Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens´immortal classical tale about the young, orphan Oliver Twist in the nineteenth century of London is here truly come alive by the director and former Oscar-winner Roman Polanski.

Oliver Twist escapes from an orphanage in the countryside and heads for London. Here he soon finds a temporary resort at the criminal Fagin- the leader of a gang of young pickpockets who work in the streets of London.

This fascinating story about the orphan Oliver Twist is among the most read books in the world and has been filmed many times.

This version from 2005, with the former Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) and the very talented and charming 11-year old Barney Clark, who plays Oliver, make this film one of the very best.

This film got a nomination at Young Artist Awards in 2006.

There is also the black & white version of 1948.

Punish Me (orig.title:Verfolgt)

Upon release from jail, Jan (Kostja Ullmann) becomes the newest charge of a much older parole officer, Elsa (Maren Kroymann). The young man seeks to provoke her- to shake her from her routine, and he succeeds by drawing the woman bit by bit into an intoxicating, sadomasochistic affair. But when reality breaches the ethical vacuum in which their relationship exists, everything in their lives will abruptly change.

 

Awards:

-Golden Leopard Award at the Locarno Film Festival in 2006.

-New Faces Award at New Faces Awards, Germany, in 2007.

-German Film Critics Award at German Film Critics Association Awards in 2008.

Joe The King

When the deck´s stacked against you, it pays to keep a few aces up your sleeve. Actor Frank Whaley (Swimming With Sharks) makes his writing /directing debut with this unflinching, loosely autobiographical look at Joe Henry (Noah Fleiss), a sensitive but tough working class kid who struggles valiantly to survive the colossal road blocks fate has placed in his path. The star-studded cast features Val Kilmer as Joe´s drunken, abusive father, John Leguizamo as a cynical busboy at the local greasy spoon, Karen Young as Joe´s burntout mom and Ethan Hawke as his inept guidance counselor.

With shattering honesty and unforgettable characters, ”Joe The King” will command a permant place in your heart.

Award:

-Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award

at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999.

 

Le Dernier Des Fous

Young Martin watches the quirky, extraordinary events that occur in an around the family home and barn from a distance. Quiet and introverted, it is only the housemaid and occasionally his brother, Didier, who pay him any attention. As for his mother, she has locked herself away in her room, while his grandmother assumes control of the household, which is slowly falling apart. When Didier discovers that his next-door neighbour and lover have decided to get married, all hell breaks loose, and the family disintegrates.

 (Peccadillopod.com)

 

Awards:

-Prize of the Ecumenial Jury

-Silver Leopard,

both at the Locarno International Film

Fesival in 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

The Keys To The House

Beautifully crafted by acclaimed director Gianni Amelio, ”The Keys To The House” is a compassionate exploration of fatherhood and the often surprising nature of disability. The story follows Gianni (KIm Rossi Stuart), a young father attempting to forge a relationship with his physically and psychologically disabled son Paolo, whom he meets for the first time as a teenager. Accompanying Paolo to a special hospital in Berlin, Gianni meets Nicole (Charlotte Rampling), a woman devoted to the care of her own handicapped child, whose instinctive support and understanding help Gianni come to terms with the guilt of having abandoned his son. Featuring outstanding performances by a remarkable cast, this powerful and moving drama is an unforgettable and ultimately uplifting emotional journey.

There have been several awards and nominations for example at the Venice Film Festival in 2004 and at the Italian National Film Syndicate of Film Journalists in 2005.