Displaying items by tag: Charles Dance

RUMOURS

Canada, 2024. 118 minures, Colour.

Cate Blanchett, Rolando Ravallo, Charles Dance, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Roy Dupuis, Dennis Menochet, Alicia Vikander.

Directed by Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin.

Esoteric and exotic are two words that come to mind while watching films by a Canadian rector, Guy Maddin. While he does have narrative and character development, his interest seems to be on the different kinds of impact films can have. His work is praised by critics. But, the average audience is bewildered.

While Rumours is probably the most accessible of his films, it still seems to have bewildered many of the public. To many, this seems so absurd a narrative, that they give up on it.

The basic plot outline, however, seems fairly direct. A meeting of leaders of the G7 takes place in ta castle in a German forest. The seven leaders meet for lunch, served in a pleasant gazebo, discussions, personal interactions, conflicts, and then their being stranded, lost in the forest at night. But, what happens to them in the forest, exposing of the limitations of their characters, the threats of impending apocalyptic doom, certainly takes them and the audience on unexpected paths.

The film does have the advantage of having Cate Blanchett in the central role as the German Chancellor, accented English and all. The other central character is the Canadian, Roy Dupuis, the most complex character of them all and he is given the final rhetorical declarations. The rest of the cast are strong character actors, including Charles Dance, of all people, as the ageing, prone to nod off, American President (and, just as it was a to explain his very proper British accent, he is cut off and we never know). Dennis Menochet dominates his scenes, a large man, -the intellectual, the French president. And Nikki Amuka-Bird, is a black prime minister from the UK.

The film might be seen as a political drama. However, the expose of the limitations of each of the leaders, leads to a satiric approach. The task for the leaders that we watch is their preparing for the communiqué, something like a school project amongst them, small groups, stating the obvious, truisms, platitudes. And then there are many farcical situations, some comedy. And, the three directors have though had an interest in conventions of horror films – so, excavations of 2000-year-old corpses, zombies, sex-obsessed, cavorting in the forest, and an AI program that is a perverse controller, and an overlarge-sized brain out their amongst the trees.

When asked to indicate approach to appreciating Rumours and its satire, a review suggests itself. What if the leaders of the G7, meeting there at the gazebo, all nodded off like the American President and had a communal nightmare. This would be the nightmare, cut off, lost, the very human limitations made all the more manifest, their being manipulated as the world seems to be going to its doom – and, rhetorically, standing there on the balcony, proclaiming some kind of hopeful G7 statement that might transcend the doom. Which means that both the leaders and we ourselves as the audience are often bewildered.

1. The work of the directors? Exotic and esoteric? Ironic comedy? Drama? Touches of horror?
2. The title, rumours, rumours of war…?
3. The basic premise, the meeting of the G7, the world leaders, economic situation, the official statement, reassurance? The screenplay and the presentation of the leaders, strengths, and expose of weaknesses, personal incompetencies, self-importance, relationships, affairs? Their characteristics representing their nations? The meeting, lunch, the gazebo, discussions, the small groups, preparation of the statement?
4. The German setting, the forest, the Castle, the gazebo, the forest? The events in the night, the darkness? The trees, the zombie-like creatures, the excavation of the bodies, Sylvain falling in, the sexual behaviour of the zombies, the ferry, the crossing of the water? The final scenes in this castle? The musical score?
5. The German leader, memories of Angela Merkel, Cate Blanchet, the accent, in charge, hosting, her concerns, the attraction to Maxine, going to search for him, the sexual encounter, the aftermath? Her support, guidance? The encounter with Celestine, her being able to understand and translate?
6. Maxime, Canada, the crises at home, the past affair with the British Prime Minister, his Celestine, the present with the German, his personality, his wife, deceptions? His crises and running away, the drinking, the clash with the British Prime Minister, the sexual encounter with the German leader, wandering in the forest, the discovery of the giant brain, discovering Celestine, the interactions with her? His carrying Sylvain after his collapse?
7. The French Prime Minister, pomposity, large, history, his book on graves, the excavations, his literary quotes, historical quotes, relationship with the other members, especially with the Italian Prime Minister, his notes blowing away, his pursuing them, in the forest, falling into the grave, the struggle with the body, his collapse, Maxine carrying him, the wheelbarrow, the ferry?
8. The Japanese Prime Minister, quiet, participating in the activities?
9. The Italian Prime Minister, small, friendly, quiet, the cured meat in his pocket, helping everyone, is a special concern about the French Prime Minister, the wheelbarrow?
10. The British Prime Minister, black, businesslike, the past relationship with Maxime, f ending him off, the participation in the activities?
11. The American president, as played by Charles Dance, the British accent, the almost explanation but not given? Age, superiority, leader of the free world, yet his falling asleep, his wanting to sleep, the Italian Prime Minister saving him?
12. The satire, the discussions for the statement, like small school groups discussing, the obvious, the platitudes…? The expose of the foibles? Lost in the forest, the zombies, the crises?
13. Celestine, the past, the talk about a new world order, her language, her documents, past with Maxime, the translation, rescuing her? Talk about Astrid?
14. The phone, the messages, Astrid, the little girl, asking for rescue, the group making their way to the Castle, entry, finding the Pres, the AI control, the accusations of sexual abuse, manipulation of characters? The death of the president?
15. The finale, the world up in flames, the rhetorical speech, the seven on the balcony? How much satiric? How much some kind of hope despite everything?

