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LOVING COUPLE: Borte (Khulan Chuluun) and Temudjin (Tadanobu Asano) are reunited in Mongol. Image: Andreevsky Flag Film Company
A Kinder Khan by Linh
Russian director Sergei Bodrov's Oscar nominated Best Foreign Film for 2008, Mongol follows the early years of Mongolia's feared and revered conqueror Genghis Khan.
Filmed in China, Kazakhstan and parts of Mongolia, Bodrov envisioned Mongol to be the first of a trilogy and concentrated on the lesser known and much debated mysterious early years of Genghis Khan's life.
The film spans thirty years and is an epic tale of love, family honour, and loyalty set against a backdrop of panoramic beauty. It begins with Genghis Khan as a nine year old, originally named Temudjin, who sets upon a journey with his father to find a future wife. While Temudjin and his father head home, his father is poisoned after accepting a drink from a rival clan member. When Temudjin arrives home to his clan to be their Khan (ruler), they refuse to be ruled by a young boy and reject him. After experiencing poverty, rejection and humiliation, Temudjin uses his skills and cunning to unite feuding clans and become the ruler of the Mongol Empire.
If audiences are after a film featuring an animalistic Genghis Khan as the fabled megalomanical blood-thirsty cannibal, then they would be disappointed. Mongol depicts Genghis Khan as a humane and forgiving man who was willing to start a war among clans over the woman he loves and set his blood brother free after being betrayed.
CONQUEROR: Temudjin (Tadanobu Asano) becomes Khan of his tribe and leads his men into battle in Mongol. Image: Andreevsky Flag Film Company
The casting is excellent, comprising of actors from China, Japan and various other nationalities which adds to the authentic feel and look of the film.
Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano plays Temudjin, giving a soulful and brooding performance as the Mongol leader.
Khulan Chuluun is wonderfully sincere and emotionally strong as Temudjin's wife, Borte, whom he lost after she was kidnapped and sired the children of her captors.
Chinese actor Honglei Sun brilliantly portrays Temudjin's blood brother and future rival Jamukha with a slight cockiness and assurance.
The supporting cast, including the extras on horseback during the battle scenes, were tremendously captivating despite minor roles with minimal onscreen time.
Mongol's depiction of one of history's most controversial leaders, is endearing and shows Genghis Khan as a family man, a fair and just ruler and a warrior attempting to build one of the world's greatest empires through uniting rivals and befriending enemies.
Mongol is majestically and stunningly filmed and hopefully Bodrov will see his projected trilogy of Genghis Khan come to fruition.
Director: Sergei Bodrov
Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Honglei Sun, Khulan Chuluun, Aliya, Tegen Ao, Sun Ben Hon, Amadu Mamadakov, Zhang Jiong, You Er, Bao Di
Producers: Stefan Arndt, Bob Berney, Sergei Bodrov, Bulat, Galimgereyev, Marcos Kantis, Anton Melnik, Ulli Neumann, Alec Schulmann, Sergei Selyanov, Manuela Stehr, Max Wang
Original Music Composition: Tuomas Kantelinen
Cinematography: Rogier Stoffers, Sergei Trofimov
Film Editors: Valdís Óskarsdóttir, Zach Staenberg
Casting: Han Wei Biao, Gulshat Omarova, Ui Ri Ji Tu
Costumes: Karin Lohr
Running Time: 126 minutes
Production: Andreevsky Flag Film Company, Kinofabrika, Kinokompaniya CTB, X-Filme Creative Pool
Language: Mongolian, Mandarin (Chinese) with English subtitles
BRUTAL BETRAYAL: Jamukha (Honglei Sun) seeks revenge against Temudjin in Mongol. Image: Andreevsky Flag Film Company
Mama Mia Mania by Linh
GETTING HITCHED: Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried in Mama Mia!. Image: Universal Pictures.
The world wide smash hit stage musical, Mama Mia! has been made into a musical film featuring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, and hits Australian cinemas on July 10.
The story tells of 18 year old Sophie who is about to get married but wants her father to walk her down the aisle. The only problem is, she has no idea who her father is, so she invites three men from her mother's past to attend the wedding.
The film is set on a beautiful island of Greece, with most of the song and dance scenes filmed at Pinewood Studios in the UK.
Having seen the trailer several times in the cinema, I immediately got the sense of fun, frivolity and humour amongst all the singing and dancing scenes.
The film features songs from the 1970s super Swedish rock group ABBA, including 'Mama Mia', 'Dancing Queen' and 'The Winner Takes It All'.
The stellar cast also features Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Julie Walters and Dominic Cooper.
I expect Mama Mia! to be a light hearted and feelgood movie similar to the remake of Hairspray, which starred Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron and John Travolta.
Although I am very much looking forward to this film, it just can't beat the live performance experience of Mama Mia! on a theatrical stage.
FORMER FLAME: Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan in Mama Mia! Image: Universal Pictures.
Motherly Smotherly by Linh
For first time director Vince Di Meglio, the film Smother is not a bad effort. Di Megilo and co-writer and producer Tim Rasmussen weave a fine blend of chuckles and chaos into the storyline.
Smother features Diane Keaton, Liv Tyler and Dax Shepard, and is similar to Monster-Inlaw (which starred Jane Fonda as the matriarch) and Keaton's previous comedy Because I Said So.
MOTHER AND SON: Marilyn Cooper (Diane Keaton) always looks after her son Noah Cooper (Dax Shepard) in Smother. Image: Everyman Pictures, Double Edge Entertainment.
