Friday, Feb 20, 2009
"Three Monkeys," a tale of moral corruption by acclaimed Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, is occasionally brilliant but also feels a bit too pat. It involves characters forced to cope with the ripple effect of harmful truths they've pretended not to see, hear or speak about.
NBC FILMS
Hacer (Hatice Aslan) and Eyüp (Yavuz Bingöl) are forced to cope with the harmful truths their family has pretended not to see, hear or speak about in "Three Monkeys."
"Three Monkeys," with Yavuz Bingöl, Hatice Aslan, Ahmet Rýfat Sungar.
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, from a screenplay by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan and Ercan Kesal.
109 minutes. Not rated; for mature audiences (contains language, brief nudity).
In Turkish with English subtitles. Varsity.
The latest film from acclaimed Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, "Three Monkeys" takes its cue from the Confucian proverb, popularized in Japan, about three wise monkeys who "see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil."
Ceylan has crafted that familiar phrase into a present-day parable, but his characters aren't so much wise as trapped in cages of circumstance, forced to cope with the ripple effect of harmful truths they've pretended not to see, hear or speak about.
Winner of the best-director award at Cannes last year, the film maintains the now-recognizable style established in Ceylan's previous films "Distant" and "Climates": long, masterfully executed shots accompanied by minimal dialogue and a richly expressive soundtrack; subdued performances punctuated by violent bursts of emotion; and a confident trust in the combination of stark realism and unadorned melodrama.
This time, there's even a hint of plot: To avoid responsibility for a hit-and-run accident, a shady politician (played by co-writer Ercan Kesal) pays his chauffeur, Eyüp (Yavuz Bingöl), to take the rap and spend a year in jail.
During that time, Eyüp's wife, Hacer (Hatice Aslan), has a misguided affair with the politician. It's secretly witnessed by their aimless son, Ismail (Ahmet Rýfat Sungar), who resorts to extreme measures in a tragic attempt to ensure a happy family reunion.
An earlier death in the family looms over these illicit proceedings, but this vaguely extraneous detail never quite factors into the story, except as another strand of neglected truth to torment these lost souls.
In any case, "Three Monkeys" carries the kind of thematic heft that made critics swoon over Michelangelo Antonioni in the '60s. It still works here, at times brilliantly, but this tale of moral corruption (which is perpetuated in a closing scene) feels a bit too pat.
And even when you account for Ceylan's signature style, "Three Monkeys" could lose 15 minutes and not feel significantly diminished.
Jeff Shannon
Source : http://seattletimes.nwsource.com
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Saturday, Jun 23, 2012
The Second "Kazakhstan Montage of Cinemas: Film & Cultural Festival" launches at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in Los Angeles on Aug. 3 for a one-week celebration of Kazakh cinema and culture, including musicians.
The festival is a stellar opportunity for directors, producers, location scouts, and the general public to get an understanding and appreciation of this exotic locale without leaving home.
Sweeping from the Caspian Sea on its Russian border to the Altai Mountain range on the Chinese border, Kazakhstan has a rich nomadic history as well as a powerful current tapestry of cultures. Since gaining independence in 1991, the Central Asian Republic has embraced its remarkable filmmaking past that dates back to the 1930's, when Sergei Eisenstein made his classic “Ivan the Terrible” in this mystic land, and has even given rise to several "New Wave" movements.
Opening night on Aug. 3rd begins with a reception at 7 pm, and includes a program of live entertainment until 11 pm, at the DGA Theater.
Sponsored by Kazakh Geographic Society (KazGeo.kz ), helixfilmsinc.com , the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan in Los Angeles, the festival includes Advisory Board Members Steven-Charles Jaffe (GHOST, K19), David Marconi (Screenwriter, ENEMY OF THE STATE), and Ambassador Erlan Idrissov.
Tickets cost $10 (including free parking) can be purchased from the festival’s website. "Kazakhstan Montage of Cinemas: Film & Cultural Festival 2012" will be held Aug. 3 - 9 at the Directors Guild of America on 7920 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles, California
For more information, please see www.kazakhfestival.com - KazakhFilmFestLA@gmail.com
Source : HelixFilmsInc.com
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Sunday, May 27, 2012
The 65th Festival de Cannes drew to a close tonight with the closing awards ceremony hosted by Academy Award nominated actress Berenice Bejo.
The top prize was captured yet again by Michael Haneke for his portrait of an elderly couple Amour. This is the second time he has bested Jacques Audiard who was also in competition with De rouille et d'os (Rust and Bone). Haneke becomes one of the few two-time Palme d'Or winners alongside Alf Sjoberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Bille August, Emir Kusturica, Shohei Imamura, and Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and only the second after August to win with consecutive films – his previous Palme d'Or was for his 2009 film Das weiße Band (The White Ribbon).
Matteo Garrone picked up his second Grand Prix for his film Reality. Previously, he had won in 2008 for Gomorrah.
The surprise winner for the Jury Prize was Ken Loach with The Angels' Share. He previously won the Palme d'Or in 2006 with The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
Another previous Palme d'Or winner won Best Screenplay. Cristian Mungiu who made 4 luni, 3 săptămâni þi 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) returned with După dealuri (Beyond the Hills), and it also shared the Best Actress for its stars Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur.
In spite of the heavy American representation in the selection, the only American film to win a prize was Benh Zeitlin's Un Certain Regard entry Beasts of the Southern Wild which won the Camera d'Or for first film. Last night, it had won the FIPRESCI international critics' prize.
Complete list of winners for the 65th Festival de Cannes
Palme d'Or
Amour, Michael Haneke (France-Germany-Austria)
Grand Prix
Reality, Matteo Garrone (Italy-France)
Jury Prize
The Angels' Share, Ken Loach (U.K.-France-Belgium-Italy)
Best Director
Carlos Reygadas, Post tenebras lux (Light After Darkness) (Mexico-France-Germany-Netherlands)
Best Actress
Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur, După dealuri (Beyond the Hills) (Romania-France-Belgium)
Best Actor
Mads Mikkelsen, Jagten (The Hunt) (Denmark-Sweden)
Best screenplay
Cristian Mungiu, După dealuri (Beyond the Hills) (Romania-France-Belgium)
Caméra d'or
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin (U.S.)
PALME D'OR FOR BEST SHORT FILM
SESSÝZ-BE DENG (SILENCE), REZAN YEÞÝLBAÞ
Source : www.ensonhaber.com
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