Audiovisual Library

Atypical Crime Drama

2013-05-17T16:06:4012:00:00

New Arrivals

Polisse (2011) Dir: Maiwen Call Number: LD12-1242

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Image: Courtesy of Artificial Eye

“All the tears I shed were hard-earned. So were all the laughing and clapping and eye-covering” (Morris, 2012).

Winner of the Jury Prize at 2011 Cannes film festival and nominated for 15 Ceser Awards in 2012, Polisse follows the daily lives of the members of Child Protection Unit and is based on real events.

Frequently referred to as Wire-like, the film is at the same time sad, funny, upsetting and charming. An accomplished ensemble cast of French actors give incredible and naturalistic performances and the crime is unlike anything we see in conventional American crime movies and TV series: “Polisse is so like those shows that it’s utterly unlike them. It’s raw where, say, “SVU” is slick. It’s personal where “CSI” is histrionically forensic. It’s funny where “NCIS” can be labored” (Morris, 2012). This is an exciting and rewarding watch.

Reference:
Morris, Wesley. Polisse. www.boston.com. 25 May. 2012.

Image: Courtesy of Artificial Eye

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

South Korean Epic

2013-05-03T13:34:0812:00:00

New Arrivals

Nameless Gangster (2012) Dir: Yoon Jong-bin Call Number: LD LD13-0059

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Image: Courtesy of Showbox

This is an engrossing story about quest for power and money. The film re-creates a recent historical milieu, the mid ’80s and the early ’90s, when gangs ran rampant during South Korea’s dictatorial era. In 1990, the new president Roh Tae-woo announces a crackdown on organized crime.

The film is powered by an enthusiastic performance from leading Korean actor Choi Min-sik as Ik-hyun, a customs inspector who climbs the underworld ladder to become a crime lord. “From the cars to the tailored power suits, the period detail can’t be faulted, lending a compelling authenticity to the filmmaker’s examination of the era’s questionable mores and political realities” (Lehmann, 2012). Anyone who loves gangster films and Scorsese will enjoy this engrossing South Korean epic.

Reference:
Lehmann, Megan. “Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time: Film Review". www.hollywoodreporter.com. 23 July. 2012.

Image: Courtesy of Showbox

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

Eloquent Political Drama

2013-04-19T09:52:3812:00:00

New Arrivals

Rebellion (2011) Dir: Mathieu Kassovitz Call Number: LD13-0378

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Image: Courtesy of Mongrel Media

In 1988, 27 police were kidnapped and 4 killed by local separatists led by Alphonse Dianou in the French colony of New Caledonia. Counter-terrorism agent and skilled negotiator Philippe Legorjus (Kassovitz) is helicoptered in to negotiate peace.

The story is told mostly from Philippe’s limited perspective as he is helplessly trying to find a peaceful solution to the crisis; however, it is election time and Mitterand is forced to consider more aggressive options as Chirac challenges the socialist president.

“This is a vastly sensitive subject in France and New Caledonia. The French army refused to co-operate with the film, and shooting was relocated to remote islands in Tahiti, after Kassovitz failed to convince Kanak leaders and the families of the dead of his good intentions. They were never going to trust a white French filmmaker with this story, and why would they?” (Byrnes, 2012).

Maybe Kanak leaders were wrong. This a beautifully shot and eloquent political drama based on Legorjus’s book that exposes the political intrigue behind the scenes.

Reference:
Byrnes, Paul. "Directors aims high and hard to tackle French hostage drama". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 April, 2012.

Image: Courtesy of Mongrel Media

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

Martial Arts Action-Comedy

2013-04-09T09:23:5912:00:00

New Arrivals

Tai Chi 0 (2012) Dir: Stephen Fung Call Number: LD13-0073

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Image: Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

Since Stephen Chow’s films, martial arts action-comedy has never been so good!

