Throughout December, Rialto Channel is celebrating New Zealand film by screening a collection of award winning and nominated feature films and documentaries. You’ll be stunned by the incredible images in Antarctica: A Year on Ice, be moved by Gardening with Soul, and amused by The Deadly Ponies Gang. On Wednesday’s New Wave series, you’ll be able to catch the hypnotic feature The Weight of Elephants, as well as Sophie Henderson’s stunning screen-writing debut, Fantail. This week however, you can enjoy the offbeat, ambitious, and unique Kiwi take on a Shakespeare classic, Romeo and Juliet: A Love Story. www.rialtochannel.co.nz/whats-on/nz-film-month
Here are my picks for the week;
Throughout December, Rialto Channel is celebrating New Zealand film by screening a collection of award winning and nominated feature films and documentaries. You’ll be stunned by the incredible images in Antarctica: A Year on Ice, be moved by Gardening with Soul, and amused by The Deadly Ponies Gang. On Wednesday’s New Wave series, you’ll be able to catch the hypnotic feature The Weight of Elephants, as well as Sophie Henderson’s stunning screen-writing debut, Fantail. This week however, you can enjoy the offbeat, ambitious, and unique Kiwi take on a Shakespeare classic, Romeo and Juliet: A Love Story. www.rialtochannel.co.nz/whats-on/nz-film-month
Here are my picks for the week;
Romeo and Juliet: A Love Story (2013)
Starring: Christopher Landon, Derya Parlak, Leah Wilkinson & Cameron Rhodes
Directed by: Tim van Dammen
Screening: Rialto New Wave, Wednesday 3rd December, 8.30pm
This offbeat, ambitious and unique take on a classic isn’t aimed at Shakespearean purists, or, for that matter, those who prefer to watch rather than read plays. Full of energy, humour and some hilarious over the top performances, this brave piece of filmmaking by director Tim van Dammen is for those who appreciate the storytelling magic of music. Shakespeare’s over 400 year old story of star crossed lovers is transported to a present day kitsch Kiwi caravan park filled with overflowing ashtrays, crates of beer and odd characters doing odd things. The impressive cast delivers Shakespeare’s words in songs of all styles, ranging from rock to hip-hop, and gospel to sweet ballads. Initially it takes you by surprise, but it’s not long before you get swept up in this tragic tale.
Night Train to Lisbon (2012)
Starring: Jeremy Irons, Melanie Laurent and Jack Huston
Directed by: Bille August
Screening: Rialto Selection, Saturday 6th December, 8.30pm
An impressive, international cast is what attracted me to Night Train to Lisbon, and even though this slightly old fashioned, ambling tale isn’t as engaging as it could be, it is still a pleasure watching Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin, Charlotte Rampling, Christopher Lee and Melanie Laurent go about their business. The film is directed by Danish director Bille August, a renowned director of character driven, period dramas. He won an Oscar for his 1987 masterpiece, Pelle the Conqueror, and then went on to adapt seemingly impenetrable novels such as The House of Spirits (1993) and Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997), even giving Les Miserable a go in 1998. Night Train to Lisbon too, is based on a novel, and tells the story of a Latin teacher, Raimund Gergorius (Irons), who finds a book of poetry written in the 1970s and decides on a whim to travel to Lisborn to meet the author, Amadeu do Prado. What he uncovers is a story of romance and resistance, philosophy and history, and it’s a journey that changes Raimund’s life for good. It’s not Bille August’s best work, but still an attractive and ambitious drama.
The Red Road (2014)
Starring: Martin Henderson, Jason Momoa, Julianne Nicholson
Directed by: Lodge Kerrigan
Screening: Tuesday 2nd December, 8.30pm
There are only two more episodes before this television series from Sundance TV wraps up, and life in the Ramapo Mountains is definitely heating up. The Red Road is a character driven drama that explores the divide between the local Native American Indian tribe and the parochial, predominately white local community. Drugs, murder, cover-ups, mental illness, rebellious teens and family secrets all play a part in this haunting, mysterious drama that plays out through two different families; the Van Der Veens, lead by Phillip Kopus (Game of Thrones’ Jason Momoa) and the blue-collar Jensens, headed by Harold (Martin Henderson), a police officer. Sundance TV has commissioned a second series of The Red Road due in 2015 so get on board with this series now. The way these episodes have progressed, I reckon it’s only going to get better.