Tagarchief: FilmDungeon

Dungeon Classics #45: Eastern Promises

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Eastern Promises (2007, UK, Canada, USA)

Director: David Cronenberg
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Running Time: 100 mins.

The master of body horror David Cronenberg made an outing in the gangster genre with A History of Violence, one of the surprise hits of 2005. I guess he liked it, because he soon followed it up with another gangster movie called Eastern Promises, once again starring Viggo Mortensen. A young Russian girl dies in childbirth, leaving a diary found by nurse Anna (Naomi Watts), who wants to return the baby to its family. Unable to read Russian, Anna seeks help and meets Semyon, a restaurant owner and leader of the brutal Russian mob Vory v Zakone. His enforcers – Kirill (Vincent Cassel), a violent, closeted homosexual, and Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), a cunning newcomer – compete for Semyon’s approval. The diary reveals the girl was one of Semyon’s prostitutes, her life story unfolding in voice-over as the film’s central thread. The casting of non-Russians in the leading roles turns out very well. Mortensen speaks Russian like a pro. The details of the reality the filmmakers created are also spot-on: the underworld body tattoos that tell a person’s life story, the folk music, the accents, it is all very well executed. A few scenes stand out: Nikolai’s initiation ritual and a brutal fight in a bathhouse most notably. The characters are also beautifully realised, especially Cassel’s Kirill. You can feel the tension rise as his father swaps Nikolai for Kirill like he swaps a Ukrainian girl for a case of cheap booze. It is only a shame that ultimately too little is done with these characters. After we learn a big secret, the movie pretty much ends abruptly. Still works on many levels, and the cast and crew’s craftsmanship make it definitely worth viewing.

 

Dungeon Classics #44: A History of Violence

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

A History of Violence (2005, USA, Germany)

Director: David Cronenberg
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris
Running Time: 96 mins.

David Cronenberg, the master of body horror, has long been fascinated by duality and fractured identities – most brilliantly explored in Dead Ringers (1988). In A History of Violence, adapted from a graphic novel, family man Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) reassures his young daughter that monsters don’t exist. Yet, as fate would have it, two real monsters arrive in their quiet town of Millbrook, Indiana, intent on another murderous spree. Tom stops them, but the media frenzy that follows draws the attention of gangsters who expose his dark past as a Philadelphia mob enforcer. Meanwhile, Tom’s sharp-witted son outsmarts an alpha male schoolyard bully, sparking a reflection on humanity’s violent, primal nature – our constant lust for power and sex. This realization weighs heavily on the son, who soon finds himself drawn into the violent legacy of the man his father once was. The ‘history’ in the title is richly layered: Tom’s hidden past, the family’s shared burden, and, quite literally, a story steeped in bloodshed. The film boasts a stellar cast, with William Hurt delivering a standout performance as Tom’s weirdo brother, Richie. It’s a history worth uncovering.

Life Itself: The Life and Times of Roger Ebert

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


“I was born inside the movie of my life… I don’t know how I got into the movie, but it continues to entertain me.”
― Roger Ebert

The career of Roger Ebert (1942 – 2013), probably the most famous mainstream film critic of all time, started as a sport writer at a newspaper. “I can write. I just always could”, he said about his early career. He wasn’t exaggerating. His talent was noted and on 21 he already had a column in the local newspaper in Illinois.

He moved to Chicago, got hired directly by The Chicago Sun Times and when their film critic retired, they gave him the job. He would stay in this job until his death in 2013. When he started his job in 1967, he was the youngest film critic in America. One of his early reviews was for Bonnie and Clyde, which was released in that year. He called it “a milestone in the history of American movies, a work of truth and brilliance” and awarded it four out of four stars.

Colleagues describe Ebert as ‘fast and furious’. He could produce a thought-out review in 30 minutes. He is the only film critic to win a Pulitzer price. His formula: producing 6 film reviews a week. During his career, he viewed 10.000 movies and reviewed 6.000 of them. From my personal experience, I can say this is a lot.

In his later life, Ebert got cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands and in 2006 his lower jaw was removed. In the documentary Life Itself, the renowned film critic looks back on his life.

Ebert saw films as ‘empathy machines’. They have the power to transport us to different times and places, and place us in the shoes of all sorts of characters. Early in his career, he would drink a lot and develop a major alcohol problem. He checked in AA in August 1997 and stayed sober till his death.

