what 's in a name ? ( original title : le prénom , literally " the given name " ) is a french-belgian comedy film , written and directed by alexandre de la patellière and matthieu delaporte and released in 2012 .

it is adapted from the play le prénom by the same authors .

the film was a box office success in france , selling 3,340,231 tickets .

what ' s in a name ? ( film )

following a complaint by the karnataka film chamber of commerce , the registrar of societies on friday asked the new chamber to go back to its original name , the karnataka dubbing film chamber of commerce , saying the name kannada film chamber of commerce , was deceptively similar to the older one’s name .
an unborn ' s unlikely moniker is the simple but effective motor of
what ' s in a name ?
a french comedy adapted from a play by matthieu delaporte and alexandre de la patelliere .
oscar night may come down to not only what name is read from the night ' s final envelope , but also how the winning film is said . should either name be called , writer - director alejandro gonzalez inarritu isn ' t quibbling .
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attend the movie premiere of the sag aftra , feature length film by elva nelsonhayes . following the
what ' s in a name ?
premiere , meet and greet the cast and crew at the v . i . p . after party at liege downtown oakland .
vincent is about to become a father . at a meeting with childhood friends he announces the name for his future son . the scandalous name ignites a discussion which surfaces unpleasant matters from the past of the group .
the scrutiny of baby names eventually leads to guests’ mocking deconstructions of one another’s facial expressions and vocal inflections . in their intensity , the actors’ incisive , impeccably coordinated performances are pitched slightly above normal conversation but not so much that “what’s in a name ? ” shatters credibility .
about the older one objecting to his organisation’s name , “we wanted to use the word ‘kannada’ in our name . but the so - called pro - kannada fighter sa ra govindu , president of of the older chamber , is opposed to it . should we have named our organisation tamil film chamber or urdu film chamber ? ” gowda questioned .
a brand is not what it says . it is what it conveys . communication is a pretty complex in reality . as one of the best advertising agencies , it ' s imperative for us to understand the personality , positioning & tone of a brand . . .
even before the national film award winners could get their share of the limelight , a cat fight between two film chambers came to the forefront on friday .
an unborn’s unlikely moniker is the simple but effective motor of “what’s in a name ? ” a french comedy adapted from a play by matthieu delaporte and alexandre de la patelliere . starring most of the original cast and directed by its playwrights , pic is the latest in a long line of gallic stage - to - screen successes that essentially [ … ]
“what’s in a name ? ” was directed by matthieu delaporte and alexandre de la patellière , who adapted the screenplay from their original hit play . except for mr . berling , the same actors play the roles they originated on the stage .
however , their delight was shortlived , as the older of the two chambers , karnataka film chamber of commerce , managed to get its name change cancelled .
we ' re about to launch our brand new film production company . we ' ve made a short film , ' the birthday gift ' - which has won awards at international film festivals , and can be viewed here - and are about to start pre - production on our debut feature film .
the registration of a film title costs rs 2 , 000 in the older one , but in the new chamber it is rs 500 .
we ' d like the name to have ' films ' at the end , rather than ' productions ' or ' pictures ' etc . it would obviously have to not clash with an existing name , which is easily googleable , and can be company name - checked here
the well - lubricated dinner party that goes haywire has been a standard platform for nasty domestic comedy ever since the days of georges feydeau . in “what’s in a name ? , ” an uproarious french farce , the catalyst for the flinging of mud isn’t booze but a practical joke that is carried so far it rattles skeletons .
we are what’s in a name ( win ) - south india ' s leading advertising & digital marketing company . we’re a team that’s been working hard on creating internationally acclaimed award - winning communication , since 2010 . our objective is to bring about a positive change in the way brands communicate with their audiences ; thereby helping businesses win customers . and that’s precisely why we make sure we adapt to every channel of communication - online & offline ; without diluting the core positioning of the brand . that ' s what makes us the preferred brand partner of many .
ideally , the name should reflect one , or both of these themes . or , failing that , just be a really snappy , imaginative , witty , catchy name that might not mean much but feels right !
namesake is a video production house owned by what’s in a name creatives . we , at namesake , began our journey in 2011 . our purpose is to bring to life a vision that revolves around the art of storytelling . our repertoire of work includes corporate films , brand videos , animation , tv ads , social films , video logs , and more .
( originally called the karnataka dubbed film chamber of commerce ) a breakaway body of the karnataka film chamber of commerce , claimed that two films that won the awards had registered through them .
simply called “le prenom , ” or “the given name , ” in french , the film starts with a credits sequence that identifies crew members by their first names only ( it’s produced by “dimitri and jerome” ) , followed by a quick montage sequence that introduces the protags by listing their respective idiosyncrasies .
the karnataka film chamber of commerce was fined by the competition commission of india for preventing dubbed films in kannada a few years ago .
here ' s everything you need to know about the thunder god ' s newest adventures in midgard and beyond in thor : ragnarok .
waititi shot a facebook live at the end of shooting , which revealed that miek – an ally of hulk ' s from that same storyline – will appear in the film .
bafta’s destination for youngsters to come and discover the magical worlds of film , television and games . enter challenges , watch videos , and take part in our annual vote to decide the best film , tv show and game of the year .
a glimpse thor holding a card on set that bears the address of doctor strange ' s greenwich village base – the sanctum santorum – led to speculation that after thor ' s cameo in his debut marvel film , benedict cumberbatch ' s sorcerer supreme would return the favour . strange ' s appearance in thor : ragnarok has been very much confirmed . he ' s there to help find the missing odin ( more on him in a bit ) .
whether you ' re a classic movie buff or a blockbuster film fanatic , the yearly academy awards is likely to be a big deal for you and your friends .
cinematographer david ungaro ( coco chanel & igor stravinsky ) does his best with such a limited setting , while the theatrical staging makes one long for a live performance instead of what’s essentially a slickly crafted piece of filmed theatre .
only thing is - we can ' t seem to come up with a name for the company ! this is hopefully where one of you comes in . we ' re offering £100 to someone if they can come up with a name that we like - and the kudos of naming a future oscar - winning company , obviously ; )
the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences recognizes the film ' s full title in all its colorful plumage , even if most multiplex marquees don ' t . the film ' s distributor , fox searchlight , has regularly fostered the natural shorthand while still honoring the artistic intentions of its filmmaker .
things tip over into craziness when vincent reveals the first name he and anna have chosen for their firstborn . the revelation sets in motion a cascade of rapid - fire reactions and counterarguments that are not only hilarious and snappily delivered , but also constitute a remarkably intelligent exploration of the value and importance ( or lack thereof ) of a particular name .
in 1960s paris , a conservative couple ' s lives are turned upside down by two spanish maids .
in the film , slick real estate agent vincent ( french cinema superstar patrick bruel ) is about to become a father . at a meeting with family and childhood friends he announces the name of his future son , but the scandalous moniker ignites a discussion that brings the group ' s past bubbling to the surface - with hilarious , dramatic , and altogether unbelievable results .
a box - office sensation in france , this laugh - out - loud comedy focuses on a small family dinner that goes horribly wrong . when the soon - to - be father vincent announces to his siblings the name of his future son , a passionate argument erupts and snowballs out of control . can deep - seated sibling rivalries , social anxieties and prejudices be triggered just by a name ? if it’s adolph , yes .
although the gang seems to hang out often , this particular soiree is the occasion for vincent to announce the name of his upcoming baby to his sister and friends . without giving it away – let’s just say that it wouldn’t make elisabeth’s jewish mother , francoise ( francois fabian ) , very proud – the name provokes an uproar among the group , and by the time vincent’s pregnant gal , anna ( judith el zein ) shows up , everyone’s panties are in a bundle .
waititi has said his film will be a mere 90 minutes long , making it the shortest mcu instalment yet by far .
an unborn’s unlikely moniker is the simple but effective motor of “what’s in a name ? ” a french comedy adapted from a play by matthieu delaporte and alexandre de la patelliere . starring most of the original cast and directed by its playwrights , pic is the latest in a long line of gallic stage - to - screen successes that essentially provide wider access to the material while never quite adding a cinematic edge . despite a less potent second half , whammo local b . o . ( it’s sold more tix at home than “the avengers” ) should spike offshore interest for theatrical and possibly remake rights .
