by Indy Datta
Citizen Kane is 70 years old this week. I could collect a series of interesting links to commemorate the fact, or I could just link to the handy example that MUBI made earlier. Go on, have an argument in the comments about whether Kane really is the greatest film of all time.
by Indy Datta
So, if you haven’t got an invitation to the wedding, you’ll be wanting to see a movie this weekend, right? Disney’s Marvel imprint has obliged by opening Kenneth Branagh’s Thor on both sides of the Atlantic, to overwhelmingly positive reviews. I liked the trailer. Even Natalie Portman is good in it, although I believe that’s just her head grafted – by the magic of CGI – onto an actor’s body.
by Indy Datta
I should start with a couple of links in memory of Sidney Lumet, who died this week after almost six decades of directing film and television. Not as revered as some film makers who have achieved rather less, he was the epitome of the Hollywood craftsman, and his filmography has more than its fair share of classics (and the odd underseen gem; for example Q&A got a bit lost in the wake of Internal Affairs but, for me, it made the Mike Figgis film look crass and jejune). Matt Zoller Seitz, at Salon, gives us a detailed appreciation of Lumet’s work, teasing out the common themes in his films and showcasing his formal skill. Glenn Kenny, of Some Came Running, has posted a link to a 2007 interview he did with Lumet for the DGA Quarterly. It’s also worth your time.
by Indy Datta
We haven’t chosen the most exciting week for new releases for our launch week. Janus Metz Pedersen’s Afghan war documentary Armadillo probably takes pole position as the week’s most intriguing new film, courtesy of its prize-winning outing at Cannes last year. Reviews from its festival screenings seem thin on the ground, but here are positive notices from Screen Daily, The Hollywood Reporter, Steady Diet of Film and Obsessed With Film.
Although I had been inclined to write off Rio based purely on the – thus far infallible – rule of the Orange promotional trailer (bring back Brennan Brown!), I’ve been told by sensible people that it’s much better than you were expecting, and if you’re a Flight of the Conchords fan, maybe this musical snippet featuring Jemaine Clement will tempt you.
MostlyFilm 