DON'T LOOK UP (2021)

Written & Directed by Adam McKay

When & Where: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, CA. December 14, 2021 6:30 PM

Available to stream now on Netflix

"Don't Look Up", Adam McKay's latest satirical jab, looks at how our modern society would receive the news of the impending end of the world. And the reaction that is presented is apathetic, divisive and over-the-top yet also feels strangely accurate. With broad, biting humor, the film drives home the idea that we have become so incredibly self-involved, politically fractured, paranoid and uncivil that a giant meteor on a collusion course to the planet is not nearly enough to bring us all together to try and come up with a plan to save ourselves. Much like McKay's recent films, "The Big Short" and "Vice", "Don't Look Up" features a dazzling array of very famous actors, each given a moment to shine while having some fun being wild and absurd.

Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), an astronomy student at Michigan State University, discovers a previously undetected asteroid. With her professor, Dr. Randall Mindy's (Leonardo DiCaprio) assistance, they realize that not only is it on course to collide with the planet in six months but the impact will wipe out mankind. Panicked and unsure of what to do next, they first contact Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe (Rob Morgan), who presents their finding to his contacts at NASA, leading them to be whisked off to the White House.

But their discovery is not a high priority and when the scientists finally meet with President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) to inform her of Earth's impending doom, she is more concerned about how this could effect her poll numbers. The snarky Chief of Staff, Jason Orlean (Jonah Hill), who is also the President's son, offers no help, with the official decision to put this information on hold and re-access at a later date.

With this disturbing news, Kate and Dr Mindy decide to go another route by leaking the story to the media. They make an appearance on a morning talk show with the smiling, vapid hosts, Jack Bremmer (Tyler Perry) and Brie Evantee (Cate Blanchett). But the only thing that's accomplished is Kate's on-air meltdown going viral and Brie flirts aggressively with the married Dr. Mindy. And after President Orlean becomes involved in a sex scandal, she decides to use this leaked news of the threat to divert attention from her disgraceful story and for political gain.

As a filmmaker, Adam McKay doesn't naturally gravitate towards subtlety. Beginning his career as a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv group, he became the head writer on "Saturday Night Live" in 1996 before moving on to write and direct the Will Ferrell comedies, "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy", "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and "Step Brothers", McKay likes his humor boisterously wild and silly, bordering on slapstick. But over time he has toned down his base comedic instincts and began to make more introspective films on subjects that were important to him, with a compelling desire to inform and entertain.

With "Don't Look Up", McKay's focus is on the evils of capitalism, the dangers of unregulated big tech, the continuous inaction on climate change and how the news media has been corrupted by corporations. I think the dark comedic tone works at first yet as the film progresses, becoming more serious and somber, the blunt force delivery of these complicated ideas overwhelms and feels sermonizing.

After his amazing performance in "The Wolf of Wall Street", DiCaprio has proven to be a naturally gifted comedian and he really should do more comedies. In the film, the actor brilliantly captures this frazzled scientist who is thrusted in to the limelight, overwhelmed by the attention. As a young woman trying to cope with her imminent end, Lawrence is comically frantic yet resolved. The always dependable Blanchett is hilarious as a career-focused, Fox News-styled television anchor. While President Orlean's political affiliation is not explicitly revealed, it's quite obvious that from her deep self-involvement and red baseball cap which side of the aisle she's on. Streep is great fun to watch as she effortlessly captures the causal menace of this President. There are also notable appearances by Timothée Chalamet, pop-star, Ariana Grande and Mark Rylance as Sir Peter Isherwell, a tech billionaire who at first plans to send a spacecraft to knock the comet off course before discovering he could make money if it actually lands on Earth.

I laughed out loud several times throughout "Don't Look Up". Yet I was also left feeling very anxious and distressed by the conclusion. Perhaps that is what the director has intended with the goal to make people uncomfortable, forcing them to open their eyes about, in his opinion, their impending doom, one that will not require an outside force to bring us to a premature end. McKay has clearly made a left-leaning message movie that uses comedy to distract so you will pay attention. Some will definitely find "Don't Look Up" far too smug, heavy-handed, preachy and political, lacking in optimism and hope. But when hasn't a filmmaker used the medium to express their personal viewpoint and shared ideas that are important to them? "Don't Look Up" may not be the movie we want to see right now but it does contain some conversations we really should be considering right now.

GREAT PERFORMERS: THE BEST ACTORS OF 2021

For this year's Great Performances in the New York Times magazine, the chief film critic, A.O. Scott made the selections all on his own. And his choices are inspired and inspiring, singling out actors who gave us remarkable performances that were truly uncanny and complex. There were the performers who have been receiving plenty of critical praise and award buzz; an almost unrecognizable Will Smith in "King Richard"; the very British, Benedict Cumberbatch as an unpleasant Montana cowboy in "The Power of the Dog"; Kristen Stewart delivers an unexpectedly transformative performance with the American actor playing the late British Royal, Princess Diana; Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga play off of each other brilliantly in the period drama, "Passing"; another acting team, Joaquin Phoenix and Gaby Hoffmann are siblings trying to sort out their complicated past through her son in "C'mon C'mon" and Denzel Washington shaking up his Hollywood routine by playing the Scottish lord who would become King in the latest Shakespeare re-telling, "The Tragedy of Macbeth".

But there were some pleasantly surprising choices that Scott made looking outside of conventional American cinema; Hidetoshi Nishijima has made a major impression in the three-hour long, Japanese drama, "Drive My Car" based on a short story by Haruki Murakami; Katia Pascariu and her dazzlingly turn in the Romanian comedy with the great English translated title, "Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn"; the sisters, Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz playing a daughter and her mother who meet as children in Céline Sciamma's lovely dramatic-fantasy, "Petite Maman"; The comedian/musician, Bo Burnham with his inventive Netflix special, "Inside" that he made completely by himself in his home during quarantine and Honor Swinton Byrne in the rare art-house sequel, "The Souvenir Part II".

Last year, largely due to the movie business essentially put on hold, the selections for Great Performers issue included performers that we were watching for the first time outside of cinema. This list is made up almost entirely of cinematic performances as we were able to finally return to the theaters this year. But not everyone was ready to come back, making the movie business remain on shaky ground. Yet there were still many movies that reached cinemas; some new Hollywood fare and 2020 holdbacks that were seen by a wide audience and made some big money. But smaller, indie films struggled, unable to reach their full potential as their audience decided to wait until they could stream. With a new COVID variant beginning to surface, effecting the vaccinated and non-vaccinated at a worrying rate, it is unclear what the new year will have in store. Yet I am hopeful that we will continue to adjust and be able to move forward carefully.

Please click below to read the article:

NYT: The Great Performers Issue 2021

AWARD SEASON NEWS

The 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced and "Zola", Janicza Bravo's dark comedy about a stripper's trip to Florida that takes a very ugly turn, leads the field with seven noms including Best Feature. The other films vying for the top prize include "The Novice" a twisted thriller of an obsessive college freshman joining her university's rowing team, that received five nominations; "The Lost Daughter", actress, Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut with an adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel, scored four nominations; "A Chiara" an Italian-language family drama and the latest from Mike Mills, "C’mon C’mon" which stars Joaquin Phoenix as a radio journalist traveling the country and his relationship with his young nephew. In order to be eligible for a Spirit Award, films must be under the specific budget of $22.5 million. The 2021 Spirit Awards are planned to return to an in-person event on March 6th at the beach in Santa Monica and broadcast live on IFC.

