This interview is new to me.  It’s fascinating listening to Brady & Mona talk about what influenced them to write this script (and it’s not the Jean-Paul Sartre novel as many kept trying to tell me), what happened with cast changes, how it was to work with actors.  There’s no specific mention about Rob, but it’s definitely worth listening to this podcast to hear some background to this film. Click on the pic to listen.

From FRED:

“FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews director Brady Corbet and screenwriter Mona Fastvold on the film THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER, which they presented in the ORIZZONTI section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival. The film is a very ambitious and arduous project, and the two tell us about what they went through in order to get this very powerful vision together. They also mention the many influences from art and history that shaped the final piece, and discuss the stylistic choices as well as their work with the cast.”

Ooh and a new still that doesn’t include Rob unfortunately.  The Phi Centre, Montreal will hold screenings of The Childhood of a Leader on the following dates:

February 16: 7:30 PM
February 18: 7:30 PM
February 19: 7:30 PM
February 23: 8 PM
February 25: 8 PM
11,75$ (seniors and students: 9,50$)
Taxes and fees included

Where: Space B (2^nd floor)

You can purchase tickets here

I love this new still even without Rob in it.

 

via RobsFootsteps & Sally

Thanks @deesoonz.

Remember when I posted that Sweden was getting The Childhood of a Leader on 26 February 2016?  Well that’s now changed.  I came across Bioguide (Sweden) which shows the release date for The Childhood of a Leader as 13 May 2016 – Rob’s birthday.  We know that TriArt Film is definitely the distributor for Sweden as that is who is mentioned on the Göteborg Film Festival website and now KINO is also showing the premiere for 13 May 2016.

I was waiting for the full programme to be unleashed as I had a feeling The Childhood of a Leader would be screening and I’m not disappointed.  Lucky Swedes.  The film is one of 8 nominated in the The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award section and will screen on 1, 2 and 3 February 2016.  Fingers crossed Brady Corbet walks away with yet another award.  Tickets are available from 16 January 2016 and I will update post with links as soon as I can.

“The 27-year-old actor Brady Corbet (Funny Games, Melancholia, Clouds of Sils Maria) makes his directorial debut with a punky combo of a dark historical drama mixed with a psychological thriller inspired by a Sartre novella. At heart is a family in decay, in a Europe on fire. The consequences of the Treaty of Versailles, discussed essentially in the family home, will shape the son — a combination of angel and evil, outstandingly played by Tom Sweet. Bérénice Bejo, Liam Cunningham and Robert Pattinson (in a smaller role) also give strong performances in these beautiful 35-mm fireworks with potent music by Scott from the Walker Brothers. Corbet won the Orizzonti Award for Best Director in Venice and the film won the festival’s debut award.”

 

Again, there’s that March release date reference for Queen of the Desert. It’s really only 6 weeks or so away so that’s not long at all.  From The Playlist:

““The Childhood Of A Leader”
Safe to say you won’t see a more ambitious movie than Brady Corbet‘s Venice winner. But for Jess, who reviewed his grandiose directorial debut at a C+ out of Venice, that adds up to a film whose noisy reach exceeds its cacophonous grasp (Scott Walker‘s score is one of the most interesting aspects, but it’s blasted so loud at times that it hurts). Starring Bérénice Bejo, Liam Cunningham and Stacy Martin, with a small role for Robert Pattinson, it’s very self-serious and rather hard work, but you can’t say Corbet hasn’t got balls.
Release Date: No word yet

““Queen Of  The Desert”
That “Queen of the Desert,” less a bad film than a very bland and starchy one, feels like such a crushing disappointment, is a mark of how much we were expecting something with a little more magic and madness to it from idiosyncratic, extraordinary German director Werner Herzog. But his film about Gertrude Bell, starring the great Nicole Kidman alongside James Franco, Robert Pattinson and more, is a stodgily by-the-numbers historical biopic/star vehicle, according to Jess who gave it a halfhearted C In Berlin.
Release Date: There’s talk of a March date but nothing firm. Atlas Distribution have it for the States.””

