Back to All Reviews
Requiem For A Dream (Darren Arofonsky, 2000)
Sous Le Sable (François Ozon, 2000)
StartUp.Com (Chris Hegedus and Jehane Noujaim, 2001)
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000)
reviewed: 01-06-2002
Directed by Darren Aronofsky (Pi) from the novel by Hubert Selby Jr (who also wrote the screenplay), Requiem for a Dream is a powerful and relentless study of four people and their various decline into their addictions – be it TV, diet pills, cocaine, alochol or heroine… Despite an excellent performance from Ellen Burstyn and a beautiful haunting score by the Kronos Quartet, the (inevitable) tragic ending leaves you with a sense of loss. As Aronofsky himself said… 'this movie isn't really about drugs, but about love. More importantly, what happens when love goes wrong'.
Pip Farquharson
back to indexSOUS LE SABLE (UNDER THE SAND) (2000)
reviewed: 01-03-2002
Directed by François Ozon, Under the Sand (Sous le Sable) stars Charlotte Rampling as Marie, a college lecturer in Paris, who has been married to Jean for over 25 years. Whilst on holiday in the south of France, they visit a deserted beach. Marie lies in the sun whilst Jean goes swimming – and fails to returns. Marie resumes her life in Paris but refuses to accept that Jean has perished and continues to live her life as if he were still alive. Sous le Sable was described by The Sunday Telegraph as 'an elegant poem of a film about the endurance of love'. And whilst it is indeed a testament to a profound and developed love, it is also a disturbing study of denial, obsession, and deterioration. And it offers a realistic portrayal of such a traumatic loss. Deliciously slow and sensual, Charlotte Rampling gives an incredibly compelling and impressive performance of an intelligent woman slowly losing her mind. Listen out for Portishead's excellent track, Undenied, and watch out for a fabulous scene between Marie and her mother-in-law! Note that the ever fabulous Cult Videotheek has the video with either Dutch or English subtitles.
Pip Farquharson
back to indexSTARTUP.COM (2001)
reviewed: 01-04-2002
Directed by Chris Hegedus and Jehane Noujaim, this documentary follows childhood friends Kaleil Isaza Tuzman and Tom Herman from drawing board to boardroom as they develop their internet company GovWorks during the dot.com boom at the end of the 1990s. It's fascinating to watch the growth of an idea (even if for most of the film you're not really sure what it is, maybe intentional), and see the personalities of these unashamed capatilists emerge: the rather bullheaded and greedy Kaleil pitted against the more sensitive, moralistic Tom. As time progresses the company starts going down the pan and the friendship of these two is put to the ultimate test. Well worth seeing. Not least for the 'what happened next' closing credits (laughable, and a bit sad).
Pip Farquharson
back to index
