There’s an enigmatic quality to the role of Christopher Nolan in the current filmmaking landscape, and one that stands apart from the fact that his films so often court ambiguity with explicit intent. From the Russian-nesting-doll antics of Inception to the magicians-as-filmmakers commentary of The Prestige, Nolan’s ambition within the realm of big-budget, broad audience spectacle is comparable to the likes of few. Looking back at his work thus far, what emerges—apart from his obsession with identity, reality, community, and obsession itself—is an artist who, heedless of his own shortcomings, is intent on challenging himself, a quality that salvages and even inverts a great many of his otherwise pedestrian choices. Rob Humanick
Editor’s Note: This updated list was originally published on November 5, 2014.
12. Inception (2010)
The purported originality of Inception says infinitely more about the cinematic vocabulary of those describing it as such than it does about the film itself.
Editor’s Note: This updated list was originally published on November 5, 2014.
12. Inception (2010)
The purported originality of Inception says infinitely more about the cinematic vocabulary of those describing it as such than it does about the film itself.
- 7/26/2023
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
Few filmmakers stoke the kind of loyalty and obsessive deconstruction as Christopher Nolan does.
Over 12 films and 25 years, he has made head-spinning, intricately constructed journeys into the mind, time, magic and Gotham City. And audiences have been more than happy to go along for the ride. He is one of the few filmmakers working today who can also get hugely expensive, original movies made.
And this week he’s back with his latest film, “Oppenheimer,” a historical epic about J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the man who oversaw the construction of the first nuclear weapon in the waning days of World War II. Full of gorgeous, IMAX-captured imagery and structural ingeniousness, it feels in many ways like the ultimate Nolan movie. That is, of course, until the next Nolan movie.
In celebration of “Oppenheimer” and because it’s fun to talk about his movies, we’ve decided to rank Nolan’s movies,...
Over 12 films and 25 years, he has made head-spinning, intricately constructed journeys into the mind, time, magic and Gotham City. And audiences have been more than happy to go along for the ride. He is one of the few filmmakers working today who can also get hugely expensive, original movies made.
And this week he’s back with his latest film, “Oppenheimer,” a historical epic about J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the man who oversaw the construction of the first nuclear weapon in the waning days of World War II. Full of gorgeous, IMAX-captured imagery and structural ingeniousness, it feels in many ways like the ultimate Nolan movie. That is, of course, until the next Nolan movie.
In celebration of “Oppenheimer” and because it’s fun to talk about his movies, we’ve decided to rank Nolan’s movies,...
- 7/21/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Christopher Nolan said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times that he did not realize the magnitude of Cillian Murphy’s leading performance in “Oppenheimer” until he started watching the film back in his editing suite during post-production. Murphy headlines the atomic bomb epic as theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.
As Nolan put it: “The performance became all-enveloping when I realized Cillian had so much more going on than [what] I saw on set.”
Nolan’s experience with Murphy’s performance recalled his work with Al Pacino during the making of his 2002 psychological thriller “Insomnia.” Based on the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name from directors Nikolaj Frobenius and Erik Skjoldbjærg, “Insomnia” stars Pacino as a detective thrust into a cat-and-mouse game with a killer (Robin Williams) in Nightmute, Alaska, where its always daylight. The film was Nolan’s first for Warner Bros. and marked his jump into studio filmmaking after his breakout “Memento.
As Nolan put it: “The performance became all-enveloping when I realized Cillian had so much more going on than [what] I saw on set.”
Nolan’s experience with Murphy’s performance recalled his work with Al Pacino during the making of his 2002 psychological thriller “Insomnia.” Based on the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name from directors Nikolaj Frobenius and Erik Skjoldbjærg, “Insomnia” stars Pacino as a detective thrust into a cat-and-mouse game with a killer (Robin Williams) in Nightmute, Alaska, where its always daylight. The film was Nolan’s first for Warner Bros. and marked his jump into studio filmmaking after his breakout “Memento.
- 7/12/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Just-released “M3GAN” and previous #1 “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (both 19.99) took the top two spots on the revenue-based Vudu chart as well as on the transaction-based iTunes and Google Play.
As for the top Oscar nominees, some got the chance to make up for weaker grosses in theaters But for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24/19.99) the rich get richer.
Daniels’ metaverse success, which led with 11 nominations, reached home viewing almost seven months ago. It returned to 1,400 theaters this weekend and added 1 million to its 70 million domestic box office. Other than Animated Feature nominee “Puss,” it was the only nominee to make all three charts.
Even more impressive, “Everything” increased its VOD price to 19.99. That includes downloading, but this is an unusual if not unprecedented move.
Among other nominees, “Triangle of Sadness” (Neon/5.99), “TÁR,” (Focus/5.99), and “The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight/3.99) — the last two are also streaming — made two charts each,...
As for the top Oscar nominees, some got the chance to make up for weaker grosses in theaters But for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24/19.99) the rich get richer.
Daniels’ metaverse success, which led with 11 nominations, reached home viewing almost seven months ago. It returned to 1,400 theaters this weekend and added 1 million to its 70 million domestic box office. Other than Animated Feature nominee “Puss,” it was the only nominee to make all three charts.
Even more impressive, “Everything” increased its VOD price to 19.99. That includes downloading, but this is an unusual if not unprecedented move.
Among other nominees, “Triangle of Sadness” (Neon/5.99), “TÁR,” (Focus/5.99), and “The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight/3.99) — the last two are also streaming — made two charts each,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Narvik (Kampen om Narvik – Hitlers første nederlag) is a Norwegian film directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg starring Kristine Hartgen, Carl Martin Eggesbø and Henrik Mestad.
This is a movie that despite its good work technically, does not manage to be a “great movie” which is very likely what was expected of a production like this one.
A good movie, but not memorable.
Storyline Narvik
Norway, a supposedly neutral country during World War II, was a target for the Germans and British because of the minerals and raw goods that left from the small town in the north of Norway for both war contingents. Obviously, the equilibrium was broken and Norwegians had to take part in a battle that lasted two months.
This was the first time in which Hitler´s army was defeated in the war.
And, technically speaking: the movie is pretty good tecnically. Norway has managed to re-invent itself and,...
This is a movie that despite its good work technically, does not manage to be a “great movie” which is very likely what was expected of a production like this one.
A good movie, but not memorable.
Storyline Narvik
Norway, a supposedly neutral country during World War II, was a target for the Germans and British because of the minerals and raw goods that left from the small town in the north of Norway for both war contingents. Obviously, the equilibrium was broken and Norwegians had to take part in a battle that lasted two months.
This was the first time in which Hitler´s army was defeated in the war.
And, technically speaking: the movie is pretty good tecnically. Norway has managed to re-invent itself and,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Robsahm will move from Motlys and Oslo Pictures where he presently works.
Norway’s Thomas Robsahm, Joachim Trier’s producer on The Worst Person in the World, Thelma and Louder Than Bombs, has joined Nordisk Film Production as producer.
He leaves the two production outfits which are his current homes, Motlys (since 2013) and Oslo Pictures (since 2018).
