“Hey Joe,” a drama in which James Franco plays a U.S. Navy sailor stationed in post-World War II Naples, will world premiere at the Rome Film Festival next month.
The gritty film, directed by Claudio Giovannesi, is produced by Italy’s Palomar in tandem with Rai Cinema and Vision Distribution, which will release the film in Italy. Vision Distribution International is handling international sales.
In “Hey Joe,” Franco plays Dean Barry, an American sailor who in 1944, at age 23, disembarks in war-torn Naples. He falls in love with a young, very poor, local woman named Lucia. A couple of years later, Dean is forced to leave Lucia, alone and pregnant, to go back to New Jersey. He eventually returns to Naples to find the woman and her son, Enzo — but the city has changed a lot and Dean must navigate these challenges leading up to a surprise finale. Franco speaks both...
The gritty film, directed by Claudio Giovannesi, is produced by Italy’s Palomar in tandem with Rai Cinema and Vision Distribution, which will release the film in Italy. Vision Distribution International is handling international sales.
In “Hey Joe,” Franco plays Dean Barry, an American sailor who in 1944, at age 23, disembarks in war-torn Naples. He falls in love with a young, very poor, local woman named Lucia. A couple of years later, Dean is forced to leave Lucia, alone and pregnant, to go back to New Jersey. He eventually returns to Naples to find the woman and her son, Enzo — but the city has changed a lot and Dean must navigate these challenges leading up to a surprise finale. Franco speaks both...
- 9/20/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
James Franco will play a U.S. Navy sailor stationed in post-World War II Naples, where he fathers a child, in gritty Italian drama “Hey Joe.” Directed by Claudio Giovannesi, the film is now shooting in the southern port city.
Franco, who has recently been taking roles outside the U.S. following a now-settled 2019 lawsuit alleging that he sexually exploited young women who took his acting class, will be speaking both English and Italian to play the lead in “Hey Joe,” said producer Carlo Degli Esposti, head of Italy’s prominent Palomar shingle. Degli Esposti added that Palomar got a waiver from SAG-AFTRA for Franco to work on the film “since we are an indie production.”
In “Hey Joe,” Franco plays Dean Barry, an American sailor who in 1944, at age 23, disembarks in Naples which has been destroyed by bombing. He falls in love with a young, very poor, local woman named Lucia.
Franco, who has recently been taking roles outside the U.S. following a now-settled 2019 lawsuit alleging that he sexually exploited young women who took his acting class, will be speaking both English and Italian to play the lead in “Hey Joe,” said producer Carlo Degli Esposti, head of Italy’s prominent Palomar shingle. Degli Esposti added that Palomar got a waiver from SAG-AFTRA for Franco to work on the film “since we are an indie production.”
In “Hey Joe,” Franco plays Dean Barry, an American sailor who in 1944, at age 23, disembarks in Naples which has been destroyed by bombing. He falls in love with a young, very poor, local woman named Lucia.
- 10/19/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Lff 2018 Twin Flower Review Twin Flower (2018) Film Review from the 62nd Annual London Film Festival, a movie directed by Laura Luchetti, starring Anastasyia Bogach, Kalill Kone and Aniello Arena. Twin Flower’s simplicity is a double-edged sword. It’s a respectfully moving depiction of the harsh lives of two youngsters from Sardinia. Writer-director Laura Luchetti wants to enlighten viewers about [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Twin Flower: A Potent Romance in a World of Too Much Pain [Lff 2018]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Twin Flower: A Potent Romance in a World of Too Much Pain [Lff 2018]...
- 10/12/2018
- by Deyan Angelov
- Film-Book
Two strangers running from personal demons collide at the start of Laura Luchetti’s Sardinia-set Twin Flower. He (Kallil Kone’s Basim) is an Ivory Coast immigrant desperate for money yet unequipped with the correct paperwork to earn gainful employment. She (Anastasiya Bogach’s Anna) is desperate to escape a pursuer (Aniello Arena’s Manfredi) seen in duress but no less determined to get his hands on her eventually. They’re both alone on the open road, unsure where to go besides knowing it must be anywhere but here. A bond will form as a result, a union of friendship with the potential to blossom into more if they’re able to let down their defenses long enough to try. With Manfredi forever on their tail, however, freedom remains a distant dream.
Their stories are told via brief vignettes of present events tempered by flashbacks to gradually reveal what we...
Their stories are told via brief vignettes of present events tempered by flashbacks to gradually reveal what we...
- 9/9/2018
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Chicago – Like Sebastián Silva’s equally mesmerizing and maddening “Magic Magic,” Matteo Garrone’s “Reality” explores a psyche as it slowly unravels, obscuring the line between truth and fiction until it becomes hopelessly blurred. In fact, both filmmakers utilize a similar technique in portraying their heros’ delusions by occupying their peripheral vision with eerie apparitions.
This might make “Reality” sound like a horror film, but it’s actually a Felliniesque comedy—at least for its first act. A surprising portion of the film’s running time is devoted to detailing the modest life of Luciano (Aniello Arena), a fishmonger with an adoring wife (Loredana Paone) and family who harbors an exuberant love of performance. We first see him greeting a Reality TV show star, Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante), in full drag, playing the role of a smitten ex. Though the faces of his surrounding audience are delighted, the scene straddles the line between amusing and squirm-inducing.
This might make “Reality” sound like a horror film, but it’s actually a Felliniesque comedy—at least for its first act. A surprising portion of the film’s running time is devoted to detailing the modest life of Luciano (Aniello Arena), a fishmonger with an adoring wife (Loredana Paone) and family who harbors an exuberant love of performance. We first see him greeting a Reality TV show star, Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante), in full drag, playing the role of a smitten ex. Though the faces of his surrounding audience are delighted, the scene straddles the line between amusing and squirm-inducing.
- 8/26/2013
- by [email protected] (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
★★★★☆ The Taviani brothers explored a Shakespeare production performed by a group of prison inmates earlier in the year with Caesar Must Die (2012). Matteo Garrone, who arrived on the international scene to great acclaim with hard-hitting Mafioso drama Gomorrah (2008), has now gone one step further. Out on DVD this week is Reality (2012), a film for which he enlisted the incarcerated Aniello Arena; who attended the shoot whilst on day release from his life sentence. Bringing an unmistakable sense of wonderment to proceedings, he proves an irresistible protagonist in Garrone's biting satire of cultural degeneration.
The Roman director may have returned to the familiar streets of Naples for his latest piece, but it adopts a markedly different tone to that of its predecessor. Exploring the pervasive modern preoccupation with celebrity, the film delves into the somewhat queasy world of a man desperate to appear on reality television. Luciano (Arena) is a fishmonger in an unassuming Neapolitan piazza.
