Showing posts with label French Cinema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label French Cinema. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Anatomy of a Fall: An Intellectual Dissection of a Broken Marriage

 By José Alberto Hermosillo 


"Anatomy of a Fall" is a sublime, thrilling, and transcendental modern work of art - masterfully written, directed, performed, photographed, and edited.


The family courtroom drama focuses on a freak accident, its repercussions, and the unsettled battle of the sexes continuing after death.


The 2023 Palme d'Or winner contains three familiar and robust characters who speak in different languages - French, German, and English- as a common ground. Despite their blood ties, the three members of the family are drawn into life-changing circumstances where death, entrapment, and murder play a significant role in their lives. But absolutely none of them plays the victim in this well-rounded, multi-layered story.
Up in the snowy mountains of Grenoble, France, the apparently harmonious family comprises a successful, busy German author named Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller), a frustrated French writer/teacher, Samuel Moleski (Samuel Theis), and their son, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner).
Milo Machado-Graner is a young and promising actor with a successful career in French movies such as "Stuck Together" and "Waiting for Bojangles." The talented actor is extraordinary in "Anatomy of a Fall." He portrays a legally bling, independent teenager who likes to hike with his service dog, Messi, on the snowy trails of the Dauphine Alps, where they live.
Later in the film, we learn that the intellectual couple constantly fights because they blame each other for their child's accident that left him with impaired vision and how to manage their "precious time" to take care of their eleven-year-old son. 
Because of the accident, Daniel developed a high sensitivity to light exposure, which made him partially blind. He is independent but still needs adult supervision. Despite his impairment, Daniel plays the piano beautifully and walks daily along the mountain trail with his trained dog.
The dog Messi from "Anatomy of a Fall" at the Oscar Luncheon.

Le chien, Messi has been recognized as the absolute winner of the "Palm Dog" Award for his performance in this movie during this past edition of the Cannes Film Festival. He is making big waves on Hollywood's red carpets during the 2024 award season.
After Samuel's tragic death, Daniel continued his piano lesson, rehearsing "Asturias" (Leyenda), which was composed by Issac Albéniz. The strident music played during "The Fall" and replayed during the gathering of evidence is adding to the confusion and chaos. The music recurs and is a pivotal part of the narrative.
"Anatomy of a Fall" is divided into three structural parts: the day of the accident, the trial, and the unexpected resolution.
The film cleverly builds tension in some scenes; in others, it lingers through the beauty of the natural locations thanks to Simon Beaufils's gorgeous cinematography ("My Donkey, My Lover, and I," "Knife + Heart).
After the "fall," the trial is immediate. The film progresses rapidly, as the family has no time to grieve. Furthermore, we see the wife in the house training with her lawyer on what to say or not to say before the trial and how she has to justify the bruises on her arm.
After examining all the evidence and collecting the people's statements, the prosecutors find some discrepancies that may alter the cause of death, whether the case can be considered an accident or murder. Even though the film clearly stipulates the legal repercussions of the "questionable death" that happened a year later.
The prosecutors found the husband's recordings of some of the most recent couple's fights playing in the courtroom. That surprisingly new piece of incriminating evidence may point against the famous writer.
The struggle between the two writers becomes a battle of the sexes, with the husband's evident frustration at his wife's success making him seem to ignite and manipulate those intense discussions. 
The recordings were made without her consent or knowledge, which is considered illegal in some States of the United States. Still, in France, they are used as contentious proof of the couple's instability.

In European films, children are often treated as adults, no matter how complex or disturbing the situations they endure. The legally blind boy becomes the key witness in the case. 
For a child, it is devastating to lose his father, witness his mother's trial, listen to the recordings of his parents' fights in court, and give his crucial testimony that may incriminate or save his mother.
Testifying as an adult makes Daniel aware of the situation, and he must decide whether he would like to save his mother or help the prosecutor bring her to justice.

