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FNC 2011 via Spectacular Optical

Saya Zamurai (Hitoshi Matsumoto, 2011)

Affirming himself as a truly unique filmmaker with the kaiju mockumentary Dai Nipponjin (2007) and a master of high concept comedy with Symbol, easily one the best films of 2009, comedian/director Hitoshi Matsumoto elevates his peculiar craft to an entirely different level with this jidaigekicomedy that had me crying and gasping of laughter. Like his two previous films, Saya Zamurai (aka Scabbard Samurai) is a high-concept comedy relying on repetition of a very simple and clever idea. When an aging swordless ronin (Takaaki Nori, hilarious) and his young daughter (Sea Kumada) are captured by a feodal lord, they are given 30 days to make his son laugh, who has lost his smile with the passing of his mother. 30 days, one attempt per day – that’s it. And because Matsumoto’s mastery of comedic timing and imagination knows no bounds, hilarity ensues. But in the process, Saya Zamurai manages to become much more than a relentless series of genius gags: a film about the intricacies of creative process behind filmmaking and comedy; a film about the absurdity of bushido, mortality and life itself; a film experience unlike any you’re going to have this year. Matsumoto elevates comedy to such degrees it becomes humanistic. Saya Zamurai will illuminate your day, have you marvel at the sheer ingenuity of its cinematic devices and, most importantly, take you through a spectrum of emotions that will have you wiping tears off your face.

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FNC 2011 via Spectacular Optical

Shame (Steve McQueen, 2011)

Acclaimed British visual artist Steve McQueen (not to be confused with that Steve McQueen) did not make his first steps into the film world unnoticed. Indeed, Hunger, a stunning account of the Irish Hunger Strike of 1981, in which Michael Fassbender’s star-making performance confronted us with the mental and bodily repercussions of corrupt politics, was rightfully hailed as one of the greatest debut films of all time and best films of 2008. It came as no surprise that McQueen was going to team up with Fassbender again (with whom he is evidently building a Scorsese-De Niro relationship) for Shame, his exploration of urban alienation through the lens of an excruciating sex addiction. Incredibly precise in its composition, performances and script, Hunger is the gut-wrenching portrait of Brandon, through which McQueen exhibits his rare talent as a director and Fassbender confirms, yet again, he is one of the great actors of our time. Careful framing and impeccable sound design sustain tension out of thin air as McQueen takes us through a man’s self-destructive sexuality and his single relationship with his sister (interpreted brilliantly by Carey Mulligan) – a dynamic which escalates into a grandiose and spellbinding tragedy one can simply not look away from. Furthermore, McQueen’s unshakable aesthetic– rivalled this year perhaps only by Refn’s stellar Drive – makes it one of the most pleasing visual experiences of the year, in which the architecture and colours of the city have a voice of their own, yet merely amplify the human story McQueen and Fassbender decorticate with impeccable minutiae. Fascinating, beautiful and devastating, Shame is simply one of the best films of the year.

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John Dunning (left) & André Link (right), founding fathers of Cinépix

It is with great sadness that we learned of John Dunning‘s passing earlier this week. A titan of Canadian independent filmmaking – his company with André Link, Cinepix, gave us Valérie, L’Initiation, Shivers, Rabid, Meatballs, My Bloody Valentine and more – Dunning had a drive and creative spark that brought Canadian cinema out of the didactic and onto the world stage. […] John’s passing is a tremendous loss to the film community and we only hope that other Canadian filmmakers and producers can learn from his example to carry on his remarkable legacy.

Via Spectacular Optical. Read Paul Corupe’s From Cinépix to Cinéplex: The Studios That Dripped Maple Sirup over here, as well. RIP John Dunning.

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I’m will be doing some writing and translating for these guys in the future, so check it out if you’re interested in genre films and horror journalism. Spectacular Optical is the brand new Fantasia Film Festival webzine, run by the extraordinary and oft-mentionned Kier-la Janisse. She wrote the whole first issue almost sole-handedly so you know it’s great. It’s exclusive material that I won’t be posting here so stay tuned. Interviewing someone big very soon, not telling just yet. Click! Next “issue” will be available mid-May.

There is an “Events” column too, so if you live in Montreal, check it out!