2015 Cannes Marathon: The Celebration

(Co-Winner of the Jury Prize w/ La Classe de neige at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival)

Written by Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov, Festen (The Celebration)/Dogme #1 is the story of a family coming together to celebrate a patriarch’s 60th birthday until someone unveils a secret that would ruin everything. The first film under the Dogme 95 movement founded by Vinterberg and Lars von Trier, the film is an exploration into a family’s life in the middle of Denmark as it all comes apart by dark secrets. The result is a gripping yet mesmerizing film under the Dogme 95 movement.

A family gathering at a posh hotel in Denmark sets the stage for an event where a birthday celebration becomes a disaster as secrets are unveiled. Notably as the eldest son of the family claims that his father had sexually abused him and his late twin sister many years ago when they were children as everything starts to come apart. It’s a film that plays into a family coming undone as dark truths are unveiled along with many accusations in the course of an entire day in this posh hotel where a patriarch’s 60th birthday celebration becomes a day in hell for him.

The film’s screenplay slowly plays into an entire day where a day which was to be about something good ends up becoming something far more terrifying. Even as things become more complicated when the eldest daughter introduces her family to her new boyfriend in an African which only roused her boorish younger brother who is wild and a known-racist. Things do intensify since the eldest son makes this announcement as if a series of time bombs start to go off where all of these secrets and such become unveiled. It’s not just in the patriarch but also in some of the members of the family as it also relates to the youngest son and his own troubled marriage in which he treats his wife very poorly.

The film’s direction is quite engaging for the fact that it is shot entirely on hand-held cameras as part of the Dogme rules while there’s a few tricks where the camera capture scenes through the aid of a few things without the use of anything mechanical and such. Instead, the director (who is not credited for this film under the Dogme rules) goes for something that is simple as there’s a lot of close-ups and medium shots along with some strange camera movements that is common with a lot of films shot in hand-held cameras. Much of it plays into the drama where things do intensify as it becomes more unsettling as it goes on. Even as the director captures everything that is happening such as moments of silence where no one feels easy about everything that had been unveiled. Overall, what the director has created is a very intense yet eerie film about a family coming apart during a patriarch’s birthday.

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle does amazing work with the naturalistic yet low-key photography as it‘s shot on grainy film to play into something that feels very real. Editor Valdis Oskarsdottir does brilliant work in creating some unique cuts to play into the drama and action as well as some of the film‘s dark humor. Sound designer Morten Holm does superb work with the sound to capture everything that goes on in location (as part of the Dogme rules). The film’s music by Lars Bo Jensen is wonderful as it’s very low-key as it’s played on location rather than added in post-production (as part of the Dogme rules) as well as bits of classical music that is played in the background.

The casting by Rie Hedegaard and Lene Seested is phenomenal as it features notable small appearance such as the film’s director as a cab driver, John and Erna Boas as a couple of grandparents, Lars Brygmann as the hotel receptionist, Lene Laub Oksen as the dead twin sister Linda, Bjarne Henriksen as the head chef Kim who knew about what happened, Klaus Bodman as the party’s toastmaster, Therese Glahn as a maid named Michelle who had an affair with the youngest brother Michael, Helle Dolleris as Michael’s mistreated wife Mette, and Gbatokai Dakinah as the African-American boyfriend of the eldest sister Helene. Trine Dyrholm is terrific as the maid/former flame of the eldest son Christian who tries to keep everything in tact while discovering some truths about what happened to Linda.

Birthe Neumann is excellent as that family matriarch Else who tries to keep things going as she’s either in denial or doesn’t know what really happened. Paprika Steen is fantastic as the eldest child Helene who would find her sister’s suicide note as she copes with the entire day as well as her youngest brother’s behavior towards her boyfriend. Thomas Bo Larsen is brilliant as the youngest child Michael as he is a total asshole to everyone as he tries to please his father and get in his good graces. Henning Moritzen is amazing as the patriarch Helge as a man who is trying to maintain order as he is the one that is being celebrated as he copes with the accusations that are made by his eldest son. Finally, there’s Ulrich Thomsen in a phenomenal performance as Christian as the eldest son who accuses his father of molesting him and his twin sister as he tries to reveal the truth about his own family.

Festen is a remarkable film as it features great cast and amazing ideas based on the Dogme 95 rules. It’s a film that isn’t just a compelling story about a family coming apart but also a film that plays into dark secrets that marks the end of a façade that was perpetrated by its patriarch. In the end, Festen is a tremendous film.

