With reviews still coming in from Venice for Ramin Bahrani's latest, "At Any Price," critics largely seem to agree on one point — that the film carries with it a distinct vibe and feeling of classic cinema of yore. In our own breakdown of the film, our man on the Lido wrote the picture takes "the form of an good old-fashioned melodrama, closer to 'Giant' or 'Death Of A Salesman' then anything else," and in this first excerpt from the film, that sensation is palpable.
The film tells the story of a corn farmer (Quaid) who is struggling to save his farm in the midst of a government investigation, and ropes in his son (Efron) to try and save and take over the operation. But he has own dreams of being a NASCAR driver, and things ultimately lead to a clash between aspirations and generations. This first glimpse is pretty solid all around, with a tremendous unease and tension already being felt between father and son. As we noted in our review, Quaid "is truly the center of the film, and he’s honestly terrific from the first frame to the last." And certainly here, both earnest and heartbroken, he shines.
Sony Pictures Classics has picked up "At Any Price," which screens at Telluride this weekend and will also head to TIFF. No release date yet, but is Quaid putting himself in the Best Actor race? As more word comes in over the next week or so, we'll soon find out. [via The Film Stage]
