S.P.I.T. (A short film by Mtume Gant)

Here's some more press on Mtume Gant's recent short film Spit over at CutPrintFilm.com

enjoy

WILD TALES ("THE STRONGEST" & "LITTLE BOMB")

Ever since I started doing the “whole history of my life” series over at The Pink Smoke (which you should all read if you haven’t yet), I’ve started to get a little more personal with my writing here on PINNLAND EMPIRE.
Unfortunately, I lost over 2,000 words in the sixth entry in the series and I don’t have it in me to re-write/revisit what I wrote at the moment (kidney disease, diabetes, etc). Until then, take this lil' gem as a “light" entry in the whole history of my life…

"Little Bomb"

I usually avoid most best foreign film nominees during Oscar season because I never feel that they best represent world/international cinema. Naturally there are a few exceptions like Dogtooth (2009/10), The White Ribbon (2009) & Timbuktu (2014), but generally speaking, movies up for the best foreign film Oscar are always a little "safe" and/or weak for my taste.
Because of this movie-snob defiance of mine, I avoided Wild Tales at first. Besides the fact that it just seemed to show up out of nowhere at the last minute pretty much for the sole purpose of being nominated for awards (in the U.S. at least), I thought it was another one of those multi-character/multi-storyline movies where everything & everyone is somehow connected like in Pulp Fiction or Crash. In 2015 I want NOTHING to do with those kinds of movies anymore (unless of course someone brings something new to the table). But when I discovered that the six stories in Wild Tales were separate and in no way connected (outside of some common themes) I made it a point to see it at BAM and I was pleasantly surprised.

What a rare beast in this post-Pulp Fiction world we live in - a film with separate/unconnected short stories.

While all six (WILD) tales do touch on the same subjects & issues (revenge, coincidence, class, privilege & entitlement), the two middle stories (“The Strongest” & “Little Bomb”, respectively) stood out to me more than anything else.
On the surface both stories play out like that famous Chapelle Show skit; “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong”...

“The Strongest” centers on two men who take their road rage with each other WAY too far while the appropriately titled “Little Bomb” is about a guy who allows his rage to get the best of him on multiple occasions until it becomes incredibly detrimental. Self control & anger are what binds these two middle stories together and is also what separates them from the rest. The first two (“Pasternak”& “The Rats”) are Pedro Almodovar-ian quirky dark tales about revenge (Almodovar served as a producer on this film), while the last two (“The Proposal” & “Until Death Do Us Part”) are about entitlement & dishonesty among the Argentinean upper-class.
Some of the themes in the bookend stories do seep in to "The Strongest" & "Little Bomb". I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the two guys who clash with each other in "The Strongest" are on opposite ends of the economic scale. And our main character in "Little Bomb" has this strange sense of entitlement (like some of the characters in "The Proposal") and feels that he’s never in the wrong.

But anger & rage are the real issues in the third & fourth stories of Wild Tales...

As I sat watching the [MALE] protagonists ruin their lives over petty nonsense in these stories I couldn’t help but see shades of myself (and just men in general) who have a difficult time letting shit go. The drama in both stories is sparked off by a middle finger ("The Strongest") and the defiance to pay a parking ticket ("Little Bomb"). Seriously, that's it. This film struck a chord in me so much that I mentioned it in a recent therapy session (side note – if you have the means, I recommend any & everyone, especially men who are looking to figure life out, to seek out therapy). I love movies but outside of certain specific films (see: the whole history of my life) I don’t often relate the movies I see to my own personal life (I know that may sound hard to believe but it's true). But Wild Tales was different. And what's strange is that overall this movie was just "pretty good". It's not even a personal favorite of mine.

a driver flipping the bird to another driver in "The Strongest" before things get out of hand

I know I’ve been getting very gender specific on here recently but I don’t really see too many women getting in to fatal roadside physical altercations over a middle finger, or conspiring to blow up the department of motor vehicles over a bullshit parking ticket. Sure plenty of women will get loud and/or belligerent in the face of something they feel is unfair (even at times when they’re in the wrong) but men are far worse in my opinion. When you hear stories of a mass shooting rooted in rage, or an explosion going off or a fatal case of road rage, 9 times out of 10 there’s a man with some bullshit sense of entitlement, behind it.

The longer I’ve lived in New York City and worked as an architectural draftsman, the more stressed & anxious I’ve become. Furthermore, I tend to (momentarily) take a lot of stupid and/or uncontrollable things personally like the characters in the middle section of Wild Tales. I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but when I’m on the subway and the service starts to go to shit (which it does a lot these days. You’re awful NYC MTA) I get so mad that I have these momentary thoughts of screaming at the train conductor (as if it’s his fault that the service is delayed) or screaming at the sick person on the train holding me up from being on time (as if they decided to suddenly get sick on the train just to screw my day up like I’m that important). When people shove their way on to the train before I have the chance to step off (which is fucking rude), I sometimes want to use my size (6’-3”, 260lbs) to push people out of the way. But as an adult I can't/shouldn't do that (I actually used to do that in my younger days but I’ve since cooled off).

I had a kidney transplant a few years ago. Because of this I’m forced to deal with health insurance companies for the rest of my life (once you have a kidney transplant you have to take anti-rejection medication forever and have to get semi-frequent check-ups). As some of you can imagine, dealing with health insurance companies is a major hassle. You’re trying to fix a situation or get a prescription refilled yet you’re dealing with a nameless dope/humanoid robot reading from a script that usually provides no help to your predicament. Again when this kind of stuff happens – I get so worked up that I develop these scenarios in my head where I find the headquarters to my health insurance company and show up and kick the shit out of everyone who works in the building. But seconds later I calm down and realize how silly that is. Sometimes dealing with health insurance companies becomes so aggravating that I get unnecessarily rude and entitled as if there aren’t millions of other people in the same position as me. That's when I have to breath for a second and realize that the world is bigger than me.

And in all honesty, had I taken care of my health issues earlier on in life, I wouldn't have needed a kidney transplant. This would have eliminated the endless prescription refills and annoying health insurance nonsense.
Some health issues are uncontrollable but in my case I had the power to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid all the shit I deal with today. There's a quote from Todd Haynes' Safe that applies directly to my specific situation...

Nobody out there made you sick. You know that. The only person who can make you get sick is you, right? Whatever the sickness, if our immune system is damaged... it's because we have allowed it to be...

Now...there's a lot more to that quote, but on some level what he's saying is kind of true. But we'll dig a little deeper in to my organ failure at some point later this year in part six of the whole history of my life.

