There are no cartoon Mean Girls here; instead, we get striking portraits of girls in pain, desperately grasping for coping mechanisms. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Don’t call what happens in this subtle drama of noxious female adolescence a witch hunt. It’s not that, except perhaps in the very loosest, most metaphoric sense; though grownups here worry about satanism and cult-like behavior among the kids, this is not a horror movie. The Sisterhood of Night is, rather, a bitch hunt of the sort that only teenaged girls can get up to.
But who is the “bitch” here? Is it Emily Parris (Kara Hayward: Moonrise Kingdom), who shames her fellow high-schooler Mary Warren (Georgie Henley: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) by...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Don’t call what happens in this subtle drama of noxious female adolescence a witch hunt. It’s not that, except perhaps in the very loosest, most metaphoric sense; though grownups here worry about satanism and cult-like behavior among the kids, this is not a horror movie. The Sisterhood of Night is, rather, a bitch hunt of the sort that only teenaged girls can get up to.
But who is the “bitch” here? Is it Emily Parris (Kara Hayward: Moonrise Kingdom), who shames her fellow high-schooler Mary Warren (Georgie Henley: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) by...
- 6/23/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
*Updated* This April, genre fans have a lot of interesting films arriving on VOD and Digital Platforms to look forward to, including the highly-anticipated directorial debut from Ryan Gosling, Lost River, which Warner Bros. is set to release on the 10th.
The very same day, IFC Films is debuting the latest from filmmaker John McNaughton- The Harvest- who is the same visionary behind the visceral cult classic Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer starring Michael Rooker. FilmBuff will also be busy on April 10th as they’re releasing The Reconstruction of William Zero, an indie sci-fi thriller starring Amy Seimetz (Tiny Furniture), Melissa McBride (The Walking Dead), Aj Bowen (You're Next), and newcomer Conal Byrne.
April is also chock-full of genre entertainment choices from Uncork’d Entertainment and we’ve also got several indie horror titles making their way to digital as well including the latest from Dark Sky Films,...
The very same day, IFC Films is debuting the latest from filmmaker John McNaughton- The Harvest- who is the same visionary behind the visceral cult classic Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer starring Michael Rooker. FilmBuff will also be busy on April 10th as they’re releasing The Reconstruction of William Zero, an indie sci-fi thriller starring Amy Seimetz (Tiny Furniture), Melissa McBride (The Walking Dead), Aj Bowen (You're Next), and newcomer Conal Byrne.
April is also chock-full of genre entertainment choices from Uncork’d Entertainment and we’ve also got several indie horror titles making their way to digital as well including the latest from Dark Sky Films,...
- 4/21/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Caryn Waechter's restless modern-day teen witch-trial drama has more to recommend it than you might expect for a film whose central suspense is based on a miserable cheat. Her witches — or are they? — are a small-town high school's too-cool mean girls and its outcasts, and Waechter and her cast string together many moments of quick, lancing insight, all distinguished by wide-ranging empathy. It's the string those moments dangle on that's the problem. An adaptation of a Steven Millhauser short story, Sisterhood drags out to feature length a mystery that's best handled in just a couple pages.
Gently goth-y Mary Warren (Georgie Henley), a young woman who has mastered the trick of making her coolness look like an accident, unplugs from social media t...
Gently goth-y Mary Warren (Georgie Henley), a young woman who has mastered the trick of making her coolness look like an accident, unplugs from social media t...
- 4/8/2015
- Village Voice
Summer blockbuster season is just around the corner, but there's no need to wait until then to see a great movie. April brings us a wide variety of women-centric projects, as well as quite a few films helmed and/or written by women.
The month starts off with "Woman in Gold," starring Helen Mirren as a Jewish woman on a journey to recover her family's heirlooms, which was stolen by the Nazis. It's based on a true story, and Mirren roots the film with her powerful presence. "Closer to the Moon" is another WWII-era drama set for an April release, this one based on the crime capers of a group of Jewish resistance fighters a few years after the end of the war. "Marie's Story" is another period piece, centering around the efforts of a 19th-century nun to help a girl born blind and deaf.
There are a few more women-focused dramas being released in April, including the much-buzzed "Clouds of Sils Maria," which garnered Kristen Stewart the prestigious Cesar Award for supporting actress. Stewart has made waves for being the first American actress to win the French award, and the film looks to capitalize on that with its American release. “Félix & Meira" is another award-winner coming out this month. The Best Canadian Feature from the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival aims to make its mark with the story of an unconventional and radical love affair, one that reaches across racial and religious lines. "About Elly" also confronts cultural biases with its depiction of Iran's upper middle class.
"Effie Gray" tackles the sexual politics of the Victorian era, and with a screenplay from Emma Thompson, it's sure to be intriguing as well as quick-witted. Speaking of intriguing, "The Age of Adaline" follows a woman who mysteriously stopped aging eight decades ago. Blake Lively centers the film as Adaline, struggling with love and trust and all the other things that might follow when one lives seemingly forever.
Courteney Cox makes her big-screen directorial debut (the actress has previously directed episodes of "Cougar Town," which she stars in) with "Just Before I Go," and screenwiter Gren Wells makes hers as well with "The Road Within." Director Mia Hansen-løve ("Goodbye First Love") directs Greta Gerwig in "Eden," a look at the rise of French electronic music in the 90s.
The month will also see the release of a few very different documentaries. "The Hand That Feeds" focuses on undocumented immigrants struggling to form an independent union, while "Iris" follows 93-year-old Iris Apfel, a flamboyant New York City fashion icon. "Antarctic Edge: 70° South" is focused on the changing climate of the Antarctic's Peninsula and was made with the collaboration of Rutgers University students and scientists.
We'll also see comedic projects featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("Alex of Venice") and Rose Byrne ("Adult Beginners"). Nia Vardalos returns to the screen with a role in "Helicopter Mom," which promises an outrageous performance from the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star. "Sweet Lorraine" and "Farah Goes Bang" round out the women-centric comedy offerings of the month.
Here are all the women-centric films opening in the month of April. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.
April 1
Woman in Gold
"Woman in Gold" is the remarkable true story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I." Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), she embarks upon a major battle, which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.
April 3
The Hand That Feeds (doc) - Co-Written and Co-Directed by Rachel Lears
At a popular bakery café, residents of New York’s Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. But behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery, and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick. Mild-mannered sandwich maker Mahoma López has never been interested in politics, but in January 2012 he convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back.
Risking deportation and the loss of their livelihood, the workers team up with a diverse crew of innovative young organizers and take the unusual step of forming their own independent union, launching themselves on a journey that will test the limits of their resolve. In one roller-coaster year, they must overcome a shocking betrayal and a two-month lockout. Lawyers will battle in back rooms, Occupy Wall Street protesters will take over the restaurant, and a picket line will divide the neighborhood. If they can win a contract, it will set a historic precedent for low-wage workers across the country. But whatever happens, Mahoma and his coworkers will never be exploited again.
Effie Gray - Written by Emma Thompson
In her original screenplay “Effie Gray,” Emma Thompson takes a bold look at the real-life story of the Effie Gray-John Ruskin marriage, while courageously exposing what was truly hiding behind the veil of their public life. Set in a time when neither divorce nor gay marriage were an option, “Effie Gray” is the story of a young woman (Dakota Fanning) coming of age and finding her own voice in a world where women were expected to be seen but not heard. “Effie Gray” explores the roots of sexual intolerance, which continue to have a stronghold today, while shedding light on the marital politics of the Victorian era.
April 8
About Elly
As with director Asghar Farhadi's better-known films, “About Elly” concerns the affluent, well-educated, cultured, and only marginally religious members of Iran's upper-middle class. Elly (Taraneh Alidoosti), a pretty young woman invited as a possible romantic interest for one of the newly single men among this group, disappears suddenly without a trace. The festive atmosphere quickly turns frantic as friends accuse one another of responsibility. Plot-wise, Farhadi's drama has been compared to “L’Avventura”; but the film is less concerned with Elly's disappearance per se than with exploring the intricate mechanisms of deceit, brutality, and betrayal which come into play when ordinary circumstances take a tragic turn.
April 10
Clouds of Sils Maria
At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then, she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena. She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria; a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chloë Grace Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.
