Tag: launderette

The Brand New
Testament
(Le Tout Nouveau
Testament)

Post author By Jeremy Clarke
Post date 21 August 2020
No Comments on The Brand New
Testament
(Le Tout Nouveau
Testament)
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Director – Jaco Van Dormael – 2015 – Belgium – Cert. 15 – 113m

*****

Review originally published in Reform, read the full review here.

Showing on BFI Player from Thursday, July 20th, 2023

At the end of Time Bandits (Terry Gilliam, 1981), the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson) bumbles around in a lounge lizard suit mumbling, “I think it has to do with free will, or something.” A similar sense of whimsy pervades the latest film from Flemish director Jaco Van Dormael (Toto The Hero/1991, The Eighth Day/1996) who reworks God The Father as a slobbish despot. Many people in contemporary Western culture struggle with the idea of a loving, patriarchal God so if you’re going to have a crack at exploring Christian theology for the unchurched, this is not a bad place to start… [Read the rest]

Review originally published in Reform, September 2016, to coincide with the film’s UK DVD release.

See also alternative review originally published in (the final issue of) Third Way, May 2016, to coincide with the film’s UK theatrical release.

Showing on BFI Player from Thursday, July 20th, 2023.

Trailer:

Tags Belgium, Brexit, Brussels, Christianity, computer, disciple, Garden Of Eden, God, gorilla, launderette, patriarchy, testament, text message, theology, tunnel, washing machine

Features Live Action Movies

Everything
Everywhere
All At Once

Post author By Jeremy Clarke
Post date 9 May 2022
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Everywhere
All At Once
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Director – Daniels (Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert) – 2022 – US – Cert. 15 – 139m

*****

Do you know kung fu? A launderette owner in trouble with the IRS is sucked into serial, parallel worlds to defeat the being who threatens to annihilate the multiverse – available on demand in the UK from Monday, June 13th

You could describe it as a Cubist take on The Matrix. Or a mother-daughter relationship drama. Or a multiverse movie. Or a film about filing taxes with the IRS. Or a (multiple set of) romance(s). Or a Michelle Yeoh action movie. Or a Chinese American movie. Or a film put together unlike any other you’ve ever seen. All these descriptions would be accurate.

Chinese American Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) runs her own business. A launderette (or laundromat in American parlance). She sits at the table in her apartment which is covered with piles of receipts. She is sorting through them in preparation for an upcoming interview with the IRS. She isn’t sure she’s ready.

This pressing issue aside, her life is not without its challenges. Her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan, formerly the kid from Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, Steven Spielberg, 1983; The Goonies, Richard Donner, 1985) is attempting to file for divorce and wants her to sign the papers.… Read the rest

Tags ageing relative, American English, annihilation, apartment, butt plugs, carer, champion, Chinese American, chocolate doughnut, controlled by raccoons, Cubism, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Scheinert, Daniels, divorce, divorce papers, doughnut, Dr.Seuss, drama, editing, Employee Of The Month, family, family drama, fingers, giant, hot dog sausages, hot dog sausages for fingers, husbands and wives, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, interview, IRS, IRS examiner, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, janitor’s closet, Ke Huy Quan, launderette, laundromat, lift, Mandarin Chinese, martial arts, martial arts champion, Michelle Yeoh, Mike Jittlov, mothers and daughters, multiverse, neighbours, Nobuhiko Obayashi, Norman McLaren, nothingness, other worlds, people controlled by raccoons sitting on their heads, pressures of modern life, raccoons on their heads, raccoons sitting on their heads, rapid editing, receipts, Richard Donner, Shinya Tsukamoto, sitting on their heads, small business, Stephanie Hsu, Steven Spielberg, synthetic penises, Talie Medal, tax, tax examiner, taxes, Tetsuo: The Iron Man, The Goonies, The Matrix, The Wizard Of Speed And Time, US, void, Wachowski, Wong Kar-wai

Features Live Action Movies

The Brand New
Testament
(Le Tout Nouveau
Testament)

Post author By Jeremy Clarke
Post date 15 April 2016
No Comments on The Brand New
Testament
(Le Tout Nouveau
Testament)
Sticky post

Director – Jaco Van Dormael – 2015 – Belgium – Cert. 15 – 113m

*****

Original UK release date 25/03/2016, cert.15, 113 mins

Review originally published in Third Way, read the full review here.

Showing on BFI Player from Thursday, July 20th, 2023

The idea of God being an utter bastard sounds theologically none too edifying, yet in the hands of Flemish director Jaco Van Dormael (Toto The Hero/1991, The Eighth Day/1996) that’s not the case. It’s whimsical in the same way as Ralph Richardson playing the Supreme Being bumbling around at the end of Time Bandits (Terry Gilliam, 1981) in a lounge lizard suit mumbling, “I think it has to do with free will, or something.”

Empty, present day Brussels replaces the Garden of Eden where Adam wanders around nude save for a black rectangular special effect covering his privates to meet Eve (her name tag) behind a deserted cafeteria counter. Much begatting extends their family. Grumpy old man God (Benoît Poelvoorde) writes rules for creation on his study computer, e.g. another queue always moves faster than the one you’re in. His son, as we know, went off to garner twelve disciples and four testaments.… Read the rest

Tags Belgium, Brussels, Christianity, computer, disciple, Garden Of Eden, God, gorilla, launderette, patriarchy, testament, text message, theology, tunnel, washing machine