"The Strongest"

"Little Bomb"

I work in the design industry as an architectural draftsman. Architecture, design & space planning involves non-stop changes, revisions, additions & reconfigurations. I’m also in an industry where folks will get caught up on text size & font style and where it should be placed on a drawing (seriously, at my previous job we used to spend 45-60 minutes debating shit like this). Basically – nothing is ever finished even when it is finished (make sense?). Unfortunately, I have the kind of personality that when things are done I like them to be done. For good. I’m just not a very nitpicky person. As you can imagine, I’m probably in the wrong industry (going on 11 years now). For years, I used to take all the nitpicky font size analysis and endless revision bullshit personally. I was nasty with my coworkers as if they were trying to make my life miserable when in fact it had nothing to do with them. It’s just the nature of the beast combined with my incompatible personality. The only person to place blame on is myself for taking things so personally. The industry of architecture & design is much bigger than me. No sense in getting worked up over a system I can't/don’t want to change. Had the main character in "Little Bomb" stopped for a minute and realized that he was trying to fight an almost unbeatable system that was bigger than him (and that he was placing blame on everyone & everything but himself) things would have worked out a lot better.

Not being able to let go is ultimately why our protagonists in "The Strongest" & "Little Bomb" meet their downfall. Sure it’s frustrating dealing with the DMV but you can’t resort to acts of terrorism in order to get your way. Yeah sometimes folks drive recklessly on the highway but flipping them off and insulting them, like in "The Strongest", isn’t going to make anyone a better driver. All throughout these two stories in Wild Tales our characters place blame on everyone & everything and hold grudges so deep that they end up dead or in jail.
I’m learning more & more how to not place blame on New York City or the MTA or my coworkers when something doesn’t go my way. Letting go is hard, but living longer (and happier) sounds a lot better.

ALEX OF VENICE (CutPrintFilm.Com)

My latest review is up on CutPrintFilm. Check it out when you have a chance...

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA: IRMA VEP PART DEUX

Writing about Olivier Assayas' latest film is going to be a little difficult because on some level I've already written about it in the form of Portrait Of The Artist (I even mention Assayas' filmography quite a bit throughout the review). I don't like repeating myself in write-ups but it's hard not too as both Portrait & Clouds Of Sils Maria mesh fiction & non-fiction in an almost identical way (some of the actors in both films play slightly fictionalized versions of themselves).
In Clouds Of Sils Maria Juliette Binoche plays an accomplished veteran actress ("Maria Enders") with a resume that stretches from big budget mainstream movies to foreign arthouse films. Sounds a bit like Juliette Binoche's actual career, doesn't it? Not only is Binoche a mainstay in the films of arthouse heavyweights like Michael Haneke & Leos Carax, but she's also appeared in more commercial films like Dan In Real Life & Godzilla. 
Chloe Moretz also plays a character in Clouds ("Jo-Ann Ellis") that's somewhat similar to her real self - a young up & coming actress that's mostly known for popular studio films & tween movies (as we all know, Moretz is known for her roles in films like 500 Days Of Summer, Kickass and the recent Carrie remake).
The only (main) actress in Clouds Of Sils Maria that doesn't play a fictionalized version of her real self is Kristen Stewart. Instead, she plays Maria's dedicated personal assistant "Valentine". Valentine does more than just fetch coffee and set-up interviews for Maria. They have a bond with each other. They travel together, know each other in & out and are friends on some level. A large majority of Clouds focuses on the unique relationship between Maria & Valentine. They're spiritually connected in the same way "Betty" (Naomi Watts) & "Diane" (Laura Herring) were in Mulholland Drive or "Alma" (Bibi Anderson) & "Elisabet" (Liv Ullman) in Persona. In the opening scene of Clouds Of Sils Maria we're actually introduced to Maria through Valentine...

The film starts with Maria on her way to Switzerland to accept an award on behalf of her mentor and frequent collaborator; "Wilhelm Melchior" - a legendary author, playwright & filmmaker (Maria & Wilhelm are not only frequent collaborators in both film & theater, but they've been close personal friends for more than two decades). Naturally Maria is making this journey with her assistant Valentine who spends her time juggling calls and fanning fires so Maria can rest and get away from Hollywood for a few days. However Wilhelm unexpectedly passes away right before the award ceremony.
In addition to dealing with the loss of her friend/mentor, Maria is going through an ugly divorce, she's prepping for her latest role and is also having a difficult time aging (she becomes fascinated by her younger co-star Jo-Ann who will be reviving a role that Maria played when she was 18). All of this obviously makes her insecure & vulnerable and for the rest of the film we watch Maria try to hold it together (imagine a more toned down version of Black Swan with elements of Cassavetes' Opening Night).

There are already multiple layers to Clouds Of Sils Maria within the first 10-15 minutes but that doesn't stop Assayas from adding on as the film progresses. Some of you that aren't too familiar with (modern) French cinema may not catch this, but the (fictitious) relationship between Maria and Wilhelm is very similar to the (real) relationship between actress Sandrine Bonnaire & director Maurice Pialat. Both relationships revolve around the mentorship/frequent collaborations between an older director/father figure and a younger actress. In interviews, Sandrine, who acted in three of Pialat's best films, said she always looked at him like a father figure. In Clouds, Maria never mentions her actual father, but she always speaks of Wilhelm as if he's her actual father.

Sandrine Bonnaire & Maurice Pialat in A Nos Amours

Not that it takes away from the film, but being a cinephile/movie nerd makes this even more enjoyable (just read back the wide range of movies I was able to name-drop through the course of this review). If you have a wide appreciation for all aspects of cinema you'll more than likely fall in love with Clouds Of Sils Maria as there's references to the X-Men films & Harrison Ford to experimental arthouse cinema.

The theme of "the aging actress" in Clouds Of Sils Maria also serves as a nice companion to Patricia Arquette's journey that many of us followed last year with Boyhood. Little bits of reality seeping in to fictional stories seems to be the theme in 2015 so far. This is obviously something a few filmmakers touched on last year with Birdman, Top 5 & Chef, but it's even more prominent this year. Besides Clouds Of Sils Maria & Portrait Of The Artist, I felt that Gerard Depardieu put real pieces of himself in to the character he played in Welcome To New York. And personally, I thought Viggo Mortensen's role in Jauja was an existential look at aging as well as a callback to all the physically demanding roles that brought him to prominence in the last 14 years or so (A History Of Violence, The Road, Hidalgo, Eastern Promises, LOTR). As an actor in his mid/late 50's, I'm not sure how many naturally physically demanding roles he has left in him without the help of CGI, lots of editing (like in the case of The Expendables) or extensive stunt double work (not to say those things haven't already been incorporated in some of Viggo's performances, but everything he does physically in front of the camera feels like it's all him).