Here is the complete list of the nominations of the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

Best Feature:

"A Chiara"
"C’mon C’mon"
"The Lost Daughter"
"The Novice"
"Zola"

Best Director:

Janicza Bravo, "Zola"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"
Lauren Hadaway, "The Novice"
Mike Mills, "C’mon C’mon"
Ninja Thyberg, "Pleasure"

Best Screenplay:

Nikole Beckwith, "Together Together"
Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris, "Zola"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"
Mike Mills, "C’mon C’mon"
Todd Stephens, "Swan Song"

Best Female Lead:

Isabelle Fuhrman, "The Novice"
Brittany S. Hall, "Test Pattern"
Patti Harrison, "Together Together"
Taylour Paige, "Zola"
Kali Reis, "Catch the Fair One"

Best Male Lead:

Clifton Collins Jr., "Jockey"
Frankie Faison, "Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain"
Michael Greyeyes, "Wild Indian"
Udo Kier, "Swan Song"
Simon Rex, "Red Rocket"

Best Supporting Female:

Jessie Buckley, "The Lost Daughter"
Amy Forsyth, "The Novice"
Ruth Negga, "Passing"
Revika Reustle, "Pleasure"
Suzanna Son, "Red Rocket"

Best Supporting Male:

Colman Domingo, "Zola"
Meeko Gattuso, "Queen of Glory"
Troy Kotsur, "CODA"
Will Patton, "Sweet Thing"
Chaske Spencer, "Wild Indian"

Best International Film:

"Compartment No. 6" (Finland/Russia)
"Drive My Car" (Japan)
"Parallel Mothers" (Spain)
"Pebbles" (India)
"Petite Maman" (France)
"Prayers for the Stolen" (Mexico)

Best Documentary:

"Ascension"
"Flee"
"In The Same Breath"
"Procession"
"Summer of Soul"

Best Cinematography:

Ante Cheng and Matthew Chuang, "Blue Bayou"
Lol Crawley, "The Humans"
Tim Curtin, "A Chiara"
Edu Grau, "Passing"
Ari Wegner, "Zola"

Best Editing:

Affonso Gonçalves,"A Chiara"
Ali Greer, "The Nowhere Inn"
Lauren Hadaway and Nathan Nugent, "The Novice"
Joi McMillon, "Zola"
Enrico Natale, "The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain"

Best First Feature:

"7 Days"
"Holler"
"Queen of Glory"
"Test Pattern"
"Wild Indian"

Best First Screenplay:

Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr., "Wild Indian"
Matt Fifer, Story by Sheldon D. Brown, “Cicada"
Shatara Michelle Ford, "Test Pattern"
Fran Kranz, "Mass"
Michael Sarnoski, Story by Vanessa Block and Michael Sarnoski, "Pig"

John Cassavetes Award (awarded to the best feature made for under $500,000):

"Cryptozoo"
"Jockey"
"Shiva Baby"
"Sweet Thing"
"This is Not a War Story"

The Someone to Watch Award (recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition):

Alex Camilleri, "Luzzu"
Gillian Wallace Horvat, "I Blame Society"
Michael Sarnoski, "Pig"

The Truer Than Fiction Award (awarded to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition):

Angelo Madsen Minax, "North By Current"
Jessica Beshir, "Faya Dayi"
Debbie Lum, "Try Harder!"

Robert Altman Award (awarded to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast) "Mass"

Jasmila Žbanić’s "Quo Vadis, Aida?" was the big winner at the 34th annual European Film Awards, receiving the Best European Film as well as Best European Director and Best European Actress for lead, Jasna Đuričić. This drama, which was nominated for a Best International Feature Oscar at last year's Academy Awards, tells the story of a brave woman’s fight to save her family during the Bosnian War genocide in Srebrenica. Anthony Hopkins won Best European Actor for his brilliant performance in "The Father" along with the film's screenwriters, Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton For Best European Screenwriter, all winning Oscars for their work earlier this year. And "Flee", the animated documentary from Danish filmmaker, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, took both Best European Animated Feature Film and Best European Documentary. This film about a man originally from Afghanistan who shares his hidden past about the arduous journey of fleeing his country could potentially repeat this feat at this year's Oscars as it is shortlisted in both categories as well as Best International Feature.

Here is the list of winners from the 2021 European Film Awards:

Best European Film: "Quo Vadis, Aida?"
Best European Director: Jasmila Žbanić, "Quo Vadis, Aida?"
Best European Screenwriter: Florian Zeller & Christopher Hampton, "The Father"
Best European Actress: Jasna Đuričić, "Quo Vadis, Aida?"
Best European Actor: Anthony Hopkins, "The Father"
Best European Comedy: "Ninjababy"
Best European Documentary: "Flee"
Best European Animated Feature Film: "Flee"
Best European Cinematography: Crystel Fournier, "Great Freedom"
Best European Editing: Mukharam Kabulova, "Unclenching The Fists"
Best European Production Design: Marton Agh, "Natural Light"
Best European Original Score: Nils Petter Molvaer and Peter Brotz-Mann, "Great Freedom"
Best European Sound: Gisle Tveito and Gustaf Berger, "The Innocents"
Best European Visual Effects: Peter Hjorth and Fredrik Nord, "Lamb"
Best European Costume Design: Michael O’Connor, "Ammonite"
Best European Make-Up & Hair: Flore Masson, Olivier Alfonso and Antoine Mancini, "Titane"
Best European Discovery (Prix Fipresci): Emerald Fennell, "Promising Young Woman"

And the scandal-plagued Hollywood Foreign Press Association have announced their nominations for the 2022 Golden Globe Awards. This secretive group of international critics had run in to trouble earlier in the year due to a long history of corruption in the group and their lack of diversity amongst their ranks. They tried to repair the damage with a series of reforms including admitting new members and hiring a new chief diversity officer. But despite their efforts, the HFPA have continued to struggle with their event. NBC is apparently declining to air the award show along with agents and publicists still planning on having their clients boycott the Globes. I guess we will have to see how this will shake out as the Golden Globes will be announcing their winners on January 9th in some capacity.

