Last updated on November 5, 2007. Please check back later for additions.

Contents

The Cinema Lounge
Coming Attractions: Seasons Greetings from Hollywood
The Savages: Q&A with Actress Laura Linney
The Toronto Film Festival
Adam's Rib Names That Tune
No Country For Old Men: Q&A with Actor Josh Brolin
The Venice Film Festival
Q&A with Anton Corbijn, Director of Control
We Need to Hear From You
Calendar of Events

The next meeting of the Cinema Lounge will be on Monday, November 12 at 7:00pm. The topic is "What methods does Hollywood use to attract kids to films?"

The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the second Monday of every month at 7:00pm at Barnes and Noble, 555 12th St., NW in Washington, DC (near the Metro Center Metro stop).

Last month at Cinema Lounge
During the October Cinema Lounge meeting, we discussed the topic of "supernatural" or "paranormal" movies. There was a widespread belief that that genre is rooted "more in what you're imagining than in what you're seeing." A few films mentioned were Cat People (1942), The Others (2001), Signs (2002), The Entity (1991), Poltergeist (1982), The Haunting (1963), The Mothman Prophecies (2002), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959) the radio War of the Worlds by Orson Welles, Frankenstein (1931), Altered States (1980), The Exorcist (1973), The Rapture (1991), The Time Machine (1960), Practical Magic (1998), and Witches of Eastwick (1987). A peculiar point is that supernatural movies "do not have to make narrative sense at the end" even though "ideas build on each other." The audience wants to "feel scared" more than it actually wants to see a "gotcha" at the end. Sadly, there seems to be fewer devices available that can be used to maintain suspense.

What do a murderous barber, a playboy congressman, two kids trying to survive war-torn Afghanistan and a magical toy store have in common? They’re all part of the mix of films coming to a theater near you this fall. You’ll get a sneak preview of these and many more at the Washington D.C. Film Society’s “COMING ATTRACTIONS TRAILER NIGHT, Winter 2007. It all starts at 7 p.m., Wednesday, November 14 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema (E Street between 10th & 11th St, NW).

Once again, you’ll get to be the judge of the film studios' marketing skills by joining local film critics Joe Barber and Bill Henry in a dissection and no-holds-barred give and take of each trailer. This time of year is the stretch drive for the 2008 award season as the film industry likes to save its best for last and this year's holiday stocking is an interesting grab bag with unusual star turns.

There’s Tom Hanks, who bought the rights to and is producing and starring in Charlie Wilson’s War, which tells how a Texas congressman best known for his enjoyment of the good life (hence his nickname “Goodtime Charlie Wilson”) turned serious in forcing a reluctant Congress to fund CIA efforts to defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan. Afghanistan gets a completely different look in the adaptation of the best-selling novel The Kite Runner; Johnny Depp meets Stephen Sondheim in the movie version of the powerful Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (not a heartwarming Christmas tale); Nick Cage discovers conspiracies that make Oliver Stone’s theories look like child’s play in National Treasure: Book of Secrets, as he discovers secrets of the past only presidents are supposed to know; Sir Anthony Hopkins tackles that famous English epic poem we all were forced to read in school, in Beowulf. Keira Knightley's romantic liaison with the hired help (James McAvoy) leads to false accusations in Atonement. On a lighter note, Dustin Hoffman has a field day playing the owner of a magical toy store in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and Nicole Kidman is a part of a parallel universe discovered by a child in The Golden Compass.

These are just a few of the films you will preview on November 14. But wait! There's more! You'll have your pick of studio giveaways, movie posters and door prizes. This unique, semi-annual event is only $5.00 for members of the DC Film Society and is FREE to Gold members. Non-members and members' guests can attend for $8.00.

For more information and an update on trailers to be shown at “COMING ATTRACTIONS TRAILER NIGHT” visit the website.

By Ron Gordner and James McCaskill, DC Film Society Members

The 32nd Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was held September 6-15, 2007. This year 349 films were shown from 55 countries, including 71 feature directorial premieres. The program was divided into sections such as Gala Presentations, Masters, Visions, Special Presentations, Canada First, Contemporary World Cinema, Discovery (first time directors' films), Real to Reel (documentaries), Wavelengths (new section devoted to experimental and avant-garde films), Dialogues: Talking with Pictures (current directors present their favorite retrospective films), and Midnight Madness (usually fringe, outrageous or horror films).

TIFF is generally considered to be the second most important film festival after Cannes. Unlike Cannes however, the public screenings are a large part of the festival. Being held in September is also an excellent time for the major Hollywood studios to preview their fall films, and for some independent film and foreign films to still capture distribution, and for any film to capture a buzz for Oscar time. TIFF is run by 130 full-time and 500 part-time staff, and depends on the services of 1,750 volunteers. It is very well organized and run. Generally, about 300,000 movie goers, 500 actors and directors, and over 1,000 press and industry staff show up. Many studios host post-screening parties with actors and directors in various hotels and restaurants. We found in past years that about 75% of our screenings had someone associated with the film in attendance (usually the director and actors) for Question and Answer sessions. This year that number was down to about 60%. Many directors and actors disappeared by the last Friday and Saturday screenings.

A number of films well reviewed at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2007 had already been bought by distributors and had Fall 2007 scheduled openings. We will only elaborate on those that have not already opened or not had DCFS screenings and/or question and answer sessions with stars or directors.

