Screen investigates which films from around the world could launch on the Croisette, including on opening night.
With just over a month to go before the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival is unveiled in Paris, Croisette predictions and wish lists are hitting the web thick and fast.
Screen’s network of correspondents and contributors around the world have been putting out feelers to get a sense of what might or might not make it to the Palais du Cinéma or one of the parallel sections.
Just like the Oscars, this year’s festival is likely to unfold amid a politically-charged atmosphere. Beyond Trump and the rise of populism across the globe, France will be digesting the result of its own presidential election on May 7. Against this background, the festival will be feting its 70th edition.
Below, Screen reveals which titles might - and might not - be in the running for a place at the...
With just over a month to go before the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival is unveiled in Paris, Croisette predictions and wish lists are hitting the web thick and fast.
Screen’s network of correspondents and contributors around the world have been putting out feelers to get a sense of what might or might not make it to the Palais du Cinéma or one of the parallel sections.
Just like the Oscars, this year’s festival is likely to unfold amid a politically-charged atmosphere. Beyond Trump and the rise of populism across the globe, France will be digesting the result of its own presidential election on May 7. Against this background, the festival will be feting its 70th edition.
Below, Screen reveals which titles might - and might not - be in the running for a place at the...
- 3/13/2017
- ScreenDaily
Directors of critically-acclaimed dramas The Blue Hour and 36 among the filmmakers presenting projects at Thai Pitch this year.
Two of last year’s most acclaimed Thai filmmakers – Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (Freelance) and Anucha Boonyawatana (The Blue Hour) – will present new projects at Thai Pitch in Cannes this year, while Rutaiwan Wongsirasawad returns after a 10-year hiatus with her sophomore film.
Hosted by Thailand’s Ministry of Culture, with Raymond Phathanavirangoon coordinating, the pitch event will be held on May 14-15 at the Thai Pavilion in the International Village in Cannes.
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit won the Busan New Currents award with his debut 36 (2012), while his second film Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy (2013) premiered in Venice. He had a critical and commercial hit last year with Freelance, which swept the Thailand National Film Association Awards with eight wins, including best film and best director.
Anucha Boonyawatana’s first feature The Blue Hour premiered at Berlin Panorama last year, while veteran...
Two of last year’s most acclaimed Thai filmmakers – Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (Freelance) and Anucha Boonyawatana (The Blue Hour) – will present new projects at Thai Pitch in Cannes this year, while Rutaiwan Wongsirasawad returns after a 10-year hiatus with her sophomore film.
Hosted by Thailand’s Ministry of Culture, with Raymond Phathanavirangoon coordinating, the pitch event will be held on May 14-15 at the Thai Pavilion in the International Village in Cannes.
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit won the Busan New Currents award with his debut 36 (2012), while his second film Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy (2013) premiered in Venice. He had a critical and commercial hit last year with Freelance, which swept the Thailand National Film Association Awards with eight wins, including best film and best director.
Anucha Boonyawatana’s first feature The Blue Hour premiered at Berlin Panorama last year, while veteran...
- 5/4/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Berlinale title Humidity scores hat-trick at national awards during Belgrade Fest; Diary Of A Teenage Girl wins in international strand.
Serbia, the last of the former Yugoslav countries eligible to join the Media programme, officially launched its Media Desk on Friday [March 4].
“Membership in the Media sub-programme of Creative Europe is of crucial importance for Serbian cinema,” Boban Jevtic - appointed as director of Film Centre Serbia last summer - told Screen.
“Our film-makers, production companies and other film professionals will now have access to its 17 different categories of support, and we will immediately start training sessions in order to get them acquainted with the programme and process of project submission and grants.”
The first such session was held the next day, as part of Fest Forward, the fledgling industry section of the 44th Belgrade International Film Festival (Feb 26 - Mar 6).
The festival included the official national competition. Serbia hasn’t had national awards since 2007, and last year...
Serbia, the last of the former Yugoslav countries eligible to join the Media programme, officially launched its Media Desk on Friday [March 4].
“Membership in the Media sub-programme of Creative Europe is of crucial importance for Serbian cinema,” Boban Jevtic - appointed as director of Film Centre Serbia last summer - told Screen.
