Next Cinema Lounge

The Cinema Lounge meets on Monday, December 13 at 7:00pm to discuss the topic, "Movies About Movies." Nothing Nothing pleases Hollywood more than tooting its own horn. Movies about making movies, movies about actors, documentaries about making movies, etc. Join us for a discussion of what happens when Hollywood turns the lens on itself. Suggested viewing: Singin’ in the Rain (Donen and Kelly, 1952), The Big Picture (Christopher Guest, 1989), Hearts of Darkness (Bahr and Coppola, 1991), Ed Wood (Tim Burton, 1994), The Kid Stays in the Picture (Burstein and Morgen, 2002), Lost in LaMancha (Fulton and Pepe, 2002).

Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, takes place the second Monday of every month at 7:00pm at Barnes and Noble Books, 555 12th Street, NW in Washington, DC (near the Metro Center Metro stop).

Coming Attractions Trailer Program: Winter 2004

By Cheryl Dixon, DC Film Society Member

Fellow Film Society members and guests, I hope you made it to our semi-annual event, Coming Attractions on Monday, November 15. Over 100 attendees were able to see most of the trailers for the industry’s final slate for Oscars consideration. In case you missed the event, along with the witty barbs and incisive commentary from our ever-popular hosts, film critics Joe Barber and Bill Henry, our expert film critic audience, and the free movie giveaways, here’s a program and commentary synopsis. Joe and Bill have divided the trailers up into six whimsically-named categories. Each category is listed in bold with the films listed in bold italics. If you liked what you saw in the trailers, go see the movie and spread the word about your favorites.

Thanks to the DC Film Society Coordinating Committee for their time, energy, and enthusiasm in pulling together this event, especially Directors Michael Kyrioglou, Brian Niemiec, and Jim Shippey; and Coordinating Committee Members Karrye Braxton, Billy Coulter, Cheryl Dixon, Larry Hart, Ky Nguyen, and Tuan Tran. Special thanks to Joe Barber, Bill Henry, Allied Advertising, Henry Passman and John Woods of Loews Cineplex Wisconsin Avenue 6, Terry Hines & Associates, and all participating film studios. Let’s show our support to our special friends throughout the year!

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
1. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Touchstone). Oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) and company, including estranged wife (Anjelica Huston), a journalist (Cate Blanchett), and possible son (Owen Wilson) set out to exact revenge on a killer shark. Stellar casting also includes Willem Dafoe and Jeff Goldblum. Joe & Bill (J&B) think this trailer is definitely aimed at pushing the Oscar nomination for Bill Murray.
2. Ocean’s Twelve (Warner Bros.). Eye candy returns, take your pick. J&B say it’s “not a good sign” that fewer people in our audience were laughing than those seen laughing in the trailer. Will the sequel live up to the original?
3. The Sea Inside (Fine Line). Javier Bardem stars as real-life Spaniard Ramon Sampedro, Euthanasia champion. J&B observe that it is rare to find foreign film trailers with foreign languages spoken and English subtitles. Usually such trailers rely on music and voiceover narration to push these films. A sign of things to come?
4. The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (Paramount). Cute. Real cute. Should be popular with the kids.

It's Not Personal: It's Strictly Business
5. Blade: Trinity (New Line). Third installment of the vampire story featuring Wesley “born perfect” Snipes. J&B found this trailer somewhat offensive and cliché-ridden, but Blade fans will love it.
6. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (Universal). The continuing story of Bridget Jones’s (Renee Zellweger) happily-ever-after romance with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Hugh Grant is back to complicate matters. A “solid sequel,” The trailer makes this movie look funnier than the original.
7. Elektra (20th Century Fox). Jennifer returns as the warrior woman. Goran Visnjic also finds some film work during ER’s summer hiatus. J&B query “didn’t anybody die in ‘Daredevil’?”
8. Phantom of the Opera (Warner Bros.). If there is a jewel in the crown, this is it. The trailer looks beautiful, decayed black and white moves to living color. The songs, costumes, and set designs dazzle. Who’s the hunk? J&B think this looks amazing from start to finish, a surprise from Director Joel Schumacher, and assure that Andrew Lloyd Webber has his hand firmly upon this one. Audience members express concerns that a singer’s voice was too flat, but enjoy the “Moulin Rouge”-like visuals.
9. Son of the Mask (New Line). J&B lament: did someone forget to sign up Jim Carrey and hasn’t anyone learned the lesson of doing a movie sequel to one of his films without him in it?

