A Beautiful Trailer for "Isle of Dogs"

Chris here. I'm one of those oddball folks that considers Fantastic Mr. Fox as Wes Anderson's best film, so next year's Isle of Dogs has me very excited for the auteur to take another dive into the stop motion pool. And by the looks of the first trailer, Dogs will be very aligned to Fox's humor and visual aesthetic but with the added unexpected intrigue of its Japanese setting. The potential troublesome optics and use of language here gives me some pause, but we'll wait until the film arrives to access. Let's hope Anderson doesn't end up in the cinematic doghouse by delivering our worst fears here.

As you can tell from the poster, Anderson has assembled a massive cast even by his standards. Regular players like Edward Norton and Bill Murray are back, but can you believe this is his first collaboration with Scarlett Johansson and Greta Gerwig? Yoko Ono is also in the lineup if you aren't already fascinated enough.

But what a visual treat, even if it looks like it will be Anderson's most muted color palate. On the other hand: doesn't this trailer just remind you how thin this year's Best Animated Feature race is?

TIFF: Gerwig's Lovely "Lady Bird"

by Chris Feil

One of the most heartening things about Greta Gerwig’s directorial arrival Lady Bird is how naturally it feels like an extension of her previous acting work. The film is modest, unpretentious in its intelligent character study of a high school senior facing the near-adulthood pressures of the end of high school and living in a poor family. Christine, redubbing herself Lady Bird, is just at the beginning of her own reinvention and the other one that the world has waiting for her whether she likes it or not.

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Patiently Waiting for "Lady Bird"

Even Saoirse's doing it. (But aint this new still lovely?)

Happy Birthday, Greta Gerwig!

Chris here, with some well-wishing for one of our most under-awarded young actresses. It's Greta Gerwig's birthday!

The actress has an exciting few months ahead: her Saoirse Ronan-led directorial return Lady Bird is primed for festival season after A24 picked it up for a November 10 release. In the spring she'll be one of the many voice talents in Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs, as well. But we're naturally excited for Lady Bird, which has a tight lid kept on it. Gerwig has assembled an enticing cast that includes Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, and Lucas Hedges - but it's the collaboration with Ronan that really is intriguing. Will Gerwig's directorial touch be as enchanting as her effervescent and singular screen presence?

Here are some ways to celebrate Greta's birthday:

• Dance in the street to Bowie, traffic be damned!
• Teach house guests about menstruation.
• Drive to your ex's house in Connecticut and pitch him your restaurant you'll never open.
• Be criminally underrated, deceptively nuanced, and fully realized.

How will you celebrate Greta Gerwig's birthday?

'Lady Bird' Picked Up by A24

By Spencer Coile

After stellar performances in Greenberg, Frances Ha, Mistress America, 20th Century Women, and countless indies in the past decade, it was only a matter of time before Greta Gerwig got behind the directorial seat. Her debut film, Lady Bird, the story of a Sacramento teenager (Saoirse Ronan) who prepares to go to college in New York City has officially been picked up by A24 and is looking at a fall release. Co-written with frequent collaborator Noah Baumbach, Lady Bird also features Laurie Metcalf, Lucas Hedges, and Tracy Letts. 

With any luck, Gerwig's debut will begin generating Oscar buzz already -- A24 has seen some great success in the past few years (one notable example being 20th Century Women and recent Best Picture winner, Moonlight). And although it is too soon to call the film's Oscar chances, one thought remains abdundantly clear: Greta Gerwig's career is at a steady trajectory, and we are just lucky enough to be witnessing it firsthand.