Robsahm is also a director, most recently of the music documentary a-ha: The Movie, which premiered at Tribeca 2021. He has more than 50 film credits as a producer, including Margreath Olin’s Self Portrait, Emil Trier’s Trust Me and Maria Sodahl’s Hope.
The Worst Person in the World,...
Norway’s Thomas Robsahm, Joachim Trier’s producer on The Worst Person in the World, Thelma and Louder Than Bombs, has joined Nordisk Film Production as producer.
He leaves the two production outfits which are his current homes, Motlys (since 2013) and Oslo Pictures (since 2018).
Robsahm is also a director, most recently of the music documentary a-ha: The Movie, which premiered at Tribeca 2021. He has more than 50 film credits as a producer, including Margreath Olin’s Self Portrait, Emil Trier’s Trust Me and Maria Sodahl’s Hope.
The Worst Person in the World,...
- 1/20/2022
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform.
Christopher Nolan earned widespread acclaim for “Batman Begins,” his 2005 comic book drama that stripped the Dark Knight of Tim Burton’s Gothic overtones and Joel Schumacher’s camp in favor of Nolan’s preferred brand of psychological realism. Rarely before had a superhero film been subjected to the weight of an intimate, existential character drama. In burrowing deep into Bruce Wayne’s subconscious and exploring the trauma and fear that drives Batman, Nolan proved with great success how he could re-contextualize pre-existing material to fit the psychological quandaries that most interest him. The end result redefined comic book films, and yet what Nolan achieved in “Batman Begins” he had already perfected three years earlier in “Insomnia.”
Released theatrically in May 2002, “Insomnia” is...
Christopher Nolan earned widespread acclaim for “Batman Begins,” his 2005 comic book drama that stripped the Dark Knight of Tim Burton’s Gothic overtones and Joel Schumacher’s camp in favor of Nolan’s preferred brand of psychological realism. Rarely before had a superhero film been subjected to the weight of an intimate, existential character drama. In burrowing deep into Bruce Wayne’s subconscious and exploring the trauma and fear that drives Batman, Nolan proved with great success how he could re-contextualize pre-existing material to fit the psychological quandaries that most interest him. The end result redefined comic book films, and yet what Nolan achieved in “Batman Begins” he had already perfected three years earlier in “Insomnia.”
Released theatrically in May 2002, “Insomnia” is...
- 7/8/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Principal photography on the project commenced in Oslo on 3 March and will continue at other Norwegian locations until May. It’s spring 1940. War in Europe might seem distant to some Norwegians, but Narvik is already on the global map, as a coastal town vital for Nazi Germany’s transport of iron ore to feed its war machine. When the Germans violate Norway’s neutrality and land in Narvik, the local commander shows no resistance. But not everyone is willing to surrender without a fight. A company of 200 Norwegian soldiers manage to bluff their way out of the city to take up the fight. Among them is young corporal Gunnar Tofte. Meanwhile, his young wife Ingrid works as a maid and interpreter in a hotel, turned into a German headquarters. This is the plot of Erik Skjoldbjærg’s new feature, an epic war drama entitled Narvik and penned in its entirety by.
Chloe Catchpole May 11, 2017
Not many may have seen the Christina Ricci-headlined film adaptation of Prozac Nation. But it's a film with a real power to it.
One of the most damaging stigmas surrounding mental health is shame. The personal pressure to maintain a ‘normal’ façade is all consuming and perpetually draining. It is an onerous full time job shrouded in secrecy.
See related Doctor Who: Thin Ice geeky spots and Easter eggs Doctor Who: The Pilot geeky spots and Easter eggs Doctor Who: Smile geeky spots and Easter eggs Doctor Who: Knock Knock geeky spots and Easter eggs
Others see a functioning human being - working, chatting, socialising with an occasional laugh or smile - but behind closed doors in the personal confines of home nothing could be further from the truth. We mask the all-encompassing darkness that seeps into every anxiety-ridden moment, a private...
Not many may have seen the Christina Ricci-headlined film adaptation of Prozac Nation. But it's a film with a real power to it.
One of the most damaging stigmas surrounding mental health is shame. The personal pressure to maintain a ‘normal’ façade is all consuming and perpetually draining. It is an onerous full time job shrouded in secrecy.
See related Doctor Who: Thin Ice geeky spots and Easter eggs Doctor Who: The Pilot geeky spots and Easter eggs Doctor Who: Smile geeky spots and Easter eggs Doctor Who: Knock Knock geeky spots and Easter eggs
Others see a functioning human being - working, chatting, socialising with an occasional laugh or smile - but behind closed doors in the personal confines of home nothing could be further from the truth. We mask the all-encompassing darkness that seeps into every anxiety-ridden moment, a private...
- 5/10/2017
- Den of Geek
The fascination with fire is centuries old. Insomnia (1997) director Erik Skjoldbjærg’s latest film, Pyromaniac (Pyromanen), examines this from a Scandinavian perspective set in rural Norway while simultaneously attempting to question the supposed idyll of such a lifestyle the rest of us secretly covet. It is clear from Gösta Reiland’s cinematography near the start that […]
The post Lff 2016: Pyromaniac Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post Lff 2016: Pyromaniac Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 10/17/2016
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
★★★☆☆ Playing in the Thrill section of the 2016 London Film Festival, Pyromaniac is a moody, elemental psychodrama set in an isolated Norwegian village sometime in the late 1960s-early 70s. An increasingly paranoid rural community falls prey to the titular firestarter but this stirring Erik Skjoldbjærg-directed feature, full of teenage angst, yearning and fury, is more whydunnit than whodunnit as the guilty party - at least for an audience - is immediately apparent. "Olav, he's here." says a terrified old lady, peering through her front door into the approaching dark of night; in a ferocious opening sequence a house is engulfed in flames.
- 10/6/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Quick takes from the 60th London Film Festival, with public screenings from October 5th-16th, 2016.
Ma’ Rosa
From acclaimed Filipino director Brillante Mendoza comes an electrifying tale of enterprising Rosa (Jaclyn Jose), whose shanty of a shop in the slums of Manila resells candy from the supermarket and crystal meth from the local dealer, and the night her store is raided by police looking for their piece of the drug business. And so, from a back room at a police station, Rosa — who has been arrested along with her husband, Nestor (Julio Diaz), who’s a bit useless — negotiates with the cops over giving up her “ice” contact while her three eldest children (in their teens and early 20s) hustle around friends and family trying to raise the “bail” — ie, bribe — money that will secure their parents’ release. Shot like a documentary, handheld cameras and long, uncut takes lend an...
Ma’ Rosa
From acclaimed Filipino director Brillante Mendoza comes an electrifying tale of enterprising Rosa (Jaclyn Jose), whose shanty of a shop in the slums of Manila resells candy from the supermarket and crystal meth from the local dealer, and the night her store is raided by police looking for their piece of the drug business. And so, from a back room at a police station, Rosa — who has been arrested along with her husband, Nestor (Julio Diaz), who’s a bit useless — negotiates with the cops over giving up her “ice” contact while her three eldest children (in their teens and early 20s) hustle around friends and family trying to raise the “bail” — ie, bribe — money that will secure their parents’ release. Shot like a documentary, handheld cameras and long, uncut takes lend an...
