Prisoners

[jo]

Ironically, torture was also prominent in the acclaimed ZERO DARK THIRTY ( although I never saw it -- was it heavily edited?) -- but torture of combatants is maybe something that I would abhor more than the kind of physical and psychological torture that Keller was ready to inflict on Alex to ferret out where his daughter and her friend were located? The film observers had a unanimous perception that PRISONERS had unflinching scenes of violence.

In the report of The Hollywood Reporter re the ensuing Q&A after the screening ( too bad Hugh and Jake were unable to make it to Telluride), Denis Villeneuve talked about Hugh's initial reticence about the violence and torture scenes. Denis was supposed to have assured Hugh that the two of them would handle it together.

At a Q&A with Villeneuve and producers Kira Davis, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, and Adam Kolbrenner moderated by Leonard Maltin, Villeneuve said Jackman was hesitant to accept the violence of the role. "He asked, 'How will you do it?' I said, 'I have no idea. We'll do it together.' Sometimes you have to say the truth. Honestly, I think I brought vulnerability, fragility, a lot of sadness, too. Because the tension was in the script."

But what is the real message of the movie? Maybe it is a commentary of what happens to "normal" people when confronted with a life-changing crisis?

I guess we will have to wait and see how this all unfolds on the screen. It looks like the movie might be somewhat faithful to the first draft of the script?


Jo

[klenotka]

The theme is a little explained by the writer here:

www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-sneaks-prisoners-20130830,0,1299129.story

[jo]

Thanks for the LATimes link - but it was not reproducing the article ( I had the same problem with another feature from them) -- may I reproduce the full article?

'Prisoners' filmmakers reflect on the layers of a twisty tale

The Filmmakers: Director Denis Villeneuve and writer Aaron Guzikowski take on themes large and small in the kidnapping thriller 'Prisoners.'

By Steven Zeitchik
August 30, 2013, 8:00 a.m.



When the screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski was a child, he once drew some disturbing pictures in art class — so disturbing the teacher called his parents in for a talk.


"I think the school was really worried by what it said about my home life," said a laughing Guzikowski, who in fact had a fairly typical suburban upbringing in Brockton, Mass. "The teacher was really surprised to see my parents were normal, even jolly, people."

That moment captures the dual influences that Guzikowski funneled into his first produced script, "Prisoners," a dramatic thriller that arrives in theaters Sept. 20 and pairs the idyll of childhood with chilling notions of desperation and violence.

SNEAKS: Movie trailers, full coverage

The movie begins with a simple premise: Two young Pennsylvania girls are kidnapped from outside their loving small-town homes over Thanksgiving weekend, including the daughter of contractor Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman). When the local detective (Jake Gyllenhaal) runs into obstacles solving the case, Keller kidnaps and tortures the man he believes did it (Paul Dano), touching off a twisty tale of revenge and ethics, justice and certainty.

Directed by the French-Canadian Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") as a delicate balance between genre picture and character piece, "Prisoners" examines big themes such as the justification for violence — and, in Keller taking matters into his own hands, something less expected.

"I was deeply attracted by the idea that there's a tension between individuals and trust in our institutions," Villeneuve said. "I thought it was a very contemporary subject, particularly in America, where there's a very strong idea of individualism."

A foreign-language Oscar nominee for the 2010 family-secrets drama "Incendies," Villeneuve was inundated with scripts after the release of his hard-hitting movie, set in Canada and the Middle East.

PHOTOS: Movie Sneaks 2013

He was torn, he said, over whether to make an experimental film or a mainstream Hollywood one. So he opted for both.

The filmmaker first shot the José Saramago adaptation "Enemy," an elliptical movie about identity that also starred Gyllenhaal. Then he persuaded the actor to tackle the cop role in "Prisoners," a beloved script in Hollywood circles that had trouble getting off the ground. (Both movies will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this week.)

Despite its mainstream mystery elements, "Prisoners" focuses on a favorite Villeneuve theme: how the past influences our future. And despite the film's genre packaging, the director said he's long wanted to make a movie that goes well beyond its ostensible subject.

