Tapley's Take/Connecting Some Dots/Skin Is Showing/Eyeing Tilda/Oscar, Oscar, Oscar

Good Morning everyone.  Excitement is building!

3 Days...and it's getting closer...

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED

Come and join me for a Michael's Telluride Film Blog soiree 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 in Telluride. 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 and we'll talk a little film.



TAPLEY'S TAKE

Film blogger Kristopher Tapley at Incontention.com had his latest fall festival preview post up yesterday and it focused specifically on 25 films that will be a big part of the conversation over the next three weeks as we move from Venice (opens tomorrow), Telluride (come on, baby!) and Toronto opening Sept. 8.  He tackles his best stab at what he thinks, feels, intuits or plays heads and tails with as far as the Telluride lineup is concerned.

You can read the complete (and it is fairly comprehensive) article here:
http://incontention.com/2011/08/29/off-the-carpet-fall-fests-look-to-boost-early-oscar-hopes/#more-41266

Breaking down the specific references to T-ride, here's a thumbnail of the films he references in regard to our 38th fest and what he has to say:

Albert Nobbs- "The film could stop off in Telluride..."

The Artist- "I think The Weinstein Company will bring it to Telluride..."
Carnage- "The high profile New York berth means IT'S OUT for Telluride..." (my emphasis added)
Coriolanus- TWC "picked it up and might stop it off in Telluride..."
A Dangerous Method- "Cronenberg's latest looks to drop early at Telluride, I'm hearing..."
The Descendants- "The most sense for a Telluride bow (and I'm hearing that it will show up there)"
The Ides of March- "Fingers crossed for this to show up in Telluride, though it seems doubtful..."
The Lady- "Telluride is looking like a possibility..."

Shame- "It looks to be Fassbender's second film at Telluride this year."
Take This Waltz- Paraphrasing here...Tapley wonders if the lack of a big gala for this film means that it "was due to Telluride scheduling."
Tinker, Tailor...-"...doesn't look like this...will be making the Telluride trip..."
W.E.- "I don't think Telluride is in the cards, but maybe it'll surprise."
We Need to Talk About Kevin- "Telluride looks like a definite possibility..."
Wuthering Heights- "Arnold really dug Telluride...so maybe we'll get first dibs there."

So of the 25 Tapley mentions in the post, he references Telluride in respect to 14 of them.  By my estimation Tapley feels pretty confident about:
The Artist, A Dangerous Method, The Descendants, Shame, and We Need to Talk About Kevin (#3, #11, #1, #7, #5 respectively on this week's MTFB Ten Bets list)

Those that seem to be in his 50/50 club:
Albert Nobbs, Coriolanus, The Lady, Take This Waltz, and Wuthering Heights.
(All of these have been in my Telluride conversation at various times since spring.  Currently The Lady is at #17 on my list...the other three have floated in and out and around the Ten Bets).

Those that seem unlikely but that Tapley hasn't completely ruled out:
The Ides of March, W.E.

And the two that he shoots through the heart (as I pretty much have as well):
Carnage and Tinker, Tailor...

My take away is optimism that we still have a decent shot at Albert Nobbs and Coriolanus and that Tapley still thinks that their is a sliver of hope for both Ides and W.E.

Check out Tapley's post for the other 11 films he lists (and which he doesn't rule in or out for Telluride...so, you know...those could be possibles as well).  None of them are currently on the Ten Bets list, but all have been at least a part of the conversation up to this point.

CONNECTING SOME DOTS

So, as I was working last night on this morning's post I came across an entry from Telluride Inside and Out concerning how to do the festival on a shoestring (relatively speaking).  I thought, "that would be a useful article to link to for my readers."  So I pull it up and peruse it.

"Hey," I say to myself, "they got some pre-SHOW film info.  Cool.  Then I get to this line:
"Thursday's film is "Michael Clayton," starring George Clooney..."

My interior monologue goes: "Hmmm, that's interest....wait a minute..."

I flash back to last year's Thursday night pre-SHOW film..."Once Upon a Time in America" which featured Claudia Cardinale...one of the three TFF TRIBUTEES last year...so does this mean???

