Of the 22 films in this year’s Cannes competition, the first two to screen have a lot in common. Both are portraits of strong-willed women willing to be exploited to find a way out of poverty. Both films doggedly stick to their heroines’ point of view, and both heroines prove more credulous than is strictly advisable. Both movies are shot in claustrophobic aspect ratios.
Yet one film is about an aspiring Instagram influencer, while the other centers on a WWI-era factory seamstress.
Magnus von Horn’s Danish-language “The Girl with the Needle” is the period piece. Filmed in a stark black-and-white that, despite a digital sheen, can on occasion convince you you’re watching a lost work by Fritz Lang or Carl Theodor Dreyer, the movie establishes its harrowing agenda from the get-go. Introduced washing her hands — ablutions become a motif of sorts — Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne) is evicted from her apartment for failing to pay the rent. Despite a valiant effort to deter the new tenants by claiming a rat infestation, she is soon forced to take up residence in a hovel without indoor plumbing.
Although Karoline’s husband never returned from the war, Jørgen (Joachim Fjelstrup), the well-born businessman who runs the factory where she works, says he can’t give her widow’s pay without a death certificate. He takes a liking to her, though — a liking that dissipates in the face of a pregnancy, his mother’s disapproval, and (although it’s not clear he’s aware of it) the belated return of the now-disfigured spouse, Peter (Besir Zeciri, who behind his mask sounds a lot like a Danish-speaking Franz Rogowski).
Karoline’s efforts to end her pregnancy bring her into chance contact with Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm), with whom she forms a queasy codependency, eventually even feeding Dagmar’s 7-year-old daughter with breast milk. There is more than one needle in this movie, although the morphine that begins to flow freely is taken orally. At one point, Dagmar and Karoline go to the movies and dose themselves — which may or may not account for why they seem to be watching a film with anachronistic synchronous sound.
“The Girl with the Needle” descends almost imperceptibly from mere miserablism to something much closer to a nightmare. It also rambles a bit in its back half, drawing on a real-life criminal case that appears to have been the project’s raison d’être. But von Horn doesn’t quite find a way to weave it in thematically or to make clear what he is trying to say with the overall material. The vintage look and Carmen Sonne — mousy and wraithlike yet authoritative, nearly always onscreen — do a lot to hold the movie together even when the script (by von Horn and Line Langebek) does not.
“The Girl with the Needle” is von Horn’s first feature to screen in the official selection — but not, technically, his first film to be selected for it. After Cannes canceled its 2020 edition, the programmers announced several dozen titles that would have shown there had the festival happened. Von Horn’s “Sweat,” a portrait of a fitness influencer who struggles to balance her online self-dramatization with her actual feelings, was among them. And that film, too, has several points of intersection with Agathe Riedinger’s “Wild Diamond,” the day’s other competition feature, and the only film in this year’s competition that is a directorial debut.
Opting for a 1.33:1 ratio, “Wild Diamond” answers the unasked question, “What if Rosetta — of the Dardenne brothers’ Palme d’Or-winning film ‘Rosetta’ — were an Instagram user?” Constantly trailed by Riedinger’s camera, the 19-year-old Liane (Malou Khebizi — like Carmen Sonne, carrying an entire movie) spends her days watching her younger sister, contending with a barely attentive mother, and making money from sneak sales of flash drives and perfume.
She spots a way out when she gets a chance to audition for a reality show called “Miracle Island,” whose ninth season would bring her to Miami. It doesn’t matter that she’d partying on camera with douchebros who, she admits at her audition, don’t respect women. It doesn’t matter that the programmers may pressure her to part with her virginity, which she doesn’t disclose. (“Do you do it easily or not?” she’s asked at the casting session, which surely tests the boundaries of legality. “We don’t want any goody-goodies.”) She is not happy about the pay disparity between her and her prospective co-stars, but that doesn’t appear to be a dealbreaker.
Elsewhere, a social counselor, skeptical of Liane’s prospects and doubtful that fan meetings are the basis of a durable career, urges caution. But Liane, somewhere between determined and delusional, sets out to improve her chances.
“Wild Diamond” teases a few interesting angles — psychological, economic, religious — without ever resolving them. Part of the trouble may be that influencers are already starting to seem past their expiration date as a subject, and other movies (like the 2019 documentary “Jawline”) have done a better job of elucidating what makes the TikTok generation tick. “Wild Diamond” is the sort of feature that might have been a breakout in Un Certain Regard. In competition, the glare of the spotlight is harsh.
from All Content https://ift.tt/4Z9law8
via IFTTT
This Only Promote Orginal Creators Ideas I am Not The Owner Of Thi content
(2024). Directed by Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares. Written by Daniel Kaluuya and Joe Murtagh. Starring Kano, Hope Ikpoku Jnr, Henry Lawfull. Synopsis: In a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated, Izi and Benji fight to navigate the world as residents of The Kitchen, a community that refuses to abandon their home. Debuts on Netflix on January 19th, 2024.