- 9/29/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Going in with no expectations besides the recent news that the film had been shortlisted for Norway’s 2017 Oscar selection, director Erik Skjoldbjærg‘s Pyromaniac could not have delivered a better start. With extended camera movements capturing subtle detail from a car driving to an older woman’s look of panic inside the house as she searches for her husband with ominous words, “He’s here,” I was enraptured. Glass breaks and fire bursts out from door to hallway to living room at an extremely fast pace. The homeowners do escape, but she decides to go back for a photo book, only to discover her way out blocked. It’s a chilling scene: fire everywhere, hope erased.
Unfortunately, the film never really matches this level of intensity once it travels back in time three weeks to show nineteen-year old Dag (Trond Nilssen) playing with matches in the forest. We’re suddenly at his house,...
Unfortunately, the film never really matches this level of intensity once it travels back in time three weeks to show nineteen-year old Dag (Trond Nilssen) playing with matches in the forest. We’re suddenly at his house,...
- 9/9/2016
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Erik Poppe’s war drama opens in Norway later this month.
Norway has selected Erik Poppe’s The King’s Choice as its contender for this year’s best foreign language film Oscar race.
The war drama stars Jesper Christensen, Kon-Tiki’s Anders Basmo Christiansen and The Counterfeiters’ Karl Markovics. It opens in Norway on Sept 23.
Based on true events, The King’s Choice is set in 1940 when a fleet of Nazi warships attacked Oslo and King Haakon of Norway (Christensen) is faced with a choice that will change the nation forever, as a race against time between mediation and warfare ensues.
It was selected from a three-strong shortlist that also included Erik Skjoldbjærg’s The Pyromaniac (Pyromanen) and Rune Denstad Langlo’s Welcome To Norway.
Norway have never won in the foreign language Oscar category. Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg’s Kon-Tiki was the last film to be nominated in the category in 2012.
Beta Cinema handles international...
Norway has selected Erik Poppe’s The King’s Choice as its contender for this year’s best foreign language film Oscar race.
The war drama stars Jesper Christensen, Kon-Tiki’s Anders Basmo Christiansen and The Counterfeiters’ Karl Markovics. It opens in Norway on Sept 23.
Based on true events, The King’s Choice is set in 1940 when a fleet of Nazi warships attacked Oslo and King Haakon of Norway (Christensen) is faced with a choice that will change the nation forever, as a race against time between mediation and warfare ensues.
It was selected from a three-strong shortlist that also included Erik Skjoldbjærg’s The Pyromaniac (Pyromanen) and Rune Denstad Langlo’s Welcome To Norway.
Norway have never won in the foreign language Oscar category. Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg’s Kon-Tiki was the last film to be nominated in the category in 2012.
Beta Cinema handles international...
- 9/8/2016
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
The land of the midnight sun has narrowed down its contenders for this year's Oscar race. The three films that will be competing for the honor (to be announced on September 7th) are...
The King’s Choice (Erik Poppe)
A Ww II drama about German soldiers invading Norway The Pyromaniac (Erik Skjoldbjærg)
Dramatic thriller about a southern village terrorized - premiering at Tiff Welcome to Norway (Rune Denstad Langlo)
A comedy about a couple opening a home for refugees
Poppe was submitted once before a dozen years back for Hawaii Oslo and Oscar loves World War II but my guess is it's going to be Pyromaniac or Welcome to Norway. Skjoldbjaerg's history should help with the former since he had a finalist for submission with Pioneer a few years ago, though Norway opted for a lower profile submission, and he was also the co-writer of the internationally popular Norwegian hit...
The King’s Choice (Erik Poppe)
A Ww II drama about German soldiers invading Norway The Pyromaniac (Erik Skjoldbjærg)
Dramatic thriller about a southern village terrorized - premiering at Tiff Welcome to Norway (Rune Denstad Langlo)
A comedy about a couple opening a home for refugees
Poppe was submitted once before a dozen years back for Hawaii Oslo and Oscar loves World War II but my guess is it's going to be Pyromaniac or Welcome to Norway. Skjoldbjaerg's history should help with the former since he had a finalist for submission with Pioneer a few years ago, though Norway opted for a lower profile submission, and he was also the co-writer of the internationally popular Norwegian hit...
- 8/31/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Nigerian metropolis Lagos is the focus of the eighth City To City showcase at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) as top brass anoint two international Rising Stars.
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
- 8/16/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Nigerian capital Lagos is the focus of the eighth City To City showcase at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) as top brass anoint two international Rising Stars.
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
- 8/16/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Toronto International Film Festival is mere weeks from kicking off, yet the annual fall fest is showing zero sign of slowing down when it comes to announcing the titles that will round out this year’s event. Today’s announcement brings with it a number of Cannes favorites, including Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or-winning “I, Daniel Blake,” Olivier Assayas’ divisive Kristen Stewart-starring “Personal Shopper” and Pedro Almodovar’s “Julieta.”
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The slate will also play home to the Dardenne Brothers’ latest, “The Unknown Girl,” which has reportedly been through an edit since it debuted at Cannes earlier this year. Other standouts from Cannes include Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “Aquarius,” Boo Junfeng’s “Apprentice,” Cristian Mungiu’s “Graduation,” Brillante Ma Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa” and Cristi Puiu’s “Sieranevada.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The slate will also play home to the Dardenne Brothers’ latest, “The Unknown Girl,” which has reportedly been through an edit since it debuted at Cannes earlier this year. Other standouts from Cannes include Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “Aquarius,” Boo Junfeng’s “Apprentice,” Cristian Mungiu’s “Graduation,” Brillante Ma Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa” and Cristi Puiu’s “Sieranevada.
- 8/16/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Chinese outfit Dd Dream’s acquisitions include Thomas Vinterberg’s The Commune.
Dd Dream International Media has acquired Thomas Vinterberg’s Berlinale Competition title The Commune [pictured], adventure epic The Last King by Nils Gaup, Erik Skjoldbjærg’s thriller Pyromaniac and Vibeke Idsoe’s historical drama The Lion Woman.
Sales Manager Nicolai Korsgaard negotiated those deals with Dd’s Elizabeth Yang.
Hgc Entertainment has acquired Hannes Holm’s box-office hit
A Man Called Ove, Saara Cantell’s historical drama Devil’s Bride, Mads Matthiesen’s fashion-world drama The Model, Lisa Ohlin’s romantic drama Walk With Me, Nicola Donato’s WW2-era drama Across The Waters and Jesper W Nielsen’s The Day Will Come, about abuse at a boys home in the 1960s.
Sales Manager Nicolai Korsgaard negotiated those deals with Hgc’s Peter Li.
Dd Dream International Media has acquired Thomas Vinterberg’s Berlinale Competition title The Commune [pictured], adventure epic The Last King by Nils Gaup, Erik Skjoldbjærg’s thriller Pyromaniac and Vibeke Idsoe’s historical drama The Lion Woman.
Sales Manager Nicolai Korsgaard negotiated those deals with Dd’s Elizabeth Yang.
