Film: Blind Date UK Release date: 23rd May 2011 Distributor: Network Certificate: 15 Running time: 170 mins Director: Stanley Tucci & Theo van Gogh Starring: Renée Fokker, Peer Mascini, Roeland Fernhout, Wouter Brave, Jan Jaspers Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance Format: DVD Country of Production: Netherlands/USA/UK Language: Dutch/English
Review by: Calum Reed
Those mystified by the attempts of the characters in Lars von Trier’s Antichrist to deal with the grief of their dead child may be equally puzzled by Dutch director Theo van Gogh’s 1996 film, Blind Date. Like the currently-troubled Dogme founder, van Gogh’s reputation as a cinematic provocateur caused controversy, reaching its peak in his critique of the treatment of female Muslims in 2004 short film, Submission. While von Trier’s recent behaviour at Cannes may lead to him becoming somewhat of a pariah on the festival circuit, van Gogh faced an eminently more dangerous opposition to his work: less than two months after Submission aired on television, he was assassinated by a Muslim extremist. Blind Date opens with Renee Fokker’s Katja entering a rather tacky-looking lounge bar, in which she proceeds to first order a drink, before, secondly, making an enquiry of the whereabouts of Pom (Peer Mascini). As it happens, Pom has answered her advertisement in the personal columns for a “sweet, honest man” considerably older than herself, and as the two have dinner, they engage in the kind of small talk you’d expect from people meeting for the first time. What quickly becomes apparent is that these two are not meeting for the first time, and as their exchange accelerates towards a more volatile tone, we learn that they are actually married, and are heavily resentful of how their lives have turned out.
The film is divided into chapters based upon the personal ads, which are often shifting in nature according to what Katja and Pom want to learn from each other. As they constantly redress their desires, they discuss the reasons for their marital estrangement – nameably the death of their daughter in a car crash, and the implications of that event on their sexual relationship. During the course of Blind Date, they each adopt interrogative and submissive roles; including he as a reporter and blind man, and she as a psychologist and dancer…
Scissors and clamps are, thankfully, deemed unnecessary for this project about a couple trying to surmise what their marriage means anymore, but that doesn’t make these parents any less radical in their method of confronting harsh realities. As a conceptualised view of self-imposed ‘marriage therapy’, Blind Date holds weight: how to resolve a marriage where both parties can’t be in the same room together without relinquishing their identities? The nature of this coping technique, as a manufactured paradox of escape and confrontation, creates intrigue, and the tense interplay between Fokker and Mascini offers a tentatively balanced dynamic to all of their roleplays. The schematics of the film as a confessional, insidiously motivated acting duel inevitably leads to bouts of self-consciousness, but this doesn’t particularly hamper it until the later scenes.
Since most of Blind Date is essentially acting as a divulgement of exposition, it commands attention while things feel relatively fresh, but when the film runs out of backstory to reveal (and interesting ways to reveal it), the exercise becomes rather stagnant and roundabout. An intermittent voiceover accompaniment by the couple’s dead daughter adds to the extremely macabre humour intoned in some of the more sensationalist crevices of the script, as she launches into critiques of how they’ve behaved after her demise. It’s a device that feels far too facetious for a film that’s banding around so much emotional baggage, and a weak move to realise the daughter as a proponent of the present rather than the past.
While a far more seasoned veteran of the acting branch, Stanley Tucci has tried his hand at directing no less than four times, the most successful of which is Big Night, his 1996 collaboration with Campbell Scott. Tucci’s decision to remake the late van Gogh’s film in 2007 provoked surprised intrigue, and the following year it had its North American premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. While essentially a faithful remake, Blind Date (2008) doesn’t copy the original shot-for-shot, altering the sequence of events slightly to make more sense of the couple’s actions. Tucci also elects to alter the names of the central characters to Don and Janna, casting himself in the former role and Patricia Clarkson to star opposite.
Those familiar with Tucci and Clarkson’s recent partnership as Emma Stone’s easy-going parents in teen comedy Easy A will likely be a little aghast at how far removed from that wheelhouse Blind Date requires them to be. As two actors particularly excellent at instilling characters with natural qualities, this warring couple (no less conceited in nature than in the original) are far too alien and ugly for this acting duo to get to grips with. Playing against-type, the two expose the script’s manipulation of emotion far more than is present in the original - its dialogue falling flat with the familiar, composed actors unconvincing in alluding to the hatred and contempt Mascini and Fokker assumed in its predecessor.
The failure of Tucci’s version isn’t particularly consigned to either acting or casting errors, but reads as more of a misjudged endeavour entirely to take on a project that feels so heavily a product of its then-director. Van Gogh can coax some tremendous moments from his two stars because he’s so heavily involved in its authorial elements; while Tucci remains a sure admirer of the original (even tinkering with it somewhat), he’s still primarily an onlooker staging a reconstruction.
