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Cannes Review: Killer Dance Moves and Crime In Simple, Formulaic 'Grigris'
3 hours ago
France-based Chadian director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's last feature, the Cannes-winning "A Screaming Man," involved father-son tensions against the backdrop of civil war. By comparison, his followup "Grigris" is something of a letdown, though it works well enough on the scale of a basic character study. The movie has a lot less on its mind and makes no drastic attempts to overreach. A straightforward tale of overcoming personal and professional challenges with no fancy dressing, "Grigris" goes down easy but offers nothing remotely fresh. The title refers to the nickname of its slick protagonist, a young man named Souleymane (Souleymane Deme) whose killer dance moves make him a popular club presence in the small town in which he resides. Grigris' flexible physicality is especially impressive because of a bad leg that gives him a distinctive gait. Yet the disability isn't exactly a hindrance for Grigris, a seemingly well-liked presence who works for his ailing father. »
- Eric Kohn
Steven Spielberg Will Produce a 'Halo' TV Series for Xbox
4 hours ago
There was a well publicized attempt to bring Microsoft's incredibly successful sci-fi video game series "Halo" to the big screen a few years ago. Alex Garland ("The Beach") wrote a script, Peter Jackson was going to be the executive producer and Neill Blomkamp ("District 9") was signed on to direct. The project fell apart, though fans have continued to hold out hope of seeing Master Chief and the world of the game in film form. They may not be getting their wish, but it looks like they're going to get something close. At a press event in Redmond, Wa today, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, the latest in its line of game consoles turned multipurpose media platform. And, in accordance with the evolution of the device, which now aims to be the "ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system," Microsoft revealed plans to begin rolling out original series. Read More: Why Everyone »
- Alison Willmore
Ricky Gervais' 'Derek' Will Premiere on Netflix in September
5 hours ago
Netflix has set a date for its next exclusive series (of sorts) -- all seven half-hour episodes of Ricky Gervais' "Derek" will premiere at the streaming service at 12:01am Pt on September 12. Unlike "House of Cards," which premiered February 1st, "Hemlock Grove" (April 19th), "Arrested Development" (this Sunday, May 26th) and "Orange is the New Black" (July 11th), "Derek" has already aired on UK TV, premiering in Channel 4. Gervais wrote, directed, executive produced and stars in "Derek" alongside David Earl, Karl Pilkington and Kerry Godliman. Gervais plays the title character, a kind, childlike middle-aged man who loves his job working at a retirement home and his friends, coworkers Dougie (Pilkington) and Hannah (Godliman) and autograph collector Kev (Earl). The show has been described as the often professionally smarmy Gervais' attempt to shift gears and approach a subject with sincerity and compassion. Read More: Ricky Gervais Defends New »
- Alison Willmore
Cannes Contender 'A Touch of Sin' Heads To Kino Lorber
5 hours ago
Kino Lorber has acquired all Us rights to Jia Zhangke's "A Touch of Sin," currently in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Read More: Cannes Review: 'A Touch Of Sin' Sees Jia Zhang-ke Change Things Up, With Peculiar, Bloody Results This deal was negotiated between Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber and MK2's International Sales Executive Victoire Thevenin. Full press release below. New York, NY - May 21, 2013 - Kino Lorber is proud to announce that it has acquired all Us rights to Jia Zhangke's (24 City, Still Life) latest film A Touch Of Sin, a four-part story inspired by real-life events and focused on the violent impact (and hefty human sacrifice) of the Chinese economic boom on its own citizens. While prepping the film for a late fall or early winter national theatrical release, Kino Lorber will book this acclaimed Chinese film in select film festivals across the United States. »
- Peter Knegt
AFI Docs Sets Michael Stevens' 'Herblock' As Gala Presentation
6 hours ago
Michael Stevens' documentary "Herblock: The Black and the White" will make its way to next month's AFI Docs festival as a gala presentation, it was announced today. The film -- which traces the career and influence of Washington Post cartoonist Herb Block -- will screen as part of the 11th edition of the revamped festival (it was formerly known as SilverDocs) -- which runs June 19-23. Full press release below. For Immediate Release, May 21, 2013, Washington, DC – AFI Docs presented by Audi announced today its gala presentation at the Newseum of the Washington, DC premiere of Herblock: The Black & The White written and directed by Michael Stevens and produced by George Stevens Jr. The film, traces the career and influence of the most influential political cartoonist of the 20th century and the people who became his subjects during his 55 years at the Washington Post. His work spanned thirteen presidents, contributed to »
- Peter Knegt
