Fittingly lavish, new images from Anna Karenina , the splendor of imperial Russia is merely the backdrop for a scandalous love affair. But strict rules and mores adhered to (and then broken) by high society have long been enticing setting for 99 per centers (and their friends) throughout the ages to witness aristocratic crash and burns through fleshly indulgences. And the screen version of Leo Tolstoy’s novel appears to not hold back. Keira Knightley , Jude Law , and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (aka Aaron Johnson) star in the 19th century epic, directed by Joe Wright ( Atonement , Pride & Prejudice ) and adapted by Oscar-winner Tom Stoppard ( Shakespeare in Love ). Oscar is undoubtedly on filmmakers’ minds not to mention distributor Focus Features, which will debut Anna Karenina at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, the annual September event that is the virtual launch-pad of the annual awards race. Anna Karenina has graced the big screen and small screen throughout the decades. Greta Garbo played the titular Russian aristocrat who falls in love with the dashing Count Vronsky, jeopardizing her social standing and not to mention her aristocratic husband’s displeasure. Jude Law plays the wronged husband in the latest Anna Karenina and Aaron Johnson’s Count Vronsky is the object of desire. [ GALLERY: Check out the latest photos from Anna Karenina ] ( Anna Karenina trailer is below along with the film’s official log-line) Acclaimed director Joe Wright’s bold, theatrical new vision of the epic story of love is stirringly adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s great novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard (“Shakespeare in Love”). The film marks the third collaboration of the director with Academy Award-nominated actress Keira Knightley and Academy Award-nominated producers Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Paul Webster, following their award-winning box office successes “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement.” The creative team also includes cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (“The Avengers”), three-time Academy Award-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood (“Sherlock Holmes”), film editor Melanie Ann Oliver (“Jane Eyre”), hair and make-up designer Ivana Primorac (“Hanna”), Academy Award-winning composer Dario Marianelli (“Atonement”), and two-time Academy Award-nominated costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“Pride & Prejudice”). The timeless story powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart while illuminating the lavish society that was imperial Russia. The time is 1874. Vibrant and beautiful, Anna Karenina (Ms. Knightley) has what any of her contemporaries would aspire to; she is the wife of Karenin (Jude Law), a high-ranking government official to whom she has borne a son, and her social standing in St. Petersburg could scarcely be higher. She journeys to Moscow after a letter from her philandering brother Oblonsky (Matthew Macfadyen) arrives, asking for Anna to come and help save his marriage to Dolly (Kelly Macdonald). En route, Anna makes the acquaintance of Countess Vronsky (Olivia Williams), who is then met at the train station by her son, the dashing cavalry officer Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). When Anna is introduced to Vronsky, there is a mutual spark of instant attraction that cannot – and will not – be ignored. The Moscow household is also visited by Oblonsky’s best friend Levin (Domhnall Gleeson), an overly sensitive and compassionate landowner. Levin is in love with Dolly’s younger sister Kitty (Alicia Vikander). Inopportunely, he proposes to Kitty but she is infatuated with Vronsky. Devastated, Levin returns to his Pokrovskoe estate and throws himself into farm work. Kitty herself is heartbroken when, at a grand ball, Vronsky only has eyes for Anna and the married woman reciprocates the younger man’s interest. Anna struggles to regain her equilibrium by rushing home to St. Petersburg, where Vronsky follows her. She attempts to resume her familial routine, but is consumed by thoughts of Vronsky. A passionate affair ensues, which scandalizes St. Petersburg society. Karenin is placed in an untenable position and is forced to give his wife an ultimatum. In attempting to attain happiness, the decisions Anna makes pierce the veneer of an image-obsessed society, reverberating with romantic and tragic consequences that dramatically change her and the lives of all around her. Director: Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Pride & Prejudice,” “Hanna”) Writer: Tom Stoppard (“Shakespeare in Love”); Based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy Cast: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Alicia Vikander, Olivia Williams, Emily Watson MPAA Rating: R