Well I’ve seen Queen of the Desert and I enjoyed it which surprised me mainly because I’m not a Kidman nor Franco fan.  In fact the person I saw the film with was so intrigued by Gertrude Bell that I bought them one of Bell’s books and a biography for Christmas.  So as far as I’m concerned if it garners interest in Gertrude Bell then Herzog has done his job.  If you want my opinion, if you are going to listen to a review done by a “Jess” I suggest you read Jess Ellicott’s review as it’s one of the best reviews to take on board before seeing the film.  Here’s an extract (although for those who recently saw the US cut, you will note the opening scene is different I believe):

““Herzog establishes this mode of comedic disturbance from the outset of the film, the opening scene greeting us with a gentleman’s club of British military heavyweights deciding how they’ll divvy up the Ottoman Empire as if they’re playing a casual game of Risk, leaving the difficult countries like leftover scraps they’d rather let the French clean up. At the table is T.E. Lawrence (“of Arabia”), played by Robert Pattinson, whose every performance necessarily carries with it the unmistakable presence of his galactic, all-engulfing fame. We don’t see him until someone asks his opinion, where he’s suddenly revealed in a close-up. The audience laughed – they saw Robert Pattinson, not T.E. Lawrence. His performance, and that of his co-stars James Franco and Nicole Kidman, is one of playful self-awareness orchestrated by Herzog.  ….  Seen as a playful, comic, romantic epic, a burlesque inversion of Lawrence of Arabia, there is plenty of pleasure to be had in watching Queen of the Desert. Like an old Hollywood film that sweeps up its audience with a cascading score, graceful cinematography and romantic notions of adventure, but one which delivers its audience with a subversive side-helping of Brechtian distanciation.””

Honestly, if you are going into this film assuming it’s a serious biopic, then you will be disappointed.

 

The International Film Festival Rotterdam is being held from 27 January to 7 February 2016.  It looks like The Childhood of a Leader is having a special screening on 6 February 2016, although nothing is listed on the official Festival website.  However, according to one of the sponsors, BankGiro Lottery , they are giving people the opportunity to win 1 of 5 VIP packages where they say:

“De BankGiro Lottery 5 VIP packages for two persons give away for the closing event of the festival on Saturday February 6, including after-party and overnight stay at citizenM hotel. With this special package you received as a VIP, and you can enjoy a special screening of the film “The Childhood of a Leader ‘, where the Codarts Symphony Orchestra provides live musical accompaniment.A unique opportunity!

A unique opportunity indeed.  For those who may be eligible to enter, the competition closes on 13 January 2016 with winners announced on 15 January 2016.  I’ve checked Codarts website and there is nothing listed under their events either. As usual, we will keep you posted on any further information about this screening as it emerges.

Thanks @sallyvg

Updated: 25 December 2015

Merry Christmas indeed.  I mentioned above that The Childhood of a Leader was have a screening on 6 February 2016, what we didn’t know at the time was that it will be the closing film” of the Festival.  The website has updated with the following:

“IFFR closes its 45th edition on Saturday, 6 February with a screening of The Childhood of a Leader. It promises to be a spectacular musical finale: the film music by American singer-songwriter Scott Walker will be played live during the screening of the film in de Doelen by Codarts Symphony Orchestra, led by Mark Warman. The orchestra will also have a special line-up just for this event, featuring a number of guest musicians from England who performed on the original soundtrack. Like last year, following the screening of the film, the festival will close in style with the Closing Night by Warsteiner.

FFR festival director Bero Beyer: “The Childhood of a Leader is an ambitious feature film debut from actor Brady Corbet. Supported by a stellar cast, he has created a fascinating historical psycho-drama about a young boy, representing the whole of Europe after World War I. The film is embellished by a magnificent orchestral soundtrack from Scott Walker, who has adapted the music specially for this screening. The unique combination of a complete symphony orchestra with a poignant feature film on our European history as a closing event at IFFR is truly exceptional. We are extremely grateful and happy to be able to participate in this incredible co-creation by offering this event a large podium, and by welcoming the international cast and crew to Rotterdam.””