Berlinale Diary - 1

Somewhere in Berlin they sell umbrellas. Yet no matter how many rain-soaked streets Filmbrain walked, he couldn't find a shop that did. Even a massive three-story shopping mall had not a single Regenschirm to be had. So, it was like a wet sheepdog that Filmbrain saw four films on his first full day of the 2005 Berlinale. Here's a brief summary of today's screenings. Longer reviews of the films will come when there's more time, for there's much to say about some of them. Asylum, UK/Ireland David Mackenzie's follow-up to Young Adam is a fairly conventional psychological drama/thriller that has nice elements to it, but is somewhat of a disappointment after the promise of his last feature. The film is set in an asylum in England in the late 1950s. Natasha Richardson, oozing sexuality (which was seemingly just not proper at that time) is bored with her psychiatrist husband, and his berating and belittling attitude. ("Why can't you be like every other wife?") She soon starts a torrid affair with one of the inmates -- a sculptor who murdered his wife. Though it has some nice twists and turns, there's nothing particularly special about the film, save for some fine performances by Richardson, Ian McKellen, and Marton Csokas as the object du lust. Mackenzie attempted to recapture some of the unbridled passion of Young Adam, but it's a bit too slick here. Dear Wendy, Denmark The latest from Thomas (The Celebration) Vinterberg, from a screenplay by Lars von Trier. Like Dogville, this one will no doubt result in even more cries of "anti-American". Jamie Bell, determined to knock that Billy Elliot reputation, once again plays a Southern boy (as he did in Undertow), though of a very different flavor. The film is an interesting (and terribly clever) meditation on America and it's fascination with guns, and it tells the story of a group of young, self-proclaimed losers who possess and obsess over firearms, but are hardcore pacifists. A dark, bitter, absurdist comedy as only the Danes can do. The closing scene is unforgettable. With an incredible soundtrack that features songs by The Zombies (incorporated into the story), Dear Wendy will be one of the most-talked about films of the year, if it ever finds a distributor. (The film is not in competition at Berlin -- it was strictly a market screening.) Eros, Italy/US/China A triptych of erotic films that is meant to be a tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni. The three films, by Antonioni himself, Steven Soderbergh, and Wong Kar-wai are a mixed bag. The Antonioni film is similar to the awful Beyond the Clouds -- beautiful people having beautiful sex in beautiful locales, while spouting pretentious, often pointless dialog. (Fortunately, tomorrow there is a special screening (new print!) of Red Desert -- a reminder of when Antonioni was great.) The Soderbergh film is very good, and stars Alan Arkin and Robert Downey Jr. as a psychiatrist and patient working through a particularly erotic dream. Filmbrain is a big fan of Soderbergh's smaller, less commercial works (Schizopolis, Full Frontal), and this one is no exception. The Wong Kar-wai piece is also quite nice, though it's far from his best work. Lodged somewhere between In the Mood for Love and 2046, the film contains Wong's signature themes of longing and loss, and once again features a beautiful woman in a room (Gong Li), great Chinese pop-songs of the era (the 50's once again), and a thin-mustached leading actor (Chang Chen). Wong-lite, for sure, but still a pleasure to watch. Colour Blossoms, Japan/Korea/Hong Kong Here's a film that seemed to have a lot going for it. An international cast from three Asian countries, based on a famous work of Chinese literature (The Peony Pavilion). Though it is absolutely stunning to look at, what begins as an interesting romantic drama quickly turns into a cheesy erotic S&M fest. Think The Sixth Sense meets The Story of O. There are some nice moments in the film, and perhaps knowledge of the original work might be of some help, but the film is trying to be too many things at once. Again, longer reviews of some of these films will follow when the festival is over. Until tomorrow. . .tschuss!

Comments

[James Russell]

cheesy erotic S&M fest

Isn't the use of the word "cheesy" in the same sentence as "S&M fest" kind of redundant?

As for Antonioni, he's 92 years old and he suffered a paralysing stroke 20 years ago. He's lucky he can still make films at all, and at least he has an excuse for the quality of his work dropping off (not, mind you, that I've ever liked his stuff anyway) that most other declining greats don't have...

[phyrephox]

Oh, "Dear Wendy"! I'm so jealous. It sounds like a far cry from the god-awful "It's All About Love."