Of Time and the City

Last updated

Of Time and the City
Of Time and the City.png
Directed by Terence Davies
Written byTerence Davies
Produced bySolon Papadopoulos, Roy Boulter
CinematographyTim Pollard
Edited byLiza Ryan-Carter
Music byIan Neil
Distributed by British Film Institute
Release dates
  • 28 May 2008 (2008-05-28)(Cannes)
  • 31 October 2008 (2008-10-31)(United Kingdom)
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom

Of Time and the City is a 2008 British documentary collage film directed by Terence Davies. The film has Davies recalling his life growing up in Liverpool in the 1950s and 1960s, using newsreel and documentary footage supplemented by his own commentary voiceover and contemporaneous and classical music soundtracks.

Contents

The film premiered as part of the Special Screenings selection at 2008 Cannes Film Festival where it received rave reviews. [1] Time Out said "The one truly great movie to emerge so far (from Cannes)..... this film is as personal, as universal in its relevance, and as gloriously cinematic as anything he has done" [1] and The Guardian called it "a British masterpiece, a brilliant assemblage of images that illuminate our past. Not only does it tug the heart-strings but it's also savagely funny." [1] BBC TV film critic Mark Kermode nominated it as the best overall film of 2008 on his "Kermode Awards" section of The Culture Show . In 2018 Kermode placed the film at number one in a list of his favourite films of the previous ten years (2008-2018). [2] Duane Byrge from The Hollywood Reporter lauded the film as "poetically composed" and a "masterwork". [3]

Of Time and the City won Best Documentary in the Australian Film Critics Association awards for 2009. Following the success of the film, in 2010 the website People’s Stories: Liverpool Lives was launched with Heritage Lottery funding, created for Of Time and the City by producer Sol Papadopoulos and transmedia creator Krishna Stott. For the launch of the site the actors Jonathan Pryce, Alexei Sayle and Joe McGann contributed their own memories of the city. [4] [5]

References within the film

Poetry and literature

Music

Films

Fashion

Landmarks

Nearby locales

Regular events

Sports

Celebrities

Scholars

Radio programmes

Laws

Religious leaders

Historical figures

Contemporary

[9]

Reception

The film was widely acclaimed, [10] with praise mostly focusing on its warmth and heartfelt approach. It holds a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 59 critics’ reviews. [11] On Metacritic, it holds an 81% critical score based on nine reviews. [12]

It has been described as "a mesmerizing and eloquent essay" by Jonathan Rosenbaum of Chicago Reader , [13] "a warm and extremely thoughtful journey, with a deliberately bare-bones narrative" by Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle , [14] "a distinct pleasure to experience" by Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times , [15] "mesmerizing, visceral and heartfelt" by Geoff Pevere of the Toronto Star , [16] "a short, beautiful, characteristically sublime memory piece" by Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly , [17] "a wistful, funny, satirical, angry and forgiving portrait" by Sean Axmaker of Parallax View, [18] and "a visual poem" by Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews. [19] In 2018, Mark Kermode chose it as his favourite film of the last ten years. [20]

People’s Stories - Liverpool’s social history website

In 2010 - 'in response' to the film - the website People’s Stories: Liverpool Lives was launched. [5] With Heritage Lottery funding, the website was created for Of Time and the City producer Sol Papadopoulos by transmedia creator Krishna Stott. [21] Stott described the project as 'a community-based site of user generated content for Liverpudlians and the scouse diaspora'. [4] Actors Jonathan Pryce, Alexei Sayle and Joe McGann contributed their own memories of the city as part of the launch. The site was a place for members of the public to upload and share their stories, films, or photographs. Papadopoulos commented: 'We had Liverpudlians from all over the world wanting to tell their story, inspired by the way Terence had told his'. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Lenny</i> (film) 1974 American biographical drama film by Bob Fosse