“Our film-makers, production companies and other film professionals will now have access to its 17 different categories of support, and we will immediately start training sessions in order to get them acquainted with the programme and process of project submission and grants.”
The first such session was held the next day, as part of Fest Forward, the fledgling industry section of the 44th Belgrade International Film Festival (Feb 26 - Mar 6).
The festival included the official national competition. Serbia hasn’t had national awards since 2007, and last year...
- 3/7/2016
- by vladan.petkovic@gmail.com (Vladan Petkovic)
- ScreenDaily
Full line-up of the Stockholm film festival includes feature and documentary competition line-ups.Scroll down for full line-up
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.
The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.
It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.
The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.
Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.
The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.
It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.
The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.
Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...
- 10/20/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
After 23 unbelievable, uninterrupted days of screenings, today marks the Closing Night of the 19th edition of the Fantasia Film Festival. There is always a sadness lingering in the air on the last day. I often compare it to the feeling you get as a kid on the final day of summer camp. You get to spend an entire month with a group of friends from around the world knowing you might not have the opportunity to see some of these people again for an entire year. Known worldwide as North America’s longest-running genre film festival, Fantasia is special because of the people who not only make it happen but also for those of us who choose to spend the beautiful hot summer days crowded inside a gloomy theatre to watch movies we might not have the chance to see otherwise. And for the sixth consecutive year, the event succeeded...
- 8/5/2015
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Montreal’s genre film festival wraps with over 100,000 spectators attending across its 23 days of screenings.
Sion Sono’s Tag was among the winners at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, which wrapped yesterday [Aug 4] with the Canadian premiere of Shinji Higuchi’s Attack on Titan.
This year saw over 100,000 spectators attending across the festival’s 23 days of screenings, including 195 indoor screenings, three outdoor screenings, eight virtual reality films and other special events, such as the debut international performance of Glass Eye Pix’s live horror radio show Tales from Beyond the Pale.
Over 900 international guests, including more than 400 film industry professionals, visited the festival and its Frontières Market which saw two deals close during the market. Raven Banner boarded worldwide sales on Gigi Saul Guerrero’s El Gigante, while Frank Murray of Lux Capta Films signed on as producer of Renaud Gauthier’s ‘Lude Behavior.
Guests included Jon Watts and Kevin Bacon for Cop Car, Michael Ironside, [link...
Sion Sono’s Tag was among the winners at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, which wrapped yesterday [Aug 4] with the Canadian premiere of Shinji Higuchi’s Attack on Titan.
This year saw over 100,000 spectators attending across the festival’s 23 days of screenings, including 195 indoor screenings, three outdoor screenings, eight virtual reality films and other special events, such as the debut international performance of Glass Eye Pix’s live horror radio show Tales from Beyond the Pale.
Over 900 international guests, including more than 400 film industry professionals, visited the festival and its Frontières Market which saw two deals close during the market. Raven Banner boarded worldwide sales on Gigi Saul Guerrero’s El Gigante, while Frank Murray of Lux Capta Films signed on as producer of Renaud Gauthier’s ‘Lude Behavior.
Guests included Jon Watts and Kevin Bacon for Cop Car, Michael Ironside, [link...
- 8/5/2015
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
The Blue Hour
Written by Anucha Boonyawatana and Waasuthep Ketpetch
Directed by Anucha Boonyawatana
Thailand, 2015
The Blue Hour is a beautiful, dark and mysterious ghost story from Thai filmmaker Anucha Boonyawatana. Tam (Atthaphan Poonsawas) is a gay teen who doesn’t fit in at school or within his family. He arranges a meeting with the dashing Phum (Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang) at an abandoned swimming pool. Their hook-up quickly develops into something more serious as they find comfort and safety in each other’s friendship. As their relationship progresses, Tam’s life becomes increasingly confused as he struggles to differentiate dream from reality.
When we first see Tam he has just been badly beaten by his classmates; his adolescent body is bruised, and his cherub face is swollen. We feel his fear when he shows up to the meeting with Phum, because the world has never been kind to him. Even this early in the film,...
