Though he plays a man dealing with dementia in the upcoming film “Memory,” Peter Sarsgaard found the experience immensely joyful. “I loved playing him,” the actor reveals on this week’s episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I told my wife when I was playing him – I mean, it sounds arrogant, but it was true – I said, I’ don’t feel like I can miss. Like anything that comes my way. I don’t think I just am.’”
And though his heralded performance has already won the prestigious Volpi Cup Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival, Sarsgaard downplays any suffering he did for the role. “Acting is easy when it’s going well,” he notes. “Even Daniel Day-Lewis would tell you that ‘My Left Foot’ was easy because he was clearly on a roll. You show up and you just know instinctively what to do.” Listen below.
And though his heralded performance has already won the prestigious Volpi Cup Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival, Sarsgaard downplays any suffering he did for the role. “Acting is easy when it’s going well,” he notes. “Even Daniel Day-Lewis would tell you that ‘My Left Foot’ was easy because he was clearly on a roll. You show up and you just know instinctively what to do.” Listen below.
- 11/24/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Synapse Films have announced a Limited Edition Uhd & Blu-ray Slipcover combo for Mike Mendez’s much-cherished The Convent (a personal fave of mine Fyi).
From its opening massacre, set to the strains of (appropriately enough) Lesley Gore, The Convent is an in-your-face fright film with a full-blooded sense of humor. Director Mike Mendez both embraces and skewers the traditions of supernatural/possession cinema, with wicked twists that upend expectations and deliver jolts and laughs in equal measure. Not for the devout or the easily offended, the film gives Barbeau one of her best roles as the motorcycle-riding, shotgun-wielding Christine, with bonus appearances by fellow genre icon Bill Moseley (The Devils Rejects) and rapper/actor Coolio. The Convent rocked audiences at festivals including Sundance and Fantasia, but has long been unavailable on disc. Now you can possess its uncensored U.S. debut remastered in Dolby Vision 4K from the original uncut...
From its opening massacre, set to the strains of (appropriately enough) Lesley Gore, The Convent is an in-your-face fright film with a full-blooded sense of humor. Director Mike Mendez both embraces and skewers the traditions of supernatural/possession cinema, with wicked twists that upend expectations and deliver jolts and laughs in equal measure. Not for the devout or the easily offended, the film gives Barbeau one of her best roles as the motorcycle-riding, shotgun-wielding Christine, with bonus appearances by fellow genre icon Bill Moseley (The Devils Rejects) and rapper/actor Coolio. The Convent rocked audiences at festivals including Sundance and Fantasia, but has long been unavailable on disc. Now you can possess its uncensored U.S. debut remastered in Dolby Vision 4K from the original uncut...
- 11/22/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Canelo Alvarez is one of the most famous boxers in the world and he’s about to take on Jermell Charlo in a pay-per-view fight, live from Las Vegas.
The 33-year-old Mexican athlete will be defending his super middleweight championship on Saturday night (September 30) from the T-Mobila Arena.
The Showtime PPV event, which costs $84.99 for a streaming ticket, kicks off at 8pm Et.
Fans watching the event will likely want to know more about Canelo‘s personal life and his relationship with wife Fernanda Gomez, who will likely be in the front row of the match.
Keep reading to find out more…
The longtime couple got married in May 2021 at the Guadalajara Cathedral in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Canelo has three kids, two of which are with Fernanda. He became a father when he was a teenager and his oldest daughter Emily is now 17-years-old.
Canelo and Fernanda welcomed their daughter Maria...
The 33-year-old Mexican athlete will be defending his super middleweight championship on Saturday night (September 30) from the T-Mobila Arena.
The Showtime PPV event, which costs $84.99 for a streaming ticket, kicks off at 8pm Et.
Fans watching the event will likely want to know more about Canelo‘s personal life and his relationship with wife Fernanda Gomez, who will likely be in the front row of the match.
Keep reading to find out more…
The longtime couple got married in May 2021 at the Guadalajara Cathedral in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Canelo has three kids, two of which are with Fernanda. He became a father when he was a teenager and his oldest daughter Emily is now 17-years-old.