The Sisterhood of Night - Directed by Caryn Waechter and Written by Marilyn Fu
Based on the short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser, "The Sisterhood of Night" is a story of friendship and loyalty set against the backdrop of a modern-day Salem witch trial. Shot on location in Kingston, NY, the film chronicles a group of girls who have slipped out of the world of social media into a mysterious world deep in the woods. The tale begins when Emily Parris (Kara Hayward) exposes a secret society of teenage girls. Accusing them of committing sexually deviant acts, Emily’s allegations throw their small American town into the national media spotlight. The mystery deepens when each of the accused takes a vow of silence. What follows is a chronicle of three girls’ unique and provocative alternative to the loneliness of adolescence, revealing the tragedy and humor of teenage years changed forever by the Internet age.
Farah Goes Bang - Directed by Meera Menon, Written by Laura Goode and Meera Menon
A road-trip comedy that centers on Farah (Nikohl Boosheri), a twenty-something woman who tries to lose her virginity while campaigning for John Kerry in 2004. Farah and her friends K.J. and Roopa follow the campaign trail to Ohio, seizing this charged moment in their lives and the life of their country.
April 17
Closer to the Moon
Set in 1959 Bucharest, “Closer to the Moon” opens as the crime is hatched and executed by old friends from the WWII Jewish Resistance, who seek to recapture the excitement of their glory days. Led by a chief police inspector (Mark Strong) and a political academic (Vera Farmiga), the quintet also includes a respected history professor (Christian McKay), a hotshot reporter (Joe Armstrong), and a space scientist (Tim Plester). Their postwar influence fading amid an ongoing Stalinist purge of Jews and intellectuals, the disillusioned gang retaliates by hijacking a van delivering cash to the Romanian National Bank, staging the robbery to make it look like a movie shoot. Caught and convicted in a kangaroo court, the culprits, with help from an eyewitness (Harry Lloyd) to the robbery, are forced to reenact their crime in a devious anti-Semitic propaganda film.
Felix & Meira
Winner of Best Canadian Feature at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, “Félix & Meira” is the story of an unconventional romance between two people living vastly different realities mere blocks away from one another. Each lost in their everyday lives, Meira (Hadas Yaron), a Hasidic Jewish wife and mother, and Félix (Martin Dubreuil), a Secular loner mourning the recent death of his estranged father, unexpectedly meet in a local bakery in Montreal's Mile End district. What starts as an innocent friendship becomes more serious as the two wayward strangers find comfort in one another. As Felix opens Meira's eyes to the world outside of her tight-knit Orthodox community, her desire for change becomes harder for her to ignore, ultimately forcing her to choose: remain in the life that she knows or give it all up to be with Félix.
Alex of Venice - Co-Written by Jessica Goldberg and Katie Nehra
In “Alex of Venice,” workaholic environmental attorney Alex Vedder (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Chris Messina) suddenly leaves the family. Dealing with an aging father (Don Johnson) who still aspires to succeed as an actor, an eccentric sister (Katie Nehra), and an extremely shy son (Skylar Gaertner), Alex is bombarded with everything from the mundane to hilariously catastrophic events without a shoulder to lean on. Realizing she will thrive with or without her husband, Alex discovers her hidden vulnerability as well as her inner strength as she fights to keep her family intact in the midst of the most demanding and important case of her career.
Cas & Dylan - Written by Jessie Gabe
When 61-year-old self-proclaimed loner and terminally ill Dr. Cas Pepper (Richard Dreyfuss) reluctantly agrees to give 22-year-old social misfit Dyland Morgan (Tatiana Maslany) a very short lift home, the last thing he anticipates is that he will strike her angry boyfriend with his car, find himself on the lam, and ultimately drive across the country with an aspiring young writer determined to help him overcome his own bizarre case of suicide-note writer's block. But as fate would have it, that is exactly what happens. Suddenly Cas's solo one-way trip out West isn't so solo. With Dylan at his side, the two take off on an adventure that will open their eyes to some of life's lessons -- both big and small.
Antarctic Edge: 70° South (doc) - Directed by Dena Seidel
Dena Seidel’s documentary not only offers rare, beautifully shot footage of West Antarctic Pennisula's rapidly changing environment, studying the connections that reveal the concrete impact of climate change; it is also a one-of-a-kind collaboration between the Rutgers University Film Bureau and the Rutgers Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences and contains interviews and insights from some of the world’s leading ocean researchers. It is a fascinating look at their life’s work trying to understand how to maintain our planet.
The Road Within - Written and Directed by Gren Wells
Vincent (Robert Sheehan), a young man with Tourette's syndrome, faces drastic changes after his mother dies. Because his politician father is too ashamed of the disorder to have Vincent accompany him on the campaign, Vincent is shuttled off to an unconventional clinic. There he finds unexpected community with an obsessive-compulsive roommate and an anorexic young woman, and romance eventually -- and uneasily -- follows.
One of Variety's "10 Directors to Watch," screenwriter Gren Wells makes her directorial debut with this ambitious yet light-hearted coming-of-age tale about the potent medicine we all carry within ourselves. The film is packed with a talented ensemble, from emerging talents Zoë Kravitz, Dev Patel, and Sheehan to beloved veterans Kyra Sedgwick and Robert Patrick.
April 23
Sweet Lorraine
The double life of a Methodist minister's wife (played by Tatum O'Neal) catches up to her, as her husband campaigns for mayor in a small New Jersey town.
April 24
Just Before I Go - Directed by Courtney Cox
Ted Morgan (Seann William Scott) has been treading water for most of his life. After his wife leaves him, Ted realizes he has nothing left to live for. Summoning the courage for one last act, Ted decides to go home and face the people he feels are responsible for creating the shell of a person he has become. But life is tricky. The more determined Ted is to confront his demons, to get closure, and to withdraw from his family, the more Ted is yanked into the chaos of their lives. So, when Ted Morgan decides to kill himself, he finds a reason to live.
The Age of Adaline
After miraculously remaining 29-years-old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.
Adult Beginners - Co-Written by Liz Flahive (Simultaneously releasing to VOD)
A young, hipster entrepreneur (Nick Kroll) crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister (Rose Byrne), brother-in-law (Bobby Cannavale), and three-year-old nephew in the suburbs – only to become their manny. Faced with real responsibility, he may finally have to grow up – but not without some bad behavior first.
Eden - Directed and Co-Written by Mia Hansen-løve
The film follows the life of a French DJ who's credited with inventing "French house" or the "French touch," a type of French electronic music that became popular in the 1990s. Greta Gerwig costars. (IMDb)
24 Days - Co-Written by Emilie Frèche
January 20, 2006: After dinner with his family, Ilan Halimi (Syrus Shahidi) gets a call from a beautiful girl who had approached him at work and makes plans to meet her for coffee. Ilan didn't suspect a thing. He was 23 and had his whole life ahead of him. The next time Ilan's family heard from him was through a cryptic online message from kidnappers demanding a ransom in exchange for their son's life. (IMDb)
Helicopter Mom - Directed by Salomé Breziner
An overbearing mom (Nia Vardalos) decides that college would be more affordable if her son were to win an Lgbt scholarship, so she outs him to his entire high school. However, he might not be gay. (Rotten Tomatoes)
April 29
Iris (doc) (Opening in New York City)
"Iris" pairs legendary 87-year-old documentarian Albert Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even in Iris' dotage, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. "Iris" portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art, and people are life's sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment. Despite the abundance of glamour in her current life, she continues to embrace the values and work ethic established during a middle-class Queens upbringing during the Great Depression.
April 30
Marie’s Story
At the turn of the 19th century, a humble artisan and his wife have a daughter, Marie (Ariana Rivoire), who is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her. Desperate to find a connection to their daughter and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins send fourteen-year-old Marie to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite (Isabelle Carré) sees in Marie a unique potential, and despite her Mother Superior's (Brigitte Catillon) skepticism, vows to bring the wild young thing out of the darkness into which she was born. Based on true events, “Marie's Story” recounts the courageous journey of a young nun and the lives she would change forever, confronting failures and discouragement with joyous faith and love. (Film Movement)...
