mr. morgan 's last love ( also known as last love ) is an 2013 film based on françoise dorner 's french novel la douceur assassine .

it is written and directed by sandra nettelbeck and stars michael caine and clémence poésy .

mr . morgan ' s last love

sidney kimmel entertainment to co - finance mr . morgan’s last love starring michael caine
movies with storylines , themes & endings like mr . morgan ' s last love
sidney kimmel entertainment to co - finance mr . morgan’s last love starring michael caine | collider
2014 - 01 . distractions & solitude - mr . morgan ' s last love ( 1080p , 2013 )
the lady vanishes … gillian anderson in mr morgan ' s last love . photograph : allstar / sportsphoto ltd
ske reps domestic distribution of “mr . morgan’s last love . ” foreign pre - sales are handled by bavaria film international .
last love
starts out promising enough , but alas , it doesn ' t last .
the great michael caine brings a touching vulnerability to mr morgan ' s last love , a maudlin melodrama set in a pretty - looking paris .
“ it’s strange . it’s a german - american - franco - belgian film about an american in paris played by an englishman , ” caine said of his latest movie mr . morgan’s last love .
locarno - - michael caine and clemence poesy make for an odd but sweet pair in mr . morgan’s last love , a dramatically unbalanced adaptation of francoise dorner ’s novel la douceur assassine .
michael caine reveals ' dark knight rises ' and ' mr . morgan ' s love ' contrasts from the paris set of new film
mr . morgan’s last love ( dir . sandra nettelbeck , germany , belgium , france 2013 ) mr . morgan ' s last love is the bittersweet tale of a lonely american widower in paris who learns to love life again after a chance encounter with a beautiful and vibrant young woman . they both spend a short but precious time together – a time that touches their hearts and changes their lives .
michael caine reveals ' dark knight rises ' and ' mr . morgan ' s love ' contrasts from the paris set of new film | hollywood reporter
of course , knowing the right people helps insure a seat at the table . mr . raymond , exxon ' s chairman , sits on morgan ' s board , for one thing . ferrell mcclean , who co - heads the group with mr . peacock , said mr . raymond had discussed the idea of an exxon deal with morgan ' s chairman , douglas a . ( sandy ) warner 3d last summer . then , she said , mr . warner and mr . peacock met with mr . raymond to discuss where the oil and gas industry was headed .
los angeles , ca , november 14 , 2011 –sidney kimmel entertainment will co - finance and co - produce “mr . morgan’s last love , ” starring two time academy award winner michael caine , it was announced by ske president jim tauber .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing last love near you .
from dark knight to mr . morgan , next year just may be the season of michael caine in every language .
adapted from françoise dorner’s novel la douceur assassine , mr . morgan’s last love follows the journey of a lonely american widower in paris who learns to love life again after a chance encounter with a beautiful and vibrant young woman . they both spend a short but precious time together – a time that touches their hearts and changes their lives .
mr . morgan’s last love shot for two weeks in paris then a week in st . malo before moving to brussels and then mmc studios in cologne . most of the exteriors were shot in france , while the interiors reserved for the german portion of the shoot .
big oil : the adviser ; j . p . morgan ' s role in a changing oil industry
mr . morgan shot in some of the most beautiful albeit classic locations in paris including the palais royal , the arc de triomphe and the luxembourg gardens .
set in paris , “mr . morgan’s last love” is the bittersweet story of a retired , lonely american widower ( caine ) whose chance encounter with a free - spirited and vibrantly naive , beautiful young french woman brightens his life . together they share a precious moment , which not only touches their hearts , but changes their lives .
an outstanding cast does what it can to enliven “mr . morgan’s last love , ” a mostly mawkish melodrama from “mostly martha” helmer sandra nettelbeck starring michael caine as a crusty paris widower and clemence poesy as the sprightly dance instructor who brightens up his days . though the basic elements would appear to be here for a [ … ]
“ mr morgan is only the second time a german film is eligible for the trip , after the girl on the bicycle , which also shot with elezevir .
earlier i was impressed with clémence poésy in ' birdsong ' and again she was appeared in here as an angel . mr . morgan might have fallen in love with her , but it ' s me who fallen a couple of second before him . she was very attractive and also succeed to capitalised her…
big oil : the adviser ; j . p . morgan ' s role in a changing oil industry - the new york times
the main problem of mr . morgan’s last love is a structural one , as it is really two films in one . in the first story , which roughly takes up the first half , mr . morgan wallows in his grief until he literally bumps into pauline on a bus and the two strike up an unexpected friendship . the screenplay , written by the director , is very observant here and neatly ( if occasionally barely ) devoid of clichés , something even echoed in the score of the first half - hour , a gentle theme from composer hans zimmer with a spark of youth and hope to it .
“ i adore paris . it’s the greatest love of my life , ” caine said . caine and the other love of his life , namely his wife , enjoyed their time off in between filming .
kreuzer has spent the past 10 years working in production , financing and tv distribution for bavaria film group in germany and italy . his producer / executive producer credits include sandra nettelebeck’s “mr . morgan’s last love , ” starring michael caine and gillian anderson , “death of a superhero , ” starring andy serkis , and the financing of various bavaria film group productions , such as the emmy - award winning tv event mini - series “the manns” and the feature film “buddenbrooks . ”
schulze’s credits include documentaries including philip gröning’s “into great silence” and baran bo odar’s first feature film “the silence . ”
mr . peacock is clearly uncomfortable talking about himself : he answers questions in short sentences and stresses the team effort at morgan . he mentioned , among others , jeremy wilson , a senior member of his group , and ms . mcclean , who said she was good friends with mr . peacock ' s wife and had helped plan the peacock ' s wedding reception . when asked about his favorite deals , he mentioned , not surprisingly , the last three deals he has worked on . that could be , in part , because of the huge fees that are likely to be earned by morgan for its effort .
accessibility concerns ? email us at accessibility @ urltoken . we would love to hear from you .
clémence poésy ist unfassbar schön , wie auch die großartigen aufnahmen von paris .
mr . morgan ' s last love
wirkt wie ein feingeistiges melodram , das durchaus zu verzaubern vermag . nur , als der sohn erstmals auftaucht , dachte ich durchgehend , lass es nicht so kommen , wie es fast schon naheliegt ( ich möchte gar nicht spoilern ) . aber dann kommt es doch dazu , was ich sehr schade fand . trotz diesem schnitzer , ist der film gut gelungen .
a melancholic cross between venus and goodbye , mr chips , which could have been more enticingly entitled venus and chips .
he added : “it’s not paris in the springtime . it’s paris in the autumn . it’s a bit cold . it’s about an older man who isn’t in his springtime – he’s in his autumn . ”
with a possible $ 100 million fee to be divvied up between lawyers and bankers , champagne corks are popping at morgan . especially for rod peacock , the banker who co - heads morgan ' s global natural resources and power investment banking group . mr . peacock is clearly enjoying his role at the center of morgan ' s energy effort , where he not only led the teams which worked for both exxon and british petroleum , but also represented mobil in its $ 5 billion european joint venture with british petroleum in august 1996 .
and at least for the first half or so of the film , “last love” is an enjoyable and leisurely trifle . it’s not high art , and not much happens , but that’s just fine as caine and poésy make an easy pair to spend time with . their chemistry is a low - key fire , with the actors selling an unlikely but mutually rewarding friendship with ease , as nettlebeck and cinematographer michael bertl bask in their picturesque surroundings . and even hans zimmer seems swooned by the material , delivering a surprisingly subtle score that’s a complete turnaround from the more speaker rattling blockbuster stuff he’s been cranking out lately . it’s mostly unshowy stuff all around , and for a time , it seems like “last love” will fully embrace its euro flavour and step away from typically hollywood cinematic conventions . if only…
21 ways to ruin a marriage ( dir . johanna vuoksenmaa , finland 2013 ) there are 21 ways to ruin a marriage and that ' s enough to convince sanna that falling in love is folly . as her extensive studies show ‘divorce is a natural and probable consequence of falling in love . ’ love and sex are two different things , and she prefers the latter , in an intoxicated state if possible . marriage is a business agreement .
sold to most european territories and the u . s . , where image entertainment will release it in october , mr . morgan has also been making the festival rounds , powered by the arthouse - light bona fides of german director sandra nettelbeck ( mostly martha , helen ) and the star power of its international cast . it should appeal to older audiences .
gillian anderson and justin kirk co - star as the recalcitrant if theoretically grown - up children of caine’s matthew morgan , a princeton philosophy professor who’s retired and has been living alone in paris since the death of his wife ( jane alexander , who occasionally appears as a vision ) . his offspring even cancels their plans for their annual visit but are forced to show up anyway when mr . morgan decides to end it all , something , oddly enough , triggered by meeting a wonderful young local woman , pauline ( poesy ) , who teaches at a dance school .
a more meaningful chance encounter arrives in the form of pauline ( poesy ) , whom matthew bumps into on the bus , then bumps into again a few days later . her hair reminds him of his late wife’s , he says ; his beard reminds her of her late father’s . soon enough , he’s dancing the cha - cha - cha in her class and ( in one of the pic’s typically clunky metaphors ) literally letting some light into his musty apartment . not too much light , though . indeed , just when it seems that nettelbeck is about set the film on cutesy autopilot , things stay more or less rooted in a hazy , depressive funk — which might have seemed a bold choice if the movie actually seemed prepared to deal with issues of loneliness and depression in the elderly . but alas , “mr . morgan’s last love ” sticks to a flaccid middle ground lacking any real drama or pathos .
heart of a lion ( dir . dome karukoski , finland , sweden 2013 ) teppo meets and falls in love with the beautiful blonde sari . but this is to be no ordinary love affair . teppo is a central figure in a neo - nazi group and when he meets sari’s son , he is in for a big surprise .
for a film that is supposedly about life going on after the death of someone you love ,
last love
has an uncannily undead sort of feeling , and that is partly due to caine , who still has some of his movie star charisma but holds himself entirely back and aloof from his character . matthew has several centerpiece monologues about his feelings on love , life and his late wife , and most actors of any age would tear right into them , but caine recites them in a laid back fashion that steps right up to the line of seeming frankly disinterested but never quite crosses it .
the movie has a stilted , airless feel , as if mr . morgan had already succeeded at offing himself and we were now drifting alongside him through some odd limbo . the actors deliver their lines in a slow hush amid a conspicuous lack of ambient sound , even in crowded public spaces . but paris looks indisputably lovely through the lens of cameraman michael bertl .
