With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Steve James)
Steve James’ filmography has long been about finding entry into larger conversations through intimate portraits. The director’s landmark debut, Hoop Dreams, and latter-day efforts like 2014’s monument to critic Roger Ebert, Life Itself, don’t have much in common on the surface, but they both use their central characters to tell larger stories about big picture topics like structural dysfunction and the purpose of film criticism.
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Steve James)
Steve James’ filmography has long been about finding entry into larger conversations through intimate portraits. The director’s landmark debut, Hoop Dreams, and latter-day efforts like 2014’s monument to critic Roger Ebert, Life Itself, don’t have much in common on the surface, but they both use their central characters to tell larger stories about big picture topics like structural dysfunction and the purpose of film criticism.
- 9/15/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Stars: Paula Beer, Pierre Niney, Ernst Stötzner, Marie Gruber, Anton von Lucke | Written by François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo | Directed by François Ozon
A remake of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 film Broken Lullaby, itself based on a stage play, Frantz is the latest character-based drama from prolific French director François Ozon. Deeply melancholy and very moving, it’s a proper old school tearjerker, and more accessible than its austere monochrome aesthetic might imply.
1919. Widowed Anna (Paula Beer) lives in Quedlinberg with the Hoffmeisters, the parents of her late husband, Frantz, who was killed in battle the previous year. One day Anna visits Frantz’s grave and finds fresh flowers. The flowers were laid by a visiting Frenchman named Adrien (Pierre Niney). He says he knew Frantz.
The Hoffmeisters tentatively welcome Adrien into their home. Mrs Hoffmeister (Marie Gruber) and Anna are keen to establish a posthumous emotional connection with Frantz via Adrien.
A remake of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 film Broken Lullaby, itself based on a stage play, Frantz is the latest character-based drama from prolific French director François Ozon. Deeply melancholy and very moving, it’s a proper old school tearjerker, and more accessible than its austere monochrome aesthetic might imply.
1919. Widowed Anna (Paula Beer) lives in Quedlinberg with the Hoffmeisters, the parents of her late husband, Frantz, who was killed in battle the previous year. One day Anna visits Frantz’s grave and finds fresh flowers. The flowers were laid by a visiting Frenchman named Adrien (Pierre Niney). He says he knew Frantz.
The Hoffmeisters tentatively welcome Adrien into their home. Mrs Hoffmeister (Marie Gruber) and Anna are keen to establish a posthumous emotional connection with Frantz via Adrien.
- 7/20/2017
- by Rupert Harvey
- Nerdly
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash)
That there’s a fair chance you’ve never seen Daughters of the Dust — full disclosure: I am among these people — should be taken as a failure of distribution and exposure, not the film’s quality and impact. There’s also a fair chance that the closest you’ve really come to Julie Dash‘s 1991 film is Beyoncé’s Lemonade, which paid a direct visual tribute that,...
Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash)
That there’s a fair chance you’ve never seen Daughters of the Dust — full disclosure: I am among these people — should be taken as a failure of distribution and exposure, not the film’s quality and impact. There’s also a fair chance that the closest you’ve really come to Julie Dash‘s 1991 film is Beyoncé’s Lemonade, which paid a direct visual tribute that,...
- 6/16/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Author: Stefan Pape
There are few filmmakers working today quite as consistent as French auteur Francois Ozon and his latest, Frantz, is emblematic of this notion. Remaining faithful to his own sensibilities as a storyteller, each passing endeavour remains unique of its own accord, and where previous offerings such as In the House and The New Girlfriend thrived in their light and witty tendencies, Frantz represents a far more solemn, dramatic affair, highlighting the director’s noteworthy range.
Set during the aftermath of the First World War, we meet German widow Anna (Paula Beer), grieving the loss of her fiancé Frantz, living in the residency of his parents Hans (Ernst Stotzner) and Magda Hoffmeister (Marie Gruber). One morning when laying flowers on his deceased partner’s grave, she notices an elusive stranger doing the same, the Frenchman Adrien Rivoire (Pierre Niney). Intrigued as to what his connection could’ve been with Frantz,...
