There have been a lot of lists about the best films of the 21st century. IndieWire has been digging through the last two decades one genre at a time; meanwhile, the New York Times’ top movie critics provided their own takes. J. Hoberman, the longtime Village Voice film critic who now works as a freelancer, decided to join the fray. Here’s his take, also available at his site, and republished here with permission.
People have been asking me, so I thought I might as well join (or crash) the party initiated by the New York Times and put in my two cents regarding the 25 Best Films of the 21st Century (so far). I don’t see “everything” anymore and I haven’t been to Cannes since 2011.
There is some overlap but this is not the same as the proposed 21-film syllabus of 21st Century cinema included in my book “Film After Film.” Those were all in their way pedagogical choices. Begging the question of what “best” means, these are all movies that I really like, that I’m happy to see multiple times, that are strongly of their moment and that I think will stand the test of time.
My single “best” film-object is followed by a list of 11 filmmakers and one academic production company (in order of “best-ness”) responsible for two or more “best films,” these followed by another eight individual movies (again in order) and finally four more tentatively advanced films (these alphabetical). I’m sure I’m forgetting some but that’s the nature of the beast.
Christian Marclay: “The Clock”
Lars von Trier: “Dogville” & “Melancholia” (and none of his others)
Hou Hsiao Hsien: “The Assassin” & “Flight of the Red Balloon”
Jean-Luc Godard: “In Praise of Love” & “Goodbye to Language”
David Cronenberg: “Spider,” “A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises,” & “A Dangerous Method”
David Lynch: “Mulholland Drive” & “Inland Empire”
Ken Jacobs: “Seeking the Monkey King,” “The Guests” (and more)
Cristi Puiu: “The Death of Mr Lazarescu” & “Aurora”
Chantal Akerman: “No Home Movie” & “La Captive” (assuming that 2000 is part of the 21st Century)
Paul Thomas Anderson: “The Master” & “There Will Be Blood”
Kathryn Bigelow: “The Hurt Locker” & “Zero Dark Thirty”
Alfonso Cuarón: “Gravity” & “Children of Men”
Sensory Ethnology Lab: “Leviathan,” “Manakamana,” & “People’s Park”
“The Strange Case of Angelica” — Manoel de Oliviera
“Corpus Callosum” — Michael Snow
“West of the Tracks” — Wang Bing
“Carlos” — Olivier Assayas
“Che” — Steven Soderbergh
“Ten” — Abbas Kariostami
“Russian Ark” — Aleksandr Sokurov
“The World” — Jia Zhangke
“Citizenfour” — Laura Poitras
“Day Night Day Night” — Julia Loktev
“Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” — Nuri Bilge Ceylan
“Wall-e” — Andrew Stanton
Related stories'Transformers: The Last Knight' Review: Here's the Most Ridiculous Hollywood Movie of the Year'En El Séptimo Dia' Review: Jim McKay's First Movie in a Decade is the Summer's Surprise Crowdpleaser'All Eyez on Me' Review: Tupac Shakur's Complicated Life Deserves More Than This Sprawling Biopic...
People have been asking me, so I thought I might as well join (or crash) the party initiated by the New York Times and put in my two cents regarding the 25 Best Films of the 21st Century (so far). I don’t see “everything” anymore and I haven’t been to Cannes since 2011.
There is some overlap but this is not the same as the proposed 21-film syllabus of 21st Century cinema included in my book “Film After Film.” Those were all in their way pedagogical choices. Begging the question of what “best” means, these are all movies that I really like, that I’m happy to see multiple times, that are strongly of their moment and that I think will stand the test of time.
My single “best” film-object is followed by a list of 11 filmmakers and one academic production company (in order of “best-ness”) responsible for two or more “best films,” these followed by another eight individual movies (again in order) and finally four more tentatively advanced films (these alphabetical). I’m sure I’m forgetting some but that’s the nature of the beast.
