29 November, 2007
By Jeremy Kay in Los Angeles Source: Screen Daily
As previously announced the festival will open on January 17 with Martin McDonagh’s feature directorial debut In Bruges starring Ralph Fiennes, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Festival director Geoff Gilmore revealed the closing film will be CSNY Déjà Vu, which follows Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young’s Freedom Of Speech US tour.
The expanded Premieres section features 24 entries and includes Barry Levinson’s comedy What Just Happened? starring Robert De Niro and Bruce Willis, Charlize Theron in the family drama Sleepwalking, Jack Black and Mos Def in Michel Gondry’s comedy Be Kind Rewind (pictured above), and Luke Wilson in Mark Pellington’s comic drama Henry Poole Is Here.
Michael Keaton’s directorial debut Merry Gentleman gets its world premiere alongside Sharon Maguire’s London-set drama Incendiary with Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor, and Brent Simon’s dark comedy Assassination Of A High School President with Mischa Barton and Bruce Willis.
The roster continues with the live concert film U2 3D, Noam Murro’s drama Smart People with Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker and Ellen Page and Alan Ball’s dark comedy Towelhead (formerly Nothing Is Private), one of several titles that played in Toronto. Gilmore said that every film that screens in the Eccles Center would be a premiere.
The Spectrum section has been expanded this year to incorporate documentaries such as Stacy Peralta’s look at the notorious Los Angeles-based Cripps and Bloods gangs in Made In America and Morgan Spurlock’s Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden? “It’s just a way to give people an added focus on docs in the Spectrum section,” Gilmore said. “I’m not going to expand the documentary competition – the 16 film-format is good as it is. Some of the docs I want to play in the festival are not necessarily films I want to play in competition.”
Spectrum’s narrative entries include an account of the birth of the Napa Valley wine industry in Bottle Shock with Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, Stanley Tucci’s Theo Van Gogh remake Blind Date with Tucci and Patricia Clarkson and Craig Lucas’ sibling comedy Birds Of America (formerly The Laws Of Motion) with Ben Foster, Matthew Perry and Ginnifer Goodwin.
Park City At Midnight highlights include George A Romero’s Diary Of The Dead zombie tale from Toronto, Oliver Blackburn’s UK thriller Donkey Punch and Bruce LaBruce’s German-Canadian tale of a lonely gay zombie in Otto (Up With Dead People).
PREMIERES
Be Kind Rewind US Dir: Michel Gondry When a man whose body accidentally becomes magnetised unintentionally erases every tape in his friend’s video store, the pair set out to remake the lost films, including Back To The Future, The Lion King and Robocop. Cast: Jack Black, Mia Farrow, Danny Glover, Mos Def. World Premiere
CSNY Déjà Vu US Dir: Bernard Shakey The war in Iraq is the backdrop as the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young “Freedom of Speech Tour” crosses North America. Echoes of Vietnam-era anti-war sentiment abound as the band connects with contemporary audiences. Neil Young co-wrote the screenplay with Mike Cerre. Cast: David Crosby, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Mike Cerre, Stephen Colbert. World Premiere, Closing Night Film
The Deal Canada Dir: Steven Schachter A long-time Hollywood producer on the verge of suicide cons a major studio into financing a $100m film based on a non-existent script, starring a black action star who has converted to Judaism. Cast: William H Macy, Meg Ryan, LL Cool J. World Premiere
Death In Love US Dir: Boaz Yakin A neurotic 40-year-old bachelor tries to make sense of hislife as he negotiates his sexual relationships in the shadow of his mother’s concentration camp experience. Cast: Josh Lucas, Jacqueline Bisset, Adam Brody, Lukas Haas. World Premiere
Diminished Capacity US Dir: Terry Kinney Learning that his senile uncle harbours a priceless baseball card, Cooper embarks on a road trip intent on selling it to save money for his uncle’s later years. He and his friends become entangled in the oddball world of baseball memorabilia and love. Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda, Virginia Madsen, Dylan Baker. World Premiere
The Escapist Ireland Dir: Rupert Wyatt A convict 12 years into a life sentence is determined to make peace with his sick daughter and develops an ingenious escape plan, recruiting a band of misfits to put it into action. Cast: Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Seu Jorge. World Premiere
The Great Buck Howard US Dir: Sean McGinly When a law school dropout answers an advertisement to be a personal assistant he unknowingly signs on to work for a belligerent magician struggling to resurrect his career. This leads to a journey across the country staging the comeback of a lifetime. Cast: Colin Hanks, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Tom Hanks, Steve Zahn. World Premiere
