MAGGIE SMITH (1934 - 2024)

Maggie Smith, the highly honored British actor who found great success on screen and stage for over sixty years, has passed away on September 27th at the age of eighty-nine. She gained further international attention and acclaim during this century for her appearance in the Harry Potter film series and later for her sly performance playing the Dowager Countess of Granthamher in the beloved British television series, "Downton Abbey". The two-time Academy Award winning performer was still working having recently appeared in the drama, "The Miracle Club" with Laura Linney and Kathy Bates released in theaters last year. An accomplished and versatile performer, Smith could enliven anything she would appear in by creating rich, indelible characters. With an acerbic wit, razor-sharp tongue and undeniable charm, the actress could effortlessly decimate someone with a clever one-liner.

Smith left high school at sixteen in order to study acting at the Oxford Playhouse. During her time there, she appeared in numerous productions, delivering impressive performances. American producers took notice of her budding talent, casting her in "New Faces of '56" where she played several roles and made her Broadway debut. Smith would make her feature film debut two years later co-starring in the British crime drama, "Nowhere To Go". She also caught the attention of the theater legend, Laurence Olivier who invited her in 1962 to join the National Theatre Company which he had just founded and included in the company, Peter O'Toole, Michael Redgrave, Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen. And while she was with the National throughout the rest of the 1960's, a tense yet professional rivalry would develop between the formidable Olivier and the tenacious Smith.

She would began to do more film work at this time as well, appearing in "The V.I.P.s" with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; "The Honey Pot", "The Pumpkin Eater" and the film version of "Othello" which was adapted from the well-received Olivier staging for The National. Smith would receive her first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for playing Desdemona.

Smith's major breakthrough came with the film adaptation of the successful play, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in 1969. This story of an effusive teacher at an Edinburgh all-girls school with a tendency to create her own curriculum to mold select students into her worldview would win Smith an Academy Award for Best Actress. Other film roles followed that included George Cukor's "Travels With My Aunt" (which earned Smith another Best Actress Oscar nomination); "Murder By Death"; two Agatha Christie murder mystery adaptations, "Death on The Nile" and "Evil Under The Sun"; "Clash of The Titans" and "Neil Simon's California Suite" with Smith winning another Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Smith would continue to be an in-demand performer, appearing in filmed dramas and comedies, "A Room with a View", "Sister Act", "Richard III", "The First Wives Club", "Tea with Mussolini", "Gosford Park", "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "The Lady in the Van".

But Smith did not ever abandon the stage throughout her time doing acclaimed film work. She appeared in numerous productions of works by Shakespeare and plays by Anton Chekov, Noël Coward, Edward Albee, and Tom Stoppard. Smith received six Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her theatrical performances and won the Tony Award in 1990 for the comedy, "Lettice and Lovage".

2024 AFI FILM FESTIVAL

This year's AFI Fest, an exciting celebration of new cinema from around the world in the heart of Hollywood, will be held October 23rd to 27th. The 38th edition of the fest will open with "Music By John Williams", a new documentary by Laurent Bouzereau on the extraordinary life of the five time Oscar-winning (and fifty-four time nominated) film composer which will cover his early days as a jazz pianist to his countless and influential musical contributions to motion pictures.



The other films making Red Carpet Premieres will be the latest from Robert Zemeckis, "Here" that has been selected as the Centerpiece Gala. This drama reteams the stars of his Best Picture Oscar winner, "Forrest Gump", Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in a story involving multiple families, looking at them through generations and capturing the human experience in its purest form. Zemeckis will also be honored with a Directors Spotlight, a special evening that will feature clips from his work and an in-depth conversation, hosted by Hanks, with the filmmaker. There will also be "Maria" by Pablo Larraín which explores the final years of the opera diva, Maria Callas and played by Angelina Jolie; the latest feature film directed by the ninety-four year old, Clint Eastwood with "Juror No. 2"; "Heretic", a horror-thriller starring Hugh Grant and directed by the writers of "A Quiet Place", Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl", the sixth installment in the British stop-motion animated franchise which will make its world premiere.











There will be sections of the Fest that will include Special Screenings; Luminaries, which will feature the latest films from world-renowned filmmakers whose work continues to challenge and inspire; Discovery, a showcase for exciting new voices that push the boundaries of contemporary cinema; World Cinema; Documentaries and a Short Film Competition.

