Tip Hunt
I sent a message to a friend who always goes to the Telluride Film Festival, which is starting six days from now but never announces its slate until the night before (or Thursday, 8.29). I actually wrote three...no, four guys about it, fishing around for anything.
"I'm hearing Mike Leigh's Happy Go Lucky," I told friend #1. "I've never loved a Leigh film, although I've liked or at least respected each one. And I know about a special tribute presentation for a major director (which will include a short 10 or 12-minute reel from his latest film, which will open later this year), along the lines of a tribute TFF had last year for Paul Thomas Anderson that included a short There Will Be Blood reel.
"I'm also hearing that Guillermo Arriaga's The Burning Plain won't be there. I'm hearing...okay, intuiting that Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married may be included, but this is based on a long history of fall Sony Classics releases showing up there. What else?"
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 22, 2008 at 1:44 PM
comment #1
115thDreamer says ...
NEVER loved a Leigh film? I haven't even seen any of his 70s/80s low budget, made-for-TV stuff, but I think he's made three absolutely brilliant movies just since 1990 or so, i.e. "Life Is Sweet", "Naked", and "Secrets & LIes"....plus "Vera Drake" is probably just below those three in quality. I'm looking forward to "Happy Go-Lucky" - if nothing else, it'll give Eddie Marson the chance to atone for his role as the baddie in "Hancock" - God knows how he ended up in that one.
Posted by 115thDreamer at August 22, 2008 3:07 PM
comment #2
NDH says ...
I saw Happy-Go-Lucky a while back and it's terrific! I'm pretty confidant that Sally Hawkins is a lock for a Best Actress nomination, and Eddie Marsan might be in the running as well.
I've enjoyed Mike Leigh's work in the past, but this is by far my favorite film of his. Sally Hawkins's character of Poppy is a wonderful creation. Too be honest, I found her to be unbelievably annoying for the first 15 minutes, but then something changes (almost like a light switch) and you are compelled to admire everything about her. A great script as well, but it's Hawkins who really elevates the film to something special.
Posted by NDH at August 22, 2008 3:24 PM
comment #3
doobiedoo says ...
I've Loved You So Long - a terrific two-hanky drama with an outstanding lead performance from Kristen Scott Thomas - will be there, because Telluride selection is listed on the front page of the press kit, freely available for download on Sony Classics' official site http://www.ivelovedyousolong.com . But i would strongly recommend not reading it, unless you want the entire movie spoiled by the full plot synopsis sitting on the front page. (I assume it's just been translated from the original french by some grad student, who along with the unit publicist doesn't appear to be acquainted with the term spoiler.)
Posted by doobiedoo at August 22, 2008 3:42 PM
comment #4
erniesouchak says ...
I read somewhere that the restored "Lola Montes" will be there.
Posted by erniesouchak at August 22, 2008 4:47 PM
comment #5
Matthew Lucas says ...
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is pleasant and likable, but not Leigh's best work.
Posted by Matthew Lucas at August 22, 2008 5:10 PM
comment #6
cinemascopian says ...
I saw "Happy-Go-Lucky" and it's really annoying. Mike Leigh's worst.
And if Sony Pictures Classics gets carte-blanche to Telluride expect to see "Waltz With Bashir", Israel's-sure-fire-animated-oscar-nominee, there. And probably also "Synecdoche, New York", the best film I've seen in 2008 so far.
Posted by cinemascopian at August 24, 2008 3:12 AM