TGI Filmfetish Friday: Water for Elephants, Mammuth, Never Let Me Go

May 6, 2011 | by Anouk | Art

About the author

As a freelance journalist, Anouk (26) usually writes about what other people do or like. In her precious spare time she watches arthouse films. Not a few. A lot, thanks to her trusted Cineville pass. Here she can finally share her film-fetish with the world.

To watch or not to watch? Anouk will tour around Amsterdam’s cinemas and answer this crucial question every Friday. Without mercy, of course. Sucky movies will be slaughtered, cinematographic pearls will be appreciated as such. Or the other way around. After all, good taste is in the eye of the beholder.

Water for Elephants

I hate Robert Pattinson. Well, I just don’t like the guy. He has a weird mouth with small teeth or something. Small teeth that stand backwards. Anyway, that is probably why I’ve never seen the Twilight Saga. That, and the fact that I’m just about ten years too old. Yesterday however, I gave him a chance; I went to see Water for Elephants. A film about a circus in the United States of the 1930s. At first I remained a bit skeptical, but after five minutes I found myself absorbed by the story. R-Patz plays a fresh orphan, who accidentally joins the circus. Because he is almost a vet, the boss lets him stay. By the way, we know the boss as the psycho nazi leader from Inglourious Basterds. Great! Reese Witherspoon plays his wife; she and her horses are the ‘star attraction’. While you might expect otherwise, this film isn’t about the elephant from the title. It’s about love, dreams, hope and other cliches. All wrapped in a very nice, cinematographic story. Clap your hands together for the production designer.

Watch this film in:
All Pathe cinemas, The Movies

Mammuth

Jesus. I thought I was going to see a sensitive French roadmovie. NOT. Gérard Depardieu plays the French version of Jeffrey Lebowski, a.k.a. the Big Lebowski. His name? Serge Pilardosse. Mammuth reminded me of Dutch absurdistic sketch series ‘Jiskefet’ as well. All the scenes might just as well be individual sketches; they don’t really support the story about Serge, crossing the country for his old workpapers so he can get his pension. One scene really flabbergasted me and my friends. For a minute we could only stare at each other in disbelief, back at the screen, and back at each other again. I won’t spoil it, but it has something to do with the old uncle of Serge. Three words: O. M. G.

Watch this film in:
The Movies

Never Let Me Go

This film is based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguro. If I had known, I would have read it. What a great story. It’s science fiction, but not in the high-tech futuristic kind of way. Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield are donors. They grew up together at a special school with other donor children. The fact that they are donors means that they will give away their vital organs when they are young adults. Most of them will ‘complete’ (die) after three donations, if not sooner. Because of this health system the life expectancy of mankind has risen to over a hundred in 1967. Like I said, this is not a futuristic film; the story ends in 1994. I can’t explain what it is about, but it’s absolutely nothing like The Island. Sure thing: you won’t be disappointed.

Watch this film in:
Tuschinski, Pathe City, The Movies