Karlovy Vary Film Fest '07 Preview

Written by Jason Pirodsky
for Expats.cz

The Good Night: advanced word has been mostly positive for Jake Paltrow´s debut feature, which has drawn comparisons to Lynch and Gondry. Martin Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Penelope Cruz, Danny DeVito and Simon Pegg star.

Vratné lahve: bittersweet, loving film from Jan Svěrák about an aging schoolteacher who takes a new job sorting bottles at the local supermarket. Only Czech official selection in competition, but has little chance of winning much.

Mýrin (Jar City): “the biggest Icelandic box-office hit of all time” sounds fascinating from the festival guide description, though I have little else to go on. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur (101 Reykjavík).

Delirious: US indie favorite Tom Dicillo (Johnny Suede and Living in Oblivion are legitimate indie classics) returns after years in standstill with this film about a paparazzi and a homeless man. Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Alison Lohman, Minnie Driver, Elvis Costello star.

My Kid Could Paint That: Perhaps the highest-profile documentary in competition at this year´s fest, Amir Bar-Lev´s film looks at Marla Olmstead, a 4-year old artist whose work had been compared to that Kandinsky and Pollock, only to be ‘debunked´ shortly thereafter by the same crowd that initially praised her. Very well-received at Sundance; looks fascinating.

California Dreamin’ (Nesfarsit): Talented Romanian director Cristian Nemescu´s debut feature was also his last; the 27-year old was killed in a car crash shortly after filming wrapped. Film, about a US military unit stuck in a small town during the Kosovo War, has garnered considerable praise and looks to be a must-see. Armand Assante stars as the captain of the US squadron.

Pravidla lži: one of the best Czech films from the past year; see my review here.

4 luni, 3 săptămâni şi 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days): the second must-see Romanian film at this year´s fest, Cristian Mungiu´s tale of an illegal abortion during the final years of communism in Romania won the Palme D´Or at Cannes in May.

Soom (Breath): festival favorite Kim Ki-Duk always has a film playing at Karlovy Vary; this one, about a prisoner on death row and the woman who decorates his cell, should please fans of the quickly-becoming-prolific director.

Le scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly): Julian Schnabal (Before Night Falls) took home best director at Cannes for this true story of Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who become paralyzed at 43 after a stroke. Film is based on Bauby´s autobiography, published in 1997 shortly before his death.

Auf der anderen Seite (The Edge of Heaven): Fatih Akin (In July, Head-On) has achieved a new level of praise for his latest film, about Turkish immigrants in Germany. Variety´s Derek Ellery proclaims: “The point at which a good director crosses the career bridge to become a substantial international talent is vividly clear”

Import/Export: The latest from always-controversial director Ulrich Seidl.

Mister Lonely: A story surrounding the lives of celebrity look-alikes, from Harmony Korine, the director of Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy. Starring Diego Luna, Samantha Morton, Werner Herzog, David Blaine. Limited advance word, but should be interesting, if nothing else.

Mogari no mori (The Mourning Forest): surprise winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes this year, Naomi Kawase´s film looks at the journey of a caregiver and her elderly patient.

Centochiodi (One Hundred Nails): the latest from eclectic director Ermanno Olmi; disappointing advance reviews.

Miryang (Secret Sunshine): Lee Chang-dong´s gritty drama about a widow whose son is kidnapped; Jeon Do-yeon took home best actress at Cannes for her lead role.

Du levande (You, the Living): Roy Andersson´s follow-up to the highly acclaimed Songs from the Second Floor has received a similarly warm critical reception thus far.

Angel: François Ozon´s newest hasn´t pleased critics, but the film, about an eccentric British writer and based on Elizabeth Taylor´s novel, demands interest nonetheless.

Away From Her: Feature debut from actress Sarah Polley, taking a sensitive look at Alzheimer’s disease, has received a warm critical and audience reception.

Belle toujours: Manoel de Oliveira will turn 100 next year, and he´s still cranking out features. This one, a playful sequel/homage to Bunel´s Belle Du Jour, isn´t even his latest; he´s completed another since and has two more in production. Amazing; and though they´re light, his films are always pleasant and enjoyable.

Ejforija (Euphoria): experimental feature from Russian director Ivan Vyrypayev looks interesting.

Factory Girl: George Hickenlooper´s tale gives us an affecting portrayal of Edie Sedgwick, but a rather disappointing look into Andy Warhol and his “Factory”, despite a terrific performance by Guy Pearce as Warhol.

Fay Grim: eclectic US indie director Hal Hartley is back with a sequel of sorts to one of his greatest successes, Henry Fool; film opened to a chilly reception stateside.

