NanniMoretti Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Secret Cannes Film No Longer a Secret
Filed under: Foreign Language », Cannes », Shorts »
Earlier this month, I posted about a secret film debuting at the Cannes Film Festival. All that was known at the time was that it would be a compilation of 30 shorts, each about three minutes long and directed by an internationally respected filmmaker, and that it wouldn't be shown to the public. Now, thanks to an official press release, we learn that there are in fact 33 shorts from 35 filmmakers (including two pairs of brothers) and that the film, titled To Each his Own Cinema, will air on French television on May 20 following its premiere at the festival. So now I don't have to wish I could attend Cannes; I have to wish I got Canal +. Also revealed are the names of the 35 participants, all of whom were supposed to be kept secret until the film's unveiling, and a few details about the project. Each director was assigned the task of filming, "their current state of mind as inspired by the motion-picture theater." The only individual specifics mentioned in the press release, which was written by festival head Giles Jacob, are that Wim Wenders shot in the Congo, Tsai Ming Liang shot in Kuala Lumpur and David Cronenberg shot "in the ... toilet!" (probably meaning the bathroom, not the bowl). But anyone familiar with the directors involved can imagine the kind of diversity that will be seen in the film.
See the names of the 35 collaborators after the jump.
Greatest Living Filmmakers United for Secret Cannes Project
Filed under: Foreign Language », Cannes », Shorts », Quentin Tarantino »
For its 60th year anniversary, the Cannes Film Festival will premiere new films from many past winners of the Palme d'Or. It isn't known how many of these winners will have new material this year, but apparently festival president Gilles Jacob and artistic director Thierry Frémaux tried to get many of the living "Golden Palm" vets -- winners and nominees, both -- to contribute to a special project. Each participating filmmaker has directed a short film of 2-3 minutes in length that will be shown together as a feature-length film at a gala event on May 20. Variety reports that those known to be included are Ken Loach ('06: The Wind That Shakes the Barley), Gus Van Sant ('03: Elephant), Lars von Trier ('00: Dancer in the Dark), Theodoros Angelopoulos ('98: Eternity and a Day), Abbas Kiarostami ('97: Taste of Cherry), Chen Kaige ('93: Farewell My Concubine), Wim Wenders ('84: Paris, Texas) and non-winners (though often-nominated) Wong Kar-Wai, Michael Cimino, Amos Gitai, Manoel de Oliveira, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang. There are 30 shorts in all, so obviously a lot of other contributors are as yet unknown. Only Pedro Almodóvar (also a non-winner, and never a nominee) is known to have declined the offer.
TIFF Review: The Caiman
Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Theatrical Reviews », Festival Reports », Politics », Toronto International Film Festival », Cinematical Indie »
In Nanni Moretti's eagerly awaited The Caiman, there are all of four different Silvio Berlusconis. Though three of them are fictional and therefore subject to the whims and manipulations of Moretti's screenplay, the most frightening of the group is easily the real Berlusconi, seen in newsreel footage so completely outrageous that one can only chuckle in dismay. The media mogul/former Prime Minister is an obvious, easy target for any filmmaker as proficient and political as Moretti, so it's disappointing that his film is less a scathing indict of the Berlusconi regime than a resuscitation of his well-known violations and offenses.
The three fictional Berlusconis are all actors playing the starring role in a movie being made within Moretti's film, also entitled The Caiman ("Il Caimano" is a common media nickname for the former Prime Minister), and also planned as a crushing blow on its target. Schlock horror producer Bruno Bonomo (Silvio Orlando), who hasn't made a movie in a decade, falls into the film entirely by accident, and by default it becomes his comeback feature. The screenplay was written by Theresa (Jasmine Trinca) and, despite major concerns on the part of the only producer who doesn't run from the project because of its political nature, she's hired to make her directorial debut with the film. There are, needless to say, endless problems with the production, and in the end there's only enough money to shoot a single day in the life of the Caiman.
Caiman, Crime Novel Win Big at Italian Film Awards
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Foreign Language », Awards », Cannes », Tribeca », Newsstand », Cinematical Indie »
The Italian film awards were handed out over the
weekend, and the two big winners were Nanni Moretti's The Caiman (which will be shown in competition at Cannes next
month) and Crime Novel, director Michele Placido sprawling look at gangsterism in Italy. The former,
though it won six awards to Crime Novel's eight, took home most of the major prizes, including best picture,
best director for Moretti, and best actor for Silvio Orlando, who
plays the film's Silvo Berlusconi-esque main character. Crime Novel, meanwhile, apart from the best support
actor trophy, won mostly artistic awards, including those for set-design, editing, cinematography, and costumes.New Yorkers will have an opportunity to see Crime Novel next month: it will be screened on May 4 and 6 as part of the Spotlight series at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The (Possible) Power of The Caiman
Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Cannes », Newsstand », Politics », Cinematical Indie »
The highly-anticipated Italian film The Caiman recently opened in Italy, and responses have been mixed. As I briefly discussed several months ago, there was a tremendous buzz around the film, caused collectively by its subject matter (it was expected to be a fictional attack on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi), prominent director (Nanni Moretti), and the media blackout imposed upon the production. Now that the film has finally been released, it's not having quite the effect that was anticipated. Not only is the film as much a condemnation of the Italian "readiness to be duped by a salesman of genius" as it is the country's Prime Minster, but there is also growing concern among Berlusconi's opponents that the film will jinx them, much like they believe Fahrenheit 9/11 did to the American political left in 2004.Berlusconi, meanwhile, who seems to be made of teflon, has embraced his once-negative nickname, and has taken to introducing himself as "Il caimano." The Italian elections are held in less than two weeks; no matter how they turn out, The Caiman is widely expected to be on the competition slate at Cannes.
Is Taylor Lautner Our Next Superhero?
100 Greatest Films Beyond the Canon
'Entourage' Movie in the Works?
Spielberg Backs Out of 'Harvey'
Discuss: Should Gay Actors Stay in the Closet?
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