If 1996’s Blind Date was an experiment with mixed degrees of success, its descendant is an ill-conceived stab in the dark. Van Gogh introduced a gimmick capable of luring an audience into a state of studious fascination, but even then that gimmick didn’t have the legs to last eighty minutes. It’s unsurprising, then, that the mishandled remake feels like even more of a drag – loaded with two of the finest actors of their generation, but who are completely unsuited to the darker, and, frankly, bizarre complexities of this particular story. However seedy it sounds, one wishes there were more columns in the vein of ‘Man Seeks Less Talk And More Action’, since a dearth of impact is the chief common denominator between the two episodes. CR
Film: Heartbeats Year of production: 2010 UK Release date: 27th May 2011 Distributor: Network Certificate: 15 Running time: 97 mins Director: Xavier Dolan Starring: Monia Chokri, Niels Schneider, Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval, Anne-Élisabeth Bossé Genre: Drama/Romance Format: Cinema Country of Production: Canada Language: French
Review by: Patrick Gamble
French-Canadian writer-director-star, Xavier Dolan took the festival circuit by storm back in 2009 with I Killed My Mother. This promising debut quickly stapled his name onto every ‘up-and-coming’ director list around. Heartbeats was completed only a year later and critics now will get to decide whether Dolan is indeed the new ‘great white hope’ many proclaimed him to be, or simply another case of a young man who peaked to early. Heartbeats depicts the tale of a doomed ménage à trois. Our two central protagonist are Francis (Xavier), a stylish gay man who longs to be loved, and Marie (Monia Chokri), a young girl with a delightful shabby chic style that aspires for that perfect partner with whom to overcome the sexual trappings of a relationship and find the perfect ‘spoon’ fit, which she believes is the secret to a long and meaningful partnership.
We join these two close friends who, whilst enjoying a leisurely lunch with mutual acquaintances, both land eyes on the same man, Nicolas (Niels Schneider), a young boy fresh from the country who’s newly arrived in town. As soon as they both coyly declare they have no interest in this fresh faced Adonis, we know what we’re in store for.
A series of intimate rendezvous leads the trio into an uncontrollable love triangle as both Francis and Marie fight for the attentions of this new object of their desires. The pair both eventually fall deeper into a pit of obsession and fantasy, and as their feeling escalate, it becomes clear that it won’t just be their emotions that are put to the test but also the resolve of their cast-iron friendship. Indeed, Nicolas become something of a poisoned chalice, and what at first starts out as a story of the poetic craziness of falling in love soon becomes more a study of the humiliation of rejection and the heartfelt pain that loneliness can bring…
The issue of a love triangle is nothing new in cinematic terms. Recent French cinema has already delighted us with Les Chansons d’Amour (a delightful love letter to the musicals of Jacques Demy) and Dreamers (a flawed but no less enjoyable celebration of classic cinema). Heartbeats attempts to shine a different light on the topic by focusing on the destructive element it can inevitably have on the ones it hurts. Whilst it may sound an attractive prospect, a relationship shared three ways generally only heightens the percentage of chance that someone will be cast aside when the novelty expires and the usual traumas and tribulations of a real relationship start to raise their heads. Director Xavier Dolan’s has decided not to shy away from this fact and has instead wallowed within it. However, its many flaws along the way prevent it from being the masterpiece he has set out to make.
The first place to start with this critique would be the seemingly redundant frame narrative that Dolan has wrapped around the story – where individuals give their views on sexual encounters and try to shed their own light on the reasons relationships so often fail. These ‘talking heads’ segments seem like little more than an obvious attempt to fill in the gaps of what is quite a superficial movie, which hasn’t the depth to cover the magnitude of these emotional issues. Unfortunately, Dolan’s attempts to cover all too many bases fails and what actually transpires is nothing more than an irritatingly, self-centered side piece that not only acts to disrupt the film’s pace but also never seems to gel with the incidents that surround it.
Following on with this theme of self-centered storytelling is the obvious issue of Xavier Dolan himself. There is always a hint of arrogance in the air with any director who decides to cast himself in the leading role. Numerous times throughout the film peripheral characters refer to his character as “cute” or “handsome,” and there comes a point when this glorification of one’s self becomes hard to stomach. The decision to take the role of a very self detrimental character also screams of nothing more than preposterous attention seeking and greatly influences the overall enjoyment of a film which ultimately feels like nothing more than a man singlehandedly crying out to be noticed. Dolan is quite obviously a handsome man with a lot of underused talent, so his need to act like this becomes infuriating for the less ‘glamorous’ members of the audience who no doubt aren’t even close to having the looks or artistic talent to rival this seemingly unfulfilled young man. He clearly has the opportunity to do great things if only he focused more on his art than what others think of him.
This try-hard attitude is also apparent within other elements of the film. The soundtrack, for example, is filled with classic ‘calling card’ bands and blares out at an uncomfortable decibel level, forcing you to pay attention regardless of whether or not the gratuitous over use of strobe lighting has already directed your attention away to other less objectionable sights in the cinema – like perhaps the plush velour of the seat in front or the inviting gleam of the exit sign. To be fair, though, there are moments where Dolan does manage to successfully navigate this fine line between high art and obnoxious pomposity (like a glorious use of a classical score to heighten the film’s more intimate moments).
This is certainly a film which falls into the category of style over substance, yet the stylish tricks performed, which don’t come across as overly gratuitous or farcical, all point to a talented filmmaker with an obvious eye for a shot and an ability to make the most from a modest cast list. He may wear his influences firmly on his sleeve (whether it be the slow motion imitation of In The Mood For Love or the obvious comparisons with Jules et Jim) and this ability to re-create such style whilst maintaining the film’s own unique direction is worthy of praise. Unfortunately, these flashes of brilliance only illuminate the numerous flaws of a director who’s clearly underperforming.
