In Contention

Category: Daily

  • ‘Spring Fever’ screens at Cannes

    Spring FeverMany pundits were predicting that Lou Ye’s erotic drama “Spring Fever” could nab the Palme d’Or, if only as a political gesture against the Chinese censors who imposed a five-year filmmaking ban on the director — which he has defied with this film. Following last night’s press screening, however, those hopes have taken a bit of a knock, as it appears to be more an intriguing curiosity than a surefire arthouse success.

    Screen International’s Howard Feinstein is beguiled by the film’s elaborate floral imagery and “astonishing” cinematography, but feels its narrative opacity and explicit sexual content might limit it to the gay festival circuit:

    Close-ups of flowers not only open and close the film, they also pop up intermittently, mirroring shifts in both the story line and the state of mind of its gay protagonist. This integration of visuals and narrative, however, is the exception rather than the rule in this ambitious and – by mainland Chinese standards – daring project. The screenplay is so convoluted and contains so many loose ends that the intense style (fragmented editing, jerky, handheld camera) only highlights the movie’s occasional lapses into incoherence.

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  • Cannes soup

    Palme d'OrThere’s a bewildering wealth of quality Cannes coverage out there, and it tests the realms of possibility to mention it all. In the interests of economy, however, here’s a selection of the more interesting festival-related nuggets I found today:

    Eugene Hernandez at IndieWire has a superb piece up in which he approaches a broad selection of industry figures and bloggerfolk with the question of whether Cannes matters much these days. The response of many is sad yet predictable: that the festival does indeed matter from the purist’s perspective of showcasing artistically nourishing films, but that with the commercial window for foreign and/or arthouse fare increasingly narrowing, it has less bearing on the U.S. market than it should. Still, I liked the succinctly idealistic take of one interviewee: “When Cannes no longer matters, film will no longer matter.”

    Back to the films themselves, the New York Times’ Joan Dupont offers her own rundown of the key titles in the mix, picking up, as others have,on the prevalence of controversial auteurs in this year’s lineup. She also provokes this soundbite from the fest’s executive director Thierry Frémaux, explaining why this year’s Competition line-up is so heavy on previous winners and established names:

    “Yes, the big names are back, and with big films … The selection reflects our concern for auteurs — that’s our job. You need to be strong to be in competition; everybody’s watching you. That’s why we think that many films are better off in Un Certain Regard. The filmmakers don’t always agree.”

    I can’t say I agree, either. It’s precisely two decades since a miniature character study from a 26 year-old first-time director walked off the Palme d’Or and changed the face of American independent filmmaking in the process — would Steven Soderbergh have been relegated to the Un Certain Regard sidebar today? I suspect so, and that demonstrates a cautiousness that can only curb Cannes’ capacity for trend-setting.

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  • Shortest brief ever?

    But I’m excited:

    LOS ANGELES – Martin Scorsese (scor-SAY’-zee) will be telling Frank Sinatra’s life story on film.

    Universal Pictures says the Academy Award-winning filmmaker will direct “Sinatra,” the first feature film about Ol’ Blue Eyes‘ life.

    Source: AP.  Love the pronunciation key.

  • Roadworks

    I know I promised a Page to Screen column on “The Road” today, but once in a blue moon, promises have to be broken. The start of the Cannes festival has ushered in a wealth of distractions, and as much as it slips my mind some days, I have a life away from my laptop too. I am but one man.

    So I must this once postpone the piece until tomorrow — but rest assured that Tuesdays will remain Page to Screen days from next week.

  • Lukewarm early notice for ‘Tetro’

    Todd McCarthy apparently posted a review for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Tetro” on the Variety site, but it seems to have mysteriously vanished — I guess embargos stills hold sway in some cases, after all. Still, if you cannot contain your curiosity, Jeff Wells has quoted a juicy chunk of the review, and the prognosis is not terribly positive.

    There’s enthusiastic praise for young actor Alden Ehrenreich, who apparently reminds McCarthy of all three leads of “The Departed” (there’s a curious mental image), but the film, according to the critic, becomes mired in murky theatrical stylistics — which I’m afraid squares with the vibe I personally got from the film’s trailer.

