Shame & Hunger

I was unaware of director Steve McQueen, and thought, as many have, that Shame was directed by "that guy who was in The Great Escape".

The new Steve McQueen is killer. With actor Michael Fassbender, whom he has brought deserved renown, McQueen brings the story of Brandon, a sex addict unable to actually connect emotionally with others. He is a man whose life is a void that he is shuttled through, numb despite his outward success. He shuts out his sister who strikes deep at the core he doesn't want to recognise.

Sex is the Brandon's desperate attempt to feel pleasure, or pain as it sometimes seems. However, these acts are completed with the same stoic detachment we see in the rest of his life. The film is chilling, a reflection of the way our oversexed society is being emotionally crippled, subject to explode or implode in any direction.

I found this short clip, with Steve McQueen, Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan (who plays Brandon's sister) discussing the film's themes, and really enjoyed it:



Equally intriguing is Steve McQueen's film from a few years back - Hunger. Fassbender again featues, leader of the IRA who begins a hunger strike. I have included an interview with Steve McQueen at NYFF below, as he discusses his process developing the film.

Dylan Wiehahn & Bon Iver

Congratulations Dylan Wiehahn for his beautiful work on the Bon Iver - Holocene video. Made independently and unofficially, but in our opinion, a really magnificent clip and very much suited to the song. Enjoy Dylan's work here.

Bon Iver - 'Holocene' Unofficial Music Video from Dylan Wiehahn on Vimeo.

OPEN TABLE

Mountjoy has recently initiated a character study project, documenting individuals over a night at their house, where they cook us dinner. Our first subject, the beautiful Haruka Sawa, was shot last week and will be posted up here over the weekend. In the meantime, have a look at the inspiration behind OPEN TABLE, a short conversational documentary Martin Scorsese made about his parents, shot in their New York apartment.

Echolalia

Working behind the scenes of a film festival this year, I've come across a bunch of interesting films currently on the festival circuit. Here's a selection of few, which to me seem similar. I'm overly excited to see Melancholia, at last, even if Von Trier might be a Nazi.

senses of cinema

A film journal produced with the assistance of Film Victoria, senses of cinema contains many great articles from contributors the world over, like this one The Treasure of the Sierra Madre or, Socrates in the Desert

I stumbled upon this via a contributor, Brad Nguyen, who is co-editor of Screen Machine, an online collection of film, media and cultural criticism. He wrote an engaging review of Tree of Life which can be read online here.

The Tree of Life

"There are two ways through life. The way of nature and the way of grace."

After a year of suspense, we all raced to see Malick's polarising new film on the day of its release. Within fifteen minutes, ten people had left the cinema. Two hours later, we sat speechless, winded by a film that I feel unable to review. I feel it is almost artless. It is the closest any film I've seen has come to revealing the minute, the cosmic, the meaning of natural order and chaos.

There is a particular moment amidst the infamous 16 minute birth of the universe sequence where the emptiness and endlessness of the universe seemed exactly as I've imagined it. Watching The Tree of Life, there are many moments like this, where it is as though your memories or imagination are being recreated on the screen. This is cinema at its greatest.

I don't know what else to say.

You must see this film.

The Possibility of Hope

Trawling Youtube for videos of Slavoj Žižek has led me into deep voids this week. It began with Children of Men, Alfonso Cuarón's film about a dystopian world in which no one has had a baby for eighteen years. What affected me most about this film was the resemblance this chaotic and desperate society has to our own world. Institutions, workplaces, cafes and transport, all are amplifications of the ugliest parts of our civilisation.

Following my viewing of Children of Men, I watched Cuarón's accompanying documentary The Possibility of Hope. A kind of Inconvenient Truth without the moralising, the doco is a series of interviews which address the sociological issues which are evident or will emerge from global warming and capitalism. It is a truly interesting half hour piece and you can watch it all on YouTube (I've linked Part 1/3 below).

It also reminded me of another film available to watch for free online called HOME. If you have 93 minutes and high speed internet, you should spend it watching this.

The Pervert's Guide to Cinema

In The Pervert's Guide to Cinema, Slavoj Žižek navigates the desires which are implicit in our cinema. His discussion propels films by Hitchcock, Tarkovsky and Lynch into the territory of Freud and Lacan, but with the charm of this Slovenian philosopher who believes "the first duty of philosophy is making you understand what deep s--- you are in!". This documentary is essential viewing. I've linked one of my favourite parts below.



Thank you Archer Davies and Nat Koyama for sharing this with me.

Watch Cannes Films for free!

Mubi and Cannes Critcs Week have gotten together and arranged the free streaming of a collection of films from the past 50 years of Cannes. They're only free for the first 1000 views before June 30, so get on it! Wonderful, sweet Sunday ahead.

La Semaine de la Critique on Mubi

Meek's Cutoff

This film looks grand



ACMI in Melbourne is currently showing a whole bunch of director Kelly Reichardt's films. Get some tickets here.

Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man

I've been watching so many music videos lately as we deliver treatments to various artists. What's been striking is how little originality there is, and how many silly ones get made. Grinderman's new clip for 'Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man' is no such clip. Ilinca Höpfner has made an animation which somehow does Cave's poetry justice. I love this clip and, after a week of 7D-focus-pulled-hipster-babe-gimmick clips, it was just the hit I needed.

SLEEPING BEAUTY

This Australian film just had its premiere at Cannes. Looks very interesting, especially for a film from our shores.

AFTER - MOBY from Henry Cuevas Paredes on Vimeo.

How to Steal Like an Artist

Some Internet wisdom for you all, courtesy of that guy who makes poems out of blacked out newspaper clippings.

How to Steal Like an Artist

R.I.P Sidney Lumet

Show some respect and watch Before The Devil Knows You're Dead.

Here's a scene to get you in the mood. The acting (Ethan Hawke & Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and the cinematography (Ron Fortunato) is incredibly paced. A master of tension.



forgive the shitty youtube aspect ratio*

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