Telluride Film Festival

Telluride Film Festival - Call for Entries

Sydney Levine — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:30:00 GMT

Telluride is the finest jewel of the festivals. Its size is limited by the natural resources of the community, but the enthusiasm of the audience, both professional and civilian is unlimited. If you have a worthy film – and they only take the crème de la crème – submit it and treat yourself!

Telluride Film Festival (August 29 – September 2, 2013), presented by National Film Preserve, Ltd. announces its Call for Entries in all categories including student, short and feature length films.

Submission period begins April 15, 2013. Film Entry Form is available for download at www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

Shorts and student film submissions must be received no later than 5:00 pm, July 1, 2013. Feature film submissions must be received no later than 5:00 pm, July 15, 2013. All submissions must have been completed after July 15, 2012 and no works in progress will be accepted. Feature-length films (60 minutes or longer) will only be considered if they are to have their first North American screening at Telluride Film Festival. Final program determinations will be made by August 1, 2013. No early or late entries will be accepted.

Professional and amateur filmmakers working in all aesthetic disciplines and genres including narrative, documentary, animation and experimental are welcome.

Each year Telluride Film Festival plays host to an average of 25 feature films and 25 shorts and student films. Films selected to screen at Telluride Film Festival will be shown out-of-competition. TFF is not a competitive festival.

For more information visit www.telluridefilmfestival.org

40^th Anniversary of the Telluride Film Festival

Telluride Film Festival is celebrating its 40^th Anniversary August 29 – September 2, 2013. To commemorate this special occasion an additional day has been added to the usual four-day Festival, making room for a five-day bounty of special programming and festivities. Passes are now available for purchase at www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

About Telluride Film Festival

The prestigious Telluride Film Festival ranks among the world’s best film festivals and is an annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and critics. TFF is considered a major launching ground for the fall season’s most talked-about films. Co-founded in 1974 by Tom Luddy, James Card, and Bill and Stella Pence, Telluride Film Festival, presented in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado, is a four-day international educational event celebrating the art of film. Telluride Film Festival’s long-standing commitment is to join filmmakers and film connoisseurs together to experience great cinema. The exciting schedule, kept secret until Opening Day, consists of over two dozen filmmakers presenting their newest works, special Guest Director programs, three major Tributes to guest artists, special events and remarkable treasures from the past. Telluride Film Festival is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit educational program. Festival headquarters are in Berkeley, CA.

40th Telluride Film Festival Announces Call for Entries

Sophia Savage and Beth Hanna — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:04:00 GMT

The Telluride Film Festival has announced its call for entries in all categories, including student, short and feature-length films.

The submission period begins April 15, with the Film Entry Form available for download here. Shorts and student films must be received no later than 5pm on July 1; feature submissions no later than 5pm on July 15.

The 40th anniversary edition of the fest is set per usual for Labor Day weekend August 29 - September 2. Passes for the festival, presented by The National Film Preserve, are available here. The new 650 seat Werner Herzog Theater will be ready for the festival, allowing for an extra day, for a full five days of special programming and festivities. This does not mean the festival is widening its pass holder base; the relaxed atmosphere will be preserved. As usual, the program will not be announced in advance, but this anniversary year will "be a grand reunion highlighting all the elements of the last forty years."

Exec director Julie Huntsinger states: "The 40th celebration is our chance to thank and honor the founders, filmmakers and audience who have helped us create such a beloved cultural institution. We are inspired every day by the cinematic genius that surrounds us and look forward to sharing the best of that on this very special occasion.”

Telluride Film Festivals 40th Anniversary Edition Gets A Few Changes

Cristina A. Gonzalez — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:40:16 GMT

Telluride Film Festival will celebrate it's 40th anniversary this year and to commemorate this special occasion the festival will be extended to be a five day event rather than the usual four-day event. An additional day means more room for special programming honoring their history, including some reunions. This years festival is scheduled to run from August 29th to September 2nd and is presented by the National Film Preserve.

The festival will also debut a brand new venue this year, The Werner Herzog Theatre. It is set to be their most 'technologically advanced theatre accommodating 650 pass holders.' While a larger venue and additional day could mean a larger pass holder base, they've decided to not expand in efforts to maintain their intimate experience.

"The 40th celebration is our chance to thank and honor the founders, filmmakers and audience who have helped us create such a beloved cultural institution," said Telluride Film Festival Executive Director Julie Huntsinger. "We are inspired every day by the cinematic genius that surrounds us and look forward to sharing the best of that on this very special occasion."

Festival passes will be available for purchase beginning tomorrow, March 1, 2013. For more information about the festival or to purchase passes, visit their website at www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

Review: Noah Baumbach's 'Frances Ha,' Starring Muse Greta Gerwig (VIDEO)

Beth Hanna — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:58:00 GMT

Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha" (May 17) follows a young woman drifting through the generous definition of "coming of age" that has become en vogue with the advent of Mumblecore and American indie films over the past decade. Frances Halliday (Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the film and also starred in Baumbach's "Greenberg") is the questionably tender age of 27, facing the woes of Brooklyn rent, a would-be career in modern dance that has stalled mid-pirouette and a best friend who is slowly breaking up with her.

Gerwig is a consistently watchable screen presence, even if she only rarely lands films deserving of her pleasingly awkward charisma. Baumbach is an able director, of course, but one gets the sense that he's lazily babysitting here, helming a script that's too specific to 20-something hipster ennui for him to have had much of a hand in it. The drawback: this story has been told so many times in only mildly differing forms, and in this case with little if anything new to add to the firmament.

The film is shot in grainy black-and-white, and features haphazard French New Wave references. During a sequence where Frances darts from a restaurant to a far-afield ATM, to make good on her offer of buying dinner for her date, a sped-up version of the theme from "The 400 Blows" decorates the soundtrack, while an annoying ripoff of Georges Delerue's "Jules and Jim" score pops up later in the film. Instead of giving the film a sense of vitality, these empty flourishes only underscore the faux-whimsical and self-congratulatory branding of the Brooklyn artist lifestyle.

Frances is supposed to be an individual, forging through life's hardly dire uncertainties and disappointments. She isn't unlikeable, nor is Gerwig's portrayal, and the character is funny, entertaining and relatable enough to follow to the film's conclusion. But Frances' individuality feels plagued by sameness -- from her dissheveled appearance and guileless manner of speaking to her predictably unusual set of artistic ambitions and meandering lifestyle. What we get is trendy conformity covered by a thin layer of "fringe."

6 Personal Highlights From The Film Festivals Of 2012

The Playlist Staff — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:12:09 GMT

We're generally anti-navelgazing here at The Playlist, but being the end of the year, it can't really be avoided. As we continue to take a look back at the cinematic year of 2012, we're trying to shake things up and keep things fresh outside of the usual Best/Worst lists. This year saw The Playlist making a presence around the world at more than a handful of festivals. And while you've already read our reviews and news, we thought we'd give you a taste of the experience of attending these festivals. Even if you can't make Cannes or board a flight to Marrakech, we hope this helps in translating what it's like to run around a foreign country with nothing more than a laptop and a love of cinema. So, without further ado, here are six personal highlights from the various film festivals in 2012 we attended.

Telluride - Marion Cotillard’s Tribute/The “Lowlife” Sneak Peek with James Gray
For me, attending the Marion Cotillard tribute in Telluride was just a way to catch up with “Rust & Bone” which had already screened at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The tribute to her, at only 37 years old, felt, well, premature to be honest, but it was essentially just mild icing on the cake. Not only did “Rust & Bone” turn out to be one of my favorite films of the year, but the tribute was a surprising and fascinating conversation with an artist who is clearly doing some of the best work of her career. And frankly, it's never too early to ring the bell for the actress. Candid, funny and charming, Cotillard won over the audience easily and the clips of her films put into perspective some of the great things she has done so far, including some of the notable achievements she’s pulled off in her short U.S./Hollywood career so far. The tribute also put into perspective that, at 37 and only having worked in Hollywood ostensibly since “La Vie en Rose” (though she had done a few American roles before that), she had already worked with Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Steven Soderbergh, Michael Mann, Woody Allen, Jacques Audiard, Tim Burton and Abel Ferrara to name a few.

So the tribute turned into a great little meal instead and it even came with a fantastic cherry on top. Director James Gray (“We Own The Night,” “The Yards”) showed up, regaled the audiences with stories about Cotillard (he cast her before even seeing her act) and teased the audience with a five minute clip of his upcoming 2013 film “Lowlife,” which stars Cotillard as a Polish immigrant in 1920s New York who is manipulated by Joaquin Phoenix and then potentially saved by a magician played by Jeremy Renner. It’s likely no secret that many Playlist members are fans of the undervalued Gray and so getting a sneak peek of the film -- with its gorgeous chiaroscuro lighting from DP Darius Khondji and its moody operatic tone in general -- was a total treat. That was what I would call a great and immersive festival experience, all and all. I would also be remiss if i didn’t include being in attendance at the world premiere of Sally Potter’s comeback with her devastating “Ginger & Rosa” featuring a lovely and heartbreaking standout performance by Elle Fanning, who mark my words, will have many Academy Award nominations (and possible wins) under her belt by the time she’s 30. She is the real deal. (Rodrigo Perez) All of our 2012 Telluride coverage can be found here.

Sundance - World Premiere of ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’
If you’ve never been, scheduling your Sundance Film Festival can be extremely nervewracking. With 200+ films playing for 10 days, there’s no way to catch everything, so you just do the best you can to see as many quality films as you can. (Identifying which are the quality films beforehand can be a nearly impossible task, and skipping over a film that ends up being the breakout hit of the fest is something that every critic and festivalgoer fears.) While I was drawing up my schedule for Sundance 2012, one film I had completely skipped over was “Beasts of the Southern Wild” from first-time director Benh Zeitlin.

Since I hadn’t seen Zeitlin’s short “Glory At Sea,” all I had to go on was a single image featuring a young girl with fireworks and a description which read: “Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in “the Bathtub,” a southern Delta community at the edge of the world.” Despite appearing in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section -- known for producing breakout hits over the past years like “Blue Valentine” and “Winter’s Bone” -- the synopsis sounded like something that could very easily go wrong and be absolutely painful to sit through, so I planned to skip it.

Shortly before gearing up for the fest, with my schedule nearly in place, I spoke to my cousin, who told me he’d worked on a little film the previous summer and that I should let him know how it turned out. I noticed that my schedule had a hole that Friday morning when his film was scheduled to have its World Premiere, so I decided to give it a shot. Obviously I had no idea when I sat down for my very first screening of the fest that this would become the hottest ticket of the fest, sending other critics scrambling to get into subsequent screenings. That film turned out to be “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and when the lights went down I, like most in the audience, was swept away.

I’m not sure if it was exhaustion or emotion but I found myself almost inexplicably moved to tears. It wasn’t a dramatic moment that brought on the waterworks, it was a simple music cue. As Hushpuppy and her friends marched over the hill to the swells of “The Confrontation” tears began streaming down my face. Listening to it now, I still get goosebumps. The feeling in the room was electric and afterwards the film’s young director and stars received a standing ovation. It was, obviously, a highlight of the festival, but I still wasn’t sure if it would have much commercial appeal. But I figured that if it got picked up by a carefully-curated specialty outfit like Oscilloscope (who seemed a natural fit), it would eventually find an audience.

Imagine my surprise a few days later while standing in line for another screening, I overheard a Fox Searchlight executive who was asked by a friend what was his favorite film of the fest so far? His answer was “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” The next day it was announced that they had bought the film. If you had asked me beforehand which film might’ve been most likely to be picked up by FS, I probably would’ve said “Safety Not Guaranteed,” (which seemed like it could’ve been a “Little Miss Sunshine”-sized hit in their hands). But credit to Searchlight for buying ‘Beasts,’ a film that doesn’t fit any pre-existing template, and managing to turn it into an arthouse hit.

Much has been made about the Sundance effect of festival crowds hyping a film that can’t possibly live up to those expectations outside of Park City, but there’s still something magical about being in the room for the very first screening of that special film that everyone will still be talking about 12 months later. In a few weeks I’ll be going back for my third round of Sundance, crossing my fingers that I don’t pass over that special film hiding in plain sight on the schedule. (Cory Everett) - All of our 2012 Sundance Coverage can be found here.

Cannes - The Weinstein Sizzle Reel Presentation
While other film festivals around the world have secret screenings and other surprises for movie fans, the Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious nature hasn’t seen them follow down that path. While one always hears rumblings of various films showing footage for buyers (if I remember correctly, “Cloud Atlas” was being shown off back in May for very select people), what The Weinstein Company pulled off was rare indeed. The distributor invited a modest number of film writers and sites (including us) for a special presentation that turned out to be sizzle reel footage from “Django Unchained,” “The Master” and “Silver Linings Playbook” (each link has that initital report). Now, bear in mind, this was months before any trailers or advertising dropped for any of the movies, but looking back, it’s impressive to see the Harvey Weinstein machine in action. Indeed, the famed producer personally introduced the event (catered too, which means a lot to fest journos who usually don’t eat very well), held in a decent-sized hotel screening room, clearly proud of the movies he would be repping for Oscar season. And while it was fantastic to get an early glimpse of all three films, it’s even more impressive to note how passionate Harvey can be. While he can still be a polarizing figure, this event cemented that there are few who will get behind a movie and run with it the whole nine yards like he does. This impromptu gathering may not have made waves with the public at large, but it’s Harvey doing what he does best, zeroing in on those who can start the conversation, and starting the kind of slow build that reaps rewards (and awards) later on. (Kevin Jagernauth) -- All Our 2012 Cannes Coverage can be found here.