The month starts off with "Woman in Gold," starring Helen Mirren as a Jewish woman on a journey to recover her family's heirlooms, which was stolen by the Nazis. It's based on a true story, and Mirren roots the film with her powerful presence. "Closer to the Moon" is another WWII-era drama set for an April release, this one based on the crime capers of a group of Jewish resistance fighters a few years after the end of the war. "Marie's Story" is another period piece, centering around the efforts of a 19th-century nun to help a girl born blind and deaf.
There are a few more women-focused dramas being released in April, including the much-buzzed "Clouds of Sils Maria," which garnered Kristen Stewart the prestigious Cesar Award for supporting actress. Stewart has made waves for being the first American actress to win the French award, and the film looks to capitalize on that with its American release. “Félix & Meira" is another award-winner coming out this month. The Best Canadian Feature from the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival aims to make its mark with the story of an unconventional and radical love affair, one that reaches across racial and religious lines. "About Elly" also confronts cultural biases with its depiction of Iran's upper middle class.
"Effie Gray" tackles the sexual politics of the Victorian era, and with a screenplay from Emma Thompson, it's sure to be intriguing as well as quick-witted. Speaking of intriguing, "The Age of Adaline" follows a woman who mysteriously stopped aging eight decades ago. Blake Lively centers the film as Adaline, struggling with love and trust and all the other things that might follow when one lives seemingly forever.
Courteney Cox makes her big-screen directorial debut (the actress has previously directed episodes of "Cougar Town," which she stars in) with "Just Before I Go," and screenwiter Gren Wells makes hers as well with "The Road Within." Director Mia Hansen-løve ("Goodbye First Love") directs Greta Gerwig in "Eden," a look at the rise of French electronic music in the 90s.
The month will also see the release of a few very different documentaries. "The Hand That Feeds" focuses on undocumented immigrants struggling to form an independent union, while "Iris" follows 93-year-old Iris Apfel, a flamboyant New York City fashion icon. "Antarctic Edge: 70° South" is focused on the changing climate of the Antarctic's Peninsula and was made with the collaboration of Rutgers University students and scientists.
We'll also see comedic projects featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("Alex of Venice") and Rose Byrne ("Adult Beginners"). Nia Vardalos returns to the screen with a role in "Helicopter Mom," which promises an outrageous performance from the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star. "Sweet Lorraine" and "Farah Goes Bang" round out the women-centric comedy offerings of the month.
Here are all the women-centric films opening in the month of April. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.
April 1
Woman in Gold
"Woman in Gold" is the remarkable true story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I." Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), she embarks upon a major battle, which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.
April 3
The Hand That Feeds (doc) - Co-Written and Co-Directed by Rachel Lears
At a popular bakery café, residents of New York’s Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. But behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery, and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick. Mild-mannered sandwich maker Mahoma López has never been interested in politics, but in January 2012 he convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back.
Risking deportation and the loss of their livelihood, the workers team up with a diverse crew of innovative young organizers and take the unusual step of forming their own independent union, launching themselves on a journey that will test the limits of their resolve. In one roller-coaster year, they must overcome a shocking betrayal and a two-month lockout. Lawyers will battle in back rooms, Occupy Wall Street protesters will take over the restaurant, and a picket line will divide the neighborhood. If they can win a contract, it will set a historic precedent for low-wage workers across the country. But whatever happens, Mahoma and his coworkers will never be exploited again.
Effie Gray - Written by Emma Thompson
In her original screenplay “Effie Gray,” Emma Thompson takes a bold look at the real-life story of the Effie Gray-John Ruskin marriage, while courageously exposing what was truly hiding behind the veil of their public life. Set in a time when neither divorce nor gay marriage were an option, “Effie Gray” is the story of a young woman (Dakota Fanning) coming of age and finding her own voice in a world where women were expected to be seen but not heard. “Effie Gray” explores the roots of sexual intolerance, which continue to have a stronghold today, while shedding light on the marital politics of the Victorian era.
April 8
About Elly
As with director Asghar Farhadi's better-known films, “About Elly” concerns the affluent, well-educated, cultured, and only marginally religious members of Iran's upper-middle class. Elly (Taraneh Alidoosti), a pretty young woman invited as a possible romantic interest for one of the newly single men among this group, disappears suddenly without a trace. The festive atmosphere quickly turns frantic as friends accuse one another of responsibility. Plot-wise, Farhadi's drama has been compared to “L’Avventura”; but the film is less concerned with Elly's disappearance per se than with exploring the intricate mechanisms of deceit, brutality, and betrayal which come into play when ordinary circumstances take a tragic turn.
April 10
Clouds of Sils Maria
At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then, she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena. She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria; a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chloë Grace Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.
The Sisterhood of Night - Directed by Caryn Waechter and Written by Marilyn Fu
Based on the short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser, "The Sisterhood of Night" is a story of friendship and loyalty set against the backdrop of a modern-day Salem witch trial. Shot on location in Kingston, NY, the film chronicles a group of girls who have slipped out of the world of social media into a mysterious world deep in the woods. The tale begins when Emily Parris (Kara Hayward) exposes a secret society of teenage girls. Accusing them of committing sexually deviant acts, Emily’s allegations throw their small American town into the national media spotlight. The mystery deepens when each of the accused takes a vow of silence. What follows is a chronicle of three girls’ unique and provocative alternative to the loneliness of adolescence, revealing the tragedy and humor of teenage years changed forever by the Internet age.
Farah Goes Bang - Directed by Meera Menon, Written by Laura Goode and Meera Menon
A road-trip comedy that centers on Farah (Nikohl Boosheri), a twenty-something woman who tries to lose her virginity while campaigning for John Kerry in 2004. Farah and her friends K.J. and Roopa follow the campaign trail to Ohio, seizing this charged moment in their lives and the life of their country.
April 17
Closer to the Moon
Set in 1959 Bucharest, “Closer to the Moon” opens as the crime is hatched and executed by old friends from the WWII Jewish Resistance, who seek to recapture the excitement of their glory days. Led by a chief police inspector (Mark Strong) and a political academic (Vera Farmiga), the quintet also includes a respected history professor (Christian McKay), a hotshot reporter (Joe Armstrong), and a space scientist (Tim Plester). Their postwar influence fading amid an ongoing Stalinist purge of Jews and intellectuals, the disillusioned gang retaliates by hijacking a van delivering cash to the Romanian National Bank, staging the robbery to make it look like a movie shoot. Caught and convicted in a kangaroo court, the culprits, with help from an eyewitness (Harry Lloyd) to the robbery, are forced to reenact their crime in a devious anti-Semitic propaganda film.
Felix & Meira
Winner of Best Canadian Feature at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, “Félix & Meira” is the story of an unconventional romance between two people living vastly different realities mere blocks away from one another. Each lost in their everyday lives, Meira (Hadas Yaron), a Hasidic Jewish wife and mother, and Félix (Martin Dubreuil), a Secular loner mourning the recent death of his estranged father, unexpectedly meet in a local bakery in Montreal's Mile End district. What starts as an innocent friendship becomes more serious as the two wayward strangers find comfort in one another. As Felix opens Meira's eyes to the world outside of her tight-knit Orthodox community, her desire for change becomes harder for her to ignore, ultimately forcing her to choose: remain in the life that she knows or give it all up to be with Félix.
Alex of Venice - Co-Written by Jessica Goldberg and Katie Nehra
In “Alex of Venice,” workaholic environmental attorney Alex Vedder (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Chris Messina) suddenly leaves the family. Dealing with an aging father (Don Johnson) who still aspires to succeed as an actor, an eccentric sister (Katie Nehra), and an extremely shy son (Skylar Gaertner), Alex is bombarded with everything from the mundane to hilariously catastrophic events without a shoulder to lean on. Realizing she will thrive with or without her husband, Alex discovers her hidden vulnerability as well as her inner strength as she fights to keep her family intact in the midst of the most demanding and important case of her career.
Cas & Dylan - Written by Jessie Gabe
When 61-year-old self-proclaimed loner and terminally ill Dr. Cas Pepper (Richard Dreyfuss) reluctantly agrees to give 22-year-old social misfit Dyland Morgan (Tatiana Maslany) a very short lift home, the last thing he anticipates is that he will strike her angry boyfriend with his car, find himself on the lam, and ultimately drive across the country with an aspiring young writer determined to help him overcome his own bizarre case of suicide-note writer's block. But as fate would have it, that is exactly what happens. Suddenly Cas's solo one-way trip out West isn't so solo. With Dylan at his side, the two take off on an adventure that will open their eyes to some of life's lessons -- both big and small.
