Telluride First Review: "The Way Back"

One film that we haven't heard much about until recently, though it's been buzzed plenty enough, is Peter Weir's The Way Back. The film covers the true story of soldiers (and others) who escaped from a Siberian gulag in the early 1940s. The film, which stars Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, and Saoirse Ronan, has been talked about as a possible come-back project for Weir, and while this first review makes it sound like such a come-back, it sounds like it could be too intense to garner much awards traction.

Cinematical's Eugene Novikov writes that the film "enters the canon of survival films as perhaps the most sadistically intent on making you feel as much of its subjects' physical agony as possible." He also says that the first half is "Weir at his hypnotic best," but that it "makes for an intense, unpleasant experience." Novikov also writes that the second half loses some impact because it becomes "a series of obstacles and triumps...the moral ambiguity drains from the film."

Additional Reviews:

The Hollywood Reporter: "...a harrowing epic that will not be an easy sell, but it finds Weir again working at the top of his game."

Telluride Verdict: An intense film that doesn't sugar-coat the harshness of its story, and that, flaws and all, is a major new work from Peter Weir.

Telluride Review Round-Up: "127 Hours"

When the trailer for Danny Boyle's true-life drama 127 Hours first arrived, I'll admit, I wasn't impressed. I was already iffy about putting the story of Aron Ralston on the big screen, and the trailer only solidified this early judgement. However, the reviews coming out of Telluride beg to differ, and after reading through the reviews that I've found so far, Boyle's latest has shot up quite high on my must-see list. There have even been reports that the film was so intense it caused one audience member to faint.

Peter Sciretta of /Film gives the film an impressive (9.5/10) and writes that Boyle and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy "really shine" in their depiction of Ralston's time trapped, immobile, and running out of food and water. He goes on to say that "[James] Franco gives the performance of his career and hits emotional levels I didn't believe the actor was capable of." He also praises the film's editing (over an hour of it is "Franco stuck between two walls") and cinematography, and concludes his review with the following summary: "127 Hours is a brilliant, gut-wrenching and moving cinematic experience." FirstShowing.net's Alex Billington also gives the film and Franco high praise and says that "Franco does indeed knock it out of the park with this," though he does say that while he thinks the film is great, "[he] couldn't get into it as much as Slumdog Millionaire or Buried." He also says that he feels the film's score isn't entirely appropriate and that it should have had "a more melodic, moody, conventional score."

Over at Cinematical, Eugene Novikov writes that the film is "gut-wrenching in a queasy, horror-movie way - a shield-your-eyes-from-the-screen, chuckle-in-relieved-astonishment sort of experience, done incredible well." However, despite praise for Franco's performance, Novikov doesn't seem convinced that it's really best-of-the-year material. He finishes his review by saying that the film is "extremely effective as a thriller, and moderately so as a minor character study. Adjust expectations accordingly and you'll have a good time."

Additional Reviews: [awaiting]

Telluride Verdict: A mesmerizing, harrowing depiction of Ralston's story, bolstered by superb direction from Danny Boyle and acting from James Franco.

Telluride Review Round-Up: "The King's Speech" [incomplete]

One of the remaining mysteries of 2010, Tom Hooper's The King's Speech, which has no official stills and no trailer, opened today in Telluride. Based on the true story of King George VI's struggle with a speech impediment, the film stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter, all strong actors. Still, there was always the chance it could turn out to be another The Young Victoria in terms of reception and awards success. Apparently, that isn't the case, and the period piece is launching with some fantastic first reviews:

Variety's Peter Debruge kicks things off with a prediction that the film "should tap into the the same audience that made The Queen a prestige hit," and that "both roles provide a delightful opportunity for Firth and Rush to poke a bit of fun at their profession." He goes on to say that while Rush's performance seems - on the surface - to be showier, "the big scenes are indisputably Firth's." The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt is also extremely positive, and writes that "Firth doesn't just make a British king vulnerable and insecure, he shows fierce courage and stamina...it's not just marvelous acting, it's an actor who understand the flesh-and-blood reality of the moment and not its history."

