Jane Campion Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Girls on Film: Defined by Looks
Filed under: Girls on Film »
Last week, Peter Bart of Variety wrote "Unlikely Rivals on the Oscar Circuit," outlining how Jane Campion and Kathryn Bigelow were a part of the Oscar race with Bright Star and The Hurt Locker. But rather than simply outlining their accomplishments and discussing their talents, Bart gave the piece this weird, "at odds" theme, kicking it off with their looks. It's apparently strange that the "cerebral, somewhat severe, leans toward post-hippie attire" Campion could helm an all-out romance* while Bigelow -- the "tall, model thin" director with a "gracious manner" -- could bring us The Hurt Locker. As if looks are inextricably tied to theme. As if Wes Craven has to look like Freddy Krueger, or James Cameron has to be a beefy Terminator.
To be fair, kind words are given to both filmmakers; it's just fueled by this strange desire to make things at odds. Its execution doesn't relay a sense of distaste in Campion's and Bigelow's accomplishments, but rather an inability to discuss them without noticing a woman's physicality, without struggling to make connections between their looks and interests. It continues right down to the final line -- "Keats vs. Iraq: Now that's downright weird." -- as if Campion's Piano didn't already face off against the likes of Schindler's List and The Fugitive, as if Juno never faced off against No Country for Old Men, and so on and so forth.
As if women are some sort of alien species that cannot be understood without their physical presence -- they must be judged by it, defined by it.
*Let alone the ridiculousness that Campion has to be characterized as the "severe" woman to Bigelow's cuteness.
Indie Roundup: 'Get Low' Gets Bought, Chilean 'Beer'
Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Independent », Box Office », Cinematical Indie »
Indie Roundup invites you to relive the last seven days and look forward to the near future in the ever-diverse indie film world.
Deals. A big buzz title at Toronto was the most notable deal of the week. Aaron Schneider's Get Low, starring Bill Murray, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Lucas Black, sold to Sony Pictures Classics for distribution in North America, according to our friends at indieWIRE. Scott Weinberg called it "an excellent little dramatic piece that's awash in humanity, warmth, insight, and wit." Details on several other deals that were made, all related to the Toronto fest, can be found at indieWIRE.
Online / On-Demand Viewing. Even less-publicized fest films are getting out into circulation. Hailing from Chile, Scrambled Beer (Malta Con Huevo) premiered at SXSW in 2008, and is now available for free streaming exclusively at Babelgum. It's described as "a delirious black comedy and bizarre story about two friends named Vladimir and George who move in together and begin to see reality differently. Vladimir lives a supernatural tale of time travel, while Jorge grows obsessed and embarks on a twisted adventure." In other words, possibly the perfect movie for the beginning of fall.
Fests. My favorite festival ever, Fantastic Fest, starts tomorrow night. Unfortunately, I'll only be able to pop in over the weekend to savor a small taste of the cinematic banquet that will be served over the next seven days. Look for much more coverage right here at Cinematical.
Actors in period costume, multiple shots of rum, and foreign cities -- all after the jump!
Review: Bright Star
Filed under: Drama », Romance », Theatrical Reviews », Toronto International Film Festival »
The lasting impact of first love is the subject of Jane Campion's Bright Star, a Palme d'or-nominated film that is at once about, and not merely about, the brilliance of the Romantic poet John Keats. Tossing the usual biopic formula, Campion opts not to retell Keats' entire life, focusing instead on the brief lifespan of his romantic courtship with a young woman named Fanny Brawne in 19th century London -- a relationship that, Campion argues, awakened love in Keats, and in turn, inspired his genius.
As such, what unfolds is less a by-the-numbers examination of the artist, who died a pauper at the age of 25 before any of his poetry was truly appreciated, and more a tribute to the power of the well-documented love that Keats and Brawne shared, partly through letters.
When they first meet, Keats (played marvelously by British actor Ben Whishaw) is a struggling poet with no money to his name. He has a sick and dying brother and no marriage prospects, but he's beloved among a circle of London artist types who look out for him here and there, including fellow poet Charles Armitage Brown (Paul Schneider). Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), on the other hand, is the eldest daughter of the family next door. A fashionista of sorts, Fanny spends her days sewing and designing her own clothes, and has no interest in things like poetry – that is, until she becomes fascinated with Keats.
