Tag: indie cinema

Up Date The Dinner did not live up to its level of artistic pretentious. Bloated, missed the mark,  who cared were the comments.  I was told not to waste my time.

The reviews for Trainspotting have been “OK” but no rave reviews.  Does the tale of a group of aging misfits from Glasgow resonate today?

As usual this festival season, politics became a topic with reporters asking questions concerning Brexit.  In this hyper political age Director Boyle states his film is not political.  It is a story of life’s disappointments, a post modem.

Early news on the new Stanly Tucci debut directorial film has been met with a lack of enthusiasm.   The screening is today.

Up Date: A labor for 10 years, actor, director, producer, and writer,  Stanley Tucci’s Final Portrait arrived at the Berlinale.  Sadly, it was not the welcome a filmmaker would like to have.  Based on the last 2 years of the life of painter Alberto Giacometti, played by Geoffrey Rush, the film portrays the artist as a man who lives a life without consequences.

At the press conference helmer Tucci described the film making process of using handheld and two cameras for coverage and the color palette.

Can I recommend this film? Based on the reactions in the press area, NO, because the press conference felt more like a firing quad than a film festival, which is always a tall tale sign of a films reception.

Final Portrait stars Geoffrey Rush, Armie Hammer, and Clemency Poescy.

Is Wilde Maus from Austria the breakout film?

Up Date: There were smiles after the press screening of this dark comedy, Wilde Maus/Wild Mouse, Austrian Actor, Director, and Writer Josef Haider’s story of a Viennese Music Critic who loses his job and esteem.  A well-known performer in his native country, Haider decided to star and direct in his own film after realizing what he wanted to do with the feature.  Saying, he could not imagine another person directing him or another actor playing the lead role he wrote.  Hating the casting process of auditions, the director pulled actors, George Friedrich, Jorg Hartmann, and Pia Hierzegger, from his personal relationship circle, asking them to be spontaneous on the set.    Judging by the favorable response from the press core I think he succeeded with his debut directorial effort.