The industry daily newspaper Screen was very informative on film industry interests and business dealings to add to the general Daily TIFF News, providing an interesting double view of the festival. A few of the films picked up for U.S. distribution in Toronto included Guy Maddin’s My Winnipeg, Dario Argento’s horror film The Mother of Tears, Stuart Townsend’s Battle in Seattle, and Melissa Wallch and Bernie Goldmann’s Bill, starring Aaron Eckhart. Surprisingly, our favorite film German Fatih Akin’s The Edge of Heaven still does not have a U.S. distributor.

The Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFFG) has started development and construction of a Festival Centre which will be far downtown near the Roy Thomson Hall, which now screens the premiere Galas. Planned are approximately five state-of-the-art cinemas, an exhibition gallery, rooms for educational seminars, a box office, bookstore, bar/café restaurant, and a film reference library around the corner at the King and John Streets area. Construction is still being done on the newly named Bell LightBox complex and concept; read more here.

The festival was expensive this year considering the Canadian dollar or loonie was at par with the American dollar. Full Festival passes to see up to 50 films also skyrocketed to $509 ($431 for students and seniors) this year. Various other pass packages for times, theaters, or genres such as Midnight Madness films were also available. Tickets at the Elgin Theater and Roy Anderson Hall (for Gala presentations) also were being sold at nearly $40 per film since they had some Special Selections and some next day gala films. Standard individual ticket prices were approximately $15-$18 per film. Those with festival passes of some kind did not have the added fees and we found that screenings reported as sold out there had seats or the rush lines were much smaller.

This was the first year also for online buying of individual tickets, resulting in more tickets sold than ever before. We saw many screenings however with the front 3 rows empty at larger venues. Obtaining same day tickets was a challenge this year; when tickets are released into the TIFF system and you can call, go onsite at the 3 festival box offices, or try to buy online beginning at 7 am each morning. Best bets are also listed on the site with available tickets. We found that going to the box office prior to 7 am was the best bet, avoiding busy signals and online overload breakdowns. For passholders, onsite was also the only way you could exchange or purchase more tickets against your pass. Since we only got 38 out of 50 requested tickets this year from our out of town order, we surmise that our requests sent were put in a box number that the lottery system did not favor. Lines at the box offices really were not as bad this year, since so few films had tickets left. Also the rush lines were not as long. We missed entrance to only one film in a rush line, and we heard later from viewers that not getting in to that one was perhaps a divine intervention.

Awards
Although it is not really a contested festival, TIFF does announce a few awards:

• The Cadillac People's Choice Award for the most popularly voted film of the festival by the audience was David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises reuniting with Viggo Mortensen as a Russian gangster in London. The first runner up was Jason Reitman's Juno and the second runner up was Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro's Body of War.
  
• The Diesel Discovery Award voted by festival journalists went to Mexican directors, Israel Cárdenas and Laura Amelia Guzmán for their film Cochochi, about two brothers on a road trip to deliver a package.
  
• The Toronto City Award for best Canadian feature film was given to Guy Maddin for My Winnipeg, a portrait of his hometown. The other Canadian film award, the City TV Award for the best Canadian first feature film Stéphane Lafleur's Continental, un film sans fusil, about four peoples’ lives who change when a man is lost in the woods. The Best Canadian Short Film was awarded to Chris Chong Chan Fui's Pool, where the main character is a water reservoir.
  
• The Fipresci Award from the International Film Critics' Association for a feature film from an emerging film maker making its world priemier at TIFF was awarded to director Rodrigo Plá's La Zona, which is the harrowing tale of outside youth entering a gated community and its consequences.
  
• The Artistic Innovation Award honoring the artistry, innovation and audacity of one of the Festival's inventive Visions titles as selected by an international industry jury of major visual artists was given to Anahí Berneri's Encarnacion. This is a tale of a girl returning to her hometown, after she had fled to make sexy B movies.
  

Heard in Toronto

By James McCaskill and Ron Gordner, DC Film Society Members

Following the screenings, directors and actors answered questions from the audience, including these comments:

Empties. (Czech Republic/UK, 2007), Director: Jan Sverak. "We had been working on this for five years. The first version was about an old man working in a grocery store and being laid off. My father did not like it but went to two readings to keep peace with Mother. Father rewrote the script. This is not about my marriage. My marriage is very happy. The balloon ride was written in the script. With that ride the film opens up. The balloon is actually on a crane, not flying loose through the air. The original ending had everyone in a car laughing. I thought that was silly. A man like that does not change."

Chop Shop. (USA, 2007) Director Ramin Bahrani. "We put Ale (Alejandro Polanco, the 10 year old star) into the body shop five months before we began filming so he would get use to the work there. These were real cars that came in for repairs. No prop cars. When I said 'cut' Ale would keep on working. When we told him he could take a break he said, 'No, I'm making five bucks a car'."

The Edge of Heaven. (Germany/Turkey, 2007), Director: Fatih Akin. When asked why so many of his films like this and Head On deal with Turks in Germany he said, "This is my heritage, we are one of the largest minorities in Germany. I also have many director friends in Turkey and travel there often. My next project however will actually not have a Turkish-German theme. I am working on a documentary on the Green Village, a village fighting the German government about the toxicological wastes in their town."

Barcelona (a Map). (Spain, 2007), Director: Ventura Pons. "Yes, the film is based on a play. I liked the story of a world based on lies that is vanishing. A city where religion, politics, and society are losing, and like some of the characters, may be at the end of a style of life. Most of the music is composed by a Polish composer and was performed by an orchestra in Warsaw."

