These are two fine Holiday movies. PRINCESS is all about New Orleans and voodoo and BLIND SIDE, based on a true story, is really good with a fine performance by Sandra Bullock.
Hooray for good movies!
The official program for the 36th Telluride Film Festival is to be released at noon Friday, Sept 4 at http://telluridefilmfestival.org/
Summer Hours/L’heure d’été (France, 2008)
Juliette Binoche … Adrienne
Charles Berling … Frédéric
Jérémie Renier … Jérémie
Edith Scob … Hélѐne
Dominique Reymond … Lisa
Valérie Bonneton … Angela
Isabelle Sadoyan … Éloïse
Kyle Eastwood … James
Written and Directed by Olivier Assayas; Cinematography by Eric Gautier;
Film Editing by Luc Barnier
Running time 100 minutes; Unrated
We hope you enjoy the following interview with Director Olivier Assayas:
Interviewer: There are several important concepts that play out in Summer Hours -– nationalism, navigating the grieving process, art and history, globalization; yet it never feels overly “full” –- there is such a lean quality to the material despite how dense and far-reaching in scope it is. In the film, the main characters are from a fairly well-to-do family, and are in possession of some priceless artifacts of national significance, yet somehow the idea of dividing belongings is so universal -– I had never really seen a film address this properly before (or so realistically). How do you, as a writer-director, speak to all of these topics without the film getting too bogged down in heavy sentiment?
Assayas: I started with an extremely simple canvas, I think. It was really basic because initially it was more like a short story. It was meant to be a short film, initially. The simplicity or the backbone of the story remained because it started with the objects. Art works are born of relationships to the real life of real human beings and once they finish their life cycle, they end up in a zoo, meaning in a museum. I wanted to write a very short story around that and gradually I started creating characters and the characters had their own lives, and they were a family, and they had complex interaction between them. It kind of grew.
I was extremely concerned with using tone, a style, a lightness of touch, which had to do, also, with the fact that I was using this kind of impressionist background. I wanted to have the same kind of lightness because I knew I would be dealing with things that were difficult or complex and eventually painful. I was not immune to the emotions within the film. I had lost my mother a couple of months before we shot the film, so it’s a strange mixture of being extremely concerned with, I suppose, the heavier or the more dramatic aspects of whatever is going on and the constant concern of keeping some kind of lightness.
And I didn’t want to be nostalgic. I did not want to make a film that had anything to do with this notion that things were better before. Deep inside me I have this trust in the future, this trust in the process of life. So whatever I was describing, which is obviously loss, mourning, etcetera, had to always come with the notion that there is a certain fatality and certain logic within the process of life, which also, obviously, has to do with destruction.
Interviewer: I’m very interested in the concepts of “transition” as defined in Summer Hours: “transition” of age, of life and death; “transition” of people and of property and borders. How important is it for your films to reflect this idea of life as being something that is constantly changing, moving and surprising?
Assayas: I suppose at some point it turns into a theme in my films, but initially it is mostly how I experience life. I think my writing, my films, are never too connected from my experience of the world, in terms of my perception of society around me, or my imaginations or whatever, but it has to be tangible, it has to be real…
I think about our awareness of the world, in terms of how we look at it through various media, relationships to information, to images. I feel we live in a world that is more and more fragmented, more and more diverse and in a world which has such complexities in terms of ‘present’ that we end up losing whatever grounds us to our connection to the ‘past’. I’ve seen what felt the most solid, the most structured, in French society, in European society, gradually lose its meaning, and lose its value in favor of an increased sense of the ‘present’.
Our obsession with the ‘present’ has become somehow alienating and I am totally convinced that history, culture and the belief and understanding of history is something that makes people stronger, more aware, and ultimately, to use big words, more politically conscious. We’re losing the political consciousness of the world that is connected to conscience of history.
Interviewer: Most typical American audiences, outside of a few markets, will not have access to a film like Summer Hours on the big screen, and often it feels like there is a kind of hesitance in general from the casual American film-going public to see these films in the theater, no matter how good they are. So, since the American economy is basically in the toilet at this moment, I wonder what the global ramifications of this are on a film like Summer Hours? How does a film like this get picked up and distributed in the States and what are some of the obstacles you’ve encountered in getting the film seen here?