Hgc Entertainment has acquired Hannes Holm’s box-office hit
A Man Called Ove, Saara Cantell’s historical drama Devil’s Bride, Mads Matthiesen’s fashion-world drama The Model, Lisa Ohlin’s romantic drama Walk With Me, Nicola Donato’s WW2-era drama Across The Waters and Jesper W Nielsen’s The Day Will Come, about abuse at a boys home in the 1960s.
Sales Manager Nicolai Korsgaard negotiated those deals with Hgc’s Peter Li.
- 5/14/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Scandinavian sales agent TrustNordisk has closed a raft of deals post-Berlin.
Studiocanal UK has picked up Nicolo Donato’s Second World War drama Across The Waters (Fuglene Over Sundet) [pictured] for the UK.
The film follows a Danish-Jewish family who, when faced with deportation to Germany, flee to safety in Sweden with the Gestapo hot on their heels.
TrustNordisk handles international sales rights to the title, which featured as part of a promo reel at the Efm, and has also sold the film to Turkey (Sinema TV Yay).
The Scandinavian sales outfit has closed a raft of further post-efm deals.
Jesper W. Nielsen’s Lars Mikkelsen-starring drama The Day Will Come has sold to Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Latin America (California Filmes), former Yugoslavia (Cinemania Group) and Turkey (Sinema TV Yay).
Insomnia director Erik Skjoldbjærg’s Pyromaniac has gone to Latin America (California Filmes), adding to previous deals.
Vibeke Idsøe’s The Lion Woman has added Czech Republic...
Studiocanal UK has picked up Nicolo Donato’s Second World War drama Across The Waters (Fuglene Over Sundet) [pictured] for the UK.
The film follows a Danish-Jewish family who, when faced with deportation to Germany, flee to safety in Sweden with the Gestapo hot on their heels.
TrustNordisk handles international sales rights to the title, which featured as part of a promo reel at the Efm, and has also sold the film to Turkey (Sinema TV Yay).
The Scandinavian sales outfit has closed a raft of further post-efm deals.
Jesper W. Nielsen’s Lars Mikkelsen-starring drama The Day Will Come has sold to Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Latin America (California Filmes), former Yugoslavia (Cinemania Group) and Turkey (Sinema TV Yay).
Insomnia director Erik Skjoldbjærg’s Pyromaniac has gone to Latin America (California Filmes), adding to previous deals.
Vibeke Idsøe’s The Lion Woman has added Czech Republic...
- 3/14/2016
- ScreenDaily
Erik Skjoldbjærg, the acclaimed director of Insomnia - later remade by Christopher Nolan - and Nokas returns to the big screen with Pyromaniac, a period set thriller which has just released its first trailer. The year is 1981 and it is summer in the little village of Finsland. Dag is 19 years old and has spent his childhood in the countryside living with his parents. His father is chief of the local volunteer fire brigade and Dag has since he was a child been going along with his father to the call-outs. Dag has recently returned after a year of military service and his parents notice that he has changed. Then the fires begin. Skjoldbjærg has long been considered one of Norway's finest and this...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/9/2016
- Screen Anarchy
Magnus, The Model, Pyromaniac [pictured] and Devil’s Bride have all sold to multiple territories.
Scandinavian sales powerhouse TrustNordisk has closed deals on four titles at the Efm.
Magnus, Benjamin Ree’s documentary about chess player Magnus Carlsen featuring high profile grandmasters including Garry Kasparov, has sold to Germany (Nfp), Hong Kong (Edko films Ltd), former Yugoslavia (Discovery Film) and Benelux (September Film Rights).
The film is produced by Sigurd M. Karoliussen for Moskus Film in co-production with Vgtv, Nordisk Film Production and Main Island Production.
The Model, directed by Mads Matthiesen, has sold to Latin America (California Fil ms), China (Hgc Entertainment), Russia Cis (Voxell Media), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Turkey (Ozen Film), Estonia (Estin Film), Lithuania (Incognito Film) and Former Yugoslavia (2i Film d.o.o.).
Starring Ed Skrein (Deadpool) and debutant Maria Palm, the drama tells the story of an emerging model who develops a dangerous obsession with a male fashion photographer.
TrustNordisk previously...
Scandinavian sales powerhouse TrustNordisk has closed deals on four titles at the Efm.
Magnus, Benjamin Ree’s documentary about chess player Magnus Carlsen featuring high profile grandmasters including Garry Kasparov, has sold to Germany (Nfp), Hong Kong (Edko films Ltd), former Yugoslavia (Discovery Film) and Benelux (September Film Rights).
The film is produced by Sigurd M. Karoliussen for Moskus Film in co-production with Vgtv, Nordisk Film Production and Main Island Production.
The Model, directed by Mads Matthiesen, has sold to Latin America (California Fil ms), China (Hgc Entertainment), Russia Cis (Voxell Media), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Turkey (Ozen Film), Estonia (Estin Film), Lithuania (Incognito Film) and Former Yugoslavia (2i Film d.o.o.).
Starring Ed Skrein (Deadpool) and debutant Maria Palm, the drama tells the story of an emerging model who develops a dangerous obsession with a male fashion photographer.
TrustNordisk previously...
- 2/14/2016
- ScreenDaily
One of Christopher Nolan’s more under-seen and under-appreciated pictures, 2002’s hypnotic “Insomnia,” is a deft combination of murder mystery, crime procedural and searing character study that watches a sleep-deprived homicide detective as he probes a horrific murder case in Alaska, all while the endless reign of perpetual daylight threatens to disorient his senses beyond good reason. The film is a polished, spooky piece of craftsmanship and one of the highlights in the British director’s filmography. And while the Al Pacino/Robin Williams-starring pic does showcase a number of Mr. Nolan’s preferred motifs, it’s easy to forget that his follow-up to “Memento” was actually a remake of a similarly austere picture from 1997. That film was directed by Norwegian filmmaker Erik Skjoldbjærg and while the two pictures are obviously quite similar in tone and temperament, the original “Insomnia” is more authentically chilly (Skjoldbjærg is, after all, a Norseman), while Nolan’s.
- 9/2/2015
- by Nicholas Laskin
- The Playlist
Throughout the course of movie history, numerous films have been remade in other languages. Hollywood has been no exception to this rule, with perhaps 1960’s The Magnificent Seven standing as the most notable example of a remake, bringing Akira Kurosawa’s classic The Seven Samurai to a new audience, with David Fincher’s 2011 film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo proving that the trend is still alive and well.
Remakes, however, come in all forms, from devoted redoings to loose interpretations by filmmakers who put their own unique stamp on the material. The latter category includes the 2002 film Insomnia, which was directed by Christopher Nolan. The latter’s third film, and his last before taking on the Dark Knight trilogy, was an adaptation of Erik Skjoldbjærg’s 1997 film of the same name, with Alaska stepping in for Norway, and Al Pacino stepping in for Stellan Skarsgård. Now a video has...
Remakes, however, come in all forms, from devoted redoings to loose interpretations by filmmakers who put their own unique stamp on the material. The latter category includes the 2002 film Insomnia, which was directed by Christopher Nolan. The latter’s third film, and his last before taking on the Dark Knight trilogy, was an adaptation of Erik Skjoldbjærg’s 1997 film of the same name, with Alaska stepping in for Norway, and Al Pacino stepping in for Stellan Skarsgård. Now a video has...
