Saturday, July 7, 2012

Best of the Week/Master Templates

Good Saturday Everyone!


BEST OF THE WEEK

Here's a re-post of what I thought was the best material from the last week here on MTFB/FAC.

This week's Ten Bets for TFF #39


1) Amour
2) Rust and Bone
3) Beyond the Hills



4) Hyde Park on Hudson
5) Song for Marion
6) No
7) Something in the Air
8) The East
9) Midnight's Children
10) The Central Park Five (see below)

Floating just below: "Like Someone in Love", "Reality", "On the Road and "The Hunt".

I'm a little more bullish on Olivier Assasyas' "Something in the Air" this week and a little less on Walter Salles' "On the Road".


IFC




Continuing what I started last week with a view toward distribution/production companies that have some connection to Telluride in the past and what that could portend for 2012.  Today it's IFC.

Past IFC films that have played TFF:

2011: Into the Abyss, Pina
2010: Carlos, The Princess of Montpensier
2009: Life During Wartime, Vincere, Fish Tank, Red Riding Trilogy
2008: The Good, The Bad and The Weird, Gomorrah, Hunger, Flame and Citron
2007: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2006: Jar City

So IFC has evolved into a consistent presence with films at Telluride over the past 5 years.  Based on the recent past, one might expect 2-3 IFC distributed films in the San Juans over Labor Day weekend.  What's in their quiver that has some Telluride-y essence?

Olivier Assasyas' "Something in the Air".  Assasyas has been repped at T-ride in the past with "Irma Vep" in 1996 and with "Carlos" in 2010. IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1846472/




Walter Salles' "On the Road".  Salles' T-ride resume: "Central Station" in 1998 and "The Motorcycle Diaries" in 2004.  IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337692/

Abbas Kiorstami's "Like Someone in Love".  Kiorstami at Telluride: 1997 with "Taste of Cherry".
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843287/

There are other films in the IFC stable but these appear to be the 3 with the best chance of being in Telluride.


CENTRAL PARK FIVE



Don't be surprised if Ken Burns' "The Central Park Five" Doc shows up at Telluride.  His "Dust Bowl" was shown as a part of Mountainfilm so that takes it off the table in all likelihood.  But CPF looks primed to be on the TFF slate.  CPF was co-written, co-produced and co-directed by Burns, David McMahon (his son-in -law) and Sarah Burns (his daughter).

CPF looks at a case of criminal system malfeasance in NYC in 1989.

CPF's IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2380247/



CANAL+



Today our focus on production companies turns overseas as I begin to look at European firms that have had films on the program at Telluride and what their past participation may mean for 2012.

Today we look at the French firm Canal+

Canal+'s recent Telluride presence includes:


CANAL+ (French production company)

2011: Crazy Horse, Goodbye First Love, Le Havre, The Kid with a Bike, The Artist

2010:  Carlos, Of Gods and Men, The Princess of Montpensier, The Illusionist

2009:  Farewell, The White Ribbon, Inferno, A Prophet, Coco Before Chanel

2008:  Flame and Citron, I’ve Loved You So Long

2007: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Terror’s Advocate

2005: Cache

As you can see, Canal+ has increased its presence over the last 3 years with 4-5 films on the program.  So what do they have their fingers in that could provide a signal as to what we'll see Labor Day weekend?

Here's the most likely Telluride-ish films on the Canal+ 2012 slate:



Leo Carax's "Holy Motors"
Walter Salles' "On the Road"
Alain Renais' "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"
Michael Haneke's  "Amour"
Matteo Garrone's "Reality"
Jacques Audiard's "Rust and Bone"

As regular readers are aware, I think that the Haneke and the Audiard are locks for Telluride.  Any of the other 4 (and perhaps all of them) could well be on the T-ride playlist as well.



FRANCE 2 CINEMA



I continue the procession through European film production companies that have had a presence at Telluride festivals lately as a means to assessing what films could play there this year and today's examination focuses on France 2 Cinema.

