child 's pose ( romanian : poziția copilului ) is a 2013 romanian drama film directed by călin peter netzer .

the film premiered in competition at the 63rd berlin international film festival where it won the golden bear .

it was screened in the contemporary world cinema section at the 2013 toronto international film festival .

luminita gheorghiu was nominated as the best actress at the 26th european film awards and the film won the telia film award at the stockholm international film festival 2013 .

the film was selected as the romanian entry for the best foreign language film at the 86th academy awards , but it was not nominated .

child ' s pose ( film )

berlin winner ‘child’s pose’ gets u . s . distribution ( exclusive ) – variety
the romanian film child ' s pose has picked up the coveted golden bear prize for best film at the 63rd berlin film festival .
“child’s pose” will open at film forum on feb . 19 with a national rollout to follow . the film had its north american debut last month at the toronto film festival .
rn film critic jason di rosso joins ellen fanning to discuss the belgium film the broken circle breakdown and child ' s pose , a portrayal of class division in romania .
zeitgeist films has acquired all u . s . rights to calin peter netzer’s “child’s pose , ” winner of the golden bear at berlin and the romanian entry for best foreign language film at the academy awards . “child’s pose” will open at film forum on feb . 19 with a national rollout to follow . the film had its north american [ … ]
an unflinching look at life among the country’s entitled and connected upper class , “child’s pose” follows a controlling mother’s attempt to bribe freedom for her ungrateful son after he kills a child from a poor family in a traffic accident .
zeitgeist films has acquired all u . s . rights to calin peter netzer ’s “child’s pose , ” winner of the golden bear at berlin and the romanian entry for best foreign language film at the academy awards .
one piece of advice : see “child’s pose” in time for dinner or a long cup of coffee afterwards . this is a film meant for spirited discussion , and even argument .
cornelia ( luminita gheorghiu ) is an overbearing , oppressive mother seeking to keep her son , barbu , out of trouble in the romanian film “child’s pose . ” ( zeitgeist films )
winner – best film – 2013 berlin film festival winner – 9 romanian film awards incl best film , director , actress , screenplay , supp . actor & supp . actress
correction , feb . 21 , 2014 : this article previously misstated when child ' s pose won at the berlin film festival . it was last year , not this year . ( return . )
gravity director alfonso cuarón and the film’s visual effects supervisor tim webber , of london’s framestore , explain the unique challenges of realising the film’s zero - gravity setting .
berlin - - the 63rd berlin international film festival handed out its awards saturday , with the top prize , the golden bear for best film , going to the romanian family drama and corruption tale “child’s pose , ” directed by calin peter netzer .
a gripping and thought - provoking drama that touches on the nature of grief and class corruption in the new romania , the heart of child ' s pose is nevertheless its convincing study of a power struggle between mother and adult child .
the winner of the golden bear at the 2013 berlinale , calin peter netzer‘s riveting child’s pose centres on a mother’s twisted affection for her son , and the repercussions of her actions when his wellbeing is placed in jeopardy . .
‘child’s pose’ , a romanian movie by director calin peter netzer about a domineering mother using her social position to try to save her son from jail , won the golden bear for best picture at the berlin film festival on saturday .
berlin ( reuters ) - “child’s pose” , a romanian drama about a domineering mother using her social position to try to save her son from jail , won the golden bear for best picture at the berlin film festival on saturday .
a romanian political allegory - in romanian - might sound like tough sledding , but thanks to a searing performance by luminita gheorghiu ,
child ' s pose
is anything but .
child’s pose presents in a thrilling , emotional , yet humorous way , the relationship between a ruling mother and her grown - up child . child’s pose is a touching film on traumatizing children while suffocating them with love and on the marks that parents leave on their children’s personalities . the movie is also a depiction of the romanian contemporary high - class , speaking about low - level corruption and trading of influence in the midst of the core social institutions and their extensions over the whole socio - economic system in romania nowadays . urltoken
venue : berlin film festival ( competition ) , feb . 11 , 2012 . production company : parada film
london — the european co - production award , the prix eurimages , which acknowledges the role of co - productions in the european film industry , has gone to ada solomon , the producer of calin peter netzer’s “child’s pose , ” which won the top prize at the berlin film festival , and is the romanian oscar entry .
calin peter netzer ' s powerful family drama child ' s pose - - which won this year ' s berlinale top prize , the golden bear , and the critics ' fipresci award - - was the unanimous choice of the national oscar nominating committee .
child ' s pose is the sort of film that foregrounds a major event rather than a plot per se , in the hope that the exploration of said event will allow character nuance and social significance to waft up from cracks in the façade .
more… “child’s pose sounds like something elementary and easy , but don’t be fooled . this stunning film from romania , a ferocious psychological drama with the pace of a thriller , is anything but simple” – kenneth turan reviews for npr ( audio ) .
she would go into
child ' s pose ,
a resting position , but the room ' s conditions made relaxing difficult . on four occasions , she left the 39 c room to recover . then she quit .
calin peter netzer ' s film is a tale of corruption and guilt in modern romania .
london — the european co - production award , the prix eurimages , which acknowledges the role of co - productions in the european film industry , has gone to ada solomon , the producer of calin peter netzer’s “child’s pose , ” which won the top prize at the berlin film festival , and is the romanian oscar entry . through her shingle hifilm , solomon has [ … ]
călin peter netzer ( b . 1975 , petroşani , romania ) studied directing at bucharest’s theatre and film academy . his feature - length debut maria ( 2003 ) premiered at locarno where it received the main jury prize and awards for the two main actors . his second feature medal of honor ( medalia de onoare , 2009 ) screened at more than thirty film festivals and was selected for the prestigious variety critics’ choice section at kviff 2010 . child’s pose is netzer’s third feature film .
produced by romania ' s parada film , the movie is represented internationally by germany ' s beta cinema , which is reportedly anticipating a u . s . sale soon .
alin peter netzer ' s child ' s pose is a gripping new drama from romania and another demonstration of how that country ' s new wave is developing a distinctive kind of real - time slice - of - life cinema with characterisation in extreme , pitiless closeup . it ' s able to open up brilliantly crafted incidental insights into post - ceaușescu society , and like corneliu porumboiu ' s
hailed internationally by both audiences and critics , and popular winner of the coveted golden bear at the 2013 berlinale , calin peter netzer‘s child’s pose is a riveting drama that centres on the vice - like grip of a mother’s affection for her son , and the repercussions of her actions when his wellbeing is placed in jeopardy .
surprisingly , though , after mostly ignoring the heart of the injustice it clinically examines , the mutually toxic mother and son of “child’s pose” do finally confront the family of the dead boy in an emotional third act in which barbu , in a moment of liberation and responsibility , successfully asks his mother to undo the child lock on his car door .
few viewers will come away from “child’s pose” without strong feelings about cornelia and her behavior — whether they see it as pathological or an example of political allegory at its most shrewd . but even the most passionate judgments might be chipped away after the film’s amazing final sequence , which the director begins in a cramped home kitchen and ends by masterfully framing a pivotal encounter in a car’s rearview mirror .
taking the golden bear in 2013 was romanian film “ child’s pose ” from director calin peter netzer . his third feature , netzer has been quietly making a name for himself on the festival circuit , but gets one of his biggest wins to date for his tale about a mother who tries to keep her son out of prison after he runs over and kills a child . the film currently has no u . s . distribution , but that situation will hopefully change , with the big prize win certain to put the picture on a few more radars .
festival director dieter kosslick ( l ) applauds as jury president wong kar wai ( r ) watches as director calin peter netzer and producer ada solomon recieve the golden bear award for best film for their movie
pozitia copilului
( child ' s pose ) during the awards ceremony at the 63rd berlinale international film festival in berlin february 16 , 2013 . reuters / fabrizio bensch ( germany - tags : entertainment )
luminita gheorghiu shines as a controlling mother who goes into overdrive when her adult son runs over a child .
a journalist’s conscience leads her to reveal her source to the fbi . here’s why .
all kinds of monstrous mothers rage and rail in the movies , including those who love too little or too much . in douglas sirk’s 1959 melodrama , “imitation of life , ” lana turner plays one type , a selfish white woman who’s blissfully indifferent to her child’s needs . yet the more disturbing mother is played by juanita moore as a black domestic who smothers her own daughter in so much goodness that it’s no surprise that the girl flees . at the end , the saint’s daughter throws herself on her mother’s coffin ; it’s a wonder she doesn’t leap in front of a train . in “child’s pose , ” a drama with a story as cold , merciless and inevitable as a tomb , escape proves every bit as futile .
solomon is also head of distribution at parada film and executive director of the next intl . film festival in bucharest . she teaches at the national film school in bucharest and , together with tudor giurgiu , manages three mini - plex cinemas in romania .
cornelia talks a great deal in “child’s pose , ” a film in which every conversation reverberates with hidden meanings , veiled threats and the lingering history of a nation that’s traded one master for another . written by razvan radulescu and directed by calin peter netzer , the film is at once an allegory about the new romania and a slice of naturalism that turns on a traffic accident that has left a boy dead and barbu’s future in jeopardy . it’s a ghastly scene made worse when cornelia , who has raced to the police station where barbu is being held , announces that she’s the “mother of the boy” who caused the accident before she rushes to clean up his mess .
child’s pose is a film about a pretty pathological mother - and - son relationship , about the children’s position relative to their parents and vice versa , about parents losing their children one way or another . a camera dependent film i might say , that will attempt to convey states of mind , feelings , smouldering conflicts , desperate outbursts , i . e . a slice of life with an almost documentary authenticity . the characters are analysed or rather psychoanalyzed , trying to get a feeling of understanding or even compassion towards this weird family .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
there’s broad agreement that supporting family films is a good thing : not so much about what counts as a family film . by ben roberts .
the film was produced by parada film and hai - hui entertainment , with backing from hbo romania . netzer and razvan radulescu ( “the death of mr . lazarescu” ) wrote the script .
