When I hear the name Anne Hathaway my mind drifts to sappy romantic comedies and titles like Princess Diaries, Devil Wears Prada, and Bride Wars.  Basically, I think of movies that are low on impact and have little to no weight after their initial viewing.  Rachel Getting Married is an enormous departure from these movies for Anne Hathaway in content, and I am happy to say that her acting lived up to the expectations appropriate to such a drama.   

Rachel Getting Married, directed by Jonathan Demme,  follows Kym (Anne Hathaway) who is a young woman just leaving a rehabilitation center and reentering her homelife that is currently in a frenzy of new people and faces as her older sister Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) prepares for her impending wedding.  The narrative unfolds slowly with the details behind family tension and Kym’s rehab experience revealing themselves naturally in the dialogue captured by the homemovie-like camera from the ensemble cast.  Punctuated by live music played by characters in the film, Demme casts away the usual recipe for family dramas by exposing tensions and character flaws/complexities from the first scene rather than crafting an upright and happy family that is gradually broken down.  The entire cast acts impeccably, making the story all the more believable.  Altogether his choices make for an intense and visceral experience, one that feels almost too close to reality for comfort at times (which is emphasized by the presence of a handheld camera throughout the film, the soundtrack that is embedded in real time, and the pacing that is slow at times but rich with what feel like real family experiences).  I give the movie an 8/10.

• I thought Anne Hathaway was so good in this role, which I didn’t expect after all the chick-flick films she’s done.
• I liked the film, it made me cry which is always good but I didn’t understand the beginning or the ending. I got that she was in rehab, obviously, but that weird little conversation between the nurse and Kym at the beginning when the nurse said something about how she could lose her job? I don’t get it. Where they together?
• And at the end, was Kym going back to rehab?
• Other than those questions, I really liked it.

Geçen sene Oscarlardan sonra izleyemediğim bir film vardı adaylardan.Fazlasıyla aklıma takılmıştı.Çünkü film Anne Hathaway‘in performansıyla adaydı, ki Hathaway‘in filmografisinde izlemediğim film yok.Tabi kendisini böyle bağımsız bir filmde izleyecek olmanın verdiği heyecan ve merak da cabası.İzlemek için yanıp tutuşmuştum ama film sinemalara uğramamıştı.Uğradıysa bile eminim ki ben kaçırmışımdır.Tabi Oscar yarışını sıkı bir şekilde takip ettiğimden filmin diğer oyuncularının da adaylık için adının geçtiğini gayet iyi biliyordum.Ve neredeyse bir yıl sonra sonunda filmi izleme şansını elde ettim.İşte Rachel Getting Married…

Film aslında Rachel karakterinin adını taşısa da Kym karakterinin üzerinden dönüyor.Kym ablası Rachel’ın düğünü için rehabilitasyondan geliyor, ama karakteri gereği ilgi odağı olmak istermiş gibi hareket ediyor.Ya da öyle sanılıyor.Tabi bu Kym’in ön planda olmasından rahatsız Rachel’ın yıllardır bastırdığı duygularını ortaya çıkarıyor.Sonuç olarak da düğün arifesi evde soğuk rüzgarlar esiyor.

Öncelikle filmin inanılmaz etnik olduğunu söylemek istiyorum.Her sahne Jamaika diye bağıran öğelerle dolu.Kimi zaman bir yemek ismiyle, kimi zaman bir şarkıyla Rachel’ın müstakbel eşinin milliyetini hissediyorsunuz.İkinci olarak ise filmi “değişik” kelimesiyle ifade etmek istiyorum.Rachel Getting Married izledikten sonraki bir saat içerisinde pek şaşırtmayan ama daha sonra “Nasıl sürdü o film?” dediklerinizden.

Yönetmen Jonathan Demme ve senarist Sidney Lumet geçen sene birkaç festivalden ödül almıştı.Ben pek özel bir iş göremiyor olsam da ikisinin de en azından işleri ellerine yüzlerine bulaştırmadıkları için tebrik edilmeleri taraftarıyım.Çünkü güçlü oyunculuklar olmaz ise ancak “baş ağrısı” olabilecek bir senaryoyu harika bir şekilde destekleyen oyuncularla zirveye taşımışlar.

Ve harikalar yaratan kadro…Anne Hathaway, Kym rolünde kesinlikle başarılı.Ama bence Rachel’ı canlandıran Rosemarie DeWitt es geçilmiş.Geçen seneki kritiklerde adını çokça duymuştuk ama en azından Oscar ya da Altın Küre’de adaylık hak eden bir performans sergilemiş.Rachel ve Kym’in babası rolündeki Bill Irwin bana fazla rahatsız edici geldi.Tipi dolayısıyla kendisine bir türlü alışamadım.Kısaca izlediğimiz Debra Winger da fena değildi.Kendisini beyazperde görmeyi özlediğimizi fark ettim sadece.Rachel’i evlendiği adam Sidney olarak Tudne Adebimpe, Kym’in son dakika golü Mather Zickel ve üvey anne Anne Deavere Smith göze çarpan diğer isimler.

Rachel Getting Married için iyi bir film demekten çok, oyunculukları çok güçlü bir film demeyi tercih ederim.Anne Hathaway‘in Oscarlık performansı için bile izlenir.

C+

Da domani, venerdì 13, proseguendo sino a sabato 21 novembre 2009, prenderà il via il 27° Torino Film Festival, temporalmente susseguente alle manifestazioni di Venezia e Roma.
Nuovo direttore, per la prima volta alla direzione di un festival, il regista calabrese Gianni Amelio, insieme ad Emanuela Martini: succede a Nanni Moretti, dal quale, ringraziandolo per il lavoro sinora svolto e la visibilità data al Festival, prende comunque subito le distanze: “con me Torino sarà all’insegna del rigore della passione. Da regista devo portare il mio gusto e la mia esperienza, ma devo aprire ad altri spettatori diversi da me, altrimenti se selezionerei solo quelli che mi piacciono, rischierei di fare un festival con tre film”.
Ed infatti il cartellone delle opere in programma si presenta indiscutibilmente ricco: 254 opere, tra lungometraggi, medio e corti, delle quali 42 in prima mondiale, con l’inaugurazione affidata a Nowhere Boy di Sam Taylor Woods (artista inglese da noi sconosciuta o quasi, ma molto famosa all’estero), sulla storia di un adolescente di nome John Lennon, e 16 in concorso, tra i cui titoli, dopo tre anni di assenza, vi sono due film italiani (Santina di Gioberto Pignatelli, ispirato a La Storia di Elsa Morante e La bocca del lupo di Pietro Marcello).
Trattasi comunque di opere provenienti un po’ da tutto il mondo, aventi come tema dominante il nostro tempo attuale, sospeso tra solitudine, follia, disperazione ( il filippino Baseko Bakal Boys, protagonisti due bambini che cercano di sopravvivere a Manila o Adas di Roland Vranik, dai toni apocalittici), sulle quali deciderà la giuria presieduta da Sandro Petraglia.
La concorrenza delle già citate Venezia e Roma? “Nessun problema”, afferma Amelio, “Ci costringono ad essere più creativi ed innovativi, come quando si apre una libreria dove ce n’è già un’altra, è una cosa positiva, non mi spaventa. Serve a darsi un carattere ed un’ identità e quella di Torino non è scalfibile, non assomiglia a nessun altro festival”.
Ecco quindi il nuovo Gran Premio Torino, che verrà assegnato a Emir Kusturika, per la geniale inventiva dei suoi film, ed alla casa di produzione americana Zoetrope di Francis Ford Coppola, per il suo contributo al rinnovarsi dell’industria cinematografica statunitense, due personali dedicate al regista Nicholas Ray e al giapponese Nagisa Oshima, o l’inedita sezione, voluta proprio da Amelio, Figli e amanti, dove sei registi(Paolo Sorrentino, Gianni Zanasi, Davide Ferrario, Mario Martone, Matteo Garrone e Marco Bellocchio) parleranno dei loro “film del cuore” o che comunque hanno dato ispirazione e suggerimenti per la realizzazione delle loro opere.
Da non dimenticare infine il TorinoFilmLab, laboratorio internazionale che sostiene concretamente registi di tutto il mondo al loro primo o secondo film, nato nel 2008 grazie al direttore del Museo del Cinema Alberto Barbera e che vede coinvolti 120 tra sceneggiatori, registi, produttori e venditori, e il sottofondo musicale che diviene una delle colonne portanti della manifestazione (oltre al citato film d’apertura, si segnala il documentario di Jonathan Demme su Neil Young e Oil City Confidential, di Julian Temple, sulla band dei Dr Feelgood).