Que(e)ries: 10 Lgbt Films You Should See On This Summer's Queer Film Fest Circuit
6 hours ago
While "Beyond The Candelabra" is currently gaying-up Cannes in a very big way (check out our report from the film's press conference here), most of us will be waiting until next Sunday night to watch the Liberace biopic on HBO. However, once Cannes comes to a close there will be all sorts of gay heading to film festivals that are actually near you: The summer queer film festival nears! At the end of May, cities around North America will offer summertime fun in the form of the best Lgbt cinema from the past year. Here's 10 of the most notable: Inside Out (May 23-June 2 in Toronto), Out Twin Cities Film Festival (May 29-June 2 in Minneapolis and St. Paul), Film Out San Diego (May 29-June 2), Provincetown (June 19-23, and not explicitly a Lgbt fest but come on... it's in Provincetown), Frameline (June 20-30, its 37th edition!), Outfest (July 11-21), Philadelphia QFest (July 11-22), Damn These Heels! »
- Peter Knegt
Jessica Walter on 'Arrested Development,' The Difference Between Lucille Bluth and Malory Archer and Her '70s Comic Book Movie
6 hours ago
It's long been established that Jessica Walter, who plays the wonderfully boozy, manipulative matriarch Lucille Bluth on "Arrested Development," is nothing like her character. But what's interesting is precisely how much that's the case -- not just a genuinely nice person, Walter oozes sincerity – and more than that, gratitude. Even after working for more than 50 years in Hollywood, she's still enormously appreciative for all of the opportunities she enjoys, and genuinely enthusiastic about what's yet to come. And with "Arrested Development" set to return on May 26, what's yet to come holds enormous promise. Read More: 10 Things We Learned About the New Netflix 'Season' of 'Arrested Development' From the Show's Stars Indiewire sat down with Walter at a recent Los Angeles press day for the Netflix series, where she nobly tried to explain the complex narrative latticework that show creator Mitch Hurwitz used to revive "Arrested Development" from its seven-year slumber for a. »
- Todd Gilchrist
Cannes: Suicide and Sexual Abuse Abound In Claire Denis' Frustratingly Muddled 'Bastards'
7 hours ago
Claire Denis' films are typically intimate dramas weighted with emotion, which makes it particularly dispiriting that "The Bastards," her eleventh feature, contains all of those ingredients without sufficiently pulling them together. A muddled revenge drama about family ties and traumatic experiences, the movie wallows in its characters' anger and frustrations but never manages to organize them into a compelling whole. Despite a strong cast and shadowy mysteries that deepen the plot, "The Bastards" creates the sour impression of a half-formed work. That's partly due to a consciously fragmented structure devoid of purpose. The movie contains a confusing trajectory in spite of its relatively simple premise. In a dreary opening sequence, Denis reveals the aftermath of a man's suicide while his nude daughter Justine (Lola Créton) wanders the darkened Paris streets wearing only high heels, apparently abused by an unidentified assailant. Needless to say, that sudden double blow leaves »
- Eric Kohn
Cannes Review: 'Behind the Candelabra' is Steven Soderbergh's Glamorous, Garish and Great Goodbye (For Now)
8 hours ago
"Behind the Candelabra," which premiered at Cannes today before heading to HBO on Sunday, May 26th at 9pm, is Steven Soderbergh's virtuoso swan song to filmmaking (at least for now), his final feature before stopping to focus on his painting. Soderbergh recently and famously expounded on his frustrations with the studio system in a speech at the San Francisco International Film Festival, which, while not the cause for his break from cinema, certainly didn't dissuade him from it. It's fitting both that his announced final film was produced by and made for cable television after he couldn't find backers for it in Hollywood, and that it's a piquant, strange, funny-sad tale of a love affair that slowly sours and grinds to an end. It's about Liberace (Michael Douglas), his glamorous, ridiculous life and his relationship with a young man named Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), but it also feels like »
- Alison Willmore
Bong Joon-Ho To Head Edinburgh Jury
8 hours ago
South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho will head the jury at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. The filmmaker -- whose English language debut "Snowpiercer" is due out later this year -- will be joined by actress Natalie Dormer ("Game of Thrones") and film critic Siobhan Synnot. They will choose the winner of the "Award for Best Film in the International Competition" from a selection of films from outside the UK. Last year's winner was "Here, Then" by first-time director Mao Mao. The full press release below. Cannes – 21 May 2013 - Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) is pleased to announce that renowned South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho will chair the International Feature Film Competition Jury at this year's Festival. Bong Joon-Ho, whose English-language debut, 'Snowpiercer', is expected later this year, came to international attention with his first feature 'Barking Dogs Never Bite' (2000). He won Best Director at the San Sebastian Film Festival. »