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 .
after a gap of 50 years , films from other languages were dubbed into kannada , which is a red herring for the karnataka film chamber of commerce .
in 2003 , stephen fry released bright young things , [ 1 ] a film adaptation of evelyn waugh’s vile bodies . [ 2 ] despite changing the title and moving the action from the 1920s to the ’30s , fry’s film is generally faithful to the tone and plot of waugh’s 1930 novel . the bright young things race between parties in a haze of champagne , desperate to outpace the boredom that always seems just about to overtake them . as war approaches and minor characters mysteriously fall away , the hero and heroine’s protracted romance ends in disappointment . throughout , the tone is almost perversely flippant ; the novel’s arch narrator and the film’s glittering , fast - paced camera - work prevent the melancholy undertones from ever entirely taking over .
but by any name ,
birdman
has resounded with critics and moviegoers . after taking the top honors from the acting and producing guilds , the film is seen as the most likely best - picture winner , just ahead of richard linklater ' s
boyhood .
new zealand ' s eagle vs shark and what we do in the shadows director taika waititi has taken over instead . he claims not to have had a plan to start with ( which we don ' t entirely believe ) .
the oscar statuette ' s official name is the
academy award of merit .
the name
oscar
is actually a nickname that has been around for decades with unclear beginnings . though there are several different stories that claim to tell the origin of the nickname
oscar ,
the most common attributes the nickname to a comment made by margaret herrick .
comic - con also screened a mockumentary showing what thor was up to during civil war , taking full advantage of waititi ' s skills , although it ' s not online yet . we did however get a look at the amazing new , ' 80s - tastic logo .
the film is set around the time of captain america : civil war and spider - man homecoming .
see what thor was up to during # captainamericacivilwar . get this and more on digital hd 9 / 2 . urltoken urltoken
while it takes nearly rs 1 . 3 lakh for a new producer to become a member and register himself in the karnataka film chamber of commerce , the breakaway one claimed that the old body is fleecing film makers and the same process can be done through it for less than rs 10 , 000 .
the film will see the return of hela ( we don ' t know where she ' s been yet ) , who promptly destroys thor ' s hammer . the thunder god is banished to the planet sakaar and forced to fight in the grandmaster ' s arena , while hela makes a bid to conquer asgard .
to become member of karnataka film chamber of commerce , it is not the case with the breakaway one .
a bunch of forty - something buddies find their dinner date transformed into a dinner disaster in what’s in a name ? ( le prenom ) , an amusing and well - acted french farce in the pure tradition of boulevard classics le diner de cons and le pere noel est une ordure . adapting their highly successful stage version to the screen with keen comic - timing but much less cinematic panache , mathieu delaporte and alexandre de la patelliere offer up a lively take on love , friendship and baby - naming that should titillate francophone audiences and upscale offshore distributors .
the film ' s title refers to the first main point of discussion . vincent is soon to be a father , and he tells his friends the name he and his partner have decided on for their son . his choice is so controversial it causes a heated and vitriolic argument . it is however , only one of a series of discussions , and with each one the stakes get higher .
john ashton agreed , lamenting that “none of this would matter if fry had stuck with waugh’s original story . ” he goes on to complain of the film’s use of “broad” caricature , a device which prevents us from “engaging emotionally” with the characters and which “jars somewhat with the rather more naturalistic style of the rest of the film . ” [ 5 ]
eight tourists who met in a holiday camp on the ivory coast are reunited for a skiing holiday .
perhaps more revealing , however , are the similarities between reviews of the film and critical responses to the novel . although widely praised for its fast - paced frivolity and witty dialogue , other aspects of the film received a lukewarm , somewhat confused reception . in expressing their reservations about fry’s film , reviewers frequently pointed to the very things which have bothered literary critics for decades . in particular , the apocalyptic ending and the improbability of much of the action prompted several critics to declare the film a failed romantic comedy . writing in the guardian , peter bradshaw found the war - torn ending lacking in “satire and darkness” and therefore unconvincing . “there is no real hangover here , ” he complained , “just a cocktail that is more virgin mary than bloody mary . ” [ 3 ] others attributed the ending to meddling on fry’s part : “ [ the film ] amounts to a succession of silly but enjoyable vignettes , ” neil young asserted ,
whatever happens in this film , hemsworth , thompson and ruffalo have been spotted on location for infinity war , so will probably be back together soon .
has been that rare foreign language film which has actually been a big success outside its native country . while the french have understandably lapped it up , it has also been a big money spinner in italy , germany and spain , to name a few euro countries . it ' s not hard to see why , its clever dialogue rips along , the characters are well etched and there are plenty of interesting dynamics between the five of them .
no one cares what prince or king thor may have been in another world . also , his strength is pretty easily matched with those he finds himself amongst .
yes , the temptation for the ego is great ,
he says , adding he ' s been happily removed from much of it , working on
the revenant .
' ' i haven ' t really been able to read those things , and that ' s mostly kept my ego very good . i ' m very happy what ' s happened with the film , but in a way , i haven ' t been looking at my own belly .
we ' re sure he ' ll join with us in trying to forget his acting role in 2011 ' s green lantern .
in a strange turn of events , charlie chaplin ' s movie limelight , which was produced in 1952 , won an academy award in 1972—20 years after its first release . according to the academy ' s rules at the time , a movie could not be considered for an academy award until it had played in los angeles . when limelight finally played at a theater in los angeles in 1972 , it became eligible for an award .
we get a delicious new look at tom hiddleston ' s loki as well as thor ' s
friend from work
, hulk .
anthony hopkins ' s odin – who had been replaced by loki in the dark world – is coming back . he ' s been spotted on set in full hobo mode – leading us to suspect that he might have been wandering amnesiac on earth since loki got to him . and idris elba ' s heimdall is also returning , with marvel apparently overlooking elba ' s comments about shooting the last film .
that 1991 film , you ' ll be shocked to learn , didn ' t make it to the academy awards .
a huge hit in france , the film ' s verbal thrust - and - parry is so fast you do spend too much time reading the flashing of subtitles than looking at the gesticulations and exaggerated expressions of the players . bring on the americanisation , please .
once you ' ve got your breath back you can also check out director taika waititi ' s san diego comic - con mockumentary revealing what thor has been up to while the civil war was going on .
such allusions to the 2001 favourite , however turn out to be deceiving . once this exhausting intro is over the movie settles down into what is essentially a filmed stage play . set entirely in one apartment , five friends argue , spill secrets and generally push each other ' s buttons .
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uk jewish film is dedicated to developing an environment in which jewish film entertains , educates and enlightens diverse audiences in the uk and internationally . throughout the year we bring the best of world cinema , provide support and training to new and emerging filmmakers , and produce education events including exploring holocaust , genocide , racism and interfaith themes with a variety of audiences including students and young people .
it ' s not the first film title inarritu has played around with . his last movie , the much more somber drama ,
biutiful ,
was named from a scene in which javier bardem ' s uxbal instructs his daughter while she does her homework that
beautiful
is spelled
just the way it sounds .
what implications does this reading have for waugh’s work more generally ? although vile bodies has perhaps suffered the most from critical neglect , waugh’s other early novels also make more sense when read with the idea of parody in mind . several critics have described decline and fall as a parody of the bildungsroman ; curiously , however , few have looked in detail at how waugh reworks particular bildungsroman conventions , or at what such a parody might mean . the term bildungsroman is often left unexamined and undefined , while ‘parody’ is used interchangeably with ‘satire . ’ [ 93 ] like vile bodies , decline and fall would benefit from a closer study of its reworking of generic conventions . to do so would require a survey of bildungsroman conventions and a detailed analysis of their place in waugh’s novel ; unfortunately , space does not permit me to attempt such a study here .
two neurotics , working for a suicide hotline on the night of christmas eve , get caught up in a catastrophe when a pregnant woman , her abusive boyfriend , and a transvestite visit their office .
a comedy but only if you like blood sports . a screenplay that positively bristles with . . . well , bristles , it ' s as savage as who ' s afraid of virginia wolf or carnage
and the connection to infinity war could possibly mean that thanos – or at least some of the missing infinity stones – could have a part to play in the film . that link was heavily hinted at in thor ' s avengers : infinity war vision ( the one joss whedon clashed with marvel execs over ) and , incidentally , grandmaster has been in possession of one of the stones in the past . . .
and he ' s sporting a brand new look , including a shorter haircut which hemsworth says
was hugely liberating and freeing
. that sounds like quite a haircut . . .
we ' ve also heard that the cotati could show up in film . the plant - like alien race have a strong connection to pom klementieff ' s new guardians of the galaxy vol 2 character mantis , which could indicate a link between the two movies . no word on whether she might make an appearance herself yet .
though beset by all manner of fears — from a hotshot young actor ( edward norton ) to an embittered critic — riggan eventually finds peace with his raging ego , his
birdman .
the subtitle is uttered late in the film at a moment of serenity .
