>> ^blankfist:

She has the acting chops of Jessica Alba.


And the guys? You would compare them maybe to Dustin Hoffman, Geoffrey Rush, and Daniel Day-Lewis?

It's a comedy short. I don't think they were shooting for an award at Cannes.

>> ^mxxcon:

fan created?


Yes, it was part of a Moby/Vimeo contest submission for his song After. The official page can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/saatchiandsaatchi

Quoted from the page:
This year, as part of The Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors' Showcase at Cannes,
Saatchi & Saatchi partners with Vimeo and Moby to discover yet another unique filmmaking talent, with a Music Video Challenge.

The brief was simple: interpret and bring to life the idea of 'Hello, Future' in the form of a fantastic music video for 1 of 3 of Moby's tracks from his new album, 'Destroyed'.

This particular video won. I will update the description of the video with the info.

SPOILER ALERT

Seriously, do not read further if you don't want the movie spoiled. You've been warned.

Here are my thoughts to kick this off. Today I'm a different audience goer than I was when I was first introduced to Malick's films. I remember seeing Thin Red Line in the theaters and thinking, yeah it's good but I like Saving Private Ryan more. Mainly because TRL didn't have much of a traditional 3 Act plot. Back then I also hated pretentious movies. Today I still dislike them, but not as much. I do dislike them when I feel the filmmaker is trying to outsmart me, or worse purposely trying to confuse me hoping I'll think the film is smart if I don't understand it.

This isn't the case with Malick. His films always seem genuine. As for Tree of Life, the critiques have been incredibly harsh and the one word used to describe it over and over is pretentious. In Cannes, where he won the Palme d'Or, the film was apparently met with both boos and cheers. Some have even eviscerated it for being preachy and overtly Christian. The title itself is a reference to the tree in the Garden of Eden found in both Genesis and Revelations.

I think we've become too cynical towards Christianity and religion in general. It's easy to politicize it and dismiss a very important mythology that can stand opposite of science. His reference to the tree of life, in my opinion, is a reference to creation and destruction. To beginning and ending. It's a metaphor for individual life as it is blinked into existence and then blinked right back out again. A transcendental metaphor that's smartly weaved in Malick's film. And it's not meant to preach the gospel of the bible, but to educate us on the mythology surrounding life and death.

He starts with a quote from Job that's essentially the part after god has tested Job and taken everything from him, and he speaks to Job directly after Job questions him, and god says (paraphrasing here) where were you when I created everything. In other words, Job asks "why me" or more specifically to the film "why didn't you intervene", and Job tried his entire life to make his existence what he wanted it to be, which for him was that of a pious one devoted to god. Then god smites him for no good reason outside of a game he plays with satan. When Job asks why, god answers by rhetorically questioning why Job didn't intervene when he was building the universe. It's not that he's asking why Job didn't help, but the futility of asking why things happen, as if there's no reason to it. As if life exists with loss and gains, and you have to affirm it as such. There is no why.

That's a great way to look at the film. The first hour or so takes us through a familial setup where we see a young boy's family in the 60s and his modern family today, both of which are experiencing suffering and loss, and both are questioning why, and then we see from god's perspective the size and wonder of the chaotic universe (and presumedly its creation) juxtaposed with the individual suffering of this one family. A dangerous universe. We see how all life has suffered through history (specifically focusing on the dinosaurs in the film at one point). It's all incidental. It's all without reason. It just happens, and we must affirm life this way.

Later in the film it focuses more on the 1960s family, and specifically from the perspective of one of the sons. His mother (Jessica Chastain) coddles him and his brothers while his father (Brad Pitt) is a phlegmatic and hard-nosed authoritarian that keeps his emotional distance - both the embodiment of being affected by passion and fear and emotion. At one point one of the sons dies. The boy we experience the movie through is always questioning why. He asks his mom why she couldn't save his brother. After a life of living under his father's violent authority, he asks why his father doesn't just kill him or kick him out. He suffers and then he questions why he's suffering, and then there's moments where he questions his own choices why he doesn't do things to ease that suffering - for instance at one point he considers dropping the car on his father who is working underneath it (effectively wiping out of existence one source of his suffering).

