The Movie Report #1145 - November 12, 2021

#1145 - November 12, 2021

MOVIES:

• Belfast
  
• Julia
  
• Sooryavanshi
  
• tick, tick... BOOM!
  

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Movie Music Monday: The second tick, tick... BOOM! soundtrack drop speaks "Louder Than Words"

The first officially released track from Lin-Manuel Miranda's film of Jonathan Larson's musical tick, tick... BOOM!, "30/90," was understandably the auditory answer to the question, "Can Andrew Garfield pull off the singing?" (Short answer: yes.) So it would follow that the second official release would be a song that featured more of the cast, and that song would be the one that is most prominently featured in the film's two trailers, "Louder Than Words." Where "30/90" answered the most burning question about Miranda's film, the seemingly straightforward "Louder Than Words" raises some new ones. On stage, the song is the show's rousing closer (a concept Larson would take to even more cathartic heights with the indelible "Finale B" in Rent), sung by the thinly veiled Larson avatar "Jon" and the two other actors in the three-person cast, whose primary characters (of a few) are that of his girlfriend Susan and best friend Michael. Alexandra Shipp and Robin de Jesús, respectively, play those roles in the film, but joining Garfield (who, after hearing him effortlessly carry two tracks now, I no longer have any vocal doubts about) as Jonathan Larson are not that pair but another, Vanessa Hudgens (who plays actress Karessa Johnson) and Joshua Henry, whose "Roger" character (exact relation to the Larson character still unknown) also lent support on "30/90." This implies an alteration of the song's exact context in the film, possibly as part of a show Larson stages, which is strongly suggested by the shots of Garfield performing the song at a piano in the full trailer. However the number plays out in the film, Miranda's longtime collaborator Alex Lacamoire's production is suitably polishes the already-strong tune for the cinema, and the final bit is as quietly, understatedly moving as it is on the livestage and the 2001 Original Off-Broadway cast recording.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's film of Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM! is set for release in select cinemas on Friday, November 12 before streaming worldwide on Netflix on Friday, November 19. The film is set to have its world premiere as the opening night film of AFI FEST 2021 on Wednesday, November 10.

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Movie Music Monday: Andrew Garfield ably carries a tune in the latest looks & listens at Lin-Manuel Miranda's film of tick, tick... BOOM!

After dropping a teaser back in June, Netflix has just released the first full trailer for first-time film director Lin-Manuel Miranda's biopic adaptation of the late Jonathan Larson's Off-Broadway musical tick, tick... BOOM!. The new two-and-a-half minute spot continues the approach set by the teaser, emphasizing the story, going into greater detail about then-aspiring-composer Larson's (played here by Andrew Garfield) bohemian lifestyle in Manhattan's East Village and his struggles with creating and perfecting a meaningful work as age 30 rapidly approaches. (There is a slight misdirect here, as the particular work he is shown tirelessly toiling on is implied to be his ultimate claim to fame, Rent, when it is in fact--unless Miranda and screenwriter Steven Levenson made a major alteration from stage to screen--Larson's never-produced science fiction musical Superbia.) While still playing generally coy with offering listens of the adapted song score, the new trailer does feature an ample sample of the closing number on stage, "Louder Than Words," and, thus, a more proper taste of Garfield's singing voice. This writer's (and Larson fan) preliminary assessment? He may very well be more than up for all of the demands of this role.

That cautious optimism is further boosted by the first song on the soundtrack to officially be released, "30/90." On stage, this hard-driving opening number (whose overall vibe presages the title number of Rent) is an ensemble effort between "Jon" and best friend Michael and girlfriend Susan. Except for a brief bit solo by Broadway stalwart Joshua Henry (playing an as-yet-unspecified role), the track is a solo showcase for Garfield's abilities. Even if he's not a vocal powerhouse on the level of the Off-Broadway originator Raúl Esparza, he more than ably does justice to Larson's hook-laden melody and, more importantly for film, vocally sells the sense of creative and existential angst and frustration that fuels both the song and the piece as a whole. It's still early, but these early reveals are quite promising for the film as a whole.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's film of Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM! is set for release in select cinemas on Friday, November 12 before streaming worldwide on Netflix on Friday, November 19. The film is set to have its world premiere as the opening night film of AFI FEST 2021 on Wednesday, November 10.

