CS Weekly Archive > The Big Picture > 12/09/06

Chatting with Bogdanovich
The Horror, the Horror (Films)!
And The Host Seeks a Partner:
Inside the AFI fest 2006

By deirdre mcgill

CS Weekly checks in with the American Film Festival, with looks at everything from Emilio Estevez's Bobby to Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth to many more films you might not have heard of yet—but will.

Move over Toronto! From November 1 - 14, 2006, Los Angeles hosted the biggest film industry event ever witnessed in North America as, for the third year in a row, the American Film Institute and the American Film Market held a joint festival, attended by over 9,000 industry folk and film lovers. Buses were kept busy shuttling filmmakers, actors, writers, producers, distributors, and representatives from 70 countries from Hollywood's ArcLight Theatre Complex to the Loews Santa Monica Hotel and back again as they scrambled to catch over 600 movies (not to mention the parties and special events, moreso because this year is AFI's 20th anniversary). Celebrities and insiders attended red carpet openings and parties—but even more importantly, they hung out and enjoyed the vibe. The best part is that the public was invited to participate in many of these events—even star-studded galas showcasing movies such as Pedro Almodóvar's Volver, Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain, Emilio Estevez's Bobby, and David Lynch's Inland Empire—with tickets selling for $10.00 up to $50.00 a pop via the AFI website.

Bobby (written and directed by Emilio Estevez) opened the festival and features an amazing cast including William H. Macy, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan—a veritable "Who's Who of Hollywood"—playing fictitious characters anticipating the arrival of Robert F. Kennedy to the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel that fateful day in 1968. Bobby does not disappoint, and Estevez 's sentimental valentine to the man many hoped would complete JFK's agenda for equal rights features many interesting characters, but none as compelling as Bobby himself in footage of the frail but flinty RFK as he begs the nation to unite and heal past wrongs.

I was not as excited as EIC Den by The Fountain (written and directed by Darren Aronofsky, from a story by Aronofsky and Ari Handel). The film was visually amazing, but its plot had no clear connections to span the 1,000-year love story of a man and his "Eve." Hugh Jackman stars as Tommy Creo, an adventurer through time, first as a New World explorer and then as a committed doctor. Personally, I found the story confusing, tedious, and a little pretentious as it flashed back and forth in time using the Tree of Life to symbolically link the Garden of Eden and the separate time periods. However, seeing this film at the Grauman Chinese Theatre and sitting amongst the capacity crowd you could feel the anticipation growing for this highly tauted event.

Foreign language horror movies were the big news at AFI this year, and Korea's monster hit Gwoemul (The Host) had a large following, selling out at both screenings. Bong Joon-Ho's film is a touching and satirical take on an average Korean's family attempt to rescue their youngest girl from a creature (after she manages to call home on her cell phone). I was fortunate enough to interview Mr. Joon-Ho, who told me he used real "cultural events"—such as an American scientist dumping chemicals in Seoul's Hans River—as a springboard for his ideas. The charismatic filmmaker, who writes in many genres, also wanted me to spread the word—since we are a screenwriting magazine—that he is "desperately" seeking a writing partner similar to Martin Scorsese for his next film: an adaptation of the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige in both English and Korean, which he hopes to be a crosscultural event. The Host opens nationwide in March 2007.

Another horror flick drew over-capacity crowds was Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, a dark fairytale set during the Spanish Civil War. Labyrinth is the eerie fairytale of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), who is fighting her own private war with evil Troll-like forces to save her mother's life. The film is rich with imagery, such as evil stepfather Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez) who has been sent to squash a small band of militants hiding in the hillside, and shows us folk icons such as fairies, fauns, and healing medicinal roots hiding in the Labyrinth. The story mixes fantasy with a rich authenticity true to the time period. This blend of the folk and the fantastic is a delicate balance, but the subplot of heroic townspeople resisting fascism lends pathos and urgency to Ofelia's desperation.

Other movies I previewed were a mixed bag of genres:

Who Loves the Sun
Written and directed by Matt Bissonnette
I was quite impressed by this subtle comedy about a romantic triangle with genuinely comic moments, such as married couple Will Morrison (a very grown-up Lukas Haas) and Maggie Claire (Molly Parker) playing ping-pong while their inebriated best friend Daniel Bloom (Adam Scott) delivers a hilarious monologue before collapsing on the floor. It is the small moments, like the rivalry of the two men as they fell a gigantic tree, which make this script special. Talking privately with the writer/director after the screening, Bissonnette admitted his affection for the Canadian coast and his desire to tell the narrative story through the physical environment, which clearly shows in shots of the characters rowing down the scenic coastline as they meditate life's bigger issues. We feel their isolation, and this movie plays like a small gem in a large ocean of bigger emotions.

Full Grown Men
Written by David Munro and Xandru Castleton, directed by David Munro
And not so impressed by this comedy. Men stars Matt McGrath as Alby, a man who deserts his wife and child while he travels to "Diggityland" (a satirical homage to Disney World) with a highly collectible Major Matt Mason doll for company, hoping to recapture his childhood. Despite the presence of a quirky comedian such as Judah Friedlander as his former best friend, and a bizarre episode involving an empty gun and a police officer, the one-joke premise just wore thin too soon, making 80 minutes feel like three hours.