“last love” ambles into a finale that tries to resonate with something resembling tragic beauty , but never earns that right . the darker notes of the movie are almost an afterthought , and are presented without any consideration to the deeper psychological underpinnings that could be fuelling them . meanwhile , romantic developments are undercut by their simple convenience , and again , the narrative refusal to engage these characters beyond whatever they wind up serving as part the overall story arc . and it’s not so much disappointment that will greet viewers of “last love , ” but a feeling of condescension on behalf of the filmmakers . it’s a sentiment underscored by the presentation of pretty pictures and ultimately one dimensional characters , that attempt to wrap up the movie with falsely bittersweet echoes , and hoping that we won’t notice and simply go with it . [ d ]
“ it’s a tender scene . it explains how happy he once was in paris and how much he’s lost , ” nettelbeck explained .
ske has been aggressively pursuing production and co - financing deals throughout 2011 , which , including “mr . morgan’s last love , ” may result in a total of five motion picture releases in 2012 , including the january release of “one for the money , ” starring katherine heigl , produced with lakeshore entertainment , for release by lions gate entertainment ; “gone , ” with heitor dahlia directing and amanda seyfried starring , produced with lakeshore entertainment and summit entertainment will open in february ; the taylor hackford directed “parker , ” starring jason statham and jennifer lopez , produced with sierra / affinity , and incentive filmed entertainment to be released by filmdistrict in the fall , and “the place beyond the pines , ” directed by derek cianfrance , starring ryan gosling , bradley cooper and eva mendes will likely have a fall release .
the company ' s energy bankers were in the executive suite with the exxon corporation ' s chairman , lee raymond , advising him on yesterday ' s announced $ 80 billion takeover of the mobil corporation . they were at the table with british petroleum executives when it agreed to buy amoco corporation for $ 42 . 8 billion last august . and in their spare time , they advised the belgian oil concern petrofina s . a . in its $ 13 billion sale to total s . a . of france , which was announced yesterday , too .
on some basic level , the movie never decides what the stakes are for matthew and pauline — if theirs is just a surrogate father - daughter relationship , or if there’s an undercurrent of real desire ( as there was for peter o’toole’s character in the superior “venus” ) . then , after a second , more serious suicide attempt , matthew’s two adult children ( justin kirk and gillian anderson ) arrive from america , along with their own predictable emotional baggage in tow ( would you believe mr . morgan wasn’t the greatest dad in the world ? ) and squabbling about what to do with their share of mom’s vacation home in saint - malo . audiences with a limited tolerance for movies about rich people’s problems are strongly advised to steer clear .
two - time oscar® - winner michael caine stars with clémence poésy , justin kirk and gillian anderson in this richly nuanced , emotion - charged story of lost souls , new - found hope and last love . matthew morgan ( caine ) is a widowed , world - weary professor living in paris . the cynical matthew sees no meaningful future for himself – until he meets pauline ( poésy ) , a free - spirited young dance instructor . the unlikely bond they form ultimately leads them to rediscover the joy that only family and true friendship can offer .
when it comes to merger advice , j . p . morgan isn ' t the brand name that first comes to mind . unless you ' re rooting around in the oil patch .
mr morgan doesn ' t speak a word of french but still lives in paris because it reminds him of his beloved late wife ( jane alexander ) , who appears , ghost - like , from time to time . he ' s grief - stricken and a bit of a curmudgeon , at least until he meets beautiful young cha - cha teacher pauline ( clémence poésy ) . soon , he is hoofing away with all the other pensioners at her dance school .
two - time oscar ( r ) - winner michael caine stars with clémence poésy , justin kirk and gillian anderson in this richly nuanced , emotion - charged story of lost souls , new - found hope and last love . matthew morgan ( caine ) is a widowed , world - weary professor living in paris . the cynical matthew sees no meaningful future for himself - until he meets pauline ( poésy ) , a free - spirited young dance instructor . the unlikely bond they form ultimately leads them to rediscover the joy that only family and true friendship can offer . ( c ) rj
last call for nowhere ( dir . philippe de chauveron , france 2016 ) french border cop josé fernandez has just one last extradition to do before his long - awaited promotion to the crime bureau . but his detainee akim , victim of a judiciary glitch , is outraged to find himself saddled with the identity of a potential terrorist and put on a flight back to kabul , where he has never even set foot before !
black ' s game ( dir . oskar thor axelsson , island 2012 ) the last few years of the millennium marked a transformational period for the icelandic underworld . what had been a relatively innocent playground for petty criminals and “hobby pushers” progressed into the organized and violent industry that prevails today .
but clearly , if recent events are any indicator , talent in the once sleepy industrial sector is premium . mac heller , head of global mergers and acquisitions at goldman , sachs and who has a background in the oil and gas sector , was the lead banker on the team for mobil . and goldman recently offered partnerships to two recruits in the industrial sector : michael j . carr , who co - headed the mergers and acquisitions team at salomon smith barney , and more recently gordon e . dyal , who sat across the table from mr . peacock when mr . dyal represented amoco while an investment banker at morgan stanley dean witter .
love at first fight ( dir . thomas cailley , france 2014 ) between his friends and the family business , arnaud’s summer looks set to be a peaceful one . peaceful until he runs into madeleine , as beautiful as she is brusque , a concrete block of tensed muscles and doomsday prophecies . he expects nothing ; she prepares for the worst . given she hasn’t asked him for anything , just how far will he go along with her ? it’s a love story . or a story of survival . or both .
history of love ( dir . radu mihaileanu , france , canada , romania , usa 2016 ) new york , the 21st century . leo lives with the memory of the great love of his life . despite his painful history , he cheerfully navigates life’s ups and downs with indefatigable , crazy humour , alongside his best friend bruno . across town , in brooklyn , teenage alma is determined to find the ideal man for her mother to remarry .
the last king ( dir . nils gaup , norway 2016 ) the year is 1204 . norway is torn apart in a civil war . with the help of the birch legs , the norwegian king is fighting for survival against the church’s bishopsmen , who will use any means available to obtain victory .
the actress and director both love the genre , but as they told indiewire , they also knew it needed to be retrofitted to tell the true story of catherine weldon and sitting bull .
after a brief stint as an analyst at british petroleum right out of college - - he graduated with a degree in engineering science and economics from oxford ' s magdalen college in 1970 - - he was hired by morgan as an energy analyst . but in 1982 , eight years later , mr . peacock traded in his spreadsheet for pin stripes and has since worked as an investment banker specializing in the oil and gas industries , with offices in both new york and london . ' ' it ' s interesting to witness the complete restructuring of this industry at this time , ' ' he said .
ozon ' s provocative film can do much to improve attitudes towards lgbti people .
pauline laubie : why did you stop loving life ? matthew morgan : well , you don ' t love life itself . you love , uh , places , animals , people , memories , food , literature , music . and sometimes you meet someone . . . who requires all the love you have to give . and if you lose that someone , you think everything else is gonna stop too . but everything else just keeps on going . giraudoux said , you can miss a single being , even though you are surrounded by countless others . those people are like . . . like extras . they cloud your vision , they ' re a meaningless crowd . they . . . they ' re an unwelcome distraction . so you seek oblivion in solitude . but solitude only makes you wither . pauline laubie : so i ' m an unwelcome distraction . i ' m a cloud ? matthew morgan : you are the only part of my life i haven ' t figured out yet . see more »
in the twilight of his career , michael caine is already well past that earned point of gaining our respect , so much so that i need no further information about a film he ' s in , because he ' s in it . to see
michael caine
on a film ' s poster or a cast listing on a film ' s website , that gives me enough valid reason to deem the film worth seeing . in recent years he has almost exclusively limited himself to appearing in only christopher nolan movies , with the occasional venture elsewhere . in 2013 he has worked on both now you see me , and last love , the former of which he was completely wasted , and the latter rightly showcasing him as the star , which is the…
a widowed , elderly man living in paris meets a lovely young dance instructor… what will happen next ? well , not what you’re thinking . at least early on , writer / director sandra nettelbeck ‘s “ last love ” is actually fairly refreshing . it’s the kind of intimate drama that’s becoming rarer , one that doesn’t hurry to meet plot points , but instead invests time in character and setting , so that at least for a little while , the audience falls into the world of the movie like wearing an old sweater . but that mood only lasts so long and unfortunately for all of nettelbeck’s smart choices early on , she can’t navigate out of them , and by time the third act arrives , the film turns harshly toward cliché , convenience and melodrama to disastrous effect .
