Translated material
Anton Dolin. Cinema-8. What and where to watch
Anton Dolin
Date of publication: October 10, 2000
This column does not talk about all new or box-office films, but exclusively about those that, in the opinion of the column’s author, should be seen. In other words, only good or at least interesting films are annotated here.
WEEK 09.10-15.10
FESTIVAL
"Retrospective of Jos Stelling" at the Cinema Center. For the first time in a more or less commercial cinema (however, it allows itself from time to time to show Greenaway's "Cook, Thief...") - a retrospective of a completely non-commercial, absolutely aesthetic director, the Dutchman Stelling. His films are a specific spectacle, visual meditations on a given topic. In addition to the well-known, recognized masterpieces like “The Switchman” or “The Illusionist,” two new works will be shown - the small “Gas Station” (2000) and the full-length “No Trains, No Planes” (1999). It's better to see it once!
"Cinema Center" :
"Gas station" , "No trains, no planes"
13.10 - 19:00;
"Illusionist"
14.10 - 19:00;
"Waiting Room" , "Switchman"
15.10 - 19:00.
NEW FILMS
"Harry, a friend who wishes you well." Cinema is great! On the one hand, it is a very simple thriller, ironic, bright, sometimes frightening, and addictive. On the other hand, there is a postmodern (God forgive me) brew, including quotes from Stephen King, Hitchcock and Stevenson. An exceptionally beautiful image - large, “delicious”; very good actors - one from "Pornographic Connection", another from "Beauty Salon "Venus", the third from "Sex X". The story is about a double and the torment of creativity. Production: France.
"35 mm" :
12.10 - 22:15;
13.10 - 09:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:15, 21:15;
14.10-15.10 09:00, 11:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:15, 21:15.
"Invisible" . Not entirely based on H.G. Wells, although he was undoubtedly the one who came up with the plot. Here the invisible man is completely evil and dangerous, you no longer feel sorry for him. Everything was done perfectly, as befits Paul Verhoeven, a wonderful Dutch director who sold his soul to Hollywood. Therefore, from a certain point on, the genre does not matter to him, be it a sexological detective story (“Basic Instinct”), a space action movie (“Total Recall,” “Starship Troopers”) or a bright melodrama (“Showgirls”). Now - a fantastic adventure horror.
"Karo-film" :
09.10-11.10 - 11:00, 13:15, 15:30, 17:20, 17:45, 20:00, 22:15, 22:20;
12.10-15.10 - 11:00, 11:45, 13:15, 14:00, 15:30, 16:15, 17:45, 18:30, 20:00, 20:45, 22:20, 22: 55.
"Pushkinsky" :
09.10-15.10 - 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 18:30, 21:00, 23:00.
"Orion" :
09.10-15.10 - 10:00, 12:30, 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:15.
"Roland" :
09.10-10.10 - 11:00, 15:00, 19:30, 23:45;
11.10 - 15:00, 19:30, 23:45;
12.10 - 15:00;
13.10 - 13:00, 17:15, 21:45, 00:00.
"Artistic" :
09.10-15.10 - 11:00, 16:00, 21:00.
"Drummer" :
12.10-15.10 - 11:30, 16:30, 19:00, 00:00.
"Dancer in the Dark" by Lars von Trier. The main film of the year, and perhaps the decade. The audience applauds and weeps - whether they are neophytes who accidentally entered the cinema or seasoned film fans. A tragedy comparable in power to the ancient one, in the form of a stylized musical. Added to von Trier's strong personality is Björk's personality - an explosive mixture. As a curiosity, Catherine Deneuve is in a major supporting role. Filming with a video camera is interspersed with an innovative clip technique invented by von Trier. There is no mercy for either the heroes or the audience.
ATTENTION: ONLY at the American Film House "Dancer in the Dark" is shown in the original, with translation through headphones. In all other cinemas there is a dubbed version...
"Karo-film" :
09.10-11.10 - 14:40, 19:35.
"Roland" :
09.10-12.10 - 21:15;
13.10-15.10 - 18:45.
"American Film House" :
09.10-11.10 - 19:00.
"Artistic" :
09.10-12.10 - 13:30, 18:30.
"Cinema Center" :
09.10 - 11:00, 16:20, 21:20;
10.10 - 13:40, 19:00;
11.10 - 11:00, 16:20;
12.10 - 13:40, 19:00;
13.10 - 11:00, 19:00;
14.10 - 21:30;
15.10 - 16:40, 21:30.
