Mathy

Last Sunday Quebec film awards, Jutra were given away. C.R.A.Z.Y. walked away with most of the awards. C.R.A.Z.Y. had also recieved 9 Genie awards couple of weeks ago. 2005 has been a really good for Canadian Cinema.

When one talks about Canadian Cinema they have to take into account two kinds of cinema. Or, movies produced in two languages. Movies produced in Quebec are generally in French. Once in a while, you would encounter movies like ‘Mambo Italiano’, but generally most of the movies produced in Quebec would be in French. And surprising good ones. Off the top of my head, I can mention atleast 4-5 good movies that garnered international acclaim. ‘Les Invasions Barbares (The Barbarian Invasion)’, ‘Seraphin: Un homme et son Peche (Seraphin: Heart of Stone)’, La grande séduction (Seducing Dr. Lewis), Un crabe dans la tete. Notable French movies released in 2005 would include ‘Maurice Richard’ (movie about the hockey legend starring Roy Dupuis), ‘L’Audition, Aurore.

Following is a news item from Monday’s Gazette.

It was another C.R.A.Z.Y. film awards ceremony last night - and that neatly summed up the evening.

Montreal director Jean-Marc Vallee’s inspired gay-themed, glam-rock-flavoured box-office smash C.R.A.Z.Y. easily swept the Jutra Awards, winning 15 trophies, including one for best film. That’s the most hardware ever won by a film in the eight-year history of the Quebec film awards. Until now, the Jutra winning record was held by Francois Girard’s The Red Violin, which snapped up nine awards at the first Jutra Gala in 1999.

The C.R.A.Z.Y. Jutra sweep comes less than a week after the French-language drama similarly crushed the competition at the Genies, the Canadian film awards, in Toronto. The film won 11 Genie statuettes.

With its Jutra wins, C.R.A.Z.Y. solidifies its place as one of the most successful films in the history of filmmaking chez nous. It was the top homegrown box-office performer of the past year in Canada, ringing-up more than $6 million at the cash register, which is why it won the sales-determined Billet d’Or Jutra. It also won the prize as best Canadian feature at the Toronto Film Festival in September and has been sold in more than 40 countries around the world.

In addition to winning the Jutra as best film, C.R.A.Z.Y. nabbed top honours in almost all the major categories. Vallee won as director, the astonishing Marc-Andre Grondin was named best actor for his portrayal of the mucked-up young man at the centre of the story, Danielle Proulx took the award as supporting actress for her turn as the long-suffering mother of five boys, and Michel Cote was voted best supporting actor for his role as the macho dad who just can’t deal with the concept that one of his sons might be gay. Vallee and Francois Boulay also won for best screenplay for their emotionally-wrenching, finely-tuned script that is the story of a troubled suburban family in ’60s and ’70s Montreal, a tale of a young guy with sexual-identity issues and a classic coming-of-age drama.

Thanks to the classic-rock C.R.A.Z.Y. soundtrack and the film’s winning ways, the house band had the opportunity to crank out David Bowie and Pink Floyd tunes throughout much of the soiree.

The only C.R.A.Z.Y. nominee not to win was Pierre-Luc Brillant, who lost in the supporting actor category to fellow C.R.A.Z.Y. actor Cote. C.R.A.Z.Y. had 14 nominations, but it also won in two categories - film with the most success outside of Quebec and the ticket-sales Billet d’Or - that were not part of the nominations.

The downside to C.R.A.Z.Y. dominating was that it pushed a lot of deserving films out of the spotlight. It was a stellar year for Quebecois film both commercially and critically, with local films nabbing a record 18-percent of all movie ticket sales in the province.

“I feel bad for the other films, but it doesn’t take anything away from those films,” said Cote, who won the best-actor Genie last Monday for the same role that netted him a supporting actor Jutra. “C’est l’annee C.R.A.Z.Y. C.R.A.Z.Y. had an incredible success with the critics and sold loads of tickets.”

