“You cannot help but join in on this quest for happiness and mentally tick box the lessons that you can relate to. So, are you happy? What does happiness mean to you?� - MbM 2
Editorial Another issue, the 17th, offers you regular features with film reviews of If I Stay, our main review, Hector and the Search for Happiness, and Two Days, One Night. If you have ever considered learning the craft of filmmaking by attending one of a number of film schools available to you but have balked at the fees, then you might consider learning the skills from the best in the world, whether it be director, actor, editor, cinematographer, producer, song writer. The Film School in your Home examines the options that are on the majority of Blu-Ray and DVDs as special features or Extras. Have you a favourite film or films that you never tire of watching? Cinema Couch Therapy is a course run by Movies by Mills where you can learn how to understand, in five sequences: Close-up, Make-up, Multiple Exposures, Montage, and Key Light, to discover a paralysing paradigm that causes emotional blockages that are revealed in your favourite films. To find out more about the course simply email me at brian@movies-by-mills.com The comedic genius Robin Williams sadly passed away last month and MbM pays a tribute to his memory and the film legacy he has left us. FilmFest Follower highlights Venice, the oldest film festival in the world, and suggests some films to watch out for from this year’s exciting scheduled programme. Acknowledgements to publicity at Warner Bros for images and graphics from If I Stay, 2014 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. Photo Credit all images of If I Stay - Doane Gregory. Gate Picturehouse Notting Hill, Georgie Rennie at Koch Media, Natasha Unalkat at Premiercomms, and to Image.net, Elfim.com., and to you, all our loyal readers, and finally to Paul Ridler, the designer of this magazine, thank you for your dedication and expertise. Enjoy the read 3
IF I STAY Isn’t it amazing how life is one thing and then...and then it becomes something else. Like here I am, Mia, the girl who picks up the cello and... Adam and Juilliard... and then just like that... I could never exist again. This is the first feature narrative film directed by R.J. Cutter and it bodes well for him because this is a most impressive directional debut. Cutter has already produced and directed two critically acclaimed feature documentaries The September Issue, which was screened in competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and The World According to Dick Cheney, which premiered at Sundance in 2013. If I Stay is adapted from the best-selling novel by Gayle Forman and tells the story of teenager Mia Hall, powerfully played by Chloe Grace Moretz. Mia thought her biggest decision in life would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at Juilliard or follow a different path to be with the love of her life, Adam (Jamie Blackley). But what should have been a carefree family drive changes everything and now suddenly she is having an out-of-body experience witnessing a mangled wreckage of the car which she and her parents and little brother were in and are now being pulled from and laid out on the road...and the young girl who is already stretched out and attended by paramedics and fighting for her life has now only one decision, which will not only decide her future but her ultimate fate. Flashbacks juxtaposed with the now comatose Mia and the growing number of worried friends and relatives visiting her are skilfully weaved together. Music plays an integral role in the movie as it is such a mainstay for Mia and Adam. Mia’s father was the drummer in the punk band Nasty Bruises before he became a teacher. Her mother took Mia along to his gigs as a toddler and reveres women like Blondie’s Debbie Harry. Mia’s little brother, Teddy, who is already pretty good as a drummer, idolizes Iggy Pop. For Adam, he doesn’t have a family life, and recalls seeing his father once in a bar not even acknowledging his existence, music was Adam’s entire life...until he met and fell in love with Mia. There are many poignant scenes that reside in my mind after the credits rolled; when Mia recalls her favourite day: a 4
Labor Day party at Mia’s house. Adam and his band mates play guitar with Mia’s father and his musician friends gathered around a bonfire in Mia’s backyard. Adam brings out Mia’s cello and pulls her into the impromptu jam session and, for the first time, she and Adam are finally playing music together, melding her classical music with his. It is very symbolic. It’s like they are intertwining all the aspects of their lives, says Moretz. The other scenes that caused me emotional shudders were in the hospital and the vigilant visits by Mia’s closest. It is perhaps the last time that they will ever get to say to her what she means to them. Gramps (Stacey Keach)endeavouring to hold back his emotion, opens his heart to Mia and tells her what she means to him and he wants her so much to live...but if she feels that she can’t face the world again after all that she has lost...then...then...she should go. Kim (Liana Liberato) is Mia’s best friend to whom she has confided her secrets, her longings, her aspirations, her dilemmas. Now Kim has been given micro moments to tell Mia what it would mean losing her...unimaginable...but try... she must...but is overcome as each word fails to surface through her tears. It is these two supporting actors, Stacey Keach and Liana Liberato, who stand-out from the rest of the cast as being at the top of their game and command your undivided