Vincenzo Natali Movies
The Canadian-born fantasist director Vincenzo Natali is no stranger to dystopia; each of his three produced features thrusts ordinary human characters into the middle of an inexplicable and darkened future realm governed by seemingly impenetrable logic and follows the subjects as they struggle to come to terms with their environs. Natali burst onto the scene in 1997 with his surreal, low-budget sci-fi thriller Cube. This enigmatic film weaves the tale of a group of people clamoring to escape from some obscure cubic labyrinth where the casualty of a misstep involves full dismemberment by the cube itself. The film understandably impressed viewers and critics alike with Natali's ability to stretch cinematic boundaries on a shoestring budget; it also received multiple Genie nominations for art direction, sound, and an original score, and in time became something of a cult favorite. Natali was nothing if not prolific over successive years, and kept his feet planted ever firmly in the postmodern realm, beginning with several episodes of Earth: Final Conflict. Natali's 2002 follow-up to Cube, Cypher, stars Jeremy Northam, Lucy Liu and David Hewlett, in the tale of a man who assumes a new identity in preparation for an espionage career, but instead gets systematically brainwashed and finds himself engulfed in a shaky, paranoid reality. The film performed admirably on all fronts and paved the way for a tertiary effort, 2003's Nothing. Described by Natali as "a buddy comedy set in a void," the film involves a couple of eccentrics who literally wish the outside world out of existence, and (along with their house and pet turtle) turn up on a seemingly limitless white landscape, engulfed by white. The two men then don protective gear made of hockey pads and aluminum foil, and attempt to chart the space that dwarfs them. The film evaded release in the United States but -- like its predecessors -- garnered worldwide critical kudos. Two years down the road, Natali -- probably taking his cues from Keith Fulton's Lost in La Mancha -- shot a documentary on Terry Gilliam's production of the 2005 feature Tideland; the documentary premiered almost concurrently with the feature, in the autumn of 2005. Natali then contributed a segment to the 2006 film-à-sketch Paris Je T'aime, and -- that same year -- announced production on his fourth feature project, Necropolis. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 2008
Two scientists (Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley) embark on a dangerous journey when they splice human DNA into preexisting genetic-engineered experiments in this sci-fi thriller from director Vincenzo Natali and executive producer Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth). ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, (more)
- 2006
Vincenzo Natali, the filmmaker behind the mind-bending cult classic Cube, contributed this film to the collection Paris, Je T'Aime. Starring Elijah Wood and Olga Kurylenko, Quartier de la Madeleine observes a creepy and very bloody romance that transpires between a young backpacker and a female vampire whom he encounters late one night. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Olga Kurylenko, (more)
Twenty acclaimed filmmakers from around the world look at love in the City of Lights in this omnibus feature. Paris, Je T'Aime features 18 short stories, each set in a different part of Paris and each featuring a different cast and director (two segments were produced by two filmmakers in collaboration). In "Faubourg Saint-Denis," Tom Tykwer directs Natalie Portman as an American actress who is the object of affection for a blind student (Melchior Belson). Christopher Doyle's "Porte de Choisy" follows a salesman (Barbet Schroeder) as he tries to pitch beauty aids in Chinatown. Nick Nolte and Ludivine Sagnier are father and daughter in "Parc Monceau" from Alfonso Cuarón. Animator Sylvain Chomet turns his eye to a pair of living, breathing mimes in "Tour Eiffel." An interracial romance in France is offered by Gurinder Chadha in "Quais de Seine." In "Le Marais" from Gus Van Sant, a man (Gaspard Ulliel) finds himself falling for a handsome gent (Elias McConnell) who works in a print shop. Isabel Coixet tells the tale of a man (Sergio Castellitto) who is making his final choice between his wife (Miranda Richardson) and his lover (Leonor Watling) in "Bastille." Juliette Binoche plays a grieving mother in Nobuhiro Suwa's "Place des Victoires," in which she's greeted by a spectral cowboy (Willem Dafoe). Richard LaGravanese's "Pigalle" finds a long-married man (Bob Hoskins) turning to a prostitute for advice on pleasing his wife (Fanny Ardant). Gérard Depardieu and Frédéric Auburtin direct Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara as longtime marrieds meeting for one final pre-divorce encounter in "Quartier Latin." Steve Buscemi learns a lesson about local etiquette in the Paris Metro in "Tuileries" from Joel and Ethan Coen. In "Loin du 16ème" by Walter Salles, a housekeeper (Catalina Sandino Moreno) longs for her own child as she tends to the infant of her wealthy employer. Elijah Wood stars in "Quartier de la Madeleine," a vampire tale from Vincenzo Natali. Wes Craven presents another fantasy in "Père-Lachaise," in which an engaged young man (Rufus Sewell) receives romantic advice from the spirit of Oscar Wilde (Alex Payne). A postal worker from Colorado (Margo Martindale) shares her thoughts on her visit to Paris in mangled French in Alexander Payne's witty "14th Arrondissement." Other segments include "Place des Fêtes" from Oliver Schmitz, Bruno Podalydès' "Montmartre," and "Quartier des Enfants Rouges" by Olivier Assayas, which stars Maggie Gyllenhaal. Paris, Je T'Aime received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Two roommates fed up with the outside world find that it's easier to avoid responsibility than they thought when a wish to make it all go away comes true in this mysterious tale from Cube director Vincenzo Natali. David (David Hewlett) and Andrew (Andrew Miller) are best friends with a grudge against the outside world. From bill collectors to obnoxious neighbors to a landlord who seems to have it out for the pair, it seems that lately the weight of the entire world is resting on their shoulders. Everyone wishes that their problems would simply just go away, but when that wish actually comes true and the world around them simply begins to disappear, Andrew and David must get to the bottom of the mystery before they too fade into oblivion. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, (more)
Director Vincenzo Natali, famous for being the man behind the cult classic Cube, helms this spy thriller from the debut screenplay by writer Brian King. Jeremy Northam stars as Morgan Sullivan, a man who suddenly finds himself deeply embroiled in the fast-paced and dangerous world of corporate espionage. But it isn't until Sullivan meets a mysterious woman named Rita (Lucy Liu) that he begins to realize exactly what he's gotten himself into. Also starring David Hewlitt and Kari Matchett, Cypher was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Fantasy at the 2003 Fantasporo Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Northam, Lucy Liu, (more)
This low-budget science-fiction drama, winner of a 1997 Toronto Film Festival prize for "Best Canadian First Feature," depicts the plight of a group of people clad in prison-style uniforms and trapped in futuristic cube-like metal cells. Their memories are hazy; no one can recall how they got there. Alderson (Julian Richings) awakens in a cell, seeks an exit, and arrives in an adjacent cube where he's sliced and diced. Former cop Quentin (Maurice Dean-Wint) becomes the group leader, and he's challenged by conspiracy theorist Dr. Holloway (Nicky Guadagni). Government worker Worth (David Hewlett) remembers a past government link to the project. A discovery that the cubes have numerical codes suggests study by math-student Leaven (Nicole deBoer) while former thief Rennes (Wayne Robson) knows some escape tricks. However, the extreme behavior of Kazan (Andrew Miller) becomes a threat to their survival. The film was also shown at the 1997 Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Dean Wint, Nicole deBoer, (more)