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adam , however , faces a far trickier opponent . instead of a conservative society governed by clear rules of courtship , he faces a timid and confused establishment unsure of its own standards . the usual foils to the hero’s marriage—the heroine’s father and the society around him—are absorbed in childish daydreams and trivial gossip . waugh frustrates his hero’s quest by filling london with inadequate father figures . men whose office might make them suitable mentors prove ineffectual and inept ; their ranks and appellations mean no more than they do at shepheard’s hotel , where honourary titles are part of the edwardian bric - a - brac , distributed at random by proprietress lottie trump . “‘you all know lord thingummy , don’t you ? ' ” she asks as she introduces adam ; “‘mr symes , ' ” he corrects her , but the point does not interest her . “‘yes , dear , that’s what i said , ' ” she continues , before introducing him to “‘your honour judge - what’s - his - name , ' ” “‘a major , ' ” “‘mr - what - do - you - call - him ' ” and “‘the king of ruritania . ' ” [ 38 ] old - fashioned formality adds a reassuring air of class to the hotel , whose guests , “arched with modernity , ” come to “draw up , cool and uncontaminated , great , healing draughts from the well of edwardian certainty . ” [ 39 ] this debasement of rank and title eventually foils adam’s pursuit of his fortune . having entrusted “the major” with his last thousand pounds , adam asks lottie where he can be found . “‘what major ? , ' ” she replies , “‘i never saw a major ' ” :
faced with this flimsy imitation of conventional comic society , adam embarks on a comic quest and fails . the final three chapters of vile bodies cleverly and pointedly reverse the conventions of this journey . in comedy , separated lovers are often reunited by a shift in one or both of their identities . the hero may discover that he is heir to a great fortune , or the son of a king , or , at the very least , not illegitimate after all . guy mannering , tom jones and the importance of being earnest all conclude with a hero rejoining society after discovering the truth about his parentage . other shifts in the hero or heroine’s identity include the removal of a disguise , as in twelfth night , or a simple stroke of good fortune . in each case , a sudden revelation ( what frye terms a “recognition scene” [ 58 ] ) removes an apparently insurmountable obstacle to the hero and heroine’s happiness .
sometimes even superheroes need makeovers ! 💇♂ # thorragnarok will see the norse god get his signature blond locks shorn . 😱 what do you think of # thor ' s new look ? 🤔 # chrishemsworth 📷 : @ jasinboland / marvel studios
the novel with which i am concerned here is not , it must be said , untitled . it has a perfectly serviceable title , one which ( as we shall see ) cleverly captures its somewhat elusive moral undertones . rather , this is a novel that has been re - titled , translated into film and given a new name . in the process , it has vexed film - reviewers as thoroughly as it once vexed literary critics ; there is something fundamentally confusing , it seems , about their common narrative . by revisiting the novel , i hope to show that much of the confusion evaporates if we read the book not as a straightforward comedy or satire , but as a parody of conventional romance . i am interested , that is , not in the process of re - titling itself , but in the critical problems and puzzles that can survive such a re - christening .
digital spy , part of the hearst uk entertainment network © 2018 hearst magazines uk is the trading name of the national magazine company ltd , 72 broadwick street , london , w1f 9ep . registered in england 112955 . all rights reserved .
since lengthy , oddly punctuated dual titles aren ' t exactly what marketers dream of ,
birdman
is how it ' s generally been promoted . but fox searchlight also presents the complete title on movie posters ( albeit with the second title in much smaller type ) and it urged critics reviewing the film to use the full title on first reference . ( inarritu acknowledges searchlight has been
very cool
about his unorthodox title . )
adam finds himself , moreover , in a typical comedic situation : he wants to marry nina , but must first secure his fortune and gain her father’s approval . although adam is a typical hero , and although he finds himself in a classic comic scenario , society thwarts his quest so effectively as to make a conventional comic ending impossible . frye’s outline of the comic plot emphasises the movement from estrangement to reconciliation :
even funnier than roman polanski ' s carnage , this smart french comedy ( also adapted from a play ) is lifted by a very sharp cast and has a dynamic direction that knows how to maintain a good pace , focusing mostly on a well - written dialogue that is so hilarious .
the only guest who seems insulated is claude ( guillaume de tonquédec ) , an unmarried trombonist and all - around nice guy who is élisabeth’s best friend . but when claude discovers that behind his back the others refer to him as “plum , ” as in “sugarplum fairy , ” he responds with a revelation that is not what you might expect .
jaimie alexander will also be returning as the warrior sif to give marvel a third chance to vaguely hint at a romance between her and hemsworth ' s odinson .
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a belge - francophobe customs officer is forced to team up with a frenchman during the elimination of the franco - belge borders in the 90s .
if i found any one of these five relatable , i wouldn ' t be wondering what to call my son , but rather inquiring into an operation that would make procreation an impossibility .
society at first opposes the hero’s marriage because its laws—as laid down by the heroine’s father—deem him an unsuitable husband . the hero triumphs when he proves them wrong by meeting traditional standards ; although an unreasonably strict father may relax somewhat by story’s end , the hero must still conform to society’s rules .
in the last ten minutes they were growing notably quieter . it was rather a nasty kind of hush…
better the full title , but honestly i understand we have to be practical ,
said inarritu of his preference in a recent interview .
it ' s more practical to say ' birdman . ' that ' s fine by me .
‘i say , nina’ , he shouted , ‘when you were young did you ever have to learn a thing out of a poetry book about “this sceptred isle , this earth of majesty , this something or other eden ? ” d’you know what i mean ? — “this happy breed of men , this little world , this precious stone set in the silver sea…this blessed plot , this earth , this real , this england…” . i forget how it goes on . something about a stubborn jew . but you know the thing i mean ? ’ ‘it comes in a play . ’ ‘no , a blue poetry book . ’ ‘i acted in it . ’ ‘well , they may have put it into a play since . it was in a blue poetry book when i learned it…well , i mean to say , don’t you feel somehow , up here in the air like this and looking down and seeing everything underneath . i mean don’t you have a sort of feeling rather like that , if you see what i mean ? ’ [ 91 ]
milind dharmasena , a new chamber member , said , “most of the new filmmakers are opting for the new chamber . we have a new generation of filmmakers . we mostly have independent film makers who are students or those who are in their 20s . with modern technology and proper planning , they can use rs 1 lakh to shoot for four days . but you are discouraging this new age film makers by asking them to pay rs 1 lakh to even start your project . ”
at your next oscars party , test everyone ' s knowledge with trivia questions on the award ceremony ' s history and fun , little - known facts .
idris elba has promised that
all the characters have a bit of a funny moment
in the movie – even his habitually po - faced heimdall .
three actors have won academy awards for playing characters that did not utter a single word throughout the entire film . jane wyman won the best actress award for her portrayal of belinda , a deaf mute , in johnny belinda ( 1948 ) . sir john mills played the mute village idiot in ryan ' s daughter ( 1970 ) , for which he won the best supporting actor award . most recently , holly hunter won the best actress award for her portrayal of the mute ada mcgrath in the piano ( 1993 ) .
waititi has hinted at the tone of the film , saying
the new logo suits the ' 70s / ' 80s sci - fi fantasy that this film is becoming
. anyone else thinking of the neverending story right now ? he has also said that he is basically ignoring the other two thor films and the rest of the mcu , which is a bold move and no mistake .
but marvel studios hasn ' t forgotten the odinson , and it ' s bringing us a third helping of hammer - twirling , asgardian - punching comic book action – this time in the form of a veritable twilight of the gods .
speaking by phone during a day off from shooting
the revenant ,
an early 1800s frontier thriller starring leonardo dicaprio , inarritu said he loved
dr . strangelove ,
but that the title of
birdman
isn ' t a direct ode to it . instead , he called the title
a wink to the audience
that suggests the playfulness of his film , a comedy about an actor in paranoid crisis .
together with the parody of romantic comedy , this undercurrent of unease prepares us for the novel’s ending . it suggests , as well , that the characters are conscious of having lost something important , although they do not know what it is . in scattered allusions to flight and transcendence , characters seem to realise that something vital is missing from their apparently comic universe . recovering from a hangover , adam contemplates his breakfast and puts it aside in disgust :
just as his protagonist is attempting a transition , inarritu was , too , in making his first comedy , one stitched together seamlessly by lengthy , flowing shots . it ' s another dimension of the movie ' s
meta - reality
to the 51 - year - old mexican director , who compares his own foolhardiness to riggan ' s .
the only academy award winner who won but was never officially nominated was hal mohr for best cinematography for a midsummer night ' s dream ( 1935 ) . mohr was the first and only person to win via a write - in vote .
the exuberance with which the film strips away its characters’ pretensions strongly resembles that of yasmina reza’s comedy “god of carnage , ” which became the much - more - inferior movie “carnage . ” the smug , preening male characters bear the brunt of the satire .
chris confirms that daryl will not appear in ragnarok . possibly in infinity war though . . . # chrishemsworth # supanova
michael keaton plays riggan thomson , a hollywood star famed for playing a feathered superhero trying to shed his public image by mounting a serious play on broadway .
in praising the surface brilliance of waugh’s comedy , these critics overlook the serious moral and aesthetic preoccupations which underpin the novel’s most playful moments . a more important flaw in robert garnet’s argument , however , concerns the relationship between fiction and reality . garnet admires waugh’s early novels for their uncensored depiction of the “energies” of life . the later novels , he complains , represent a “retreat” by waugh from “the rough data of human experience . ” [ 22 ] certainly , the early novels— vile bodies among them—describe a world of ‘variety and extremity’ in which certain characters’ ‘human vitality’ cannot be suppressed . to read them as descriptions of actual life , however , is to misread both their moral and aesthetic position . as we have seen , waugh’s own statements make clear that he doubted art’s ability to reproduce the energy and diversity of raw human experience .
and star trek ' s karl urban will be taking on the role of thor ' s long - time foe skurge , an asgardian also known as the executioner .
following marvel ' s trend for snagging some major a - listers , we ' re excited by the prospect of cate blanchett signing on for ragnarok as hela – marvel ' s equivalent of the norse death goddess hel .
four of the five characters are really unlikeable , and the effect is of being trapped in a small place with five hideous people yelling at you - it ' s crushing , oppressive and claustrophobic .
in foster / portman ' s place we will apparently have creed actress tessa thompson , who will play the asgradian warrior valkyrie – who will serve as both a foil and love interest for thor .
