Name Valeria Bruni Tedeschi Born 16 November 1964. Turin. Background The daughter of a wealthy Italian industrialist and a French actress mother, Bruni- Tedeschi has worked over the last 20 years with numerous European auteur directors, including Patrice Chereau (Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train). Claire Denis (Nenette and 80m). Claude Chabrol (The Colour of Lies), and Ennanno Olmi (Tickets). Having specialized in playing, in her own words. ‘characters who are victims of their neuroses and of unkind men'. she excelled in Francois Ozon's 5x2. 3 told-in-reverse account of a couple's failed relationship and her highest profile lead-role to date.
What’s she up to now? Currently the blonde actress can be seen in a supporting part in Ozon’s terminal illness drama Time to Leave. She's also begun shooting her second directorial feature. provisionally titled Actress. based on a French and Italian cast rehearsing Turgenev's A Month in the Country.
What she says about Munich ‘I did that film out of curiosity. They were shooting in Paris and I wanted to see what Steven Spielberg is like directing on his set. I didn't have much work to do - l was only in three small scenes. We weren't allowed to read the whole script. They were afraid of leaks to terrorist groups.’
What she says about career choices ‘The first reason I do a movie is the director. not my connection to the character in the script. I want to work with people I like, and that's why I've made this second film with Czon.’
Interesting fact Bruni-Tedeschi's parents moved the family to France in the 19705. fearing that their children might be kidnapped in Italy.
I Time to Leave is at Filmhouse from Fri 12 May and GFT Glasgow from 26 May. See review. page 41.
48 THE LIST 1 1—25 May 2006
King Kong I IZA) coo (Peter Jackson. New Yealand/l'S. 2005) Naomi Watts. Jack Black. Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis. Jaitiie Bell. lx7min. Jackson‘s lay ish remake oi (‘ooper and Schoedsack's l9.“ classic puts the mother of all monsters iit his own A-list show. Jackson presents his ctiiiiputcr-generated Kong as a spectacle for audiences to ogle in disbelief. The film takes off during the arriyal at Sktill Island but in the final third it really loses momentum. 'lhe ending is as it should be. on top ol. the limpire State Building. as Kong climbs up the top to do battle with bi-platies. Bill it all feels so mawkisb. After three hours, not to be moved by the linalc is a pity. (ilusgoit [Vi/m 'I'Itt'utn'. (ilusgmi'.
Kirikou and the Sorceress ( t'i
m (Michel ()celot. France/Belgtum/l.uxembourg. 2003i Antoinette Kellerm. lie/cle Mpcka. Koiiibisile Sangw'eni. 'l'heo Sebeko. Mabutho ‘Kid‘ Sitliole. 74min. 'l‘apping away from inside his mother's tummy. Kirikou wants to get on with lite; lie's impatient for it and so out he pops. But crawling to the safety ol~ mum's breast he learns the terrible truth. All his brothers and family have been eaten tip by the evil Karaba. the village is decimated what are you going to do Kirikou'.’ l‘ight her and rescue everyone. ol‘ course. Lovely little Kirikou go on lad. (‘hariiiing animation. Part of Weans' World. I'll/riltuust'. Iz‘tli'rilnugh.
L’Auberge Espanole (Pot Luck) ( IS) 0. ((‘edric Klapisch. France. 2002) Romain I)uris. Judith (iodrechc. Audrey 'l‘autou. l20min. In this l‘eclgood film Xavier exchanges student life. his girlfriend and his family for the chance to learn Spanish and live in Barcelona and reconsiders his priorities. influenced by his new experiences and the students he shares his new apartment with. (ilusgrm' I'll/It 'I-Iit'llll‘t’, (I‘lusgrm'. Lemming ( 15) 0.0 (Dominik Moll. France. 2005) Laurent Lucas. (‘harlotte (ittittsbourg. (‘harlotte Rampling. Andre l)ussollier. l2‘)min. Young inventor Alain (ietty (Laurent) is smashed up iii a car crash. gets bitten by the title rodent. and sees his wile Bénédictc ((iainsbourg) apparently possessed. As with filmmaker Moll‘s
Divine Intervention