The Roman director may have returned to the familiar streets of Naples for his latest piece, but it adopts a markedly different tone to that of its predecessor. Exploring the pervasive modern preoccupation with celebrity, the film delves into the somewhat queasy world of a man desperate to appear on reality television. Luciano (Arena) is a fishmonger in an unassuming Neapolitan piazza.
- 7/23/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Beware of Mr Baker; White Elephant; Reality; Jack the Giant Slayer; The ABCs of Death
Jay Bulger's boisterous rock-doc Beware of Mr Baker (2012, Curzon, 15) opens with the infamously cantankerous drummer Ginger Baker striking the director hard across the nose with a cane, drawing blood. The rest of the movie is interspersed with Baker regularly telling Bulger that he's an idiot. This would be more problematic were it not for the fact that, with very few exceptions, Baker seems tirelessly hostile to everyone. No wonder his closest associates – friends, family, band members – struggle to find anything nice to say about him, with Jack Bruce's assessment that "he's the best Ginger Baker in the world" coming as close as it gets to a personal endorsement.
Only on the subject of his drumming is there agreement that he's a genius, which is fitting, since the sole quality that Baker appears to...
Jay Bulger's boisterous rock-doc Beware of Mr Baker (2012, Curzon, 15) opens with the infamously cantankerous drummer Ginger Baker striking the director hard across the nose with a cane, drawing blood. The rest of the movie is interspersed with Baker regularly telling Bulger that he's an idiot. This would be more problematic were it not for the fact that, with very few exceptions, Baker seems tirelessly hostile to everyone. No wonder his closest associates – friends, family, band members – struggle to find anything nice to say about him, with Jack Bruce's assessment that "he's the best Ginger Baker in the world" coming as close as it gets to a personal endorsement.
Only on the subject of his drumming is there agreement that he's a genius, which is fitting, since the sole quality that Baker appears to...
- 7/20/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Italian director Matteo Garrone made waves at American art houses with the unsettling mob drama "Gomorrah," which not only unearthed details about his country's powerful criminal organizations but rendered them in cold, brutal terms that imbued the movie with extreme claustrophobia. His follow-up, the Cannes-winning "Reality," takes aim at a different target with a similarly dour gaze. The movie, which opened in limited release last month but expands to several cities today, follows the experiences of Neapolitan fishmonger Luciano (Aniello Arena) as he grows increasingly obsessed with landing a role on "Big Brother" to the point where he may or may not be losing his mind. While Garrone views his character in sympathetic terms and renders his blue collar status with many of the grimy, decisively unromantic traits previously found in the filmmaker's work, "Reality" also takes marvelously satiric jabs at the impact of contemporary media on the everyman, particularly in Italy.
- 4/5/2013
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Chicago – Matteo Garrone is a notable talent. His highly acclaimed 2008 film “Gomorrah” earned praise around the world and the follow-up, “Reality,” won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival last year. It’s a step down from his previous work as it’s less ambitious and doesn’t quite come together but it features enough interesting ideas about our fame-obsessed culture to see why it connected with the French fest jury. And it does nothing to stop that feeling that Garrone is a major filmmaker.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
It makes sense that a film called “Reality” opens with a very abnormal event — a wedding in a horse-drawn carriage with people dressed like clowns and lords & ladies while doves fill the air. This is not a common, everyday “Reality.” And Garrone’s film is about a man in a very dull, plain reality who gets a glimpse of the heightened one on...
Rating: 3.0/5.0
It makes sense that a film called “Reality” opens with a very abnormal event — a wedding in a horse-drawn carriage with people dressed like clowns and lords & ladies while doves fill the air. This is not a common, everyday “Reality.” And Garrone’s film is about a man in a very dull, plain reality who gets a glimpse of the heightened one on...
- 3/27/2013
- by [email protected] (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Matteo Garrone is best known for Gomorrah, his devastatingly honest portrait of the criminal underworld of Naples. This bittersweet comedy is also set largely in Naples and stars Aniello Arena, who began his theatrical career while in jail, working in a troupe of Italian convicts. He plays Luciano, a Neapolitan fishmonger and family entertainer. He becomes obsessed with getting on Grande Fratello, the Italian version of Big Brother, after meeting Enzo, a seedy celebrity who, with his English catchphrase "never give up", became famous after appearing on the show. The movie is Felliniesque in its fascination with grotesques and with the gaudy tastelessness of Italian TV as presented by Fellini in Ginger and Fred, and it depicts the destruction of Luciano as he descends into madness through his desire to become a star. It's a sad story, told at too great a length, but its final image is devastating.
Federico FelliniBig BrotherPhilip French
guardian.
Federico FelliniBig BrotherPhilip French
guardian.
- 3/24/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Post Tenebras Lux | Jack The Giant Slayer | Reality | Compliance | Identity Thief | The Croods | Neighbouring Sounds | Stolen | Reincarnated | Small Apartments | The Servant | I, Superbiker: Day Of Reckoning
Post Tenebras Lux (18)
(Carlos Reygadas, 2012, Mex/Fra/Neth/Ger) Adolfo Jiménez Castro, Nathalia Acevedo, Willebaldo Torres. 115 mins
Terence Malick gone a bit mainstream for you? Then try this latest litmus test, in which Mexican auteur Reygadas takes his penchant for striking imagery and disjointed narratives to commendably ambitious/infuriatingly inscrutable extremes. Centred on a troubled architect and his family, it's a shuffled jigsaw puzzle involving class tensions, rugby, swingers' parties and an animated Satan.
Jack The Giant Slayer (12A)
(Bryan Singer, 2013, Us) Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor. 114 mins
Another souped-up fairytale offering commercially calibrated spectacle rather than genuine wonder. The promising cast and giant budget amount to a hill of beans.
Reality (15)
(Matteo Garrone, 2012, Ita/Fra) Aniello Arena, Loredana Simioli. 116 mins
TV's celebrity culture exuberantly satirised,...
Post Tenebras Lux (18)
(Carlos Reygadas, 2012, Mex/Fra/Neth/Ger) Adolfo Jiménez Castro, Nathalia Acevedo, Willebaldo Torres. 115 mins
Terence Malick gone a bit mainstream for you? Then try this latest litmus test, in which Mexican auteur Reygadas takes his penchant for striking imagery and disjointed narratives to commendably ambitious/infuriatingly inscrutable extremes. Centred on a troubled architect and his family, it's a shuffled jigsaw puzzle involving class tensions, rugby, swingers' parties and an animated Satan.
Jack The Giant Slayer (12A)
(Bryan Singer, 2013, Us) Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor. 114 mins
Another souped-up fairytale offering commercially calibrated spectacle rather than genuine wonder. The promising cast and giant budget amount to a hill of beans.