The performance by German actress Sandra Hüller ("The Zone of Interest," "I'm Your Man," "Toni Erdmann") is impressive. She displays a wide range of emotions, and even when she lies, we think she is telling the truth.
In "Anatomy of a Fall," French director Justine Triet cleverly plays with perceptions of the truth, shaped by each player's needs, interests, and points of view. Justine Trier graduated from the Paris School of Fine Arts and is an Oscar nominee for Best Director; she has an extraordinary filmmaking career with solid previous projects such as "The Age of Panic," "Sibyl," and "Victoria." Across all her films, she has three recurring themes: family, writers, and legal matters.
Justine Triet, Palme d'Or Winner, Cannes. Photo: Par Par François BECKER et © 2023 AFP

In light of the theory of eyewitness unreliability, "Anatomy of a Fall" can be related to Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon." A few years later, in 1964, Hollywood released a remake of the Japanese classic "The Outrage" starring Paul Newman. This particular Western, directed by Martin Ritt ("Hud," "Hombre," and "Norman Rae"), is another clear example of how the truth can be distorted by witnesses' points of view, backgrounds, beliefs, and personal experiences.
In 1957, Sidney Lumet's "12 Angry Men" rounded off the perceptions of twelve jury members who had to deliver the conviction or acquittal of an eighteen-year-old boy accused of murder. They had reasonable doubts and concluded that there was not enough hard evidence to prove the boy's guilt.
Since its premiere in Cannes, "Anatomy of a Fall" has collected numerous awards worldwide. In the US, the film has been nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing.
In France, the film won six César Awards, including Best Picture. In England, it won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay. In Spain, it won Best European Film at the Goya Awards Ceremony, and the list of recognitions for the French/German joint goes on.
In this legal matter, winning or losing the case in court would not bring peace to the souls of the people involved. Still, it raises more questions about what is next when they lose someone they love in a freak accident and if the accident was intentionally planned or a successful suicide attempt. It is all up to the viewer to figure out what really happened.
Regardless of any conspiracy theory, the film is open to public interpretation. Let "Anatomy of a Fall" sit for a while to process an unforgettable film that is making big waves around the world for its enormous quality in storytelling.
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Friday, July 7, 2023

Final Cut: An Unconventional French Tribute to Z Movies

 By José Alberto Hermosillo 

“Final Cut” is a frenetic dark comedy about a film crew becoming zombies while making a Z movie. 


What seems like a clumsy French parody of the Japanese “cult film” “One Cut of the Death” by Shin’ichirô Ueda becomes a massive tribute to “Z movies” by Academy Award-winning director Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist” and “The Search”).

Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius. Photo by film critic José Alberto Hermosillo. 
Copyright © Festival in LA, 2022

In “Final Cut,” Michel Hazanavicius pays tribute to those who tirelessly work in the film industry. Their skills and resourcefulness keep the essence of the filmmaking process alive. The team comprises technicians, producers, actors, and those who make movies even without dialogue. The relationship between the filmmakers and the film itself is a symbiotic yet challenging collaboration, even if the result is a complete disaster. According to the director, making a movie is heroic, even if it is a flop.

In 2020, during the first lockdown, Hazanavicius wanted to work on a comedy when the German producers, who had secured the rights to the Japanese “cult classic,” offered him the golden opportunity to remake that successful Asian box-office hit in France. The idea was brilliant and perfect for what he wanted to do during the pandemic. Hazanavicius saw some weird situations in the original that inspired him to juxtapose these images with his French reality. You can start with a script based on a book and, in this case, based on a movie. The original writing was challenging, and adapting to a European version was even more difficult.
In the movie, as in real life, problems arise, such as shooting an extended scene on a full memory card without realizing it. The original Japanese director said he understood his movie even more while watching the French version.
The first “one-shot” sequence is 33 minutes long. It took much preparation, from drawing the storyboard through many rehearsals with the actors, cinematographer, props, makeup, sound, and the rest of the crew, until everything came together. They used 54 cameras to capture every angle and every actor’s actions and reactions. They shot that specific sequence four times over four days, up to the final take, and it was still not that great, according to the director.

To differentiate between the movie and the making-of film, the director used various post-production techniques, such as color saturation, timing, and texture, so the audience could follow both storylines easily.
Michael Hazanavicius’ career ranges from experimental, quirky films to the most formal and academic productions. “Final Cut” is a very personal movie about making a movie. The question always arises: why did the director want to place himself in such a problematic situation by presenting an embarrassing project to the masses? He said that, in his defense, his films are always made in joyful sets with positive energy.