Antarctic Edge: 70° South (doc) - Directed by Dena Seidel
Dena Seidel’s documentary not only offers rare, beautifully shot footage of West Antarctic Pennisula's rapidly changing environment, studying the connections that reveal the concrete impact of climate change; it is also a one-of-a-kind collaboration between the Rutgers University Film Bureau and the Rutgers Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences and contains interviews and insights from some of the world’s leading ocean researchers. It is a fascinating look at their life’s work trying to understand how to maintain our planet.
The Road Within - Written and Directed by Gren Wells
Vincent (Robert Sheehan), a young man with Tourette's syndrome, faces drastic changes after his mother dies. Because his politician father is too ashamed of the disorder to have Vincent accompany him on the campaign, Vincent is shuttled off to an unconventional clinic. There he finds unexpected community with an obsessive-compulsive roommate and an anorexic young woman, and romance eventually -- and uneasily -- follows.
One of Variety's "10 Directors to Watch," screenwriter Gren Wells makes her directorial debut with this ambitious yet light-hearted coming-of-age tale about the potent medicine we all carry within ourselves. The film is packed with a talented ensemble, from emerging talents Zoë Kravitz, Dev Patel, and Sheehan to beloved veterans Kyra Sedgwick and Robert Patrick.
April 23
Sweet Lorraine
The double life of a Methodist minister's wife (played by Tatum O'Neal) catches up to her, as her husband campaigns for mayor in a small New Jersey town.
April 24
Just Before I Go - Directed by Courtney Cox
Ted Morgan (Seann William Scott) has been treading water for most of his life. After his wife leaves him, Ted realizes he has nothing left to live for. Summoning the courage for one last act, Ted decides to go home and face the people he feels are responsible for creating the shell of a person he has become. But life is tricky. The more determined Ted is to confront his demons, to get closure, and to withdraw from his family, the more Ted is yanked into the chaos of their lives. So, when Ted Morgan decides to kill himself, he finds a reason to live.
The Age of Adaline
After miraculously remaining 29-years-old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.
Adult Beginners - Co-Written by Liz Flahive (Simultaneously releasing to VOD)
A young, hipster entrepreneur (Nick Kroll) crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister (Rose Byrne), brother-in-law (Bobby Cannavale), and three-year-old nephew in the suburbs – only to become their manny. Faced with real responsibility, he may finally have to grow up – but not without some bad behavior first.
Eden - Directed and Co-Written by Mia Hansen-løve
The film follows the life of a French DJ who's credited with inventing "French house" or the "French touch," a type of French electronic music that became popular in the 1990s. Greta Gerwig costars. (IMDb)
24 Days - Co-Written by Emilie Frèche
January 20, 2006: After dinner with his family, Ilan Halimi (Syrus Shahidi) gets a call from a beautiful girl who had approached him at work and makes plans to meet her for coffee. Ilan didn't suspect a thing. He was 23 and had his whole life ahead of him. The next time Ilan's family heard from him was through a cryptic online message from kidnappers demanding a ransom in exchange for their son's life. (IMDb)
Helicopter Mom - Directed by Salomé Breziner
An overbearing mom (Nia Vardalos) decides that college would be more affordable if her son were to win an Lgbt scholarship, so she outs him to his entire high school. However, he might not be gay. (Rotten Tomatoes)
April 29
Iris (doc) (Opening in New York City)
"Iris" pairs legendary 87-year-old documentarian Albert Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even in Iris' dotage, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. "Iris" portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art, and people are life's sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment. Despite the abundance of glamour in her current life, she continues to embrace the values and work ethic established during a middle-class Queens upbringing during the Great Depression.
April 30
Marie’s Story
At the turn of the 19th century, a humble artisan and his wife have a daughter, Marie (Ariana Rivoire), who is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her. Desperate to find a connection to their daughter and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins send fourteen-year-old Marie to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite (Isabelle Carré) sees in Marie a unique potential, and despite her Mother Superior's (Brigitte Catillon) skepticism, vows to bring the wild young thing out of the darkness into which she was born. Based on true events, “Marie's Story” recounts the courageous journey of a young nun and the lives she would change forever, confronting failures and discouragement with joyous faith and love. (Film Movement)...
- 4/1/2015
- by Tory Kamen and Becca Rose
- Sydney's Buzz
Stephen Fingleton’s The Survivalist among titles.
K5 International has unveiled its Afm slate.
Oliver Simon and Daniel Baur’s company has acquired international rights to Stephen Fingleton’s thriller The Survivalist, starring Martin McCann and Mia Goth.
Shot entirely in Northern Ireland, the film is set in a time of starvation where a lone man living off a small plot of land begins to lose his grip on reality.
K5 will also bring Caryn Waechter’s The Sisterhood of Night to Afm, based on a short story by Pulitzer Price winning author Steven Millhauser about friendship and loyalty set against the backdrop of a modern-day Salem witch trial.
Also on the slate are German horror film Der Nachtmahr (The Nightmare) directed by artist and film-maker Akiz, Chet Baker project Born To Be Blue starring Ethan Hawke and Armie Hammer thriller Mine.
K5 International has unveiled its Afm slate.
Oliver Simon and Daniel Baur’s company has acquired international rights to Stephen Fingleton’s thriller The Survivalist, starring Martin McCann and Mia Goth.
Shot entirely in Northern Ireland, the film is set in a time of starvation where a lone man living off a small plot of land begins to lose his grip on reality.
K5 will also bring Caryn Waechter’s The Sisterhood of Night to Afm, based on a short story by Pulitzer Price winning author Steven Millhauser about friendship and loyalty set against the backdrop of a modern-day Salem witch trial.
Also on the slate are German horror film Der Nachtmahr (The Nightmare) directed by artist and film-maker Akiz, Chet Baker project Born To Be Blue starring Ethan Hawke and Armie Hammer thriller Mine.
- 11/4/2014
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
The Illusionist will be adapted for TV by The CW.
Neil Burger's 2006 movie starred Ed Norton, Jessica Biel and Paul Giamatti.
True Blood executive producer Mark Hudis will write the show, which will be produced by CBS Television Studios, Electus and Yari Film Group, Deadline reports.
It will be executive-produced by Hudis with Ben Silverman and Bob Yari.
The film itself was loosely based on Steven Millhauser's short story, Eisenheim the Illusionist.
Set in end-of-the-1800s Vienna, it centres around magician Eisenheim who uses his abilities to woo a duchess.
The CW's new version will be transplanted to New York, with the titular magician returning home from a decade in prison to discover his wife married to the crime boss who framed him.
He joins the crime organisation and rises through the ranks by using his skills to bring down the boss and win back his wife.
The...
Neil Burger's 2006 movie starred Ed Norton, Jessica Biel and Paul Giamatti.
True Blood executive producer Mark Hudis will write the show, which will be produced by CBS Television Studios, Electus and Yari Film Group, Deadline reports.
It will be executive-produced by Hudis with Ben Silverman and Bob Yari.
The film itself was loosely based on Steven Millhauser's short story, Eisenheim the Illusionist.
Set in end-of-the-1800s Vienna, it centres around magician Eisenheim who uses his abilities to woo a duchess.
The CW's new version will be transplanted to New York, with the titular magician returning home from a decade in prison to discover his wife married to the crime boss who framed him.
He joins the crime organisation and rises through the ranks by using his skills to bring down the boss and win back his wife.
The...
- 10/15/2014
- Digital Spy
Nope, it's not an illusion: yet another movie title is being adapted for the small screen. Writer-director Neil Burger's 2006 magician drama "The Illusionist" starring Edward Norton and Jessica Biel is being adapted for television by the CW, according to Deadline. Penned by "True Blood" writer Mark Hudis, the show will take place against the backdrop of turn of the century New York City (as opposed to Vienna, where the film version was set) and will center on a famous illusionist who returns home after a decade in prison to find that his ex-wife has wed the crime boss who framed him. He goes on to pose as a lackey in the organization, using his skills to pull off a series of elaborate heists and rise through the ranks in order to take down the gang leader from the inside. Loosely based on the Steven Millhauser short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist,...
