Tougher than You: Doctors at work in LIVING IN EMERGENCY

It’s getting to be that my fortitude is being tested on a weekly basis. I’ve witnessed the psychotic outrages of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (and liked it), the moral confrontation that is THE KILLER INSIDE ME (liked it), and the let’s-put-The-Rock-in-a-tutu TOOTH FAIRY (you’re kidding, right?). But all that was make-believe stuff. LIVING IN EMERGENCY is very real, a documentary, and at points can be rough going. But if you can work up the nerve to tough it out, your courage will be greatly rewarded.

‘Course, if you want to talk about courage, you have to talk about the subjects of the film: four doctors who have volunteered to work for Doctors without Borders (aka Médecins Sans Frontières) in two, war-ravaged countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia. Director Mark Hopkins — making his feature documentary debut having previously produced numerous docs — takes his cameras into the exam, operating, and break rooms, and doesn’t flinch from showing both the staggering challenges the volunteers face, and the effect those challenges sometimes have on them (one doctor compares the attitude of another to Heart of Darkness — that’s never a good thing). The film winds up an unwavering, credible evaluation of why the organization has justly received a Nobel Peace Prize — one of the best docs I’ve seen so far this year. It also reminded me why I need to stop whining when I have to watch movies like TOOTH FAIRY.

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LIVING IN EMERGENCY
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No connection, but a great doc.

Dead Wrong: The poster for AFTER.LIFE

After sitting out last week’s CLASH OF THE TITAN’s episode, Dan Person’s is back in the host’s chair this week for a round-table discussion of AFTER.LIFE, the new horror-thriller starring Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, and Justin Long, about a young woman who wakes up after a car accident to find that she is in a funeral home – dead, according to the mortician. The independent film is in limited release around the country. Also reviewed this week is THE BLACK WATERS OF ECHO’S POND, another low-budget horror film in limited release. And of course, the usual round up of news, home video releases, and random recommendations.

First up is an interview with Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, the married directors of THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS, a documentary about Tibet’s struggle for independence. A few years back, there were a handful of docs released on this topic. Most seemed to want to garner audience sympathy through scenic views of Buddhist temples and extended footage of prayer services — not really the most compelling argument for this viewer. Sarin and Sonam take a less romantic approach, focusing on the protests that rose up both within and without the country in 2008, while simultaneously following the Dalai Lama on his mission to gain international support for his controversial “Middle Way Approach,” wherein the struggle for independence would be ceded in return for more autonomy and religious freedom. That the filmmakers chose to present real world politics — including divisions within the movement itself — rather than trying to seduce people with pretty images goes a long way towards making this film a valuable and comprehensive evaluation of one country’s ongoing fight for liberty.

And while we’re talking about seduction, we follow up with a conversation with Nash Edgerton, the Australian stuntman-turned-director whose debut feature is the wicked noir thriller, THE SQUARE. I’d seen this film at a screening almost a year ago, and ever since have been champing at the bit for its long-delayed release. The film definitely traces its roots to the likes of BLOOD SIMPLE and RED ROCK WEST, but with a sense of brutal irony and a gratifyingly twisty interlacing of schemes and deceptions that makes it stand out on its own (and pretty much distinguish itself as uniquely Australian). It’s a good, dark ride; however long it took to finally hit the screens, it’s well worth the wait.

Pretty nice way to get back into production, methinks. Click the player to hear the show.

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THE SQUARE

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How Could We Not Recommend the Coens?

