Film Fetish Friday: Skyfall, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Killer Joe

Nov 2, 2012 | 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 films 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.

Skyfall

O yeah, there’s a new James Bond in town! Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been a huge fan of 007. I even played Golden Eye on the Nintendo 64. Now there is Skyfall, the third Bond film with Daniel Craig as the world’s most famous agent. With Sam Mendes (American Beauty) as director, we can expect something different than a pure action-driven plot. And indeed, Mendes tells a way more personal story than we’re used to. The main line is about Bond, his chief M (Judi Dench) and bad-ass hacker Raoul Silva (a brilliant and blonde (!) Javier Bardem). The opening scene is Bond action like we know it: a big chase in Instanbul. After that, the film slowly gets more emotional depth. Also nice: most parts of the story are set on British soil. How much more Bond can it get? Skyfall is the best way to forget about Quantum of Solace.

Watch this film in Cineville’s Studio K. Also in Pathe (all of them).

Beasts of the Southern Wild

I should like this indie-film very much. The script is original, the actors are not professionals yet good, the girl is super cute and ‘authentic’, the images are beautiful, the critics are raving and so are my friends. So I was happy when they showed Beasts of the Southern Wild on the airplane.

I tried to watch it for 20 minutes, but it couldn’t get to me. Here’s the story in a nutshell: Hushpuppy (what kind of name is that) lives with their alcoholic father in a place called Bathtub in Louisiana. Everybody is always drunk, but hey: they’re having fun. Maybe they live every day like it’s their last, because they are one big storm away from death. Hushpuppy and some other kids decide to go looking for answers by sailing to the mainland on a raft. In the meantime the clouds pack up and enormous beasts defrost from the arctic ice, starting to run towards Hushpuppy (that name is so irritating).

I admit, I should probably fully watch it before I can really judge this film. This time you really have to trust my friends when they say it’s magical.

Watch this film in Cineville’s Cinecenter, Kriterion and Het Ketelhuis. Also in Pathe (Tuschinski).

Killer Joe

Wow, a film with Matthew McConaughey in which he wears his shirt most of the time! Seems like serious business. Well it is serious business, because McConaughey is Killer Joe, a hitman (and police officer). The young drug dealer Chris (Emile ‘Into the Wild’ Hirsch) has a big depth with his supplier. When his mother steals all his money, he hires Joe. Not because he’s a bit hard on the revenge stuff, but because Chris’ mother has a life insurance of $50.000. Killer Joe wants his clients to pay in advance, but since Chris can’t they make another deal: Chris uses his sister (Juno Temple) as a plegde. Now let’s hope that it all goes according to plan.. From director William Friedkin (The French Connection, the Exorcist) you may expect some trouble.

Watch this film in Cineville’s Kriterion.