Nyff 2013

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Arnaud Desplechin: Jimmy P., Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013)

An adaptation of a well-known work from 1951 by Georges Devereux, about the Jewish-Hungarian adopted French anthropologist and psychiatrist's treatment of a war-damaged Native American (he'd had a cranial injury in Europe) sent to Karl Menninger's Topeka Winter Hospital. Starring Matthieu Amalric and Benicio Del Toro as the doctor and patient, respectively. Desplechin's first film in English. Debuted at Cannes.

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Corneliu Corumboiu: When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism (2013)

Romanian blunt realism is dropped in favor of dry conceptualism. References to chopsticks and Antonioni abound. A director's off hours dealt with ironically and formally in eight eleven-minute reels, because the director (for this is a self-referential piece) must work within the traditional temporal confines of film where alone he feels at home.

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Tsai Ming-liang: Stray Dogs (2013)

A non-narrative study, much involved with wandering, standing, staring, sleeping, eating, and relieving oneself (but that makes it sound too exciting!), of a family of marginal people living on the edges of Taipei. Admirers of Tsai see this, perhaps his most austere film yet, as a wonder of formal perfection. Alas, for me it seemed like nothing but slow torture designed to put one off film-watching and festivals.

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Jehane Noujaim: The Square (2013)

Noujaim (THE CONTROL ROOM) has made a thrilling and moving account of the main events of the Egyptian revolution of January 2011 and its aftermath from the point of view of half a dozen ordinary, yet qutie extraordinary, people who participated and were in Midan Tahrir during the events and whose lives have been changed forever by them. Larger political complexities and some of the historical details are missing at some points, but this remains a remarkable document and political filmmaking such as one rarely gets a chance to witness. Surely Noujaim's most accomplished work yet, perhaps ever.

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Agnieszka Holland: Burning Bush (2013)

Agnieszka Holland's superb three-part HBO Europe miniseries, this year's Czech Best Foreign Oscar entry, is a picture of events in Czechoslovakia following a dramatic act of protest in 1969.

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Catherine Breillat: Abuse of Weakness (2013)

She was herself yet not herself, says the conned artist in Breillat's neat, elegant memoir in which Isabelle Huppert brilliantly plays the filmmaker, who really had this experience. After a serious stroke, semi-disabled, she discovered a jailbird and con man on late night TV who would be perfect to play that kind of character in her next film. She contacts him, and he begins to be indispensable, and eventually cons her out of nearly €1 million.

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Joel, Ethan Coen: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

A musical film follows the winter Odyssey of a young folksinger in 1961 New York, said to be based on Dave von Ronk, broke, out of luck, with a trip to Chicago, couch surfing, and dead ends in his recording career.

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Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson: American Promise (2013)

Following the Michael Apted "Up" principle but focusing on their own son and one other boy, African-American filmmakers provide a rich chronicle of Idris Brewster and Seun Sommers over a 12-year period, from age 5 to age 18, from kindergarten at the prestigious Manhattan Dalton School till they go their separate ways in high school and both are admitted as college freshmen. Issues of race, opportunity, competition and dozens of moments from the lives make this a rich human document. A PBS POV film coming in Feb. 2014.

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Paul Greengrass: Captain Phillips (2013)

Docudrama ace Greengrass films this feature of the first hijacking of a US ship in around 200 years, by Somalis, and Tom Hanks stars. The film excels as usual for the director in its violent action and vérité effects, but falters in its second half and is outshone by the Danish film A HIJACKING, about a similar incident, also involving Somali pirates, but featuring tense negotiations. The Americans just sent in the Navy. The gala opening night film of the NYFF, this was also the film's world premiere. Hanks does provide a memorably emotional finale.

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Declan Lowney: Alan Partridge (2013)

Steve Coogan stars in a broad English comedy expanding his egocentric comic character, a Norwich radio emcee, who gets to grandstand by playing negotiator/mediator when a rival, downsized at his suggestion, stages a siege. Armando Ianucci of THE THICK OF IT and IN THE LOOP is among the writers who contribute to the high-speed dialogue. The full original title of the film which opened in the UK this summer is ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA.

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agnès b.: My Name Is Hmmm. . . (2013)

The fashion brand name for Agnès Troublé, owner of the cosmetic and clothing business (it dressed RESERVOIR DOGS and KILL BILL), is responsible for this film about an 11-year-old French girl sexually abused by her father who runs away from home and goes on a ride with a Scottish truck driver through the south of France. The seriousness of the material and some name actors initially give weight to a film that seems otherwise too drawn out and self-consciously arty.

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Hany Abu-Assad: Omar (2013)

Palestinian territories' new Best Foreign Oscar entry, about suspicions and betrayals created by the situation of Arabs in Israel, centered on three young men who kill an Israeli soldier. Abu-Assad's first film set in Palestine since his PARADISE NOW (NYFF 2005)

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Poster outside Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center

Outstanding coverage, Chris. I'd love to see "Captain Phillips" and "Partridge" sounds like fun. I was a little confused about the country of origin for "Omar." Israel? "Jimmy P; Psychotherapy..." also looks intriguing. Your prose is elegant as usual.

Thanks Cinemabon for the compliments and most of all for following the NYFF coverage. You probably will see CAPTAIN PHILLIPS in a theater real soon. I've seen a trailer in NYC. JIMMY P. and ALAN PARTRIDGE, more iffy, but eventually on DVD for sure.

Quote:

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Hany Abu-Assad's Omar has been selected by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture as its entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. The political thriller debuted in the Cannes Un Certain Regard section where it received a Jury Prize. Abu-Assad's Paradise Now was nominated in the category in 2005.

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This is from the current FSLC website right now filmlinc. Maybe you didn't know The Palestinian Territories was a Best Foreign country designation. They've had six submissions since 2003. But the 2009 film AJAMI, which was jointly directed by an Israeli (Jew) and an Arab (Palestinian) was officially Israeli-produced and was Israel's Best Foreign submission that year. For the Palestine Best Foreign Oscar submissions go here List of Palestinian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

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Adam Bakri in OMAR