Heartbeats is a film you’ll desperately want to fall in love with. Yet Dolan’s attempts to mix high art with deadpan humour in a framework of emotional devastation falls just short, resulting in a somewhat cluttered, arrogant mess of a film that may well excite and titillate at first, but will ultimately leave you disappointed by the end – but like all immature crushes, given time, it’ll become completely forgettable. PG
Film: Blind Date Year of production: 1996 UK Release date: 9th May 2011 (part of The Theo Van Gogh Collection) Distributor: Network Certificate: 15 Running time: 90 mins Director: Theo van Gogh Starring: Renée Fokker, Peer Mascini, Roeland Fernhout, Wouter Brave, Jan Jaspers Genre: Drama Format: DVD Country of Production: Netherlands Language: Dutch
Review by: Sarah Hill
When Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh died in 2004, aged 47, he left behind a controversial legacy. A relative of the renowned artist, Vincent van Gogh, Theo van Gogh was a provocative newspaper columnist who was a staunch advocate of freedom of speech and used his columns as a platform from which to voice his opinions about well-known public figures. He was particularly critical of the treatment of women in some Islamic societies. This was highly evident within his 2004 film Submission, for which he received numerous death threats. Theo van Gogh was assassinated by Dutch-Moroccan Mohammed Bouyeri on 2nd November 2004. Van Gogh’s life story is certainly dramatic; therefore, it is little wonder that in the years following his death, Hollywood has remade some of his most well-known films, giving him the kind of international recognition that he never received during his lifetime. However, on 9th May 2011, Network Releasing are releasing the first DVD collection of van Gogh’s work in the UK (The Theo Van Gogh Collection), which features arguably some of his best films. The first film in this three-film collection is the 1996 film Blind Date. Pom (Peer Mascini) is a failed comedian. His wife, Katja (Renée Fokker) is still mourning the death of their 3-year-old daughter. They regularly pretend to be other people by placing adverts in the ‘lonely hearts’ column of their local newspaper, all of which are targeted at each other. With their new personas, they go on weekly dates, often to the same bar, under the observant gaze of the same barman (Roeland Fernhout).
The film is narrated by their deceased child, whose voice innocently informs the viewer that “mum and dad like to play games” and explores the couple’s attempts to simultaneously escape their grief and reconnect with each other...
Blind Date has a very interesting premise in that it examines the relationship between a couple who, it seems, can only communicate with each other when they are pretending to be other people. The film also has a pervading sense of darkness. This is evident from some of the earliest scenes within the film. On the first date that takes place within the lifespan of the film, we witness Pom, as a barman, chatting to Katja in a bar. It begins as a typically flirtatious conversation between a barman and a female costumer. However, it soon becomes much more menacing as Pom decides to tell Katja some ‘truths’ and refuses to let her leave by forcing her to partake in karaoke. The image of Katja sobbing as she sings jars greatly with Pom’s dancing to an upbeat song. It’s like witnessing a car crash: horrible to watch, but almost impossible to look away from.
The unease continues as each date reveals more and more painful details about their past, such as the fact that Pom once raped Katja. This is act of violence is mentioned on numerous occasions and forms a significant part of the verbal battles which take place between the couple. Their differing perspectives convey that they really don’t understand each other; they are talking at each other rather than to each other. During a scene in which they go dancing, Katja tells Pom: “You’re out of step.” This line succinctly sums up the characters, for they are not just out of step with the music, but out of step with each other. As they dance, the camera swirls around them; it’s highly unsettling and the circular motion seems to suggest that there is no end to their verbal and emotional battles - they are trapped.
However, the fact that the film depicts two people locked in constant conflict with each other means that it does, at times, lack pace, as the conversations tend to be very repetitive, and although this adds to the feeling of confinement within the film, it can also become somewhat irritating. There is also a sense that the same effect could have been achieved with fewer dates and a slightly shorter running time.
Despite the film’s claustrophobic and sinister feel, it does contain a number of comedic moments, albeit of the very dark kind. When Pom places an advert stating: “Serious reporter seeks aggressive woman,” he goes along to meet Katja at a restaurant, where she greets him with a forceful and well-timed punch to the face. The film’s blend of menace and humour calls for good performances from its actors and Renée Fokker, in particular, doesn’t disappoint. She moves effortlessly through a range of emotions, such as anger, grief, love and hate, and serves to make the film’s ending all the more convincing.
Blind Date is an unusual and interesting film, which is dark, unsettling and claustrophobic. Ultimately, however, it is a tragic film and although its ending is almost inevitable, this makes it no less upsetting. SH
Film: Interview Year of production: 2003 UK Release date: 9th May 2011 (part of The Theo Van Gogh Collection) Distributor: Network Certificate: 15 Running time: 89 mins Director: Theo van Gogh Starring: Katja Schuurman, Pierre Bokma, Theo Maassen, Ellen Ten Damme, Michiel de Jong Genre: Drama Format: DVD Country of Production: Netherlands Language: Dutch
Review by: Sarah Hill
2003’s Interview is the last film within The Theo Van Gogh Collection. Whilst many may be more familiar with the 2007 remake starring Sienna Miller and Steve Buscemi, the Dutch original clearly exhibits van Gogh’s auteurist characteristics – dramatic two-handers between a man and a woman who engage in verbal battles – to such an extent that it becomes almost self-referential. Interview is also perhaps the most naturalistic of the three films in this collection, largely due to the fact that it was filmed over five nights in the real-life apartment of its star, Katja Shuurman. On the night the government collapses, serious political journalist Pierre Peters (Pierre Bokma) is sent to interview the Netherlands’ biggest female soap opera star, much to his chagrin. However, Katja (Katja Schuurman) soon dispels all of his preconceptions about film female stars as the pair engage in an intense battle of wits.
Both of are in procession of enormous secrets and each one is determined to find out what the other is hiding...
