Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe has been played by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. To many, Humphrey Bogart remains the definitive Marlowe, based on his performance in Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep, but film noir afficianados will often cite Murder My Sweet’s Dick Powell, or later iterations, like Robert Mitchum in Farewell My Lovely or Elliot Gould in The Long Goodbye as the best. Indeed, Liam Neeson is stepping into some mighty big shoes with his new movie, Marlowe, but if anyone can go toe-to-toe with Mitchum or Bogart, it’s Neeson, right?
To help bring Marlowe to the big screen, Neeson recruited one of his most frequent directors, Neil Jordan. The two famously worked together on Michael Collins, as well as the earlier High Spirits and the more recent (underrated) Breakfast on Pluto, and are set to reteam again on a new prison break thriller filming this year.
To help bring Marlowe to the big screen, Neeson recruited one of his most frequent directors, Neil Jordan. The two famously worked together on Michael Collins, as well as the earlier High Spirits and the more recent (underrated) Breakfast on Pluto, and are set to reteam again on a new prison break thriller filming this year.
- 2/19/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
It’s an iconic scene when dashing anti-hero Ser Jaime Lannister charges his white steed up the grand Baroque steps leading to the Sept of Baelor in Episode 6, Season 6 of HBO’s wildly popular “Game of Thrones.” But the locale is actually in front of the Cathedral of Girona, Catalonia. In fact, a number of Girona’s streets and locations stood in for Braavos and King’s Landing in “Got.”
In another scene, the Arab Baths of Girona, ensconced in a late Romanesqu-style building built in 1194, stand in for the Braavos Baths where a persecuted Arya takes refuge.
“Having ‘Got’ film some Season 6 scenes in Girona in 2015 was a defining moment and marked the beginning of an era,” says Catalan Film Commissioner Carlota Guerrero. “It was the same year when Spain launched its tax incentives and when international productions began to explore Spain alongside new production service companies and discover a rich diversity of locations.
In another scene, the Arab Baths of Girona, ensconced in a late Romanesqu-style building built in 1194, stand in for the Braavos Baths where a persecuted Arya takes refuge.
“Having ‘Got’ film some Season 6 scenes in Girona in 2015 was a defining moment and marked the beginning of an era,” says Catalan Film Commissioner Carlota Guerrero. “It was the same year when Spain launched its tax incentives and when international productions began to explore Spain alongside new production service companies and discover a rich diversity of locations.
- 2/16/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Too earnest to be a parody and lacking the point of view to be revisionism or even homage, “Marlowe” merely cosplays a 1930s detective movie, taking us from two-fisted private dick to icy rich client to corruption among the powerful as though we hadn’t seen all of this countless times before.
With the slightest flick of the wrist, director Neil Jordan and screenwriter William Monahan – adapting an “approved by the estate of Raymond Chandler” novel from 2014 – could have turned this movie into a prolonged “Carol Burnett Show” sketch or, in the other direction, a haunting contemplation of societal rot in 1939 Los Angeles.
Instead, it’s a parade of curvy sedans, snappy fedoras, cigarette lighters and dialogue that only a cast this talented could deliver with a straight face.
Also Read:
Liam Neeson Calls UFC Star Conor McGregor ‘Little Leprechaun’ Who ‘Gives Ireland a Bad Name’
Liam Neeson stars as ex-cop turned gumshoe Philip Marlowe,...
With the slightest flick of the wrist, director Neil Jordan and screenwriter William Monahan – adapting an “approved by the estate of Raymond Chandler” novel from 2014 – could have turned this movie into a prolonged “Carol Burnett Show” sketch or, in the other direction, a haunting contemplation of societal rot in 1939 Los Angeles.
Instead, it’s a parade of curvy sedans, snappy fedoras, cigarette lighters and dialogue that only a cast this talented could deliver with a straight face.
Also Read:
Liam Neeson Calls UFC Star Conor McGregor ‘Little Leprechaun’ Who ‘Gives Ireland a Bad Name’
Liam Neeson stars as ex-cop turned gumshoe Philip Marlowe,...
- 2/14/2023
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Forty-four years have passed since a feature film was last built around Raymond Chander’s harder-than-hardboiled fictional detective Philip Marlowe — a screen absence that seems both unduly long and now, in the wake of Neil Jordan’s “Marlowe,” not quite long enough. A phony, flimsy attempt at vintage noir, the film is adapted not from a Chandler work but “The Black-Eyed Blonde,” an authorized Marlowe entry from 2014, by Irish novelist John Banville. Minus Banville’s own knack for literary ventriloquism, however, this all too evidently European co-production can’t help but feel multiple degrees removed from the real thing, not helped by the shuffling, ungainly presence of a wildly miscast Liam Neeson in shoes once filled by Bogart and Mitchum.
Following a low-key premiere as the closing film at this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival, “Marlowe” will be released Stateside by Open Road Films on December 2 — though even with the big-name cachet of Jordan,...
Following a low-key premiere as the closing film at this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival, “Marlowe” will be released Stateside by Open Road Films on December 2 — though even with the big-name cachet of Jordan,...
- 9/24/2022
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Géza Röhrig on his co-star Matthew Broderick in Shawn Snyder's To Dust: "He's a born comedian." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Shawn Snyder was the winner of the Tribeca Film Festival New Narrative Director Competition and Audience Award for To Dust, co-written with Jason Begue, shot by Xavi Giménez, which stars Matthew Broderick and Géza Röhrig as a well-matched odd couple. The film, co-produced by Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, with music by Tom Waits, Jethro Tull, and a score by Ariel Marx, has a terrific supporting cast, including Natalie Carter as security guard Stella by Starlight, Joseph Siprut as the undertaker, and two young boys, Leo Heller and Sammy Voit, who secretly watch Michal Waszynski's The Dybbuk.