Thomas Vinterberg Films: (The Biggest Heroes) - (It’s All About Love) - (Dear Wendy) - (Submarino) - The Hunt (2012 film) - Far from the Madding Crowd (2015 film) - (The Commune)

© thevoid99 2015

Dogme #6-Julien-Donkey Boy

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/27/ 09 w/ Additional Edits.

Julien Donkey-Boy/Dogme #6 tells the story of a young man who wanders around New York City while dealing with his schizophrenia. He also encounters his own dysfunctional family that included his gasmask-wearing, abusive father, his pregnant sister carrying his child, and a blind figure skater. Written by Harmony Korine and shot on digital video that was transferred to 16mm and later blown-up into 35mm film by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, the film shows Korine's unique approach to the Dogme rules. Starring Ewan Bremner, Chloe Sevigny, Evan Neumann, Joyce Korine, and legendary German director Werner Herzog.

A young schizophrenic man named Julien (Ewam Bremner) is wandering around his New York City suburbs rambling incoherently and such. Living with a family that included his grandmother (Joyce Korine), his aspiring-wrestler brother Chris (Evan Neumann), his pregnant sister Pearl (Chloe Sevigny), and his gasmask-wearing father (Werner Herzog). Julien often spends his time with people with mental disorders and such including a young, blind figure skater named Chrissy (Chrissy Kobylak) as Julien often rambles on through his schizophrenic state of mind. With Pearl trying to find clothes for her newborn child and doing other activities. During a check-up on her child, a doctor asks who her father is but photos revealed that it was her brother Julien whom she has a maternal relationship with.

Julien's father however, is still dealing with the loss of his wife as he listens to blues records, talk with an armless man, and often abuse Chris in order to make him tougher for his wrestling career. The dysfunctional family often has a hard time dealing with day-to-day struggles as Julien would call his sister, who pretends to be their late mother while Julien continues to embark on strange events with his friends including an albino who claims to be a black albino which he raps about. During a wrestling practice for Chris, it doesn't go well when Julien doesn't want to play along. Julien spends more time alone and with Chrissy whom he falls for despite the fact that she's in her adolescents. When his father finally confronts the dysfunctions, things get really bad as Pearl is forced to defend him despite her own abuse from her father. During a day with Pearl and Chrissy, things go fine until something bad happens that leads to tragedy.

Since the film is a Dogme film in the purest sense of form. The director does break some rules in order to make his story more presentable. One rule which is against superficial action including murder has an opening scene involving murder. Another rule broken is the use of music that's not performed live while a rule involving a woman who isn't really pregnant is also broken due to a prop that wasn't found on location. The fourth rule that got broken was due to some of the camera work where at times, it was immovable and was placed in hidden places which broke the rule that all cameras had to be done and held by hand.

Despite the rules broken that was confessed by the director, the film does still manage to be unique due to its use of still shots, edits, and camera-work to convey the schizophrenic mind of its title protagonist. Though the film has an unconventional narrative by screenwriter Harmony Korine. The film plays like a scenic collection of fragmented stories but the main narrative of this dysfunctional family living with a schizophrenic is still there. Plus, the scenes and events in the film do tell a story that relates to the main plot, or lack thereof. The script and direction by the director works with wonderful style. Particularly through the distorted photography of Anthony Dod Mantle whose camera work is described as ugly at times but layered with beauty. Notably a scene in a skating rink that shows through its distorted, grainy photography its beauty through the scenes.

The editing by Valdis Oskarsdottir is unique in conveying the film's schizophrenic tone along with jump cuts and freeze frame to show the film's still shots. Sound recordist Brian Miksis does some amazing work to capture the film's natural sounds, notably the horror in the film's third act. The music used in the film is a mix of blues, hip-hop, and orchestral music from Puccini and Straus to convey the loneliness of Julien's father.

The film's casting is unique with several actors doing amazing performances including a cameo from indie-rocker Will Oldham, Alvin Law as Julien's father armless friend, and Joyce Korine as the grandmother. Chrissy Kobylak is great as a blind skater who seems very wise and is in fact, blind. Evan Neumann is great as an aspiring wrestler dealing with all of his family dysfunctions and such. Chloe Sevigny is brilliant as Pearl, a young woman who is dealing with her pregnancy as loss as she often plays a harp for the song Freres Jacques.