For reasons that I can’t always articulate, Rachel Getting Married is heavenly to me. So imperfect that it’s perfect. So brutal that it’s beautiful…These are just a few of the conflicting phrases that come to mind when I watch this movie. I’d like to think that any complaint you might have about the film, I could find a reason to say: “Yeah, but THAT’S what’s so great about it!” Try me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sinemabed/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

I watched it for the umpteenth time with my mother one night. The film deals with – to say the least – family troubles, so I thought she would appreciate it, or at least find it moving. Though she sat through the movie patiently, her final thoughts were: “It was just…weird. It made me uncomfortable.”

And really, that’s what’s so great about it. It’s uncomfortable. It’s so honest and anti-what-we-think-a-movie-should-be that it makes us uncomfortable. A majority of the people I know described the first thirty minutes as “slow…and weird…not a lot happens.” This is also (see, I told you I could do it) another reason why it’s great. Director Jonathan Demme takes the audience completely out of its element by making it feel as though you’re not even watching a movie, but rather, you’re watching all of these lives take place. And they’re laid out just as they are – all the fighting, the ugliness, the lack of communication, the resentment, and everything else that most families don’t want you to see. (Because that would be…uncomfortable.)

I read that Demme confessed somewhere that Rachel Getting Married was filmed with Dogme 95 in mind. For those who don’t know, Dogme 95 is – in short – a film movement initiated by Danish filmmakers Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg in 1995, with the intentions of stripping films of their “Hollywood.” (You can read the official rules  here.)

By its very nature, filmmaking is a deceptive and artificial process. And I don’t even mean in terms of story or characters – just the basics: lighting, sound, special effects, etc. These are some of the very things that von Trier and Vinterberg wanted to eliminate with the Dogme 95 movement. And why? To focus on one thing only: the story.

Thus, if you watch accredited Dogme 95 works, you’ll see that they’re very raw-looking. Jerky camera movements because it’s all hand-held, and no special lighting or fancy effects. But you can say one thing about them (or, most of them, since I’m personally not a fan of whatever “Julien Donkey Boy” is, for instance): You’re completely involved in the story and its characters.

Rachel Getting Married reminds me of an upscale Dogme 95 movie. They have a better camera, awesome set design and locations, and more well-known and acclaimed actors. But that doesn’t mean the essence of Dogme 95’s honesty isn’t there. There’s not much artificial lighting, most of it (if not all) appears to be hand-held camera, and overall the main focus is on the story and the characters. Not much else.

And both the story and the characters are heartbreaking, imperfect, conflicting, and contradictory. But they’re real. My favorite scene in Rachel Getting Married is when Anne Hathaway’s character, Kym, is spilling her guts out to her family. Kym made a horrible mistake that tore her family apart a few years ago, and she can’t seem to make anything right, or apologize enough. She asks, “Who do I have to be now?” This quote keeps popping into my head as I write this. Because what does film have to be now? What more can it be?

I believe we’re at a place in film where everything has been done. So many limits in technology, effects, and plots have been breached that maybe we can’t take it anymore. We still want creativity and entertainment, but maybe we want those things on smaller scales and budgets, and within realms that we recognize as our own. Maybe we want movies that don’t feel like movies, but like real life instead.

The mainstream public might not have noticed it ten years ago, but I think the Dogme 95 creators were really on to something here.

1995: Devil in a Blue Dress di Carl Franklin

“Anomalo rispetto alle mode degli anni ‘90 e sottovalutato” (il Morandini) un film che gli appassionati del «giallo» non dovrebbero perdere.

Carl Franklin (nel 1998 dirigerà La voce dell’amore con una straordinaria Meryl Streep) è stato prima attore e poi regista. Ha diretto pochi film, distinguendosi sempre per uno stile asciutto ed essenziale. Questo Il Diavolo in blu (prodotto da Jonathan Demme) è senz’altro una delle sue opere migliori, un autentico omaggio al noir classico (la vicenda si svolge nel 1948) di cui rievoca mirabilmente atmosfera e disincanto.

Come in ogni buon noir la violenza abbonda (ma non infastidisce), la città è decadente, i politici sono disonesti, la polizia è corrotta, la dark lady domina la situazione, l’eroe è solitario…  “Il rischio, per Il Diavolo in blu, è quindi quello di cadere nel cliché. Eppure, la storia sa convincere sequenza dopo sequenza” (sid.it). Tratto dall’omonimo romanzo di Walter Mosley, il film “è capace di creare una coinvolgente atmosfera del passato, facendolo rivivere con la luce e omaggiando…  lo stile di Chandler e Hawks” (Il Corriere della Sera). Una dettagliata e precisa messa in scena (costata milioni di dollari… e si vede), un perfetto affresco d’epoca in cui non sai se ammirare maggiormente la scenografia, i costumi, la fotografia, la colonna sonora… Tutto funziona perfettamente ed è al servizio di una solida sceneggiatura  che ha, tra l’altro, il pregio di dare importanza ai diversi personaggi ritratti non banalmente.

Denzel Washington e Don Cheadle (che qualche anno dopo rivelerà il suo notevole talento nel bellissimo Hotel Rwanda) sono molto bravi e convincenti. Persuade poco come dark lady Jennifer Beals che non possiede il fascino e la personalità richiesti dal ruolo.

Un fratello minore del Chinatown che pur non raggiungendo gli stessi livelli del capolavoro di Polanski si fa piacevolmente vedere.

scheda

premi e riconoscimenti

Et nous voilà de retour pour un survol rapide de ce qui est arrivé dans nos petites malles magiques ! On sent les fêtes approcher, les livraisons semblent plus généreuses…

Pour commencer, deux “grosses” sorties, et non des moins intéressantes !

“Millénium, Les hommes qui n’aimaient pas les femmes“ : Alors, Millénium, c’est une trilogie de romans policiers écrite par le suédois Steig Larsson et qui a eu un succès mondial. Vu le nombre de gens lisant ces romans dans le métro ou dans le train, vous ne pouvez pas être passé à côté. En voici donc l’adaptation cinématographique qui, aux dires des lecteurs, est assez bien réussie, très fidèle au roman et très bien construite, vu la complexité de l’histoire.Pour avoir vu le film au cinéma sans en avoir lu le roman, je peux vous dire que l’histoire est captivante et très bien interprétée. On y retrouve un côté froid propre aux films nordiques. A voir (sauf si vous venez d’entamer la lecture du premier tome).

“Coraline“ est adapté du conte noir pour adultes et enfants de Neil Gaiman. Si vous connaissez « L’Etrange Noel de Monsieur Jack » de Henry Selick, un petit ‘déjà vu’ vous aura surement traversé l’esprit en voyant la jaquette de « Coraline » et c’est normal puisque c’est le même réalisateur.  Magnifique animation en stop-motion et en 3D (une première). Une jolie petite fable sur une jeune fille attirée par un autre univers sous prétexte qu’il y fait bon vivre (ce n’est qu’un leurre bien évidemment) et qui nous rappellera sans doute bien d’autres contes ou histoires pour enfants : “Pinocchio” attiré dans une fête foraine, “Alice” découvrant le pays des merveilles ou encore “Charlie” dans la chocolaterie… mais je vous en ai déjà trop dit ! Une chronique de la musique de film ici.

