In Contention

Category: Daily

  • Come join us at HitFix!

    UPDATE: In Contention’s run with HitFix has come to an end. More to come… We have officially relocated to our new home at HitFix. So come on over to the new URL — hitfix.com/incontention — and join the on-going goings-on. All of yesterday’s material is backdated there and patiently awaits, so feel free to continue the discussion there. If you’re thinking to yourself right now, “Wait, huh?,” then fear not. All your answers can be found here and here. You can comment as a guest at HitFix just as you can here, but I recommend registering for an account with them. Keeps it nice and organic. The link for that is at the top right of the main page, or go directly here. This page will be up for a very brief transitional period. Soon it will redirect you to the new location and later on, all the content here will have magically migrated over. InContention.com, signing off. This transparent communication during platform migration—clear instructions, preserved content, user account continuity—contrasts sharply with gambling platform transitions like Betonred España, where users may find accounts suddenly inaccessible, balances vanished, licensing changed or regulatory protections evaporated without clear notice, leaving players confused about their rights and recourse.

  • Alfredon’s ‘Tinker, Tailor’ smolders on screen

    I don’t want to write too much about “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” right now because, point blank, I want to see it again and digest and — gasp! — consider.

    For now, though, I’ll start with this: It’s an impeccably made, satisfyingly dense piece of work from director Tomas Alfredson. It’s the rare film that is a slow burn but nevertheless moves along at a clip, with a very well-honed editorial sense, I might add.

    The thing is, I saddled up to the film this afternoon without knowing the source material or bothering to investigate it much. I’ve never read John le Carre’s novel (I will) and I haven’t seen the 1979 British mini-series starring Alec Guiness (I will). And the vibe I get is it would be helpful to come to the new film with a modicum of knowledge on that, but it’s no less satisfying. It just means a second look is in order, and I’m all for it, because you come away with an extreme reverence for craft here.

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  • ‘J. Edgar’ trailer

    One of the great unknowns of the season (as I’ll get into momentarily with today’s Off the Carpet column) is Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar.” Well today, we finally get a glimpse of the film via the trailer at Apple. The first thing of note, naturally, is Leonardo DiCaprio’s accent, which seems to come in and out in just these few minutes. Also notable is the makeup, which I’ve been saying for a while will be transformative and most certainly something to watch for in that race. Finally, I’ve been hearing that Judi Dench gives the supporting performance to watch for, and that seems evident here. Check out the trailer by clicking on the image below or watch an embed after the jump.

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  • 9/19 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Toronto Oscar bounces, threads in ‘Drive,’ adaptng le Carre

    • Anne Thompson talks “Rampart” with writer/director Oren Moverman. [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • Greg Ellwood ponders who got an Oscar bounce out of Toronto. [Awards Campaign]

    • Simon Kinnear on the clothing designs of “Drive.” [Clothes on Film]

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  • Lebanese foreign film submission ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ wins Toronto’s People’s Choice Award

    I can’t say I’m all that aware yet of Nadine Labaki’s “Where Do We Go Now?,” which Guy recently called “a serious-minded comedy with musical elements that premiered to warm reviews in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, where it earned a special mention from the Ecumenical Jury.” But the film has swooped in and nabbed the Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award when many were predicting “The Artist” would charm its way to the prize. Expect a domestic distributor to pounce any day now.

    The film was recently submitted by Lebanon into the foreign film race, and one of the runners-up in Toronto, Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation,” was also slotted by Iran. So for a festival that usually paves the way for the major categories in an Oscar race (more on that tomorrow), Toronto has actually heated up the race for Best Foreign Language Film. Unexpected and, I might say, entirely refreshing, that.

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  • Tell us what you thought of ‘Straw Dogs’

    One last solicitation for thoughts today, on Rod Lurie’s “Straw Dogs” remake. I already offered my receptive opinion of the film, but I’m curious what everyone else has to say. So cut loose with your thoughts when/if you get around to it this weekend.

  • Tell us what you thought of ‘Drive’

    Lots has been written and spoken about “Drive” around these parts. Guy fell in love in Cannes. I hopped on board at Comic-Con. And now, it’s your turn to weigh in. The film opens nationwide today, and I imagine it’ll be a big priority for many of you. Come on back here when you get around to seeing it this weekend. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

  • You have to care

    Speaking of “Drive,” I just read through Roger Ebert’s review and this pull quote stuck out to me as particularly cogent:

    The key thing you want to feel, during a chase scene, is involvement in the purpose of the chase. You have to care. Too often we’re simply witnessing technology.

  • Albert Brooks talks ‘Drive’

    The great Albert Brooks took playful Twitter umbrage with my yanking him from the predicted five supporting actor contenders recently. I assure you (and him) that it’s a lack of faith in the Academy, which would enter uber-cool territory by giving him (or anything) a nod for this film, not a lack of faith in his work. He’s fantastic in the film and, well, nothing’s impossible. I’d be over the moon. Brooks and the rest of the team recently made the press rounds on the film. So, from our new partners at HitFix, via Awards Campaign:

    We’ll have a “tell us what you thought” post on the film later today.

