'Blue is the Warmest Color' is a Beautiful, Artful Epic
One of the most controversial and beautiful films of the year comes from France, where famed director Abdellatif Kechiche explores the very personal lives of two women and their intimate struggles with their relationship and each other.
Previous to it’s theatrical release, Blue is the Warmest Color found itself at the center of media scandal; a 151 minute run time, a 10 minute lesbian sex scene and other graphic moments were seen as exploitive, however, it’s these boundary-pushing moments that make the film not just another movie, but an artful epic.
Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Emma (Léa Seydoux) are high school students, at a time when self-discovery is at its’ peak. The two cross paths (literally) as Adèle is on her way to school and it only takes one glance for her to become smitten with Emma, the blue-haired pixie. A night out with friends brings Adèle to a gay bar, and it’s here where she runs into Emma again, but this time it’s different. Emma is already in a relationship with another woman and does not come on to Adèle at first; the two begin a friendship as innocent as Adèle herself. The sexual tension builds in their friendship, until one afternoon at the park, Adèle, who has no previous experience with gay relationships, can no longer hold back her feelings and kisses Emma gently on the lips. This is the beginning of their torrid relationship.
...the camera is not invasive, but rather floating alongside the characters through each scene and observing them in their most intimate moments.
At Sundance, the film was praised for its incredible filmmaking and cast, but quickly became noted for its 10-minute sex scene. This scene has been widely critiqued by journalists and audience members for being borderline pornographic and distasteful. While the scene is longer than necessary, the reason why it is in the film should not be overlooked; it is the first time Adèle and Emma consummate their relationship. The scene is not “sexy,” nor does it strive to be; its purpose is to show Adèle’s innocence and absolute love for the person she believes to be her soul mate, regardless of gender. This is the perfect example demonstrating the difference between “having sex” and “love-making.”
As far as Abdellatif’s directing style, he is known for rigidness and perfection; shooting over 100 takes of the same scene until he is completely satisfied. This approach most likely makes for a rough time on set, however, it’s translation onto the big screen is nothing short of perfection. In Blue is the Warmest Color, he approaches the project in a documentarian style of filmmaking; the camera is not invasive, but rather floating alongside the characters through each scene and observing them in their most intimate moments.
Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos have been praised for their performances as Emma and Adèle; there’s no doubt this film will launch their careers into more mainstream films. I was completely blown away by their dedication to the characters; as invasive as the film was, Seydoux and Exarchopoulos were not afraid to commit 100%.
You don't have to be gay or French to appreciate the magnitude of a film like Blue is the Warmest Color. At its’ core, it’s a film about coming of age and falling for your first love. The biggest disappointment would be if the drama surrounding the film overshadows its brilliance. Blue is the Warmest Color is a complete success for Abdellatif and I predict we’ll be hearing more about the film come awards season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ekBcdPzIk
Director Steve Hoover on 'Blood Brother'
First-time director Steve Hoover talks exclusively to CINEMACY about his experience making "Blood Brother," the Sundance-winning documentary about the story of a group of children infected with HIV and Rocky Braat, a disenchanted young American who makes it his mission to care for these kids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpd8AcXsXxo
'Blood Brother': One Man’s Mission to Make Orphaned Children Smile
Blood Brother is an emotional look into the desperate lives of orphaned children living with HIV in India, and one man’s determination to make them smile.
First-time director Steve Hoover embarks on a journey with his protagonist and best friend, humanitarian Rocky Braat, and together, travel to a poverty-stricken HIV orphanage to create a family with the children who have nothing.
The documentary draws you in from the second it hits the screen; a young girl is seen lifeless, flung over her father’s shoulder as a crowd of villagers are clearly in distress. It’s nighttime and the tension is high, even with the scene being a silent one. We gather that her father is trying to get his daughter to a hospital. He begins to wrap her in a blanket when, seconds later, her head snaps backward, face towards the sky. At this moment, we know she’s lost the battle. The scene ends abruptly, without explanation, and the title sequence of the film begins. It's unsettling, but a good preparation for what to expect about the documentary's tone.
This is what happens when you become close to someone, you accept the risk that they could break your heart.
