Ten Bets 2014 #4/The Usual Suspects Addendum/Deadline Talks Effects of "Gone Girl" Selection

Good Friday Everyone!


TEN BETS 2014 #4

Here's this week's predictions for the 41st Telluride Film Festival via the latest "Ten Bets"

First, here are last week's "Ten Bets":

10) The Look of Silence
9) Red Army
8) Winter Sleep
7) Foxcatcher
6) The Roosevelts
5) Leviathan
4) Queen of the Desert
3) Mr. Turner
2) Two Days, One Night
1) Birdman

And now, this week...

10) Wild

9) Red Army

8) Foxcatcher

7) The Look of Silence

6) Leviathan

5) The Roosevelts

4) Two Days, One Night

3) Mr. Turner

2) Queen of the Desert

1) Birdman

THE USUAL SUSPECTS ADDENDUM

We come to the close of the week with a quick look at a couple of names that might otherwise be included in the "Ten Bets"...

In past years, I have included Jason Reitman's films with regularity in terms of Telluride guesswork but this year is different because of the pressure that Toronto has brought to bear on the programming status of films.  Consequently, I am expecting that Reitman will skip Telluride this year and take "Men, Women and Children" to Toronto and quite probably New York later on.

Also, I would, in most years, have thought David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars" would have been a prime Telluride possibility but owing to Toronto's insistence and Cronenberg's probable fealty to Canada and TIFF, I expect it will go that way as well.



DEADLINE TALKS "GONE GIRL" SELECTION

Deadline has weighed in after the announcement earlier this week concerning David Fincher's "Gone Girl" and its selection as the opening film for the New York Film Fest.

Pete Hammond dropped a few interesting tidbits not the least of which was the word that Warner Brothers (which has had a great run the last two years at Telluride with "Argo" and "Gravity") has no plans to play T-ride this year..  That, if true, would definitively remove "Inherent Vice" (which I have thought was unlikely all along) as well as "The Judge" and "The Good Lie" from the Telluride list of possibilities.  Up until that comment, I had thought "Good Lie" and"The Judge" might be real possibilities.

Hammond does suggest that he believes that Telluride is likely to have "Birdman", "Wild", "Foxcatcher" and "Mr. Turner"...all of which appear on the latest "Ten Bets" list above.

And the most intriguing note at the end of the post regards the hot rumor that "Interstellar" is a real possibility.

Check Hammond's entire post here:

http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/gone-girls-nyff-announcement-fuels-fall-festival-oscar-season-speculation/


More  tomorrow...


Follow Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Twitter @Gort2

Cannes at Half Time/Cannes and the Critics/Foxcatcher Clip/Cannes Acquisitions/Outside Llewyn Davis

Welcome to Monday...

CANNES AT HALF TIME

As I post this morning, the 67th Cannes Film Festival has reached the halfway point as measured by the number of films in the Palme d'Or competition section have screened.  Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" rolled out in France this morning...which for us here in the States means about six-ish hours ago.  As I type, David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars" should just about be finished with its first screening.  The two films will have been the ninth and tenth of the 18 competition films to play.  I'm very interested to see the critical reaction for both of them as the day progresses.  Both films have some possibility of playing in Telluride this Labor Day.

The films that I will be closely tracking in the second half of the Palme eligible films are:

Michel Hazanvicius' "The Search", The Dardennes Brothers' "Two Days, One Night", Jean Luc Godard's "Goodbye to Language" and Olivier Assayas' "Clouds of Sils Maria"

Looking back on the first half of the fest, here's what has jumped out at me.

Lots of people early on have speculated that Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "Winter Sleep" might be the picture to beat for the Palme and it seems to have a substantial critical reception as well (this for a three+ hour, dialogue driven film...).  Also faring well in the early going critic-wise: Mike Leigh's "Mr. Turner" and "Timbuktu".  Pilloried by the critics: Opening Night (non-competition film) "Grace of Monaco" and Atom Egoyan's "Captives"

In the Un Certain Regard section, films that seem to have done well: Mathieu Amalric's "The Blue Room" and Lisandro Alonso's "Jauja" starring Viggo Mortensen.