together , these various father figures form a debased imitation—a parody—of society in conventional comedy . the older generation , and in particular its patriarchs , are mad , childish , cuckolded or senile . they are not interested in taking part in adam’s quest , either as foils or as benefactors , and they have no clear sense of their own values . as a . b . kernan observes , “the empty , adulterous marriages of the older generation offer no moral support for adam and nina’s marriage . ” [ 54 ] as outlined above , conventional comedy ends with the hero welcomed back into society . he cannot achieve this reconciliation , however , unless society offers a clear set of standards to which he can aspire . in vile bodies , adam faces a distracted , timorous society and can find no way in .
the oscar statuette stands at 13 1 / 2 inches tall and weighs 8 1 / 2 pounds . it depicts a knight , holding a sword , standing on a reel of film which has five spokes , representing the 5 original branches of the academy - - actors , directors , producers , technicians , and writers . in 1949 , the academy started to number the statuettes , starting with number 501 .
in each case , the reviewer holds fry responsible for plot - twists and mood - swings originally employed by waugh . more significantly , each echoes earlier reviews of waugh’s novel , suggesting that vile bodies itself may continue to pose problems for literary criticism and popular consumption alike . by revisiting waugh’s novel , i hope to show that alleged inconsistencies in its tone and structure are in fact part of a coherent and largely successful aesthetic plan . the complaints levelled at both vile bodies and fry’s bright young things rest on inaccurate assumptions about what type of story waugh was writing . if we look to the novel for a simple romantic comedy or an acerbic social satire , we shall be disappointed . if we recognise it as a parody of conventional romance , however , the more puzzling elements of the book begin to make sense .
the ' planet hulk ' story is being incorporated into the film , with thor and hulk forced to fight for the entertainment of the masses on sakaar . although it looks like hulk might be happier in his role than his fellow avenger is .
it ' s still , however , a very long way off the film frequently cited for longest title :
night of the day of the dawn of the son of the bride of the return of the revenge of the terror of the attack of the evil , mutant , alien , flesh eating , hellbound , zombified living dead part 2 : in shocking 2 - d .
the movie has intellectual snob appeal , especially for the french . these days , to what extent will american audiences react to allusions to montaigne , kant , stendhal and benjamin constant , whose novel “adolphe” inspires the prank ?
um , it looks like mark ruffalo ' s big green character has different feelings .
nor does it sound like ragnarok spells an ending for the mcu or even hemsworth ' s thor , as he ' s already been confirmed for avengers : infinity war .
there are rumours of a guardians of the galaxy cameo ahead of their team - up with thor in infinity war .
in marvel ' s comics , thor has faced ragnarok several times ( go figure ) , although theoretically he finally managed to end the cycle forever .
: with machine gun delivery a voice - over gives us a run - down of the main characters , their likes , foibles , and a concise life history .
shooting began in australia in july , hot on the heels of spider - man : homecoming . chris hemsworth ' s reunion with his hammer and armour was originally scheduled for july 28 , 2017 , but later slipped to its current release date of october 24 , 2017 , in the uk and november 3 , 2017 , in the us .
contrary to the old adage ,
the show must go on ,
the academy awards ceremonies have been postponed 3 times . in 1938 , the ceremony was delayed a week because of flooding in los angeles . in 1968 , the academy awards ceremony was pushed back 2 days because of martin luther king jr . ' s funeral . the academy awards ceremony was pushed back a single day in 1981 because of the assassination attempt on president ronald reagan .
much criticism of waugh’s early novels has revolved around problems of classification and definition . some critics treat waugh as a bitter satirist and evaluate the novels accordingly , praising their sharp portraits of social decay but complaining about their inconsistent moral standards . others , admiring waugh’s fast - paced comedy and vivid caricatures , resist attempts to discern any moral message whatsoever . in arguing over the believability of waugh’s plots and characters , however , both readings overlook the parodic nature of the novels . they mistake waugh’s moral and artistic aims and so misunderstand both his comic and satiric technique . before undertaking a close analysis of parody in vile bodies , i shall outline two extreme and apparently contradictory readings of waugh’s early fiction .
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for an understanding of these rules , i have relied in particular on the work of northrop frye . although frye distinguishes between the “social” endings of new comedy and the “pastoral” endings of much romance , he generally treats the two as branches of the same tradition . [ 31 ] broadly , romantic comedy “is concerned with a love affair that involves a beautiful and idealised heroine… the course of this love does not run smooth , but overcomes all difficulties to end in a happy union . ” after a series of ordeals , “enemies [ are ] reconciled , and true lovers united” in a “festive conclusion , ” usually culminating in a “social ritual” such as a marriage , dance or feast . [ 32 ] the details of this convention will be discussed in a moment . for now , it is sufficient to note that the plot of vile bodies has much in common with this outline of romantic comedy . it tells the story of a young couple’s attempts to marry and of the various obstacles thrown in their way . they lack money and must appeal to the heroine’s father for aid . a rival appears , richer and more aristocratic than the hero . the tone throughout is superficially light , apparently meeting m . h . abrams’s demand that comedy “engage our delighted attention rather than our profound concern . ” [ 33 ] in fact , subtle deviations from convention warn us that this is parody and that adam and nina cannot expect a conventional festive ending .
file - this file photo released by twentieth century fox shows michael keaton , left , as riggan in a scene from the film ,
birdman , or ( the unexpected virtue of ignorance
directed by alejandro gonzalez inarritu . ( ap photo / copyright twentieth century fox , atsushi nishijima , file ) ( the associated press )
likewise , robert murray - davis offers a useful account of waugh’s place in modern fiction but overlooks his ironic use of literary conventions . in the 1920s , davis argues , many novelists “shifted their focus to society , using character in order to illustrate its effects . ” rather than describing the internal development of psychologically complex characters , they focused on how relatively simple characters functioned as parts of a larger social machine . [ 96 ] all this accords with waugh’s own statements about psychology and characterisation . in distinguishing the ‘externalist novel’ from the ‘novel of ideas , ’ however , davis overlooks the possible link between waugh’s ‘externalist’ technique and the much older conventions of romantic comedy .
content in the form of videos is swiftly catching up with brands . touted as one of the most important tools to enhance a brand ' s image , loyalty , awareness and profits , videos can convey . . .
you laugh half as much as the packed cinema the night i saw it , you ' ll be in for a treat .
a media professional , and the secretary of the advertising club , hyderabad . with over 8 years of experience in advertising , she heads the marketing division . apart from being trained in social media management , her expertise is in marketing , consumer insights and media planning .
thor ' s flatmate darryl ( daley pearson ) won ' t be back either . sorry .
to amuse themselves at a weekly dinner , a few well - heeled folk each bring a dimwit along who is to talk about his pastime . each member seeks to introduce a champion dumbbell . pierre , an . . . see full summary »
adam had a glass of champagne , hoping it would make him feel a little better . it made him feel much worse…
a half - built avengers quinjet has been spotted on the thor : ragnarok set , which indicates that one or more of thor and hulk ' s other teammates could put in an appearance , as the pair are probably the least likely to be found flying around in the jet on their own .
in identifying parody in vile bodies i have argued , firstly , that the novel is not as determinedly modern as some critics have assumed and , secondly , that the modern devices it employs are not as gratuitous as waugh’s own remarks suggest . although the influence of the cinema , firbank , t . s . eliot and others is discernable , the novel also reworks age - old narrative conventions to serious effect . conventional and experimental devices work together to create a parody of romantic comedy in which a conventional comic ending is impossible .
the narrator dismisses this lapse as a symptom of a hangover . “everyone , ” he explains , “is liable to this ninetyish feeling early in the morning after a party . ” [ 79 ] out of context , adam’s daydream does recall the fatigued sophistication of one of oscar wilde’s more ‘ninetyish’ characters . his horror of over - stimulation recalls vivian from “the decay of lying , ” whose club “the tired hedonists” excludes anyone “too fond of the simple pleasures” and demands that its members be “a good deal bored with each other . ” [ 80 ] the passage , however , is one of a series of references to flight and transcendence . mrs ape travels with a troupe of performing angels , named for a hodge - podge of virtues and costumed in gauze wings . [ 81 ] the bright young things describe anything pleasurable as “divine” : [ 82 ] nina in particular uses a vocabulary of flight and divinity , calling adam , ginger and her father her “angels . ” [ 83 ] strangest of all is mr outrage , who has a moment something like adam’s when he fails to seduce the wife of a japanese diplomat :
a father - to - be and his very pregnant wife are invited for dinner by his sister and his brother - in - law . the setting is an upper - middle - class apartment in paris . when the expecting parents reveal they intend to name their son
adolphe
, everyone else at the dinner is speechless . the situation eventually gets out of hand , when no one can come to an understanding , and everyone starts unearthing old rivalries and unspoken issues .
to some degree , this is because they are similar characters in different literary genres . decline and fall borrowed its structure and motifs from the bildungsroman . in this setting , the hero’s lack of depth or personality made him incapable of achieving the bildungsroman ideal . in vile bodies , adam’s ordinariness makes him particularly well - adapted to the comic hero’s task . the novel borrows its conventions not from the ‘novel of education’ but from comic romance , and it is therefore entirely proper that adam should learn little from his various setbacks . his aim is not spiritual maturity , but marriage to nina . in a genre whose subject is the relationship between characters rather than the internal development of a single expansive personality , the hero has no need for a complex inner life . to succeed as a comic hero , the protagonist need not be a particularly complicated person ; he need only be “ordinary in his virtues , ” frye observes , “but socially attractive . ” [ 36 ]


the rabbi 's cat ( french : le chat du rabbin ) is a 2011 french animated film directed by joann sfar and antoine delesvaux , based on volume one , two and five of sfar 's comics series with the same title .