The Movie Report wants to attend all your live stage productions, film premieres, and special events! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

The Movie Report #1132 - August 13, 2021

#1132 - August 13, 2021

MOVIES:

• CODA
  
• Don't Breathe 2
  
• Free Guy
  
• The Lost Leonardo
  

ON DEMAND:

• Vivo
  

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F3PR: World Premiere of tick, tick... BOOM! to open AFI FEST 2021

PRESS RELEASE

WORLD PREMIERE OF
tick, tick... BOOM!
TO OPEN AFI FEST 2021

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Directorial Debut
to Kick Off 35^th Edition Of AFI FEST
November 10–14

AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute
to Julie Andrews to Be Gala Event
on November 11

Los Angeles, CA, August 11, 2021 — AFI FEST 2021 has officially announced that the 35^th edition of the festival will take place November 10–14, 2021. The festival will open with the World Premiere of Netflix’s tick, tick… BOOM! Directed by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda in his feature directorial debut, the film is based on the autobiographical musical by Rent playwright Jonathan Larson and stars Academy Award® nominee and Tony Award® winner Andrew Garfield. The film is written by Tony Award® winner Steven Levenson, and produced by Academy Award® and Emmy® winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Entertainment, Julie Oh, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Opening Night screening will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.

This year’s hybrid festival will feature both in-person screenings and events in Los Angeles, CA, as well as virtual screenings, showcasing transformative stories from groundbreaking artists, and a gala event celebrating AFI Life Achievement Honoree Julie Andrews.

With health and safety being top priority, AFI FEST 2021 will require all festival-goers who attend in-person events and/or screenings to be fully vaccinated.

“AFI FEST will remind the world the power of this art form to lift our spirits at a time we need it most,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “Opening with the imperative voice of Lin-Manuel Miranda and celebrating the joy that Julie Andrews has provided generations will set our sights on a brighter day – just like in the movies.”

The 48^th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Julie Andrews will take place on Thursday, November 11, 2021, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.

“AFI FEST 2021 will captivate our community of film lovers, starting with our opening night film, tick, tick… BOOM!,” said Sarah Harris, Director of Programming at AFI Festivals. “We’re thrilled to elevate the best in global cinema to audiences safely in theaters in Los Angeles and across the nation virtually, celebrating the beauty and power of film.”

Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature directorial debut with tick, tick… BOOM!, an adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, who revolutionized theater as the creator of Rent. The film follows Jon (Academy Award® nominee and Tony Award® winner Andrew Garfield), a young theater composer who’s waiting tables at a New York City diner in 1990 while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical. Days before he’s due to showcase his work in a make-or-break performance, Jon is feeling the pressure from everywhere: from his girlfriend Susan, who dreams of an artistic life beyond New York City; from his friend Michael, who has moved on from his dream to a life of financial security; amidst an artistic community being ravaged by the AIDS epidemic. With the clock ticking, Jon is at a crossroads and faces the question everyone must reckon with: What are we meant to do with the time we have?

tick, tick… BOOM! stars Academy Award® nominee and Tony Award® winner Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Tony Award® nominee Robin de Jesús, Tony Award® nominee Joshua Henry, Emmy® Award nominee Mj Rodriguez, Emmy® Award winner Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter aka Black Thought of The Roots, with Emmy® and Tony Award® winner Judith Light and Vanessa Hudgens. The film will be in select theaters on November 12, 2021 and on Netflix November 19, 2021.

Top Sponsors for AFI FEST 2021 include AT&T, Apple Original Films, National Geographic Documentary Films and Dell.

Tickets and passes to AFI FEST 2021 will be available soon on FEST.AFI.com. AFI Members receive exclusive discounts and benefits to the festival. To become an AFI member, visit AFI.com/join/.

About the American Film Institute (AFI)

The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to champion the moving image as an art form. Established in 1967, AFI launched the first comprehensive history of American film and sparked the movement for film preservation in the United States. In 1969, AFI opened the doors of the AFI Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train narrative filmmakers. AFI’s enduring traditions include the AFI Life Achievement Award, which honors the masters for work that has stood the test of time; AFI AWARDS, which celebrates the creative ensembles of the most outstanding screen stories of the year; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive that preserve film history for future generations. AFI exhibition programs include AFI FEST, AFI DOCS and year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland. Other pioneering programs include workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community, including the AFI Directing Workshop for Women and the AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women. AFI’s newest program is AFI Movie Club, a daily global engagement for those who love the movies. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, Twitter.com/AmericanFilm and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

About AFI FEST

Now in its 35^th year, AFI FEST is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. With an innovative slate of programming, the five-day festival historically presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new cinematic voices. This year’s edition takes place in-person and online November 10-14, 2021. The festival includes Special Presentations of high-profile films with Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts presented in established AFI FEST sections. Additional information about AFI FEST is available at FEST.AFI.com. Connect with AFI FEST at Facebook.com/AFIFEST, Twitter.com/AFIFEST, Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute and YouTube.com/AFI.

