movies filter: Festival Entries

Cannes Dispatch: Julianne Moore's 'Blindness'

Thu, 15 May 2008 22:57:24 GMT

From MSN lead film editor Dave McCoy's Dispatch at Cannes:

Upon arriving at the Debussy Theatre for the festival's first film, the opening-night morality drama, "Blindness," I spotted an MSN Movies contributor waiting in line. After exchanging pleasantries, he leaned in and said, "Sir, you may want to check your zipper." I did and then realized I had just enjoyed coffee and walked several blocks with my fly open. Thankfully, we Americans love telling other clueless Americans about our foibles. It also begs an important question: Reader, can you honestly trust a man's critical opinion when he doesn't even realize when he's sailing at half mast? You have 10 days to decide ...

White Out

First up for consideration is "Blindness," which has the honor of both opening Cannes and being entered in the official competition (it joins 21 other features, all vying for the prestigious Palme d'Or, not to mention many other awards). It's a fairly ironic choice. After all, what faculty does one need more than sight during a film festival? Yes, hearing is helpful, but there are plenty of subtitles. Trust me, you don't want smell here, especially on hot, muggy days. And fewer and fewer people actually think about what they see, so thought, reason and analysis aren't as important. But one definitely needs eyes to take in the optical overload that is a film festival, no matter how blurry and battered they are about to become.

So, as if to say, "Hey, aren't y'all lucky to watch what we're about to show you over the next few weeks?" Cannes kicks things off with an allegorical tale in which a city (perhaps the world) is hit, seemingly overnight, with a plague: A contagious blindness hits one man while driving, then blindness is passed on to an ophthalmologist (Mark Ruffalo) and so on. The afflicted see not darkness but blinding white light ("Feels like I'm swimming in milk," admits the driver). God's punishment for man's selfishness? Probably, because director Fernando Meirelles ("City of God," "The Constant Gardener") isn't really interested in telling a tale; he's got a serious morality play on his mind.

Read Dave's entire take here. And XYZPDQ Dave.

--posted by Kim

2008 Sundance Film Festival Preview

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:11:22 GMT

Sundance has almost begun. Here's a preview from MSN's Gregory Ellwood:

With January's arrival, it's time for another installment of the Sundance Film Festival. Unlike the past two years, the 2008 edition promises to feature more audience-friendly, star-driven flicks than ever.

Still, the socially conscious festival committee is no doubt concerned about the continuing influx of B- and C-level celebrities (i.e., Shannen Doherty) who descend upon Park City, Utah, and distract from all the "serious" filmmaking by crashing free gifting suites and underwhelming parties. But with television production at a standstill and few movies in production because of the Writers Guild of America strike, you can expect even more questionable attendees to make the trek out of sheer boredom (Jeremy Piven, welcome!).

Yet the festival must take some responsibility for the madness. When you have Mary-Kate Olsen starring in one of the dramatic competition selections ("The Wackness"), do you really expect the paparazzi won't be far behind?

In any event, the stars are coming to snowy Utah, and here's a look at some of their movies that may eventually hit a theater near you.

"Smart People"
Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page and Thomas Haden Church star in this comedy about a professor (Quaid) whose well-managed life comes crashing down on him when his screwup brother (Church) pays a visit.

"What Just Happened?"
Director Barry Levinson makes his first festival appearance with this comedy based on real-life producer Art Linson's accounts of the absurdity of working in Hollywood. Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn and Catherine Keener star.

"Sunshine Cleaning"
This highly sought-after comedy finds Amy Adams and Emily Blunt as two sisters who open a business to clean up the bloody messes left at crime scenes. Oscar winner Alan Arkin, of Sundance favorite "Little Miss Sunshine," co-stars.

"Sleepwalking"
Charlize Theron produced and co-stars in this drama about a 12-year-old girl (AnnaSophia Robb) who escapes foster care with the aid of her uncle (Nick Stahl) and discovers the true reasons why her mother (Theron) abandoned her.

"The Great Buck Howard"
Tom Hanks produced and co-stars in this comedy about a law school dropout (Colin Hanks) who becomes the personal assistant to a has-been "mentalist" (John Malkovich) attempting a career comeback. Emily Blunt and Steve Zahn also star.

"Incendiary"
Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams star in this drama about the aftermath of a fictional terrorist bombing at a British soccer stadium.

Other flicks with famous names: Josh Hartnett in "August," Felicity Huffman in "Phoebe in Wonderland," Naomi Watts in the American remake of "Funny Games," festival regular Paul Giamatti in "Pretty Bird," Luke Wilson in "Henry Poole Is Here," and Bruce Willis and Mischa Barton in "Assassination of a High School President."

Read more of MSN's ongoing Sundance coverage here.

--posted by Kim

'There' At Toronto

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:14:37 GMT

Dave McCoy loved Todd Haynes' Dylan pic "I'm Not There" -- a movie I eagerly anticipate to the point of not wanting to read any of the picture's surprise and invention.

But here's a little taste from McCoy's Toronto Dispatch:

A friend saw me in the lobby after the screening of Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There," a hypnotic dramatization of the life and music of Bob Dylan. My smile caused him to ask whether I was in "Dylan heaven." Now, I dunno if there is such a thing, but if there is, it probably looks, feels and sounds a whole lot like "I'm Not There."

See, I'm a Dylan freak. I'm not a religious man, but if there is such a thing as spirituality, probably the closest I get to it is listening to, thinking about and losing myself in Dylan's music and words. So, when I heard Haynes was doing a Dylan biopic that featured not one but six actors playing the artist, all at different times in Dylan's life, well, I was skeptical. And if you're a Dylan fan and have seen how the man's ideas have been translated to screen, you'd be nervous, too. Outside of documentaries -- D.A. Pennebaker's landmark, perfect "Don't Look Back" (1966) and Martin Scorsese's by-the-numbers drool-fest "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" (2005) -- Dylan and cinema haven't mixed well ... kind of like blood and chocolate. There was Dylan's own 1978 directorial debut (if you don't count his experimental doc, "Eat the Document"), "Renaldo and Clara," which was a choppy, druggy four-hour-long mess (the live stuff was great, though), and a few years back, Dylan himself starred in the atrocious, self-reflexive, incomprehensible turd "Masked and Anonymous."