"Spielberg said that 'E.T.' was really about the divorce of his parents," Villeneuve said. "I love that idea. You can make a thriller that's really about something else."

For his part, Guzikowski said he was motivated by certain aspects of his childhood — for all its pleasantness, his mom did have a stack of horror novels near her bed that he said put some macabre notions into his head, and he would often hear urban legends about haunted houses from older boys in his neighborhood. He wanted a script, he said, that followed in the footsteps of reveal-heavy modern classics such as "The Sixth Sense" and "Primal Fear" but also raised questions about what ordinary people could or should do in times of duress.

ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll

"It's 'what happens when you take away something somebody loves and then give them a very narrow path to get it back?'" Guzikowski said.

One thing that was neither on his nor Villeneuve's mind was the high-profile child-snatching cases epitomized by the recent Ariel Castro trial in Ohio and the Hannah Anderson case in San Diego. But filmgoers may find the comparisons inevitable, and the pair say they do understand the parallels. "The sad thing about doing a movie like 'Prisoners' is that it's timeless," Villeneuve said.

Hollywood actually began developing "Prisoners" more than four years ago, when the script by the unknown Guzikowski began landing on executive desks. Numerous cast iterations preceded this one, with Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg all attached to play starring roles at various points.

The movie that was ultimately crafted by the filmmakers ("Prisoners" was financed and produced by "The Blind Side" backer Alcon Entertainment and is being released by Warner Bros.) showcases big-name actors in new or newish guises. Gyllenhaal's complex lone-wolf detective deepens aspects first on display in his beat-cop role in "End of Watch." And Jackman, for all his intensity, is far more interior than his recent larger-than-life parts as Wolverine and Jean Valjean.

But in some ways it's the thematic aspects that stand out most.

"I see this story as not just being about children who are kidnapped," Villeneuve said. "It's about the idea of imprisonment. Everybody is a prisoner — to their captor, to their past, to their ego. It's about how in some ways we all feel imprisoned."

The movie may be harsh in the development of contemporary social issues and illustrating its impact -- but shouldn't people want to see how these issues are examined, albeit in a fictional mode?

Ironically, there were no similar anxieties about how a social issue rooted in the past, racism and slavery, in the movie 12 YEARS A SLAVE could be depicted on film. I'm sure there must have also been scenes of violence in that movie.


Jo

[jo]

GOLDDERBY features these new expectations about PRISONERS --

www.goldderby.com/news/4722/prisoners-hugh-jackman-jake-gyllenhaal-telluride-movies-news-13579086.html

'Prisoners' captures attention of Oscar voters at Telluride

Melissa Leo, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, Prisoners, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Viola Davis, Hugh Jackman, Denis Villeneuve, Oscars 2013 Nominations - Best Picture, Oscars 2013 Nominations - Best Director, Oscars 2013 Nominations - Best Actor, Oscars 2013 Nominations - Best Supp. Actor, Oscars 2013 Nominations - Best Original Screenplay


By Paul Sheehan
Aug 31 2013 03:31 am


Three years ago, French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve came to Telluride with "Incendies." That compelling mystery ended up contending for Best Foreign Language film. While he lost the Oscar to the Danish entry, "In a Better World," Villeneuve got a pretty good consolation prize: the chance to make a major studio movie.

That Warner Bros. release -- "Prisoners" -- screened at Telluride Friday in advance of its official debut at the Toronto filmfest next week. This sneak peek proved to be a smart move as the first reviews are raves, vaulting this thriller into the top tier of Oscar contenders.


The intense drama stars Oscar nominees Hugh Jackman as Terrence Howard as fathers divided over the lengths they will go to find their missing daughters. Their wives -- played by Maria Bello and Oscar nominee Viola Davis respectively -- are torn as to what is required, especially after the police detective (Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal) is stonewalled by the prime suspect (Paul Dano) and his overly protective aunt (Oscar champ Melissa Leo).

