Another Labor Day has come and gone and so too another
Telluride Film Festival. It was the 42nd
Festival and Mom and my 24th consecutive year and I think we can now
officially call ourselves veterans of the festival.
This year was a very good one. For the first time ever I don’t think there
was a single stinker in the mix nor was there anything too polarizing. Where people disagreed on films, it was the
degree of liking or the necessity of seeing with limited time, but not the
overall merit of the film. Mom and I
managed to see 12 films, all of them good and a few we/I would highly
recommend. And with that, I should get
to my reviews.
As always, I caveat with I list these in order of viewing
since seeing so many movies in such a short time and at different times of day,
can effect perception. And with that
said, it’s off to the movies.
Carol
Set in the early 1950’s, Carol is a sophisticated
upper-class woman shopping for a Christmas present for her daughter when she
meets Therese, a shop girl. The two are instantly attracted to each other but
living worlds apart, literally and figuratively, so the relationship is slow to
unfold as they get to know each other. This situation is complicated by the
mores of the time, Carol’s husband and past relationships that have lead to
strained home-life relations. The movie
is the story of this relationship.
Starting Cate Blanchett as Carol and Rooney Mara as Therese,
the movie is well-acted, beautifully shot and quietly elegant. That said, it’s very subtle and slow in its
unfolding and while I liked it and thought it worthwhile seeing, it’s not one
I’d recommend to everyone. I think it’s
more a film-lovers film; one that you can appreciate but not necessarily love. Net: this is a good film for the right person
but not one I’d recommend to everyone.
45 Years
It’s the Monday before Kate and Geoff’s 45th
wedding anniversary party and in the mail comes a letter with news from Geoff’s
past. The information is a bombshell
that opens up old wounds, reveals secrets and causes shifts and strains on them
both individually and as a couple. And
the pressure is that much higher with the impending party approaching on
Saturday.
With Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay as Kate and Geoff,
it is a well-acted and well-told story that, like Carol, is subtle to
unfold. Both mom and I felt that Tom
Courtenay’s performance seemed slightly too feeble than felt right for the
couple and we disagreed as to the appropriateness of the character’s emotions
in the movie. It actually made for good
talk in line with us polling people as to how sympathetic people were to the
reaction Kate had to the news. (I was,
Mom was not) and the answers were interesting.
So, the net is: I don’t recommend this to all people, but it was a good
movie, well-made and well-acted and I think people that are movie-buffs might
like this movie.
Spotlight
In 2002, the Boston Globe broke the story of the sex abuse
scandal by priests in the Catholic Church.
The story was uncovered, developed and written by a special team within
the Globe called Spotlight. This movie
is the story of how this story came to life – the obstacles, the evidence, the
people and lengths the team went to dig up the information that the church and
city leaders were trying desperately to conceal.
Michael Keaton leads an all-star cast including Mark
Ruffalo, Rachael McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Billy Crudup and Stanley Tucci in an
“All the Presidents Men”-esque thriller of how this story came to life. Going into it, Mom was concerned about how
fair this would be to the Catholic Church, but coming out she loved it and
agreed it was fair because the focus was not so much on the details of the
scandal but how the details got uncovered and ultimately brought to life. Our favorite movie of the festival, it felt
like a thriller without any car chases and kept me hanging although I knew the
outcome. Net: see it! This isn’t exclusive to film-lovers, this is
a movie anyone can enjoy and hopefully will.
Viva
In modern-day Havana, economic times are tough. Jesus, a young, gay hairdresser is making
ends meet doing private styling and handling wigs for a drag club since his
mother died and his father has been locked in prison for murder. He secretly longs to perform at the club, and
finally works up the nerve to audition for Mama, the owner of the club. She agrees to give him a chance and at his
first performance he is confronted by his long-absent father who forbids him to
perform any more. The father moves into
Jesus’ apartment and the movie is the story of their relationship and Jesus’
growth to find his own voice.
Before the movie started, they brought up two of the actors
and I guessed what the movie would be.
Then the lights went down and the burly guy they just introduced opens
the movie belting out a ballad in drag – I knew right then I had to just go
along for the ride. And I’m glad I
did. It was a touching, sometimes funny,
sometimes sad movie about relationships and growth and the support people give
to one another. I find as I’m writing
this, I’m remembering it more fondly then I gave it credit for at the
festival. Net: good movie. I don’t think it has to be a
film-lover-movie, but it might not be one for everyone.
Rams
In a remote area of Iceland, two brothers live next door to
each other but haven’t spoken to each other for 40 years. They have no families
but they have their sheep. And clearly,
sheep are a main point of pride for the brothers and the community. Then, tragedy hits when disease is discovered
in the herd and so to keep the germs from spreading, the town is ordered to
destroy their animals. This causes even
greater conflict between the brothers as the younger (Kiddi) blames the older
(Gummi) for reporting the situation to what would be the local animal CDC. The movie follows the story as it unfolds and
the pathos and humor of these two long estranged brothers.