michael caine plays a widower who strikes up a friendship with clemence poesy ' s young french dance teacher in sandra nettelbeck ' s adaptation of a novel by francoise dorner .
note : the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer ( s ) .
caine stars in the comedic melodrama as a retired and lonely american widower whose life changes when he meets clemence poesy ’s character , a naive free spirit . the film , directed by germany ' s sandra nettelbeck , is based on francoise dorner’s novel la douceur assassine .
josephine , pregnant and fabulous ( dir . marilou berry , france 2016 ) at last , josephine has found her perfect non - smoker - cat - loving - amazing - cook - perfect - man - soulmate . they’ve been in love for two years and everything is peachy . until she realizes she’s… pregnant . time for josephine to transform her life , mature into a responsible adult , not become like her mother , get a job , hold on to her man , refrain from falling out with her friends , and tell her sister , who ' s been crashing at her place , that she ' s got to move out . a bunch of overwhelming challenges that josephine will have to face in her own , special way .
matthew morgan is a retired american professor in his 80s , a widower . he lives in paris and speaks no french . since his wife ' s death , he ' s marking time . his curiosity is piqued when he meets pauline laubie , half his age , a dance instructor . she ' s also a solitary person but wants the connection of family . she believes she ' s found that in matthew , and she attends to him during a hospitalization . when his two adult children arrive from the u . s . to check on their father , they are certain pauline is a gold digger , and she ' s confounded by the distance between father and children . the daughter heads home , the son remains . is there any way that pauline fits in ?
matthew morgan is a retired american professor in his 80s , a widower . he lives in paris and speaks no french . since his wife ' s death , he ' s marking time . his curiosity is piqued when he meets pauline laubie , half his age , a dance instructor . she ' s also a solitary person but wants the connection of family . she believes she ' s found that in matthew , and she attends to him during a hospitalization . when his two adult children arrive from the u . s . to check on their father , they are certain pauline is a gold digger , and she ' s confounded by the distance between father and children . the daughter heads home , the son remains . is there any way that pauline fits in ? written by
“ batman has very good actors in it , but it’s all about the special effects . a film like this is about the people . it’s more interesting as an actor . ”
want to share imdb ' s rating on your own site ? use the html below .
the film was based on the french novel and made a big change in michael caine ' s role which was originally a french called armand but transformed into american as morgan . it was also the best michael caine ' s movie as a lead after ' harry brown ' . an 81 - year - old won ' t get a better shot than this to produce a better result . he utilised the opportunity and executed very well .
just another love story ( dir . ole bornedal , denmark 2007 ) during a holiday in vietnam julia meets the love of her life , the dangerous , irresistible and adventurous sebastian . but something terrible happens to julia in hanoi , something indescribable , and she decides to flee back to denmark . on her way back to visit her family – completely beside herself and scared out of her wits - she loses control of the car and has an accident…
the robber hotzenplotz ( dir gernot roll , germany 2005 ) ' i steal what i like , that´s what i´m known for ' , brags robber hotzenplotz , who willingly adds that he´s the biggest robber far and wide . if only he hadn´t stolen grandmother´s beloved coffee mill . . .
christmas story ( dir . juha wuolijoki , finland 2007 ) have you ever wondered how santa claus grew up to be santa ? discover the untold story of santa’s life . against breath - taking landscape and despite family tragedy and personal hardship is a big and pure heart filled with love for children around the world . . .
eastern promises ( dir . david gronenberg , uk , canada , usa 2007 ) the mysterious and charismatic russian - born nikolai luzhin ( mr . mortensen ) is a driver for one of london’s most notorious organized crime families of eastern european origin . headed by semyon ( armin mueller - stahl ) , whose courtly charm as the welcoming proprietor of the plush restaurant impeccably masks a cold and brutal core , the family’s fortunes are tested by semyon’s volatile son and enforcer , kirill ( vincent cassel ) , who is more tightly bound to nikolai than to his own father . . .
suburra ( dir . stefano sollima , italy 2015 ) a gangster known as
samurai
wants to turn the waterfront of rome into a new las vegas . all the local mob bosses have agreed to work for this common goal . but peace is not to last long .
morgan and goldman , sachs & company , which advised mobil , are mum about how much money they are likely to earn . but industry executives say all of the advisers - - including lawyers and bankers - - could earn $ 100 million in total . about half that , some industry executives estimate , could go to goldman and morgan . exxon was advised by lawyers at davis polk & wardwell , and mobil hired lawyers from skadden arps slate meagher & flom . by contrast , investment banks earned $ 115 million in fees when chrysler merged with germany ' s daimler - benz earlier this year , according to the securities data company .
tom little and the magic mirror ( dir . ernesto padrón blanco , spain 2015 ) in a magical world , small but brave tom little embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to release the kingdom from a spell and win the hand of a beautiful princess . but who is his true love : the king’s daughter or the courageous thief ?
caine ' s heart - rending flourish aside , this often mawkish drama struggles to make a point .
though the story employs a facile shortcut to turn things into a neat triangle in which pauline and miles also need to spend time together , this subplot never convinces . there are also too few thematic parallels between the relationships the titular protagonist has with his son and surrogate - daughter of sorts , so it almost feels like the film splits into two separate stories in the second half . and some of the meatiest dramatic material , including the idea mr . morgan wants to end his life because he has met someone as nice as pauline , is only summarily explored .
so . . . kind of cute ? but also really long and not easy to follow when you ' re nodding off again and again . so the last half hour or so was completely lost on me . but i appreciated what i did see . cute . tragic but cute .
“ choosing films is like real estate . it’s all about location , location , location . i’ve filmed in paris , but i’ve never done a movie that took place in paris entirely , ” the actor said . caine’s scenes in christopher nolan ’s inception , for example , were actually shot in a studio .
since then mr . peacock has been quite busy . he concedes he has few hobbies , having quit coaching his son ' s soccer team a few years ago because he couldn ' t commit the time he wanted to . but he still finds time to run . and he is demure about his age - - ' ' something in the late 40 ' s ' ' is all he ' ll say - - and jokes that he never met the beatles even though he grew up in liverpool , england .
batman has very good actors in it , but it’s all about the special effects ,
he tells thr .
a film like this is about the people . it’s more interesting as an actor .
he ' s a widower in paris who speaks no french ; she ' s a dance instructor less than half his age . can they become a family , or will his estranged adult children halt the friendship ?
be curious , click on jasha ' s profile here , there ' s a direct link just near his profile pic to his site . . . i ' m sure you can manage that . . . lol
you agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for the new york times ' s products and services .
me and kaminski ( dir . wolfgang becker , germanuy 2015 ) a sleazy young journalist tries to give a new turn to his career by writing the biography of the forgotten but very much alive painter kaminski - genius of the last century . while orchestrating the old artist ' s disappearance to make the headlines with his future book , the young man ends up on an adventurous road trip with kaminski . . .
“ it’s a very mixed crew . it’s a real , real co - production , ” elzevir films’ denis carot said , adding : “it’s the best way to do a co - production – keeping the crew from beginning to end . a three - country crew doing the film from a to z is quite rare . ”
bamse and the witch’s daughter ( dir . christian ryltenius , maria blom ; sweden 2016 ) in bamse and the witch’s daughter croesus vole finds gold in the beavers ' dam . to demolish the dam and get the gold he tricks the witch ' s daughter lova to enchant bamse . with bamse gone , it ' s up to the children to help each other to stop croesus - but to do that they have to be friends .
nettelbeck took her trans - cultural sense of humor with her to the project and made sure that the film’s more funny moments weren’t lost in translation . while the story tackles heavy subjects like mourning and suicide , the director made sure to add a comedic touch . “i enjoy using the humor between the two languages . it’s very emotional , but it’s also very funny . there’s so much humor in tragedy . comedy is tragedy plus time . ”
simon and the oaks ( dir . lisa ohlin , sweden , germany , denmark , norway 2012 ) «every family has a secret . » epic story about two families and their friendship and common destiny in sweden ' s gothenborg in the forties and fifties of the last century . told from the perspective of young simon larsson , who learns that he ' s an adopted child who has a jewish father from germany . after wwii simon travels to explore his roots - a journey that leads to the basic mysteries of the human life .
it ' s caine who shines brightest with his gentle anger and newfound joy mixing into a bittersweet reconciliatory release .
the little ghost ( dir . alain gsponer , germany 2013 ) the little ghost lives in the castle of eulenstein . it awakens for precisely one hour after the clock strikes midnight . despite the warnings of a friend , mr . tu - whit tu - whoo , the ghost would like to see the world by daylight once .
this movie was beautiful , love michael caine and although i have to admit to not knowing who clemence posey was she is a superb actress . i have since seen her in something called the tunnel which was also very good , but this movie was heartfelt and wonderful .
honey bunny ( dir . frederic forestier , france 2017 ) how quickly they grow up ! vincent may be 18 , but he’ll always be his parents ' little honey bunny . so when his first love breaks up with him , it feels like the end of the world !
audiences are rejecting this summer’s procession of tired sequels , and international grosses won’t be enough to keep studios afloat forever .
