2013 Foreign Language Academy Award Submissions

Tell me what you think!

Mads Mikkelsen in "Jagten"

I know I would be upset if Michael Haneke wins... and disappointing to see Denmark's official entry is not Jagten... but hoping to see if Mads Mikkelsen bringing home some Oscar ...

"Amour"

http://www.indiewire.com/article/complete-list-of-announced-2012-foreign-language-academy-award-submissions

"Point Blank"

I am so glad to hear that the new French movie "Point Blank" (2010) - À Bout Portant by Fred Cavayé is going to be released in Los Angeles and New York this month.

It is an action thriller movie starring Gilles Lellouche who is now a rising main role actor who has been in fact in the movie industry for a long time and was known for the best co-star often supporting the main character in the movie. Other cast include Gérard Lanvin and Roshdy Zem.


Synopsis: Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief (Roschdy Zem) whose henchmen take Samuel's pregnant wife (Elena Anaya) hostage to force him to spring their boss from the hospital. A race through the subways and streets of Paris ensues, and the body count rises. Can Samuel evade the cops and the criminal underground and deliver his beloved to safety? (IMDb)

Synopsis (FR): Tout va pour le mieux pour Samuel et Nadia : lui est bientôt infirmier et elle, attend son premier enfant. Mais tout bascule lorsque Nadia se fait kidnapper sous l'oeil impuissant de Samuel. A son réveil, son portable retentit : il a trois heures pour sortir de l'hôpital dans lequel il travaille un homme sous surveillance policière. Le destin de Samuel est désormais lié à celui de Sartet, une figure du banditisme activement recherchée par tous les services de police. S'il veut revoir sa femme vivante, Samuel doit faire vite.. (AlloCiné)


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

USA: In Theaters in L.A. and New York,  July 29, 2011

"The Trip"

Here is one movie I really want to see this week. "The Trip" (2010) by Michael Winterbottom.


Just by watching the trailer itself was already funny to me. British countryside, gourmet food and British humor, what more can I ask for!


I am just in the perfect mood for this.
Stay tuned for more comment :)


Synopsis: When Steve Coogan is asked by The Observer to tour the country's finest restaurants, he envisions it as the perfect getaway with his beautiful girlfriend. But, when she backs out on him, he has no one to accompany him but his best friend and source of eternal aggravation, Rob Brydon. As the brilliant comic duo, freestyling with flair, drive each other mad with constant competition and showdowns of competing impressions (including dueling Michael Caines, Sean Connerys and Al Pacinos), the ultimate odd couple realize in the end a rich amount about not only good food, but the nature of fame, relationships and their own lives. (IFC.com)

Official Site & Trailer: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-trip


USA: In Theater Now
USA: VOD on June 22, 2011

"Another Earth"

When I was about to give up on the summer movies...
Here it is, a cool and mysterious preview I saw at the theater the other day: "Another Earth" (2011) by Mike Cahill, seemingly a new director.
The preview looked good. I didn't know anything about this film so it was even better!

It seems like there will be many movies about the end of the world this year including the film "Melancholia" (2011) by Lars von Trier.

So excited. Can't wait to see it  and hope it will be a good one.

Synopsis: In another Earth, Rhoda Williams, a bright young woman accepted into MIT's astrophysics program, aspires to explore the cosmos. A brilliant composer, John Burroughs, has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child. On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined. (Fox Searchlight)

Official Site & Trailer: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/anotherearth/


USA: In Select Theaters July 22, 2011

Tintin Tintin Tintin!!!!!!!

Here is the trailer of "The Adventure of Tintin: The Secret of Unicorn" by Steven Spielberg.
It is weird seeing the live-animation of Tintin, spooky is more like it. But I love Tintin so I would give a shot.

Synopsis: Tintin and his friends discover directions to a sunken ship commanded by Capt. Haddock's ancestor and go off on a treasure hunt. (IMDb)

Official Site: http://www.tintin.com/



US Release Date: December 23, 2011

"The Eighth Day"

"Rebirth" or "The Eighth Day" (2011) - Yôkame no Semi 八日目の蝉 by Izuru Narushima is a Japanese movie based on the book by Mitsuyo Kakuta.

I have seen the TV version of this story which was aired on NHK by the same title last year.
The story is about a woman who lost her baby by the request of her lover who is a family man, kidnaps his baby. She raises the girl for five years which was the happiest time of her life until it ends...

The TV version was so well done, I loved it. I am not sure how they fit the whole 5 years into some 90 mins movie. I hope I can see it on DVD very soon.


TV Official Website: http://www.nhk.or.jp/drama/semi/

Yôkame no Semi TV

Official Website & Trailer: http://www.youkame.com/index.html



Japan Release Date: April 29, 2011


US Release Date Not Available

"Super 8"

It is almost one month away, the new film by J.J. Abrams "Super 8" will be released in the USA.


It looks like another mysterious monster visit. But by watching the trailer, I don't think we will get any motion sickness this time.


I am sure it will be a fun Summer movie and love the poster.


Synopsis: After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon. (IMDb)


Official Site & Trailer: http://www.super8-movie.com/



Coming Soon to Theater near you on June 10th, 2011

"Melancholia"

Here is another film showing at the Cannes 2011.

"Melancholia" (2011) by Lars von Trier. His last film "Antichrist" (2009) was quite shocking for some people (not for me) and much talked about. Anyway this year's film "Melancholia" has a bit of Sci-Fi touch, and surprising to me Hollywood actors Kirsten Dunst and Kiefer Sutherland are among the main casts... Hmmm

The trailer looks good. Charlotte Gainsbourg is getting better and better as an actress, and Charlotte Rampling is adding the mysterious mood to the movie and is great as always.

