Ten (or more) Bets/Tree of Life Musings/Deep Blue for You/W.E. Pic

Good Morning...

11 days...

I was in Telluride this past weekend for about 8 seconds.  I can report that they're already in the process of setting up for this year's festival.  We're getting closer...

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

TEN (OR MORE) BETS...

Last week's Bets:

1) The Descendants
2) Into the Abyss
3) The Artist
4) A Trip to the Moon
5) We Have to Talk About Kevin
6) Le Havre
7) Prohibition
8) Shame
9) Drive
10) The Kid with a Bike

Here's the "+"
11) Dark Horse
12) The Birds Upstairs
13) The Skin I Live In
14) The Lady
15) W.E.
16) The Ides of March
17) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
18) Albert Nobbs
19) Coriolanus
20) A Dangerous Method

This week's Bets:

1) The Descendants
2) Into the Abyss
3) The Artist
4) A Trip to the Moon
5) We Have to Talk About Kevin
6) Le Havre
7) Prohibition
8) Shame
9) Drive
10) The Birds Upstairs

Here's the "or more"
11) Goodbye First Love
12) Dark Horse
13) The Skin I Live In
14) The Kid with a Bike
15) The Lady
16) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
17) W.E.
18) Coriolanus

"A Dangerous Method" drops because of its addition to the New York Film Festival.  "Albert Nobbs" drops because it was announced as a "World" premiere for Toronto last week.  "The Ides of March" drops as I haven't seen any traction for the notion that it will play Telluride anywhere else.  All of them still COULD make TFF38...I'm just saying that their chances seem to me to be less than they were a week ago.

SEAN VS. TERRY

It seems that Sean Penn doesn't have a great deal of warmth toward "The Tree of Life."  Penn is reported to have been less than complimentary about the film over the weekend. 

"Tree" won this year's "Golden Palm" at Cannes and has some support as a possible Best Picture nominee for the Oscars.  And of course, I stalked the film mercilessly for a couple of years in this space.

You can access the Penn commentary from Kris Tapley at Incontention.com here:
http://incontention.com/2011/08/21/sean-penn-bitch-slaps-tree-of-life/

And also from The New Yorker via Thompson on Hollywood here:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2011/08/sean-penn-vs-terrence-malick.html

DEEP BLUE SEA

Rachel Weisz is a busy girl this fall.  One of her projects that we could see in 11 days is "The Deep Blue Sea" directed by Terence Davies.  The film is based on a Terence Rattigan play and also features Tom Hiddleston.

The Guardian has a substantial look at the film via The Daily Mubi here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/aug/21/deep-blue-sea-terence-rattigan?CMP=twt_fd

Deep Blue Sea's IMDb page is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1700844/



W.E. PIC

And finally,
3 weeks ago, Kris Tapley at Incontention.com put up his first stab at sussing out the T-ride lineup.  Included as a very real possibility on that list was Madonna's sophomore directing effort "W.E."  I have been less inclined to believe that it and she will be in the San Juans...however...

I am reminded of how the festival played Bennett Miller's "Capote" in 2005 and then turned around and featured Douglas McGrath's "Infamous" the next year.  Two films that focused on much the same subject matter one year apart.

How does that relate?  Think of "W.E." as the counterpart to last year's "The King's Speech."  A lot of the story and characters are the same just like the "Capote/Infamous" situation from 2005-06.  So maybe...

Sasha Stone at AwardsDaily posted a new still from "W.E." this weekend.  Access it here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=544674&l=82ba03f8fc&id=191614247571901

W.E.'s IMDb page is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1536048/


More on the morrow...

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER:
@Gort2

Future Festival Films?/Pix of Possibles/More Le Havre/TTSS

Waiting...waiting...waiting...

FUTURE FESTIVAL FILMS?

It's become a habit of mine to start to try to identify possible TFF films as far out as possible.  Sometimes I miss (The Tree of Life).  Sometimes I hit (Black Swan).  In that tradition I have been tracking the progress this summer of a few films that look like they would at least be a consideration for inclusion at TFF #39 or #40.

One of these is Danny Boyle's "Trance" which has had some interesting casting bumps this summer in terms of one of the male leads.  First it was supposed to be Michael Fassbender, then Colin Firth and currently Vincent Cassel.  And actually, any of those fellows would probably strengthen the chances of the film getting picked up for Telluride.  The other male lead also does no harm to the film's Telluride profile.  That's James McAvoy.

Now comes word of the casting of Rosario Dawson from The Playlist.  You can find the link to that story here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/rosario_dawson_joins_danny_boyles_trance_vincent_cassel_confirmed

I wouldn't expect to see "Trance" until TFF#40.

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

Also on the horizon is news of a new film that could have some Telluride potential next year.  It's called "Darling Companion" and both Ioncinema and The Hollywood Reporter have tidbits about it.

An ensemble piece from Lawrence Kasdan featuring Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Richard Jenkins and Sam Shepherd among others, "Darling Companion" is under the auspices domestically of Sony Pictures Classics.

The Ioncinema story (with a synopsis) is here:

http://networkedblogs.com/kWypX

The Hollywood Reporter version of the story is here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sony-pictures-classics-takes-domestic-216104

Darling Companion's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1730687/

PIX OF POSSIBLES

A slew of Telluride film possibles have been flooding the internet and news outlets with stills of their wares.  I thought I'd pass some of those along this morning.

"Drive" starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan (and implied as a lock for Telluride by Ioncinema) has a new poster out now.  It (not surprisingly) features Mr. Gosling.

