Comments on: That was 2012 in film

By: Roy Stafford

Roy Stafford — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:08:27 +0000

In reply to Rona. Yes, Sam Rockwell was the best thing in the film for me and he is an interesting actor.

By: Rona

Rona — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:57:49 +0000

If I can join the discussion about ‘7 Psychopaths’ – I think there is a certain brilliance in constructing that kind of self-referential film (like Kaufman’s ‘Adaptation’) without it becoming really irritating. McDonagh gets it completely right for me, because the understanding at the end of the film where all the narratives link (implausibiy of course) does deliver the message he’s told you he’s aiming for all the way through the film. I found it really moving. I thought the performances were uniformly hilarious – and making nice references (in terms of their past record), I can write on Sam Rockwell at length (if you’ve seen ‘Moon’ you’ll understand why) but McDonagh apparently wrote the part with his voice in his head many years before ‘In Bruges’ (before he ever thought he’d direct).

By: Rona

Rona — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:46:39 +0000

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ is mired in politics – because it has stirred up a storm regarding torture of detainees. See most recently; http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/04/letter-kathryn-bigelow-zero-dark-thirty where Naomi Wolf got involved. Bigelow’s directorial attitude with this – and with all her other work – is that you make up your own mind, and she has no intention of helping direct interpretations with editorial comment. That attitude was very prevalent in ‘The Hurt Locker’ but both films have problematic relationships to the US military campaigns abroad. Bigelow has already won directing awards for her latest film – e.g. New York Film Critics Circle – which is often regarded as an early indication of Oscar potential. The current media coverage, however, threatens to make Bigelow get involved herself in the politics of her film -which started out life as a script relating to the failure to capture Bin Laden (a very different narrative – and politically less triumphalist – prospect).

By: Just Another Film Buff

Just Another Film Buff — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:12:11 +0000

In reply to Roy Stafford. I'm not sure how much the Indian TV networks would/can draw from those of Europe, but it sure can free mainstream cinema from a lot of constraints, including self-censoring for family audiences or genre compromises. But before that the addiction for Reality TV has to be torn down.

By: Roy Stafford

Roy Stafford — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:01:22 +0000

In reply to Just Another Film Buff. I will read up on Zero Dark Thirty when it opens. Your festival explanation is interesting. I think most festivals I've visited do discriminate in the way you describe but perhaps not in such a formal way. I tend to go to see festival films which I don't think will get a general UK cinema release (like La Pirogue). The TV/film distinction seems to be breaking down in the US/UK and I'm watching to see when producers in India and China start to take note of the possibilities. Cable TV in the US and multichannel TV globally have both changed the economics of the industry. In Europe most film production relies in one way or another on TV as either a source of funding or new talent as well as a means of distribution.

By: Just Another Film Buff

Just Another Film Buff — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:16:57 +0000

In reply to Roy Stafford. For instance, Tier 2 would include LA PIROGUE, LORE etc. Tier 3 would be films like PARVIZ, THE VALLEY OF TEARS etc.