Reality (15)
(Matteo Garrone, 2012, Ita/Fra) Aniello Arena, Loredana Simioli. 116 mins
TV's celebrity culture exuberantly satirised,...
- 3/23/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Matteo Garrone's comedy moralises that the call of reality-show fame isn't a worthy pursuit. No surprise there
Matteo Garrone (director of the Italian mob drama Gomorrah) has confected a sentimental-realist fable about celebrity culture and its discontents, and it certainly has a resonance in the age of Beppe Grillo and the Five Stars Movement. But nothing in Reality quite lives up to its thrilling and dynamic opening sequence. After a Fellini-style swoop from high above the streets of Naples, Garrone's camera descends to a wedding reception at a resort hotel, where one guest, a voluble fishmonger called Luciano (Aniello Arena), is planning on doing his unfunny party piece to amuse the others – a wacky drag act. But a bona fide celebrity steps in: a former Big Brother contestant called Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante) has been booked to make a personal appearance, and poor Luciano is stunned with awe and envy...
Matteo Garrone (director of the Italian mob drama Gomorrah) has confected a sentimental-realist fable about celebrity culture and its discontents, and it certainly has a resonance in the age of Beppe Grillo and the Five Stars Movement. But nothing in Reality quite lives up to its thrilling and dynamic opening sequence. After a Fellini-style swoop from high above the streets of Naples, Garrone's camera descends to a wedding reception at a resort hotel, where one guest, a voluble fishmonger called Luciano (Aniello Arena), is planning on doing his unfunny party piece to amuse the others – a wacky drag act. But a bona fide celebrity steps in: a former Big Brother contestant called Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante) has been booked to make a personal appearance, and poor Luciano is stunned with awe and envy...
- 3/22/2013
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
General consensus on reality TV is less than favourable most of the time, even though it can be equally addictive as curiosity takes over. Gomorrah director Matteo Garrone and his co-writers have taken this concept and produced a fascinating, modern-day Italian tragedy that gradually creeps under the skin. It’s as eerily disturbing as it is predictable in outcome, making this Cannes’ Grand Prix winner a highly compelling watch. It mirrors reality TV as it takes grip and feeds our urge to be proven right or wrong by events that ensue. It also serves as an ugly reminder of the impact of talent(less) celebrity.
Luciano (Aniello Arena) sees the rewards of winning Italy’s Big Brother TV, after a visit from last year’s winner at a wedding he is attending. With times being hard, running his fish stall, local character Luciano sees getting on this year’s show...
Luciano (Aniello Arena) sees the rewards of winning Italy’s Big Brother TV, after a visit from last year’s winner at a wedding he is attending. With times being hard, running his fish stall, local character Luciano sees getting on this year’s show...
- 3/22/2013
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Matteo Garrone made his name as director of the brutal mafia thriller Gomorrah. Now he is back with a dark, Big Brother-inspired satire
No one could accuse the Italian writer-director Matteo Garrone of ploughing the same furrow. His new film, Reality, a bubblegum fable with an acid aftertaste, could scarcely be more different from his previous one, Gomorrah, which announced his entrance into world cinema. He had already made three features before that (including The Embalmer, a taxidermists' love triangle) but Gomorrah was an art-house crossover phenomenon. This violent exposé-cum-thriller, based on the non-fiction book by Roberto Saviano, showed how slaughter and corruption had been absorbed into everyday life under the Camorra in Naples and Caserta. The film picked apart the infrastructure of crime: we saw how far and deep the Camorra's tentacles reach, and how asphyxiating their grasp can be. Gomorrah scooped the Grand Prix at the Cannes...
No one could accuse the Italian writer-director Matteo Garrone of ploughing the same furrow. His new film, Reality, a bubblegum fable with an acid aftertaste, could scarcely be more different from his previous one, Gomorrah, which announced his entrance into world cinema. He had already made three features before that (including The Embalmer, a taxidermists' love triangle) but Gomorrah was an art-house crossover phenomenon. This violent exposé-cum-thriller, based on the non-fiction book by Roberto Saviano, showed how slaughter and corruption had been absorbed into everyday life under the Camorra in Naples and Caserta. The film picked apart the infrastructure of crime: we saw how far and deep the Camorra's tentacles reach, and how asphyxiating their grasp can be. Gomorrah scooped the Grand Prix at the Cannes...
- 3/22/2013
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Italian Matteo Garrone is a filmmaker to watch. He has chops, and range. Italy submitted his last film "Gomorra" for the Oscars, a gritty slice of the uber-violent underworld. His follow-up "Reality" (March 22) is a much lighter fairy tale fable about a man, well-played by sad-eyed prisoner actor Aniello Arena, obsessed with getting his family on Italian reality show "Big Brother." It's a delightfully colorful comedy in the classical Fellini tradition. Working class actor Arena, 43, has served 20 years time for a triple homicide; he began acting in prison 12 years ago. After its debut in Cannes competition, "Reality" screened at Toronto, where Garrone gave a Q & A. Question: Where did the story come from? Matteo Garrone: It's based on a true story that happened to a friend in Italy. TV in Italy is very powerful. We did not want to denounce 'Big Brother,' the movie operates on many levels.
- 3/20/2013
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
“Never give up!” These words are repeatedly shouted by Enzo, a character who has fame and fortune as a former reality show star. It’s meant as advice to Luciano (Aniello Arena), a fishmonger who desperately wants to follow in Enzo’s footsteps and appear on Italy’s version of the reality television series, Big Brother. Doggedly, Luciano pursues his dream and as he seems to get closer to the possibility, he unravels. Poignant, potent, and heartfelt, Reality is an incisive character study that shines a light on how TV and the allure of money and fame can distort our perception of ourselves...
- 3/20/2013
- Pastemagazine.com
Following on from the critically acclaimed crime drama Gomorrah, Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone returns with his latest picture Reality, entering into a somewhat different world to his previous project, as we focus on a man desperate to claim a spot on Italian Big Brother – and back at the London Film Festival when Garrone was over in Britain, we sat down to discuss his latest feature with him.
Garrone explains the similarities between Reality and Gomorrah, the religious connotations that exist, as well as telling us that this is his most difficult movie yet. Garrone also discusses his lead star Aniello Arena – who was discovered in a prison production, as the former criminal turned actor had to shoot the movie while serving a life sentence for a triple homicide…
Do you think that because the main theme in Reality is surrounding one man’s desire to be on reality TV – something...
Garrone explains the similarities between Reality and Gomorrah, the religious connotations that exist, as well as telling us that this is his most difficult movie yet. Garrone also discusses his lead star Aniello Arena – who was discovered in a prison production, as the former criminal turned actor had to shoot the movie while serving a life sentence for a triple homicide…
Do you think that because the main theme in Reality is surrounding one man’s desire to be on reality TV – something...
