The 35th Turin Film Festival has concluded, with a slew of honors being given out to its international lineup.
The best film award was given to Ram Nehari’s Israeli film Don’t Forget Me, a dark comedy about a woman struggling from an eating disorder who finds love in the form of a socially awkward tuba player. The film also was honored in the best actor and actress categories.
Chilean director Pablo Larrain served as president of the international jury, whose members also included Gillies MacKinnon (U.K.), Petros Markaris (Greece), Santiago Mitre (Argentina) and Isabella Ragonese (Italy).
Armando Iannucci won the Fipresci Award for his new film The...
The best film award was given to Ram Nehari’s Israeli film Don’t Forget Me, a dark comedy about a woman struggling from an eating disorder who finds love in the form of a socially awkward tuba player. The film also was honored in the best actor and actress categories.
Chilean director Pablo Larrain served as president of the international jury, whose members also included Gillies MacKinnon (U.K.), Petros Markaris (Greece), Santiago Mitre (Argentina) and Isabella Ragonese (Italy).
Armando Iannucci won the Fipresci Award for his new film The...
- 12/2/2017
- by Ariston Anderson
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ulysses Gaze Review Pt.2: Harvey Keitel, Erland Josephson, Maia Morgenstern Ulysses' Gaze ends with his soliloquy of grief. The character's despair, even though he is now in sole possession of the reels, suggests that his real interest was never the old film footage. How it ties in to his own quest for past memories is uncertain. In fact, there is an air of self-delusion and disingenuity in his grief. As a performer, Harvey Keitel seems to be dreamily floating throughout much of the film. This approach mostly works, save for a few much too florid speeches. Erland Josephson seems a bit hyperactive as the historian, while Maia Morgenstern gives perhaps the film's finest performance — or rather, performances — even if some of the roles seem a bit too far out. Ulysses' Gaze also offers a magnificently effective score by Eleni Karaindrou, especially with great viola passages by Kim Kashkashian, which...
- 1/25/2012
- by Dan Schneider
- Alt Film Guide
To Vlemma Tou Odyssea / Ulysses' Gaze (1995) Direction: Theo Angelopoulos Cast: Harvey Keitel, Erland Josephson, Maia Morgenstern, Thanasis Vengos, Giorgos Mihalakopoulos Screenplay: Theo Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, Petros Markaris, Giorgio Silvagni Harvey Keitel, Ulysses' Gaze Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos' 1995 effort To Vlemma tou Odyssea / Ulysses' Gaze is the first of that director's four films that I have seen that is not unequivocally a great work of art. Although there are arguments that can be made in favor of that claim, the film's 173-minute running time is much too long, especially considering that Ulysses' Gaze is the least poetic of the aforementioned four films. (For the record, the others are Landscape in the Mist, Eternity and a Day, and Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow.) Of course, I'm not saying that Ulysses' Gaze is a bad film or that it lacks Angelopoulos' trademark visual poesy. On the other hand, the film lacks several important...
- 1/25/2012
- by Dan Schneider
- Alt Film Guide
Screened
Berlin International Film Festival
BERLIN -- Greek master Theo Angelopoulos' new film is the first in an intended trilogy, which he hopes will stand as the summation of all his work. It's a typically poetic film, rich in powerful imagery, which sees a bitter personal tragedy unfold against the major events of 20th century Greece. Although the director doesn't mine any new ground here, either in terms of style or content, it's still a pleasure to sit through nearly three hours of perfectly controlled, visually evocative filmmaking.
"Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow" unspooled in competition at Berlin, where it was a critical favorite. More festival appearances should be assured, while its weighty themes and name director could lead to art house distribution in Europe and the States. Although the film is 170 minutes long, this probably won't hamper its performance at the boxoffice as viewers familiar with Angelopoulos' work will know what to expect.
