Among the crime series (
Braquo,
Wallendar and
Love/Hate), excellent extreme sports documentaries and eclectic mix of Canadian dramas this month, don’t forget Rialto Channel is also celebrating the work of acclaimed American director
Jim Jarmusch. Jarmusch has spent his career meshing together European and Hollywood cinematic sensibilities across a variety of genres. He’s known for his static camera shots and panoramic American landscapes, working with musicians, and happily avoiding large studios. His latest film, the exceptionally cool and funny vampire flick
Only Lovers Left Alive will screen in May during Rialto Channel’s Cannes Month, but in the meantime don’t miss the opportunity to catch his earlier films
Mystery Train(Sunday 9
th March) followed by
Night on Earth,
Dead Man and the classic
Coffee and Cigarettes.
Among the crime series (Braquo, Wallendar and Love/Hate), excellent extreme sports documentaries and eclectic mix of Canadian dramas this month, don’t forget Rialto Channel is also celebrating the work of acclaimed American director Jim Jarmusch. Jarmusch has spent his career meshing together European and Hollywood cinematic sensibilities across a variety of genres. He’s known for his static camera shots and panoramic American landscapes, working with musicians, and happily avoiding large studios. His latest film, the exceptionally cool and funny vampire flick Only Lovers Left Alive will screen in May during Rialto Channel’s Cannes Month, but in the meantime don’t miss the opportunity to catch his earlier films Mystery Train(Sunday 9th March) followed by Night on Earth, Dead Man and the classic Coffee and Cigarettes.
Here are my picks for the week.
Kon-Tiki (2013)
Staring: Pål Sverre Hagen,
Directed by: Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg
Screening: Saturday 15th March, 8.30pm
Nominated for best foreign language at the 2013 Academy Awards, Kon-Tiki is Norway’s most expensive movie of all time. It tells the story of adventurer Thor Heyerdahl’s epic 1947 journey across the Pacific from Peru to Polynesia in an attempt to prove it was possible for South Americans to settle in Polynesia more than 5000 years ago. What was remarkable about Heyerdahl’s courageous, crazy and inspiring journey was that he undertook it on a traditional, homemade Balsa wood raft tied together with rope - brave for a man who couldn’t swim. With only a basic radio, Heyerdahl and his crew of five were at the mercy of the weather, the whims of the ocean’s currents and its wildlife.
It took veteran producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor, A Dangerous Method, Sexy Beast) sixteen years to get this story made. Initially Thomas saw it as a US$80 million Hollywood blockbuster, but was unable to secure the finance. After seeing Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg’s film Max Manus, he decided to approach Kon-Tiki as a Norwegian film, shooting in both English and Norwegian with a Norwegian cast. The result is an old fashioned epic; a beautifully shot and crafted tale of determination and courage.
Starring: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Karole Rocher & Nicolas Duvauchelle
Created by: Olivier Marchal
Screening: Friday evenings at 8.30pm
Like The Wire, Braquo was created and written by an ex-cop, and the result is a brutal, violent, intense and hugely compelling drama. The series centers on a rogue squad of disillusioned cops who have their own, often illegal, methods of ensuring justice is delivered. Kidnapping, intimidation and theft are part of their repertoire, and when one of the team is arrested by internal affairs they must battle loan sharks, drug lords, gangs and their own squad. This is a side of Paris you probably didn’t see on your last trip to the City of Light, but this stripped back, fast paced drama is highly addictive.
Storm Surfers (2013)
Starring: Tom Carroll & Ross Clark-Jones and narrated by Toni Collette
Directed by: Justin McMillan & Chris Nelius
Screening: Thursday 13th March, 8.30pm
You don’t have to be a surfer to appreciate this documentary following Aussie tow-surfing legend Ross Clarke-Jones and two-time World Champion Tom Carroll as they surf the biggest waves in the world. In previous films they’ve surfed New Zealand, Japan and South Africa, and this time they catch ocean breaks around Australia. The opening sequence is breathtaking as we watch the 49 year-old Tom Carroll disappear under a gigantic wave, and it never lets up from there. The scenery and footage is stunning, the surfing incredible and the waves – enormous and terrifying.