Dayton937

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

On Screen Dayton

Local Documentarian Receives $50,000 Breakthrough Award & Grant

By

10504803_10152232897872338_4081136577166734969_oChicken & Egg Pictures was founded in 2005 by Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, and Judith Helfand. Their mission is create a space where women could learn from one another, test their limits, challenge the status quo, and break new ground both as artists and activists.  This year they launched the inaugural Breakthrough Filmmaker Awards.

The award responds to the reality that only a few women non-fiction directors in the U.S. are able to work full-time as independent storytellers. The program recognizes and elevates five mid-career women directors with unique voices who are poised to reach new heights and to continue to be strong filmmaker-advocates for urgent issues. This award consists of a $50,000 unrestricted grant and a year-long mentorship program tailored to each filmmaker’s individual goals

Yellow Springs resident Julia Reichert is one of  the five award winners. Here’s the Julia-Reichertofficial bio Chicken & Egg released as part of the awards:

Julia Reichert is a three-time Academy Award nominee for her documentary work. She lives in Ohio, and has chosen to focus on class, gender, and race in the lives of Americans.  Julia’s first film, Growing Up Female, was the first feature documentary of the modern Women’s Movement.  It was recently selected for the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.  Her films Union Maids and Seeing Red were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Feature Documentary, as was The Last Truck, a short (co-directed with Steven Bognar) which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and on HBO.  Her film A Lion in the House (an ITVS co-production, made with Bognar) premiered at Sundance, screened nationally on PBS, and won the Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking.  She co-wrote and directed the feature film Emma and Elvis.  Julia is co-founder of New Day Films, the independent film distribution co-op.  She is author of “Doing It Yourself,” the first book on self-distribution in independent film, and was an Advisory Board member of IFP. Reichert is currently directing a film about the 9 to 5 movement, telling the stories of the millions of low wage, invisible women who populated the clerical pool, served coffee, and suffered sexual harassment before it was named.  In the 1970’s they gathered their courage and rose up against their bosses, large corporations, and institutions.  She’s also begun filming a verite follow-up to The Last Truck, chronicling the arrival of a new plant in her economically devastated Midwestern city.

 

On being named a winner, Julia shared, “It is such an honor to be among these engaged, brilliant, committed filmmakers. I have so much to learn! DEEP Thanks to the women of Chicken & Egg for their vision. We are all here at Sundance together, having great talks, sharing war stories.”

The other  chosen filmmakers are Kristi Jacobson (A Place at the Table), Yoruba Richen (The New Black), Elaine McMillion Sheldon (Hollow), and Michèle Stephenson (American Promise). This award consists of a $50,000 unrestricted grant and a year-long mentorship program tailored to each filmmaker’s individual goals. For more information on these filmmakers and Chiken & Egg, please visit their website.

 

Moving Pictures: A History Of Cinema In Four Acts

By

the-history-of-cinema-1-638In conjunction with Antioch College’s course on the History of Cinema, professors Charles Fairbanks and Kelly Gallagher have curated four programs to lead viewers through the medium’s history, and (re-)introduce you to essential artworks from across the spectrum. Each film will be introduced and contextualized historically, in order to give attendees an understanding of its historical and artistic significance in cinematic history at The Little Art Theater in Yellow Springs. Each showing runs $5.

CharlesFairbanks2

Charles Fairbanks

Charles Fairbanks is in the process of completing his first feature film, a hybrid documentary about a Mexican shaman who falls under the spell of a pyramid-scheme-marketed nutritional supplement. A Guggenheim fellow, Fairbanks teaches Media Arts at Antioch College.

Kelly Gallagher is an experimental animator and filmmaker interested in handcrafted filmmaking and exploring the ways that animation can be used to visualize stories of resistance. She currently resides in Ohio, where she is an Assistant Professor of Media Arts at Antioch College.

The program includes:

Battleship_Potemkin-2-768x5137pm Sun, Jan 24:   Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin (1925)
preceded by a Buster Keaton short!

Once banned in many nations – including its native Soviet Union – Battleship Potemkin was long considered the greatest film ever made. As Eisenstein’s chef d’oeuvre, Potemkin manifests his influential theories about editing film to shock viewers into action.

images-34

7pm Sun, Feb 7:  Gene Kelly in Stanley Donen’s  Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
preceded by a short film by Maya Deren!

Hollywood’s tongue-in-cheek, musical self-portrait of studio film production during the transition from ‘silent’ film to ‘talkies.’ Consistently ranked as one of the best films – and the top musical – of all time, “Singin’ in the Rain represents the musical genre at its most energetic and ambitious.

 

7pm Sun, Feb 21:  John Cassevetes’s indie classic  Woman Under the Influence (1974)
with a short film by Stan Brakhage

Starring Peter Falk and Gena Rowlands in “two of the most harrowing screen performances of the 1970s,” this “uncompromising portrait of domestic turmoil details the emotional breakdown of a suburban housewife and her family’s struggle to save her from herself. This landmark American film is perhaps the most beloved work from the extraordinary John Cassavetes.” – Criterion Collection

7pm Sun, March 6:  Claire Denis’s  Beau Travail (1999)p24877_d_v8_aa
with a short film TBD

“Loosely based on Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville, Beau travail focuses on an ex-Foreign Legion officer (Denis Lavant) as he recalls his once glorious life, leading troops in Africa.” – Mubi

“Denis and her team create a fixed, timeless world of mysterious, balletic rites, rippled with simmering homoerotic tensions. The intensity of mood and thematic resonance both derive almost entirely from the poetic juxtaposition of music and the stunning images of beauty and sustained, even surreal strangeness. Prepare to be blown away.” – TimeOut London

McCoy on Movies: Ride Along 2

By

RIDE ALONG 2
Kevin Hart, Ice Cube team up again for another comedic tale of law and in-laws … But is it it worth it to ride along with them and watch?