Fantasia - Midnight Screening Of “Miami Connection”
There are few screenings in my life that will ever match what I witnessed at the Fantasia Film Festival showing of “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” a couple of years back. Fantasia has one of the most vocal and entertaining audiences (in the best way possible) you’ll ever get the chance to experience, and they nearly tore the roof off in appreciation of Edgar Wright’s film. In short, they participate (applause, cheering, and much more), so a midnight screening of rediscovered ‘80s trash “Miami Connection” seemed the perfect fit. And Fantasia did not disappoint. Even though it wasn’t sold out, and didn’t quite reach the heights of ‘Scott Pilgrim,’ the audience rocked with the adorably awful movie, audibly ooh-ing and aah-ing at the right dramatic beats for the orphan subplot, and appreciatively receiving the action scenes. For someone who often sees films with hushed colleagues at press screenings, Fantasia is always a great reminder that cinema is also communal, with room to be silly and blow off steam. (Kevin Jagernauth)

Karlovy Vary - “What is this Film Called Love” Screening & Mark Cousins Interview
By contrast with some of my colleagues’ highlights, the first of mine took place in a sparsely populated theater in Eastern Europe at 9 AM; the press screening of Mark Cousins’ “What is this Film Called Love” at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Frankly, while it was circled on my increasingly ratty and dog-eared schedule, it was always one of those films that looked like it might get shunted in favor of another movie, or a bit of a lie-in, but however the stars aligned, I found myself there, a few minutes early in fact, and with no particular desire to see whatever incest drama had the 10 AM slot (I’m guessing here, but there were a lot of incest dramas).

That day, that week, that month I had a bunch of things on my mind -- Life Decisions that had to be made -- and I think the quiet emptiness of the darkened theater appealed to me, too. Then the unmistakable voice of PJ Harvey roused me from my reverie, and I watched this guy ramble around Mexico City talking in voiceover to a laminated picture of Sergei Eistenstein for 79 minutes. And I cannot tell you why, but somewhere along the way (actually I know the precise scene), a dam broke in my brain and suddenly all my thorny decisions were made.

Sometimes a film, good, bad or indifferent, just finds you at the right moment. And this is what happened here. The weird thing is I still can’t claim that my experience had anything to do with the film’s quality - I grappled with the task of reviewing it somewhat objectively, and failed, (see here.) But I unequivocally admire the bravery of the endeavour, and the film’s simple faith that if you try to be as honest as you can, you may lay yourself open to accusations of self-indulgence, pretension, grandiosity, or dullness to most of the audience, but maybe you also make something that someone three rows back on the left will respond to in some unforeseeable, wholehearted way.

I emerged buzzing from the screening into the bright Czech sunshine, and immediately went off to set up what proved to be a hugely enjoyable interview with Cousins, whom you simply can’t have seen the film and not feel like you know. And that in itself was part of what made the experience so great, not just the film, not just the chatty, relaxed interview, but to be at the sort of small, well-run, helpful festival where you can stumble into the press office all screen-blind and incoherent, and be sitting at a table in an outdoor café with the director ten minutes later.

Films can be massive - of this we are reminded every day at the multiplex. But films can also be tiny, minuscule yet weighted with a heart of gold. And if you’re lucky enough to find the right one at the right moment, movies, I have always believed, can help. “What Is This Film Called Love” didn’t solve my riddles but it did remind me of how to do that for myself, by just being unapologetically what it is: open-hearted, curious, unafraid of ridicule, brave. It is all those things, and it is also a far-too-personal, doodly, meandering mess. I couldn’t have had a better time with it. (Jessica Kiang) -- All our coverage of the 2012 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival can be found here.

Marrakech - James Gray Interview
So we’re running the severe risk of James Gray overkill here, but interviewing the director at the Marrakech International Film Festival was also a highlight of my festival year, and not just because he proved such an interesting and articulate interviewee. Not doing press for a film per se (“Lowlife” will probably premiere at Cannes), and in his capacity as a Jury member, the erudite Gray seemed to have thoughts about cinema more generally on his mind, and the role of criticism and the place of narrative and… basically a bunch of things that we don’t often get to talk about with the filmmakers we admire.

The resulting expansive, thoughtful and often passionate reflections on the nature of modern American filmmaking can be read here, though I may have done them scant justice in written form. Thing is, if you get the chance to hear this guy talk at any point, I’d jump at it -- it’s hard to communicate just how refreshing it can be, in these days of soundbites and taglines and PR speak, to hear someone so amply qualified talk in complete sentences about the medium we love, peppered liberally with anecdote and analogy. Gray believes that the discourse around film is important, but on this evidence his contribution to that discourse, not just as a filmmaker but also as an observant and engaged commentator, may itself be hugely valuable. (Jessica Kiang) -- All of our 2012 Marrakech Film Festival coverage can be found here.

Podcast: The Playlist Talks Highlights From TIFF, Telluride And NYFF; Plus Armond White: Genuine Contrarion Or Provocateur?

Erik McClanahan — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:14:00 GMT

We've decided to double down this week on podcasts to make up for lost chats. Our slate for this week’s show is as follows: a round-up of festival reports from Toronto, Telluride and the beginning of New York Film Festival. Later in the episode, we discuss contrarian film critic Armond White regarding two pieces he recently wrote: one, called "The Battle of The Andersons," in which he claims Paul W.S Anderson is a better filmmaker than Paul Thomas Anderson. And the other, "The Whip and the Fedora," in which he posits "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls" is better than "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

As always, sound off in the comments section below, and let us know your thoughts in general.

IFC Films Lands Baumbach's Black-and-White Gerwig Vehicle 'Frances Ha'

Anne Thompson — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:25:59 GMT

IFC Films is acquiring all North and Latin American rights to Noah Baumbach’s "Frances Ha," which the filmmaker co-wrote with his star and muse, Mumblecore darling Greta Gerwig. She has received glowing reviews for the film, which debuted at Telluride followed by Toronto and now, New York. Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver and Michael Zegen co-star. IFC has also acquired out of the fall fests Mira Nair's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" and Neil Jordan's vampire thriller "Byzantium."

Baumbach produced "Frances Ha" with Lila Yacoub, Scott Rudin, and Rodrigo Teixeira, with Fernando Loureiro and Lourenço Sant' Anna executive producing for RT Features.

Here's the synposis:

Frances (Gerwig) lives in New York, but she doesn't really have an apartment. Frances is an apprentice for a dance company, but she's not really a dancer. Frances has a best friend named Sophie, but they aren’t really speaking anymore. Frances throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Frances wants so much more than she has but lives her life with unaccountable joy and lightness. FRANCES HA is a moderncomic fable that explores New York, friendship, class, ambition, failure, and redemption.

Here's a sampling of fest reviews:

The NYT: “A fleet-footed, black-and-white New York story that turns self-consciousness into an exalted form of authenticity.”

THR: “An exhilarating black-and-white New York serio-comedy from Noah Baumbach with a stellar star turn by co-writer Greta Gerwig. One of Baumbach’s most accessible and joyous works, it marks an exciting new period in the filmmaker’s oeuvre and one that will hopefully yield many more collaborations with the endearing and charming Greta Gerwig. This is unquestionably her defining performance to date.”

Variety: “An affectionate, stylishly black-and-white portrait of a still-unfledged Gotham gal. With Baumbach's help, Gerwig seems to have found the right vessel for her voice, capturing the spirit of a generation in a film whose appeal should resonate well beyond the demographic it depicts.”

The Playlist: "Loose, limber and driven by a fierce energy and staccato/pause rhythm we haven't seen previously from this filmmaker, Noah Baumbach's sublime "Frances Ha" is a fresh and vivacious near-reinvention of the director/writer's comedic milieu."

TOH: "Gerwig is a consistently watchable screen presence, even if she only rarely lands films deserving of her pleasingly awkward charisma. Baumbach is an able director, of course, but one gets the sense that he's lazily babysitting here, helming a script that's too specific to 20-something hipster ennui for him to have had much of a hand in it. The drawback: this story has been told so many times in only mildly differing forms, and in this case with little if anything new to add to the firmament.

Oscar Talk: Toronto and Telluride Update, from 'The Master' and 'Cloud Atlas' to 'Silver Linings Playbook'

Anne Thompson — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 20:40:48 GMT

Kris Tapley and I go over the Oscar race post-Toronto and Telluride, from Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" and Terrence Malick's "To the Wonder" to the fate of "Anna Karenina" and "Cloud Atlas." Neither of us liked "Hyde Park on Hudson" very much.

Listen to the Podcast here.

HBO Documentary Films Picks Up 'Love, Marilyn,' Featuring Array of Stars Reading Monroe's Letters & Diaries

Beth Hanna — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:57:47 GMT

HBO Documentary Films has acquired the U.S. rights to Liz Garbus' Telluride and TIFF entry "Love, Marilyn." Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the iconic star's death, Garbus' doc features contemporary actresses (Viola Davis, Glenn Close and Lindsay Lohan among them) reading entries from Monroe's never-before-seen diaries and letters.

The film's interviews and archival footage also feature playwright and Monroe hubby number three Arthur Miller, baseball player Joe DiMaggio (and hubby number two), author Truman Capote, feminist film scholar Molly Haskell, director Elia Kazan and many more.

Documentarian Garbus has a long-standing history of working with HBO, including 2011's "Bobby Fischer Against the World" and 2002's "The Execution of Wanda Jean." The HBO acquisition of "Love, Marilyn" is not unexpected.

Mads Mikkelsen Talks 'The Hunt' and 'Royal Affair'

Anne Thompson — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 22:07:55 GMT

Danish star Mads Mikkelsen combines a rare set of skills: the athleticism of a trained dancer, acrobat and gymnast and the sensitivity of a theater actor. After graduating from drama school at age 30 he starred in fellow Dogma believer Nicolas Winding Refn's "Pusher" films, and later in the almost silent "Valhalla Rising" (he'd like to work with the director again). He broke out in two Susanne Bier films, "Open Hearts" and "After the Wedding," which earned an Academy Award nomination.

He went on to play a Bond villain in "Casino Royale," and survived fighting green-screen scorpions in "Clash of the Titans," the mark of a true star. He can be dangerous and violent, deranged and funny, mighty warrior or tender lover. He likes to strip away extra layers to the lean meat of a performance. After nine years as a dancer, "emotional stuff gets in my body somehow," he says. "I see so many cases where if you chase the dream you can't catch it but if the dream is in the work, you will sleep a happy man."

"Everything I've done is a stepping stone to what I do today," he told LAT's John Horn at a Telluride Q & A right before moving with his family to Toronto for a year's shooting on the new TV series "Hannibal." "We get away with a lot," he promised.

He's performed credibly in Danish, French, Russian and English. Now Mikkelsen is on the cusp of global stardom, winning the Best Actor prize at Cannes for playing a school teacher falsely accused of being a pedophile in Thomas Winterberg's "The Hunt" (2013) and earning a well-deserved tribute at the Telluride Film Festival. His latest film, the Danish hit "A Royal Affair" (November) tells the true history of an enlightened intellectual doctor who not only took care of his country's addlepated king, but slept with his wife. Both Magnolia pick-ups are playing at the Toronto Fest.

I sat down with the actor at Telluride, below.

Best of the Week: Toronto, Venice & Telluride Fest Coverage, Plus Box Office, Awards & More

TOH! — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:58:34 GMT

This week on TOH, we're in major festival mode with coverage and reviews out of Toronto, Venice and Telluride, we look at the weekend's theatrical offerings, analyze last weekend's box office and more!

Festivals:

TIFF Review: Opening Nighter "Looper" Delivers Sci-Fi Thrills -- and Depth

TIFF Brody Day One: "No," "Anna Karenina," "Kinshasa Kids," "On the Road," & Reitman's "American Beauty"

Brody's Final Telluride 2012 Diary: You Can't See Everything

Venice: Polley's "Stories We Tell" Is Revealing and Affecting

Venice Review: Malick Stumbles with "To the Wonder"

Venice Review: Anderson's "The Master" Impresses and Befuddles; Phoenix and Hoffman Both Outstanding

"Anna Karenina" Early Review: Visually Splendid, Audacious, Swoony Epic Romance Heads for Oscars

Telluride Review: Ben Affleck's "Argo" Is True Tehran Rescue Thriller, Hollywood Parody and Likely Oscar Contender

Box Office:

"Sleepwalk with Me" Is a Hit, Three Sundance Entries Struggle to Find Audiences

Weekend Box Office Top Ten Led by "The Possession" and "Lawless," Disaster "Oogieloves" Brings Up Rear UPDATE

Features:

Immersed in Movies: Revisiting "The Avengers" and Handicapping the VFX Oscar Race

News:

Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" and Navy SEAL Tell-All "No Easy Day"

New Yorker on the Arduous Making of the Wachowskis' "Cloud Atlas"

Spielberg's "Lincoln" Trailer Gets Epic Premiere

Reviews:

Weekend Preview: Crowded Indie Box Office, from "For Ellen" to "Detropia"

Now and Then: The Evacuee's Guide to Movies

Brody's Final Telluride 2012 Diary: You Can't See Everything

Meredith Brody — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:33:13 GMT

Reality check on my last full day in Telluride: you can’t see everything. If I go to see Geoff Dyer’s last pick as Guest Director, “Unrelated,” a debut film from director Joanna Hogg from 2007, which was not only the sole film of the six he chose that I hadn’t seen before, but hadn’t even heard of before, I’ll miss seeing Madds Mikkelsen in person with Thomas Vinterberg’s “The Hunt,” a repeat of the Telluride Silver Medallion Tribute from last night – which I missed because I went to the unique performance of Serge Bromberg’s program of early film rarities, “Retour du Flamme.” I figure I can see “The Hunt,” which I also managed to miss in Karlovy Vary, at 6 p.m., when it’s playing without the clip show and interview that is part of the tribute.

Dyer chose an eclectic array of fairly contemporary films – i.e., nothing from the Golden Age of cinema such as the Sight and Sound Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time list that so occupied the hearts, minds, and blogs of international cinephiles recently (Stop the presses! “Vertigo” topples “Citizen Kane”’s reign at the top after 50 years! – that included Tarkovsky’s “Stalker,” subject of Dyer’s most recent book, “Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room,”; Claire Denis’ “Beau Travail”; Lukas Moodysson’s “Together”; a double dose of Werner Herzog documentaries, “Lessons of Darkness” and “The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner”; and “Baraka,” by Ron Fricke, shown in a glorious new 70mm print, which I managed to catch at its technical runthrough the night before the festival opened – in preparation for the imminent opening of his follow-up film in the same genre, “Samsara,” after nearly twenty years.

