Not sure how exactly it is September already and another
Labor Day spent watching excellent movies has come and gone but it has and thus
I sit at my computer prepared to share my opinions.
Before I jump into movie reviews, I’ll start with a few
overall highlights from the weekend. The
first was the weather. Beautiful. Warm but not hot by day, cool but not cold by
night. The stars were out and aside from one windy afternoon it really couldn’t
have been better. A second highlight was
the festival itself. After reading of
the face-off between the Toronto Film Festival and Telluride (Toronto is
playing hardball to get first showings) Mom in particular was concerned we
wouldn’t get the caliber of movies we’ve become accustomed. But Telluride
pulled it out and we definitely saw some first-rate movies.
And with that as my segue, I will get to it and share my
thoughts on the things we saw and the buzz we heard. As always, I am listing the movies in the
order we saw them since I think it may have an affect on my perception and it’s
only fair to make that potential bias known.
Now, on with it!
Two Days, One
Night
The movie is the story of Sandra, a woman that has been laid
off from her factory job. As the movie progresses, we learn that the workers at
the job have voted to receive a bonus rather than fund another full-time salary
which, it turns out, is hers. Her
husband and a few co-workers encourage her to fight for her job and they
convince the manager of the plant to take a new vote on Monday. So Sandra sets
out over the weekend to convince her co-workers to change their votes and allow
her to keep her job. The movie is the
story of her weekend spent fighting for her job and trying to stay optimistic
in the face of difficult odds.
Sandra is played well by Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose)
and the rest of the cast supports her well.
The challenge with the movie was that its premise is based on the repetition
of her making the same pitch to her various co-workers making the movie feel
flat and repetitive. I walked out of this movie feeling neutral – neither
turned off by the movie but definitely not excited by it. I did feel the ending was a good wrap to the
story, but overall I can’t recommend this one.
Most of the people at the festival that I spoke with felt the same.
Wild
In the mid-1990’s, Cheryl Strayed
walked away from her current life and set out to get healthy and find a new perspective
by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail that runs from Mexico to Canada. She wrote a book about it that went to the
New York Times Best Seller list, and Wild is the movie version of her
journey.
Reese Witherspoon plays Cheryl and
the movie meets her as she is preparing to tackle the trail. Through flashbacks and discoveries along her
journey, we come to understand what drove her to attempt this arduous journey
with no background in hiking. While
mostly a one-woman movie, we meet the people she meets along the way and the
people and events in her life that took her to the trail.
While not a great or gripping
movie, it’s a good tale told well – which I can attest to having read the book
earlier this year. It’s a good
adaptation and I suspect Reese Witherspoon will get an award nomination for her
performance. Not a movie for everyone,
but it’s not necessarily just an art house movie for film buffs.
Rosewater
Rosewater is the story of
Iranian-born journalist Maziar Bahari who, in 2009, went to Iran to cover the
Presidential elections only to be imprisoned for treason by the Iranian government. Using, among other things, a satirical
interview he did with the U.S. Comedy Central show “The Daily Show with Jon
Stewart” as proof of his treason, Bahari was held in captivity for
approximately four months. The movie is
a dramatization of what got him arrested, his ordeal and ultimate release from
prison.
Gael Garcia Bernal (Motorcycle
Diaries) stars as Bahari and does a great job capturing the struggle of someone
caught between cultures – he being Iranian-born but a UK citizen – and coming
to terms with his family history of protest and imprisonment by the Iranian
government. And although much of the
film takes place while he’s in prison, the movie itself doesn’t feel confining.
Probably the hottest ticket at
Telluride given the director was Jon Stewart, the movie did not disappoint and
was ranked consistently as the second favorite movie of the festival. (My opinion too.) Not necessarily a movie for all, if you like
political drama and personal stories, this movie does both well.
Diplomacy
In the waning hours of WWII, with
the Allied Forces marching on Paris, the German army prepared to blow up all
the major landmarks of the city including the Louve, Eiffel Tower and Notre
Dame. Based on a true story, a Swedish diplomat
approaches German General Dietrich von Choltitz and attempts to persuade him to
disobey his direct order and save the city of Paris. The movie is the story of the approximately
12-hour conversation that ultimately did save Paris.
While a 12-hour conversation may
seem like a dinner with Andre-type plot, the movie itself has much more action
and tension as the Allies get closer and the soldiers begin to realize the
impending end to the war. With strong
performances by the two main actors (Andre Dussollier and Niels Arestrup), the
movie is both compelling and enlightening about how close Paris came to being
destroyed.
In typing this up I’m realizing I
liked this movie more than I gave it credit for at the time. (A victim of placement in our movie-going
line-up.) It’s a tight drama that’s well-acted and told. For people that might
enjoy a WWII movie that’s a little on the talky side, this is worth seeing.
The Imitation Game
During WWII, the Germans developed
an “unbreakable” coding device call the Enigma that they thought would allow
them to communicate without fear of interception. The Allied forces were able to get their
hands on the machine, and an elite team of mathematicians and code-breakers was
assembled at Bletchley Park outside London with the task of breaking the
unbreakable. The movie, starring
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock; 12 Years a Slave) as Alan Turing, is the story
of this elite team and how they ultimately solved and broke the Enigma.