There are few filmmakers working today quite as consistent as French auteur Francois Ozon and his latest, Frantz, is emblematic of this notion. Remaining faithful to his own sensibilities as a storyteller, each passing endeavour remains unique of its own accord, and where previous offerings such as In the House and The New Girlfriend thrived in their light and witty tendencies, Frantz represents a far more solemn, dramatic affair, highlighting the director’s noteworthy range.
Set during the aftermath of the First World War, we meet German widow Anna (Paula Beer), grieving the loss of her fiancé Frantz, living in the residency of his parents Hans (Ernst Stotzner) and Magda Hoffmeister (Marie Gruber). One morning when laying flowers on his deceased partner’s grave, she notices an elusive stranger doing the same, the Frenchman Adrien Rivoire (Pierre Niney). Intrigued as to what his connection could’ve been with Frantz,...
- 5/8/2017
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Pierre Niney as Adrien and Paula Beer as Anna, in Frantz. Photo by Jean-Claude Moireau – Foz © Courtesy of Music Box Films
The French drama Frantz is film about secrets, lies, mourning and the aftermath of World War I rather than the romantic period film is might at first glance appear to be. Set shortly after what was known then as the Great War, and also known as the war of the Lost Generation, for how it virtually wiped out a whole generation of young men and, ironically, as the War to End All Wars, this drama explores the personal costs of war.
As we mark the hundredth anniversary of World War I, the time is right for a film about the survivors of that devastating conflict. The first war fought with modern weapons, such as missiles, tanks and machine guns, and a war fought for years in trenches, its horrendous...
The French drama Frantz is film about secrets, lies, mourning and the aftermath of World War I rather than the romantic period film is might at first glance appear to be. Set shortly after what was known then as the Great War, and also known as the war of the Lost Generation, for how it virtually wiped out a whole generation of young men and, ironically, as the War to End All Wars, this drama explores the personal costs of war.
As we mark the hundredth anniversary of World War I, the time is right for a film about the survivors of that devastating conflict. The first war fought with modern weapons, such as missiles, tanks and machine guns, and a war fought for years in trenches, its horrendous...
- 4/7/2017
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Francois Ozon, over the span of his nearly 30 year career as a short and feature-length filmmaker, has become one of French cinema’s true giants, despite having not nearly the same name recognition as many of his counterparts. Surely films like Swimming Pool and 8 Women have been seen by a large number of cineastes, and yet he doesn’t have the Hollywood stamp of approval someone like Luc Besson does, nor does he have the cult of critical support filmmakers like Claire Denis or Arnaud Desplechin have surrounding their work.
However, that hasn’t changed the fact that Ozon is quietly one of the country’s great film artists and if one needs any proof, just take a gander at the filmmaker’s latest and arguably greatest work.
Entitled Frantz, Ozon takes to the world of Ernst Lubitsch, bringing back to life one of that giant’s lesser known efforts.
However, that hasn’t changed the fact that Ozon is quietly one of the country’s great film artists and if one needs any proof, just take a gander at the filmmaker’s latest and arguably greatest work.
Entitled Frantz, Ozon takes to the world of Ernst Lubitsch, bringing back to life one of that giant’s lesser known efforts.
- 3/27/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Three great movies, all about love — and not only about love — will be entering the theatrical arena soon and if you are craving some love, you want to see these.credit: The Odyssey Online
“Frantz” directed by Francois Ozon. U.S. Release March 24 by Music Box. International sales by Films Distribution.
About to be released March 24 by Music Box, “Frantz” premiered in Venice and Toronto Film Festivals this last fall. Boyd van Hoeij’s review in The Hollywood Reporter is the recommended review for those who like to read reviews in advance. He describes “Frantz” as “a richly imagined and superbly assembled period piece”. The L.A. Goethe Institute had a sneak preview and I was among the lucky who got to see it there.
“Frantz” by Francois Ozon
Inspired by Ernst Lubitsch’s “Broken Lullaby”, in German and French, B&W and in color “Frantz” not just a surprise,...
“Frantz” directed by Francois Ozon. U.S. Release March 24 by Music Box. International sales by Films Distribution.