"Trilogy" features an interesting narrative split between big history and personal drama. It centers on Eleni (Alexandra Aidini), a Greek immigrant from Russia who elopes with the unnamed Young Man (Nikos Poursanidis) -- the son of her much older fiance Spyros (Vassilis Kolovos). The two arrive in Thessaloniki, where he continues his career as a musician and she brings up their two sons. The Young Man then departs to America in search of a better life for his family. But Eleni cannot join him, and she is left in Greece to suffer the ravages of World War II and the Greek Civil War.
Eleni's story is submerged in the film's historical events -- Angelopoulos purposely avoids allowing viewers to build up a strong identification with its main character. Whereas a more conventional historical drama would have used Eleni's story as the engine of the plot, she's just one element of the director's vast historical tableau. Sometimes he focuses on her, sometimes he focuses on events elsewhere. This approach succeeds in depicting the broad sweep of events in 20th century Greece but occasionally leaves the film lacking an identifiable core.
Acting is similarly intriguing, mixing Angelopoulos' usual stylization with techniques drawn from the classical Greek stage. Eleni's final tragic pose is something that's not usually seen onscreen, a deep expression of pathos which has more in common with classical theater than contemporary acting. The director's desire to merge ancient and modern styles -- and themes -- also surfaces in an innovative scene in which the father delivers a soliloquy to refugees sheltering in an abandoned theater.
Angelopoulos' imagery will hold no surprises for his devotees, and it's none the worse for that. His crowd formations are meticulously composed, and a standout scene uses a funereal procession of boats to express the grief of his characters -- something which, again, resonates fully with the Greek classics. Sometimes, however, his imagery runs the risk of appearing obscure. A scene of dead sheep strung up on a tree left many confused, though specialists in Greek literature may know what he's getting at.
Funding for the next two installments of the trilogy is reportedly in place, though scripts have yet to be finalized.
TRILOGY: THE WEEPING MEADOW
Theo Angelopoulos, Greek Film Center, Hellenic Broadcasting Corp., Attica Art Prods., BAC Films, Intermedia, Arte Francais
Credits:
Director: Theo Angelopoulos
Screenwriters: Theo Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, Petros Markaris, Giorgio Silvagni
Producer: Phoebe Economopoulos
Director of photography: Andreas Sinanos
Production designers: Giorgos Patsas, Kostas Dimitriades: Music: Eleni Karaindrou
Costume designer: Ioulia Stavridou
Editor: Giorgos Triantafyllou
Cast:
Eleni: Alexandra Aidini: The Young Man: Nikos Poursanidis
Nikos: Giorgos Armenis
Spyros:Vassilis Kolovos
Running time -- 170 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Berlin International Film Festival
BERLIN -- Greek master Theo Angelopoulos' new film is the first in an intended trilogy, which he hopes will stand as the summation of all his work. It's a typically poetic film, rich in powerful imagery, which sees a bitter personal tragedy unfold against the major events of 20th century Greece. Although the director doesn't mine any new ground here, either in terms of style or content, it's still a pleasure to sit through nearly three hours of perfectly controlled, visually evocative filmmaking.
"Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow" unspooled in competition at Berlin, where it was a critical favorite. More festival appearances should be assured, while its weighty themes and name director could lead to art house distribution in Europe and the States. Although the film is 170 minutes long, this probably won't hamper its performance at the boxoffice as viewers familiar with Angelopoulos' work will know what to expect.
"Trilogy" features an interesting narrative split between big history and personal drama. It centers on Eleni (Alexandra Aidini), a Greek immigrant from Russia who elopes with the unnamed Young Man (Nikos Poursanidis) -- the son of her much older fiance Spyros (Vassilis Kolovos). The two arrive in Thessaloniki, where he continues his career as a musician and she brings up their two sons. The Young Man then departs to America in search of a better life for his family. But Eleni cannot join him, and she is left in Greece to suffer the ravages of World War II and the Greek Civil War.
Eleni's story is submerged in the film's historical events -- Angelopoulos purposely avoids allowing viewers to build up a strong identification with its main character. Whereas a more conventional historical drama would have used Eleni's story as the engine of the plot, she's just one element of the director's vast historical tableau. Sometimes he focuses on her, sometimes he focuses on events elsewhere. This approach succeeds in depicting the broad sweep of events in 20th century Greece but occasionally leaves the film lacking an identifiable core.