- 3/20/2013
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Editor’s note: This review originally ran during Cannes 2012, but we’re re-running it as the film’s limited theatrical release begins this weekend. Those expecting Matteo Garrone to follow up 2008′s excellent Gomorrah with another authentic new world crime drama might be surprised to hear that his latest project replaces the seedy criminal underworld for a thoroughly modern exploration of the current fascination with reality TV and its particular brand of disposable fame. In Reality, we follow the tragi-comic story of Luciano (Aniello Arena), a Neapolitan fishmonger with aspirations to find his fortune on the Italian version of Big Brother at the behest of his family who see him as a star and inspired by the success of former housemate Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante). We also follow his subsequent delusional breakdown. Reality is effectively Garrone’s take on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, replacing the golden ticket with the chance to make it into the Big...
- 3/16/2013
- by Simon Gallagher
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
In the follow-up to his widely acclaimed 2008 international breakthrough Gomorrah, 44- year-old Italian auteur Matteo Garrone tells the partially comic, mostly tragic story of Luciano (Aniello Arena), a Neapolitan fishmonger whose simple life and aspirations are turned upside down when the possibility of instant fame and fortune as a contestant on the Italian iteration of Big Brother goes from mere dream to tangible reality. As his increasingly delusional family cheer him on, he chases the stardom that his friend and former roommate Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante) has already won, but with less than stellar results. As things go from bad to worse …...
- 3/15/2013
- by Brandon Harris
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The relationship between audiences and reality television has shifted to some degree over the past decade (or longer). Where early shows were once positioned as voyeuristic/documentary style looks at Real People, it quickly became clear to those in front of the camera, behind it and at home watching, that reality television is just a different kind of performance. While these programs are ones ostensibly rooted in Real Life, the people selected for these shows -- as well as the writers, producers and directors -- have become increasingly aware of the audience, playing directly to them. Simply put, most people know reality television is actually not that real at all, but in case you forgot, Matteo Garrone's "Reality" is here to remind you. From the outset, Luciano (Aniello Arena) hardly seems like someone who would be interested or have time for "Big Brother." Not only are his days tied...
- 3/15/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
"Reality" filmmaker Matteo Garrone's follow-up to the 2008 critically acclaimed crime drama "Gomorrah," hits the Angelika theater in New York City tomorrow, March 15th. Centering on a man who becomes obsessed with starring on "Big Brother," to the point of driving himself into isolation and detaching himself from, well, reality, the film stars Claudia Gerini, Aniello Arena and Loredana Simioli. "Reality" premiered at last year's Cannes International Film Festival before finding distribution with Oscilloscope Laboratories. We're giving away two pairs of tickets to any Monday through Thursday show at the Angelika in New York City (excluding holidays) plus two posters for the film signed by Matteo Garrone. How do you win? 1. Follow us on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook. 2. Share one of the stories we posted on our Facebook page today, and Rt one of our stories on Twitter. 3. Tweet the following: "@theplaylist I want to win the #REALITYprizepack!
- 3/14/2013
- by The Playlist Staff
- The Playlist
Title: Reality Oscilloscope Laboratories Director: Matteo Garrone Screenwriter: Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso Cast: Aniello Arena, Loredana Simioli, Raffaele Ferrante, Nando Paone Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 3/7/13 Opens: March 15, 2013 Most people will turn their heads even in New York if Robert De Niro, Al Pacino or Tom Cruise passed by on the street. Americans, like people the world over, are attracted by celebrity, particularly since here in the U.S. more people have TVs than bathtubs. We’re all an audience. But how many people seriously think that they can themselves become famous, so much so that people will turn their heads when they walk down [ Read More ]
The post Reality Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Reality Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/8/2013
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
With February almost over, we’ve not got long to go at all before Cannes rolls around once more in May. But before it does, we’ve still got a handful of films to look forward to from last year’s festival, and one of those is Matteo Garrone’s Reality.
The film took home the Grand Prix award at the festival last spring, and spent much of last year on the festival circuit. And now it’s finally about to make its way into UK cinemas towards the end of next month, following its UK debut at the London Film Festival last year – you can read our review here.
With just a few more weeks to go before Reality arrives, we’ve had the new trailer and UK quad poster sent our way to share, giving us a new look at the upcoming comedy-drama.
“A fascinating take on the darker side of celebrity culture,...
The film took home the Grand Prix award at the festival last spring, and spent much of last year on the festival circuit. And now it’s finally about to make its way into UK cinemas towards the end of next month, following its UK debut at the London Film Festival last year – you can read our review here.
With just a few more weeks to go before Reality arrives, we’ve had the new trailer and UK quad poster sent our way to share, giving us a new look at the upcoming comedy-drama.
“A fascinating take on the darker side of celebrity culture,...
- 3/1/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Reality, the offbeat comedy drama from Gomorrah director Matteo Garrone that stars an incarcerated former mafia hitman, arrives on UK shores soon, and we’ve got our hands on the exclusive UK poster. Going down a storm at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, Reality is a very different beast to sprawling crime epic Gomorrah. Where that film wove together multiple perspectives from various links in the criminal chain, Reality unfolds largely from the perspective of one man, Luciano (Aniello Arena). A popular fishmonger living in Naples, he...
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- 2/27/2013
- by Matt Maytum
- TotalFilm
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
You may have noticed, something called the Oscars is happening this weekend. What a feast for the eyes and ears it will be; the diamonds, the tiaras, the screaming fits of hyperventilation. And that's just us doing the liveblog. Here at Guardian Towers we've been gearing up for the big night by going video crazy: each one of the best picture nominees has got its own booster in our Oscar hustings series, while our critics settled down with a glass of the amber nectar for a session of football style punditry: who will win the biggies, and why.
Meanwhile, every little detail of the Oscar race has been exhaustively covered: the "rebranding" of the ceremony; the fun that is the acceptance speech; how Argo looks like its regained the initiative; what will go down in the animation section.
The big story
You may have noticed, something called the Oscars is happening this weekend. What a feast for the eyes and ears it will be; the diamonds, the tiaras, the screaming fits of hyperventilation. And that's just us doing the liveblog. Here at Guardian Towers we've been gearing up for the big night by going video crazy: each one of the best picture nominees has got its own booster in our Oscar hustings series, while our critics settled down with a glass of the amber nectar for a session of football style punditry: who will win the biggies, and why.
Meanwhile, every little detail of the Oscar race has been exhaustively covered: the "rebranding" of the ceremony; the fun that is the acceptance speech; how Argo looks like its regained the initiative; what will go down in the animation section.