About to be released March 24 by Music Box, “Frantz” premiered in Venice and Toronto Film Festivals this last fall. Boyd van Hoeij’s review in The Hollywood Reporter is the recommended review for those who like to read reviews in advance. He describes “Frantz” as “a richly imagined and superbly assembled period piece”. The L.A. Goethe Institute had a sneak preview and I was among the lucky who got to see it there.
“Frantz” by Francois Ozon
Inspired by Ernst Lubitsch’s “Broken Lullaby”, in German and French, B&W and in color “Frantz” not just a surprise,...
- 3/23/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Serious movie lovers tend to view remakes at best with caution and at worst with outright derision. That’s understandable: With Disney cranking out live action updates to a number of its beloved animated properties, Marvel producing three iterations of “Spider-Man” in less than 20 years and rumors flying about an ill-advised reboot of “The Matrix,” the very notion of a remake is an instant cause for concern.
But at least one remake released in 2017 exists outside of that trend: French director François Ozon’s “Frantz,” a tender revision of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 drama “Broken Lullaby,” alternately known as “The Man I Killed.” It was the only straight dramatic effort by the screwball comedy master, and a flop upon release that only diehard cinephiles have tracked down. But Ozon’s version isn’t entirely faithful to the original.
Read More: Why French Cinema Faces an Uncertain Future in America
“Frantz,” shot...
But at least one remake released in 2017 exists outside of that trend: French director François Ozon’s “Frantz,” a tender revision of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 drama “Broken Lullaby,” alternately known as “The Man I Killed.” It was the only straight dramatic effort by the screwball comedy master, and a flop upon release that only diehard cinephiles have tracked down. But Ozon’s version isn’t entirely faithful to the original.
Read More: Why French Cinema Faces an Uncertain Future in America
“Frantz,” shot...
- 3/20/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
“Awards are like hemorrhoids. Sooner or later every asshole gets one,” François Ozon, one of France's most prolific director/screenwriters, has noted.
With Frantz, his pacifistic, feminist, and slightly homoerotic chronicling of a post-World War I love affair of sorts opening Stateside this week, he can say that with a smile. After all, this feature has already garnered eleven Cécar nominations, including one for best film, and a dozen more from various international film festivals.
For many folks, that’s no surprise. All they have to hear is that a new Ozon is unspooling at their local art house, and they’re hotfooting it to the ticket booth. Why? Few other directors have the ability to depict the psychosexual permutations of our fellow man better, at times accompanied with an unexpected Hitchcockian twist or a good dose of Almodóvarian tongue-in-cheek perversity.
In his 1996 short, "A Summer Dress," a young gay man,...
With Frantz, his pacifistic, feminist, and slightly homoerotic chronicling of a post-World War I love affair of sorts opening Stateside this week, he can say that with a smile. After all, this feature has already garnered eleven Cécar nominations, including one for best film, and a dozen more from various international film festivals.
For many folks, that’s no surprise. All they have to hear is that a new Ozon is unspooling at their local art house, and they’re hotfooting it to the ticket booth. Why? Few other directors have the ability to depict the psychosexual permutations of our fellow man better, at times accompanied with an unexpected Hitchcockian twist or a good dose of Almodóvarian tongue-in-cheek perversity.
In his 1996 short, "A Summer Dress," a young gay man,...
- 3/20/2017
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
The rare specialty sequel led the weekend with Danny Boyle’s “T2 Trainspotting,” 21 years after the original’s breakout success. The TriStar release had the best initial numbers since the late-year awards contenders, but other debuts showed results that seemed underwhelming next to their pedigree.
This time last year, we saw the release of crossover successes “Eye in the Sky” and “Hello, My Name Is Doris,” but 2017 lacks the same heft. Last week’s breakout, “A Very Sordid Wedding” (The Film Collective) continued at its sole Palm Springs location but didn’t report results, suggesting the $40,000 start had a strong component of premiere hoopla and higher event pricing.
Opening
T2 Trainspotting (Sony) – Metacritic: 64; Festivals include: Berlin 2017
$180,000 in 5 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $36,000
Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting” sequel scored the best New York/Los Angeles limited opening this year; among conventional specialized releases, it’s only the second to earn...