On paper, this might seem like just a popcorn picture as Jackman's character turns violent vigilante. But, the initial reviews make clear that the film is much more than that. They laud the deft helming, the twists and turns of Aaron Guzikowski's original script and the atmospheric lensing by 10-time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins.

Among the cast, which receives praise across the board, Jackman and Gyllenhaal are singled out for their lead and supporting performances. While other committments kept them from attending Telluride, they will be making the rounds in Toronto and beyond, especially if further notices are like those below.


Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter: Viewers who see the movie will find it absolutely riveting, and this is a tribute to the filmmaker’s skill and to the excellent cast that brings the story to life ... Jackman illuminates the character’s conflicted nature without ever begging for sympathy. Gyllenhaal is also playing a troubled character, a suspicious loner who nonetheless has a strong desire to help people in need, and he wins our sympathy for this dogged detective without in any way idealizing the character. Howard and Davis are excellent, as always, though one flaw of the film is that they have too little to do in the second half of the story.

Scott Foundas, Variety: The wages of sin, guilt, vengeance and redemption weigh heavy on the characters of “Prisoners,” a spellbinding, sensationally effective thriller with a complex moral center that marks a grand-slam English-lingo debut for the gifted Quebecois director Denis Villeneuve. Powered by an unusually rich, twisty script by Aaron Guzikowski (“Contraband”) and career-best performances from Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Do you think Jackman will contend for Best Actor? Vote below using our easy drag-and-drop menu.

Jo

[mamaleh]

I hope he will be in contention for Best Actor, but this looks like another very crowded year that already has pundits falling all over themselves for Ejiofor, Whitaker, Redford, Jordan, DiCaprio, Hanks, McConaughey, Bale, etc.

If Hugh gets a nom, that will be a coup indeed!

Ellen

[jo]

Most of those actors's performances are still to be seen - either at festival screenings or at regular releases, except for Ejiofor, Redford, Whitaker (he's already won - will he get a second one for The Butler?), and Jackman, if I remember correctly. So, the others are mostly speculative in nature due to the advance buzz on the movies and the roles.

Jo

[chessie]

Aug 31, 2013 23:52:58 GMT -5 jo said:

Ironically, torture was also prominent in the acclaimed ZERO DARK THIRTY ( although I never saw it -- was it heavily edited?) -- but torture of combatants is maybe something that I would abhor more than the kind of physical and psychological torture that Keller was ready to inflict on Alex to ferret out where his daughter and her friend were located? The film observers had a unanimous perception that PRISONERS had unflinching scenes of violence.

Jo

Jo,

I finally got around to seeing Zero Dark Thirty, and it was heavily edited by me.  I'm just not able to watch torture on the big screen. I spent much of the film Marathon Man in the lobby of the theater, having decided that the drilling of the teeth, the blood-curdling screams, the twisting of the knife into someone's body were just too much for me.  Since then, the presence of torture in a film is a deal-breaker.

This will be the first of Hugh's movies that I won't see in a theater. I'll have to wait until it's available for home viewing, and I'll read the script so that I know when to fast-forward through the worst of the torture. If I miss out on some of the intensity, it will just have to be. I'm afraid I'm just too much of a wimp.

I'll be looking forward to the reviews posted by members of the forum.

Carol

[Jamie]

Not the full review but here's her first tweet after seeing the movie today:

Sasha Stone ‏@awardsdaily
Prisoners is a solid but predictable thriller but more Criminal Minds than Zodiac or Se7en or Misery. Good though.

[jo]

I'm afraid Sasha Stone continues to draw mocking remarks on IMDB - a bit of a laughing stock - because people think she is not objective enough but shows too much bias and lack of objectivity ( e.g., she hated anything which was non-"Social Network" and non-"Lincoln"!).

CRIMINAL MINDS is mostly about someone who has a mental health issue whose behavior could lead to heinous crimes. The mental state leads to violent behavior expectedly.

Based on the script, PRISONERS is all about the impact of a life-changing crisis on normal people and how they respond to it. It is more of a character-study than a crime-procedural drama. The crisis provokes different behaviors, and in one case leads to violence so he can find his missing daughter.

