The Playlist

Cannes Review: Lars Von Trier Confronts Depression Head On In The Grim 'Melancholia'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 18, 2011 10:38 AM
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2 Comments

Two years after Lars Von Trier caused a major stir at Cannes with his contentious "Antichrist," the enfant terrible returns to the Croisette in a much more subdued mood with "Melancholia." Despite the premise, which sounds tailor-made for Von Trier to provoke and prod his audience, the film is easily the most restrained the director has been "Europa." Essentially shock free, the operatic, three act film plays more like an Ingmar Bergman chamber piece than anything else and the biggest surprise is just how contemplative Von Trier is this time around.

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Cannes Review: 'Le Havre' Another Hilarious, Humane & Moving Film From Aki Kaurismaki

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 17, 2011 11:51 AM
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0 Comments

The issue of illegal immigration certainly isn't a new one to the film world, but rarely has it been captured with as much humanity, heart and humor as in Aki Kaurismaki's "Le Havre." A political film that eschews politicking, a comedy with a serious point, and imbued with a deep, emotional core, the latest from the Finnish director received hearty applause from the critics at Cannes and now matches "The Artist" for the biggest, most rousing crowd-pleaser of the festival.

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Cannes Review: 'Snowtown' An Uneven But Still Mesmerizing & Disturbing Serial Killer Thriller

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 17, 2011 4:00 AM
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1 Comment

This film was screened as part of the Critic's Week sidebar.

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More Thoughts & 3 More Reviews Of Terrence Malick's Luminous, But Uneven 'Tree Of Life'

By Drew Taylor
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May 17, 2011 3:00 AM
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3 Comments

Yes, you've read our initial review of Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life," but we've got a few more, simply because it's a film that demands discussion and contrary to popular belief, members of The Playlist do not share a brain or utilize hivemind thinking, but three writers from the site saw the film at different times yesterday in New York and L.A., and all of us came to relatively the same conclusions. Three more writers, three different, but similar takes on the film. Find them after the jump.

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Cannes Review: 'The Tree Of Life' Is Terrence Malick's Universe-Spanning Search For God

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 16, 2011 10:50 AM
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29 Comments

It's a bit unfair, after years of waiting and anticipation and with a world of expectation weighing on the film, to begin writing a review of Terrence Malick's "The Tree Of Life" just minutes after leaving the screening this morning. With nearly as much time spent in line waiting to get in as watching the actual film, we would have preferred a bit more of a chance to let it linger and marinate (and perhaps more thoughts will follow in the coming days). But let's get a couple of things out of the way to start with. Firstly, "The Tree Of Life" is not the cinema-changing, soul-shattering masterpiece it has been built up into. That said, it's a hugely ambitious and occasionally brilliant undertaking that finds the director using the story of a fractured relationship between a father and his children to ask the question of ages: where is God? And oh yeah, if you'd prefer to go into the film without knowing anything at all about it, you'd do best to skip reading from this point on.

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Cannes Review: Bruno Dumont's 'Hors Satan' Is Devilishly Dull

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 16, 2011 6:25 AM
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11 Comments

Two-time Cannes Jury Prize winner Bruno Dumont ("Flanders," "L'humanité") returned to Cannes today with his latest head scratcher, "Hors Satan." If Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" was a bold exploration into human nature and the search in the universe for God, "Hors Satan" is the dumb, clumsy cousin to that film. Of course, interpretation is everything, but reading between the long static shots, minimal dialogue and brief bursts of "action," Dumont seems to posit that sometimes evil/violence is a necessary corrective in a world where good and evil unfold at will, without anyone holding the scales that keep them balanced.

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Cannes Review: 'L'Apollonide' A Preposterous, Misguided, Sensationalist Bore About Prostitution

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 16, 2011 2:02 AM
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6 Comments

They say prostitution is the world's oldest profession and if that's true, then the discussion about legalizing it has been around just as long. Certainly the argument for doing so is not a bad one, and if done properly, it would create a safer environment for the women in the trade and their clients alike. For director Bertrand Bonello, "L'Apollonide" serves as his thesis on why prostitution needs to be legal but in championing the women he presumably made the movie for in such a woefully misguided, preposterous and exploitative piece of filmmaking, he undermines any point he's trying to make. Add to that a director who substitutes style for substance and you have one of the most tedious experiences so far on the Croisette this week.

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Cannes Review: 'The Snow Of Kilimanjaro' Flirts With Big Ideas, But Lands On Easy Answers

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 15, 2011 10:03 AM
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0 Comments

In Robert Guédiguian's "The Snows Of Kilimanjaro" shot in the beautiful town of Esthaqe deeper problems are roiling underneath the sunkissed sky. After thirty years, Michel (Jean-Pierre Daroussin), along with a number of other workers, has lost his job on the docks where he was one of the toppers. Essentially forced into early retirement, Michel mostly keeps a strong front, spending more time with his grandchildren and tackling projects he's always said he was going to do but never did. But he's also got his lovely wife Marie-Claire (Ariane Ascardie) at his side, and as it turns out, they've got an anniversary coming up. Gathering all their friends together -- including some of Michel's former coworkers, some of whom were also laid off -- they celebrate and are surprised with a gift of money and tickets from everyone for an African Safari. Despite the brief bump in the road, life seems very, very good.

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Cannes Review: 'The Artist' A Joyous, Big Hearted Tribute To Old School Moviemaking

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 15, 2011 8:23 AM
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2 Comments

When The Weinstein Company announced last week just before the kick off the Cannes Film Festival that they had picked up Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" it was certainly a surprise. Harvey and Bob laid down big bucks for a film that, in this age of CGI and 3D blockbuster pictures, seems like box office poison. A silent film, in black and white, led by two French stars that are virtually unknown in the United States, it doesn't seem like the kind of movie that, outside of arthouse buffs, would catch on with a broader audience. But, the Weinstein instincts were right on as screening this morning for critics, not only did "The Artist" play like gangbusters to critics who applauded the film at various points during the film but more importantly, Hazanavicius' film is a pure joy. Wildly entertaining, with a big generous heart, "The Artist" is not just an exercise in old school filmmaking, it's a beautifully told story that is classic and timeless in feel.

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Review: ‘Priest’ Is A Spot-the-Cliché Mishmash of Well-Worn Sci-fi Staples

By Drew Taylor
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May 15, 2011 5:55 AM
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4 Comments

In the stark, humorless world of “Priest,” directed by former visual effects dude Scott Stewart and based on a popular Korean comic book by Min-Woo Hyung, violent fights break out almost all the time. Stewart, who also helmed last year’s tedious “Terminator” rip-off “Legion,” films these fights with sub-“Matrix” flourishes of extreme slow-motion or exaggerated physical performances by the actors (chief among them Paul Bettany). But the most violent clash in “Priest” is probably the way in which a long litany of science fiction and horror clichés rattle and clang against one another; it’s not a movie, it’s a checklist.

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