Obsessing about the Telluride Film Festival and the film awards season since 2008! "The best blog out there for predicting what will be going to Telluride."-Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture "The Nostradamus of Telluride" -Tim Appelo, Movies for Grownups "But it's our job." - Anne Thompson, Indiewire
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Half Way Mark/Day Three/Sunday's TBA Sked/ Albert Nobbs/Butter/The Artist
HALF WAY THROUGH...
As I get ready to set out for the third day of the 38th Telluride Film Festival I have theses observations:
1) It's much more difficult to get in as many films as you want when you're also doing peripheral tasks...
2) I haven't yet been bowled over by any thing at this point...liked "Descendants" liked "Albert Nobbs" liked "The Artist." haven't really loved any title yet. And then there's "Butter"...mmmm...I didn't actively hate it, but...eh...not that good.
3) Heading to the Opera House this morning for the first time this year for "Le Havre." Cannes scuttlebutt was good, but it was a long time in finding a distributor...
4) Day Two celeb sightings: Glenn Close, Jennifer Garner, Tilda Swinton, Penelope Ann Miller (said hello to her), Ty Burrell and Fisher Stevens who appears to be here as a regular film goer...
DAY THREE...
My hope today is that I get in "Le Havre" "A Dangerous Method" and "Shame." The Chief Executive and I have dinner reservations for tonight and then depending what's happening and our energy level, we might try to get in one more film. Right now, the plan is to get "Kevin" in on Monday.
SUNDAY'S TBA/SNEAK SKED (from the TFF website):
TBAs • Sunday September 4, 2011
• 11b We Need to Talk About Kevin P/ Sun 12:15 PM
Lynne Ramsay (RATCATCHER, MOVERN CALLER) reminds us that pregnancy
doesn’t always turn out for the best, as Eva, an American travel
writer (Tilda Swinton), copes with terrible deeds committed by her
son. Told both in present day, with Eva a recluse abused by people in
the street, and in a flashback past, as a wealthy wife and mother of a
nasty and manipulative boy. Ferociously powerful, with a gut-wrenching
portrayal of emotional devastation from Swinton, KEVIN features an
astonishing range of dazzling images. (U.K., 2011, 112m)
In person: Rory Kinnear, Lynne Ramsay, Tilda Swinton
SNEAK PREVIEW
• Crazy Horse S/ Sun 11:30 AM
From mental institutions to ballets to boxing gyms, Frederick Wiseman
excels in revealing the mechanics of our institutions. This
refreshingly positive portrait of Paris’s glamorous Crazy Horse
Cabaret, “the best chic nude show on earth,” captures the directors,
dancers, costume designers, wig-makers, lighting technicians, and even
the janitors. Using mesmerizing visual spectacle (silhouettes,
chiaroscuro, and blocks of color) Wiseman recontexualizes the dancers’
exquisite bodies in surprising and beautiful ways. CRAZY HORSE begins
with shadows on stage—an allusion to the magic lantern, one of
cinema’s precursors—and ultimately celebrates the play of light and
movement that is the essence of cinema itself. (U.S., 2011, 134m)
SNEAK PREVIEW
• Butter Q & A P/ Sun 9:00 PM
An edgy satire, set during the Iowa State Fair.
In person: Ty Burrell, Jennifer Garner, Jim Field Smith
• 12 The Artist S/ Sun 4:30 PM
• 31 The Island President M/ Sun 3:45 PM
• 42 Great Expectations N/ Sun 6:15 PM
Featuring JOURNEY OF NO RETURN and CRULIC.
In person: actor Vlad Ivanov
• 43 Calling Cards C/ Sun 11:00 PM
• I Tropicália B/ Sun 2:15 PM
• SEMINAR:
Sunday, 12 noon, Elks Park
Documentary’s Narrative Strategies: As nonfiction filmmakers draw from
a more expansive toolbox, how is our understanding of reality
shifting?
Werner Herzog, Joshua Marston, Wim Wenders, Michel Hazanavicius
NO TBA CONVERSATION h
"CRAZY HORSE"???? DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
"ALBERT NOBBS" REVIEW:
Glenn Close Reveals Herself by Hiding as “Albert Nobbs”
“Albert Nobbs” gives us Glenn Close in a performance that seems destined to earn her a sixth Oscar nomination and perhaps her first win. It would be well deserved. The film has had a lot of pre-festival buzz about her performance but it’s much more than a one woman show. “Albert Nobbs” is an engaging, entertaining and enlightening piece of work that is richly dramatic and is underscored by moments of wry, quiet humor. Solid, sometimes incredible supporting performances, an able script that cleverly avoids hackneyed plot turns and sure handed direction from Rodrigo Garcia combine to make it a film well worth seeing. “Albert Nobbs” mines a rich vein of personal identification to slowly earn its emotional resonance.
Central to the film is the class structure of the time and place. Garcia gives us a 19th century Ireland that is rigid with class distinctions. Every soul has her or her place that has been prescribed by the station at birth. Escape from one’s station is virtually unheard of. This is the tableau against which the plot of the film is set.
In the film Close plays a woman who is passing as a man, the Albert Nobbs of the title. She does this in order to survive and, perhaps, through careful planning, find a way to fulfill her closely held dreams and better her place in the harsh Irish society. She’s butler in a Dublin hotel, the Morrison. Albert is precise, quiet, and as would be expected of a butler, almost invisible. She’s frugal too; saving up money over the years with a goal of buying and running her own tobacco shop.
Two events occur almost simultaneously that propel the arc of the story forward. The hotel’s owner hires a painter and when he needs to spend a night to finish the job he’s assigned to room with “Albert”. Obviously Albert is afraid that her gender will be discovered. At nearly the same time a young handyman who has been fired from his position at another Dublin hotel scams his way into a job at Morrison’s. He, too, may pose a threat to Albert’s identity and dreams for the future.
But Close’s performance isn’t the only selling point of the piece. We also glimpse the lives of the rest of the hotel staff. These co-workers have dreams of escape too. Of course we see the “other half” as well, the hotel owner, the well-to-do-guests, some lower level royalty that occasional while away a day or two in the establishment. These characters are also crucial to establishing the social strata and feel of the period and Albert’s environs.
So, yes, the film has a lot more going on than just Close’s highly anticipated performance but it would be ridiculous to suggest that her performance isn’t the core of the film. She creates a male character that is so honestly convincing that you find yourself forgetting that you’re looking at Glenn Close in reverse drag. It is an exquisitely detailed performance that audiences are not likely to forget. She pays infinite attention to creating Albert fully from facial and physical details to his posture and the way that he walks. Close manages to do one of the most difficult things to do on film and that is to convey emotion that is hidden by repression. What makes that portrayal all the more difficult and intriguing is that the nature of the character as a quiet, reserved butler, a profession in which the ability to “blend into the woodwork” was a prized asset. It provides Close with immense challenges that she meets again and again. It’s a remarkable immersion of actor into character.
As mentioned earlier, the supporting cast is excellent headlined by Brendan Gleeson as an in house hotel doctor, Mia Wasikowska as a hotel maid and Janet McTeer who shines the most in support as a visitor to the Morrison Hotel.
The film was shot in present day Dublin but you’d never know it from the look and feel of the cinematography, costuming and set design. Dublin in the 1800’s has been rendered authentically and beautifully. The makeup, which plays a huge role in transforming Close from a woman into a man, is spectacular. Music takes a back seat in the film. Its infrequent use may be as a result of the fact that the screenplay is based in part on the stage play of the same title that Close starred in back in the early 1980’s
Much has been made of Close’s passion to turn the play into a film. That’s evident from her position as producer and co-writer of the screenplay. She has been actively pursuing the notion of “Nobbs” as a film for the last 15 years. Her commitment to the story and character may well pay off come Oscar time. Other members of the Albert Nobbs crew could also enter the conversation about nominations: makeup, costuming, art direction, cinematography. Janet McTeer should get some notice for a supporting actress nomination. In all of the buzz about Close’s performance, we haven’t heard much about McTeer who has made her name primarily as a stage actress and on British television but the Academy should take note. McTeer matches Close scene for scene when they’re on screen together.
