The Prestidigitator

Wonderful little video/track by Oren Lavie. 

Tip of the hat to The Mute Oracle.

It’s that time of the year again. The Melbourne International Film Festival is back with a lot less fanfare than last year and unlike last year (when I was broke busy), I plan on catching more films. Two films I’m really looking forward to are the indie sensation ‘In Search of a Midnight Kiss‘ and Guy Maddin’s acclaimed ‘My Winnipeg‘.

Good times ensue.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1094249/

Whatever happens in the end, I don’t wanna lose you as my friend.
I promise, I will never be your friend. No matter what. Ever.

I’ve been a huge Wes Anderson fan ever since I saw Rushmore back in college. His visual style is unlike that of any other director what with the use of a thousand props (most of which play no part in the story itself) and more notably, his fascination with blue hues. There are instances where his characters blend in with the environment and there are times when they stand out very vividly. His protagonists always seem a bit quirky and do not think or act in the way normal people do. Bottomline, his films never reflect reality but offer a more colorful and exaggerated version of the real world.

Hotel Chevalier is a 13 minute short film that acts as a prelude to the upcoming The Darjeeling Limited. This film was shown at a few film festivals and is now available through iTunes. It takes place at the eponymous hotel in Paris where Jack (Jason Schwartzman) receives a call from an old flame (Natalie Portman), saying she’ll soon meet him in his room. What follows is their awkward interaction that slowly leads to a romantic rekindling of sorts.

The song “Where Do You Go To” by Peter Sarstedt plays in the background with typical Wes Anderson dialogs aplenty. The sets are reminiscent of Anderson’s earlier films and the slow camera pans across the rooms as Natalie Portman moves across the room fiddling with various objects are brilliant.

I for one, loved the film and can’t wait for The Darjeeling Limited. Reviews be damned.

I take risks; sometimes patients die. But not taking risks causes more patients to die, so I guess my biggest problem is I’ve been cursed with the ability to do the math.

Dr Gregory House is arguably one of the coolest people on TV (along with the likes of Alan Shore from Boston Legal and Dr Cox from Scrubs). What is it about this cynical, sexist, wisecracking, pill popping, mad genius of a misanthrope that makes him so appealing?

This astonishingly well edited video showcases the man at his finest moments!

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Bh7vnIVPv4]

The reality show, On The Lot is pretty pathetic but it does showcase some amazing talent. If you’ve been watching, you’re probably familiar with Zach Lipovsky’s work. Two of his short films are probably the best on the show.

Sunshine Girl: A little girl hides the Sun under her bed. Chaos ensues.

Time Upon a Once:Breathtakingly original!

Also, our very own second generation bharatiya nari, Shalini Kanatayya made waves on the show .

All the shorts made thus far can be viewed on the site.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401711/

This isn’t just a film for short film lovers; it’s an amazingly visceral meditation on the various forms of love in and for one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Paris. The two hour feature consists of 18 short films based on the 20 Arrondissements (‘municipal boroughs’) in Paris.

When 18 of today’s best film makers come together, you are bound to expect some great cinema. For most part, they don’t disappoint but I didn’t care for the one by Wes Craven (Père-Lachaise) so much. My favorite short was the last piece by Alexander Payne (14e arrondissement) which portrays a middle aged woman in Paris; trying to fulfil her life long dream of visiting the city. She narrates her experience in thickly accented French. Deeply moving as only Payne can write. The entire atmosphere feels a lot like it did in Sideways.

There are a few flashes of brilliance (the ones by Cuaron and the Coen Brothers) but it did feel a little uneven at times. Not that surprising as it comes from 18 different film makers. At the end, it’s a film that will leave you pondering on relationships and the places you fall in love with. It reminded me of Manhattan, Woody Allen’s love letter to the city and one of my favorite films.

[And yes, Natalie Portman stars in Faubourg Saint-Denis, the short directed by Tom Tykwer. I'm not going to praise her performance for the fear of becoming redundant and creepy (in a 'creepy stalker' kind of way). ]

8.5/10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_je_taime

(PS: This film also made me long a bit for home)

A brilliantly directed short film. Of course, I could use without the Catholic overtones, but it’s still a very interesting morality tale.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=QrKnhOJ-R80]

Apparently, this is part of a project created by Lucas Crandles and Hayden James Weston, two Australians who make short films and one day hope to direct a feature film.

http://www.darkheartproductions.com/

The Cannes Film Festival opened with a screening of Wong Kar Wai’s My Blueberry Nights. However what interests me more are the short films screened there. Having seen a few shorts that were screened at Sundance (on my computer; I didn’t go to Sundance), I’m blown away by the potential of this medium.

This year a short film from India will be screened at the Cannes.

Luke Mendez, a Mumbai based film maker will be screening his 18 minute short film, Dog Eat Dog. It portrays the grim realities behind the so called American Dream. Read about it here.

Sadly, short films are overlooked in India with many oblivious to the fact that there exist some amazing short films that ignore the traditional 3 act structure out there. If you intend to watch them, I suggest you start with the immensely entertaining BMW Series Short Films which were helmed by auteurs like Guy Ritchie, Ang Lee, WKW etc… starring Clive Owen.

Sample this! 

[Cannes Logo sourced from Wikipedia]