Erik Nietzsche: The Early Years (Denmark, 2007) Director: Jabob Thvesen. "Music in the film is a mix of new music and classical. The idea of the music is to take the film further way. I was at the same film school a few years later and had the same teachers that Lars had. The film is 100% Lars' (von Trier) idea. He feels that he wanted to do a film about his film school experiences. It is 90% true."

Gone With the Woman. (Norway, 2007) Director: Peter Ness. "Norway is extremely well off. We have inherited everything. Norway is a rich country; we have money. In the film the two people live in a country where everything is there but love. The community is there, a highly functioning country. The film is based on a novel. My wife read the book and said, 'What the hell are you talking about?' We wanted to make a film about our experiences, a surreal affect. This is not a Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus film."

The Band's Visit. (Israel, 2007) Director: Evan Kolirin. "Maybe there is an Alexandria Police Ceremonial Band. The film is not based on reality. The actors in the orchestra are Israelis. One is from an Iranian family. All spoke Arabic but had to learn the Egyptian accent. Today when an Israeli and an Egyptian meet they speak English. I invented everything. There is no town by that name."

Beneath the Rooftops of Paris. (France, 2007) Director: Hiner Saleem "Three years ago there was a heat wave in France and thousands of old people died. In Kurdistan it is 50 degrees (centigrade) for 3 months and no one dies. We do not abandon old people. In Paris I live on the 6th floor of a walk up hotel. We have two old men who live in what was once maids' rooms. After a long absence I found one old man on the floor crawling to get to the bathroom. How can people suffer like this in such a rich country? The film is about solitude in big cities, not a film about social issues. I wanted to tell you about what I saw and what I feel."

Silent Light. (Mexico/France/the Netherlands) Director: Carlos Roygades. "The Mennonite community in Mexico has been closed to the outside world. It was hard in the beginning to get to know them. They allow individual neighbors to do what they want. Some members of the community refused to take part in the film. Some were happy we were filming there and some were not. There were 11 in the crew. We used no electricity. The main character has a country music radio program. The two women were not Mexicans. The wife is played by a Canadian actress. The other woman was cast in Holland."

The Secrets. (Israel/France, 2007) Director: Ari Nesher. "We were fanatical about getting everything right. The Torah speaks of "spilling the seed" so women can be lovers but not men. We worked on this film for three years. We are secular Jews not Orthodox. It is difficult for secular girls to play Orthodox. It was a long process to write the screenplay. We met with rabbis and a religious woman who had had a similar experience."

In Memory of Myself. (Italy, 2007) Director: Saveno Costanzo. "Location was critical. I wanted a claustrophobic feel and look to the film. We found a monastery on an island in Venice that was perfect. It is now a foundation. Being on a island is a perfect analogy of the Catholic Church. They are isolated from the rest of society."

The Exodus. (Hong Kong/China, 2007) Director: Pang-Ho-cheung. "The film is based on a story I read as a kid about women wanting to kill all men and make a single sex society. When I was a teenager I noticed that girls go to the bathroom together. That's where they plot. A small number of men would be saved for breeding purposes. I asked my girl friend that if the plot were true could I be saved. She said it was true and I would be the first to go."

Blind. (The Netherlands/Belgium, 2007) Producer Petra Goedings and star Helina Reijna attended. Reijm said, "I was 19 when I made this movie, I am now 21. I made several films when I was younger The film is an original screenplay, not based on a book. It was shot in Belgium and the Netherlands. The director wanted a place that was deserted and found one in Bulgaria, a school. Why that ending? True love is blind."

Unfinished Sky. (Australia, 2007) Director Peter Duncan and Producer Cathy Overett. The director said, "The original was a Dutch film, The Polish Bride, we had the rights to the screenplay and needed to do a film. The sequence of the sky was shot 14 times, the clouds were there."

To Love Someone. (Sweden, 2007) Director Ake Sandgren and star Jonas Karlsson. Sandgren: "We did have alternative endings. How do you want the audience to leave the theatre? There is a little bit of an opera feeling with the music. There is no ending to this story. The love story goes to the horizon.The cast and crew stayed in a small hotel that was closed to everyone else. That helped the actors bond."

On the Wings of a Dream. (Bangladesh, 2007) Director: Golam Rabbany Biplob. The main charactor is a new actor. His wife is well known as an actress in Bangladesh. The village people are all new also. I tried to look at rural life and common people in the country. They are really happy people. I came to the conclusion that money is not a means to happiness. I wanted to make a film about the impact of sudden money on people. Few films are made in Bangladesh, most films shown are Bollywood, Hollywood, Hong Kong or pirated."

California Dreaming (Unfinished). The screenwriter, Tudo Voican, and star, Armand Assante, were present as the director died while editing the film. The film shown is exactly the way it was on the day he died. Voican said, "I had been investigating doing an independent film in Romania and thought the original screenplay was an interesting metaphor for the way things are today. It's a tragedy that the director died so young." Assante said, "The film is about mutual respect and finding your way. I had been asked to be in this project but they had no money. I was working in Bulgaria, two weeks after that wrapped I went to Romania. They offered me 50% of original salary. I said, 'Let's make a movie'."

