Category Archives: Feature Film

#SBIFF, Arlington Theater, Feature Film, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Santa Barbara Film Festival Kicking Off With THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN

1 Comment

Posted by Larry Gleeson

The 2022 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), featuring  48 world premieres and  95 U.S. premieres from over 54 countries, along with tributes featuring the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs. The festival will start with the Opening Night Film, the U.S. Premiere of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN, a heartwarming British comedy starring Oscar winners Sally Hawkins and Mark Rylance, on Wednesday, March 2nd, 8:00 P.M., at the historic Arlington Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara, Calif. The Opening Night Film will be presented by UGG.

 

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN

 

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN is based on the true story of Maurice Flitcroft, a dreamer and unrelenting optimist, who managed to gain entry to the qualifying round of The British Open Championship in 1976, despite never having played a round of golf. He shot the worst round in Open history and drew the ire of the golfing elite, but he ultimately became a folk hero, and more importantly, he showed his family the importance of pursuing one’s dreams. Tickets are available HERE.

Masks and proof of vaccination will be required to enter  the theater.

 

 

About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 36 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000+ attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films including 100+ premieres representing over 60 countries, tributes, and panel discussions, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.

In 2016, SBIFF entered a new era with the acquisition of the historic and beloved Riviera Theatre. After a capital campaign and renovation, the theatre is now SBIFF’s new state-of-the-art, year-round home, showing new international and independent films every day. In 2019, SBIFF opened its own Education Center in downtown Santa Barbara on State Street to serve as a home for its many educational programs and a place for creativity and learning.

 

#Sundance, Feature Film, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival 2022

Am I OK?

Leave a comment

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Wrapping up Day 6 with the Kim Yutani (Festival Programming Director) introduced film, Am I OK? from Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, I was quickly taken into the relationship fold with an intimated and personalized invitation with a mesmerizing bedroom scene between the film’s two lead actors, Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno.

Dakota Johnson, left, and Sonoya Mizuno, explore relationships and friendships in Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne’s Am I OK? at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute)

The editing from Kayla Emter and Glen Scantlebury and the cinematography from Cristina Dunlap brought to fruition the promise Notaro and Allyne hinted at during Yutani’s intro. The film explores sexuality and relationship mores between two 30ish women who are best friends, Jane, portrayed by Mizuno, is a firmly rooted woman finding success in her career and in her love life. On the other hand, Lucy, portrayed by Johnson, is struggling with her career and in the romance sphere.

Notaro and Allynne present the friendship in a microcosm revolving around work, friendship, relationships, and sexuality. As Lucy comes to the realization her sexual orientation is not what she thought, she has a falling out with Jane. Jane experiences a surprise in her romantic relationship when she accepts a promotion to open a London office and her partner decides he is not interested in supporting the move. Meanwhile, Lucy finds her identity.

Am I OK? is a beautiful story with exquisite character arcs. Johnson and Mizuno turn in highly compelling performances in a well-executed and strongly penned narrative. In addition, the filmmakers add comedic relief with several instances in magnifying character idiosyncrasies. Four stars.

Meet the filmmakers below. You’ll be glad you did. Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies!

 

#Sundance, Documentary, Feature Film, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival 2022

Descendant Rocks the Boat at Sundance

Leave a comment

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Another full day at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival with second screenings of Cooper Raif’s Cha Cha Real Smooth, a far-reaching, exquisitely cinematic effort, and Descendant, a documentary from Margaret Brown delving into the Clotilda, a renegade slave ship from 1859 that ensnared 150 Africans and brought them up into the Mobile River then was burned to hide the illegal run. Efforts were made to keep any and all references to the voyage hidden. The descendants from the Clotilda settled into an area known as Africatown and managed to keep their story alive primarily via the oral tradition.

Brown also reveals the enduring power imbalance that persists between the descendants of Timothy Meaher, the man who chartered the illegal expedition, and the descendants of those who were enslaved aboard it.

