OWFILM WORLD CUP Round 1: Australia vs. Poland
Voting has now ended on the Italy vs. Taiwan massacre, and just like the contest would be if these two nations were to square off on the football field - the Italians wiped the floor with their much smaller counterparts. Sergio Leone's masterful spaghetti western The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is probably going to be one of the major contenders in this tournament, and deservedly so. It's our biggest majority win so far; Italy (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) 94% beat Taiwan (Lust, Caution) 6%. First Round of OWFilm World Cup Australia have recently been dumped out of the Football World Cup in South Africa and now must vie for redemption over here at Obsessed with Film. They are represented by Moulin Rouge, a film which broke box office records in its native country upon its release and which went on to become the first musical in over twenty years to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2002. However if Australia are to avoid repeating a fall at the first huddle in this particular tournament they have a tough battle on their hands in the form of Polands representative The Pianist which won countless international awards and is almost universally adored by critics and scholars alike. This match is very much The Mainstream versus The Critics Choice and only you can decide who will prevail. Vote now for which film you want to see advance to the next round. Remember you are voting for YOUR OPINION on which film you prefer. Tale of the Reel is after the jump...
Moulin Rouge (2001)
OSCAR COUNT (2) IMDB (7.7) ROTTEN TOMATOES (77%) EMPIRE TOP 500 (#211th)
Won deserved Oscars for Art Direction and Costume Design. Moulin Rouge is a colourful and frenzied musical told in a very melodramatic and expressive style. It features some visually arresting set-pieces and top notch performances all around but I found the films exaggerated tone and all too knowing post-modern aspects to be a little overbearing and I also struggled to really connect with any of the characters. It is still well worth watching however for tips on how to craft a mesmerizing arena and for looking at different ways in which to experiment with telling a story. INTERESTING FACT: At one time, musicians Ronan Keating and Courtney Love were considered for the two leading roles.
The Pianist (2002)
OSCAR COUNT (3) IMDB (8.5, #52) ROTTEN TOMATOES (95%) EMPIRE TOP 500 (Not listed!)
Won Oscars for Best Director, Best Leading Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay. As those who read my detailed anatomy of this film just over a month back will know; I have a great fondness for this picture. The film manages to present the sadness and needlessness of war without assigning blame and without having to point a camera two inches in front of a crying child. Instead the approach is underplayed and still thus making it hard for the audience to feel anything but a dreadful numb sensation as we watch these baffling and unspeakably horrifying events. The characters manage to avoid being painted as stereotypes and the film carries an open mind when dealing with different nations and minorities. For me this is the only feature length Holocaust picture truly worth anyones time or patience. It is a shame that owing to a dreadful mistake Polanksi made during a tumultuous period of his life; the director was unable to enjoy the crowning moment of his career as he finally won a long overdue Academy Award. INTERESTING FACT: Adrien Brody got rid of his apartment, sold his car, and didn't watch television in order to prepare himself for the loss he wanted to portray as Wladyslaw Szpilman.