TIFF 2011 BEST OF FEST
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- DirectorLars von TrierStarsKirsten DunstCharlotte GainsbourgKiefer SutherlandTwo sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.LARS VON TRIER, DENMARK IN ENGLISH, It's the end of the world but also the start of something new for Lars von Trier, whose mind-blowing "Melancholia" offers perhaps the gentlest depiction of annihilation one could imagine from any director, much less the Danish provocateur. If "Antichrist" was the needle in the eye von Trier needed to shake a bout of pulverizing depression, then "Melancholia" serves as his unexpectedly lucid response, blending grand-scale Hollywood effects with intimate, femme-focused melodrama.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsPina BauschRegina AdventoMalou AiraudoA tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.TIFF, Wim Wenders' dance docu "Pina" reps multidimensional entertainment that will send culture vultures swooning. A tribute to Pina Bausch, one of modern dance's most groundbreaking choreographers, pic lets the artist's work speak for itself via big, juicy slabs of performance.
- DirectorBertrand BonelloStarsNoémie LvovskyHafsia HerziCéline SalletteAt an elegant Parisian bordello at the dawn of the 20th century exists a cloistered world of pleasure, pain, hope, rivalries--and, most of all, slavery.FRANCE, TIFF-VISIONS, BERTRAND BONELLO, In the nineteenth century, much of the Parisian sex trade was confined to grands maisons, populated by elegant madams and a vetted clientele. They were akin to social clubs, with the gentleman participants expected to be as charming and witty as they might be in more respectable drawing rooms. The ladies were provocatively dressed and, upstairs, occupied numerous boudoirs ready for carnal pleasures. Even in such a controlled environment, dangers still lurked: disease was rampant and lethal, and sometimes even a gentleman might lose his temper and harm one of the women.
- DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsVanessa ParadisKevin ParentHélène FlorentA love story between a man and woman. And between a mother and her son. A mystical and fantastical odyssey on love.CANADIAN FRENCH, TIFF SP, JEAN-MARC VALLEE,.
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsMichael FassbenderCarey MulliganJames Badge DaleA sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.STEVE McQUEEN, MICHAEL FASSBENDER as sex addict, CAREY MULLIGAN, I PREDICT 4 OSCAR NOMS, Brandon is a 30-something man living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life. After his wayward younger sister moves into his apartment, Brandon's world spirals out of control. From director Steve McQueen (Hunger), Shame is a compelling and timely examination of the nature of need, how we live our lives and the experiences that shape us.
- DirectorJohn ShankStarsVincent RottiersAnaïs DemoustierFlorence Loiret CailleJohan inherits the family farm. However, charming as the idea may be, even in the modern globalized world, running a farm is still a matter of hard work, pain, and hope.AKA L'HIVER DERNIER, FRENCH, BELGIUM, JOHN SHANK(USA), TIFF CWC, John Shank, an American living in Belgium, has made a stark and beautiful feature debut that, though shot in a small farming community in France, owes much to Steinbeck, Faulkner and countless other American writers, artists and filmmakers who have placed the land at the centre of their work. This is a stirring homage to the people who work the earth despite countless natural challenges, and who also learn how difficult it is to survive in the face of modern forces that have no truck with their values.
- DirectorVincent ParonnaudMarjane SatrapiStarsMathieu AmalricEdouard BaerMaria de MedeirosSince his beloved violin was broken, Nasser Ali Khan, one of the most renowned musicians of his day, has lost all taste for life. Finding no instrument worthy of replacing it, he decides to confine himself to bed to await death.AKA CHICKEN WITH PLUMS, FRANCE, TIFF SP, MARJANE SATRAPI, VINCENT PARONNAUD, MATHIEU AMALRIC, MARIA DE MEDEIROS, AND NEW BEAUTIFUL GOLSHIFTEH FARAHANI, Nasser-Ali, a talented musician, loses the will to live after his wife breaks his beloved Tar (Iranian Instrument similar to a violin) during an argument. He searches for a replacement, and finding none that sounds quite the same, he vows to die. Eight days later, he does. This is the story of his last week of life, where we see flashbacks and flash forwards of his previous life and his children's futures. We also see appearances of a nude Sophia Loren as well as the angel of death, Azarel. As we see his life, we realize exactly why he chose to end it and the profundity of this choice.