- 10/15/2014
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Chronicles of Narnia star Georgie Henley is set to star in a new feature film The Sisterhood Of Night, alongside Moonrise Kingdom’s Kara Hayward.
17 year old Georgie (represented in the UK by Hamilton Hodell), who found fame as Lucy Pevensie in the Chronicles Of Narnia films, has been cast as the main character Mary in the movie, Deadline reports.
Written by Steven Millhauser, based on his own short story, the film is an Internet-age retelling of the Salem Witch Trials set in Fairview, New Jersey. Caryn Waechter is set to direct the film, for Evenstar Films.
Last year Georgie filmed Perfect Sisters (previously known as The Class Project), which also stars Little Miss Sunshine actress Abigail Breslin.
Here's the official synopsis:
When the high school's gossip girl exposes a secret society called The Sisterhood of Night, the quiet town of Fairview is thrown into the public eye and blogosphere.
17 year old Georgie (represented in the UK by Hamilton Hodell), who found fame as Lucy Pevensie in the Chronicles Of Narnia films, has been cast as the main character Mary in the movie, Deadline reports.
Written by Steven Millhauser, based on his own short story, the film is an Internet-age retelling of the Salem Witch Trials set in Fairview, New Jersey. Caryn Waechter is set to direct the film, for Evenstar Films.
Last year Georgie filmed Perfect Sisters (previously known as The Class Project), which also stars Little Miss Sunshine actress Abigail Breslin.
Here's the official synopsis:
When the high school's gossip girl exposes a secret society called The Sisterhood of Night, the quiet town of Fairview is thrown into the public eye and blogosphere.
- 10/26/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (ScreenTerrier)
- ScreenTerrier
Georgie Henley, the youngest star of The Chronicles of Narnia movies, and Kara Hayward from Moonrise Kingdom will lead the cast of The Sisterhood of Night. The teen movie is about a secret society in a New Jersey suburb that ends in a witch hunt. Caryn Waechter will make her directorial debut on the film based on Steven Millhauser's short story.
- 10/26/2012
- by tara@kidspickflicks.com (Tara the Mom)
- kidspickflicks
In the race between Moonrise Kingdom stars Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman to find a second role in Hollywood it would seem that the actress has bested the actor. Reports are saying that Hayward has taken a part in The Sisterhood of Night, a new teen drama Deadline has the casting news and adds that the film will be the feature directorial debut of Caryn Waechter and that the movie will be based on a short story by Steven Millhauser. The site says that the movie is about a teenage girl, played by Hayward, living in suburban New Jersey who discovers an underground secret society. Announcing her discovery, however, has serious consequences when it leads to a witch hunt. This will be the second time that a movie has been made based on one of Millhauser's stories. In 2006 Neil Burger adapted and directed a film version of the story Eisenheim...
- 10/21/2012
- cinemablend.com
• Nicholas Cage is in talks to star in what’s being touted as a more mainstream disaster film reboot of the faith-based Left Behind book and action-filled movie series about the End of Days and the Rapture. Paul Lalonde, who wrote and produced the original movies starring Kirk Cameron, and John Patus, who worked on 2005′s Left Behind: World at War, wrote the screenplay. Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins wrote the mega hit book series that launched the movies in 2001. No director is yet attached. [Variety]
• David Oyelowo (The Help, The Butler) is attached to play famed boxer Sugar Ray Robinson...
• David Oyelowo (The Help, The Butler) is attached to play famed boxer Sugar Ray Robinson...
- 10/19/2012
- by Solvej Schou
- EW - Inside Movies
Kara Hayward, one of the two Moonrise Kingdom 13-year-olds Vulture had a lovely chat with last spring (she played daughter to Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), has lined up her next role in Sisterhood of the Night. She's set to play "a girl who exposes a secret society in her New Jersey suburb, leading to a witch-hunt in the town." It'll be the debut film from Caryn Waechter, with a script based on a short story by Steven Millhauser.
- 10/19/2012
- by Zach Dionne
- Vulture
We’re nearing the end of an ambitious Kickstarter campaign for an independent film, “The Sisterhood of Night.” Adapted from a short story by Pulitzer prize-winning author Steven Millhauser, our movie is a modern twist on the Salem witch trials. It deals with teen girls and the wild west of the Internet, its potential for casual, breathtaking cruelty, and its capacity to connect and share - all slippery new challenges to this transitional generation. "The Sisterhood of Night" is about holding close what makes you different, through diversity of thought and culture. It shines a light on the dangers of cyberbullying, but it also suggests that there are ways of using...
- 3/7/2012
- by Lydia Dean Pilcher
- Hope for Film
Congratulations to "The Sisterhood of Night" director Caryn Waechter. The project received the most votes to win February's Project of the Month. The prize is a consultation from the Sundance Institute. If you’re a filmmaker (or know one) and you want us to consider an in-production film for our Project of the Day column, fill out the form here. Here's a synopsis of the winning project: Sisterhood is a modern version of the Salem witch trials, adapted from a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser (Martin Dressler, "Eisenheim the Illusionist"). The heart of the story is about how teens connect with each other through art, friendship, and the power of secrets. For more information on the project, go here.
- 3/2/2012
- by Aaron Bogert
- Indiewire
Congratualtions to "Sisterhood of the Night" director Caryn Waechter. The project received the most votes to win February's Project of the Month. The prize is a consultation from the Sundance Institute. If you’re a filmmaker (or know one) and you want us to consider an in-production film for our Project of the Day column, fill out the form here. Here's a synopsis of the winning project: Sisterhood is a modern version of the Salem witch trials, adapted from a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser (Martin Dressler, "Eisenheim the Illusionist"). The heart of the story is about how teens connect with each other through art, friendship, and the power of secrets. For more information on the project, go here.
- 3/2/2012
- by Aaron Bogert
- Indiewire
February is now over, and it's time to choose one of our Projects of the Week to be named February's Project of the Month. The project that receives the most votes for Project of the Month will receive a consultation from the Sundance Institute! Voting will be open until Friday March 2 at 11 Am. Links to more information about each project and the poll are below. Good luck to all of the filmmakers! "The Sisterhood of the Night" Sisterhood is a modern version of the Salem witch trials, adapted from a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser (Martin Dressler, "Eisenheim the Illusionist"). The heart of the story is about how teens connect with each other through art, friendship, and the power of secrets. We also promise to do what every movie should—entertain you and take you for a ride. Sisterhood is a provocative and inspiring story that builds...
- 2/29/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Thanks to your votes, the Salem Witch Trials meets Facebook drama "The Sisterhood of Night" won this weekend’s Project of the Week contest! Congratulations to “The Sisterhood of Night" director Caryn Waechter. The filmmaker will receive a digital distribution consultation from SnagFilms and the film is now officially a candidate for Project of the Month. That winner will be awarded with a consultation from the Sundance Institute. Here's what the project's about: Sisterhood is a modern version of the Salem witch trials, adapted from a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser (Martin Dressler, "Eisenheim the Illusionist"). The heart of the story is about how teens connect with each other through art, friendship, and the power of secrets. We also promise to do what every movie should—entertain you and take you for a ride. Sisterhood is a provocative and inspiring story that builds a network of...
- 2/27/2012
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "The Sisterhood of Night" Tweetable Logline: Salem Witch Trials in the Facebook age. A teen girl exposes a secret network called The Sisterhood of Night. You decide: who is really guilty? Elevator Pitch: Sisterhood is a modern version of the Salem witch trials, adapted from a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser (Martin Dressler, "Eisenheim the Illusionist"). The heart of the story is about how teens connect with each other through art, friendship, and the power of secrets. We also promise to do what every movie should—entertain you and take you for a ride. Sisterhood is a provocative and inspiring story that builds a network...
