13th Annual EU Film Festival Highlights, Week Three: ‘Rembrandt’s J’Accuse,’ ‘Disengagement’

Submitted by BrianTT on March 18, 2010 - 9:45am

CHICAGO – The third week of the 13th Annual EU Film Festival at the Siskel Film Center has arrived, and we’re back to give you an idea of what to expect in the second half of arguably the best fest in the Windy City. We profile several of this week’s hottest tickets, including an anticipated screening hosted by Chicago’s own Jonathan Rosenbaum.

The first half of EU 2010 (which you can read about here and here) produced some memorable films including Sweden’s taut thriller “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” Italy’s sumptuous romance “I Am Love,” and France’s exhilaratingly off-kilter re-telling of “Bluebeard.” As good as all of those films were, the festival has generally been offering stronger programming each week, and this is the best one yet. Out of the next four highlights, there are at least two that absolutely should not be missed.

It’s no coincidence that several of the films I’ve highlighted are from France, since that country has the largest amount of pictures playing at the festival (a grand total of nine). This week boasts two intriguing dramas from French filmmakers who favor the rhythm and detail of long takes.

Disengagement
Photo credit: Siskel Film Center

The first is “Just Anybody,” the latest work from Jacques Doillon, who took a five-year hiatus following his acclaimed 2003 drama, “Raja.” He centers his observant lens on two young people whose reckless romance often seems like a form of self-destruction. They’re the kind of characters that you just want to knock some sense into, and in the hands of a lesser filmmaker, they would be utterly infuriating. But Doillon’s objective gaze helps bring out the flawed humanity from within his characters’ quirks.

Just Anybody
Photo credit: Siskel Film Center

Camille (Clémentine Beaugrand) has a naiveté to match her hormonal passion. She’s drawn to Costa (Gérald Thomassin), a homeless hoodlum who initially considered their time together as little more than a one-night stand (which may have been a rape). The opening shot shows Camille chasing after a helpless Costa, as her attraction to the irrational relationship mirrors that of the audience. There’s no reason why we’d want to see these people together, but the performances by Beaugrand and Thomassin are so hypnotic that it’s impossible to tear your eyes from them. Doillon captures the inherently addictive nature of love, and its ability to cloud common sense. “Just Anybody” screens Friday, March 19th at 6pm and Wednesday, March 24th at 7:45pm.

The other French selection I’m highlighting this week is a true must-see. Any lover of long takes that combine epic feats of choreography with multi-layered artistic nuance (such as those found in Alfonso Cuaron’s “Children of Men”) are guaranteed to be wowed by Amos Gitai’s “Disengagement.” While Doillon’s prolonged shots often didn’t extend beyond the claustrophobic world of his drifting characters, Gitai manages to fuse intimate stories with towering portraits of the political and social landscape that they exist within.

“Disengagement” also includes a memorable opening shot centering on an unlikely romantic coupling between two train passengers, an Israeli policeman (Liron Levo) and a Palestinian woman (Hiam Abbas). They refuse to let culture wars get in the way of their mutual attraction (“We’re all essentially Bedouins”), and their rebuke of a ticket takers’ discriminatory questions sets a hopeful tone for all that follows. When the policeman, Uli, reunites with his French stepsister Ana (Juliette Binoche), they discover that a portion of their deceased father’s inheritance goes to Ana’s abandoned daughter, currently living in an Israeli settlement in Gaza. Uli’s duties to evict Iraeli settlers from the Gaza Strip is intercut with Ana’s efforts to track down her daughter.

Rembrandt’s J’Accuse
Photo credit: Siskel Film Center

Binoche’s performance here is as revelatory as Tilda Swinton’s in “I Am Love.” She starts out seeming as cuckoo as Gena Rowlands in “A Woman Under the Influence,” but Levo uncovers the emotional, suffering woman lingering behind the cloak of carelessness. The last act of the film is nothing short of spellbinding, allowing the brilliant cinematography of Christian Berger (“The White Ribbon”) to shine like never before. See it on Sunday, March 21st at 5:15pm or Monday, March 22nd at 6pm. Make sure to get there early for the Sunday screening, which will be preceded by a French wine reception at 4pm, hosted by The Alliance Francaise de Chicago.

