds himself unintentionally invited to a big Hollywood party. That’s pretty much it as far as plot goes, but Edwards and Sellers know how to milk a simple idea for an unending string of slapstick gags. The result is a film that is episodic and sketchy, but also frequently loony in an inspired way”

4) Being There (1979)
“Thanks to an extraordinary, delicately balanced performance by Peter Sellers, Being There received mixed reviews during its theatrical release in 1979, but has since become a celebrated comedy with a loyal following. It’s one of the most unusual black comedies ever made, simply because it stretches a simple premise over 130 minutes of straight-faced, strangely compelling commentary on politics, media, and celebrity in media-savvy America(…) His simple phrases about gardening are misinterpreted as anything from economic predictions to sage political advice, and under the sharp direction of Hal Ashby, Sellers has the audacity to take this comedic conceit to its logical extreme. Being There is not for all tastes–especially not for those who don’t appreciate comedic subtlety. But as a showcase for the daring genius of Peter Sellers, this is a classic movie in a category all its own”

#6 – Junho – Ciclo Stanley Kubrick

Sobre Kubrick:
Kubrick was noted for the scrupulous care with which he chose his subjects, his slow method of working, the variety of genres he worked in, his technical perfectionism and his reclusiveness about his films andpersonal life.(…) Kubrick is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative, influential and intriguing directors in the history of cinema. In fact, he directed a number of highly acclaimedand often controversial films that have often been perceived as a reflection of hisobsessive and perfectionist nature. His films are characterized by a formal visual style and meticulous attention to detail –often combining elements of surrealism andexpressionism with an ironic pessimism, while also being among the “most original,provocative, and visionary motion pictures ever made”.

1 – Paths of Glory (1957)
“it was the 1957 antiwar masterpiece Paths of Glory that catapulted Kubrick to international acclaim(…) one of the most powerful films about the wasteful insanity of warfare(…) In the wake of some of the most authentic and devastating battle sequences ever filmed, Kubrick brilliantly explores the political machinations and selfish personal ambitions that result in battlefield slaughter and senseless executions.“

2 – Clockwork Orange (1971)
“quartet of droogs, a vicious group of young hoodlums who spend their nights stealing cars, fighting rival gangs, breaking into people’s homes, and raping women. While other directors would simply exploit the violent elements of such a film without subtext, Kubrick maintains Burgess’s dark, satirical social commentary(…) Clockwork Orange works on many levels–visual, social, political, and sexual–and is one of the few films that hold up under repeated viewings. Kubrick not only presents colorfully arresting images, he also stylizes the film by utilizing classical music (and Wendy Carlos’s electronic classical work) to underscore the violent scenes, which even today are disturbing in their display of sheer nihilism.“

3 – Shining (1980)
“is an existential Road Runner cartoon (his steadicam scurrying through the hotel’s labyrinthine hallways), in which the cavernously empty spaces inside the Overlook mirror the emptiness in the soul of the blocked writer, who’s settled in for a long winter’s hibernation.(…)The Shining gets under your skin and chills your bones; it stays with you, inhabits you, haunts you. And there’s no place to hide…“

4 – 2001 – Space Odyssey (1968)
“In keeping with the director’s underlying theme of dehumanization by technology(…)2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick’s film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone–puzzling, provocative, and perfect.“

Nuno Ferreira

#5 – Maio – Ciclo Emir Kusturica

O ciclo escolhido para este mês foi o Ciclo Wes Anderson.

Os filmes a ver serão:

7 Maio – Dom za vesanje (Time of the Gypsies) (1988)
“luminous tale set in the area around Sarajevo and in Italy, Perhan, an engaging young Romany (gypsy) with telekinetic powers, is seduced by the quick-cash world of petty crime, which threatens to destroy him and those he loves.”

21 Maio – Crna macka, beli macor (Black Cat, White Cat) (1998)
“Grga Pitic and Zarije Destanov are two old friends – and rivals – who haven’t seen each other in years. But a series of events beyond their wildest dreams leads to a raucously funny reunion filled with gypsy mobsters, dirty deals and shotgun weddings”

28 Maio – Zivot je cudo (Life is a Miracle) (2004)
“What could be better for the village than a scenic railway to bring in the tourists? What could be worse for tourism than war? Luka builds the railway and shuts his eyes to war. Then Luka’s wife runs off with a musician and his son is called up to the army. Luka’s life is a war zone. Then he meets Sabaha..”

Nuno Ferreira

#4 – Abril – Ciclo Wes Anderson

#4 - Ciclo Wes Anderson - Abril 2009

O ciclo escolhido para este mês foi o Ciclo Wes Anderson.

Os filmes a ver serão:

2 Abril – Rushmore 
“a gifted, rebellious teenager named Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 10th grader at elite Rushmore Academy. Editor of the school newspaper, captain or president of innumerable clubs and societies, Max is also one of the worst students in the school, and the threat of expulsion hangs permanently over his head. Max’s world is rocked when he falls for elegant 1st grade teacher Miss Cross (Olivia Williams) and he plans to erect an aquarium in her honor — then finds himself competing for her affections with his friend, steel tycoon Mr. Blume (Bill Murray), the wealthy father of two of his classmates”

9 Abril - The Royal Tenenbaums
“The tenenbaum kids were all once child prodigies despite growing up with an ineffective father. Determined to make things right that he has a estranged family. Royal tenenbaum announces years later that he has a terminal illness and moves back into his wifes house where their children are also living”

16 Abril – The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
“Internationally famous ocenaographer steve zissou & his crew set sail on an expedition to hunt down the mysterious elusive – possibly nonexistent – jaguar shark that killed zissous partner during the documentary filming of their latest adventure”

23 Abril - The Darjeeling Limited 
“Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman star as three brothers who have drifted apart over the years and try to re-forge their sibling bonds on a hilarious adventure across India.”

