Michael Haneke’s ‘Amour’ Sweeps European Film Awards

COMMENTS (6)

• THE HUNT and Mads Mikkelsen`s brilliant performance deserve receive nominations to the SAG, Golden Globes, Oscar and other important awards.

  Comment by LTavares2012 — Saturday, 1 December 2012 22:02 UK  Reply to this post

  • I completely agree with you!

    Comment by Pam — Sunday, 2 December 2012 02:15 UK  Reply to this post

• The European Film Academy is just another place for the usual suspects to hand out mutual backslaps and reach-rounds. Hollywood movies are “junk food”. That’s right, and millions love it, every day, but you can comfort yourselves because you are such great artistes, or is that chefs? sucking at the public teat for all you’re worth. Take away your tax-payer funded subsidies and you are nothing.

  Comment by Ripsnorter — Sunday, 2 December 2012 11:59 UK  Reply to this post

• Probably another incredible film from a prolific filmmaker that will be completely ignored by America, where mediocrity reigns supreme.

  Comment by CynicalCritic — Monday, 3 December 2012 17:32 UK  Reply to this post

• Partly disagree with this your “sucking at the public teat” comment. Yes Hollywood is popular. Yes Independent film is state funded. But -
  the important issue here is NOT that Hollywood movies are bad and European independent films are great – the important issue brought up in the ceremony – is that neither European Independent films nor American Independent films – nor independent films from anywhere else on earth are getting proper distribution. And if we cannot see them, why make them? Or would you prefer that we stop making independent cinema? Do you think that all film has to be commercial?

  Comment by H. Land — Wednesday, 5 December 2012 07:12 UK  Reply to this post

  • If you take the publicly funded subsidy factor out of European film making there would be hardly any European films made whatsoever. The fact is, the majority, the vast majority of these people, do not look beyond the usual suspect funders, all chasing the same coin, whether it be in the form of art subsidies or EU grave train money. They don’t, won’t and can’t think commercially. By that, I don’t mean blowing stuff up, I mean taking a script and package to the market.

    I love and support independent films, but there is a good reason why so many don’t get proper distribution, much of it being due to the film itself having no chance of finding an audience, let alone making it financially viable to distribute. I have recently been involved with just one such project. With all the best will in the world, I believe it will find late night TV niche play in a few countries, some festival play and most likely very low four figure buy out deals. Although not finished, it is unwatchable. It has been made thanks to local and national subsidy in its country of origin. The writer-director-producer concerned is having a great time, of course.

    With regard to your question, “If we cannot see them, why make them?”, it is because the makers get the subsidies, they tend to have general contempt for audiences anyway, being concerned with fulfilling their own artistic ‘genius’. If you have not yet experienced the sheer arrogance and narcism that populates European filmmaking, then take a trip sometime.

    I will do anything to encourage independent cinema. That does not include flapping some egomaniac playing fast and loose with taxpayers’ money, riding the cultural gravy train for all he or she is worth. If someone wants to make a film, then good luck. But a film without an audience is worthless and the best place to start is with the question, who is going to see this? I was once presented with a marketing plan that read, “My film is for men and women and children of all ages.” That had clearly satisfied the cultural remit of various European public funders and off it went. As far as I am aware, it is still awaiting distribution, not that the film maker cares because, hey! He got to fulfill his artistic vision and also pocket his fee.

    Comment by Ripsnorter — Thursday, 6 December 2012 15:08 UK  Reply to this post