TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEWS 2017
THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY
REALLY GOOD FILMS - THEY MADE MY DAY
Battle of the Sexes
Frothy and thoroughly enjoyable, yet thought-provoking at the same time,
this is based on the true story of Billie Jean King (Emma Stone), the
top-ranked female tennis player versus Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell in an over
the top performance) in what was billed as the Battle of the Sexes. In 1973
the notion that a woman could beat a man in tennis was laughable and
Bobby’s outrageous behavior is so bizarre it’s hard to believe that this
was reality for women in the 70s. A must see for anyone under 35 who
doesn’t remember/know about this era.
Darkest Hour
Gary Oldman IS Winston Churchill. In this retelling of the early days as
Brittan’s Prime Minister, many of his advisors vehemently argued that
England should save itself and surrender to the Nazis. Many viewed
Churchill as a senile drunk warmonger so his arguments to the contrary
often fell on deaf ears. Compelling and insightful the acting if first
class. Kristen Scott Thomas plays his iron willed wife … without her
steady, calm influence history might very well have been quite different.
If you’ve seen DUNKIRK, see this to understand the momentum behind hundreds
of civilians in their private crafts undertaking the rescue of ~300,000
soldiers.
Downsizing
A Swedish scientist comes up with a creative, audacious idea to deal with
overpopulation and ecological crises – miniaturize people and build tiny
towns for them to live in … So begins Alexander Payne’s latest inventive
idea. For Matt Damon (an everyday man who says “what the heck, why not?”),
Christopher Waltz (a sleazy neighbor) and Hong Chau (a Vietnamese emigrant)
undergo the “treatment” and live happily for until some unintended
consequences rear their ugly head. The supporting cast - Kristen Wiig,
Laura Dern, Neil Patrick Harris and Margo Martindale – is excellent.
First They Killed My Father
This is Angelina Jolie’s adaptation to the screen of a memoir about a
middle class family during the murderous Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
Fascinating and thoroughly depressing, you will nevertheless remember the
luminous faces of the children as they endure the most horrifying
deprivation and degradation.
Lady Bird
This film by Writer-Director Greta Gerwig is a classic about the trials and
tribulations of mothers and their drama-prone teenage daughters. Saoirse
Ronan is brilliant as a senior in a Catholic high school who - most of the
time - thinks her mother (the wonderful Laurie Metcalf) - is a gigantic
pain who doesn’t understand her. Overworked and underpaid the mother tries
hard to navigate her daughter’s moods. Embracing the role of a rebel, the
daughter fumbles through her first romantic entanglements. Funny, true to
life and nostalgic.
Loving Vincent
See this film. I promise you’ll be amazed at the creativity with which this
film was put together. “After Vincent Van Gogh’s death, one of his only
friends …a postmaster (played by Chris O’Dowd) and his son go to great
lengths to make sure the painter’s last letter is delivered.” They delve
into the mystery that has always swirled around the cause of Van Gogh’s
death. The creative team spent “nine years leading a team of 125 artists to
create 65,000 oil paintings (to) bring Van Gogh’s people and places to
life.” Telluride program
Hostiles
This is an award-worthy performance by Christian Bale in a fresh take on a
cowboys and Indians tale. In 1892 Captain Joe Blocker, after decades of
fighting the “hostile” indigenous people, reluctantly agrees to escort an
old, sick chief and his family back their tribal home in Montana. Along the
way a grief stricken widow (Rosamund Pike) whose husband and children were
slaughtered by Indians, to the entourage. I loved this film though I
generally dislike movies about the old wild West. It is just beautifully
crafted and the story is so unique I highly recommend seeing it.
The Venerable W
This is a horrifying, but eye opening documentary about the viciousness and
evil of a Buddhist monk – Ashin Wirathu, who demands that his followers
exterminate Burma’s Rohingya Muslim minority. This eye opening film
shatters any notion one might have of the “peacefulness” of all Buddhists.
TRY IT, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT
Faces Places
An engaging documentary about the collaboration between two French artists
– Agnes Varda, age 89 and the elder statesperson of the French New Wave and
JR a young, wildly popular street artist. Boarding a van the two set out
across France to create large scale photographic images on public spaces.
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool
Based on a true story about Gloria Grahame (Annette Bening), a once
glamorous Oscar-winning movie star, this film chronicles her romantic
relationship with a much younger - quite ordinary - aspiring actor (Jamie
Bell). Their relationship, while at times fraught, is believable and Bening
goes from fragile or sexy to needy in the blink of an eye. While the acting
is terrific I could never quite connect with the characters. In the end,
these two people are just sad.
THE ACTING WAS GOOD - MAYBE EVEN BRILLIANT – HOWEVER …
A Fantastic Woman
Orlando leaves his wife and children to be with Marina, a much younger
transsexual waitress/singer. When Orlando dies suddenly, his family denies
Marina the usual social privileges of a grieving loved one and she must
find a way to go on with her life.
The Shape of Water
First, let me say, I loved the sea monster – creepy and cuddly at the same
time. But while the acting by Sally Hawkins (the mute), Richard Jenkins
(the lonely neighbor), Octavia Spencer (the work buddy) and Michael Shannon
(the bad guy), is stellar, I wouldn’t have been sorry to skip this. A mute
janitor and her friend work at a secret government installation that has
captured and caged a strange sea creature. Our heroine falls in love with
the “monster” and works to free it back into the ocean. The bad guy studies
and tortures the creature and tries to thwart the escape.
STRANGE/UNSETTLING/CRINGE WORTHY – SKIP, UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE NOTHING
BETTER TO DO WITH YOUR TIME
The Rider
Many liked this film, perhaps because the actors are amateurs and come from
the rodeo circuit life so there is a certain true to life quality about it.
I found it sad and predictable. A young, very poor rodeo rider is severely
injured when a bull hurls him to the ground. His recovery is slow and
painful but despite a severe head injury, he is determined to ride again.
One of his best friends is paralyzed by a bucking bronco in a similar
accident and his visits to the hospital are painful to watch.
First Reformed
A truly strange and unsettling film about a Reverend (Etan Hawke) who is
asked by a member of his congregation (Amada Seyfried) to counsel her very
troubled husband. A radical environmentalist the husband kills himself
which leads to an even stranger relationship between the pastor and his
parishioner. Self flagellation, alcoholism and weird religious imagery are
icing on this very weird story.
The Other Side of Hope
A strange and sometimes comedic film from Finland that in the end, fell
flat. A Syrian refugee arrives in Helsinki on a cargo ship and is taken in
by an aging businessman to help him with running his new restaurant.
Neither know anything about running a restaurant and the other employees’
quirks make it obvious that this venture is doomed to failure.
LOTS OF POSITIVE BUZZ FROM “THE LINE”
Wormwood
The latest semi-documentary from Errol Morris (The Fog of War) about the
bizarre death of a U.S. Army scientist.
Eating Animals
A documentary produced and narrated by Natalie Portman about the industrial
production of food.