Assayas: I make European films and I feel kind of lucky that they are seen at all in North America, because, you know, most of French and European filmmaking are basically not seen. I’ve been pretty lucky because my films have had some kind of minor distribution in the US, but, of course, you know, just only in the main cities. There is a certain level of awareness, but when you make movies, basically, you hope to address to the broader audience, and ultimately try to deal universal issues, and somehow you have this deep belief that you are making something that’s kind of worthwhile in the sense that if it connects with audiences it will just increase their awareness of the world that they live in…
Movies are open, movies are made to be seen by a lot of people and they try and can mean deep things to those people. Especially in a time of complex turmoil. We live in a complex world where, again, the economy is changing the lives of individuals, in ways those individuals never really asked for. You just try to grab those things and just put them onscreen and then you hope that, because you have faith in the medium, you have faith in cinema, you have a belief that it can be put so some kind of good use (laughs). So you do your best, and you hope it will be seen. -Matt Mazur, PopMatters.com
The Telluride Film Festival is immeasurably grateful to its Business Friends for their year-round support:
Gray Head, Inn at Lost Creek, The Market at Mountain Village, Honga’s Lotus Petal, Timberline Ace Hardware, Telluride Ski and Golf, Lumiere, Two Skirts, Victory Media, Alpine Bank of Telluride, The Cantina, Cornerstone Colorado, Telluride 360 Real Estate, Hotel Telluride, Clark’s Market, Time Warner Cable, Luxwest, Azadi Fine Rugs, Bear Creek Lodge, Capella Telluride, Telluride Bottle Works
Katrine and Bill Formby (of the Nugget Building), Marta Tarbell and Seth Cagin (of the Telluride Watch), and Luci Reeve and Jim Bedford (of the Nugget Theatre business), celebrate the Nothing Festival with five FREE screenings of the hot new feature, IMAGINE THAT, to take place on Friday, July 17 at 5:30 and 8 PM; and on Saturday, July 18 at 3,5:30 and 8 PM. Attendees of all ages are FREE and asked to arrive early to guarantee a seat, which will be available on a first come, first served basis.
This year we’re saying “Nothing but Thanks” to the Telluride Foundation. To honor and recognize this great local institution that helps so many in the Telluride region and San Miguel County, Katrine and Bill Formby have engaged long-time Telluride local and TCTV founder Dean Rolley, along with former Telluride Mayor Amy Levek, to put together a short film highlighting local kids and focusing on the Telluride Foundation’s good works. This short documentary will be screened right before each free movie showing–it’s the Nugget’s way of saying “Nothing but Thanks.”
IMAGINE THAT is the brand new film starring Eddie Murphy. Set in Denver with the Rocky Mountains as background, IMAGINE THAT is for the entire family and is a gentle but funny film about growing up. (Yes, both kids and adults continue to grow up.)
Evan Danielson (Eddie Murphy) was just your average financial wizard — focused, successful and driven before he found himself standing in front of his friends’ house yelling for his daughter’s purple security blanket in the middle of the night (it gives him stock tips). But, when his daughter introduces him to the princesses and their queen living in her imaginary world, Evan follows her on a hilarious and exciting adventure that forces him to reexamine the value of their relationship and redefine his meaning of success.
IMAGINE THAT is for fans of comedy and family films, for those who like good characters and writing and are looking for a complete emotional story. It’s rated PG (for a bit of profanity) and runs one hour and 47 minutes. All ages really like this movie, so will you.
This is Katrine and Bill’s, Marta and Seth’s, Luci and Jim’s way of recognizing the great Telluride Foundation and saying: “We love movies and we love Telluride! Nothing but thanks and enjoy the shows!”
STATE OF PLAY
Opening at the Nugget on Friday, May 1
Cast: Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Robin Wright Penn, Helen Mirren, Jeff Daniels
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Screenplay: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray
Length: 1:57
Rated: PG-13 for violence and profanity.
Subtitles: None
What’s STATE OF PLAY about?
