The Usual Suspects Part Two/"The Revenant" News/The Guardian on the Fall Season

Welcome to Wednesday film fans...



THE "USUAL SUSPECTS" PART TWO

I'm continuing my metaphorical stroll through some of the directors, producers and others who seem to have a personal and frequent connection to Telluride to parse their participation to see if there are clues for the TFF #42 lineup.

Today we start with actress Laura Linney.

Linney hasn't appeared at the fest since 2012's "Hyde Park on Hudson".  For a good long while I thought she'd be back this year with Bill Conden's "Mr. Holmes" starring Sir Ian McKellen.  Then, some months ago, Fox Searchlight dated the film for a July release (it opened last weekend).

But fear not Linney fans, she's still in the TFF #42 possibility game as she appears also in Michael Grandage's "Genius" which is in the Lionsgate stable.  The film was listed by IMDb as being in post-production in February.  The film also stars Nicole Kidman, Jude Law and Colin Firth (TFF tribute 2010). Grandage is a first time director.

Our next "Usual Suspect" for today's post is Stephen Frears.  Frears is an interesting case.  He hasn't had a film at the fest since 2010's "Tamara Drewe" but was reportedly supposed to have had "Philomena" sneak in 2013 only to have it pulled at the last minute (The Weinstein Company replaced it with "Salinger").  Another story that I heard was that Frears was approached to be Guest Director for the 2013 fest but couldn't due to other obligations.

If all that's true, then Frears still is in the Telluride orbit.  His current project that could make the grade for TFF #42 is his long gestating Lance Armstrong examination "The Program" starring Ben Foster as Armstrong and Chris O'Dowd as the journalist who kept after the allegations of doping that eventually caught up to the multiple Tour de France winner.  The film is currently without U.S. distribution.

Number three on today's look at "Usual Suspects" is Wim Wenders. Wenders has been coming to Telluride since 1978 and has played there with "Paris, Texas", "Faraway, So Close", "Pina" and last year with "Salt of the Earth"  This year he has a feature film called "Every Thing Will Be Fine" that stars James Franco and has played the Berlin Fest.  The film wasn't received all that warmly in a critical sense, but Wenders past connection with Telluride might be enough to get the film into the lineup.  The film's U.S. distribution is still up for grabs.

Our final "Usual" for this Wednesday are the Dardenne Brothers.  Now, I can hear some of you saying, "Wait, Michael.  The Dardenne don't have a film in the can."  And you're right.  But they do act as producers on a film that may have some Telluride legs:  Benoit Jacqout's "Diary of a Chambermaid" which stars Lea Seydoux (who made the trip to Telluride in 2013 with "Blue is the Warmest Color").  "Chambermaid" played Berlin in February and a couple of other fests and has U.S. distribution from the Cohen Media Group.  That distributor was last represented in Telluride in 2012 with "The Attack".

These factors might edge the film into the T-ride lineup.

So, in review, your chances for each of these four (five, if you count both Dardennes) "Usual Suspects" and their projects:

Linney/"Genius" 30%
Frears/"The Program" 35%
Wenders/"Every Thing Will Be Fine" 30%
Dardennes/"Diary of a Chambermaid" 20%

Tomorrow's "Usual Suspects" will be a little different as I'll look at two directors who are close to being "Usuals' as well as three fellows that are "Usuals" that would be doing something unusual if they were to come to this year's SHOW: Ariel Vromen, Matteo Garrone, Steve McQueen, Alejandro Inarritu and Francis Ford Coppola.



 "THE REVENANT" NEWS...

Alejandro Inarritu's "The Revenant" moved up on my wish list this past weekend with the release of a fantastic teaser/trailer.  Admittedly, the film isn't going to be ready in time for Telluride as word is that the crew is re-shooting a sequence in South America (where it is winter).  I have mentioned that I have some serious concern whether it will be ready TO go by its stated Dec. 25th release date.

Adding some fuel to that concern was a weekend tweet from The Playlist that asked if Fox was really likely to release both "The Revenant" and David O. Russell's "Joy" on the same date, as is now what is announced.

As if in answer to these concerns, Jeff Well/Hollywood Elsewhere posted late Monday night a piece concerning the re-shoot plans and timing based on a translated version of an interview with Inarritu. The good news, the post suggests that the film will be done earlier than thought.  The bad news, still not early enough to make it to Telluride.  Wells extrapolation suggests that it could be finished by late September/early October.  AFI Fest perhaps?

