• “Loitering with Intent” Starring Marisa Tomei, Sam Rockwell

    loitering with intent

    Plot twists are what make narratives interesting, and audiences love films that surprise them. But not every surprise in a film is necessarily a good one. In LOITERING WITH INTENT, which premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, the plot you might think you will see is not exactly the plot you end up seeing.

    Dominic (Michael Godere) is a young actor who has little success. He works with an older, close friend Raphael (Ivan Martin) as bartenders. Raphael is also an actor who is only slightly more successful than Dominic (a character asks Raphael about a Woody Allen movie he appeared in – Martin himself had a small role in 2002’s Hollywood Ending). Frustrated by their lack of success, the two take a chance meeting with a producer as an opportunity to tell her about a script they’ve written for themselves to star in… though they haven’t actually written it yet. They have ten days to deliver a script, so they decide to hole up at Dominic’s sister Gigi’s house in the country to avoid distractions.

    However, they find themselves faced by even more distractions shortly after they arrive. First, a beautiful gardener named Ava (Isabelle McNally) arrives, and shortly afterwards Gigi (Marisa Tomei) shows up wasted with a life full of problems with her boyfriend Wayne (Sam Rockwell). Raphael decides to have fun with the girls – he has a past with Gigi – but Dominic is intently focused on the script. Wayne himself shows up later with his dimwitted surfer brother Devon (Brian Geraghty). The mix of personalities not only prevents Dominic and Raphael from getting work done, but it dredges up jealousies that turn the creative getaway to a binge of drama.

    LOITERING WITH INTENT has one of those plots in which the film’s setup veers into a completely different direction. If you’re expecting to see a film about two actors trying to write a script to save their careers, well, you’ll be disappointed because LOITERING WITH INTENT really has very little do with that after the first ten minutes. Once the ladies are introduced, the script gradually fades from importance in the narrative.

    That is the real issue with the film, which actually was written by Godere and Martin in an art imitates life situation. A unique setup quickly turns into an undistinguished drama about a house full of people who barely tolerate each other, let alone trust each other. There are plenty of hurt feelings to go around, but not necessarily the type of drama that is unique enough to engage you. The most interesting thing about the two leads – that they’re actors who try to write a script in a desperate attempt to jumpstart their careers – is quickly forgotten. It doesn’t mean that the other characters aren’t particularly interesting – Tomei’s Gigi and Rockwell’s Wayne have a relationship whose surface is just skimmed and Geraghty’s Devon is very funny when he isn’t being a surfer dude stereotype – but what they bring to the narrative isn’t as interesting as Dominic and Raphael’s relationship and what they are working on.

    Director Adam Rapp had a strong feature directorial debut with the 2005 Zooey Deschanel/Will Ferrell dramedy Winter Passing (which Martin also appeared in). He hasn’t done work as impressive as his debut since, and LOITERING WITH INTENT is not a step in the right direction for him.

    http://youtu.be/tQiDpAspH6Y

    RATING 2 out of 5: See it … At Your Own Risk

    LOITERING WITH INTENT opens on VOD on VOD on December 16 and in select theaters on January 16.

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  • “Birdman” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” “Boyhood” Lead 20th Critics’ Choice Movie Awards Nominations

    BirdmanBirdman

    The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) announced the nominees for the 20th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.  “Birdman” leads this year with thirteen nominations including Best Picture, Michael Keaton for Best Actor and Best Actor in a Comedy, Edward Norton for Best Supporting Actor, Emma Stone for Best Supporting Actress, Best Acting Ensemble, Alejandro G. Inarritu for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Comedy, and Best Score.

    “The Grand Budapest Hotel” also impressed with eleven nominations, which include Best Picture, Ralph Fiennes for Best Actor and Best Actor in a Comedy, Tony Revolori for Best Young Actor/Actress, Best Acting Ensemble, Wes Anderson for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Comedy.

    “Boyhood” was nominated for eight awards including Best Picture, Ethan Hawke for Best Supporting Actor, Patricia Arquette for Best Supporting Actress, Ellar Coltrane for Best Young Actor/Actress, Best Acting Ensemble, Richard Linklater for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing.

    Kevin Costner, Ron Howard and Jessica Chastain will each receive special honors at the ceremony. Costner, winner of two Academy Awards® and a Primetime Emmy® Award, will be honored with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ celebrating more than three decades of incredible work in film. The LOUIS XIII Critics’ Choice Genius Award, established to honor an icon who has demonstrated unprecedented excellence in the cinematic arts, will be presented to multiple award-winning director, producer and actor Ron Howard. Chastain will receive the inaugural ‘Critics’ Choice MVP Award,’ which recognizes an extraordinary actor for their work in several standout movies throughout a single year. She is being saluted for starring in the films Interstellar, Miss Julie, A Most Violent Year (which also earned her a nomination this year), and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.

    The winners will be revealed at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, which will broadcast live on A&E from the Hollywood Palladium on January 15th at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT, the day the Academy Award nominations are announced.  Legendary Super Bowl Champion Michael Strahan will serve as the show’s host. Strahan is the co-host of the popular morning talk show “LIVE with Kelly and Michael,” and an Emmy-nominated “Fox NFL Sunday” analyst. He also serves as special co-host for ABC’s top-rated morning program, “Good Morning America.”