Canelo and Fernanda welcomed their daughter Maria...
- 9/30/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
It’s been four years since Patrick J. Adams suited up — get it? — as Mike Ross on the USA legal drama Suits. Since then the Canadian native’s continued acting, portraying everything from an astronaut and preacher to, yes, a lawyer. Ahead, check out what Adams has been in since Suits ended in 2019.
‘The Right Stuff’ marked Patrick J. Adams’s first project after ‘Suits’
From lawyer to astronaut, Adams took a step back in time with the 2020’s The Right Stuff. The Disney+ adaptation based on Tom Wolfe’s bestselling book of the same name followed Adams as John Glenn and the rest of the original Mercury 7.
The period drama ran for one season on Disney+ before being canceled and reportedly shopped to other networks (via Deadline). All eight episodes are available to stream on Disney+.
Since ‘Suits’: Adams lent his voice to 2021’s ‘Pandemica’
Adams joined many other celebs,...
‘The Right Stuff’ marked Patrick J. Adams’s first project after ‘Suits’
From lawyer to astronaut, Adams took a step back in time with the 2020’s The Right Stuff. The Disney+ adaptation based on Tom Wolfe’s bestselling book of the same name followed Adams as John Glenn and the rest of the original Mercury 7.
The period drama ran for one season on Disney+ before being canceled and reportedly shopped to other networks (via Deadline). All eight episodes are available to stream on Disney+.
Since ‘Suits’: Adams lent his voice to 2021’s ‘Pandemica’
Adams joined many other celebs,...
- 9/30/2023
- by Mandi Kerr
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The world premiere of the Sam Esmail-directed Netflix feature “Leave the World Behind” starring Oscar winners Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali along with four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke will open the 37th AFI Fest on October 25, while the world premiere of the Amazon Studios documentary “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story” while play as a centerpiece film at the festival on October 27. Additionally, “Maestro,” the Leonard Bernstein biopic from Netflix that’s directed by and starring Bradley Cooper and co-starring Carey Mulligan, will close the fest on October 29. All will be screened at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
AFI Fest runs October 25-29 and will include a curated selection of red carpet premieres, special screenings, world cinema, documentaries and shorts.
Here is the full lineup:
“Leave the World Behind” – In this apocalyptic thriller, Amanda (Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids,...
AFI Fest runs October 25-29 and will include a curated selection of red carpet premieres, special screenings, world cinema, documentaries and shorts.
Here is the full lineup:
“Leave the World Behind” – In this apocalyptic thriller, Amanda (Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Jessica Chastain is making a glamorous arrival at the 2023 San Sebastian Film Festival.
The 46-year-old Oscar-winning actress posed for photos at the premiere of her new movie Memory on Wednesday evening (September 27) held at the Victoria Eugenia Theater in San Sebastian, Spain.
Photos: Check out the latest pics of Jessica Chastain
Jessica wowed in a sparkling navy and tan gown as she was joined at the premiere by director Michel Franco.
Keep reading to find out more…
Here’s the synopsis for Memory: “Before meeting one another at a high school reunion, recovering alcoholic Sylvia (Chastain) and widower Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) have endured more than their share of suffering. She remembers being sexually abused as a girl, and believes that Saul might be one of the older boys involved. He suffers from dementia, making it difficult to trust what he remembers, whether it happened in the distant past or just five minutes ago,...
The 46-year-old Oscar-winning actress posed for photos at the premiere of her new movie Memory on Wednesday evening (September 27) held at the Victoria Eugenia Theater in San Sebastian, Spain.
Photos: Check out the latest pics of Jessica Chastain
Jessica wowed in a sparkling navy and tan gown as she was joined at the premiere by director Michel Franco.
