Golden Globes!/Film Awards Clearinghouse 5B/Talking to Marion

GOLDEN GLOBES!

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominees for the best of film and television for 2014 this morning.  Here they are with TFF #41 (and a TFF #40) film in Bold.:

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Big Eyes” (Big Eyes)
“Glory” (Selma)
“Mercy Is” (Noah)
“Opportunity” (Annie)
“Yellow Flicker Beat” (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part I)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Johann Johannsson, “The Theory of Everything”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Imitation Game”
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, “Gone Girl”
Antonio Sanchez, “Birdman”
Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo, “Birdman”

Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Ida”
“Tangerines”
“Leviathan”
“Force Majeure”
“Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem”

Best Animated Feature Film
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“The Boxtrolls”
“The LEGO Movie”
“Big Hero 6”
“The Book of Life”

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Bill Murray, “St. Vincent”
James Corden, “Into the Woods”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Inherent Vice”
Christoph Waltz, “Big Eyes”

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Jennifer Aniston, “Cake”

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Meryl Streep, “Into The Woods”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams, “Big Eyes”
Emily Blunt, “Into The Woods”
Julianne Moore, “Maps To The Stars”
Quvenzhane Wallis, “Annie”
Helen Mirren, “The Hundred Foot Journey”

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
“Birdman”
“Into the Woods”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“St. Vincent”
“Pride”

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
David Oyelowo, “Selma”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”

Best Director – Motion Picture
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
David Fincher, “Gone Girl”

Best Motion Picture, Drama
“Foxcatcher”
“Boyhood”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”

 Telluride films with 18 Golden Globe nominations.

"Birdman" led all films with seven nominations (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay and Score).   "The Imitation Game" had five (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay and Score).  "Foxcatcher" was nominated three times (Picture, Actor, Supprting Actor).  Sinble nominations were captured by "Wild" "Ida" and "Leviathan".

FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE VOL. 5B

Here's the latest FAC focused on the Supporting Acting and Screenplay categories.

The FAC uses the published predictions of the following to develop its list of likely Oscar nominees:

Kristopher Tapley/InContention/HitFix
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Bred Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter

Telluride #41 films are Bold (with their last rating in parentheses).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1) Patricia Arquette/Boyhood (1)
2) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods (4)
3) Emma Stone/Birdman (3)
4) Kiera Knightley/The Imitation Game (2)
5) Jessica Chastain/A Most Violent Year (6)
6) Laura Dern/Wild (5)
7) Carmen Ejogo/Selma (8)
8) Tilda Swnton/Snowpiercer (NR)
9) Anna Kendrick/Into the Woods (11)
10) Jessica Chastain/Interstellar (7)

Hot: Streep, Swinton and Kendrick

Not: Knightley, Chastain for "Interstellar" and Kristen Stewart in "Still Alice" who falls off the top ten.

Comment:  Chastain's charge may nuke Laura Dern's chances.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1) JK Simmons/Whiplash (1)
2) Edward Norton/Birdman (2)
3) Ethan Hawke/Boyhood (3)
4) Mark Ruffalo/Foxcatcher (4)
5) Robert Duvall/The Judge (8)
6) Tom Wilkinson/Selma (5)
7) Christoph Waltz/Big Eyes (9)
8) Josh Brolin/Inherent Vice (7)
9) Miyavi/Unbroken (6)
10) Chris Pine/Into the Woods (NR)

Hot: Duvall, Waltz and Pine

Not: Miyavi and John Goodman who dropped out of the top ten.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) The Theory of Everything (1)
2) Gone Girl (3)
3) The Imitation Game (2)
4) Wild (5)
5) Unbroken (4)
6) Inherent Vice (7)
7) Still Alice (8)
8) American Sniper (6)
9) Into the Woods (9)
10) Rosewater (10)

Hot:   Meh...

Not: "American Sniper"

Comment: he category is very stable and  matter of 2 points within my metric separate "Theory". "Gone Girl" and "Imitation".

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) Boyhood (1)
2) Birdman (2)
3) Whiplash (3)
4) Selma (7)
5) The Grand Budapest Hotel (4)
6) Foxcatcher (5)
7) A Most Violent Year (8)
8) Mr. Turner (6)
9) The LEGO Movie (NR)
10) Wild Tales (10)

Hot: "Selma", "LEGO"

Not: "Mr. Turner" and "Interstellar" which dropped form the top ten.

TALKING TO MARION

The Film Society of Lincoln Center continues its series of podcasts talking to various film makers and stars that are in the thick of the awards season rough and tumble.  I have linked one of their latest casts with Oscar winner and Telluride tribute recipient Marion Cotillard who is getting some award buzz for "The Immigrant" as well as the Dardennes Brothers' "Two Days, One Night" which played this year's TFF.  Cacth that podcast here:

http://www.filmlinc.com/daily/entry/marion-cotillard-two-days-one-night-the-close-up-podcast


More on Monday...