Definitely not your typical AMC fare, but lest that suggest
that it wasn’t a worthwhile movie – it was.
Rams was a sometimes funny, sometimes sad look at a remote region of the
world and a few characters that you actually root for. At least one person in line rated this as one
of their top movies. For me, I wouldn’t
put it quite that high but I was glad I saw it.
Net: definitely not a movie for the Marvel crowd, and not one to watch
late on a Friday evening (there’s very little dialog), for an indie film lover,
it is a good movie and has a few moments that will make you laugh out loud.
Steve Jobs
Not a typical bio-pic, this movie is a series of three
pivotal moments in Steve Job’s life: the launch of the Mac, the launch of NEXT
and the launch of the iMac. In each time
period, it’s about an hour before the public announcement and Jobs is
interacting, confronted by and otherwise dealing with the people and situations
both of the moment and in his life.
These moments of high stress and energy enable us to see the forces that
drove him, the people that tested him and the genius and devil that he could
be.
Having read Walter Isaacson’s book on which this movie is
based, it’s definitely not the book. But
Aaron Sorkins’s script, focusing on these key moments, actually works for
conveying most of the major themes of his life. Michael Fassbender is very good
as Jobs, with Kate Winslet, Seth Rogan and Jeff Daniels all providing strong
support as Joanna Hoffman, Steve Wosniak and John Sculley respectively. I can definitely see Fassbender nominated for
an Academy Award, along with Aaron Sorkin for script, Danny Boyle for director
and WInslet and Daniels for supporting roles.
(Several people didn’t even realize it was Kate Winslet – that’s how
different she was in this.) Definitely a
main stream movie but not as typical as you might think. It’s fast-paced Sorkin dialog and limited
location sets aren’t as narrative as people might like. Net:
if you are fascinated by Jobs, like Sorkin dialog or good acting, this is a
movie for you. Just don’t get your
expectations up too high, and you should walk away happy.
Suffragette
Set in early 1900’s London, Maud (Carey Mulligan) is a
manager at a laundry mill who is intrigued and ultimately enticed into the
fight for women’s sufferage. A
co-worker, Violet (Anne-Marie Duff) has taken up the cause and she invites Maud
to join her. Reluctantly at first, Maud
gets drawn in when she is asked to speak before Parliament when Violet, the
representative for the laundry, is unable.
She and the others are pursued by the police, thrown into jail, have
their jobs and marriages threatened all while being urged on by strong leaders
in the cause, like Emmeline Parkhurst (a cameo by Meryl Streep) who impress the
need to get their message heard.
Based, at least in part, on true events and people, the
movie is a compelling drama about the struggles women faced to get the vote.
Carey Mulligan’s performance was very strong, showing the evolution from
skeptic to ardent advocate and Anne-Marie Duff’s performance as Violet could
get a supporting actor nomination. Going
into this, I wanted to see the movie but was concerned it would be a
heavy-handed “message movie,” that would be good to see but not necessarily entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised that I
underestimated it. It was a good,
well-told and well-acted move that kept me interested and rooting for
them. Net: a movie worth seeing not just
for the art-house crowd. Mom said she
wanted to suggest to her friends to take their daughters and grand-daughters to
this but I don’t think it has to be just a girls/women’s movie – enlightened
men who like good movies might enjoy this also.
Black Mass
Set in Boston in the late 70’s/early ‘80’s, James “Whitey”
Bolger (Johnny Depp) is a small time thug in a city with much crime. An ambitious FBI agency, John Connally, who
grew up with the Bolger’s, forms an alliance with Whitey to help him clean up
the corruption of the city while in turn providing Whitey with protection as an
informant. That protection emboldens
Whitey and he grows his criminal activities while the Feds struggle to deal
with him because of Connally’s deal.
Black Mass was exactly what I expected and not at all what I
expected. I expected a meaty role for
Johnny Depp and it was that. I expected
that it would be a gritty Boston crime-type drama, and it was. But I wasn’t expecting it to be as focused on
the Connally story or as surface as it felt – I never really got to know the
two main characters beyond their crime connection so I found I was disappointed
the movie wasn’t better. It wasn’t bad,
but it wasn’t better. Net: It’s not a
bad movie for weekend viewing and it’s definitely more mainstream than most. But honestly, it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped
and so if you do see it, go in with lower expectations and you might like it
more. One other thing – if you’re an
Oscar predictor, Depp and Joel Edgerton, who plays Connally, could get
nominated.
Room
(Spoiler Alert: there’s almost no way to describe this movie
without giving away some of the story that naturally unfolds. If you might see this movie, consider
skipping to the second paragraph that is my recommendation. I won’t give too much away but just a warning.) A young mother and her 5-year old son play
together in a room. As the story
unfolds, you come to realize they are prisoners locked in this one small room,
at the mercy of the man who abducted “Ma” seven years before. The boy knows no
other world so he’s content and the mom does her best to make a life and a
happy world for him. But when he turns five, she decides it’s time to explain
the wider world and devises a plan to get out.
