USA/Tyskland/Romania/Frankrike/Italia 2007 | Regi: Francis Ford Coppola | Spilletid: 124 min | IMDB

Vi befinner oss i Romania i 1938. En aldrende professor i lingvistikk, Dominic Matei (Tim Roth), går med planer om å begå selvmord da han plutselig blir truffet av et lynnedslag på åpen gate. På mirakuløst vis overlever han, og enda mer mirakuløst er det at lynnedslaget har gjort ham 30 år yngre!

Dominic velsignes også med et unikt intellekt og evne til å ta til seg ny kunnskap. Men han må ligge lavt i terrenget, for både amerikanske krefter og nazistiske forskere vil ha klørne i ham. Og midt opp i alt dette gjenopplever Dominic en ungdommelig forelskelse når han møter en tidligere tapt kjærlighet i vakre Laura, nå gjenfødt som Veronica, i en ny tid med nye muligheter. En tid hvor Dominic tvinges til å ta valg om hva han ønsker med livet sitt.

Youth Without Youth er et forfriskende gjensyn med en overraskende vital Francis Ford Coppola. Det oser av fortellerglede og kreativ skaperkraft man ikke har opplevd fra den kanten siden 80-tallsfilmene The Outsiders og Rumble Fish.

Coppola kaster oss ut i et eventyrlig univers der den røde tråden er vårt forhold til tid, alderdom og bevissthet. Filmen er filosoferende og kompleks, men også et visuelt spennende skue. Stemningen, bildene og teamtikken får tankene til å streife innom både David Lynch og Krzysztof Kieslowski. Det er surrealistisk med flere bisarre elementer, blanding av virkelighet og fantasi, kreativ kamerabruk, alt samlet i en lavbudsjettsproduksjon etter europeisk filmkunsttradisjon. Den konsise fargebruken, lyssettingen og vakre cinematografien skaper en drømmende og sensuell tone det er lett å like. Og jeg likte det veldig godt.

Dessverre blir historien i overkant utflytende og uengasjerende jo lenger filmen varer. Etter hvert er det de filmtekniske kvalitetene, sammen med Tim Roth i hovedrollen, som må dra lasset. Men for all del, dette er en høyinteressant og lekker film absolutt verdt å sjekke ut.

Ainda repercutindo o ótimo filme que assisti ontem, é impossível não notar a presença da atriz romena Alexandra Maria Lara, interpretando a amante de Ian Curtis, Annik Honoré. Fiquei apaixonado durante uma hora de filme.

CAPTION:  Ghengis Khan is all up in this yurt.

So last week I saw that flick Mongol, you know, the new epic about Ghengis Khan made by a Russian director (Sergei Bodrov), starring a Japanese dude (Tadonubo Asano), nominated for an Oscar, and inexplicably released stateside in the middle of the summer movie season.  It was a pretty good movie that held my interest for two hours by exposing me to a culture I know little about and featuring a well played out historical epic story arc complete with requisite kick-ass battle scenes.  Sitting there getting frosty in the air-conditioned theater while the heat and humidity raged outside, I couldn't help thinking this was a movie better suited for the prestigious autumnal season.  With the most gluttonous of film seasons in full swing (is The Dark Knight out yet?), I decided to take a look ahead at my favorite season in film and weather. 

Here I present my list of most anticipated movies for Fall 2008:

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1.  The Miracle at St. Anna  (scheduled release date:  9/26)

The Director:  Spike Lee

The Stars:  Derek Luke, John Leguizamo, James Gandolfini, Joseph Gordon Levitt, some cute Italian kid, Alexandra Maria Lara, and a boatload of other people and familiar faces

The Scoop:  Okay, so I will admit it right here, right now.  I love Spike Lee.  I even liked She Hate Me.  He's a cunning provocateur who's had numerous peaks and valleys in his career but just won't stop no matter what and always seems to get his name in the papers--witness Clint Eastwood telling him recently to "shut his face".  Spike is coming off the most commercially successful film of his long career with Inside Man.  With this adaptation of the novel by James McBride about a group of African-American soldiers trapped in Tuscany during WWII, he's giving us his first epic since Malcom X.    The trailer for this film is a smashing success that manages to sell the film as both a murder mystery and a searing Saving Private Ryan style WWII drama.  This latest Spike Lee Joint has so many great things going for it:  an auteur on the precipice of a personal artistic and commercial Renaissance (much like the one Scorsese recently went through with The Aviator and The Departed); a great storyline that has the potential to provoke discussions of history, race, religion and politics in a historic Presidential election year; and a multi-ethnic cast that includes a cute Italian kid, and as a special bonus for me, the devastatingly seductive Alexandra Maria Lara, whose beauty alone made Francis Ford Coppola's recent debacle Youth Without Youth worth watching.

