A Guest Director/A Tale of Two Companies/Rudderless Casting/A Tease

Caetano Veloso is this year's Guest Director

A GUEST DIRECTOR IS NAMED

Telluride organizers have named Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso this year's guest director.  Veloso will program a selection of films as a part of his duties as Guest Director and will serve as a panelist during the Festival's run.  Veloso joins a long list of enigmatic choices for the position. Past Guest Directors have included novelists Michael Ondaatje, Composer Stephen Sondheim, Philosopher Slovaj Zizek, and author Salman Rushdie among others.

The official announcement form the festival is here:
http://telluridefilmfestival.org/news/2011-06?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+telluridefilmfestival%2Fnews+%28Telluride+Film+Festival+News%29&utm_content=Twitter#item-48

The Movie City News story with details is here:
 http://moviecitynews.com/2011/06/38th-telluride-film-festival-announces-2011-guest-director-caetano-veloso/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

A TALE OF TWO COMPANIES

Regular readers of this space know that it's primary purpose is to attempt to ferret out the films that could play as a part of the Telluride Film Festival each year.  Secondary purpose: analyze those films, third purpose: track them through film awards season.

Telluride is, arguably, one of the 5 most influential film festivals on the planet and it's importance seems to be growing.  Look at its impact in terms of the last few years as measured by the film awards season... premieres of "The King's Speech" and "Slumdog Millionaire" (that's 12 Oscars between them including 2 Best Pictures, 2 Best Directors, 2 Screenplay Oscars and a Best Actor) both of which got the Oscar buzz rolling out of the "little" Labor Day fest in the old mining town. 

One of the quirks of Telluride is that they do not announce their lineup of films in advance.  Nobody knows whats playing until the day the festival starts (always Labor Day weekend).  Well, that's cool, because you really have to trust the festival organizers to program it well (and do they ever) but it also seemed like a challenge to me to see if you could make any kind of educated guesses about what might be there.  Thereby, the genesis for this blog.

I've been doing this for three years now because I thought it would be fun to play film detective.  It allows me to piddle with the research skills a lifetime of debate coaching has honed, in a world I love: film and because of the incredible generosity of 2 of my former debate kids, I get to attend the Festival each year.

All that is the preface to this, again, if you've read this space at all, you've become privy to some of the "tells" that I think are out there that give some guidance to a guy trying to figure out what's going to show at The SHOW.  One of those "tells" is the frequent appearance of films that are affiliated with two American film companies: Sony Pictures Classics and to a lesser extent Fox Searchlight.

Let's look at each and discuss.  Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) seems to be represented very well at the Telluride Film Festival in the time I have been attending (since 2006).  To wit: SPC films at recent TFF's
2006 (TFF #33): "Volver," "Jindabyne," and "The Lives of Others.
2007 (TFF#34): "The Counterfeiters," "The Band's Visit," "Persepolis," "When Did You Last See Your Father?" "Brick Lane," and "O"Horten."
2008 (TFF#35): "I've Loved You So Long" and "Waltz with Bashir."
2009 (TFF #36): "An Education," "A Prophet," "Coco Before Chanel," "The White Ribbon," and "The Last Station."
2010 (TFF #37): "Incendies," "Of Gods and Men," "Tamara Drewe," "Another Year," "The Illusionist" and "Inside Job."

The point being that SPC is a player at Telluride most years.  This year SPC has 5 films that could reasonably be in play to be programmed at T-ride: "Carnage," "A Dangerous Method," "The Skin I Inhabit" (or "The Skin I Live In" depending on your translator), "Restless" and "Hearat Shulayim" (Footnote).  And if you look at SPC's extended presence at Telluride, especially in 2007 and each of the last two years, you'd think maybe all 5 show up there.  But they all have "problems' for "Telluride" fare.

"Carnage":  It's almost certainly Venice bound.  That lowers it's chances.  Roman Polanski's the director...he won't be coming to the U.S. with it...normally director's do accompany their films at Telluride. On the upside: maybe it gets Jodie Foster to the San Juans...would love to meet her.

"A Dangerous Method":  David Cronenberg's take on the conflict confronting Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) from a young female patient (Keira Knightley).  I am very high on this film right now, but it also has big buzz for Venice and you have to believe native Canadian Cronenberg will play it in Toronto...decreasing its chances of a Telluride bow.

"The Skin I Inhabit": The latest from Telluride favorite Pedro Almodovar.  Normally being a film from Almodovar would mean we'd think it was a lock to play Telluride.  He's had many films there over the years.  However, his last "Broken Embraces" did NOT play and this latest is said to be more of a thriller/genre piece than what we'd usually expect to see from the auteur.  So, maybe not.

"Hearat Shulayim/Footnote": Played Cannes, which is also a decent precursor for Telluride but it didn't set the critical world on fire when it showed there...so, again, maybe not.

And finally, Gus Van Sant's "Restless":  Van Sant films have played as a part of Telluride's lineup more than once and "Restless" did play at Cannes, out of competition.  But like "Hearat Shulayim" it didn't get a uniformly glowing critical response...so it also has some question marks about whether it plays in TFF #38.

