In Contention

Tag: Chris Morris

  • Go see ‘Four Lions’

    It struck me when I put up those two “tell us what you thought” posts this afternoon that I should probably dedicate some space to the film opening this week that deserves a look above all else.

    Chris Morris’s “Four Lions” opens in limited release this weekend after debuting at Sundance in January and playing this or that festival throughout the year.  It is the first release from Drafthouse Films, a distribution wing developed out of Austin’s famed Alamo Drafthouse theater.  And it’s a devilish delight.

    I finally saw the film last night after missing it at every turn.  Yes, the film is funny.  But the humor and commentary cut so precisely that it has to be considered one of the great satires, perhaps in league with seminal efforts like “Network” or “MASH.” Interestingly, it’s not television news or warfare that Morris is sending up, but rather, an intriguing blend of the two.

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  • 11/1 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: ‘Four Lions’ on tour, Thompson remembers ‘Back to the Future,’ The Boss talks ‘The Promise’

    • Devin Faraci goes on the road with Chris Morris and his film, “Four Lions.” [Badass Digest]

    • Brian Truitt talks “Back to the Future” with Lea Thompson, 25 years later.  I always forget it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.  (AWESOME.)  [USA Today]

    • Bruce Springsteen talks the making of “Darkness on the Edge of Town” at the London premiere of “The Promise.” [The Guardian]

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  • Ones to watch at Sundance 2010… maybe

    Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling in Blue ValentineI always get a curious thrill from looking down the list of films selected to compete at the Sundance Film Festival — the 2010 batch of which has just been announced by festival directors John Cooper and Trevor Grath.

    You know there are at least one or two titles there that we’ll all be talking about in precisely one year’s time, just as “Precious,” “An Education” and “The Cove” have blossomed from festival darlings to surefire awards contenders in the space of 11 months. What’s far harder to tell is which of the 58 titles listed here might be “the one.”

    Still, last year I played something of a guessing game with the lineup, singling out one film from each of the competition’s four strands that seemed of particular interest to me: my faith in “An Education” was, obviously, handsomely repaid, while “Big Fan” (a winner at this week’s Gotham Awards), “Afghan Star” (the UK’s foreign Oscar entry) and Doors documentary “When You’re Strange” have done respectably for themselves.

    OK, I missed “Precious” — so as far as that particular game goes, I’m going to quit while I’m behind. Still, what follows is a selection of ten titles that I’m keeping an eye on.

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