- 2/21/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Is there any Pulitzer Prize winner as overlooked as Steven Millhauser? Although he wrote the award-winning novel Martin Dressler—chosen last fall for an A.V. Club Wrapped Up In Books discussion—Millhauser still wears the distinction of “short-story master” around his neck like an albatross keeping him out of the spotlight. With the arrival of his newest collection, the career-spanner We Others, it’s clear that while he might prefer novels, short stories remain his most accessible and influential work. Of the seven new works, the lead story, “The Slap,” most deserves a place among Millhauser’s best. It ...
- 9/7/2011
- avclub.com
Icm is reorganizing its literary department, hiring Nick Harris to co-head the books-to-film division, which he'll run with freshly promoted Josie Freedman.
Harris is a catch for the agency, as the agent has spent the last decade amassing rights experience. He began at AP Watt Literary Agency based in London before jumping across the pond in 2006, joining Rabineau Wachter Sanford Harris (Rwsh) as a partner. He was most recently at Mosaic, where he has represented several authors, graphic novelists and comic book creators.
Harris negotiated film rights for Fox Searchlight's "The Last King of Scotland," as well as "The Men Who Stare at Goats," co-produced by and starring George Clooney. He also negotiated film rights for Fox's upcoming family drama "We Bought a Zoo."
Freedman worked at Gersh before joining Icm in 2001. Her notable deals include "He's Just Not That Into You," based on the New York Times best-selling book; "The Illusionist,...
Harris is a catch for the agency, as the agent has spent the last decade amassing rights experience. He began at AP Watt Literary Agency based in London before jumping across the pond in 2006, joining Rabineau Wachter Sanford Harris (Rwsh) as a partner. He was most recently at Mosaic, where he has represented several authors, graphic novelists and comic book creators.
Harris negotiated film rights for Fox Searchlight's "The Last King of Scotland," as well as "The Men Who Stare at Goats," co-produced by and starring George Clooney. He also negotiated film rights for Fox's upcoming family drama "We Bought a Zoo."
Freedman worked at Gersh before joining Icm in 2001. Her notable deals include "He's Just Not That Into You," based on the New York Times best-selling book; "The Illusionist,...
- 10/15/2010
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Producers Cathy Schulman and Tom Nunan have been granted a temporary restraining order barring producing partner Bob Yari from removing their names from the credits of the upcoming feature The Illusionist. The order signed Friday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Dunn is the latest skirmish in the legal feud between Yari and Schulman/Nunan, who have sued each other over various claims related to Crash and their Joint Venture Bulls Eye Entertainment. Crash won a best picture Oscar for Schulman but not Yari, who was denied producing credit by the Producers Guild of America. The latest fight centers on The Illusionist, director Neil Burger's screen adaptation of Steven Millhauser's short story about a magician in early 1900s Vienna who falls in love with a woman above his social standing. Schulman and Yari are listed as producers, with Nunan serving as an executive producer, according to IMDb.com.
PARK CITY -- An old fashioned entertainment set in 1900 Vienna, "The Illusionist" features a standout performance by Edward Norton as the magician Eisenheim, who may or may not have supernatural powers. Outstanding production values and mysterious subject matter give the film a surprisingly opulent feel for an independent Sundance entry, which could work to its advantage in some mainstream markets.
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser and written and directed by Neil Burger ("Interview With the Assassin"), "The Illusionist" is like a dreamscape existing between sleep and consciousness, the old world and the new. It's no accident that the story, with an undercurrent of inexplicable psychic phenomenon, takes place in Freud's Vienna.
In a prologue, we see the young Eisenheim (Aaron Johnson), the son of a carpenter, having a chance encounter with a traveling magician and finding his calling. As a young and novice practitioner, he attracts the attention of the lovely Sophie, scion of an aristocratic family. Their bond is indeed one of those magical things that cannot be explained. Then, when her family forcefully separates them, Eisenheim travels the world learning his trade.
Years later, he is back in Vienna and the talk of the town. Sporting a distinguished goatee and displaying a great inner stillness, Eisenheim commands the grand stage. There has always been an undercurrent of mystery about Norton, so he was an excellent choice for the role, and after a relatively low profile for the past few years, he reminds you what a powerful performer he is.
One evening, a beautiful woman volunteers for a trick on stage and Eisenheim is stricken: it's Sophie (Jessica Biel) all grown up. Unfortunately, she is now the mistress of the power-hungry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Consequently, Eisenheim falls on the wrong side of the law, enforced by Chief Inspector Uhl. As the inspector, Paul Giamatti is never really sinister but with an accent and hat he is able to convey a darker side to go with his innate likeability. As Eisenheim violates the laws of the land, and perhaps the laws of nature, the story is told through the inspector's sometimes incredulous and misleading eyes.
Sophie and Eisenheim consummate their relationship, and in a fit of jealous rage the Prince slays her -- or does he? This turns out to be the central mystery of the film, which tests whether Eisenheim is a mere illusionist or possessor of some secret power. Sharp audience members may figure out the answer long before the ending, which somewhat diminishes the fun of the film.
Still, with Ricky Jay as the magic advisor, the stunts themselves -- an orange tree that blossoms on stage, a sword that stands upright in the ground, spirits from the dead stalking the theater -- are performed authentically as they would have been done at the turn of the last century. Burger purposely used little CGI for the magic and tries to follow a trick from beginning to end without cutting away, so the illusions can be experienced as they would have been by the audience at that time.
Veteran cinematographer Dick Pope captures all the grace notes and dark corners of Prague sitting in for Vienna and Ondrej Nakvasil's production design, especially for the prince's palace and the theater where Eisenheim performs, has created a stage both real and fanciful where the human heart is the most mysterious thing.
THE ILLUSIONIST
A Bob Yari Prods., Bulls Eye Entertainment, Michael London/Koppelman Levien production in asssociation with Contagious Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Neil Burger
Writer: Burger, based on a story by Steven Millhauser
Producers: Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari, Cathy Schulman
Executive producers: Ted Liebowitz, Joey Horvitz, Jane Garnett, Tom Nunan
Director of photography: Dick Pope
Production designer: Ondrej Nekvasil
Music: Philip Glass
Costume designer: Ngila Dickson
Editor: Naomi Geraghty
Cast:
Eisenheim: Edward Norton
Chief Inspector Uhl: Paul Giamatti
Sophie: Jessica Biel
Crown Prince Leopold: Rufus Sewell
Josef Fisher: Eddie Marsan
Jurka: Jake Wood
Wiligut: Tom Fisher
Doctor: Karl Johnson
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 110 minutes...
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser and written and directed by Neil Burger ("Interview With the Assassin"), "The Illusionist" is like a dreamscape existing between sleep and consciousness, the old world and the new. It's no accident that the story, with an undercurrent of inexplicable psychic phenomenon, takes place in Freud's Vienna.
In a prologue, we see the young Eisenheim (Aaron Johnson), the son of a carpenter, having a chance encounter with a traveling magician and finding his calling. As a young and novice practitioner, he attracts the attention of the lovely Sophie, scion of an aristocratic family. Their bond is indeed one of those magical things that cannot be explained. Then, when her family forcefully separates them, Eisenheim travels the world learning his trade.
Years later, he is back in Vienna and the talk of the town. Sporting a distinguished goatee and displaying a great inner stillness, Eisenheim commands the grand stage. There has always been an undercurrent of mystery about Norton, so he was an excellent choice for the role, and after a relatively low profile for the past few years, he reminds you what a powerful performer he is.
One evening, a beautiful woman volunteers for a trick on stage and Eisenheim is stricken: it's Sophie (Jessica Biel) all grown up. Unfortunately, she is now the mistress of the power-hungry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Consequently, Eisenheim falls on the wrong side of the law, enforced by Chief Inspector Uhl. As the inspector, Paul Giamatti is never really sinister but with an accent and hat he is able to convey a darker side to go with his innate likeability. As Eisenheim violates the laws of the land, and perhaps the laws of nature, the story is told through the inspector's sometimes incredulous and misleading eyes.
Sophie and Eisenheim consummate their relationship, and in a fit of jealous rage the Prince slays her -- or does he? This turns out to be the central mystery of the film, which tests whether Eisenheim is a mere illusionist or possessor of some secret power. Sharp audience members may figure out the answer long before the ending, which somewhat diminishes the fun of the film.