Christian Marclay: “The Clock”
Lars von Trier: “Dogville” & “Melancholia” (and none of his others)
Hou Hsiao Hsien: “The Assassin” & “Flight of the Red Balloon”
Jean-Luc Godard: “In Praise of Love” & “Goodbye to Language”
David Cronenberg: “Spider,” “A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises,” & “A Dangerous Method”
David Lynch: “Mulholland Drive” & “Inland Empire”
Ken Jacobs: “Seeking the Monkey King,” “The Guests” (and more)
Cristi Puiu: “The Death of Mr Lazarescu” & “Aurora”
Chantal Akerman: “No Home Movie” & “La Captive” (assuming that 2000 is part of the 21st Century)
Paul Thomas Anderson: “The Master” & “There Will Be Blood”
Kathryn Bigelow: “The Hurt Locker” & “Zero Dark Thirty”
Alfonso Cuarón: “Gravity” & “Children of Men”
Sensory Ethnology Lab: “Leviathan,” “Manakamana,” & “People’s Park”
“The Strange Case of Angelica” — Manoel de Oliviera
“Corpus Callosum” — Michael Snow
“West of the Tracks” — Wang Bing
“Carlos” — Olivier Assayas
“Che” — Steven Soderbergh
“Ten” — Abbas Kariostami
“Russian Ark” — Aleksandr Sokurov
“The World” — Jia Zhangke
“Citizenfour” — Laura Poitras
“Day Night Day Night” — Julia Loktev
“Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” — Nuri Bilge Ceylan
“Wall-e” — Andrew Stanton
Related stories'Transformers: The Last Knight' Review: Here's the Most Ridiculous Hollywood Movie of the Year'En El Séptimo Dia' Review: Jim McKay's First Movie in a Decade is the Summer's Surprise Crowdpleaser'All Eyez on Me' Review: Tupac Shakur's Complicated Life Deserves More Than This Sprawling Biopic...
- 6/20/2017
- by J. Hoberman
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Company’s titles include a Cheng Wei Hao crime thriller and a drama exec produced by Hou Hsiao Hsien.
MandarinVision has brought a new slate of titles from Taiwan to Hong Kong Filmart, including crime thriller Who Killed Cock Robin, which reunites The Tag Along [pictured] director Cheng Wei Hao with his actress Hsu Wei Ning.
The new film, also starring Kaiser Chuang, Ko Chia Yen and Christopher Lee, is about an enthusiastic journalist’s investigation into a long-forgotten hit-and-run accident. It will open on March 31 in Taiwan.
Also on the company’s slate are Huang Xi’s Missing Johnny, a relationship drama executive produced by Hou Hsiao Hsien, and Huang A Yao’s The Great Buddha+, executive produced by Godspeed director Chung Mong Hong, a dark comedy about a security guard who unleashes a chaotic chain reaction after watching the private videos of his boss. Both debut features are in post-production.
The Taiwan-based...
MandarinVision has brought a new slate of titles from Taiwan to Hong Kong Filmart, including crime thriller Who Killed Cock Robin, which reunites The Tag Along [pictured] director Cheng Wei Hao with his actress Hsu Wei Ning.
The new film, also starring Kaiser Chuang, Ko Chia Yen and Christopher Lee, is about an enthusiastic journalist’s investigation into a long-forgotten hit-and-run accident. It will open on March 31 in Taiwan.
Also on the company’s slate are Huang Xi’s Missing Johnny, a relationship drama executive produced by Hou Hsiao Hsien, and Huang A Yao’s The Great Buddha+, executive produced by Godspeed director Chung Mong Hong, a dark comedy about a security guard who unleashes a chaotic chain reaction after watching the private videos of his boss. Both debut features are in post-production.
The Taiwan-based...
- 3/13/2017
- by screenasia@yahoo.com (Silvia Wong)
- ScreenDaily
Director Midi Z went to unusual lengths on his love story about Burmese immigrants in Thailand, the first co-production between Taiwan, France, Germany and Myanmar.