I also found it peculiar that even though Clouds is partially about aging women in film, the (aging) character Binoche plays is actually 11 years younger than she is in real life (Maria is 40 while Binoche is really 51). I don't think Assayas is sexist or has something against older actresses like so many other filmmakers & producers in the movie biz (in fact, I think he's trying to call a lot of those sexist issues out) but it's still interesting that even though his latest film is about aging gracefully, the lead actress still had to portray a younger age.

Style-wise, Clouds Of Sils Maria feels like an extension of the obvious Irma Vep, but it also feels like Assayas combined the ambiance from his chaotic films (Demonlover, Boarding Gate & Carlos) with his more subtle/toned-down work (Summer Hours, Late August Early September & Something In The Air). He also incorporates some interesting editing techniques that I've never seen him use before. Some of the transitions between scenes slowly blend in to one another like in Kubrick's The Shining or Todd Haynes' Safe. Then other moments end abruptly out of nowhere almost in mid-conversation. And like the second half of Demonlover & Irma Vep, there are elements within Clouds Of Sils Maria that make absolutely no sense but for some reason we kind of accept it (like the sudden disappearance of one of the main billed characters 3/4 in to the movie).
It shouldn't go unmentioned how surprisingly good Kristen Stewart is in this. Yes, I can be a judgemental snob at times. When I heard that Kristen Stewart (and Chloe Moretz) were going to costar in Assayas' latest film I turned my nose up in suspicion. But I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong. She, along with Moretz, did a fine job.


I'm writing this review after having seen this movie less 48 hours ago so my thoughts could be a little tainted. Maybe I'm just excited having watched one of the few films from this year so far that wasn't lackluster, underwhelming or just "ok", but Olivier Assayas, along with Mike Leigh, might be my two personal favorite filmmakers working right now. For a while it used to be Denis & Haneke, but between Bastard (which I still like, but is a bit of a head-scratcher, and not for entirely good reasons) and Amour (which I've been losing excitement for over the last three years), I'm a little conflicted with their work. I like that Michael Haneke made Amour because I wasn't sure if he actually had a heart, and Bastards was kind of a return to Claire Denis' more aggressive side that I hadn't seen since Trouble Every Day. But I haven't felt the urge to revisit either of those films. Assayas (and Leigh) never leave me completely disappointed or feeling empty. Even Assayas' recent films that I'm conflicted about (Carlos) or not totally in love with (Something In The Air) still leave me with plenty to talk about.
Clouds Of Sils Maria is a multi-layered journey about aging, cinema & identity that's both unique & slightly original as well as a callback to some of the films I've already mentioned (Mulholland Drive, Persona, Irma Vep, Demonlover, etc).

Now that Assayas has worked with even more known/"mainstream" actresses in a successful film, perhaps this will open the door for Assayas to make even more mainstream/studio films in the U.S. (he received a golden globe nomination with Carlos and between Demonlover & Boarding Gate, he's worked with more universally known actors like Michael Madsen, Chloe Sevigny and even Gina Gershon for whatever that's worth). Not that it matters as Olivier Assayas is already an accomplished director, but mainstream American cinema could use a director like Assayas to add some variety to the mostly stale pot that we have today.

ABOUT ELLY (CutPrintFilm.COM)

check out my review of Asghar Farhadi's 2009 psychological drama About Elly over at CutPrintFilm.com

enjoy...

AN INTERVIEW WITH SAMANTHA FULLER ("A FULLER LIFE")

From Wim Wenders & Jim Jarmusch to Jean-Luc Godard and, yes…even Quentin Tarantino, a large portion of this blog is dedicated to films from the School Of Sam Fuller (race on film is also a major component of this blog so we’ve had a nice share of White Dog references over the years as well).
Sam Fuller has a huge spiritual presence here at PINNLAND EMPIRE so it’s an honor that his daughter, filmmaker Samantha Fuller, would take the time out to answer a few questions about her recent film A Fuller Life 

Enjoy…

PINNLAND EMPIRE: Can you give the readers, in your own words, a brief synopsis of what your documentary is about?

SAMANTHA FULLER: A Fuller Life consists of 12 segments, each of which features an admirer of Sam's, dramatizing their interpretation of his memoirs ("A Third Face"). Set in the late director’s historic office, the cast channels Fuller amid his beloved Royal typewriter, massive collection of books, screenplays, treatments, war memorabilia, and, of course, the ever-present big fat cigar. A Fuller Life presents for the first time recently discovered 16mm films shot by Fuller, footage he shot on the front lines during World War II as well as location scouts and home movies. Every word spoken in this documentary, whether by a performer or from a movie clip, was written by him. This made the film a posthumous self-portrait .

PE: Was it difficult for you to essentially share parts of your father with other people/strangers?

SF: Everything said in the film is directly taken from my father's autobiography. There’s nothing that he didn't offer to share himself.
However, he didn't often invite people, let alone strangers, into his office. Being an only child, I've spent a lot of time by myself in my father’s office since he passed away. I'm never quite alone in there because in a way it feels like I’m spending time with him. The room is lined with rows of books, file cabinets filled with research documents, stacks of scripts, war relics and movie props. When you look around the room it's like a direct view into his brain. I enjoyed sharing this space with people.

PE: Are there still personal memories that you will always keep for yourself?

SF: There are many personal memories. Sometimes I meditate and reminisce about the cherished times we spent together. I aim my thoughts towards good memories like the time we held hands while observing a meteorite shower over the lake of Locarno on a balmy summer night. I had no interest including these kinds of personal memories in the film. I'll save those in case I write my own memoirs some day.

PE: Did working on this film about your father bring you closer with your own daughter?

SF: I made the film to honor my father's history. I dedicated it to my daughter and to honor her future. She was present throughout the entire filmmaking process and was very encouraging. She observed closely and asked many questions. I was glad to show her how it's done, how you can wake up with an idea to make a film one morning and persevere to make your dream a reality. I couldn't have done it without her enthusiasm & support.
In fact, she was very inspired by the process and is now planning her first short film. I couldn't be more proud!

PE: How long had the idea of making this documentary been formulating inside of you?

SF: I always thought that the story of my father's life would make a great film or a mini-series. But that's easier said than done. He experienced major milestones throughout the 20th century and I loved hearing firsthand about the historical events he witnessed. It was like a history lesson given by a man who had actually lived it. My father was a visual raconteur. This made it easy to paint a clear picture in your head while he'd tell his stories. He had so many great stories and he rarely told the same one twice. So transferring his words into a film had been lurking in the back of my mind for many years. I hadn't thought of presenting his story as a documentary until early of 2012 in an effort to commemorate his centennial. My father had me when he was 63. He always told me that we'd have a big celebration on his 100th birthday. Although he passed away when he was 85, I still felt like doing something special for his centennial. Making this documentary seemed like a natural way to celebrate his life.