The Stars of the Season
10. Alexander (Warner Bros.). “A King isn’t born, he’s made,” “Conquer your fear and you’ll conquer death,” “Fortune Favors the Bold”--lots of high-sounding quotes for Oliver Stone’s epic. J&B urge restraint in assessing the movie based on the trailer quotes and assure the movie does not shy away from Alexander’s bisexuality.
11. Hotel Rwanda (United Artists). Don Cheadle gets the star turn as real-life hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina, who housed Tutsis refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda. A definite showcase for Cheadle’s immense talent. Nick Nolte and Joaquin also featured.
12. The Incredibles (Disney). Cute cartoon with a James Bond-like soundtrack. Geared for older audience though….
13. Kinsey (Fox Searchlight). Film Society members have already been treated to the stellar performances of Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, and Peter Saarsgard as they research, talk about and have sex. Sex raises a lot of interesting questions. Intelligent dialogue and revealing insights on the life and work of the pioneering Dr.Alfred Kinsey from Writer/Director Bill Condon.
14. The Polar Express (Warner Bros.). Deciding to get on the train is what’s important. A holiday movie with life lessons. A future classic? J&B reveal that this movie could be “creepy” based on a child’s dream. Prompted lots of audience discussion on movies not being all things to all people and some movies are just right for kids, humanity coming from the story and its characters, its intelligence and controversy.
15. Spanglish (Columbia). Writer/Director James L. Brooks offers a family comedy with a very serious-acting Adam Sandler. Introducing (to U.S. audiences) Paz Vega. Welcoming back Cloris Leachman.

The Living Shall Envy the Dead
16. After the Sunset (New Line). Pierce Brosnan as a jewel thief who wants to retire, joined by Salam Hayak in a bikini on an island paradise, and Woody Harrelson as an FBI agent. Director Brett Ratner’s rude humor.
17. Are We There Yet? (Columbia). Single, divorced mom Nia Long’s kids from hell put Ice Cube to the test. Sometimes we just wanna laugh and have fun…. J&B: B says he doesn’t like cheaply-made junk that is offensive to him, he doesn’t think this movie is very funny. Another ‘Soul Plane”?
18. Racing Stripes (Warner Bros.). A zebra wants to race. Steve Harvey, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Spade, and Dustin Hoffman lend their voices to the talking animals. J&B: B says, “I feel betrayed by your laughter!” Audience members query “Did Dustin Hoffman’s check clear?” What is he doing in this film? J&B conclude that this maybe not the second coming of “Kangeroo Jack.”

You Used to Be Big
19. Fat Albert (20th Century Fox). Another cartoon character comes to life and gets to meet his creator, Dr. William H. Cosby, aka “Bill.”
20. In Good Company (Universal). Dennis Quaid stars as an advertising executive whose boss (Topher Grace) is half his age and dates his daughter (Scarlett Johansson).
21. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (Paramount). Three orphans meet a creepy relative who wants to steal their inherited fortune. Great special effects.
22. Meet the Fockers (Universal). DeNiro, Hoffman, Streisand, Blythe Danner (Gwyneth’s mom), and Ben Stiller. Meet the parents. All of them. Can’t imagine these personalities actually working together. Should be interesting comedy.
23. Monster-in-Law (New Line). J-Lo and future mother-in-law Jane Fonda don’t get along. J&B: it’s been 13 years, this is Jane Fonda’s big comeback!