I can't wait to see it!

Synopsis: Two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth. (IMDb)


Official Site & Trailer: http://www.melancholiathemovie.com/

US Release Date: November 4, 2011

Summer Movies

I saw some interesting previews tonight. Here are two movies I am interested in seeing this summer.

"Apollo 18" (2011) by Gonzalo López-Gallego. It is an Hollywood movie directed by a Spanish filmmaker. Story line is about the real space mission in 1970s which was cancelled by NASA... I love the tag line "THERE'S A REASON WE'VE NEVER GONE BACK TO THE MOON". The preview looked good.

Official Site & Trailer: http://apollo18movie.net/

US Release Date: Aug 26, 2011

The second one is "One Day" (2011) by Lone Scherfig. This is also an Hollywood movie, but directed by a Danish filmmaker and filmed in UK... This director is known for the movie "An Education" (2009) which was a good film.

My question is about the main character choice... was Anne Hathaway really the best choice for this movie? She is faking the British accent! Wasn't there a better British actress for her part? I am so sure there was...

Love the poster though!

Official Site & Trailer: http://focusfeatures.com/one_day

US Release Date: Aug 19, 2011

"GANTZ"

I saw the trailer of the Japanese movie "Gantz" in theater last December. Unfortunately I missed the US release in January, because I wasn't interested in seeing it back then...
But I just saw "Another Gantz" on TV and now I want to see the theatrical version!


Synopsis: Gantz (ガンツ Gantsu) is a Japanese manga and anime series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. Gantz tells the story of Kei Kurono and his friend Masaru Kato who die in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous “game” in which they and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens armed with a handful of futuristic items of equipment and weaponry. (Wikipedia)

Weekend: May 6

Here are two movies I want to see this weekend.

"Last Night" (2011) by Massy Tadjedin with Keira Knightley. The story is about a married couple who spends a night apart one day and their relationship and trust get tested...
I simply want to see it because Guillaume Canet is in it... 
Why not?


Synopsis: "The story follows a married couple, apart for a night while the husband takes a business trip with a colleague to whom he's attracted. While he's resisting temptation, his wife encounters her past love." (IMDB)

Another movie I want to see is "Poetry" - Shi by Lee Chang-dong which won the Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival 2010. He also directed the amazing film "Secret Sunshine" (2007) - Milyang which was nominated for the Palm d'Or and the actress Do-yeon Jeon won the Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival 2007. I missed it at the AFI last year and I am looking forward to seeing it.


Synopsis: "... On a whim, Mija enrolls in a poetry class at the local cultural centre and begins a personal quest to find the perfect words to describe her feelings. However, she’s plagued by the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and struggles with new vocabulary and the challenges of the creative process. When her world is turned upside down by the discovery of a monstrous crime, it is Mija’s unique and touching poetry that allows her to defy the weight of shame and distance herself from a painful proximity to violence." Read more... (Toronto International Film Festival)

"Last Night" in Theater Now


"Poetry" in Theater Now (US Release May 6, 2011)


"Secret Sunshine" DVD Coming Soon

"The Tree of Life"

"The Tree of Life" (2011) by Terrence Malick is one of the Official Competitions at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The story sets in 1950's, centers around a family with three boys.
The trailer looks superb. I am so looking forward to seeing it.


So far this is the first runner for the Palm d'Or, so I hear. But who knows, some new comer might grab it without any explanation like how it happened last year with "Uncle Boonmee who can Recall His Past Lives" by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.


US Theatrical Release Date: May 27th, 2011

Cannes Film Festival Season!

The official poster from the Cannes Film Festival 2011

Once again, it is the time of the year. Cannes Film Festival will open next week!


This year's official selection is revealed. There are some interesting ones. I just don't get it (sorry) why they chose "Midnight in Paris" (2011) by Woody Allen as the opening film...

Pedro Almodovar's "The Skin that I Live In"

The one that I am most looking forward to see is the latest film of Pedro Almodovar, "The Skin that I Live In" (2011) - La Piel Que Habito. It is based on a novel "Mygale" - Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet and screen adaptation by Pedro Almodovar. And the surprising cast of Antonio Banderas adds the interest to the movie. I am very glad that Antonio Banderas is now back to his root. He was a very talented actor in his Spanish era. And he should stay that way. Please do not waste your time in Hollywood, it is not for you.

"The Skin that I Live In" Teaser

Synopsis: A plastic surgeon, played by Antonio Banderas, in hunt for the men who raped his daughter.


Cannes Film Festival: From May 11 - May 22, 2011


Update: "The Skin that I Live In" will be released in the US, New York and Los Angeles, in November 2011. (5.2.11)


The Official Site: http://www.sonyclassics.com/theskinilivein/

"Norwegian Wood"

"Norwegian Wood" by Tran Anh Hung, based on the novel by Haruki Murakami.

This is the first time, one of the Murakami's books became film. It was already released in Japan in Dec 2010 and it is going to be released in France in May. I can't wait to see it though we will not be able to see it in the US probably until the end of the year.

The actor who plays the main character, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, is a very talented young actor. He became known for playing the character 'L' in the movie "Death Note". I am really looking forward to see how he transformed himself into the character this time. Not to mention, the director is Vietnamese French. He directed this movie using translator and some broken English... That must have been very difficult to do.

I loved 2 of his films, "The Scent of Green Papaya" (1993) and "Vertical Ray of the Sun" (2000). I did not like "I Come with the Rain" (2008). So I am really looking forward to see if he is back to his style.