Once again master storyteller Werner Herzog returns to non-fiction filmmaking to take his audience into the depths of dangerous territory. Whether investigating one man's dangerous obsession with bears in GRIZZLY MAN or the unexplored terrain of CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, Herzog has made a reputation for immersing himself and his camera into bewildering spaces. Herzog continues this theme in INTO THE ABYSS a harrowing examination of one brutal crime and its aftermath.
"The paradox of this film is that it is both unremittingly bleak and rigorously humane."
-A.O. Scott, NEW YORK TIMES
"★ ★ ★ 1/2 ... Herzog finds brightness and something close to peace. The overriding point of Into the Abyss, what keeps this sad, sorrowful film from becoming depressing and elevates it far above the usual chatter of liberal-conservative debate, is that there can be light on the other end of even the darkest of tunnels."
-Rene Rodriguez, MIAMI HERALD
"You come out shaken by the fathomless destructiveness of idiocy and the healing powers of belief and remediation."
-David Denby, NEW YORKER
Exploring a triple homicide from Conroe, Texas Herzog probes the human psyche to explore why people kill-and why a state kills. In intimate conversations with those involved, including 28-year-old death row inmate Michael Perry (scheduled to die within eight days of appearing on-screen), Herzog achieves what he describes as "a gaze into the abyss of the human soul." Herzog's inquiries also extend to the families of the victims and perpetrators as well as a state executioner and pastor who've been with death row prisoners as they've taken their final breaths. As he's so often done before, Herzog's investigation unveils layers of humanity, making an enlightening trip out of ominous territory. Herzog's INTO THE ABYSS begins our on-going series REALITY BITES: DOCUMENTING THE REAL, a selection of non-fiction films exploring the experience and representation of reality.
Directed by Werner Herzog. PG-13.
Germany/Canada, 2011, Digital Projection, 107 minutes, Color, English.
The new documentary MY REINCARNATION elevates the father-son dynamic to transcendent levels by exploring the demands and expectations of one man considered to be great, but who just wants to be normal. The culmination of over twenty-years of work, acclaimed documentarian Jennifer Fox brings one family's unique situation and uncovers a profoundly universal story of father and son. A film as much about revering the past as about looking to the future, MY REINCARNATION manages to present familial conflict in relation to the inner harmony of the universe.
"Languid and contemplative, the film is typical of the intimate, paired-down aspect of Fox's style, a documentary in which lives accumulate in small moments."
-Mindy Farabee, LOS ANGELES TIMES
"MY REINCARNATION makes a pretty strong case: when the family business is enlightenment, listen to your dad."
-Daniel M. Gold, NEW YORK TIMES
MY REINCARNATION chronicles the epic story of the high Tibetan Buddhist Master, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, and his western-born son, Yeshi. The film follows Namkhai Norbu's rise to greatness as a Buddhist teacher in the West, while his son, Yeshi, recognized at birth as the reincarnation of a famous spiritual master, breaks away from his father's tradition to embrace the modern world. Can the father convince his son to keep the family's threatened spiritual legacy alive? Never before has a high Tibetan Master allowed such complete access to his private life and it is doubtful that another ever will. The film is a welcome addition to our REALITY BITES: DOCUMENTING THE REAL series, which presents non-ficition film investigating both the experience and representation of reality through a different lenses.
A controversial director, Bonello's previous films -- THE PORNOGRAPHER, TIRESIA, and ON WAR -- are anchored by the director's fascination with brutal beauty. With HOUSE OF PLEASURES, Bonello constructs a place where desire and danger merge in the interior of one of Paris' grand masions -- a turn of the century brothel. Documenting the sex trade of past Paris, Bonello's atmospheric world is populated by elegant madams and vetted clientele as well as a bevy of beautiful women selling themselves. As always, it is the juxtaposition of the brutal and the beautiful that drives Bonello's work and HOUSE OF PLEASURES, with its gorgeous cinematography and scandalous setting, does not disappoint.
"Visually ravishing, troublingly seductive."
-Karina Longworth, LA WEEKLY
"It's a gorgeously filmed portrait of a bygone era, with painstaking attention to period detail."
-V.A. Musetto, NEW YORK POST
"The heavy candlelit chiaroscuro paints the women as mobile Renoirs, Degases and Manets."
-Stephen Holden, NEW YORK TIMES
Within the brothel -- L'Apollonide -- Bonello tracks the lives of the Madam (Noemie Lvovsky) and close to a dozen girls among them: Madeline (Alice Barnole) who is horribly disfigured by a client and becomes known as "the woman who laughs," Clotilde (Celine Sallette) the veteran who longs to be a "respectable woman" and Pauline (Iliana Zabeth), the newcomer whose eyes are quickly opened to reality. Despite the fact that desire often mixes with danger and disease rears its ugly head, the film is filled with moments of intimacy and camaraderie amongst the girls. Using a bag of cinematic techniques which include split screen, time shifts and a modern soundtrack, Bonello has made a provocative and beautiful film on not only the world's oldest profession but also a commentary on history as remembered by art and literature. This film is part of the SHOCK ME, SHOCK ME: A CINEMA OF TRANSGRESSION series, which looks at filmmakers operating on the the extremes in theme and technique.
