Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Talking Toni Erdmann / Could We See Birth of a Nation?

Hello all on this Tuesday...


TALKING TONI ERDMANN



No.  It didn't win any awards at Cannes last month but it was universally heralded by critics who saw the film screened there and lead every Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann made quite an impression in France last month.  Enough, in fact, that the film was picked up for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.

The combination of critical reception and SPC involvement make me believe that Toni Erdmann has a very good chance of making The SHOW's lineup in September.

We're about three weeks away from the summer's first Ten Bets list but this is a likely candidate to make that first (as well as the final) list.

At any rate, I have included this interview with its director, Maren Ade with The Film Stage:

https://thefilmstage.com/features/maren-ade-on-toni-erdmann-being-inspired-by-andy-kaufman-and-finding-a-dramatic-balance/



COULD WE SEE BIRTH OF A NATION?

It seems that every summer that there are one or two Sundance Film Festival entrants that someone somewhere thinks will make a play at Telluride.  And it does happen sometimes but it's so infrequent as to be almost unguessable.

This year the top candidate is Nate Parker's Birth of a Nation.

I've seen/heard a good deal of buzz since it showed in Park City (and was picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight) that Telluride was a possibility.  Now, I almost always discount that because in all the time (since 2008) that I've been writing this blog the Sundance/Telluride crossover hasn't happened but once.

The last time it did was in 2009 when Lone Scherfig's An Education played both Sundance and Telluride.  Additionally, the year before I started this obsession (2007) Tamara Jenkins The Savages played both Sundance and T-ride.  That's two films out of something north of 200 features.

So, it's rare.  Very, very rare. Like a 1% kind of thing.

But...

I've heard some rumblings here and there from some seriously smart people that this could be one of those 1% years.  I remain somewhat dubious as the two instances mentioned above included the participation of people who seem to be very well thought of by the fest (Scherfig for Education and Laura Linney in Savages).  Bit I also can't discount what I've heard on the grapevine either.

Ultimately, I'd love to see BOAN join the Sundance/Telluride 1% club.

Here's the latest teaser for the film and coverage of its release from Variety Latino from about three weeks back:


Teaser for Birth of a Nation via YouTube



That's a wrap for Tuesday...


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