The Scene at NYFF with Naomie Harris and Kenneth Lonergan
Monday, October 3, 2016 at 5:13PM Murtada reporting from a weekend at the NYFF.
The New York Film Festival enables local cinephiles to catch a finely curated collection of films that have screened at other festivals earlier in the year. It is also a veritable hotbed of casual sightings of the New York film crowd: there’s Todd Haynes entering the Alice Tully Hall animatedly chatting with his Carol editor Alfonso Gonçalves (who has two films in the festival: Gimme Danger and Paterson). Here's Mikhail Baryshnikov posing with his daughter Anna who’s in Manchester by the Sea; I see Bob Balaban making his way through the security line. And, look, Edie Falco introducing herself to Casey Affleck after the Q and A for his movie.
Lonergan in conversation with Jones
Most interesting though are the stories filmmakers tell as they screen their films...
In conversation with the NYFF artistic director Kent Jones, Manchester's Kenneth Lonergan revealed that he considers himself fairly new at directing films, having only made three. He revealed that while he doesn't have a process, he watches movies that he loves and takes from them. His inspirations include classics like The Bicycle Thief, The 400 Blows, Casablanca and lots of William Wyler. In fact he considers Wyler’s 1936 movie Dodsworth “the most perfect American movie”.
Lonergan also talked about his no frills approach to production design and costumes, and how both should be naturalistic and not metaphorical reflections of character's moods. And about how he came to understand that experienced film actors are used to the idea that they are not in control of the final product, and very often don't even see their own movies.
A day later, that same sentiment was repeated by Jim Jarmusch when he was talking about his Paterson star, Adam Driver. Driver apparently never watches his movies because he doesn’t want to lose the intuition that enable his performances to happen.
Harris with co-star Janelle Monáe at the Q & A
Moonlight was rapturously received in its first New York public screening Sunday night with two standing ovations for Barry Jenkins and his cast. At the post screening Q & A, Naomie Harris revealed how she had to confront and overcome judgement, about her character being a crack addict and a cold mother, in order play her. She researched crack addicted women and found that a vast majority have been sexually abused. She used that information to fill in the gaps in her character’s story.
Reader Comments (5)
Loved reading this. Thanks for sharing.
Both of these films are extraordinary. I'm starting to turn around on my doubts of Moonlight making it into the Oscars in a big way. It could be the passion push like critical faves Tree of Life or Amour and make it into Best Picture and Best Director while Harris is known enough to get in for supporting. Maybe not the men however though Ali deserves a nod.
I'm a big fan of Dodsworth - I've owned a 16mm print since the 80s. It's nearly the best adult-relationship film of its era, and it definitely makes sense that Lonergan would be into it.
After Margaret (which remains my favourite film this decade) Lonergan already had a lifetime pass from me. But his love of Dodsworth accords him some sort of personal patron saint status.
This is a fun post. Thanks, Murtada. I'm looking forward to more NYFF commentary!