Maybe she was mostly focused on the Melissa Leo character?

Jo

[birchie]

Sept 1, 2013 17:12:43 GMT -5 Jamie said:

Not the full review but here's her first tweet after seeing the movie today:

Sasha Stone ‏@awardsdaily
Prisoners is a solid but predictable thriller but more Criminal Minds than Zodiac or Se7en or Misery. Good though.

I don't care at all what she has to say about anything but just that one line is enough to see that once again she is going to be WAY off base. I've read the script a couple of times and there isn't anything in it that ever made me think of Criminal Minds and I'm a huge fan of
the show! Also, it seems, from the reviews I've seen, that they are sticking pretty much with the script so based on that there is absolutely NOTHING predictable about it. She's pathetic.

I started to post this a few minutes ago but my computer glitched so I had to come back & try again!
Sue

[jo]

au.ibtimes.com/articles/502970/20130902/warner-brothers-prisoners-jake-gyllenhaal-hugh-hackman.htm

Nothing much new not already reported or analyzed elsewhere except for this info on a screening at Telluride --

The film features two and a half hours of unbearable tension that filled the 650-seat of Herzog Theater making it the most talked about film in the festival.

Brokeback Mountain, Slumdog Millionaire, and The King's Speech generated their first buzz at Telluride ( the film has to be shown for the first time to the public for it to qualify at the festival), even if initially there was stronger buzz for bigger films.

[jo]

In this early predictions from IndieWire, Aaron Guzikowski's script of PRISONERS is recognized as a potential Oscar nominee for Best Original Screenplay, among great screenwriters. He must be feeling very elated that the first script he has ever written has been given such attention. He had written another script that was made into a movie ahead of PRISONERS but he wrote that after this movie's script. The PRISONERS script was rated # 4 among the 2009 Black List (which included The Social Network and The King's Speech) and had created attention because it brought in a million dollar price tag when it was bidded for. People are actually surprised that such a highly-prized script did not get into production till 2013!

www.indiewire.com/article/2014-oscar-predictions-best-original-screenplay

.

by Peter Knegt
September 1, 2013 11:05 AM
21 Comments


2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Screenplay


Indiewire will provide updates of our predictions for the 86th Academy Award nominations through January 16th, 2014, when the nominations are announced.

Here's our take on the best original screenplay category. It's still very early, but this one race where we've seen loads of potential nominees, from "Inside Llewyn Davis" to "Blue Jasmine" to "Gravity" to "Fruitvale Station" to "Mud" to "The Past." Even "Frances Ha" could factor in here...


Best original screenplay predictions below, clearly taken with a huge grain of salt given it's still the summer. Check out all predictions in all the categories here.

The Likely Heavyweights, Based Purely On Speculation:
1. David O. Russell and Eric Singer, American Hustle
2. Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith, Saving Mr. Banks

The Best Bets From What We've Seen:
3. Joel & Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis
4. Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine
5. Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron, Gravity
6. Aaron Guzikowski, Prisoners
7. Jeff Nichols, Mud
8. Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station
9. Danny Strong, Lee Daniels' The Butler


Could Easily Be Major Contenders:
10. Spike Jonze, Her
11. Cormac McCarthy, The Counselor
12. Peter Morgan, Rush

Even More Strong Possibilities From What We've Seen (What a Great Year So Far In This Category)
13. Noah Baumbach & Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
14. Bob Nelson, Nebraska
15. JC Chandor, All Is Lost
16. Derek Cianfrance, Bob Coccio and Darius Marder, The Place Beyond The Pines
17. Asghar Farhadi, The Past


It's Gonna Be Crowded, But They Could All Rise Into The Mix:
18. Scott Cooper and Brad Inglesby, Out of the Furnace
19. Craig Borten and Melissa Wallack, Dallas Buyers Club
20. Stephen Jeffreys, Diana


Check out all predictions in all the categories here.

Just wondering - is 12 YEARS A SLAVE an adaptation?


