New Linklater Film to Open NYFF
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 7:08AM Chris here. You may think it's a little early to start prepping for fall film festival season, but New York Film Festival wants to prove you wrong. The festival just announced its opening film and it's one we've heard surprisingly little about: Richard Linklater's Last Flag Flying.
The film will be a spiritual sequel of sorts to Hal Ashby's The Last Detail, with Bryan Cranston taking over Jack Nicholson's reins. Cranston stars with Laurence Fishburne and Steve Carell, and the men head off on a coastal road trip after Carell's son dies while serving overseas in Iraq. If this sounds on the treacly side, we can count on Linklater to give it some verve. Plus if NYFF has the confidence in the film to announce its major placement several months away, the Texan filmmaker could have something special coming our way.
The film will open in the Thanksgiving corridor on November 17, so distributor Amazon is likely gunning for Oscar consideration. Previous NYFF openers range from last year's nominated 13th to all-around dud The Walk, so we'll be curious to see how the film lands. Could this be Linklater's post-Boyhood return to Oscar graces?
Reader Comments (16)
This is looking like an Oscar slamdunk, in advance.
If I never see Steve Carrell in a movie again, I'd be fine. Wait, no. I'd be great.
Well, let's see. I've never cared for the actor on the left, have grown to dislike the actor in the middle, and am largely apathetic to the actor on the right, so based on the photo alone I'm a hard no.
This looks to be like Battle of the Hams, so it will be a nice companion piece to Battle of the Sexes for Steve Carrell this year.
Why is everyone trying to make Cranston a movie star? He's not one and never will be one. And don't even get me started on his filler Oscar nom for HAM.
The actors in this are a giant meh, but Linklater has earned my $10 after Before Trilogy, Boyhood, and EWS in recent years so I'm a "Yes" regardless of what I hear there.
@Troy H
How can anyone be indifferent to Legend Laurence? He's participated in classics and usually makes an impression whenever he acts.
Wow. surprised by the hate. These three actors + Linklater = Excited. This has the potential to be very good with a couple of strong best supporting actor contenders (I'm rooting for Fishburne as I'd like him to get a career boost). Hope they make you haters eat your words!
Linklater is the most interesting thing about this. He's always managed to bring something great out of actors i don't usually care about. And the three in this pic fall squarely in that category.
I'm not high and mighty on this one. I also think Linklater could pull off an Adapted Screenplay as a possible makeup for Boyhood. Unless James Ivory another overdue veteran sho co-wrote Call Me By Your Name, has something to say about it.
I really like Cranston and Carroll.
Laurence is somewhat boring as an actor,
I agree.
Carnell. Sorry.
/3rtful: I just think that his peak came in the early-to-mid 1990s. I haven't seen much from him since that compels my excitement, though he has been amusing on the handful of Black-ish episodes which I've watched.
I'm a Carell fanboy, so I'm in. His filmography definitely needs a boost. It'll be interesting to see what fruit is born from his collab with Linklater.
The only reasons I want to see this is that it's from Richard Linklater and that it's a sequel to a film I love in The Last Detail.
It's obvious why people keep casting Cranston. Two words and the both start with a B.
With that said he hasn't wowed on the big screen yet. Maybe him & Hamm are meant to stay on the small screen. Unlike them, fellow praised tv leading man Kyle Chandler is welcome on the big screen any day of the week. His talent clearly transfers intact.