Directed by Bertrand Bonello. Unrated.
France, 2011, Digital Projection, 125 minutes, Color, French with English Subtitles.
A sense of urgency has spawned a series of environmental documentaries in recent years examining the destructive elements of human development. THE WHALE takes these political and collective issues and boils them down to one very personal story between an orphaned whale and a small community. The result is a poignant and heartbreaking story of man and animal and the difficulties of their coexistence. THE WHALE is joyous, profound, and beautiful.
"THE WHALE is a thoughtful, philosophical, political and ultimately sad documentary that ponders the impulses behind, and advisability of, intense interaction between human beings and other smart species."
-Todd McCarthy, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"The issues surrounding the emotional lives of animals -- and the often presumptuous assumptions of humans that they comprehend them -- are explored in THE WHALE with a quiet dignity and gorgeous images."
-Andy Webster, NEW YORK TIMES
"There's no denying that filmmakers Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit captured spectacular shots of both wildlife and picturesque scenery of evergreen-lined water under vibrant pink sunsets. It's a little extra eye candy in a documentary that's both visually stunning and emotionally wrought. THE WHALE begs for post-movie discussion about what should have been done with the graceful and lovable bicolor dilemma at the center of the film; the answer is hardly black and white."
-Stephanie Merry, WASHINGTON POST
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, THE WHALE is the true story of a young killer whale, an orca nicknamed Luna, who makes friends with people after he gets separated from his family on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. As rambunctious and surprising as a visitor from another planet, Luna endears himself to humans with his determination to make contact, which leads to laughter, conflict and unexpected consequences. Luna's story becomes conflicted as politics and protection issues ask whether man and whale can peacefully coexist. THE WHALE is part of an ongoing series -- REALITY BITES: DOCUMENTING THE REAL -- of non-ficition films examining various angles of experiencing and representing reality through film.
Directed by Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit. Rated G.
Canada, 2011, Digital Projection, 85 minutes, Color, English.
Robert Bresson once said, "An old thing becomes new if you detach it from what usually surrounds it." Polish auteur Lech Majewski explores similar terrain in his latest film THE MILL AND THE CROSS by bringing his camera into a painting and exploring that is happening behind the brushstrokes. Pieter Bruegel's masterpiece THE WAY TO THE CALVARY, the story of the crucifixion, is brought to life by Majewski with a cinematic touch and the sophisticated computer technology.
"In this lush and hypnotic examination of a painter's work and the times in which he lived, Mr. Majewski presents an extended contemplation of the creative process itself."
-Daniel M. Gold, NEW YORK TIMES
"If you see no more than the opening shots, you will never forget them."
-Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"Majewski's film is a captivating exercise that will interest fans of art, not to mention arthouse cinema."
-Stephanie Merry, WASHINGTON POST
Balancing the world of the painter and his patron juxtaposed agains the action with the in the painting -- the crucifixion -- Majewski creates an astounding meditation on the creative process, religious persecution, and grace. This epic story interweaves multi-layerd stories with astounding visual beauty. Joined by Rutger Hauer as Bruegel, Michael York as the Patron, and the irrepressible Charlotte Rampling as the Virgin Mary, Majewski creates a film that looks back to art history, yet provides an important message and warning about the future. THE MILL AND THE CROSS accomplishes Bresson's idea of making the old new again by proffering a many new, unique perspectives. If you want more Charlotte Rampling (and who doesn't, really?) make sure to see her in THE LOOK as part of our HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE Rampling Weekend.
Directed by Lech Majewski. Unrated.
Poland, 2011, Digital Projection, 92 minutes, Color, English and Spanish with English Subtitles.
Charlotte Rampling has said, "You can't watch yourself dispassionately." This sentiment frames the fascinating film that examines her career: THE LOOK. Made in conjunction with Rampling herself, THE LOOK, dubbed a self-portrait through others, explores the enigmatic Rampling without destroying her mystery. This compelling documentary examines issues of beauty, age, death, sexuality, and taboo through electrifying conversations between Rampling and her artist friends as well as clips from Rampling's iconic roles.
"One of the most enduringly fascinating actresses in cinema is intriguingly revealed in this admiring documentary, happily laced with tones of movie talk."
-David Noh, FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
"A unique documentary portrait of one of cinema's most quietly enduring talents."
-Gary Goldstein, LOS ANGELES TIMES
"She's the perfect confluence of brains and beauty, and it's a pleasure to be in her company."
-Keith Uhlich, TIME OUT NEW YORK
THE LOOK peers behind the surface of the image and investigates the fears and desires that propel human action. At once philosophical and colloquial, THE LOOK reflects the power and mystery of Rampling's star persona. The film is a terrific study of artistic creation, the craft of performance, and life itself. The anti-thesis of an in-depth interview, tell-all, or star reality show, THE LOOK is about an intellectual engagement between the subject and the audience, it is a film built on the idea of collaboration. THE LOOK is part of our special look of Charlotte Rampling as well as our REALITY BITES: DOCUMENTING THE REAL series.
Directed by Angelina Maccarone. Unrated.
Germany/France, 2011, Digital Projection, 90 minutes, Color, English, French and German with English Subtitles.