National Board of Review Names Best Films of 2014

NBR'S BEST FILMS OF 2014

Telluride Films are Bold

Best Picture: A Most Violent Year

Top Ten Films:
Boyhood
Birdman
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
American Sniper
Unbroken
Fury
The Lego Movie
Inherent Vice
Nightcrawler

Director: Clint Eastwood/American Sniper

Actor: Oscar Isaac/Most Violent Year and Michael Keaton/Birdman (Tie)

Actress: Julianne Moore/Still Alice

Supporting Actor: Edward Norton/Birdman

Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain/Most Violent Year

Original Screenplay: The Lego Movie

Adapted Screenplay: Inherent Vice

Ensemble: Fury

Breakthrough: Jack O'Connell (Starred Up/Unbroken)

Top Ten Indie Films:

Blue Ruin, Locke, A Most Wanted Man, Obvious Child, The Skeleton Twins, Snowpiercer, Stand Clear of Closing Doors, Starred Up, Still Alice

Foreign Film: Wild Tales

Top Five Foreign Films: Force Majuere, Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem, Leviathan, Two Days One  Night" We Are the Best

Documentary: Life Itself

Top Five Documentaries: Art and Craft, Jodorowsky's Dune, Keep On Keepin' On, The Kill Team, Last Days of Vietnam

Animated Feature: How to Train Your Dragon 2

NBR Freedom of Expression Awards: Rosewater, Selma


Comment:  No Foxcatcher anywhere or Theory of Everything either...

Thrilled about Keaton and Norton and the evident love for Birdman.

Foxcatcher Blitz/Two Days, One Night U.S. Trailer/Rosewater Opens/Last Imitation Trailer/Coming Attractions: Maybe Not Trumbo

Apologies for this morning's late and truncated post...Blogger ate the earlier version of this which was lengthier and delightful...

FOXCATCHER BLITZ

Many interviews from Bennett Miller, Steve Carell and Channing Tatum:


http://variety.com/2014/film/news/steve-carell-foxcatcher-oscars-1201352920/

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/bennett-miller-foxcatcher-steve-carell-1201354874/


http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/interview-steve-carell-talks-going-dark-for-foxcatcher-make-up-madness-more-20141112

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/interview-director-bennett-miller-talks-foxcatcher-and-wrestling-with-the-american-dream-20141113

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/bennett-millers-long-road-with-foxcatcher-appears-to-have-been-worth-the-wait

http://www.indiewire.com/article/watch-channing-tatum-never-wants-to-wrestle-again-and-more-in-foxcatcher-academy-conversation-20141113



TWO DAYS ONE NIGHT U.S. TRAILER

After a number of international trailers, a U.S. trailer has appeared for The Dardennes "Two Days, One Night":

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-marion-cotillard-fights-for-her-dignity-in-the-first-us-trailer-for-two-days-one-night-20141113


ROSEWATER OPENS

Telluride Inside talks to Jon Stewart:

http://www.tellurideinside.com/2014/11/telluride-film-fest-interview-with-jon-stewart-about-rosewater.html


LAST IMITATION TRAILER

The final trailer for "The Imitation Game" has dropped prior to its Nov. 28th opening:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-new-trailer-for-the-imitation-game-plus-15-minute-google-talk-clip-tv-spot-20141114

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/watch-one-final-trailer-for-the-imitation-game-is-full-of-accolades/

COMING ATTRACTIONS: MAYBE NOT TRUMBO

Last month I wrote that "Trumbo" starring Bryan Cranston might be a cool TFF #42 pick...now you may be watching it on HBO...

http://thedissolve.com/news/3957-first-look-at-good-actor-bryan-cranston-playing-go/


More, and hopefully better, on Thursday...

The Film Awards Clearinghouse Vol. 3C: Foreign, Doc, Editing and Cinematography/"Birdman's" Beat/"Rosewater's" Tone/BIFA Loves " '71" and Others

Welcome to Thursday everyone...

THE FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE VOL. 3C

I thought I'd use the FAC this week to drop in on four Oscar races outside the Big Eight and see what's going on in them.  I'll return next Thursday with The FAC for Best Picture, Director, Actress and Actor.

The FAC uses the published predictions of the following (for these four categories) to develop its list of likely Oscar nominees:

Kristopher Tapley/InContention/HitFix
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter

Telluride #41 films are Bold.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1) Citizenfour
2) Life Itself
3) Red Army
4) Keep On Keepin' On
5) The Overnighters
6) The Case Against 8
7) Salt of the Earth
8) Tales of the Grim Sleeper
9) Last Days in Vietnam
10) Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me


Comment: Telluride #41 boasts 2 possible nominees with another couple of possibles.  At this point, "Citizenfour" looks like the only lock.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1) Ida*
2) Leviathan
3) Two Days, One Night
4) Mommy
5) Wild Tales
6) Winter Sleep
7) Force Majeure
8) Timbuktu
9) White God
10) Gett: The Trail of Viviane Amsalem

Comments:  The dream of an all Telluride slate of nominees in an Oscar category could happen this year in the Foreign Language category albeit with an asterisk for "Ida" which actually played Telluride #40.  Realistically, I believe it's unlikely that the current top five end up as the five nominees announced in February and looking at the numbers that I crunched, none of these five would be termed locks at this point.


FILM EDITING

1) The Imitation Game
2) Birdman
3) Boyhood
4) Interstellar
5) Gone Girl
6) Unbroken
7) Whiplash
8) Fury
9) American Sniper
10) Foxcatcher


Comment:  It says something that "The Imitation Game" sits at the top of the list.  Much has been over the past several years about the connection between Best Picture winners and a film editing nomination.  It happens a lot.  It happened last year with "12 Years a Slave".  The notion isn't that a film has to win editing to win Best Picture, but it almost always has to have a nomination.  The same could be said about the appearance of Richard Linklater's "Boyhood's" #3 spot on this first chart for Editing.

You wouldn't be surprised at the nomination of such "flashy" editing as "Birdman" or "Interstellar" so the pundits' inclusion of "Imitation" at the top makes you think that it's Best Picture chances are rather good.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1) Birdman
2) Interstellar
3) Mr. Turner
4) Unbroken
5) The Theory of Everything
6) Gone Girl
7) Inherent Vice
8) The Imitation Game
9) The Grand Budapest Hotel
10) Wild

Comments:  Every film through the #8 Spot looks like a potential nominee.  "Birdman" is a lock.