Acting is similarly intriguing, mixing Angelopoulos' usual stylization with techniques drawn from the classical Greek stage. Eleni's final tragic pose is something that's not usually seen onscreen, a deep expression of pathos which has more in common with classical theater than contemporary acting. The director's desire to merge ancient and modern styles -- and themes -- also surfaces in an innovative scene in which the father delivers a soliloquy to refugees sheltering in an abandoned theater.
Angelopoulos' imagery will hold no surprises for his devotees, and it's none the worse for that. His crowd formations are meticulously composed, and a standout scene uses a funereal procession of boats to express the grief of his characters -- something which, again, resonates fully with the Greek classics. Sometimes, however, his imagery runs the risk of appearing obscure. A scene of dead sheep strung up on a tree left many confused, though specialists in Greek literature may know what he's getting at.
Funding for the next two installments of the trilogy is reportedly in place, though scripts have yet to be finalized.
TRILOGY: THE WEEPING MEADOW
Theo Angelopoulos, Greek Film Center, Hellenic Broadcasting Corp., Attica Art Prods., BAC Films, Intermedia, Arte Francais
Credits:
Director: Theo Angelopoulos
Screenwriters: Theo Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, Petros Markaris, Giorgio Silvagni
Producer: Phoebe Economopoulos
Director of photography: Andreas Sinanos
Production designers: Giorgos Patsas, Kostas Dimitriades: Music: Eleni Karaindrou
Costume designer: Ioulia Stavridou
Editor: Giorgos Triantafyllou
Cast:
Eleni: Alexandra Aidini: The Young Man: Nikos Poursanidis
Nikos: Giorgos Armenis
Spyros:Vassilis Kolovos
Running time -- 170 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Screened
Berlin International Film Festival
BERLIN -- Greek master Theo Angelopoulos' new film is the first in an intended trilogy, which he hopes will stand as the summation of all his work. It's a typically poetic film, rich in powerful imagery, which sees a bitter personal tragedy unfold against the major events of 20th century Greece. Although the director doesn't mine any new ground here, either in terms of style or content, it's still a pleasure to sit through nearly three hours of perfectly controlled, visually evocative filmmaking.
"Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow" unspooled in competition at Berlin, where it was a critical favorite. More festival appearances should be assured, while its weighty themes and name director could lead to art house distribution in Europe and the States. Although the film is 170 minutes long, this probably won't hamper its performance at the boxoffice as viewers familiar with Angelopoulos' work will know what to expect.
"Trilogy" features an interesting narrative split between big history and personal drama. It centers on Eleni (Alexandra Aidini), a Greek immigrant from Russia who elopes with the unnamed Young Man (Nikos Poursanidis) -- the son of her much older fiance Spyros (Vassilis Kolovos). The two arrive in Thessaloniki, where he continues his career as a musician and she brings up their two sons. The Young Man then departs to America in search of a better life for his family. But Eleni cannot join him, and she is left in Greece to suffer the ravages of World War II and the Greek Civil War.
Eleni's story is submerged in the film's historical events -- Angelopoulos purposely avoids allowing viewers to build up a strong identification with its main character. Whereas a more conventional historical drama would have used Eleni's story as the engine of the plot, she's just one element of the director's vast historical tableau. Sometimes he focuses on her, sometimes he focuses on events elsewhere. This approach succeeds in depicting the broad sweep of events in 20th century Greece but occasionally leaves the film lacking an identifiable core.
Acting is similarly intriguing, mixing Angelopoulos' usual stylization with techniques drawn from the classical Greek stage. Eleni's final tragic pose is something that's not usually seen onscreen, a deep expression of pathos which has more in common with classical theater than contemporary acting. The director's desire to merge ancient and modern styles -- and themes -- also surfaces in an innovative scene in which the father delivers a soliloquy to refugees sheltering in an abandoned theater.