1001 grams ( dir . bent hamer , norway , germany 2014 ) when norwegian scientist marie attends a seminar in paris on the actual weight of a kilo , it is her own measurement of disappointment , grief and , not least , love , that ends up on the scale .
headhunters ( dir . morten tyldum , norway 2011 ) save for a somewhat diminutive stature , roger is a man who apparently has it all ; he’s norway’s most successful headhunter , he’s married to the exceedingly beautiful gallery owner diana , has a far too expensive villa and must , to keep his head above water financially , steal a little too much art .
it ' s an unpretentious fine film , which can be seen with pleasure . interpreters are beautiful and the dialogues are very pleasant . as it is usual , authors have some difficult in finding an end for the movie , being possible a few of them . probably due to this , the last half hour is a bit inconsistent : pauline redirects her love from father to son a bit too quickly . also illogical is that people go from paris to st . malo and vice versa as if it was the next town in the map , or as if they had taken helicopters instead of driving or taking a taxi . michael caine exhibits his 80 years splendidly . i am astonished seeing that he will act at least in three films this year .
benefits from a typically strong michael caine performance , but it ' s ultimately too mawkish and dawdling to make much impact .
borg / mcenroe ( dir . janus metz , sweden , denmark , finland 2017 ) borg / mcenroe is a film of one of the world’s greatest icons björn borg and his biggest rival , the young and talented john mcenroe and their legendary duel during the 1980’s wimbledon tournament . it ' s a story of two men that became legends and the price they had to pay .
this dull , dawdling film , adapted from françoise dorner ' s novel
la douceur assassine ,
eventually succumbs to sentimentality .
balls ( dir . josef fares , sweden 2010 ) three friends . jörgen is afraid of being left alone , juan ' s worried about his pet labrador , but aziz is in top form . good looking , he ' s also a brilliant cook and a man who knows what women want . soon he ' s going to be the grandfather of a perfect little boy . he ' s certain of it . but when he sets out to find himself a nice grandmother , nothing really goes according to plan .
racer and the jailbird ( dir . michael r . roskam , belgium , france , netherland 2017 ) when gino meets bénédicte , it’s love at first sight , passionate , unconditional , fiery . she is working in the family business , and she also drives cars on circuits . gino is that kind of normal guy , cool , handsome . . . but he hides a secret . with the support of the creative europe programme - media
macadam stories ( dir . samuel benchetrit , france 2015 ) a building in a housing project . one broken - down elevator . three encounters . six characters . will sternkowitz make it out of his wheelchair to pursue the love of a night nurse ? will latchkey teen charly succeed in getting 80’s actress jeanne meyer a role ? and what will become of astronaut john mckenzie , who fell to earth and was taken in by mrs . hamida
caine ' s brave attempt to speak pigeon french with an american accent produces some unintentionally comedic moments . every time he says ' merci ' , for example , you ' ll think he ' s spotted a horse . as in
mare , see !
in dorner’s original book , caine’s character is french , but nettelbeck and her producers wanted to give a more international perspective to the film . they chose to make the main character american , but kept many elements from the original novel , including its parisian scenery .
but the dynamics of the couple’s unusual friendship change when , after a suicide attempt , matthew’s adult children , miles ( kirk ) and joan ( anderson ) show up at the hospital . both don ' t want to be there and are somewhat acid - tongued , with joan remarking :
an overdose is not my favorite excuse to come to paris but thanks for making an effort , dad
and a puzzled miles saying about pauline , who’s in her twenties :
she’s our future stepmother for all i know .
the house of branching love ( dir . mika kaurismäki , finland 2009 ) family therapist juhani helin , 35 , and business trainer paula helin , 34 , decide to divorce in a civilized manner and move to separate addresses after selling their common house . but when paula invites her one night stand , marco , to the house and juhani takes revenge on her by hiring a prostitute , nina , from his half - brother and a pimp , wolffi , to play his new girlfriend in order to force paula to leave the house , the box of pandora of their marriage flies open and releases the plagues of love and hate .
story about a retired university lecturer who had love only for his wife of many years . after her death he ' s lonely at his home in paris . enter clemence poesy . turmoil with his own family of grown up kids , this film is quaint and enjoyable for an evening watch . perhaps the origins of this movie is us but i feel cane should have had his origins in uk rather than us and emotions run a little deeper .
the line spoken by sir michael caine , which is a constant theme in the movie ,
there ' s a crack in everything , that ' s how the light gets in
, is lyrics from the leonard cohen song
anthem
. see more »
not much happens in sandra nettelbeck ' s intimate family drama , but its well - drawn connections between lonely souls make an impact nonetheless .
a patriotic man ( dir . arto halonen , finland 2013 ) toivo’s blood is exceptionally powerful . when the finnish ski team hears about toivo , they understand they have found a highly prized secret weapon . his blood can improve any athlete’s performance , fueling the skiers to success .
coming home ( dir . zhang yimou , china 2014 ) lu yanshi ( chen daoming ) and feng wanyu ( gong li ) are a devoted couple forced to separate when lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner , just as his wife is injured in an accident . released during the last days of the cultural revolution , he finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife has amnesia and remembers little of her past . unable to recognize lu , she patiently waits her husband ' s return .
when santa fell to earth ( dir . oliver dieckmann , germany 2011 ) the last thing charlotte and ben expected is that santa crash lands onto their street in the middle of a thunderstorm just before christmas . this being only the beginning of what turns out to be a remarkable series of christmas adventures , including chases , fake santas and vicious nutcrackers to name just some of them . . .
“ i fell in love with the book and realized it’s a very character - driven piece with universal appeal , but we wanted to keep the parisian setting , ” producer ulrich stiehm of kaminski stiehm film said . stiehm spearheaded the project before senator came on as a co - producer and snagged the german - speaking rights to the film . stiehm added : “ we always felt that the spirit of paris as a city is a very strong element of the story . ”
caine , whose american accent is about as steady as his character’s relationship with his offspring , is otherwise an engaging presence . and though she ' s not convincing as a dance teacher , the open - faced poesy ( fleur delacour from the harry potter films ) has nice chemistry with caine . kirk ( angels of america ) sleepwalks through much of the film while anderson relishes her glorified cameo with some of the film’s most bitingly witty lines .
“ we never thought of moving anywhere else , ” bavaria’s philipp kreuzer said , adding : “it triggers emotions that we needed for the movie . ”
basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him . riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you . …
sidney kimmel entertainment is co - financing and co - producing with german production companies bavaria pictures , kaminski stiehm film , senator film and belgium’s scope pictures in association with france’s elzevir films . justin kirk , anne alvaro , jane alexander and gillian anderson round out the eclectic , international all - star cast .
exit ( dir . peter lindmark , sweden 2006 ) an edgy thriller filled with unexpected twists and turns takes us behind the scenes of the financial and upper - class world . hunger for power and money but also loyalty , love and sacrifices are all questions that thomas ( mads mikkelsen ) , suddenly has to face , in a game of life and death .
“ it’s a dream come true , ” nettelbeck said of the experience . “i work in europe , but i get to make an english - language film which i prefer since i get to work with amazing actors , but i don’t have to go to the u . s . to do it . ”
reprise ( dir . joachim trier , norway 2006 ) reprise is a playful film about friendship , madness and creativity , about love and sorrow , great ambitions and the often unpleasant clash between youthful presumptions and reality . with its somewhat un - norwegian structure , reprise has a distinct style and narrative technique which moves the story forward in a rich and enthusiastic manner . . .
“ my wife does the shopping and i get to enjoy the food in the evening , ” caine said , adding : “it’s a holiday with work . ”
timetrip - the curse of viking witch ( dir . mogens hagedorn , denmark 2008 ) trouble begins when siblings valdemar and sille are home alone and valdemar crashes his dad´s brand new car . the next day he meets physicist benedict who lurks valdemar to test the time machine he has invented . suddenly , valdemar finds himself in the year 963 , the time of vikings in denmark , where he learns that benedict has become immortal after being enchanted by a witch . but eternal life is deprived of friends and love , and benedict’s only wish is to live a normal life . to earn money for the car repairs , valdemar and sille travel back in time to unearth a cross that can lift the curse .