For the most part, Blood Brother plays at a very quick and consistent pace, although the beginning drags a bit. Rocky’s family backstory is uncovered and his previous trip to India is discussed, although I believe the film could have done without the extra background and just focused on Rocky’s current time in India.
While at the HIV orphanage, Rocky is considered a hero, called “Anna,” meaning “big brother” to these children. It’s easy to see how at home Rocky feels around the children; his energy is at a constant high around them. Whether he’s playing guitar to the kids or being a human jungle gym, Rocky is their best friend and glimmer of hope. His special bonds are tested as he watches children die, or become so close to the brink of death that, in one instance, a boy falls ill and is given a survival rate of less than 10%. This is what happens when you become close to someone, you accept the risk that they could break your heart. Watching these moments are extremely powerful on screen.
Unlike other social justice documentaries, the weight of this film is heavy. Blood Brother is not only a remarkable film, it’s also Steve Hoover’s directorial debut, which is inspiring to all future filmmakers. The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2013, where it won the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. Blood Brother is an important film that should be seen by everyone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFJz1IFNawk
Lea Seydoux & Adele Exarchopoulos on 'Blue is the Warmest Color'
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Our interview with Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos is an intimate affair; only a handful of journalists share a table with the two beautiful actresses (and their English translator). Léa, best known for her role in Inglourious Basterds is polished in a sleek dress and bangles up her arms. Adèle, still a rookie to the feature film world, seems extremely down to earth as she even eats a chocolate chip cookie during our talk. Their unorthodox approaches to typical "Hollywood" conventions make for fantastic on-screen performances in Blue is the Warmest Color, as well as making for interesting conversation. We begin:
WERE YOU INSPIRED BY ANYONE IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE WHEN FILMING THIS MOVIE?
LÉA SEYDOUX: Yeah, I was inspired by someone that I know… This man that I’m talking about, I was deeply, deeply in love with him. Crazy in love.
ADÈLE EXARCHOPOULOS: For me, every experience is so different so I just tried to remember old love and the many states you can be when you’re in love. Especially your first love, when you think you’re gonna die.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE ON THE SET DURING THE SEX SCENES? THE ATMOSPHERE?
LS: The atmosphere, of course, was very difficult. [Director Abdellatif Kechiche] shoots with three cameras, sometimes four, so we were surrounded by cameras. It’s difficult to find intimacy sometimes. It’s difficult, but I think it was a very important part of the film.
IS IT TRUE THAT YOU SHOT THE ONE SEX SCENE OVER 10 DAYS?
LS: We spent many, many days… I don’t know if it was 10 days. We could spend 2 days on the same scene, then go back to another scene.
AE: It’s always difficult to make a sex scene, but in every scene there’s art.
LEA, DID YOU HAVE A HARD TIME CUTTING YOUR HAIR AND DYEING IT BLUE?
LS: Yes because [Abdellatif] wanted me to have blue hair many months before the shoot. It was kind of strange to look at myself, but I like to transform myself; Because of the hair I started to walk different. It’s really a process that I like and in France, you don’t really have that possibility. It’s rare [in France] to make a deep transformation.
WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE DIRECTING PROCESS?
LS: I think it was the repetition of doing hundreds and hundreds of takes. That was very difficult because you lose yourself, which is a good thing but it’s also very disturbing. We could spend, like, one week on one scene and it was the same scene the whole day. But I think it’s an experience, and it’s unique because it’s [Abdellatif’s] way of working and, as an actress, it was interesting to [push myself].
AE: I always wanted to work with him because he always gave justice to women. Even if it’s shocking sometimes, like the sex scene where it’s long and boring, I know he would always choose the best take.
WOULD YOU EVER WORK WITH A DIRECTOR [LIKE ABDELLATIF] AGAIN IN THE FUTURE?
LS: Yeah, but for me it’s not the thing I like the most.
THE SHOOT ENDED UP GOING OVER SCHEDULE BY THREE MONTHS, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
LS: All we did was work, we had no choice. At the end we shot seven days a week. We couldn’t see the end sometimes and we were scared, but the result is here and the fact that people like it and we won the Palme d'Or [at the Cannes Film Festival] and that says something. I think it will be a very important film for now and the future. We’re very proud of the film and that’s what makes me feel like it’s worth it.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE AFTER FILMING- DID YOU NEED A BREAK FROM EACH OTHER?