    NOMINATIONS FOR THE 20th ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS

    BEST PICTURE
    Birdman
    Boyhood
    Gone Girl
    The Grand Budapest Hotel
    The Imitation Game
    Nightcrawler
    Selma
    The Theory of Everything
    Unbroken
    Whiplash

    BEST ACTOR
    Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
    Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
    Michael Keaton – Birdman
    David Oyelowo – Selma
    Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

    BEST ACTRESS
    Jennifer Aniston – Cake
    Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
    Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
    Julianne Moore – Still Alice
    Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
    Reese Witherspoon – Wild

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
    Josh Brolin – Inherent Vice
    Robert Duvall – The Judge
    Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
    Edward Norton – Birdman
    Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
    J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
    Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
    Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
    Emma Stone – Birdman
    Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
    Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer

    BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
    Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood
    Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
    Mackenzie Foy – Interstellar
    Jaeden Lieberher – St. Vincent
    Tony Revolori – The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Quvenzhane Wallis – Annie
    Noah Wiseman – The Babadook

    BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
    Birdman
    Boyhood
    The Grand Budapest Hotel
    The Imitation Game
    Into the Woods
    Selma

    BEST DIRECTOR
    Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Ava DuVernay – Selma
    David Fincher – Gone Girl
    Alejandro G. Inarritu – Birdman
    Angelina Jolie – Unbroken
    Richard Linklater – Boyhood

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
    Birdman – Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo
    Boyhood – Richard Linklater
    The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness
    Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy
    Whiplash – Damien Chazelle

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
    Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
    The Imitation Game – Graham Moore
    Inherent Vice – Paul Thomas Anderson
    The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten
    Unbroken – Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese, William Nicholson
    Wild – Nick Hornby

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPY 
    Birdman – Emmanuel Lubezki
    The Grand Budapest Hotel – Robert Yeoman
    Interstellar – Hoyte Van Hoytema
    Mr. Turner – Dick Pope
    Unbroken – Roger Deakins

    BEST ART DIRECTION
    Birdman – Kevin Thompson/Production Designer, George DeTitta Jr./Set Decorator
    The Grand Budapest Hotel – Adam Stockhausen/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator
    Inherent Vice – David Crank/Production Designer, Amy Wells/Set Decorator
    Interstellar – Nathan Crowley/Production Designer, Gary Fettis/Set Decorator
    Into the Woods – Dennis Gassner/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator
    Snowpiercer – Ondrej Nekvasil/Production Designer, Beatrice Brentnerova/Set Decorator

    BEST EDITING
    Birdman – Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
    Boyhood – Sandra Adair
    Gone Girl – Kirk Baxter
    Interstellar – Lee Smith
    Whiplash – Tom Cross

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN
    The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
    Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
    Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
    Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard
    Mr. Turner – Jacqueline Durran

    BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
    Foxcatcher
    Guardians of the Galaxy
    The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
    Into the Woods
    Maleficent

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
    Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
    Edge of Tomorrow
    Guardians of the Galaxy
    The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
    Interstellar

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
    Big Hero 6
    The Book of Life
    The Boxtrolls
    How to Train Your Dragon 2
    The Lego Movie

    BEST ACTION MOVIE
    American Sniper
    Captain America: The Winter Soldier
    Edge of Tomorrow
    Fury
    Guardians of the Galaxy

    BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
    Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
    Tom Cruise – Edge of Tomorrow
    Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
    Brad Pitt – Fury
    Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy

    BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
    Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow
    Scarlett Johansson – Lucy
    Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
    Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy
    Shailene Woodley – Divergent

    BEST COMEDY
    Birdman
    The Grand Budapest Hotel
    St. Vincent
    Top Five
    22 Jump Street

    BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
    Jon Favreau – Chef
    Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Michael Keaton – Birdman
    Bill Murray – St. Vincent
    Chris Rock – Top Five
    Channing Tatum – 22 Jump Street

    BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
    Rose Byrne – Neighbors
    Rosario Dawson – Top Five
    Melissa McCarthy – St. Vincent
    Jenny Slate – Obvious Child
    Kristen Wiig – The Skeleton Twins

    BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
    The Babadook
    Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
    Interstellar
    Snowpiercer
    Under the Skin

    BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
    Force Majeure
    Ida
    Leviathan
    Two Days, One Night
    Wild Tales

    BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
    Citizenfour
    Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
    Jodorowsky’s Dune
    Last Days in Vietnam
    Life Itself
    The Overnighters

    BEST SONG
    Big Eyes – Lana Del Rey – Big Eyes
    Everything Is Awesome – Jo Li and the Lonely Island – The Lego Movie
    Glory – Common/John Legend – Selma
    Lost Stars – Keira Knightley – Begin Again
    Yellow Flicker Beat – Lorde – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

    BEST SCORE
    Alexandre Desplat – The Imitation Game
    Johann Johannsson – The Theory of Everything
    Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Gone Girl
    Antonio Sanchez – Birdman
    Hans Zimmer – Interstellar

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  • World Champion Boxer Johnny Tapia Documentary to Debut on HBO

    TAPIA

    TAPIA, the documentary about the talented but tormented world champion boxer Johnny Tapia will debut Tuesday, December 16 (11:00 p.m.-midnight ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. TAPIA uses first-person narration and archival footage to explore the achievements, personal demons and ultimate redemption of the popular fighter, who died in 2012 at age 45. The film is executive produced by multiplatinum award-winning musician, entrepreneur and actor Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and sports promoter, producer and entertainment executive Lou DiBella.