“Wanna know how come I got the Hangover role instead of Jackie Chan? Listen closely …” Ben (Kevin Hart, left) and James (Ice Cube) react to the latest revelation of AJ (Ken Jeong) in a scene from director Tim Story’s RIDE ALONG 2. Credit: Quantrell D. Colbert © 2015 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 


 


KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Olivia Munn, Benjamin Bratt, Ken Jeong, Olivia Munn, Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter and Sherri Shepherd 

WRITER(S): Phil Hat and Matt Manfredi (written by); Greg Coolidge (characters)

DIRECTOR(S): Tim Story

WEB SITE: http://www.ridealong.com/

60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Back for a second adventure after 2014’s surprise box office hit, Ride Along 2 once again stars Kevin Hart as Ben Barber, a video game enthusiast who has finally become a member of the Atlanta Police Dept. … As a low level beat cop. His soon-to-be brother-in-law James (Ice Cube), however, is what Ben really wants to be: A detective. And even though James has softened his stance on his sister Angela (Tika Sumpter) marrying him, he has no qualms about telling Ben he is just not detective material.


Of course, Ben ends up interjecting himself into James’ latest case tracking down a drug dealer who has a mysteriously encrypted flash drive on him. That flash drive leads James to need to travel to Miami to track down a hacker simply named AJ (Ken Jeong), which gives Ben the perfect opportunity to tag – er, make that ride – along with him to show he has what it takes … As well as let Angela and Cori (Sherri Shepherd) finish planning the wedding in peace.


So what happens when Ben and James – a.k.a. the “brothers-in-law” – hit South Beach? As you might expect, nothing goes quite like they expect …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Die-hard Kevin Hart fans; people who enjoy staring at Olivia Munn; people who like Ken Jeong; people who have spent too many hours playing Grand Theft Auto-style video games 

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People tiring of Hart’s same-natured film projects and/or find them a bit uninspired; people who didn’t like the original Ride Along; Olivia Munn fans who wish she had more to do in the film; Benjamin Bratt fans who think he would be above a project like this

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? “Harmless albeit familiar fun.”Those were the words I found ruminating in my head after finishing Ride Along 2, which attempts to break no new ground while being just entertaining enough to keep you from completely detesting it. It’s by no means a “good” movie by good movie standards, yet it finds a way to keep you watching it the entire time.

Hart and Cube have a weird chemistry – not good, not bad, but … weird. You understand why Cube’s hard-edged James does not like him, for his character has all the same critiques about Hart’s character Ben as many of Hart’s detractors have about him as a real person. (He’s loud, he’s annoying, he’s always doing something when he should just chill out a minute yet while nine things he does are ridiculous, the tenth may be, as Cube’s character says, “genius.”) While there is nothing genius about Ride Along 2 – the thin plot is well, thin, Sherri Shepherd’s role as Ben and Angela’s wedding planner doesn’t really make sense given how she argues with both of them and the less said about the scene with the alligator, the better – director Tim Story delivers a competent enough story to keep you enticed enough to watch it to completion.

Then again, if you’re coming to Ride Along 2, you’ve likely seen Ride Along – which means you likely aren’t coming for the story as much as you are to watch Hart be hyperactive, watch Cube make that scowl he’s made since the days of Amerikkka’s Most Wanted and see Jeong do what he did with the Hangover sequels, Community and what the real-life doctor-turned-stand-up-comic-turned-actor is trying to do on Dr. Ken: Save subpar material with his “Go-for-it” personality. Sadly, Olivia Munn does her best to keep things moving with as Detective Maya Cruz and staying in character … But the character seems just slightly out of place with the Cube/Hart/Jeong dynamic. (The fact she seems to be channeling Stephanie Beatriz’s Rosa Diaz but not as well is also a potential whoopise.)

Director Tim Story has a nice little video game sequence in the film that works, Cube and Hart make their weird chemistry watchable, Sumpter and Munn do the best they can to keep it together and Jeong does enough to make the piece salvageable. It makes Ride Along 2 one of those movies that if you happened to be flipping through the channels on a Saturday afternoon, you’d watch … Until you find something else better to do.

Hopefully, Hart has something better in him – or at least will find it before Ride Along 3 likely gets greenlit and it suffers from sequel-itis even though this one is better than its predecessor – even though that’s not really saying too much. Much like Hart and Cube their respective selves, Ride Along 2 is likable … enough. It’s just not their best work.

 

CAROL Soars at THE NEON! PEGGY GUGGENHEIM Doc & Return of SPOTLIGHT Start Friday!

By

5117f5ba-f6a8-4f2d-a3fa-47bb154f4766Hello Everyone,

What a fantastic weekend! Many thanks to everyone who came out for CAROL at THE NEON! This stunning film surpassed the national average for us and has already reached “hit status” in our books. Don’t forget that your ticket stub to CAROL gets you 50% off admission to America’s Packard Museum – just a few blocks away.

We’re holding everything we’ve got (CAROL, THE DANISH GIRL and TRUMBO), and we’re adding a couple more films to the line-up. First off, we’re bringing a documentary that has received several requests – but it will only play for a handful of screenings – PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT. In addition, we will bring SPOTLIGHT back into the mix…we’re pretty certain it will receive numerous Oscar nominations on Thursday.

Speaking of Oscars, I’m happy to announce that our friends at ThinkTV have once again agreed to help us get a signal for our annual Oscar Party. Save the date for Sunday, February 28. More details coming soon!

Synopsis for PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT: “Lisa Immordino Vreeland follows up her acclaimed debut DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL with PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT. A colorful character who was not only ahead of her time but helped to define it, Peggy Guggenheim was an heiress to her family fortune who became a central figure in the modern art movement. As she moved through the cultural upheaval of the 20th century, she collected not only art, but artists. Her colorful personal history included such figures as Samuel Beckett, Max Ernst, Jackson Pollock, Alexander Calder, Marcel Duchamp as well as countless others. While fighting through personal tragedy, she maintained her vision to build one of the most important collections of modern art, now enshrined in her Venetian palazzo.” (Submarine Deluxe) Click this LINK to visit the film’s official website.

Garry Harrington is bringing a cycling film to town on Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30. Sponsored by Five Rivers MetroParks, “INSPIRED TO RIDE is the followup film from the creators of the wildly popular and award-winning film RIDE THE DIVIDE, as well as their second film, REVEAL THE PATH. On June 7, 2014, forty-five cyclists from around the world set out on the inaugural TransAm Bike Race, a 4,233-mile cross-country, self-supported race from Astoria, OR, to Yorktown, VA. The route roughly follows the TransAmerica Trail as created by the Adventure Cycling Association, traversing through ten states in a transcontinental adventure of epic proportions…These athletes will endure agonizing climbs in the Rockies, driving winds in the Great Plains and sawtooth switchbacks in the Appalachians all for a pat on the back, potential bragging rights and a cold beer when it’s over. Some are out to make history and set records, while others are simply trying to finish.” Advanced tickets are $12 each and are only available at this LINK. Same day tickets (if available) will be $15 at our box office one hour before the screening.