Watch the trailer:  http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3941007641/

Official Site:  http://www.miraclemovie.com

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2.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  (scheduled release date:  12/19)

The Director:  David Fincher

The Stars:  Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond

The Scoop:  This is the fantastic case of a gimmick film (it tells the not so simple story of a man who ages backwards, folks) with a literary pedigree (adapted from a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald).  I first saw the trailer for this in front of the latest Indiana Jones flick, and the packed house was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.  Its epic scope appears to be a complete departure for director Fincher, and its unique story and images sweep over you in the masterfully crafted trailer-much kudos thus far to the marketing team.  This film has the potential to be monumentally huge or just another curiosity grabbing for Oscar gold at Christmastime.  Will Fincher (robbed of an Oscar nod for Zodiac last year) and uber-star Pitt (robbed last year for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) finally get their due?

CAPTION:  Two Oscars please, my good man!  Oscars for me and the Finch!

Watch the trailer:  http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thecuriouscaseofbenjaminbutton/

Official Site:  http://www.benjaminbutton.com/

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3.  Australia  (scheduled release date:  11/14)

The Director:  Baz Luhrmann

The Stars:  Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Australia!

The Scoop:  Baz the Spazz changes gears completely with this big historical epic depicting heroism and romance against the backdrop of a Japanese attack on Australia during WWII.  The trailer sells the imagery and scope of the film very well, making it look Gone with the Wind Down Under, though the frame story of Kidman telling a fairy tale to the Aborigine girl seems a bit strained (and remarkably similar to Tarsem's The Fall.)  Luhrmann appears to have abandoned his hyper kinetic style for the dreadful sumptuousness that always seems to sell tickets during the big holidays at the end of the year.  Kidman and Jackman certainly look the parts, and lord knows they could both use a big hit.   Will critics be eager to embrace the new Luhrmann after a seven year hiatus?  More than any other film, I think critics have the chance to make or break this one.

Watch the trailer:  http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2917663001/

Official Site:  http://www.australiamovie.com/

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4.  The Soloist  (scheduled release date:  11/21)

The Director:  Joe Wright

The Stars:  Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Jamie Foxx

The Scoop:  Brit Joe Wright atones for his period pieces by making this American set musical biopic.  Downey Jr. is back on the A-list, the director is taking on a genre held in high favor in recent years, and playing a schizophrenic musical genius seems right up Foxx's alley.  There are no trailers or official sites yet, but I can't wait to see what kind of tracking long shots Wright cooks up for this one--I'm picturing a shot the begins with an overhead dolly and travels down and through the crowd and orchestra at a grand concert hall.

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5.  Revolutionary Road  (scheduled release date:  12/26)

The Director:  Sam Mendes

The Stars:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet

The Scoop:  I have to admit, the plot of this one (from a novel by Richard Yates) sounds like a snore-fest:  a young couple in 1950's Connecticut deal with problems and such.  However, Mendes has yet to make a bad film, suburban dystopia is his bread and butter (American Beauty, anyone?), and the reunion of Titanic stars Leo and Kate in a Christmastime release give this film some palpable buzz.  No trailers or official site have appeared yet. 

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Other Films of Interest:

Changeling:  10/31.  The latest from Clint Eastwood has some mixed buzz coming from its Cannes' premier.  This 1920's set psychological thriller about a mother who begins to doubt the identity of her young son who has been returned to her after going missing will have a hard line to tow while it tries to convince people it's not a remake of a horror film with the same name and is instead a prestigious Oscar bid for its uber-star Angelina Jolie.

Defiance:  12/2.  Yet another WWII epic, this one is based on a true story and staring Daniel Craig.  Directed by Edward Zwick, the film of course reeks of quality, and the trailer has been getting some good buzz (at least amongst my friends and family), but it looks nobly cliched to me.  If that new Spike Lee Joint strikes a cord, this runs the risk of being overshadowed as the later release.