    “Johnny Tapia’s life story was an incredible journey, and we are eager to celebrate his biggest accomplishments and chronicle the toughest and most difficult moments of his turbulent life,” says Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports. “Tapia was so much more than just a world champion, and we want to share this gripping account with our subscribers, many of whom may have seen Johnny in his five fights on HBO, but may not know the amazing story behind the fighter.”

    “This is not a boxing film, but a film about tragedy, triumph, demons and redemption,” says DiBella. “Johnny gives us an honest assessment of his strengths and frailties; he reminds us of the power and resiliency of the human spirit.”

    “Johnny’s is a story that needed to be told,” says Jackson. “Everyone can relate to some aspect of it, which makes it that much more powerful. Personally, his journey is one that has touched me greatly.”

    http://youtu.be/tllXLOQ2vWU

    Born Feb. 13, 1967, Johnny Tapia used boxing as way out of his impoverished life in Albuquerque, NM, becoming a five-time world champion in three different weight classes. Tormented as an adult by thebrutal kidnapping and murder of his mother, which occurred when he was eight years old, Tapia suffered repeated episodes of drug addiction and mental illness. His nickname, Mi Vida Loca (“My Crazy Life”), reflected not only Tapia’s intensity in the ring, but also a tumultuous personal life, which involved jail time and several drug overdoses. In 1994, he married his wife, Teresa, who helped Tapia regain control of his life in retirement before he succumbed to a heart attack in 2012.

    HBO has a rich and distinguished history of developing and presenting boxing documentaries, among them: “Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward”; “Klitschko”; the Emmy®-winning “Assault in the Ring”; the Peabody Award-winning “Thrilla in Manila”; “Joe Louis: America’s Hero…Betrayed”; the Peabody Award-winning “Ali-Frazier: One Nation Divisible”; and the Emmy®-winning “Sugar Ray Robinson: The Bright Lights and Dark Shadows of a Champion.”

    Other HBO playdates: Dec. 18 (4:45 p.m., 1:50 a.m.), 20 (11:30 a.m.), 22 (11:00 a.m.), 28 (10:30 a.m.) and 29 (12:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m.), and Jan. 8 (8:00 p.m., 3:50 a.m.) and 13 (4:00 p.m.)

    HBO2 playdates: Dec. 19 (3:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.), 24 (7:00 p.m.) and 27 (4:00 p.m.), and Jan. 4 (7:40 a.m.) and 6 (9:00 a.m., 2:40 a.m.)

     

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  • “Boyhood” is Top Winner at 2014 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards

    BoyhoodBoyhood 

    Boyhood was the top winner at the 2014 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards, taking the awards in four categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay. Birdman  and Whiplash  took two awards each.  There was a three-way tie in the category of Best Ensemble with Birdman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

    The Best of 2014 as picked by the Detroit Film Critics Society (nominees are listed in alphabetical order)

    BEST FILM

    Winner: Boyhood
    Birdman
    The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Under the Skin
    Whiplash

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Winner: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
    Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
    Jonathan Glazer, Under the Skin
    Ajejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman

    BEST ACTOR

    Winner: Michael Keaton, Birdman
    Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
    Brendan Gleeson, Calvary
    Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
    Tom Hardy, Locke
    Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

    BEST ACTRESS

    Winner: Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
    Essie Davis, The Babadook
    Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin
    Julianne Moore, Still Alice
    Reese Witherspoon, Wild

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Winner: JK Simmons, Whiplash
    Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
    Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
    Edward Norton, Birdman
    Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Winner: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
    Laura Dern, Wild
    Rene Russo, Nightcrawler
    Emma Stone, Birdman
    Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer

    BEST ENSEMBLE

    Winner: Birdman
    Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Winner: Guardians of the Galaxy
    Boyhood
    Into the Woods

    BREAKTHROUGH

    Winner: Damien Chazelle, Whiplash (director, screenplay)
    Jennifer Kent, The Babadook (director, screenplay)
    Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Belle, Beyond the Lights (actress)
    Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy (actor)
    Dan Stevens, The Guest (actor)

    BEST SCREENPLAY

    Winner: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
    Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
    Nicolas Giacobone and Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
    John Michael McDonagh, Calvary

    BEST DOCUMENTARY

    Winner: CitizenFour
    Finding Vivian Maier
    Jodorowsky’s Dune
    Keep On Keepin’ On
    Life Itself

     

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  • “Birdman” Leads 2014 Chicago Film Critics Association Nominations

    BirdmanBirdman

    “Birdman,” lead the nominations for the 2014 Chicago Film Critics Association awards with nine nominations, including Best Picture, nods for Alejandro G. Inarritu for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, Michael Keaton for Best Actor, Edward Norton for Best Supporting Actor, Emma Stone for Best Supporting Actress and additional nominations for Cinematography, Editing and Original Score.