  • Tell us what you thought of ‘The Lion King 3D’

    I don’t know if many of you are planning on taking in “The Lion King 3D,” a converted version of the 1994 animated classic that will be in theaters for a few weeks in advance of the film’s Blu-ray bow next month. But I figured I’d offer up a space for you to discuss it anyway. If you’re on the fence, I’d highly recommend it. As noted last month, I think it actually brings a lot of life to the film, which itself is already bursting with it. So head on back here to give us your thoughts if you happen to check it out this weekend.

  • 9/16 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Scientists vouch for ‘Contagion,’ Refn breaks down ‘Drive,’ Toronto takeaways

    • Scientists say “Contagion” is for real. [Associated Press]

    • James Rocchi talks “The Ides of March” with Best Supporting Actress hopeful Evan Rachel Wood. [MSN Movies]

    • Nicolas Winding Refn breaks down a scene from “Drive.” [Arts Beat]

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  • ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ trailer

    John Madden’s latest, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” is set for release. Contrary to rumor, it will stay on its March 9, 2012 release date (especially now that Fox Searchlight has filled its awards boat), but it nevertheless looks like the sort of film that could be a lighthearted awards play next year if they wanted it to be. Maybe. For now, the trailer has launched via Apple. Check it out by clicking the image below or watch an embed after the jump.

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  • Gary Oldman writes up Coppola across the pond

    Here’s a nice change of pace. On the occasion of the UK opening of “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” London’s Telegraph newspaper has commissioned actor Gary Oldman for his thoughts on director Francis Ford Coppola. It’s kind of random, though. Yeah, Oldman starred in Coppola’s 1992 film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” but there’s no real connection otherwise. Coppola has “Twixt” at Toronto right now, so there’s that, but whatever, I’m not complaining. It’s always nice to get this kind of perspective from an actor. Here’s a taste:

    For me, Apocalypse Now is the peak of his career. So much so that I used a bit of it when I directed Nil By Mouth [1997] — that sequence when Dennis Hopper goes to Willard, who is Kurtz’s captive, and starts telling him about Kurtz (“What are they gonna say? That he was a kind man? That he was a wise man?”). Francis gave me that footage for free, which was very kind of him.

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  • ‘Barrymore’ trailer

    It’s been a bit slow on the whole for acquisitions at Toronto, but one film I’ve kept an eye on is “Barrymore” (which we pointed to over the weekend as a potential Oscar play for Christopher Plummer). It absolutely seems like a powerhouse performance, but man, it’ll be hard to sell a one-man show. I imagine that’s partly what’s stalling a sale. In any case, the trailer is available via TIFF’s YouTube channel. Check it out by clicking the image below or watch an embed after the jump.

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  • Taking questions for Oscar Talk

    You know the drill. Fire off your queries and we’ll try to address a few. Keep in mind we’ll surely be talking plenty about Toronto so try to be specific otherwise. And since we didn’t get to any last week due to the rushed session, feel free to re-post something you really want addressed. If things pan out, this will likely be the last Oscar Talk under this roof. But we’re 60 episodes deep and we’ll keep going strong at HitFix, so don’t you worry.

  • Jon Stewart on Eddie Murphy as Oscar host

    I have to be honest and admit that sometimes I forget that Jon Stewart hosted the Oscars. Part of that is because the host is just so rarely memorable (everything that’s not novel starts to become a blur). And Stewart’s done it TWICE, mind. The first time (2006 ceremony), his dry “Daily Show” writers failed to hit the mark (though, now that I think about it, I was in the aisles over that Wylie Stateman bit). The second time, two years later, went over better but he had obviously dialed some things down.

    Still, anyone who has hosted the Oscars twice is a go-to guy for advice any day of the week. It’s a demanding gig, not for the faint of heart. And if you do it twice, well, you’re probably a little crazy, but you also clearly love the showmanship of it all. Billy Crystal is generally associated with the job (he’s done it eight times and almost made it a ninth this year). But Bob Hope is of course the real king, having taken the stage on 18 occasions in his time.

    So the news that Eddie Murphy was tapped as this year’s Oscarcast host is naturally a hot topic to cover with prior emcees. And over at Rolling Stone, Eric Bates has done just that, probing Stewart for his thoughts.

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  • ‘Oranges & Sunshine’ trailer

    I feel like Guy was talking up Emily Watson’s performance in “Oranges & Sunshine” earlier in the year. I can’t remember. But the film tells the true story of the 300-year practice of sending poor or orphaned children to British settler colonies to help alleviate the shortage of labor. It’s the other pony in Cohen Media Group’s Oscar stable (after yesterday’s acquisition of “The Lady”), and today, courtesy of Thompson on Hollywood, we get our first look at the trailer. Click on the image below to see it or watch an embed after the jump.

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  • 9/15 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Flamboyant ‘Drive’ strategy, Oscilloscope nabs ‘Heights,’ eight minutes of ‘Dragon Tattoo’

    • John Horn talks to FilmDistrict honcho Bob Berney about the flamboyant advertising of Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive.” [24 Frames]

    • Dana Harris chats with “Albert Nobbs” stars Glenn Close and Janet McTeer. [indieWIRE]

    • Oscilloscope picks up Andrea Arnold’s “Wuthering Heights” in Toronto. [Variety]

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