Watch the trailer for Defiance:  http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2008154393/

Oh, yeah, there's also a new James Bond flick (Craig again) idiotically entitled Quantum of Solace (11/7), and a wacky crime caper from Oscar darlings the Coen Brothers zanily called Burn After Reading (9/12) and staring, you guessed it, Brad Pitt.

Watch the Quantum of Solace trailer:  http://www.moviefone.com/movie/quantum-of-solace/26922/trailer?trailerId=2150289

2004.  Germany.  Rated R.  Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.  Starring Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouth, Ulrich Matthews, Juliane Kohler, Heino Ferch, Christian Berkl and Thomas Kretschmann.

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A movie that gained some notoriety because of the presence of Adolf Hitler as the central character, the Oscar-nominated 2004 German film Downfall still managed to slip under the radar despite being critically acclaimed.  It is a fiercely interesting, well-produced and acted film, with some absolutely devastating scenes that are hard to watch.  While the subject matter is difficult and not meant for everyone, I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the material or in just seeing a powerful film.

Hitler's name has become so synonymous with evil (and rightly so) that it's easy to forget that he was not a supernatural force, but a human being, albeit a disturbed, sociopathic human being.  It is also a taboo subject, but the truth is that not all the Nazis were inherently bad men, even those in Hitler's inner circle -- they were people not strong enough to avoid succumbing to the environment and responded by blindly followed their leader.  In an era in our country where questioning the actions of the leadership is labeled by many as unpatriotic it is important to see that situation in the extreme.  This is a film that dares its viewers to consider whether there is a difference between evil people and people who do evil things.

Based on a number of novels, particularly the memoirs of Hitler's secretary, Tradul Junge (Lara), Downfall focuses on Hitler's (Ganz) final days holed up in the bunker in Berlin with his mistress Eva Braun (Kohler) and generals and advisers, including Joseph Goebbels (Matthes) and his wife (Harfouch).  The narrative shifts to many points of view, following, in addition to Hitler and his bunker mates, a member of the hitler youth, a pair of doctors, and a rebellious high-ranking soldier (Kretschmann).  It captures the growing dread of everyone that Hitler has completely lost it but how the undying loyalty of a few makes it impossible for the more rational thinkers to have a say.

The film is very well directed and it does really feel like you're there, both in the bunker, and during the war scenes.  Some of it is a ittle too stylized but on the whole the production values are very high.  Hirschbiegel paces it well, and although it's 2 1/2 hours, it never drags, and the transitions between the different focuses is never awkward.

Ganz had the difficult task of walking a fine line between going over the top and keeping Hitler realistic, but not letting him be anywhere close to sympathetic.  On the whole, he succeeds, but there are some moments where he has some trouble, but this is a role with about as high a degree of difficulty as it comes.  Kohler is perfect as the deluded mistress Braun as is Matthes as Goebbels and most of the other performances are solid.  I was a little underwhelmed with Lara as Junge, who ostensibly is the audience surrogate, but she really doesn't do a lot besides look sad and wide-eyed.  The standout performance for me was one of the doctors, as played by Berkl and Ferch as Albert Speer -- they both do a great job of conveying the characters' weariness, intelligence and the defeated nature of once-good men realizing the weight of their actions.

Certainly, the film may humanize some characters who may not deserve it.  It sanitizes some of the more brutal events.  But Downfall, at the least, will make you think -- about people who believe so strongly in any set of beliefs or ideals that they refuse to question them, even in the face of all evidence to the contrary.  About the old saying that all it takes for evil to flourish is good men doing nothing.  And about an important lesson to reinforce time and time again, especially in a country that is at war, that it is always easy to see what "we" are doing as right and what "they" are doing as wrong -- but there are consequences for always thinking that way.

Grade: A-

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O filme nos é contado por Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara). Ela é a secretária particular de Adolfo Hitler (Bruno Ganz). E narra os últimos dias desse ditador confinado num banker de segurança máxima.