    The Grand Budapest HotelThe Grand Budapest Hotel

    In second place with eight nominations was “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Wes Anderson’s whimsical comedy-drama about a concierge in a posh European hotel who becomes involved in intrigue while the world teeters on the brink of war. In addition to Best Picture and nominations for Anderson for Director and Original Screenplay, it was also cited for Art Direction/Set Production Design, Cinematography, Editing, Original Score and newcomer Tony Revolori landed in the Most Promising Performer category.

    BoyhoodBoyhood

    Following up with seven nominations was “Boyhood,” Richard Linklater’s intimate epic charting the growth and maturation of a boy over the course of a 12-year shooting period. In addition to Best Picture and Director/Original Screenplay slots for Linklater, there were nominations for Ethan Hawke for Supporting Actor, Patricia Arquette for Supporting Actress, Ellar Coltrane, the boy at the center of it all, for Most Promising Performer and a nod for Best Editing.  

    WhiplashWhiplash

    The acclaimed indie drama “Whiplash,” charting the battle of wills between a highly ambitious musical prodigy and his teacher, both obsessed with perfection at all costs, came up with five nominations, including Best Picture, Original Screenplay for writer-director Damien Chazelle, Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmons’s terrifying turn as the teacher and Best Editing.

    Ida

    Foreign titles were also represented in several key categories as well–beside being cited in the Foreign-Language Film category, “Ida” earned nods for Supporting Actress (Agata Kulesza), Promising Performer (Agata Trzebuchowska) and Cinematography while the wrenching Belgian drama “Two Days, One Night” earned Marion Cotillard a Best Actress nomination. “Life Itself,” Steve James’s celebration of the life and work of the late Roger Ebert, was nominated for Best Documentary alongside such equally acclaimed titles as “Citizenfour,” “Jodorowsky’s Dune,” “Last Days in Vietnam” and “The Overnighters.”

    The CFCA will announce its winners during our year-end awards dinner to be held on the evening of December 15, 2014. 

    BEST PICTURE
    Birdman
    Boyhood
    The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Under the Skin
    Whiplash

    BEST DIRECTOR
    Wes Anderson–The Grand Budapest Hotel
    David Fincher–Gone Girl
    Alejandro G. Inarritu–Birdman
    Richard Linklater–Boyhood
    Christopher Nolan–Interstellar

    BEST ACTOR
    Benedict Cumberbatch–The Imitation Game
    Jake Gyllenhaal–Nightcrawler
    Michael Keaton–Birdman
    David Oyelowo–Selma
    Eddie Redmayne–The Theory of Everything

    BEST ACTRESS
    Marion Cotillard–Two Days, One Night
    Scarlett Johansson–Under the Skin
    Julianne Moore–Still Alice
    Rosamund Pike–Gone Girl
    Reese Witherspoon–Wild

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
    Josh Brolin–Inherent Vice
    Ethan Hawke–Boyhood
    Edward Norton–Birdman
    Mark Ruffalo–Foxcatcher
    J.K. Simmons–Whiplash

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    Patricia Arquette–Boyhood
    Jessica Chastain–A Most Violent Year
    Laura Dern–Wild
    Agata Kulesza–Ida
    Emma Stone–Birdman

    BEST ORIGNAL SCREENPLAY
    Birdman–Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo
    Boyhood–Richard Linklater
    Calvary–John Michael McDonagh
    The Grand Budapest Hotel–Wes Anderson
    Whiplash–Damien Chazelle

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
    Gone Girl–Gillian Flynn
    The Imitation Game–Graham Moore
    Inherent Vice–Paul Thomas Anderson
    Under the Skin–Walter Campbell & Jonathan Glazer
    Wild–Nick Hornby

    BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
    Force Majeure
    Ida
    Mommy
    The Raid 2
    Two Days, One Night

    BEST DOCUMENTARY
    Citizenfour
    Jodorowsky’s Dune
    Last Days in Vietnam
    Life Itself
    The Overnighters

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
    Big Hero 6
    The Boxtrolls
    How to Train Your Dragon 2
    The Lego Movie
    The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

    BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
    The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Interstellar
    Into The Woods
    Only Lovers Left Alive
    Snowpiercer

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
    Birdman–Emmanuel Lubezki
    The Grand Budapest Hotel–Robert Yeoman
    Ida–Ryszard Lenczewski and Lukasz Zal
    Inherent Vice–Robert Elswit
    Interstellar–Hoyte Van Hoytema

    BEST EDITING
    Birdman–Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrion
    Boyhood–Sandra Adair
    Gone Girl–Kirk Baxter
    The Grand Budapest Hotel–Barney Pilling
    Whiplash–Tom Cross

    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
    Birdman–Antonio Sanchez
    The Grand Budapest Hotel–Alexandre Desplat
    The Imitation Game–Alexandre Desplat
    Interstellar–Hans Zimmer
    Under the Skin–Mica Levi

    MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
    Ellar Coltrane–Boyhood
    Gugu Mbatha-Raw–Belle/Beyond the Lights
    Jack O’Connell–Starred Up/Unbroken
    Tony Revolori–The Grand Budapest Hotel
    Jenny Slate–Obvious Child
    Agata Trzebuchowska–Ida

    MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
    Damien Chazelle–Whiplash
    Dan Gilroy–Nightcrawler
    Jennifer Kent–The Babadook
    Jeremy Saulnier–Blue Ruin
    Justin Simien–Dear White People
    Nominations By The Numbers

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  • San Francisco Film Critics Circle Pick “BOYHOOD” as Best Film of 2014

    THE ONE I LOVE THE ONE I LOVE

    Richard Linklater’s twelve-years-in-the-making BOYHOOD was picked by the 35 Bay Area film critics that comprise the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, as the Best Picture of 2014, and Richard Linklater the Best Director. Patricia Arquette, as BOYHOOD’s enduring mother, earned Best Supporting Actress honors, and Sandra Adair took the Best Editing prize for crafting the narrative’s years-long progression. The group also gave laurels to Best Documentary CITIZENFOUR, and Best Foreign Language Picture IDA(Poland).  Charlie McDowell’s indie film THE ONE I LOVE was honored with a Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema.

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  • Indiana Film Journalists Association Pick “Boyhood” as 2014 Best Film

    BoyhoodBoyhood

    The Indiana Film Journalists Association, announced its annual film awards for 2014, and “Boyhood” won top honors, taking the prize for Best Film and earning a total of three awards. Richard Linklater won in the Best Director category, and the film also took the Original Vision award, which recognizes a film that is especially innovative or groundbreaking. “Whiplash,” which was the runner-up for Best Film, won two awards: Damien Chazelle’s script in the Best Adapted Screenplay race, and J.K. Simmons for Best Supporting Actor.  “Two Days, One Night” took the prize for Best Foreign Language Film and “Life Itself” took Best Documentary.

    “The Grand Budapest Hotel” also won two awards: Ralph Fiennes was named Best Actor, and Wes Anderson earned the Best Original Screenplay prize.

    Reese Witherspoon took Best Actress honors for “Wild,” while Jessica Chastain took Best Supporting Actress for “A Most Violent Year.”

    The Hoosier Award, which recognizes a significant cinematic contribution by a person or persons with roots in Indiana, or a film that depicts Hoosier State locales and stories, went to film historian and preservationist Eric Grayson.

    The following is a complete list of honored films:

    Best Film

    Winner: “Boyhood”

    Runner-up: “Whiplash”

    Other Finalists (listed alphabetically):

    “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

    “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

    “Guardians of the Galaxy”

    “The Imitation Game”

    “Life Itself”

    “Locke”

    “A Most Violent Year”

    “St. Vincent”

    Best Animated Feature

    Winner: “The LEGO Movie”

    Runner-Up: “The Boxtrolls “

    Best Foreign Language Film

    Winner: “Two Days, One Night”

    Runner-Up: “Ida”

    Best Documentary

    Winner: “Life Itself”

    Runner-Up: “An Honest Liar”

    Best Original Screenplay

    Winner: Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

    Runner-up: Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

    Best Adapted Screenplay

    Winner: Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”

    Runner-up: Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”

    Best Director

    Winner: Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

    Runner-up: Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”

    Best Actress

    Winner: Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

    Runner-up: Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”

    Best Supporting Actress

    Winner: Jessica Chastain “A Most Violent Year”

    Runner-up: Melissa McCarthy, “St. Vincent”

    Best Actor

    Winner: Ralph Fiennes, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

    Runner-up: Tom Hardy, “Locke”

    Best Supporting Actor

    Winner: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

    Runner-up: Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”

    Best Musical Score

    Winner: Mica Levi, “Under the Skin”

    Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

    Original Vision Award

    Winner: “Boyhood”

    Runner-up: “Under the Skin”

    The Hoosier Award

    Winner: Eric Grayson, film historian and preservationist

     (As a special award, no runner-up is declared in this category.)

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  • New Films by Terrence Malick, Andreas Dresen Among First Films Announced for 65th Berlin International Film Festival Competition

    CinderellaCinderella

    The first seven films for the 65th Berlin International Film Festival Competition program have been selected, and include former Berlinale bear winners Andreas Dresen (Nightshapes 1999,Grill Point 2002) and Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line 1999) with their newest films. Frequent Berlinale Forum guest Peter Greenaway will participate in this year’s Competition. The directorial debut by Jayro Bustamante, simultaneously Guatemala’s debut in Competition, a feature film by former Generation participant Andrew Haigh, and the newest work by Russian director Alexey German are also among the first selected Competition films.  The live action film adaptation Cinderella by Kenneth Branagh will screen out of competition. 

