The Big Picture · Discussion
September 7, 2021/ 78 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Sean gets back from a 12-hour drive to Telluride with a ranked list of what he saw there; Amanda gets him to relitigate the whole fall calendar, which Paramount has already started rearranging.
45 films across 5 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
Telluride Film Festival ReportSean's four days on the ground, in the order he brings them up
Jane Campion's first film since 2009's Bright Star, and possibly the best thing Sean saw all festival. A Netflix release with There Will Be Blood-style anti-western streaks, huge performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst, a Jonny Greenwood score, and Ari Wegner (Zola) on cinematography. Had its big Saturday-night premiere alongside a tribute where Campion received the festival's silver medallion.
Sean saw this one back in July under embargo. Will Smith as Richard Williams, and Sean's early Best Actor pick: 'very down the middle' as a biopic, but Smith is captivating throughout. The buzziest movie of the festival by his account.
Joe Wright's musical adaptation with Peter Dinklage, score by the Dessner brothers of the National. Sean missed it, but says it was well received, and floats Dinklage as a possible Best Actor contender.
Kenneth Branagh's black-and-white memoir of growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, often compared to Roma. Jamie Dornan, Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, and Ciarán Hinds; a lot of Van Morrison on the soundtrack. Sean liked it but was left a little queasy by how sunny a child's-eye view it takes on the surrounding violence. Out November 5th from Focus Features.
Mike Mills's new one, black and white, with Joaquin Phoenix as a radio journalist who becomes a surrogate father to his sister's nine-year-old son. Sean admits he can't be objective (Mills was his first-ever interview on the show) but calls it the movie that hit him hardest at the festival, gentle and ambling in the way Beginners and 20th Century Women are.
Paolo Sorrentino's Netflix film, a personal remembrance of his adolescence in Naples as Maradona arrives to play for the city's club.
Céline Sciamma's follow-up, mentioned alongside Belfast and King Richard as part of the festival's father-and-child through-line.
Andrea Arnold's documentary, shot almost entirely on the face of a dairy cow over the course of her life, including two births on camera. A 100-minute, nearly wordless companion piece to last year's Gunda. Sean caught it at 9:30 p.m. and says it hurt.
Pablo Larraín's Princess Diana film with Kristen Stewart, drawing early Jackie comparisons and real Oscar buzz for Stewart. Sean refuses to say a word about it until Amanda can see it herself.
Todd Haynes's documentary on Lou Reed, John Cale, Moe Tucker, and the band's orbit around Andy Warhol's Factory. Sean interviewed Haynes at the festival and calls it the most complete telling of that history he's seen. Hits Apple TV+ October 15th, though he'd rather you see it in a theater.
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's documentary about the rescue of the youth soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand, from the directors of Free Solo. Archival footage mixed with recreations so well-integrated Sean didn't clock them as recreations until over an hour in. A National Geographic release, and an early Best Documentary contender for him.
Mia Hansen-Løve's film about a couple of filmmakers, played in part by Tim Roth, retreating to Fårö, Ingmar Bergman's home island, to write. Sean flags it as being in dialogue with Olivier Assayas's Non-Fiction, which makes sense since Hansen-Løve and Assayas used to be partners.
Wes Anderson's New Yorker-inspired anthology. Sean loved it after a five-year wait, even though he heard about walkouts and knows plenty of people who found it flat. Says it's probably not anyone's favorite Anderson movie but is still staggering as pure craft.
Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut, an Elena Ferrante adaptation. Sean missed it but relays that it announced her as a real filmmaker, with Olivia Colman expected to land another nomination and Jessie Buckley (playing young Colman) picking up some buzz of her own.
Sean Baker's A24 follow-up to The Florida Project, with former MTV VJ Simon Rex as a washed-up porn star drifting back into a red-state Texas town. Sean missed it but notes it produced a lot of walkouts, the same reputation Uncut Gems had at Telluride before it took off.
Asghar Farhadi's Amazon release. Sean missed it to a schedule conflict and is still annoyed about it.
Ringer Films at TIFFtwo Ringer Films productions premiering in Toronto, watched from home
A Ringer Films documentary on Alanis Morissette around the release of Jagged Little Pill, directed by Alison Klayman. Amanda covered the album on 60 Songs That Explain the '90s; Sean says he's heard from a lot of listeners with the same formative-album story she told there.
The other Ringer Films premiere at TIFF, a portrait of Kenny G directed by Penny Lane (Hail Satan?).
An A24 title also premiering at TIFF; mentioned in passing alongside the rest of that lineup.