Ultimately, in these four categories, Telluride #41 films (if The FAC is 100% accurate) would have 10 nominations plus another nomination for a TFF #40 film and an additional 5 possibilities.

In all, looking at the totality of Volume 3 FAC for the dozen categories suggests the following:

"Birdman" nominated for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Film Editing and Cinematography. (Nominations in 8 of the 9 categories it could be nominated in...and realistically, there isn't a Lead Actress candidate in the film).

"The Imitation Game" nominated for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actress and Film Editing with a possibility of a nomination for Cinematography.

"Foxcatcher" nominated for Best Picture, Actor and Supporting Actor with possibilities for Original Screenplay, Director and Film Editing.

"Mr. Turner nominated for Best Actor, Original Screenplay and Cinematography with a possibility for Best Director.

"Wild" nominated for Best Actress, Supporting Actress and Adapted Screenplay with possibilities for Best Picture and Cinematography.

Additional films with possibilities include "Rosewater" for Best Adapted Screenplay, The Homesman foe Best Actress and "Wild Tales" for Best Original Screenplay.

Totals for these ten categories plus Documentary Feature and Foreign Films have 29 nominations for TFF #41 films with an additional 12 possible nominations.  Of course, still not included are the remaining feature film categories.


BIRDMAN'S BEAT

One of the many distinctive qualities about Alejandro G. Inarritu's masterpiece, "Birdman", is the jazz percussion score.  Now, frankly, it is the one element of the film that I'm not crazy about but I also can't deny that it's propulsive and unique.  Matt Patches writing for HitFix posted an interview with Antonio Sanchez, the man behind the sounds.  That interview is here:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/how-alejandro-inarritu-directed-drummer-antonio-sanchezs-birdman-score


ROSEWATER'S TONE

Jon Stewart may well have a shot at an Oscar nomination for his adaptation of Maziar Bahari's book, "Then They Came for Me".  "Rosewater" had some champions critically coming out of Telluride but also some detractors (put me in the second camp...I thought it was a noble experiment that failed to connect and included too many warring impulses).

This week Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood posted interviews and Telluride panels that included Stewart and actor Gael Garcia Bernal as the film moves to theaters next week.  Here's that collection of material from Anne:


http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/watch-rosewaters-jon-stewart-and-gael-garcia-bernal-talk-purposeful-inauthenticity-exclusive-20140903


BIFA LOVES " '71" AND OTHERS

Nominations were announced this week for the British Independent Film Awards and a number of Telluride #41 films made the cut.  Best Indie Film nominations included " '71", "The Imitation Game" and "Mr, Turner".  As a matter of fact " '71" lead the pack with nine total BIFA nominations.  "Mr. Turner" was nominated for five BIFA's and "Imitation" was nominated for four.

The Playlist has the complete breakdown of the BIFA nominees here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/71-starring-jack-oconnell-leads-the-17th-british-independent-film-awards-nominees-20141103



More on Monday...hope your weekend is terrific!

The Film Awards Clearinghouse Vol. 3B-Supporting and Screenplays/Imitation Clip/Mike Leigh Talks Turner

Good Thursday to All...

THE FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE VOL. 3B-SUPPORTING AND SCREENPLAYS

I'm updating the Supporting and Screenplay categories today on The FAC two weeks after the last update and that puts The FAC on what has become its regular schedule for this Oscar season.

The FAC uses the published predictions of the following to develop its list of likely Oscar nominees:

Kristopher Tapley/InContention/HitFix
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Bred Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter

Telluride #41 films are Bold.
A film/person's rating in the last FAC is listed to the right in parentheses.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1) Patricia Arquette/Boyhood (1)
2) Kiera Knightley/The Imitation Game (2)
3) Emma Stone/Birdman (3)
4) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods (5)
5) Laura Dern/Wild (4)
6) Jessica Chastain/Interstellar (6)
7) Carmen Ejogo/Selma (7)
8) Katherine Waterston/Inherent Vice (8)
9) Sienna Miller/American Sniper (15)
10) Anna Kendrick/Into the Woods (9)

Hot: Miller who benefits from the rising notice of Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper".

Not: Kritsen Stewart who falls from the top ten.  Otherwise, this is a very stable category at the moment.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1) J.K. Simmons/Whiplash (1)
2) Edward Norton/Birdman (2)
3) Mark Ruffalo/Foxcatcher (3)
4) Ethan Hawke/Boyhood (4)
5) Tom Wilkinson/Selma (6)
6) Miyavi/Unbroken (14)
7) Christoph Waltz/Big Eyes (15)
8) Josh Brolin/Inherent Vice (10)
9) John Goodman/The Gambler (12)
10) Tyler Perry/Gone Girl (NR)

Hot: A lot: Wilkinson, who moves into the top five and Miyavi, Waltz, Brolin, Goodman and Perry who all make big moves.  For Perry, it's the first inkling that he might be a serious candidate here.

Not: Logan Lehrman/Fury, Robert Duvall/The Judge and Channing Tatum/Foxcatcher (as people realize that he'll be campaigned in the lead category). Wow, the Logan Lehrman balloon deflated faster than I've ever seen a potential nominee deflate.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) The Imitation Game (2)
2) The Theory of Everything (3)
3) Gone Girl (1)
4) Unbroken (4)
5) Wild (5)
6) American Sniper (9)
7) Inherent Vice (6)
8) Still Alice (8)
9) Into the Woods (7)
10) Rosewater (12)

Hot: "American Sniper" as has been the case in other categories: Best Picture, Actor, Director...the trailer has put this film on the map as a potential Oscar candidate in a number of categories.  Also, Jon Stewart's :"Rosewater" moves into the conversation.

