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Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Real (2013)
The other Kurosawa (whose well received TOKYO SONATA was in the 2008 NYFF) returns to feature film after the 2012 mini-series PENANCE (SFIFF 2013), this time for a doom-ridden romance laced with sci-fi and fantasy. Overlong, repetitious, confusing, and ultimately treacly, this is a real disappointment and was a late addition to this year's NYFF Main Slate that might have as well been left off. The technique is there, but not the bite.
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James Gray: The Immigrant (2013)
An unusually decent scoundrel (Joaquin Phoenix) falls for the Polish Catholic immigrant woman (Marion Cotillard) whom he exploits in this beautiful but somewhat limp costume drama set early in the Prohibition era.
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Claire Denis: Bastards (2013)
An intriguingly mysterious non-linear nightmare of . . . revenge? After a family has been ruined, with corporate evil and sexual deviation involved. Vincent Lindon, Michel Subor, Chiara Mastroianni, Alex Ducas, Grégoire Colin, Lola Créton are among cast members.
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Ben Stiller: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The famous 1939 James Thurber story was made into a film by Danny Kaye in 1947, and now Fox Studios has done it again, starring Ben Stiller. The basic idea gets lost but the latter part of the film has its points. NYFF Centerpiece Film, also its world premiere. It opens in US theaters on Christmas Day 2013.
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Last week of press screenings
Final week of P&I screenings coming up, and it's going to be a good one with some of the year's best films. And now that the festival is running full-dress cast-and-crew appearances, so to speak, are happening for Q&As. Reviews of these will round out Filmleaf's complete Festival Coverage of the 2013 NYFF.
MONDAY OCTOBER 7
10AM Steve McQueen's 12 YEARS A SLAVE (134m)
*Press conference to follow with director Steve McQueen.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 8
10AM J.C. Chador's ALL IS LOST (107m)
*Press Conference to follow with director J.C. Chandor and Robert Redford.
1PM Alexander Payne's NEBRASKA (115m)
*Press conference to follow with director Alexander Payne, Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb and Stacy Keach.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9
10AM Ralph Fiennes' THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (111m)
*Press conference to follow with director and star, Ralph Fiennes, and Joanna Scanlan.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 10
10AM Jim Jarmusch's ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (123m)
*Press conference to follow with director Jim Jarmusch, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Wright and Anton Yelchin.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 11
1PM – 4PM Abdeletif Kechiche's BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR (LA VIE D’ADÈLE) (179m)
*Press conference to follow with director Abdellatif Kechiche and Adèle Exarchopoulos.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12
10AM Spike Jonzes's HER
Press conference to follow to follow with director Spike Jonze, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Rooney Mara.
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Steve McQueen: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
The London-born artist's third big feature, based on a true account of a Saratoga, New York free black man, a violinist with a family, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. It's probably unsafe not to like this one, with its popular Toronto award and Oscar tweets, powerful emotions and strong acting, but I dare to offer a few criticisms. It's protagonist (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) who's a model of self restraint and martyrdom is consistent with the earlier two played by Michael Fassbender. I still like HUNGER best.
Limited US release begins Oct. 18.
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J.C. Chandor: All Is Lost (3013)
A man adrift in a yacht 1,700 nautical miles from land in the Indian Ocean struggles to survive. Virtually without words, only one actor, Robert Redford. A visceral, kinetic, utterly lean and pared-down tour de force. Great stuff. One of my clear favorites of the festival. And you will be able to see it starting 18 Oct. 2013. I would.
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Alexander Payne: Nebraska (2013)
After California (SIDEWAYS) and Hawaii (THE DESCENDANTS), Payne returns to his home state for a story in which a son takes his old dad on a wild goose chase from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska, to collect a million dollars that is just a publishers ad letter gimmick, so they can spend some time together. Along the way they stop in the small town where dad grew up and visit old friends and old memories. Hilarious and touching. Bruce Dern won the Best Actor award at Cannes for his performance. It is one worth watching. In black and white, with fiddles, and banjos, shot by Payne's usual cinematographer. US release 22 Nov. 2013.
