Tuesday, February 12, 2013

2013 Berlinale: Day 5 Report


Recap of day 5 of the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), which runs until February 17.

Child's Pose - The third feature film from Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer, co-written with acclaimed Romanian New Wave screenwriter Razvan Radulescu. A minimalistic psychological drama centered on the relationship between an upper middle class mother and her son, in the days following a terrible accident.

Before Midnight - Screening out of competition, the European premeiere of Richard Linklater's anticipated sequel to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, a continuation of the two decade long romance between Jessie and Céline, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Linklater was presented with the Berlinale Camera Award at the film's premiere.

Layla Fourie - The third feature film from South African born Berlin based director Pia Marais. A classic noirish thriller set in Johannesburg where lingering effects of apartheid can still be felt today.



  • Day 5 - Monday, February 11

  • Competition Film
    Pozitia Copilului • Child's Pose
    directed by Calin Peter Netzer
    Romania
    Quotes from the press conference:

    Director Calin Peter Netzer: "According to my experience, in the former countries of the Eastern Bloc, there is a kind of possessive stance by parents towards their children."

    Actress Luminita Gheorghiu on her character: "I had the feeling I knew this mother from the beginning, I don't think she's a representative of Romania. But this is a kind of relationship you could find in many instances. Mothers who are victims of their own unconditional love."

    Gheorghiu on women in Romania: "We do have very strong women in Romania, if you want something to happen in a family, it's usally the woman who has to shoulder that burden."

    Critical response:
    "Sharp, multilayered dialogue and expectedly canny performances are strong enough to overcome the over-active, judgmental lensing." - Jay Weissberg (Variety)

    "A technically well-executed but flatly by-the-book and heavy-handed satire on the corruption blighting Romania." - Carmen Gray (Screen Daily)

    "Despite Netzer's harsh and clinical approach, his gentle use of humour and the most sincerest of intentions create a deeply compassionate film about the emotionally crippling effects of loss" - Patrick Gamble (CineVue)

    Bogdan Dumitrache, Luminita Gheorghiu, Calin Peter Netzer and Ada Solomon
    (Source: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe)

    Out of Competition
    Before Midnight
    directed by Richard Linklater
    USA, Greece

    Critical response:
    "Once again infusing existential crises, philosophical discourse, and love at its purest form into an air of authenticity, Linklater has designed a modern masterpiece." - Sam Fragoso (Movie Mezzanine)

    "The complexity of relationships is felt potently, and indeed all the resentment, shared language, small truces and incisive insults that can be part of any romantic commitment are on display through the utterly natural performances." - Tim Grierson (Screen Daily)

    "Satisfying for fans of Celine and Jesse’s relationship, but it’s also satisfying for anyone searching for some real talk about the nature of romance, love, and fidelity." - Kate Erbland (Film School Rejects)

    "Poignantly upending audience expectations about sentimental movie romance, the power behind Before Midnight is that it is built upon a trust two films deep." - Lane Scarberry (Sound on Sight)

    Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
    (Source: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe)

    Competition Film
    Layla Fourie
    directed by Pia Marais
    Germany, South Africa, France, Netherlands

    Critical response:
    "Alienating performance style and Marais’s seeming unease with English-language dialogue makes Layla Fourie a frustrating, if intriguing experience." - Jonathan Romney (Screen Daily)

    "Along the way, Marais poses interesting questions about the lingering legacy of distrust, duplicity and treachery left behind by South Africa’s apartheid era. But she ultimately does not provide us with any persuasive answers." - Stephen Dalton (The Hollywood Reporter)

    "Heavy-handed and riddled with ridiculous moments of unnatural coincidences, the script of this trite and incredibly predictable thriller would be far better suited to a bawdy action movie than arthouse cinema." - Patrick Gamble (CineVue)

    Rapulana Seiphemo, Terry Norton, Pia Marais, Rayna Campbell, August Diehl, Rapule Hendricks
    (Source: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe)

Our other coverage of the 63rd Berlinale:

5 comments:

365 moviesandsongs365 said...

Will be interesting to see which direction Linklater and co. take Before Midnight

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Julie Delpy joked in the press conference that the last one would be a remake of Amour.

Diana said...

Of course I am dying to see Before Midnight, but I am also very curious to see Child's Pose, the Romanian film. Everyone here (Romania) is talking about it, so I hope it is good enough.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I'm definitely looking forward to both those films as well. I haven't seen Netzer's other film, but Radulescu's writing is always brilliant.

365 moviesandsongs365 said...

ha ha :)

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