Trailer: Shame (dir. Steve McQueen) Red Band

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Arleigh

Shame looks to be the film of 2011 which may just be one of the most talked about. This is no mean feat considering earlier independent films such as Drive has been the talk of the town whether one loved or hated the film.

The film stars Michael Fassbender who has been having quite the year with exceptional roles both in mainstream and the arthouse circuit (X-Men: First Class and A Dangerous Method). It also stars Carey Mulligan playing the younger sister to Fassbender’s 30ish yuppie who has issues with his addiction and urge when it comes to sex. The film has been given by the MPAA the dreaded NC-17 rating, but instead of railing against this system it looks like filmmaker Steve McQueen will embrace the rating and release the film as is.

I find this decision refreshing. The film is for adults and mature audiences and should be seen by only those old enough as allowed by the NC-17 rating. One thing for sure is that the film has been getting major hype and buzz due to Fassbender baring it all and on more than one occasion. Will this titillating aspect of the film be the biggest draw for audiences or will the performances, direction and writing by the creative minds involved in the film be it’s biggest seller. Either way should be good since in the end the film will be seen.

Shame is set to have a December 2, 2011 release in the United States…just in time for awards season.

Trailer: Shame (dir. Steve McQueen)

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Arleigh

Every year sees a few films which dares to push the boundaries of film storytelling. This year already had the exemplary film Drive from Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn and now with the year on it’s final two months we have another in Shame by the British filmmaker Steve McQueen.

Shame is an erotic drama starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan and has been making the international film festival circuit with the film and Fassbender earning accolades for best picture and best actor. The film was already gathering some steam not just through the performances and McQueen’s direction, but for it’s producers stance on not appealing the MPAA giving the film the dreaded NC-17 rating. The film will be shown to the audience uncut and as it was meant to be instead of being re-edited for a much more business-friendly R-rating.

I, for one, applaud the filmmakers sticking to their guns about showing it in it’s NC-17 form. Now, the rest of the film-going world will finally get to see what all the hype and hoopla about this film when it gets a limited release this December 2, 2011 in the United States and on January 13, 2012 over in the UK.

Trailer: Sleeping Beauty (dir. by Julie Leigh)

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Arleigh

This coming October we get a small indie film from Australia which has caught my attention since I saw it had been one of the entries to the main competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is Sleeping Beauty and it’s the directorial debut by Australian writer-director Julia Leigh and starring one of the industries rising young stars in Emily Browning.

Sleeping Beauty is described as an erotic drama which follows Browning’s university student who becomes involved in the hidden world of beauty and desire and those young women hired and trained to play a role in them. From what I could tell from the trailer and reading about reactions by audiences to the film at Cannes this film looks to have a similar tone and theme to British illustrator and erotic writer Erich von Götha (pseudonym used by Robin Ray).

With Cronenberg also exploring the more hidden corners of sexuality through psychoanalysis with his film A Dangerous Method it looks like the Awards season will have another sexually-charged film joining it around the discussion table with Julia Leigh’s Sleeping Beauty. The film is set for an release in the US sometime this October 2011.