**Sessão extra**
29 Abril – Bottle Rocket
Fresh out of a mental hospital gentle anthony finds himself once again embroiled in the machinations of his best friend elaborate schemer dignan. With the aid of getaway driver bob they develop a needlessly complex mildly successful plan to rob a small bookstore – then go on the lam. 
 

Nuno Ferreira

#3 – Março – Ciclo Takeshi Kitano

#3 - Ciclo Takeshi Kitano - Março 2009

Depois de muita democracia o ciclo escolhido foi o Takeshi Kitano.

Assim o plano será:

5 Março – Sonatine
“Seen as a prime example of Kitano’s style, Sonatine features a combination of deadpan comedy and unexpectedly romantic lyricism, periodically interrupted by shockingly sudden bursts of violence”

12 Março – Zatoichi
“Blind Zatoichi makes his living by gambling and giving massages. But behind his humble facade, Zatoichi is a master swordsman, gifted with lightning-fast draw and strokes of breathtaking precision”

19 Março – Hana-Bi
“Nishi is a cop whose wife is slowly dying of Leukemia. One of his partners gets shot on the job and is confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life and becomes suicidal. Nishi, feeling guilt over his partners accident, tries to help him in any way he can. At the same time, Nishi leaves the police force to spend more time with his dying wife. However, in order to do the right things for those he loves, Nishi must do wrong things. Spiraling deeper into desperation and slowly building up to tragedy”

26 Março – Dolls
“This is a film in which character, morality, metaphysics, and destiny are all expressed through visual rhyme and startling adjustments of perspective. It sounds abstract–and it is–but it’s also heartbreaking and thrilling to behold. Kitano isn’t in it, but as an artist he’s all over it. His finest film, and for all its exoticism, his most accessible”

Nuno Ferreira

#2 – Fevereiro – Ciclo Monty Python

#2 - Ciclo Monty Python - Fevereiro 2009

Sem poll mas com muita democracia foi escolhido Monty Python como tema para o ciclo.

 

Assim o plano será:

5 Fevereiro: And Now For Something Completely Different

“And Now for Something Completely Different became for many Americans their first taste of the Pythons’ brand of surreal, silly humor and remains a fond favorite. The writing and performances are fine and the film is packed with some of their best bits”

12 Fevereiro: Holy Grail

“Could this be the funniest movie ever made?(…) If this movie doesn’t make you laugh, you’re almost certainly dead.” –Jeff Shannon

19 Fevereiro: Life of Brian

“Life of Brian is not only one of Monty Python’s funniest achievements, it’s also the group’s sharpest and smartest sustained satire. Blessed are the Pythons.” –Jim Emerson 

26 Fevereiro: The Meaning of Life

“Sadly, this was the last original Python film, but it’s a beaut. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry (probably because you’re laughing so hard). You may even learn something about the Meaning of Life.”, Jim Emerson

 

“The Python phenomenon developed from the original television series into something much larger in scope and impact, spawning touring stage shows, five films, numerous albums, several books and a stage musical, and launching the members to individual stardom. The group’s influence on comedy has often been compared to The Beatles influence on music

Nuno Ferreira

#1 – Janeiro – Ciclo Alejandro Jodorowsky

 

#1 - Ciclo Alejandro Jodorowsky - Janeiro 2009

Na sequência da visualização do filme El Topo na primeira sessão me and Mr Vitor decidimos prolongar os filmes de Jodorowsky para assim manter uma certa coerência. Desta forma Janeiro passaria a ser como o mês do ciclo Alejandro Jodorowsky. OK, esta será a segunda sessão, se bem que a primeira com os experts do cinema

O filme que propomos é o “Holy Mountain”. Um perfumezinho sobre o filme:

Alejandro Jodorowsky stars as The Alchemist in Holy Mountain–apt self-casting in this psychedelic masterpiece about Jesus searching for enlightenment. Fusing together many of his previously investigated themes, Holy Mountain catalogues a religious icon’s surreal journey through magical realms that both mirror reality and verge on the psychotic Financed entirely by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Holy Mountain is a more associative, more abstract, and better version of El Topo, which also features a protagonist searching for his soul. In Holy Mountain, Jesus encounters seven magicians who represent each planet, who then converge under the tutelage of The Alchemist to prepare for their life-threatening climb up a sacred hill. Completely original in its blend of Mexican magical surrealism and peace-inducing, humorous commentary on Latin American colonialism and the idiocy of war, Holy Mountain is one of the most outlandish examples of avant-garde filmmaking. Wonderfully colorful sets, zany characters in costumes straight out of the subconscious, and an inspired soundtrack, reinforce this absurdist statement about death and rebirth. Though Jodorowsky purportedly deprived himself of sleep to study Zen as research for the film, this is no flowery hippie movie. Carcasses, skinned animals, and even a scene showing frogs and toads dressed as Aztecs and Conquistators who fight until the bloody death, will make a viewer’s skin crawl. After being mesmerized by such a powerful vision, the ending, in which Jodorowsky reminds us that “reality awaits,” is the most bizarre part. –Trinie Dalton

Para quem quiser aprofundar o seu conhecimento sobre este realizador não deverá perder de vista o “El Topo” (para quem não viu) e o “Santa Sangre”.
El topo – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067866/
Santa Sangre – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098253/

O ciclo Jodorowsky foi imposto mas a partir do próximo mês a escolha do ciclo já será submetida a sufrágio, como prometido.

Nuno Ferreira