"In vino veritas" The latest opus of a common favorite (at first they loved him here, then he went to France, and they fell in love there, now the whole of Europe carries him in their arms) Otar Ioseliani. He himself played not the main, but a key role in this latest nostalgic tragicomedy. The entire film is about the unlucky scion of a wealthy family, who hobnobs with clochards and leads a cheerful youth life in the city of Paris, while the head of the family, a smart old man (Otar himself), finds his only solace in a bottle on his family estate. In the end, the young man will settle down, and the old man will run away from home and sail off with a friend somewhere on his yacht. Not too deep, but a very high quality movie.
"Roland" :
09.10-12.10 - 12:00, 16:30, 19:00.
"Beauty salon "Venus" . New French cinema, and again, after "Romance" (although this time not on an erotic basis), - a film made by women about women and for women. The beauty salon is a place of action in which numerous (now this is fashionable) storylines. The selection of actors is interesting: not only the star of “The Pornographic Connection” Natalie Bay, but also Robert Hossein (remember “Angelique”?).
"35 mm" :
09.10-11.10 - 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, 21:00, 23:00, 01:00;
12.10 - 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00;
13.10-15.10 - 13:00, 23:15.
"Yu-571" . It’s scary to say, but objective circumstances made this completely normative military adventure film relevant, because it tells the story of the hunt of positive Americans and negative fascists for a secret encryption system hidden on a German (!) submarine. The producer is the legend of American cinema Dino de Laurentiis, which in itself is a sign of quality.
"Prague" :
09.10-15.10 - 09:00, 11:30, 14:00, 16:30, 19:00, 21:30, 00:00.
"Arrow" :
09.10-15.10 - 09:30, 12:00, 14:30, 17:00, 19:30, 22:00, 00:30, 02:30.
"Vityaz" :
09.10-15.10 - 09:00, 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 18:30, 21:00.
"Horizon" :
09.10-15.10 - 09:00, 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 18:30, 21:00, 23:30, 01:30.
"Dream" :
09.10-15.10 - 09:00, 11:00, 13:30, 16:00, 18:30, 21:00, 23:30.
"American Film House" :
09.10-11.10 - 21:30.
"Lie" . A scandalous and at the same time not at all vulgar Korean “soft porn” drama, mixed with sadomasochism and precocious nymphets. However, there is practically no “strawberry” in the European-American sense. The paradoxical lack of plot and meditative immersion in the main theme - love as violence - turn the film into an original eastern treatise: either erotic or philosophical.
"MDM-cinema" :
09.10-12.10 - 03:15;
13.10-15.10 - 23:15, 03:00.
"Five Senses" Canadian-produced lyrical drama. Partly for all fans of Atom Egoyan ("Glorious Future", "Exotica"), because the producer is the same, but only partly. A fairly standard movie for the 90s (considering that the 2000s have already arrived) - intersecting stories about lonely people, each of whom is trying to find at least someone for dialogue. Decent acting, very traditional directorial decision. A film for those over 40 - which, however, is not bad at all.
"American Film House" :
12.10 - 19:00;
13.10 - 18:00;
14.10-15.10 - 16:00, 20:00.
"Romeo Must Die" An action film built on the mixed aesthetics of Hong Kong action and hip-hop culture. It has virtually nothing to do with Shakespeare. Good music. Fashionable cinema.
"MDM-cinema" :
09.10-12.10 - 09:00, 14:00, 19:00, 01:15.
"Cinema Center" :
09.10, 11.10 - 17:00.
"The Virgin Suicides" . Debut of Sofia Coppola, daughter of F.F. Coppola. A nostalgic and enchantingly beautiful, gentle film in a retro spirit about teenagers of the 70s, for whom suicide was the only way to gain unattainable freedom.
"Cinema Center" :
09.10 - 15:15;
11.10 - 15:20;
12.10 - 15:30.
"The Perfect Storm" . Wolfgang Petersen is a very smart and talented Hollywood professional. The cinema is powerful and, most importantly, beautiful: computer waves are reminiscent of Aivazovsky and Moby Dick. Manly George Clooney is as wooden as ever, but still handsome. Dialogues are straightforward to the point of horror. What do you want - the genre is this: a production drama about the harsh life of ordinary fishermen.
"Cinema Center" :
15.10 - 12:15.
NOT VERY NEW MOVIES
"All About My Mother" by Pedro Almodóvar. The best of melodramas. Funny, but not parody; touching, but not sentimental. A film for those who are not shy about their emotions. In addition, the masterly performance of the favorite actresses of the best Spanish director (Penelope Cruz, Marisa Paredes, Cecilia Roth) and the extremely strong visual side - color and light. The music is great too.
