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Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s Dau
Khrzhanovsky's 2005 debut 4 (Rotterdam winner) was originally conceived as a short and it took four years to complete, which sort of gives us a clue on how much time and effort the Russian filmmaker puts into his craft. Dau was part of 2006's Cannes Film Festival’s filmmakers’ workshop “L'Atelier du Festival” and was lensed by one of my favorite dp's in Lol Carwley (Ballast, Better Things, Four Lions and the Sundance 2011 pair HERE and On the Ice.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Eran Kolirin’s The Exchange
Eran Kolirin left quite the impression with the Cannes winner and international film festival favorite The Band’s Visit (2007), which was among the best archetype for films that deal with cultural differences and it was done in a smart, moving and profound and in a very subtle manner. In my estimation, we should experience another dramatically rewarding effort with his sophomore pic.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s Crazy, Stupid, Love
The I Love You Phillip Morris team of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa had a mention-worthy first outing (too bad its domestic theatrical release was sullied from the get-go), but my thinking is that the Bad Santa scribes won't have many problems ratcheting up loads of other projects after this sophomore gig receives its mid-summer release. A 2010 Blacklist mentioned screenplay appears to be the kind of the Steve Carell vehicle we like - plus you've got yourself a good ensemble in Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei, Julianne Moore and Kevin Bacon.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Juan Antonio Bayona’s The Impossible
Give me the option between Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich, and I'll go for this Spanish helmer instead. Despite not caring much for Juan Antonio Bayona's El orfanato (The Orphanage), there's no debating how skilled the filmmaker is in eye-candy department -- my thinking is handing him a big budget natural disaster film will only allow him to expand his palette and with the Watts and McGregor wearing their panicked and horrified look stripes, this 2010 BlackList script might make for great popcorn fair.
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Yvan Attal Spend ‘One Night’ with Lucas Belvaux
Real-life couple Charlotte Gainsbourg and Yvan Attal will once again share the lead, this time in Belgian director Lucas Belvaux eighth feature film which is set to begin filming next month in the North of France in Le Havre. Titled Une nuit (One Night) this sees thesps Nicole Garcia and Natacha Régnier (who starred in the Cannes selected La Raison du plus faible) fill out the supporting roles. Attal starred in Belvaux's last picture Rapt (2009) which will be released stateside on July 12th.