The Road To Mandalay marks the first outing at the Venice Film Festival (Aug 31 - Sept 10) for Myanmar-born, Taiwan-based director Midi Z, whose reputation is fast on the rise. His last two films, Ice Poison (2014) and documentary City Of Jade (2016), premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The Road To Mandalay is the sole Chinese-language narrative film playing at Venice this year. The main characters are Burmese-Chinese who speak the Chinese Yunnan dialect, like Midi Z himself.
According to the director, the Burmese believe there are three ways to escape poverty, “One is to become a drug smuggler, one is to work in the jade mines and the third is to smuggle yourself into another country.”
While his previous films have addressed the above issues in one way or another, The Road To Mandalay features...
The Road To Mandalay marks the first outing at the Venice Film Festival (Aug 31 - Sept 10) for Myanmar-born, Taiwan-based director Midi Z, whose reputation is fast on the rise. His last two films, Ice Poison (2014) and documentary City Of Jade (2016), premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The Road To Mandalay is the sole Chinese-language narrative film playing at Venice this year. The main characters are Burmese-Chinese who speak the Chinese Yunnan dialect, like Midi Z himself.
According to the director, the Burmese believe there are three ways to escape poverty, “One is to become a drug smuggler, one is to work in the jade mines and the third is to smuggle yourself into another country.”
While his previous films have addressed the above issues in one way or another, The Road To Mandalay features...
- 8/31/2016
- ScreenDaily
We present the list of winners of the 10th Asian Film Awards that took place on March 17th at The Venetian Theatre in the city if Macao.
It was a big night for The Assassin as the movie grab eight awards (Best Film, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Original Music, Production Design and Sound). On second place we have Port of Call by Philip Yung with two awards (Best Newcomer and Best Editing)
Best Film
The Assassin (Nie yin niang) by Hou Hsiao-Hsien Hong Kong, China, Taiwan | 2015
Best Director
Hou Hsiao Hsien for the film The AssassinHong Kong, China, Taiwan | 2015
Best Actor
Lee Byung-Hun for the film Inside Man – South Korea
Best Actress
Shu Qi for the film The Assassin – Hong Kong, China, Taiwan
Best Supporting Actor
Asano Tadanoby for the film Journey to the Shore – Japan
Best Supporting Actress
Zhou Yun for the film The Assassin – Hong Kong,...
It was a big night for The Assassin as the movie grab eight awards (Best Film, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Original Music, Production Design and Sound). On second place we have Port of Call by Philip Yung with two awards (Best Newcomer and Best Editing)
Best Film
The Assassin (Nie yin niang) by Hou Hsiao-Hsien Hong Kong, China, Taiwan | 2015
Best Director
Hou Hsiao Hsien for the film The AssassinHong Kong, China, Taiwan | 2015
Best Actor
Lee Byung-Hun for the film Inside Man – South Korea
Best Actress
Shu Qi for the film The Assassin – Hong Kong, China, Taiwan
Best Supporting Actor
Asano Tadanoby for the film Journey to the Shore – Japan
Best Supporting Actress
Zhou Yun for the film The Assassin – Hong Kong,...
- 3/18/2016
- by Sebastian Nadilo
- AsianMoviePulse
In an online free live stream conference the Asian Film Award Academy announced the list of nominees for the 10th Asian Film Awards. The Assassin (Taiwan) by Hsiao-Hsien Hou lead the list with 9 nominations (Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Original Music, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design and Best Sound), Then comes Bajirao Mastani (India) by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Best Film, Best Editing, Best Original Music, Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects) and Port of Call (Hong Kong) by Philip Yung (Best Supporting Actress, Best Newcomer, Best Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Cinematography) with 5 nominations each. Mountains May Depart (China) by Jia Zhang Ke, Mr. Six (China) by Guan Hu and Veteran (South Korea) by Ryoo Seung-wan have 4 nominations each.