- 8/30/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
In his latest video essay, Kevin B. Lee places the original 1997 Insomnia (directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg) on the left and Christopher Nolan’s 2002 Hollywood remake on the right. Juxtaposing the same sequence, Lee textually annotates the many differences in tempo, shot choices, framing et al., making it easy to see how two very different sensibilities approach the same sequence. More from Lee at Fandor.
- 8/28/2015
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In his latest video essay, Kevin B. Lee places the original 1997 Insomnia (directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg) on the left and Christopher Nolan’s 2002 Hollywood remake on the right. Juxtaposing the same sequence, Lee textually annotates the many differences in tempo, shot choices, framing et al., making it easy to see how two very different sensibilities approach the same sequence. More from Lee at Fandor.
- 8/28/2015
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
While DC and Marvel might already have a lock on several future release dates past the 2015 campaign with the Coen Bros. circling February on their calendars, for the most part, when it comes to American independent and foreign film flavored items, 2016 is still cloudy with a chance of…. 2015 just broke (we already have plenty to look forward to (Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films / Top 25 Most Anticipated Studio Films / Top 100 Most Anticipated American Independent Films – soon!) but we’re already excited about what is in store for several of our favorite auteurs. Here are picks 100 to 6, with our Nicholas Bell providing further analysis on current top five for 2016. Pictured above is Peter Strickland, who sits in our number six spot.
100. Untitled Edward Munch Project – Erik Poppe
99. Bastille Day – James Watkins
98. Live By Night – Ben Affleck
97. Imagine – Benoit Graffin
96. Pete’s Dragon – David Lowery
95. Bella Luna – Ivan Fila
94. Bat, Butterfly, Moth – Sergio Caballero...
100. Untitled Edward Munch Project – Erik Poppe
99. Bastille Day – James Watkins
98. Live By Night – Ben Affleck
97. Imagine – Benoit Graffin
96. Pete’s Dragon – David Lowery
95. Bella Luna – Ivan Fila
94. Bat, Butterfly, Moth – Sergio Caballero...
- 1/16/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Good day, horror fans. The scariest thing about this week might just be the complete lack of big horror releases in theaters. Arguably the biggest debut is Gregory Levasseur.s Egypt-set supernatural horror The Pyramid, but it wasn.t even given that wide of a berth. (It isn.t playing where I live, which may or may not be inside of a haunted pyramid.) There.s also Erik Skjoldbjærg.s Norwegian thriller Pioneer, but that.s got an even smaller release window. On the VOD front, December 5th saw the release of the thriller Poker Night, which stars Ron Perlman, Titus Welliver, Giancarlo Esposito and Ron Eldard. (Go watch The Babadook if you haven.t yet.) In smaller news, Uwe Boll has taken to Indiegogo to try and fund the presumably violent sequel Rampage 3: No Mercy. (Why?) The highly anticipated sci-fi thriller Z for Zachariah, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and...
- 12/7/2014
- cinemablend.com
There's not much going into wide release in theaters this weekend, so you might want to consider staying in and ordering up the Norwegian thriller "Pioneer." It has a score by French electronic duo Air, it comes from director Erik Skjoldbjærg who helmed the original "Insomnia" before Christopher Nolan remade it, and it stars Aksel Hennie ("Headhunters"), Stephen Lang (“Avatar”), Wes Bentley (“American Beauty,” "The Hunger Games") and Stephanie Sigman ("Miss Bala"). Not too bad right? Well, here's an exclusive clip. Inspired by a true story, the film is set in the midst of the Norwegian oil boom of the 1970s and centers on Petter, an expert diver and pipefitter who works in the furthest depths of the ocean. But when a tragic accident strikes, Petter decides to get to the truth beyond the official story, and doing so puts him in the path of some very powerful...
- 12/5/2014
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Marking my second cinematic foray of 2014 into the lonesome world of deep sea diving (the first being James Cameron’s documentary Deepsea Challenge 3D), filmmaker Erik Skjoldbjærg transports us back to the “Norwegian Oil Boom of the 1980s” – a time in history where nations were battling for a slice of Norway’s blackest riches.
Pioneer is a story filled with greedy corporations, wide-eyed politicians, diving records, and conspiracies most foul, uncovering secrets buried below the murky sea floor for years without much notice. It’s a recognizable story of people becoming cogs in a dangerous machine running solely on the promise of tremendous payoffs, and the lengths some cogs will go for their due justice, but you’re right to question the intensity of this deep-sea-detective-case. Norway’s historical significance may be staggering, but facts don’t immediately translate into a suspenseful underwater mystery without a little help.
Petter (Aksel Hennie...
Pioneer is a story filled with greedy corporations, wide-eyed politicians, diving records, and conspiracies most foul, uncovering secrets buried below the murky sea floor for years without much notice. It’s a recognizable story of people becoming cogs in a dangerous machine running solely on the promise of tremendous payoffs, and the lengths some cogs will go for their due justice, but you’re right to question the intensity of this deep-sea-detective-case. Norway’s historical significance may be staggering, but facts don’t immediately translate into a suspenseful underwater mystery without a little help.
Petter (Aksel Hennie...
- 12/4/2014
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
What is intended to be a suspenseful period drama of paranoia and conspiracy is far too slow-moving and meandering to truly engage. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
There’s some context missing from this Norwegian thriller, set in the early 1980s, that outsiders who aren’t economists with a global outlook may not be aware of. It’s this: Norway’s modern welfare state, perhaps the most generous in the world, exists only because of the discovery of large reserves of offshore oil in the late 60s. So there’s an unspoken undercurrent to the corporate shenanigans on display here: “This is what it took to ensure Norway’s economic security and the comfort of its citizens.” (That the oil boom is now ending, threatening economic upheaval, is another issue.) This may be obvious to homegrown audiences,...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
There’s some context missing from this Norwegian thriller, set in the early 1980s, that outsiders who aren’t economists with a global outlook may not be aware of. It’s this: Norway’s modern welfare state, perhaps the most generous in the world, exists only because of the discovery of large reserves of offshore oil in the late 60s. So there’s an unspoken undercurrent to the corporate shenanigans on display here: “This is what it took to ensure Norway’s economic security and the comfort of its citizens.” (That the oil boom is now ending, threatening economic upheaval, is another issue.) This may be obvious to homegrown audiences,...
- 12/3/2014
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Director Erik Skjoldbjærg never met a migraine he didn’t love. Whether his protagonists’ headaches, dizzy spells, and hallucinations are caused by the Norwegian midnight sun (Insomnia) or, as in the riveting new thriller Pioneer, deep-sea diving, their cranial torture becomes ours, flooding the screen. So does their mounting paranoia.
Petter (Aksel Hennie), a diver hired by a Norwegian-American crew to help build an underwater oil pipeline, has plenty of reasons to be paranoid. During a 500-meter plunge, he passes out and — according to his superiors — inadvertently causes the death of his brother and partner. As he struggles to clear his name, he discovers that a surveillance tape of the dive has been stolen, and that debilitating gas ...