Angelopoulos' imagery will hold no surprises for his devotees, and it's none the worse for that. His crowd formations are meticulously composed, and a standout scene uses a funereal procession of boats to express the grief of his characters -- something which, again, resonates fully with the Greek classics. Sometimes, however, his imagery runs the risk of appearing obscure. A scene of dead sheep strung up on a tree left many confused, though specialists in Greek literature may know what he's getting at.
Funding for the next two installments of the trilogy is reportedly in place, though scripts have yet to be finalized.
TRILOGY: THE WEEPING MEADOW
Theo Angelopoulos, Greek Film Center, Hellenic Broadcasting Corp., Attica Art Prods., BAC Films, Intermedia, Arte Francais
Credits:
Director: Theo Angelopoulos
Screenwriters: Theo Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, Petros Markaris, Giorgio Silvagni
Producer: Phoebe Economopoulos
Director of photography: Andreas Sinanos
Production designers: Giorgos Patsas, Kostas Dimitriades: Music: Eleni Karaindrou
Costume designer: Ioulia Stavridou
Editor: Giorgos Triantafyllou
Cast:
Eleni: Alexandra Aidini: The Young Man: Nikos Poursanidis
Nikos: Giorgos Armenis
Spyros:Vassilis Kolovos
Running time -- 170 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Berlin International Film Festival
BERLIN -- Greek master Theo Angelopoulos' new film is the first in an intended trilogy, which he hopes will stand as the summation of all his work. It's a typically poetic film, rich in powerful imagery, which sees a bitter personal tragedy unfold against the major events of 20th century Greece. Although the director doesn't mine any new ground here, either in terms of style or content, it's still a pleasure to sit through nearly three hours of perfectly controlled, visually evocative filmmaking.
"Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow" unspooled in competition at Berlin, where it was a critical favorite. More festival appearances should be assured, while its weighty themes and name director could lead to art house distribution in Europe and the States. Although the film is 170 minutes long, this probably won't hamper its performance at the boxoffice as viewers familiar with Angelopoulos' work will know what to expect.
"Trilogy" features an interesting narrative split between big history and personal drama. It centers on Eleni (Alexandra Aidini), a Greek immigrant from Russia who elopes with the unnamed Young Man (Nikos Poursanidis) -- the son of her much older fiance Spyros (Vassilis Kolovos). The two arrive in Thessaloniki, where he continues his career as a musician and she brings up their two sons. The Young Man then departs to America in search of a better life for his family. But Eleni cannot join him, and she is left in Greece to suffer the ravages of World War II and the Greek Civil War.
Eleni's story is submerged in the film's historical events -- Angelopoulos purposely avoids allowing viewers to build up a strong identification with its main character. Whereas a more conventional historical drama would have used Eleni's story as the engine of the plot, she's just one element of the director's vast historical tableau. Sometimes he focuses on her, sometimes he focuses on events elsewhere. This approach succeeds in depicting the broad sweep of events in 20th century Greece but occasionally leaves the film lacking an identifiable core.
Acting is similarly intriguing, mixing Angelopoulos' usual stylization with techniques drawn from the classical Greek stage. Eleni's final tragic pose is something that's not usually seen onscreen, a deep expression of pathos which has more in common with classical theater than contemporary acting. The director's desire to merge ancient and modern styles -- and themes -- also surfaces in an innovative scene in which the father delivers a soliloquy to refugees sheltering in an abandoned theater.
Angelopoulos' imagery will hold no surprises for his devotees, and it's none the worse for that. His crowd formations are meticulously composed, and a standout scene uses a funereal procession of boats to express the grief of his characters -- something which, again, resonates fully with the Greek classics. Sometimes, however, his imagery runs the risk of appearing obscure. A scene of dead sheep strung up on a tree left many confused, though specialists in Greek literature may know what he's getting at.
Funding for the next two installments of the trilogy is reportedly in place, though scripts have yet to be finalized.