Jo

[birchie]

Sept 2, 2013 8:17:52 GMT -5 jo said:

<snip>
Just wondering - is 12 YEARS A SLAVE an adaptation?


Jo

I saw this originally when it was done as one of the dramas on American Playhouse. The title they used was Solomon Northup's Odyssey and it starred Avery Brooks. American Playhouse was a good anthology series that produced very good 2 hour dramas. A lot of very well known actors got early recognition on these shows. I really liked Solomon Northup's Odyssey and have watched it again since. I think it was on Netflix a few years ago or it may have been shown again on TV. It's been in my Amazon wish list for a while and now that it's being made as a big movie I may finally buy it. Both are based on the book which has also been on my wish list a while. So the screenplay would be an adaptation...probably from the book. I'm interested to see the differences between the two versions. My guess would be that the main difference will be more graphic violence but who knows.
Sue

[jo]

Sasha Stone summarizes her thoughts on the Telluride early Oscar possibilities --

www.awardsdaily.com/blog/the-state-of-the-race-telluride-and-the-best-picture-oscar-race/#more-67495

Over the past few years, Telluride has become the launching pad for Oscar contenders and winners. You’d probably had to have been watching the race evolve over the past 15 years to understand why. Back before they changed the date for Oscar, roughly 2003, the Oscars were held in March. That meant, awards madness really didn’t start until January or so. Funnily enough, I remember the days when December wasn’t the most heated time. As the years wore on, everything was pushed back so that now, September and October are the key months for herding the contenders into the pen.

When the Oscars were held in March we had a situation we don’t have now: the ability to reflect on the films of the year. I can’t say that the films chosen now are better than the ones that came before it. I can’t even say that the Academy’s recent decision to expand the Best Picture nominees from five to ten, then from ten to a random number based on favorites, makes for a better Best Picture lineup. What I do know about then and now is that the Oscars are no longer decided after the public gets a crack at it. They are now decided by the much more insular industry group, with some prodding from the critics and bloggers. Once the PGA announces their winner, it feels like it’s all over but the shouting. That might change — so far, it doesn’t look likely. We now have a monolith club who decide what ought to be Best Picture of the Year.

That’s why the sooner your contender runs the gauntlet the better. Late comers haven’t really won Best Picture since … I can’t even think of the last time. Million Dollar Baby strikes me as one of those because it came in after the two favorites — The Aviator and Sideways — and cleaned their clocks. Of course, history was made to be broken and that is never more true than in the Oscar race.



The festivals give critics and muggles alike an opportunity to see the films. It was clear two years ago that everyone loved The Artist. It was all anybody could talk about. If you keep your ears open you will hear what people who aren’t critics, just festival goers who love movies, think. All I heard that year was The Artist, The Artist, The Artist. It didn’t matter what movies grew around it, that was going to be the one to beat. The next year, there was no denying Argo’s popularity. It was admired by nearly everyone in audiences that saw it early. Few Oscar bloggers and critics, thought it was strong enough to be the winner. A solid contender for sure, but it didn’t seem big or serious enough. Turns out, that worked in its favor as it went up against emotionally wrenching films like Life of Pi, dark and complicated films like Zero Dark Thirty, and intellectually challenging films like Lincoln.

This year, I have been keeping my ears open listening to festival goers. Here is what I’ve heard so far.

At the Herzog someone asked an older man what his favorites were so far. His answer? Nebraska and Labor Day.

On the way to a bar I heard a woman talking enthusiastically about a movie she just saw. I asked her what it was: All Is Lost, she said.

A woman at the Telluride thrift store recommended the best movie she’d seen so far to another woman. That movie: Prisoners.

The one I keep hearing about from critics, bloggers and festival goers as powerful and solid thumbs up: 12 Years a Slave.

The festival, I’d say, has gone mostly as expected except that 12 Years a Slave really got the “Argo slot.” It was the one that swooped in when no one was looking and slam dunked its arrival. It helped that Brad Pitt was here.

