Category Archives: Contenders
“Love and Other Drugs” To Open, “Black Swan” To Close AFI Fest 2010
Edward Zwick’s film is set to open the festival on November 4th. This could give the Jake Gyllenhaal/Anne Hathaway film Love and Other Drugs just the right kind of push to get launched into the 2010 Awards Season. I’m really excited for film. It’s set to open wide on November 24th, just in time for Thanksgiving.
Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman is set to close the festival on November 11th. Portman is already the front-runner for Best Actress this year based on the buzz the film has already generated on the festival circuit. Black Swan is set for a limited release on December 1st.
Let’s not forget, as well, that AFI Fest has hired David Lynch as their first ever guest artistic director. I feel like I would LOVE to go to this festival. Hopefully one of you can go for me and revel in its awesomeness!
Trailer for Colin Firth’s “The King’s Speech”
The film recently won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. This film looks really lush. Danny Cohen’s cinematography looks like it could be a real contender at the Oscars this year, not to mention the costume design and set decoration. Just from the trailer alone it looks like Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are both locks for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominations, respectively. I’m so glad Firth is finally getting to do films that are worthy of his talent.
You can watch the trailer here at Yahoo! Movies. The film is set for a November 26th release by the Weinstein Company.
“The King’s Speech” Wins Audience Award at TIFF
Looks like it could mean back-to-back Best Actor nominations for Colin Firth at the Oscars, or at least that’s the buzz out of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Here’s the official synopsis:
The King’s Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI (Colin Firth), the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George (“Bertie”) reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Through a set of unexpected techniques (including diaphragmatic breathing), and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country into war.
The film is set for a limited release on November 26th.
Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator” gets a distributor
Here’s the story off of AP:
TORONTO – Robert Redford’s Abraham Lincoln assassination drama “The Conspirator” has been picked up for theatrical distribution by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.
The two companies aim for a spring 2011 release for “The Conspirator,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The $20 million production directed by Redford was one of the biggest films to enter the festival without a distributor already in place.
“The Conspirator” stars Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, a boarding-house owner tried as an accomplice in the assassination by John Wilkes Booth. James McAvoy plays a Union Civil War hero reluctantly forced to defend her.
The film co-stars Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexis Bledel, Tom Wilkinson and Justin Long.
I’m pretty bummed we have to wait until spring! Which means they aren’t going to push it as an Oscar worthy film this year or next year even, since spring is awfully early for an Oscar bait film. Major bummer.
Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” wins top Venice prize
Here’s the story off of AP:
Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere, a story about an actor dealing with the emptiness of his life thanks to his child, won the top Golden Lion prize at the Venice film festival Saturday.
Director Quentin Tarantino headed the jury which unanimously chose Coppola’s film as the best movie at the 11-day annual festival.
“This film enchanted us from its first screening,” Tarantino said.
Coppola has described the film as a “portrait of today’s L.A.” Somewhere tells the story of a movie star, played by Stephen Dorff, who comes to see the emptiness of his existence through the eyes of his 11-year-old daughter, played by Elle Fanning.
With Somewhere, Coppola, who herself grew up in the world of film thanks to her father, director Francis Ford Coppola, lampoons Hollywood’s star treatment.
I so cannot wait to see this film. It’s set to open on December 22nd.
Off The Radar – Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator”
Somehow this film has stayed completely off my radar but thanks to this post by Scott Feinberg, it is now not only on my radar, but quickly jumping to the top of my list of films I cannot wait to see. I’ve seen several of the other films Robert Redford has directed (not to mention acted in) and I love his style. The cast list reads like a dream: Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood, Jonathan Groff, Tom Wilkinson, Alexis Bledel, Johnny Simmons, Kevin Kline and Toby Kebbell.
Synopsis and more pictures after the cut.
Current Obsession: Anton Corbijn’s Photo Blog for The American
Anton Corbijn is one of my favorite photographers. Incidentally, due to his amazing work on his debut film – 2007’s Joy Division/Ian Curtis biopic Control, he is also one of my favorite filmmakers. His camerawork is just so luscious and his point of view so clear. September 1st sees the debut of his sophomore effort, the George Clooney anchored spy-thriller The American. I am pretty stoked for this film. The trailer looks amazing. The poster art is all kinds of fabulous vintage paperback pulp fiction awesomeness. But what has really excited me the most is Corbijn’s photo blog over on Focus Features’ site. The blog has been up since February and includes beautifully shot photos of Clooney, as well as other cast members, mixed in with cute anecdotes about the photos. I’m going to share my two favorite photos, but you should really go to the site and read Corbijn’s posts as well!
Don’t forget to check the photo blog out: http://focusfeatures.com/profile/anton_corbijn
New Stills From Mark Romanek’s “Never Let Me Go”
The more stills I see from this the more I can’t wait to see it. Although, I will admit I started reading the Kazuo Ishiguro book on which the film is based a few weeks ago and I got bored after about 20 pages. Maybe it picks up. Regardless, I am determined to finish it before the movie releases.
More photos after the cut.
Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” – First Look
Darren Aronofsky is certainly one of Hollywood’s most unusual filmmakers. I haven’t seen 1998’s Pi, but I hear it is strange. I’ve only seen 2001’s Requiem For A Dream once because it freaked me out so hard. 2006’s The Fountain was beautifully shot, but not all that well received by critics. 2008’s The Wrestler was brilliant. I still think it should have been up for Best Picture and as much as I loved Sean Penn in Milk, Mickey Rourke should have won that Oscar. Later this year he’s releasing what is being called a “supernatural ballet drama/thriller” starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, Sebastian Stan, Barbara Hershey and Vincent Cassel. Today we finally get a peak at the film’s visuals, thanks to USAToday and FirstShowing.net.
More pictures and plot synopsis after the cut.
the diary of a film history fanatic 