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

2024 AFI Fest

THE SUBSTANCE (2024)

Written & Directed by Coralie Fargeat




Where & When: Landmark Theatres Sunset, West Hollywood, CA. September 20, 2024 8:15 PM



"The Substance", the sophomore feature from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, is a hyper-stylized, pitch-black feminist satire on aging and the low value placed on maturing women in society. But Fargeat pumps up her engaging film by utilizing body horror to convey the extremes that women will go through to maintain their youth and beauty. Between the blood and mayhem, the director has something quite intriguing to say. And while the message is clearly understood, it tends to get a little too muddled through all of the excessive gross-out carnage.

Demi Moore, in her first prominent starring role in some time, plays Elizabeth Sparkle, an award-winning actress in Los Angeles that has been reduced to having to appear as a host of a television fitness show called, "Sparkle Your Life". But following a taping on her fiftieth birthday, Elizabeth is informed by Harvey (Dennis Quaid), a boorish studio executive, that it's time for her to move on, making it clear he's looking for someone younger to host. Devastated by this news, a distracted Elizabeth ends up getting into a car crash. She is uninjured but while getting checked out, a young male nurse, sensing what she's going through, slips a flash drive and phone number into her pocket.

What is discreetly being offered is an experimental drug called, "The Substance" which promises to create a younger and more "perfect" version of yourself. Elizabeth initially rejects the idea but as she spends her newly free time wallowing in booze and her increasing anxiety, she decides to get her hands on this serum. After injecting herself, a fully formed, young being (played by Margaret Qualley) emerges from Elizabeth's cracked open back, leaving the host unconscious while the other is left to sew Elizabeth's body shut. This new form calls herself "Sue", enjoying her youthful body and successfully getting hired back as the host of the exercise program.

But there are strict rules that must be followed: each body can only be out for seven days before exchanging places so that their bodily fluids can recalibrate, they must feed each other intravenously; a "stabilizer" is to be withdrawn from Elizabeth's spine and injected into Sue in order to keep her balanced and most importantly, they must remember that while they are two separate bodies, they are still only one person.

Fargeat was first recognized for her 2017 debut feature film, "Revenge", about a young woman who is sexually attacked by three men and left for dead but she survives and seeks bloody retribution. While it was difficult to sit through at times, I still greatly admired the director's brutal yet razor-sharp cinematic statement. And with her follow-up, Fargeat continues to have no interest in subtlety, preferring to batter viewers severely over the head with her gruesome, surrealistic vision and unsettling themes. She is clearly inspired by fellow filmmakers who embrace the provocative and experimental (Kubrick, Cronenberg, Lynch, Haneke) and with "The Substance", Fargeat liberally borrows visual cues from some of these esteemed directors while still managing to forge ahead with her own distinctively ferocious style. The flashy camerawork by Benjamin Kracun is designed to keep you feeling unsteady, offering full-screen close-ups of eyes and mouths, darting down long narrow hallways, entering vast spare rooms and one particularly unpleasant moment of watching Quaid eating crawfish.

Moore's career took off when she became part of the ensemble of the daytime soap-opera, "General Hospital" in 1982. The following year, she moved on to movie roles, becoming a member of the Brat Pack after her appearances in "St. Elmo's Fire" and "About Last Night...". But it was Moore's tear soaked, moving turn in the 1990 supernatural romance, "Ghost" that helped make her a movie star. She became part of a Hollywood power couple when she married Bruce Willis, starred in several box-office hits and went on to become the highest paid female actor (receiving over twelve million dollars) in 1996 to appear in the movie, "Striptease". But this black comedy was a critical and box-office failure and her marriage to Willis came to an end not long after with Moore largely retreating from the spotlight. She would make the occasional film appearance over the following years, mostly in indie and arthouse fare.