Written by Anucha Boonyawatana and Waasuthep Ketpetch
Directed by Anucha Boonyawatana
Thailand, 2015
The Blue Hour is a beautiful, dark and mysterious ghost story from Thai filmmaker Anucha Boonyawatana. Tam (Atthaphan Poonsawas) is a gay teen who doesn’t fit in at school or within his family. He arranges a meeting with the dashing Phum (Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang) at an abandoned swimming pool. Their hook-up quickly develops into something more serious as they find comfort and safety in each other’s friendship. As their relationship progresses, Tam’s life becomes increasingly confused as he struggles to differentiate dream from reality.
When we first see Tam he has just been badly beaten by his classmates; his adolescent body is bruised, and his cherub face is swollen. We feel his fear when he shows up to the meeting with Phum, because the world has never been kind to him. Even this early in the film,...
- 7/27/2015
- by Justine Smith
- SoundOnSight
The 19th Annual Fantasia Film Festival is only a week away, beginning July 14 and running through August 4. And as promised for today, they’ve revealed their full line-up of films screening at 2015’s festival in Montreal.
This year’s line-up boasts 22 World Premieres, 13 International Premieres, and 21 North American Premieres. Both Marvel’s Ant-Man and the animated Miss Hokusai were previously announced, but now they’ve added the much anticipated Attack on Titan movie as their closing night film. Other highlights include the Sundance darlings Cooties, starring Elijah Wood and Rainn Wilson, Cop Car, starring Kevin Bacon and directed by the upcoming Spider-man director Jon Watts, and a trio of films from horror auteur Sion Sono.
See the full line-up announcement of films below via Fantasia’s Facebook page, and be sure to check out their website at fantasiafestival.com for additional information.
****
Fantasia 2015:
36 Countries, 135 Features, and Nearly 300 Short Films
- Including 22 World Premieres,...
This year’s line-up boasts 22 World Premieres, 13 International Premieres, and 21 North American Premieres. Both Marvel’s Ant-Man and the animated Miss Hokusai were previously announced, but now they’ve added the much anticipated Attack on Titan movie as their closing night film. Other highlights include the Sundance darlings Cooties, starring Elijah Wood and Rainn Wilson, Cop Car, starring Kevin Bacon and directed by the upcoming Spider-man director Jon Watts, and a trio of films from horror auteur Sion Sono.
See the full line-up announcement of films below via Fantasia’s Facebook page, and be sure to check out their website at fantasiafestival.com for additional information.
****
Fantasia 2015:
36 Countries, 135 Features, and Nearly 300 Short Films
- Including 22 World Premieres,...
- 7/7/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Previously selected to screen in Berlin with his short film work, Thai director Anucha Boonyawatana returns this year with his feature The Blue Hour selected as part of the Panorama section. The gay themed mystery is already garnering advance buzz from those in the know and we've got a dozen stills from the film for you to check out in the gallery below. Remember that you can click to enlarge.Tam, a loner gay boy is always bullied by his friends at school. At home, his father who works in the army always beats him. His mother and brother never trust him. One day, Tam gets to know Phum, a mysterious boy on the internet. He goes to meet him at an abandoned swimming pool. They...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 1/23/2015
- Screen Anarchy
By Lee Pfeiffer
As Cinema Retro gets inundated with DVDs to review during the course of any given year, it's virtually impossible to keep up with all of them in a timely manner. Here are some notable titles you should be aware of:
Cabaret Blu-ray (Warner Home Video): Warner Home Video has inherited the rights to Bob Fosse's classic 1972 film adaptation of the stage production that, in turn, was based on Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories. The Blu-ray comes packaged in one of those irresistible hardback book formats that is loaded with wonderful photos from the movie. The movie itself holds up superbly even after 40 years. The decline of Germany's Weimar Republic amidst the rise of National Socialism in the 1930s is seen through the eyes of nightclub singer Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) and her constant companions (Michael York, Helmut Griem) . Fosse's decision to emphasize the sleaze elements...