CANNES AND THE CRITICS

And speaking of critical reaction, here are the cumulative critical responses so far as collected by Ioncinema, Critic's Roundup,  todaslascriticas.com.ar. and http://cannes-rurban.rhcloud.com/2014:

http://www.ioncinema.com/news/film-festivals/2014-cannes-critics-panel-day-4-homesman-is-strong-marriage-material-rohrwacher-farms-a-solid-sophomore-pic-with-the-wonders

http://criticsroundup.com/cannes-2014/

http://www.todaslascriticas.com.ar/cannes

http://cannes-rurban.rhcloud.com/2014



FOXCATCHER CLIP

Concurrent with its premiere in Cannes as a part of the Palme d'Or competition slate, Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" has a new clip.  I have to tell you that every time I see a little something more on this film I get increasingly excited.  Sony Pictures Classics is distributing, so I'm cautiously optimistic about its chances of making the Telluride program.  Here's the new clip...(Carell for the win!)

 Late note:  This morning as I prepare to publish, the first reviews for "Foxcatcher"  are coming out of Cannes and they're generally very good.  I have linked Variety, HitFix and Indiewire reviews here:

http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-foxcatcher-1201185646/

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/review-tatum-ruffalo-and-carell-excel-in-evocative-unsettling-foxcatcher

http://www.indiewire.com/article/cannes-review-channing-tatum-anchors-bennett-millers-icy-foxcatcher-but-the-revelation-is-steve-carrell

CANNES ACQUISITIONS OF NOTE

Sundance Selects has picked up Mathieu Amalric's "The Blue Room" for U.S. distribution and Sony Pictures Classics has grabbed "Wild Tales" from director Damain Szifron.  Those actions increase the chances for both films as potential players at Telluride this year.

SPC was represented last year at Telluride with: "Tim's Vermeer", "The Invisible Woman", "The Lunchbox", "Jodorowsky's Dune" and "The Past".

Sundance Selects/IFC had "Blue is the Warmest Color" in the TFF #40 lineup.


http://www.indiewire.com/article/cannes-sony-pictures-classics-acquires-palme-dor-contender-wild-tales

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/the-blue-room-mathieu-amalric-cannes-sundance-selects


OUTSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

"You can't stop what's coming"...that's a line from the Coen Brothers 2007 Oscar winner "No Country for Old Men" but it pertains to the latest Coen Brothers news out this week that I and others have mentioned in the past.  Also pertaining, the title of this segment...they're really going to go away from "Inside Llewyn Davis".

Word this week was that the Coens' next project will be "Hail Caesar".  The film will probably star George Clooney and is described as the third film in their collaboration called "The Numbskull Trilogy".  "O Brother, Where Art Thou? " and "Intolerable Cruelty" representing the first 2/3rds of said trilogy.  Various reports this week indicated that the film will feature Clooney as a 1950's era Hollywood "fixer".  No word from any source that I could find about when shooting might commence...but I'm hoping for a late 2015 release date.

Here are links to some of the stories that came out this week about the project:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/coen-brothers-set-hail-caesar-next-george-clooney-likely-star/

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/the-coen-brothers-inside-llewyn-davis-follow-up-will-be-hail-caesar

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-coen-brothers-next-film-will-be-hail-caesar-new-plot-details-revealed-20140516

More on Thursday!

Cannes Countdown Continues/Trailers; "Winter Sleep" and "Coming Home"/Playlist First Look at "The Search"

Welcome to Thursday...


COUNTDOWN TO CANNES CONTINUES

The 67th Cannes Film Festival is now less than a week away and the anticipation is building.  As I have for the past couple of years, I'll be following the critical reaction to the films that play which particular focus on the films in the Palme d'Or competition as well as the Un Certain Regard Program and the Director's Fortnight category from which most Cannes/Telluride crossover films emerge.

As we get closer I am continuing to link to the summaries of Palme competitors by Jake Howell and being featured in Movie City News.  Howell has added three more films since my last post: David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars", Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "Winter Sleep" and Naomi Kawase's "Still the Water".  Check the capsules at MCN here:

Cronenberg:

http://moviecitynews.com/2014/05/countdown-to-cannes-david-cronenberg/

Ceylan:

http://moviecitynews.com/2014/05/countdown-to-cannes-nuri-bilge-ceylan/

Kawase:

http://moviecitynews.com/2014/05/countdown-to-cannes-naomi-kawase/


TRAILERS; "WINTER SLEEP" AND "COMING HOME"

Photo via The Playlist

Foreign language trailers have emerged for two of the Cannes Palme competitors.  "Winter Sleep" and a second trailer for Zhang Yimou's "Coming Home".  You can  find the "Winter Sleep" trailer and story here from Thompson on Hollywood:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/winter-sleep-trailer-nuri-bilge-ceylan


and the new trailer for "Coming Home" with a story from The Playlist here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-new-trailer-for-zhang-yimous-cannes-film-festival-drama-coming-home-starring-gong-li-20140506


PLAYLIST FIRST LOOK AT "THE SEARCH"

Photo via The Playlist

The Playlist also posted a series of first images from Michel Hazanavicius' Palme player "The Search".  Those images and that story are here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/first-look-the-artist-director-michel-hazanavicius-cannes-contender-the-search-starring-berenice-bejo-20140418

More on Monday...

