46th NYFF: An Overview

There’s something that sets the New York Film Festival apart from the chaotic frenzy that surrounds most other festivals. The selections have (almost) all premiered elsewhere, so it’s the one film festival where press is given maximum priority over the industry. There’s no wheeling and dealing, no lives being broken and no ostentatious parties (at least not that I’m invited to).   

The festival kicked off on Friday night with the Palme d’Or winning The Class by veteran Laurent Cantet. The Class is a low-fi, brilliant, slice-of-life that teased expectations of greater cinema to come. The films I’m looking forward to the most include the Grand Prix winning Gomorrah, Steven Soderbergh’s 4 1/2 hour revolutionary epic Che, Jerzy Skolimowski’s directorial return: Four Nights With Anna, the career comeback film: The Wrestler (for both the director and star) and Arnaud Desplechin’s A Christmas Tale (which has it’s detractors, but I’d watch Catherine Deneuve make a grilled cheese sandwich).

Other highlights include Wong Kar-Wai’s Ashes of Time Redux, which has been, re-cut, re-transferred and re-scored in an effort to remedy an amazing film that was never released properly stateside. The star-studded centerpiece Changeling will certainly bring out the paparazzi, but I’m more curious about some of the smaller films like Antonio Campos’ Afterschool and Kelly Reichardt’s sophomore feature Wendy and Lucy.   

It looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me, but the line-up is incredibly exciting. Be sure to keep checking back for exclusive interviews with some of the directors and cast members who have films in the 46th annual New York Film Festival.