TRILOGY: THE WEEPING MEADOW
Theo Angelopoulos, Greek Film Center, Hellenic Broadcasting Corp., Attica Art Prods., BAC Films, Intermedia, Arte Francais
Credits:
Director: Theo Angelopoulos
Screenwriters: Theo Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, Petros Markaris, Giorgio Silvagni
Producer: Phoebe Economopoulos
Director of photography: Andreas Sinanos
Production designers: Giorgos Patsas, Kostas Dimitriades: Music: Eleni Karaindrou
Costume designer: Ioulia Stavridou
Editor: Giorgos Triantafyllou
Cast:
Eleni: Alexandra Aidini: The Young Man: Nikos Poursanidis
Nikos: Giorgos Armenis
Spyros:Vassilis Kolovos
Running time -- 170 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/26/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CANNES -- Typical of many films at the festival here, Theo Angelopoulos' ''Le Pas Suspendu de la Cigogne'' (The Suspended Step of the Stork) is relentlessly arty, downbeat, political and slow, a motion picture with virtually no motion and virtually no future in U.S. cinemas. Even with the names of Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau attached, prospects are slight of finding many outside.
The premise of the film is intriguing: a TV news reporter (Gregory Karr), covering the plight of refugees living in ghettos in a Greek border town, sees a nameless man (Mastroianni) working in a potato patch he suspects could be a high-ranking Greek politician who vanished 10 years earlier under mysterious circumstances.
Thus begins some sleuthing to discover whether or not the reporter's hunch is right and, if so, why the man decided to bolt, not only from the public eye and his esteemed position as a political golden boy but also from his wife, played by Moreau.
Angelopoulos, obviously fascinated with his subject and characters, takes his time in covering the ground, filling much of the footage with the slow camera pans while the actors take slow walks, give slow reactions, look at each other with slow stares and make slow moves to a conclusion that seems interminable in arriving. Deep it may be; static it is.
Mastroianni, a performer who gives impact to any film in which he appears, is of only limited help in adding spirit here, mainly because -- despite the first billing -- he has only limited time on camera, not appearing except at a shadowy distance until approximately 70 minutes into the proceedings. Instead, the camera rarely leaves Karr who, for the most part, is limp and uninteresting as the supposedly hot-shot reporter.
Anyone pulled to ''Cigogne'' by hopes of seeing a crackling, or even sentimental, reunion of Mastroianni and Moreau as co-stars are also doomed to disappointment. They share no scenes throughout, coming together long enough for just one stare. Moreau, called on to do little but bleakly walk through snow-covered streets while recalling the past in a forlorn fashion, is nevertheless effective in adding the only real punch the film possesses. For Mastroianni, now one of the best character stars in films today, ''Cigogne'' is a minor turn, demanding little from him except his presence.
The only other role of significance is done by Dora Chrysikou as a Greek girl separated from her long-time fiance by political barriers. Also attracted to Karr, she stares at him a great deal, he stares back and they make occasional slow walks to his bedroom.
Technical credits are good. Cinematography by Yorgos Arvanitis and Andreas Sinanos effectivly gives an added chill to the grim Greek locale where the film is set, and their pictures are further enhanced by Mikes Karapiperis' production design, equally somber as the script by Angelopoulos, Tonio Guerra and Petros Markaris requires.
For the record, the title refers to a stance taken twice in the film, once by a Colonel (Ilias Logothetis), once by Karr, simulating the look of a stork with one leg suspended in air, ready to step. In this case, the step could be fatal. It occurs on a bridge at the Greek-Turkey border where a ''no trespassing'' line has been drawn. Anytime one of those suspended legs comes down on the wrong side of the line, a soldier is waiting, rifle in hand, ready to execute the trespasser.
The film had a number of walk outs during the press screening, while others shouted an enthusiastic ''bravo!'' at the conclusion. A man to my left audibly dozed throughout.
