From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, AFTER THE HUNT is a gripping psychological drama about a college professor (Julia Roberts) who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star student (Ayo Edebiri) levels an accusation against one of her colleagues (Andrew Garfield), and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come into the light.
The film also stars Michael Stulbarg and Chloë Sevigny.
Opens in NY/LA on October 10; In Theatres Wide on October 17.
The St. Louis screening is Monday, October 13th, 7pm at the B&B Creve Coeur West Olive 10. Passes are available while supplies last.
Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through snapshots of their life together — falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family — a difficult truth is revealed that rocks its foundation. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken, in filmmaker John Crowley’s decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.
In theaters this Fall, check out the brand new and emotional trailer now.
Crowley has directed such films a INTERMISSION, BOY A and BROOKLYN.
The Toronto International Film Festival announced on July 9 that the film will have its World Premiere in September. TIFF 2024 takes place September 5–15, 2024.
2021 could be remembered as a pivotal year in the history of movie musical adaptations. Of course, this synergy has been happening since cinema began to talk (which leads to the singing and the sounds of dance) over 90 years ago. Perhaps after being cooped up for much of last year, Hollywood has enlisted Broadway to get folks back to the multiplex. IN THE HEIGHTS kicked off the Summer film cinema, while DEAR EVAN HANSON stirred up lots of discussion, but very little box office. We’ll see Steven Spielberg’s take on a true stage classic WEST SIDE STORY in a few weeks. But what can tide the film song and dance fans till then? How about a flick that combines the talents of two Tony-awarding winning titans of the last thirty or so years? Yes, it’s a musical, but it’s also a biography (perhaps an autobiography, too). So what happens when you mix Lin-Manuel-Miranda with Jonathan Larson? Well, stand back before it goes TICK, TICK…BOOM!
And that’s the title of the intimate off, off-Broadway show/review that’s the framing device for this profile of Larson (Andrew Garfield). He’s on the tiny stage with a four-piece band along with two singers (who are also good pals) Karessa (Vanessa Hudgens) and Roger (Joshua Henry) as he tells of his life just months away from his 30th birthday (a biggie). He’s paying the rent (that show came a little later) by “slingin’ hash” as a server at the trendy Moondance Cafe in the Big Apple. Oh, his home is a cramped, falling-apart, sixth-floor walk-up. Luckily he’s got big dreams as he spends his post and pre-diner time creating the songs for his big stage musical, a futuristic fantasy/romance called “Superbia”. Even better, he’s getting love and encouragement from his dancer/girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp) and his childhood pal, an aspiring actor turned very successful advertising exec Michael (Robin de Jesus). Unfortunately, Jon becomes too focused on the looming date for his creation’s workshop/showcase. And he has other options that aren’t as much of a gamble. Susan’s mulling over a teaching gig in the Berkshires (so far from NYC) and hopes Jon will join her. And Michael wants to help him get into the lucrative commercial jingle biz, even though he’s in need of emotional support from his BFF. It’s a choice between “fear and love”, as some encouraging words from Mr. Sondheim fuels Jon’s passion. But will that keep him going as the bills pile up?