Here's the link to the Wells post:

http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/2015/07/revenant-will-actually-ready-sooner/

In other "Revenant" news, Chris Connelley was up yesterday at Grantland with a big piece on the film and interviews with DiCaprio and Inarritu.  If you're excited about the film, as I am, it's worth a read:

http://grantland.com/features/exclusive-leonardo-dicaprio-and-alejandro-g-inarritu-on-the-revenant/


Additionally, I have linked this Rope of Silicon story about cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's interview about the difficulties in making the film here:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/emmanuel-lubezki-talks-shooting-the-revenant-and-frozen-monitors/

THE GUARDIAN ON THE FALL SEASON

The Guardian's Nigel M. Smith posted his take on 40 films that he feels have the most serious Oscar potential late yesterday.  Included in the assessment of each of the 40 films, if they haven't already appeared at Cannes, are his guesses about where the films might show up in the fall festival lineup, including a number of Telluride guesses.  They include:

"Adam Jones" Dir: John Wells.  Stars Bradley Cooper.  Distrib: The Weinstein Company.  Release Date: Oct. 2.

"Black Mass" Dir: Scott Cooper. Stars: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch. Distrib: Warners.  Release date: Sept. 18. (Parenthetical note...please let this be true...and the smoke is gathering that it might be).

"The Danish Girl" Dir: Tom Hooper.  Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander. Distrib: Focus Features.  Release date: Nov. 27.

"Everybody Wants Some" Dir: Richard Linklater. Stars: Tyler Hoechlin. Distrib: Paramount Pictures.  Release date: TBD.

"Freeheld" Dir: Peter Sollett.  Stars: Julianne Moore, Ellen Page. Distrib: Lionsgate. Release date: Oct. 2.

"I Saw the Light" Dir: Marc Abraham.  Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen. Distrib. Sony Pictures Classics. Release date: Nov. 27.

"The Light Between Oceans" Dir: Derek Cianfrance.  Stars: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander.  Distrib: TDB.  Release date: TBD.

"Manchester-by-the -Sea" Dir. Kenneth Lonergan.  Stars: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams.  Distrib: TBD.  Release date: TBD (but perhaps 2016).

"The Program" Dir: Stephen Frears.  Stars: Ben Foster, Chris O'Dowd.  Distrib: TBD.  Release dates: TBD.

"Suffragette" Dir: Sarah Gavron.  Stars: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter.  Distrib: Focus Features.  Release date: Oct. 23.

"Truth" Dir: James Vanderbilt.  Stars: Robert Redford, Cate Blanchett.  Distrib: Sony Pictures Classics. Release date: TBD.

Among the Cannes debuts that Smith mentions that I feel have some shot at playing at Telluride are:

"Carol", "Son of Saul", "Macbeth" and "Youth"

And the films that Smith pegs as possible plays for Venice that I feel are also possible for T-ride:

"A Bigger Splash", "A Hologram for the King", "Our Brand is Crisis".

Other films that Smith includes in the list of 40 that might have Telluride legs would be "Steve Jobs".

Read the whole piece here:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/21/and-the-oscar-may-go-to-40-key-movies-in-contention-for-2016-awards


That's enough for today...more tomorrow...

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Armstrong Film Has a Trailer/Spotlight on "Spotlight"/The Era of Netflix

Good Thursday World!

ARMSTRONG FILM HAS A TRAILER

Director Stephen Frears "Lance Armstrong" project has a new name.  It was being referenced as "The Icon" and now it is being billed as "The Program".  The film is still unattached to a distributor in the U.S. but does have a late September release date in France.  Frears presence means we have to take the film seriously as a potential Telluride player.

Ben Foster stars as the disgraced former Tour de France champion.


At any rate, the film has an international trailer that dropped yesterday.  It's in German.  I have linked a couple of stories with the trailer here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-first-international-trailer-for-stephen-frears-lance-armstrong-pic-the-program-starring-ben-foster-20150610

http://www.businessinsider.com/lance-armstrong-the-program-movie-biopic-trailer-2015-6


SPOTLIGHT ON "SPOTLIGHT"

News yesterday that "Spotlight", the Tom McCarthy film that focuses on the reporters that broke the case of Catholic priests and their pattern of abuse in the Boston area, has a release date of Nov. 6th.   Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, Rachel McAdams and Liev Schreiber, among others, star.

The film is distributed by Open Road which was at Telluride last year with Jon Stewart's "Rosewater".

Open Road also has Oliver Stone's "Snowden" and John Hillcoat's "Triple 9".  The same news blast yesterday revealed that "Triple 9" has been moved to a March 2016 release date.

Here's the story from Variety:


http://variety.com/2015/film/news/michael-keaton-mark-ruffalo-spotlight-1201516706/


THE ERA OF NETFLIX

The big announcement came from Netflix this week that the video delivery service has struck a deal with Brad Pitt and David Michod to produce and distribute "War Machine" a satire of America's military involvement in the War on Terror.

This comes in the wake of the earlier news that Netflix will do the same with Cay Fukunaga's "Beasts of No Nation".