Not: "Gillian Flynn's :Gone Girl" loses a little steam over the last two weeks as does "Into the Woods".  Additionally, Jason Reitman's critically excoriated "Men, Women and Children" disappears from the chart altogether.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) Boyhood (1)
2) Birdman (2)
3) Whiplash (7)
4) Mr. Turner (3)
5) The Grand Budapest Hotel (5)
6) Foxcatcher (6)
7) Interstellar (4)
8) A Most Violent Year (8)
9) Selma (10)
10) Wild Tales (12)

Hot: "Whiplash" which is really hot across the board this last couple of weeks.  Also "Wild Tales" which I don't really think has a great chance at this but would love it if it did get nominated.

Not: "Interstellar" lose a little steam but I suspect that it will bounce back to some degree when it is released.


IMITATION CLIP

Brad Brevet at Rope of Silicon drops a clip from early in "The Imitation Game" earlier this week on the ROS website.  I currently think "Imitation" is the second most likely Oscar winner for Best Picture (right behind "Birdman") and that could change as the Oscar season progresses.  Take a look at the clip and Brad's accompanying story here:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/benedict-cumberbatch-charles-dance-chat-enigma-imitation-game-clip/


MIKE LEIGH TALKS TURNER

The Playlist excerpts Mike Leigh's interview from The Daily Beast earlier this week and also included his 35 minute "Mr. Turner" discussion from The New York Film Festival.  You can read and see/hear those here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/mike-leigh-says-hollywood-is-motivated-by-insecurity-fear-lack-of-imagination-and-a-lack-of-flair-20141028


More on Monday...have a great weekend!

The People's Telluride/Scenes from TFF #41/Catching Foxcatcher

Good Thursday to all...

THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE

After about ten days of polling and a couple pf dozen responses, here are this year's results of The People's Telluride.  I asked readers of this space to rate the films they saw at TFF #41 on a 0-5 scale with "0" being "abysmal" and "5" being a "Masterpiece".  I then collated that information and divided by the number of respondents for each film.  To make the list, a film had to have ratings from at least 25% of the respondents.  That's the methodology.  Here are the results with the average rating in parenthesis:

1) The Imitation Game (4.73)
2) Birdman (4.46)
3) Wild Tales (4.23)
4) Foxcatcher (4.20)
5) Merchants of Doubt (4.04)
6) '71 (3.90)
7) Red Army (3.63)
8) Wild (Tie 3.50)
8) Escobar: Paradise Lost (Tie 3.50)
8) Mommy (Tie 3.50)
11) 99 Homes (3.47)
12) Rosewater (3.46)
13) Two Days, One Night (3.31)
14) Mr. Turner (3.00)
15) Madame Bovary (2.88)
16) The Homesman (2.58)

Notes:

Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Look of Silence" had a 4.9 rating but not enough respondents to surpass the 25% threshold.

"Merchants of Doubt", "99 Homes" and "Escobar: Paradise Lost" all were rated by enough of "The People" to make it onto today's list but were not seen by enough of "The Professionals" to make that list which I posted Tuesday.

"Leviathan" was the one film on "The Professionals" list that wasn't seen by enough of "The People" to make today's list.

The biggest disconnect this year between "Pros" and "Peeps"; "Mr. Turner".  The pros rated it at 4.10 which put it at #6 on that list.  The Peeps rated it at 3.00 which made it 14th out of the 16 films on today's list.

There was also a fairly astounding separation between the choice of the Peeps #1-"The Imitation Game" and The Pros which, though rated by them at an over "4" average, ended up at #7 on The Pros listing.

And, yeow...the Peeps did not care for Tommy Lee Jones "The Homesman".

Monday, I'll have the combination listing from all the Pros and Peeps...13 films make that list.


SCENES FROM TFF #41

The official Telluride Film Festival website has posted four filmed tidbits of conversations/interviews from this year's fests.  I have linked to them here:

Reese Witherspoon on "Wild"

http://telluridefilmfestival.org/showroom/show/144

Jon Stewart Q & A after the initial "Rosewater" screening:

http://telluridefilmfestival.org/showroom/show/142


Francis Ford Coppola on "Apocalypse Now" Tribute:

http://telluridefilmfestival.org/showroom/show/143


Hilary Swank on "The Homesman" during her tribute:

http://telluridefilmfestival.org/showroom/show/145


CATCHING FOXCATCHER

"Foxcatcher" Teaser trailer via YouTube

Mark Ruffalo kindly tweeted a link to an in depth story that Vulture.com did about the genesis and development of Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher".  The Mark Harris piece was posted originally on Aug. 24th but provides such detail that I have linked it here:


http://www.vulture.com/2014/08/the-making-of-foxcatcher.html

"Foxcatcher" opens nationally on Nov. 14th.


Coming next week to MTFB/FAC:  The Combination Ratings of The Peeps and The Pros and the first look at major Oscar categories as The Film Awards Clearinghouse returns to this blog!


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2.

Have a great weekend!

Apologies: The Professionals Telluride/Random Thoughts a Week Removed/Film Comment Talks Telluride

Welcome to Monday...

APOLOGIES: THE PROFESSIONALS TELLURIDE

I had intended to post the results of the ratings from the professionals who have been kind enough to rate the films they saw last weekend at TFF #41 but last minute additions and alterations have pushed that to tomorrow.  Sorry.  Think of it as building suspense.