Girls on Film: Women, TIFF, and the Future
Filed under: Festival Reports », Fandom », Exhibition », Toronto International Film Festival », Girls on Film »
There's an interesting phenomenon going on at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Female filmmakers were a big part of the festival's opening weekend. (The fest might be 9 days long, but that first weekend is the time that packs the punch -- the time when the stars descend, the parties commence, and the big films have their premieres.) But this isn't only relevant to festival goers. These fests showcase tomorrow's films, so in some ways, TIFF is a peek into the future. And it's one where women defy what's expected of them.
At the moment, I'm calling it the Anna Kendrick effect. While she might be one of the youngest Tony Award nominees ever, this actress shot into the public eye with a supporting role in that incessant, sparkly piece called Twilight. Her performance was fine, but she really wasn't given enough for a large buzz to commence, especially while under the shadow of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. But now she's got a co-starring role in Jason Reitman's new Up in the Air -- a role where she must hold her own against George Clooney and Vera Farmiga. And she does. In fact, she's so good that her performance has been getting a lot of buzz up here in Toronto -- and it's proved one thing: We might see women and blow them off as nothing more than the crazy jealous friend, but there can be a lot of other talent in there if given a solid role to prove it.
Why Baz Luhrman's 'Australia' Needs to Be Oscar-Worthy
Filed under: Drama », Awards », 20th Century Fox », Oscar Watch », Cinematical Indie », War », Nicole Kidman »
I guess we won't be seeing the first female President of the United States in 2009, but we could at least see the first female cinematographer nominated for an Academy Award (in the cinematography category, that is). In the 80 years of the Oscars there hasn't been one female nominee for Best Cinematography. Shocking, isn't it? But fortunately there's a chance for next year's ceremony: Mandy Walker, who shot Baz Luhrman's war epic Australia, could be a shoo-in for one of the five nomination slots if the film is Oscar-worthy in general.The Oscar blog In Contention points out the possibility in a recent post celebrating Walker's reception Tuesday evening of the Kodak Vision Award at the Women in Film's Crystal + Lucy Awards (other honorees included Salma Hayek, Sherry Lansing, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Diane English and the ensemble of The Women). Clearly we only need to look at the trailer to see that Walker's work on the film is gorgeous and might have a shot. In Contention also notes Walker's previous achievements, such as her Independent Spirit Award nomination for Shattered Glass.
Paul Schneider and Kerry Fox Look at a 'Bright Star'
Filed under: Drama », Casting »
Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art ... Awake for ever in a sweet unrest, Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, And so live ever -- or else swoon to death. John KeatsYes, we've finally got more news about the John Keats film, Bright Star, that has been brewing since 2006, and I'm happy to say that this isn't just some casting notice that might, or might not, come to fruition. Jane Campion's film about the famous poet has finally begun production in the UK, and has got two more cast members. Variety reports that Paul Schneider and Kerry Fox will be joining Ben Whishaw, who already signed on to play Keats, and Abbie Cornish, who is taking on the role of the poet's muse -- Fanny Brawne.
Looking at the Planet with '8' Killer Directors
Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Casting », Shorts »
Every once in a while, a follow-up news piece pops up that makes me wonder where I've been. In case you missed it as well -- there's a new anthology hitting screens this year called 8, and it's got a bunch of interesting directors attached. There are the likes of Jane Campion, Gael Garcia Bernal, Mira Nair, Gus Van Sant, and Wim Wenders, plus Gaspar Noe, Abderrahmane Sissako, and Jan Kounen.Unlike the "I Love You" odes to famous cities, the film will tackle 8 themes and 8 films from famous directors that focus on the progress, set-backs, and challenges that face our planet. It's not just an environmental picture, but rather, it focuses on themes of poverty/hunger (Sissako's Tiya's Dream), education (Garcia Bernal's The Letter), gender equality (Nair's How Can It Be), child mortality (Van Sant's Mansion on the Hill), maternal health (Kounen's The Story of Panshin Beka), HIV/AIDS and other diseases (Noe's SIDA), environmental sustainability (Campion's The Water Diary) and development (Wenders' Person to Person).
It's sort of like Invisibles, which Kim reviewed from SIFF last year, and which also had a short from Wim Wenders. Now Variety reports that Marta McGonagle (iCarly) has signed on for a role in his segment -- although there is no word on what his segment, titled Person to Person, will be specifically about. For now, you can get a bunch of information from the film's website.