Also in Wednesday afternoon’s round-up of news briefs, Toronto 2012 Sci-Fi horror John Dies at the End heads for theatrical release. Also headed to theaters is Ernest Borgnine’s final film. Ellen DeGeneres is in talks to reprise a Pixar favorite. And Tribeca Film Institute gives $400K in grants for transmedia projects. Toronto 2012 Sci-Fi Horror John Dies at the End Heads for Release Magnet Releasing will bring cult filmmaker Don Coscarelli’s John Dies at the End to theaters and VOD. The genre label of distribution company Magnolia Pictures will release the title via VOD in late December, followed by a theatrical release in early 2013. The feature will screen in the Midnight Madness section of the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival. Check out the film’s description here . Anti-Obama Doc Tops Online Ticketer Fandango 2016: Obama’s America is selling more advanced tickets than any other film, Fandango said. The feature, which is based on conservative author Dinesh D’Souza’s book The Roots of Obama’s Rage , expands nationwide Friday after posting solid numbers in limited release. Ernest Borgnine’s Final Film Vicente Fernandez Heading to Theaters Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine’s final film, The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernández will head for theatrical release via Indican Pictures which acquired North American rights to the title. The film will open in Los Angeles this October, with additional select cities to follow, and will launch an awards campaign centered on Borgnine’s final performance. The pic debuted at this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival where the actor won the Acting Prize. He passed away in July. Tribeca Film Institute Grants $400K to Transmedia Projects The program is in partnership with the Ford Foundation. Six interactive non-fiction projects explores a range of topics ranging from Guatemalan street gangs in Alma, A Tale of Violence to rural West Virginia issues in Hollow . Question Bridge explores black male identity. New Day New Standard centers on workers’ rights, while Laika’s Adventure is an educational story revolving around Connected Sparks, an online social change platform for children. And Immigrant Nation involves personal stories and multiple entry points surrounding U.S. immigrants. The TFI New Media Fund supports non-fiction film projects that go beyond traditional screens, exploring storytelling that is interactive, multi-platform and participatory. Around the ‘net… Ellen Page Set to Star in Pic Based on Landmark Gay Rights Case Ellen Page will play Stacie Andree who was denied pension benefits from her longtime partner Laurel Hester, a New Jersey police detective who became terminally ill. The story is based on the Oscar-winning short documentary Freeheld , which production company Incognito Pictures is developing, Deadline reports . Ellen DeGeneres Eyes Finding Nemo Sequel The comedian is in talks to reprise her role in the wildly popular underwater animated feature from Disney/Pixar. She would again voice Dory, the blue tang fish with the short-term memory challenge that she played in the 2003 original, THR reports .
Also in Tuesday morning’s round-up of news briefs, the New York Film Festival will debut a portion of a new Oliver Stone project. Paramount nabs Kevin Costner for Kenneth Branagh project. Jim Carrey is being courted for super-hero project. And Italian television warns of a “racy” Venice lineup. Dick Van Dyke to Receive 49th SAG Life Achievement Award The award is SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor given to an actor that exemplifies the “finest ideals of the acting profession.” Van Dyke will receive the honor at the 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, taking place Sunday, January 27th. New York Film Festival to Feature Oliver Stone Debut & More The 50th NYFF will include a sneak preview of Oliver Stone’s The Untold History of the United States , produced as a 10-part mini-series for Showtime. The first three chapters will be presented by NYFF. Additionally, the event will present anniversary screenings of the classics Lawrence of Arabia , Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Princess Bride as part of its 2012 event taking place September 28 – October 14. Around the ‘net… Tony Scott’s Family Says He Did Not Have Brain Cancer Initial reports that Scott’s suicide may have stemmed from brain cancer apparently were incorrect. ABCNews.com initially reported the director suffered from inoperable brain cancer, but family members denied that he was suffering any severe medical issues, USA Today reports . Paramount Gets Kevin Costner for Jack Ryan and Without Remorse Pics The studio had been courting Costner for the Kenneth Branagh-directed Jack Ryan film with Chris Pine as well as the spinoff franchise Without Remorse , Deadline reports . Jim Carrey Being Courted for Kick-Ass 2 It is not clear he’ll accept, but Jim Carrey is being courted by Universal to “play a showy supporting role in Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall , directed by Jeff Wadlow, Deadline reports . Berlusconi TV Channel Slams Venice for “Racy Lineup” A network owned by disgraced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said the Venice Film Festival needs an adults-only rating, though its spiel on the films may have been at least somewhat tongue-in-cheek. The festival includes potentially controversial new work from Terrence Malick, Paul Thomas Anderson, Harmony Korine, Brian DePalma and Marco Bellocchio. Venice takes place August 29 – September 8, The Guardian reports .