Petter (Aksel Hennie), a diver hired by a Norwegian-American crew to help build an underwater oil pipeline, has plenty of reasons to be paranoid. During a 500-meter plunge, he passes out and — according to his superiors — inadvertently causes the death of his brother and partner. As he struggles to clear his name, he discovers that a surveillance tape of the dive has been stolen, and that debilitating gas ...
- 12/3/2014
- Village Voice
A Thousand Times Good Night, Blind take spoils at Amanda Awards.Scroll down for full list of winners
Norwegian director Erik Poppe’s A Thousand Times Good Night, starring French actress Juliette Binoche, took home Best Norwegian Feature and two other prizes at Saturday’s (Aug 16) Amanda Awards in Haugesund.
The drama, which had already won the Special Jury Grand Prix in Montreal and Founders Award in Chicago, also scooped Norwegian national film awards for Best Cinematography (John Christian Rosenlund) and Best Score (Armand Amar).
Binoche stars alongside Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as a war reporter torn between her job and her family.
The other big winner on the night was Eskil Vogt’s feature debut Blind which collected four awards, including Best Director and Best Actress (Ellen Dorrit Petersen).
Blind, about a woman coming to terms with blindness, previously took the World Cinema Scriptwriting award in Sundance and the Europa Cinemas Label in Berlin.
Televised by Norway...
Norwegian director Erik Poppe’s A Thousand Times Good Night, starring French actress Juliette Binoche, took home Best Norwegian Feature and two other prizes at Saturday’s (Aug 16) Amanda Awards in Haugesund.
The drama, which had already won the Special Jury Grand Prix in Montreal and Founders Award in Chicago, also scooped Norwegian national film awards for Best Cinematography (John Christian Rosenlund) and Best Score (Armand Amar).
Binoche stars alongside Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as a war reporter torn between her job and her family.
The other big winner on the night was Eskil Vogt’s feature debut Blind which collected four awards, including Best Director and Best Actress (Ellen Dorrit Petersen).
Blind, about a woman coming to terms with blindness, previously took the World Cinema Scriptwriting award in Sundance and the Europa Cinemas Label in Berlin.
Televised by Norway...
- 8/18/2014
- by jornrossing@aol.com (Jorn Rossing Jensen)
- ScreenDaily
★★☆☆☆It's not very often that a foreign-language original leaves you hankering for its already-announced Us remake. This, sadly, is the case with Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjærg's surprisingly frothy fourth feature Pioneer (2013). Whilst substantially glossier than his most famous directorial offering to date - the pre-Nolan Insomnia (1997) - there's little of the heart or indeed dramatic tension that made his gloomy detective thriller such a noirish delight. Once again illustrating a preoccupation with hasty cover-ups and morally dubious goings on, Skjoldbjærg's Pioneer aspires to plummet the depths of his nation's collective conscience, but instead reveals itself as a rather shallow pseudo-conspiracy thriller.
- 8/5/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week
"Dom Hemingway"
What's It About? Jude Law dons impressive chops and gold teeth to play a sleazy
safecracker fresh out of jail. Dom took the fall without ratting out his boss (Demián Bichir), and now it's time to pay the piper. Richard E. Grant co-stars as his best friend, whom Dom enlists on his quest to get paid. Emilia Clarke (the mother of dragons!) plays Dom's estranged daughter, Evelyn.
Why We're In: We love darkly funny crime thrillers, and it's cool to see Jude Law back in action.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
The Essential Jacques Demy (Criterion)
What's It About? This box set comes with the most beloved movies by the French auteur: "Lola," "Bay of Angels," "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg," "The Young Girls of Rochefort," "Donkey Skin," and "Une Chambre en Ville."
Why We're In: In addition to the digital restorations of these delightful classics,...
"Dom Hemingway"
What's It About? Jude Law dons impressive chops and gold teeth to play a sleazy
safecracker fresh out of jail. Dom took the fall without ratting out his boss (Demián Bichir), and now it's time to pay the piper. Richard E. Grant co-stars as his best friend, whom Dom enlists on his quest to get paid. Emilia Clarke (the mother of dragons!) plays Dom's estranged daughter, Evelyn.
Why We're In: We love darkly funny crime thrillers, and it's cool to see Jude Law back in action.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
The Essential Jacques Demy (Criterion)
What's It About? This box set comes with the most beloved movies by the French auteur: "Lola," "Bay of Angels," "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg," "The Young Girls of Rochefort," "Donkey Skin," and "Une Chambre en Ville."
Why We're In: In addition to the digital restorations of these delightful classics,...
- 7/21/2014
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: July 22, 2014
Price: DVD $24.95, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Stellan Skarsgård loses sleep and pursues a killer in Insomnia.
The elegantly unsettling 1997 murder mystery Insomnia is directed by Norwegian filmmaker Erik Skjoldbjærg.
In the film, Stellan Skarsgård (Breaking the Waves) plays an enigmatic Swedish detective with a checkered past who arrives in a small town in northern Norway to investigate the death of a teenage girl. As he digs deeper into the heinous killing, his own demons and the tyrannical midnight sun—always shining, always penetrating—begin to take a toll.
Remade in the U.S. in 2002 by Christopher Nolan (Inception) and starring Al Pacino (Carlito’s Way), Skjoldbjærg’s chilling original crime procedural anticipated the international hunger for Scandinavian noirs and serial killer fictions, and features one of Skarsgård’s greatest performances.
Presented in Norwegian and Swedish with English subtitles, Criterion’s new Blu-ray/DVD Combo...
Price: DVD $24.95, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Stellan Skarsgård loses sleep and pursues a killer in Insomnia.
The elegantly unsettling 1997 murder mystery Insomnia is directed by Norwegian filmmaker Erik Skjoldbjærg.
In the film, Stellan Skarsgård (Breaking the Waves) plays an enigmatic Swedish detective with a checkered past who arrives in a small town in northern Norway to investigate the death of a teenage girl. As he digs deeper into the heinous killing, his own demons and the tyrannical midnight sun—always shining, always penetrating—begin to take a toll.
Remade in the U.S. in 2002 by Christopher Nolan (Inception) and starring Al Pacino (Carlito’s Way), Skjoldbjærg’s chilling original crime procedural anticipated the international hunger for Scandinavian noirs and serial killer fictions, and features one of Skarsgård’s greatest performances.
Presented in Norwegian and Swedish with English subtitles, Criterion’s new Blu-ray/DVD Combo...
- 4/22/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
The Criterion Collection has announced two new titles, two Blu-ray upgrades and a seven-film box set for release this July. Check out the new cover art along with a full list of extra features for each in the gallery viewer below! Debuting in the collection are David Cronenberg's Scanners and Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill as well as a set of Jacques Demy films that includes Lola , Bay of Angels , The Umbrellas of Cherbourg , The Young Girls of Rochefort , Un Chambre en Ville and Donkey Skin . Erik Skjoldbjærg's Insomnia and Robert Bresson's Pickpocket , meanwhile, are receiving HD upgrades. Special features for the new releases are listed as follows: Scanners - New, restored 2K digital film transfer, supervised by director David Cronenberg, with...