La Zona. (Spain/Mexico, 2007), Director: Rodrigo Pla. "The wall of the gated community La Zona, is really a separation or vision of two worlds of differing societies, classes, ideologies, and philosophies. It doesn't have to be in Mexico, it could be in many other locations in the world today."

By Adam Spector, DC Film Society Member

Ever hear a song on the radio and instantly think back to a movie scene? Me too. Check out some of my favorites in my new Adam's Rib column.

By Cheryl Dixon, DC Film Society Member



The 64th edition of the Venice Film Festival (the Mostra) included a strong lineup of films, many built around a western theme and also dealing with the Iraq War. The Festival remains as grand as ever, still fun, fashionable, and friendly. Director Ang Lee reprised his role as winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film for his sexually-explicit spy thriller, Lust, Caution. Director Brian De Palma was winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director for his intense Iraq War-themed, Redacted. Best Actor/Actress awards went to Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett for their respective roles in The Assassination of Jesse James and I’m Not There.

The movie lineup was one of the strongest in recent memory. As part of the tribute to the spaghetti western, it was a real treat to encounter Italian Actor Franco Nero strolling along the Festival grounds.

At the moment of arrival, even for the fourth time the magic of seeing this magnificent city on water, “Waterworld” if you will, remains. It does not cease to make an impression, just like the first time. Still amazing and incredible, this home of the gondola and vaparetto, I have to pinch myself to believe I am actually here and witnessing the approach of the famous landmark towers in St. Mark’s Square. It’s then I truly know that I have arrived in Venezia!

What’s New, Exciting, and Different?
Back this year, Lido’s Nikki Beach, straight from its South Beach origins, for the second time. New to the scene, the Venice Film Festival launched the POOL party concept, a well-sponsored gathering/eating/lounging/partying/working media area. Centered around the pool area of the Westin Excelsior Hotel, POOL included lounge areas for the media, and an upscale dining area serving lunch and dinner….This was the meeting place where guest artists and media professionals could casually mix and official interviews could take place. An array of sponsors provided complimentary Red Bull, mixed drinks with Italian aperol or campari, and assorted swag. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual by day, and enjoyed by all hotel guests and those brave enough without media credentials to enter the doors of the well-guarded Excelsior Hotel.

From this venue, there’s a magnificent view of the sea and omnipresent cabanas. The couches and chairs surrounding the pool are, of course, presented in high Italian style. Creative, off the richter scale. Who would believe that a makeshift restaurant could have chandeliers made from silver cutlery and be so visually perfect? Que bella! Dress remains casual chic, with an emphasis on chic, except for the special event parties held here, in which case, we move to elegant, high fashion, and jacket required for gents. Recall that this is the place where even the male security officers and Festival volunteers wear suits cut to fit and styled to perfection. This is Italia!

The calvacade of stars for the 64th anniversary edition included more recent returning visitors: the talented masters Spike Lee, Kenneth Branaugh, Brian De Palma, and Quentin Tarantino, the boy toys Heath Ledger and Johnny Depp, the kisser Adrien Brody, and Mr. Venice Film Festival himself, “gorgeous” George Clooney! This time round, Clooney had to share the spotlight with eye candy like Brad Pitt, Terrence Howard, Jude Law, and Richard Gere. Star wattage would be incomplete if we didn’t include new appearances by Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Joan Chen, Woody Allen, Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Tim Burton, Kitano Takeshi, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Michael Caine, and Vanessa Redgrave.

The Palazzo where all the red carpet action takes place is getting a facelift, maybe even a whole new structure. Gone were multiple golden lions; a wrecking ball encrypted with the number “75” was incorporated as part of this year’s façade design.

The Lido Low-Down
The buzz this year included reassurances that the RomeFilmFestival has secured its own identity and would not detract from the Venice Film Festival in any way. In other words, there is room for two major, international Film Festivals in Italy.

There were concerns this year about actor Owen Wilson, one of the lead actors in The Darjeeling Express, when reports flew around about his attempted suicide. Director Wes Anderson and Actors, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman, assured the press that Wilson was in good form, supported by the team, friends, and family and would be back on his feet in no time. Female fans could not contain themselves and one over zealous fan, wrapped her arms around Brad Pitt.

I took my first vaporetto taxi ride courtesy of the Spanish Director Rodrigo Pla’s (La Zona) entourage. What to do when the hour is late and the journey to the Lido vaporetto stop too long and you must get to your hotel? Share a vaporetto taxi ride. The taxi stand is located close by the film screening venues and for one price, a group of perhaps 15 can share the cost, maybe $7.00 to be delivered to the vaparetto stop of your choice. Exciting. See you next year on the Lido!

And the Winner is … 2007 Awards
For a comprehensive list of award winners, a complete description of the Festival’s mission, competition categories, and a complete roster of films, please see the Festival's website.

VENEZIA 64
The Venezia 64 Jury at the 64th Venice Film Festival, chaired by Zhang Yimou and comprised of Catherine Breillat, Jane Campion, Emanuele Crialese, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Ferzan Ozpetek and Paul Verhoeven viewed twenty-three films in competition, and decided the following:

GOLDEN LION for Best Film: Lust, Caution by Ang Lee (USA/China/China, Taiwan).

SILVER LION for Best Director to: Brian De Palma for the film: Redacted (USA).

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to: La Graine et le Mulet by Abdellatif Kechiche (France)
and I’m Not There by Todd Haynes (USA).

COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor: Brad Pitt in the film The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford by Andrew Dominik (USA).

COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress: Cate Blanchett in the film I’m Not There by Todd Haynes (USA).

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress: Hafsia Herzi in the film La Graine et le Mulet by Abdellatif Kechiche (France).

OSELLA for Best Cinematography to: Rodrigo Prieto director of photography for Lust, Caution) by Ang Lee (USA/China/China, Taiwan).

OSELLA for Best Screenplay to: Paul Laverty for the film It's a Free World… by Ken Loach (UK/Italy/Germany/Spain).

SPECIAL LION for Overall Work to: Nikita Mikhalov

FIPRESCI Award: Best Film Venezia 64: La Graine et le Mulet by Abdellatif Kechiche

Best Film Horizons and International Critics’ Week: Jimmy Carter Man From Plains by Jonathan Demme.

SIGNIS Award: In the Valley of Elah by Paul Haggis.

Special Mention to It’s a Free World… by Ken Loach and La Graine et le Mulet by Abdellatif Kechiche.

So, Who Was There?
Casey Affleck, Woody Allen, Wes Anderson, Jaume Balaguero, Cate Blanchett, Kenneth Branaugh, Adrien Brody, Tim Burton, Michael Caine, Claude Chabrol, Joan Chen, George Clooney, Alex Cox, Jonathan Demme, Brian De Palma, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Richard Gere, Terrence Howard, Angelina Jolie, Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Heath Ledger, Ang Lee, Spike Lee, Tony Leung, James McAvoy, Ewan McGregor, Elvis Mitchell, Bill Murray, Franco Nero, Brad Pitt, Rodrigo Pla, Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon, Jason Schwartzman, Kitano Takeshi, Quentin Tarantino, Charlize Theron, to name a few.

"No Venice, No Party"

By Cheryl Dixon, DC Film Society Member

As is true of Cannes and most other major international film festivals, a very important aspect of these festivals is the social component, i.e. the parties. Attendance at these both formal and informal gatherings are a definite must for the film festival attendee. First, because it’s great fun, and second, because this is where you can meet and greet those film principals as they relax, dine, and dance the night away. This is also the place where you’ll meet the who’s who of Venice, or who happens to be in Venice during the Festival. While the Cannes focus is on the actual business of film: distribution, sales, and the associated wheeling and dealing, the Venice scene is less so. It’s more the place where business cards may be exchanged for one to pursue the business chat ... later.

Again, as is true in Cannes, journalists and the non-accredited film festival attendee have to work extra hard to meet these movers and shakers; access to these superb social events require official invitations and personal connections.

CIAK magazine, featuring the daily Festival news, however, lists these events in a column, “No Venice, No Party.” Remember, it didn’t happen at the Festival if it doesn’t appear in CIAK!

Enough said. Here’s a sampling of the types of social events at the festival.

Receptions and parties abound at the Festival. You will find the basic variety of heavy hors d’oeuvres and wine & beer meet and greets where Film production staff sponsor a party for the particular film and offer the opportunity to mingle with the stars. Then, there’s another level where you’ll find heavier hors d’oeuvres or even seated dinners, and some A-list stars present, it’s all done in superb Italian style.

For example, the exclusive Nikki Beach held a luncheon for George Clooney, which would have been exciting to attend. I did attend, however, a couple of very nice evening parties here. One was for the Asian film, The Sun Also Rises. As I entered Nikki Beach, actress Joan Chen walked by me wearing a magnificent green silk gown. On another night, I mingled with guests that included Miramax’s Harvey Weinstein and Marlon Brando’s daughter. Champagne was free-flowing and the music, dancing, schmoozing, in upscale ambiance were clearly inviting. The “beautiful” people, the rich or the famous, and combinations of all of these, were here.

POOL held more casual, chic parties, including a 70s/80s theme party. The crowds were younger here, but still beautiful. Lots of well-connected Venetians and other Italians with a sprinkling of the international jet set. Red Bull sponsored the drinks featuring those Italian staples, campari and aperol.

At yet another level are the more exclusive luncheons or parties hosted by, for example, George Clooney, or a huge sponsor. Lancia, the Italian luxury automobile manufacturer, sponsored a dinner party that included simulated thunder and lightning inside an enormous, transparent, luxury tent/greenhouse, complete with artificial flashing blue ice cubes in the drinks, silk-upholstered chairs, and good Italian wine at every table. The dinner buffet featured several varieties of shrimp, each one a distinct work of art, a shame to consume it, really, but then you’d be missing the exquisite taste! Everything was the best possible quality. The evening was complemented by a fireworks display over the sea, a famous Italian TV host introducing the live band for after dinner dancing, and my own Romeo seated next to me at the table! I also sat with a German journalist who was responsible for my getting into this lovely dinner and the equally lovely pre-dinner reception cocktails. Thanks to her generosity and courage, we also attended another party on another night where the highlight for me was a live reggae band.

At the top of the list are the A-list parties like the one held by George Clooney at the Hotel Cipriani. Here it is necessary to upgrade one’s dress from at least casual chic to tres chic. This is where some guests will be suited and tuxedoed and the women, mostly dressed in cocktail wear. You’ll certainly want to look your best because here, as everywhere, Italian beauty is in abundance. It is much easier than you might think to meet people. You are certain to see someone you’ll like, or like to talk with. At Clooney’s party, guests included Jude Law, Bill Murray, Elvis Mitchell, and my newfound German journalist friend!