- 2/21/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
If 2008's Gomorrah rocked your boat as it did ours, you'll want to catch a glimpse of what director Matteo Garrone has in store for us next. And, as luck would have it, the trailer for Reality has landed on this very page. Prego! brightcove.createExperiences(); Aside from being Garrone's long-awaited return to the big screen, Reality is notable also for starring Aniello Arena, an ex-gangster currently serving life sentences for a triple homicide who performed while under day release from prison. While Garrone's brute-force thriller Gomorrah looked under the stone of Neapolitan society to uncover all manner of corruption and decay, Reality takes aim at Italy's media and celebrity culture with a satire that might be lighter on drive-by shootings and toxic waste but which is hopefully still long on punch.Luciano (Arena) is a poor Naples fishmonger whose craving for fame sees him enter Italy's Big Brother, achieving...
- 2/19/2013
- EmpireOnline
Aniello Arena was convicted of gunning down three rival Naples thugs in 1991. In jail he found a new life through acting – and earned rave reviews at Cannes starring in a comedy about reality TV
Let the duel begin. The cathedral bell has struck 10 by the time the night's rehearsal is ready to begin in earnest, after much work on the set: moving panels bearing a magnified, annotated 17th century script of Romeo and Juliet in Italian. Mercuzio and Tebaldo draw swords; with the agility of wildcats, they leap from position to position; clash swords, stab and retreat. Finally, the ponytailed actor playing Mercuzio – Armando Punzo, lithe for his fiftysomething years – slumps against a back wall.
Outside, the empty, narrow cobbled streets are quite silent in the beautiful hill-top Tuscan town of Volterra – a stillness through which footsteps echo loudly off the ancient stone. This place feels as old as time itself: the Etruscans were here,...
Let the duel begin. The cathedral bell has struck 10 by the time the night's rehearsal is ready to begin in earnest, after much work on the set: moving panels bearing a magnified, annotated 17th century script of Romeo and Juliet in Italian. Mercuzio and Tebaldo draw swords; with the agility of wildcats, they leap from position to position; clash swords, stab and retreat. Finally, the ponytailed actor playing Mercuzio – Armando Punzo, lithe for his fiftysomething years – slumps against a back wall.
Outside, the empty, narrow cobbled streets are quite silent in the beautiful hill-top Tuscan town of Volterra – a stillness through which footsteps echo loudly off the ancient stone. This place feels as old as time itself: the Etruscans were here,...
- 2/17/2013
- by Ed Vulliamy
- The Guardian - Film News
Have we reached the breaking point on audiences. interest in .reailty. television yet? I mean, two or three Kardashians are still free to .invade. some American hot spot with E!.s cameras in tow, and Honey Boo Boo is allowed to spew her ignorance to a lens, but people have stopped tuning in at the point, right? I.m hoping we.re not ready for vicious spoofs of the rubes who obsess over overnight celebrities, like Matteo Garrone.s Reality, which recently shared a trailer. Oscilloscope plans to release the film, which screened in Cannes in 2012. The trailer is up on IndieWire, and we.re happy to share it with you below: The movie follows Luciano (Aniello Arena), a regular guy who dreams of being famous . only, like too many these days, he.s not interested in working hard to achieve that level of super-stardom. He.d rather break the...
- 1/29/2013
- cinemablend.com
Matteo Garrone‘s follow-up to his moody gangster film Gomorrah revolves around the reality TV show Big Brother (Grande Fratello). Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Reality and released a brand new trailer for the film which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival last spring.
The best part about this film with Fellini-esque characters sprinkled throughout a Bunuelian surreality is that it exists as a comedy, yet has none of the usual comedic tropes that most of the Judd Apatow comedic fans are so used to nowadays.
Set in a hyper-real world of reality television, Reality is a bizarre look at a man who becomes obsessed by the idea of fame.
Neapolitan fishmonger Luciano auditioned to be on the Italian version of Big Brother becomes entirely consumed by the possibility that his mundane life Maria will be replaced with the glamour of being on television and his chance celebrity.
The best part about this film with Fellini-esque characters sprinkled throughout a Bunuelian surreality is that it exists as a comedy, yet has none of the usual comedic tropes that most of the Judd Apatow comedic fans are so used to nowadays.
Set in a hyper-real world of reality television, Reality is a bizarre look at a man who becomes obsessed by the idea of fame.
Neapolitan fishmonger Luciano auditioned to be on the Italian version of Big Brother becomes entirely consumed by the possibility that his mundane life Maria will be replaced with the glamour of being on television and his chance celebrity.
- 1/29/2013
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
From Beijing to Berlin, a roundup of some of the events that have been wowing the crowds around the world this year
Kabul, Afghanistan
Afghanistan's first female rapper, musicians from nine countries, and the premiere of Oscar-shortlisted drama Buzkashi Boys drew hundreds to Sound Central, an international music festival held in a city more used to hosting military or aid conferences. For the mostly young crowd, it was a rare chance to let their hair down: there is little entertainment here beyond picnics, visits to friends or video games and films watched at home.
Sri Lankan band Paranoid Earthling brought music from another country that has endured years of bitter civil war. A day with only female performers gave hundreds of women, often barred from mingling with men, a chance to enjoy the music and art. And Buzkashi Boys, shot in Afghanistan with an all-Afghan cast, premiered to an enthusiastic...
Kabul, Afghanistan
Afghanistan's first female rapper, musicians from nine countries, and the premiere of Oscar-shortlisted drama Buzkashi Boys drew hundreds to Sound Central, an international music festival held in a city more used to hosting military or aid conferences. For the mostly young crowd, it was a rare chance to let their hair down: there is little entertainment here beyond picnics, visits to friends or video games and films watched at home.
Sri Lankan band Paranoid Earthling brought music from another country that has endured years of bitter civil war. A day with only female performers gave hundreds of women, often barred from mingling with men, a chance to enjoy the music and art. And Buzkashi Boys, shot in Afghanistan with an all-Afghan cast, premiered to an enthusiastic...
- 12/6/2012
- by Emma Graham-Harrison, Jason Farago, Tania Branigan, David Smith, Tom Kington, Kate Connolly
- The Guardian - Film News
Taking its name from the descriptor for a particular type of television programme, the name itself was already something of a misnomer before director Matteo Garrone got his hands on it, Reality tells the tale of a working class Neapolitan fishmonger who sees a chance for stardom and throws himself into making it happen.
Opening with a beautiful long take – the film is filled with gliding tracking shots and majestic crane shots – the camera finally finds a subject that it sticks with and we are introduced to Luciano (Aniello Arena), a man who appears to like being the centre of attention. Luciano lives surrounded by his extended family in Naples, eking out a relatively humble but happy existence running a fish stall, which he also owns.