Garfield proves to be one of our most versatile young actors by making a very successful dive into (for him) uncharted waters: song and dance. Despite his lengthy credits, singing was not an asset, something he can now amend on his resume. He performs with confidence, but he also captures the yearning of an aspiring, almost starving artist. We can see in his intense stare, that Jon is trying to take in everything and anything that can inspire and enhance his work. It’s to such a degree that others think he’s distracted, or, as girlfriend Susan believes, composing during interactions. But Garfield also gets the euphoria of the perfect blend of words and melody, which makes his agonized staring into the white void of his Commodore personal computer (ah, the 90s) worth it. Here a former Spider-Man seems more like Plastic-Man as Jon is mentally stretched between the “love and fear”. or really “glory and security”. This superb performance sends Garfield into the stratosphere. Luckily he works ver well with his main scene partners. Shipp is an ethereal beauty as the graceful Susan, but we see her shift from adoration to frustration in dealing with Jon’s career “waffling”. The latter is even more pronounced with de Jesus as Michael who’s caught between art and commerce. Unlike Jon, he can better straddle and even separate himself from the two worlds. He knows Jon will keep trying, while his dreams were dashed by too many dismissive “thanks yous” that cut him off in mid-song. Plus he conveys the heartbreaking of wanting so badly to share his fears with a life-long “brother” who can’t spare the space in his mind. MJ Rodriguez and Ben Ross are Jon’s cheerleading “work family” at the diner. We must also praise Hudgens’s musical “chops” who electrifies in a spirited exhausting duet with Garfield, “Therapy”. A couple of TV and screen vets score in smaller roles. Judith Light is Jon’s elusive agent Rosa who surprises him with a brutal, but needed, “wake up” call. And Whitford plays the acclaimed stage legend as a song “god’ who strolls casually down from Mount Olympus to fire a revitalizing bolt of encouragement toward Jon as he starts to wander from his path (he’s the mentor we dream of).
Miranda takes to filmmaking with the same energy and confidence that he brought to “boards’ on Broadway. The story’s flow is never disrupted by the bouncing between the stage review and the flashbacks to Jon’s struggles. The scenes flow from conversation to musical numbers naturally, never feeling forced or awkward. Much credit must go to screenwriter Steven Levenson who captures the clash between worlds (art and business) while giving us a harsh glimpse into the creative “clusterf*#k” (again that blank void that must be filled). As a bonus, we get some scathing satire directed at the current state of the stage when one number is set against an ever-changing backdrop of theatre posters (with titles like” The Mediocre Musical Stage Version of the Mediocre Movie”, “Song You Already Know”, and, maybe my fave “White Couple Arguing About Marriage”). Ouch, but so deserved! As scathing as that scene is, there’s also a lovely “love letter” to “stage show-biz” in the big number “Sunday” which showcases a dizzying array of true “Broadway Legends” (“look there’s….and there’s…”). Such infectious joyous moments help offset the sense of loss we get from the real story. The tunes don’t sugarcoat the reality, instead they give more focus on the fights and friendships. So, what happens when Miranda meets Larson? It’s an explosion of cinematic delight that follows the TICK, TICK…BOOM!
3.5 Out of 4
TICK, TICK…BOOM! is now playing in select theatres and begins streaming exclusively on Netflix beginning Friday, November 19, 2021
Searchlight Pictures’ The Eyes of Tammy Faye Arrives on Digital November 2 and on Blu-ray™ and DVD November 16th
Searchlight Pictures’ transcendent biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield tells the incredible true story of an icon. Praised by critics for its captivating performances, the film will be available on Digital November 2 and on Blu-ray and DVD November 16.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain). In the 1970s and ’80s, Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) built a burgeoning religious broadcasting network and theme park – until rivals, financial wrongdoing and scandal toppled their empire.
Searchlight Pictures’The Eyes of Tammy FayeBonus Features*
A Look Inside The Eyes of Tammy Faye– Hear what drew Jessica Chastain, cast mates and filmmakers to The Eyes of Tammy Faye. From prosthetics to singing, uncover Jessica Chastain’s remarkable multi-layered transformation into Tammy Faye Bakker.
Though Summer’s in its last week or so, the studios have moved on to another season. Not Fall, but a bit closer to Winter as the “awards season” flicks begin to trickle in and nudge the big escapist blockbusters aside (though they’ll capture most of the screens at your multiplex). And what’s ‘catnip” to those academy voters (and many critics)? Why, the big screen biography genre has gotten more than its fair share of the gold. Now, this week’s flick almost slides into the “show biz-bio” heading, though its subject dominated the news headlines on the front page perhaps more than the features in the entertainment section. Ah, but she was certainly fodder for many comics and mimics. Yes, it’s hard to imagine, but at the end of the 20th century, you’d have a tough time trying not to stare into THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE.