This time last year, we saw the release of crossover successes “Eye in the Sky” and “Hello, My Name Is Doris,” but 2017 lacks the same heft. Last week’s breakout, “A Very Sordid Wedding” (The Film Collective) continued at its sole Palm Springs location but didn’t report results, suggesting the $40,000 start had a strong component of premiere hoopla and higher event pricing.
Opening
T2 Trainspotting (Sony) – Metacritic: 64; Festivals include: Berlin 2017
$180,000 in 5 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $36,000
Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting” sequel scored the best New York/Los Angeles limited opening this year; among conventional specialized releases, it’s only the second to earn...
- 3/19/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
It's a rare beauty, this odd-duck of a period piece from the great French director François Ozon (Under the Sand, 8 Women, Swimming Pool). Frantz starts out as a remake of the 1932 film Broken Lullaby by Ernst Lubitsch, a maestro whose work only a fool would mess with. But here's Ozon doing just that, taking the second half of the film down a different path that's sure to piss of purists. The filmmaker is walking a creative tightrope. How do you resist that? My advice is: don't. There are a few fits and starts,...
- 3/16/2017
- Rollingstone.com
“Beauty and the Beast” (Disney) should accelerate the now-surging 2017 box office: Expect to see a domestic opening above $100 million, the first since “Rogue One.” Like other recent Disney hits, it’s timed to play during staggered spring breaks.
A live-action musical based on the studio’s 1991 smash, it fills what has become Disney’s annual slot for updated children’s classics. It began with Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” in 2010, which opened to $126 million and a domestic $334 million (both adjusted) and over $1 billion worldwide. From 2013 on, they have provided a spring offering, with last year’s “The Jungle Book” topping “Alice” as the biggest so far ($364 million total domestic after opening to $103 million).
“Beauty” would exceed all of these if its opening hits the consensus guess of $130 million. That would be more than $40 million ahead of “Logan” (20th Century Fox); at $89 million, it’s currently the year’s best opening.
A live-action musical based on the studio’s 1991 smash, it fills what has become Disney’s annual slot for updated children’s classics. It began with Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” in 2010, which opened to $126 million and a domestic $334 million (both adjusted) and over $1 billion worldwide. From 2013 on, they have provided a spring offering, with last year’s “The Jungle Book” topping “Alice” as the biggest so far ($364 million total domestic after opening to $103 million).
“Beauty” would exceed all of these if its opening hits the consensus guess of $130 million. That would be more than $40 million ahead of “Logan” (20th Century Fox); at $89 million, it’s currently the year’s best opening.
- 3/16/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
When Nora Ephron decided to remake Ernst Lubitsch’s 1940 classic The Shop Around The Corner, she chose to update the story as well, setting it in what was then the present day. That seems a bit funny now, as few Hollywood movies from the late ’90s feel more dated than You’ve Got Mail. (Today’s version would likely be titled U up?.) Still, the impulse was sound. A movie inevitably reflects the time at which it was conceived, and a brand-new yet doggedly faithful take on the same material won’t always put viewers in the right headspace to appreciate how it might have played to the audience for which it was intended.
Frantz, the latest feature from prolific French director François Ozon (8 Women, In The House, Young & Beautiful), suffers from precisely that problem. The closing credits note that it’s “freely inspired” by Broken Lullaby ...
Frantz, the latest feature from prolific French director François Ozon (8 Women, In The House, Young & Beautiful), suffers from precisely that problem. The closing credits note that it’s “freely inspired” by Broken Lullaby ...
- 3/14/2017
- by Mike D'Angelo
- avclub.com
François Ozon with Katell Quillévéré (Réparer Les Vivants) and Emmanuelle Bercot (La Fille De Brest) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
A highlight of the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in New York, Frantz (César winner - Best Cinematography to Pascal Marti) is François Ozon's inspired take on Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 post-World War I drama Broken Lullaby, which tells the story of a French soldier, here called Adrien (Pierre Niney) who locates the family of a German soldier, Frantz (Anton von Lucke) who died at the front.