The legendary Werner Herzog gives an amazing, sprawling performances as an abusive, distraught father who wears a gas mask, drinking cough syrup, and doing all these things. One great scene involves Herzog's description of the film Dirty Harry that is imaginatively told. Ewan Bremner is great as the schizophrenic Julien by sporting gold teeth, an American accent to replace his native Scottish, and doing all sorts of things. His performance is a mixture of chaos and sadness as the depth he brings into this troubled character is truly amazing.

Julien-Donkey Boy is an incredible film that features an amazing cast and extraordinary visuals. It is definitely one of the key films of the Dogme 95 movement as well as one of the most fascinating portrayals about family dysfunction and mental illness. In the end, Julien-Donkey Boy is truly a tremendous film from Harmony Korine.

Harmony Korine Films: Gummo - (Mister Lonely) - (Trash Humpers) - Spring Breakers - (The Trap (2016 film)

© thevoid99 2013

Dogme #2-Idioterne

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/24/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written by Lars von Trier, Idioterne (The Idiots) aka Dogme #2 is a film about a woman who encounters a group of rich bourgeois individuals who rebel against the class in order to channel their inner idiot. The second part of von Trier's Golden Hearts trilogy following Breaking the Waves in 1996, Idioterne focuses on a woman named Karen (Bodil Jorgensen) finding herself part of a group of people rallying against the rules of society. In response to society's rules, a group of people act out by spazzing and acting like mentally challenged or disabled people.

Karen is at a restaurant where she watches a man named Stoffer (Jens Albinus) acting out in a rage with friend Henrik (Troels Lyby) where Stoffer grabs Karen's hand until she's saved by Sussanne (Anne Louise Hassing). After learning that Stoffer was acting out so he wouldn't pay his check, she joins Stoffer and his friends to a factory where they meet a group of possibly mentally-challenged people. Leaving on a small bus, Karen is introduced by more of Stoffer's friends in his posh home as they're all being filmed for a documentary. Meeting the rest of Stoffer's friends that includes Axel (Knud Romer Jorgensen), Jeppe (Nikolai Lie Kaas), Josephine (Louise Mieritz) Ped (Henrik Pib), Nana (Trine Michelsen), and Katrine (Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis). She takes part in their crazy hijinks to deal with her own loneliness as she tries to call her husband.

With everyone living at the home of Stoffer's uncle (Erik Wedersoe), Stoffer invites a group of mentally-challenged people to have lunch where Stoffer and friends feel they have an advantage for not playing the rules of society. The gang continues to create chaos by selling Christmas candles for an odd amount of money while they meet a woman (Paprikka Steen) who wants to by the house. Karen suddenly starts to act strange as some of the gang reluctantly return to their normal life. Yet, Katrine and Stoffer decide to push the edge where they would hold a gang-bang orgy where Karen plays voyeur. Things start to wind down when Josephine's father (Anders Hove) arrive to take her home as Stoffer learns about her condition despite the protest of Katrine and Jeppe. With Stoffer's yearn for anarchy starts to falter, Karen would make a big sacrifice to up the ante for the whole gang's antics.

Since the film is a Dogme movie, it's clear that the direction the director has chosen is in the spirit of the movement. Pure anarchy. The film is about a group of people rebelling against society while a woman is willing to sacrifice her own sanity to find a place where she feels she's a part of. The film's script by Lars von Trier is really an outline for social commentary on society and the middle class which Stoffer is rallying against. Yet, the antics in the film through its direction is very improvisational.

Though it's unclear what's real and what's staged, it's in its mayhem that causes the film to be unpredictable. Even the orgy sequence is something that comes out of nowhere. The cinematography, shot on digital camera, is all in the film's spirit with natural light and grainy photography to convey its realism. The editing itself plays true to its spirit with jerky jump-cuts and an unconventional rhythm to the film. Even the sound and music is heard naturally without being really mixed on post-production.

Then you have the film's cast whom are all brilliant in their performances and taking risks. The realism and documentary confessions in the performances are all brilliant. The film's real standout performances are definitely Jens Albinus as the anarchistic, radical Stoffer and Bodil Jorgensen as the observant, lonely Karen.

In the end, Idioterne is a radical, uncompromising, unconventional, anarchistic film from Lars von Trier. While not as good as his previous film Breaking the Waves or the more conventional Dancer in the Dark two years later. This film is still quintessential von Trier in all of its radical form.

Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea - Europa - The Kingdom I - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dancer in the Dark - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - Manderlay - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Dimension (2010 short) - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The House That Jack Built - The Kingdom: Exodus - (Etudes)

Related: The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier

© thevoid99 2012