Lenny is a 1974 American biographical drama film about the comedian Lenny Bruce, starring Dustin Hoffman and directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Julian Barry is based on his play of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Dennis</span> English television presenter, actor, and comedian

Leslie Dennis Heseltine is an English television presenter, actor and comedian. He presented Family Fortunes from 1987 until 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnnie To</span> Hong Kong filmmaker (born 1955)

Johnnie To Kei-fung is a Hong Kong filmmaker. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though in the West he is best known for his action and crime movies, which have earned him critical respect and a cult following, which includes American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terence Davies</span> British film director and screenwriter (1945–2023)

Terence Davies was a British screenwriter, film director, and novelist. He is best known as the writer and director of autobiographical films, including Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988), The Long Day Closes (1992) and the collage film Of Time and the City (2008), as well as the literary adaptations The Neon Bible (1995), The House of Mirth (2000), The Deep Blue Sea (2011), and Sunset Song (2015). His final two feature films were centered around influential literary figures, Emily Dickinson in A Quiet Passion (2016) and Siegfried Sassoon in Benediction (2021). Davies was considered by some critics as one of the great British directors of his period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Kermode</span> English film critic

Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician, radio presenter, television presenter, author and podcaster. He is the co-presenter, with Ellen E. Jones, of the BBC Radio 4 programme Screenshot and co-presenter of the film-review podcast Kermode & Mayo's Take alongside long-time collaborator Simon Mayo. He is a regular contributor to The Observer, for which he was chief film critic between September 2013 and September 2023.

<i>The Long Day Closes</i> (film) 1992 film by Terence Davies

The Long Day Closes is a 1992 British drama film written and directed by Terence Davies and starring Marjorie Yates, Leigh McCormack, Anthony Watson, Nicholas Lamont and Ayes Owens. It was entered into the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.

Roy Boulter was the English drummer in the Liverpool-based pop group The Farm. He joined the band in 1987, enjoying success with the number one album, Spartacus, and hits such as "Groovy Train" and "All Together Now". The Farm re-formed, occasionally touring and playing festivals. In 2011 the band provided the nucleus of The Justice Tonight Band, joined by Mick Jones, Pete Wylie and Andrew Davitt. The band was formed to raise awareness about the injustice surrounding the Hillsborough disaster - Boulter and Farm lead-singer Peter Hooton were both present at the tragedy. The Justice Tonight Band toured the UK and Europe spreading the message about Hillsborough and the twenty-three years of injustice endured by the families and victims of the tragedy.

<i>Film Socialisme</i> 2010 film by Jean-Luc Godard

Film Socialisme is a 2010 French postmodern drama film directed by Jean-Luc Godard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Coppola</span> American filmmaker

Roman François Coppola is an American filmmaker. He is the son of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola.

<i>Hav Plenty</i> 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Christopher Scott Cherot

Hav Plenty is a 1997 American romantic comedy film released by Miramax Films, based on an eventful weekend in the life of Lee Plenty, written and directed by Cherot. The film is based on the true story of Chris Cherot's unrequited romance with Def Jam A&R executive Drew Dixon.

<i>Woman Is the Future of Man</i> 2004 South Korean film

Woman Is the Future of Man is a 2004 South Korean film directed by Hong Sang-soo. The film was not a box-office hit, but was entered in the competition category of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and received screenings at several other festivals. The title of the film is a translation of a line from a poem by Louis Aragon that the director saw printed on a French postcard.

<i>Gods and Monsters</i> (I Am Kloot album) 2005 studio album by I Am Kloot

Gods and Monsters is the third album by English rock band I Am Kloot which was released on 11 April 2005. It reached #74 in the UK. As well as being released on vinyl and CD, the CD version of the album also appeared in a gate-fold sleeve edition with a second disc: a DVD titled Live At The Ritz + Videos which contained filmed live tracks from a gig, music videos, and a band interview.

<i>Luxury Car</i> (film) 2006 film

Luxury Car is a 2006 film directed by Wang Chao. The film was produced by China's Bai Bu Ting Media and France's Rosem Films, and in association with Arte France Cinéma.