With "The Substance", Moore delivers a bold and fearless performance, revealing herself completely emotionally and physically. She doesn't have much dialogue yet the actress rises to the challenge of expressing all of the anguish, fear and intense desires of Elizabeth, even through moments later in the film when she's no longer recognizable as her former self. And as her other half, Qualley is a compelling presence, a sweetly smiling, malevolent version of Elizabeth with a dark-edged soul. Elizabeth and "Sue" might share the same body however they display vastly different personality traits. While this variance might possibly be due to their age-gap yet over time this conflict leads to complications. Being young and impulsive, Sue begins to abuse the seven day rule, extending her time awake, at first just a few days and then later by weeks, which causes Elizabeth's actual body to age more rapidly.

I will admit that by the time we reach the final act, with the introduction of a third being called "Monstro Elisasue" which leads to an explosive shower of blood, gore and body parts flying in all directions from a stage onto an audience, it felt a little too much, becoming even more silly and excessive. But that's okay. This doesn't take away from "The Substance" being one of the most thrilling, adventurous and uncompromising films I've seen so far this year. I can also say with complete certainty that no US filmmaker, male or female, would have made "The Substance", at least not in a way that wasn't far more cautious and focused on appealing to the widest audience possible. Fargeat (who actually shot the film in Paris) has made a clever, biting and humorous commentary on the horrors of America's obsession with eternal youth and the emotional torture this causes, especially for women. "The Substance" is absolutely insane and twisted. Yet the film also reveals Fargeat to be a true visionary, a modern filmmaker who respects the historical artform of cinema with no interest in making films that are easily digestible and a strong desire to challenge viewers to open their minds to unexpected and outrageous possibilities.

JAMES EARL JONES (1931 - 2024)

James Earl Jones, the highly regarded actor with a very distinctive voice, passed away on September 9th at the age of ninety-three. He made a great impact on the stage and screen throughout his long career but it was his voice work he provided for the villainous character, Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” film series that he will probably be best remembered.

Born in Mississippi, he was the son of Robert Earl Jones, who left the family when he was child and went on to have an acting career during the Harlem Renaissance and worked with Langston Hughes. Jones would not reconnect with his father until he was in his twenties when they reconciled their relationship. Jones had ended up going on to live with his grandparents on a farm in Michigan shortly after his father left. These traumatic events caused the young Jones to develop a stutter. While in high school, an English teacher encouraged Jones to read poetry aloud in class which helped cure him of his stuttering.

He attended the University of Michigan and initially had a pre-med major. But soon discovered he was not cut out to become a doctor, shifting his focus on the theater. After serving in Korea, Jones headed to New York to attempt a career as an actor and studying at the American Theatre Wing. He soon found work, appearing on Broadway and becoming well known as an accomplished Shakespearean performer. Jones made his film debut in 1964 in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb". But his major breakthrough came through the play, "The Great White Hope" where he played a fictionalized version of Jack Johnson who became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion. The play went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Jones won the 1969 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He went on to recreate the role for a film adaptation of the play, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Jones' career would take off, appearing in the films, "The Man" (about a senator who unexpectedly becomes the first African-American president of the United States), "Claudine" with Diahann Carroll, "The River Niger", "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings" and "The Greatest". He was hired to do a voiceover for Darth Vader in "Star Wars" after director George Lucas decided the voice of actor, David Prowse, who appeared on screen as the character, was not suitable. Jones had initially declined to be acknowledged for his role but by the third movie, he received a screen credit.

Another film that utilized Jones' iconic voice was in Disney's 1994 animated blockbuster, "The Lion King" with the role of Mufasa, Simba's father. Other screen highlights include "Matewan", "Field of Dreams", "Coming to America", "The Hunt for Red October", "Sneakers" and "Clear and Present Danger". One of Jones' last film performances was in the sequel to "Coming to America", "Coming 2 America" in 2021. Jones also continued to do stage work throughout his career with his final appearance was in "The Gin Game" with Cicely Tyson in 2015. The Cort Theatre on Broadway was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022 in his honor.

WINNERS OF THE 2024 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

"The Room Next Door", Pedro Almodovar's first feature film in the English language, went on to receive the top prize of the Golden Lion at the conclusion of the 81st Venice Film Festival. The Spanish director's latest stars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton as close friends who drifted apart but are reunited years later due to difficult circumstances.

Actor Brady Corbet’s third feature as a filmmaker, "The Brutalist" won him the Best Director prize. This over three-hour long drama chronicles thirty years in the life of a Hungarian-born Jewish architect (played by Adrien Brody) who survived the Holocaust, later migrating to America for a better life only to endure new challenges.

