CinéClub

Brokeback Mountain

2006-02-18T02:52:00.000+01:00

J T: Jack Twist.
EDM: Ennis.
JT: Your folks just stop at Ennis?
EDM: Del Mar.
JT: Nice to know you, Ennis del Mar.

Already much said. Already announced and promoted. And if it is not promoted enough…. You can always see it by your proper eyes.

What's the deal, alors? Nothing much, as usual about the excellent movies.

Based on the E. Annie Proulx short story. Sincere, terse, not-quite-a-very-western about two cowboys, two men. About their love and their lives… in American countryside mentality of the second half of the twentieth century.

And about a love what is a force of nature. A human nature.

8 Oscar nominations, including for the Best Directing – Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), for the Best Leading Actor – Heath Ledger (Casanova, The Brothers Grimm), for the Best Supporting Roles – Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) and Michelle Williams (Land of Plenty).

The Saddest Music in The World

2005-09-18T02:44:00.000+02:00

“If you're sad, and like beer, I'm your lady.” - says Lady Port- Huntly.

May I suggest you a completely bizarre experience? I think I can say that The Saddest Music in the World is not just a movie but a new experience. Not only visually speaking but also in terms of the plot.

During the Great Depression, a beer baroness in Winnipeg called Lady Port-Huntly organizes a contest to find the saddest music in the world. As a result, musicians from around the world descend on that city to try and win the $25,000 prize.

Directed by the Guy Maddin, The Saddest Music in the World is not really a drama or a comedy. A musical? It’s something else. Something that you must imagine to understand. Shot in black and white, this film presents Isabella Rosselini (Blue Velvet), Maria de Medeiros (Pulp Fiction) and Mark McKinney (Falling Angels) performing very strange characters such as an amputee owner of a pub, an amnesiac Serbian and a corrupt businessman.

In the beginning of The Saddest Music in The World you might even remember David Lynch but then you realise that Guy Maddin is even crazier than him. One interesting point in this film is the continuous messages that this Canadian director adresses against the American cultural imperialism.

“If you like to try something weird, go watch this movie.” – I would say.

Garden State - to watch and to listen to!

2005-08-12T13:31:00.000+02:00

Just to recommend: the film and the soundtrack!
The film Garden State: On his way to his mothers funeral does Andrew (the cute Zach Braff) forget to take his medicaments along - and feels for the first time alive...and even in love when he meets the highly unconventional Sam (the gorgeous Natalie Portman).
The soundtrack Garden State: Coldplay, The Shins, Nick Drake....really great songs and perfect for every mood!

Cahiers du Cinéma

2005-08-06T19:15:00.000+02:00

For people that enjoy reading about good cinema: Cahiers du Cinéma. Now this well-known magazine is also online.

Filmfestivals

2005-08-04T21:44:00.000+02:00

Till the 13th of august takes the Filmfestival in Locarno place. It gets more and more famous and more interesting each time. This year is additionally to the normal festival programme a big retrospective of Orson Wells part of the event. But there are as well new films to be seen...

In Germany is the Fantasy-Filmfestival going on. At the moment it is in Munich but will move on to other cities like Cologne, Frankfurt, etc. There you can follow the steps of a serial killer who is a sadistic communist, if you like better the more 'straight' splatter films from the UK you might watch those or are you interested in a Hongkong love and action story...? Have a look at the programme and watch out for the films hoping that they will arrive one day in cinema.

And just one last comment: chances that we might see one of these films in cinema are low. In Europe but as well in the United States the cinemas are losing their audience...and therefore many have to close down - in particulare the small ones which have a less 'populare' (means less mainstream) programme. So let's take advantage of the still existing ones!

The Cave of the Yellow Dog

2005-08-01T11:09:00.000+02:00

And again one of these wonderfull stories of a young film director who hasn't even graduated from the film school and yet made an international noticed film which was even nominated for a best documentary Oscar - The Story of the Weeping Camel - and shortly afterwards even a feature-length fiction-documentary which gets just as populare.

Both films are directed by Byambasuren Davaa: a woman coming from Mongolia and studying at the Munich film school in Germany. Both films are made in her mother country and present us a gripping portrayal of the life of nomadics in Mongolia.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog is a story of a little girl, a dog she found and her family life... Doesn't sound exciting but is very touching and interesting to see and (once again!) makes you wonder about the world that exists outside your own environment.

Time to Choose

2005-07-26T21:36:00.000+02:00

"Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit crushing game shows, stuffing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose a future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that?"

in Trainspotting

Staying in Brussels and having a car?

2005-07-19T10:04:00.000+02:00

The 17th edition of Drive-in movies wil take place from 22nd July till 27th August at the esplanade du Cinquantenaire. To be seen: Brice de Nice, Be Cool, Hitch, Meet the Fockers, Ray, Million Dollar Baby, The Aviator, The Interpreter, Kingdom of Heaven, War of the Worlds, Star Wars: Episode III, Batman Begins.

Journey to the Chocolate Factory

2005-07-18T11:31:00.000+02:00

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is deliciously irresistible. The movie is based on the Roald Dahl's book with the same name and apart from small additions is quite faithful to the original: Charlie is a poor little boy who gets the opportunity to visit the great and mysterious chocolate factory from Willy Wonka.

The wizard of Hollywood presents us a magical and colourful fairy tale but completely out of the conventions. Johnny Depp works once more with Tim Burton playing Willy Wonka, a character that could perfectly be part of Beetle Juice. He’s half Michael Jackson, half Marylin Manson… Charlie is Freddie Highmore that we have seen before in Finding Neverland.

