“Monrovia, Indiana”
Synopsis: The latest documentary from Frederick Wiseman takes a reflective look into the town of Monrovia, Indiana.
What You Need to Know: At the age of 88, Frederick Wiseman continues to stand as some of the most stylistic, insightful and culturally relevant filmmakers working today. From his debut with the highly controversial “Titicut Follies” — the 1967 film dealt with examining the Massachusetts’ Bridgewater State Hospital for the criminally insane — to his examination of Air Force personnel assigned to ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) silos in “Missile,” Wiseman’s films adapt an unobtrusive tact of showcasing the heart of America from the inside out through an unflinching, ambiguous lens. “I think I make movies,” Wiseman stated concerning his filmography that spans over the course of five decades “Years ago, the word ‘documentary’ carried the flavor of a prescription — [something] that you should watch because it was good for you, or would improve you in some way or another. I think I make dramatic, narrative movies that can be as funny, sad, or tragic as so-called normal, fiction films.” Keeping in line with Wiseman’s career-long theme of chronicling the roads less traveled, “Monrovia, Indiana” is sure to delight longtime fans of the director’s output.
Release Date: October 26 – JC
“Nuestro Tiempo” (“Our Time”)
Cast: Carlos Reygadas, Natalia López, Phil Burgers, Rut Reygadas
Synopsis: A family lives in the Mexican countryside raising fighting bulls. Esther is in charge of running the ranch, while her husband Juan, a world-renowned poet, raises and selects the beasts. When Esther becomes infatuated with a horse trainer named Phil, the couple struggles to stride through the emotional crisis.
What You Need To Know: Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas both directs and stars in his first feature film in six years. This family drama follows a couple maintaining an open marriage that begins to have problems when Esther (played by López) falls in love with someone else. With the stunning Mexican landscape serving as the backdrop, the film examines the complexities of love in an unconventional relationship. As a reflection of a loving relationship in today’s society, how do these relationships withstand this type of emotional conflict and survive?
Release Date: Not Announced – MO
“The Other Side of the Wind”
Cast: John Huston, Robert Random, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Strasberg, Oja Kodar
Synopsis: A legendary director named J.J. “Jake” Hannaford returns from years of semi-exile in Europe with plans to complete work on an innovative comeback movie.
What You Need to Know: Understanding the specifics of why Orson Welles’ long-lost masterpiece “The Other Side of the Wind” has yet to be released would be like a child trying to teach a graduate-level physics class. In other words, it is very complicated, with years of production issues and industry trickery being only the microscopic tip of the iceberg. Artistically, the plot itself is just as convoluted, though the story has been previously described as an experimentally edited meta-narrative. Adding to the film’s mystique are the individuals chosen for private screenings of a rough cut, which ranges from Paul Thomas Anderson and Rian Johnson to Quentin Tarantino and Crispin Glover, though all parties have remained relatively tight-lipped on details. Nevertheless, thanks to Netflix, the finished product will soon be seen by those attending the Venice Film Festival before it is uploaded onto the streaming platform later this year. Although the issue of whether or not the film should have been completed in Welles’ passing has come into question over the years, the prospect of finally viewing the project in its completed glory is arguably one of this decade’s most exciting cinematic events. God bless you, Netflix.
Release Date: November 2 – JC
“The Sisters Brothers”
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed
Synopsis: Two ne’er-do-well sibling assassins (Phoenix and Reilly) cavort with Gyllenhaal, who robbed their benefactor, and Ahmed, a scientist with a knack for finding gold. Double-and-triple crossings are in the forecast.
What You Need to Know: If that delightfully demented trailer or that illustrious cast aren’t enough to get you excited for “The Sisters Brothers,” this is “A Prophet” director Jacques Audiard’s English-language debut. He chose a dark western comedy to make his mark on American audiences and fielded one of the best ensembles of 2018 to do it. Sure, there’s potential for one of those “too much build-up, not enough follow-through” moments to strike here, as there are in every festival run, but that trailer just looks too good to miss. Here’s hoping we get something totally outside of the Academy’s ballpark and primed for repeated cinema nerd viewings; a grimy, dilapidated delight that harkens back to the gallows humor and aura of the best 60s and 70s revisionist westerns. Let’s make Sam Peckinpah proud, shall we?
Release Date: September 21 – CW
“At Eternity’s Gate”
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Mads Mikkelsen, Oscar Isaac, & Emmanuelle Seigner
Synopsis: A drama about the turbulent, tragic last days of artist Vincent Van Gogh.
What You Need To Know: Filmed on location in the same sleepy French towns that Vincent Van Gogh wandered through in the last days of his life, “At Eternity’s Gate” is yet another exploration of one of history’s most famous and enigmatic artistic figures. Van Gogh’s story is a tough one to crack with cinematic tools, as he lived a largely disappointing life that ended badly for him. This doesn’t make for the most engaging viewing experience, yet Vincent’s story continues to capture the imagination of new generations enthralled by his work, and the tragic story surrounding it. Willem Dafoe stars as Van Gogh, and were it any other actor, one might question if a 63-year-old can convincingly play someone at 37. Yet this is Dafoe, one of the finest actors working today, so if anyone can pull this off, it’s Scorsese’s Jesus. Directed by Julian Schnabel (“Basquiat” & “Before Night Falls”), who is no stranger to the European festival circuit with a Cannes Best Director and Venice Grand Jury Prize in his pocket, “At Eternity’s Gate” should benefit from no shortage of buzz and attention.
Release Date: TBD November – Warren Cantrell
Plenty more in the Venice lineup which you can see here, including films by Pablo Trapero, Zhang Yimou, Emir Kusturica, Errol Morris, Frederick Wiseman, and Tsai Ming-Liang. Look for our Venice reviews this week, this weekend and next.
Check out all our coverage from the 2018 Venice Film Festival here.
