I felt like I had seen this movie before, the scenes had such familiarity, but it was in fact my first viewing of Frost/Nixon, sure not to be my last. The film revolves around the british talk show host, David Frost, who embarks on a mission to interview President Nixon after his resignation. Set in the summer of ’77 the film covers both sides of the coin. Nixon agrees to do the 4 days of interviews in hopes of preserving his legacy. What first begins as a way to make money and gain ratings slowly becomes Frost’s desire to give the American people the truth. Frank Langella gives the performance of his life, portraying Nixon as if he was the man himself. The Oscars are sure to be buzzing Langella’s name. You might find yourself getting antsy in your seat after the first half. Clocking in at 122 minutes the movie doesnt fully grab you until the last 40.
The annual competition for the best holiday film is coming to a close, and so far this year I have been disappointed. Four Christmas‘ was funny, as expected to be, but drab and predictable. Nothing Like The Holidays was nothing like the hopes I had for latino Christmas. The script felt forced and cheesy despite the attractive cast.
One film that is sure to stand out in the mix is Un Conte de Noel (A Christmas Tale). As is almost every holiday film ever made, the plot revolves around family. The Vuillard clan is plagued with mental and physical illness, estrangement, and loss. This film will have you laughing while you cry, and remind you just how potentially fun the holidays can be. You can catch this film at the IFC Center.
Here it comes, another film about teachers trying to make a difference in the classroom. Its no Sunset Park and its no Dangerous Minds because its French and everything in French sounds sexier. Entre Les Murs, or The Class, is about Francois, a high school teacher, working in one of the toughest areas in town. With the best intentions in mind Francois attempts to create an atmosphere in the classroom built around respect and assiduity, an atmosphere that does not go untested by his students. Sound familiar? Laurent Cantet’s film won the Palme d’Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Go check this one out The Class is in theaters December 19th.
I am anxiously anticipating Friday, December 12th and the release of John Patrick Shanley’s film, Doubt. Shanley wrote the screenplay based on his very own stage play of the same name, which in 2005 was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and also the very prestgious Tony Award for Best Play.
Ideas of religion, authority, and morality are underlying paradoxes throughout the story of intense suspicion, where the charismatic priest of St. Nicolas’ school in the Bronx is giving too much personal attention to a black student. Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams star in this heated, impassioned film.
Jonathan Blitstein has been commended for his film debute and he is most definitely worth all the talk. This young screenwriter and director is one to keep your eye on (for those who like watching movies) and a force to be reckoned with (for those who like making movies).
Although the film was highlighted here on Magnet just a week or so ago, after seeing the cinematic magic in it’s entirety, I can’t help but talk about it some more. The film is full of dialogue and while some predominantly dialogue driven films may cause you to snooze, Let Them Chirp Awhile is sure to do the opposite. Therefore I say, go right on ahead chirping because it is immensely satisfying to listen to, not to mention hilarious in the subtle everyday happenings of the young artists. The camera angles are like chocolate truffles for your eyeballs. One of my favorite scenes, and I have many, occurs when Charlotte and Bobby are strolling down the middle of the street. At first glance there is not much going on, but then your eyes are welcomed by steam seeping through the street vents and the headlights about a block or so behind them cast these resplendent diamonds that dance all around the frame. Beautiful.
Magnet is honored to have corresponded with Jonathan Blitstein himself and he was gracious enough to answer a few of our questions.
Magnet: How did you get Anthony Rapp to be in the film? That was incredible.
Jonathan Blitstein: Anthony visited my high school in chicago for our bi-annual FOCUS on the arts. he talked about new york, and since i had just gotten into NYU film school i spoke to him and he encouraged me to pursue my dream. he had gone to film school but later dropped out because he was cast in RENT. when i got to NYC i got a coffee with him and we kept in touch on and off. then when i was making my film, i came up with the idea, and i sent it to his agent and i said REMEMBER ME? I’M MAKING A MOVIE NOW…and we got in touch, he read the script and agreed to do it. Anthony has been a wonderful friend to me in the last couple years and I’m a big supporter of his work. He’s very bright and talented.
M: Of the whole moving making process, what part is your favorite?
JB: I love the idea process. It’s when you sit in a coffee shop and just take notes and imagine your next film. And after that, I really love shooting. I like having a lot of people around, it’s like being in theater. It feels like a family and if you are kind to people, you can achieve a real wonderful aura on set of excitement. I also love the smell of fresh dry erase markers that the assistant cameraman uses to mark the slate. so being on set is good. I also like the junk food at the crafty table.
M: We have heard that you are praised for your “unique eye”, is it your right or left?
JB: I guess it’s my left because I’m a lefty…i operate and look thru the viewfinder of the camera with my left eye. I wish i was a cyclops though. Mono-vision must be super intense. i can’t imagine being able to walk, but it would be awesome to just have one big eye on the center of your face. You could tell so many great party jokes. But if someone said something like “keep your eye on the prize”, you could just stare at them silently and they’d probably just feel awful…it already sounds like a seinfeld episode.
M: Only eighteen days of filming.. Is that even physically possible? What’s your secret?