Still, with Ricky Jay as the magic advisor, the stunts themselves -- an orange tree that blossoms on stage, a sword that stands upright in the ground, spirits from the dead stalking the theater -- are performed authentically as they would have been done at the turn of the last century. Burger purposely used little CGI for the magic and tries to follow a trick from beginning to end without cutting away, so the illusions can be experienced as they would have been by the audience at that time.
Veteran cinematographer Dick Pope captures all the grace notes and dark corners of Prague sitting in for Vienna and Ondrej Nakvasil's production design, especially for the prince's palace and the theater where Eisenheim performs, has created a stage both real and fanciful where the human heart is the most mysterious thing.
THE ILLUSIONIST
A Bob Yari Prods., Bulls Eye Entertainment, Michael London/Koppelman Levien production in asssociation with Contagious Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Neil Burger
Writer: Burger, based on a story by Steven Millhauser
Producers: Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari, Cathy Schulman
Executive producers: Ted Liebowitz, Joey Horvitz, Jane Garnett, Tom Nunan
Director of photography: Dick Pope
Production designer: Ondrej Nekvasil
Music: Philip Glass
Costume designer: Ngila Dickson
Editor: Naomi Geraghty
Cast:
Eisenheim: Edward Norton
Chief Inspector Uhl: Paul Giamatti
Sophie: Jessica Biel
Crown Prince Leopold: Rufus Sewell
Josef Fisher: Eddie Marsan
Jurka: Jake Wood
Wiligut: Tom Fisher
Doctor: Karl Johnson
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 110 minutes...
- 1/31/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
PARK CITY -- An old fashioned entertainment set in 1900 Vienna, "The Illusionist" features a standout performance by Edward Norton as the magician Eisenheim, who may or may not have supernatural powers. Outstanding production values and mysterious subject matter give the film a surprisingly opulent feel for an independent Sundance entry, which could work to its advantage in some mainstream markets.
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser and written and directed by Neil Burger ("Interview With the Assassin"), "The Illusionist" is like a dreamscape existing between sleep and consciousness, the old world and the new. It's no accident that the story, with an undercurrent of inexplicable psychic phenomenon, takes place in Freud's Vienna.
In a prologue, we see the young Eisenheim (Aaron Johnson), the son of a carpenter, having a chance encounter with a traveling magician and finding his calling. As a young and novice practitioner, he attracts the attention of the lovely Sophie, scion of an aristocratic family. Their bond is indeed one of those magical things that cannot be explained. Then, when her family forcefully separates them, Eisenheim travels the world learning his trade.
Years later, he is back in Vienna and the talk of the town. Sporting a distinguished goatee and displaying a great inner stillness, Eisenheim commands the grand stage. There has always been an undercurrent of mystery about Norton, so he was an excellent choice for the role, and after a relatively low profile for the past few years, he reminds you what a powerful performer he is.
One evening, a beautiful woman volunteers for a trick on stage and Eisenheim is stricken: it's Sophie (Jessica Biel) all grown up. Unfortunately, she is now the mistress of the power-hungry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Consequently, Eisenheim falls on the wrong side of the law, enforced by Chief Inspector Uhl. As the inspector, Paul Giamatti is never really sinister but with an accent and hat he is able to convey a darker side to go with his innate likeability. As Eisenheim violates the laws of the land, and perhaps the laws of nature, the story is told through the inspector's sometimes incredulous and misleading eyes.
Sophie and Eisenheim consummate their relationship, and in a fit of jealous rage the Prince slays her -- or does he? This turns out to be the central mystery of the film, which tests whether Eisenheim is a mere illusionist or possessor of some secret power. Sharp audience members may figure out the answer long before the ending, which somewhat diminishes the fun of the film.
Still, with Ricky Jay as the magic advisor, the stunts themselves -- an orange tree that blossoms on stage, a sword that stands upright in the ground, spirits from the dead stalking the theater -- are performed authentically as they would have been done at the turn of the last century. Burger purposely used little CGI for the magic and tries to follow a trick from beginning to end without cutting away, so the illusions can be experienced as they would have been by the audience at that time.
Veteran cinematographer Dick Pope captures all the grace notes and dark corners of Prague sitting in for Vienna and Ondrej Nakvasil's production design, especially for the prince's palace and the theater where Eisenheim performs, has created a stage both real and fanciful where the human heart is the most mysterious thing.
THE ILLUSIONIST
A Bob Yari Prods., Bulls Eye Entertainment, Michael London/Koppelman Levien production in asssociation with Contagious Pictures
Credits: Director: Neil Burger; Writer: Burger, based on a story by Steven Millhauser; Producers: Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari, Cathy Schulman; Executive producers: Jane Garnett, Tom Nunan; Director of photography: Dick Pope; Production designer: Ondrej Nekvasil; Music: Philip Glass; Costume designer: Ngila Dickson: Editor: Naomi Geraghty.
Cast: Eisenheim: Edward Norton; Chief Inspector Uhl: Paul Giamatti; Sophie: Jessica Biel; Crown Prince Leopold: Rufus Sewell; Josef Fisher: Eddie Marsan; Jurka: Jake Wood; Wiligut: Tom Fisher; Doctor: Karl Johnson
No MPAA rating. Running time: 110 minutes.
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser and written and directed by Neil Burger ("Interview With the Assassin"), "The Illusionist" is like a dreamscape existing between sleep and consciousness, the old world and the new. It's no accident that the story, with an undercurrent of inexplicable psychic phenomenon, takes place in Freud's Vienna.
In a prologue, we see the young Eisenheim (Aaron Johnson), the son of a carpenter, having a chance encounter with a traveling magician and finding his calling. As a young and novice practitioner, he attracts the attention of the lovely Sophie, scion of an aristocratic family. Their bond is indeed one of those magical things that cannot be explained. Then, when her family forcefully separates them, Eisenheim travels the world learning his trade.
Years later, he is back in Vienna and the talk of the town. Sporting a distinguished goatee and displaying a great inner stillness, Eisenheim commands the grand stage. There has always been an undercurrent of mystery about Norton, so he was an excellent choice for the role, and after a relatively low profile for the past few years, he reminds you what a powerful performer he is.
One evening, a beautiful woman volunteers for a trick on stage and Eisenheim is stricken: it's Sophie (Jessica Biel) all grown up. Unfortunately, she is now the mistress of the power-hungry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Consequently, Eisenheim falls on the wrong side of the law, enforced by Chief Inspector Uhl. As the inspector, Paul Giamatti is never really sinister but with an accent and hat he is able to convey a darker side to go with his innate likeability. As Eisenheim violates the laws of the land, and perhaps the laws of nature, the story is told through the inspector's sometimes incredulous and misleading eyes.
Sophie and Eisenheim consummate their relationship, and in a fit of jealous rage the Prince slays her -- or does he? This turns out to be the central mystery of the film, which tests whether Eisenheim is a mere illusionist or possessor of some secret power. Sharp audience members may figure out the answer long before the ending, which somewhat diminishes the fun of the film.
Still, with Ricky Jay as the magic advisor, the stunts themselves -- an orange tree that blossoms on stage, a sword that stands upright in the ground, spirits from the dead stalking the theater -- are performed authentically as they would have been done at the turn of the last century. Burger purposely used little CGI for the magic and tries to follow a trick from beginning to end without cutting away, so the illusions can be experienced as they would have been by the audience at that time.
Veteran cinematographer Dick Pope captures all the grace notes and dark corners of Prague sitting in for Vienna and Ondrej Nakvasil's production design, especially for the prince's palace and the theater where Eisenheim performs, has created a stage both real and fanciful where the human heart is the most mysterious thing.
THE ILLUSIONIST
A Bob Yari Prods., Bulls Eye Entertainment, Michael London/Koppelman Levien production in asssociation with Contagious Pictures
Credits: Director: Neil Burger; Writer: Burger, based on a story by Steven Millhauser; Producers: Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari, Cathy Schulman; Executive producers: Jane Garnett, Tom Nunan; Director of photography: Dick Pope; Production designer: Ondrej Nekvasil; Music: Philip Glass; Costume designer: Ngila Dickson: Editor: Naomi Geraghty.
Cast: Eisenheim: Edward Norton; Chief Inspector Uhl: Paul Giamatti; Sophie: Jessica Biel; Crown Prince Leopold: Rufus Sewell; Josef Fisher: Eddie Marsan; Jurka: Jake Wood; Wiligut: Tom Fisher; Doctor: Karl Johnson
No MPAA rating. Running time: 110 minutes.
