Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund
08-27-07, 06:54 PM
#1
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Førresfjorden Norway
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund
Hey all,
Was at the film festival in Haugesund last week, Thought I post what I was able to see. I only managed 17 films this year, thought i'd take it easy.
*** Interview - Interesting film directed and written by Steve Buscemi. He also stars along with Sienna Miller. This is a remake of the filme by Theo Van Gogh of the same name.
*** Delirious - Another Buscemi effort. This is a bit of a sleeper. Buscemi is a photographer who takes in a homeless kid determined, though in a very zen like way, to make it big as a star. He becomes invovled with the starlet of his dreams which doesn't exactly set well with Buscemi's character. Great cameo by Elvis Costello.
*** London to Brighton - this is a very low budget film which takes a look at the underworld of London prostitution and big money players. There are some terrific performances in this one, most notibly by Borraine Stanley who plays the lead role. This is a difficult film to watch, quite violent, but most of the violence happens off screen.
** No Reservations - Gosh, this one was everything you'd expect it to be. No surprises should have been the title. That said, it was pleasent enough to watch. Catherine Zeta Jones (kate) is a chef with a temper. Through circumstances she is left to care for her niece play wonderfully by Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine). When Kate takes some time off to adjust to her loss, a new JR chef is hired to help out. Sparks fly, in more ways than one.
*** Goodbye Bafana - From the memoirs of James Gregory, prison guard to South African president Nelson Mandella. I like this one alot. James begins to question his values and beliefs and over time confonts his own predudice.
**** Buenos Aires - Disturbing true story about the abduction and torture of Argentinean foodball player by a goverment hit squad. He and others eventually plot their escape.
** Waitress - Jenna works as a waitress, makes the best pies, and is trapped in a horrible marriage to a real louse. She wants to run away, but gets pregnent. She sparks up a relationship with the new genocologist in a desperate attempt to find love.
**** Ratatouille - Delightful capor of young chefwannabe and a little mouse who is gifted in the kitchen. Delicious.
**** This is England - A boy named Shaun has lost his father in the Fauklands war, and is picked on at school. He befriends some local rablerousers and falls in with some skin heads. Some of the crowd are good people, some are misguided. Its easy to see why shaun is drawn to this crowd.
*** Hairspray - Cute remake of the original John Waters film from 1988. Tracy Turnblad is a somewhat plumb big haired girl, in Love with the hottest dancer on the Corny Collins show. This is a good adaptation of the stage production, though the message of racism is much stronger in the original. Still, the dance numbers and singer are spot on. John Travolta as Tracy's mom is a riot, especially in the dance numbers.
* Death at a Funeral - From IMDB: Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family. I thought the timing, direction, editing and script were so off , I'm baffled at what people see in this film. I like twisted stories and black humor, but this was a huge misfire
* The Best Man - And in the misfire catagory.... Two old friends come together, one is getting married, the other is best man. The best man falls in love with the bride to be.... I think you know the rest. PU.
**** Control - Story about the short life of lead singer of Joy Division, Ian Curtis. Shot in black and white. A marvelous film.
**** Irina Palm - A true Gem. Maggie is a widow.. her grandson is very sick and needs experimental treatment only offered in Australia. She's already wiped out having mortgaged everything to help her grandson, so she takes to the pavement to look for a job. She answers a job for a "Hostess" and becomes quite infamous in London seedy underground of sex parlors. sounds dreadful but its actually a delightful little love story amongst other things. Marianne Faithful is brilliant as maggie.
**** Control (yup, saw it twice) - See above
**** A Mighty Heart - Based on the true story of the kidnapping and killing of Danial Pearle, CNN correspondent who was murdered in Pakistan. Angelina Jolie will certainly get an oscar nod for this one.
*** Jason Bourne Ultimatum - More of the same, but it delivers. Some very clever continuity from the 2nd film. The ending of the 2nd film is actually set in the middle of this one. Nicely done.
*** Stardust - I thought I would hate this film, but it was actually quite cute. Tristen (charlie Cox) is the local bumpkin of Wall. He is in love with the prettiest girl in the village and makes a deal with her after they both witness a falling star.. He will leavel wall the magical land beyond and bring her back the Star. on the way, he finds out a bit about his own past. Robert DiNero is hilarious as the gay captain shakespeare. At first I thought he was phoning in a performance, but then he takes a 180 and steals the show.