A grave Albert (Matthew Broderick) with Shmuel (Géza Röhrig) in To Dust
Géza Röhrig, who was Saul Ausländer in László Nemes's Oscar-winning Son Of Saul, sat down with me at the...
Shawn Snyder was the winner of the Tribeca Film Festival New Narrative Director Competition and Audience Award for To Dust, co-written with Jason Begue, shot by Xavi Giménez, which stars Matthew Broderick and Géza Röhrig as a well-matched odd couple. The film, co-produced by Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, with music by Tom Waits, Jethro Tull, and a score by Ariel Marx, has a terrific supporting cast, including Natalie Carter as security guard Stella by Starlight, Joseph Siprut as the undertaker, and two young boys, Leo Heller and Sammy Voit, who secretly watch Michal Waszynski's The Dybbuk.
A grave Albert (Matthew Broderick) with Shmuel (Géza Röhrig) in To Dust
Géza Röhrig, who was Saul Ausländer in László Nemes's Oscar-winning Son Of Saul, sat down with me at the...
- 2/5/2019
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
For a mystery film, Sergio G. Sánchez’s Marrowbone inspires a lot of questions, although they’re more related to what’s outside the film. Here’s a question that kept popping up in my mind: did the writer of The Orphanage – one of the more unsettling and affective horror films from this century – really make this? The family drama, ambiguously supernatural scares, and tragic undercurrent from The Orphanage are all here, but filtered through a screenplay written by someone who must have been raised by wolves. Maybe this is a different Sergio G. Sánchez making this. Maybe this impostor lied on the application form. Either way, that situation is easier to believe than almost anything in Marrowbone.
Taking place in the late 1960s, Marrowbone opens with a prologue showing siblings Jack (George MacKay), Billy (Charlie Heaton), Jane (Mia Goth), and Sam (Matthew Stagg) arrive in a Us coastal town...
Taking place in the late 1960s, Marrowbone opens with a prologue showing siblings Jack (George MacKay), Billy (Charlie Heaton), Jane (Mia Goth), and Sam (Matthew Stagg) arrive in a Us coastal town...
- 9/19/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Géza Röhrig stars with Matthew Broderick in Shawn Snyder's To Dust Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer have teamed up to produce Shawn Snyder's To Dust, starring Géza Röhrig (Saul in the Oscar-winning Son Of Saul, directed by László Nemes) and Matthew Broderick with cinematography by Xavi Giménez (Brad Anderson's The Machinist starring Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Alejandro Amenábar's Agora with Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac, Max Minghella, Michael Lonsdale). Alessandro updated me from South Africa where he is starring with Chris Evans, Haley Bennett, and (Sir) Ben Kingsley in Gideon Raff's The Red Sea Diving Resort.
To Dust co-producer Alessandro Nivola Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
When I spoke with Alessandro last year on his role in Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon, before the film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, he mentioned a top secret project that he...
Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer have teamed up to produce Shawn Snyder's To Dust, starring Géza Röhrig (Saul in the Oscar-winning Son Of Saul, directed by László Nemes) and Matthew Broderick with cinematography by Xavi Giménez (Brad Anderson's The Machinist starring Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Alejandro Amenábar's Agora with Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac, Max Minghella, Michael Lonsdale). Alessandro updated me from South Africa where he is starring with Chris Evans, Haley Bennett, and (Sir) Ben Kingsley in Gideon Raff's The Red Sea Diving Resort.
To Dust co-producer Alessandro Nivola Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
When I spoke with Alessandro last year on his role in Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon, before the film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, he mentioned a top secret project that he...
- 6/30/2017
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Other winners include Rams, Son of Saul, The Look of Silence and Gaspar Noé’s Love.Scroll down for full list of winners
Cinematographer Ed Lachman has won the prestigious Golden Frog at the 23rd Camerimage (Nov 14-21) for his work on Todd Haynes’ period drama Carol.
A total of 15 films were in the running for the prize, awarded to titles representing the greatest achievements in cinematography at the festival, held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz.
The Silver Frog went to Sturla Brandt Grøvlen for his cinematography on Grímur Hákonarson’s Rams.
The Bronze Frog was won by Mátyás Erdély for his cinematography on László Nemes’ Holocaust drama, Son Of Saul.
Other prizes saw The Look Of Silence cinematographer Lars Skree pick up the Golden Frog in the feature-length documentary films competition.
Gaspar Noé’s hardcore sex drama Love won Best 3D Film for cinematographer Benoît Debie.
Camerimage 2015Main Competition
Golden Frog: Carol
cin. Ed Lachman
dir. Todd Haynes...
Cinematographer Ed Lachman has won the prestigious Golden Frog at the 23rd Camerimage (Nov 14-21) for his work on Todd Haynes’ period drama Carol.
A total of 15 films were in the running for the prize, awarded to titles representing the greatest achievements in cinematography at the festival, held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz.
The Silver Frog went to Sturla Brandt Grøvlen for his cinematography on Grímur Hákonarson’s Rams.
The Bronze Frog was won by Mátyás Erdély for his cinematography on László Nemes’ Holocaust drama, Son Of Saul.
Other prizes saw The Look Of Silence cinematographer Lars Skree pick up the Golden Frog in the feature-length documentary films competition.
Gaspar Noé’s hardcore sex drama Love won Best 3D Film for cinematographer Benoît Debie.
