Tuesday, October 7, 2014

NYFF: Wrapping up the festival


Another New York Film Festival has come and gone for me and it was once again a wonderful experience. This year I really felt like I belonged among the press corps and it made it even more satisfying than last year. As usual, I wrap up my coverage with a rundown of some random thoughts/observations from the festival:


  • When the press schedule came out, I must admit that I was a bit miffed that half of my press screenings would be documentaries. It's a good thing I stuck with them however, as they turned out to be the best films I watched!
  • The selection of films I saw were so varied and inspired that it really reinvigorated my passion for film. Don't let anyone tell you that cinema is dead. Kudos to the festival's selection committee. 
  • Review embargoes are so lame. People inevitably bend the rules anyway.
  • The NYC blogger community once again made me feel very welcome, even if it was just by saying hi. I must give special shout-outs to Clayton Davis, Joey Magidson, Nathaniel Rogers, Michael Cusumano and Andrew Boyd Stewart.
  • This year I really noticed that a lot of the press were senior citizens. It made me wonder if the "old white guy" stereotype applies to film critics too.
  • Favourite film: Red Army
  • Favourite director: Mike Leigh, Mr. Turner
  • Favourite performance: Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
  • Favourite screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
Here's how I'd rank the 8 films I saw(in order of preference):

Red Army
Tales of the Grim Sleeper
Heaven Knows What
Inherent Vice
The Princess Of France
Mr. Turner
The Wonders
Two Days, One Night

5 comments:

  1. What did you think of Two Days, One Night? I saw it the other day, and while Marion Cotillard's performance is an A for me, I found the constant begging a bit repetitive. Why she was depressed and eating pills is oddly not included, and might have given the film a less repetitive flow.

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    Replies
    1. Well, as you can see it was my least favorite of the festival. I agree about the repetitive nature of the plot. I reviewed it here: http://www.film-actually.com/2014/10/nyff-old-man-of-belem-princess-of.html

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