The Guitar US Dir: Amy Redford The life of a woman is transformed after she is diagnosed with a terminal disease, fired from her job and abandoned by her boyfriend. Given two months to live, she throws caution to the wind to pursue her dreams. Cast: Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankole, Paz De La Huerta. World Premiere
Henry Poole Is Here US Dir: Mark Pellington Henry Poole abandons his fiancée and family business to spend what he believes are his remaining days alone, only for a nosy neighbour to rupture his solitude and restore his faith in life. Cast: Luke Wilson, Radha Mitchell, Cheryl Hines, Adrana Barraza World Premiere
In Bruges UK Dir: Martin McDonagh Two London hitmen are ordered to take a forced vacation in Bruges, Belgium… but the trip turns out to be not what they expected at all. Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy. World Premiere, Opening Night Film
Incendiary UK Dir: Sharon Maguire A spirited young mother juggles grief and love in the aftermath of a terrorist attack in London. Cast: Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor, Matthew MacFadyen. World Premiere
The Merry Gentleman US Dir: Michael Keaton After fleeing an abusive marriage, a young woman sets off to start a new life. When she finds herself an unwitting witness to a murder she stumbles into a curious friendship with a depressed assassin. Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Michael Keaton. World Premiere
A Raisin In The Sun US Dir: Kenny Leon After moving to Chicago’s South Side in the 1950s, a black family struggles to deal with poverty, racism and inner conflict as they strive for a better life. Cast: Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sean Patrick Thomas. World Premiere
Savage Grace US Dir: Tom Kalin The true story of a charismatic woman who married above her class to the heir to the Bakelite plastics fortune. Their only child is a failure in his father’s eyes, and as he matures and becomes increasingly close to his lonely mother, the seeds for tragedy are sown. Cast: Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, Eddie Redmayne. US Premiere
Sleepwalking Canada/US Dir: Bill Maher A young man ill equipped to raise his abandoned niece is forced to take responsibility when faced with the prospect of losing her to a foster home. Cast: Nick Stahl, AnnaSophia Robb, Charlize Theron, Dennis Hopper, Woody Harrelson. World Premiere
Smart People US Dir: Noam Murro An acerbic and self-absorbed literature professor has alienated his son and turned his daughter into an overachieving, friendless teen. When his brother unexpectedly shows up at his door, the man is forced is to confront his own life. Cast: Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes. World Premiere
Assassination Of A High President US Dir: Brett Simon A rookie journalist at the high school paper unravels a mysterious plot involving the class president, drugs, and a ring of stolen test scores. Cast: Reece Thompson, Bruce Willis, Mischa Barton, Michael Rapaport, Kathryn Morris, Josh Pais. World Premiere
Towelhead US Dir: Alan Ball A 13-year-old Arab-American girl’s sexual awakening wreaks havoc among the adults in her life. Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Toni Collette, Summer Bishil. US Premiere
Transsiberian Spain Dir: Brad Anderson A Trans-Siberian train journey from China to Moscow becomes a murderous chase when an American couple encounters a mysterious pair of travellers. Cast: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Thomas Kretschmann, Eduardo Noriega, Ben Kingsley. World Premiere
U2 3D US Dirs: Catherine Owens, Mark Pellington Live footage from the Irish supergroup’s worldwide Vertigo tour, shot over seven different shows and incorporating the most 3-D cameras ever used for a single project. World Premiere
The Visitor US Dir: Tom McCarthy A college professor becomes embroiled in the lives of a young immigrant couple he discovers squatting in his Manhattan apartment. Cast: Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira. US Premiere
What Just Happened? US Dir: Barry Levinson A comedy about a desperate movie producer who is trying to survive a crazed director, a shameless actor, a clueless executive, a battered agent, and a broken second marriage. Cast: Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro. World Premiere
The Year Of Getting To Know Us US Dir: Patrick Sisam A commitment-phobic man reunites with his estranged, ailing father and comes to terms with his own childhood. Cast: Jimmy Fallon, Chase Ellison, Lucy Liu, Sharon Stone, Tom Arnold. World Premiere
The Yellow Handkerchief US Dir: Udayan Prasad A recently released convict and a pair of disillusioned young people meet on a road trip through Louisiana. Cast: Maria Bello, William Hurt, Eddie Redmayne, Veronica Russell. World Premiere