At one point in the film I felt as if Malick gave us a sneak peak at his intention for the film's message. At one point someone says something to effect of, "We should be good to everyone we come into contact with." This is the salient point. We can't control the suffering. We can't control the despair. Life comes with loss and bad things happen. We have to affirm it as such and make our moments as happy as possible, and also make the moments of other people's (and creatures') lives as happy as possible because they're experiencing the same kinds of suffering that you and me are experiencing. They, too, are incidental.

Malick truly demonstrates this point, I think, when he shows the boys strapping a frog to a rocket and sending it up into the sky. They added to the suffering of that creature even though they themselves are suffering. They didn't touch that creatures life in a way that enriched it, they only added to its suffering - and there was no justice, no penance. Their actions were considered incidental. At most they could be punished by their parents, but nothing intervened to stop them. Their actions were allowed to happen. In the end, I think that's the point of the movie. That we should remind ourselves that we have precious few moments on this earth, and instead of questioning why and giving into bad emotional cues (fear and anger) and acting out on those bad impulses, we should enjoy those few moments and ensure that we make them for those around us (animal and human alike) good as well. It's the classic path to enlightenment that surrounds the story of the Fall (Garden of Eden) where in order to get back into the Garden we must all transcend fear and desire. We must affirm life with suffering.

Anyhow, that's my two cents. Use it to buy a stick of gum.

Seen it.

In reply to this comment by berticus:
Be sure to watch the sequel, Manderlay, if you haven't yet! I think there's also a third movie (it was meant to be a trilogy) but I haven't seen it, if it exists.
In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
Sarzy is right. Lars is a professional troll. Every film he makes, every word he says seems to be designed to provoke and challenge your expectations. He is also a first rate director, who even at his worst, makes thoughtful, well crafted films. Even the nauseating 'Anti-Christ' was beautifully executed.

Issy and I just recently saw Dogville and loved it. It's a brutal indictment of America, and in particular, the kind of glorified small town 'heartland' America that many Americans find sacred. It's a slow burn, so don't give up in the first act.

Be sure to watch the sequel, Manderlay, if you haven't yet! I think there's also a third movie (it was meant to be a trilogy) but I haven't seen it, if it exists.
In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
Sarzy is right. Lars is a professional troll. Every film he makes, every word he says seems to be designed to provoke and challenge your expectations. He is also a first rate director, who even at his worst, makes thoughtful, well crafted films. Even the nauseating 'Anti-Christ' was beautifully executed.

Issy and I just recently saw Dogville and loved it. It's a brutal indictment of America, and in particular, the kind of glorified small town 'heartland' America that many Americans find sacred. It's a slow burn, so don't give up in the first act.

This may interest you: http://videosift.com/video/Snowtown-film-trailer

In reply to this comment by blankfist:
'Take Shelter' Wins Top Prize at Critics Week (Cannes 2011)

The Michael Shannon-Jessica Chastain feature was named best film by a jury presided by Lee Chang-Dong.

CANNES – Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter took the Grand Prize of the 50th annual Critics Week at a closing ceremony in Cannes on Thursday night.

The Sundance Competition title starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain was named best film of the selection by a jury presided by Lee Chang-Dong.

Nichols also walked away with the SACD prize for best screenwriting. Sony Pictures Classics snagged the North American rights to the title earlier this year.

Justin Kurzel’s Snowtown earned a Special Mention by the President.

Pablo Giorgelli’s Las Acacias took home a double honor, winning both the OFAJ Young Critics Prize and the ACID (Association of Independent Cinema for its Distribution)/CCAS (Main Fund of Social Activities) award.

'Take Shelter' Wins Top Prize at Critics Week (Cannes 2011)

The Michael Shannon-Jessica Chastain feature was named best film by a jury presided by Lee Chang-Dong.

CANNES – Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter took the Grand Prize of the 50th annual Critics Week at a closing ceremony in Cannes on Thursday night.

The Sundance Competition title starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain was named best film of the selection by a jury presided by Lee Chang-Dong.

Nichols also walked away with the SACD prize for best screenwriting. Sony Pictures Classics snagged the North American rights to the title earlier this year.

Justin Kurzel’s Snowtown earned a Special Mention by the President.

Pablo Giorgelli’s Las Acacias took home a double honor, winning both the OFAJ Young Critics Prize and the ACID (Association of Independent Cinema for its Distribution)/CCAS (Main Fund of Social Activities) award.