. . . transmits the nervousness present in the tortuous relationship between mother and child and social tensions . [ full review in spanish ]
mothers are blamed for a lot , in cinema and in life . their love is essential to a child ' s development , but too much of that same love is damaging . wanting a close relationship with your adult child is healthy , but how close is too close ? one of the greatest strengths of
child ' s pose
, romania ' s 2014 oscar - entry and winner of the golden bear this year in berlin , is that these questions are presented , but no real answers are provided . the answers we get are murky , ambiguous , disturbing . the truth is there , somewhere , but lost in an abyss of recriminations , resentment , and things too dark to discuss . it ' s an extremely strong and upsetting film , yet another example of the fascinating things going on in romania ' s new wave , with a breathtaking lead performance by luminita gheorghiu as cornelia , the competent career - woman in bucharest , determined to clear her adult son ' s name .
the new romanian film movement of the past decade has made such a strong showing in contemporary world cinema that the inevitable backlash has already begun . forget the backlash : calin peter netzer ' s child ' s pose joins the ranks of cristi puiu ' s the death of mr . lazarescu ( 2005 ) and cristian mungiu ' s 4 months , 3 weeks and 2 days ( 2007 ) as masterful works that transcend hype and bloated expectations . this is clearly a renaissance moment for romanian cinema that is too broad to be waylaid by either disappointing films from former bellwethers or contrarian views from cranky scribes courting controversy .
subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken subscribe to indie & film festivals : urltoken like us on facebook : urltoken follow us on twitter : urltoken child ' s pose official trailer 1 ( 2014 ) - romanian movie hd seeing a way to reassert control over her adult son ' s life when he faces manslaughter charges , an affluent romanian woman sets out on a campaign of emotional and social manipulation to keep him out of prison , navigating the waters of power , corruption and influence .
calin peter netzer’s film is the latest effort in the romanian new wave , a group whose debt to 1970s american cinema seems obvious . the impetus for romanian movies like “the death of mr . lazarescu , ” “4 months , 3 weeks and 2 days” and “child’s pose” ( in all of which gheorghiu appears ) is controlled fury at the injustice and tyranny of systems . ordinary innocent individuals are as flies in a spider web , and the directors of these films ruthlessly , morbidly and sometimes humorously diagram every entrapping filament .
they’ll debut alongside north american premieres of james franco’s “child of god , ” alex gibney’s “the armstrong lie , ” hayao miyazaki’s “the wind rises , ” clio barnard’s “the selfish giant , ” guillaume canet’s “blood ties” and alain guiraudie’s “stranger by the lake” ( which will have all premiered at either cannes or venice ) , as well as the international premiere of “martha marcy may marlene” director sean durkin’s “southcliffe , ” a british miniseries about a fictional market town inhabited by fictional characters , but with similarities to many actual people and places in britain today .
after the terrible news of a fatal car accident involving her son , a desperate mother will do anything in her powers to set her child free .
gravity captures the sensation of actually being in zero - gravity orbit around the earth with a verisimilitude like no film before it , largely due to the technical innovations developed during production . director alfonso cuarón and visual effects supervisor tim webber discuss the film’s production , and cinematographer emmanuel lubezki’s eureka ! moment at a peter gabriel concert .
motivation of the jury :
a uniquely complete film . shattering , to the point , poetic , believable , delicate , humorous . the sensitive interaction between the two main actors has resulted in the most touching portrayal of friendship we’ve seen in film . only someone hard - hearted could fail to love this film .
last year ' s romanian submission , cristian mungiu ' s beyond the hills , made it to the january shortlist before losing out to michael haneke ' s winning submission , amour .
speaking from the winner’s podium , the film’s producer ada solomon addressed the dwindling support for film in her country , declaring , “romanian politicians should pay much more attention to the kind of ambassador romanian cinema is for our country around the world . ” solomon also gave thanks to art house distributors and cinemas for their fight against “commercial censorship . ”
the psychological thriller “ child’s pose , ” the latest example of romania’s house style , stars luminita gheorghiu , a veteran of both “lazarescu” and “4 months , ” here taking a well - deserved pass at center stage . she plays cornelia keneres , a prosperous bucharest architect who , as the movie opens , is commiserating with her sister over drinks and cigarettes about her son , barbu ( bogdan dumitrache ) , who is living with a woman of whom cornelia doesn’t approve .
director calin peter netzer ' s golden bear - winning drama is the country ' s unanimous submission to the 86th academy awards .
this month’s issue boldly goes into outer space as our cover feature explores the immersive 3d technical marvel that is alfonso cuarón’s gravity .
this year’s silver bear for outstanding artistic contribution was awarded to cinematographer aziz zhambakiyev for his work on kazakh film “harmony lessons” from director emir baigazin . the film focuses on bullying in a school in rural kazakhstan , and makes the most of its spare landscapes and the faces of its intense young performers .
winner of the online short film competition ifestival , as voted by the audience :
swear
by lea becker .
the european co - production award will be presented during the european film awards ceremony in berlin on dec . 7 .
the first thing you should know about child’s pose is that , despite the unfortunate choice of english title , this wrenching romanian drama has nothing to do with yoga . the original title , pozitia copiluilui , refers to the literal physical position of a child—an image which might have several meanings in the movie’s context , none of them involving a relaxing forehead - to - floor asana . the central event of the film’s story is a tragedy ( and , possibly , a crime ) that the audience never witnesses : a thirtysomething man , barbu ( bogdan dumitrache ) hits a 14 - year - old boy with his car , killing him instantly . in the immediate aftermath of the accident , the driver’s mother , a wealthy , cultured architect named cornelia ( luminita gheorghiu ) rushes to her son’s side to do whatever she needs to do to protect him—up to and including bribing witnesses , falsifying police reports , and pressuring the family of the dead boy not to press charges .
ann hornaday is the washington post ' s chief film critic . she is the author of
talking pictures : how to watch movies .
she joined the post in 2002 . follow
motivation of the jury :
although it was the shortest film , as well as the only animated one in the competition , we found it to combine all the elements of cinema . it´s well executed , efficient and quietly moving . it uses a textual , three - dimensional teqnicue that we´ve never really seen before in this way . it´s beauty is in it´s simplicity , and the film feels mature and fully formed as a result .
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the 46 - year - old then went to explain the low - budget horror film — titled hollywood hills , 90028 .
if cornelia represents romania’s cold war past ( and bourgeois self - delusion ) , then by right barbu stands for the new romania , and the portrait he presents is far from an optimistic one . he’s clearly suffering from unspoken psychic wounds — which he angrily lays at his mother’s well - heeled feet — but he’s a petulant , unpleasant figure , nonetheless . as “child’s pose” proceeds , cornelia will not be deterred in her snooping and scheming , but her encounters along the way are open to interpretation . barbu’s girlfriend , carmen ( ilinca goia ) , insists he can’t ask for what he wants , an observation belied by his constant stream of curt demands to his mother ; barbu’s father ( florin zamfirescu ) is ineffectual at best ; and one crucial meeting at a shopping mall , with someone who witnessed the inciting event , is maddeningly inconclusive .
: other people my age have a normal relationship with their child . parents find their fulfillment in their children . everything they failed to accomplish , they achieve through their children .