Another notable fact about his early career was he co-wrote the screenplay for Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. What attracted him to Russ Meyer movies? the documentary maker Steve James asks an interviewee. “Boobs”, is the simple answer.

Ebert had a lot to say about films. He would also do live performances in which he would analyse classics like Vertigo and In Cold Blood frame by frame. “He had something interesting to say about every frame”, a friend observes.

He could certainly be critical, but in a kind way, says Martin Scorsese. Ebert reviewed his first film Who’s That Knocking On My Door and promised he would become the American Fellini. He turned out to be right. Many unknown filmmakers loved Ebert; he could lift them – and their films – out of obscurity.

Ebert became really famous when he was coupled to other Chicago critic Gene Siskel for a TV show. The two were enemies at first, but they developed a great dynamic with furious discussions about the movies they loved/hated. For example, Ebert loved Scarface and Siskel hated it and they had a great discussion. The other way around: Ebert said Full Metal Jacket was “not original, and not a masterpiece” and Siskel thought it “was very original and close to a masterpiece.”

The cities New York and L.A. refused to air the program for a long time, because the reviewers were from Chicago. But eventually gave in and their programme At The Movies became a nationwide success; the two thumbs up or down they pioneered could make or break a movie…

A large segment of the documentary focuses on the Cannes Film Festival, which Ebert frequently attended and later wrote a book about. During the festival, he also pioneered early internet use by phoning in daily reviews for his newspaper. Before his passing, he built a cutting-edge website where his entire body of work is archived. It remains a vital resource for film information.

So why is the documentary, which was based on his autobiography, named ‘Life Itself’? A former colleague from the newspaper explains that Ebert was the lead star and director of the movie that was his life. And quite the movie it turned out to be.

12 Roger Ebert Reviews with Surprising Ratings
On IMDb, each classic film from Ebert’s era features a dedicated reviews page where critics contribute. Roger Ebert consistently ranks as the top reviewer for these movies, with each of his reviews including a rating from one to four stars. But which of his ratings stand out as the most unexpected?

1.) Blue Velvet –– 1 out of 4
2.) The Usual Suspects –– 1,5 out of 4
3.) A Clockwork Orange –– 2 out of 4
4.) Die Hard –– 2 out of 4
5.) Fight Club –– 2 out of 4
6.) Full Metal Jacket –– 2,5 out of 4
7.) Once Upon a Time in the West –– 2,5 out of 4
8.) Reservoir Dogs –– 2,5 out of 4
9.) Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace –– 3,5 out of 4
10.) Gates of Heaven –– 4 out of 4
11.) Knowing –– 4 out of 4
12.) Man Push Cart –– 4 out of 4

Double Bill #18: Fargo & A Simple Plan

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Few films share as much in common as Fargo and A Simple Plan. Both unfold in the snowy, desolate landscapes of Minnesota, steeped in an atmosphere that feels as bleak as it is gripping. Thematically, they explore the destructive power of greed – how a single, flawed decision can spiral into violence, ruin lives, and reveal the darkness lurking within ordinary people. The connection between the films extends beyond their themes. The Coen Brothers, directors of Fargo, and Sam Raimi, who helmed A Simple Plan, are longtime collaborators and friends. Both films are superb, but Fargo stands as a true masterpiece. Its razor-sharp original screenplay and unforgettable characters set it apart. The story centers on Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a pathetic and desperate car salesman who arranges the kidnapping of his own wife, hoping to extort ransom money from his wealthy father-in-law. When the sociopathic criminals he hires (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) murder a state trooper and two witnesses, they draw the attention of the sharp, heavily pregnant Brainerd police chief Marge Gunderson – an Oscar-winning role from Frances McDormand. Nothing in Jerry’s plan goes right, and the consequences of his evil scheme are as brutal as they are inevitable. A Simple Plan follows a similarly grim trajectory. When three men stumble upon a crashed plane in the woods – containing a dead pilot and over four million dollars in cash – the seemingly level-headed Hank (Bill Paxton) agrees with his dim-witted brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jacob’s redneck friend Lou (Brent Briscoe) to hide the money until they can safely claim it. What starts as a simple scheme quickly unravels, forcing Hank into a series of horrific acts to protect their secret. Together, these films serve as chilling cautionary tales, illustrating how the pursuit of easy money can corrupt ordinary lives and destroy families.