The film begins in a much-frequented spot for the title subject, namely a backstage makeup room (we’re not sure if it’s at a theatre or a TV studio). Tammy Faye Baker (Jessica Chastain) is getting “dolled-up” by a makeup artist, who sounds surprised by the different “cosmetic enhancements” that she’s done. Quick cut to several decades earlier in the 1950s, as then pre-teen Tammy LaVallery hears the “siren call” of a backwoods church in full “revival mode”.Mother Rachel (Cheery Jones) insists she not attend (since she’s the result of a previous marriage that ended in divorce), but the wide-eyed child is like a “moth to a flame”. Spring ahead to 1960, as Tammy meets and falls in love with another student, aspiring pastor Jim Baker (Andrew Garfield). They marry and move in with her mother. It’s there that Tammy fashions a set of puppets in order to spread the gospel to small children. The married duo travels the revival circuit with their Bible-based kids’ show, While in Virginia, Jim is transfixed by the dynamic Pat Robertson (Gabriel Olds) and his Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) on TV. A chance meeting leads to the Bakers getting their own kids’ show on CBN. But Jim has ideas for a religious late evening “Tonight Show” style program he dubs “The 700 Club”. When Pat later takes over that show, with the aid of the powerful Jerry Falwell (Vincent D’Onofrio), Pat decides to go out on his own with the Praise The Lord (PTL) satellite network, anchored by the “PTL Club” starring himself and Tammy Faye. Money from call-in donations and business connections (known as their “partners”) pours in leading the Bakers into an opulent lifestyle as they expand with a “theme park”, Heritage USA. But the wealth doesn’t bring happiness as the couple drifts apart and Tammy spirals into a prescription drug dependency. And then the press and the feds start looking into “the books”…
The enormously talented Ms. Chastain shows us her incredible range by diving deep into a personality so often mocked and reviled. TF was an easy target for the late-night TV spoofs, so the easy route might have been caricature. But Chastain actually restores her humanity by not going for the easy laughs and shows us the naive small-town gal swallowed up by the machinery of wealth and fame. Tammy, early on, declares her love for people and goes against much of her denomination by embracing the “other’ ( a scene of her interviewing a pastor with AIDS is quite powerful). Chastain shows us Tammy’s unflagging optimism, keeping her sunny outlook as others make her a punchline. She’s amazing. And happily, she’s got a great screen partner in Garfield who imbues Jim with an endearing, goofy, nerdy charm. Then he shows that slow slip into the dark side, as the spark dims in his squinty eyes, and his greed leads to casual cruelty towards his biggest booster. Another great asset to the film is the brutally honest line deliveries by Jones as mama Rachel, who sees beyond the glittery gifts and becomes a moral compass to her daughter, though it barely registers with Tammy. Greed is this fable’s main villain, along with the lust for power, which is given flesh by the fabulous D’Onofrio who channels some of his sinister bravado from his role as the Kingpin on the Netflix Marvel shows, as the strutting conniving Falwell. Sure the Bakers are far from angels, but they don’t come close to this calculating back-stabber. His superior sneer dominates nearly every scene.
Veteran comedy-craftsman Michael Showalter, perhaps best known for helming THE BIG SICK, does an admirable job in attempting to balance camp and real human conflict. The first act generates lots of amusement as the frisky young Bakers engage in clumsy awkward acts of passion. And we got lots of the 70s and 80s kitsch in the recreations of their gaudy TV shows and the melodramatic music (Tammy emulates “Physical” in a shiny disco workout suit). But the conflicts of the second act, the power grabs, and pill-popping, often delve too hard into soap opera melodramatics (though the right mix happens as Tammy lusts after her hunky music producer). Plus the whole final act downfall feels a bit rushed as the actors recreate famous photos and headlines quickly zip in and out (maybe a streaming or cable miniseries would better flesh things out). But as the fun memories of the opening scenes fade, we still have the great performances, enhanced by some impressive and subtle prosthetics that fill out Chastain’s face to emulate Tammy’s near “chipmunk cheeks”, yet the expert enhancement never inhibits Chastain’s facial expression and emoting (I’m reminded of Martin Landau as Bela in ED WOOD). Plus the fashion recreations are spot-on as the polyester pastels parade past in the PTL shows and studio audience. Yes, this story of rags to riches to rags is fairly familiar but Chastain injects a sympathetic spark into THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE that makes it worth reliving.
