Nashville for Free

Jim Jarmusch has been a seminal director in American independent cinema for over 20 years, and he’s definitely still in his prime. Probably most well known for his work with Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton in 2005′s Broken Flowers, Jarmusch has always enthused his films with fantastic personalities and brutally honest performances. Whether it’s the odd couple pairing of Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni (1986′s cult hit Down by Law), or his generation-spanning vignette Coffee and Cigarettes (the White Stripes were in it), his films are more an exploration of charismatic characters than calculated drama. And as dynamic as his work is, there has always been a constant attention to cinematic beauty and a storytelling patience, sometimes at the expense of a driving plot. But coming from a diehard Terrence Mallick fan, I say, screw driving plots.

Jarmusch’s latest, being screened for the first time in Nashville tomorrow evening–for free–follows a lone assassin (called just that, “Lone Assassin”) through Spain on a secret mission. As such, the film is largely meditative and features the beautiful locales just as prominently as Isaach De Bankolé’s brilliant performance. Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton also make appearances as characters named “American” and “Blonde” respectively. A cryptic plot leaves the audience roughly out-of-the-loop and plays joyfully with metaphors reminiscent of a David Lynch mindf***. As such, it’s bound to be a fascinating experience, and you’ll likely be scratching your head on the way out. That being said, it’s not for everyone, but if you enjoy thrilling cinematography, awesome soundtracks and a pace that leaves room for pondering, The Limits of Control is right up your alley.

Check out The Limits of Control as a part of Vanderbilt’s International Lens Series. The screening is this Wednesday at 7pm at the Sarratt Cinema.

The Nightmare Before Christmas was probably my first experience with Tim Burton, and is undoubtedly one of the few animated films of his that I really really enjoy. This was filmed back before this computer animation crap. All the characters were puppets or clay, painstakingly shot in stop-action, one frame at a time.

But that’s not the only reason this movie sticks with you. The story Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of a place called Halloween Town (not the same as the movie of that name) who visits Christmas Town and decides that he wants to take over Santa’s duties of delivering toys to children in incredibly imaginative, and, as he just never quite seems to get the whole idea of Christmas, quite funny.

Now, I hate the phrase “fun for kids of all ages,” so I won’t use it to describe this movie, but this film really does hold up as its viewers grow up. I caught part of it on TV the other day, and I was surprised at how much I still enjoyed it.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is playing at the Sarratt Cinema at Vanderbilt on this Wednesday, December 8th, at 7pm. It is, of course, free.

-Emily

It is definitely not the most uplifting week for International Lens films. First a the showed a movie about terror in Haiti and now a film that’s tagline is “The Untold Story of the Crime Stalin Could Not Hide.”

Here’s the background of the Katyn Massacre: in WWII, in 1940 to be exact, Soviet authorities ordered the execution of about 22,000 Polish soldiers and citizens in the Katyn forest. The Germans found out and used it as propaganda against the Soviets, but after WWII the Soviets blamed it on the Germans. It wasn’t until 1989 that the truth was finally revealed. We still don’t know all the facts about the massacre, including where the bodies are.

This film deals with the tragedy through the eyes of the women affected by the massacre, the daughters, wives, mothers, and sisters of the dead.

Everything being said, it sounds like an incredibly depressing film, but it has received universal acclaim, so though it may leave you with a sad and heavy heart, at least you’ll have seen a truly great movie.

This film is screening at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema at 7pm tonight, November 10th.

-Emily

Are you the kind of person who likes those gypsy punk bands like Gogol Bordello? It’s kind of hard not to; the music is infectious and their live shows are out of this world.

Tonight International Lens presents When the Road Bends: Tales of a Gypsy Caravan at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema.

I have to say, Romani people get a bad rap. Yes, there are some Romas (gypsies) that will rob you blind while you’re on vacation in Europe, and since those people typically tend to be more visible than most Romas the whole culture tends to get stereotyped as bad people, as vagrants.

The truth is, the Romani culture is an incredibly colorful, diverse one. And then there’s mention the music, which is pretty incredible. This film is all about the music and how it really bonds such a diverse culture. Here’s the synopsis:

This concert film/cultural documentary follows the 2001 U.S. “Gypsy Caravan” tour, which showcased five bands from four countries: Macedonia, Romania, India and Spain. The film captures electrifying performances and takes us behind-the-scenes where the groups, divided by language and musical interest, find inspiration through a common passion for music.

Again, this film is showing tonight, October 27th, at 7pm at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema.

-Emily

I first read Persepolis three years ago, a few months before the movie was released in the United States. It was the first graphic novel I read that didn’t have anything to do with superheroes, and I fell in love with it.