 

Cooper Raif, left, and Dakota star in Cha Cha Real Smooth premiering at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute)

 

Cha Cha Real Smooth, like its central character, Andrew, portrayed by Raif, struggles to find its footing. Nevertheless, it is a sweetly sentimental story with a strong production design with a bountiful color pallette. Raif writes, directs, and stars with significant support from seasoned pros Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, and Brad Garrett. Raif is a remarkable talent comparable to the young Canadian filmmaker extraordinaire, Xavier Dolan. Of note, this is Dakota Johnson’s third film of the year (Lost Daughter premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival) and her second Sundance film, following the highly compelling and well-executed story, Am I OK? from Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allyne. Stay tuned for more on Am I OK?

So many films, so little time…

Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies!

 

Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah.

 

#Sundance, Feature Film, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival 2022

Day 2 Taking Off With Fast Flying Films

Leave a comment

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Day 2 at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival started off with Tabitha Jackson’s “How to Fest,” a wonderful way to open the day at Sundance – full of wise words and insight into promising films and filmmakers. Admittedly, I felt my face flush with Jackson’s closing inspirational alliteration, “Put on your intrepid trousers and go forth and discover.”

Taking those words to heart, After Yang presented itself. Stay tuned for more on this Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize winner!

At 1:45, DOWNFALL: The Case Against Boeing from acclaimed director Rory Kennedy, has numerous festivalgoers chomping at the bit with this comprehensive investigation into the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. More to follow on “searing indictment of a once-principled company corrupted by the influence of Wall Street to prioritize profits above all else.”

Here are a few more tips for today:

  • BEYOND FILM:

  • FESTIVAL VILLAGE: Now is the time to dip into Festival Village and add everything of interest to your schedule by “favoriting” – you don’t need reservations, but make a schedule now so that you don’t hear about it after it happens.

  • NEW FRONTIER:

  •  A HIGHLIGHT OF FILM PREMIERES AND POST Q&As:

    • 892 | 3:18 PM ET // 1:18 PM MT // 12:18 PM PT

      • Abi Damaris Corbin (Director, co-writer), Kwame Kwei-Armah (Writer); John Boyega (Actor), Connie Britton (Actor), Olivia Washington (Actor), Nicole Beharie (Actor), and Selenis Leyva (Actor).

    • Living | 3:48 PM ET // 1:48 PM MT // 12:48 PM PT

      • Oliver Hermanus (Director), Bill Nighy (Actor), Aimee Lou Wood (Actor)

    • Call Jane | 9:52 PM ET // 7:52 PM MT //6:52 PM PT

      • Phyllis Nagy (Director), Elizabeth Banks (Actor), Sigourney Weaver (Actor), Wuumi Mosaku (Actor), Robbie Brenner (Producer)

    • Master | 10:06 PM ET // 8:06 PM  MT // 7:06 PM PT

      • Mariama Diallo (Director, Amber Gray (Actor), Zoe Renee (Actor), Regina Hall (Actor)

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

The Festival takes place digitally via our enhanced online platform at Festival.Sundance.org, on the New Frontier Spaceship, a bespoke immersive platform allowing festival-goers to gather virtually, and in-person at seven Satellite Screens venues around the country during the Festival’s second weekend. Additional programming includes a daily talk show (“How to Fest: Daily”), and Satellite Screen conversations as well as partner offerings in the Festival Village. To note, all talks are available online via live stream or posted later on festival.sundance.org to view globally. Sign up for an account at festival.sundance.org to access online. All times are U.S. Mountain Time.  Tickets are on sale.

ABOUT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Flee, CODA, Passing, Summer Of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Clemency, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Zola, On The Record, Boys State, The Farewell, Honeyland, One Child Nation, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape.

The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute. 2022 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, AMC+, Chase Sapphire, Adobe; Leadership Sponsors – Amazon Studios, DIRECTV, DoorDash, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom Group, WarnerMedia, XRM Media; Sustaining Sponsors – Aflac, Audible, Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Dell Technologies, IMDbPro, Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold, Rabbit Hole Bourbon & Rye, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health, White Claw Hard Seltzer; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Shadow and Act, Variety, Vulture. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Visit sundance.org/festival for more.

Until next time, I’ll see you at the Cinema House!