STATE OF PLAY is a dark-alley journalism story crossed with a suspense thriller and a whole lot more. Ben Affleck plays a crusading young congressman investigating a Blackwater-type private security company when his chief researcher, who is also his mistress, is brutally murdered and buried secrets start tumbling out. The ace newspaper reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), a close friend of the congressman’s, gets on the case and uncovers the threat posed by the company, while his sour editor (Helen Mirren) wants to pursue the tabloid side of the scandal. As Cal and partner Della (Rachel McAdams) work to uncover the killer’s identity, they discover a cover-up that threatens to shake the nation’s power structures. And, in a town of spin-doctors and wealthy politicos, he will discover one truth: when billions are at stake, no one’s integrity, love or life is ever safe.
Quote from STATE OF PLAY:
Della Frye (Rachel McAdams): Did we just break the law?
Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe): Nope. That’s what you call damn fine reporting.
What’s being said about STATE OF PLAY?
“Not only does State of Play work well as a political thriller, its pointed take on the failing state of newspapers and lax journalistic standards could not be more timely. Stunning widescreen cinematography and lavish sets add to the authenticity of a movie that in its best moments can be compared favorably with similar ’70s classics like All the President’s Men.” Pete Hammond at Hollywood.com
See the STATE OF PLAY movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/stateofplay/
FAST AND FURIOUS
Opening at the Nugget on Friday, April 24
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso, Gal Gadot
Director: Justin Lin
Screenplay (such as it is): Chris Morgan
Length: 1:47
Rated: PG-13 for violence, profanity and sexual situations.
Subtitles: None
What’s FAST AND FURIOUS about?
When a crime brings them back to L.A., fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker). But, as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him. And, from convoy heists to precision tunnel crawls across international lines, two men will find the best way to get revenge: Push the limits of what’s possible behind the wheel.
Quotes from FAST AND FURIOUS:
Just a few of Dom’s one-liners:
“Ask any racer, any real racer. It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile; winning’s winning.”
“I live my life a quarter mile at a time.”
“SWAT came into my house, disrespected my whole family because somebody narc’d me out!”
“You’re gonna need more than that crotch rocket.”
“Hey, wait, hold up! I don’t have any cash, but I do have the pink slip to my car.”
“Wait, you just can’t climb in the ring with Ali ’cause you think you box!”
“Why don’t you girls just pack it up before I leave tread marks on your face?”
What’s being said about FAST AND FURIOUS?
“If you’re expecting a very slick, adrenaline laden car chase and car smash extravaganza strung together with a tiny plot, sparse dialogue and thin characters, you’re at the right movie. Mindless fun, well done.” BFDeal at NuggetTheatre.com
See the FAST AND FURIOUS movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/fastandfurious/
Director Darren Aronofsky’s Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning The Wrestler, the beautifully crafted vehicle for Mickey Rourke’s dramatic comeback role, will screen one time, Thursday, April 23, at 8:30 p.m. at the Nugget, in the Telluride Film Festival Presents! series.
“Like many great performances, it has an element of truth,” writes Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times, “Rourke himself was once young and glorious and made the big bucks. He did professional boxing just for the hell of it. He alienated a lot of people. He fell from grace and stardom, but kept working, because he was an actor and that was what he did. Now, here is his comeback role, playing Randy the Ram’s comeback.”
Randy (Rourke) is estranged from his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) and has trouble sustaining any real relationships. He exists for the adoration from his fans and for the electricity he generates inside the ring, until, unexpectedly, he is forced into retirement after a heart attack. His sense of identity begins to disintegrate; re-evaluating the state of his life, he attempts to reconnect with his daughter, and pursues romance with Cassidy, an aging stripper (Marisa Tomei – also nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her performance).
But his passion for his art beckons him back to the life of wrestling, and Randy soon finds himself working his way up the independent circuit for one final opportunity to defeat his longtime rival.
There will be one show, at 8:30 p.m., on Thursday, April 23 at the Nugget Theater, one night only. The movie is rated R and runs 105 minutes. Tickets are $8. No Nugget Passes, please.
And don’t miss The Secret Garden, free at Sunday at the Palm on April 26
Free films and free flowers! As Telluride begins to bloom, bring the whole family to eprxience this an inspiring film about life, magic and flowers. The Telluride Film Festival’s Sunday at the Palm series presents Polish Director Agnieszka Holland’s award-winning adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s novel The Secret Garden. The film follows young Mary Lennox, a strong-willed English girl orphaned by an earthquake in India who is sent to England to live with her uncle, a widower still in mourning for his wife, who died a decade ago, in a cold, unwelcoming Yorkshire mansion.
