Friday 27 July 2012

filmbore pick of the week - Troll Hunter

Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren)

Director: André Øvredal
Screenplay: André Øvredal
Starring: Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Johanna Mørck
Year: 2010
Language: Norwegian
UK rental release: January 2012




Three college film students follow the trail of baffling bear killings, suspected by local, licenced hunters to be the work of a poacher named Hans (Otto Jespersen). As it turns out he is, in fact, a government employee tasked to contain and sometimes hunt down native trolls across multiple regions of Norway...Indiana-Jones-cum-civil servant, if you will.  

Taking inspiration from Norwegian folklore, Troll Hunter is a modern take on the country's mythologies of bridge and cave dwelling beasts. A mockumentary delivered in the found-footage format, it's naturally presented in its vérité style with zoom changes, camera set-ups, rapid cuts, even leaving room for a dabble with night vision in parts. This gives the film a very natural feel, which is a suitable contrast to the fantastical theme throughout.

Otto Jespersen, a local Norwegian TV star, owns the film from start to finish. Happy to allow the students to film his activities in his repulsion for the bureaucratic methods of his employers, as Hans he is a quiet, mysterious presence. Nevertheless, he is proud and willing to impress his new friends with his expertise on trolls: what they eat, their different breeds, their natural behaviours, even setting up unusual traps.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gRNihIvWb8Q/TxfmyYoOCMI/AAAAAAAADqc/2fvVsltfn-Q/s1600/trollhunter-still.pngIt's also from him that most of the story's comedy is derived. Only briefly flirted with, there are small moments of real natural humour, be it through mishaps of the hunt or tales of previous encounters. They give the film a light vibe, reminding you that even though this isn't a movie for kids it's not taking itself too seriously either.

But the most fun comes from the trailing of the monsters themselves. Each troll is brilliantly realised in decent CGI, with great attention to detail in the muscle architecture and earthy blemishes. And, I'm very pleased that they've retained a cartoonish tint to the facial composition of each creature, giving personality to each species we meet. There's even variety in each of the breed's voices thanks to some excellent sound design, noticed as their furious cries are manifested through great use of surround sound.


The film's wonders are all put to play in to the finale of the piece when we are confronted with the behemoth, the Jontar troll. These final scenes are fantastic, and brilliantly pieced together with great pace. You can see where their best efforts have gone, and these ending moments are worth the wait (especially as they're followed by a genius but brief re-edit of a real speech from Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg).        

It's always fun to take a fairy tale and render it into reality, but Troll Hunter does this with real style. This is a very approachable piece of world cinema that can be enjoyed by anybody. It's effortless at building a great bridge between the fjords of Norway and other western countries... just keep an eye on what's lurking underneath it!


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Friday 20 July 2012

filmbore pick of the week - Primer

Primer

http://www.tribute.ca/tribute_objects/images/movies/primer/primer3.jpgDirector: Shane Carruth
Screenplay: Shane Carruth
Starring: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan
Year: 2004
Language: English
UK rental release: February 2006

IMDB
LoveFilm
Rotten Tomatoes

Never confront yourself in the past or future unless want to create a paradox! Don't change anything when you go back, as you can't comprehend the dire ramifications of your time line if you do! Don't trust Arnold Schwarzenegger in a leather jacket looking for multiple Sarah Connors! Those of you who like a good time-travel movie like me will be familiar with the standard rules of journeying through Father Time's back garden. We all think we're experts on the subject thanks to years of excellently crafted movies covering genres of horror, sci-fi, comedy and beyond. That is...until you watch Primer!

Even the most seasoned, cerebral-enhanced film buff will face a challenge when confronted with this complicated affair. Shane Carruth's directorial debut is a brave creation, delving deep into the philosophies of time lines, while approaching deep resentment of the outcomes of meddling with them.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/primer/w448/primer.jpg?1289437207Not wanting to give too much of the plot away four engineering friends, working in the darker realms of science as specialists in error-checking devices, feel that there is something more meaningful within their grasp. As geniuses of their fields, they should be able to generate something that could benefit the world we live in, or maybe just their pockets. Through some experimentation, two of them chance upon a unique mechanism of elite innovation. And, as they are completely unsure of how to market and capitalise on the machine, they decide the best thing to do is play around with it first and test it out themselves...

Shane Carruth (as well as directing, photographing, editing and scoring the movie) stars as one of the device's founders, Aaron, and along with his colleague, and "partner-in-time" Abe (David Sullivan, The Astronaut Farmer) they take part in the unravelling of their standard continuum via a schizophrenic play-off. Both play their roles naturally, which truly suits, as the whole piece is played out via nicely loose handheld camera shots giving it a real personal touch. This may be down to budget and experience, but it's an honest friend to the film, plugging you directly into the tale like plutonium into a flux capacitor.


Paranoia plays an important part in this story too, as trust is key to their success, not only as co-creators of their new invention but thorugh the themes that the plot reveals throughout (that's all I can say...no spoilers here!).