We hope to see you soon!
Thanks for your continued support!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Jan. 12 – Thursday, Jan. 21:

THE DANISH GIRL (R) 2 Hrs
Tuesday – Thursday (Jan 12-14): 2:40, 7:45
Fri, Sat, Sun (Jan 15-17): 7:15
Monday (Jan 18): 5:45
Tuesday – Thursday (Jan 19-21): 5:15

TRUMBO (R) 2 Hrs 4 Min
Tuesday – Thursday (Jan 12-14): 5:15
Fri, Sat, Sun (Jan 15-17): 4:45
Monday (Jan 18): 3:20
Tuesday – Thursday (Jan 19-21): 2:40

CAROL (R) 1 Hr 58 Min
Tuesday – Thursday (Jan 12-14): 2:50, 5:20, 7:50
Friday & Saturday (Jan 15 & 16): 11:45, 2:15, 4:45, 7:20, 9:50
Sunday (Jan 17): 11:45, 2:15, 4:45, 7:20
Monday (Jan 18): 3:15, 5:40, 8:00
Tuesday – Thursday (Jan 19-21): 2:50, 5:20, 7:50

PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT (NR) 1 Hr 39 Min
ONLY 4 SCREENINGS OF THIS FILM!
Fri, Sat, Sun (Jan 15-17): Noon
Wednesday (Jan 20): 7:45

SPOTLIGHT (R) 2 Hrs 8 Min
Friday & Saturday (Jan 15 & 16): 2:10, 9:45
Sunday (Jan 17): 2:10
Monday (Jan 18): 8:10
Tuesday (Jan 19): 7:45
Wednesday (Jan 20): No Screening
Thursday (Jan 21): 7:45

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear.)
Jan. 22 – ANOMALISA (Charlie Kaufman’s new film)
Jan. 22 – YOUTH (starring Michael Caine & Harvey Keitel)
Feb. 12 – WHERE TO INVADE NEXT (Michael Moore’s new film)
TBD – OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS
Feb. 19 – LADY IN THE VAN (Maggie Smith – need we say more?)
TBD – SON OF SAUL (almost certain to get an Oscar nomination)
TBD – 45 YEARS (Big Oscar Push for Charlotte Rampling)

Introducing McCoy on Movies: Review of CAROL

By

A movie blog written by someone smart enough to know his opinions may not match yours.

 

 

“There you go … Relax those shoulders … And if this were the 1990s, I’d probably put on a little R. Kelly for how I’m about to get my groove on!”




Cate Blanchett stars as the titular character as she gets close with Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), a shy department store clerk who may become something more in a scene from director Todd Haynes’ take on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt, CAROL.



Credit: © 2015 The Weinstein Company.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:






KEY CAST MEMBERS: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler, Jake Lacy, Cory Michael Smith and Carrie Brownstein


WRITER(S): Phyllis Nagy (screenplay); Patricia Highsmith (novel The Price of Salt on which the film is based)


DIRECTOR(S): Todd Haynes

WEB SITE: http://carolfilm.com/

60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): An adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1952 novel The Price of Salt, Carol stars Rooney Mara as Therese Belivet, a rather quiet, introverted clerk working at a New York City department store. Then she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), a woman that is seemingly everything she isn’t in terms of being confident and glamorous, save for one commonality between them: Attraction. The men in their lives, however – be it Carol’s head-over-heels but oblivious boyfriend (Jake Lacy) or Carol’s controlling, moral-thumping husband (Kyle Chandler) – are none too keen of the situation once they become aware something is going on between their would-be other halves.


But for Carol and Therese, an attraction as strong as the one they share is going to be hard to quell, the wishes of men or society be damned … 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Ohioans who worked on or know people in the film; LGBT community members and supporters; Cate Blanchett fans; people who enjoy watching portrayals of understudied segments of mid-20th century America; fans of Patricia Highsmith’s work 

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Anyone upset about Cincinnati’s decision to be the first city in the nation to ban homosexual conversion therapy; people who feel a disconnect to the story because of their own personal beliefs and/or not being a member of the LGBT community, thus not having the same emotional connection to the story as others; people who believe homosexual relationships are directly related to the dissolution of the American family … And pretty much anyone else you can think of who hears the word “lesbian” or “gay” and chuckles or goes into a rage

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? Carol is a film about which some people will have plenty to say and others, very little. For on one hand, some could easily dismiss the film as a very nice looking tale of a May-December (or more like May–October) romance between two women that doesn’t go far enough in exploring its affects on its main characters outside of one speech in a lawyer’s office and conversation between its female protagonists. Those same people may then look to quickly say something to the effect of Blanchett is commanding of the camera as Carol, a woman who in one breath is as confident and alluring and then, in the next, vulnerable as one can be when awaiting someone to whom you want to give your heart and not knowing they will return the favor. 


Likewise, Mara – who is so adept at playing introverted or mysterious that she’s even talked about it on national television – is great at bringing at, on the surface, is a rather mundane character to life even if she seemingly spends most of the time reacting to things happening around her until she is placed into the role to make a very important decision … Even if she is guided inadvertently to that decision by Carol’s hand. 


On the other hand, there is a LOT one could say about Carol one could discuss at length, from the depiction of men in the film to its status as a romantic drama vs. being a “lesbian romance” film – Salon.com already took the liberty of doing that if you want to examine those issues – to less hot-button topics such as its pacing, the transformation of Cincinnati into 1950s New York City and the like. Other might lament the film not going deeper into exploring the outside forces on Carol and Therese’s relationship or explaining exactly what happened between Carol and her best gal pal Abby (Sarah Paulson). 