Camerimage 2015Main Competition
Golden Frog: Carol
cin. Ed Lachman
dir. Todd Haynes...
- 11/23/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
To call Alberto Arvelo’s epic saga “The Liberator" and ambitious project might be a baffling understatement. The Venezuelan filmmaker undertook his most challenging project to date with the vision to transform his country’s most beloved historical figure into a tangible, flesh-and-bone man for people to connect with in the 21st century. Not only is this the most expensive film ever made in Latin American, but the fact that it was achieved solely with Venezuelan and Spanish resources allowed Arvelo to keep the project’s integrity. One of the most important elements that needed to be kept intact was the language. This film had to be in Spanish.
Simon Bolivar, played here by rising Hollywood star Édgar Ramírez , sought to liberate Latin America from Spanish control and to unify it into a single, powerful country. His dream of unification was never achieved, but his ideals remained as a pillar of wisdom all across the continent. Given the magnitude of the hero being portrayed, Arvelo faced tremendous obstacles to craft a film that would be at the level of a major studio production in terms of scope and technical proficiency, while at the same time presenting an authentic and personal depiction of this period in history.
Released theatrically in the U.S. by Cohen Media Group earlier this year, “The Liberator” is now Venezuela’s Official Submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Alberto Arvelo talked to us recently about the responsibility of helming this film, working with fellow Venezuelan Edgar Ramirez, and his vision of Bolivar.
Aguilar: As a Venezuelan, did you feel any pressure making a film about your’ countries greatest historical figure? Did you always want to make a film like this?
Alberto Arvelo: It's a great responsibility to make a film about a figure as iconic as Simón Bolívar. Part of the problem is what Tim Sexton realized when we started working on the project: everybody has their own version of Bolívar, and it's impossible to satisfy each of those visions. Some consider that the most important part of his life is his independence exploits, other consider that it is his life as a statesman. Simón Bolívar is the classic product of Romanticism and each one of those facets are important to understand him. Ever since I decided to make movies one of my dreams has been to make a film about the saga for independence in South America.
Aguilar: This is the most expensive film ever made in Latin America, how difficult was it to get it done, and get it done right since it is a period piece?
Alberto Arvelo: "The Liberator" has been a great effort, an effort of years, almost a decade's worth of work. Historical films are a particularly difficult genre, because they involve conscientious work by many artists specialized in that genre. There was a great collective effort around the exploration of a period that has not been often recreated for the movies, which is Latin America in the Xix century.
Aguilar: The cinematography is gorgeous; it adds a certain unique elegance. What was your approach, and your cinematographer’s of course, in realizing this vision?
Alberto Arvelo: Xavi Giménez and I always wanted to veer away from beautiful historical movies. We were not interested in a perfect –and distant– recreation of Bolívar; we were interested, rather, in recreating a more contemporary visual language, more daring, more poetic, let's say. Xavi was very interested in the strength and rawness of the light in the tropics. We experimented a lot with the light. In the process, Xavi fell in love with an extraordinary post-impressionist Venezuelan painter from the Xx century called Armando Reverón. Somehow, a large part of his work is a tribute to the light of Master Reverón.
Aguilar: In film of such epic proportions about an icon, did you find it hard to still create a human character out of Bolivar? Someone outside of the history books with flaws, hopes, to which people could related.
Alberto Arvelo: The intention was to separate the character from the myth of Bolívar, to make him into a man, with all his limitations, his sympathies, his fears. The danger when working with great historical figures is that we end up facing concepts, not men of flesh and bone. These conceptual characters lack defects, weaknesses or dark areas and become perfectly good, perfectly just or perfectly virtuous. Reality is always different, it's not black or white, it wanders in the gray areas, with more or less light. I feel that today's filmgoers do not want to see concepts, they want to see human beings. An idolized Bolívar never interested me, because it felt vapid, empty, untrue. In the film we tried to show a more real dimension to the character. I believe that Timothy J. Sexton did an outstanding job in that sense.
Aguilar: “The Liberator” was an iconic single individual, was it your intention to also give importance to the peripheral characters that helped him achieve his goals?
Alberto Arvelo: The Independence of South America was a collective effort, not the product of a single man. Although Bolívar brilliantly aggregated all that energy, at the end of the day it was a movement which was developing much earlier before he burst into the political scene. In the film we show how his discourse somehow takes shape and builds up thanks to the contributions and inspiration of other characters. The phrases that make up the heart of his discourse, for instance, are first uttered by Francisco de Miranda, one of the most prominent and important figures of the South American Independence movement, also known as the Forefather. We put on the table the inspiration that Bolívar received, not only from him, but also from other characters reflected in the film, such as the controversial Simón Rodríguez, one of his teachers. In the film we also give proper weight to the women who accompanied him through his life, leaving in him a prominent mark.
Aguilar: Something I thought was incredibly was the bold presentation of Bolivar’s ideas. He wanted the unification of Latin America and was suspicious of the world’s empires intentions (England, France, Spain). Did you ever think making a point of this would be risky, or did you feel it was important to be true to the character?
Alberto Arvelo: To speak of Bolívar, Artigas, or of San Martín, is to speak of the independence struggles of South America, so it means to speak about the ideas that drove the confrontation with Spain and European dominance. I feel it would be hard to understand Washington or Jefferson without exploring the confrontation they created against the traditional European powers. It was interesting as well to explore the fact that from South America that movement was perceived as a war of independence, but from Spain's Pov what was happening instead was a civil war. Let's not forget that Bolívar was born in Caracas, in the Kingdom of Spain.