- DirectorKaat BeelsStarsGeert Van RampelbergSara de RooNatali BroodsIn a luxurious hotel, the lives of 6 people cross. A story about love, life and the search for happiness.BELGIUM IN FRENCH AND DUTCH, KAAT BEELS, TIFF CWC, In the midst of a summer heat wave, tourists descend upon the Hotel Swooni, an oasis where the wealthy spend idyllic sunny afternoons lounging by the rooftop pool. The hotel may seem like the epitome of paradise, but one day in the lives of six seemingly unrelated individuals reveals a darker picture lurking beneath the surface. Kaat Beels’ debut feature explores the destructive consequences of living a lie.
- DirectorBéla TarrÁgnes HranitzkyStarsJános DerzsiErika BókMihály KormosA rural farmer is forced to confront the mortality of his faithful horse.BELA TARR, HUNGARY, TIFF MASTERS, The Turin Horse, the latest and reportedly last film from Hungarian maestro Béla Tarr, plunges us into a feat of speechless, spellbinding storytelling. In a film so rich in atmosphere and sensitive to the forces of nature, the howling wind itself constitutes a character, deepening the wrinkles upon the weathered faces of our co-protagonists, an aging farmer and his daughter. Clinging to daily ritual, the pair refuses to let go of life as they know it, even as omens abound that the world might be coming to an end. Only the ailing horse, the pair’s sole means of subsistence, seems to sense the inevitable: he refuses to eat, drink or carry them where they need to go. Nevertheless, the man and his daughter forge ahead with their tasks, even after their one attempt to escape confirms there is nowhere left to go. Tarr, sharing the director’s chair for the fourth time with his wife and long-time editor Ágnes Hranitzky, has crafted a mostly dialogue-free meditation on how humans refuse to give up the fight even when there’s no battle left to win.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsBrad PittRobin WrightJonah HillOakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.TIFF GALA, AS A SPORTS ENTHUSIAST, THE HISTORY THAT I HAVE WITNESSED MADE THIS VERY ENJOYABLE CINEMA. BRAD PITT AND PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN WERE TERRIFIC.
- DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsPaul GiamattiGeorge ClooneyPhilip Seymour HoffmanAn idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.TIFF GALA, D&A GEORGE CLOONEY, GREAT CAST WITH MANY POSSIBLE OSCAR NOMS, THIS FILM SEEMS SO CONTEMPORARY AND PROBABLY REPRESENTS GEORGE'S POLITICAL RELEVANCE. NO PUNCHES ARE PULLED ON THE WORST IN OUR CURRENT SYSTEM.
- DirectorJean-Pierre DardenneLuc DardenneStarsThomas DoretCécile de FranceJérémie RenierAbandoned by his father, a young boy is left in a state-run youth farm. In a random act of kindness, the town hairdresser agrees to foster him on weekends.TIFF MASTERS, BELGIUM IN FRENCH, JEAN-PIERRE AND LUC DARDENNE, THE PROMISE, ROSETTA, LORNA'S SILENCE, L'ENFANT...AND OTHERS THAT ARE ALSO EXCELLENT. THESE BROTHERS ARE TWO OF THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS ALTHOUGH POORLY KNOWN IN U.S.
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.TIFF SP, FRANCE, HUGE APPROVAL FROM CANNES, TORONTO AND TELLURIDE THAT I PREDICT WORLDWIDE SUCCESS AND OSCAR CONSIDERATION. THE NAMES MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS, JEAN DUJARDIN, BERENICE BEJO WILL BECOME WELL KNOWN TO U.S.A. AUDIENCES. THEY ALREADY KNOW THE EXCELLENT JAMES CROMWELL AND JOHN GOODMAN. REMEMBER THIS FEEL GOOD FILM IS SILENT.
