Remember Kerry Fox? From Jane Campion’s “An Angel At My Table” and Danny Boyle’s “Shallow Grave”?? Back in the early 90s, she cultivated a following among my group of friends and it seemed like she and Campion could do no wrong.
I didn’t realize that Fox had essentially vanished until two nights ago here in Berlin when, at the opening night party, Marcus Hu from Strand whispered loudly to me, “Did you see who that is?” He pointed out Kerry Fox seated near me. I hopped up, he introduced us and I snapped a photo for indieWIRE. In retrospect, I wish I’d found a way to politely ask, “Where have you been all these years?”
That photo sits atop a brief dispatch from Berlin, covering her terrific turn in Hans Christian Schmid’s “Storm,” which debuted today here at the festival. The film is solid and engaging and Fox’s lead role keeps it on track even when it threatens to get a bit too conventional. I expect she’ll get some great notices for the performance. Kudos!
[An image from Jane Campion’s “An Angel At My Table.”]
It’s hard not to become numb to all the talk of the deepening economic crisis. Yet the conversation continues and, like the economic downtown, will probably persist for some time. Numerous close friends are currently out of work and I doubt I’ll be totally shocked if and when others lose their jobs. A generally optimistic person, I have to admit that it’s a seriously scary time.
Walking around the halls of the European Film Market this afternoon in Berlin, the economy came up in numerous conversations. It’s a constant subject during small talk. Movies are certainly still getting made, but with fewer entities funding them and dwindling revenues for those films that do get produced, what does the future hold? More collaboration, in the form of international co-productions, argued independent producer Jen Meurer at a rather bleak panel discussion I covered today for indieWIRE. And, he added, fewer films clogging the system can’t really be a bad thing, can it?
No doubt, deals will still get done at markets like the EFM—and at the Marche du Film in a few months in Cannes—but, dropping prices for films seems to be the biggest fear facing sellers right now. With fewer buyers spending less money, brokers are looking for ways to get more out of the marketplace for their films. Witness the recent sale of Lee Daniels’ “Push” to Lionsgate out of Sundance. Over dinner the other day here in Berlin, one veteran acquisitions executive speculated that Harvey Weinstein—who is suing Lionsgate and Cinetic claiming he had a deal for the movie—quipped that Harvey was a mere pawn, strung along simply to drive up the price of the film. Yikes!
Idle chatter, I’m sure…
Martin Gropius Bau tonight in Berlin, site of this week’s European Film Market.
[photo by eugene hernandez]
I was rather charmed this afternoon in Berlin by Francois Ozon’s fantastical family story, “Ricky,” which will debut tonight here at the Berlinale before taking flight in French cinemas next week. Set within the tough life of a mother and daughter, the story takes a dramatic turn after an adult man, and ultimately a newborn, arrive on screen. Ricky is no ordinary kid, but I’ll refrain from describing why. With “Ricky,” Ozon generally maintains that delicate balance between family drama and fantasy. I walked into the jammed screening today not knowing a thing about it and am so curious to see how it plays. I’m quite curious to join the discussion this evening. Ozon’s website describes it as follows:
“When Katie, an ordinary woman meets Paco, an ordinary man, something magical and miraculous happens: they fall in love. Out of their love comes an extraordinary baby: RICKY.”
Check out the film’s French website for more. The French teaser trailer is embedded above…
Large autographed portraits featuring the filmmakers and cast of competition films are hung daily in the Berlinale Palast. Here on opening night, Tom Tykwer, director of opening night entry “The International.” A hotel delay made it difficult for me to catch the film’s press screening, so I reluctantly sat out the showing yesterday. Immediately after, a good friend emailed a message that eased my disappointment at missing the screening:
“You made the right choice. The Tykwer was absolute shit.”
That snapshot review paved the way for Shane Danielsen’s pan of the film in indieWIRE. Going a step further, he dissed opening night Euro fest films in general:
“For well over a decade, now, virtually every major European film festival has begun more with a whimper than a bang, whether out of a desire to appease sponsors and dignitaries (who are rarely cinephiles), the availability or otherwise of Talent, or the simple lack of anything else available.”
Putting Shane’s opening night analysis to a test, I pondered Cannes fest openings and I’l; counter that the French fest has had two winning openers this decade: “Moulin Rouge” in 2001 and “Bad Education” in 2004. Other than those two, not so much. So, with the Berlin opener behind us, I’m already wondering what will open Cannes in just three months?
[photo by eugene hernandez]
Syndicate this site