Philip Seymour Hoffman is no longer with us, but his life and Oscar winning career live on in his many wonderful performances. He was known for films such as Scent of a Woman (his first major film role),Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, Charlie Wilson’s War, Capote and more recently The Master and Doubt. Hoffman had four Oscar nominations to his name, including a win for Capote and not only was he a success on the big screen, but on the stage too winning three Tony Award nominations for True West,Long Day's Journey into Night and Death of a Salesman. This week Rialto Channel is screening the 2012 drama Performance (know as A Late Quartet in the US) in which Hoffman once again proves his class and versatility by playing a world-class violinist.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is no longer with us, but his life and Oscar winning career live on in his many wonderful performances. He was known for films such as Scent of a Woman (his first major film role), Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, Charlie Wilson’s War, Capote and more recently The Master and Doubt. Hoffman had four Oscar nominations to his name, including a win for Capote and not only was he a success on the big screen, but on the stage too winning three Tony Award nominations for True West, Long Day's Journey into Night and Death of a Salesman. This week Rialto Channel is screening the 2012 drama Performance (know as A Late Quartet in the US) in which Hoffman once again proves his class and versatility by playing a world-class violinist.
Here are my picks for the week.
Performance (2012)
Staring: Christopher Walken, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener
Directed by: Yaron Zilberman
Screening: Saturday 29th March, 8.30pm
Performance is a measured and medium paced drama about a world-renowned New York based string quartet that are suddenly forced to meditate on the sacrifices the quartet members have made for the greater good of the group and their music. This is documentary maker Zilberman’s debut drama feature, and he’s picked his cast well; they’re all deliver classy performances and are convincing as musicians, especially the understated, and always intense Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Monsieur Lazhar (2011)
Staring: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse & Émilien Néron
Directed by: Philippe Falardeau
Screening: Tuesday 25th March, 8.30pm
Nominated for Best Foreign Language film in 2012 at the Academy Awards, Monsieur Lazhar is a charming, thoughtful and moving film from French Canadian writer director Philippe Falardeau. The film stars Mohamed Fellag as an Algerian immigrant and elementary substitute teacher Monsieur Lazhar who takes on a class grieving from the suicide of their teacher. Falardeau has adapted this story from a one-man play, and his Monsieur Lazhar is a brilliantly executed, complex character dealing with his own tragic past as well as an uncertain future. This is a quietly devastating drama not to be missed.
The Crash Reel (2013)
Staring: Kevin Pearce & Shaun White
Directed by: Lucy Walker
Screening: Thursday 27th March, 8.30pm
The most affecting documentary I’ve seen in a long while, this film tells the story of half pipe snowboarding legend Kevin Pearce who in the lead up to the Vancouver Olympics crashed on a training run, barely surviving. Walker’s film flashes back showing us how Kevin’s rose through the ranks to become one of the top two half pipe snowboarders in the world and the devastating effect Kevin’s brain injury had on him and his family. The documentary continues to follow Kevin, his family and friends as they come to grips with the on going effect and challenges of this brain injury. I spoke to Kevin recently about the making of this film, surviving a traumatic brain injury and dealing with the end of living his dream. You can read that interview in my blog on Thursday.