This year was something special. It was the 40th anniversary of the festival and to mark the occasion they added a day. For Mom and me, it was our 22nd consecutive year and we set a new personal best of 18 films/shows. (Our previous record was 15 for those keeping track.)
What also made it special was the fact that we didn’t see a
single bad movie. There were better and
less better movies, but to a one they were all quality films that I’m glad I
got a chance to see. AND this is true of
the overall film going audience: no line buzz about bad movies. But don’t fear, while all good films, I
wouldn’t recommend them all to everybody so hopefully my reviews will still
come in handy.
Tribute to Robert
Redford
As someone that grew up wanting to steal my brother’s Butch
Cassidy & the Sundance Kid poster so I could stare at Robert Redford, it
was a thrill to start the festival with a tribute and Q&A with the
actor. What I didn’t realize until that
moment was the true depth of his work and just how many amazing roles and
characters he’s played throughout the years.
With clips from his earliest work on TV (1960’s The Iceman Cometh) to
Butch Cassidy (1969) to All the President’s Men (1976), Out of Africa (1985)
and A River Runs Through It (1992) he has been a part of movies since I can
remember and an advocate and innovator in the film industry. I know I’m going to be adding some Redford
movies to my Netflix cue as a result of this tribute.
Inside Llewyn
Davis
The latest movie from the Coen brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis
is set in the early sixty’s in the New York folk music scene. The main character, Llewyn Davis, is a
talented and self-destructive folk musician who is part tortured artist and
part jerk, using friends for places to crash and to borrow money. The movie takes place over the course of a
week where he confronts his career options, deals with the consequence of his
actions and plays some amazing music.
And outstanding performance by Oscar Isaac in the lead role and supporting
roles from Justin Timberlake and Carrie Mulligan and John Goodman the movie
also has some good folk music done by T-bone Burnett.
Overall, if you’re a Coen brothers fan you’ll probably like
the film but it’s a bit darker in tone so if you’re expecting O Brother or
Raising Arizona, then you’ll want to adjust your expectations or else you’ll be
disappointed.
Our favorite film of the festival and probably the consensus
winner overall, this movie is both touching and funny and a features
outstanding performances most notably from Bruce Dern (expect an Academy Award
nod for best actor), Will Forte (a revelation to me and someone that SHOULD get
a best supporting Oscar nomination) and June Squibb as Woody’s hilarious
wife.
Overall: Maybe not a great movie for kids or people that
only like action flicks, but for all others who appreciate movies, this is one
absolutely worth seeing.
Unlike most documentaries that dissect a subject after the
fact, one of the things that makes this so interesting is that it’s following
him along the journey of discovery as he goes from the first articulation of
his theory through to the completion of a test to see if he got it right. Through interviews with experts to almost
daily check-ins during the test, you experience along with Tim the thrill of
discovery and the struggle of proof. The film was produced by Penn Gillette and
directed by Teller, this film is a straight-forward look at an attempt to solve
the mystery of Vermeer.
There was a part of me that was reluctant to see the film
because I’m not a great art appreciator, however I was drawn into the story
quickly because for as much as it’s about art, it’s also a mystery story that
attempts to solve the questions about Vermeer’s paintings. If you’re at all interested in real life
mysteries, this film will most likely appeal to you.
A Tribute to the
Coen brothers and T-Bone Burnett
The Coen brothers have made a lot of great films (Raising
Arizona, Fargo and the Big Lebowski to name a few) and together with T Bone
Burnett, they’ve made great films with great music. This tribute showed us clips from The Big
Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Ladykillers and Inside Llewyn Davis
demonstrating the effect of music and how it can transform scenes from fun or
interesting into iconic.
During the Q&A that went along with this tribute, it was
clear that the brothers have a process that is unique to them and attempts to
describe or dissect the process are near impossible. Clearly T Bone has figured it out but it’s
clear he may be the only one since even the brothers had a hard time answering
those questions.
As with all Telluride tributes, I walked away realizing
there are movies I’ve missed that I should pick up and my Netflix streaming
list just got a little bit longer.
Labor Day
A young boy lives with his mother (Kate Winslet) who has
become a near recluse after the breakup of her marriage. When it becomes clear that the boy needs new
clothes she reluctantly takes him to the store where they encounter a fleeing
conflict who forces them, at gunpoint, to take him to their home and hide him
from the police. And from there follows the story of the relationships that
form between the captives and the captor, the close calls with neighbors and
piecing together of the history of the crime Frank (Josh Brolin) is imprisoned
for.
Directed by Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) this is a
quiet movie that explores how lives can be damaged and healed and changed in
unexpected ways. The performances were
all very good and the story is maybe a bit more traditional than some of the
art-house fair Telluride often gets, but that doesn’t make it any less worthy
or entertaining.