Durante o filme fiquei me perguntando porque tantos seguiram um louco como ele. Dá para ver a personalidade desequilibrada do Hitler. Com um baita desvio de caráter. Claro que ele não foi o único monstro nessa história. Aqueles que fecharam as portas aos judeus, também o foram. E infelizmente, o ideal nazista, ainda se encontra e em vários países. Ele ainda tem fãs. Para lamentar ainda mais sobre esse séquito atual - eles chegaram a criar o Revisionismo. Mas deixo como registro aos mais jovens que não caiam nessa balela. Porque o que querem de fato são as terras onde está o Estado de Israel. O Holocausto figura sim nas páginas lamentáveis da História Real da Humanidade.

De tão absurdas que eram as suas leis, em uma das passagem chega a ser engraçada. É a cena do casamento dele com Eva Braun (Juliane Köhler). Com o juíz de paz perguntando a ele se era ariano. E um Oficial presente tentando dizer ao Juiz que é o Hitler que está diante dele. Ou, para o ditador-mor, não há leis que o atinja.

Por outro lado, um dos talentos de Hitler também é focado - sua excelente memória. Algo que também foi mencionado no filme "A Vida Secreta das Palavras". Mostrando o quanto Hitler premeditou o extermínio aos judeus. E mais, que muitos com o passar do tempo esqueceriam essa atrocidade. Eis o trecho:

"Sabe quanto sangue, quantas mortes? Sabe quanto ódio cabe nestas fitas? Sabe por que as gravamos? Antes do holocausto, Adolf Hitler reuniu os seus colaboradores e para convencê-los de que o seu plano funcionaria, perguntou: "Quem se lembra do extermínio armênio?". Foi isso que ele disse. Trinta anos depois, ninguém lembrava que um milhão de armênios tinham sido exterminados da maneira mais cruel possível. Dez ano depois... Quem se lembra do que aconteceu nos Balcãs? Os sobreviventes. Os que, por alguma... virada do destino, viveram para contar."

Até gostaria de rever o filme para uma análise mais detalhada. Inclusive com as passagens dos seus oficiais. Mas confesso que no momento eu não tenho vontade de rever. É uma história real que enoja. Sendo assim, peço que relevem esse texto.

Eu não sei se a Traudl real quis ao contar essa história limpar um pouco a sua passagem nessa história. Sendo secretária... Creio que o querer saber, também conta. Mais do que "o não ver", o de não procurar saber o que se passava de fato. Talvez tenha sido isso o fato dela ter ficado o tempo que ficou como secretária do Hitler. Mesmo assim... Uma lágrima teimou em cair, ao ouvir essa frase: "Que a juventude não é desculpa." Assistindo, entenderão o porque!

É um filme que nos deixa sobre impacto! Sobre vários aspectos, ele com certeza irá mexer com quem assistir. Quer seja por nos mostrar uma parte da História. Quer seja pelas interpretações! O ator que faz o Hitler, merece muitos aplausos!

Por: Valéria Miguez (LELLA)

A Queda - As Últimas Horas de Hitler (Der Untergang). Alemanha. 2004. Direção: Oliver Hirschbiegel. Elenco: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Juliane Köhler. Gênero: Drama, Histórico, Guerra. Duração:156 minutos.

Based on a Mircea Eliade work. For those who don't know, Mircea Eliade was one of the most interesting philosophers and anthropologists of the XXth century. The film is directed by Francis Ford Coppola with a brilliant cast: Tim Roth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, Andre M. Hennicke, Marcel Iures, Alexandra Pirici...

You need at least some basic knowledge of philosophy to get the most out of this film so it's a delicious film for those of you who study or studied humanistics (philosophy, linguistics, philology, anthropology, human geography, classical languages, archaeology, etnography, religion, literature and such). But don't let that stop you. It has something for everyone. Beautiful and moving. Wonderful if you like to use your brain.

Official website

En plena Guerra Fría, las dos Superpotencias juegan un peligroso juego de estrategia, en la que sus piezas son las vidas de millones de personas en los cinco continentes. En este juego el engaño lo es todo, pero corres peligro de perderte en un páramo de espejos, donde no sabes si lo que tienes delante es la realidad o solo un reflejo de algo que podría ser cierto. Este es el escenario en el que se desarrolla "The Company", una miniserie para la televisión desarrollada por TNT en 2007, la cual recorre de forma muy particular los primeros 40 años de historia de la CIA... la Compañía.