But if long takes put you to sleep, and you’re looking for something more fast-paced, look no further than Peter Greenaway’s marvelously inventive documentary, “Rembrandt’s J’Accuse.” On the heels of “Nightwatching,” a more straightforward dramatization of the backstory behind Rembrandt’s 1642 masterpiece “The Night Watch” (which played at the EU fest last year), this compulsively watchable follow-up deconstructs the painting to build a tantalizing argument worthy of “JFK”-era Oliver Stone. Art scholars and enthusiasts won’t be able to resist it, even those who Greenaway may consider visually illiterate.

Appearing in the center of his enticingly alive cinematic canvas, the director sheds light on a case that he says is, “imperative that we reopen.” It concerns a conspiracy of murder that Rembrandt allegedly depicted in “The Night Watch,” through an intricate series of clues (Greenaway highlights about 34 of them). The gleefully obsessed filmmaker dissects everything from the painting’s location and ambiguous lighting, to its satirical flourishes, hints of homoeroticism and even its “soundtrack.” It’s fascinating to wrap your head around Greenaway’s deeply textured analysis, in which a missing side of the picture throws off its “compositional guilt,” while the direction of a key figure’s eyes becomes the key to unlocking the mystery.

Helsinki, Forever
Photo credit: Siskel Film Center

The film ultimately argues that it was Rembrandt’s painterly prosecution that led to his marginalization and eventual destruction. Regardless of Greenaway’s questionable credibility as a conspiracy theorist, his exuberant investigation gave me the most purely entertaining experience I’ve had at the EU fest thus far. Though Greenaway’s appearance at the film’s two screenings have been cancelled, I’d encourage art lovers to still make a day of it. Come up with your own conspiracy theories at the nearby Art Institute before seeing the film on Saturday, March 20th at 8:30pm or Sunday, March 21st at 2:30pm.

Last but not least is “Helsinki, Forever,” a brilliantly arranged mosaic of visual art (paintings, photos, archival footage and classic film clips) that together depict a century of the Finnish capital’s history. There’s a dreamlike immediacy to many of the moving images, which effectively illustrate cinema’s gift of bringing the past to transcendent life. Directed by Peter von Bagh, this film would make an ideal triple feature with two other recent labors of love, Guy Maddin’s “My Winnipeg” and Terence Davies’s “Of Time and the City.” Catch it on Wednesday, March 24th at 8pm and Sunday, March 28th at 5pm. Critic Jonathan Rosenbaum, who considers the film one of the ten best pictures of the decade, will introduce and discuss “Helsinki, Forever” at its Wednesday screening.

In a week overflowing with highlights, here are a few more noteworthy titles: Greece’s “Dogtooth,” Germany’s “A Year Ago in Winter,” the U.K.’s “Faintheart,” and the Irish crime comedy “Perrier’s Bounty,” boasting a first-rate cast led by Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson and Jim Broadbent. Here is the rest of the line-up for week three, in order of appearance…

A Year Ago In Winter
Photo credit: Siskel Film Center

“A Year Ago In Winter,” Germany, Caroline Link

Friday, March 19, 6:00 pm
Sunday, March 21, 5:00 pm

Synopsis: “Link’s eagerly awaited follow-up to her Oscar-winning NOWHERE IN AFRICA again demonstrates her sure grasp of domestic dynamics, but this time she moves closer to home, exploring the effects of a teenager’s suicide upon his wealthy family somewhere in Bavaria. The story centers on the boy’s older sister Lilli (Herfurth in an impressive, multifaceted performance), a talented and promiscuous dancer, and her relationship with an artist (Bierbichler) commissioned to paint a dual portrait of her and her late brother. Link develops the characters with novelistic depth, while fashioning a moving testament to the healing power of art. In German with English subtitles. Special advance screening courtesy of IFC Films. 35mm widescreen.”

