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Monte Carlo Comedy Film Festival
2010-11-23 12:18
What: Monte Carlo Comedy Film Festival
Where: Grimaldi Forum
When: 23 - 27 November 2010
Chris Morris's satire Four Lions, the story of a group of wannabe
suicide bombers who plan to blow up the London Marathon dressed as the
Ninja Turtles, has already generated a good deal of comment, some of it
hostile, but much of it recognizing the power of comedy to deflate the
ludicrous antics - and failures - of the all-too-real fundamentalist
terrorists on which it is based.
Those familiar with Morris's previous work will be more than aware that
his success comes, as often as not, from the fact that he is prepared to
skate so close to the bounds of acceptability; but for every critic who
sees in Four Lions a dilution of the tragedy of 7/7 (the film in set in
the North of England and in London), there are more who praise the film
for puncturing the desire of such extremists to be taken seriously.
In
their repeated failures and general ineptitude, its protagonists are depicted as a
hapless and hopeless team - a kind of Unfantastic Four. In the end the
movie delivers a well-timed poke in the eye for suicide bombers everywhere.
Morris's film is the one UK comedy to be shown in competition this week at the tenth annual Monte Carlo Comedy Film festival, and will be up against a number of European films including, from Italy, La Donna della Mia Vita and Into Paradiso, from France La Chance de ma Vie and La Tete Ailleurs, as well as El Gran Vazquez (Spain) and Die Friseuse (Germany)
Programme:
Tue 23 November
3.30pm - INTO PARADISO / Paola Randi (Italy, 2010, 104')
7:30pm - LA TETE AILLEURS / Frederic Pelle (France, 2010, 80')
Wed 24 November
10:30am - BENVENUTI AL SUD / Luca Miniero (Italy, 2010, 120') not in competition
3.30pm - DIE FRISEUSE – THE HAIRDRESSER / Doris Dörrie (Germany, 2010, 106')
7.30pm - FOUR LIONS de Chris Morris (UK 2010, 103')
Thu 25 November
3.30pm - EL GRAN VAZQUEZ / Oscar Aibar (Spain, 2009, 100')
7.30pm - LA CHANCE DE MA VIE / Nicolas Cuche (France, 2010, 100')
Fri 26 November
3.30pm - LA DONNA DELLA MIA VITA / Luca Lucini (Italy, 2010, 96')
7.30pm - BURKE & HARE / John Landis (UK, 2010, 91') not in competition
Sat 27 November
11.30am – Cocktails at the Hôtel De Paris
Announcement of winners and interviews.
8pm – Gala Evening Grimaldi Forum - Salle des Princes
Awards ceremony, followed by Gala Dinner