Hockey bio-pic Maurice Richard, which was tied with C.R.A.Z.Y. with 14 nominations, came away empty-handed. Actor-turned-director Luc Picard’s feature directorial debut L’Audition, with 10 nominations, won only one trophy, for Daniel Belanger’s music. Director Bernard Emond’s spiritual drama La Neuvaine, which had eight nominations, also only won one, albeit a prestigious one. Elise Guilbault won as best actress for her portrayal of a troubled doctor in La Neuvaine. After she won, Brathwaite joked - “Was she in C.R.A.Z.Y.?”

From CBC

Our most perplexing entertainment trophy giveaway, the Genie Awards ceremony, airs March 13 on Chum TV stations. Producers are again tinkering with format. Last year’s Golden Globes-style dinner-theatre didn’t work; a chorus of French language winners speaking in their mother tongue made for underwater-slow English TV. So this year’s show, which figures to be a showdown between Deepa Mehta’s Water and the Quebec hit, C.R.A.Z.Y., will be a brisk, one-hour wrap party — interviewers mingling with winners, movie clips, a few highlight speeches.

Friends of Canadian film wish the reconstituted award show well, but sensible patriots might suggest that if the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television wants to engage viewers it might try inviting the best Canadian films to its parties.

The exclusion of A History of Violence, an internationally acclaimed film made in Canada by a Canadian producer-director (David Cronenberg) with a Canadian crew and more than 20 Canadian actors, invalidates the competition. Especially when the film conspicuously “out-Canadas” some previous winners, like 2000 Genie recipient, Sunshine, a work shot in Europe by a Hungarian writer-director.

István Szabó’s Sunshine was eligible and Cronenberg’s film was not, because the first film did and the second did not satisfy government financing and production treaty “elements” — a circumstance that suggests the Genies are sometimes an accountant’s call.

Viggo Mortensen in A History Of Violence. Photo Takashi Seida/New Line Productions. Courtesy of Alliance Atlantis.

If the Junos employed similar standards, Shania Twain would never get an invite. There would be no Alanis Morissette or Leonard Cohen … and no TV audience. The folly of excluding A History of Violence or Sarnia native Patricia Rozema’s Mansfield Park (1999) from competition, is that smaller movies never gain the exposure they might receive participating in a grander, audience-friendly celebration of the best Canadian filmmakers have to offer.

That said, as the list of finalists in the 2006 Genie best film category proves, audiences should be watching both Canadian movies and the Genies.

Here’s one handicapper’s guide to the big categories in this year’s show:

Best film:

Marc-André Grondin in C.R.A.Z.Y. Photo Sébastien Raymond. Courtesy TVA Films.
C.R.A.Z.Y.: Quebec films represented 17.8 per cent of ticket sales in la belle province in 2005 primarily because of Jean-Marc Vallée’s crazy quilt coming-of-age story, the tale of a sexually confused boy who finds his identity in the ’70s (Quebec’s coming-of-age era). Wonderfully observed (who can forget the ironing toast breakfast scene?), with an irrepressible wit that made the film the third biggest box office hit in Quebec, after Harry Potter and Star Wars, and a festival favourite in Toronto and Halifax, not to mention Los Angeles. Genie voters rewarded the film with 12 nominations, more than any other movie. It should win the grand prize.

Lisa Ray in Water. Photo Devyani Saltzman. Courtesy Mongrel Media.
Water: The best segment in Toronto-based filmmaker Deepa Mehta’s 20th century Indian trilogy (which also includes Fire and Earth) is the story of a child widow who, according to Hindu custom, shaves her head and joins a cloister of widowed refugees. Before long, Chuyia is sold into prostitution by the crone who runs the ashram. Mehta has constructed a convincing, stately melodrama. And the cinematography and production values — something crafts-oriented Genie voters notice — are superb. Mehta also braved considerable hardship bringing the story to life, as her first attempt at making the movie, in Varanasi, India, was shut down by rioting Hindu fundamentalists (the film was ultimately made in Sri Lanka). Sympathetic voters could well name it best Canadian film of the year.