    Films confirmed in Competition to date (in alphabetical order):

    45 Years
    United Kingdom
    By Andrew Haigh (Weekend)
    With Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay
    World premiere

    Als wir träumten (As We Were Dreaming)
    Germany / France
    By Andreas Dresen (Grill Point, Cloud 9, Stopped on Track)
    With Merlin Rose, Julius Nitschkoff, Joel Basman, Marcel Heuperman, Frederic Haselon, Ruby O. Fee
    World premiere

    Cinderella
    USA
    By Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet)
    With Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Derek Jacobi und Helena Bonham Carter
    International premiere – Out of competition

    Eisenstein in Guanajuato
    The Netherlands / Mexico / Belgium / Finland
    By Peter Greenaway (The Tulse Luper Suitcases)
    With Elmer Bäck, Luis Alberti
    World premiere

    Ixcanul (Ixcanul Volcano)
    Guatemala / France
    By Jayro Bustamante
    With María Mercedes Coroy, María Telón, Manuel Antún, Justo Lorenzo, Marvin Coroy
    World premiere – Debut feature

    Knight of Cups
    USA
    By Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line)
    With Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman
    World premiere

    Pod electricheskimi oblakami (Under Electric Clouds)
    Russian Federation / Ukraine / Poland
    By Alexey German (Paper Soldier)
    With Lui Frank, Merab Ninidze, Viktoriya Korotkova, Chulpan Khamatova, Anastasiya Melnikova, Piotr Gasowski
    World premiere

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  • The Online Film Critics Society Name “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Best Film of 2014

    The Grand Budapest HotelThe Grand Budapest Hotel

    The Online Film Critics Society announced the winners for their 18th annual OFCS awards for excellence in film, and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” won Best Picture of 2014, plus Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.  Past OFCS Awards winners that went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture include “12 Years a Slave,” “Argo,” “The Hurt Locker,” “American Beauty,” and “No Country for Old Men.”  Life Itself won for Best Documentary and Two Days, One Night won the award for Best Film Not in the English Language.

    Best Picture
    The Grand Budapest Hotel

    Best Animated Feature
    The Lego Movie

    Best Film Not in the English Language
    Two Days, One Night

    Best Documentary
    Life Itself

    Best Director
    Richard Linklater – Boyhood

    Best Actor
    Michael Keaton – Birdman

    Best Actress
    Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

    Best Supporting Actor
    Edward Norton – Birdman

    Best Supporting Actress
    Patricia Arquette – Boyhood

    Best Original Screenplay
    The Grand Budapest Hotel

    Best Adapted Screenplay
    Gone Girl

    Best Editing
    Birdman

    Best Cinematography
    The Grand Budapest Hotel

    Best Non-U.S. Release (non-competitive category)

    71
    10,000 km
    Entre Nós
    Han Gong-ju
    Hard to Be a God
    The Look of Silence
    The Salt of the Earth
    What We Do in the Shadows
    Timbuktu
    The Tribe

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  • First Films Revealed for Generations Program at 2015 Berlin Film Festival

    Berlin International Film Festival.

    Thirteen feature films produced and co-produced in twelve countries (Great Britain, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Denmark, India, USA, Turkey, Australia and Ireland) have already been invited to the two Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions of the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival. Many of the so far selected works are set in what the festival describes as hermetic environments where young people who are coming of age experience diverse situations that threaten their very existence. 

    Generation 14plus

    The Beat Beneath My Feet – Great Britain
    By John Williams
    Tom (Nicholas Galitzine) is a shy teenager whose biggest dream is to play rock guitar. When he finds out that his new, cantankerous neighbour (Luke Perry) is a former superstar, Tom seizes his chance. A gritty rock and blues track sets the beat of this gripping directorial debut.
    International premiere

    Corbo – Canada
    By Mathieu Denis
    Quebec in the 1960s: Young Jean is trying to figure out who he is. The stories of his father’s immigration and social climb don’t provide the answers. He then discovers his calling in the FLQ, a radically left separatist organization. Gradually he comes to believe that the only path open is violence.
    European premiere

    Flocken (Flocking) – Sweden
    By Beata Gårdeler
    Jennifer’s claim of having been raped by a classmate lies heavily on this idyllic village in the Swedish provinces. In chilling images, the director portrays how this fourteen-year-old and her family are brutally shunned by the close-knit community. 
    World premiere

    Nena – Netherlands / Germany
    By Saskia Diesing
    Summer ’89 – the world is in turmoil, inside and out: Nena (rising star: Abbey Hoes) is 16. She is in love and embraces life with unbridled joy. In contrast, her paraplegic father (brilliant: Uwe Ochsenknecht) finds his life increasingly pointless. 
    International premiere

    Short Skin – Italy
    By Duccio Chiarini
    Eduardo has all the normal longings and desires of an adolescent. And he does not lack opportunities to live them out. If it weren’t for that little medical problem. A coming-of-age drama about friendship, yearnings and a too-tight foreskin. 
    International premiere

     

    Generation Kplus

    Cykelmyggen og Minibillen (Mini and the Mozzies) – Denmark
    By Jannik Hastrup and Flemming Quist Møller 
    Mini the Beetle, and her friends are off on another adventure. With their inimitable, charmingly executed style, masters of Danish animation Jannik Hastrup and Flemming Quist Møller have again teamed up to continue their exciting animal saga.
    European premiere

    Dhanak (Rainbow) – India
    By Nagesh Kukunoor
    Pari has decided to help her little blind brother Chotu get his eyesight back. So she sets out with him on a magical journey through Rajasthan where they encounter all sorts of colourful characters. More than anything they want to meet Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, who on a poster has promised his viewers “new eyes”. 
    World premiere

    Dorsvloer vol Confetti (Confetti Harvest) – Netherlands
    By Tallulah Schwab
    Being the only girl in a seven-sibling family, nobody pays much attention to twelve-year-old Katelijne. While other children her age are having fun discovering what it means to become a teen, her strict protestant parents and village community see only the temptations of the devil.
    International premiere