Could George Clooney BE one of the three Tributees this year?

Food for thought, isn't it?  Of course, I could be completely wrong, too...

Here's the link to the complete TIO article:

http://www.tellurideinside.com/2011/08/this-festival-the-telluride-film-festival-is-characterized-by-its-small-size-and-friendly-atmosphere-if-there-were-a-few-k-1.html


SKIN IS SHOWING

Pedro Almodovar's "The Skin I Live In" (#9 on the List this week) is close to a lock as far as I can tell.  It stars Antonio Banderas and showed at Cannes in  May.  You can take a look at the new trailer for the film at Yahoo Movies and also a The Playlist (at IndieWire)
Yahoo here:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810221069/trailer#26453309
Playlist here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/watch_antonio_banderas_strange_contribution_to_human_progress_in_new_the_sk/

Incidentally, The American Film Institute has announced that Almodovar will betheir guest director for their fest in November.  Busy fall for Pedro!
Check that here from Deadline Hollywood's Pete Hammond:
http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/pedro-almodovar-to-be-guest-artistic-director-at-afi-fest/



EYEING TILDA

An Oscar winner and potential Oscar nominee who could (and I stress "could")  be in Telluride this weekend in support of her film is Tilda Swinton (Kevin).  Hollywood News is  profiling films and stars that will be playing Toronto and these are, of course, also films we could see this weekend at 9000 feet.  Check their entry for:
We Need to Talk About Kevin:
http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2011/08/29/tilda-swinton-in-we-need-to-talk-about-kevin-tiff-2011/

OSCAR, OSCAR, OSCAR

Man, everybody and their dog is doing "fall previews' and "Oscar watch" articles and as you might expect, they are loaded with Telluride possibilities.  Take a look at some of these overviews of the coming fall crop of films:

The Atlantic Monthly highlights 12 films including: Moneyball, The Ides of March, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Descendants, A Dangerous Method, The Artist, W.E., Albert Nobbs and Rampart. 
It's here:
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/08/fall-movies-preview-12-oscar-contenders-to-watch-for/244246/#slide1

IndieWire has a really interesting article up entitled: "For Your Consideration: 10 Things the Fall Fests Can Tell Us About Award Season".  Read it here:
http://www.indiewire.com/article/2011/08/29/for_your_consideration_10_things_the_fall_fests_might_tell_us_about_award_s 

And Pete Hammond at Deadline Hollywood asks," Can Indies Steal Oscars Again?" as he breaks down the pre-Oscar field studio by studio.  You can find that here:
http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/hammond-big-names-in-small-films-can-indies-steal-the-oscars-again/

And in an interesting bit of counter coverage, The Playlist posts an article concerning the wisdom of NOT playing the festival circuit.  Interesting stuff here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/2011/08/29/the_amazing_race_is_hiding_your_films_til_dec_anti-_film_festival_circuit_b/


AND FINALLY...

On the basis of a random tweet I mined late last night, put "Butter" (dir. Jim Field Smith, Stars: Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde) on the Ten Bets list at #19...I think it may be in Telluride...


More on the morrow, boys and girls...


FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
@Gort2

Werner's Second Stop/Second Thoughts on "The Artist"/Dark Teaser and Wuthering Pix

Still waiting...waiting...waiting...

WERNER'S SECOND STOP

Word this morning from multiple sources that Werner Herzog's new documentary about people on death row in Texas "Gazing into the Abyss"  (or maybe it's now just "Into the Abyss"...not sure) has been added to the lineup for the Toronto International Film Festival.

I am and have been pretty certain that if it were ready for screening that it would be on the Telluride playlist.  It's inclusion in Toronto's lineup indicates that that threshold has been reached and makes it a virtual certainty for Telluride.

