AFIFest2014: "Foxcatcher" to close AFIFest

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced Monday that Sony Pictures Classics’ "Foxcatcher", directed by Academy Award® nominee Bennett Miller and starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Academy Award® nominee Mark Ruffalo, Academy Award® winner Vanessa Redgrave and Sienna Miller, will be the Closing Night Gala of AFI FEST presented by Audi on Thursday, November 13 at the Dolby Theatre®.

”Bennett Miller and the film’s incredible cast are going to close the festival and our last night at the iconic Dolby Theatre with an enthralling psychological drama that is one of the highlights of American independent filmmaking this year,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST.

"Foxcatcher" tells the story of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum), who sees a way out from the shadow of his more celebrated wrestling brother Dave (Ruffalo) and a life of poverty when he is summoned by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont (Carell) to move onto his estate and train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  Desperate to gain the respect of his disapproving mother, du Pont begins "coaching" a world-class athletic team and begins to lure Mark into an unhealthy lifestyle and erodes the athlete's already shaky self-esteem.  Fueled by du Pont's mercurial personality, increasing paranoia and alienation from the brothers, the trio is propelled towards a tragedy no one could have foreseen.  Based on actual events, "Foxcatcher", is a gripping and profoundly American story of brotherly love, misguided loyalty, and the corruption and emotional bankruptcy that can accompany great power and wealth.

This film was supposed to be the Opening Weekend Gala Premiere last year but the movie delayed and it instead premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last May.

To attend the Closing Night Gala with reserved seats, guests must purchase a festival package at the Star Patron or Marquee Patron levels.  These and other AFI FEST Patron Packages and Passes – that can include access to sold-out galas and other high-demand films and events – are on sale now at AFI.com/AFIFEST.  AFI members at the Two-Star level and above receive a 10% discount on all AFI FEST Patron Packages and Passes.  AFI Members will be given access to regular screenings with a Cinepass for this year’s festival.  Information about AFI Membership is available at AFI.com/membership.  The American Film Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational and cultural organization, and Patron Packages are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Free individual tickets to AFI FEST screenings and galas will be available to the general public online at AFI.com beginning Friday, October 24.

The Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards®, will be the festival’s newest venue for red carpet galas from November 10-13.  The Dolby Theatre, an iconic Hollywood landmark, provides filmmakers an impressive platform to showcase their work with the very best in audio and imaging capabilities.  

AFI FEST will take place November 6 through 13 in Hollywood, CA, at the Dolby Theatre, the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  As previously announced, the Opening Night Gala will be the world premiere of A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (DIR J.C. Chandor) on Thursday, November 6 and Sophia Loren will be honored with a special Tribute on Wednesday, November 12. The full festival lineup will be unveiled later this month.

For the 11th year, Audi is the festival’s presenting sponsor.  Additional top sponsors include AT&T, Coca-Cola, VIZIO, American Airlines (the official airline of AFI) and Stella Artois.  The festival’s venue sponsors include the Dolby Theatre, TCL Chinese Theatres, the Hollywood & Highland Center, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and the Egyptian Theatre.

See you at the movies!

XXX

Raymond Lo

My interview with the great James Spader

My interview with James Spader came out yesterday in The Philippine Star. The online link can be found here: http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2014/10/06/1376847/get-james-spaders-blacklist. The full text is below.

James Spader as Raymond Reddington

MANILA, Philippines - “Welcome everybody! Thank you for coming,” was how Emmy-winning actor James Spader warmly greeted our group of journalists when we visited the set of his worldwide hit television series The Blacklist two weeks ago in New York.

The Blacklist is set in Washington D.C. but the actual filming takes place in a converted storage inside the Chelsea Piers in Lower Manhattan. On the day we visited, the cast was in the middle of completing episode four of the current season that premiered last week.

A recap of the Season 2 premiere: James’ character Raymond “Red” Reddington continues his pursuit of his nemesis Berlin. Harry Cooper, the FBI head, is still trying to recuperate from the wounds he sustained in the previous season while Donald Ressler is trying very hard to maintain a sound composure despite the obvious trauma he suffered from Season 1. Elizabeth Keen, meanwhile, is slowly moving on from the death of her husband, Tom, and was even granted an annulment of their fraudulent marriage. A Mossad agent was introduced to the story and so was one explosive plot twist: Red’s wife is alive and Berlin has her in captivity.