I'm very interested to see how Netflix plays this and if it has an effect on film festivals in any fashion.  "Beasts" seems to me to be catnip for most film fests if it was being handled traditionally.  However, the new "Netflix" (and others) world may turn film festivals to making different decisions concerning how and what they program.  Stay tuned...

Various stories about the Netflix/Brad Pitt project.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-nabs-brad-pitt-film-794769

http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/netflix-acquires-brad-pitts-war-machine-1201514495/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/netflix-picks-up-david-michods-war-machine-starring-brad-pitt-20150608

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/netflix-lands-brad-pitts-next-movie-war-machine-from-the-rover-director/


More on Friday...


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The Usual Suspects 2014 Part Three/Crave Online Takes a Stab/"Gone" to NYC/Coming Attractions: Mr. Holmes?

Good Thursday everyone...

Today I'm almost concluding my "Usual Suspects" rundown as it relates to TFF #41.  In parts one and two I looked at the prospects of "Usuals": Herzog, Burns, Payne, Cousins, Morris, Inarritu, Leigh, the Dardennes and Assayas.  Six more today and a small addendum for tomorrow.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS 2014 PART THREE

Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach in Telluride in 2012 (photo via Kristy Patterson)

Today we start with Noah Baumbach.  Baumbach is interesting "Usual Suspect" this year as he may...and I stress "may", have two potential projects that could play the fest.  Baumbach's past with Telluride includes "Margot at the Wedding" in 2007 and his collaboration with Greta Gerwig in 2012, "Frances Ha".

Baumbach has collaborated again with Ms. Gerwig in what is still being referenced as "Untitled Public School Project".  IMDb lists it as being in post-production as of late April.  If you'll recall, however, "Frances Ha" was similarly under-the-radar when it appeared at Telluride two years ago.

The other Baumbach project seems to be farther along and more is known about it.  Entitled "While We're Young" it stars Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts and Amanda Seyfried.  It is also listed by IMDb as being in post as of late February.

My expectation is that one of these two films play Telluride.  Each would have its merits.  I love me some Greta Gerwig, loved "Frances Ha" and am curious about what she and Baumbach might have cooked up. On the other hand,  the inclusion of "While We're Young" might also get Ben Stiller in town on Labor Day weekend and I would add him to my currently imaginary panel of comic actors working serious that at the moment would include Michaell Keaton from Inarritu's "Birdman" and Steve Carell from Miller's "Foxcatcher".

Again, I'll bet one if not both Baumbach's play.

IMDb pages for "While We're Young" and "Untitled Public School":

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1791682/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_1

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2872462/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_2

Stephen Frears

Stephen Frears...if reports are to be believed, and I do believe them, was supposed to have been a late addition to Telluride last year with "Philomena".  That didn't work out.  There was even some rumor floating about that Frears might have been Guest Director or one of them but that didn't work out either.

Nevertheless, Frears has another project this year that could make appearance and that is his "Untitled Lance Armstrong Biopic" starring Ben Foster as the now disgraced bicyclist.

Frears was the recipient of a TFF tribute in 1987 that included a screening of "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid' and was back in 2010 with "Tamara Drewe".

My feeling is that this is an "iffy" proposition for Telluride.  IMDb lists it as being in post-production as of mid-January but Frears (despite my listing him as an "Usual") has a hit and miss record with T-ride.  It's also difficult to assess what effect the events of last year might have.

Ultimately, I think the chances of us seeing the Frears project this Labor Day is about 30%.

IMDb:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3083008/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

Next up is Wim Wenders.  Wenders was an early Telluride participant and then came back strong recently. Wenders, like Baumbach, has a couple of projects that could show at The SHOW.  First, his Cannes documentary "Salt of the Earth" that looks at the life of photographer Sebastiao Salgado.  The film won a couple of awards at Cannes and is in the Sony Pictures Classics stable so you have to think it's a very real T-ride possibility (I've already had it on my "Ten Bets" list this summer).

Wim Wenders

The other Wenders project is the feature film "Every Thing Will Be Fine" which stars James Franco and Rachel McAdams.  It is listed as being in post-production as of last month.  I think that it's much less likely to show up on the program.

"Salt" chances: 60%

IMDb:

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3674140/?ref_=nv_sr_1

"Every Thing" chances: 20%

IMDb:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707380/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

Lone Scherfig

Then there's Lone Scherfig.  Scherfig played Telluride in 2001 with "Italian for Beginners" in 2001 and was back again in 2009 with "An Education" (in one of those really rare instances where a film played at Sundance and then at Telluride...it happens about once a decade).  Scherfig has a new film in post-production called "Riot Club" starring Natalie Dormer which focuses on Oxford's "Riot Club".  The film is set to premiere in England and Ireland on Sept. 19th so a Telluride play would work nicely for it.  The lack of a U.S. distribution deal may slow its chances, however.