I'm still planning The People's Telluride release on Thursday so you peeps still have a couple of days to send in your ratings on a 0-5 scale to me via Twitter (@Gort2) email: michael_speech@hotmail.com or as a comment to this blog.

RANDOM THOUGHTS A WEEK REMOVED

Well, I've had a little time to process TFF #41 so I thought I might tap out a few things that have been rattling around my brain over the last week or so.

THE PEOPLE

I have made some great friends as a result of the Telluride Film Fest over these past eight years of attending and six years of writing about it.  Especially worthy of mention are Christopher Schiller, who was a great guy to stand in line with, a counselor and conversationalist.  Also, it was terrific to catch up, briefly, with Jack Werzberger and Patrick Pringle.  Great guys who love film and TFF.

Susan and Bunee Tomlinson, fellow Oklahomans, who make the trek each year to the San Juans and are remarkably kind.  Look out world, Bunee's gonna run the film world someday.

Alexandra and Mark Helfrich, who, I believe we met in line in 2007.  Dinner companions, fellow film fans and hard core Telluride fest-goers.  They have become more than acquaintances over these past few years.  I value the brief moments we get to share.

I also am humbled and gratified that I am treated so warmly by the members of the real press.  Going out of their way to show kindness and share insight: Sasha Stone/Awards Daily, Kristopher Tapley/HitFix-InContention, Alex Billington/FirstShowing and Tomris Laffley/Film Journal.  Mr. Schiller also falls into this camp.

And then there was the nearly constant parade of people that I ran into that read the blog.  It seemed like I was constantly sitting next to or standing in line with someone who reads the thing.  To all of you and those of you who have taken time to pass along an "I love your blog" via email, Twitter or other social media...thanks so very much. You're too kind.

And I would be seriously remiss if I didn't mention TFF's VP of Publicity Shannon Mitchell and Co-director Julie Huntsinger.  These two women have persistently shown me nothing but respect, kindness and warmth.  I thank them sincerely.

And, of course, Larry and Mitzi Mallard who make the whole thing possible.  They were my students back in the 80's and have grown into great friends and have the wife and I the most ridiculously wonderful gift in the form of passes to attend the festival and a ludicrously beautiful place to stay.  "Thank you" is inadequate expression of gratitude.

THE FILMS

You know how it is sometimes.  You come out of theater in T-ride and you're giddy and then, after some reflection, a week later, you reassess.  Sometimes something that you thought was great is really just good and sometimes what you thought wasn't much, resonates louder and louder on reflection.  Last year, "Llewyn Davis"...which I thought was great from the get-go...got better on reflection.    So, looking back after a bit of time always seems like a good idea.  That said...

A week out and I still feel strongly about what the three films I saw that seem to be the standouts of TFF #41.  Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman" (which did NOT win the Venice Golden Lion over the weekend and many were surprised by that) which I called a masterpiece in the heat of the immediate post film reaction.  Now that I've mulled it for a week...still a masterpiece.  It's Inarritu's best film and a career defining performance from Michael Keaton.  I don't know if Keaton will win a Best Oscar next spring, only that he should and, in a year that already has a surfeit of phenomenal work in the Lead Actor category (and more to come raves for Eddie Redmayne for "The Theory of Everything" and Bill Murray for "St. Vincent" are coming out of Toronto from this weekend's screenings like Jack O'Connell in "Unbroken" and I suspect Matthew McConnaughey will be back in the conversation after we finally see Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar"), I cannot imagine that anyone is going to be as good as Keaton in this film.

Make no mistake...most years I would be all about Steve Carell and Channing Tatum in "Foxcatcher" and Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Imitation Game".  They're fantastic performances and were I member of the Academy and having to choose, it'd be difficult...but Keaton's performance makes it easy.  At least for me.

Speaking of "Foxcatcher" and :The Imitation Game", I still feel the same about them as I did a week ago.  Great work, great scripting and direction.  Excellent acting from two very, very different films.

"Wild Tales" seems to have gotten the biggest buzz boost from the fest.  It's the kind of thing that has happened before at Telluride, I think.  Audiences responding to a well made comic film that provides big laughs made bigger as a relief/release from some of the other more somber, challenging fare at the fest.  I enjoyed "Wild Tales" but I don't think it's in the same ball park that the above three films are.

Though I didn't see it, I imagine that people that saw "The Look of Silence" were probably looking for that.  To a lesser extent, I think the same might be true for Ethan Hawke's documentary "Seymour: An Introduction" which was warmly embraced by everyone I talked to that saw it last weekend.  As a matter of fact, Jack Werzberger (mentioned above) said it was one of his five best TFF experiences ever.  Strong praise indeed.  Also, shout out to Mr. Hawke whom my parents met and, as is so often the case at Telluride, was terrifically pleasant and kind.

Director, actor and genuinely nice guy Ethan Hawke with my parents Patricia and Calvin Patterson.

As I mentioned above also, sometimes a film grows with some distance.  "Red Army", Gabe Polsky's documentary about the Cold War era Soviet hockey team has been that film over the last week for me.  Great work.  It's funny, engaging, dramatic and even emotional.

Noble misses: "Wild" and "The Homesman".  Both films have good performances at their core (Witherspoon/Wild Dern/Wild and Swank/Homesman) and are beautiful to look at but are lacking some structural elements that left this viewer unclear as to motivation.  Though that ambiguity is sometimes a valid choice, in these two instances I felt like I needed to understand the leads at a deeper level to make sense of the way each film played out.

Jon Stewart's "Rosewater" also fell into this same category for me for different reasons, really.  Stewart explained more than once over the course of last weekend that one of the things that he was after was a film that expressed evil and torture and terror as being something that could be subtle.  He wants us to realize that those things don't have to take the shape of a "Midnight Express" level of abuse to be just as terrifying and maybe even more so because of its subtlety.  OK.  I'm not sure that makes for a compelling film.  It didn't for me.