Aguilar: Can you tell us about your experience working with Edgar Ramirez; he seems to embody the character perfectly. Was he always in your mind as the ideal choice for the role?
Alberto Arvelo: I worked with Edgar before. I always thought that the actor who would play Bolívar would have to be a person with a very strong body language (all the reports from chroniclers of the time mention the intensity of his gaze and of his character.) I thought I'd need an actor who could move comfortably from action scenes to scenes with strong emotional baggage. Besides, we wanted, as much as possible, characters represented by actors of the same nationality. Considering those ingredients, a clear choice surfaced: Edgar Ramírez. Edgar and I worked together on other projects, and I would do it again: he's an actor who gives his all in every take. It's a pleasure to work with someone like that.
Aguilar: Has the film been seen by audiences back in your home country? What was the reaction?
Alberto Arvelo: Tickets sold out in every theater of the entire country during the first week it showed. The people's reaction has been quite positive. People leave excited about being able to see their own history in a movie theater.
Aguilar: A period piece of this magnitude with some incredible landscapes, costumes, battle sequences, and above all based on a real person. What were the biggest challenges from a directional point of view?
Alberto Arvelo: The battles, undoubtedly. We made a very careful storyboard of each shot of the battles and even an animated recreation with a bit of music. I worked quite a bit with Xavi Giménez and the rest of the team, on a raw, credible visual language, where the fear and bewilderment would be a striking element of the battle. We tried to make the battle tell us small stories which would connect directly with feeling.
Aguilar: Can you tell me about the process of researching Bolivar’s life and this period in history? Did you do your own research or did you see what Timothy Sexton put in his screenplay and then went from there?
Alberto Arvelo: I worked with Tim quite a bit on historical research. We read together many of the most important biographies and we absorbed everything that we could get our hands on. We explored the possibility of narrating the movie from the point of view of some of the character's detractors, but in the end Tim decided to narrate the film from Bolívar's Pov. I've always been attracted to Tim's disruptive and contemporary vision - he saw the movie more like a thriller than a historical piece.
Simon Bolivar, played here by rising Hollywood star Édgar Ramírez , sought to liberate Latin America from Spanish control and to unify it into a single, powerful country. His dream of unification was never achieved, but his ideals remained as a pillar of wisdom all across the continent. Given the magnitude of the hero being portrayed, Arvelo faced tremendous obstacles to craft a film that would be at the level of a major studio production in terms of scope and technical proficiency, while at the same time presenting an authentic and personal depiction of this period in history.
Released theatrically in the U.S. by Cohen Media Group earlier this year, “The Liberator” is now Venezuela’s Official Submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Alberto Arvelo talked to us recently about the responsibility of helming this film, working with fellow Venezuelan Edgar Ramirez, and his vision of Bolivar.
Aguilar: As a Venezuelan, did you feel any pressure making a film about your’ countries greatest historical figure? Did you always want to make a film like this?
Alberto Arvelo: It's a great responsibility to make a film about a figure as iconic as Simón Bolívar. Part of the problem is what Tim Sexton realized when we started working on the project: everybody has their own version of Bolívar, and it's impossible to satisfy each of those visions. Some consider that the most important part of his life is his independence exploits, other consider that it is his life as a statesman. Simón Bolívar is the classic product of Romanticism and each one of those facets are important to understand him. Ever since I decided to make movies one of my dreams has been to make a film about the saga for independence in South America.
Aguilar: This is the most expensive film ever made in Latin America, how difficult was it to get it done, and get it done right since it is a period piece?
Alberto Arvelo: "The Liberator" has been a great effort, an effort of years, almost a decade's worth of work. Historical films are a particularly difficult genre, because they involve conscientious work by many artists specialized in that genre. There was a great collective effort around the exploration of a period that has not been often recreated for the movies, which is Latin America in the Xix century.
Aguilar: The cinematography is gorgeous; it adds a certain unique elegance. What was your approach, and your cinematographer’s of course, in realizing this vision?
Alberto Arvelo: Xavi Giménez and I always wanted to veer away from beautiful historical movies. We were not interested in a perfect –and distant– recreation of Bolívar; we were interested, rather, in recreating a more contemporary visual language, more daring, more poetic, let's say. Xavi was very interested in the strength and rawness of the light in the tropics. We experimented a lot with the light. In the process, Xavi fell in love with an extraordinary post-impressionist Venezuelan painter from the Xx century called Armando Reverón. Somehow, a large part of his work is a tribute to the light of Master Reverón.
Aguilar: In film of such epic proportions about an icon, did you find it hard to still create a human character out of Bolivar? Someone outside of the history books with flaws, hopes, to which people could related.
Alberto Arvelo: The intention was to separate the character from the myth of Bolívar, to make him into a man, with all his limitations, his sympathies, his fears. The danger when working with great historical figures is that we end up facing concepts, not men of flesh and bone. These conceptual characters lack defects, weaknesses or dark areas and become perfectly good, perfectly just or perfectly virtuous. Reality is always different, it's not black or white, it wanders in the gray areas, with more or less light. I feel that today's filmgoers do not want to see concepts, they want to see human beings. An idolized Bolívar never interested me, because it felt vapid, empty, untrue. In the film we tried to show a more real dimension to the character. I believe that Timothy J. Sexton did an outstanding job in that sense.
Aguilar: “The Liberator” was an iconic single individual, was it your intention to also give importance to the peripheral characters that helped him achieve his goals?