The Movie Report wants to attend all your film festivals and special events! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

Movie Music Monday: The countdown officially begins for Lin-Manuel Miranda's film of Jonathan Larson's tick... tick... BOOM!

Ubiquitous multimedia multi-hyphenate Lin-Manuel Miranda has a number of projects set to hit the big screen following this past weekend's release of Jon M. Chu's adaptation of his first show, In the Heights, including a pair of animated features featuring new songs from the actor/writer/composer, Sony and Netflix's Vivo and Disney's Encanto. Completing the set of live action bookends for his cinema year is his film directorial debut, which actually does not feature any of his music, for it's an adaptation of another stage composer's work, the late Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!.

The show originated as an autobiographical one-man show for the future Rent writer/composer in 1990, and then it was ultimately revamped and reconfigured five years after Larson's untimely death into a modest, semi-autobiographical but very thinly veiled, three-actor piece that has earned a devoted cult following thanks to a number of Off-Broadway and regional productions since 2001. The recently released first teaser trailer for Miranda's film version shows that he and screenwriter Steven Levenson (the man responsible for the (inexplicable, in this writer's opinion) current Broadway sensation Dear Evan Hansen) have dropped the "semi-" from "semi-autobiographical," making a musical biopic somewhat akin to what Dexter Fletcher did to the life of Elton John with Rocketman. The big question that arose since the film began production is the singing abilities of lead Andrew Garfield as Larson. The teaser doesn't quite answer that query, for it surprisingly offers very little actual music, let alone music sung by its leading man. A slight taste of Garfield's voice comes at the beginning, with him briefly leading a group singalong of the cut-for-the-stage Larson tune "Boho Days"; he sounds perfectly fine, but given it's a tossed-off, casual in-scene bit, it's hard to gauge whether he can pull off more strenuous numbers like the heartwrenching 11-o'clock number "Why." What can be assessed off-hand is the appropriateness of Garfield's casting, and rocking Larson's unruly head of hair atop his own naturally tall and lanky frame, he rather eerily resembles the real thing. The only other song sample is literally a line from the show's closer, "Louder Than Words" (alas, I fully expect my favorite song from the show, the showstopping power ballad "Come to Your Senses"--set to be performed in the film by Vanessa Hudgens--will be saved for the release of the film proper), but the aim of this first look seems to selling the story first, music second. Given his own life and work, Miranda unsurprisingly conveys the existential angst of an ambitious artist trying to make a mark as time all too palpably ticks by in these two minutes, which also offers tantalizing glimpses of his flair for filming elaborately fanciful and cinematic production numbers.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's film of Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM! is set for release in select cinemas and on Netflix sometime this fall.

The Movie Report wants to attend all your live stage productions, film premieres, and special events! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

F3PR: In the Heights to screen at Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) on June 4

PRESS RELEASE

SPECIAL PREVIEW SCREENING OF
DIRECTOR JON M. CHU AND
CREATOR LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA’S
FEATURE FILM IN THE HEIGHTS TO SCREEN AT
LOS ANGELES LATINO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (LALIFF)
ON FRIDAY, JUNE 4

LALIFF and the Tribeca Festival to partner
in celebration of their 20^th anniversaries

LOS ANGELES, CA – April 30, 2021 – Academy Award®-nominated actor Edward James Olmos, founder of the Latino Film Institute, announced today that the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) will host a Special Preview Screening of Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming In the Heights, the highly-anticipated film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical from director Jon M. Chu, on Friday, June 4^th 2021. In addition, LALIFF and the Tribeca Festival will partner as a celebration of their 20^th anniversaries.

“We cannot wait to share this incredible film with our audience as part of this year’s festival,” says Edward James Olmos. “In the Heights celebrates the Latino culture and allows us to continue to support our mission of providing a platform of stories that are told by us and for us. We are equally excited to partner with such a renowned film festival like Tribeca and we know that this will be a partnership that will flourish over the years.”

“Congratulations to LALIFF on their 20^th anniversary of extraordinary storytelling for Latino filmmakers, artists and visionaries everywhere. We celebrate this incredible partnership with a shared goal, to beautifully showcase diverse and under-represented voices through the power of film,” said Robert De Niro, Actor and Co-Founder of the Tribeca Festival.

“In the Heights is a story about a community,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda. “For 20 years, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and Edward James Olmos have been uplifting and providing a platform for Latino artists to share their own stories. It is with tremendous admiration and gratitude for those who have come before us that I am honored and humbled to have In the Heights screen for the LALIFF community.”

