Very good news for film nerds once again, for this weekend is another busy one. As the hazy, glazy summer days continue to make us feel gross, it seems like an even more perfect excuse to hide out in a dark, air-conditioned theater. In addition to the films we’ve already written about more lengthily—Bobcat Goldthwait’s World’s Greatest Dad (on the way), Melvin Van Peebles’ Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha, as well as the return of Nicholas Ray’s blistering In A Lonely Place—I wanted to mention two other new releases and two retrospectives that add value to this weekend’s already tasty lineup:
Russian Films From Kino International (Anthology) — Only five films, all from that country called Russia, nary a Tarkovsky in sight, and yet I am convinced that tonight’s double-bill (8/21) is as awe-inspiring, devastating, jolting, and brilliant a one-two punch as anything that has ever been filmed with a motion picture camera. If you think I’m just being my typically hyperbolic self, join me at 6:45 for Elem Klimov’s Come and See and stay for the 9:30 screening of Sergei Paradjanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors and we can discuss this afterwards. Though we won’t be discussing anything. I’ll be saying, “I told you so,” and you’ll be looking as hypnotically ravaged as the poor young David Lynch look-a-like in Come and See. Other titles include: Klimov’s once-banned and absolutely batshit “biopic” Agony – The Life and Death of Rasputin (which had to have directly impacted Leos Carax’s Pola X and Merde); Boris Barnet’s charming 1927 silent film The Girl With the Hat Box; and Yakov Protazanov’s influential 1924 sci-fi classic Aelita, Queen of Mars.
Five Minutes of Heaven (Angelika) — Though it won two prizes at Sundance (World Cinema Directing and Screenwriting), it still feels like Oliver Hirschbiegel’s exceptionally executed, though oddly constructed, drama flew under everyone’s radar. I would point to that odd construction to explain why that was. Five Minutes of Heaven begins as a period piece set in the 1970s during the heat Northern Ireland’s “troubles,” in which a Protestant teenager kills a Roman Catholic as his little brother watches. Twenty-five years later, that Protestant teenager is the seemingly composed Liam Neeson and that little brother is the fidgety, still furious James Nesbitt. They have both agreed to convene at a mansion for the taping of a television show in which they will encounter each other for the first time since the murder. What begins as an effective thriller turns into a more theatrical and stage-y battle of personalities and climaxes with an unexpectedly shocking High Noon-esque showdown. Perhaps screenwriter Guy Hibbert bit off more than he could chew, but Hirschbiegel’s assured direction and powerhouse performances from Neeson and Nesbitt kept me mightily impressed throughout.
The Films of Hirokazu Kore-eda (BAM) — The fact that I’ve only seen two of Hirozaku Kore-ada’s films—Still Walking and Nobody Knows—makes this comprehensive retrospective of the Japanese director’s work an even more enticing event. It’s yet another reason why I’m more convinced than ever that getting my unofficial masters degree in Cinema Studies from BAMcinematek University was the best decision I ever made. The series runs August 21st through September 1st; instead of cramming everything into a long weekend, each film gets its own day and multiple screenings. (Bonus: Kore-eda will be doing Q&As for tonight’s Still Walking and tomorrow’s 6pm Nobody Knows.)
Art & Copy (IFC Center) — If the mere mention of the word “advertising” makes you froth at the mouth and begin venting about the soul sucking, manipulative cancer that is “commercial advertising,” then Doug Pray’s Art & Copy will not be for you. Call me evil, but I found myself charmed by Pray’s reverent tribute to some of the field’s most influential figures. Pray includes statistics that detail just how exponentially—and frighteningly—this industry continues to grow, but his primary focus is on the individuals themselves, who believe that when they’re doing their job correctly, the moral and ethical ickiness of their profession isn’t an issue. All the greatest hits are here—“We’ve Only Just Begun,” Apple’s “1984,” “Where’s the Beef?,” “Just Do It,” etc. Mad Men it ain’t, but it’s still an interesting perspective on a complicated issue.
— Michael Tully