But Firth and Rush aren't the only ones receiving attention; Honeycutt writes that Bonham Carter "is a revelation here despite a long career as a leading lady." Over at Incontention, Kris Tapely awards the film ***1/2 out of **** stars and says that "These two [Firth and Rush] have amazing, impeccable chemistry together. Each should comfortably find himself in the hunt for Oscar," and predicts that the film will have strong shots at Picture, Screenplay, and Art Direction.

Additional Reviews: [awaiting]

Telluride Verdict: A handsome and standard -yet-engaging royalty piece headlined by two fantastic lead performances.

Telluride Review Round-Up: "Never Let Me Go"

How silly of me to forget. September brings not one, not two, but three film festivals which should eventually overlap (and it might be four if NYFF starts this month...sheesh). Telluride has hosted some interesting films over the years, but from this year's line-up, none caught my eye as much as Mark Romanek's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's amazing novel "Never Let Me Go."

The film's first review thus far certainly gets things off to a great start. Peter Sciretta from /Film writes, "The film is emotionally powerful, a haunting meditation about love, death, humanity, and acceptance," and says that the performances "are all top notch - fantastic performances across the board, but Carey Mulligan is center stage." His only complaint in his (9/10) review is a minor quibble with an aspect of the story (which I won't spoil or detail), which - having read the novel - is a somewhat valid question narratively, but I think there's thematic justification for it (how the film handles it, however, might be the reason for him taking issue with it).

Meanwhile, Movie City New's David Poland is equally, if not more, ecstatic, proclaiming Romanek's (he gives special praise to the director) second feature film to be a "masterpiece...a film we'll be discussing, frame by frame, in schools 20 years from now." Like Sciretta, Poland also gives across-the-board raves to the performances, and gives Mulligan the most credit, while also mentioning the strong work from smaller roles played by Charlotte Rampling and Sally Hawkins. He also mentions the recently released score (on Itunes) by Rachel Portman, which he says could be the one to be this year. Incontention's Kris Tapely has a different take, however, and says that the film "kept [him] at arm's length from frame one. There is a distance here, a cold sense of removal from what would otherwise be an extremely moving narrative." In the rest of the **/**** review, Tapely praises the performances, cinematography, and the score (which he claims is the film's best Oscar bet) but reiterates his point that the film left him cold. Awards Daily's Eric Bialas echoes this and writes that "the movie distances itself from the viewer too much to ever really shock viewers when its main emotional scenes arrives." Having read the book, this feels a bit like missing the point; the story is never meant to be built on shocks or 'gotcha' moments, though it's easy to see why one might believe that it's what the film is building towards.

Additional Reviews:

Variety: "...a fragile little four-leaf clover of a movie that's emotionally devastating, yet all too easily trampled by cynics." / "...Romanek has more on his mind than simply making people cry."

FirstShowing.Net: "There are many great elements to the film: Adam Kimmel's very beautiful cinematography, Carey Mulligan's phenomenal performance, Rachel Portman's mesmerizing score, Mark Romanek's careful direction, even the concept and story overall." (9/10)

Thompson On Hollywood: "...tells us a lot about who we are by showing us something that could be."

Telluride Verdict: It is strongly acted, shot, and scored, yet Romanek's direction and Alex Garland's adaptation will most likely prove to be extremely divisive.

First trailer for Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air"!

Well...this looks about 1000 times better than I was expecting it to ever look. It's nice to see that Reitman isn't getting stuck in a rut with smarmy comedies, and is actually venturing into more mature territory. And call me crazy, but this thing could have a decent shot at a cinematography nod; those aerial shots and even some of the hallway shots were certainly more interesting than what one would expect from this sort of film. The film has received positive buzz from Telluride that prompted the studio to release the film in late November (as opposed to early December) and I have to admit, after that trailer, I'm officially excited.

39th Annual Telluride Film Festival Lineup announced

Screw the movies, I'd go just to catch a glimpse of those Federico Fellini dream world drawings. On a similar note, I wonder if it's any coincidence that Anouk Aimee, who starred in what I consider Fellini's two best films (8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita) is receiving an honorary award of sorts...?