Best Film
The Assassin (Nie yin niang) by Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Hong Kong, China, Taiwan | 2015 Bajirao Mastani by Sanjay Leela Bhansali – India...
Best Film
The Assassin (Nie yin niang) by Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Hong Kong, China, Taiwan | 2015 Bajirao Mastani by Sanjay Leela Bhansali – India...
- 2/3/2016
- by Sebastian Nadilo
- AsianMoviePulse
Nominations for the 10th Asian Film Awards were announced today in Hong Kong, and Hou Hsiao Hsien's wuxia drama The Assassin unsurprisingly leads the pack with 9 nominations. Appearing in the Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, the Cannes winner will also contend for Best Cinematography, Original Music, Costume Design, Production Design and Best Sound.Philip Yung's local crime drama Port Of Call, which has been warmly received at festivals around the world since its debut at last year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, secured 5 nominations, including Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor, Best Newcomer and Best Editing, but missed out in the major categories.Joining The Assassin in the Best Picture race are Mountains May Depart and Mr. Six...
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- 2/3/2016
- Screen Anarchy
Hou Hsiao Hsien's 'The Assassin' Review : Does it live up to the hype?STORY70%ACTING70%DIRECTING80%VISUALS90%POSITIVESTechical prowess in all aspectsArtful directionNEGATIVESScarce action2016-01-1478%Overall ScoreReader Rating: (1 Vote)81%
The film by Hou Hsia Hsen won the Best Director and Best Soundtrack awards from the Cannes Film Festival and swooped up the Taiwanese Golden Horse Awards, winning five, including those for Best Director, Best Feature Film and Best Cinematography. Moreover, the reviews from all over the world were almost exclusively dithyrambic, with the majority stressing that he invigorated the wuxia genre and characterizing it a masterpiece. Is that the case though? And how much of wuxia is “The Assassin” actually? Let us take things from the beginning though.
The story takes place in 8th century China, a time of great upheaval that resulted in the dethronement of the Tang dynasty. The central character of the story is Nie Yinniang,...
The film by Hou Hsia Hsen won the Best Director and Best Soundtrack awards from the Cannes Film Festival and swooped up the Taiwanese Golden Horse Awards, winning five, including those for Best Director, Best Feature Film and Best Cinematography. Moreover, the reviews from all over the world were almost exclusively dithyrambic, with the majority stressing that he invigorated the wuxia genre and characterizing it a masterpiece. Is that the case though? And how much of wuxia is “The Assassin” actually? Let us take things from the beginning though.
The story takes place in 8th century China, a time of great upheaval that resulted in the dethronement of the Tang dynasty. The central character of the story is Nie Yinniang,...
- 1/14/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
George Miller's action epic continues to pick up steam in awards season as it was named Best Film of 2015 today by the Online Film Critics Society, of which a number of Twitch's contributors are members. Miller also nabbed the Best Director prize, as the film snatched both the Best Editing and Best Cinematography gongs to lead the pack with four awards.Todd Haynes' acclaimed romance Carol picked up three awards, including Best Actress of Cate Blanchett, Best Supporting Actress for Rooney Mara and Best Adapted Screenplay for Phyllis Nagy. Michael Fassbender was named Best Actor for Steve Jobs, Oscar Isaac won Best Supporting Actor for Ex_Machina, and Joel Singer and Tom McCarthy collected Best Original Screenplay for Spotlight.Hou Hsiao Hsien's The Assassin beat off stiff...
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- 12/14/2015
- Screen Anarchy
South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan recently announced their submissions to the Oscars for the Best Foreign Language Film. Since 2008, when ‘Departures’ won the award, none of the later contestants has been nominated. This year though, at least the Taiwanese entry has high hopes.
The Korean Film Council (Kofic) submitted The Throne, a Joseon-era movie concerning king Yeong Jo, who locked his son, Prince Santo, in a chest, leaving him to die from asphyxiation. Directed by Lee Joon Ik, whose 2006 costume drama, The King and the Clown was also submitted, the film features Song Kang Ho as the king. The Throne was released in Korea in September 16.