I also had issues with what was going on with the leads flashbacks/imaginings of conversations with his father who, it seems to me, would not have been pleased with the choices that Gael Garcia Bernal's character makes.  The film devotes a good amount of time to Dad making much of his own choices when faced with similar circumstances in his own life but when Bernal's character charts a different course toward the films end, Ghost Dad seems all about condoning those choices. Ummm...what'd I miss?

GRAND MOMENTS:

Having said all that about Jon Stewart's film, I was thrilled to meet him and shake his hand.  Call me shallow.

I was also pretty happy to shake Alejandro Inarritu's hand and congratulate him after the first North American screening of "Birdman".

Realizing as I was talking to some fellow journalist types that I was standing two feet from Reese Witherspoon.

The sheer breath taking thrill that it was to watch "Birdman" happen in front of my eyes and then see Inarritu talk about it afterwards.

It was also ridiculously grand to hear/see Bennett Miller, Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Hilary Swank discuss their films moments after seeing them.

Finally got to meet Screencraft's John Rhodes face to face after a couple of years of communicating facelessly via email and the Twitterverse.  Had a fantastic breakfast with him and his buddy Trevor Kress of Corbis Entertainment on Monday morning just before we pulled out to Telluride.


Dinner Thursday night with the Helfrichs.



REGRETS, I HAD A FEW...

....and they're silly...but...

Tommy Lee Jones appears to have been in town for about three hours.  Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like he was in T-ride to do the singularly scheduled Q & A with Leonard Maltin after the Sunday afternoon screening of "The Homesman".  I understand that Mr. Jones is notoriously unwilling to suffer the indignities of fame and that the Q & A demonstrated that and part of me wishes I could have been there but I had a prior engagement that I really couldn't move around,  Still, I would have risked a withering glance to have put my eyeballs on him and even more to have actually been able to greet the man.

I hate that Benedict Cumberbatch didn't make it despite the program assurance that he would be in attendance.  I think the young man is a terrific actor and gives an incredible performance in "Imitation Game".  It would have fun to tell him that in person.

I was thrilled to get to hear Steve Carell and Channing Tatum talk about "Foxcatcher"  My disappoint...kept thinking I'd run into them...never happened.  Apparently I just missed Carell at the Patron's brunch.  Curse my luck.

Missed Oprah... who was around at least early in the weekend for "Wild".

I saw Megan Ellison at the Fox Searchlight party Saturday (and again Fox Searchlight...thanks so much for the invitation..was cool.) but didn't work up the gumption to walk over and thank her for the producing work she has done over that last five years or so ("True Grit" -my favorite film of 2010, "The Master", "Zero Dark Thirty" "American Hustle" and this year's "Foxcatcher" among others. She's part of the list of producers for Inarritu's next project as well. "The Revenant"...TFF #42?...if it's done, I'll bet it shows...)

I also missed Quincey Jones at the FS party.  I think I was already out the door when Q showed up. Man, I hate to have missed a legend.

I also regret not having had a second conversation with Jon Stewart who was leaving the FS party as I was coming in.  That's probably for the best, but, again, a week removed...seems like a missed opportunity.


FILM COMMENT TALKS TELLURIDE

Eugene Hernandez has posted a Telluride re-cap for Film Comment.  Here's the link to that:

http://filmcomment.com/entry/festival-telluride

The People's and The Professionals Telluride/Stewart and Rosewater/Telluride Wrap Up/Oscars: Feinberg and Tapley/Music from Rudderless

Welcome to Friday everyone...

THE PEOPLE'S AND THE PROFESSIONALS' TELLURIDE

We're coming down to the last few days that I will still be collecting film ratings from last week's 41st edition of the Telluride Film Festival.  I expect that I will continue to accept ratings through the weekend.  My hope is to post The Professionals ratings on Monday and The People's on Thursday next week with a combination set of ratings to follow.  That's the plan, at least for the moment.  So get those ratings to me ASAP.  Send to via Twitter (@Gort2), email: michael_speech@hotmail.com or as a comment to this blog.  HURRY...time is running out.

STEWART AND ROSEWATER

(Getty Images)

Although I wasn't all that enamored of the film, I am enamored of Jon Stewart and it seems I'm not the only one.  Stewart seemed to be greeted with a hero's welcome all last weekend and I suspect that has as much to do with his career before becoming a film director as it did with the actual film he was in Telluride presenting.  That said, he's the subject of a couple of profiles as a result of "Rosewater's" premiere at T-ride last weekend and I have linked them here.  First a piece from The Hollywood Reporter and Scott Feinberg in which Scott interviews Stewart:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/jon-stewart-embracing-film-festival-729418

And also from the Los Angeles Times, this profile of the comedian turned director:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/filmfestivals/la-et-mn-jon-stewart-rosewater-20140904-story.html


TELLURIDE WRAP UP

Friend of the blog, and I think I can safely say just "friend" without the added "of the blog" Christopher Schiller posted his thoughts of the festival weekend yesterday at ScriptMag.com.  Chris and I don't always agree (ex: he loved "Two Days, One Night"...me...not so much) but he's always got an interesting and well reasoned take.  Here's his review of what we experienced last week:'

http://www.scriptmag.com/festivals-2/telluride-film-festival-report

OSCARS: FEINBERG AND TAPLEY

The above mentioned Scott Feinberg takes a look at the post-Telluride awards alignment and offers his assessment of how things shook out after the four days in the San Juans:


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/telluride-postmortem-some-contenders-climbed-729395

Meanwhile, Oscar expert Kristopher Tapley reports that the Best Actor race just including the performances from Telluride is already intense...and he's right:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/best-actor-oscar-race-heats-up-in-telluride

I'm campaigning for Michael Keaton...it's my blog, I don't have to be impartial.

