Set against the anti-war protests, rock & roll revolution, and mind-expanding psychedelia of the 1960s, Julie Taymor's hallucinogenic musical follows the arduous journey of star-crossed lovers Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) as they and a small group of musicians are swept up in the raging waters of the volatile counterculture movement. Guided through their journey by a pair known only as Dr. Robert (Bono) and Mr. Kite (Eddie Izzard), Jude and Lucy are eventually forced to find their way back to one another after being split apart by powerful forces beyond their control. The music in the film consists exclusively of songs made popular by the Beatles during the time period depicted in the movie.
Just when despair began to set in about the decline in cinema production from sub-Saharan Africa, here comes the irrepressible Dyana Gaye to turn things around. Her new film, Saint Louis Blues, is a musical that takes place on a road trip in Senegal, and the result is every bit as unlikely as it sounds.
At a taxi stop in the capital, Dakar, people gather and wait for the battered old Peugeot station wagon to depart; the taxi won't leave until the driver finds a seventh passenger. As they wait, one woman breaks into song, and suddenly an impromptu musical number begins, right there in the dusty parking lot. And this is not the music you might expect on a Senegalese road trip. In what may be Gaye's most brilliant stroke, she reaches back to the tradition of French musicals from the fifties and sixties to lift her characters into an altogether different register from the world that surrounds them. As if transported straight from a Jacques Demy film, they translate their plight into light lyrics and lilting melodies, stepping gracefully in sync with the music. When the song ends, the story continues.
Gaye lives in both France and Senegal, and the bridge between these worlds has never been so finely expressed as in this film. The bright future of African cinema, she has already won the attention of Focus Features in the United States, who supported this film through their Africa First programme.
One of Australia's most anticipated films of the year, the musical Bran Nue Dae arrives with all the energy, fun and downright sass of the original stage version. Featuring a cast that includes both acclaimed and emerging Australian actors and musicians, the story of one young Aboriginal man's search for love and his true identity can finally reach audiences all over the world.
It's the summer of 1969 in Broome, an idyllic spot on Australia's west coast. Sixteen-year-old Willie (Rocky McKenzie) just wants to hang out with his friends. When he gets up the courage, he also wants to invite the beautiful local church singer, Rosie (Jessica Mauboy), out to the movies. But these typical teenaged pursuits must wait, as Willie is about to leave for Catholic boarding school in Perth at the wishes of his deeply devout mother.
Life at the boarding school under the oppressive and condescending leadership of Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush) soon chafes, however, and Willie rebels, bolting for freedom. Alone in the city, he has no survival skills. He eventually finds a mentor in Uncle Tadpole (Ernie Dingo), an errant former resident of Broome. Tadpole insists on accompanying Willie back home, and the pair hitch a ride with the hippie Annie (Missy Higgins) and a German tourist, Slippery (Tom Budge). In the meantime, Father Benedictus has hit the highway in search of Willie, determined to return him to school.
Underneath the film's road movie/romantic comedy veneer is a story about identity and culture, and how each person needs to navigate those stony shores individually. The latter half of the sixties is a fitting era for such a philosophical search, and production designer Felicity Abbott captures it perfectly. Photography by Andrew Lesnie (who won an Academy Award® for The Fellowship of the Ring) showcases both the stunning Australian landscapes and the compelling visage of Willie as he tries to maintain his emotional footing amid the chaos that surrounds him. Hats off to director Rachel Perkins for shepherding one of Australia's finest stage productions to the screen.
As you may know, the percentage of women directors hovers around 9%, which is a ridiculous statistic in 2009 (or ever). It's not (just) that Hollywood is sexist—-if female directors brought in the big bucks on opening weekend, studio heads would certainly sit up and take notice, as might Oscar voters. But how to find out when these films are showing? Well... come here! (Update: Hmm, the same year I start this blog, the Academy nominates TWO female-directed movies for Best Picture! Coincidence?)
