Leos Carax Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Not every city ode has to be steeped in love and mainstream appeal, which is probably why Tokyo! isn't getting half the love that Paris, je t'aime got. But it should. Oh yes, it should. Above you can see the trailer for the film that will be released in New York on March 6, and in Los Angeles and nationwide on March 20.

It's not exactly like the Paris and upcoming New York versions. There are only three directors for this puppy, and they're directors known for their original visions -- Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind) heads "Interior Design," Leos Carax (Pola X) heads "Merde," and Bong Joon-ho (The Host) heads "Shaking Tokyo." If that's not enough to sway you, check this: Gondry's segment is about a girl who metamorphoses into something very unexpected, Carax follows a "shit" creature who terrorizes Tokyo whilst wearing a green corduroy suit, and Joon-ho's centers on an agoraphobic man who falls in love with a pizza delivery woman during an earthquake.

All set in Tokyo. What could be better?

You might remember that there was another city getting an anthology treatment, but outside of the Paris and New York love. Back in March of 2007, I posted about Tokyo, an upcoming triptych about life in the Japanese city -- coming from one interesting collection of directors: Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, and The Host helmer Bong Joon-ho. Now it looks like the title has become an exclamation -- Tokyo! -- The Hollywood Reporter posts that Liberation Entertainment has picked up the North American rights to the feature, and we've finally got some segment details.

"Merde" -- Leos Carax's piece follows "a man who engages in provocative acts on the streets of Tokyo."

"Shaking Tokyo" -- The relationship piece from Bong Joon-ho, this segment focuses on a recluse who falls in love during an earthquake. I guess getting him out of his comfort zone helps matters along.

"Interior Design" -- And finally, there's Michel Gondry's piece, which is said to be "a fable that centers on a couple drifting apart." Knowing Gondry, it'll probably be much more than the story of a deteriorating relationship.

Added note: Julie Dreyfus, aka Sofie Fatale from Kill Bill, has a role in one of the segments. No specific date for the film's release has been set, but Liberation Entertainment plans to get it out by the end of the year. I'll take that as a holiday treat. How about you?

Grabbing a trio of directors to create a film about a famous, high-density city is nothing new. In 1989, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese got together to make New York Stories. Now another city is getting its cinematic treatment, but the spin is a little bit different. Instead of merging an incredibly verbose filmmaker with two men known for their manly features, we're getting a popular music video director-turned-quirky filmmaker, an occasional French director and the man who brought us killer tadpoles. Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Bong Joon-ho are all negotiating to take on Tokyo -- a triptych covering three stories that take place in the Japanese city.

There is very little news on the Commes des Cinemas feature, other than the fact that it will give three views of Tokyo. However, The Host director Bong Joon-ho has shared a little about his offering. While the plots are being kept secret, the South Korean filmmaker just finished his during a long plane ride, and it will involve the relationship between a Japanese man and woman. Each segment is set to be filmed simultaneously in Tokyo this July or August, and a source for The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that each with get liberal access to the city since it's so Tokyo-centric. I, for one, am anxious to see what each of the directors will do. They're all quite different, which should make for an interesting collection of largely unique visions.