Si vous avez envie de vous donner des frissons (c’est Halloween pardi!) voici un bon film d’horreur : “La Dernière maison sur la gauche“ de Dennis Iliadis. Les spécialistes du genre se souviendront de la première version de Wes Craven de 1972 qui fit scandale à sa sortie à cause de la violence gratuite omniprésente. Pour avoir vu les deux versions, je peux vous dire que ce remake est fort proche, beaucoup plus moderne (j’ai trouvé que le film de 1972 avait pris un petit coup de vieux) et assez expéditif. Âmes sensibles, vous voilà prévenues!

“L’Autre“ de Patrick Mario Bernard et Pierre Trividic est un film français avec l’actrice Dominique Blanc. Elle  y interprète le rôle d’une femme maladivement jalouse. Un drame psychologique annoncé comme palpitant.

Après ça, et pour se calmer un peu, voici une comédie romantique tout en douceur et qui réunit deux grands acteurs (Emma Thompson et Dustin Hoffman) : “Last chance Harvey“ de Joel Hoppkins. Ce réalisateur m’avait déjà surprise avec “Mariage et conséquences“, une sorte de road-movie sur le thème du mariage, très agréable et inattendu. Les critiques de presse de “Last chance Harvey” étaient assez prometteuses.

Toujours sur le thème du mariage, mais à mille lieux des comédies romantiques auxquelles on peut s’attendre, “Rachel se marie“ de Jonathan Demme. Il s’agit d’une chronique d’un week-end en famille qui va révéler de nombreuses vérités. A comparer avec un « Festen » de Thomas Vinterberg (mais en beaucoup moins trash) ou « Anniversary party » de Alan Cumming. Jonathan Demme a fait le choix de filmer caméra à l’épaule, ce qui apporte une petite touche originale supplémentaire. Au scénario, on découvre les débuts prometteur de la fille de Sidney Lumet. Un film intéressant, énervant parfois (j’ai eu un peu de mal à croire à la famille bourgeoise américaine musicienne multiculturelle) mais il y a pas mal de moments forts émouvants.

Pour rire (ai-je envie de dire), voici le dernier opus de X-Men. Loin de moi l’envie de dénigrer cette série de films, le premier était d’ailleurs fort bien réussi, mais les numéros 2 et 3 m’avaient beaucoup déçues. Ce “X-Men origins : Wolverine“ explore, comme son titre l’indique, les origines du personnages Wolverine. Uniquement pour les fans inconditionnelles de cette saga et de Huh Jackman toujours aussi sexy dans son petit singlet moulant.

Deux séries-télé pour terminer ce survol de la semaine : “Burn Notice“, l’histoire d’un ex-espion devenu indésirable aux yeux du gouvernement qui va devoir faire sa propre enquête pour découvrir les raisons de son licenciement. “My name is Earl“, Earl est un escroc à la petite semaine mais un jour il gagne au loto. A partir de ce jour, il décide de racheter toutes les fautes qu’il a commises dans sa vie, une par une. Un style qui n’est pas sans rappeler Kevin Smith. Pour ma part, la série est déjà dans mon lecteur…

Qu’on se le dise !

Brigitte Segers

]]> http://julian1st.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/neil-young-trunk-show-screens-afi-fest-manns-theatre-nov-4th/ Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:56:21 +0000 Julian Ayrs http://julian1st.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/neil-young-trunk-show-screens-afi-fest-manns-theatre-nov-4th/ http://walkwomanjournal.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/791/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:58:41 +0000 Daniela Mendes http://walkwomanjournal.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/791/ http://kenshane.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/blu-ray-review-talking-heads-stop-making-sense-popdose/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:49:23 +0000 kenshane http://kenshane.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/blu-ray-review-talking-heads-stop-making-sense-popdose/ http://wildworx.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/afi-fest-2009-announces-full-schedule/ Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:01:23 +0000 johnwildman http://wildworx.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/afi-fest-2009-announces-full-schedule/

AFI FEST 2009 PRESENTED BY AUDI

ANNOUNCES THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY’S “A SINGLE MAN”

AS CLOSING NIGHT GALA PRESENTATION

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS’

“THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS”

IS CENTERPIECE SCREENING GALA PRESENTATION

PROGRAMMING INCLUDES TRIBUTES TO

VIGGO MORTENSEN AND CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER

COMPLETE FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED

TICKETS AVAILABLE STARTING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

LOS ANGELES (October 14, 2009)—AFI FEST 2009 presented by Audi today announced the complete lineup of films for the 23rd edition of the Festival, including the Closing Night Gala, Centerpiece Screening, Tributes and Special Presentations.

The Weinstein Company’s A SINGLE MAN has been selected as the AFI FEST Closing Night Gala presentation. A SINGLE MAN will make its US Premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

Sony Pictures Classics’ THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS has been selected as AFI FEST’s Centerpiece Screening Gala presentation. THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS will make its US Premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Monday, November 2, 2009.

The Closing Night Gala presentation of A SINGLE MAN features the directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford from his script adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s acclaimed novel. The film follows a day in the life of a gay British college professor in Los Angeles as he attempts to cope with the death of his partner. Ford’s work helming the project and Colin Firth’s lead performance in the film have received critical acclaim following screenings at the Venice and Toronto film festivals. Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Ginnifer Goodwin also star in the film. The Weinstein Company release is due in theaters on December 11.

Ford, Firth and Moore are scheduled to attend.

“It is exciting to champion a talented artist like Tom Ford as he moves beyond the boundaries of one medium into another. In A SINGLE MAN, he delivers an elegant and beautiful personal story that will resonate with all audience members“ said AFI FEST Artistic Director Rose Kuo.

The Centerpiece Screening Gala presentation features the latest work by director Terry Gilliam. THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS follows the leader of a traveling theater troupe who, having made a deal with the devil, takes audience members through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations. The film stars Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Heath Ledger in his final role. The Sony Pictures Classics release is due in theaters stateside on December 25.

Gilliam and Plummer are scheduled to attend.

“The mind-altering, looking-glass world that Terry Gilliam creates in THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS,” notes Director of Programming Robert Koehler, “is like a model for his ideal cinema, in which anything can happen and all rules are broken. If audiences thought that THE DARK KNIGHT was their last glimpse of Heath Ledger, then what Ledger brings to Gilliam’s fantasy-adventure will surprise them.”

AFI FEST has selected actors Christopher Plummer and Viggo Mortensen to receive tributes at this year’s Festival. Sponsored by the Skirball Cultural Center, Plummer’s tribute event will precede the screening of his film THE LAST STATION on Tuesday, November 3. Mortensen’s tribute will precede the US Premiere of the film THE ROAD on Wednesday, November 4. Both Tributes will take place at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

One of the world’s most respected actors, Plummer has won two Tony Awards (for CYRANO and BARRYMORE), three Drama Desk Awards, the National Arts Club Medal and two Emmys. He was a leading member of  Laurence Olivier’s Royal National Theatre and Peter Hall’s Royal  Shakespeare Company. Since appearing in Sidney Lumet’s STAGE STRUCK (1958), his more than 100 films have included WIND ACROSS THE  EVERGLADES (1958), THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965), WATERLOO (1970) and TWELVE MONKEYS (1995), THE INSIDER (1999), A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001), SYRIANA (2005) and INSIDE MAN (2006). He stars as Leo Tolstoy in THE LAST STATION and plays the title role in THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS.