Overall, I’d say this movie doesn’t just appeal to the
art-house crowd, it would appeal to a wider audience as more of a “chick flick”
type of movie. And a quality one at
that.
All is Lost
The movie starts with Robert Redford asleep on a boat, alone
on the Indian Ocean 1700 miles off shore, with water splashing into the
cabin. From there, the story unfolds of
one man’s struggle for survival from many man-made and nature created events.
It’s hard to say too much more than that because the movie
is just Robert Redford on a boat confronting the challenges of being at
sea. There’s no dialog and while a
comparison to Castaway could be made, Redford has no “Wilson” to interact with
– it’s just him and the elements.
A strong and demanding performance by Robert Redford, the
lack of dialog could easily drive away people who like more traditional
movies. However, if you like man against
nature and action that isn’t gun-based, this movie might appeal to you.
Starred Up
This movie is set in a UK prison and starts when Eric, a
young guy, is being processed into the prison.
Pretty quickly he sets out to be a bad-ass and try to prove himself with
violent stunts and inmate run-ins. It’s
clear he’s familiar with the system but he’s in a new league and he gets a
guardian angel (sort of) in the guise of his father – an inmate with clout
within the prison population.
In addition to his father, he’s also introduced to a therapy
group that tries to help him deal with his anger and the movie is a character
study in the influences on Eric and what will win out.
Intense and gritty, there are some really strong
performances and a good deal of violence.
Much more a guys film than most, the violence may (and should) keep some
away but it’s a worth while film for people who can enjoy this type of movie.
The Past
A complicated family drama about a woman who’s seeking a
divorce in order to marry her new fiancé.
The ex comes back to France to complete the process of the divorce and
awkwardly stays with the new blended family where he becomes a bit of a
peacemaker with the kids struggling with this new relationship.
The story slowly unfolds as we learn why the oldest daughter
is so dead set against the pairing and unravel the misunderstandings and
consequences of past actions.
Very well acted and nicely paced with subtle twists and turns, this film may not be for non-film buffs but it’s worth seeing for those that appreciate a story that takes the time to unfold.
The Lunchbox
A woman desperate to get the attention of her ambitious,
over-working husband – Ila sets out to win his heart by making amazing lunches
for him. After he leaves in the morning,
she begins to make amazing food and sends the lunches off via the delivery
service. (Apparently there’s a large
business in delivering lunches in India.)
One day, the lunchbox made for her husband is mistakenly
delivered to Saajan, an older and solitary man who is nearing retirement. At first he doesn’t realize the mistake but
through a series of tentative note writing Ila and Saajan connect and strike up
a friendship. The movie unfolds as this
friendship progresses and impacts both their lives.
I heard someone say in line that this was a “typical” Telluride
film and maybe so in that it was a subtle and sweet foreign film that is story
and character driven, well acted and well liked. I think it’s a movie worth
watching.
One of Mom and my favorites of the year, it’s an incredible
journey that shows the struggles and triumphs and loneliness and love that
happen along the way. Mia Wasikowska is
deserving of an Academy Award nomination for this – especially when you realize
there’s no computer graphics or faking the animal interaction. I highly recommend this film to a broader
audience with the caveat that it’s a quieter, personal journey film that
action-oriented audience would probably find difficult.
12 Years A Slave
Around 1850, a free and accomplished black man named Solomon
Northrup was abducted from his home in the North and sold as a slave into the
deep South. The movie follows his 12
years in slavery and how a clearly articulate and talented man is treated by a
succession of masters and situations.
A strong and often difficult performance to watch from
Chiwetel Ejiofor, we see Solomon confront moments of hope, fear, violence and
despair while trying to endure, survive and ultimately regain his freedom. With
more compassionate masters (Benedict Cumberbatch) and cruel (Michael
Fassbender), he is forced to seek opportunities and take risks that could cost
him his life.
This movie was well liked by the Telluride crowd with most
taking about how hard it was to watch because it forces us to confront a brutal
and unfair (too soft a word) history of our country. But very strong performance (I see possible
AA nomination for Ejiofor and definitely supporting for Michael Fassbender)
it’s a movie that is worth seeing.
The Unknown Known
The latest documentary from Errol Morris (“The Fog of War,”
“Thin Blue Line”) this is a portrait of Donald Rumsfeld and a dissection of his
time as Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush. Using clips from an extensive interview with
Rumsfeld, Morris seeks to understand the man and his point of view on the
actions he took in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as his attempt to revamp the
military. We see his time in government
from his early years as a Congressman and Chief of Staff to Gerald Ford in an
attempt to better understand what lead him to the mindset displayed in the Bush
years.