    I don’t really want to requote criticism that was obviously prematurely released in the first place, but I know there’s a lot of interest in this title, so it’s there if you want it. The film screens tomorrow at Cannes.

  • SPC snaps up new Haneke film

    The White RibbonOne day into the Cannes festival and the gears of commerce are already grinding, with Sony Pictures Classics looking particularly alert. The independent outfit announced two substantial acquisitions today, most notably Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon,” a period drama themed around issues of fascism and community that is one of the bookies’ favorites for the Palme d’Or.

    SPC have pretty good instincts on the Croisette — last year’s purchases included “The Class” and “Waltz With Bashir.” As with Haneke’s last film, “Caché,” they will be handling all North American distribution, and they appear to have high hopes for the film. Here’s an extract from the press release:

    The White Ribbon is set just prior to the start of WWI, where the quiet life of a small German village is mysteriously eroded by a series of inexplicable events. The film is a co-production between X-Filme Creative Pool in Germany, Les Films du Losange in France, Wega Film in Austria and Lucky Red in Italy. THE WHITE RIBBON was produced by Margaret Menegoz (CACHÉ, Funny Games), Stefan Arndt (Run Lola Run, Goodbye, Lenin!), Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz.

    “We have been pursuing THE WHITE RIBBON since it was a kernel of an idea in Michael Haneke’s mind. We are convinced this is his masterwork. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be releasing Michael’s latest film and to work again with him and his amazing producers Margaret Menegoz and Stefan Arndt,” said SPC in a statement.

    Not content with that coup, Sony has also nabbed U.S. rights to the festival’s closing film, “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky.” (Not exactly that catchiest title, that.) Starring Danish star Mads Mikkelsen and telling the story of the affair between the two eponymous cultural icons, it is not to be confused with Anne Fontaine’s Audrey Tautou-starring biopic “Coco Avant Chanel,” which SPC is also distributing Stateside — as savvy commenter Glenn points out, this is likely a move to prevent a head-to-head biopic battle.

  • Apparently today is ‘Top Gun’ Day

    No, seriously.  I give you my favorite moment from the film.  Anthony Edwards, God bless:

  • POLL: The most influential films of all time, round one, part five

    I’ve got family coming into town this afternoon, and since this week’s poll had three runaway winners in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Godfather” and “Pulp Fiction,” and I doubt three more hours will close the gap on the stragglers (poor “Jurassic Park”), I think it’s time for a new installment.  Next week will be the final round one poll and we’ll be closer to the end and your view of the 10 most influential films of all time.

    Once again, check the background on this series here.  Have a look in the left sidebar and chalk up no more than three films to survive and move on to the next round.  This week should make for an easier selection than last week.  As always, though, it’s a random assortment.  Blame the fates if you find yourself facing a Sophie’s Choice.

  • ‘Precious’ teaser poster and trailer

    If you’re wondering, “What the heck is ‘Precious,’” allow me to remind you that the Sundance sensation “Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire” was re-titled in the wake of that silly effects movie, also called “Push,” earlier in the year.  As Cannes starts to heat up, perhaps bringing a host of awards contenders into the picture, Lionsgate has smartly decided to remind us all of this little Oscar hopeful by unleashing a stunning new teaser poster and the first trailer for the film.

    The poster is immediately reminiscent of the work of designer Saul Bass, and though you wouldn’t expect an image that seems to be marketing a thriller to work so well, it somehow pulls it off:

    Precious

    The trailer, meanwhile, does a fine job of selling the film without falling into the trap of marketing to urban audiences with too heavy a hand. It clearly showcases what looks to be a star-making performance from Gabourey Sidibe and, of course, Mo’Nique, a frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress recognition since January.

    The trailer premiered exclusively on the official websites of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, each of them supporting the film’s distribution.  Additionally, it seems the film’s official title is now “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”  Too much.  Stick with “Precious.”

