Kaurismaki's Fallen Leaves Has a Trailer / Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey Tops WOR Poll / McQueen's Occupied City Is Four Hours Long

KAURISMAKI'S FALLEN LEAVES HAS A TRAILER

Aki Kaurismaki's Fallen Leaves has been on the MTFB TFF #50 watch list for some time.  For moths it was rumored to be a choice for Cannes and that proved to be true as it was announced as a part of the Palme d'Or competition lineup back on April 13th.  

The film is set to be screened in Cannes on May 22nd.

Sales agent The Match Factory has released a trailer for the film ahead of its screening at Cannes.  Here it is from YouTube:

Here's the Variety story about the film and its trailer release.

KUBRICK'S 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY TOPS WOR POLL

I wrote on Monday that I had participated in World of Reel's latest "decade" poll.  This one called on a group of critics, bloggers and such to name the best films of the 1960s. Well, the results are in and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey topped the poll with 53 votes.  Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho was #2 which was just outside the ten films I submitted.

Here's the top ten from World of Reel:

1) 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick) 53 votes

2) Psycho (Hitchcock) 50

3) Dr. Strangelove (Kubrick) 35

4) Lawrence of Arabia (Lean) 34

5) The Graduate (Nichols) 27

6) Bonnie and Clyde (Penn) 27

7) Persona (Bergman) 27

8) Rosemary’s Baby (Polanski) 22 

9) 8 1/2 (Fellini) 21

10) The Apartment (Wilder) 20

And a reminder of my top ten:

2001: A Space Odyssey

The Apartment 

Cool Hand Luke

Dr. Strangelove

The Graduate

The Hustler 

Lawrence of Arabia

Midnight Cowboy 

To Kill a Mockingbird

They Shoot Horses Don't They

WOR's story lists the top forty vote getters and you can see that entire list here.

MC QUEEN'S OCCUPIED CITY IS  FOUR HOURS LONG

The program for Cannes screenings reveals that Steve McQueen's documentary about Amsterdam and the effect World War II had on that city-Occupied City- is listed as being 4 hours and 6 minutes long.  That seems daunting but I can still see it as a TFF #50 selection. 

Here's the IMDb description of the film:

"The past collides with the present in this excavation of the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam: a journey from World War II to recent years of pandemic and protest and a provocative, life-affirming reflection on memory, time and what's to come."

McQueen has some Telluride history-Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave.  The film is being distributed by A24 which certainly has had a presence at Telluride in recent years. 

Additionally, McQueen's other project-Blitz- which is a feature film focused on the Blitz of London during WW II,  may not be ready in time for TFF.  Jordan Ruimy at World of Reel indicated as much in his Venice post on May 5th. Absent its availability for TFF/Venice/TIFF Occupied City may be a hot commodity for the fall fests.

You can see the Cannes program here.

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Looking at Le Havre/Looking at The Lady/Looking at Martha/Toronto Masters

Good Morning!

9 Days....and counting...

Come and join me for  a Michael's Telluride Film Blog shindig called: "The Guide to the Ride; The Flow of the SHOW" on Friday, Sept. 2 from 5:00 to 5:30 PM in The River Club. Larry and Mitzi Mallard of the Club will be our hosts and I am told that refreshments will be provided. The River Club is located at 550 Depot in Telluride. That's 4 blocks west of the Gondola station. Come by and say hello.

LOOKING AT "LE HAVRE"

I have thought that this film from Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki was a very good possibility since it bowed at Cannes in May.  I still believe strongly that it will play in Telluride next week.  Domestic distribution was picked up recently by the specialty film outfit Janus Films.  That upped it's chances as far as I am concerned.

Critics and fans liked this film quite a lot in France.

Now comes the teaser trailer for the film and I have that via the story that ran with it from The Playlist (IndieWire).  You can find that here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/watch_trailer_for_aki_kaurismaekis_excellent_le_havre/

Le Havre's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1508675/


LOOKING AT THE LADY

There are a few really good Telluride "tells" about this film (The Lady) that features Michelle Yeoh as human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi and was directed by Luc Beeson.  Not the least of which is the involvement of France 3 Cinema as one its producing companies (F3C's TFF #37 films: Of Gods and Men, The Illusionist, The Princess of Montpensier).  Besides that, I just have a feeling that it could make an appearance in the San Juans this Labor Day.

Yeoh has been getting good buzz and a Best Actress Oscar nomination is said to be a possibility, although that category looks to be beyond loaded this year.

At any rate, this sounds like it would be a really fine film and now we have an inkling about it.  The first "The Lady" teaser trailer is out and I have accessed it via Rope of Silicon here:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/the-lady-teaser-trailer-luc-bessons-story-aung-san-suu-kyi-starring-michelle-yeoh

Additionally, we have a poster up for the film as well.  Check it out (as well as the poster for "The Artist"..also likely to be in Telluride...I'll bet anyway) from The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/the_artist_gets_an_appropriately_elegant_poster_shepard_fairey_designs_one_/

The Lady's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1802197/


LOOKING FOR MARTHA

Sean Durkin's "Martha Marcy May Marlene" has been all over the internet the last 48 hours.  I have said previously that I am dubious that it will actually play in the SHOW as it preemed at Sundance...but...I'm also on record as suggesting that it is the most likely film from Sundance to make the trip from Park City to Telluride. 