Some Serious Stuff
24. Closer (Columbia). “Love disappoints me,” laments Jude Law. Two couples form three couples. Clive Owen, Natalie Portman, and Julie Roberts, share the spotlight with the brilliant and beautiful, yet can’t find love, Jude Law.
25. Coach Carter (Paramount). Samuel L. Jackson, wearing coat and tie, benches his basketball team for failing school grades, yet assists them in their transformation from boyz to men. Lean on me!
26. A Very Long Engagement (Warner Independent). Jean-Pierre Jeunet directs Audrey Tautou (Amelie) as Mathilde, a young woman searching for her fiancée, missing in France during battle in World War I.
27. The Woodsman (Newmarket Films). Kevin Bacon’s character has a secret and I don’t think this trailer is giving it away. This is a story about redemption. A pedophile returns to society after spending time in prison.

A Very Long Engagement: Interview with Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet

By Caroline Cooper, DC Film Society Member

In the new film, A Very Long Engagement, which opens nationwide on December 17, French film director Jean-Pierre Jeunet of Amélie fame teams up again with his Amélie co-writer Guillaume Laurant and star Audrey Tautou to bring to the screen Sebastien Jasprisot’s best-selling novel of two young lovers, Mathilde and Manech, whose relationship is tested by war, near death experiences, and their physical handicaps.

If you loved Amélie for its complex characters, vivid imagery, and touching sensibility, then you will also like A Very Long Engagement. Both stories are told honestly and skillfully onscreen by Jeunet and his talented cast and crew, almost all of whom worked on both films. Like Amélie, Mathilde is flawed: she is stricken with polio and must struggle to transform a bad situation into a good one and find the true meaning of life. Jeunet blends symbolism, dialogue, and breathtaking cinematography to captivate the audience from beginning to end.

Set in World War I-era France, the story follows the journey of Mathilde as she seeks to discover the true fate of her lover after he and four other beleaguered soldiers are sentenced to death in the feared Bingo Crepescule for mutilating their hands. Along her journey, Mathilde encounters a number of characters whose lives she will touch in ways that defy the imagination.

For Jeunet, making the film was a dream come true. After eight months of preparation, he shot the film entirely in France with a French cast and film crew in 22 weeks, and will have it distributed worldwide by Warner Independent Pictures.

On November 19, I participated in a press interview with Jeunet to learn more about what inspired him to make the film and the challenges he confronted in the process.

Caroline Cooper: Can you tell me what inspired you to adapt the book into a film?
Jean-Pierre Jeunet: "There were three things which inspired me about the book. The first one was my fascination with the first World War; the film was a good opportunity to speak about the war without making the film only about the war. The second thing was the opportunity to recreate Paris during the 1920’s. The third thing, of course, was the character of Mathilde. It was the only book I wanted to adapt in fourteen years." He contrasted this movie with his experience in making Amélie. He said Amélie was inspired by a lifetime of anecdotes, memories, and little ideas--a “once in a life time” experience.

Caroline Cooper: How much creative license did you use in adapting the screenplay? Did you convey some things in the film differently than they were conveyed in the book? For example, you used letters a lot. Were they used in the book?
Jean-Pierre Jeunet: "The book is made up of letters; so of course, I had to adapt in many places. An adaptation is nothing compared to writing an original story. This was a good story, a bestseller. Of course, we had to simplify the plotline because Mathilde had many people around her--father, mother, brother, sister, servants--and she was in a wheelchair all of the time. I brought my own preoccupation and ideas. For example, the prostitute Tina Lombardi and the Postman were not in the book, neither was the explosion of the balloon nor the superstition."

Caroline Cooper: How did you decide on some of the lead characters, for example, Gaspard Ulliel?
Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Jeunet explained it depends on the actors. In selecting the extras, he saw 2,000 pictures to ensure a likeness between the actors and soldiers during World War I. In selecting Jodie Foster to play Elodie Gordes, he did not do a screen test; Foster came to him. But finding the right lead character required more than a picture. He did many screen tests, as he considers the screen tests “a kind of rehearsal.” For Manech, Jeunet saw 60 different men. He said “It was difficult to find a guy who was naïve but not challenged. Gaspard was the best one by far. He is going to be a star very soon. He understood everything; he’s 19, very young.” For the star, Audrey Tautou, the decision was easy. Although she, like the other actors in the film, did a number of readings for the part to better understand the character, Jeunet asked her to be in the film on the same night that Amélie was considered for the Academy awards. After the actors are selected, Jeunet made a storyboard and had them undergo an intense preparation period, rehearsing each scene to perfection.