- Peter Knegt
Project of the Day: A Battle Over an Amputated Leg from the Producer of 'King of Kong' and 'Undefeated'
8 hours ago
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Finders Keepers" Tweetable Logline: Man finds leg in grill. Amputee wants leg back. Man sues amputee for leg. Things get ugly, go viral, are documented in "Finders Keepers." Elevator Pitch: "Finders Keepers" follows recovering addict and amputee John Wood in his stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction. Production Team:Director Bryan Carberry learned the finer points of documentary filmmaking with Ed Cunningham and the rest of the 'King of Kong' team on their film 'Make Believe,' Bryan's first project after graduating from USC's film program. The other points he picked »
- Indiewire
Sex, Tears and Liberace: Steven Soderbergh, Matt Damon and Michael Douglas Go 'Behind the Candelabra' at Cannes
9 hours ago
Adding more decadence to an already glamorous event, Steven Soderbergh's fabulous (in all senses of the word) Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra" premiered this morning at Cannes the way American audiences won't be able to see it -- on the big screen. The HBO production, which airs May 26 (it's opening theatrically in other markets, including the UK and France), marks Soderbergh's reported retirement from filmmaking. Judging by the rapturous response the film received at its first screening, we're definitely not alone in saying this: Let's hope he's bluffing. Read More: Cannes Review: 'Behind the Candelabra' is Steven Soderbergh's Glamorous, Garish and Great Goodbye (For Now) Adapted by Oscar-nominee Richard Lagravenese from Scott Thorson's book of the same name, "Behind the Candelabra" centers on the tumultuous relationship between Liberace (Michael Douglas in a performance that would earn him an Oscar nod -- and probable win -- if "Candelabra" weren't an HBO film) and. »
- Nigel M Smith
Cannes: Family Problems Dominate In Clio Barnard's 'The Selfish Giant' And Kore-eda's 'Like Father Like Son,' But 'Borgman' Makes Them Scary
10 hours ago
Movies for families tend to embrace the value of sticking together. However, movies about families -- at least those with a certain amount of gall -- assail that very same principle. At the Cannes Film Festival, which attracts stories from around the world, the notion of familial stability is evidently under attack. Clio Barnard's touching "The Selfish Giant" gets this point across with a pair of children struggling from parental neglect with tragic results. Hirokazu Kore-eda takes a more subdued approach by examining two family units forced to reconsider their bonds. Only the eerily cryptic home invasion drama "Borgman," however, asks the tough questions, by breaking down the construct of familial security so that nothing seems safe. That's not to say that Barnard's movie, which premiered at Directors Fortnight, lacks a sense of peril. The follow-up to her appropriately acclaimed experimental documentary "The Arbor," in which lip-syncing actors helped reconstruct the life of. »
- Eric Kohn
VH1 Announces Theatrical Release Dates for Alex Winter's Napster Doc 'Downloaded'
20 May 2013 2:37 PM, PDT
Following its showings at SXSW in Austin and Hot Docs in Toronto, VH1 is taking its original documentary "Downloaded" to theaters. The film, which is directed by Alex Winter (yes, Bill of "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure"), charts the rise of online music-sharing service Napster and the contribution it made in leading up to the current ubiquity of digital media sharing, as well as its incalculable effect on the music industry. Mike D of The Beastie Boys, Oasis' Noel Gallagher and Henry Rollins are just a few of the musical figures interviewed in the film. "This project has been important to me for many years and it's been great to see it realized with the team at VH1 rockDocs," said Winter in the announcement. "We've had a very strong festival run so far and I look forward to getting it out to a wider audience." "Downloaded" will play at the Village »
- Clint Holloway
Cannes So Far: Indiewire's Mid-Festival Wrap-Up
20 May 2013 1:39 PM, PDT
The 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is now at its halfway mark, and although we are still waiting on major directors like Alexander Payne, Roman Polanski, Jim Jarmusch and Steven Soderbergh to unveil their films, the festival has already provided a promising amount of buzz and excitement. From the glamor and star power supplied by opener "The Great Gatsby" to the more quiet engrossments provided by competition entries "Inside Llewyn Davis" and "The Past," it seems that there will be something for everyone throughout the course of the festival, which closes on May 25. Here are just a few of the noteworthy occurrences so far.Reviews Martian Zombies and Liev Schreiber Can't Quite Salvage 'Last Days on Mars' Despite its impressive visuals and a solid first act, 'Last Days on Mars' devolves into a stupid and uninspired zombie flick that ruin's the movie's initial promise. At Nearly 4 Hours, Claude Lanzmann »
- Clint Holloway