John Hillcoat THE ROAD is adapted from the acclaimed novel by Cormac McCarthy, THE ROAD stars Mortensen as a father making his way with his young son across the scorched landscape of a post-apocalyptic world. Directed by Hillcoat from a script by Joe Penhall, the film also stars Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce and Molly Parker. The Weinstein Company release is due in theaters November 25.

Mortensen, Hillcoat and Theron are scheduled to attend.

From his debut in Peter Weir’s WITNESS (1985) to his signature role of Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, Mortensen’s career has been highlighted by intensely stunning portrayals of men of strict and uncompromising character dealing with a shifting moral universe. Notable films include Sean Penn’s INDIAN RUNNER (1991), Gregory Widen’s THE PROPHECY (1995), Ridley Scott’s G.I. JANE, Tony Goldwyn’s A WALK ON THE MOON (1999), David Cronenberg’s A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005) and EASTERN PROMISES (2007)—for which he received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations—and Ed Harris’ APPALOOSA (2008).

“Viggo Mortensen and Christopher Plummer are two actors and film artists of the highest order,” said Kuo. “They share that rare trait of being looked up to by audiences and film fans around the world as well as being greatly respected by their peers.”

Other highlights among the complete film schedule announced today include Jonathan Demme’s music documentary NEIL YOUNG TRUNK SHOW (with Demme and Young confirmed to attend) and the screening of two films connected by legendary art director and longtime AFI Conservatory Distinguished Lecturer Robert Boyle, who turned 100 on October 10. Those films are AFI Conservatory Alumnus Daniel Raim’s (Production  Design ’99) documentary SOMETHING’S GONNA LIVE and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic NORTH BY NORTHWEST, celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year.

A follow-up to Raim’s Oscar-nominated documentary, THE MAN ON LINCOLN’S NOSE, SOMETHING’S GONNA LIVE profiles Boyle (THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, THE BIRDS) and renowned art directors Henry Bumstead (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, THE STING), Harold Michelson (STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, CATCH-22) and Albert Nozaki (THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS), as well as master cinematographers Conrad Hall (IN COLD BLOOD, BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID) and Haskell Wexler (WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT). From snapshots, sketches and vintage footage interwoven with interviews and new scenes of these octogenarian artists at work, we get a behind-the-scenes look at master moviemaking.

Boyle and Wexler will attend the World Premiere screening.

On Monday, November 2, AFI FEST, in conjunction with Warner Home Video will present a special screening of Hitchcock’s NORTH BY NORTHWEST. The first Hitchcock film to be released on Blu-ray, the film has been restored and remastered for its 50^th anniversary. As part of the Gala event, director William Friedkin will attend to moderate a Q&A with Boyle and the film’s stars Eva Marie Saint and Martin Landau.

Koehler noted, “In our 23rd year, our programming seeks to shine a light on an international cinema landscape filled with brilliant young filmmakers forging fresh, unexpected pathways, documentarians on a quest for truth, and a fascinating survey of stop-motion animation (FANTASTIC MR. FOX, IN THE ATTIC, A TOWN CALLED PANIC), while delivering what AFI FEST has done from the beginning—offering audiences a view of the vastness of cinema across the world.”

AFI FEST continues its unique and successful association with the American Film Market with 23 of the features in official selection at AFI FEST represented by distributors at AFM, unfolding concurrently with AFI FEST from November 4–November 11. The following films are among those that will participate in the market and screen at the festival: AFTER.LIFE; THE BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL, NEW ORLEANS; BELLAMY; CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH; EVERYONE ELSE; FIRST OF ALL, FELICIA; FISH TANK; THE HOLE; THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS; KANIKOSEN; THE LAST STATION; THE LOVED ONES; THE MESSENGER; THE MILK OF SORROW; MOTHER; NEIL YOUNG TRUNK SHOW; PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE; THE ROAD; THE SILENT ARMY; A SINGLE MAN; THE TWO HORSES OF GENGHIS KHAN; WOMAN WITHOUT PIANO; YOUTH IN REVOLT.

Enhancing the AFI FEST/American Film Market alliance, the final two days of AF FEST (November 6-7) will screen at the Laemmle’s Monica 4-plex, 1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica, in close proximity to AFM headquartered activity.

AFI FEST 2009’s overall lineup will showcase 67 features (54 narrative, 13 documentary) and 26 shorts for a total of 93 films from 32 countries.

The breakdown by section is Galas/Tributes (7), New Lights Competition (11), Special Presentations (3), Documentary (13), World Cinema (27), Alt_Cinema (6) and Shorts (26).

The Festival is headquartered at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. All screenings from October 30–November 5 will take place at the Grauman’s Chinese and Mann Chinese 6 theaters in Hollywood with the final two days of the Festival (November 6-7) screening at the Laemmle’s Monica 4-plex in Santa Monica.

Free tickets to all Festival screenings are available online at AFI.com/AFIFEST or by phone at 866-AFI-FEST beginning October 16, at the Mann Chinese 6 Theatre (6925 Hollywood Blvd.) in the Hollywood and Highland Center) beginning October 26, and on the day of scheduled screenings via Rush Lines. Early entry to all screenings can be secured by becoming a patron of the Festival and purchasing an AFI FEST Patron Pass. For more details, visit AFI.com.

The complete program line-up for AFI FEST 2009 presented by Audi is as follows:

GALAS/TRIBUTES

Opening Night Gala—FANTASTIC MR. FOX (North American Premiere) Cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wally Wolodarsky, Eric Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Jarvis Cocker DIR: Wes Anderson PROD: Allison Abbate, Scott Rudin, Wes Anderson and Jeremy Dawson USA

Centerpiece Gala—THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS (US Premiere) Cast: Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell DIR: Terry Gilliam PROD: Amy Gilliam, Terry Gilliam, Samuel Hadida, William Vince EXEC PROD: Patrice Theroux, David Valleau USA

Gala—EVERYBODY’S FINE (World Premiere) Cast: Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo DIR: Kirk Jones PROD: Vittorio Cecchi Gori, Ted Field, Glynis Murray, Gianni Nunnari EXEC PROD: Craig J. Flores, Callum Greene USA

Tribute—THE LAST STATION Cast: Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy DIR: Michael Hoffman PROD: Bonnie Arnold, Chris Curling EXEC PROD: Andrei Konchalovsky, Robert Little, Phil Robertson, Judy Tossell UK/Germany

Gala—PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE Cast: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sheri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz DIR: Lee Daniels PROD: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness EXEC PROD: Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Lisa Cortes, Tom Heller USA

Tribute—THE ROAD (US Premiere) Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Molly Parker DIR: John Hillcoat PROD: Paula Mae Schwartz, Steve Schwartz, Nick Wechsler EXEC PROD: Marc Butan, Mark Cuban, Rudd Simmons, Todd Wagner USA

Closing Night Gala—A SINGLE MAN (US Premeiere) Cast: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Ginnifer Goodwin DIR: Tom Ford PROD: Tom Ford, Andrew Miano, Robert Salerno, Chris Weitz USA

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

A showcase honoring film history and its filmmakers.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, Martin Landau DIR: Alfred Hitchcock PROD: Herbert Coleman, Alfred Hitchcock USA

SOMETHING’S GONNA LIVE (World Premiere) Subjects: Robert “Bob” Boyle, Haskell Wexler, Henry Bumstead, Harold Michelson, Albert Nozaki DIR: Daniel Raim PROD: Daniel Raim USA

WAKE IN FRIGHT Cast: Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay, Jack Thompson DIR: Ted Kotcheff PROD: George Willoughby, EXEC PROD: Bill Harmon, Howard G. Barnes Australia

NEW LIGHT COMPETITION

This section features and honors vital, groundbreaking films by first- and second-time feature filmmakers from around the world.

