criterionforum.org

Kenneth - make sure the film canisters are sealed tight

This is getting rave reviews (well, rave tweets anyway) out of Sundance, with David Fear going so far as to say he doubts that he will see a better film this year. Noel Murray has a full-length review up at The Playlist, and here's Variety's take on the reaction. The film doesn't have a distributor yet, but that should be rectified soon.

What appears to be a big spoiler for the film in like the first line of that Playlist review.

domino harvey wrote:What appears to be a big spoiler for the film in like the first line of that Playlist review.

The film is not told linearly, and I believe that most of the plot deals with the fallout from that event.

That bit of information is shared in the reviews from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter too.

Apparently Amazon is winning the bidding war for this, which is interesting as by some margin it's the best-recieved film so far at Sundance.

Can't help but feel like this is shooting the movie in the foot but given how Netflix and Amazon seem to be acquiring nearly every film maybe this year will be when streaming theatrical releases really catches on.

Well, there goes its Oscar chances then-- why would producers not want Sony or Fox Searchlight, who know how to run campaigns for things like this?

EDIT: Jesus, they paid $10 million for it!

“You know, a [streaming service] with money's a little like the mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it, and danged if he knows how to use it!”
―Lyle Lanley

Amazon and Netflix have more money than they know what to do with, and both have decided that they want to be major players with original prestige content. They're buying up everything in sight. Amazon in particular has the new Jarmusch, the new Stillman, and now this. If this is going to be included in the cost of Prime, I don't understand how Amazon plans to make money streaming it. I wondered the same with Netflix and Beasts of No Nation. Do they really expect to have $10 million worth of new subscribers sign up because they all have Lonergan Fever? I assume it's getting a theatrical run too, but so far these streaming service theatrical runs have been quite limited. I think Beasts ran two weeks on one screen in Denver, and Chi-Raq ran for one.

EDIT: Variety says Amazon will again be looking for a partner to handle theatrical. They've joined Roadside for Spike Lee's Chi-Raq and Whit Stillman's Love and Friendship, and Bleeker Street for Liza Johnson's Elvis & Nixon.

Jesus, what was the second highest bid? Or did Amazon just spend it like a drunken sailor?

Chi-Raq was an Amazon release and it wasn't free to view for Prime subscribers when it came out

domino harvey wrote:Chi-Raq was an Amazon release and it wasn't free to view for Prime subscribers when it came out

I guess that makes a little more sense then. Still don't entirely understand Netflix's business model for Beasts of No Nation.

hearthesilence wrote:Jesus, what was the second highest bid? Or did Amazon just spend it like a drunken sailor?

The Variety piece indicates that they were bidding against Fox Searchlight and Focus.

It sounds like Amazon are planning a fairly traditional theatrical release with most of these films. They partnered with Roadside Attractions on Chiraq. They also have a film with Bleeker Street coming soon and just announced they'll partner with Roadside again on the new Whit Stillman film. They are also looking for partners on Manchester By The Sea; Complete Unknown; Neon Demon and Paterson. Wasn't there a 30 day theatrical window on Chiraq before you could purchase the stream on Amazon's website? Unlike the Netflix model which I don't quite get...Amazon seems to be more or less keeping with the status quo but with a far bigger portion of the profits going to Amazon rather than Fox Searchlight, SPC, Roadside, etc. (with the "parnters" getting a small cut or just a flat distribution fee)

Yes, Chi-Raq indicates the plan is for theatrical release, then VOD release, then Prime Release, all about a month apart from one another. Completely sensible, I think - whereas Netflix's model gives basically no one any reason to ever go see it at the theater.

You know what's weirder, though (and might be better suited to the Films of 2016 thread, or a Sundance thread, or just a general Straight-to-streaming thread)? Stillman's Love and Friendship is coming out on Amazon Prime on February 21st. Why the rush? It seems to be a completely different approach to the aforementioned release of Chi-raq (which did amazing business in Chicago, despite unexceptional attendance elsewhere).

Jeff wrote:EDIT: Variety says Amazon will again be looking for a partner to handle theatrical. They've joined Roadside for Spike Lee's Chi-Raq and Whit Stillman's Love and Friendship, and Bleeker Street for Liza Johnson's Elvis & Nixon.

