A rare post from MTFB on a Sunday...but it IS festival time!
DAY 2 DONE; DAY 3: SUNDAY TBAs
I meet the legendary Roger Corman...gracious man.
The second day at Telluride 2012...had a fantastic day...Started with the tribute to Roger Corman with Q & A moderated by Leonard Maltin...before it even starts I had a chance to sit down with writer/director and Oscar winner Alexander Payne (see below)...very exciting! Then the tribute, which was terrifically entertaining.
I followed that with brunch and strolled into the screening of "The Sapphires" at the Chuck where I was called for by name by a rep from The Weinstein Company...she said they wanted to talk to me after the screening, get my opinion...
Really? Me? OK.
Then watched the film...see below...
Next "Amour"...see below
And finally, "Hyde Park on Hudson"...and a surprise entrance by Bill Murray...
Nice day, friends.
Tomorrow...here are the Sunday TBAs:
TBAs Sunday, September 2, 2012
• Added Conversation:Chuck Jones Cinema Lounge/5:30p Sunday FREE
"Animation: Evoking Life?"
With Chuck Jones' daughter Linda Jones Clough, Leonard Maltin (author "Of Mice and Magic"), Annecy Animated Film Festival director Serge Bromberg, Ethan Clarke (DRIFTERS) and Sara Gunnarsdottir (THE PIRATE OF LOVE)
• 42) Annecy Animation Masons/1:15p Sunday
• 27) The Attack Nugget/6:30p Sunday
• 31) Stalker Pierre/7:45p Sunday
• 14) A Royal Affair Masons/9:30p Sunday
• 16) Frances Ha Galaxy/10p Sunday
• Sunday, Noon, Elks Park "Injustice, Reconciliation and Cinema"
"How are filmmakers addressing terrorism and political strife? Can movies help us move forward?"
With Ben Affleck, Mark Danner, Ziad Doueiri, Dror Moreh, Joshua Oppenheimer; moderated by Annette Insdorf
A FEW MOMENTS WITH ALEXANDER PAYNE
Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne has 2 Oscars...both for screenwriting One for "Sideways' and the other for last year's "The Descendants". He's funny, acerbic and very smart.
Saturday morning as I was walking into The Chuck for the Roger Corman tribute I noticed that he was in the house and 4 rows in front of me...so, on a whim, I approached and asked if we could do an interview...he said then would be good and suddenly I found myself talking to one of the industry's brightest lights.
Giddy? Um...Yes.
And so, here's what I learned from/about Alexander Payne on a Saturday morning in Telluride (Mountain Village), CO.
Payne's involvement in the TFF came as after having been invited twice to present his own features here and having been unable to accept those invitations due to logistical and timing issues. Payne was then asked to Guest direct in 2009.
He's returned each year since. In 2010 as a fan. In 2011 as the writer/director of "The Descendants" and this year as a presenter/programmer. He explained that the Festival directors have given him license to "eyes" as he put it. To be on the lookout for interesting film possibilities. He told me that he'd stumbled across "I Knew Her Well" from Italian director Antonio Pietrangeli, suggested that it be programmed and it was.
I also asked Payne to talk a little bit about his upcoming project. Payne set aside pre-productiion time this weekend as he seems to really enjoy the difference about the Telluride Film Fest compared to most other major festivals. That being said, Payne revealed that shooting for his next feature "Nebraska" is set to start in 6 weeks. "Nebraska" stars Will Forte (of Saturday Night Live and "MacGruber" fame) and Bruce Dern. Bruce's daughter Laura arrived just as I was concluding my 2 minute/3 question session (I told him I'd be short!) She was stunning.
Mr. Payne...If you're reading this...I hope you feel that I've done you proud.
Alexander Payne's IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0668247/
THE SAPPHIRES ROCK
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Me and "The Sapphires" director Wayne Blair
Following the very entertaining Roger Corman tribute, I caught Wayne Blair's "The Sapphires". And so should you...
First of all, Chris O'Dowd, playing a washed-up Irish keyboardist who stumbles upon an aboriginal girl group in 1968 Australia is wonderful. He manages them into a gig entertaining American troops in Vietnam. The Weinsteins need to seriously think about a qualifying run for the film as O'Dowd should be a legitimate contender in the Best Supporting Actor category. Superlative work.
Secondly, the music...I'm a sucker for old school soul and R+B and it is executed with aplomb. The 4 women playing the "Sapphires" just nail it.
Thirdly... it's a feel good true story well executed. Director Wayne Blair has achieved a small miracle. Blair, in post screening comments, said that the film has been a hit in Aussie land as well it should be.
Fourth, not only has it got soul (music) but heart as well as we learn the back story of these 4 women, sisters and a cousin and how their family story acts as the mechanism to explore Australia's history of racism, exclusion and subjugation of its native peoples. So some big themes as well.
Director Blair and screenwriters Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson manage to mix this all together winningly.
Catch this if you can today at The Palm at 4:00 (or at a TBA Monday)...thank me later.
The Sapphires IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1673697/
AMOUR
Michael Haneke follows "The White Ribbon" with this story of an octogenarian couple faced with a wife's increasing disability due to stroke. This won the Palme D'or at Cannes this year. Fine performances from Jean Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert and an incredible turn by the 85 year old Emmanuelle Riva...she IS fearless!
Tough story... and perhaps too astringent from Haneke for my pallette.
"Amour's" IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1602620/
HYDE PARK ON HUDSON SURPRISE
Well, you've heard, Bill Murray showed up last night as an unannounced guest for the screening of "Hyde Park on Hudson" at The Galaxy.
For my money, it's a pleasant enough film...good performances from all concerned with Murray as FDR and Samuel West as the King of England particularly good.
It's pretty to look at, just doesn't seem to have a lot going on dramatically.
Tipped in some quarters as possible Oscar material for Murray, Laura Linney (as FDR's mistress) as well as Olivia Colman and Olivia Williams (Queen Elizabeth and Eleanor Roosevelt respectively), I'd be a bit surprised if it has that kind of traction.
But it was great to be surprised by Murray's entrance and to listen to his humor in the Q+A that followed. Maybe I'll get a chance to run into him today.
Hyde Park's IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477855/
MY SUNDAY SKED
I'm catching the Marion Cotillard tribute and "Rust and Bone" first thing today. Then the animation program that has been TBAed at The Mason's. After that...up in the air...maybe the Polley Doc.
More later...
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