<i>We Need to Talk About Kevin</i> (film) 2011 film by Lynne Ramsay

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2011 psychological thriller drama film directed by Lynne Ramsay from a screenplay she co-wrote with Rory Stewart Kinnear, based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Lionel Shriver. A long process of development and financing began in 2005, with filming commencing in April 2010.

<i>O Horten</i> 2007 film

O' Horten is a 2007 internationally co-produced comedy-drama film written and directed by Bent Hamer. The film's title character Odd Horten is a habit-bound train driver, who is about to retire. On the day of his retirement he ends up in an unexpected situation, and is forced to reconsider his life. As in other films by Hamer, the themes are loneliness and old age, and the courage to take chances. O' Horten has been described as a film without a strong plot or a clear chronology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorgos Lanthimos</span> Greek filmmaker (born 1973)

YorgosLanthimos is a Greek filmmaker. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for six Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane Films</span>

Hurricane Films is a film production company based in Liverpool, England. It has produced both documentaries and fiction films at both short and feature length. It is best known for Terence Davies' feature-length documentary Of Time and the City (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Cousins (filmmaker)</span> Northern Irish film director (born 1965)

Mark Cousins is an English-born, Northern Irish director and writer. A prolific documentarian, among his works is the 15-hour 2011 documentary The Story of Film: An Odyssey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giulio Base</span> Italian film director (born 1964)

Giulio Base is an Italian film director. He has received two doctorates, one in Literature and Philosophy and another in Theology, and has been a member of Mensa International since 1996.

<i>Love in the Time of Money</i> 2002 American film

Love in the Time of Money is a 2002 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Mattei, and starring Steve Buscemi, Vera Farmiga, Rosario Dawson, Malcolm Gets, Jill Hennessy, and Adrian Grenier. The film, executive produced by Robert Redford, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 11, 2002. It had a limited release in the United States on November 1, 2002.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Liverpool film portrait takes Cannes film festival by storm". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
  2. ↑ "Have You Seen Mark Kermode's Favourite Films of the last Ten Years". HITC Culture. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  3. ↑ Byrge, Duane (21 May 2008). "Of Time and the City". The Hollywood Reporter, the Daily from Cannes (8). Cannes: 10.
  4. 1 2 "Mediography". Krishna Stott. Bellyfeel. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Jones, Catherine. "A new website for Liverpool reminiscences is launched after the success of Terence Davies movie Of Time and the City". Liverpool Echo . Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Pevere, Geoff (23 January 2009). "In search of lost time". Toronto Star . Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "Film review: Of Time and the City". The Guardian . 31 October 2008. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022.
  8. ↑ AV Club
  9. ↑ "Terence Davies, In Search Of Lost Liverpool". NPR . Archived from the original on 30 May 2023.
  10. ↑ BFI
  11. ↑ "Of Time and the City (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  12. ↑ "Of Time and the City Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  13. ↑ Rosenbaum, Jonathan. "Of Time and the City". Chicago Reader . Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  14. ↑ Hartlaub, Peter (13 February 2009). "Movie review: Enjoy 'Of Time and the City'". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  15. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (30 January 2009). "Review: 'Of Time and the City'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  16. ↑ Pevere, Geoff (23 January 2009). "Of Time and the City: How Liverpool lost its groove". Toronto Star . Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  17. ↑ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (23 January 2009). "Of Time and the City". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  18. ↑ Axmaker, Sean (12 May 2009). "Of Time and the City and Alexander Korda – DVDs for the week". Parallax View. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Schwartz, Dennis (26 March 2011). "Of Time and the City". Ozus' World Movie Reviews. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  20. ↑ "Kermode Uncut: My Top Ten Films Of The Last Ten Years - Part Two". YouTube. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  21. ↑ "Of Time and the City Presspack" (PDF). Bellyfeel. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.