Cannes Teasers and Trailers/Views of "The Scottish Movie"

Good Monday to All ...

CANNES TRAILERS AND TEASERS

Just prior to and in addition to the announcement of the main lineup of films for this year's 67th edition of the Cannes Film Fest we saw a slew of those films release trailers/teasers in conjunction with their inclusion.  I have linked a number of those films/trailers and posts that went with them as well...

***THE HOMESMAN

Tommy Lee Jones second directorial effort features Jones, Hilary Swank and Meryl Streep in a story about set in the American west in the 19th century.  Swank rescues Jones on the condition that he help her transport three mentally challenged women through dangerous territory to relative safety in Iowa.  This post with the trailer comes from HitFix:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/tommy-lee-jones-and-hilary-swank-ride-the-high-country-in-first-trailer-for-the-homesman

***MAPS TO THE STARS

David Cronenberg reportedly skewers Hollywood in what has been termed a "dark comedy".  "Dark" sounds right for Cronenberg...but comedy?...We'll see.  The trailer is from this post from FirstShowing.net:


http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/watch-first-promo-trailer-for-david-cronenbergs-maps-to-the-stars/


***TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

Jean Pierre and Luc Dardennes feature Marion Cotillard in this working class story about a woman trying to convince her co-workers to give up their bonuses to save her job.  In handicapping Cannes films for Telluride...this is very near the top of the "Most likely" list.  The trailer and story from this post from Rope of Silicon:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/trailer-picture-poster-dardennes-two-days-one-night-starring-marion-cotillard/


***FOXCATCHER

The long awaited Bennett Miller film focused on the weird story of Jon DuPont and the U.S. Olympic wrestling team.  Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum star.  Telluride chances?  50/50.  The trailer and post from Awards Daily:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/bennett-millers-foxcatcher-trailer/


***THE SEARCH

Michel Hazanavicius' remake of a Fred Zinnemann film from the late 40's and it stars his wife Berenice Bejo.  Haznavicius' "The Artist" made the trip from Cannes to Telluride in 2011.  Makes you think that "The Search" could do the same thing.  The trailer and story from The Playlist:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/first-look-the-artist-director-michel-hazanavicius-cannes-contender-the-search-starring-berenice-bejo-20140418


VIEWS OF "THE SCOTISH MOVIE"

They're filming away...Justin Kurzel's new version of "MacBeth" starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.  The Mail Online put up a story this week about the film and it included some stills as well.  Is ita Telluride film?  Maybe...hope so...

Here's the story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2607423/BAZ-BAMIGBOYE-Hail-shocking-new-tale-Macbeth-starring-Michael-Fassbender-Marion-Cotillard.html



More on Thursday...

Cannes #67 Announces/Could "Inherent Vice" Come to Telluride?/Telluride's Annual Call

Welcome to Thursday!

CANNES #67 ANNOUNCES

Here's the official lineup from the 67th Cannes Film Festival via The Playlist:

Official Competition: 

"Captives" (Canada) dir. Atom Egoyan
"Foxcatcher" (U.S.A.) dir. Bennett Miller
"Goodbye To Language" (France) dir. Jean-Luc Godard
"The Homesman" (U.S.A./France) dir. Tommy Lee Jones
"Jimmy's Hall" (U.K) dir. Ken Loach
"Leviathan" (Russia) dir. Andrey Zvyagintsev
"Maps To The Stars" (Canada) dir. David Cronenberg
"The Marvel" (Italy) dir. Alice Rohrwacher
"Mommy" (Canada) dir. Xavier Dolan
"Mr. Turner" (U.K) dir. Mike Leigh
"Saint Laurent" (France) dir. Bertrand Bonello
"The Search" (France) dir. Michel Hazavanicius
"Sils Maria" (France) dir. Olivier Assayas
"Still The Water" (Japan) dir. Naomi Kawase
"Timbuktu" dir. Abderrahmane Sissako
"Two Days One Night" (Belgium) dir. Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardennes
"Wild Tales" (Argentina) dir. Damian Szifron
"Winter Sleep" (Turkey) dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Opening Film: 

"Grace Of Monaco" (U.S.A./France) dir. Olivier Dahan

Out Of Competition: 