Alberto Arvelo: The Independence of South America was a collective effort, not the product of a single man. Although Bolívar brilliantly aggregated all that energy, at the end of the day it was a movement which was developing much earlier before he burst into the political scene. In the film we show how his discourse somehow takes shape and builds up thanks to the contributions and inspiration of other characters. The phrases that make up the heart of his discourse, for instance, are first uttered by Francisco de Miranda, one of the most prominent and important figures of the South American Independence movement, also known as the Forefather. We put on the table the inspiration that Bolívar received, not only from him, but also from other characters reflected in the film, such as the controversial Simón Rodríguez, one of his teachers. In the film we also give proper weight to the women who accompanied him through his life, leaving in him a prominent mark.
Aguilar: Something I thought was incredibly was the bold presentation of Bolivar’s ideas. He wanted the unification of Latin America and was suspicious of the world’s empires intentions (England, France, Spain). Did you ever think making a point of this would be risky, or did you feel it was important to be true to the character?
Alberto Arvelo: To speak of Bolívar, Artigas, or of San Martín, is to speak of the independence struggles of South America, so it means to speak about the ideas that drove the confrontation with Spain and European dominance. I feel it would be hard to understand Washington or Jefferson without exploring the confrontation they created against the traditional European powers. It was interesting as well to explore the fact that from South America that movement was perceived as a war of independence, but from Spain's Pov what was happening instead was a civil war. Let's not forget that Bolívar was born in Caracas, in the Kingdom of Spain.
Aguilar: Can you tell us about your experience working with Edgar Ramirez; he seems to embody the character perfectly. Was he always in your mind as the ideal choice for the role?
Alberto Arvelo: I worked with Edgar before. I always thought that the actor who would play Bolívar would have to be a person with a very strong body language (all the reports from chroniclers of the time mention the intensity of his gaze and of his character.) I thought I'd need an actor who could move comfortably from action scenes to scenes with strong emotional baggage. Besides, we wanted, as much as possible, characters represented by actors of the same nationality. Considering those ingredients, a clear choice surfaced: Edgar Ramírez. Edgar and I worked together on other projects, and I would do it again: he's an actor who gives his all in every take. It's a pleasure to work with someone like that.
Aguilar: Has the film been seen by audiences back in your home country? What was the reaction?
Alberto Arvelo: Tickets sold out in every theater of the entire country during the first week it showed. The people's reaction has been quite positive. People leave excited about being able to see their own history in a movie theater.
Aguilar: A period piece of this magnitude with some incredible landscapes, costumes, battle sequences, and above all based on a real person. What were the biggest challenges from a directional point of view?
Alberto Arvelo: The battles, undoubtedly. We made a very careful storyboard of each shot of the battles and even an animated recreation with a bit of music. I worked quite a bit with Xavi Giménez and the rest of the team, on a raw, credible visual language, where the fear and bewilderment would be a striking element of the battle. We tried to make the battle tell us small stories which would connect directly with feeling.
Aguilar: Can you tell me about the process of researching Bolivar’s life and this period in history? Did you do your own research or did you see what Timothy Sexton put in his screenplay and then went from there?
Alberto Arvelo: I worked with Tim quite a bit on historical research. We read together many of the most important biographies and we absorbed everything that we could get our hands on. We explored the possibility of narrating the movie from the point of view of some of the character's detractors, but in the end Tim decided to narrate the film from Bolívar's Pov. I've always been attracted to Tim's disruptive and contemporary vision - he saw the movie more like a thriller than a historical piece.
- 12/9/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Hollywood's never ending obsession with biopics continues this summer with Alberto Alvero's Spanish-Venezuelan historical drama, 'The Liberator', the first trailer for which was released this morning courtesy of Yahoo! Movies. Following Latin American revolutionary Simon Bolivar (Edgar Ramirez of "Zero Dark Thirty" and the upcoming "Deliver Us From Evil"), the film will focus on the leader's numerous military campaigns to unify South America, a campaign that covered more than twice that of the lands conquered by Alexander the Great. While biopics are becoming a tired, awards-baiting genre, 'The Liberator' and its subject matter look to freshen things up, especially since many stateside don't know much about Bolivar's brutal, political-changing conquests. The trailer is more or less your standard biopic preview - foreboding tag lines, lush imagery of the respective landscape, rousing speeches - but at least Xavi Giménez's gorgeous, golden cinematography pops off the screen and seems...
- 6/13/2014
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Hollywood's never ending obsession with biopics continues this summer with Alberto Alvero's Spanish-Venezuelan historical drama, 'The Liberator', the first trailer for which was released this morning courtesy of Yahoo! Movies. Following Latin American revolutionary Simon Bolivar (Edgar Ramirez of "Zero Dark Thirty" and the upcoming "Deliver Us From Evil"), the film will focus on the leader's numerous military campaigns to unify South America, a campaign that covered more than twice that of the lands conquered by Alexander the Great. While biopics are becoming a tired, awards-baiting genre, 'The Liberator' and its subject matter look to freshen things up, especially since many stateside don't know much about Bolivar's brutal, political-changing conquests. The trailer is more or less your standard biopic preview - foreboding tag lines, lush imagery of the respective landscape, rousing speeches - but at least Xavi Giménez's gorgeous, golden cinematography pops off the screen and seems...
- 6/13/2014
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Well it’s official, the crowds have cleared, the snow has settled, and the Sundance Festival has officially closed up shop for the year! With this year playing host to over 120 films, it may be hard to sift through the rubble to find those hidden gems that we will continue to enjoy over the next year. This is why I have decided to put together a list of all the wonderful films you should keep an eye out for as 2012 unfolds! Some you’ll be able to catch at the multiplex, others on DVD or Netflix, and a few… well.. a few you should just avoid like the plague!