HollywoodGlee inside the Sundance Film Festival Headquarters at the Park City Marriott on January 23, 2019, in Park City, Utah, the day before the opening of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)
Feature Film

BEING THE RICARDOS Is Coming!

Leave a comment

Posted by Larry Gleeson

As America’s funniest and most beloved TV couple, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo have been a constant presence on television around the world since the characters first appeared in the iconic sitcom “I Love Lucy,” which premiered on CBS in 1951.

 

JAVIER BARDEM and NICOLE KIDMAN star in BEING THE RICARDOS Photo: GLEN WILSON © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

 

As the quintessential dizzy redhead and the charismatic Cuban bandleader she married, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were among the brightest stars in the growing television universe, delighting their record-breaking audiences each week with Lucy’s hare-brained schemes and hilarious antics. But as America enjoyed the sitcom world of Lucy and Ricky, Ball and Arnaz were actually facing problems that could have brought an end to their newfound success and their marriage.

 

Director AARON SORKIN and NICOLE KIDMAN on the set of BEING THE RICARDOS Photo: GLEN WILSON © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

 

Despite her gift for scene-stealing physical comedy as Lucy Ricardo, Lucille Ball was a demanding and hard-nosed perfectionist behind the scenes. Desi Arnaz, in addition to being a multi-talented showman like his television character, was also a shrewd and innovative businessman who built a powerful and prolific Hollywood studio.

 

JAVIER BARDEM, J.K. SIMMONS, NINA ARIANDA, and NICOLE KDIMAN star in BEING THE RICARDOS Photo: GLEN WILSON © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

 

In addition, the Ricardos’ neighbors and landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz were crucial to the show’s success. The constantly squabbling former vaudevillians appear in virtually every episode of the show and the actors who played them, William Frawley and Vivian Vance, became close friends of Ball and Arnaz.

 

NINA ARIANDA stars in BEING THE RICARDOS Photo: GLEN WILSON © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

 

Frawley, a heavy-drinking veteran of Hollywood and vaudeville, is played by J.K. Simmons, winner of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Whiplash. Sorkin wrote the role of the cantankerous but loyal Frawley with Simmons in mind. Tony-winning actress Nina Arianda was chosen to portray Vance. Arianda says she grew up watching “I Love Lucy” and was intimidated by the idea of playing an iconic television star.

 

After sifting through the historical documents, writer Aaron Sorkin proposed going back in time some 70 years to chronicle one one production week of “I Love Lucy” — from Monday table read through Friday audience taping — Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a series of personal and professional crises that threaten their show, their careers, and their marriage. Oscar® winners Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star as the power couple behind the beloved 1950s television sitcom “I Love Lucy” in Oscar-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama, Being the Ricardos.

I’ve always been a fan of I Love Lucy having watched it with growing up, and I can honestly say I had never laughed as hard as I did as I watched The Long, Long Trailer (1953) starring Lucille and Dezi Arnaz. So, with bated breath, I wait until December 21 to see Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos. 

Until then, I’ll see you at the movies!

Feature Film

FILM REVIEW: The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson, 2021)

Leave a comment
THE FRENCH DISPATCH. (Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved)

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Searchlight Pictures and Indian Paintbrush’s American Empirical Picture presents Wes Anderson’s, The French Dispatch, being hailed as Anderson’s love letter to a fading vocation and literary form – magazine journalism. The French Dispatch brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of a widely circulated American magazine, The French Dispatch (the film’s title) published in a fictional 20th-century French city, Ennui-sur-Blasé.

 

(From L-R): Elisabeth Moss, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Fisher Stevens and Griffin Dunne in the film THE FRENCH DISPATCH. (Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved)

 

On the occasion of the death of its beloved Kansas-born editor Arthur Howitzer, Jr., portrayed by Bill Murray, his hand-picked staff—including the Cartoonist (Jason Schwartzman), the Story Editor (Fisher Stevens), the Legal Advisor (Griffin Dunne), the Copy Editor (Elisabeth Moss), the Proofreader (Anjelica Bette Fellini) and a cheery Writer Wally Wolodarsky – who has haunted the French Dispatch offices for years but never written a single word – assembles over the body to collaborate on an obituary.

