I’m not sure where to start when writing about Rialto Channel in March; there’s no doubt we’re having our own Academy Awards party. The
Rialto Oscar’s Collection this month features an assortment of winners and nominees from last years Academy Awards. For the first time on New Zealand television you’ll be able to enjoy the most celebrated must-see films of 2011, including
The Kings Speech, Inside Job, In a Better World, Winter’s Bone and
The Kids Are Alright.
I’m not sure where to start when writing about Rialto Channel in March; there’s no doubt we’re having our own Academy Awards party. The Rialto Oscar’s Collection this month features an assortment of winners and nominees from last years Academy Awards. For the first time on New Zealand television you’ll be able to enjoy the most celebrated must-see films of 2011, including The Kings Speech, Inside Job, In a Better World, Winter’s Bone and The Kids Are Alright.
My partner looks after the kids while I go to the movies every other night, which I will no longer feel guilty about now he can see everything he missed last year. I couldn’t have planned it better myself!
There’s plenty happening this week (more about that on Wednesday) but today I wanted to focus on one of our “Oscar” films staring Michelle Williams (best actress nominee), Blue Valentine (Saturday 3rd March, 8.30pm).
Blue Valentine was the only film of 2010 to receive Official Selection at the Sundance, Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals. It’s a raw, intimate and heartbreaking romantic drama about Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Williams) who fall madly and passionately in love in their 20’s and six years later must face the reality their marriage is collapsing.
It took director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance eleven years to get this film off the ground. Once he got the green light he didn’t waste any time, going straight into a 30 day shoot.
Flicking back and forth between the present and the past, the material for the flashbacks is shot handheld on 16mm film (on a 25mm lens only), while the present day material is shot from a tripod on a Red HD camera. All in accordance to Cianfrance’s “Rules of Engagement” which he’d written way back in 2002 when he was planning the style of the film.
For the present day shots he placed the camera as far away as he could from the actors and used a long lens. “The idea was to create a claustrophobic world of close-ups and gestures, faces and feelings, which would mirror the entrapment our characters faced in their own lives” explains Cianfrance.
His plan worked; Blue Valentine isn’t the easiest film to watch and yet it’s hard to take your eyes of Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams’ emotionally powerful and intense performances. Gosling was possibly robbed of an Oscar nomination for his role - and he must be wondering what he did wrong to be snubbed again by the Academy this year for his work in The Ides of March!
Academy darling Williams walked down the red carpet yesterday as a best actress nominee (for the third time), for her role as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. I caught the film last week, and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining comedy/drama. Williams is charming and credible in her performance as Marilyn.
For all details on Blue Valentine, click HERE.