Chu stated, “Making In the Heights for the big screen and being able to bring the world that Lin-Manuel created to life in a whole new way has been an incredible journey, and it's such a privilege to have the film be a part of this festival, which honors the very community we celebrate in the film.”

The preview of In the Heights will take place one week before the film premieres in theaters and on HBO Max and will be held at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre. In the Heights will be one of several in-person screenings held during this year’s LALIFF.

The film is directed by Jon M. Chu and centers around the vibrant Washington Heights community and a bodega owner named Usnavi, who dreams about a better life. The film stars Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Stephanie Biatriz, Dascha Polanco, singer Marc Anthony, and Jimmy Smits.

Chu directed the film from a screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes, based on the musical stage play, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes and concept by Miranda. Miranda, Hudes, Scott Sanders, Anthony Bregman and Mara Jacobs produced the film, with David Nicksay and Kevin McCormick serving as executive producers.

Behind the camera, Chu reunited with his Crazy Rich Asians production designer, Nelson Coates, and editor, Myron Kerstein. He also collaborated with director of photography Alice Brooks and costume designer Mitchell Travers. Original songs by Miranda. Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman served as executive music producers. The choreography is by Christopher Scott.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a 5000 Broadway / Barrio Grrrl! / Likely Story / SGS Pictures Production, A Jon M. Chu Film, In the Heights. Slated to open on June 11, 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It will be available on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release. It is rated PG-13 for some language and suggestive references.

This year’s full program will be comprised of feature films, episodics, music, XR projects and short films, including those from LALIFF’s inaugural Latinx Inclusion Fellowship Series. The program and complete schedule of events will be announced in early May.

For additional information please visit LALIFF.

About LALIFF

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) is a premiere international event dedicated to showcasing the entirety of human experience from the Latino perspective, whether through film, television, digital, music, art, or any other vehicle, regardless of platform. LALIFF is presented by the Latino Film Institute (LFI), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to showcase, strengthen, and celebrate the richness of Latino lives through the audio-visual event. LFI develops, activates, and supports artists, creators, and executives through pathways and platforms for the expression and appreciation of their work.

The Movie Report wants to attend all your film festivals and special events! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

Movie Music Monday: Curtains raise on musical films on the Oscars® telecast

The Academy Awards® have a long history of not allowing movie previews and promos to air during its annual telecast, but after what has been arguably the most difficult year for the film and--most of all--the film exhibition industry in modern history, an exception was made in this past Sunday's 93^rd ceremony. But, perhaps in a tacit ploy to promote the theatrical experience, or perhaps just owing to Oscars showmanship, or both, the three featured film previews--all for music-driven projects, as it (not so coincentally?) happens--simply did not just air during a regular commercial break, they were more like embedded features of the telecast, being introduced by talent involved with each film.

Clearly the most anticipated look was that of the one film of the three that has remained shrouded in virtual mystery since its production, Steven Spielberg's new take on Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's evergreen tale of forbidden love amid warring New York street gangs in the 1950s, West Side Story. To be perfectly frank, while undoubtedly visually striking, and the melancholy rendition of "Somewhere" from the one returning star from the classic and timeless 1961 Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins film adaptation, Rita Moreno, is affecting, there isn't enough for me here just yet to convince me that this take is necessary when the 1961 film has rightly been a cornerstone of the pop culture consciousness in the six decades since its release. Spielberg's film is due out on Friday, December 10, from 20^th Century Studios.

After a wildly warm reception at this January's Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards, the Oscars®' resident DJ this year, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's filmmaking debut, Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) had its official launch to the masses with its teaser trailer. A documentary on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a concert series event that, despite live performances by music legends such as Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight, and Sly and the Family Stone, has largely evaporated from the memory. The teaser, which offers a tantalizing glimpse of the never before seen, downright electrifying performance footage featured in the film, indicates that this monumental event will finally have its rightful place cemented in American history when the film is released in cinemas and on Hulu by Searchlight Pictures on Friday, July 2.

Rounding out the trio is Jon M. Chu's screen adaptation of the Tony-winning stage musical that first put superstar composer Lin-Manuel Miranda on the map, In the Heights, finally due out in theatres after a nearly year-long delay on Friday, June 11. Having seen the film more than once already (more thoughts, needless to say, to come, closer to release date), and must commend Warner Bros. for showing unwavering support in pushing this potential blockbuster-in-waiting as an experience that must be shared with a full cinema audience despite the simultaneous, day-and-date drop on HBO Max. The latest in what has been a terrific series of trailers further distills just why this rousing, heartfelt entertainer must be experienced in the largest, loudest, livest way possible.

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