GermanFilms18May_Screen_107x304 27.04.12 08:12 Seite 1 REVIEWS
NEW GERMAN FILMS IN CANNES 2012
FRIDAY, 18 MAY
…………………………….................... 09:30 h
Riviera 4 Oliver Dieckmann
ALS DER WEIHNACHTSMANN VOM HIMMEL FIEL WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH
106 min…………………………....................… 11:30 h
Riviera 4 Cyrill Boss & Philipp Stennert
HAUS DER KROKODILE VICTOR AND THE SECRET OF CROCODILE MANSION 91 min…………………………....................…
13:30 h Jan Speckenbach
DIE VERMISSTEN REPORTED MISSING 86 min…………………………....................…
16:00 h Hans-Christian Schmid
WAS BLEIBT HOME FOR THE WEEKEND 88 min…………………………....................…
18:00 h Isabel Kleefeld
RUHM GLORY: A TALE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITIES 99 min
Riviera 3 Riviera 3 Riviera 4
The We And The I Reviewed by Mark Adams
Michel Gondry’s slow burner The We And The I is a film that needs an audience to stay through to the end. Initially a little heavy-handed as it sets up its character-led format, its strength comes as the young, inexperienced cast make their impact, and the closing scenes are powerful and moving. The story, though very much US based, will strike a chord
with urban audiences around the world and while the chal- lenge will be reaching out to a youth audience who might appreciate the language and attitude of the main characters, it also has strong arthouse appeal. The opening film of Directors’ Fortnight, it received a warm response at its pre- miere screening, with Gondry’s trademark quirkiness and visual style fitting easily into a more structured storyline. The film sees a change of direction from Gondry’s last
film, when he wrote and directed the big-budget adaptation of The Green Hornet. With The We And The I, he is clearly back in his comfort zone as he tackles how teens behave and interact, against the backdrop of a bus journey in the Bronx in New York. The format is relatively simple. On the last day of high
school, a disparate group of students pile aboard their regular bus journey home. Initially belligerent, antagonistic or just plain rude, many of the characters are increasingly exposed — or honest — as the bus wends its way through the urban landscape. While the dramas and conflicts are modest, their power and importance for the youngsters is made clear. While pretty much all of the teens who board the bus are
given some form of screen time — which was always Gondry’s intention — the interweaving stories focus on a handful of characters. These include Laidychen (Carrasco) who is plan- ning her sweet 16 party; Michael (Brodie) who has girlfriend issues and who grows increasingly irritated with the behav- iour of his pals at the back of the bus, and Teresa (Lynn) who has dropped out of school and is upset because her shape has changed due to the antidepressants she is taking. When they first board the bus the teens are exuberant and
excited, upsetting some passengers with their horseplay and loud overlapping conversations. For the audience, too, some of them can grate. But as the journey continues and the pas- senger numbers thin out, the last half-hour sees the focus on two beautifully written and gently moving conversations — between Michael and Alex (Barrios), who talk about families and their plans for the summer, and between Michael and Teresa as they come to terms with what bonds them. The film could be tighter — especially in the opening 30
minutes as the characters jostle for screen time — but the journey is eventually worth the wait as relationships are revealed, attitudes change and real personalities emerge.
DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT
US. 2012. 103mins Director Michel Gondry Production company Partizan Films International sales Kinology,
gmelin@kinology.eu Producers George Bermann, Michel Gondry, Julie Fong, Raffi Adlan Screenplay Michel Gondry, Jeffrey Grimshaw, Paul Proch Cinematography Alex Disenhof Editor Jeff Buchanan Production designer Tommaso Ortino Main cast Michael Brodie, Teresa Lynn, Raymond Delgado, Jonathan Ortiz, Jonathan Worrell, Alex Barrios, Laidychen Carrasco, Meghan ‘Niomi’ Murphy
GERMAN PAVILION · #124 · INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE phone +33-(0)4-92590180 · fax +33-(0)4-92590181
n 20 Screen International at Cannes May 18, 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100