The Motion Pictures Producers Association of Japan submitted 100 Yen Love, about a slacker girl, her relationship with a boxer and her taking up of boxing. Masaharu Take directs and Sakura Ando is the main lead, in a role that has netted her Best Actress...
The Korean Film Council (Kofic) submitted The Throne, a Joseon-era movie concerning king Yeong Jo, who locked his son, Prince Santo, in a chest, leaving him to die from asphyxiation. Directed by Lee Joon Ik, whose 2006 costume drama, The King and the Clown was also submitted, the film features Song Kang Ho as the king. The Throne was released in Korea in September 16.
The Motion Pictures Producers Association of Japan submitted 100 Yen Love, about a slacker girl, her relationship with a boxer and her taking up of boxing. Masaharu Take directs and Sakura Ando is the main lead, in a role that has netted her Best Actress...
- 9/18/2015
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Rushes collects news, articles, images, videos and more for a weekly roundup of essential items from the world of film.Ace Hotel has several amazing photos by Stefanie Zoche and Sabine Haubitz of movie theatres in India. It sure makes us wish our neighborhood multiplex gave a damn about conjuring excitement for going out to the movies.We love Hou Hsiao Hsien's The Assassin, but it undoubtedly a difficult film to market. Most trailers have tried to pass of this contemplative drama as an action movie, but the above trailer gets the closest, so far, to the tone of the entire film.Speaking of trailers, we don't know what to say or think about the one for Michael Bay's 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, which seems to be combining the lean look of his great Pain & Gain with the "seriousness" of Pearl Harbor and his gross, overall...
- 8/5/2015
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Filipino director Lav Diaz among jury members.
Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf is to serve as president of the International Competition jury for the 5th On The Edge (Kray Sveta) International Film Festival (Aug 21-28) on the Russian island of Sakhalin in the North Pacific Ocean.
The jury will comprise: Filipino director Lav Diaz, who won Locarno’s Golden Leopard last year for From What Is Before; leading Russian actor Danila Kozlovsky, who made a recent foray into Hollywood with Vampire Academy; and actress Anna Chipovskaya whose recent credits include Shpion and Yolki 3.
Makhmalbaf’s last feature, The President, will be shown during the festival as a Russian premiere, and there will also be screenings of his documentary Daddy’s School. Diaz’s five-hour epic, From What Is Before, is also set to screen at the festival.
The Competition section is set to include such titles as Kim Ki-Duk’s latest feature Stop; Armenian filmmaker Aram Shakhbadzian...
Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf is to serve as president of the International Competition jury for the 5th On The Edge (Kray Sveta) International Film Festival (Aug 21-28) on the Russian island of Sakhalin in the North Pacific Ocean.
The jury will comprise: Filipino director Lav Diaz, who won Locarno’s Golden Leopard last year for From What Is Before; leading Russian actor Danila Kozlovsky, who made a recent foray into Hollywood with Vampire Academy; and actress Anna Chipovskaya whose recent credits include Shpion and Yolki 3.
Makhmalbaf’s last feature, The President, will be shown during the festival as a Russian premiere, and there will also be screenings of his documentary Daddy’s School. Diaz’s five-hour epic, From What Is Before, is also set to screen at the festival.
The Competition section is set to include such titles as Kim Ki-Duk’s latest feature Stop; Armenian filmmaker Aram Shakhbadzian...
- 7/30/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
"The enjoyment of a work of art, the acceptance of an irresistible illusion, constituting, to my sense, our highest experience of "luxury," the luxury is not greatest, by my consequent measure, when the work asks for as little attention as possible. It is greatest, it is delightfully, divinely great, when we feel the surface, like the thick ice of the skater's pond, bear without cracking the strongest pressure we throw on it. The sound of the crack one may recognise, but never surely to call it a luxury." —Henry James, from The Preface to The Wings of the Dove (1909) "[The critic’s] choice of best salami is a picture backed by studio build-up, agreement amongst his colleagues, a layout in Life mag (which makes it officially reasonable for an American award), and a list of ingredients that anyone’s unsophisticated aunt in Oakland can spot as comprising a distinguished film. This prize picture,...