Most of the parties are located within ten minutes from the major film screening venues. So, it is conceivable to go straight to a reception or late night party after seeing, for example, a 10:00 p.m. film screening. Attendance at more distant parties might require a shared water taxi ride. If you’re lucky, you’ll get an invitation from a sympathetic guest standing in line at the party entrance. By all means, do try to attend a party. You won’t regret it.

Notes from the Venice Film Festival

By Cheryl Dixon, DC Film Society Member

The screen offerings are diverse at the Venice Film Festival. So there’ll be something that will definitely interest you. If you choose to watch an American-made (or English-speaking) movie, here’s your chance to look at foreign subtitles, in this case, Italian, and hone your foreign language skills! Also, certain films present the opportunity to actually see the film principals attending the screening of their respective films. Here are my film notes for this year’s round.

So, what’s the advantage about seeing movies at the Venice Film Festival? You can actually meet the film stars and filmmakers who often attend the public screenings of their films. You can learn Italian (all of the films are screened in their original language with subtitles in English and Italian, yes, we’re talking in some cases two sets of subtitles on a single screen.) with all the words and phrases they won’t teach you in school! You will see, occasionally, films that are already released in the U.S., but this time can see again with a heavily-Italian audience. More often, however, you will see film premieres.

I saw lots of great films. My favorites? Ang Lee’s prize-winning Lust, Caution, Alex Cox’s Searchers 2.0, Rodrigo Pla’s La Zona, and Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited. Here follows a brief synopsis of a selection of these films with commentary.

Atonement: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Brenda Blethyn, Vanessa Redgrave, Director Joe Wright. It’s 1930s England, and in the countryside mansion, an emerging writer and impressionable pre-teen, Briony, witnesses her older sister’s (Keira Knightley’s) romantic liaison with the hired help (James McAvoy). Briony’s fanciful imagination leads her to wrongfully accuse McAvoy’s character of a crime he didn’t commit, with disastrous consequences. Knightley assures us that McAvoy is an “excellent” kisser!

Cassandra’s Dream: Writer/Director Woody Allen conjures up a story of two brothers, played by Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor, and an uncle, played by Tom Wilkinson, in a tragedy of Shakespearian proportions. Allen returns to England as his muse and it’s working. A well-acted, entirely believable, but not too predictable, crime drama. Woody Allen admitted that although he is known for his comedic strengths, he has always wanted to write about more tragic subjects. This movie conforms to his bleak, pessimistic view of life, which contains some “extremely amusing oases in that morass.”

The Darjeeling Limited: Director Wes Anderson shares screenwriting credits with Roman Coppolla and Cousin Jason Schwartzman in a story that can best be described as three estranged brothers (Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman) who travel to India on a journey to reestablish bonds. Billl Murray has only a few hilarious moments on screen, but they are so memorable, do not be surprised should others take notice during Oscar season. Anjelica Huston rounds out the cast.

Hotel Chevalier: Writer/Director Wes Anderson does a titillating prologue to The Darjeeling Limited in a thirteen-minute short film featuring hot sex between ex-lovers Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman. If only we could have seen this sizzle in the Star Wars movie! Film critics hungered for this short to be the basis for an entire movie devoted to a feature-length prologue inserting Bill Murray’s character in a more prominent role.

The Hunting Party: Writer/Director Richard Shepard (The Matador) crafts a brilliantly acted, suspenseful tale featuring Terrence Howard, Richard Gere, and Diane Kruger. Two journalists and a cameraman decide to play hero in war-torn Bosnia by attempting to find the biggest war criminal in Bosnia. In the pursuit, they are mistaken for CIA operatives and the hunters become the hunted by their prey. Is truth stranger than fiction? This is based on a true story.

In the Valley of Elah: Writer/Director Paul Haggis presents one of the Iraq War stories prominently featured at the festival this year. This one is about the disappearance of a soldier who served in Iraq upon his return to the U.S. and his parents’ (Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon) search for the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. Charlize Theron stars as the police detective helping them.

La Zona: Spanish Writer/Director Rodrigo Pla tells the story of neighborhood “justice.” What happens in a wealthy Mexican neighborhood surrounded by a poverty-ridden one, when three young “have nots” kill a woman from the wealthy zone. Strangely this reminds me of a short story, but I can’t reveal the name without giving away too much of the plot. Suspenseful and superbly crafted and shot. Maribel Verdu, Daniel Tovar, Andres Montiel, and Carlos Bardem, Javier Bardem’s brother star. This won the Leone del Futuro Award.

Lust, Caution: Director Ang Lee scored gold with this 1940s espionage/spy thriller featuring veteran star Tony Leung and newcomer Wei Tang aided by veteran Joan Chen. .Leung plays Mr. Yee as the married love interest, Joan Chen as his wife, and Wei Tang plays Mrs. Mak, the seductress. It’s the Japanese occupation of Shanghai and “radical” Chinese students consider it patriotic to oust the enemy, Mr. Yee. Well-deserved winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film. One of my personal favorites. I was pleased to be the one to tell former New York Times Film Critic, Elvis Mitchell, that Ang Lee had some NC-17 (according to Variety) rated sex scenes in it!

Michael Clayton: Writer/Director Tony Gilroy presents a Washington, DC must-see (all the lawyers will flock to see themselves!) in the story of Gorgeous George Clooney, a blue-chip New York law firm litigator who must “fix” all of the corporate cases. The film’s tagline is “The truth can be adjusted.” Without spoiling the movie, here’s a hint, is there a conscience anywhere is this? Well-acted, and well-written, this one’s a contender….