As Cinema Retro gets inundated with DVDs to review during the course of any given year, it's virtually impossible to keep up with all of them in a timely manner. Here are some notable titles you should be aware of:
Cabaret Blu-ray (Warner Home Video): Warner Home Video has inherited the rights to Bob Fosse's classic 1972 film adaptation of the stage production that, in turn, was based on Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories. The Blu-ray comes packaged in one of those irresistible hardback book formats that is loaded with wonderful photos from the movie. The movie itself holds up superbly even after 40 years. The decline of Germany's Weimar Republic amidst the rise of National Socialism in the 1930s is seen through the eyes of nightclub singer Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) and her constant companions (Michael York, Helmut Griem) . Fosse's decision to emphasize the sleaze elements...
- 12/31/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The Anarchist, a new play written and directed by David Mamet is presented on Broadway at the newly refurbished Golden Theatre 252 West 45th Street. The production stars two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone, who has previously appeared in Mamets The Woods, All Men are Whores, The Blue Hour, The Water Engine, Edmond and The Old Neighborhood and three-time Academy Award nominee Debra Winger, whose previous stage credits include How I Learned to Drive and Ivanov at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts and The Exonerated in New York. Winger will be making her Broadway debut in The Anarchist.
- 12/2/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
The Anarchist, a new play written and directed by David Mamet will be presented on Broadway at the newly refurbished Golden Theatre 252 West 45th Street. The production will star two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPONE, who has previously appeared in Mamets The Woods, All Men are Whores, The Blue Hour, The Water Engine, Edmond and The Old Neighborhood and three-time Academy Award nominee Debra Winger, whos previous stage credits include How I Learned to Drive and Ivanov at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts and The Exonerated in New York. Winger will be making her Broadway debut in The Anarchist.
- 11/12/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Producers Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel announced that the American premiere of The Anarchist, the new play about politics, money, religion and sex, written and directed by David Mamet. The production will star two-time Tony Award winner Patti Lupone, who has previously appeared in Mamet's The Woods, All Men are Whores, The Blue Hour, The Water Engine, Edmond and The Old Neighborhood and three-time Emmy Award winner Laurie Metcalf, who was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for her performance in Mamet's November. The Anarchist, which marks the sixth collaboration between Richards, Frankel and Mamet, will open on Broadway in Fall 2012.
- 11/3/2011
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Channing Tatum will reportedly star in a new thriller from Chernin Entertainment called Blood Brothers. According to Variety, the studio has picked up the original project, which will be penned by The Blue Hour writer Eric Nazarian and Mongol writer and director Sergei Bodrov. Bodrov will also direct the film while he, Nazarian and Tatum will all serve as producers on the project. While little is known about the film's plot other than the fact that it is set in Russia, it is being (more)...
- 6/19/2011
- by By Tom Ayres
- Digital Spy
Channing Tatum is attached to star in the thriller pitch "Blood Brothers" which was just sold to Chernin Entertainment says Variety
Eric Nazarian ("The Blue Hour") and Sergei Bodrov ("Mongol") will write with Bodrov set to direct the story set in Russia and described only as a "suspenseful thriller".
All three are also set to produce. Tatum is currently shooting "21 Jump Street" in New Orleans.
Eric Nazarian ("The Blue Hour") and Sergei Bodrov ("Mongol") will write with Bodrov set to direct the story set in Russia and described only as a "suspenseful thriller".
All three are also set to produce. Tatum is currently shooting "21 Jump Street" in New Orleans.
- 6/19/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Channing Tatum has added another feature to his generously loaded schedule. The actor is attached to Blood Brothers in a starring and producing capacity, according to a report by Variety (via Collider). Producers Eric Nazarian (The Blue Hour) and Sergei Bodrov (Mongol: The Rise To Power Of Genghis Khan) have sold the pitch to Chernin Entertainment. Little is known about the movie so far, but apparently it will be a tense thriller set in Russia. It'll be interesting to see if Tatum actually finds time to star in this. He's currently...
.
.
- 6/19/2011
- by Matt Maytum
- TotalFilm
Eric Nazarian and Sergei Bodrov's Blood Brothers cast Channing Tatum in suspense thriller set in Russia. Chernin Entertainment has picked up the pitch from Eric Nazarian and Sergei Bodrov with the former writing and the latter directing. Channing Tatum is currently shooting "21 Jump Street" in New Orleans alongside Jonah Hill. Aside from the Blood Brothers suspense thriller, Bodrov's credits Mongol of 2007 as well as 1996's Prisoner of the Mountains. Nazarian's work includes The Blue Hour and a spec script called Giants.