“ it’s a truly european movie and i’d like to see more of this culture of european cinema . ” it is starting to happen , but it isn’t enough .
roger ebert ' s speech on empathy for the
11th hour
series on april 9th , 1994 , being republished here in honor of his birthday june 18 .
in good company ( dir . paul weitz , usa 2004 ) veteran ad salesman dan ' s ( dennis quaid ) new boss carter ( topher grace ) is half his age - - a business school prodigy who preaches corporate synergy . dan has two teenage daughters and is shocked when his wife tells him she ' s pregnant . . .
the model ( dir . mads matthiesen , denmark 2016 ) when emerging fashion model emma gets a chance to pursue her dream of becoming an international top model , she leaves her everyday life in denmark behind , and moves to paris . at a photo shoot in her new hometown , she meets the attractive photographer shane white and they fall in love . but their relationship soon turns into a dangerous obsession for emma .
help , i shrunk my parents ( dir . tim trageser , germany 2018 ) felix ' s school is haunted again , only this time it ' s not the benevolent spirit of school founder otto leonhard and the nuisance he caused , but the hated and long - since dead director hulda stingbeard . with the support of the creative europe programme - media


violent cop ( その男 、 凶暴につき sono otoko , kyōbō ni tsuki , lit . ' that man , being violent ' ) , also known as warning : this man is wild and so no otoko kyobo ni tsuki , is a 1989 japanese film directed by and starring takeshi kitano .

it was kitano 's directorial debut , and marked the beginning of his career as a filmmaker .

violent cop ( 1989 film )

sono otoko , kyobo ni tsuki ( violent cop , takeshi kitano , japan 1989 ) .
a film that lives up to it ' s title : takeshi kitano is definitely one violent cop .
chris , t those covers for violent cop and boiling point are absolutely awful .
availability : violent cop is available on dvd , which can be obtained through netflix .
' ' violent cop ' ' is not for the squeamish . but for fans of unsentimental police action rooted in commentary on a society , ' ' violent cop ' ' packs a punch .
violent cop ,
a hard - surfaced 1989 japanese film now getting its west coast premiere , was renaissance man takeshi kitano ' s first as star and director . it manages to be grim and exhilarating at the same time .
( nb : although released in some territories the year before , we ' ve gone by this film ' s us release , which was 1989 . )
violent cop , the debut directorial effort from beat kitano , has that nostalgic quality which shines beautifully in the kitano oeuvre .
some might argue that violent cop’ s too celebrated to count as an underappreciated film , but we’d counter that , as the film recedes into history , now’s a good time to remind younger readers of the brilliance of kitano’s 80s and 90s output - boiling point , sonatine and hana - bi are all worth tracking down . violent cop , meanwhile , is quite possibly kitano’s finest film .
in short : violent cop is a great film . kitano plays a cold , dirty harry style cop well . the film is very well - paced and uses its screen time adequately . violent cop is kitano’s first film as a director and it does not disappoint . watch it for an enjoyable hour and forty minutes , and enjoy the climax that will leave you with your mouth wide open while experiencing an ending that you kind of knew would happen .
from a crazy early nic cage role to a lesser - known film starring robert de niro , here ' s our pick of 25 underappreciated films from 1989 . . .
violent cop : police drama . starring and directed by takeshi kitano . ( not rated . 103 minutes . at the roxie . )
in the 1990s , quentin tarantino took part in placing japanese cinema into more of a spotlight , more specifically the yakuza ( gangster ) genre . his extremely popular gangster film pulp fiction ( usa 1994 ) was reminiscent of takeshi ‘beat’ kitano’s sono otoko , kyobo ni tsuki ( violent cop , japan 1989 ) , a film that had a very similar approach to violence :
as much as there are certain things here i appreciate and think work more than in any other kitano directorial effort , i just didn’t need to watch a portrait of a violent cop being violent in 2018 . too soon .
i rather wait for a third window release for
violent cop
and
boiling point
because those covers are some of the ugliest i ' ve ever seen .
through april 28 , filmstruck subscribers have access to four of takeshi kitano’s earliest films including boiling point ( 1990 ) , sonatine ( 1993 ) , the blind swordsman : zatoichi ( 2003 ) and my personal favorite of the bunch , violent cop ( 1989 ) . violent cop was the first feature film kitano directed and its impact should not be underestimated . as he continues to gain new admirers around the world , i thought i would revisit the movie that launched kitano’s filmmaking career and transformed his public persona from a fun - loving clown into a cinematic powerhouse in japan and abroad .
kitano is also a very good director and actor , but his directorial debut violent cop isn ' t a perfect film . some key scenes are left out of the film for the viewer to fill in the blanks for , which is kinda annoying when the scenes are pivotal to the climatic finale .
in haskell’s
i walk alone
, lancaster is the defying muscle in an organisation lead by douglas’ brain . in boorman’s
point blank
, marvin is the defying muscle taking on a crime syndicate . the same in
violent cop
. kitano is the defying cop , who relies on brute force to get justice done , while the police force is more concerned about its image than law and order . its this sensation of transition , that makes
violent cop
such a strong and dark film .
the violent cop poster is one of the 5 best movie posters ever . visually incredibly succinct and beautifully laid out . i often try to rip it off . i am always unsuccessful .
slow - paced to point that there’s an extended slow - motion fight scene , takeshi kitano waltzes through the film as the titular violent cop , slapping , punching , kicking , and beating in deadpan fashion , with little enjoyment , empty and nihilistic .
violent cop marked the directorial debut of “ beat ” takeshi kitano and i still find it an intriguing film . it ' s very violent and azuma ( as beat takeshi ) is an intense character . i ' m glad i finally got to see it is a reasonable digital presentation - as i said , far from demo , but still very watchable . fans of the film or director should definitely consider indulging . another competent technical blu - ray transfer from film movement !
when the original psycho cop movie was released in 1989 the slasher film was on life support and psycho cop ' s underwhelming reception did little to help it but in 1992 the genre had one last gasp of air with psycho cop ' s lone sequel , psycho cop returns where robert r . shafer reprises his role as officer vickers the killer ex - cop who stalks a group of a office workers who have planned an after hours party in their office complex complete with all the booze your liver can ' t handle and strippers . why a bunch of grown men need to party in their place of employment instead of at one of their homes or a hotel room or anywhere that would be more comfortable is beyond me but it makes for an interesting slasher film setting .
the original title
sono otoko , kyobo ni tsuki
means
watch out , this man is dangerous
. the common known title
violent cop
is the 1998 us rename .
so if there were an award for truth in titling , ' ' violent cop , ' ' the sharp , shocking , cynical account of his conflict with corruption , would surely be a contender - - if it were not a 10 - year - old film .
ah , 1989 . the year the berlin wall came down and yugoslavia won the eurovision song contest . it was also a big year for film , with indiana jones and the last crusade topping the box office and batman dominating the summer with its inescapable marketing blitz .
the versatile , prolific takeshi kitano is one of the best and most celebrated actor - filmmakers in japan , and violent cop ’s one of his masterpieces . as its title implies , violent cop’ s about a brutally amoral law enforcer who seems to be careening towards self - destruction . in some ways , it’s japan’s answer to bad lieutenant , and kitano’s performances is on a par with harvey keitel ' s here .
violent cop
is actually a quiet impressive debut . its simple and static compositions match the stark simplistic nature of both the characters and the plot , even though it lacks discipline and at times are somewhat rigid .
with boiling point , his follow - up to violent cop , takeshi kitano planted his stake in the ground and announced himself as a serious filmmaker worthy of paying attention to . boiling point was kitano’s second film , released only one year after violent cop , but it was his first as a screenwriter rather than a hired gun , and the difference in tone and execution from one film to the next is quite startling . whereas violent cop is a relatively straight forward story told with some unusual acting and scripting choices that make it feel like a special entry in a firmly established genre , boiling point is something else altogether . this follow - up is a statement from kitano that he had his own views of what makes a film successful , and that he would not be beholden to expectation in delivering his own version of a story from the lower levels of organized crime .
toraro , d . , 2004 . ‘sono otoko , kyobo ni tsuki / violent cop’ . in : j . bowyer , ed . the cinema of japan and korea . london : wallflower press , pp . 129 - 136 .
2 . develop an awareness of the history of japanese cinema follow the career of three film artists whose careers span virtually the whole of japanese film history .
detective azuma is a dirty - harry style rogue cop who often uses violence and unethical methods to get results .
it doesn ' t matter that the first psycho cop film hasn ' t been released on dvd or blu - ray because psycho cop returns is a fucking blast . vinegar syndrome gives this unsung hero of early 90s horror a home in hd and i ' m calling a must own for slasher fans .
film : merry christmas mr . lawrence ( senjo no merii kurisumasu , 1983 )
violent cop ( その男、凶暴につき ) is a film about azuma ( kitano ) , who is a cold detective that doesn’t care how he treats others . there is no basic plot , just one scene after another of violence , kitano style . normally i wouldn’t give praise to a film like this , but it is so well - done that it deserves it . camerawork is superb , acting is equally good , and the music , though minimal , comes in at just the right times . kitano , who had this film handed over to him after fukasaku kinji left it , establishes himself as a top - notch director with violent cop . there are many familiar faces that will appear in later kitano films , such as terajima susumu .
film movement include a 20 - minute video entitled that man is dangerous : the birth of takeshi kitano that has colleagues discuss their awareness and relationships with him , and his persona and style . there is both an original violent cop trailer and new hd re - release trailer , as well as 6 other film movement trailers . the package contains a , liner notes , collector ' s booklet , featuring film essay by tom vick , the asian film curator for the freer and sackler galleries ( the smithsonian ' s museums of asian art ) ; cast and crew credits .
another very good release of a very good film from film movement , boiling point on blu - ray is an upgrade that kitano fans will want in their collections .