"Cinema Center" :
09.10 - 13:20;
10.10 - 19:20;
12.10 - 10:50;
15.10 - 17:10.
"Magnolia" "Golden Berlin Bear" Deserved. Abnormal avant-garde tempo and rhythm, virtuosic editing and the best soundtrack of the year (song, not instrumental). The idea is simple and has been used in dozens of films before and since: several intertwined stories from the lives of very unhappy people (see the film "Happiness", the main character of which plays a very good role in "Magnolia"). The best role in the acting biography of Tom Cruise. Very good translation - subtitles. The plot is about life around television (not outside, but inside - many of the film's characters lead the life of TV stars) and show business in general. The only negative (maybe a plus?) is more than three hours of running time. Sometimes it loads too much.
"Cinema Center" :
09.10, 11.10, 13.10 - 21:00;
10.10 - 12:15;
14.10 - 20:50.
"American Beauty" . The most unexpected Oscar in recent years. That is, expected, since this is the best of all the nominated films, but the appearance on the official Hollywood stage of typologically European cinema, created taking into account theatrical production techniques, is both surprising and pleasing. A film about freedom, internal and external. Starring the amazing and unforgettable Kevin Spacey; Best role since The Usual Suspects.
"Cinema Center" :
10.10 - 10:10;
11.10 - 13:10;
12.10 - 19:10;
13.10 - 13:00;
14.10 - 11:00;
15.10 - 15:00.
"Matrix" . Cool movie. Dull, like all American box office blockbusters, but bright and fashionable. Deliberately, although not forced. Keanu Reeves doesn't play anything special, moves his beautiful skull and flies through the air. When the mochilovo begins (in the finale), you immediately forget about the intellectual background. It's for the better.
"Cinema Center" :
14.10 - 10:00.
"A simple story" . The last work of David Lynch, a truly brilliant and unpredictable man. After the monstrously sophisticated and gloomy “Lost Highway,” the creator of “Twin Peaks” moved on to an idyllic interpretation of a real-life case about a pensioner who drove halfway across America on a lawnmower tractor, going to visit his seriously ill brother. Richard Farnsworth in the title role is simply magnificent, the music by Angelo Badalamenti is also good, and indeed Lynch’s simple pictures are also incomparable - just look at the views of the starry sky... A variation on the theme and plot of “Hedgehog in the Fog.” The quintessence of all that is good in the world.
"Cinema Museum" :
09.10, 15.10 - 20:30;
10.10-14.10 - 21:00.
NOSTALGIA
"Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace" . The relatively new film solemnly moves into the nostalgic category. A film a priori made for those who yearn for their chivalrous-cosmic childhood (youth). Today's youth are mostly indifferent. Thirty- and forty-year-old spectators are dying of delight. Overall, a beautiful and dynamic tale with very high-quality visual effects. Teaches reasonable, kind, eternal.
"Cinema Center" :
15.10 - 12:05.
"Amadeus" . One of the most famous films of Milos Forman, who has been making worse and worse in recent years. But then, 16 years ago, he was at the height of his fame and in the aura of a cult director, after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. A film adaptation of a wonderful play, mysterious views of Prague, the crazy young genius Mozart and the skeptic Salieri, wise over the years... A movie about the secrets of creativity. Very pretentious, but still good.
"Illusion" :
15.10 - 16:00, 19:00.
"Stalker" . It is difficult to determine which of Andrei Tarkovsky's films is the best. All of them are beyond praise or criticism. "Stalker" is the most mysterious and strange of them. It is also difficult to say which actor more clearly inscribed his name in the annals of world cinema by playing in this film - Kaidanovsky, Solonitsyn, Grinko or Freundlich. And one more thing: the viscous “Stalker” can be re-watched endlessly.
"Illusion" :
15.10 - 13:00.
"Seven Samurai" It seems that a Western should be closer to us than a samurai drama. However, the Russian people love “Seven Samurai” much more than “The Magnificent Seven”. And all because Akira Kurosawa truly was a great director.
"Cinema Museum" :
11.10 - 18:00.
"Heart of an Angel" . The best role of Mickey Rourke and one of the most brilliant films of Alan Parker. A black detective involved in ritual murders, Satanism, voodooism and the good traditions of Dashiell Hammett. Completely snapped up for quotes. De Niro as Louis Cipher - local Woland. Very mysterious and scary at times.
"Illusion" :
13.10 - 17:00, 19:00.