Protagonizada por Chris 'ex Robin' O'Donnell, Michael 'ex Batman' Keaton, Alfred Molina, Alessandro Nivola, Rory Cochrane, Natascha McElhone, Alexandra Maria Lara, Erika Marozsán, Tom Hollander y Ulrich Thomsen, la miniserie "The Company", del director Mikael Salomon, fue estrenada en televisión en 2007 y, si la memoria no me falla, no tuvimos la oportunidad de tenerla en la TV Cable chilensis... una lastima, sin embargo, gracias al democrático y todopoderoso DVD le podemos dar una mirada a una entretenida e interesante visión del mundo del espionaje.

La CIA nace poco después del fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, creciendo debido al alimento constante que significaba la escalada de tensión entre Occidente y la Unión Soviética. La intención, sea por Seguridad Nacional, sea simplemente por una paranoia enfermiza por saber que hacía el otro bando, propició el nacimiento de agencias como aquella, como la KGB o como MI6 (en Gran Bretaña) y también la aparición de "los topos", agentes infiltrados en el corazón de las agencias de inteligencia cuya única intención era informar a sus controles sobre los movimientos de sus enemigos o entregar información falsa. En este mundo de mentiras y caretas, ambos bando luchan por que el lado bueno (el que ellos representan) gane por sobre el otro y para lograrlo utilizará cualquier medio que tengan a mano. Asistimos a una partida de ajedrez global, en la que los agentes de la CIA Jack McCauliffe (Chris O'Donnell), Harvey Torriti (Alfred Molina), James Angleton (Michael Keaton) y Leo Kritzky (Alessandro Nivola), se enfrentará a su contraparte soviética en las calles de Budapest, en las playas de Cuba y en el corazón del poder en Washington D.C. y Moscú, para darse cuerta de una realidad inalterable durante el tiempo, existe un topo al interior de la Compañía, razón por la cual los "Rojos" saben desde antes los movimientos de EE.UU. Es en medio de esta cacería al interior de la Agencia y sus brutales revelaciones lo que lleva a pensar a McCauliffe si el lado en que se encuentra es realmente el lado de los buenos y si es que de verdad vale la pena tantas décadas de sacrificio.

The Company es una entretenida miniserie de tres capítulos, muy bien ambientada y con actuaciones sorprendentes. Molina es un consagrado, mientras que O'Donnell y Keaton recuperan su carrera exitosa luego de varios intentos fallidos, es de esperar que sigan así ya que en esta producción demuestran que le hacen bien al cine, en especial Keaton que nos regala una de sus mejores actuaciones. Los personajes secundarios cuentan también con fuerza y convicción, como la frágil muchacha que interpreta la bellísima Alexandra Maria Lara, la dura y adolorida rebelde interpretada por Natascha McElhone y el calculador Starik, interpretado por Ulrich Thomsen. Cochrane, Nivola y Hollander también entregan mucho en sus actuaciones, lo cual nos permite estar ante una de las más convincentes miniseries de espionaje del último tiempo.

El gran pecado de The Company es su duración, ya que cuesta asumir que cuarenta años de historia de la CIA puedan ser contados de forma eficiente en 360 minutos, de todas formas cumplen con entregarnos un relato coherente y atractivo, en especial desde la parte final del primer capítulo y tras sortear varios minutos de un, a ratos, desesperantemente lenta puesta en escena. The Company, aunque carece de profundidad y credibilidad en algunas áreas (es dificil pensar que un mismo grupo reducido de agentes haya participado de todos y cada uno de los momentos más importantes de la Agencia), es un interesante producto que nos hacen llegar los productores de la TNT y sin duda vale la pena verla. Eso sí, hay que averiguar quién fue el ignorante que escribió los subtítulos, ya que en muchas partes del metraje tiene errores imperdonables como traducir "3 Days Ago" como "Hace 3 Años", por ejemplo.

TRAILER: THE COMPANY

Por alguna razón que va más allá de mi comprensión, no puedo poner el trailer en esta página, así que si desean verlo tienen que hacer click AQUÍ para acceder al video en YouTube.