Here, however, Haynes has managed to do for Dylan what Dylan wasn't able to do for himself: make a film that embodies the man's playfulness, artistry, contradictions and frustrations. And appropriately, it's completely unpredictable, hallucinogenic, challenging and damn fun. It's also the type of portrait Dylan fans will drool over. The rest of you, well ... that's a good question.

Read Dave's entire take here. Read all of MSN's Toronto coverage here.

--posted by Kim

Into The Great 'Wild'

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:44:47 GMT

MSN's Dave McCoy on a movie I can't wait to see, Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" -- straight from his Toronto Film Fest Dispatches:

"'Into the Wild': I wish I had more space to write about Sean Penn's stunning epic based on the novel by Jon Krakauer. Penn directed and wrote the screenplay of this true story about young wanderer Christopher McCandless. (McCandless is played by Emile Hirsch, in what will be a breakout, star-making performance -- the actor is not there, only the character.) In 1990, McCandless graduated from college, gave away his savings to Oxfam and abandoned his uptight, bourgeoisie family to travel the country. And he didn't bother telling anyone.

"What follows is Penn's 150-minute love letter to the beauty and danger of America -- one we rarely get to see on screen; there are a few shots of Los Angeles in the film, and they hurt the eyes -- and the classic American ideal of journeying West. It's a beautifully picaresque tale, full of colorful characters: Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker as two wandering hippies; Vince Vaughn as a shady farmer; and most impressive, Hal Halbrook as an aging widower who develops a life-changing friendship with the unyielding idealist. I've always been a fan of Penn's directorial work, but I never knew he had this type of visual poetry in him. Sean, stay behind the camera ... forever. But next time, please don't use Eddie Vedder to write your music. It was painful."

Read more of McCoy's Toronto musings on films including "Atonement," "Eastern Promises" and "The Golden Age" here. And, as always read MSN's Toronto coverage here.

--posted by Kim

Toronto Rave For 'Clayton'

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:17:58 GMT

MSN's Dave McCoy took in Tony Gilroy's "Michael Clayton" at Toronto and liked what he saw. From his Toronto Dispatch:

"Clayton" is writer Tony Gilroy's (he scripted all of the "Bourne" titles) directorial debut, and his first outing shows he has a way with people as well as words. The film is a straightforward legal potboiler, but Gilroy gives his actors so much rich, delicious dialogue that the primary joy of watching "Clayton" comes from watching the actors dig in. In fact, the film opens not with visuals but with a long, guilty, manic, mesmerizing monologue.

A name-partner in the world's biggest law firm has finally lost it. During a deposition in a billion-dollar lawsuit, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) went mental, stripped and got naked in frozen Milwaukee. Now, Michael Clayton (George Clooney), the law firm's "fixer" and Edens' close friend, is listening to his buddy ramble. Seems that 30 years of practicing law, lying, cheating and causing pain has finally pushed Edens over the edge, and in the first three minutes of "Michael Clayton," Gilroy pulls back the curtain and gives us a searing look at everything wrong with the American legal system. After the film, a friend said it may be the first time an actor gets an Oscar nomination based on an offscreen speech. And he's right. Wilkinson is beyond brilliant here, his hair mussed up, his eyes crazy, but his brain focused and dedicated to right a wrong for the first time in his life.

But it's Clayton's job to protect the firm against that. See, that is what he is, a self-proclaimed "janitor," somewhere between a lawyer and a cop. Take one long look into Clooney's eyes and you know the man is as tired as Edens. While the world spins out of control around him, Clooney must remain controlled and somber, until he too is finally pushed to his limit. It's one of Clooney's strongest performances, deeply troubled and manic but all contained under the surface. Also on board, having a blast and giving the types of performances we so lack in Hollywood films, are director Sydney Pollack as Clooney's boss as well as a fraudulent, uptight Tilda Swinton. I can't remember the last time I saw a thriller that relies more on two-person conversations than guns and explosions. "Clayton" is two hours; I could have watched these actors speak Gilroy's smart dialogue for another two. I hope the rest of America agrees.

Read McCoy's entire Dispatch here. And check out all of MSN's Toronto coverage here.

--posted by Kim

Braving Toronto

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:44:06 GMT

From Dave McCoy's first dispatch from The Toronto Film Festival:

Officially, the 2007 Toronto Film Festival runs Sept. 6-15. So why, you ask, are you reading a dispatch on the first day that reviews films that haven't premiered yet?

Well, I have a dirty little secret to tell you -- something I've wanted to admit since I started covering film festivals back in 1991. All these journalists (only a handful actually deserve the title of "film critic") that you read during film festivals, the ones who say they're seeing 30-40 films in 10 days? Well, they're lying. Think of a bunch of jocks in the weight room, trying to out-lift the other jocks -- "How much can you bench, dude?" Well, the film festival equivalent of that posturing is this: "How many films have you seen this year, dude?"

The truth is that many of these reviewers don't actually see the film AT the festival. This is because studios want to get their movies seen without any competition -- such as, in 2007 TIFF's case, the other 348 films showcased here. Or they want to generate word of mouth. So, about three weeks before a festival, you start getting screening notices for films in your hometown (in my case, Seattle) that are supposed to make their premieres in, say, Toronto. Or, in some cases, a journalist may have seen something at another film festival, didn't choose to write about it, and then holds it over for another festival, so it looks like he or she is running ragged in a marathon of film-going. This year, I'm not playing the game.

Over the past few weeks, I saw a handful of titles that'll be "premiering" this weekend. So, instead of waiting, I say let's get started now, and have us a little pre-festival festival coverage.

'The Brave One'
People always seem surprised when I say that TIFF is my favorite film festival in the world. I tell them it's the timing. TIFF is one of the last festivals of each year. So, it has the luxury of hand-picking the best from Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and more, and because it's fall, Hollywood uses TIFF as a launching pad for all Oscar hopefuls. It's the cream-of-the-crop film festival. Think of any Oscar-winning actor or best film over the past decade, and chances are it debuted here.