- DirectorOle Christian MadsenStarsMikael BertelsenAnders W. BerthelsenJamie MortonChristian's wife leaves him for a top Argentinian soccer player. After 11 months of drinking his wine-store stock, he flies to Buenos Aires with his 16-year-old son Oscar after receiving divorce papers. Will he get his wife back?DENMARK, OLE CHRISTIAN MADSEN(PRAGUE, FLAME & CITRON), TIFF CWC, YOU WILL END UP LOVING ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THIS ROMANTIC HILARIOUS FEATURE. THE MAID WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
- DirectorMalgorzata SzumowskaStarsJuliette BinocheAnaïs DemoustierJoanna KuligOn her latest assignment, a journalist for Elle immerses herself in a prostitution ring run by university students.TIFF SP, FRANCE/POLAND MALGOSKA SZUMOWSKA, JULIET BINOCHE SPEAKING FRENCH AND POLISH IS OUTSTANDING AND TO ME ONE OF THE MOST DARING ACTORS WORKING IN CINEMA TODAY. THE SUBJECT OF STUDENT PROSTITUTION IS EXPLORED IN AN INTERESTING WAY. THE SUBJECT OF SEXUALITY IN ALL ITS COMPLEXITY IS EXAMINED.
- DirectorNuri Bilge CeylanStarsMuhammet UzunerYilmaz ErdoganTaner BirselA group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes.AKA BIR ZAMANLAR ANADOLU'DA, TURKEY/BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVNIA, TURKISH LANGUAGE, NURI BILGE CEYLAN IS ONE OF THE VERY BEST OF THE CURRENT WORLD AUTEUR FILM MAKERS. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT HE MADE THREE MONKEYS WHICH MOST OF MY CINEPHILES HATED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HOWARD VOGEL, MAYBE ALSO LINDA. A VERY SIMPLE MURDER CASE IS EXPLORED ONE NIGHT IS THE NARRATIVE.
- DirectorMathieu KassovitzStarsMathieu KassovitzIabe LapacasMalik ZidiDissidents in a French overseas territory attack a police station and take hostages.FRANCE, THE FRENCH COLONIALISTS OF NEW CALEDONIA SUBJUGATE THE HUMAN CONDITION OF THE NATIVES. The incident in question centres on a group of local Kanak separatists who attack a French police post, killing three gendarmes and taking another twenty-six hostage. The French respond by sending their elite counter-terrorism group, the GIGN (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group), who operate under Captain Philippe Legorjus (Kassovitz). Arriving after a thirty-hour flight, Legorjus and his small band of men are horrified to discover that the French army has also been deployed in considerable force. The captain is determined to negotiate a peaceful and bloodless resolution to the crisis, but it soon becomes evident that numerous forces threaten to undermine him. An election in France that pits left against right, Mitterrand against Chirac, means that the hostage crisis half a world away gets turned into a political football.
- DirectorChristophe Van RompaeyStarsEmma LevieNiels GompertsJeroen WillemsLena is a lonely, plump adolescent girl. Much to her surprise she gets a relationship with the popular but unreliable Daan. Lena moves in with Daan and his strange father Tom and is willing to do a lot for his love. More than a lot.BELGIUM, TRULY A PERF FILM....Driven by a telling performance by Emma Levie in the title role, Christophe Van Rompaey’s Lena follows its heroine as she struggles to find a place in the world despite a cross-addicted mother who considers her nothing more than a burden and constantly berates her about her weight. Lena’s only outlets are dancing and sex until she meets Daan, whom she rescues as he’s running from the police. But is Daan really all he claims to be? Lena thoughtfully and powerfully examines divides of class, gender and body type.
- DirectorAnn HuiStarsAndy LauDeannie IpHailu QinAfter suffering a stroke, an altruistic maid announces that she wants to quit her job and move into an old people's home.CHINA, A VERY MOVING FILM REFLECTING AN EXCELLENT LIFE LESSON. FIND THE BEST IN EVERYTHING AND STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS. THE EMOTIONS OF LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, THOUGHTFULNESS AND TENDERNESS ARE FRONT AND CENTER. Based on a true story, the film centres on Ah Tao (Ip), an amah (servant and nanny) who has worked for the Leung family for four generations. She lives with and takes care of Roger (Lau), a film producer who is the only member of the Leung household still living in Hong Kong. Roger returns home one day and finds Ah Tao unconscious after a stroke. Convinced she has becoming a burden, Tao resigns and moves into a retirement home. But upon her arrival, she continues to be taken care of by Roger, who realizes just how important she is to him. He decides to do his best to watch after the person who has nurtured him all his life. But Ah Tao’s health is fast deteriorating.