Dyer mentions, in passing, that one of the cast of “Unrelated,” Tom Hiddleston, has gone on to bigger things, mentioning “Thor,” which confuses me – wasn’t that one of the Hemsworth brothers, the buffer one? I do recognize him as both F. Scott Fitzgerald in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” and the caddish lover of Rachel Weisz in Terence Davies’ “The Deep Blue Sea,” two of my favorite movies from last year. (It takes a quick trip to IMDB to learn that he played Loki in “Thor,” which I should have known, since I saw “The Avengers,” in which Loki appeared, along with the well-muscled Chris Hemsworth as Thor. In my defense, Hiddleston’s makeup and costume were somewhat more extreme as Loki than as Fitzgerald and feckless lover Freddie. And, it turns out, “Unrelated” was his debut film, after graduating from RADA, alma mater of “Thor”’s somewhat surprising director Kenneth Branagh, whose directing career it neatly revived.

I’m modestly charmed by “Unrelated”’s modest charms: I get a vicarious vacation in the glorious Tuscan countryside outside of Siena, watching the Jamesian or Fosterian interactions of two vacationing English families of parents and adolescents, the “olds” and the “youngs,” whose psycho-sexual balance is mildly upset by the visit of a female friend on a break from her lover, who is drawn to the slender young Hiddleston.

Afterwards I am drawn towards Telluride’s famously alluring Labor Day Picnic, set under billowing white tents in the bucolic Town Park. On the way, I see Jackie Mancuso signing her illustrated book “Paris-Chien” (which she inscribed for Marion Cotillard’s son Marcel in the green room before Saturday night’s tribute to her) outside Telluride’s “Between the Covers” bookstore, alongside Ken Burns, signing his numerous titles, and a witty chalkboard reading “Never judge a book by its movie!”

The food – grilled burgers, sausages, and organic chicken sourced by Alice Waters – is not as alluring as the excellent Indian feast of opening day, and unlike my memory of previous picnics, the servers allow only one choice of protein as we load up our plates. Alongside the tents, Annette Insdorf leads one final panel on acting – I glimpse Dennis Quaid, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Sarah Polley – reminding me that this year I didn’t take advantage of the lineup of conversations and book signings running alongside the screenings, rendering my luggage considerably lighter but my conscience heavier. I especially hope that the conversation between Errol Morris and Geoff Dyer, conducted while I was watching “The Attack” and afterwards in the long line for the dazzling “Final Cut: Ladies and Gentleman,” and highly recommended by Jonathan Marlow and Hannah Eaves, shows up as a podcast on Telluride’s website.

I skip the traditional ice cream sundaes as I head towards “No,” the much-discussed reality-based film starring Bernal as a hotshot young adman who masterminds the nightly, monthlong, 15-minute-long television campaign encouraging Chilean voters to vote “no” on the continuing dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in 1988. Luckily I have no memory of the outcome (I know Pinochet was toppled, but I don’t remember how or when), giving an extra fillip to the narrative. Aesthetically “No” is interesting, since it was shot with the same 80s-era cameras and film stock used for the ad campaigns, giving it a gritty, immediate look and feel. The film is introduced by one of its producers, Daniel Dreifuss, who looks like a teenager and says that Lorrain and Bernal have already left town. Since I have just seen Bernal at the picnic, I doubt it, but since he’s already introduced the film twice over the last two days, and has reputedly been willing to chat with any and all festival goers, I give him a pass.

I’m sufficiently impressed by the film that I am cheered to see that Larrain’s previous films, including “Post Mortem” and the highly-touted “Tony Manero,” are available on DVD.

Afterwards I head over to the tiny Backlot theater, whose long lines during the first three days of the festival were legendary, and slip right into a screening of a documentary on the director Paul Cox’s awaiting a life-saving liver transplant, “On Borrowed Time.” I like the documentary more than I have any of Cox’s own films, which I find messy, aesthetically ugly, and self-indulgent. (So why was I there? I’d seen everything else playing opposite, save “Hyde Park on Hudson,” which had not received money reviews within my hearing, and violates my rule of trying not to see movies whose trailers I’ve already seen.) Plus I love movies about movies. Plus I find Cox the character more interesting than Cox the artist.

I stuck around in the Backlot to see “Carriere 250 Meters,” the title an allusion to the distance between the family home that screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière was raised in and the family cemetery that he expects to be buried in. I have endless admiration for Carrière’s amazing career (collaborations with Bunuel, Volker Schlondorff, Nagisa Oshima, Philip Kaufman, Milos Forman, Michael Haneke, among others – his filmography runs to well over 140 movies) and his charming nature, here glimpsed as he leads director Jean Carlos Rufo through a poetic travelogue, revisiting seven locations chosen by Carrière and narrated through excerpts from some of Carrière’s letters.

I find the film incredibly moving, as well as beautiful, and am pleased to be able to tell the director and his wife and editor/collaborator, Valentina Leduc, so as we stroll through the dusky streets of Telluride after the screening.

I’m also pleased that it’s my last film of the festival. I choose a final farewell dinner on the back patio of the Appaloosa Café, under the stars and in view of the Rockies, over the considerable temptations of “The Act of Killing,” “The Hunt,” “The Iceman,” “A Royal Affair,” or “Midnight’s Children.” I can catch up with them in a few days at the Toronto International Film Festival, or sometme after that. But tonight is my only chance to break bread with Thomas Sanchez and hear his tales of making a documentary about the legendary director/teacher Jack Garfein, whose “Something Wild” and “The Strange One” played to appreciative audiences here (while I retained memories of their TCM screenings), and say goodbye to brilliant cinematographer Ed Lachman, director Xavier Giannoli and actor Kad Merad, and Criterion producers Peter Becker and Kim Henerson, among many other Telluride-ites who colonized four long tables inside and out. It’s hard to tear oneself away from the little film festival that magically reappears in the mountains annually. I’m already looking forward to next year’s 40th iteration – a whole day longer!

Oscars: Which Contenders Got Heat Coming Out Of Venice And Telluride?

Oliver Lyttelton — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:58:00 GMT

As we write this, we're somewhere over the Alps, flying back to London after an exhausting, rewarding week at the Venice Film Festival. Meanwhile, our editor-in-chief just returned from the mountains after an equally busy weekend at the Telluride Film Festival. Festival season is only just getting underway, with TIFF kicking off as we speak, and Venice doesn't wrap up til Saturday. But even so, it's true that the first salvo of the awards race have been fired in both Italy and Colorado, so it seems like a good time to run down which films have found themselves in a promising position after the last ten days or so, and which fizzled as soon as they arrived.

Venice has a fairly good record of digging up Oscar potentials -- "The Hurt Locker" premiered there in 2008 (though didn't win an Oscar til 18 months later), and "Black Swan" opened the festival in 2010, but last year didn't see much Academy love for the line-up, bar some scattered nominations for "The Ides Of March" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Certainly, this year saw a number of American movies with no chance of fitting into the conversation. To be fair, no prognosticators really had "Disconnect" or "The Iceman," which screened out of competition, on their radars, and the reason became clear when they screened -- the former is a fairly awful, if well-acted, cautionary tale, the latter isn't terrible, but it's mainly a commercial proposition. The best it could probably hope for is an Independent Spirit nod for lead Michael Shannon, though we'd argue he's given many, many better performances in the past.

In smaller categories, Israeli pic "Fill The Void" is one of five that's vying to be the country's foreign language entry this year, and while we weren't especially enamored of it, it's one of the serious contenders for the Golden Lion, which would certainly help its chances. It's the kind of picture that the Foreign Language branch eat up, and if it beats out its compatriots, we can absolutely see it ending up among the five nominees. One to watch in the doc category is Sarah Polley's "Stories We Tell," a beautiful, personal bit of autobiography from the actor/director. The film's widely loved, but feels too small and intimate to get up a Best Picture head of steam, but a doc nomination could certainly be feasible. Of course, it'll have to clear the torturous eligibility rules of the category (there's a certain amount of manipulation and reconstruction in the film), and needs a distributor and release date first, plus it's not the kind of film that the doc branch typically reward. Our gut says it's the kind of popular success -- like "Senna" or "Project Nim" last year -- that gets overlooked, but we've got our fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, a film that could be a player, albeit not this year, is "At Any Price" (which like "Stories We Tell" and 'The Iceman" also played Telluride). A step up to the big leagues for director Ramin Bahrani, the film, an old-fashioned Arthur Millerish rural melodrama, may be too divisive to get real attention on the Best Picture front, likely too blunt and unruly for some. But it's got serious prospects thanks to central performance of Dennis Quaid, who's never quite had a role like this one.

Even those who were cooler on the film raved about the actor's performance, and as such, there could certainly be a Best Actor campaign in the future for him. Sony Pictures Classics, who picked the film up about six weeks back, have said that it isn't planned for release until 2013, which is probably a smart plan given how outrageously competitive the category is this year. Whether Quaid can get a foothold next time around will depend on what else he's up against, but it's certainly the actor's best ever shot.

Looking less good is "To The Wonder," the latest from Terrence Malick, whose "The Tree Of Life" got director and picture nominations last year. We liked the film a lot, more so than its predecessor, but we were decidedly in the minority: it's arguably the director's most tepidly received picture, and without the universal critical support of last year's film, will struggle to feature into the Best Picture conversation, unless North American critics respond more favorably in Toronto. That said, when it finds a distributor (it's still looking), and gets a release date -- unlikely to be until 2013, so not figuring into this season's race -- it does a stand a very strong chance at a Cinematography nod for the still unrewarded Emmanuel Lubezki, and, if it's very lucky and the field is weak, maybe another for Javier Bardem's faith-stricken priest.

Of course, the big news in Venice, although it had screened multiple times already, was the 'official' unveiling of Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master." While we had more reservations about the film than some, it's undeniably a hugely impressive piece of work, and having seen it, we're pretty sure it'll make it in to one of the Best Picture slots. But we're less confident that it has a chance of winning. Early on in the film it felt like a home run, but it gets more difficult and button-pushing as it goes on, and we're not sure we can see the voters who went for "The Artist" and "The King's Speech" responding to it, no matter how hard Harvey pushes it.

That said, it should make it through to the "Tree Of Life" slot, and we can certainly see it being, like "There Will Be Blood" before it, among the most nominated of the year. Nods for Picture, probably Director, Original Screenplay, Production Design (and maybe costume...) Cinematography, Editing and Score all feel like they're in the bag. Joaquin Phoenix is a mortal lock in Best Actor (and is a serious front-runner to win at this point), while the only reason that Philip Seymour Hoffman might miss out is if the Weinsteins campaign for him alongside Phoenix in Best Actor, rather than Supporting, and given their general Oscar-campaigning canniness, we can't imagine they'll do so unless Anderson insists. Amy Adams should get a nomination too, though could fail to win once again -- she's superb, but it's not an especially Oscar-friendly role. Between all of that, all it needs is a Sound nomination or two, and it'll land among the most nominated films in history. Unless we're very wrong about all these extra nods, we can't see the film missing out on a Best Picture slot, and the momentum could even be enough to push it on for a win.

That said, it's got some serious competition because way out in Colorado, Ben Affleck unveiled "Argo" as a (not so) secret screening, and the response was pretty phenomenal. The film's looked like the real deal to us for a while, but RP's review, and reactions from other Oscar watchers, suggests that the film is a potential juggernaut, a thrilling, funny picture that satisfies on almost every level.

As great as the reaction was (and while the customary backlash may hit when it screens at TIFF, it's likely to remain a critical favorite), the film has obstacles to overcome before it wins. We've been sure for a while that it would be a nominee, but the film does seem to be caught between a serious political thriller (a la "The Hurt Locker"), and a sort of caper comedy. From everything we've read, Affleck juggles the tone beautifully, but it could go either way with the Academy. There's not a lot of precedent for a a film like this one winning, and it doesn't help that the film seems to be lacking in potential acting nominees. Few seem to think Affleck has a chance at Best Actor, and reviews vary on a favorite supporting player, with Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and Scoot McNairy all picking up plaudits. In the last decade, only "Return of the King" and "Slumdog Millionaire" won the top prize without an acting nomination. If Warners are smart, they'll aid their film by picking out one performer to throw their weight behind.

Not having such a great time in Telluride was "Hyde Park On Hudson." Roger Michell's FDR biopic has been hoping to follow in the footsteps of "The King's Speech," but judging by reviews from Colorado, "My Week With Marilyn" seems to be the closer comparison; a film that might get a performance or two over the finish line, but is much too insubstantial to go any further. The decidedly tepid response has pretty much convinced us that the film's chances at Best Picture are dead, and for the first time, we're not even 100% convinced that Bill Murray will get a nomination -- he's said to be good without ever becoming exceptional, and the role is seemingly a smaller one that it might appear, with Laura Linney (who doesn't look like she'll get the momentum up for an Actress nomination), the real lead. It could do well at the Globes, assuming it campaigns in Musical/Comedy rather than Drama, and Murray could still make it to the final five, but otherwise the film seems more or less DOA, Oscar-wise.

Much more intriguing were the Telluride prospects of Sony Pictures Classics, who brought Cannes hits "Amour" (which won the Palme D'Or) and "Rust and Bone" to the US for the first time. Both went down as well as they did on the Croisette, and look to break out of the Foreign Language ghetto to contend for other awards.

Jacques Audiard's film looks unlikely to contend for the big prize, but its lead actress, Marion Cotillard, has a real shot at winning Best Actress. Cotillard won for a foreign language performance only 5 years ago, for "La Vie En Rose," and a second win would be almost unprecedented, but in a category that's as weak as we've ever seen, she's pretty much the front-runner at this point, her only serious competition being an 8-year-old girl, Quvenzhane Wallis of "Beasts Of The Southern Wild." Unless it beats "The Untouchables" to be France's foreign-language entry, it may not get nods elsewhere, though if it picks up momentum, an Adapted Screenplay nomination could be in the cards, and even one a Supporting Actor nod for co-star Matthias Schoenhaerts isn't entirely out of the question.

Looking like an even more serious prospect is "Amour." Before "The Tree Of Life," no Palme D'Or winner had been a Best Picture nominee since "The Pianist" (and before that, "Pulp Fiction," but Michael Haneke, of all people, could make it the second in two years. Arguably the director's mostly accessible film (admittedly a relative term) to date, we've barely seen anything but raves for the film, and Sony Pictures Classics confirmed to us in Telluride that they'll be pushing hard in major categories for the film. Foreign Language best picture nominees happened all the time in the '60s and '70s, but are rarer these days. If you exclude "The Artist," the last foreign language, foreign-produced Best Picture nominee was "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" twelve years ago, and this is decidedly a more intimate film.

