I really want to read Robert Koehler‘s thoughts about the gradual dilution of The Artist Known As Terrence Malick, but I have to subscribe to Cineaste in order to do so. The short answer (which I’ve repeated ad infinitum on this site) is that Malick needs a Bert Schneider-type producer who will read him the riot act and slap him around when his flake tendencies go into overdrive, and instead he’s been enabled to death by producers who’ve never said boo.
If you ask me Denis Villenueve‘s Prisoners (Warner Bros., 9.20) has been a little bit over-hyped by critics. Don’t get me wrong — it’s a moody, riveting, well-crafted thriller by a director who’s obviously a cut or two above the norm and is into complexity and adult stuff. Set in the grimmest, coldest, rainiest part of Bumblefuck, Pennsylvania you’ll ever not want to visit, the story (written by Aaron Guzikowski) is about the kidnapping of two young girls and the efforts of a lone-wolf cop (Jake Gyllenhaal) and the girls’ vigilante-minded dads (Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard) to find them. Although not in synch, of course.
Aimed more at critics than ticket buyers, Prisoners is one of those thoughtfully murky, atmospheric, densely plotted thrillers that’s more about the journey than than the destination. Because when you get to the end it’s like “uhm…wait, what?” That was my reaction, at least.
So Stephen Frears‘ Philomena is a huge Venice wow, but Telluride audiences won’t catch it on Monday due to Toronto programmers strongly protesting this. HitFix‘s Kris Tapley reported Friday that he;d been told that Weinstein Co. “had Stephen Frears’ “Philomena” all lined up for a sneak preview on Monday, fresh off its Venice bow, [but] this didn’t sit well with programmers at the Toronto Film Festival, incensed that yet another of their big North American debuts was going to drop here.”
The fascinating ending was the first topic broached by moderator John Horn during yesterday’s post-screening discussion of All Is Lost with director-writer J.C. Chandor and Robert Redford. They don’t spoil anything so no worries. I wanted to catch it again to see if it played as strongly as it did in Cannes, and it definitely did that. Anyone who sees this film and goes “yeah, not bad, decent” needs to get his/her pipes cleaned. All Is Lost is landmark, classic, world-class stuff, and most definitely a metaphor for the struggle and the loneliness that comes with late-period aging.
After unforgivably programming Steve McQueen‘s 12 Years A Slave against Denis Villeneuve‘s Prisoners last night (everyone I spoke to was pissed about this), the Telluride guys are offering a Prisoners follow-up screening this morning at 8:30 am at the Palm. Wait…the widely-hailed pic runs 153 minutes? Okay, I’ll get out at 11:15 or thereabouts. Oh, right — they never start films on time and they always spend 10 minutes on introductions so make it a little past 11 am.
I’m especially intrigued by the opening of Kris Tapley’s HitFix review: “They simply don’t make thrillers like Denis Villeneuve‘s Prisoners at the studio level, and yet here it is. Glacially paced, bloated to a 158-minute running time, stingy with details as its mystery unfolds — it goes against most every convention for a film like this.
My 12 Years A Slave tweets, tapped out on dark streets between the Galaxy and 221 South Oak, failed to mention likely Best Supporting Actress contender Lupita N’yongo and Hans Zimmer‘s dynamic, impacting, non-period score. Cheers also to supporting players Michael Fassbender (whose performance as a plantation owner makes Simon Legree look like Shirley Temple), Brad Pitt, Sarah Paulson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano (whose beating scene is ten times more satisfying than all of the posturing payback scenes in Django Unchained) and Alfre Woodard, among others. Make no mistake — Slave is Steve McQueen‘s high-water mark, his grand slam.