5 films...all of which could be at Telluride, but also none of them a lead pipe cinch either.  My guess is that 3 of the 5 end up in T-ride, but your guess is as good as mine which ones.  Forced to predict, here's the five listed in order from what I'm guessing is most likely to least likely: 1) "The Skin I Inhabit" 2) "Hearat Shulayim/Footnote, 3) "A Dangerous Method" 4) "Restless' and 5) "Carnage."

The other company to mention has had a smaller profile over the last few years, but when it plays, it plays big.  Fox Searchlight's imprint at T-ride over the last five years looks like this:
2006: "The Namesake," "The Last King of Scotland" (Best Actor Oscar for Forest Whitaker).
2007: "The Savages" and "Juno" (Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Diablo Cody)
2008: "Slumdog Millionaire" (8 Oscars including Picture, Director, and Screenplay)
2009: Not represented at Telluride
2010: "Never Let Me Go," "127 Hours" and "Black Swan" (Best Actress Oscar for Natalie Portman)

In 2011, Fox Searchlight has 2 films that could play:  Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" (his first film since 2004's "Sideways") starring Geroge Clooney and John Madden's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" starring a huge cast including Slumdog's Dev Patel, Tom Wilkinson and Bill Nighy.
I think "The Descendants" is a lock for Telluride.  Payne is on record as saying he was going to submit and clearly Fox Search is positioning it for Oscar consideration.  As to "Marigold," I think it's a 50/50 shot about whether it gets included on the playbill.  It wouldn't surprise me either way.

RUDDERLESS CASTING NEWS

The crew at "Rudderless" has announced that singer/songwriter Ben Kweller will be joining the cast and perhaps writing some of the music for the film.  That announcement came via the films Facebook page which you can find here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rudderless-The-Movie/194390831736?ref=ts

A TEASE...FILM REVIEW FOR A NEW FILM "MISSING PIECES"

We'll have the review for Kenton Bartlett's "Missing Pieces" up later this afternoon.

Coming tomorrow...Could Stephen Soderbergh be repped at TFF #38? and a look at another film company that may play in the San Juans on Labor Day.

Cannes Bits and Pieces

Ryan Gosling takes a "Drive" at Cannes

Among the news and notes from the Cannes Film Festival this morning is the story about the first film that we can predict with a high degree of certainty that will play at Telluride's 38th Film Fest...from 1902..."A Trip to the Moon."  Kenneth Turan in the LA Times is telling the world today about Serge Bromberg's presentation of the restored motion picture at Cannes and his desire to unspool it at Telluride in the fall.  I'll bet it happens.

Check Turan's story here:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cannes-moon-20110520,0,6411082.story

Meanwhile, as Cannes gallops towards its conclusion this weekend, 3 big name films have played since my last post and we are beginning to gather reaction to them. 

Pedro Almodovar's "The Skin I Inhabit" starring Antonio Banderas has taken the top spot in Ioncinema.com's collective critical response to the 20 films in competition.  You can find the latest chart here:
http://www.ioncinema.com/images/cannes2011/day10part1.pdf

The chart is indicating this morning Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive" starring Ryan Gosling and Carrie Mulligan is faring moderately well.

You can also see that early reaction to Sean Penn in Paolo Sorentino's "This Must Be the Place" is less than enthusiastic.

With just a couple of films left to unspool in the competition, here are the top 5 from Ioncinema's collective critical chart as of this morning:

1) "The Skin I Inhabit"/Almodovar
2) "The Kid with a Bike"/Dardennes
3) "La Harve"/Kaurismaki
4 (tie) "The Tree of Life"/Malick and "Melancholia"/Von Trier

Right below those 5 are: "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "The Artist."

Additionally, spec pieces are beginning to appear about which films have the best shot at the Palme D'Or.  And it's all over the place.  Almodovar?  Malick?  The Dardennes? Ramsay?  Hazanavicius?  Kaurismaki? Others?  Lots of possibles and no strong consensus among those reporting from France.
But keep in mind that last year the critics loved Mike Leigh's "Another Year" and it was rewarded with bupkas...

We'll know soon.

And Now the 38th Telluride Film Festival

George Clooney and Alexander Payne on the set of "The Descendants"

83rd Oscars done...Check

TFF #38 passes on sale (started this week)...Check

TFF #37 Yearbook arrives in mail...Check

That means it's time to begin ferreting out the possible films for next Labor Day's Film Soiree in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. T-minus 6 months and counting until TFF #38 unspools at 9,000 feet.

So, what might we see? Thanks to the fine folks at Indiewire, Awards Daily, Hollywood Elsewhere, Film Misery, Rope of Silicon, Ioncinema and Incontention.com, I'm going to try to take a stab at some of next September's lineup in Telluride.

