Screens

A place to talk about movies, TV and videos on Farcaster.

Movie Suggestions

Telluride Film Festival 2024 - in order of how much I liked them!

Anora 
September 5
A Real Pain 
Zurawski v Texas
Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid
Saturday Night
Santosh
Piece by Piece 
The Outrun
Emilia Perez
The White House Effect
Blink
The Apprentice

I casted each in /moviesuggestions 

A 🧵 👇

Anora 
Directed by Sean Baker

Emerging auteur Sean Baker directed this BONKERS movie about an exotic dancer's romance with an immature, rebellious, self-centered son of a Russian oligarch. Starts as a gritty Pretty Woman but ends as a bizarro version of The Hangover. The movie will keep you laughing as Mikey Madison's Anora (Annie) - a star turn! - drives the oligarch's henchmen crazy. This movie won the coveted best picture Palme d'Or at Cannes. Consistently entertaining - felt crazy but real at the same time!

#TellurideFilmFestival
/moviesuggestions

Anora. Probably the only "must see"... 
#TellurideFilmFestival2024

The revolution will be decentralized! Cast your shot /itookaphoto - /itookavideo - /moviesuggestions - /tvsuggestions - https://linktr.ee/inceptionally 

Anora. Probably the only "must see"... 
#TellurideFilmFestival2024

https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0xe5961642

September 5
Dir: Tim Fehlbaum

While the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist kidnapping of Israeli athletes has had many documentaries and re-enactments, this movie focuses on ABC's coverage of the event by taking us into the ABC's sports control room and showing us the types of decisions they made in real time trying to cover the first terrorist event live broadcasted across the world. Fascinating behind the scenes elements: sneaking tapes in and footage out of the Olympic village, realizing the terrorists were watching their coverage, squabbles over satellite time, decisions about the ethics of what to show, and possibly the first use of a persistent network logo in the corner of a broadcast. Peter Sarsgaard and Leonie Benesch were standouts. 

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

September 5 - a great BTS movie https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0x28d052bc

A Real Pain 
Dir: Jesse Eisenberg

Kieran Culkin is hilarious, annoying, AND charismatic as a stunted, troubled, and unemployed extrovert. Jesse Eisenberg (who also directed the movie!) plays a stable, stereotypical, neurotic New York jew.  They are cousins who were close when they were younger and reunite on a trip to Poland for a group holocaust tour to honor their Polish grandmother. Hijinks ensue! This is a VERY funny movie. The movie hangs on a tremendous performance by Culkin who is able to simultaneously piss people off, connect emotionally, and inspire them to change - especially his cousin. 

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

Zurawski v Texas
Dir: Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault

This documentary tackles abortion through a healthcare lens, focusing on how the insanely unclear laws around medical exemptions to abortions cause many women in up to 20 states like Texas to receive substandard to no care as doctors are afraid of running afoul of the law. While some women can cross state lines to receive care for non-viable pregnancies and other risks, many are forced by circumstance or finances to remain and suffer the consequences.  While the narrowness of these issues won't force Roe v Wade to be reinstated, it brings attention to the overall abortion issue and shows the human toll of ill thought out state laws. 

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

Zurawski v Texas - political topic, but an important one

Zurawski v Texas - political topic, but an important one

https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0x820736c4

Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid
Dir: Matt Tyrnauer

With equal parts history and histrionics, we see a portrait of James Carville, the legendary democratic political operative who helped launch Clinton to the White House.  Carville is still at it at 79. For a year he has been calling for Biden to drop out of the race. For most of that time, he has been heavily criticized for not "falling in line" to support Biden. At the screening, the director mentioned that the film was finished the day of the first debate... and after 10 minutes he had spoken to Carville and realized he would need to restructure the final third of the film! CNN just purchased this doc and will assuredly air it before the election.  Carville is a genius, a provocateur, and a "tell it like he sees it" unique character.  His marriage to Mary Matalin (Republican strategist) has been one of the more remarkable love stories of the last 40 years.   

#TellurideFilmFestival 2024
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Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid - entertaining guy, was right on Biden dropping out...

Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid - entertaining guy, was right on Biden dropping out... 

https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0xec473751

Saturday Night
Director: Jason Reitman

An innovative creation from a favorite director of mine, this roller coaster comedy had the Greek unity trinity: Unity of Action, Place and Time.  Taking place over the 90 minutes before the first episode of Saturday Night Live, this is a a chaotic, confusing,and slightly repetitive JOY RIDE! You will emerge energized from this movie is you have ever had creative aspirations or are an adrenaline junkie. The actors bring to life some of the most charismatic and funniest people to ever grace a TV set. Lorne Michaels is simultaneously charming, arrogant, smug, stubborn, creative, cajoling, dismissive and undeniably brilliant.  "The show doesn't go on because it is ready, it goes one because it is 11:30."

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

Saturday Night - got a little repetitive, but a creatively invigorating

Saturday Night - got a little repetitive, but a creatively invigorating https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0x9b7e269d

Santosh
Dir: Sandhya Suri

In poor, rural India, a young widow (Santosh), instead of going home to her parents, is given her slain husband's job as a constable as a "compassionate appointment." A true Telluride movie that reminds me of my earliest attendance in the late 90s / early 2000s: foreign film, complex characters, slow burn plot, interwoven threads of sexism, racism, classism, social justice, societal upheaval, and rage against gov't authority. In the film, Santosh navigates a corrupt system to try an catch the murderer of a young untouchable girl. The movie has some slow moments but is a fascinating portrait of the complexities within modern India. I felt like I was there. 