Source: Slashfilm.com

The neat thing about the Telluride Film Festival is that the films in play are kept unannounced until just as the fest is beginning. Even as the festival runs, more secret screenings are announced as the weekend rolls on. Peter is on his way up there right now, so it’s fitting that the lineup has just been announced. There’s a lot here that steals some thunder from TIFF, as Cannes notables like An Education, A Prophet and The White Ribbon are all in the lineup, alongside newer pics like Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. The full list, from the festival’s press release, is after the jump.

THE ‘SHOW’

36th Telluride Film Festival is pleased to present the following new feature films to play in the ‘SHOW’:

· A PROPHET (d. Jacques Audiard, Germany/Austria/France, 2009)

· AN EDUCATION (d. Lone Sherfig, U.K., 2009)

· BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS (d. Werner Herzog, U.S., 2009)

· BRIGHT STAR (d. Jane Campion, U.K./Australia/France, 2009)

· COCO BEFORE CHANEL (d. Anne Fontaine, France, 2009)

· FAREWELL (d. Christian Carion, France, 2009)

· FISH TANK (d. Andrea Arnold, U.K., 2009)

· GIGANTE (d. Adrián Biniez, Uruguay, 2009)

· HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOUT’S INFERNO (d. Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea, France, 2009)

· LIFE DURING WARTIME (d. Todd Solondz, U.S., 2009)

· LONDON RIVER (d. Rachid Bouchareb, U.K./France/Algeria, 2009)

· RED RIDING – three-part series: 1974 (d. Julian Jarrold, U.K., 2009); 1980 (d. James Marsh, U.K., 2009); 1983 (d. Anand Tucker, U.K., 2009)

· ROOM AND A HALF (d. Andrey Khrzhanovsky, Russia, 2009)

· SAMSON & DELILAH (d. Warwick Thornton, Australia, 2009)

· SLEEP FURIOUSLY (d. Gideon Koppel, U.K., 2007)

· TERRA MADRE (d. Ermanno Olmi, Italy, 2009)

· THE JAZZ BARONESS (d. Hannah Rothschild, U.K. 2009)

· THE LAST STATION (d. Michael Hoffman, U.K., 2009)

· THE MISCREANTS OF TALIWOOD (d. George Gittoes, Australia/Pakistan, 2009)

· THE ROAD (d. John Hillcoat, U.S., 2009)

· THE WHITE RIBBON (d. Michael Haneke, Germany/Australia/France, 2009)

· VINCERE (d. Marco Bellocchio, Italy, 2009)

· VISION (d. Margarethe von Trotta, Germany, 2009)

· WINDOW (d. Buddhadeb Dasgupta, India, 2009)

In keeping with Festival tradition, additional “Sneak Previews” are expected to surprise attendees over the weekend. Sneaks will be announced on the Telluride Film Festival webpage throughout the weekend at www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

MEDALLION AWARDS

The 2009 Silver Medallion awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, go to:

· ANOUK AIMÉE - French film star Anouk Aimée will receive the Silver Medallion followed by an onstage interview conducted by Scott Foundas (Friday) and Davia Nelson (Saturday). The program will include a screening of Jacques Demy’s 1961 film, LOLA, starring Aimée in her iconic role as the lovelorn burlesque dancer.

· VIGGO MORTENSEN – Telluride audiences will be the first to see American actor Viggo Mortensen’s performance in John Hillcoat’s THE ROAD. The film will be preceded by the presentation of the Silver Medallion and an onstage interview with Ken Burns (Sunday) and Davia Nelson (Monday).

· MARGARETHE VON TROTTA – Historical filmmaker, actress and a key member of New German Cinema, von Trotta will be presented with the Silver Medallion by Barbara Sukowa, followed by an onstage interview conducted by Annette Insdorf (Friday) and Gary Giddens (Saturday). A screening of Von Trotta’s latest film, VISION, will follow the program.

Lobster Films’ Serge Bromberg will receive this year’s Special Medallion award, which honors a “hero” of cinema, at the program “Retour de Flamme,” Bromberg’s famed live cinema show. Bromberg’s new film, HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOUT’S INFERNO plays in main program. Bromberg will also sign Flicker Alley DVD sets featuring works discovered and restored by Lobster Films.