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 .
cornelia is a nosy mother . she is estranged from her son barbu ( bogdan dumitrache ) , and blames that estrangement on barbu ' s girlfriend , whom she can barely reference without a sneer . cornelia is a wealthy successful architect and gave her son all the privileges available to him in the chaotic post - ceaușescu era . and yet he drifts , he lacks focus , he wants nothing to do with his mother . when he hits and kills a peasant child while speeding and is arrested for drunk driving , cornelia , wrapped in furs , swoops in to the rescue .
child ' s pose
, like so many other current romanian films , is really about class . cornelia is part of the bucharest elite , and her friends are surgeons and famous opera singers . the family of the dead child are traditional peasants , described by one of the arresting officers as
very simple people
. when cornelia and the dead child ' s parents finally meet , in a scene almost absurd—cornelia chooses that moment to babble about her son ' s achievements and what a wonderful athlete he was as a teenager—the culture clash is so enormous that it is as though nobody speaks the same language .
memories , myths and radical politics all converge in a gloriously experimental film exploring the mystery of the sphinx . by charlie fox .
seeing a way to reassert control over her adult son ' s life when he faces manslaughter charges , an affluent romanian woman sets out on a campaign of emotional and social manipulation to keep him out of prison , navigating the waters of power , corruption and influence . child ' s pose is based on the sense of loss of parents who have to send their children away - physically and psychologically . the parent - child relationship is re - assessed through a son in his 30s that wants to escape from his mother , who in turn wants to keep her adult son by her side . the mother ' s character is quite familiar , but this film is unique in that the director delicately portrays how the controlling mother wants to deny that her son is destined to leave her by following the characters ' emotional flows and gazing at their twisted desires . luminita gheorghiu turns in an extraordinary performance in playing a mother struggling to
save
her son . heading to the conclusion , the film shows that the unhealthy mother - son . . .
the film was a favourite among the 19 contenders . mr netzer said he was
a little bit speechless
by the win .
motivation of the jury :
this award goes to a director who is in complete control of his chosen mode of expression . the film succeeds at being at the same time both epic and personal . all too often a director can overshadow their own film , but here is someone whose presence doesn’t force itself onto the film , but which still shines through in each editorial choice he has made . quite apart from the beautiful craftsmanship , this film is uniquely courageos . the unexpected duration of certain close - ups never feels self - serving , as each shot contributes to the film as a whole creating the unique feeling and aura of 12 years a slave .
overall , today’s lineup didn’t come with any significant surprises or hugely anticipated new titles , though there’s still one announcement left next week . until then , you can find this week’s batch of announced titles on the next page .
though the p . o . v . remains cornelia’s throughout the film , the viewer can’t help but sympathize with everyone else in her family . she pries info about barbu’s private life out of the maid , thus learning that his live - in girlfriend carmen is bringing her young daughter to live with them . “raising other people’s offspring” is how mamma puts it .
true to romanian form , director calin peter netzer ( who wrote the screenplay with razvan radulescu ) keeps his camera close to the women , swishing and swooping between them , often landing on one face while the other person is talking . it can be a maddening , too - obvious visual tic ; however , he eventually settles down , and “child’s pose” begins to cast its spell , drawing viewers into a fascinating , troubling and finally controversial portrait of maternal anxiety at its most smotheringly neurotic .
as subtle and careful and slyly disturbing as “child’s pose” is though , it and many others of its genus suffer from an airlessness , pacing like the growth of algae , a dishwater color palate and a dirge - like monotone . the drained , exhausted , stifling mood is a frequently punitive experience for the viewer . these films’ american ancestors ( movies like “one flew over the cuckoo’s nest , ” “dog day afternoon , ” “bonnie and clyde” ) were deeply sympathetic to their anti - heroes and delivered operatic ecstasy in each spectacular downfall . romanian cinema is all shrug and no crescendo .
a young woman , her shoulders shaking , breaks from the pose and lies down on the yoga mat under her feet . every inch of exposed skin is beaded with perspiration that won ' t evaporate . she looks overwhelmed .
special mention : “promised land” by gus van sant ( u . s . )
but netzer seems less at ease in the scenes between cornelia and her son , who , it’s implied in one queasy massage scene , have a seriously over - enmeshed oedipal relationship . the multiple intense standoffs between the two of them never quite add up to a satisfying dramatic arc , and barbu is depicted as so retiring and passive a character that his motives ( unlike his meddlesome , needy mother’s ) remain impalpable . in some scenes , andrei butica’s medium - shaky handheld camera does the ensemble cast a disservice by focusing a little too fixedly on gheorghiu’s admittedly fascinating face . the whole point of handheld is that it can dart around a scene with the quickness of the human eye , showing you whatever you need to see—which isn’t always the diva in the center of the room , but sometimes the people watching the aria . then again , child’s pose —whose title in romanian might be more accurately translated as “fetal position”—is in large part a film about the terrifying , potentially destructive force of maternal love , so maybe it’s fitting that the camera is powerless to look away .
“child’s pose” is a tale of two lost boys . one is dead , the other merely lifeless . barbu ( bogdan dumitrache ) is a worthless upper - class loser , the sickening and sickened product of lifelong spoiling by his wealthy mother cornelia ( luminita gheorghiu ) . speeding along in his audi at 90 miles per hour or so , he kills a lower - class boy trying to cross the road . cornelia calls in the fixers , looks for a way to make a deal with police and sets about buying off a witness .
motivation of the jury :
this film presents a captivating slice - of - life , or maybe rather a slice - of - death , portrayal of the taking of someone’s life . the abhorrent , meaningless murder is captured sensitively and sincerely in this energetic film . it’s both a brutal eye - opener and a masterful cinematic achievement . a harsh reminder of the impact slavery has left on our contemporary society . this impressive debut is a must for everyone to see !
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
rediscovered footage from an early welles film project , too much johnson , may not be revelatory , but the director always springs surprises . by richard deming .
the hand - held camerawork never stops nervously moving , giving the film more of a budget look than it perhaps needed . though the use of music is limited , gianna nannini ’s joyful song “meravigliosa creatura” is used twice to suggest a brighter future .
motivation of the jury :
the film’s photography lifts the story at the same time undermining both the landscape and the events taking place guiding the viewer along previously unexplored paths . the camera forces us to visit places we have never been , and which we maybe wish we had been spared . however provocative the images are they achieve an unexpected beauty , and come together to create a shattering and comprehensive film .
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the film , directed by calin peter netzer , tells the story of a wealthy mother who uses her connections to try and stop her son from going to jail .
françois ozon’s latest film , jeune & jolie , is a cool , provocative blend of teen coming - of - age drama and belle de jour , overlaid with a françoise hardy soundtrack . the director talks to nick roddick about sex , money and the modern teenager
we ' re an independent , family - owned australian film distribution company , representing films across australia and new zealand since 1965 , & the sister division of palace cinemas .
quirky canadian entry “vic + flo saw a bear , ” from dennis côte , received the alfred bauer prize , awarded to a feature film that “opens new perspectives . ”
ukrainian lyricism and satire and wellesian beginnings at pordenone’s giornate del cinema muto . by geoff brown .
the question of whether what we’re witnessing is masterful manipulation or genuine catharsis is just one more mystery to work out in the wake of a compelling , complex , confounding film .
after paulina garcia in the chilean film gloria , and waiting for catherine deneuve to appear in on my w ay , berlin competition serves up another fine tribute to a powerful actress , luminita gheorghiu , playing a middle - aged romanian woman and member of the ruling class . as watchable as daytime drama , child’s pose is an on - target , tragi - comic portrait of a domineering mother who sees a chance to regain control over her adult son when he faces manslaughter charges for reckless driving . though dramatically a little too pat for comfort , the screenplay by razvan radulescu and director calin peter netzer is admirably handled , with wicked moments of humor balancing out a truly dramatic finale . the beta cinema release should have little problem flowing into the niches carved out by quality romanian films in recent years .
“good friends should be able to ask each other questions without it going where bethenny’s trying to take it , ” she told viewers . “i’m not bringing this out of the blue . this was just in the papers . let’s be honest , she’s being a [ bitch ] … how ‘real’ can you be , bethenny , if you can’t talk about what’s going on in your life ? ”
in a very different vein is abdellatif kechiche’s palme d’or winner blue is the warmest colour , a three - hour long story about a love affair between two young french women which rests on the more traditional virtues of script and performances , but pushes both to great depths through long takes and a relentless search for realism . the film’s explicit sex scenes have been a particular cause for controversy , with some seeing a male perspective . but as kechiche tells jonathan romney : “i find [ that criticism ] really empty . we’re talking about love – it’s absolute , it’s cosmic . ”
on her way out , it was pointed out to frankel how she’s called d’agostino way worse things . but frankel’s real beef was with singer . and it appears they won’t be squashing it anytime soon .
among them are many world premieres , including fred schepisi’s “words and pictures” ( which stars clive owen and juliette binoche ) , arie posin’s “the face of love” ( which stars annette bening , robin williams and ed harris ) , john turturro’s “fading gigolo” ( which stars john turturro , woody allen , vanessa paradis , liev schreiber , sharon stone and sofia vergara ) richard glatzer and wash westmoreland’s “the last of robin hood” ( starring dakota fanning , susan sarandon and kevin kline ) , kevin macdonald’s “how i lie now” ( with saoirse ronan and tom holland ) , charlie stratton’s “therese” ( starring elizabeth olsen , tom felton , jessica lange and oscar isaac ) and megan griffiths’s “lucky them” ( with toni collette and thomas haden church ) .
across four different programs — galas , special presentations , contemporary world cinema and tiff kids — the festival brought its overall film count to just over 200 ( see the full list here ) .
