Search results for: Andrew Lau

In tone and theme, The Music Room is reminiscent of the later reels of Citizen Kane, where Charles finds himself reduced to a sad, empty husk amid his ruinously overbuilt Florida pleasure palace. But the emotional issues that plague Charles Foster Kane are mere child’s play compared to the karmic ravages faced by the aging Biswambher Roy, for as we learn through extended flashback, Roy’s hubris has extracted a devastating price, well beyond measure in silver rupees.

While the film has a number of hilarious moments, it can only be considered a comedy in the broadest sense. The film is like a dark plunge into icy forbidden waters; the resultant shock heightening the senses just enough to make one fully aware of the disorienting perils that lie ahead. The London Town depicted here is not a charming cloister of regal palaces and fine tailor shops, but a forlorn purgatory of rancid smells, tawdry temptations and perpetual insolence; a besotted city whose morals are crumbling as fast as its bricks.

Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival turns 15 years old this summer, and sandwiched between the official opening and closing films - Kevin Smith's horror bow Red State and the Guillermo del Toro-scripted and -produced remake of 1973's Don't Be Afraid of The Dark, respectively - will be more than 120 features, 240 short films, 110 invited guests hosting screenings of their films, and numerous special events including the bestowing of lifetime achievement awards and round table discussions. Below is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what's on offer this year.

At the beginning of every month, IONCINEMA.com's "Tracking Shot" features a handful of projects that are moments away from lensing and that we feel are worth signaling out. This June, we are keeping tabs on nine projects including the untitled, aka The Master from master filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.

Usually a month where we tend to avoid the multiplex, the positive buzz on Matthew Vaughn's X-Men: First Class and J.J. Abrams' Super 8 and the inclusion of Blacklist 2008 favorite Bad Teacher means we might be shifting between smaller and larger venues this June.