GUEST DIRECTOR PROGRAMS

Previously announced Guest Director Alexander Payne presents six forgotten film treasures from the past:

· EL VERDUGO (d. Luís García Berlanga, Spain, 1963)

· DAISAN NO KAGEMUSHA: THE THIRD SHADOW WARRIOR (d. Inoue Umetsugu, Japan, 1963)

· LE RAGAZZE DI PIAZZA DI SPAGNA (d. Luciano Emmer, Italy 1952)

· DAY OF THE OUTLAW (d. André De Tothe, U.S., 1959)

· THE BREAKING POINT (d. Michael Curtiz, U.S., 1950)

· MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (d. Leo McCarey, U.S., 1937)

FILM REVIVALS

· LES NOUVEAUX MESSIEUR (d. Jacques Feyder, France, 1929) - With live music by Stephen Horne, performing his original score

· L’ARGENT (d. Marcel L’Herier, France, 1928) – Featuring the world premiere of a new score written and performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra

· LOLA (d. Jacques Demy, France, 1961)

· MIRACLE OF MALACHIAS (d. Bernhard Wicki, Germany, 1961)

· TONI (d. Jean Renoir, France, 1934)

BACKLOT

Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room with behind-the-scenes films and biographies of musicians and filmmakers, will screen the following documentaries:

· 14-18: THE NOISE AND THE FURY (d. Jean-Francois Delassus, France/Belgium, 2009)

· 1959: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED JAZZ FOREVER (d. Paul Bernays, U.K., 2009)

· AGAINST THE GRAIN: THE FILM LEGEND OF BERNHARD WICKI (d. Elisabeth Endriss-Wicki, Germany, 2007)

· CHARLIE HADEN: RAMBLING BOY (d. Reto Caduff, U.K., 2009)

· COOL (d. Anthony Wall, U.K., 2009)

· DISCO AND ATOMIC WAR (d. Jaak Kilmi, Estonia/Finland, 2009)

· IT CAME FROM KUCHAR (d. Jennifer Kroot, U.S., 2009)

· THE MAKING OF SAMSON & DELILAH (d. Beck Cole, Australia, 2009)

· VIET HARLAN: IN THE SHAD OF JUD SUSS (d. Felix Moeller, Germany, 2009)

· WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY (d. Don Hahn, U.S., 2009)

· WE WHO LIVED “LA DOLCE VITA” (d. Gianfranco Mingozzi, Italy, 2009)

SHORT FILMS

SHOWcase for Shorts features nine short films chosen to precede select feature films. Filmmakers of Tomorrow includes two shorts programs, Great Expectations and Student Prints, from fourteen emerging filmmakers and a special nonfiction program, In the Realms of the Real, screens six short and medium length documentaries.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students a weekend-long immersion in cinema; the City Lights Project brings fifteen high school students and five teachers from three divergent schools the opportunity to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions.

CELEBRATING MANNY FARBER

The previously announced Celebration of Manny Farber includes a screening of one of Farber’s favorite films, TONI, followed by a panel discussion exploring Farber’s work with Greil Marcus, Jean-Pierre Gorin, Kent Jones, Robert Polito, Robert Walsh and Patricia Patterson. Following the panel, editor Robert Polito will sign copies of Farber On Film: The Complete Writings of Manny Farber.

POSTER ARTIST WILLIAM WEGMAN

Previously announced Poster Artist William Wegman will present a selection of his short films followed by a conversation with art curator David Ross and the audience. Poster signing to follow. An exhibit of the posters with which Wegman experimented before selecting the final version will be on display at the Wegman Gallery, along with a series of original paintings created for Telluride and the unveiling of a second, limited edition poster. Gallery only open throughout the four-day Festival.

TALKING HEADS

Features six Conversations between Festival guests and the audience about film and culture, and three outdoor Seminars with a panel of Festival guests. These programs are free and open to the public.

ADDITIONAL FESTIVITIES

· Fellini’s Book of Dreams – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ exhibition includes reproductions of the 12-time Oscar nominee Federico Fellini’s dream-world sketches.

· Russian Master: Animation by Khrzhanovsky – A rare screening of Andrey Khrzhanovsky’s animated films. His debut feature ROOM AND A HALF plays in the main program.

· Alice Waters Book signing – Following the screening and intro of TERRA MADRE, Waters, vice president of Slow Foods International, will sign her classic Art of Simple Foods