attention. This in no way reflects badly on Mirelle Enos and Joshua Leonard as Mia’s parents or on Jacob Davies as Mia’s little brother or Gabrielle Rose as Gran, and Aisha Hinds as Nurse Ramirez, it is just that Keach and Liberato are that good. If I Stay fits comfortably into the tissue-box genre of a ‘weepie’ just like the recently released The Fault in Our Stars, both are teeny tearjerkers which adults will love too and will probably want to see again because of the high standard of each film. So what did the two stars think were the messages that one would take away after seeing the film? Chloe Grace Moretz: One of the main messages is that you should never take a day for granted. You should live every day letting everyone know that you love them and that you care for them and they are a huge part of your life. It just reminds you that you never know when you go round the corner and this is waiting for you. Jamie Blackley I also think it is a good story about following your ambition and your dreams no matter what obstacles are in your way. Anything is kind of possible. UK Release: August 29th. 5
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CLOSE UP CHLOE GRACE MORETZ I want to be good at my craft. I want to be a true actress. Chloe Grace made her feature film debut as Chelsea Lutz in the remake of The Amityville Horror. She was unable to see the film when it premiered because she was only eight years of age. During the making of the film, she had to walk on and dangle from the top of a 60-foot-high house and only had a couple of wires and a harness holding her. In 500 Days of Summer, she played Joseph GordonLevitt’s wise little sister, Rachel, who he explicitly trusts when she gives him romantic advice when he falls in love with Summer, who does not believe in true love and will not commit to marriage. But it was as Mindy Macready/Hit Girl in Kick-Ass that launched her to stardom and critical acclaim. Matthew Vaughan’s action film was based on the comic book series by Mark Miller and John Romita Jr. Moretz trained with Jackie Chan’s stunt crew for four months prior to filming and did most of her own stunts in the film. I had amazing people training me. It was easy because I’d done ballet and gymnastics before. It all kind of went together and basically all of it was me. And about that expletive c... word? If I ever uttered one word that I said in Kick-Ass, I would be grounded for years! I’d be stuck in my room until I was 20! I would never in a million years say that. I’m an average, everyday girl; when I act with my friends, I’m totally immature, I have to go to bed at 9.30, and, if I’m late up on my computer , I lose it for two months. I was raised to think that cursing makes you look unintelligent. When an American remake of the Swedish psychological horror film Let Me In was announced, Chloe Grace was immediately on the studio’s call sheet to play Abbey, a 12-year-old vampire who befriends and protects Owen, a 12-year-old boy. Chloe Grace’s brother, Colin, is also in the film. It would not been long before one of Hollywood’s greatest directors would be signing her, Martin Scorsese. 8
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Hugo is a magical story and a spectacular adventure about a boy who discovers a secret left by his father, unlocking a mystery that will take him on a quest that will transform those around him and lead to a safe and loving place he can call home. The film was made for Scorsese’s daughter who complained to her father that he never made films which she could see because they were always violent and full of swearing. She wanted him to make a movie about kids...and in 3D. The film is an enchanting experience in special effects. Moretz was cast as Isabelle, Hugo’s friend and companion on his journey, and undoubtedly reflected the longings that his own daughter wanted to see. This is not only one of Scorsese’s most personal bests but one of Chloe Grace’s too – she is so naturally comforting to watch and believable. I think Mr. Martin Scorsese looked at me as a daughter figure because he has a daughter who is, like, 12 years old....he was very fatherly towards me. Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows followed with Chloe Grace as Carolyn Stoddard Yet another remake came for her when she starred as the eponymous Carrie, based on Stephen King’s bestselling book. She attended the premiere of the film in Hollywood with co-star Julianne Moore when the latter received her star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The Equaliser, released on September 26, is a thriller co-starring Denzel Washington. She plays a prostitute named Teri who is controlled by Russian gangsters. The Equaliser (Denzel Washington) a former Ops Commando, comes out of retirement to rescue her. When you meet him in the movie, you don’t know what this guy does. He wakes up at the same time every night, goes to the same diner. He is just in his little area. He keeps himself quiet and you realize that he helps people. Later in the year she can be seen in Say When, a comedy with Keira Knightley and Sam Rockwell. She is the friend which Keira Knightley’s character Megan seeks out to get away from a proposal of marriage and find some space to be with friends. Also coming up is Sils Maria, opposite Juliette Binoche. She plays an actress in a role made famous by Binoche’s character, with Binoche now playing the older woman. Whatever role Chloe Grace Moretz films in the future, you can be sure that she will always dignify it with total professionalism. 10