It has to be said that Interview begins on a very comical note. As cynical journalist Pierre Peders greets Katja from her car, she appears to embody all his preconceived notions regarding female actresses: pretty but vacant - all “air, sawdust and silicon.” So ditzy, in fact, that she accidently leaves the handbrake off and has to react quickly to prevent the car from rolling away (this was allegedly a real error made by actress Katja Schuurman during filming that van Gogh decided to leave in the final edit). However, appearances can be deceptive and once the interview begins, Katja proves just how smart she really is. Van Gogh cuts steadily between equal close-ups of the pair, as they sit opposite each other, face-to-face, awarding them equal status, as Katja watches Pierre with narrowed eyes, all the time trying to find out as much about him as he knows about her.
It is obvious that Katja is highly astute. She knows exactly what kind of role is expected of her and – as she lounges in deliberately seductive poses - she proves that she knows just how to perform this role. It seems that this idea of performance is the strongest thread which runs through all of the films in the collection. However, in behaving in this manner, she is also clearly mocking the role that the media has forced her into. She claims that men like women to wear fishnet stockings and heels because it means that the woman “has trouble walking and she is imprisoned in those nets,” and in making this assertion, she is reflecting on the inherently patriarchal structure of the film industry and the objectification of women in cinema.
In addition to interesting characters, another fascinating feature of the film is the fact that, unlike the other films in The Theo Van Gogh Collection, it is very kinetic. It’s certainly a lot less claustrophobic, but this does not mean that the film lacks intensity. Van Gogh indulges in a three-camera set up to capture everything in the mise-en-scène, as Katja strides from room to room in an electrifying performance that fizzes and sparks as if she is constantly close to erupting. Indeed, there is even often a punch bag hanging from the ceiling, which is visible in many of the wide shots, as a sign of the verbal sparring that is taking place between the characters, as they continuously try to break each other down in an attempt to force the other person to reveal their dark secret.
As the verbal sparring escalates, so does the tension. Pierre and Katja communicate via a series of quick-fire responses, which, at times, display slightly sinister sexual undertones, as their faces are almost pressed against together, with Kajta even going as far as to frantically kiss Pierre. However, it is never clear what the characters’ true feelings towards one another are because they are adept performers who are accustomed to getting what they want.
They continue to tease each other, with Katja going as far as to ask: “Is this some kind of word game?” It is because this is what van Gogh does best. He keeps the viewer guessing until the end; it’s never entirely clear who is ultimately going to win until the final minutes of the film and only then is the viewer allowed to breathe. The serene and soulful sound of Dusty Springfield singing ‘See All Her Faces’, which accompanies the closing credits, is the perfect antidote to the tension within the film, whilst simultaneously paying tribute to all that has preceded this moment by acknowledging that there are many more aspects to Katja, and also to Pierre, than first though.
Interview is certainly the most accomplished film in The Theo Van Gogh Collection. It contains excellent performances from its protagonists, with Pierre Bokma’s calm manner providing the perfect contrast to Katja Shuurman’s frenzied emotional state. The film has great pace, which is sometimes lacking in the other films, and it utilises van Gogh’s key themes most fully. Completed only a year before Theo van Gogh died, it is a reminder that European cinema lost a superb filmmaker. SH
Film: 1-900 Year of production: 2004 UK Release date: 9th May 2011 (part of The Theo Van Gogh Collection) Distributor: Network Certificate: 15 Running time: 87 mins Director: Theo van Gogh Starring: Ariane Schluter, Ad van Kempen Genre: Drama/Romance Format: DVD Country of Production: Netherlands Language: Dutch
Review by: Sarah Hill
If the film choices for The Theo Van Gogh Collection demonstrate anything, it’s that the director’s work is defined by a very specific set of characteristics. His films are often claustrophobic domestic dramas played out between two characters, usually a man and woman, in order to highlight the importance of communication. They are also usually concerned with the ideas of fantasy and performance. These elements were clearly evident within the first film from this collection, Blind Date (1996), but they were firmly established two years before in 1-900, originally titled 06. Theo van Gogh’s 1-900 tells the story of two professionals, Thomas (Ad van Kempen) and Sarah (Ariane Schluter), who meet through a phone sex line. Although they promise to never meet in person, they embark on an unusual relationship as they call each other every Thursday.
However, what starts off as a way for two lonely people to have some fun and indulge in their sexual fantasies suddenly becomes altogether more sinister...
An automated message plays over a black screen. The viewer is told to dial a selection number. “Hello, my name is Sarah, 30, with a higher education in every respect,” says a female voice. “I just love margaritas, bobsleigh and the smell of gasoline. My number is 3054.”
That’s it. That’s the audience’s introduction to the female protagonist. The viewer is then introduced to Thomas in a similar manner. It’s clear from this introduction that 1-900 has a very specific, stylised set-up: the emphasis is very much on the spoken word and the unreliable nature of phone conversations. This is highlighted very cleverly at the start of the film because even when the viewer is introduced to the characters visually, they are filmed in near darkness: Thomas sits at a desk in total darkness whilst Sarah is shown in silhouette, facing away from the camera. A small glimmer of red in each frame hinting at the possibility of danger. However, even without the benefit of lighting, it is obvious that these characters are not at all like the people they are claiming to be.
As their conversations progress, they become increasingly sexual and the line between performance and reality begins to blur as Thomas and Sarah start to adopt the appearance of the personas that they have constructed for themselves. During one phone call, Sarah lounges seductively in the sexy underwear she is always telling Thomas about whilst he continues with his mundane work. This is then immediately followed by another phone call in which Thomas is shown working out in his gym clothes, presumably in an attempt to get the body that he has told Sarah he already has, whilst she flicks idly through a magazine. The juxtaposition of these two scenes creates a welcome moment of subtle comedy, something which van Gogh is particularly good at.