They are led by Howitzer’s beloved writers, who he coddled and encouraged, and dressed down and built up, earning him their devotion and their love: Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson), the intrepid Cycling Reporter, drawn to the most unsettling and unsavory aspects of the far-flung cities he visits…J.K.L. Berendsen (Tilda Swinton), the critic and chronicler on intimate terms with every side of the modern art world…Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand), the solitary essayist who guards her journalistic integrity as closely as her private passions…and Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright), the lonely expatriate polymath with a typographic memory, discovered and rescued by Howitzer under humiliating circumstances.

Memories of Howitzer flow into the creation of four stories: a travelogue of the seediest sections of the city itself from The Cycling Reporter; “The Concrete Masterpiece,” about a criminally insane painter, his guard and muse, and his ravenous dealers; “Revisions to a Manifesto,” a chronicle of love and death on the barricades at the height of student revolt; and “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” a suspenseful tale of drugs, kidnapping and fine dining.

 

Timothée Chalamet and Lyna Khoudri in the film THE FRENCH DISPATCH. (Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved)

 

The creative team behind The French Dispatch included Wes Anderson, executive producer Roman Coppola, director of photography Robert Yeoman A.S.C., production designer Adam Stockhausen, costume designer Milena Canonero, editor Andrew Weisblum, and composer Alexandre Desplat. The film also stars Liev Schreiber (Showtime’s Ray Donovan, SPOTLIGHT, ISLE OF DOGS), Edward Norton (BIRDMAN, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL), Willem Dafoe (THE LIGHTHOUSE, SPIDERMAN), Saoirse Ronan (LITTLE WOMEN, LADY BIRD), Christoph Waltz (DJANGO UNCHAINED), Henry Winkler (Arrested Development, Barry, Happy Days), and Anjelica Huston (ISLE OF DOGS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY) as the Narrator.

The French Dispatch is definitely Wes Anderson fare for his loyal followers. It’s strongly written with humor intricately woven into the artsy cinematography/production design. Anderson professed his love for the New Yorker Magazine and the influence shines brightly through in The French Dispatch’s witty dialogue. Anderson is credited with the screenplay as well as directing. And….oh, what a cast! The creme de la creme. It’s such a treat watching their characters interact delivering deadpan humor that’s sure to keep any literary mind off-balance. The French Dispatch is an avant-garde delicacy. Highly recommended!

 

Feature Film, Musical

FILM CAPSULE NEWS: Cyrano (Joe Wright, 2021)

Leave a comment

Posted by Larry Gleeson

A Special Tribute at the 48th Telluride Film Festival to powerhouse actor, Peter Dinklage, generated massive buzz before the world premiere of the new film musical, Cyrano, directed by MGM’s Joe Wright and written by Erica Schmidt (based on her 2018 play of the same name). Both stage play and screenplay are based on Edmund Rostand’s 1897 play, Cyrano de Bergerac, incidentally credited with introducing “panache” to the English language.

Peter Dinklage stars as Cyrano and Bashir Salahuddin as Le Bret in Joe Wright’s CYRANO – A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. (Photo credit: Peter Mountain © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

The film is breathtakingly beautiful with lavish costuming, epic battles, and spirited musical numbers. The film garnered three nominations at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA): Best Original Song – Feature Film for “Every Letter”; Best Song – Onscreen for “Whenever I Fall”; and, Best Music Themed Film, Biopic or Musical.

 

Haley Bennett stars as Roxanne in Joe Wright’s CYRANO –  A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. (Photo credit: Peter Mountain © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

 

Haley Bennett stars as Roxanne in Joe Wright’s CYRANO – A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. (Photo credit: Peter Mountain © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

In Cyrano Dinklage strongly carries the weight of the lead with a remarkable melancholic voice, enhanced and embossed by Haley Bennett’s equally impressive performance as Roxanne. Both Bennett and Dinklage are reprising their roles from the 2018 Connecticut-based Goodspeed Musicals production of Cyrano.