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ROBIN WILLIAMS TRIBUTE Life is fleeting and if you are ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky and the stars are strung across the velvety night and when a shooting star streaks through the blackness turning the night into day, make a wish and think of me. Make your life spectacular. Robin Williams led a spectacular life as a gifted comedian and actor who enriched the lives of those who saw his movies, TV shows or live performances, with unforgettable moments that will live on as a reminder of his genius. He came to fame as the character Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, a spin-off from the series Happy Days, which introduced the character. Five years later he starred in the first of his many memorable films Good Morning, Vietnam. In Dead Poets Society, he played the unconventional and inspirational English professor, John Keating, in Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society, a triumphant film in every way and which ironically has a line, which seems in retrospect of Williams’ death, very apt. Why can’t we treat death with a certain humanity, dignity and decency, and God forbid, maybe even humour. Another dramatic role that caused critical acclaim was as the tramp in The Fisher King opposite Jeff Bridges. Few could have expected the metamorphosis of Robin playing Mrs Doubtfire in the film of that name, and revealing the immense talent that he had. In Good Will Hunting, he played a therapist to Mark Damon’s character Will Hunting, a young man failing the lessons of life and love and desperate for guidance. You don’t know real loss because that only occurs when you love something more than yourself. It was in 1988 that Robin starred opposite Annabella Sciorra in What Dreams May Come, the screen adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel of the same name. The film concerned the afterlife after Chris (Robin Williams) dies three years after the death of his children. Annie (Anabella Sciorra) unable to contain her grief for his death commits suicide. In Chris’s afterlife he goes on a journey to find Annie in her hell, and this is one big point that the film makes which many critics did not, or would not, get: we create our own realities, in life and death. *My only experience of meeting Robin Williams was seeing him on the silver screen from my cinema seat. 13
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HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS Spoiler Alert How many of us can recall that childhood moment when we experienced happiness as a state of being, when everything in our world was alright. We should concern ourselves not so much with the pursuit of happiness, but the happiness of pursuit. The Professor’s profundity is apt in this cinematic user’s guide to bliss, but it takes two hours for Hector (Simon Pegg) to arrive at his destination because unfortunately Hector did not attend the Professor’s lecture until he found all the reasons for not making him happy. Hector is a successful psychiatrist, who lives with his partner Clara (Rosamund Pike) a very beautiful and over accommodating woman. Hector suddenly decides that he is not content because his patients are not getting any happier and he needs to go away to discover what happiness is. On his flight to China, he meets Edward a very rich businessman and learns the lesson: Many people think that happiness comes from having more power or more money. Edward (Stellan Skarsgaard) is seemingly a billionaire and can do and go wherever he wants, but he is not happy. These suggested solutions on happiness by people Hector meets on his travels to China, Africa and Los Angeles are scribbled down in his notebook for the book he intends to write and are a few of the 23 lessons which appeared in the book upon which this film is based: Le Voyage d’Hector ou la recherché de Bonheur by Francois Lelord. In the film as each lesson is learnt by Hector it is written up on the screen. When he compares a group of women sitting on the ground chattering and laughing together to women who are affluent, he is rebuked by a 15
Chinese girl for not understanding the situation; Lesson 1: Making comparisons can spoil your happiness. Hector’s relationship with the girl Ying Li (Ming Zhao) is not what he thinks it is and is awakened to the truth when he discovers that she was merely soliciting for business – Lesson 5: Sometimes happiness does not know the whole story. And so Hector has to learn many things, ultimately that Unhappiness is being separated from the people you love. You cannot help but join in on this quest for happiness and mentally tick box the lessons that you can relate to. So, are you happy? What does happiness mean to you? The great late philosopher, author and speaker, *Alan Watts summed things up like this. “To pursue money as your goal is stupidity. Rather do that which you love doing and you will find people who love the same thing as you and if you focus on the thing you love doing then eventually you will be an expert in the thing that you love doing and people will pay you for your expertise”. Tick box Lesson 10 – Happiness is doing a job you love. During Hector’s journey he meets a Tibetan monk played by Togo Igawa, a drug baron, Diego (Jean Reno) who he advises on the treatment of his wife and indirectly Diego saves his life after he is beaten and jailed for helping an old friend at a medical centre in South Africa. Finally in Los Angeles he meets up with Agnes (Toni Collette) an old flame who is now happily married with two children and expecting a third, while Hector looks on aghast as he receives some slap-in-the-face home truths about his selfishness. There-in lies the film’s major problem: Hector is not a likeable character and therefore it is hard to champion his quest because he is a psychiatrist who needs therapy and has just never grown-up. Hector and the Search for Happiness will definitely provide debatable discussion, but as a film it loses itself. The best sequences are those involving Professor Coreman (Christopher Plummer) who would have made a much more interesting protagonist. *Popularised Eastern philosophy in the West. Among his most famous books - “The Way of Zen”. 16