Whilst the conversations between the pair grow ever more sexual, they also begin to display highly sinister undertones, another of van Gogh’s common traits. At one point, Thomas conducts a ‘sex survey’ by asking Sarah greatly inappropriate questions, telling her: “I’m in your life; I’m in your soul.” This line reveals just how emotionally attached to one another they have become and expertly captures the sinister sense of claustrophobia within the film, a feeling which is also encouraged by the camera work. Nearly every shot is a close-up and the characters are often framed by shelves and other furniture, which serves to enhance the film’s sense of confinement. It seems that the characters cannot escape the situation they have created and neither can the audience; they, too, are wholly part of this self-contained world. Although this claustrophobia is one of the film’s strengths, it is also, to an extent, one of its weaknesses. The entire film is a series of phone calls between the characters; the viewer is never offered the chance to escape, the chance to breathe. Therefore, the film often feels slightly repetitive, particularly with regards to the countless occurrences of masturbation, which soon become tiresome.
On the other hand, the aforementioned weaknesses within the film are tamed largely by the performances of the actors. Ariane Schluter, in particular, gives an emotional yet realistic performance. Without giving away any spoilers, her performance during the film’s final few scenes is very engaging, as she moves from her usual flirtatious manner to stunned and devastated after being told something which hits her like a punch in the stomach. The full force of this is also felt by the viewer, as the camera remains focused on her throughout.
Although its subject matter won’t be to everyone’s taste, 1-900 is a well-constructed, well-acted film which displays many of the hallmarks of van Gogh’s work. Whilst it may run for slightly longer than it should, it nevertheless evokes the strong sense of claustrophobia experienced by two people who have become dangerously attached to one another, locked in a an emotional battle that can only end when one of them hangs up the phone for good. SH
Film: Abel Year of production: 2010 UK release date: 25th April 2011 Distributor: Network Certificate: 15 Running time: 82 mins Director: Diego Luna Starring: Geraldine Alejandra, Karina Gidi, Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruiz-Esparza, Jose Maria Yazpik Genre: Comedy/Drama Format: DVD Country of production: Mexico Language: Spanish
When a family loses its father figure, can it survive alone or should it seek another, no matter how destructive the consequences may be? Abel focuses on a nine-year-old boy who assumes the role left open by his unfaithful dad.
The film opens with Abel returning from a two-year stay at a hospital, during which time he has been entirely mute.
His mother Cecilia takes him home and we see a fractured family: she has to sell their belongings just to survive from week to week; Abel’s younger brother Paul ignores him and misbehaves; while his teenaged sister Selene is becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of work she has to do to support her mother.
The family dynamic changes abruptly one day when Abel begins behaving like his missing father. The hospital warns his mother not to confront him for fear he should become mute again, and he quickly assumes a position of authority.
Although he has filled a vital role, and his siblings are, for the most part, glad of what he is doing, his unusual behaviour brings an ever-present tension. His actions are not normal, but Cecilia is afraid of what will happen if she tries to stop him. The situation is further inflamed when Abel’s father returns out of the blue…
Family dynamics are central to the film, which lightly poses the question of whether it matters who the head of the family is. The answer may be made readily apparent, but there are moments where Abel’s behaviour is of great help to his siblings.
This is a highly original debut by Diego Luna that holds your attention from the opening shot to the last. As a director, Diego shows a gentle touch that allows his actors’ performances to come out fully. The premise of his debut stretches reality, but we can accept it because of the naturalistic way it is portrayed, in both its comedic and dramatic moments.
Abel, played by Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, is the central performance - and the most striking one. As the disturbed mute we see at the beginning, unable to connect with anyone, and the strict but fair father he becomes, his natural acting talent makes us believe in the character, even if we may never fully understand what is happening in his head.
But every character was perfectly realised, without a single weak link in the cast. We are able to empathise with everyone’s situation, even if we cannot sympathise with everyone. Each character has a likeable element to them, including Abel’s errant father Anselmo, played by Jose Maria Yazpik. Despite his questionable morality, and sometimes spiteful actions, he shows concern over Abel’s abnormal behaviour, and is convinced that it must not be allowed to continue.
Karina Gidi deserves particular praise for her portrayal of Cecilia, the single parent near breaking point who only wants the best for her children but is unsure how to provide it. The strain she is under is always apparent, even in the film’s many lighter moments.
The unexpected seam of comedy throughout the movie is well-counterbalanced with the inherent drama. Funny scenes such as Abel interrogating Selene’s boyfriend are flavoured with the sense that it is difficult to know where this story will end, and how the situation will be resolved, or even if it can be resolved.
The well-written script flows naturally and not a single scene is wasted. Abel’s final fate is always in doubt, although the more astute cinema goer will pick up on a certain conversation that foretells the climax of the film, if not how it will play out.
A highly promising debut, Abel brings realism to an unlikely situation, and places the family unit under close scrutiny. There are moments when we are left uncertain whether Abel is mentally disturbed or if he is filling an absent role out of necessity. RWI
Film: Dream Home Release date: 28th March 2011 Certificate: 18 Running time: 96 mins Director: Pang Ho-cheung Starring: Josie Ho, Michelle Ye, Eason Chan, Lawrence Chou, Norman Chu Genre: Horror Studio: Network Format: DVD Country: Hong Kong
In this age of economic turmoil, it has never been harder to get on to the property ladder, yet for many this is a benchmark in measuring our success. As we find ourselves in more and more debt, the distance to the first rungs of real estate can seem out of reach. Dream Home is a Hong Kong slasher that will make anyone question whether it is a leap that is worth taking. It is also a movie that shows us that the economic crisis is exactly the same on the other side of the world, and also satirises the obsessive nature of global consumerism. Dream Home takes things a fair bit further than similar ventures such as American Psycho, and is definitely not for the faint hearted. Josie Ho stars as Cheng Li-sheung, a young professional who has spent more than a decade dreaming about a nice, although not extravagant apartment with a sea view. She works hard and saves money, but no matter how much she has saved, it is never enough to afford the mortgage for her dream home. Every time she gets close, the market changes and the price goes up.
