“Martin Eden”
Cast: Luca Marinelli, Carlo Cecchi, Jessica Cressy, Vincenzo Nemolato, Marco Leonardi
Synopsis: Martin Eden struggles to rise above his destitute, proletarian circumstances through an intense and passionate pursuit of self-education, hoping to achieve a place among the literary elite.
What You Need to Know: Loosely based on the 1909 novel of the same name by Jack London, filmmaker Pietro Marcello transports the historical romance drama to Italy, during an unspecified time and the results are said to be a wonderful mix of 19th-century Romanticism and 20th-century neorealism. “Martin Eden” made its world premiere in Venice recently and won the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, apparently winning in a landslide victory.
Release Date: TBD, but Kino Lorber has acquired the film rights for North America. – RP
“Vitalina Varela”
Cast: Vitalina Varela
Synopsis: An impoverished woman in Lisbon, discovers the secrets of her husband’s life, following his death.
What You Need to Know: Described as the Samuel Beckett of cinema by some, Portuguese film director Pedro Costa’s work is Spartan, often depicting the marginalized and forgotten on the fringes of society. Ascetic and slow-moving, Costa’s works can also be hypnotically engrossing and poetic. Named after it’s real-life, non-acting star, “Vitalina Varela” is yet another journey into the shantytown Fontainhas outside of Lisbon that seems to constantly preoccupy Costa’s narratives. This one, seemingly not that different from some of the rest story-wise, chronicles a Cape Verdean woman who navigates her way through Lisbon, following the death of her husband after discovering his secret, illicit life. “Vitalina Varela” has been at Locarno and TIFF, now NYFF and those who have seen it have adored it, so this might be some nice alternative programming to some of the festival’s bigger players.
Release Date: TBD, but Grasshopper films will release the film in North America eventually. – RP
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
Cast: Noémie Merlant, Adéle Haenel, Luàna Bajarami, Valeria Golino
Synopsis: A female painter is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.
What You Need to Know: NEON is becoming a force to be reckoned with. With Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite,” Alejandro Landes’ “Monos,” and Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” ranking as three of the top critical darlings this year, the distribution company’s output is here to fill the A24/Annapurna-sized hole in your heart and introduce audiences to the international cinematic voices that they should be listening to. To be fair, Céline Sciamma is not a newcomer. Dating back to her debut “Water Lilies” in 2007, the French filmmaker has devoted her time to crafting films that examine the world from the perspective of women at varying stages in their lives. Whereas “Tomboy” and “Girlhood” adopted adolescent viewpoints, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” assumes a more mature, yet still inquisitive outlook on love and identity. Although France opted to select Ladj Ly’s “Les Misérables” over Sciamma’s latest as its International Film Oscar submission, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” retains its status as one of the more electrifying titles to premiere in 2019. Don’t believe us? Check out our Cannes review.
Release Date: December 6 – JC