it tells the story of a cat , which obtains the ability to speak after swallowing a parrot , and its owner who is a rabbi in 1920s algeria .

the voice cast includes françois morel , hafsia herzi , maurice bénichou , fellag , françois damiens and jean-pierre kalfon .

the rabbi ' s cat ( film )

inspired by sfar’s jewish heritage , “the rabbi’s cat” tells the story of a rabbi , his daughter , and their talking cat .
cartoon cat : it’s difficult to summarize this fanciful story of a sphynx cat with no name who is known around 1920’s algiers as “the rabbi’s cat” because the story follows several different paths . the cat is loyal to the rabbi but especially to the rabbi’s daughter .
the rabbi’s cat ( le chat du rabbin ) was named best animated film at the césar awards .
families can talk about what the cat teaches the rabbi and what the rabbi teaches the cat . how do they change each other ' s lives ?
lots of plot with this cat the animation in ' the rabbi ' s cat ' is a welcome throwback — there’s enough story here to cover five movies , but the rabbi’s cat stuffs everything into 89 minutes .
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sfar , joann . the rabbi’s cat . new york : pantheon , 2005 . print .
danish film darling lars von trier ' s melancholia has seven nominations for this year ' s european film awards , including for best european film .
not wanting to be separated from the rabbi’s daughter , the cat wishes to be converted to judaism , but the rabbi isn’t sure that can be done .
the rabbi’s cat 2 by joann sfar , translated by alexis siegel : after the success of sfar’s rabbi’s cat , along with receiving the prestigious jury prize , the eccentric and entertaining gray cat returns to his usual antics and journeys , while a strong , educating , and meaningful story surrounds him . the rabbi’s cat 2 continues on , and increases the humor and fun , but also the fascinating story of this strange cat in north africa . in the first story , while the rabbi is away on his own journey , his cat
we’d love your help . let us know what’s wrong with this preview of the rabbi ' s cat 2 by joann sfar .
this is fine with the rabbi until the cat eats the family’s parrot and starts to speak . the rabbi then realizes the cat is a little too affectionate with his daughter and fills her head with strange notions ( the cat can read as well as speak . )
a french animated film about the unusual quest of a rabbi , a skeikh , and a talking cat to discover the unity of peoples .
the cat is supportive of the rabbi as he takes french dictation tests to remain in his position .
a french animated film about the unusual quest of a rabbi , a skeikh , and a talking cat to discover the essential unity of life .
the story of a rabbi and his talking cat , a sharp - tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor and a less than pure love for the rabbi ' s teenage daughter .
the rabbi is reading the story of creation to the cat , and the cat says that the world is billions of years old and that the creation story can ' t be taken literally . there is something very humorous about a rabbi being lectured on science by a talking cat .
the ending cheapens the main character and weakens the film’s commitment to the importance of workplace organizing .
his second film is an animated picture taken from his comic book
the rabbi ' s cat
and will be released next year . it tells the story of a cat that gains the power of speech after swallowing a parrot , and converses with a rabbi who teaches him the ways of the torah .
like the title character , the makers of the rabbi ' s cat follow their noses wherever a new scent leads . their eternal curiosity buoys this cat , then impairs it somewhat , but redeems it by the end .
the animated film presents a philosophical debate involving a thoughtful rabbi and a disputatious feline . their costar : 1930s africa .
if there is a french animated film about a cat you want to see , pick this one over the more lauded a cat in paris . while it may lack the more stylized elements of the previously mentioned along with its terrific jazz / blues score , the rabbi ' s cat makes up in spades with plot and philosophy of the world .
ozon ' s provocative film can do much to improve attitudes towards lgbti people .
the man wishes to find a mythical jewish holy city in africa and so the rabbi and cat and others set out on the adventure .
the rabbi ' s cat explores themes of religion and philosophy and why people should attempt to coexist in peace while respecting one another ' s personal differences in beliefs and politics .
the film , inspired by gibran’s poetry , is a delightful mix of animation styles from some of the world’s top animators .
set in algeria in the 1920s , a rabbi ' s cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to judaism .
a leading figure in france’s comic book scene , this accomplished artist owes his fame to his comic book series the rabbi’s cat , dungeon and little vampire . his love for film naturally led him behind the camera with the animated adaption of the rabbi’s cat , but also with the very personal gainsbourg : a heroic life , which he presented as being the transposition of his comic book world in the film
with puppets , songs , poetry and costumes – to illustrate my personal vision of gainsbourg’s fantasies
.
the rabbi ' s cat is an entertaining , surreal animated film from france about a pet cat that amazingly gains the ability to speak after eating a parrot , and uses his voice to announce his goal of converting to judaism in order to gain the approval of the rabbi to stay by the side of his daughter , whom the cat has a physical attraction to . sounds pretty strange , right ? it totally is , and that ' s one of the aspects of this film that worked so well for me .
cat in paris , 2011 ( oscar nominee , best animated film ) headed the oscar campaign , and also consulted on the release .
joann sfar ' s beloved , humorous , and wise talking cat is back for more beautifully illustrated adventures in algiers and across africa in the 1930s . while the rabbi is away , his cat tags along with malka of the lions ( the rabbi ' s enigmatic cousin ) , who roams the desert with his ferocious - on - demand lion . some believe malka to be a pious jew , others think he ' s a shrewd womanizer , but the cat will be the one to discover the surprising truth . back in algiers , the rabbi ' s daughter , zlabya , and her new husband fill the house with their fighting , while the city around them fills with a rising tide of anti - semitism . on a whim , the rabbi ' s cat , the rabbi , a sheikh ( also a cousin of the rabbi ) , and a very misplaced russian painter set out on a fantastic journey ( even encountering a young reporter named tintin in the congo ) in search of an african jerusalem . it turns out to be very fortuitous that the rabbi ' s cat is not just a talking cat , but a multilingual talking cat .
sheik mohammed sfar ' s talking donkey disappears as they follow along the rabbi in his journey . he later reappears following the tank , than disappears again along the film .
i really loved the alternating visual styles ! minus one star because i wish the rabbi ' s daughter had been in the film more , she is a great character .
premiered in french cinemas on 1st june 2011 , the rabbi’s cat has been well received by critics , and attracted more than 500 , 000 cinema - goers and awarded in the last annecy international animated film festival the prize for best feature film ; it was also nominated for the 24th european film awards , presented last december in berlin , also in the category of best animation feature film , although the award was finally given to chico & rita .
the rabbi ' s cat .
no mpaa rating ; in french with english subtitles . running time : 1 hour , 30 minutes . at selected theaters .
joann sfar ' s beloved , humorous , and wise talking cat is back for more beautifully illustrated adventures in algiers and across africa in the 1930s . while the rabbi is away , his cat tags along with malka of the lions ( the rabbi ' s enigmatic cousin ) , who roams the desert with his ferocious - on - demand lion . some believe malka to be a pious jew , others think he ' s a shrewd womanizer , but the cat will be the one to discover the surprising truth . back in algiers , the rabbi ' s daughter , zlabya , and her new
awards : nomination au prix du festival du film d ' animation d ' annecy 2011 * nomination aux european film awards 2011 .
the rabbi ' s cat is a clever and episodic cartoon for adults . the cat of a jewish family in algerian family , one day miraculously begins to speak . the rabbi is scared and seeks out the advise of his rabbi . his mistress , zlabia , is charmed by speech . the cat for his part , decides to woo his mistress and her father by getting a bar mitzah . a wacky roadtrip later follows . the movie is charming , if lackadaisical , much like a fairytale .
from there , the story flowers in several directions , with a series of episodic events : the cat demands a bar mitzvah and offends the rabbi’s teacher ; an escaping russian jew turns up in a shipment of russian books ; the rabbi’s cousin and his pet lion come to visit ; the rabbi and various associates mount a months - long quest for a fabled african jerusalem , supposedly the homeland of all blacks and jews . the story sprawls , but the perky tone , sharp dialogue , and easy comedy keep the film moving , and the eponymous cat provides a strong central point of view . like the story itself , he’s protean—devoted to the rabbi’s voluptuous daughter , loyal to the rabbi himself , and generous toward those in need , like the russian painter , but also sly , vain , self - serving , and amoral . in other words , a cat .
just look at the parking lot . . .