FICHA TÉCNICA
Nombre: "The Company"
Año: 2007
Duración: 285 minutos app., divididos en tres episodios
Dirigida por: Mikael Salomon
Escrita por: Ken Nolan
Basada en la novela de: Robert Littell
Protagonizada por: Chris O'Donnell, Michael Keaton, Alfred Molina, Alessandro Nivola, Rory Cochrane, Natascha McElhone, Alexandra Maria Lara, Erika Marozsán, Tom Hollander y Ulrich Thomsen
Producida por: TNT

Baader, Meinhof und Ensslin gründen die Rote-Armee-Fraktion und erklären der Bundesrepublik Deutschland den Krieg. Die Brutalität ihrer Terrorkampagnen eskaliert. Es gibt Tote und Verletzte. Der Mann, der ihre Taten zwar nicht billigt, aber dennoch versucht zu verstehen, ist auch ihr Jäger: Der Leiter des Bundeskriminalamtes Horst Herold (Bruno Ganz). Obwohl er große Fahndungserfolge verbucht, ist er sich bewusst, dass die Polizei allein die Spirale der Gewalt nicht aufhalten kann.

Die Darsteller

• Martina Gedeck als Ulrike Meinhof
• Moritz Bleibtreu als Andreas Baader
• Johanna Wokalek als Gudrun Ensslin
• Bruno Ganz als Horst Herold
• Jan Josef Liefers als Peter Homann
• Alexandra Maria Lara als Petra Schelm
• Heino Ferch als Assistent von Horst Herold
• Nadja Uhl als Brigitte Mohnhaupt
• Hannah Herzsprung als Susanne Albrecht
• Niels Bruno Schmidt als Jan-Carl Raspe
• Stipe Erceg als Holger Meins
• Daniel Lommatzsch als Christian Klar
• Vinzenz Kiefer als Peter-Jürgen Boock
• Volker Bruch als Stefan Aust
• Bernd Stegemann als Hanns Martin Schleyer
• Sebastian Blomberg als Rudi Dutschke
• In weiteren Rollen sind u.a. Tom Schilling, Simon Licht, Katharina Wackernagel, Anna Thalbach, Jasmin Tabatabai und Hans-Werner Meyer zu sehen.

Produzent und Drehbuchautor Bernd Eichinger bringt für Constantin Film Stefan Austs Standardwerk über den RAF Terrorismus "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex" auf die Kinoleinwand. Regisseur Uli Edel inszeniert die dramatischen Ereignisse, die von 1967 bis zum "Deutschen Herbst" 1977 die demokratischen Grundpfeiler der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ins Wanken brachten.

Der Film wird gefördert von dem FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, dem Bayerischen Bankenfonds, der Filmförderungsanstalt, dem deutschen Filmförderfonds und dem Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. Als Sender sind NDR/BR/WDR/Degeto an dem Projekt maßgeblich beteiligt.

Kinostart: 25. September 2008 im Verleih der Constantin Film

Ein rechtzeitiger Tod ist der Freund des Musikers. Das zumindest liegt nahe, wenn man sich die Karrieren und die Berühmtheit einiger Musiker ansieht. Ganz so ist es natürlich nicht. Gewaltigen Einfluss hat auch die Musik, die der Künstler vor seinem Ableben produziert hat. Im Falle von Joy Division, deren Sänger Ian Curtis in Control porträtiert wird, kommt hinzu, dass aus der Band nach dem Tode Curtis` New Order hervor gingen, die den Namen Joy Division erst bedeutsam machten. Nun weiß man freilich nicht, was aus Joy Division ohne die tragischen Ereignisse um Curtis noch geworden wäre. Eigentlich handelt es sich bei Joy Division um eine Art Eintagsfliege, die eben den großen Hit Love Will Tear Us Apart landeten und es auf eher magere zwei Alben schafften.

Ein Fan von Joy Division war der Anton Corbijn, der angeblich wegen der Band nach Manchester zog und Musikerfotograf wurde. Später drehte er Musikvideos für viele bedeutende Künstler. Nun wagte er sich an ein Porträt von Ian Curtis und bekam Unterstützung von dessen Ex-Frau und seiner Geliebten. Eine ziemlich genaue Rekonstruktion der Ereignisse schien also gewährleistet. Man fragte sich, ob die filmische Umsetzung interessant würde.