“Albert Nobbs” is likely to get a good boost from the Telluride presentation owing to its excellent acting and finely drawn technical work and it should. It should also burnish Glenn Close’s reputation as one of the finest actresses working in film. It is a film that you should not miss this fall. [A-]
BUTTER REVIEW
This Butter Churns and Churns But Doesn’t Produce Cream
“Butter” premiered at the Telluride Film Festival Saturday night to a sold out house. Not a spare seat to be had. That being the case, you know that a comedy is in serious trouble when the place is jammed and there are long stretches of the film’s running time where no one laughs. That’s what happened with “Butter.” Another sign your comedy is in trouble: when veteran comedian Rob Corddry gives the most fully developed performance. No knock on Corddry but he’s in a film with other actors who have given better performances in the past but who seem helplessly trapped here. You’d expect better from Jennifer Garner (who also produced) and Hugh Jackman.
“Butter” has that feel of trying to glue too many concepts together without the singular vision to take those separate concepts and form them into a unified whole. It wants to be political satire, a sex comedy, a quirky character study, a send-up of the over-competitiveness in our society, a commentary on race and heart- warming. Oh, does it ever want to be heart-warming. It doesn’t succeed at melting those concepts together and, unfortunately, it doesn’t succeed at any of those concepts individually either.
“Butter” is set in the world of the Iowa State Fair competition for butter carving which apparently really does exist. 15 time champion Bob Pickler is prohibited from seeking the crown a 16th time. Determined to keep the butter carving dynasty in the family, and perhaps parlay the fame and fortune that comes from the butter championship into a political career, Bob’s wife Laura (Garner) enters the contest on her own. She is unexpectedly challenged by a 10 year old African American girl named Destiny (Yara Shahidi) whose butter carving talents are unformed but evident. Destiny is a foster child who has recently been placed with a new white foster family. The film’s slim plot focuses on the twists and turns that occur on the road that these characters must navigate to qualify for the state butter carving competition.
Across the board there are acting problems. Garner is rigidly one dimensional which could work if the film didn’t want to turn that on its head suddenly in the third act. The jarring shift has no context to provide believability. Jackman is wasted. His Boyd Bolton character is an old Laura Pickler flame and she uses him to advance her own evil ends. He’s in two scenes and struggles to maintain the dialect that he used for his run years ago in “Oklahoma” on Broadway. Ty Burrell plays Garner’s husband and who is engaging as Phil Dunphy in television’s “Modern Family” gives us the very same character here. Alicia Silverstone is serviceable as Corddry’s wife and Destiny’s new stepmom. The young Shahidi also suffers from problems with character dimension. She’s flat and often seems lifeless. Olivia Wilde appears as a stripper with vengeance on her mind in a subplot that stretches the limits of credibility from the moment her character is introduced. Ashley Greene is similarly lost in the script’s shuffle as the Pickler daughter.
The film’s director is Jim Field Smith who has one other feature film credit (She’s Out of Your League) and a slew of British television credits to his name. The screenplay was written by first timer Jason Micallef. Both men have to own a good deal of responsibility for this the mess that is this film.
All this isn’t to say that there aren’t some moments of humor along the way. Corddry and Shahidi share a memorable scene in the family car just outside the Moose Lodge where butter carving entries are being taken. Corddry’s foster father character challenges Destiny to overcome any fears she might have by imagining the worst that could happen. Their interchange as they explore various worst case scenarios is truly funny and actually comes close to earning the kind of audience empathy that the film wants to get at by the time the credits roll. There are also some nice comic moments from Kristen Schall (The Daily Show) as the leader of the Bob Pickler fan club and Phyllis Smith (The Office) as a county butter carving official but they come few and far between.
“Butter” was added to the Telluride lineup as one of the two films that the organizers will “sneak” over the Labor Day weekend. Last year “sneaks” included “Black Swan” and “127 Hours.” “Juno” was a “sneak” here in 2007. With that track record, festival patrons were anticipating great things from “Butter” but because the film can’t seem to decide what it wants to be and what it wants to say those expectations were not met. [C-]
THE ARTIST
Quick note or two...some moments are genius...the opening sequence, dream sequence. Great performances from Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. Nice support from John Goodman and Uggy the dog. Maybe a shade over long. Audience ate it up. [A-]
OH...and the blog passed its 20,000th view Saturday. Thanks to all!!!
As I get ready to set out for the third day of the 38th Telluride Film Festival I have theses observations:
1) It's much more difficult to get in as many films as you want when you're also doing peripheral tasks...
2) I haven't yet been bowled over by any thing at this point...liked "Descendants" liked "Albert Nobbs" liked "The Artist." haven't really loved any title yet. And then there's "Butter"...mmmm...I didn't actively hate it, but...eh...not that good.
3) Heading to the Opera House this morning for the first time this year for "Le Havre." Cannes scuttlebutt was good, but it was a long time in finding a distributor...
4) Day Two celeb sightings: Glenn Close, Jennifer Garner, Tilda Swinton, Penelope Ann Miller (said hello to her), Ty Burrell and Fisher Stevens who appears to be here as a regular film goer...
DAY THREE...
My hope today is that I get in "Le Havre" "A Dangerous Method" and "Shame." The Chief Executive and I have dinner reservations for tonight and then depending what's happening and our energy level, we might try to get in one more film. Right now, the plan is to get "Kevin" in on Monday.
SUNDAY'S TBA/SNEAK SKED (from the TFF website):
TBAs • Sunday September 4, 2011
• 11b We Need to Talk About Kevin P/ Sun 12:15 PM
Lynne Ramsay (RATCATCHER, MOVERN CALLER) reminds us that pregnancy
doesn’t always turn out for the best, as Eva, an American travel
writer (Tilda Swinton), copes with terrible deeds committed by her
son. Told both in present day, with Eva a recluse abused by people in
the street, and in a flashback past, as a wealthy wife and mother of a
nasty and manipulative boy. Ferociously powerful, with a gut-wrenching
portrayal of emotional devastation from Swinton, KEVIN features an
astonishing range of dazzling images. (U.K., 2011, 112m)
In person: Rory Kinnear, Lynne Ramsay, Tilda Swinton
SNEAK PREVIEW
• Crazy Horse S/ Sun 11:30 AM
From mental institutions to ballets to boxing gyms, Frederick Wiseman
excels in revealing the mechanics of our institutions. This
refreshingly positive portrait of Paris’s glamorous Crazy Horse
Cabaret, “the best chic nude show on earth,” captures the directors,
dancers, costume designers, wig-makers, lighting technicians, and even
the janitors. Using mesmerizing visual spectacle (silhouettes,
chiaroscuro, and blocks of color) Wiseman recontexualizes the dancers’
exquisite bodies in surprising and beautiful ways. CRAZY HORSE begins
with shadows on stage—an allusion to the magic lantern, one of
cinema’s precursors—and ultimately celebrates the play of light and
movement that is the essence of cinema itself. (U.S., 2011, 134m)
SNEAK PREVIEW
• Butter Q & A P/ Sun 9:00 PM
An edgy satire, set during the Iowa State Fair.
In person: Ty Burrell, Jennifer Garner, Jim Field Smith
• 12 The Artist S/ Sun 4:30 PM
• 31 The Island President M/ Sun 3:45 PM
• 42 Great Expectations N/ Sun 6:15 PM
Featuring JOURNEY OF NO RETURN and CRULIC.