]]> http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2010/04/10/the-square-and-the-sun-behind-the-clouds/feed/ 0 Activism,Controversy,Death,Debut Feature,Drama,Emotion,Gritty,Indie,Justice,Murder,Off Beat,Racism So what have we been doing for the past couple of weeks? Pulling our hair out, what's left of it. Making repeated calls to Verizon. Hosting a visit from their friendly and professional service person (really, no sarcasm there, the guy was good). So what have we been doing for the past couple of weeks? Pulling our hair out, what's left of it. Making repeated calls to Verizon. Hosting a visit from their friendly and professional service person (really, no sarcasm there, the guy was good). Being granted the privilege of shelling out for a replacement modem and still not having all of our problems resolved. But we're at least back more or less to where we were before our internet went south on us, so we're going to catch up on the outage by covering two films -- both very good -- this ep. No Clear Solutions: Exiled Tibetans protest in THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS First up is an interview with Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, the married directors of THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS, a documentary about Tibet's struggle for independence. A few years back, there were a handful of docs released on this topic. Most seemed to want to garner audience sympathy through scenic views of Buddhist temples and extended footage of prayer services -- not really the most compelling argument for this viewer. Sarin and Sonam take a less romantic approach, focusing on the protests that rose up both within and without the country in 2008, while simultaneously following the Dalai Lama on his mission to gain international support for his controversial "Middle Way Approach," wherein the struggle for independence would be ceded in return for more autonomy and religious freedom. That the filmmakers chose to present real world politics -- including divisions within the movement itself -- rather than trying to seduce people with pretty images goes a long way towards making this film a valuable and comprehensive evaluation of one country's ongoing fight for liberty. A Fool to Do Her Dirty Work: Ray (David Roberts) digs himself in deeper in THE SQUARE And while we're talking about seduction, we follow up with a conversation with Nash Edgerton, the Australian stuntman-turned-director whose debut feature is the wicked noir thriller, THE SQUARE. I'd seen this film at a screening almost a year ago, and ever since have been champing at the bit for its long-delayed release. The film definitely traces its roots to the likes of BLOOD SIMPLE and RED ROCK WEST, but with a sense of brutal irony and a gratifyingly twisty interlacing of schemes and deceptions that makes it stand out on its own (and pretty much distinguish itself as uniquely Australian). It's a good, dark ride; however long it took to finally hit the screens, it's well worth the wait. Pretty nice way to get back into production, methinks. Click the player to hear the show. This Episode is Brought to You by THE INFIDEL THE SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS Trailer [youtube 34cLHNfFiZg nolink] www.thesunbehindtheclouds.com IMDB Listing THE SQUARE Trailer [youtube 49bD6LAKCN0 nolink] www.squarethemovie.com IMDB Listing Subscribe to MMP on iTunes Sign Up for E-Mail Updates [amazonify]B001B1UO7G[/amazonify] How Could We Not Recommend the Coens? Dan Persons no 35:18 http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2010/03/23/the-cinefantastique-horror-fantasy-science-fiction-podcast-v1n6-%e2%80%93-repo-men/ http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2010/03/23/the-cinefantastique-horror-fantasy-science-fiction-podcast-v1n6-%e2%80%93-repo-men/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:00:53 +0000 Dan Persons http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/?p=1672

Remy (Jude Law) has a blast in REPO MEN

This week’s topic is REPO MEN, the new science fiction film starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker as company agents who retrieve artificial organs from donor recipients unable to pay for the price of a new heart. Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski also discuss the week’s top news stories, offer random recommendations of horror, fantasy, and science fiction films worth checking out, and preview the week’s home video releases.

Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal in CRAZY HEART

So if the acceptance speeches didn’t get anywhere close enough to satisfying your curiosity about how these films came about, click on the players below. We’ve got MIGHTY MOVIE PODCAST interviews with the directors of all these films:

And come back Friday, when have an interview with the director of the Piaget Producer’s Award winner, THE EXPLODING GIRL

That Sweet, Sad Song: Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal in CRAZY HEART

And so here we are at the last MMP episode of 2009, unless, of course, a there’s an emergency, late-breaking filmmaker interview (Mr. Scorsese, my calendar’s open). Barring that, we’re going out with a good ‘un: Scott Cooper’s finely crafted, astutely observed CRAZY HEART.

This is Cooper’s directorial debut — not even a short film to his name — and he’s managed to wrangle some big guns in his support, including Robert Duvall as one of his producers (he also has a small role in the film), Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake, the former country-western star who’s been beaten down by a life on the road; Maggie Gyllenhaal as Jean, the woman who opens Blake’s eyes to the magnitude of his fall (and yet another richly-nuanced performance from the actress); and, in an uncredited role, Colin Farrell as Tommy Sweet, former protégé and present bête noir of Blake’s. With great chemistry between Bridges and Gyllenhaal and a quiet, smart script that Cooper adapted from Thomas Cobb’s novel, this is a fine alternative to 3D pyrotechnics and holiday treacle.

Cooper and I talked a bit about bringing the spirit of 70’s filmmaking to the twenty-first century, and the challenges he faced in following in the footsteps of Duvall’s TENDER MERCIES. Click on the player above to hear the interview.

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When Duvall Sang the Blues

The Fish vs. the Fist: Michael Clarke Duncan (second from right) rides herd on the wait staff of THE SLAMMIN' SALMON

To put it bluntly, the holidays bum me out. I don’t think it really has anything to do with the occasion — y’know, all that stuff about how we instinctively reject the incessant pressure towards merriment and good will (aka Holly Jolly Complex) — I think it’s more physical. The extended darkness and the plummeting temperatures and the tons of hours spent in arid, indoor environments — my body just can’t cope. About this time of year, I seriously begin to wonder if hibernation isn’t a viable option.

So cheers to Broken Lizard that they decide to release THE SLAMMIN’ SALMON just when we winter-ravaged souls need it the most. The film’s about the wait staff of an upscale seafood restaurant who are forced by their debt-riddled owner into a competition to run up their customers’ bills, but that’s just the mechanism by which the Lizards — Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske — deliver the funny. And it turns out there’s lots of funny to be had in examining one hectic night in the life of a dining establishment, not the least being Michael Clarke Duncan’s portrayal of the owner — a former boxing champion whose time in the ring has not done any favors to either his logic processes or his temper. Really, you don’t want to cross a man who thinks nothing of punching out a rampant swordfish.