Corbijn drehte in Schwarz/Weiß. Seine Bilder zeugen von fotografischem Können. Jede Einstellung ist fantastisch anzusehen. Man könnte meinen, es wurden einfach Fotografien zu einem Film zusammengesetzt. Der Film sieht wirklich gut aus. Das Gehirn verbindet mit den S/W-Aufnahmen automatisch etwas Historisches und teils auch Düsteres, was eine ganz spezielle Atmosphäre schafft, die der Musik von Joy Division relativ nahe kommt. Zumindest optisch ist Corbijn nichts vorzuwerfen.

Dem Film fehlt es aber an Substanz. Die eigentliche Bandgeschichte gibt nicht viel her, bei der Beschreibung des Seelenlebens von Curtis konnten die Macher nur spekulieren. Es war nie wirklich klar, was in Curtis vorging, warum er sich letztendlich umbrachte. In dieser Hinsicht bringt auch das Drehbuch auf der Handlungsebene nichts Neues. Einzig und allein Curtis-Darsteller Sam Riley ist es zu verdanken, dass man eine Bindung zur Hauptfigur bekommt. Der hervorragend besetzte und brillant agierende Riley sieht nicht nur Curtis verdammt ähnlich, er verschafft seiner Figur auch so etwas wie emotionale Tiefe. Ähnliches kann man von Alexandra Maria Lara leider nicht behaupten. Sie spielt die Freundin von Curtis und darf nicht mehr, als ihm schöne Augen zu machen. In den mit Piepsstimme vorgetragenen Dialogen zwischen den Beiden herrscht Substanzlosigkeit und emotionale Tristesse. Überhaupt scheinen die Dialoge aus dem Katalog für Daily Soaps entnommen zu sein. Hier macht sich Corbijn einiges kaputt, was er sich technisch aufgebaut hat. Ebenso trüben einige erzählerische Längen den Gesamteindruck.

Control ist optisch sehr gut umgesetzt, kann auf emotionaler Ebene aber nicht das halten, was er mit seinem Titel verspricht, nämlich den Kontrollverlust seiner Hauptfigur spürbar zu machen. Als schön anzusehendes Künstlerporträt mit einem gut aufgelegten Hauptdarsteller taugt der Film allemal. Wer sich weder für die Musik noch für schöne S/W-Bilder interessiert, kann sich den Film getrost sparen.

6/10 Pillen zur Entwöhnung

(auch auf kino.de)

O.k., dachte ich im Artikel "Neve Campbell: Nackt-Bilder Fake?", wurde ich nun eines Besseren belehrt.

Die komplette Szene aus "I Really Hate My Job" gibt es jetzt bei YouTube und zeigt Neve in voller Pracht und in einer richtig langen Full-Frontal-Nackt-Szene. Es soll aber nicht unerwähnt bleiben, dass sie dabei nicht mal schlecht und recht dramatisch schauspielert.

Hier die Clip:

UPDATE: Der Clip steht nicht mehr zur Verfügung. Vielleicht einfach mal selbst auf YouTube suchen!

Ach ja, ganz übersehen habe ich zudem, dass auch die deutsche Schauspielerin Alexandra Maria Lara in dem Film eine Hauptrolle hat. Sie ist zwar im Clip zu sehen, allerdings nicht nackt :-)

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This year, nineteen films will compete for the Palme d'Or:

• Adoration, directed by Atom Egoyan (Canada).
• The Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood (USA).
• The Argentine (Che), directed by Steven Soderbergh (Spain/USA).
• The Palermo Shooting, directed by Wim Wenders (Italy).
• Linha de Passe, directed by Walter Salles (Brazil).
• 24 City, directed by Jia Zhangke (China).
• A Christmas Story, directed by Arnaud Desplechin (France).
• Delta, directed by Kornel Mondruczo (Hungary/Germany).
• Gomorra, directed by Matteo Garrone (Italy).
• Il Divo, directed by Paolo Sorrentino (Italy).
• La Mujer Sin Cabeza, directed by Lucretia Martel (Argentina/Spain).
• La Frontiere De L'Aube, directed by Philippe Garrel (France).
• Le Silence De Lorna, directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (France/Belgium).
• Leonera, directed by Pablo Trapero (Argentina/South Korea).
• My Magic, directed by Eric Khoo (Singapore).
• Three Monkeys, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey/France/Italy).
• Serbis, directed by Brillante Mendoza (Philippines).
• Synecdoche, New York, directed by Charlie Kaufman (USA/France).
• Waltz With Bashir, directed by Ari Folman (Israel).