Haley Bennett stars as Roxanne and Peter Dinklage as Cyrano in Joe Wright’s CYRANO – A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. (Photo credit: Peter Mountain
© 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Dinklage is a four-time Emmy Award-winner for his work as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones and has turned in several strong performances on the big screen in Station Agent, Elf, and I Care A Lot, and was recently Dinklage was recently announced as a Gotham Award Performer Recipient. Numerous pundits are mouthing Dinklage’s performance as Oscar-caliber – the question being is it enough for this record-setting Emmy recipient to become an Oscar recipient?

Peter Dinklage stars as Cyrano and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Christian in Joe Wright’s CYRANO – A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. (Photo credit: Peter Mountain
© 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Cyrano was coming out for the holidays…For most audiences, the date has been pushed back to January 21st, 2022, as the film recently positioned itself to take advantage of the upcoming Oscar nomination season by scheduling a one-week opening run in Los Angeles beginning December 17th, followed by a back-to-back platform release and national rollout in January. Oscar nomination voting begins January 27th and wraps up the first week of February.

Feature Film, television

American Underdog (Kurt Warner) Opening Christmas Day

Leave a comment

Posted by Larry Gleeson

American Underdog, directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin, is an American sports biographical drama chronicling the inspirational, true story of Kurt Warner, who went from stocking shelves at a Hy-VEE supermarket in Iowa to become a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and Hall of Fame quarterback.

American Underdog centers on the struggles and setbacks that derailed Warner’s aspirations to become a champion National Football League quarterback. Warner’s friend and co-worker bluntly says,  “Ain’t no NFL team gonna draft some dude from a Division 1-AA school.

When the dream seemed out of reach, Warner secured the faithful support of his wife Brenda, played by Anna Paquin, his coaches, and teammates to find the energy and strength to prove himself to the world. After honing his skills in the fast-paced, quick pass releasing “circus” Arena Football League, the St Louis Rams offer Warner an opportunity.

 

Zachary Levi, left, portrays Kurt Warner in the upcoming sports biographical drama American Underdog, opening in theatres on Christmas Day. Dennis Quaid, right, portrays the Super Bowl XXXIV Championship St. Louis Rams.

 

Zachary Levi portrays Kurt Warner. Dennis Quaid plays St. Louis Rams, Coach Dick Vermeil. Chance Kelly embodies Rams Offensive Coordinator “Mad Mike” Martz. The film, a City on a Hill Production, is being distributed by Lionsgate.

American Underdog is being promoted as “an uplifting story that shows anything is possible with faith, family, and determination.”If this is anything like the real “Greatest Show on Turf” story of the Super Bowl XXXIV Champion St Louis Rams, get out the handkerchiefs and tissue paper. American Underdog hits theatres on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2021.

Until then, I’ll see you at the movies!

 

Feature Film, Mockumentary

Marcel the Shell Picked Up By A24

Leave a comment

Posted b Larry Gleeson

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2021) made its world premiere on September 3rd, 2021, at the 48th Telluride Film Festival, where coincidentally, I celebrated my birthday. After receiving a warm birthday hug from Production Assistant Becca Bassen, an artistically talented woman who had dressed on Halloween as Marcel the Shell, I engaged Marcel the Shell with Shoes On lead, director, writer/creator Jenny Slate in a polite and deeply poignant conversation on the Telluride Film Festival and her work on Marcel the Shell With Shoes On with long-time collaborator Dean Fleischer-Camp.

I’d waited patiently for news of a distribution deal these last few months. I visited the Hi-Pointe Theatre-backlot in St. Louis recently and shared a few of my favorite films from the Telluride Film Festival with the owner, Diana Grayson, and Marcel the Shell With Shoes On was in the conversation. However, no sign of Marcel getting into the theatre. I began to fear the worst…

So, with a big smile, I share that the New York-based A24, an independent entertainment company specializing in film and television production, as well as film distribution, has acquired the North American right to Fleischer-Camp and Slate’s, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2021) as recently reported by the trade publications, Variety, and Deadline.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2021), based on two YouTube short-form films and two published tomes, is a feature-length mockumentary on the scruffy, one-inch mollusk. Utilizing the interview as the film’s premise, the audience is introduced to the life of Marcel the Shell. Leslie Stahl (herself) and Isabella Rossellini (voice of Connie) come on board for the feature adding depth and an unexpected vocal treat.