Here is the complete list of the 2022 Golden Globe nominations in film:

Best Motion Picture (Drama):

"Belfast"
"CODA"
"Dune"
"King Richard"
"The Power of the Dog"

Best Picture (Musical or Comedy):

"Cyrano"
"Don’t Look Up"
"Licorice Pizza"
"Tick, Tick … Boom!"
“West Side Story"

Best Director (Motion Picture):

Kenneth Branagh, "Belfast"
Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"
Steven Spielberg, "West Side Story"
Denis Villeneuve, "Dune"

Best Screenplay (Motion Picture):

Paul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"
Kenneth Branagh, "Belfast"
Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"
Adam McKay, "Don’t Look Up"
Aaron Sorkin, "Being the Ricardos"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama)

Jessica Chastain, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
Olivia Colman, "The Lost Daughter"
Nicole Kidman, "Being the Ricardos"
Lady Gaga, "House of Gucci"
Kristen Stewart, "Spencer"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy):

Marion Cotillard, "Annette"
Alana Haim, "Licorice Pizza"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Don’t Look Up"
Emma Stone, "Cruella"
Rachel Zegler, "West Side Story"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama):

Mahershala Ali, "Swan Song"
Javier Bardem, "Being the Ricardos"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Power of the Dog"
Will Smith, "King Richard"
Denzel Washington, "The Tragedy of Macbeth"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy):

Leonardo DiCaprio, "Don’t Look Up"
Peter Dinklage, "Cyrano"
Andrew Garfield, "Tick, Tick … Boom!"
Cooper Hoffman, "Licorice Pizza"
Anthony Ramos, "In the Heights"

Best Supporting Actor (Motion Picture):

Ben Affleck, "he Tender Bar"
Jamie Dornan, "Belfast"
Ciarán Hinds, "Belfast"
Troy Kotsur, "CODA"
Kodi Smit-McPhee, "The Power of the Dog"

Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture):

Caitríona Balfe, "“Belfast"
Ariana DeBose. "West Side Story"
Kirsten Dunst, "The Power of the Dog"
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard"
Ruth Negga, "Passing"

Best Picture (Foreign Language):

“Compartment No. 6” (Finland/Russia/Germany)
“Drive My Car” (Japan)
“The Hand of God” (Italy)
"A Hero" (France/Iran)
"Parallel Mothers" (Spain)

Best Motion Picture (Animated):

"Encanto"
"Flee"
"Luca"
"My Sunny Maad"
"Raya and the Last Dragon"

Best Original Score (Motion Picture):

Alexandre Desplat, "The French Dispatch"
Germaine Franco, "Encanto"
Jonny Greenwood, "The Power of The Dog"
Alberto Iglesias, "Parallel Mothers"
Hans Zimmer, "Dune"

Best Original Song (Motion Picture):

"Be Alive" from “King Richard” -  Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Dixson
"Dos Orugitas" from "Encanto"  - Lin-Manuel Miranda
"Down to Joy" from "Belfast"  - Van Morrison
"Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" from "Respect"  - Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson and Carole King
"No Time to Die" from "No Time to Die"  - Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

2021 NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY

The Library of Congress has added twenty-five movies to the National Film Registry which recognizes their artistic significance while helping to ensure their preservation for generations to come. This year some of the films selected include Hitchcock's psychological thriller based on the Patricia Highsmith novel, "Strangers on a Train"; John Waters' first feature and camp classic, "Pink Flamingos"; another camp classic featuring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?"; the first of the horror franchise that introduced us to Freddy Krueger, "A Nightmare on Elm Street"; the first installment in the trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and several highlights of cinema focused on African-Americans that includes Cheryl Dunye's lesbian romantic-comedy, "The Watermelon Woman"; "The Murder of Fred Hampton", a documentary on the leader of the Illinois Black Panther Party; the coming-of-age, high-school comedy; "Cooley High"; "Richard Pryor: Live in Concert", a concert film featuring the comedy legend; and the Oscar-nominated drama set during the Great Depression in the South, "Sounder".

These films, which must be at least ten years old, have been named because of their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance and with these selections brings the number of films in the registry to 825. Here is the complete list of the films selected to the 2021 National Film Registry:

"Ringling Brothers Parade Film" (1902)
"Jubilo" (1919)
"The Flying Ace" (1926)
"Hellbound Train" (1930)
"Flowers and Trees" (1932)
"Strangers on a Train" (1951)



"What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962)



"Evergreen" (1965)
"Requiem-29" (1970)
"The Murder of Fred Hampton" (1971)
"Pink Flamingos" (1972)
"Sounder" (1972)



"The Long Goodbye" (1973)



"Cooley High" (1975)
"Richard Pryor: Live in Concert" (1979)
"Chicana" (1979)
"The Wobblies" (1979)



"Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" (1983)
"A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984)



"Stop Making Sense" (1984)
"Who Killed Vincent Chin?" (1987)
"The Watermelon Woman" (1996)
"Selena" (1997)



"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001)
"WALL-E" (2008)

LINA WERTMULLER (1928 - 2021)

Lina Wertmüller, the Italian filmmaker who found international acclaim with "Seven Beauties" in 1975 which helped make her become the first woman nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, has passed away today at the age of ninety-three. Easily identified by her signature white-framed glasses she usually wore, Wertmüller received an Honorary Oscar for her extraordinary career in 2019, making her only the second female director to receive this award. Her best work boldly blended comedy with political and social commentary, making her one of the most daring and exciting filmmakers in cinema.

She was born with the lengthy name, Arcangela Felice Assunta Wertmüller von Elgg Spanol von Braueich in Rome with her Italian father having some Swiss ancestory. As a young girl, she loved comic-books and was drawn to all areas in the performing arts. After graduating from the Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts, Wertmüller found work as a set designer, avant-garde play producer, scriptwriter and puppeteer, traveling throughout Europe. Flora Carabella, a childhood friend, introduced her to actor, Marcello Mastroianni (who happened to be her husband) and he would later introduce her to filmmaker, Federico Fellini who would become Wertmüller's close friend and mentor.

After working as an assistant director on Fellini's "8 1/2", Wertmüller made her first film, "I basilischi (The Basilisks)" in 1963. She wrote and directed this drama that looks at the lives of three young men who live in a small, poverty-stricken village in southern Italy. This movie and her four subsequent feature films found local success but did not receive much attention outside of her home country. It was not until her 1972 feature, "The Seduction of Mimi" and "Love and Anarchy" from 1973 that put Wertmüller on the worldwide stage with both films nominated for Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Giancarlo Giannini, who first worked with Wertmüller in "Rita la zanzara (Rita the Mosquito)" in 1966, won Best Actor at Cannes for his performance in "Love and Anarchy". The actor would appear in eight of her films including Wertmüller's greatest successes, "Seven Beauties" and "Swept Away".

"Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto (Swept Away... by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August)" was one of Wertmüller's most controversial yet popular films that starred Mariangela Melato as a snobby, wealthy woman who winds up swapping roles with one of the low-ranking crew members of her yacht (Giannini) after they get stranded on a desert island. "Pasqualino Settebellezze (Seven Beauties)" features Giannini as an Italian businessman who deserts the army during World War II, then captured by the Germans and sent to a prison camp, where he does anything to survive. In addition to Best Director, the film received Oscar nominations for Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign-Language Film. 

Hollywood would come calling and Wertmüller signed a four picture deal with Warner Bros. Her first English language film was "A Night Full of Rain" in 1978 with Candice Bergen and Giannini but it was a box-office flop with the studio canceling the rest of the contract. Undeterred, Wertmüller returned home to Italy and continued to make films. She ultimately made twenty-three movies throughout her career with her last film, the comedy-drama, "Peperoni ripieni e pesci in faccia (Too Much Romance... It's Time for Stuffed Peppers) made in 2004 and starred Sophia Loren.