SPECTRUM
The films screening in Spectrum: Documentary Spotlight are:
Anvil… The True Story Of Anvil US Dir: Sacha Gervasi The middle aged founders of Canadian metal band Anvil reunite to record their 13th album in a last attempt to fulfil their boyhood dreams. World Premiere
The Black List US Dir: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders Journalist Elvis Mitchell takes the pulse of black America through interviews with athletes, academics, politicians and social activists. World Premiere
Kicking It USA Dir: Susan Koch The lives of homeless people are changed forever as they set off to compete in the Homeless World Cup in South Africa. World Premiere
The Linguists US Dirs: Seth Kramer, Daniel Miller, Jeremy Newberger David and Greg are “The Linguists,” who document languages on the verge of extinction. In the rugged landscapes of Siberia, India and Bolivia, their resolve is tested by institutionalised racism and violent economic unrest. World Premiere
Made In America US Dir: Stacy Peralta A first-person look at the notorious Crips and Bloods, examining the conditions that have lead to decades of devastating gang violence among young African-Americans growing up in South Los Angeles. World Premiere
Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden? France Dir: Morgan Spurlock Spurlock scours the Middle East to find the world’s most wanted man. World Premiere
Young@Heart UK Dir: Stephen Walker A choir of Massachusetts senior citizens delights audienceswith their covers of songs by everyone from The Clash and Coldplay to Jimi Hendrix and Sonic Youth.
Dramatic films screening in Spectrum are:
August US Dir: Austin Chick An aggressive young dotcom entrepreneur struggles to keep his head above water as the bottom falls out of the market in August of 2001. Cast: Josh Hartnett, Adam Scott, Naomie Harris. World Premiere
Baghead US Dirs: Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass Two couples retreat to a log cabin to write the great American screenplay only to find themselves stalked by a mysterious man with a bag on his head. Cast: Steve Zissis, Ross Partridge, Greta Gerwig. World Premiere
Birds Of America US Dir: Craig Lucas Three very different siblings converge at the family homestead where they become indispensable to one another. Cast: Matthew Perry, Ginnifer Goodwin, Ben Foster. World Premiere
Blind Date US Dir: Stanley Tucci A married couple has suffered tragedy and can only relate to each other is by meeting as different characters through a series of personal ads. A remake of the original work by the late Dutch director Theo van Gogh. Cast: Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Thijs Romer. World Premiere
Bottle Shock US Dir: Randall Miller The story of the early days of California wine making featuring the blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that put Napa Valley on the viticulture map. Cast: Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Freddy Rodriguez World Premiere
Chronic Town US Dir: Tom Hines A bittersweet slice-of-life comedy about a cab driver with substance abuse problems who weathers a cold Alaskan winter with his cadre of friends and lovers. Cast: J R Bourne, Emily Wagner, Dan Butler. World Premiere
Goliath US Dir: David Zellner Faced with a demotion, a pending divorce, and unfriendly neighbours, a man pins his hopes for salvation on finding his missing cat, Goliath. Cast: David Zellner, Caroline O’Connor, Nathan Zellner. World Premiere
A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy US Dir: Dennis Dortch Six progressive vignettes explore sexuality and relationships in the black community of Los Angeles. Cast: Kathryn Taylor, Valley Jones, Chonte’ Harris. World Premiere
Love Comes Lately Germany/Austria Dir: Jan Schutte An 80-year-old man continues to pursue his love life with youthful vigour, risking his relationship with the woman he loves. Based on the short stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Cast: Otto Tausig, Rhea Perlman, Tovah Feldshuh. US Premiere
Momma’s Man US Dir: Azazel Jacobs A man who has avoided his wife and child at home has a change of heart after an imposed stay in his own parents’ loft. Cast: Flo Jacobs, Ken Jacobs, Dana Varon. World Premiere
Quid Pro Quo US Dir: Carlos Brooks A paraplegic New York public radio reporter becomes involved with a mysterious woman while researching a story about able-bodied people who secretly yearn to be paralysed. Cast: Nick Stahl, Vera Farmiga, Kate Burton. World Premiere
Red US Dirs: Trygve Diesen & Lucky McKee. A reclusive man takes action after his dog is shot by three teenagers. Cast: Brian Cox, Tom Sizemore, Kim Dickens. World Premiere
NEW FRONTIER
casting a glance US Dir: James Benning An experiential look at Robert Smithson’s monumental sculpture the Spiral Jetty as it has evolved over 30 years in concert with the ebb and flow of the Great Salt Lake.