I haven’t heard anyone but bloggers and critics speak enthusiastically about two films I think are seriously Oscar-bound, not yet anyway, and those are Inside Llewyn Davis and Gravity. Both films really have Best Picture buzz. Gravity is emotionally challenging. Llewyn Davis is intellectually challenging. For your winner, remember, you’re usually looking for the one that isn’t challenging at all.

I still have a sneaking suspicion Nebraska might be one of those, even though Payne tends to make challenging movies. So let’s look at the slate and divide them up into challenging and not challenging. This will sound condescending, but I am always watching the Oscar race bring the horse to the water but being unable to make it drink. The unchallenging tends to trump the challenging.

Challenging


Inside Llewyn Davis – You really have to be thinking about it while you’re watching it. It helps to know about the era, and the Coens, and T-Bone, and Bob Dylan, and if you know about Dave Van Ronk, you’re almost home.

All Is Lost – This is a metaphysical films as well as a survival film. Apparently there are debates about whether Redford lives or not. To me, it’s plainly obvious. To some, there is an open question. And I would bet dollars to donuts it will depend on whether you are an atheist or a person with the God gene.

Blue is the Warmest Color – Will make some women uncomfortable, though the Academy is ruled by men.


Hovering on the middle ground between challenging and not challenging:

Labor Day – It requires suspension of belief and the ability to juggle a metaphor. But once you accept it and go with it, you might be overtaken by emotion.



12 Years a Slave – Yhere are likely two reactions to this one. You are moved deeply by it or you are put off by the graphic violence. There is no question as to whether it’s a good movie. Most will respond to it in the intended fashion.

Prisoners – While it’s a fairly typical crime story like Law and Order SVU or Criminal Minds, it is also very very violent and hard to take at times. That means many older voters will cover their eyes and wince.

Not Particularly Challenging

Gravity – This movie takes over for you. It doesn’t need you to think about it at all while you’re watching it. It is loud, however.

Nebraska – The only challenging thing about this story is that it’s filmed in black and white. Otherwise it’s a movie you could sit anyone down in front of and they would get it if not love it.

For Telluride, I think that about sums it up. If I had to choose the winner right now I’d say it was down to:

Nebraska, The Butler, 12 Years a Slave or Gravity.

But I have no idea currently how it will play out once Toronto hits. There is also Captain Phillips which screens in Los Angeles ahead of the New York Film Fest, and Saving Mr. Banks which should start screening sooner rather than later.

Still to come: August: Osage County, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Fifth Estate, etc.

Top Five Best Picture rankings for me right this moment of films I’ve seen (from what I think has the best chance right now):

1. Nebraska
2. The Butler
3. 12 Years a Slave
4. Gravity


5. Inside Llewyn Davis

And in the hunt for nominees:
6. Fruitvale Station
7. Labor Day
8. Blue is the Warmest Color
9. Before Midnight
10. Prisoners

I’m one of the few Labor Day supporters so I really hope that makes the cut. I am also hoping Fruitvale Station makes the cut.

"Prisoners – While it’s a fairly typical crime story like Law and Order SVU or Criminal Minds, it is also very very violent and hard to take at times. That means many older voters will cover their eyes and wince."

SVU or Criminal Minds -- her mindset is this is a crime procedural, not a character study. If she really thinks this is this kind of a movie, why were there so many people raving about it ( including rave reviews from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and articles from The LA Times)? I wonder if she thinks this should be submitted for EMMY consideration instead smiley-rolleyes010

She talks about the violence -- why is it that SVU and Criminal Minds are primetime TV shows ( meant to be seen by the young adult-adult population)? I don't know how the AMPAS regards very dark subjects ( No Country For Old Men, etc). She mentions Blue is the Warmest Color - how many will be more turned off by the violence in PRISONERS compared to the lesbian scenes in Blue?

She hasn't written a review of PRISONERS.