The Wanted, LL Cool J and New Kids on the Block also make the ultimate MixTape Festival mixtape, according to the artists themselves. By Christina Garibaldi Carly Rae Jepsen Photo: Getty Images
Kelly Clarkson, DJ Pauly D also hit the stage at the inaugural Pennsylvania fest. By Christina Garibaldi and Cory Midgarden Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block perform on day one of the Summer Mixtape Festival 2012 Photo: Bobby Bank/ WireImage
Thanks to the cajoling of a local critic, Chicago cinephiles got an advance look at Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master on Thursday night at a special 70 mm screening of the highly anticipated feature. The sold-out benefit screening took place at Chicago’s Art Deco landmark, the Music Box Theatre, which is the only movie house in the Windy City capable of projecting 70 mm film stock. Anderson was present at the Music Box, although he did not introduce the film and was not available for comment afterward. The advance screening, which doubled as a benefit for Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation (which is dedicated to film preservation), followed a much-talked about surprise showing of the picture at Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre on Aug. 3. (The film will make the festival rounds in Venice and Toronto.) Anderson and his superb cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. shot most of The Master in 65mm, marking it the first fictional film project since Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 four-hour adaptation of Hamlet to utilize the wide-gauge format. The advent of digital projection has rendered the costly and time consuming format largely obsolete and only a handful of theaters around the country have the proper technological specifications to project such films. The Music Box is one of those theaters, and just as critics petitioned a recalcitrant Fox Searchlight to offer more screenings of Kenneth Lonergan’s second feature Margaret , Time Out Chicago film editor Ben Kenigsberg was instrumental in bringing about the Chicago event after he wrote a series of well-reported blog posts insisting on the need for a screening in Anderson’s preferred 70mm format. Within moments of the public announcement of the screening late Wednesday night, Chicago cineastes were abuzz. The theater sold out its allotment of more than 700 tickets in 85 minutes, according to Dave Jennings, the theater’s managing director. “We’ll project in whatever format we receive them, but we love film,” Jennings said in his prefacing remarks. Running 137 minutes (without final credits), The Master traffics in the director’s trademark themes. The first third of the story appears highly indebted to Orson Welles’s great and potent 1946 noir The Lady From Shanghai . It’s another of Anderson’s brittle and audacious portraits of wounded masculinity and sexual panic. Set in 1950, the story details the complicated emotional interaction of Freddie (Joaquin Phoenix), a hollow-eyed World War II veteran who casually insinuates himself into the inner-workings of Lancaster (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a huckster proselytizing for a new self-help religion that has been likened to Scientology. Like Mark Wahlberg’s debased porn actor in Anderson’s Boogie Nights , Freddie constructs an elaborate alternative family from Lancaster’s entourage that results in much unintended conflict when some members of the insular and tight-knit group — especially Adams, who plays Lancaster’s wife — consider him too willful, naive and insufficiently faithful to be a worthy apostle. Visually, the movie is a marvel of precise and lyrical imagery. One sustained single-take tracking shot follows a young woman as she models a fur jacket. In another vivid, sexually hallucinatory moment, Freddie imagines all the women surrounding Lancaster during a musical number naked. The 70mm image, with its saturated colors and solidity, casts its own spell. In the first of several tense encounters between the two men that functions as Lancaster’s inquisition of the tremulous Freddie, Anderson unflinchingly keeps the camera tight on their faces. The scene plays out in one long, unbroken take, and the effect is hypnotic. As with There Will Be Blood , Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood provides a percussive score that’s even more astringent. The second half is less audacious and more problematic. The crowd’s reaction was excited though also muted, possibly as a result of fatigue since the closing credits didn’t roll until just before 1 a.m.. Given its complex — and dark — subject matter, The Master is likely to be championed by critics and specialized audiences and largely ignored by the larger public. But last night in Chicago, it ruled. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