- - rabbi scott
there’s also a man shipped in a box ; the rabbi’s cousin , who travels with a lion ; and simmering colonial tension between the french and algerians .
although the movie ' s many subplots are interesting , a few characters seem unnecessarily introduced - - like the rabbi ' s desert journeyman cousin
lion malka ,
who figures prominently in the books but has little to do in the movie . but the cat ' s myriad observations about religion and life are both educational and entertaining ( and occasionally hilarious ) . and audiences will learn as they ' re sucked into a story with messages that are still relevant - - particularly the relationship between the rabbi and his muslim cousin . this cat speaks the truth , and the rabbi ' s cat is an animated adventure worth reading subtitles to see .
joann sfar ' s beloved , humorous , and wise talking cat is back for more beautifully illustrated adventures in algiers and across africa in the 1930s . while the rabbi is away , his cat tags along with malka of the lions ( the rabbi ' s enigmatic cousin ) , who roams the desert with his ferocious - on - demand lion . some believe malka to be a pious jew , others think he ' s a shrewd womani
i have to say , this film doesn’t get the love it deserves . i think the lebowski fans will pick up on this film after a few tries .
with its winding plotline , unique artistic style , and distinct characters , the rabbi’s cat is not the average comic book . the story follows the lives of a rabbi , a rabbi’s cat , and a rabbi’s daughter . but in actuality , the novel chronicles a much larger narrative , transcending above the individual realm into the philosophical , historical , and universal . rooted in a specific time and place—algeria and paris in the 1930’s—the rabbi’s cat encapsulates an entire jewish world of the past and simultaneously questions and explores the very essence ( or lack thereof ) of jewishness in the present . a close investigation into the narration , artwork , characters , and plot will shed light on the novel’s impactful claims about the fluidity of jewish history and identity . through an emphasis on geography , a continual variation of artistic style , and the diversity of jewish characters , sfar paints a picture of jewishness characterized by historical environment , internal difference and exclusion , and impending cultural loss .
sfar speaks about film - making very much as a learning process for him . he ' s very modest about the film , and despite critical acclaim in france remains focussed on improving .
set in pre - world war ii algeria , the rabbi ' s cat is based on director joann sfar ' s graphic novels and follows the fantastical tale of a rabbi ( voiced by maurice benichou ) and his lovely daughter ( hafsia herzi ) , whose cat gains the ability to talk after swallowing a parrot . with his powers of speech , the cat ( francois morel ) begins to question whether he , like his master and mistress , is jewish . after discovering a young russian jew hidden in a shipping crate , the rabbi and his cat follow the strapping zionist across africa - - with the help of a distant cousin who ' s a muslim scholar - - to find the african jews of ethiopia .
really 3 . 5 stars the talking cat with the big ears who offers insightful commentary on his rabbi master and life in algeria in the early 20th century is back . the rabbi ' s daughter is fighting with her husband ( also a rabbi ) , and the cat is quite happy with that . it means more snuggles from his mistress , zlabya . of course , the talking cat also has a couple of adventures . first he and a snake tag along with the famous malka and his lion on a trek around the desert . then , a stowaway russian jew show
the rabbi adheres to jewish law but considers many other perspectives as well . he respects his distant cousin who ' s a muslim , and he ' s willing to teach his talking cat about judaism , even though his mentor and rabbi tells him it ' s a bad idea . zlabya is a strong female character , as is the russian ' s african wife , both of whom state their mind with conviction . the sfar cousin , like the rabbi , is open minded and abhors violence for violence ' s sake .
straight out of the american film market ( afm ) , we’ve got your first look at french director / author / comic book artist joann sfar’s feature film adaptation of his beloved graphic novel the rabbi’s cat . the french animated film , from one of the most celebrated artists of the new wave of franco - belgian comics , is a tale about a rabbi who has his hands full , and sets off on an adventure to a mythical city alongside some affable companions which include his talking cat . sfar co - directed and wrote the hand - drawn 2d animated film , his second feature after this year’s gainsbourg . don’t let the logline fool you , as his books are famous for diving into the headier themes of life . hit the jump to check out the images , as well as an official synopsis .
sfar made his directorial debut with “gainsbourg : vie heroique , ” a 2010 feature film mixing live action and animation , about the iconic french singer serge gainsbourg . the film won three cesar awards ( france’s equivalent to the oscar ) . he is best - known for his comic book series “the rabbi’s cat” which was adapted into an animated feature and was co - directed by sfar . it won a cesar award .
loaded with all the baggage one would expect from an artsy and religiously - themed french animated feature , the rabbi ' s cat sports just enough quirkiness to remain afloat . based on a comic book series about a rabbi , his daughter , and their cat who have various adventures and philosophical discussions - see , the cat sporadically gains the ability to talk - this film version spends the first three - quarters with a lazy setup , establishing relationships and introducing various eccentric individuals , before it gets anywhere near actual adventures . the characters are charming , including the querulous cat whose opinions tend to lean agnostic and often serve as the progenitor of numerous theological musings throughout the film . animation is an independent , thin - lined and low - framerate pastiche reminiscent of…
the cow that wanted to be a hamburger 2010 . animated short film shortlisted to 10
synopsis : based on a comic book series by co - director joann sfar , this is an imaginative tale about a rabbi’s cat ( voiced by françois morel ) who finds he is able to converse with humans and joins in their adventures while holding fast onto his love for the rabbi’s daughter ( voiced by hafsia herzi ) .
brave ,
frankenweenie ,
hotel transylvania ,
paranorman ,
rise of the guardians ,
the pirates ! band of misfits ,
the rabbi ' s cat
and
wreck - it ralph
have earned nominations for animated film of the year for the annie awards .
this contains the fourth and fifth chapters of sfar ' s continued tales of the rabbi ' s cat who gained , and then lost , the gift of speech . like the latter half of the first book , these chapters focus less on the cat than on the stories and doings of the humans he travels with . racism and religious intolerance are dealt with here , but again , the philosophical dueling of the cat is missing . i didn ' t find this book as engaging as the earlier volume .
best and worst advice given : the worst advice : “this has nothing to do with comics . ” in fact , it has everything to do with comics . the best advice : “an animated film develops exactly the same way as a live - action film . ” an animated film does develop exactly the same way as a live - action film !
the 40th annie award nominations were announced this morning ( dec . 3 ) and it looks like asifa voters decided to spread the wealth among many of this year’s animated features and tv shows . in the crowded best animated feature category , eight pictures—pixar’s brave , disney’s frankenweenie and wreck - it ralph , sony animaton’s hotel transylvania , focus features / laika’s paranorman , dreamworks’ rise of the guardians , sony / aardman’s the pirates ! band of misfits and gkids’ the rabbi’s cat —received nominations .
the frisky kitty at the heart of “the rabbi’s cat” — an endearingly loopy animated feature from joann sfar and antoine delesvaux — is hairless , bunny - eared and intent on preparing for his bar mitzvah . we know this because the cat , after gobbling his master’s parrot , acquires a voice ( provided by françois morel ) . and hardly ever stops using it .
although the cat has little interest in the story of creation , declaring the biblical version
ridiculous ,
he becomes convinced that as a jewish cat he must have a bar mitzvah . at a loss for what to do , the rabbi goes to his teacher for counsel , but this conservative elder recommends drowning the cat for his vanity and lack of respect for essential jewish belief .
another distinct component of judaism articulated by the rabbi’s cat is an anxiety of loss , which proves to be the consequence of excluding diverse modes of jewish identity . through symbolism , sfar demonstrates how the loss of algerian jewish culture materializes through colonial hegemony and an insistence on the uniformity of identity . starting on page 29 , the rabbi’s cat describes a dream . in his dream , the rabbi tells him that zlabya is dead . water rises in the image , ultimately enveloping the cat , the rabbi , and the entire world they live in . of course , this dream foreshadows both the rabbi and the cat’s emotions when zlabya marries jules , a french jew , and moves away from home . to better comprehend the dream , we must understand zlabya as a symbol for the cultural world of algerian jews in the 1930’s . in this dream , that culture is dead . zlabya is not at her piano , in her kitchen , or reading her books , which are all locations of cultural creation ( 33 ) . now , the rabbi’s faith is meaningless , as he says , “don’t give me that garbage , i know it only too well” ( 30 ) . in the bottom left panel on page 31 , the rabbi lumbers through a diminished , small , empty , and colorless city—the algeria that once shaped his entire identity . the final two images of the dream are narrated : “she is in her tomb . and we’re not allowed go inside” ( 33 ) . this scene of exclusion echoes other moments in the book when certain forms of judaism are rejected , like when the rabbi’s rabbi will not convert the rabbi’s cat . this parallel is furthered by that rabbi’s comment that the cat “should be drowned , ” since the dream scene takes place under water ( 14 ) . another similar exclusionary episode occurs when zlabya is in her bedroom with her new husband , jules . she throws the cat across the room and slams the door in his face . just like in her tomb in the dream , zlabya is sealed off and inaccessible . these comparable moments articulate the true threat posed by excluding diverse jewish identities—the loss of an entire jewish cultural world .
with seven nods , the lars von trier film is unlikely to go home empty handed .
debuted at the toronto international film festival to critical acclaim , with the audience also clapping along to the songs .
