Search results for: Susanne Bier

It's hard to believe that the predicted apocalypse is nearly upon us. Looking back though, it wouldn't be a bad note to go out on, with so many quality films making their way to theaters around the globe this year. Not surprisingly, several titles tackled the topic of the end of the world (most notably the beautifully bleak Melancholia and the horrifically realistic Contagion), while others looked at the grim realities of life and decided that a brighter future is just around the bend (the youthful confusion of In A Better World and the depressingly sensual Burning Man).

The film about the end of the world paralleled with the emancipation from one's own depression as portrayed from the film's central character (Kirsten Dunst in a Best Actress for the festival worthy performance) is actually pretty tame by von Trier standards.

While you'd be wise to stay home and do some spring cleaning, if you do venture out, I suggest sticking to your local art house where you'll find some meatier and darker subject matters like in Foreign Oscar winner In a Better World or David Schwimmer's Trust and you can also have your own little Best of the Director's Fortnight section from last year's Cannes with the Film Forum commencing it's run on the brilliant The Four Times and if you're in Brooklyn --- head over to the ReRun Theater for Two Gates of Sleep as it receives only a one week run.

Some major Venice, TIFF, NYFF titles have been added to Sundance including high quality premium titles in Attenberg, Meek's Cutoff and Submarine. Gregg Araki will once again have had the chance to showcase his films at top fest on the circuit, his latest film Kaboom which was shown at Cannes and TIFF will find it's final fest presentation in Park City. Denis Villeneuve will deliver one extra push before the Oscars (Incendies is a top tier pick among all the nominees). Mumblecore member Joe Swanberg is also in the section but with a world premiere of his film.

Beaufoy had a difficult task at hand when it came to this assignment. Before he came on board, he was given a six-page treatment written by director Danny Boyle, hence the co-writing credit. Beaufoy, along with another Slumdog Millionaire collaborator, producer Christian Colson, were very apprehensive about taking on the project until reading this treatment, as they knew the story to be about a man stuck in one place for the entire time.