Top 10 Films To Look Out For!
#10 – Beasts of the Southern Wild
While some of us were off seeking relief from dysfunctional family dramas, a braver audience was off checking out Beasts of the Southern Wild. As much as I loved the film I saw instead,...
Top 10 Films To Look Out For!
#10 – Beasts of the Southern Wild
While some of us were off seeking relief from dysfunctional family dramas, a braver audience was off checking out Beasts of the Southern Wild. As much as I loved the film I saw instead,...
- 2/13/2012
- by Ty Cooper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Marking yet another interesting entry in the career of Cillian Murphy, an ambitious performer always tackling new genres and new characters, is Red Lights from director Rodrigo Cortes (Buried).
This time around, it’s a thriller and the subject is the paranormal. Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and Dr. Thomas Buckley (Cillian Murphy) travel the country, investigating reported sights of the supernatural, disproving each and every one with relative ease.
Amidst their cynicism, world-renowned psychic Simon Silver (Robert de Niro) returns from a long controversial absence, making believers out of any and all who witness his abilities. So begins Tom’s slow descent into madness, determined to prove Silver is a fraud. But, can it be that Simon Silver is not a fraud?
Cortes proved a talented filmmaker in tight spaces with Buried, and here he’s eager to expand in every way. There are more than a couple of suspenseful sequences in beautifully-realized spaces,...
This time around, it’s a thriller and the subject is the paranormal. Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and Dr. Thomas Buckley (Cillian Murphy) travel the country, investigating reported sights of the supernatural, disproving each and every one with relative ease.
Amidst their cynicism, world-renowned psychic Simon Silver (Robert de Niro) returns from a long controversial absence, making believers out of any and all who witness his abilities. So begins Tom’s slow descent into madness, determined to prove Silver is a fraud. But, can it be that Simon Silver is not a fraud?
Cortes proved a talented filmmaker in tight spaces with Buried, and here he’s eager to expand in every way. There are more than a couple of suspenseful sequences in beautifully-realized spaces,...
- 1/22/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Lock-up
Stars: Adolfo Fernández, Marcel Borràs, Carlos Cuevas, Irene Escolar | Written by Pere Saballs i Nadal | Directed by Xavi Giménez
It’s not until 15 minutes into the film that the title shows up, but after a lengthy introduction to the central characters, and the problems between them, you’ve all but forgotten that the title hasn’t appeared.
Lock-Up is indeed the title, see, I even managed to give this review a lengthy introduction before dropping the title. It’s a really good technique and something I might start employing when I write from now on. I digress, the attention this review was holding from the first paragraph has just been self-destructed by diverting your mind away from what was going to be a hard-hitting and intense review, into what has become a self-indulgent load of nonsense.
Where were we? Oh yes, Lock-Up, the first 15 minutes really form the basis...
Stars: Adolfo Fernández, Marcel Borràs, Carlos Cuevas, Irene Escolar | Written by Pere Saballs i Nadal | Directed by Xavi Giménez
It’s not until 15 minutes into the film that the title shows up, but after a lengthy introduction to the central characters, and the problems between them, you’ve all but forgotten that the title hasn’t appeared.
Lock-Up is indeed the title, see, I even managed to give this review a lengthy introduction before dropping the title. It’s a really good technique and something I might start employing when I write from now on. I digress, the attention this review was holding from the first paragraph has just been self-destructed by diverting your mind away from what was going to be a hard-hitting and intense review, into what has become a self-indulgent load of nonsense.
Where were we? Oh yes, Lock-Up, the first 15 minutes really form the basis...
- 9/9/2011
- by JeButlin
- Nerdly
At the beginning of every month, Ioncinema.com's "Tracking Shot" features a handful of projects that are moments away from lensing and we feel are worth signaling out. This february we only have a fivesome of films worth mentioning that are definitely going to be major studio titles to watch out for in 2012ish. We begin with a foreign director whose success with Buried has officially put him in the company of the other Spanish directors that are considered a hot item to work with. Rodrigo Cortés moves from a one piece with Ryan Reynolds to a cast comprised of some big names (see below) and a new breakout talent in Elizabeth Olsen for Red Lights. We have a pair of Aussie filmmakers in John Hillcoat and Andrew Dominik saddling up for their respective projects (both filming in the U.S). Nick Cave will once again pair with Hillcoat for...
- 2/1/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
So much has been written about the two main talking points in The Machinist it bears mentioning there's more to the film than either of them. True, Brad Anderson's twisting psychological thriller is (initially at least) a puzzle to unravel, and Christian Bale's physical commitment to his role represents a jaw-dropping effort on the actor's part.
But the plot's not half as dense as it appears, and Bale's performance is much deeper than just a convenient visual motif. The Machinist is a dark, impressively textured little fable, the kind of classical morality play that doesn't get made nearly enough. It's arguably the queasy, disorienting mood swings - from wistful pathos to shrieking tension and back - plus the gorgeous cinematography that stick with you, not the twist or the lurching skeleton in the lead.
Bale plays Trevor Reznick, the factory worker of the title whose life is on the verge of falling apart.
But the plot's not half as dense as it appears, and Bale's performance is much deeper than just a convenient visual motif. The Machinist is a dark, impressively textured little fable, the kind of classical morality play that doesn't get made nearly enough. It's arguably the queasy, disorienting mood swings - from wistful pathos to shrieking tension and back - plus the gorgeous cinematography that stick with you, not the twist or the lurching skeleton in the lead.