The Toronto International Film Festival added three Galas and 18 Special Presentations including eight World Premieres including dozens in its Contemporary World Cinema to its massive lineup Tuesday. Paul Andrew Williams’ A Song For Marion with Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp will close the festival September 16th. New work from Dan Algrant, Paul Thomas Anderson, Dante Ariola, Yvan Attal, Susanne Bier, Nick Cassavetes, Daniele Ciprì, Lee Daniels, Brian De Palma, Bahman Ghobadi, Harmony Korine, Patrice Leconte, Spike Lee, Scott McGehee, Claude Miller, Henry-Alex Rubin, Walter Salles, Valeria Sarmiento, Pablo Trapero, Peter Webber join the 2012 lineup. Today’s additions bring the final tally of TIFF Galas to 20, and the final number of Special Presentations to 70 including 49 World Premieres. Toronto International Film Festival additions with descriptions provided by the festival. Galas : Song for Marion by Paul Andrew Williams, UK World Premiere A feel-good, heart-warming story about how music can inspire you. Song for Marion stars Terence Stamp as Arthur, a grumpy pensioner who can’t understand why his wife Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) would want to embarrass herself singing silly songs with her unconventional local choir. But choir director Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton) sees something special in the reluctant Arthur and refuses to give up on him. As she coaxes him out of his shell, Arthur realizes that it is never too late to change. Emperor by Peter Webber, Japan/USA World Premiere In the aftermath of Japan’s defeat in World War II and the American occupation of the country, a Japanese expert (Matthew Fox) on the staff of Gen. Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) is faced with a decision of historic importance, in this epically scaled drama from director Peter Webber (Girl With a Pearl Earring). What Maisie Knew by Scott McGehee, David Siegel, USA World Premiere Based on the Henry James novella, the story frames on 7-year-old Maisie, caught in a custody battle between her mother – a rock and roll icon – and her father. What Maisie Knew is an evocative portrayal of the chaos of adult life seen entirely from a child’s point of view. Starring Joanna Vanderham, Onata Aprile, Alexander Skarsgård, Julianne Moore, and Steve Coogan. Special Presentations : Arthur Newman by Dante Ariola, USA World Premiere Wallace Avery is tired of being a loser. Once a hot shot in the world of competitive amateur golf, Wallace was dubbed ‘The Choker’ when he hit the pro circuit. Unable to shake off a monumental loss of nerve on the greens, Wallace retired from the pro tour and slipped into the ranks of the quietly desperate. Deciding to address a radical problem with a radical solution, he stages his own death, buys himself a new identity as Arthur Newman, and sets out toward his own private Oz of golf. An offbeat love story set in a perfect storm of identity crisis, Arthur Newman looks at how two people try to remake themselves and come around to owning up to some basic truths about the identities they left at home. Starring Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, and Anne Heche. Bad 25 by Spike Lee, USA North American Premiere Bad 25 celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Michael Jackson “Bad” album with unseen footage, content shot by Jackson himself, and a treasure chest of findings. The documentary is divided into two parts: artists today who were influenced by Michael, and people who worked by his side – musicians, songwriters, technicians, engineers, people at the label – all committed to Michael and the follow-up to the biggest record of all time, “Thriller.” Interviewees include: Mariah Carey, L.A. Reid and Sheryl Crow. Disconnect Henry Alex Rubin, USA North American Premiere Disconnect interweaves multiple storylines about people searching for human connection in today’s wired world. Through poignant turns that are both harrowing and touching, the stories intersect with surprising twists that expose a shocking reality into our daily use of technology that mediates and defines our relationships and ultimately our lives. Directed by Academy Award® nominee Henry Alex Rubin (Murderball), and starring Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgård, and Max Theriot, as well as Jonah Bobo, Colin Ford and Haley Ramm. Do Not Disturb by Yvan Attal, France World Premiere Jeff unexpectedly shows up on Ben’s doorstep at 2am. Since their college days, they’ve taken very different paths. Jeff is still the wild man, a serial lover, an artist and eternal vagabond who’s never stopped roaming the world. Ben has settled down with chilled-out and wonderful Anna; they bought a small and comfortable house in the suburbs and started trying to make a baby. But this quiet life is disrupted by the whirlwind that is Jeff, especially when he takes Ben to a wild party, from which they return at dawn, having made a decision that is about to turn all of their lives upside down. This provocative, hot and funny new film by award-winning French director Yvan Atta stars François Cluzet and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Greetings from Tim Buckley by Dan Algrant, USA World Premiere Greetings from Tim Buckley follows the story of the days leading up to Jeff Buckley’s eminent 1991 performance at his father’s tribute concert in St. Ann’s Church. Through a romance with a young woman working at the concert, he learns to embrace all of his feelings toward the father who abandoned him – longing, anger, forgiveness, and love. Culminating in a cathartic performance of his father’s most famous songs, Jeff’s debut stuns the audience and launches his career as one of the greatest young musicians of his time. Starring Imogen Poots and Penn Badgley. Lines of Wellington by Valeria Sarmiento, Portugal North American Premiere After the failed attempts of Junot and Soult in 1807 and 1809, Napoleon Bonaparte sent a powerful army, commanded by Marshal Massena, to invade Portugal in 1810. The French easily reached the centre of the country, where the Anglo-Portuguese army, led by General Wellington, was waiting. Starring John Malkovich, Nuno Lopes, Soraia Chaves, Marisa Paredes, and Victoria Guerra. Love is All You Need by Susanne Bier, Denmark North American Premiere Love Is All You Need is a new film by Academy Award-winner Susanne