Telluride Film Festival 2021

The theme of this film festival was family. Almost all the films revolved around themes centered on family.

The other key finding is that there is no frontrunner for the Oscars so far, based on the early film festivals. Many films were not ready yet.

MY FAVORITES OF THE FESTIVAL (ONLY FICTIONAL MOVIES, DOCUMENTARIES WILL TREATED SEPARATELY)

Same Storm:

One of the most brilliant films I have seen for a long time. This was written and directed by Peter Hedges (What’s eating Gilbert Grape, Ben is. Back). The write says it's as film about Covid, but I argue it is not. It is how we communicate between one another now. There are 27 actors (many of them being Tony award winners, Sandra Oh, and Mary-Louise Parker), The film uses new technology where you are watching actings interacting on a zoom-type platform. The vignettes flowed seamlessly from one to another. If you have a chance to see this film, do!

Cyrano:

Peter Dinklage was an honoree. This is the movie they showed that he starred in. It is an adaption of Cyrano de Bergerac as a musical. I was not looking forward to this movie for 2 reasons: I don’t like the story and I don’t like movie musicals. I loved this movie. Dinklage plays Cyrano. Director Joe Wright (The Darkest Hour) filmed this on location in a small town in Sicily. Music by the Nationals. Haley Bennet plays Roxane and is luminous (as one of my friends remarked). The scenes and costumes amazing (Sarah Greenwood who did Beauty and the Beast). The story makes so much more sense with a dwarf instead of a guy with a big nose as Cyrano. Overall, I see Oscar nods for Dinklage, costumes, and set design.

FAN FAVORITES AT THE FESTIVAL FROM MY DEEP DIVE INTO THE INTERNET. I AGREE AND THINK THESE ARE MY NEXT 2 FAVORITES.

King Richard:

Story of Richard Williams who helped raise the 2 tennis starts Venus and Serena. This is a very heartwarming story of what it takes to raise 2 tennis stars after beating all odds. Will Smith plays Richard Williams and will be nominated for an Oscar. He truly transformed himself. Everyone loved this movie. Definitely worth seeing.

Belfast:

Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. Autobiographical film about growing up in Belfast in 1969. Jamie Dornan plays his father and Caitriona Balfe (Outlander) plays his mother. Both doe a fabulous job. The boy who plays Branagh is also excellent. Filmed in black and white. Heartwarming tale of growing up during the conflict in Belfast. Probably the biggest surprise buzz at the festival.

OTHER GOOD FILMS. THERE ARE MIXED REVIEWS BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU SEEING THEM.

The Duke:

Mike loved this film (it was his favorite). The film is based on a true story of a failed writer and somewhat of an eccentric who steals a painting from the National Gallery in London. This is a funny, charming movie. Directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill) with Jim Broadbent as the older eccentric. He plays this part extraordinarily well. His wife is Helen Mirren who is unrecognizable.

The Power of the Dog:

Jane Campion (the Piano) directed this early 1920s western. Based on a book by Thomas Salvage in 1967. Looking up the book the it appears to be somewhat autobiographical. Benedict .Cumberbatch plays an evil brother to Jesse Plemons. Things get complicated when the nice brother marries a widow (Kirsten Dunst) and brings her son into the picture. Quoting from the WSJ, the movie was impeccably crafted, intricately interesting and gorgeously photographed, a drama with the stature of Greek tragedy but lacked something. I think it needed editing. It was too slow in many parts (I don’t need to see Cumberbatch walking with his spurs again and again, I get it). There is talk of Oscar nods for Jane Campion, Kirsten Dunst, and Benedict Cumberbatch. (Jane Campion won best director at Venice)

Spencer:

A movie about Princess Diana that takes place over 3 days as Christmas time. This is a film by Pablo Larrain whose previous film Jackie and this one has the same feel. Kristen Stewart plays Diana and does a great job. This is really a surreal type of portrait of Diana that focuses on the control everyone has over her and her eating disorder. It is somewhat dreamlike with Anne Boleyn appearing as a vision. Kristen Stewart does a great job and is expected to receive an Oscar nom.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On:

Expansion of a viral video (though I never saw it and I felt out of the loop on this one) made by Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate. This is a mockumentary of a one-eyed seashell who walks and can talk (voice by Jenny Slate). This uses live action and stop-motion animation. The story is how the shell lost his family except his grandmother (voiced by Isabella Rossellini) and how he tries to find them. It is charming, funny. Some people at the festival said this was their favorite movie. Very clever.