Kevin Heffernan is making his directorial debut with this film. We got to talk about how the troupe called upon personal experience to bring THE SLAMMIN’ SALMON’s restaurant world to life, and what it’s like importing such actors as Michael Clarke Duncan and Brian Cox into the Broken Lizard universe. Click on the player above to hear the interview.

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Law Enforcement is Fun!

The Birth of Brutal: Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell in UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not all that obsessive over metal, heavy or otherwise. Don’t hate it — in fact, I like the beat and the aggression and the flights into epic, audio assault — it just doesn’t take priority when I’m programming my Pandora stations. Nevertheless, I’m happy when one year brings us two very good docs about the genre. However, one of the big differences between the earlier ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL and this month’s UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US is that Anvil’s brand of party-hardy, American (Canadian, if you will) metal doesn’t quite grab me as much as the darker, more adventurous black metal bands of UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US.

Another difference is that debuting directors Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell (he’s better known as a musician; she’s an art director and previously produced a narrative comedy) have decided to bring an artist’s intuition to the telling of black metal’s twisted history, a tale that includes accusations of Satanism, arson, suicide, and murder. With a prime focus on two of black metal’s most prominent and controversial practitioners — one, Varg “Count Grishnackh” Vikernes, was filmed while finishing out his sentence for arson and murder; the other, Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell, survived the turbulence of the 90’s and has, with great reluctance, made cautious accommodations towards the mainstream — the result is an impressionistic presentation that better conveys the genre’s complexity and rebellious, and occasionally genuinely dangerous, attitude.

I was able to talk with Aites and Ewell about how one reaches out to artists who have been previously buffeted by the mainstream press, and why this form of music is best served by an iconoclastic filmmaking style. Click the player above to hear the interview.

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Compare and Contrast

Erin Go Frack Yourself: Donal Gallery (left), Alessandro Nivola (center), and Tim Hutton give Ireland some dark shading in TURNING GREEN

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the poster for TURNING GREEN lies. It showcases Tim Hutton, Colm Meaney, and Allesandro Nivola, but while they’re prominent figures in the film, it ain’t about them. Off in the lower right, with his back turned towards the camera, there’s your protagonist: A teenage boy, played quite engagingly by newcomer Donal Gallery. I can understand the motivation for pitching the name players in your marketing, but really, can’t you at least show the kid’s face?

Granted, beyond that poster, Michael Aimette and John G. Hofmann’s TURNING GREEN has had as convoluted a history as can be imagined: The story of James, a teen who, with his brother, has been shipped by their father to Ireland and who decides to rally up the cash for an escape by peddling contraband pornography to his classmates — much to the displeasure of his bookie boss Nivola and the bookie’s enforcer Hutton — the script was a finalist on the first season of PROJECT GREENLIGHT (the one that ended up producing STOLEN SUMMER — dodged a bullet there, eh, guys?), was actually shot in 2004, has been in release since 2005, and is only now making its U.S. debut. It’s a small film, but a cleverly conceived, beautifully photographed, and well-performed one — as neat a directorial debut as I’ve seen this year. Ben Affleck and Chris Moore should be kicking themselves.

Aimette and Hofmann gave me some insight into the film’s extended genesis and the olfactory-challenging lengths to which Tim Hutton would go to develop a character. Click on the player above to hear the interview.

EXCLUSIVE: Director’s Cut Trailer

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Colm Meaney Showcase

The Face Looking Back: Sophie Okonedo in SKIN

You could probably forge a good, absurdist, dark comedy out of a government where racial identity can be declared and reversed by official decree, and white parents whose child’s skin is, because of a genetic quirk, darker than theirs struggle to get their kid designated Caucasian. I can imagine Terry Gilliam going to town on something like that, or maybe even Kevin Smith in a more thoughtful mode. But this isn’t absurdist comedy, this was South Africa in the throes of apartheid, and the story told in Anthony Fabian’s debut feature, SKIN, turns out to have been all too real.

The actual person, Sandra Laing, suffered through a kind of industrial-strength crisis of identity, with her parents determined to ensure that her privileges be protected via that all-important white designation, and her own growing awareness that, whatever the government stamped on a piece of paper, she would have no shortage of difficulty in finding a place in so divided a society. Director Fabian shot the film in South Africa, and brought together a strong cast, including Sophie Okonedo as Sandra and Sam Neill and Alice Krige as her parents. The result is quite moving — a human and unusual perspective on the insanity of institutionalized racism.

Anthony Fabian and I got a chance to talk about his motivation for taking on this project, and how the dictates of apartheid could twist the motives of even the best-intentioned of parents. Click on the player above to hear the interview.

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Truly Absurd Bureaucracy