The runner-up Grand Jury prize went to "Vermiglio", an Italian drama written and directed by Maura Delpero. Set during the second world war in the small mountainous village of Vermiglio, the film follows a large family who are deeply affected by troubling local and global events. A Special Jury Prize went to "April", by Georgian filmmaker, Déa Kulumbegashvili, which tells the story of an obstetrician who helps patients seeking abortions, despite this being illegal, and must defend herself when she is discovered.

The screenplay by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega for "I'm Still Here", the first film by the renowned Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles in over ten years, won the top writing prize. Set during the Brazilian Military Dictatorship in 1971, the film follows a family in search of the patriarch, a former Labour Party congressman, who has mysteriously disappeared.

Nicole Kidman received the Best Actress award for her work in the erotic thriller, "Babygirl". She plays high-ranking CEO who begins a forbidden romance with a captivating and much younger intern, played by Harris Dickinson. The film's director, Halina Rejin received the honor for Kidman due to the unexpected passing of her mother. Vincent Lindon won Best Actor for "Jouer avec le feu (The Quiet Son)" in a film about a father who is estranged from his son over their disagreements on political ideology.

Here is a partial list of the winners of the 2024 Venice Film Festival:

Golden Lion: "The Room Next Door"
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: "Vermiglio"
Silver Lion Best Director: Brady Corbet, "The Brutalist"
Special Jury Prize: "აპრილი (April)"
Best Screenplay: Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, "I'm Still Here"
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman, "Babygirl"
Best Actor: Vincent Lindon, "Jouer avec le feu (The Quiet Son)"
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Paul Kircher, "Leurs enfants après eux (And Their Children After Them)"

2024 TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL

I live in Los Angeles where there is certainly no shortage of film events that occur here all year long. But I decided last year that I would really like to travel more to experience film festivals in other locations. So for my first outing, I will be attending the 2024 Toronto Film Festival. I have been to the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario before but it has been a number of years since the last time I have visited. I really love the city and the people and I get to see movies there so I would say it's truly a winning situation for me.

As for the 49th annual TIFF, there will be sixty-three movies in the Galas and Special Presentations section alone, hailing from twenty-five countries. This will include "Nutcrackers", a comedy-drama from David Gordon Green which will open the fest and make it's world premiere: the first movie in six years from British filmmaker, Mike Leigh which he reteams with his "Secrets & Lies" star, Marianne Jean-Baptiste; the latest feature directed by Angelina Joie, "Without Blood" with Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir; Edward Berger's papal movie, "Conclave" which stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow; Fiennes will also appear in "The Return", a historical drama from Uberto Pasolini which reteams the actor with his "The English Patient" co-star, Juliette Binoche; Oscar-winning editor, William Goldenberg makes his directorial debut with "Unstoppable", a sports drama starring Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez; Cinematographer, Rachel Morrison makes her debut as a director with "The Fire Inside" a sports drama featuring a screenplay by Barry Jenkins: "Nightbitch" from Marielle Heller with Amy Adams as a harried mother thinking she's transforming into a dog; the animated, sci-fi wilderness adventure, "The Wild Robot"; the Cannes Palme d’Or winner, "Anora" from Sean Baker and Australian actor, Rebel Wilson's directorial debut, "The Deb", a musical-comedy will close TIFF.







There will also be programming sections of Documentaries, Centerpiece, Discovery, Primetime (which will focus on television programing), Short Cuts, Film Market (for film buyers and industry professionals), "In Conversation with..." events which will include Cate Blanchett (who will also be the recipient of the Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award), Zoe Saldaña and Steven Soderbergh and free outdoor screenings of classic films. There will be a lot going on and I'm ready for it. The 2024 TIFF will begin on September 5th and run through September 15th. I will be attending the first seven days and writing a viewing diary of the films I will see there.

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

2024 TIFF

2024 FALL MOVIE PREVIEW

The summer movie season did not begin promising with the event films released over the Memorial Day weekend, "The Fall Guy" and "Furiosa", failing to generate much excitement or box-office. But as the season progressed, the fortunes managed to bounce back, largely thanks to the sequels and animated movies helping to lure audiences back into theaters. While it fell short from last year, this year's US summer box-office take will be about 3.6 billion dollars which is still quite impressive.