Keep reading to find out more…
Here’s the synopsis for Memory: “Before meeting one another at a high school reunion, recovering alcoholic Sylvia (Chastain) and widower Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) have endured more than their share of suffering. She remembers being sexually abused as a girl, and believes that Saul might be one of the older boys involved. He suffers from dementia, making it difficult to trust what he remembers, whether it happened in the distant past or just five minutes ago,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
I’ve always defended Michel Franco, not that he requires further support from numerous areas of the industry. But he’s been something of a critical punching bag and dartboard target since his rise to relative acclaim, his festival placements and jury awards not translating to similarly good ink, or unignorable theatrical exposure. An important factor is the hangover from Haneke’s reign as the most influential Euro-festival auteur and attendant backlash that arose towards his punitive sensibility, especially those that imitated it. Franco, who first developed his career in the Mexican arthouse world, does indeed initiate a certain type of pain, but also much empathy.
Akin to Östlund, and especially Lanthimos, Franco has begun naturally integrating himself into a transnational mode, skipping between production scales and national tongues at ease. And Jessica Chastain, having now shot a second feature with him (under a SAG-AFTRA waiver), is threatening to become his Emma Stone.
Akin to Östlund, and especially Lanthimos, Franco has begun naturally integrating himself into a transnational mode, skipping between production scales and national tongues at ease. And Jessica Chastain, having now shot a second feature with him (under a SAG-AFTRA waiver), is threatening to become his Emma Stone.
- 9/15/2023
- by David Katz
- The Film Stage
Filmmaker Roger Ross Williams is known for capturing moments of intimacy and awe in documentaries like God Loves Uganda and the Oscar-nominated Life, Animated. With Cassandro, a portrait of gay lucha libre wrestling star Saúl Armendáriz (Gael García Bernal), Williams has brought that sense of warmth and showmanship to his first scripted feature. The film, which arrives in theaters Sept. 15 and on Prime Video Sept. 22, is just one of a bumper crop of Williams projects that are landing in 2023, from HBO’s Love to Love You, Donna Summer, which premiered in May, to the AppleTV+ docuseries The Super Models, due Sept. 20, to his hybrid doc feature on the history of racism, Stamped from the Beginning, set to be released by Netflix in November.
At the Telluride Film Festival earlier this month, Williams spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about making the leap to scripted fare, the trip to Juarez, Mexico that...
At the Telluride Film Festival earlier this month, Williams spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about making the leap to scripted fare, the trip to Juarez, Mexico that...
- 9/14/2023
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In her latest film “Memory,” Jessica Chastain is out of the prosthetics and wigs and off the awards circuit (for now) required by playing two Tammys — Wynette and Faye Bakker — for Showtime’s “George & Tammy” and her Oscar-winning “Eyes of Tammy Faye.”
To play Sylvia, a recovering alcoholic grappling with childhood trauma for Michel Franco’s devastating Venice and Toronto premiere “Memory,” the Oscar winner and Emmy nominee wears no makeup, had no trailer, and bought her own costumes for the indie’s New York shoot.
“Because I have been doing bigger things sometimes and have gotten a lot of attention as of late, [there’s been the idea] that I would not be interested in being on a set without a trailer,” Chastain said in an interview out of Toronto. “We had the Oscars, and I won for ‘Tammy Faye,’ and then right after that, I showed up on set to do ‘Memory.
To play Sylvia, a recovering alcoholic grappling with childhood trauma for Michel Franco’s devastating Venice and Toronto premiere “Memory,” the Oscar winner and Emmy nominee wears no makeup, had no trailer, and bought her own costumes for the indie’s New York shoot.
“Because I have been doing bigger things sometimes and have gotten a lot of attention as of late, [there’s been the idea] that I would not be interested in being on a set without a trailer,” Chastain said in an interview out of Toronto. “We had the Oscars, and I won for ‘Tammy Faye,’ and then right after that, I showed up on set to do ‘Memory.
- 9/13/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Jessica Chastain will receive the Zurich Film Festival’s Golden Icon Award.
Chastain will present her latest film “Memory” at the festival alongside director Michel Franco and co-star Peter Sarsgaard on Oct. 1. The film bowed at Venice where Sarsgaard won best actor.
“Memory” follows Sylvia (Chastain), a social worker who leads a simple and structured life revolving around her daughter, her job and her AA meetings. This is disrupted when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their encounter profoundly impacts both of them as they open the door to the past.