And with that, I'm officially tossing Jodie Foster's name into the 2008 Oscar race pool. Her poignant, terrifying and world-weary turn in Neil Jordan's "The Brave One" is her finest, most compelling work since her Oscar-winning performance in "Silence of the Lambs" and the type of stuff the Academy eats up. Sadly, if Foster doesn't get nominated, the reason will be the film she so passionately tries to hold up all by herself. It's rare when Jordan ("The End of the Affair," "The Crying Game") makes a misstep, and for quite awhile he seems to be on target with "The Brave One." Like "Ms. 45" or an artier "Death Wish," "The Brave One" is a meditation on American vigilantism. Foster plays a talk-show host who wanders New York and collects the sights and sounds for her audience. She is happy, successful and deeply in love with her fiancé (Naveen Andrews from "Lost") ... until one night, the city she loves turns on her. Following this tragedy, Foster becomes someone else. At first, she can't leave her house, and when she does, the first thing she does is buy a gun. When she kills a scumbag in self-defense at a convenience store, she realizes she has a power to right the wrongs that normal cops can't. One of these cops is played by Terrence Howard, who takes a special interest in Foster, until he starts figuring out the talk-show host may have a darker side.

Read where "The Brave One" as Dave writes begins to "fall apart." And check out all of MSN's festival coverage here.

--posted by Kim

15th Annual Toronto Film Festival

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:10:45 GMT

I'm not there (darnit!) but our crackerjack team here at MSN is at the 15th Annual Toronto Film Festival and will keep you updated on all the best, worst and so-so of the festival.

Here's Gregory Elwood's preview:

As far as film festivals go, Sundance has become a warped indie lovefest, Cannes delivers artistic prestige and New York provides the upper-establishment endorsement, but nothing matches the programming and gathering of key journalists in Toronto. This, combined with its convenient September scheduling, gives the Toronto International Film Festival its historical distinction as marking the unofficial beginning of Hollywood's award season. In recent years, Best Picture nominees "Crash," "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Mystic River" and "Lost in Translation" all either began or solidified their campaigns by appearing north of the border.

With so many pictures screening at the start of the yearly Oscar quest, it also means Toronto arguably features more true movie stars than Oscar night itself! So, from awards-season wannabes to star-studded films looking for distribution (and some intriguing documentaries thrown in for good measure), here's a look at this year's exciting slate of films ... and with 349 features screening in 10 days, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Read the rest of Elwood's musings here. Check out MSN's entire coverage here. Updates coming soon.

--posted by Kim

Venice Tells Fanny Ardant To Stay Home

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:13:25 GMT

French movie star/ex Truffaut companion Fanny Ardant has been asked to stay away from this year's Venice Film Festival. It doesn't appear that she's been told specifically that she'll be thrown out of the festival if she attends, but Venice is unhappy by a recent magazine interview in which Ardant praised "murderous urban guerrilla movement" The Red Brigade led by Renato Curcio, whom she called her "hero."

According to The Guardian:

"A front page editorial of the daily Corriere della Sera questioned whether it was 'passionately enthralling to kill innocent people, sow suffering and grief, [and] spread terror'.

"The Red Brigades' most notorious operation was the kidnapping and murder of a former prime minister, Aldo Moro, in 1978. Unlike other late-60s urban guerrilla movements, it remains a living presence.

"A reborn Red Brigades movement has killed two government advisers and a police officer since 1999. Earlier this year, 15 alleged members were arrested.

"Actor-director Michele Placido, who has worked with Ardant, said she was representative of a French cultural elite 'that reads the history of others blinded by passion'."

Ardant's latest picture, Italian-language film "L'Ora Punta" is playing at the festival.

--posted by Kim

Divine Docs

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:56:18 GMT

Very exciting news. Werner Herzog is bringing more of his "ecstatic truth" to the screen with his Antarctica documentary "Encounters at the End of the World" premeiring at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.

Read about more interesting docs, including a chronicle of the famed blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (entitled "Trumbo"), Phil Donahue's "Body of War" and "Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts" at Cinematical.

--posted by Kim

'Country' Snub

Tue, 29 May 2007 19:16:51 GMT

Responding to the Cannes winners, MSN's Dave McCoy has a few things to say. Specifically, what's with shutting out the Coen Brothers?

Writes Dave:

"My first thought was, 'What about 'No Country for Old Men'?!' Along with the Palme d'Or winner, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu's '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days' (a very smart and justified winner; it was the second best film I saw here), the Coen brothers' 'Old Men' was the only other film the critics agreed on during the last two weeks. And yet the jury, headed by Stephen Frears, snubbed it entirely. Now, I probably wouldn't have been as shocked by this had other strong contenders won instead. But I saw 'The Mourning Forest,' the film that took the second-place, Grand Prix prize, and I guess the jury and I saw different films. I love everything Japanese, but 'The Mourning Forest,' while gorgeously shot, falls flat on every emotionally conceivable level.

"Special jury prizes were given to two other films that vastly divided viewers: Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's animated tale of Islamic revolution, "Persepolis" and Carlos Reygadas' 'Silent Light.' But nothing for the Coens. Again, I was too sick to attend the jury junket after the awards, but I hope someone asked something about this oversight. Here's an odd thing: Last year, my favorite film of the year was 'Pan's Labyrinth.' It played In Competetion at Cannes and also got nothing. This year, I doubt I'll see a better movie all year than 'No Country for Old Men' and it too was shut out. Go figure..."

Read the rest of Dave's final Cannes dispatch here.

--posted by Kim

Cannes Palme D'Or Announced

Sun, 27 May 2007 18:57:23 GMT

The Palme d'Or went to Romanian director Cristian Mungiu for “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” his look at an illegal abortion in Communist-era Romania.

The film has been largely well received and predicted to be the winner by many critics.

Dave McCoy discusses all the winners from his Cannes dispatch:

"The low-budget, naturalistic film about a student who goes through horrors to ensure that her friend can have a secret abortion beat out 21 other movies in competition for the Riviera festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.

"The grand prize, considered the festival's No. 2 award, went to Japanese director Naomi Kawase's 'Mogari No Mori' (The Mourning Forest), a movie about two people — a retirement home resident and a caretaker at the center — struggling to overcome loss.