- 7/27/2015
- by Greg Gerke
- MUBI
I'm just going to come out and say it: 2015 has been a really disappointing year for Asian Cinema so far. I didn't get to go to Cannes, so I have yet to see promising offerings from the likes of Hou Hsiao Hsien, Jia Zhangke, Koreeda Hirokazu and Apichatpong Weerasethakul among others, but what has made its way to screens in Hong Kong so far in 2015 has been a meagre selection of notable works.Before I dive into my Top 10 for the first half of the year, I will give special mentions to Jiang Wen's Gone With The Bullets, Herman Yau's Sara, Yoo Ha's Gangnam Blues, Adrian Kwan's Little Big Master and Narushima Izuru's Solomon's Perjury - all of which displayed elements of interest,...
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- 7/6/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Theater Mania Juliette Binoche to return to the stage with Sophocles' Antigone
Playbill interviews Laura Benanti
Variety the charming animated fable Song of the Sea takes Best Picture at the Irish Film Awards. Have you seen it yet? It was very nearly my favorite of last year's animated pictures.
Guardian interviews Vincent Cassell on his disturbing Australian drama Partisan with a look back at his now-classic breakthrough in La Haine (which might get a sequel)
Variety critics hash out the best and worst of Cannes together with the most fascinating split being on Hou Hsiao Hsien's The Assassin which Debruge finds "impenetrable" and for which Chang expresses rapturous love. (Note: they also seem to admire Carol more than love it - which is why I've always been less bullish than most early Oscar prognosticators in assuming AMPAS's future love for it)
Nick Davis, Tim Brayton, Ivan Albertson and...
Playbill interviews Laura Benanti
Variety the charming animated fable Song of the Sea takes Best Picture at the Irish Film Awards. Have you seen it yet? It was very nearly my favorite of last year's animated pictures.
Guardian interviews Vincent Cassell on his disturbing Australian drama Partisan with a look back at his now-classic breakthrough in La Haine (which might get a sequel)
Variety critics hash out the best and worst of Cannes together with the most fascinating split being on Hou Hsiao Hsien's The Assassin which Debruge finds "impenetrable" and for which Chang expresses rapturous love. (Note: they also seem to admire Carol more than love it - which is why I've always been less bullish than most early Oscar prognosticators in assuming AMPAS's future love for it)
Nick Davis, Tim Brayton, Ivan Albertson and...
- 5/26/2015
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
With only one more film to screen at Cannes 68 – Macbeth – the Screen International team of jurors are tied for their lead film.
International critics have voted Hou Hsiao Hsien’s wuxia wonder The Assassin into the joint lead alongside Todd Haynes’ Carol, both tying at 3.5 (out of a possible 4).
Films such as Youth, by Paolo Sorrentino, and Mountains May Depart, from Jia Zhangke, scored strongly across the board as well, but not enough to assail either Carol or The Assassin.
Final titles including Valley of Love and Chronic, by Michel Franco, failed to sway our international jury, which include representatives from the UK (The Times, Sight & Sound), France (Positif, Liberation), Germany (Der Tagesspiegel), Italy (Il Messaggero), the Us (The Village Voice), Thailand (Bangkok Post) and Australia (The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald).
It is a tense time in Cannes Competition as Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth plays the festival out and the jury, led by the...
International critics have voted Hou Hsiao Hsien’s wuxia wonder The Assassin into the joint lead alongside Todd Haynes’ Carol, both tying at 3.5 (out of a possible 4).
Films such as Youth, by Paolo Sorrentino, and Mountains May Depart, from Jia Zhangke, scored strongly across the board as well, but not enough to assail either Carol or The Assassin.