In an interview with Variety, Franco had said: “Jessica is possibly the best actress in the states right now, it’s not an exaggeration to say she’s the best actress in the world.”
Festival artistic director Christian Jungen said: “Jessica Chastain is one of the most eminent actresses of her generation. Known for her smart choice of roles,...
Chastain will present her latest film “Memory” at the festival alongside director Michel Franco and co-star Peter Sarsgaard on Oct. 1. The film bowed at Venice where Sarsgaard won best actor.
“Memory” follows Sylvia (Chastain), a social worker who leads a simple and structured life revolving around her daughter, her job and her AA meetings. This is disrupted when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their encounter profoundly impacts both of them as they open the door to the past.
In an interview with Variety, Franco had said: “Jessica is possibly the best actress in the states right now, it’s not an exaggeration to say she’s the best actress in the world.”
Festival artistic director Christian Jungen said: “Jessica Chastain is one of the most eminent actresses of her generation. Known for her smart choice of roles,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Mexican auteur Michel Franco welcomed being able to have Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard at his side for the North American premiere of Memory at the Toronto Film Festival on Tuesday night.
“I’m very lucky to have my actors with me in this difficult time, but we’re hoping independent cinema will keep finding its place and this will make us stronger,” Franco told a Princess of Wales Theatre audience. The indie, which signed an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA to have the stars promote Memory in Toronto, which has been decidedly short of Hollywood A-listers in town amid the dual Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
The austere family drama has Chastain playing Sylvia, a social worker who lives a simple life structured around her daughter, her job and her AA meetings. But her routines are disrupted when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion.
“I’m very lucky to have my actors with me in this difficult time, but we’re hoping independent cinema will keep finding its place and this will make us stronger,” Franco told a Princess of Wales Theatre audience. The indie, which signed an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA to have the stars promote Memory in Toronto, which has been decidedly short of Hollywood A-listers in town amid the dual Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
The austere family drama has Chastain playing Sylvia, a social worker who lives a simple life structured around her daughter, her job and her AA meetings. But her routines are disrupted when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion.
- 9/13/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Michel Franco began penning the script for his latest drama, “Memory,” he knew the premise — an unlikely connection between Sylvia, a woman struggling to overcome addiction and sexual abuse, and Saul, a man with early onset dementia — but where the story ended up was entirely unexpected.
“I saw it very clearly in my mind,” Franco told Variety ahead of the movie’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 8. “Two characters run into each other at a class reunion and he follows her home and stays out there, but I didn’t know why or who they were. I just knew that was cinematic somehow. And then I realized I was writing about memory on both ends, but I was surprised when the outline showed me that.”
Starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard, “Memory” earned an eight-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere, with Sarsgaard taking home the...
“I saw it very clearly in my mind,” Franco told Variety ahead of the movie’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 8. “Two characters run into each other at a class reunion and he follows her home and stays out there, but I didn’t know why or who they were. I just knew that was cinematic somehow. And then I realized I was writing about memory on both ends, but I was surprised when the outline showed me that.”
Starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard, “Memory” earned an eight-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere, with Sarsgaard taking home the...
- 9/12/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Three years after polarizing the Venice Film Festival with his controversial class warfare drama “New Order,” Mexican director Michel Franco returned to the Lido this week to debut his latest movie, “Memory.” The film, which stars Jessica Chastain as an adult caretaker who forms a romantic connection with a dementia patient, was hailed by critics as another strong entry in Franco’s filmography.
While in Venice to promote the film, Franco found time to share his thoughts on the current state of the international film industry in an interview with French outlet Afp (via Barron’s). While he conceded that he’s most comfortable making films in his native Mexico, he said that he believes the best actors can be found in America.
“What is very interesting about the United States are the actors,” Franco said. “In Mexico there are good actors, but the big leagues are in New York,...
While in Venice to promote the film, Franco found time to share his thoughts on the current state of the international film industry in an interview with French outlet Afp (via Barron’s). While he conceded that he’s most comfortable making films in his native Mexico, he said that he believes the best actors can be found in America.
“What is very interesting about the United States are the actors,” Franco said. “In Mexico there are good actors, but the big leagues are in New York,...