AWARD SEASON 2021 BEGINS

"Licorice Pizza", the latest from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, took Best Film and Best Director from the National Board of Review. Set in the 1970's San Fernando Valley, this coming-of-age comedy-drama looks at a fifteen year old student getting ready for picture day at school when he falls for a decade older photographer's assistant. The stars, Alana Haim of the indie band, Haim and Cooper Hoffman, the son of the late actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, were both recognized for Best Breakthrough Performance. Two outstanding performances in "King Richard", the story of how Venus and Serena Williams were helped guided by their parents into becoming two of the greatest tennis players of all time, were honored with Will Smith as their father, Richard for Best Actor and Aunjanue Ellis as their mother, Oracene for Best Supporting Actress. One surprise was the unexpected selection of Rachel Zegler as Best Actress for her film debut as Maria in Steven Spielberg's remake of "West Side Story". The film isn't due out in theaters until Decemeber 11th but this is a good sign for the anticipated musical. And one of my favorite films of the year, "Summer of Soul (...or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)", which revealed amazing, rarely-seen footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, received the well-deserved prize for Best Documentary.

This organization, made up of select filmmakers, academics, students and film enthusiasts in New York, has been around since 1909 and traditionally has been the first of the film critic groups to announce their picks to kick off award season. The NBR Awards will be handed out at a gala hosted by Willie Gest on January 11, 2022.

2021 winners of The National Board of Review:

Best Film: "Licorice Pizza"
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"
Best Original Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, "A Hero"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen, "The Tragedy Of Macbeth"
Best Actor: Will Smith, "King Richard"
Best Actress: Rachel Zegler, "West Side Story"
Best Supporting Actor: Ciarán Hinds, "Belfast"
Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis, "King Richard"
Best Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel, "The Tragedy Of Macbeth 

Best Directorial Debut: Michael Sarnoski, "Pig"
Best Breakthrough Performance: Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, "Licorice Pizza"
Best Ensemble: "The Harder They Fall"
Best Animated Feature: "Encanto"
Best Foreign Language Film: "A Hero"
Best Documentary: "Summer of Soul (...or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)"
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: "Flee"

NBR Best Films of the Year:

"Belfast"
"Don’t Look Up"
"Dune"
"King Richard"
"The Last Duel"
"Nightmare Alley" "Red Rocket"
"The Tragedy of Macbeth"
"West Side Story"

Meanwhile the New York Film Critics Circle went in another direction by selecting "Drive My Car", the nearly three-hour drama by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, as Best Film. This group, founded in 1935 and includes critics from newspapers, magazines and online publications, went with a film that won the Best Screenplay prize at Cannes earlier this year and will represent Japan in the Oscars for Best International Feature. Other standout selections include Lady Gaga for Best Actress for her turn as Patrizia Reggiani in "House of Gucci" and Kodi Smit-McPhee's mesmerizing performance in "The Power of The Dog" which includes the director, Jane Campion and co-star, Benedict Cumberbatch also receiving prizes for the film.

Winners of the 2021 New York Film Critics Circle:

Best Film: "Drive My Car"
Best Director: Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"

Best Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"
Best Actress: Lady Gaga, "House of Gucci"
Best Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Power of the Dog"
Best Supporting Actress: Kathryn Hunter, "The Tragedy of Macbeth"
Best Supporting Actor: Kodi Smit-McPhee, "The Power of the Dog"

Best Cinematography: Janusz Kamiński, "West Side Story"
Best First Film: "The Lost Daughter"
Best Animated Film: "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
Best Non-Fiction Film: "Flee"
Best Foreign Language Film: "The Worst Person in the World"

CINEMA ITALIAN STYLE 2021

The American Cinematheque has once again joined Cinecittà and the Italian Ministry of Culture to present this year's Cinema Italian Style, a celebration of new films from Italy. While most of this festival will be presented virtually from December 8th to 15th, there will be in-person screenings in Los Angeles of a new documentary about the late composer, Ennio Morricone from Giuseppe Tornatore and the latest from Paolo Sorrentino with "The Hand of God" which has been selected to represent the country for this year's Best International Feature for the 2021 Oscars. Both screenings will be held at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.

"Ennio: The Maestro" looks at the career of the legendary Morricone who created more than four hundred musical scores for cinema and television. Tornatore traveled across the globe to interview over seventy renowned filmmakers and musicians to share their experiences on working with the composer along with some never-before-seen archival footage involving Morricone at home and work.



Paolo Sorrentino will come to Los Angeles on December 10th to present, "The Hand of God", set during the 1980's in Naples when it was a tumultuous city. Loosely based on Sorrentino's life, the film explores a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss. This will be a double feature with his 2016 Best Foriegn-Language Oscar winner, "The Great Beauty" with Sorrentino holding a Q&A in between the films.

The virtual screenings will feature the recent Italian films, "Blue Eyes", "Ezio Bosso: The Things That Remain", "Futura", "Like a Cat on a Highway 2", "Lovely Boy", "The Hole", "The Image Machine of Alfredo C." and "The Macalusco Sisters".









For additional information and to purchase tickets and passes, please click below:

Cinema Italian Style 2021

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (2021)

Directed by Todd Haynes



Where & When: Nuart Theater, West Los Angeles, CA. October 20, 2021 5:10 PM

Available to stream now on AppleTV+  


While "The Velvet Underground" is being labeled as Todd Haynes' first documentary, this low-key yet appealing non-fiction film doesn't feel far removed from his previous narrative feature work. Utilizing a vivid, cinematic approach with split-screens filled with energized, montage images and little-seen archival footage from the Warhol Foundation, the filmmaker behind "Poison", "Far From Heaven" and "I'm Not There" realized that this avant-garde band deserved and required a non-fiction film that documented their story unconventionally.

And the Velvet Underground were definitely not a traditional rock band, experimenting with unusual pop structures while taking on subversive subject matter in their songs. Not surprisingly, this group was not appreciated during their time beginning in the late '60's, critically panned and largely ignored by the public. But time eventually allowed listeners to catch up to what the Velvet Underground were creating; merging a bold, offbeat artistic vision with rock music that would become highly influential, leading to the sounds of glam rock, new-wave and punk rock to emerge from their early accomplishments.

It began with the meeting of two disparate musicians; the New York born and raised, Lou Reed, a self-taught guitarist who loved rock and r&b and John Cale, a Welsh multi-instrumentalist who relocated to New York in 1963 to study classical music. They had each performed with varied musicians in style and skill (Reed performed with some short-lived garage bands and Cale worked with a few progressive composers including John Cage) before joining forces, realizing they had a shared taste for the offbeat and experimental.

They recruited Sterling Morrison to play guitar and Angus MacLise on drums, performing together under a variety of different band names before settling on "The Velvet Underground". On the eve of their first paying gig, MacLise quit the band, feeling like they were selling out, and was replaced by Maureen "Moe" Tucker. The Velvet Underground began to draw attention in the local music scene around the city, leading the pop artist, Andy Warhol to become intrigued. He viewed this band as a perfect accompaniment to the unorthodox art he was creating, becoming their manager and producer, although his involvement in the creation of their music was clearly minimal. What Warhol did contribute was getting the Underground signed to a record label, designing their debut album cover art and suggesting that Christa Päffgen, known as Nico, join this band. And while the former German model may not have possessed the best voice for singing, she did have a commanding presence and more than willing to work hard in achieving the desired emotion in the music.