I think people are reading too much into this. He was just trying to be provocative, as he is wont to be. He was trolling the audience, essentially. And successfully, I should add -- it was just announced that he's been banned from Cannes, which definitely seems like an overreaction.

>> ^Hybrid:

Kirsten Dunst during this: http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sn
c6/230767_910557713065_18400976_44015249_5757168_n.jpg


ol' toddler teeth

My guess is that he means he sympathises with him. That he understand where he was coming from. I don't think there is any more context for this, this clip pretty much encapsulates the entire "hitler" bit he said.>> ^ponceleon:

This seems out of context. I don't quite get what he means by "understand" him.

For all you Lost fans, here’s another metaphysical jungle tale to your possible rescue (it will also suck up about 120 less hours of your life). It’s this year’s winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Apichatpong Weerasethakul‘s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

Here’s this year’s jury head, Tim Burton, on the film:

“I liked it because it is a movie that you normally don’t see, not Western, with fantasy elements done in a way I have never seen before. It is a beautiful strange dream. It has a quiet reflective nature, full of surprises.”

Surprises, indeed! One of those past lives of Uncle Boonmee apparently features him as a catfish who makes love to a princess in a blue lagoon by wiggling his tale. Let’s see ya try that one!

"Most of them think the cane's a crutch."

Crutch: n. a staff or support to assist a lame or infirm person in walking

Sounds like they're right.

For anyone interested, martial use of a walking cane isn't new. The French developed Canne de combat in the 19th century (when canes were popular accessories whether needed or not). Bartitsu borrowed heavily from Canne de combat when it was developed at the end of the century. I'm sure there's other examples, too, but these are the ones I'm familiar with.

Nope. I've been reading some of the Cannes reviews and this thing looks terrifying. I can't wait. Here is a bit of humor based off the clip you posted. http://www.videosift.com/video/Satanic-Mr-Fox

In reply to this comment by EndAll:
Thanks DFT! Have you seen the full thing yet?

In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
*quality
*horrorshow

>> ^Eklek:
Cannes had some heavy entries this year and Antichrist/Enter the Void are probably worthwhile to watch..Haneke's film doesn't look like fun indeed - saw the trailer - but knowing his reputation..
The most recent Cormac McCarthy film The Road is hopefully (almost) as good as No Country for Old Men..but the new Coen bros film, A serious man, I don't know..
Korine will be good I guess, hope they'll release the Korine film, his last film was not.
Herzog with 2 films coming out..good stuff..
And a new Todd Solondz, black humour:)
Avatar will be an interesting moment in cinema history..
And indeed 2010 with Burton's Alice; Nolan's scifi..
and King Shot (produced by Lynch)
>> ^blankfist:
Dunston Checks In

Indeed something to look backward to..and think, why? Any flicks you're looking forward to blankie?
And Sarzy, you'll do a report from the festival on your blog? Wish I could be there..


I really do want to see Antichrist. Farhad, where is the torrent? I cant find it.

I am really curious about the road, also. Hopefully it will be better than the trailer makes it look. I loved the book. I seriously doubt that it will be on the level of no country.

I also really want to see my son, my son, the newest from herzog, presented by lynch.


Also, the new hirokazu kore-eda, still walking, looks very promising.

Eklek, I bet if you are not already on it, you would love www.theauteurs.com

Cannes had some heavy entries this year and Antichrist/Enter the Void are probably worthwhile to watch..Haneke's film doesn't look like fun indeed - saw the trailer - but knowing his reputation..

The most recent Cormac McCarthy film The Road is hopefully (almost) as good as No Country for Old Men..but the new Coen bros film, A serious man, I don't know..

Korine will be good I guess, hope they'll release the Korine film, his last film was not.
Herzog with 2 films coming out..good stuff..
And a new Todd Solondz, black humour:)

Avatar will be an interesting moment in cinema history..

And indeed 2010 with Burton's Alice; Nolan's scifi..
and King Shot (produced by Lynch)

>> ^blankfist:
Dunston Checks In

Indeed something to look backward to..and think, why? Any flicks you're looking forward to blankie?

And Sarzy, you'll do a report from the festival on your blog? Wish I could be there..