"Best director went to American painter-director Julian Schnabel for his French-language film 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,' based on a memoir by a French magazine editor who became paralyzed after a stroke and learned to write again by blinking his eyelid into a sensor.

"The jury awarded a special prize for Cannes' 60th anniversary to Gus Van Sant, who already won the festival's top prize in 2003 for 'Elephant.' The American's impressionistic 'Paranoid Park' focuses on a teenage skateboarder whose life turns upside down when he accidentally kills a security guard."

Read more honors here.

--posted by Kim

Marty's Master Class

Sat, 26 May 2007 02:47:26 GMT

Alright, Alright. I now, officially, wish I was at Cannes.

This is what editor, friend and lucky b-word Dave McCoy got to attend while taking in the sun, celebs and movies. Movie talk with Martin Scorsese. According to Dave, very few journalists attended. Um...why? Do these people like movies or not? Anyway, here's Dave's full report (including a Tarantino dig, and not dig in a good way) on what sounds like a memorable moment with the master:

"After 'Ocean's Thirteen,' I rushed over to get in line for the one thing I had circled on my Cannes calendar months ago: a film class taught by Martin Scorsese. Because, let's face it, when you're burned out on movies after eight days of a film festival, who better to recharge your batteries than Martin Scorsese? Only, when I arrived, I found a huge line of ticket holders but not many press members lined up. There was a ton of camera and video crews but not much print press. I got in with ease and was shocked. I settled into my third-row seat and noticed something odd: two chairs on stage and a table. Two chairs? Wasn't this supposed to be a lecture? In fact, Cannes pulled a switcheroo on us (or duped us, depending on your point of view) and the event was NOT a film class or a lecture but a 100-minute-long interview with Scorsese along the lines of 'Inside the Actor's Studio.'

"The difference here was we were spared any inane questions from the audience, and the French dude who conducted the interview was definitely less annoying and fawning than James Lipton. Scorsese wasn't asked what his favorite swear word was (hell, we all know that answer anyway!). Instead, French dude took us through Scorsese's entire career, asking questions the director had selected and showing clips that Marty wanted to discuss. How could you tell, you ask? Well, the clip choices were downright odd. There were six. The first was the opening sequence of 'Mean Streets' and the second was an in-ring moment from 'Raging Bull.' But after that, things got wonderfully weird. 'After Hours,' 'The Age of Innocence,' 'Casino' and 'Kundun' followed ... no 'Taxi Driver' or 'Goodfellas' or 'The Departed.' It was great and unexpected, and allowed Scorsese to riff on his filmmaking techniques and subjects like interrupted narratives and voiceover narration (this was a big one that he defended and came back to time and time again ... and damn, if he didn't win this critic over). Along the way, Scorsese name-dropped approximately 90 directors and/or films that inspired him (I lost count) and took special time to address the crowd on select titles and say 'See this!' I was in cinema heaven. Wait, I should back up. I didn't even set the scene, did I?

"Before Scorsese entered the theater, Quentin Tarantino entered and created buzz and a blinding barrage of flashbulbs. No autographs once again, though this time he had a handler who spoke to the unwashed masses so Tarantino didn't have to. When finally one of the festival directors jumped on stage to start the proceedings, he took the time to introduce QT to us lucky folks (and some other important French dude I didn't recognize). QT stood, wearing a muscle T-shirt that revealed things no one needed to see, and blew kisses to all of us. Ah, Quentin. Oh, and then, about halfway through the interview, I turned around to see if anyone had bolted. And surprise, surprise, the world's most self-promoted film geek was nowhere to be found. Great photo op, though. When the master entered, the place went nuts. Scorsese looked humble as a massive standing ovation erupted before he finally begged the crowd to sit down. And off we went ...

"There were many film students in the audience, many sitting next to me, and Scorsese's biggest bit of advice to them was simple: 'You have to be crazy to do this. Obsessive. I'm sorry, but it's true. I mean, other people can have lives and relationships, but I can't do it.' He spoke about the biggest problems when making movies ("Trains, boats, children and animals"), he remembered the night he met De Niro, he discussed destroying the tyranny of Hollywood narrative, he told us he learned to move the camera through his love of American musicals and he talked about sex and violence. Violence was easy to explore he said, but sex ... 'I don't know how to shoot a sex scene. I'm looking forward to shooting a sex scene one day. I have some ideas,' he laughed. Never has 100 minutes seemed so short. I felt, probably like the 1000 or so fortunate enough in attendance, blessed.

Oh, one last thing. The funniest sight of the day was turning around to see Brett Ratner sitting in the crowd. The 'X-Men: The Last Stand' auteur was shockingly not announced to the crowd, however. But let's hope, for all our sakes, that he at least learned something during those 100 minutes. You can't teach talent, but knowledge can be passed on. Well, I'll give him this: At least he stayed until the end."

--posted by Kim

'Paranoid' Praise

Wed, 23 May 2007 22:07:23 GMT

Speaking of Gus Van Sant, my editor and fellow Van Sant fan Dave McCoy has word on the Portland filmmaker's newest, "Paranoid Park."

Not surprisingly the word is good--all good--and now I have another long, painstakingly crafted picture on my hands that I can't wait to see.

From Cannes (where the film screened), Dave writes:

"Gus Van Sant's latest was called his 'most experimental work' by the daily trade here in town. It's not. That'd be either his last one, 'Last Days' or 'Gerry,' a film in which two guys get lost in the desert -- the end. 'Gerry' marked Van Sant's return to his indie roots after Hollywood success with 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Finding Forrester,' and 'Paranoid Park' continues in that experimental, short-on-plot-big-on-atmosphere vein. It's also his first time back to Cannes since winning the 2003 Palme d'Or for 'Elephant,' the Columbine-inspired look at a day in the life of a high school.

