New movie 'The Killer Inside Me' causes controversy.

Ever since the cinema began there seems to have been controversy about how violent movies can be. The 1960s saw a wave of uproar hit 'Bonnie and Clyde' for it's strong bloody violence. In the 1970s, 'A Clockwork Orange' was banned in the UK for 20 years because of the 'ultra-violent' behaviour of it's young protagonist. The 1980s gave us the birth of video-nasties which caused the media in the UK to go into a frenzy because of the excessive blood and gore. The 1990s had walk-outs at the first screenings of 'Funny Games' at Cannes because of it's hard-hitting, blunt look at the torture of a middle-class family. In the 2000s, there were calls for 'Anti-Christ' to be banned because of it's intense and graphic sexual violence. Now, we're only 3 months into the 2010s and there has already been controversy over Michael Winterbottom's upcoming release 'The Killer Inside Me'.

The film sees Casey Affleck as Lou Ford, a psychotic an corrupt deputy sheriff who abuses women. The violence is allegedly brutal, shocking and utterly disturbing. So much so that a woman at the it's premiere remarked: "I don't understand how you could make this movie. How dare you?" The director responded by saying that the film was intended to shock audiences and he made it as brutal as he could to portray how awful violence really is.

This raises interesting questions as to whether shocking and brutal violence in cinema is immoral if it's done tastefully. If you're going to make a film about violence against women, should the violence be shocking so that it shows the effect it has on people? Or should it not show it to make sure nobody is influenced by it? If you tone it down though, does it just become gratuitous?

I would agree with Michael Winterbottom. In my mind, a film like 'Watchmen' is far more controversial than 'The Killer Inside Me'. While the latter is brutal and attempts to show, realistically, what violent against women is like, 'Watchmen' depicts dismemberment, broken bones, and arcs of blood to a thumping 80s soundtrack, in slow motion and with silly sound effects. This, to me, is far more of an issue than the violence in 'The Killer Inside Me'. The Winterbottom neo-noir takes no pleasure in it's violence while 'Watchmen' seems to use it as something that will 'wow' it's viewers.

The aforementioned 'Funny Games' saw the same kind of uproar as 'The Killer Inside Me' when it showed at Cannes. And, again, I disagree with the controversy. The film contains a 7-minute still shot of a woman crying after her son has been murdered before her eyes. Yes, this is shocking and deeply upsetting. But it also shows just how much of an effect the torturers actions have on the family and puts you in their shoes. Surely, anyone who watches such an unsettling scene wouldn't be attracted to violent behaviour. That, in turn, is the point of Funny Games; to expose that violence has consequences and effects in a way that few other films have done.

I have to echo the wonderful French director Jacques Audiard to conclude this post. Empire Magazine asked him, when referring to a knife scene in 'A Prophet', whether he thought it was too violent. He responded by saying that violence should always be disturbing, because, after all, that's what it is.

By Daniel Sarath with No comments

The Language Of Cinema - Dialogue Or Visuals?

This weekend I had the pleasure of watching the new film from Jean Pierre Jeunet called Micmacs. The thing I found fascinating about this quirky crime comedy is the fact that so little is said throughout the film, yet the story and the characters are as well-presented, well-developed and as involving as any other movie. In many ways, Micmacs is Jeunet's ode to silent cinema. Take the scene above for example; we see the clumsy and lonely nature of Bazil, we see that he has been left poor, and the love interest of the narrative is also developed without any kind of dialogue between the two characters. It's all done through sad piano music, through the shot of Bazil nervously tapping his feet, through the fact that the soles of his shoes are falling off as he taps his feet and through the performances by both actors.

Compare this scene above to a scene from, let's say, Avatar.

In this scene, the audience are told what unobtanium is, told why Parker wants it, are able to see the conflict between Parker and Grace, able to understand what Grace plans to achieve on Pandora and even see the reason why Grace doesn't trust Jake though the dialogue.

So which is more effective in presenting a story to the viewer? An exchange of dialogue or the use of sound, visuals and performance?