PE: How long did it take to complete this documentary from start to finish?

SF: I began re-reading his autobiography and selecting passages in chronological order at the beginning of 2012. We filmed one segment per month throughout that year (12 total). Everything happened to coincide with his centennial so it felt like a yearlong celebration of his life. Every time we wrapped a segment it would conclude with a big meal (cooked by my mother) for the cast & crew. We spent just as much time celebrating (if not more) than actually shooting. I think it was my father’s spirit making sure we had fun while working on this. Between the shoots I began archiving & researching images to layer into the film. Editing & post production took another couple of months until the film made its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2013.

PE: What was it like working with kickstarter?

SF: It wasn't easy. Kickstarter is all about putting the word out to everyone who might be interested in contributing to a project. The toughest part was raising as much awareness as possible before the deadline. Luckily my mother's assistance contributed tremendously (social networking, word of mouth, etc). Susan King from the LA times published an article about the film which ran during the kickstarter campaign. That was helpful. At the end of the Kickstarter campaign we linked a paypal account to the film's website so any latecomer could donate. In order to play it safe I had asked for twenty five thousand dollars, when in fact we needed more. We exceeded our goal but still had to rely on the post-campaign contributions (we also added some of our own personal money).

PE: What difficulties did you face will making A Fuller Life?

SF: No challenge I wasn't ready to face. Of course I owe a lot of that to my cast & crew who were true professionals. The toughest part was raising the funds and coordinating everyone's schedules. Once all that was settled, everything was a smooth cruise.

PE: A Fuller Life isn't a typical documentary. It's quite unique in it's format & execution. Were there any films or documentaries you watched in preparation before setting out to make your documentary?

SF: How could I make a typical documentary to honor the life and work of my father who was everything but a typical man!? I've watched many films & documentaries and indeed, you can't compare any of them to this film. I had my mind set on a different format. I knew that it was the right way to go. I just followed my heart and instinct.
There had already been a few documentaries about my father like The Typewriter, The Rifle & The Movie Camera (Adam Simon) and The Men Who Made The Movies (Richard Shickel). Both of those documentaries feature interviews. There are no interviews in my film. Everyone is speaking Sam's words and telling his story the way he had written it. It's an unconventional documentary in the same way my father was an unconventional man.
However, I did ask everyone to tell me a story about my father (almost like an interview) which will be included in the bonus features of the DVD.

PE: Were there any particular reviews of A Fuller Life that stood out to you and made you proud?

SF: All the reviews are good in the sense that I'm glad the film is being talked about. Some praised the film more than others, but all in all, each one made me proud. Some really appreciated the fast paced storytelling. Others said they wished I had gone more in depth about his film career. Those who thought the latter just didn't get the point that his entire life relates to the films he made. My father used to say "As long as they spell my name right". This always made me laugh.

PE: Was there a particular actor/filmmaker/writer/artist that you were surprised to discover was a fan of your father's work?

SF: Everyone involved in the project was already familiar with his work. That's the main reason they agreed to participate. They also respected what he stood for: good story telling.

Sam Fuller (right w/ cigar) in Godard's Pierrot Le Fou

PE: In my opinion, French cinephiles seem to appreciate Sam Fuller's work more than American cinephiles (not to say Americans don't consider your father a legend, but still...)
Do you agree? If so, why do you think that is?

SF: Sam loved France, and France loved him back. He was self-exiled twice during his life - First in the 60’s then again in the 80’s through the mid-90’s. French new wave filmmakers revered him and welcomed him with open arms. One of my favorite cameos is when he appeared in Godard’s Pierrot Le Fou. I believe he embraced the independence of new-wave filmmaking. He had mostly worked within the studio system in America and he always had to fight to tell his stories the way he wanted. In France there is much more artistic freedom, no formula, less structural guidelines. It's a good thing he was attracted to France in the sixties. Not only in a creative sense but because that's where he met my mother: the love of his life. He brought her back to America where he made a couple more films including one of his best; The Big Red One. After the fiasco with the U.S. release of White Dog in the early eighties, they decided to return to France where he continued to make films. He was happy in France and enjoyed many long discussions with fellow filmmakers and cinephiles at the corner cafe.

Samantha Fuller's cameo in White Dog

PE: What's next for you in terms of filmmaking? Do you have a new project on the horizon?

SF: I have a couple documentaries in the works. One of them consists of using the remaining footage that my father shot during WWII, which I wasn't able to include in A Fuller Life. The footage will be paired up with his war correspondence and illustrations that he sent to his family while on the front line.
I'm finishing up another film about a 95 year old Nisei artist. Her name is Harumi Taniguchi and she's a real firecracker. I've been filming her successively during the past couple of years. She's published over one thousand poems and she reads some on camera. She's also an active painter and ballerina. It's an inspiring film about the dynamics of creativity.
Besides those projects, I'm planning a feature film to be shot next year if all goes as planned. I wrote a screenplay adapted from a play my mother wrote. I've been captioning it as "a philosophical thriller". The topic is about the provenance of hate in mankind. It is set during inter wars in Vienna in the 1920's when Hitler was on the rise.
In the future, I'd love to make some of the films my father wrote that never saw the light of day. I'm keeping his unmade scripts in reserve for when the time is right for me to handle them.



PE: Are there any particular filmmakers working today that you admire?

SF: Agnes Varda is my favorite living director and she's still going strong at 86 years old. She is everything a director should embody: strong yet sensitive and one can always rely that her films are diverse and artistic.
I love Kathryn Bigelow for her guts to play hardball in a field dominated by men. And while I'm at it, I'll throw in Lena Dunham who's wit has taken her to a place well deserved in a sometimes humorless business.
Allison Anders is another director I admire for her wild personality and strong female protagonists.
Ana Lily Amirpour did an amazing job with her first feature (A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night) and I'm excited to see what she's coming up with next.
I always enjoy watching the films of A-List directors like Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino etc. They never fail to entertain. I loved The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson. I enjoy all his films for their quirky humor and whimsical design.
I know that I'm leaving many out, but I don't have time right now to go on & on…



PE: What recent films have stood out to you personally?

SF: I saw 71, by Yann Demange a few weeks ago and I'm sure looking forward to his next film in the hopes it will be as effective combining action and emotion. I Am Michael by Justin Kelly. He did a great job adapting a news article into film. I love seeing films that are spun from a headline or an article. My other favorite recent films are Birdman, Whiplash and Nightcrawler. Jake Gyllenhal and Renee Russo's performances were fabulous. The story was right up my alley and the cinematography was stunning. I also savored every minute of Mr. Turner.