  • Tom O’Neil’s Emmy intervention with Denis Leary

    I don’t know how many fellow “Rescue Me” fans are out there, but if you’ve been watching this season, you know that the FX series is probably hitting its most powerful stretch.  Everyone is on their game, the writing is as crisp as ever and frankly, if ever a case has been glaringly obvious for some Emmy love to finally come actor and writer Denis Leary’s way, this is the year.

    Tom O’Neil over at Gold Derby, with his brilliantly obsessive awards analysis, has put up a two-part video webchat with Leary that you have to check out.  It’s fun to watch Leary run through the list of names he’d be up against: Keifer Sutherland, James Gandolfini, Hugh Laurie, Gabriel Byrne.  “Wow, I’m really screwed,” he says.  “Those guys know me and I probably owe them money.”

    O’Neil gives some sterling advice on which episodes to submit for Emmy consideration.  Brilliant.  I loved this.  And kudos on the Cobra T-shirt.  Here’s the podcast in two parts:

  • Getting excited?

    Lost

    (Courtesy: Movieline)

  • 5/13 Web Round-up

    Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation• Nicole Kidman teams up with “Slumdog Millionaire” star Rubiana Ali in a Shekhar Kapur-directed, Ridley Scott-produced Schweppes ad. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Patrick Goldstein pulls back the veil on studio manipulation of box office expectations. [The Big Picture]

    • Revisiting “Star Trek: The Next Generation”‘s eerily prescient torture episode. [Slate]

    • Dissecting the meaning and pronunciation of “synecdoche” across the pond. [The Guardian]

    • Screenwriter David Nicholls on the “indulgence” of writing an adapted screenplay. [Live Journal via The Independent]

  • Taking a stab

    Someone asked me to offer my best (read: worst) guesses as to which Cannes films might get lucky on awards night. I originally wasn’t going to, on the principle that it’s a self-defeating exercise to handicap films one barely knows anything about, but then I saw the Guardian is plucking odds out of thin air, so why not? Awards punditry … the game the whole family can play.

    And hey, I may as well gift you with the opportunity to come back in two weeks’ time and laugh at my clairvoyant incompetence. I’m nice that way. My guesses after the cut — feel free to share your own in the comments.

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  • All eyes on ‘Up’

    UPDATE: I was expecting Jeff Wells to come up with a slightly contrarian take on “Up,” and he doesn’t disappoint. Not that he doesn’t like the film — “peppy,” “delightful,” “visually luscious” and “touching” are some of the adjectives he tosses its way — but he does qualify his praise with concerns that the film compromises itself somewhat by trying to be all things to all men:

    It’s not meant as a putdown to say that Up is too immersed in buoyant punchiness and mainstream movie-tude, which basically boils down to Pixar’s always-front-and-center task of giving the family audience stuff to laugh at and go “oooh” and “aahh” about, to finally matter all that much. It’s too entertaining, in put it another way, to sink in all that deeply.

    So what am I saying, boiled down? That it’s really quite well made and has an almost stoner sensibility in portions but may be a little too good for the lowbrows and at the same time isn’t really deep and resonant enough to penetrate with quality-cinema buffs? Something like that.

    Wells will no doubt have to fend off accusations of curmudgeonliness for that take, but whether I wind up agreeing with him or not, I understand what he’s getting at. At the very least, it’s healthy to hear a perspective that diverges from the unreserved praise doing the rounds: if Pixar movies are indeed the adult auteur works so many critics insist they are, then they merit more complicated critiques.

    EARLIER: Kudos to Jeff Wells for this hilarious snap from this morning’s “Up” press screening at Cannes. Made me laugh, anyway.

    Up press screening at Cannes

  • ‘Map of the Sounds of Tokyo’ trailer

    Thanks to AwardsDaily for pointing out this trailer for Isabel Coixet’s new effort, which will be the final Competition title to screen at the Cannes Film Festival. That’s the same slot that proved so lucky for “The Class” last year, but speaking for myself, this trailer doesn’t suggest similarly great things ahead — much as I like Rinko Kikuchi and Sergi Lopez, this looks a little fey for my liking. Still, as I mentioned in my Cannes preview recently, Coixet is the only auteur making her first appearance in the Competition this year, so we wish her well.