police detective azuma ( kitano ) is loose cannon dirty harry - like cop who is constantly in hot water with his superiors .
like violent cop , boiling point gets a making - of featurette ( okinawa days : takeshi’s second debut ) with the participation of the producer , who provides great stories about kitano’s directing style and the genesis of the project . this set also includes a booklet with an essay from tom vick , who further explores the film’s unusual structure and place in kitano’s career .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
violent cop is the explosive and critically acclaimed directorial debut from japanese master film maker ' beat ' takeshi kitano . kitano is azuma - a vicious detective who deals out harsh justice with an iron fist - dirty harry style . investigating a drug dealer ' s murder , azuma and rookie detective kikuchi find fellow officers are on the take . when azuma is caught for beating a gangster he is forced to quit the force . after the gang kidnaps his sister as retribution , azuma goes on a merciless rampage of revenge . with kitano ' s zen like direction violent cop is a stylish , smart and skull shattering reinvention of the japanese yakuza genre .
much more visually and thematically restrained than his later works , violent cop is a typical debut for a director who ' s bread - and - butter is the crime genre , almost completely comprised of noir elements and setting the stage for much more experimentation later in his career .
now , this is how you make a nihilistic , minimalistic action flick . there are moments in violent cop where the images and editing are so stark and the characters are so still ( stilted ? ) that it borders on bressonian . yet , somehow , there is also humor .
definitely not your average
rogue - cop
picture . . . especially when azuma decides to take his brutality with him off duty .
readings : oshima nagisa . “is it a breakthrough ? ( the modernists of japanese film ) ”
richie , d . 2001 . a hundred years of japanese film . london : kodansha international .
in order to add a bit of context to the film , film movement commissioned a new behind the scenes featurette titled , that man is dangerous : the birth of takeshi kitano . the featurette brings together several key players on the film , with kitano being noticeably absent , to tell the story of violent cop from different perspectives . it’s an interesting look at the film’s production , cramming numerous anecdotes about kitano’s directing style as well as the daily struggles of the performers to keep up with him on set into a 20 minute overview . i would’ve loved even more , but i’m happy with this . also included is a booklet with a nice essay from tom vick that further contextualizes not only the film , but also kitano’s unique place in japanese culture for fans unfamiliar with his work and history .
1989 was clearly the year for movie stars to go to prison , after their absolute innocence had been established . so it is that the script to lock up makes it abundantly clear that sylvester stallone has done nothing wrong , before promptly sticking him in chokey and basically throwing away the key .
this film is not currently playing on mubi but 30 other great films are . see what’s now showing
balmain , c . , 2008 . introduction to japanese horror film . edinburgh : edinburgh university press .
perfect it is not but psycho cop returns is a damn entertaining slasher film that makes me upset they didn ' t role with more sequels for officer vickers to appear in . robert shafer did sign a contract for five pictures after all . . .
a selection of trailers for other tokyo bullet releases including
violent cop
, plus a small production stills gallery and a takeshi biography and filmography . subtitles are offered for both 16 : 9 and 4 : 3 formats , but the problem is that chunks of dialogue have been missed out in some scenes .
notebook is a daily , international film publication . our mission is to guide film lovers searching , lost or adrift in an overwhelming sea of content . we offer text , images , sounds and video as critical maps , passways and illuminations to the worlds of contemporary and classic film . notebook is a mubi publication .
as was the case with film movement’s blu - ray of violent cop , this edition of boiling point is not exactly reference material , rather a solid upgrade from the previously available discs . boiling point improves on visual clarity and color fidelity , but not in a way that will make fans drop their jaws . audio is similarly improved , leaving this release as the best presently available , which is good enough for me .
to fully understand the impact of violent cop on the gangster genre and in particular its brusque , laconic treatment of violence , one must remember that the film was made five years before pulp fiction [ … ] . much was made of the way tarantino deployed violence in an offhand manner [ … ] the template for this type of ‘off the cuff’ violence may certainly have been influenced by kitano ( toraro 2004 : 135 ) .
azuma slaps a guy in a bathroom repeatedly 23 times . he beats up a kid . he stops a knife with his hand and chases a criminal for a lengthy period of time , eventually running him over with a car . he also takes care of his mentally deficient sister and visits an art gallery . he shows no emotion , except anger when he interrogates a guy that slept with his sister . azuma is an interesting character that is played brilliantly by kitano . watch violent cop to discover kitano’s roots and to enjoy a good dirty cop / yakuza - style film . recommended .
' ' violent cop , ' ' opening today at cinema village , 22 east 12th street , is being released here now because it was the first film by takeshi ( beat ) kitano , the japanese renaissance man who is an actor , stand - up comic , director , film editor , painter , poet , essayist , journalist , author , television personality and tough guy who has won international renown in recent years for films like ' ' hana - bi ' ' ( ' ' fireworks ' ' ) and ' ' sonatine . ' '
violent cop was originally conceived as a comedy , before it was re - written as a drama , with kitano reportedly unhappy with the reaction from test screenings , wanting less laughs and more gasps . i ' m not convinced it was thoroughly re - written though - kitano plays said violent cop , azuma , and accompanied by a theme tune that sounds like something out of laurel and hardy , he deadpans his way through acts of casual violence , defying you to take it seriously . from head - butting a teenager in his bedroom , to repeatedly slapping a drug dealer in the toilets of a bar ( this scene had me on the floor : …
violent cop , or as its delirious japanese title says , sono otoko , kyōbō ni tsuki ( that man , he is dangerous ) , is the story of a renegade cop who goes off the rails in his single - minded pursuit of a particular kind of justice . crazy cop stories had already been a staple of western genre films for decades , but japanese films seemed to have been a bit more staid in their portrayal of the men and women ( mostly men ) committed to maintaining order . when cops did go rogue , for the most part , it’s because the story was focused on the villain and their redemption or revenge . violent cop turns the tables and makes the protagonist a largely unsympathetic , but strangely relatable , hot - head determined to gain vengeance for wrongs committed against himself and his family . it’s a bold move , from a script largely rewritten day by day when kitano came on board , that creates an unforgettable central performance from the actor and his capable supporting cast .
so here are all 14 of kitano’s features to date , in their best graphic interpretations . from top to bottom , left to right , glory to the filmmaker ( 2007 ) , a turkish poster for takeshis’ ( 2005 ) , achilles and the tortoise ( 2008 ) , getting any ? ( 1994 ) , violent cop ( 1989 ) , brother ( 2000 ) , hana - bi ( 1997 ) , dolls ( 2002 ) , sonatine ( 1993 ) , kids return ( 1996 ) , a french poster for a scene at the sea ( 1991 ) , kikujiro ( 1999 ) , boiling point ( 1990 ) , and a uk quad for zatoichi ( 2003 ) .
even though he’s on the proper side of the law in violent cop , kitano was already crafting his iconic on - screen persona with this performance . kitano has made an acting career of portraying stone - faced villains who bottle up their rage until it reaches a level that can no longer be contained , usually erupting in spectacularly bloody violence . in violent cop , his officer - on - the - edge portrayal of azuma is one of carefully moderated madness . he is constantly needled throughout the film by villains and his own bosses alike , leading him to explode in all directions while attempting to make things right in his own extremely vicious way . it’s a role that kitano would later layer into his performances as yakuza bosses and underlings in the years after , and it’s one that he’s very nearly perfected .
however , one thing that should be noted is that this is the only one of kitano’s films that isn’t actually written by him . violent cop was originally being developed by kinji fukasaku and when he couldn’t finish the project , the studio asked kitano if he was interested in directing it . having done comedy all his life , he agreed but demanded rights to rewrite parts of the story . that might be the reason why this film does seem somewhat uneven at times .
as the film ' s main theme . it sounds beautiful in the uncompressed and there are optional english subtitles . the
ezra , e . and t . rowden , 2006 . transnational cinema : the film reader . london : routledge .
in ' ' violent cop , ' ' azuma , partnered with an eager rookie , becomes part of an investigation of a drug - related murder . the trail will pit azuma against a sadistic killer and his smooth overlord , bare the corruption of a friend and reduce azuma ' s unstable sister to a victim of kidnapping , gang rape and narcotics addiction .
beat takeshi , a prominent actor , meets a lookalike named kitano , who is a struggling actor , but after the meeting , kitano ' s dreams take a violent , surreal turn .
to get it out of the way , the plot of this film concerns azuma ( takeshi kitano ) , the violent cop of the title . the opening scene is a pretty good indicator of what’s to come . as the film opens , a group of schoolboys beat and humiliate an old man . after they are finished and the old man is lying on the ground motionless , azuma , who has been watching at a distance , follows one of the boys home . after the boy goes up to his room , azuma knocks on the door of the house . the mother tells azuma that the boy is in his room , so he jogs up to the room , forces the boy to let him in , and proceeds to smack the shit out of the kid . he then tells the kid to turn himself in in the morning . this scene illustrates azuma’s character pretty well . he’s not the kind of cop to try to thwart a crime . he likes to let the criminals do their job so that he can do his . he’s also very brutal . shouting “rodney king” isn’t going to get you out of a beatdown with this guy . he probably wouldn’t even know who you’re talking about anyways ( the film was made in 1989 ) .
violent cop on blu - ray is not the kind of visual feast or auditory revelation that we see from bigger , more expensive restorations , but it is a good upgrade from other presently available options that adds context to a film that holds up very nicely 27 years down the road . i wish the cover art weren’t so awful , but it’s a small price to pay ( besides , i’ll only ever see the spine on my shelf , so all is well ) . recommended .
at some point , we ' re going to have to get around to looking at the directorial work of the late michael crichton in a lot more detail . having made runaway with tom selleck ' s moustache five years ' earlier , 1989 ' s physical evidence saw him recruit burt reynolds ' facial hair . we ' ll never know which he preferred .
i guarantee you at least six minutes of this film is literally just walking sequences . that’s why it loses a star !