MUSIC FROM RUDDERLESS

My countdown to the release of William H. Macy's set in Oklahoma Sundance drama "Rudderless" continues.  It's set to release on Oct. 17th.  News came yesterday that music form the film...and it's cool music...will be available within the month.  One of the things that was said after the Oklahoma City screening of the film last June was how good the music was.  Now you'll soon have a chance to hear for yourself.  The Playlist posted the release story online and here's the link to that:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/exclusive-listening-preview-songs-from-the-rudderless-soundtrack-performed-by-selena-gomez-eef-barzelay-ben-kweller-more-20140904


More tomorrow...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

What I Saw in Telluride/Video from "Rosewater" and "Birdman"/LA Weekly's Oscar Take from TFF #41/Rate Those Flicks!

Hello friends and neighbors...hope everyone has made it back home safe and sound from TFF #41.

WHAT I SAW IN TELLURIDE

Ten films over essentially two and a half days.  I would have liked to have gotten in about 4 more than I saw. Nevertheless, I saw some really fine film work at the top of the list.  Here's what I saw and how I rated them...

1) Birdman 5/5
2) The Imitation Game 4.5/5
3) Foxcatcher 4.5/5
4) Wild Tales 3.5/5
5) Red Army 3.5/5
6) The Homesman 3.5/5
7) Wild 3/5
8) Magician 3/5 (adjusted)
9) Rosewater 3/5
10) Two Days, One Night 2.5/5

A comment or two...

Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman" is a masterpiece and his best film...and I'm a fan of his other films. I think it's a tremendous piece of work.  First and foremost is Michael Keaton's turn as Riggan Thomson...the down and out former movie superstar who made his name as the titular "Birdman".  It is a fearless performance on a ridiculously high, ridiculously thin high wire and he is riveting.  It's one of the great performances on film I think I have ever seen.  Keaton must win Oscar...it is a oral imperative.  To deny this performance would be a crime.  And Keaton isn't alone.  Ed Norton and Emma Stone shine as well.  Both should earn nominations and Norton may very well win the Supporting Actor trophy.

The technical work is also dizzying.  The technique to create a two hour plus film that seems to be nearly one long, non-stop take is an amazing feat that is a marvel to behold.

Admittedly, there will be some who don't care for the film.  It's experimental, existential and eccentric but that's also makes it so special.

I was in a conversation Saturday night, right after seeing the film, with one of the industry's smartest people about the Oscar season and we both agreed that it's a tough sell for Best Picture but the more I've thought about it, the more I wonder about that assessment.  It's hard to deny the virtuosity here and the actors, which make up the largest block in The Academy, I think are going to eat it up.  It's an actor's film.  Further, I think it's going to end up with the most nominations when they are announced next January.  So maybe...maybe...

Ultimately I have a hard time believing that I'm going to see a better film between now and Dec. 31st.

Morten Tyldum...better get used to hearing that name.  He's the director of "The Imitation Game", the Alan Turing biopic starring Benedict Cumberbatch which came as close to being the consensus hit of last week's festival as I could find and deservedly.  I loved it too...not as much as "Birdman" but still...

Cumberbatch will be a nominee for this film as will, I expect, Mr. Tyldum and the screenwriter Graham Moore.  That's enough to virtually guarantee a Best Picture nomination.  There's some sentiment that Kiera Nightley might be in the running for a Supporting Actress nomination.  Noms for Costumes and Art Direction are real possibilities and I could also see an editing nomination.

Some have compared this to "The King's Speech", "Argo" and "The Artist".  Not thematically at all, but as a very well made film that Telluride audiences responded enthusiastically to.  For some that is damning praise...not to me.  Say what you will, about those three films (two of which were from The Weinstein Company, as is "Imitation Game") but they were all outstanding films in their own right.

All that said...it's a damn good film and Cumberbatch in almost any other year might be the Oscar favorite...

Finally, in terms of the films I really dug at TFF #41, there's Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher".  It's fantastic but won't be everyone's cup of tea.  "Too cold" is how I've heard it described and that makes some sense.  But that "cool" aesthetic is absolutely essential to the central performance/character.  Steve Carell is... well, some would say a revelation as deeply crazy buhzillionaire Jon duPont in this true story.  I wouldn't say "revelatory" because I've thought he was going to be great in the role since I first heard about it.  And if you read this blog with regularity, you know that I've been tracking this film for...well..ever.  You might recall that I (and others) went through last season thinking we might see it in 2013.  Nope.  But it was worth the wait.

So, Carell is excellent as are Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum as two brothers trying to conquer the Olympics circa 1988.  Bennett Miller's direction is sure handed, confident.  He's a great talent.  It's too bad that he takes as much time as he does because that means we'll see fewer films from him over the next couple of decades.  But if his body of work continues to mirror "Capote", "Moneyball" and now "Foxcatcher"...it'll be worth the wait.


My expectation is that we'll see two acting nominations, Carell and either Ruffalo or Tatum...I can't see all three being nominated, though they probably should be...both Ruffalo and Tatum deserve the nod.  The Ruffalo love is probably not a surprise.  Tatum in that convo might raise an eyebrow until you see the performance.  Again, I'm not surprised.  I thought he'd be great too.

A Best Picture nomination is possible since we're likely to have nine films make the grade again this year.  A Best Direction nom for Miller is a tougher proposition though.  I'd vote for him but, you know, I'm not an Academy member.

