I returned an hour ago from tonight’s first-ever Telluride screening of Jon Stewart‘s Rosewater, an entirely honorable, you-are-there absorbing political melodrama — well-honed, believably acted, tightly crafted. Prior to that evening (which began just after 9 pm) a packed Werner Herzog Cinema audience saw Morten Tyldum‘s The Imitation Game, which struck me and everyone I spoke to afterwards as a Best Picture contender; Benedict Cumberbatch‘s performance as Enigma code-breaker Alan Turing will definitely land a Best Actor nomination. The day’s first screening was Jean-Marc Vallee‘s Wild [see below]. It’s 12:30 am and I’m too beat to write anything. I’ll give it another go tomorrow morning from 7 to 9 am before catching a 9:30 am Leviathan screening.


Jon Stewart introducing Rosewater at Telluride’s Galaxy theatre — Friday, 8.29, 9:05 pm.

Stewart, “Then They Came For Me” author Maziar Bahari, Gael Garcia Bernal during post-Rosewater screening q & a.

I take the exact same shot every time I attend the Telluride Patron’s Brunch so why stop now?

(l. to r.) Laura Dern, Reese Witherspoon, Wild author Cheryl Strayed prior to this afternoon’s Wild screening at Chuck Jones Cinema.


Wild Tales director-writer Damian Szifron at Telluride Patrons Brunch.

Tag worn by horse-radish guy at Patrons Brunch.

Shoes worn earlier today by ’71 director Yann Demange (the subtle color design is lost in this photo).