3 out of 4
THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE opens in selected theatres on Friday, September 17, 2021
The Hi-Pointe Theater, at 1005 McCausland Ave in St. Louis, is the best place to see movies Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield in THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE opens this Friday September 17th at The Hi-Pointe.Oscar Isaac in Paul Schrader’s THE CARD COUNTERmoves to the Hi-Pointe’s Backlot.The Hi-Pointe’s site can be found HERE
An intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and 80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker, rose from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park, and were revered for their message of love, acceptance and prosperity. Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, it wasn’t long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal toppled their carefully constructed empire.
THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and 80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker, rose from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park and were revered for their message of love, acceptance and prosperity. Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, it wasn’t long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal toppled their carefully constructed empire.
Starring Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Fredric Lehne, Louis Cancelmi, Sam Jaeger, Gabriel Olds, Mark Wystrach, Vincent D’Onofrio, the movie is written by Abe Sylvia, based upon the documentary “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
Directed by Michael Showalter, THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE opens in theaters September 17.
Experience the film that Time Out New York calls “a hypnotic and inspired neo-noir” (Joshua Rothkopf) when Under the Silver Lake arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD June 18 from Lionsgate. The film will also be available on Digital and On Demand from A24 on April 23. Directed by David Robert Mitchell (It Follows), the film stars Academy Award® nominee Andrew Garfield (2016, Best Actor, Hacksaw Ridge), Riley Keough (American Honey, Logan Lucky, Mad Max: Fury Road), and Topher Grace (BlacKkKlansman, War Machine, Delirium), and was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. The Under the Silver Lake Blu-ray and DVD will include two making-of featurettes and will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.
From the dazzling imagination that brought you It Follows, Under the Silver Lake stars Andrew Garfield and Riley Keough in a delirious fever dream about one man’s search for the truth behind the mysterious crimes, murders, and disappearances in his East L.A. neighborhood.
BLU-RAY / DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
· “What Lies Under the Silver Lake” Featurette
· “Beautiful Specter” Featurette
CAST
Andrew Garfield Hacksaw Ridge, Silence, Breathe
Riley Keough American Honey, Logan Lucky, Mad Max: Fury Road
Topher Grace BlacKkKlansman, War Machine, Delirium
A24 has released the first trailer for UNDER THE SILVER LAKE. From the dazzling imagination that brought you IT FOLLOWS comes a delirious neo-noir fever dream about one man’s search for the truth behind the mysterious crimes, murders, and disappearances in his East L.A. neighborhood.
In his 2015 review for IT FOLLOWS, Travis Keune said the film, “is an extremely visceral, sensory film. In its peak moments, the shared fear is almost palpable, inducing goose bumps and an irrational sense of paranoia. Those viewers already naturally prone to these characteristics on a daily basis, may want to watch this film with great caution, as you’ll never see strangers quite the same way again.
IT FOLLOWS is successful not due to a massive budget, big special effects or a star-studded cast, as none of these things exist for the film. Instead, the film thrives on a solid script, tremendous direction and a low-key, talented cast without pretension for making anything other than what this film was meant to be, a terrifyingly complex but seemingly simple horror film that eats away at out most primary human fears.”
Check out the new trailer now.
Sam (Andrew Garfield) is a disenchanted 33-year-old who discovers a mysterious woman, Sarah (Riley Keough), frolicking in his apartment’s swimming pool. When she vanishes, Sam embarks on a surreal quest across Los Angeles to decode the secret behind her disappearance, leading him into the murkiest depths of mystery, scandal, and conspiracy in the City of Angels.
From writer-director David Robert Mitchell comes a sprawling, playful and unexpected mystery-comedy detective thriller about the Dream Factory and its denizens—dog killers, aspiring actors, glitter-pop groups, nightlife personalities, It girls, memorabilia hoarders, masked seductresses, homeless gurus, reclusive songwriters, sex workers, wealthy socialites, topless neighbors, and the shadowy billionaires floating above (and underneath) it all. Mining a noir tradition extending from Kiss Me Deadly and The Long Goodbye to Chinatown and Mulholland Drive, Mitchell uses the topography of Los Angeles as a backdrop for a deeper exploration into the hidden meaning and secret codes buried within the things we love.