In person: actor Vlad Ivanov
• 43 Calling Cards C/ Sun 11:00 PM
• I Tropicália B/ Sun 2:15 PM
• SEMINAR:
Sunday, 12 noon, Elks Park
Documentary’s Narrative Strategies: As nonfiction filmmakers draw from
a more expansive toolbox, how is our understanding of reality
shifting?
Werner Herzog, Joshua Marston, Wim Wenders, Michel Hazanavicius
NO TBA CONVERSATION h
"CRAZY HORSE"???? DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
"ALBERT NOBBS" REVIEW:
Glenn Close Reveals Herself by Hiding as “Albert Nobbs”
“Albert Nobbs” gives us Glenn Close in a performance that seems destined to earn her a sixth Oscar nomination and perhaps her first win. It would be well deserved. The film has had a lot of pre-festival buzz about her performance but it’s much more than a one woman show. “Albert Nobbs” is an engaging, entertaining and enlightening piece of work that is richly dramatic and is underscored by moments of wry, quiet humor. Solid, sometimes incredible supporting performances, an able script that cleverly avoids hackneyed plot turns and sure handed direction from Rodrigo Garcia combine to make it a film well worth seeing. “Albert Nobbs” mines a rich vein of personal identification to slowly earn its emotional resonance.
Central to the film is the class structure of the time and place. Garcia gives us a 19th century Ireland that is rigid with class distinctions. Every soul has her or her place that has been prescribed by the station at birth. Escape from one’s station is virtually unheard of. This is the tableau against which the plot of the film is set.
In the film Close plays a woman who is passing as a man, the Albert Nobbs of the title. She does this in order to survive and, perhaps, through careful planning, find a way to fulfill her closely held dreams and better her place in the harsh Irish society. She’s butler in a Dublin hotel, the Morrison. Albert is precise, quiet, and as would be expected of a butler, almost invisible. She’s frugal too; saving up money over the years with a goal of buying and running her own tobacco shop.
Two events occur almost simultaneously that propel the arc of the story forward. The hotel’s owner hires a painter and when he needs to spend a night to finish the job he’s assigned to room with “Albert”. Obviously Albert is afraid that her gender will be discovered. At nearly the same time a young handyman who has been fired from his position at another Dublin hotel scams his way into a job at Morrison’s. He, too, may pose a threat to Albert’s identity and dreams for the future.
But Close’s performance isn’t the only selling point of the piece. We also glimpse the lives of the rest of the hotel staff. These co-workers have dreams of escape too. Of course we see the “other half” as well, the hotel owner, the well-to-do-guests, some lower level royalty that occasional while away a day or two in the establishment. These characters are also crucial to establishing the social strata and feel of the period and Albert’s environs.
So, yes, the film has a lot more going on than just Close’s highly anticipated performance but it would be ridiculous to suggest that her performance isn’t the core of the film. She creates a male character that is so honestly convincing that you find yourself forgetting that you’re looking at Glenn Close in reverse drag. It is an exquisitely detailed performance that audiences are not likely to forget. She pays infinite attention to creating Albert fully from facial and physical details to his posture and the way that he walks. Close manages to do one of the most difficult things to do on film and that is to convey emotion that is hidden by repression. What makes that portrayal all the more difficult and intriguing is that the nature of the character as a quiet, reserved butler, a profession in which the ability to “blend into the woodwork” was a prized asset. It provides Close with immense challenges that she meets again and again. It’s a remarkable immersion of actor into character.
As mentioned earlier, the supporting cast is excellent headlined by Brendan Gleeson as an in house hotel doctor, Mia Wasikowska as a hotel maid and Janet McTeer who shines the most in support as a visitor to the Morrison Hotel.
The film was shot in present day Dublin but you’d never know it from the look and feel of the cinematography, costuming and set design. Dublin in the 1800’s has been rendered authentically and beautifully. The makeup, which plays a huge role in transforming Close from a woman into a man, is spectacular. Music takes a back seat in the film. Its infrequent use may be as a result of the fact that the screenplay is based in part on the stage play of the same title that Close starred in back in the early 1980’s
Much has been made of Close’s passion to turn the play into a film. That’s evident from her position as producer and co-writer of the screenplay. She has been actively pursuing the notion of “Nobbs” as a film for the last 15 years. Her commitment to the story and character may well pay off come Oscar time. Other members of the Albert Nobbs crew could also enter the conversation about nominations: makeup, costuming, art direction, cinematography. Janet McTeer should get some notice for a supporting actress nomination. In all of the buzz about Close’s performance, we haven’t heard much about McTeer who has made her name primarily as a stage actress and on British television but the Academy should take note. McTeer matches Close scene for scene when they’re on screen together.
“Albert Nobbs” is likely to get a good boost from the Telluride presentation owing to its excellent acting and finely drawn technical work and it should. It should also burnish Glenn Close’s reputation as one of the finest actresses working in film. It is a film that you should not miss this fall. [A-]
BUTTER REVIEW
This Butter Churns and Churns But Doesn’t Produce Cream
“Butter” premiered at the Telluride Film Festival Saturday night to a sold out house. Not a spare seat to be had. That being the case, you know that a comedy is in serious trouble when the place is jammed and there are long stretches of the film’s running time where no one laughs. That’s what happened with “Butter.” Another sign your comedy is in trouble: when veteran comedian Rob Corddry gives the most fully developed performance. No knock on Corddry but he’s in a film with other actors who have given better performances in the past but who seem helplessly trapped here. You’d expect better from Jennifer Garner (who also produced) and Hugh Jackman.
“Butter” has that feel of trying to glue too many concepts together without the singular vision to take those separate concepts and form them into a unified whole. It wants to be political satire, a sex comedy, a quirky character study, a send-up of the over-competitiveness in our society, a commentary on race and heart- warming. Oh, does it ever want to be heart-warming. It doesn’t succeed at melting those concepts together and, unfortunately, it doesn’t succeed at any of those concepts individually either.
“Butter” is set in the world of the Iowa State Fair competition for butter carving which apparently really does exist. 15 time champion Bob Pickler is prohibited from seeking the crown a 16th time. Determined to keep the butter carving dynasty in the family, and perhaps parlay the fame and fortune that comes from the butter championship into a political career, Bob’s wife Laura (Garner) enters the contest on her own. She is unexpectedly challenged by a 10 year old African American girl named Destiny (Yara Shahidi) whose butter carving talents are unformed but evident. Destiny is a foster child who has recently been placed with a new white foster family. The film’s slim plot focuses on the twists and turns that occur on the road that these characters must navigate to qualify for the state butter carving competition.
Across the board there are acting problems. Garner is rigidly one dimensional which could work if the film didn’t want to turn that on its head suddenly in the third act. The jarring shift has no context to provide believability. Jackman is wasted. His Boyd Bolton character is an old Laura Pickler flame and she uses him to advance her own evil ends. He’s in two scenes and struggles to maintain the dialect that he used for his run years ago in “Oklahoma” on Broadway. Ty Burrell plays Garner’s husband and who is engaging as Phil Dunphy in television’s “Modern Family” gives us the very same character here. Alicia Silverstone is serviceable as Corddry’s wife and Destiny’s new stepmom. The young Shahidi also suffers from problems with character dimension. She’s flat and often seems lifeless. Olivia Wilde appears as a stripper with vengeance on her mind in a subplot that stretches the limits of credibility from the moment her character is introduced. Ashley Greene is similarly lost in the script’s shuffle as the Pickler daughter.
The film’s director is Jim Field Smith who has one other feature film credit (She’s Out of Your League) and a slew of British television credits to his name. The screenplay was written by first timer Jason Micallef. Both men have to own a good deal of responsibility for this the mess that is this film.
All this isn’t to say that there aren’t some moments of humor along the way. Corddry and Shahidi share a memorable scene in the family car just outside the Moose Lodge where butter carving entries are being taken. Corddry’s foster father character challenges Destiny to overcome any fears she might have by imagining the worst that could happen. Their interchange as they explore various worst case scenarios is truly funny and actually comes close to earning the kind of audience empathy that the film wants to get at by the time the credits roll. There are also some nice comic moments from Kristen Schall (The Daily Show) as the leader of the Bob Pickler fan club and Phyllis Smith (The Office) as a county butter carving official but they come few and far between.
“Butter” was added to the Telluride lineup as one of the two films that the organizers will “sneak” over the Labor Day weekend. Last year “sneaks” included “Black Swan” and “127 Hours.” “Juno” was a “sneak” here in 2007. With that track record, festival patrons were anticipating great things from “Butter” but because the film can’t seem to decide what it wants to be and what it wants to say those expectations were not met. [C-]
THE ARTIST
Quick note or two...some moments are genius...the opening sequence, dream sequence. Great performances from Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. Nice support from John Goodman and Uggy the dog. Maybe a shade over long. Audience ate it up. [A-]
OH...and the blog passed its 20,000th view Saturday. Thanks to all!!!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Publication
Unbelievably (at least to me anyway) check out my review of "The Descendants" at The Playlist (at indieWire.com).
Here's my link to me (surreal):
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/alexander_payne_george_clooney_riff_on_family_love_loss_death_and_the_choic/
Here's my link to me (surreal):
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/alexander_payne_george_clooney_riff_on_family_love_loss_death_and_the_choic/
Day One of the 38th/Then Day Two/Sneak #1/The Descendants Reviewed
Day One...short on film, long on hobbing and nobbing.
First, A Big Thank You to everyone who came to "The Guide to the Ride, The Flow of the SHOW" at The River Club yesterday evening. It was a lot of fun to get to chat with everyone about the festival, film and the blog. I t was truly a "hoot." I was humbled by the kindness of strangers...paraphrasing Tennessee Williams and Blanche DuBois.
Also a shout out to Eugene Novikov of FilmBlather.com who was kind enough to drop by and participate in the discussion.
And immense gratitude to my hosts (and former students) who so graciously make it possible for me to play this game every year: Mitzi and Larry Mallard of The River Club...you have no idea!
Really enjoyed getting re-acquainted yesterday with Alexandra and Mark Helfrich...very nice, kind and funny people...
And...Tilda Swinton sighted!
DAY TWO...
The plan as of 7:15 this morning:
Albert Nobbs
The Artist
A Dangerous Method
Sneak Preview (see below) or Clooney Tribute
Maybe Goodbye First Love
SNEAK
All signs point to "Butter" starring Jennnifer Garner, Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde as the first "sneak preview" and likely tonight. Ms. Garner (Mrs. Affleck) has been reportedly sighted in and around town. Looking forward to it.
As to the other "sneak" I have no strong indicators...though...I still wouldn't be 100% surprised if it turned out to be Clooney's "The Ides of March" which TFF officials completely deny...
Or "Marilyn"
Or "Miss Bala"
Or...really...a lot of things...
SNEAK PREVIEW
• Butter G/ Sat 8:15 PM • C/ Sat 10:45 PM
In person: Jennifer Garner, Jim Field Smith, Ty Burrell
• 21 The Kid With a Bike L/ Sat 3:45 PM
• 2 Le Havre L/ Sat 10:45 PM
G = Galaxy
C= Chuck Jones
L= Le Pierre
THE DESCENDANTS REVIEWED...
Yes...I spoke with George Clooney. He laughed at me (not with me...at me) and Alexander Payne...(he said "thanks"
Kristy, my wife, has the much better Clooney and Payne stories...see her...ask her...they are cool stories...
Here's my review...(pssst...I liked it):
“The Descendants” premiered Friday afternoon at the 38th Telluride Film Festival where it was greeted by vigorous applause at its conclusion.
To tell the tale, Payne needs a strong male lead that is capable of accessing intense vulnerability. In “About Schmidt” (2002) he needed the same abilities and found it in Jack Nicholson’s Oscar nominated performance. Two years earlier, in his sublime “Sideways” (for which he shared the Oscar for Best Screenplay with Jim Taylor) he split those duties in performances from Paul Giamatti and Oscar nominated Thomas Haden Church. In “The Descendants” Payne casts George Clooney who takes on the role and succeeds at every level.
Payne opens the film with a shot of a woman in a speedboat screaming across a bay with Hawaiian mountains as the backdrop. She appears to be very nearly at the verge of ecstasy. Fade to black. We then discover that she is Elizabeth King and moments after the fade out of the opening scene she has experienced a catastrophic accident that has left her in a coma. Her husband, Matt (Clooney) soon learns that her condition is irreversible and that her advanced directive leaves no room for doubt as to the course of action she desires…no heroic measures, pull the plug.
Matt is left to pass that news to friends and family including the two daughters for whom he admits he is the “backup” parent. In the process of breaking the news, Matt finds out that his wife has had a secret of her own and that secret propels the story forward.
All of this occurs against the backdrop of a potential sale of 25,000 acres of pristine Hawaiian countryside over which Matt is the trustee on behalf of the extended King family. His decision alone determines the fate of the land and the millions of dollars it is worth.
Alexander Payne hasn’t directed a feature film since 2004 (About Schmidt). He’s been away too long. Payne has created a moving, effective observation on family relationships and how they are tested, torn and re-structured in the face of sudden challenges in his latest film, “The Descendants” based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings (Payne co-wrote the screenplay with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash).
It is Clooney’s picture to carry and he masters the challenges at every turn. He was lauded in 2009 for stretching his acting chops in “Up in the Air” and has clearly continued to look for ways to explore his abilities with this role. Clooney’s willingness to allow us to see Matt’s naked vulnerability and the character’s struggles to make choices that he can live with form the spine of the film’s narrative. Payne and Clooney were on hand following the film’s presentation and in the course of the Q and A Payne insisted that Clooney had provided him with the best acting collaboration of any of his films.
Clooney is ably assisted with strong performances from Shailene Woodley as his eldest daughter and Judy Greer and Matthew Lillard as couple whose lives become intertwined with Matt’s. Also very effective is veteran actor Robert Forster as Matt’s father-in-law. Forster’s character is oblivious to reality, blinded by his love for his daughter.
Payne has opted to follow the same structure cinematically that he has used before in both “Schmidt” and “Sideways.” Payne uses a quiet first act that slowly pulls the viewer into the orbit of the characters but maintains an almost astringent stand-offishness and then, before you realize it, he’s managed to engage you emotionally. It’s subtle and effective as Payne balances universal moments, (the loss of a loved one, the love for a child, and the emotional pull of familial obligations) with the quirkiness that viewers have come to expect from an Alexander Payne film.
Thematically “The Descendants” asks to contemplate what we owe to those who came before us, what we owe to those who come after us and what we owe ourselves and how we assess those debts in terms of the choices that we make. One of the magical truths of the film is that those choices will differ depending on the lense from which they are viewed.
Gorgeously shot on location in Hawaii, Payne doesn’t shirk from contrasting the visual paradise and harmony of Hawaii with the disharmony and dysfunction that occurs in the King family after Elizabeth’s accident. The film is knock-out beautiful to look at.
Ultimately “The Descendants” is a family dramedy at its core and bolstered by Clooney’s solid performance, it’s a film very, very worth seeing. [A-]
Telluride fireworks on July 4, 2011 (Larry Mallard)
First, A Big Thank You to everyone who came to "The Guide to the Ride, The Flow of the SHOW" at The River Club yesterday evening. It was a lot of fun to get to chat with everyone about the festival, film and the blog. I t was truly a "hoot." I was humbled by the kindness of strangers...paraphrasing Tennessee Williams and Blanche DuBois.
Also a shout out to Eugene Novikov of FilmBlather.com who was kind enough to drop by and participate in the discussion.
And immense gratitude to my hosts (and former students) who so graciously make it possible for me to play this game every year: Mitzi and Larry Mallard of The River Club...you have no idea!
Really enjoyed getting re-acquainted yesterday with Alexandra and Mark Helfrich...very nice, kind and funny people...
And...Tilda Swinton sighted!
DAY TWO...
The plan as of 7:15 this morning:
Albert Nobbs
The Artist
A Dangerous Method
Sneak Preview (see below) or Clooney Tribute
Maybe Goodbye First Love
SNEAK
All signs point to "Butter" starring Jennnifer Garner, Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde as the first "sneak preview" and likely tonight. Ms. Garner (Mrs. Affleck) has been reportedly sighted in and around town. Looking forward to it.
As to the other "sneak" I have no strong indicators...though...I still wouldn't be 100% surprised if it turned out to be Clooney's "The Ides of March" which TFF officials completely deny...
Or "Marilyn"
Or "Miss Bala"
Or...really...a lot of things...
SNEAK PREVIEW
• Butter G/ Sat 8:15 PM • C/ Sat 10:45 PM
In person: Jennifer Garner, Jim Field Smith, Ty Burrell
• 21 The Kid With a Bike L/ Sat 3:45 PM
• 2 Le Havre L/ Sat 10:45 PM
G = Galaxy
C= Chuck Jones
L= Le Pierre
THE DESCENDANTS REVIEWED...
Yes...I spoke with George Clooney. He laughed at me (not with me...at me) and Alexander Payne...(he said "thanks"
Kristy, my wife, has the much better Clooney and Payne stories...see her...ask her...they are cool stories...
Here's my review...(pssst...I liked it):
“The Descendants” premiered Friday afternoon at the 38th Telluride Film Festival where it was greeted by vigorous applause at its conclusion.
To tell the tale, Payne needs a strong male lead that is capable of accessing intense vulnerability. In “About Schmidt” (2002) he needed the same abilities and found it in Jack Nicholson’s Oscar nominated performance. Two years earlier, in his sublime “Sideways” (for which he shared the Oscar for Best Screenplay with Jim Taylor) he split those duties in performances from Paul Giamatti and Oscar nominated Thomas Haden Church. In “The Descendants” Payne casts George Clooney who takes on the role and succeeds at every level.
Payne opens the film with a shot of a woman in a speedboat screaming across a bay with Hawaiian mountains as the backdrop. She appears to be very nearly at the verge of ecstasy. Fade to black. We then discover that she is Elizabeth King and moments after the fade out of the opening scene she has experienced a catastrophic accident that has left her in a coma. Her husband, Matt (Clooney) soon learns that her condition is irreversible and that her advanced directive leaves no room for doubt as to the course of action she desires…no heroic measures, pull the plug.
Matt is left to pass that news to friends and family including the two daughters for whom he admits he is the “backup” parent. In the process of breaking the news, Matt finds out that his wife has had a secret of her own and that secret propels the story forward.
All of this occurs against the backdrop of a potential sale of 25,000 acres of pristine Hawaiian countryside over which Matt is the trustee on behalf of the extended King family. His decision alone determines the fate of the land and the millions of dollars it is worth.
Alexander Payne hasn’t directed a feature film since 2004 (About Schmidt). He’s been away too long. Payne has created a moving, effective observation on family relationships and how they are tested, torn and re-structured in the face of sudden challenges in his latest film, “The Descendants” based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings (Payne co-wrote the screenplay with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash).
It is Clooney’s picture to carry and he masters the challenges at every turn. He was lauded in 2009 for stretching his acting chops in “Up in the Air” and has clearly continued to look for ways to explore his abilities with this role. Clooney’s willingness to allow us to see Matt’s naked vulnerability and the character’s struggles to make choices that he can live with form the spine of the film’s narrative. Payne and Clooney were on hand following the film’s presentation and in the course of the Q and A Payne insisted that Clooney had provided him with the best acting collaboration of any of his films.
Clooney is ably assisted with strong performances from Shailene Woodley as his eldest daughter and Judy Greer and Matthew Lillard as couple whose lives become intertwined with Matt’s. Also very effective is veteran actor Robert Forster as Matt’s father-in-law. Forster’s character is oblivious to reality, blinded by his love for his daughter.
Payne has opted to follow the same structure cinematically that he has used before in both “Schmidt” and “Sideways.” Payne uses a quiet first act that slowly pulls the viewer into the orbit of the characters but maintains an almost astringent stand-offishness and then, before you realize it, he’s managed to engage you emotionally. It’s subtle and effective as Payne balances universal moments, (the loss of a loved one, the love for a child, and the emotional pull of familial obligations) with the quirkiness that viewers have come to expect from an Alexander Payne film.
Thematically “The Descendants” asks to contemplate what we owe to those who came before us, what we owe to those who come after us and what we owe ourselves and how we assess those debts in terms of the choices that we make. One of the magical truths of the film is that those choices will differ depending on the lense from which they are viewed.
Gorgeously shot on location in Hawaii, Payne doesn’t shirk from contrasting the visual paradise and harmony of Hawaii with the disharmony and dysfunction that occurs in the King family after Elizabeth’s accident. The film is knock-out beautiful to look at.
Ultimately “The Descendants” is a family dramedy at its core and bolstered by Clooney’s solid performance, it’s a film very, very worth seeing. [A-]
Saturday TBAs
SNEAK PREVIEW
• Butter G/ Sat 8:15 PM • C/ Sat 10:45 PM
In person: Jennifer Garner, Jim Field Smith, Ty Burrell
• 21 The Kid With a Bike L/ Sat 3:45 PM
• 2 Le Havre L/ Sat 10:45 PM
G = Galaxy
C= Chuck Jones
L= Le Pierre
• Butter G/ Sat 8:15 PM • C/ Sat 10:45 PM
In person: Jennifer Garner, Jim Field Smith, Ty Burrell
• 21 The Kid With a Bike L/ Sat 3:45 PM
• 2 Le Havre L/ Sat 10:45 PM
G = Galaxy
C= Chuck Jones
L= Le Pierre
Friday, September 2, 2011
Mea Culpa/Invitation/Playlist Gig/Well, Have You Heard???/And What's REALLY Playing/Final Note
MEA CULPA
First, my apologies. For not posting/tweeting nearly enough yesterday. Meant to. Intended to. Was committed to it. DROVE 560 miles! I have to figure out a better way to handle this Thursday before the Festival starts in the future. Anyway, I am really sorry that I wasn't better in the loop yesterday...sincerely.
A FINAL INVITATION...
I am very pleased to invite all blog readers to an intimate and reflective moment or two this afternoon at 5:00PM at The River Club at 550 Depot St. in Telluride. My hosts, Larry and Mitzi Mallard are being generous enough to provide me with a forum to do a little meeting and greeting and they're throwing in a nosh and a drink or two. So come by, say hi, and we'll talk a little film before the ball really gets rolling...
PLAYLIST GIG
You may have seen a quick tweet and/or post yesterday afternoon concerning me, The Playlist and film reviews. Yes. It's true. I'm going to attempt to provide a review here and there this weekend for The Playlist. It's a very real and impressive cinema blog hosted by IndieWire.com and regular readers of this blog know that I reference them constantly. They're very good.
Soooo, maybe I get published, maybe not, but a BIG thank you to The Playlist for giving me a shot...
WELL, HAVE YOU HEARD???
I arrived in Telluride at about 9:00 PM local time after about 10 hours on the road...and through the entire journey and even after arrival, I was constantly monitoring Rumor Central...because, let's be real...rumors fly around like untethered kites in the 72 hours before the Telluride Film Festival actually kicks off.
Here's what I think is really real at this point:
1) GEORGE CLOONEY IS IN TOWN AND WILL BE TRIBUTED. "The Descendants" will play but the best info right now is the "Ides of March" will not.
2) THe RUMOR is that Johnny Depp IS IN TOWN....possibly for a sneak of "The Rum Diary." Now, I haven't actually seen Mr. Depp...a lot of sources say it's true...BUT, you know...IT'S A RUMOR.
Of course he could be here for the Lauren/Bush wedding...which leads me to
3) 2 former Presidents (Clinton and GW Bush) will be within 10 square miles of me before the weekend is over. Purportedly Clinton is already here in Mountain Village. Both for the aforementioned wedding. Oh, and Oprah too...
4) Glenn Close has been reported. in town....nice...
5) Tilda Swinton is here...another Tributee ( a side note...TFF...very sneaky on the playing of "Michael Clayton" in Elks Park Thursday night...so cagey. I love it!
6) Eugene Hernandez of IndieWire cryptically tweets that there will be 2 and only 2 "Sneaks" and that one will be a comedy and one is a film set for the New York Film Fest...and that these clues could be about the same film or not...thanks, Mr. Hernandez! My guess is that "Butter" is the comedy...after that...the NYFF presentation could be: "My Week with Marilyn," "Carnage," "The Skin I Live In," "Miss Bala," "Martha, Marcy May Marlene," or "4:44: Last Day on Earth"...or something else entirely.
[My "no guts, no glory" prediction is "Butter" and "Miss Bala"]
7) Keira Knightley rumored in town in support of "A Dangerous Game." Just a RUMOR!
I will live tweet and blog from the Patron Brunch later this morning...that should settle some things...
AND NOW FOR THE REAL DEAL:
Here's the official announced lineup for the 38th Telluride Film Festival:
1) The Descendants***
2) Into the Abyss***
3) We Have to Talk About Kevin***
4) The Ides of March (I look silly...)
5) A Dangerous Method***
6) Shame***
7) Goodbye First Love***
8) The Skin I Live In (still could be a "sneak")
9) The Artist***
10) Footnote***
11) A Trip to the Moon***
12) The Birds Upstairs
13) Prohibition
14) Le Havre***
15) The Lady
16) Dark Horse
17) Butter
18) Miss Bala
19) Drive
20) Martha Marcy May Marlene
I'm still greedy enough to pull for "Coriolanus," "The Kid with a Bike,"*** "Wuthering Heights" "W.E." and the Georgre Harrison Doc*** directed by Martin Scorsese.
Additionally, I think MTFB could fairly claim to have been at least marginally aware that "Albert Nobbs" could play as well as "A Separation."
FINAL NOTE (before the fest takes flight...)
I am HOT to see:
"The Descendants"
The Artist"
"Le Havre"
"Living in the Material World"
"A Dangerous Method"
"Shame"
"Albert Nobbs"
"The Kid with a Bike"
"We Need to Talk About Kevin"
"A Separation"
"The Turin Horse"
And whatever the "sneaks" are...
It makes me sad that...
Clooney is a Tributee but no "Ides of March" (Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood @ IndieWire is adamant that Ides is not playing...
No "Tinker, Tailor....I'm too tired to finish the title...
No "Drive"....man, I am really bummed..."Drive" lost traction after its Comic Con screening but I was hoping...
Kind of sad about no "The Lady" or "Dark Horse"
Still and all...no real complaints. I think TFF #38 looks like a colossal win from the start!
More later today...from the Patron Brunch!
First, my apologies. For not posting/tweeting nearly enough yesterday. Meant to. Intended to. Was committed to it. DROVE 560 miles! I have to figure out a better way to handle this Thursday before the Festival starts in the future. Anyway, I am really sorry that I wasn't better in the loop yesterday...sincerely.
A FINAL INVITATION...
I am very pleased to invite all blog readers to an intimate and reflective moment or two this afternoon at 5:00PM at The River Club at 550 Depot St. in Telluride. My hosts, Larry and Mitzi Mallard are being generous enough to provide me with a forum to do a little meeting and greeting and they're throwing in a nosh and a drink or two. So come by, say hi, and we'll talk a little film before the ball really gets rolling...
PLAYLIST GIG
You may have seen a quick tweet and/or post yesterday afternoon concerning me, The Playlist and film reviews. Yes. It's true. I'm going to attempt to provide a review here and there this weekend for The Playlist. It's a very real and impressive cinema blog hosted by IndieWire.com and regular readers of this blog know that I reference them constantly. They're very good.
Soooo, maybe I get published, maybe not, but a BIG thank you to The Playlist for giving me a shot...
WELL, HAVE YOU HEARD???
I arrived in Telluride at about 9:00 PM local time after about 10 hours on the road...and through the entire journey and even after arrival, I was constantly monitoring Rumor Central...because, let's be real...rumors fly around like untethered kites in the 72 hours before the Telluride Film Festival actually kicks off.
Here's what I think is really real at this point:
1) GEORGE CLOONEY IS IN TOWN AND WILL BE TRIBUTED. "The Descendants" will play but the best info right now is the "Ides of March" will not.
2) THe RUMOR is that Johnny Depp IS IN TOWN....possibly for a sneak of "The Rum Diary." Now, I haven't actually seen Mr. Depp...a lot of sources say it's true...BUT, you know...IT'S A RUMOR.
Of course he could be here for the Lauren/Bush wedding...which leads me to
3) 2 former Presidents (Clinton and GW Bush) will be within 10 square miles of me before the weekend is over. Purportedly Clinton is already here in Mountain Village. Both for the aforementioned wedding. Oh, and Oprah too...
4) Glenn Close has been reported. in town....nice...
5) Tilda Swinton is here...another Tributee ( a side note...TFF...very sneaky on the playing of "Michael Clayton" in Elks Park Thursday night...so cagey. I love it!
6) Eugene Hernandez of IndieWire cryptically tweets that there will be 2 and only 2 "Sneaks" and that one will be a comedy and one is a film set for the New York Film Fest...and that these clues could be about the same film or not...thanks, Mr. Hernandez! My guess is that "Butter" is the comedy...after that...the NYFF presentation could be: "My Week with Marilyn," "Carnage," "The Skin I Live In," "Miss Bala," "Martha, Marcy May Marlene," or "4:44: Last Day on Earth"...or something else entirely.
[My "no guts, no glory" prediction is "Butter" and "Miss Bala"]
7) Keira Knightley rumored in town in support of "A Dangerous Game." Just a RUMOR!
I will live tweet and blog from the Patron Brunch later this morning...that should settle some things...
AND NOW FOR THE REAL DEAL:
Here's the official announced lineup for the 38th Telluride Film Festival:
38TH TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2011 FESTIVAL LINEUP
George Clooney, Pierre Étaix and Tilda Swinton to receive Silver Medallion Awards
Over twenty-five new features plus revival programs and unique programming from Guest Director Caetano Veloso will be presented as part of the 2011 exhibition
Telluride, CO (September 1, 2011) – Telluride Film Festival (September 2-5, 2011), presented by the National Film Preserve, announces its program for the 38th Telluride Film Festival. Featuring diverse programming from around the globe, TFF once again sets the stage for some of the year’s most highly anticipated films.
TFF opens its 38th year with over twenty-five new feature films plus special artist tributes, Guest Director programs selected by Caetano Veloso, Backlot programs, classics and restorations, shorts, student films, seminars and conversations, each introduced or proceeded with a Q&A by its filmmaker, actors, writer or producer. Telluride Film Festival opens Friday, September 2 and runs through Labor Day, Monday, September 5.