Special
Written and directed by Jeremy Passmore and Hal Haberman
This story about an average man (Michael Rapaport) who thinks he possesses superhuman powers after a medical experiment goes awry, was a profound and disturbing Kafka-like experience that deserves special mention for its unflinching meditation on mental health issues. The script is original and inventive as we watch the world both through his eyes and the eyes of those lacking "superpowers." It is an incredibly brave effort, and the writers resist the temptation to make it a broad Saturday Night Live type comedy sketch; we are led down a sad and twisting road with this poor man as he tries to remain "special," and despite the torturous journey to get there, I still recommend it.

Broken
Written by Drew Pillsbury and directed by Alan White
Here's another representation of a life gone terribly wrong, although with a more commercial look, and Pillsbury tells the story of songwriter Hope (Heather Graham), who ends up in big trouble after she hooks up with an obsessive, drug-addicted boyfriend Will (Jeremy Sisto). It was certainly not the best of the fest, but the set-up flows well and I did enjoy its cameo of characters in a Hollywood diner, including a high-class Madam (Linda Hamilton) and a bag lady (Tess Harper) who do everything but eat the scenery whenever the camera turns in their direction. This film feels like a Movie of the Week, but fortunately a twist at the ending saves the plot from the pedestrian route of every other Hollywood "girls gone wild" destination.

Bug
Based on the play by Tracy Letts and directed by William Friedkin
This psychological thriller stars Ashley Judd as a troubled woman who falls for a disturbed drifter (Michael Shannon, from the original stage version) who believes he is being tracked by the government through blood-sucking insects. This low-budget flick is a compelling showcase for all involved, despite the strange story and claustrophobic set. The ending seems a tad theatrical, but the plot evolves nicely. Letts allows you to really empathize with the pain of Bugs' lead characters, who are both realistic people living on the margins of society. They're desperately hanging on to their last shred of dignity and feeling beaten down by some evil force; it was weird, but I bought into it.

A press-pass wanderer such as I can examine unhindered all the secret halls of the Arclight Theatre, including the rooftop, with its panoramic view of Hollywood. The bad news is that you might be tempted to hang out all night with the foreign filmmakers, compete in an air guitar contest hosted by the Cinema Lounge (hosted by the crew from the Air Guitar Nation documentary), drinking complimentary vodka before crowding all your new friends into Moviefone's photo booth to take pictures or videos to email home.

I was finally lured out to attend several parties, including one for Broken, with the beautiful Heather Graham standing guard (with only three handlers as company) because the press already had their story and mere mortals were presumably too dazzled to approach her. The hors d'oeuvres were delicious at the Venus party thrown by Miramax, even if I have no idea what it was they were actually serving (the names were quite exotic, though) as I chatted with some ICM agents and admire the attire of the talented star Jodie Whittaker (Venus).

Of course, what would an industry party be without gossip? I also heard some screenwriting tips about Canadian production from a young aspiring actor. Apparently, a governing film board invents stories and then hires writers to pen them. We're trying to get more information on this scenario, and will let you know what we hear.

The best party of the week was thrown by producers of After… (written by David L. Cunningham and Kevin Miller, and directed by Cunningham), an intriguing sci-fi thriller about three adventure seekers who get caught in Stalin's secret Metro station, although the plot seems to suffer from budgetary restrictions. At some point the script seems lost, and actors appear and disappear without clear introductions or exits. It seems most of the money went into After…'s great all-night party held in a huge tent. Food and drink flowed freely throughout the night, which seemed to work; writer Kevin Miller emailed me to say he heard three distributors made offers for the film by week's end.

Best highlight of the week: chatting with Peter Bogdanovich before Sacred Monsters, his incredible comedic lecture-slash-performance on filmmaking. He patted my arm affectionately when I reminded him of the small part I did in his 1993 dramedy about the country music business, The Thing Called Love. Then we mused on the 35 years since AFI's predecessor, FILM-EX, kicked off with Bogdanovich's classic 1971 film, The Last Picture Show.

"Does it seem that long?" I asked him.

"No, it seems more like ten," he retorted good-naturedly.

Bogdanovich stated that his next project is a docu on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. And what does he like best about documentaries? "You don't have to worry about actors forgetting their lines."

Later, Bogdanovich took the stage and spoke about many directors from the Golden Age of Cinema. My favorite quote was a line from Jimmy Stewart: "Movies capture little pieces of time the audience never forgets."

The American Film Institute Festival captures its own intimate moments of Hollywood history, past and present. I witnessed Ashley Judd host a midnight Q and A after I literally ran into Bug director William Friedkin (The Exorcist) in the hallway -- he gave me his own ticket to the screening!

If you have a week to spend on a work/vacation in Los Angeles, I would highly recommend the AFI festival as a great way to combine both pastimes. There are not many places where you can buy a $10.00 ticket, see a world premiere, and rub shoulders with the film business elite. Be aware that there are not a lot of panels here; the education is embodied in the real-life experiences of the writers, directors, actors, and producers doing what they do best: displaying their work for a select few moviegoers, and trying to create a positive buzz before it reaches the marketplace. For those films that do generate excitement, it is a delicious experience. And for those that didn't, well, it was a swell party.

Deirdre McGill is a graduate of Connecticut College and California State University with degrees in English, theatre arts, and education. She is a professional singer/actress/playwright and the author of the screenplay Envy.

Babel courtesy Paramount Classics
Pan's Labyrinth courtesy Picturehouse

The Fountain courtesy Warner Bros.

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