You have to tune in to AXN every Tuesday at 10 p.m. to follow what’s going to happen this season to Red, Liz, Harry, Donald and all your favorite characters of The Blacklist because I can’t tell you anything more than James shared with us during our interview.

Here are excerpts:

Are we going to find out this season if Red is the father of Liz?

“No, you won’t find out about that. I mean, what you will find is you are going to get closer and closer, and what you’ll find are the things that once we’ve reached the inevitable end of the series you will be able to look back and realize that there were things that you found out along the way that you weren’t sure how to process them in terms of that issue and, all of a sudden, those things will connect. It’s almost like a puzzle and we are giving you pieces as we go on and eventually you sort of put them together and they fit!”

By the end of Season 1, the blacklist is connected to Berlin and that everything is somehow interconnected. Will Season 2 play all that interconnection?

“Berlin is definitely intertwined in the greater story of the show — not in its entirety but he is and becomes even more entwined coming in to Season 2.”

What kind of Red are we going to see this season?

“We are just shooting episode four right now and already he’s faced with some circumstances that have not come up prior to this. How he responds to those circumstances allows for different aspects of his behavior that I hope will be, in different turns, surprising and also revealing about certain aspects of him. It’s a very delicate balance when you have a character that is very enigmatic and that’s part of the compulsion of the character. That’s what makes him compelling, what makes you curious.”

How did you compose Red, are there inspirations from real life?

“No. I tend to work from script and imagination. I read the pilot and I recognized something that I can hold on to and extrapolating on that, I realized that I could bring a lot here with that.”

What is it about the character that initially attracted you?

“I was looking for something that was dichotomous in its tone: One that is, in turns funny, other times not at all. The character has to be serious yet irreverent so that there will be a lot to play because you have to sustain it, it has to hold your interest and curiosity for a long period of time. So, I was looking for something where there was a real complexity in terms of playing that character but also I was very drawn to the fact that I knew nothing about what direction it could go in and what direction this character might take by the end of reading the pilot script.”

Many are saying that it is your acting that makes the show so successful.

“I just do the best I can. I wanted to work and if I don’t think that I can make a character work then I turn it down. If I really don’t think that I can bring enough to it, I turn it down. If I sign on for a piece of material, I know that I am going to be able to do a job with it. It’s an hour-long broadcast network television show that swallows you whole and chews you up — you are just in it! And that’s great! I like that, I like that. I really don’t take the time to reflect about those other things, I’m really concentrating on the show.”

How does it feel when a show is marketed as a James Spader show?

“I think that’s the function of the character, really. Any actor who has been around long enough has a baggage and a reputation that they are bringing with them and therefore it is a Sisyphean feat to market anything. Therefore, whatever advantage they can have in terms of marketing they are going to take advantage but, I think, in the case of this, of course, they are using the opportunity to have someone with a name that’s recognizable and a face that’s recognizable and so on and so forth. But ultimately, if you see the show, it’s really marketed on Reddington because he is provocative and that has worked for them and they continue to do that.”

Is Hollywood itself kind of a “blacklist” environment in terms of how you operate as an actor to get roles?

“I have been doing this for decades and I still have no idea how to ‘operate’ in the business. I just read scripts and decide what I should be doing. I have been very lucky in the last five years. I have been really able to work. I finished doing a television series, came to New York and did a play for a year on Broadway, then was working on film and then visited for a year in another television series, took a break then shoot the Lincoln film and then started this and did another film with Tommy Lee Jones (The Homesman) — it’s becoming all one business.”

xxx
Raymond Lo

Quick Reviews: "The Good Lie", "The Skeleton Twins", "This is Where I Leave You"

"THE GOOD LIE"
Director: Philippe Falardeau
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, Corey Stoll, Kuoth Wiel, Femi Oguns

This is not a lie, "The Good Lie" is a very good and heartwarming film. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and, most of all, it will make you care. This movie falls into the "message movie" genre but it is not preachy nor didactic. It is sentimental, yes, but it succeeds in getting the message across.