"In many ways, 'Park' (also In Competition) feels like a sequel to 'Elephant.' It too concerns teens and high school and that time in your life where you seem to float around, ungrounded and where time and events don't follow a rational order. Like 'Elephant,' 'Park' is a simple story told in a non-linear fashion and stars only non-actors (Van Sant cast the film through his MySpace page). The 'plot' is barebones: A teen skater from a soon-to-be broken home, Alex (shaggy-haired, golden find Gabe Nevins) spends his days at Paranoid Park, a skate park located in a downtrodden section of gloriously gray Portland, Ore. One night, he runs off with a stranger, and accidentally kills a security guard. And he says nothing to anyone about it. Instead, it eats at his insides and affects his life, presumably forever. The end. Along the way, however, Van Sant focuses his Super-8 camera on kids skating (a great visceral experience) and his 35-mm camera on teenage life in 2007. First-time sexual experiences, the monotony of high school, trips to the coffee shop, talk of the Iraq war ... it's painful and it's gorgeous and it captures a teen's world better than any film since his own 'Elephant.' And it takes you away ... if you let it."

And yes, you read that right, in a bold act of modern neo-realism, Van Sant cast the film from his *MySpace page. Hmm...wonder what Richard Schickel and all his artless blogging jeremiads would say about that?

*And this is truly a great way to use MySpace. And while I know there's plenty of fine people benefiting from that site, communicating, making friends and writing good stuff there, I can do without the cruising, the frequently horrid confessional blog entries (I love long walks on the beach! And cheeto's! And making love real slow...) and general nakedness. Most people, with obvious exceptions, shouldn't be naked, physically or "poetically." Unless they are Emily Dickinson or Anne Sexton. Which would be mad hawwwttt!

--posted by Kim

Transfixing Tarr

Wed, 23 May 2007 20:24:50 GMT

I am one among Béla Tarr's "small, cadre of of fans" so news of the Hungarian directors latest, "The Man From London" (showing at Cannes) is exciting to me. And though "excited" and Béla Tarr are not usually uttered in the same breath, I am again a Tarr enthusiast and would be thrilled sitting through Tarr's very loooong "Sátántangó" (7.5-hours long in fact). I'm OK with the fact that I would more than likely sit through that epic experience alone and with no one to talk to afterwards.

Evidence of my lonliness comes via Mike D'Angelo's astute Cannes report on Tarr's new picture:

"Nothing gets 'driven' in a Béla Tarr picture — save for the impatient viewer, who will surely be driven mad. (I haven't seen this many walkouts at a Cannes press screening since The Brown Bunny.) Moving their camera one baleful centimeter at a time, Tarr and his D.P., Fred Kelemen (an accomplished director himself), take events that might occupy a single page of text, or even less, and transform them into slow-motion symphonies of light and shadow, movement and stasis. The Man from London was based on a novel by famed French mystery novelist Georges Simenon, but it evinces no interest in narrative, character or psychology. Instead, it's a virtuoso exercise in cinematography, using Simenon's story (said to be very internal) as a pretext for a series of expertly composed b&w images.

"That'll probably be more than enough to satisfy Tarr's small but loyal cadre of fans, who've endured a seven-year wait since his last feature, Werckmeister Harmonies. Personally, I run hot and cold on the guy — his legendary 7.5-hour Sátántangó, for examples, strikes me as about four hours of masterpiece and 3.5 hours of deadly self-indulgence. Since then, his self-indulgent side seems to have taken over. Several of Man from London's few dozen shots left me breathless, but the film as a whole feels oddly mummified; it's almost as if Tarr filmed his idea for the movie rather than the movie itself, if that makes any sense. If you've longed to see Tilda Swinton badly dubbed into Hungarian, however, you may never have another chance."

Hey, I've longed for that. As he said, it's been seven years since his masterpiece "Werckmeister Harmonies" (which made my top ten in 2001 at my old paper The Oregonian) so I'm as revved up to see his newest complex series of tracking shots as I am to watch Bruce Willis scale another skyscraper. Nothing says summer like Béla Tarr! (I just yelled that out the window to total indifference).

But I do understand why others don't take to Tarr. Just as I see why some can't get on board Gus Van Sant's Tarr influenced art films "Gerry," "Elephant" and "Last Days." As a friend once told me (the friend who lives in my head), these films that I love so much (including Van Sant's) are for photographers, windbag snobs or, in my case, people who are transfixed by the washing machine. That spin cycle is never long enough.

--posted by Kim

Mighty Big of Pearl

Wed, 23 May 2007 07:56:43 GMT

Wow. I'm not entirely surprised but Marianne Pearl really is a person with grace:

"In the film A Mighty Heart, a reporter is seen asking Mariane Pearl (played by Angelina Jolie), the wife of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, whether she had seen the tape of her husband's beheading. At a news conference Monday at the Cannes Film Festival where the film was screened for the first time, a reporter for Bloomberg News shocked those around him when he addressed Pearl, who was seated next to the filmmakers, and remarked, 'I was one of the reporters who covered the Danny Pearl murder in Karachi. I was the one who asked that question. ... Could you -- have you -- maybe now -- have you -- maybe -- forgiven me for that question, which I regret?' Pearl replied, 'I accept your apology.' The exchange triggered a murmur in the crowd of reporters, who had never previously seen such an exchange during a film festival news conference."

--posted by Kim

'Country' At Cannes

Tue, 22 May 2007 03:22:30 GMT

The Coen Brother's new film deserves the buzz, according to Dave McCoy's Cannes dispatch.

Writes McCoy:

"The buzz machine slammed the French Riviera this weekend. Its target was one film: The Coen Brothers' noir-tinged, darkly comical and meditative Western, 'No Country for Old Men.' Critics and audiences have gone berserk over the film, and the Coens and their cast of Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin are already fielding Oscar questions (Tommy Lee Jones would be as well, but the notoriously testy actor steered clear of Cannes). A colleague wrote me late last night and asked whether the hype was justified, whether the Oscar talk could possibly be true. I can't predict anything about the Oscars, because Miramax won't release the film until November. But I can answer the first question.

Yes, it's that good and, no, it's not overhyped. I'm a rabid Coen Brothers fan, and for me, this near masterpiece is their best, most mature and beautiful work since 1990's 'Miller's Crossing.'"

Read the rest of the rave and more here.

--posted by Kim

Go To Lunch!

Tue, 22 May 2007 02:41:46 GMT

Hey, if you're annoyed and journalists are asking "poor" questions, why not?