Drive's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780504/

Also from Rope of Silicon, new pictures from the set of Ralph Fiennes directorial debut "Coriolanus."  Here's a teaser. 

Check out the full story at:

Coriolanus' IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1372686/

The Playlist dropped some beautiful photos from Madonna's directing debut as well.  "W.E." tells the story of Wallace Simpson and Prince Edward (the King who abdicated in England that made "The King's Speech" possible).

Again a teaser:

The whole post with more pix can be found here:

W.E.'s IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1536048/

MORE LE HAVRE NEWS


 "Le Havre" is a film that I have been thinking could/would be on this year's Telluride playlist since it debuted at Canes in May.  Last week's announcement that it had been picked up by Janus Films only strengthened my belief that we'll see it in the Rockies in four and a half weeks. 

In the midst of the news it was being picked up came a tweet from Anne Thompson (Thompson on Hollywood) that she believed that it is to be the first of a trilogy from director/writer Aki Kaurismaki.  That would be interesting by itself and it also would be interesting to see if the rest of the string of films might also make their way to Cannes and then T-ride.  We'll have to wait and see.

Here's the text of the Thompson tweet:
"Me too @GuyLodge Surprised that SPC didn't go for it. Apparently 1st of trilogy: wouldn't be surprised if Aki adopts different tone for next."


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


TTSS

Soooo..."Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"...not in Toronto...not the opener for The New York Film Festival (Roman Polanski's "Carnage" is).  There is a good deal a speculation that it might close the NYFF.  (There's also speculation that the closing spot might go to Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar).

Personally, I think that this is one instance where a film's absence from Toronto increase it's chances of being in Telluride's program.  Jeff wells at Hollywood Elsewhere isn't ruling that out.

See here:
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2011/07/ohsorry_missed.php

I would love to see Gary Oldman kick his Oscar campaign off on Colorado Ave.  (Do I smell a tribute possibility here?)

TTSS's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340800/

Until tomorrow...

Big Day/The WeinsteinCo./Steven Soderbergh Maybe?

Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion" Could it be at TFF #38?

BIG DAY ON THE BLOG

Yesterday turned out to be a crazy day for this blog.  Very busy.  I was planning two separate posts anyway.  One, a long piece focusing on the presence over the last 5 years of Sony Pictures Classics and Fox Searchlight at the Telluride Film Festival. 
The second post, also lengthy, was a review for the new film "Missing Pieces" (so new that it's still looking for distribution).  So it was going to be the most involved day of the summer insofar as the blog was concerned to begin with. 
Then, mid-afternoon, the surprise word that the Festival had chosen and announced their Guest Director for this year...Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso.  Suddenly, I had a third post to get out quickly and a re-write of the first big post to include the breaking story. 
Whew!  Got it all done but it was a strain.  At the end of the day, it was one of the "most viewed" days in the three year history of this endeavor.  Thanks!

ANOTHER COMPANY ON THE PROWL AT T-RIDE

After looking at Fox Searchlight and SPC yesterday, I thought we might evaluate another company that has been something of a player at Telluride.  I reference none other than The Weinstein Company...Harvey Weinstein's shingle now that he's not with Miramax.  There participation the past 5 years hasn't been as involved as SPC, but the films they have had as a part of past TFF's have made a mark.  Look:

2007: "The Band's Visit," "Persepolis," "My Enemy's Enemy" and "I'm Not There"
2008: No TWC at TFF
2009: "The Road,"
2010: "The King's Speech"  (Won 4 Oscars: Picture, Actor, Director, and Screenplay)

Harvey has learned to come to Telluride and play with one or two films and you have to believe after the rousing success that was TKS last year that he'll try to repeat that with one or two pictures.
Currently it seems that there are 5 TWC films that could fit the bill ( with a caveat of a possible 6th or even 7th): "The Iron Lady," "My Week with Marilyn," W.E." "The Artist," and "Coriolanus."  The possible 6th could be "The Wettest County in the World." but IMDB lists it as a 2012 release.  The 7th could be "Le Havre"  which had a hint last week that it would be picked up by TWC, but to the best of our knowledge, that hasn't happened yet. 
What are the chances for each of these? 
At this point I'm guessing Harvey goes for two to play at TFF #38 but if he pushes only one there, my best bet is Cannes favorite "The Artist."   It's a mostly silent, black and white film but from all reports, it's a charmer.  There is even a good deal of early speculation that it could be in the Best Picture mix come Oscar night.  I really think it makes the cut.
After that I have no strong feelings about the rest of the TWC field.  At this point I'd say the next most likely is "Coriolanus" followed by "My Week with Marilyn,"  and "The Iron Lady."  I think there is virtually no chance that we'll see Madonna's "W.E." at Telluride.  Of course this guestimate could all change in a flash.  I personally think there's an excellent chance that "Le Havre" makes the list whether its under the TWC banner or not.

STEVEN SODERBERGH WHERE ARE YOU?
I haven't mentioned Soderbergh's two films ("Contagion" and "Haywire")  that have been bandied about as possible awards fodder because Soderbergh has no history with Telluride.  A report from The Playlist at Indiewire on the Soderbergh films has underscored the fact that this year is likely to be no different.  Reports are that "Haywire" has been bumped to 2012 for release and that "contagion" will be released Sept. 9...just 4 days after the Festival closes. 
That story is here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/pacific_rim_gets_july_12_2013_date_steven_soderberghs_contagion_moves_up_to/


Though it doesn't mean it's impossible for "Contagion" to be a part of Telluride's lineup...it may make it less likely.  It may mean that the film doesn't play at any of the big three festivals.