DIRECTORS’ CUP 2011 VOTING, ROUND 1, MATCH 18: Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) vs. Leos Carax (Mauvais sang)

I haven’t seen the rest of the films you mentioned Kuxa, but Withnail and I is my third favorite film of all time.

Ha, but you say Ris that you have a problem with “heavy” art stuff, so maybe it’s just an art-house over mainstream preference by Kuxa….and I bet Shaun of the Dead is the Withnail of the new generation, much as the distinction is two different “styles”, so there you go with a comparison too, just to liven things up, haha…

(although I love Withnail too)

Quite the match here but I haven’t seen anything by Forsyth yet and only 2 from Carax but I’m secretly rooting for him because he’s one of those unconventional directors that more need to see his features…

Gregory’s Girl 1 – Mauvais Sang 0

So close to my life experience that I could almost sue and call the film an eponymous accounting of my younger days. An easy choice as Forsyth is one of my favorite directors of the eighties and nineties.

Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) 1 Leos Carax (Mauvais sang) 0

Anyone said Godard? I’m allergic to Godard…

Gregory’s Girl – 1, Mauvais Sang – 0

Forsyth’s best, and a near perfect film

Ha ha!! I thought I’d just throw Withnail and I in for the reaction! But seriously I think Dimitris may be right. I do prefer arthouse over mainstream or cult films. That is just my preference I guess. This is an interesting match though, as Mauvais Sang the epitomy of Cinema du Look, and some may say style over substance is a classic French 80’s film vs Gregory’s Girl which in many ways is so typical of many British films made in this era like the ones mentioned earlier. I guess the outcome and vote will depend on your palate.

12-11 Girl

Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) 0 Leos Carax (Mauvais sang) 1

Two stories here about who can get laid first! Not the kind of films I would usually go for. No, but there is more to it than that. It’s more like trying to compare Oedipus with Eros here, you just can’t do it. Gregory’s Girl is a funny film, but I agree with Kuxa Kanema about this. You would rather watch an episode of Grange Hill, right? There you would see some real clinical mental retardation. There are more memorable compositions in Bad Blood and Juliet Binoche always has a unique screen presence, I didn’t expect to ever see her dangling from an airplane!

Playing on policier conventions in a French tradition, a wide range of cultural references from STDs to Rimbaud and an American thug, it is more deep ploughing than than Gregory’s Girl – A vote for Bad Blood even if at this point I can only comprehend it with a pair of pliers. Gregory was shot with an arrow, Alex was shot with a gun, and Jean Cocteau is not dead! Ha Ha Ha.

Hey, I’m actually voting for once!

Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) 0 Leos Carax (Mauvais sang) 1

In both films I couldn’t completely buy into the main character. Regarding Gregory’s Girl, I’ve seen Local Hero before which is great and very charming. In the case of Gregory’s Girl it was charming, but occasionally charm gave way to annoyance as the way the main character acts can grow infuriating at points (did anyone else find the scene where he did goalie practice for that girl physically painful?…). For the most part it was an enjoyable film though and really rather mature when compared to other similar films.

Mauvais sang was disappointing, but still very good and it still gets my vote here. The comparisons people are making to Godard are good imo, yet I can’t buy into this film the same way I can something like Breathless. Even ignoring that the main character looking like he’s about 12 years old, I just found the way he acted if not ridiculous then certainly a deterrent to me investing myself in him. And though I enjoyed the playfulness of the film, at times it seemed to slip from playfulness into sillyness (the scene where he flips the car over…~cringe~). This all said, there are some incredible scenes and the visuals are great.

Most of my gripes about the film center around the main actor, Denis Lavant.

Was he miscast or was his slide down the youth scale and slight Neanderthality purposeful?

Bill Forsyth is my early pick to win this whole thing. I cannot believe this is so close. We still have Local Hero maybe and I hope Breaking In to look forward to. Carax has ideas but a rough time translating them. He is kooky but someone like Ozo is kooky and precise. Carax makes a better actor, wonderful in Mister Lonely.

I didn’t think the goalkeeping sequence was the weakest link, like you say it was more physical comedy.

haha this calling lavant a neanderthal is so mean! he’s more elfin, one of my favorite faces…

one of my favorite faces…

yup @ alexandra…if he’s in a film, it isn’t going to be bad… ♥ to denis…

He actually reminds me more of the Sleepwalkers’ cat people, but with this crowd, I thought Geico was the safer reference to make.

Eva Jean’s vote:

Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) 1 Leos Carax (Mauvais sang) 0

Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) —0 vs. Leos Carax (Mauvais sang) —1

Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) —0 vs. Leos Carax (Mauvais Sang) —1

Withnail and I is the worst example?

Them’s fightin words. Throw down, Kuxa. IT’S ON!!!

House, I’m about ready to slow down on my Kentucky Fried Movie quotes and get ready for a full on Withnail quote barrage. You with me??!

Ha, but you say Ris that you have a problem with “heavy” art stuff, so maybe it’s just an art-house over mainstream preference by Kuxa….and I bet Shaun of the Dead is the Withnail of the new generation, much as the distinction is two different “styles”, so there you go with a comparison too, just to liven things up, haha…

When did I ever say I had a problem with “‘heavy’ art stuff”???? It doesn’t sound like something I would say.

And just in case anyone cared, I don’t find Shaun of the Dead anywhere near as amusing or idiosyncratic as Withnail. I’ve been waiting for probably over five years now for Bruce Robinson’s new film, and adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary. It was in preproduction for many many years, and now it has been completed since last fall as far as I know. Now they just finally announced a release date for October 2011 supposedly. This is the longest buildup I think I’ve ever had for a film.

I’m secretly rooting for him

What’s the problem with so many people accidentally revealing who they are secretly rooting for? I think they forget that once they post it here it becomes public knowledge.

You would rather watch an episode of Grange Hill, right? There you would see some real clinical mental retardation.

Ha!

ok. you will stop slagging denis lavant off NOW.

he ends this film (starts about 1 min and carries on through the credits, all the other clips had their audio disabled) actually, now i just want to watch the whole film…

Denis Lavant is amazing! One of the greatest physical performers in cinema ever.

God, I love the ending to Beau travail…

I’m with you, Riss. I feel like a pig shat in my head.

Gregory’s Girl 0 – Mauvais Sang 1

While I enjoyed Gregory’s Girl (even if I literally didn’t understand half the dialogues), I am a sucker for over the top arthouse romantic movies where coherence and substance is sacrificed in favor of a good looking scene.

Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) —0 vs. Leos Carax (Mauvais sang) —1

Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl) —0 vs. Leos Carax (Mauvais sang) —1

Don’t threaten me with a dead fish.

I want something’s flesh.

How do we make it die?

I’m going to pull your head off, because I don’t like your head.