- DirectorRoschdy ZemStarsSami BouajilaDenis PodalydèsMaurice BénichouIn the summer of 1991 an elderly woman Ghislaine Marchal is found murdered in the basement of her home with the message "Omar M'a Tuer" (Omar has kill me) written beside in her own blood. Despite a lack of forensic or DNA evidence, her Moroccan gardener Omar Raddad is found guilty and sentenced to 18 years in a French prison. Shocked by the case, and convinced of his innocence, journalist Pierre-Emmanuel Vaugrenard moves to Nice to investigate, and uncover the truth... A powerful and gripping French crime drama depicting a remarkable true story.FRANCE, ANOTHER RUSH TO JUDGMENT WITH TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. What if you woke up one day and found the police at your door? What if they told you that the woman you had always thought of as a mother was murdered and that, moments before she died, she wrote in her own blood that it was you who killed her? Those were the bewildering facts presented to Omar Raddad (Sami Bouajila) on June 23, 1991, when the body of a rich widow — 65-year-old Ghislaine Marchal (Liliane Nataf) — was found brutally stabbed and beaten to death in the basement of her villa in the south of France. Marchal’s gardener Omar, a young Moroccan who spoke little French, was immediately arrested for the crime. Despite a complete lack of forensic evidence and gaping holes in the investigation — one of the only clues was the inscription “Omar m’a tuer,” written in incorrect French with the blood of the victim — Omar was ultimately convicted of the murder and sentenced to eighteen years in prison
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsMichael FassbenderKeira KnightleyViggo MortensenA look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.CANADA, A FASCINATING STORY OF EARLY PSYCHIATRY, AND AS USUAL FOR DAVID CRONENBERG, EXTREMELY WELL DONE. THIS FILM AND SHAME HIGHLIGHTS THE AMAZING TALENT OF MICHAEL FASSBENDER WHO I WOULD NOW GIVE HIM THE OSCAR FOR BEST PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR. I AM AFRAID THAT HE WILL NOW BECOME THE INTERNATIONAL HEARTTHROB OF THE LADIES. KEEP YOUR WOMAN AWAY FROM HIM OR YOU A GONER. The premise of David Cronenberg’s latest effort will be familiar to his fans. A Dangerous Method is a brooding tale of dark desire and the dread that lurks behind genius, experienced by intellectual misfits in conventional society. Yet the director brings these recognizable obsessions to a new genre: the historical period piece. Set in Vienna on the eve of the First World War, the film explores the complex relationship between novice psychiatrist Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and his mentor Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen, in his third consecutive collaboration with Cronenberg). Studying under the already well-established Freud, Jung practices his teacher’s methods while developing his own theories based on the clinical study of psychologically disturbed patients. When a sick young Russian woman arrives at the clinic, both Jung and Freud are fascinated by her case and spellbound by her vulnerable yet dangerous sexuality.
- DirectorMorten TyldumStarsAksel HennieSynnøve Macody LundNikolaj Coster-WaldauAn accomplished headhunter risks everything to obtain a valuable painting owned by a former mercenary.NORWAY, TIFF, Intense and entertaining thriller packed with twists and based on award winning mystery writer Jo Nesbo's novel, Headhunters' stars Aksel Hennie (Max Manus) as an elite headhunter who finances his lavish lifestyle by stealing art from his own clients. Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) lives a fantasy life of the early twenty-first century variety. He’s a successful headhunter for Fortune 500 inductees and lives in an opulent modern home. Though he’s happily married to Diana, a statuesque art gallery owner, he spends his few spare moments with his enthusiastic mistress Lotte (Julie Ølgaard). The only problem is that Roger suffers from a crippling Napoleon complex. He’s so terrified of losing Diana that he continually lavishes her with absurdly extravagant gifts. He blows so much cash he’s been forced to moonlight, stealing rare artworks from his clientele. But this latest job uncovers something that could bring his frantically maintained lifestyle crashing down around him.
