Exploring the Humanity of Deafness in "Wonderstruck"

By Spencer Coile  

At my showing for Wonderstruck this week, there were only six other people in the audience: a young couple and a gaggle of older ladies who felt comfortable talking their way through the whole movie. And while I was initially annoyed at this inconvenience, I was instantly sucked into the world Todd Haynes assembled in his period piece about loss, life, and the family we seek comfort in. Something was especially strange about my experience, though -- the entire film played with subtitles. Was this intentional and I just didn't know it was supposed to be shown this way? Was this a mistake by the theater? Or did one of my fellow moviegovers request this specifically? 

These questions were never answered, but it didn't matter. I personally consume all my media with the subtitles on, so this was a total delight. But how perfect it was to sit back and enjoy a film that celebrates our differences (one of which being the characters' deafness) while also incorporating a feature that is used to help enhance movie watching for those who are visually impaired. And so it began: Wonderstruck, another story suitable for Haynes' illustrious career. 

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Gloria Steinem to be played by Carey Mulligan and Julianne Moore

by Murtada

2018 might become the year of Gloria Steinem at the movies. We’ve already told you about Dee Rees’ plans to make a film about the feminist movement’s fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, An Uncivil War. The project has lead parts for Steinem, activist Flo Kennedy and fundamentalist organizer Phyllis Schlafly. Rees has decided to continue collaborating with her Mudbound star Carey Mulligan and cast her as Steinem.

Director Julie Taymor (Frida, Across the Universe) and Playwright Sarah Ruhl will adapt Steinem’s memoir My Life on The Road. Their choice for the lead part is Julianne Moore. It looks like the Rees/Mulligan project will go before the cameras first, in March 2018. The Taymor/Moore film is still at the writing stage.

There is no reason why both movies could not be successful as they're telling different stories. One is about a particular moment in time with Steinem as one of three protagonists. The other centers squarely on her and is based on her memoir. Which of the two interests you more and why?

"Wonderstruck" and "Mudbound"

Lynn Lee continuing our Middleburg Film Festival adventure

Dee Rees and Mudbound cast earlier this year. © Daniel Bergeron

It’s always a little weird to attend a talk with a director before seeing the film they’re being interviewed about.  That’s what happened with Mudbound, which concluded a day that began with a very engaging conversation between director Dee Rees and Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday and festival founder Sheila Johnson’s presentation of the 2017 “Visionary” award to Rees.  Rees was charming, articulate, and impressively self-possessed, and had many interesting comments on the directorial choices she made in Mudbound, which I wasn’t sure whether I should keep in mind or set aside while watching the film that night.  Rees made clear that she resists being pigeonholed as a director of color, female director, or female director of color, an aversion reflected in her somewhat bland mantra “let excellence be the standard.”  At the same time, she agreed that the current system is structurally biased against prioritizing excellence and needs to be opened up...

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Julianne in Venice: Suburbicon, Woodshock, Three Billboards...

by Nathaniel R

This lovely photo was taken by longtime Film Experience reader Ferdi in Italy where the Venice Film Festival is ongoing. Isn't she a vision in gauzy red? One more photo of Julianne and more about several Oscar hopeful festival premieres after the jump...

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A First Look At "Suburbicon"

Chris here. With fall festival lineups beginning to be revealed, that means some of the upcoming films that have been shrouded in secrecy are beginning to lift the veil. One such film that we've seen next to nothing from is George Clooney's Suburbicon, which will be among the Venice and Toronto lineups.

Thus far we've only had the starry cast (Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar Isaac) and a script by Clooney, his writing partner Grant Heslov, and the Coen brothers to stoke our curiosity - with a brief plot synopsis about home invasion to have us scratching our heads as to what the actual tone of this thing would be. Now there is a trailer that... leaves us with more questions about the tone.

Take a look at the trailer and I have some burning questions after the jump...

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