Didn't catch a ton of films this year - mostly here and there at festivals, some in Taiwanese theatres, and a few back in the States. Here were my favorite ones.
In no particular order:
Last Train Home
Lixin Fan's documentary about a migrant worker family in China is not just visually amazing, but heartbreaking. I could watch his shots of people looking out of train windows all day...
Greenberg
Margot at the Wedding made me feel miserable. Greenberg also made me feel miserable, but by the end somehow I was feeling warm and fuzzy. Greta Gerwig is awesome. I had to wikipedia mumblecore to find out what it was.
Toy Story 3
Pure storytelling. I love the Totoro.
True Grit
For the opening shot alone.
Bi, Don't Be Afraid
A Vietnamese film I saw in Toronto - I will never think of ice the same way again.
Social Network
Way more entertaining than it has a right to be. Can you believe this was shot on a Red camera?
Winter's Bone
Such a great sense of place and an amazing accomplishment acheived with so little. Debra Granik is a badass.
The Fourth Portrait
The best Taiwanese film this year. The cinematography (shot by the director!) is ridiculous.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
BAY AREA FILMS
The under-appreciated "So I Married an Axe Murderer" was playing on HBO Taiwan the other night...I watched about half of it and actually quite enjoyed how they shot San Francisco, especially the sections in North Beach. Got me thinking of some good Bay Area films:
"Zodiac/The Game"
David Fincher is a Bay-Area native so his take on the city is always very authentic, but what's really cool is that in the Game, he avoids San Francisco landmarks altogether and shoots the city mostly at a claustrophobic street level - the Financial Center at night is especially eerie. Michael Douglas jumps off the roof of the Palace Hotel. Sean Penn goes nuts somewhere near Nob Hill.
"Vertigo"
Alfred Hitchcock does it very picturesque. Nice views of the bay looking out from California.
"So I Married an Axe Murderer"
I liked the North Beach stuff (with all the beat poet stuff). The trip to Alcatraz is kind of lame.
"The Rock"
Sean Connery escapes from the Fairmont (or was it the Four Seasons). He tries to reconcile with his daughter inside the Palace of Fine Arts. VX nerve gas rockets aimed at San Francisco!
"The Conversation"
One of my favorite Coppola movies. The opening scene in Union Square is awesome - voyeuristic zooms with those creepy 70s sound effects. Also love the scene at Embarcadero Center with a young and dapper Harrison Ford.
"Sneakers"
Robert Redford gets thrown in the trunk of a car and has to rely on the repetitous sound of the bridge segments to retrace his steps (was it the Dumbarton Bridge? Who actually takes the Dumbarton Bridge?) I remember there also being a sweet shot of the Bay Bridge from around the Embarcadero and Market.
"The Presidio"
I don't remember anything about the Presidio.
"A View to a Kill"
Roger Moore fighting atop the Golden Gate Bridge!
"The Graduate"
Dustin Hoffman driving the wrong way on the Bay Bridge. That one frathouse on the corner of College and Durant in Berkeley...
"Innerspace"
Dennis Quaid tearing through the city in his sports car. I think the bad guys all lived in Silicon Valley.
"Harold and Maude"
Almost in my backyard...I think it was shot mostly in Hillsborough and San Mateo Park.
"Milk"
The Castro mostly - also cool shots inside City Hall...
NANJING ARTWORK
I was at the Golden Horse Film and Television Project Market last month looking for financiers/sales agents/production partners for "Nanjing East Road" (what I hope is our next film project).
Here's a simple postcard thing we put together (all the photos are from old business magazines from 1982. The font is signage from from the 80's).
Here's a simple postcard thing we put together (all the photos are from old business magazines from 1982. The font is signage from from the 80's).
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
PUNCH DRUNK LOVE
I was in Honolulu this week for the Hawaiian International Film Festival. I went and found the Royal Hawaiian Hotel to take this photo.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
PUSAN
Was at the Pusan International Film Festival last week for a screening of Au Revoir. I haven't been back there since 2007 for the PPP (Pusan Promotion Plan) - which is the first time we officially pitched the film, and probably the first time I got to really see how the film business actually works.
It was kind of strange to be back there again, three years later - doesn't feel like that long ago, but making Au Revoir felt like it took forever. I guess it was some form of closure, but there was definitely something sad about finally screening the completed film for Pusan audiences.
On the plus side, there were a lot of cute Korean girls armed with phone cameras that rushed us after the screening.
It was kind of strange to be back there again, three years later - doesn't feel like that long ago, but making Au Revoir felt like it took forever. I guess it was some form of closure, but there was definitely something sad about finally screening the completed film for Pusan audiences.
On the plus side, there were a lot of cute Korean girls armed with phone cameras that rushed us after the screening.
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