    Golden Kingdom – USA
    By Brian Perkins
    In elegiac images, this film captures the meditative life of four novice monks in Myanmar. When they are suddenly left on their own, their world begins to unravel and lose its everyday rhythm. The boys are faced with some of the toughest challenges of their young lives. Then gunshots ring out from the valley far below. 
    World premiere

    Kar Korsanları (Snow Pirates) – Turkey
    By Faruk Hacıhafızoğlu
    Turkey 1981: on their daily search for bits of coal, three friends defy the bitter cold and poverty by telling each other their hopes and dreams. Their friendship and unwavering courage are stronger than any dangerous obstacle they may encounter. 
    World premiere

    Min lilla syster (My Skinny Sister) – Sweden / Germany
    By Sanna Lenken
    For Stella (brilliant: Rebecka Josephson), her big sister Katja is beautiful and a divine figure skater. When Stella realizes that Katja vomits nearly everything she eats, she is forced to choose between her concern and her loyalty. At the same time she has her own private worries to deal with. 
    International premiere

    Paper Planes – Australia
    By Robert Connolly
    Eleven-year-old Dylan’s paper planes fly higher and farther than anyone else’s. With this extraordinary talent, he qualifies to compete in the world championships in Tokyo. But Dylan (outstanding: Ed Oxenbould, who also stars in Julian and The Amber Amulet / Crystal Bear winners Generation 2012, 2013) has first to help his father (Sam Worthington) conquer his depression. A marvellous, uplifting family film.
    European premiere

    You’re Ugly Too – Ireland
    By Mark Noonan
    After her mother’s death, Stacey (Lauren Kinsella) moves with her uncle Will (Aiden Gillen) to a remote region in the Irish midlands. As the two cautiously get to know each other, they have to deal with the dark shadows of the past. An astute character-driven study on the need to regain footing and let go, told with a good dose of Irish humour. 
    World premiere

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  • IDA is Big Winner at 2014 European Film Awards

    IDAIDA

    The Polish film IDA was the big winner of the 2014 European Film Awards, winning Best European Film prize and People’s Choice Award 2014 for Best European Film; plus Best European Director for Paweł Pawlikowski, Best European Cinematographer-Prix CARLO DI PALMA and Best European Screenwriter. In IDA, Anna, an orphan raised in a convent, is preparing to take her vows when she’s sent to visit Wanda, her aunt and only living relative. A cynical, hard-drinking Communist Party judge, Wanda reveals that Anna’s real name is Ida and that her parents were Jews murdered during the Nazi occupation. So the two embark on an unusual journey through the wintry countryside to unearth their family’s dark history. 

    EUROPEAN FILM 2014

    IDA
    DIRECTED BY: Paweł Pawlikowski
    WRITTEN BY: Paweł Pawlikowski & Rebecca Lenkiewicz
    PRODUCED BY: Eric Abraham, Piotr Dzięcioł & Ewa Puszczyńska

    EUROPEAN COMEDY 2014
    THE MAFIA ONLY KILLS IN SUMMER (LA MAFIA UCCIDE SOLO D’ESTATE) by Pierfrancesco Diliberto

    EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2014 – Prix FIPRESCI
    THE TRIBE (PLEMYA) by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy 

    EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2014
    MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE by Marc Bauder

    EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 2014
    THE ART OF HAPPINESS (L’ARTE DELLA FELICITÁ) by Alessandro Rak

    EUROPEAN SHORT FILM 2014
    THE CHICKEN by Una Gunjak

    EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2014
    Paweł Pawlikowski for IDA

    EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2014
    Marion Cotillard in TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (DEUX JOURS, UNE NUIT)

    EUROPEAN ACTOR 2014
    Timothy Spall in MR. TURNER

    EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2014
    Paweł Pawlikowski & Rebecca Lenkiewicz for IDA

    EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER 2014 – Prix CARLO DI PALMA
    Łukasz Żal & Ryszard Lenczewski for IDA

    EUROPEAN EDITOR 2014
    Justine Wright for LOCKE

    EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER 2014
    Claus-Rudolf Amler for THE DARK VALLEY (DAS FINSTERE TAL)

    EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER 2014
    Natascha Curtius-Noss for THE DARK VALLEY (DAS FINSTERE TAL)

    EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2014
    Mica Levi for UNDER THE SKIN

    EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER 2014
    Joakim Sundström for STARRED UP

    EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2014
    Agnès Varda

    EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA 2014 
    Steve McQueen

    EUROPEAN CO-PRODUCTION AWARD 2014 – Prix EURIMAGES
    Ed Guiney

    PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD 2014 for Best European Film
    IDA by Paweł Pawlikowski

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  • More Films, Events and New Frontier Installations Added to Lineup for 2015 Sundance Film Festival

    True Story

    Ten more films, plus events and New Frontier installations have been added to the lineup for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 22 to February 1 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. Among the 10 new films are the Salt Lake City Gala Film World Premiere of A Walk in the Woods starring Robert Redford, in addition to Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Nick Offerman; and True Story starring Jonah Hill, James Franco and Felicity Jones. With these additions, the 2015 Festival will present 123 feature-length films, representing 29 countries and 45 first-time filmmakers, including 19 in competition. 