- 4/15/2014
- Comingsoon.net
Sneak Peek footage, images and synopsis from director Erik Skjoldbjærg’s thriller "Pioneer", starring Wes Bentley, Stephen Lang and Aksel Hennie :
"...this conspiracy thriller is set in the early 80′s, the beginning of the 'Norwegian Oil Boom'. Enormous oil and gas deposits are discovered in the North Sea and the authorities aim to bring the oil ashore through a pipeline from depths of 500 meters.
"A professional diver, 'Petter', obsessed with reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea has the discipline, strength and courage to take on the world’s most dangerous mission. But a sudden, tragic accident changes everything. Petter is sent on a perilous journey where he loses sight of who’s pulling the strings. Gradually he realizes that he is in way over his head and that his life is at stake..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Pioneer"...
"...this conspiracy thriller is set in the early 80′s, the beginning of the 'Norwegian Oil Boom'. Enormous oil and gas deposits are discovered in the North Sea and the authorities aim to bring the oil ashore through a pipeline from depths of 500 meters.
"A professional diver, 'Petter', obsessed with reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea has the discipline, strength and courage to take on the world’s most dangerous mission. But a sudden, tragic accident changes everything. Petter is sent on a perilous journey where he loses sight of who’s pulling the strings. Gradually he realizes that he is in way over his head and that his life is at stake..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Pioneer"...
- 4/13/2014
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
This Norwegian thriller about early North Sea oil exploration sinks under the weight of its twists, chases and corpses
Pioneer is a tense, busy conspiracy thriller, pungently set during the early days of North Sea oil exploration, where cold, dark water boils inside the bore and the world upstairs appears murkier still. Aksel stars as Petter, a harried diver caught between greedy Norwegian contractors and a malign Us multinational (is there any other kind?). In its finest moments, Erik Skjoldbjærg's film aspires to be a Norwegian riff on Chinatown, rumbling and rattling with institutionalised evil. If only it didn't risk applying too much pressure. If only it didn't overload the cargo with so many plot twists, chases and corpses. Mayday, mayday, this film's about to break up.
Continue reading...
Pioneer is a tense, busy conspiracy thriller, pungently set during the early days of North Sea oil exploration, where cold, dark water boils inside the bore and the world upstairs appears murkier still. Aksel stars as Petter, a harried diver caught between greedy Norwegian contractors and a malign Us multinational (is there any other kind?). In its finest moments, Erik Skjoldbjærg's film aspires to be a Norwegian riff on Chinatown, rumbling and rattling with institutionalised evil. If only it didn't risk applying too much pressure. If only it didn't overload the cargo with so many plot twists, chases and corpses. Mayday, mayday, this film's about to break up.
Continue reading...
- 4/12/2014
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
"Focus on the job and we'll all end up making a lot of money..." This looks eerie. After featuring posters yesterday, today we have the full Us trailer for Erik Skjoldbjærg's Pioneer, a Norwegian conspiracy thriller set in the 1980s about the beginning of the Norwegian Oil Boom and deep sea divers using "controversial techniques" to extract oil. The cast includes a number of recognizable names and faces, from Wes Bentley to Stephen Lang to Jonathan Lapaglia, and they speak in English most of the time. This actually looks way better than I expected and I'm glad I stumbled across this film, there's just something mysterious and alluring about it. And I'm glad the footage in the trailer actually looks solid. Take a look for yourself below. Here's the official Us trailer for Erik Skjoldbjærg's Pioneer, in high def from Apple (via Collider): Pioneer is set in the early 1980's,...
- 4/11/2014
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Conspiracy films can captivate an audience in surprising ways, and Hollywood has a long tradition of bringing these theories to life. In the upcoming film Pioneer, director Erik Skjoldbjærg explores a real life Norwegian big oil cover-up that includes murder, extortion, and diving in the North Sea.
In celebration of Pioneer‘s release today, we are counting down six of the best conspiracy thrillers.
5. Shutter Island (2010)
Perhaps better known for violent-gangster films than conspiracy theories, Martin Scorsese teamed up with Leonardo DiCaprio for the fourth time to stunning effects. Using conspiracy-theory tropes unapologetically, Shutter Island turns the genre on its head and questions the nature of conspiracy theorists within our society.
4. The Insider (1999)
Focused solely on their shareholders, corporations will often go to morally extreme lengths to maximize profits. There is perhaps no better instance of this than within the cigarette industry, where companies denied the harmful effects of cigarettes for years,...
In celebration of Pioneer‘s release today, we are counting down six of the best conspiracy thrillers.
5. Shutter Island (2010)
Perhaps better known for violent-gangster films than conspiracy theories, Martin Scorsese teamed up with Leonardo DiCaprio for the fourth time to stunning effects. Using conspiracy-theory tropes unapologetically, Shutter Island turns the genre on its head and questions the nature of conspiracy theorists within our society.
4. The Insider (1999)
Focused solely on their shareholders, corporations will often go to morally extreme lengths to maximize profits. There is perhaps no better instance of this than within the cigarette industry, where companies denied the harmful effects of cigarettes for years,...
- 4/11/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
When your ultimate adventure becomes your ultimate nightmare. If you're into deep sea diving conspiracy thrillers, then we've got the perfect film for you. Titled Pioneer, this Norwegian thriller is about a team of divers who were part of risky experiments at the start of the Norwegian oil-drilling industry in the early 80s. The cast includes Aksel Hennie plus Wes Bentley, Stephen Lang, Jonathan Lapaglia, Stephanie Sigman and Jørgen Langhelle. The film already premiered in Europe last year and has been waiting for a Us release, however io9 has debuted a new Us poster and we thought it was worth sharing to bring some attention to this interesting little film. I'm intrigued by all the imagery, but I'm not sure if it'll be any good. Here's the latest Us poster for Erik Skjoldbjærg's Pioneer, similar to the Norwegian one, debuted from io9: Here's a photo from the film...
- 4/10/2014
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The latest slice of broody Scandinavian quality drama, Pioneer, is already touted for a Us remake. Like The Abyss without all the bothersome alien space tubes, it tells of a group of civilian divers who encounter the perils of the deep first-hand when they're sent to help construct a new oil pipeline deep below the surface of the North Sea. To add the requisite atmosphere and mood, French band Air have stepped up to deliver a score that is rich in both. There's no official soundtrack per se, but the band has composed a series of unnamed cues for the film and Empire is happy to be able to share six of them with you right here.Air, of course, have a rich film pedigree. They scored Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides and supplied tracks for Lost In Translation and Marie Antoinette, and in 2010 composed a new score for Georges Méliès great silent sci-fi,...
- 4/9/2014
- EmpireOnline
Now you may not have heard of Norwegian filmmaker Erik Skjoldbjærg, but his 1997 feature film debut Insomnia, was the source material for Christopher Nolan’s eponymous remake starring Robin Williams and Al Pacino. Only recently, Skjoldbjærg’s latest production Pioneer has also been confirmed to have a forthcoming Hollywood re-imagining, with word of George Clooney taking on the role of producer.
“I’d be more than happy for them to do that,” he told us, sitting back comfortably in during our meeting in a London hotel. “I made a film out of it. If they were to say ‘we want to make a remake and shelve your version, put it in a box and try and forget it ever existed’ it would be a different issue. But that’s not the way it works. I’m proud of the fact that Christopher Nolan went and made that remake, and actually...
