If you're an award-nominated starlet, one of the things to worry about besides struggling with fame or having your purse stolen is when your notoriously provocative director decides to "joke" about his Nazi and Hitler sympathies during a Cannes Film Festival press conference. And if you're Kirsten Dunst, you react by squirming and wincing and just plain hoping he'll shut up. The Telegraph posted video of Lars Von Trier's now-infamous comments, with Dunst, who stars in his new film, next to him.
Video: Watch Kirsten Dunst Cringe As Lars Von Trier Makes Nazi Comments/Jokes
Movie Awards Buzz Has Begun
It's December today and you know what that means...let the rampant awards season speculation commence! As the year comes to a close, it's that magical time when all of the movie studios begin unloading their most precious commodities into our theaters, making sure things come out in New York (and LA) before Dec. 31 so they'll be eligible for this year's Academy Awards. But of course, we're still weeks away from any nomination announcements for the Oscars. Heck, even the Golden Globes noms are still but a fantasy of a date marked with a big red X on the calendar. (Okay, fine they'll be broadcast on December 14th. It's closer than it seems.)
Halfway Through the New York Film Fest
We've reached the midpoint of this year's 44th annual New York Film Festival but there's still plenty of stellar cinema to come. Here's a few flicks Gothamist has caught that we've loved.
The Cinecultist's Weekly Movie Picks: Repulsive Edition
International cinema circles may be buzzing today about the announced line-up of films at this year's Cannes Film Festival but for those of us who won't be walking the Croisette in May, there's still plenty to be excited about movie-wise. Here's a few suggestions for your moviegoing this weekend.
The Cinecultist's Weekly Movie Picks: Auteurs Edition
For New York moviegoers, this is a good week for those who worship at the cult of the director. In both the theatrical releases and the repertory columns, film fans of various established and up in coming auteurs will surely get their fill.
Weekend Movies: An ape and a blonde thought they'd go ice skating when ...
The obvious 800-pound, 2000-pound or even 20-ton gorilla in the room is anyway. Just brave the crowds and get it over with already.
Weekly Movie Guide
Once again, movie lovers have plenty to rejoice about over the next week. Three international heavyweights have new releases and we're not including Jodie Foster going crazy on an airplane in that equation. One of New York's most important production companies gets saluted at MoMA plus there's this little thing starting at Lincoln Center tomorrow night which should dominate much of the city's film landscape for the coming fortnight just as it does this week's .
Gothamist Contest: See Oldboy Friday Night
We've been hearing amazing things about Oldboy since it won last year's Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix, for being innovative and daring with its storytelling (our own Karen Wilson says, "This is one of those movies like Memento or Irreversible that the cineastes in your world will be rabidly debating around the watercooler") but Gothamist has had to wait. Oldboy opens in theaters on March 25, but you don't have to wait until then: Gothamist is having a contest to give away tickets to an Oldboy screening on Friday (3/18) night!
Not Such Sweet Revenge
A middle-aged man, drunk out of his mind causes a ruckus in a small police station, tearing up the place and abusing the police officers. When his friend finally comes to bail him out, the two step out of the rain and into a payphone to call the drunk man's daughter for her birthday. But when the friend turns away for just a moment, the man has disappeared.
Kickoff of the 42nd New York Film Festival
This weekend begins the 42nd New York Film Festival presented by the Film Society at Lincoln Center and it's 17 days of international films, new pictures from old favorites and introductions to unsung artists.
So Very Happy Together
Once the beauty and longing of Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai's films get their hooks into you, it's difficult to break free. And really, who would want to? Gothamist knows we're a willing captive to his emotionally distant characters, sumptuous settings and deliberate pacing.
Cannes Loves Michael Moore
Others prizes: Grand prize (like a runner-up prize) to Korean film Old Boy, director Park Chan-Wook; actress Maggie Cheung in Olivier Assayas' Clean; actor Yuuya Yagira in Hirokazu Kore-eda's Nobody Knows (Yagira wasn't able to accept because he had to go back to Japan for exams!); director Tony Gatlif for Exils; screenplay Agnes Jaoui and Jean Pierre Bacri for Comme une Image, which Jaoui directed; and special prizes to (1) Irma P. Hall in The Ladykillers and (2) the Thai film Tropical Malady by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. See full list of prize winners here. And Gothamist on Cannes 2004.
Cannes Do
This year's competition jury has three Americans: Novelist Edwidge Danticat, Kathleen Turner, and Quentin Tarantino, who is the chair and has already been on a Cannes panel about piracy: "I would be a liar if I was to say, across the board, no piracy."
Mystic River
Someday, Gothamist will go to the Cannes Film Festival. But until then, we will continue to get excited about films that premiere there and eagerly await for them to come Stateside. Like Mystic River, Clint Eastwood's adaptation of Dennis Lehane's bestselling novel. Gothamist had heard how wonderful a book Mystic River was ("Don't mind the 'New York Times Bestseller' and mass-market paperback size, Jen."), both in terms of the thrill and emotional story telling. It is a solidly written, haunting book about three friends whose "lives change forever" when one is kidnapped but returned a few days later; the friends reunite when one's daughter is found murdered.
Matrix Reloaded: 45 Days to go
The Matrix Reloaded will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival this May. It will be shown out of competition on the same day it's released around the world, May 15.