In my opinion, it would be the latter. After all, cinema is a visual medium and films shouldn't have to solely rely on dialogue to provide the plot and character details. Sure, it is very occasionally necessary to have dialogue in a movie, but in a scene like the one above from Avatar, I find it the dialogue to be utterly redundant as the important plot and character details provided to the audience could easily be shown rather than told.

Couldn't the performances by Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribsy show the conflict between the characters instead of having an argument? Couldn't Grace's plan to "win the hearts and minds of the natives" and "build school and teach them English" be shown through her actually doing these things instead of being forced into the conversation?

Moreover, I watched the first part of Krzysztof Kieslowski's trilogy, Three Colours Blue, last night. The first 30 minutes are almost dialogue-free yet we are given an incredible insight into the hurt, the loss, the depression and the longing that Julie has after her husband and daughter die in a car crash. Instead of throwing in redundant monologues of her feelings we are presented them in how she tries to overdose on medicine and how she touches an ornament that reminds her of her husband. Instead of being told the details of the crash and it's aftermath we see them through shots of leaking brake fluid and we see the car hit the tree when it can't slow down. We aren't even told that her husband was a famous composer, we are shown it on the television report Julie watches in bed.

Therefore, I believe that film-makers should take influence from Jeunet and Kieslowski and tell their stories through visuals instead of dialogue as much as they possibly can.

By Daniel Sarath with No comments

25 Films To Look Forward To In 2010

25) Winter's Bone

Directed by: Debra Granik

Starring: Jennifer Lawrench, John Hawkes and Lauren Sweester

Winner of the grand jury award at the Sundance film festival earlier this year, Winter's Bone is the story of a girl who sets out to find her father. Those who have seen it have praised it, calling it a deeply moving and unique movie that is as unflinching as it is human. While little is known about the film at this stage and a trailer is yet to be found, Winter's Bone has gathered a lot of wonderful reviews already and is set to be one of the independent breakthroughs in American cinema this year.

24) Animal Kingdom

Directed by David Michod

Starring: Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn and Luke Ford

Another hit from Sundance, Animal Kingdom is a film from down under that shows, once again, Australia's potential to create incredible cinema. However, it's far from being The Proposition, as Animal Kingdom tells the story of a boy who grows up in a crime family during the 1980s, an infamous time for violence in the country. It's an epic tragedy hidden behind the genre conventions of a brutal thriller and it's one that, based on the early reviews of the movie, demands to be seen.

23) The Social Network

Directed by: David Fincher

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake

When the concept for a movie about Facebook’s creators was announced I regarded it as a joke. No way was I even going to give it the time of day. Then, Aaron Sorkin, writer of The West Wing, began to pen the screenplay and I became curious. Shortly after, my curiosity turned to genuine intrigue when David Fincher attached himself to the project. Moreover, I’ve recently heard that the script was leaked and a number of bloggers have showered it with praise. So, now, I’m nothing less than incredibly excited to see just what the hell The Social Network – described by one of the aforementioned bloggers to be about ‘the darker side of Facebook’ - is going to be like.

22) Blue Valentine

Directed by: David Cianfrance

Starring: Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams

An art-house romance movie which looks at the slow break down of a marriage, Blue Valentine is supposed to boast two incredible performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. This alone makes the film worth seeing. It's set for a December release and, therefore, it seems like Gosling and Williams will both be strong contenders at next year's Oscars. Watch this space.

21) The Descendants

Directed by: Alexander Payne

Starring: George Clooney, Beau Bridges and Judy Greer

Alexander Payne captured middle-aged males as well as any psychological study ever could in this masterpiece Sideways. The film showed his immense talent for getting under the skin of his characters and developing them as the story unfolds. However, what makes Payne brilliant is that he does it all with an understated subtlety that very few directors achieve. Plus, he is able to mix comedy with drama equally as well as the legend that is Billy Wilder. The Descendants, his newest film will star George Clooney as a man who tries to reconnect with his daughters when his wife is involves in a boat accident.

20) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Directed by: Neils Arden Oplev

Starring: Lena Endre, Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace

Based on the acclaimed novel, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has already generated sublime reviews calling it exhilarating, tense, thought provoking and disturbing. This Swedish language thriller is a mystery story about a missing girl and the journalist and computer hacker that try to solve the puzzle. The film exposes the misogyny in Swedish culture and will keep you on the edge of your seat through all it's twists, turns and shocks.