Zombie movies are fascinating and profitable. From big Hollywood productions like “World War Z” with Brad Pitt to more independent releases like “Zombieland” and Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die,” which also competed for the Palmer d’Or at Cannes in 2019. The 2018 French zombie thriller “The Night Eats the World/ La Nuit a dévoré le mondé” depicts a contemporary world where zombies invade Paris.
Other worldwide cult classics are George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” and the British production “28 Days Later” by Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “Trainspotting”). There is also the low-budget British high school zombie musical “Anna and the Apocalypse,” which I loved. 
Other Asian countries have made substantial contributions to the Zombie genre, from “Train to Busan” to the 2016 Zombie Pandemic South Korean animated film “Seoul Station.” One of my favorite Korean genre movies is the extraordinary production “Peninsula.” It is also considered the best Korean Zombie movie, “The Wailing.” 
The Japanese productions have their fan base as well; “Versus,” “Miss Zombie,” “Helldriver,” and “One Cut of the Dead” are among the most popular. Highly recommended is the new apocalyptic Taiwanese zombie thriller “Sadness.”
In recent years, American television series about zombies have been widely successful. “The Last of Us,” with Pedro Pascal, just received 24 Emmy nominations. And “The Walking Dead” ran for eleven seasons.
Romain Duris. Photo by film critic José Alberto Hermosillo. 
Copyright © Festival in LA

In “Final Cut,” all the performers did a hell of a job. Chameleonic French actor Romain Duris (“Eiffel,” “The Confession,” “Populaire,” “The New Girlfriend”) plays Rémi, the hectic movie director, and also Higurashi in the zombie movie within a movie. Duris’s work is synonymous with dedication, perseverance, quality, and excellence.

Michel Hazanavicius’ wife and Oscar-nominated actress Bérénice Bejo play Nadia and Natsumi, respectively. Michel confessed that working with his wife on many projects is easy because they know each other well. She keeps it professional; in the set, she knows he is the boss. He does not congratulate her on a good performance. He likes to give confidence to all of his actors. Their daughter, Simone Hazanavicius, and her friend round out the terrific cast.
Michel Hazanavicius’ next film is an animated feature set during a war, written by his parents’ friend, titled “The Most Precious Cargo.” I cannot wait to see what this incredibly inventive director will do next in animation.
“Final Cut” was selected as the opening piece of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where critics trashed the movie without mercy. According to Mr. Hazanavicius, brutal exposure to the international press was intentional. 
The satirical story presented in “Final Cut” is not for everyone, but those who like dark comedies, like me, can feel in heaven watching a cinematic gory feast.
Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius and film critic José Alberto Hermosillo. 
Copyright © Festival in LA, 2022



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Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Fire of Love: The Everlasting Stars of Volcanology

 By José Alberto Hermosillo

Dangerously real and transcendental. “Fire of Love” ignites the lover’s passion for Earth Studies 101 enormously. 

“Fire of Love” is a complete recompilation of materials related to volcano studies collected deep from the archives of Katia & Maurice Krafft. The French couple discovered their magnetism for each other and volcanoes. Attracted by the powerful energy emanating from the Earth’s interior, they defied nature to fulfill their hunger for knowledge. This Academy Award-nominated documentary can help save lives in communities around volcanoes worldwide.

The daredevils of volcanoes are here to enlighten humanity through their amusing discoveries and heart-pounding missions, leaving an everlasting legacy.

This eye-opening documentary summarizes hundreds of hours of invaluable footage, original materials, incredible photos, specific samples collected from locations, and millions of questions.

Before 1966, all we knew about volcanoes was generic. Geology classified volcanoes by region, age, and size—until the Kraffts came with their exhaustive research, studying every volcano individually.

 

Since they met in a Paris coffee shop, the French couple could not live apart and embarked on a series of overseas expeditions to study each volcano individually. When they were children, their parents took them separately to visit the volcanoes in Italy – they started with the Stromboli.

In 1970, they married. Their honeymoon was in Santorini, the mythical city of Atlantis. They devoted their lives to studying volcanoes and decided not to have children. The newlyweds were the first and probably the only volcanologist couple in the world, and they revolutionized every previous theory about volcanoes and tectonic plates. 

Once they start their journey, the film’s visuals and environmental sounds blend together, complemented by “Je Me Sens Vivre,” a romantic French song by Dalida.

Dalida -- Je Me Sens Vivre

They brought down every theory and myth about volcanoes, even the truths and fragments of history already set in books. As they went deeper, more questions arose. They traveled to different countries, continents, and Islands, starting with Mt. Edna and Stromboli in Italy to begin their investigation. They knew that every mystery had to be solved. They lived every new adventure to the fullest.

TV appearances were recorded during their studies, and it was an excellent opportunity to show the world that studying volcanoes must be done individually, not as a generic classification. Every volcano is a different animal. And they were more excited to show their findings when the TV became color.