Le voyage du ballon rouge (Flight of the Red Balloon): Thai director Hou Hsiao Hsien´s French-language debut, starring Juliette Binoche and based on Albert Lamorisse’s 1956 classic The Red Balloon.

Nuovomondo (The Golden Door): Emanuele Crialese´s highly acclaimed film looks at a family´s journey from Sicily to America.

Hana yori mo naho: Hirokazu Kore-eda´s film about a contemplative samurai seeking revenge.

Idlewild: OutKast musical set in the prohibition-era South; opened last fall in the US to mixed reviews.

Inland Empire: David Lynch´s latest is the highlight of the fest for me (and many others); this three-hour journey with Laura Dern looks fascinating and has been called a masterpiece by more than a few reviewers.

Interview: Steve Buscemi-directed film about an interview between a journalist and a soap opera star. Remake of the film by the same name by murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gough.

Irina Palm: well-received comedy-drama starring Marianne Faithfull as a grandmother who takes a job in a strip club to raise money for her grandson´s life-saving operation.

Curs (Private Fears in Public Places): the latest from master French director Alain Resnais.

Venus: Roger Michell´s film about love and lust in old age features a masterful performance by the great Peter O´Toole.

The Killing of John Lennon: Authentic look into the disturbed mind of Mark David Chapman, from director Andrew Piddington.

This Is England: Shane Meadows´ partly-biographical tale of early ‘80s England and life among skinheads has been extremely well-received.

La antenna: Esteban Sapir´s ode to silent cinema sounds fascinating.

The Hottest State: actor-director Ethan Hawke has adapted his own novel for this film about a Texas actor trying to make it in NYC; mixed-to-positive critical reception.

Savage Grace: Julianne Moore stars in this film based on the Barbara Daly Baekeland murder case. Tom Kalin directs, from the novel by Natalie Robins. Variety didn´t like it, but the subject matter is fascinating.

Smiley Face: sometimes-controversial director Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin) tackles a light druggie comedy here, following the adventures of Anna Faris after eating some pot brownies.

True North: Peter Mullan stars as a member of a Scottish ship struggling with the decision to smuggle illegal aliens into the country. Steve Hudson directs.

Gwoemul (The Host): excellent modern-day monster movie sets a precedent for Hollywood to follow. Joon-ho Bong´s film is full of suspense, believable situations, characters we care about…and a slimy, thirty-foot long genetically mutated fish that eats people and rampages through the city. Excellent FX, to boot.

Black Sheep: Yes, killer sheep rampage through Jonathan King´s New Zealand horror-comedy, which has received widely approving reviews and looks to further carve out the niche popularized by Shaun of the Dead.

Dněvnoj dozor (Day Watch): sequel to Night Watch, the wildly successful, FX-heavy Russian franchise starter, should please fans of the original but doesn´t look to win any new converts. Opened to highly impressive numbers in its homeland.

Fido: what can go wrong when a boy befriends a six-foot zombie? Andrew Currie’s comedy-horror stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Billy Connolly, and others in this tale of a boy and his rotting corpse.

Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof: the better half of Grindhouse, which, as an experience, I would give the highest rating; but they really lost something when they split up the two films (the other being Robert Rodriguez´s Planet Terror) for international release. Still, Tarantino´s feature alone is just as fun as watching an old drive-in flick like Gone in Sixty Seconds or Dirty Mary Crazy Larry; it´s just missing the irony that the rest of Grindhouse provided.

Other Selections

Shochiku Nouvelle Vague: seven little-seen films from early 1960´s Japan, featuring work by directors Nagisa Oshima, Masahiro Shinoda, and Yoshishige (Kiju) Yoshida.

New Hollywood: eight absolute, must-see-theatrically classics: Lucas´ American Graffiti, Malick´s Badlands, Coppola´s The Conversation, Ashby´s Harold and Maude, Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show, Scorsese´s Mean Streets, Spielberg´s The Sugarland Express, and – my favorite selection here, an underseen classic that deserves to be mentioned with the others – Monte Hellman´s Two-Lane Blacktop.

Tribute to William Wyler: three of pioneering director William Wyler´s classics with Bette Davis: The Letter, The Little Foxes, and Jezebel.

Tribute to Břetislav Pojar: The short films of acclaimed Czech animator Břetislav Pojar, who has been working since the late 1940´s and recently contributed to Fimfárum 2, are being presented this year as a special selection.

Treasures from the National Archive: Fritz Lang´s groundbreaking semi-serial, The Spiders, is presented in two parts here.