- 6/18/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Eric Nazarian and Sergei Bodrov's Blood Brothers cast Channing Tatum in suspense thriller set in Russia. Chernin Entertainment has picked up the pitch from Eric Nazarian and Sergei Bodrov with the former writing and the latter directing. Channing Tatum is currently shooting "21 Jump Street" in New Orleans alongside Jonah Hill. Aside from the Blood Brothers suspense thriller, Bodrov's credits Mongol of 2007 as well as 1996's Prisoner of the Mountains. Nazarian's work includes The Blue Hour and a spec script called Giants.
- 6/18/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Eric Nazarian and Sergei Bodrov's Blood Brothers cast Channing Tatum in suspense thriller set in Russia. Chernin Entertainment has picked up the pitch from Eric Nazarian and Sergei Bodrov with the former writing and the latter directing. Channing Tatum is currently shooting "21 Jump Street" in New Orleans alongside Jonah Hill. Aside from the Blood Brothers suspense thriller, Bodrov's credits Mongol of 2007 as well as 1996's Prisoner of the Mountains. Nazarian's work includes The Blue Hour and a spec script called Giants.
- 6/18/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Sarah, your recent dramedy series may not have worked out, but your career is far from short lived!
Sarah Jones, with Still Green and The Blue Hour coming out soon, you are sure to see some spotlights hit you soon. Look out from some major changes this year – and be prepared! Astrology.com has all the details.
Happy birthday, Sarah Jones! Your Sun in caretaking Cancer was a good fit for your portrayal of a wedding planner bent on the best celebration possible in the short-run series ‘The Wedding Bells.’ With a consummate list of credits and beauty to burn, you’re poised to move in exciting new directions this year as Pluto squeezes you for only the most truthful performances. Good luck!
Powered by Astrology.com For your daily love, career, beauty, food, & dogscopes click on your sign! Aquarius
January 20 -
February 18 Pisces
February 19 -
March 20 Aries
March 21 -...
Sarah Jones, with Still Green and The Blue Hour coming out soon, you are sure to see some spotlights hit you soon. Look out from some major changes this year – and be prepared! Astrology.com has all the details.
Happy birthday, Sarah Jones! Your Sun in caretaking Cancer was a good fit for your portrayal of a wedding planner bent on the best celebration possible in the short-run series ‘The Wedding Bells.’ With a consummate list of credits and beauty to burn, you’re poised to move in exciting new directions this year as Pluto squeezes you for only the most truthful performances. Good luck!
Powered by Astrology.com For your daily love, career, beauty, food, & dogscopes click on your sign! Aquarius
January 20 -
February 18 Pisces
February 19 -
March 20 Aries
March 21 -...
- 7/17/2010
- by HL Intern
- HollywoodLife
Several months after getting engaged, Alyssa Milano and David Bugliari finally held their engagement party on Saturday night, May 2. A source reported to E! Online that they invited about 150 guests, including Jon Heder and Hayden Panettiere's ex-boyfriend Milo Ventimiglia, to come to the bash.
A deejay was invited to provide the music during the party. About the menu served during the party, there were grilled salmon, rosemary chicken, and specialty Corzo tequila cocktail. It was completed with a frozen yogurt and red velvet cupcakes.
Alyssa Milano had been dating Creative Arts Agency agent David Bugliari for more than a year before they got engaged last December. The wedding date of the couple has yet to be released though, E! Online reported.
Aside from her personal life, Alyssa recently published her first book entitled "Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic". The actress was involved in several movies, including...
A deejay was invited to provide the music during the party. About the menu served during the party, there were grilled salmon, rosemary chicken, and specialty Corzo tequila cocktail. It was completed with a frozen yogurt and red velvet cupcakes.
Alyssa Milano had been dating Creative Arts Agency agent David Bugliari for more than a year before they got engaged last December. The wedding date of the couple has yet to be released though, E! Online reported.
Aside from her personal life, Alyssa recently published her first book entitled "Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic". The actress was involved in several movies, including...