Redacted: Writer/Director Tony Gilroy presents another of the Iraq War stories. This one is filmed drawing inspiration from the “You Tube-like” internet video postings, and “you are there” media reality. De Palma uses in-your-face techniques, which realistically portray soldiers’ lives in Iraq. There is a particularly intense account of a 15-year-old Iraqi girl’s rape. Not sure if the American audience is ready to digest such stories about the War while it is still very much debated and ongoing. The performances are terrific and very believable. De Palma is courageous for doing this film and was rewarded with the Silver Lion as the festival’s Best Director.

The Nanny Diaries: For every intense film, there’s always a place on the menu for more light-hearted fare. Writer/Directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini whip up a tasty treat in the form of a romance/comedy/drama featuring the breathtaking Scarlet Johansson aided by Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney who are added to the mix as the upper-class Manhattanites for whom Johansson’s character works as a nanny. Finishing touches…just out of college, Johannsson learns much about herself, love, and life in her first job, as she deals with her charge, a spoiled brat, in a less than perfect household. There are hilarious moments, ones that we can all relate to, and more than a passing resemblance to The Devil Wears Prada.

Searchers 2.0: Writer/Director Alex Cox. (Repo Man) draws inspiration from the Sergio Leone westerns in this not too dark, but getting there, comedy: two actors (Del Zamora and Ed Pansullo), who have spent their careers doing westerns decide to seek revenge on the writer, Fritz Frobisher (Sy Richardson), who terrorized them when they were cast as child actors in a western-themed (of course) movie. One of the now “grown” actors, winningly portrayed by Del Zamora, must convince his lovely and sensible daughter, portrayed by Jaclyn Jonet, to provide her car and join them on this mad-cap mission to find Frobisher on the trail from California, through Arizona, and to the final destination, Monument Valley, Utah. The showdown takes place at an inflatable movie screen in the middle of the desert where Frobisher is expected to appear. Expect subtle humor, witty and mildly sarcastic remarks, and off-the-wall commentary throughout, Film Critic, Leonard Maltin, even shows up. What would one expect from a Roger Corman-produced movie? Kudos to Cinematographer Steven Fierberg, who deserves a special award for the scenic views. Fans of Repo Man will love this one, put this on your must-see list.

Flashback: Last year I wrote: “Ms. Mirren delivers a brilliant performance. This one’s a no-brainer, the word was out that we might just as well hand her the Best Actress Oscar. I couldn’t agree more.

This year’s predictions: “Queen” Cate Blanchett will have another banner year, watch for her Oscar nomination again next year. Brad Pitt will also likely get the nod. Move over, Judi Dench! Bill Murray’s few minutes in The Darjeeling Limited are totally hilarious and Oscar-worthy.

Films I wish that I had seen: Sleuth, Cleopatra, L’Histoire de Richard O, Le Mandat, Hotel Meina, La Fille Coupee en Deux, La Regazza del Lago, The Assassination of Jesse James, I’m Not There, Man from Plains.

We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Munich Film Festival, and the Locarno Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.

FILMS

American Film Institute Silver Theater
The 2007 European Union Film Showcase, now in its 20th year, begins on November 1. Films will be shown from countries of the European Union and include US premieres, film festival award winners and box office hits. Films nominated for the Oscar's Best Foreign Language Film include Monkeys in Winter from Bulgaria, Persepolis from France, I Served the King of England from Czech Republic, The Art of Crying from Denmark, A Man's Job from Finland, Taxidermia from Hungary, Kings from Ireland, Little Secrets from Luxenbourg, Four Months, Three Weeks, and Two Days and The Way I Spent the End of the World both from Romania, Gravehopping from Slovenia, and The Orphanage from Spain. Award winners include The Diving Bell and the Butterfly from France, winner of Best Director, Cannes 2007; and Control from United Kingdom, winner of the Youth Prize, Cannes 2007. Several directors and actors are scheduled to attend.

"A Man Vanishes: The Legacy of Shohei Imamura" will be at the Freer Gallery of Art and the AFI. Titles at the AFI in November are The Insect Woman (1963), Intentions of Murder (1964), and Zegen (1987), with the rest in December.

"Global Lens 2007" is a series of films from the developing world. Titles include Enough (2006) from Algeria, Dam Street (2005) from China, The Sacred Family (2004) from Chile, Of Love and Eggs (2005) from Indonesia, Another Man's Garden (2006) from Mozambique, A Wonderful Night in Split (2004) from Croatia, On Each Side (2005) from Argentina, Fine Dead Girls (2002) from Croatia, Kilometre Zero (2005) from Iraq, and a program of short films.

Also at the AFI in November is the original Chicago (Frank Urson, 1927) on November 24 at 1:00pm with Andrew Simpson providing music accompaniment.

Freer Gallery of Art
"A Man Vanishes: The Legacy of Shohei Imamura" is a series of thirteen films of Shohei Imamura, who died last June. At the Freer is Pigs and Battleships (1961) on November 9 at 7:00pm; My Second Brother (1969) on November 16 at 7:00pm; A Man Vanishes (1967) on November 18 at 2:00pm; and Lights of Night (1958) on November 30 at 7:00pm. The remaining films in the series are shown at the AFI Silver Theater in November and December.