★★★★ “one of cinema’s most domineering mothers . a powerhouse drama . ” garry maddox , the sydney morning herald
alfonso cuarón’s gravity tries to depict the dangers of spaceflight realistically . but the fantasies of science - fiction cinema and the realities of mankind’s ventures beyond the atmosphere have never been too far apart . by roger luckhurst .
she is watching a classy opera rehearsal when ruta informs her there’s been an accident . her son has run over a child and killed him . without a second’s thought the two women shift gears to crisis mode and take off for an outlying police station , where barbu ( bogdan dumitrache ) is waiting to sign a statement and be tested for alcohol . their mission is to do whatever it takes to keep him from being prosecuted and serving a three - to - 15 year sentence for manslaughter .
monstrous , but never simply villainous : gheorghiu’s cornelia is one of those maddening but unforgettable characters who , no matter how vile their behavior , you can’t bring yourself to hate . early on , there’s a tough - to - watch scene in the waiting room of the police station where cornelia’s son barbu is being questioned the night of the accident . cornelia and her officious sister - in - law ( natasa raab ) rush onto the scene in fur coats , ready to protest barbu’s unjust treatment at the hands of the law—only to discover that the only other occupants of the waiting room are the immediate relatives of the dead child . even as we’re disgusted by the women’s entitled behavior , we also perceive the black social comedy of the encounter : cornelia is desperate to pull whatever strings she can to keep her boy out of jail , but also keenly aware of the need to appeal to the victim’s family’s good side by observing the outward protocols of grief and reconciliation ( paying for the funeral , paying a condolence visit , etc . ) .
a dark piece of neorealism - and a searing indictment of eastern europe ' s newly moneyed classes . . .
best director went to u . s . filmmaker david gordon green for comic road movie “prince avalanche” , while chile’s paulina garcia was the popular winner of the best actress prize for her turn as a santiago divorcee in “gloria” .
just as gracefully as cornelia’s psyche is exposed through the dialogue , her glittering social world is neatly sketched in a high society party where the nomenclature celebrates her birthday . “i’m 30 but i look 60 – just kidding , ” as she likes to say . she’s also an inveterate liar , making excuses about barbu’s absence to keep up appearances .
starring luminita gheorghiu as an overbearing mother and bodgdan dumitrache as her mollycoddled adult son , the film has been a box office success in romania , where it was released in early march and is still showing .
systematically disturbing . in romanian , with english subtitles . running time : 112 minutes . not rated ( profanity , adult situations ) . at the film forum , houston street between sixth avenue and varick street .
technical innovations also made possible the remarkably immersive leviathan , an abstract nonfiction portrait of industrial fishing off the coast of new bedford , massachusetts . the film’s directors lucien castaing - taylor and verena paravel tell trevor johnston how their work attempts to avoid the point of view imposed by conventional documentary in favour of a more direct experience .
★★★★ “one to remember . netzer has taken compelling acting , psychological insight and an unerring sense of drama – even melodrama – to create a film with a deep sense of humanity . ” lynden barber , sbs films
the announcement - - possibly the first for the best foreign language category - - will pitch the film against scores of others from around the world that will compete at the awards , scheduled for march 2 , 2014 .
golden bear for the best short film went to “la fugue , ” ( the runaway ) from jean - bernard marlin , while stefan kriekhaus won the jury prize silver bear for “die ruhe bleibt” ( remains quiet ) .
fairfax media’s phillipa hawker interviewed director peter calin netzer about his sharp and sometimes harrowing story of class , power and control .
at moksha yoga uptown in toronto , manager jen blanko says variations in class size make it difficult to regulate humidity - which is supposed to be at 40 per cent .
if we have a class of 10 people , it ' s one thing . if it ' s 55 people , it ' s a totally different environment in there ,
she says .
australian kim mordaunt’s laos - based film “the rocket” received the prize for best first feature ; it had already picked up a crystal bear from the youth - centric generations section . crystal bears also went to kasia roslaniec for “baby blues , ” and to short films “rabbitland” from ana nedeljkovic and nikola majdak , and “the amber amulet” by matthew moore .
the motivation of the jury :
for evocative and compelling photographic portraits that move through time and space , combining the countryside’s innocence with the feeling of an ominous external world . with an enigmatic and highly personal narrative , the director recurs to the subjectivity of the memory in a society destined for change . 1 km film 2013 goes to john skoog .
, this film has some exquisitely horrible glimpses into bureaucracy and corruption . the story ' s premise is a noir standard : a wealthy and overbearing mother , cornelia ( luminița gheorghiu ) has a stormy relationship with her spoilt grownup son barbu ( bogdan dumitrache ) . when he gets into some serious trouble , his mum has to step in and square things with a word here and a payoff there . vlad ivanov – renowned for his chilling performance as the abortionist in cristian mungiu ' s
the silver bear for best script went to iran’s jafar panahi and kamboziya partovi for
pardé
( closed curtain ) . panahi is prohibited by iranian authorities from travelling or making movies due to his involvement in election protests in 2009 . “closed curtain” is a poetic documentation of his artistic isolation and desolation . speaking at the awards event , partovi , who co - directed with panahi and stars in the film , said “it’s never been possible to stop a thinker and a poet . ”
we watch as attitudes get warped , compassion removed , and grief ' s all - consuming power possess victim and perpetrator alike .
in 1947 ingrid bergman wrote a letter to roberto rossellini – and one of cinema’s great partnerships was born . by nick pinkerton .
sympathy struggles with mockery in the abrupt , defeated conclusion of horace ové’s drama about black power in britain . by ashley clark .
welcome to the globe and mail’s comment community . this is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and globe staff .
while frankel shot back at singer about her insinuation , singer insisted she was just trying to show interest in her friend’s life .
motivation of the jury :
bold , courageos , funny , provocative . återträffen ( the reunion ) is a well - crafted story , and navigates a mix of genres intelligently . we find ourselves in a labyrinth of mirrors where the viewer is confronted with questions about power , loneliness and bullying at every turn . the film does not present any answers , but but leaves one with a lot of rewarding questions . this is a film with strong artistic integrity .
propelled by gheorghiu’s towering , tour - de - force performance and a razor - sharp attention to class and generational resentments , netzer’s engrossing film lays bare the moral bankruptcy of upper class , post - ceaușescu romanian society and its institutions in expert fashion . disquieting but also compassionate , this examination of guilt and the crippling effects of loss became a national talking point upon release in romania last year ( breaking 20 year - old box office records ) and makes for a fascinating , unforgettable cinema experience .
that was the final straw for frankel . “i’ve just been called a witch and wicked . i’m going back to the house , ” she told radziwill , leaving . “no one’s going to call me a witch and wicked . that’s not going to happen . ”
60 - year - old cornelia ( the phenomenal luminita gheorghiu ) leads a life of privilege , social power and abundant material wealth in contemporary bucharest , but life is not perfect . more than anything in the world , she longs for her 34 year - old son barbu ( bogdan dumitrache ) to reciprocate her unreserved devotion . but the pair barely speak , something the domineering cornelia blames on barbu’s live - in girlfriend , who has a child from a previous relationship .
the industry : saving mr . banks ; the return of woody allen ; funding children’s films ; lars jönsson , producer of lukas moodysson
in italy the title was re - written with a typo in it ( ' il caso kerenes ' instead of the correct spelling of the family name keneres ) and the film was advertised on posters and published on dvd with this typo there .
directed by calin peter netzer ; written by razvan radulescu and mr . netzer ; director of photography , andrei butica ; edited by dana bunescu ; production design by malina ionescu ; costumes by irina marinescu ; produced by mr . netzer and ada solomon ; released by zeitgeist films . at film forum , 209 west houston street , west of avenue of the americas , south village . in romanian , with english subtitles . running time : 1 hour 52 minutes . this film is not rated .
abdellatif kechiche’s blue is the warmest colour has caused no small amount of controversy since winning the palme d’or in cannes – not least because of a perceived male slant to its depiction of a lesbian love affair . but , says the director , you might as well tell him he has no right to film the life of an airline pilot because he can’t fly . by jonathan romney .
“it’s almost as if we’re peering at those sacred moments which only take place inside the walls of the home”… blackbook interviews calin peter netzer .
smiling endings , cuts of the wicker man , archiving the silent era , eddie marsan’s tyrannosaur , fainting or dying in the great beauty .
roger luckhurst considers the film , and looks back at the ways in which earlier films have depicted the experience of being in space . “there has always been a strange interplay between the american military - industrial complex and science - fiction cinema” , he writes , drawing on movies from destination moon in 1950 through star wars , capricorn one , 2001 : a space odyssey , dark star and apollo 13 , and argues that the fantasies of science - fiction cinema and the realities of mankind’s ventures beyond the earth’s atmosphere have never been too far apart .
the 2013 toronto international film festival added over 75 titles to its lineup this morning , including new films from guillaume canet , hayao miyazaki , sean durkin , clio barnard , james franco , johnnie to , alex gibney , john turturro , kevin macdonald and fred schepisi .
winner : fia - stina sandlund . motivation :
a post - modern , metafictional , slightly absurd re - make of strindberg ' s miss julie ( fröken julie ) . the film takes place in a contemporary new york apartment in which the actors play heightened versions of themselves . alexandra dahlström ( as miss julie ) and jens lekman ( as jean ) meet to reenact the play to lekmans ' music .