Paul Kaye in It’s All Gone Pete Tong. Courtesy Odeon Films.
It’s All Gone Pete Tong: Yes, they’re still making mockumentaries. Mike Dowse’s (FUBAR) ardent tribute-satire of the club scene is great fun. The film follows DJ Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye), a 24-hour, Ibiza club scene, party person who eventually loses his hearing (talk about Deaf Jam!). Dowse handles the shift from oversaturated dance floor gymnastics to underwater hearing loss with virtuoso skill, although his film begins to droop as the humour lags. Genie voters awarded the film eight nominations, second to C.R.A.Z.Y. Still, a win here would be an upset.

Mylène St-Sauveur in Familia. Courtesy Christal Films.
Familia: Winner of the Claude Jutra first-time director’s award, Louise Archambault’s debut is the well organized, persuasively acted story of an estranged mother and daughter (Sylvie Moreau and Mylène St-Sauveur) and their extended, dysfunctional family. The film seems to be influenced by Robert Altman’s ironic, class-conscious ensemble pieces (Nashville, The Wedding), where feuding clans stand in for society as a whole. The film works extremely well in the first half before collapsing under the weight of its ambitions. Worthy long shot.

Marc-André Grondin in C.R.A.Z.Y. Photo Sébastien Raymond. Courtesy TVA Films.
Saint Ralph: An aggressively sentimental tale of a plucky Hamilton, Catholic schoolboy (Adam Butcher) who hopes to jolt his mom from a coma by winning the 1954 Boston Marathon. His coach is a frowning priest (Campbell Scott standing in for Bing Crosby) who rediscovers his calling watching Ralph labour slow-mo through the rain. One can complain that Saint Ralph made the cut, rather than Atom Egoyan’s rousing, endlessly complex (and fascinating if you ask me) noir, Where the Truth Lies. But hey, movies are the democratic art, and Lord knows English Canadian filmmakers should be encouraged to make more audience-friendly films like Saint Ralph. No chance of winning, but not an embarrassing fifth entry.

Favourites in other categories:

Best director:

Nominees:
Luc Picard — L’Audition
Jean-Marc Vallée — C.R.A.Z.Y.
Louise Archambault — Familia
Michael Dowse — It’s All Gone Pete Tong
Deepa Mehta — Water

Again, a toss-up between Deepa Mehta (Water) and Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y.); it would be the Canadian thing to award the best director award to the loser of the big race, so Mehta could take this one.

Lead actor:

Nominees:
Luc Picard — L’Audition
Michel Côté — C.R.A.Z.Y.
Marc-André Grondin — C.R.A.Z.Y.
Paul Kaye — It’s All Gone Pete Tong
Adam Butcher — Saint Ralph

Either Michel Côté, the deeply burdened father in C.R.A.Z.Y, or Marc-André Grondin, who played his son, should take this award. Both were marvels, with Côté giving the more nuanced performance. It is possible that the Quebec actors will split whatever votes Vallée’s film might receive, allowing Paul Kaye’s shouting, snorting DJ in It’s All Gone Pete Tong to take the prize.

Lead actress:

Nominees:
Macha Grenon — Familia
Sylvie Moreau — Familia
Arsinée Khanjian — Sabah — A Love Story
Gina Chiarelli — See Grace Fly
Seema Biswas — Water

If Water wins all the big trophies, the award might go to that film’s Seema Biswas. Otherwise, Arsinée Khanjian (Exotica, Last Night), should take the award for her delicate, artfully conceived performance in the romantic comedy, Sabah.

Original screenplay:

Nominees:
Luc Picard — L’Audition
Jean-Marc Vallée, François Boulay — C.R.A.Z.Y.
Louise Archambault — Familia
Michael Dowse — It’s All Gone Pete Tong
Deepa Mehta — Water

Voters should be impressed with the engineering miracle that is the script for C.R.A.Z.Y., a film that covers three decades, a multitude of styles and moods, and music from Charles Aznavour and Patsy Cline to David Bowie, without stumbling for even a frame.

I saw this movie couple of years ago. It was Samuel L. Jackson’s face on the wrapper that made me pick this up. And while the movie wasn’t what I expected, (what with Samuel L. Jackson’s presence in the movie) what grabbed my attention was the journey the violin made in the 300 years since it was made. The story of how it got made is quite memorable, but I’m not sure if the violin really got it’s color the way it’s supposed to have been.