This movie is highly stylized and product of an extravagant imagination. Maybe two extravagant minds. I mean, Roald Dahl is as crazy as Tim Burton. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory we can find the usual elements of this director’s films: funny (weird?) characters, snow falling like in Edward Scissorhands, black humour, satirical notes and the soundtrack by Danny Elfman. This time, music plays an even more important role than before. And Danny Elfman sings again as he did before in The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I do have to mention one of the “big” surprises of the movie: the Oompa Loompas. I believe they are going to sell a lot of records after the screenings. Please, go see this movie because Willy Wonka doesn’t open the doors of his factory all the time!

My favourite film

2005-07-15T14:51:00.000+02:00

Let’s start the blog with an explanation concerning my profile and the listed film there: Clerks as one of my favourite movies. Is it the best movie I have ever seen? I doubt it. But I’ve already seen it about 10 times and still enjoy renting it at the video store.

Over 10 years ago it was made with a budget of less then 30.000 US Dollars as a project of young and idealistic actors, director and crew – he got internationally famous - and won several awards. At least this is the legend. If it’s true I don’t know but it seems to have some truth in it since the film is in black and white, almost without outside shots but mainly in one room, just a few and mostly young actors – and not working with any special effects but with humour.

A day of the live of Dante is the plot. He is a clerk in a small shop. He is totally clueless. He has to be in the shop even if it’s his day of. He has an ex-girlfriend who gets married, whom he still loves, whom he has sex with…or at least that’s what she assumes. He has a best friend who is lacking any feeling of responsibility and has a weakness for porno films. He has a girlfriend for whom giving a blow job is just a way of being nice to any guy. He has a hockey game which last just 5 minutes. He has a funeral to attend. He just has a totally normal working day as a clerk – which makes you reconsider your own choice of steady work…!

The CinéClub presents…

2005-07-14T00:39:00.000+02:00

OUR own CineClub blog! It is from the future Ex-Stagiaires and organisers of the CineClub for Stagiaires and everybody else who might be interested in cinema!

As already announced we try not to let the Subcommittee CineClub die because of the end of our time at the European Commission. Judging from the big audience our screenings in the Commission in Brussels had there is quite an interest for films from Europe and the whole world which aren’t just the usual blockbusters but movies which are really worth being seen. And for not letting you forget how great cinema can be we have created this blog.

You will find all kind of information: comments on new or old films, announcement of film festivals, suggestions of which film to get from the video store – if you are so unfortunate to be in some town without a good cinema -, links which might be worth checking out… But not just we are going to be active but you as well. Everybody can write comments on our texts and if you wish to write something new on your own just send the text to one of us (mail addresses can be found in the profile) and that will be soon on the blog as well.

And for the sake of old times let’s remember how the CineClub started. Once upon a time – or for being precise: at the beginning of March in the year 2005 – Katja, João and Nina started their Subcommittee CineClub within the activities of the Stagiaires of the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions. The so-called Carousel Film Festival with the slogan ‘Life is Just a Merry-go-Round’ started. For the sake of preciseness: our original choice of the ironical meant slogan ‘Let’s cut Europe into pieces’ was rejected as not being political correct! But back to the beginnings of the CineClub, our carousel started moving around in the end of May and doesn't seem to stop...

The film festival proposed several movies every week coming from different parts of the world: Czech Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, France, Austria, Brazil… Initially, the carousel started to spin just for EU trainees but recognizing the demand and interest of non-stagiaires the seats were available to everyone who wanted to go round and round – or just enjoy a good movie. It wasn’t an easy task for the CineClub to decide which country or movie to choose. Comedy? Drama? Adventure? Africa or Germany? The important thing was to screen high quality movies to an enthusiastic audience as singular as the programme itself. These screenings were for all who love cinema and were open to experience new things.

Our screenings always took place at 7.30 pm in the Charlemagne Building. The entrance was free and all the films subtitled in English or French. The screenings were supported by the countries’ embassies and cultural centres. Around 30 and 100 persons always came to enjoy this multi-cultural carousel because “life is just a merry-go-round”. And life and the carousel don't stop with the stage:

The CineClub stays with you on www.kinoklub.blogspot.com!

And for not forgetting what was screened once again our programme of the Carousel Film Festival:

¤ MAY ¤

Mon. 23 May - Kolya, Czech Republic. 1996
Dir. Jan Sverák

***

Tue. 24 May - Nha Fala, Guinea-Bissau/France. 2002
Dir. Flora Gomes

¤ JUNE ¤

Mon. 06 June - La Comunidad, Spain. 2000
Dir. Álex de la Iglesia

***

Tue. 07 June - La Haine, France. 1995
Dir. Mathieu Kassovitz

***

Wed. 08 June - Nogo, Austria. 2002
Dir. Gerhard Ertl & Sabine Hiebler

***

Thu. 16 June - Io Non Ho Paura, Italy. 2004
Dir. Gabriele Salvatores

***

Fri. 17 June - O Milagre Segundo Salomé, Portugal. 2004
Dir. Mário Barroso

***

Thu. 23 June - No Man’s Land, Bosnia-Herzegovina. 2001
Dir. Danis Tanovic

***

Fri. 24 June - Central do Brasil, Brazil. 1998
Dir. Walter Salles

***

Wed. 29 June - Pa Celam Aizejot, Latvia. 2001
Dir. Viesturs Kairiss

¤ JULY ¤

Fri. 01 July - Good Bye Lenin! , Germany. 2003
Dir. Wolfgang Becker

***

Mon. 04 July – Zmruz Oczy, Poland. 2002
Dir. Andrzej Jakimowski

***

Tue. 05 July - Toto Le Héros, Belgium. 1991
Dir. Jaco van Dormael

***

Wed. 06 July – Large, Europe. 2004
Dir. George Sycallides & others

Jekaterina DELIMOVA
Nina HORSTMANN
João VAZ SILVA
(the CinéClub team)