As a young queer man trying to find his way, Haynes found comfort and solidarity in the rebellious music of David Bowie, Roxy Music, the New York Dolls before discovering the Velvet Underground while in college, realizing that this band's singular sound had clearly influenced many of these performers that had followed them. The filmmaker would go on to make "Velvet Goldmine" in 1998, a fictionalized look at the glam rock scene in the 1970's featuring a thinly veiled character based on "Ziggy Stardust"-era Bowie and using details from the lives of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed.

Now with an opportunity to examine the Velvet Underground's legacy, Haynes decided to avoid having music scholars, critics or fans interviewed to discuss the band in the film, using only people who were there to share their thoughts and experiences. That includes the now seventy-nine year old Cale and seventy-seven Tucker; Reed's sister, Merrill Reed Weiner; Mary Woronov, an actress who was a part of Warhol's entourage and Jackson Browne, the musician that was romantically linked to Nico and played on her debut solo album. Morrison (who died at fifty-three in 1995) and Reed (who passed away in 2013 at seventy-one) make appearances through footage of previous interviews.

Despite the inventive visual flourishes and electrifying music, the film rarely matches the same intensity, remaining strangely lo-fi and static. And once the film reaches the Warhol connection and the striking Nico joins the band, "The Velvet Underground" settles in to a more traditional documentary. Yet the film does succeed in capturing the moments of what made the Velvet Underground such a groundbreaking and essential rock band. 

With "The Velvet Underground", Haynes has crafted an entertaining and informative documentary that generates long overdue attention to a musical group that was far ahead of it's time. The director wanted to share what had drawn him to their esoteric music, with an ultimate goal to inspire a new generation to seek out this unsung band.

2021 AFI FILM FESTIVAL

This year's American Film Institute's annual celebration of new cinema will be taking place starting this week on November 10th and through the 14th. This film festival, considerably shortened than previous years, will be a hybrid of virtual and in-person screenings with them being held at the TCL Chinese theatres in Hollywood. All festival-goers will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to attend in person screenings and events.

The Opening Night film will be the world premiere of  "Tick, Tick... Boom!", Lin-Manuel Miranda's cinematic debut as a director with the adaptation of the first musical by Jonathan Larson, the creator of "Rent". This semi-autobiographical story stars Andrew Garfield as an aspiring theatre composer who suffers from a life crisis as he approaches thirty and he hasn't accomplished what he had hoped by this point. "Tick, Tick... Boom!" is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 12th before streaming on Netflix on November 19th.



Other red carpet premieres will include Pedro Almodóvar's latest colorful melodrama, "Madres Paralelas (Parallel Mothers)" with Penelope Cruz; "Swan Song", a drama by Benjamin Cleary with two-time Oscar winner, Mahershala Ali staring as a man diagnosed with terminal cancer and is offered a radical alterative solution for treatment by his doctor, played by Glenn Close; "Sing 2", the sequel to the 2016 film "Sing", continues the story of Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) with his new cast who have their sights set on putting on a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in Redshore City. This animinated film also features the voices of Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon, Taron Egerton and Nick Kroll. And there is the world premiere of Halle Berry's first film as director with "Bruised". The Academy Award winner also stars as an aging mixed martial arts fighter who seeks redemption by accepting an offer to fight the top fighter in an unsanctioned bout while also dealing with the unexpected return of the child she gave up for adoption.







And the Closing Night film will be "King Richard". Will Smith plays Richard Williams, a determined father who sets out to help make his young, talented daughters, Venus and Serena, two of the greatest athletes of all-time. Reinaldo Marcus Green directs. "King Richard" will be released theatrically and streaming on HBO Max on November 19th.



The rest of the fest will feature new works of world cinema, documentaries, short film competition, "Meet The Press" film festival which will spotlight compelling short documentaries involving issues facing society and AFI Conservatory Showcase that will feature the short films by recent graduates of AFI.

For the complete list of films and to purchase tickets and passes, please click below:

AFI 2021

MY VIEWING DIARY: PART FIFTEEN

"Camille" (1936)

The latest movie I've seen starring Greta Garbo is "Camille", considered one of her greatest screen performances and helping the actress earn the second of her three Academy Award nominations. This elegantly grand, period romance about a doomed lady of pleasure and the man who loves her unconditionally until the end was inspired by 1848 novel, "La Dame aux Camélias" by Alexandre Dumas. George Cukor directs Garbo for the first time here, helping to draw out her buried levity, before working with the Swedish actress again in the comedy, "Two-Faced Woman" which would be her final film before retiring in 1941.

Set in 19th century Paris, Garbo plays Marguerite Gautier, a lovely courtesan with expensive tastes. Yet she lacks financial savvy, requiring her to rely on the kindness of wealthy gentlemen to help pay her mounting debts. One night at the theater, Marguerite's confidant, Prudence Duvernoy (Laura Hope Crews) arranges for her to get acquainted with Baron de Varville (Henry Daniell), a man of wealth and prestige who could help Marguerite with her money woes. But she briefly mistakes the handsome, Armand Duval (Robert Taylor) for the Baron. Sparks fly between these two and while the young man is from a financially comfortable family, Armand lacks the serious funds needed to keep Marguerite comfortable. But over time, he falls hard for the enchanting beauty, something she has never experienced before from a man. This conflict causes Marguerite, who is seriously ill with consumption, to struggle between fiscal comfort from the Baron and romantic passion from Armand.

The Garbo in "Camille" is far removed from the early Garbo in the silent film era. After years in Hollywood, the usually somber actress appears effortlessly relaxed on screen, more warm and carefree than many of her previous appearances. The producer, Irving Thalberg (who died at thirty-seven shortly after filming was completed) had the writers re-work the script to cater to the strengths of the actress after seeing rushes of a radiant Garbo. He was also responsible for insisting on giving this stunning, period-costume drama a contemporary feel with Cukor using his reliable skills to make a lively and captivating spectacle despite the dark undercurrents of the story.



"Walk on the Wild Side" (1962)

Opening with a sensational credit sequence directed by Saul Bass featuring a black tom cat prowling the city streets before starting a fight a with a sleek white cat, "Walk on the Wild Side", Edward Dmytryk's demented, Southern-fried soap-opera, is about all-consuming obsession and long-simmering desires. Set during the Depression era, Laurence Harvey plays Dove Linkhorn, a handsome drifter traveling around in search of Hallie Gerard (Capucine), a French woman he had a brief, passionate affair. When he last heard from her, she was in New Orleans yet has no real idea where she might be. While stopping in Texas, he comes across Kitty Twist (Jane Fonda), an attractive fellow drifter who uses what she has to survive. They decide to head to Louisiana together and while Kitty has eyes for Dove, his focus remains on finding Hallie. He discovers that she's working at the Doll House, a brothel in the French Quarter run by the tough madam, Jo (Barbara Stanwyck). Dove is determined to save Hallie from this depraved life but Jo is also determined to keep her, equally obsessed with this Gallic beauty and willing to destroy anyone who stands in her way. 