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THE FILM SCHOOL IN YOUR HOME In this digital age, it is now possible for any budding filmmaker to make their own film and the advantages of doing that are exciting, offering one the chance to be an independent auteur with the possibility of submitting your film to film festivals, but how do you get to understand the craft of your would-be profession? Film schools are an obvious solution, but then some filmmakers have never been to one, and if that is your intention, how much will it cost you and who will be your tutors? On occasion there may be a chance to attend a lecture from a well known filmmaker that the school invites to speak to you about his or her particular expertise. A great way to learn and understand the craft is to attend as many Q&A’s you can and not forgo the chance of missing the wealth of knowledge that these sessions offer with some of the top directors, screenwriters, actors, who give them. But, there is another way that is often overlooked which brings the greatest filmmakers to your home at an affordable cost and in fact you probably have them there already. On your DVDs you will have special features called Extras and included in these Extras will be insights into the craft of filmmaking by the filmmakers themselves. Let us pull out a few DVDs and examine the Extras a little closely and see what these Special Features are. The one that is most important is an Audio Commentary of the film, which is watching the feature film with a commentary generally by the director and sometimes a screenwriter, actor and others too. The film I have picked off the shelf is the classic western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It has an audio commentary by Director George Roy Hill, Cinematographer Conrad Hall, Dialogue Coach Robert Crawford, and Composer Hal David. So these four experts will be discussing each and every scene as the film runs from opening credits to end. What we have here is an extra bonus because it is not often that a DP of the class of Conrad Hall is in the booth to add vital knowledge to the commentary. George Roy Hill will be the main contributor, and Hal David, the lyricist of the award-winning song Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head, will add his worth as well as the dialogue coach Robert Crawford. This to any filmmaker is invaluable and it has come to you for the cost of just a few pounds. The second most important feature to look for on the Extras is BehindThe Scenes which allows you to eavesdrop on the filming of the feature. Again, this option is on this disc too. Thirdly we have interviews with Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Writer William Goldman, and Composer Burt Bacharach. Not all Blu-Rays or DVDs will offer such a rich selection of Extras as this, and some may not have any at all, but most do. Let us take a look at another title Spike Jonze’s HER. It has three special features. Exclusive Behind the Scenes. Her: Love in the Modern Age, a featurette on the subject matter of the film. And...Creating Her: The Untitled Rick Howard Project, another featurette on the making of Her. For film buffs, students of film, aspiring filmmakers, the word Criterion should open curtains for you. The Criterion Collection is the most respected and revered source of films in the world. It is a series of important classic and contemporary films. Let us take a look at The Great Beauty, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. The two DVD Special Edition Features: A new 2K digital transfer, approved by director Paolo Sorrentino. New conversation between Sorrentino and Italian cultural critic Antonio Monda. New interview with actor Toni Servillo. New interview with screenwriter Umberto Contarello. 19
Deleted scenes Trailer New English subtitle translation Plus: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate. (This beautifully written insight of the film will definitely aid your viewing). One thing I would like to have seen as a special feature would have been a commentary by the editor because the sense of rhythm is a joy to behold from its picturesque, slow, dreamlike, enchanting, poetical visuals at the beginning to the fast loud exuberant upbeat tempo of wild celebratory sensual dancing at a party. The aesthetical balance of the whole film is achieved by the editor working closely with the director Paolo Sorrentino. The Great Beauty is a wonderful tutorial for editors by just watching the juxtaposition of the sequences. A totally different style of filmmaking can be observed in the Criterion Collection: John Cassavetes – Five Films. He is still considered to be, and rightfully so, the father of independent film. He captured film in a way that made you think that the actors were not acting, that you were witnessing real life as it happened. The Five Films in the Collection are: Shadows, Faces, Opening Night, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie and A Woman Under the Influence. All come with a plethora of extras.