- 9/10/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
It’s time for Peter Sarsgaard to finally shatter the Oscar glass.
Once upon a time, actor Peter Sarsgaard won the most precursors prizes during the 2003-2004 awards season for his supporting turn in Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass.” In the film, he plays Charles Lane, a newly promoted editor who suspects one of his revered writers (played by Hayden Christensen) could have fabricated some of his stories. It was a breakout performance in the early days of online Oscar punditry that had everyone buzzing. However, when it came time for the major televised ceremonies, he was only able to muster a Golden Globe nod, then to be followed by shocking snubs from SAG, BAFTA and eventually the Academy Awards.
It was one of the few times in recent awards history where the leader of critics’ acting prizes failed to nab Oscar recognition (others include Ethan Hawke for “First Reformed...
Once upon a time, actor Peter Sarsgaard won the most precursors prizes during the 2003-2004 awards season for his supporting turn in Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass.” In the film, he plays Charles Lane, a newly promoted editor who suspects one of his revered writers (played by Hayden Christensen) could have fabricated some of his stories. It was a breakout performance in the early days of online Oscar punditry that had everyone buzzing. However, when it came time for the major televised ceremonies, he was only able to muster a Golden Globe nod, then to be followed by shocking snubs from SAG, BAFTA and eventually the Academy Awards.
It was one of the few times in recent awards history where the leader of critics’ acting prizes failed to nab Oscar recognition (others include Ethan Hawke for “First Reformed...
- 9/10/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
With three competition titles across the last four editions, no contemporary filmmaker has been more present on the Venice Lido than director Michel Franco.
The Mexican auteur returned to the Venice competition last night with his latest title, Memory, a taut New York City-set drama with scorching performances from Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
In the pic, Chastain plays Sylvia, a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter, her job, and her AA meetings. But all is blown open when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
“I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Chastain said of her response after reading Franco’s screenplay.
Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper, and Josh Charles also star in the pic, which is...
The Mexican auteur returned to the Venice competition last night with his latest title, Memory, a taut New York City-set drama with scorching performances from Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
In the pic, Chastain plays Sylvia, a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter, her job, and her AA meetings. But all is blown open when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
“I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Chastain said of her response after reading Franco’s screenplay.
Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper, and Josh Charles also star in the pic, which is...
- 9/9/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
After just being officially confirmed for a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement the day before, the cast of Memory hit the Venice Film Festival red carpet Friday night. Michel Franco’s movie, starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard, was greeted with a seven-minute ovation during its world premiere inside the Sala Grande.
Seven minute applause at the ‘Memory’ premiere at Venice #Venezia80 pic.twitter.com/asdxr7KIM0
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) September 8, 2023
In the drama, which is playing in the Competition lineup here, Chastain plays Sylvia, a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter, her job, her AA meetings. This is blown open when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper and Josh Charles also star in the pic, which...
Seven minute applause at the ‘Memory’ premiere at Venice #Venezia80 pic.twitter.com/asdxr7KIM0
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) September 8, 2023
In the drama, which is playing in the Competition lineup here, Chastain plays Sylvia, a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter, her job, her AA meetings. This is blown open when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper and Josh Charles also star in the pic, which...
- 9/8/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Michel Franco’s heartbreaking drama “Memory” earned a strong eight-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival on Friday night as stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard wiped away tears.
Franco, Chastain and Sarsgaard embraced as the audience cheered them on, with each taking their turn in the spotlight to accept the applause. After the crowd clapped for several minutes, Chastain was visibly emotional, dabbing at her eyes as she smiled with pride. Sarsgaard, too, got teary-eyed, and his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal was there to capture it all, taking a video of the ovation.
As she walked into the theater prior to the screening, Chastain signed autographs and took selfies with fans extensively, making sure the desires of nearly everyone in sight were met.
Directed and written by Michel Franco, the film also stars Peter Sarsgaard and Elsie Fisher. “Memory” centers around Sylvia (Chastain),a “social worker who leads a simple and structured life,...