A script nod for Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye is more likely.  Maybe editing as well.

That's the stuff I really liked of the ten films that I got to.


VIDEO FROM "ROSEWATER" AND "BIRDMAN"

Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood posted exclusive video of interviews with the "Rosewater" and "Birdman" folks and I'm passing  along those links to you:

"Rosewater":

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/watch-rosewaters-jon-stewart-and-gael-garcia-bernal-talk-purposeful-inauthenticity-exclusive-20140903


"Birdman":

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/watch-alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-talks-birdman-at-telluride-exclusive-video-20140901


L.A. WEEKLY'S OSCAR TAKE FROM TFF #41

L.A. Weekly posted their assessment of Oscar potentials from this year's Telluride crop yesterday.  Weirdly, no mention of "Birdman".  Check it here:

http://www.laweekly.com/publicspectacle/2014/09/03/wild-foxcatcher-rosewater-and-more-hunting-for-hits-at-telluride-2014


RATE THOSE FLICKS!

People have been responding but we need more data!  Send your 0-5 ratings of the films you saw in Telluride last weekend to me via Twitter @Gort2, or email me at michael_speech@hotmail.com or leave your ratings as a comment to this blog.  I'll be collating and publishing these in about a week.  Meanwhile, The Professionals Telluride ratings are coming in and I expect to have those ready for your consumption on Monday.

Rate 'em!


More tomorrow...

Quick Comments on Wild, Imitation Game and RosewaterSaturday's TBAs and Sneaks

Good Saturday Film Fans...

QUICK COMMENTS ON WILD, IMITATION GAME AND ROSEWATER

Wild:  Reese Witherspoon is rather good and Laura Dern is also fine in a story/film that lacks from dramatic tension. 3 of 5

Imitation Game: Morten Tyldum with a winner here.  Solid work and a great script.  Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a sterling performance.  Also exceptional work from Matthew Goode, Mark Strong and Charles Dance in support and a stunning debut for Alex Lawther as the young Alan Turing.  This is a true story that needs to be seen! 4.5 of 5

Rosewater:  A film I admire more than love.  First time director Jon Stewart makes fully reasonable choices for a film that never really engages.  3 of 5.

Saturday for me will include an early Foxcatcher and a late Birdman...in between...still figuring it out...Red Army looks like a real possibility.

And someone please tell me that Michael Keaton is going to put in a surprise appearance!



SATURDAY'S TBA'S AND SNEAKS

From the www.telluridefilmfestival.org website:

Saturday TBAs

1:30PM - DIPLOMACY - Masons

3:30PM - WILD TALES - Masons 

4:00PM - THE IMITATION GAME - Palm

5:00PM - Great Expectations - Le Pierre

8:45PM - WHERE EAGLES DARE - Masons 

10:45PM - (SNEAK) ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST- Palm

SNEAK PREVIEW ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST Masons/Sat 10:45P 

Nick (Josh Hutcherson) and Dylan (Brady Corbet), two Canadian brothers, discover an idyllic surfing beach on the coast of Colombia, where Nick eyes Maria (Claudia Traisac), an idealistic local girl who works with the poor. But this love story has a dark side: Maria’s wealthy, very protective uncle is Pablo Escobar (Benicio Del Toro), the country’s biggest narco-trafficker, and one of the most dangerous men alive. Writer-director Andrea Di Stefano ingeniously mixes fact and fiction in this disturbing thriller, with Hutcherson (Jennifer Lawrence’s love interest in the Hunger Games movies) giving a touching performance as an ordinary guy stumbling headlong into terror and violence, holding his own opposite one of the most charismatic actors alive. And Del Toro, with his mixture of avuncular sweetness, self-mythologizing grandiosity and cobra-like cruelty, may well have been born to play Escobar. (France-Spain-Belgium, 2014, 120m) In person: Andrea Di Stefano

Second screening: CJC/Sun 12:15P Q&A

SNEAK THE CLARITY OF PEACE Herzog/Monday 9:15a Q&A

Errol Morris is best known for his interrogations of humanity's dark complexity, including portrayals of two American engineers of war, Robert McNamara, in THE FOG OF WAR (TFF 30) and Donald Rumsfeld, in THE UNKNOWN KNOWN (TFF 40). Here, Morris turns his camera 180 degrees, creating three inspiring portraits of courageous figures who dare to confront the worst Goliaths of our times. In THE DREAM, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee recounts the coalition of Liberian women whom, without brandishing a weapon or uttering a word of disrespect, stopped one of the longest, most vicious wars in modern history. THE SHIPYARD shows how Lech Walesa, a Polish electrician and Nobel Laureate, rallied workers to challenge the repressive Soviet Union, succeeding where 30-plus years of Cold War aggression failed. And in THE MOMENT, rockstar Bob Geldof tells how he transformed his commitment and some guilt (along with a phenomenal Rolodex) into an ongoing, 30-year struggle to eradicate hunger in Africa. Morris, one of cinema’s most insightful, inquisitive and expressionistic artists, reminds us of his deep, heartful comprehension of the indomitable human spirit. He created these films in conjunction with the New York Times’ Op-Docs series (U.S., 2014, 49m total). In person: Errol Morris

Seminar Elks Park/Saturday Noon

THE FORTY-YEAR PENDULUM: HOW DOES TODAY'S CINEMA REFLECT THE LEGACY OF THE 1970s? 

With Francis Coppola, Werner Herzog, Walter Murch, Volker Schlöndorff, Wim Wenders, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Ethan Hawke

Moderated by Annette Insdorf

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