- DirectorWojciech SmarzowskiStarsMarcin DorocinskiAgata KuleszaMalwina BussRose, a German widow, hides from Russian soldiers who like to rape women and fights off Polish refugees who will steal everything she has. She gets help when Tadeusz, a former Polish officer, arrives looking to hide from his past.POLAND, WOJCIECH SMARZOWSKI, Smarzowski’s harrowing tale of survival centres on Rose, a Polish woman, whose husband, a German soldier, was killed in the war, leaving her alone on their farm. A single woman had no defence against Russian soldiers who raped as a form of revenge, nor against plundering Poles who found themselves in desperate straits. The law of the jungle had replaced the rule of law. Help arrives for Rose in the form of Tadeusz, a former officer in the Polish Home Army who survived the Warsaw uprising and is attempting to hide his ident
- DirectorFrederick WisemanStarsPhilippe DecoufléNaamah AlvaPhilippe BeauA look inside Paris' Crazy Horse, a club that boasts the greatest and most chic nude dancing in the world.MISTER WEISMAN IS THE MASTER OF NON-NARRATIVE DOCUMENTARIES, For Crazy Horse, Wiseman turns to High-Definition video after four decades of shooting primarily on 16mm film. The format proves well matched for Le Crazy Horse’s colourful decor and flesh without flaws. Wiseman and cinematographer John Davey embed in this fantasy factory for eleven weeks to document all its components. During their stay, Le Crazy Horse choreographer Philippe Decouflé seeks to revitalize the repertoire. Even if an act like “Baby Buns” sounds silly, Decouflé takes his work very seriously. Like any theatre director, he yearns for more resources and strains against the company’s shareholders.
- DirectorKarim AïnouzStarsCamila AmadoLuisa ArraesMilton GonçalvesIn "The Silver Cliff" Violeta (Alessandra Negrini) is a married dentist in a normal working day. While listening to a message left on the cell she enters in despair. The message of her husband, Djalma (Otto Jr.), said he was leaving her and going to another city.aka THE SILVER CLIFF, BRAZIL, KARIM AINOUZ, Crushed, Violeta experiences a catharsis, by way of a nocturnal ramble through Rio, as she comes to terms with her abandonment. From its nightclubs to its bustling avenues to the breaking waves on Copacabana Beach, the cityscape provides a distinctive backdrop to accompany her on her journey. Brought further to life by a gorgeous colour palette that highlights the textures and natural beauty of Rio, The Silver Cliff has a strong visceral impact. Sparse dialogue, precise camera work and Negrini’s standout performance add vitality to this poignant tale about the tempestuous nature of human relationships.
- DirectorPawel PawlikowskiStarsEthan HawkeKristin Scott ThomasJoanna KuligA college lecturer flees to Paris after a scandal costs him his job. In the City of Light, he meets a widow who might be involved in a series of murders.FRANCE/POLAND/UK PRODUCTION IN FRENCE AND ENGLISH, D-PAWEL PAWLIKOWSKI(THE LAST RESORT, MY SUMMER OF LOVE), with KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS, ETHAN HAWKE, Ethan Hawke plays Tom Ricks, a novelist who comes to Paris to be closer to his young daughter. Robbed upon arrival, he sets out with nothing to his name to find a place to stay. To add insult to injury, his estranged wife turns her back on his plight. Eventually Tom finds himself installed in a small, dingy hotel, whose owner offers him a job so he can pay his way. Events begin to take another turn when Tom falls into the clutches of the beguiling Margit (Kristin Scott Thomas). She seems eager for distraction, and Tom is keen to make friends, but life becomes even more complicated when the voluptuous young hotel chambermaid starts to turn her attention to the by now genuinely confused American.