Cannes Review: James Franco's Ambitious Directorial Effort 'As I Lay Dying' is Dragged Down by Franco's Own Performance
20 May 2013 12:39 PM, PDT
It's become a running gag stretched out over the annual festival calendar: Here's another project (or two, or three...) with and/or by actor-writer-director-artist-celebrity James Franco. Does the man ever sleep? How many James Francos are there? His latest directorial feature, the Faulkner adaptation "As I Lay Dying," was presented today as part of the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival. With this particular premiere, it seems that the multi-hyphenate has finally found the highest form of validation for his non-acting endeavors (though he does also star in the film). But does the Un Certain Regard title, which co-stars Tim Blake Nelson, Logan Marshall-Green and Ahna O'Reilly, deserve this honor, or is the Cannes selection, on the contrary, part of the problem, as it allows Franco to move quickly from project to project with celebrity-hungry festivals ready to give him a pass for work that's just passable? What is »
- Boyd van Hoeij
IFC Sets a Date for 'Comedy Bang! Bang!' Season Two, With Guests Including Jessica Alba, Aziz Ansari and David Cross
20 May 2013 12:04 PM, PDT
Scott Aukerman's podcast-turned-surreal talk show "Comedy Bang! Bang!" returns to IFC for a second season on Friday, July 12 at 10pm, the network announced today. The half-hour show, hosted by Aukerman (the co-creator, director and producer of the brilliant "Between Two Ferns") and his "band," Reggie Watts, will have a 20 episode run this year, double the number from last year. The new season will run in two chunks, from July 12 through September 13 and from October 18 through December. The guest list includes Jessica Alba ("Sin City"), Aziz Ansari ("Parks and Recreation"), David Cross ("Arrested Development"), Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover"), Bill Hader ("Saturday Night Live"), Pee-wee Herman ("Pee-wee's Playhouse"), Rashida Jones ("Celeste & Jesse Forever"), Anna Kendrick ("Up in the Air"), Jason Schwartzman ("Moonrise Kingdom"), Casey Wilson ("Happy Endings") and many, many more. Read More: Scott Aukerman Brings Celebrity Guests and a 'Bizarro Version' of Himself »
- Alison Willmore
Seth MacFarlane Will Not Host Oscars Again... Suggests Joaquin Phoenix Instead
20 May 2013 12:03 PM, PDT
"Traumatized critics exhale: I'm unable to do the Oscars again," Seth MacFarlane announced on his Twitter feed today. It seems MacFarlane was a little more open to it that he initially suggested the day after he received generally negative reviews (including from us here at Indiewire) for his first try. He tweeted that he "tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep." Read More: The 2013 Oscars: Torn Between Self-Seriousness and Wanting to See Boobs MacFarlane went on to "highly recommend the job, as Zadan and Meron are two of the most talented producers in the business," and even offered a suggestion to replace him: Joaquin Phoenix. That surely is not who Zadan and Meron had in mind (though I'd certainly be game for it), though here are five options that be a little more reasonable. »
- Peter Knegt
Cocktail Doc 'Hey Bartender' Heading To Theaters This June
20 May 2013 11:48 AM, PDT
Douglas Tirola's "Hey Bartender" -- which had its world premiere at SXSW -- was picked up by 4th Row Films for a June 7th release both in theaters and on demand. 4th Row Films said they have pre-booked over 40 theaters for a summer run and will continue to build on that. They are also partnering with digital entertainment curator FilmBuff for a release on iTunes and all leading VOD platforms. Full press release below. New York, NY (May 20, 2013) – 4th Row Films announced today that Douglas Tirola's documentary Hey Bartender, which had it's world premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, will begin it's theatrical run on June 7, 2013 in New York City at the Village East Cinema. 4th Row Films has pre-booked over 40 theaters for a summer run and will continue to build on this. They are partnering with digital entertainment curator FilmBuff for a release on iTunes and all leading VOD platforms. »
- Peter Knegt
Academy Changes Rules For Animated Feature Oscar Category
20 May 2013 11:44 AM, PDT
The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved the rules for next year's Oscars, with the most significant change affecting the Animated Feature Film category. In that category, a new rule designates a maximum of two award recipients, one of whom must have a producer credit. "The director and/or key creative individual shall continue to be a recipient, and in the circumstance of a two-person team with shared and equal director credit, a third statuette may be awarded," The Academy noted. This year, a film with two director credits -- "Brave" (shared by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman) -- won the Oscar, and both Andrews and Chapman took a statuette. However, producer Katherine Sarafian did not. Previously announced rules changes for the 86th Academy Awards include allowing members to see the nominated documentary shorts and foreign language films either at a theatrical screening or on DVD. »
- Peter Knegt
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