53rd San Francisco International Film Festival 22 April - 6 May 2010
FILMS/
MICMACS
Micmacs à tire-larigot
Big Nights
France, 2009, 105 minutes
SHOWTIMES
Thu, Apr 22 / 7:00 / Castro / OPEN film+party / OPENV VIP film+party
CREDITS
- prod
-
Frédéric Brillion, Gilles LeGrand, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- scr
-
Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillaume Laurant
- cam
-
Tetsuo Nagata
- editor
-
Hervé Schneid
- mus
-
Raphaël Beau
- cast
-
Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marie, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Julie Ferrier
- source
-
Sony Pictures Classics, 550 Madison Ave, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022. EMAIL: sony_classics@spe.sony.com.
OPENING NIGHT FILM
As a child, Bazil lost his father to a land mine. Years later, a stray bullet leaves him jobless, homeless and—as it’s still lodged in his skull—in precarious health. After an eccentric band of junk dealers rescue him from the Paris streets, Bazil enlists their help in a wacky, byzantine conspiracy to extract revenge from the weapons manufacturers he blames for the violence that has infected his life. The latest whimsical creation from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet—the endlessly inventive mind behind Delicatessen, Amélie and A Very Long Engagement—is a David-and-Goliath story that employs humor and a deceptively buoyant tone to confront a corporate mentality that has no qualms about selling mayhem and death. But the film also is a love letter to the movies Jeunet adores, drawing wholehearted inspiration for Bazil’s zany friends from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Toy Story while also including allusions to The Big Sleep and a Tex Avery cartoon. Even actor/comedian Dany Boon gets into the act, embedding an homage to Charlie Chaplin in his delightful performance as the sweet-natured but determined Bazil. Both Tetsuo Nagata’s gorgeous cinematography and Aline Bonetto’s production design—particularly the quixotic, metallic cave that the junk dealers call home—ensure that the film is a visual stunner too. As romantic in its own way as Amélie, if more serious in intent, Jeunet’s first film in five years dazzles us anew.
—Pam Grady
OPENING NIGHT PARTY
9:30 PM-1:00 AM
The Regency Center
1290 Sutter Street (at Van Ness)
Kick off the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival with a world-class cinematic event, special guests and a festive celebration with live entertainment, dancing, fabulous food, delicious drinks and a complimentary gift bag. After the film, celebrate Opening Night in the historic Regency Center, exploring two levels of Edwardian splendor. You must be 21+ to attend the party.
Presented with support from the French Consulate, San Francisco and the French-American Cultural Society, San Francisco.