The October BottleneckParamount bailed on Sean's birthday movie, and everyone else had to recalculate
Pushed by Paramount from this fall into 2022, along with Jackass Forever and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Sean is devastated; he'd been counting on it as a joint birthday movie with Amanda.
Delayed by Paramount in the same round of pushes as Top Gun: Maverick.
The third Paramount delay in the same announcement, referred to on the show simply as 'Mission Impossible 7.'
The delays came before this one opened and beat expectations as a theatrical exclusive: proof, Sean argues, that a movie in actual theaters can still work, even mid-Delta-variant. It made roughly half of what a pre-pandemic Marvel movie would have.
Sony had considered bumping it to 2022 but moved it back to October 1st after Shang-Chi's success.
Still dated for October 8th. Sean is nervous for it, given how many times it's already been delayed and how much a movie this size relies on a clean release.
Dated for October 15th, the third of the four straight October tentpole weekends.
Closes out the October run on the 22nd, day-and-date on HBO Max. Sean caught it on a Warner Bros. lot pit stop on his way out to Telluride and calls it a mixed bag. A tweet to that effect got him dragged online, though he insists it wasn't meant as a verdict. He's adamant it's Dune Part One, not the whole story, and worried people going in expecting a complete film will be blindsided. Says the practical-and-CGI integration is the best he's ever seen and singles out Oscar Isaac's beard.
Holiday Blockbustersthe big swings still on the calendar for November and December
Chloé Zhao's MCU entry.
Called, without much argument, the most anticipated movie of the year by a lot of people.
Lana Wachowski directing solo this time, with Keanu Reeves back. A teaser dropped mid-recording and they paused the show to watch it live; Sean is fired up, mostly about the returning Nebuchadnezzar.
Tom Hanks stars in this Apple TV+ release, directed by Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones). Neither host can remember what it was originally called.
Awards Contenders, Confirmed and Rumoredeverything else on the fall calendar, as of this recording
Opens September 24th. Ben Platt reprises his Broadway role. Sean saw the trailer and isn't sure what to make of it; both hosts admit their taste in movie musicals skews old-fashioned.
Julia Ducournau's Palme d'Or winner, out October 1st. Sean is looking forward to it despite disliking her earlier film Raw.
Ridley Scott, opening October 15th, with a cast led by Matt Damon. Sean's been talking about it for a while and plans a full episode around it.
Edgar Wright's film, warmly received out of Venice with the usual Wright split: people who loved it, people who found it hollow.
Confirmed as happening; Amanda is thrilled, mostly for the cast.
Joel Coen's solo debut, starring Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington, premiering in New York in a few weeks.
Steven Spielberg's remake, closing out the year. Neither host is sure a remake was necessary, but they trust Spielberg more than most.
Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut for Netflix, starring Andrew Garfield.
Pedro Almodóvar's new film, which debuted at Venice. Sean floats an Almodóvar retrospective episode for January.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul's film with Tilda Swinton, headed to the New York Film Festival.
Guillermo del Toro's remake with Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett. Dated for December 3rd from Searchlight; no footage has surfaced yet.
Adam McKay's next film, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. Both hosts are anticipating it as fans of McKay and the cast.
Aaron Sorkin's film about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, one of two Amazon titles Sean has heard, unofficially, will make it out this year.
George Clooney directs, Ben Affleck stars, adapted from J.R. Moehringer's memoir by Departed screenwriter William Monahan. The other of the two Amazon titles Sean's heard is coming out this year.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Kenneth Branagh's last decade ThorJack Ryan: Shadow RecruitCinderellaMurder on the Orient ExpressAll Is TrueArtemis FowlDeath on the NileAtonementAnna KareninaThe Woman in the WindowDarkest HourTenet
Directors' prior work Free SoloFish TankGundaHail Satan?The Great BeautyBeginners20th Century WomenRawJackieNon-FictionBright StarZolaMojaveThe Gambler
In passing Sense and SensibilityThe Electrical Life of Louis WainUncut GemsWoodstock 99: Peace, Love, and RageNopeBlack AdamIndiana Jones and the Dial of DestinyMalcolm & MariePassing
Coming up next episode MalignantThe Card Counter
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV Top of the LakeDoctor WhoThe CrownBig Little LiesThe Young PopeGame of ThronesThe North Water
Podcasts 60 Songs That Explain the '90sWTF with Marc MaronThe Ringer Fantasy Football ShowThe Mismatch
Ads Netflix FIFA World Cup Launch EditionFanDuelCarvanaBoar's HeadWhite Claw