I apologise for my lateness! Friends happened.
There’s always time for friends! I still need to watch My Friend Ivan Lapshin this evening, but looking forward to voting.
My friend Ivan Lapshin 1 vs Two Drifters 0
Wrote some thoughts, but there’s no electricity here due to quake so they’ll have to wait.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 – João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
This is another very close vote for me, I gave both of them 7’s. The tip goes to German because there’s something about the characterization in Two Drifters I find off putting. The final scene was a “…Really?” moment for me.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 vs Joao Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
Lapshin is probably my number 2 favorite of all the films I’ve watched of the cup. It was just brilliantly crafted.
Similar to Jirin, the whole movie was “Really!” for me. I can’t stand to watch ridiculous characters do ridiculous things. It being way overacted as well kind of put me off it to.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) —1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) —0
No contest for me. Interested to see if Rodrigues’ next film resonates with me more (hell, I was turned off by the Round 1 Zulawski last year and rated the next two films 5/5!).
Aleksei German moved to the top of my list with this film.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) – 1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) – 0
My friend Ivan Lapshin 1 vs Two Drifters 0
Both were not really fascinating, for different reasons.
Lapschin is a quality film and with solid acting, dialogs, plenty precious details (I am Russian), but all that didn’t feel seamless and natural, I just stumbled upon one trick after a another, and was glad to reach the end. Two Drifters was easier and more inviting, but too easy – after a couple of weeks I’ve found that not much was left in my memory apart from some Odete’s expressions and doings.
My Friend Ivan Lapshin (German) – 0 // Two Drifters (Rodrigues) – 1
Two very good films, both quite stylistically distinctive. Lapshin has a subtle tone of nostalgic melancholy that sticks with me but I’m going to have to give Rodrigues his first vote for his very charged, intense, and emotionally captivating film. Looking forward to more from both directors.
I think the major flaw of Odete is that it relies too much on the (probably?) interactive relationship of He and She instead of the general She as the title indicates with her name as the film’s marquee. I know this may be just a small flaw in my eyes which somehow lessens the film’s schizophrenic viewpoint but no doubt it’s a major flaw to a large part of an audience that won’t accept the dreamscape as something…well, normal….for what the director has in mind and not just a fable of ghosts and fateful choices.
I must say, it all boils down to how the homosexual affinities were presented throughout the film and the fact that Rodrigues isn’t afraid to endorse masculinity to Odete’s behavior towards the finale is one heavily bold move regarding the sexual orientations, directions and beliefs of the 21st century and how free expression should be illuminated as openly and bluntly as possible. Now, I may come off as a hyper-intellectual junkie but I also feel that if there is one more flaw in Odete, that’s the fact that it ended up against one of German’s top 3 films (in my opinion) and I safely assume that any other Rodrigues feature would have fared a lot better against a magnum opus like German’s is.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
It seems that a common reaction to Ivan Lapshin, and do correct me if this is an incorrect assumption, that people are speaking of it more as a film of nostalgia, a child’s story or a period piece or something, perhaps a bit light hearted. While I found it a terrifying film, a somewhat disheveled (in a good way) study of who Lapshin will be in the coming years, that we can only imagine how these events will correlate with later actions in Stalinist Russia, how they will form a rationale, an evolved reasoning, leading to what I imagine to be despicable deeds. In the film, he’s in a limbo that almost verges on the unstable, still haunted by past military service and worn down by the current pursuit of the gang. It can be assumed his actions in the film will lead to a rise in the police bureaucracy, and the memory of this period will lead to a fatigue, a sense that he needs to bring an urgency to his position at costs of morality, shaped by actions to be considered ‘efficient’, in addition to the growing psychological toll from his time as a soldier. The structure of the child’s memory coupled with stories told to him by his father feels less like the purpose of nostalgia (even though this is a factor not to be ignored), more as a frame for incomplete recollection, in essence, how subtle formations of character can go unnoticed, much like they would to a child, until eventual shifts in judgement and ethics seem like sudden changes. And, to do a little managerial promotion, it reminds me of Królikiewicz’s frantic portraits, in which information is sparse, insinuated or briefly shown, particularly The Dancing Hawk and its own characterization of a generation (even though they aren’t too comparable stylistically).
Two Drifters, I don’t think I liked it as much as some, but didn’t hate it as much as others, just kind of lukewarm. I think mostly due to how much in the first half I was hating it, or hating the characters and my perceived notion of what it would eventual unfold into, until a certain midway point when it offered at least some explanation for Odete, that she wasn’t just some abominable character toying with the mourning that we have to watch. But even then, I’ll just be less keen on these hyper-emotional films, and much of the study of loss I didn’t find compelling, with the exception of the second to last scene when she walks up to him in the bar, since it offered, I guess, a twist of sorts, for what the film was structuring itself to be. But again, it’s not the best response, but it’ll be harder to impress me with stories of mourning that are so, I don’t know, hyperactive in performance alone, not sensationalist but something like that (and by that I’m not just referring to scenes like the final one).
Joao Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0 vs Aleksei German (My friend Ivan Lapshin) 1
5th ‘drubbing’ in a row?