"Revered moviemaker Roman Polanski has sparked a new controversy at the Cannes Film Festival after storming out of a press conference. The director grew restless during a tribute to the cinema and complained journalists were asking "empty" questions, before inviting fellow moviemakers including Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Wim Wenders to join him in walking out. Polanski, whose film The Pianist won the top prize at the festival in 2002, joined 27 major directors who were taking part in the homage to the movies, dubbed 'To Each His Own Cinema.' When the conference's moderator announced that journalists had just two minutes left to ask their remaining questions, Polanski took the microphone and said, 'It's a shame to have such poor questions, such empty questions.' He then stood and said, 'Frankly, let's all go and have lunch,' before walking out."

It was called "To Each His Own."

--posted by Kim

Might As Well Jump

Thu, 17 May 2007 18:48:15 GMT

My editor Dave McCoy is having a grand old time at the Cannes Film Festival. Sure, he didn't care for "My Blueberry Nights" but then he doesn't like anything Wong Kar-wai does (something I've never been able to straighten him out on). To be fair to Dave, "Blueberry" isn't looking like the picture to change anyone's mind about Wong. And then there's his appearance on that unfortunate poster...

Yes, the poster shown at left, something Dave's been stunned by since first laying eyes on it. When he sent me this Cirque du Soleil-y thing a few weeks ago, I too was shocked. At first I thought these had to be celebrity impersonators. When I realized that was really Bruce Willis and that was really Jane Campion and...who the hell is that? gleefully jumping in the air, I could only think the photographer assured his subjects they would appear more classic Phillip Halsman Jump photo and less 1992 yearbook shot of delighted high school Thespians celebrating closing night of "Godspell."

Dave is still so annoyed by the, uh, active group composition that he wrote about the horror for his Cannes Dispatches:

"Before we get into the movies and events here at Cannes, I need to address one thing. Click to the right and take a look at the worst poster in film festival history. What the hell were they thinking? Yes, it couldn't be more French, but even that doesn't excuse what's going on here. Where to start? With Pedro Almodóvar, bottom right, either riding a pony or doing some unspeakable act? With Bruce Willis, bottom left, looking a like a twee extra from a fourth-rate ballet company (he needs to be slapped for that pose and smug smile)? With poor, poor Jane Campion (middle row), who has been photographed so awfully that you can hardly distinguish her from Gérard Depardieu (on her right)? Samuel L. Jackson's goofy expression? Or Souleymane Cisse, hovering over the proceeding and doing his best Isaac Hayes/Black Moses impersonation? They should all be ashamed of themselves, because I have to see this monstrosity hanging everywhere for the next two weeks. Ugh."

You can look at a full shot of the poster at his column. And, oh yes, read more about the films.

And to bring it back around to Wong. What possessed him to pose like this? Maybe something really is wrong with him. Also, didn't anyone ever tell Pedro Almodóvar that you can seriously hurt yourself jumping around like that?

--posted by Kim

'Blueberry' In The Cannes

Wed, 16 May 2007 18:31:23 GMT

The 60th Annual Cannes Film Festival kicked off proceedings with Won Kar-wai's English speaking debut "My Blueberry Nights." The film stars Jude Law, Natalie Portman and greenhorn actress/ accomplished musician Norah Jones in the lead.

Of course it will look beautiful but what else? Cinematical provides a mixed review:

"My Blueberry Nights is full of these moments – lengthy stretches of film where we're having emotional and thematic meanings spelled out for us like we were slow children. On occasion, the screnplay itself can feel a little schizophrenic -- the grit and rawness of some scenes gets worn down by the sentiment of others; snappy exchanges nestle uneasily close to lengthy narration.

"Still, only the hard-hearted will pause to object to those moments; most of us will be swept away by Wong's visions and his depiction of love, loss and life -- Strathairn's performance alone is particularly devastating, and the tone of the piece is more than enough to inspire any viewer to reflect on their own loves past and present."

Read the entire review here.

--posted by Kim

Munich Hearts Herzog

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 20:06:24 GMT

This year's Munich Film Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary with Werner Herzog and Richard Linklater.

The two filmmakers who have close ties with Munich (Herzog was born there, Linklater held the international debut of "Slacker" at the festival) will show retrospectives of their work. That means 52 films for Herzog, which includes shorts and documentaries.

I love Werner Herzog but can you imagine taking in 52 Herzog pictures in less than a month? Including the movie where he hypnotized his cast, "Heart of Glass"? You might emerge from the theater like this.

Actually, this is great. I wish they'd hold that retrospective here. A Herzog a day...

--posted by Kim

Bobby Vs. Bowie

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:20:20 GMT

David Bowie vs. Robert DeNiro. The Goo Goo Dolls vs. The Polyphonic Spree. Ricky Gervais? Daniel Johnston? Laurie Anderson? It's the Tribeca Film Festival vs. the newer, hipper, younger High Line Festival curated by the Thin White Duke himself.

According to New York Magazine (via Cinematical) it's the "rich, powerful father and his silky hipster son."

Read the rest here.

--posted by Kim

Cannes Lineup Almost Firm

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:44:41 GMT

The Cannes Film Festival lineup is finally coming together. Well, almost. There are still a lot of maybes according to this report from The Hollywood Reporter:

"Months of conjecture surrounding the Festival de Cannes lineup will come to an end Thursday as organizers unveil the festival's 2007 lineup.

Wong Kar Wai's 'My Blueberry Nights,' which the Weinstein Co. will release in the U.S., looks as if it will be completed in time to fill the high-profile opening-night slot May 16, while David Fincher's 'Zodiac,' a Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures co-production, is rumored as the festival closer on May 27.

"Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's 'Grindhouse,' Steven Soderbergh's 'Ocean's Thirteen,' James Gray's 'We Own the Night' and the Coen brothers' 'No Country for Old Men' are locked, and Michael Winterbottom's 'A Mighty Heart' is set to premiere May 21 in Cannes.

The U.S.-heavy lineup awaits final confirmation on front-runner 'Paranoid Park' by fest veteran Gus Van Sant.

"Michael Moore will most likely be making it back to the Croisette with his health care documentary 'Sicko...' Paulo Morelli's 'City of Men' (the sequel to Fernando Meirelles' 'City of God') and Harmony Korine's 'Mister Lonely' also are anticipated.