Lu Chan has a horn-shaped birthmark on his head, called the “Three Blossoms of the Crown”. When smacked, this special birthmark activates Lu Chan’s super kung-fu powers. Lu Chan travels to Chen Village to learn the Chen Style tai chi and strengthen his inner self; unfortunately, the Chen Village locals don’t teach their style of kung-fu to outsiders. Lu Chan has to convince the villagers that he is worth it!

The first part of a duology, this excessively postmodernist film is loads of fun to watch. In cartoonish superficiality, onscreen graphics are used to describe fighting moves, to give extra information to the audience and to introduce every major actor with their career highlights. If you liked Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, you will definitely enjoy Tai Chi 0.

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

The Bronte Experience

2013-03-18T14:30:4012:00:00

New Arrivals

Jane Eyre (2011) Dir: Cary Fukunaga Call Number: LD12-0859

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Image: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Unarguably one of the better Jane Eyres onscreen, Fukunaga’s film is one of the truest to the novel. Fukunaga succeeds in bringing to light both the fine details of the novel and creating a Gothic atmosphere.

“Rather than Twilight-izing a classic tale (. . .) Fukunaga has made his Jane Eyre an intimate, thoughtful epic, anchored by strong lead performances and the gorgeous, moody 100-shades-of-gray cinematography of Adriano Goldman” (Longworth, 2011).

Central to this movie's power is Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre), who looks haunted at all times and is properly glum and unglamorous. Fassbender may be seen as too handsome for Rochester, who is described in the book as decidedly unattractive, however, the crucial age gap and the tension between the two is sustained.

Reference:
Longworth, Karina. “A Masterful Jane Eyre Stresses Independence”. www.villagevoice.com. 09 March. 2011.

Image: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

A charming adventure

2013-03-11T14:02:2313:00:00

New Arrivals

The Fairy (2012) Dir: Dominique Abel Call Number: LD12-1221

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Image: Courtesy of Kino Lorber

When a mental patient (Fiona) rushes into a hotel and declares to the clerk (Dom) that she is a fairy, he doesn’t feel surprised. Fiona grants Dom three wishes and Dom chooses two: a scooter and a lifetime of free gasoline, but he is not much of a dreamer and can’t decide on a third wish. This starts a series of hilarious and absurdist adventures.

The Fairy is an homage to silent cinema with its nearly wordless slapstick routines. The actor-directors have been influenced by American silent film, Jacques Tati and Jerry lewis, but the film’s “appeal is rather in watching people who have devised their own original style of comic performance and have taken it to a rare level of refinement” (LaSalle, 2012).

Reference:
LaSalle, Mick. "Wish for Gentle Comedy? Granted" www.sfgate.com. 4 May. 2012.

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

AV Library Orientation

2013-03-04T09:28:5213:00:00

Come to the Audiovisual Library and join a 10 minutes tour!

When? Monday 4 March - Friday 8 March, 10:05am, 11:05am, 1:05pm, 2:05pm.

Where? Audiovisual Library, City Campus, Building 409, Ground Floor, Symonds Street 24.

Visit the AV Library's homepage for more information about hours, contacts, services and location.

"A daughter is always a burden"

2012-12-07T11:21:4213:00:00

New Arrivals

Bandit Queen Director: Shekhar Kapur (1994) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0988

Image: Courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment

Bandit Queen is not very Christmas-like nor it is for the faint-hearted. The film is loosely based on the life of Phoolan Devi, a bandit, and later a politician.

After a life of abuse and rape, Phoolan Devi leads a band of latter-day Robin Hoods. By the time she was arrested in 1983, Devi had already become a folk legend and dolls of her dressed as a Hindu goddess were sold in markets. When the Bandit Queen finally surrenders, it's on her terms and before a cheering crowd of thousands.

In 1994, the movie was banned in India. The director believes the reason for the ban was the film's accurate depiction of the caste system of Indian society and its sexism.

See also: Arundhati Roy’s essay on the film.