Caroline Cooper: Why did you decide to use same crew from Amélie?
Jean-Pierre Jeunet: "Because I love them and they love me. It was 99 percent of the same crew. Using the same crew was useful because you don’t lose time explaining things; you know by heart their quality and talent--after five movies you eliminate the worst and keep the best ones. I push them, but they love it. They know it’s a good opportunity to make something beautiful."

Caroline Cooper: What was the most difficult part about making this film?
Jean-Pierre Jeunet: "War was difficult, but the kind of difficulty that we love. The only problem that we had was the humidity inside the camera and the remote when we made fake rain inside the trench. It was electronic, and sometimes nothing worked. We had two days in which it was impossible to shoot." Jeunet compared making A Very Long Engagement with his experience in making Alien Resurrection. Although he said the experience was an amazing one, he noted that he never made a shot without technical problems.

Caroline Cooper: Can you talk about the editing process with this movie? I understand you edited during your shoot.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet: "At first, I was very disappointed because I love so much to be present at editing. Of course, I trust my editor. He made all of my films, even Alien Resurrection. I had an amazing idea; because we had a big budget, I wanted to have a bus with editing capabilities inside. And we had it; it was just beside the trench. At noon during the lunch, with mud on my shoes I was editing. During one hour, I chose the takes, and at the end of the day I could see the first draft of the scene. It very useful. I could fix problems, shoot retakes when things did not work very well, and could adjust characters. One day after the shooting, we had the first draft." Jeunet offered some advice for budding filmmakers: “Just find a camera and make a film.” He said it is “so simple, and little by little I made a feature but only after first making an animation film, live action short film, music video, and commercial.” It took him ten years to make his first film Delicatessen. Jeunet said he is not currently planning a new project. For him, the process takes time. “I am very slow; I need to fall in love with the story.”

The 15th Anniversary Washington Jewish Film Festival

Manasarovar, a Q&A with Director Anup Kurian

By James McCaskill, Storyboard Special Correspondent

One of the joys and sorrows of film festivals is finding a small film that has a lot of merit but may never have wide distribution. Manasarovar (Anup Kurian, India, 2004) is one of those films--overlooked by critics but not by the audience. By word of mouth alone it sold out two screenings at the London Film Festival. This resulted in the film being picked up for distribution in the UK.

In the following interview Kurian is very open about the problems of finding funding, buying equipment from eBay, working with experienced actors and filming in monsoons in India. He also speaks about the problems of filming a love story with cultural restraints. Manasarovar is worth looking for at international film festivals and museums that specialize in films from Asia. Manasarovar won the two most important debut awards in India, Aravindan Puraskaram and Gollapudi Srinivas National Award and was selected as the opening night film at Indian Panorama at IFFI, Goa. Kurian is a director with a future. It is amazing what he can do with such a low budget.

Q: Why did you decide that film was your media for storytelling rather than writing?
A: Films sort of fascinated me. I find films to be the medium to tell a story since it is the most difficult to do properly and that difficulty is the sort of challenge I like. There are incredible possibilities and from India you never have any issue in finding a good story.

Q: How did you get into film production? Was training at Uni or on-the-job?
A: I went to Film and TV Institute of India, one of the two film schools in India, and probably Asia's biggest school. It is quite difficult to get admission but I was lucky to get a seat the first chance. I did a few documentaries and advertisements at the school. But afterwards I took a few years off and went to USA to make some money and to see the world.