Here's their recent track record at TFF:

2011: The Kid with a Bike
2010: The Princess of Montpensier
2009: Farewell, Inferno, Coco Before Chanel, A Prophet

Prior to that I can't find any other films prior to 2004.

As you can see, a big year for France 2 Cinema in 2009 with 4 films then just one in 2010 and 2011.  What's got Telluride potential on the F2C plate:

Olivier Assasyas' "Something in the Air", Walter Salles' "On the Road", Alain Renais' "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" and Jacques Audiard's  "Rust and Bone".

All are real possibilities with "Rust" and "Something"  the more likely (I think).

NEW VIEW OF DJANGO

Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" continues its steady drip of publicity with the release of a new TV spot that grabbed a good deal of attention the last few days.  Here it is:



FRANCE 3 CINEMA



Today's European film production house to focus on is France 3 Cinema.  F3C's recent Telluride past looks like this:


2011: The Artist
2010: The Princess of Montpensier, Of Gods and Men, The Illusionist
2009: The White Ribbon
2008: I've Loved You So Long
2007: Persepolis, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2006: The Page Turner
2005: Cache

F3C generally has one film in play at Telluride and rarely two.  This year they are involved with Michael Haneke's "Amour" so my bet is that will be the one (and only) F3C film in Telluride...but it's a good bet.  Haneke's previous two films ( The White Ribbon, Cache)  played T-ride and F3C had a hand in both.

Tomorrow a look at British firm Film4.


THE MASTER AS PRISM

"The Master" is Paul Thomas Anderson's take on, among other things, a "belief system" that may or may not (but probably does) seem something like Scientology and with the recent implosion of the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes marriage and Cruise's high profile position within Scientology, Kris Tapley naturally wonders if "the Master" will be the "zeitgeist" movie of the year.


Seems like a reasonable question.  Check his musings from HitFix yesterday:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/could-tom-cruise-and-katie-holmess-divorce-make-the-master-this-years-zeitgeist-movie



Come on PTA/TWC and TFF...let's get "the Master" locked down for this year's festival!
FILM4



We start today with British film producing companies and specifically with Film4.  Film4's track record at Telluride recently looks like this:

2011: Shame
2010: Never Let Me Go, Another Year, 127 Hours
2008: Slumdog Millionaire, Happy Go Lucky
2007: Brick Lane, When Did You Last See Your Father

Film4 had no presence in 2008 and only began producing in 2004.

For 2012 the only film that seems like a Telluride fit is Walter Salles "On the Road" which actually might boost its profile enough to be back on my "Ten Bets" list for next week.  We'll see on Monday.




CANNES LURKERS

The Playlist highlighted two Cannes competition films yesterday.  Both of them have some potential to be on Telluride's program this year.


Thomas Vintenberg's "The Hunt" features Cannes Best Actor winner Mads Mikkelsen as a teacher accused of abuse.  It is probably the more likely of the two.  As a matter of fact I have it floating just below the "Ten Bets" list.



Here's The Playlist review about it from the ongoing Karlovy Vary Film Fest:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/karlovy-vary-film-fest-review-the-hunt-a-20120705

The Hunt's IMDb page is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2106476/



The other film that The Playlist featured is Xavier Dolan's "Laurence Anyways" which is looking for distribution (which could be a key as to whether we see it in the San Juans.  "Laurence" deals with roles and identity following a sex change operation.

Here's The Playlist post:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/new-images-for-xavier-dolans-laurence-anyways-is-someone-going-to-pick-up-this-movie-20120705#

and "Laurence Anyways" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1650048/


That's the Best of this week!

THE MASTER TEMPLATE



TQS Magazine has a substantial post up about the influences on Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master".  You might find it interesting:

http://www.tqsmagazine.co.uk/the-master-inquisition/


Have a great weekend!

More later...


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