I read the book this movie is based on and was reluctant to
see the movie, not because I didn’t like the book (I did) but because I wasn’t
sure it was a story that could translate well to screen. Then the buzz started at the festival and
many people told us how much they liked it and I relented. I’m very glad I did. It was a great adaptation of the book and the
performances by Brie Larson as “Ma” and Jacob Tremblay as her son were amazing
– I’d like to see a nomination for her this year. The movie is sad and hopeful, confining and
expansive. Net: see this movie. It’s not something for kids and it’s not
something to see if you’re looking for an action movie, but if you enjoy a good
drama then this is that.
Marguerite
Set in France in the 1920’s, Marguerite is a rich socialite
who is a patron of the operatic-arts, hosts salons and fancies herself a
talented performer. She is renowned for
her singing, but not in a good way -- she’s horrible. But she doesn’t know that. Her money and the people around her protect
her from this reality and so she enthusiastically pursues her quest in the
arts. At one of her salons, she meets a
few young professionals that bond with her and draw her out into the wider,
less cloistered world of privilege, which exposes her both in good ways and
bad.
Both comedic and tragic, the first time she opens her mouth
to sing is laugh-out-loud funny, as is her “audition” for her voice coach. Catherine Frot as Marguerite makes her
energetic, optimistic, vulnerable and likable and you understand why people
would want to support Marguerite and protect her but also use and exploit
her. And supposedly this is based on a
true person/story. Net: a good movie.
Not one I’d tell you to rush out and see, but if it comes around one to
definitely consider and one to watch for a foreign nomination for Catherine Frot’s
performance.
Ixcanul
On a coffee plantation on the hills of Guatemala, a young
girl is being prepped to marry the overseer while she has a crush on a boy who
works in the fields with her. The boy
dreams of going to America and she dreams along with him and asks him to take
her with him despite what the repercussions could be on her family for
abandoning the marriage. The boy leaves, but not before getting her pregnant
which she tries to hide but ultimately can’t.
While the story was compelling, so too was the glimpse at a
culture so remote and foreign to our own.
I was struck by the judgment, and lack thereof, of her family and the
village despite the overseer’s wrath. I
marveled at the living conditions, the whims upon which people live and the
universal emotions and values we all have.
The performances were great and the story definitely kept me
interested. Net: for art-house movie
lovers, I think this is a movie you might enjoy. I won’t say you have to see it but if you do,
I bet you’ll enjoy.
Taxi
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been banned from making
films in his country – but that’s not stopping him. The filmmaker borrows a taxi and equips it
with some GoPro cameras and drives around Tehran providing rides, talking to
people and giving the viewers a glimpse of modern-day and every-day Iran. The movie is him driving the cab and the
menagerie of people he meets along the way.
This plays as a documentary and somewhat fooled me that it
was, but instead it’s a well-crafted and entertaining way to see different
aspects of the city, the people and the life of the people of Tehran. By presenting the people and situations as
just normal, every-day folks, he’s able to introduce topics as they banter in the
cab, see situations as normal in that world and meet people as humans and not
characters in a movie. Net: it was an
interesting movie. I don’t know that I’d
recommend it, but I’m not sorry I saw it.
And that’s what we saw.
Of those we didn’t see, Beasts of No Nation and He Named Me
Malala were festival favorites and one’s I hope to pick up once they make
it to market. Another that was talked
about was Anomalisa, a new Charlie Kaufman film done in animation. Seemed like people liked it but my sense was
very arty and if you’re a Kaufman fan you’ll like it but otherwise probably
not.
If forced to pick, I’d say Spotlight and Room
were my favorites with Suffragette high up there too. Steve Jobs
was good but not great and Black Mass was okay but not good. For performances, I can see Oscar nominations
for Michael Fassbender and Johnny Depp (Best Actor), Carey Mulligan and Brie
Larson (Best Actress), Kate WInslet and Anne-Marie Duff (Best Supporting
Actress) and Jeff Daniels and Joel Edgerton (Best Supporting Actor). The kid in Room easily merits an award
and oddly I could see Rams up for Best Foreign Film. He Named Me Malala could be a
contender for Best Documentary and Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle for Best Writer
and Best Director respectively. Spotlight
could definitely be up for awards, but as a more ensemble movie, picking out
single actors might be tough but writing could be a definite possibility.
Hope you find these reviews helpful and I’d love to hear
what you think when and if you see any of the movies. PLEASE, comment back on katehalkett.com or
Facebook or just email me. I’d love to
keep the conversation going since it’s always fun to talk about movies.
Happy viewing everyone!
Kate
