I'm probably most excited to see that Enter the Void opens at the Orpheum on the 12th of this month. I've seen director Gaspar Noé's Irreversible and, while disturbing, it was good to see that Noé played outside of convention. Enter the Void looks to continue the trend. Writing at Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir said of the film:
After many years of gestation and production, Noé is back with his first English-language film, "Enter the Void," and whether you like it or not, the dude has taken his game to the next level. This powerful, hallucinogenic journey will strike some viewers as a flat-out masterpiece and others as flatulent garbage. It actually has elements of both, so let me issue a completely weaselly, asterisk-laden recommendation: You have to see this! If (and only if) you're into this kind of thing!
Sundance has some good flicks coming soon as well.
A Woman, A Gun And a Noodle Shop is director Zhang Yimou's remake of Blood Simple by the Coen Brothers. Should be fun.
Opening the same day at Sundance is Lebanon. It's an Israeli film about a tank crew during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Perhaps it is treading some of the same territory as Waltz With Bashir but the catch here is that most of the film takes place inside the cramped quarters of the tank itself.
The final film in Stieg Larsson's trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, opens on the 12th. We will finally find out Lisbeth's fate.
On the same day two documentaries open. Inside Job about the economic crisis of 2008 and Last Train Home which documents the journeys taken by millions of Chinese migrant workers back home to their villages for New Year's. I believe this was shown at the Wisconsin Film Festival a couple years ago.
Madison's Polish Film Festival takes place in less than 3 weeks. Unfortunately their website hasn't been updated. The last I heard The Swing (Huśtawka) was going to be playing and Little Rose (Rózyczka) as well. There were plans for Tomasz Lewkowicz, the director of The Swing to be here but those fell through. Bummer. Here's the synopsis of his film:
Thirty five year old Michal has a beautiful wife, lovely daughter, and a passionate lover. When one of the women gives him an ultimatum, Michal must choose between desire and loyalty. His situation further complicates itself once he finds out that his wife is pregnant. Will Michal choose a lifetime with his loving wife, or opt for a fairytale with a mistress who's not really a wife material? The Swing addresses the issue of moral integrity in light of our own desires and the sacrifices we are willing to make in order to fulfill them.
And one for Little Rose:
Warsaw, 1967. Kamila is in love with Roman, a Secret Service Agent for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Roman asks her to get involved with a writer, Adam Warczewski, and deliver reports about his views and activities. SB suspects Adam of antisocialist agenda and is looking for proof. Under the pseudonym "Little Rose," Kamila begins her cooperation with the Secret Services. Soon her relationship with Warczewski grows stronger, her reports get more interesting, but also true emotions start to develop. Trapped in a love triangle, Kamila tries to escape the binds of political interests and move on with her life. But Roman won't let her go so easily.
There are still some slots open and I'm hoping they bring in Lullaby (Kołysanka).
The film's description is "Two policemen investigate mysterious disappearances in a small scenic town. People keep disappearing, but the investigation brings no results. The tension grows and step by step a dark mystery unravels..." but I don't know what these people are doing looking like the Polish Addams Family. Regardless it just looks weird and weird is good.
Lastly there is a film I recently heard about that I'm hoping make it here to Madison. In My Sleep sounds very interesting in a Hitchcockian way.
In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, Marcus (PHILIP WINCHESTER, Crusoe, Flyboys) struggles with parasomnia, a rare sleep disorder which makes him do things in his sleep which he cannot remember the next day.
His situation takes a startling turn when Marcus wakes up with blood on his hands and a knife at his side. That same morning, a close friend is found stabbed to death. Marcus frantically tries to put the pieces together - while sleepwalking, could he have murdered his friend to hide a dark secret between them?
It plays in Chicago and Milwaukee starting on the 12th so perhaps a print will make its way here as it's already in the neighborhood.
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