DESPITE THE FALLING SNOW

Canada/UK, 2017, 93 minutes, Colour.

Rebecca Ferguson, Sam Reid, Charles Dance, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Anthony Head, Antje Traue.

Directed by Shamim Sarif.

Despite the Falling Snow is a film about the Soviet Union, the collapse of the Soviet Union, transitions, espionage. The director, Shamim Sarif, adapted the screenplay from her own novel.

The film has two time eras, the late 1950s in Russia, the early 1960s in the United States. This establishes the main characters, especially the Russian, played by Australian Sam Reid (Interview with a Vampire, The Newsreaders). Then there is Russia in the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as will the sequences at this time in the United States. The Russian displayed this time by Charles Dance.

There are complexities in relationships, seeming betrayals, efforts to make atonement. The leading character in the later period is played by Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible, Dune).

The film was made in Serbia standing in from Moscow. At the time of this film’s release, even the 1990s was becoming part of Soviet and American history.

1. The title? Moscow and snow? Moscow and espionage? Moscow and romance?
2. The work of the director, novel, screenplay, production, direction?
3. A cold war story? The USSR in the Christian era? The US in the Kennedy era? The transition to 1992, election year for Bill Clinton, the collapse of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin?
4. The filming in Serbia, the Moscow sequences, the winter, the streets, the river, the Kremlin, official offices, apartments, schools? The contrast with the US, receptions in the 1960s, apartments in the 1990s? The musical score?
5. The introduction, the US reception, 1961, meeting between Soviet officials and Americans? Sasha and his presence, nervy, accompanied, meeting the US contact, his making a run for it, pursued, the car, the photo of his life, the contact had been lost?
6. 1959, Sasha, is political career, his parents, friendship with Misha, his boss, severe protocols in secrecy? The meeting with Katia? The attraction? His being used, her getting the documents, her falling in love, mission and his influence, the preparation for the wedding, her hesitancy, her commitment, life together? The romance with Katia? Meal with his parents? His going to the US, the on, security? His boss, the revelation of espionage? Katie telling him the truth, the effect on him, wanting to save her, going to America?
7. The film has cut his story, her background, the flashbacks to the brutality against her family, work at school, connections with Misha, the contacts, the documents, passing them on? The relationship with Misha? The relationship with Sasha, using him, his attraction, her attraction, the decision for the wedding, life with Sasha, the revelation of the truth, the dangers?
8. Misha, his political affiliations, espionage, photographing documents, passing them to County, his friendship with Sasha? The complications, the discovery?
9. 1992, the older Sasha, his war with the documentation, the loss of cut here? With his niece, her artwork? Going to Moscow? His being unwilling to go?
10. Laura, artwork, going to Moscow, the Moscow connection, the artwork of cut here, the exhibition? The impact of the art of cardio on visitors, on the audience? Is trying to make connection with Misha?, Personality, reserved? Pretending to make the contact? Lauren, lesbian, her approach to mania? Millions resistance? Telling the truth, the conflict between the two?
11. The visit to measure, old age, invented, staying in Moscow? His hostility, drinking? His going to the exhibition, getting the suitcase? Seeing the artwork? Meeting with Sasha? The clash, leaving the suitcase?
12. Sasha, going to Moscow, the exhibition, the encounter with Misha, the suitcase, the letter and his reading it?
13. The audience seeing the flashback, Misha and the torture, the soldiers, his meeting with Katia, the confrontation, her running, her being shot?
14. An espionage story? The Cold War? 30 years later and consequences? But, principally, a romance story?