Also staring Keira Knightly, this
was hands down the festival favorite. The story was gripping, the acting
excellent and the movie paced to keep you energized even though history already
provided the answer to the will they/won’t they problem. What’s also nice about this movie is that
it’s probably the most accessible movie of the festival meaning that I’d
recommend it not just to movie buffs and art house snobs, but to the general
movie-going world that is looking for a different form of superhero movie.
Tribute to Hilary Swank
Like most people, I became aware of
Hilary Swank with the movie Boys Don’t Cry. And for a long time after, I
couldn’t see her without thinking of that performance and persona. Then came
Million Dollar Baby and while I absolutely knew it was her, somehow I so
completely lost myself in that movie that when I think about her career, I
almost forget that she won an Academy Award for that role. So in seeing this tribute to Hilary, I was
both surprised and impressed with just how many of her films I have seen and
not credited her with because somehow she disappears from being the two-time
Oscar winner and instead becomes a blue-collar mother and law student
(Conviction), civil rights activist (Freedom Writers) or iconic airman
(Amelia).
At the tribute, they do a Q&A
session and she seemed genuinely appreciative of her good fortune. She also
came across as hard working and image-blind about her work. She was particularly complimentary about
working with Clint Eastwood and although very nice about Tommy Lee Jones as her
co-star and director in The Homesman (see next review) it’s clear that she
didn’t bond with Tommy the way she did with Clint. But overall, I walked away from that tribute
with a greater respect and appreciation for Hilary Swank – I think well earned.
The Homesman
Set in the very rural and mostly
unsettled territories of the US in the 1850’s, The Homesman is the story of
Mary Bee Cutty, a prairie woman living alone who volunteers to take three insane
women back to civilization for care. As she
starts on her journey, she happens upon a middle-aged rogue of a man who
she blackmails into helping her with the journey. The movie is mostly the story of their
mission and the hardships and challenges they face along the way.
Adapted for screen and directed and
starring Tommy Lee Jones with Hilary Swank as Mary Cutty, the movie is well
done and well acted but … there’s something slightly missing. I can’t put my finger on it exactly and nor
could the people we spoke with in line at Telluride, but all mostly agreed that
the movie lacked something that would prevent us from recommending it.
Birdman
Michael Keaton plays Riccon
Thomson, an aging actor who found fame and celebrity playing a superhero called
“Birdman” and now is staging a play on Broadway to try to reclaim or redeem his
credibility as an actor. Set primarily
in the theater, the movie is a frenetic-paced almost farce dealing with the
problems of staging the play and the people around him adding to the
challenges.
An A-list cast including Keaton, Ed
Norton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts and Amy Ryan, the camera
moves around with the characters as they zig and zag through the theater and
beyond, prepping for the rehearsal and ultimately opening night.
While well-acted and an interesting
premise, the movie falls short by mixing strange fantasy sequences with
reality. Also, while I didn’t mind the pacing, many people in line commented
how it actually made them uncomfortable and one said she left because of it. As much as I’d like to recommend this for the
cast alone, I can’t because it misses the mark in enough ways that it’s
probably okay to skip.
The Decent One
Heinrich Himmler was one of the
most evil people during WWII. A right hand to Hitler, he was responsible for
setting up the concentration camps and forming the SS – the black-clad police
that cracked down on anyone not 100% following Nazi protocol. This movie, a documentary, is the history of
Himmler’s life as told through his own words from letters, diaries and images
(photo and film) found by filmmaker Vanessa Lapa.
The brilliance of this film as well
as the horror is the juxtaposition of evil deeds with the day-to-day life of a
boy into man – meeting his wife, the birth of his child and the duties and
stresses of his job. The banality of his words and/or the sweetness of a father
is chilling when you realize that as he’s writing them he’s also rising to
power with the Nazi’s and conceiving of evil things. In addition to his own words, there are
letters from his parents, wife and children that add depth to the movie
narrative.
I knew this had the potential to be
a good movie and I was not disappointed.
It’s definitely not an easy subject to watch, but the visuals and the
story it unfolds is very enlightening as well as very unsettling. If there is one “problem” with the movie it’s
that I had a hard time fully appreciating the archival and found footage they
used because I was so busy reading the subtitles. But that was my problem, not
the movies and if you’re at all interested in WWII, how it happened and who
could conceive of and carry out such atrocities, I highly recommend this movie.
Mr. Turner
Set in Victorian England, the movie
is the story of J.M.W. Turner, the Romantic landscape painter who grew to
prominence in the late 1700’s/early 1800’s. In the movie, we meet Turner later
in life as he has gained fame in the artist community of the time and is
obsessively painting to the exclusion of sentiment toward family or
acknowledgement of wife and children.
During his travels to find new landscapes, he boards with a couple and
over the course of his many visits there, develops a relationship with the eventual
widow.
I’m struggling to describe the
story because there isn’t too much of one.
