oscar jubis
07-01-2004, 05:39 PM
Guy Maddin's new movie is typically set in Winnipeg, Manitoba, his hometown. Maddin has always been enamored of the period of the Great Depression, and the films of that era, the wonderful late silents and the uneasy transition to sound.
1933 Winnipeg, "the world capital of sorrow" as selected by The London Times then. Beer baroness Lady Port-Hudley (Isabella Rossellini with a blond wig and no legs) announces a music contest to promote her brew. Contestants from all over the world have musical duels, with Lady herself the sole judge. Loser gets eliminated and the winner gets to slide down a chute into a huge vat of beer. Broadway producer Chester represents the USA. A flashbach shows how Fyodor, Chester's father, was the drunk surgeon who amputated Lady. Fyodor represents Canada. His estranged son Roderick, a gloomy cellist who moved to Serbia, represents that country. Nympho Narcissa (Maria de Medeiros), who accompanies Chester and revealed to be Roderick's former wife, propels a convoluted family melodrama. Elements of several genres are tossed in, with mostly b&w cinematography that is made to look as if we are watching an old movie recently discovered and in serious need of restoration.
I was fascinated by the visuals and the constant surprises in the free-form narrative. I failed to be moved by the particulars of the family drama, probably due to the pervasive stylization of the proceedings. This is a small caveat though. I am very happy to be able to watch a film this daring at the multiplex.
1933 Winnipeg, "the world capital of sorrow" as selected by The London Times then. Beer baroness Lady Port-Hudley (Isabella Rossellini with a blond wig and no legs) announces a music contest to promote her brew. Contestants from all over the world have musical duels, with Lady herself the sole judge. Loser gets eliminated and the winner gets to slide down a chute into a huge vat of beer. Broadway producer Chester represents the USA. A flashbach shows how Fyodor, Chester's father, was the drunk surgeon who amputated Lady. Fyodor represents Canada. His estranged son Roderick, a gloomy cellist who moved to Serbia, represents that country. Nympho Narcissa (Maria de Medeiros), who accompanies Chester and revealed to be Roderick's former wife, propels a convoluted family melodrama. Elements of several genres are tossed in, with mostly b&w cinematography that is made to look as if we are watching an old movie recently discovered and in serious need of restoration.
I was fascinated by the visuals and the constant surprises in the free-form narrative. I failed to be moved by the particulars of the family drama, probably due to the pervasive stylization of the proceedings. This is a small caveat though. I am very happy to be able to watch a film this daring at the multiplex.