“Dogtooth,” Greece, Yorgos Lanthimos

Friday, March 19, 8:15 pm
Monday, March 22, 8:15 pm

Synopsis: “A wealthy couple segregates their three teenage children from all knowledge of the outside world, rendering them docile slaves to their parents¹ many perverse caprices. Home schooling includes learning a twisted vocabulary: a salt shaker is called a ³telephone,² and a small yellow flower is called a ³zombie.² Sex has a unique place in this artificial domain, and sex will ultimately plant the seeds of curiosity and rebellion. Winner of the Prix Un Certain Regard at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In Greek with English subtitles. Special advance screening courtesy of Kino International. 35mm widescreen.”

“Perrier’s Bounty,” Ireland/UK, Ian FitzGibbon

Friday, March 19, 8:30 pm
Saturday, March 20, 6:45 pm

Synopsis: “The luck of the Irish is definitely not with Michael McCrae (Murphy) the night two thugs show up to collect on his gambling debt. It gets worse: the heist meant to earn the dough for the debt is a con job, and Michael ends up on the lam with a beautiful neighbor, who¹s nursing a heartache, and his estranged dad (Jim Broadbent), who¹s been conversing with angels. The interplay among the three clicks mightily acting-wise, and thrills are yet to come in the torture chamber of mob boss Perrier (Gleeson). In English. Special advance screening courtesy of IFC Films. 35mm.”

“Lourdes,” Austria/France/Germany, Jessica Hausner

Saturday, March 20, 3:00 pm
Thursday, March 25, 6:00 pm

Synopsis: “Faith in miracles is the motivating force for the pilgrims gathered at France¹s spiritual spa in this very subtle first film in French by Austrian director Hausner (LOVELY RITA, HOTEL). Wheelchair-bound Christine (Testud) is in Lourdes seeking a cure. Maria (Seydoux), her caregiver and confidant by day, is a carefree single by night. Christine¹s prayers appear to be answered and she rises from her chair to pursue the same handsome orderly to whom Maria has taken a shine. In French with English subtitles. Special advance screening courtesy of Palisades Tartan. 35mm.”

Dogtooth
Photo credit: Siskel Film Center

“Prima Primavera,” Hungary/Bulgaria/UK/Netherlands, János Edelényi

Saturday, March 20, 3:00 pm
Monday, March 22, 6:00 pm

Synopsis: “Two people, each badly in need of a second chance in life, manage to find each other in this gently comic road movie. A middle-aged man with the mind of a child is thrown together with a young prostitute with an old soul when they witness a botched bank robbery and are forced to flee for their lives. A picaresque journey across borders begins with a motorbike, a crystal chandelier, and a dream of going to grandma¹s house. In Hungarian with English subtitles. DigiBeta video courtesy of Vita Nova Films Ltd.”

“December Heat,” Estonia, Asko Kase

Saturday, March 20, 4:45 pm
Monday, March 22, 8:00 pm

Synopsis: “Estonia¹s official submission for Academy Awards consideration and a box office champion at home, DECEMBER HEAT is a beautifully crafted historical epic with a love triangle at its heart. Estonia¹s taste of the roaring Œ20s comes to an abrupt end the night of December 1, 1924, when communist revolutionaries overrun Tallinn in an attempt to overthrow the young republic. Newlyweds Tanel and Anna are headed for a new life in Paris when the insurrection puts a stop to their plans and Anna, a telegraph operator with access to the only lines of communication out of the capital, is kidnapped by her former lover, now the ruthless leader of the revolutionary thugs. In Estonian, Russian, and English with English subtitles. 35mm print courtesy of RUUT.”