Bale plays Trevor Reznick, the factory worker of the title whose life is on the verge of falling apart.
- 9/18/2010
- Screen Anarchy
We reported on the directorial debut of renowned Dp Xavi Giménez from Filmax back in May and now we have an incredible looking trailer for it. This looks really, really good.
Luis is the single father of sixteen year old Fran. Father and son are both going through a rough patch. In a desperate attempt to salvage their relationship Luis has taken a dramatic decision: to enroll his son in an “education” center.
Although Luis believes he is doing the right thing, the truth is he doesn’t know everything he should about the school’s methodology. Outraged by his father’s betrayal, Fran will do his best to show everyone at the school that he is not about to give in. But the school’s specialty is precisely to fight that kind of behavior.
Outside, Luis can’t help but wondering if he’s done the right thing; inside,...
Luis is the single father of sixteen year old Fran. Father and son are both going through a rough patch. In a desperate attempt to salvage their relationship Luis has taken a dramatic decision: to enroll his son in an “education” center.
Although Luis believes he is doing the right thing, the truth is he doesn’t know everything he should about the school’s methodology. Outraged by his father’s betrayal, Fran will do his best to show everyone at the school that he is not about to give in. But the school’s specialty is precisely to fight that kind of behavior.
Outside, Luis can’t help but wondering if he’s done the right thing; inside,...
- 7/19/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Xavi Giménez, a respected director of photography (Ágora) who collaborated with the company in several occasions (Transsiberian, The Machinist) has been given directing duties for the first time with Yellow. This drama, about a single father who enrolls his problematic son in an educational center that uses extreme treatments to realign the personality of its patients, is currently finishing principal photography and will be released by the end of the year. - Spain Film Scene: Local The world of Spanish film press got smoking hot over the past couple of weeks with the announcement of some big projects that will start production fairly soon really soon and the first release of marketing material for some of this year's most expected films. Two production companies dominated the flow of news, Telecinco Cinema and Filmax. The latter announced that two more entries on the [Rec] franchise are in development status, [Rec] Apocalipsis will close...
- 6/1/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Spain Film Scene: Local The world of Spanish film press got smoking hot over the past couple of weeks with the announcement of some big projects that will start production fairly soon really soon and the first release of marketing material for some of this year's most expected films. Two production companies dominated the flow of news, Telecinco Cinema and Filmax. The latter announced that two more entries on the [Rec] franchise are in development status, [Rec] Apocalipsis will close the series and will have Jaume Balagueró returning as director while Paco Plaza and Luis Berdejo (The New Daughter) will return to give form to the script, the film has a release date set for the fall of 2012. On the other hand, [Rec] Genesis, which will be released in this case a year prior, will be a prequel that will explore the origin of the infection as well as the figure of the...
- 5/31/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Spanish movie house Filmax are at it again. Much like their recent name change for new frightener Excorcismus, now its Xavi Giménez’s upcoming (horror) thriller Tranquillity Valley that’s up for a name change. Considering the films topic of a brutal re-education centre for troublesome youths we can perhaps see why they decided to drop the old handle, but the new title of “Yellow” doesn’t exactly pack that much of a punch. The new poster on the other hand is a far better proportion. Nothing says re-education better than having your face slammed into the floor!? Still from the film at the link. Synopsis: Luis is the single father of sixteen year old Fran. Father and son are both going through a rough patch. In a desperate attempt to salvage their relationship Luis has taken a dramatic decision: to enrol his son in an “education” centre. Although Luis...
- 5/13/2010
- 24framespersecond.net
Spanish movie house Filmax are at it again. Much like their recent name change for new frightener Excorcismus, now its Xavi Giménez’s upcoming (horror) thriller Tranquillity Valley that’s up for a name change. Considering the films topic of a brutal re-education centre for troublesome youths we can perhaps see why they decided to drop the old handle, but the new title of “Yellow” doesn’t exactly pack that much of a punch. The new poster on the other hand is a far better proportion. Nothing says re-education better than having your face slammed into the floor!? Still from the film at the link. Synopsis: Luis is the single father of sixteen year old Fran. Father and son are both going through a rough patch. In a desperate attempt to salvage their relationship Luis has taken a dramatic decision: to enrol his son in an “education” centre. Although Luis...
- 5/13/2010
- 24framespersecond.net
Celebrated Dp Xavi Giménez (The Machinist, Transsiberian) makes his directorial debut with Yellow, an unflinching look at how our society is a little too willing to sweep the troubled youth element under the rug and how there is always someone out there ready to make a buck off worried parents and teachers. This is another in a long list of great looking films coming out from Spain's premier genre producer Filmax, the same folks behind [Rec].
In his own words, Giménez says: "Problematic teenagers, desperate parents and frustrated teachers are the perfect marketplace for soul merchants to peddle their newly invented solutions; a promise of stability, growth and peace. These “education” centres present themselves to worried parents as a means of salvation for their little savages; wiping the slate clean on which to write new rules of appropriate social conduct. Parents, who simply don’t understand their adolescent children, take radical...
In his own words, Giménez says: "Problematic teenagers, desperate parents and frustrated teachers are the perfect marketplace for soul merchants to peddle their newly invented solutions; a promise of stability, growth and peace. These “education” centres present themselves to worried parents as a means of salvation for their little savages; wiping the slate clean on which to write new rules of appropriate social conduct. Parents, who simply don’t understand their adolescent children, take radical...