Following an audition for the Italian Big Brother television show Luciano’s head begins to be filled with the promise of fame and fortune.
Opening with a beautiful long take – the film is filled with gliding tracking shots and majestic crane shots – the camera finally finds a subject that it sticks with and we are introduced to Luciano (Aniello Arena), a man who appears to like being the centre of attention. Luciano lives surrounded by his extended family in Naples, eking out a relatively humble but happy existence running a fish stall, which he also owns.
Following an audition for the Italian Big Brother television show Luciano’s head begins to be filled with the promise of fame and fortune.
- 10/18/2012
- by Craig Skinner
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
As a direct result of Film Festival exhaustion, there were two days where LondonFilmFanatiq was unable to manage all three films each day. As a result, here’s a look at the films seen during those two shameful days. First Feature competitor The Samurai That Night from Japanese Masaaki Akahori turned out to be somewhat less-worth getting out of bed for than anticipated, but Italian “Debate” entrant Reality would go on to spectacularly salvage the day. Meanwhile For No Good Reason provided a good reason to get up early on a Friday morning with a striking look at cartoonist and Hunter S Thomson collaborator Ralph Steadman that will be up for top Documentary honours at the 56th London Film Festival.
The Samurai That Night
When his wife is killed in a hit and run accident, socially awkward Ken (Masato Sakai) spends the ensuing five years obsessing and loosely plotting his revenge.
The Samurai That Night
When his wife is killed in a hit and run accident, socially awkward Ken (Masato Sakai) spends the ensuing five years obsessing and loosely plotting his revenge.
- 10/15/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Matteo Garrone‘s new film, Reality, opens with a horse-drawn carriage, looking like it’s from the Victorian era, heading down a busy street filled with cars. As we zoom in closer and closer, the fantastical is highlighted more and more. It becomes pretty obvious that the film will wow us in a way not many others can, by presenting something that we just can’t believe is real. Luciano (Aniello Arena) is very much a larger-than-life character. After much pushing and prodding from his children, he tests to be on Grande Fratello, the Italian version of Big Brother. After performing so well, Luciano is certain — as is the entire town – that he will be called up to be on the show. The film follows his descent into madness as he waits for the call. An aspect of the world we live in that’s always ripe for discussion is the concept of celebrity. What...
- 9/15/2012
- by Andrew Robinson
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The Toronto International Film Festival is a ludicrous bounty of cinematic riches, showcasing hundreds of potentially amazing films both old and new. That it’s all crammed into only 10 days means it’s too much for any one mere mortal to even get a proper grasp of. With that “problem” in mind, here’s a painstakingly narrowed list of 30 to try and catch.
Antiviral
David Cronenberg’s son Brandon’s first feature, Antiviral may well sate the appetites of Cronenberg fans who lament the director’s late-career turn into (relatively) middlebrow fare. The creepy teaser promises eerie, creeping body horror, artfully executed, of the sort Daddy used to make.
The ABCs of Death
Horror anthologies are always a tantalizing prospect, but rarely do the segments come together to form a satisfying whole; usually, a weak effort or two sours the bunch. The ABCs of Death might well be the most ambitious film of its kind,...
Antiviral
David Cronenberg’s son Brandon’s first feature, Antiviral may well sate the appetites of Cronenberg fans who lament the director’s late-career turn into (relatively) middlebrow fare. The creepy teaser promises eerie, creeping body horror, artfully executed, of the sort Daddy used to make.
The ABCs of Death
Horror anthologies are always a tantalizing prospect, but rarely do the segments come together to form a satisfying whole; usually, a weak effort or two sours the bunch. The ABCs of Death might well be the most ambitious film of its kind,...
- 8/30/2012
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
Jayne Mansfield.s Car
Piers Handling, CEO and Director of Tiff, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, made the first announcement of films to premiere at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival. Films announced include titles in the Galas and Special Presentations programmes. The announced films include 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations, including 38 world premieres.
Toronto audiences will be the first to see the world premieres of films from directors Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski,...
Piers Handling, CEO and Director of Tiff, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, made the first announcement of films to premiere at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival. Films announced include titles in the Galas and Special Presentations programmes. The announced films include 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations, including 38 world premieres.
Toronto audiences will be the first to see the world premieres of films from directors Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski,...
- 7/24/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Earlier, we brought you a snapshot glance at the first wave of programming announced for the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Shortly after, the fest released a thorough breakdown of the Galas and Special Presentations for this year’s event, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 6.
So far, 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations have been announced, including 38 world premieres. Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski, Margarethe von Trotta, Joss Whedon and...
Hollywoodnews.com: Earlier, we brought you a snapshot glance at the first wave of programming announced for the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Shortly after, the fest released a thorough breakdown of the Galas and Special Presentations for this year’s event, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 6.
So far, 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations have been announced, including 38 world premieres. Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski, Margarethe von Trotta, Joss Whedon and...
- 7/24/2012
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
2012′s Toronto International Film Festival is set to officially announce its initial line-up later today, but Variety let the cat out of the bag, at least partially; and it’s quite astounding. Most of our most-anticipated films of the year will be premiering at the Canadian festival, notably Terrence Malick‘s To the Wonder, Wachowskis & Tom Tykwer‘s epic-sounding Cloud Atlas, Rian Johnson‘s Looper (which will open the fest), Ben Affleck‘s Argo, Dereck Cianfrance‘s The Place Beyond the Pines and much, more more.
Coming from Sundance, the only mentioned film was Ben Lewis‘ John Hawkes-starring The Sessions, while Cannes premieres include Matteo Garrone‘s Reality, Thomas Vinterberg‘s The Hunt, Pablo Larrain‘s No and Jacques Audiard‘s Rust and Bone. One of the biggest surprises is a new film from Noah Baumbach, starring Greta Gerwing titled Frances Ha. There’s also The Avengers director Joss Whedon...
Coming from Sundance, the only mentioned film was Ben Lewis‘ John Hawkes-starring The Sessions, while Cannes premieres include Matteo Garrone‘s Reality, Thomas Vinterberg‘s The Hunt, Pablo Larrain‘s No and Jacques Audiard‘s Rust and Bone. One of the biggest surprises is a new film from Noah Baumbach, starring Greta Gerwing titled Frances Ha. There’s also The Avengers director Joss Whedon...
- 7/24/2012
- by [email protected] (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Matteo Garrone may have gotten an offer he couldn't refuse.