- 5/5/2009
- by celebrity-mania.com
- Celebrity Mania
San Sebastian Film Festival
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain -- In The Blue Hour, first-time filmmaker Eric Nazarian focuses on what he calls the "other side" of Los Angeles to demonstrate how tough life can be. However, with an obvious lack of resources and showing no innate filmmaking skill at this stage of his career, Nazarian's observations on the lives of several characters linked by the Los Angeles River evoke little more than boredom in this digital video production.
The presence of Alyssa Milano (in a minor though serious part) may be enough to attract some fans, but the film seems destined to little exposure beyond the festival circuit.
Some inhabitants of the area next to L.A.'s river, which runs along a highway, cross paths frequently without ever getting to know each other: the homeless living on a small island, a Mexican kid who paints graffiti, a couple who just lost their child by accidental drowning and an old man who spends his days next to his wife's grave.
The canvas is pretty well-worn. At least Nazarian does not lack aspiration as he employs a structure such masters as Robert Altman (Short Cuts) and Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia) used to show their own vision of the city. Sadly, the comparison does not profit the newcomer as he is unable truly to interweave these stories to dramatic effect. Putting several characters in a frame and asking the actors to avoid looking at each other cannot suffice to express the loneliness people can experience in a metropolis.
Digital video gives a sense of immediacy and a TV look to what should have been an atmospheric picture. Excessive use of postproduction easy options, such as jump-cuts and dissolves, brings an amateurish touch.
The Blue Hour inspired diverse reactions at its world premiere. While it is rare to see so many people sleep and yawn at a screening, the young audience which follows the New Directors competition gave Nazarian a warm welcome after the film.
THE BLUE HOUR
Blue Hour LLC
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Eric Nazarian
Producers: Lynnette Ramirez, Brian Knappmiller
Executive producer: Nick Slatkin
Director of photography: Sam Levy
Production designer: Tim Grimes
Costume designer: Karen Marting
Music: Aldo Shllaku
Editors: Helen Hand, Emily Koonse
Cast:
Happy: Emily Rios
Allegra: Alyssa Milano
Avo: Yorick van Wageningen
Ridley: Clarence Williams III
Humphrey: Derrick O'Connor
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain -- In The Blue Hour, first-time filmmaker Eric Nazarian focuses on what he calls the "other side" of Los Angeles to demonstrate how tough life can be. However, with an obvious lack of resources and showing no innate filmmaking skill at this stage of his career, Nazarian's observations on the lives of several characters linked by the Los Angeles River evoke little more than boredom in this digital video production.
The presence of Alyssa Milano (in a minor though serious part) may be enough to attract some fans, but the film seems destined to little exposure beyond the festival circuit.
Some inhabitants of the area next to L.A.'s river, which runs along a highway, cross paths frequently without ever getting to know each other: the homeless living on a small island, a Mexican kid who paints graffiti, a couple who just lost their child by accidental drowning and an old man who spends his days next to his wife's grave.
The canvas is pretty well-worn. At least Nazarian does not lack aspiration as he employs a structure such masters as Robert Altman (Short Cuts) and Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia) used to show their own vision of the city. Sadly, the comparison does not profit the newcomer as he is unable truly to interweave these stories to dramatic effect. Putting several characters in a frame and asking the actors to avoid looking at each other cannot suffice to express the loneliness people can experience in a metropolis.
Digital video gives a sense of immediacy and a TV look to what should have been an atmospheric picture. Excessive use of postproduction easy options, such as jump-cuts and dissolves, brings an amateurish touch.
The Blue Hour inspired diverse reactions at its world premiere. While it is rare to see so many people sleep and yawn at a screening, the young audience which follows the New Directors competition gave Nazarian a warm welcome after the film.
THE BLUE HOUR
Blue Hour LLC
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Eric Nazarian
Producers: Lynnette Ramirez, Brian Knappmiller
Executive producer: Nick Slatkin
Director of photography: Sam Levy
Production designer: Tim Grimes
Costume designer: Karen Marting
Music: Aldo Shllaku
Editors: Helen Hand, Emily Koonse
Cast:
Happy: Emily Rios
Allegra: Alyssa Milano
Avo: Yorick van Wageningen
Ridley: Clarence Williams III
Humphrey: Derrick O'Connor
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/4/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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