|
Good Morning, Night Buongiorno,Notte
|
|
Marco Bellocchio
Italy | 2003 | 106mins | 35mm | Colour and Black
& White | Subtitled
In 1978, a young woman, Chiara, moves into a new
apartment with her boyfriend. On the face of it, she
lives an ordinary, routine existence, working in an
office, keeping herself to herself. Her life, however,
is a carefully constructed act, concealing her actual
existence as a member of the extreme Italian terrorist
group, Red Brigade. Specifically, she is a member
of a cell that is meticulously planning the kidnapping
of a prominent politician, in order to 'try' him and
execute him for his supposed crimes.
Based on the real life, kidnapping and murder of
Italian Prime Minister, Aldo Mor, Good Morning, Night
is a thoughtful, meditative piece which humanises
the apparently repugnant actions of a group of young
people. Free of moral judgment, this is a film of
enquiry.
Best Film - Venice Film Festival
|
| |
|
|
The Grudge
|
|
Takashi Shimizu
USA | 2004 | mins | 35mm | Colour
A remake of the Japanese horror film Ju-On, which
was also directed by Takashi Shimizu. Karen is a medical
student in Tokyo working to become a nurse. She lives
a relatively idyllic existence with her boyfriend,
Doug, until the day Alex, Karen's boss, asks her to
care for Claire, an elderly woman who is near-catatonic.
While checking in on Claire, Karen discovers an escalating
series of unexplained phenomena including apparitions
of the undead. They are the souls of a mother and
her young son, both killed in that very house years
previously. Eventually, these events lead her to discover
a young boy who is tied up in a closet with his hands
and feet taped together.
It's up to Karen and Doug to discover exactly who
is responsible for this and what the hell is going
on with all of the strange events unfolding before
their eyes.
|
| |
|
|
The Halo Effect
|
|
Lance Daly
Ireland| 2003 | 97mins | 35mm | Colour
Irish writer-director Lance Daly, follows up his
debut, Last Days In Dublin, with this tale set in
the nocturnal world of Dublin's fast food industry.
Fatso is the proprietor of what may be the worst
eaterie in the city, and is struggling to keep his
late night city centre chip shop in business, and,
less successfully, to keep his addiction under control.
His compulsive gambling is getting the better of him
and he has to contend with an endless succession of
loan sharks and debt collectors. Playing Good Samaritan
to an assortment of deadbeats, Fatso, it seems, can
save everyone but himself. As his debts spiral out
of control, he is forced to risk everything in a desperate
bid to survive.
Making impressively resourceful use of a low budget,
Daly has produced a dark and droll serious comedy
that is nimbly paced and punctuated with sharp, punchy
Dublin humour. Heading a spirited Irish cast, Stephen
Rea plays Fatso with the perfect combination of desperation
and resignation.
|
| |
|