19) Let Me In

Directed by Matt Reeves

Starring Kodi-Smit McPhee, Chloe Moretz and Richard Jenkins

An English language remake of the incredible Swedish vampire film Let The Right One In sounds like the most heartbreaking thing that could happen in cinema this year. After all, you just have to look at Hollywood's history of butchering brilliant foreign language films by recreating them for mainstream audiences. However, Matt Reeves, director of Cloverfield, has spoken out a number of time in regards to making the adaptation faithful yet one that still offers something new. He's certainly passionate about the film, but can we trust him and his cast which includes The Road's Kodi-Smit McPhee, the always stunning Richard Jenkins and the young up-and-coming starlet Chloe Moretz? Whether you're for it, against it, or sit on the fence in regards to a Let The Right One In remake, it's hard not to have a strong opinion, which will make Let Me In unmissable.

18) The Company Men

Directed by: John Welles

Starring: Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Mario Bello

Taking one look at the poor cast, it's easy for one to think: "No, thanks!" But, hold on a minute, the film is in the hands of John Welles who wrote a number of episodes of The West Wing as well as the pilot of Shameless. So The Company Men, therefore, demands at least some attention. The film, which saw it's premiere at Sundance, will chronicle the effects that a round of corporate downsizing at a major company has on three men, their families and their communities.

17) The Ghost Writer

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGreggor, Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall

The last time Roman Polanski made a mystery film with political undertones he made Chinatown. Now, if that doesn’t get you excited I don’t know what does. Based on the Robert Harris novel, it tells the story of a ghost writer who uncovers a dangerous secret when writing a former Prime Minister’s memoirs. Opinions of Polanski himself aside, The Ghost Writer has received great reviews from those who have seen it at film festivals and it’s said to be tense, clever and a brilliant metaphor for the British government’s recent history of scandal. Still not your kind of thing? Well, consider this: it even makes Pierce Brosnan look good. Can you think of another director capable of that?

16) Shutter Island

Directed by: Martin Scorcese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams and Max Von Sydow.

I read the novel by Dennis Lehane about a missing criminally insane prisoner on an island some months ago and it gripped me like few other books ever have. However, one of the things I remember thinking as I was reading it was: “If any book should be made into a film it’s this one”. As well as being incredibly cinematic, it’s a mysterious, mind-bending and eerie ode to 1960s paranoia with a great story and a great cast of enigmatic characters. With master-director Scorcese behind the adaptation it’s only fair to assume that Shutter Island will be a brilliant thriller in the vain of The Shining.

15) The Killer Inside Me

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Starring: Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba

It’s release at Sundance caused a wave of controversy regarding its brutal depictions of sexual violence against women. But, well, isn’t sexual violence brutal in real life? Wouldn’t it be worse to glorify the violence by sanitizing it? Regardless of what you’re opinion is, The Killer Inside Me is a neo-noir that is likely to shock, stun and leave you in awe with it’s brutal subject matter and powerful character study of the causes and effects of insanity in a West Texas deputy sheriff. A Clockwork Orange for the new generation? We’ll see.

14) The Conspirator

Directed by: Robert Redford

Starring: Robin Wright Penn, James McAvoy, Justin Long, Tom Wilkinson and Evan Rachel Wood

Robert Redford hasn't really made a good film since Quiz Show in 1994. His newest film, though, will see the legendary film icon capture Robin Wright Penn as the woman charged as a co-conspirator to the murder of Abraham Lincoln. A drama set in post-civil war Washington, The Conspirator looks set to, first of all, have an amazing lead role from Robin Wright Penn, and second of all, be a welcome return to greatness for Redford. What I'm most looking forward to, however, is the performance from British actor Toby Kebbell who is magnificent in everything he appears in yet never gets any recognition. The Dead Man's Shoes and Control actor will play the role of John Wilkes Booth.