The story is autobiographical, it’s about the author Marjane Satrapi’s childhood. She came of age in Iran during its war with Iran and when things started to get incredibly dangerous for a young girl her parents sent her to Vienna to get an education. As you can probably guess, her life wasn’t exactly cookie cutter and she had to work through a lot of hardships. Still, even in the darkest parts Satrapi manages to keep a sense of humor, albeit a dark one.

As for the film, I thought that it was very well done. It actually covers Persepolis 1 and 2, so her childhood through early 20s or so. For fans of the books, from what I remember it stays pretty true to the graphic novels, so don’t fret, so if you’re anything like me you’ll probably enjoy it.

This film will be screening in Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema tonight, October 26th at 7pm.

-Emily

Autism is a disorder that affects a lot of families. I’m sure we all know someone who has a family member who has autism to some varying degree. I’d also guess that a lot of us have seen Rain Man, which, as cheesy as parts of it can be, is a great look into the life of an autistic man.

The Horse Boy is a movie about a father and his relationship with his autistic son. Apparently this is the third attempt of a screening in Nashville, as the other two were canceled due to a variety of reasons including the flood. So, it looks like we’re finally going to be able to see this movie.

Even if, actually, especially if autism hasn’t affected your life you should try to get out to see this movie. If you’re the kind of person who wants to be more able to understand the lives of others then this is an event for you.

This movie will screen tonight, September 28th at 7pm in Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema.

-Emily

I would imagine that it isn’t exactly easy to convince people to sit through a silent film, much less a Swedish one from 1913. I think it goes without saying that if you enjoyed Transformers 2 you probably want to skip this one.

But if the history of cinema interests you then this might be something worth checking out. This social drama has often been called the “first realistic feature film” and, according to Wikipedia, caused debate about social security and poorhouse laws in Sweden.

It’s a film about a woman who, after her husband dies, has to take an extremely low-paying job in a poorhouse and is forced to put her children up for adoption. She later loses her sanity when one of her daughters doesn’t recognize her. According to the event description, “For its age, the film shows remarkable sophistication and depth of characterization, as well as skillful photography and editing before these aspects of cinematography were more advanced and developed. Any rawness in style only heightens the gripping and heart-rending drama in this historical and cinematic classic.”

This film will be shown tonight, September 15th at 7pm at the Sarratt Cinema on Vanderbilt’s campus.

If you’ve been reading N4F for awhile then you know that I LOVE the International Lens Film Series at Vanderbilt. I just don’t think that people see enough foreign films, not because it doesn’t interest them, but because they’re never really presented with an opportunity to see them.

International Lens is great because they usually show a few different films a week, all from different countries. For example, tomorrow Wednesday September 1st they’re screening a film in the Sarratt Cinema called The Good, the Bad, and the Weird. It’s a Korean Western. How does that not sound awesome?

This film was released in 2008 and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. It was inspired by the classic western the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I think it’s pretty easy to guess who’s the good one, the bad one, and the weird one from the poster. That dude in the middle is obviously weird, but he looks pretty awesome.

And now, the synopsis:

(2008) Dir: Ji-woon Kim. Set in the 1930s Manchurian desert where lawlessness rules, a bounty hunter, a bandit, and a train robber fatefully meet. Their chase across Manchuria for a mysterious map escalates, growing as unpredictable as it is good, bad, or weird. Korean with English subtitles.130 mins.

Just try to tell me that doesn’t sound like a cool movie. Again, it’s tomorrow night at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema.You can park for free Zone 2 lot 2 on West End. Here’s a map.

-Emily

I’m sad to announce that this week is the last week for Vanderbilt International Lens Series. International Lens has brought dozens of free foreign films to us since last fall, just like it does every year. In my opinion it’s one of the coolest series of free events in Nashville, and without a doubt one of the most prolific, with at least one film being shown per week. Each film is shown at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema at 7pm.

This Tuesday International Lens is showing Jesus of Montreal. Here’s some info about it:

When attendance at a church’s annual Passion Play flags, a troupe of young actors stages a modern interpretation of Jesus’ teachings. Their version brings the house down, but also brings down the condemnation of the church’s hierarchy, creating a strange parallel between the actors, now persecuted believers, and their play. Winner of the 1989 Cannes Grand Jury Prize and 12 Canadian Genies. In French and Italian with English subtitles. Rated R. 118 minutes.

Then, on Wednesday, International Lens is showing Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony. Here’s the info for that one:

Does song have the power to communicate, motivate, console, unite and, ultimately, beget change? This documentary of black South African freedom music reveals the central role it played in the battle against apartheid. Archival footage, interviews, musical numbers, and reenactments celebrate the resilience of the human spirit throughout this decades-long struggle for civil rights. In Zulu(!) with English subtitles. Rated PG-13. 108 minutes

I hope some of you get out to one of these movies, because it’ll be the last of them until the next fall.

-Emily