But it's also one where the subject matter is firmly in the Academy's wheelhouse, and the sheer emotion and power of the film could well see it among the nominees, and Haneke and the film's two leads all have a chance. We wouldn't call any of these a lock (it may be that the subject matter hits a little too close to home for the ever-aging Academy contingent, but it's likely to do well in the Critic's Awards in a few months, and Sony Pictures Classics should be able to ride that towards a nomination.

Elsewhere in Telluride, "Barbara," "No" and "A Royal Affair" look like they could be big players in Foreign Language, and the latter is probably a dead cert for a costume nomination, while "The Act Of Killing," "The Gatekeepers" and "The Central Park 5" all look like serious contenders for documentaries. Harvey Weinstein showing "The Sapphires" suggests he's trying to gauge reaction to the film before putting it on the calendar, but the film's still said to be a 2013 picture at this point. He's likely to either add that or "Song For Marion" to the schedule, but not both, and it'll depend on how the latter goes down at TIFF.

Finally, not showing at either Venice or Telluride, but about to be unveiled at TIFF ahead of its UK release tomorrow is "Anna Karenina." We liked the film enormously, but remain of two minds about its Oscar chances. It's essentially already won Costume Design and Production Design, barring an upset, and given the weakness of the category, Keira Knightley should end up in the mix, though it's not the home run we were expecting. An Adapted Screenplay nomination would be well deserved, as would a supporting actress nomination for young Swedish star Alicia Vikander, but neither are home runs.

Best Picture is more of a question mark. It's a handsome, lavish and well-performed film, but one targeted more at the head and the eyes than the heart, and may ultimately prove too radical for Academy voters -- after all, it's a while since a big period literary adaptation like this came through -- "Atonement," from the same team, was the last one to do so.

For now, our gut says that it'll likely miss out, but that could change over the next few months. The reaction from TIFF will be key, and we can certainly see some critics fervently taking against the film. The season will come into focus even more after Toronto -- look for our awards breakdown, and our next Best Picture chart, once things wrap up in the Great White North.

Why Telluride Is a Cheat Sheet For TIFF and Other Lessons From the 39th Edition

Eric Kohn — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:18:57 GMT

At this year's Telluride Film Festival, the only real grousing came from the awards season pundits.

The 39th edition of the mountainside Colorado festival, which concluded on Monday, has been valued in recent years for providing the first public look at a number of fall season releases being positioned for accolades from the Oscars and Golden Globes. Over the last two years, those titles have included "The Descendants" and "Black Swan," both released by Fox Searchlight, a typical awards-friendly distributor that had no movies in the latest lineup.

Audiences didn't seem to mind a festival that eschewed the marketplace pressures of fall season prestige in favor of handpicked quality from the festival circuit -- meaning the whole festival circuit, including both favorites from earlier this year at Cannes as well as a number of movies soon to have their official premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival. While Telluride may not have offered a sneak peek at several major awards contenders, it certainly offered a sneak peek at a lot of other new movies. The festival opened by announcing its 40th anniversary next year; the typically dense three-day event will add a fourth day, which is likely to excite the casual moviegoing Midwesterners as much as the professionals. They have reason to hope for better luck next year.

Even still, those hungry for Oscar bait certainly got their fix with the sneak peek screening of Ben Affleck's "Argo," which first showed at the beginning of the festival on Friday afternoon. A definite crowdpleaser about the little-known attempt by a CIA agent (played by Affleck himself) to smuggle a group of American operatives out of Iran in 1979 by disguising them as a film crew, "Argo" got the buzz machine going early.

The movie arrived courtesy of distributor Warner Bros., whose gamble to sneak the film to Telluride ahead of its official TIFF premiere paid off: Affleck, who honed his directing skills through the tried-and-true process of genre filmmaking ahead of this effort, delivered a classic form of political entertainment that audiences tend to embrace at this time of the year. While no groundbreaking masterpiece, as one prominent distributor emphatically described the movie several times, "it's old school."

Beyond its Oscar prospects, "Argo" also fit into a trend at the festival this year as it was one of several movies set in the Middle East (a connection that led to a panel on the topic hosted by scholar Annette Insdorf and featuring Affleck). Arriving at Telluride shortly after its Venice premiere, "Wadjda" generated plenty of hype for the story behind its production. The first Saudi Arabian feature directed by a woman, the movie was made for a reasonable budget within the country's borders -- no easy feat for any filmmaker -- and focuses on the plight of a young woman coping with typical adolescent problems. Many viewers spoke energetically about director Haifaa Mansour's ability to present the familiar story in a context they had never seen before. That's probably enough to help it land a midsize distributor in the near future. In the meantime, it arrives at TIFF soon enough.

In a less upbeat vein, Ziad Doueiri's Lebanese film "The Attack" (another entry in the TIFF program) garnered attention for exploring the impact of terrorism on an individual life. The story finds an Arab doctor coping with the death of his wife at the hands of a suicide bomber and gradually figuring out that she may have been the one who detonated the bomb. Audiences found the movie upsetting but many came away praising its tense scenario.

Rounding out the Middle Eastern offerings, "The Gatekeepers" stunned festivalgoers with a shockingly candid look at the motives driving Shin Bet, Israel's clandestine security service. Director Dror Moreh's study of the organization's belligerent tactics and the downward spiral of destruction that came out of them benefits greatly from access: Exclusively drawing from the candid testimonies of former Shin Bet heads, "The Gatekeepers" assembles a history of Israeli combat through the voice of its own people.

Next page: How Sony Pictures Classics dominated the festival. Plus: What was for sale?

A likely Oscar contender for the Best Documentary slot, "The Gatekeepers" was among a rich slate of films brought to the festival by distributor Sony Pictures Classics. Co-presidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard are longtime Telluride devotees and often use the festival to heighten awareness for a number of their biggest prospects. Other SPC titles well-received by Telluride audiences included Michael Haneke's devastating Palme d'Or winner "Amour" and another contender from this year's Cannes Film Festival, Jacques Audiard's "Rust and Bone." While some critics (myself included) find "Rust and Bone" to be little more than a slick, well-acted romance from a director capable of bigger things (see: "A Prophet"), those qualities were certainly enough to make many Telluride attendees salivate, especially since star Marion Cotillard showed up for a tribute.

While SPC has high hopes for those movies this fall, it also revealed a couple of titles it plans to hold until next year. Pablo Larraín's acclaimed period drama "No," which revolves around the 1988 referendum that ended Pinochet's reign over Chile, drew positive reactions for its keen use of digital video and an intense turn by star Gael Garcia Bernal. Less warmly received but nevertheless a major point of interest, Ramin Bahrani's "At Any Price" found the formerly neorealist filmmaker brooding his scope to explore small town Iowa corruption among the corn fields. Despite committed turns by Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron as a father-son duo, the movie faced a mixed reception largely due to its on-the-nose plotting and creaky pace. Nevertheless, it should continue to generate interest at TIFF due to the focus of attention being placed on the admittedly strong performances instead of Bahrani's earlier films.

Among U.S. distributors, SPC may have had the biggest footprint in town, but not the only one. Magnolia Pictures came to Telluride with a pair of dramas starring Mads Mikkelsen, the subject of another tribute. Both "The Hunt," where Mikkelsen plays a teacher accused of pedophilia, and the Danish period piece "The Royal Affair," where he's a doctor who has an affair with the Queen, brought the kind of sophisticated fare that Telluride audiences desire above all else.

Other distributors with prominent titles included Focus Features, which unveiled the Bill Murray vehicle "Hyde Park on Hudson," in which the actor plays FDR on the brink of forging the nation's special relationship with Britain. While audiences found Murray's turn strong enough to keep the movie watchable, its light approach to a major historical moment left many wanting more. Regardless, it has probably found enough momentum to keep its lead actors (including Laura Linney as the president's temporary love interest) in the awards race. Also arriving with only one film in town: IFC Films, which brought the Ken Burns documentary "Central Park Five," and Adopt Films, the company started by veteran Jeff Lipsky that has the Berlin competitor "Barbara." The latest effort from Christian Petzold, this moody tale of an East German doctor (Nina Hoss) eager to escape to the West while held down by a lingering affair, was recently submitted as Germany's entry for the Academy Awards. If the Telluride response is any indication, it has major prospects.

Despite many of the movies that did have theatrical releases set in stone, a lot of the highlights from Telluride came from movies that remain unsold. The best of them, Sarah Polley's intimate family documentary "Stories We Tell," follows the actress-filmmaker on her quest to discover the true identity of her father. Entertaining and heartfelt, "Stories We Tell" charmed audiences and kept them talking about its numerous surprises throughout the festival.

Similarly, Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha," which he co-wrote with star Greta Gerwig, presents an enjoyable slice-of-life look at a young woman trying to stabilize her economically-challenged life in New York City and attempting to maintain her old friendship with a college pal (Mickey Sumner). Certainly Baumbach's most upbeat movie to date, the story's complex tone led many to suggest it was the director's best effort to date. I find that to be something of an overstatement. "Frances Ha" is a terrifically breezy look at uncertain twentysomethings, but its wandering structure lessens its potential for a lasting effect.

"Frances Ha" wasn't the only acquisition title about young women growing up and losing touch. Sally Potter's gorgeous "Ginger & Rosa," a British period piece about a pair of pre-teens at the dawn of the sexual revolution in the 1960s, marked the director's most tender, accessible achievement as well as a breakthrough performance for Elle Fanning, who has never appeared so fragile in her earlier roles. Some audiences felt that "Ginger and Rosa" only appealed to viewers familiar with the plights of adolescent girls; never one myself, I can only say that "Ginger & Rosa" impacted me by making the travails of Fanning's character as her best friend (Alice Englert) falls into a relationship with Ginger's father into a profoundly touching experience.

"Ginger & Rosa" didn't win over everybody, but other acquisition titles had a harder time. "The Iceman," a gritty crime drama starring Michael Shannon on autopilot as a real life serial killer from the 1960's, naturally garnered acclaim for its top performance but otherwise turned people off. Likewise, Michael Winterbottom's "Everyday" was generally deemed uneven. The Marilyn Monroe documentary "Love, Marilyn" found some acclaim but also threw off a number of viewers for its distracting use of celebrities to recite Monroe's diaries on camera. Another noteworthy documentary, "The Act of Killing," divided audiences with its unsettling portrait of Indonesian gangsters responsible for killing countless accused communists in the 1960's. Some people found Joshua Oppenheimer's portrait too kind to its evil subjects while others called it the most harrowing viewing experience of their lives. A mixed reaction, in this case, was a good one: The movie got people talking.

Perhaps as a testament to the audience it attracts, even movies not playing Telluride figured into discussions at the festival, none more prominently than "The Master." Many expected Paul Thomas Anderson's Scientology drama to arrive at the festival, but word on the street was that the programmers chose not to show it because sneak screenings around the country had relegated the movie to old news. Telluride conflicts with Venice, where the movie had its official world premiere a few days ago. For those us stuck in North America, this one, it seems, will have to wait for TIFF.

Indiewire's Reviews of 9 Films From Telluride 2012

Indiewire — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:51:38 GMT

Indiewire headed to Colorado this year to check out the latest slew of new independent films at the Telluride Film Festival. Here are our reviews from the festival:

'Act of Killing'
In Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Act of Killing," a pair of gangsters -- responsible for murdering an untold number of suspected communists in the years following the 1965 overthrow of the Indonesian government -- get the chance to recount their experiences. At first showing no visible remorse, the men boast of their achievements, and Oppenheimer capitalizes on their enthusiasm with a twisted gimmick: The men are given numerous opportunities to reenact the murders for Oppenheimer's camera, sometimes emphasizing their brutality and occasionally delivering surreal, flamboyant takes that offer a grotesque spin on classic Hollywood musicals. Playing make believe with murderers, Oppenheimer risks the possibility of empowering them. However, by humanizing psychopathic behavior, "The Act of Killing" is unparalleled in its unsettling perspective on the dementias associated with dictatorial extremes.

'Hyde Park on Hudson'
Bill Murray is a man of many talents who has lately struggled to find the right outlet for them. The latest example, "Hyde Park on Hudson," finds Murray in a tame, mannered costume drama delivering his best FDR impression. The actor's pathos and deadpan skills are buried in the material, which also suffers from a continuous lack of inspiration. It's high-minded entertainment with low ambition.

'The Gatekeepers'
"The Gatekeepers," a startling exposé of Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet, delivers an unequivocal indictment. The handful of former Shin Bet heads who deliver candid accounts of their reasoning for various destructive assaults in the constant horn-locking with their Palestinian neighbors initially come across as unsympathetic war-mongerers. However, director Dror Moreh allows the movie to exclusively unfold through their voices, humanizing them to the point where their logic and humanity fall into distinct categories. For every shocking justification of murder, there's another moment where they confess frustration and regret, resulting in a refreshingly even-handed portrait.

'At Any Price'
"Expand or die" is the mantra spouted by farmers in Ramin Bahrani's "At Any Price," a menacing slogan that reflects the explosion of the cornfield market into a $2 trillion industry. It also provides a reminder of the movie's production conditions when compared to everything Bahrani has done before. With Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron in lead roles, "At Any Price" is a vastly different type of project than the astute, naturalistic character dramas that the neorealism-inspired Bahrani delivered with his first two features. Unfortunately, without the intimacy and diverse social conditions that characterize Bahrani's "Man Push Cart," "Chop Shop" and "Goodbye Solo," the director's fourth movie buries his distinguishing qualities in moral grandstanding and familiar inter-generational tensions. It's not a terrible digression, but notably lacks the same distinction.

'Love Marilyn'
In its opening minutes, the documentary "Love, Marilyn" establishes a gimmick that seems destined to fail: Chronicling the rise and fall of Marilyn Monroe, director Liz Garbus unleashes a collection of movie stars who mainly read excerpts from her personal diaries throughout the film. Watching these contemporary faces dramatize Monroe's attitude initially creates a grating disconnect from the subject matter. Over time, however, the approach blends into an immersive account of the actress' career that both deconstructs her celebrity while interrogating its impact on her troubled existence. Not content to let the actors carry the whole movie, Garbus also includes interviews with Monroe acquaintances and scholars as well as rare archival footage.