Then again, an infinite number of essays could be written about these topics, what the true realities of being in a lesbian relationship during this time in American history were, the ways in which different aspects of society reacted to them and others that the film does not have the time to explore in detail because – as should be evident – a significant number of them exist. Instead, Carol seeks to simply tell a story of two people who find something in each other that they have not found in the people they are already paired up with and – instead of going for something salacious or titillating, looks to present it in a more organic, simple and (perhaps most importantly) natural fashion, which may be its biggest achievement of all. As a film, however, Carol features performances that – which occasionally almost veer into “this is my big moment” territory early on before the actors find their collective grooves – seem well-fitting to the time period it depicts with settings that gorgeously reflect them. 

Thus, if you know the subject matter is not of interest to you because you have an issue with it for whatever reason, Carol will do nothing – other than trying to show you women who simply fall for one another, why and how much richer they make each other’s existence – to change your mind. That is why the film might be so successful in that task, however, with those who are not steadfast and dogmatic in their thinking as it present their relationship as nothing more than a normal relationship, which may in turn say more about such relationships are usually portrayed in media than not – and perhaps that is a sign of the progress the LGBT has been clamoring for for years in making a movie that ISN’T about being “gay,” “lesbian” or the like, but simply a love story. 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

3 Ohio Made Films Selected For Sundance Competition

By

sundance_logoOffering a first look at the year ahead in independent film, culture and new ideas, Sundance Institute announced today the 65 films selected for the U.S. Competition, World Competition and out-of-competition NEXT category set to premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

The Festival is the centerpiece of the year-round public programs for the Institute, which also hosts 24 residency Labs for independent artists in theatre, film, new media and episodic content and grants more than $2.5 million to independent artists each year.

For the 2016 Festival, 120 feature-length films were selected, representing 37 countries and 48 first-time filmmakers, including 28 in competition. These films were selected from 12,793 submissions, including 4,081 feature-length films and 8,712 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 1,972 were from the U.S. and 2,109 were international. 98 feature films at the Festival will be world premieres.

Ohio has one film in the U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION:

Goat / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Neel, Screenwriters: David Gordon Green, Andrew Neel, Michael Roberts) — Reeling from a terrifying assault, a 19-year-old boy pledges his brother’s fraternity in an attempt to prove his manhood. What happens there, in the name of “brotherhood,” tests both the boys and their relationship in brutal ways. Cast: Nick Jonas, Ben Schnetzer, Virginia Gardner, Danny Flaherty, Austin Lyon. World Premiere

Ohio Connection: Karri O’Reilly (Co-Producer), Anne Taylor (Key Makeup), Jaclyn Larovie (Wardrobe Supervisor), David Gewertz (Extras Wrangler) from Dayton, plus Laura Dennings (Prop Master), Amy Faust (1st AC), Scott Lipez (BBE), Mike Dittacur (BBG) and a bunch of others from WSU.

Karri O’Reily shares that with these selections to Sundance, ” it’s even MORE recognition for our crews and state” and we can expect for films to continue coming to Ohio.

 

Two Ohio films are represented in the NEXT Category:

Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.

The Fits / U.S.A., Italy (Director: Anna Rose Holmer, Screenwriters: Anna Rose Holmer, Saela Davis, Lisa Kjerulff) — In this psychological portrait, Toni, an 11-year-old tomboy, is assimilating into a tight-knit dance team in Cincinnati’s West End when a mysterious outbreak of fainting spells plagues the team, and her desire for acceptance is twisted. Cast: Royalty Hightower, Alexis Neblett, Da’Sean Minor, Lauren Gibson, Makyla Burnam, Inayah Rodgers. North American Premiere

Ohio Connection: Shot in Cincinnati

The Land / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Steven Caple Jr.) — Four teenage boys devote their summer to escaping the streets of Cleveland, Ohio, by pursuing a dream life of professional skateboarding. But when they get caught in the web of the local queenpin, their motley brotherhood is tested, threatening to make this summer their last. Cast: Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Moises Arias, Rafi Gavron, Ezri Walker, Erykah Badu, Michael K. Williams. World Premiere

Ohio Connection: Cleveland Film Producer and President of Low Sparks Films new film that shot in Cleveland

 

For the full list on selected films, visit the Sundance website.

BLANCHETT & REDFORD in TRUTH + Big Changes at THE NEON!

By

f15d409ef0d2dd66517a60e998226f3b74edbf29Hello Everyone,

Cate Blanchett & Robert Redford! Need I say more? If you’re like me, you’re already invested! Tomorrow (Oct. 30) we open TRUTH – the new film starring these two incredible actors! (In the coming weeks, I’ll hopefully have more details for you about CAROL – the film with Blanchett I’ve been anticipating for more than a year.) If you still need to see EXPERIMENTER or COMING HOME, you’ll need to hurry. Today is the last day for both of these films at THE NEON. If you need showtimes for today, please visit our website – www.neonmovies.com Showtimes for the upcoming weekend/week are below.

I’ve recently had several people ask me why movies aren’t sticking around longer…customers are wondering why wonderful films (like COMING HOME and PHOENIX and MERU) are leaving after such short runs. Simply put, it almost always means films aren’t performing well. We haven’t had a hit in quite a while, and the independent industry is feeling this across the board. As I write this, distributors are frantically changing their distribution strategies for upcoming films – opening dates are shifting (some forward, some backward), and some titles may disappear entirely from our “Coming Soon” list. These date moves make it all the harder on small venues like THE NEON to effectively market upcoming engagements. I truly appreciate you keeping your eyes on this newsletter (and even our website and facebook) for the latest developments.

Synopsis for TRUTH: “On the morning of September 9, 2004, veteran CBS News producer MARY MAPES (Cate Blanchett) believed she had every reason to feel proud of a broadcast journalism job well done. By the end of the day, Mapes, CBS News, and the venerable CBS News anchor DAN RATHER (Robert Redford) would be under harsh scrutiny. The evening before, 60 Minutes II had aired an investigative report, produced by Mapes and reported on-air by Rather, that purported to reveal new evidence proving that President George W. Bush had possibly shirked his duty during his service as a Texas Air National Guard pilot from 1968 to 1974.” (taken from Sony Classics) Stephen Holden of THE NEW YORK TIMES wrote, “TRUTH is a gripping, beautifully executed journalistic thriller about the events that ended Dan Rather’s career as a CBS anchorman.” Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Don’t forget that we’ve just opened MEET THE PATELS!
Synopsis for MEET THE PATELS: “A laugh-out-loud real life romantic comedy about Ravi Patel, an almost-30-year-old Indian-American who enters a love triangle between the woman of his dreams…and his parents. This hilarious and heartwarming film reveals how love is a family affair.” (taken from Alchemy Releasing) VARIETY calls the film “Sharp” and “Riotously funny.” Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

On Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7:30, Dayton native Tann Moore is bringing a selection of short films to town. “The Dayton Onyx Cinefest (D.O.C.) is a cinefest designed to broaden the horizons of local artists by bringing the culture of film to the African- American arts community and consumers of African-American entertainment in Dayton, Ohio. The fest’s goal is to encourage, educate and enhance the fine-arts related careers of emerging and established local filmmakers of color through a public exhibition and eventual competition program. The desire is to be instrumental in the process of discovering and launching independent films and filmmakers by bringing them to the attention of the public and broader industry. Additionally, attendees will have access to informational seminars and workshops covering a variety of topics including: independent film production, writing for independent film, and will have access to online tutorial programs designed to inform and educate local actors.” Tickets are $20 each and are available via the official site or at THE NEON’s Box Office.

On Sunday, November 15 at 3:00, The Dayton International Peace Museum will have a special screening of SEEKING THE TRUTH IN THE BALKANS. This screening is in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, and tickets will be on a first come first serve basis on the day of the screening for a requested minimum donations of $10. “In the 1990s, the former state of Yugoslavia devolved into chaos as various segments of the country declared independence, inflaming age-old ethnic tensions and the worst genocide to occur in Europe since World War II. During the midst of the conflict, the UN Security Council created the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The ICTY was the first international criminal tribunal since Nuremberg. Now, 23 years later as the ICTY is wrapping up its cases, this prize-winning documentary explores the legacy of this landmark experiment in international law and asks if truth, peace, justice or reconciliation were attained by interviewing over 100 persons most impacted by the decisions of the Tribunal. The trailer for the film can be seen by clicking this LINK.

“Up And Running of Dayton has partnered with Trails in Motion to bring exciting films and documentaries about trail running to the Dayton Area on Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30. All proceeds from this event will go to Girls On The Run of Dayton. Each year, the TRAILS IN MOTION FILM TOUR brings a collection of the finest trail running films to passionate audiences around the world. Trails in Motion strives to present a varied montage of high quality film content from dynamic film makers in this genre, and also aims to develop a global community that brings together like minded trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts in a visual celebration of the sport. All hosted by people who love to share this ‘dirty art’ with their local running communities.” (taken from press notes) Tickets, just $12 each, are available at THE NEON’s box office, at Up And Running stores in Dayton and Troy or via this Speedy Feet LINK.

I’ve already had a handful of requests regarding this year’s holiday film selections. I will announce this year’s line-up in next week’s newsletter!

Thanks for your continued support!
Hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Friday, Oct. 30 – Thursday, Nov. 5:

TRUTH (R) 2 Hr 5 Min
Friday & Saturday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:15, 9:45
Sunday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:15
Monday – Thursday: 2:45, 5:15, 7:45

MEET THE PATELS (PG) 1 Hr 18 Min
Friday & Saturday: 1:10, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:30
Sunday: 1:10, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20
Monday – Wednesday: 3:10, 5:15, 7:20
Thursday: 3:10, 5:15

DAYTON ONYX CINEFEST (NR)
Thursday: 7:30

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear.)
Nov. 6 – LABYRINTH OF LIES
Nov. 13 – SUFFRAGETTE
Nov. 25 – BROOKLYN
TBD – ROOM
Possible Titles: SPOTLIGHT, THE DANISH GIRL, CAROL, TRUMBO, YOUTH

FilmDayton Awards $1000 To “Pitch It” winner.

By

Jeremey GingrichPitchItWinner

Jacob Stuart, Jeremey Gingrich and Alvaro Leite

A film pitch is a basically a sales pitch for a film, tv show or other creative project. Depending on whom you are pitching to and what the purpose of the film pitch is, your pitch may be longer or shorter. A film pitch can range from a one sentence description of your project to a longer telling that should include the main elements of the story, the basic premise, plot points, the main characters, time period, setting and locations.

Last night the 7th Annual Eichelberger FilmFestival kicked off at the Dayton Convention Center with our annual Pitch It! The stories ranged from a psychotherapist’s culture shock in Beijing, to a disgraced conservative pundit returning to his hometown to mend relationships and a horror/fantasy about a girl who uses her creativity and newfound ability to ‘phase’ through colors to survive attacks from the malevolent entity that caused the disappearance of her dad and death of her mom.

The judges: Alvoro Leite, a filmmaker and screenwriter, who attended film school at Wright State University where he got hisBFA in Motion Pictures Production and currently a teacher at Stivers School for the Arts and Jacob N. Stuart, an award-winning and represented screenwriter. He has had OVER 15 scripts optioned and/or produced to screen, airing in OVER 7 different countries. Jacob is the Founder of Screenwriting Staffing.

In a FilmDayton tradition, each contestant had 2 minutes to “pitch” their idea and then judges asked questions eliciting further details on plot, character development, target audiences and more. After careful consideration the winning pitch was selected:

 

“Dean and Max, late 20’s best friends since college, are about to embark on the Never Ending Tour – Bob Dylan’s touring frenzy from the year 2000 – on a road trip through the Western United States (8 shows, 6 states in 10 days), meeting the colorful characters you’re bound to meet on such a tour, as they also try to cope with Dean’s impending divorce of his wife of 6 years and the recent death of Max’s father.

Beavercreek filmmaker Jeremey Gingrich was awarded $1000 to kickstart his film into production. And the FilmDayton festival was official underway, with 3 screenings last night at The Neon. The fest continues with documentaries, shorts, features at The Neon and workshops today and Sunday at ThinkTV. For the full scheudle, please visit FilmDayton’s website.

Big Lens Fest Festival Debuts New Cinema

By

12118651_10153066498031196_4203125398381922642_nWright State University’s award-winning film program is hosting the Big Lens Film Festival at the Dayton Art Institute, on Friday October 16th at 7pm.

Films from the Wright State program have been nominated for Student Academy Awards, Student Emmy’s and have premiered at top film festivals, including Sundance.