Encounter:

Film following the tribute to Riz Ahmed. On a side note, Riz Ahmed was probably the most intelligent and insightful interview I have seen at Telluride. I am very impressed with this actor. The film involved the main character who is a marine veteran who abducts his sons because he believes that alien insects are taking over the bodies of people on earth. Strong performance by Ahmed. Suspenseful story. An amazon movie so worth streaming.

Bergman Island:

This is a film I would go see at the indie movie theater. I liked this film in that context. This is a story of a young filmmaker and her much older husband established filmmaker who go to Faro island to work. Faro Island is where Ingmar Bergman prepared and shot many of his films. This island is now a tourist destination for Bergman fans. You learn a lot about Bergman which I have to admit, I knew little about before the film. There was a story within the story in the film. Overall very clever and enjoyable.

Red Rocket:

In full disclosure, I only saw 1/2 of this movie because it was late and I had to get up for the early film. The 1/2 I saw I liked. A Sean Baker film (Tangerine, The Florida Project). This follows a male porn star (Simon Rex) move back home to a small town Texas. Most of the actors in this film are not known actors. I really liked this film. I will definitely see this again to see how it ends.

C’mon, C’mon:

This film, I did not like that much but some people did. This is a story of an uncle (Played by Joaquin Phoenix) who is a radio journalist. Due to a family issue he helps take care of his nephew. The film has 3 characters the adult brother and sister (Gaby Hoffman) and her son. The story focuses on the relationship among the 3. Most of our group did not like any of the characters in the film so hard to like it. The young boy I found irritating. On a positive note, one of my favorite performances by Joaquin Phoenix.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain:

In full disclosure, I only saw 1/2 of this movie because it was late and I had to get up for the early film. The 1/2 I saw I liked. This is the story of Louis Wain an upper-class, eccentric who paints cats. The first half of the movie is a love story, the second half is focused on the art and mental illness. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the lead role. His love interest is Claire Foy who is great. This movie was cute. It will stream on Amazon. I will watch again to see the ending.

THESE FILMS I REALLY DID NOT LIKE. SEE THEM AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

The Lost Daughter:

This is the director debut of Maggie Gyllenhaal. She also wrote the screenplay adapted by a Elena Ferrante Novel. Multiple big stars Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ed Harris. The movie is billed as a psychologic thriller. The story made no sense to me and was completely inane. I hope the book is better since Ferrante is a good writer. This movie won best screenplay at Venice (I don’t know what the Italians were thinking).

The Hand of God:

Paolo Sorrento (The Young Pope, The Great Beauty) autobiographical film about his late adolescences. I did not find this interesting or compelling. This won best film at Venice. Again, I am starting to worry about the Italians.

The French Dispatch:

The new Wes Anderson movie with a million stars in it. It is supposed to be an homage to the New Yorker. I have seen all of Wes Anderson’s movies and like them all. I am a big fan. This movie was the stupidest film I have ever seen. A waste of 2 hours. No one in the group liked it. I only found 1 person at the entire film festival that liked this movie.

DOCUMENTARIES. THESE WERE ALL GOOD. YOU CAN PUT THEM IN ANY ORDER. I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU SEE THEM ALL.

The Rescue:

This is a documentary by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin whose last film was Free Solo. This is the story of the rescue of the the Thai children caught in the underground cave after the area got flooded due to an early monsoon. The documentary focuses on the highly technical sport of cave diving. Amazing story. Incredibly complicated rescue. Very uplifting. Does demonstrate what can be accomplished when everyone works together. I am confident this will be nominated for an Oscar.

Julia:

Ann McCulloughs favorite film. A CNN documentary by Julie Cohen and Betsy West on Julia Child. Fascinating film. She was an amazing, interesting woman. I highly recommend.

Muhammad Ali:

The new Ken Burns Documentary. We saw Part I of a 4 part series. Truly Ali was ahead of his time. Starts on PBS this month. Definitely should watch.

Nuclear Family:

An interesting story of 2 lesbians who start a family through artificial insemination in the 1970’s. On of the daughters Ry Russo-Young too 20 years to make this film. This will be a 3 part documentary on HBO. This was excellent. The historical perspective of what they went through. The complexity of the different relationships. Definitely worth watching and thought provoking.

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song:

I saw a previous Leonard Cohen documentary which left me feeling less than enthusiastic for this gifted songwriter. The documentary spends less time on Leonard Cohen’s early life but focuses on the song Hallelujah and how it has been transformed into one of the great songs of our time and the later life of Leonard Cohen. The later life of Leonard Cohen was impressive. I think he is a man who overcame late life adversity and was a better man for it. I came away with a great sense of respect for the man.