What To Watch Thursday: Amsterdam Film Week

What To Watch Thursday: Amsterdam Film Week

Oct 31, 2013 |  by  |  Art, Event
About the author
Born and raised in this amazing city, Steven (25) remembers quite vividly the first film that as a young boy got him addicted to cinema: The Neverending Story. And it really is a never-ending story, his grand film study has gone on ever since. Since then his taste has extended beyond such a fantasy coming-of-age film and will now guide you to what to see and what to skip.

What To Watch Thursday is Overdose’s weekly film injection: every Thursday we will tell you which cinematographic pearls can’t be missed! This week, it’s all about Amsterdam Film Week.

What To Watch at AFW 2013

Anticipation: The 3rd edition of the Amsterdam Film Week (AFW) is well under way, so you’ll just have the weekend left to catch some great films. Although the festival’s foundation was laid only some years ago, it’s quickly getting some international stature. The official Overdose.am guide to the best-of-the-fest galore is here; some films you should definitely try and catch this weekend. Trailers and more info at amsterdamfilmweek.com

Inside Llewyn Davis

Appreciation: There really is little I have to say to make you want to see this effortlessly entertaining new comedy by the Coen brothers. Set in the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene, this is the story of Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) as a fictional acoustic artist who’s trying to make it, but doesn’t quite seem to get there. So when we set out on his quest to become famous, we soon figure out that – despite his amazing voice and bigger-than-life attitude – people don’t exactly fall for his charm. This film can be a little gloomy, however, it’s irresistibly funny and musical (there’s a great cameo by a slightly queer Justin Timberlake). Admittedly, this is not the Coens’ on great form, but even in a film where they try and do very little it turns out to be another comical unique piece of cinema.

Length: 105 min.

Where to see: Watch this film in Cineville’s EYE (31.10 – 21:00) Kriterion (02.11 – 19:00) De Balie (03.11 – 15:00) and Cinecenter (03.11 – 21:15).

The Lunchbox

Appreciation: Recently there’s been a steady influx of creative and compelling Indian cinema; The Lunchbox is one of the better films that came with this wave. The European release at Cannes Film Festival was met with so much critical acclaim, this film could very well become something of a surprise hit this fall. It tells the story of damaged romantics, when by mistake the widowed Saajan (Irrfan Khan) is delivered a daily lunchbox made by unhappy housewife Ila (Nimrat Kaur) something of complicated relationship unfolds. Despite this flimsy narrative The Lunchbox is a rich and compelling film and it’s much to the credit of the protagonists that it doesn’t feel overly cute.

Length: 104 min.

Where to see: Watch this film in Cineville’s Kriterion (31.10 – 19:00) De Balie (02.11 – 21:15) De Uitkijk (03.11 – 13:00).

Some other suggestions:

Like Father, Like Son
Director Hirokazu Kore-eda has slowly but surely been building a name for himself. In his newest film Soshite chichi ni naru he turned his attention to what could be described as soap-opera thematics, where the story revolves around a family confronted with the horrible truth that their own flesh and blood has been switched at birth, and now they have to choose between their true son or the boy they raised as their own. Thankfully it’s the director’s warm-hearted yet unsentimental approach that leads to a sublime thought-provoking drama.

Watch this film in Cineville’s Cinecenter (31.10 – 19:00)

La Grande Bellezza
Director Paolo Sorrentino is something of a provocateur; his oeuvre exhibits much thematic and stylistic diversity, but he’s made it into a sport to point out pain-points in Italian society. Here he returns to Italian soil after something of a failed American project with Sean Penn. In ‘The Great Beauty‘ what unfolds is a passionate story of remorse and contemplation, as we follow Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo), an aging writer who bitterly tells a story of today’s Rome.

Watch this film in Cineville’s De Balie (31.10 – 21:00) De Uitkijk (02.11 – 12:15) Cinecenter (03.11 – 16:00).

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