PE: Any closing words for the readers?

SF: I manage the FB page for A FULLER LIFE, where anyone who's interested in seeing the screening schedule or asking any questions is welcome.

A Fuller Life: The Sam Fuller Documentary - Trailer from Samantha Fuller on Vimeo.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK (CutPrintFilm.COM)

I had the pleasure of reviewing Abel Ferrara's latest film Welcome To New York for CutPrintFilm.

Enjoy...

JAUJA (CutPrintFilm.COM)

read my thoughts on Jauja over at CutPrintFilm.COM

enjoy...

BORING MASTERPIECE: PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST

Portrait Of The Artist is everything I’ve been looking for in a movie. It’s beautiful, problematic, boring, alienating, dryly comical, up its own ass at times (and fully aware of it) and thought provoking all at once. It's an ode to modern French cinema in the same way that Olivier Assayas’ Irma Vep was (there’s even an Irma Vep reference in the film). Not only does Portrait Of The Artist feature Irma Vep co-star Alex Descas (as himself in two brief scenes), but it’s also about the filmmaking process in the same way Assayas’ film was.

In Portrait, Bertrand Bonello pretty much plays himself – an art house director named "Bertrand". He’s currently in the pre-production process of his latest film, centered around monsters & classic art, and is having a difficult & strange time both in his personal life and his work life. He’s struggling to find motivation; one of his pre-production assistants (played by Jeanne Balibar) is kind of crazy and she's making the pre-production process more difficult than it needs to be, and he has a growing rash on his back.
Although this film is fictional, it’s still obviously based in reality. Besides the fact that Bonello & co-stars Alex Descas, Pascal Gregory & Isild Le Besco all play slightly fictional versions themselves, the (fictitious) films & perversions within Portrait Of The Artist are a direct reflection of Bonello’s own real work. The (fictitious) film Bonello is working on deals with transformation in the same way his (actual) film Tiresia does (the story of a transgendered woman making the reluctant transition back to a man). The sexual escapades in Portrait are reminiscent of certain moments in Bonello’s House Of Tolerance and The Pornographer.
This definitely falls in line with other fictional/non-fictional hybrids like The Trip, Tristram Shandy or The Player.

A major subplot in this film is about the appreciation of art. Half the scenes in Portrait involve the characters strolling through French museums, quietly observing and taking in what they see (part of Bertrand's pre-production process in the movie requires him to study classic art).

This movie reminded me of a recent trip I took to the Philadelphia Museum Of Art where I saw various pieces that clearly influenced some of my recent favorite French films...

Marcel Du Champs / Bruno Dumont

After watching this I genuinely felt the urge to go visit a museum. The creepiness & haunting qualities within the artwork featured in this movie are really accentuated (in Portrait, Bernard is looking to draw inspiration from non-traditional classical art portraits for the "monster" in his movie)

"Portrait de Tonetta"

"Child With Vitiligo"

"The Nightmare"

For quite some time I’ve been looking for a great movie with minimal talking and Portrait Of The Artist definitely answered my prayers. I mean think about it – why should there be a whole lot of talking in a movie about the appreciation of art? Art certainly needs to be discussed & talk about, but sometimes you need to be quiet in order to appreciate it. There's plenty of wordy dialogue in this but there are also just as many moments of silence.

Portrait Of The Artist adds a whole ‘nother subconscious layer of filmmaking. Bertrand Bonello did not direct this (it was directed by Antoine Barraud) yet it still feels like one of his films in the same way that the John Cassavetes-starring Mikey & Nick feels like a Cassavetes film even though he didn’t direct it. I'm struggling with this because I don't know if Antoine Barraud has a cinematic voice of his own, or if he’s a little too influenced by Bonello and trying to copy his style (the exploration into the filmmaking process that we see in Portrait Of The Artist is very reminiscent of Bertrand’s 2002 film The Pornographer). And of course if you’re influenced by the cinema of Bertrand Bonello, you’re indirectly influenced by the cinema of Robert Bresson. And that’s not to say he is in anyway a “Bresson-Clone”. He’s definitely influenced by the legendary filmmaker but Bertrand is definitely his own person (plus Robert Bresson would never make films about kidnapped transgendered prostitutes or tales about struggling French porn directors).

This film also relates to this blog on multiple levels. Not only have I written about Bertrand Bonello’s work quite a bit on here, but I also conducted a brief interview with him years ago. Naturally the presence of Alex Descas reminds me of the cinema of Claire Denis as he’s her most frequent collaborator (he’s also appeared in quite a few Assayas films and Bertrand's own film Tiresia). Seeing both Pascal Gregory & Geraldine Pailhas show up in Portrait reminded of PINNLAND EMPIRE favorite Lodge Kerrigan as they both co-starred in his last feature; Rebecca H: Return To The Dogs (2010) – a film that continues to evade me (it’s pretty rare and virtually unseen outside of its Cannes screening). The subplot about the growing rash on Bertrand’s back (and his newfound fascination with his body) reminded me of Marina De Van’s In My Skin (in the early 2000's Bertrand & Marina were often mentioned in the same reviews together as they were both varsity-lettermen of the New French Extremity movement). Another subplot in Portrait Of The Artist deals with Bertrand befriending a film critic which naturally hits home with me as I’ve become friends/buddies with some of the actors, actresses & filmmakers I’ve written about on here over the years like Alice Houri (a former collaborator of Bertrand Bonello). And this isn't a brag but years ago I was at the Toronto Film Festival the same time as Bertrand Bonello and we tried to make plans to meet up but it didn't work out. I'm not ashamed to admit that it would be cool for me to hang out with him. I'm a big fan. I'd love to hang out with the guy responsible for The Pornographer & House Of Tolerance (although I certainly wouldn't do what the fictitious film critic character in Portrait Of The Artist does in order to hang out with Bertrand. I'll say that much...)

I don't recommend this movie to everyone (in fact, there are only two or three people I can think of who would enjoy this) but for what its worth, this is the best thing I’ve seen so far this year.

TWO BY JOHN CARPENTER: MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN & GHOSTS OF MARS

I'm not familiar with John Carpenter's later critically panned movies so I made it a point to only go and see stuff like Escape From LA, Memoirs Of An Invisible Man & Ghosts Of Mars at the John Carpenter retrospective that took place at BAM last month.

While there isn't much to say about Escape From LA (it's just as terrible and Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez-stenched as I remembered it) I felt Memoirs & Ghosts were worthy of some kind of analysis...

MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN

I’m always down to dissect/revisit the critical failures/potential misunderstood works of a masterful filmmaker, and Memoirs Of An Invisible Man definitely fits the bill. Anyone who follows this site regularly knows I’m a major defender of everyone from post-Collateral Michael Mann (read my recent review of Blackhat) to Andrea Arnold (I was actually able to find a few good things in her overall grueling Wuthering Heights adaptation), so I know what it’s like to love films & filmmakers that are underappreciated by the rest of the world. But at the same time, if I feel something is bad I’ll call it what it is. Liking bad things ironically has become a major problem within movie & music criticism (just read half the music reviews on pitchfork media that pertain to rap music if you want further examples of this). Cinephiles sometimes like to praise films they know damn well aren’t good just to be different. I’m guilty of it myself from time to time. We’re selfish folks who like to have certain movies all to ourselves so we make prolific statements about how (some) dumb movies are really misunderstood when they really aren't. Sometimes it gets out of hand. There’s a nice chunk of movies out there that hide behind the “cult movie” label when in fact they’re just bad.

This screening of Memoirs couldn’t have come at a better time. Pink Smoker Chris Funderberg has mentioned it on multiple occasions in his writings (specifically Sam Neil’s underrated performance), which made me wanna revisit it (the last time I saw Memoirs was in the early 90’s when my Dad videotaped it off of HBO). After seeing Memoirs again recently I can co-sign that Sam Neil’s role as the villainous David Jenkins is one of the film’s only saving graces. But there are a few other overlooked qualities. 

I don’t know if people realize how smart the casting of Chevy Chase was. From the beginning of his career he was known for his physical comedy (…or just falling down a lot). The character of Nick Halloway (the invisible protagonist) involves a lot of tripping, bumping in to people and falling over. Who better to cast for a role like that (at the time) than Chevy Chase?? Plus Halloway was kind of a jerk. Portraying a jerk should come easy to a guy like Chevy Chase given his reputation behind the scenes.

My only beef here is the pairing of Chevy Chase & Daryl Hannah. Hannah isn’t exactly my cup of tea in terms of beauty, but that doesn’t mean I think she’s unattractive. I get that she represent the standard statuesque blonde haired beauty that a lot of men appreciate. So what is she doing being paired with a dud like Chevy Chase? And while we’re at it, what was Daryl Hannah doing being paired with half of her (unworthy) on-screen love interests like Dudley Moore (Crazy People), Steve Martin (Roxanne) or Kevin O’Connor (Steel Magnolias)??
But that’s just superficial nitpicking on my part. The chemistry between Chase & Hannah was jut fine.

I’m not sure if John Carpenter was making a light parody of late 50’s/early 60’s-style campy noir films, or if he expected us to take this 100% seriously (outside of the genuinely comedic moments). And it’s not like the tone/ambiance of Memoirs Of An Invisible Man was new territory for Carpenter (like so many critics said it was). Between the special effects & the delivery of dialogue, Memoirs falls right in line with They Live, Prince Of Darkness and even Big Trouble In Little China. Memoirs is also just as much a body horror/science fiction adventure as They Live or The Thing. I guess some folks failed to realize that body horror branches off to things beyond just exploding body parts and scenes of gore (which are common elements in Carpenter’s cinema). The movie is about a guy whose body is literally altered after a freak accident (and for the rest of the film he tries to find a cure all while evading a secret government agency that wants to use him as a spy). Carpenter even goes so far as to show us Halloway’s internal organs every time he eats, drinks or smokes something. Sounds like it fits in with the rest of his filmography to me. This is like when David Cronenberg made M Butterfly. Sure, there aren’t any exploding heads (Scanners) or scenes of things coming out or going in to people’s stomachs (The Brood & Videodrome), but M Butterfly, a film about a person disguising himself as a woman, is just as much of a “body modification” film as anything else he’s done. Memoirs also reminded me of Raimi’s Darkman and Paul Verhoeven’s Hollow Man…

Darkman / Memoirs Of An Invisible Man / Hollow Man

But still...NONE of this gives Memoirs Of An Invisible Man any kind of a free pass. This was an unsuccessful effort at the end of the day. The tone is incredibly confusing (like I already said, I'm not sure if this a true comedy or not). There's a whole middle section that takes place at a beach house that could have been edited down. The original director (Ivan Reitman) stepped away from the project after butting heads with Chevy Chase (something I’m not too surprised by). According to a few sources Chevy Chase was heavily involved behind the scenes because he wanted Memoirs to slowly transition him in to more serious roles. John Carpenter didn’t even put his name on the title like he usually does (he also didn’t score the film which is another staple of his). This was doomed right out off the gate (like the next film we'll be getting in to momentarily). The special effects are probably the only other good thing about this movie.

But this is the kind of unsuccessful movie that’s worthy of revisiting during something like a retrospective. It definitely doesn’t deserve a 20-something percent rating on rotten tomatoes. But at the same time, complaining about this film’s current ranking is like complaining about getting an F on a test when you felt you deserved a D+ because you showed all your work in the answer section. 

GHOSTS OF MARS

Ghosts Of Mars came out at a time when there were just way too many movies set on mars that it became difficult to differentiate one film from the next (Mission To Mars, The Red Planet, Ghosts Of Mars, Stranded, etc). It also came out during a time when Carpenter wasn't riding a major wave of success. 

This project never stood a chance. 

I’ll be the first to admit that even I dismissed Ghosts of Mars upon its initial release. But now that time has passed and my tastes have changed, I can honestly say that it’s not as bad as critics made it out to be. I think it was unfairly judged and compared to iconic movies like Alien when in fact it should have been put up against other movies in the John Carpenter universe. Not only was Ghost Of Mars originally supposed to be the third film in the Snake Plissken series (“Escape From Mars”) but it definitely takes place in the same universe as Escape From NY & Escape From L.A. 
In terms of plot, Ghosts Of Mars is like a mixture of The Thing with a pinch of Escape From NY/LA (Ice Cube’s “Desolation Williams” is just a slight revamp of Snake Plissken). The story involves a team of space police hired to retrieve & transfer a dangerous prisoner (Desolation Williams) currently being held in a cell on an isolated mining town on Mars. Once they arrive they soon come to find that a strange airborne virus has been let loose on the town turning the inhabitants in to possessed zombie-like demon vampires (???). This mysterious "virus", that transfers from one body to the next once the carrier dies, is similar to the virus in Carpenter’s The Thing (the outcome is obviously different but the idea of a shapeless thing/spirit taking over a human body is similar).
After some initial friction, the police, headed up by Natasha Henstridge & Jason Statham, work alongside Desolation Williams and his team of criminals to fight off the possessed space zombies in an effort to get outta dodge.