'Frances Ha'
A slight and largely charming portrait of post-college woes, Noah Baumbach's deceptively simple "Frances Ha" is breezier than any of his previous ventures and indeed features considerably less ambition than his earlier work. However, that's hardly an indictment for a movie so eager to please and thoroughly in tune with the themes percolating throughout Baumbach's career. Shot in black-and-white video that lends this New York odyssey a scrappy feel, "Frances Ha" foregrounds a characteristically endearing Greta Gerwig performance defined by her usual onscreen combination of high energy wit and awkward self-effacement.

'Ginger and Rosa'
The fundamental coming-of-age conflict facing the troubled teen played by Elle Fanning in Sally Potter's "Ginger and Rosa" may look familiar, but the director brings a raw energy to the material that deepens its possibilities. Set at the height of nuclear paranoia in early-Sixties London, Potter's script has a lot to say about the progressive attitudes of its chosen era by cleverly analogizing them to the expanding horizons of a restless adolescent mind. A viscerally charged work that foregrounds surface tensions and gripping performances, "Ginger and Rosa" is the filmmaker's most accessible and technically surefooted work to date.

'Argo'
Equally a slick political thriller, intelligent period piece and sly Hollywood satire, Ben Affleck's "Argo" maintains a careful balance between commentary and entertainment value. Stepping beyond the raw thriller qualities that distinguished his first two directing efforts, "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town," the actor-director successfully broadens those skills with a historical scope. This tense and frequently amusing reenactment of a covert 1979 CIA operation to smuggle assailed American political operatives out of Iran amid revolutionary chaos by disguising them as a film crew takes the material seriously while still having fun with it.

'Stories We Tell'
Sarah Polley's efforts behind the camera have showcased tender performances attuned to nuanced fluctuations in shared screen chemistry. Both her Oscar-nominated 2006 directorial debut "Away from Her" and the recent "Take This Waltz" explore the deterioration of relationships in minute detail. While her third feature, "Stories We Tell," marks a shift to nonfiction for the filmmaker, it similarly foregrounds the subtleties of human expression and the secrets embedded within it. A blatantly personal account of her Toronto-based family's rocky developments, "Stories We Tell" marks the finest of Polley's filmmaking skills by blending intimacy and intrigue to remarkable effect.

Cross Post: La Femme Telluride

Sasha Stone — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:00:01 GMT

William Blake once wrote that exuberance is beauty. Despite the success of Ben Affleck’s Argo here, this fest seems to be driven by women filmmakers. This is most surprising, since we just came out of such a bad year for women. But three of them were the major forces behind their projects that told important stories, sometimes personal, sometimes not. I came here feeling the pressure of time and age – and frankly feeling some despair about the state of things for women. I never expected I would leave here feeling hopeful not just for women this year but for the doors they creaked open this year, how they managed to do it, how well they did it, and how successful they’ve become doing it.

Greta Gerwig’s influence on Noah Baumbach is profound. Sure, many of his faithful fans will never agree. In many ways, this is a filmmaker who is in love. And that love made him want to tell the story she wanted to tell. How he feels about her is noticeable throughout the film. His camera clings to her, caresses her nimble body and Garbo-like features. But what makes Frances Ha so great isn’t so much the direction as the force of nature that is Gerwig herself. At first you might think the film is just a Girls retread. My first thoughts were — who are these vapid, annoying, self-centered young child-people who can’t grow up nor see the world beyond their own naval? Is this what decades of helicopter parenting has done to the upper-middle class whites? But Frances Ha, as it turns out, is so much more than that. It is a story about a strong, unbreakable bond between two women who can’t quite let go of each other. Most of us women have gone through that with a best friend. You have to figure out how to live your own lives or you will submerge co-dependent and conjoined. This isn’t a movie that is ever going to answer the question of female identity by the appearance of SuperCock. These are women who are actual human beings with their own life trajectories. Imagine that.

Gerwig shimmers like a candle burning at both ends throughout the film — hopelessly “undatable” even still. She isn’t your usual too-pretty female protagonist situation where you’re thinking, no way would this person ever have any real problems. Gerwig is goofy enough that she doesn’t have to be pretty first. She can be so many other things all at once. What she is — awkward, prideful, fumbling through life and trying to just succeed with the tools she’s been given but maybe they came from someone else’s toolbox. Her parents told her who she might be. College trained her to be a dancer. And then life tossed her around for a while, laughing all the while as life is wont to do. The best laid plans and all of that. Sure, for some people it all works out just fine. But others have to fail and fail again before they find their footing. What Frances does have is unbound energy. Her youthful body needs to run and do impromptu headstands and spin around on a dance floor. Eventually she finds a way to channel all of that beautiful energy and once she does the film flips. It suddenly goes from something we’ve seen many times to something exceptional, something great.

* * *

Sarah Burns has some nerve making a documentary with her father, the legend Ken Burns. Yet this project, the Central Park Five, was driven and brought to the screen by her singular vision. Burns is a social activist with a background in civil rights. The biggest challenge was condensing the lengthy, detailed book into an hour and a half documentary. What to leave in, what to take out. In the end, the filmmakers had to make some hard decisions — and those decisions likely aren’t going to satisfy everyone. But the story is one that needed to be exposed. Moreover, it is a hard lesson for young minorities in the inner cities: know your rights. Lawyer up. But unfortunately, none of that was ever taught to these youths. They learned their lessons the hard way but maybe their stories will help inform others who might find themselves in the position of being manipulated by law enforcement, a corrupt DA and a city that really needs certain kinds of fake monsters to carry out their agendas. Maybe because the teens involved were otherwise known as “bad kids” or “trash” to the power elite nothing was ever done to punish the district attorney or the law enforcement who misled the teens during their interrogation. Nor did anyone ever try to undo the damage done to them by the news media and politicians and business owners who fanned the flames of racist hate throughout the trial. No one was ever held accountable for their actions. But the story meant something to Sarah Burns. She never dropped the ball nor abandoned them. She isn’t the sole director on the film but as one of three directors she nonetheless stands out as one of the emerging filmmakers out of Telluride.

Finally, the unexpected auteur Sarah Polley nearly walked away with the Telluride Film Fest with her magnificent masterpiece, Stories We Tell. What is Stories We Tell? How do you even define it? It’s part documentary, part narrative, part fiction, part truth. It’s impossible to classify because Polley has made it up as she went along. She simply refused to follow anyone’s rules and decided to free up the frame. How revolutionary an idea to not have a traditional documentary — but to tell a story the only way she knew how to tell it, by utilizing her dazzling imagination.

Who is Sarah Polley? That is one of the questions that gets answered. Who is her family? Her mother? Her father? Those questions are answered too, in a way. Every character in the film is engaging, whether or not it’s Polley’s direction and choices that made this so, it’s distinctively so. When she intro’d the film she said she promised the actors that no one would ever see it. That might account for how natural they are in front of the camera, and how unguarded. But like Frances Ha and the Central Park Five, Stories We Tell saves its most effective moments for the third act. Here, Polley addresses the notion of what it means to love someone. What it means to be someone’s father — whether biologically or not. You might be inclined to think that blood is thicker than water but maybe that isn’t true at all.

Polley has mastered the art of organic storytelling here. There is never a self-conscious moment in the film. She has it completely under control throughout, so much so that she is able to pull off many magical moments you never see coming. What a surprise this film was. Where will it fit in the Oscar race? Where will any of them fit? It’s hard to say. The Oscars are designed to recognize established forms. The documentary selection process is bizarre enough that one can’t count on them to name the Central Park Five one of the best of the year, though it is surely worthy. Frances Ha is likely looking at a screenplay nomination, and maybe awards attention for Gerwig. But what of Stories We Tell? It isn’t a documentary and yet the people taking part onscreen aren’t actors either. It’s a gray area between portrayal and depiction. Polley will likely get a screenplay nod as well, and the Best Director category may be simply too competitive. With ten Best Picture nominees it’s conceivable that Stories We Tell could make the cut. And there’s still a very remote outside shot it will be beloved enough to make a more unprecedented mark.

Winning awards is a power play. Never forget that. So if you find yourself feeling sleazy for even talking about film awards in the same paragraph as art remember that one Oscar nomination for any of these women (Polley will be looking at #2) means more access, more money, more choices, more movies.

And one thing we need a lot more of are vital, powerful storytellers like these.

_____________________________________________________

Sasha Stone is the founder of Awards Daily. Reprinted with Permission.

Telluride Wrap: The 5 Best Films, Oscar Hopes & More

Rodrigo Perez — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 14:02:00 GMT

Well, that's a wrap. The 39th annual Telluride Film Festival is in the rear-review mirror and we're gearing up for TIFF, while Venice winds down. Meanwhile, Telluride organizers are already looking forward to next year: they've announced that the 40th edition of the festival will provide an extra day to expand into a five-day affair, starting on a Thursday. Mark your calendars now as surely the festival will be looking to make a splash on their 40th.

As my first Telluride experience, I must say it's easily one of the best and most relaxed film festivals in the world. Paparazzi is non-existent, media is limited and generally Telluride is much more focused on the quality of films rather than the number of celebrities who have promised to attend flashy red carpets, galas and other showy media appearances.

And while some of the media and Oscar critics who attended Telluride were underwhelmed by the line-up, complaining about the lack of showstopping premieres, surprises and Academy contenders, the festival lineup was, for us, top-notch. Cherry-picking the best of Cannes and other fests, as well us handing a couple of premieres, Telluride 39 turned out to be an excellent affair. At least for me.

Five highlights include Jacques Audiard's "Rust & Bone," Sarah Polley's fascinating family documentary, "Stories We Tell," Noah Baumbach's delightful "Frances Ha," Ben Affleck's gripping suspense flick and Hollywood satire "Argo," and Sally Potter's "Ginger & Rosa." In fact, nary a bad film was seen (give or take, well, one).

Studio-wise, Sony Pictures Classics took over Telluride with Pablo Larrain's "No" (a film I missed, but that won lots of good word of mouth), the aforementioned "Rust & Bone," Rahmin's Bahrani's "At Any Price" and this year's Palme d'Or winner, Michael Haneke's "Amour." SPC generally runs Telluride, but that's because the festival usually caters to cinephiles and smart, intelligent filmgoers that expect the same from their movies. Mid-sized studios like Focus Features, The Weinstein Company, Magnolia and SPC are generally very at home here and a big mainstream picture is kind of rare (Ben Affleck's "Argo" seems like a good exception to the rule, but the film would have also fit well at any of the aforementioned studios). I was told that SPC will make a Best Picture run for Haneke's "Amour," the thinking being that every 60 year-old or so eligible Oscar voter (more than sixty five percent of the members) will go for this harrowing picture about the ignominy of growing old starring Jean-Louis Trintigant and Emmanuelle Rivera. And while powerful and striking in that unsparing Hanke manner, the picture could prove to be far too brutalizing for Oscar voters, so that bet remains to be seen, but as Foreign Best Picture contender for Austria it will be a force to be reckoned with.

Ramin Bahrani's "At Any Price," was a fascinating attempt at a "mainstream" picture. Like a "Crimes & Misdemeanors" set in the Iowa cornfields, despite starring Zac Efron, Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham, the picture was far from populist fare and proved a smart and sharp observational picture about family, loyalty and duty that should expand the helmer's audience. It'll be interesting to see if the American heartland accepts and takes to the picture, because Bahrani has done his homework and the milieu feels tremendously authentic. To boot, Dennis Quaid delivers one of the best performances of his career as the aging patriarch trying to keep his modest corn business afloat while facing stiff competition, a petulant son with aims of a NASCAR career and a domineering father. It's not perfect, but it's certainly a strong feature worth checking out and it'll be interesting to see if SPC can rally Best Actor support for Quaid. You can read our full review from Venice.

Much less exciting was Focus Features' "Hyde Park On Hudson." While feel-good and pleasing for audiences, the picture had few teeth. Bill Murray could score a consolation Oscar nomination simply for his age and the fact that the Academy has largely ignored the actor for most of his career, but otherwise this feels like a Golden Globe picture all the way (those voters are much less discerning and seem to love gentle and inoffensive pictures). You can read out review here.

Perhaps the most striking and challenging of the pictures we saw was Thomas Vinterberg's "The Hunt." Our writer in Cannes walked out of the picture and I almost did the same. Chronicling the downward spiral of a quiet and humble Danish man (Mads Mikklesen) who is accused of sexually abusing a child at the daycare he works in, Vinterberg's drama is a brutal and unapologetic took at the dangers of snap judgements, mob mentality and humanity's incapability to ever properly forgive. Part of the issue with the film is that it's maddeningly manipulative and therefore frustrating early on. The character barely defends himself apparently too proud or too innocent to so -- which is apparently a common Scandinavian trait according to an interview we recently read with Vinterberg -- and the community around him barely takes a second to question his guilt. It's infuriating and at the same time, frighteningly all too real. Mikklesen puts in an outstanding, devastating turn that rightly earned him the Best Actor prize on the Croissette and it was rumored "The Hunt" was a contender for the top prize. Vinterberg, like fellow Dane Lars Von Trier, likes to provoke, but as difficult as "The Hunt" journey is, it's an important picture, one that elicited an extreme reaction from this viewer that's been swirling around in my mind ever since. Magnolia will release the picture later this year and it's a must-see for every cinephile. But be forewarned, it's a bit agonizing at first. You can read a proper review of the film from the Karlovy Film Festival earlier this year.

Michael Winterbottom delivered his 20th picture since 1995 this year. Titled "Everyday," and starring Shirley Henderson, the experimental picture was shot over five years, utilizing a family of four real-life siblings and focused on a single mom (Henderson) who has to look after her children while her husband (John Simm) is spending a five-year stint in prison. Ostensibly trying to capture the grueling grind and banality of daily life -- the struggles of trying to keep the family afloat while dad gets closer and closer to release -- the deliberately paced two-hour film isn't always the easiest picture to endure, but there's a moving emotional center dealing with the push and pull of separation that should speak to anyone who's ever missed, and often cursed, a loved one in the same breath. You can read our review here.

Over on the next page, you can find a rundown of our five highlights, and where they might go from here this fall.