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Ralph Fiennes: The Invisible Woman (2013)
It's pronounced "Rayfe." A tame sub-Masterpiece Theater costume drama starring and directed by Ralph Fiennes about Charles Dickens' 12-year affair with a young actress Nelly Ternan (played by Feliciy Jones). Tied in with an evening (9 Oct. 2013) at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall celebrating Fienne' career. Maybe we need to celebrate more great directors, not famous actors who turn directors.
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With this kind of coverage (with no pay) we are truly lucky to have you here Chris.
Integrity, Class, Intelligence.
You've always been a triple threat. ;)
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Thanks a lot Johann. Just read the reviews and give me feedback, that's the best pay.
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Jim Jarmusch: Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Jarmusch's vampire movie gives us jaded hipsters with British accents. They've been lovers for centuries; now they are living on separate continents, he in Detroit, she in Tangier, Morocco. I admire Tom Hiddleston's impeccable diction and cool disdain, more touching here than in THOR. Anton Yelchin plays a young American human, appealing and funny. Tilda Swinton has already looked like a vampire so long it's too late. This film is soaked in dark beauty and yellow shadows, but it also seems to go on for centuries. It may be enjoyable to re-watch as films that are pure style often are, but it seems a disappointment. D'Angelo was ultimately disappointed too, but it gave him so much hope starting out that he ranked it second of all the films he saw at Cannes this year, after Asghar Farhadi's THE PAST. That one should have been in the NYFF this year but it's not. I can't understand that. We got most of the other top rated Cannes films -- BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, STRANGER BY THE LAKE, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, ALL IS LOST, NEBRASKA. Well, not all: not VENUS IN FUR either.
CANNES FESTIVAL CRITICS PANEL.
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Abdellatif Kechiche: Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)]
A powerful, controversial film. This three-hours-long lesbian love story from first passion through breakup and just beyond contains nothing original in the basic narrative, but the specificity and fluidity of shooting in the long-running graphic sex scenes and all the other sequences and the committed intensity of the two young actresses, Adèle Exarchopoulos, 19 and Léa Seydoux, 27, cannot fail to involve, move, and impress. He takes you through the experiences. He could have more perspective or humor. How come a straight male director can get away with this, and a gay equivalent wouldn't be likely to go over well at all with the straight audience? Anyway, the film and the two actresses won the top film competition award at Cannes, the Palme d'Or, plus the FIPRESCI prize. Many festivals, US release starting 25 Oct.
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Today Saturday, 12 Oct. will be the final P&I screening for the 2013 NYFF: Spike Jonze: Her, starring Joaqun Phoenix. Eventually there will be a roundup.
Stay tuned!
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Spike Jonze: Her (2013)
This Jonze film about a mustachioed sad sack (played by Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his new sophisticated computer OS, which has the voice of Scarlett Johansson, was written by him alone. Without Charlie Kaufman or even Dave Eggers channeling Maurice Sendek, he produces soft sweet mush. But that may be what the NYFF wanted for its closing night, and Jonze has his mad adoring fans, as was clear at the press screening Q&A.
This is the last screening and concludes my reviews of the NYFF 2013 Main Slate. It's also the final day of the festival. Goodbyes and thanks. It's no rest for Glenn, Jeff, John, and David et al. They've begun the huge FSLC Jean-Luc Godard series. But I'm going to Paris for two weeks, and will report on some movies I see thee.
Last day of new films. However there is a special feature now (borrowed from Tribeca). Tomorrow, 13 Oct., is the final day. The most popular NYFF films this year based on having to have additional screenings, will be shown again. They are as follows:
13 SUNDAY
The Square 12:30pm
Burning Bush 1:30pm
Gloria 2:00pm
Bastards 3:00pm
12 Years a Slave 5:00pm
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil le Clercq 6:00pm
The Dog 6:30pm
Blue Is the Warmest Color 8:30pm
Sorry, I don't have reviews of Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil le Clercq or The Dog -- those were not Main Slate films, though they were popular.