Franco, Chastain and Sarsgaard embraced as the audience cheered them on, with each taking their turn in the spotlight to accept the applause. After the crowd clapped for several minutes, Chastain was visibly emotional, dabbing at her eyes as she smiled with pride. Sarsgaard, too, got teary-eyed, and his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal was there to capture it all, taking a video of the ovation.
As she walked into the theater prior to the screening, Chastain signed autographs and took selfies with fans extensively, making sure the desires of nearly everyone in sight were met.
Directed and written by Michel Franco, the film also stars Peter Sarsgaard and Elsie Fisher. “Memory” centers around Sylvia (Chastain),a “social worker who leads a simple and structured life,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Sylvia (Jessica Chastain) lives behind an exceptionally well-locked door. Her apartment has three locks of different kinds, keeping out anyone who managed to get past the intercom protecting the front entrance. As a woman living alone with a teenage daughter, perhaps she has her reasons. Just tonight, a man followed her home from her high school reunion, catching the same train, shadowing her from the station and finally sleeping outside her building under a plastic bag. Strangely, she is quite blasé about that: In the morning, she deals with it, demanding this man’s phone and finding someone in his contacts who can come and pick him up.
She is nervous, but she is a coper. What really stays with Sylvia is the sexual abuse she endured in childhood, first at home and then at school, where a coterie of older bullies would get her drunk and force her to...
She is nervous, but she is a coper. What really stays with Sylvia is the sexual abuse she endured in childhood, first at home and then at school, where a coterie of older bullies would get her drunk and force her to...
- 9/8/2023
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
Within the strands of sexual abuse, cognitive decline, family trauma and medical malpractice that interweave and entangle in Michel Franco “Memory,” the Mexican filmmaker has threaded his most shocking provocation to date: the glimmer of hope. Of course, this hope is neither blinding nor unreal; it shocks by way of normalcy, by an elegant and natural flow from Franco’s typically unsparing outlook. But what a time, what a world, what a strange affair — Michel Franco has made his version of a heartwarmer.
Closing out the Venice Golden Lion competition before hitting Toronto, “Memory” makes you work for the payoff. It puts you through a wringer that feels more of a piece with his somber filmography. Just look at those aforementioned narrative strands, which are just some of the darker elements unearthed and presented with the filmmaker’s predictable blunt force.
Only, once met with such surprise tenderness, the final...
Closing out the Venice Golden Lion competition before hitting Toronto, “Memory” makes you work for the payoff. It puts you through a wringer that feels more of a piece with his somber filmography. Just look at those aforementioned narrative strands, which are just some of the darker elements unearthed and presented with the filmmaker’s predictable blunt force.
Only, once met with such surprise tenderness, the final...
- 9/8/2023
- by Ben Croll
- The Wrap
Oscar winner Jessica Chastain and Emmy nominee Peter Sarsgaard are here in Venice today for the world premiere of Michel Franco’s Memory, which on Thursday was officially confirmed for an interim agreement. At the press conference today, Chastain, sporting a SAG-AFTRA On Strike t-shirt, was asked if she had considered not attending amid the ongoing labor action. She began by saying, “Yes, I was incredibly nervous to be here today, and actually there are some people on my team who advised me against it.” However, she opted to come in support of her union.
She continued, “I’m very very lucky, I’m very aware of how lucky I am. It’s a wonderful profession that we get to do as actors and because of that we are quite often made to feel like we have to keep quiet in order to protect future working opportunities. We...
She continued, “I’m very very lucky, I’m very aware of how lucky I am. It’s a wonderful profession that we get to do as actors and because of that we are quite often made to feel like we have to keep quiet in order to protect future working opportunities. We...
- 9/8/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Jessica Chastain made an impassioned appeal to U.S. actors, urging them to promote indie movies on Friday at the Venice Film Festival press conference for Michel Franco’s drama “Memory.”
“I was very nervous about coming,” said Chastain, who was wearing a black “SAG-AFTRA on Strike” T-Shirt, revealing that “there were actually some people on my team who advised me against it.”
Chastain then noted that actors are “often made to keep quiet in order to protect future working opportunities, and we are often told and reminded how grateful we should be. And that is the environment that I think has allowed work to be abused, to go unchecked for many decades. And is also the environment that has saddled members of our union with unfair contracts.”