"Coming Home" (China) dir. Zhang Yimou
"How To Train Your Dragon 2" (U.S.A.) dir. Dean DeBlois

Un Certain Regard: 

"Amour Fou" (dir. Jessica Hausner) 
"Bird People" (dir. Pascale Ferran)
"The Blue Room" (dir. Mathieu Amalric
"Charlie's Country" (dir. Rolf De Heer) 
"Eleanor Rigby" (dir. Ned Benson) 
"Fantasia" (dir. Wang Chao) 
"A Girl At My Door" (dir. July Jung) 
"Harcheck mi Headro" (dir. Keren Yedaya) 
"Jauja" (dir. Lisandro Alonso) 
"Lost River" (dir. Ryan Gosling) 
"The Misunderstood" (dir. Asia Argento) 
"Party Girl" (dir. Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger and Samuel Theis) 
"Run" (dir. Philippe Lacote) 
"Salt Of The Earth" (dir. Wim Wenders & Juliano Ribeiro Salgado) 
"Snow In Paradise" (dir. Andrew Hulme) 
"Titli" (dir. Kanu Behl) 
"Tourist" (dir. Ruben Ostlund) 
"Unhappy Youth" (dir. Jaime Rosales) 
"Xenia" (dir. Panos Koutras) 

Midnight Screenings: 

"The Rover" (dir. David Michod) 
"The Salvation" (dir. Kristian Levring) 
"The Target" (dir. Chang) 

Special Screenings: 

"Bridges Of Sarajevo" (anthology film) 
"Caricaturists: Fantasies Of Democracy" (dir. Stephanie Valloatto)
"Eau Argentee" (dir. Mohammed Ossana)
"Les Gens Du Monde" (dir. Yves Yeuland) 
"Maidan" (dir. Sergei Loznitsa)
"Red Army"  (dir. Polsky Gabe)

Of immediate interest to Telluride watchers in the competition category are:

"Foxcatcher"
"Maps to the Stars"
"Mr. Turner"
"The Search"
"(Clouds of) Sils Maria"
"Two Days, One Night"

Trailer for Tommy Lee Jones Cannes Competition Selection "The Homesman"

Out of competition titles that may also have some Telluride potential:

"Coming Home"
"Charlie's Country"
"Salt of the Earth"


As expected, Inarritu's "Birdman" and Anderson's "Inherent Vice" were both not announced this morning.

Cannes head honcho Thierry Fremaux is quoted as saying that other titles could be named later.


Other titles will almost certainly come into Telluride consideration as Cannes approaches and then as the films unspool on the Croisette.




COULD "INHERENT VICE" COME TO TELLURIDE

If you read this blog with any frequency, you know that I have not been a big believer that Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice" is likely to appear as a part of the Telluride lineup this Labor Day weekend.  Lately, though, even I have had to admit that there has been some buzz that it's a possibility.  With last week's murmuring that it won't play Cannes, I've been seeing/hearing Telluride as an option with some frequency.  There was Jeff Wells' Hollywood Elsewhere blurb to that effect earlier in the week and now The Irish Times has opined in that direction as well reporting on Wednesday that "Most everyone has it (Inherent Vice) marked down for Telluride or Venice in the autumn."

Now, I don't know who "most everyone" is...but...


http://t.co/2Ijmmuluyp


TELLURIDE'S ANNUAL CALL

It went out Tuesday...the annual call for entries came forth from the Telluride Film Festival.  I have included the official word from my email Inbox and Shannon Mitchell:

41^st TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES

April 15, 2014

BERKELEY, CA – Telluride Film Festival (August 29 – September 1, 2014), presented by National Film Preserve, Ltd. announces its Call for Entries in all categories including student, short and feature length films.

Submission period begins April 15, 2014. Film Entry Form is available for download at www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

Shorts and student film submissions must be received no later than 5:00 pm, July 1, 2014. Feature film submissions must be received no later than 5:00 pm, July 15, 2014. All submissions must have been completed after July 15, 2013 and no works in progress will be accepted. Feature-length films (60 minutes or longer) will only be considered if they are to have their first North American screening at Telluride Film Festival. Final program determinations will be made by August 1, 2014. No early or late entries will be accepted.

Professional and amateur filmmakers working in all aesthetic disciplines and genres including narrative, documentary, animation and experimental are welcome.

Each year Telluride Film Festival plays host to an average of 25 feature films and 25 shorts and student films. Films selected to screen at Telluride Film Festival will be shown out-of-competition. TFF is not a competitive festival.

For more information visit www.telluridefilmfestival.org

More on Monday...have a great weekend!