- 1/30/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This review was written for the festival screening of "The Illusionist".
PARK CITY -- An old fashioned entertainment set in 1900 Vienna, "The Illusionist" features a standout performance by Edward Norton as the magician Eisenheim, who may or may not have supernatural powers. Outstanding production values and mysterious subject matter give the film a surprisingly opulent feel for an independent Sundance entry, which could work to its advantage in some mainstream markets.
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser and written and directed by Neil Burger ("Interview With the Assassin"), "The Illusionist" is like a dreamscape existing between sleep and consciousness, the old world and the new. It's no accident that the story, with an undercurrent of inexplicable psychic phenomenon, takes place in Freud's Vienna.
In a prologue, we see the young Eisenheim (Aaron Johnson), the son of a carpenter, having a chance encounter with a traveling magician and finding his calling. As a young and novice practitioner, he attracts the attention of the lovely Sophie, scion of an aristocratic family. Their bond is indeed one of those magical things that cannot be explained. Then, when her family forcefully separates them, Eisenheim travels the world learning his trade.
Years later, he is back in Vienna and the talk of the town. Sporting a distinguished goatee and displaying a great inner stillness, Eisenheim commands the grand stage. There has always been an undercurrent of mystery about Norton, so he was an excellent choice for the role, and after a relatively low profile for the past few years, he reminds you what a powerful performer he is.
One evening, a beautiful woman volunteers for a trick on stage and Eisenheim is stricken: it's Sophie (Jessica Biel) all grown up. Unfortunately, she is now the mistress of the power-hungry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Consequently, Eisenheim falls on the wrong side of the law, enforced by Chief Inspector Uhl. As the inspector, Paul Giamatti is never really sinister but with an accent and hat he is able to convey a darker side to go with his innate likeability. As Eisenheim violates the laws of the land, and perhaps the laws of nature, the story is told through the inspector's sometimes incredulous and misleading eyes.
Sophie and Eisenheim consummate their relationship, and in a fit of jealous rage the Prince slays her -- or does he? This turns out to be the central mystery of the film, which tests whether Eisenheim is a mere illusionist or possessor of some secret power. Sharp audience members may figure out the answer long before the ending, which somewhat diminishes the fun of the film.
Still, with Ricky Jay as the magic advisor, the stunts themselves -- an orange tree that blossoms on stage, a sword that stands upright in the ground, spirits from the dead stalking the theater -- are performed authentically as they would have been done at the turn of the last century. Burger purposely used little CGI for the magic and tries to follow a trick from beginning to end without cutting away, so the illusions can be experienced as they would have been by the audience at that time.
Veteran cinematographer Dick Pope captures all the grace notes and dark corners of Prague sitting in for Vienna and Ondrej Nakvasil's production design, especially for the prince's palace and the theater where Eisenheim performs, has created a stage both real and fanciful where the human heart is the most mysterious thing.
THE ILLUSIONIST
A Bob Yari Prods., Bulls Eye Entertainment, Michael London/Koppelman Levien production in asssociation with Contagious Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Neil Burger
Writer: Burger, based on a story by Steven Millhauser
Producers: Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari, Cathy Schulman
Executive producers: Ted Liebowitz, Joey Horvitz, Jane Garnett, Tom Nunan
Director of photography: Dick Pope
Production designer: Ondrej Nekvasil
Music: Philip Glass
Costume designer: Ngila Dickson
Editor: Naomi Geraghty
Cast:
Eisenheim: Edward Norton
Chief Inspector Uhl: Paul Giamatti
Sophie: Jessica Biel
Crown Prince Leopold: Rufus Sewell
Josef Fisher: Eddie Marsan
Jurka: Jake Wood
Wiligut: Tom Fisher
Doctor: Karl Johnson
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 110 minutes...
PARK CITY -- An old fashioned entertainment set in 1900 Vienna, "The Illusionist" features a standout performance by Edward Norton as the magician Eisenheim, who may or may not have supernatural powers. Outstanding production values and mysterious subject matter give the film a surprisingly opulent feel for an independent Sundance entry, which could work to its advantage in some mainstream markets.
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser and written and directed by Neil Burger ("Interview With the Assassin"), "The Illusionist" is like a dreamscape existing between sleep and consciousness, the old world and the new. It's no accident that the story, with an undercurrent of inexplicable psychic phenomenon, takes place in Freud's Vienna.
In a prologue, we see the young Eisenheim (Aaron Johnson), the son of a carpenter, having a chance encounter with a traveling magician and finding his calling. As a young and novice practitioner, he attracts the attention of the lovely Sophie, scion of an aristocratic family. Their bond is indeed one of those magical things that cannot be explained. Then, when her family forcefully separates them, Eisenheim travels the world learning his trade.
Years later, he is back in Vienna and the talk of the town. Sporting a distinguished goatee and displaying a great inner stillness, Eisenheim commands the grand stage. There has always been an undercurrent of mystery about Norton, so he was an excellent choice for the role, and after a relatively low profile for the past few years, he reminds you what a powerful performer he is.
One evening, a beautiful woman volunteers for a trick on stage and Eisenheim is stricken: it's Sophie (Jessica Biel) all grown up. Unfortunately, she is now the mistress of the power-hungry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Consequently, Eisenheim falls on the wrong side of the law, enforced by Chief Inspector Uhl. As the inspector, Paul Giamatti is never really sinister but with an accent and hat he is able to convey a darker side to go with his innate likeability. As Eisenheim violates the laws of the land, and perhaps the laws of nature, the story is told through the inspector's sometimes incredulous and misleading eyes.
Sophie and Eisenheim consummate their relationship, and in a fit of jealous rage the Prince slays her -- or does he? This turns out to be the central mystery of the film, which tests whether Eisenheim is a mere illusionist or possessor of some secret power. Sharp audience members may figure out the answer long before the ending, which somewhat diminishes the fun of the film.
Still, with Ricky Jay as the magic advisor, the stunts themselves -- an orange tree that blossoms on stage, a sword that stands upright in the ground, spirits from the dead stalking the theater -- are performed authentically as they would have been done at the turn of the last century. Burger purposely used little CGI for the magic and tries to follow a trick from beginning to end without cutting away, so the illusions can be experienced as they would have been by the audience at that time.
Veteran cinematographer Dick Pope captures all the grace notes and dark corners of Prague sitting in for Vienna and Ondrej Nakvasil's production design, especially for the prince's palace and the theater where Eisenheim performs, has created a stage both real and fanciful where the human heart is the most mysterious thing.
THE ILLUSIONIST
A Bob Yari Prods., Bulls Eye Entertainment, Michael London/Koppelman Levien production in asssociation with Contagious Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Neil Burger
Writer: Burger, based on a story by Steven Millhauser
Producers: Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari, Cathy Schulman
Executive producers: Ted Liebowitz, Joey Horvitz, Jane Garnett, Tom Nunan
Director of photography: Dick Pope
Production designer: Ondrej Nekvasil
Music: Philip Glass
Costume designer: Ngila Dickson
Editor: Naomi Geraghty
Cast:
Eisenheim: Edward Norton
Chief Inspector Uhl: Paul Giamatti
Sophie: Jessica Biel
Crown Prince Leopold: Rufus Sewell
Josef Fisher: Eddie Marsan
Jurka: Jake Wood
Wiligut: Tom Fisher
Doctor: Karl Johnson
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 110 minutes...
- 12/29/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell are joining Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti in The Illusionist, writer-director Neil Burger's $17 million turn-of-the-century drama that begins principal photography April 4 in Prague. Burger's adaptation of the Steven Millhauser short story Eisenheim the Illusionist is set in 1900 Vienna. A streetwise magician (Norton) uses his dark arts to win Princess Sophie (Biel) away from Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell). Magician/historian Ricky Jay is consulting on the film. Best known for her role as a wholesome teen on television's 7th Heaven, Biel has been changing her image with such films as The Rules of Attraction, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Blade: Trinity. Repped by CAA, she also stars in Cameron Crowe's next film, Elizabethtown.
- 3/29/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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