New York Shorts Come To Yellow Springs

By

Local filmmaker and writer Holly Hudson is producing the local screening of the NYC-based Asbury Little Art Theatre Flyertraveling short film show – the 34th Asbury Short Film Concert at the Little Art Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 15th. The Speaking Suns will play an acoustic opening set before the screenings begin. Asbury is a non-competitive traveling film show featuring award winning shorts from the past few years with the mission to keep short films alive in the theaters. This screening will also feature shorts by Columbus based, award winning short filmmaker, Mitchell Rose.

Founded in 1980, The Asbury Film Festival originally took place annually in a church basement, near Asbury Avenue in Westbury. Guest hosts included local radio personalities and  programs combined metro area college films with a few indie shorts coming in from out of town festivals.

In 1987 The Asbury “Festival” changed  the format and entertainment focus changed drastically. The show is now like a trip to the best film festivals in the world where you sample the elite of the short film genre but without competition and added live entertainment!

Academy Award nominated director Jason Reitman (JUNO, Up in the Air, Thank You for Smoking, Young Adult) calls Asbury Shorts: “The best short film show I’ve ever seen.” The fast-paced highly entertaining screening features the best in live action comedy, drama and outstanding animation.

Asbury is celebrating thirty-one years of screening the world’s most popular short films at tour stops across the US and Europe!  Some of the film you’ll see include:

The Tailor, Dir. Gordon Grinberg
Death Taxes and Apple Juice
The Quality of Mercy, Dir. Stephen Marro
Globe Trot, Dir. Mitchell Rose
ASAD
Tickets cost $8 and can be purchased online and at the box office the night of the event if not previously sold out online. The Little Art is located at 247 Xenia Avenue in Yellow Springs, Ohio. For any further information please call: 937-767-7671.

 

TIFF 2015 Day #9 – My Final Day!

By

Youth-poster-newHello Everyone,

Today was my last day of screenings, and even though I feel like I’ve been away for months, I’m actually a little sad to be packing my bags.  There are several films I didn’t get a chance to see, and every year I think I’m going to take part more in the industry activities (indiewire talks, a variety of lectures, etc.) – but I don’t.  I just end up cramming in movies.

First off today, I saw STONEWALL, directed by Roland Emmerich.  This film was lambasted before anyone saw it.  Criticism soared across the web based only on the trailer, and I must admit that I went into this screening with very low expectations…and I was pleasantly surprised.  Though not a masterpiece by a long shot, it’s better than I anticipated.  The story of the actual Stonewall Riots is only a portion of this coming-of-age tale about a young guy kicked out of his home and now living on the streets of NYC with numerous other LGBT youth.  This is a fictional story set in the midst of some recognizable events and characters, and despite some giggles at some inappropriate moments (due to trite material) it worked emotionally for several people around me in the cinema.

YOUTH is director Paul Sorrentino’s follow-up to his masterpiece THE GREAT BEAUTY.  It’s a lovely film about two long-time friends (Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel) vacationing in the Swiss Alps.  Though not much “happens,” there’s a lot of discussion about life – both present and past, and there is an abundance of cinematic poetry.  The two men are on different paths.  One is finishing a screenplay for what should be his next great film and the other is retired with no intention of returning to his work (even at the request of the Queen of England).  Though perhaps a bit too avant garde for some, I devoured this film and its interesting gaze.

My last film of the festival was THE WITCH, directed by Robert Eggers.  This period thriller/horror film set in 1630’s New England was a smash at Sundance, and I have to admit that I have a secret thing for witches.  From Margaret Hamilton to Angelic Huston, from Shakespeare’s “double double, toil and trouble” to Miller’s trials – I’ve always been fascinated by them. Though stylish and sometime startling, The performances and period details are very well executed, the cinematography is moody and beautifully done, and there are some genuinely haunting moments…but something wasn’t working for me.  Perhaps the score which purposefully misguides us numerous times helped to create a distrust in the storytelling – I’m not entirely sure what was creating the disconnect for me. That said, as much as this film is about a witch, it’s even more about paranoia and distrust and a creepy devotion to the Bible.  During the Q&A, we heard the director talk about all of his research for this film – from court documents and diaries from that era to architectural elements, his knowledge of the subject made me appreciate the film a bit more.  I think this film will certainly find a devoted audience…but I wasn’t 100% sold.

And now it’s time to pack my bags.  I’ve met some great people during this trip – critics that write for international publications, people who curate festivals in other markets and numerous lovers of cinema.  I’ve seen old friends, I’ve had good food, I’ve seen numerous movie stars and famous directors, and I’ve watched 34 movies.  It’s been a blast. Thanks for checking in on me.

I hope to see you soon.  All the best,

Jonathan

TIFF 2015 – Day #8

By

Victoria_(2015_film)_POSTERHello Everyone.

Today was the first day I didn’t have to get up terribly early, and that extra 45 minutes of sleep was much appreciated.

My day started off with a screening of a film that will be on the top of my list – SPOTLIGHT, directed by Tom McCarthy.  This is a newsroom procedural of the Boston Globe uncovering the Catholic Church scandal in 2001.  Starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Liev Schreiber, this film has a great script, tight editing and at times plays like a thriller.  The material is certainly chilling – especially when one character states that when it comes to priests and pedophilia, it’s not just a few bad apples, it’s  “a recognizable psychiatric phenomenon.”  I think it could go the distance for numerous nominations this season.

VICTORIA, directed by Sebastian Schipper, was next on my list.  This 2+ hour film was done in one long, mobile take. It’s the story of a young woman who gets caught up with a group of guys after leaving a nightclub in Berlin.  She’s romantically interested in one of the guys, but the gang has a mission that night…and she ends up getting tangled up in a bank robbery.  Though the last 40 minutes are quite exhilarating, it takes a long time to get moving.  Because it’s one shot, we would never buy the protagonist’s motivations to join the guys on their heist if we didn’t have time for her to form a connection.  Thus we are forced to watch the set-up of their relationship in what would normally be trimmed down to 15 -20 minutes (instead it takes more than an hour – some of which is rather tedious).  The film is technically incredible and the performances are wonderful too…I just felt it went on too long – but I understand that’s part of the point.