"Rust And Bone"
After winning the Best Director prize at Cannes for 2009's stunning prison drama "A Prophet," French filmmaker Jacques Audiard incontestably proved he's one of Frances' best working filmmakers with "Rust & Bone." While the picture didn't pick up any accolades at Cannes, and is perhaps just a hair shy of the quality of 'Prophet,' it was easily one of our favorites from Telluride and a well-chosen pick from the Croisette. Featuring another excellent turn by Marion Cotillard, it's actually Mattias Schoenaerts ("Bullhead") who was the surprise stand-out of the picture, playing a emotionally unavailable, but kind-hearted boxer who befriends (and doesn't pity) a streetwise whale trainer who loses her legs in a devastating accident. While it;s POV shifts unconventionally (sometimes you're not really sure who's picture it is), in the end it works and more importantly, it's incredibly arresting, lasting and memorable on the psyche. Surely France will enter this one in the Foreign Best Picture Oscar frame and if it makes the final cut, it could be a commanding contender. You can read our Cannes review here.

"Frances Ha"
Known for dysfunctional family comic dramas with mean-spirited characters, "Frances Ha" is a big reinvention for director Noah Baumbach. In fact, the auteur seems to cede some of his stamp over to his co-writer and star Greta Gerwig, as it feels more like a spontaneous mumblecore picture, but with an exuberant dash of whimsy and fancifulness not seen in either of their previous pictures. The alchemy between them has produced a seriously funny, sad and engaging dramedy and it's one of Baumbach's best efforts to date. Well-received at Telluride, the picture has no distributor yet, but that's likely going to change any minute now. Described as Woody Allen's "Manhattan," with a dash of the ferocious energy from "Breathless" and the witty female-centric "Girls" from writer/director Lena Dunham, that doesn't quite capture the fairy-tale like aspect of "Frances Ha," but it's close and those certainly aren't bad signifiers to be compared with. You can read our review here.

"Argo"
While Ben Affleck's suspenseful drama -- equal parts thriller, political potboiler and Hollywood send-up -- and its Oscar chances may be overstated, the picture is still terrifically made and well-told. Nominations may be in order across the board, but it's likely missing the emotional heft needed to take it to Best Picture winner. Still, there's tons to admire and love in it, from several terrific character actor performances, an inspired pace and momentum and a well-balanced tone that shifts effortlessly from sobering intensity to humor and back again. Read our review here.

"Stories We Tell"
Discussing Sarah Polley's five-year-in-the-making documentary "Stories We Tell" is difficult without giving away plot points. Suffice to say, Polley is having a banner year and 'Stories' may be the best film we saw at Telluride. A family documentary with lots of twists and secrets, "Stories We Tell," examines the nature of storytelling, truth, and even blends a few small elements of "fiction" throughout. It's a terrific documentary. With the excellent and complicated drama "Take This Waltz" in theaters earlier this year, Polley may have two films that end up in this writer's top 10 films of the year. But what's becoming clear is the actor-turned-director is quickly becoming one of the most exciting and fascinating filmmakers in North America. You can read our review from Venice here.

"Ginger & Rosa"
Perhaps Sally Potter's best picture since "Orlando" and her most accessible ever, the early '60s London-set "Ginger & Rosa" is a lovely and devastating look at how the activism, radicalism and ideologies of the sexual revolution and the '60s severely damaged the children who came out of it. Featuring an outstanding performance by Elle Fanning, the teenager is always engrossing, but "Ginger & Rosa" is finally the type of meaty role that she can fully shine in. It's probably too patient and introspective for the Oscars, but hopefully an SPC, Magnolia or Focus Features picks it up. It's a beautiful and yet unapologetically difficult picture that will be adored by the right audience. Read our review here.

That's it. Hopefully, we'll be in Telluride for TFF40. It's an excellent little festival that doesn't need the obvious big name titles to be a worthwhile destination for cinephiles and filmmakers alike. Next up is Toronto, followed by a little bit of Fantastic Fest, the New York Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. Phew.

Cinema Paradiso In Telluride

Leonard Maltin — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 05:10:00 GMT

People who attend the Telluride Film Festival for the first time are overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of this historic Colorado town. Filmmakers are impressed by the friendly reception they receive from the worldwide gathering of movie lovers. My family and I love our annual trip to the Rockies and feel fortunate to attend. The jam-packed schedule over Labor Day weekend is an embarrassment of riches. The lineup ranges from rare silent films (The Marvelous Life of Joan of Arc) to cutting-edge cinema from all corners of the globe (Amour from France, The Hunt from Denmark, Wadja from Saudi Arabia, Barbara from Germany, Midnight’s Children from Canada and Sri Lanka, Ginger and Rosa from England, and The Attack from Lebanon and France, to name just a few.)

It’s impossible to see all the films one might like to, and this year my moviegoing was interrupted (happily) by a wedding party one evening and a celebration on closing night for the festival’s unsung hero, director of operations Chapin Cutler of Boston Light & Sound. He and his dedicated team of projectionists and sound experts transform a junior high school gymnasium into a world-class movie house called The Galaxy, and a modern conference center into the whimsically decorated Chuck Jones Cinema. Still, I got in a fair number of screenings and special events.

Legendary cartoon director Jones was a familiar presence at Telluride in his later years and even designed several festival posters, so it was only fitting that the festival mark his centennial year. His daughter Linda was present to celebrate her father’s life, and I was pleased to conduct a casual conversation with her and two talented young animators (Ethan Clarke and Sara Gunnarsdóttir) in the lobby of the theater that bears Chuck’s name.

I also enjoyed interviewing veteran producer-director Roger Corman following a screening of Alex Stapleton’s entertaining 2011 documentary Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel. Corman is as enthusiastic about moviemaking as ever, and the audience relished his colorful stories and observations. (My daughter sat slack-jawed at the opening-day brunch as he and author Salman Rushdie fell into a deep conversation. Corman may have made films like Monster From the Ocean Floor, but he’s a graduate of Stanford University and a highly articulate fellow.)

As usual, as the event wound down on Monday I was frustrated to hear positive buzz about some of the films I missed, many of which will be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, starting this weekend. The best films I saw this year were Ben Affleck’s latest effort as director and star, the real-life suspense thriller Argo, about the Hollywood connection that played a vital role in the Iran hostage crisis of thirty years ago…the compelling Israeli documentary The Gatekeepers, featuring interviews with former heads of the Shin Bet, Israel’s secret police… Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha, a spirited showcase for actress and co-writer Greta Gerwig, who plays a free spirit trying to find her niche in New York City…and Sarah Polley’s remarkably candid documentary Stories We Tell, in which she chronicles family members’ memories of her mother, who died when she was 11. It’s an unusual, multi-layered film that I found quite moving.

I should also mention a sneak preview of Hyde Park on Hudson, an entertaining period piece about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s relationship with his distant cousin Daisy Stuckley. Telluride regular Laura Linney is excellent, as usual, while Bill Murray delivers a subtle performance that sneaks up on you. It isn’t an outright imitation, but he captures the attitude and certain mannerisms of the President so well that before long you forget you’re watching Murray and believe that he is F.D.R.

For the fourth year in a row, French film archivist Serge Bromberg presented a compilation of rare silent and early-sound films under the umbrella title Retour de Flamme (Saved from the Flames). Serge is a great showman whose charming introductions build interest and anticipation for even the most obscure silent shorts. He also presented the world premiere of a long-lost Walt Disney cartoon featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Hungry Hobos. The Disney company purchased the rare print at a London auction not long ago.

Once again, festival co-directors Gary Meyer, Tom Luddy, and Julie Huntsinger provided a veritable feast in the most beautiful setting imaginable. My family and I call the Telluride Film Festival a spoiler: it’s hard to top.

Telluride Wrap: Strong Lineup Led by 'Argo,' 'Gatekeepers,' 'Amour,' and 'Stories We Tell'

Anne Thompson — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:08:48 GMT

Heading into the festivals in Toronto and New York, what have we learned from Telluride and Venice? Quite a good deal.

The Telluride awards season movies now in play include Sony Pictures Classics' Palme d'Or-winning "Amour," starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, which wowed audiences and journos alike and should wind up in the best picture as well as foreign film race (UPDATE: it's the Austrian submission). The Academy voters are sure to respond, as Telluride audiences did, to Michael Haneke's no-hold-barred story of love and loss.

Warner Bros. and Ben Affleck were smart to bring "Argo" (October 12) to Telluride. In the absence of Weinstein Co.'s "The Silver Linings Playbook," which the festival invited but was retooling in advance of Toronto, the 80s CIA thriller starring Affleck --and the hilarious John Goodman and Alan Arkin-- dominated the Rocky Mountain fest and gained valuable momentum and critical cred heading into the fall. (Here's my review.) It's that rare thing that Sydney Pollack knew how to do: a smart but accessible commercial picture that will also play for critics and industry insiders. Word is the Afflecks are considering buying a fancy apartment in downtown Telluride.

Also heading to Toronto with a full head of steam, post Venice and Telluride, is Canadian actress-filmmaker Sarah Polley's extraordinary personal documentary "Stories We Tell," about her charismatic actress mother who died when she was 11, and her family secrets, which were only fully discovered a year ago. So far Polley does not want to talk about her doc--she was upset when a Toronto newspaper columnist heard about the story, and managed to convince him to keep it under wraps. Here's her blog post about why she wants the film to speak for itself. She's seeking a distributor. And she may relent under the pressure of the rapturous audience and critical response so far in both Venice and Telluride. (UPDATE: Polley flew coach on my Denver/Toronto flight with her husband and wee baby.)

Earning mixed response at Telluride was Focus Features' "Hyde Park on Hudson," starring Bill Murray as FDR; the actor happily wandered the town, posing for photos. The movie screened for free in the town park and proved a crowd-pleaser. Here's THR and Variety; I'll catch it in Toronto, along with Noah Baumbach's black-and-white "Frances Ha," featuring his new muse, Greta Gerwig, who helped him to write the film but was in tears when the projection proceeded twice with no sound at the first Galaxy screening (a power circuit break at one of the speakers was eventually reconnected). Here are reviews from Indiewire and Playlist.

Out of Venice, Terrence Malick's "To the Wonder," also starring Affleck (in a small role) and Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" did not earn the unanimous praise that attends Oscar contenders. Their reception in Toronto will complete the tale; both lead the Toronto Star's annual critics' poll. Of the two, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix earned the best reviews, but Phoenix's continued odd behavior and lack of willingness to court press is not going to stand him in good stead through Oscar season--although Monique got away with a minimal promotion schedule on "Precious." (Here's the current standings pre-Toronto from the Gurus 'O Gold.)

Other foreign contenders unspooling at Telluride include Germany's superb official Oscar entry "Barbara," starring Nina Hoss as an heroic country doctor trying to escape the paranoid confines of her life in East Germany, which indie distribution vet Jeff Lipsky's Adopt Films happily acquired out of Berlin, where director Christian Petzold won the Silver Bear. The film is included in the New York Film Festival line-up.

Chile will likely submit Pablo Larrain's Cannes entry "No," starring Mexican producer-star Gael Garcia Bernal, adopting yet another Spanish accent, who charmed Telluride attendees. (The official Academy deadline is October 1.) This 80s political thriller about the ad campaign to overthrow Pinochet played well here without catching fire (its vintage video aesthetic put off some moviegoers). Bernal is working to form an organization to nominate and award prizes to each year's best Spanish-language films, much like the European Film Awards, in order to raise their global profiles.

Denmark will choose among young filmmaker Nicolaj Arcel's historic romantic triangle "A Royal Affair," which won awards at Berlin for best screenplay and actor (newcomer Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, as the loony but sympathetic king), and films from two Oscar-winners, Susanne Bier (romance "Love is All You Need," starring Pierce Brosnan, acquired by SPC) and Bille August (period drama "Marie Kroyer"). A Danish Film Institute/film industry committee will name the final Danish Oscar submission on September 18. Last year, Bier's "In a Better World" won the best foreign language Oscar; 23 years ago August won for "Pele The Conqueror."

"A Royal Affair," which is a huge hit in Denmark, and its high cheek-boned star, Telluride tributee Mads Mikkelsen, wowed audiences at the Colorado fest. Mikkelson's Cannes-winner for best actor, "The Hunt," also played well but won't open in Denmark until 2013. (Magnolia picked up both films.)

Israel's pick for the Oscars is usually its Ophir winner; Israeli animated doc "Waltz with Bashir" was nominated in 2009. Dror Moreh's extraordinary Shin Bet expose "The Gatekeepers," one of the outstanding hits of the festival, was one of a series of movies, like "Argo" and Palestinian film "The Attack," that were set in the Middle East or dealt with some form of terrorism. So far Sony Pictures Classics, which picked up "The Gatekeepers" right before the fest, is planning to open the film in the new year, but may change its mind.

Playing to mixed response at Venice and/or Telluride were Millennium's "The Iceman," which earned approval for Michael Shannon's performance as a cold-blooded hitman and Sally Potter's gorgeously shot 60s family drama "Ginger and Rosa," starring an incandescent Elle Fanning, which is perfectly calibrated for the Sony Pictures Classics boomer art house crowd (SPC has handled several Potter films and invited her to their Friday night dinner). TWC's Australian Vietnam era music picture "The Sapphires" played well, and Chris O'Dowd earned praise. A possible tweener is SPC's "At Any Price," an oddly calibrated midwestern farm drama starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron as troubled father and son, which marks indie Ramin Bahrani's awkward transition to mainstream fare. And SPC's "Rust and Bone" may prove more a critical than audience pleaser; France will choose between submitting that and heart-warming hit "The Intouchables," whose star Omar Sy beat Jean Dujardin at the Cesars; the film performed well stateside through TWC.

All in all it was yet another top-notch Telluride, impeccably programmed. The only complaint, voiced by many, was that some of the most popular films, perhaps unexpectedly, wound up in the smaller venues with passholders lined up around the block and patrons scoring the too few seats.

Telluride Review: Harrowing 'Act of Killing' Is the Most Unsettling Movie About Mass Killing Since 'Shoah'

Eric Kohn — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:27:50 GMT

In Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Act of Killing," a pair of gangsters -- responsible for murdering an untold number of suspected communists in the years following the 1965 overthrow of the Indonesian government -- get the chance to recount their experiences. At first showing no visible remorse, the men boast of their achievements, and Oppenheimer capitalizes on their enthusiasm with a twisted gimmick: The men are given numerous opportunities to reenact the murders for Oppenheimer's camera, sometimes emphasizing their brutality and occasionally delivering surreal, flamboyant takes that offer a grotesque spin on classic Hollywood musicals. Playing make believe with murderers, Oppenheimer risks the possibility of empowering them. However, by humanizing psychopathic behavior, "The Act of Killing" is unparalleled in its unsettling perspective on the dementias associated with dictatorial extremes.