I looked back to last year's two columns in March when I tried this and found that I hit on "127 Hours'" "Another Year," Biutiful," "Black Swan," and "Never Let Me Go." So 5 of the 15 I took a stab with actually ended up in Telluride. I'd be pretty happy if I got that lucky again this year.

So without further ado...here's what might be at Telluride in September....

"The Descendants"- I had this on the list a year ago...didn't happen because it wasn't released. Now it's on the list for 2011. Why? It's director Alexander Payne with his first feature since Sideways in 2004. Payne was the 2009 Guest Director for the festival. You have to believe that if "The Descendants" is any good and since Fox Searchlight is the distributor that if they want it to play for Oscars a year from now its chances at being in Telluride are pretty good. The film stars George Clooney as a father with family issues and is set in Hawaii. Could we see Mr. Clooney on Colorado Ave. on Labor Day weekend? Maybe. Because I have a theory that he may be trying a double whammy with his own directorial effort...which leads to guess #2...

"The Ides of March"...directed by Mr. Clooney based on the political play "Farragut North' by Beau Willmon (adapted by Clooney and writing/producing partner Grant Heslov who brought you "Good Night and Good Luck" in 2005) . Clooney is featured as well as Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei. Why? The only rationale I have is synchronicity...If "Descendants" is there, then maybe Clooney kills two birds with one festival. And he'd get to re-unite on panels with the director of our third guess (and Clooney's director in 2009's "Up in the Air")...

"Young Adult" directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody and starring Charlize Theron. You have to think that this pair that struck like lightening in Telluride in 2007 would try to replicate that experience (and Reitman had great success 2 years later when "Up in the Air" premiered there). The only hesitance I have putting this on the list is that it seems soooo obvious as to be no surprise at all. So the greater surprise might be a decision to go some other direction. But it's hard to argue with success and also, it may depend on Reitman's sense of superstition.

"Love" Michael Haneke returns after directing 2009's brilliant "The White Ribbon." You have to think that if it's ready (IMDB has it listed as a 2012 release) and on par with "Ribbon" (TFF #36) and "Cache (TFF #32) that it would be in the mix. "Love" stars Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant.

"Moneyball" the story of Billy Beane and the Oakland A's baseball team starring Brad Pitt and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (...hmmm) and directed by Bennett Miller could show at The SHOW. Miller had terrific success with "Capote" (which, of course, starred Hoffman and earned him the Oscar....again...hmmmm) at Telluride #32 in 2005. It would also allow a mini-Ocean's 11-12-13 reunion between Pitt and Clooney.

"Shame" from writer-director Steve McQueen. His "Hunger" premiered at Telluride in 2008 and featured Michael Fassbender. Fassbender re-teams with McQueen for this film. So you have to think that because McQueen has some history at Telluride, that he could return with this. Oh, and the film also stars Telluride Belle of the Ball from the past two years, Carey Mulligan...she's been in town for both "An Education" (2009) and "Never Let Me Go." (2010) Three years in a row? I think it 's a real possibility. (If you see me in Telluride in September, ask me about my funny Steve McQueen story).

And speaking of "An Education," Lone Scherfig, is back this season with "One Day" starring Anne Hathaway and "The Way Back's" Jim Sturgess. It's story blurb on IMDB makes it sound a whole lot like "Same Time, Next Year" the Alan Alda/Ellen Burstyn comedy from 1978. Put it down as a possible for TFF #38.

"Wuthering Heights" Andrea Arnold who was a part of TFF in 2009 with "Fish Tank" is back directing this adaptation of the Emily Bronte classic.

"Chicken with Plums" the newest from Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud who charmed Telluride audiences in 2007 with their wonderful animated "Persepolis"

"The Exchange" from director Eran Kolirin who was also a part of Telluride in 2007 with the delightful "The Band's Visit."

Pedro Almodovar who has often been a participant in Telluride Film Festivals could return for the first time sine 2006's "Volver" with his latest "The Skin That I Inhabit" starring Antonio Banderas as a revenge-seeking plastic surgeon.

"The Congress" from Ari Folman who last was in Telluride with his"Waltz with Bashir" in 2008. Although IMDB lists it as a 2013 release.

Others that could show (just because I have a "vibe" that they might): "Albert Nobbs" from director Rodrigo Garcia starring Glenn Close. Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn" from director Simon Curtis. "A Dangerous Method" from director David Cronenberg featuring TFF # 36 tributee Viggo Mortensen and the aforementioned Michael Fassbender as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. "Coriolanus" the little seen Shakespearean play from actor-turned -director Ralph Fiennes.

In the "I'd love it, but there's no way it will be in Telluride" Department: Martin Scorsese's "Hugo Cabret," Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar'" Stephen Daldry's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," Tom Hank's "Larry Crowne," and Cameron Crowe's "We Bought a Zoo."

And finally, Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" which I have been stalking obsessively for nearly two years is set to open May 27th...right after the Cannes Festival. So, now, maybe I start stalking the movie he just shot here in Oklahoma! IMDB lists it as a 2012 release. TFF #39 anyone?