NYFF: the queer slow cinema of Tsai Ming-liang's "Days"

by Sean Donovan

Taiwanese auteur Tsai Ming-liang’s brand has reached a point where any objections to his style seem of limited use or value. At this point in his career, Tsai is going to do what Tsai is always wont to do- which is make films composed of far less shots overall than most filmmakers working today, some stretching as long as 10 minutes, studies in slow repetition and urbane melancholy, sometimes touching on queer themes but just grazing them (Tsai himself is gay). When a filmmaker’s brand is so immediately recognizable it’s sometimes met with impatience and boredom by audiences, as if wondering ‘when are they gonna just get over this already?’ ‘How many lengthy shots of people doing housework is too many?’ Matías Piñeiro’s latest entry in the New York Film Festival, Isabella, received notices of exactly this kind from many critics, wondering what the balance is between honing a brand vs. refusing to develop creatively (I reviewed the film here for TFE to a similarly lukewarm shrug). 

Yet with Tsai Ming-liang I find myself not caring whatsoever about any criteria of versatility or artistic variance in his work...

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Monty @ 100: Instant Stardom & Queer Masculinity in "Red River"

by Nathaniel R

I watched myself in Red River and I knew I was going to be famous, so I decided I would get drunk anonymously one last time."
- Montgomery Clift to the novelist James Jones (From Here to Eternity)

Cliff is an arrogant little bastard."
- John Wayne to a Life Magazine reporter.

While The Search (1948) was the first chance for moviegoers to see the rising actor Montgomery Clift on the screen, it was actually the second movie the young actor shot. His trial run in Hollywood came shortly before his 26th birthday, as he ditched Broadway to head to the Arizona desert for a John Wayne western. The film was Howard Hawks' Red River. It's possible that Hollywood didn't know that the film would prove to be a sensation with audiences, but word quickly spread that Wayne's debut co-star would.

By most accounts John Wayne and Montgomery Clift didn't get along but sometimes that works for a picture rather than against it...

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Almost There: Nathan Lane in "The Birdcage"

by Cláudio Alves

For as long as queer narratives have attracted prestige and awards buzz, straight actors have earned praise for playing LGBTQ+ characters. They're often complimented for being brave, risky, for putting their careers on the line in pursuit of some grand artistic merit. Even in 2020, once you move away from the festival circuit and regard more mainstream productions, it's hard to find actual queer actors portraying these roles. Ammonite and Supernova are just the latest examples of this trend. This isn't to say that cishet actors can't be great at playing queer roles, but we'd like some variety, especially in the context of Oscars.

Back in 1996, AMPAS had a good opportunity to honor a gay actor playing a gay role. Nathan Lane, who admittedly wasn't out yet, was in contention for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work in Mike Nichols' The Birdcage…

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Nathaniel on the Jury at CIFF

by Nathaniel R

All the Pretty Horses (Greece, 2020)

The Calgary International Film Festival begins today and will run through Sunday, October 4th I'm pleased to share the news that I'm on the International Narrative Feature jury this year (the fun kind of jury duty!) with Nancy Campbell and George Smalz. We're all attending virtually this year, of course, rather than in person...

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New Fest Lineup!

by Nathaniel R

 Paul Bettany is "Uncle Frank" in a road trip film from Alan Ball
New York City's leading queer film festival is now in its 32nd year. And this year you don't even need to be in NYC to attend since they've gone virtual...

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