I guess the Alien comparison almost makes sense on some level. Both Alien & Ghosts Of Mars are science-fiction/horror hybrids with female protagonists that have to fight their way off of a dangerous planet (there’s even notable scenes in both movies where our female leads are shown in their underwear for no real reason). I actually never paid attention to how attractive Natasha Henstridge was/is until I watched Ghosts Of Mars on the big screen.

Beyond that, the comparison stops there. 

By 2001 I feel like critics should have known what to expect from John Carpenter. This wasn’t supposed to be some cinematic piece of art (even though there are some folks who think so). Ghost Of Mars has a strange reputation in that there are people who hate it, people who love it (in an un-ironic way), and people who find enjoyment from it in the same way a smart kid or a bully finds entertainment in laughing at a “slow kid” (which was definitely the audience I saw it with). Personally, I’m stuck between the last two groups. As you can see there are things I legitimately enjoy about this movie. I give it a solid 2.5 out of 5, but it’s not without its faults. The set design is a little cheesy & overly manufactured and Ice Cube's acting leaves a lot to be desired. The main antagonist/alpha-male zombie ghost (pictured at the top of this review) served no purpose other than to look cool (he was pretty stupid & non threatening). Clea Duvall was not a convincing cop and I can’t help but nitpick at how easily Cube, Henstridge & crew got away the first time (they drove a small rickety truck through a gauntlet of powerful blood thirsty zombies without being stopped or tipped over?)
But if you get too caught up in things like that you’ll never enjoy anything and Ghost Of Mars has more good qualities than bad qualities (barely). In my opinion, this was some of Carpenter’s best original music (along with the help of Anthrax & Buckethead). I don’t know if Ice Cube’s presence was a subconscious influence, but Carpenter’s use of a drum machine with 4 bar patterns & sequences (a standard in hip-hop music) was really great.

I try to keep my cynicism about this movie at a minimum because like I already said, liking things in an ironic way is a huge pet peeve of mine and Ghosts Of Mars is a prime example of how people can get caught up in that. I saw this at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music in a semi-crowded theater full of hipsters who would laugh or cheer at the screen in a way that made me question if they were genuinely enjoying the movie or if they were just laughing at it (I know that in 2015 the term hipster is one of the most overused & misconstrued labels, but irony mixed with cynicism mixed with sarcasm is an element of hipsterism and that was definitely the vibe I got from the BAM crowd I saw Ghosts with).

I also don’t know if folks were ready for an aggressive Black Male/Beautiful Blonde Femlae co-lead. I think we all know these are two prototypes that don’t usually survive in movies like Ghosts Of Mars yet to everyone’s surprise, they lived til the end!
But at the same time, I'd like to call bullshit on there being no sexual tension between the two leads (the sexual tension in the film is between Henstridge & co-star Statham). Had the male lead been portrayed by Kurt Russell (or just someone not Black) there would have probably been some immediate sexual tension between the two leads. But since we're dealing with Ice Cube, Carpenter made the two protagonists to be more like buddies. Even in 2015, folks like The Rock & Will Smith are two of the only dark skinned actors allowed to have sexual tension with attractive white women. Why was Vin Diesel (who is a person of color contrary to the characters he plays) given a sexy female co-star in xXx (Asia Argento), while Ice Cube got no one when he took over the sequel? What? Ice Cube can't pull attractive women? From his time in NWA alone you think he wasn't slaying groupies who looked just as good as (or better than) Natasha Henstridge? Let's be real.
So on one hand I commend John Carpenter for going against the grain by using unconventional leads, but I feel like he could have really gone against the grain even more by adding some romance. Of the four Carpenter films I watched at the BAM retrospective, Ice Cube was the only lead actor that had no sex or sexual tension with their female co-star.

Anyway...at the end of the day I don’t think this is a masterpiece, but I had such a fun time watching it that I ordered the DVD off of Amazon, so that says something.

HANEKE & DENIS

I really shouldn't have sat on this for as long as I did (over18 months?). I should have released this during the period after Amour/before Bastards, but whatever...the work is done. Enjoy...

In my opinion Michael Haneke & Claire Denis are the two best active filmmakers on the planet and have been for quite some time. Cinema may not be as fresh & exciting as it was 40-something years ago but we're still living in an exciting time where some of the best films are coming out and these two filmmakers are behind a good portion of 'em. I don’t even think anyone else really comes close besides Oliver Assayas & Mike Leigh.
Now...there's a fairly legitimate argument in questioning Haneke & Denis' status in the world of cinema when their films may not have the same popularity due to limited runs in smaller theaters (especially in America). Both Haneke & Denis' films aren’t as accessible as other current popular filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Kathryn Bigelow, Quentin Tarantino, Darren Aronofsky, James Cameron, Scorsese, etc. How can you convince someone who just got finished watching Django Unchained that he/she needs to watch Code Unknown or Cache (two films that focus on racial & multicultural issues in this world better than anything I can think of) or someone who just finished watching Zero Dark Thirty that they should watch Beau Travail? You really can’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that both Haneke & Denis put out films that are more progressive (in terms of plot & filmmaking styles) than just about anything I can think of.

While most modern filmmakers today casually graze over issues like globalization, female sexuality, desencitization among youth, racial tension & the negative effect of the media, Denis & Haneke go a bit deeper (sometimes without needing much dialogue). Plus, and most importantly, they aren’t trying to solve these issues or put bandaids on things like Paul Haggis tried with Crash or Tyler Perry does with some of his work. Some of the best performances of the last 15+ years have come from their work (Isabelle Hupert in The Piano Teacher, Denis Lavant in Beau Travail, both Emanuelle Riva & Jean-Louis Trintigant in Amour, etc). And even though both filmmakers are Europeans, the themes & subject matter in their work is universal - The racial tension in Cache or Code Unknown applies to America. The subject of growing multinational countries & immigration isn’t just something that affects Europe. The stereotype of the absentee black father in America could easily be shattered by Alex Descas' performance in 35 Shots Of Rum as his character is very real and reminds me not only of my own father who was around, but plenty of other black fathers who either don’t get recognized or are ignored due the constant negative expectation that many people have towards black males when it comes to handling the responsibility of fatherhood.

