REVIEWS


Reviews edited by Mark Adams mark.adams@screendaily.com


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360 REVIEWED BY MARKADAMS


Fernando Meirelles’ swirling, globetrotting film is a masterpiece of structure and is punctuated by a series of impressive performances as it sweeps through Vienna, Paris, London, Bratislava, Rio de Janeiro and Phoenix, charting a course through a series of troubled relationships. There are few for- mal links between the varied storylines — though they do collide and interweave — rather the film goes around the world (the 360 of the title) with its series of short stories. The film is inspired by Arthur Schnitzler’s clas-


sic La Ronde, but is elegantly updated by screen- writer Peter Morgan and director Meirelles for a modern-day medley of stories that take in love, passion, chance, temptation and friendship all set against a stunning backdrop of vivid locations. The film, which had its world premiere at the


Toronto International Film Festival, is a master- fully constructed film though will be a challenge to market. Certainly the cast list does feature Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz, but they have a modest amount of screen time — in a similar way that all the performers are used — rather than standout roles. The multiple lan- guages in play — German, Slovakian, Russian, Portuguese etc — mean the film is partially subti- tled, pushing 360 resolutely into the arthouse release bracket rather than suggesting an easy mainstream crossover title. As is the nature of such projects, there are


moments when things lag and certain storylines offer more interest, charm or drama than others, but director Meirelles — wonderfully aided by crisp and beautiful cinematography by Adriano Gold-


SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS


UK-Aus-Fr-Braz. 2011. 115mins Director Fernando Meirelles Production companies Revolution Films, Dor Film, Fidelite Films, 02 Films Producers Andrew Eaton, David Linde, Emanuel Michael, Danny Krausz, Chris Hanley, Marc Missonnier, Olivier Delbosc Screenplay Peter Morgan Cinematography Adriano Goldman Editor Daniel Rezende Production designer John Paul Kelly Main cast Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Foster, Jamel Debbouze, Maria Flor, Jamel Debbouze, Moritz Bleibtreu, Juliano Cazarre, Katrina Vasilieva, Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Johannes Krisch, Dinara Drukarova, Gabriela Marcinkova


man and astute editing by Daniel Rezende — man- ages to keep the film’s momentum at the right level. The movie’s voice-over — at the beginning and


end — advises that “if there’s a fork in the road… take it”. And that is the core of the film — life takes you on a journey and deciding which direction to take is always the most difficult decision. These journeys result in an intelligent and engaging filmic drama that is never less than absorbing. The characters and stories are rich and varied.


They include a Slovakian girl reluctantly embracing the idea of escort work in Vienna as a way to make easy money, and whose first ‘date’ is to be with a lonely English businessman (Law). He ends up being blackmailed into a business deal by a col- league who finds out about the planned assignation. Back in London his equally lonely wife (Weisz)


breaks off an affair she is having with a Brazilian photographer, who when he returns to his apart- ment, finds his girlfriend (a charming and vibrant Maria Flor) has decided to fly back home to Rio after finding out about the affair. On her flight she meets a recovering alcoholic


(Hopkins) who is travelling to the US to find out if a body is that of his missing daughter. When their flight is held overnight in snowbound Denver, she drunkenly propositions a freshly paroled sex offender (Foster) who is working hard to stick to the terms of his parole. A Russian woman living in Paris in an unhappy


marriage to a crime boss’s underling falls for her Muslim dentist boss, while her equally unhappy husband (whose phone has possibly the best ring- tone — when his mobster boss calls — in recent movie memory) ends up questioning his life when he bumps into the sister of the Slovakian girl who has been paid for sex by his boss. The film ele- gantly and engagingly works its way full circle, ending on notes of hope and even happiness rather than depression and sadness. The message that Morgan and Meirelles are


sending out is that sometimes you need to grasp the opportunities that a fork in the road might offer… it is sometimes easy to stay on the line in front of you but taking a risk can offer the possibil- ity of happiness. The beautiful backdrops — and good use of


architecture and style — are all vital components to Meirelles’ storymaking, and the clever use of the moving camera and split screens that morph together enables him to delicately weave the story- line together. Jude Law and Rachel Weisz are open and believable as the British couple unable (in per- haps a great cliché about the Brits) to express their affection for each other, whether it be verbally or in a tactile fashion, while Anthony Hopkins pro- vides the strong centrepoint to the film, and his speech about himself and his life at an AA meeting is a beautifully written scene.


n 6 Screen International at the Toronto Film Festival September 11, 2011


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