Cheng becomes increasingly desperate to get what she wants for her family, which is simply a home big enough to house them. The apartment in question is the same apartment that she has wanted since childhood, and the dream becomes an obsession. As the obsession spirals out of control, she comes up with an idea to bring down the property value by means of a murderous scheme…
Dream Home is a story that is told by means of a non linear narrative that mostly takes place over one night, with flashbacks to various events in Cheng Li-sheung’s past, which explains her motivations. This makes for interesting viewing, since rather than American Psycho’s very linear narrative, where we see the monster emerge from a human, we instead begin with the monster and are then shown the human side, which allows us to partly identify and understand the character in between the evil and abject deeds. This makes Dream Home far more than an exploitative and empty series of gory set pieces.
This is a character-based film, and its success is based largely around the central performance. Josie Ho, who also produced the movie, is a seasoned Hong Kong actress, and has many titles under her belt. Her performance in Dream Home reinforces the style of storytelling, with a portrayal that is both cold, calculating killer and desperate dreamer.
Fetishism is rampant throughout Dream Home, with frequent close ups on household items, such as vases, cups, glasses and window frames, which linger in the foreground, obscuring the characters and their conversations. There are also a wide range of household items being used as weapons by Cheng Li-sheung, like furniture slats, nails, vacuum cleaners, kitchen knives and cable ties (to name but a few!). The way in which these domestic goods are fetishised delicately emphasises Cheng Li-sheung’s obsession with her dream apartment, and even during flashbacks to her childhood, we are reminded of her omnipresent fixation.
The burden of debt and financial stress is also a constant theme throughout the film. Cheng Li-sheung works for a credit card company, desperately selling cards and loans to people who cannot afford them in order to meet targets and keep her job. She has constant meetings with her bank manager about her mortgage. There are also health bills and insurance claims, personal lending from boyfriends, and the constant pressure to simply maintain repayments.
The other strong thematic point that shines through is that of the family unit. This is something which in China and much of Asia holds far more importance than here in the west. Without giving too much away, Cheng Li-sheung starts out wanting a home for her family. Her main motivation is not personal, but for the greater good of her family unit. She even chooses the apartment based on criteria that will satisfy her parents. By the time she begins to really fixate on the apartment, this overrides her family need, and it gradually becomes an entirely stubborn personal motivation.
Gore and violence are, of course, central to any slasher film, and Dream Home has lots of it on offer. The most difficult scene to watch involves the murder of a pregnant woman and the resulting miscarriage. This is rather extreme, but serves to illustrate the level of the killer’s psychosis and mania. There are some brilliantly choreographed scenes, where you really couldn’t guess the outcome until it has happened, and even then find yourself in a state of disbelief.
Despite the narrative distortion and a little bit of expressionistic Snorricam and rapid montage, the general aesthetic is a very clinical realism. Much of the lighting used is either soft lighting or a slight blue hue, which, at times, is very reminiscent of other Asian slasher classics such as Freezer or Audition. The first few shots of the initial scene in fact trick the viewer into thinking it is set in a morgue rather than a security office. The main effect that this realistic and clinical look has is to give extra gravity to the main feature: the violent acts being carried out by a deranged psychopathic woman.
Dream Home is an extreme thrill ride and satire, with some rare attention being given to character development and explanation that, for many, will make it an instant classic. It has several intricate sequences that unleash buckets of gore in new and original ways, and will put the frighteners into any respectable property owner, so be warned! DOB
Film: He’s My Girl Release date: 21st March 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 100 mins Director: Jean-Jacques Zilbermann Starring: Antoine de Caunes, Mehdi Dehbi, Elsa Zylberstein, Judith Magre, Catherine Hiegel Genre: Comedy/Romance Studio: Network Format: DVD Country: France
It’s been over a decade since Antoine de Caunes broke through the French cinema barrier with a starring role in Jean-Jacques Zilbermann’s Man Is A Woman. Zilbermann and De Caunes - who earned a Cesar nomination for his depiction of closeted, married gay man Simon Eskenazy – return with He’s My Girl, a sequel which sees Simon much more settled in his new life, and with significantly different emotional problems to conquer. While Man Is A Woman was primarily about Simon confronting homosexuality, the allusion of gender play in He’s My Girl is a reference to Simon’s current on/off male lover Naim (Dehbi), who dresses up as a waitress for a local entertainment venue. In their early scenes together, Simon appears to be tiring of Naim and his slender, feminine frame, cooling sending him packing the morning after a sleepover. He seems much more concerned with courting the affections of young student Raphael, who’s in a relationship with a woman, but clearly struggling with his sexuality.
Simon is forced to address his living situation when his mother Bella (Magre) injures herself in a fall and moves into his home to recover. While he himself grows resentful of her presence there, Naim develops a bond with Bella, managing to convince her that he is a female law student, and eventually becomes the woman’s full-time live-in nurse.