    WARNING: Nude scenes render the trailer strictly unsuitable for work.

  • Kidman out

    Quelle dommage. It appears that Nicole Kidman has dropped out of Woody Allen’s untitled 2010 project. No explanation has been offered.

    It’s hard to say how great a loss this is — with details on the film so sketchy at this point, we have no idea whether we’re talking about the actress ditching a major role or one of those starry cameos he occasionally sprinkles through his ensemble pieces. I’m disappointed nonetheless; Allen would have been a nice name to check off on the actress’s enviable auteur roster.

    I’d suggest the obvious replacement of Naomi Watts, but — oh, wait — she’s already in it. Is Cate Blanchett free?

  • Trades head over heels for ‘Up’

    UpWith all the positive word that’s been trickling out this past week, it’s no surprise to hear that “Up” has scored universally breathless raves from the trade papers.

    Actually, it’s no surprise under any circumstances — with the sole exception of “Cars,” it’s one of the safest bets in the in the industry that every Pixar production will arrive on an overwhelming wave of critical goodwill, with the usual go-words of “wondrous,” “captivating,” “inspiring,” and more often than not some jab about how the studio is currently making the greatest films in American cinema.

    Not that I’m being facetious — I loved “WALL-E” too last year, even if not all Pixar’s efforts inspire the same reverent devotion in me that they seem to in most critics. I’m just saying the reviews give me no idea yet where my heart will lie on this one.

    We can expect more “Up” buzz throughout the day: the Cannes press screening is going on as we speak, ahead of the film’s official opening of the festival tonight. For now, here’s McCarthy’s Variety valentine:

    Depending on what you think of “Cars,” Pixar makes it either 9½ out of 10 or 10 for 10 with “Up,” a captivating odd-couple adventure that becomes funnier and more exciting as it flies along. Tale of an unlikely journey to uncharted geographic and emotional territory by an old codger and a young explorer could easily have been cloying, but instead proves disarming in its deep reserves of narrative imagination and surprise, as well as its poignant thematic balance of dreams deferred and dreams fulfilled.

    Unsurprisingly, no one puts a foot wrong here. Vocal performances, most importantly from Asner, Plummer and nonpro Nagai, exude a warm enthusiasm, and tech specifications could not be better. Michael Giacchino’s full-bodied, traditional score is superlative, developing beautiful themes as it sweeps the action along on emotional waves.

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  • Esquire calls ‘The Road’ the year’s ‘most important movie’

    (left to right) Kodi Smith-McPhee and Viggo Mortensen in The RoadWe’ve certainly waited a while to get any substantial word on “The Road,” not least since it got pushed back by an entire year to ease the pressure of post-production. John Hillcoat’s film screened in unfinished form late last year, provoking a scattering of commentary — the Film Experience’s Nathaniel Rogers offered some interesting thoughts, though sensibly held off on any detailed critique — but the film has remained something of a mystery.

    Now, amid an interesting profile of the film, Esquire magazine’s Tom Chiarella has gone on the record as saying it’s good — very good indeed. Though he admits the film is a harrowing sit (as it well should be) that you won’t necessarily want to endure more than once, he’s full of admiration for the film as a fundamental piece of storytelling:

    The Road is no tease. It is a brilliantly directed adaptation of a beloved novel, a delicate and anachronistically loving look at the immodest and brutish end of us all. You want them to get there, you want them to get there, you want them to get there — and yet you do not want it, any of it, to end.

    You should see it for the simplest of reasons: Because it is a good story. Not because it may be important. Not because it is unforgettable, unyielding. Not because it horrifies. Not because the score is creepily spiritual. Not because it is littered with small lines of dialogue you will remember later. Not because it contains warnings against our own demise. All of that is so. Don’t see it just because you loved the book. The movie stands alone.

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