National Gallery of Art
"Bucharest Stories: New Films from Romania" begins in November with The Paper Will Be Blue (Radu Montean, 2006) on November 16 and 18 at 4:00pm; and 12:08 East of Bucharest (Corneliu Poumboiu, 2006) on November 25 at 4:00pm, preceded by a short film Humanitarian Aid (Hanno Hofer, 2003). The series continues in December.

"Edward Hopper Goes to the Movies--Silence and Sound in Painting and Film" is a lecture by historian Charles O'Brien on the filmic aspects of Hopper's art to changes in the popular cinema in New York during the 1930s; the lecture on November 4 at 2:00pm will be followed by screenings of Little Caesar (Mervyn LeRoy, 1930) and I Was a Commnist for the FBI (Gordon Douglas, 1951) at 4:00pm.

Four silent films will be shown in association with the publication of Peter Kobel's book Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture. On November 11 at 4:00pm is Way Down East (D.W. Griffith, 1920), on Novmeber 17 at 2:00pm is The Merry Widow (Erich von Strohein, 1925); on November 24 at 1:00pm is Show People (King Vidor, 1928), and on November 24 at 3:30pm is Evangeline (Edwin Carewe, 1929).
In celebration of The MacDowell Colony, the oldest creative artists' residency program in the US, is Seasons of MacDowell, followed by selected films by MacDowell fellows on November 3 at 3:30pm.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis (Mary Jordan, 2006) is a biography of the pioneer of performance art, shown on November 15 at 8:00pm.

National Museum of African Art
On November 17 at 2:00pm is Middle of the Moment (1995) about the nomadic lifestyles of the Tuareg.

National Museum of the American Indian
On November 27 at 7:00pm is Water Flowing Together (Gwendolen Cates, 2007), a documentary about Jock Soto, a star of the New York City Ballet. A discussion with the filmmaker will follow the screening.

National Museum of Women in the Arts
On November 5 at 12:00 noon is Jeanne Dielman (Chantal Akerman, 1975); on Novmeber 6 at 12:00 noon is Lives of Performers (Yvonne Rainer, 1972); on November 13 at 12:00 noon is Nightcleaners. The DC premiere of a documentary about Alice Neel directed by grandsone Andrew Neel is on November 26 at 6:30pm. Ulrike Ottinger's Madame X (1977) is on November 29 at 12:00 noon.

Clara Bow is the star of this silent double feature on November 13 at 7:00pm: Capital Punishment (1925) shown with Helen's Babies (1924).

"Sisters in Cinema" presents Fanta Regina Nacro's first feature film Night of Truth (2004), winner of Best Screenplay at the 2004 San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Films on the Hill
A pre-Code film No Marriage Ties (Walter Ruben, 1933), starring Richard Dix is on November 7 at 7:00pm. "Hunting for Hitler" is a two-film series: on November 14 at 7:00pm is Hitler--Dead or Alive (Nick Grinde, 1942), based on an an actual $1 million offer by an American businessman. On November 17 at 7:00pm is Man Hunt (Fritz Lang, 1941) starring Walter Pidgeon, George Sanders and Joan Bennett.

Washington Jewish Community Center
See the Film Festivals section.

Goethe Institute
The film series "Stories of the Past" concludes in November with The Golem (Paul Wegener and Carl Boese, 1921) on November 7 at 6:30pm. A new series of silent films begins with Backstairs (Paul Leni and Leopold Jessner, 1921), shown with Variety (E.A. Dupont, 1925) on November 12 at 6:30pm. On November 19 at 6:30pm is Tartuffe (F.W. Murnau, 1925) and on November 26 at 6:30pm is Asphalt (Joe May, 1929). Burnett Thompson will provide musical accompaniment.

National Geographic Society
On November 29 at 7:00pm is a selection of films from this year's "Mountainfilm" festival in Telluride.

French Embassy
On November 27 at 7:00pm is Le Plaisir (Max Ophuls, 1952), based on three stories by Guy de Maupassant.

National Archives
"Directors at War" is a screening/discussion program about the WWII-era contributions of Hollywood filmmakers. William T. Murphy will discuss the history of Government-sponsored documentary film and show excerpts from the Archive's holdings on November 14 at 6:30pm.

On November 8 at noon is a documentary Out of Place: Memories of Edward Said.

As part of the "Presidential Film Favorites" on November 17 at noon is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), a favorite of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Corcoran
On November 26 at 7:00pm is "Cinematic Portraits by Jeremy Blake," a discussion by Jonathan Binstock on the video artist.

Smithsonian Associates
On November 18 at 1:00pm is Mother of Mine (Klaus Haro, 2005), a film from Finland set during WWI when more than 70,000 children were sent to Sweden.

Smithsonian Institution
A daylong festival of discussions, readings by South Asian authors, along with two film screenings is on November 3 from 10:00am to 5:30pm. At 10:30am is the film Partition (Vic Sarin, 2007), a Romeo and Juliet story set among the warring factions of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims in 1947. The director and cast member Madhur Jaffrey will discuss the film after the screening. At 3:45 is Loins of Punjab Presents (Manish Acharya, 2007) also followed by discussion, speakers to be announced.

Previous Storyboards

October, 2007
September, 2007
August, 2007
July, 2007
June, 2007
May, 2007
April, 2007
March, 2007
February, 2007
January, 2007
December, 2006