Now we are approaching the fall season that will wrap up this year. The movie output will be effected much like the summer due to two strikes over the previous year that brought production to a standstill with far fewer films to release in theaters in 2024. But there are some intriguing movies on the way and here are a few that have captured my attention:

All dates are subject to change:

"THE SUBSTANCE"

Release date: September 20, 2024

The French filmmaker, Coralie Fargeat is finally delivering a follow-up to her 2017 breakthrough debut, the action-thriller, "Revenge". With "The Substance" (which Fargeat was recognized for the Best Screenplay prize at this year's Cannes), the film is a feminist critique on aging and beauty told through a deranged, body-horror black comedy. Demi Moore stars as a long-time host of a popular aerobics program who is unceremoniously dropped from the show by her crass boss (Dennis Quaid) solely due to her age. After excepting an experimental black market drug, she is transformed into a younger version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley), getting her old job back as a new girl named "Sue". Yet there are also some unexpected side-effects which creates havoc to her mind and body.



"MEGALOPOLIS"

Release date: September 27, 2024

There has been a lot of chatter about Francis Ford Coppola's self-financed new film, "Megalopolis". After making it's world premiere at Cannes, the critical reviews have been decidedly mixed to downright panned, in addition to disturbing reports about Coppola's behavior on set. Yet there is no denying that the filmmaker's longtime passion project certainly appears to be very intriguing and you can see the reported one hundred million dollar budget on the screen. As far as the story, "Megalopolis" is set in the distant future with Adam Driver playing an architect who clashes with a corrupt mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) over how to rebuild the city of New Rome after a devastating disaster. I'm certain Coppola had little difficulty attracting this starry cast which includes Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne and Dustin Hoffman.



"ANORA"

Release date: October 18, 2024

Sean Baker, the indie director behind "Tangerine", "The Florida Project" and "Red Rocket", is one of the most thrillingly subversive filmmakers working today, tackling subjects in his films which involve struggling, marginalized people, typically sex workers. Yet Baker is never exploitive, delicately revealing their lives with compassion and humanity. With "Anora" (which won the top prize of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival), Mikey Madison plays Ani who works in a New York City strip club going by the name, "Anora". Since she can speak some Russian, Anora is set up with clients who speak the language. She meets a young man named Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) and they fall in love. In order not to be deported, Vanya and Anora get married. But Vanya belongs to a very wealthy Russian family who are not happy about his new bride and will do whatever they have to do to end this relationship.



"A REAL PAIN"

Release date: November 1, 2024

Actor, Jesse Eisenberg moves behind the camera again for the second time as a writer and director with "A Real Pain". This comedy-drama follows two cousins (played by Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) who take a trip to Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. But the more time they spend together, the more problems resurface between them, particularly around their family history.



"THE PIANO LESSON"

Release date: November 8, 2024

Based on August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning play, "The Piano Lesson" examines the bitter conflict in a family regarding a treasured heirloom: a piano which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. The arguments are between a brother, Boy Willie (John David Washington) and his sister, Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) who have very different viewpoints on what should be done with this piano. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Malcolm Washington, son of Denzel and brother to star, John David. Corey Hawkins, Ray Fisher, Erykah Badu and Samuel L. Jackson also star.



"GLADIATOR 2"

Release date: November 22, 2024

I will be the first to admit I groaned loudly when I heard a sequel was being made of "Gladiator", Ridley Scott's swords and sandals Roman epic that improbably became the Best Picture Oscar winner in 2000. Now twenty-four years later, "Gladiator 2" will soon be on the big screen with an eighty-six year old Scott back in the director's chair. I will also admit I was won over by the trailer and the cast which features Paul Mescal as our new gladiator along with Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington in prominent roles. The plot doesn't seem to stray too far from the original film with betrayal, revenge and bloody battles in an arena to be the driving force of this story. Yet it still does help make this new "Gladiator" very compelling. And I love the calculated attempt to try and recreate a "Barbenheimer" phenomenon with "Gladiator 2" being released on the same day as the long-awaited, highly anticipated movie version of the Broadway musical, "Wicked". "Wickiator", perhaps?