Bier. Philip (Pierce Brosnan), an Englishman living in Denmark, is a lonely, middle-aged widower and estranged single father. Ida (Trine Dyrholm) is a Danish hairdresser, recuperating from a long bout of illness, who’s just been left by her husband for a younger woman. The fates of these two bruised souls are about to intertwine, as they embark for Italy to attend the wedding of Philip’s son and Ida’s daughter. With warmth, affection and confidence, Bier has shaken a cocktail of love, loss, absurdity, humour and delicately drawn characters who will leave only the hardest heart untouched. This is a film about the simple yet profound pains and joys of moving on – and forward – with your life. On The Road by Walter Salles, France/Brazil North American Premiere Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Walter Salles and based on the iconic novel by Jack Kerouac, On The Road tells the provocative story of Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), a young writer whose life is ultimately redefined by the arrival of Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund), a free-spirited, fearless, fast-talking Westerner and his girl, Marylou (Kristen Stewart). Traveling cross-country, Sal and Dean venture out on a personal quest for freedom from the conformity and conservatism engulfing them in search of the unknown, themselves, and the pursuit of it – the pure essence of experience. Seeking unchartered terrain and the last American frontier, the duo encounter an eclectic mix of men and women, each adding meaning to their desire for a new way of life. The screenplay is by Jose Rivera (Academy Award nominee for The Motorcycle Diaries), while Executive Producer Francis Ford Coppola has been developing the project since 1978. Also stars Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst. Passion by Brian De Palma, France/Germany North American Premiere An erotic thriller in the tradition of Dressed To Kill and Basic Instinct , Brian de Palma’s Passion tells the story of a deadly power struggle between two women in the dog-eat-dog world of international business. Christine possesses the natural elegance and casual ease associated with one who has a healthy relationship with money and power. Innocent, lovely and easily exploited, her admiring protégé, Isabelle, is full of cutting-edge ideas that Christine has no qualms about stealing. They’re on the same team, after all… But when Isabelle falls into bed with one of Christine’s lovers, war breaks out. Starring Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, Karoline Herfurth and Paul Anderson. Rhino Season by Bahman Ghobadi, Iraqi Kurdistan/Turkey World Premiere After thirty years spent in prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kurdish-Iranian poet Sahel finally walks free. Now the one thing keeping him alive is the thought of finding his wife Mina, who thinks he is long dead and has since moved to Turkey. Sahel sets out on an Istanbul-bound search. Starring Behrouz Vossoughi, Monica Bellucci and Yilmaz Erdoğan. Spring Breakers by Harmony Korine, USA North American Premiere Four sexy college girls plan to fund their spring break getaway by burglarizing a fast food shack. But that’s only the beginning. During a night of partying, the girls hit a roadblock when they are arrested on drug charges. Hung over and clad only in bikinis, the girls appear before a judge but are bailed out unexpectedly by Alien (James Franco), an infamous local thug who takes them under his wing and leads them on the wildest spring break trip in history. Rough on the outside but with a soft spot inside, Alien wins over the hearts of the young spring breakers, and leads them on a spring break they never could have imagined. Starring Selena Gomez, James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens and Heather Morris. The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson, USA North American Premiere A striking portrait of drifters and seekers in post World War II America, Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master unfolds the journey of a Naval veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) who arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future — until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Starring Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Dern. The Paperboy by Lee Daniels, USA North American Premiere A chilling sex-and-race-charged film noir, The Paperboy takes audiences deep into the backwaters of steamy 1960s South Florida, as investigative reporter Ward Jansen and his partner Yardley Acheman chase a sensational, career-making story with the help of Ward’s younger brother Jack and sultry death-row groupie Charlotte Bless. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, David Oyelowo and Zac Efron. The Son Did It by Daniele Ciprì, Italy/France North American Premiere The Son Did It is the story of the Ciraulos, a poor family from South Italy whose young daughter is mistakenly killed by the Mafia. As compensation, they receive a large amount of money from the State but this sudden richness will change their life in a completely unexpected way. Starring Toni Servillo, Giselda Volodi, Alfredo Castro and Fabrizio Falco. The Suicide Shop by Patrice Leconte, France/Belgium/Canada International Premiere Imagine a shop that for generations has sold all the accoutrements for the perfect suicide. This family business prospers in all its bleak misery, until the day it encounters joie de vivre in the shape of younger son, Alan. What will become of The Suicide Shop in the face of Alan’s relentless good cheer, optimism and determination