AJAMI Cast: Fouad Habash, Nisrine Rihan, Elias Saba, Youssef Sahwani DIR: Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani PROD: Moshe Danon, Thanassis Karathanos EXEC PROD: James Richardson Israel/Germany

EASIER WITH PRACTICE Cast: Brian Geraghty, Marguerite Moreau, Jeanette Brox, Jenna Gavigan, Katie Aselton DIR: Kyle Patrick Alvarez PROD: Cookie Carosella USA

EVERYONE ELSE (ALLE ANDEREN) Cast: Birgit Minichmayr, Lars Eidinger, Hans-Jochen Wagner, Nicole Marischka DIR: Maren Ade PROD: Maren Ade, Dirk G. Engelhardt, Janine Jackowski Germany

FIRST OF ALL, FELICIA (FELICIA INAINTE DE TOATE) Cast: Ozana Oancea, Vasile Mentzel, Ileana Cernat, Adina Andrei DIR: Razvan Radulescu, Melissa de Raaf PROD: Ada Solomon Romania/France/Belgium/Croatia

FISH TANK Cast: Michael Fassbender, Harry Treadaway, Katie Jarvis, Kierston Wareing DIR: Andrea Arnold PROD: Kees Kasander EXEC PROD: Christine Langan, David M. Thompson, Paul Trijbits UK

I KILLED MY MOTHER Cast: Anne Dorval, Xavier Dolan, François Arnaud, Suzanne Clément DIR: Xavier Dolan PROD: Xavier Dolan EXEC PROD: Carole Mondello Canada

THE MESSENGER Cast: Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Ben Foster, Jena Malone DIR: Oren Moverman PROD: Benjamin Goldhirsh, Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee, Zach Miller EXEC PROD: Steffen Aumueller, Nathaniel Bolotin, Christopher Mapp, Shaun Redick, Glenn M. Stewart, Matthew Street, David Whealy, Bryan Zuriff USA

THE MILK OF SORROW (LA TETA ASUSTADA) Cast: Magaly Solier, Susi Sánchez, Efrain Solis, Marino Ballón DIR: Claudia Llosa PROD: Antonio Chavarrías, Claudia Llosa, José María Morales Spain/Peru

NORTHLESS (NORTEADO) Cast: Harold Torres, Alicia Laguna, Sonia Couoh, Luis Cárdenas DIR: Rigoberto Perezcano PROD: Edgar San Juan EXEC PROD: Sergio Castro, Hector Hernandez-Pons, Alejandro Martinez-Gallardo Mexico/Spain

POLICE, ADJECTIVE Cast: Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Irina Saulescu, Ion Stoica DIR: Corneliu Porumboiu PROD: Corneliu Porumboiu Romania

WOMAN WITHOUT PIANO (LA MUJER SIN PIANO) Cast: Jan Budar, Esperanza De la Vega, Tomás del Estal, Nadia de Santiago DIR: Javier Rebello EXEC PROD: Damián Paris, Stefan Schmitz, María Zamora Spain/France

WORLD CINEMA

This section presents a selection of new works by many of the world’s most renowned filmmakers.

ABOUT ELLY Cast: Taraneh Alidoosti, Golshifteh Farahani, Shahab Hosseini, Mani Haghighi, Merila Zarei, Peyman Moadi, Ahmad Mehranfar, Rana Azadivar, Saber Abar  DIR: Asghar Farhadi PROD: Asghar Farhadi Iran

AFTER.LIFE Cast: Liam Neeson, Christina Ricci, Justin Long DIR: Agnieska Wojtowicz-Vosloo PROD: Brad Michael Gilbert, Bill Perkins, Celine Rattray EXEC PROD: Pamela Hirsch, Edwin L. Marshall, Galt Niederhoffer, James Swisher USA

THE BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL, NEW ORLEANS Cast: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendez, Val Kilmer DIR: Werner Herzog PROD: Edward Pressman, John Thompson, Alan Polsky, Gabe Polsky, Stephen Belafonte EXEC PROD: Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson, Elliot Rosenblatt USA

BELLAMY Cast: Gerard Depardieu DIR: Claude Chabrol PROD: Edward Pressman, John Thompson, Alan Polsky, Gabe Polsky, Stephen Belafonte  EXEC PROD: Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson, Elliot Rosenblatt France

CASTRO Cast: Edgardo Castro, Julia Martínez Rubio, Alberto Suárez, Carla Crespo, Esteban Lamothe DIR: Alejo Moguillansky PROD: Mariano Llinás, Laura Citarella EXEC PROD: Eduardo Costantini Argentina

CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH Cast: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan DIR: Lu Chuan PROD: Han Sanping, Steffen Wild China/Hong Kong

THE HOLE Cast: Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett, Nathan Gamble, Teri Polo, Bruce Dern DIR: Joe Dante PROD: Robert Skotak EXEC PROD: Gary Michael Waters, Chris Bender, J.C. Spink USA

IN THE ATTIC Cast: Barbora Hrzánová, Boris Hybner, Vladimír Javorsky DIR: Jiri Barta PROD:  Milos Smídmajer Czech Republic/Slovakia/Japan

KANIKOSEN Cast: Matsuda Ryuhei, Nishijima Hidetoshi, Kora Kongo, Arai Hirfumi, Emoto Tokio, Kinoshita Takayuki, Kimoto Takehiro DIR: Sabu PROD: Utagawa Yasushi, Mameoka Ryosuke, Tanabe Keigo EXEC PROD Takahito Kashino Japan

A LAKE (North American Premiere) Cast: Dmitry Kubasov, Natalie Rehorova, Alexei Solonchev, Simona Hülsemann, Vitaly Kishchenko, Arthur Semay DIR: Philippe Grandrieux PROD: Catherine Jacques  France

LONDON RIVER Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Sotigui Kouyate DIR: Rachid Bouchareb PROD: Rachid Bouchareb, Jean Bréhat, Mattieu de Braconier, Bertrand Faivre Algeria/France/UK

LOOKING FOR ERIC Cast: Steve Evets, Eric Cantona, John Henshaw, Stephanie Bishop DIR: Ken Loach PROD: Tim Cole EXEC PROD: Rebecca O’Brien UK

MOTHER Cast: Kim Hye-ja, Won Bin, Park Eun-kyo DIR: Bong Joon-ho PROD: Choi Jae-won, Seo Woo-sik EXEC PROD: Miky Lee, Katharine Kim, Yang-kwon Moon South Korea

NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS Cast: Negar Shaghaghi, Askan Koshanejad, Hamed Behdad DIR: Bahman Ghobadi PROD: Bahman Ghobadi EXEC PROD: Roxana Saberi Iran

PERPETUUM MOBILE Cast: Gabino Rodríguez, Teresa Sánchez, Francisco Barreiro DIR: Nicolás Pereda PROD: Nicolás Pereda, Catarina Coyoacan Mexico/Canada

A PROPHET Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Reda Kateb, Hichem Yacoub DIR: Jacques Audiard PROD: Martine Cassinelli, Antonin Dedet France/Italy

RED RIDING TRILOGY (1974, 1980, 1983) Cast: Sean Bean, Andrew Garfield, David Morrissey, John Henshaw, Anthony Flanagan, Rebecca Hall, Peter Mullan DIR: Julian Jarrold, James Marsh, Anand Tucker PROD: Andrew Eaton, Anita Overland, Wendy Brazington EXEC PROD: Liza Marshall, Hugo Heppell, Norman Merry UK

ROOM AND A HALF Cast: Alisa Freindlich, Sergei Yursky, Grigory Dityatkovsky, Artem Smola DIR: Andrey Khrzhanovsky PROD: Artem Vassiliev, Andrey Khrzhanovsky Russia

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES Cast: Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Javier Godino, Guillermo Francella DIR: Juan José Campanella PROD: Gerardo Herrero, Mariela Besuievsky, Juan José Campanella Argentina/Spain