Since “Memory” obtained an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA, Chastain and co-star Peter Sarsgaard were present at the press conference.
“I am here...
“I was very nervous about coming,” said Chastain, who was wearing a black “SAG-AFTRA on Strike” T-Shirt, revealing that “there were actually some people on my team who advised me against it.”
Chastain then noted that actors are “often made to keep quiet in order to protect future working opportunities, and we are often told and reminded how grateful we should be. And that is the environment that I think has allowed work to be abused, to go unchecked for many decades. And is also the environment that has saddled members of our union with unfair contracts.”
Since “Memory” obtained an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA, Chastain and co-star Peter Sarsgaard were present at the press conference.
“I am here...
- 9/8/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Directed by Mexican auteur Michel Franco, Memory stars Chastain as Sylvia, a social worker who lives a simple life structured around her daughter, her job and her AA meetings. Her routines are disrupted, however, when Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their encounter profoundly impacts both of them as they open the door to the past.
Chastain and Sarsgaard are on the exceedingly short list of Hollywood stars touching down in Venice this year due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA. Like Adam Driver, who appeared early in the festival to support Michael Mann’s Ferrari, Chastain and Sarsgaard received interim waivers from SAG-AFTRA, which are being made available to union members involved in qualifying independent films that will be released outside of the studio system.
Speaking about being in Venice against the background of the strikes, Chastain admitted she was “incredibly nervous” to attend, adding...
Chastain and Sarsgaard are on the exceedingly short list of Hollywood stars touching down in Venice this year due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA. Like Adam Driver, who appeared early in the festival to support Michael Mann’s Ferrari, Chastain and Sarsgaard received interim waivers from SAG-AFTRA, which are being made available to union members involved in qualifying independent films that will be released outside of the studio system.
Speaking about being in Venice against the background of the strikes, Chastain admitted she was “incredibly nervous” to attend, adding...
- 9/8/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski and Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: It’s not a given that talent will attend premieres if their movie gets an interim agreement but we can confirm that Oscar winner Jessica Chastain and Emmy nominee Peter Sarsgaard will be on hand to spice up the premieres of new movie Memory both tomorrow in Venice and next week in Toronto.
Both actors are due to tread the red carpets and do press for the movie, which today was officially confirmed for an interim agreement. The movie was one of the last big Toronto and/or Venice movies to be officially confirmed for an interim agreement.
Michel Franco’s film gets its world premiere in Venice tomorrow and its North American premiere in Toronto on September 12th. The movie is among projects which could secure a North American deal out of the festivals.
Chastain will play Sylvia, a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter,...
Both actors are due to tread the red carpets and do press for the movie, which today was officially confirmed for an interim agreement. The movie was one of the last big Toronto and/or Venice movies to be officially confirmed for an interim agreement.
Michel Franco’s film gets its world premiere in Venice tomorrow and its North American premiere in Toronto on September 12th. The movie is among projects which could secure a North American deal out of the festivals.
Chastain will play Sylvia, a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
It has become a running record that “Better Call Saul” has yet to win a single Emmy Award from its now 53 nominations. But the AMC legal crime drama has seven last chances this year to nab a long-awaited and deserved trophy for the second half of its stellar final season, which aired last summer. Read on for a closer look at “Better Call Saul’s” final seven nominations.
While the “Breaking Bad” prequel has been hit-or-miss in a lot of other main categories in the past, it has kept a slot in the Best Drama Series category its entire run. This year, half of the lineup is a whole new crop of shows and with nomination tallies, “Better Call Saul” is in the same realm as Netflix’s former recipient “The Crown” with six and freshman series “Andor” on Disney+ and “House of the Dragon” on HBO with eight. That...
While the “Breaking Bad” prequel has been hit-or-miss in a lot of other main categories in the past, it has kept a slot in the Best Drama Series category its entire run. This year, half of the lineup is a whole new crop of shows and with nomination tallies, “Better Call Saul” is in the same realm as Netflix’s former recipient “The Crown” with six and freshman series “Andor” on Disney+ and “House of the Dragon” on HBO with eight. That...