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 . …
when it comes to 1980s period authenticity , andrew bujalski’s computer chess has got it taped , thanks to the magic of old - fashioned video technology : and bujalski’s not alone . is this return to analogue a symptom of nostalgia , a protest against digital – or something more ? by calum marsh .
the extreme temperature and humidity in bikram yoga and its less regimented spinoff moksha yoga can be risky for those with heart conditions , as well as for those with low or high blood pressure in the normal range , says nieca goldberg , medical director of new york university ' s women ' s heart program .
when you first see cornelia — played by the astonishing romanian actress luminita gheorghiu — she’s seated on a sofa , a scowl creasing her face and a cigarette burning in her hand . her bleach job and fussy accouterments telegraph the kind of class privilege that’s grasped bauble by bauble or has come late in life , but these trappings are less showy than the complaints she bitterly recites about a man . while she makes him sound like a lover , he turns out to be her only child , barbu ( bogdan dumitrache ) , which suggests that something is rotten in bucharest , where much of the story unfolds . the more she talks , the more obvious it becomes that the hardness edging her mouth isn’t new .
motivation of the jury :
this year ' s rising star is an actor who has already made a lasting impression on screen despite his young age . with great precision and understanding of the craft he portrays a wide range of emotions , from playfulness and humor to vibrating love and deep pain . all these qualities were also present in his most recent film , the critically acclaimed
känn ingen sorg
. the winner is adam lundgren .
bethenny frankel is known for the self - deprecating and biting sense of humor she displays on the real housewives of new york city — often preaching the “zero f—” she has to give about the drama that comes her way . but on wednesday’s all - new episode , the skinnygirl mogul wasn’t laughing when a film from her past — in which she was nude — was brought up in the same context of her 6 - year - old daughter .


delicatessen is a french 1991 post-apocalyptic black comedy film directed by jean-pierre jeunet and marc caro , starring dominique pinon and karin viard .

it was released in north america as " presented by terry gilliam . "

like its successor , the city of lost children ( 1995 ) , it was an homage to the works of gilliam .

delicatessen ( film )

delicatessen
and
new fangled
will be shown at midnight tonight as part of the new york film festival . delicatessen
— delicatessen is a term for fine food . it may also refer to : delicatessen ( film ) , a 1991 french black comedy film delicatessen ( band ) , an english indie rock group delikatessen ( album ) , an album by the german band oomph ! this disambiguation page… …
into film recommend this film is engaging for this age range . please refer to the bbfc guidance for further help in your film choice .
, albert’s first short film , has screened at the edinburgh international film festival , creativity film festival in new york , lille , cardif , mallorca , greenwich film festivals , britspotting in berlin , and the kodak / bafta film showcase in london .
this film has not been rated by a club leader yet . be the first to rate this film .
a
complex , bewitching and fearlessly intelligent film
. is this film about three women a feminist film ? what is the film about ? are nietzsche’s ideas relevant to the film ? what is the significance of the ‘maloja snake’ ? can you explain valentine’s disappearance ?
— cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom . delicatessen désigne : un type de magasin d alimentation ou de lieu de restauration : voir delicatessen ( gastronomie ) un film français réalisé… …
a must see , delicatessen is an absolute delight and a bizarrely madcap experience .
featured in fine cooked meats : a nod to jeunet and caro ' s feature film ' delicatessen ' ( 1991 ) . see more »
© winter film awards 2015 winter film awards 31 west 34th street new york ny 10001 info @ urltoken www . urltoken
delicatessen was picked as the best film at the tokyo international film festival . at home in france it won four césar’s , including best first feature , best screenplay , best production design , and best editing .
jess franco’s film comes to blu - ray with a gorgeous 1080p transfer and an informative commentary track from francophile and film maven tim lucas .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing delicatessen near you .
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french film director , he won a prestigious césar award for his 1980 short film
le manège .
his 1991 feature film
delicatessen ,
captured four césar awards . he directed the fourth movie in the
alien
series entitled
alien resurrection .
in 2001 he directed audrey tautou in the film known as
amelie
(
le fabuleux destin d ' amélie poulain
) the movie won several césar awards and oscar nominations .
the film also received nominations for those award ceremonies as well as for the baftas .
— pour les articles homonymes , voir delicatessen ( homonymie ) . le mot delicatessen , que l office québécois de la langue française traduit par charcuterie ou épicerie fine selon le contexte , désigne un type de magasin d alimentation ou de lieu de… …
this troubled romance provides the bare skeleton on which jeunet and caro hang their dreams . a hugely enjoyable film ,
delicatessen
welds comedy and magic into a bizarre , grotesque fantasy of an oddball dystopian future .
film is still different , though . film is the most beautiful . in the near future , i would love to shoot film more . if i do shoot digital , i would shoot alexa 65 and not touch any other camera . unless , of course , you need a very small camera for a project that you cannot film with a regular camera .
find out more about what ' s involved in running your very own into film club .
the film has won and been nominated for several important european awards . at the césar awards it won best editing , best film work , best production design and best writing , at the
nfs : you had originally wanted to shoot on film . why didn ' t you , ultimately ?
with the headline : review / film festival ; please , how many lentils for your musical saw ? .
no film school : okja surprised me ! i loved it . it had so much soul and heart .
65 % # outof100 – fraternity hazing film , burning sands lands on netflix uk . stars british black talent
families can talk about the message of the film . does it say anything about the way the world is now ?
[ us ] delicatessen ( 1991 ) post - apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants . french language
' ' amélie ' ' offers mr . jeunet a chance to show some flair without the brittle chill of his previous films like ' ' delicatessen ' ' and ' ' the city of lost children , ' ' in which his imagination and heartlessness combined for the film version of felonious assault .
jean - pierre jeunet and marc caro made a brilliant feature film debut with this bizarre and visually stunning comedy about cannibalism .
in the narrow sub - genre of happiness - in - the - face - of - dystopia , “delicatessen” plays as a chamber ensemble counterpart to “brazil’s” full - blown orchestra .
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 .
a zany little film that ' s a startling and clever debut for co - helmers jean - pierre jeunet and marc caro .
we are currently screening the wizard of oz , profound film that it is , and the last film wall - e . it ' s been rewarding observing the ks1 6 year olds run the gamut of emotions from wonder to sadness to joy .
we will use the approach of andré bazin ( 1918–1958 ) to film analysis : brief introduction , screening of the film and discussion . we will seek to involve students , to encourage you to form your own judgments and to share these with the group .
few films have made an impact like delicatessen . what are we to make of this strange , original film ? is there a plot ? if there is , is it important ? how do we make sense of the plethora of images , metaphors , allusions , and the eccentric characters , the bizarre situations ?
this web site is great . it helped me out tremendously . i had to write a paper on the movie delicatessen for my english class at east carolina university . much thanks desiree
[ us ] delicatessen ( 1991 ) post - apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants . french language : netflixbestof
la haine is a landmark in french cinema , it helped create the ‘beur’ film genre , foregrounding life in the arab slums of paris . what are the film’s social and political implications ? to what extent is reality manipulated ? how are the three men differentiated ?
recognised as one of godard’s greatest achievements , éloge de l’amour is a complex and challenging film . we shall examine the comment : “the narrative is actually quite simple but the way godard presents it is not
. how do memory and forgetting feature in this film ?
creating an account with urltoken gives you access to more features and services , like our newsletter and other special features just for the film community .
with its molelike inhabitants , its sprawling war between flesh - eaters and lentil - men , its achingly sweet love story and surrealist blend of dusty antiquities and 21st - century gizmos , delicatessen is indescribably wild .
“…just a lot of flashy technique involving decor , some glib allegorical flourishes , and the obligatory studied film - school weirdness . ”–jonathan rosenbaum , chicago reader
the first of two films co - directed by jeunet and caro . the pair conceived the idea for the city of lost children ( also on the list of the 366 best weird movies of all time ) first , but it was too expensive to produce . delicatessen could be shot on a single sound stage , cheaply , so they produced this film first .
