‘Moonrise’ Among Stars – The New York Times Talks ‘Kingdom’

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times filed her first report for this years Cannes Film Festival, and leads off with the opening night film:

CANNES, France — Sometime after the entree had been served at the opening-night dinner on Wednesday at the 56th Cannes Film Festival, after Harvey Weinstein had pumped half the hands in the room, and Wes Anderson, Bill Murray and Bruce Willis had entered to applause following the premiere of their film, “Moonrise Kingdom,” the pink lights were dimmed, and the waiters began weaving among the tables, carrying large, heavy blocks of illuminated ice. With their tiny interior lights glowing and embedded plastic cups holding haute cuisine soft-serve, it looked as if a fleet of toy U.F.O.’s were landing — or a deconstructed igloo. At Cannes, even dessert is a show.

“These are what we call art films,” Mr. Murray had said about Cannes several hours earlier at the news conference for “Moonrise Kingdom,” as the roomful of journalists knowingly cooed and laughed. Mr. Anderson, at Cannes for the first time, was seated dead center at an elevated table — the cast member Jason Schwartzman squeezed in at one end, with his colleagues Mr. Willis and Edward Norton knocking elbows toward the other — but the love soon gravitated to Mr. Murray. “I really don’t get any other work but through Wes,” he said, as if to explain his long working relationship with Mr. Anderson. The room laughed again.

And then Mr. Murray did what savvy celebrities sometimes do when they’re playing the game of up close and personal. He flattered the flatterers: “How did you people like the movie?”

We liked it just fine, some much more than others. A love story about two 12-year-old runaways, set in 1965, the film is one of Mr. Anderson’s supreme achievements: It’s wondrously beautiful, often droll and at times hauntingly melancholic. While the critics, reporters and programmers who packed into its first press screening on Wednesday morning didn’t respond with thunderous applause, neither were there any of the dreaded Cannes boos. The French seemed somewhat cool toward “Moonrise Kingdom.” Perhaps its scripted subtleties had been lost in translation, although the Cahiers du Cinéma critic gave it three of three stars in one poll. The Americans, many of whom will weigh in when it opens in the United States next Friday, seemed generally pleased.

To read Dargis’ full write-up of the first two days of Cannes, you may click here.

 

“Giving Chase to Young Love on the Run” New York Times Writes Up Moonrise Kingdom

With the release Wes Anderson’s seventh film, Moonrise Kingdom, imminent, Dennis Lim of The New York Times has drafted a nice little piece on the film. You can read the full article (and not incur the wrath of 10 free articles a month limitations) after the jump.

RECOUNTING the genesis of his new feature, “Moonrise Kingdom,” Wes Anderson sounded like he could be talking about any of his other movies. “The desire for fantasy to be real is part of the inspiration,” he said. From his 1996 debut, the shaggy-dog caper “Bottle Rocket,”to the animated Roald Dahl adaptation “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009), loss and longing have been the cornerstones of his films, which almost invariably concern the melancholic plight of dreamers and depressives, yearning for past glories, vanished innocence, a world that matches the one in their heads.

Continue reading ““Giving Chase to Young Love on the Run” New York Times Writes Up Moonrise Kingdom”

New York Times: Look Out, Pixar, Here Comes ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’

Let's see some hustle!

In The New York Times today Los Angeles correspondent Brook Barnes takes a look at how Fantastic Mr. Fox is faring in the end-of-the-year awards cycle, and in her estimation it might just have a shot at the top prize.

Full article after the jump.

LOS ANGELES — Figuring out which film will win the Academy Award for best animated feature is usually the easiest part of filling out a ballot for your Oscar pool. Go down the list of nominees — often only three, because so few make the cut — and find the one produced by Pixar. Circle it.

But this year, unexpectedly, animation is becoming a hotly contested race.

The biggest reason is “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Wes Anderson’s quirky adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel. The film, from 20th Century Fox and the producer Scott Rudin, is soaking up a surprising amount of awards attention.

Continue reading “New York Times: Look Out, Pixar, Here Comes ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’”

New York Times Anatomy of a Scene: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes gives commentary on a scene early in the film at the New York Times website. You can view the video there.

‘Rushmore’ as Critics’ Picks Video on NYT

With the school year winding down, A. O. Scott takes a look at one of cinema’s more offbeat students, Max Fischer, in the director Wes Anderson’s 1998 film “Rushmore.”

“What makes “Rushmore” so profound and so poignant is that it tells two stories in counterpoint,” Mr. Scott says. “It’s about an adolescent coming to terms with his limitations and an artist coming into possession of his powers.” Mr. Anderson has created a signature style with his films and has gained a cult following. Are you a fan of Mr. Anderson’s films? And if so, which one do you like the best?

Watch the video.

NYT: Memo to Hollywood (A.O. Scott)

“Memos to Hollywood” at the New York Times

I did not know, before reading this article, that Scott Rudin (producer The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox) left The Reader over a dispute with Harvey Weinstein

The real Eagle’s Island

The New York Times recently ran a piece on City Island in the Bronx, the real Eagle’s Island.

Along with a handful of historic houses, including the stately Queen Anne where the movies “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” were filmed, City Island, just 1.5 miles long, manages to cram in two parks, a ball field, three churches, a synagogue, two schools, a cemetery, a museum, a French bed-and-breakfast and 33 restaurants.

queenanne01

The island is popular among film and TV producers (most recently “Law and Order” and “Life on Mars”). The landmark Queen Anne at 21 Tier Street was used in “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”

queenanne02

A whale decorates the weathervane on the peak of the Queen Anne house at 21 Tier Street.

(from our Gallery)