Based on the play by Maurice Rostand, Ozon switches perspective to that of the grieving fiancée Anna (Paula Beer), an orphan living with Frantz's parents (Ernst Stötzner and Marie Gruber). A painting by Manet of a pale young man, head back, that hangs in the Louvre triggers a variety of Carlotta moments. Cyrielle Clair as Adrien's mother would be perfectly at home in a lineup of dangerous Alfred Hitchcock matriarchs.
A highlight of the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in New York, Frantz (César winner - Best Cinematography to Pascal Marti) is François Ozon's inspired take on Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 post-World War I drama Broken Lullaby, which tells the story of a French soldier, here called Adrien (Pierre Niney) who locates the family of a German soldier, Frantz (Anton von Lucke) who died at the front.
Based on the play by Maurice Rostand, Ozon switches perspective to that of the grieving fiancée Anna (Paula Beer), an orphan living with Frantz's parents (Ernst Stötzner and Marie Gruber). A painting by Manet of a pale young man, head back, that hangs in the Louvre triggers a variety of Carlotta moments. Cyrielle Clair as Adrien's mother would be perfectly at home in a lineup of dangerous Alfred Hitchcock matriarchs.
- 3/6/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
For the twenty-second year in a row, The Film Society of Lincoln Center and UniFrance have lined up a sparkling slate for their Rendez-Vous with French Cinema screening series, which aims to showcase “the variety and vitality of contemporary French filmmaking.” This year’s programming, including the selected films, panels, and events, includes a special focus on the myriad of ways that French culture influences the arts in America, and vice-versa.
The lineup features 23 diverse films, comprised of highlights from international festivals and works by both established favorites and talented newcomers. The series runs from March 1 – 12.
Read More: Rendez-Vous with French Cinema Exclusive Trailer: Annual Series Celebrates the Very Best in Contemporary French Cinema
Ahead, check out the 6 titles and events we are most excited to check out at this year’s screening series.
“Frantz”
Screwball comedy master Ernst Lubitsch took a rare stab at straight drama with 1932’s “Broken Lullaby,...
The lineup features 23 diverse films, comprised of highlights from international festivals and works by both established favorites and talented newcomers. The series runs from March 1 – 12.
Read More: Rendez-Vous with French Cinema Exclusive Trailer: Annual Series Celebrates the Very Best in Contemporary French Cinema
Ahead, check out the 6 titles and events we are most excited to check out at this year’s screening series.
“Frantz”
Screwball comedy master Ernst Lubitsch took a rare stab at straight drama with 1932’s “Broken Lullaby,...
- 3/1/2017
- by Chris O'Falt, David Ehrlich, Eric Kohn, Jude Dry and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Frantz Music Box Films Reviewed by: Harvey Karten, Showbiz Grade: A- Director: François Ozon Written by: François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo, inspired by Ernst Lubitsch’s film “Broken Lullaby” Cast: Paula Beer, Pierre Niney, Ernst Stoetzner Marie Gruber Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 2/23/17 Opens: March 15, 2017 Not surprisingly, war does something to both the people […]
The post Frantz Movie Review: The performances come across as utterly authentic appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Frantz Movie Review: The performances come across as utterly authentic appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/28/2017
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Continuing his prolific streak, the U.S. trailer has landed for Frantz, the latest drama from François Ozon. Shot in striking black and white, the film — which premiered at Venice, and played Telluride, Tiff, Sundance, and more — follows a grieving German widow in the wake of Wwi whose interest is piqued by a Frenchman with apparent ties to her late husband. Filled with intrigue, loss, and romance, Frantz looks to be a striking drama with a lush palette. Pascal Marti‘s cinematography is on full display, offering haunting frames and beautiful compositions to accompany the film’s tangled web.
We said in our review, “One can accuse François Ozon of many things, but lack of ideas isn’t one of them. The prolific French auteur is a constant presence at A-list film festivals since the late 90’s and has proved to be a true writer’s director, with his films...
We said in our review, “One can accuse François Ozon of many things, but lack of ideas isn’t one of them. The prolific French auteur is a constant presence at A-list film festivals since the late 90’s and has proved to be a true writer’s director, with his films...
