Newsletter: Indie Focus: Toronto in the rearview, ‘Sicario’ and ‘Black Mass’ up ahead
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Hello! I’m Mark Olsen, and welcome to your weekly field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.
We, and by that I mean me, are in the slightly zombie-fied, what-just-happened state that tends to settle in after a big festival like Toronto's. We’re working to get some new screening events lined up for the fall after a very busy summer.
For now, if you haven’t had a chance to listen to any of our recent podcasts, they are all here. It’s a smart, eclectic group of actors and filmmakers, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Noah Baumbach, Cobie Smulders, Marielle Heller, Paul Weitz, Patricia Clarkson and many others, which make for an engaging series of conversations even with that hapless dork of a host.
And check here for more info on future events: events.latimes.com/indiefocus/
Toronto wraps up
As the Toronto International Film Festival wraps up over the weekend, it’s a good time to take a look back at all that happened. Oscar hopefuls were launched, some dreams were perhaps dashed, and an awful lot of very good movies played, many of which will be coming to theaters soon.
Steve Zeitchik considered all of the films based on recent scandals, including “Spotlight,” “Black Mass” and “Truth.” Steve also sat down with Michael Moore to talk about his new film, “Where to Invade Next.”
Glenn Whipp checked in on the Oscar chances for “Spotlight” and also took a look at “The Danish Girl,” as well as Sandra Bullock and “Our Brand Is Crisis” and Ridley Scott’s “The Martian.”
I sat down with Jason Bateman to talk about "The Family Fang," his latest effort as actor and director, and was also at the world premieres of “Truth,” plus “High-Rise” and “Maggie’s Plan.”
And photographer Jay Clendenin was busy taking portraits of an astonishing number of very attractive people.
Michael Keaton, left, and Mark Ruffalo in the movie “Spotlight.”
Michael Keaton, left, and Mark Ruffalo in ‘Spotlight.’ (Kerry Hayes / Open Road Films)
'Sicario'
Last week I reviewed “Sicario,” the new film by director Denis Villeneuve with powerful performances by Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin.
As I put it, "By turns thrilling, disorienting and draining, 'Sicario' exists in a border zone seemingly of its own devising between the art film and the action movie. This is definitely not a film that pretends to have any answers and suggests it's a struggle to even fully understand what the right questions might be."
In his review in the New York Times, A.O. Scott focused on the film in relation to its director, and says of Villeneuve, “A Canadian filmmaker equally comfortable in French and English, he is especially interested in preludes and aftermaths, in the tense moments before the eruption of violence and in the shock and confusion that follow. His framing, cutting and sound design evoke feelings that motivate and arise from the shedding of blood: rage, grief, steely resolve and wild panic.”
Emily Blunt as Kate Macer in a scene from the film “Sicario.”
Emily Blunt as Kate Macer in a scene from the ‘Sicario.’ (Richard Foreman, Jr. SMPSP / AP)
'Black Mass'
Our own Kenneth Turan reviewed “Black Mass,” directed by Scott Cooper and starring Johnny Depp in the role of notorious Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger. It seems Depp is the real show here, as Kenny notes that one scene in particular “is to see both a nightmare in flesh and blood and one of the most indelible moments in Johnny Depp's career.”
Josh Rottenberg spoke to director Scott Cooper and, via email, Depp on their portrayal of Bulger. Without actually meeting with Bulger, Depp said that in preparing his performance, "I just gathered from what wells I could. I kind of ran between the raindrops, collecting tidbits of solid information that could be incorporated into his character."
Last year I wrote about Joe Berlinger’s documentary “Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger.”
"It's an irresistible story, a guy at the top of the criminal underworld for 25 years who never got so much as a traffic ticket," said Berlinger. "I have never seen a contemporary criminal so pass into the cultural myth-making apparatus the way Bulger has."
Johnny Depp as Whitey Bulger in “Black Mass.”
Johnny Depp as 'Whitey' Bulger in 'Black Mass.' (Warner Bros.)
Wes Craven tribute
When filmmaker Wes Craven died recently, it was a shock to horror fans but also to anyone who loves movies and getting a little weird in the dark. Craven, while never nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe, made films that "said more, and told us more, about ourselves than countless more conventionally respectable films," I wrote in a tribute.
In a 1994 interview with The Times, Craven said: “And the fact that I make horror films, there’s always been a part of me that has always agreed with the worst of my critics, that this is a terrible thing to be doing. At a certain point, it’s like, why? You speak to an audience. You express a legitimate part of yourself and of humanity. Why look down on it yourself? Just love it.”
Wes Craven arrives at the Scream Awards in Los Angeles on Oct. 16, 2010.
Wes Craven arrives at the Scream Awards in Los Angeles on Oct. 16, 2010. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)
The good people of the Cinefamily are having a Craven tribute evening on Sept. 25 with screenings of three of his earliest films, 1972's “Last House on the Left,” 1977's "The Hills Have Eyes” and 1978's "Stranger in our House." They have lost none of their power to shock and startle, but now rather than the pieces of raw rebellion they may once have seemed, you can see the early flashes of Craven's mastery of audiences that was to come.
Email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions, and follow me on Twitter @IndieFocus.
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