She says that the current trend is for films to be distributed early and be talked about until the end of the year, close to nomination time. We'll see how PRISONERS is received at Toronto...and other festivals where it will be shown. In Toronto, Hugh and Jake and maybe the rest of the key cast will be there for the Q&A ( that was the advantage of 12 YEARS A SLAVE in Telluride - everyone was there - from Brad Pitt and all!). Someone commented on the Feedback that it will soon be forgotten ( not talked about). I wonder, based on Sasha's and the feeback-er's comments, do they want PRISONERS to be overlooked because it can really enter the Oscar race impressively and/or actually threaten to become a box office attraction? I think comments on how well a film is made are what people who were not in the festival would like to hear. She has been sparing on her comments except to say she thinks it is like SVU and CRIMINAL MINDS.

I think if the movie is promoted well ( with Hugh and Jake on the press tours and Hugh appearing in two European festivals and with Warner Bros giving it full support), hopefully, the box office will do relatively well, despite the dark subject matter. Word of mouth can appeal to those who can take realism in their movies, so long as it is a very well-made one!

PS: Although of course given the longevity of SVU ( and Law and Order) and the continuing appeal of Criminal Minds ( other stuff like NCIS - and CSI), hey - maybe it won't be shut out from regular moviegoers's choices ? Maybe Sasha has unwittingly given the movie a good marketing pitch, without her realizing it

Jo

[mamaleh]

The critics and bloggers are overdosing on hyperbole, and the year is far from over. I'm just going to take a breath--and take it all with a grain of salt for now.

Ellen

[jo]

LOL - hyperbole for new films is their bread and butter $$$

No hype on their sites -- no jobs!

What I get somewhat annoyed with is when they sound so patronizing, as if they are the only arbiters of taste in movies! Never mind that the filmmakers ( from director to actors to crew) devote so much effort and creativity to bring out the most entertaining or the most thought-provoking films!

Jo

[jo]

A more concise summary of the Telluride "winners" --

www.movies.com/movie-news/telluride-buzz-3912-years-slave39-may-be-strongest-robert-redford-39all-lost39-hugh-jackman39s-39prisoners39/13402?wssac=164&wssaffid=news&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

A small mountain town in Colorado served as the backdrop for the kick-off of awards season in North America, as a small yet devoted contingent of film critics, movie fans, and industry professionals descended en masse for the annual Telluride Film Festival. What movies emerged as serious award contenders?

12 Years a Slave: According to the buzz, as interpreted by an experienced observer, director Steve McQueen's drama "was the strongest film to hit the festival." Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as a free man who is forced into bound servitude and struggles to regain his freedom. He appeared at the festival, along with the director and co-stars Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o, and Brad Pitt, who also served as a co-producer. [Awards Daily]

All is Lost: After receiving strong buzz at Cannes, the tale of a solitary man lost at sea headed into festival season with a full head of steam, and the reception at Telluride has added to its shine. Thanks to his captivating performance, Robert Redford's "name is already at the top of any list of presumptive best actor nominees." [New York Times]

Gravity: George Clooney and Sandra Bullock star in the science-fiction thriller from director Alfonso Cuaron, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival to overwhelmingly positive notices -- see Alison Nastasi's roundup last week -- and continued to dazzle viewers in Telluride, placing it squarely in the race for a Best Picture nomination. [The Wrap]

Labor Day: Jason Reitman's new drama stars Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. Our own Christopher Campbell rounded up the reaction from film critics. [Movies.com]

Prisoners: Rather surprisingly, what appears to be a straightforward, commercially-minded thriller transformed into an Oscar contender over the weekend. Hugh Jackman stars as a father whose young daughter goes missing; he kidnaps the main suspect (Paul Dano) to make him talk. A surprise addition to the festival, the movie played extremely well as a draining emotional experience, with Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as a detective praised along with Jackman's turn and the direction by Denis Villeneuve. [Deadline]

Salinger: A small plane carrying members of the filmmaking team crash-landed at the Telluride airport on Sunday afternoon, but happily no injuries were reported. Shane Salerno's documentary debuted on Monday morning; described as "riveting and stunning" by one writer, it's "certain" to be a contender for the Academy Award for Best Documentary. [Los Angeles Times / Deadline]