One of the more distracting problems with "Walk on the Wild Side" (based on a 1956 novel by Nelson Algren) is that it's unable to be clear and direct on the more salacious moments going on in the story due to the self-censorship imposed by the Hays Code. While films coming out of Europe at this time had begun dealing with adult themes with honesty and realism, American movies were still trapped doing a sanitized version of real life. In this film, prostitution is never mentioned, making one wonder what these ladies were really doing in this house and the relationship between Hallie and Jo is left purposely vague even though it's quite clear they are more than "just close friends'.

With the help of a dazzling cast of actors, this swampy melodrama is made a little more interesting. Harvey is just adequate in the role of Dove yet fails to generate much of a real connection with any of his female co-stars. This was Fonda's second film role and already displaying a great screen presence but still had some work to do being fully convincing as a character down-on-their-luck and desperate. The great Anne Baxter makes a problematic appearance as Teresina Vidaverri, the owner of New Orleans café that helps Dove with a job and shelter, a character who is clearly supposed to Mexican and the actress uses an accent to drive it home. And the screen legend Stanwyck is always a wonderful addition to any film, able to make even silly dialogue crackle with intensity. On the other end, Capucine, with the skills of a classic model-turned-actress, struggles to deliver a competent performance, far too stiff to make us believe that Hallie is an alluring and irresistible siren. Restrained by the times, "Walk on the Wild Side" can't really let loose to tell a story that actually feels wild and dangerous.

"A Rainy Day In New York" (2019)

After being unhappy with the film made from his screenplay for "What's New, Pussycat?", Woody Allen (who began his career writing for television in the '50's before moving to stand-up comedy and playwriting in the '60's) vowed to direct his own work. He directed his first feature, "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" in 1966, a strange comedy he made from an existing Japanese spy film by overdubbing the dialogue and rearranging the order of scenes. Allen made a series of popular slapstick comedies before he shifted to the dramatic romantic-comedy, "Annie Hall" in 1977, a box-office hit that won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. His subsequent work would vary wildly from sublime ("Manhattan"; "Hannah and Her Sisters"; "Bullets Over Broadway"; "Blue Jasmine") to substandard ("Shadows and Fog"; "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion"; "Anything Else"; "To Rome with Love"). "A Rainy Day In New York", Allen's forty-seventh feature film as a writer/director, fails as one of the filmmaker's weaker efforts. This poorly conceived romantic-comedy is supposed to contemporary yet Allen has the characters speak and behave in a manner that comes across as oddly dated, feeling far better suited for a story set eighty years ago.

Gatsby Welles (Timothée Chalamet), a college student from a wealthy New York family who loves '40's jazz, drinks at the Carlyle and quotes Cole Porter, is dating Ashleigh Enright (Elle Fanning) who attends school in Arizona to study journalism. When she is given an assignment to travel to New York to interview the acclaimed filmmaker, Roland Pollard (Liev Schreiber), Gatsby decides to surprise her with a romantic weekend in the city. But Pollard is so impressed by Ashleigh's skills and knowledge that he invites her to a private screening of his latest film, forcing Gatsby to rearrange his plans. With time on his hands, Gatsby wanders the streets and stumbles on to a movie set where the director happens to be a friend and the star, Chan Tyrell (Selena Gomez) is the younger sister of a former girlfriend. And due to an actor not showing up, Gatsby is asked to fill in for a romantic scene in the film with Chan. Meanwhile at the screening, Ashleigh meets the handsome, movie star, Francisco Vega (Diego Luna) who invites her out for dinner after being enchanted by the student reporter. What follows are a series of contrived mishaps and illogical decisions that puts a strain on this young couple's relationship, leading to a conclusion that's more dark and off-putting than charming and sweet.

"A Rainy Day In New York" seems like a old script that Allen found in a drawer, blew some of the dust off and went to work filming. And while the actors manage to deliver some fine performances (with brief appearances by Jude Law, Rebecca Hall, Annaleigh Ashford and Cherry Jones) and the camerawork by Vittorio Storaro is quite captivating, the rest of this dreary film does not have a moment that hasn't been reconstructed or recycled from any number of Allen's previous (and far superior) comedies.

At this point in his career, the now eighty-five year old Allen is just viewed as a troublesome relic from the past. His reputation has been shattered by some disturbing allegations from almost thirty years ago even though he has never been charged with a crime. But even before the scandal, Allen was never known to be a warm or gregarious figure and let's not even get in to the story of how he meet his current wife. I have no intention on making any judgement on his character here but to share my thoughts on the filmmaker's latest feature film and "A Rainy Day In New York", with it's lame jokes and out-of-touch premise, is simply lazy and predictable. This is especially disheartening as Allen has proven he is a capable creator of thoughtful, funny and charming movies yet now just grinding out tired retreads from his glory days.

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS IN LOS ANGELES

Two film festivals that highlight the best in new European cinema are heading to Los Angeles: German Currents and COLCOA French Film Festival.

German Currents, the 15th annual festival of German Cinema co-produced by the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and the American Cinematheque, will feature some of the best recent films from Germany, most of which make their Los Angeles premieres. Beginning October 22nd and running through October 31st, The Opening Night film, "Bekenntnisse Des Hochstaplers Felix Krull (Confessions of the Felix Krull)" will screen at the the Los Feliz 3 theatre. Based on Thomas Mann’s novel of the same name, Felix Krull (Jannis Niewöhner), a handsome young man of simple origins, has had an extraordinary ability to transform and adapt in order to get ahead. Taking a job at a luxury hotel in Paris, Felix rises in ranks among the hotel staff, capturing the attention of the hotel’s guests. This will be a free screening with RSVP holders admitted on a first come, first served basis.



And at the Aero Theatre on October 24th, the Closing Night film is "Fabian Oder Der Gang Vore Die Hunde (Fabian: Going To The Dogs)". Set in Berlin in 1931, Jakob Fabian (Tom Schilling) struggles to make a living. Hanging out with his wealthy friend (Albrecht Schuch), Fabian meets an aspiring actress (Saskia Rosendahl) and they quickly falls in love. But as their lives move in different directions, this creates problems in their relationship.



The rest of the fest will be virtual screenings. Several programs will include exclusive pre-recorded introductions and discussions with the filmmakers. For a complete list of films, purchase tickets and additional information, please click below:

German Currents Los Angeles 2021

This year marks the twenty-fifth year of the City of Lights, City of Angels French Film Festival in Los Angeles. The fest will be held for seven days beginning on November 1st with in-person screenings at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood. This year's COLCOA will feature an exclusive program with more than fifty films competing for awards in three categories: cinema, television and short films. The Opening Night film is "Between Two Worlds", a drama from Emmanuel Carrère making it's North American premiere. Based on French investigative journalist Florence Aubenas’ best-selling non-fiction book, "The Night Cleaner", Juliette Binoche stars as Marianne Winckler, a celebrated writer who goes undercover as a cleaning lady to write a book on job insecurity in the gig economy.