Shadows.
New high digital transfer. Interviews with Lelia Goldoni and associate producer Seymour Cassel. Rare silent 16mm footage of John Cassavetes and Burt Lane’s acting workshop. Stills gallery featuring rare behind the scenes production photos...
Faces. Disc One – The Film. New high definition digital transfer. Disc Two The Supplements.
17 minute alternative opening sequence, from an early edit of the film. Cineastes de noire temps, an episode from the French television series dedicated to Cassavetes featuring rare interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. Making Faces: a new documentary including interviews with actors Lynn Carlin, Seymour Cassel, Gena Rowlands, and director of photography Al Ruban. Lighting and Shooting the Film. Ruban explains how he and the crew achieved the distinct look of Faces, illustrated with specific sequences from the film.
Opening Night.
New digital transfer. New video conversation between Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara. New video interview with director of photography and producer Al Ruban. Audio interview with Cassavetes by film historians Michel Ciment and MichaelWilson conducted after the film’s release. Trailers 20
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.
Disc One – THE 1976 CUT. New high-definition transfer of Cassavetes’ original 135-minute edit of the film, with restored image and sound. Disc Two – THE 1978 CUT. New high-definition digital transfer of Cassavetes’ 108-minute edit from the 1978 theatrical re-release, with restored image and sound. New video interviews with Ben Gazzara and producer Al Ruban. Audio interview with Cassavetes and film historian Michel Ciment conducted after the film’s release. Stills gallery featuring rare behind-the-scenes production photos.
A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
New high-definition transfer Audio commentary by long time Cassavetes collaborators Mike Ferris (camera operator) and Bo Harwood (sound recordist/ composer. New video conversation between Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk. Audio interview with Cassavetes by film historians Michel Ciment and Michael Wilson. Stills Gallery. A CONSTANT FORGE
Charles Kiselyak’s A Constant Forge - The Life and Art of John Cassavetes is a detailed journey through the career of one of film’s greatest pioneers and iconoclasts. Assembled from candid interviews with Cassavetes collaborators and friends, rare photographs, archival footage, and the director’s own words, the film paints a revealing portrait of a man whose fierce love, courage, and dedication changed the face of cinema forever. There are 24 chapters on this DVD. Plus: a 68-page book featuring new essays on Cassavetes and the films by writers/critics, as well as reprinted writings by and interviews with Cassavetes, and tributes to the filmmaker by Martin Scorsese, Cassavetes secretary Elaine Kagan, and novelist Jonathan Lethem. There are also hundreds of documentaries to be absorbed into your cinematic psyche. Check them all out:
CASTING BY The unsung heroine of films – the casting director. HARRY DEAN STANTON – PARTLY FICTION One of the best insights ever into an actor’s life and motivation. LIFE ITSELF A look at one of the greatest and most revered film critics of all-time, Roger Ebert. A FULLER LIFE Samuel Fuller a great director and movie maverick. WOODY ALLEN – A DOCUMENTARY A peek behind-the-scenes as Allen allows access to the way he works and his creative process. TREPASSING BERGMAN John Landis, Claire Denis and other filmmakers eavesdrop on Ingmar Bergman’s home and his video collection of over one thousand DVDs. TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE. A personal document on legendary Oscarwinning cinematographer Haskell Wexler who worked with some of the greatest film directors.