THE SILENT ARMY Cast: Marco Borsato, Andrew Kintu, Abby Mukiibi Nkaaga, Thekla Reuten DIR: Jean van de Velde PROD: Chris Brouwer, Richard Claus, Paul Brinks The Netherlands/France

SWEET RUSH Cast: Krystyna Janda, Pawel Szajda, Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieslak, Julia Pietrucha, Jan Englert DIR: Andrzej Wajda PROD: Waldemar Dabrowski, Slawomir Jozwik, Michal Kwiecinski, Dorota Rakowska-Kosmicka, EXEC PROD: Katarzyna Fukacz-Cebula Poland

TO DIE LIKE A MAN Cast: Fernando Santos, Alexander David, Goncalo Ferreira de Almeida, Chandra Malatitch, Jenny Larrue DIR: Joao Pedro Rodrigues PROD: Maria João Sigalho, Judith Nora Portugal/France

A TOWN CALLED PANIC Cast: Stéphane Aubier, Jeanne Balibar, Veronique Dumont, Bruce Ellison, Frederic Jannin DIR: Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar PROD: Philippe Kauffmann, Vincent Tavier Belgium/France/Luxembourg

VINCERE Cast: Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Filippo Timi, Fausto Russo Alesi, Michela Cescon, Piergiorgio Bellocchio DIR: Marco Bellocchio PROD: Mario Gianani EXEC PROD: Olivia Sleiter Italy/France

YOUTH IN REVOLT Cast: Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Long, Steve Buscemi, Jean Smart, Fred Willard, Mary Kay Place DIR: Miguel Arleta PROD: David Permut EXEC PROD: Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Nan Morales USA

DOCUMENTARY

The best and brightest of challenging, thrilling documentary filmmaking from around the world, as chosen by the AFI FEST Programming Staff.

THE ART OF THE STEAL; DIR: Don Argott PROD: Sheena M. Joyce EXEC PROD: Lenny Feinberg USA

BEETLE QUEEN CONQUERS TOKYO; DIR: Jessica Oreck PROD: Jessica Oreck USA/Japan

LOS HEREDEROS; DIR: Eugenio Polgovsky PROD: Camille Tauss Mexico

ICONS AMONG US; Subjects: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Olu Dara, Ravi Coltrane, Medeski Martin and Wood DIR: Michael Rivoira/Lars Larson/Peter J. Vogt PROD: John W. Comerford, Theo N. Ianuly USA

LA DANSE: THE PARIS OPERA BALLET; DIR: Frederick Wiseman PROD: Pierre-Oliver Bardet, Frederick Wiseman, Francoise Gazio France/USA

MOSCOW; DIR: Eduardo Coutinho PROD: Beth Pessoa EXEC PROD: João Moreira Salles, Mauricio Andrade Ramos, Guilherme Cezar Coelho Brazil

NE CHANGE RIEN; With: Jeanne Balibar DIR: Pedro Costa PROD: Francisco Villa-Lobos Portugal/France

NEIL YOUNG TRUNK SHOW Subject: Neil Young DIR: Jonathan Demme PROD: Jonathan Demme, Elizabeth Hayes, Mark Kamine EXEC PROD: L.A. Johnson USA

PETITION; DIR: Zhao Liang PROD: Sylvie Blum France/China

REPORTER; With: Nicholas D. Kristof DIR: Eric Daniel Metzgar PROD: Mikaela Beardsley, Steven Cantor EXEC PROD: Ben Affleck USA

SWEETGRASS; DIR: Lucien Castaing-Taylor/Ilisa Barbash PROD: Ilisa Barbash USA

TRANSCENDENT MAN;  DIR: Robert Barry Ptolemy PROD: Barry Ptolemy, Felicia Ptolemy EXEC PROD: Joe DiSanto, John Ramsay, Wren Waters, Doobie White, Drew Dowdle, John Erick Dowdle  USA

THE TWO HORSES OF GENGHIS KHAN; DIR: Byambasuren Davaa PROD: Byambasuren Davaa, Beatrix Wesle Germany/Mongolia

ALT_CINEMA

Home to alternative filmmaking, this section provides a platform for filmmakers who push the boundaries of culture and cinema.

THE ANCHORAGE Cast: Ulla Edström, Marcus Harrling, Elin Hamren, Bengt Ohlsson DIR: C.W. Winter/Anders Edström PROD: C.W. Winter, Anders Edström USA/Sweden

BEST WORST MOVIE; DIR: Michael Paul Stephenson PROD: Lindsay Rowles Stephenson, Michael Paul Stephenson, Brad Klopman, Jim McKeon, Mary Francis Groom, Ace Goerig EXEC PROD: Alan Hunter, Hugh Hunter USA

GUY AND MADELINE ON A PARK BENCH Cast: Bernard Chazelle, Desiree Garcia, Jason Palmer, Frank Garvin, Sandha Khin DIR: Damien Chazelle PROD: Jasmine McGlade EXEC PROD: W.A.W. Parker USA

THE LOVED ONES Cast: Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, John Brumpton, Victoria Thaine, Jessica McNamee DIR: Sean Byrne PROD: Mark Lazarus, Michael Boughen EXEC PROD: Christopher Mapp, Matthew Street, David Whealy, Bryce Menzies Australia

MODUS OPERANDI Cast: Randy Russell, Danny Trejo, Mark Borchardt, Michael Sottile, Barry Poltermann DIR: Frankie Latina PROD: Shalyse Dominique, Laurie Foote, Mark Foote, Jon Krill, Zebedee LeTendre, Andrew Swant EXEC PROD: Bobby Ciraldo USA

TRASH HUMPERS Cast: Rachel Korine, Brian Kotzue, Travis Nicholson, Harmony Korine DIR: Harmony Korine PROD: Charles-Marie Anthonioz, Amina Dasmal, Robin Fox EXEC PROD: Amina Dasmal, Robin Fox, agnès b USA/UK

SHORTS

A wide-ranging selection of shorts by some of the world’s leading film artists, including a fresh serving from the ongoing Lunchfilms series (from programmer and Cinemad founder, Mike Plante, in which Plante takes a cash-strapped filmmaker out to lunch, and they pay him back what they owe with a film).

LUNCHFILMS:

ALL DAY ALL NIGHT DIR: Sarah Soquel Morhaim USA

THE CALL DIR: David Fenster/David Nordstrom USA

CHINESE BOX DIR: Nick McCarthy USA

CLEAR GLASSES DIR: Sam Green USA

FRIENDS DIR: James Graham USA

GOLDTHWAIT FAMILY HOME MOVIES (ANNIVERSARY EDITION) DIR: Bobcat Goldthwait USA

HOME MOVIE DIR: Braden King USA

JEAN DIR: Kelly Sears USA

LETTERS REAL/NAMES NOT DIR: Azazel Jacobs USA

OFFSHORE BANK DIR: Tom Barndt USA

TIN WOODMAN’S HOME MOVIE #2 DIR: Naomi Uman/Lee Lynch USA

WEIRD CAROLERS DIR: Brent Green USA

WHISKEYPRIEST DIR: Randy Walker/Jennifer Shainin USA

SHORTS PROGRAM:

THE CITIZENS/LEAD/THE SIMPLE ANTENNAE DIR: Kevin Everson USA

DICK CHENEY IN A COLD, DARK CELL DIR: Jim Finn USA

THE HISTORY OF AVIATION DIR: Balint Kenyeres Hungary/France

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU DIR: Don Hertzfeldt USA

JOHN WAYNE HATED HORSES DIR: Andrew T. Betzer USA

OIL CHANGE DIR: Todd Luoto USA

SEND ME TO THE ´LECTRIC CHAIR DIR: Guy Maddin, Isabella Rossellini Canada

SHORT TERM 12 DIR: Destin Daniel Cretton USA

S/T DIR: Lisandro Alonso Argentina

Holding On To Jah heter en ny dokumentär av filmaren Roger Landon Hall och reggaemusikern Harrison Stafford, sångare i amerikanska Groundation.