Oppenheimer's main focus is a lean man named Anwar Congo, one of several former members of the Indonesian paramilitary organization Pancasila Youth. Drawing from American movie clichés for his image as a menacing bad guy, Congo and one of his colleagues indulge Oppenheimer with stories of their murderous achievements while also complaining about the perception they face from the rest of the world. "We have too much democracy," one of them says. Frequently, the men refer to their power of gangsters as "free men," but Oppenheimer gradually reveals that no matter how much they justify their past, they remain trapped by the lingering feelings of discomfort that their horrific deeds have planted in their heads.

Oppenheimer doesn't valorize Congo and his cohorts, but he does empower them, a decision that firmly places in "The Act of Killing" in a moral grey zone for much of its runtime. Killers dress up in drag and act in demented filmed sketches that include mock decapitations and other freakish acts while their friends cheer them on. They embrace the idea of coming across as cruel for the domineering presence it allows them.

But Oppenheimer's agenda slowly reveals itself. Even as Congo brags of his antics, he sports a bizarre form of naivete in which he fails to comprehend why his acts haunt him. By allowing Congo to struggle through this conundrum rather than setting him straight, Oppenheimer provides a close up of a mania that's too often relegated to imagination. Struggling to comprehend an objectively evil mentality, "The Act of Killing" explores the paradox of seemingly normal people content with their crimes. In one telling scene, the reenactment of a strangling is interrupted when the gangsters realize it's time for evening prayers.

At 115 minutes, "The Act of Killing" is a frequently devastating experience that smothers viewers with a one-sided point of view given the power to run wild. A large-scale reenactment of mass murder, replete with crying children and homes ablaze, seems real enough to make it evident that the gangsters would feel comfortable committing the same murders all over again. Elsewhere, the killers craft a freakish music video for "Born Free" that finds an actor in the role of the victim and thanking the men for "sending me to heaven."

These darkly comic displays allow Congo to finally question the nature of his acts in the abstract. Just what is he celebrating? Instead of arguing with Congo, Oppenheimer lets the man get the crazy out of his system in order to confront harsh truths in the closing minutes. The filmmaker only occasionally speaks up from behind the camera to remind his subject that, no matter how unsettled their crimes have left them, the experience was infinitely worse for their victims.

"The Act of Killing" has been shepherded along by executive producers Werner Herzog and Errol Morris, an apt pair for this quintessential look at murder as a primal phenomenon. While Oppenheimer achieves an unprecedented closeness with people responsible for death, his mission is not unlike the process behind Herzog's "Death Row" series (where the director interviews convicted murderers) and Morris' "Mr. Death," which centers on a retired executioner. More than anything else, however, Oppenheimer's process calls to mind Claude Lanzmann's Holocaust epic "Shoah," as both Lanzmann and Oppenheimer eschew archival footage in favor of letting their subjects actualize past misdeeds in the present. The reenactments provide a chilling closeness that no grainy footage could possibly convey.

The case can be made that Oppenheimer lets Congo and the other participants off too easy. They never receive a direct comeuppance. However, "The Act of Killing" vilifies these men by implication. It's possible they might not mind the way they come off for the camera, as they're all to eager to explain themselves; it's that very eagerness, however, that confirms their guilt.

Criticwire grade: A-

HOW WILL IT PLAY? A buzz movie at Telluride, "The Act of Killing" has generally received positive reviews but has also left many people feeling uneasy. It's bound to continue that pattern when it arrives at Toronto next week. A midsize distributor could generate a fair amount of interest for the film in limited release, but its longterm commercial prospects are fairly dicey given the challenging subject matter.

Telluride Review: Bill Murray's Uneven FDR Performance Just One of Many Issues Plaguing 'Hyde Park on Hudson'

Eric Kohn — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:06:37 GMT

Bill Murray is a man of many talents who has lately struggled to find the right outlet for them. The latest example, "Hyde Park on Hudson," finds Murray in a tame, mannered costume drama delivering his best FDR impression. The actor's pathos and deadpan skills are buried in the material, which also suffers from a continuous lack of inspiration. It's high-minded entertainment with low ambition.

Taking cues from playwright Richard Nelson's screenplay, director Roger Michell ("Notting Hill") follows a curious tangent of FDR's presidency, when during the summer of 1939 the president left the White House to spend time at his family home in upstate New York. While there, he invites the King and Queen of England (Samuel West and Olivia Coleman) to pay him a visit to discuss Britain's mounting pressure to join the war against Germany. The meeting arrives around the movie's midpoint and contains ample entertainment value outside of the context of the story surrounding it.

Before that happens, however, FDR forms a different sort of special relationship -- with his neighbor, the shy and gullible Daisy (Laura Linney), also the movie's narrator. Taking Daisy on romantic trips through the town's natural splendor, FDR quickly romances Daisy and even assures her that he'll leave wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams) and move into a home with Daisy when his presidency is complete. Naturally, FDR's charm hides his hogwash, a lesson that Daisy learns the hard way once his pattern of marital indiscretions becomes clear.

Watchable but never particularly engaging, "Hyde Park on Hudson" progresses with its pedestrian scenario by relying on its actors to carry it along. Unfortunately, both leads deliver muted, unremarkable performances on the level of the material. Murray's delivery is particularly tiresome: His faux southern accent comes and goes, and despite a number of amusing asides his face often freezes into a typically restrained Murray expression that distracts from the character.

Linney bests her fellow actor with a functionally sad, restrained turn, although in spite of her narration she's largely marginalized by the plot. Elizabeth Marvel, in a supporting role as FDR's knowing secretary Missy, stands out for her fierce, icy approach to wrangling the president's quixotic nature. But the real star is cinematographer Lol Crawley ("Ballast"), whose advanced color palette alternates between bright imagery and deep shadows to convey both the serenity of the countryside and the secrets lurking within it. Unfortunately, the story can't keep pace.

Only once the King and Queen make their awkward entrance does "Hyde Park on Hudson" gain some enjoyable qualities. During a prolonged meeting between the president and the king, the duo bonds over handicaps (FDR can't walk and the king stutters) and Nelson's script strikes a complex note pitched between comedy and political intrigue. Unfortunately, the sequence works so well that it makes the rest of the movie appear shallow and generally useless by comparison, and when Daisy regains her prominent role "Hyde Park on Hudson" sinks back to its tedious foundation.

While easily comparable to "The King's Speech" for taking place during the same period and filling in a gap in that movie's timeline, "Hyde Park on Hudson" lacks the sort of conflicted protagonist that gave the earlier movie a semblance of high stakes. Despite his larger-than-life presence, FDR comes across as a blithe, untroubled man whose true depth is either obscured by his stealthy mannerisms or simply not contained in the screenplay. The story comes across like a quest to turn history into entertainment, and as a result it lacks any lasting value. "I helped him forget the world," Daisy tells us at one point, but in "Hyde Park on Hudson," she also helps the movie lose its way.

Criticwire grade: C

HOW WILL IT PLAY? At the Telluride Film Festival where it had its world premiere, "Hyde Park" received mixed reviews but scored accolades for its performances. While it next stops at Toronto and NYFF, Focus Features will release the film later this year and likely push hard for Murray and Linney during awards season. As a star-studded period drama pitched as entertainment, it could perform well among older audiences.

Telluride Review: 'Hyde Park On Hudson' Is A Lightweight & Toothless Crowd-Pleaser

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:59:01 GMT

At 61 years of age, the presumably hard-living Bill Murray conservatively only has two more decades of work left in him. So perhaps we all want him to really dazzle us with some meaty roles and not waste his time with middling fluff like Roger Michell's "Hyde Park on Hudson," a moderately pleasant but depthless picture that makes "The King's Speech" look like "A Clockwork Orange." OK, that's a purposeful exaggeration, but "Hyde Park on Hudson" is unremarkable; the type of would-be Oscar frivolity that makes sure it goes down the award season check list for every gentle and inoffensive cinematic element it can find.

Featuring a gentle score in the key of "delightful" -- the cloying sentiment that largely defines the film -- a voice-over, oh-so-comical cultural misunderstandings, and serviceable performances, Michell's picture, much like last year’s similarly weightless "My Week with Marilyn," is perhaps only a few grades higher than an above-average Lifetime movie. It's amiable, safe, conventional, and yes, to many audiences at Telluride, tremendously crowd-pleasing, but that doesn't preclude the fact that it's thoroughly milquetoast.

Set in 1939 on the eve of WWII, President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Murray) is popular, in power, and is seemingly living in the midst of a relatively easy political term (if there's political unease at this time, 'Hudson Park' is largely uninterested in chronicling it). In fact, life seems so carefree that Roosevelt rarely spends time in Washington and has retreated to the easygoing rural American countryside of the titular Hyde Park on Hudson in upstate New York.

There, the polio-stricken 32nd President drinks martinis, suffers from allergies and makes the occasional speech to the American people about the ailing economy. Hyde Park is actually Roosevelt's mother's and one could argue she's pulling the strings of the day-to-day activities. The (we're to believe) semi-butch Eleanor Roosevelt (Olivia Williams) is rarely seen and she's evidently preoccupied with other manners (her lesbianism is alluded to in masculine adjectives about her character, but that's it).

But this story is actually not hers. A two-fold narrative (and almost two films at odds with one another), "Hyde Park On Hudson" centers on Roosevelt's secret lover Margaret "Daisy" Suckley (a fifth cousin, well-played by Laura Linney, the most engaging actress in the movie) and acts almost as part two to "The King's Speech." With Nazi Germany about to beat down England's door, the relatively new King and Queen of England (Samuel West as George VI and Olivia Coleman as Elizabeth) make the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to the United States in a desperate bid to enlist them as an ally against the forthcoming axis. Unfortunately, on top of its already conventional tone, one story counteracts the other and neither are fully realized.

And so Michell's picture, co-written by playwright Richard Nelson ("Ethan Frome"), generally gives equal weight to both stories. The affair being the more dramatic one with deeper emotional stakes and the impending U.K. visitation acting as more of a jovial and light comical farce. But the picture is ostensibly Linney's story, as Daisy's voiceover anchors the film in the beginning, middle and end.

Kicking off with a Scientology-like audition, Daisy is fetched by the President to ease his time in Hyde Park on Hudson. Evidently, she's the cousin that was actually available to entertain the President. Timid and afraid, the President pulls out his precious stamp collection and eventually pulls her out of her shell with a little mild, gentle flirting. Soon, the two are going for quaint, countryside drives and something more romantic blossoms, culminating in a rather hilarious hand-job sequence (omg!). But as Daisy and Mr. President's relationship blooms, the cousin, a conspicuous favorite of the POTUS -- mistaken by some as a governess due to her ubiquity in the house -- soon discovers that she's one of many in Roosevelt's little harem.

Meanwhile, with Daisy feeling angry and jilted, no longer being the special one, the King and Queen are arriving: cue cute, meant-to-be-oh-so-hilarious lost in cultural translation gags. Nervous and uneasy about their fish out of water status, not to mention what's at stake -- trying to convince the U.S. to help out in the war effort -- the inexperienced and stuttering King and his severely uptight Queen roll into Hyde Park with their knees knocking.

Convinced the Americans are mocking them at every turn, the Queen tries to muster mettle and confidence out of his majesty. Less suspicious than his wife, the naive but well-meaning George tries to give his American counterparts the benefit of the doubt. So then, what largely ensues are lots of mildly humorous misunderstandings and side dramas when Daisy's umbrage threatens to ruin the pleasantries. But a few heart to heart drinks between world leaders and a hot dog-eating photo-op later -- a sign that Americans take as the English not being stuck up pricks -- and the American/British special relationship is born. Meanwhile, members of Franklin's coterie convince Daisy that his sleeping around is just the way it is and she should not rock the boat. Outraged and upset, Daisy eventually acquiesces to the President's endless charms and goes with the flow that his inner-circle keep encouraging.

While Linney puts in a good performance and Murray delivers a subtle and mannered turn as Roosevelt, the would-be Oscar talk for this picture should evaporate quicker than you can say "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" (though the hacks at the Golden Globes will eat it up). The picture should be far too lightweight to be taken too seriously as Academy fodder and if "The King's Speech" argument is brought up, well, at least that picture was comparatively funnier and more engaging. Then again, Bill Murray isn’t getting any younger and this could be his consolation prize nomination for all of those years he was mostly ignored (he has one Oscar nomination to date).

Had the picture focused on the Daisy/Franklin relationship with more thought, perhaps 'Hyde Park' would bear more weight. But Michell is clearly more interested in entertaining and pleasing his audience, creating a middle-of-the road dramedy that possesses a few somber notes and the occasional comic tickle, but nothing tremendously effective in either aim.

Known for directing MOR pictures like "Notting Hill" and "Morning Glory," Michell’s "Hyde Park on Hudson” is largely harmless and tame, but also shallow and uninvolving. A bonafide feel-good crowd-pleaser, “Hyde Park on Hudson” should strike a chord with lenient and undiscerning audiences, but with little substance or heft, the picture is a mildly pleasurable but a forgettable and toothless look at a little corner where history, politics and romance met. [C]

Telluride Brody Diary 3: Polley's Stunning 'Stories We Tell,' 'Joan of Arc,' 'Frances Ha' & More

Meredith Brody — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 16:43:31 GMT

Almost too rich a Telluride day – it’s after 2 a.m., I’m back in my room, slightly tipsy from a couple of iced glasses of one of Alice Waters’ favorite wines, the Bandol Tempier rosé, mind vibrating like a temple gong from the five programs I managed to fit in today.

The day started with a 9 a.m. screening of “The Gatekeepers,” interviews with six former directors of the Shin Bet (“If the Mossad is the equivalent of the C.I.A., the Shin Bet is the F.B.I.,” we hear, but an F.B.I. with unbelievable powers), responsible for internal Israeli security. A tenet of their position was that they were not to talk about the operations they carried out, but director Dior Moreh told us, in the too-short Q-and-A afterwards, simply that the time had come. I also felt that these men wanted to get their feelings on the record (as Robert McNamara did in “The Fog of War,” TFF 2003), that their tenure had turned them both pessimistic and leftist. It’s a masterful interview film on the level of the best from Errol Morris, Charles Ferguson, and Alex Gibney. Having just spent ten days at the SF Jewish Film Festival, “The Gatekeepers” fit right in to my rather hopeless mindset.