If you have a passion for making films then watching Extras on DVDs and specific documentaries is the best ongoing media studies course you can do. So you might want to flip through to page 31 and look a little closer to see if there are any Extras on MbM’s choice of DVD of the Month. 21
TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT Spoiler Alert Why not try? Don’t give in. You have to fight. They hesitated before voting for the bonus. See them one by one this weekend. It is sound advice given to Sandra (Marion Cotillard) by her husband Manu (Fabrizio Rongione) to try to convince her work colleagues to forgo their bonuses which they took in exchange for her dismissal. The Dardennes brothers latest film is not a joyride to revisit but then it is not meant to be, but what holds the narrative together is the suspense of not knowing whether she will get the nine votes which she needs out of sixteen. She has persuaded her staff representative to hold a secret ballot asking: Do they want their bonus or save Sandra from being fired? Sandra is very vulnerable and her predicament is not helped by the knowledge that it was while she was away, because of a nervous breakdown, that they had realized that the work at the solar panel factory could be achieved without her. The film works well as a thriller, not as a ‘who-doneit’ but ‘who-will-do-it’. The tension mounts as Sandra calls on the sixteen, leaving them after their decision, with a slight smile or a saddened slouch which threatens to crack her resolve to continue....and there is one moment when she does give up and reaches for the bottle of Xanax and chooses to end it all. It will no doubt rewind a few films in your cinema cranium like 12 Angry Men which had Henry Fonda up against 11 other jurors defending the vote of not guilty for the accused, a young man from the wrong side of the fence. The protagonist, like Sandra, is seeking justice. In Bread and Roses, Adrien Brody canvasses terrified cleaning workers urging them to join a union; once 22
again the vulnerable being disregarded by management...another similarity to Sandra’s case. Along the way, Sandra’s defiance of rules and determination to fight, encouraged by her husband and friends, brings out the best and worst in individuals, but as Sandra continues her crusade, she gains strength and in a scene with a supporter in the back seat and her husband at the steering wheel she lets go as the music, Gloria, blares out from the car’s speakers; momentarily they forget and unite in singing. The Dardennes brothers have probably have made their most optimistic film to date. Their subject matter edging towards perhaps a change in their attitude to writing such material but by no means relinquishing their staunch support of the underdog: the abandoned baby in Les Enfant, the rejected boy in The Kid with a Bike, the latter starring Cecile de France as a hairdresser who fosters a young boy in an act of kindness. Two Days, One Night finds its greatest strength in Marion Cotillard, who sheds all preconceptions by playing a role unlike anything she has done before. She becomes a working-class mother, desperately trying to fight for her rights against all opposition. The film is her 40th feature. If you finger-walk through her filmography you will discover an impressive variety of roles and working with some of the top directors and actors in America and her home country France, which she has never abandoned. Amongst her career peeks: Big Fish, Innocence, A Very Long Engagement, A Good Year, La Vie En Rose, Nine, Inception, Little White Lies, Midnight in Paris, Rust and Bone, The Dark Knight Rises...and the soon to be released The Immigrant. In each and every role Cotillard embodies the character she portrays in a way that not all actresses are able to achieve: a remarkable versatility reflected in her role as Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, the melancholic teacher in Innocence, the clever scheming Mal in Inception, the guilt-ridden Marie in Little White Lies. Just look at the directors she has worked with besides the Dardennes brothers: Tim Burton: Big Fish, JeanPierre Jeunet: A Very Long Engagement, Ridley Scott: A Good Year, Christopher Nolan: Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, Guillaume Canet: Little White Lies and Blood Ties, Woody Allen: Midnight in Paris, Steven Soderbergh: Contagion, James Gray, in the soon to be released: The Immigrant. The critics have returned and their unanimous verdict is Marion Cotillard is guilty of being one of the greatest actresses on the screen today. Agreed. 23