13) Betty Anne Waters

Directed by: Tony Goldwyn

Starring: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Juliette Lewis, Minnie Driver and Melissa Leo

Tony Goldwyn's newest film will see Hilary Swank as a working mother who puts herself through law school to defend her wrongfully convicted brother. Swank has won an Oscar before for her portrayal of hope and ambition in Million Dollar Baby so Betty Anne Waters is guaranteed to see her get a nod at next year's Academy Awards. Not only that, but Sam Rockwell, the single most underrated actor of the last two decades, is playing her brother. He's an actor who has the ability to make any picture worth a watch regardless of genre or role and, I pray, it will finally see him gain some recognition at awards season.

12) Buried

Directed by: Rodrigo Cortes

Starring: Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin with only a lighter and a mobile phone and must race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap. That’s just about all we know of this new thriller and, with such an amazing and unique premise, part of me doesn’t want to know any more and ruin the surprise. One thing we can be sure of though is that Buried is going to be a suspenseful, tense and emotional rollercoaster ride in claustrophobia and panic. As Cortes remarked before the premiere at Sundance where film receive stunning reviews: “Take a deep breathe, cause it’s the last one you will take for 90 minutes.”

11) Hereafter

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Starring Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard

The supernatural genre and the Oscars don’t mix very well. The last time they did was a number of years ago for The Sixth Sense and it still didn’t win a single award. But with one of America’s greatest living directors in charge, with a script written by Peter Morgan who is famous for The Queen and Frost Nixon, and with Matt Damon in the leading role, this one is sure to catch the Academy’s eye as well as becoming a huge success. Whether it will be good or not is a different matter, but with a trio like that it’s hard not to expect something stunning.

10) The American

Directed by: Anton Corbijn

Starring: George Clooney

The story of a hired assassin hiding out in a foreign location and waiting for his final job is one that’s, well, let’s be honest, become a little clichéd over the last decade or two. But The American is certainly intriguing nonetheless and the reason why is simple: Anton Corbijn. The director of Control showed in his feature length debut that he is incredible at capturing the emotions of his characters, creating a haunting atmosphere, and telling honest, human stories. Let’s hope The American is no different. The gorgeous set photographs from Italy and Sweden already seem to suggest it’s a lock for cinematography awards at the end of the year and let’s not ignore the fact that it stars Hollywood’s biggest leading man George Clooney. Watch this space because The American could be something wonderful.

9) Somewhere

Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Starring: Stephen Dorff, Benicio Del Toro, Michelle Monaghan and Elle Fanning

Lost In Translation is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's one of the single most atmospheric and quietly touching movies that I've ever seen. However, Sofia Coppola's following film, Marie Antoinette, was poorly received by both viewers and critics alike. But she's back after four years with Somewhere, the story of a hard living actor who is forced to re-examine his life when his daughter arrives on a visit. Very little can be known about the film at such an early stage but if this is a return to form for the daughter of auteur Francis Ford Coppola then I will certainly be there to see it on opening night.

08) Miral

Directed by: Julian Schanabel

Starring: Hiam Abbass, Willem Dafoe and Frieda Pinto

The story of a man’s effort to establish an orphanage in Jerusalem following the creation of the state of Israel. It seems like a fascinating concept and it even stars Hiam Abbass who broke through with a heartbreaking role in The Visitor two years ago. But even if it sounded like the most pointless, dull, terrible story ever conceived in cinematic history and starred Nicholas Cage and Hilary Duff, I’d still anticipate it with child-like excitement for one reason alone: it's directed Julian Schnabel who made The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, arguably one of the most beautiful films ever committed to celluloid. If it’s anywhere close to the beauty of that life-affirming picture then Miral is a definitely going to be one my favourite films of the year.

07) Black Swan

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Nathalie Portman, Mila Cunis, Winona Ryder and Vincent Cassel

I’m still undecided about what to think of Darren Aronofsky. While I found Requiem For A Dream and The Fountain to be pretentious trash, I loved Pi and think The Wrestler will, in years to come, be regarded as a classic film. But regardless of my split opinion on the director’s body of work, I can’t help but think Black Swan is going to be stunning. The story will study the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer and her rival - yes, that’s right, it’s a ballet thriller - and will touch on supernatural and sexual undertones. Could Black Swan be to this decade what Mulholland Drive was to the noughties? Hmm.

