Review Embargoes
I’m a day late with this week’s Film Pie blog but for once, it isn’t due to my own laziness and/or busy schedule.
I was able to catch a sneak preview of Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on Sunday night but sadly, there was a review embargo in place until Tuesday 5pm. This was to ensure that no reviews popped up in Australia prior to the Sydney premiere which Geoffrey Rush was attending.
The embargo has now passed and my review can be read. I wish I could fill you with exciting news but I’m going with the majority consensus so far and giving Pirates 4 the thumbs down.
Embargoes are always interesting to talk about in the film world. The reason they’re often in place is because studios don’t want to take a chance and run the risk of bad reviews ruining business.
When I saw Thor a few weeks back, I actually had to sign a declaration saying that I would release my review or saying anything about the film until a certain date. You can see me signing my life away right here - http://twitpic.com/4kwydy. Apparently whatever I was signing was governed by the laws of the State of California.
It feels somewhat contradictory because when a studio gets their hands on a smaller film that needs all the publicity it can get, they’re more than happy for you to see it weeks in advance and write glowing reviews (hopefully).
There isn’t much we can do however as critics. I’m grateful for any preview invitation I can get my hands on and I’m not in much of a position to be able to complain. I’ve mysteriously disappeared off invitation lists over the years (only to be added back on later) and the reality is the studios and distributors have the power. If they don’t want you talking about a film before it’s release, they’ll make sure of it.
Cannes Film Festival Update
The Cannes Film Festival is now in full swing and the big talking point over the last 24 hours has been the premiere of Terrence Malick’s The Tree Of Life (which I blogged about last week). The reclusive Malick didn't show up for the press conference but he did sneak into the official premiere. The film has been slated for a release on June 30 in Australia and the early reviews suggest it’ll be one of the strangest film-going experiences of the year. Here’s a quick sample of what’s been posted on Rotten Tomatoes so far…
“An impressionistic metaphysical inquiry into mankind's place in the grand scheme of things.” – Todd McCarthy (Hollywood Reporter)
“Metaphysical in narrative, ambitious in goal, and gorgeous in visual style, this is Malick's career-summation work, one that he has been preparing himself to make for decades.” – Emanuel Levy
“There are times when the film seems more like a religious experience than narrative cinema” – Derek Malcolm (This Is London)
“Few American filmmakers are as alive to the splendor of the natural world as Terrence Malick, but even by his standards, The Tree of Life represents something extraordinary.” – Justin Chang (Variety)
“It's a cosmic-interior epic of vainglorious proportions, a rebuke to realism, a disavowal of irony and comedy, a meditation on memory, and a gasp of horror and awe at the mysterious inevitability of loving, and losing those we love.” – Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian)
Also gathering attention at Cannes is the Australian film Sleeping Beauty (starring Emily Browning). It’s a film that seems to have divided most critics so far but it’s certainly sounds like it’s not afraid to take a few chances. Blogger Jeffrey Wells described it as “a highly refined, carefully poised erotic mood piece with oodles and oodles of milky nudity.” It’ll be interesting to see what the Australian public makes of it when released here on 23 June 2011.
Spanish Film Festival
Most of us can’t make it to Cannes but it doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy our own slice of international cinema in Brisbane. The Spanish Film Festival kicks off in Brisbane on May 18 and runs for 12 days. There are 36 films being screening in total and they were shot in countries including Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain and Venezuela.
I didn’t realise it until I read through the press notes but apparently Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world (behind Mandarin).
You can check out the full program on the Spanish Film Festival website by clicking here and I hope to get along to the Palace Barracks and Centro to see a few of the films. Tickets are $17 for most sessions.