It’s more a movie of visual beauty that captures the world of Victorian
England and the imagery of his paintings.
But as storytelling, it’s devoid of any true plot and the character
himself is not someone you much care about.
This was both mom’s and my least
favorite film of the festival and there were many others that felt the same
way. That said, we also met people who really enjoyed the film, and when
pressed for why, they spoke of appreciating the visual beauty and the stunning
detail put into recreating the era. For
me, both of those were definitely worthy of praise, but as a movie I expected
it to tell a story. It didn’t and thus I can’t recommend seeing this film.
Merchants of Doubt
A documentary by Robert Kenner
(FOOD, Inc.), this movie focuses on the art of manipulation when it comes to
the truths about political issues like tobacco and climate change. Starting with the history of tobacco and the
evolving understanding about the negative effects of nicotine, the film shows
the techniques developed and deployed by companies seeking to protect their
businesses by sowing doubt about the science and facts around issues.
What’s remarkable about this film
and also scary, is the filmmakers ability to get lobbyist’s and PR
professionals to speak openly about the tricks they use, the companies they use
them for and the pride they take in confusing the issue and delaying action in
addressing the problems. They know they don’t have facts or truth on their
side, but it doesn't deter them – they actually relish the challenge of
manipulating the public and politicians.
I definitely recommend this film to
all willing to look with open eyes at how major companies with vested interests
in delaying action are using tricks and preying on our ignorance to sow doubt
and prevent action. It’s honestly a message we all need to pay attention to and
sadly will probably be spun to be seen as a partisan attack. The film is worth
seeing for the message, but it was also well done as a film and was visually
interesting and well crafted. Definitely
worth seeing.
Dancing Arabs
Eyad is an Arab boy growing up in
Israel. He’s clearly gifted and so his
family, while activists against the Arab/Israeli tensions, agrees to send him
to the top Israeli school so he can get the best education. At first his
experience is culture shock, but over time he makes friends, falls in love and
comes to appreciate his new world. This acculturation creates challenges for
Eyad because while he’s fitting into the Jewish world, his family is still
fiercely Arab and the Israeli worlds sees him as Arab, not Jewish so he must
figure out how to navigate both worlds or pick one to belong to.
A well-made, well acted movie, the
story draws you in as he faces new situations and makes new friends while straddling
cultures. One of the things I love about Telluride is seeing movies from
different countries that teach you about the culture of the countries without
“teaching” you about them. In this film,
I got both a good and compelling movie as well as a subtle understanding of the
region. While probably not a movie for
everyone (subtitles alone dictate that), I do think it’s one that art house
film goers will appreciate and find worthwhile.
‘71
Set in 1971 Belfast, Ireland during
the height of fighting between the British Army and the IRA, a platoon of new
recruits is re-routed from an overseas assignment to help deal with the
escalating situation in Belfast. On their first day there, they are deployed to
a local neighborhood to try to make peace, only to meet an angry community that
pummels them with rocks and trash. In the confusion that arises, a young boy
steals a soldier’s gun and two soldiers give chase to get it back. Not
realizing the soldiers are gone, the platoon pulls a hasty retreat and the two
are stranded. One is quickly killed while the other, Gary Hook, manages to
escape. The movie is primarily the story
of how Gary tries to survive until he can get back to his platoon or they can
rescue him. Jack O’Connell (Starred Up and the upcoming star of Unbreakable)
plays Gary in a really strong performance as a scared, desperate soldier who
only wants to survive.
Another well told, well acted story
fraught with minor twists and turns of who’s working for whom and loyalties not
being what they seem. The tension and energy are good and I found myself
waiting and wanting to see how, or if, he’ll get out. Because of the subject matter and era it
might not be a movie for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be limited to film
buffs. The story is strong enough that it may appeal to a broader audience.
And that’s it. We didn’t push ourselves as hard this year –
we decided to enjoy the town more and the weather luckily allowed it. Of the movies we didn’t see, the most notable
was Foxcatcher starting Steve Carell and Channing Tatum about John Dupont’s
coaching of the Olympic Wrestling Team.
The buzz on this was so-so at best with most saying the story was okay
but the casting of Steve Carell in a serious role was jarring and
off-putting. Another movie that got more
limited viewing but pretty positive reviews was Red Army, a documentary about
Viacheslave Fetisove, a member of the former Soviet hockey team and his
experiences playing for the Soviet Union during the cold war and subsequent
transition to the NHL. Madam Bovary,
staring Mia Wasikowska was at the festival but I didn’t hear much about it so I
can’t say good or bad – although a lack of buzz might be the answer to that
question. (If you want to see a good film with Mia Wasikowska, see Tracks which
played at last year’s festival and is just coming out now. That was well worth seeing!)
If there were any themes to the
festival this year it was probably WWII and/or war. They actually screened Apocalypse Now the
first day of the festival with Francis Ford Coppola there to discuss.
And that’s it. No terrible movies. None I wish I hadn’t seen
although several I won’t actively recommend. I hope you find this useful and
I’d love to hear what you think if/when you go to see any of these films.
Thanks as always for reading. Until next year!
Kate
