The director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey) The talent: By this point in his career, auteur-photographer Ceylan is a self-standing arthouse brand — which is just as well, since the other names involved are unlikely to ring many bells with non-Turkish viewers. Leading man Yilmaz Erdoğan, a 43 year-old actor-writer-director, is a hugely popular figure in […]
CANNES CHECK: ‘Once Upon a Time in Anatolia’
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:09 am · April 28th, 2011
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Best Foreign Language Film: an alternative ballot
Posted by Guy Lodge · 8:12 am · December 19th, 2008
Last month, I played devil’s advocate a little with the Best Documentary Feature category, suggesting five less-discussed titles from the shortlist of contenders as a potential counter to the dizzying advance of the clear frontrunner, “Man on Wire” — not as a slight on the film, which is terrific, but in the interests of diversity. […]
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‘Three Monkeys’ joins the Foreign Film mix
Posted by Guy Lodge · 3:47 am · September 24th, 2008
Nobody who was paying attention at Cannes will be surprised that Turkey has selected Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “Three Monkeys” as their entry in the foreign-language derby. The film was one of the critical sensations of the festival back in May and was many pundits’ pick for the Palme d’Or — it wound up with the […]
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No surprises as Cannes jury surprises
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:47 pm · May 25th, 2008
Well, I missed that one badly. As is so often the case, the Cannes jury threw a curveball, handing their top prize to a late-breaking film that had generated very few column inches. Admittedly, I should have paid more attention to “The Class,” French auteur Laurent Cantet’s school-based docudrama. I was a huge fan of […]
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Which film will take the Palme d’Or?
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:40 am · May 23rd, 2008
Wells is already speculating and Foote is ready to move on, but let’s think it out here. In a festival that has been a bit underwhelming to most, both artistically for the critics and fiscally for the buyers, someone’s still gotta win best in show. Matteo Garrone’s “Gomorra” and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “Three Monkeys” might […]
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Cannes update: Italy’s ‘Gomorra’ wows ’em
Posted by Guy Lodge · 3:10 am · May 20th, 2008
(EDITOR’S NOTE: New Cannes poll in the sidebar as of this morning, FYI.) We’re at the halfway point now, and this year’s Cannes Festival seems to have been a pretty staid affair so far. With the dust settled, “Blindness” appears to have been labelled an honourable disappointment. Meanwhile, some of the big arthouse names in […]
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