to make the customers smile? Starring Bernard Alane, Isabelle Spade, Kacey Mottet Klein, Isabelle Giami and Laurent Gendron. Thérèse Desqueyroux by Claude Miller, France International Premiere In the Landes region of France, near Bordeaux, marriages are arranged to merge land parcels and unite neighbouring families. Thus, young Thérèse Larroque becomes Mrs. Desqueyroux. But her avant-garde ideas clash with local conventions and in order to break free from the fate imposed upon her and live a full life, she will resort to tragically extreme measures. Starring Audrey Tautou, Gilles Lellouche and Anaïs Demoustier. White Elephant by Pablo Trapero, Argentina/Spain North American Premiere In a poverty-stricken and highly dangerous Buenos Aires slum, two men – both friends, both priests, both deeply respected by the local community for their tireless endeavours on behalf of the poor and the dispossessed – take very different paths in their struggle against violence, corruption and injustice. Starring Martina Gusman, Ricardo Darin and Jérémie Renier. Yellow Nick Cassavetes, USA World Premiere Nick Cassavetes’ seminal work, Yellow , is a searing take on modern society and the demands it makes on people. Centered on Mary Holmes, a young woman who has a difficult time feeling things, and swallowing twenty Vicodin a day doesn’t help. We enter her hallucinatory world, peopled with Busby Berkeley dancers, Cirque du Soleil, Circus freaks, and human farm animals where nothing is quite what it seems. Starring Sienna Miller, Gena Rowlands, Ray Liotta, David Morse, Lucy Punch, Max Theoriot, Riley Keough, Daveigh Chase, Heather Wahlquist and Melanie Griffith. Contemporary World Cinema : 3 by Pablo Stoll Ward, Uruguay/Germany/Argentina North American Premiere For Rodolfo (Humberto de Vargas), life at home feels empty and cold, as if he doesn’t belong. Meanwhile, his first wife, Graciela (Sara Bessio) and their teenage daughter Ana (Anaclara Ferreyra Palfy) are living through defining moments in their lives. Subtly, Rodolfo will try to slip back into the place he once had next to them — the one he walked away from 10 years ago. 3 is a comedy about three people and the absurd fate to which they are doomed: being a family. A Hijacking by Tobias Lindholm, Denmark North American Premiere In A Hijacking , Tobias Lindholm turns his attention to a current topic: piracy at sea. The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbour when it is boarded and captured by pirates in the Indian Ocean. Amongst the men on board are the ship’s cook Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk) and the engineer Jan (Roland Møller), who, along with the rest of the seamen, are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars, a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company (Søren Malling) and the Somali pirates. A Werewolf Boy by Jo Sung-hee, South Korea World Premiere Summoned by an unexpected phone call, an elderly woman visits a cottage she used to visit when she was a young girl. Half a century before, she moved to a peaceful village and discovered a “wolf boy” hiding in the darkness. She recalls teaching the boy how to wear clothes, how to speak and how to write along with other human behaviours. However, when threatened, he let loose his bestial instincts and became the subject of the villagers’ fears. In order to save the life of the boy who risked his to be by her side, she left him with a promise: “Wait for me. I’ll come back for you.” After the Battle by Yousry Nasrallah, Egypt/France North American Premiere Mahmoud is one of the “Tahrir Square Knights” who, on February 2, 2011 — manipulated by Mubarak’s regime — charged against the young revolutionaries. Beaten, humiliated, unemployed and ostracized in his neighbourhood near the Pyramids, Mahmoud and his family are losing their footing. It is then that he meets Reem, a young Egyptian divorcée. Modern and secular, Reem works in advertising, is a militant revolutionary, and lives in a nice neighbourhood in Cairo. Their meeting will change their lives. *Janice Gross Stein, Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and member of the Order of Canada, is an internationally renowned expert on conflict management. She will speak about After the Battle in an extended Q&A session, following one of the screenings. All That Matters is Past by Sara Johnsen, Norway World Premiere Reunited after years apart, childhood sweethearts William and Janne are forced to confront the dark secrets of their past — and the menacing presence of William’s pathologically jealous brother — in this haunting story from celebrated Norwegian director Sara Johnsen. Baby Blues by Kasia Rosłaniec, Poland World Premiere Polish director Kasia Rosłaniec follows her controversial, irresistibly scrappy debut Mall Girls with this edgy and disarmingly frank look at teen pregnancy. Natalia is a 17-year-old mom living with her mother and son, Antos. She wanted to have a baby because it was a “cool” thing to do, and feels she would have someone to love; someone who can love her in return. Everything changes when Natalia’s mother decides to move out, giving Natalia a chance to lead a “normal life.” Barbara by Christian Petzold, Germany North American Premiere Set in East Germany in the early 1980s, the new film from renowned director Christian Petzold (Jerichow) is a suspenseful chamber piece about an accomplished Berlin physician, banished to a rural hospital as punishment, who is torn between the promise of escape across the border and her growing love for a fellow colleague — who may be planning to betray her to the secret police.