- 5/12/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Better known for his work behind the lens of Brad Anderson’s The Machinist, Transsiberian and Alejandro Amenábar’s Agora, cinematographer Xavier Giménez is taking a step up the ladder of movie making and directing his first feature and it sounds like a doozy of a film.
Tranquility Valley (Animales domésticos) is a story of tough love taken to the extreme. When Fran, a teenager, starts to get out of control with drinking, drugs and general trouble making, his father Luis takes a drastic step to regain some semblance of control over his son: boot camp. But Tranquility Valley is more than just bootcamp and though the staff there pride themselves in teaching kids discipline and respect their methods are a bit questionable, or so I gather from both the poster and a few of the images from the film which recently hit the web. The other thing that suggests...
Tranquility Valley (Animales domésticos) is a story of tough love taken to the extreme. When Fran, a teenager, starts to get out of control with drinking, drugs and general trouble making, his father Luis takes a drastic step to regain some semblance of control over his son: boot camp. But Tranquility Valley is more than just bootcamp and though the staff there pride themselves in teaching kids discipline and respect their methods are a bit questionable, or so I gather from both the poster and a few of the images from the film which recently hit the web. The other thing that suggests...
- 3/29/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Some first stills are out for Spanish filmmaker Xavi Giménez’s “what to do when problem Teens go Bad” thriller, Tranquillity Valley. It may be Giménez’s first project as director, but he’s no stranger to hard hitting filmmaking, having worked as Cinematographer on some great thrillers including ‘The Machinist' and 'Transsiberian.' Tranquility is tipped as “a disturbing thriller about a re-education centre, which promises to reintegrate difficult youths back into society, through controversial methods.” Odds on those won’t include team building workshops, or museum field trips. Stills at the link. Synopsis: Being a teenager isn’t easy, but neither is being a parent and sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. Luis has reached breaking point with his sixteen-year-old son. Fran’s behaviour is starting to spiral out of control; he’s drinking, smoking dope and constantly getting into trouble. Something has to be done.
- 3/26/2010
- 24framespersecond.net
[Editor's Note: Multiple Personality Disorder Reports are short news blasts meant to let you know about the stuff that didn't make it to the news page but still had us talking behind the scenes]
#1 "Acolytes" director Jon Hewitt prepping “X”
Jon Hewitt is preparing to shoot a follow up his teen serial killer film. X will take a trip into the underbelly of Australia’s sex trade. Shooting is slated to start in early 2010.
#2 "Deadgirl" writer to step behind the camera for "Chop"
Deadgirl caught a lot of heat for its controversial subject matter and now writer Trent Haaga is preparing to step behind the camera for Chop. The new project is being toted as a "revenge thriller with a comedic edge in the tradition of "Fargo" and "Oldboy"." The time may be ripe to finally catch up with Deadgil.
#3 "Submarine" adds great cast
Richard Ayoade's adaptation of Joe Dunthorne's coming of age story Submarine had previously cast Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige but it's the addition of the great Paddy Considine and Sally Hawkins that has us excited. If the comparisons...
#1 "Acolytes" director Jon Hewitt prepping “X”
Jon Hewitt is preparing to shoot a follow up his teen serial killer film. X will take a trip into the underbelly of Australia’s sex trade. Shooting is slated to start in early 2010.
#2 "Deadgirl" writer to step behind the camera for "Chop"
Deadgirl caught a lot of heat for its controversial subject matter and now writer Trent Haaga is preparing to step behind the camera for Chop. The new project is being toted as a "revenge thriller with a comedic edge in the tradition of "Fargo" and "Oldboy"." The time may be ripe to finally catch up with Deadgil.
#3 "Submarine" adds great cast
Richard Ayoade's adaptation of Joe Dunthorne's coming of age story Submarine had previously cast Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige but it's the addition of the great Paddy Considine and Sally Hawkins that has us excited. If the comparisons...
- 11/13/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Bloody Disgusting learned that Filmax is now developing yet another horror/thriller. Tranquility Valley will be directed by Xavi Giménez, Cinematographer on various Filmax productions from Transsiberian to Fragile, The Abandoned and even The Machinist. In the film Richard doesn't know what to do with his sixteen year old son Dave; he's drinking, smoking dope, getting into trouble; sometimes not even coming home at night. Richard is desperate, he has to do something with him, and now! Dave is abruptly awoken by two men gripping him tightly. His father is standing in the room. Dave is dragged outside and off into a waiting car. More....
- 11/10/2009
- bloody-disgusting.com
You just know its all going to end badly, when a horror thriller gets a name like Tranquility Valley, and Spanish director Xavi Giménez is set to take us there next year. His second project as director for movie house Filmax (responsible of course for “[Rec]”), Giménez has previously worked as Cinematographer on some big names in Spanish genre Cinema - including 'The Machinist' and 'Transsiberian' - so he’s well placed to deliver the goods. Starring; Marcel Borrás, Adolfo Fernández, Fernando Guillén Cuervo and Eduardo Farelo Tranquility is tipped as “a disturbing thriller about a re-education centre, which promises to reintegrate difficult youths back into society, through very controversial methods.”...
- 10/28/2009
- 24framespersecond.net
Variety reports that Christian Bale will star in the suspense thriller The Machinist for director Brad Anderson (Session 9), to begin filming in Barcelona on May 19. Bale will play the titular character, who is haunted by a ghostly specter he spies in a factory; no other cast has been set. The film, funded by Barcelona-based Filmax, will shoot entirely in Spain with a Spanish crew, including director of photography Xavi Gimenez (Intacto).
- 3/31/2003
- IMDbPro News
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