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CINEMA COUCH MOVIE THERAPY How to heal your life by watching movies Is it possible that watching movies can heal emotional blockages? Does it make any sense that by seeing a character enact your issues in a film can cure you of the problem? In her enlightening book, Atlas of Emotion, Guilianna Bruno refers to film as ‘emotion pictures’. Bruno discovered a map designed by a seventh century novelist Madeleine de Scudery that she called a map of the land of tenderness. The map visualised in the form of a landscape the embodied narrative of the female protagonist. Bruno explained that the exterior map outlines an interior journey and so emotion materialises as a moving topography’ so it is that Scudery’s map effectively charts the motion of emotion. Interestingly this is why the structure of the majority of films are based on the hero’s mythical journey as expounded by Joseph Campbell in his books like The Power of Myth and The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Carl Jung, the eminent psychologist, envisioned the potential of film in terms of imagery and narratives. He understood the power of images as the natural language of the unconscious; through images and dreams the psyche reveals itself. We use movies to entertain us, not realizing that they are having a far greater therapeutic effect on our emotions. Films are able to unlock emotional blockages that we keep repeating in our lives by allowing us to vicariously relive them in the films that we choose to see over and over again. The cure for our ills lies in the films that we never tire of watching. Movies get us through the tough times, when by simply suspending our disbelief, we can be transported into a make-believe world. When we see someone behaving like us in a movie, we begin to realize what we are doing and then take appropriate action to correct it. Prior to this awakening we will have been in total denial. 26
Cinema Couch Therapy consists of five sequences, each lasting ninety minutes. The first sequence is called CLOSE-UP. The client is given a questionnaire consisting of twenty-two questions. The first four questions concern the client’s favourite films and the remainder mainly concentrate on asking the client to imagine that they are making a film of their life. Metaphorically, they are asked to give their film a title, cast someone to play them, choose the theme, the music, and even imagine the opening and closing scenes. Homework is given to the client, which includes making a poster of their film and watching a film that they dislike and rewriting those sequences that disturb them. Completed homework is then handed in at their next appointment. The second sequence is MAKE-UP. Here the therapist begins to peel back the layers that are beneath the mask that the client has worn since childhood to reveal his or her true identity. The mask consists of the emotional blockages inherited from the client’s father. Added to this is the persona of the client’s mother. There could be many layers of emotional blockages i.e. denial, obsession, superiority, inferiority, guilt, pain etc. Films are prescribed that examine these issues. The third sequence is called MULTIPLE EXPOSURES, which reveals the shadow behind the mask and ego. The wounded child wants to be recognized, to be heard. You are shown how our child sets our self up. It is subtle and clever and knows how to get our attention. Recognizing the function of the wounded child allows it to destroy any remaining remnants of our paralysing paradigm. Films are prescribed that highlight these issues. The fourth sequence, Montage, reveals a new persona replacing the mask and ego – the auteur, allowing you to have complete control of your life. Films are prescribed that reflect this new persona, inspiring the client to maintain the metamorphosis that has taken place. Key Light.is the final sequence of Cinema Couch and assesses the progress made in the previous sequences. A personalised programme is presented to the student on completion of Cinema Couch. So really, the question remains: Are you ready for your close-up? 27
FILMFEST FOLLOWER MbM RECOMMENDS Venice Film Festival 27th August — 6th September 2014
BIRDMAN (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Starring: Michael Keaton. Zach Galifianakis. Edward Norton. Andrea Riseborough. Amy Ryan. Emma Stone. Naomi Watts. A washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory.
LA RANCON DE LA GLOIRE Directed by Xavier Beauvois Starring: Benoit Poelvoorde. Roschdy Zem. Seti Gmach. Chiara Mastroianni. Nadine Labak. Dolores Chaplin. Thieves plot to steal Charlie Chaplin’s coffin in 1977.
99 HOMES Directed by Ramin Bahrani Starring: Andrew Garfield. Michael Shannon. Laura Dern. Noah Lomax. A father struggles to get back his home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real estate broker who is the source of his frustration.