Simon’s life is further complicated by the arrival of his estranged famous ex-wife Rosalie (Zylberstein) and Jewish convert son Yankele (Gasman), who come back into his life while on a visit from New York…
Simon’s existential crisis ceases to be about sexuality itself, but rather how to embark upon a lifestyle change, and the difficulties of trading in one rulebook for another. There’s a definite charm about He’s My Girl in the way that it doesn’t milk its characters’ faults to generate humour, more whimsically comedic as a film of little manners, rather in the vein of 1978’s La cage aux folles. It’s admirably never overwrought or gaudy with the more serious elements of the narrative, keen to focus on the intricacies of Simon’s interaction with the people in his life, hinting at the reasons why those relationships are frayed by interspersing their exchanges with sprightly quips and tense glances.
The general disappointment of the film lies is in how alarmingly ordinary it feels, even as it portrays a fanciful, occasionally interesting view of family-life. Essentially, it has a very conventional narrative, bearing overly familiar tropes of the selfishness of the bachelor; his inability to fully commit to the people around him, and a general dearth of emotional intelligence. While it maintains a flavour of camp, He’s My Girl can’t escape the pitfalls of compartmentalising its central character into a vain male paranoid jerk, who is only capable of realising what he wants when everybody else in his life bends over backwards to tell him. The film is by no means exceptionally offensive in the way that it telegraphs this philosophy, but nevertheless lacks real insight into the crux of Simon’s disconnection, surrounding him with people who rarely challenge the status quo.
He’s My Girl debilitates in impact by being too non-committal about its characters (ironic since it’s about a non-committal man in the first place), and seems continually afraid to create genuine dramatic conflict amidst this cavalcade of people who have no idea how they stand with one another. This becomes particularly clear in the weak final act, where the film admirably doesn’t make Simon’s epiphany too clear-cut, but leads us to speculate how big of an ‘epiphany’ this is in the first place.
While De Caunes is introspectively thoughtful, his character’s arc is so uninteresting, and the ensemble exhibits such a conciliatory lack of self-respect that it’s difficult to care about them at all. The weakly-conceived eventualities in the script make us dubious about how things will be better for Simon; how on earth the communication issues in his life can be resolved.
‘Competency’ shouldn’t be the primary attribute for a follow-up that promised to be so colourful, but however much He’s My Girl does the basics right, coaxing an able performance from De Caunes, and relative newcomer Dehbi, there’s an overall slightness to the film’s themes. It’s a slow-burning flaky, ineffectual tale that finds solace in not rupturing the products of the first film, without building solidly upon it, and feels strangely like a sitcom pilot with its ephemeral storm-in-a-teacup attitude to melodrama. Confidently-played, but limply finalised, He’s My Girl represents a fine look at the life of a perpetually unsettled man, but one ultimately wonders whether it’s more of a shrewd capitalisation than a natural necessity. CR
Be prepared for a goretastic orgy of blood, guts and stomach-churning horror in the highly stylish, original and brutal property market satire, Dream Home.
Thirty-something Cheng Lai-Sheung (Hong Kong rock chick turned actress Josie Ho) is the daughter of a dying builder. She sells home loans by phone during the day and works as a sales assistant in ladies’ fashion stores in the evenings, in the hope of one day being able to buy her dream home in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. But when she finally has enough money for the deposit, the owners decide to raise the price, and something delicate finally snaps in Cheng.
Armed with only household DIY equipment and construction tools, and with ever more imaginative usage of them, she sets about ensuring that she acquires the property, come what may.
Told through an intricate series of flashbacks, Dream Home will appeal to gore lovers and art house move-goers alike, with many elaborate killings and a deliciously dark sense of humour running throughout the film. A chilling satire on the housing and economic crisis affecting Asians, the subject matter will also resonate with people trying to buy homes in the UK.
This release is packaged with a 2,000 word booklet by Bizarre film critic Billy Chainsaw about the film’s significance and contribution to the slasher genre and place in Asian cinema.
Film: Dream Home Release date: 28th March 2011 Certificate: 18 Running time: 96 mins Director: Pang Ho-cheung Starring: Josie Ho, Michelle Ye, Eason Chan, Lawrence Chou, Norman Chu Genre: Horror Studio: Network Format: DVD Country: Hong Kong
DVD Special Features:
• Josie Ho interview on the making of Dream Home filmed in London in 2010
• Image gallery
• Theatrical trailer
Director Jean-Jacques Zilbermann revisits the life of a French Jewish musician, Simon Eskenazy (Antoine de Caunes), who was first introduced to audiences in his previous directorial feature Man Is Woman (1998).
The film opens at the point of Simon’s life where everyone important to him in his life appears to be crossing paths, not always in the most pleasant of ways. He is under the pressure of a deadline to finish his record; his mother is wheelchair-bound and shows up suddenly at his door with a suitcase and no plans to leave any time soon; he is utterly bewitched by the amazing, unpredictable, yet exciting Naim, a young Arab who seems to flit between the persona of a man and a femme fatale with incredible ease; and his ex-wife Rosalie suddenly announces her imminent visit with the 10-year old son Simon has never met.
There are also his musicians and agent to content with, and to top it all off, the cross-dressing, seductive and deeply Muslim Naim is developing a rather close friendship with Simon’s glamorous mother; not to mention Simon’s current lover Raphael, who also drops in for a visit…
He’s My Girl is full of warmth, laughter and heart and will appeal to all who enjoy a richly entertaining movie.