Q: What parts of the film gave you the most trouble?
A: The film had about 30 locations spread throughout India. We were shooting the last two weeks of Monsoon in most of the locations. Most of the days it would rain once in a while but we could finish the planned shots. On the last day in Kerala we had a proper shoot and the most expensive--an elephant, crane, track, trolley, etc. That day recorded the highest rainfall for the state in Kerala in the last 5 years. We could shoot only 10% of what we had planned.

Q: Were there parts that had to be changed from your original script?
A: Handling actors was the toughest thing to do. Atul Kulkarni is an award winning actor--probably the best of his generation in India. Neha is well experienced in theater and cinema. They found themselves in a situation where everyone in Manasarovar was making their first feature film (cameraman, writer-director, editor, sound designer, art director, producers). I had no idea how to deal with actors. I am a bit better now. So when Atul suggested changes in the script which I could not make (in fact I took none of his changes and he felt sort of insulted) things became really bad between us. Ditto with Neha. I had two close friends who looked at the script, the integrity of characters, the truth quotient, etc. I took their suggestions. Manasarovar is like The Apartment there is no kiss or a hug between the leading pair.

Q: Some directors feel that their first film is a "calling card" that tells producers what they can do. What did you take away from Manasarovar?
A: Yes, looking back I am more confident that I can tell a story. Manasarovar was one of those films which are made just because it is so much fun making a film.

Q: What distribution plans are in the works for Manasarovar?
A: We are starting with one print of the film--probably with Tricycle Cinema, Kilburn. Later if the film works (this is a film which will work only with word of mouth publicity) we will add one or two prints. The three countries where Manasarovar has an audience is India (November 29 it is screening as opening film of Indian Panorama, International Film Festival of India, Goa), UK (showed in London Festival) and US (yet to be shown). Any help from you for a North American festival opening will be greatly appreciated.

Q: What was the origin of this film?
A: Manasarovar was my third script. The first two were written in 2002 and they were not really good. I went to New York early in 2003 for work and the people I met and what I heard and experienced became Manasarovar. I wrote the script in 2 months and I was not sure if it was good. But my co-producer Mathan said we should go ahead with this film.

Q: How was funding resolved?
A: There are 4 producers--Anup Kurian (myself), Mathewkutty (also the art director), Arun Kurian (my brother) and KV Kurien (my professor at film school). The first two put in the the most money for Manasarovar. I worked in United States 3 years as an e-commerce engineer and saved about $30,000. Mathewkutty worked in Dubai as a graphic designer and saved about $6000. Together we could finance this film ourselves. I bought a 16MM Arriflex BL from EBAY. I wanted to make my film in sync sound and good silent cameras are very expensive to hire in India. After the shoot we sold the camera and with that money bought monitors for sound post production from EBAY. So you can say EBAY was a partner in Manasarovar. After film school at FTII, Pune, India, I had no energy to approach an Indian producer for funding. They would not have funded this film.

Q: What made you want to take on this project?
A: The only way to make a film ourselves was saving our money and doing it. Manasarovar as a script had all the advantages for a low budget first film--it had 3 characters, a goat and an elephant. Also this is a story close to my heart; after writing it I got the conviction to spend my life savings on a film.

Q: What directors have most influenced your work or, if you prefer, what films have most interested you?
A: I try to not to be influenced by anyone. But I believe it is inevitable. About script writing: There are few Indian directors from my generation who write their own scripts. I may collaborate with my younger brother in future projects as he shares similar tastes and passion for cinema. I am sort of influenced by American script writers. I have read most of the scripts of Coen Brothers, Tarantino, Charlie Kaufman, Wes Anderson etc. I got the courage to do a film with three characters after seeing Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise which has only two characters and movies of Wong Kar Wai. I try to bring Almodavar's humor and Robert Bolt's scale to the script. I am also indebted to the late Padmarajan (a writer-director in my home state Kerala) for his character studies and Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Satyajit Ray called Adoor his successor) for his finesse. But about direction, I try to bring my own style. And that is probably the reason the film was well received in India. Manasarovar is not a Bengali movie or Malayalam (language of my home state, Kerala) or Hindi film, it is an Indian film with a pan-Indian scale and characters who are second generation living outside their home states and who identify themselves as Indian rather than a Malayalee, Bengali (a person from Bengal) or Tamilian (a person from Tamilnadu). Recently I saw Shane--the old western with Alan Ladd. That was such a simple and magnificent film. The same with Anantaram (Monologue) by Malayalam Director Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Apur Sansar (The World Of Apu) which for me is Satyajit Ray's best film. The films of Francois Truffaut are all time favorites and also Underground by Emir Kusturica. The first award I got--Aravindan Puraskaram for the best debut director in India--Adoor was the chairperson. Later I met him for the first time. He started making movies the year I was born--1972. He told me all his movies have a different treatment. Later I realised this master does a lot of experiments with the structure of the film.

