The Soloist

Both Steve Lopez's L.A. Times columns and book on troubled musical genius Nathaniel Anthony Ayers received incredible interest from the public. Unfortunately, perhaps due to poor distribution, or in the mind of some critics, poor direction, the movie based on this fascinating and important story has not fared as well. Few people deny the power of the performances from two great actors, Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Our audience were extremely moved by the film and and the importance of the story.

When Steve Lopez came upon Nathaniel Anthony Ayers playing beautiful music from a 2-stringed violin he could not have foreseen that not only would this make a fascinating story but also ineveitably alter both of their lives. Nathaniel was a homeless person suffering from schizophrenia but had at one time been a student at Julliard.

The movie was made while the book was in progress and as is inevitable the director, Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement) and the screenwriter, Susannah Grant (Erin Brockavich) made a number of changes in content and chronology.

Check the excellent production notes on the film.

Also check the video from 60 minutes with Morley Safer.

Julian D.

Welcome to the Sticks

Danny Boon (right in the photo) has become a favourite of our film fest. This is the third picture that we have screened in which he has been involved. He had a small role in Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) and a leading role in Mon Meilleur Ami (My Best Friend). Here he is multi-tasking as he is not only one of the leads but also the director/writer/editor of the film. He has become one of France's biggest stars grossing some $30 million last year.

Welcome to the Sticks (Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis) has become France's all-time most popular film surpassing Titanic and has grossed nearly $200 million U.S. and on over 20 million tickets sold. And that's in a population of 67 million. It has been purchased for an American remake by Will Smith's Production company.

It's a laugh-out-loud comedy and our audience loved it. Much of the humour comes from the extreme differences between the French language and the Ch'ti dialect. The subtitlers have done a brilliant job in creating subtitles that carry the essence of the dialogue without being literal translations.

The Storyline
Although living a comfortable life in Salon-de-Provence, a charming town in the South of France, Julie (Zoé Félix) has been feeling depressed for a while. To please her, Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad), a post office administrator, her husband, tries to obtain a transfer to a seaside town, on the French Riviera, at any cost. The trouble is that he is caught red-handed while trying to scam an inspector. Philippe is immediately banished to the distant unheard of town of Bergues, in the Far North of France. Leaving his child and wife behind, the crucified man leaves for his frightening destination, a dreadfully cold place inhabited by hard-drinking, unemployed rednecks, speaking an incomprehensible dialect called Ch'ti. Has Philippe been seen to hell...

The story was a very personal one for Danny as he was born in the region in which the film takes place and he wanted to show that the prejudices of the southern French toward the north was unwarranted and that the northerners were kind, friendly and generous and the location beautiful.

This webpage has a superb set of production notes.

http://thecia.com.au/reviews/w/welcome-to-the-sticks-bienvenue-chez-les-ch-tis.shtml

Julian D.

Necessities of Life

Our audience of 468 members were treated to a beautiful and poignant film depicting a difficult chapter in Canadian History. Documentarian Benoit Pilon has meticulously crafted a film with a very realistic tone and setting. The amazing Inuit actor, Natar Ungalaaq, was phenomenal as Tivii, a displaced Inuit suffering from tuberculosis. Alone and dying in a Quebec sanatorium, he is saved only by the love and caring of a white Sister Nurse and a young boy caught between the world of the Inuit and that of the dominant European based millieu.

The audience was nearly unanimous in its positive reaction to The Necessities of Life. As one of out members said "And they say Canadians can't make great films!"

Necessities of Life was Canada's contender for Foreign Language Oscar and was nominated for 8 Genie Awards winning 4 prestigious ones: Best Director (Benoit Pilon), Best Actor (Natar Ungalaaq), Best Screenplay (Bernard Émond), Best Editing (Richard Comeau). It also won Jutra awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. It was filmed in Quebec City and Iqaluit Nunavut.

Click here for an interview with the director.

Julian D.

The Stone of Destiny

Our two screenings of 'The Stone of Destiny' brought in an audience of 542 people and very positive comments. There were a goodly number of Scottish enthusiasts judging from the singing of Scottish songs on the way out and the sonorous rolling r's in some of the after film commentary. Following his much beloved "The Snow Walker" director Charles Martin Smith has created another big AFF hit. Beautifully filmed on location and featuring a marvelous ensemble cast, Smith tells this heart-warming, true adventure tale of spunk, pride and patriotism in a light-hearted, humourous, romantic and exciting fashion. The story details, with a little literary license, the real events of Scottish Nationalist Ian Hamilton's attempt to recover the Stone of Destiny (aka Stone of Scone), from the British, with the help of a makeshift motley group of passionate youths. Smith filmed in the actual locations where the events occurred including the rooms where the event was plotted and the streets where the co-conspirators lived; he was the first filmmaker in 40 years to be able to film in Westminister Abbey. Ian Hamilton, who is in his 80's now, was on set contributing much to the storyline.

Here's a nice interview with the Ian Hamilton where he also gives his impressions of the film.
http://www.booksfromscotland.com/Authors/Ian-Hamilton

The cast was superb, composed of a blend of fine young and veteran actors. Robert Carlyse (The Full Monty), Peter Mullan (Boy A and The Magdalene Sisters) and Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot) provided the veteran chops while Charlie Cox (Stardust), Kate Mara (Brokeback Mountain), Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings) and Steven McCole (Band of Brothers) exuded the exuberance and passion of youth.

The soundtrack was uniquely fine featuring a number of moving Scottish songs.

Julian D.