— delicatessen were an indie rock group formed in leicester , england in the early 1990s . they released three albums and four singles before splitting in 1998 . [ 1 ] contents 1 biography 2 discography 2 . 1 singles …
gabriel folgado ( albares de la ribera , spain , 1970 ) he has a degree in cinema from the university of leon . in 2004 he directed his first short film “vilapicardo” followed by “la embajada toscana” in 2005 . he has also spent time teaching at león university . his first documentary ”interior landscapes” has been shortlisted and awarded in over 30 worldwide film festivals . amongst others , it received seven nominations in the 2011 goya awards and the prestigious “golden botillo” prize . “ancestral delicatessen” is the second documentary he has directed with catoute films , his production company .
it is largely a character - based film , with much of the interest being gained from each tenant ' s own particular idiosyncrasies and their relationship to each other .
on the same bill with
delicatessen
is
new fangled ,
a delightful two - minute short by george griffin incorporating fast , flexible imagery and smug marketing jargon . the voice - overs are as funny as the animation .
combining the cruel humour of grimm ' s fairy stories , with the spirit of terry gilliam and that peculiarly french knack of putting magic into film , this feverish tale of star - crossed lovers and small town cannibalism has endured as a true masterpiece of the fantastique . with
delicatessen
, jeunet and caro gave the world a canny and confident calling card for that most coveted of talents - commercial arthouse cinema . brilliant .
filled with idiosyncratic characters and eccentric scenes , this film is about these characters above all else . in a building where a butcher heads a group of people and invites tenants on his…
the past couple of years , tankian focuses on creating musical scores and compositions for films and video game projects . he serves as the executive music consultant for the highly anticipated film “the promise , ” where along with the authentic light orchestra , his modern version of the armenian folk song , “sari siroon yar” will be heard for the first time in the film .
delicatessen is gorgeously shot and so well imagined with terrific sets , atmosphere and world building , but it ' s a shame that the execution of its admittedly great premise is so weak with unappealing humor , forgettable characters and too much weirdness in its approach .
there are no characters to care about or remember afterward - - just a lot of flashy technique involving decor , some glib allegorical flourishes , and the obligatory studied film - school weirdness .
delicatessen at the art of the title sequence – see the excellent opening credit sequence , where the camera pans over a pile of junk on which the names of the crew are written ( the cinematographer’s name appears on a discarded camera , the composer’s name on a broken record ) .
while delicatessen is dark and very adult , you can’t help but feel that it’s a child’s nightmare , and the story is told from that perspective . the characters are broadly drawn , larger than life , and over the top . how the characters look and act play a more important role…
it ' s still different than film . it ' s not like film , but i take a really special pleasure in shooting with it , mainly because of the format . with 6k and big pixels , it ' s not compressed at all . it ' s very nice and sharp . it ' s got a smoothness at the center . it has a very nice touch in the skin tones . it ' s a new step into a better world of making quality images . when you shoot in the dark , you just push the sensor and it still beautiful . it doesn ' t have any of the low - light harshness of other cameras . it ' s not jumpy—you know , that jumpy effect on the image . shooting on the alexa 65 , i treat it almost like film . i expose it like film .
delicatessen has many qualities ; it ' s not only one of the most stylish and inventive movies ever made , but it ' s also a wickedly funny exercise in melding many tones and genres like sci - fi , horror and humor creating an unforgettable coalescence of stuff that dreams and nightmares are made of .
no film school spoke with khondji prior to okja ' s netflix release to discuss the merits of that camera , what to look for in a location scout , the importance of developing a strong visual concept , and more .
you must be completely devoid of all brain cells . anyone with the intelligence quotiant of an ichthyoid would see delicatessen as a great movie . you have obviously completely missed what the movie about . anyone who would call this movie bad is a certified moron . spare us all and shut the hell up from now on .
bared maronian is a four time regional emmy award winning documentary filmmaker with a ba in political science . he has worked on local , regional and national productions for public broadcasting nationwide and satellite distribution such as direct tv and dish network . his latest work , orphans of the genocide has reached over 50 . 6 million households by way of television broadcasting in the states and is translated into six languages including french , spanish , portuguese , armenian , romanian and soon greek . in 2004 the film won the audience choice award at the canadian pomegranate film festival in toronto and the irvine international film festival in california . orphans of the genocide is twice nominated for regional emmys under the category of best historical documentary .
khondji ' s newest film is bong ' s okja , a netflix original that premieres on the streaming platform today . it spans the remote wilderness of south korea , evoking hayao miyazaki , and then travels to the cold urbanism of seoul and , finally , new york city . okja , about a little girl trying to save her genetically - modified pet pig from becoming dinner , sees khondji perform some dexterous visual feats , such as a car chase that ends in a crowded underground mall . though khondji is a diehard film enthusiast—prior to okja , he ' d shot only one feature film digitally—netflix asked that khondji relinquish the celluloid . so the cinematographer picked up the only digital camera he will touch : the alexa 65 .
— film directors frequently choose to work with the same actor or actress across several projects . such collaborations may span years or even decades . the following list has been alphabetized by the director s last name . a * jim abrahams / lloyd… …
a sardonic satire on what happens when the dog - eat - dog world becomes a human - eat - human world instead , delicatessen is a film best left to older teens and adults . the movie comes across like a tim burton fantasy aimed squarely at grownups . there ' s a playfulness and whimsy to all the grotesqueries , but it seems geared more to adult attention spans and intellects , as the loose - jointed plot often turns to people doing ( or being ) puzzling things , like a weird old man in the building ' s flooded basement reigning over colonies of frogs and snails , or a last - minute revelation that a motiveless murder plot had been afoot all along amidst two minor characters . there are few easy answers - - and the ending leaves things a bit up in the air , in more ways than one . but the film casts a weird spell that is not soon forgotten .
voted one of the ten best films of all time , renoir’s classic is rich in themes , complex in its handling of form . is this a war film ? or an analysis of class ? or a love story ? what do we learn about the human condition ?
( 1995 ) was refused , because
the city
was too expensive for the , at the time , unknown directors to assume . for that reason , delicatessen ' s budget was cut very tight , with a very restricted set , many friends and family of both directors appearing in the cast , and most props being actually old scavenged stuff - again , to cut costs .
one of the most stylish and influential thrillers” , “an international classic” . in what ways is diva reflective of the new look cinema ? how much does the film adhere to traditions of french cinema , how much is original ? what is the contribution of the musical score ?
despite its dip into black comedy via the futile suicide attempts and the cannibalism subtext , delicatessen ‘s comedy is surprisingly light and clownish , owing a great debt to the physicality of silent comedians and jacques tati . punchlines are few and far between ; instead , the film delights in creating clever and elaborate visual gags . the most famous of these is the two minute bravura sequence where the squeaking bed springs as the butcher pleasures himself on top of his mistress set the tempo for the entire house’s activity : a bicycle pump , cello practice , beating a dusty rug and painting the ceiling all magically synchronize to the beat of copulation , and all end with a separate climax .
a graduate of the university of southern california film program , albert began his career as a producer on several independent feature films before moving into cinematography . after shooting a number of narrative projects , including a piece by director mike figgis ( leaving las vegas ) for the acclaimed shorts collection
dilapidated french boarding house filled with insane tenants , most pleasantly eccentric , some downright creepy . you peer inside each room and find something unique and discomfiting . the film is filled with bizarre characters and absurd comic interludes , set in a decaying near - future universe that is artificially “off . ”
hip hop cafe is set in a new york style delicatessen in east london . it’s an ensemble slice of life that intercuts between three separate character groups at different tables . there’s jack and his ex jenny , who he’s clearly cheated on and is trying to win back . there’s marge and bonita , two elderly ladies who become increasingly drunk and attracted to the young waiter , and hove the eternally grumpy owner and his staff .
the filmmaking team of jean pierre jeunet and marc caro is a marriage of gilliam , burton , and lynch . together they created two of my favourite films , delicatessen and city of lost children . while i like most of jeunet’s later work , it doesn’t quite have the sensuous look and feel of these two films . if i were to draw a comparison , it would be like burton and lynch teamed up to make brazil .
at the time of release some reputable american critics reported that the film was either co - produced or “presented by” terry gilliam , although gilliam’s name doesn’t appear anywhere in the credits . it seems likely the monty python alum , whose early films are tonally similar to jeunet and caro , played some part the american distribution .
the original american trailer for the film simply presented the comic
squeaky spring
sequence in full . the sequence depicts a montage of the butcher - landlord making love to his mistress on a noisy bed , while the rest of the building ' s tenants perform activities ( painting ceilings , knitting , playing the cello , assembling animal calls ) at an increasing pace , with the squeaks from the bedsprings dictating the tempo . the trailer ended with the butcher climaxing , each tenant ' s activity ending ( rather violently ) and then a sudden cut to the title logo and the ' swinging pig ' emblem from the film ' s opening credits .
maronian’s current work is women of 1915 , a documentary film about the plight of the armenian women during the genocide scheduled to screen at the annual arpa international film festival in november 2016 . women of 1915 , is the first documentary ever to unveil the role of the armenian women of the era who lived through the horrors of the first genocide of the 20th century . the documentary highlights the integral role the armenian women played in their respective communities and the heroic , humanitarian women advocates who came to their aid from around the world , and some who even died at war - ravaged ottoman empire to empower the armenian women as pillars of war - torn , post - genocide societies . maronian’s women of 1915 follows his highly acclaimed documentary , orphans of the genocide , on the plight of the armenian genocide orphans , selected by the hong kong world international film festival , and nationally distributed by the national educational telecommunications association to over 250 tv stations across the u . s .
the film ' s original french title was ' ' le fabuleux destin d ' amélie poulain , ' ' and mr . jeunet deflates the self - mocking pomposity of the title by the last third of the movie . yet there is no denying that ' ' amélie ' ' is , to paraphrase its title , fabulous .
will jack win jenny back ? will the drunken marge get lucky with the waiter ? will hove ever smile ? the unique and original thing about hip hop cafe as a film , is that all of these slice of life moments are told with the characters speaking the lyrics of golden age hip hop tracks as the dialogue .