Image: Courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

Style and Substance

2012-11-16T14:10:2213:00:00

New Arrivals

Hugo Director: Martin Scorsese (2011) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0938

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Image: Paramount Pictures

Based on Brian Selznick's award-winning best-seller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”, Hugo tells the story of an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and tries to solve a mystery involving his late father.

Martin Scorsese’s first foray into big-budget family filmmaking turns out to be quite a personal one. As one of the major characters turns out to be the director Georges Melies, most famous for A Trip to the Moon, Scorcese touches on themes like the birth of cinema, and its preservation: “ For a lay audience, the result is a haunting, piquant melodrama about childhood dreams and yearnings, enhanced with a pleasant survey course in early film history” (Schwarzbaum, 2011).

Reference:
Schwarzbaum, Lisa. "Hugo". Entertainment Weekly. 30 Nov. 2011.

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

Work in Progress

2012-10-26T10:55:4313:00:00

New Arrivals

Margaret Director: Kenneth Lonergan (2011) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0827

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Image: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Margaret centers on a 17-year-old New York City high-school student (Lisa) who witnesses and inadvertently causes a bus accident that leaves a woman dead in her arms. In a futile effort to put things right, and with the help of the victim’s best friend, Lisa helps to file a wrongful-death suit.

Margaret “reflects its adolescent subject with striking accuracy. It can be frustrating and self-important, clumsy and naive. But it's also passionate, curious and filled with insight, so unafraid in its ambitions that even the flaws are interesting. Every bold vision requires respect; a few deserve celebration. This is one of them, imperfections and all” (Weitzman, 2011).

The film is most famous for its post-production hell: the 3-hour film was shot in 2005; however, You Can Count on Me’s Lonergan was contractually obligated to deliver a 150-minute cut. After many lawsuits, Lonergan was fired and his friend and collaborator Martin Scorsese edited the 150-minute cut. AV Library holds the complete director’s cut, which still feels like a work in progress. Nevertheless, Margaret is some kind of masterpiece that was worth the wait.

Reference:
Weitzman, Elizabeth. “'Margaret' review: Anna Paquin film years in the making is worth the wait”. www.nydailytimes.com. 30 Sep. 2011.

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

Audiovisual Library

Atypical Crime Drama

Watch Trailer Image: Courtesy of Artificial Eye

Image: Courtesy of Artificial Eye

South Korean Epic

New Arrivals Nameless Gangster (2012) Dir: Yoon Jong-bin Call Number: LD LD13-0059 Watch Trailer Image: Courtesy of Showbox

Image: Courtesy of Showbox

Eloquent Political Drama

Watch trailer Image: Courtesy of Mongrel Media

Image: Courtesy of Mongrel Media

Martial Arts Action-Comedy

New Arrivals Tai Chi 0 (2012) Dir: Stephen Fung Call Number: LD13-0073 Watch trailer Image: Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

The Bronte Experience

Watch trailer Image: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Image: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

A charming adventure

Image: Courtesy of Kino Lorber

AV Library Orientation

"A daughter is always a burden"

Style and Substance

Hugo Director: Martin Scorsese (2011) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0938 Watch Trailer Image: Paramount Pictures

Work in Progress

New Arrivals Margaret Director: Kenneth Lonergan (2011) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0827 Watch Trailer Image: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Watch Trailer

Image: Courtesy of Artificial Eye

New Arrivals

Nameless Gangster (2012) Dir: Yoon Jong-bin Call Number: LD LD13-0059

Watch Trailer

Image: Courtesy of Showbox

Watch trailer

Image: Courtesy of Mongrel Media

New Arrivals

Tai Chi 0 (2012) Dir: Stephen Fung Call Number: LD13-0073

Watch trailer

Image: Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

Watch trailer

Image: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Hugo Director: Martin Scorsese (2011) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0938

Watch Trailer

Image: Paramount Pictures

New Arrivals

Margaret Director: Kenneth Lonergan (2011) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0827

Watch Trailer

Image: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment