We're sounding like a broken record. What did we know about "A Woman in Berlin" before going in at TIFF? Not a hell of a whole lot, other than that it was a German film and we felt like branching out and taking in something different for a change of pace (plus we've been digging a lot of Kraut-made WWII cinema of late). We will admit there was one draw, the music of Zbigniew Preisner, the composing maestro behind the haunting scores to many, many Krzysztof Kieślowski films, one of our all-time favorite directors. But other than that, we didn't really know a thing.
Ok, we're kind too tired to write much here. But "A Woman In Berlin," was our last TIFF film today, so the festival is officially over now. Based on a banned, anonymous and shocking account of women who were mass-raped by the Russians who overtook Berlin in the spring of 1945, the controversial German film humanized these female Nazi supporters (and their Russian perpetrators). It was a bleak and harrowing conclusion to TIFF, but a super-powerful and piercing one. We'll get into this one a little bit more tomorrow, but suffice to say: Keep an eye on this one. The mindful director Max Färberböck ("Aimée & Jaguar") hasn't screened it in Germany yet and apparently, he's incredibly nervous to do so. And don't be surprised if you hear about this film again come Foreign Oscar award nomination time. More later. [A]
9/13/2008
TIFF Review: 'A Woman in Berlin' Humanizes Both Sides Of An Untold WWII Atrocity
TIFF Review: 'Lovely, Still' Is Not That Beautiful
Here's a film we didn't see the younger bloggers (and a lot of people) really giving a shit about. But thesps like Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn (whom we adore) in a story about a late-life courtship that keeps the bachelor Landau in a "constant state of wonderment and surprise"?
Yeah, "Lovely Still" totally sounded like something we'd love to see.
Boy, were we wrong. The film is directed by a 24-year-old video director Nik Fackler -- and the kids intentions were on the money. How does one put a fresh twist on a love story? Make it with senior citizens; members of society that obviously don't get their viewpoint shared in films very often. So we applaud Fackler, for not making us sit through another white-20-somethings-in-love story, but his clumsy handling of what could have been a really sweet film was rather painful at times.
Supported by Adam Scott (the jackass older sibling in "Step Brothers") and Elizabeth Banks, the acting in the picture was mostly solid, with Burstyn being a total stand-out; but what the script required from Landau was often making him into a hapless fool, and it was embarrassing to watch him flailing around.
There's also a major plot twist in this film usually reserved for the likes of dildos such as M. Night Shyamalan, which doesn't help the film's hackneyed approach one bit. As you can probably tell by our intro and by the piece we did about the music (the film was scored by Bright Eyes members Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott, but apart from one twinkling motif that begins midway through, we didn't have a lot of super positive things to say about their score, especially in the first half), we wanted to like this film. The idea sounded fresh and winsome. There were even a few moments of true melancholy courtesy of the amazing Bursytn, and a scene or two of genuine bittersweetness. Maybe in a couple years with a bit more work under his belt Fackler can deliver the goods, but as of right now, "Lovely, Still" wasn't particularly beautiful at all [C].
TIFF Review: 'Not Quite Hollywood' Explores The B-Movie Romps And Ozsploitation Films Of Australia
We don't care for grindhouse films, B-movies or Australia (except for Baz Luhrmann), so why did we go see "Not Quite Hollywood"? Well, on a lark mostly. Why the hell not. It's good to push yourself out of your comfort zone and see how the other half lives.
But you know you're in trouble when a director insists before the film begins that the picture is a "rockumentary," not a documentary.
So yeah, we don't like exploitation films, why are we here? Trying to remain objective, we tried to judge the film based on its merits and sure, we did learn a bunch about Ozploitation and the fact that a lot of the garbage Quentin Tarantino grew up with came from Australia which loved to make gory, slasher, car-chase films with lots of sex and pubes on the cheap cause they could.
Featuring interviews with the aforementioned genre-fetishist/motormouth, Stacey Keach, Aussie director Fred Schepisi, Jaimie Lee Curtis, Dennis Hopper and a host of local trash cinema "talent," we did get an education in Aussiesploitation and what we learned is we're pretty glad we haven't wasted our time with this sub-genre of corny-gore, gratuitous sex and ridiculous stories.
Do you remember that episode of The Simpsons where the family goes to visit down under and the people are depicted as dunderheaded, boorish oafs? Well, "Not Quite Hollywood," is sort of a celebration of that culture and the types of coarse loats and does nothing but reinforce this broad stereotype. Was it bad filmmaking? Not at all; perhaps a little too loud and garish, but it handled it storytelling and information fairly economically (though it was too long and repetitive after a while). File under: for the die-hards only. [-B]
Watch: Dodic and The Playlist discuss "Not Quite Hollywood?
TIFF Review: Jimmy Page, Jack White And The Edge Rock Out In 'It Might Get Loud'
Since we decided to make a blog about "where movies and music meet" (an albatross we'll never get off our necks ;), we're pretty obligated to see, "It Might Get Loud," a rock guitar god documentary that centers of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, U2's The Edge, and The White Stripes' Jack White, no? Well, yeah.
Well-shot, well constructed and giving equal time to each guitar god (though calling White might be a stretch by our POV), 'Loud,' was a engaging, informative, if not completely necessary documentary about three guitarists seemingly chosen at random. That's not to say they're not all great in their own right, but the selection did strike us as fairly odd.
We would have liked for more acoustic Zeppelin (which we dig personally more than the played out rock stuff) ,but otherwise this was a very decent documentary. You don't necessarily have to kill to go see it, but we suppose guitar enthusiasts will eat it up. Some of the best scenes include U2 live (while they're not our favorite band of the three, we think we side on The Edge's axe ideology of sonic exploration and always moving forwards more than say, White's pure and back to basics approach), The Edge playing around with his effects (there's one unnamed tune that sounds like heavenly sea squalls by Brian Eno) and the trio playing riffs off each other (the kid-like looks of joy and awe on Edge's and White's face when Page goes into "Whole Lotta Love" is priceless).
The group end their summit with a rousing little number of the Band's "The Weight," and the entire film obviously features a ton of all their music, past and present. Oh, but the question you most want to know? Who has the best, most lip-protruding guitar face? Why Jimmy Page of course. [B]
First Look: Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ Teaser
This clip, which is a tease but far from a trailer, from Quick Stop Entertainment is a featurette of sorts featuring a whole lot of Terry Gilliam, but some footage of his bizarre sounding “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” as well which he introduces to us. Like a behind-the-scenes kinda gig. As absolutely everyone knows, the film was the last that Heath Ledger worked on before his untimely death, which then had Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp stepping in to finish his scenes. How the filmmakers got that right is anyone’s guess. I sure as hell am curious to find out though, even if we have to wait until next year.
Gilliam does some much needed explaining, "The film begins in modern London. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) is a thousand years old. Parnassus as the power to expand your mind beyond anything you've ever dreamed of. For centuries he's been traveling the planet with his traveling theater, The Imaginarium. Parnassus is a prophet; he has a secret he made once long ago with the devil -- and that secret will possibly destroy all their lives or possibly save them. It depends on who they meet ... and who they meet is a man named Tony (Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law), hanging from a bridge in London. They save his life. Is he there to save them? Or is he working for the devil? These are the things we unravel as the story unfolds." [Cinematical]
The Playlist note: We just started reading the script and we're only about a quarter in so far, but we're kind of intensely disliking it. Aw, poor Gillam...
This post is courtesy of our friends at Fataculture.
Trailer: ‘Doubt,’ Catholicism In The Bronx Made To Look Classy, Again.
One of the more elusive films of the year has finally landed a [vague] trailer. Starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis, the film centres on a priest who is accused of abusing a black student but then obviously denies it and religious, moral and authority issues ensue. That is all I know. After watching the trailer, that is still all I know. Obvious highlights are the apparent powerhouse performances, which is why I am anticipating the film so much. Hoffman stands out the most for me at this point, followed by Streep's frightening head nun, and then by Adam's naive and religiously torn baby nun.
Howard Shore's replacement score is a creepy stand out too. Philip Glass had to pull out due to schedule conflicts. After hearing about Viola Davis' character being one of the juiciest and most likely to grab a supporting nomination, I am just going to assume that she was given less attention in the trailer for a reason, so as to not give too much away. Restrained, to the point, creepy; I am no longer in doubt as to how great this film is going to be, as long as the film isn't as choppy as the trailer. Folks in the U.S. can find out on the 12th of December 2008.
For the HD trailer and other downloadable versions, check out Apple. And let me know what you think. This post is courtesy of our friends at Fataculture.
TIFF Video: The Playlist On Walter Salles' "Linha De Passe'
Dodic and us, saw Walter Salles' "Linha De Passe" on Monday (Salles directed, "Central Station" and "The Motorcycle Diaries"). We caught up with him again to talk about it. They'll be a few more videos like this including one on the Ozploitation documentary we saw tonight, "Not Quite Hollywood," which both of us didn't love.
PT II
Trailer: "Linha De Passe"
TIFF Review: 'Nothing But The Truth' Channels The Valerie Plame Story
While the Toronto International Film Festival begins to wind down we ask ourselves, we find ourselves asking a lot, "why did we go see this movie?" Not because it's crap, we bought most of our tickets in advance, but we did buy lots of them without knowing much about the films. Rod Lurie's "Nothing But The Truth," was certainly one of those films. We saw it for three reasons, one bold face names like Kate Beckinsale and Vera Farmiga are what most fare weather movie fans want to read about (celebrities), both are admittedly rather gorgeous and there was a tiny bit of blog chatter about it, probably coming from someone like Jeffrey Wells (neither a dig or a laud, just an observation).
Very quickly, before we go out and enjoy ourselves for once, Lurie's "Nothing But The Truth," was pretty impressive for a straight-ahead drama. Of all the classic melodramas we saw this week, this one was easily the the most penetrating and mostly because of the actors; Kate Beckinsale put in a powerhouse performance and Vera Farmiga was rock solid too. Even Alan Alda was fantastic, one scene in particularly where he has to deliver a moving oratory speech about injustice could have easily been hokey, but damn if it wasn't riveting.
We weren't expecting much from this one honestly, stock dramas aren't really our thing, the sort of typical, conservative storytelling and camerawork can bore us from time to time, but this thing was a moving piece of work.
The film is loosely based on the Valerie Plame story, but almost a what-if-the-story-became-way-worse. More tomorrow. Definitely worth seeing.
9/12/2008
TIFF Review: Steven Soderbergh's 'Che: Guerilla' Earns The Title Of Epic
Picking up in 1965 one year after his United Nations speech, part two of Steven Soderbergh's 'Che' films rightly earns the title of epic once the entire scope and massive breadth of vision is fully absorbed. Again, it's a remarkable achievement and, while we're fine with seeing it in two parts, it's probably all the more breathtaking in one sitting if you're that fervent a cineaste.
Del Toro is once again immersively perfect, tranquil and solemn; asserting a man in command who rarely raises his voice with and passionate empathy for human kind that's all in the eyes. This inner, nuanced performance embodies so much dignity and respect.
Demián Bichir, Joaquim de Almeida and Yul Vazquez also do fantastic jobs as Fidel Castro, the Bolivian Presiden René Barrientos and Acting Minister of the armed forces, Major Juan Almeida respectively.
Here's a link to our review of Part One of "Che," subtitled, "The Argentine."
Boyle To Direct Musical Featuring English Band 'I Am Kloot'?
Danny Boyle, one of our favorite modern auteurs and also one of the most versatile directors in Hollywood, has expressed interest in collaborating with the English band I Am Kloot on an original musical project. The announcement comes as a surprise, as a musical would be a different direction for Boyle, but one has to take him seriously, as it seems he has already taken steps toward making his dream a reality.
TIFF Review: '$5 Dollars A Day'
Sometimes you've gotta go in (mostly) blind. We didn't know anything about "$5 Dollars A Day" when we bought tickets for it other than it starred Christopher Walken and Alessandro Nivola (who we love; he lives in our Brooklyn hood, we see 'em around) and that Walken supposedly turned in a superb performance. That was good enough for us.
Damn, "5 Dollars a Day," was terrific. Again, we didn't know much about this other than it starred Christopher Walken and the terribly underrated Alessandro Nivola, but the bittersweet and winsome film turned out to be wonderfully endearing.
TIFF Review: Richard Linklater's 'Me And Orson Welles'
Easily the least engaging film we've seen so far, Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles," wasn't terrible — it was mostly unremarkable.
About a young aspiring actor (a surprisingly decent Zac Efron) who randomly lands a theater gig of "Julius Caesar," with pre-movie fame but still renowned Orson Welles. We wonder what compels a filmmaker to tell a story like this.
Not because it's bad, but the story — set in the mid-'30s, must have felt like a nice period-piece change of pace. The script is rather clever at times but if you're going to spend two years or so of your life on a film you want probably want to tackle something that really means something.
This is 'Orson Welles' main problem. It is relatively to moderately humorous, it's well acted (Christian Mackay nails Welles deep booming intonation) and it can be charming (mostly due to Claire Danes), but is overall lifeless and lacks soul (we should note that Ben Chaplin is pretty solid too). It's ultimately, largely innocuous, which makes it also rather forgettable.
Assisting in the stiffness is the sets. If you're going to shoot a film about 1930s New York, you probably don't want to shoot it on a clean studio lot that one can spot a mile away and the green screen to capture the Manhattan skyline doesn't help either.
The actor who plays Joe Cotton (James Tupper, previously seen as the romantic lead in Anne Heche's TV show Men In Trees) is rather good, and the subtle nods to the "Third Man" and "Touch of Evil," are fun, but this pic is another film in the mostly unsatisfying recent past of Linklater's work. He's a solid director, but we don't think we've deeply cared for one of his films in a long time — perhaps "The School of Rock," which was cute and winning.
"Me And Orson Welles," is fine one supposes, but not necessarily worth writing home about. [C+]
Toronto Reactions: 'The Lucky Ones,' 'The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,' 'Adoration' & 'I've Loved You So Long'
Eric D. Snider, "But for the most part, the film is astonishingly wrong-headed. Directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist) and written by him and Dirk Wittenborn (Fierce People), its light tone is at odds with the characters' serious problems, and its implausible story conflicts with the vein of realism that lies beneath it. The movie wants us to remember that there really is a war, and that the Army really is having trouble recruiting new soldiers. The thing is, we do remember -- and we know those soldiers deserve a better tribute than this trite, phony dreck."
Paul Fischer, "The Lucky Ones" is a film that explores family and relationships, sexuality and one's priorities in a life turned upside down amidst the chaos of war. Yet at the same time, thanks to a razor-sharp script by director Burger and Dirk Wittenborn, this cinematic road trip is not only a truly exquisite character study and a densely thematic piece, but it is surprisingly hilarious, with the humour derived from a realistic sense of character."
John Foote gives the film 2 stars, "In a superb cameo is the great Ellen Burstyn, as a stroke victim left to die in a withered old mansion. Her scenes with [Bryce Dallas] Howard are quietly electric, giving the film the charge of electricity it badly needs. In her feisty spirit Howard must see part of herself, similarly trapped as the Burstyn character is, by the society she wishes to escape. Aside from Howard and Burstyn, the film seemed curiously muted, certainly not one of Williams’s great works, leaving no one questioning why this has never before been produced."
Nancy Kriparos, "This is Egoyan back to the form and the type of film he does best. More in the style of Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter. In an effort to deal with the death of his parents years earlier, Simon (Devon Bostick) constructs a story about his past for his teacher. But is it the truth? In this film Egoyan explores many of the complex subjects we are all dealing with in a post 911 world. This is one of Egoyan’s best works."
Chris Knight, "When a Toronto high-school student starts telling classmates that his father was a terrorist who tried to blow up a plane on which his mother (pregnant at the time with him) was a passenger, his French/drama teacher (Arsinée Khanjian) takes a keen interest - first in the story, then in the student, finally in his extended family - for reasons that are not at first clear. Egoyan's exploration of technology, communication and family is a touch dry but never less than thoughtful...Personal history is what you make it."
NOW, "For a decade now, Egoyan's films have offered little more than arch, suffocating gamesmanship, and Adoration delivers the same stiff acting and pompous dialogue, the same inability to build believable human motivations around the weighty metaphor with which he thinks he's working. It's exhausting, you know?"
"I've Loved You So Long" by Philippe Claudel
Nancy Kriparos, "Claudel was appreciative to be able to have someone as good as [Kristen] Scott Thomas with her wonderfully expressive face at the centre of his film. Zyberstein gives a fine performance as well but Scott Thomas gives the kind of performance that you remember and I will be surprised if it’s not remembered when nominations are considered."
NOW, "The filmmaker wants to let his audience feel good about rooting for a character whose dark history would have been far more compelling had we been left to fill in her blanks for ourselves. His star doesn't waste a moment worrying about our sympathy. I'd love to have seen the movie she thought she was making."
Jeff Wells, who didn't see it at Toronto for the first time, calls it one of the years best films, "The film itself is a landmark-level achievement. It’s remarkably tight, absorbing and affectng every step of the way — a genuinely profound growth journey taken with quiet and gentle steps. Whatever happens on the Oscar nomination front, this film has immediately shot to the top of my list of the year’s best films."
This post is courtesy of our friends at Fataculture.
Trailer: 'Changeling,' Angelina Wants Her Son, And An Oscar Too?
What is it about Clint Eastwood and his fascination with missing/possibly dead children? Sure, he has only made two films that fit that bill, to my knowledge, the first being “Mystic River,” which garnered a Best Actor win for Sean Penn for his portrayal of a grieving/revengeful father, and the second being “Changeling,” which could do the same for Ms. Angelina Jolie. After all, she knows a thing or two about children, ahem, and if anyone had to tap into the emotions that would result from losing one of them, I’m sure she’d do a great job of that, providing that she has a little more to say/over dramatically scream than,” I want MY son back.” Which I am sure she does. Of course, this is an Oscar-tailored film from the gorgeous production aspects to the cast and the pedigree director but up until this trailer was released; my only interest in it came from how good it looks on paper. And while the trailer did not knock me out, I like it and I want to see the film more than ever. Which means, it did its job. And I think I get the title now, maybe. Excuse the rambling, it's been a long week. [Trailer Addict via LiC]
If that doesn't grab you, check out the "Revolutionary Road" first-look trailer, which I have decided not to post because there is such a thing as trailer overload. Later today, however, check back for the "Doubt" trailer, I wouldn't miss that for anything.
This post is courtesy of our friends at Fataculture.
9/11/2008
Something Besides Cancer Strikes Ebert at TIFF
What has two thumbs, can't speak, and doesn't enjoy being smacked with a binder? Roger Ebert!
A cancer stricken Roger Ebert was attacked yesterday during a press screening of Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" at the Toronto Film Festival. I bet you're wondering how a violent mugger made his way into a press screening. It in fact was not a mugger. No, it wasn't Vincent Gallo either, but it was New York Post film critic, Lou Lumenick.
We unfortunately weren't at this specific screening for the film, but we did see it and it is our favorite film so far this year.
Soon after the lights went down, a source tells us, "a man in the audience started yelling, 'Don't touch me!' People looked around and shrugged. Ten minutes later, the voice yells again, 'I said don't touch me!'" Again, people shrugged off the disturbance. But a few minutes later, says our source, "the guy stands up in the darkness and thwacks the guy behind him with a big festival binder. He hit him so hard everybody could hear it. Everyone freaked out and turned around."
It turns out that Ebert was tapping Lumenick on the shoulder because he couldn't see the screen, but he is unable to talk, so he couldn't vocally tell Lou that he was blocking his vision.
Interestingly enough, Lumenick's binder bashing didn't hinder the two thumbed legend from enjoying the film, because after the screening, Ebert slid Boyle a note saying he deserves an Oscar. [New York Daily News]
'The Soloist' Trailer Finally Online! 'Resurrecting the Champ' Meets 'Caveman's Valentine'
TIFF Review: 'Che: The Argentine ' Is An Unadorned Yet Impressive Achievement
Since we're impatient as fuck, we had no choice but to watch Steven Soderbergh's 'Che,' in two separate parts (the full four hour screening is tomorrow, we're *that* impatient). Today we saw the first half, "The Argentine." But note...
We have no complaint or quarrel having our "Che" experience cut in half. We found ourselves restless and becoming exhausted by films not even two hours long during TIFF, but part one of Steven Soderbergh's unsentimental yet intimate depiction of the Cuban revolution was magnetically engrossing with nary a dull second.
In fact, the split has saved us from potential fatigue and we can't wait for more, but the film doesn't leave one on any cliffhanger and stands alone as a formidable piece of work. Equally captivating was the matter of fact performance by Benicio del Toro all the more impressive for its power and projection largely in lieu of close-ups or "movie moments."
Eschewing almost all the familiar biopic tropes and all traces of centerpiece ostentatious and sweeping cinematic gestures, Soderbergh's lens acts like a near silent documentarian soaking in the action.
Straightforward and extremely literal, "Che" unspools almost as if one is watching a finely crafted docu-drama and this perhaps why some have called the film "undramatic," but it actually has everything to do with the abandonment of Hollywood like arcs, twists, gesticulations and cliches. Reminding of us a tough-minded BBC film, "Che" is understated, yet still as stirring as anything we've seen at the festival thus far.
A clean portrait rather than a hagiography or a vilification, the lithe film moves briskly, with Soderbergh's trademark super efficiency and its movement from 1954-1959 (when the revolution was won) is anchored by the only real movie convention - Guevara's 1964 address to the United Nations, which is shot in black and white restraint and as trenchantly rousing as anything else depicted on screen. Modest and mannered in its simplicity, there's also a lively undercurrent to del Toro's performance that acts as a subtle call-to-arms tone rather apropos to the film.
More than an anything, "Che" is a remarkable achievement and an impressive event to experience. [A] Tomorrow, we see "Guerilla." And note, almost all the footage and images we've seen thus far of the film are of the "The Argentine." Though we have found some 'Guerrilla' images for tomorrow. Lastly, note to the two film titles seem to be just a formality at this point. There was no title of "The Argentine" anywhere, but then again, I don't think we saw a title that said, "Che," either, it's that plain and unadorned, but it's a testament to the film's prowess that it can convey so much with so little. Unfortunately, neither Soderbergh nor del Toro were at the event and as the festival winds down, we assume the star wattage will as well (it doesn't make a difference to us though). [A]
Here's our review of the Part Two: "Guerilla" which was equally astonishing.
Danny Boyle Might Direct '28 Months Later' Threequel Installment & More....
Hot on the heels of his success with "Slumdog Millionaire," what will British director Danny Boyle do next? One possibility is returning to direct the third installment of his "28 Days Later" zombie virus films. Boyle directed the original (which was a fantastic return to form after a few missteps), but only executive produced "28 Weeks Later." Boyle says he has an idea for a third film which he'd love to do. [MTV]
Kathryn Bigelow's widely praised Iraq War film, "The Hurt Locker" was bought during the Toronto Int. Film Festival by Summit films. We'll have missed this one by the time we leave Toronto, but it's definitely on our must-see list, especially since most critics and audiences seem to be very over Iraq-themed films these days which indicates this one must be something special. [Variety]
Another "Paris, Not France" story about the Paris Hilton documentary without nary a word about the supposed drama revolving the film (Paris' people were allegedly trying to shut down the film). Is that an ill-formed rumor or what's the story here? We want to know more. Jeffrey Wells? Spoutblog? [Variety]
Will the Wachowski Brothers tackle a Wonder Woman film? [SplashPage]
As if the "The Dark Knight" buzz needed anymore help. Warner Bros. is planning a re-release of Christopher Nolan's Batman film in January at the height of Oscar season. The film really could earn itself a couple of nods, especially in the technical awards. Anyone who thinks Aaron Eckhart is going to get a supporting nod is as stupid as those that didn't realize that Harvey Dent was dead at the end of the film. [Reuters]
The new version of "At the Movies" began last weekend, and the new hosts, Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz, deserve two thumbs down. [Chicago Tribune]
More 'Liberace' news. Apparently, Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg (two of the six cum stains that wrote "Scary Movie") had written a biopic about the famous musician, so we guess this is good news that these guys have one less project coming our way.
Spike Lee's Wife Tells Him His Spat With Clint Eastwood May Have Cost Him The Oscar, Uhh Hello?
So Spike Lee is claiming his beef with Clint Eastwood may have cost him the Oscar. Wait, hold the phone, who even says you're in Oscar contention this year? "Miracle At Saint Anna," was good, but it wasn't that good, and reviews haven't been especially spectacular, so you might want to check yourself there Spike. We adore him, but you're out of line here.
But wait, he's putting this on his wife. "My wife Tonya told me I may have hurt my chances with the Clint Eastwood stuff... They (Oscar voters and Academy bosses) take everything into account with me. They take into account that I like the Knicks or that I'm in New York." Ummm... ok, if you say so Spike. Either she wears that pants in the family, or he hid behind the skirt to not like an arrogant prick, and if so, that's a dick move.
Somewhere in North American Clint Eastwood is reading a newspaper, smiling with that piercing glint in his eye and calling up Lee's publicist to ask if he needs any help digging his own ditch. Spike's wife also told him he had to miss Fantasy baseball night cause she had to have a girls night out and he had to watch the kids to which he responded, "Yes, maam." [Huffington Post]
Steven Soderbergh Developing Liberace Biopic For Michael Douglas
Man, we're not sure what to think of Steven Soderbergh's reported development of a Liberace biopic according to Variety this morning, but then again, Soderbergh has always marched to the beat of his own drum for better or worse.
Sometimes its left him totally out of step with popular culture and critics ("The Good German," "Bubble"), and some times his whims have taken him straight to the Oscars
("Traffic").
Variety says that Soderbergh is in the early stages of the project which he will direct and also tap his "Traffic" buddy Michael Douglas to star in. It sounds rather ludicrous, but who knows it could be a deliciously amazing turn for both filmmaker and especially the actor. Think of all the fun flamboyant (ghey) gestures you'd be able to throw around. For a brave actor, this is kind of a tasty little role.
Another Soderbergh favorite, Matt Damon (who also as a small role in "Che"), is also in talks the lover who sued Liberace in 1982 for $113 million in palimony (an unrecognized legal terms for sort-of divorce that essentially means pal alimony; like friends that are more than friends if you get our drift).
However, don't expect this project soon, the fast-working director has two other projects in the queue that take precedent including the call-girls film, "The Girlfriend Experience," and "The Informant," which Matt Damon just wrapped for Soderbergh (remember those plus-sized Matt Damon photos?). 'Girlfriend,' btw, will be another low-budget, straight to DVD, theaters and OnDemand type film and release ala "Bubble." Oh yeah, and btw, David Holmes, who scored, the "Ocean's" franchises will re-team with the director on 'Girlfriend.'
TIFF Review: 'Gomorrah' - A Powerful Look At The Effects Of Crime And Corruption Via Italy's Most Infamous Mafia
After Cannes, there were quite a few films that not only sounded fantastic, they won a bunch of the top awards too. At the top of our to-see list was "Hunger," "The Class," and Italian director Mattaeo Garrone's "Gomorrah."
The winner of the Grand Prix Award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival was Garrone's adaptation of the true-life expose of the Italy's most infamous mafia organization, the Cammora. Such an disquieting and trenchant look was the non-fiction novel that its author, Roberto Saviano had to go into hiding and is still apparently accompanied by armed guards wherever he goes.
"Gommorah" takes five disparate vignettes from the book and weaves them together, bound together only Cammora ties. Set around the dismal projects of Scampia and Secondigliano, Garrone powerful film demonstrates how the crime family's reach is far, wide and touches all walks of life. The film traces the story of two arrogant, brass-balled teenagers who think they're the next Scarface (pictured above), a toxic waste dumper without a conscience, a young boy caught in the middle of a project gang war forced to choose sides, a fashion designer who teaches the rivaling Chinese designers for extra scratch, and an aging go-between man who delivers cash to families in the projects whose sons are in jail for Camorra-related crimes.
Intense, unflinching and raw-nerved, the deeper the plots became the more anxiety-ridden the film became. A frank look at corruption and the ripple effect is has across the country, the uncompromising film soon became a knot in the stomach with outbursts of random violence around every corner (we literally had to cower more than once).
Brutal and viscerally powerful, "Gommorah," also touches on the universal theme of struggle and what one will do to get by when they have no choice; the poverty of the projects and their hopelessness being rather depressing and bleak. The film essentially reveals a war going on and the many casualties that surround it. Ultimately, the film is wake-up call and cutting indictment of crime, corruption and the blind eye that is turned in the name of desperation, fear, survival and greed. [B+]
Steve Martin To Release Album of 'Serious Banjo Songs'
Already prolific writer-comedian-performance artist-actor Steve Martin is set to release an albums of "serious banjo songs," (label and date TBD). The album, which ought to be called "Pickin' On A Thermos," will be produced by Martin's high school friend, and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band man John McCuen. On The Bluegrass Blog, McCuen says:
This album will amaze many because it will show people that Steve takes his music as seriously as he does his other work and performs it at that level. Steve has written some of my favorite banjo tunes. I think after the release of Steve’s new album a couple of tunes might become standard fare for new pickers.
I had a high school friend named John McEuen, who was also interested in the banjo. He is now one of the finest banjo players in the world. It was at his house in 1964 that a friend, Dave, came over and played the banjo live. Dave sat in front of us and intoned "Floppy Eared Mule," a song whose high point came when the strings were struck behind the bridge, emulating the sound of a donkey's bray. Emulating the sound of a donkey's bray may not be your idea of music, but to us, Dave was Menuhin.
TIFF: 'What Doesn't Kill You' Q&A With Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke & Director Brian Goodman
It's hard to make any fun of "What Doesn't Kill You" director Brian Goodman; the guy went through hell and back like most fierce addicts, but you can see some of the 12-stepper stuff we're talking about in our review. He's been sober for 12 years, but he clearly still sees everyday as a gift. Our camera was dying of its juice, but we got a few short parts of the Q&A.
The film got a standing ovation afterwards and Goodman had to pull himself together he was so moved. The joke however, that me and my Toronto friends have being that T.O audiences will adore anything if the actual players are in attendance. Toronto crowds, much like Canadians, are nice and tend to go pretty easy on films and love everything. That's not to discredit, Goodman's work, it's just an observation that even the homegrown folks know of. We're not sure if they're in either clip, but Ruffalo and Hawke, both exchanged pretty tearful, but triumphant hugs with Goodman during his applause. Clearly this guys been through a ton of shit and people like Hawke and Ruffalo - people that the filmmaker now considers friends - seem to understand his hell pretty vividly. Good said 'Kill' was eight years in the making and started when he showed Ruffalo a script he was making when they both worked on a Rod Lurie film years ago.
TIFF: 'Slumdog Millionaire' Q&A With Danny Boyle
We lost yet another recording device yesterday at TIFF (a world of devices and cables to power them is a world of nirvana for us), but we did get a chance to talk to director Danny Boyle after a screening of his remarkable new film, "Slumdog Millionaire," a magnetic, pulsing with energy and vibrant film about a boy from the slums of Mumbai who wins 20 million rupies on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," and its immediately assumed he's been cheating as how could a lowly slumdog be sharp enough to win that much dough?
Told in a semi-subversive flashback that looks forward on life (as opposed to those on their deathbed that look back), the film spans the 20 year life of its protagonist Jamal Malik (played by three different actors, over the course of his life ending with Dev Patel and beginning with the astounding child actor whose names escapes us and it's very google friendly at the moment).
We spoke to Boyle after the screening and asked him if he was pleasantly surprised or astounded to the superb reaction the film has received and yes, we lost our recorder, but yes, he basically said he was in near shock considering the subject matter. He also gave our buddies at Fox Searchlight some props and considering they just bought this and "The Wrestler," they are having a banner year.
We asked him what he was doing next and he said an animated project. Probed a bit deeper he said it would an adaptation of a Terry Pratchett's children book "Truckers," which is the first part of his "Bromeliad trilogy" (which ComingSoon also noted).
He did say it would be a mix of live-action and animation and said its being set up at Dreamworks, but cautioned that you never know with these things considering the state of the film world right now financially. Maybe if 'Slumdog' connects with audiences he can get more pull. It's a fantastic film that should be our your must-see list, stat. "Slumdog Millionaire" was a departure in the sense that it was one of the first Danny Boyle project he's done in a while without writing partner Alex Garland. This film was penned by "The Full Monty" author Simon Beaufoy. You should be able to hear us at the end of the Q&A asking a question. Boyle's such a great down to earth guy too. Really happy for his success here. He totally deserves it.
Danny Boyle And The 'Slumdog' Cast Before The Screening
Danny Boyle And The Truncated 'Slumdog' Cast After The Screening
Viva Cuba, Viva Che
When we said our family was really into Che Guevara and the Cuban revolution, we weren't really joking. Do your grandparents (RIP) have china plates from Cuba with Che's face plastered on it? Yeah, probably not, right? We see part 1 of Steven Soderbergh's "Che," tomorrow in the afternoon cause we were too impatient to wait for the one-sitting four-hour version on Friday a.m. Plus we'll catch it in on serving during the New York Film Festival hopefully.
9/10/2008
TIFF Review: 'What Doesn't Kill You'
Writer/director Brian Goodman's "What Doesn't Kill You," is a manly, muscular and gritty drama about, friendship, brotherhood, life priorities and loyalty. It's the true-life story of Goodman, an ex-con, crack addict, alcoholic and loving father of two, but as much as we were moved by parts of the film, we're not sure we were deeply affected by the whole.
Living and dying by the soulful performance of Mark Ruffalo (Goodman's self surrogate), the acting turn is poignant, but not as remarkable as perhaps everyone in the crowd seemed to think (they went apeshit for it, maybe cause the stars were in attendance). Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke play south Boston thugs who commit nickel and dime crimes to get by. The rest is rather familiar, they fuck around for too long, Ruffalo abuses the bottle and the trust of his family (his wife played by Amanda Peet) and then the law inevitably catches up with both of them and they're both thrown in the clink for five-plus years (one of the lawmen being a small role by Donnie Wahlberg)
This is basically the halfway point of the 100 minute film (that certainly felt 2 hours in length) point and we were left generally unfazed thus far; all we've got is a slightly above-average drama. However, it's the post-prison scenes that really shine and pay off with deep emotional dividends, but this powerful last act of inner-conflict departs us all too quickly. Like macho men who keep it all inside, perhaps 'Kill' was too internal to connect in any way that we could really respond to.
Ruffalo's character is forced to make a choice, survive on the outside and provide for his family or go for one more score and risk prison. It's nice for a change to see a grim drama like this leave us with hope, and high marks go to the filmmaker for his intentions and thes sage handling of this conclusion, but but we can't help but wonder if an entire post-prison film would have suited his strengths better and been a more rewarding film.
A true 12-stepper, while Goodman mostly spares us the recovery cliches and his story moves with subtly and grace (esp in that last act), we only wish the film was as moving as a whole as his visibly choked up response was to the standing ovation his world premiere in Toronto received. [B] We did think Alex Wurman's score was quite good and perhaps some of the almost too restrained film would have been even less affecting without his stirring music to underscore it.
TIFF Review: Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Danny Boyle is one of our favorite modern auteurs, but his films seem to get short thrift with audiences these days and or he's hit or miss with the mainstream. But his new film has garnered a lot of unlikely buzz and let the recent Telluride film festival with the loudest reverberating hum. The Fox Searchlight came in to help out the "we don't really care about small indies" Warner Bros. and the film then seemed to take on a new life, which is remarkable considering the story about a boy savant from the slums of Mumbai isn't the easiest sell for mainstream audiences that just want to see shit blow up real good.
We'll add to this later, but we're so awed by the magic of "Slumdog Millionaire" we had to get it out now, we're practically bursting at the seams to say it.
A sure-fire crowd pleaser and a cinematic tour de force, 'Slumdog' was a spectacular joy and a fantastic ride. The children in this film were fabulous, the music was thrilling (some M.I.A - "Paper Planes"!) and the script remarkably subverted the memories flashback trope most audiences are familiar with.
A wicked nod to bollywood at the end, plus a rushing full of life story and bold, kinetic camera, Boyle triumphed again with easily the film of the festival. People must see this vibrantly wonderful film as soon as possible. [A]
Philip Seymour Hoffman Denies 'Batman' Sequel Involvement
As you'll remember the other day, MTV reported that Michael Caine said that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Johnny Depp would be playing The Penguin and The Riddler in the next 'Batman' movie. It was all speculation, and Hoffman has already denied the news. “No one has talked to me about it ever — never,” replied Hoffman. “It happened, like, five years ago, too. It was a rumor back then and it’s still a rumor. [laughs] It’s just in the press. It’s funny.”
"Wild Things" Creator Maurice Sendak Hates People, Loves Spike Jonze
It's been about 5 days since our last "Where the Wild Things Are" update, when we shared the news that the film is back on Warner's 2009 release schedule. So we're thankful for this New York Times profile of WWTA creator Maurice Sendak, who recently turned 80.
- His uncle
- God
- Salman Rushdie
- "Syrupy" animation
- People
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