The Red Violin gets made in the 17th century Italy. And travels from there to an Austrian monastery. Tragically it gets buried and gets dug up by gypsies and travels with them to 19th century England. From there, it goes around the globe to China in the early 20th century. As I said the violin’s journey is the most fascinating section of the movie.

The interluding sections of the auction taking place in Montreal, while being interesting starts unravelling in the end. Or, I should say that I wasn’t convinced with the ending.

You might be wondering what Samuel L. Jackson is doing in this movie. He comes in as a violin expert who is involved in the Montreal auction taking place in the 21st century.

You should watch this movie atleast once. Especially because this is a successful Canadian English movie made in Quebec by a Francophone director.

This movie won an oscar in 1999 for the best music. It won 8 Genie awards and 10 Jutra awards. Genie awards are the Canadian national film awards while Jutra concentrates on Quebec.

Note: I started working on another post and was pleasantly surprised when I learnt that this is a Canadian Movie. And out popped another idea. There is a semblance of order to this madness, I promise.

I was bored!

Went to the movies yesterday. I was half-heartedly rooting for ‘Libertine’ and my friend wanted to see ‘Running Scared’. That wasn’t her first choice though. She wanted to watch ‘The Hills Have Eyes’. As you can see we came to a compromise. I vaguely remembered reading Ebert’s review, mostly because i wanted to watch ‘The Cooler’ and missed it. So, kind of went in with some hope. I certainly wasnt hoping for ‘Kill Bill’ but expected something decent from the ‘The Cooler’ director. My mistake.

The movie doesn’t take it’s time like ‘The History of Violence’. It just takes off like a super-sonic from the beginning. There was a wild sex scene thrown in for good measure too - a la ‘The History of Violence’. But the comparison should stop here. There is no DEPTH. No. Nope. Nada. None!

Paul Walker is the hero. He has a lovely wife and a growing son. Has a house somewhere in the city. His next door neighbour is a Russian Immigrant, who watched 10 minutes of John Wayne’s Cowboys in Russia(as a kid), and ideolized him. Only thing, he became disillusioned and deranged when he watched the full movie in USA and discovered that John Wayne gets killed in the movie. He tortures his wife and step-son. The step-son and our hero’s son are best friends. The step-son steals one of guns from Joey Gazelle’s (Paul Walker) stash and shoots the step-father. The problem, apart from the usual things is that, that particular gun was used to kill a cop. The step-son runs away with the gun. Joey Gazelle runs around trying to get the bullets, the gun and the boy. The boy gets into all sorts of mishaps. Some of the mishaps he gets into really gets to you and makes you feel thankful that you are not in that situation. Drug dealers, pimps, child pron makers… u get what i mean?

The movie after meandering all over the town with Joe Gazelle and the boy comes to a climatic finish in an ice hockey arena. Well.. not exactly! there is atleast another 15 minutes to go. But I am not even going there…

Go watch this movie only if you are desperately bored and have to, i mean have to have to watch a movie in the theater.

In case you are curious, I watched the last 30 minutes or so of ‘The Aviator’(which i didnt get to finish the day before) to unwind.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? I am sure you have. I have too.

Whenever I listen to the song ‘Kannathil Muththamittaal’ or watch the movie ‘Guna’ I feel so over-whelmed, that i need to do something to relax. Sometimes I just let myself into it and the journey is quite memorable and strangely satisfying.

Kannathil Muththamittaal - Jayachandran and Chinmayi from Kannathil Muththamittaal

Paartha vizhi - K.J.Yesudas from Guna

The winter months in Montreal are not some thing to write home about - well not something to rejoice anway. What with the temperature dipping to below 40 degrees with windchill in the night. The winter here in Montreal is quite worse than it is in Toronto.

Picked this from Yesterday’s Gazette.

The winter months were a far cry from tropical, but they were the warmest on record since Enviroment Canada started compiling nationwide statistics in 1948.

From December through February, we recorded temperatures across Canada 3.9 degrees Celcius highter than established norms.

This was taken sometime in January. Go Figure!