Perfume's Ben Whishaw Branches Out from Murder
Filed under: Casting », Movie Marketing », Cinematical Indie »
I loved Tom Tykwer's Perfurme: The Story of a Murderer, starring Ben Whishaw as a sociopathic serial killer. Whishaw's performance in that film -- in which he had very little dialog and had to convey almost everything through facial expression and body language -- was just outstanding. In poking around IMDb a bit while writing some Sundance reviews, I found out that Whishaw (most recently seen in Todd Hayne's I'm Not There) has three new projects lined up, and I'm excited about all of them.First up is The Restraint of Beasts (currently in post-prod), an adaptation of Magnus Mills's first novel. The film is being directed by Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski, whose film My Summer of Love back in 2004 first brought Emily Blunt to notice.The darkly comedic story is about an unnamed supervisor (presumably Whishaw) working with two Scottish high-tensile fence builders in the countryside and "accidentally" killing people along the way by day and hitting the local pub at night. I have the book on reserve to read before the film comes out -- I like Mills's work but I've not read this one yet. If this film does well, perhaps it will be the beginning of a series of adaptations of Mills's books.
RIP: Reel Important People -- September 24, 2007
Filed under: Obits »
Al Drebin (c.1918-2007) - Owner of Budget Films, an archive company that supplies footage to films, television shows and humanitarian projects. He died of heart failure September 18, in Los Angeles. (Variety)- Edith Campion (1923-2007) - Poet, actress and mother of filmmakers Anna Campion and Jane Campion. She appears in the former's 1989 short The Audition and in the latter's 1990 feature An Angel at My Table. She died September 16 in Otaki, Manawatu, New Zealand. (ABC Radio Australia)
- Mark Copeland (1962-207) - Steadicam operator for The Gravedancers, National Lampoon's Pucked, The Ultimate Gift and the upcoming The Key Man. He died in a helicopter crash September 11, in Sarasota, Florida. (CBC-Raleigh)
- Joel Fein (c.1944-2007) - Oscar-nominated sound mixer for The Buddy Holly Story. He was also a recording sound mixer for Blade Runner and Fletch Lives and the restorations of Bridge on the River Kwai and Spartacus. As a sound re-recording mixer, he worked on Back to the Future II, Midnight Run, The Hard Way, Ghost Dad and Gary Sinise's Of Mice and Men, and as a score mixer, he worked on Bachelor Party. Later in his life he concentrated on television work, for which he won an Emmy and was nominated twice more. He died September 22 in Wichita. (The Wichita Eagle)
- Alice Ghostley (1926-2007) - Character actress (pictured) best known for her television roles on Bewitched and Designing Women. She is familiar to Grease fans as the film's automotive shop teacher, Mrs. Murdock. She also appears in The Graduate, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Flim-Flam Man, The Odd Couple II and as herself in the documentary Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age. She died of cancer September 21, in Studio City, California. (NY Times)
Ben Whishaw In Final Talks To Play John Keats
Filed under: Drama », Independent », Romance », Casting », Cinematical Indie »
You probably aren't familiar with him just yet, but Ben Whishaw is an actor worth taking note of. He was nominated recently for the BAFTA Rising Star award (Eva Green won it), mostly for his starring role in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, which was one of my favorite films of last year. He's also been racking up roles in which he plays famous people (one day he could even catch up to Val Kilmer and Gary Oldman). Last year he was Keith Richards in Stoned, this year he can be seen as one of many Bob Dylans in I'm Not There and now he's in negotiations to portray the poet John Keats in Jane Campion's Bright Star.The period romance takes place in the early 19th century, focusing on Keats' romance with Fanny Brawne, who has already been cast with Australian actress Abbie Cornish (who is rumored to also be in talks for the next Bond film.) The couple's romance only lasted a couple years before Keats' health deteriorated due to his suffering from tuberculosis. He died a year after they separated, at the age of 25. As much as we could do without another tragic, tear-jerking romance film, with Campion behind the camera this could be one of the better ones. And in addition to further boosting the careers of both Whishaw and Cornish, it could, as many Campion films are good for, garner some acting nominations for the pair as well. Next up for Whishaw is a new adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.
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Exclusive: Poster Premiere for 'Extraordinary Measures'