The resourceful and curious Mary she soon makes two exciting discoveries, first finding the key to a long-forgotten garden (locked up since the death of her aunt), and then discovering that she has a cousin, Colin, a sickly boy who must stay in bed and avoid daylight at all times. As Mary and her new friend, a local boy named Dickon, bring the garden back to life, they decide that Colin must see it. This decision will change several lives and will bring magic back to the entire house.
Critic Ebert gave the film four out of four stars and wrote, “It is a beautiful, intelligent film – a fable, a lesson, and an entrancing entertainment,” and while he predicted that “the summer of 1993 will be remembered as the time when every child in the world wanted to see Jurassic Park,” also released in 1993, “the lucky ones will see this one, too.”
Garden screens Sunday, April 26, at 4 p.m., at the Michael D. Palm Theatre for the Performing Arts. Rated G, it is free to all; running time is 101 minutes
Sunday at the Palm is presented by The Telluride Film Festival, The Telluride Foundation and Telluride R1 School District.
I LOVE YOU, MAN
Opening at the Nugget on Friday, April 17
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons, Jane Curtin, Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly
Director: John Hamburg
Screenplay: John Hamburg and Larry Levin
Length: 1:45
Rated: R for profanity and sexual situations.
Subtitles: None
What’s I LOVE YOU, MAN about? Paul Rudd is Peter, a successful real estate agent, who upon getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, Zooey (Rashida Jones), discovers, to his dismay and chagrin, that he has no male friend close enough to serve as his Best Man. Peter quickly sets out to rectify the situation, embarking on a series of bizarre and awkward “man-dates,” before meeting Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), a charming, opinionated man with whom he instantly bonds. But, the closer the two men get, the more Peter’s relationship with Zooey suffers, ultimately forcing him to choose between his fiancee and his new found “bro,” in a story that comically explores what it truly means to be a friend.
Quotes from I LOVE YOU, MAN:
Open House Couple: [after trying to discretely fart at an open house] “I like it, but I’m not sure about the space… I’m thinking it might be a little bit small.”
Sydney Fife: [Knowing he farted] “Totally, and it smells like fart.”
What’s being said about I LOVE YOU, MAN? “I LOVE YOU, MAN has everything going for it: a heartwarming story, a 1 hour and 45 minute running time and hilarious jokes that moviegoers will be quoting for years. And by capturing the beauty of Venice Beach, Chinatown and Silver Lake, the city of Los Angeles has never looked better on screen. And then there are Rudd and Segel — two very funny actors who you can’t help but love, man.” Scott Mantz at moviemantz.com
See the I LOVE YOU, MAN movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/iloveyouman/
On Thursday, March 26th, the Telluride Film Festival Presents the five-time Oscar nominated, DOUBT (2008), with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Special DOUBLE SHOWING at 6:15 PM and 8:30 PM - one night only at the Nugget Theatre. Rated PG-13. 104 minutes. No Nugget passes, please.
Here’s a great review of DOUBT from James Berardinelli at http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1417:
It’s one of life’s bitter ironies that one of the first things lost to moral certainty is the capacity for compassion. Righteousness is a cold, hard position, and an unshakeable one. It allows no room for one of the most basic tenants of human existence: doubt. Faith exists not in counterpoint to certainty but to doubt. And those in religious institutions who wish to commune with their fellows must never lose sight of the fact that doubt defines and binds us. Few of us have the capacity to defend a position of uncompromising certainty.
Doubt, John Patrick Shanley’s screen adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play, is the story of doubt and certainty in direct conflict. And it’s a tale that enters a moral quagmire from which it never fully emerges. Those seeking clear answers to difficult questions will not find them here. Movies often provide resolution and catharsis. These are rarely qualities uncovered in real life situations, and that is mirrored here. One is likely to leave Doubt pondering all that has transpired but perhaps no closer to “truth” than any of the characters are. Not since David Mamet’s Oleanna has a play-to-film translation offered such difficult to digest intellectual substance.
