Sunday, January 28, 2007

The Week in Review

FILMS:
  • The Last King of Scotland (Kevin MacDonald, 2006)
  • The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky, 2006)
  • They're A Weird Mob (Michael Powell, 1966)
  • Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Tom Tykwer, 2006)
DVD:
  • Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios, Pedro Almodóvar, 1988)
  • Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (¡Átame!, Pedro Almodóvar, 1990)
BOOKS I'M READING:
  • A Spanish Labyrinth: The Films of Pedro Almodovóvar (Mark Allinson, 2001) - 10% read
THEATRE (my very first time - I'm a theatre-virgin no more):
  • Don's Party (Williamson)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Paul, What did you think of The Fountain? I was not impressed at all and thought it almost drowned in it's own lame pretension for a good portion of the film.

Whilst I think Pi (1998) and Requiem For A Dream (2000) are ok films (perhaps a little overrated), I thought he may be able to make the next step and create something truly great.

One reviewer said that it's this generation's '2001: A Space Odyssey'. Maybe i'll love it in 15 years.

-Mark.

Paul Martin said...

Hi Mark, I liked it a lot. The Fountain and Old Joy are my favourite films of the year so far. I found it poetic, sublime, ambiguous and loved the music, lighting and style. I also liked his previous films a lot, but this is his best, in my opinion. I plan to see it again some time soon. I'd also like to see Requiem again.

But I can understand your comments; it's certainly not everyone's cup of tea.

Anonymous said...

A M B I T I O U S

Astor could do a Sunday when they Melbourne Convention Centre are holding an academic existentialism philosophy conference.

Solaris - Fountain - Cremaster (take your pic edition)

My opinon. You get it on my 3rd or 4th viewing. No good appraising it then. Just because it is cerebral and ambitious, does not mean it classifies as a great film. Definitely thought provoking, which is a virtue undoubtedly.

What are Village doing with their marketing? Fountain Gate? Dandenong? South Yarra? Geelong?

I think they gave up on it, must have bought distribution rights before it went into production, and now don't know what to do. Reminds me how Village distributed Soderburgh's Solaris. They had Clooney, and Fountain has Hugh Jackman. So just leave it in the multiplexes as a default star vehicle? Solaris was sold and distributed in a package with the Oceans star vehicle series.

I think Village still have 50% of Natalie Miller's Nova, so I don't understand why it is not there, and something like Miss Potter is. Perhaps school holidays, and rounding out Nova's offer to the punters.

They no longer have an interest in Palace, but I don't see the Fountain really being in their offer either, perhaps George St Kilda or Toorak.

Paul Martin said...

Hi Delon, yes a strange one, indeed. The distributor is Twentieth Century Fox. I saw it at Hoyts Northland of all places. It felt strange to be in a venue like this. There were not many people in the audience.

I made an interpretation of the film, because much is not spelt out. I didn't know for example, that part of it was 26th century astronaut. I took the tree/shaved head/disappearing girl thing as happening in a spirit dimension. I like a film that allows that kind of interpretation, even if I'm wrong (which I probably am).

I don't know if it's a great film, but I enjoyed it immensely and want to see it again at least one more time. Yes, thought-provoking is definitely a virtue. It did have things in common with Solaris, and I thought Soderburgh did a reasonable job with it.

I agree about the Nova - just weird programming. I won't be going to see Miss Potter. Miss Zellwegger is perhaps my most hated actress at present. I cannot look at her onscreen (it used to be Demi Moore, but fortunately she's floated into oblivion, perhaps distracted by the young boys).

Anonymous said...

ahh well,

Fox probably pushed Hoyts and Village to get it into cinemas. You know, in the package deal.

But no one is throwing any marketing behind it.

Be surprised if it gets to 100,000.

I think it will miss many Cinephiles as they just don't realise it is whowing. Only the hardcore ones who see multiple films per week and have a affinity for Aronofsky will get to see this. Disppointing programming and marketing. Guess they don't want to put good dollars after bad down the drain as they just don't know how to sell it, probably because they know they can't sell it with word of mouth and it will never do good business anyhow.

Damn, starting to talk like the fat man, Weinstein.

Paul Martin said...

I think you're right, Delon, no-one knows it's out there, and the target market won't be looking in the fine print of the Hoyts and Village ads to see it's on at the cinemaplexes (and even if they knew, would they want to go there anyway?).

You'd think Village would put it into Cinema Europa and Rivoli, but it's showing at the outer suburbs like Knox, Geelong, Dandenong, Sunshine, etc. Hoyts have it at Chadstone, Highpoint and Northland (where I saw it). Unbelievable.

A medium size ad in the film section of the papers wouldn't go astray.

Anonymous said...

"Old Joy" eh? I've been meaning to do some research on this one. I'm thinking I may just add it to my list...

Anonymous said...

I don't know about the box office results but I like the movie and enjoyed it immensely and loves to go for it one more time.I thought Soderburgh did a reasonable job with it.I also liked his previous films a lot, but this one is expectional.