This year was a light year for films. Maybe it was the backlog of Covid. Two years after what would have been prime shoot dates in 2020 and 2021 left the art film cupboard kinda bare. But we still saw a few goodies. And as always, I had the best time ever with my TFF BFFs.
| Aftersun | B |
| Armageddon Time | D |
| Broker | B |
| The End of the World | B+ |
| Godland | B |
| Icarus, The Aftermath | B |
| Lady Chatterley’s Lover | B |
| Living | B |
| The Méliès American Negatives | B |
| One Fine Morning | A |
| Petit Maman | A |
| “Sr” | A |
| TÁR | A |
| Wildcat | A+ |
| Women Talking | A+ |
| The Wonder | A+ |
I saw 16 films + 1 concert at this year’s Telluride Film Festival.
My favorite film of the 2022 Telluride Film Festival: The Wonder, now streaming on Netflix. I’m not sure how this film will be marketed. Maybe you don’t think this film is for you… but I hope lots more people watch it. And unfortunately, it won’t have a theater run… and this is a tough one to watch at home. But it’s SLOW. But the pace is quite deliberate. Every choice Sebastián Lelio who directed The Wonder makes is intentional. The film is a layered story about science vs. religion, women vs. men, children vs. adults, freedom vs. captivity… but mostly it’s about truth vs. lies. And what we believe to be true being Truth. So. Yes, kinda timely. It’s excellent. I hope the Academy recognizes this (little) powerhouse film.
Here are the rest of my TFF reviews:
Aftersun
Produced by Telluride’s most beloved director, Barry Jenkins, is about a girl and her dad. It’s a simple story without a lot of high drama or fireworks. It reminded me a lot of spending time with my dad when I was a kid. His battles with alcoholism and daily life struggles (that were always intended to be kept private), but eventually come out anyway.
Armageddon Time
This is the kind of film that really bothers me. Who gave James Gray the budget for this film? Ugh. This autobiographical film is self-indulgent and boring. Why is this story even important? A little boy learning about racism… so? How does a film like this get green-lit? It’s not *the worst film* I’ve ever seen (mostly because I haven’t seen many films with superheroes)… but… not worthy of a coveted spotlight at the Telluride Film Festival.
Bobi Wine in Concert
Bobi Wine was in Telluride to promote his campaign for president of Uganda. Coined ‘Ghetto President’, Bobi was full of joy and messages of freedom. I do like a concert in Town Park. Oh, you magical Telluride.
Broker
This is a black comedy. Heavy on black, light on comedy. Within the first three minutes, it was clear that this was a tough story. But like a guy being shot out of a cannon… I was captivated. I WAS IN IT. And really… that’s kinda the point of a movie. I was taken on a journey! Broker (Korean: 브로커) is a South Korean film directed and written by Hirokazu Kore-eda starring Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won & Bae Doona.
Student program: Calling Cards
- Fire At The Lake
- Le Cormoran
- Neighbour Abdi
- Nurture
- Un Petit Homme
- Uogos (Cherries)
Cate Blanchett Tribute
CLICK TO SEE Queen Cate get her Silver Medallion HERE!
Cate Blanchett is delightful. It was really fun to see the clips TFF selected to showcase her unique career.
The End of the World
I didn’t know much about Bennington College before seeing this film. The documentary focuses on the amazing authors (Bret Easton Ellis, who wrote Less Than Zero and American Psycho, Donna Tartt, who wrote The Goldfinch) who came through Bennington College in the 1980’s. The place was really special and somehow figured out how to create an environment conducive to creativity. The film was like one long MTV commercial and I loved every minute of it.
I couldn’t find a trailer or where it might be streaming…
Godland
Do you like Danish films from the 1800s about Jesus-peddling priests who wander across barren Iceland? Well! You’re in luck! Godland is the film for you. Another beautiful, long, quiet film. I think there’s about 300 words in this entire feature-length film. This is the Mt. Everest of streaming. Don’t even try it if you like explosions in films. This film isn’t for you.
>>>>> Spoiler alert: There Will Be Blood ending <<<<<
Icarus, The Aftermath
The follow-up to the shocking documentary, Icarus about doping in Russia. This deadly cat & mouse is playing out in real time. Putin is still chasing the Russian doctor who was the mastermind of the doping program for the Olympics. I hope we don’t find this Russian doctor dead from suspicious activity like opening an envelope. He’s given up a lot to tell the truth. I’m a fan.