- DirectorRibhu DasguptaStarsNaseeruddin ShahMahie GillSabyasachi ChakrabartyAn ex-cop tries to save his son from the man whose son was killed in a peaceful rally by Michael.INDIA, RIBHU DASGUPTA, W/D DEBUT, In the film’s opening shots, Michael (Naseeruddin Shah) stands paralyzed as Kolkata traffic swirls around him. The film then flashes back to a younger Michael, in the days when he was a police officer. We find him nervously surveying a swelling crowd of protesters. When the order comes down to open fire on the peaceful demonstration, Michael shoots low to avoid causing death. Nonetheless, a ricochet strikes and kills a twelve-year-old boy. At this point Michael’s life begins to unravel. His eyesight worsens, he loses his job and he struggles to care for his son. When Michael finds work illegally pirating Bollywood films, he starts receiving phone calls from the father of the boy he accidentally killed, threatening to kill his own son when the boy turns twelve. Michael is sent into a paranoid race against the clock.
- DirectorYe LouStarsCorinne YamTahar RahimJalil LespertA female Beijing student living in Paris accidentally meets a French construction worker. They have an intense relationship based on sexual attraction, mistrust, submissiveness and a dependence that leads them out of control and with no boundaries.CHINA/FRANCE, TIFF VANGUARD, LOU YE(SUZHOU RIVER, PURPLE BUTTERFLY, SUMMER PALACE), THE DOGME IN YOUR FACE CAMERA STYLE INTENSIFIES THE ANGST OF THE PROTAGONISTS. Hua (Corinne Yam) is a young teacher from Beijing. She is fluent in French, and journeys to Paris in the hopes of abandoning her former life back home. Mathieu (Tahar Rahim) is a construction worker who lacks culture and sophistication. The two literally meet by accident — Mathieu involuntarily hits Hua with a pole he is carrying at work — and seem to instantly recognize each other as misplaced children of society. An inexplicable drive pushes Hua towards this man who represents the unknown, and they fall into a frenzied relationship comprised of passion, sex and verbal abuse.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsStavros PsyllakisAris ServetalisJohnny VekrisA group of people start a business where they impersonate the recently deceased in order to help their clients through the grieving process.GREECE, TIFF VISIONS, YORGOS LANTHIMOS(DOGTOOTH), VERY STRANGE NARRATIVE, UNUSUAL STYLE, METICULOUSLY CREATED,
- DirectorMichael WinterbottomStarsFreida PintoRiz AhmedMita VashishtThe story of the tragic relationship between the son of a property developer and the daughter of an auto rickshaw owner.MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM'S DIVERSITY AND ABILITY TO ELICIT THE WORLD'S INJUSTICES MAKES HIM ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTEUR FILM MAKERS.. TRISHNA is a fascinating, intelligent film about a relationship turned sour on the back of withheld secrets and unequal material power, centred on Freida Pinto's first performance of real merit. She plays a poor, naive village girl called Trishna - who in her society is simply a commodity to earn to support her family, and conditioned to obey. A chance meeting with a rich young man, Jay (Riz Ahmed, FOUR LIONS), prises her away from her family and strict values. They approximate the life of two lovers in the freeing atmosphere of big city Mumbai. Given the differences in their social status, it is a measure of Jay's belief that he loves Trishna, that he's willing to broach the subject of marriage, but the revelation of secrets and the return to a cloying small-town hotel serve to subtly alter their relationship, step by step, into one of master-servant, and sexual exploitation, with alarming results.
- DirectorAndrea ArnoldStarsKaya ScodelarioJames HowsonSolomon GlaveA poor boy of unknown origins is rescued from poverty and taken in by the Earnshaw family where he develops an intense relationship with his young foster sister, Cathy.ANDREA ARNOLDS "RED ROAD" ANNOUNCED A NEW TALENT AND THIS FILM CONFIRMS IT. Emily Brontë’s famous novel is rugged terrain that’s been tramped enthusiastically by film adapters as various as silent director A.V. Bramble (no prints of his 1920 version are known to survive, sadly), Luis Buñuel and Jacques Rivette, its most famous incarnation being William Wyler’s 1939 Hollywood romance. It’s even been transplanted to California as an MTV teen musical, and has appeared as numerous period TV adaptations. Yet Andrea Arnold’s stark, defiantly naturalistic new version succeeds brilliantly in injecting the shock of the new into this well-thumbed English classic. KATE STABLES