“I’d be more than happy for them to do that,” he told us, sitting back comfortably in during our meeting in a London hotel. “I made a film out of it. If they were to say ‘we want to make a remake and shelve your version, put it in a box and try and forget it ever existed’ it would be a different issue. But that’s not the way it works. I’m proud of the fact that Christopher Nolan went and made that remake, and actually...
- 4/8/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Norwegian movie star Aksel Hennie tells us that he almost died when shooting the intense thriller Pioneer – resulting in a scene that, entirely accidentally, become one of the most memorable from the Erik Skjoldbjærg production.
“I almost died in one scene,” he told us during a phone interview. “I was asked to skid off the road and it wasn’t supposed to be a stunt at all. It was supposed to just a skid, stop the car and get out. But I drove too fast, my fault, the car rolled over, also my fault, and it flipped. I didn’t get what happened, I continued acting and the door to the car was yanked open, and the car exploded. The hood popped open and nobody could see if I was still alive. It was the press day for the movie too so we had the entire Norwegian press there. Pretty rock and roll.
“I almost died in one scene,” he told us during a phone interview. “I was asked to skid off the road and it wasn’t supposed to be a stunt at all. It was supposed to just a skid, stop the car and get out. But I drove too fast, my fault, the car rolled over, also my fault, and it flipped. I didn’t get what happened, I continued acting and the door to the car was yanked open, and the car exploded. The hood popped open and nobody could see if I was still alive. It was the press day for the movie too so we had the entire Norwegian press there. Pretty rock and roll.
- 4/8/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
George Clooney's production company Smokehouse Pictures is to remake Norwegian film Pioneer.
The actor and his producing partner Grant Heslov will bring the true story of a band of Norwegian divers to Hollywood, The Guardian reports.
The story follows 24 men who damaged their health diving to 400 metres below the surface to secure Norway's oil and gas fortune 40 years ago.
The men embarked on a long-term battle for compensation after claiming that they were not given the necessary information about the potential risks of the work they were carrying out underwater.
Last year, the European Court of Human Rights found the Norwegian state to be guilty of not providing the divers with necessary warnings, with the 24 men now expected to receive payouts.
"The plight of the divers is a very well-known story in this country," said Christian Fredrik Martin, producer of the Norwegian film. "When we first started work on Pioneer,...
The actor and his producing partner Grant Heslov will bring the true story of a band of Norwegian divers to Hollywood, The Guardian reports.
The story follows 24 men who damaged their health diving to 400 metres below the surface to secure Norway's oil and gas fortune 40 years ago.
The men embarked on a long-term battle for compensation after claiming that they were not given the necessary information about the potential risks of the work they were carrying out underwater.
Last year, the European Court of Human Rights found the Norwegian state to be guilty of not providing the divers with necessary warnings, with the 24 men now expected to receive payouts.
"The plight of the divers is a very well-known story in this country," said Christian Fredrik Martin, producer of the Norwegian film. "When we first started work on Pioneer,...
- 4/6/2014
- Digital Spy
This watery thriller from Insomnia director Erik Skjoldbjærg promises a tale 'based on real-life events' - but don't be expecting even the runway-stretching liberties of Argo, in terms of historical accuracy. Pioneer is a fictitious tale of Norwegian and American deep-sea diving teams collaborating but also competing for the lucrative rights to exploit North Sea oil in the early 1980s, derived fairly abstractly from a number of subsequent real world controversies that were to make the news in the following years.
Descending 500 metres into prototype tin-cans is a family affair for Headhunters' Aksel Hennie and big brother André Eriksen, hampered as they are by arrogant and hyper-competitive American interloper Wes Bentley. When a catastrophic mistake is made in a test-dive, the aftermath of the tragedy haunts Hennie's character, driving him to find out what really went wrong. It's a search which will take him into various nests of corruption at...
Descending 500 metres into prototype tin-cans is a family affair for Headhunters' Aksel Hennie and big brother André Eriksen, hampered as they are by arrogant and hyper-competitive American interloper Wes Bentley. When a catastrophic mistake is made in a test-dive, the aftermath of the tragedy haunts Hennie's character, driving him to find out what really went wrong. It's a search which will take him into various nests of corruption at...
- 3/31/2014
- Shadowlocked
Deep-sea diver Petter (Aksel Hennie) is suspicious when he blacks out during a dive, resulting in the death of his brother in an underwater explosion. Back on dry land, he begins probing the American company driving the 70s Norwegian oil boom and finds himself the target of vested interests who will do anything to keep the black gold flowing. Thriller based on real events from Erik Skjoldbjærg, director of the original Insomnia, later remade by Hollywood.
- 3/26/2014
- Sky Movies
Those Scandinavians continue to trot out more thrillers than anyone else, and the next to hit our screens will be Erik Skjoldbjærg's Pioneer, set around the oil industry in the early 1980s and featuring Headhunters' Aksel Hennie as a deep-sea diver caught up in a possible scandal. brightcove.createExperiences();Hennie plays Petter, a veteran diver hired to help construct an oil pipeline beneath the North Sea, along with his brother Knut (Andre Eriksen). But when tragedy strikes Petter is determined to find out what went wrong and who is responsible - which puts him on a collision course with an American co-worker and rival (Wes Bentley) and the company boss (Stephen Lang).It's all directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg, director of the original Insomnia, and also stars Ane Dahl Torp and Stephanie Sigman. The film was released in Norway last August and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, but...
- 3/10/2014
- EmpireOnline
Getting its North American debut out in Toronto last year, Erik Skjoldbjærg’s Norwegian thriller, Pioneer, is about to get the Us remake treatment.
THR report that Sony are in negotiations to acquire the rights for an American remake, which George Clooney and Grant Heslov will produce through their Smokehouse Pictures shingle.
The original report notes that Clooney is not attached to direct at this stage, and the absence of any mention otherwise presumably means the same goes for Heslov.
Skjoldbjærg’s Pioneer was released in Norway at the tail-end of last summer, before touring the festival circuit with stop-offs in Toronto, Helsinki, London, Chicago, and more. Aksel Hennie leads the original cast alongside Wes Bentley, Stephen Lang, and Stephanie Sigman, with the following synopsis:
Set in the early 1980s during the Norway’s oil boom, Pioneer follows a man who, along with his brother, is laying pipeline in the North Sea,...
THR report that Sony are in negotiations to acquire the rights for an American remake, which George Clooney and Grant Heslov will produce through their Smokehouse Pictures shingle.
The original report notes that Clooney is not attached to direct at this stage, and the absence of any mention otherwise presumably means the same goes for Heslov.
Skjoldbjærg’s Pioneer was released in Norway at the tail-end of last summer, before touring the festival circuit with stop-offs in Toronto, Helsinki, London, Chicago, and more. Aksel Hennie leads the original cast alongside Wes Bentley, Stephen Lang, and Stephanie Sigman, with the following synopsis:
Set in the early 1980s during the Norway’s oil boom, Pioneer follows a man who, along with his brother, is laying pipeline in the North Sea,...
- 2/13/2014
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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