- 2/21/2017
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
François Ozon Photo: UniFrance
He has dressed down for our meeting in the Grand Hotel in Paris, with a baseball cap, jumper and jeans. François Ozon, 49, sips water and and settles back in an all-enveloping settee. He once tried to be an actor but found it did not suit his demons and he retreated behind the camera instead. His latest film, Frantz, was shot in black and white and is based on a play written by Maurice Rostand just after the First World War. When Ozon found that it had already been made into a film by his hero Ernst Lubitsch under the title Broken Lullaby, he felt like giving up. When he saw it, however, he realised his take would be different: rather than focusing on the Frenchman Adrien he wanted to take the point of view of the young woman Anna. The pair meet at a graveyard in a.
He has dressed down for our meeting in the Grand Hotel in Paris, with a baseball cap, jumper and jeans. François Ozon, 49, sips water and and settles back in an all-enveloping settee. He once tried to be an actor but found it did not suit his demons and he retreated behind the camera instead. His latest film, Frantz, was shot in black and white and is based on a play written by Maurice Rostand just after the First World War. When Ozon found that it had already been made into a film by his hero Ernst Lubitsch under the title Broken Lullaby, he felt like giving up. When he saw it, however, he realised his take would be different: rather than focusing on the Frenchman Adrien he wanted to take the point of view of the young woman Anna. The pair meet at a graveyard in a.
- 2/15/2017
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The prolific French film-maker tones down his often colourful palette to offer a loose adaptation of the 1932 Ernst Lubitsch drama Broken Lullaby, anchored beautifully by German actor Paula Beer
François Ozon is nothing if not a restless film-maker. Despite his ridiculously prolific rate (he’s the Woody Allen of France, churning out one to two films a year), he seems adverse to ever being labelled an auteur. He’s tackled everything from a classic Gallic farce (Potiche), to a murder mystery (8 Women), to an erotic thriller (Swimming Pool), all with varying degrees of success. With an Ozon joint, you never quite know what you’re going to get.
Related: François Ozon: 'I'll admit I'm a little bit twisted'
Continue reading...
François Ozon is nothing if not a restless film-maker. Despite his ridiculously prolific rate (he’s the Woody Allen of France, churning out one to two films a year), he seems adverse to ever being labelled an auteur. He’s tackled everything from a classic Gallic farce (Potiche), to a murder mystery (8 Women), to an erotic thriller (Swimming Pool), all with varying degrees of success. With an Ozon joint, you never quite know what you’re going to get.
Related: François Ozon: 'I'll admit I'm a little bit twisted'
Continue reading...
- 9/10/2016
- by Nigel M Smith
- The Guardian - Film News
Screwball comedy master Ernst Lubitsch took a rare stab at straight drama with 1932’s “Broken Lullaby,” the tense story of a soldier who attempts to make amends with the family of a man he killed in World War I. Preeminent French director François Ozon also wanders into unconventional territory with “Frantz,” his astonishingly beautiful and inquisitive remake of Lubitsch’s film, using it as a springboard for a profound look at alienation and grief.
Ozon captures much of the original movie’s strengths while broadening its themes, launching into richer territory with his most polished storytelling achievement since 2004’s “Swimming Pool.” While the entirety of “Frantz” holds less appeal than its gorgeous ingredients, it’s impossible to deny the sheer narrative sophistication that makes this gentle story much more than your average retread.
Largely set in the small German mountain town of Quedlingburg, the mostly black-and-white “Frantz” takes place in...
Ozon captures much of the original movie’s strengths while broadening its themes, launching into richer territory with his most polished storytelling achievement since 2004’s “Swimming Pool.” While the entirety of “Frantz” holds less appeal than its gorgeous ingredients, it’s impossible to deny the sheer narrative sophistication that makes this gentle story much more than your average retread.
Largely set in the small German mountain town of Quedlingburg, the mostly black-and-white “Frantz” takes place in...
- 9/5/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
One can accuse François Ozon of many things, but lack of ideas isn’t one of them. The prolific French auteur is a constant presence at A-list film festivals since the late 90’s and has proved to be a true writer’s director, with his films often characterized by a meticulous construction and the vigorous thought process that goes on behind it. His latest, a remake of Ernst Lubitsch’s Broken Lullaby with a twist, juxtaposes themes of grief, guilt, forgiveness, and the deceptive, self-inventive qualities of narrative against the backdrop of post-wwi Franco-German tensions. It’s a heady hall of mirrors that keeps revealing, or at least suggesting new depths and angles. But while this kind of intense creative exercise no doubt deserves respect, ultimately one has the uneasy sense that things don’t really add up.