They had their strengths—Katia worked on still pictures, printing books, chemistry, soil composition, gases, and physics. Maurice filmed everything on location, including eruptions, and kept the records and archives in order. 

Both complemented each other exceptionally well. The closer they got to the volcanoes, the more they saw, and the more they became volcano runners. Even local people helped them with supplies and guidance to reach the craters.

Contemplating the devastating landscape surrounding a volcano, Maurice and Katia stated, “We are not religious; we are scientists, but we have our short life to return to the ground.” They romanticized their job, driven by their passion for volcanoes and each other. Katia observed 170 volcanoes, Maurice 150, 20 fewer than hers.

Maurice prefers an intense and short life to a monotonous, long one. In his existentialist philosophy, he feels his life is a kamikaze mission in the beauty of volcanic things and the strenuous sounds of volcanic explosions. 

They developed a new classification theory for volcanoes: Red and Grey. They named Red Volcanoes after the red magma moving beneath the plates, and Grey Volcanoes after the grey smoke and ash. Red volcanoes produce the most fertile soil for plant and vegetable growth. But these were the more explosive, the monster volcanoes, the killer volcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens in the US near Vancouver, Canada.


“Volcanology is a science of observation. The closer they get, the more they see.” With the new gear, they could get closer to the edge. In their fascination with danger, the unknown is not to be feared, but something is not torn. When Krakatoa erupted in Indonesia in 1971, scientists studied the chemistry and water composition, including the acidity that killed all organisms surrounding the volcano. In 1973, they visited one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Mt. Nyiragongo in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, will continue the studies of lava and soil composition.

The signs before a blast are the alteration of minerals, gases, soil temperature, and tremors that ignite an eruption, but there is no certainty to know when or at what time. “Going to the site of a volcanic eruption is like playing Russian roulette - you never know when you will be killed,” said Maurice.  


In 1985, the volcano Nevado del Ruíz erupted in Colombia, killing around 25,000 people while they slept. The government ignored evacuation warnings, and Katia arrived to testify about the damage. Since then, the Kraffts’ film has been used as educational material to warn communities near volcanoes to evacuate and save lives because timing is everything.

Independent writer, producer & director Miranda July narrates “Fire of Love.” FestivalinLA ©2011

Independent filmmaker Miranda July’s narration in “Kajillionaire,” “Me You and Everyone We Know,” and “The Future” is vivid and evocative. 


Sara Dosa, Fire of Love
Sara Dosa, director of “Fire of Love.” Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. FestivalinLA ©2023

The documentary, co-written and directed by Sara Dosa (producer of the Academy-nominated “The Edge of Democracy”), powerfully portrays the well-selected material. Dosa did a marvelous job assembling this gigantic puzzle from Krafft’s materials, studies, and discoveries.

 

Legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog worked on a few projects focused on the Kraffts - “The Fire Within” and “Into the Inferno.” Still, nothing compares to the force of “Fire of Love” through its imagery and consistent structure.


The selected material can be compared to the fabric of other Academy Award-winning music documentaries, such as “Summer of Soul” and “Amy,” about the life of Amy Winehouse, where home videos are a key element in helping the world connect with the legendary singer.

 

What keeps us watching the documentary is the fantastic material and the lives of those two passionate French investigators who pursue their dreams and dare, like no one else, to go further. Katia, Maurice, and the Volcanos’ love story. 

Fire of Love Trailer | National Geographic

Sara Dosa, director of “Fire of Love.” Film critic José Alberto Hermosillo. FestivalinLA ©2023

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Sunday, January 31, 2021

Two of Us: Juliette & Juliette of Montpellier

 By José Alberto Hermosillo 

http://www.festivalinla.com/2021/01/two-of-us-juliette-juliette-of.html

“Two of Us” is a beautiful, moving, meaningful, and unforgettable love story that defies expectations and prejudices.


When external beauty is nearly gone, love still clings to the lives of caring partners Nina (Barbara Sukowa) and Madeline (Martine Chevallier). These two retirees live in separate apartments across the hall from each other in the same building. The couple hopes to spend the rest of their lives in “A Room with a View” of the Tiber River in Rome, where they met years ago.


The duo’s plan begins with selling Madeline’s house and moving to Italy as soon as they can. But first, Madeline needs to “come out” to her children. 


This intimate melodrama turns tormented and passionate when Madeline fails to achieve her goal and hides her secret at her birthday party. 


Madeline’s passivity triggers a cascade of repercussions. Betrayal is unforgivable to her children, and it is neither an option for her lover, because hiding the truth is still a lie. Resilience is the only ammunition they have to keep their dream alive.