I have to admit I came into the movie with the assumption
this was going to be an indictment of Rumsfeld and make him look like an evil
monster. What I walked away with was a sense that while I may not have agreed
with the decisions he made, I better understand why he made them and how he saw
the world that allowed him to take those actions. It wasn’t a puff piece at all, but it was a more
even-handed portrait than I’d expected which I think was good because it allowed
the viewer to make up their own mind about the motivations and character of
Rumsfeld. I was surprised that Morris
seemed to let Rumsfeld off the hook a couple of times, but I was equally
shocked that Rumsfeld sat for the interview and actually answered, what
appeared to be truthfully and introspectively, some difficult questions.
As a somewhat recovering political junkie, I thought this
movie was good at helping to better understand one of the principals that lead
us into the wars in the Middle East. It
might be frustrating for true believers on either side looking to prove a
point, but as a complicated portrait it does a good job.
Gravity
Three astronauts are out in space doing repairs and tests in
the atmosphere when word comes that there’s been an explosion of a Russian
satellite and the impact from that explosion is hurtling space debris at them
rapidly. With that warning, the movie
kicks into high gear and never slows down as crisis moves to crisis as they try
to recover from the damage of the impacts.
Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, this was an
unusual blockbuster-type movie for Telluride audience but I think they chose to
show it there because the film makers wanted to show a (sometimes) snobby film
audience that blockbusters can be quality films too. And in this case I’d say it was. In 3-D, this movie combined action with solid
performances and a sense of suspense that lasted until the end. I have to say that it was a fun ride and although
I watched it as film number four of the day, film number 14 of the festival and
at 9:30pm, I was riveted to the screen and pumped up at the end. So for once I
can recommend a film to take your family to or go with your action-oriented
friends. This one is good for all.
Before the Winter
Chill
A successful French doctor appears to have it all – a happy
family, a solid practice and group of good friends around him. Then one day a bouquet of roses arrives to
his office, the assumption is they are from a grateful patient, probably the
former patient he met tending bar at a local restaurant. Then bouquets start arriving to his home and
his wife is getting concerned and he’s getting annoyed. While driving into work he sees the bartender
and jumps out of his car to confront her, only to learn he’s falsely accused
her leading him to feelings of guilt. He
decides to apologize and from there an odd friendship/relationship begins to
form that begins to drive a wedge between his family and friends.
A movie of subtleties and relationships, the interplay of
the various characters changes from what seemed obvious on the surface. With strong performances by Daniel Auteuil as
the doctor, Kristin Scott-Thomas as his wife and Leila Bekhti as the bartender,
this might be a little slow for the average movie goer but it’s got layers and
nuances that a film buff would probably like.
Invisible Woman
Charles Dickens was famous in his time not just as a writer
but he also acted and was quite successful as a speaker/performer of his
writing. While putting on a play, he’s
introduced to a young actress named Nelly and he’s quickly drawn to her and she
to him. Her family is worried because
while he’s wealthy and accomplished, he’s also married and much older and it is
Victorian England. But despite the
barriers and need for hiding, the two become involved and she serves as his
muse during his later career.
Immediately after seeing this movie we were checking out
Wikipedia to learn more and see how realistic this was only to learn that the
movie was very true to the real life story of Dickens and Nelly’s
relationship.
The film was developed and directed by Ralph Finnes who also
stars as Dickens and features a solid performance by Felicity Jones as
Nelly. Overall this was a well-made,
entertaining movie but not one I’d say you have to run out and see. Netflix for a rainy Sunday afternoon might be
better.
An extensive array of interviews with people who knew him
across all facets of his life, filmmaker Shane Salerno paints a portrait of a
complicated, arrogant but talented man probably damaged from his service during
WWII and wanting influence without the complications of interaction.
A really well-done documentary, I found myself drawn in to Salinger’s
story more so than I ever would have imagined.
The director managed to portray a complicated and flawed individual
without making judgments either positive or negative. And because of the vast array of interviewees
from the expanse of his life, you get a full picture not just of the
consequences but of the causes too. I
highly recommend this film to anyone that might be at all interested in
Salinger.
The movie is interesting because it gives you a glimpse of the world in that region and the tensions and secret operations who are trying to foment trouble and those trying to avoid it. It’s clearly a complicated situation and this movie captures some of that world and the relationships that occur.
I enjoyed this movie and while it’s not one I’d say you have to run out and see, for people that enjoy the interplay of relationships and politics, especially in that region of the world, it’s a strong story that’s well acted and well done.
And one final note of pride as I move into my final wrap up – Mom won a trivia contest our last day and received from Turner Classic Movies a box set with five Academy Award winning films! The question, the oldest person to win an Academy Award? (I’m going to keep you in suspense and either make you look it up or shout out your answers via comments.
As I said in the beginning, year 40 for the festival and 22
for Mom and me was a great year for quality films and a good time in
general. I feel lucky to have had the
opportunity once again and I hope this review helps you to figure out what to
see in the year(s) ahead. Enjoy!
Kate
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