SHE’S FUNNY THAT WAY Directed by Peter Bogdanovich Starring: Owen Wilson. Imogen Potts. Jennifer Aniston. Rhys Ifans. Kathryn Hahn. A married Broadway director falls for a prostitute-turned actress and helps to advance her career
DEAREST Directed by Petitr Ho-Sun Chan Starring: Zhao Wei. Huang Bo. A story centred around a couple living in a remote village and dealing with the disappearance of their missing son.
HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT Directed by Josh & Ben Safdie Starring: Arielle Holmes. Caleb Landry Jones. A vagabond couple in New York City battling addiction amidst a manic love affair. 28
MANGLEHORN Directed by David Gordon Green Starring: Al Pacino. Holly Hunter. A Texas-set story of a locksmith in a small town who never got over the love of his life.
THE HUMBLING Directed by Barry Levinson Starring: Al Pacino. Greta Gerwig. Nina Arianda. Barry Levinson. Diane Wiest. Charles Grodin. A story set on a farm in upstate New York and centred on the sexual relationship between an aged, suicidal actor and a younger woman. .
3 COEURS Directed by Benoit Jacquot Starring: Benoit Poelvoorde. Charlotte Gainsbourg. Chiara Mstroianni. Catherine Deneuve. A drama set in the modern day about two sisters and their mother.
GOODNIGHT MOMMY Directed by Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala. Starring: Suzanne Wurst. Elias Schwarz Nine year old twin brothers await the return of their mother from hospital after having had cosmetic surgery. The children start to doubt that this woman is actually their mother.
THE CUT Directed by Faith Akin Starring: Tahar Rahim. Akin Gazi. This is the first feature film script by Mardik Martin in 34 years.
HUNGRY HEARTS Directed by Savrio Costanzo Starring: Adam Driver. Alba Rohrwacher. Roberta Maxwell. The relationship of a couple who meet by chance in New York City is put to the test when they encounter a life or death situation.
LOIN DES HOMMES Directed by David Oelhoffen Starring: Viggo Mortensen. Reda Kateb. A French teacher in a small Algerian village during the Algerian war forms an unexpected bond with a dissident.
RED AMNESIA Directed by Wang Xiaoshuai 29
A retired widow has her daily routine derailed when she starts receiving anonymous phone-calls.
CYMBELINE Directed by Michael Almereyda Starring: Mila Jovovich. Ed Harris. Dakota Johnson. Penn Badgley. Anton Yelchin. Ethan Hawkes. John Leguizamo. Bill Pullman. A modern-day-take on Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline”.
PASOLINI Directed by Abel Ferrara Starring: Willem Dafoe. Riccardo Scamarcio. Ninetto Devoli. A look at the final days of Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini and the confusion surrounding his death in 1975.
THE SOUND AND THE FURY Directed by James Franco Starring: James Franco. Scott Haze. Tim Blake Nelson. The trials and tribulations of the Compson siblings living in the deep south during the early part of the 20th century.
GOOD KILL Directed by Andrew Niccol Starring: Ethan Hawke. Bruce Greenwood. January Jones. Zoe Kravitz. A family man begins to question the ethics of his job as a drone pilot.
THE GOLDEN ERA Directed by Ann Hui Starring: Tang Wei. Fang Shaofeng.
About two of the most important writers in 20th century China.
MESSI Directed by Alex de la Iglesia Starring: Marc Balguer From early life to international stardom – Lionel Messi, one of the greatest footballers of all-time.
LA VITA OSCENA Directed by Renato De Maria Starring: Clement Metayer. Isabella Ferrari. Roberto De Francesco. Andrea Renzi. A visionary and psychedelic trip. A path in a world hallucinates in the life of a boy and his impaired vision. He is always waiting for an order that did not arrive, and will never come. His favourite poet has chosen death, he instead finds the strength to tell this obscene life. NB: Al Pacino, Ethan Hawke and Benoit Polevoorde have two films each which will be screening at Venice, the oldest film festival in the world. 30
EXTRAS DVD OF THE MONTH
THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY Directed by Hossein Amini
Starring: Kirsten Dunst. Viggo Mortensen. Oscar Issac.
FILM ***
A thriller centred on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flees Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective. Read the film review in the June issue of Movies by Mills.
EXTRAS No announcements at time of publication.
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