"As usual, the French are taking their time to secure festival slots, but it looks as if the black-and-white animated film 'Persepolis' will be a contender. Claude Miller's "Un Secret" and Alain Corneau's 'Le deuxieme souffle' are still in the running, and U.S. director Julian Schnabel's French production 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' is poised to ring on the Croisette.

"Catherine Breillat may be back in Cannes with her latest, 'Une Vieille Maitresse...' 'La Graine et le mullet,' Abdel Kechiche's follow-up to the 2006 Cesar Award-winning 'L'Esquive,' also is a likely contender."

Read the rest including the possibility of Ermanno Olmi's 'Cento Chiodi,' Korean director Kim Ki-duk's 'Breath,' Takeshi Kitano's 'Kantoku Banzai' and 'Triangle,' a three-part action movie directed by Hong Kong filmmakers Tsui Hark, Johnnie To and Ringo Lam.

This is rounding out to be one hell of a festival. I hope.

--posted by Kim

J. Lo Booed

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 22:35:37 GMT

Jennifer Lopez was at the Berlin International Film Festival supporting her "indie" movie "Bordertown," directed by Gregory Nava and faced an unexpected reaction to her newest endeavor. Going against her usual romantic comedy fare (or "Enough"), the movie concerns murders involving young women in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez. Perhaps she thought she'd be rewarded for branching out and taking risks but according to Spiegel Online International, critics and audiences at the movie's premiere were not buying it:

"The first ominous signs came at the press screening on Thursday afternoon, when the film was booed by the audience, apparently annoyed that Nava had decided to make a B-movie thriller out of such a tragedy. Then there were boos during the official premiere on Thursday evening, and applause at the end was muted. J-Lo looked visibly upset. Reviews in the German papers Friday were hardly any more complementary. 'Actually the subject matter is important,' writes the mass circulation BZ. 'But one can't take La Lopez seriously in her role for a single moment: She simply too cute and too J-Lo!' The newspaper rates the movie's chances of winning a Golden Bear award as 'slim.'"

Harsh. But more importantly, what does Miss "Nasty little Germans!" Sharon Stone have to say all about this?

--posted by Kim

It's Hard Out Here For Me!

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:27:15 GMT

My editor Dave McCoy emailed me this little item (via Movie City Indie), just a little item that he's also in possession of since visiting Sundance.

So, yeah. Great. Now you people are all just rubbing this in my face.

Alright. I get it! You've seen the movie!

But seriously, it is hard out there for a nymph. I don't see anything weird or sleazy in that statement.

--posted by Kim

Sam, Snakes, Sundance

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 20:57:04 GMT

At Sundance, Cinematical sat down with Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake, stars of Craig Brewer's "Black Snake Moan" for their Unscripted series. Choice moments resulted. The best? Yep, something to do with Sam Jackson and snakes:

"The shoot's funniest moment came when Timberlake hesitated before firing off a question from the teleprompter, looked off-camera and asked, 'Can I really say all that?' Getting approval, he gestured toward Jackson: 'Are there any mutha f***in' snakes in 'Black Snake Moan?' Jackson repeated the question before retorting, 'Only trouser snakes.'"

Oh...Sam Jackson, he is one of the coolest. Especially for making tired internet hype funny again.

And by the way, I'm still obsessed with "Black Snake Moan." And, I'll admit it, I'm incredibly jealous of everyone who got to see it. Jealous! Jealous!

--posted by Kim

Dakota's Defense

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:52:26 GMT

Dakota Fanning's newest movie hasn't even screened yet at Sundance (it shows later today) but it's already getting major criticism due to its disturbing content. A Christian critic is screaming child abuse which is ridiculous since they haven't even seen the film yet, and Roman Catholic activist Bill Donahue is calling for a boycott.

The filmmakers have been answering questions and concerns about the movie, "Hounddog," a Southern gothic in which Fanning's character is obsessed with Elvis Presley, abused by her parents and in the scene that's causing all the furor, raped. But can they just leave little Dakota out of this mess? I know the talented 12-year-old leads the movie but it feels weird when she's quoted saying, "It's not a rape movie. That's not even the point of the film."

Now, I haven't seen the film either but I'm going to assume Ms. Fanning is correct and that the movie wasn't made to...what? Titillate? My lord, what's wrong with these critics?

--posted by Kim

From Sundance--A Movie You Can Sink Your Teeth Into

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:42:02 GMT

Since I'm not able to enjoy Sundance this year, I've made my fine editor, Dave McCoy send me thoughts on some of the Festival's highlights.

Considering the Fest is boasting movies about Dakota Fanning getting, uh, well you know, that horse documentary about the guy that, well you know, and Christina-Ricci-getting-tied-to-a-radiator-by-Sam-Jackson, it's not a surprise that Dave's pick is also a bit loony. I mean, what could he choose from? "Little Miss Sunshine 2?"

From Mr. McCoy:

"I saw one movie during opening weekend at Sundance. The rest of the time I was 'stoking the starmaker machinery,' as Joni once sang. I hated myself for it, but that’s another story.

"Anyway, the one film I saw will stick with me for a long, long time. It’s called 'Teeth.' It’s playing in the Dramatic competition. And even though the audience response was enthusiastic, I don’t see it making it off the film festival circuit and into your multiplex. Why, you ask? Have you ever heard the phrase 'Vagina Dentata'? Ever read any Camille Paglia? If your answer is yes, you know where this is going. If not, well, this is a 'family' blog, so I’ll try to tread carefully.

“'Teeth'” centers on Dawn (amazing newcomer Jess Weixler), a teenage Christian who has taken a vow of chastity and gladly preaches her moral values to hordes of adoring teens. But not having sex as a teenager isn’t the only thing that makes Dawn a bit, well, different. Let’s put it this way: Dawn’s mouth is not her only orifice containing teeth. She, and we, discover this, shockingly, when a fellow teen attempts to rape her and ends up without THAT appendange. And a gynecologist who enjoys his job too much, and so on and so on. Pretty soon, the screen is covered in parts that American audiences aren’t used to seeing when attached to the body.