The movie begins as we meet Anna (Paula Beer) in the German town of Quedlinburg,...
The movie begins as we meet Anna (Paula Beer) in the German town of Quedlinburg,...
- 9/4/2016
- by Zhuo-Ning Su
- The Film Stage
The full, 462 page English version of Allan Dwan: A Dossier, published by LUMIÈRE, edited by David Phelps and Gina Telaroli, and translated with Ted Fendt and Bill Krohn, is now online for free! Farran Nehme, the "Self-Styled Siren", has some lovely words on the recently departed Mickey Rooney:
"Few terms are crueler than has-been. A has-been is Norma Desmond rattling around an empty mansion. Avoiding strong light like a vampire, bitterly dishing old enemies to skeptical interviewers. So focused on looking back that you never move forward.
Mickey Rooney was never a true has-been in his life, not with 90 years of work. Shorts and features, A pictures and B pictures, star turns and character parts. Social dramas, musicals, an impressive run of noirs, comedies, Emmy awards, sitcoms, a hit Broadway show. The Siren spotted him in The Muppets in 2011 and heard a college-age woman whisper to her companion,...
"Few terms are crueler than has-been. A has-been is Norma Desmond rattling around an empty mansion. Avoiding strong light like a vampire, bitterly dishing old enemies to skeptical interviewers. So focused on looking back that you never move forward.
Mickey Rooney was never a true has-been in his life, not with 90 years of work. Shorts and features, A pictures and B pictures, star turns and character parts. Social dramas, musicals, an impressive run of noirs, comedies, Emmy awards, sitcoms, a hit Broadway show. The Siren spotted him in The Muppets in 2011 and heard a college-age woman whisper to her companion,...
- 4/9/2014
- by Adam Cook
- MUBI
Above: Swedish one sheet by Gösta Åberg for Broken Lullaby (Ernst Lubitsch, USA, 1932).
This rather unusual Swedish design, a mélange of various type and illustrative styles, is a poster for one of Ernst Lubitsch’s lesser known and most atypical films: Broken Lullaby (a.k.a. The Man I Killed). A dark film about a French soldier tormented by the memory of a German soldier—and fellow musician—whom he killed in Wwi, it screens this weekend and next in New York at Anthology Film Archives as part of "Auteurs Gone Wild," a tantalizing series programmed by Notebook contributor David Phelps.
The series includes nine refreshingly less-than-obvious works—all on 35mm—by such canonical figures as Hitchcock, Chaplin, Cukor, Capra, Lang and Von Sternberg. Phelps has chosen to shine a light on these authors’ least representative films: films that have been overlooked because they don’t fit the mold, because...
This rather unusual Swedish design, a mélange of various type and illustrative styles, is a poster for one of Ernst Lubitsch’s lesser known and most atypical films: Broken Lullaby (a.k.a. The Man I Killed). A dark film about a French soldier tormented by the memory of a German soldier—and fellow musician—whom he killed in Wwi, it screens this weekend and next in New York at Anthology Film Archives as part of "Auteurs Gone Wild," a tantalizing series programmed by Notebook contributor David Phelps.
The series includes nine refreshingly less-than-obvious works—all on 35mm—by such canonical figures as Hitchcock, Chaplin, Cukor, Capra, Lang and Von Sternberg. Phelps has chosen to shine a light on these authors’ least representative films: films that have been overlooked because they don’t fit the mold, because...
- 3/22/2014
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
A 9-film series of not-quite-classics (on 35mm), "Auteurs Gone Wild" runs at Anthology Film Archives from March 20-30, 2014; what follows are the director's cut of the program notes (with production stills of the auteurs themselves, mid-wild)—
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If the Hollywood auteurs were the ghosts in the studio machine, what would they look like exorcised? Rather than author, the word "auteur" might have referred to a kind of rhetorician working within genre codes that, once decoded, would only reveal his own commentary on them. But what would happen if this auteur cleared his throat, managed a sip of water, and tried speaking in his own tongue? Typically, the critics who had authored the auteur as a placeholder and retroactive justification for their own generic interpretations would have to snub such attempts to break out of genre molds to go strange, personal places. For the irony is that these works, kind of laboratory...