preyious. slightly superior work Hurry He‘s Here In Ilt'l/t ( 3000). Ix'mmutg entertainineg explores how a complacent couple‘s equilibrium is disrupted by the arriyal of mysterious intruder. l-‘ilm/toust'. Edinburgh. Life Blood (Sangue vivo) I IS) (lidoardo Winstware. Italy. 2000) l’ino Zimba. |.amer1o l’robo. ('laudio (iiangreco. Addolorata 'l‘urco. 05min. 'lhis centres on two brothers brought up as traditional musicians playing [a l’i/Iica tambourine folk music lit)!” the south. llow cscr. their stniggles with drugs threaten to driye them apart. l’an ol (‘inema Sud: l‘iliiimaking in the South ol Italy. (ilmgtm [Vi/m 'I'ltt'utri'. (iltngmi: Love «0 Hate ( l5) 0 (Dominic Sayage. l'K/lreland. 2005) Tom Hudson. Samina Await. h’omin. Another Asian and British cross-cultural romance in the tradition of lit“! ty lids]. ."t' I'l’llll Kiss and Burt! It Liki' link/mm. This time the Asian is l7 year-old Naseema (Aw an) and her loy e interest is Adaiti (Hudson) whose Iaiiiily are BNl’ through and through. The race message that Asians who abandon their tamin traditions should be l‘ctcd atid that those that aren't convinced by the melting point should be beaten tip would make Norman 'l‘ebbit proud. Seriiionising well past its sell-by date. St'lt't'lt'tl I't‘ll’ll.\t'. The Magician I IS) 00 (St-nit Ryan. Atistralia. 2005) Scott Ryan. Ben Walker. Massimiliano Andrighetto. Katie Mason. 83min. 'l'his mix-kunientary about Melbourne-based hitntan Ray Shoesmith (played by writer/director Ryan). who's supposedly lilmed at work by his liuropean neighbour and film student Max (Andrighetto). is a blatant rip-oil of two far better lilms: the l‘)‘)2 Belgian serial killer mockdoc Mun Bites hug and the 2000 Atissie biopic ('Imppt'r. There's no magic lterc. .S't'lt't'lt'tl I‘t'lt'usc. Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 30 (ll) 00 (Mark
(‘owen. l'S. 2005) Tom Hanks (narrator). Brandy Blackledge. (iarrison llershberger. Andrew llusmann. Aaron White. 40min. Tom Hanks narrates this homage to the l2 men who walked on the moon between l‘)(i‘) and l‘)72. This spectacular documentary re-
enacts the landings in an oyerbearingly dramatic fashion. [MAX I'hnttn'. Glasgow. Manderlay ( I5) om (tars yon 'I‘ner. lknniark/Sweden/l'K/lirance. 2005) Bryce Dallas Howard. Danny (iloser. lsaach de Bankole. Iauren Bacall. Wilem Dal'oe. lltlmin. 'lhe second pan of Von 'l'rier's proposed ‘American Trilogy" begins where [Men/Ir left oil and weases another allegorical tale attacking American imperialism ()n a tourney across America with her father (Defoe. replacing James ('aan ). (Brace comes across the town of Mandcrlay. where slayery is still practiced.
Taking a lawyer and tour henchmen she decides to tree the slaves and introduce
Match Point ( 12A) .0
dellltl‘rtls‘). The only drawback to this rigourously intelligent film is that on its second outing. the limited sound stage aesthetic already seems a bit stale. (ilusgow I'll"! 'I'ht'utn'. (i/ttsgmi:
(Woody Allen. FR. 3005) Scarlett Joltttnsson. Jonathan Rhys-Mey ers. limily Mortimer. l2~lmin. By swapping Manhattan for London and comedy (or drama. Allen has created a lilm that is turgid and pretentious. 'l‘ennis-pro (‘hris (Rhys-Meyers) is tom between tnarriage lo iiiillionaire's daughter. ('hloe (Mortimer) and a passionate allair with actress Nola (Johansson). The clunking
dialogue is bad enough. but it becomes tnily
terrible when Allen crow'bars in a double ttiurder. (Mum. lz‘tlirtliitrg/i.
Memoirs of a Geisha ( IRA) 000 (Rob Marshall. l'S. 2005) Ken Watanatx‘. Michelle Yeoh. Zhang Ziyi. (iong l.i. l-lSmin. Screen adaptation of Arthur
(iolden's novel which tells the story of a
l l l l
Japanese child torn from ltcr family to work at a geisha hoUse. blossoming into the legendary geisha Sayuri ('/.iyi). Marshall places the emphasis on the aesthetic rather than dramatic content. never giving us enough believable motivation as a result. Brtuttmt 'I‘ltt'utn'. Edinburgh.
Metal: A Headbangers Journey (l5) mo (Sam Dunn & Scot Meliadyen. Canada. 2005) 96min. Anthropological and genuinely intelligent documentary attempt to understand the roots and dynamics of the international heavy metal music scene. ('mm'n, Edinburgh.
:3. J
I?) v, " , .
Elia Suleiman’s darkly funny 2002 film gets a welcome screening as part of a Palestinian Film Festival, kicking off this fortnight in Edinburgh. Detailing the
writer/director’s unrequited love affair (and other problems) with a beautiful Palestinian woman who lives in Ramallah (they are separated by a checkpoint), this is an unusually absurdist, playful film to come out of this part of the world. If you missed it on its original release don’t let this chance to see it pass you by. Visit muslimcultures.org and palestinefilm.org for season information. I Fi/mhouse. Edinburgh (Sun 74 May only).