And in keeping with the note above about the size of the Best Actress Oscar pool this year, if reports can be believed, this films lead, Elizabeth Olsen, has a shot to be in that crowded mix as well.

Check out an MMMM clip here from Fox Searchlight:
http://content.foxsearchlight.com/inside/node/4950

MMMM's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441326/



TORONTO MASTERS

Toronto "Masters" The Dardennes Brothers "The Kid with a Bike"

The Toronto International Film Festival completed its Masters film lineup yesterday and the list includes a bunch of T-ride possibles.  last year only "Poetry" played both at Telluride and as a part of Toronto's Masters program.  I'd be willing to bet that there is more cross over between the two this year.

On the TIFF Masters list of films that could also be in Telluride:
"Faust," "Le Havre," "The Kid with a Bike," "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia," "Restless," and a new added possibility Bela Tarr's "The Turin Horse."

Check out the entire list of Toronto's Masters from Ioncinema here:
http://www.ioncinema.com/news/id/6651/2011-tiff-masters-includes-cannes-kaurismki-and-dardennes-with-venices-akerman-and-sokurov

More on the morrow....

Trance Links/Le Havre News/Dardennes "Bike"/Nobbs

Me and my buddy Oscar winner Colin Firth...will he be at T-ride this year (TTSS) or in 2013 (Trance)?

Good Morning Peeps!

TRANCE LINKS

Yesterday I posted news that Danny Boyle's next film project, "Trance," has apparently lost Michael Fassbender and that Boyle was seeking Colin Firth to replace him.  I thought you'd like more detail and so have provided some links to various versions of that news (and the additional news that Boyle was seeking to sign up Scarlett Johannson as well).  Here are the various links:

Slashfilm:
http://www.slashfilm.com/danny-boyle-eyeing-colin-firth-scarlett-johansson-trance/#more-106947


Cinemablend:
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Colin-Firth-Scarlett-Johansson-For-Danny-Boyle-s-Heist-Thriller-Trance-25525.html

The Playlist:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/danny_boyle_wants_colin_firth_and_scarlett_johansson_to_join_james_mcavoy_i/

Trance" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1924429/
 

LE HAVRE NEWS

One of the well received films from the Cannes film festival that I think has a reasonably good chance of being a Telluride film pick this year is Aki Kaurismaki's "Le Havre."  I reported a few weeks back that there was a hint that The Weinstein Company was about to secure distribution for the U.S. for the film but since that time there has been no news, no confirmation.

Now comes the news from The Hollywood Reporter that "Le Havre" has won the Best International Film award at the Munich Film Festival which should put it back into the conversation for Telluride and for someone to pick up its distribution rights. I maintain that it's still a definite possibility for TFF #38.

Here is the story from The Hollywood Reporter:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aki-kaurismakis-le-havre-paddy-207913

Le Harve IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1508675/

DARDENNES "BIKE"

Another Cannes film that I think has an excellent chance of being at Telluride is the Dardennes Brothers "The Kid with a Bike."  Anne Thompson reports that the brothers are continuing to pick up a slew of awards for the film and their career in the next few months leading me to believe that the film would be a tremendous addition to the TFF playlist.  However, Thompson notes that one of the awards that the Brothers Dardennes are set to receive happens at the Venice Film Fest.  But since the film is already playing in Europe (and specifically in Italy) and since one would expect the award presentation to come at the end of the Venetian festivities ( it closes on Sept. 10) I have to believe that there is still a large window of opportunity for the film to play in T-ride.

The link to the Thompson story (which also includes a link to the trailer) is here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/07/05/dardennes_the_kid_with_the_bike_wins_awards_needs_us_distribution/#more

The Kid with a Bike IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1827512/

ALBERT NOBBS WHERE ARE YOU?

Way back in March when I foolishly began to pontificate about what pictures could make their way to the San Juans, one of the films that I thought just sounded like a Telluride possibility was "Albert Nobbs" starring Glenn Close.  Since then there has been very little news about the project and its disposition.  Over the last two days, however, there has been some movement that indicates that we could see the film lined up for a serious Oscar run especially for Close.

The Playlist and The Hollywood Reporter both had stories yesterday detailing the involvement of Roadside Attractions and Liddell Entertainment which have secured the U.S. rights to the film.  Close co-wrote the screenplay and produces as well as acts the title role which she reprises from her 1982 performance in the play.

The Telluride connection?  Roadshow and Liddell teamed up last year on Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu's "Biutiful."  It's not beyond the realm of possibility that they will seek to  follow the same path that resulted in an Oscar nom for Javier Bardem.

Here is the Playlist's story:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/albert_nobbs_picked_up_by_liddell_entertainment_and_roadside_attractions/

And the Hollywood Reporter version:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/glenn-close-drama-albert-nobbs-208022

Albert Nobbs IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1602098/