a book about a rabbi’s cat sounds like it would be cute and whimsical rather than dealing with any serious themes . if you wanted a cute and whimsical book about a cat , there are plenty out there . this is not one of them . joann sfar , who wrote these rabbi’s cat graphic novels , is an award winning author precisely because of his themes . communication is a central theme of this novel . there is a russian character who isn’t understood by the other humans when he first arrives , yet the russian and the
rabbi sfar ( voiced by maurice benichou ) lives with his voluptuous daughter zlabya ( hafsia herzi ) and their mischievous cat . after eating the family ' s talking parrot , the feline ( francois morel ) starts talking in human language , much to the amazement of the rabbi who suddenly finds himself having to answer questions about god and faith .
based on a series of french comic books , the film features voice work by mathieu amalric , who played a nemesis of james bond in 2008’s “quantum of solace . ” the movie received a cesar , the french version of the oscar , as the best animated film of 2011 , and received a nomination in the same category at the european film awards .
it is a good thing that the rabbi ' s cat develops the power of speech when he does , as he soon has to defend himself from charges of having eaten the family bird . but to zlabya , the rabbi ' s daughter , the cat is even more adorable now . not so much to the rabbi , as the cat , being able to count also and realizing he is old enough , begins to pester the rabbi to have his very own bar mitzvah . however , the rabbi soon has bigger problems to worry about like having to pass a french test in order to be recertified which the cat promises to help with . considering that talking animals have been around as long as there have been sound movies , it does seem more than a little strange that it has taken until very recently with
the rabbi ' s cat
to fully explore what that would mean in the real world , especially in this timeless algeria where religions intersect and co - exist mostly peacefully . ( if i had to guess , i would have to say this might be the 30 ' s with the 1925 citroen playing a part , and after the russian revolution but no mention of the holocaust . ) but that ' s not all as this very entertaining film makes great use of hand drawn animation in a variety of styles to detail its world , aided by a very cool soundtrack .
the cat too contributes to the talkathon , having received the power of speech after devouring the family parrot . voiced by françois morel , he ' s a lovable rationalist who engages the rabbi in debates on religious precepts but nonetheless wants very much to be bar mitzvahed .
inspirations : my father’s side of the family are arabic - speaking algerian jews , whose interactions are an inexhaustible source of drama , humor and reflection . the cat is my actual cat—he is on my desk at the moment as i speak to you . the rabbi’s daughter resembles my grandmother , esther malka . malka of the lions is one my great uncles who was a lion tamer in the atlas mountains .
at last i have the sequel to joann sfar’s graphic novel , the rabbi’s cat . in his sequel , sfar once again places his readers and his talking cat in the heart of the jewish community in 1930′s algeria . the cast of characters includes the rabbi , his footloose and mystical cousin malka of the lions , a suspected golem who turns out to be a ( temporarily comatose ) russian painter , a catholic priest , an arab prince , a former slave who doesn’t know where she comes from , and a wandering sheik . if that soun
the title character of
the rabbi ' s cat
is not your everyday cartoon fluffball . he ' s scrawny , apparently hairless and unapologetically disputatious . the animated world he inhabits is no kid - friendly adventure but a philosophical quarrel in the form of a frenetic road trip through 1930s africa .
great observation , paul . this film is as much about being jewish as it is anything else . i would agree that larry having his land encroached upon certainly has meaning in the film beyond larry’s personal personal frustration .
chico and rita , 2011 ( oscar nominee , best animated film ) consulted on the release .
la femme et le tgv , 2016 ( oscar nominee . live action short film )
chen kaige’s the promise , 2005 ( china’s foreign language oscar submission ) golden globe nominee .
when i thought the rabbi’s cat 2 couldn’t get any better than the first one , i was wrong ! in the end , nothing is as it seems – simply look at malka of the lions , the rabbi’s cousin . the cat who is still nameless regains his speech and suddenly speaks a variety of languages , which we will see comes in handy . although he’s often to hold his mouth shut . how familiar does that sound ? comparing it to our modern society ? what about a nice reminder of how easily we judge others , people who are differen
a cartoon about a cat who wants to become jewish will face off against major hollywood competition at one of the animation industry’s biggest awards shows .
the cat is back , and this time , he is in search of the lost jerusalem . no matter what adventures the cat and his rabbi may have , beneath the surface of the adventures there is sly and not so sly commentary on issues that were relevant then and , as sfar gently points out , relevant today . yes , tintin and his
moron
dog are made fun of , but watch for the story of the british colonialist , lost in a world that has passed him by and made him foreign to everyone and everything . overall , rabbi ' s cat 2
the second half of the film concerns a russian jewish refugee who escapes to algiers after being the victim of a pogrom .
i knew i wanted to work in animation when : in the ’80s , i discovered jan svankmajer . inspired by him , i got a film camera and made my own animated surrealist short film in my basement . as soon as i got the film back from the lab , i was smitten !
sfar captures the contours of a certain historical moment in algerian jewish culture . he achieves this by endowing geography with significant agency . the power of time and place in the rabbi’s cat reveals the author’s deeper convictions about jewishness . in her essay “borderlands , ” marla harris writes , “jewish identity for sfar is not unchanging and ahistorical , but is shaped by specific social , political , and geographical environments” ( 183 ) . this understanding is evident in many moments in the novel . on page 16 , the rabbi’s cat asks the rabbi’s rabbi for a jewish conversion . on this page alone , readers see the cat from five different perspectives—from behind him , in front of him , under him , next to him , and from far away . in each of these panels , the image of the city outside of the window is more and more highlighted . the building seen through the window is a reddish color with a grid - like pattern . the pattern is reflected onto the trunk the cat sits upon in the top left frame , and it almost completely covers the panel in the bottom left , in which the rabbi tells the cat that his “love of god isn’t sincere” ( 16 ) . in this way , the cat’s physical environment literally surrounds him . the next panel , on the bottom right of the page , breaks away from the previous scenery . suddenly , readers see a panoramic view of the greater city , with a clothesline , a mosque , perhaps a synagogue , homes on a hill , and a wide , blue sky . the cat , narrating , tells us , “i never said anything about love of god” ( 16 ) . this statement of disbelief in god is what eventually prevents the cat from conversion . but with such an important statement , the reader does not even see the cat’s face . rather , we see his city . in this crucial moment , the climax in this discussion of faith , geography moves from the story’s background to its foreground . this page illustrates sfar’s understanding that one’s most intimate beliefs and identities are shaped by the geographical environment .
this review was originally published at the next best book club blog . to see the version of my review that has images from the graphic novel , please click the link ! to prepare for this book review , i re - read the rabbi’s cat ( read my review at tnbbc here ) . it was just as marvelous and charming as the first time i read it , if not more so . the cat’s facial expressions are funny and thoughtful while he discusses religion with his master and other jews in algiers in the 1930s . random “cat moments” pop
le chat du rabbin is a movie starring mathieu amalric , hafsia herzi , and françois damiens . set in algeria in the 1920s , a rabbi ' s cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to judaism .
this french animated film is charming but a bit mature for young eyes , so parents may wish to view this film first before setting their kids in front of netflix to view .
camera q & a : hampton fancher on his l . a . film and tv career
along with producer antoine delesvaux and the ceo of ateliers granovsky , dimitri granovsky , joann sfar will chat with the audience about the progress he’s made on his upcoming film .
including “wreck - it ralph , ” “brave” and “paranorman” for the top prize at february’s annie awards , handed out by the international animated film association . in addition to a nomination in the best animated feature category , the film has also earned a directing nod for joann sfar .
proudest of : since i am unable to choose a section of the film that i prefer ( screenplay , set design , animation , directing , editing , musical direction , etc . ) , i believe that i’ve succeeded with my film . it’s the first time that this has happened to me… ! it’s also the reason why i have a particular fondness for the artists and technicians that made this film with me .
“ adventures in zambezia ” “brave” “ delhi safari ” “dr . seuss’ the lorax” “frankenweenie” “ from up on poppy hill ” “ hey krishna ” “hotel transylvania” “ice age continental drift” “ a liar’s autobiography : the untrue story of monty python’s graham chapman ” “madagascar 3 : europe’s most wanted” “ the mystical laws ” “ the painting ” “paranorman” “the pirates ! band of misfits” “ the rabbi’s cat ” “rise of the guardians” “ secret of the wings ” “ walter & tandoori’s christmas ” “wreck - it ralph” “ zarafa “
the cat is a very insightful and intelligent individual , and he is consistently more intelligent than his human companions .
in this volume ' s first story , cat travels with malka and his lion , observing how their role in the world is changing as they age and how they might cope with the changes . cat is not his prickly , philosophical self , and the story could ' ve been told by any cat . the second story sees cat accompany new and returning characters on a quest to a mythic religious city . there ' s much more adventure and philosophic wonder , as well as satisfying developments in the series ' larger plot . neither story feels a
roger ebert became film critic of the chicago sun - times in 1967 . he is the only film critic with a star on hollywood walk of fame and was named honorary life member of the directors ' guild of america . he won the lifetime achievement award of the screenwriters ' guild , and honorary degrees from the american film institute and the university of colorado at boulder .
middle east audiences will not have to wait too long to see the film for themselves – it will be screened at the closing night gala of the ajyal youth film festival in doha , which runs from december 1 to 6 .