Race is an important, sensitive, touchy & sometimes ignored issue in this world and has been for a while (and not just the relationship between black people & white people which seems to be the only lane filmmakers wanna explore when it comes to that). Haneke & Denis have been exploring race better than any director I can think of since Spike Lee released Bamboozled. The limited accessibility of their work means very little to me. Haneke & Denis' work is much too important & relevant to be disregarded simply because they're films don’t play at an AMC or get coverage in Entertainment Weekly. And with the growing number of indie & foreign films popping up on Hulu & Netflix along with the continued popularity of magazines like Film Comment, it’s become easier to discover films outside of mainstream cinema.

35 Shots Of Rum (Claire Denis)

I know some may think it’s pointless to determine who the "best" is (especially when I'm sure neither filmmaker cares) but it’s just my indescribable fascination to determine who the best is at something. Art house & independent cinema try to act like competition & awards are pointless. A lot of this has to do with older legends like Werner Herzog & Tarkofsky dismissing awards and/or giving great quotes like; "Awards are for dogs & ponies" (Herzog). There's this vibe I get that awards are beneath some filmmakers yet these art house & indie filmmakers rarely (or ever) turn down these "silly" awards that are supposedly beneath them (Herzog included). Sometimes I get the feeling that Cannes & Sundance are more competitive than the Oscars. So many feelings have been caught and so many beefs have been started over not getting awards or recognition at those festivals - Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing losing out to Sex, Lies & Videotape at Cannes in '89 and Lee subsequently threatening Wim Wenders with a bat, Von Trier flipping off Roman Polanski (head of the Cannes jury in '91) because Europa didn’t win best picture, Vincent Gallo getting snubbed by Paul Schrader at Sundance, etc. But being labeled the best can have some importance to it. It’s not just all about an award or a golden statue. Determining who's films best represents this world (while still giving credit to other important filmmakers at the same time) is an important honor in my opinion.

So...between Haneke & Denis, who's the best? Technically, if these two filmmakers were to be ranked, Haneke would easily be #1. Mainstream cinema has come to accept his (uncompromised) work more & more. The White Ribbon won a Golden Globe, Amour has dominated this year's Oscar nomination and his remake of Funny Games saw him working with more popular/mainstream actors like Tim Roth & Naomi Watts.

Isabelle Hupert in The Piano Teacher (Haneke) & White Material (Denis)

When you compare Haneke's work to Denis' (coincidentally, both filmmakers usually release films around the same time or within a year of each other) Haneke kinda wins hands down. Here's how I score their films next to each other...

The Seventh Continent vs. Chocolat
Benny's Video vs. No Fear, No Die (tie)
71 Fragments vs. I Can’t Sleep (barely)
The Castle vs. US Go Home*
Funny Games vs. Nenette & Boni
Code Unknown vs. Beau Travail
The Piano Teacher vs. Trouble Everyday
The Time Of The Wolf vs. Friday Night
Cache vs. The Intruder
Funny Games US vs. 35 Shots Of Rum
The White Ribbon vs. White Material
Amour vs. Bastards (tie)

* both have done quite a few made for tv movies in their countries but the Castle (Haneke) & US Go Home (Denis) are their two most known & accessible tv works so I’m putting them up against each other

racial tension in Code Unknown (Haneke) & No Fear No Die (Denis)

Although Haneke has more "wins", there is a more spiritual & soulful side to Denis. Don’t get me wrong, there's a gritty reality to Denis' films (No Fear No Die, US Go Home, I Can’t Sleep) but she also provides an escape. Films like The Intruder & the dreamy moments in Nenette & Boni provide an escape to a subconscious world. Haneke's work does occasionally explore dreams (or nightmares depending on how you look at it) but Denis is a bit more versed in stream of consciousness & dreaminess in my opinion. There's something about giving Haneke alone the title of "BEST" that bothers me. I don’t know if I want such cold, dark & biter work (The Piano Teacher, Cache, The White Ribbon, etc) to be the defining films of this era. Haneke is almost perfect but there isn’t a lot of hope in his films. Think about the final moments of The Time Of The Wolf or The Piano Teacher and tell me you feel any hope for humanity. Actually, Amour, Haneke's latest film, is really the only thing of his that says he has a heart. Say what you want about Claire Denis, who also happens to be versed in documentary filmmaking, but there’s a bit more hope in her work and you don’t feel like slitting your wrists or falling in to a mild depression after watching her films. I can be a cynic but I still have hope for this world. Influence and the impact a filmmaker has on cinema is also an important factor. Both filmmakers bring influences from an older generation in a much more subtle way than Tarantino or Refn yet still have original & influential styles. Some may not realize it but when watching The Seventh Continent, The White Ribbon, Beau Travail or 35 Shots Of Rum, viewers are being exposed to the filmmaking styles of Bresson, Dryer, Godard & Ozu. Furthermore, many modern French films & filmmakers are very reminiscent of Claire Denis (Gregory Colin, one of her regular actors, has gone on to become a director who's style is very similar to Denis'). Recent films like Michael, Afterschool and Dogtooth all borrow heavily from Haneke in terms of style & atmosphere.

The White Ribbon (Haneke)

Getting back to race for a moment - although both filmmakers are white Europeans, they're exploration of different races & ethnicities seems more genuine than most filmmakers (even those of color). There’s been a growing trend among many white filmmakers in the last decade where they like to explore cultures (mostly black) other than their own. The problem is that a lot of these films come off bad and/or bordering on being racist or perpetuating stereotypes (by accident, but still). The different cultures, races & ethnicities in Haneke & Denis' films don’t come off like studied entities from an uneducated or misguided white person viewing from a distance. In Denis' case this has to do with her growing up all throughout the continent of Africa and being exposed to different cultures & nationalities. Although the two filmmakers I feel are the “best” right now happen to be white, they don’t just explore “white” issues or make stories that are "white only" (especially Denis). Not many prominent filmmakers can say that. Where Haneke "beats" Denis in terms of recognition (golden globe & academy award nominations) Denis, in my opinion, has the edge in terms of racial exploration (although not to say that Haneke doesn't show racism in a masterful way). With films like Funny Games & Cache, Haneke clearly has a thing about "white guilt" and hints of insecurity or self hatred when it comes to racism whereas Denis is much more comfortable exploring racial issues.
Even if you don't agree with my theory (which is understandable depending on who you think are the best) you can still see where I'm coming from and understand my reasoning. I’ve read just about every piece of available literature on both directors and have watched their combined filmographies (while analyzing every single frame along the way) an unhealthy amount of times. I’m not the only person with this belief. In the last 10+ years Denis & Haneke have been praised by all the legitimate film publications and some of the best reviews, essays & write-ups have been based of off their films (BFI named Claire Denis filmmaker of the decade a few years ago). See my analysis on both Haneke & Denis from 2011. I'm curious to hear what you all think about Haneke & Denis impact on cinema today. Am I way off or on to something here?