You can read a couple of posts about the new additions to Toronto from The Playlist at IndieWire here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/tiff_11_new_films_from_werner_herzog_morgan_spurlock_alex_gibney_more_added/#.Tjles-WG9dd.email

And The Hollywood Reporter here:
http://shar.es/HKLye

The "Abyss" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972663/

SECOND THOUGHTS ON "THE ARTIST"



I have also been very bullish on the chances that Michael Hazanavicius' "Cannes sensation "The Artist" would be on the Telluride program.  Last week, two tweets from Ioncinema as the main Toronto lineup was being announced only deepened my certainty.

Then there was yesterday.

The Montreal World Film Festival announced that it has booked "The Artist" for what it bills as its North American premiere.  Montreal's fest runs in the middle of August.  Talk about a throwing a monkey wrench into my thinking. I saw one tweet from a guy who is now certain that this inclusion at Montreal means that "The Artist" is NOT Telluride-bound.

So after contemplating this all night, here's what I've decided...I STILL think this film will be at T-ride in a month.  However, I was about 98% sure yesterday.  Today that's certitude is at about 75%.

And I'd be less than honest if I didn't mention that I'm less certain about "Drive" and "we Need to Talk About Kevin" as I was a week ago since that boost in assuredness also derived from a tweet from Ioncinema.

I'll see if we can't pick up any other clues...

Man, I hope I'm right.  This film is high on my wish list.

Here's the story as posted from The Playlist at IndieWire:
http://dlvr.it/dYr9v

"The Artist" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655442/


DARK TEASER

Despite the fact ( or actually because I am banking on 2009 history repeating itself) that Todd Soldonz's "Dark Horse" is already announced for both Toronto and Venice, I still have a strong feeling that it will turn up in Telluride as well; just like "Life During Wartime" did in 2009.

We've seen some stills from the new film but yesterday, the first teaser showed up online. 

It's...um...sparse and enigmatic...you know...Solondz...

Here's a link to the teaser and story at Slash Film:
http://bit.ly/pDImz9

"Dark Horse" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1690455/

WUTHERING PIX

Actress turned director Andrea Arnold's "Wuthering Heights" adaptation is still on my list of possibles for Telluride this year.  Arnold's last effort "Fish Tank" was at TFF #36 in 2009.

In her version of the Emily Bronte classic she has a cast of little-knowns and no names.

Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood (at IndieWire) has linked to Shadow and Act to show us the first stills of James Howson as "the first black Heathcliff". 

That should put a new spin on an old story.

Here's the still from Shadow and Act:

 Here's the link to the accompanying story at S & A
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/archives/1st_look_at_james_howson_as_1st_black_heathcliff_in_andrea_arnolds_wutherin/

And the link to Thompson's tweet:
http://twitter.com/akstanwyck/status/96781834368716800

"Wuthering Heights" IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1181614/

More Companies and their Telluride connections

"The Artist" has a chance to be at Telluride

A slow day around the interwebs about much of anything that rings a bell as far as the Telluride Film Festival is concerned.  Really, no good nuggets to share at this point. 

We had the last call for submissions for the festival this week with the deadline for student and short films passing yesterday and the deadline for feature film submissions looming on July 15.  And,of course, the Festival announced its guest director for 2011 this week.  It is Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso. 

We do have time, then to look at three more film companies that have had a presence at the festival recently and see what's in their respective quivers for possibles for this year.

FRANCE 3 CINEMA

2007: Persepolis, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2008: I've Loved You So Long
2009: The White Ribbon
2010: Of Gods and Men, The Princess of Montpensier, The Illusionist

In play for 2011: The Artist and We Have a Pope.

Analysis:  Both films could be on the Telluride list.  Both were featured at Cannes.  "The Artist" had a better critical response and therefore, I think, has the greater chance of playing at T-ride. "Artist" had a cumulative 2.6 rating from participating critics in Ioncinema's poll that was held as Cannes was unfolding.  "We Have a Pope" had a 2.1.  Intuitively, I really think that "The Artist" is very likely to be at this year's Telluride Film Festival.

CANAL+

Canal+ has also had a substantial presence at Telluride recently:

2007: Terror's Advocate, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2008: Flame and Citron, I've Loved You So Long
2009: Coco Before Chanel, A Prophet, The White Ribbon, Farewell
2010: The Illusionist,The Princess of Montpensier, Of Gods and Men, Carlos

Potential 2011 films at Telluride: Pater, Melancholia, The Kid with a Bike, We Have a Pope.