[LAUGHTER]
LS: No, we were very, very close. We’re very close friends now.
'The Fifth Estate': Half WikiLeaks Documentary, Half Dramatic Narrative
The Fifth Estate is, quite literally, the people who aim to keep other estates (such as the government, wealthy elite, press/media, etc) in check. These people are called whistleblowers, citizen journalists, watchdogs and, now infamously, WikiLeaks.
The film begins in 2010, just as WikiLeaks is becoming a recognized website. Julian Assange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Trek Into Darkness) teams up with an early thirties tech-guru Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl, Inglorious Bastards), and the two swiftly get WikiLeaks into the mainstream. The film’s climax comes when classified military documents are leaked to the website, which could alter U.S. history and the battle between what’s right vs. wrong plagues Julian and Daniel.
Julian and Daniel have competing views as to which course of action to take next. Julian wants to publish the original documents sans editing; while Daniel feels innocent lives could be at risk if certain facts are not omitted. This tension, however, doesn’t have enough of an emotional pull to get audiences to feel strongly one way or the other. In fact, the most interesting part of the film was not the dynamic between these two semi-flat characters, but rather it was the explanation into what WikiLeaks actually was. The infographics setting up the scenes were a good touch, as well as the unexpected surreal moments that took cues from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Being that national security and whistleblowers are a hot-button topic right now, this film should have been a knockout-opening weekend, but even a hot topic can’t overpower a weak story.
The Fifth Estate is based on actual events, taking some liberties, of course, but nonetheless tells the story of the rise of WikiLeaks and the crazy life of the man behind the madness. Rumor has it that real-life Julian Assange was completely anti the film's production so much so that he tried to persuade Benedict Cumberbatch to drop out. Being that national security and whistleblowers are a hot-button topic right now, this film should have been a knockout opening weekend, but even a hot topic can’t overpower a weak story; the film opened at a lousy $1.7 million.
Overall, The Fifth Estate is spread thin, focusing more on the personal life of Julian and Daniel rather than investing in the crux of their morality crisis. This noncommittal viewpoint of a "half WikiLeaks documentary/ half dramatic narrative" made for, ultimately, one mediocre film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT1wb8_tcYU
Benedict Cumberbatch Talks 'The Fifth Estate'
*The transcription was provided by DISNEY during the showing at the Toronto International Film Festival 2013*
PRESS: So, Benedict, we heard you were described by Daniel as a real Sherlock. He would see you in the morning, you would sit there and say all of these things you managed to observe that were totally accurate. So you’ve taken the role to heart or the role was just something that was inevitable in your life because you are Sherlock Holmes.
He’s very flattering, but no, I’m a far way off his brilliance.
Okay. And you’ve got so much this fall coming out... Have you had a week off in the past year?
Apparently I had ten days in the summer, but they went by in a bit of a blur. It’s been a very, very busy year, but it’s an embarrassment, the riches. I’m loathe to complain about them, I’m really enjoying it, and you know, as my erstwhile character Sherlock says, you know, a new job is as good as a change, or change is as good as a rest even. I think that’s what he says. He says it in signafore, so you guys can look it up and see how badly I can misquote him, let alone behave like him. But yeah, it’s been an amazing – it is an amazing time at the moment, and I’m really enjoying it.
How did you enjoy the hair in this movie?
I kind of did, I kind of did, and the eyes were a little bit more arduous. I quite liked, I had a kind of skunky badger thing with white run hair my normal sort dark hair on top – I did love the fact that for about six months last year, both in August: Osage and in 12 Years a Slave, I had my own color hair, which is great. But I really, I quite enjoyed it, I quite enjoyed putting the wigs on.
Does it take you there, like when you put on [the wig]?
