Filmfetish Friday: Drive, The Adventures of Tintin, I don’t know how she does it

Nov 4, 2011 | by Anouk | Art, Event

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? I 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.

Drive

The Dane Nicolas Winding Refn may have won the award for Best Director at Cannes, I’m not that enthusiastic about Drive. It could be that my expectations were too high, or that I was too happy that I didn’t have to see an arty farty Russian film in the sneak, but I actually think that’s not the case. Drive just isn’t that great. Sure, Ryan Gosling (I think we know him by now) is believable as the ‘strong silent guy’, and the other actors, like Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks also know what they are doing. The only one who doesn’t quiet know what he wants is Winding Refn. Is Drive a heist film? No. Is it a psychological thriller? No. Is it about Gosling being a criminal or a stuntman? No. I could go on forever. Still, I have to admit that I was totally absorbed by the story from time to time. It’s not my wanting to say that Drive is a bad film, I just don’t understand what it is.

Watch this film in Cineville’s Kriterion. Also in Pathe. (Arena, De Munt, City)

The Adventures of Tintin. The secret of the Unicorn

Spielberg, please.. don’t touch my youth! As a kid I read all the ‘Kuifje’ comic books. I loved them and I was lucky, because my father has them all. When I heard Spielberg was making a film of ‘The secret of the Unicorn’, I thought: NO! He’ll make it into a stupid American bullshit story, were captain Haddock doesn’t even have a drinking problem. How presumptuous of me. The Adventures of Tintin is super funny and, most important, true to the story of Hergé. The special technique, makes use of real actors, but transforms them in some sort of computer animation and that works really well. Although I was surprised that Daniel Craig played the role of Ivanovich Sakharine, Haddock looks and sounds a lot more like ‘mister Bond’. Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot grew up!) makes for a good Tintin. A bit gay, maybe. But hey, who says Tintin isn’t gay? That would explain the small poodle-ish dog.
Go see this film! It’s in 3D, did I mention that?

Watch this film in Cineville’s The Movies and Studio K (not 3D). Also in Pathe (all of them).

I don’t know how she does it

It’s a bit of a handicap when you’re an actor and you’re only able to play one role. Like Sarah Jessica Parker. She’s still very lucky, because she can play one role like no other. Without her, no Carrie Bradshaw! Without Carrie Bradshaw, no Sex and the City and without that it would be a dark, different world. So don’t worry, Carrie is back on the screen. In I don’t know how she does it, she has no Manolo Blahniks, but a carrier and two kids. According to Het Parool it’s a sympathetic film, with jokes that go for a subtle smile and not abundant laughter. Sounds perfectly fine to me.

Watch this film in Cineville’s The Movies. Also in Pathe (De Munt, Arena).