Was at the film festival in Haugesund last week, Thought I post what I was able to see. I only managed 17 films this year, thought i'd take it easy.
*** Interview - Interesting film directed and written by Steve Buscemi. He also stars along with Sienna Miller. This is a remake of the filme by Theo Van Gogh of the same name.
*** Delirious - Another Buscemi effort. This is a bit of a sleeper. Buscemi is a photographer who takes in a homeless kid determined, though in a very zen like way, to make it big as a star. He becomes invovled with the starlet of his dreams which doesn't exactly set well with Buscemi's character. Great cameo by Elvis Costello.
*** London to Brighton - this is a very low budget film which takes a look at the underworld of London prostitution and big money players. There are some terrific performances in this one, most notibly by Borraine Stanley who plays the lead role. This is a difficult film to watch, quite violent, but most of the violence happens off screen.
** No Reservations - Gosh, this one was everything you'd expect it to be. No surprises should have been the title. That said, it was pleasent enough to watch. Catherine Zeta Jones (kate) is a chef with a temper. Through circumstances she is left to care for her niece play wonderfully by Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine). When Kate takes some time off to adjust to her loss, a new JR chef is hired to help out. Sparks fly, in more ways than one.
*** Goodbye Bafana - From the memoirs of James Gregory, prison guard to South African president Nelson Mandella. I like this one alot. James begins to question his values and beliefs and over time confonts his own predudice.
**** Buenos Aires - Disturbing true story about the abduction and torture of Argentinean foodball player by a goverment hit squad. He and others eventually plot their escape.
** Waitress - Jenna works as a waitress, makes the best pies, and is trapped in a horrible marriage to a real louse. She wants to run away, but gets pregnent. She sparks up a relationship with the new genocologist in a desperate attempt to find love.
**** Ratatouille - Delightful capor of young chefwannabe and a little mouse who is gifted in the kitchen. Delicious.
**** This is England - A boy named Shaun has lost his father in the Fauklands war, and is picked on at school. He befriends some local rablerousers and falls in with some skin heads. Some of the crowd are good people, some are misguided. Its easy to see why shaun is drawn to this crowd.
*** Hairspray - Cute remake of the original John Waters film from 1988. Tracy Turnblad is a somewhat plumb big haired girl, in Love with the hottest dancer on the Corny Collins show. This is a good adaptation of the stage production, though the message of racism is much stronger in the original. Still, the dance numbers and singer are spot on. John Travolta as Tracy's mom is a riot, especially in the dance numbers.
* Death at a Funeral - From IMDB: Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family. I thought the timing, direction, editing and script were so off , I'm baffled at what people see in this film. I like twisted stories and black humor, but this was a huge misfire
* The Best Man - And in the misfire catagory.... Two old friends come together, one is getting married, the other is best man. The best man falls in love with the bride to be.... I think you know the rest. PU.
**** Control - Story about the short life of lead singer of Joy Division, Ian Curtis. Shot in black and white. A marvelous film.
**** Irina Palm - A true Gem. Maggie is a widow.. her grandson is very sick and needs experimental treatment only offered in Australia. She's already wiped out having mortgaged everything to help her grandson, so she takes to the pavement to look for a job. She answers a job for a "Hostess" and becomes quite infamous in London seedy underground of sex parlors. sounds dreadful but its actually a delightful little love story amongst other things. Marianne Faithful is brilliant as maggie.
**** Control (yup, saw it twice) - See above
**** A Mighty Heart - Based on the true story of the kidnapping and killing of Danial Pearle, CNN correspondent who was murdered in Pakistan. Angelina Jolie will certainly get an oscar nod for this one.
*** Jason Bourne Ultimatum - More of the same, but it delivers. Some very clever continuity from the 2nd film. The ending of the 2nd film is actually set in the middle of this one. Nicely done.
*** Stardust - I thought I would hate this film, but it was actually quite cute. Tristen (charlie Cox) is the local bumpkin of Wall. He is in love with the prettiest girl in the village and makes a deal with her after they both witness a falling star.. He will leavel wall the magical land beyond and bring her back the Star. on the way, he finds out a bit about his own past. Robert DiNero is hilarious as the gay captain shakespeare. At first I thought he was phoning in a performance, but then he takes a 180 and steals the show.