As a first film, Shane Carruth hasn't just nurtured a competent first offering to the world of cinema but possibly crafted the most intelligent time-travel film ever. I can't wait to see what he puts together for his second movie (Upstream Colour, currently in pre-production) if this is anything to go by. Primer definitely warrants a second view as well - not only to comprehend the complexity of the plot but to enjoy an originally conceived small film with a large brain.

http://www.moviesonline.ca/AdvHTML_Upload/primer.jpg

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Friday 13 July 2012

filmbore pick of the week - A Town Called Panic

A Town Called Panic

http://hopeliesat24framespersecond.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/a-town-called-panic_2-1024x667.jpgDirector: Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar
Screenplay: Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar
Starring: Stéphane Aubier, Bruce Ellison, Vincent Patar, Jeanne Balibar
Year: 2009
Language: French
UK Rental Release: November 2010

IMDB
LoveFilm
Rotten Tomatoes


Something a little avant-gard this week...Stéphane Aubier's and Vincent Patar's brilliant, loony tale A Town Called Panic (Panique Au Village) - those of you who are a fan of Cravendale's "Milk Matters" adverts will recognise the animation style. This crazy stop-motion film from Belgium is beautifully imaginative and unique, and if you fancy delving into something funny but a little bizarre and quirky, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better.

https://shootingpeople.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/A-Town-Called-Panic.jpgA spin-off from the 2000 animated series of the same name, this is a frequently unpredictable story of three unlikely companions. The unculturally-affected friends, Cowboy and Indian, want to get something special for their other friend's birthday, Monsieur le Cheval, or Horse for short. The three of them are diversely affected by the strange choices and actions made by both Cowboy and Indian. What ensues is a non-stop adventure into the surreal, with frantic storytelling, quick editing and hallucinatory visuals, as they are taken to wondrous places around the earth and under it.

What's really strong in this film though is the humour. This is a hectic story, so be prepared for a bashing of the senses, but in the right frame of mind you'll be laughing till you ache. In fact, it's astonishing how intelligent the editing is in this film to create the comedy, especially as it is handled purely as animation...it's treated as a live action piece, giving it real humanity.

The other characters in the film have real charm too, and are just as off-the-wall as our leads, if not more! But our three central characters really keep the core of the piece, and the directing pair have created a nice relationship between them, evident from the off: Cowboy and Indian, the two troublesome brothers up to no good and Monsieur le Cheval, the partially responsible adult who sometimes can't help but get involved in the mischief. It's quite sweet that not only is Horse the more mature, but he's portrayed as quite wise...maybe the wisest horse in movies? (sorry Mr Ed)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O6xLvXpZlOU/THsWNVb3yoI/AAAAAAAAJbA/XukrxowtkUg/s1600/towncalled.jpgWe even get treated to a bit of a love story with Horse, as he's distracted by the charms of music teacher Madame Longrée (voiced by Jeanne Balibar, Don't Touch The Axe, Code 46). The change in story arc brings a sweetness to the tale, which is a nice chaser to our usual poison of jet-propelled dementia throughout.


As the tale concludes you crave for more hectic Belgian craziness, as a wave of sadness hits you and the treadmill goes into cool down mode. This, to me, is evidence that Stéphane and Vincent have successfully created a wonderfully original fairytale on a kaleidoscopic carousel that you don't want to stop...even if it keeps hitting you in the brain like a wonky Duplo nightmare!

http://www.directorsnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/town_called_panic_02.jpg

 

Friday 6 July 2012

filmbore pick of the week - I'm A Cyborg, But That's Ok

I'm A Cyborg, But That's Ok

http://www.coffeecoffeeandmorecoffee.com/archives/cyborg1.jpgDirector: Park Chan-Wook
Screenplay: Seo-Gyeong Jeong, Park Chan-Wook
Starring: Lim Soo Jung, Jung Ji-Hoon (Rain)
Year: 2006
Language: Korean
UK Rental Release: May 2008



Park Chan-Wook is a monumental director of Korean Cinema, like a Steven Spielberg, or a John Woo, or a Christopher Nolan. His Vengeance trilogy is a solid, hefty set of films that make an impact on you for some time, but in my opinion I feel that this movie is his true masterpiece (calm down Old Boy fans!).

For those that would like some dark cinema blended in with some eastern charm and quirk, I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok is the perfect choice. Lim Soo Jung (A Tale Of Two Sisters) plays Cha Young-Goon, who believes that she is not a human...but a cyborg! And whether she is, or she isn't, this doesn't stop her from connecting her transistor radio to her veins in order to re-charge her potentially imaginary/real batteries. The resulting re-charge/suicide attempt leads to her admission to a mental institute, where she meets Park Il-Sun (Rain, Ninja Assassin, Speed Racer), a boy thief who believes that if he doesn't steal the possessions and personal traits of other patients, he'll vanish into a dot.

http://outnow.ch/Media/Movies/Bilder/2006/SaibogujimanKwenchana/movie.fs/11.jpg
I know what you're thinking...the plot sounds crazier than the inmates! In fact, the story itself delves even deeper than this but it's these oddities that make up the originality of such a brilliant piece of work. A splattering of humour is added to some unusual places in this concoction but still feel fitting. Especially in some of the more violent set pieces, assisted by some jovial music in a score and theme that stick in your head like a dart with a barb. You'll be humming the main titles for weeks!