what gives darius khondji the ability to move fluidly between genres and collaborate with directors as distinctive as woody allen , david fincher , michael haneke , jean - pierre jeunet , and now bong joon - ho ? if you ask him , it ' s one quality : the ability to listen . delicatessen required khondji to create a gritty , absurdist world ; midnight in paris boasted a fantastical world , ever - expanding according to the outer limits of the imagination ; and the stark visuals of amour outlined a world collapsing in on itself in the final days of life . to create these varied aesthetics , khondji listened to his directors describe scenes in their films . embedded within these descriptions were the hidden keys to the film ' s cinematography , dictating everything from lighting setups to camera movement .
directed by jean - pierre jeunet ; written ( in french , with english subtitles ) by guillaume laurant and mr . jeunet ; director of photography , bruno delbonnel ; edited by hervé schneid ; music by yann tiersen ; produced by claudie ossard ; released by miramax zoë . running time : 120 minutes . this film is rated r .
delicatessen begins in a dilapidated apartment building in post - apocalyptic france . food is in short supply , with grain used as currency . in the ground floor of the apartment building is a butcher ' s shop , run by the landlord , clapet ( jean - claude dreyfus ) , who posts job opportunities in the hard times paper as means to lure victims to the building , whom he murders and butchers as a cheap source of meat that he sells to his tenants .
this movie is one of the best ever made . . . even if this is a bad movies site , it ' s still good that it is recognized . it ' s brought to you by the same folks that made
city of lost children ,
another bizarre film . pretty damn sweet . the troglodytes are my heroes .
making his major mark on international audiences , pinon’s roles in jean - pierre jeunet’s amélie and delicatessen , playing the characters of joseph and louison , remain his most moving , and allowed for multiple generations and a worldwide audience to fall in love with his multi - layered acts and his presentation of the characters’ many intricacies . breaching over to american cinema with his key role in alien : resurrection , also directed by jeunet , pinon has continued to crossover to multiple genres and marketplaces throughout his career .
the film was received well critically . the review aggregator rotten tomatoes gave it 88 % from a total of 41 reviews , and that of metacritic gave it 66 out of 100 out of a total of 17 reviews . variety called it
a zany little film that ' s a startling and clever debut
, while empire called it
[ a ] fair bet for cultdom , a lot more likeable than its subject matter suggests , and simply essential viewing for vegetarians
. not all reviews were positive , however , with the new york times saying
its last half - hour is devoted chiefly to letting the characters wreck the sets , and quite literally becomes a washout when the bathtub overflows .
( wikipedia )
shot in oppressive orangey tones and sometimes taking unexpectedly grisly turns ,
delicatessen
works best when simply allowing its characters to express their strangeness . the material ' s fun - house atmosphere is most effectively captured in simple interludes , like julie ' s rehearsed but bungled attempt to serve tea to louison or mrs . interligator ' s unsuccessful stab at doing herself in using a lamp , a sewing machine and a length of red satin . it ' s worthwhile finding out how this is supposed to work , and why it doesn ' t .
jeunet , one of three co - writers on the film , says that the idea for the story came to him because he used to rent a room above a butcher’s shop and would be awoken by the sound of the butcher sharpening his cleaver every morning . his fiancee would joke that the landlord was killing his tenants for meat in order to convince him to move to a new apartment .
caro not only refused to participate a director’s commentary , saying that he didn’t believe in them , but also requested that footage of him not be used in the behind - the - scenes segments on the dvd . in his commentary , jeunet implies that caro is too self - critical , dryly suggesting caro thought the film a failure because a barely visible garden hose was unintentionally left in one shot .
from the director of amelie ( jean - pierre jeunet ) comes a post - apocalyptic comedy that ' s both bitingly hilarious and absolutely one - of - a - kind . when meat becomes so rare that it is used as currency , residents living above a delicatessen must depend on a menacingly strange butcher ( jean - claude dreyfus ) for their supply . but when a new tenant ( dominique pinon ) arrives and takes a job as the building ' s handyman , he unknowingly steps into the butcher ' s trap . . . to serve him as the next meal !
just how does one even begin to review this film ! i ' ve been pondering that question for the past hour and for some strange reason director wes anderson comes to mind so i ' ll run with that ! what does wes anderson and the directing duo of marc caro and jean - pierre jeunet have in common . . the trio place heavy emphasis on creating fantastical worlds where scrumptiously delicious visuals and quirkiness reign !
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we talked about manga . you know , i ' m really not a manga reader , but i liked that bong referenced it . we talked about the characters , the story , and what was important in the film—the presence and the nature around the main character , mija . then , we wanted a strong contrast with the city scenes . he wanted to feel , visually , the moment they go in the city with all this coldness and aggressiveness .
darius khondji : it ' s a fun movie , right , to watch ? yeah , a lot of heart . exactly . that ' s why i really loved this project . when bong joon - ho asked me to shoot the film and then later sent me the script , i was very moved by the story , just like you . it had all this heart , this feeling of real love and friendship . and it ' s actually a very modern story .
in delicatessen , jeunet and caro work hard to create a hermetically sealed artistic universe . like the convenient city services that function when the story needs them , reality world only intrudes into their fantasy universe out of necessity . the natural world is absent from these dreary interiors , except when the directors transform it to suit their own needs : the smoky yellow sky , the pond in an apartment , the staircase that becomes a waterfall . but in the very last scene , an exterior rooftop shot , nature is somewhat restored ; the smog dissipates , and we see sunlight and a blue sky . after all , when was the last time you saw a movie without any blue in it ?
with over 100 film and short credits , multiple roles in french television and over 40 performances in stage theater ( garnering him the molière award for best actor ) , pinon’s ability to capture an audience and remain a pillar and reflection of french culture , especially to those outside of his home country with a curiosity for the romance that paris evokes , continue to take the viewer to a new world in which pinon plays their guide , comedic relief , representation of inner struggles and lovable oddity .
she has the innocent vitality of a silent - film star ; with her helmet of gorgeous brunet hair , she is posed to suggest louise brooks from some angles . mr . jeunet directs his protagonist so that even when she is a child ( played by flora guiet ) , each thought and impulse shines though her skin . ( ms . tautou addresses the camera as if she were looking each viewer right in the eye ; she has the cross - hairs focus of a movie star . )
in one ridiculously off - point piece of slapstick , luison and a fellow tenet bounce on a bed to pinpoint a squeaky spring , sending reverberations that signal sex throughout the building . in this way , jeunet attempts the same awkward kinkiness that made his amelie redeemably cute ; just like amelie loves to submerge her hands in raw beans , luison takes great pride in his former career as a clown with a sidekick monkey . but delicatessen , in addition to suffering from the same preening preciousness that made amelie ultimately forgettable , also overdoses on its cartoonishly oppressive surroundings—a rapist mailman , food - snatching neighbors—all too repetitive of terry gilliam’s brazil and far less meaningful . jeunet and caro stuff themselves with all their favorite obsessions and the result is both unfunny and very unappetizing .
set in a futuristic paris , this stunningly designed , blackly comic french film reveals a city in ruins , where food is in short supply and the last taboo - cannibalism - is no longer considered an issue . louison , a retired clown , takes a room and a job at a lodging house run by the local butcher , unaware that he ' s being lined up as dish of the day . when he falls in love with the butcher ' s daughter they decide to join up with the radical underground vegetarian movement - and try to escape in one piece .
following the apparent death and butchering of an old woman , the troglodistes return , and mr . clapet , with the remaining tenants of the building , storm louison ' s room in an attempt to murder him . louison , aided by julie , resists by flooding the bathroom until clapet opens the door and he and the other tenants are momentarily carried away by the ensuing flood . louison is able to narrowly avoid death as clapet inadvertently kills himself with louison ' s weapon . the film ends with louison and julie playing music together on the roof of the now peaceful apartment building .
the film ' s pacing is athletic , though the pulse of the narrative is gradually slowed . by the climax , the movie segues into a rumination on loss and the perils of being too playful . when dufayel straightens amélie out , we see it in a monologue on videotape . here mr . jeunet uses video as a device to demonstrate how amélie has kept the world at arm ' s length , but the scene evokes ' ' krapp ' s last tape ' ' ; in close - up , dufayel resembles samuel beckett . by this point , the director brakes the action so that thought , and possibly regret , can filter through .
the story is centered on a microcosm of a post - apocalyptic society where food is so rare it ' s invaluable and is used as currency . the story centers on an apartment building with a delicatessen on the ground floor . the owner of the eatery also owns the apartment building and he is in need of a new maintenance man since the original
mysteriously
disappeared . a former clown applies for the job and the butcher ' s intent is to have him work for a little while and then serve him to quirky tenants who pay the butcher in , of course , grain . the clown and butcher ' s daughter fall in love and she tries to foil her father ' s plans by contacting the
troglodytes
, a grain eating sub - group of society who live entirely underground . the
trogs
are possibly the most sensible of the lot , as they see food as food and not money .