JB: Haha, it’s no secret. it’s just economical filmmaking. lemonade out of lemons. I knew I had to do the film in the fewest days possible, so I broke down the script and stacked as many scenes with certain actors on certain days. I decided to cover most of my scenes in 3 shots or less, some with a single shot. I agreed to do 1-2 takes of everything, not much more than that. And then i storyboarded about 450 drawings so when I would arrive at set, my cinematographer and I would know exactly what we were trying to achieve. It saved time. We also just did a lot of guerilla style stuff like stealing shots at night, and not wasting time to get things perfect. if it was good enough, we shot and moved on. that was the only way to do it.
As for “physically possible”…well, I collapsed due to extreme pain from an ulcer in my stomach that i developed on the film from drinking too much coffee, taking too much vitamins, and not sleeping, all on an empty stomach. they hopped me up on morphine at the Emergency room at beth israel hospital in NYC and I directed a scene or two while I was high, sitting in a gown with an IV in my arm, over the phone. so, maybe it’s not really physically possible, but i didnt die, so that’s good… Although…Spielberg made “Duel” in 12 days, but they had 3 cameras, a hollywood crew, and like…a zillion dollars.
M: If you could work with anyone in the film bizz, who would it be and why?
JB: That’s easy…here’s my list:
Actor – Leo DiCaprio. He’s a living genius and the best of his generation. He is a real craftsman, one of a kind.
Producer – Scott Rudin. I can only imagine that Scott Rudin is the best script reader alive. Every film he green-lights turns to gold. Not only does he cultivate and allow for artistic expression, he understands how to put together a film that is both commercially viable and also meaningful. If you have him in your corner, you’re lucky.
They are twenty-somethings, they are artists, they are three human beings trying to find their way in this place we call world. Let Them Chirp Awhile premiered at the 2007 Woodstock Film Festival in Woodstock, NY. The film by Jonathan Blitstein was praised by audiences and critics alike and now, coming this Friday, December 5th, you will be able to as well.
No One Belongs Here More Than Youis a brilliant 224-page compilation of short stories by Miranda July, which won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story award in September of 2007. I was enthralled page by page with the witty, organic language and the instability of character which made each story so thought provokingly relatable. After finishing the collection in one sitting I had to find out more about this author who could write with such raw sophistication.
Miranda July is not only an accomplished writer, she produced an award winning 2005 film, Me and You and Everyone We Know, recored an EP and two full length albums with Kill Rock Stars in the late 90′s, and with two other friends founded an online arts community Learning to Love You More. Established in 2002 this site provides assignments for amateur artists to submit in order to be part of a communal arts project. Some assignments include make the saddest song, draw a picture of the back of your friend’s head, and make an encouraging banner. Miranda July feels that the most affecting art exists when “it’s so imperfect you know it’s true.”
Magnolia Pictures presents Zoe Cassevettes’ 2007 film debut Broken English, the delicate and absorbing, raw and honest story of a New York woman in her thirties stuck in a job she lacks heart for and tristful over the pursuit of love. The viewer empathizes with the harsh realities of a career oriented world where lovelessness remains a common theme. Parker Posey was incredibly casted in the leading role of Nora Wilder. We see a different side to her, one other than the dry humored comedic gal. She embodies this character and portrays it with frankness and genuine morality. At a co-workers party Nora meets Julien (Melvil Poupand), a frenchman who spends a weekend with her.
The title, Broken English, describes not only the slight language barrier between the two but also the being of Nora herself as a discontented American. I loved it in a I “hope I’m not completely alone at 35, but what if I am alone at 35, then I’m not alone being the only one alone, and maybe I’ll meet a sexy french man, but most likely I won’t meet a sexy french man, and so I’m just going to take a spontaneous trip to Paris” kind of way.
Colin Firth, in my opinion the sexiest man in cinema today, broke my heart in And When Did You Last See Your Father?, the story of a man trying desperately to deal with the fact that his father is dying, a figure that has left unanswered questions and feelings of incapability. Swirling in and out of the present moment with flashbacks of growing up, the story unfolds revealing moments of joy that always seem to be tainted by a misery never understood.
The 2007 film directed by Anand Tucker is based on an autobiography by Blake Morrison and received generally positive reviews from the critics. I’d have to second that.
If you were to ask who my favorite English actor was, I would tell you hands down Simon Pegg. He is one of those brilliant actors that some how escapes the hollywood buzz boards and gossip mags, while pumping out hilarious flick after hilarious flick. His goofy mannerisms, and adorable brit accent give him a lovable feel even while performing lewd, crude, and horribly funny acts on the big screen. His resume includes movies like How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, Run Fat Boy Run, Hot Fuzz, and what could be considered his breakthrough role, Shaun of The Dead.
Simon Pegg’s most recent work in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is a snug fit into Mr. Pegg’s repertoire of films. This particular piece revolves around a quirky British journalist and his struggle to make a name for himself in the city. The film combines dumb comedy, the kind where people fall, burp, break things, etc, and witty banter to create a hilarious 110 minutes for its viewers.
His next film, Star Trek, is due in theaters this May. If you find yourself in the mood for a good laugh, check out Simon Pegg’s work.
One film that is sure to stand out in the mix is 
Jonathan Blitstein has been commended for his film debute and he is most definitely worth all the talk. This young screenwriter and director is one to keep your eye on (for those who like watching movies) and a force to be reckoned with (for those who like making movies).