Analysis: "Pater" suffered from the same lukewarm response at Cannes that "We Have a Pope" did.  Lars Von Trier burned a lot of goodwill with his antics about Nazism during the Cannes fest.  So I have all but discounted "Melancholia" which leaves "The Kid with a Bike."  It WAS well received critically at Cannes (2.9 on the Ioncinema critics board)  and the Dardennes Brothers films have often played at Telluride.  I think it is very likely to be on the lineup on Labor Day.

UK FILM COUNCIL

Again, this company has been a frequent player at Telluride in the last five years...

2006: Venus, The Last King of Scotland, Severance
2007: When Did You Last See Your Father, Brick Lane
2008: Happy-Go-Lucky
2009: Bright Star, Fish Tank
2010: The First Grader, Tamara Drewe, Another Year

Possibles in 2011 include: The Iron Lady, My Week with Marilyn and Wuthering Heights

Analysis: I think all three films are 50/50 possibilities at best.  My strongest sense right now for any of them is for "Wuthering Heights" from director Andrea Arnold but even that is tepid.

Have a good Independence Day holiday everyone!

War Horse Trailer/Film4/Not Forgotten

"War Horse" first look below

THE WAR HORSE TEASER TRAILER

I mentioned in this space earlier this week that, if pressed, I could make a case for Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" as a possibility for Telluride.  Admittedly, I think it's a weak case, that's why it isn't remotely close to the top ten most likely films that I posted earlier this week as well. 

Nonetheless, yesterday the first teaser trailer for the intriguing film leaked online and in an effort to be a full service blog (and also because it's gorgeous) and seriously going to be all in for Oscar time), here's the link to a YouTube version of that trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRf3SfeMRD4

Here is the "War Horse" IMDB page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568911/

ANOTHER FILM COMPANY TO EVALUATE

I've been spending some time this week looking at some of the film production/distribution companies that seem to always have a presence at the Telluride Film Festival as a prism for trying to lay odds about what films could unspool (what an archaic term in a world of digital projection!) in the San Juans.  today let's take a gander at British film company Film4.

Here are the films over the past few years that Film4 has had a hand in that have played at Telluride:
2007: "When Did You Last See your Father?" "Brick Lane" and "Happy-Go-Lucky"
2008: "Hunger" and "Slumdog Millionaire"
2009: No Film4 at TFF
2010: "127 Hours," "Another Year" and "Never Let Me Go"

Film4 has 4 films that I feel might have some designs on a Telluride appearance: "The Iron Lady," "On the Road," "Wuthering Heights" and "Shame."  Of these four, I'd say that the greatest chances are "Shame" and "Wuthering Heights" as both films have directors that have appeared previously and recently with films at Telluride; Steve McQueen (Shame) with "Hunger" in 2008 and Andrea Arnold (Wuthering Heights) in 2009 with "Fish Tank"  I think there's a slight chance that we might see "The Iron Lady" (Streep is a past Telluride tributee, so it's not impossible that she might return) and I have the highest odds against "On the Road" which hasn't much Telluride pedigree.

Which leads me to today's final segment...

NOT FORGOTTEN

"On the Road" is an example of a film that sounds like it should have a profile for Telluride, bit on closer inspection, doesn't have many connections or clues that suggest it would actually be a part of the program or a sneak.  As a matter of fact, it's Film4 connection gives it more of a leg up than these other films that we expect to see released before the end of the year and which seem like Film Fest bait, but have very little Telluride "tells":
"The Rum Diary" Johnny Depp as a Hunter S. Thompson-like character base on the book by Hunter S. Thompson.
"The Help" Big cast dealing with race and class issues set decades ago.
The aforementioned "On the Road."
and I've added "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" to this "unlikely" list.  I had listed it earlier as a possible TFF film but it's generally the kind of BIG movie that doesn't play Telluride.

So, could any of these be at Telluride?  Sure.  But I don't think it's likely.

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?