3 . develop an awareness of the history of film studies study the debate over authorship from the 1950s to the 1990s .
most of these features came to us by way of uk specialist label third window films , who ' ve previous released hana - bi , kikujiro , dolls , and a scene at the sea , and continue their winning record with kids return . however , now there ' s another label helping to fill in the gaps , film movement with their recent releases of kitano ' s first two directorial features , violent cop and boiling point . are they worth the upgrade ? check out our thoughts below .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
violent cop
opens with a gang of kids beating up an old man . azuma tracks the gang leader right to the door of his room in a middle - class family ' s home . he does not pound on the boy ' s door . he raps twice , matter - of - factly but firmly . when the kid opens the door , azuma slugs him .
i had to fight with my crew to get the scenes shot with very little movement
, kitano says and continues ,
as the film came out , everyone told me , that i didn ' t knew how to make a film .
outside the top 10 highest - grossing list , which included back to the future ii , dead poets society and honey i shrunk the kids , 1989 also included a plethora of less commonly - appreciated films . some were big in their native countries but only received a limited release in the us and uk . others were poorly received but have since been reassessed as cult items .
while kitano is reluctant to talk about his style and motifs , there are elements visible ( in hindsight ) : the duality of emotions ( the emotional pendulum ) , the duality towards pretending and the kitano fatalism . possibly the need to be taken serious made kitano write things for him important into the script : if so ,
violent cop
may well be a blueprint for kitano motifs .
such depravity also eventually consumes kitano’s sister , a mentally handicapped innocent whose violation is the final straw for the violent cop . as a director , kitano employs long takes to heighten his protagonist’s isolation . the tension reaches a fever pitch during a final confrontation in which the eponymous antihero finds even his own extreme measures ineffectual against the spread of degenerate corruption . a forlorn saga about the futility of fighting crime and sin , violent cop oozes with despondency . and yet despite this bleakness , there’s a deadpan quality to kitano’s tragedy . that black comedy is felt not just in more straight - faced punchlines , but also in the action’s periodic blasts of bloodshed , none better than a prolonged chase sequence that ends with kitano repeatedly running over a junkie perp with his car and then kicking him for good measure .
this list collects every film from the starting list that became they shoot pictures don ' t they ' s 1000 greatest films . this…
director takeshi kitano ' s unflinching début is a poignant practice in violence and nihilism . the plot ( though initially slightly slow ) follows the titular ' violent cop ' azuma as he commits elevating acts of brutality in a fashion similar to that of ' dirty harry ' in order to solve a case . where azuma distinguishes himself from harry callaghan , however , is in his ethos , and the deep existentialism running throughout ' violent cop ' allows it to become a more thought provoking character study then ' dirty harry ' ever was . in a directorial sense ' vc ' is poetically beautiful and minimalistic , with shots lingering on both small moments of beauty and extreme violence , reminding viewers that both inhabit the same existence and that ( for our protagonist ) neither one is more shocking then the other . azuma ' s acts of violence are often linked to those of the film ' s primary antagonist and assassin kiyohiro , with the two even sharing dialogue throughout . in a sense ' violent cop ' presents itself as a study of oppressed , traditional masculinity in 20th century japan , and the untameable nature of those men who haven ' t given in to the confinement of modern existence , azuma ' s regard to the rules and those around him ( his disabled sister especially ) act as testament to this , and the outstanding final confrontation is a natural amalgamation of the brooding violence that preceded it . outstanding .
glory to the filmmaker indeed . as reported on the auteurs yesterday , takeshi kitano is currently the toast of paris , prompting movie poster of the week to take a look at kitano’s career in one - sheets . starting as a stand - up comedian in 1972 , “beat” takeshi soon became one of japan’s most popular entertainers and television personalities . he started acting in movies in the early ’80s , most notably in oshima’s merry christmas , mr . lawrence ( 1983 ) but it was almost by accident that he started making his own films , when the original director of 1989’s violent cop fell ill . since then he has written and directed 14 movies in the past 20 years , though his reception in america has veered wildly from adulation to indifference . his first film to be picked up in the states , 1993’s sonatine , was held back for years by miramax until it was finally released five years later , hot on the heels of his 1997 venice golden lion winner hana - bi ( fireworks ) .
violent cop remains a stunning debut feature . it must have genuinely stunned , being as it is a fierce and destabilizing portrait of cold and cruel gangland warfare , as good as if not better than anything by kinji fukasaku ( who was originally meant to direct it ) , directed by an ever - present comedian and tv personality . and of course it is funny , gleefully so ( if nonetheless resolutely deadpan ) . a master arrives .
to the best of our knowledge , the only western film based on the zatoichi series , blind fury stars rutger hauer as the swordsman of the title . the fights are outlandish ( and nicely choreographed by director philip noyce ) , but hauer plays it straight , delivering a charismatic and excitingly physical performance . interestingly , blind fury was one of two movies directed by noyce and released in 1989 ; the thriller dead calm , starring sam neill , nicole kidman and billy zane , was the slightly higher - profile of the two , though neither was exactly a huge hit .
fox lorber - region 1 - ntsc vs . mia - region 2 - pal vs . film movement - region ' a ' - blu - ray
the film works either way because of the strong direction and acting from kitano , but it would be bland without him . he makes the movie .
the transition extends and is completed with the death of azuma . while the ending of
violent cop
notes upon a cyclic reading - kikuchi , azuma’s apprentice , walks over the bridge in the exact same framing as azuma did in the beginning of the film - it is an illusion , as kikuchi walks up to the new yakuza boss , who shot azuma , and is paid off . quiet ambiguous , one has to ask : was kikuchi corrupt all along ? did he become corrupt after the death of azuma ? was azuma’s death in vain ? the ending stands open , as it is ambiguous .
sound mono is mono , but at least this 2 . 0 mix is clear and lacks annoying hiss or other distortions that can render a film miserable .
' beat ' takeshi kitano directs and stars in this cult japanese thriller as a cop waging war on the yakuza . given that even the yakuza think him dangerously brutal , it ' s worth noting that the title of the film is well deserved . released on the new dvd only tokyo bullet label from mia , here ' s what we thought of the disc . . .
robert de niro was still at the top of his game when he made this relatively obscure drama about a traumatised vietnam veteran struggling to come to terms with his past . the 80s saw no shortage of films examining the psychological fallout of the vietnam war on the american psyche - brian de palma’s casualties of war also came out in 1989 - and it’s possible that the sheer number of them left audiences a little fatigued by their number . but jacknife is , unlike many other ' nam films of the era , a quiet , unshowy film , with de niro at his restrained best as the haunted protagonist .
pas le meilleur kitano . on aime les personnages , on aime retrouver ce personnage hirsute , qui emmerde tout , violent mais avec une droiture bien à lui . mise en scène rien de folichon et un scénario qui s ' emmêle un peu .
this is a cop who keeps slapping a dope dealer he confronts in a men ' s room until he bleeds . azuma is not above the dirty trick of leaving a knife where a suspect he wants to nail can grab it - - if he is foolish enough . when a fellow cop tells the story of azuma ' s accidentally shooting a
punk
with a wild shot , azuma straightens him out .
i aimed for him .
obviously influenced by alien and the thing , leviathan’s pure schlock , seemingly rushed into production as an answer to james cameron’s expensive the abyss , which also came out in 1989 . the creature effects , devised by stan winston , are variable at best , but some of them - like the bit where daniel stern gets attacked by a toothsome tentacle - are really effective . best enjoyed with a beer and some unhealthy snacks , leviathan’ s perfect for an evening’s trashy entertainment .
independent us distributor film movement , mostly known until now for their monthly dvd club that shares under - the - radar indie films with fans at home , has taken up the challenge of releasing this film , along with kitano’s follow - up boiling point on blu - ray for the first time anywhere . the result is a solid presentation that represents a demonstrable step up in quality from the available dvd versions of violent cop . the presentation isn’t exactly reference quality , but there is a noticeable bump in image quality both in terms of fine detail clarity and color fidelity . the audio presentation is similarly improved with an uncompressed lpcm stereo track that delivers clear , sharp dialogue , and does what it can with one of kitano’s least compelling background scores . overall , it’s a definite upgrade from any of the dvd versions previously available .
the look of the film is sharp - edged and detached . the violence is first presented slightly off - camera , but that changes as the stakes get higher .
we miss you , patrick swayze . next of kin was the film he made that was sandwiched between road house and ghost . it ' s also a blast .