Final titles including Valley of Love and Chronic, by Michel Franco, failed to sway our international jury, which include representatives from the UK (The Times, Sight & Sound), France (Positif, Liberation), Germany (Der Tagesspiegel), Italy (Il Messaggero), the Us (The Village Voice), Thailand (Bangkok Post) and Australia (The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald).
It is a tense time in Cannes Competition as Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth plays the festival out and the jury, led by the...
- 5/22/2015
- by halliganfinn@gmail.com (Fionnuala Halligan)
- ScreenDaily
Taiwanese film director Hou Hsiao Hsien is known for a kind of hyper-contemplative realism, but for his latest effort, he’s gone in a major gear shift direction by making a martial arts wuxia film. Although he’s known for polar opposite films like "Millennium Mambo" (a film we listed as one of the best movies of 2003) and "Three Times," he’s apparently always wanted to do a fighting film, and that's what he's done with his latest, “The Assassin.” This is his first film since 2008s’ “Flight of the Red Balloon.” It has been rumored to show in Cannes for the past couple of years, but he reveals he had trouble getting the backing. “I’ve always had a dream to make this story into a film. I first came across the Tang Dynasty legendary tales when I was in university studying film, and before that I had read...
- 5/14/2015
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Hou Hsiao Hsien's The Assassin has not even hit screens yet but that did not stop Well Go USA from picking up the North American rights for the Chinese auteur's Taiwanese martial arts pic.Well Go USA CEO Doris Pfardrescher was quoted in the report at Deadline. "We have a proud history of supporting films from Taiwan, and Hou Hsiao-Hsien is a legend," said Pfardrescher. "It's like someone made a wish list, and we got everything we could have hoped for: Iconic director, stellar cast, and this exciting, moving story - we're very excited to bring this to North America."The film will have its world premiere on May 21st.Set in ninth century China, the movie centers on Nie Yinniang, the 10-year-old daughter of a decorated general, who is...
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- 5/11/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Last year's edition of the Cannes International Film Festival brought with it the usual early awards possibilities. Some went the distance (Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" in a number of categories). Others fell short (Mike Leigh's "Mr. Turner"). But while Sundance is certainly stepping up its awards-relevance game, the Croisette is where people really start pondering how the film year will shake out once the Oscar drums start banging late in the fall. One person who has leaned into the fest heavily the last couple of years is Harvey Weinstein. He has consistently held an event showcasing materials for The Weinstein Company's upcoming releases there, but this year he has a pair of films actually in competition that could make waves on the circuit. And it all starts with one of the most long-awaited films of the bunch. Todd Haynes' adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's "Carol" is, along with...
- 5/11/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
The Official Selection of the 68th Festival de Cannes was announced this Thursday, 16 April during the press conference held by Pierre Lescure and Thierry Frémaux in Paris. Opening film : Emmanuelle Bercot La TÊTE Haute (Standing Tall) Out of Comp. 2h00 *** Jacques Audiard Dheepan (Temporary Title) 1h49 Stéphane BRIZÉ La Loi Du MARCHÉ (A Simple Man) 1h32 Valérie Donzelli Marguerite Et Julien (Marguerite And Julien) 1h50 Matteo Garrone Il Racconto Dei Racconti (The Tale Of Tales) 2h05 Todd Haynes Carol 1h58 Hou Hsiao Hsien Nie Yinniang (The Assassin) 2h00 Jia Zhang-Ke Shan He Gu Ren (Moutains May Depart) 2h00 Kore-eda Hirokazu Umimachi Diary (Our Little Sister) 2h03 Justin Kurzel MacBeth 1h53 Yorgos Lanthimos The Lobster 1h58 MAÏWENN Mon Roi 2h10 Nanni Moretti Mia Madre 1h42 László Nemes Saul Fia (Son Of Saul) 1 er film 1h47 Paolo Sorrentino Youth 1h58 Joachim Trier Louder Than Bombs 1h45 Gus Van Sant The Sea Of Trees...