“Faintheart,” UK, Vito Rocco

Saturday, March 20, 5:00 pm
Wednesday, March 24, 6:00 pm

Synopsis: “Richard (Marsan) is stuck in the past—1066, to be exact. His all-consuming obsession with the escapist world of battle reenactments has estranged him from his exasperated wife and his embarrassed son. Finally, even Richard is ready to toss it over—but is life without the possibility of heroism, no matter how dubious, really worth living? First-time director Rocco steers a nimble course between the pathetic, the touching, and the hilarious; and the superb Marsan (HAPPY-GO-LUCKY) brings tremendous conviction to a character who never loses our sympathy or our amusement. In English. Special advance screening courtesy of IFC Films. DigiBeta video.”

“A Farewell to Hemingway,” Bulgaria, Svetoslav Ocharov

Saturday, March 20, 6:45 pm
Wednesday, March 24, 6:00 pm

Synopsis: “This fictional riff on Hemingway lore has the magic and the bite of a tale by the author himself. It¹s a late night in October 1922, when the Orient Express deposits a pugnacious young American at a remote Bulgarian train station. The stationmaster reluctantly takes him in, and his pretty daughter is soon won over by the unwelcome guest. What¹s a father to do? The old man¹s scheme thwarts a girl¹s dream of Paris, and, by morning, the only clue remaining is the stranger¹s name—Ernest Hemingway— on a sheet of paper. In Bulgarian with English subtitles. DigiBeta video courtesy of the Bulgarian National Film Center and the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria, Chicago.”

Faintheart
Photo credit: Siskel Film Center

“House of Boys,” Luxembourg/Germany, Jean-Claude Schlim

Saturday, March 20, 8:45 pm
Tuesday, March 23, 8:00 pm

Synopsis: “It¹s 1984, and gay teenage runaway Frank finds a safe haven in Amsterdam as a performer in the show lounge managed with an iron hand by drag queen Madame (Kier). Sparkle, glam and erotic striptease define Frank¹s life until he falls for Jake, a hot fellow dancer, but bliss is short-lived when Jake develops a strange illness. Winner of Best Film in the Luxembourg Film Awards, HOUSE OF BOYS poignantly charts the advent of the AIDS crisis through an unorthodox love story. In English. Special advance screening courtesy of Moonstone Entertainment. 35mm.”

“Soul at Peace,” Slovakia, Vladimir Balkó

Sunday, March 21, 3:00 pm
Tuesday, March 23, 6:00 pm

Synopsis: “Feisty, middle-aged Tono returns to his small town in the Carpathian Mountains after five years in prison and finds that his friends and neighbors may forgive but they never forget. Jobless, doubting his wife¹s fidelity, and in debt to the questionable friend who may hold the keys to his future, he begins to see the world with new eyes. This well-crafted film, making stunning use of a beautiful locale, is as much a portrait of an insular culture as it is an intimate look at a man¹s quest for redemption. In Slovak with English subtitles. 35mm print courtesy of Forza Production House.”

“Zero,” Poland, Pawel Borowski

Sunday, March 21, 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 25, 8:00 pm

Synopsis: “This marvelously inventive thriller scrambles its way through a densely packed twenty-four hours in an unnamed European metropolis, where the lives of more than forty characters fatefully intersect. A CEO, a hospital worker, a peddler, a gigolo, a duplicitous wife, a short-tempered taxi driver, and scores of others are introduced in absorbing mini-dramas; then, like relay runners, each hands the narrative on to the next, until one sprawling tale encompassing adultery, espionage, murder, child pornography, extortion, and robbery takes shape. In Polish with English subtitles. 35mm print courtesy of Opus Film.”

“25 Carat,” Spain, Paxti Amezcua

Sunday, March 21, 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 25, 8:15 pm

Synopsis: “The lower echelons of the Barcelona underworld are the focus of this gritty and romantic crime thriller. Tough cookie Kay is working a car-accident racket when she crosses paths with Abel, a gaunt, grizzled thug. They’re both up to their necks in trouble, and the only way out is to join forces in a daring scam that will play ruthless crooks and corrupt cops against each other. With chemistry to spare, Folch and Garrido make one of the hottest criminal couples since BONNIE AND CLYDE. In Spanish and Catalan with English subtitles 35mm.”