Two Drifters 1 – My Friend Ivan Lapshin 0
Two Drifters is Vertigo gone (fully) gay with the twist that Kim Novak instead of falling off the tower decides to gear up and bang the crap out of Jimmy Stewart. The outrageous grand finale just lingers in your brain. The soundtrack is perfect.
I should watch My Friend Ivan Lapshin again because, like other Russian films, there is a strong effort to not provide decisive characterizations and many things seem just vague. Also I am not well versed on soviet social life during the 30’s which means I probably missed a lot of the subtext. I am sure my appreciation will improve with a second viewing.I wasn’t able to find /get ahold of two drifters. :(
but I did see the first half of Ivan.
Joao Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters): 0 —vs— Aleksei German (My friend Ivan Lapshin): 1
One of my favourite matches this round, and it seems so silly to attach a “0” to Ivan Lapshin…,
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin)- 0 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters)- 1
My Friend Ivan Lapshin (German) – 0 Two Drifters (Rodrigues) – 1
Both very good, but going with the enjoyment/emotional attachment factor
9-4 for German, if I’m correct….
My Friend Ivan Lapshin (German)-0, Two Drifters (Rodrigues)-1
I seem to have the opposite opinion of most during this round.
I didn’t find Lapshin bad, I just didn’t “connect” with it. Two Drifters, may have the advantage of this being my second viewing, as I did like it a little more than I did my first time a couple of years ago.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 – João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
Rodrigues is very good, but Lapshin is a truly masterpiece!
“Managed by Ari/Dimitris…” WTF, two managers for Alexei German, it looks like that I missed something in DC threads?
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
I felt like I had been aliniated from the film Ivan Lapshin with the scene of the role of a plane of a man. After the film, I really didn’t think it was a wonderful film but as I thought it became more and more interesting. It really is a very good picture of USSR of the time.
Two drifters, has some purple patches for me I couldn’t directly tell since I even can’t understand. It will become more clear but I know It will never be as good as Ivan Lapshin for me.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
I felt like I had been aliniated from the film Ivan Lapshin with the scene of the role of a plane of a man. After the film, I really didn’t think it was a wonderful film but as I thought it became more and more interesting. It really is a very good picture of USSR of the time.
Two drifters, has some purple patches for me I couldn’t directly tell since I even can’t understand. It will become more clear but I know It will never be as good as Ivan Lapshin for me.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
As much as the connection problem occured for me too while watching German’s film the whole effect of the film conquered me after days passed. The quick reaction of mine for the film normal but i can’t let the scenes of the film to leave my head. So it was basicly about a country, people and feelings. Even i did not see Russian part of the world, the film made me feel like watching my neighbours.
But Odete was? Over, over, over for anyting for cinema. Just that was bad. No success.
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
connection connection connection! odd obsession. i’ll buy a puppy and watch talk shows if i wanted that! how does a country allow itself to descend into extreme authoritarian rule and terror? how does the populace allow it? you’d think they’d notice! german has a go at exploring the time just before that tipping point….and the way he films it, the jilting broken whirling through the eyes of a child…that so alienates people (okay, i lied, that exhuberant fracture is in my soul and there’s MY connection) is part of german’s film….if only the individual could comprehend all the ways the whole world’s a-going…ah i loved it. it’s incisive, thoughtful, fun, bleak and gorgeously filmed (it’s pretty! – remember that shot over the harbour, at a quiet dawn, was it?)..um…i guess i’ll just take that puppy back to the shop then…
(and fingers crossed for khrustalyov my car next….if people had a hard time connecting to ivan…ho ho)
i wasn’t keen on odete. hyper-emoting bugs me. although i realise that’s my problem and not the film’s.
sorry for voting two times I just see it
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) 1 vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters) 0
Rich Uncle Skeleton
THE DIRECTORS’ CUP 2011 : ROUND 1, MATCH 5 VOTING
The extended voting period for this match lasts until 8pm BST (7pm GMT) on Saturday 9th April, which means that users will have over 47 hours in order to publish their votes. The world map which lists all current time zones can be found on www.worldtimezone.com, so that everyone can be up to date about how much time is left.
After the voting period is over the votes will be counted and the results published. The next match will begin before 8pm BST (7pm GMT) on Friday 8th April.
Each user can vote on any match as long as he/she has watched both films that are lined-up against each other. An explanation for the preference in each case would be greatly appreciated. Managers are not allowed to vote on matches that their director participates in. The voting should be handled like this:
Film A 1 (or 0) – Film B 0 (or 1 )
Please mark the winning film/score in large or heavy print.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT NAME BOTH FILMS IN YOUR POST YOUR VOTE WILL NOT BE COUNTED
The match you´re going to vote for on this thread is:
Aleksei German (My Friend Ivan Lapshin) vs João Pedro Rodrigues (Two Drifters)
Managed by Ari/Dimitris and Dust in Love respectively
If you have not seen either of these films and are not able to access them on your own then pm me and I should hopefully be able to give you access to streaming links.
Aleksei German Introduction Thread
João Pedro Rodrigues Introduction Thread