Eat, For This Is My Body (Mange, Ceci Est Mon Corps) France/Haiti Dir: Michelange Quay A dreamlike meditation on the evolution of racial conquest and liberation in Haiti. Cast: Sylvie Testud. US Premiere
Fear(s) Of The Dark (Peur(s) Du Noir) France Dirs: Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Callou, Richard McGuire, Pierre Di Sciullio, Lorenzo Mattotti Six leading graphic artists and cartoonists breathe life into their phobias and nightmares in this animated feature. North American Premiere
Half-Life US Dir: Jennifer Phang As troubling signs of global cataclysms accelerate, a family comes to terms with issues long swept under the rug. World Premiere
Reversion US Dir: Mia Trachinger In a world in which the past, present and future simultaneously unfold, a woman whose genetic mutation leaves her devoid of morality struggles to preserve her romance with the man she loves. World Premiere
Seven Intellectuals In Bamboo Forest, Parts 4 And 5 US Artist: Yang Fudong A rare screening of the artist’s most recently completed films in his celebrated series based on the history of seven intellectuals in the ancient Chinese Wei and Jin Dynasties.
PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
Adventures Of Power US Dir: Ari Gold In his quest to become the world’s greatest air drummer, a small-town dreamer must overcome obstacles and ridicule to save the day. Cast: Adrian Grenier, Jane Lynch, Jimmy Jean-Louis. World Premiere
The Broken UK Dir: Sean Ellis A nightmare unfolds when a woman sees herself driving by in her own car. Cast: Lena Headey, Richard Jenkins, Asier Newman. World Premiere
George A Romero’s Diary Of The Dead US Dir: George A Romero Film students get caught up in a zombie outbreak and decide to record the action on camera. Cast: Nick Alachiotis, Matt Birman, George Buza. US Premiere
Donkey Punch UK Dir: Olly Blackburn Seven young adults on a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean become ensnared in a deadly fight for survival. Cast: Robert Boulter, Sian Breckin, Tom Burke, Nichola Burley, Julian Morris, Jay Taylor, Jaime Winstone. World Premiere
Funny Games US Dir: Michael Haneke A family settles into its vacation home, which happens to be the next stop for a pair of young, articulate, white-gloved serial killers on an excursion through the neighborhood. Cast: Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Devon Gearhart.
Hell Ride US Dir: Larry Bishop Quentin Tarantino presents a homage to the 1960s motorcycle films in this story of bloody revenge. Cast: Larry Bishop, Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen. World Premiere
Otto (Up With Dead People) Germany/Canada Dir: Bruce LaBruce A lonely gay zombie searches for love and meaning in contemporary Berlin. Cast: Jey Crisfar, Katharina Klewinghaus, Susanne Sachsse, Marcel Schlutt. World Premiere
Timecrimes (Los Cronocrimenes) Spain Dir: Nacho Vigalondo A man accidentally travels back to the past where he encounters himself in a nightmarish sequence of events. Cast: Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernandez, Barbara Goenaga.
