WE DID IT!
Twenty-five consecutive years of road-tripping, film watching and Dairy
Queen Blizzards. It has been a great run
and alas, this was our last. Mom and I
have decided to end on this silver anniversary and free up our Labor Day’s for
other adventures. So I guess that means
I need to make this last annual review something worthy of ending on.
From the weather to the movies, this was a very good year
filled with big and small movies and movie stars. More than most festivals, this year the
showings we got into included Q&A’s so we not only saw the movies but the
film makers who included Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura
Linney, Amy Adams, Casey Affleck and Richard Gere. In part because of this, and because we
decided to take our time more and just enjoy, we only managed to see 11
movies.
As always, I will write my reviews in the order in which I
saw the movies in case the time of day or order within the day affects my
perceptions.
Manchester by the
Sea (along with a Tribute to Casey Affleck)
Lee is a janitor in a town outside Boston. He’s eeking out an existence – clearly
unhappy and simply surviving. He gets a
call that his brother has died and he heads back to Manchester to deal with the
situation. In the reading of the will,
it turns out his brother has made him the guardian of his 15 year-old nephew –
a job he’s scared and overwhelmed by. But
it’s not just taking care of his nephew, it’s being back in Manchester and
trying to cope with the people and memories of what happened there in the past.
Although a powerful movie with an excellent performance by Casey
Affleck (Academy Award nomination?) the movie was too long. I appreciated that it slowly unfolded to
reveal why Lee was so damaged, however I believe I could have had the same
revelation with 15+ minutes cut from the movie.
And while some in line really enjoyed the film, I was with the majority
that said very fine film, but flawed.
Net: Probably a no on this one
unless you want to see a very strong performance by Casey Affleck.
Sully
In January 2009, a US Airways jet made a water landing in
the Hudson River with 155 people on-board. That’s the part that everyone
knows. What most of us don’t know is
what happened after: the NTSA investigation that seemed determined to find
fault with the decision. And what
happened before that allowed the pilot, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger to make
the decision and to successfully land the plane.
This was our favorite movie of the festival and one we
almost didn’t go see because we thought we knew the story. But despite knowing how things would come
out, I (and pretty much everyone else in the over-capacity theater) was hanging
on every scene waiting to see what would happen next. The performances were excellent and there
wasn’t a spare frame of wasted imagery in the whole movie. I know this will be a commercial film, and it
deserves to be so. Net: GO SEE IT. Enjoy.
And plan to see Clint Eastwood, and probably Tom Hanks, nominated for
Best Picture, Director and Actor and at least two of those as winners.
Bright Lights
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher are one of the oddest
Hollywood families in an industry filled with them. This film is a documentary of the
relationship between the two – with daughter caring for the mother and the
mother still pushing to be the Hollywood icon that she is. With intimate access to the day-to-day, the
weird (Star Wars fan shows) and behind-the-scenes (SAG Lifetime Achievement
Awards) moments of their lives, it is a portrait of a family and its evolution.
Surprisingly engaging, funny and poignant, I’m not sure this
was a film I’d have gone to see without Mom championing it. But I’m glad I saw it. My impression of them prior to this was the
relationship I saw in Postcards from the
Edge, but they are actually incredibly close and about as different as
night and day. I was impressed by how
exposed they let themselves be and it works well for telling the story of a
family that’s part of Hollywood history. Net: if you are a Hollywood buff or
like a good documentary, watch this.
It’s not just a Hollywood story, it’s a mother-daughter and family story
but the touches of Hollywood make it that much more interesting.
Frantz
It is post-World War II in Europe. A young woman and her would-be in-laws grieve
her dead fiancée and their son, Frantz.
They are going through the motions of life when the young woman, Anna,
discovers someone is leaving flowers on Frantz’ grave. She watches the site and
eventually meets Adrien, a war veteran that explains he was friends with Frantz
in Paris before the war. She brings him
back to their home, and slowly the family comes back to life as Adrian brings
Frantz back to them through his stories and care. A bond forms between Anna and Adrian and
Frantz’ parents encourage her to pursue it and live -- leading her to France
and Adrian’s home. There, she learns
that all isn’t exactly as she thought.