COLCOA Classics will honor the late actor, Jean-Paul Belmondo with a screening of his 1973 feature, "Le Magnifique" which will be followed by a discussion with co-star, Jacqueline Bisset and writer/director Francis Veber. Jean-Claude Carrière, a screenwriter and actor who passed away in February, was nominated for the Academy Award three times for his work on the screenplays for "That Obscure Object of Desire", "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and "Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie)" which will be a free screening on November 4th. And the highly honored filmmaker, Bertrand Tavernier (who may be best known to American audiences for his 1986 musical-drama, "Round Midnight") will have his 1976 film, "Le Juge et l’assassin (The Judge and the Assassin)" screened with the Los Angeles premiere of the digitally restored version.





For a complete list of films, purchase tickets and additional information, please click below:

COLCOA Los Angeles 2021

COMING SOON

As Daniel Craig says goodbye to the British spy, James Bond in his final film as the iconic character in the long-running franchise, "No Time To Die" (with the search for a replacement to begin in earnest next year), another legendary fighter against crime is in line for a reboot: Batman. This follows Christopher Nolan's critically praised, box-office sensation trilogy that ended with "The Dark Knight Rises" in 2012 and the brief fling with Ben Affleck filling in for the character in the less revered films, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League".

Now Matt Reeves, the filmmaker behind "Cloverfield" and the admired franchise sequels, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "War for the Planet of the Apes", is taking over this iteration, directing and co-writing the script with Peter Craig which is based on the classic Frank Miller 1987 comic-book story arc, "Batman: Year One" and the limited comic-book series, "Batman: The Long Halloween". The new guy in the Bat suit (following Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Affleck, in case you might have forgotten) will be Robert Pattinson, the British actor who first found fame in the popular "Twilight" film series and has been fighting against being typecast in the image of a sexy vampire heartthrob ever since. I guess enough time has passed for him to decide to get back in to another franchise.

A new sneak-peek of "The Batman" has dropped and this looks to be an even darker version of the Dark Knight. The focus of this film will be on Batman's initial period of fighting crime in the increasingly corrupt Gotham City and his first meeting of the recently transferred police detective, James Gordon (played by Jeffrey Wright) and their developing relationship. This is also when he first encounters his famous arch-enemies, the Riddler (Paul Dano, not actually seen completely in the trailer), the Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell) and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz). Based on the spotty track record over the long, cinematic history, it's still unclear if "The Batman" will be really intriguing or incredibly disappointing.

"The Batman" is due in U.S. theaters on March 4, 2022

2021 NEWFEST FILM FESTIVAL

This year, NewFest, the 33rd annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, will be a virtual and in-person event. After being forced to be largely an online fest, Newfest welcomes back audiences to celebrate queer stories and storytellers. There are four locations for the in-person screenings; SVA Theatre, The LGBT Community Center, BAM Rose Cinemas and Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn.

The Opening Night film will be "Mayor Pete", an intimate documentary about Pete Buttigieg’s campaign to be the first openly gay U.S. president. The film from Jesse Moss (who recently won an Emmy for his last documentary feature, "Boys State") follows the former South Bend, Indiana Mayor from the early days of his campaign, examining all of the challenges and triumphs he faced throughout his run for the highest office in the land.

The International Centerpiece is "A Distant Place" from South Korean director, Park Kun-Young. This drama involves a local farmer living with his adventurous young daughter. When his city-dwelling lover comes to visit, he begins to imagine their future as a family. But the unplanned arrival of his twin sister threatens to complicate his dream.



The New York Centerpiece is "Passing", the actress, Rebecca Hall's directorial debut that she adapted from Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel. This in-person only screening features Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson in the story of two childhood friends who reunite and the discovery that one has changed her racial identity. The US Centerpiece will be "Potato Dreams of America", writer/director Wes Hurley’s semi-autobiographical dramatic-comedy. With a love for old Hollywood movies and concerned for her son’s future in 1980's USSR, Lena becomes a mail-order bride and moves to the United States. But as her young son begin to explore his sexuality and her American husband is deeply homophobic, this creates problems within this family.

There will be a 30th anniversary screening of Madonna's groundbreaking documentary, "Truth or Dare" which chronicles the pop superstar's 1990 "Blond Ambition" tour and introduced us to her openly queer back-up dancers; the 10th anniversary of "Pariah", Dee Rees’ influencial debut feature that is a moving exploration in to the life of a Black, queer 17-year-old poet trying to make her way in to the world. And "Shortbus", John Cameron Mitchell’s exuberant exploration of life, sex and happiness in New York City, will be shown in honor of it's 15th Anniversary with a 4K Restoration.



And the Closing Night film is "Flee" from director Jonas Poher Rasmussen. This winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance combines animation and emotional narrative to tell the harrowing ordeal of how Amin Nawabi and his family escaped from Afghanistan before re-settling in Denmark.

For a complete list of films and to purchase tickets and passes, please click below:

Newfest 2021

TITANE (TITANIUM) (2021)

Written & Directed by Julia Ducournau



Where & When: AMC Sunset 5, West Hollywood, CA. October 3, 2021 2:45 PM



There is absolutely nothing about "Titane (Titanium)", Julia Ducournau's evocative and deranged horror thriller, that feels reasonable. There is some spectacularly gruesome carnage and disturbing violence. There is dark humor and wildly absurd plot twists. We also have moments that are thought-provoking and emotionally moving. Yet it all largely works as the provocative French filmmaker upends our expectations by deconstructing this genre, taking us on a strange, surreal journey that challenges our ideas on gender and identity.

The film opens with a drive out on the open road with a father (Bertrand Bonello) and his young daughter, Alexa (Adèle Guigue). But there is some tension inside of the car, with the father trying to drown out his daughter's continuous mimicking of the sound of the car's engine. As he turns the radio's volume up, she just gets louder. Bored with this game, Alexa begins kicking the back of his seat. When she refuses to stop, a moment of anger erupts as he turns to face her, causing him to crash the car. After an intensive surgery, Alexa has been fitted with titanium plate in to her severely damaged skull. There seems to be no sign of any lasting physical damage to the young girl yet this accident appears to have left a deep psychological connection between Alexa and automobiles.

The next time we see Alexa (now played by Agathe Rousselle in her film debut), she is a young woman dancing seductively as a model at a car show. Still brooding and dead-eyed as she was as a child, Alexa has grown up with a behavior far more dangerous; a secret desire to commit cold-blooded murder. Watching a newscast on television warning of a series of grisly murders occurring around the city, she casually eats in her parent's home, knowing exactly where they can locate the killer.

After a botched killing spree, with a potential victim escaping, Alexa has to go the run. Going through a dramatic and harrowing transformation, she takes on the identity of Adrien, a boy who has been missing for ten years. The police contact the boy's father, Vincent (Vincent Lindon), a fire captain who accepts Alexa as "Adrien" with no further proof needed. The other fire fighters at the station don't know what to make of the captain's traumatized, mute "son" but must welcome him as an apprentice member of the team. And there is one more thing; Alexa has been impregnated by a car with something growing inside of her.