It does a bit. Yeah, of course it does. I think the first time I put it on, and I kind of came into the room, people were like “Oh, wow!” And that’s a great thrill when you think, okay, well, something’s working. I mean, I think he’s got softer features, and I mean, I think I’m a little more angular, which sometimes makes me look a little weird and creepy with some of the wigs, and that’s not the intention at all. I just think that’s just the way I look and that’s not, you know, we weren’t trying to do that, but that’s just the different bone structure. I’ve got a longer face, he’s got a rounder face, so you know, it was a challenge. The harder thing was the contact lenses because I’ve never worn them before. They’re brilliant at it now –
What color are your eyes?
It’s just when you get to – brown eyes? No, blue. Well, I’ve got light aquamarine, greeny kind of things. It changes, whatever kind of light, I guess, is stronger, or color is stronger. But mine are lighter, that’s the thing, much, much lighter than his, and in certain lights his are just this really deep, rich kind of blue, and in other lights, they’re kind of slatey gray or dark, and so I wanted to kind of tone down my eyes a little bit, so that, as well as the teeth here, as well, I had a new set of kind of prosthetic teeth and a slightly bigger lip here to kind of push that forwards ‘cause I’ve got a very big bottom lip and it’s just we have a slightly different structure to our faces, so I wanted to try and experiment with that a little bit.
[INDISCERNABLE]
But that with the accent and the dialect, and also you know, the slight lisp as well, the hard ridge lisp, so it’s not a frontal, it’s like a shh, so it’s like that, you know. That was a huge change, I had a fantastic dialect coach called Sarah Shephard that helped me with that.
Did you talk to Bill about making Julian Assange somebody that the audience, if they couldn’t quite identify with him, they wouldn’t hate him?
It was important to me to portray him as a three-dimensional human being and not get into a slagging match about whether he was good or bad. I wanted to portray human characteristics about a man at the forefront of an incredible media revolution, with incredible ideas, whose controversy was born out of that primarily and not get bogged down in character assassinations which is so easy to come by, because people want a headline, they want to grab something and run with a two-dimensional story. And I like the way the film tackles that and I like the way that Julian talks about his appraisal in The New York Times as getting equal bidding for the state of his socks, as for collateral murder, kind of highlights that idiocy. So it was important to me to portray him in a balanced way.
I read that you communicated with Julian and at one point he attempted to dissuade you from doing the project. Can you describe your communications with him and what ways those informed you?
I tried to justify my reasons for doing the project and that was where that ended.
How do you see Julian’s relationship with Daniel? I mean, is it kind of like a master/slave thing?
I think it’s really complicated and it’s really for those two to disseminate it, not me as an actor outside of it. I think, you know, but in a moment of drama, you have empathy for your character, so I see his perspective as strongly as I can as now as an audience see both perspectives. It’s a very complex relationship, and two very complex characters. Daniel is no stooge, you know, he’s not this follower, he’s a smart guy, he’s an activist, he’s incredibly, you know, pragmatic. He’s not just a sort of blind acolyte. I think Julian has a magnetic hold over people and I think he’s an incredible spokesperson for an extraordinary idea that was borne out of his realization of it. And you know, he has very complex relationships with people because of that.
What was it like working with Meryl [Streep in your upcoming film August: Osage County]?
Well, because you know, I was about to – what was I about to do? Assange, I think it was, I think Julian was the next project. So I said, you know, where do you start with – ‘cause obviously with Julian, I’m not Australian, I don’t have the same speech pattern as him, other physical attributes and differences, his withholding himself, his gestures, all that sort of thing. So I kind of said to her, ‘cause she was just doing this incredible delivery, she was playing someone with esophageal cancer, it was high on drugs, downers, it was getting drunk at her husband’s wake, it was turning vulnerable into attack into lost into knowing into sexy, vampy. The gear shifts were sublime. And I just wondered how she was playing this orchestra of a performance, you know, and I said, well, chicken and egg, cart and horse, what gives? And she went, “I don’t know. I don’t really, I mean, with this it was different, I mean, all of it came at once. How about you?” Oh, thank fuck for that, ‘cause I don’t have a method, I wasn’t schooled in a method necessarily. I mean, I’ve got tools that I carry around very gratefully from my time at drama school and also what I’ve learned by working with people like Meryl and great directors like Bill and Danny Boyle and Tomas Alfredson and Richard Daystrom, I been so spoiled with the roster of talent I’ve worked with. So and like we both agreed, if you have one way of approaching it, it kind of limits what you do and also what other people can do with you, so it was reassuring, it was really reassuring. It’s a really nice moment.