Right now I'd give "Riot Club" only a 25% chance of playing Telluride.

"Riot Club's" IMDb:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2717860/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Finally, today, two guys that used to be "Usuals" that might return to the party.

John Boorman is listed on Telluride's "Esteemed Council of Advisers" and has been for a good long time as has Peter Bogdanovich.

Peter Bogdanovich and John Boorman

Boorman has a sequel in the can of his Oscar nominated "Hope and Glory".  This film is entitled "Queen and Country".  Bogdanovich also has a film entitled "Squirrels to the Nuts" which reportedly hearkens back to the film maker's heyday of comedies like "Paper Moon" and "What's Up Doc?"  It stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson as well as past Bogdo stars Cybil Shepherd and Tatum O'Neal.

IMDb for "Queen and Country":

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2392810/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Of these two, I feel "Queen and Country" has a reasonable shot to make the lineup...say 40%.  "Squirrels" seems to be less likely to me.  Out its chances at 25%.

IMDb for "Squirrels":

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1767372/?ref_=nv_sr_1


Tomorrow, a small addendum to this year's "Usual Suspects"...


CRAVE ONLINE TAKES A STAB

Take a look at this CraveOnline video touting the upcoming Telluride Film Festival.  It's kind of entertaining.  "Crave's" film guy William Bibbiani takes a stab at prediciting the Telluride lineup.  He mentions Fincher's "Gone Girl" (see below) , Nolan's "Interstellar", Inarritu's "Birdman" and Scott's "Exodus".

Frankly, I don't know anyone who thinks that "Gone Girl"  or "Exodus" are likely and, though I have seen one mention of "Interstellar's " possibility for Telluride, I'd still be surprised if it is in the lineup.  I'd like that, but I'd be surprised.

"Birdman"...yes.  I think so as well.

I left a comment suggesting that they needed to check this space.

"GONE" TO NYC

"Gone Girl" trailer from YouTube

Variety posted last night that David Fincher's "Gone Girl" will open the New York Film Festival and though I have been consistent in saying it wasn't likely for Telluride, this announcement makes it all but official.  Check the Variety story here:

http://variety.com/2014/film/awards/gone-girl-to-open-new-york-film-festival-exclusive-1201263704/

Incidentally, the announcement stirred up some Twitter traffic about other possible NYFF possible choices for closing night and the mid-fest special screening and as a part of that there was some further mention that there is some buzz about Nolan's "Interstellar" playing Telluride.  Rumors are rumors, but it's still fun to think about,


COMING ATTRACTIONS: MR. HOLMES?

Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes in "Mr. Holmes" from Rope of Silicon

Earlier this week, we saw the first image from Bill Condon's "Mr. Holmes" starring Ian McKellen as a 93 year old version of Sherlock Holmes and Laura Linney as well.  The film is currently filming and is expected to be released in 2015.  Production companies on the film include See Saw Films, BBC Films and FilmNation, all of which have had a presence at past Tellurides.  It sounds like the kind of film that could make the TFF #42 lineup.

Take a look at the ROS story here:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/first-look-ian-mckellen-sherlock-holmes-bill-condons-mr-sherlock/

Let It Go

The first two films are in for TFF #37 and neither one created much heat.

First of the evening was Stephen Frear's English Rom Com "Tamara Drewe." Some laughs. Serviceable performances...except for Bill Camp as the American writer focused on the work of Thomas Hardy. Camp is the standout performance here. 2 and 1/2 stars.

Next up: Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" featuring Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley. I've been intrigued about this film for some time...but...it just doesn't deliver. You can sense that Romanek is shooting for an understated emotional tone and a leisurely pace banking on a big emotional wallop/payoff at the end...problem is, that never happens. It's slow. It telegraphs the story. It doesn't engage and it just doesn't allow its cast to do much. 2 stars...

Not a surprise is the announcement tonight that the fest is sneaking Danny Boyle's "127 Hours" In attendance (as we surmised) Boyle, actor James Franco and climber/film subject Aron Ralston. "127 Hours" is scheduled twice tomorrow.

The Calm Before...

Taking the opportunity to rest after a late night last night and what will probably be another one tonight. Opted not to see Patron's Special Screening of "Chico and Rita" The plan, for now is to hit the Opening Night Feed on Colorado Ave. then get in Stephen Frears "Tamara Drewe" and Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" tonight.

Tomorrow will probably include Peter Weir's "The Way Back." That will depend (as so much of the rest of the weekend will) on the TBAs...

And a quick shout out to two wonderful Kentuckians we met this morning Jim and Kay Park...lovely people and big film fans!