(l -r) Hugh Bonneville stars as Teddy Hall, Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield as Diana and Robin Cavendish, Harry Marcus as their son Jonathan (age 10) and Tom Hollander as David Blacker in BREATHE, a Bleecker Street and Participant Media release.Credit: David Bloomer / Bleecker Street | Participant Media
Everyone wants to live life as they chose but in the 1950s, options were severely limited for someone paralyzed. At that time, paralysis usually meant a short life, confined to a hospital on a stationary breathing machine or in an iron lung. Being on a respirator meant not even being able to get about in a wheelchair. Robin Cavendish did not want that life, and thanks to his wife and friends, he did not have to live that way.
BREATHE tells the true story of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield), who was paralyzed by polio at age 28, and his steadfast wife Diana (Claire Foy). The true story is Oscar-bait, inspirational, even amazing, and features a performance by Andrew Garfield likely to cement his position as a major star, if not earn him an Oscar nomination. The film is the directorial debut of Andy Serkis, the motion-capture actor who has been amazing us all since he appeared as Golem in the LORD OF THE RINGS series. However, the film itself is not as ground-breaking as the people it is about, but is a model of conventional British historical film making, with pretty golden light photography, lovely period details, and stiff-upper-lip characters who embody the upper class ideal of “carry on.”
British ex-army officer Robin Cavendish (Garfield) meets aristocratic Diana Blacker (Claire Foy) at a cricket match. The two are from classically British upper crust backgrounds but Cavendish is not well-off. Diana’s twin brothers, both played by Tom Hollander, try to talk her out of it, but Diana is in love, marries Robin and moves to Africa to live out a happy life as a tea broker’s wife. But as the couple awaits the birth of their first child, fate intervenes in the form of polio, which leaves 28-year-old Robin permanently paralyzed from the neck down.
BREATHE is being promoted as a romance, and it is that partly, but mostly it is a tale of indomitable spirit and the good luck of having very creative, brilliantly gifted friends. The couple is lucky in that neither Diana or their newborn son catch the disease but they are still forced to give up their beloved farm in Africa and return to England. Doctors caution Diana that Robin will only live a couple of years in the hospital on a ventilator. Robin does not even want to do that. Resourceful Diana is determined to give Robin as much of a life as possible, and along with some inventive friends, particularly engineer/inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville), start inventing ways to do that. Their innovations leave a legacy that transforms the future for all people facing life with paralysis.
Garfield’s performance as Cavendish, a vibrant, active young man whose life plan is derailed by polio, is good enough to start Oscar nomination rumors. The film’s subject is both remarkable and inspiring subject, spotlighting a little-known story of determination and creativity that gave hope to others. The film’s lush period beauty may put it in line for an Oscar nod for art direction.
While the story of Cavendish and the heroic efforts of his wife and friends on his behalf, are inspirational and heart-warming, the film’s relentlessly plucky, what-what, upper-crust British optimism begins to wear and feel a bit forced as the film rolls on. Even when the family finds itself stranded on a remote Spanish road, with a broken breathing machine, no one seems very worried and turns it into a party. Nothing dampens the its-all-a-great-adventure spirit, which maybe accurate picture of the couple’s life view but seems a bit loony at times.
Still, it is an inspiring true story, and scenes like where doctors in a German hospital proudly shows off their state-of-the art room full of gleaming iron lungs are a striking illustration of how much Cavendish’s friends changed things for all paralyzed people. Cavendish had enormous luck in the friends that surrounded him who wanted to keep inventing new ways to improve his quality of life and mobility. We should all hope for such friends. Towards the end, the film veers to tearful, and can be a bit hard to watch.
BREATHE is an inspirational, romantic crowd-pleaser of a film about a couple who refused to accept things as they were and transformed the future for others.