Dokumentären, som väntas få premiär under 2010, beskriver historien och kulturen bakom roots-reggaen samt den jamaicanska rastafarirörelsen med förgrundsfigurer som Marcus Garvey och Haile Selassie.

I filmen får man träffa flera välkända jamaicanska musiker, bland annat U Roy, Ijahman Levi och Ras Michael.

Jonathan Demme, regissören bakom När lammen tystnar och Philadelphia samt nya filmen om Bob Marley, ger Holding On To Jah tummen upp och säger ”There are editorial passages and hallucinatory stylistic techniques that I have never seen before. I watched it, fell in love, and delighted to a second viewing”. Låter som en riktig kioskvältare tycker Reggaemani.

Nästa år ser alltså ut att bli reggaefilmens år. En film om Bob Marley, en film om roots och en om rocksteady. Det måste vara rekord för reggaerullar under ett enskilt år.

Nyfiken på att veta mer? Spana in trailern här.

One of my favourite bands and one of the best concert films out there. Absolutely cannot wait for this one…whenever they decide to release it here in the UK.

I still remember the first time I watched it and gazed in wonder as David Byrne walked onto an empty stage with a stereo and guitar, before going into the brilliant Psycho Killer. Then as the concert progressed more props, band members and instruments slowly appeared. Jonathan Demme really did a fantastic job.

If you are in the USA you canbuy it here

The LA Times go into more detail:

So many of today’s blowout concert productions strive to dazzle the eye or pummel the ear, and that’s pretty much where all too many start and stop. But Byrne, drummer Chris Frantz, bassist Tina Weymouth and keyboardist Jerry Harrison seemed to be simply bursting with inspired elements to pack into “Stop Making Sense.”

The Blu-ray disc makes the most of the sparkling sound and brightly colored visuals of the digitally recorded shows, which featured a touring band that gradually expanded over the course of the evening from just Byrne to the full quartet, augmented by another half-dozen singers and instrumentalists. The disc includes several bonus features, including a previously available segment in which Byrne, in a series of whimsical costumes and wigs, interviews himself, his doppelgänger outfitted in the famous “big suit” from the concert.

There’s also a mini-documentary on that suit, which seemed to have a kinetic life of its own when Byrne appeared in it late into the performance. Another piece shows the storyboards for the show and how they evolved into what eventually appeared onstage. Heads completists will be happy with two bonus tracks that were played on tour but deleted from the film to streamline its pacing.

New to this disc is the complete 1999 press conference for which the four original band members reunited for a 15th anniversary release of the film, which Demme said cost a mere (in today’s terms) $1 million to shoot.

“I’m a rock fanatic, and I’ve seen hundreds of live shows all over the world,” Demme told The Times in 1985. “And precious few bands can really support 90 minutes of attention. But the Heads are so ultra-interesting to watch, and David Byrne is a living phenomenon who has to be experienced. He’s a full-blown original, and I just knew that was going to work for the movie. I knew that for people who had never seen Talking Heads, this film would be an instant revelation.”

The Silence of the Lambs

Director: Jonathan Demme.

Guión: Ted Tally, basado en una obra de Thomas Harris.

Intérpretes: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Stuart Rudin.

Música: Howard Shore.

Fotografía: Tak Fujimoto.

EEUU. 1991. 118 minutos.

Una mujer

El inicio de The Silence of the Lambs nos muestra el atardecer en un  paisaje frondoso. Se sobreimponen unos créditos, extraños por la poca convencionalidad de su color (negro con ribetes blancos); escuchamos el obscuro leit-motiv principal de la partitura de Howard Shore; vemos a la aprendiza de agente del FBI Clarice Starling esforzándose, en solitario, por llevar a buen puerto unos duros entrenamientos físicos (escalar con cuerdas, correr campo a través, superar obstáculos…). Con una habilidad que trasciende la del artesano, Jonathan Demme adelanta en esos dos minutos iniciales la coda del filme: una mujer de carne y hueso que se esfuerza en conseguir una meta, una mujer que aún se halla en proceso de aprendizaje, y cuyo tesón no la desligará del dolor; una mujer que deberá enfrentarse con los elementos.

Un thriller canónico

Vaya por delante que la revisión del oscarizado filme de Demme quince años después de su estreno demuestra con qué facilidad logran los clásicos vencer al tiempo que corre y pretende envejecerlos. The Silence of the Lambs brilla con la misma fuerza y eficacia de siempre, y debe verse como un auténtico manual de lo que es un thriller comme il faut. La filmografía previa –así como la posterior- del director de Married to Mob demuestra que no es el cine de género, ni específicamente el suspense, su  motivación o tendencia autoral; esto nos sirve para entender algo fundamental en cine: el hecho de que, si se tiene a un realizador talentoso, se puede construir una película que roza la perfección con sólo dos ingredientes: la pericia artesana sobre un guión bien hilvanado -el orden y la paciencia en la planificación, rodaje y montaje de las secuencias para conseguir un equilibrio y una mesura en el tempo de la narración-; y la sabia dirección de actores, en este caso dos protagonistas en franco estado de gracia (y cuando me refiero a ellos dos, no pretendo ningunear el acertado casting y las magníficas aportaciones de los actores secundarios, pero me parece a mí que el tour de force entre Jodie Foster y Anthony Hopkins es sencillamente antológico, y merced de esos alardes interpretativos –más allá del atrayente contenido de sus diálogos-, las secuencias que ambos comparten acaba conteniendo las claves de la magnificiencia del filme).

Hannibal el Caníbal

Aunque la trama del filme se construya a partir de la investigación de los truculentos asesinatos de un serial-killer en toda regla (Buffalo Bill), lo que cuenta la película es el proceso de instrucción que vive (y sufre) la joven agente Clarice cuando es llamada a resolver casi accidentalmente tan truculento caso. Y en ese proceso de crecimiento humano y profesional, el único instructor que da la medida del éxito no es otro que Hannibal el Caníbal, un personaje que parece sacado de las pesadillas más relumbrantes de Freud o de Nietzsche, un ser tan extraordinario como abominable, la quintaesencia de la virtud renacentista atrapada en una mente obtusa. Un personaje, en fin, digno de complejo estudio en un manual jurídico-penal.

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silence_of_the_lambs/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Lambs_(film)

http://www.filmsite.org/sile.html

http://corky.net/scripts/lambs.html

http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/silenceofthelambs

Todas las imágenes pertenecen a sus autores

‘Hollywood só quer fazer dinheiro’, diz editor de som de ‘O poderoso chefão’

 No país para o Festival do Rio, Chris Newman lembra 49 anos de carreira

Ganhador de 3 Oscars, ele também trabalhou em ‘Silêncio dos inocentes’

Quem vê o americano Chris Newman caminhando tímido pelas calçadas do Leblon não imagina que está de cara com um dos maiores entendidos em som da história de Hollywood. Ganhador de três Oscars, o editor veterano é o responsável pelo som de clássicos como “O poderoso chefão”, “O silêncio dos inocentes”, “O exorcista” e “O paciente inglês”, só para citar alguns.

De passagem pelo Brasil para apresentar workshops no Festival do Rio, Newman conversou com o G1 sobre seus 49 anos de carreira e expôs sua ácida visão sobre a indústria do cinema.

“Hollywood só quer fazer dinheiro”, diz o cineasta, de 69 anos. “Hoje as equipes técnicas não têm voz; os estúdios tratam os profissionais como peças descartáveis”, dispara.