Released three days prior to Mothers' Day, Smother tells of a physiotherapist named Noah Cooper who faces an exhausting and trying time. He is sacked; is under pressure from his wife to start a family; his wife's cousin moves in unexpectedly and to top it off, his mother (and her five little dogs) leaves his father and stays over.
Dax Shepard plays Noah Cooper with a down-to-earth nature and charm but he is easily overshadowed in scenes with Diane Keaton's ditzy dame character.
Noah loses his job and has to beg his former boss at Carpet Bazaar, to take him back. Unfortunately, he discovers his Mother also gets a job at the carpet warehouse.
Shepard makes Noah an affable character and sincere even when he gives excuses like not noticing his underwear is four sizes too small.
Best known for her role in Annie Hall, Diane Keaton continues to deliver wonderful performances despite lousy scripts and poor productions of previous films (Because I Said So and Town and Country come to mind). In Smother, Keaton portrays Noah's mother, Marilyn Cooper, who has left her husband, Gene, (Ken Howard) after more than thirty years together. She wants to start over and become an independent woman again, yet can't seem to do it without interfering in her son's life.
Keaton gives a bravura performance as an irritating and klutzy Marilyn, who stumbles her way through life. Marilyn may think she hasn't achieved much in her life, but she declares her son as her greatest success. Also being a Mum to five cute little dogs, all named Sammy Higgins, is no mean feat.
MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Diane Keaton and Liv Tyler in a scene from Smother. Image: Everyman Pictures, Double Edge Entertainment.
Liv Tyler stars as the sweet and sexy wife, Clare Cooper, who seems to be interested in only one thing - procreation. Her baby mission is under threat when her husband Noah secretly sabotages the chances of her getting pregnant. He's not prepared to be 'intimate' while his life is in utter chaos.
Tyler's character seems to be invisible for the most part, yet ironically it's her character's attempts to leave that brings her to the dramatic forefront.
Mike White is Clare's nerdy cousin Myron Stubbs, a screenwriter who arrives at Noah and Clare's house unannounced and seems to never be leaving.
Myron has a laptop installed with a digital voiced prompter and he soon makes himself at home on the Cooper's couch.
Mike White gives Myron the usual geekiness with flashes of creative spark. White plays Myron as a writer with otherworldly ideas and big dreams; an excellent person to have at a brainstorming session.
Smother is predictable and fun yet needs some more comedic sparkle from the entire cast. The standout scene follows the funeral of Grandma Helen (Selma Stern), where her death brings out the true feelings behind Noah's and Marilyn's actions and words. A very cathartic experience and the funniest moment in the film.
LONELY AND DRUNK: Marilyn Cooper (Diane Keaton) hits the microphone after hitting the bottle in Smother. Image: Everyman Pictures, Double Edge Entertainment.
Director: Vince Di Meglio
Cast: Diane Keaton, Dax Shepard, Liv Tyler, Mike White, Ken Howard, Selma Stern, Jerry Lambert, Don Lake, Sarah Lancaster.
Writers: Tim Rasmussen, Vince Di Meglio.
Producers: Matt Berenson, Johnson Chan, Tim Rasmussen, Jim Seibel, Bobby Sheng, Jennifer Perini, Jay Roach, Stanley Monahan, Julie Hartley, Bill Johnson, Carsten H.W. Lorenz.
Casting: Rick Montgomery, Chadwick Struck.
Film Editor: Kelly Matsumoto
Cinematography: Julio Macat
Original Music: Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe.
Running time: 92 minutes
Production: Everyman Pictures, Inferno Distribution, Germie and Bucky, Double Edge Entertainment.
Super and Heroic Boy by Linh
One of my favourite childhood animated series is making the leap from the small screen to the silver screen.
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Searching For Morals by Linh
Ben Affleck makes an impressive directorial debut for his first major feature film, Gone Baby Gone, with his younger brother Casey Affleck in the lead role. Based on Dennis Lehane's novel, Gone Baby Gone sees private detective Patrick Kenzie and his partner Angie Gennaro investigate the disappearance of four year old Amanda McCready, with subplots including corruption in the police force, paedophilia, child molestation and drug abuse.
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Love Beyond Delusion by Linh
Australian-born director Craig Gillespie has struck cinematic gold with his second film as director. Following his directorial debut with the less successful Mr Woodcock, Gillespie’s Lars and the Real Girl has become a quirky hit with critics and audiences.
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The 2008 French Film Festival has been exciting and enlightening for Australian audiences keen to experience a taste of French cinema. Most sessions have sold out days in advance, and it has a been a successful year for the French Film Festival organisers with many raving about the films premiering in Australia as part of the festival.
In Adelaide the final weekend of the festival has seen almost all screenings fully booked, but some of the films will receive a general release after the festival including The Dinner Guest and The Secret of The Grain. The 2008 French Film Festival concludes today in Adelaide and Perth.
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In its nineteenth year, the French Film Festival continues to delight and entertain Australian audiences with discerning taste for cultural cinema. The 2008 French Film Festival has completed its screenings in the Eastern states, but continues in Adelaide at the Palace Cinemas and in Perth at Cinema Paradiso until April 6.
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CONNECTING: Catherine Deneuve as Camille and Thomas Dumerchez as Franck in a scene from After Him (Après lui). Image: Gloria Films
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10 Posts dating from April 2008
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