THE ‘SHOW’
38th Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program, the ‘SHOW’:
· ALBERT NOBBS (d. Rodrigo Garcia, U.S., 2011)
· THE ARTIST (d. Michel Hazanavicius, France, 2011)
· BECOMING BERT STERN (d. Shannah Laumeister, U.S., 2011)
· BITTER SEEDS (d. Micha X. Peled, U.S., 2011)
· BONSÁI (d. Cristián Jiménez, Chile, 2011)
· A DANGEROUS METHOD (d. David Cronenberg, U.K.-Switzerland-U.S.-Canada, 2011)
· THE DESCENDANTS (d. Alexander Payne, U.S., 2011)
· DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL (d. Lisa Immordino-Vreeland, U.S., 2011)
· FOOTNOTE (d. Joseph Cedar, Israel, 2011)
· THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD (d. Joshua Marston, U.S.-Albania-Denmark-Italy, 2011)
· GOODBYE FIRST LOVE (d. Mia Hansen-Løve, France, 2011)
· LE HAVRE (d. Aki Kaurismäki, Finland, 2011)
· HOLLYWOOD DON’T SURF (d. Greg Macgillivray, Sam George, U.S., 2011)
· IN DARKNESS (d. Agnieszka Holland, Poland, 2011)
· INTO THE ABYSS: A TALE OF DEATH, A TALE OF LIFE (d. Werner Herzog, U.S., 2011)
· THE ISLAND PRESIDENT (d. Jon Shenk, U.S., 2011)
· THE KID WITH A BIKE (d. Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Belgium, 2011)
· LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD (d. Martin Scorsese, U.S., 2011)
· PASSERBY (d. Eryk Rocha, Brazil, 2011)
· PERDIDA (d. Viviana García Besné, Mexico, 2011)
· PINA (d. Wim Wenders, Germany, 2011)
· A SEPARATION (d. Asghar Farhadi, Iran, 2011)
· SHAME (d. Steve McQueen, U.K., 2011)
· THE STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2011)
· TARGET (d. Alexander Zeldovich, Russia, 2011)
· THE TURIN HORSE (d. Béla Tarr, Hungary, 2011)
· THE WAY HOME (d. Dr. Biju, India, 2010)
· WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (d. Lynne Ramsey, U.K., 2011)
Here's the "Twenty Bets" that MTFB made last night with confirmed plays indicated with 3 asterisks ***
2) Into the Abyss***
3) We Have to Talk About Kevin***
4) The Ides of March (I look silly...)
5) A Dangerous Method***
6) Shame***
7) Goodbye First Love***
8) The Skin I Live In (still could be a "sneak")
9) The Artist***
10) Footnote***
11) A Trip to the Moon***
12) The Birds Upstairs
13) Prohibition
14) Le Havre***
15) The Lady
16) Dark Horse
17) Butter
18) Miss Bala
19) Drive
20) Martha Marcy May Marlene
I'm still greedy enough to pull for "Coriolanus," "The Kid with a Bike,"*** "Wuthering Heights" "W.E." and the Georgre Harrison Doc*** directed by Martin Scorsese.
Additionally, I think MTFB could fairly claim to have been at least marginally aware that "Albert Nobbs" could play as well as "A Separation."
FINAL NOTE (before the fest takes flight...)
I am HOT to see:
"The Descendants"
The Artist"
"Le Havre"
"Living in the Material World"
"A Dangerous Method"
"Shame"
"Albert Nobbs"
"The Kid with a Bike"
"We Need to Talk About Kevin"
"A Separation"
"The Turin Horse"
And whatever the "sneaks" are...
It makes me sad that...
Clooney is a Tributee but no "Ides of March" (Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood @ IndieWire is adamant that Ides is not playing...
No "Tinker, Tailor....I'm too tired to finish the title...
No "Drive"....man, I am really bummed..."Drive" lost traction after its Comic Con screening but I was hoping...
Kind of sad about no "The Lady" or "Dark Horse"
Still and all...no real complaints. I think TFF #38 looks like a colossal win from the start!
More later today...from the Patron Brunch!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Invitation/The New Rumors/The Newly Nearly Confirmed/New Bets
And here's the last "Hello" from the Oklahoma Panhandle before the 38th Telluride Film Festival gets underway. The Chief Executive and I will be departing for 9,000 feet in about 4 hours. I'm watching the clock....
1 DAY and then it begins...and hold onto your hats, it's going to be an insane festival.
We've reached that point that we reach every year when the internet has gone crazy with rumor, counter-rumor, claims, denials...and even when we see the actual lineup later today (and I'll be tweeting [@Gort2] and posting flash updates while I'm on the road!) and even then we won't know the full story because, of course, Luddy, Meyer and Huntsinger will some stuff back and sneak it as the weekend unfolds. All that being said, let's try to sort the wheat from the chaff! (hey, I'm an Oklahoma Panhandle boy).
First though, this reminder...
YOUR ENGRAVED INVITATION WOULD LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THIS:
Come and join me for the first ever Michael's Telluride Film Blog get together ( I thought about calling it a "Hootenanny" but I think that legally obligates you to sing folk songs and Union dirges) 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.
THE NEW RUMORS (AND THEY'RE JUST RUMORS!)
I am always back and forth about passing on blatant hearsay. I'd much rather be able to cite a source or more than one, or at least if I can't attribute the story, then I want to be on pretty good terms with the source I can't name. However...sometimes stuff seems like it's just too good to pass up passing on...so, forgive me...
TwitchFilm's posts that they're "hearing" (are you sitting down) both "Carnage" and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" at Telluride this weekend. The story also says the Herzog doc "Into the Abyss", but if you read this blog regularly, you've been onto the Herzog "news" for a good long while.
Now, I'll be honest, I don't know the reliability of TwitchFilm to save my soul. It hasn't been a blog that I have visited terribly often in this summer's run-up to the fall festivals...and you know that this space has all but written off the chances for both of these films...
But what if I'm wrong and they're right? The inclusion of the Polanski play adaptation and the Alfredson thriller would make Telluride's slate stratospherically vital.
Look at the story as it was posted Wednesday afternoon on the TwitchFilm website here:
http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/08/herzog-polanski-and-alfredson-headed-to-telluride.php
And in another "rumor" fueled bit of intrigue, unnamed sources on the ground in Telluride have mentioned a certain "Pirate-y" actor purportedly has been sighted. Now, there's absolutely no confirmation from any published source as of this morning of the veracity of the claim...but...one could envision the appearance of said actor in conjunction with, say a film that reminded us all of a certain "Gonzo" journalist. It might involve the consumption of rum...
There, I've said it without saying anything and if you forced me to wager actual money, at this point I'd still be inclined to bet against any of these three films being on the SHOW's lineup...but it's fun to dream!
And speaking of rumors...independent of TFF #38...who will be in town for the Lauren/Bush wedding?
THE NEWLY NEARLY CONFIRMED
Two BIG lockdowns yesterday...First...
George Clooney WILL BE IN TOWN and is a tributee. Expect to see him in both "The Descendants" and his own directorial effort "The Ides of March" which opened the Venice Fest yesterday as well.
