Á Bout de Souffle (1960) 50th Anniversary Re-release - dir. Jean-Luc Godard

The monumental celluloid cool of the French New Wave - Godard's "A Bout de Souffle" (Breathless) is finally getting it's much deserved 50th anniversary theatrical re-release in the UK, thanks to distributors Optimum Releasing. It hits selected cinemas on Friday, 25 June. This is really cool because it coincides with my birthday :)

Thanks to the folks at Twitchfilm.net here is a glimpse of the newly cut trailer and three clips from the picture:

Zapping (2000)

Zapping (2000) short film dir. Cristian Mungiu

This is a brilliant short film by Cristian Mungiu, writer/director of the 2007 Palm D'Or winner "4 month, 3 weeks, 2 days". Enjoy below and always remember to think twice before flipping that channel :)

Part 1:

Part 2:

Visul lui Liviu (2004)

Visul lui Liviu (Liviu's Dream), 2004 dir.Corneliu Porumboiu

Great short film by acclaimed Romanian helmer Corneliu Porumboiu - director of award winning "12:08 East of Bucharest" and more recently the 2009 black comedy "Police, Adjective".

The short film follows Liviu, a unemployed twenty four year old, who lives with his parents in a dingy high-rise apartment somewhere in post-Ceausescu Bucharest. Dealing and scheming his way through the harsh reality of modern Romania by selling everything from mobile phones to laptops to "designer" wedding dresses, Liviu seeks a better life for him and his girlfriend.

Haunted by a recurring dream he cannot remember, Liviu tries to find meaning in his existence but soon after finding out that his girlfriend is pregnant his world is shattered.

Terrific and beautiful, "Liviu's Dream" is Porumboiu's second short film. In this short film we can clearly see the young director's ambition, storytelling ability and technical prowess. Porumboiu applies masterfully his skills in his later films, which have helped solidify the presence of the so-called Romanian New Wave on the world stage.

Watch Part 1 below:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:

Dogtooth

"Dogtooth" (2009) dir. Giorgos Lathimos

The Un Certain Regard 2009 Cannes winner is a bold and stylish dissection rather than a portrayal of a utopian suburban life or the breakdown of the post-modern family unit.

The film is an expose of a patriarch dominated world gone completely haywire. A middle aged father of three young adult "children" and his wife reside in a family mansion surrounded by a huge wooden fence. No one but the father is allowed to go beyond the fence, on the premise that the world outside is a very dangerous place.

Despite being in their early-to-mid twenties (or maybe even older, as we are never given any reference or indication of their actual ages), the two young sisters and their brother appear rather childish. They playfully cool off from the hot summer days in the family backyard pool while playing games suitable for children under 12.

Home schooled, apparently by their own parents, the three siblings experience the world only in their domiciled microcosm. They are not permitted to watch TV or use a telephone. Any time they hear a word they don't know the meaning of, their mother quickly assigns a completely different meaning to even the most benign words. When one of the sisters asks what does the word "pussy" means, the mother answers - "A big light" without any hesitation.

However, soon the serene atmosphere of this strange family is disturbed and series of violent outbursts threaten its very existence. After one of the "weekly companions" of the brother lends a couple of VHS tapes to one of the sisters, who in turn rebels in her own childish way (who wouldn't after seeing Rocky and Flashdance), events turn quickly to the grotesque and violently surreal.

Deeply provocative, highly stylized, very Haneke-like using theatrical compositions and bleached lighting, the surreal atmosphere of this film adds to its fines and solidifies it as not only one of the most original films of the last year but also of the past decade.

Here is the trailer:

A really cool Scorcese vs. Kubrick mash-up by Leandro Copperfield:

Thanks to the folks at /Film:

Kubrick vs Scorsese from Leandro Copperfield on Vimeo.

Tarantino vs The Coen Bros:

Tarantino vs Coen Brothers from Leandro Copperfield on Vimeo.

“Valhalla Rising” (2010) dir. Nicholas Winding Refn

Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Maarten Stevenson, Andrew Flanagan, Jamie Sives, Callum Mitchell

Set in 1000 AD in a mysterious place sitting on misty mountain tops and home of howling winds, Valhalla Rising is an existential mediation and a deep, savage, and visceral exploration of the Viking mythology.

Told in six chapters, the story follows a mute Viking slave-turned-warrior One Eye (played by Winding Refn’s frequent collaborator – Mads Mikkelsen) and his kid sidekick – Aye, through a barbaric and metaphysical journey though the Nordic highlands. Held in captivity for years by the Norse chieftain – Barde, One Eye wins fight after fight to the death with rivaling clans and makes a great deal of money for Barde. After an arrangement with a rival clan to be transported and turned over to his new owner, One Eye breaks out of his shackles, which results in a massive blood spillage and bone crushing mayhem.

Accompanied by a small boy, One Eye encounters a group of Christian Vikings and eventually joins them on their quest for claiming the Holy Land, Jerusalem, from its oppressors. Their naval journey, however, brings them to the shores of an unknown and untamed land where they encounter a hostile and savage indigenous population.

Historical accuracies aside, this film is not claiming to represent a recreation of a particular period in human history or a glorious Hollywood epic a-la Braveheart. Instead, the author of the film takes us on a mysterious, magnificent and quite often nightmarish voyage across the sea into the unknown and into the heart of Viking mythology. Reminiscent of a Malick-ian or even Kurosawa-like dreamy/nightmare-ish atmosphere, Valhalla Rising goes for the jugular in a take-no-prisoners visceral manner.

Shot exclusively in exteriors and in the now “trademarked” Winding Refn hand held cinematography style, the film takes advantage of the eerie scenic terrain of the Scottish highlands and the opulent flora of the Canadian shores. With a tour-de-force performance by Mikkelsen and its minimal narrative, Valhalla Rising stands out from the crowd and imprints itself permanently into the viewer’s psyche.

With not much dialogue, music, or special effects, except for a few CGI blood sprays, the film’s minimalistic style is filmmaking at its purest form. Once again, Winding Refn, the acclaimed director of the Pusher trilogy, delivers a haunting seventh feature, which may very well be his best so far.

Five bloody skulls.