It is the story about the child refugees of sudan, the so-called "lost boys and girls of Sudan." It is the sad story of the disintegration of Sudan. It is also a story of enduring faith, of hope, of perseverance, survival, love and charity. Many people should watch this movie so that we don't forget the stories of the Sudanese survivors -- and the hundreds of thousands more languishing and displaced in many refugee camps all over Kenya today.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

"THE SKELETON TWINS"
Director: Craig Johnson
Cast: Kristin Wiig, Bill Hader, Luke Wilson, Boyd Holbrook, Ty Burrell

"The Skeleton Twins" is a funny and deeply affecting film about two thirty-something suicidal siblings who are trying to survive a traumatic past by avoiding every opportunity to be sad only to find themselves always in the throes of depression. Great cinema and great stories are oftentimes about lonely individuals coping with their misfortunes and sometimes talented comedians make the best actors to effectively convey the state of melancholy on screen. Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig are both outstanding in their roles as the titular twins. Luke Wilson is also amazing as Kristin's too-good husband. This is a small movie with very limited budget but the rest of the cast made up for it with their equally outstanding performances despite the small screen times they have.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars. Watch it!

"THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU"
Director: Shawn Levy
Cast: Jane Fonda, Jason Bateman, Corey Stoll, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard, Kathryn Hahn, Rose Byrne, Connie Britton

See that cast? Impressive, right? We'll, it's the only thing that's really impressive about this movie.

When i wrote a quick post in my Facebook account yesterday telling (warning) my friends about "This is Where I Leave You", this is what I wrote: "Still catching up on movies i missed. Finally saw "This is Where I Leave You" and this is when i say i wished i left the theater for another movie. Just kidding but, actually, i am not."

The movie with its exceptional cast features occasional lovely scenes of family dysfunction but the writing is just absolutely horrible specially the revelation about the mom close to the end which was truly awful! And if a movie can make Cyndi Lauper's anthemic "Time After Time" sound so irritating then it must be truly bad. There's a scene in the film where Jason Bateman's character tunes out the noise his family was making and i wished i did the same for much of the movie.

I give props to the cast who clearly had fun with the movie, the excellent production design and Jane Fonda's robust boobs!

Rating: 2 1/2 Stars

XXX
Raymond Lo

Film Review: Is it Goodbye Oscar for Gone Girl?

After being absent from commercial movie theaters for nearly two months, I decided to march back last Friday to catch the first day showing of one of the most awaited films of the fall season.

"Gone Girl"  is Oscar-nominated director David Fincher's take of Gillian Flynn's runaway bestseller. It's a gorgeous film. Sleek and polished like every Fincher films of late. The score is sparse and moody and just about perfect.

I loved it!

Oh, yes, I loved it until the part when Fincher and Flynn (who wrote the screenplay) departed from the book and decided to extend what would have been a quick and wicked ending like in the book in favor of a coda that robbed the movie of its real and more powerful conclusion that came ten minutes earlier.

It's a petty excuse, I know. The detour does not diminish the overall pulp quality of the film and you can actually ignore my complaining and go watch this movie because it is still one of the really good movies this year and let us reward Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck for their wicked and splendid performances in it. As well as Fincher's masterful direction.

Now on to the real question: Does the movie have enough elements of a real Oscar contender? I seriously doubt that now. The extended coda which I presume was conceptualized to allow the audience some breathing room until the final frame to connect it to the beginning was a good storytelling device, yes, but i think that decision backfired and made the film just appear ordinary in the company of other David Fincher masterpieces. The film is good, really good, only not exceptionally good. My standards are high because David Fincher made me set them high.

I was debating on what to headline this post. I was thinking "Gone, gone, Oscar!"

Rating: 4 Stars

XXX
Raymond Lo

Analysis: Philippines Box Office (Jan-Sep 2014)

I did some elementary analysis of the box office data for the Philippines through the first three quarters of 2014 and what did i find out? Homegrown Filipino films are outperforming Hollywood!!! Star Cinema, the undisputed leader in TV and film production in the Philippines leads all distributors with a YTD receipt of $33,168,626.00 (Php 1,488,607,934.88)! Outstanding!

Trailing Star Cinema are Hollywood behemoths Fox, Disney, Sony and WB. Independent distributors account for 10% of the total YTD box office receipts! 

The top movie in the Philippines is the Hollywood sequel "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" followed by another sequel "Transformers: Age of Extinction".

The top Filipino movie is the Piolo Pascual-starrer "Starting Over Again" with a staggering receipt of $9,096,712.00 (Php 408,260,434.56). The movie is the 3rd top movie of the year after the two sequels!

Note: I got the data from the website www.boxofficemojo.com

Exchange rate: $1 = Php 44.88.

xxx
Raymond Lo