describing the plot of boiling point ( re - titled for international markets from the far more obtuse ３－４ｘ１０月 or 3 – 4x october ) , is a bit tricky as the film is far more free flowing and less linear that violent cop . the story focuses largely on masaki ( yurei yanagi ) , an inept member of a local baseball team , whose boss is threatened and attacked by a local yakuza . masaki travels to okinawa to purchase some guns to take his revenge on the yakuza and along the way meets up with uehara ( kitano ) , a hot - tempered , ill - mannered yakuza who hops along for the ride , inciting all kinds of madness along the way . as the film progresses , masaki approaches the titular boiling point from which he cannot turn back , and a trail of bodies seems to impede his path at every step .
goldberg , r . 2004 . ‘demons in the family : tracking the japanese “uncanny mother film” from a page of madness to ringu ’ . in : b . k . grant and c . sharrett , eds . planks of reason : essays on the horror film . revised edition . oxford : scarecrow press , pp . 370 - 383 .
still , even though i do consider this film to be somewhat flawed , it’s still a pretty decent film . not one of kitano’s best works ( i’d say that this is one of his worst , but that’d be ignoring the crapness of his godawful getting any . nothing else kitano has ever done comes even near that piece of shit when it comes to bad films . ) , but still a film worth checking out . but if you’re new to kitano , i’d suggest seeing sonatine or hana - bi first .
although rarely cited as vintage ridley scott , we ' ve got a lot of time for black rain . it ' s a film that brings together michael douglas and andy garcia as a pair of cops who are tasked with arresting a member of the japanese yakuza , and escorting him back to his home country . what follows is a very hard - edged cop movie , where the shift in locale means a shift in rules .
violent cop . so , this was originally supposed to be filmed by kinji fukasaku ( battle royale , graveyard of honor , yakuza papers ) who dropped out , thankfully . takeshi kitano , who was only starring in the film , took over and japanese films haven ' t been the same for me since . unlike other yakuza films , kitano ' s violence is quick and cold - blooded . different from american vigilante cops such as dirty harry , who care so much for their victims , kitano ' s character azuma doesn ' t seem to care about anything but personal revenge . if you ' re a fan of beat takeshi ( and you should be ) don ' t pass up this directorial debut .
were horrible . this may have been one of the first comparisons we did - way back in 2001 - ish and i ' m unaware of newer digital releases . the film movement
japanese films are our primary texts . one film will be screened each week at the time and place noted above . one ( free ! ) booklet will be distributed in class .
the fact that genre films from distant cultures have nowadays become so accessible to popular understanding is a sign of the increased transnationalism of film culture . as elizabeth ezra and terry rowden explain :
as if in illustration , ' ' violent cop , ' ' written by hisashi nozawa , begins with a casual , brutal nighttime assault by a group of adolescents on a homeless man . but it isn ' t long before azuma appears on the doorstep of the fine home of one of these punks , talks his way past the boy ' s mother and goes upstairs and into the youngster ' s room . there he proceeds to punch , slap , kick and head - butt before leaving the bloodied boy with four words of advice : ' ' give yourself up tomorrow . ' '
it ' s a shame , then , that the harder - edged lean on me tends to get overlooked . notwithstanding the fact that it earned morgan freeman a lot of acclaim ( although not an oscar nod ) , john g avildsen ' s film does veer into hollywood sugar coating from time to time , but its leading man is utterly magnetic in the starring role . freeman plays joe clark , in a film based on a real story . the film then tells how clark transformed his approach to a troublesome collection of students , and in turn , began to clean up their school .
a shallow description would refer to this as a japanese version of dirty harry . and it does bear some resemblance to that film , but while dirty harry broke the rules in order to get a criminal at any cost , kitano ' s character azuma seems to seek vengeance due not only to his lust for revenge but because he ' s psychotic . there ' s a sense that azuma won ' t rest until he gets his man not out of duty but out of madness . kitano gives what might be his best performance in this film ; he is absolutely riveting . and the film itself is beautifully shot , and the score is especially good . but the best part of this is perhaps the end - the film ends on a perfectly cynical note that couldn ' t be topped . seek this out .
streamline is the official blog of filmstruck , a new subscription service that offers film aficionados a comprehensive library of films including an eclectic mix of contemporary and classic art house , indie , foreign and cult films .
vojković , s . , 2009 . ‘reformulating the symbolic universe : kill bill and tarantino’s transcultural imagery’ . in : w . buckland , ed . film theory and contemporary hollywood movies . new york : routledge .
“beat” takeshi kitano has been making headlines recently . late last year the 70 - year - old japanese filmmaker , actor , author and entertainer was awarded france’s coveted legion of honor for his contribution to contemporary arts while film retrospectives in new york and rio de janeiro , along with a spate of fresh blu - ray releases from film movement and third window films , have spawned renewed interest in his work . kitano is also wrapping up production on his latest directorial effort , the third film in his lauded crime trilogy outrage : final chapter ( 2017 ) , and we can look forward to seeing him in the highly anticipated live - action adaptation of ghost in the shell ( 2017 ) soon . as a longtime admirer , it has been a joy to see the arc of his career take shape from popular television comedian to celebrated film auteur and beloved cultural figure .
azuma has a double in the underworld , a sadistic assassin for a big - shot drug boss . the cop has a sadistic streak of his own . investigating policemen discover the killer in bed with a boy , and it ' s no accident when azuma sticks a gun barrel into the man ' s mouth .
in conclusion , this review is long and rambling and does not do the film justice . see it . this is one of those movies that really gets to you and has you feeling shitty after watching it . while i don’t like feeling shitty , i never forget when i feel shitty , and as a result , i’ll never forget this film . this film stays with you long after you have seen it , and that is as good a reason as any to see it . very few films affect me in any way these days , but this one sure as hell did , and by doing so it gets my full recommendation . so there .
as vicious as its title suggests , violent cop nonetheless boasts a wit typical of its director / star takeshi “beat” kitano , a former stand - up comedian who laces his behind - the - camera debut—which he took the reins of after the initial director backed out—with a dry humor that enhances its bleak brutality . boasting a classical sense of composition and camera movement , the film concerns kitano’s rogue police officer—who almost never speaks or emotes , preferring to let his hands do the talking . slapping criminals about with uninhibited malice , kitano is a robotic dirty harry tolerated by his superiors only because they too recognize the cesspool in which they work . filth and misery are all - encompassing , and as kitano stalks the city’s streets , he comes across as a granite slab of quietly righteous fury , wielding his swinging fists and kicking feet to combat a rising tide of drug - fueled vice .
kitano is nothing if not a filmmaker willing to stretch his films to meet his own desires and challenge his audience . in kids return he does just that . while the film is a middling effort among his oeuvre , it maintains the sense of freedom that makes kitano’s work stand out . the film maintains two largely independent storylines without much trouble at all , and in the instances in which the storylines intersect , it always feels quite natural .
the end of this film can be described in one word : brutal . this is one of those films that slowly rises in intensity until it explodes in an orgy of violence . yes , i know , that sounds like something you would read on a box cover a b - grade action pic , but hey , i lost my thesaurus . this is a hard film for me to describe . the best comparison i can make with this movie is to the radiohead song “exit music ( for a film ) ” , off of their 1997 album ok computer . both the film and the song start slow and quietly , build up slowly in intensity , and then culminate in an outburst of all of the repressed and muted emotion that came before it . if you’ve never heard the song , then that will mean nothing to you . don’t let that stop you from seeing the movie , though .
it doesn ' t take long for officer vickers to make his presence felt at the party , with a gruesome pencil to the eye murder almost as soon as the booze starts flowing . it immediately lets us know that writer dan povenmire has written a screenplay that isn ' t fucking around and that director adam rifkin under his rif coogan moniker , is going to let loose and show us the goods in this picture . psycho cop returns is a gleefully violent and gory film letting robert r . shafer really sink his teeth into the officer vickers role and run with it . shafer comes up with some great one liners and memorable quotes and his charisma sets him apart from the traditional mute stalk and slash villain . shafer is perfectly campy which fits the tone of the film to a t . the filmmakers understood the movie they were making and in the special features even admitted they weren ' t expecting it to be nearly as good as it turned out to be but the outcome was a success when you have a cast that is putting their all in to it , a solid script that flows well and a director who understands that he needs to create a fun film . in 1992 there was really no room for dreadfully serious and dead pan slasher movies , but this one proves that the formula could still work if you create something fun and light .
psycho cop returns is precisely that . we may be dealing with grown adults in their late 30s and 40s but this is every bit the exact same movie as the teen summer camp slasher film just replacing the jerky frat boy for a jerky middle aged man and the sexy co - ed who gets hacked up after having sex with someone for a slightly older but no less sexy stripper , including former penthouse magazine pet of the month julie strain . the tropes and formula are exactly the same but we ' ve traded in our tents for cubicles and dark wooded trails for elevator shafts and it works . adam rifkin even gets a bit of social commentary in at the end with a reverse take on the rodney king beating which is a great scene for the final act of the film .
despite this film having some issues , and wearing it ' s dirty harry love too much on its sleeve , i did enjoy myself . kitano ' s poker faced bulldog violence is so hilariously deadpan , and some of the antagonists in this film were quite memorable . there are a few highly memorable scenes here , shot with invention and studious influence . kitano is that most extreme form of silent violence , which give his films several feelings all at once .