LE PAS SUSPENDU DE LA CIGOGNE (THE SUSPENDED STEP OF THE STORK)
(French-Greek-Swiss-Italian)
Director Theo Angelopoulos
Screenplay Theo Angelopoulos, Tonio Guerra,
Petros Markaris
Cinematography Yorgos Arvanitis,
Andreas Sinanos
Production design Mikes Karapiperis
Costumes Giorgos Patsas
Music Helena Karaindrou
Editing Giannis Tsitsopoulos
Producers Bruno Pesery, Theo Angelopoulos
Co-producers Ruth Waldburger, Angelo Rizzoli
Color
Cast:
The refugee Marcello Mastroianni
The woman Jeanne Moreau
The reporter Gregory Karr
The girl Dora Chrysikou
The ColonelIlias Logothetis
Running time -- 145 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
The premise of the film is intriguing: a TV news reporter (Gregory Karr), covering the plight of refugees living in ghettos in a Greek border town, sees a nameless man (Mastroianni) working in a potato patch he suspects could be a high-ranking Greek politician who vanished 10 years earlier under mysterious circumstances.
Thus begins some sleuthing to discover whether or not the reporter's hunch is right and, if so, why the man decided to bolt, not only from the public eye and his esteemed position as a political golden boy but also from his wife, played by Moreau.
Angelopoulos, obviously fascinated with his subject and characters, takes his time in covering the ground, filling much of the footage with the slow camera pans while the actors take slow walks, give slow reactions, look at each other with slow stares and make slow moves to a conclusion that seems interminable in arriving. Deep it may be; static it is.
Mastroianni, a performer who gives impact to any film in which he appears, is of only limited help in adding spirit here, mainly because -- despite the first billing -- he has only limited time on camera, not appearing except at a shadowy distance until approximately 70 minutes into the proceedings. Instead, the camera rarely leaves Karr who, for the most part, is limp and uninteresting as the supposedly hot-shot reporter.
Anyone pulled to ''Cigogne'' by hopes of seeing a crackling, or even sentimental, reunion of Mastroianni and Moreau as co-stars are also doomed to disappointment. They share no scenes throughout, coming together long enough for just one stare. Moreau, called on to do little but bleakly walk through snow-covered streets while recalling the past in a forlorn fashion, is nevertheless effective in adding the only real punch the film possesses. For Mastroianni, now one of the best character stars in films today, ''Cigogne'' is a minor turn, demanding little from him except his presence.
The only other role of significance is done by Dora Chrysikou as a Greek girl separated from her long-time fiance by political barriers. Also attracted to Karr, she stares at him a great deal, he stares back and they make occasional slow walks to his bedroom.
Technical credits are good. Cinematography by Yorgos Arvanitis and Andreas Sinanos effectivly gives an added chill to the grim Greek locale where the film is set, and their pictures are further enhanced by Mikes Karapiperis' production design, equally somber as the script by Angelopoulos, Tonio Guerra and Petros Markaris requires.
For the record, the title refers to a stance taken twice in the film, once by a Colonel (Ilias Logothetis), once by Karr, simulating the look of a stork with one leg suspended in air, ready to step. In this case, the step could be fatal. It occurs on a bridge at the Greek-Turkey border where a ''no trespassing'' line has been drawn. Anytime one of those suspended legs comes down on the wrong side of the line, a soldier is waiting, rifle in hand, ready to execute the trespasser.
The film had a number of walk outs during the press screening, while others shouted an enthusiastic ''bravo!'' at the conclusion. A man to my left audibly dozed throughout.
LE PAS SUSPENDU DE LA CIGOGNE (THE SUSPENDED STEP OF THE STORK)
(French-Greek-Swiss-Italian)
Director Theo Angelopoulos
Screenplay Theo Angelopoulos, Tonio Guerra,
Petros Markaris
Cinematography Yorgos Arvanitis,
Andreas Sinanos
Production design Mikes Karapiperis
Costumes Giorgos Patsas
Music Helena Karaindrou
Editing Giannis Tsitsopoulos
Producers Bruno Pesery, Theo Angelopoulos
Co-producers Ruth Waldburger, Angelo Rizzoli
Color
Cast:
The refugee Marcello Mastroianni
The woman Jeanne Moreau
The reporter Gregory Karr
The girl Dora Chrysikou
The ColonelIlias Logothetis
Running time -- 145 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 5/21/1991
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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