Sharp writing and a creative narrative, and spot-on stop-motion animation made Marcel the Shell With Shoes On an audience favorite at the 48th Telluride Film Festival. Told charmingly with humor and a deep sensibility of the importance of community, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On is one of a kind! A “must-see” selection! Stay tuned….

Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies!

 

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

 

Feature Film, St. Louis International Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival

FILM REVIEW: Kenneth Branagh’s BELFAST

1 Comment

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast from Focus Features tells a humorous, tender, and intensely personal story of one boy’s childhood during the tumult of the late 1960s in the city of Branagh’s birth. Belfast is an impeccable work based on Branagh’s own upbringing in Belfast in the late 1960’s.

The soundtrack features a plethora of Van Morrison’s greatest hits, including a newly written song for the film, adding joy and optimism to the challenging circumstances a young couple is facing with their young children. Their nine-year-old boy must chart a path towards adulthood through a world that has suddenly turned upside down. His stable and loving community and everything he thought he understood about life have changed forever but joy, laughter, music, and the formative magic of the movies remain.

(L to R) Caitriona Balfe as “Ma”, Jamie Dornan as “Pa”, Judi Dench as “Granny”, Jude Hill as “Buddy”, and Lewis McAskie as “Will” in director Kenneth Branagh’s BELFAST, a Focus Features release. (PHOTO Credit : Rob Youngson / Focus Features)

The cast includes Golden Globe nominee Caitríona Balfe, Academy Award® winner Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, and introduces the ten-year-old Jude Hill. Dornan and Balfe play a passionate working-class couple caught up in the mayhem, with Dench and Hinds as the quick-witted grandparents. The film is produced by Branagh, Laura Berwick, Becca Kovacik, and Tamar Thomas.

Caitriona Balfe (left) stars as “Ma” and Jamie Dornan (right) stars as “Pa” in director Sir Kenneth Branagh’s BELFAST, a Focus Features release. Credit : Rob Youngson / Focus Features

Exquisitely executed cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos, Director of Photography, utilizes various camera angles reminiscent of Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma and is simply a visual delight. Befitting the 1960’s the production design from Jim Clay hit the mark with a splattering of classic 1960’s vehicles, urban sidewalks, and building facades to match. The hair, make-up, and costuming donned by the handsome and vivacious actors are a feast for the eyes. Wakana Yoshihara and Charlotte Walker handled the respective departments.

Actor Jude Hill (left) on the set of BELFAST, a Focus Features release. ( PHOTO Credit: Rob Youngson/Focus Features)

The beautiful and talented Belfast actors were cast by Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockman. Úna Ní Dhonghaíle (The Crown) nailed the editing as she managed to draw the viewer into the 1960’s world and keep them there with seamless continuity. And, as mentioned, the music is from the Belfast-born legend, Van Morrison.

Said Kenneth Branagh:

Kenneth Branagh introduced his latest film, Belfast, at the Werner Herzog Theatre as part of the 48th Telluride Film Festival, Thursday, September 2nd, 2021. (Photo by Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

“Belfast is a city of stories and in the late 1960s it went through an incredibly tumultuous period of its history, very dramatic, sometimes violent, that my family and I were caught up in. It’s taken me fifty years to find the right way to write about it, to find the tone I wanted. It can take a very long time to understand just how simple things can be and finding that perspective, years on, provides    a great focus. The story of my childhood, which inspired the film, has become a story of the point in everyone’s life when the child crosses over into adulthood, where innocence is lost…”

 

Belfast, written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, has a perfectly directed runtime of 97 minutes,  a compelling storyline, and is so technically proficient that it appears to be an early favorite for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar Awards for best film and best director. Highly recommended!

***Belfast began its theatrical release on November 12th, 2021, and recently screened November 5th, at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre in University City, Missouri, as part of the 30th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival, November 4 -21, 2021.