A bit of a throwback
movie being set post WWII, what I liked about this movie is that it could have
been predictable but instead had layers that provided a few good turns. In the midst of a lot more flamboyant films,
this was quiet and more straight forward making it less of a stand out in my
mind. But that said, in thinking about
it for this write up, I realize that I liked it and thought it worthwhile
viewing. Net: I wouldn’t rush out to see
this (and chances are because it’s French, you won’t have the ability), but it
was a worthwhile film I’m glad I saw.
Arrival
(along with a Tribute to Amy Adams)
Dr. Louise Banks is living a solitary life teaching
linguistics when her class is disrupted as students see via social media that
UFO’s have landed in various places around the world. Shortly after, a man from the US military
approaches Dr. Banks to request her help in trying to communicate with the
aliens. At first put off, eventually the
military comes calling and she and a physicist are taken to the spot where the
aliens have landed in the US. The story
unfolds from there in how they try to make contact, to construct a language and
means of communication and what comes from those contacts and the world’s
reaction to it.
I am a moderate sci-fi person – meaning I like movies that
make you think but not a huge fan of horror movies dressed up as sci-fi. This movie is the former – it makes you think
and raises questions and ideas that last beyond the movie. More like Close
Encounters and Contact than Alien, Arrival is quiet and complicated and is probably more truthful to
what would happen should aliens ever arrive.
Amy Adams turns in a solid performance – able to play smart and confused
and scared and gutsy – not necessarily Academy winning but still strong. Net: if you like a smart, thinking sci-fi
film, this is a good one.
Bleed for This
Based on the true story of boxer Vinny Pazienza, a boxer in
the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. Vinny’s
story is unique for many reason – both as a fighter and his success moving weight
classes and from overcoming a potentially career ending accident to box
again. The movie focuses primarily on
the transitional period of his career, when Vinny changes trainers and suffers
his accident. It’s a portrait of a man
determined to overcome the odds and defy others expectations of him.
With strong performances by the almost unrecognizable Miles
Teller (the Divergent series) and
Aaron Eckhart, it’s an uplifting story of someone that never gives up on
himself and literally fights back from adversity to triumph. Boxing movies are a known entity and this
follows suit with the likes of Rocky – the difference being it’s a true
story. Net: if you enjoy a good boxing
comeback story, this is a good movie with good performances.
American
Typewriter
There is a small store in Oakland California that repairs
typewriters. This is not only a
documentary about the store and the people that work there, it is an homage to
the typewriter told through the eyes of the artists and collectors that love,
collect and work with them in these modern times. The documentary includes interviews with
artists like Tom Hanks, David McCullough, John Mayer and Sam Shepard who talk
of the typewriters effect on their work.
It also includes glimpses of major collectors and modern artists creating
art from the parts of the machines.
I have to admit I didn’t know what to expect from this
film. I also have to admit that a few
weeks ago I dug through my parent’s garage to pull out two old typewriters –
one I am now displaying in my house. This film reminded me how it felt to type out
a message, to hit the carriage return and tap on keys. For some, this might be old school and
foreign, but to someone like me who learned to both read and write by typing
out Dr. Seuss’ “Hop on Pop “– it reawakened
something in me. Net: if you’ve ever
enjoyed using a typewriter, you’ll get sucked in by this film.
Norman: The
Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
Norman is a bit of a mystery. He seems like a well put-together
businessman, meeting and greeting, connecting people with like interests. But there’s a desperation about him that you
can’t quite put your finger on. Through
shrewd calculation, Norman connects with a mid-level Israeli diplomat who,
through a series of occurrences becomes the next Prime Minister. This gives Norman greater access and prestige
but that only raises his profile and the questioning of him.
Played admirably by Richard Gere, I wanted to like this
movie better than I did. I wanted to
connect and like Norman but there was always a mystery about him that made me
question if he was a good guy or bad.
While I can’t fault the movie, it was well made and well-acted, I just
didn’t connect with it and ultimately left feeling kind of blah. Net: I’m sorry
to say this is one I think you can miss.
Maudie
Set in Nova Scotia in the late 1930’s and 40’s, Maud is a
young woman forced to live with her repressive aunt because she suffers from
acute arthritis. When a local fisherman posts a notice for a live-in maid,
Maudie jumps at the chance to move out and be her own person. At first it’s a disaster because Everett is
dark and brooding and unwelcoming making Maud think she’s left one virtual
prison for another. But with persistence
and the brightness and cheer of her art, she begins to weaken Everett’s walls
and a love begins to grow.