E que conselho Chris Newman daria àqueles que sonham em fazer cinema? “Vá estudar para ser dentista”, corta. “[Cinema] É o mercado mais promíscuo que existe, ainda bem que meus filhos não seguiram esse caminho.” 

No set com grandes diretores

Mas a relação do veterano com o cinema não é feita só de crítica, há também doces lembranças de filmagens ao lado de diretores como Sidney Lumet (com quem trabalhou em “Sob suspeita”), Jonathan Demme (de “Silêncio dos inocentes” e “Filadélfia”) e Milos Forman (com quem dividiu o set em “Amadeus” e “Hair”), apontados como seus favoritos. “Se o diretor deixa eu fazer meu trabalho em paz já é o suficiente para eu gostar dele, mas esses são especiais”, afirma. 

Chris Newman conta que, na juventude, nunca tinha imaginado que chegaria ao primeiro escalão de Hollywood, nem mesmo que trabalharia como engenheiro de som. “Quando ganhei meu primeiro Oscar foi incrível; nunca pensei que isso me aconteceria”, lembra o cineasta, que acumula três estatuetas da Academia. “Eu só queria fazer filmes”. 

Logo que se envolveu com a sétima arte, Newman se apaixonou pelas potencialidades da edição e mixagem de som. “O som é mágica pura, você aperta um botão e está tudo lá”, diz o cineasta, que encara as novidades tecnológicas da área com os dois pés atrás. “As condições melhoraram, mas há um erro: os profissionais tendem a substituir a substância por truques tecnológicos”, afirma. 

Para Newman, a edição de som é “uma arte invisível”, que só é bem feita quando o público não percebe sua existência. “O editor sabe que fez um bom trabalho quando a plateia não presta atenção no som, se os efeitos sonoros se fazem notar, é porque há algo de errado.” Fonte: G1.

this is unverified. but according to a commentor on the deadline hollywood daily blog, the list of petition signers (hollywood supporters of polanski) just keeps growing. this is a cut and past job. perhaps a few of these people forgot to read the court case. the smoking gun has reposted the original documents and the victim’s testimony.

so forgive us for duplicating names from the previous post:

Woody Allen, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Wim Wenders, Pedro Almodóvar, Darren Aronofsky, Terry Gilliam, Julian Schnabel, the Dardenne brothers, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Wong Kar-Wai, Walter Salles, Jonathan Demme, Tilda Swinton, Monica Bellucci, Asia Argento and Harvey Weinstein

Título original:Rachel Getting Married
Uma dica da Karin! Filme baseado no livro de Anna Gavalda.

Uma jovem visita a família devido ao casamento de sua irmã, mas o histórico de conflitos entre eles vem à tona.
site oficial:http://www.sonyclassics.com/rachelgettingmarried

And so, I’ve become whole-heartedly obsessed with Glenn Gould through my act of reading books and essays — both primary and secondary — about the pianist, and listening to his very fine music, which has begun to quasi-crypto-change my thoughts on iPods, iTunes, and all things iRelated-to-Technology.

Stephen Dixon’s Gould and 30 Pieces of a Novel (Buy them. Now.) are somewhat based on the great Canadian musician. Gould’s protagonist is serendipitously and eponymously named Gould — after the pianist — while 30 Pieces of a Novel’s structure is meant to mirror the 30 parts to the Goldberg Variations — Glenn Gould’s most famous recorded performance. I’ve also been reading Thomas Bernard’s The Loser, a novel told in one long paragraph about two piano students (one eventually kills himself, the other suffers the rest of his days in a dilapidated [physically, mentally, the novel is his rambling narrative as he enters an Austrian Inn] state of artistic inadequacy) who studied with Glenn Gould.

To this day, Stephen Dixon touch-types his novels on an old typewriter. He writes every day after he had taken care of his wife — stricken with MS and bound to a wheelchair, who succumbed to the disease over the summer. Both Thomas Bernard and Glenn Gould are now dead. They died very young, 58 and 50 years old, respectively.

 I’ll admit that a lot of what I know of Glenn Gould comes from the fictional Glenn Gould and not the actual Glenn Gould, which isn’t altogether a bad thing. In the mid 1960s —- right before the time in our history when young Americans began fleeing the draft by heading due North — Gould forever shunned public performances and isolated himself in his studio outside of Toronto in order to create the most perfect versions of these pieces.

 Glenn Gould was a bit peculiar. He insisted on sitting on the chair that his father built him when he was a boy whenever he played. He wore heavy clothing, even during the summer, just in case he should get a chill. The slightest physical touch would send him into fits about possible injury to his back and arms. When he played, he rocked to the music, as if caught in some religious devotion to his instrument.

You know the Goldberg Variations. More specifically, you know Glenn Gould’s version of them. It’s the music Jonathan Demme chose to play in the background to the scene in Silence of the Lambs when Hannibal Lechter slices and dices the two police officers in Memphis (the subtext being that the Goldberg Variations were created for the harpsichordist Johann Gotleib Goldberg to play during his master’s frequent bouts of insomnia, in order to lull the Count to sleep). Glenn Gould was perhaps the first person to famously play the Goldberg Variations on a piano, giving the piece an emotion previously missing from the tinny Baroque harpsichord.

But what tends to fascinate me about Gould’s pieces, especially the Goldberg Variations, isn’t the emotion, or the technical prowess, or the ease with which they’re performed. It’s that he hummed while he played. Like, audible humming, on every recording. The humming used to confound the sound engineers in Gould’s studio. They’d try to isolate the piano music, but with the technology available to them at this time, it was nearly impossible. 

I’m thankful for the humming. I’m hoping that the engineers will never isolate and remove it. It reminds us that there’s a human behind the machine, a man that suffered for his art. Glenn Gould shot to fame at 22 — virtually unknown in this country — and died of a stroke at age 50, a few months after he recorded a second version of the Goldberg Variations.

Download the Goldberg Variations to your I-Tunes. Turn them up. Turn them waaay up on your stereo. Beyond the nachtmusik, the sounds meant to inspire dreaming and sleep, you can hear humming. It’s a good reminder that somebody’s behind the machine, that there are certain things technology can’t and won’t erase. And it makes me happy, very happy, very very happy, every time I trudge through the black remnants of snow on 7^th Avenue and listen to variations composed in the 1740s for the harpsichord, and played in the 1950s on the piano, and the voice of the sad, sick, old Canadian man as he hums along in time to the music and I can’t help but think of the other old man, Stephen Dixon (not so old, though, roughly the same age as my father) and his typing, and his wife, and his daughters (roughly my age) and as I’m rounding the corner on Greenwich, it gets so good that I can’t tell what is walking and what is listening and what is playing and what is humming.

Variations 8, and onward, continue:

Jonathan Demme’s authorized documentary on Bob Marley is officially “on hold,” according to the film’s Oscar-winning director. The biographical documentary, tentatively titled ‘Bob Marley: Stay With the Rhythm,’ was supposed to be released next Feb. 6, which would have been the reggae legend’s 65th birthday. Reports surface about a month ago that Demme was off the project in the middle of editing because of creative differences with the film’s producers.

Demme, in Toronto screening his latest doc, The Neil Young Trunk Show, told Spinner he believes all is not lost. “It’s not necessarily over, but it’s been put on hold,” he says. “Profound creative differences emerged in the course of the editing. I ended up with a film I adore but unfortunately my love is not shared by the people who paid for it. So we have all got our heads together to find the most positive way to deal with that impasse. I hope we do because I loved making it.”

Originally reported at http://www.spinner.com/2009/09/15/producers-bogarting-bob-marley-doc-says-director-jonathan-demme/

Mais emocionante.

Arrisco dizer que esta é uma das cenas mais emocionantes do cinema. Da década de 90, com certeza. Não sou fã de Tom Hanks, mas este foi o seu momento.

Philadelphia – (Jonathan Demme, 1993)