According to Italian prosecutors, Garrone allegedly paid off members of the mafia while making his breakout 2008 film, "Gommorah." The film -- which featured many non-actors with ties to the mob in key roles -- told the story of the modern-day Italian mafia and was a global success. Garrone's work earned nominations at the Golden Globes and Cannes, as well as high praise from critics; "Gommorah" has a sparkling 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and MetaCritic score of 87. The film also earned runner-up honors at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
As reported by THR, Garrone is accused of giving the equivalent of $26,000 to local mobsters for protection during filming ("Gommorah" was filmed all around Naples, including some seedier neighborhoods). In exchange, the mafia allegedly had some say in the finished product.
"I don't think I have ever been a very realistic director,...
According to Italian prosecutors, Garrone allegedly paid off members of the mafia while making his breakout 2008 film, "Gommorah." The film -- which featured many non-actors with ties to the mob in key roles -- told the story of the modern-day Italian mafia and was a global success. Garrone's work earned nominations at the Golden Globes and Cannes, as well as high praise from critics; "Gommorah" has a sparkling 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and MetaCritic score of 87. The film also earned runner-up honors at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
As reported by THR, Garrone is accused of giving the equivalent of $26,000 to local mobsters for protection during filming ("Gommorah" was filmed all around Naples, including some seedier neighborhoods). In exchange, the mafia allegedly had some say in the finished product.
"I don't think I have ever been a very realistic director,...
- 6/12/2012
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
Michael Haneke's moving story deserved the Palme d'Or, yet a vote for Leos Carax's kaleidoscopically weird Holy Motors would have stopped this from being a faintly unsatisfying festival
The Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes film festival for Amour, by Michael Haneke, makes him now a double-winner, having won the Palme for his proto-Nazi parable The White Ribbon in 2009. Amour is the almost unbearably moving story of an old man caring for his dying wife at home until her final hour. It's an excellent choice. An impeccable choice. Actually, the only possible choice. For me, Amour was the best film in this year's competition, no question about it: a glorious demonstration of pure artistic intelligence, uncompromisingly exacting and demanding.
And yet … and yet … this is somehow also a slightly anti-climactic ending to a faintly unsatisfying festival. Now, it is highly obtuse and ungracious to find fault in the...
The Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes film festival for Amour, by Michael Haneke, makes him now a double-winner, having won the Palme for his proto-Nazi parable The White Ribbon in 2009. Amour is the almost unbearably moving story of an old man caring for his dying wife at home until her final hour. It's an excellent choice. An impeccable choice. Actually, the only possible choice. For me, Amour was the best film in this year's competition, no question about it: a glorious demonstration of pure artistic intelligence, uncompromisingly exacting and demanding.
And yet … and yet … this is somehow also a slightly anti-climactic ending to a faintly unsatisfying festival. Now, it is highly obtuse and ungracious to find fault in the...
- 5/28/2012
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Carlos Reygadas‘ Post Tenebras Lux Cannes 2012 Winners Pt.1: Michael Haneke’s Amour, Matteo Garrone’s Reality, Cristian Mungiu’s Beyond The Hills The Best Actor was Mads Mikkelsen, who late last year received the European Film Award for European Achievement in World Cinema. (Among Mikkelsen’s future World Cinema "achievements" may be one of the villainous roles in Thor 2.) Mikkelsen’s Cannes victory was for his performance as a man (falsely) accused of sexually molesting a child — and the inevitable hysteria that ensues — in Thomas Vinterberg’s Danish psychological drama The Hunt. Carlos Reygadas cosmically surrealist family drama, Post Tenebras Lux ("Light After Darkness") earned the Mexican filmmaker the Best Director Award. In 2007, Reygadas’ Silent Night tied with Persepolis for the Jury Prize. And just a few days ago, Post Tenebras Lux was greeted by loud boos. And finally, the socially conscious British filmmaker Ken Loach won the...
- 5/27/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Cristian Mungiu‘s Beyond the Hills: Cosmina Stratan, Cristina Flutur While delivering her intro for the Cannes Film Festival awards ceremony, Mistress of Ceremonies Bérénice Bejo waxed poetic: "If festivals are the parentheses, films are the words, the exclamation points…" In fact, there were quite a few exclamation points among the winners, both in regard to who/what won — it helped to have been a former Cannes victor — or who/what was shut out. As expected, Michael Haneke‘s Amour / Love, the story of a deeply devoted elderly couple (veterans Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva) facing illness and death was the Palme d’Or winner. [List of Cannes 2012 Winners: Official Competition.] Cannes Awards 2012 Upset: No Holy Motors, Cosmopolis Those hoping for an upset of Leos Carax-ctic proportions were disappointed. Very disappointed, as Carax’s bizarre and much-discussed Holy Motors failed to take home a single trophy. Also disappointed were those rooting for David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis,...
- 5/27/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Cannes, May 28: Italian satire "Reality" directed by Matteo Garrone was awarded the second-place grand prize at the closing ceremony of the 65th Cannes film festival, Xinhua reported.
Starring Aniello Arena, the film tells the story of a Naples fishmonger obsessed with reality TV.
The top prize Palme d'Or went to Michael Haneke's "Amour" (Love) while the third-place jury prize was given to Ken Loach's "The Angels' Share" as the 12-day movie showcase ended here Sunday night.
Ians...
Starring Aniello Arena, the film tells the story of a Naples fishmonger obsessed with reality TV.
The top prize Palme d'Or went to Michael Haneke's "Amour" (Love) while the third-place jury prize was given to Ken Loach's "The Angels' Share" as the 12-day movie showcase ended here Sunday night.
Ians...
- 5/27/2012
- by Rahul Kapoor
- RealBollywood.com
London, May 27: Italian actor Aniello Arena is a strong contender for best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, but the only problem is that he is serving a life sentence in prison.
He has been hailed as an unlikely blend of Robert de Niro, Mr Punch and Toto, Italy's best loved comic actor.
Arena is nominated for his starring role in 'Reality', a film about.
He has been hailed as an unlikely blend of Robert de Niro, Mr Punch and Toto, Italy's best loved comic actor.
Arena is nominated for his starring role in 'Reality', a film about.
- 5/27/2012
- by Amith Ostwal
- RealBollywood.com
Leos Carax‘s Holy Motors Michael Haneke’s Amour / Love is my prediction for the Cannes Film Festival 2012′s Palme d’Or. But there are several other possibilities, which will quite likely receive, if not the Palme d’Or itself, then at least one of the runner-up awards. At Cannes, those include the Grand Prize of the Jury (runner-up), the Jury Prize (third place), Best Director, and Best Screenplay. [See also Cannes 2012: Best Actor Predictions; Cannes 2012: Best Actress Predictions] Here are the ones that come to mind: Leos Carax’s highly unconventional Holy Motors, in which Denis Lavant plays 11 roles while riding around in his limo. Holy Motors was greeted by mixed reviews — but then again, so was nearly every film shown at Cannes this year, and probably every other year. That includes Terrence Malick’s 2011 Palme d’Or winner The Tree of Life. Andrew Dominik’s violent Killing Them Softly, a scathing commentary on American sociopolitical culture set among New Orleans mobsters.