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

Santosh - eye opening Indian drama

https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0xf4817898

Piece by Piece 
Directed by Morgan Neville

Multi-talented producer, artist, fashion icon and singer Pharrell's up tempo, inspirational and fun biography... made as a LEGO MOVIE! Worked surprising well. They represented each of the core beats of his tracks as unique, glowing, pulsating Lego creations - very cool concept. You will be stunned at the number of hits he has had a hand in. Seeing the world premiere was quite the "upbeat" opening to the festival! 

#TellurideFilmFestival
/moviesuggestions

Piece by Piece - joyous biopic of Pharrell done with Legos!

Piece by Piece - joyous biopic of Pharrell done with Legos! https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0x171fbc10

The Outrun
Dir: Nora Fingscheidt

A portrait of a young woman struggling with alcoholism brought vividly to life. In a performance likely to garner her a fifth Oscar nom, Saoirse Ronan portrays Amy Liptrot based on her memoir. The non-linear plot can be tough to follow, but the varied length of her distinctly colored hair helps the audience navigate the heavy use of flashbacks. While there were elements of the movie that felt repetitive or slow, I found it convincing, moving and ultimately inspirational - Ronan is clearly a generational talent. She was wise, thoughtful and charming in the Q&A. 

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

The Outrun - this movie definitely stuck with me... brave performance by Saoirse Ronan

The Outrun - this movie definitely stuck with me... brave performance by Saoirse Ronan 

https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0x84abc01c

Emilia Perez
Dir: Jacques Audiard

Probably the most ambitious and creative movie we saw at the festival was also the most polarizing. Some in our group ranked it as their favorite movie! Emilia Perez is a dramatic musical focused on a powerful narco druglord in Mexico who fakes his death to transition to become a woman... but cannot leave her old life behind. Powered by two electric performances by Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon (who plays the narco/Emilia). The movie has interesting undertones that make you think about identity, family, destiny, love, legacy, and meaning. While I loved many elements of the movie, the musical elements were the polarizing part - for me, they detracted from the story, for others in our group it elevated the material to another level of emotion.

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

Emilia Perez - VERY creative musical 
https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0x665f1c86

The White House Effect
Directors Bonni Cohen, Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk

The movie covers the politics of fighting global warming from Carter to George HW Bush... with a particular emphasis on Bush's commitment to issue during the campaign and subsequent undermining of it throughout his Presidency. After campaigning on change from the industry friendly Reagan years, Bush's admin architected a slow roll strategy of "getting more clarity on the science" seemingly coordinated by Chief of Staff John Sununu and Science Advisor Allan Bromley. Environmental advocate turned EPA chief is a tragic figure... high hopes clearly dashed by the admin's double undermining of efforts to commit to internationally accepted global climate goals. Reilly laments that this was probably the turning point that turned environmentalism into a political and partisan issue... with America clearly lagging the rest of the developed world. 

#TellurideFilmFestival
/moviesuggestions

The White House Effect - this movie raises some definitely "what if" scenarios about Climate Change

The White House Effect - this movie raises some definitely "what if" scenarios about Climate Change

https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0xb5fad752

Blink
Dirs: Daniel Roher and Edmund Stenson

Blink follows the real life travels of the Lemay/Pelletier family after learning that 3 of their 4 children will end up almost fully blind progressively over the course of their childhood. They decide to show them as much of the world as they can to try and create memories of the world's wonders. We follow them to the corners of the earth - through the good, bad, fun and scary moments. It is an uplifting story that benefits from thoughtful parents and energetic, curious and remarkably well adjusted kids.

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

Blink - inspiring, uplifting, beautiful https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0x64b6aae1

The Apprentice
Dir: Ali Abbasi

A biopic of the early days of Donald Trump's real estate career when he was mentored by the unethical aggressive uber-lawyer Roy Cohn. It shows Cohn instilling his 3 rules: 1) Attack, attack, attack. 2) Admit nothing, deny everything. 3) Always claim victory.  The movie shows an insecure, ambitious, arrogant, proto-version of Trump still collecting cash rent as a slumlord with big dreams. Through ruthless deals sheparded by Cohn, Trump establishes himself to become more of the Trump we now today. Sebastian Stan does an excellent job melting into Trump and Jeremy Strong (Succession) crushed it as Roy Cohn. The movie was an engaging portrait of Trump but in the end the subject is so well known that it makes the movie less interesting.

#TellurideFilmFestival2024
/moviesuggestions

The Apprentice - Trump learned from Roy Cohn: Attack, Attack, Attack. Admit Nothing, Deny Everything. Always Claim Victory.

The Apprentice - Trump learned from Roy Cohn: Attack, Attack, Attack. Admit Nothing, Deny Everything. Always Claim Victory.

https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0xfe72135f

A Real Pain - Kieran Culkin killed it

https://warpcast.com/inceptionally/0xa956640d