Afterwards, en route to Paolo Cherchi Usai’s screening of “The Marvelous Life of Joan of Arc,” I ran into Xavier Giannoli, the director of “Superstar,” starring Kad Merad as an ordinary man who wakes up to discover he’s famous for no reason. I’d seen it at a pre-Telluride screening in order to write about it for the program book and interview him for the “Telluride Watch.” Giannoli was chatting with fellow Frenchman Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films. I would very much like to see Giannoli’s previous films, especially his 2006 “Quand j’etais chanteur,” starring Gerard Depardieu, Cecile de France, and Mathieu Almaric. I just checked it on amazon.fr; it’s going for 8.44 euros, but the shipping will probably double that. I’m not quite tipsy enough to click through, although my motto is “I’ve never drunk-dialed, but I have drunk-ordered!”

I couldn’t quite get into “The Marvelous Life of Joan of Arc,” whose 1929 release date doomed it to relative obscurity despite it initial success in France, its country of origin, and Europe, because it bumped up against Carl Theodore Dreyer’s tortured, stylized “La passion de Jeanne d’Arc,” starring the extraordinary Falconetti, made in 1928. Marco de Gastyne’s version is naturalistic and, as Paolo pointed out, boasts a cast of thousands, Cecil B. DeMille-style. I blame myself, a bit: I did become groggy towards the end of the first hour, a first so far this year. But before I started the nodding-head syndrome, I did find de Gastyne’s cornfed Joan a bit of a drip: she chastised one of her soldiers for taking the Lord’s name in vain, and I restrained myself from whispering to my seatmate, Jonathan Marlow, that “She could always have a swear box, like Loretta Young,” when Joan said that the next time he swore he’d have to pay here the equivalent of what it cost for her priest to say three masses. We’d earlier amused ourselves by trying to think of all the various Joans we’d seen over the years: in addition to Falconetti, I thought of Jean Seberg, Ingrid Bergman, Sandrine Bonnaire, and whoever had played her in Robert Bresson’s film. IMDb tells me that was Florence Delay, and adds Milla Jovovich and Leelee Sobieski, neither of whose version I’ve seen, to the list.

I left at intermission, because I was groggy and in order to get a good place in line for Sarah Polley’s “Stories We Tell,” playing at one of the smaller venues (less than 200 seats), and already boasting a long line. My place in the line happened to be next to the great Shirley Henderson, in Telluride with Michael Winterbottom’s latest, “Everybody,” which I knew had been shot over five years, I thought in solid two-week increments, but she told me no, sometimes he just fit in two days here or there. I had begun the conversation by saying, honestly, that her name in the credits was enough to make me go see a movie, and then covered myself with glory by introducing her to the Criterion Collection’s Kim Henderson as Emily Henderson.

Polley’s film, I thought, was simply stunning, both in content and execution. It’s the biggest happy surprise I’ve had so far in Telluride. I was disappointed that there was no Q-and-A afterwards; Polley had given the briefest of introductions, mostly praising Telluride, saying she’d never had such an extraordinary experience at a festival before, especially meeting interesting people with interesting stories, whether from the world of film or not. I heard a rumour that she was contractually prevented from talking about the film until it opened, which seemed curious. UPDATE: Here's Polley's explanation of why she wants the film to unfold and reveal its secrets the way it does.

Afterwards I stood around with a number of powerfully moved people, including The Hollywood Reporter's Tim Appelo and Lisa Kennedy of the Denver Post, relating family secrets to each other.
With the kind permission of Steve Ujlaki, dean of the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, I was able to join his table for dinner at Rustico at 6, down a lovely plate of veal with mushrooms, and still make Serge Bromberg’s 7:15 “Retour du Flamme,” an eclectic program of film rarities which Bromberg accompanies with snappy French-accented patter and piano-playing, supplemented by Donald Sosin while Bromberg narrated Melies’ hand-tinted “Kingdom of Fairies,” which is the film you see him shooting in Scorsese’s “Hugo Cabret.”

Afterwards I stuck around for the 10 p.m. showing of “Frances Ha,” briefly introduced by Noah Baumbach, co-screenwriter Greta Gerwig, and Mickey Sumner, according to the catalogue, although she looked nothing like the character she played in the movie – prettier and blonder. IMDB tells me she’s the daughter of Sting and Trudy Styler. I’m a fan of most of Baumbach’s previous work, it’s dependably literary and has a nice New York sensibility, but this one, alas, felt determinedly quirky and a trifle twee to me. Frances’ leap from self-destructiveness to self-actualization seemed to have skipped several beats somewhere inbetween. I couldn’t help but think of Lena Dunham’s “Girls,” because of the similar locations, ages, fecklessness, relentlessly casual hooking-up, perplexing quick marriage, and the coincidental casting of Adam Driver, playing an artist in both instances. (I will point out that I saw “Frances Ha” in the company of three women of wildly varying ages, and they all liked it quite a bit more than I did – one of them loved it.)

It took me a while to find Alice Waters’ rented house, tucked away at the top of a steep street, but inside I find great wine, charcuterie, cheese, bread, chocolate, and refugees from the festival’s starriest party, to which I hadn’t been invited. Mark Cousins, who had changed his original plan for the day when I told him I was going to see “The Marvelous Life of Joan of Arc,” said he liked it more than the Dreyer, which shocked me to the core. He said that a woman had stopped him in the street and asked him what was under his kilt, and when he told her “Nothing,” shocked him by asking if she could see. I said “You ought to have told her to buy a ticket to your film.”

I told Alexander Payne I was sad that they hadn’t scheduled an additional screening of the 1965 Italia film “I Knew Her Well” that he’d introduced night before last, which already seems so long ago, and he told me that Criterion had picked it up (but I don’t want to wait! And I want to see it on the big screen!). And maybe he was pulling my leg, but he said something about it being scheduled at some cinematheque in his home state of Nebraska, where he lives part-time.

Tom Luddy arrived in a dazzling Russian constructivist cashmere sweater, which his wife, stylist Monique Montgomery, had found at the Alameda Flea Market. He was thrilled that Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida had so enjoyed their first visit to Telluride that they’d become lifers, already looking forward to subsequent visits, as, it seemed, was guest director Geoff Dyer. His only disappointment in a jam-packed weekend, he told me as we walked down the hill together, was that he didn’t understand why his two screenings of Tarkovsky’s “Stalker” weren’t SRO. I said that both were up against over a dozen other alluring possibilities, and that many people wanted to see big hot new movies, as opposed to an over-thirty-year old 2-hour-and-40-minute epic by a director dead for over a quarter of a century.

I left Dyer at the door of his hotel. I’d be seeing him in less than eight hours, anyway, at a screening he’d programmed of an obscure British film (I’d never heard of it, anyway) called “Unrelated,” a first feature by Joanna Hogg. Time to get some sleep so I wouldn’t fall prey again to the dreaded nodding-head-syndrome.

Telluride Review: Michael Winterbottom’s ‘Everyday’ Is Uneven, But Emotionally Rewarding

Rodrigo Perez — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:39:13 GMT

The ultra prolific British helmer Michael Winterbottom has now made twenty films since his debut, “Butterfly Kiss,” in 1995. His eclectic creative appetites and peripatetic energy has seen the restless director take on a disparate array of projects from moody sci-fi ("Code 46"), pulpy noir ("The Killer Inside Me"), a post-modern music-scene saga ("24 Hour Party People") a western ("The Claim") and many, many more genres including documentaries as well.

So for his latest trick, it’s perhaps no surprise that Winterbottom has taken on another interesting experiment -- this time a sprawling family drama set over five Christmases in rural Scotland. Commissioned by Channel 4 and shot in two week periods over five years, "Everyday" employs four real-life siblings (Shaun, Katrina, Stephanie, and Robert Kirk) to play the sons of Karen (Shirley Henderson) and Ian (John Simm), her MIA husband, and chronicles the life of this family literally watching the children grow up in front of the camera.

But family life isn't so simple. Ian is serving a five year stint in prison so Karen is forced to be a single mom looking over a lively little brood of children. Lonely, and struggling on her own, but still as much a resilient rock as she can be under the circumstance, Karen spends most of the her and the kids' free time going to the local prison for visits.

Karen does odd jobs to survive (retail work, bartending) and the kids attend school and lead relatively normal lives aside from the monthly visits to prison. However, the distance and pain of separation actually gets worse in the later years when Dad is given permission for extended day and then weekend visits with the family. These times are loving, celebratory and welcoming, but going back to daily grind of separated life is deeply painful for everyone involved. Dad is back in their lives and everyone is happy, but when reality creeps in, the abrupt disconnection from renewed family life is emotionally brutal.

Along the years, Karen takes on a companion who’s not so much a lover, but a family friend. Ian is slapped with an minor extended sentence for trying to smuggle in hash, but generally the conflicts and problems simmer at low stakes. And this is perhaps where the film will divide people. One half will decry the film saying nothing really happens, and one half that will respond to the film’s rich emotional and interior life. There’s also something admirable about the director’s eagerness not to invent some gigantic, movie-like obstacle and hew much closer to a palable reality.

Documentary-like with an observational and patient eye (perhaps too patient), “Everyday” is long, perhaps too long. At two hours, the picture is slow paced with again, seemingly minor stakes, but Winterbottom’s composure pays off in emotionally rewarding dividends. Doubly interesting is that the film was commissioned originally as a look at the prison system, but Winterbottom’s understated examination of this subject goes far beyond.

The standout is easily Shirley Henderson. She is particularly excellent in the mostly loyal and loving wife role, trying to keep the family running while the father-figure-free boys get in trouble at school. “Why did you do this to us?,” Karen says, weeping through tears, while lying prostrate on Ian just after having sex with him. It is an utterly devastating moment and defines the film’s most heartrending emotional sequences.

Perhaps too preoccupied with the mundanity of “Everyday” daily life, this is part of the point. Winterbottom is exploring the daily grind of adulthood and parenthood and how it weighs down the soul, and exhausts us. Though some audiences will just feel the fatigue. Perhaps unsettling to some is the lack of practical struggles Karen faces. Most single moms raising four children on what couldn’t be more than a shoestring budget would likely go crazy. But the picture chooses to portray Karen’s struggle in a more quiet and slowly eroding manner.

Practically speaking, “Everyday” faces an uphill climb with accessibility and it’s likely going to land with a small arthouse distributor, or if it’s lucky, someone like IFC Films. But while not as involving as it could be to mainstream audiences, Winterbottom’s picture still feels like an important project worth making, an interesting experiment and an emotionally resonant film that should sit well with patient viewers and cinephiles. [B]

Telluride Review: How Israeli Intelligence Doc 'Gatekeepers' Appeals to Both Israeli and Palestinian Concerns

Eric Kohn — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 21:55:11 GMT

"The Gatekeepers," a startling exposé of Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet, delivers an unequivocal indictment. The handful of former Shin Bet heads who deliver candid accounts of their reasoning for various destructive assaults in the constant horn-locking with their Palestinian neighbors initially come across as unsympathetic war-mongerers. However, director Dror Moreh allows the movie to exclusively unfold through their voices, humanizing them to the point where their logic and humanity fall into distinct categories. For every shocking justification of murder, there's another moment where they confess frustration and regret, resulting in a refreshingly even-handed portrait.

As an introductory title card positions the Shin Bet interviews as an exceedingly rare opportunity to hear about the inner workings of Israeli military action, "The Gatekeepers" settles into a grim account of the country's history in the wake of the 1967 war. Early on, it's clear that the organization's function was derailed by its drive to engage the Palestinians in an antagonistic struggle. "Luckily for us, terrorism increased," admits one former Shin Bet head with the eerie semblance of a chuckle. Another puts it bluntly: "We wanted security and got more terrorism."

Among the interview subjects, Yuval Diskin, the head of the organization until 2011, brings the freshest memories of the experience and thus the most unsettling clarity to the discussion. "Politicians prefer binary options," he says, explaining the rash of bombings intended for terrorist subjects that often leave countless innocents dead. Those with greater distance from the job come across as unsettlingly pragmatic about the task at hand. "With terrorism, there are no morals," says Carmi Gillon, a Shin Bet leader in the mid-nineties. But even he assails the organization for acts of war that use terrorism as an excuse to assert power over a weaker minority.

A feature-length argument, "The Gatekeepers" reaches a turning point by spending an extensive period recounting the national ire over the Oslo Accords and eventual assassination of Yitzchak Rabin. Following the dissolution of a dialogue with Yasser Arafat, Shin Bet was given no precise mandate to shift its knee-jerk impulses. Moreh finds the organization trapped in a mortifying quagmire: Retaliate or face retaliation. While keeping the country safe, they also further the notion that wartime engagement is the only continuing solution to conflict in the Middle East.

As "The Gatekeepers" steadily works its way into modern times, Moreh cuts between shocking POV shots of spyplanes taking out unsuspecting vehicles and homes; by the time the images of suicide bombings appear onscreen, the scale of death on both sides comes across as equally grotesque permanence. The Shin Bet leaders are capable of justifying their job while decrying the ethical conundrums it constantly raises. Avraham Shalom, the Shin Bet head in the 1980s, puts it best: "When you retire, you become a bit of leftist."

Since none of the subjects currently hold office (Yoram Cohen, not in the film, currently runs Shin Bet) allows them the capacity to assail the institution without falling back on political rhetoric. Each of them has the capacity to recall a precise moment in Israel's history by way of its belligerent stances, striking a tone that will have some viewers nodding their heads even as others are outraged.

Because it never stretches beyond its small group of interviewees, "The Gatekeepers" retains a closeness with its subjects that's more conversational than purely journalistic. Moreh uses his subjects to express a contradiction at the root of all military processes. Even if they're trapped by their testimonies, they never deliver an alternative. "The Gatekeepers" is thus both a critical investigation into misguided battlefield tactics and a reluctant acknowledgement of occupational hazards at their ugliest.

Criticwire grade: A-

HOW WILL IT PLAY? Sony Pictures Classics has picked up "The Gatekeepers" and will likely campaign for it to receive an Oscar nomination. The controversial subject matter is bound to generate a dialogue that will help the film in limited release; meanwhile, it has premiered at Telluride and next stops in Toronto and New York, where its profile is bound to expand.