the coens also use the theme of dichotomous thinking to show how we never really know the true nature of things . this theme is most prominently featured in the film’s opening parable with the dual ( and dueling ) perspectives of velvel and dora—those of the rational and the
serious
( the film’s synonym for
pious
) —and in the lyrical contradiction of the verse
when the truth is found to be lies
of jefferson airplane’s
somebody to love
that is featured multiple times in the film . it is also found in larry’s realization that
everything that i thought was one way turns out to be another ,
his revelation that the erotic film he once saw
wasn’t even erotic , though it was in a way ,
and in the way that rabbi marshak refers to danny as a boy immediately after the bar mitzvah that made him a man . this theme of dichotomous thinking plays heavily into the film’s climax , specifically in the way the ending will be perceived by the individual perspectives of those who see it .
france’s favorite kosher kitty gets a big screen 3d grooming in the rabbi’s cat ( le chat du rabbin ) , author and co - director joann sfar ’s adaptation of his highly successful comic book series . though this gorgeously animated affair showcases the artist’s freewheeling style and colorful arabesque imagery , its rambling episodic structure is not quite the cat’s meow , even if it remains a thoroughly enjoyable take on judaism in early 20 th century north africa . gallic tykes will lap up this second sfar outing ( after last year’s serge gainsbourg biopic ) , which should find sufficient bookings and fest play following an international premiere at taormina .
subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken the rabbi ' s cat official us release trailer # 1 ( 2011 ) - animated movie hd set in algeria in the 1920s , a rabbi ' s cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to judaism . cast : mathieu amalric : urltoken director : antoine delesvaux antoine delesvaux joann sfar producer : antoine delesvaux clement oubrerie antoine delesvaux joann sfar writer : sandrina jardel joann sfar editor : maryline monthieux cinematographer : jérôme brézillon composer : olivier daviaud
february 25 , 2016 : the american humane society has announced the winners of their annual pawscars . cat winners include buttercup from the hunger games for best repurring cat performance and a mention of the cast of cinderella , including lucifer , for best ensemble performance . congratulations to this year ' s winners !
the 24th european film awards will take place in berlin on december 3 . they are run by the european film academy , which has its secretariat in berlin . this is the first time the ceremony will be held back in berlin since 2007 .
the other five nominees for the top prize are michel haznavicius ' s the artist , the dardenne brothers ' the kid with a bike , tom hooper ' s the king ' s speech , aki kaurismaki ' s le havre and susanne bier ' s in a better world . each has four nominations .
the great delight of the first book was the cat ' s arguments with humans about religion , but he ' s far too quiet here , letting the humans do too much talking . also too many # # scary muslims # # . there ' s a few good lines though , and sfar ' s art is always rad .
maybe – or maybe pixar’s brave , sony’s hotel transylvania , or disney’s wreck - it ralph will be among the final nominees . today , the academy announced the twenty - one features which have been submitted for consideration in the animated feature film category . five will be selected for nomination .
the film ends up defining loïe fuller less by her innovations than by her willingness to suffer for her art .
on the aspect of the movie he’s proudest of : i’m pleased about the spirit of the film . the attitude and the way the movie approaches life is very joyous . it seems like it has a great energy and sense of fun .
if zlabya represents the diverse algerian jewish culture , shaped by historical geography , that the rabbi has known and nourished all his life , then her marriage to jules represents this culture fading away . this notion is furthered in sfar’s depiction of geography . first , the detailed and colorful world of algeria becomes messy , broken , abstract , and almost entirely disintegrated in the background of the panels on pages 92 and 93 , when the cat narrates his anxiety about zlabya’s marriage to jules . with each close up of the rabbi’s cat , both the background and the cat’s appearance increasingly lose form . connecting this to the symbolism of geography and physical appearance discussed before , it is clear that in these pages , the cat’s cultural world and his familiar individual identity are melting away . much of the rabbi’s cat’s underwater dream is also echoed in the geography of paris . in fact , on page 104 in the middle left panel , the heavy rain skews the figures , so they appear to be drowning underwater as well . paris is depicted as grey , wet , and cold , imitating the muted colors underwater in the dream . throughout these scenes , zlabya’s bright red clothing serves as a symbol of their lasting algerian culture , but even this fades away . on page 107 , all of the characters , including zlabya , are completely grey , as if they have absorbed the geography surrounding them . this occurs only when the rabbi decides to leave zlabya , who says “let him go” ( 107 ) . indeed , zlabya feels anxious about her cultural difference from jules and his family , so she purchases parisian clothing on shabbat , representing the east’s gradual adoption of western jewish culture under colonial pressure .
“what a phenomenal film , thank you salma hayek for making this happen , ” said mehreen khawaja .
although the 3d boost adds little to what’s essentially old - fashioned , 2d animation , it makes some of the film’s more vivid moments stand out , with certain scenes ( including a disturbing itchy & scratchy - like recreation of a russian pogrom ) remaining embedded in one’s memory .
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 .
the announcements monday for the 40th annual annie awards , presented by the international animated film society , asifa - hollywood , encompass 30 categories including film , tv production , commercials , short subjects , video games , student films and honorary and achievement awards .
when i thought the rabbi’s cat 2 couldn’t get any better than the first one , i was wrong ! in the end , nothing is as it seems – simply look at malka of the lions , the rabbi’s cousin . the cat who is still nameless regains his speech and suddenly speaks a variety of languages , which we will see comes in handy . although he’s often to hold his mouth shut . how familiar does that sound ? comparing it to our modern society ? what about a nice reminder of how easily we judge others , people who are different ? religions ? and how thin the line is between double standards and racism ? great portion of history , culture and humour !
one of the many things i like about sfar ' s rabbi ' s cat works is how he depicts people from various cultures getting along as friends , disagreeing with each other , discussing their different faiths , arguing and agreeing and in the end , being adults about it . there are some fanatic characters which are there to highlight the more reasonable ones , too . the titular cat is there to philosophise and argue with the best of them . this is a magical realism series - apart from the talking animals ( the shi
fatma al remaihi , the acting chief executive of the doha film institute , said : “it has most of the elements of something that you would want to represent doha film institute , with the voices from the region , with the quality it was made in and using the local talent that we have . ”
in reading your essay , i’m led to believe that we might not be in as much disagreement as you think in regards to the quote you cited . i definitely believe that the ending of the film is a fitting one . what i meant with the statement quoted above was that the plot doesn’t really resolve itself in a typical manner , which is why a lot of people come away from the film frustrated . however , the ending completely resolves the film on a thematic level . plot - wise , the ending is ambiguous . the film doesn’t offer the “why” to the major questions posed in the last two scenes . it’s that ambiguity that ties the entire film together as “a parable about the unknown and how we all must accept the not - knowing through whatever method makes the most sense to us . ”
urltoken [ return ] [ return ] a compilation of two albums telling two quite different stories . the first ,
heaven on earth
, is a bit of a meditation on stories and telling them through the mysterious figure of malka , the rabbi ' s cousin whose companion is an aging lion , set against the real background of the rise of an anti - semitic regime in algiers in the mid - 1930s . in the second ,
africa ' s jerusalem
, the rabbi , his cat and friends set off to explore their continent
subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken like us on facebook : urltoken follow us on twitter : urltoken the rabbi ' s cat us release trailer 1 ( 2012 ) - animated movie hd set in algeria in the 1920s , a rabbi ' s cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to judaism . cast : mathieu amalric : urltoken director : antoine delesvaux antoine delesvaux joann sfar producer : antoine delesvaux clement oubrerie antoine delesvaux joann sfar writer : sandrina jardel joann sfar editor : maryline monthieux cinematographer : jérôme brézillon composer : olivier daviaud
the film’s plot centers around not only larry’s suffering but , more importantly , his search for answers . that search eventually leads to larry’s meeting with the rabbis of his synagogue and to his assumption that the suffering he is enduring is all part of god’s will . as larry puts it ,
the boss isn’t always right , but he’s always the boss .
but the coens find the absurdity in our inability to understand the nature of our existence and pepper the film with clues about how the will of god isn’t so abundantly clear . when larry meets with rabbi scott he is told that his problems stem from the fact that he’s simply lost the ability to see hashem ( the jewish word for
the name
of god ) in the world . the scene is played for laughs as rabbi scott instructs larry to look out the window and see hashem in the parking lot , a ridiculous notion for a rational man such as larry . later in the film , before he goes to visit the second rabbi , rabbi nachtner , larry is involved in a car accident at precisely the same moment as the car accident that kills sy . the coens edit together the scenes of larry and sy driving toward their impending crashes in a way that confuses the relationship between the two , making it seem as though the two scenes are connected before larry’s crash abruptly signals the false logic behind such a connection . the absurdity of larry’s question to rabbi nachtner—
is hashem trying to tell me that sy ableman is me , or that we are all one , or something
—further emphasizes the notion that if you go looking for a message from god you’re going to find one whether it actually exists or not .
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sfar and his co - director amplify the story with a succession of visits to the rabbi ' s house by guests and encounters with strangers . the rabbi hosts his cousin malka of the lions ( jean - pierre kalfon ) and on a pilgrimage to a saint ' s tomb , joins another cousin , mohammed sfar ( fellag sheik ) , a sufi lover of god whose openness to the variety of faiths is admirable . the sheik ' s donkey also talks .