    PREMIERES

    A Walk in the Woods / U.S.A. (Director: Ken Kwapis, Screenwriters: Rick Kerb, Bill Holderman) — An aging travel writer sets out to hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail with a long-estranged high school buddy. Along the way, the duo face off with each other, nature, and an eccentric assortment of characters. Together, they learn that some roads are better left untraveled. Cast: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Nick Offerman, Kristen Schaal. World Premiere. SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM

    True Story / U.S.A. (Director: Rupert Goold, Screenwriters: Rupert Goold, David Kajganich) — When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo — who has taken on Finkel’s identity — his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat and mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel’s relentless pursuit of Longo’s true story encompasses murder, love, deceit, and redemption. Cast: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones.

    SUNDANCE KIDS
    This section of the Festival is especially for our youngest independent film fans. Programmed in cooperation with Tumbleweeds, Utah’s premiere film festival for children and youth.

    The Games Maker / Argentina, Canada, Italy (Director and screenwriter: Juan Pablo Buscarini) — Ivan Drago’s love of board games catapults him into the fantastical world of game invention and pits him against the inventor Morodian, who wants to destroy the city of Zyl. To save his family, Ivan must come to know what it is to be a true Games Maker. Cast: David Mazouz, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Asner, Megan Charpentier, Tom Cavanagh, Valentina Lodovini. U.S. Premiere

    Operation Arctic / Norway (Director and screenwriter: Grethe Bøe-Waal) — This modern-day Robinson Crusoe adventure is set in the Arctic. Through a misunderstanding, 13-year-old Julia and her eight-year-old twin siblings, Ida and Sindre, are left on a deserted island. The children have to find ways to survive, battling fierce winter weather, hungry polar bears, and loneliness.Cast: Kaisa Gurine Antonsen, Ida Leonora Valestrand Eike, Leonard Valestrand Eike, Nicolai Cleve Broch, Kristofer Hivju, Line Verndal. International Premiere

    Shaun the Sheep / United Kingdom (Directors and screenwriters: Richard Starzak, Mark Burton) — When Shaun’s mischief inadvertently leads to the Farmer being taken away from the farm, Shaun, Bitzer and the flock have to go into the big city to rescue him, setting the stage for an epic adventure. International Premiere

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    Pioneers Palace B’92 / Romania (Director and screenwriter: Bobby Paunescu) — In the wild days of post-Ceausescu Bucharest, teenagers open a disco at their high school, terrified of an AIDS scare after their visit to a local brothel. Part of the Festival’s new Art of Film program, Pioneers Palace B’92 was produced by film students and supported by Mandragora Film Academy together with Solar Indie Junction. Cast: Toto Dumitrescu, Mihai Dorobantu, Maria Bata, Dragos Savulescu, Alice Halpert, Alice Peneaca.World Premiere

    NEW FRONTIER
    The following installations will be featured in The VR works of Felix & Paul, a showcase of groundbreaking live-action virtual reality experiences by artists Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël in the Festival’s New Frontier exhibition.

    Herders
    Artists: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël
    Mongolian pastoral herders are one of the world’s last remaining nomadic cultures. For millennia they have lived on the steppes, grazing their livestock on the grasslands. Through a series of virtual reality experiences, the viewer is invited into the reality of a nomadic family of yak herders.

    Strangers with Patrick Watson
    Artists: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël, Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski
    Strangers with Patrick Watson invites the viewer to spend an intimate moment with celebrated Montreal musician Patrick Watson at work in his studio loft on a winter’s day. Cast: Patrick Watson.

    WILD – The Experience
    Artists: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël
    Fox Searchlight and the Fox Innovation Lab present this virtual reality experience drawing from the film Wild. Viewers enter a fully immersive media environment to join an intimate moment on the Pacific Crest Trail between a woman, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon), and her mother, Bobbi (Laura Dern), a vision from the afterlife.

    FROM THE COLLECTION
    A selection from The Sundance Collection at UCLA, a film preservation program established in 1997. The Collection is specifically devoted to the preservation of independent documentaries, narratives and short films supported by Sundance Institute and has grown to nearly 2,300 holdings representing 1,800 titles, including recent additions such as El Mariachi,Winter’s Bone, Johnny Suede, Working Girls, Crumb, Groove, Better This World, The Oath and Paris, Texas. Titles are generously donated by individual filmmakers, distributors and studios.

    Paris is Burning / U.S.A. (Director: Jennie Livingston) — Paris is Burning visits black and Latino drag balls of the 1980s in New York City, where at raucous celebrations, rival Houses create intense competition and provide deep sustenance. This world within a world is instantly familiar, filled with intense yearnings for “Realness” that reflect America itself. Cast: Dorian Corey, Freddie Pendavis, Pepper Labeija, Junior Labeija, Venus Xtravaganza, Willi Ninja.

    The screening will feature a DCP of the new digital restoration of Paris is Burning created from original 16mm elements. This recent effort restores the feature to the original uncropped aspect ratio. The project represents the collaborative efforts of the Sundance Institute, the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, and UCLA Film & Television Archive, with permission of Miramax.

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