The Regime (2024). Created by Will Tracy. Starring Kate Winslet, Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts. Synopsis: An authoritarian regime is about to unravel. Follows a story of one year within the walls of its palace. US release date is TBA.
The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024). Written and directed by Kobi Libii. Starring Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan. Synopsis: Aren is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance. Debuts in the US on March 22nd, 2024.
Housekeeping for Beginners (2024). Written and directed by Goran Stolevski. Starring Samson Selim, Mia Mustafi, Dzada Selim. Synopsis: A queer woman is forced to raise her partner’s daughter who herself doesn’t want to be a mother. US release date is TBA.
Expats (2024). Created by Lulu Wang. Starring Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo. Synopsis: A look at the personal and professional lives of a tight-knit group of expatriates living in Hong Kong. Debuts on Prime Video on January 26th, 2024.
He Went That Way (2024). Directed by Jeffrey Darling. Written by Evan M. Wiener. Starring Jacob Elordi, Patrick J. Adams, Zachary Quinto. Synopsis: A journey of curious tensions and bonds between two and at times three interesting characters all on their own path. Debuts in the US on January 12th, 2024.
American Star (2024). Directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego. Written by Nacho Faerna. Starring Ian McShane, Thomas Kretschmann, Nora Arnezeder. Synopsis: An assassin on a final assignment in Fuerteventura, to kill a man he has never met. When his target is delayed, he finds himself drawn to the island, people and a ghostly shipwreck. Debuts in the US on January 26th, 2024.
The Three Musketeers — Part II: Milady (2024). Directed by Martin Bourboulon. Written by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière (based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas). Starring François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Eva Green. Synopsis: D’Artagnan is forced to join forces with Milady to save Constance, who was kidnapped before his eyes. But as war is declared and Athos, Porthos and Aramis have already joined the front, a secret from the past shatters old alliances. US release date is TBA.
The Bikeriders (2024). Written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer. Synopsis: Follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club as it evolves over the course of a decade — from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s way of life. Debuts in the US on June 21st, 2024.
IF (2024). Written and directed by John Krasinski. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, John Krasinski. Synopsis: A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone’s imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up. Debuts in the US on May 17th, 2024.
Dune: Part Two (2024). Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Written by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts (based on the novel by Frank Herbert). Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh. Synopsis: Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Debuts in the US on March 1st, 2024.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024). Directed by Mark Molloy. Written by Will Beall, Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten (based on characters created by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr.). Starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton. Synopsis: Detective Axel Foley finds himself drawn back to the opulent environs of Beverly Hills to investigate the untimely demise of a long-time confidant. US release date is TBA.
Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024). Directed by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine. Written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Starring Jack Black, Viola Davis, Awkwafina. Synopsis: After Po is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior, while a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm. Debuts in the US on March 8th, 2024.
Civil War (2024). Written and directed by Alex Garland. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Jesse Plemons. Synopsis: In the near future, a team of journalists travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating civil war that has engulfed the entire nation. Debuts in the US on April 26th, 2024.
The Great Performances of 2023
Matt writes: In our annual Great Performances feature, I joined my colleagues in writing about a particular actor whose work I found extraordinary: namely Abby Ryder Fortson, whose portrayal of the title role in Kelly Fremon Craig’s masterful Judy Blume adaptation, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” was my favorite performance of 2023.
Chaz Ebert’s Top 10(-ish) Films of 2023
Matt writes: RogerEbert.com publisher Chaz Ebert unveiled her own picks for the year’s best films in a Top 10(-ish) list that actually contained nineteen films, beginning with a three-way tie for the #1 spot: Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction,” Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ava DuVernay’s soon-to-be-released “Origin.” You can view the trailers for each of her picks here.
Free Movies
My Dear Secretary (1948). Written and directed by Charles Martin. Starring Kirk Douglas, Laraine Day, Keenan Wynn. Synopsis: A romance novelist appoints a would-be writer as his secretary. Although she is initially dismayed by his work ethic and playboy attitude, they begin to fall in love.
Watch “My Dear Secretary”
Home Town Story (1951). Written and directed by Arthur Pierson. Starring Jeffrey Lynn, Donald Crisp, Marilyn Monroe. Synopsis: After failing to be re-elected, politician Blake Washburn returns home and becomes editor of the local newspaper. When he notices the influence the paper has on the public, he uses it to appeal to potential voters in the next election.
Watch “Home Town Story”
A Dangerous Summer (1982). Directed by Quentin Masters. Written by Quentin Masters and David Ambrose. Starring Tom Skerritt, Ian Gilmour, Giselle Morgan. Synopsis: When a crummy hotel burns down in Australia, the American co-owner tries to find out whether or not the fire was deliberately set or just an accident.
Watch “A Dangerous Summer”
from All Content https://ift.tt/IS47tVM
via IFTTT
This Only Promote Orginal Creators Ideas I am Not The Owner Of Thi content