"This may sound horrific, and while, yes, it’s graphic and shocking, 'Teeth' has its tongue firmly implanted in its, um, cheek. It’s hysterically funny, with a tone that blurs satire, horror and feminist theory. And as Dawn learns more about her condition, the more the film becomes a superhero story. The villain is male violence and teen cruelty. Dawn’s weapon? A lot more interesting than webs, capes, masks, utility belts, etc.

"Here’s hoping a studio has the… guts to take a chance and release it.

"You thought I was going to say balls, didn’t you?"

--Uh, yes, I actually did there for a moment Dave. But I too hope a studio has the cajones to pick it up. And thank you! Now I've got one more movie I can become unhealthily obsessed with.

--posted by Kim

Sundance Film Festival Starts...Now!

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:44:23 GMT

The Sundance Film Festival officially starts today. Yep, look forward to the expected festival coverage in which burned out critics find even more ways to describe how cold and tired and annoyed they are.

Yes, yes, it's all so "crazy," but what about the movies?

The Hollywood Reporter discusses the tone and content of the festival stating there will be no "crowd-pleasing 'Little Miss Sunshine'" this year:

"There are fewer big stars among the large number of serious indie dramas on the Sundance slate. And after a year when a glut of indie films underperformed at the boxoffice, buyers are approaching the festival warily. The two films with the biggest buzz, David Wain's Ten Commandments satire 'The Ten' and James C. Strouse's family drama 'Grace Is Gone,' also are two of the biggest question marks. Will the star-filled cast of 'Ten' -- which includes Winona Ryder, Paul Rudd, Jessica Alba and Adam Brody -- create a bidding war, or will its episodic structure and Wain's offbeat sensibility (he directed 'Wet Hot American Summer') limit its appeal? Will John Cusack's performance in 'Gone' prove winning enough to overcome the sad story of a father faced with telling his kids their mom died in the Iraq War? 'Movies this year seem a little darker, and in the indie world that's saying a lot,' First Look Pictures president Ruth Vitale said."

If you've heard of one of this year's entries, the Robinson Devor documentary "Zoo," you will entirely agree with Vitale's statement.

And...can't wait for "The Ten." Check out the cast.

--posted by Kim

15 Hours In Berlin

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 10:16:41 GMT

Hey, I've got 15 hours to spare. And for Rainer Werner Fassbinder, I'm not kidding.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

"The Berlin International Film Festival will screen all 15-plus hours of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's epic miniseries 'Berlin Alexanderplatz,' based on the novel by Alfred Doeblin, to mark the 25th anniversary of helmer's death. Bavaria Film International, which has remastered Fassbinder's original 16mm reels, will premiere the first two episodes of 'Berlin Alexanderplatz: Remastered' on Feb. 9 at the Admiralspalast in Berlin.

The series' stars -- Guenter Lamprecht, Hanna Schygulla, Barbara Sukowa and Gottfried John -- will attend along with Doeblin's grandson, Stefan Doeblin.

"Famed Berlin musician Max Raabe will host the premiere, accompanied by his 1930s-style Palast Orchestra.

The remastered version of Fassbinder's classic will have its premiere in Berlin as a high-definition projection with Dolby digital sound. The original series was broadcast on German public television in 1980 over 13 episodes and an epilogue."

I wish I could go to Berlin. Alas, I'll have to watch 15 hours of "Lost" instead. I have some catching up to do. I don't think that is nearly the same thing. --posted by Kim

'Bobby' Vs. Bush

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:46:42 GMT

The cast of "Bobby" took the time to condemn President Bush while speaking Monday at the Dubai International Film Festival.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

"'Last month's elections reflect the American people's desire to have a better quality of leadership -- a leadership that is not just responsible to us but to our position in the world,' Laurence Fishburne said at a packed news conference attended by international television crews and print journalists, with a majority hailing from the Arab world. 'As a leader among nations, a lot of people look to America with hope. Unfortunately in the last seven to eight years, we have not lived up to that hope. Certainly, I am embarrassed by that.'

"Joshua Jackson -- who in the film plays Wade Buckley, a political aide and passionate believer in Bobby Kennedy -- added, 'For a liberal and humane person, this seems like a dark time in America today...No American can say they are embarrassed or it's not their fault -- because you only get the democracy you deserve. We need to be more passionate, frankly more angry and more vocal in voicing our displeasure.'"

O.K. Fine. But what does Lindsay Lohan have to say? She's the one who claims to be tight with Al Gore.

--posted by Kim

Mitchum Is Like So...

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:45:20 GMT

Rotterdam Film Festival's Cinemart has announed some of its headliners today, a list that included directors Kim Ki Duk, Stephan Elliot, Bruce Weber, Arnaud Desplechin and Andrew Bujalski.

Of the group, I'm most excited for Bruce Weber's project, the Robert Mitchum tribute, "Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast."

It's still a "work-in-progress," but from what I've heard, the picture documents a series of duets the actor and singer (check out his "Calypson Is Like So") recorded (?) with famous singers.

All I need to hear is Robert Mitchum and the title (named for a great Julie London song) and I'm there.

--posted by Kim

Sundance Announces Festival Lineup for 2007

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 06:42:25 GMT

Sundance has announced its line-up for the 2007 Film Festival by choosing pictures that, according to Festival director Geoffrey Gilmore, represent "the beginning of a new era in independent filmmaking."

Gilmore told The Hollywood Reporter, "Filmmakers are undergoing a massive expansion in perspective and aesthetic qualities. Where once independence meant a detachment, a kind of navel-gazing, that doesn't exist right now. Instead, there is engagement and innovation. Filmmakers are going out and engaging the real world in terms of subject matter, vision and innovative storytelling."

The festival, which runs Jan. 18-28 in Park City, Sundance, Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah, boasts some interesting choices this year. Chris Smith, who won the Grand Jury Prize in 1999 with his documentary "American Movie" enters the dramatic competition with "The Pool," a Hindi-language film set in Goa, India.

Also on board are Nick Broomfield's "Ghosts," Gela Babluani's "The Legacy," John Carney's "Once," Rory Kennedy's "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib," David Gordon Green's "Snow Angels," Robinson Devore's "Zoo" and yes, Deborah Kampmeier's already controversial "Untitled Dakota Fanning Project" (which, obviously, isn't the title but has a nice ring to it).

Read the entire list here.

--posted by Kim