"Titane" won Ducournau the top prize of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, making her only the second female filmmaker to win this award, following Jane Campion for "The Piano" in 1993. This is the follow-up to her 2016 debut, "Raw", another outlandish shocker that featured Garance Marillier (who makes a brief appearance in "Titane") as a young vegetarian who develops a taste for human flesh. With "Titane", Ducournau goes even further with some pretty extreme ideas, many to the point of being completely ridiculous. Yet she manages to make this story work, largely by taking every preposterous moment seriously while cleverly touching on themes involving cross-dressing, gender politics, familial bonding and homoeroticism to heighten this odd drama, subjects not usually found in the horror genre. Her script also abandoned the standard three-act structure, allowing Ducournau's peculiar story to flow at her own desired pace, which shifted the film further off balance.

Not wanting audiences to have any expectations with a familiar face in the leading role, Ducournau set about finding an unknown performer. She came across Rousselle, a frustrated actor who for years didn't have much luck getting any attention, working largely as a model and photographer. And while she doesn't deliver much dialogue, Rousselle is a wildly physical, sensual presence, demanding that you to never take your eyes off of her. On screen for most of the film, the actress delivers a raw, fearless performance, displaying Alexa's eerie stillness and unpredictable fury, behavior much like a caged animal. She manages to disgust and shock you yet also develop some concern and sympathy for her deranged character.

Let's just be clear here; "Titane" is not for the faint of heart (there were reports of viewers actually passing out during early screenings at some film festivals) or for those who like their narratives to be fairly straightforward. And while "Titane" didn't work entirely for me, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, never able to predict where the film was taking me and covering my eyes in terror by some of the more brutally horrific images that appeared on screen. I was shocked and appalled yet thoroughly entertained, enjoying the feeling of uncertainty and the unpredictable nature of this twisted tale. It's clear that Ducournau's intension was to provoke and leave you feeling deeply unsettled by her work. And she certainly succeeded at her task. But it is also clear that the director had some intriguing and thoughtful ideas to communicate yet no desire to express them in any conventional way. Ducournau is a wonderfully, refreshing filmmaker, commanding a bold vision, assured artistry and more than willing to challenge audience's expectations.

THE ACADEMY MUSEUM OPENS

I am honestly surprised that there isn't already a museum in Los Angeles dedicated to cinema. I mean, when people think of California, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind for many is the movie industry. And although the use of the moving image for artistic and commercial purposes did not originate in America (that would be with the Lumière brothers in France), Hollywood would take the medium to another level, creating lavish productions, technical advancement and the movie-star system.

Now after several delays (including an unplanned pandemic), the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is now officially opening on September 30th. Located in the art-deco building that previously housed the May Company department store on Wilshire Blvd, the museum is a spectacular showcase to highlight the long history of movie-making and placing a spotlight on all of the industrial departments that are involved in making your favorite movies.

Some of the exhibitions will include a multiscreen experience with an introduction to the Stories of Cinema, one free to view, located in the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby and the other will be a detailed, multi-floor exhibition that connects with diverse and international stories on the people who make motion pictures. An extensive retrospective dedicated to the work of filmmakers, Spike Lee and Hayao Miyazaki and his anime studio, Studio Ghibli. And there is the Oscars Expereince where you go inside of the Dolby Theater to hear your name called, walk up to accept your Academy Award and receive a video capturing the moment.

There will be several film programs to satisfy the tastes of all movie-lovers. Every Saturday, the museum will feature a matinee for families of all ages; "Imperfect Journey: Haile Gerima and his Comrades" is a program running from October 2nd through Novmeber 14th that will spotlight the work of independent filmmaker, Haile Gerima and his over fifty years of expressing the Pan-African experience and highlight films made by his friends; and through the month of October will be Oscar Frights, thirteen classic horror and suspense films that have either been nominated or won an Academy Award. Public Programs will feature discussions with people working in the industry including on October 16th, a talk with Oscar-winner, Laura Dern with her actor parents, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. And the Education Program offers tours, demonstrations and interactive chats that focuses on the history, art and science of film. There are two state-of-the-art theaters to screen these films; the smaller, Tedd Mann theater with 288 seats and the David Geffen theater, which can hold an audience of 1000 and will also be used to host big premieres and other Hollywood events.

This is a thrilling addition to Los Angeles that will ideally celebrate Hollywood's glamourous past, enduring present and curious future. As a proud, card-carrying new member, I can't wait to get inside to experience this museum for the first time, with many more visits planned in the furure. To purchase tickets, view the complete list of programming or become a member, please click below:

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

MELVIN VAN PEEBLES (1932 - 2021)

Melvin Van Peebles, an African-American creative force who was a performer, playwright, novelist, musician and indie filmmaker who boldly challenged what kind of stories could be told in American cinema, has sadly passed away on September 22nd at the age of eighty-nine.

After Van Peebles made one movie "Watermelon Man", a satire about a bigoted white man who wakes up one day Black, with a Hollywood studio in 1970, he declined a three-picture contract with Columbia Pictures (never working with a major studio again) and set about creating "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song". Shot in nineteen days with a $150,000 budget, Van Peebles co-produced, scored (performed by Earth, Wind and Fire), edited, wrote, directed and starred in this story about a Black man falsely accused of a crime and trying to escape from the police by any means necessary. This revolutionary film was one of the first entries in to what would be called blaxploitation cinema, becoming a major hit (earning over $15 million at the box-office) and remaining a highly influential film. "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" was selected last year for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Born Melvin Peebles in Chicago (he added 'Van' to his name during his time living in the Netherlands), he enlisted in the Air Force shortly after graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University, serving for over three years. When he returned home, Van Peebles became interested in filmmaking, making several short films. He took his work to Los Angeles with the hope of them helping him get a directing job but no studios were interested.

Like many African-American artists did at this time in the 1960's in order to be able to create freely, Van Peebles traveled to Europe. He made short films, recorded an album, wrote plays and a novel, "La Permission" in French while living in Paris. This lead to him making his feature film debut in 1967 with "The Story of a Three-Day Pass", which was based on his book, telling the story of a black American soldier who is demoted due to his relationship with a French White woman. This critically-praised drama proved to be an excellent showcase for his accomplishments as a filmmaker, helping him land his brief, Hollywood gig.

Van Peebles went on to create for the stage, writing the book and music for the musical production of "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death". This innovative dark comedy, using musical monologues to explore African-American street life, first opened off-Broadway before moving to Broadway through the 1971-72 season. The show earned seven Tony Award nominations including Best Musical and a revival is planned to open for the 2022 season. Van Peebles had another Broadway musical, "Don't Play Us Cheap!" that he produced and directed in addition to the creation of the show in 1972. He made a film version of the play later in the year.

He is survived by sons, Mario (who followed his father as an actor and filmmaker) and Max, and his daughter Marguerite. Melvin Van Peebles was an incredibly remarkable talent who created his work on his terms, never allowing himself to ever be compromised. He blazed a trail for future African-American filmmakers while showing to the world the beauty and the power of Black people through his artistry.