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If the Hollywood auteurs were the ghosts in the studio machine, what would they look like exorcised? Rather than author, the word "auteur" might have referred to a kind of rhetorician working within genre codes that, once decoded, would only reveal his own commentary on them. But what would happen if this auteur cleared his throat, managed a sip of water, and tried speaking in his own tongue? Typically, the critics who had authored the auteur as a placeholder and retroactive justification for their own generic interpretations would have to snub such attempts to break out of genre molds to go strange, personal places. For the irony is that these works, kind of laboratory...
- 3/21/2014
- by David Phelps
- MUBI
Welcome to the debut episode of They Shot Pictures, a podcast dedicated to exploring the filmographies of older, relatively under seen and somewhat obscure directors. Each episode we pick a director and watch and discuss 2-3 of his/her films. The goal here is to jointly revisit some of our most beloved directors as well as discover some new favorites.
In this episode, we discuss three films by Ernst Lubitsch. We start with one of his early silent romantic comedies from 1919, The Doll. We then move on to what is arguably the most intensely dramatic of his films, Broken Lullaby and conclude with his sexy, risqué Hollywood rom-com, Design for Living.
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In this episode, we discuss three films by Ernst Lubitsch. We start with one of his early silent romantic comedies from 1919, The Doll. We then move on to what is arguably the most intensely dramatic of his films, Broken Lullaby and conclude with his sexy, risqué Hollywood rom-com, Design for Living.
Download MP3 in a new window
Subscribe via iTunes...
- 7/20/2012
- by Seema
- SoundOnSight
Beginning a series looking at obscure pre-Code Hollywood films, made between the advent of sound and the strict enforcement of the Production Code. Some of these movies are rightly celebrated and frequently screened: Baby Face (1933), Red Headed Woman (1932), even to some extent Bed of Roses (1933). But others are trapped in copyright limbo or locked in vaults by studios too blind to exploit their holdings. That's the kind we're going to look at.
Tay Garnett was a typical tough-guy director, working in every genre but with a feeling for exotic climes (usually reproduced on the backlot). His reputation—that of a seventh-rate Howard Hawks, maybe—has never been hugely prestigious, and despite his frequently working on the screenplays of Hawks' films, and even making cameo appearances, the notion of Garnett as auteur never really took hold. Maybe, just maybe, this is partly due to the scarcity of some of his most interesting work.
Tay Garnett was a typical tough-guy director, working in every genre but with a feeling for exotic climes (usually reproduced on the backlot). His reputation—that of a seventh-rate Howard Hawks, maybe—has never been hugely prestigious, and despite his frequently working on the screenplays of Hawks' films, and even making cameo appearances, the notion of Garnett as auteur never really took hold. Maybe, just maybe, this is partly due to the scarcity of some of his most interesting work.
- 11/24/2011
- MUBI
If I had no other responsibilities at the Locarno Film Festival, I'd spend the whole time watching Ernst Lubitsch movies. Thankfully, I've been able to find a little room on each day to sneak in a Lubitsch fix (I'm about to run off to "The Man I Killed" in just a few minutes). The other day I saw "The Smiling Lieutenant," and it brightened up a day that had been otherwise marred by fatigue and a few bad movies. The Locarno program has been a mixed bag so far, although I've been impressed by the diversity of low budget international…...
- 8/9/2010
- Screen Rush
MADRID -- A tribute to German filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch and a thematic retrospective on emigration will be among the sidebars at the 54th San Sebastian International Film Festival, organizers said. Citing such Lubitsch classics as Ninotchka (1939), To Be or Not to Be (1942) and The Shop Around the Corner (1940), the festival hailed the director as "one of the greatest creators in the history of film." The festival's Lubitsch retrospective will take an in-depth look at the filmmaker's complete works, including his 1932 anti-war piece Broken Lullalby and films from the silent era.
- 5/12/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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