- 8/27/2023
- by Christopher Tsang
- Gold Derby
From the majestic-but-aged environs inhabited by the British royals Netflix’s in “The Crown” and the decadent sun-drenched luxury of the San Domenico Palace resort in Taormina, Sicily, in HBO’s “The White Lotus” to the foreboding Ontario wilderness where a girls’ soccer team is stranded in Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” the locations used in this year’s Emmy-nominated dramas loom so large they can be viewed as characters unto themselves that interact with the performers and help shape the narrative.
It’s especially true of the role Albuquerque, N.M., plays in AMC’s “Better Call Saul.” There’s no telling if the series would even exist if creator Vince Gilligan had gotten his way back in the mid-2000s and the studio suits at Sony agreed to let him use Riverside, Calif., as the setting for its predecessor “Breaking Bad” (2008-2013), which established the “Saul” characters and their dramatic universe.
It’s especially true of the role Albuquerque, N.M., plays in AMC’s “Better Call Saul.” There’s no telling if the series would even exist if creator Vince Gilligan had gotten his way back in the mid-2000s and the studio suits at Sony agreed to let him use Riverside, Calif., as the setting for its predecessor “Breaking Bad” (2008-2013), which established the “Saul” characters and their dramatic universe.
- 8/19/2023
- by Todd Longwell
- Variety Film + TV
A column chronicling events and conversations on the awards circuit.
The final hours are upon us.
This isn’t meant to be some sort of bleak apocalyptic statement, but rather a catchy reminder to my fellow Emmy voters that time is fleeting when it comes to casting your nominating ballot. In fact we are now entering the last weekend of voting with all ballots due by 10pm Pt on Monday.
This means the busy campaigning of the last six months of Phase One will grind to a halt. I guess that also means no more home visits from nuns delivering Buffalo Wings courtesy of Mrs. Davis. Damn!
Judging from casual conversations, I would make an educated guess that a good number of the 20,000+ eligible voters have yet to make their choices, and no wonder. The sheer volume of content out there is staggering so you want to be as responsible...
The final hours are upon us.
This isn’t meant to be some sort of bleak apocalyptic statement, but rather a catchy reminder to my fellow Emmy voters that time is fleeting when it comes to casting your nominating ballot. In fact we are now entering the last weekend of voting with all ballots due by 10pm Pt on Monday.
This means the busy campaigning of the last six months of Phase One will grind to a halt. I guess that also means no more home visits from nuns delivering Buffalo Wings courtesy of Mrs. Davis. Damn!
Judging from casual conversations, I would make an educated guess that a good number of the 20,000+ eligible voters have yet to make their choices, and no wonder. The sheer volume of content out there is staggering so you want to be as responsible...
- 6/23/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Ever since Jimmy McGill’s girlfriend Kim Wexler, played by Rhea Seehorn, was in a car accident a few seasons ago on AMC/Sony TV’s Better Call Saul, we’ve had the worst thoughts about her character, and that’s likely because she never shows up in the mothership series Breaking Bad.
“It’s an interesting situation, because the show is a prequel to Breaking Bad and in some ways a sequel,” said the series’ Emmy-nominated co-creator/showrunner, executive producer, writer and director Peter Gould during Sony TV’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees all-day event. “We know the fates of some of these characters, Jimmy McGill and Mike Ehrmantraut, but we don’t know what happens to Kim Wexler.”
“As the show has gone on, Kim has become the character we’re most concerned about,” he added about Wexler after she went toe-to-toe and spoke...
“It’s an interesting situation, because the show is a prequel to Breaking Bad and in some ways a sequel,” said the series’ Emmy-nominated co-creator/showrunner, executive producer, writer and director Peter Gould during Sony TV’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees all-day event. “We know the fates of some of these characters, Jimmy McGill and Mike Ehrmantraut, but we don’t know what happens to Kim Wexler.”
“As the show has gone on, Kim has become the character we’re most concerned about,” he added about Wexler after she went toe-to-toe and spoke...
- 8/16/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
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