- 4/16/2015
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
The lineup for the 68th Annual Cannes Film Festival was unveiled Thursday morning, with announcements for the competition, Un Certain Regards and Out of Competition categories all included. Among this year’s lineup are new films from Todd Haynes, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Matteo Garrone, Jia Zhang-Ke, Gus Van Sant, Denis Villeneuve and more.
Out of Competition, Woody Allen’s Irrational Man, George Miller’s blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, and the new Pixar film Inside Out, will all be making their World Premieres.
In competition and in the Un Certain Regard, some of the highlights include Todd Haynes’ Carol, his first film since 2007’s I’m Not There, and Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees, with him making his first return to the festival since 2011, and the first time he is back in Competition since Paranoid Park was nominated for the Palme D’Or in 2007.
Actress Natalie Portman...
Out of Competition, Woody Allen’s Irrational Man, George Miller’s blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, and the new Pixar film Inside Out, will all be making their World Premieres.
In competition and in the Un Certain Regard, some of the highlights include Todd Haynes’ Carol, his first film since 2007’s I’m Not There, and Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees, with him making his first return to the festival since 2011, and the first time he is back in Competition since Paranoid Park was nominated for the Palme D’Or in 2007.
Actress Natalie Portman...
- 4/16/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Woody Allen, Asif Kapadia, Natalie Portman and Pete Docter set for Out of Competition screenings.Cannes 2015Full line-upCOMMENT: surprises and no-showsBLOG: Comment and reactions
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Fremaux unveiled the Official Selection for its 68th edition (May 13-24) at a packed conference in Paris On Thursday morning.
“It’s a beautiful, fresh line-up which formulates ideas, takes risks and says something about the state of creativity in cinema around the world,” Fremaux told reporters at the Ugc Normandie Cinema on the Champs Elysées
The selection is a sign that Fremaux and his programming team are attempting to shake things up with Cannes old-timers vying for the Palme d’Or against a slew of first-time contenders.
Jacques Audiard’s provisionally titled Dheepan, Hou Hsiao Hsien’s The Assassin and Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre will compete with French director Valérie Donzelli’s Marguerite And Julien, Norwegian Joachim Trier’s Louder Than Bombs, Greek filmmaker...
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Fremaux unveiled the Official Selection for its 68th edition (May 13-24) at a packed conference in Paris On Thursday morning.
“It’s a beautiful, fresh line-up which formulates ideas, takes risks and says something about the state of creativity in cinema around the world,” Fremaux told reporters at the Ugc Normandie Cinema on the Champs Elysées
The selection is a sign that Fremaux and his programming team are attempting to shake things up with Cannes old-timers vying for the Palme d’Or against a slew of first-time contenders.
Jacques Audiard’s provisionally titled Dheepan, Hou Hsiao Hsien’s The Assassin and Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre will compete with French director Valérie Donzelli’s Marguerite And Julien, Norwegian Joachim Trier’s Louder Than Bombs, Greek filmmaker...
- 4/16/2015
- ScreenDaily
Read More: Cannes Will Open With a Film By a Female Director for the First Time Since 1987 New films from Todd Haynes, Denis Villeneuve, Gus Van Sant, Yorgos Lanthimos, Maiwenn and Paolo Sorrentino are included in this year's Cannes Film Festival competition for the Palme d'Or. Woody Allen's "Irrational Man," Pixar's latest "Inside Out" and George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road" will screen out of competition. In total, 17 films were added to the competition and 14 in the Un Certain Regard section. Additional films will be added to the lineup in the coming days. Competition "Dheepan" (working title), dir: Jacques Audiard "A Simple Man," dir: Stephane Brize "Marguerite and Julien," dir: Valerie Donzelli "The Tale of Tales," dir: Matteo Garrone "Carol," dir: Todd Haynes "The Assassin," dir: Hou Hsiao Hsien "Mountains May Depart," dir: Jia Zhang-Ke "Our Little Sister,"...
- 4/16/2015
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
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