Q: There seems to be a trend of taking English classics and making them into Bollywood films (Bride and Prejudice springs to mind)--although I suspect this was made more for an English audience. Any chance you might take an American classic and do the same thing?
A: I don't think so. I try to write stories that are current--which happen right now among us. An interpretation of an American Classic is not that appealing now.

Q: There seems to be a code of behavior that Indian directors have to adhere to (such as no touching, no kissing) that would stifle most European-American directors. What should a Euro-American audience bring to a film from India? What would an Indian audience expect that a Western one would not?
A: There is a cultural backdrop to showing or not showing sex, a kiss or even a hug. I was a bit lucky to kiss a girl when I was about 20, but for a lot of my friends they had to wait until they were married in their mid-twenties or early thirties. There are a lot of mainstream skin flicks from India, which edge on soft porn. Some of the Indian films released in UK theaters would be of that kind. Last time I counted, Hindi filmmakers had made 12 remakes of Indecent Proposal. The same time, one of the best love stories in American Cinema is The Apartment--where you don't find kissing or even a hug. For me, if I cannot show an intimate scene in a breathtakingly fresh and innovative way, I would not include that scene. Even with western films it is getting old and repetitive and I think a film like Intimacy or the new Michael Winterbottom film goes to the permissible limits. But at the same time Catherine Brelliat is always brilliant and never seems to exhaust the possibilities of sexual intimacy. Euro-American audience should look at an Indian story with a universal theme. India is huge--1 billion people, more than 500 languages, 15 official languages with incredible progress in software and technology in the last 10 years and also with a lot of social problems. So they are going to see a lot of 'yet to be heard' stories from India. At the same time Indians should enjoy the bravura and experiments in world cinema. It is slowly happening--Run Lola Run when released in Bombay was a big hit. Baran was released in mainstream theaters in Bombay. I want a film like Address Unknown by Kim Ki Duk to be released in Bombay--it should give Indians tolerance with films dealing with sensitive issues. I predict that the awe people give to Iranian films, films of Wong Kar Wai, Chinese films and Korean films would be given to Indian films in the near future.

Q: What was your shooting schedule for Manasarovar?
A: The first and longest schedule of Manasarovar was the last two weeks of Monsoon in August 2003 in Central India--in and near the city of Pune, Sinhagad Fort, Mulshi Lake etc. Then in late September we shot in Dharamsala--it always rains in Dharamsala--which is at the foothills of Himalaya and where the Dalai Lama is based. Then in November we shot in Kerala--South India. We had about 5 locations spread in and around the town of Kottayam--the backwaters of Kumarakom, the paddy fields in Kaipuzha, Ayyampara which overlooks the Meenachil Valley, Vagamon in Kottayam Idukki Border. All together we had about 30 locations throughout India.

Q: What is your next project?
A: There are two scripts which are half way complete and I am waiting to finish the rest of the business with Manasarovar. The first script is about three generations of environmentalists: first generation--one who fought outside the system in the North East Indian state of Assam on the banks of Brahmaputra, the second generation--the ones who fought being inside the system in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan and the third generation who comes back to India and who is going to fight outside the system. I hope to have this ready by 2006.

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