- 5/27/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Jean-Louis Trintignant, Amour / Love (with Emmanuelle Riva) Cannes Film Festival Best Actor contenders are many. On top of the list is veteran Jean-Louis Trintignant in Michael Haneke’s romantic tragedy Amour / Love. Amour is the 81-year-old Trintignant’s first film in nearly a decade; it may also turn out to be his last. That in itself makes Trintignant the sentimental favorite for the Cannes 2012 Best Actor Award. If that weren’t all, both Amour and its cast have earned singularly enthusiastic notices, e.g., "utterly captivating," as per The Guardian‘s Jason Solomons. If Trintignant does take home the Best Actor prize, that’ll mark his second Cannes victory: the first was for his judge in Costa-Gavras’ political drama Z, 43 years ago. Other strong Best Actor possibilities include the following: Robert Pattinson surprised those who believed he actually was a vegetarian vampire who sparkled in the sunlight. As an arrogant...
- 5/27/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Aniello Arena is attracting best actor buzz for his role in Reality, but would be unable to claim the prize as he is in prison
Aniello Arena has been touted as the next De Niro and tipped for the best actor prize at this year's Cannes film festival. But if he does win the award, he will be unable to claim his prize in person as he is a former mafia hitman serving a life sentence for his role in a triple homicide, it was revealed on Sunday.
Arena was cast by Matteo Garrone, the director of comedy Reality after delivering strong performances with his prison theatre company and was allowed out to the film's set on day release.
Described by Garrone as a "great actor" blessed with the onscreen charisma of Robert De Niro, Arena was part of a five-man mafia hit squad in 1991 who shot dead three members...
Aniello Arena has been touted as the next De Niro and tipped for the best actor prize at this year's Cannes film festival. But if he does win the award, he will be unable to claim his prize in person as he is a former mafia hitman serving a life sentence for his role in a triple homicide, it was revealed on Sunday.
Arena was cast by Matteo Garrone, the director of comedy Reality after delivering strong performances with his prison theatre company and was allowed out to the film's set on day release.
Described by Garrone as a "great actor" blessed with the onscreen charisma of Robert De Niro, Arena was part of a five-man mafia hit squad in 1991 who shot dead three members...
- 5/21/2012
- by Tom Kington
- The Guardian - Film News
Back Stage is on the ground at the Cannes Film Festival. Check back here for regular updates and celebrity interviews!'Moonrise Kingdom' Opens Festival; Alec Baldwin Wows CrowdBack Stage arrives at the Palais des Festivals in Cote d'Azure, France for the Cannes Film Festival.Lily Rabe Cast as Mary PickfordThe producers are currently taking meetings about additional casting at the Cannes Film Festival.Cotillard Stars in 'Rust & Bone,' Plus Surprise Musical PerformancesOn day two of the Cannes Film Festival, Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts premiere their new film "Rust & Bone," and Lmfao takes the stage.Filmmaker Chloé Robichaud Discusses ‘Chef de Meute’Up-and-coming Montreal filmmaker Chloé Robichaud discusses her short film, “Chef de Meute,” one of the official selections at Cannes.‘Madagascar 3’ Summons Celebs; Jackie Chan Retires From ActionJessica Chastain discusses voice acting in ‘Madagascar,” and “Reality” actor Aniello Arena misses festival.Guy Pearce is Creepy in ‘Lawless’; ‘Antiviral’ is.
- 5/20/2012
- by [email protected] ()
- backstage.com
A vintage Cannes offers a whale of a drama, a Chinese mystery, and a dainty slice of dysfunctional family life from Wes Anderson. Meanwhile, Woody Allen and Roman Polanski have some explaining to do
Like the Godfather of film festivals that it is, Cannes keeps its friends close and its enemies closer. Over the 65th edition's early days, Cannes clawed back any deserters or doubters with a storming selection, confirming it as the best showcase for challenging cinema from around the world.
Andrea Arnold, the British director whose career Cannes nurtured by promoting her films Red Road and Fish Tank, showed her version of Wuthering Heights at Venice last year. Cannes immediately installed her as a member of this year's jury.
Regulars such as Woody Allen and Roman Polanski, neither of whom have a film showing here, have instead been rewarded with warmly respectful documentaries, made and populated by high-profile friends and fans.
Like the Godfather of film festivals that it is, Cannes keeps its friends close and its enemies closer. Over the 65th edition's early days, Cannes clawed back any deserters or doubters with a storming selection, confirming it as the best showcase for challenging cinema from around the world.
Andrea Arnold, the British director whose career Cannes nurtured by promoting her films Red Road and Fish Tank, showed her version of Wuthering Heights at Venice last year. Cannes immediately installed her as a member of this year's jury.
Regulars such as Woody Allen and Roman Polanski, neither of whom have a film showing here, have instead been rewarded with warmly respectful documentaries, made and populated by high-profile friends and fans.
- 5/19/2012
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
Imagine the headlines if this year’s Best Actor prize goes to Aniello Arena. The male lead in Matteo Garrone’s sixth feature fiction film has been serving a prison term for the past two decades and wasn’t allowed to be on the Croisette to celebrate the film’s international premiere. Garrone who had previously been flying under the radar but had some acclaim with 2002′s The Embalmer and 2004′s First Love, really broke out with Gomorrah winning the Grand Prix for the film in Cannes back in 08′. Starring a huge ensemble, our critics responded well to Reality, a film that is being described as a Fellini-esque comedy. Click to enlarge!
- 5/19/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Matteo Garrone‘s Reality never becomes the vicious criticism of unearned fame and non-stop television one might expect from the man who revived the mafia picture with Gomorrah only four years ago. That film had a raw energy that jumped off the screen. Garrone’s follow-up is decidedly more concentrated and deftly-paced, the filmmaker determined to explore the world of his anti-hero Luciano (the engrossing Aniello Arena), a family man living simply and happily in Naples who allows himself to fall apart in pursuit of his dream to be famous.
What begins as a funny party trick at a family wedding escalates into obsession. We watch Luciano put on a dress and some make-up to have some fun with Enzo, a star from reality television paid to make an appearance at the reception. This well-received prank, along with the constant compliments his extended family throws his way, convince the man...
What begins as a funny party trick at a family wedding escalates into obsession. We watch Luciano put on a dress and some make-up to have some fun with Enzo, a star from reality television paid to make an appearance at the reception. This well-received prank, along with the constant compliments his extended family throws his way, convince the man...
- 5/19/2012
- by [email protected] (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
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