JAMES WHITE, directed by Josh Mond, was my final film of the day.  Cynthia Nixon and Christopher Abbott both give incredible performances in this film about a walking powder keg who is taking care of his sick mother.  Abbott plays James –  a hot-headed, partying slacker with bursts of violence, and the performance is riveting.  The raw feel of the film truly puts us in the heart of New York without ever feeling like a triptych, and there are a couple powerful moments between mother and son which really cemented Josh Mond as a filmmaker to watch.   The director and cast were present for a Q&A, and Nixon was asked about her preparation for the part.  She spoke eloquently of having lost her mother to Cancer during the same year of shooting the film and of losing two close friends to AIDS in the 90’s…and how she was able to draw upon those bedside experiences to prepare for the role.

Only one more day!

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan

TIFF 2015 – Day #7

By

room_posterHello Everyone.

Today was a rough start.  One of the boys at IndieWire threw a little party last night, and I got in very, very late…so getting out of bed at 6:30 was a challenge.  But I made it…and managed to squeeze in a nice nap mid day. So everything worked out fine.

First off, I saw THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY, directed by Matthew Brown.  This is a film about an Indian mathematician whose theories revolutionized his field…and the his hardships in having them heard due to racial tensions in England.  The movie stars Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons, and this is certainly Patel’s most subtle and best role since SLUMDOG. Though I found some material a little hokey, it’s ultimately a solid period piece that will be a crowd-pleaser. (There is not yet a trailer for this film.)

the-man-who-knew-infinity

ROOM, directed by L Abrahamson is fantastic.  This is the story of a young woman and her son who are being held captive in a small garden shack.  The little boy turns 5 early in the film, and the “Room,” his mother and the man who visits regularly (their captor) are the only things the boy knows of the world.  Though they have television, he’s been raised to believe that everything there is make-believe.  I had quite a response to this film.  My entire body was trembling during the scene when the boy’s mother created a plan for the boy to escape.  I haven’t had this type of bodily response to a film in a long, long time.  (I’m not going to tell you anything more about the plot.  Just trust me…it’s great.)

I SMILE BACK, directed by Adam Salky, was next on the list.  Sarah Silverman is getting a lot of praise for this brave, raw performance – and it’s well-deserved.  This is the story of a married mother of two who is battling mental illness and substance abuse.  It’s a gritty film, and the story is actually simple.  Though performances are strong across the board, and I think the film is well done, there was something keeping me from really connecting.

My final film of the day was MISS SHARON JONES!, directed by Barbara Kopple.  This documentary is about the legendary singer and her battle with Cancer.  Kopple is one of a handful of directors who had a film premiere at the very first Toronto Film Fest (then known as “The Festival of Festivals”) – the film was HARLAN COUNTY, USA, and it went on to win the Academy Award.  This film is full of great music and Jones’ soaring spirit.  During industry screenings, audience response is quite minimal…this one was followed by a nice round of applause.  (I’ll soon be acquiring some Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings music.)

USA - MUSIC - Sharon Jones

I no longer have to get in line super early, so I get to sleep in until 7:45 tomorrow.   I’m looking forward to that extra sleep.

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan

 

TIFF 2015 – Day #6

By

21165911088_409fa65dab_oHi Again.

Thanks for coming back.  Today, in addition to 4 films and one late night party, I managed to have a window of time that allowed me to have a nice dinner and small shopping spree – so I have now contributed nicely to the Canadian economy.

First thing this morning, I saw THE DRESSMAKER, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and starring Kate Winslet.  Moorhouse, known for her weepie HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT, wasn’t quite sure which tone to give to this most recent novel adaptation…so she went with several.  What starts out as a “Screwball Western” changes genres and mood so many times, it’s difficult to explain.  Winslet, returning home after a long absence, appears as a curvaceous outlaw – her nontraditional weapons are her Singer sewing machine, a great gold swing and her feminine wiles.  Accused of killing a classmate while in grade school, she hasn’t been back to town for years.  Now she’s back to take care of her mother and set things straight.  This Australian film is completely bonkers!  It also stars the awesome Judy Davis and the terribly sexy Liam Hemsworth, and was penned by P.J. Hogan (MURIEL’S WEDDING).  Though I found this film to be an overall disaster, I couldn’t stop watching – the performances are fun and some of the material is quite hysterical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=580PmstF7IA

Next up was a film that many have been quite excited about. WHERE TO INVADE NEXT, directed by Michael Moore isn’t quite what it seems.  There is no trailer yet for this film that critics are dubbing “Michael Moore’s Happy Film,” and if you watch the clip below, even the press was speculating about the subject of the film before it premiered (the young woman in the clip mentions what the film is about…and she’s completely wrong).  In what might seem to be Michael Moore’s most optimistic film, he visits various countries and gives us ideas as to how we could do things better.  From Italy’s vacation policies to school lunches in France to Slovenia’s no tuition for college system, Moore explains that these practices lead to better living conditions, a more productive work force and overall better state of affairs.  This film is a crowd-pleaser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZVGbH2awic

I then scurried across town for the under-attended MA MA, directed by Julio Medem.  Medem, known for his film LOVERS OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE and SEX AND LUCIA, was in attendance along with the stunning lead actress Penelope Cruz.  This is the story of woman who finds out she has breast Cancer but continues to be a most compassionate, giving/forgiving woman.  Critics have not been terribly kind to this beautifully executed melodrama (but they rarely are with this genre).  Though not without its flaws, I really liked this film. (Unfortunately, I can’t find a trailer with subtitles, but you should watch this one regardless.)

ANOMALISA, directed by Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, was my final film for the day.  This stop-motion puppet film, written by the much beloved Kaufman (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, ADAPTATION, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND), is 100% made for adults.  It’s a relatively simple story about a motivational speaker staying overnight at a hotel trying to escape his monotonous life.  There is no trailer for this film – only the Kickstarter campaign below.  The film won the Grand Jury Prize in Venice, and word has it that it is being picked up for distribution.

la-2437344-et-0904-charlie-kaufman-telluride-02-r-20150903

Thanks for reading!  Only a few days left.

More tomorrow,

Jonathan

TIFF 2015 – Day #5

By

Freeheld-posterHello Again.  Thanks for coming back!

Half way through today marked the half way point of the festival.  And by the end of the day, I had seen 20 films in all…but there’s lots more to go.

