Fall weather is slowly making its way to the East Coast, which means New York is once again flooded with some of the industry’s brightest and up-and-coming filmmakers. From buzzed-about films to the hidden gems of first-time filmmakers and international players, NYFF has something for just about every facet of the regular cinephile, popcorn box office watchers, and Letterboxd enthusiasts.
In between special talks and other events happening around the city, NYFF’s Main Slate boasts a fantastic array of Opening Night, Centerpiece, and Closing Night selections—Luca Guadagnino’s “After The Hunt” kicks off NYFF. The film features “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri in a post-#MeToo drama story with Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield. The winner of this year’s Venice Film Festival Golden Lion, “Father Mother Sister Brother,” is center stage. For Closing Night, Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On?” makes its world premiere.
With one of New York’s biggest events fully underway and stars arriving by the blacked-out SUV load, let’s dive into the biggest films of week one.
After The Hunt feels a little too late as it tries to correct the cancel culture age
The talk of week one was “After The Hunt,” but not for good reasons. Despite the strong cast of actors, the film falls short of delivering on its impact. At its heart, the film aims to spark a discussion that is evident in the world. Roberts plays a college philosophy professor, Alma Olsson, who finds herself caught in the middle of a scandal when her protégéé, Maggie (Edebiri), accuses her colleague and friend, Hank (Garfield), of sexual assault.
What begins as a strong story, especially in today’s climate, ultimately falls flat. Something like this would have been box office gold with many flocking to the theatres. In 2006. During the height of the #MeToo movement, “After The Hunt” might have fared better under the long-desired social change. Maybe. There is enough within the film to justify its broad approach to such a touchy subject, but Guadagnino ends up overcorrecting, tripping over his own genius.
When it comes to films set within the halls of an academe, the language tends to skew to a conversation you might hear out in the Hamptons. Very posh and with a whiff of wealthy air. That language does the film no justice as it turns the dialogue into a 135-minute spelling bee. Some grace could be given for first-time screenwriter Nora Garrett. Seems Guadagnino saw something in the writer, but that doesn’t translate to the screen. Dialogue aside, the flawed backstory of Hank hides something sinister. Hank manages to skate by with his flashing smile and heavily produced hair.
A man whose touchy-feely mannerisms toes the very thin line. Maggie is a character many people, women in particular, can understand. The cards are stacked against her; she comes forward, and she’s seen as a stereotypical woman looking to make a mountain out of a molehill. It would be hard not to mention the other social element at play here. Maggie comes from a wealthy, educated family that doesn’t do much as she’s Black. The Black Woman Who Cried White Wolf manages to up the ante of Guadagnino’s feature. Despite its serious tone, Guadagnino tries to interject a sense of comedy. “After The Hunt” tries try and do right by what was a pivotal time in our cultural history. In the end, it’s too dated and unserious in its handling of the weight of the context. Maggie’s story fails to be heard and taken to heart.
Daniel Day-Lewis, Hollywood’s prodigal son, makes his return to the cinema
It’s been eight years since film icon Daniel Day-Lewis uttered his last lines on set. “Phantom Thread,” Day-Lewis’ 2017 film, seemed like his swan song. And what a perfect note to go out on. The critically acclaimed film earned high praise and allowed the larger-than-life actor to retire peacefully.
Like Thanos at the end of “Infinity War” (don’t kill me cinephiles), Day-Lewis was able to finally rest on a very grateful industry. Nothing could wake the sleeping Academy Award giant from his slumber. Nothing except family. We’ll do anything for family, and Day-Lewis is no different. The “Abraham Lincoln” actor felt compelled to the psychologically dark family drama, “Anemone.”
Co-written by Day-Lewis and his son, Ronan Day-Lewis (also the director), the film adds another layer of familiarity to it. “Anemone” is a family-bonded film, as Jem Stoker (Sean Bean) ventures outside his comfort zone to reconnect with his estranged hermit brother Ray Stoker (Daniel Day-Lewis).
Despite the family trauma and complicated past between them, Jem hopes to finally push his brother to re-embrace family and the life he once knew. Jem is anchored by his family, wife Nessa (Samantha Morton) and teenage son Brian (Samuel Bottomley). Director Ronan knows the huge task that awaits him. To him, he’s directing his father. To the world, this is essentially the return of Christ. An actor who has given us some of cinema’s best character work over the years, no pressure.
Day-Lewis works with his son, crafting a story that seems to have seen better rewrites. While the basis is there, the tone of the film drags on a times. Much of the groundwork is laid within the first half hour of the film, but “Anemone” seems determined on a slow pacing for Day-Lewis’ return. Whether first-time jitters or overthinking points of direction, Ronan stumbles along the way.
As for the three-time Academy Award legend? Day-Lewis doesn’t miss a step. Much like his career, the actor manages to pull on the heartstrings of the audience in a study of humanity vs generational curses. By the time we meet Ray, the man is a shell of his former self. His sense of belonging and mind have been warped and torn apart by time. Bean and Day-Lewis reflect off each other in a way that saves this film. No one knows if this is it for Day-Lewis or whether the man gets the itch again for more after this, but he can rest easy knowing there is an emotionally charged part out there should he ever want it.
Nebraska-inspired biopic, “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” brings The Boss to New York’s silver screens
The Spotlight Gala brought a little bit of New Jersey to the island of Manhattan. Director Scott Cooper‘s “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” is a wonderful delight like any biopic before. Instead of a larger-than-life look into the span of American rock icon Bruce Springsteen’s career, Cooper focuses his lens on the record that made The Boss what he is today, Nebraska. Warren Zanes, author of the autobiographical book “Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska,” joins Cooper as the writer on the film.
With a vision and a writer on hand, Cooper taps his leading man, “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White, to bring the story to life.
The Nebraska album has its fair share of heartbreak, depression, and lonesome traveling themes surrounding the album. Springsteen isn’t shy about what went into the making of such a stark album during that period in his career. The actor needed to pull off such a dark portrayal of a broken man is something White has made his career of. Even before “The Bear” fame, White made his bones on HBO’s hit drama show “Shameless.” For eleven seasons, White played Lip Gallagher, a Chicago South Side teen plagued by generational family trauma, poverty, and an alcoholic father. It’s there that White might have pulled to capture the heart of the Boss.
“Deliver Me From Nowhere” is a fantastic breakdown of a brief period in Springsteen’s life. White plays him well and with enough emotion to earn himself an Academy Award. Throughout his career, White has played these emotionally broken characters; characters not able to get out of their own way. As Bruce Springsteen, White dives into the soul of a man with everything, and is still looking for a recluse. Alongside Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s longtime manager, Cooper pulls off a cinematic piece on one of America’s long-lasting musical heroes.