A blog reader by the name of Mo was kind enough to point me this New York Post story which ran yesterday and seems to remove all doubt:
http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/clooney_rolls_with_his_pals_cNHop2Y03Ie9UvnfqBZy3M?utm_campaign=Post10&utm_source=Post10Alpha
Later in the day The Denver Post got on the bandwagon and confirmed in this story (thanks to @EzeeE1983 for dropping that to me):
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_18797394
Clooney's "Ides" seems to be garnering generally good to great reviews after hits bow at Venice. I've included links to a sample of the critical response:
Dave Karger at Entertainment Weekly:
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/08/31/george-clooney-the-ides-of-march-best-picture-oscar/
Guy Lodge at Incontention.com:
http://incontention.com/2011/08/31/review-the-ides-of-march/
Oliver Lyttleton at The Playlist via IndieWire:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/venice_11_review_the_ides_of_march/#
And a sampling from Hollywood News:
http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2011/08/31/the-ides-of-march-reviews-from-venice-awards-alley/
The Ides of March IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1124035/
The Descendants IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/
Mr. Clooney's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000123/
The other BIG LOCKDOWN (that I had already become pretty certain of in the last 72 hours...) "A Dangerous Method." David Cronenberg's Freud vs. Jung period piece WILL PLAY IN THE SHOW!
How do we know. Word was around yesterday that there was a new domestic trailer for the film. Friend of this blog Eugene Novikov at FilmBlather.com took a look...and then dropped me a tweet. (Thanks, Eugene. Looking forward to shaking your hand tomorrow!)
Right at the beginning of the trailer the "Official Selection of The Telluride Film Festival" comes up...so pretty compelling evidence I think and a thrilling addition to the slate. Check it for yourself via this link to the story and trailer from Rope of Silicon:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/watch-domestic-trailer-cronenbergs-a-dangerous-method
Method's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571222/
NEW BETS
In light of today's developments I have put together a revise "Ten Bets" list and expanded it to "Twenty Bets." Here it is (in order of greatest likelihood of being in the SHOW):
1) The Descendants
2) Into the Abyss
3) We Have to Talk About Kevin
4) The Ides of March
5) A Dangerous Method
6) Shame
7) Goodbye First Love
8) The Skin I Live In
9) The Artist
10) Footnote
11) A Trip to the Moon
12) The Birds Upstairs
13) Prohibition
14) Le Havre
15) The Lady
16) Dark Horse
17) Butter
18) Miss Bala
19) Drive
20) Martha Marcy May Marlene
I'm still greedy enough to pull for "Coriolanus," "The Kid with a Bike," "Wuthering Heights" "W.E." and the Georgre Harrison Doc directed by Martin Scorsese.
We'll know more later today!
More from the road!!!
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@Gort2
Telluride Daily Planet photo of film cans ready to go up the mountain
1 DAY and then it begins...and hold onto your hats, it's going to be an insane festival.
We've reached that point that we reach every year when the internet has gone crazy with rumor, counter-rumor, claims, denials...and even when we see the actual lineup later today (and I'll be tweeting [@Gort2] and posting flash updates while I'm on the road!) and even then we won't know the full story because, of course, Luddy, Meyer and Huntsinger will some stuff back and sneak it as the weekend unfolds. All that being said, let's try to sort the wheat from the chaff! (hey, I'm an Oklahoma Panhandle boy).
First though, this reminder...
YOUR ENGRAVED INVITATION WOULD LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THIS:
Come and join me for the first ever Michael's Telluride Film Blog get together ( I thought about calling it a "Hootenanny" but I think that legally obligates you to sing folk songs and Union dirges) 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.
THE NEW RUMORS (AND THEY'RE JUST RUMORS!)
I am always back and forth about passing on blatant hearsay. I'd much rather be able to cite a source or more than one, or at least if I can't attribute the story, then I want to be on pretty good terms with the source I can't name. However...sometimes stuff seems like it's just too good to pass up passing on...so, forgive me...
TwitchFilm's posts that they're "hearing" (are you sitting down) both "Carnage" and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" at Telluride this weekend. The story also says the Herzog doc "Into the Abyss", but if you read this blog regularly, you've been onto the Herzog "news" for a good long while.
Now, I'll be honest, I don't know the reliability of TwitchFilm to save my soul. It hasn't been a blog that I have visited terribly often in this summer's run-up to the fall festivals...and you know that this space has all but written off the chances for both of these films...
But what if I'm wrong and they're right? The inclusion of the Polanski play adaptation and the Alfredson thriller would make Telluride's slate stratospherically vital.
Look at the story as it was posted Wednesday afternoon on the TwitchFilm website here:
http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/08/herzog-polanski-and-alfredson-headed-to-telluride.php
And in another "rumor" fueled bit of intrigue, unnamed sources on the ground in Telluride have mentioned a certain "Pirate-y" actor purportedly has been sighted. Now, there's absolutely no confirmation from any published source as of this morning of the veracity of the claim...but...one could envision the appearance of said actor in conjunction with, say a film that reminded us all of a certain "Gonzo" journalist. It might involve the consumption of rum...
There, I've said it without saying anything and if you forced me to wager actual money, at this point I'd still be inclined to bet against any of these three films being on the SHOW's lineup...but it's fun to dream!
And speaking of rumors...independent of TFF #38...who will be in town for the Lauren/Bush wedding?
THE NEWLY NEARLY CONFIRMED
Two BIG lockdowns yesterday...First...
George Clooney WILL BE IN TOWN and is a tributee. Expect to see him in both "The Descendants" and his own directorial effort "The Ides of March" which opened the Venice Fest yesterday as well.
A blog reader by the name of Mo was kind enough to point me this New York Post story which ran yesterday and seems to remove all doubt:
http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/clooney_rolls_with_his_pals_cNHop2Y03Ie9UvnfqBZy3M?utm_campaign=Post10&utm_source=Post10Alpha
Later in the day The Denver Post got on the bandwagon and confirmed in this story (thanks to @EzeeE1983 for dropping that to me):
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_18797394
Clooney's "Ides" seems to be garnering generally good to great reviews after hits bow at Venice. I've included links to a sample of the critical response:
Dave Karger at Entertainment Weekly:
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/08/31/george-clooney-the-ides-of-march-best-picture-oscar/
Guy Lodge at Incontention.com:
http://incontention.com/2011/08/31/review-the-ides-of-march/
Oliver Lyttleton at The Playlist via IndieWire:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/venice_11_review_the_ides_of_march/#
And a sampling from Hollywood News:
http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2011/08/31/the-ides-of-march-reviews-from-venice-awards-alley/
The Ides of March IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1124035/
The Descendants IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/
Mr. Clooney's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000123/
The other BIG LOCKDOWN (that I had already become pretty certain of in the last 72 hours...) "A Dangerous Method." David Cronenberg's Freud vs. Jung period piece WILL PLAY IN THE SHOW!
How do we know. Word was around yesterday that there was a new domestic trailer for the film. Friend of this blog Eugene Novikov at FilmBlather.com took a look...and then dropped me a tweet. (Thanks, Eugene. Looking forward to shaking your hand tomorrow!)
Right at the beginning of the trailer the "Official Selection of The Telluride Film Festival" comes up...so pretty compelling evidence I think and a thrilling addition to the slate. Check it for yourself via this link to the story and trailer from Rope of Silicon:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/watch-domestic-trailer-cronenbergs-a-dangerous-method
Method's IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571222/
NEW BETS
In light of today's developments I have put together a revise "Ten Bets" list and expanded it to "Twenty Bets." Here it is (in order of greatest likelihood of being in the SHOW):
1) The Descendants
2) Into the Abyss
3) We Have to Talk About Kevin
4) The Ides of March
5) A Dangerous Method
6) Shame
7) Goodbye First Love
8) The Skin I Live In
9) The Artist
10) Footnote
11) A Trip to the Moon
12) The Birds Upstairs
13) Prohibition
14) Le Havre
15) The Lady
16) Dark Horse
17) Butter
18) Miss Bala
19) Drive
20) Martha Marcy May Marlene
I'm still greedy enough to pull for "Coriolanus," "The Kid with a Bike," "Wuthering Heights" "W.E." and the Georgre Harrison Doc directed by Martin Scorsese.
We'll know more later today!
More from the road!!!
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
@Gort2
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