Under the Skin: Back in 2000, director Jonathan Glazer debuted with crime drama Sexy Beast, which earned Ben Kingsley an Academy Award nomination, and then made 2004's Birth, which garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Nicole Kidman. Will Scarlett Johansson earn similar accolades for her performance as an alien in human form in Glazer's new film? Critics are impressed by Johansson, but very mixed about the film overall. [Keyframe Daily]

[jo]

Rope of Silicon summarizes what has been heard on the festival circuit --

www.ropeofsilicon.com/2014-oscar-predictions-update-telluride-venice-film-festival-slave-gravity-philomena-prisoners/

Next we come to Prisoners, which is a film I've seen advertised everywhere with trailers that seem to spoil the entire movie. Yet, the first screenings of the film suggest this is a winner as well and a potential Oscar contender first and foremost for Hugh Jackman for Best Actor and, obviously, Roger Deakins for Best Cinematography. There was some talk early of it being a major contender for a Best Picture nomination, but that seemed to die down a little once everyone found their bearings, but my anticipation level for the feature has certainly sky-rocketed...

[jo]

If you want to know more about French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve --

www.brandonsun.com/entertainment/breaking-news/villeneuve-addicted-to-us-projects-after-big-studio-debut-with-prisoners-222203161.html?thx=y


The Toronto International Film Festival starts this week. If I remember correctly, PRISONERS will have its premiere on September 6, with Hugh and the other cast members attending the event.

Hopefully, the Q&A after the screening will be covered by clips and/or a report.


Jo

[jo]

blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/35-new-photos-of-telluride-hit-prisoners-starring-hugh-jackman-jake-gyllenhaal-20130903


While there's only a handful of reviews in at the moment, Warner Bros.' abduction crime drama "Prisoners" currently stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 95% on Metacritic. Yes, those grades will surely drop when more reviews come in but this is the shorthand, easy way of saying "Prisoners," starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, was very well-received when it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival this past weekend. If anything the early buzz indicates that those grades may not drastically change, "Prisoners" already seems well loved.

Our reviewer in Telluride wrote that it's: "A first-rate thriller with a blackened bite... the picture is often graphic and pulls no punches in its disturbing violence.. [and] its unflinching nature gives it a memorable sear that won't soon be forgotten." Directed by Foreign Language Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies"), "Prisoners" centers on a man (Jackman) who takes matters into his own hands when his daughter is suddenly abducted and the police (led by a detective played by Jake Gyllenhaal) cannot hold the man suspected for the alleged crime.

Featuring an all-star cast, "Prisoners" includes Paul Dano, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Viola Davis among the ensemble. Opening in theaters on September 20th, the drama will receive more shine and acclaim soon no doubt, when it makes it "official" premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next week. Over 30 new photos are below including a few behind-the-scenes snaps that remind us the movie was shot by the great Roger Deakins, who also receives serious props in our aforementioned review.[/quote]


There is an attached photo gallery from scenes from the movie ( 35 in all) -- here are some (Check out the rest from the link) :

[jo]

With other cast members --

[jo]

[jo]

ruben nepales‏@nepalesruben38s
Denis Villeneuve's 'Prisoners' is a gripping thriller, w/ a first-rate ensemble, led by Hugh Jackman & Jake Gyllenhaal, both excellent.

Ruben Nepales is a Filipino-American journalist, who happens to be the Chairman of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association ( which awarded Hugh Jackman with a Golden Globe for Les Miserables! ). Hope there is a repeat honor for this coming Golden Globes, albeit it will be in the highly-competitive DRAMA category!


Jo

[jo]

Liz‏@101bored16m
@olv premiere:"Prisoners"(Hugh Jackman,Jake Gyllenhaal,et)Thurs Sept 12 6:30pm the Regency Village Theatre961 Broxton Ave,Westwood Village

Is this the Hollywood premiere? The theatre ( more of a classic type) is supposedly used for many movie premieres, even if it is not technically in Hollywood.

Jo

[hu4601]

Sept 3, 2013 18:06:22 GMT -5 jo said:

I think Hugh's been rehearsing for this scene with Ava for some years ...LOL !