Two of Us ©2020 Magnolia Pictures 

This Shakespearean drama reaches a climax when the couple’s right to be together is threatened. Carefully crafted, the French production is realistic, illustrating that Nina is not a “legal” member of Madeline’s family and therefore not accepted at the hospital.

The film’s narrative reveals an overlooked legal loophole in institutions where laws do not recognize same-sex partners as part of the immediate family permitted to visit patients in critical condition. The influential 2013 documentary “Bridegroom,” by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, highlights a similar situation in which domestic partners cannot see the person they love and are often barred from emergency rooms, even when the person is dying. A comparable case is depicted in the Oscar-winning Chilean film “A Fantastic Woman.”

Hard to conceive of and reinforce the social stigma, “Two of Us” is set in a small French Catholic town that isn’t easily accepting of a lesbian relationship, even though it is now the 21st century.

The new Italian director, Filippo Meneghetti, spoke to us at a virtual Los Angeles premiere hosted by Julianne Moore. He mentioned that this, his first film made in France, had a long development process.


 “Two of Us” is the story of two people who want to spend the rest of their lives together. The Italian director pointed out that the realities of their everyday lives are portrayed most surprisingly and painfully in his movie. 

Filippo Meneghetti director of Two of Us, Rome. Festival in LA ©2021
Filippo Meneghetti, director of Two of Us, Rome. Photo: José A . Hermosillo. Festival in LA ©2021

Years ago, he observed a similar situation involving two important people. They introduced him to cinema, and he felt compelled to tell their story in gratitude.

 

While visiting another friend in Verona, where the tragedy of “Romeo and Juliette” took place, Meneghetti noticed two widows living in apartments across from each other. Upon closer inspection, he found their story resonant. It serves as a simple metaphor in which the lovers’ apartment doors never close.

 

He spent five years working on the expressive script with his co-writer, Malysone Bovorasmy. They consistently explored ambiguity. From the start, Meneghetti aimed to craft a unique atmosphere where nothing is precise, and everything feels like real life.

Two of Us ©2020 Magnolia Pictures

In Meneghetti’s story, each character has their own agenda. Madeline’s daughter refuses to accept her mother’s relationship with another woman. Her son questions his mother’s loyalty to her late father. The caregiver desperately needs money. Only the six-year-old grandson seems more accepting of his grandma’s relationship.


He said casting was challenging. When Meneghetti writes, he never knows who will play each character. He wanted two strong, professional actresses to star opposite each other. The cast was a blessing, as the group’s chemistry came together instantly. It took a lot of effort to secure funding for the film. Who would invest in a movie about two elderly women in love? Filming lasted thirty-one days. 

Two of Us ©2020 Magnolia Pictures

German actress Barbara Sukowa (“Hannah Arendt,” “Cradle Will Rock,” “Lola”) delivers an extraordinary performance as the fictional character Nina Dorn. During the virtual premiere, Hannah mentioned that she was inspired by Julianne Moore’s role in “The Kids Are All Right.” 

Mrs. Sukowa’s portrayal is fierce, aggressive, and powerful. Her character is a well-traveled tour guide working in Rome. Madeline Girard, brilliantly portrayed by Martine Chevallier (“Farewell, My Queen,” “Tell No One,” “Blame It on Fidel”), is phenomenal. Her performance is stoic and breathtaking. Both actresses complement each other flawlessly. 

Michele Menini’s soundtrack is stunning and subtle. The music naturally enhances the actors’ gestures, dialogue, and intentions. In the most dramatic moments, the instrumental is faintly audible, heightening the emotions. It contrasts with the dazzling Italian main melody, “Chariot,” sung by Betty Curtis, which plays during the passionate opening and concludes with a sudden, thrilling resolution.


“Two of Us” is a compelling drama co-produced by France, Luxembourg, and Belgium. It was selected as France’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. Filippo Meneghetti said that representing France at the Oscars is a great honor because his film is a labor of love and teamwork. The trailer may create biases. However, viewers don’t need to be “open-minded” or “narrow-minded” to appreciate this unique and meaningful project. 

The film is about love, resilience, and compassion between two exceptional individuals. “Two of Us” is an extraordinary story of love and resilience.


Watching “Two of Us” was a wonderful experience. The film features rich symbolism, excellent music, talented actors, a daring director, high production values, and beautiful scenery—the elements that make it one of the top movies of 2020. 

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