My first film of the day was the thriller COLONIA, directed by Florian Gallenberger.  Starring Daniel Bruhl and Emma Watson, this film started out like a conventional political thriller about civil unrest in Chile in 1973.  But then it became an over-the-top cult escape thriller.  This is the story of Colonia Dignidad – a hideous compound in Chile that housed a religious cult and also served as a military torture prison.  Though entirely engaging, I found some of the characters to be of the Disney villain sort – thus making it seem like it couldn’t be based in reality.  That said, the story is based on fact, and seeing the actual photos at the end was a nice pay-off.  There were moments that seemed a little too much HUNGER GAMES driven – so I’m not sure who the intended audience is…serious subject but a little too young adult driven to rise to the top for me.

Next up was FREEHELD, directed by Peter Sollett and starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page.  This was a film I was looking forward to seeing, and I was a little disappointed at first.  Though the performances are certainly quite good, the film seemed a bit flat at first.  This film is based on the short documentary of the same name.  We played it at the Dayton LGBT Film Fest several years ago, and it went on to win the Academy Award.  It’s the story of Laurel Hester and her attempt to get her police pension left to her domestic partner in New Jersey.  Though perhaps a little “one-note” in this role, it takes Steve Carell to inject some energy into the film.  The original documentary covered the material that picks up in the second half of the film, and that’s where I became most engaged.  This story was groundbreaking in its role to bring marriage equality to New Jersey…and now that marriage equality is nationwide, it serves as an important reminder of why LGBT people have been fighting so hard.

Next up was THE FAMILY FANG, directed by Jason Bateman.  This film is based on a beloved novel, adapted for the screen by David Lindsay-Abbaire (playwright of RABBIT HOLE).  Starring Bateman, Nicole Kidman and Christopher Walken, this is the story of a family who are reunited after an unlikely accident.  The parents are long-time, well-known performance artists who stage very public pieces that often come off as practical jokes.  Though certainly a very touching film, it is also terribly funny. Somewhere between FLIRTING WITH DISASTER and SAVAGES and even a little ROYAL TENENBAUMS (though more for its elements of family dynamics), this film became my biggest surprise for the festival.  I was intrigued enough to go…but was so delighted that I had.  It’s a wonderful film.  Bateman and Walken were there for a Q&A, and it was delightful.  It was clear that Bateman loved having Walken in the role, and he said “Everything Chris did was fantastic.  It was like killin’ babies in the editing room.” This film has yet to be picked up for distribution…but I bet it will be soon.

75-1

I had about half an hour to spare this evening, so I poked into JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE, directed by Amy Berg – it was not my intention to stay for the entire film (and I didn’t).  I was quick to learn that this documentary about Janis Joplin was made for PBS (I believe it will play on American Masters series).  Though intriguing subject material and certain to find a big fan base, this film wasn’t working so well for me on the big screen.  Much of the archival footage was so grainy and distorted via large format projecting…I think it will play much better on televisions.

THE ONES BELOW, directed by David Farr was my last film of the night.  “Eagerly awaiting their first child, a young couple in a tiny London suburb become involved in a psychological battle of wills with the tenants in the apartment downstairs…” (taken from the TIFF program).  Unfortunately, this film also looked like it would play much better on television – but not due to pixilation or grainy footage.  This thriller had some unintended laugh-out-loud moments…and in most other circumstances I would have left after 20 minutes.  But for some reason, I felt compelled to stay and so I could shake me head and roll my eyes at some very strange decisions in what had hoped to be a bit more of a nod to Roman Polanski.  Though there were a couple gripping moments, I ultimately found this film to be the biggest turkey of my TIFF experience so far.

75-2

And now it’s off to bed.  Thanks for checking in.

More tomorrow,

Jonathan

TIFF 2015 – Day #4

By

brooklynHi Again!

My first film today was TRUMBO, directed by Jay Roach.  For the first few minutes, I had to get over its visual style.  It seemed a little cartoony, and the cinematography seemed more like television than film…but then it took its hold on me with a sharp screenplay and terrific performances.  This is the story of Dalton Trumbo, one of the “Hollywood 10” who was Blacklisted during America’s fear of people affiliated with the Communist Party. The script is terrific, and the story is playful but serious – and Brian Cranston is wonderful in his Big performance (during the Q&A, the director noted that “Trumbo didn’t just talk, he performed.”).  This is a film that had the packed house bursting into applause during certain key moments, and I think it’s a film that would certainly go over well with NEON audiences.  We’ll see what the distributor has in mind (not to mention the crowded marketplace this fall)! (NEON favorite Helen Mirren plays Hedda Hopper – and she chews up the scenery with her wickedly upsetting material.  One other supporting role that stood out was John Goodman’s.  You’ll love him.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2AaNh4FSig

DISORDER, directed by Alice Winocour, was the next film of the day.  Starring Matthias Schoenaerts (a regular face at THE NEON – RUST AND BONE, THE DROP, and FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD…and possibly THE DANISH GIRL this Fall), this is the story of a man with PTSD who is hired to work security for a wealthy family while the husband is away on business.  This psychologic turned invasion thriller is marked with great performances, edge of your seat tension and incredible sound design.

Up next was MAGGIE’S PLAN, directed by Rebecca Miller.  This seemed like new territory for a Rebecca Miller film to me.  It might be in large part to Greta Gerwig’s presence, but it felt more like a Noah Baumbach/Woody Allen comedy.  That said, this love triangle comedy starring Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore certainly has some wonderful moments (and Julianne Moore steals every scene she’s in as a Danish professor).  The story is about a single woman (Gerwig) who is determined to have a baby and finds herself in a relationship with a married professor.

Maggie's Plan

Lastly, I saw my favorite film of the festival so far – BROOKLYN, directed by John Crowley.  In this lovely 1950’s period film, Saoirse Ronan plays a girls who moves from Ireland to Brooklyn in order to have a better life.  We witness a wonderful transformation from reserved wallflower to a more confident, stunning woman.  With a screenplay by Nick Hornby, this film works on all levels.  The screenplay is great, the performances are wonderful, and the cinematography will make you swoon.  Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson (seen earlier this year in EX MACHINA),  Emory Cohen (who you might recognize from THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES) and director John Crowley were in attendance for an insightful Q&A.

After all my screenings, I met different people at a couple different locations for cocktails.  It was a nice mix of business & pleasure to cap off the day.

More tomorrow.  Thanks for reading!

Jonathan