I couldn’t find a trailer or where it might be streaming…
Living
Bill Nighy is delightful and performances like this one in Living help us to forget about the caricature rockstar he played in Love Actually – which is the movie most Americans know him from. This is another quiet story about a proper Englishman who does his duty but leaves very little room in his life for joy and spontaneity. I can’t even imagine a life like that.
The Méliès American Negatives: World Premiere 3-D
Weird 3-D glasses! Obscure silent film clips! Serge est un homme français! Oooh la la! Tellement amusant! I’m a big fan of Serge Bromberg. We’ve missed Serge the last few years. He is a true showman! Serge plays the piano under all the clips of silent films he shows. It’s always a good time. Sadly, Serge is in trouble and I am hopeful for the best possible outcome for him.
One Fine Morning
This is the quintessential French film. Some people might say “Nothing happens.” But actually, a lot happens, but it’s a quiet story. More of a Day in the Life of Sandra, played by the beautiful and talented Léa Seydoux who is torn between her aging father, her vibrant daughter and her married man lover (oh, so french.) This is a film that quietly unfolds with no major conclusions, which is just like real life. C’est parfait.
“Sr”
Who doesn’t love Robert Downey Jr? Well, guess what? He’s a chip off the ole block. There’s a Robert Downey Sr! Who knew? His dad also made fun, weird, inventive movies but unlike most filmmakers, he didn’t do it for BIG money, but as an artist who truly loved movies. Robert Jr. and Sr. are both charming men who are just fun to hang out with for a couple hours. See this documentary, then call your dad.
TÁR
Just give Cate Blanchett the Oscar now.
Wildcat
I gave this documentary an A+. I don’t hand out these A pluses easily, but this is basically a 2-hour cat video and at the end I cried and cried and cried. So yeah, it’s a really good film. And technically, this is a super difficult story to tell. Mostly because Harry, a British war vet suffering from PTSD shoots almost the entire film on his phone because he’s alone in the middle of the Peruvian jungle. He spends months caring for an orphaned baby ocelot. This story is about the attempt to save something (or someone) that (who) can not be saved. It’s about losing thousands of acres of Amazon jungle every day because the natural world is endangered. It’s about people who fight anyway even though everyone tells them that “it’s a lost cause”. It’s about doing the hard stuff even though, deep down, you will lose anyway, but stacking sandbags when the river of progress will eventually clear everything in its path… is still worthwhile.
To be released December 30, 2022. Produced by Amazon so it should be available for a while.
Women Talking
The first review I heard of this film was “Women Talking, Men Snoring” so I didn’t rush to see it. And I get it… this film is *very slow*. But one interesting trend emerged – when I asked women if they had seen ‘Women Talking’, almost *every woman* I asked, LOVED IT. Raved about it. Said they were deeply affected by it. Sobbed. And almost every man gave a nearly 180° opinion. Men hated this film. Including the first review which was by a man. So. This film is divisive. Extremely. I loved it (see? I AM a girl!). And I cried for myself and so my many friends and women who have been violated but didn’t have a tight community of women friends to lean on for support.
This film really stuck with me. It feels very current. A reflection of 2022 “Me, too” conversations because even though Harvey Weinstein is in jail, there are still many more Harveys who walk free. It’s not a film that I’ll see over and over – the way I might watch Wildcat or The Wonder again… because it’s brutal. It’s hard to watch, but it’s important. Historic.
Sarah Polley who wrote Women Talking and directed Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormant, and Rooney Mara – and many other actors.
The Wonder
What else can I say? This film is crazy good. I love it because the story is happening on so many levels. Watch the film then come back and read this. Ok? Really. SPOILER ALERT: The scene with the men seated at the table and “Lib” is making her case (I mean… so spot on… right?) Lib is the wild woman who is willing to risk jail after “breaking the law” but doing what is right. And the men who are deciding the fate of the young girl is, well, a bit like the supreme court. Lib is fighting for her, and the men are all too happy to let her die for their own glory. The story is not about what it’s about. It’s about today. It’s about women deciding their own fate and reinventing themselves. The film is about what we believe. It’s about what’s fabricated and what’s real. And ultimately what we believe.
betsyrowbottom 