jean - pierre jeunet and marc caro made their feature debut with this gloriously surreal comedy . rarely can a film have had so many disparate influences . in addition to the visual inspiration of french comic books and the eccentricity of heath robinson , there are references to the poetic realism of marcel carné and rené clair , as well as the darker visions of david lynch and terry gilliam . the gallery of grotesques gathered at butcher jean - claude dreyfus ' s tenement participates in some of the funniest set pieces of recent years , most notably the deliriously unerotic sex scene and sylvie laguna ' s preposterous suicide attempts . bizarre , brilliant , but wayward in its dénouement .
the story is centered on a microcosm of a post - apocalyptic society where food is so rare it ' s invaluable and is used as currency . the story centers on an apartment building with a delicatessen on the ground floor . the owner of the eatery also owns the apartment building and he is in need of a new maintenance man since the original
mysteriously
disappeared . a former clown applies for the job and the butcher ' s intent is to have him work for a little while and then serve him to quirky tenants who pay the butcher in , of course , grain . the clown and butcher ' s daughter fall in love and she tries to foil her father ' s plans by contacting the
troglodytes
, a grain eating sub - group of society who live entirely underground . the
trogs
are possibly the most sensible of the lot , as they see food as food and not money . written by anonymous
then there is aurore , a schizophrenic tenant tortured by the voices she hears , who invents bizarre schemes to off herself that would seem needlessly indirect and elaborate to wile e . coyote . her first attempt involves a bathtub , a lamp , a bolt of cloth , a sewing machine , and a doorbell ; after this fails , she tries to cover her bases by setting a trap for herself that utilizes a gun , a molotov cocktail , a lighted stove , a bottle of pills and a noose . jeunet loves to create such rube goldbergesque devices and schemes , and his penchant for roundabout mechanics would again manifest itself in the duo’s followup film , the city of lost children .
the near future : taking a job and a bedsit at a shabby rooming - house above a butcher ' s shop , ex - clown louison ( pinon ) falls for the butcher ' s daughter . but her father , unhappy about the blossoming romance , deals in human flesh : will louison fall victim , or will the troglodistes , an underground group of vegetarian fanatics , come to his rescue ? on to this slim story , writer - directors jeunet and caro pile a wealth of delicious comic detail . each grotesquely larger - than - life inhabitant of the scrofulous tenement has his own little story ; visually , the film evokes gilliam , lynch , the coens and carné , but the allusions never get in the way of the nightmarish humour . the sets , special effects , photography , pace and performances all contribute to the brash comic - strip vivacity , and even the fairytale romance avoids sentimentality . increasingly inventive as it progresses , jeunet and caro ' s fast , funny feature debut entertains from sinister start to frantic finish .
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75 % or higher after a set amount of reviews ( 80 for wide - release movies , 40 for limited - release movies , 20 for tv shows ) , including 5 reviews from top critics .
all of this is handled in a breezy , off - handed , nutsy manner , as the superb cast combines to help bring it off .
with their detached , sardonic and decidedly sick slant , jeunet and caro have served up a burnt - to - a - crisp feast .
if we take the idea of a romantic comedy set in the ruins of a dead society and dressed up with cannibal horror seriously at all , it ' s hard to see how it could turn out better than this .
the movie , take it from me , is a lot more fun to sit through than to describe in a single sentence .
what will filmmakers jeunet and caro serve for dessert in their next movie ? something equally daring , one hopes - - but more thoroughly cooked and a bit easier to swallow .
this is exactly like brazil . that is to say , the movies look really really similar , in thier cluttered sets , quirky characters and post - apocalyptic yet casual world . i liked it as much as i liked brazil . it was fun , kinda cool , but not really my cup of tea . it kind of bothered me the way it couldn ' t quite pick what genre it was supposed to be . i think it wanted to be a comedy .
nobody is entirely evil : it ' s that circumstances that make them evil , or they don ' t know they are doing evil .
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post - apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants .
check out highlights from some of the best recent trailers including mandy , the predator , zoe , and the king of thieves .
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a scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams , hoping that they slow his aging process .
a man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers .
tells the story of a young woman ' s relentless search for her fiancé , who has disappeared from the trenches of the somme during world war one .
amélie is an innocent and naive girl in paris with her own sense of justice . she decides to help those around her and , along the way , discovers love .
when julie welcomes louison in her room and we see her following him to the table she has no socks , when she brings him later into his room after he has fallen asleep she has socks .
in the opening credits , crew members ' names appear on objects that the camera tracks across : the director of photography ' s name appears on a camera , the composer ' s name on a broken 12
record , etc .
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into this establishment comes louison ( dominique pinon ) , a former circus clown who would be the most eccentric person in the place if the competition were not so stiff . also on hand are the shy , very correct julie ( marie - laure dougnac ) , who plays the cello to accompany louison on the musical saw ; mrs . interligator ( sylvie laguna ) , who is urged by inner voices to attempt suicide in extremely creative ways ; the kube brothers ( jacques mathou and rufus ) , who intently manufacture little cannisters that make mooing sounds , and an assortment of fellow oddballs .
among the things that deserve mention in this lightweight but sometimes subversively stylish farce are its ingenious credit sequence , its lively editing by herve schneid , its use of code names like artichoke heart and cordon bleu in the guerrilla war that rages underground and its reference to a couple of odd inventions . one is a magical combination of boomerang and pocketknife , and it can work wonders . the other is a very specific sort of lie detector , and no home should be without one .
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somewhere in the mist - shrouded future of france , louison ( pinon ) , a grieving ex - clown takes a job as janitor in a crumbling apartment block . unbeknown to him , this job has a history and previous incumbents have ended up on the neighbour ' s dinner table via the butcher ' s block . when louison innocently falls for the butcher ' s myopic daughter , the knife is held back to spare her feelings . but as bellies begin to rumble , will love be enough to keep louison out of le charcuterie ?
the directors are constantly playing curveball with the audience ' s expectations and nothing can prepare you for the sheer weirdness of it all . every so often , the plot stops to watch a scene spiral off at a tangent , such as a rhythm of creaking beds rippling out through the hotel , or two boys spying on a old man breeding escargots in his flooded apartment .
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air vent passageway : the troglodistes use suction cups to climb up the ducts of the apartment , running into some problems as they do so .
antenna adjusting : the tv sets in the apartment rarely get a good signal . when clapet enacts his plan to kill louison , he violently shakes the rooftop antenna so that he will come to the roof to fix it . when the antenna gets used as an improvised weapon and the two wrestle with it , it ' s played for laughs when madame tapioca shouts up directions at them about how to adjust it .
aren ' t you going to ravish me ? : when mademoiselle plusse is accidentally kidnapped by the troglodistes instead of louison , she initially resists because she ' s expecting them to rape her . however , they all suddenly leave to raid the apartment while leaving her tied up below ground , causing her to become outraged that they ' re just going to forget about her .
attempted rape : postman tries to force himself on julie , but louison manages to stop him .
bittersweet ending : clapet ' s reign of terror may be over , but there ' s a finite supply of corn and it won ' t hold out forever . however , the yellow gas is less oppressive in the final scene .
: aurore ' s suicide plans are repeatedly ruined at the last second by some random event .
except for the last one , and its success didn ' t even have anything to do with her .
the butcher : clapet ' s occupation . he ' s called le boucher , and he butchers people .
credits brand products : the original opening credits using household items to display cast and crew names .
: aurore hears voices constantly telling her to kill herself , which drives her to construct ever more complicated ways of doing it , all of which fail . her final method involves her swallowing pills while facing a gun set to go off , while she stands with her neck in a noose , with the gas on and a lit molotov cocktail just under her stool .
louison and julie lock themselves in a bathroom , waterproof the room with their clothes , and then break open the pipes . it ' s a trap for clapet and the tennants who are trying to break in , but they will drown inside if the door isn ' t opened in time
: aurore constructs a rather elaborate way of doing this to commit suicide , lying in the bathtub and attaching the motor of a sewing machine to the doorbell , so that when someone rings the bell the sewing machine pulls a piece of cloth down , with a lamp balanced on the end of it so the lamp is pulled closer to the tub .
: aurore ' s final suicide attempt , in which multiple redundant methods cancel each other out .
to add insult to injury , she and her husband subsequently blow themselves up completely by accident .
even evil has loved ones : clapet loves his daughter and tries the best to make her happy , despite she is greatly against his methods of feeding the tenants .
everything ' s better with monkeys : was better , before dr . livingstone got eaten .
the glasses gotta go : played with . julie takes her glasses off when she first invites louison to her room for tea . without them she can ' t see a thing and ends up overfilling their teacups and breaking a vase . she eventually ditches them for contact lenses . god knows how she got her hands on those .
i ' m a humanitarian : humanitarianism seems to have had an unexpected surge in popularity after the end .
after getting the australian lodged in his forehead when he attempted to throw it at louison , clapet staggers for a couple minutes—bewildered but not obviously in pain—asking those present if he has something stuck in his head .
meganekko : julie , who worries that her glasses make her unattractive even though she ' s as blind as a bat without them .
non - ironic clown : louison ' s previous job , which he quit when his chimpanzee partner dr . livingstone was eaten .
panty thief : the two boys steal mademoiselle plusse ' s panties from the clothes line using a fishing hook , much to her consternation .