Film: He’s My Girl Release date: 21st March 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 100 mins Director: Jean-Jacques Zilbermann Starring: Antoine de Caunes, Mehdi Dehbi, Elsa Zylberstein, Judith Magre, Catherine Hiegel Genre: Comedy/Romance Studio: Network Format: DVD Country: France
Film: Abel Release date: 7th January 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 82 mins Director: Diego Luna Starring: Geraldine Alejandra, Karina Gidi, Christopher Ruíz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruíz-Esparza, José María Yazpik Genre: Comedy/Drama Studio: Network Format: Cinema Country: Mexico
Acclaimed Mexican actor Diego Luna makes his feature debut as a director with Abel, a family drama about the love of a mother for her son, which touches on subjects ranging from the pain of dealing with mental illness, to the effect the lack of a father can have on a family. Produced by his own film company, Canana films, Abel represents a labour of love for Diego Luna from start to finish. Abel (Christopher Ruíz-Esparza) is just 9 years old when, having spent two years in an institution following the departure of his father, he is brought back home to be reintegrated into his family. His mother Cecelia (Karina Gidi) instructs Abel’s siblings Selene (Geraldine Alejandra) and Paúl (Gerardo Ruíz Esparza, real life brother of Christopher) not to challenge Abel or do anything which might upset him. This becomes something of a challenge when Abel starts to believe that he is the childrens’ father, and Cecelia’s husband.
Disturbed by some of his behaviour, yet delighted that her son has begun to communicate with his family again, Cecelia encourages the children to play along with the fantasy. Things become complicated when Abel’s father Anselmo (José María Yazpik) returns to the home, and is less willing than others to take his place in the new familial hierarchy…
The premise of Abel offers many comic possibilities, each one of which is lapped up with child-like enthusiasm by Diego Luna. Scenes in which Abel waits calmly in the living room to size up Selene’s boyfriend, or examines Anselmo’s new car, insisting that he should take it for a spin, are the stuff of sketch comedy - comic and surreal in equal measure, and exposing the characters’ mixed reactions to the tragic humour of the situation perfectly. However, Luna is also aware that viewing the concept from the purely comedic perspective of a child behaving like an adult would be worthy of a ten minute sketch at the most, and he is equally adept at highlighting the stress that the situation causes and the fragility of Abel’s situation.
The possibility of Abel being institutionalised for a second time looms over Cecelia as she struggles with the morality of holding onto her son when he is living a delusion. Much of the emotion of this moral dilemma is drawn out by Karina Gidi’s performance, as she communicates the deep, unconditional love that Cecelia has for Abel, as well as the suffering that the situation causes her.
A lot of pressure was put on Christopher Ruíz-Esparza to play the central character in such an intensely emotional film, especially considering he is a non-professional actor. Diego Luna cast him from open auditions from the children in the area in which the film was shot, feeling that it was important to cast someone who had no acting experience. The results are remarkable as Ruíz-Esparzo not only provides the majority of the film’s comedy - the scenes in which he behaves like an adult are priceless - but provides a character who perfectly encapsulates all of the themes at the heart of the film - seeming vulnerable enough to be so deserving of his mother’s love, but deranged and violent enough that it is difficult to argue against him needing closer medical attention, for his own safety and others. The casting of his brother Gerardo was an unexpected stroke of luck, as the bond between them translates onto the screen and provides some touching, and very funny moments.
For a film with such a bizarre premise, Abel is shot in a very realistic way; most of the dramatic scenes take place in mid to wide shots with limited camera movement. This proves to be a good decision on Luna’s part, as it keeps what is happening on camera very intense and realistic, avoiding alienating the audience by having it seem ridiculous. It is important to Luna that the impact of his story is not lost amongst the more fantastical comic elements, and framing it through a realist perspective stops this from happening. In scenes with less dialogue, however, Luna is allowed to be more experimental, and softly focused close ups of plants, water and bugs provide moments of contemplation, and forefront a theme that runs throughout the film - the wonder of the childhood imagination.
The film would have benefitted from a more developed exploration of Abel’s father, as it was his absence that initially caused Abel’s regression. We are never offered an analysis of his motivations for leaving his family, and, as a result, he is fairly one dimensional. However, as Abel is, at its heart, a celebration of a mother’s love for her son this can be forgiven. Through incredible performances, writing and directing, Diego Luna’s film is a touching, beautiful and heartfelt exploration of a truly unique character.
Comic and affecting in equal measure; Abel is a remarkable achievement for a first time director. The pain of a lost childhood is explored in heart rendering detail, yet there is enough love in the powerful performances of Luna’s cast to ensure that, despite the depths of suffering to which we are taken, Abel remains an uplifting film. PK
Directed by Diego Luna and executive produced by Gael Garcia Bernal and John Malkovich.
Christopher Ruiz-Esparza (a mere 9 years of age at the time of filming) stars as Abel, a young boy whose confounding behaviour and refusal to speak has landed him in a mental health facility. His single mother is convinced that a reunion between Abel and his younger brother and older sister would be the answer to repairing his condition, so she arranges for Abel’s doctor to release the boy for a single week.
Abel starts speaking the day after returning home but the joy of the mother quickly turns into confusion as the child starts speaking and behaving as a fully-grown adult - her missing partner. Not wishing to worsen his condition, the mother and the siblings go along with Abel’s unorthodox, strange behaviour. But then his father decides to show up…
Disturbing, surreal and darkly funny, Abel deals with an important issue in Mexico – parental absenteeism - increasingly common as many Mexican men abandon their families to find work in the United States.
Film: Abel Release date: 7th January 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 82 mins Director: Diego Luna Starring: Geraldine Alejandra, Karina Gidi, Christopher Ruíz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruíz-Esparza, José María Yazpik Genre: Comedy/Drama Studio: Network Format: Cinema Country: Mexico