The performances are full of exuberance and charm, and it all moves at a calm, confident pace, drawing you into the bizarre world it illustrates. The other characters, especially the patients, help in building this attractive peculiarity with their unique idiosyncrasies, bringing small plot devices of their own. With all of this, what appears to be painted on the cover as a sci-fi assassin film, is in fact an elegant and patient portrayal of interweaving personalities, with a hint of whimsy.

http://english.triptokorea.com/english/UserFiles/Image/Entertainment/movie/drama%20Romance/I%20m%20a%20Cyborg%20but%20that%20s%20Ok3.jpgIt's unusual to see Park Chan-Wook create a tale like this, but he seems such a natural at it. And I feel that the one glue that keeps it all together for him is his camera. This entire film is a cinematic piece of art! The opening title credits themselves are interwoven with the intro to the story: a circuit board legend here, a monitor label there. And every single frame is immaculate...simply stunning; perfectly lit, with interesting angles and vibrant visuals. Even the slower shots leap out of the screen with such force you feel like taking a picture yourself. In fact, if you own a Blu-Ray player I highly recommend that you watch it on this format, as the lens work is breathtaking in HD.

With all of the subtext throughout, it's difficult to pin this to one particular genre, but I feel that sifting through the insanity, drama, fantasy, sci-fi and comedy, I'm happy to label this as a unique love story between two lost souls, creeping to find a central core with one another. Heck, I'm tempted to call it the smartest romantic comedy ever, but that may be pushing it!

http://www.cinemastrikesback.com/news/films/im%20a%20cyborg/cyborg01.jpg

Wednesday 4 July 2012

June overview

filmbore's first month is complete!

What a month! The inaugural weeks of filmbore have been busy ones, but I'm very pleased how much you've all got involved. Here's a snapshot of the activity in June:

filmbore's birth

After a few initial glitches, I managed to finalise the look-and-feel of filmbore, feeding posts into their associated tabs, creating a nice brand and promoting post activity through Twitter and Facebook. I've had loads of great comments and new followers!

After submitting a welcome note to each page, filmbore went professional with a new domain www.filmbore.co.uk. The site was ready to receive it's initial content...

Whingebox activity and other comments 

Before the first article on the WhingeBox was uploaded, a stream of comments were posted on the tab's welcome post (thanks Skarba). What's the worst film you've ever seen? Plenty of chatter and debate on this one!

http://blog.unl.edu/dixon/files/2012/06/Prometheus_movie_05-e1338830367217.jpgThen, the first official article was posted: Prometheus - worth the hype and wait?, addressing the way the Hollywood machine builds up movies which rarely deliver. Come and read the article and post your comments now to get the debate going.

Lets Whinge!


Pick of the week - recap

The other first piece of official content was the first pick of the week, Cell 211, which was followed by three other reviews over the subsequent weeks...


http://www.ionlywatch18s.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/celda-211-oliver-tosar.jpgCell 211 is an astonishing Spanish prison drama, which is beautifully written and well directed. Juan is in the wrong place and the wrong time. Can he keep up appearances? The performances in this are electric and it's a great movie if introducing somebody new to world cinema.



Tyrannosaur is Paddy Considine's directorial debut, and in this he proves his ability to step behind the lens and create magic as adept as he does in front of it. Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman are stunning in this, and the film is a great example of honest, gritty British cinema.




http://cdn.theguardian.tv/bc/281851582/281851582_1111282746001_110815KillList-5070649.jpg?pubId=281851582If you fancy a bit of the dark side, you can't go wrong with Ben Wheatley's genius film Kill List. Neil Maskell finally gets the lead he deserves, and commands the screen in this incredible medley of genres. Two ex-soldiers taking down a list of bureaucratic targets get more than they bargained for. Not for the weak of stomach!  



http://lh3.ggpht.com/LoveFilms/SHLxp15VpmI/AAAAAAAAA50/9LAah4Jkauc/tell%20no%20one.jpgTell No One rounds up the month of June, and what a film to end on. Like Paddy Considine, mentioned above, Guillaume Canet proves once again the actor-shall-become-director theory is a sound one with this immaculate picture of a man wrongfully accused of his wife's murder; his determination to find his lost love driven by evidence of her potential existence. Watch this now!


To see all of the posts for June, scroll down the right-hand side of the page until you reach the Blog Archive section and click through the links.