The landscape is changing. How long before Netflix and Amazon start buying/merging with these smaller studios.

Completely sensible, I think - whereas Netflix's model gives basically no one any reason to ever go see it at the theater.

Maybe this idea will change in some years, but films still need to have theatrical releases if they want to garner awards.

Great review by Bilge Ebiri, which basically confirms that the potential spoiler discussed above isn't really one at all. It happens during the opening scene and much of the rest of the film is told in flashback.

domino harvey wrote:Well, there goes its Oscar chances then-- why would producers not want Sony or Fox Searchlight, who know how to run campaigns for things like this?

EDIT: Jesus, they paid $10 million for it!

Amazon has done pretty well at the Emmys. I could see them continue that success at the Oscars. Though I'm not sure the Emmys require such extensive campaigns.

Roadside Attractions is handling the theatrical release. It's due on November 18.

One of the more inept distributors... here's hoping they don't screw this one up.

I don't know where to start with this except to say were it not for Toni Erdmann this would no question be the best film I've seen since Melancholia.

Having said that I can not emphasize this enough, words can not describe how bad and misrepresentative the trailer is, do not watch it under any circumstances.

First and foremost it's a film about Massachusetts. From the popularity of hockey to the area's provincialism to the working class everybody knows each other family structure of these towns to the New England sense of assholery humor it captures the best understanding of a place I've seen. I am absolutely astonished that Lonergan knew nothing about, had never even been to Manchester by the Sea before writing this script, making this film. And oh what a beautifully written script, it's genuine, heartfelt, humanist equal parts tragic and funny. Not a 'look at how smart I am' like Mamet or wrapped or should I say warped in cleverness like Sorkin.

Now I'd like to take a moment to publicly apologize for throughout his career mostly cracking jokes at Casey Affleck's expense. His extraordinary performance makes you feel from the beginning of the film til its end. The key to pulling this off was from the opening scene that his character as imminently likeable. There's a line towards the end of this he delivers that's devastating

Spoiler

"I just can't beat it".

If he doesn't win every best actor prize come award season there is something seriously wrong with everybody voting.

Affleck's playing partner in this is Lucas Hedges aka Redford from Moonrise Kingdom. He's fantastic in this, the best way to describe him is as if Matt Damon's Mike McDermott from Rounders had a 16 year old son. In fact Damon was originally set to play Affleck's role. The kid's got a big future ahead of him.

Michelle Williams is outstanding, it seems she keeps getting better and better in everything she does. There's a scene between her and Affleck that's power left everyone in the audience destroyed. Kyle Chandler is never in a movie much but as always makes his presence felt. There's a lot of Michael Shannon fans around, but for my money he's the best character actor we have. The much maligned Gretchen Mol even comes thru pulling her weight in a few important scenes. The only misfire here and it's debatable at that was probably Matthew Broderick.

To tie it back to Lonergan it's clear he's learned from Margaret there is a sequence in the film I'm sure will be much talked about that is edited perfectly scored to a beautiful piece of music I won't spoil. It's a heavy story, but at no time is it heavy handed or manipulating emotions, he lets the story breathe and its characters just be.

It's such a great film. I'm so happy it exists and will be rooting for it to clean up come award season.

Casey Affleck's been one of the great actors for the last decade or so, where've you been?

Huh. Maybe I can finally understand where the hell I live =]

mfunk9786 wrote:Casey Affleck's been one of the great actors for the last decade or so, where've you been?

He was up for a role playing a real life friend of mine who wanted no part of him portraying him on screen so my views on Affleck are admittedly biased. I did like him in Jesse James and Ain't them Bodies Saints however, really underrated films I think.

djproject wrote:Huh. Maybe I can finally understand where the hell I live =]

I'll tell you one thing I finally understood why New Englanders care about hockey.

Casey Affleck is not a great actor but he is very good in this. I assume he is related to the horrific Ben but don't even know. This is a 3rd BRILLIANT Kenneth Lonergan film. I don't care about Oscars. But Lonergan needs to get a nom because we need more films like this. If Casey is the only nominee it won't really help American cinema.

J Adams wrote:I assume he is related to the horrific Ben but don't even know.

You may also be interested to learn that Bill and Hillary Clinton are married.