This is a true story of the Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis
and her husband Everett and it is acted amazingly by Sally Hawkins and Ethan
Hawke. (Sally deserves an Academy Award
nomination for this.) This was mom and
my other favorite of the festival and it had people crying and cheering in the
theater at the end. It’s a small film; a
quiet film; and a very worthwhile film.
Net: If you are a film lover at all, this is a movie to see. No explosions, no chases, just subtle
story-telling and great acting.
Una
A young woman leaves her home one day and drives to a large
factory asking to speak with Ray. When
they meet, it is instantly clear that there is a very dark history between them
that must be confronted. Because he’s at
work, they are continually being interrupted and the tension and sense of
danger builds. In flashbacks we learn of the depth of their connection and the
devastation of his actions on the young Una that continue to haunt her.
Based on a play by Thimios Bakatakis, this is a very taught
drama about the very uncomfortable subject of child molestation. The lead actors, Rooney Mara and Ben
Mendelson, are strong in playing the range of emotions both characters are
experiencing – moving from angry and scared to sad and caring. I wanted to like this film. It was well done. But I think the subject
matter was unrelenting and dark to the point of it making me feel bad at the
end. Net: not a bad film but not one I’d
recommend.
La La Land
Mia is the Los Angeles cliché – a waitress working to become
and actress. Sebastian is a starving jazz musician loving the purity of playing
jazz while being forced to play pop music to make money. The two meet and they break into song –
literally. From initial disdain to
budding romance, this modern day musical is the rightful heir to the likes of Singing in the Rain and Top Hat, with the feeling of the main
characters often told through song and dance numbers.
I’ll admit, I was dubious.
And while I’ve heard people dis Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s singing
and acting abilities, I was really impressed.
It took a few moments to accept these actors breaking into song and
dance but once I got over myself, it really was a 1950’s musical done in and
for modern times. The story was
traditional – no major plot twists to avoid in this review. Just a straight-up musical love story done
well. Net: if you like Singing in the Rain, and/or you’re a fan
of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, see this.
It’s not a best film nominee but it is fun to see.
Wow. That’s my last
review. There were a few movies that we
didn’t see we would have liked to, one being Wakefield. Likely though, my friend Liane and her
husband Ed did go and she was kind enough to provide you all with her review.
Wakefield
Wakefield,
starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Gardner, is based on a short story by E.L.
Doctorow, which is the retelling of a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is about
a married lawyer who is dissatisfied with his life and himself. On his way home
from a trying day at work, he ends up in the room above his garage, where
he finds he can watch his family without them aware of him. He ends
up hiding in that room, running away from his work, and family. As Bryan
Cranston said when he introduced the film, "It is about a guy who decides
to push the pause button on life, and can’t figure out how to un-pause
it."
I was
surprised by how much I enjoyed the film, and was entertained by the
story. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Bryan Cranston -
he is excellent as the main character - and anyone who likes thoughtful, witty
films.
What else can I
tell you. Warren Beatty’s film was going
to be added to the roster but was pulled out at the last minute which was a
bummer. Also, Amazing Grace, the 1972 documentary about Aretha Franklin done by
Sydney Pollack was pulled for the second year in a row due to injunctions. Maybe someday but for now, the festival is
going to stop putting it in the program.
Finally, a film that we didn’t hear much about at Telluride but seems to
be doing well now is Moonlight. I’ve racked by brain to remember if there was
a lot of buzz about it, but neither me nor my mom recall it. In fact, as festival buzz went, there wasn’t
a lot. But I fear that’s a result of
people now spending more time on their phones and tablets between films than
talking in line. It still happens and is
still one of the nice parts of the festival – just not as much.
And with that, I
come to the close of my final Telluride Annual Review. I have loved these last 25 years with my mom,
sharing our love of movies and the adventures along the road. I think that’s why I’ve had a hard time
writing this is that it puts the period on the end of the sentence. Or, maybe more appropriately, is the final
scene of this road picture.
Thanks for reading
and I hope you find this helpful.
Kate