The setting is simple: The Saint Nicholas Church School in the Bronx. It’s late autumn 1964, with Christmas approaching. There are four principal characters: Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the progressive priest who presides over the school and its church; Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), the old-school nun who sees sin and wrongdoing everywhere; Sister James (Amy Adams), the young and idealistic newcomer; and Mrs. Muller (Viola Davis), the mother of a boy who becomes central to the conflict. The nature of the controversy is clear: Did Father Flynn engage in an improper relationship with student Donald Muller (Joseph Foster)? Flynn denies the accusation but Sister Aloysius proclaims no doubt as to his guilt. The two face off against one another, neither giving ground, with Sister James caught in the middle, taking the role of the audience. She hears and sees the evidence for and against Father Flynn and, like those of us watching the movie, arrives at a conclusion but can never be certain that her belief is correct.
Doubt is a showcase for its four main actors. It seems that Meryl Streep receives an acting nomination for every role in which she appears, and it’s no wonder. She takes the time to understand every character she plays and, no matter what part she accepts, her portrayal comes with a complete conviction that includes posture, body language, mannerisms, physical appearance, and accent. (You can even see this in fluff like Mamma Mia!) As Sister Aloysius, Streep is in top form. The actress vanishes into the nun’s habit and what emerges is a character of nearly monstrous dimensions in her unshakeable moral certainty. One sees her, in her dark costume, as a modern-day representation of those paragons of virtue who condemned witches to burn during the Salem Witch Trials.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is perhaps one of the few working actors today who can hold his own in a scene with Streep, and that’s precisely what he does because the movie would fall apart if he was unable to. His portrayal of Father Flynn is strong and confident, showing a great depth of compassion but just enough uncertainty to make us wonder. Amy Adams has a less showy part, but is quietly impressive. She is caught in the middle and, considering her position, provides the most propitious point of entry for the viewer. Viola Davis has the least screen time of the main four but her single extended scene is wrenching and reveals key information about the situation as well as a startling admission.
Beginning with this paragraph, the rest of the review is written with the expectation that readers have some familiarity with Doubt (either the play or the movie). Is the term “spoiler” appropriate for a story in which uncertainty is a primary characteristic and plot twists don’t really apply? Perhaps not, but I’m providing this warning to allow those who wish to see the movie unfiltered to pause here and come back later. Some of what follows is speculation.
The central question of Doubt relates to the nature of the relationship between Father Flynn and Donald. There are many possibilities, and the film provides evidence to support nearly every one of them. Shanley (directing for the first time since Joe Versus the Volcano) does not stack the deck and, more importantly, he does not provide an impregnable truth. (But could one expect anything different from a film with the title Doubt?) The film takes place in an era when priests were implicitly trusted but during which we know, based on current news reports, that such trust was abused in some cases. As a result of what has been revealed over the years, both in court and in films like Deliver us from Evil, there is now a tendency to believe that priests are guilty until proven innocent.
By highlighting Father Flynn’s love of pressed wildflowers and perfectly groomed nails, it is possible that Shanley may be providing clues about Flynn’s sexuality. We know from the conversation between Sister Aloysius and Mrs. Muller that Donald has shown homosexual tendencies. This would provide a common bond between Father Flynn and Donald - not a sexual liaison, but one of compassion and kinship. Father Flynn understands and wants to impart that understanding to a boy who is all alone (not only is he gay, but he’s the only black student in an all-white school). My sense is that there is nothing inappropriate in the relationship, but it’s not cut-and-dried, and there are indications that all of Father Flynn’s past associations may not have been as innocent. Others may process the same information differently and arrive at another conclusion. That’s the beauty of the film’s screenplay and acting. It does not dictate. It demands that each viewer make up his or her own mind. Some may call this unsatisfying and manipulative. I call it brilliant.
As hot-button an issue as is pedophilia in the priesthood, Doubt deals in subtleties. It asks questions about faith. It acknowledges the importance of vigilance yet, at the same time, cautions against embracing certainty because such an action curtails the search for truth. There’s a lot here to digest, but it’s not meaningless philosophizing. These characters and the pain of their circumstances become visceral. They are people, not abstractions. They merit understanding, pity, and anger. Doubt is an intellectually and emotionally exhausting and engrossing experience. It is drama of the highest caliber, shaped by words and characters and directed with a simplicity that stands in stark contrast to the complexity of the people and issues on screen.