'All The Boys Love Mandy Lane': Sex, Drugs, and Murder Starring Amber Heard
Mandy Lane is a blonde bombshell, the most popular girl in high school.
She's the fastest runner on the track team and she's admired for her disciplined, pure lifestyle. It's easy to see why all the boys (and girls) love "good girl" Mandy Lane although, in director Jonathan Levine's ( 50/50, The Wackness) independent film, Mandy exposes herself to her unsuspecting friends as being "not so innocent." This now-infamous horror film is finally being released after being shelved since 2006, and even though the release was delayed, the message still reads the same: Sex, drugs, and murder.
Most of the drama takes place during a getaway with Mandy Lane, played by Amber Heard (The Rum Diaries), and her group of popular friends: Red (Aaron Himelstein), Bird (Edwin Hodge) Jake (Luke Grimes) and their girlfriends, Chloe (Whitney Able) and Marlin (Melissa Price). The group stays in a remote cabin, sans neighbors, to just get drunk and unwind with each other. That first night alone is when the horror comes into action; slowly but surely, Mandy's friends are being brutally killed off, one by one.
The grainy footage adds to the horror element, making it purposefully unsettling to watch at times.
The live-in ranch hand Garth (Anson Mount) does his best to protect the teens from whatever it is that is terrorizing the group, but his efforts fail as another kid is killed. Part "who-done-it" mystery, part "wow that's a lot of blood" terror, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is nothing short of intense. The film does a great job of keeping the audience guessing until the very last second; it's full of twists and surprises that give the film edge and its cult-like status.
Amber Heard plays the fresh-faced Mandy Lane with conviction; her beauty juxtaposed with a (literal) killer instinct keeps the audience intrigued as to what's going to happen next. The grainy footage adds to the horror element, making it purposefully unsettling to watch at times. For die-hard fans of horror films, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane may fall short, however, it does it's best to artfully pay homage to the horror genre, making it at least an enjoyable film to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9lA94P7shQ
Review: 'Dislecksia: The Movie'
What do Billy Bob Thornton, founder of Tae Bo Billy Banks and director Harvey Hubbell V all have in common? Based on their outward appearance… nothing, but their similarities lay beneath the surface. All three are dyslexic, and share their story about living with their "learning difference" in Hubbell's documentary, Dislecksia: The Movie.
Dislecksia: The Movie is a comedic documentary that's goal is to educate audiences on the truth about dyslexia, as well as a way for those struggling with the condition to realize they're not alone. The film begins as a throwback to the 1950's informative video; exaggerated voice-over with cartoonish effects make the statistics easy to comprehend. Most of the documentary has the aesthetic of a 1990's sitcom filming on location; I was instantly reminded of an episode of "Full House." It doesn't seem like a very "modern" documentary in terms of look, but it is possible that was an artistic decision.
Most of the documentary has the aesthetic of a 1990's sitcom filming on location; I was instantly reminded of an episode of "Full House."
Hubbell, who directs the film, is also the pseudo-star; his struggles with dyslexia are at the forefront of the film, even though I personally found it more interesting to hear the stories of famous celebrities who have the condition, like Thornton (Sling Blade), actor Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos), soap opera star Sarah Joy Brown ("General Hospital") and author Stephen J. Cannell. Thornton recalls the only way he memorizes lines in his scripts are when they are read aloud to him. Brown confessed she didn’t read a book until high school. The film does a good job of motivating those who may feel discouraged by dyslexia; all the while, not making it seem like a mandatory school film.
I walked away with some interesting knowledge, like the fact that Albert Einstein was dyslexic and didn't even talk until he was seven years old. However, because I personally am not affected with the condition, I had a hard time 100% connecting to the film. At times, Dislecksia: The Movie tends to feel a bit “exclusive,” which can translate as a bit off-putting. Overall, as an audience member, you'll be inundated with facts about dyslexia and how to manage a happy, healthy life despite the struggle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_EIk6ebDDc