Report says movie will premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, but a rep tells MTV News ‘no announcements have been made.’ By James Montgomery Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Jason Squires/WireImage
Leave it to Lars von Trier to find a connection between Nazi architect Albert Speer and Rat Pack singer Sammy Davis Jr. The controversy-courting Danish filmmaker has invited the public to reintrepret one or more of six great works of art for a community film project that will be unveiled at the Copenhagen Art Festival. The project is being called Gesamt , which translates to “coming together” or “a joint piece of work,” said director Jenle Hallund, who has the nerve-wracking challenge of creating a cohesive film from fragments of the submissions under some very tight time constraints. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 6, and the finished film is slated to debuty Oct.12, 2012 at Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen. Hallund, who was a script supervisor on Von Trier’s Melancholia as well as the co-director Limboland (2010) told us Gesamt has the potential to “be a testimony to the health and the soul of civilization. It should show how ordinary people appreciate and interpret big art,” she says. Make that big art that stirs the soul of Von Trier. Participants must base their submissions one or more of six different works of art, and Hallund said that the chosen few “are all pieces of art that [Von Trier] likes.” According to the announcement of the project — which was modestly titled “Lars Von Trier Challenges The People” — by the Danish Agency for Culture, prospective entrants must use as their muse(s): James Joyce’s Ulysses , “which once was banned in the United States because it was seen as obscene and lewd”; August Strindberg’s play The Father , “which still stands as a striking example of a dysfunctional family”; Paul Gaugin’s painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? French composer César Franck’s improvisations; or the music of the late Sammy Davis Jr., “who stepped himself into the hearts of people through song.” Also included among is the Zeppelin Field grandstand in Nuremberg, Germany that Hitler’s main architect Albert Speer created. The choice is sure to generate debate given comments Von Trier made during a press conference at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, when he said: “I understand Hitler, but I think he did some wrong things, yes, absolutely. … He’s not what you would call a good guy, but I understand much about him, and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on, I’m not for the Second World War, and I’m not against Jews.” When I asked Hallund if Von Trier, who likes to stir the pot, was referencing the Cannes controversy by including Speer, she replied: “I can’t speak on his behalf, but if you look at some of Speers’ art, it is phenomenal, and I would say that it is possible to appreciate his art independent of the ideology” to which it was attached during the reign of Hitler. “All art can be used toward elitism and propaganda,” Hallund continued, adding, “a lot of religious art has been used for that. Some people will say that the Bible and the Koran are works of art, but they have also been used toward mass murder and genocide and repression on the planet.” “We can’t just close our eyes and say we can never talk about Albert Speers or Nazism,” Hallund concluded. “We make ourselves more prone to repeat the past by ignoring it. Gesamt producer Nadia Claudi told me that six submissions have already been received. One arrived from Germany, she said, and the rest are from Denmark. All but one of the submissions are filmed, and Speers right now is leading the subject matter by a thin margin: Two submissions are based on his work at Zeppelin Field; one deals with Joyce, and another, with Gaugin. She said that one entry takes on all six subjects, while the content of another submission is a bit inconclusive. The deadline for entries is Sept. 6. Everything you need to know about submitting your work can be found at this link. “I just hope that people will be very free in their interpretations of this and show us what they have in their hearts,” Hallund said. “And I would love to hear from Americans.” You heard the lady. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