06) The King’s Speech

Directed by: Tom Hooper

Starring: Colin Firth, Helena Bohnam Carter, Guy Pearce, Geoffrey Rush and Michael Gambon

Not only has Tom Hooper, who did an admirable job with The Damned United, assembled one of the best British casts in several years for his newest film; he has also developed a concept that sounds absolutely fascinating. An interesting take on the usual ‘monarchy’ genre - as it focusses on King George VI's struggle to fight his speech difficulties - The King’s Speech looks set to be a brilliant picture. Colin Firth, who blossomed into a stunning actor in last years criminally underrated A Single Man, has seemingly landed himself another wonderful role as the aforementioned king. It’s sure to be a contender for the Oscar’s this time next year and it’ll be one not to miss.

05) Selma

Directed by Lee Daniels

Starring Hugh Jackman and David Oyelowo

2009 saw the very first woman win an Oscar for Best Director. Could 2010 see the award go to an African American for the first time? It certainly looks hopeful with Precious director Lee Daniels onboard for the cinematic look at the civil rights marches in the 1960s that would change America forever. With the number of historical stories coming to screen lately, it was only a matter of when the story would hit screens. Yet, still, it’s an ambitious feat for the director and especially for little-known actor David Oyelowo who will be playing Martin Luther King. But I remain optimistic that Selma could be one of the best films of 2010.

04) Inception

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy and Joseph Gordon-Levvitt

A science fiction film set with in the architecture of the mind? What the hell does that even mean? Whatever it means, Christopher Nolan is going to unleash another groundbreaking blockbuster this summer with his film Inception. Whether it will be as good as The Dark Knight or not is a matter we can dispute all day long, but we are guaranteed to be in safe hands with the British director who has before created Memento and The Prestige. Expect to have your mind blown this July.

03) True Grit

Directed by: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin

Whenever the Coen brothers announce they are making new movie, even if it’s simply just the title, it immediately becomes one of my most anticipated released. The thought of the Coen brothers making a western raises my eyebrows just that little bit higher. But the thought of that western being a remake of True Grit starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin pretty much makes their upcoming release an absolute must see. Promising to be closer to the book which is apparently brutal, dark and full of black comedy, True Grit sounds like it could be a welcome return to greatness for the Coen brothers after the disappointing A Serious Man and Burn After Reading.

02) 127 Hours

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Starring: James Franco

You can always count on Danny Boyle to throw a curveball; he’s made a horror film with 28 Days Later, a kids film with Millions, a comedy with Life Less Ordinary, a sci-fi with Sunshine and won an Oscar for his epic fantasy drama Slumdog Millionaire. So what does he do next? He’s filming the story of a mountaineer crushed under a rock for 127 hours. Early reports even suggest that almost an hour of the picture will be, in the vain of There Will Be Blood and 2001: A Space Odyssey, without dialogue for the opening act of the film. Moreover, it will see Boyle and Slumdog writer Simon Beufoy reunited again. It’s another dramatic change of direction for Mr. Boyle and one that I’m ecstatic to experience.

01) The Tree Of Life

Directed by: Terrence Malick

Starring: Sean Penn and Brad Pitt

Because Terrence Malick spends 5 to 10 years perfecting every movie he makes, it’s not so much a matter of whether one of his films will be brilliant or not, it’s more a matter of just how brilliant it’s going to be. Every frame is like a paining, every line is thought provoking and every expression from his actors is so full of depth and emotion. His movies are visual poetry; always so powerful and breathtaking and never conforming to what is custom or clichéd in cinema. The Thin Red Line, Days Of Heaven and Badlands are all in my list of favourite films of all time and The New World is quite likely to place there too after some repeated viewings. The Tree Of Life, however, seems to be the film Malick has always wanted to create having been two decades in the making. Therefore, there is every possibility that it could be his best yet, which would, in turn, place it among the top 20 films ever made. "Anticipation" can’t even begin to describe how excited I am for The Tree Of Life.

By Daniel Sarath with 2 comments